Robot 6
Saturday Shelf Porn | Order in the court — and on the comic shelves
Welcome once again to our Shelf Porn column, where we help fans share their shelves. Today’s submission comes from Chris Campbell, an attorney from Virginia who shows us his graphic novels, original art and more.
If you’d like to see your collection here, drop me an email at jkparkin@yahoo.com with a brief write-up and some jpgs.
And now let’s hear from Chris …
*****
My name is Chris Campbell. I’m 33 years old and have been reading comics for about 25 years. I’m an attorney, and I live with my wife and three boys in Northern Virginia. When they get a bit older, hopefully they’ll actually read some of the comics on my shelves. Anyway, on to the collection!
My comic room is on the bottom level of our house. I have a fair amount of framed original art around the room, but the collected editions are limited (for now) to the far wall, while my actual comic book collection is stored in short boxes on the adjoining wall.
The stainless steel racks, coupled with short boxes, is a great way to store a modest collection.
On this wall, I have a few of my favorite commissioned pieces and a (happy) page from the Walking Dead. The Thing on the top left is by Gabe Hardman. The Thing on the top right is by Mike Oeming. And the other 3 commissions (Galactus, Thing, and Nick Fury) are by Dave Wachter. Beneath the art is a custom Comic Condo from Adam Deemer’s company in Pennsylvania. Contained within is my Fantastic Four collection. And last but not least is a Stalker figure from Sideshow Collectibles.
I generally don’t have that many statues or toys in my room, but it was hard to pass up the Masterpiece Optimus Prime.
On the wall opposite the collected editions is more original art, as well as more comic cubes. These are actually modular, and there are 12 against this wall, which houses my Batman and Detective runs from the late ’60s to the current.
The original art is (from left to right) Jim Calfiore (Secret Six), Jamal Igle (World’s Finest), Jeremy Haun (Batman print), Jeremy Haun, (Red Hood), and Brian Hurtt (Sixth Gun).
Some more detail…
Another wall and some more original pages. From left to right, we have Gabe Hardman (Atlas vs. Avengers), Gabe Hardman (Atlas), Freddie E. Williams (Flash), Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash cover), and a Cully Hamner Blue Beetle commission. On the fireplace mantle are my Batman Black-and-White statue collection.
Some detail on the Atlas page by Gabe Hardman.
Some natural light.
And a better view of my bookcase for oversized and undersized collections.
The Thing commission is by Mike McKone.
Thing statue based on my favorite comic, Fantastic Four #51.
And a final piece by the stairs as you leave the comic room. A fantastic commission from Jim Rugg, featuring Ben Grimm and Jim’s character, Afrodisiac.
Thanks for taking a few minutes to check out my comic room.
43 Comments
Don Cardenas
February 11, 2012 at 12:16 pm
Amazing. Just amazing.
I am totally jealous.
Neil
February 11, 2012 at 12:18 pm
Really nice collection Chris! Love how the reading chair is coloured “Thing orange” too
Iz
February 11, 2012 at 12:39 pm
Nice to see your amazing hardcover collection here Chris. As a fellow Thing fan your original art makes me orange with envy.
jenjen4280
February 11, 2012 at 12:39 pm
Nice collection! I’m extemely jealous of your Secret Six page! Where did you find those bookshelves? I have yet to find shelves sturdy enough to hold my graphic novels.
BG
February 11, 2012 at 12:44 pm
Excellent Collection. Love your choices for original art. That chair looks comfortable.
m!ke cullen
February 11, 2012 at 12:53 pm
this is exactly what i envision for a private space for myself one day. looks fantastic!
Mike.T
February 11, 2012 at 1:21 pm
what names are on that football?
demoncat
February 11, 2012 at 1:33 pm
nice collection Chris espically love some of the commisions and that Thing statue
Rob
February 11, 2012 at 1:43 pm
Brilliant work, man.
