The Official Image Newsstand Thread 6 6

[Corona smith]

[WolverineX]

On 8/11/2022 at 10:08 AM, Corona smith said:

Nice book! Are these rare? Just found one

[Corona smith]

I see at least one new one on eBay monthly.  

[bobdutch]

Hey all, I have an interesting one. I have a newsstand WildC.A.T.s Adventures #4. The barcode is 07098933398704. The copies I see on eBay have the barcode 073361645142 04. I wonder what’s the story behind that. Does anyone have a copy with the other barcode to compare? 

[awakeintheashes]

On 10/10/2022 at 8:25 PM, bobdutch said:

Hey all, I have an interesting one. I have a newsstand WildC.A.T.s Adventures #4. The barcode is 07098933398704. The copies I see on eBay have the barcode 073361645142 04. I wonder what’s the story behind that. Does anyone have a copy with the other barcode to compare? 

cool book. Where does it say it was printed in the indicia? Just a guess, but there could be a difference in barcode based on where it was printed. 

[Qalyar]

On 8/16/2022 at 9:40 PM, WolverineX said:

Nice book! Are these rare? Just found one

 

On 10/10/2022 at 7:25 PM, bobdutch said:

Hey all, I have an interesting one. I have a newsstand WildC.A.T.s Adventures #4. The barcode is 07098933398704. The copies I see on eBay have the barcode 073361645142 04. I wonder what’s the story behind that. Does anyone have a copy with the other barcode to compare? 

From roughly December 1993 to October 1998, Image had two concurrent distributors, which resulted in them printing newsstand copies with two different bar codes. The first 5 digits of the barcode were used to distinguish the two sets of books. For their primary distribution account, they used a wide variety of numbers, but the secondary distributor code is almost always 73361 (Spawn #50 -- and perhaps only that book -- used 74851).

The 73361 books are potentially less common. We have one legitimate data point to support that argument: Cure of the Spawn #16-19 exist in newsstand only with the 73361 code, and they are considerably less common than most Spawn newsstands (indeed, Curse of the Spawn #17 newsstand is somewhat-anecdotally believed to be one of the rarest books Image produced). However, that doesn't mean all 73361 books are at all rare. I actually suspect that some of the early 73361s may be more common than their counterparts, at least on some titles. Regardless, even more so than the normal direct market/newsstand split, anyone who tries to tell you precise ratio numbers or anything of that nature for these likely also has a bridge to sell you.

Indeed, the weird landscape of Image newsstand variants is pretty well-documented for Spawn, but virtually unknown for Image's other titles. Does everything with a newsstand printing in that timeframe have two barcode variants? No one knows! I do know that the Image stuff I'm currently collecting falls entirely outside the relevant time range, so -- while I consider this extremely interesting -- I don't have much firsthand input to offer.

[Lobstrosity]

On 10/11/2022 at 3:52 PM, Qalyar said:

 

From roughly December 1993 to October 1998, Image had two concurrent distributors, which resulted in them printing newsstand copies with two different bar codes. The first 5 digits of the barcode were used to distinguish the two sets of books. For their primary distribution account, they used a wide variety of numbers, but the secondary distributor code is almost always 73361 (Spawn #50 -- and perhaps only that book -- used 74851).

The 73361 books are potentially less common. We have one legitimate data point to support that argument: Cure of the Spawn #16-19 exist in newsstand only with the 73361 code, and they are considerably less common than most Spawn newsstands (indeed, Curse of the Spawn #17 newsstand is somewhat-anecdotally believed to be one of the rarest books Image produced). However, that doesn't mean all 73361 books are at all rare. I actually suspect that some of the early 73361s may be more common than their counterparts, at least on some titles. Regardless, even more so than the normal direct market/newsstand split, anyone who tries to tell you precise ratio numbers or anything of that nature for these likely also has a bridge to sell you.

Indeed, the weird landscape of Image newsstand variants is pretty well-documented for Spawn, but virtually unknown for Image's other titles. Does everything with a newsstand printing in that timeframe have two barcode variants? No one knows! I do know that the Image stuff I'm currently collecting falls entirely outside the relevant time range, so -- while I consider this extremely interesting -- I don't have much firsthand input to offer.

Thanks for the link to my research - and glad to see it's being of good use! 

[Qalyar]

On 10/12/2022 at 2:42 PM, Lobstrosity said:

Thanks for the link to my research - and glad to see it's being of good use! 

I consider that document to the be the gold standard of specialist investigations. It's easy to read, it's thorough, it's (as far as we know, anyway!) comprehensive.

Out of curiosity, I've always wondered... do we know what distributors handled which bar codes for the two-distributor era? I'd assume Diamond and Capital, but the paired bar codes continue rather a long time after there was no such thing as Capital.

[WolverineX]

On 10/12/2022 at 3:42 PM, Lobstrosity said:

Thanks for the link to my research - and glad to see it's being of good use! 

Do you know anything about the other runs such as this witchblade 74 which I have been told is the last one that exists?

 

 

[Qalyar]

On 10/12/2022 at 3:37 PM, WolverineX said:

Do you know anything about the other runs such as this witchblade 74 which I have been told is the last one that exists?

 

 

I don't believe anyone has attempted a similar monograph for any other Image books. It is my understanding that Witchblade #74 is the last issue of that title to have a newsstand printing, but that's honestly received wisdom at this point. Odds are... pretty good that there are similar levels of shenaniganry on that run as with Spawn (although perhaps the Top Cow stuff is different? Who knows!).

