Need some advice with an old photo

[Fan Boy]

Thanks for the help! That is 2 comics to add on my list to seek out in shows or stores. Part of my OO collection were some comics handed to me from my uncle. They were his when he was a teenager. I started buying my own at age 5 ... At least what I think, but seeing that Casper book was from July 1972? That put me at age 3 and half!

 

Wondered if my parents brought it for me to read?

[Bird]

That Casper book could have sat in a drugstore or Woolworth's or local pharmacy forever before you bought it, if indeed that is the one (although there were few purple Casper covers so it likely is). I bought my childhood early 1970s books at Clancy's Pharmacy & Newstand in Beachwood NJ and they were in the old wooden wall racks in the newstand and in a spinner in the pharmacy. In the wooden racks I vividly remember that some older books could be found squished down low out of sight in some slots.

[Fan Boy]

Found what the 3rd comics is. Top Cat #20 - Nov 1973

 

Bird, it may be true what you said. There were 2 drugstores near my old home in the area. They used to have comics going back up to 6 months, some much older. I must had brought this one? I started buying comics sometimes in summer 1973 with my allowance when my dad estabish it.

[Fan Boy]

The 4th comic - the one under my leg is a real tough puzzle. I had looked up in "Daffy Duck" title and not see any cover matching. Maybe Road Runner or Crackers?

[thunsicker]

The other thing is if you know about when the picture was taken you can look by month at Mike's. It doesn't have every comic, but it has a lot of them. Just look for a bright yellow comic with red writing at the top and purple? blotch on the right side.

[vaillant]

Automated deblur softwares, with the default settings, usually are not of much help.

 

The problem with your photo is that, besides being somewhat blurred, it also has a "striped" kind of finish on the surface, and I believe very little could be done to improve it.

If you identify the comics you could try to do a partial restore of the details, but you’d need some experienced photo-retoucher. I am not, and I do these things instinctively (as a graphic designers) – I would have offered you help but right now I am swamped.

[01TheDude]

is there any chance you have the original negative for the picture?

 

I know I still have tons of them along with the prints from back then, typically inside the envelope you got the prints in. If you could find that frame and process it, it might be much easier to work with.

 

total long shot but figured couldn't hurt to throw it out there.

[towards2112]

Scan it at about 400 dpi, 100% is generally about 72dpi, which will only produce

a smaller image.

[Fan Boy]

is there any chance you have the original negative for the picture?

 

I know I still have tons of them along with the prints from back then, typically inside the envelope you got the prints in. If you could find that frame and process it, it might be much easier to work with.

 

total long shot but figured couldn't hurt to throw it out there.

 

That was one of my thoughts about the negatives. But if I know my mom as well ... I doubt she had kept them after a long period. I should ask her that. Yes, truly total long shot

[ttfitz]

Ok, so that I made myself clear. The photo is 40 years old and is NOT from digital camera. My dad took it with a Kodak camera at the time back in the day. If my memory is good ... that was in late/end of 1974 during Christmas season. I was 6 years old.

 

So, the photo is bit blurry and has lot of scratches across the face. Which is somewhat normal for the type of print back in the days.

 

I was reading a lot of Disneys, some Charltons, some Harvey and under the pile - some Archies. At the time I had about 150-200 comics storaged in a cardboard file box in my old room. As you can see ... I was napping after reading my comics. Please excuse my mom's legs!

 

I'm trying to figure out what numbers were few of the comics as seen in the photo?

 

 

That couch looks very familiar... wait, are you my brother?

 

[ttfitz]

is there any chance you have the original negative for the picture?

 

I know I still have tons of them along with the prints from back then, typically inside the envelope you got the prints in. If you could find that frame and process it, it might be much easier to work with.

 

total long shot but figured couldn't hurt to throw it out there.

 

Yep, harder to scan on your own, but negatives have much better resolution - even when taking into account the smaller size - than a print. I think most prints are likely to have no more than maybe 200 dpi of information in them, scanning them higher almost never gives any more info, just a bigger file.

[Fan Boy]

I tried again with another scan and played a bit. I focus on the comics in the photo, and this is the best I can do within limits.

 

 

So far, what can be seen and found out to date:

 

1) Yogi Bear #20

2) Top Cat #20

3) Casper #

4) ??

5) ??

6) ??

 

The 4th one - under my leg, I had compared the covers online with database. I had ruled out "Road Runner" and "Duffy Duck". On the cover seems to show bird feet. I'm thinking maybe "Heckle and Jackie"?

 

5th one is should be figured out as it has the Walt Disney icon style. All I have do is match colors and within given time period.

 

the 6th last one seems to be a Charlton issue.

[Fan Boy]

Think the 5th comic might be this one. WDCS #397 - Oct 1973? It has the same colors on top of front cover and is in right time frame.

 

[Fan Boy]

The 6th - the Charlton issue didn't take long to figure. I'm starting to remember from my memory, and found this.

 

The Flintstones #26 - Oct 1973