Albert Tatlock

On 6/26/2023 at 12:04 PM, rakehell said:

Slightly off-topic. Again.

Just got this in the post -

Thought some of you might find the stamp interesting.

Thinking of starting a separate thread for oddball international stamps. Mostly because of this one -

 

Were these distributed to these far-flung locales as part of Western's international distribution program in the 60's, or did they go out later, maybe as remainders? 

And someone posted a while back about one with the distributor's (possibly retailer's) stamp from Thailand.

So it looks like Uncle Sam was getting stuff to Asia and Africa, with no though for his staunch wartime ally.

We had to wait until a couple of blokes in Leicester (wonder how they pronounce that in Noo Yawk?) got on the ball.

On 6/24/2023 at 8:55 PM, OtherEric said:

The cover story is a reprint with new cover art.  To properly match they used an old price with a newer stamp design.

But this book never made it to the UK, it is from almost a year before T & P began receiving comics from DC, before that they had reprinted old material.

The 2/- stamp has been covered before in this thread. No-one seems to know who applied it, but it seems to have been stamped on remaindered stock, well after decimalisation.

Here is one with the quite common 9d sticker, but no T & P stamp.

I think most of them are found on T & P books, but I could be wrong?

On 6/15/2023 at 3:23 PM, Frisco Larson said:

While I DO see them for sale over here, they're not what I would call plentiful by any means. I have acquired several from the UK as well. The shipping is usually pretty costly, and it takes quite a while, but it's worth it to get an elusive issue. 

No need for the sad face, it is encouraging that they are finding a good home where they will be appreciated.

I did one have a full set of the PHM UKs, but upgraded them to cents as and when I found a better copy.

Now I regret it, and am gradually rebuiding.

On 6/13/2023 at 5:09 PM, Frisco Larson said:

I DO have some other UK copies, but most that I've gone after are the PHM era books. 

No wonder they have dried up here, they have all re-crossed the ocean blue.

On 6/13/2023 at 3:53 AM, paqart said:

I was offered either a 9.0 Hulk 101 or a UK pence variant of Atom #1, both for $500. I told the dealer, "I'm not interested in British reprints." I went home with the Hulk, though I would have preferred the Atom if it had been American.

The Atom # 1 WAS American. 

It may have had a 9d stamp, applied on arrival in the UK, but without that it would have been indistinguishable from the ones that never crossed the pond.

On 6/10/2023 at 1:37 PM, HotKey said:

Also I will be presenting both views in the main panel around the price variants, that some view them as foreign editions and some don't and the reasons both sides have those opinions

Please bring this, from the indicia of Kid Colt # 110 (UK price variant), to the attention of the foreign editions camp, it includes 'Printed in the U.S.A. by the Easter Color Printing Co'

The 12 cent version of this same book has an identical indicia, except for the last line, which appeared only in that part of the print run earmarked for shipping to the UK.

That answers the question of where printed, so the only issue to be resolved is when printed.

The only likely answer, I believe, is that it was produced on the same day, as part of the same print run, so both are original first printings.

On 6/6/2023 at 8:10 PM, themagicrobot said:

you are attributing quotes made by the AI to me. 

Too late!

The invasion of the bodysnatchers has begun.

They have claimed one of our number, who is next?

On 5/30/2023 at 1:44 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

Hello Hotkey 

Respectfully, I think you're doing a disservice to the hobby by grouping first print price variants in with 'foreign editions' (or 'international editions' as CGC now calls them). I've spent the best part of ten years trying to clarify the very big difference between a non-US priced book that comes from the same print run as its US priced counterpart, and subsequent overseas produced comics which reprint or repackage original US content. Indeed, I appear to have had a hand in getting CGC to finally adopt the 'price variant' label description for the Marvel UK, Canadian and Australian priced copies. It was a great shame, incidentally, to see them wind back on that distinction in their 'Certification of International Comic Books' statement which you will find here:

https://www.cgccomics.com/international-comics/

I feel that you are doing the same thing as CGC in your presentation - muddying the waters by glossing over the key distinction between the two very separate publication groups.

