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November 2, 2006
The Comic Reading Judge From Corpus Christi, Texas
Update: Although I didn't know his name at the time I wrote my article, reader Corando Gallegos told me it was Judge Margarito Garza. Read the comment following my article, it's very touching.
My parents moved our family to Corpus Christi, Texas, where we lived during 1974-1976. The first thing I did after we moved in was to figure out where the heck I could buy comics! Back when I was a kid, we didn't have comic book specialty stores. We had to hunt our comic books down in grocery stores, drugstores, and 7-Elevens. I found a strip mall containin' all three at the intersection of Weber Road and S. Staples St. I remember goin' to the supermarket one day and findin' Howard the Duck #1 in the magazine section. My heart skipped a beat; I felt like Kraven the Hunter stalkin' his prey. The only problem was that it was on the lowest rack and I had to reach between the legs of an older lady in order to grab it! I felt a lot like Howard, trapped in a world I never made.
Back then I felt pretty queer about readin' comics at the age of 13. I use that word on purpose, because my Daddy thought I was queer for readin' comics for so long. I really had no other friends who read comics at all. Partly it was due to my family movin' to a different place every few years. I was isolated, especially in Corpus Christi, where city kids got bussed into Hamlin Middle School. There were drugs, gang fights (blacks vs latinos vs rednecks), and worst of all, a Texas-sized fever around the school's football team. We were forced to go to each and every pep rally. Now I'm a redneck myself, but for some reason I always hated football, and I resented goin' to these here rallies. I never went to any game and I never cared if my team won or not! The cheerleaders were the best part, especially this one blonde gal, Betsy. I liked the gyrations of her hips and thighs so much that I named my truck after her! I had daydreams about kickin' the hell out of those football players to impress her, just like ol' Shang-Chi in Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu.
One day I read in the paper about a special store in Corpus Christi that only sold comic books! I begged my Mama to drive me over there. I don't recall the exact location, but it was in an older suburban area, probably a house that was converted into a store. Inside were dozens of boxes of back-issue comic books. We met the owner, a Mexican-American man who was also a Judge in Corpus Christi. This was a historic occasion! For the first time, I met an adult who was also a comic book collector! Not only that, he was a well respected person in the community. My enthusiasm burst out of my mouth, yappin' a dozen different questions at once. I remember we talked about the Wonder Woman TV movie starring Lynda Carter. The Judge talked to my Mama about how comic books were a great influence for kids and kept them out of trouble. His store seemed like paradise. The Judge had posters on the walls, including some reproductions of famous comic book covers he had drawn himself. The one he did for SHIELD #1 looked so interestin' that I got into Steranko's work.
I went crazy lookin' at everything in his store. There were so many back issues of Avengers, Hulk, Captain America, that I wanted to rob a bank and take 'em all home. I got loaded up on all the missing pieces of the Kree Skrull War. I looked over at a table and saw somethin' completely new, a little stapled newsletter called The Comic Reader. I asked the Judge what that was, and he said it was a fanzine about comics. I had heard about 'em, but never saw one of the critters before! You see, back then we didn't have the Internet or Wizard or Previews. When someone like Gerry Conway or Steve Englehart left a book, we'd find out after buyin' the comic and seein' a different name on the title page. The Comic Reader had information about upcoming comic books, including which creators were leaving or joining various titles and interviews as well. Nothin' like Newsarama, but it did have a nice drawing on the cover, usually by a professional artist.
I forget how many times I visited the Judge's store, but each time I visited, I was probably the happiest that I had ever been in my life. I really didn't like livin' in Corpus Christi, even though we had a great house, my whole family was miserable. The Judge and comic books helped me to survive. I sure would love to know his real name and more about him. Corando Gallegos wrote a comment on my Wonder Woman article, but didn't leave an email address. If anyone can give me some info, I'd be mighty obliged. Nuff said.
Update 2: Judge Margarito Garza decided that Mexican American youth needed a superhero of their own and created a Chicano superhero called Relampago in 1977, which you see on the Independent Heroes website.
Comments
Hey Cousin,
Sorry about not leaving an email address but the Judge's name was Judge Margarito Garza. Even though I grew up in Alice (a town about an hour west of Corpus Christi), my mom would come to Corpus once a month and leave us at this haven of comic books. It was located down McArdle and Airline and was there for the longest time. Unfortunately, after the Judge died awhile back the store was sold and closed and is not there anymore. My brother and I would spend all day there reading and looking for the right combination of issues we wanted. Even worse, I moved away for awhile and did not realize what had happened to this place until much later.
The Judge himself was the biggest comic fan I knew and while he was strict with his customers he was fair and his store had it all!
Now fortunately, there are a few places again in Corpus to buy comics but nothing like this one where you hang out lose yourself in the world of superheroes and science fiction.
Posted by: corando gallegos | November 2, 2006 12:50 PM
