Been Away For Far Too Long - But I'm Back!

[DavidKW]

Hello all at comics UK.

I used to contribute a lot to this site, but I've been away a long while. I wrote a post on my "Long Hiatus" away in 2018, but this one's been even longer - perhaps a record for member of this site?

Since I last wrote, I've been through a lot, with some health battles, both physical and mental, and have had many distractions as well. I found the whole Covid periods of lockdown very difficult, and it dented my momentum in a lot of things including comic collecting and trips out to collect comics.

But my interest in both collecting comics and talking about them has never wavered, and is finally increasing to full steam again.

I've still been collecting comics and soon I'll give a summary of what I've since collecting since the last time I wrote about some 5 years ago.

I have been keeping myself very busy, largely campaigning for people with Autism; I was diagnosed at aged almost 47 some 6 years ago, one of the "lost generation" forced to be a square peg in a round hole; I use much of my lived experience and frustrations to contribute to a many groups and I have also been doing some writing about my experiences, which I've either had read out or published (not for any fee though).

In conversations, I've mentioned my condition with some other comic collectors and dealers and many understand and have said they feel many collectors are ASD anyway (although at Manchester Comic Fair I have run into an old acquaintance from when I lived in Stockport (I'm based in Leigh now) a few times and when I mentioned my condition first time he said "you don't look Autistic which I've learned is the very wrong thing to say; subsequent chance meetings with him have him claim he understands my condition now, but he doesn't from what he's said).

I still spent much time sorting my comic and other growing collections of CDs and DVDs and old magazines, and well as doing voluntary help for the charity which housed me (I'm very lucky and grateful). Oh, and I watch Talking Pictures TV a lot and have contributed information which has been read out on "The Footage Detectives", and attended both TPTV events in Manchester.

I've got much to say on this site, and hope to this time continue to a lot longer with fewer long hiatuses away.

[jim244]

Hi David,
I'm pretty new around here but let me be the first to wish you a warm welcome back.
Congrats on "The Footage Detectives",a brilliant TV Archive series.
Sorry to hear about your health battles but brilliant that you are doing well.
A friend of mine,chap that works for me,has autism.
It is an incredibly debilitating condition and often really difficult to diagnose.
All love and best wishes to you
Ian