I have slowly been getting rid of my comics.

Not, mind you, my graphic novels, manga, and trade paperbacks. My comics. The classic floppies that occupy something like 14 long boxes in my house. One, that’s way too many goddamned comics. Two, that’s entirely too much closet space being occupied. Three… who the hell needs that many comics???

The problem lies in the past, as I let the collection build. I wasn’t as discerning about what I bought as I should have been. I held onto publisher comps I had no interest in. Generally, I didn’t think ahead about things like space or need. In short, I was stupid. But a couple of years ago, I started pulling my head out of my rear end and began plotting and planning.

Now let me first start by saying that, although I receive a lot of material for review purposes that I don’t want to keep, I don’t sell any of it. For me (and I cannot speak for anyone else), that’s outside of my ethical range. I’ll donate it. I’ll trade it. But I don’t get cash for it. I just can’t do that. Hell, maybe if I actually had the time to sell stuff on E-bay, I’d feel differently, but I don’t… and I don’t. I also don’t throw them away- while I have a recycle bin right on my back patio, I’d rather find some way of getting a comic or graphic novel into someone’s hand, aiming for a new convert.

So trading is my favorite method, and as I dig into my personal collection (which is a far bigger issue than review copies), I am trying harder and harder to get stuff out of those boxes. I’m actively trying to trade material that’s available in book form so it becomes sort of an even swap, but there’s other stuff that just needs to go… bad mistakes on my part. I mean… what in God’s name was I doing buying GREEN LANTERN for those three years? I didn’t even like the damned book!

I estimate that, over the past three years, I’ve gotten over 2000 comics (and even some trades) out of my house, and I have about another 500 ready to go right now. Yet my bookshelves are still packed full. It’s a never-ending battle for truth, justice, and a place that dust doesn’t collect in my house.

I have this wonderful fantasy that I get a $10,000 shopping spree at Amazon and that I am able to shift all but about three boxes of comics over to trade and suddenly I have all this brand-new space in my house. It’s a lovely dream. But I know this is going to be a lengthy process. Cross your fingers for me- I’m going to need it.

Oh- anybody want some comics?

Marc Mason

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