Warlord

I've got my swags ready, count me in!

On 2/21/2023 at 10:05 PM, V.Kevin said:

It definitely does not say Reprint.  It looks like the comic on the right.  What would that mean?  
CGC census states they've graded 5 total.  I'd like to think that means it's a very rare grail but I don't know.

There are two Whitman variants (or multi-pack editions, to use CGC's term) - one labeled Reprint, one that's not.  The version that you have would be worth a tad more than the reprint, IMHO, because some people would certainly shun a reprint.  As others have already confirmed, your comic is not the "rare" 35-cent variant.

On 2/21/2023 at 4:35 PM, V.Kevin said:

Maybe one of you can answer a question about the #4 35¢ issue.  It's not the News Stand issue.  It's listed as multi-pack and hit has the diamond and no UPC.  I've seen copies that look like it listed as reprints but, CGC says it's a Multi-Pack edition.  I've seen some call them Whitmans and I gather that's a whole other kettle of fish. 
What gives?

Multi-Pack edition is the PC term.  Many collectors call issues such as you've described as Whitmans because they've been solely documented as being distributed by Whitman. There are #4s that are first prints, and others marked as Reprint. Does your say Reprint along the spine next to the Luke?  I would guess not, or that would probably be indicated on your CGC label.

On 2/20/2023 at 6:55 PM, Jayman said:

As a kid I only used to get these books in the three packs. Usually with a Magnus Robot Fighter, Boris Karloff, Ridley’s Believe it or Not, Grimm’s Ghost Stories or Dagar. Never found them individually except in back issue boxes at a show or LCS.

 

 

 

Here are the 3-packs I've spotted over the years with a Doctor Spektor or Doctor Spektor Presents Spine-Tingling Tales book on the front or back.

On 2/6/2023 at 6:29 AM, Benjamin J. Grimm said:

What about the glass versions that 7-11 sold, did the other convenience stores offer those as well?

I obtained many of the Marvel super-hero glasses by drinking many, many slushees (Icees?) at K-Mart!

On 1/30/2023 at 8:14 PM, AJD said:

I suspect a lot of us did. That's a rough 3.0 to my eye, especially with a detached cover.

Solid 2.0

Grades in!  I'm out! 

I never learn, I' in!

On 1/1/2023 at 12:47 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

It could've been you....

It could've been a comic book! 

On 10/14/2021 at 2:01 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

I was buying comics in Troy at a supermarket throughout the '70s, but missed my chance at being part of this history.  The supermarket we frequented was Pangles, not Marsh.

On 12/26/2022 at 2:05 PM, Brock said:

Whoops... editing for clarity!

I think the only other one that has a number on the cover is Limited Collector's Edition #C-61.

There are quite a few others that have no price, such as the first seven issues Superman (#321 to #327) or the first three issues of DC Comics Presents (#1-#3). 

Huh, I never noticed these price and numbering inconsistencies before!  Good call, it appears that from the start through November 1978, all the black circle Whitman logo covers have no price.  Then those from December 1978 (even a few of the black circle Whitman logos) on all seem to have the cover price, except for the LSH266 oddball, unless there's another one hiding in there that I'm not seeing.

On 12/26/2022 at 10:27 AM, Warlord said:

Nicely done! 

The cover layout of the previous three LSH issues has the small Whitman W in the spot where the issue number appears, and the price to the right of that.  But for #266, they put the small W in the "wrong" spot, which hid the cover price and left the issue number visible!

Is that also the only DC Whitman that doesn't have the price on the cover?  What an oddball!  It's a set of one, collect them all.

On 12/25/2022 at 10:57 PM, OtherEric said:

 

Here’s one.  It may only be that last month that does it.

Nicely done! 

On 12/25/2022 at 7:53 PM, OtherEric said:

Most… but not all, I believe… of the DC Whitman books don’t have issue numbers.  I presume because Whitman wasn’t distributing every issue and didn’t want people looking for “missing “ issues 

Hm, I can't think of a single DC Whitman comic that has the issue number on the cover.   Am I right, or can anyone point one out?

