This cache is in an active cemetery. No hunting after sundown and please be respectful of this hallowed ground!
John Verzyl, owner of Comic Heaven, and veteran figure in the comic book industry, passed away at the age of 57
John began collecting comic books in 1965. Over the next decade he put together a collection of Golden and Silver Age comics that numbered in the thousands. By 1979, when he opened Comic Heaven, he was already known as a force in the industry. For more than a quarter century, his large set-up at Comic-Con International: San Diego has been a fixture for serious collectors. Beginning in 1987, he held an annual Comic Heaven auction.
“It’s almost impossible to describe the loss we have suffered as a community, as a hobby, and as a business with the passing of John Verzyl. Yet as staggering as our loss is in those areas, it doesn’t begin to approach the hole his departure leaves in the lives of those of us who were blessed to call him ‘friend.’ I’ve known him since he was 11 years old. John enthusiastically shared his loves of family, food, and Golden Age comics. He gave freely of his expertise and actively encouraged others to do likewise. And he backed up the way he extolled the things he loved by being equally eager to hear about the passions of others. It was difficult to have a short conversation with John because he was simply a wonderful person with whom to converse. This is a like a punch in the heart,” said Steve Geppi, President and CEO of Diamond Comic Distributors.