Theagenes' Tip Top Tarzan Covers

[Theagenes]

This week, after three years, I finally completed my run of Tip Top Tarzan covers. It was a lot fun and great challenge as some of the early issues are tough to find. I haven't worried about grades so much and the condition of these is all over the place from 2.0 to 8.0. I've always wanted to be able to start one of these threads so here goes.

 

 

[Theagenes]

Published by United Features Syndicate, Tip Top Comics began its run in April 1936 as vehicle for reprinting UFS's most popular newspaper strips like Hal Foster's Tarzan and Al Capp's Lil' Abner. Like King Features Syndicate, who began publishing Ace Comics and King Comics at about the same time, UFS was trying to cash in on the new fad that had seen success for Famous Funnies in the previous year.

 

Tip Top Comics 3 (July 1936) - Technically Tarzan appeared on the covers of Tip Top 1 and 2 along with the other characters featured in the book (Lil' Abner, Captain and the Kids, etc.), but this is the first "real" Tarzan cover. It's also one of the earliest non-funny covers on a comic book.

 

 

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Tip Top Comics 9 (January 1937) - This cover is actually by Hal Foster - it's a blown-up panel from the Sunday strip. This copy is from the Simon Powell collection.

 

 

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Tip Top Comics 11 (March 1937) - This cover is obviously not by Hal Foster. The artist is unknown but the work is pretty crude even by the standards of this early period.

 

 

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Tip Top Comics 13 (May 1937) - Another Foster cover. This copy was the one used for the Gerber guides.

 

 

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Tip Top Comics 16 (August 1937) - Foster Cover.

 

 

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Tip Top Comics 18 (October 1937) - Foster Cover.

 

 

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Tip Top Comics 21 (January 1938) - Looks like it's a Foster cover, but I haven't yet found the panel from which it was taken.

 

 

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Tip Top Comics 24 (April 1938) - Not a Foster cover, but swiped from a Foster panel from the original 1929 daily strip. This is the Lost Vally copy.

 

 

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Tip Top Comics 27 (July 1938) - This one probably shared rack space with Action 1.

 

 

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Tip Top Comics 30 (October 1938)

 

 

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Tip Top Comics 32 (December 1938) - First in series of several nice covers by Paul F. Berdanier. Apart from his work as a cartoonist for United Features, Berdanier was an accomplished etcher and his affinity for that medium shows in his linework I think. He was also not a complete stranger to ERB, having painted the dustjacket for the first edition of Tanar of Pellucidar in 1930. This issue is also notable for having the first published work of Jack Davis -- a cartoon submitted for Tip Top's monthly cartooning contest.

 

 

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Tip Top Comics 33 (January 1939) - Berdanier cover.

 

 

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Tip Top Comics 34 (February 1939) - Berdanier cover.

 

 

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Tip Top Comics 36 (April 1939) - This cover is swipe from a Foster panel. This issue also has the first published work of Harvey Hurtzman in the monthly cartoon contest. Got these next two from skypinkblu -- thanks Sharon!

 

 

[Theagenes]

Tip Top Comics 37 (May 1939) - Berdanier cover(?).

 

 

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Tip Top Comics 39 (July 1939) - Berdanier cover(?).

 

 

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Tip Top Comics 41 (September 1939) - Berdanier cover. Probably from favorite cover from the whole run.

 

 

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Tip Top Comics 43 (November 1939) - Berdanier cover.

 

 

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Tip Top Comics 45 (January 1940) - Berdanier cover(?). This is the Lost Valley copy.