Misplaced Pages

Robert Beerbohm: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 10:15, 30 March 2024 editKjell Knudde (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users138,446 editsNo edit summary← Previous edit Latest revision as of 03:08, 29 November 2024 edit undoHMSLavender (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers61,565 editsm Reverted edits by 2600:6C50:1B00:2C5F:59:71EC:8641:9F44 (talk) to last version by 76.88.55.135: not providing a reliable source (WP:CITE, WP:RS)Tags: Rollback SWViewer [1.6] 
(28 intermediate revisions by 16 users not shown)
Line 7: Line 7:
| caption = | caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1952|06|17}} | birth_date = {{Birth date|1952|06|17}}
| birth_place = | birth_place = ], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2024|03|27|1952|06|17}} | death_date = {{Death date and age|2024|03|27|1952|06|17}}
| death_place = | death_place = ], U.S.
| occupation = Comic book historian, publisher, distributor and retailer | occupation = Comic book historian, publisher, distributor and retailer
| networth = | networth =
Line 19: Line 19:
}} }}


'''Robert Lee Beerbohm''' (June 17, 1952 – March 27, 2024) was an American comic book historian and retailer who was intimately involved with the rise of comics ] from 1966. Beginning as a teenager in the late 60s, he became a fixture in the growing comic convention scene, while in the 1970s and 1980s he was heavily involved in ] comic book retailing and distribution. '''Robert Lee Beerbohm''' (June 17, 1952 – March 27, 2024) was an American ] historian and retailer who was intimately involved with the rise of comics ] from 1966. Beginning as a teenager in the late 60s, he became a fixture in the growing ], while in the 1970s and 1980s he was heavily involved in ] comic book retailing and distribution.


Beerbohm was a consultant and author detailing the early history of comics in the United States, including rediscovering the first comic book in America, ]'s '']''. He has supplied data and visual aids as listed in the acknowledgements of over 200 books on comics and counting. Beerbohm was a consultant and author detailing the early history of comics in the United States, including rediscovering the first comic book in America, ]'s '']''. He has supplied data and visual aids as listed in the acknowledgements of over 200 books about comics.

Known as combination pugnacious businessman, archaeologist, and what cartoonist ] called a "feverishly enthusiastic fan," Beerbohm was an evangelist of the ] hobby.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/15/arts/robert-beerbohm-dead.html |title=Robert Beerbohm, 71, Dies; Pioneering Comic Book Retailer and Historian |last=Rosenwald |first=Michael S. |date=2024-04-15 |website=ww.nytimes.com|publisher=The New York Times|access-date=2023-04-21}}</ref>

Over the years, he was accused by his business partners and customers of shady dealings — all of which he denied.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024|reason=Unsourced libellous accusation.}}


==Early life== ==Early life==
Robert Lee Beerbohm was born June 17, 1952.<ref name=WhosWho>Beerbohm profile, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed May 29, 2012.</ref> He attended the ] from 1970 – 1972.<ref name="LinkedIn">. Accessed May 29, 2012.</ref> Robert Lee Beerbohm was born June 17, 1952 in Long Beach, California.<ref name="nyt">{{cite web|title=Robert Beerbohm, Pioneering Comic Book Retailer and Historian, Dies at 71|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/15/arts/robert-beerbohm-dead.html|date=April 15, 2024|last=Rosenwald|first=Michael S.|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 15, 2024}}</ref><ref name=WhosWho>Beerbohm profile, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed May 29, 2012.</ref> In his youth, he lived in ] for several years, before moving to ], where he graduated from Fremont High School.<ref name="downthetubes" /> He attended the ] from 1970 to 1972.<ref name="LinkedIn">. Accessed May 29, 2012.</ref>


==Career== ==Career==
Line 30: Line 34:
In October 1966, while still in junior high school, Beerbohm took out his first ad in '']'' (a.k.a. ''RBCC'') #47, launching what has eventually become known as Robert Beerbohm Comic Art. By the 21st century Beerbohm was selling vintage American popular culture artifacts (mostly comic books) via the Internet, and setting up shows across the United States.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}} In October 1966, while still in junior high school, Beerbohm took out his first ad in '']'' (a.k.a. ''RBCC'') #47, launching what has eventually become known as Robert Beerbohm Comic Art. By the 21st century Beerbohm was selling vintage American popular culture artifacts (mostly comic books) via the Internet, and setting up shows across the United States.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}


Beerbohm set up a booth at his first comics convention June 16–18, 1967, at the first ]. Traveling 28 hours on a ] bus, Beerbohm turned 15 the first day of that seminal show.<ref name="Memories">Beerbohm, Robert. Comic-Convention Memories (June 24, 2010).</ref> Beerbohm set up a booth at his first comics convention June 16–18, 1967, at the first ]. Traveling 28 hours on a ] bus, Beerbohm turned 15 the first day of that show.<ref name="Memories">Beerbohm, Robert. Comic-Convention Memories (June 24, 2010).</ref>


Beerbohm estimated from June 1967 thru April 2012 he set up at a thousand comics shows. Two strokes saw him close it all down July 10, 2018. Beerbohm estimated from June 1967 thru April 2012 he set up at a thousand comics shows. Two strokes saw him close it all down July 10, 2018.


