Years and Years of Photographs - 1979 - 1998 New York

Contents

About This Site

Photographs are my memory.

My name is Owen Long. The photographs I've taken over the last 50 years are like external memory storage for the places I've been, the things I've seen and the people I've known. They capture many of the events and sights of my past I had forgotten.

As the scanner excavates my history, I am documenting the process and displaying the newly discovered gems in the Film to Digital Project blog. I've also started posting my newer digital photos as well.

You can also check Instagram, where I post a photo a day.

Owen Long

1979 - 1998 New York > The Comic Times

Taken early in 1980

When I first came to New York, I planned to draw comic books. I spent three months drawing a sample comic to take for interviews. By the time my money ran low, I had the portfolio all ready, but couldn't bring myself to apply for any jobs. I came to the conclusion that since I'd spent so much time in school learning to draw, that I hadn't lived enough life to have any stories to tell.

From my perspective today, I tell myself "What the hell were you thinking?"

I was going to be drawing super hero comics. What was I going to do? Go become a real super hero so I'd have something to write about?

On a Tuesday in January 1980 I took the train from Brooklyn into Manhattan to check out the new comic books. (Tuesday being when the new issues arrived.) I got to Village Comics and it was closed. Soon enough, the store manager showed up and complained about finding good help. So I asked, "Are you looking for help?"

He looked at me and said "Can you start now?"

I worked at the store for a few months before Dennis, the manager, started 'The Comic Times', a magazine about comic books. I was Art Director.

This photo was taken in the offices of the magazine, probably as a publicity photo. The magazine lasted about 9 issues before it folded. It was a fun time.