Here's a question which I've never heard answered well by the "direct" proponents - why were there so many Marvel titles, and issues within some titles, that don't have diamond versions? For instance, Howard the Duck has only one issue.  X-Men, a long-running title, has only one issue.  Daredevil, a long-running title, has only two issues. etc etc.  I think there were about 40 Marvel titles from 1977 through May 1979 that had diamond versions for at least one issue. Where were the diamond versions for the rest?  See the image below using Marvel's February 1977 lineup, to illustrate the point - out of the first 24 issues shown, only 10 were printed with diamond versions.   You can find many examples of Whitman multi-packs that contain diamond versions for this timeframe.  I suspect that eventually it will be documented that every diamond comic in this timeframe was found in a Whitman multipack.  But what about the opposite?  You would have a harder time finding examples of diamond comics that can't be documented to exist (Yet! I think all will be documented eventually) in Whitman multipacks.   If these diamond versions were Marvel's direct editions, why are there titles with none at all, or why the titles with so few issues?  I think the answer is because Whitman was the driving force for the production of the diamond versions.  If Whitman didn't order them, they weren't published.  

On 11/21/2022 at 3:29 PM, Skwerl said:

Both from Marvel Team-Up #108, 1981

 

Thanks!

On 11/21/2022 at 3:48 PM, Skwerl said:

 Marvel "multipack / whitman" variants are nothing more than Marvel direct editions between 1977-1979 before they simply made the diamond smaller.

There were small diamonds in that earlier timeframe too.  I think this cover dated July 1977 version of John Carter Warlord of Mars #2 was probably the first.  It was only effective with June 1979 cover dated issues that the small diamond layout was used on all Marvel titles.  Spidey Super Stories and Tarzan also had small diamonds in, I believe, 1978.

On 11/20/2022 at 10:56 PM, Skwerl said:

Once direct editions existed, only direct editions went into multipacks, but they also went everywhere else that wasn't serviced by Curtis.

On 11/20/2022 at 10:50 PM, Skwerl said:

Oh, and here's more, Marvel explaining the diamonds; this appeared in the back of a few different issues in the late 70s / early 80s after people asked. Had nothing to do with multipacks:

 

The image on the left, showing a 50 cent cover price, has to be circa 1980/81-ish.  For comics printed in that timeframe, I don't think anyone would dispute that the diamonds were clearly direct editions.  If CGC tries to say that Marvel's June 1979 diamond issues are multi-pack variants (aka Whitmans) and not direct market versions then I'd be with you in objecting. May 1979 though? Not so fast.  The debate lies in the 1977 through May 1979 Marvels. 

What's the time of publication of the image on the right?

On 11/20/2022 at 10:30 PM, Skwerl said:

Here's something handy... a little while ago a friend pulled so-called "multipack" editions out of Marvel subscription mailers.

Somewhere I have a photo of a comic book rack with "multipack" variants on it outside of packs.

They're all just direct editions. Direct sales, subscriptions, multipacks all had the same versions.

Thanks for the share!!!  That's interesting, but very strange, that someone was delivered comics marked as "Reprints" for their subscription.  Your friend was ripped off!   Given the frenzy over Star Wars #1, it doesn't seem totally shocking that they'd have sent their first prints to retailers and made up for the shortage by sticking subscribers with reprints.   So that's clearly evidence of something, but you're stretching to use that example to conclude that these versions are direct editions.  It does make it evident that some of these Marvel comics made it out into the world without going through Whitman's multi-packs.  Which isn't too surprising.

I remember buying Star Wars #1 at my LCS.  It was the newsstand version with the UPC.   My retailer told me later that he couldn't sell the multi-pack variants because customers considered them reprints and so he literally threw them away when he found any in back issue collections he purchased. 

On 11/17/2022 at 1:47 AM, Skwerl said:

 I can share evidence of so-called "multipack editions" being sold outside of multipacks, both on racks and via subscriptions,

If you have any info for Marvel comics from 1977 through May 1979 (the "diamond" issue timeframe) please share your evidence with all of us! 

On 11/14/2022 at 12:49 PM, I like pie said:

You can still send it back, at not charge. Just select the Mechanical Error tab.

I had a 9.8 slab in my last sub that came back with newton rings ruining a great Dave Stevens cover.  I didn't know about this Mech Error/Return option.  Thanks for posting about it, I'll definitely take pursue a reholder!