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

[Malacoda]

On 4/6/2023 at 11:11 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

Miss Smooth and Fragrant is involved, so we are told, with a mob of vicious assassins.

As opposed to a mob of touchy-feely nurturing assassins?

Maybe as opposed to kindly, end-of-life, Dignitas type assassins. 

Which girl do you reckon is Miss Smooth & Fragrant?  I think if she intentionally led Yank Agent Steve Graff into a deadly face off with a mob of vicious assassins, then my money's on the girl on the right. Her scarlet underwear is definitely designed to lure.  If it was unintentional, I reckon it was the other girl as her bra and pants don't match so she clearly wasn't expecting to get down to her shreddies. 

[Malacoda]

Hang on a sec.  How come we're at 4101?  I was just basking in the glow of bagging 4000 a minute ago.  I've barely worn the tiara and I haven't opened a single supermarket. 

[LowGradeBronze]

On 4/7/2023 at 4:46 PM, Malacoda said:

.... and I haven't opened a single supermarket. 

That's because Sweep did it for you. She's not called Supermarket Sweep for nothing 

[themagicrobot]

I've not made a detailed study of the Men's mags imported by T&P (honest!) but it did occur to me that as they had been coming to our shores long before the comics officially did I'm sure Gladys and Ethel would have been relieved to stamp some Batmans and Supermans for a change.

 

[Yorick]

I'm on my way to Paris...

[Malacoda]

On 4/7/2023 at 5:38 PM, themagicrobot said:

I've not made a detailed study of the Men's mags imported by T&P (honest!) but it did occur to me that as they had been coming to our shores long before the comics officially did I'm sure Gladys and Ethel would have been relieved to stamp some Batmans and Supermans for a change.

Apparently in the 70's, there was an assembly line of Ethels obliviously sticking porn into packets and covers all day long while chatting about the price of fish and how funny Frank Spencer was last night.  I guess it's shocking for the first 5 minutes.  

Adverts for GBD in the 70's stated 'experienced ladies required'.  Initially I wondered how much experience one needed to stamp a cover or stick something in a box. Then I realised it was not that kind of experience they were thinking about.  

That said, I'm sure you're right in that  'Man' magazine raised a lot more eyebrows in 1959 than some of the more blatant erotica of the 70's. 

Edited April 7, 2023 by Malacoda

[Malacoda]

@Albert Tatlock one for your collection.  Dated Aug 3rd.   Mike puts in on sale at Aug 1st.  

[themagicrobot]

The position of the price depended on who was doing it. Perhaps one of the stamp-wielders was shorter than the other and couldn't reach any higher up the comic.

Aren't comics bonkers? Aren't people selling comics on the Bay mostly bonkers too? Wouldn't it have been a good idea to fold down the tear on  the left before scanning?

Aren't comics bonkers? Archie Giant comics originally had 68 pages. At some point the page count was reduced to 52 pages. From this June 1975 Issue No 234 the page count dropped down to a standard 36 pages including cover. BUT THEY STILL CALLED IT A GIANT. The cover continued to be printed with text on the spine. This nonsense of selling Giant comics that were nothing of the kind continued right until the final issue 632 in 1992. All this reminds me of a "sketch" in a Bonzo Dog Band LP.

"I'd like this coat cleaned please".

"That will be 3 weeks dear"

"Three weeks! But the name of the shop is 24 HOUR CLEANERS.

"That's just the name of the shop dear".  

 

Edited April 9, 2023 by themagicrobot

[Malacoda]

On 4/9/2023 at 9:50 AM, themagicrobot said:

Aren't comics bonkers? Aren't people selling comics on the Bay mostly bonkers too? Wouldn't it have been a good idea to fold down the tear on  the left before scanning?

I do like it when sellers honestly display faults rather than try to hide them. Particularly when they take pics of chopped out MVS's rather than keep quiet. The lengths some sellers go to crop flaws out of the pics is nothing short of fiendish. 

[Malacoda]

On 4/9/2023 at 9:50 AM, themagicrobot said:

c.

 

".  

 

This is a very cool stamp, Robot   Any idea what it is? 

[themagicrobot]

As Archie Giant Series 19 is dated December 1962 I assumed it originated from Len Miller's warehouse. It WAS a 68 page "giant" so Len sensibly charged 1/- rather than the usual 6d or 9d for the thinner Archies. Dunno about this One and six though? Perhaps Gold rather than T&P?

