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I think it should be safe to assume that virtually all existing copies in 9.4 up are file copies. A few more data points to add to my already boring list: of the 18 books from the '30s that CGC has graded 9.4+ since May 2009, 14 are Series 3 Mickey Mouse Magazines. 2 of the remaining 4 are Series 1 and 2 MMMs. Since 2004, a total of 5 books have been graded 9.6 or higher. 2 of those are Series 3 (including the one below) and one is Series 2.

10 years pass like a blink of an eye when you collect this kind of stuff. One fun thing about my MMM run is that I probably wouldn't have been any further if I'd had unlimited funds available. I later bought some of the books I didn't get from you the first time around. Since then I've been able to secure virtually every book I wanted for a relatively modest budget since these books are much cheaper than those most people here are interested in. --- Completely unrelated, I was very surprised the other day when I realized that CGC has certified less than 100 books from the 1930s in CGC 9.4 or higher. I was so intrigued by that that I sat down today and identified 89 of the 94 books that meet this criterion according to valiantman's census analysis. Using various sources, I was able to determine the provenance for all but 13 of those as shown below. I am posting this here in the context of pointing out how exceptional the survival of the Mickey Mouse Magazines is, even compared to all other titles from the 1930s. I've often heard collectors talk about what the Church funny animal comics might have been like if they had existed. Well, I would argue that question has a perhaps surprising answer. The stats become even more remarkable if you consider the two next grade tiers. 16 of 64 books graded CGC 9.2 are Mickey Mouse Magazines. For CGC 9.0, 32 out of 130 total are MMMs. Again, all these numbers are up to December 1939. --- Edit: I realized my (geeky) post didn't have any Ducks, so here is one of my favorite covers to make up for it. This copy is almost unbelievable; I suspect CGC hammered it due to a small tear on the top of the back cover. Very hard to find this nice. ---- PS: Transplant: I'm afraid I am not going to revive that thread anytime soon. I noticed that the pictures started popping up in random places on the internet. I'd really like to share my books with other fans who'd appreciate them, but I would like to have some say on how the material is used and presented. That's also why I don't use CAF for my original art (although I have offered it to exhibitions).

Thanks for the great information, moondog. I can see why an experience like that would be disheartening. You must have liked the MMMs a lot to make that kind of offer at the time. I've been lucky to buy several larger groups of file copies since I bought your books, but all of yours are either still in my own collection or that of a very good friend who I have been collaborating with for many years. I think you were the first who explained to me who "mamanook" was when he outbid me on some of your best copies. I was very glad to get the V5#7, which I don't believe has been submitted to CGC yet. I do remember submitting your V5#4 among a group of books before I left for a longer trip to Europe. In any case, the exact CGC grade doesn't mean that much to my own enjoyment of the book. Aesthetics are more important and I regularly pass on purely "numerical" upgrades when a lower graded book is more beautiful in my eyes. The one below, which I am 95% sure I got from you, is a perfect example: it may not be the highest graded in the census, but the colors are incredible. I have two other beautiful copies (CGC 9.0 and 9.4) but this one stands out. PS: I haven't forgotten how nice you were to send me the CBM with your article on ashcans. Although my posts may seem lopsided, I actually love a wide variety of comics.

I can't answer that but I was wondering how much "comic" content is in the magazine? Is is original or just reprints of the Mickey Mouse strip? You're right, it's not a comic at all. In fact, I don't collect the second series of red/black books because I just don't find them that interesting or attractive. But the very first series is fun just because they are some of the hardest Disney books to find. And the first few are extra curious because they have a price listed. I actually don't know how they were meant to be distributed, but it clearly didn't work very well. There are some issues from this first series that I have not seen for sale in 10 years. ---- Unfortunately, I can't remember what it is about and my copy is in a safety deposit box some 5,000 miles away. Here is a link with more info and some interior pages.

