Wow! A subject near and dear to my own heart. Let's go back in time to 1980. I had just met two friends who would change my life. Brett Burchfield and Robby Trott. They lived near each other right near Northwoods Elementary school while I lived down the hill. I do not remember how we all first met but we did hang out a bit. I was a child of the seventies mind you so I already had Megos etc. Had NEVER read a comic book before. I thought they were stupid. I do not know WHAT gave me that idea...Anyways Robby Trott invited me over one day. He had just begun to collect comics. Amazing Spiderman. Out of boredom I started leafing through his pile of comics. The first one he had on top of the pile was this one.
Amazing Spiderman 210 the first appearance of Madame Web...I thought...Who is that old lady? It didn't interest me in the slightest. I kept on browsing...
This is the issue that caught my eye. There was something about the Trapster that captivated me. He was like Batman with two utility belts on his shoulders. What was in those belts? I had to know! So I went to the comic book store, a 7-11 and bought my first Spidey issue...Issue 224.
Turns out this was a GREAT issue. Very human story in it. It was also the first issue of Roger Stern's run which many people say WAS THE Spiderman writer! He is to me at least. That issue was so good that I kept buying. Next month was the Fool killer, then the black cat IMO a Catwoman knockoff...Then I was at the local drug store a few months later and found this...
Who was the Monster called the Juggernaut? Why is Spidey holding Aunt May? Oooppsss....That isn't Aunt May! That is that old Madame Web from issue 210 that didn't interest me. Little did I know that Juggernaut issue was one of Spidey's best issues ever made! That and the two parter 230. So I was in the thick of Spidey lore. I started learning about other marvel heroes from a little book released the same year called Contest of Champions. So Robby Trott and I played Marvel. I played Colossus and he played Magneto and killed me right away. It was such a magical time. No worries. A Dolly Madison pie in one hand and the latest adventures of Spidey in the other. The Atari 2600 system was in full force back then and playing outside was wonderful.
HAHA..A few months later issue 238 came out.
Robby, Brett and I were trying to guess who the Hobgoblin was! We had no idea. But then Dad lost the house in the commodities....We moved to another part of town and I never saw Robby nor Brett again.
I still collected comics. Branched out into some DC. Especially when the 1989 Batman movie came out. Then in 1997 Roger Stern came back on the scene and claimed he never revealed who the Hobgoblin was. Marvel came out with a three issue arc called Hobgoblin lives. The third issue revealed who it was....When that third issue came out I drove to Robby's old house was because he had moved as well. I sat down on the hill in the park where we used to play and in honor of him, I read it. I will never forget that. 12 years later I finally found out!
I wonder if Robby is still around. I know Brett is. Found him on FB. I want to say Thank you to Robby. Thank you for sharing with me a love of comics that I kept with me for many years. I spent years in search of them. Comic book conventions etc. The annual DragonCon in Atlanta. I just wish I had my comic collection again. When my father died I sold all of them on Ebay. I felt if I couldn't share my collection with Dad anymore then I shouldn't have it. I know big mistake right? But 10 years ago it felt like the right thing to do. Boy was I wrong. But really...I couldn't lug 10 long white boxes full of them to Mexico. It would not have been practical.
There is me at Brett's birthday party. Wonder where Robby is? Well he was in a grade above us so maybe he couldn't come that day or something.
Thanks Robby!
I just wish I could go back in time to that place. It was such a great time in my life. I am tempted to buy on Amazon Nothing can stop the Juggernaut. In it, are collected those wonderful first Stern issues. 224-230. It really should have added 231 and 232 as well as those are fantastic. Made me also love Mr. Hyde to this day.
See what other leaguers say
It's been 5 years, did you ever find Robby?
ReplyDelete