If you haven't already, perhaps you would take the time to read some of the work I have done in the "UK/Canadian/Australian Price Variant" area? Here is a good starting point:

https://boards.cgccomics.com/blogs/entry/5028-john-morlars-journal-summary-page/

In addition, here is an extract below from a post I made elsewhere on the forum which I hope clarifies why I favour the 'Price Variant' terminology.

Good luck with your presentations - we clearly have differing views on naming conventions but I can see that you are genuinely enthusiastic about the comics. If you do read the links, and have any questions, I'll be happy to comment further.

Cheers, Steve

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's OK to hold opinions that differ, as long as they can be backed up with rational thought.

Like you, I favour the term 'UK/Canadian/Australian Price Variant' as it is the best and shortest group of words that I can think of which satisfy the salient factors which, for me, are to recognize their variant status (they are a small subset from the original print state and, therefore, a 'variant' in the correct sense of the word) and secondly to distinguish them from the locally produced publications and reprints of the countries that they were distributed to. There is more to it, more to say, but my arguments were sufficient to compel CGC to move away from "UK Edition" and, whilst they are by no means the be all and end all of comic categorisation, it shows that a professional organisation with growing influence in the industry were prepared to listen to a rational thought process and act on it by changing their systems. If we all get behind those terms, and understand the production status of the books in question, then surely that's a good thing, no?

I accept the term is not perfect in that it encroaches, for want of a better word, on the 'purity' of the US price variant scenario. I understand that logic and thinking and have said so in my threads. When I first joined here my first pence thread was called "Marvel First Printing Pence Priced Distribution Variants". What a mouthful, trying as it was to cover every base. So I distilled it somewhat, to something more manageable. I accept that some dislike it and that it's simply not possible to come up with one short descriptor that will satisfy everyone. So I go with the best I can come up with, and justify it when challenged.

For me, as long as everyone knows what the production status of these books was (i.e. they are not / were not reprints) then I'd prefer if we didn't get too uptight about a descriptor which is pretty much physically accurate in every sense. 

In a nut shell, the UK, Canadian and Australian priced copies were:

• Printed at the same time, in the same place, and by the same people as the US copies
• As a result of plate changes, they have small cover differences including but not limited to a non-US cover price
• This makes them variants - they vary in appearance from their majority US cousins
• The salient difference is the price - this makes them a price variant
• Because price variants exist in other forms, we have to add an additional descriptor to differentiate them
• In the case of the UK copies, UK is that additional obvious descriptor - hence 'UK Price Variant'

So, in respect of the same original print state books, we have the following in existence at different points in history:

• US copies
• US Price Variants (30/35 and the 1999/2000 ones)
• UK Price Variants
• Canadian Price Variants
• Australian Price Variants

Everything else, not being part of the original print state, is by definition a reprint or a locally produced publication.

'Spider-Man Comics Weekly', a UK produced title, may share a cover to an Amazing Spider-Man US original comic, but it is it's own thing - a UK local publication. CGC were calling UK Price Variants of ASM, and UK produced Spider-Man Comics Weeklies, 'UK Editions'. They were calling two different things by one misleading title.  This is why I and others challenged them. This is why they changed their labelling approach.

If we call UK Price Variants "Foreign Editions" then we lose completely the fact that they are part of the original print run. We have to link them to their majority US counterparts. 

I think, Steve, that you could have convinced the doubters earlier by using your research into the 10 cent price fonts variants.

Challenge the naysayers to look at these:

and ask which of the 10 cents versions is the original, and which is the reprint.

And if both of them can be original first printings, why not the pence version?

Just asked 'Which is the world's best football team?' and got this back:

As an AI language model, I don't have real-time data access, and my knowledge cutoff is in September 2021. Therefore, I cannot provide information about the current state of football teams or declare the "world's best" team. The ranking and perception of the best football team can vary based on different factors, such as recent performances, historical success, and personal opinions. Football fans and experts often have their own preferences and biases. I recommend referring to reputable sports websites, following football news, and engaging with fellow football enthusiasts to stay updated on the latest developments in the sport.

