The Death of "Marvel Whitmans"...

[ShieldAgent]

so no proof,

 

I kind of figured that.

 

 

 

 

[joe_collector]

and the proof is...what? Because Jon says so

 

Yeah, and ASM 121 is the start of the Bronze Age - and that's straight from the Editor in Chief and Editor of OS, the two top dogs.

 

OS is a joke, and Jon McClure sounds like yet another funny book genius.

[joe_collector]

I think it is safe to say that from 1977 to sometime in 1979 these Fat Diamond price Marvels were sold exclusively to Whitman to sell in their 3 packs and if any of the eairly Comic Book Stores had them in their comic racks loose they probably bought 3 packs from Whitman and opened them up.

 

Exactly, as AS STATED in a 1979-80 Overstreet (I think blob posted it earlier?), it wasn't until 1979-80 that Marvel got together with dealers and formally set up a Direct Market Copy with the necessary physical changes to the cover.

 

Does McClure not read old issues, and just pull this stuff out of his butt?

[FlyingDonut]

and the proof is...what? Because Jon says so

 

Yeah, and ASM 121 is the start of the Bronze Age - and that's straight from the Editor in Chief and Editor of OS, the two top dogs.

 

OS is a joke, and Jon McClure sounds like yet another funny book genius.

 

Once again, that is an incorrect statement. It does make your point, however, so keep repeating it. (thumbs u

[mschmidt]

and the proof is...what? Because Jon says so

 

Yeah, and ASM 121 is the start of the Bronze Age - and that's straight from the Editor in Chief and Editor of OS, the two top dogs.

 

OS is a joke, and Jon McClure sounds like yet another funny book genius.

 

After the beat-down you got in the other threads, I can't believe you're actually still trying to pretend that that is correct ::

[mica]

 

Also, if there is a DATE on the comic right below the price/issue number, then it is a Direct edition (readers/collectos liked to see the month), but this is not 100% conclusive, as some Direct copies did not have the month."

Is that what my copy of PPSSM 125 is? I recently catalogued this issue and noticed the difference compared to the stock photo (on the right) from GCD.

Don't know if I'm supposed to add any extra info in my description tag.

[Jeffro.]

and the proof is...what? Because Jon says so

 

Yeah, and ASM 121 is the start of the Bronze Age - and that's straight from the Editor in Chief and Editor of OS, the two top dogs.

 

OS is a joke, and Jon McClure sounds like yet another funny book genius.

 

After the beat-down you got in the other threads, I can't believe you're actually still trying to pretend that that is correct ::

 

Well, what do you expect? JC is always right. We're .

[RockMyAmadeus]

so no proof,

 

I kind of figured that.

 

 

 

 

Who said that...?

[RockMyAmadeus]

I think it is safe to say that from 1977 to sometime in 1979 these Fat Diamond price Marvels were sold exclusively to Whitman to sell in their 3 packs and if any of the eairly Comic Book Stores had them in their comic racks loose they probably bought 3 packs from Whitman and opened them up.

 

Exactly, as AS STATED in a 1979-80 Overstreet (I think blob posted it earlier?), it wasn't until 1979-80 that Marvel got together with dealers and formally set up a Direct Market Copy with the necessary physical changes to the cover.

 

Does McClure not read old issues, and just pull this stuff out of his butt?

 

JC, stop being a dunce. This isn't true, it's never been true, and repeating it makes you look dumb.

 

WHATEVER the fat diamonds are, Marvel did NOT wait until 1979-1980 (by 1980, the DM had been in place for AT LEAST a year, and probably more) to "formally set up the DM with the necessary physical changes to the cover."

 

That's simply not true. Fat diamonds aside, the SLIM diamonds that Marvel used as early as 1977 (Tarzan #2), is PROOF that they were experimenting with cover formats. The slim diamonds were exactly what Marvel SETTLED ON in late 1978/very early 1979. If those early slim diamonds weren't cover format experimentations for the DM, then why, praytell, did Marvel settle on those exact same slim diamonds...in that exact same cover format...for the DM across the board for May-June 1979 cover dated books? (These were books that were printed in Feb-Mar 1979, for which Marvel would have made editorial decisions in Dec-Feb.)

 

They may have formally launched the program company-wide in very early 1979 (NOT 1980!), but that's NOT when they set it up.

 

I've got BOTH the 1979 and 1980 OPGs at my fingertips. Shall I go through each page by page...?

 

I'll tell you what: Jim Shooter was EIC during these years. Next time we interview him, I'll ask and see what he remembers. He's as valid a source as anybody.

