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

[Albert Tatlock]

On 5/14/2024 at 6:29 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

My arrival date studies are focussed elsewhere Albert. Someone else can have a go

I will try to shoulder that burden, in my limited interludes of sobriety.

[Malacoda]

On 5/14/2024 at 6:39 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

I'm not sure where you got the cover date being a 'remove from sale date' thing from - I'm not sure I've heard that before.

OK, this isn't where I read it, but this is definitely the same point. 

While we might typically call the date on the cover of a comic the "cover date", the correct term is "pull date".

The reason it's called the "pull date" is because the date on the cover is actually the date that retailers are supposed to remove the book from their shelves to make way for new issues.

Publication date versus Cover Date on the comic template. | Fandom

[Malacoda]

And again....

What you see on newsmagazine covers, at least, is not the publication date but what is sometimes called the “off-sales” date — that is, the date on which dealers are supposed to pull the magazine from the stands

Why are magazines dated ahead of the time they actually appear? - The Straight Dope

 

 

[Malacoda]

And again

The publication or cover date, which is typically 2 months after the release date, was to inform retailers when they needed to remove any unsold copies of a book from their shelves so as to make space for new issues.

 

[Get Marwood & I]

Not a brainfart then, clearly Rich!  If those 1960s Marvels followed the same rule, then yes, that ST #75 was on the shelf quite a while. Assuming no one bought it, of course.

[Malacoda]

aww! I was just going to post "Deeper on down...."

Most long-time comic book collectors will understand that the cover date isn’t the release date, but rather an indicator for when the comic book should be removed from comic book store shelves.

What Happened to Comic Book Cover Dates? - Superman Homepage

[Malacoda]

@Get Marwood & I  Hang on.....I just.....I just told you something you didn't already know.  Can it be true?  And it only took 4 years. Ah well, I guess I can go now.  

 

 

[Malacoda]

Still on topic, these guys are having a very short but interesting chat.   The OP makes my point about distribution being impacted by the size of the States and One Who Knows (seemingly) explains why it was not an issue.  Aha!

Also, a "Mr. Urban" of "The Internet" makes your point Steve:

I think the best "evidence" would be to find actual examples of venders own date stamps on the covers, to see the irregularities & spread in the distribution system.

Marvel Silver Age comics publication date & newsstand dates - CollectedEditions.com (tapatalk.com)

 

 

[Get Marwood & I]

On 5/14/2024 at 7:38 PM, Malacoda said:

@Get Marwood & I  Hang on.....I just.....I just told you something you didn't already know.  Can it be true?  And it only took 4 years. Ah well, I guess I can go now.  

That's it, I'm deposed 

Rich, I've always limited my research to what the comics tell me. You've heard me say that before. You know much more than me, because you read and devour everything that you can find. I never have. Loads of books on comics purchased. Haven't read any of them. If I'm honest, I'm only interested if there's an actual comic at the centre of it, telling me something that I didn't know. I've only ever dealt with what I can prove by holding the evidence in my hands. Comics are the exciting thing, for me. Other people writing about them? Less so. Let's face it, I'm odd. 

[Albert Tatlock]

On 5/14/2024 at 8:29 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

I've always limited my research to what the comics tell me

Here is what the lettercol of FF # 6 tells us:

Set in type 14 March

Mike says it shoulda got to where it shoulda got to by 12 June

Cover date September 1962.

[Get Marwood & I]

On 5/14/2024 at 9:08 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

Mike says it shoulda got to where it shoulda got to by 12 June

This time there's a LOC / arrival date match. And it's a 3 month on sale to cover date rule match 

   

[Malacoda]

On 5/14/2024 at 9:08 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

Here is what the lettercol of FF # 6 tells us:

Set in type 14 March

Mike says it shoulda got to where it shoulda got to by 12 June

OK, can we just stop to address the fact that Albert accepted this challenge and within a couple of hours came back with evidence off no less a direct source than the letters page of FF#6. Proper smoking gun.  And that's allowing time to sober up enough to type as well.   

[Malacoda]

On 5/14/2024 at 9:08 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

Set in type 14 March

Mike says it shoulda got to where it shoulda got to by 12 June

Cover date September 1962

So these comics were completely produced by the beginning of March, typeset by the middle for a 12th June delivery date and cover dated (i.e. distributed in the UK) in September.  Can I just say 3 words here?

Dreaded deadline doom.

How the Hell did they manage to miss so many deadlines when they were working 7 months in front of it? Famously Wally Wood missed the deadline for Daredevil #1 so badly that they had to slip Avengers into production ahead of schedule to fill the slot.  It was supposed to be Sept 63 but ended up arriving in April 1964.  If WW was supposed to have DD done 7 months ahead of cover date, he was 14 months late with it.  

[Malacoda]

On 5/14/2024 at 8:29 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

Comics are the exciting thing, for me. Other people writing about them? Less so. Let's face it, I'm odd.

No, I wish I could recapture a bit more of this.  It's still exciting when an envelope arrives on the doormat, but I don't get anything like the pleasure I used to get from reading the stories any more.  I get buzzed when a rare comic arrives, but it's the artefact, the object, rather than the story it contains that buzzes me now (I'm sure you're the same) and, exactly as you say, I get far more buzz from finding a key fact than reading the issue it relates to.  I've been reading the original X men recently and my God, is it a slog at some points. FF and Avengers went monthly at issue 6 but X men took to issue 14 and sadly you can see why. It's a shame because the characters and the set up are great, but the writing and the art really don't feel like they were getting the focus.  And yet I loved them when I was little. Maybe it's because I've got a lot of other (non comic) stuff I have to read, so I keep putting it down, but I really don't think so.   

Edited May 14 by Malacoda

[Get Marwood & I]

On 5/14/2024 at 11:49 PM, Malacoda said:

And yet I loved them when I was little.

I can still read enjoy the early Spideys. There's something magical about them, regardless of how simple they seem today. I don't read much anymore, alas. Fell out of the habit. I liked ASM from BND up to the first Superior Spider-Man run. They were pretty good, but I stopped buying new comics shortly after. I keep meaning to try the current book again but never get around to it. It might be good, it might not. If you leave things too long though, you tend to die, so I suppose I should crack on with it. 

[rakehell]

Interesting lot currently in the Saleroom auction:

My Girl Pearl (1960-61) 7-11. With My Friend Irma 39 (1954) [vg/vg+] (6). No Reserve (the-saleroom.com)

No UKPPV of #7, but a nice cents copy to sit alongside a UKPPV that I know a certain individual has in his stash. 

[Get Marwood & I]

On 5/16/2024 at 11:15 AM, rakehell said:

Interesting lot currently in the Saleroom auction:

My Girl Pearl (1960-61) 7-11. With My Friend Irma 39 (1954) [vg/vg+] (6). No Reserve (the-saleroom.com)

No UKPPV of #7, but a nice cents copy to sit alongside a UKPPV that I know a certain individual has in his stash. 

Great minds Patricia, I saved it to the files this morning. I was expecting it to be the UKPV, but saved it to check the 10c font later as that issue is in the US Price Font Variations date window. I always perk up when a Pearl gets listed. She was a singer, you know 

[Get Marwood & I]

Fabulously hard book to find as a UKPV. I've only seen three in the last 8 years...

...and I've been studying real hard!!

[Get Marwood & I]

Just saw this on eBike - quite unusual to see UK stamped Romance from this period, let alone double stamped 

I like that title by the way. "It's over"

"All over!"

Dramatic.

[Get Marwood & I]

@rakehell 

Daphers, it's our favourite red 9d sticker again 

Four aces!