Okay boys and girls, we get to see how "dead" Marvel Comics 1 is

[lou_fine]

I pointed Marvel in the direction to acquire for their 70th anniversary Omnibus was also an original oct. dated copy. Amazingly at the time I think they finally paid something like 35k (this was in 2007 or 2008) to get it so god knows what Cory had to do to get them to shell out that much cash on a single book for that volume.

 

Hopefully, the original Marvel 1 comic book itself did not end up getting destroyed in this reprinting process.

 

I still remember DC using the horrifying Theakstonization process for reprinting some of the classic GA books which resulted in the tragic and complete destruction of the original underlying comic book as part of the printing process.

[N e r V]

I pointed Marvel in the direction to acquire for their 70th anniversary Omnibus was also an original oct. dated copy. Amazingly at the time I think they finally paid something like 35k (this was in 2007 or 2008) to get it so god knows what Cory had to do to get them to shell out that much cash on a single book for that volume.

 

Hopefully, the original Marvel 1 comic book itself did not end up getting destroyed in this reprinting process.

 

I still remember DC using the horrifying Theakstonization process for reprinting some of the classic GA books which resulted in the tragic and complete destruction of the original underlying comic book as part of the printing process.

 

 

I think the process they used was probably less destructive since as far as I know they still have it in their library.

[N e r V]

Here's three examples (including 2 shots of the pay copy) of the over stamp where the "oct." date can be seen still under the stamp.

 

 

I've always assumed that all copies had the oct. date hiding below even if the stamp was well struck to cover it up.

[VintageComics]

I've always assumed that all copies had the oct. date hiding below even if the stamp was well struck to cover it up.

 

To my knowledge, they do.

[N e r V]

Then if that is true there were almost 900,000 copies printed up with oct. on it first and then most were sent back to press to have the bullet and nov. date applied or is it possible that instead of changing the cover art before starting a new print run of nov. dated issues (which seems the most logical choice to me) they actually printed the oct. date at the same time with a bullet covering and a new nov. date added for those "second printings" of 800,000 copies?

 

I know Roy Thomas is a good source at times of shedding some light on the Martin Goodman logic of doing things but I really wish someone had locked the guy in a room before his death with a long list of Q&A on Martin Goodman and his business choices. The guy was a master of publishing craziness.

 

Ah, the charms of collecting Timelys...

[Timely]

This issue was discussed in much much greater detail in the past. That discussion included detailed analysis and pictures of the modifications made to the indicia and cover. A very simple summary of that discussion is that Goodman was a cheapskate and the modification of the cover was accomplished in the cheapest possible fashion (technical details were, to my recollection, fleshed out by a former printer) and was not an overstrike of previously printed covers. November copies were distributed nationally. I think there were no Canadian copies of Timely's in the early period.

 

I don't think we've ever verified or quantified what the interior differences (indicia, story or margin notes) are between the October and November copies. I've been trying to find out for years and have never seen proof.

 

DiceX was the person who explained how it was done as he used to work at a publisher that used to print comics and magazines. I think a round slug and a Nov stamp were added into the process somewhere along the way.

 

Whether the covers were previously printed and then run through again with the new slug, or whether they were just printed after the original 80,000 and simply added the slug somewhere in the process is still unproven at this point.

 

I'm sure Fishler has plenty he could add to the story as he posed the question years ago about interior differences between Oct and Nov copies. I don't remember the exact conversation.

 

When I graded the October Marvel #1 file copy there were several penciled notes about color changes that needed to be made in the Human Torch story. It was really interesting!

[Ameri]

This issue was discussed in much much greater detail in the past. That discussion included detailed analysis and pictures of the modifications made to the indicia and cover. A very simple summary of that discussion is that Goodman was a cheapskate and the modification of the cover was accomplished in the cheapest possible fashion (technical details were, to my recollection, fleshed out by a former printer) and was not an overstrike of previously printed covers. November copies were distributed nationally. I think there were no Canadian copies of Timely's in the early period.

 

I don't think we've ever verified or quantified what the interior differences (indicia, story or margin notes) are between the October and November copies. I've been trying to find out for years and have never seen proof.

 

DiceX was the person who explained how it was done as he used to work at a publisher that used to print comics and magazines. I think a round slug and a Nov stamp were added into the process somewhere along the way.

 

Whether the covers were previously printed and then run through again with the new slug, or whether they were just printed after the original 80,000 and simply added the slug somewhere in the process is still unproven at this point.

 

I'm sure Fishler has plenty he could add to the story as he posed the question years ago about interior differences between Oct and Nov copies. I don't remember the exact conversation.

