"Rarest GA DC Publication" (?) Roll Call 4 4

[IngelsFan]

Just now, sfcityduck said:

Apologies if I was unclear, but I am saying that there are more ashcans than just Double Action 1 for which only one copy is known to exist.  I think a number of those are more desirable than the Double Action 1.

Ah, ok. Now I understand. I totally agree that there are more desirable ashcans out there. I don’t go for ashcans but love seeing them. As far as rarest published DC books go, I’m still looking for a Double Action #2.

[EC ed]

On 8/25/2020 at 6:57 PM, OtherEric said:

@EC ed- What do you personally consider the first EC?  The two major contenders I'm aware of are Picture Stories from the Bible NT 2 (AA on cover, Educational Comics in indicia) and Picture Stories from American History #1 (EC logo on cover), but both those guesses are based on what I've personally seen, not a comprehensive knowledge of the publisher.

Great question @OtherEric ...those two books are indeed the contenders. Pic. Stories from the Bible NT #2 was the first indicia appearance of Educational Comics (March 1945), and Pic. Stories Amer. History #1 was the first EC cover logo appearance (November 1945).

Good arguments could be made for either, but right now Pic. Stories from American History #1 gets my vote. It's the first book that Max Gaines published under the EC branding, and the first book he published after he officially parted ways with his old business partners at National/DC. Of course, I have both books, just to be on the safe side  

As an aside, another contender could be the 7th printing of Pic. Stories from the Bible Complete Old Testament edition (that's a complicated situation that would take another post to explain), but the problem with that is that we don't know the exact date of its printing (also, it doesn't have an EC cover logo).

Edited August 27, 2020 by EC ed

[sfcityduck]

5 hours ago, EC ed said:

Great question @OtherEric ...those two books are indeed the contenders. Pic. Stories from the Bible NT #2 was the first indicia appearance of Educational Comics (March 1945), and Pic. Stories Amer. History #1 was the first EC cover logo appearance (November 1945).

Good arguments could be made for either, but right now Pic. Stories from American History #1 gets my vote. It's the first book that Max Gaines published under the EC branding, and the first book he published after he officially parted ways with his old business partners at National/DC. Of course, I have both books, just to be on the safe side  

As an aside, another contender could be the 7th printing of Pic. Stories from the Bible Complete Old Testament edition (that's a complicated situation that would take another post to explain), but the problem with that is that we don't know the exact date of its printing (also, it doesn't have an EC cover logo).

Great info.  If only CGC knew what you do.  They have the first EC publication as a book with no EC branding, no EC in the indicia, it's a reprint from a publication that had zero connection to EC, and it dates from 1942.  

[EC ed]

24 minutes ago, sfcityduck said:

Great info.  If only CGC knew what you do.  They have the first EC publication as a book with no EC branding, no EC in the indicia, it's a reprint from a publication that had zero connection to EC, and it dates from 1942.

Thanks. Yeah that drives me crazy...an EC publication from 3 years before EC even existed as a company.  

[EC ed]

1 minute ago, EC ed said:

31 minutes ago, sfcityduck said:

Great info.  If only CGC knew what you do.  They have the first EC publication as a book with no EC branding, no EC in the indicia, it's a reprint from a publication that had zero connection to EC, and it dates from 1942.

Thanks. Yeah that drives me crazy...an EC publication from 3 years before EC even existed as a company.  

Although to be somewhat fair, Max Gaines trademarked "Educational Comics" in May, 1941...he just didn't use it until he started EC in 1945...

[sfcityduck]

Any doubt that "Defend" is a DC (All-American) publication can be definitively eliminated.  Here's a house ad from All-Star Comics #10 which makes clear that "How You Can Defend Your Home" is an All-American Publication and, in fact, offers it at a premium price to All-American Flying Club members (note also the reference to the Uncle Sam house ad posted on the first post of this thread):

And from All-Flash 4:

And from All-American Comics 42:

 

A version of these ads also apparently ran in Batman 10 (but I haven't tracked it down yet).  It's definitely a DC/All-American folks.  

 

[Yorick]

Since the book is so rare (and we'll never get to see it), please show us some of the "over fifty American, British and enemy planes" illustrations.  Sounds pretty cool...

[sfcityduck]

3 hours ago, Yorick said:

Since the book is so rare (and we'll never get to see it), please show us some of the "over fifty American, British and enemy planes" illustrations.  Sounds pretty cool...

Up thread there is a link to a scan of the whole book.  

[OtherEric]

On 8/27/2020 at 10:58 AM, EC ed said:

Great question @OtherEric ...those two books are indeed the contenders. Pic. Stories from the Bible NT #2 was the first indicia appearance of Educational Comics (March 1945), and Pic. Stories Amer. History #1 was the first EC cover logo appearance (November 1945).

Good arguments could be made for either, but right now Pic. Stories from American History #1 gets my vote. It's the first book that Max Gaines published under the EC branding, and the first book he published after he officially parted ways with his old business partners at National/DC. Of course, I have both books, just to be on the safe side  

 

Agreed, definitely the safest course.  Luckily, I do.  I've also got the complete OT book; but mine's a first.  I still file it with the EC's, not the DC's, though.

[aardvark88]

On 8/25/2020 at 10:27 AM, sfcityduck said:

Worth noting that the comic book which everyone, including DC, views as the first DC - New Fun 1 - was not published by Detectic Comics Inc., but by National Allied Publications - which was then owned by Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson.  MMW-N published New Fun/More Fun and New Comics/New Adventure/Adventure up until 1937, when he joined with Harry Donenfeld and Jack Liebowitz to create Dectective Comics Inc. to publish Detective Comics 1. 

Rare early 'New Fun':

[aardvark88]

On 8/26/2020 at 10:28 AM, sfcityduck said:

 I'd rather have the DC Flash ashcan or the Fawcett Flash/Thrill ashcan than "Defend."  

Rare DC Flash ashcan (not mine but wish it were).

[Yorick]

On 5/30/2023 at 8:54 AM, aardvark88 said:

Rare DC Flash ashcan (not mine but wish it were).

I absolutely love how this shows the entire O'Mealia illustration rather than the cropped version printed in Adventure.