Jeff Delaney was born in Newport Beach, California in 1965, close to his family's home in Costa Mesa. Including his parents and him, it was a family of ten (four brothers and three sisters) and he grew up collecting comics and other things. Recently he's published a book about postcards from Newport Beach, one of his other collecting passions.

Scoop: When did you begin to collect comics?
Jeff Delaney: I was five years old. I remember because I was sitting on the living room floor flipping through the first comic I'd ever purchased, carefully examining each panel, when my Mom asked me, "Why did you buy that? You can't even read yet." Without hesitation, I responded, "I like to look at the pictures." To this day, when I bring my new comics home from the comic shop, I flip through them and look at the pictures, then go back and read them later.

Scoop: What were the circumstances (where, when, etc)?
JD: Some of my brothers and sisters were walking to U-Tote-Em, a local convenience store, and I tagged along. I had some allowance money burning a hole in my pocket, and that spinner rack just inside the door called my name. I was hooked immediately.

Scoop: How long from the time you first bought a comic book until you considered yourself a collector?
JD: I remember about a year later being quite impressed with myself for having accumulated a dozen comics. I guess that would've been the moment.

Scoop: What were your early favorites?
JD: Archie, Richie Rich, and occasionally Sabrina.

Scoop: How did your collecting develop from that point?
JD: I don't remember what caused the sudden shift, but in late 1975, my Archie and Richie Rich collecting ended when I discovered superheroes. All of my first DC comics are dated January 1976: Action Comics #455, Batman #271, Detective Comics #455, and Superman #295. A few months later, I added Marvel to the mix with Daredevil #132, Amazing Spider-Man #156, and Fantastic Four #171.

Scoop: How did your family react to collecting? Were they supportive? Disinterested?
JD: My dad and uncle had been comic book fans when they were kids in the late 1930s, so they were supportive. They had kept a trunk full of Golden Age comics long after they stopped collecting, but when they were drafted into the army during the Korean War, my grandmother got rid of the trunk. I often wonder what books lay within that treasure chest.

Scoop: Did any of your family members collect comics or other items?
JD: My brother Mark, nine years older than I, had collected comics when he was younger. I think my interest rekindled his. He's a huge Batman fan, and still buys the trades today. But he and I are the only members of our family bitten by the collecting bug.

Scoop: Did you drift away from collecting at any point or did you stick with them as you grew up?
JD: In an attempt to be cooler than I actually was, I stopped buying comics during my freshman and sophomore years in high school. Sometime in 1981, my best friend Ty started talking about this guy Frank Miller who was writing and penciling Daredevil. He lent me a few issues and I was immediately sucked back into the hobby. I haven't drifted away from it since.

Scoop: Compare what excited you about comic books early on to what excites you about them now. Is it the same thing?
JD: It's exactly the same thing, the stories. I'm lucky in that not only did I grow up with comics, comics also grew up with me. The emergence of writers like Frank Miller, Alan Moore, Dave Sim, and Neil Gaiman has kept my passion for comics alive.

Scoop: Do you collect any specific area of comics?
JD: I collect Gold, Silver, Bronze, Copper, and Modern. JD: War covers from the Golden Age; 80 Page Giants, Justice League of America, Lois Lane, and World's Finest Comics from the Silver Age; Neal Adams issues of Batman, Detective Comics, Brave & the Bold, and Strange Adventures from the Bronze Age, and a variety of titles from the Copper and Modern Ages.

Scoop: What are the prizes of your collection?
JD: They all come from the Golden Age: My Mile High copies of Exciting Comics #31, Startling Comics #25 and #35, and my Larson copy of Thrilling Comics #11.

Scoop: What are you collecting at the moment?
JD: Nedor war covers by Alex Schomburg. It's a difficult niche, as many of the books are scarce, or even rare. Schomburg had a remarkably dynamic style. While many Golden Age covers feel static, Schomburg's have action that seems to leap off the page. I also collect several Modern titles. I'm currently really enjoying All-Star Superman, Astonishing X-Men, JSA, The Walking Dead, and Y the Last Man.

