What was the first Flip Cover comic book printed? Help me oh wise ones, you're my only hope. 0

[Humangatan]

My Google-fu is failing me, so I'm turning to you wise board members for some knowledge. What was the first comic book printed in flip book format, meaning there's a cover on both sides. The earliest I have found is Magnus, Robot Fighter Vol 1 5 (1991) by Valiant Comics. I'm assuming there's many more from earlier?

 

If you want to know the why, I'm writing two comic books currently and wanted to make them a flip book, and that got me wondering on the history of it!

 

Thanks in advance oh wise ones.

[catman76]

There is at least one issue of Self-Loathing Comics that is like that. One half is R. Crumb drawing it and flip it over and the other half is Aline Crumb drawing that half. Both sides read to the middle of the book.

[catman76]

Found a few more....

All New Underground Comix #3 (1973)

Truckin' #2 (1974)

Super Gay Comix #8 (1986)

Sad Sack/Stumbo Flip Book #1 (1988)

Femforce #146

Batman: Two Face Strikes Twice! 

Vampirella vs Pantha #1

Savage Dragon #2

Spider-man #1/Wolverine #1 Charleston Chew giveaway comic

Harvey Classics Giant #1

Simpsons Comics #2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, 40

Captain America #400

Spectacular Spiderman #217

Eternity Triple Action #1

Edited June 27, 2021 by catman76

[kav]

Zap #3 has a flip cvr if I'm understanding what a flip cvr is.

Edited June 27, 2021 by kav

[Morganmi]

4 hours ago, kav said:

Zap #3 has a flip cvr if I'm understanding what a flip cvr is.

Winner! I see your zap 3 and raise you a zap 4.

[kav]

1 minute ago, Morganmi said:

Winner! I see your zap 3 and raise you a zap 4.

[ADAMANTIUM]

And here I was thinking elephantmen

 

[Morganmi]

6 minutes ago, ADAMANTIUM said:

And here I was thinking elephantmen

 

Only 40 years off, whippersnapper!

[ADAMANTIUM]

6 minutes ago, Morganmi said:

Only 40 years off, whippersnapper!

I DO turn 40 this year

But some of that was facetious haha

[Morganmi]

2 minutes ago, ADAMANTIUM said:

I DO turn 40 this year

But some of that was facetious haha

The original Zap 3 and 4 are  slightly older than me also but I'm still old enough that I was able to buy the 1 billionth edition print run copy off the shelves in the 80's.

[ADAMANTIUM]

8 minutes ago, Morganmi said:

The original Zap 3 and 4 are  slightly older than me also but I'm still old enough that I was able to buy the 1 billionth edition print run copy off the shelves in the 80's.

Lol yep there were a lot of prints, the used bookstore had one hanging on the wall with a chip bag clip, bad thing is the comics are in the "kid section" and I want to say it was a forth or fifth print of #0 

I took It down and put it in the bin so less visible, but in the eighties that might have flown but not today

 

Edited June 28, 2021 by ADAMANTIUM

[Cat]

Youngblood #1! 

 

And I can say it seriously this time! Not the first but probably the best selling! 

[valiantman]

Seems like there's a difference between turning the book over and reading it from right-to-left (reading the pages backwards) and flipping the book over and reading it left-to-right (where either side could be considered the "front side").

Some of the examples shown above have the staples on the right when you "flip" the book, and that's not really a flip.  The staples go on the left. 

[steveinthecity]

Four Color #259 (Dell -1949) 

images from H.A.

 

[THE_BEYONDER]

2 hours ago, steveinthecity said:

Four Color #259 (Dell -1949) 

images from H.A.

 

For the win 

[Humangatan]

On 6/27/2021 at 1:02 PM, K.P.D. said:

Marvel Comics Presents?

I love MCP, especially the Ghost Rider ones. But that was first published in 1988, so def not the first one. Thanks for your answer!

On 6/27/2021 at 3:40 PM, catman76 said:

There is at least one issue of Self-Loathing Comics that is like that. One half is R. Crumb drawing it and flip it over and the other half is Aline Crumb drawing that half. Both sides read to the middle of the book.

 

On 6/27/2021 at 3:56 PM, catman76 said:

Found a few more....

All New Underground Comix #3 (1973)

Truckin' #2 (1974)

Super Gay Comix #8 (1986)

Sad Sack/Stumbo Flip Book #1 (1988)

Femforce #146

Batman: Two Face Strikes Twice! 

Vampirella vs Pantha #1

Savage Dragon #2

Spider-man #1/Wolverine #1 Charleston Chew giveaway comic

Harvey Classics Giant #1

Simpsons Comics #2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, 40

Captain America #400

Spectacular Spiderman #217

Eternity Triple Action #1

Very cool, thanks for all the listings. We're getting earlier with All New Underground Comix #3 (1973), it looks interesting  I might have to check it out.

On 6/27/2021 at 5:22 PM, kav said:

Zap #3 has a flip cvr if I'm understanding what a flip cvr is.

Is this the one?! I never heard about this comic, but read this description and sounds interesting!: https://comixjoint.com/zapcomix3-1st.html. So far this one seems like the one, being published in 1968!

12 hours ago, Mecha_Fantastic said:

Youngblood #1! 

 

And I can say it seriously this time! Not the first but probably the best selling! 

You're right this one might be the best selling! It's definitely one of the most iconic flip books.

 

11 hours ago, valiantman said:

Seems like there's a difference between turning the book over and reading it from right-to-left (reading the pages backwards) and flipping the book over and reading it left-to-right (where either side could be considered the "front side").

Some of the examples shown above have the staples on the right when you "flip" the book, and that's not really a flip.  The staples go on the left. 

Good insight, Zap #3 seems to be the earliest that we have found, that one has staples on the left side for both covers, correct?

[oldmilwaukee6er]

11 hours ago, valiantman said:

Seems like there's a difference between turning the book over and reading it from right-to-left (reading the pages backwards) and flipping the book over and reading it left-to-right (where either side could be considered the "front side")

Zap #4 is kinda the 1st example... flipped and read (somewhat) right to left from back cover where the Moscoso stories meet.

Zap #3 is the 2nd example, read left to right and then flipped upside-down read left to right. Or the other way. Same for Zap #15. 

While Crumb did have the first #0 issue c 1968, I imagine there must be a FEW examples of flipbooks older than 1968 (Ala the Dell above)

Edited June 29, 2021 by oldmilwaukee6er

[kav]

7 minutes ago, Humangatan said:

Is this the one?! I never heard about this comic, but read this description and sounds interesting!: https://comixjoint.com/zapcomix3-1st.html. So far this one seems like the one, being published in 1968!

thats the one

[aardvark88]

On 6/27/2021 at 8:05 PM, Morganmi said:

Only 40 years off, whippersnapper!

There were comic book GA flip covers before Famous Funnies #52(?) circa 1942.

[Morganmi]

10 hours ago, aardvark88 said:

There were comic book GA flip covers before Famous Funnies #52(?) circa 1942.

I don't doubt it but Is there a picture of the back cover? Google search only comes up with this one. Do the Golden age ones have price, #, title on the back cover, and do they read from the back cover as well as the front?