rodan57

(thumbs u (thumbs u

Is like a burger with no cheese. Actually, given the purpose of staples, it's like a burger without a burger.

Yes.

It's not a matter of focus but the different size of pixels indicating that they came from different images.

It's photoshopped. Look at the different levels of pixelation.

Cracking the book is a breeze, getting the book out of the seal is a whole different ball game. I tap the books down into the lower left corner of the inner well, and use a good heavy duty pair of old sewing scissors to cut first the top off, then the right side. With those two sides open, you can carefully and safely lift out the book. Never had a problem or damage. Also, I've recently discovered that the outer well is usually easier to remove by breaking the bottom two posts. Not always, but usually. I rarely have to use scissors. The inner well peels apart quite easily and the book slides out no problem Would that not apply more to the old label/inner seal?

Provenance Though it is providence that such books exist.

Here we are.

Nice ASM haul you got there. There's nothing like a new stack of spideys. Yes, nice grouping. The ASM #19 looks very white.

Television was just getting popular, Superman was on TV, girls were focused on dolls, Barbies, and they were pushed towards Archie stuff if any comics at all. Seduction of the Innocent was fresh in the mind of the parents of Baby Boomers, so lots of parents were tossing comics, and she didn't really have the same kind of powers as Superman or Superboy...and then DC published a competing character, Supergirl, ,she could fly, had a flying horse and she had all of Superman's powers!. Wonder Woman comics were not found as often on newstands, they didn't sell as well. Girls were watching Donna Reed and Gale Storm/Susie and wanting to grow up like them. This was way before the women's movement. Veronica, Betty and Katy Keene were more the type that the girls of that era looked up to. I'm glad it changed;) Nice analysis.

I bought some comic books in Ireland in 1970 and the books were clipped upside down on the stand.

I believe you've got it. Makes sense. I thought it might have been a swipe.

I drop ship my books from a different location on the planet every day, it changes at dawn, and no one knows where it will be next. Witness relocation?

Excellent work (and a lot of work!). The historian in me would love to see the issue numbers and dates with the strips.

I've always liked that one as it strikes me as a Tales of Asgard-like cover*. *Ditto for 103

Great cover. Nice pick.

A variation on the group theme. A collection of teen title colophons from 1963-64. The character box on the Marvel teen titles differed in a subtle way from the superhero or western titles. A superhero's or gunfighter's costume had set colours where fashion and whimsy could dictate the colour of Millie's, Patsy's, Hedy's or Kathy's dress.

A very nice Strange Tales courtesy of Greg Reece. Strange Tales #136 • September 1965 • June 1965 newsstand A liberated 8.5W

A very nice Strange Tales courtesy of Greg Reece. Strange Tales #136 • September 1965 • June 1965 newsstand A liberated 8.5W A very nice comic with a newsstand shine to the cover. A reintroduction of Johnny Severin to the Marvel world. Happy 90th, John. And Ditko, as always, makes Strange Tales a special comic book. After a life-threatening detour in his quest, Doctor Strange has now convinced himself that the only way to find Eternity is to enter the mind of the ailing Ancient One.

A very nice Strange Tales courtesy of Greg Reece. Strange Tales #136 • September 1965 • June 1965 newsstand A liberated 8.5W

You know it's kinda cool just to be able to pull these books off of a shelf and just read them.

To perhaps muddy the waters a bit ... From the text published there doesn't seem to be a definitive statement that Thompson was judging the contest. "Judges" are mentioned. If Thompson was African-American, and given the racism of the period, there might be little incentive for the company to promote such a fact. One might also speculate upon the nature of the strips posted here: Native Americans and a Robot Man --characters strong within their own societies but facing judgement in the world in general.

... and I guess while I'm here -- a new western from the tail end of my collecting period -- Two-Gun Kid #79 • January 1966 • October 1965 newsstand It's the only Two-Gun Kid that I have from this period aside from #57. And #57 is pretty weak condition-wise for what I like but it is an obscure period for westerns and it stays for now. The new Two-Gun Kid does add overall to the collection as it joins three other books that were on the newsstand together -- October 1965 -- that I had also bought as part of my 2011 haul. I'll also note that the Two-Gun Kid colophon from this period is the only one that I know of where the character breaks the borders of the rectangular box -- rather dramatic.

Beautiful cover by Kane. Hmm .. but look what I found ... Image from auction ... Image from Grand Comics database ... Gotta love a "stock image" of such a rare and valuable book.

Tamper is such a harsh word.