Flip the Longbox
Thumb through it like a real one. Tap the comic in front to pull it out of the box.
The Comic Spinner
A squeaky wire spinner by the door: Marvel, EC, Harvey, a pink Topps book, a whole box of Springfield, and the back cover where the Johnson Smith Company sold X-Ray Vision. Tap a cover to pull it off the rack.
Flagged the “1st Collector’s Item Issue!”
Printed cover price: 60¢
“Incredible Science-Fiction Stories!”
Special issue: “Flying Saucer Report”, “Documented Evidence!”
“Special! Meet… Stone-Age Richie”
Printed cover price: 60¢
Introduction by Art Spiegelman, afterword by John Pound. “Bonus Stickers”
“The bombshell battle with Baron Strucker reaches… The Fateful Finale!”
Printed cover price: 12¢
A Simpsons comics collection, Bart on the cover.
A spread from one of the Simpsons comic collections, with Itchy & Scratchy mid-“SPROINK!”
Spines include Extravaganza, Spectacular, On Parade, Simpsons-O-Rama, Strikes Back, Barn Burner, A Go-Go, Madness, Beach Blanket Bongo, Bartman: The Best of the Best, the Big Beefy, Big Bratty and Big Bad Books of Bart Simpson, Bart Simpson Class Clown, the Forever and Beyond Forever guides, and The Gospel According to The Simpsons.
Things You Never Knew Existed,
Since 1914, Mt. Clemens, Mich. Coupon for the
Free 1982 Catalog, 1600 Novelties; on the page: Spy Pen Radio, X-Ray Vision, Ventriloquist Dummy, Avalanche Shave Cream, Giant Balloons.He loved the Johnson Smith Company and, after watching the Pee-wee Herman movies, ordered lots of tricks and gadgets from them as a kid. He was a member of the Pee-wee fun club, too, and the pin’s in the shoebox.
“Things You Never Knew Existed”, “Since 1914”, Mt. Clemens, Mich. Coupon for the “Free 1982 Catalog, 1600 Novelties”; on the page: Spy Pen Radio, X-Ray Vision, Ventriloquist Dummy, Avalanche Shave Cream, Giant Balloons.
He loved the Johnson Smith Company and, after watching the Pee-wee Herman movies, ordered lots of tricks and gadgets from them as a kid. He was a member of the Pee-wee fun club, too, and the pin’s in the shoebox.
Manor lore, unverified: the spinner turns by itself at midnight, always stopping on the flying saucer.
The comics how-to books (Stan Lee’s How to Write Comics, How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way) and Garbage Pail Kids: Welcome to Smellville are books, so they stay on the Reading Room’s shelves →
Bagged & Boarded
20 entries, 1990 to 1993. Hologram, foil, die-cut, still-sealed: the decade of the gimmick cover.
Writers: Chuck Dixon, Barry Dutter, Mike Kanterovich and others; Artists: Mark Nelson, Walter McDaniel, John Ridgway and others; Editor: Tom Brevoort; Cover: Bill Sienkiewicz
Fun fact: 68-page anthology of four stories: 'The Sinner', 'Mott Haven 10454', 'Child's Play' and 'Back to School'. The first of three Back to School Specials (1992 to 1994).
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Writer: David Michelinie; Pencils: Mark Bagley
Fun fact: Venom's first solo series, a six-issue limited series (Feb to July 1993) that moved Eddie Brock to San Francisco as an antihero. The standard cover has red metallic foil; a known printing error left some covers black.
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Both bags are still sealed.
Superman #75: Dan Jurgens (writer/pencils), Brett Breeding (inks); Adventures #500: Jerry Ordway (writer), Tom Grummett (pencils), Doug Hazlewood (inks)
Fun fact: Both are still sealed. The black bag with the bleeding S logo holds Superman #75, the 'Death of Superman' issue told entirely in splash pages; it shipped with a poster, stamps, a Daily Planet obituary, a black armband and a trading card. The white bag with the red S logo holds Adventures of Superman #500, which starts the return storyline and came with a translucent overlay cover and a trading card.
Both bags are still sealed.
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Still sealed, so the secret message stays secret.
Writer: Dan Slott; Art & cover: Mike Kazaleh
Fun fact: The first printing came polybagged with a scratch-and-sniff 'Air Fouler' (Ren or Stimpy). The bag hides a cover gag in which Ren yells that opening the bag made the comic worthless. Dan Slott, who later wrote Amazing Spider-Man, wrote this issue.
Still sealed, so the secret message stays secret.
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Writer: Alan Grant; Pencils: Lee Sullivan; Inks: Kim DeMulder
Fun fact: 'Kombat Zone' opens Marvel's ongoing series based on the 1987 film. It ran 23 issues (March 1990 to January 1992); Simon Furman later took over as writer.
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Writer: Chuck Dixon; Pencils: Tom Lyle
Fun fact: Issue #1 came in five editions: a Kevin Maguire newsstand cover and four direct-market hologram covers by Tom Lyle, Kelley Jones, Dick Giordano and Matt Wagner, an early-'90s multi-cover experiment.
