1) What was the first comic you remember reading?

Probably a Harvey book. Or something Uncle Scrooge.

I had a bunch of Richie Rich / Casper / Hot Stuff. Like, 1979 or so. I definitely favored the Casper and Hot Stuff books, as I found the concepts of ghosts and devils much more interesting than the adventures of a rich snot.

Oooooh, just remembered Spooky. Casper's asshole cousin. I liked Spooky a whole lot.

2) What was the first comic that made you realize that you might be in this for the long haul?

Probably the first Ambush Bug mini (1985). The first issue I read was #3, where Ambush Bug points out all the ridiculous continuity and forgotten Silver Age characters of the DCU... and it made me want to find out more. I learned a lot about persistent fictional universes, which is to say I learned that they exist.

Ambush Bug grabbed me because it was a comedy book. With that being a rather rare beast, it didn't necessarily lead directly into buying more comics, just nurtured an understanding and appreciation of the form. It wasn't until the late '80s Black & White Explosion that I started buying books on a regular basis from a specialty shop.

3) If you had to make a snap decision to take one comic or one comic run to a desert island, what would it be? Don't think too hard!

Wow. How about the complete Battle Royale? It's long enough that it will take some serious time to read. It's deep enough that it provides something to think about. And, it actually ends, so, in a situation without future books, I'd at least have closure.

Also for consideration... the original Books of Magic miniseries, Kingdom Come, the Giffen Justice League, the first ten or fifteen issues of TMNT, and Don Rosa's Life and Times of Uncle Scrooge. But I'm not sure if I'm picking those as serious contenders or just listing stuff that I haven't re-read in a while. I'm not even going to mention Watchmen because I'm sure every deserted island already has a copy on hand somewhere.

Part of my problem with selecting any modern ongoing books for this question is that the story arcs never end... teaser elements of the next arc always slip in there. If I'm going to live without comics, I don't want any dangling threads.