Gary Prebula’s lifelong collection of comic books and graphic novels, which began when he was just three years old, has found a permanent home at the University of Pennsylvania library. Prebula’s addiction to superheroes started when his mother bought him a Superman comic book to keep him occupied, and since then, he has amassed nearly 80,000 comic books over seven decades, including rare issues like The Amazing Spider-Man #1 and X-Men #1. Despite the value of his collection, Prebula never sold any of his comic books for profit, instead, he wanted to share his passion with future generations.
In the mid-1980s, Prebula found a new supplier for his comic book habit at Golden Apple Comics, where he became a regular customer. The store, known as the “Comic Shop to the Stars,” attracted legendary figures like Stan Lee and Neil Gaiman. However, after accumulating such a vast collection, Prebula began to think about the future of his comics and wanted to find a way to share them with others. With the help of Ryan and Kendra Leibowitz, Prebula planned to donate his collection to the University of Pennsylvania library, a school that he felt had given him so much.
Donating a collection as extensive as Prebula’s was not a simple task, as it required careful organization, cataloging, and assessment of the value of each comic book. The Golden Apple Comic & Art Foundation, established by the Leibowitzes, played a crucial role in preparing the collection for donation, ensuring that it could be utilized for study, research, and public exhibitions. The foundation has also worked to engage with other private collectors and institutions to preserve comic book art and history for future generations.
The University of Pennsylvania library, which housed 20,000 comic books before Prebula’s donation, is now processing and appraising the collection to make it available for research and teaching. Despite not being in perfect condition, the comics are still valuable for their cultural and historical significance. Prebula, who was initially reluctant to part with his comics, now looks forward to the collection being used and appreciated by others. As he and his wife Dawn embark on a new retirement project managing a golf club in Pennsylvania, Gary continues to stay true to his roots by focusing on his writing projects and sharing his love of comics with the next generation.
In the end, Gary Prebula’s journey from a young boy addicted to comic books to a generous donor of a valuable collection is a testament to the enduring power of storytelling and the importance of preserving cultural artifacts for future generations. His passion for comics has now found a permanent home at the University of Pennsylvania library, where it will continue to inspire and educate readers and researchers for years to come.