Might as well stick a pin in the football coupon.

Facts are one thing, opinion will always be fluid.

I was thinking of asking whether God can change his mind, but I don't think I would be any better informed.

Let's just stick to those colourful little periodicals, preferably the long out of date ones.

On 6/5/2023 at 9:05 AM, themagicrobot said:

I'm sure this book should sell a maximum of five copies worldwide.

And every one of the five sits proudly on the shelf of someone on this thread.

Unopened, of course, still in plastic wrapper.

On 6/4/2023 at 9:56 PM, Redshade said:

Urgh! Who eats fried worms?

If the fancy ever takes you, you could do a lot worse than peruse this handy guide.

On 6/4/2023 at 7:14 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

Indeed there were more LLs.

Supergirl's secret identity was Linda Lee.

And here she is, on duty, observing Superman canoodling with yet another LL.

And Supergirl's comment could open up a Freudian can of worms.

Better not go there.

On 6/4/2023 at 7:40 PM, Redshade said:

Joking apart Albert you've touched on a very serious topic that could have consequential repercussions not only in our hobby but in society in general.
Fake or real indeed.
The doom mongers warn us that AI is going to destroy humanity. With this single development we are already quite a way down the slippery slope.

To be fair, the cover of LL # 39 does clearly inform us that it is an 'Imaginary Story'.

Not to be confused with the real stories of various characters in tights flying around and so on.

On 6/4/2023 at 7:40 PM, Redshade said:

I hope that this does not make me one of the doom mongers.

 

Here is an example of an offering from a Doom monger on ebay........

Yours for £150

On 6/4/2023 at 6:28 PM, themagicrobot said:

So we have Lana Lang, Lori Lemaris, Lois Lane and Lyla Lerrol. Lois has a sister called Lucy Lane. Supergirl's secret identity is Linda Lee. Superman's arch enemy is Lex Luthor. I bet there were more LL

Indeed there were more LLs.

Supergirl's secret identity was Linda Lee.

And here she is, on duty, observing Superman canoodling with yet another LL.

On 6/3/2023 at 9:19 AM, themagicrobot said:

This comic has done some travelling and passed through a number of hands. Cover dated February 1963 it has an "arrival stamp" dated 26th December 1962. It seems they worked on Boxing day in the States then. Here it would have been a holiday. Was the date stamp put there at a warehouse or at the retailer? Would just one copy of a stack of comics tied up with string get the date stamp? 

And despite the "exciting" cover it seems this comic didn't sell in the States and when circa March 1963 came around was removed from the retailer and by means unknown found its way to Thorpe and Porter in the UK. There either Gladys or Ethel gave it a nice 9d stamp and sent it, along with other DCs (and possibly Marvels) to a UK newsagent. Here it was finally purchased "as new", maybe five months after the comic had originally printed.

I wonder whereabouts in (possibly) London that newsagents was located. Brixton? Peckham? Clapham? Walworth? Whoever purchased the comic new, at some point in the 1960s took it to a second-hand book shop located at Camberwell Church Street. He (despite it being a Lois Lane comic I suspect it would be a he)  would no doubt have arrived with a few comics at the Popular Book Centre. He would either leave with half the number of comics he arrived with (but different) or he would have paid something. Here Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane  received two more ink stamps on its cover. 

Someone else purchased this comic from the shop and as recently as May 2023 it was sold yet again on eBay. How many hands has this comic passed through? Where has it been? Who has owned it?  P. Riley at some point. What tales could it tell of the last 60 years?  Man landing on the moon. The adoption of computers and mobile phones by the whole population. The rise and fall of Thorpe and Porter!!

