Ah 2021 goals...

As usual my goals are still in a bit of a flux at this point in the game. Buying goals are slightly dependent on if and when comic cons start up again (not expecting it before late spring/summer at the earliest). Reading goals are always in flux as I really came to terms with the fact I am a mood reader as 2020 progressed, and things that might be on my radar in January may not be when I get the time to get around to them in later months, and things nowhere near my radar in January become priorities in later months. Organizing is in flux since there seems to be a shortage of comic supplies in the marketplace due to the pandemic-our lcs has been out of bags and boards since October and their suppliers have them backordered with the earliest expected delivery date being April, so availability of needed supplies to complete some of the organization projects is questionable.

That all being said, I do have some vague ideas what I'd like to accomplish.

Buying Goals
-In 2020, I made a lot of progress on my Silver Age Hawkman collection, getting everything except for the 3 keys that are mostly beyond my comfort zone in price. Those three being Brave & Bold #34, Hawkman #1 and Hawkman #4. If I can find one at a comfortable price, I'd like to add one of those to my collection. It's doubtful, but we'll see.

-finish off the other Silver Age/Bronze age Hawkman books on my want list-Atom #7 (7th appearance of Hawkman, 1st outside of Brave & Bold), JLA 31 (Hawkman joins JLA), Detective Comics 434 (Hawkman back-up), World's Finest Comics #209, 261 Hawkman appearance or back up)

-make progress on early Zatanna appearances (the Zatanna Quest issues and her back ups in Adventure/Supergirl and a few others) I have 44 issues on the list (not counting the aforementioned Hawkman #4 her 1st appearance). I'd like to add 10-15 of those issues.

-Matt Baker books-I'd like to add at least 2 comics featuring Matt Baker's art on covers or interiors.

-Alex Toth books-I'd like to add at least 5 comics featuring Alex Toth's art on covers or interiors

and my focus series for 2021 (i.e. the series I think I am going to work on the most) I'd like to add at least 10 issues to each in 2021 (maybe more depending on budgets, availability of conventions, etc.)

Sgt. Rock (+28)
The Atom
Ghost Rider (70s)
Phantom
'Nam (+17)
I, Vampire in House of Mystery

and (borrowing the term from Crimebuster since I dig it so much) my quest books (i.e. series I need less than 10 issues of that I am trying to complete). I'd like to finish at least 4 of these

Conan: The Frazetta Covers (need 4 issues)
Ghost Rider (90s series; need 6 issues)
Frank Frazetta Illustrated (need 3 issues)
Aces High (need 3 issues, Gemstone reprints acceptable)
Piracy (need 3 issues; Gemstone reprints acceptable)
Spirit Magazine (6 issues needed)
Will Eisner Quarterly (3 issues needed)
Elvira's House of Mystery (2 issues & 1 special needed)
Flash Gordon (King/Charlton/Gold Key; 3 issues needed)
Mandrake the Magician (King; 2 issues needed)
Xenozoic Tales (4 issues needed)
Dune (Marvel adaptation) (1 issue needed)
Cheval Noir (8 issues)
Chilling Adventures in Sorcery (1 issue) (completed)

there are some second tier wants too but these are the focus for the year.

Reading Goal
Overall I'd like to make some progress on my TBR piles

-I'd like to read 1000 comics that I own (first time or reread)
-I'd like to read at least 50 trades that I own (first time or reread)
-I'd like to finish the Wheel of Time series (I am on book 5 of 14, it will be dicey since the novels are so long)
-I'd like to read at least 10 novels or short story collections outside the Wheel of Time series that I own as well

My Goodreads Reading Challenge Goal for the year will be 87 and that will encompass the trades/graphic novels, Wheel of Time and other books I own that I read, plus any library (physical or digital) borrows I read during the year. My goal for 2020 (the first year I participated) was 87 as well and I got to 101. The goal started lower (24 or 2 books per month) until I realized trades were a part of it too and not just prose books, and I raised the goal number accordingly when I figured that out.

like I mentioned earlier, I have stuff that's on my radar currently (see my what should I read next thread), but we'll see how the year plays out and how my mood/interest evolves over the course of the year before defining specific things to be read to make up those goals

Organizing Goals
-Get the basement game room organized, especially the comics portion of the room (getting some bagged and/or boarded and into short boxes or other display/storage containers while making sure everything is catalogued
correctly)

-get caught up on the backlog of stuff acquired in 2020 that has to be sorted and put away in the upstairs comics space that I finished remodeling in 2020 but hasn't gotten much attention since I went back to work in May after the shutdown ended. There's a few hundred comics that need to be put away in the proper boxes (and possibly bagged/boarded) plus a few dozen books that need to be shelved.

