Frank Miller's First Published Work Twilight Zone? Not according to Mike's Amazing World 1 1

[Hey Kids, Comics!]

Mike's has the release date of Weird War 64 as 3/7/78 and Twilight Zone 84 as 4/6/78. Is he just gueesing? Any hard proof as to which came first?

[THE_BEYONDER]

 

Looks like CGC believes  Twilight came first.

Edited January 2, 2023 by THE_BEYONDER

[Lazyboy]

On 1/2/2023 at 4:31 PM, Hey Kids, Comics! said:

Mike's has the release date of Weird War 64 as 3/7/78 and Twilight Zone 84 as 4/6/78. Is he just gueesing? Any hard proof as to which came first?

So you're familiar with Mike's site, but not the information about where he got the dates?

[MAR1979]

Love Mike's site and spend far too much time on it

The last page of Weird War 63 indicates the next issue #64 would be on sale during 2nd week of March.  Tuesday was the day new Comic Books were delivered to newsstand first back then. The only question is by second week did they mean 2nd Tuesday - meaning was WW63 referring to March 7 or March 14, 1978?

As for the Gold Key much harder to pinpoint but keep this in mind; T-Zone was not a monthly publication not sure if any Gold Key 's were at that stage.  Zone 83 has a indicia date of April 1978.  #84 had an indicia date of June 1978.  Zone 83 was really March/April 1978 and Zone #84 May/June 1978. This means #84 was likley first on-sale early in Feb also plausible is last Tuesday of  Jan 1978. Simply no way that as late as April 6 is correct. It's less than 2 months from it's June (really May/June) indicia/cover date in addition April 6 1978 was a Thursday which is proof date is wrong.

I'm sure Overstreet, Gold Key historians and many others have been down the same path. There is a reason WW64 is denoted as Millers first DC work rather than 1st overall work. I've only respect for Mike's site on the whole but the sale dates they list are error prone and I'm sure Mike and folks will be first to admit that.

 

 

 

Edit:

Mike's Data aligns with Comics Reader 154 and 155. Still I question if the Reader data is correct as it does not jibe with the Zone publication schedule.  We have a situation where its plausible Zone 84 was first and where WW64 was first.   The mystery continues...

In either case notations referring to Zone 85 as Millers 2nd work are wrong what we have proved is it's his 3rd pro work.

 

Edited December 8, 2023 by MAR1979