Beerbohm was among the first generation of dealers to traffic in original comic book art, sourcing his originals from suppliers with sometimes questionable ], claiming to have bought hundreds of allegedly stolen pages of Marvel and DC art from dealers set up in a hotel room at the 1969 ] in St. Louis.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/buying-neal-adams-steve-ditko-original-art-hotel-room-1969/ |title=Buying Neal Adams & Steve Ditko Original Art From a Hotel Room in 1969|author=]|date=2022-10-18|publisher=]|access-date=2023-11-14 |quote=There was over 5000 pages in that 1969 St Louis hotel room. All 'saved from being thrown away' so they claimed so they liberated it all instead for themselves. They wanted to liberate $5 per page for ever one we wanted to haul out of that hotel room stuffed all over. We only had $1200. We could easily have spent ten times that if we had it. But we were just Midwest high school students from Fremont Nebraska meeting our first New York city slickers for the first time.}}</ref> Beerbohm was among the first generation of dealers to traffic in original comic book art, sourcing his originals from suppliers with sometimes questionable ], claiming to have bought hundreds of allegedly stolen pages of Marvel and DC art from dealers set up in a hotel room at the 1969 ] in St. Louis.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/buying-neal-adams-steve-ditko-original-art-hotel-room-1969/ |title=Buying Neal Adams & Steve Ditko Original Art From a Hotel Room in 1969|author=]|date=2022-10-18|publisher=]|access-date=2023-11-14}}</ref>


=== Comics and Comix === === Comics and Comix ===
{{main article|Comics and Comix}} {{main article|Comics and Comix}}
In late August 1972, ten days following the first El Cortez Hotel San Diego Comicon, with housemate ] and John Barrett, Beerbohm co-opened ] on ] in ].<ref>Nolan, Michelle. "Newswatch: Pioneering Comics Retailer John Barrett Dies at 50," ''The Comics Journal'' #233 (May 2001).</ref> In late August 1972 (ten days after the first ] at ]), with housemate ] and John Barrett, Beerbohm co-opened ] on ] in ].<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Nolan |first=Michelle |department=Newswatch |title=Pioneering Comics Retailer John Barrett Dies at 50 |magazine=The Comics Journal |number=233 |date=May 2001}}</ref>


In April 1973 Comics & Comix hosted the first Bay Area ], ] 73, in the Pauley Ballroom in the ASUC Building on the ] campus. Berkeleycon was the first comic-con that highlighted ].<ref>Benhari. "First Comix Con Right On?", ''Berkeley Barb'' (April 27—May 3, 1973).</ref> In April 1973 Comics & Comix hosted the first Bay Area ], ] 73, in the Pauley Ballroom in the ASUC Building on the ] campus. Berkeleycon was the first comic-con that highlighted ].<ref>{{cite news|author=Benhari |title=First Comix Con Right On? |work=Berkeley Barb|date=April 27 – May 3, 1973}}</ref>


During the Berkeleycon they were blessed with what became known as the Tom Reilly 'pedigree' collection of close to 4000 white-paper, never-opened NM/M comic books published summer 1939 thru summer 1945. Tom had enlisted in the Navy late Dec 1941. His parents in affluent Piedmont section of Oakland, Calif kept buying one of each. Placing them untouched on shelves in their son's bedroom. Tom was killed during a kamikaze attack in the Pacific summer 1945. His parents sealed the room. They died Dec 1972. The young men ended up with 7/9s of the collection April–June 1972. Within 3 months they had opened 3 more stores dubbing the corporate firm Comics & Comix.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}} During Berkeleycon, Beerbohm, Barrett, and Bud Plant purchased what became known as the Tom Reilly Pedigree collection of close to 4000 white-paper, never-opened "near mint/mint" comic books published between 1939 and 1945. Tom Reilly had enlisted in the Navy in 1941. His parents, in the affluent ] section of Oakland, California, kept buying one of each comic, placing them untouched on shelves in their son's bedroom. Tom was killed during a ] attack in the Pacific, in 1945. His parents sealed the room. They died in December 1972. Beerbohm and partners ended up with most of the collection through a protracted series of events taking place from April to June 1972. Within three months they had opened three more stores, calling the company Comics and Comix.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/bob.beerbohm.1/posts/pfbid02bME221K33i5Dv3Y2fXtMY952PxcwNcaAsniZfUg74hxBJZN1r6Jx6QCkr9V9zk8jl |title=TOM REILLY PEDIGREE COLLECTION |last=Beerbohm |first= Bob|date=May 4, 2022 |website=Facebook.com |publisher= |access-date=April 19, 2024}}</ref>


