How did you get into comics ?

[Philip Ayres]

As an excuse for retelling how I got into comics tell me how you got into them ?

[The Doctor]

Read them as far back as I can remember.

-Ralph

[Philip Ayres]

My Dad used to work for WHSmiths in a distribution warehouse in Isleworth. We'd get brought comics home that what surplus to requirements every so often. The first marvel US issue I remember him bringing was Iron Man 172 and I loved it.

Then in September ish 1983 he bought home a whole pile of comics coverdated December 1983.
I got Uncanny X-Men 176, Iron Man 177, Rom 49 and Power Man & Iron Fist 100. My younger borther - the Spiderman fan - got Spectacular Spiderman 85, Hulk 290, Alpha Flight 5 and Marvel team up 136 (Wonder Man). Of course I got to read his too and was hooked.

Then every few months some more would turn up - New Mutants 12, Daredevil 203, Amazing Spiderman 249, PM/IF 102, Cap 289 were all in the 2nd lot. Not the same titles all the time, and not every month. We got ASM 250 the next month but the first time I read the conclusion in ASM 251 was yesterday ! So I got a good sampling of what was out there.

Hooked.

Secret Wars passed me by as we didn't get limited series, but I was tempted into my LCS (Books, Bits and Bobs in Kingston) to get some Alpha Flight issues in the early 20s, and then to get Secret Wars II, and when that finished X-Factor. When the Mutant Massacre started I picked X-Men up as well soon joined by New Mutants, Avengers, WCA and Alpha Flight. Then it was up to London to FP and the comic fares to start buying back issues.

[Andy Turnbull]

Another one here for the "as long as I can remember" camp. American comics were fairly easily available in Newsagents, as were black-and-white reprints of US strips. I grew up reading all sorts of different stuff - reprints of the Marvel Godzilla, Conan and Avengers (George Perez) stuff, issues of "Legion of Superheroes", Batman stuff like the "Joker Fish" story. Apart from obvious stables like the "Beano" I think my first exposure to UK comics was "Battle" about the time it became "Battle and Action Force" briefly. Comics where simply always a part of my environment and, given my insatiable need to be reading things were a convenient way for my parents to keep me quiet. Apart from obvious stables like the "Beano" I think my first exposure to UK comics was "Battle" about the time it became "Battle and Action Force" briefly.

Karl

[KoshNaranek]

I actually used to get the old Look In magazine that had 2 page comic strips and started off with those before getting in to proper comics. I remember someone giving me an old issue of Spider Man (don't know what issue it was) and I kept it for ages. After that I saw issue 19 of Transformers on a shelf at my ocal newsagent. It didn't show up again until issue 36 at which point I placed a regular order. I tried out most Marvel UK titles after that including Action Force, The Real Ghst Busters, Secret Wars and Thundercats and also read 2000 AD for a while. It's only recently that I've got back in to them as a comic shop has finally opened in my hometown.

- Tony

[Dark Stranger]

I still remember the very night, I was around 5 or 6 and my dad brought me home the Beano, and my younger brother a Care Bears comic. How I love to remind him of that.

I was fascinated by a cartoon that wasn't on a television set, but couldn't figure out what a "reader's voice" was in one of the characters. It started me off reading at a very young age, something I'm eternally grateful for.

[Philip Ayres]

payres said:

Then in September ish 1983 he bought home a whole pile of comics coverdated December 1983.
I got Uncanny X-Men 176, Iron Man 177, Rom 49 and Power Man & Iron Fist 100. My younger borther - the Spiderman fan - got Spectacular Spiderman 85, Hulk 290, Alpha Flight 5 and Marvel team up 136 (Wonder Man). Of course I got to read his too and was hooked.

I have this very week realised the list above is incomplete. There was a Thing 6 involved too which Tim got.