1939 NEWSSTAND PIC TIME MACHINE JOURNEY INTO THE PAST 18 18

[woowoo]

On 5/31/2024 at 3:59 PM, RareHighGrade said:

I absolutely love this photo.  What I can't understand, however, is why there are two comics on the bottom shelf (NA #27 and Tec #16) that have ads for Action #1, but there is a copy of Action #2 on the top shelf?

@RareHighGrade you forgot More fun 32 has the add also.

Like the members on the board have been saying these books came out before the cover date.

I think they sold out Action 1 has a great cover and new superhero, so they had to put #2 out early.

Edited May 31 by woowoo

[Robot Man]

On 5/30/2024 at 1:59 PM, Darwination said:

Heh heh, even more pleasing than children reading

Louise Brooks + Henry Clive

That girl in the top photo looks like she was a Weird Tales model…

[Darwination]

On 5/31/2024 at 6:47 PM, SpineTic said:

Earl Steffa Moran on this bottom one.

[woowoo]

[woowoo]

Whiz 1 and I think Fantastic comics 3. Both books are from 2/40 Superman 3 Action 20 plus more.

Edited June 2 by woowoo

[Primetime]

On 6/1/2024 at 10:16 PM, woowoo said:

Whiz 1 and I think Fantastic comics 3. Both books are from 2/40 Superman 3 Action 20 plus more.

Would be Nov-Dec, 1939 time period 

[plady69]

On 6/2/2024 at 11:47 AM, SpineTic said:

Very cool.  Well done!👍 

[Scrooge]

Love it.

 my display at the house -

[woowoo]

I posted 2 years ago but still cool

1944 ‘The Whistler‘ on TCM screenshot

 

[goldust40]

On 6/3/2024 at 2:52 PM, SpineTic said:

Great pic. Any idea which shop that was where Kirby was doing the signing (accompanied I assume by Roz)?

[jpepx78]

Convention Memories

I think most golden age (GA) collectors have been collecting for a long time and I believe most of them did not start out as GA collectors unless they were around in that time period. While most collectors know about the major GA keys, it takes time to learn about the different GA genres and all the other key books. When I started comic collecting, I initially focused on books with Neal Adams art in the bronze and copper ages. I knew about the major GA keys like Action 1, Batman 1, Superman 1 and Marvel Comics 1 but I knew little or wasn’t interested in other GA books. I initially thought all GA books had crudely drawn art and hokey stories but my perception changed over time since I found many examples of good stories and art as I read affordable reprints from Russ Cochran EC reprints, Marvel Fantasy Masterpieces, DC Famous First Editions and the DC 80 or 100 page giants. As I expanded my comic knowledge through the price guide, collector friends and going to a few comic conventions to buy affordable interesting books, I gradually learned and gained an appreciation for the golden age after many years. When I attended my first several comic conventions, I was overwhelmed by the variety of books, mostly ignored GA and focused obtaining more Neal Adams books. My main focus now is primarily GA so looking back I wished I had become interested in GA much earlier since I believe I missed many opportunities to acquire nice GA books.

Here is a photo that reminded me of myself in my early collecting phase where I would be focused only on my little sub-genre of comics while ignoring other important books. Some of you may laugh, cry, yell or roll your eyes at this kid who is focused on gathering a stack of silver age Green Lantern books and ignoring the books on the table. Sharp-eyed collectors will notice on the table of EC books there is one the most desirable EC books (CSS 22) available. Some of you may think how could this (dumb?) kid miss out on those ECs especially the CSS 22? Here is some background info on the photo to consider. This photo was taken in the dealers room of the Noreascon convention held in Boston in September 1971. Noreascon I (Worldcon 1971) was an annual science fiction convention held in different cities that was focused on science fiction literature and was not a typical comic convention. This kid was probably more than a casual reader of science fiction to be interested in attending a sci-fi convention where the attendees were primarily adults. The dealers room had mostly sci-fi, fantasy books, magazines and pulps. He found one of the few dealers that had cheap recent back issue comics at 20 cents each and he was building a stack.  At the time ECs weren’t that expensive but probably were at least 10 or more times more expensive than the cheap comics so the kid opted for quantity over quality. Also the kid may not have any interest or knowledge of GA books. This was a missed opportunity.

These next photos are of kids who had knowledge and interest in GA comics early and were in the right place at the right time.
In the second photo David Wigransky, who wrote a strong rebuttal to Frederic Wertham’s anti-comics article in the Saturday Review of Literature magazine, is pictured with his collection of GA comics in 1948. Wigransky was widely discussed in sfcityduck’s post in this forum.

In the third photo is Ken Donell as Superboy with Superman actor Kirk Alyn at Houstoncon in 1971. The fourth photo is Ken Donell after getting Action 1 and Superman 1 for $100 each at Houstoncon in 1973. Action 1 looks low grade but it’s an Action 1! He was at the right place at the right time.

