Ironically, I lost my independence on July 4th, 2001.



That's the day I met my future bride, Heidi. We were both invited to the cookout of a mutual friend, and neither of us really wanted to go. I'm not the most social of animals; I'm uncomfortable in groups and downright claustrophobic in crowds. Heidi's reason was more valid. She'd broken her foot, and mobility was an issue, not to mention that she was weary of explaining how it happened. Perhaps if it had occurred whle mountain climbing or something exciting, it would've been easier, but the truth was a bit embarrassing, and no, I won't go into it here.



She walked in – limped, actually – wearing a t-shirt featuring Ares from Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and at the angle I saw it, it looked

somewhat like Christopher Lambert. This led us to talking about science fiction, fantasy, and related genres. And in no time (about a year and half), we were married.




She knew I was into comics before we combined households. And bless her for putting up with the expense and the chaos of being married to a collector. As another friend put it recently, if it weren't for our wives, we'd both be in the poorhouse from having spent way too much money on comics, action figures, books, toys, and assorted other "questionable expenses."



Before I met Heidi, I used to spend quite a bit of money at Bud Plant, Mile High Comics, and the local used music store. But nowadays, I often ask her opinion before I make a major purchase. It's good to have a different perspective, rather than another comics buddy egging you on.



There are times when she is actively there, looking over my shoulder, preventing me from spending a ridiculous amount of money for something rather unremarkable. Sometimes, I'm by myself, but when I question how I will be able to justify the expense to her, I end up backing away. It's healthy for any collector to develope a bit of restraint. While it may hinder the size of my collection, it enhances it by avoiding knee-jerk purchases of mediocrity.



She reciprocates, as we are able to share our interests, me talking comics, her talking gaming. We've gotten each other hooked on one TV show or another, and attended conventions together. Thanks to her support I’ve managed to plug holes in my collection, and I've cheered her on as she's gotten into one game or another.



She's very good to me, and I feel blessed that we have found each other. For my birthday she gave me a Superman watch from Fossil, a very elegant timepiece that I am proud to wear. And I normally don't wear a watch, given that wherever I go – car, work, computer – there's bound to be a clock of somesort handy.



She also had my 1983 George Perez Teen Titans Poster framed. It looks really good, adorning the wall of my personal Fortress of Solitude. Of all the posters of mine she could've chosen she selected that one because she actually likes it. Not many spouses are that open minded or that indulgent.




And a few weeks later, we took a much-delayed daytrip to Charleston, SC. It's about two hours from our home in Savannah, and when we got there, The Green Dragon, the comic & gaming store in which we were interested, wasn't open yet. So we went to the mall across the way. As luck would have it, the mall was hosting a collectibles show. Heidi called to me as I was looking through one vendor's collection of movie posters. A comics dealer nearby had a stack of tabloid size comics from the 1970s. Skeptical, I asked, "What, have they got a Superman vs. Muhammed Ali?"



Well, yes. Actually, they had two of them.



Every collector has their own personal holy grail. It could be a '57 Chevy or one of Elvis’ guitars from his Sun Records days. In comics, it might be an Action Comics #1 or Amazing Fantasy #15. But often those are so outrageously beyond our budget, it's too much to even hope for. Something a bit more realistic might be a Giant-Size X-Men #1.



For me, it was Superman vs. Muhammed Ali. I never got one when they first came out in 1978. At $2.50, I could buy a lot more regular comics. But a friend of mine got one, and I enjoyed his. Neal Adams artwork was superb, and the story as a whole holds up nicely. It more than just a few steps above the usual team-up clichés we've been subjected to over the years.



But any hopes of ever seeing such a classic Neal Adams project reprinted have been sadly fruitless. The cover, with its endless cameos of celebrities, was a once in a lifetime event. In order to use the likeness, permission had to be obtained from each individual, many of whom are regretfully no longer with us. And then there was the Ali camp itself. They'd asked for and received approval on everything. Undoubtedly that included a certain amount of reprint rights.




So I'd been keeping an eye peeled for this rare comic, and lo and behold, my bride locates two of them. We discussed it, as the price was bit high, and certain compromises were made. Heidi was convinced of the potential resale value. One of the copies was in excellent shape, dare I say, near mint. It would have sold for $200 at milehighcomics.com – if they had one.



So we bought them both, with plans to re-sell one later on. I was ecstatic. But like a mountain climber with no more mountains to climb, I do wonder what my next goal will be. Because I've often told myself that once I get that last issue to complete my collection, I'm done. Of course, later on I will latch onto some other treasure to seek out, some other obscure item to enhance my collection.



I was happy at that point in mid-morning, feeling if our trip to Charleston ended here, it would not be in vain. But our original goal, The Green Dragon, was now open. I must say, I was a bit disappointed at first. Their back issue stock is minimal, as the rest of the store is primarily gaming and New Age oriented. Nevertheless, one more unexpected treasure awaited me.



While searching through their stock of old magazine and graphic novels, I found Rio Rides Again by Doug Wildey. I was never a fan of the war and western comics growing up, but I'm more interested in storytelling theses days, rather than costumes and capes. Wildey created Jonny Quest, a childhood favorite, and it's only the past few years that I've sought him out for his comics work.



Rio Rides Again was published in 1990, a sequel to his original Rio story published by Comico in the ‘80s. As Wildey passed away in 1994, it's among the last of his published work.



The cost to me? One dollar.




Like I said, the trip to Charleston was highly successful. I'd intended to hang around the house and be lazy that day, but it was my wife's idea to go up to Charleston that morning. She made the trip possible. She indulged my obsession by purchasing not one but both Superman vs. Muhammed Alis. So while the Ali may be remembered as "The Greatest," I know of a certain patient and generous woman is every bit as deserving of the title. •

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