Beerbohm, John Barrett and Bud Plant as Comics & Comix published the first three issues of ]' ''The First Kingdom'' beginning in 1974. They also published comics by Jim Pinkoski and ] during Beerbohm's involvement.<ref>, Grand Comics Database. Accessed Oct. 8, 2016.</ref> Beerbohm, Barrett, and Plant, as '''Comics & Comix''', published the first three issues of ]' ''The First Kingdom'' beginning in 1974. They also published comics by Jim Pinkoski and ] during Beerbohm's involvement.<ref>, Grand Comics Database. Accessed Oct. 8, 2016.</ref>


=== Best of Two Worlds === === Best of Two Worlds ===
Beerbohm sold out in early 1975. He went 'solo' opening his first Best of Two Worlds early Nov 1976 at 1707 Haight St, San Francisco. By May 1977 he opened a 2nd Best of Two Worlds on Telegraph Ave near UC-Berkeley, taking over his ex-partner's old location a block apart.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}} Beerbohm sold out in early 1975. He went 'solo' opening his first Best of Two Worlds early Nov 1976 at 1707 Haight St, San Francisco. By May 1977 he opened a 2nd Best of Two Worlds on Telegraph Ave near UC-Berkeley, taking over his ex-partner's old location a block apart.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}


On Oct 4, 1978, with partner Gary Wood he opened The Funny Pages on Pier 30, the first high traffic tourist location comic bookstore in America. San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf was then the 3rd largest tourist attraction in the world. This location sold high-end popular culture artifacts.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}} On Oct 4, 1978, with partner Gary Wood, he opened The Funny Pages on Pier 30, the first high-traffic tourist location comic bookstore in America, according to Beerbohm. San Francisco's ] was then one of the largest tourist attractions in the world. This location sold high-end popular culture artifacts. In 1980 Beerbohm opened a third Best of Two Worlds on 4th St in Santa Rosa. In 1982 Gary Wood sold his 50% to Robert Borden. In early 1985 Borden and Beerbohm sold 14% to ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/groups/comicbookstorewars/posts/5329085630535658/ |title=THE FUNNY PAGES |last=Beerbohm |first=Robert |date=2022-09-30 |website=Facebook.com|publisher=|access-date=2023-04-21}}</ref>


⚫ In February 1986 ] cascaded out of the Sierra Nevada mountains, causing widespread property damage in much of northern California. Best of Two Worlds central warehouse was mostly destroyed. It contained a million comic books, half a million cards, 10,000 concert posters, 3000 pages of original comic book art, plus 90% of Beerbohm's comics fandom archives 1966–1985.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/from-john-byrnes-1978-uncanny-x-men-to-1995s-speculator-burn-out/ |title=From John Byrne's 1978 Uncanny X-Men to 1995's Speculator Burn Out |last=Johnston |first=Rich |date=2022-09-26 |website=bleedingcool.com |publisher=Bleeding Cool |access-date=2023-11-11 }}</ref>
In 1980 Beerbohm opened a third Best of Two Worlds on 4th St in Santa Rosa.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}

In 1982 Gary Wood sold his 50% to Robert Borden. In early 1985 Borden and Beerbohm sold 14% to Rory Root.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}

⚫ In February 1986 ] cascaded out of the Sierra Nevada mountains, causing widespread property damage in much of northern California. Best of Two Worlds central warehouse was mostly destroyed. It contained a million comic books, half a million cards, 10,000 concert posters, 3000 pages of original comic book art, plus 90% of Beerbohm's comics fandom archives 1966–1985.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/from-john-byrnes-1978-uncanny-x-men-to-1995s-speculator-burn-out/ |title=From John Byrne's 1978 Uncanny X-Men to 1995's Speculator Burn Out |last=Johnston |first=Rich |date=2022-09-26 |website=bleedingcool.com |publisher=Bleeding Cool |access-date=2023-11-11 |quote="Best of Two Worlds went out of business in 1987 due to the massive flooding of its central warehouse in Emeryville, California a year earlier."}}</ref>