 

[OtherEric]

On 4/9/2023 at 8:07 AM, Malacoda said:

This is a very cool stamp, Robot   Any idea what it is? 

It's clearly 1/-, Malacoda.

(I'll be here all week, folks, and don't forget to tip your servers...)

[themagicrobot]

If I had been responsible for purchasing T&Ps ink stamps I would have issued Gladys and Ethel with some of these (suitably modified to have Lsd figures on the bases of course).

[Malacoda]

Happy Easter, Guys....

 

While I have your attention... much time has been devoted to the difference between newsstand and direct editions but does anyone know if there is a difference between subscription editions and newsstand? ( I ask that in all innocence assuming that there is a 10,000 post thread on here somewhere with people threatening to kill each other over whether a particular full stop means something or not).   I thought I would ask the question here in the collegiate and respectful confines of our love nest before I swim out into the shark tank.  Anyone have any info on this?  Remember the bit in the Sparta video where we see the subscription editions being processed differently?  Anyone? Anyone?  

[OtherEric]

On 4/9/2023 at 6:18 PM, Malacoda said:

Happy Easter, Guys....

 

While I have your attention... much time has been devoted to the difference between newsstand and direct editions but does anyone know if there is a difference between subscription editions and newsstand? ( I ask that in all innocence assuming that there is a 10,000 post thread on here somewhere with people threatening to kill each other over whether a particular full stop means something or not).   I thought I would ask the question here in the collegiate and respectful confines of our love nest before I swim out into the shark tank.  Anyone have any info on this?  Remember the bit in the Sparta video where we see the subscription editions being processed differently?  Anyone? Anyone?  

I haven't had a subscription to a comic since 1982, but back then they were the newsstand version, not the direct.  (For reference, the book was Star Wars, and the last issue of my Subscription was #60.)

[Malacoda]

On 4/10/2023 at 2:23 AM, OtherEric said:

I haven't had a subscription to a comic since 1982, but back then they were the newsstand version, not the direct.  (For reference, the book was Star Wars, and the last issue of my Subscription was #60.)

Thanks Eric. It's actually the pre-direct days I'm interested in, so you da man (hopefully).  Do you have any copies of 1970's Marvel or DC's that you know for a fact were subscription copies?  I'd be fascinated to know if there any differences to newsstand copies. 

[OtherEric]

On 4/9/2023 at 6:26 PM, Malacoda said:

Thanks Eric. It's actually the pre-direct days I'm interested in, so you da man (hopefully).  Do you have any copies of 1970's Marvel or DC's that you know for a fact were subscription copies?  I'd be fascinated to know if there any differences to newsstand copies. 

I believe I still have all the issues from that subscription (issues 49-60 of the original Marvel Star Wars run), they are much loved but I've still got them.  I will try to dig them out soon, but not sure where to look at them for differences.

[Malacoda]

Well any differences would be fascinating, but the one I'm after is the product code.  A key difference between the direct editions and the newsstand issues is that the newsstand editions have product codes and the direct ones don't. 

So using your Star Wars 49 as an example,  if you look at the newsstand edition ...

 

You can see that under the month there's a product code of 02817 which is repeated in the bar code. 

but the direct editions don't have any of that.  

 

 

I would love to know what the subscription editions have. Ideally I would love some examples from earlier in the 70's, preferably before the bar codes started up (pre 1976) but this would be a great start.   

I cannot thank you enough for checking on this.  

 

 

[Malacoda]

I note that the later ones just seem to be direct edition copies, but this is long after the WCP Sparta period I'm interested in.  

This one is handy though because it has an actual subscription copy insert certified by CGC.  (I love how you can see the owners hands in the slab). 

[OtherEric]

On 4/9/2023 at 6:56 PM, Malacoda said:

Well any differences would be fascinating, but the one I'm after is the product code.  A key difference between the direct editions and the newsstand issues is that the newsstand editions have product codes and the direct ones don't. 

So using your Star Wars 49 as an example,  if you look at the newsstand edition ...

 

You can see that under the month there's a product code of 02817 which is repeated in the bar code. 

but the direct editions don't have any of that.  

 

 

I would love to know what the subscription editions have. Ideally I would love some examples from earlier in the 70's, preferably before the bar codes started up (pre 1976) but this would be a great start.   

I cannot thank you enough for checking on this.  

 

 

Well, here's the cover of my subscription copy from 1981.  And, in case there's any bonus data you can glean from it, the indicia as well: