RIP Comics Historian And Art Dealer Jim Vadeboncoeur Jr.

Goodbye To A Comics One-off

Jim Vadeboncoeur Jr was one of the first comic industry researchers and the sad news just reached us that he just passed away. Here’s a tribute to him from his friend and fellow comics historian Craig Yoe from his Facebook page…

Jim Vadeboncoeur Jr. R.I.P. One of the first comic book researchers and historians, and  publisher, rare book dealer, Jim’s so deserved claim to fame was the tireless and extensive detective work–with  a razor sharp eye and mind– that he did to I.D. the artists of many, many thousands of unsigned comic books of the Golden Age. I myself could never repay Jim as he was my number one  go-to-guy to borrow comics to scan for nearly every book of vintage reprints that Yoe Books produced. I’d call him up for a comic I needed and he’d grab it–he had EVERYTHING–and overnight it to me in a thin envelope. His comics were low grade, unbagged, certainly not sealed in some damn plastic box. They were for looking at the art (Jim proudly told me he never read a one, that the stories were lousy), figuring out who drew them,  and incredibly generously sharing with people doing projects. Our mutual love of comics and Jim moving to Europe like myself, and his heart  broken by his wife, too, these things  bonded us further as close friends. So we talked regularly and  I knew he was slipping away. I should note that he was struggling, but was positive at the same time as he always strove to be inn life. But, now I still am shocked and I’m deeply sad and not feeling so positive as he would want me to be, sorry, Jim). Jim’s also good (and a VERY long) friend Bud Plant informed me of our loss yesterday. Here’s a photo Jim had posted years ago of us when I visited with him in California, with his now quite moving caption: “Tonight after a last pizza, we say bye to Bud and retire for a 6:00 am wake-up call to take Craig to SFO. So long buddies. — with Craig Yoe (r.) and Bud Plant. (l.).” So long, dear Jim.

this is from US comics historian Karen Green too