Ye Olde Collectibles and Trivia Shoppe
Strange New Worlds Issue 8 - Apr/May 1993

You just can’t kill off a mega-star licensing property, no matter how hard you try. For example, Spock died in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, only to spring forth in the next film, The Search For Spock. And now the Man of Steel has cheated death and risen from the comic book graveyard. He returns in four adventure books as four different Supermen.

I enjoy reading the exploits of Superman in all his cartoon glory. But I dislike the overmarketing of his demise and rebirth. The prolonging of his death battle over eight issues, his funeral and its aftermath exploited in eight more issues, plus two special issues is total lunacy. These overpriced and mass-produced "collector" items are basic greed by DC comics. Marvel Comics, with their Secret Wars and other comics series, has joined this hype mania. This milking of a dying legend is shameless. Enough hype!

Right now, many comic companies are hyping their one-time specials. As long as we keep pursuing every over-issued special (holograms, trading cards enclosed with comic, pop-up action, etc.), the companies will keep pushing the consumer’s collectible budget to the breaking point.

Well, that’s enough for my soapbox . . . onto the collectibles!

Shakespeare: The Animated Tales

If you haven’t seen "Shakespeare: The Animated Tales" on HBO, you should. Robin Williams introduces each of these vivacious short films for children. They feature a variety of styles, from clay animation to straight cartoons. These are available at your local video stores. If you’re a fan of the Bard, an animation lover, or a children’s video enthusiast, this video collection is for you. This is a great series of tapes to enjoy with your entire family.
(Followup Note, 09-2003:
Shakespeare: The Animated Tales videos are out-of-print and much sought by collectors, often selling for over $45.00 used. Also of great collector interest are the Animated Tales companion books issued with each video.)

Comic Capers and Fanzines

In my tireless search for unique collectibles to point out to my readers, I stumbled on James Zimmerman’s adaptation of Roger Zelazny’s The Last Defender of Camelot. This bold, self-published comic is a class act. Zimmerman takes the reader on a visual mind trip in radiant black and white! For information about this amazing graphic novel, contact Zim Graphics, 1326 Queen Annes Drive, Chester MD 21619. I’m anxious to see what this young artist produces next.

Two fan-produced publications of note: Visions of the Galactica is a "Battlestar Galactica" magazine that is a lot of fun to read and enjoy. Power Star is a mixed-media magazine that cavorts in many media universes including "Twin Peaks," "Batman," "Star Trek," "GI Joe," and "Superman." Editor Kim Murphy understands how to make these short tales mesh. Check the classified ad section for information on both fan publications.

Fantasy For The Ears

Dercum Audio’s Third Annual Best Fantasy Stories is an audio collection of unabridged short fantasy. It is a treasure for any collector. Orson Scott Card and Martin H. Greenberg selected the cream of the crop in fantasy. One of the notable stories is "Trains" from writer Kristine Kathryn Rusch, read by Ann Wilcox. This collection has been in the works for a long time, but it was worth the wait. Dercum Audio treats every one of their projects with special handling. They do it right the first time and the quality shows. This audio assortment is the proof of their excellence.

Here I Con Again

I will be conning around at two conventions in July. Over the July 4th weekend, I will be a guest at CastleCon at the Doubletree Hotel in Crystal City, Virginia. Then on July 31 and August 1, I will beam aboard NovaCon at the Tysons Westpark Hotel, Tysons Corner, Virginia. At NovaCon I will be conducting a writer’s workshop, a couple of Star Trek panels, and a midnight Vampire panel. Please come by and say hello and tell me what’s on your collectible mind.