| 1970 |
My mom buys me the first comic book I remember a Gold Key Star Trek which I still have to this day, not in very good shape but I have it. |
| 1974 |
I purchase my first comic that I remember buying with my own money. Star Spangled War Stories featuring the Unknown Soldier |
| 1979 |
Start buying multiple copies of comics and buying all the neighborhood kid's comics. |
| 1981 |
Decide that a 16 year old should not be spending money on comics so decide I don't need my old comics anymore. Sell about 1000 comics (only keeping a handful) to a kid from highschool. Collection included 5 NM copies of X-Men #94 and 3 copies of Giant Size X-Men #1 which I insisted in getting $8.00 per copy. What a deal I made :( |
| 1983 |
Get back into collecting comics and try to go back and buy everything I sold. |
| 1985 |
Go to first comic book convention and soon start setting up as a comic dealer with my friend Rann Johnston. |
| 1987 |
Rann Johnston leaves to become Manager at Hero's World in the Columbia Mall. |
| 1989 |
Being a comics book dealer has become a full time second job. Set up at two comic shows per weekend for almost the full year doing shows from Maryland down to the Carolinas up to New Jersey and out to Ohio all the while being a full time UPS driver. |
| 1992 |
Decide that my second full-time job had become just that and set up two comic companies, Comics to Astonish and Silver Star Comics with Rann Johnston. Attend multiple shows every weekend at the height of the comic craze of the early 90's. |
| 1993 |
May 29th - Walk into Hero's World in Columbia Mall. Hero's World is the only comic store in Columbia and the store manager tells me they have lost their lease and will be out of business by the end of June. Walk out of the store and decide that I will open a store front. |
| 1993 |
August 11th - Less than 9 weeks after hearing that the only comic store in Columbia would be closing we open our doors and have Dave Cockrum as a guest. My friend Tom Brodkin, who had just come back from the Army, decides to help me get it started along with my brother Michael who is still with me. This is a great help since I am a full-time UPS driver and work shows on the weekend. |
| 1994 |
Dave Slater introduces Tom and I to Magic the Gathering. He came in the store every day for a week and said "You must carry this product." Finally to appease him we buy a box and sell all the packs in the first hour. We quickly purchase more. This single product carried the store through the slow times of the mid 90's. |
| 1994 |
Decide to close down Silver Star Comics and fold the company into Comics to Astonish. |
| 1996 |
Continued business in a slow growth and decide it is time to incorporate, thus Comics to Astonish, Inc. is born in January. |
| 1997 |
After helping the store get started Tom Brodkin goes out on his own and tries a gaming store in Ellicott City which folds after a short time and moves to Virginia where he still lives. |
| 1998 |
Can you say "Pokemon"!!!!! The single hottest product we have ever had. |
| 1999 |
Can you say "Beanie Babies"!!!!! The second hottest product we have ever had. |
| 2002 |
Marry my highschool friend Melissa who takes to the business and helps with the internet. |
| 2003 |
Hire Kurt Barr to help run the store while I focus on internet sales. |
| 2003 |
August 11th - Celebrate our 10th anniversary with our biggest sale ever. |
| 2004 |
Hire Chris Vance who is also our artist for our ad in Overstreet. |
| 2005 |
Decide that I would place my first ad in Overstreet and launch a web site. |
| 2006 |
Kurt is promoted to store manager. |
| 2007 |
Come up with the concept for Fatguy-Blackguy-Baldguy thinking it would be fun to have a web-comic and talk to Chris and Kurt about helping with the comic. Kurt to help with tech and writing and Chris to draw. |
| 2008 |
Celebrate our 15th anniversary in August with yet again our biggest sale ever. |
| 2008 |
Get the first three comics strips up for www.fatguyblackguybaldguy.com |
| 2008 |
Chris gets promoted at his full-time job and leaves Comics to Astonish while remaining as artist for www.fatguyblackguybaldguy.com and Kurt leaves the web-comic to start Bunnies on Fire with Chris as they try and get their comic ideas published leaving me as the full creative force behind www.fatguyblackguybaldguy.com. |
| 2008 |
Hire Wabe Berry to pick up Chris' hours at the store. |
| 2008 |
Hire Martin Ottmanns as part-time help. |
| 2009 |
Martin designs new more interactive web-site and tapped to help getting strips up for www.fatguyblackguybaldguy.com on a regular basis. |