=== Best Comics === === Best Comics ===
After Best of Two Worlds was forced by natural disaster into bankruptcy, Beerbohm went solo again with a single store in Haight Ashbury, but moved to a better location at Masonic, a major bus transfer hub. Here Beerbohm rebuilt almost from scratch once again, with signings by notable comics artists like a December 1987 ] event and a growing relationship with ], who moved into the neighbourhood in 1988.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}} After Best of Two Worlds was forced by natural disaster into bankruptcy, Beerbohm went solo again with a single store in Haight Ashbury, but moved to a better location at Masonic, a major bus transfer hub. Here Beerbohm rebuilt almost from scratch once again, with signings by notable comics artists like a December 1987 ] event and a growing relationship with ], who moved into the neighbourhood in 1988.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/bob.beerbohm.1/posts/pfbid0N5WnMJ7q1XhbcJwq1sXtK78itsbJ7D3NVHSW3FgrXReKDk8swmcPprcqS2FeKrsdl|title=Facebook post|last=Beerbohm |first=Robert |date=2024-03-12 |website=Facebook.com|publisher=|access-date=2023-04-21}}</ref>


=== Best Comics and Rock Art Gallery === === Best Comics and Rock Art Gallery ===
On June 1, 1991, Beerbohm, with silent-partner Edward Walker, opened Best Comics and Rock Art Gallery, an art gallery initially centering on seminal rock poster illustrator ] in ] at ].<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Langton |first=Mark |date=October 1991 |title=Remembering the Cosmic Visions of Rick Griffin |magazine=The Comics Journal #145 |publisher=Fantagraphics |quote=Just before Griffin died, he, Beerbohm and partner Ed Walker had just converted the Gallery into a Rick Griffin showplace.}}</ref> The store's grand opening party June 1, 1991, featured bands like ], ], members of ], ], the Irish band ], and others.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}} Two and a half months later, Griffin was killed in a motorcycle accident.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1991-08-20/news/mn-1302_1_rick-griffin|title=Rick Griffin; Psychedelic Artist Adorned Rock Music Posters|first=BURT A.|last=FOLKART|date=20 August 1991|publisher=|accessdate=24 October 2016|via=]}}</ref> Immediately after, the Griffin family attempted through legal means to restrict the sale of artworks through the gallery, but the lawsuit was dropped.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mason |first=Clark |date=August 22, 1991 |title=Dispute over dead artist's work settled |work=The Press Democrat |location=Santa Rosa, California}}</ref> Beerbohm and Walker closed the gallery in 1992.{{citation needed|date=February 2013}} On June 1, 1991, Beerbohm, with silent-partner Edward Walker, opened Best Comics and Rock Art Gallery, an art gallery initially centering on seminal rock poster illustrator ] in ] at ].<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Langton |first=Mark |date=October 1991 |title=Remembering the Cosmic Visions of Rick Griffin |magazine=The Comics Journal #145 |publisher=Fantagraphics}}</ref> The store's grand opening party June 1, 1991, featured bands like ], ], members of ], ], the Irish band ], and others.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}} Two and a half months later, Griffin was killed in a motorcycle accident.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-08-20-mn-1302-story.html|title=Rick Griffin; Psychedelic Artist Adorned Rock Music Posters|first=BURT A.|last=FOLKART|date=20 August 1991|publisher=|access-date=24 October 2016|via=]}}</ref> Immediately after, the Griffin family attempted through legal means to restrict the sale of artworks through the gallery, but the lawsuit was dropped.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mason |first=Clark |date=August 22, 1991 |title=Dispute over dead artist's work settled |work=The Press Democrat |location=Santa Rosa, California}}</ref> Beerbohm and Walker closed the gallery in 1992.{{citation needed|date=February 2013}}