Here are the circulation data for 1937 (see this link for credits): Jan 1937 - 109,685 Feb 1937 - 95,663 Mar 1937 - 94,782 Apr 1937 - 95,508 May 1937 - 95,936 Jun 1937 - 85,395 Jul 1937 - 91,474 Aug 1937 - 111,355 Sep 1937 - 106,800 Oct 1937 - 91,169 Nov 1937 - 95,069 Dec 1937 - 112,436 For comparison, Action Comics 1 had a circulation of 130,000 copies. Other titles like "Feature Funnies", "Popular Comics", "Tip Top", "Comics on Parade", ... had print runs of 200-400,000 in 1937-38. After several hundred upgrades to my run, I've seen so many file copies with different markings that I've lost count. Curiously, the ones that are easiest to recognize have no markings at all. You know when you have one in your hands because it is unlike any other book you've ever seen from the 1930s except for the cream of the Church and San Francisco collections. Btw., when I added up the 9.4+ census population from the 1930s yesterday, I forgot to count this one: Does anyone know of an earlier comic from the 1930s that has received a 9.4?

I assume the cover above is based on "The Three Little Wolves" (1936). Several of the covers (and a lot of the content) from this time were based on Silly Symphonies. Being a bit of an entrepreneur myself, I have the utmost respect for the way Walt Disney expanded his business in the 30s. Aside from his own emphasis on quality, he managed to build a company that attracted the best talent at the time, not least Kay Kamen (in 1932). And he put everything he had built on the line to make "Snow White". --- There is one more note I wanted to make about the quality of the Mickey Mouse Magazine file copies from the Disney archives. Whether you care about Disney comics or not, I don't think collectors realize just what a treasure the top 2-3 runs of file copies are in terms of pure high grade survival rates. I've suspected this since buying an incredible run of these in 2003, but it is only now that the exceptional quality is starting to become apparent thanks to the CGC census. For comparison, here are the numbers for the total population of CGC graded comics in 9.4 or above from the 1930s as of April 2011 (courtesy of valiantman's site): CGC 9.8s: 4 CGC 9.6s: 28 CGC 9.4s: 62 Of these, here is the current population of Mickey Mouse Magazines (3rd series up to December 1939): CGC 9.8s: 0 CGC 9.6s: 2 CGC 9.4s: 12 In other words, although it only has been possible to certify MMMs since around 2008, they already represent 15% of the entire population of CGC graded comics in 9.4+ from the 1930s. And this percentage is very likely to climb over the next 12 months. It is not because MMMs are common: the print run for every issue prior to 1940 must have been substantially lower than that of Action Comics 1 (based on available data). The census anomaly is entirely due to a select few runs of file copies that stand out among the considerable number of file copies that exist. Edit: another Silly Symphony cover:

Unlike many of the other covers, this is one you never see reproduced on lunchboxes or postcards. Someone smart once told me that "any book looks great in near mint" and that's the main reason I like this particular one. Well, I actually really do like the fact that it is _not_ what we'd consider a commercial cover today because it is evidence of the dramatic changes that happened in those hugely important years in the late 1930s. Just like the non-superhero covers quickly disappeared from Action Comics, the characters from the Silly Symphonies and other shorts would soon be replaced by the Ducks. Before that, you have these precious few years of cover art reflecting a time when neither feature length animation nor comic books had been invented and all Disney's income came from shorts and merchandising. There is so much fascinating history hidden in these books...

Wow, that must have been fantastic. I have traced quite a bit of history of these books, not least thanks to a wonderful meeting I had with Malcolm Willits last year. Suffice to say that there were multiple sets of file copies from several different sources, but not all had the same quality. The book above is not from the run that you saw. I have been extremely fortunate that my favorite title not only is one that very few people bother to glance at, but also just about the only one from the mid- to late- 1930s where quite a number of copies in true near mint have survived outside of the Church and San Francisco pedigrees. I just did a quick comic book search in the Heritage archives and found 0 (zero) copies of any titles from 1936 in CGC 9.4 up, 8 from 1937 (4x9.4, 4x9.6), and 24 from 1938 (15x9.4, 7x9.6, 2x9.8). Perfect books from these years are just incredibly rare, regardless of the title, and virtually all of those listed are from the top pedigrees. Once I get to submit earlier Mickey Mouse Magazines, I'd be surprised if at least a few issues from Vol. 2 don't reach a CGC 9.4.

Thanks everyone. Yellow Kid, it certainly says a lot when you have not seen a nicer copy of a book. I actually had another very beautiful copy (CGC 9.0) but I reluctantly sold it to a good friend when I bought this one. The day I no longer can make myself help a friend in a case like that is the day it is time to stop collecting. Here's another book that I like a lot. I know it is not a Duck, but neither was that stupid woodpecker above and no one seemed to mind. Anyway, I just get a kick out of seeing books from this era in virtually perfect condition. This one hit the stands (well, actually it didn't since it's a file copy from the Disney Archives) the month before "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" premiered ( ). Today, it is easy to forget that the cover characters, which at best seem secondary today, must have been just as fresh and recognizable in 1937 as Lightening McQueen or Spongebob Squarepants are now.

