My dad is now 71 years old; I'm 46. We were both readers and fans of comics growing up-- him in the Golden Age, me in the 70s and early 80s. Of course, he never kept or preserved his comics, and as I became a reader of comics, he often lamented that he had not kept them to share with me.
Back when I was a youngster, I once asked my dad what was his favorite comic book that he used to read when he was growing up. He told me it was Daredevil. I asked him, "The Man Without Fear; the blind attorney?" He replied; no, when he was growing up, there was a different Daredevil with a weird alternating color costume, who threw a boomerang. My dad mentioned that the old Daredevil had a group of sidekicks-- boys called "the Little Wise Guys" with names like Jock, Pee-Wee and Scarecrow. They were sort of like the Little Rascals. I've seen pictures of my dad at that age and heard stories of his hijinks during his childhood -- his life was not too far off from the Little Rascals; thus I could undertand the affection.
Years passed, I grew up and had children of my own, and the internet developed. One day, recalling that long-ago conversation, on a whim I researched the original "Daredevil" on the internet. I found out a lot about it, and eventually found this site. It was incredible to find that (1) the old Daredevil tales were in the public domain, and (2) that some great fans had taken the time and effort to scan and post them for reading and download. I became a member last year, and read and downloaded several Daredevil comics.
I printed the downloads in color on 8 1/2 by 11 paper, back and front, and stapled them to resemble comic books. I boxed and wrapped them as a present to my dad with a note: "A little piece of your childhood brought back for Christmas". When he opened the present, I think he enjoyed it more than the gift cards and store-bought presents we also gave him. He said it brought back memories of growing up in Biloxi around WWII. He couldn't wait to show them to his brother (my Uncle and Godfather), who I think was a little jealous!
Anyway, I just wanted to share this story with you all. I love the site and look forward to exploring more old comics once my account is reset!!
"B-Rich"
Bruce J. Richards