=== Historian === === Historian ===
As a comics historian, Beerbohm rediscovered the first comic book in America, ]'s '']'', published on September 14, 1842, in ], as '']'' No. IX, which is in the same format as a "modern" day comic book, sans staples, which had not yet been invented.<ref> at ]. from the original on March 13, 2012. "On September 14, 1842, a New York paper, ''Brother Jonathan'', ran an English-language version of ''Oldbuck'' (published in Britain a year earlier) as a supplement."</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Beerbohm|first1= Robert|last2= Wheeler|first2= Doug|last3= De Sá |first3= Leonardo|title= Töpffer in America|work=Comic Art|issue=3|date= 2003|location=St. Louis, Missouri| pages= 28–47}}</ref><ref>, Heritage Capital Corporation, p. 1.</ref> As a comics historian, Beerbohm rediscovered the first comic book in America, ]'s '']'', published on September 14, 1842, in ], as '']'' No. IX, which is in the same format as a "modern" day comic book, sans staples, which had not yet been invented.<ref> at ]. from the original on March 13, 2012. "On September 14, 1842, a New York paper, ''Brother Jonathan'', ran an English-language version of ''Oldbuck'' (published in Britain a year earlier) as a supplement."</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Beerbohm|first1= Robert|last2= Wheeler|first2= Doug|last3= De Sá |first3= Leonardo|title= Töpffer in America|work=Comic Art|issue=3|date= 2003|location=St. Louis, Missouri| pages= 28–47}}</ref><ref>, Heritage Capital Corporation, p. 1.</ref>
For many years, Beerbohm was working on a massive history of comics retailing from the 19th Century through to the development of distribution networks for ] and the ] to be titled "Comic Book Store Wars" but the book remained unpublished at the time of his death. Beerbohm maintained a Facebook group with the same title and had published a 91-page book with the same title in 1994.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/groups/comicbookstorewars/ |title=Comic Books Store Wars |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website=Facebook.com |publisher= |access-date=March 28, 2024 |quote=}}</ref> For many years, Beerbohm was working on a massive history of comics retailing from the 19th Century through to the development of distribution networks for ] and the ] to be titled "Comic Book Store Wars" but the book remained unpublished at the time of his death. Beerbohm maintained a Facebook group with the same title and had published a 91-page book with the same title in 1994.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/groups/comicbookstorewars/ |title=Comic Books Store Wars |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website=Facebook.com |publisher= |access-date=March 28, 2024 }}</ref>

Beerbohm was also fundamental on the 1971 rediscovery of the first ] cover pencilled by ] in 1933. The cover was the last remaining art from the very first Superman comic book produced by ] and Shuster to be published by Chicago-based Humor Publishing. He received the art from ] who got the art from ] in 1969 who re-discovered the four torn up pieces jammed up behind a drawer in his father ]' desk which had sat untouched since August 1947. In 1975, Beerbohm had Joe Shuster validate the origins of the cover during San Diego Comic-Con.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/bob.beerbohm.1/posts/pfbid02WSJCax8LSybqKtHHNJqe8p6WUR8vLSJwK5aTrqV9xSjnPYeztY7iJY8cHXA4owmul |title=Facebook post |author=Bob Beerbohm |date=February 1, 2023 |website=Facebook.com |publisher= |access-date=April 21, 2024}}</ref>

According to comic book historian Charles Hatfield, Beerbohm's contribution to the study of the ] was threefold: 1.the idea that dealer speculation was at the root of the new distribution system; 2. the idea that so-called affidavit return fraud created a need for better distribution on the part of publishers; and 3. the growth of ] as an outlet for Underground comics and a model for the Direct Market.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tcj.com/remembering-comics-retailer-and-historian-robert-beerbohm-1952-2024/ |title=REMEMBERING COMICS RETAILER AND HISTORIAN ROBERT BEERBOHM, 1952-2024 |author=Charles Hatfield |date=2024-04-18 |website=tcj.com |publisher=The Comics Journal |access-date=April 21, 2024 }}</ref>


== Death == == Death ==
Beerbohm died after a long bout with cancer on March 27, 2024, at the age of 71.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newsfromme.com/2024/03/28/bob-beerbohm-r-i-p/ |title=Bob Beerbohm, R.I.P. |author=]|date=March 28, 2024|website=newsfromme.com |publisher= |access-date=March 29, 2024 |quote=Bob was 71 years old and the cause of death was cancer…one of many problems he'd been battling for years. Every time we spoke, he ticked off a long, long list of ailments so I don't think any of his friends are shocked by the news…saddened but not shocked. Bob and I were friends though I did not endorse all of his writings on comic book history and in fact disagreed with a lot of it. Some of you on Facebook forums witnessed some of our back-and-forth and I may write about it here in the future…or I may not.}}</ref> Beerbohm died in Fremont, Nebraska from colorectal cancer on March 27, 2024, at the age of 71.<ref name="nyt" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newsfromme.com/2024/03/28/bob-beerbohm-r-i-p/ |title=Bob Beerbohm, R.I.P. |author=]|date=March 28, 2024|website=newsfromme.com |publisher= |access-date=March 29, 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Comic Book Shop Pioneer And Historian Bob Beerbohm Had Died At 71 |url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/comic-book-shop-pioneer-and-historian-bob-beerbohm-had-died-at-71/ |website=] |access-date=1 April 2024 |date=29 March 2024}}</ref><ref name="downthetubes">{{cite web |title=Fundraiser launched to help the family of pioneering comics historian, Robert "Bob" Beerbohm |url=https://downthetubes.net/fundraiser-launched-to-help-the-family-of-pioneering-comics-historian-robert-bob-beerbohm/ |website=Down the Tubes |access-date=1 April 2024 |date=30 March 2024}}</ref>


