GA Facsimile Editions 2 2

[Krydel4]

I've become a fan of these editions from DC since I picked up the recently released Tec 27. Top Notch. I wonder if any of you GA Wunderkinds know who owns the rights to many of the GA titles that aren't from the Big 2. So Fox Features, Fiction House etc. It would be amazing to get high quality facsimiles like DC and Marvel are putting out. Cheers.

Edited October 20, 2022 by Krydel4
Clarity

[BitterOldMan]

Many GA books that did not receive a renewed copyright are in the public domain.  The digitalcomicmuseum.com is usually very accurate on what comics are in the public domain.  They have removed some GA books over the years.

[davidpg]

I think there would be a VERY decent market for high quality, true to size and printed on newsprint reprints of a lot of GA books that have fallen into public domain.  I'd be willing to pay up to $20 or so for a copy of a book like that.

And yes I already own a number of Alan Light books...they're so much fun!

[Krydel4]

On 9/9/2022 at 7:27 AM, davidpg said:

I think there would be a VERY decent market for high quality, true to size and printed on newsprint reprints of a lot of GA books that have fallen into public domain.  I'd be willing to pay up to $20 or so for a copy of a book like that.

And yes I already own a number of Alan Light books...they're so much fun!

Exactly. As PAGES from the original books are selling for 4 or 5 figures, most of the big Golden Age books not just from the Big 2 but from the smaller publishers are out of reach for 99% of us. I feel that this would be a great way to start a collection of the great Golden Age from the past and bring new collectors into the hobby. I would love to own a high quality facsimile of Fantastic Comics 3, or AA16, or MF52, MM 3 etc.

[pemart1966]

As I understand it, the current and proposed GA books are not GA size and let's face it the Detective 27 and the ones solicitated are all readily available.

I'd be interested in books that are not so readily reprint available - for example:  Phantom Stranger (GA); More Fun 52 and 53; Detective 140 and 143; Detective 298 etc

Edited September 10, 2022 by pemart1966

[Krydel4]

On 9/10/2022 at 7:26 AM, pemart1966 said:

As I understand it, the current and proposed GA books are not GA size and let's face it the Detective 27 and the ones solicitated are all readily available.

I'd be interested in books that are not so readily reprint available - for example:  Phantom Stranger (GA); More Fun 52 and 53; Detective 140 and 143; Detective 298 etc

They are current size. But that works fine IMHO as Golden Age size varies somewhat between publishers (and within publishers sometimes). I would love for them to do runs of titles More Fun being one of them. A 52-101 facsimile run would be amazing. Also a Superman 1-25. But also if Marvel would do Cap, Sub-Mariner, Torch (high quality Shomburg) as real facsimile editions and not the compromised versions they put out. Look at the difference between these two. The CA has been stripped of all its GA charm and panache. DC27 looks like a GA book.

Edited September 10, 2022 by Krydel4
Clarity

[lou_fine]

On 9/9/2022 at 7:27 AM, davidpg said:

And yes I already own a number of Alan Light books...they're so much fun!

I also own a few of these Alan Light reprint books from way back in the day.  

Any idea if CGC accepts them for grading or is that a silly question because they will grade almost anything nowadays as long as they are compensated for it. 

Just wondering if any particular issue would be more highly desirable and at least worth a few dollars, or is the demad for these reprints so low that the available supply has no problem fulfilling the current demand?    

[davidpg]

On 9/11/2022 at 10:21 PM, lou_fine said:

I also own a few of these Alan Light reprint books from way back in the day.  

Any idea if CGC accepts them for grading or is that a silly question because they will grade almost anything nowadays as long as they are compensated for it. 

Just wondering if any particular issue would be more highly desirable and at least worth a few dollars, or is the demad for these reprints so low that the available supply has no problem fulfilling the current demand?    

No idea what CGC would do with them.  I did notice that prices on them have gone up nicely over the past 3 or 4 years.  Still not that expensice overall though.

