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

[OtherEric]

On 10/12/2022 at 1:52 AM, themagicrobot said:

But they didn't seem to call them "Annuals" all that often. They soon turned into mere 80 Page Giants and mixed in with the normal numbering. UK Annuals are great survivors because of their sturdy card covers. They are books rather than comics and thus have survived in far greater numbers than their newsprint counterparts. Every US comic collector that likes to own a variety of material should own some UK Annuals. If only to show other collectors they know just what bonkers stuff is out there in the world.

 

Allow me to share some bonkers stuff cred as a US collector, then.  I've also got one of the later Doctor Who annuals, but no scan handy.

Would love to get a couple earlier annuals, but these are nice for the early Alan Moore and Grant Morrison material:

 

[Get Marwood & I]

Did Michael Barrymore, sorry, Superman ever look more masculine...

[Yorick]

On 10/11/2022 at 7:13 PM, gadzukes said:

I love this cover.  There was one on feebay that had been relisted at least twice with mark-downs.  I'd have bought it if it was reasonably priced, but the seller probably is trying to recoup the CGC fees, CCS fees, mailing costs...  Not sure they can go much lower on price.

The grey tone on Mary's lightning bolt give it a silver appearance that I think is awesome!  Sweet book!!!!

[Get Marwood & I]

I found an image of TGK #75 with a 10d T&P stamp finally:

Excluding the non-UKPV bearing Millies and Patsys, RK #43 and TTA #62 are now the only two books in the first UKPV hiatus window for which we have yet to find a T&P stamped copy:

[Malacoda]

On 10/12/2022 at 3:13 AM, gadzukes said:

How often do you UK collectors see the older US content items like this?  I recently bought a "lot" of interesting Fawcett and other items that came out of a barn in the UK.  These are three of them that are similar.  I was expecting black & white on the inside but it's all in color.

I'm guessing there's not a lot of these around any more.  GCD says 1940s.  They're smaller than normal comic size.

Pretty seldom, sadly.  Great find though. And great that they survived long enough in the barn to get into the hands of a loving collector.  Kind of makes you wonder what else is in that barn. 

[Malacoda]

On 10/13/2022 at 9:36 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

Excluding the non-UKPV bearing Millies and Patsys, RK #43 and TTA #62 are now the only two books in the first UKPV hiatus window for which we have yet to find a T&P stamped copy:

It's amazing that not even single rando turned-up-later-as-makeweight copies of those have reared their heads.  I mean, you'd think just to tease, annoy and confound us....

[Get Marwood & I]

On 10/13/2022 at 12:45 PM, Malacoda said:

It's amazing that not even single rando turned-up-later-as-makeweight copies of those have reared their heads.  I mean, you'd think just to tease, annoy and confound us....

Give it time...

[Malacoda]

On 10/13/2022 at 1:56 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

Give it time...

Well, on that topic, here's a couple of beauties.....

Sgt Fury #86.  For 2 years this was the sole hold out in Fury stamps, and I kept seeing this rando

 

which made me wonder if #86 was ND and a bunch got un-crated later, but eventually a stamped 86 turned up. 

though it does still leave the question of how the first one comes to be sold in a UK newsagent seemingly without passing under Ethel's dainty ink-stained digits. 

[Get Marwood & I]

 

On 10/13/2022 at 2:29 PM, Malacoda said:

Well, on that topic, here's a couple of beauties.....

Sgt Fury #86.  For 2 years this was the sole hold out in Fury stamps, and I kept seeing this rando

 

which made me wonder if #86 was ND and a bunch got un-crated later, but eventually a stamped 86 turned up. 

though it does still leave the question of how the first one comes to be sold in a UK newsagent seemingly without passing under Ethel's dainty ink-stained digits. 

Not the best images, but you can just about make out the stamp on both copies, top right:

 

 

[Malacoda]

The other one is even stranger.  This is a cents copy from a title that was completely ND except for 4 issues (and this ain't one of 'em).  

I asked the seller how he acquired it (Vivo is a chain of convenience stores, like 7-11's or Tesco Metro's).  

It was given to him in the 70's by a kid who bought it at the time in Nottingham and it always had that sticker on it.  

Theory A. 