== Bibliography == == Bibliography ==
* Comic Book Store Wars (Fremont, Nebraska : R.L. Beerbohm, 1994. -- 91 p.) * Comic Book Store Wars (Fremont, Nebraska : R.L. Beerbohm, 1994. -- 91 p.)
* "The first Superman cover ever" (''Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1165, March 15th, 1996, page 40)
* "The Big Bang Theory of Comic Book History" (''Comic Book Marketplace'', 1997) * "The Big Bang Theory of Comic Book History" (''Comic Book Marketplace'', 1997)
* "The Mainline Comics Story: An Initial Examination" ('']'' #25, 1998) * "The Mainline Comics Story: An Initial Examination" ('']'' #25, 1998)
Line 90: Line 95:
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
Line 99: Line 104:
] ]
] ]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 03:08, 29 November 2024

American comic book historian and retailer (1952–2024)
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Robert Beerbohm" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (March 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Robert Beerbohm
BornRobert Lee Beerbohm
(1952-06-17)June 17, 1952
Long Beach, California, U.S.
DiedMarch 27, 2024(2024-03-27) (aged 71)
Fremont, Nebraska, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln
California State University, Hayward
Occupation(s)Comic book historian, publisher, distributor and retailer

Robert Lee Beerbohm (June 17, 1952 – March 27, 2024) was an American comic book historian and retailer who was intimately involved with the rise of comics fandom from 1966. Beginning as a teenager in the late 60s, he became a fixture in the growing comic convention scene, while in the 1970s and 1980s he was heavily involved in Bay Area comic book retailing and distribution.

Beerbohm was a consultant and author detailing the early history of comics in the United States, including rediscovering the first comic book in America, Rodolphe Töpffer's The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck. He has supplied data and visual aids as listed in the acknowledgements of over 200 books about comics.

Known as combination pugnacious businessman, archaeologist, and what cartoonist Art Spiegelman called a "feverishly enthusiastic fan," Beerbohm was an evangelist of the comics collecting hobby.

Over the years, he was accused by his business partners and customers of shady dealings — all of which he denied.

Early life

Robert Lee Beerbohm was born June 17, 1952 in Long Beach, California. In his youth, he lived in Saudi Arabia for several years, before moving to Fremont, Nebraska, where he graduated from Fremont High School. He attended the University of Nebraska–Lincoln from 1970 to 1972.

Career

Robert Beerbohm Comic Art

In October 1966, while still in junior high school, Beerbohm took out his first ad in Rocket's Blast Comicollector (a.k.a. RBCC) #47, launching what has eventually become known as Robert Beerbohm Comic Art. By the 21st century Beerbohm was selling vintage American popular culture artifacts (mostly comic books) via the Internet, and setting up shows across the United States.

Beerbohm set up a booth at his first comics convention June 16–18, 1967, at the first Houstoncon. Traveling 28 hours on a Greyhound bus, Beerbohm turned 15 the first day of that show.

Beerbohm estimated from June 1967 thru April 2012 he set up at a thousand comics shows. Two strokes saw him close it all down July 10, 2018.

Beerbohm was among the first generation of dealers to traffic in original comic book art, sourcing his originals from suppliers with sometimes questionable provenance, claiming to have bought hundreds of allegedly stolen pages of Marvel and DC art from dealers set up in a hotel room at the 1969 27th World Science Fiction Convention in St. Louis.

Comics and Comix

Main article: Comics and Comix

In late August 1972 (ten days after the first San Diego Comic-Con at El Cortez Hotel), with housemate Bud Plant and John Barrett, Beerbohm co-opened Comics and Comix on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, California.

In April 1973 Comics & Comix hosted the first Bay Area comics convention, Berkeleycon 73, in the Pauley Ballroom in the ASUC Building on the University of California, Berkeley campus. Berkeleycon was the first comic-con that highlighted underground comix.

During Berkeleycon, Beerbohm, Barrett, and Bud Plant purchased what became known as the Tom Reilly Pedigree collection of close to 4000 white-paper, never-opened "near mint/mint" comic books published between 1939 and 1945. Tom Reilly had enlisted in the Navy in 1941. His parents, in the affluent Piedmont section of Oakland, California, kept buying one of each comic, placing them untouched on shelves in their son's bedroom. Tom was killed during a kamikaze attack in the Pacific, in 1945. His parents sealed the room. They died in December 1972. Beerbohm and partners ended up with most of the collection through a protracted series of events taking place from April to June 1972. Within three months they had opened three more stores, calling the company Comics and Comix.