Everyone was a GA newbie in the beginning. Anyone remember the old song Ooh La La by The Faces where one of the lines goes “I wish that I knew what I know now…When I was younger”?

 

 

[Hepcat]

On 6/16/2024 at 1:35 AM, jpepx78 said:

Convention Memories

Here is a photo that reminded me of myself in my early collecting phase where I would be focused only on my little sub-genre of comics while ignoring other important books. Some of you may laugh, cry, yell or roll your eyes at this kid who is focused on gathering a stack of silver age Green Lantern books and ignoring the books on the table. Sharp-eyed collectors will notice on the table of EC books there is one the most desirable EC books (CSS 22) available. Some of you may think how could this (dumb?) kid miss out on those ECs especially the CSS 22? Here is some background info on the photo to consider. This photo was taken in the dealers room of the Noreascon convention held in Boston in September 1971. Noreascon I (Worldcon 1971) was an annual science fiction convention held in different cities that was focused on science fiction literature and was not a typical comic convention. This kid was probably more than a casual reader of science fiction to be interested in attending a sci-fi convention where the attendees were primarily adults. The dealers room had mostly sci-fi, fantasy books, magazines and pulps. He found one of the few dealers that had cheap recent back issue comics at 20 cents each and he was building a stack.  At the time ECs weren’t that expensive but probably were at least 10 or more times more expensive than the cheap comics so the kid opted for quantity over quality. Also the kid may not have any interest or knowledge of GA books. This was a missed opportunity.

 

 

That though also depends upon whether your definition of "opportunity" is anything other than financial. The post-WWII crime and horror genres don't float every collector's boat. I'm one of those collectors who are less interested in those genres than I am in Golden Age/Atom Age comics from other genres such as Funny Animal, Teen Humour, Western, War, Science Fiction, GGA and certain DC Superheroes.

Edited June 16 by Hepcat

[Robot Man]

On 6/15/2024 at 10:35 PM, jpepx78 said:

Convention Memories

I think most golden age (GA) collectors have been collecting for a long time and I believe most of them did not start out as GA collectors unless they were around in that time period. While most collectors know about the major GA keys, it takes time to learn about the different GA genres and all the other key books. When I started comic collecting, I initially focused on books with Neal Adams art in the bronze and copper ages. I knew about the major GA keys like Action 1, Batman 1, Superman 1 and Marvel Comics 1 but I knew little or wasn’t interested in other GA books. I initially thought all GA books had crudely drawn art and hokey stories but my perception changed over time since I found many examples of good stories and art as I read affordable reprints from Russ Cochran EC reprints, Marvel Fantasy Masterpieces, DC Famous First Editions and the DC 80 or 100 page giants. As I expanded my comic knowledge through the price guide, collector friends and going to a few comic conventions to buy affordable interesting books, I gradually learned and gained an appreciation for the golden age after many years. When I attended my first several comic conventions, I was overwhelmed by the variety of books, mostly ignored GA and focused obtaining more Neal Adams books. My main focus now is primarily GA so looking back I wished I had become interested in GA much earlier since I believe I missed many opportunities to acquire nice GA books.

Here is a photo that reminded me of myself in my early collecting phase where I would be focused only on my little sub-genre of comics while ignoring other important books. Some of you may laugh, cry, yell or roll your eyes at this kid who is focused on gathering a stack of silver age Green Lantern books and ignoring the books on the table. Sharp-eyed collectors will notice on the table of EC books there is one the most desirable EC books (CSS 22) available. Some of you may think how could this (dumb?) kid miss out on those ECs especially the CSS 22? Here is some background info on the photo to consider. This photo was taken in the dealers room of the Noreascon convention held in Boston in September 1971. Noreascon I (Worldcon 1971) was an annual science fiction convention held in different cities that was focused on science fiction literature and was not a typical comic convention. This kid was probably more than a casual reader of science fiction to be interested in attending a sci-fi convention where the attendees were primarily adults. The dealers room had mostly sci-fi, fantasy books, magazines and pulps. He found one of the few dealers that had cheap recent back issue comics at 20 cents each and he was building a stack.  At the time ECs weren’t that expensive but probably were at least 10 or more times more expensive than the cheap comics so the kid opted for quantity over quality. Also the kid may not have any interest or knowledge of GA books. This was a missed opportunity.

These next photos are of kids who had knowledge and interest in GA comics early and were in the right place at the right time.
In the second photo David Wigransky, who wrote a strong rebuttal to Frederic Wertham’s anti-comics article in the Saturday Review of Literature magazine, is pictured with his collection of GA comics in 1948. Wigransky was widely discussed in sfcityduck’s post in this forum.

