Want to Help Perform A Bit of Holiday Magic? Batman/Bronze Age Collectors Especially Needed (Donations NOT Required, Just A Bit of "Detective" Work) 0

[fmaz]

Ok folks -  I'm guessing some others of you got the same message I did on ebay, today... or maybe not.  But I'm the kind of sucker who can't resist responding to stuff like this.  I don't know... we can't read superhero books our whole lives and then turn a blind eye when people ask for help, right?

Anyway, this woman named Tawney messaged me in regard to a copy of a BA Batman book I had up for sale, noting that I had a few others listed as well... and had quite an unusual request. It was a bit cryptic, so I followed up and went back and forth with her and got the whole story.

Basically, well...her boyfriend wrote a letter to DC back in the 70's and it was published in a Batman book... and obviously this was something very special to him.  But after the death of one his parents, and the cleaning out of a house... it seems like that book was lost... and he can't recall what issue it was.  So she's trying to, without his knowledge, track it down for him.  Which is awesome.   Here's what she knows:

"He wrote to DC in late 1978 regarding his love for Batman comics. They wrote back, sent him money for a few comics, and then said they would be publishing his letter in the letters section of the Batman Comic. He did get a copy of the comic. He was very young. Since the death of a parent and moving around that comic was lost. The only info he recalls is it was published in a Batman Comic between Jan 1979 and Jan 1982. I believe this was between issues 305-340? I've tried to look at any comic I come across from this time period but they are rare to find at my local shops. My only hope is the internet. It would be a letter from Jeff in San Jose. I don't need this by the holidays or anything but will pay of course extra for the comic. I didn't start collecting Batman until early 90s so it's definitely not in my collection Thank you!"

So  we know it is:

1. A letter from Jeff in San Jose

2. Published in a "Batman Comic" between 1/79 and 1/82.

She puts that as Batman #305-340.... but I wonder too if that means it could also be Detective Comics? I suppose if we can't find it in Batman books that's the next place to look.

My hope is that folks here who might have runs of those books handy might have a few minutes to look and see what they can find... and post if they find the issue... or equally as helpful, if they can eliminate issues.   I'd love to be able to track this info down for her if possible.

Thanks,
Frank

 

Edited December 21, 2018 by fmaz

[kav]

Boardies should be able to track this down in minutes.

[fmaz]

Just now, kav said:

Boardies should be able to track this down in minutes.

That's what I'm thinking... assuming her info is correct in pointing folks in the right direction.  I'm a bit concerned about the part that it all happened when he was very young, so he might not be a very reliable narrator.  Fingers crossed, though.

 

[shadroch]

My Bat run stops at 300. Sorry.

[fmaz]

Let me know if anyone has any success.. or can eliminate any runs for her.  Even that I’m sure would be a big help. 

[kav]

can boardies please dip into their collections and their hearts and give an answer!!!  A family is suffering or something!

[fmaz]

6 minutes ago, kav said:

can boardies please dip into their collections and their hearts and give an answer!!!  A family is suffering or something!

LOL, I think that may be a bit over the top... A woman is trying to do something sweet and comic related for her boyfriend, who, yes, seems to have suffered some kind of personal loss.  But mostly I think this is something sweet that boardies will be helping with, hopefully.    But I do appreciate the assist Kav... just don’t want to oversell it.  

 

Edited December 22, 2018 by fmaz

[kav]

1 minute ago, fmaz said:

LOL, I think that may be a bit over the top... A woman is trying to do something sweet and comic related for her boyfriend, who, yes, seems to have suffered some kind of personal loss.  But mostly I think this is something sweet that boardies will be helping with, hopefully.    But I do appreciate the assist Kav... just don’t want to oversell it.  

 

well they told me to sell the sizzle not the steak-  

[aszumilo]

I checked Batman 310, 325, 327, 328, 338, and 340 with no luck.  Those are the only ones I have in that range.

[kav]

13 minutes ago, aszumilo said:

I checked Batman 310, 325, 327, 328, 338, and 340 with no luck.  Those are the only ones I have in that range.

Ok we can eliminate them-the rest of you start DIGGING!!

[Spidey 62]

2 hours ago, aszumilo said:

I checked Batman 310, 325, 327, 328, 338, and 340 with no luck.  Those are the only ones I have in that range.

I checked 307, 308, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 319, 322, 323, 326, 329, 333, 335...no go. 

[Spidey 62]

Also, I think Detective 480 - 508 covers the time frame. I checked - 

480, 486, 487, 489, 490, 491, 493, 494, 497, 499, 500...no go. 

Ps. I have been known to miss things, but I am pretty darn sure on the books I listed. 

Edited December 22, 2018 by Spidey 62

[Raze]

Batman checklist of books already marked off by boardies

305

306

307

308

309

310

311

312

313

314

315

316

317

318

319

320

321

322

323

324

325

326

327

328

329

330

331

332

333

334

335

336

337

338

339

340

Edited December 22, 2018 by Raze
update

[Raze]

detective checklist of books already marked off by boardies480

481

482

483

484

485

486

487

488

489

490

491

492

493

494

495

496

497

498

499

500

501

502

503

504

505

506

507

508

509

510

Edited December 22, 2018 by Raze

[Raze]

ill mark off what people post as we go...

[Park]

No go on Bats  318, 324, 332, 336, 337. I looked at a couple after that just in case and nada for 341, 344, 345, 346, 347 and 351.

Funny thing is there was a Jeff from Scranton PA that had a letter published in 3 of the issues above.

[Lazyboy]

On 12/20/2018 at 8:50 PM, kav said:

Boardies should be able to track this down in minutes.

A vaguely, but properly, described story is likely to be solved in only minutes. This is something that nobody is likely to know/remember and has to be checked by opening books.

 

Anyway, it's not in Batman 307, 308, 310-316, 319, 321-330, 332, 333, 335, 338, 340 (Spidey 62, aszumilo, Lazyboy)

Leaving 305, 306, 309, 317, 318, 320, 331, 334, 336, 337, 339 to be checked in the 305-340 range.

 

[Raze]

2 minutes ago, Lazyboy said:

A vaguely, but properly, described story is likely to be solved in only minutes. This is something that nobody is likely to know/remember and has to be checked by opening books.

 

Anyway, it's not in Batman 307, 308, 310-316, 319, 321-330, 332, 333, 335, 338, 340 (Spidey 62, aszumilo, Lazyboy)

Leaving 305, 306, 309, 317, 318, 320, 331, 334, 336, 337, 339 to be checked in the 305-340 range.

 

checklist going already....and updated

Edited December 22, 2018 by Raze

[HouseofComics.Com]

I have to say, if this comic was special to him at one time, he'd probably be able to pick it out of a cover gallery. I'd suggest that she show him issues from that time period and see what jumps out.

I've gotten requests like this before from people whose mothers had their name mentioned in 1950s Katy Keene and could I find out which issue?

[Raze]

3 minutes ago, HouseofComics.Com said:

I have to say, if this comic was special to him at one time, he'd probably be able to pick it out of a cover gallery. I'd suggest that she show him issues from that time period and see what jumps out.

I've gotten requests like this before from people whose mothers had their name mentioned in 1950s Katy Keene and could I find out which issue?

great point!  mycomicshop.com has a cover gallery.