[Robot Man]

On 9/10/2022 at 10:19 AM, Krydel4 said:

They are current size. But that works fine IMHO as Golden Age size varies somewhat between publishers (and within publishers sometimes). I would love for them to do runs of titles More Fun being one of them. A 52-101 facsimile run would be amazing. Also a Superman 1-25. But also if Marvel would do Cap, Sub-Mariner, Torch (high quality Shomburg) as real facsimile editions and not the compromised versions they put out. Look at the difference between these two. The CA has been stripped of all its GA charm and panache. DC27 looks like a GA book.

The Spectre Masterworks book might scratch that itch for you. Only the Spectre stories from More Fun. About the first 25. Highly recomended. 

[Robot Man]

I believe most GA characters not owned by DC or Marvel are now in public domain. There is someone on eBay selling facsimile editions of GA books by the hundreds. Bought one and it was actually not too bad. 

[Krydel4]

On 9/12/2022 at 7:49 AM, Robot Man said:

I believe most GA characters not owned by DC or Marvel are now in public domain. There is someone on eBay selling facsimile editions of GA books by the hundreds. Bought one and it was actually not too bad. 

I would love to see a pic of that. I think other publishers like Boom, IDW, Image could make a killing by publishing GA stuff.

[lou_fine]

On 9/12/2022 at 4:43 AM, davidpg said:

No idea what CGC would do with them.  I did notice that prices on them have gone up nicely over the past 3 or 4 years.  Still not that expensice overall though.

What kind of ball park prices do you mean when you say "still not that expensive"? 

[davidpg]

On 9/12/2022 at 12:37 PM, lou_fine said:

What kind of ball park prices do you mean when you say "still not that expensive"? 

I've seen people ask and get up to $80 for some of them, though a lot of them are still well under the $20 mark, especially when offered in lots.  I love my SE 1 Alan Light reprint, and actually have it hanging on the wall with a cover homahe I comissioned a decade ago (while my real copy sits safely among my collection).

[Flex Mentallo]

On 9/12/2022 at 3:46 PM, Robot Man said:

The Spectre Masterworks book might scratch that itch for you. Only the Spectre stories from More Fun. About the first 25. Highly recomended. 

Not to be pedantic, but to aid an eBay search, it's 'Spectre Archives'.

[Flex Mentallo]

On 9/12/2022 at 3:49 PM, Robot Man said:

I believe most GA characters not owned by DC or Marvel are now in public domain. There is someone on eBay selling facsimile editions of GA books by the hundreds. Bought one and it was actually not too bad. 

I have a fair few of them, bought circa 2019. Quality of reproduction  varies hugely - in the main because the seller was entirely reliant on the quality of scans uploaded to the Digital Comics Museum.

As I recall, the Cheslers were among the best.

LMK if pics would help and if so I'll upload some tomorrow.

[lou_fine]

On 9/12/2022 at 7:49 AM, Robot Man said:

I believe most GA characters not owned by DC or Marvel are now in public domain. There is someone on eBay selling facsimile editions of GA books by the hundreds. Bought one and it was actually not too bad. 

Would you be referring to reprint books like these because I still remember bidding on them some 20 odd years ago, but was not willing to bid 3-figures on something which I had never heard of:  

https://comics.ha.com/itm/golden-age-1938-1955-/funny-animal/rare-barks-nn-unknown-rare-publication-from-unknown-date-or-publisher-reprints-rare-carl-barks-work/a/12121-31585.s?ic2=mybidspage-lotlinks-12202013&tab=MyBids-101116

 

https://comics.ha.com/itm/golden-age-1938-1955-/funny-animal/early-barks-vol-1-unknown-rare-publication-from-unknown-date-or-publisher-reprints-very-early-work-from-carl-barks/a/12121-31330.s?ic2=mybidspage-lotlinks-12202013&tab=MyBids-101116

Not sure if they have any real value which I would highly doubt because according to the lot description, it was an unknown publisher who reprinted and distributed these Carl Barks books.  Probably just an enthusiatic Barks fanatic who decided it would be rather neat to run and print these off for himself and a few other collector friends of his. 