In the third photo is Ken Donell as Superboy with Superman actor Kirk Alyn at Houstoncon in 1971. The fourth photo is Ken Donell after getting Action 1 and Superman 1 for $100 each at Houstoncon in 1973. Action 1 looks low grade but it’s an Action 1! He was at the right place at the right time.

Everyone was a GA newbie in the beginning. Anyone remember the old song Ooh La La by The Faces where one of the lines goes “I wish that I knew what I know now…When I was younger”?

 

 

That first picture would be me in the mid ‘60’s. I had just discovered ECs but they were $4-8. each. But, unbagged in boxes under the tables were other lessor known GA for $1-2. each. Books like Dark Mysteries, Weird Tales of the Future, Witches Tales and the like. So I would carefully pick out an EC then stack up a little pile of similar books. 

[Robot Man]

On 6/17/2024 at 8:40 AM, SpineTic said:

Humm, that looks familiar…

Since you like it so much, here is another pic of my rack.

[Darwination]

Wait, you don't keep the PCH on the Dell rack???

[AJD]

On 6/18/2024 at 8:31 AM, Robot Man said:

Since you like it so much, here is another pic of my rack.

[Hepcat]

On 6/16/2024 at 1:35 AM, jpepx78 said:

Convention Memories

Here is a photo that reminded me of myself in my early collecting phase where I would be focused only on my little sub-genre of comics while ignoring other important books. Some of you may laugh, cry, yell or roll your eyes at this kid who is focused on gathering a stack of silver age Green Lantern books and ignoring the books on the table. Sharp-eyed collectors will notice on the table of EC books there is one the most desirable EC books (CSS 22) available. Some of you may think how could this (dumb?) kid miss out on those ECs especially the CSS 22? Here is some background info on the photo to consider. This photo was taken in the dealers room of the Noreascon convention held in Boston in September 1971. Noreascon I (Worldcon 1971) was an annual science fiction convention held in different cities that was focused on science fiction literature and was not a typical comic convention. This kid was probably more than a casual reader of science fiction to be interested in attending a sci-fi convention where the attendees were primarily adults. The dealers room had mostly sci-fi, fantasy books, magazines and pulps. He found one of the few dealers that had cheap recent back issue comics at 20 cents each and he was building a stack.  At the time ECs weren’t that expensive but probably were at least 10 or more times more expensive than the cheap comics so the kid opted for quantity over quality. Also the kid may not have any interest or knowledge of GA books.

 

 

You know you've raised the question of whether a twelve year old kid should be interested in pre-code horror. After all a lot of it is pretty disgusting and should be reserved for creepy old guys like most of us on this board. What's particularly bizarre is that there are those who'd get hysterical if the kid was looking at pre-Code GGA covers or sneaking a peak at titty mags but wouldn't be bothered by the kid being exposed to depictions of torture and gore.

[fifties]

On 6/20/2024 at 8:23 AM, Hepcat said:

You know you've raised the question of whether a twelve year old kid should be interested in pre-code horror. After all a lot of it is pretty disgusting and should be reserved for creepy old guys like most of us on this board.

 

Disagree my friend.  I was deeply interested in PCH at the age of 11, and really couldn't stand the CCA whitewashed fare in 1956.  There was a spinner rack in the local grocery store that had cellophane packs of 3 coverless comics for 25 cents, all pre-code.  I really stocked up; MY kinda reading.  

[Darwination]

I've wanted a copy of this forever.  You can click for a nice big zoomable image at Flickr.

@ThothAmon posted a sweet copy of the Shadow Comics the sailor is getting into when I stuck this up over in the mags thread.

I'll go ahead and do the pulps I can figure out (think that whole top row is probably pulps, too):

I was expecting a Wertham-esque diatribe on sailors being separated from their hard-earned pay, but Gyp Joint's actually an affectionate term for the ship store, and the lead articles a cool run-down on the operations of the store (a very neat economic model if you ask me - sailors get what they need in the way of personal niceties at artificially low prices, and the profits go back into making the ship or base a nicer place).  The whole mag's really well done.  Walt Munson shows up who did work at Centaur for Chesler and other artists from the magazines, too.

https://archive.org/details/our-navy-v-39n-22-1945-04-15-darwin-ia

I'll grab one comic since I had to use it a little bit in the restore:

[Darwination]

Outside of Walt Munson, someone pointed out the Fletcher Pratt article within.  Pratt was a prolific SF writer (in the pulps and out).   His article's a round-up of the war but largely a justification for the massive losses at Iwo Jima.  I was just thinking of Iwo, as Bill Greason, looking spry at 99, threw out the first pitch last night in Birmingham for the Cards (Go Birds) versus Giants game in Birmingham honoring the Negro League and Willie Mays.  Greason was mentioned as having been at Iwo Jima, and my granddad was in that hellhole as well.  A well-written article on the importance of the island in terms of the air war (and an argument for some of the more controversial tactics of the war in terms of inflicting civilian casualties).

Edited June 21 by Darwination