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Creator writer artist: Todd McFarlane
Fun fact: First appearance of Spawn. It sold about 1.7 million copies and was Image's first comic to top the direct-market sales chart; McFarlane had left Spider-Man to help found Image.
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Still sealed with its card.
Plot art: Rob Liefeld; Script: Fabian Nicieza; Editor: Bob Harras
Fun fact: Polybagged with one of five trading cards (Cable, Deadpool, Shatterstar, Sunspot & Gideon, or the X-Force team). It sold about 4 to 5 million copies, second only to X-Men (vol. 2) #1.
Still sealed with its card.
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Writer: Howard Mackie; Pencils: Javier Saltares; Inks: Mark Texeira
Fun fact: 'A Spirit Reborn': first appearance of Danny Ketch as the new Ghost Rider, and of the villain Deathwatch.
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Plot breakdowns: Keith Giffen; Dialogue: Alan Grant; Art & painted cover: Simon Bisley
Printed cover price: $1.50
Fun fact: Every copy has three consecutive full glossy covers, used for 'Fun and Games with the Main Man' gags (shadow pictures, fishing, connect-the-dots).
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Writer: Harlan Ellison (adapting his own teleplay); Art: Neal Adams
Fun fact: The 'Spectacular Premiere Issue' adapts Harlan Ellison's 'Crazy as a Soup Sandwich', which Ellison originally wrote for the 1980s Twilight Zone TV revival, with art by Neal Adams.
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Writer: Tom DeFalco; Art: Paul Ryan; With: Arthur Adams, John Byrne
Fun fact: A 30th-anniversary issue with a die-cut cover, billed as Marvel's first die-cut cover. First appearance of Paibok the Power Skrull.
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Grandpa Teddy drew Johnny Blaze off this one. See his drawing in the Art Gallery →
Writer: Howard Mackie; Art: Adam Kubert; Poster: Andy Kubert (pencils), Adam Kubert (inks)
Fun fact: Part 2 of the 'Rise of the Midnight Sons' crossover, which launched Marvel's supernatural line. It shipped polybagged with a Midnight Sons mini-poster.
Grandpa Teddy drew Johnny Blaze off this one. See his drawing in the Art Gallery →
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This copy has the black-and-white half overlay cover.
Script: Doug Moench; Pencils: Jim Aparo; Inks: Dick Giordano; Cover: Kelley Jones
Fun fact: Knightfall part 11, in which Bane breaks Batman's back. Some copies had an extra black-and-white partial overlay cover.
This copy has the black-and-white half overlay cover.
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Writer: Jim Starlin; Art & cover: George Pérez
Fun fact: In 'God', Thanos uses the completed Gauntlet to wipe out half of all life in the universe. The story inspired the snap in Avengers: Infinity War.
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Writer: Katherine Llewellyn; Pencils: Dave Schwartz; Inks: David Mowry, John Stangeland
Printed cover price: $1.75
Fun fact: 'The All American Family or Just Act Natural' opened NOW's licensed comic based on the Fox sitcom about the Bundys.
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Writer: Jim Starlin; Art & cover: Ron Lim (inks Tom Christopher)
Fun fact: Anniversary issue with an embossed silver-foil cover. It revisits the Surfer's origin and leads into Infinity Gauntlet, with Thanos involved.
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Four series, each with its own regular creative team
Printed cover price: Amazing $3.95; Spectacular $2.95; Web $2.95; Spider-Man $3.50 (as printed)
Fun fact: All four 30th-anniversary issues have hologram covers. Web #90's gatefold poster previewed Spider-Man 2099 a month before the five-page preview in Amazing #365, which is usually credited as his first appearance.
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Cover: Steve Lightle
Printed cover price: $2.95
Fun fact: A 52-page reference book, the first of four (Nov 1991 to Feb 1992), that summarizes Spider-Man's history from Amazing Fantasy #15 through Amazing Spider-Man #100.
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Writer: Larry Hama; Pencils: Marc Silvestri; Inks: Dan Green, Hilary Barta, Tom Palmer
Fun fact: A yellow 'Codename: Wolverine / Top Secret' Weapon X file cover with die-cut claw slashes that show the art underneath. The issue concludes the Shiva Scenario ('Dreams of Gore: Phase 3').
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The Magazine Rack
The oversized ones that don’t fit in the box: Marvel’s 1989 year in review, Cracked, MAD, and a June 1978 Playboy you can flip open.
Editor: Bobbie Chase; Writers: Mark Gruenwald, Peter David, Walter Simonson, David Michelinie, Dwayne McDuffie and others; Artists: Lee Weeks, Herb Trimpe, Bryan Hitch, Dale Keown, Mike Mignola, Bob McLeod; Cover: Todd McFarlane (design John Romita Sr.)
Printed cover price: $3.95
Fun fact: A tongue-in-cheek news-magazine parody written as if from inside the Marvel Universe, with mock ads for Roxxon Oil and Damage Control. McFarlane's cover has Spider-Man speaking out against superhero registration, years before Civil War.