Beerbohm, Barrett, and Plant, as Comics & Comix, published the first three issues of Jack Katz' The First Kingdom beginning in 1974. They also published comics by Jim Pinkoski and Dan O'Neill during Beerbohm's involvement.

Best of Two Worlds

Beerbohm sold out in early 1975. He went 'solo' opening his first Best of Two Worlds early Nov 1976 at 1707 Haight St, San Francisco. By May 1977 he opened a 2nd Best of Two Worlds on Telegraph Ave near UC-Berkeley, taking over his ex-partner's old location a block apart.

On Oct 4, 1978, with partner Gary Wood, he opened The Funny Pages on Pier 30, the first high-traffic tourist location comic bookstore in America, according to Beerbohm. San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf was then one of the largest tourist attractions in the world. This location sold high-end popular culture artifacts. In 1980 Beerbohm opened a third Best of Two Worlds on 4th St in Santa Rosa. In 1982 Gary Wood sold his 50% to Robert Borden. In early 1985 Borden and Beerbohm sold 14% to Rory Root.

In February 1986 snow-melt flood waters cascaded out of the Sierra Nevada mountains, causing widespread property damage in much of northern California. Best of Two Worlds central warehouse was mostly destroyed. It contained a million comic books, half a million cards, 10,000 concert posters, 3000 pages of original comic book art, plus 90% of Beerbohm's comics fandom archives 1966–1985.

Best Comics

After Best of Two Worlds was forced by natural disaster into bankruptcy, Beerbohm went solo again with a single store in Haight Ashbury, but moved to a better location at Masonic, a major bus transfer hub. Here Beerbohm rebuilt almost from scratch once again, with signings by notable comics artists like a December 1987 Bill Sienkiewicz event and a growing relationship with Rick Griffin, who moved into the neighbourhood in 1988.

Best Comics and Rock Art Gallery

On June 1, 1991, Beerbohm, with silent-partner Edward Walker, opened Best Comics and Rock Art Gallery, an art gallery initially centering on seminal rock poster illustrator Rick Griffin in Fisherman's Wharf at The Cannery. The store's grand opening party June 1, 1991, featured bands like Big Brother and The Holding Company, New Riders of the Purple Sage, members of Quicksilver Messenger Service, It's a Beautiful Day, the Irish band Phoenix, and others. Two and a half months later, Griffin was killed in a motorcycle accident. Immediately after, the Griffin family attempted through legal means to restrict the sale of artworks through the gallery, but the lawsuit was dropped. Beerbohm and Walker closed the gallery in 1992.

Historian

As a comics historian, Beerbohm rediscovered the first comic book in America, Rodolphe Töpffer's The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck, published on September 14, 1842, in New York City, as Brother Jonathan Extra No. IX, which is in the same format as a "modern" day comic book, sans staples, which had not yet been invented. For many years, Beerbohm was working on a massive history of comics retailing from the 19th Century through to the development of distribution networks for Underground Comics and the Direct market to be titled "Comic Book Store Wars" but the book remained unpublished at the time of his death. Beerbohm maintained a Facebook group with the same title and had published a 91-page book with the same title in 1994.

Beerbohm was also fundamental on the 1971 rediscovery of the first Superman cover pencilled by Joe Shuster in 1933. The cover was the last remaining art from the very first Superman comic book produced by Siegel and Shuster to be published by Chicago-based Humor Publishing. He received the art from Russ Cochran who got the art from Bill Gaines in 1969 who re-discovered the four torn up pieces jammed up behind a drawer in his father Max Gaines' desk which had sat untouched since August 1947. In 1975, Beerbohm had Joe Shuster validate the origins of the cover during San Diego Comic-Con.

According to comic book historian Charles Hatfield, Beerbohm's contribution to the study of the Direct Market was threefold: 1.the idea that dealer speculation was at the root of the new distribution system; 2. the idea that so-called affidavit return fraud created a need for better distribution on the part of publishers; and 3. the growth of head shops as an outlet for Underground comics and a model for the Direct Market.

Death

Beerbohm died in Fremont, Nebraska from colorectal cancer on March 27, 2024, at the age of 71.