Here is a cover that I like a lot. My native country was occupied by Germany in 4-40. The contrast between the time and these happy, innocent covers is strange to think about. Holding a near mint book from this era always gives me an amazing feeling of being transported back in time. I actually don't like hoarding multiple copies of hard-to-find books and try to offer them to friends whenever I upgrade (although it always is hard for me to sell anything from my collection). I'm not particularly proud of a shot like this but at least it's something you don't see every day... --- Edit: Just to be absolutely clear, I did not mean to hint that the duplicates would be for sale. Absolutely no books that post in this forum will be for sale.

The early Taliaferro covers are among my favorites. This was from the early days before beak abuse became popular.

I've been working seriously at a high grade run for over 10 years now. The confluence of nice condition and rarity is always a particularly happy place for me. One critical thing about early Disney in high grade is that supply is so dependent on the existence of file copies which is hit or miss. Aside from 2-3 VF-range copies of WDCS 2 that surfaced around 4 years ago, I am not aware of the existence of high grade file copies of early WDCS. That and the relatively low circulation make a book like the #4 above extra cool to me. Btw., I forgot to mention a background story about the Mickey Mouse Magazine V1#2 a little above. Around 2003, Metropolis listed this for sale on their website. I was busy at the time and missed it. When I saw it and ordered it, it had already been sold. I wrote to them and offered more than twice the listed price in the hope that they could convince the buyer to give it back, but it didn't work. It was the most painful lost opportunity I'd ever felt as a collector. Until the book came up for sale again 7 years later. It feels extra nice to secure a book in circumstances like that.

Barks both wrote and drew virtually all his stories himself. "Old Castle's Secret" is somewhat different from "Only a Poor Old Man" in that the introduction sequence was much shorter. Instead, Barks used his penmanship to create the dark atmosphere in the castle through the drawings. It's a very cool way to use the comic book format to set up the mood for a story with very few words. The story itself is awesome, too. And it is unique for Disney in that death plays an important role in the plot.

Go to your Local Comic Shop and ask to buy two books. First, a reprint of one of Barks classic Four Color Tales - try Old Castle's Secret or Only a Poor Old Man but almost any story will suffice. Second, a current copy of Walt Disney's Comics and Stories containing a duck story that is not a reprint of Barks. Report back here. Good answer. Personally, I think a lot of the popularity of Barks' stories can be attributed to his experience at Disney's story department where he worked from the mid-1930s until the early 1940s. Earlier in my own career, I worked on R&D at Pixar Animation Studios. During this time, I got a lot of insights into why Pixar's shorts and features stand out from most other animation houses. I am convinced a lot has to do with the pressure cooker effect that existed in the story department where a small group of ungodly talented and accomplished individuals worked very closely together, constantly learning from each other. What makes a character or a story compelling is not something you can read in a book. You _need_ to be in such an environment to to be able to create stories like Barks'. It is the combination of all the little things that you don't notice that make his work special. The "Only a Poor Old Man" story that 40YCC mentioned is a brilliant example. The story starts with a very clever sequence that builds Scrooge's character and makes the reader relate to him and his problems. This sets up a really whimsical and original storyline followed by an ingenious ending that explains Scrooge's unique fascination with money. I refuse to believe that such an understated masterpiece of a story would have been possible if it had not been for what Barks learned at Disney. I see very similar differences between Barks' work compared to other comic book artists that I see between Pixar's stories and those developed by other teams without the same background. Surely not the shortest answer you'll get, but I think these observations are very important towards understanding why Barks is so beloved compared to other Disney artists.

Got this book a couple of years ago from what I am pretty sure must have been the auction of either Geppi's or Snyder's WDCS run.

I've been a little busy in the last few years but I've quietly continued to improve my collection (including 20+ upgrades to my Mickey Mouse Magazine run since I last posted them). Here's another early issue; only a handful of my best copies from the first 2 years have been graded so far. I know other people think differently, but I really like how they present in CGC holders. Both are pretty, but the first one was more fun. I bought that on eBay for almost nothing over 10 years ago. The second one is a more recent addition.

