zzutak Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 I've stumbled upon a coverless/incomplete copy of a St. John 100-pager. This is one of those square-bound giants that consisted of a cover (4 pages) and three complete coverless return copies (32 + 32 + 32 pages). The first "book" is missing (except for a thin chunk that's still held by the bottom staple). The second/middle book is Teen-Age Romances #28 (St. John; Dec 1952). The third/last "book" is Diary Secrets #14 (St. John; Oct 1952). The dates of the two remaining "books" suggest that this 100-pager is most likely from 1953. The Grand Comics Database has provided limited help; all story titles only trace back to the original 36-page issues cited above. I think my square-bound must be one of those St. John 100-pagers that had variable contents. Something like All Picture All True Love Story (which ran from Oct 1952 to Dec 1952) -- only later, since my 100-pager includes one book published in Dec 1952. If any of you St. John pros have any opinions as to title/issue, I'd love to hear 'em. Many thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tri-Color Brian Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 (edited) Have you tried looking at MyComicShop.com's listings and looking for the contents that matches what you have? Hopefully the St. John 100 pagers were not just random remaindered comics, like EC annuals. If so, your quest will be impossible... Edited November 25, 2021 by Tri-ColorBrian zzutak 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin.J Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 Over here we had Double Double comics in the 1960s-70s, 4-6 cover stripped unsold random comics bound with a new cover, mainly DC but they could be Marvels in there too, the covers didn't always have anything to do with the contents and same cover books didn't always have the same interiors making them a completists nightmare. This was done by the distributor rather than the comic companies and it sounds like Thorpe & Porter ( distributor ) stole the idea from the St John distributor. I would guess looking at who the books were returned to rather than at St John may shed some light, sorry I know that's not a lot of help Get Marwood & I and zzutak 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Get Marwood & I Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 Could it be in the title True Love Pictorial? This example on the GCD has Teen-Age Romances #24 in it: This might be worth a buy, to check? https://www.ebay.com/itm/324100358579?hash=item4b75e301b3:g:5R0AAOSw9h5eaWmi zzutak 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Get Marwood & I Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/7990319/st-john-romance-comics-checklist-fantagraphics-books Dr. Love and zzutak 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzutak Posted November 25, 2021 Author Share Posted November 25, 2021 (edited) On 11/25/2021 at 6:52 AM, Get Marwood & I said: Could it be in the title True Love Pictorial? Quite possibly. The "generic" romance cover (with no specific story titles listed/shown) and date (post-1952) both fit. All that remains is to find a copy that has the same rebound contents as mine (Diary Secrets #14, Teen-Age Romances #28, and one other as yet undefined issue). Many thanks! Edited November 25, 2021 by zzutak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzutak Posted November 25, 2021 Author Share Posted November 25, 2021 On 11/25/2021 at 7:05 AM, Get Marwood & I said: https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/7990319/st-john-romance-comics-checklist-fantagraphics-books A list I've never seen before. Eliminating the pre-1953 and 128-page issues will allow me to focus my search. Many thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzutak Posted November 25, 2021 Author Share Posted November 25, 2021 On 11/25/2021 at 5:26 AM, Kevin.J said: Over here we had Double Double comics in the 1960s-70s, 4-6 cover stripped unsold random comics bound with a new cover, mainly DC but they could be Marvels in there too, the covers didn't always have anything to do with the contents and same cover books didn't always have the same interiors making them a completists nightmare. This was done by the distributor rather than the comic companies and it sounds like Thorpe & Porter ( distributor ) stole the idea from the St John distributor. I would guess looking at who the books were returned to rather than at St John may shed some light, sorry I know that's not a lot of help More interesting stuff I was not aware of before now. Many thanks, Kev! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Get Marwood & I Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 On 11/25/2021 at 4:06 PM, zzutak said: A list I've never seen before. Eliminating the pre-1953 and 128-page issues will allow me to focus my search. Many thanks! Good luck zzu Dr Love might know something - he's a Doctor of Love, after all... @Dr. Love davidtere 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzutak Posted November 25, 2021 Author Share Posted November 25, 2021 (edited) On 11/25/2021 at 3:14 AM, Tri-ColorBrian said: Have you tried looking at MyComicShop.com's listings and looking for the contents that matches what you have? Hopefully the St. John 100 pagers were not just random remaindered comics, like EC annuals. If so, your quest will be impossible. I have not checked MCS yet (but I will). I suspect St. John used "generic" romance covers (with no specific story titles listed/shown) for a very specific reason: so random/various 32-page interiors