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

[Malacoda]

On 5/30/2023 at 9:55 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

There were a few in the Spidey completist group as I recall. Some of the books we chased down had the most tenuous Spidey links imaginable. But this one was nailed on for me - hoo else would say hoo boy whilst snapping that shot?

Does this mean you collected (and read) Spidey Super Stories? 

[Malacoda]

On 5/30/2023 at 9:58 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

....followed by a sticker of Spidey and a Mr Fantastic branded elastic band no doubt...

Actually it was a Green Goblin memory stick, a Crusher Creel bathmat and Giant Size Man Thing cup. 

[OtherEric]

On 5/30/2023 at 6:26 PM, Malacoda said:

Does this mean you collected (and read) Spidey Super Stories? 

 

[Get Marwood & I]

On 5/31/2023 at 2:26 AM, Malacoda said:

Does this mean you collected (and read) Spidey Super Stories? 

Oh yes! Everything, I had.

I see Eric has a run too, but he's missing the 'Whitman' #38 and the Fireside:

 

He'll be scouring the 'web' shortly 

I had a few other bits, including this OA page - a real rib tickler:

Of course, today that would be seen as baldist. And no pube jokes, please.

[themagicrobot]

@Malacoda said

Quote

That's such a cool spot, I don't imagine there'll be any arguments. 

I've long since given up of any hope of winning an argument with Steve but as for B&B 64 I see Eclipso on the cover with Batman. I don't see Spider-Man.

[Albert Tatlock]

On 5/31/2023 at 11:14 AM, themagicrobot said:

I've long since given up of any hope of winning an argument with Steve but as for B&B 64 I see Eclipso on the cover with Batman. I don't see Spider-Man.

Isn't that shutterbug Jonah J Jameson's supplier?

[OtherEric]

On 5/31/2023 at 12:38 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

Oh yes! Everything, I had.

I see Eric has a run too, but he's missing the 'Whitman' #38 and the Fireside:

 

 

I actually think my first copy of #38 was the Fat Diamond variant.  (Do NOT get me started on the whole "were 100% of Fat Diamond variants distributed by Whitman" argument.)  But the book, while physically solid, STANK.  Not even sure how to describe it... it didn't smell of mildew or smoke or any of the more common scents comics pick up.  But it's the only comic I can recall simply throwing away because of the smell.  Luckily, I think I only paid $2 for it, so it wasn't even worth the effort to return when the rest of the lot was fine.

This has been today's installment of "Weird collecting tales".  Tune in tomorrow when there's an off chance we'll have another thrilling episode!

Did Spidey ever get UK distribution, anyway?  I don't know if Electric Company ever made it over there.

[Get Marwood & I]

On 5/31/2023 at 5:55 PM, OtherEric said:

I actually think my first copy of #38 was the Fat Diamond variant. 

Fat diamonds 

On 5/31/2023 at 5:55 PM, OtherEric said:

Did Spidey ever get UK distribution, anyway?  I don't know if Electric Company ever made it over there.

Nay. Something is telling me some of them appeared in a magazine, but it won't come to me. Robot will likely know. But no 'UKPVs' for SSS, or identifiable UK distribution copies, alas. 

[themagicrobot]

Quote

Did Spidey ever get UK distribution, anyway?  I don't know if Electric Company ever made it over there.

No UK PVs but for a period in the 1980s the UK Spider-Man comic aimed at a younger reader. It had backup features like Fraggle Rock. I would be surprised if this run with a similar logo didn't contain any Spidey stories.

[Yorick]

On 5/30/2023 at 12:48 PM, Malacoda said:

an iron-on transfer of Iron Man. I'm sure there's a word for that.....

Iron-y?

Where's the golfer emoji?

[rakehell]

On 5/31/2023 at 5:55 PM, OtherEric said:

I don't know if Electric Company ever made it over there.

Nope. Speaking as an infrequent additional (auxiliary?) Yank contributor to this thread, I used to love the Spidey segments in Electric Company. Also notable as an early screen appearance for Morgan Freeman as Vincent the Vegetable Vampire.

 

Classic.

[themagicrobot]

This comic has done some travelling and passed through a number of hands. Cover dated February 1963 it has an "arrival stamp" dated 26th December 1962. It seems they worked on Boxing day in the States then. Here it would have been a holiday. Was the date stamp put there at a warehouse or at the retailer? Would just one copy of a stack of comics tied up with string get the date stamp? 

