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Summertime Reading In the past, many kids were sent to summer camp to experience nature, make new friends, escape the urban heat and pollution or to get away from their parents for a while. Comics were common entertainment when camping or on trips and they didn’t stay in good shape since they were read many times and shared amongst other kids. I don’t know if many kids today could survive without their electronic devices for an extended period of camping. 1. Posing with a comic before boarding the Greyhound bus to camp. 2. Taking a break from Famous Funnies. I'm not sure which issue. 3. Boy scouts reading comics and magazines in Albany New York camp around July 1940. 4. Closeup of sleeping scout with comic. Must be a boring comic. 5. Closeup of scout reading a pulp magazine and the other reading a comic. 6. Reading comics under lantern light at Wading River Long Island in August 1959. 7. Kids reading Happy and Crime & Punishment comics in their bunk beds at Camp Barnes Delaware around 1950. Which kid would be the troublemaker? 8. Three kids sharing a comic in camp. 9. Girls enjoying comics while sunbathing or before swimming in Holyoke Massachusetts around 1950. One girl is reading Henry 11 and the more mature one is reading Love Confessions 6. 10. Reading the funnies at Interlochen Grand Traverse Michigan in August 1942. 11. Racially integrated group of boys sharing the same interest in a comic at Camp Nathan Hale in Southfields New York. The camp was supported by the Methodist Camp Service. The photo was taken by Gordon Parks in August 1943.

Roaming around the web, I found an interesting picture of Capt America 1. Initially I thought the Cap 1 was a replica since it was a nicely presenting book encased in a slab with an unknown label but I noticed the Bonnet’s store stamp. I don’t recall many key issues with a Bonnet’s stamp on them. It appears the restored book was slabbed and the grading label replaced with a Hero Restoration label. This book resides in the Hall of Heroes Superhero museum in Elkhart Indiana. Anyone here visit this museum?

Alter Ego magazine #153 showed Flo Steinberg's back issue price list that was probably from 1965 based on the Marvel titles that were not available. So if you knew back issues were available from Marvel and your timing was right, you could have gotten all the early Marvels including the key books for a little over cover price.

Comic retailer Bud Plant said for a short time in the mid 1960s you could have gotten available back issues from the Marvel offices. I don’t think you could have gotten an Amazing Fantasy 15 but maybe issues that were a few months old. Little known is the Marvel offices sold back issues for a very short time. I don’t seem to still have it, damn it, but I got a one page sheet from them with a handful of recent titles, including an annual or two. I think they were cover price or maybe slightly more. I believe that is where my Strange Tales Annual #1 may have come from, or at least one of my early annuals. This would be 1964-65. I had several letters published (Daredevil #16, Rawhide Kid), and my MMMS name listing was in FF #40, so I was writing regularly to them. Maybe I asked about back issues. https://www.comicbookdaily.com/collecting-community/time-to-collect/marvel-reprints/ I also read somewhere that some fans got back issues by writing to the editor of some Marvel books. Flo Steinberg who worked as Stan Lee’s secretary sold back issues as far back as 1963. From Alter Ego Magazine #153: Flo sold back issues for Marvel as early as 1963. When someone picked up a Marvel comic and became instantly hooked during that “Marvel Age of Comics,” that reader would instinctively write to Marvel to seek out earlier issues. Flo was in charge of the back-issue stock and even mailed out the latest price lists—typed up by her—of back issues to prospective buyers, making her one of the earliest back-issue comic-sellers ever.

San Antonio Texas newsstand Here is an interesting newsstand photo from San Antonio Texas taken by Doc McGregor that was dated June 24 1939. Typical kid behavior by crowding the newsstand, reading the comics for free and sitting on newspapers and magazines. On the shelves I see Action 12, Funnies 31 and Movie Comics 2. Kid with white shirt and wristwatch is reading Star Ranger Funnies 18. Kid in foreground on floor is reading a comic that appears to contain Snuffy Smith so that could be Ace Comics. This newsstand either gets their comics shipment late or they keep comics on the shelves longer since Action 12 was on sale around 4/14/39, Funnies 31 4/14/39, Movie Comics 2 4/6/39 and Star Ranger Funnies 18 5/1/39. Intriguing possibilities are that Detective 27 (on sale 4/18/39) and Superman 1 (on sale 5/18/39) fall within the date range of the comics on shelves and the stated date of the photo. If the photo date is correct, could a Tec 27 or Supe 1 be still on the shelves or could one of those kids be reading one of those issues?

It is unknown how many books Bette bought in camp since some books may be in collections that have not changed hands since the original purchase of the collection. We only know of a handful of books from the compiled list on the forums that were on the newsstand before Bette left camp on 10/19/43.