 

When I graded the October Marvel #1 file copy there were several penciled notes about color changes that needed to be made in the Human Torch story. It was really interesting!

 

was it this one that you graded?

 

[Ameri]

This is a side by side of the original and omnibus. The omnibus shows a red-haired Torch. Just curious if that was part of the changes they wanted for the Torch.

 

[N e r V]

When Cory took over the Masterworks line the quality of line art and accurate colours improved tremendously over what Marvel hard produced for years before him. Certainly not perfect and there were some mistakes made but overall a vast improvement.

 

The first GA Marvel Mystery Masterworks reprinted the first 4 issues with terrible quality (it was published pre Cory). The Omnibus for Marvel's 70th anniversary was an opportunity to do it right.

 

So if that is a page from the omnibus I'd say the colours are as close to the originals as Cory could get them.

 

I can't find the photo that was published of the Marvel comics #1 that Marvel has but for some reason I'm remembering it as a file copy too.

[Ameri]

Here are the October and November indicias. October references were blacked out and November added in the last line of the Nov copies:

 

[pemart1966]

Interesting that there's mention of subscriptions to Canada. A good indicator that Marvel Comics # 1 was on the news stands in some Canadian locations?

[Ken Aldred]

When Cory took over the Masterworks line the quality of line art and accurate colours improved tremendously over what Marvel hard produced for years before him. Certainly not perfect and there were some mistakes made but overall a vast improvement.

 

The first GA Marvel Mystery Masterworks reprinted the first 4 issues with terrible quality (it was published pre Cory). The Omnibus for Marvel's 70th anniversary was an opportunity to do it right.

 

So if that is a page from the omnibus I'd say the colours are as close to the originals as Cory could get them.

 

I can't find the photo that was published of the Marvel comics #1 that Marvel has but for some reason I'm remembering it as a file copy too.

 

+1

 

Cory really raised the standard at Marvel for remastering. I bought a ton of his books.

[Ameri]

When Cory took over the Masterworks line the quality of line art and accurate colours improved tremendously over what Marvel hard produced for years before him. Certainly not perfect and there were some mistakes made but overall a vast improvement.

 

The first GA Marvel Mystery Masterworks reprinted the first 4 issues with terrible quality (it was published pre Cory). The Omnibus for Marvel's 70th anniversary was an opportunity to do it right.

 

So if that is a page from the omnibus I'd say the colours are as close to the originals as Cory could get them.

 

I can't find the photo that was published of the Marvel comics #1 that Marvel has but for some reason I'm remembering it as a file copy too.

 

+1

 

Cory really raised the standard at Marvel for remastering. I bought a ton of his books.

 

I still have a Masterworks. It's really bad compared to the Omnibus. Facial details are missing, colors are washed out, and the text is blurry on the Masterworks.

 

[Ameri]

Before Masterworks or Omnibus, there was this in 1990

 

[Timely]

This issue was discussed in much much greater detail in the past. That discussion included detailed analysis and pictures of the modifications made to the indicia and cover. A very simple summary of that discussion is that Goodman was a cheapskate and the modification of the cover was accomplished in the cheapest possible fashion (technical details were, to my recollection, fleshed out by a former printer) and was not an overstrike of previously printed covers. November copies were distributed nationally. I think there were no Canadian copies of Timely's in the early period.

 

I don't think we've ever verified or quantified what the interior differences (indicia, story or margin notes) are between the October and November copies. I've been trying to find out for years and have never seen proof.

 

DiceX was the person who explained how it was done as he used to work at a publisher that used to print comics and magazines. I think a round slug and a Nov stamp were added into the process somewhere along the way.

 

Whether the covers were previously printed and then run through again with the new slug, or whether they were just printed after the original 80,000 and simply added the slug somewhere in the process is still unproven at this point.

 

I'm sure Fishler has plenty he could add to the story as he posed the question years ago about interior differences between Oct and Nov copies. I don't remember the exact conversation.

 

When I graded the October Marvel #1 file copy there were several penciled notes about color changes that needed to be made in the Human Torch story. It was really interesting!

 

was it this one that you graded?

 

 

I believe so, it was a while back but I believe that was the copy with all the hand written notes in the margin.

[AJD]

There was also this 2014 giveaway reprint. Despite what the cover says, only the Toch and Submariner stories are reprinted. October issue though!