DonW
February 11, 2012 at 2:40 pm
Very nice and classy. I had been thinking of sending in some pics of my man-cave/comic-heaven for Saturday Shelf Porn, but now I don’t think so (there’s just no comparison). Yours has given me some ideas though. I love the way you have your comic boxes displayed. I’ll be buying some shelving units like that soon.
Chris Campbell
February 11, 2012 at 3:12 pm
Thanks for all the comments! The bookcase are just the narrow version of the IKEA billy bookcases. The wooden comic drawers are from a company in Pennsylvania. And the stainless steel shelves from Container Store work great for the short boxes. And the football has my Seahawks sigs from their super bowl team. Hasselback, Jones, etc.
Nick Pitarra
February 11, 2012 at 3:46 pm
Awesome setup Chris! So Jealous of that hardcover and art collection. Badass!
matthew
February 11, 2012 at 4:20 pm
So clean and organized!
Kevin-J
February 11, 2012 at 5:20 pm
Awesome set up.
Is it wrong that what i’m most jealous of is that chair?
Thanks,
Kevin
mike K
February 11, 2012 at 7:11 pm
Neat and well organized. Looks like you have run out of room with the comic boxes, are you planning to put up another metal rack?
What kind of books do you have in the boxes?
Also the omnibuses are a really neat way to re-read all the old books in one complete set.
best-
MK
Acer
February 11, 2012 at 10:31 pm
All in all, how much did it cost you to set up a storage system like this?
RobA.
February 12, 2012 at 12:04 am
Now this is a true collection. Love those original sketches (especially the Secret Six). Well Done. Hopefully one day I can achieve a collection like this.
Boabie
February 12, 2012 at 12:28 am
Fantastic.
The basis of a great Shelf Porn, for me anyway, is loads of comicbooks. And you have loads and LOADS! A lot of comic stores have less. Very impressive.
Original art is lovely. Don’t know all the artists but they are all great.
Also like the fact you have a comfortable reading chair in a prominent position. What’s the use of all those comicbooks and trades if you don’t read them, eh?
Excellent stuff.
Joseph
February 12, 2012 at 1:09 am
Wow!
Like the others, I’m totally drawn to the chair. How I would love to plunk down and read some of what is on those shelves.
As a big Ben Grimm fan, my favorite has to be your awesome Thing collection. That Marvel Feature is a true gem. Thanks for sharing!
Fred
February 12, 2012 at 5:02 am
Oh my god. This is an amazing collection and i just love how together you are. hats off to you that is amazing.
grither
February 12, 2012 at 5:49 am
looks great, well done
Chris Campbell
February 12, 2012 at 6:52 am
Thanks guys The chair is one of my favorite things. Love that thing. And also happy to hear all the Ben Grimm fans out there.
@Acer – the bookcases are only $70 each at IKEA. The racks are around $200 each at Container Store.
I’m not sure about other people, but I’ve decided to limit my collection to the boxes on the wall and the wooden comic cubes. A few of the boxes are empty. As I buy new comics, something less desirable is given away or sold. Gotta fight collection creep.
Iron Maiden
February 12, 2012 at 7:34 am
That is one awesome room. Makes me happy to see someone who loves the Thing! I love the Comic Condo for the Fantastic Four collection.
Who made the Thing statue that is a tribute to FF#51? I don’t think I’ve seen that one. I have the Bowen busts of them myself, along with the Doom statue and a few busts like Annihilus, Super Skrull,Medusa, Crystal and Namor
Chris
February 12, 2012 at 10:02 am
That Rugg piece is too damn cool!
Anyone
February 12, 2012 at 10:41 am
This is what I would like my comic room to look like. Very nice layout.
Michael Howey
February 12, 2012 at 2:47 pm
The missing Walking Dead 6 is like an itch I can’t scratch.
Chris Campbell
February 12, 2012 at 2:57 pm
Ha! The volume 6 is on loan to a neighbor. But I feel you. Missing Gotham Central volume 1. On the list for con season for sure.
