From: cwelsh@morgan.ucs.mun.ca (Craig Welsh  8823239)
Subject: Shooter on TV
Organization: Memorial University of Newfoundland
Distribution: rec.arts.comics.misc.
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 17:28:37 GMT

I have to mention this because it is just too good to keep under my hat.
This may be a bit long, so bear with me.

Okay, so I was watching ST:TNG on tape and Troi was beginning a
particulariy angst ridden scene, so I stopped the tape to brace myself.
While preparing, I started flipping through some of the channels. For
some unknown reason I flipped on the Canadian Home Shopping Network. I
never have before, but I did then. And there, on my screen, albeit with
poor reception, was a copy of Magnus Robot Fighter #0.

After I regained consciousness I immediately began trying to figure out
the phone number because the reception was so bad it made figuring out
the price impossible. I eventually got through and asked how much the
item on the screen was. "$159.94 along with GST (nasty Canadian tax) and
shipping and handling" said the voice. About $175 all together.

When I once again regained consciouness, I politely infored the operator
I wasn't interested. I soon discovered why it was so expensive. It seems
that Jim Shooter had signed them and was actually on the network hawking
this stuff! It was there as a comic book specialist and was helping sell
of this stuff. I do believe Jim has hit a new low.

Actually, parts of it were good for a laugh. It wasn't just Valiants
being sold, but DC's and, you guessed it, Marvels. Watching Shooter
trying to sell this stuff knowing how much he "loves" Marvel was good
for a laugh. Especially the way he talked about Lee, Liefield and MCF.
He called them "Hot" and "Fan favorites", but never talented. He only
called Micheliene and Miller that.

I thought this was pretty funny, until I started really listening to
them and the stuff they were selling. With the exception of the Magnus,
most of it was junk. Assorted MArvels, some of them second prints, were
being sold as "hot comics, with high investment potenetial". At one
point a perky announcer stated that the X-Men were "the Superman of the
80's and 90's and that you could be paying $50 for X-Men #1 soon, so you
should buy this set now (10 X-Men were in the set) and save a bundle. I
nearly threw up.

Basically most of it was a rip off and I am disappointed with Shooter.
He was more low key than the other two, but the fact that he was there
is kind of disturbing, especially considering what he was selling. He
did stress the reading aspect, but he also mentioned the value aspect a
lot as well.

So what do you think folk? Is Shooter a turkey for doing this? Has he
been hanging around McF to long? All comments are welcome.


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* Craig Welsh                  *    "I'm a few bricks short of a       *
*                              *     load, but a full load always      *
* cwelsh@morgan.ucs.mun.ca     *     hurt my back."                    *
*                              *     "Crazy" - Barenaked Ladies        *
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* "Homeboy from Hell." Screw that. I'm the Waiter from Hell.           *
*  You figure out which is scarier.                                    *
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