Who purchased this 60 year old comic in May 2023? Yours truly mainly due to curiosity concerning the cover. I knew Lana Lang. I knew Lori Lemaris. But who on earth was Lyla? It seems she was Lyla Lerrol (sometimes with a Kryptonian surname Ler Rol).  The bonkers story concerns the third wedding anniversary of Lois and Superman. Lois (with the help of Superbaby) breaks into his safe and discovers he has held on to pictures of previous girlfriends. Superman had met and dated Lyla when he had travelled through time to visit Krypton before it was destroyed. That is another bonkers story I must track down.   

Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane 39 has everything you could want in a DC comic of that period. Three bonkers stories. A letter from Paul Gambaccini, the Statement of Ownership circulation figures (490,000), ads for early 80 page Annuals and even an ad for Comicpacs.

 

Hmm..

Wonder why Lyla Lerrol, who perished on Krypton, would sign a photo (in English), and dedicate it to Superman, whom she knew only as Kal-El?

If that photograph ever comes up for auction, I would have to give it a very close inspection.

You have to be very careful these days, what with CGI, deep fakes, and so on.

I hope no-one doubts this is really me posting this.

On 6/3/2023 at 9:38 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

Superman # 141 ('Superman's Return To Krypton').

One of the few Superman Family titles that eluded me when I was first trying to complete my collection of the goodies supplied by T & P, of course only October 1959 onwards, as very little before that date could be found anywhere on this side of the pond.

This one, maybe, was in short supply because US customers took up more than their usual percentage of the print run.

Or maybe I was just unlucky.

Why bother buying this issue?

Superman's thought balloon is a perfect spoiler.

Put it back in the rack and find another one whose cover doesn't give the game away.

On 6/3/2023 at 9:19 AM, themagicrobot said:

Superman had met and dated Lyla when he had travelled through time to visit Krypton before it was destroyed. That is another bonkers story I must track down. 

Superman # 141 ('Superman's Return To Krypton').

One of the few Superman Family titles that eluded me when I was first trying to complete my collection of the goodies supplied by T & P, of course only October 1959 onwards, as very little before that date could be found anywhere on this side of the pond.

This one, maybe, was in short supply because US customers took up more than their usual percentage of the print run.

Or maybe I was just unlucky.

On 5/31/2023 at 11:14 AM, themagicrobot said:

I've long since given up of any hope of winning an argument with Steve but as for B&B 64 I see Eclipso on the cover with Batman. I don't see Spider-Man.

Isn't that shutterbug Jonah J Jameson's supplier?

https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/new-comic-book-celebrates-life-legendary-entertainer-tina-turner-2021-11-24/

On 5/19/2023 at 6:37 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

You do make me laugh, Albert. Thank Bod for our little Brit Bunch. I'm on the road today, so will check in tomorrow to see if 2p Hetty has studied the code and cracked off. It, sorry, cracked it.

Hetty is Mycroft's illegitimate daughter, and has inherited all his mental prowess.

On 5/18/2023 at 10:45 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

Quick! Send for Alan Turing and his team.

This is more important than trivial assignments like cracking the U-boat codes.

No results containing all your search terms were found.

Your search - D.T.B.A.H.F.N.II.T.T.N.O.G.A.F.F.A.A.R.D.F - did not match any documents.

Suggestions:

Make sure that all words are spelled correctly.

Try different keywords.

Try more general keywords.

Forget Alan Turing, he would be out of his depth.

Call in at Baker Street, it is our only hope.

And if Holmes, too, is baffled, there remains only the nuclear option.

Hetty Wainthropp!

On 5/18/2023 at 7:53 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

D.T.B.A.H.F.N.II.T.T.N.O.G.A.F.F.A.A.R.D.F 

Quick! Send for Alan Turing and his team.

This is more important than trivial assignments like cracking the U-boat codes.

On 5/18/2023 at 4:00 PM, Malacoda said:

I can remember my grandad being horrified in 1974 that petrol was 50p a gallon

Not as horrified as me when the comics went up from 9d to 10d.

I still wake up screaming when I get that flashback.