And that should do it.

-M

I think I finally came to the realization it is easier for me to get comics than have time to read as much as I would like. I really only want to have a run of everything, that's not too much to ask is it? Ah well, 2019 and 2020 I have unloaded lots of boxes of comics and really, my collection is still really too big. Ah problems you never really figured possible at age 12 are reality at age 51. I kind of need to do some further editing and pruning of my collection, it's just getting rid of any of these 'precious' are sad when it happens. Once gone, I don't really miss them much. I don't have as much room in the house for my 'stuff', so getting it right sized feels like the thing to do. One of these days I would like it all in 'order'.

That said, there are plenty of reprint books out there that interest me. I'm going to keep it to a couple books a month this year. For back issues, I have gotten rid of a ton of stuff and some others I still have - I debate on keeping but there are some holes that would be nice to plug. It would be fun to go to some comic shows. As for reading 'new' comics, I think I'm pretty much done for now. I literally only read a handful of newer comics all 2020. This gets back to the first point, I really have plenty of comics to read for the rest of my life now. In a sense, I kinda think my collection is kinda DONE and I just need to read and enjoy.

READING LIST & CARRY OVER.

Old Marvel Conan- probably will continue where have left off. I've also been re-reading the Dark Horse Conan. I have read the first 100+ or so a couple of times and most of Savage Sword's early issues and hit and miss up to the late 80s. I'm going to work on reading this to the end of the Marvel and Dark Horse runs. I'd put Kull, Red Sonja & Solomon Kane also on the eventual docket. Still have a few issues in the collection to get and this is one area I would like to complete.

Daredevil vol. 1 - Been reading this from the start and also where I left off as a teenager in the 80s - filling the gap to Vol. 2, which I read after re-starting comics. Been on a break on these for a month or so, but this is what I got read in 2020 (Daredevil: Annual 1, 1-86, 292-337). I've read as a kid from the mid 70s through Miller's runs to when Nocenti and JRjr were doing the title up to about 1990. I've re-read Miller's run in trades a couple of times. So there are definitely 100+ issues new to read.

From the 2020 read that was new, I loved Gene Colan's artwork. Roy Thomas' run with the character was a solid read. I loved The Jester story and original character. I've cheated and read where that character went and I kind of think it might be one out of the early DD run whose potential was missed. It happens, Maxie Zeus is largely played as a joke but the first couple of Batman stories by O'Neill are pretty good. That said, I would thing the Jester could be re-done and reset to how it started and that particular attitude he had, maybe consider how Captain Cold was developed or Cat-man was reinvented.

I'm going to keep reading the Hulk and work to read all of the classic series. The Hulk is just fun reading. I read most of them from the mid 70s to the end of the 80s as a kid. I had read 'some' of the earlier ones, but only the earliest when I got the first Essential quite a few years back. I've been reading from the start of the character and from the start of Peter David's run this year (Hulk (V1) Annual 1, 1-6, 59-124, 331-348). To be HULKTINUED...

Did not get nearly as far, but I also have been reading Thor and Hellblazer from the start. The silver age Kirby Thor is largely new to me and has not disappointed. I got through the first couple years of Hellblazer, but those are re-reads to this point. It's a classic series, I read most of the first 50 and then have later read about 100 issues of the later run. I need to get back to reading Swamp Thing again too... I read the first series and was re-reading the second up to when Veitch took over the title. I'd eventually like to read them all too.

There are boodles of other stuff to read. Just sitting here now, I was thinking where I left off reading Judge Dredd Case Files and the gaps to fill reading all the POST-CRISIS Batman.

I just put 20-25 issues of the 'Nam on my "for sale" list. I'll give them to you if you let me know what issues you are missing (and if you don't mind paying shipping, I'm in Canada).

I like to stick with my traditional resolution - to have as much fun as possible with comics and with my friends in fandom.

What a gyp. What is the comic you bought ?