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

[Malacoda]

On 3/23/2023 at 7:42 AM, Garystar said:

Not a UKPV or T&P to be seen, although I do have one cents double cover (cue Keneth Williams)

Seriously though, thanks for posting.  That was a slam dunk reply.  One thing that is interesting about those titles is that T&P didn't import every Marvel title, which shows there was some kind of selection process going on (from endlessly examining the MU titles & westerns, I tend to disregard the romances, but I forget clean about the humour titles) . 

[Albert Tatlock]

And another copy of Action # 257, slightly better nick, also bearing a 1 stamp.

[Get Marwood & I]

On 3/23/2023 at 3:48 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

And another copy of Action # 257, slightly better nick, also bearing a 1 stamp.

Absent for so long and now available in multiples! Well, two....

[Malacoda]

Imagine if we could find release dates like this for everything....

Edited March 27, 2023 by Malacoda

[themagicrobot]

OK. I'll take the bait. What is the date of the above "advert"? 1950? Later? As it stands it poses more questions than answers. Tim Valour was a H. John Edwards Australian comic. Their Action 15 was 8d not 6d. Did Thorpe and Porter repackage them changing the price to (the more common at the time) 6d??

Spellbound was a Cartoon Art comic in the early 1950s and as we know a Miller comic from 1960 to 1966. Do we have any images of the Thorpe and Porter version? Ring and Razzle speak for themselves and were published for decades. They most certainly weren't comics. If the Razzle 12 here was from 1950 then Razzle 51 (if published monthly) would have been available circa 1953.

[themagicrobot]

Amazingly there is one for sale on the Bay right now.

 

 

[Get Marwood & I]

Nice ad Rich 

I like things like that. I can date my Bugs #3 accurately now:

On 3/27/2023 at 9:27 AM, themagicrobot said:

Spellbound was a Cartoon Art comic in the early 1950s and as we know a Miller comic from 1960 to 1966. Do we have any images of the Thorpe and Porter version?

It's this one Robot...

https://www.comics.org/issue/968840/

....not the Cartoon Art one I posted a copy of a while back in the thread: 

I had the same thought as you on the Tim Valour - I can't find a T&P version either - just the Australian title, as you noted. There's a #14 on eBay currently which shows the indicia:

The pre-1960s T&P era is such an enticing prospect for me. So little appears to have been researched and / or posted about. There are lots of titles and issues that don't appear on the GCD. It would be a lovely thing to do, if you had time and money, to try to start piecing together what exists. There's likely some that have tried, flying under the radar, but I wonder if it's actually too late now? Most of the books have probably gone the way of the dinosaur now and may not have any surviving copies. 

 

[Get Marwood & I]

On 3/27/2023 at 9:42 AM, themagicrobot said:

Amazingly there is one for sale on the Bay right now. 

You beat me by seconds 

[themagicrobot]

Actually my favourite Spellbounds are that rarity known as a Horror comic for girls.

 

 

[themagicrobot]

@Get Marwood & I I couldn't see the T&P Spellbound on the GCD because I assumed Spellbound began with an "S" not a "C"

 

[Get Marwood & I]

On 3/27/2023 at 9:49 AM, themagicrobot said:

@Get Marwood & I I couldn't see the T&P Spellbound on the GCD because I assumed Spellbound began with an "S" not a "C"

 

Yes, I only knew myself because I had the Cartoon Art version. You had to scroll well down the GCD title list to find it. I do remember seeing the T&P one on a recent Facebonk page though. There are so many title derivations of Spellbound it's easy to get confused 

[Get Marwood & I]

On 3/27/2023 at 9:46 AM, themagicrobot said:

Actually my favourite Spellbounds are that rarity known as a Horror comic for girls.

 

 

Your sister's copies, obviously  

[Get Marwood & I]

They're everywhere!

[themagicrobot]

Quote

The pre-1960s T&P era is such an enticing prospect for me. So little appears to have been researched and / or posted about. There are lots of titles and issues that don't appear on the GCD. It would be a lovely thing to do, if you had time and money, to try to start piecing together what exists. There's likely some that have tried, flying under the radar, but I wonder if it's actually too late now? Most of the books have probably gone the way of the dinosaur now and may not have any surviving copies. 

Agreed. The 1950s/early 1960s seems more fascinating to me than the 1970s when they published some lacklustre stuff like Dr Doolittle and Laurel and Hardy. The 1960s period is interesting though. The UK Avengers TV series began in 1961. The Marvel Avengers comic appeared in 1963. Were the TV Avengers featured in any other UK comics at the time or were T&P first with this. They had to reduce the price to sell it then. Must be collectable now though.

 

[Get Marwood & I]

On 3/27/2023 at 9:55 AM, themagicrobot said:

Agreed. The 1950s/early 1960s seems more fascinating to me than the 1970s when they published some lacklustre stuff like Dr Doolittle and Laurel and Hardy. The 1960s period is interesting though. The UK Avengers TV series began in 1961. The Marvel Avengers comic appeared in 1963. Were the TV Avengers featured in any other UK comics at the time or were T&P first with this. They had to reduce the price to sell it then. Must be collectable now though.

 

I was going to bid on one of those on eBay recently as it goes Robot. Outside of my UKPV / distribution interests, I don't know much about the pre/early 60s period but the hunter gatherer in me gets excited by books like these and the same questions come to mind as you had. I go in phases sometimes where I think "I'll look into that" and then other things take over. There isn't enough time in the day really, is there, even in retirement! 

One thing I find - not sure if others feel this way - is if the books pre-date my youth, I sort of feel that investigating them is wrong as I wasn't there. Does that make sense? I didn't live through it, so who am I to start tinkering now with the childhood memories of those that were. OK, I'm rambling. Better go to the shops before the wife notices I've already been online for hours.... 

[Get Marwood & I]

...just quickly though, we're not far off our 4,000th post:

Should there be a prize?

I'm responsible for starting so much rubbish on this forum and you guys haven't helped one bit by keeping on encouraging me.... 

[themagicrobot]

@Get Marwood & I I don't do the Golden Age really. As you say, things before you are born belong to the previous generation. But I like these things that would have been on sale before I had learnt to read. And they do contain Golden Age interiors. The home grown covers are just great. Atlas is overlooked just as much as Thorpe and Porter.

 

[Get Marwood & I]

On 3/27/2023 at 10:20 AM, themagicrobot said:

@Get Marwood & I I don't do the Golden Age really. As you say, things before you are born belong to the previous generation. But I like these things that would have been on sale before I had learnt to read. And they do contain Golden Age interiors. The home grown covers are just great. Atlas is overlooked just as much as Thorpe and Porter.

 

Back from the shops Robot. There's this big round yellow thing in the sky today which I think they call the sun. Haven't seen him for a while. He does make you feel oddly optimistic about things, when he puts his first proper appearance in to herald the coming of Spring. I may have to go out more, now.

They're lovely aren't they. You and me are quite similar in that we love to look into these things and post about them, even though the majority are indifferent to them. So many of the UK publications appear to have passed by unnoticed. I'm glad there are people like you out there who pull books like these out of the pack. As I always say, all good fun, and what else can we do on a Monday morning - sunny or otherwise? 

[Get Marwood & I]

On 3/27/2023 at 5:01 AM, Malacoda said:

Imagine if we could find release dates like this for everything....

Let us know where that comes from Richmond, when you get a minute. There will surely be others....

[Get Marwood & I]

You wait ages for a 9p stamped Red Circle and then two come along at once....