WIZARD WORLD AUSTIN COMIC CON TREASURES 9

At the recent Wizard World Austin Comic Con, I stopped into a very small, cramped booth where a guy was selling vintage comics. He didn't have a very large inventory but I figured it was worth a try.

"Got any Dell or Gold Key comics?" I asked.

"I've got an issue of TUROK. Want to see it?"

That exchange is verbatim and it's fascinating (and slightly troubling). One, the guy knew his stock. He knew he had exactly one issue of TUROK SON OF STONE in one of his long boxes and he knew exactly where it was. And it was the ONLY Dell or Gold Key comic he had for sale. The only one!

He apologized for not having more of the comics I was looking for. "I've got more of those at my shop but space is limited, booths are expensive and I've got to bring what I know, or think I know, will sell," he explained.

I bought the comic, of course. If he'd had more Dell and Gold Key titles, I would have bought more. But this beauty, TUROK SON OF STONE #38 from March, 1964 is now mine. I was nine-years-old when this issue hit the stands. I don't recall buying it then but I did buy TUROK on a semi-regular basis. It's one of my all-time favorite comic book series. My inner nine-year-old kid still loves the concept of American Indians and dinosaurs thrown together in a lost world. Great stuff!