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

[Malacoda]

On 12/17/2022 at 1:26 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

My brother would sell fresh mint – quick and easy to grow - down the market whilst I would be helping my mother to make the garlands, or getting on a bus to the wholesaler to buy comics  to sell as we began to add products to our stall. This was a further sign of our entrepreneurial spirit. It wasn’t the regular comics like Beano and Dandy I chose because those could be purchased in any newsagent. Instead I bought the newly available American comics with superheroes like Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel and Spiderman. These were the very early imports; colourful and highly collectable.

His memory is letting him down, though, as he is talking here about the immediate post-war period, over a decade before Spider-Man made his debut.

He's definitely talking about the reprints, not the imports, although they were regarded as the 'yank mags' or as good as.  Shortly after this, he puts a date to it:

When I was fifteen....I had also finished the conversion of the front room of the house into the small  shop where Mum sold sweets, books, comics and cards for many years. With Ralph and I earning and Mum in her shop there wasn’t the acute poverty we had suffered during the war years and directly afterwards, but we were still very poor. 

That would be 1951.  
 

 

[Malacoda]

On 12/17/2022 at 1:26 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

His sources would have been, as well as the genuine Golden Age articles arriving with US service personnel,  the Thorpe & Porter reprints and, more probably, Miller's output.

It would indeed surely have been Millers.  Gold lived at 442 Green St Newham.  Millers, which was at 342 Hackney Road, is about a 30-40 minute bus ride.  

[Get Marwood & I]

On 12/17/2022 at 1:26 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

I have an article somewhere which gives Miller's trade prices, will dig it out soon.

I'd love to see that, Albert 

[Albert Tatlock]

On 12/17/2022 at 9:34 PM, Malacoda said:

I had also finished the conversion of the front room of the house into the small  shop where Mum sold sweets, books, comics and cards for many years

Is it too late to apply for retrospective planning permission? Some pest with a clipboard is probably opening a file.

[Get Marwood & I]

I might not be online much over the next week or so, so just wanted to say Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to our little pence loving brethren.

Have a good one boys! 

[Malacoda]

On 12/18/2022 at 1:27 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

Is it too late to apply for retrospective planning permission? Some pest with a clipboard is probably opening a file.

It's interesting - he says that the big turning point of getting into that house was actually the concrete space between the front of the house and the pavement which enabled he & his brother to sell things off a trestle table  (mostly which they had made by hand or had been scavenged by their petty-criminal father) to passers by.  It's still there where this silver car is parked.  Strange to imagine little David Gold standing there over 70 years ago selling those reprint comics about which we've said so much. 

[OtherEric]

On 12/18/2022 at 5:51 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

I might not be online much over the next week or so, so just wanted to say Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to our little pence loving brethren.

Have a good one boys! 

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you as well.  (Sorry that it's a non-stamped scan, but it's what I've got handy:)

[Albert Tatlock]

On 12/18/2022 at 6:11 PM, Malacoda said:

It's interesting - he says that the big turning point of getting into that house was actually the concrete space between the front of the house and the pavement which enabled he & his brother to sell things off a trestle table  (mostly which they had made by hand or had been scavenged by their petty-criminal father) to passers by.  It's still there where this silver car is parked.  Strange to imagine little David Gold standing there over 70 years ago selling those reprint comics about which we've said so much. 

I know it well. Walking down Green Street you would never guess that a football stadium used to take up much of the other side of the road.

A little bit further down, at the corner of Castle Street, next to the church, was a street trading pitch dishing out scarves and badges, etc, to the matchgoers.

David Gold's old accomplice, Karren (now Baroness) Brady, used to turn up there on occasion unannounced, to confiscate infringing badges, even though the Hammers shop had no similar items in competition. She scorned to dispatch an underling to do her work. 

Wonder who she got her brass neck off?

Edited December 18, 2022 by Albert Tatlock
correct typo

[Garystar]

Off topic but antiques roadshow bbc1 8pm 29 December is advertised as having a piece on Jonathan Ross’s toy and comic collection. 

[Albert Tatlock]

On 12/20/2022 at 3:44 PM, Garystar said:

Off topic but antiques roadshow bbc1 8pm 29 December is advertised as having a piece on Jonathan Ross’s toy and comic collection. 

T'wiffic.

I weally, weally must catch that.

More seriously, he ran a comic book shop along with Paul Gambaccini.

And his quest to track down the elusive Steve Ditko on the streets of Manhattan is worth another watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfxVO0fLHvA

 

[Albert Tatlock]

....as documented in the intro to JLA Archives Volume 1. 

Well worth investing in if your pockets are not deep enough for the originals.

[Malacoda]

On 12/20/2022 at 4:58 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

More seriously, he ran a comic book shop along with Paul Gambaccini.

Did anyone ever actually go to that comic shop?  I think it was called Top Ten comics.  I always wondered where it was. Ironically, I never saw it come up in lists of the top 10 comic shops, even just ones in London.  I mean, if you google Dark They Were, even 40 years after it closed, you've got more links than you can read, but I never seem to stumble onto their shop. 

[Albert Tatlock]

On 12/20/2022 at 6:17 PM, Malacoda said:

Did anyone ever actually go to that comic shop?  I think it was called Top Ten comics.  I always wondered where it was. Ironically, I never saw it come up in lists of the top 10 comic shops, even just ones in London.  I mean, if you google Dark They Were, even 40 years after it closed, you've got more links than you can read, but I never seem to stumble onto their shop. 

Well, if he never managed to sell anything, there should be some good stuff on the Roadshow. All near mint owing to never having been thumbed through.

[Garystar]

I can’t remember the name of the shop (top ten doesn’t ring any bells) but I did buy a Daredevil #1 from them - mail order. 

[Albert Tatlock]

On 12/20/2022 at 6:17 PM, Malacoda said:

Did anyone ever actually go to that comic shop?  I think it was called Top Ten comics.  I always wondered where it was.

https://www.wolfshead.co.uk/top ten comic archive.html

[Malacoda]

On 12/20/2022 at 9:16 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

https://www.wolfshead.co.uk/top ten comic archive.html

IT WAS ON THE SITE OF DARK THEY WERE? Can't believe it.  It's like finding out Pink Floyd played my local last night.  

[Malacoda]

On the bay today, and substantiating the US distribution date on Mike's.  

Don't worry....even I have no more to say about this comic. 

[Malacoda]

Not relevant to anything, but....

 

[Yorick]

On 12/20/2022 at 1:16 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

https://www.wolfshead.co.uk/top ten comic archive.html

Great read.  Thank you!

[themagicrobot]

 

I was going to pose the question of where did the above image originally appear but, hey it's Xmas.

 

Edited December 24, 2022 by themagicrobot