 

 

[Twistty1]

This issue was discussed in much much greater detail in the past. That discussion included detailed analysis and pictures of the modifications made to the indicia and cover. A very simple summary of that discussion is that Goodman was a cheapskate and the modification of the cover was accomplished in the cheapest possible fashion (technical details were, to my recollection, fleshed out by a former printer) and was not an overstrike of previously printed covers. November copies were distributed nationally. I think there were no Canadian copies of Timely's in the early period.

 

I don't think we've ever verified or quantified what the interior differences (indicia, story or margin notes) are between the October and November copies. I've been trying to find out for years and have never seen proof.

 

DiceX was the person who explained how it was done as he used to work at a publisher that used to print comics and magazines. I think a round slug and a Nov stamp were added into the process somewhere along the way.

 

Whether the covers were previously printed and then run through again with the new slug, or whether they were just printed after the original 80,000 and simply added the slug somewhere in the process is still unproven at this point.

 

I'm sure Fishler has plenty he could add to the story as he posed the question years ago about interior differences between Oct and Nov copies. I don't remember the exact conversation.

 

When I graded the October Marvel #1 file copy there were several penciled notes about color changes that needed to be made in the Human Torch story. It was really interesting!

 

was it this one that you graded?

 

 

I believe so, it was a while back but I believe that was the copy with all the hand written notes in the margin.

 

Were those changes ever made to the later released copies?

[Timely]

This issue was discussed in much much greater detail in the past. That discussion included detailed analysis and pictures of the modifications made to the indicia and cover. A very simple summary of that discussion is that Goodman was a cheapskate and the modification of the cover was accomplished in the cheapest possible fashion (technical details were, to my recollection, fleshed out by a former printer) and was not an overstrike of previously printed covers. November copies were distributed nationally. I think there were no Canadian copies of Timely's in the early period.

 

I don't think we've ever verified or quantified what the interior differences (indicia, story or margin notes) are between the October and November copies. I've been trying to find out for years and have never seen proof.

 

DiceX was the person who explained how it was done as he used to work at a publisher that used to print comics and magazines. I think a round slug and a Nov stamp were added into the process somewhere along the way.

 

Whether the covers were previously printed and then run through again with the new slug, or whether they were just printed after the original 80,000 and simply added the slug somewhere in the process is still unproven at this point.

 

I'm sure Fishler has plenty he could add to the story as he posed the question years ago about interior differences between Oct and Nov copies. I don't remember the exact conversation.

 

When I graded the October Marvel #1 file copy there were several penciled notes about color changes that needed to be made in the Human Torch story. It was really interesting!

 

was it this one that you graded?

 

 

I believe so, it was a while back but I believe that was the copy with all the hand written notes in the margin.

 

Were those changes ever made to the later released copies?

 

I never looked to see if those recommended changes were implemented in the November version.

[Ameri]

There was also this 2014 giveaway reprint. Despite what the cover says, only the Toch and Submariner stories are reprinted. October issue though!

 

 

 

Forgot about that one! The credits say Human Torch by Carl Burgos with Dave McCaig. Reinvisioning of sorts. This one has the same Dave version and does the rest of Marvel 1 in it's entirety:

 

[VintageComics]

This issue was discussed in much much greater detail in the past. That discussion included detailed analysis and pictures of the modifications made to the indicia and cover. A very simple summary of that discussion is that Goodman was a cheapskate and the modification of the cover was accomplished in the cheapest possible fashion (technical details were, to my recollection, fleshed out by a former printer) and was not an overstrike of previously printed covers. November copies were distributed nationally. I think there were no Canadian copies of Timely's in the early period.

 

I don't think we've ever verified or quantified what the interior differences (indicia, story or margin notes) are between the October and November copies. I've been trying to find out for years and have never seen proof.

 

DiceX was the person who explained how it was done as he used to work at a publisher that used to print comics and magazines. I think a round slug and a Nov stamp were added into the process somewhere along the way.

 

Whether the covers were previously printed and then run through again with the new slug, or whether they were just printed after the original 80,000 and simply added the slug somewhere in the process is still unproven at this point.

 

I'm sure Fishler has plenty he could add to the story as he posed the question years ago about interior differences between Oct and Nov copies. I don't remember the exact conversation.

 

When I graded the October Marvel #1 file copy there were several penciled notes about color changes that needed to be made in the Human Torch story. It was really interesting!

 

was it this one that you graded?

 

 

I believe so, it was a while back but I believe that was the copy with all the hand written notes in the margin.

 

Were those changes ever made to the later released copies?

 

 

I never looked to see if those recommended changes were implemented in the November version.

 

In all these years, I can't believe no one has definitively documented the differences between the two versions. I think it may help answer many questions.

 

I'll email a link to Fishler and see if he has any input.