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Cover: John Severin
Printed cover price: $1.75
Fun fact: Michael Jordan cover, plugging a 'Win a Michael Jordan Rookie Card!' contest. Cracked was a longtime rival of MAD.
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“Our price 60¢ CHEAP”. We gore The Spy Who Loved Me, score Punk Rock, explore What’s Happening?, deplore Television Commercials, and ignore Donny & Marie. “Exclusive: FBI releases Bionic Man’s fingerprints.” The cover art is signed Jaffee.
Entertainment for Men. “Playmate of the Year”: hair apparent Debra Jo Fondren assumes the throne. Exclusive: Bobby Baker’s inside story of corruption in Washington. A racy interview with George Burns.
Printed cover price: $2.00
The Wax Counter
Under the glass by the register: non-sports wax packs from the ’80s and ’90s, still sealed. Records, rappers and BMX bikes, ten cards or seven and a stick of gum.
One sealed pack: 10 cards to a pack, 36 packs to a box.
READS: THE CARDS THE WORLD COLLECTS
Fun fact: The set runs 100 cards in four groups: Facts & Feats, the Natural & Human World, Sports & Games, and records that had never been published before.
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More Pro Set MusiCards (Madonna, MC Hammer) are in the Locker Room’s bargain bin →
Update pack. The wrapper promises a trip to New York City in a contest.
READS: 50 NEW CARDS · UPDATE! · COLLECT ALL 150 · NEW CREWS! NEW PICS!
Fun fact: The update cards are numbers 101 to 150. They added A Tribe Called Quest, Queen Latifah, Leaders of the New School, and the show’s hosts Doctor Dré and Ed Lover. Update packs mixed the new cards with the first 100.
More Pro Set MusiCards (Madonna, MC Hammer) are in the Locker Room’s bargain bin →
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Wheels and decks are out back in the Skate Shop →
Seven full-color photo cards and one stick of gum. The maker’s name isn’t on the front.
READS: FEATURING MAJOR BRANDS · 7 FULL COLOR PHOTO CARDS · 1 STICK OF GUM
Fun fact: The 59-card set covers ten bike brands: Red Line, Torker, Hutch, Team Murray, Schwinn, Kuwahara, Hyper, Diamond Back, Huffy and Raleigh.
Wheels and decks are out back in the Skate Shop →
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The sports wax, boxes and all, is next door: the Locker Room’s Sealed Wax shelf → More Pro Set music cards (Madonna, MC Hammer) are in its bargain bin →
The Sticker Wall
Five laptop lids, slapped edge to edge: hacker cons and infosec crews, skate brands, breweries, cartoons and a few Kentucky locals. Tap a lid for the close-up.
PROMPT#, InGuardians, Black Hills Red Team and Blue Team, HCKR, TrustedSec, Antisyphon, Backdoors & Breaches, a Santa Cruz skull, They Live and a Reds wishbone C.
Fun fact: Backdoors & Breaches is a card game from Black Hills Information Security, made for tabletop training: the defenders play cards to figure out how an attack got in.
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Santa Cruz Shredder and the Screaming Hand, InGuardians Red Team, Cobalt Strike, Black Hills Information Security, Rick and Morty, Pivot Brewing, Ben & Jerry’s and another Reds C.
Fun fact: Jim Phillips drew the Screaming Hand in 1985, for Santa Cruz Speed Wheels. Screaming Hands turn up on lids 2, 4 and 5, in blue, green and purple.
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Hak5, TrustedSec, PROMPT#, The Walking Deadwood, Wild West Hackin’ Fest, Black Hills Blue Team, DRBY, Ballast Point and a Don’t Panic sign.
Fun fact: Wild West Hackin’ Fest is Black Hills Information Security’s conference, held in Deadwood, South Dakota.
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Kentucky For Kentucky, Kentucky 4-H, DerbyCon 4.0 Recharge, a green Screaming Hand, Solo Stove, eero, Square, Sticker Mule, Vans, the Paris Pops Co. and pixel Rick.
Fun fact: DerbyCon was a hacker conference in Louisville that ran from 2011 to 2019, ending with DerbyCon 9.0.
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The Santa Cruz dot, Radio Free DerbyCon 106.3 The Derp, Metasploit, Flipper Zero, HCKR, WWHF Deadwood 2024, Antisyphon, Nor Cal, Whiskey Militia and a dial-up “Dialing Progress” window.
Fun fact: Metasploit is an open-source penetration-testing framework. H.D. Moore started it in 2003.
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Gross-out sticker cards and a Garbage Pail Kids sketch card live in the Locker Room’s Sticker Bin → The Screaming Hand has a whole shop out back: the Skate Shop →
The Longbox Itself
The comics live in this one: a white corrugated long box, lid on and lid off.
Fun fact: CDS was Diamond's house brand of comic boxes and supplies. Diamond folded it into its ComiCare line in 2020 and stopped making CDS boxes once stock ran out.
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Fun fact: The same box opened, packed with bagged-and-boarded issues; Venom is visible on its side. A good reference shot for a 'flip through the longbox' interaction.
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Restocking: more boxes are on their way down from the attic.
