Thursday, June 22, 2006

Grand Opening

Ah, sweet bliss.

I got a box of BroDart in the mail yesterday, which meant I was finally able to open my Fantastic Four Omnibus. And let me tell you, the experience was heavenly. I held the oversized book in my hands, feeling the weight and smelling the pages as I turned it over to soak in every square inch of that gorgeous behemoth. I tugged at the plastic wrap and gently pulled it open, making sure the plastic didn’t snag any of the fragile edges. There was an audible sigh. At first I thought it was the book offering a sign of relief for finally being released from its dungeon, but I quickly realized it was me releasing a breath I didn’t know I had been holding.

Although I wanted to sit down immediately and begin reading the early adventures of the Fantastic Four, I resisted. Instead, I took the 10 minutes necessary to properly fit a sheet of BroDart over the dust jacket, caressing the smooth surface of the plastic as I fitted the two together, long lost lovers finally together for all eternity.

Once finished, I put the protected cover back on that hardcover, snuggling it tightly to the boards. That classic cover enshrined in a protective sheen that enhanced the cover’s radiance. Now that was heavenly. Only then could I sit in my chair and read the first few chapters without hurting the dust jacket.

Yes, life is good.

5 comments:

Rich said...

You know that you have an obsession here, don't you? Most people just take the dust cover off when they read ;-)

Anyway, what's the repro quality like? I'm tempted by the omnibus editions but i'm not sure how well Kirby's early pencils and the original colouring 'dots' will hold up to the increased page size.

Anonymous said...

Sadly, I know what James is getting at. It's a sad, obsessive-compulsive trait, but I share it to a certain extent. Admittedly, James is over the top, and this is one of several posts here that makes me think he needs to urgently seek counseling. But protecting a jacket with BroDart is far better than just taking the dustjacket off and soiling the bare binding with all those nasty oils and dirt particles on your hands.

James said...

Sounds like I need to educate the masses. The previous commenter is indeed correct. The oils on your fingertips will damage the precious boards. Plus, BroDart makes everything look better. On top of that, in ensures a damage free DJ since it won't snag on anything.

As for the FF reproduction, I've only read the first issue and it's, well, fantastic. I believe the others aren't as clean, but still well done. I've heard the X-Men Omnibus has new and improved art throughout.

Anonymous said...

Where can I order BroDart on-line?

James said...

Look for a post soon on more BroDart, but here's a link:

http://www.shopbrodart.com/default.us.aspx


Watch out, though. Shipping for me was $15, plus another $5 for tax. The $60 roll ended up costing $80. Ouch.