I'm planning to list this for sale in October 2046. Someone please remind me if I forget...

My own favorite part is the reference to "miss the Mickey Mouse" squeezed in between "his lips glued to hers" and "get rid of the lipstick".

The simple, clean Barks covers from this period are among my favorite Disney art. I have the artwork to a WDCS cover from 1957 and just can't fathom how these perfect curves were drawn by hand without any corrections. The original cover art to Uncle Scrooge 39 was for sale at Heritage in 2006. I was the under bidder back then but would very much like to get in touch with the current owner if they happen to read this.

To me, FC 189 is one of the most impressive comics of the Golden Age. Every time I browse through its 36 pages, I am in awe of the art and the atmosphere that Barks created in the castle. Of course it is nowhere near Hal Foster's standard compared panel by panel, but I'd be hard pressed to think of another 30+ page story with so much complex architecture, such clever use of lighting and perspective, and so many fun little details that you don't notice as you read the story but which subconsciously add to the experience. This book is a pièce de résistance of overachieving from an immensely talented artist who was paid a nominal fee to fill his page quota every month. I sometimes wonder what motivated Barks to create masterpieces like this out of nothing. His work was already so superior compared to stories like "Malalaya" and he had no one around him to create the pressure cooker effect that inspire so many super talented individuals. Whatever it was, we are fortunate that it was there.

KFB: in this hobby, it is so rare to see someone share this kind of information so unselfishly. You own these books and you paid to get them CGC graded, yet you are honest enough to tell all of us very important information that only can affect the value downwards. Your enthusiasm for these giveaways is amazingly genuine and it is always enjoyable to read your posts. I think I have commented on it before, but it is a breath of fresh air to encounter someone who is an expert in a completely different area. Congratulations on the Pinocchio. I have always considered this a curiosity because, for whatever reason, it almost never comes up for sale. Around 10 years ago, Disney Auctions offered a copy on eBay. At the time, 2 of my friends, who both owned near complete runs of every Disney comic ever published, got very excited because neither of them had ever seen it despite having built their collections since the 1970s. Even in the eBay and internet era, I have only seen 2 copies in the past 10 years (including the one mentioned earlier). By that metric, it could well be one of the rarest Disney books in existence, considerably rarer than the WDCS 4 Complimentary variant. There are a few of the later issues in the 1st Mickey Mouse Magazine series (1933) that I have only seen once or twice in very low grade. The only Disney comic known to exist that I have never seen for sale is the Florida copy of "Donald Duck Tells About Kites" which I suspect never was circulated.

This came along with a Four Color 223 that I purchased recently. Since it is the only precise circulation figure for Four Colors from this period I have seen, I felt obligated to share the information.

I've really enjoyed all your books, Mr. Whiz, thanks a lot from me too. Seeing and learning about books that I never knew existed makes it fun to follow the boards. The Popeye books appeal to me because they have a timeless quality about them that make them stand out from most Platinum comics. Seeing them in this condition is just wonderful.

Thanks for looking up the pulp ads, Mr. Zoom, and also thanks for the fun reference. Iwerks had left Disney in 1930 but "The Fox Hunt" has a lot of his signature jokes. One shot, the technically most challenging, was very interesting for a CG geek like me. All the current Hollywood movies that feature large crowd scenes are using tricks to reuse the same geometry over and over without perceptual artifacts. When you read through magazines like "Cinefex", you'll find tonnes of long articles where young hotshot TDs talk about how they invented this field. What Iwerks & Co. wanted to do with this shot must have been hugely ambitious for 1931. The hills and the trees in the background are slightly asymmetric but there is still a line of symmetry going down through the center to create a balance in the crowds and frame the center of attention properly. The dogs first enter from the left and start the first cycle. Then the same dogs, the 3 center ones in a darker color, enter from the right. Presumably, the dogs had to be darker in order to reuse the already colored siblings from the left half. All the dogs then sync up to be in the same cycle. It is fun to imagine the detailed planning that must have gone into this shot. It looks like the complexity got a little in the way of quality control if you look at the dog in the lower left corner.

I am curious about what kind of ads ran in the pulps during the bubble prior to the stock market crash? I was just looking through an Astounding Stories from 1931 and noticed half a dozen ads about joblessness and reeducation.