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ORIGINS of the American Comic Book
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Started by BLBcomics-migration,

424 posts in this topic

MrBedrock

MrBedrock

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I bought three books from that rack...

(shrug) [font:Times New Roman]I thought you were going to bring more money![/font] :baiting:

 

 

Oh, I'm definitely going back for more ;)

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BLBcomics-migration

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Circulation1926-09-01_zpsa6aa5760.jpg

 

CIRCULATION #26 Sept 1926

Biedermann cover of most King Features characters

 

WIlliam Randolph Hearst's media empire published this magazine three to four times per year beginning in 1921 which was sent to every known newspaper in the entire world.

 

Following is a list of the world's known copies. Evidently not one single library or news media consortium any where in the world managed to save any of these from extinction in their files.

 

About one third of each issue I have collected to date contains articles BY comics creators writing about their craft on how to use comics to sell more newspapers.

 

There are some obvious blanks which comics historians (including this writer) would jump up and down to score. I also know of a 1928 issue which resides in Germany.

 

If any one has a "missing link" to fill in as "known to exist."

 

I offer a Two For One color xerox swap if you have one.

 

Circulation-Inventory_zpsd7426234.jpg

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BLBcomics-migration

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BlackhawkNewsdealer1950_zpsf8e9b03a.jpg

 

Everett Arnold also used Radio on ABC as a tie-in to hook those listeners into buying his Blackhawk comic book. This advert dates from Oct 1950. The radio show, and the serial which came out circa the same year, are important factors why Blackhawk survived when other hero comic comic books bit the dust.

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MahoneyHARVEY_zpsc5625c00.jpg

This page aimed at comics retailers dates from July 1952. Paul Winchell was once upon a time a famous ventriloquist with his own TV and radio shows. As comics came under attack thru the early 50s, it was a brave soul who admitted in print he read comic books.

 

In this article he even admits to maintaining a comic book library !!

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ACG-1950newsdealer_zps1c9501da.jpg

 

American Comics Group ad aimed at comics retailers from 1949.

 

Have ID'd the Adventures Into the Unknown as #7 pirate skeleton cover. During my taped interviews with Irwin Donenfeld some 13 years ago as well as looking at documents he showed me then, his father Harry was the de facto secret owner of ACG which at the time blew my brain. There is a LOT of other publishers as well as distributers (such as Leader News) which Harry had secret corporate control over.

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Cimm

Cimm

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This thread has been an education. Thank you, Bob, Bill, Jeff, and Tim. Having bought from, sold to, conversed with at a convention, or corresponded with each of you over the years, I'm not gonna pick a side in any of the controversial discussions going on, I'm just gonna thank each of you individually and publicly for adding to my comic knowledge. And a special thank you to vaillant, for sharing his knowledge of European, particularly Italian, comic book publishing.

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craig yoe

craig yoe

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Finally had the chance to read this thread last night--some very interesting points raised.

 

Someone mentioned that Carl Barks made the most money for his publisher. As brilliant as Barks was it was probably Walt Disney's name and Donald Duck (not created by Barks) that made this the top selling comic. #2 money making comic for a good period there was probably Looney Tunes or Little Lulu. Again, not because of the cartoonists (who again didn't create the characters) but because of the "brand". I say this with no disrespect to Carl Barks and John Stanley who were amazing artists and the two best writers comics ever had IMHO. Another big seller I bet was another "brand",Popeye, the comnic book by Bud Sagendorf. The one-eyed sailor was created, as you know, by comic stripper E.C. Segar (and popularized but the animation, too). Sagendorf was Segar's assistant and like a son to the older cartoonist). Sagendorf was in the league in both art and writing with Barks and Stanley.

 

The creators who made the most money for their publisher with their OWN creation? I'd say Siegel and Shuster with Superman. And not only the comic books but the merchandising and comic strip was incredibly profitable. And it not only made the publisher rich but Siegel and Shuster as well who became wealthy men unlike Barks and Stanley who lived modestly and didn't have a "stake". Jerry and Joe, I believe, had the same deal as Bob Kane, the big difference was that the deal was given to them in a paternalistic manner not in a contract like Kane had his lawyer relative negotiate (which, sadly, did not include Bill Finger). And not having a written contract as good as Kane bugged Siegel and Shuster, especially I think Jerry. And worried them when the first heyday of superheroes was coming to an end after the war. And the fact that the relationship between DC and S+S was very rocky. So they sued to gain control--and lost for the most part and became sadly very challenged financially.

 

Someone mentionJack Kirby as a big breadwinner for his publisher. True, but I'd guess his creations for Marvel (which I give Stan Lee co-credit for--which is not an opinion shared by everyone) are a fraction of the Lee-Ditko Spider-Man profits for Marvel. KIrby was involved with the creation of more characters, but Spidey sells a lot of under-roos! (and films, and toys, and widgets and happy meals and etc)

 

John Goldewater and Bob Montana's (and Vic Bloom and Harry Shorten's) Archie sold a lot of comics for their publisher (and of course John was the "J" in MLJ). But Archie's big popularity was the 1950s and early 60s after Montana left the comics for a good piece of the greener pastures of the comic strip world. And After editor Shorten and writer Bloom were no longer on the Archie scene and haven't got enough of the credit they deserve, though that's changing a wee bit).

 

I'm as crazed a collector as nearly anyone here, I believe, but it's tragic in a way that we collector fans, especially of the superhero variety, eventually controlled the editorial output of the majority of floppy (I hate that term) comics. Comics ceased appealing to young kids, women, the mass market got out of the candy stores, PX's, drug stores and into the specialty shops. There's good aspects, but we lost much in the transition. And we don't only have ourselves to blame but TV, the more profitable paperbacks per store shelf space, the critics of comics, etc.

 

Please, all IMHO and brief thoughts only. I'm not looking to pick fights with anyone. All you fascinating people just got me thinking and prompted me out of the "lurking" mode...I'd like to be more involved here, but quite busy with things like babies...

 

 

 

 

 

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