[RockMyAmadeus]

 

Also, if there is a DATE on the comic right below the price/issue number, then it is a Direct edition (readers/collectos liked to see the month), but this is not 100% conclusive, as some Direct copies did not have the month."

Is that what my copy of PPSSM 125 is? I recently catalogued this issue and noticed the difference compared to the stock photo (on the right) from GCD.

Don't know if I'm supposed to add any extra info in my description tag.

 

The #125 on the left is the DM edition, the one on the right is the newsstand.

[mica]

 

Also, if there is a DATE on the comic right below the price/issue number, then it is a Direct edition (readers/collectos liked to see the month), but this is not 100% conclusive, as some Direct copies did not have the month."

Is that what my copy of PPSSM 125 is? I recently catalogued this issue and noticed the difference compared to the stock photo (on the right) from GCD.

Don't know if I'm supposed to add any extra info in my description tag.

 

The #125 on the left is the DM edition, the one on the right is the newsstand.

Then why didn't they put a little spidey drawing in a box? Not complaining as I would prefer nothing. Just wondering...

[shadroch]

According to figures I've seen attributed to Shooter and Carol Kalish, about six percent of Marvels gross sales were to the Direct Market in 1979. As far as I can tell, the number of books that have survived today and can be readily identified as DM copies is much, much smaller than six percent. Considering that the books were sold to collectors rather than casual readers, shouldn't the surviving copies be more than the six percent of copies sold?

[the blob]

later 78, 79, deinitely those are 5%+ of the copies out there. look at shogun warriors #1, a decent # are the diamond, but then again, that was probably a book shops ordered extra of (of course, all the copies i have from my old shop circa 1978 (yes, it was early speculation for me!) are the non-DM version.

[joe_collector]

and the proof is...what? Because Jon says so

 

Yeah, and ASM 121 is the start of the Bronze Age - and that's straight from the Editor in Chief and Editor of OS, the two top dogs.

 

OS is a joke, and Jon McClure sounds like yet another funny book genius.

 

Once again, that is an incorrect statement.

 

Huh, you posted the article, and it WAS written by the EiC and Editor of OS at the time. Which should have significantly more impact than a random article from Jon "Know Nothing" McClure.

[markseifert]

I'll tell you what: Jim Shooter was EIC during these years. Next time we interview him, I'll ask and see what he remembers. He's as valid a source as anybody.

 

Peter David might be a pretty good source for figuring out some of this, actually. As I'm sure many here know he worked in Marvel's Direct Sales dept during this era.

[mica]

Huh, you posted the article, and it WAS written by the EiC and Editor of OS at the time. Which should have significantly more impact than a random article from Jon "Know Nothing" McClure.

Joe, what page# was that clipping on?

[shadroch]

I'll tell you what: Jim Shooter was EIC during these years. Next time we interview him, I'll ask and see what he remembers. He's as valid a source as anybody.

 

Peter David might be a pretty good source for figuring out some of this, actually. As I'm sure many here know he worked in Marvel's Direct Sales dept during this era.

 

I think Peter started after the time in question. I believe Carol Kalish was Marvels Direct Sales Department for several years, before Peter was hired as her assistant.

As I understand it, Phil Seulings relationship with Marvel was pretty informal under Galton and EIC Archie Goodwin, and while Shooter was EIC when Marvel started the Direct Market, the work was completed before he took charge.

[RockMyAmadeus]

 

Also, if there is a DATE on the comic right below the price/issue number, then it is a Direct edition (readers/collectos liked to see the month), but this is not 100% conclusive, as some Direct copies did not have the month."

Is that what my copy of PPSSM 125 is? I recently catalogued this issue and noticed the difference compared to the stock photo (on the right) from GCD.

Don't know if I'm supposed to add any extra info in my description tag.

 

The #125 on the left is the DM edition, the one on the right is the newsstand.

Then why didn't they put a little spidey drawing in a box? Not complaining as I would prefer nothing. Just wondering...

 

They didn't want to spoil the artwork. Marvel & DC occasionally did that for books of the era. Another example is Cap #354, and the Death in the Family books.

[RockMyAmadeus]

I'll tell you what: Jim Shooter was EIC during these years. Next time we interview him, I'll ask and see what he remembers. He's as valid a source as anybody.

 

Peter David might be a pretty good source for figuring out some of this, actually. As I'm sure many here know he worked in Marvel's Direct Sales dept during this era.

 

He's a good source, too...is Carol Kalish still alive?

[markseifert]

No, Kalish passed away some time ago.