User:Craigopher

*** Hi folks! My name is Craig "Gopher" Richardson and I've been a Legion fan since the mid-1970's.

My first exposure to the Legion...

I was in elementary school at the time and did not buy any comics myself. I only occasionally read comics that other people lent me, and one such comic was the treasury-sized Limited Collectors' Edition C-49. It contains the two part Mordru story from the Adventure Comics #369 and #370, which I still believe to be one of the best stories in the Legion canon (written by Jim Shooter, then 13 years old). The story itself features only a few Legionnaires, but the two page center spread reprints a panel from Superboy v1 #200 depicting Bouncing Boy & Duo Damsel's wedding and featuring all the members, reservists, and honorary members, the Legion of Substitute Heroes, the Heroes of Lallor, the Wanderers, and a few extra guests to boot. I spent hours pouring over that picture, and while a numbered key in the back cover told me their names, I was left to imagine the details of their powers and what adventures they might have.

...and how I began collecting them

I was so intrigued by the Legion story that my friend had lent me that I convinced him trade it for the only comic I had to my name, a treasury sized version of the first three issues of Star Wars. But it never occured to me that there were other comics out there about the group. Fast forward to 1981, when I found an issue of The Flash under a heater at my school and wanted to know what happened in the next issue. At the point, I was able to get to a store on my own and look for the next issue. Lo, and behold, a couple of positions down on the spinner rack was Legion of Super-Heroes v2 #278. For the first time, I was able read a story that actually featured almost every character that I had wondered about so many years ago, although there were some new members and some of the costumes had changed.

Needless to say, I was hooked. In the years since, I've picked up every new issue, and have tracked down all of the preceding issues (couldn't afford Adventure Comics #247, but I got everything else). That was before eBay existed, so finding all those issues was no easy task. When you found one, you bought it if you could afford it, regardless of condition - you never knew if you would find another. For a while during college and later during a period when I was flat broke, I went through phases during which I stopped buying comics. But I've always returned, and I always caught my Legion collection back up. Today I buy almost no comics, but I faithfully pick up any Legion related issues I find each week.

Websites and stuff

In addition to comics, I'm also an avid animation enthusiast. Check out my animation-related website at ToonHub.com. At one point I toyed with building a Legion website at LegionOutpost.com. My vision was to build some parts myself, and to allow some other legion enthusiasts who did not have their own domain name to post their work on my site - basically, free hosting for anyone who wanted to post Legion material. However, my schedule has not allowed me to put the time into it, and it has gone nowhere. I think this Legion Wiki will realize in a far greater way what I would have liked to have seen develop on my own site.

Also, given my love for animation, I'm very excited to see the new Legion cartoon. I have yet to see the Justice League Unlimited episode featuring the Legion, but I just picked up Superman:The Animated Series Season Three on DVD. I'll be transcribing the commentary track from New Kids in Town and posting the most juicy details in the near future.

My initial focus for the Legion Wiki will be scanning and posting covers from the Adventure, Action and Superboy days of the Legion and building associated issue pages. That period seems to be less represented by the current contributors, so I'll concentrate my efforts there. Also, if I notice pages that have been created but dont yet have cover or internal images, I will prioritize those as well.

Three ways I can help other Legion fans

• If you need information or images from any issue from Adventure Comics #267 to the current Legion series, I would be happy to assist you. I can look up facts or scan an image from that obscure issue you would like to write about. Just send an email to Craigopher. It may take me a days or so to look up facts or make scans, but I'll try to keep you updated as to my progress. Feel free to write just to say "hi" too!

• Another way I can help fellow Legion enthusiasts is to give you free webspace. I'm not currently utilizing LegionOutpost.com to any real degree, and I would be happy to post Legion-related material for anyone looking for a permanent web home. I've had the URL for several years and its not going anywhere. Even if I decide ti build the site out, anyone who has material there would be welcome to maintain a presence as long as you like.

• And lastly, if you would like a free emailbox @legionoutpost.com, you are welcome to that too.

I'm excited to be contributing and look forward to getting to know other Legion enthusiasts.

Long Live the Legion!!! Gopher 13:28, 7 July 2006 (PDT)