As adults looking back, we all have something from our childhood we wish our parents would have kept for us. For actor Rubén Blades this “something” is comic books.
You probably know Rubén as a Panamanian acclaimed singer, guitarist, and actor. What you may not know is his passion for collecting comic books.
When you look at some of Rubén's roles such as his current character in Fear The Walking Dead, it all makes sense. This AMC series is based off of a popular comic book. Take a peep at what else Rubén shared with me during our interview...
RH: So many comic book collectors started building their collections in their youth. When did you start collecting?
I started collecting when I was about 11 years old, in Panama. My mom got rid of all of them when I got older. Sadly, a common story which is why they’re all so rare today! At least I have the joy of finding them all now.
RH: If you were stranded on a deserted island and had only one series to read, which one would it be, and why?
Little Lulu, because I’d want to laugh and forget for a while that I’m stranded on a deserted island and Little Lulu is one of the all-time great comedy comic books.
RH: What’s your favorite piece in your collection?
The Action 1 and the Detective 27 are two of my prized possessions, indeed. The Action 1 is the first appearance of Superman, and without him, there’d be no superheroes. The Detective 27 is the first appearance of Batman, an all-time great. One of my favorite pieces is the original art work for the complete and unpublished “The Prisoner” comic book adaptation made by Jack Kirby who was the creator of most of the Marvel Universe, along with Stan Lee. This story was drawn by a Gold Age/Silver Age icon, 17 pages that never went public based on a classic TV show. But as a completist, I have collected runs of very difficult Series, like Funny Pages, Wonderworld Comics and Four Color Comics. Rarer series are so much fun to collect, even if most people don’t know what they are, collectors will know their historical importance.
Thanks to Metropolis Collectibles for connecting me with Rubén! Metropolis is the first call celebrities and serious collectors make when building their comic collections.
