Posted in: Comics | Tagged: blind, Comics, new jersey

The Blind Comic Book Dealer Of North Jersey

Published Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:00:42 -0600

Last updated Thu, 23 Feb 2012 13:51:30 -0600

NorthJersey.com is running a fascinating piece on Adam Cerniglia, a comic book dealer from North Jersey who is legally blind.

"Through comic books I found vision, but not sight. I found a family where I thought I wouldn't have one. I found best friends who take me into their homes and worry about me. As a professional fanboy — that's what I consider myself — I've gotten to do things others haven't."

With 20/1000 vision, his sight is getting worse and while he can no longer read comic books, he can use speech web browsers to catch up on what's going on in comics through websites such as this one, and those that publish full comic book scripts.

Naturally, Daredevil has been an inspiration and Adam has a tattoo of the character. And his condition hasn't stopped him from one of his key skills – grading comics.

The value of a comic is determined by the condition, so Cerniglia has to appraise each book before each show. First, he runs his thumb down the spine, feeling for bumps and creases. Then he feels the edges, to see if they're crisp. Then he holds the book up to his nose and scans the cover.

As for the risks of the job,

Cerniglia has been ripped off only twice while working at shows. Once, a box of books from the 1960s — The Silver Age, in comics parlance — were stolen when he went to the bathroom. Another time, a customer lied to him about the amount of money he was handing him.

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