@IronMaiden the Thing statue is a few years old. It was a Marvel Milestones statue. Sounds like you’ve got a nice collection going.
Chris Marshall
February 12, 2012 at 7:01 pm
Awesome! Thanks for letting me into your home, Chris!
Logan
February 13, 2012 at 3:41 am
Beautiful collection/man cave, I assume you don’t let your kids or wife in tat room, do you?
Schmakt
February 13, 2012 at 6:43 am
I love collections that look clean… so very unlike my room. Bravo!
Chris Campbell
February 13, 2012 at 2:29 pm
@Logan
Actually…. that is slowly becoming their playroom, complete with Thomas the Train playtable. In fact, I caught them the other day building a tower out of my Usagi trades (having scaled my chair). Whadday gonna do
Doror0
February 14, 2012 at 8:53 am
Classic look, this is how a true collection looks like!
Congrats sir!
I do have one question though, where did you buy that Echo Hardcover?
If I recall it was a limited edition for some convention, did you bought it there? One doesn’t see many of those!
Chris Campbell
February 14, 2012 at 12:42 pm
@Doror0 my good buddy picked up the Echo Hardcover at the 2011 San Diego Con that has some extra stuff going one. It actually references the show on the spine. But there is a normal hardcover version available on Terry Moore’s site.
Chris Pitzer
February 16, 2012 at 7:11 am
Loved seeing this. Thanks for sharing Chris!
Vincent
March 2, 2012 at 3:49 am
Hey Chris, I absolutely love your personal and amazing collection of Comics, Graphic Novels, and Collectibles of The THING. Its nice to see another THING fan like me out there. Im really hopping to have my own personal office space one day when I have a House that looks like this, absolutely amazing. =D
If your a Big fan of The THING, Come check out my THING Costume I made, you’ll get a kick out of it!! =D
http://www.facebook.com/vincentgonzoprime
Graphicus
May 11, 2012 at 1:15 am
Love your collection! Wish i could have a sneak peak inside those boxes:D anyway, I cannot see Jeff Smith`s Bone One Volume collected edition, which would suit on those shelves just perfect. How could this happened?:)
Good luck in building up your collection!
cheers!
mads
June 4, 2012 at 9:09 am
nice collection its cool that you love the thing so much and you have so many marvel omniboos
i only have four
Paul
June 30, 2012 at 3:59 pm
It’s simultaneously awesome and depressing to see rich people’s collections. I’m this dude’s age and I’ll never have half this stuff or a house to store it in, but I DO get to work in comics for a living. That’s a good enough consolation prize for me!
Chris Campbell
July 17, 2012 at 1:13 pm
@Graphicus once my boys get a little bit older, Bone will definitely be on the reading list.
Wallace Ryan
October 7, 2012 at 7:56 am
Hey Chris! Fabulous collection!!! I share your passion for hardcovers and have a lot of the very same books as yourself.
Check out my collection at http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2012/09/shelf-porn-redux-an-update-on-the-library-of-graphic-literature-st-johns/
and let me know what you think!
I just picked up the Man-Thing Omnibus and can’t recommend it enough!!! Great book! Although, I have a feeling you’ve already bought it, I bet!
Keep up the great Library!
Wallace Ryan
Wallace Ryan
October 7, 2012 at 8:18 am
..oh and you don’t need a lot of money to make such a collection. Just buy one to two books a week and it won’t be long before you’re looking at your own personal Library of Graphic Literature like Chris’ or mine.
I’m a freelance graphic artist and I don’t make that much scratch…but I have the Comic Book Jones!
Wallace
Chris Campbell
December 22, 2012 at 5:10 pm
Thanks Wallace. And I checked out your photos, and WOW. Very impressive collection. Kudos.
TJ Duckett
January 26, 2013 at 6:12 pm
Just beautiful!