X-Force #1
Marvel Comics (August 1991)
The closest that I came to collecting comic books was when my Nana ordered a Marvel Comic Book Collecting Kit from the Sears Catalog to give me a Christmas present when I was ten years old. It was a great present, but it never really took hold as a hobby for me. I picked up a handful of other comics throughout the rest of my childhood, but they were mostly from yard sales and flea markets. I enjoyed reading them, but didn't really understand too much about the character's histories or the artists and writers who came up with the stories.
X-Force #1 was one of the few new comic books that I had when I was a kid. I remember that it was sold in a plastic bag that also included a Marvel trading card. I'm not even sure where I got it, but I read that thing dozens of times to the point where it was in no condition to be called a "collectible" anymore.
One of the vendors at the Vinyl Records Flea Market at the Mahoning Drive-In Theater was S-Mart Collectibles. His table was set up across from the Mahoning merch table, and most of his stock was comic books that were based on movies, cartoons, or television shows. He had a small box of autographed comics, including this X-Force #1 signed by co-creator and co-writer Fabian Nicieza. He and Rob Liefeld not only came up with the X-Force characters, but they also worked together to create Deadpool.
The price was more than fair, and although I strongly doubt that this is going to kick off a comic book collecting binge in my mid 40's, it's nice to have a piece of my childhood back.
