Blank bound file copies?

[Chadwick]

Hey guys, I'm looking for some infomation on a unique book that came with a lot of Harvey file copies from heritage a few years back. All it says is "1952 Blank Bound Copy. Daisy & Her Pups and Dagwood", it is a square bound book, while most of the other file copies are stapled( I did find some blondie square bounds). Maybe a test run of square bounds?

 

Anyone stumble across this kind of thing before? I'm guessing it's production related. I'm not a collector of this stuff and I'm looking to sell it, along with the Harvey File copies from this lot.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

Click the images for high resolution:

 

Front Cover:

 

Back Cover

 

 

Some interiors:

 

[pmpknface]

I have a guess as to what it is. What it could be is a printer's proof that's made before you run off the entire run of copies. They make them so the printer can show the editor (or whoever gives the OK at the comic company) what the comic will look like. If you've ever seen some of LB Cole's cover proofs (there are a ton of those out there) those are similar things but just for the covers. It would make sense since you mentioned that they were file copies, as it's something only Harvey would have.

 

I actually have a few of these for modern comics. I had a friend who worked at Wizard magazine back in it's heyday and he was able to get me a few of these. Then, they'ed just put any wrap on a comic and then send it over to Wizard to proof. I have a book that looks like an Archie comic, and then when you open it up it's a Lady Death 1/2. I have different style ones for the Sin City 1/2, a Silver Surfer 1/2, and an Evil Ernie 1/2.

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

I'm curious how that would have worked back in the forties through the seventies . Did the publishers have agents at the printers? Or did they run a proof and then send for approval which seems like it might take many hours or days depending on the location of the printer. It seems like the setup for a proof would be expensive unless there was a special press for only that.

 

Anyone know the process? You don't see too many whole book proofs so it makes me think it wasn't done.

[pmpknface]

I'm going with, "run a proof and then send for approval." I'm pretty sure that's how it worked. I'd love to get others' input on this though.

[Chadwick]

I actually found out what this is, and its listed in oversteet as a few copies got out with file copy lots.

 

Blondie, Dagwood & Daisy by Chic Young #1 Harvey File Copy from 1953. 100 page square-bound giant.

 

This book is listed in the Price Guide as "Blondie, Dagwood & Daisy #1" – though the covers are simply thick, blank white covers with no numbering or date on the inside. I believe what most likely happened, was that Harvey intended to produce this as a typical giant-size comic book with a regular cover, but never followed through with the idea – and simply put a set of blank covers on the insides of the book (I have had other copies (which also came straight from the original Harvey files) with identical interiors and the same blank covers).

 

The covers were clearly put on many years ago, as evidenced by the tanning (rather than being something more recently added); and this blank-cover version is the only version that I have ever seen of this book.

 

Condition: Light tanning inside covers. Supple light tan to off-white pages.

 

Has one page of Popeye and one page of Felix, with many Blondie & Dagwood pages. A nice example of an obscure, early 1950’s comic!

 

Overstreet Price Guide NM- value: $425.

 

From this auction :

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=141754717896&alt=web

[Tri-Color Brian]

So, value is $192.50...

[DarrenSmith]

I actually found out what this is, and its listed in oversteet as a few copies got out with file copy lots.

 

Blondie, Dagwood & Daisy by Chic Young #1 Harvey File Copy from 1953. 100 page square-bound giant.

 

This book is listed in the Price Guide as "Blondie, Dagwood & Daisy #1" – though the covers are simply thick, blank white covers with no numbering or date on the inside. I believe what most likely happened, was that Harvey intended to produce this as a typical giant-size comic book with a regular cover, but never followed through with the idea – and simply put a set of blank covers on the insides of the book (I have had other copies (which also came straight from the original Harvey files) with identical interiors and the same blank covers).

 

The covers were clearly put on many years ago, as evidenced by the tanning (rather than being something more recently added); and this blank-cover version is the only version that I have ever seen of this book.

 

Condition: Light tanning inside covers. Supple light tan to off-white pages.

 

Has one page of Popeye and one page of Felix, with many Blondie & Dagwood pages. A nice example of an obscure, early 1950’s comic!

 

Overstreet Price Guide NM- value: $425.

 

From this auction :

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=141754717896&alt=web

 

I would really like to see a picture of the one Felix story in the book. Harvey didn't print Felix Books until 1955. Toby Press was publishing them prior.