And despite the "exciting" cover it seems this comic didn't sell in the States and when circa March 1963 came around was removed from the retailer and by means unknown found its way to Thorpe and Porter in the UK. There either Gladys or Ethel gave it a nice 9d stamp and sent it, along with other DCs (and possibly Marvels) to a UK newsagent. Here it was finally purchased "as new", maybe five months after the comic had originally printed.

I wonder whereabouts in (possibly) London that newsagents was located. Brixton? Peckham? Clapham? Walworth? Whoever purchased the comic new, at some point in the 1960s took it to a second-hand book shop located at Camberwell Church Street. He (despite it being a Lois Lane comic I suspect it would be a he)  would no doubt have arrived with a few comics at the Popular Book Centre. He would either leave with half the number of comics he arrived with (but different) or he would have paid something. Here Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane  received two more ink stamps on its cover. 

Someone else purchased this comic from the shop and as recently as May 2023 it was sold yet again on eBay. How many hands has this comic passed through? Where has it been? Who has owned it?  P. Riley at some point. What tales could it tell of the last 60 years?  Man landing on the moon. The adoption of computers and mobile phones by the whole population. The rise and fall of Thorpe and Porter!!

Who purchased this 60 year old comic in May 2023? Yours truly mainly due to curiosity concerning the cover. I knew Lana Lang. I knew Lori Lemaris. But who on earth was Lyla? It seems she was Lyla Lerrol (sometimes with a Kryptonian surname Ler Rol).  The bonkers story concerns the third wedding anniversary of Lois and Superman. Lois (with the help of Superbaby) breaks into his safe and discovers he has held on to pictures of previous girlfriends. Superman had met and dated Lyla when he had travelled through time to visit Krypton before it was destroyed. That is another bonkers story I must track down.   

Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane 39 has everything you could want in a DC comic of that period. Three bonkers stories. A letter from Paul Gambaccini, the Statement of Ownership circulation figures (490,000), ads for early 80 page Annuals and even an ad for Comicpacs.

 

Edited June 3, 2023 by themagicrobot

[Malacoda]

On 6/3/2023 at 9:19 AM, themagicrobot said:

This comic has done some travelling and passed through a number of hands. Cover dated February 1963 it has an "arrival stamp" dated 26th December 1962. It seems they worked on Boxing day in the States then. Here it would have been a holiday. Was the date stamp put there at a warehouse or at the retailer? Would just one copy of a stack of comics tied up with string get the date stamp? 

And despite the "exciting" cover it seems this comic didn't sell in the States and when circa March 1963 came around was removed from the retailer and by means unknown found its way to Thorpe and Porter in the UK. There either Gladys or Ethel gave it a nice 9d stamp and sent it, along with other DCs (and possibly Marvels) to a UK newsagent. Here it was finally purchased "as new", maybe five months after the comic had originally printed.

I wonder whereabouts in (possibly) London that newsagents was located. Brixton? Peckham? Clapham? Walworth? Whoever purchased the comic new, at some point in the 1960s took it to a second-hand book shop located at Camberwell Church Street. He (despite it being a Lois Lane comic I suspect it would be a he)  would no doubt have arrived with a few comics at the Popular Book Centre. He would either leave with half the number of comics he arrived with (but different) or he would have paid something. Here Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane  received two more ink stamps on its cover. 

Someone else purchased this comic from the shop and as recently as May 2023 it was sold yet again on eBay. How many hands has this comic passed through? Where has it been? Who has owned it?  P. Riley at some point. What tales could it tell of the last 60 years?  Man landing on the moon. The adoption of computers and mobile phones by the whole population. The rise and fall of Thorpe and Porter!!

Who purchased this 60 year old comic in May 2023? Yours truly mainly due to curiosity concerning the cover. I knew Lana Lang. I knew Lori Lemaris. But who on earth was Lyla? It seems she was Lyla Lerrol (sometimes with a Kryptonian surname Ler Rol).  The bonkers story concerns the third wedding anniversary of Lois and Superman. Lois (with the help of Superbaby) breaks into his safe and discovers he has held on to pictures of previous girlfriends. Superman had met and dated Lyla when he had travelled through time to visit Krypton before it was destroyed. That is another bonkers story I must track down.   

Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane 39 has everything you could want in a DC comic of that period. Three bonkers stories. A letter from Paul Gambaccini, the Statement of Ownership circulation figures (490,000), ads for early 80 page Annuals and even an ad for Comicpacs.

 

This is a great post.  Thank you for posting this.  It's indeed a beautiful comic (by our deranged standards, ruined by anyone else's).  Shame we can't do a Joanna Lumley and get it to tell us everything about itself.  

I always love DC's 'imaginary' stories (as opposed to the factual Superman stories).  

[Albert Tatlock]

On 6/3/2023 at 9:19 AM, themagicrobot said:

Superman had met and dated Lyla when he had travelled through time to visit Krypton before it was destroyed. That is another bonkers story I must track down. 

Superman # 141 ('Superman's Return To Krypton').

One of the few Superman Family titles that eluded me when I was first trying to complete my collection of the goodies supplied by T & P, of course only October 1959 onwards, as very little before that date could be found anywhere on this side of the pond.

This one, maybe, was in short supply because US customers took up more than their usual percentage of the print run.

Or maybe I was just unlucky.

[Albert Tatlock]

On 6/3/2023 at 9:38 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

Superman # 141 ('Superman's Return To Krypton').

One of the few Superman Family titles that eluded me when I was first trying to complete my collection of the goodies supplied by T & P, of course only October 1959 onwards, as very little before that date could be found anywhere on this side of the pond.

This one, maybe, was in short supply because US customers took up more than their usual percentage of the print run.

Or maybe I was just unlucky.

Why bother buying this issue?

Superman's thought balloon is a perfect spoiler.

Put it back in the rack and find another one whose cover doesn't give the game away.

[themagicrobot]

I recently gave myself a good talking to and decided I don't need any more comics. But I suddenly want Superman 141. It seems Lyla Ler Rol was an "actress". Another LL character from the Superman family that I completely missed. Part two is "Superman's Kryptonian Romance". Part three is "The Surprise of Fate" ??!?? I love the flying "Jetsons" car on the first page. I always imagined that was what I'd be using to get to Tesco if I made it to the C21st.

 

 

Edited June 4, 2023 by themagicrobot

[LowGradeBronze]

On 6/3/2023 at 9:19 AM, themagicrobot said:

This comic has done some travelling and passed through a number of hands. Cover dated February 1963 it has an "arrival stamp" dated 26th December 1962. It seems they worked on Boxing day in the States then. Here it would have been a holiday. Was the date stamp put there at a warehouse or at the retailer? Would just one copy of a stack of comics tied up with string get the date stamp? 

And despite the "exciting" cover it seems this comic didn't sell in the States and when circa March 1963 came around was removed from the retailer and by means unknown found its way to Thorpe and Porter in the UK. There either Gladys or Ethel gave it a nice 9d stamp and sent it, along with other DCs (and possibly Marvels) to a UK newsagent. Here it was finally purchased "as new", maybe five months after the comic had originally printed.

I wonder whereabouts in (possibly) London that newsagents was located. Brixton? Peckham? Clapham? Walworth? Whoever purchased the comic new, at some point in the 1960s took it to a second-hand book shop located at Camberwell Church Street. He (despite it being a Lois Lane comic I suspect it would be a he)  would no doubt have arrived with a few comics at the Popular Book Centre. He would either leave with half the number of comics he arrived with (but different) or he would have paid something. Here Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane  received two more ink stamps on its cover. 

Someone else purchased this comic from the shop and as recently as May 2023 it was sold yet again on eBay. How many hands has this comic passed through? Where has it been? Who has owned it?  P. Riley at some point. What tales could it tell of the last 60 years?  Man landing on the moon. The adoption of computers and mobile phones by the whole population. The rise and fall of Thorpe and Porter!!

Who purchased this 60 year old comic in May 2023? Yours truly mainly due to curiosity concerning the cover. I knew Lana Lang. I knew Lori Lemaris. But who on earth was Lyla? It seems she was Lyla Lerrol (sometimes with a Kryptonian surname Ler Rol).  The bonkers story concerns the third wedding anniversary of Lois and Superman. Lois (with the help of Superbaby) breaks into his safe and discovers he has held on to pictures of previous girlfriends. Superman had met and dated Lyla when he had travelled through time to visit Krypton before it was destroyed. That is another bonkers story I must track down.   

Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane 39 has everything you could want in a DC comic of that period. Three bonkers stories. A letter from Paul Gambaccini, the Statement of Ownership circulation figures (490,000), ads for early 80 page Annuals and even an ad for Comicpacs.

 

This copy would appeal to me more than a high grade example. The history told with stamps and pen is like a magnet.

[LowGradeBronze]

On 6/4/2023 at 10:20 AM, themagicrobot said:

I recently gave myself a good talking to and decided I don't need any more comics. But I suddenly want Superman 141. It seems Lyla Ler Rol was an "actress". Another LL character from the Superman family that I completely missed. Part two is "Superman's Kryptonian Romance". Part three is "The Surprise of Fate" ??!?? I love the flying "Jetsons" car on the first page. I always imagined that was what I'd be using to get to Tesco if I made it to the C21st.

 

 

You wouldn't get more than a couple of bags of shopping in the boot! Very impractical.

[Albert Tatlock]

On 6/3/2023 at 9:19 AM, themagicrobot said:

This comic has done some travelling and passed through a number of hands. Cover dated February 1963 it has an "arrival stamp" dated 26th December 1962. It seems they worked on Boxing day in the States then. Here it would have been a holiday. Was the date stamp put there at a warehouse or at the retailer? Would just one copy of a stack of comics tied up with string get the date stamp? 

And despite the "exciting" cover it seems this comic didn't sell in the States and when circa March 1963 came around was removed from the retailer and by means unknown found its way to Thorpe and Porter in the UK. There either Gladys or Ethel gave it a nice 9d stamp and sent it, along with other DCs (and possibly Marvels) to a UK newsagent. Here it was finally purchased "as new", maybe five months after the comic had originally printed.

I wonder whereabouts in (possibly) London that newsagents was located. Brixton? Peckham? Clapham? Walworth? Whoever purchased the comic new, at some point in the 1960s took it to a second-hand book shop located at Camberwell Church Street. He (despite it being a Lois Lane comic I suspect it would be a he)  would no doubt have arrived with a few comics at the Popular Book Centre. He would either leave with half the number of comics he arrived with (but different) or he would have paid something. Here Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane  received two more ink stamps on its cover. 

Someone else purchased this comic from the shop and as recently as May 2023 it was sold yet again on eBay. How many hands has this comic passed through? Where has it been? Who has owned it?  P. Riley at some point. What tales could it tell of the last 60 years?  Man landing on the moon. The adoption of computers and mobile phones by the whole population. The rise and fall of Thorpe and Porter!!

Who purchased this 60 year old comic in May 2023? Yours truly mainly due to curiosity concerning the cover. I knew Lana Lang. I knew Lori Lemaris. But who on earth was Lyla? It seems she was Lyla Lerrol (sometimes with a Kryptonian surname Ler Rol).  The bonkers story concerns the third wedding anniversary of Lois and Superman. Lois (with the help of Superbaby) breaks into his safe and discovers he has held on to pictures of previous girlfriends. Superman had met and dated Lyla when he had travelled through time to visit Krypton before it was destroyed. That is another bonkers story I must track down.   

Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane 39 has everything you could want in a DC comic of that period. Three bonkers stories. A letter from Paul Gambaccini, the Statement of Ownership circulation figures (490,000), ads for early 80 page Annuals and even an ad for Comicpacs.

 

Hmm..

Wonder why Lyla Lerrol, who perished on Krypton, would sign a photo (in English), and dedicate it to Superman, whom she knew only as Kal-El?

If that photograph ever comes up for auction, I would have to give it a very close inspection.

You have to be very careful these days, what with CGI, deep fakes, and so on.

I hope no-one doubts this is really me posting this.

[themagicrobot]

So we have Lana Lang, Lori Lemaris, Lois Lane and Lyla Lerrol. Lois has a sister called Lucy Lane. Supergirl's secret identity is Linda Lee. Superman's arch enemy is Lex Luthor. I bet there were more LL Luthors as I recall his father was Lionel Luthor at least in the Smallville TV show. And Last but not Least, Lana Lane?!?