The kid jumped on a train to London, went to Dark They Were or one of the marts, bought a cents copy of Chamber of Chills #13,travelled back to Nottingham, peeled off the DTW sticker, went down his mum's shopping, peeled a 10p sticker off a bunch of bananas, carefully re-stuck the Vivo sticker to the cover of his comic and then gave it to his mate, who, a mere 45 years later, would use the cunning forgery to take me for the princely sum of £3.99.  

Theory B.

He bought it in Vivo. 

 

Strangely, it's theory B that raises the most questions. Given that World only received PV's, this must have had an entirely different route to the UK, which is quite possible, but how did it come be sold in a convenience store in Nottingham?  Also, it dates from Nov 1974.  Marvel comics did not cost 10p until June 1976.  

 

Spoiler: for those of you who are worried about Miss Jones, she doesn't even feature in the story about the mansion of missing persons. 

[Yorick]

On 10/13/2022 at 7:01 AM, Malacoda said:

peeled a 10p sticker off a bunch of bananas, carefully re-stuck the Vivo sticker to the cover of his comic

I do this all the time, but mostly with tangerines.  We get some awesome stickers (and a large variety too) on a brand called Cuties.  I stick those to everything!

[themagicrobot]

I worked in Nottingham in the second half of the 1970s. There was a comic shop in the Lenton area back then so no need to trek to London (although I still did). The "shop" was one room up some stairs above a convenience store.  Dunno if it was a Vivo?!? I presume the comic shop sold cents Marvels but at that time all I ever bought from them were new and back issue Warrens. I must have spent enough with them though as they soon moved to better ground floor premises on Mansfield road.

And this stamp is currently puzzling me. Is it a T&P stamp? If so then why? The UK price is on the cover already. And when you look inside this digest it says "Distributed by F.D. Distribution Chalton Street London. Who were they? Did they distribute any other periodicals? I do recall buying some Famepress digests in 1966. there was a SF one called Gemini and an odd series called S.A.T.A.N.

 

[Get Marwood & I]

On 10/13/2022 at 6:44 PM, themagicrobot said:

And this stamp is currently puzzling me. Is it a T&P stamp? If so then why? The UK price is on the cover already. 

Definitely a Tee and Pee, and it's a fairly regularly occurrence to find an already shilling priced book with a wholly pointless additional shilling stamp. I've a few stamped Top Three examples in the files as it goes. Let's face it, Ethel would stamp the Daily Mail if her Manager left his morning copy on her desk whilst stopping to tie his shoe laces. There's probably a T&P stamped cheese sandwich out there somewhere...

[Yorick]

On 10/13/2022 at 10:44 AM, themagicrobot said:

If so then why? The UK price is on the cover already.

Doesn't the AUS price state 1'3, and the new T&P stamp indicate the UK price as 1'-?  A slight difference.

[themagicrobot]

Looking more closely at these it looks like they were originally 1/3 and the 3d was tippexed out????? Later issues were definitely only One Shilling each so did T&P get hold of a batch meant for Australia and sold them here?

Edited October 13, 2022 by themagicrobot

[Get Marwood & I]

On 10/13/2022 at 7:01 PM, Yorick said:

Doesn't the AUS price state 1'3, and the new T&P stamp indicate the UK price as 1'-?  A slight difference.

Good spot!

Here's a shilling copy:

 

Our old friend the 6d sale stamp:

Similar pricing scenario with this Totem:

And the shilling Gold Tokens:

Ethel just couldn't leave it alone...

 

[OtherEric]

On 10/13/2022 at 10:57 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

Definitely a Tee and Pee, and it's a fairly regularly occurrence to find an already shilling priced book with a wholly pointless additional shilling stamp. I've a few stamped Top Three examples in the files as it goes. Let's face it, Ethel would stamp the Daily Mail if her Manager left his morning copy on her desk whilst stopping to tie his shoe laces. There's probably a T&P stamped cheese sandwich out there somewhere...

The question is, is the cheese sandwich labeled correctly or did they call it the American equivalent, Cheeze Whiz #23?

[Get Marwood & I]

On 10/13/2022 at 7:03 PM, themagicrobot said:

so did T&P get hold of a batch meant for Australia and sold them here?

There's evidence of AUS publications being sold here, so who knows...

  

[Get Marwood & I]

On 10/13/2022 at 7:17 PM, OtherEric said:

The question is, is the cheese sandwich labeled correctly or did they call it the American equivalent, Cheeze Whiz #23?

That's a silly post, Eric.

 

More please 

[themagicrobot]

I'm beginning to wonder where on earth this thread can go to next.