The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide To Lost Universes digs into the comic publishers and imprints that have come and gone (and sometimes returned) from the Golden Age to the recent past. Once the book hit stores on February 16, 2022, Scoop talked to Gemstone Publishing’s Vice-President of Publishing J.C. Vaughn who served as one of the book’s coauthors to learn more about the book and what collectors can expect to find in its pages.
Scoop: Let’s start with what constitutes a Lost Universe in comics and describe how that turned into an Overstreet price guide.
J.C. Vaughn (JCV): A lost universe is a coherent comic book universe that was published and for whatever reason stopped being published. It doesn’t mean it couldn’t come back, and it doesn’t particularly mean superhero material, although they frequently have been. Ever since the Golden Age, there have been comic book universes that have come and gone. There are active collectors for many of them, and it seemed like time.
Scoop: What Lost Universes are covered in the book?
JCV: Atlas-Seaboard, Comics Greatest World (Dark Horse), CrossGen, DEFIANT, Future Comics, The Kirbyverse (Topps), Mighty Crusaders (MLJ/Archie), original Milestone Media, New Universe (Marvel), T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents (Tower), The Ultraverse (Malibu), original Valiant, and more are included. We also touch on a couple of non-universes that had universe events, Eclipse and First Comics, and an almost-universe in Charlton’s superheroes.
Every comic listed in the book is also pictured, and the book is full color.
Scoop: Aside from the history/profiles of the Lost Universes, what else will collectors find?
JCV: Each section opens with an introduction to give that publisher or universe context. In addition to those, which are accompanied by some fantastic examples of original art, including some previously unpublished material, the book includes interviews with creators, extensive feature articles, and even spotlights on collectors.
Scoop: What do you like about Lost Universes in comics?
JCV: As a collector, it’s fun focusing on things that maybe the crowd isn’t chasing. At the moment, when the market is so robust, it’s beneficial to be looking for issues that – as of this moment – haven’t seen huge jumps in prices. One of the best things, though, is that you’re dealing with finite sets rather than an open-ended commitment.
Scoop: How do you see this book benefitting both new Lost Universe collectors and the more experienced pros?
JCV: Pick any of the universes we cover in this edition, and you’ve got a great visual checklist. For several of them, we have some bits of history that were previously undocumented. There’s just so much information! And based on the feedback we’re getting, it sounds like some of the longtime lost universe fans – the New Universe collectors, fans of original Valiant, devotees of original Milestone, DEFIANT fans, and so on – there’s a bit of validation that they were ahead of the curve.
Scoop: How did you approach putting this book together?
JCV: A lot of trial and error before I even brought it to the rest of the Overstreet team at Gemstone. I put in a lot of work on a DEFIANT fanzine, assigned some articles to writers who really knew their subjects, and pretty much thought about it day and not for months before we started in earnest. Once I knew in my head what the book looked like, it was full speed ahead.
Scoop: The book has three main authors and several contributors. How does the collaborative effort benefit the content that is covered?
JCV: Of course, it all starts with Bob Overstreet and the pricing. Scott Braden, who is a former Gemstone staffer from the days of Overstreet’s FAN, worked with Bob as Research Editor back then. He’s continued as an Overstreet Advisor even though he’s been a reporter for the AP and other outlets. He’s a comics historian as well, and a devoted fan of several lost universes. In addition to doing a lot of the writing, I also brought a strong vision for the book, so it really was a combined effort.
Scoop: What did you enjoy most about working on this book?
JCV: Like any writer, it’s finding out stuff that wasn’t known before. That’s what tops my list. That said, the whole process, including the frustrating moments, provided the crucible that turned out a fantastic book.
Scoop: And your thoughts on the finished product?
JCV: We’re very proud of it. Pretty much everyone who looks at it is going to want it. The Photo-Journal nature of it – remember, every book listed is also pictured – means it will have a life well beyond its pricing data.
Scoop: Is there a second volume in the works?
JCV: Yes, indeed. March 2023.
Scoop: What can people expect to find in that one?
JCV: It’ll be the same format, but it will spotlight Fawcett’s Marvel Family, Tim Truman’s Scout, Marvel 2099, Ultimate Marvel, and more.
Scoop: What else can comic collectors expect from Overstreet this year?
JCV: First up, Free Comic Book Day, on Saturday, May 7, will bring The Overstreet Guide To Collecting Comics FCBD 2022 edition, a comic book that focuses on exactly what the title says, collecting comics. Then on July 20, we have The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #52, which is deep in progress as we’re speaking. After that, this fall, we have the full book-length version of The Overstreet Guide To Collecting Comics, which will be a hybrid comics/text of the successful book we first released in 2012 (which had two printings). We also have some other big news coming, so it’s going to be a very busy year for us.
