My uncle's dusty comic boxes changed how I see family history

I was helping clean out my grandparents' attic and found a stack of old comics my uncle stored there years ago. They were from the 80s, all Batman and Superman issues, some still in plastic sleeves. I always thought he was just a hoarder, keeping junk from his teen years. But when I flipped through them, I saw notes in the margins where he'd written his thoughts next to the panels. My mom told me he used to do that with his brother, my other uncle who passed away. It dawned on me that these weren't just books; they were a conversation between brothers frozen in time. Now I get why fans hold onto this stuff, it's about the memories attached. I ended up saving those comics for him, and we talked for hours about the stories.

2 comments

2 Comments

charlie_jenkins12h ago

Ever hear how the scribbles in old books can be the real find? Your uncle's comic margins turning into a time capsule is pretty spot on.

beththomas11h ago

Yeah, I've dealt with that a lot. Always check the inside covers and blank pages first, that's where people jot down notes. I found a whole family tree from the 1950s in a bible once. Use acid free paper to slip between pages if you need to store them. Never try to erase anything, even pencil marks. Those little things tell the real story.