In 1966

[Lee K]

DC editor Irwin Donenfeld

 

Was in the unenviable position of trying to find something to stall or reverse the current sales trends, DC was losing readers and Marvel was gaining them at nearly the same rate.

Go-go checks were thought up. A strong, visual banner at the top of every DC title, so you could identify your DC books easily on a spinner rack or a magazine shelf, where only the top was visible.

They ran for 18 months, which coincided with DC's best sales of the sixties. But those sales also coincided with the Batman television show.

Many of the artists are quoted as having hated the checks, since they were preprinted on the art board that was provided for the covers.

Irwin is quoted in some places as having said, I thought they'd add something, but they didn't. (Paraphrased from source).

In mid 67, Donenfeld was fired,and Carmine Infantino took his place. Carmine is known to have said on multiple occasions thathe hated the checks. But I do not know why. He cancelled them immediately.

 

Happy Hunting!

 

See more journals by Lee K

[mzhammer]

Where does the term "Go-Go Checks" come from?

[Boba]

It looks like a starters flag used in auto racing,

hence the moniker "go-go" checks

[Brandon Shepherd]

Lee,

 

I'm digging your journals about this, I've come to appreciate Silver Age DC more because of your writing. Keep posting!

 

Brandon

[wardevil0]

Lee,

Have you ever considered adding some of the "faux" go-go checks to your want list?

For example... Action Comics Annual 10 and Adventures of Superman Annual 2

 

 

 

Or even the ones from a certain competitor's Assistant Editors Month, such as...

 

 

Sorry to blow up the thread with six big pictures, but I think it adds to the go-go check mystique that Marvel would parody it 15 years later.

[Lee K]

I had considered them, but passed on the idea. Additionally, you can find them on Doom Patrol (recent), legion (90s?), and the current SA variant covers for Superman Unchained. But they "feel" right for the most part.

[SW3D]

That makes total sense: An easy way to identify comics on the spinner racks.

 

But I have to admit, regardless of cover gimmicks, the only way to keep readership is to improve content. Marvel came out with their very best works... perhaps this could be considered "Marvel's Golden Age": so fresh and exciting for a new generation of fans, while DC was touting their hold-out Golden Age heroes that had seen better days.

 

I believe even with DC's Silver Age reinvention of some of the GA faves, they just couldn't match the energy, creativity, and pure genius Marvel unleashed. And I believe DC was relegated to number 2 spot through not only the Silver Age, but for the Bronze and Copper Ages as well, with some mild spots of promise speckled throughout.

 

Thankfully things are more level today... But it always seems, for DC, Batman is their go-to guy to bail them out of a sales slump... Either with the 60's TV Show, the Burton/Keaton movies, or Nolan/Bale masterpieces... Batman gets them back in the game.

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

SW3D

[SW3D]

The checkered banner works really well with DC covers, but not so much with the Marvel ones.

 

Neat idea! You may have singlehandedly brought back a relic!

 

SW3D