Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide’s 40th Celebrated at SDCC

Details are firming up for the celebration of 40th edition of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide at Comic-Con International: San Diego July 21-25, 2010.

To mark the publication of the Guide's 40th edition, Robert "Bob" Overstreet has been named a Guest of Honor at Comic-Con International: San Diego in July, where the lifelong comics lover and professional price guide publisher will make a special announcement regarding the “bible” of comic-book collecting.

The history and impact of the Guide will the subject of a panel discussion on Thursday, July 22, from 2:30 – 3:30 PM in Room 3 at the San Diego Convention Center. Here's the description of the panel:

Celebrate the history and impact of the Guide with former CGC President & Primary Grader Steve Borock, CBG’s Maggie Thompson, historian Jon McClure, Guide staffers J.C. Vaughn and Mark Huesman and special guests.

"We are extremely happy and deeply honored that Steve, Maggie and Jon will be helping out J.C. and Mark with our panel," said Overstreet.

Additionally, from 10:30 – 11:30 AM on both Thursday, July 22 and Friday, July 23, author and publisher Robert M. Overstreet will be signing copies of the 40th anniversary edition of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide at the Diamond Comic Distributors booth (#2401).

Whether they're in San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Fe, or San Juan, collectors, retailers, show dealers and comic buyers won't want to miss Gemstone Publishing's anniversary-themed Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide Volume 40 HC (Batman: MAR100973E, Captain America: MAR100975E; $35 each) & SC (Batman: MAR100974E, Captain America: MAR100976E; $29.95 each).

Four decades after its inception, The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide remains the most complete listing of comics from the 1500s to the present. Utilized by libraries, auction houses, insurance agents and museums, the Guide is one of the most widely used, highly respected resources available for evaluating collectible comic books.

Packed with exciting new material about comics, this special 40th edition includes articles on comics of the 1970s, a look at Conan #1, comics' most amazing variants, an all-new Overstreet Hall of Fame and much more.

This year's Guide also features a choice of softcover and hardcover editions, with covers by Mark Chiarello, who offers a striking interpretation of DC Comics’ Batman, and superstar Darwyn Cooke, who presents Marvel Comics' Captain America and Bucky in action during World War II.

The Hero Initiative "Conan the Barbarian #1" Limited Edition

Adding to the excitement over the price guide’s 40th anniversary, artist John Romita, Jr., inker Klaus Janson, and colorist Dean White have recreated 1970’s Conan the Barbarian #1 for the cover of this limited hardcover Hero Initiative variant edition of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #40. This is the first time an exclusive edition of the price guide has ever been issued.

Limited to 500 hardcover copies, the Hero Initiative edition of the 40th anniversary Guide will go on sale on Wednesday, July 21 at the Hero Initiative booth at SDCC, the same day the regular editions of the Guide go on sale nationwide.

The Conan edition of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #40 features Romita, Jr., Janson, and White’s recreation of the cover for Conan the Barbarian #1 by Barry Windsor-Smith, originally published by Marvel Comics in 1970, the same year the first edition of the Guide debuted (Conan is now published by Dark Horse Comics).

Fans have already started to see ads for the Guide's anniversary and this edition in comics from Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Moonstone Books, Radical Publishing, Top Cow Productions and others, as well as in Gemstone Publishing’s Free Comic Book Day offering.

At the show, individual copies of the book will be on sale for $35, and it will also be available as part of premium packages offered by The Hero Initiative. Bob Overstreet will take part in a special meet-and-greet with an extremely limited number of fans at the Hero Initiative’s suite at the Hard Rock Hotel. Details on how you can get a chance to participate in this exclusive group are yet to be announced by Hero Initiative.

“This was truly a collaborative effort,” said Gemstone Associate Publisher J.C. Vaughn. “Mark Huesman, the Guide’s Creative Director, suggested the idea of a recreation of Conan the Barbarian #1 for the cover, since that landmark issue is also celebrating its 40th anniversary. Jim McLauchlin and the Hero Initiative secured the services of John Romita, Jr., Klaus Janson, and Dean White to provide the fantastic art. Since John is exclusive with Marvel, Jim also got Marvel’s permission for him to do the project. Dark Horse’s Mike Richardson arranged the permission to do the cover with the folks at Conan Properties International, LLC. Angelo Messina at WorldColor arranged for his company to donate the plate change and the limited edition portion of our print run. If any one of these things hadn’t happened we wouldn’t have been able to do this project in this way.”

Through the efforts of all involved, The Hero Initiative will be able to receive the full cover price for each sale.

Now slated to arrive in stores July 21, the approximately 1,120-page, partial-color The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide Volume 40 is perfect for your store's serious and casual comic collectors alike, so place your advance reorders today.

Place Advance Reorders Now for Copies of the 40th Anniversary Ed. of the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide Reorders: Online or via Email By Phone: 800-45-COMIC By Fax: 800-329-2878 or 410-560-3875