ARE THESE COMIC BOOKS: What Do You Think?

[chrisco37]

They look like HC's to me.

 

Not a "comic book". Comic-related? Of course! Comic Book? No.

[TupennyConan]

My new product idea is for women and will be called: Go! Toe! Slogan: No Mo Toe!

 

And these, while cool, are not comic books!

[The Black Hand ®]

These are somewhat scarce, i avidly collect all kinds of comic books in formats different from the Famous Funnies model popular to many people here

 

Black Hand comes in closest of potential nay-sayers who are S.O.S. regarding the format narrowness for a definition of what is a comic book. A comic/BLB Limbo, in between, not quite one, not quite the other.In fact, Black Hand is obviously one of the more gifted board members and quite skilled and intuitive.We are indeed fortunate to have him here, methinks.

 

 

 

 

Gee, thanks Bob.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Robert Beerbohm]

Hey, Black Hand, i did not call you a nay-sayer, rather "potential" cuz of comic-book-limbo status of these ultra-cool comic books.

 

I do indeed agree with the following: "In fact, Black Hand is obviously one of the more gifted board members and quite skilled and intuitive.We are indeed fortunate to have him here, methinks."

 

 

[The Black Hand ®]

Ah...shucks...

[FlyingDonut]

Is this hardback book a comic book? Exactly the same as the books posted earlier.

 

 

[ciorac]

They look like HC's to me.

 

Not a "comic book". Comic-related? Of course! Comic Book? No.

 

(thumbs u

[ciorac]

Is this hardback book a comic book? Exactly the same as the books posted earlier.

 

 

Nah, but I sure sold a lot of them back in the old comic store.

[chrisco37]

Is this hardback book a comic book? Exactly the same as the books posted earlier.

 

 

Graphic Novel

[Robert Beerbohm]

Comic Book

1) magazine

2) hard back

3) graphic novel

4) trade paper back

4) etc

 

it is all comic books, sports fans

[G.A.tor]

Is this hardback book a comic book? Exactly the same as the books posted earlier.

 

 

Graphic Novel

(thumbs u

[Comicdey]

trade paperbacks with hard covers...

 

I've got a few....too....so yes....they must be comics..just like a big little book is a book.

[Comicdey]

kidding.....not a comic...but has comics in it.

[Point Five]

Maybe it's just me, but I consider those books with comics in the interior. To me a true comic book is folded and stapled with a paper cover or a paper with gloss cover.

 

I guess I'm a naysayer too, because I'd go along with this. And I don't see a compelling reason to force them into the comic book definition, because they are absolutely cool on their own...just a different format. For me the hardback stock is even more problematic in calling this a comic book (as the term has come to be defined) than the size & binding shifts we were wrestling with in earlier threads.

 

I'm not much swayed by the "Tall Comic Book" blurbs on the fronts, and in a sense it's kinda funny that they felt compelled to say that! I'd guess it was either a way to try to pump up sales by tying these books into the WWII-era comic boom, and/or just a literal way of describing the contents ("a book with comics in it").

 

I notice there's no price on the cover. What was the price, and does it appear on the inside front or back covers?

 

Very cool books; I'd love to own one. (thumbs u

 

 

[Theagenes]

Here are the back covers

 

 

Personnally I prefer to use "graphic novel" as the broader, more inclusive term for any kind of publication that contains comic strip material. "Comic book" I prefer to use specifically for the saddle-stiched, stapled comic magazine format. There are problems with this, of course, but I think it is closest to the general usage of the terms by most people today. Bob, I know you use "comic book" as the broader term, and that's fine. So these would fall into the category of graphic novels according to my definition or comic books according to your definition. (thumbs u

 

Jeff

[Theagenes]

Bob, on a side note, your posting of those cool dime novels in the other thread prompted me to go out and find a couple of my own. Got these off ebay last week:

 

 

 

 

I see what you mean about the binding - basically these are the beginning of what we think of as the modern magazine format - slick covers with saddle-stitched, stapled pulp pages on the interior. Any idea what the first of this type of publication was? When did staples first come into use?

 

Jeff

[TupennyConan]

What are the publication dates for your two Brave & Bolds? Did you read them?

[Theagenes]

January 1903. I've started the first one.

[chrisco37]

Love the Bugs Book. Here's a question though...Bob says these were introduced in 1943. Bugs first cartoon, "A Wild Hare", was released in 1940. Why is he brown? Was brown an easier color to produce than grey?

[TupennyConan]

January 1903. I've started the first one.

 

I guess I am more interested in their literary merits than their collectibility. Let us know if they are any good!