When I was in elementary (maybe grade 3), my Tatay would subscribe to Liwayway magazine everyweek.
That was one of my early exposures to the wonderful world of comic books. During this time as well, my Tito Ely and Tita Luz who were then living beside our house in Olympia, Makati, had numerous tagalog comics in their house, Aliwan Komiks, Tagalog Klasiks, Wakasan, etc. During weekends, I would be reading Funny Comics in their home.
Every Sunday morning after Mass, our family would go to Makati Supermart in Ayala. After eating spaghetti in the Coffee Shop, we would proceed to our grocery shopping. While Tatay and Nanay are busy shopping, I would just go to the comic book aisle of the supermart. I would just read the comic books there until they would pass by me on the aisle notifying me that it’s time to go home. By that time, I have read around 5 comic books there.
This practice would go on for many years. I would just read the comic books week after week. In Paco Catholic School, we have comic books as well in the Library. I discovered there Tintin Comics and Asterix Comics. If I had some free time then, I would just read all the issues of these titles.
Of course during high school, priorities changed. Comic books were just there but not really tweaked my interest as much as other interests during that time.
This changed in 1991 when I read the series The Infinity Gauntlet. The story was about a super villain (Thanos) against all, I mean all the heroes of Marvel Comics.
I was hooked. If I remember it right, I read issue Number 1 in a friend’s house, after finishing that issue, my next instinct was to go to the nearest bookstore to buy the whole series (which eventually I did). I was a 2nd year college student of UP Diliman then. That was also a good diving point, a good exposure to the different characters of Marvel Comics. Because all of their heroes were in that series, the reader has the chance to see how they act, how they perform. Thus the reader now is intrigued and would be eager to buy the respective titles of these comic book heroes. I was intrigued then with Wolverine, thus my first exposure to the X-men.
After nearly a month since I read the Gauntlet, I was buying around 5-10 titles a week. Most of the titles I was buying were from Marvel Comics, basically the X-men, and their previous issues or back issues. Since I was in Diliman then, I would go to Filbars Store in New York, Cubao to buy my books. If some of the issues become out of stock, I would go to Greenhills or Goldcrest Mall in Ayala or in Robinsons Galleria.
1991 was also a golden year for comic books. This was the time wherein the big names in Marvel, formed their own comic book company – Image Comics.
All the gimmicks for comics were there, multiple covers, gold covers, glow-in-the-dark covers, etc. I was collecting nearly 15 titles a week then.
I usually save my allowance money for comics. During that time, a comic book is around P30-P40 per issue. I have no vices then, this was my vice.
At present, I have more than a roomful of comic books. I store them on hard plastic containers, each book individually wrapped by plastic sheet with cardboard. I have also prepared a computerized database for my books. Am I stopping? Definitely not, it has become a part of my life. I have a regular store now in Robinsons Manila wherein the moment I enter, they give me the prepared weekly titles I have pre-ordered via email with their owner. Hopefully someday, one of my kids will get my interest for these wonderful comic books.