[bobdutch]

On 10/11/2022 at 1:52 PM, Qalyar said:

 

From roughly December 1993 to October 1998, Image had two concurrent distributors, which resulted in them printing newsstand copies with two different bar codes. The first 5 digits of the barcode were used to distinguish the two sets of books. For their primary distribution account, they used a wide variety of numbers, but the secondary distributor code is almost always 73361 (Spawn #50 -- and perhaps only that book -- used 74851).

The 73361 books are potentially less common. We have one legitimate data point to support that argument: Cure of the Spawn #16-19 exist in newsstand only with the 73361 code, and they are considerably less common than most Spawn newsstands (indeed, Curse of the Spawn #17 newsstand is somewhat-anecdotally believed to be one of the rarest books Image produced). However, that doesn't mean all 73361 books are at all rare. I actually suspect that some of the early 73361s may be more common than their counterparts, at least on some titles. Regardless, even more so than the normal direct market/newsstand split, anyone who tries to tell you precise ratio numbers or anything of that nature for these likely also has a bridge to sell you.

Indeed, the weird landscape of Image newsstand variants is pretty well-documented for Spawn, but virtually unknown for Image's other titles. Does everything with a newsstand printing in that timeframe have two barcode variants? No one knows! I do know that the Image stuff I'm currently collecting falls entirely outside the relevant time range, so -- while I consider this extremely interesting -- I don't have much firsthand input to offer.

Wow, thank you for that info. I have about 130 Image Newsstand comics (mostly Wildstorm) and none of them have a 73361 barcode. I bought them all in Canada from my local drugstore or convenience store.

[Qalyar]

On 10/14/2022 at 1:07 PM, bobdutch said:

Wow, thank you for that info. I have about 130 Image Newsstand comics (mostly Wildstorm) and none of them have a 73361 barcode. I bought them all in Canada from my local drugstore or convenience store.

Out of my personal curiosities, do you have any newsstand copies of Rising Stars (especially #15+) or Midnight Nation? For the former, I'm trying -- without much success -- to determine the last issue that saw dual distribution. I don't think Midnight Nation had newsstand distribution at all, but the dates make it an outside possibility.

[bobdutch]

On 10/14/2022 at 12:27 PM, Qalyar said:

Out of my personal curiosities, do you have any newsstand copies of Rising Stars (especially #15+) or Midnight Nation? For the former, I'm trying -- without much success -- to determine the last issue that saw dual distribution. I don't think Midnight Nation had newsstand distribution at all, but the dates make it an outside possibility.

I do not. I have both of those series but all direct. My newest Image newsstand issue is Gen 13 #34 (Oct. '98).

Here's what I have (still need to upload some cover photos into CLZ).

 

Edited October 14, 2022 by bobdutch
meant to start a new line but submitted accidentally instead.

[bobdutch]

Slightly off topic, I recently discovered that there's multiple direct editions of Gen 13 #2 and, from what I see on eBay, other issues in the Wildstorm Rising crossover. The direct edition with the barcode is the same price as the newsstand and printed on newsprint. It doesn't have a foil pack with two Wildstorm Gallery trading cards in it. The indica in all 3 is identical. They all say First Printing and state the regular direct and newsstand prices. Does anyone have any idea why these exist? Maybe there wasn't enough trading cards to include with the print run so they offered a more affordable version. Just speculating, we might never know.

Edited October 15, 2022 by bobdutch
Fix bad autocorrect

[WolverineX]

On 10/14/2022 at 6:25 PM, bobdutch said:

I do not. I have both of those series but all direct. My newest Image newsstand issue is Gen 13 #34 (Oct. '98).

Here's what I have (still need to upload some cover photos into CLZ).

 

Nice collection. 

 

I have the same stormwatch 24.. what's your last cyberforce, pitt? I assume you have the last spawn and witchblade?

[devald]

On 10/14/2022 at 7:42 PM, bobdutch said:

Slightly off topic, I recently discovered that there's multiple direct editions of Gen 13 #2 and, from what I see on eBay, other issues in the Wildstorm Rising crossover. The direct edition with the barcode is the same price as the newsstand and printed on newsprint. It doesn't have a foil pack with two Wildstorm Gallery trading cards in it. The indica in all 3 is identical. They all say First Printing and state the regular direct and newsstand prices. Does anyone have any idea why these exist? Maybe there wasn't enough trading cards to include with the print run so they offered a more affordable version. Just speculating, we might never know.

This may be an example similar to what marvel was doing with their X-men (e.g., wolverine 88 “deluxe”) and age of apocalypse series. Offering the direct market a basic product for the collector who just wanted to read the story and another version for those that wanted the gimmicks (card inserts, foil cover, better paper stock, etc.)

I recall it as being a response to readers concern of the escalating price of comics as each month was some “special edition” holo-chrome-diecut edition of non key/event type book. 

Edited October 15, 2022 by devald

[bobdutch]

On 10/15/2022 at 4:55 AM, WolverineX said:

Nice collection. 

 

I have the same stormwatch 24.. what's your last cyberforce, pitt? I assume you have the last spawn and witchblade?

Nope, I only collected Wildstorm comics. I do have Spawn 50 and Cyberforce 25. I don’t recall ever seeing a Pitt at the newsstand. 

[djzombi]

Recent 50-cent bin acquisitions:

 

[bobdutch]

On 10/30/2022 at 7:16 PM, djzombi said:

Recent 50-cent bin acquisitions:

 

What’s the barcode on your Wildcats Adventures 4?

[djzombi]

On 11/1/2022 at 2:27 AM, bobdutch said:

What’s the barcode on your Wildcats Adventures 4?

0 773361 64514 2