The Toy Box: Baltimore Comic Con 2023: Part VI - Al Milgrom, And Chris Claremont

If there was one artist I was most excited to meet, it was Al Milgrom. So much so, that even anticipating a cost of $10.00 per signature, I brought about fifty books with me. Though I didn't get them all signed, I spent a good $300.00.

Al was a great guy! He had stories for everything, and even clued me in on how to pronounce the real name of Johnathon Ohnn, AKA the Spider-Man villain, Spot. While many people pronounce it as "own", Milgrom said the last name is "on", and came about from his love of puns. Thus, Johnny on the spot, Johnny Ohnn, the Spot, was created.

I started my signing spree with Mr. Milgrom by having him autograph my giant tome known as "The Official Marvel Comics Try-Out". I want to get this signed in the future, and hopefully can, by Jim Shooter, the mastermind behind the book, John Romita Jr., who did the cover, and Mark Bagley, who was hired by Marvel after submitting his own copy.

I also had him sign my black suit Spider-Man figure.

Then we really got down to business. Mr. Milgrom penciled several consecutive issues of Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man, and if nothing else, I was interested in getting the lead in to Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars through the symbiote story arc signed....which I did.

Also signed by Jim Shooter
at Big Lick NOVA 2023

Also signed by Rick Leonard and Jim Shooter
at Big Lick NOVA 2023

Also signed by Jim Shooter
at Big Lick NOVA 2023

I also got this homage cover for the wedding of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson signed, AKA Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual 7.

Also signed by Jim Shooter
at Big Lick NOVA 2023

I also had my entire run of Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars II signed, which Milgrom provided all the pencil artwork for.

Also signed by Jim Shooter at
Big Lick NOVA 2022

I also wanted to get my issues of Venom: Lethal Protector, which he worked on, signed.

Also signed by Mark Bagley
at Galaxy Con Richmond 2023

Before I move on in my additional books signed by Al, which there is actually only one of, I have to first switch over to Chris Claremont.

Chris Claremont signing my convention book

As we stood in line waiting for attendees to be let into the show, the rumbling were growing for Chris Claremont. People wanted his autograph on a lot of books, and it was speculated his line would explode. Seeing this first hand myself at Galaxy Con 2023, I decided that his line would be the best one to start in. Boy, am I glad I did. By the time I got there, all the early bird entry folks were lined up, about twenty to thirty deep, and less than fifteen minutes after me, the line was a good one to two hundred long, stretching all the way down the back wall of the hall.

Ironically, I initially was only going to get my convention book signed, as well as one specific other, but ended up getting him to do a few more I had tucked away, less I be stuck in that long line later in the day trying to get more. I'm sorry to say that while great to have signed, none of these were necessarily "must have" for me.

Also signed by Al Milgrom that same day

1st appearance of Captain Britain in the USA
1st Cameo of Arcade

2nd appearance of Captain Britain in the USA,
as well as the first full appearance of Arcade

I actually went back to Al Milgrom's table before leaving the show, and pulled fifteen more books for him to sign. These included the first through third appearances of Cloak and Dagger, Madame Web, and Black Cat. However, as I stood there behind five people, exhausted, annoyed with Art Adams, and hungry, I put them back, and left.

Though this marked the end of the show for me, there are more posts to come. For those tracking autograph costs, both Al Milgrom and Chris Claremont were both $10.00 for each item.

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Baltimore Comic Con 2023: Part VI - Al Milgrom, And Chris Claremont

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