Albert Tatlock

These are from '64 not '66. Note Astonish # 62, no UKPV and no stamp. Probably none were sent

Dock strike of 1966, quoting from a newspaper article: The next day 29 June: ‘The NUS executive agrees by 29 votes to 16 to accept a new offer from the shipowners.’ Despite ‘a vocal group of members saying the union should have held out for its demands in full’ the strike ended at midnight on 30 June. So, unless a serious backlog had built up on US docksides during the 2 month interruption, the July and later shipments should have gone ahead. And we still need an explanation of how the DCs got through.

Here, mate, hangover ebbing. I seem to remember Gold Star stickers being at top left, clear of the price. They were on gold foil, but were not very sticky. Will search my spares, but it may take a while. DD # 29 having the oblong stamp would make sense if the consignment had been delayed Stateside. It was on sale here at same time as # 22

Apologies, scan 2 should follow scan 3. It has been a long hard day. Just off to t'Rovers for a nightcap, the secret knock on the back door gets me in.

Attached are 2 scans of a page from Frank Dobson's Fantasy Advertiser #9, which first saw the light of day during the period when the late 1966 Marvels were still on the missing list. Hope it is legible, if not I ill redouble my efforts. They show up in the gaps of what Frank had available at the time. The third scan is of an ad by lad I knew whose collection of Marvels of the superhero period was almost complete. Note the Astonish # 62. It was on almost everyone's want list, and was, at the time, the most difficult superhero issue to find, trading at a higher price than Hulk # 1. Also, FF # 7 was fetching the same as FF # 1. If someone has the time and patience, try checking out how many slabbed pence copies there are of FF # 7 and Hulk # 4, because those were extremely thin on the ground at that time. There were 4 periods of drought for Marvels in the 1960s, always around November time, 1960 (nothing available, pence or cents across the main 4 titles, as referred to in the Marvel UKPV thread), 1962 (shortage of a few titles, although most were unaffected), 1964 (again a shortage, this time across most titles) and 1966 ( a complete absence of most titles, followed by a dramatic reappearance 6 months in arrears). More on Astonish # 62 later. It is common enough now, but was extremely lesser-spotted at the time.

Proof, if proof were still needed, of frequent latecomers to these shores.

I don't think the cargo ships would have been on the water above a month - any extra delay would possibly have had to do with unloading, processing, Customs clearance, etc. These 10d copies - I remember that just about all of them has a little sticker with 'GOLD STAR PUBLICATIONS' on, but they were not very sticky, and maybe there are none left that have not had the sticker peeled off. I have checked mine, and there is not one sticker left. If T & P had received them, they would surely have applied their standard stamp. Possibly Gold Star, who were already importing magazines, spotted a gap in the market when they learned of T & P's ill fortune, but it is also possible that T & P, having already paid for the consignment, preferred to collect the insurance rather than take delivery of 6 months outdated comics, leaving the shipment on the open market for whoever was willing to take a gamble, but, of course, that is just speculation. The affected issues were cover dated late 1966, but it was the summer of 1967 before they surfaced. Strange Tales # 151 hit the stands at the same time as # 158. What is puzzling, though, is that DC deliveries were unaffected at the time.

10d oblong FF# 56 and #57 attached. Also, ASM #34 price looks odd - is it the usual one?

The oblong 10d stamp appeared on a lot of Marvels at this time. I will try to upload a couple more. The Marvels of that time were delayed, possible due to a strike at the docks, and when they eventually appeared, about 6 months late, they were distributed not by T & P, but by Gold Star Publications, who were at that time involved more with the importations of magazines. There was a sticker attached to a lot of their comics, and it is possible that some will be found still attached. There was a big panic among collectors at the time, who believed, thankfully erroneously, that they would have a permanent gap in their holdings. This period's Marvels were definitely fewer in number than usual, after the dust had settled.. Here is a list of what I remember being delayed: Astonish # 85 and # 86, Journey Into Mystery # 133 and # 134, Strange Tales # 151 (the only one missing at the time), FF # 56 and #57, Daredevil # 22 (again only 1 skipped issue), Avengers # 33 and #34, X-Men #26, Fantasy Masterpieces # 5, MCIC # 6, Spider-Man #42 and #43. Suspense # 84 seemed to have got away with it. When they eventually arrived, I spent a couple of Saturdays cycling far and wide to find as many as I could, and selling them at a premium via ads in Fantasy Advertiser and Exchange & Mart. The FF were the ones most in demand.

