MORE than 60 years ago, a whirlwind swept through the lives of children, teenagers and adults in the UK.

The revival of the superhero comic genre in the late 1950s and early 1960s for both DC Comics and Marvel saw the likes of the Flash, the Green Lantern, the Fantastic Four, Spiderman, and the Hulk become weekly fixtures in people’s lives.

Capturing readers’ imaginations with vividly coloured illustrations, and combing characters’ human flaws with their superhero traits, it was little surprise that superhero comics would go on to become a billion dollar industry.

Indeed, with the successful transition of the franchise to the big screen in recent years, this timeless genre continues to leave its mark.

In fact, if you walk down any high street in Gwent on a busy Saturday afternoon, you’re likely to find someone wearing a Batman, Superman or Captain America t-shirt.

The believable CGI rendering of superpowers and super action in Hollywood has meant that a younger generation has taken to the likes of Iron Man and Superman and embraced this fantasy.

In Gwent, there’s always been an appetite for this form of escapism and Terry Gay, 64, has been running Syndicate Comics at Newport Market since 1986.

Having collected comics since the age of 11, Mr Gay has many priceless items in his collection, including #1s of the Avengers, X-Men and Fantastic Four.

When he first set up his stall, Mr Gay, then 36, had just been made redundant as a worker in the Harold Lee food warehouse at Spytty Road. Within a week of the news, he decided to turn his hobby into his full-time career and has not looked back since.

He said that it is the human qualities of these timeless superheroes that makes them so appealing and that is why he counts policemen, solicitors and teachers among his many customers.

He said: “With Spiderman, Peter Parker would get a virus or struggle to pay his rent. There was a bit of humanity with the fantasy.

“That’s why I’ve got guys coming into me since we first opened. They’re now in their 40s, but still love it.

“Buying comics is a club more than anything else and I have one customer whose been with me since day one. It’s been a real journey.

“There’s just a buzz to it and when comics were first were here in the 1960s, it was so different to black and white British comics like the Dandy and Beano; there were just so many colours

“It’s the fun of collecting them and the anticipation of waiting for the next one to come out that makes it so special.

“It’s £3 for a comic today and when you compare that to a Playstation game, I think it’s a real investment.”

Mr Gay is planning on retiring in the next couple of years and hopes to pass on the business to keep Newport comic book fans ticking over.

Ironically, one of his many customers as a child was Shane Jordan, 30, who is leading the next generation of comic book sellers in Gwent.

Mr Jordan set up Sin City Comics in Cwmbran six weeks ago and had a similar path in making his hobby his livelihood.

Having been involved in retail since the age of 15, Mr Jordan lost his job as a store manager in January and felt it was “now or never” in his dream of one day owning his own comic book shop.

A lifelong fan of comic books and superhero cartoons, particularly X-Men and Spiderman, Mr Jordan said it would take around three days to sift through his collection of comics.

Having been diagnosed as a dyslexic at the age of 16, Mr Jordan added that comics go far beyond just words and pictures for him.

He said: “They were superheroes and saw life as good vs bad and right vs wrong. I liked that

“I struggled with reading, when you can’t actually see what’s going on, and comics helped. I’d read a comic and it would take longer than most but I’d enjoy the pictures.

“The complete story arc is very important in a good comic and if I read a comic for 15 minutes, I’m more relaxed as a result.

“That appeals to people and when I originally hoped to open the store five years ago, you could double your money on comics. Now, the margins are down but you can still make more from variant covers and the rent is cheaper.

“I always wanted to open the shop and it’s all fallen into place.”

Alongside his best friend Chris Muscat, 28, Mr Jordan has also set up a comic con style event called Geekedfest, which will take place at the Newport Centre on August 8 and 9.

As well as guest appearances from the likes of Ross Mullen, who played the white walker in Game of Thrones, and John Challis, better known as Boycie from Only Fools and Horses, the event’s central attraction will be attendees getting into the spirit of things by dressing up.

With events like today’s (Sat) Big Geek Meet– which sees the Cosplay and Anime community meeting at Cwmbran Train Station at 12.30pm – clearly there is a growing market for this art in Gwent.

Mr Jordan said: “Cosplay is a massive part of it all and people take it very seriously.

“Some of the detail is crazy, when you could just buy the costume from a fancy dress shop. It’s sort of an art and a form of expression, and I’ll often call them by the character they dress up as.

“It gives them confidence and a shield if they don’t fit in the normal social scene and me and my mates sat around and complained how there was nothing to do in Newport for things like that.

“We decided to do something about it with Geekedfest and it’s just kept evolving since Christmas. There’s a real buzz about it all and the reaction’s been great.”

Geekedfest tickets, from £10, are available from Sin City Comics or geekedfest.com. For more details call Mr Jordan on 075 77711143.