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

[Albert Tatlock]

On 10/12/2023 at 11:30 AM, themagicrobot said:

A Timmy from March 1959

When I was a nipper, the oldest item in my collection for a while was a TTTG dated May 1959. It was surely a T & P latecomer.

I only hung onto it because it was (to me, at least), so ancient.

Finding anything pre-dating the last days of 1959 was just about impossible with the limited sources of supply I had at the time.

Even the ubiquitous DC Thomson stuff only turned up in dribs and drabs before cover date 1958.

I ended up with a good run of The Topper from the late 1950s and early 1960s, likewise my brother with his stack of Beezers, but they were all consigned to the flames in commemoration of the downfall of Catesby, Fawkes and their associates.

I had, I felt, outgrown such childish frippery. Little did I know that the bug that had bitten me was not deceased, only dormant, and my interest was rekindled in 1965 on discovering a copy from 1960 that I still remembered.

Of course, I had the sense not to perform an auto-da-fe with my comic books, as they were then dubbed to distinguish them from mere comics, the weekly British ones, as the American ones had a definite resale value at second-hand outlets, which scorned to stock the worthless kiddies' stuff.

[themagicrobot]

To discover a DC comic dated before 1963 when I began seriously collecting them in 1965 was like finding an ancient antique even though it was a mere four or five years old. Yet, with their colourful covers they had survived in greater numbers than the originally far more plentiful UK newsprint comics of a similar age.  It was different for the hardback UK Annuals which still exist in reasonable numbers to this day. A relative gave me this 1951 Dandy Annual in 1966. It looked positively prehistoric and it was a window into a long-gone world.

 

 

 

[Albert Tatlock]

On 10/12/2023 at 5:53 PM, themagicrobot said:

To discover a DC comic dated before 1963 when I began seriously collecting them in 1965 was like finding an ancient antique even though it was a mere four or five years old. Yet, with their colourful covers they had survived in greater numbers than the originally far more plentiful UK newsprint comics of a similar age.  It was different for the hardback UK Annuals which still exist in reasonable numbers to this day. A relative gave me this 1951 Dandy Annual in 1966. It looked positively prehistoric and it was a window into a long-gone world.

 

 

 

I think that in one's childhood and youth, one's interaction with the wider world is, by necessity, limited.

As the child matures, he will discover other avenues that simply had not occurred to him previously.

Where to search for out of date comics, for example, could be gained then only by experience.

I was aware of a couple of local street markets, but had no idea how to locate any more. A chance overheard conversation between two housewives on my bus back from school alerted me to another, and as soon as I arrived home, I jumped on my bicycle and paid it a visit. This would have been close to, or even after, 5pm, by which time its present-day counterpart would be deserted, but back then the stallholders put in a full shift.

That particular market proved to be a source of many future acquisitions, but I had not the presence of mind to seek out the market superintendent, or even a stallholder, who could with ease have provided me with a list of similar venues.

Eventually, by trial and error, I mastered the knack of hunting down my quarry, but my earlier naivete meant that there were gaps I could not fill until mail-order dealers made their appearance, asking prices far above the shabby, but cornucopian, second-hand outlets. , 

[Malacoda]

On 10/12/2023 at 11:30 AM, themagicrobot said:

The same dealer has quite a few more Charltons for sale. A Timmy from March 1959 and even a 1958 T&P stamped Charlton.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A shilling and thruppence!  Ethel didn't break that stamp out too often. 

[Malacoda]

On 10/12/2023 at 5:53 PM, themagicrobot said:

To discover a DC comic dated before 1963 when I began seriously collecting them in 1965 was like finding an ancient antique even though it was a mere four or five years old. Yet, with their colourful covers they had survived in greater numbers than the originally far more plentiful UK newsprint comics of a similar age.  It was different for the hardback UK Annuals which still exist in reasonable numbers to this day. A relative gave me this 1951 Dandy Annual in 1966. It looked positively prehistoric and it was a window into a long-gone world.

 

 

 

Those old comic annuals jolt you back in time like nothing else, don't they?  I think it was because they were in the shops for months, but you had to wait until Christmas day to get your hands on it.  The anticipation was exquisitely unbearable. 

 

 

 

[Malacoda]

On 10/12/2023 at 6:50 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

I think that in one's childhood and youth, one's interaction with the wider world is, by necessity, limited.

As the child matures, he will discover other avenues that simply had not occurred to him previously.

