The Distribution of US Published Comics in the UK (1959~1982) 15 15

[Malacoda]

16 hours ago, Albert Tatlock said:

The contents of Ms Lane's drawers would have been of interest to Arnold, but of course not the contents of Ms Lane's drawers.

Lois interviewing Superman | Superman (3 Hour TV Version) - YouTube

[Malacoda]

Hey Albert, were you asking about slabbed copies of UKPV's somewhere?  FF 7 ? Something else?  I can't find it. Maybe it was a dream. 

[Albert Tatlock]

1 hour ago, Malacoda said:

Something else? 

I think it was a comment on the low numbers of FF 7 (pence) on the CCC census. Only 2 had been submitted for grading. It was a few months back, though, so needle in haystack job to run it to earth.

[Malacoda]

20 minutes ago, Albert Tatlock said:

I think it was a comment on the low numbers of FF 7 (pence) on the CCC census. Only 2 had been submitted for grading. It was a few months back, though, so needle in haystack job to run it to earth.

Fair enough.  I captured some of them last year.  Out of date, but still indicative vs the US numbers.  There were none for 7 as of 2014 (out of 412 graded US copies).  The only other one from the first 15 that had zero was #15 (280 graded US copies). 

 

 

[Albert Tatlock]

FF 7 was the most difficult issue to find at the time.

Usually the last piece of the jigsaw for anyone trying to complete a full set of superhero Marvels.

Dunno why so few copies were shipped, though. T & P must have known they were on a winner with that title by then.

[Malacoda]

Same month as ST 101, which was the first Human Torch solo story.....also in very short supply. Brutal month for FF fans!

[Malacoda]

On 4/18/2021 at 6:21 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

Do you reckon the Upper Brook Street address, in the West End and therefore expensive, could have been used by T & P/Strato purely as an accommodation address?

If so, it would show up as such in a 1959 business directory for London.

Getting back to this, I always feel like the real story of T&P (also Marvel, DC and everyone else) is off page.  39 UBS is a £5m gaff, with small but palatial interiors and original frescos on the walls.  If this was warehousing for MAD comics, it was the most expensive warehouse on the planet.  An accommodation address makes a lot more sense, but then how many foreign dignitaries were they entertaining? How many awards ceremonies did they attend?  If Fred had a fancy woman, I would have thought she'd be in Leicester. The only time he ever left the place was world war two (and that's only because Hitler refused to hold it Leicester).

[Malacoda]

On 9/19/2020 at 3:06 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

Ok, hands up if you like Tower Comics? 

For some reason Thorpe & Porter tipped the Golden Keys Bow Locks when it came to distributing Gold Key comics in Blighty. And I know why.

Bizarrely, T&P distributed all these:

Anyway, lots of weirdness in the Tower collection who T&P must have fought Len really hard for for the rights, nay glory to distribute.

 

So T&P imported the originals, but Transworld actually had the worldwide distribution rights to reproduce the material.  I know Alan Class reproduced these, but were there any other UK reprints of Tower? 

[themagicrobot]

There were 4 issues of this 1986/1987. Reprints and new UK stories (possibly without permission?)

 

[Malacoda]

Wow.  So those are UK reprints of Tower stories?  Does it mention Transworld anywhere in the indica? Could I ask you please to post it? Thanks

[themagicrobot]

I don't have easy access to my copies but a well known UK artist when writing about these comics on his blog said:

Unauthorised?  I suspect so, primarily because the pages were laser-scanned from what appears to be original TOWER COMICS issues.  Also, there is no copyright acknowledgement to whoever was then the current owners of the material, the only copyright reference being to the U.K. publishers, SAVOY SERVICES LTD.  (The comic was apparently a 'ROCK PHOTO PUBLICATION '.)

[Get Marwood & I]

14 hours ago, Malacoda said:

So T&P imported the originals, but Transworld actually had the worldwide distribution rights to reproduce the material.  I know Alan Class reproduced these, but were there any other UK reprints of Tower? 

Not that I know of, no 

14 hours ago, themagicrobot said:

There were 4 issues of this 1986/1987. Reprints and new UK stories (possibly without permission?)

I've not seen those before - I'd imagine some kids had fun with Jonathan Shatter back in the day though. 

[Malacoda]

2 hours ago, Get Marwood & I said:

I've not seen those before - I'd imagine some kids had fun with Jonathan Shatter back in the day though. 

Do you reckon that Jonathan Shatter is the guy who looks like Morten Harket on the 1st cover and James Bond's hairdresser on the 2nd one? I feel like those girls are barking up the wrong tree. 

Edited April 26, 2021 by Malacoda

[Malacoda]

4 hours ago, themagicrobot said:

I don't have easy access to my copies but a well known UK artist when writing about these comics on his blog said:

Unauthorised?  I suspect so, primarily because the pages were laser-scanned from what appears to be original TOWER COMICS issues.  Also, there is no copyright acknowledgement to whoever was then the current owners of the material, the only copyright reference being to the U.K. publishers, SAVOY SERVICES LTD.  (The comic was apparently a 'ROCK PHOTO PUBLICATION '.)

I can't find any trace of either of those, but many thanks.  I love Transworld. They were a fully global company of which there is virtually no trace now.  They make  the Illuminati look like Apple. 

[Get Marwood & I]

59 minutes ago, Malacoda said:

Do you reckon that Jonathan Shatter is the guy who looks like Morten Harket on the 1st cover?

A-ha.

[themagicrobot]

Off topic (but half this thread has gone off topic). Perhaps we might live to see Rob's book about the History of Marvel UK if it is published in the next few years. He better hurry up whilst there is anyone left still interested in the subject. His early chapters about licencing Marvel material here in the UK (and Transworld) will be interesting. Features on Ghostbusters comics, not so interesting. But there sure were lots of extremely odd comics produced here.

https://a-distant-beacon.blogspot.com/

 

Edited April 26, 2021 by themagicrobot

[Garystar]

9 minutes ago, themagicrobot said:

. Perhaps we might live to see Rob's book about the History of Marvel UK if it is published in the next few years.

How long has this been in progress - must be 20 years? I’d forgot all about it, be interesting to read latest updates. I recall identifying a few pages of source material back in the days of Comics International.  

[Get Marwood & I]

I gave up following that about 30 years ago. At least, that's how long it seems to have been in the pipeline. 

[Malacoda]

On 4/26/2021 at 6:55 PM, themagicrobot said:

Off topic (but half this thread has gone off topic). Perhaps we might live to see Rob's book about the History of Marvel UK if it is published in the next few years. He better hurry up whilst there is anyone left still interested in the subject. His early chapters about licencing Marvel material here in the UK (and Transworld) will be interesting. Features on Ghostbusters comics, not so interesting. But there sure were lots of extremely odd comics produced here.

https://a-distant-beacon.blogspot.com/

Indeed.  I think the first time I encountered it, it was called Cents to Pence 1951 - 2011.  It's had some re-titlings since then. I know he interviewed Ray Wergan in some depth, that's the bit I'm gagging for. 

[Albert Tatlock]

On 1/23/2021 at 1:37 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

I posted my copy of My Girl Pearl in my Marvel UKPV thread early on and noted how scarce it was. Since then, I have seen about four copies. So it is a very scarce book

Found at last, my copy of My Girl Pearl, which had been languishing in a box file since the early 1970's.

Protected by a polythene bag, courtesy of Lakeland Plastics, the go-to firm of the time, but this was long before bagging and boarding became de rigueur.

Pearl has now been transferred to more suitable accommodation, as is only fitting, she being a Pearl of great price.

Two observations:

1) Is this the earliest cover dated recipient of T & P's triangle? No telling when it was applied, of course, it could have been at any time up until decimalisation. My purchase records are incomplete, but I remember who sold it to me, and it was somewhere in a series of transactions with him in mid to late 1972, probably in one of the later deals.

2) The print from the T & P indicia has transferred on to the facing page, but none of the other print on the inside front cover. The only explanation that presents itself to me is that the cover had already been printed in advance without the T & P info, which was then added at the last minute, just before stitching and trimming, so two separate printings. I have looked at the copy which recently sold on ebay, and can see the same phenomenon, although more faintly.

It is likely that more of the UKPVs of the time display the same transfer of ink. I have had a quick check, without success so far, but expect others to be found.