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FCBD22 Interview: Overstreet Guide to Collecting

Free Comic Book Day, FCBD, Gemstone Publisng, The Overstreet Guide To Collecting Comics

In this phenomenal time for comic book movies and TV shows, the team that brings you The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide offers a fantastic introduction (or re-introduction) to the true source material for those epics, the world of comic book collecting! Comic book pricing, grading, and the inspiration that comes from comics are all spotlighted in this 48-page Free Comic Book Day special! Exclusive original material!

We caught up with series creator J.C. Vaughn to learn more about what inspired their extraordinary characters, what to expect next in the series, AND to rifle through some really fun rapid fire questions! 

Check out the full interview below and be sure to head to your local comic shop on Saturday, May 7 to celebrate FCBD in all it’s glory! To find a participating comic shop near you, use our FCBD Store Locator. 


 

Free Comic Book Day (FCBD): Set up your title for those that might be new to your comic book: What will new readers need to know before diving into your Free Comic Book Day issue? 

J.C. VaughnThe Overstreet Guide To Collecting Comics – FCBD Edition is designed to be accessible to the widest possible audience. We believe it is great for new readers and will also give seasoned collectors different ways to look at collecting.

FCBD: What are some of the core themes present in your book? What do you hope readers take away from your title?

J.C.:Our focus is on the fun, accessibility, and imagination of comic book collecting. The whole project is firmly rooted in the notion that collecting comics should be fun, as should learning about collecting.

 

Free Comic Book Day, Gemstone Publishing, The Overstreet Guide To Collecting Comics

FCBD: What part of the book was most fun to write/draw?

J.C: It may sound like a cop out, but all of it. Translating some of our shared experiences into an entertaining, comic book form was a fun challenge, one to which my collaborators clearly responded very well.

 

FCBD: Can you share some of the inspiration behind certain characters, settings, etc.?

J.C.: Almost all of the stories were inspired by the lessons we’ve learned collecting comics, talking to retailers, other collectors, and creators. We just added some imagination to a few of the settings.

FCBD: If you could meet your characters, what would you say to them?

J.C.: What do you mean “If”?

FCBD: Looking to the future, is there anything you can tease about what’s coming up for the title and its characters?

J.C.: When we first launched The Overstreet Guide To Collecting Comics in book form in 2012, we didn’t have any idea it would require a second printing that year. This fall, we’ll bring out a new, second edition, that will be a hybrid of traditional prose and comic book format stories like the ones found in our Free Comic Book Day edition.

FCBD: Let’s pivot a little bit here to talk about your personal experience with comics. Many newcomers will pick up comics for the first time on FCBD – what was the first comic you remember reading?

J.C.: I remember reading many on car trips with my family, but the first one I remember collecting – knowing that I had to have the next issue – was Captain America #188.

FCBD: What is your favorite part about working in the comic book industry?

J.C: I run the day-to-day operations of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, not only a book that shaped our entire industry, but also a book I grew up reading. I work with Bob Overstreet, the man who created the project and earned its place – and his place – in comics history. I’ve been able to meet many of the top dealers and work with a proverbial Who’s Who of great cover artists. I frequently say that if you told the 13-year-old me all of this I might not have believed you, but I sure would have wanted to!

FCBD: Tell us why everyone should read comic books!

J.C.: These days there really are comics for just about everyone.

FCBD: Now, we have a series of rapid-fire questions for you! They’re, ya know, mostly related to comics... Answer as quickly as you can and try not to over think it!

 

Do you listen to music while you’re creating?

J.C.: No 

 

What’s your favorite comic book genre?

J.C.: Superheroes and crime comics, pretty much a tie.

 

Are you more productive in the morning or at night?

J.C.: Early morning and late at night.



Do you think you could survive in a zombie apocalypse?

J.C.: We’re only as strong as the weakest link, but yes.

 

Would you rather be invisible or have the ability to fly?

J.C.: Fly

If you were a comic book character, would you rather be the hero or the villain?

J.C.: Benevolent villain.

 

What’s your favorite comic book or graphic novel?

J.C.: Daredevil: Born Again by Frank Miller & David Mazzuchelli. Ask me again in 10 minutes, and I’ll give you a different answer with the same degree of certainty.

 

GEMSTONE PUBLISHING
FCBD 2022 OVERSTREET GUIDE TO COLLECTING
(W) J. C. Vaughn (A) Brendon Fraim, Brian Fraim, Daniel Krall (CA) Ron Frenz, Sal Buscema
In this phenomenal time for comic book movies and TV shows, the team that brings you The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide offers a fantastic introduction (or re-introduction) to the true source material for those epics, the world of comic book collecting! Comic book pricing, grading, and the inspiration that comes from comics are all spotlighted in this 48-page Free Comic Book Day special! Exclusive original material.
Exclusive Original Material
Rating: All Ages
In Shops: Apr 13, 2022
SRP: PI
PREVIEWS Page #31

 


Find a participating comic shop near you to celebrate Free Comic Book Day 2022!


 

 

Our focus is on the fun, accessibility, and imagination of comic book collecting. The whole project is firmly rooted in the notion that collecting comics should be fun, as should learning about collecting.

 

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