Where to search for out of date comics, for example, could be gained then only by experience.

I was aware of a couple of local street markets, but had no idea how to locate any more. A chance overheard conversation between two housewives on my bus back from school alerted me to another, and as soon as I arrived home, I jumped on my bicycle and paid it a visit. This would have been close to, or even after, 5pm, by which time its present-day counterpart would be deserted, but back then the stallholders put in a full shift.

That particular market proved to be a source of many future acquisitions, but I had not the presence of mind to seek out the market superintendent, or even a stallholder, who could with ease have provided me with a list of similar venues.

Eventually, by trial and error, I mastered the knack of hunting down my quarry, but my earlier naivete meant that there were gaps I could not fill until mail-order dealers made their appearance, asking prices far above the shabby, but cornucopian, second-hand outlets. , 

This is a beautiful post, Albert. I read it three times.  I can hear the Last of the summer wine music playing as I read it.  Here in the wild west (of London) I never got any comics from markets, but from some startlingly varied shops: Books, Bits & Bobs (Kingston) was a magic shop and costumiers that sold comics; West Middlesex Books & Things (Hounslow) was a junk shop (of which not a single picture exists), and Marion Pitman Books was a relatively upmarket book sellers by Twickenham Green....shockingly, not even the proprietor (still with us, still selling books) has a picture of that shop.  I've no idea how I stumbled onto any of these places, but given my mania for comics, I probably asked in every magic shop, junk shop, booksellers, travel agent, launderette, bookmakers, fish and chip shop.... 

[themagicrobot]

Comic collecting in my pre-teenage years was a very healthy pursuit. What cash I received was spent not on sweets or chocolate but on adding to my small but growing collection. If I was given busfare money to go to the nearest town I would often walk there instead as that would enable the purchase of an extra (second hand) comic. I would think nothing of cycling five or six miles to other towns when they had friday and saturday market stalls. It was exciting because in 1965 when I went comic hunting I had no idea what I would be returning with.

Fast forward (and it has moved fast hasn't it?) to today and here I am a couch potato buying a (second hand) comic at 7.59AM whilst barely moving a muscle. The comic I have just purchased was one of the earliest comics I recall with fondness. How could you not want to know the origin of Green Kryptonite or the origin of Superman's costume? Who or what was Mr Mxyzptlk? Superboy's first day at school! The whole thing was intriguing. Even the back cover fascinated me. I read that comic over and over. What happened to it? Eventually I would have traded it with a friend, desperate to read something new. But now I am looking forward to reading it again in a few days time.  

 

 

[Get Marwood & I]

On 10/12/2023 at 9:50 AM, rakehell said:

Clearly a sticker, but not one I've seen before. And covering an LM pencey price point by the looks of it.

It sure is Daphers. You and I have actually discussed this sticker before in the Brent thread. I've picked up a few more examples since then, including some from this seller. A single retailer's sticker was my guess, a theory now further supported by this small, likely original owner run. 

[Albert Tatlock]

On 10/13/2023 at 1:16 AM, Malacoda said:

I've no idea how I stumbled onto any of these places, but given my mania for comics, I probably asked in every magic shop, junk shop, booksellers, travel agent, launderette, bookmakers, fish and chip shop.... 

That's where you fell down.

Jumble sales, advertised in your local paper, or on the notice boards outside the library, church and so on could have had you jumping for joy if you hit them at the right time and place.

Still worth checking out, just in case.

[Redshade]

On 10/13/2023 at 10:39 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

That's where you fell down.

Jumble sales, advertised in your local paper, or on the notice boards outside the library, church and so on could have had you jumping for joy if you hit them at the right time and place.

Still worth checking out, just in case.

Yup! Jumble sales, School Bring and Buy Sales, Church Fetes/Harvest Festivals were my hunting grounds too. Not to mention market stalls. And in those days before every second shop on the high street was a charity shop Oxfam held the occasional pop-up in the Town Hall. Happy days.

[rakehell]

On 10/13/2023 at 10:09 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

You and I have actually discussed this sticker before in the Brent thread.

Have we? I'm worried now. No recollection of that, but, then my brain is a bit like Swiss cheese (or Cheeze Whiz) anyway. Do you like fondue? 

[Get Marwood & I]

On 10/16/2023 at 11:14 AM, rakehell said:

Have we? I'm worried now. No recollection of that, but, then my brain is a bit like Swiss cheese (or Cheeze Whiz) anyway. Do you like fondue? 

