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Comic-book collectors add to their master list
By SEAN BARRON
BOARDMAN
What started as a small collection of Superman comic books has turned into a super collection for Kevin Snowden.
“When I was a kid in the early 1990s, [comic books] were everywhere; now, they’re pretty hard to find,” said Snowden, of Niles, who visited All-American Comics & Cards on Saturday to add to his collection of a few thousand.
Snowden, his wife, Megan, and their children, Kevin Jr., 4; Krissy, 6; and Bailey, 10, were at the Boardman store, 1295 Boardman-Canfield Road, to take advantage of some of the offerings at a Comic Book Day giveaway event.
Also giving away such merchandise was the store’s Warren location, 161 W. Market St.
Snowden, who began amassing comic books around age 10, recalled having bought many at area flea markets. Now, he buys most on eBay, Snowden said, adding that Superman remains one of his favorites.
Also a big fan of comic books is Kevin Jr., who is excited about a new movie that soon will hit the theaters.
“This little guy loves Ironman,” one of the titles that was offered for free, the elder Snowden said. “He’s counting down the days before it comes out.”
A love and appreciation for such reading material is generational for the family because Snowden’s father collected comic books as a child, he added.
All-American’s Boardman site gave away an array of 26 titles, noted Randy Moy, manager. They included Spider-Man, GI Joe, the Archies, Dr. Solar and Superman, as well as Shrek and others geared toward children, he noted.
The event’s main purpose was to introduce as many people of all ages as possible to comic books and tout them as a good reading source, Moy explained.
Thirty years ago, comic books were ubiquitous, having been sold in most grocery and drugstores. Now, however, they are more difficult to find and are available largely in specialty stores such as All-American, Moy explained.
Most comic-book readers today are in their 20s, 30s and 40s, he continued, adding that fewer youngsters read them because of instant media, home-video games and possibly the Internet.
Nevertheless, Moy’s business sells many comic materials — some from the 1950s and ’60s — under popular titles such as Marvel and DC. Also in stock are some with independent labels and others related to TV shows.
In addition to a large number of new and vintage comic books, the 13-year-old business sells numerous board games, trading cards and card games.
“We dabble in everything; we kind of have to now,” Moy added.
All-American Comics & Cards is hosting an All AmeriCon comic, toy and art show from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at Market on the Square, 125 W. Market St., Warren. The gathering is $2 per person and will feature P. Craig Russell, a local artist whose works appear in Marvel’s “Amazing Adventures.”