John Arturo - When did you start collecting and how did you get into the hobby?
Tim Allen - I started collecting about three years ago. I originally only had two trade paperbacks (The Death of Superman and the Return of Superman) and a few miscellaneous Superman mementos. One day I saw the Superman Vs. Darkseid statue and decided that I had to have it. I love the intensity of the sculpt and the details are amazing! From there, I began to find more statues that I loved. Soon, statues weren't enough and action figures became appealing, because I could find an action figure for every variation of Superman in the modern era. From there, I began to look for anything Superman that was produced in limited quantity. Chasing down hard to find items on a budget became half the fun.
John Arturo - Why Superman?
Tim Allen - I have loved Superman since I was a little child. I remember watching Superman: The Movie with my dad and being completely swept up in the movie. The most iconic scene, for me, was when Superman saves Lois and the helicopter in his first public appearance. The line "You - you've got me? Who's got you?" followed by the one handed catch of the falling helicopter, and the great John Williams theme had me in awe every time I watched it. In addition to that, the fact that he could easily rule the world, but consistently chooses to "do the right thing" serves as inspiration for every day life. Plus, who wouldn't want the ability fly, lift virtually anything, and be able to take a beating without even flinching? It's a childhood fantasy for almost every boy!
John Arturo -Do you collect anything else?
Tim Allen - I stick mostly to the collectables I pictured. I do also have a massive trade paperback collection too. I have about 95% of all Superman trade paperbacks from Crisis on Infinite Earths through New Krypton, and about 30% of all other DC trades from the same time frame. Putting them all in chronological order can be a real pain at times! I also collect a TON of movies. I have over 350 DVD's and over 150 Blu-Ray's.
John Arturo -What is your favorite collectibles company?
Tim Allen - I would have to say that DC Direct is my favorite company. I really love their VS. line (If anyone has a Batman Vs. Killer Croc for sale for less than $500...). I think that they have done a great job of capturing the drama in almost all of their pieces from this line (Batgirl Vs. Catwoman is a bust for me). They also do a nice job with giving me plenty of action figures from each story arc to add to my collection!
John Arturo -What is your favorite part of collecting?
Tim Allen - I think that half the fun is chasing down and narrowing in on items that I want to add to my collection. Like I mentioned before, I am on a budget; I have to prioritize where I want to spend my money. Sometimes, I have to stop myself because I find other avenues that I want to collect, but I can't afford to expand that route yet. I like to focus in on one area and complete it, then move to the next area. Of course, the other half of the fun is getting to display my collection and show it off. I can't believe my wife actually let me use and entire corner of our office!
John Arturo - What is the key thing you look for in an item you want to add to your collection?
Tim Allen - The key thing I like to look for is rarity. While I may pick up a piece here of there just because it is Superman of DC related, the big money is spent on items that are produced in limited quantities. I get a lot of pride out of knowing that I have one of only 1500 Superman Vs. Darkseid statues or that my chronographic watch is one of 3000. Above all of this, though, I have to still like what I buy. Even though the Batgirl Vs. Catwoman statue would help complete my VS collection, I still won't buy it because I don't like its design.
John Arturo - What is your favorite movie?
Tim Allen - Like I mentioned before, I have a lot of movies. Fargo, Inception, and Gangs of New York top my list for non-comic book inspired movies. V for Vendetta and of course The Dark Knight are tops for the comic book movie genre.
John Arturo - What is your favorite piece from your collection?
Tim Allen - My favorite piece is my first statue, Superman Vs. Darkseid. Like I mentioned before, the details (like the singed cape and Superman's expression) really showcase an iconic and dramatic scene. However, my most prized possession is the Bowen statue that appeared in Seinfeld. This particular one is an unnumbered, artist proof piece that is signed by Randy Bowen himself! That one definitely put a "small" dent in my wallet!
John Arturo - What are some items you are most looking forward to adding to your collection?
Tim Allen - Right now, I am trying to get hold of the Batman Vs. Killer Croc statue. This piece is as stunning to me as the Superman Vs. Darkseid statue. After that, I think I am going to start tackling the DC Dynamics pieces, in particular Superman and Green Lantern related pieces.
John Arturo - Finally, what is your favorite aspect of ComicBookMovie.com?
Tim Allen - I love that ComicBookMovie.com is all about user submitted information and allows us to comment on the articles. It really makes it more enjoyable because I feel more like part of a community of friends than some random news site. It feels more like sharing than reading and reporting the news. Even I got the chance to post a couple articles!
If you want to know more about collecting statues/high end items, or just want to see what kind of interesting collectibles are out there, visit my statue devoted site
Lethal Farce.
If you have a collection (don't worry about the size, it could be 4-5 items and that is still a collection right?) and want me to showcase it on the site, then shoot me an email by clicking the "Contact Me" link here. I will shoot you a few questions to answer to go along with the images and once a week we will showcase a users collection on here.