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

[Kevin.J]

2 v 3

[Get Marwood & I]

4 hours ago, Garystar said:

Until March 1969 Marvels were generally UKPV with stamps generally only appearing during gaps of no UKPV. In April 1969 UKPVs restarted (after a year and half gap when only T&P stamps appeared) at 1/- price, however unlike previous periods of UKPVs there is an abundance of stamped copies also. I speculated either;

·         There were reduced numbers of UKPVs which meant T&P needed to fill the gap with stamped cents copies

·         Demand had increased to the extent that T&P needed more supply

·         World Distributors had taken over distribution of UKPVs and T&P stamps were in competition? (I can’t find when World Distributors took over from Thorpe and Porter).

From restart of UKPVs in April 1969 for around 6 months 1-9 stamping continues albeit in a rather random way, then all stamps become number 3. For one month, August 1970, the stamp becomes “5p/1/-“ and thereafter all stamps are T&P – ampersand rather than a number. The last stamp I can find is July 1971. From here on in Marvels are either UKPV or they are non-distributed – no more stamps.

From April 1969 onwards I found no instances of MAJOR TITLES (Avengers, Daredevil, Spidey, FF etc) with a T&P stamp which didn’t exist as a UKPV. However lesser titles such as Peter The Little Pest (posted) Kull, Kid Colt do appear as T&P stamps where no UKPV exists. There might be something in this I’ll have a ponder.

Thanks Gary. I was supposed to be giving the mine pies a rest, but your research inspired me to create a more visual summary of the Marvel position (I like pictures). It's a complete work in progress, and will cover the full UKPV / T&P window. 

When the first draft is ready, maybe you guys could give it the once over and see if it makes sense / is accurate - first 5 date lines below:

[themagicrobot]

I'm sure Thorpe and Porter would have had some form of SOR but I think it would have been random. I doubt that each month the spinner rack was stripped ready for new stock. I feel it would be more likely that the T&P rep would offer to remove some unsold issues depending how much stock was there to help to generate a fresh order from the newsagent.

I was buying new comics from the spinner racks from 1964 onwards. With limited funds I'd buy the latest Superman or Adventure comics and perhaps "save" a Green Lantern for later and purchase it many weeks later.

From 1964 to the early 1970s my local newsagent only ever had DCs on the spinner rack. I never ever saw an ACG or Marvel or Charlton there. Yet the next town had a spinner rack with more Marvels than DCs.

My local newsagent also did a roaring trade in Girly magazines which filled the top half of the spinner rack. The shop was just yards away from the Colliery and the afternoon shift must have finished  around 3pm or 4pm as after school I had to fight my way to the lower racks amongst the numerous Park Drive smoking miners crammed into the small shop.  I'd believe your T& P 9 numbers system if you could match it up with the soft porn and Monster mags as I doubt due to the fact that everyone realised these were imports that cover dates had any significance for the newsagents in whether something was purchased. Much stock stayed there until it was sold as I'd assume was the case with those other spinner racks full of imported paperbacks often seen through the 1960s.

[Get Marwood & I]

10 minutes ago, themagicrobot said:

My local newsagent also did a roaring trade in Girly magazines

Sorry, I'm not sure what these are - can you post five hundred examples? 

[Garystar]

Anecdotal but I asked a friend who started collecting in 1966 about his buying recollections. He thought US comics were probably on firm sale as spinner racks often contained comics more than a year old. He recalled buying 1965 comics in the same rack as latest issues. Of course the old comics could have been old stock recycled from another newsagent but it could be they had sat there for a year. 
Only his thoughts/recollections so not fact but he did own a comic shop in the 80/90s so does know something about the comic business. 
He also mentioned there was only one copy of each comic supplied so if another kid bought the latest Spidey or Avengers before you that was it. He remembered having to cycle around a few different newsagents in Plymouth trying to find the latest issues. 

[themagicrobot]

[Get Marwood & I]

3 minutes ago, themagicrobot said:

Not the girly I was expecting 

[themagicrobot]

Doesn't the cover show Ogra who was actually Gorgo's (attractive to other monsters) mother?

[Get Marwood & I]

7 minutes ago, themagicrobot said:

Doesn't the cover show Ogra who was actually Gorgo's (attractive to other monsters) mother?

Didn't she get off with Hogar?

[Kevin.J]

I remember seeing Gorgo at saturday morning cinema at the odeon as a kid back in the day, loved it and used to say it was my favorite movie, saw it a few years ago on TV and it was still great in a nostalgic sort of way, but I decided then, it is no longer my favorite movie  

[Get Marwood & I]

1 minute ago, Kevin.J said:

I remember seeing Gorgo at saturday morning cinema at the odeon as a kid back in the day, loved it and used to say it was my favorite movie, saw it a few years ago on TV and it was still great in a nostalgic sort of way, but I decided then, it is no longer my favorite movie  

You can't beat the old black and whites. I'm going to have to dig me Gorgo pence Charltons out now...

[Get Marwood & I]

4 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

You can't beat the old black and whites. I'm going to have to dig me Gorgo pence Charltons out now...

It was in colour wasn't it 

[Kevin.J]

3 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

You can't beat the old black and whites. I'm going to have to dig me Gorgo pence Charltons out now...

 

1 minute ago, Get Marwood & I said:

It was in colour wasn't it 

Yeah technicolour I think

 

[Get Marwood & I]

Just now, Kevin.J said:

 

Yeah technicolour I think

 

I must have had a black and white telly. 

[Kevin.J]

I just looked to see if I had any Gorgo scanned, I didnt but got a nostalgia rush of this group shot, I can see a few Pencers in there too 

 

[Kevin.J]

2 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

I must have had a black and white telly. 

Yeah, same here, I didnt realise Star Trek was in colour until the 1980s

 

[Get Marwood & I]

 

5 minutes ago, Kevin.J said:

I just looked to see if I had any Gorgo scanned, I didnt but got a nostalgia rush of this group shot, I can see a few Pencers in there too 

 

Niiice. No pencers in there though Kevin. Only dual priced copies. 

 

[Kevin.J]

2 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

Niiice. No pencers in there though Kevin. Only dual priced copies. 

Ah, my bad, I didnt blow it up just looked with my old eyes, the first 6 or so are cents only and I thought the rest were pence, but you are correct  

[Get Marwood & I]

Just now, Kevin.J said:

Ah, my bad, I didnt blow it up just looked with my old eyes, the first 6 or so are cents only and I thought the rest were pence, but you are correct  

[Kevin.J]

Well whatever, its only in our threads here where something like Peter the little pest, Gorgo and Valley of the Dinosaurs get any love