I'm sure it was you Robert...

Ring any bells?

 

[Albert Tatlock]

I must confess that I am not up to speed with Archie stuff, so not sure whether this has been featured before.

It is an early T & P stamped example, cover date and indicia date September 1959.

[Get Marwood & I]

On 10/16/2023 at 9:40 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

I must confess that I am not up to speed with Archie stuff, so not sure whether this has been featured before.

It is an early T & P stamped example, cover date and indicia date September 1959.

There's a T&P / Miller distribution summary here Albert (as well as my summary on page 1 of this thread):

Here's my #1

[Albert Tatlock]

On 10/16/2023 at 10:30 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

There's a T&P / Miller distribution summary here Albert (as well as my summary on page 1 of this thread):

Here's my #1

Another Archie, this one from Miller.

[Malacoda]

This is not really relevant, but I just noticed something that intrigued me.  Notice how the cover of ASM #79 went for a wild ride between it's original printing, it's reprint in Marvel Tales and it's subsequent reprint in the UK (SMCW 97, rather pleasingly the original number inverted).  

Notice how from the original, Peter Parker gets changed into Spider Man in Marvel Tales and then the UK version retains him being in costume, but changes the shape of the 'to prowl no more' blurb and adds speech bubbles for both Jonah and the Prowler....

 

 

EXCEPT....that's not what happened. The UK reprint actually predates the US reprint, so they redrew PP as Spidey for the UK cover and then retained it for the US MT reprint, putting the 'to prowl no more' blurb back as it was (or just lifting Spidey off the UK plate).  Interesting to note how the colours change. Jonah's suit changes from brown to orange in the UK and back to a paler brown on MT, also his shirt & tie change colour. Also the sky and building are different colours in the UK print and different again in the MT reprint.  

Another fun difference is that for the UK reprint, they had to add more buildings to the NY back drop because the UK covers were wider, but when they did the US reprint, there's actually less of NY even than the original because the title takes up more room. 

 

Every now and again, I get the feeling I've spent too much time staring at comics.  I'll probably go to bed now. 

 

[Get Marwood & I]

On 10/16/2023 at 11:39 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

Another Archie, this one from Miller.

I was never happy with my journal pages and planned a complete rewrite for all the seven UKPV bearing publishers, to include the cents distribution elements too. Archie is such an interesting one with its T&P, Miller and UKPV mix. 

[Get Marwood & I]

On 10/17/2023 at 2:15 AM, Malacoda said:

This is not really relevant, but I just noticed something that intrigued me.  Notice how the cover of ASM #79 went for a wild ride between it's original printing, it's reprint in Marvel Tales and it's subsequent reprint in the UK (SMCW 97, rather pleasingly the original number inverted).  

 

 

EXCEPT....that's not what happened. The UK reprint actually predates the US reprint, so they redrew PP as Spidey for the UK cover and then retained it for the US MT reprint, putting the 'to prowl no more' blurb back as it was (or just lifting Spidey off the UK plate).  Interesting to note how the colours change. Jonah's suit changes from brown to orange in the UK and back to a paler brown on MT, also his shirt & tie change colour. Also the sky and building are different colours in the UK print and different again in the MT reprint.  

Another fun difference is that for the UK reprint, they had to add more buildings to the NY back drop because the UK covers were wider, but when they did the US reprint, there's actually less of NY even than the original because the title takes up more room. 

 

Every now and again, I get the feeling I've spent too much time staring at comics.  I'll probably go to bed now. 

 

That's brilliant Rich. I used to have all 291 Marvel Tales and never spotted that one before. There are a lot of MT vs ASM vs SCW scenarios that I've seen elsewhere but that's a new one on me. I think we did ASM 96 at one point in this thread, with its expanding art?

A rich(mond) source of comicana triviana. Love it 

 

[Malacoda]

On 10/17/2023 at 9:35 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

A rich(mond) source of comicana triviana. Love it 

Awwww. Thank you.  I've probably bored you with this one before, but just in case I haven't, can anyone tell the class what's unique about this cover? 

Edited October 17, 2023 by Malacoda

[Get Marwood & I]

On 10/17/2023 at 1:10 PM, Malacoda said:

Awwww. Thank you.  I've probably bored you with this one before, but just in case I haven't, can anyone tell the class what's unique about this cover? 

28 30 32...

The Scarlet Witch never gets her head shot...

No. Give up.