Bibliography

  • Comic Book Store Wars (Fremont, Nebraska : R.L. Beerbohm, 1994. -- 91 p.)
  • "The first Superman cover ever" (Comics Buyer's Guide #1165, March 15th, 1996, page 40)
  • "The Big Bang Theory of Comic Book History" (Comic Book Marketplace, 1997)
  • "The Mainline Comics Story: An Initial Examination" (Jack Kirby Collector #25, 1998)
  • "Secret Origins of the Direct Market Part One: 'Affidavit Returns' - The Scourge of Distribution" (Comic Book Artist #6, Oct. 1999)
  • "Secret Origins of the Direct Market Part Two: Phil Seuling and the Undergrounds Emerge," (Comic Book Artist #7, Mar. 2000)
  • "The Illustrated Books of Frank King" (Comic Art #1, 2001)
  • "Topffer in America" (Comic Art #3, 2003) (with Doug Wheeler and Leonardo De Sa)
  • "The American Comic Book: 1929-Present: The Modern Comics Magazine Supplants the Earlier Formats" (Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #27, 1997 thru 49, 2019) (with Richard Olson, PhD) — Three articles grew in size and scope which were continuously expanded and revised every year by the authors covering a "Victorian Age" (1842-1890s), a "Platinum Age" 1890s thru 1934 as well as an in-depth Origin of the Modern Comic Book 1921-1970s which ran thru #40.

References

  1. Rosenwald, Michael S. (2024-04-15). "Robert Beerbohm, 71, Dies; Pioneering Comic Book Retailer and Historian". ww.nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  2. ^ Rosenwald, Michael S. (April 15, 2024). "Robert Beerbohm, Pioneering Comic Book Retailer and Historian, Dies at 71". The New York Times. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  3. Beerbohm profile, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed May 29, 2012.
  4. ^ "Fundraiser launched to help the family of pioneering comics historian, Robert "Bob" Beerbohm". Down the Tubes. 30 March 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  5. Beerbohm LinkedIn profile. Accessed May 29, 2012.
  6. Beerbohm, Robert. "Update to Comics Dealer Extraordinaire Robert Beerbohm: In His Own Words," Comic-Convention Memories (June 24, 2010).
  7. Johnston, Rich (2022-10-18). "Buying Neal Adams & Steve Ditko Original Art From a Hotel Room in 1969". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
  8. Nolan, Michelle (May 2001). "Pioneering Comics Retailer John Barrett Dies at 50". Newswatch. The Comics Journal. No. 233.
  9. Benhari (April 27 – May 3, 1973). "First Comix Con Right On?". Berkeley Barb.
  10. Beerbohm, Bob (May 4, 2022). "TOM REILLY PEDIGREE COLLECTION". Facebook.com. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  11. Comics & Comix entry, Grand Comics Database. Accessed Oct. 8, 2016.
  12. Beerbohm, Robert (2022-09-30). "THE FUNNY PAGES". Facebook.com. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  13. Johnston, Rich (2022-09-26). "From John Byrne's 1978 Uncanny X-Men to 1995's Speculator Burn Out". bleedingcool.com. Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
  14. Beerbohm, Robert (2024-03-12). "Facebook post". Facebook.com. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  15. Langton, Mark (October 1991). "Remembering the Cosmic Visions of Rick Griffin". The Comics Journal #145. Fantagraphics.
  16. FOLKART, BURT A. (20 August 1991). "Rick Griffin; Psychedelic Artist Adorned Rock Music Posters". Retrieved 24 October 2016 – via Los Angeles Times.
  17. Mason, Clark (August 22, 1991). "Dispute over dead artist's work settled". The Press Democrat. Santa Rosa, California.
  18. The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on March 13, 2012. "On September 14, 1842, a New York paper, Brother Jonathan, ran an English-language version of Oldbuck (published in Britain a year earlier) as a supplement."
  19. Beerbohm, Robert; Wheeler, Doug; De Sá, Leonardo (2003). "Töpffer in America". Comic Art. No. 3. St. Louis, Missouri. pp. 28–47.
  20. Heritage Comics and Comic Art Auction #824: Dallas, Taxas, May 3–4 2007, Heritage Capital Corporation, p. 1.
  21. "Comic Books Store Wars". Facebook.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  22. Bob Beerbohm (February 1, 2023). "Facebook post". Facebook.com. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  23. Charles Hatfield (2024-04-18). "REMEMBERING COMICS RETAILER AND HISTORIAN ROBERT BEERBOHM, 1952-2024". tcj.com. The Comics Journal. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  24. Mark Evanier (March 28, 2024). "Bob Beerbohm, R.I.P." newsfromme.com. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  25. "Comic Book Shop Pioneer And Historian Bob Beerbohm Had Died At 71". Bleeding Cool. 29 March 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.


Categories: