The Ultimate Dennis the Menace Thread 3 3

[BillyBatson4360]

Actually, I will have to disagree with you, tth2, on the Duck books.

 

A few decades back, I was a friend of Mike Baron (this was before he began writing comics). Mike was one of that group of fans who first penetrated the veil of secrecy surrounding Disney comics and discovered not only the name of Carl Barks, but also his home address.

 

Barks was so flattered at the effort these guys took that he sent them many samples of original art (including an exquisite pen and ink of Scrooge that I assume Baron still has). Anyway, the upshot was that this early goup of guys (most were in their late teens by the time they found Barks) were very busy assembling multiple runs of Barks books back when you could find them at garage sales. The few comic dealers in existence didn't value the books either, so they could be had for a song. I know that several of these guys had found some pretty good condition copies of many of the Barks books. At one time, I even owned a fairly decent copy of the first Uncle Scrooge. By being the first of the funny animal artists to gain recognition many of the Barks books were probably saved in time.

[tth2]

Actually, I will have to disagree with you, tth2, on the Duck books.

 

A few decades back, I was a friend of Mike Baron (this was before he began writing comics). Mike was one of that group of fans who first penetrated the veil of secrecy surrounding Disney comics and discovered not only the name of Carl Barks, but also his home address.

 

Barks was so flattered at the effort these guys took that he sent them many samples of original art (including an exquisite pen and ink of Scrooge that I assume Baron still has). Anyway, the upshot was that this early goup of guys (most were in their late teens by the time they found Barks) were very busy assembling multiple runs of Barks books back when you could find them at garage sales. The few comic dealers in existence didn't value the books either, so they could be had for a song. I know that several of these guys had found some pretty good condition copies of many of the Barks books. At one time, I even owned a fairly decent copy of the first Uncle Scrooge. By being the first of the funny animal artists to gain recognition many of the Barks books were probably saved in time.

Billy, I agree with you that more Ducks survived in HG than most other non-mainstream titles, but I would also be willing to bet that in many cases the file copy is still the best copy out there. File copies, like copies from the top pedigrees, simply never moved or circulated until they got discovered, which is why they stayed in such great shape. Copies that got passed around, at garage sales and conventions, even where people had the best intentions in preserving them, generally don't have the same level of preservation. I hope that there are indeed lots more HG copies out there, though!

 

I'm curious as to when this "discovery" of Carl Barks took place. 60s? 70s? I know by the late 70s and early 80s, his work had already broken out and prices had already moved significantly (relatively speaking).

[FlyingDonut]

Actually, I will have to disagree with you, tth2, on the Duck books.

 

A few decades back, I was a friend of Mike Baron (this was before he began writing comics). Mike was one of that group of fans who first penetrated the veil of secrecy surrounding Disney comics and discovered not only the name of Carl Barks, but also his home address.

 

Barks was so flattered at the effort these guys took that he sent them many samples of original art (including an exquisite pen and ink of Scrooge that I assume Baron still has). Anyway, the upshot was that this early goup of guys (most were in their late teens by the time they found Barks) were very busy assembling multiple runs of Barks books back when you could find them at garage sales. The few comic dealers in existence didn't value the books either, so they could be had for a song. I know that several of these guys had found some pretty good condition copies of many of the Barks books. At one time, I even owned a fairly decent copy of the first Uncle Scrooge. By being the first of the funny animal artists to gain recognition many of the Barks books were probably saved in time.

Billy, I agree with you that more Ducks survived in HG than most other non-mainstream titles, but I would also be willing to bet that in many cases the file copy is still the best copy out there. File copies, like copies from the top pedigrees, simply never moved or circulated until they got discovered, which is why they stayed in such great shape. Copies that got passed around, at garage sales and conventions, even where people had the best intentions in preserving them, generally don't have the same level of preservation. I hope that there are indeed lots more HG copies out there, though!

 

I'm curious as to when this "discovery" of Carl Barks took place. 60s? 70s? I know by the late 70s and early 80s, his work had already broken out and prices had already moved significantly (relatively speaking).

 

There was an article in Comic Book Marketplace() about how a guy found Barks in 1961, went to his house, etc. etc. I would bet that late 40s and 50s Ducks are more prevalent in high grade than you think - they have been actively collected in high grade since at least the mid-60s. I have a couple old RBCCs with ads in them for "Mint" Duck books, and even given the lax grading standards of the time, some of those must have been in high grade. Further, file copies from Dell are notorious for being slightly beat up.

 

That being said, they're probably gorgeous. I'd like to see some file copies here. Maybe a new thread!

 

And, for somebody who NEVER cared about Dennis the Menace, this is a pretty cool thread. I've found a couple 10 cent Dennii (is that the plural of Dennis?) in my boxes, nothing super early, but you Dennis guys are welcome to them once I get the numbers. I'd love for somebody who needs them to have them.

[tth2]

I have a couple old RBCCs with ads in them for "Mint" Duck books, and even given the lax grading standards of the time, some of those must have been in high grade.

True, although query how many of the truly NM copies got further beat up as they got passed around in the 60s and 70s, particularly with no bags or boards, and generally more casual handling because of the more lax grading standards.

 

Further, file copies from Dell are notorious for being slightly beat up.

 

That being said, they're probably gorgeous. I'd like to see some file copies here. Maybe a new thread!

So very very true. I lost a lot of respect for one of the top US collectors after seeing some of the file copies he sold me as "NM" which were VF at best. Having said that, a lot of file copies survived very nicely! If you go to the Ducks thread in the GA forum, quite a few of the books I've posted were file copies, even if only a few are indicated as such.

 

And, for somebody who NEVER cared about Dennis the Menace, this is a pretty cool thread. I've found a couple 10 cent Dennii (is that the plural of Dennis?) in my boxes, nothing super early, but you Dennis guys are welcome to them once I get the numbers. I'd love for somebody who needs them to have them.

List what you've got and asking prices!

[ComicBookGuy]

I think you're both essentially right in your two analyses.

 

Bill's term "starter" book is very apt when discussing Dennis and Disney comics. I like it cause it's true: These are the first comics kids read when they are young and don't know how to care for comics. Not only that, they reread them and even trade them with other kids.

 

The anecdote about fans discovering Barks is interesting, and I've heard about it although with not as interesting detail as Bill related. But there are some big differences: Tim is right that there were a lot of Dell file copies found over the years. The Dennis file copies were of one book apiece and not nearly all issues were in the "files." (That was what Jay Maybruck told me when he sold me the Dennis file copies that I own.) Ketcham points out in his bio that the first issue of Dennis sold out, and when he was told that the issue was sold out, he was told that comic books never sold out, that there were always lots left over and returned. Thus, our modern "warehouse finds," which often are returns that had not been destroyed. I also suspect that the print run on the Dennis books was not that high for the first four issues, the ones we rarely see, especially. Issues 1-4 are in a league of their own. Issues 5-7 a bit more available. Issues #8 and up are much more prevalent, and warehouse copies of some numbers, like 29 and 33 have turned up. Dennis was barely two years old in the papers when #1 came out and was not known in many regions of the country yet, but Disney had been going strong for a long while before the Barks stuff hit the scene.

 

So, Disney had kid readers AND early collectors, multiple file copies of many issues, and high print runs with the typical many unread returns. Whereas, Dennis had kid readers and NO early collectors, hardly any file copies, and low print runs with no returns on the early issues. I would also add that the Dell comics had MUCH better paper quality than the Standard Comics, which have probably the worst paper quality of any comic company I am familiar with.

 

All this leads us to the reason why there is not one verified early Dennis comic above a 7.0 slabbed to this date while there are many beautiful copies of the Barks' comics to be had.

 

 

 

Joe

[FlyingDonut]

And, for somebody who NEVER cared about Dennis the Menace, this is a pretty cool thread. I've found a couple 10 cent Dennii (is that the plural of Dennis?) in my boxes, nothing super early, but you Dennis guys are welcome to them once I get the numbers. I'd love for somebody who needs them to have them.

 

List what you've got and asking prices!

 

I don't want to hijack this into a for sale thread, so PM me if you're interested in these - 40 Fair/Good (really funny Thanksgiving story). 46 G/G+, 51 VG, 68 G/VG, 84 VG-, Dennis the Menace in Mexico (Dennis Bonus Special 38) (2nd Printing) VG-, Dennis the Menace Around the Clock (Dennis Bonus Special 44) VG/F. They are beat up, but complete, and I'd like somebody who is more into Dennis than I am to have them.

[ComicBookGuy]

And, for somebody who NEVER cared about Dennis the Menace, this is a pretty cool thread. I've found a couple 10 cent Dennii (is that the plural of Dennis?) in my boxes, nothing super early, but you Dennis guys are welcome to them once I get the numbers. I'd love for somebody who needs them to have them.

 

Hey, FD, it was cool meeting you today at the show - again!

I got a great Batman #176 from Marc Nathan and sold a stack of price guides to Mark Zaid.

But, yes, if you have Dennis books to sell, this is the place to sell them. Sounds like Tim has first dibs.

Speaking of selling, I am going to sell a set of 36 different first print Dennis paperbacks and another group that is the complete set of all 48 different Dennis paperbacks. If anyone's interested pm me to save me the grief of scanning them and listing them on ebay.

Joe

[BillyBatson4360]

Baron and his cohorts (who called themselves "The Society of the First Dime," if memory serves) found Barks in the late 60's. As I said, Barks sent them lots of original art (rough layouts, original pencil drawings, etc.). As these guys were already in their late teens, the Barks runs they put together were being cared for.

 

I also think there were Disney collectors from fairly early on - so Disney books had a greater chance of being bought and preserved. I've got a collection of the Disney comics that tie into the animated features and you'd be surprised at what good shape some of the very earliest ("Reluctant Dragon," "Bambi's Children") are in.

 

The only file copy I own is a Western Publishing (Poughkepsie) file copy of "Crusader Rabbit." It's in very nice shape, but I have seen other non-file Dells in just as good shape. To be honest, I've never understood collecting pedigree over condition. A VF or NM book from a non-pedigree is better than a VF- or F book from a pedigree, IMHO.

[tth2]

To be honest, I've never understood collecting pedigree over condition. A VF or NM book from a non-pedigree is better than a VF- or F book from a pedigree, IMHO.

Don't disagree, but in the case of GA in particular, the best book often IS a pedigree.

[mica]

As most of you know I am new to the Boards. I've collected for years but have never participated in "fandom/conventions/boards". I stumbled into this thread and haven't got to look at hardly any other threads. This one is so entertaining. that before I know it I have to leave. When Marvel took over Dennis books did they cheat by using older Marvel artwork.

Now look closely at this Thor book from 4 years earlier.

Just kidding of course. But I wonder how many of you will go and consult your own copies of Thor 277 just to be sure.

Mica

[adamstrange]

I did a double-take and it took me a few seconds to say "That's not riiiiight!"

 

Nicely done - it looks natural.

 

Welcome to the boards. This is definitely one of the great threads because the of sharing of knowledge by long-time Den-o-philes.

[Gutterflower-migration]

I'm coming out of lurkerdom to say THANK YOU to all who have shared and scanned. I stumbled on to this site in search of Dennis info, and I've read and enjoyed every single post.

 

As a kid growing up in the 70s, my siblings and I looved both the Dennis and Archie digests. My collection is paltry compared to those on this site, and are basically comprised of read-only copies, but I still treasure each one. Seeing scans of the covers, stories, etc. is exciting!

 

The posters here are incredibly knowledgeable and I've already learned quite a bit from them. Bring on some more!

[Gutterflower-migration]

I was trolling through eBay's Dennis paraphernalia and found this:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=30&item=5968360826&rd=1

 

I remember reading a post somewhere in this thread-a collector mentioned that they would love to find a mischief kit? Here it is!

[BillyBatson4360]

That was me who was interested. Thanks for the post. It was great seeing that box again.

 

Seeing as the item is in Great Britain and has a price approaching $100 (which actually isn't bad if the kit's never been opened). I'll probably pass on this one. But seeing the photo brought back some wonderful memories.

 

Somewhere I actually have an article from Robin Snyder's newsletter "The Comics" about Al Wiseman. As soon as I locate it (we moved this past summer, and most of my collection is still in boxes - some in storage), I'll share the information.

 

Gutterflower, great to have you with us. Keep haunting eBay and I'm sure you can pick up a lot more issues of Dennis.

[ComicBookGuy]

Here is Dennis the Menace Giant #7, from Winter 1959:

 

 

Gutterflower, WELCOME TO THE BOARDS! I am pleased Dennis collectors are slowly but surely finding their way to this thread, the only Dennis comic-collecting space on the entire internet as far as I know. It's a blast meeting and hearing from everybody. I hope other "lurkers" decide to join us!

 

Now here is something interesting I found on eBay: A second printing of Dennis Giant #7 from Summer 1961. This indica reads, "Summer 1961." As posted before (above), the original is from Winter 1959. Someone wrote an arrival date on the cover of this 2nd printing as May 13, 1961, so that seems to be the time period when summer issues were released. To the guide's credit, this second printing is listed, but it is not nearly as common as the first printing, at least in my experience. There is a difference between the two issues, besides the 2ND LARGE PRINTING banner on the cover, and that has to do with the back cover:

 

* On the inside back cover of the first print is a picture of the cast of the Dennis tv show. On the inside cover of the second print is a set of four black & white Dennis dailies.

 

* On the exterior back cover of the first print is an ad for Dennis in Hawaii 3rd printing and Best of Dennis #1. On the exterior back cover of the second printing is an ad for Dennis TV Special and Dennis Goes to Camp (no numbers shown).

 

[ComicBookGuy]

Today I finally received the amazing Dennis giveaway I had neither seen nor heard of. When I posted mention of this and asked if anyone knew about it, nobody said that they had. Considering how long I've been on eBay and collecting Dennis comics, I find it amazing that something had slipped by my radar. Is this super rare? It would be the only Dennis comic I have seen just one of, making it in my experience rarer than #1-4 and the later Bible Kids comics. Without further ado, here it is: DENNIS - THE PUMPKIN PICKER!: DENNIS THE MENACE AT THE HALF MOON BAY ART & PUMPKIN FESTIVAL. Indica reads, "Copyright 1978 Field Newspaper Syndicate No. 159, September 1978." The inside front cover is blank. First story is called "Welcome to the Pumpkin Festival" and is 17 pages long. There is a one-page "The Cookie Jar" feature entitled "You Can Go to a Pumpkin Festival!" followed by a three-page feature called "Grown-Ups Never Answer a Kid's Questions..." which is a series of six color dailies. The back cover is an ad for the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival. Of course, as many of the hardcore fans must know, this is a reprint of the first half of Dennis the Menace #159. If you look at the back cover scan, it states the comic is a reprint. There is absolutely nothing new about this except that the background to the covers of the two comics is different, with lots of pumpkins on the giveaway cover and a white background on the Dennis #159. With this, I THINK I have now provided all the info about all the Dennis giveaways. If anyone has any other info, please share!

 

Front cover:

 

 

Back cover:

 

 

And here is the comic it was reprinting:

 

[tth2]

Congratulations, Joe!

[ComicBookGuy]

Hi, Tim!

 

I left off a while ago in posting the covers to the giant series. Now I will resume posting the giants with #23, Dennis the Menace in Hollywood, and will post all the way up to the end of the series, #194.

This issue is Dennis the Menace Giant #23 and reprints Giant #7.

Publisher: Hallden / Fawcett, Summer 1964

Notes: Exact text reprint of #7 except four black and white cartoons are on the insides of the front and back cover. They are different cartoons than appear on #7 2nd printing. Back cover displays ad for Giant #25 and #26.

 

 

[ComicBookGuy]

Giant #24. Dennis the Menace Goes to Camp

Reprints Giant #9.

Publisher: Hallden / Fawcett, Summer 1964

Note: Indica states "4th printing." Page-for-page exact reprint of Giants #9 and #16.

 

[ComicBookGuy]

Giant #25. Dennis the Menace In Mexico

Reprints Giant #8.

Publisher: Hallden / Fawcett, Summer 1964

Note: Exact page-for-page reprint of Giant #8, except cover states at top: "2nd Large Printing." It is actually the 3rd printing since #8 went through two printings.