A few of his favorite things: X-Men, Godzilla, Stan Lee
A comic book fan from his childhood days in Midland, Texas, Norris Coleman owns Emerald Dragon Comics and Games in Baytown.
“My favorite comics are the superhero groups. I like X-Men, Avengers and Justice League. Those are the three titles that I kind of put in the closet and kept when I opened the shop. I like the teamwork aspect. Also, they hold themselves to a higher moral standard — truth, justice and the American way, the old chestnut from Superman. They’re fighting the good fight. They’re working together for the greater good. That always appealed to me.”
How about other collectibles?
“Since I opened the store, I no longer buy that much for myself. I mean, once in a while I will order a little something. I’m a big Godzilla fan. So when they come out with new Godzilla figures, usually I can’t resist the temptation, and I’ll order an extra one for me. My wife collects toys, too. That’s one of our common interests. She’ll hear about something and say, ‘Please get this for me.’ She loves Wonder Woman, the strong female heroes.”
What’s one of your top comics-related memories?
“I got to meet Stan Lee, I believe in 1977, at the Houston Con. My dad would bring home 5-by-7 memo pads, along with pencils and pens for us to doodle with. I took one of those pads to the convention when I was 12 or 13, and there was Mr. Stan Lee, the godfather of Marvel Comics. He was just cutting up. Stan is a very jovial, funny guy in person. So I walked up to him with my memo pad, and he went, ‘Oh, you want an autograph? I’m going to give you the biggest autograph I’ve ever given anybody.’ And he filled that memo pad with his signature. That was very cool. It was kind of a defining moment for me.”
— Norris Coleman
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