CSBG Archive
This Comic Book Blog is Good – Chasing Amazing
A few weeks back, a friend from the New York Knick blog I write for (knickerblogger.net) e-mailed me a link to this website he thought I would like where the author writes about his quest to collect every issue of Amazing Spider-Man. It was called Chasing Amazing, and it was a really good read. I meant to give it a spotlight back then, but, well, I forgot. Then the site’s author, Mark Ginocchio, dropped me a line earlier today and it reminded me that I really ought to tell you folks to check out this neat site.
Ginocchio has a charming writing style that makes the subject, which, to be fair, is not exactly the most compelling in the world, quite interesting – fascinating, even. He fills in a basic story (like “I just got my first single-number issue of Amazing Spider-Man”) with tons of interesting background, like how getting his first single-number issue (#9, to be precise) causes him to look back at the beginning of his endeavor and how daunting such a purchase once seemed.
One of the regular features on the site is Ginocchio reflecting on the circumstances behind a particular purchase. They’re quite evocative little tales. To wit, he paints a perfect picture of the local candy/cigar/general store that he purchased one of his very first issues of Amazing back in the late 1980s, as well as the nearly universal connection between a younger brother and an older brother when he details how the issue he bought was the same one his older brother bought.
It’s always nice to see such strong writing about comic books. Be sure to check the site out here.
5 Comments
Cass
May 6, 2011 at 12:07 am
Hey, cool. Thanks for posting. I’m involved in the same quest, so for me the subject matter is interesting in its own right. One thing I enjoy right off the bat is that Ginocchio seems to bring a philosophy to collecting that’s very different from my own. I can already see that I’m going to have to devote an afternoon to clicking through his archives.
pmpknface
May 6, 2011 at 6:37 am
Cool idea. I shoulda done this!
John
May 6, 2011 at 7:44 am
How about a link to the blog?
Brian Cronin
May 6, 2011 at 8:02 am
It’s in the piece.
John
June 15, 2011 at 9:41 am
Check jesuspall (dot) com