could be rebound. Fortunately, this is a purely academic exercise, as I already know what I have: coverless-but-otherwise-complete remaindered copies of Diary Secrets #14 and Teen-Age Romances #28 (both with two extra staple holes and a bit of glue on the spine). Edited November 25, 2021 by zzutak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Love Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 On 11/25/2021 at 8:13 AM, Get Marwood & I said: Good luck zzu Dr Love might know something - he's a Doctor of Love, after all... @Dr. Love What I know is that the checklist is invaluable. Thanks for putting that list up there for all to use. As to the exact issue, I was tempted to say one of the All Pictures. But after seeing that note from GCD about the contents of the TLP, well all bets are off, I guess any of the post 1952 100 pages are fair game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Get Marwood & I Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 On 11/25/2021 at 8:09 PM, Dr. Love said: What I know is that the checklist is invaluable. Thanks for putting that list up there for all to use. I love a mystery Doc, and the link came up while I was Googleating. It's great isn't it that there are people out there who put these things together and then share them with the world Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorick Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 The Yumpu list is nice, but trying to dismiss All Picture All True Love Story 2 as "not by Baker" goes too far. Additionally, are the other Giant Editions (not the Baker covered ones) also rebound books (I believe they all are)? The list is focusing on only the "hot" Baker covers. I feel that in this case, there will never be certainty. Might as well find another St John coverless romance book, bind it together with these, and make a NEW Giant Comics Edition #18! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Get Marwood & I Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 There's a copy of TLP #3 on eBay as follows: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353673660295?hash=item525897c787:g:3EMAAOSwVMlhQNuo The story 'Hotel Week-end' is, according to the GCD, a story in TLP #3 (a match!) and Teen-Age Romances #29, but by Magazine Management, not St John: Your book has TAR #28 in it @zzutak - is it definitely a St John story? Why would a 1955 Magazine Management book be in a 1953 St John TLP? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorick Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 On 11/25/2021 at 12:33 PM, Get Marwood & I said: There's a copy of TLP #3 on eBay as follows: The story 'Hotel Week-end' is, according to the GCD, a story in TLP #3 (a match!) and Teen-Age Romances #29, but by Magazine Management, not St John: I think the Aussie version of TAR 29 is reprinted FROM TLP 3. GCD has added a lot of new linking features, and there's plenty of migrating work to be completed.... Get Marwood & I 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Get Marwood & I Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 On 11/25/2021 at 8:39 PM, Yorick said: I think the Aussie version of TAR 29 is reprinted FROM TLP 3. GCD has added a lot of new linking features, and there's plenty of migrating work to be completed.... It can get quite confusing, can't it Yorick Yorick 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorick Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 There are no completed/indexed Giant Comics Editions on GCD. Maybe those of us on here can share what's inside our raw copies? Maybe I'll just log in over at GCD and input the contents of mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorick Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 @Get Marwood & I I love that you're looking into the TLP 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Get Marwood & I Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 On 11/25/2021 at 8:47 PM, Yorick said: @Get Marwood & I I love that you're looking into the TLP 3. It's the researcher in me. I can't resist trying to piece old snippets of comic info together, even if I don't actively collect the books in question. All good fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattTheDuck Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 On 11/25/2021 at 3:02 AM, zzutak said: I've stumbled upon a coverless/incomplete copy of a St. John 100-pager. This is one of those square-bound giants that consisted of a cover (4 pages) and three complete coverless return copies (32 + 32 + 32 pages). The first "book" is missing (except for a thin chunk that's still held by the bottom staple). The second/middle book is Teen-Age Romances #28 (St. John; Dec 1952). The third/last "book" is Diary Secrets #14 (St. John; Oct 1952). The dates of the two remaining "books" suggest that this 100-pager is most likely from 1953. The Grand Comics Database has provided limited help; all story titles only trace back to the original 36-page issues cited above. I think my square-bound must be one of those St. John 100-pagers that had variable contents. Something like All Picture All True Love Story (which ran from Oct 1952 to Dec 1952) -- only later, since my 100-pager includes one book published in Dec 1952. If any of you St. John pros have any opinions as to title/issue, I'd love to hear 'em. Many thanks! Is the chunk of the first "book" identifiable in any way - by this I mean are there any panels or parts of panels still attached whereby someone could have the original book and recognize it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