Don't let that worry you, Eric. I don't know about the rest of you lot, but I only come here 'cos it stops me getting into worse mischief.

Here are a few 1 shilling stamps on MAD magazines I bought directly from T & P's London address, they bear a similarity to the triangles..

I bought several 'new'. They were displayed alongside the regular full priced comics.

Because a T & P stamp was already there, on the comics at least.

It will only be shot down in flames if someone can find a triangle stamp on an item which has NOT passed through the hands of Thorpe & Porter. Until then, just leave me raving on the sidelines, I have other T & P related fish to fry, but it may take a while to follow up all the threads.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MARKED-FOR-MURDER-NO-1-THE-LONELY-SAILOR-1962-THORPE-amp-PORTER-/274436913119?hash=item3fe5b6f7df%3Ag%3AHKIAAOSw94JfEExR&nma=true&si=507ur%2FvaBShw7thFIZ2AWYgH0Yw%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

It is hardly a rant, but a carefully reasoned out theory, the Tatlock Triangle Theory, or, for the sake of brevity, TTT. First of all, remembering what was taught to me in my far-off schoolday science lessons. while no number of observations agreeing with a theory is sufficient to prove it beyond doubt, just one observation contradicting it is fatal to the theory. Now, there are three possible explanations for the triangular stamp: 1) it was applied by the individual newsagent, or possibly a chain of newsagents 2) It was applied by a regional wholesaler or distributor 3) It was applied by Thorpe & Porter themselves Option 1 I discount immediately, as I bought several such items from various shops independent of each other, miles apart and over a period of years. Option 2 is a possibility, particularly as no reports have come in of the triangle stamp being seen on items across the country. However, if that were the case, then such wholesalers would have handled stock supplied by people other than T & P, and I have never seen any triangle stamps on non-T & P items. Option 3 is the one I favour, especially as it is found on publications, other than comics, distributed by T & P. Two examples are attached. i am convinced, therefore, that the triangle is exclusive to T & P and was used to recycle unsold stock.. Now, if anyone can find a triangle stamp on an item which has NOT passed through the hands of T & P, it will shoot down the TTT, and my towel will instantly whizz in. Over to the doubters.

T & P recycled their stock at intervals, sometimes with the triangular 6d Sale Price stamp (more on this to follow soon), and sometimes, cheekily, with an INCREASE in price.

And the FF # 2 is from January 1962.

Here is another 10d going topless

Not at all, mate. You set out to show that the numbers on the stamps tracked along with the date the comics went on sale, and they fell neatly into line, with a little wobble between 17 and 20, which was not altogether unexpected. When we get enough data points, we can do a bit of statistical analysis and see by just what percentage the observations deviate from the predictions, and whether it changes over time. I reckon the earliest dates will be the most prone to irregularity.

No stamp to be seen on Superman 132 or Superboy 76. Oh well, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, still possible other stamped examples may surface. Putting my socks back on.

Starting on me toenails!

The suspense is killing me, my nails are bitten right down........................

Hail Hydra! Or should that be Hail T & P? Their tentacles extended far and wide, according to the first scan attached, which shows that they had another address in London from which they published the UK version of MAD magazine. There is also, besides the Oadby address, another in Thurmaston, a suburb of Leicester. Today Oadby, tomorrow the world! Second scan is of a regular ad in the early MAD offering back issues, which enabled me to complete my collection apart from numbers 2 and 5, which I had to source from other quarters. Third scan is from MAD # 46, where they, amazingly, offer to buy back the back issues they have spent the previous couple of years begging readers to take off their hands. Anyone know why? Coming soon, another rant about the triangular sale price stamps, which I hope to persuade even the sceptics were a T & P only feature.

It does identify Superman 132 as the one least likely to make first shipment, though.