PROFESSIONAL

My name is Julio (rear center). I am a research scientist with the Department of Rheumatology at the University of Texas Medical School (which is located in the heart of the Texas Medical Center in Houston). I have dedicated my professional career to the discovery of the "how" & "why" individuals develop certain autoimmune diseases. After 20 years of toiling in the trenches of lab benchwork, our team is close to bridging the gap of our findings with meaningful patient treatments.

One of my passions is home building. I very much enjoy anything that has to do with construction. Over the years, I have been able to acquire and renovate properties around the Texas Medical Center. My wife and I rent out these properties as corporate housing to anyone visiting this area of Houston. The Texas Medical Center in Houston is quite amazing, it is the largest medical center in the world and employs over 100,000 people! If you ever have reason to visit the TMC and need a place to say, feel free to gives us a shout out - www.facebook.com/medcondo

Why, collecting comic books of course! Between my work in the lab and managing our rental properties (and enjoying life with my wife and 7 yr old son), it does not leave much room for finding rare books. But I give it a go at it anyway. I have come to realize I am a relative newbie at the hobby. I have developed friendships with fellow collectors who have been dealing in comic books for decades, and I have been having fun with it for "only" about 12 years or so. I have always enjoyed comic books, and would buy them at my local comic shop in middle school, and always imagined how great it would be to buy that dime comic in the showcase (which felt so out of reach for a 13 yr. old). I never would have thought that I would delve into it so deeply as an adult, but the thrill of finally landing that "gotta have" book is addictive.

I will not sell all my books, but I find it necessary to sell off a solid amount. I will hang onto my favorites, and I will continue to try to acquire those books that I highly covet. I am currently collecting comics with iconic precode horror and crime covers, and hopefully I can continue having fun doing that for the foreseeable future ......