Scoop: Do you have any stories about the one that got away?
JD: Many years ago at the San Diego convention (long before anyone referred to it as Comic-Con) a dealer was selling a beautiful Batman #11 for $500. That was a lot of money for me at the time, so I decided to think about it over lunch. Of course, by the time I returned from McDonalds, the book was long gone.

Scoop: Do you have any specific comics that you sold that you wish you had kept?
JD: I sold a Superman #17 in 8.0 with slight restoration that I wish I'd hung onto. It was sold to me as un-restored, so when it came back from CGC with a purple label, I sold it immediately. Recently, I decided to allow slightly restored books into my collection, and I'd kind of like to have that one back.

Scoop: What do you find the most rewarding about comics and collecting in general?
JD: Beyond my love for the stories, comics also act as a link to the past. I grew up during the Bronze Age, so I have a great deal of nostalgia for those books. Golden Age books have a magical quality to them, having come out at a time when it was very clear who the good guys were, and perhaps more importantly, who the bad guys were in the world. That fact is illustrated so effectively on many Golden Age covers. Also rewarding are the many friendships that have resulted from collecting comics.

Scoop: What are you favorite non-comic book items from your collection?
JD: I have a composition notebook filled with character cut-outs from comic covers. Some kid back in the early forties cut up what today would be hundreds of thousands of dollars in comics to make this notebook. Contained within are the Robin figure from the back cover of Batman #1, the Starman figure from the front cover of Adventure Comics #61, the Toro figure from the front cover of All-Winners #1, and many others. Amazing stuff!

Scoop: You recently published a book on vintage postcards from Newport Beach, California. How did this project come about?
I have a website, www.newportbeachpostcards.com, where I'd posted scans of about 20% of my postcard collection. An author who had seen my site contacted me, claiming that she had a contract with Arcadia Publishing to write a Newport Beach postcard book, and wanted to "rent" my cards. I got a hold of Arcadia the next day, only to discover that she didn't have a contract after all. I submitted a book proposal to them, and they asked me to do the book.

Scoop: How did you get into collecting postcards?
JD: My wife and I spent our wedding night on Catalina Island. We were strolling along the small shops there when I spotted a book on Catalina postcards. I've always had a great interest in history, and my new bride noticed how I was devouring every page of the book. She suggested that I collect Newport Beach postcards. Having just been schooled by my father and brothers that the appropriate response to 99% of situations in a marriage is "yes dear", I immediately complied. I started collecting the cards as soon as we returned home.

Scoop: How many cards do you have in your collection?
JD: Approximately 350, the vast majority of which I obtained off eBay. I could only use 220 for the book, so I had to go through a process of elimination.

Scoop: What are your favorites?
JD: Cards with people in them are always most interesting to me. It's easy to imagine people from a century ago being significantly different than people today, but looking at their photos on the front of postcards, and their words on the back, their interests and concerns were not all that different.

Scoop: How is collecting postcards similar to comic collecting?
JD: I'd say that condition is less a factor in postcard collecting. While some cards are in fairly plentiful supply, many others are very scarce, perhaps even unique. With comics, if you pass up a book in an auction or at a convention, chances are you'll come across another copy eventually. With postcards, you may never see a particular card again, ever!

Scoop: What is the earliest postcard you own?
JD: 1892 would be the oldest. Newport Beach celebrates its centennial in 2006, so there wasn't much happening around here prior to the late 19^th century.

Scoop: Do you have any suggestions for people looking to start collecting postcards?
JD: Start with eBay. It's a remarkable resource for postcards. If you see a card you love, bid aggressively, as you may never see it again. Some people buy plastic sleeves for postcards, but I find that simply keeping them in a photo album is a great way to protect them, and an attractive way to present them for friends and family to admire. Finally, if you're thinking of starting, start now. Prices seem to be getting higher and higher.

Scoop: Are there postcard collector shows and do you attend them?
JD: Yes, there are many throughout the country. I know the Chicago area hosts three different postcard and ephemera shows each year. There's also a National Postcard Convention held annually. I've never attended one, finding far more than I can afford on eBay.