FROM SPIDER-MAN TO NINJA TURTLES Comics: they are for the ki IN A New York subway car circa 1987, a gang of thugs is harassing passengers. But they make the mistake of picking on the huddled figure wrapped in a black cloak, wearing a wide-brimmed hat. Enter The Shadow, terror of evil-doers. Enter also the ever-changing world of comic books, a world that can entice and trap the un- wary. “It’s for the kid in all of us — and you don’t have to be a kid to enjoy a comic,”’’ explains 38-year- old kid-at-heart and comic shop owner Ken Witcher. Titles ranging from the familiar to the obscure line the walls of Witcher’s Airship Comic Works in North Vancouver under the wat- chful eyes of superheroes, super- villains, killer turtles, havoc-raising hamsters and top secret agents. im al But today’s comics ure much more than the pulp fare of the de- cades gone past. ‘“*The stories are more sophisticated, the art is more graphically presented — it’s not just lines on paper,”’ says Witcher, who by coincidence bears some resemblance to Oliver Quinn, the Robin Hood-like hero in Green Arrow coiics. As characters tackle — real-life problems such as marital dif- ficulties and alcohol abuse, the stories explore the people behind their heroic exteriors. For example, Spider-man fans will have shared Webhead’s anxie- ty as he prepared in recent issues to tie the knot with his longtime pgirlfriend Mary Jane Watson. Some of the latest breed of com- ics include titles that a few years ago would have been thought too strange for comic fare. Now, the Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters and the Teenaze Mutant Ninja Turtles are popular denizens of the comic world. “Nothing’s sacred in comics anymore,'’ Witcher laughs. Our Family Is Proud To Serve Your Family & Friends y Rte Bi FREE HOME DELIVERY EVERYDAY FROM 4:30 of us “There's a lot of what you call alternate comics out there —- some of them do pretty well." While the number of North Shore collectors is hard to pin down, Witcher sees all ages come into his shop to pick up the latest issues os look for the one issue that will complete their cherished col- lection. A good many collectors ure adults who can indulge themselves with the first issue of Spider-man for $900 or the first issue of The Fantastic Four for an equatly princely sum. Getting lost in this make-believe world of comic books is easy, so easy that the number of collectors is growing with the number of new titles released. For The Shadow, terror of evil-doers, getting lost in the mayhem of the New York subway is casy. “LE found it to be w uniquely refreshing experience,’’ he says after gruesomely dispatching with the gang of thugs. Next issue: Balance of Power. 15 - Friday, August 14, 1987 - North Shore News Some like it hot! PAGE 16 COMIC BOOK dealer NEWS photo Cindy Bellamy and Airship Comic Works storeowner Ken Witcher reads the first issue of Spider-Man. The issue is currently worth $900. P.M. FROM LONSDALE AVE. TO HORSESHOE BAY ON MINIMUM ORDERS 10% OFF FOR PICK UP ORDERS OF $10 OR MORE. 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