Hi Thanks for the interest in the story. I did receive permission for all scans and asked how people wanted to be credited. Some of you may not remember since I asked and received permission about 4 years ago. There are public records showing the exact dates when Bette and her brother George entered and left the internment camp and where they went. Bette left camp on October 19 1943 for Chicago to join her sister Frances and brother-in-law. George left camp on May 5 1944 for Keenesburg Colorado to a work camp and then enlisted in the army on August 16 1945. Bette married and lived in Sacramento California beginning in February 1946 until the death of her husband in 1956 and then moved back to her hometown in Sanger California. It puzzled me on how some of the signed Okajimas were in high grade and it seemed unlikely that they would stay in that condition due the to the harsh living conditions in the Arizona desert. The Okajimas bought in camp are noticeably in lower grade. So I believe there are several types of Okajimas, 2 signed and one unsigned (maybe another subset of the unsigned- with date markings and without). I would designate them as signed camp Okajimas, signed Chicago Okajimas and Sacramento Okajimas. The end of the collection coincides with the death of Bette’s husband. There was a question of whether the books belonged to the brother George. All the signed books appear to be signed by the same person. Examples of Bette’s and George’s signatures were found and the signatures on the books matches Bette’s signature and handwriting. I believe signing one’s name on an item would designate ownership. There is still the mystery of the codes on the covers and why the signatures stopped. Unfortunately we were not able to interview Bette before she passed. I’m guessing the codes were some kind of filing system.

I think cover says Flying Saucer Treasure in Chinese.

The Okajima article has been published! https://50objects.org/ It took much longer than expected and there are still unanswered questions but we have a little more information about Bette Okajima. Thank you to all of you who shared information and those who gave permission to share their scans of their Okajima books. Jeff

I collect comic book trivia. It is monetarily worthless but I might get an occasional like from comic geeks. I have evidence that Marilyn Monroe read comics. Check out the crime comics on the bottom shelf in her house. I wonder what the demand would be for comics from Marilyn’s collection? Here are my 2 Ferraris. 😊

That ink imprint is from the inking from the inside front cover ad showing through on the white cover. The left side of Mary’s face is the fingers of the kid holding a house.

Is Phantom Lady such a sizzling hot read that one needs to cool off in the tub? I dare anyone to read their Phantom Lady comic (or any golden age comic) in the bathtub!

Real clowns read their comics but don't keep them in pristine condition.

War bond posters War is on some people’s minds now and some of us think about comics for relief or distraction. In 1942 the government enlisted many comic strip and comic book characters in a public relations effort to support America in WW2 and promote the sale of war bonds. 1. The first picture has Popeye, Lil Abner and Snuffy Smith in war bond posters. I’m not sure who the men are but they may be involved in the war bond promotion in Terre Haute Indiana in July 1942. The bottom of the posters say: War Stamp Council - Liquor and Wine Industries - Cooperating with US Treasury Department. 2. Siegel and Schuster looking over a Superman war bond poster based on the cover of superman 17 & 18. Any copies of this poster survive? 3. War bonds were sold in Cunningham’s drugstore with the Superman war bond poster displayed. The drugstore was probably located in Detroit Michigan. 4. An elaborate Superman war bond display in Cunningham’s drugstore in 1942. 5. Here is confirmation that some comics ended in the scrap paper pile. In the letters page of Target v3 #7, a patriotic reader says he sold his complete collection of Target and Blue Bolt comics at scrap paper prices to buy war savings stamps.

I don't know the print runs but do you consider 934 graded copies of 1st printing of Akira #1 as not many copies? https://www.cgccomics.com/census/grades_standard.asp?title=Akira&issue=1&publisher=Marvel%2fEpic+Comics&year=1988&issuedate=9/88

Here’s an interesting Fawcett promotional flyer for the Capt Marvel Club that I found at a local show. If you join the club and have 2 other friends join, you get a button, membership card and a free Spy Smasher comic. Basically your 2 friends are paying for your “free” comic. On the back of the flyer are promotions for discounted or free magazines when you join the club. Three comics for a quarter, four magazines for the price of one or a free Gift comic for a years subscription of Capt Marvel or Whiz. The flyer appears to be from 1942 based on the comics and magazines.

Ok I anticipated this in case the article got blocked. Pictures taken by Clem Albers on Nov 17 1971. (He also took pictures of the Japanese-American internment) The pictures were misfiled so they were lost for about 50 years.

Here’s the link to the recent article of rediscovered photos of Arlington’s San Francisco comic book store circa November 1971 that was mentioned by Cobbledclam. See all the EC and precode horror books! https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Photos-of-S-F-s-first-comic-book-store-16945786.php

Black Lantern says these books were sold to soldiers in US occupied Germany & Austria and have an approved CGC label designation.

Thanks. I find it interesting that a brick & mortar used bookstore was able to adapt and remain in business this long after relocating several times and facing online competition.

Interesting store stamp. Beers Book Center was established in 1936 in Sacramento California. The store is named after one of the original owners Nellie Beer. The bookstore has moved several times due to urban redevelopment and it was at the 1406 "J" street location for about 30 years beginning in 1952. The bookstore is still in business today selling mostly used books at its present location at 915 "S" street. Its a long way to New Jersey.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? "Who will guard the guards themselves?" Who watches the Watchmen?

Someone said he lived in Florida a year ago.

This kid chose the same model as you for Christmas.