Edited September 12, 2022 by lou_fine

[Robot Man]

On 9/12/2022 at 12:43 PM, Flex Mentallo said:

Not to be pedantic, but to aid an eBay search, it's 'Spectre Archives'.

You are indeed correct. They say the first thing to go is the mind.

[Robot Man]

On 9/12/2022 at 1:42 PM, lou_fine said:

Would you be referring to reprint books like these because I still remember bidding on them some 20 odd years ago, but was not willing to bid 3-figures on something which I had never heard of:  

https://comics.ha.com/itm/golden-age-1938-1955-/funny-animal/rare-barks-nn-unknown-rare-publication-from-unknown-date-or-publisher-reprints-rare-carl-barks-work/a/12121-31585.s?ic2=mybidspage-lotlinks-12202013&tab=MyBids-101116

 

https://comics.ha.com/itm/golden-age-1938-1955-/funny-animal/early-barks-vol-1-unknown-rare-publication-from-unknown-date-or-publisher-reprints-very-early-work-from-carl-barks/a/12121-31330.s?ic2=mybidspage-lotlinks-12202013&tab=MyBids-101116

Not sure if they have any real value which I would highly doubt because according to the lot description, it was an unknown publisher who reprinted and distributed these Carl Barks books.  Probably just an enthusiatic Barks fanatic who decided it would be rather neat to run and print these off for himself and a few other collector friends of his. 

I was referring to these. There are usually a hundred or so listed as “photo copies” on eBay for $8-12.

I bought this as a reader since I was missing it and never see it for sale. Acceptable for what it is. 

[BitterOldMan]

PS Artbooks from the UK has reprinted many hard bound golden age titles.  They started printing facsimile editions of desirable ga titles.

I picked up replicas of Phantom Lady 13, 14, and 15 recently at my LCS.

The facsimile edition includes a large copy of the cover with a styrofoam mat.  The ink used to create the facsimile edition is a little sticky, reminiscent of old Xerox copies.

Here is a side by side comparison with an original PL 14. 

[Cat-Man_America]

On 9/10/2022 at 12:19 PM, Krydel4 said:

They are current size. But that works fine IMHO as Golden Age size varies somewhat between publishers (and within publishers sometimes). I would love for them to do runs of titles More Fun being one of them. A 52-101 facsimile run would be amazing. Also a Superman 1-25. But also if Marvel would do Cap, Sub-Mariner, Torch (high quality Shomburg) as real facsimile editions and not the compromised versions they put out. Look at the difference between these two. The CA has been stripped of all its GA charm and panache. DC27 looks like a GA book.

Having thought this through I'm persuaded of exactly the opposite.  Normally I despise digital faux-airbrushed fades in classic GA art, covers and/or story art; it ruins the art for me.  Note: From my perspective the epic fail was the EC Archives which attempted to recolor stories digitally with shading which lost all the magic of the original books in an attempt to appeal to a contemporary audience.  

Here, it's quite different.  The Captain America Milestone Edition ...at least the cover... looks like carefully rendered watercolor shading that seems to serve Kirby's art pretty well.  For the most part it doesn't intrude upon his inks even though it looks too well realized for most GA cover work.  However, it fixes the one glaring nit-pick that always bothered me about the original art by coloring over the right wing on the back of Cap's head which always seemed off perspective-wise.  In spite of this, the colors are subtle yet varied, far from garish, but strong where they need to be blending well with the art without looking digital.  

In contrast, the 'Tec #27 looks like a third or fourth generation copy of a copy, with garish colors and no subtlety in the toning (more Andy Warhol than Bob Kane).  The high degree of saturation doesn't remind me of a GA comic at all.  This is just my artistic sensitivity thinking out loud and it's totally an "eye of the beholder" kind of thing taking into account my personal dislike of universal price codes.