Longbox* Legends: Passion or Waste?

As I previously exposed to you, I am something of a comic book fanboy, or as I will occassioanlly tell my wife who thinks the hobby makes me somehting of a dunderhead, an "aficionado of graphic novels." I would venture to guess that despite all of my good (misguided?) intentions to leave a more favorable footprint on the planet, this single past time remains one vice I cannot shake. It is safe to say that for nearly thirty years, I have been collecting comic books.

The thought I had today as I was continuing the Summer activity of organizing my collection by either title (Fantastic Four, Hulk, Superman, Jonah Hex, Godland and so on), volume (Hulk, The Incredible Hulk, The Incredible Hercules,) publisher (Marvel, DC, Darkhorse, IDW, Boom!, etc.), artist (John Byrne, Paul Chadwick), or all categories, I can't help but wonder to what end I continue to purchase read, re-read, re-re-read, bag and board these these books.

Is collecting comic books inconsistent with my desire to reduce waste? I don't even know whether they are printed on partially recycled newspaper... nor do I suspect (heck, I KNOW) it wouldn't make a difference? Is this passion a case of one man's hoarding of resources?

One thing I do know is that despite the slow advent of electronically available on-line comic books, nothing replaces the feeling of holding the book, thumbing through it for details, and smelling the print... and then repeating the process some twenty years later.

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!
*Editor's Note: A longbox refers to the large, usually cardboard storage boxes in which collector's store their books, generally in plastic bags with backing boards.