Can anyone identify the print version of this Killing Joke TBP? 2 2

[aszumilo]

On 3/24/2023 at 4:28 PM, Qalyar said:

This is a 9th print, certainly. Congratulations, they've always demanded a surprisingly high price.

9th is arguably the hardest of the "numbered" printings, but the Book of the Month Club variant that looks like a 4th print from the front cover is a real ghost book.

I have seen many more 9th prints on E-Bay, than some of the other printings, such as 11th, 12th, 13th prints.  Looking at the census 9th print has more graded copies than the 8th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th.  Not certain that the 9th printing is any rarer or more valuable than some of the other printings.

1 - 10,096 graded copies

2 - 219 graded copies

3 - 118 graded copies

4 - 73 graded copies

5 - 124 graded copies

6 - 132 graded copies

7 - 92 graded copies

8 - 28 graded copies

9 - 64 graded copies

10 - 22 graded copies

11 - 27 graded copies

12 - 13 graded copies

13 - 9 graded copies

14 - 54 graded copies

[aszumilo]

On 3/24/2023 at 1:08 PM, Browns81 said:

Mine is most definitely red.  The 9th print is red with a 4.95 price, but my front text seems to be brighter.  Doesn’t look orange or pink, and no other colors are even close that I’ve seen listed.

I’m not saying it’s valuable or anything,  I’m just curious because this type of thing is usually well documented.

and I’m not seeing any 3.95 cover prices on your link or on key collector - only on my copy.

9th print is the last printing that sold for $3.95.  10th and 11th were $4.95.  12th and 13th were $5.95 and 14th was $5.99.

Feel free to PM me if you want any more knowledge on The Killing Joke printings.  I like to think of myself as the resident psycho expert on this book

Edited March 25, 2023 by aszumilo

[Stronguy]

On 3/24/2023 at 6:28 PM, Qalyar said:

9th is arguably the hardest of the "numbered" printings, but the Book of the Month Club variant that looks like a 4th print from the front cover is a real ghost book.

Then there is the 4th print that looks like the BOMC edition (no text on the back cover) but it doesn't say BOMC in the indicia.  There is only 1 know copy of this one... and it's all mine!  Bwhahahahahaha!

[Qalyar]

On 3/28/2023 at 3:07 PM, Stronguy said:

Then there is the 4th print that looks like the BOMC edition (no text on the back cover) but it doesn't say BOMC in the indicia.  There is only 1 know copy of this one... and it's all mine!  Bwhahahahahaha!

Wacky! I don't suppose that copy has any provenance that might offer a clue as to where it came from originally?

[Stronguy]

On 3/28/2023 at 3:11 PM, Qalyar said:

Wacky! I don't suppose that copy has any provenance that might offer a clue as to where it came from originally?

I bought it within the past year on eBay out of Canada.  That's all I know about it.  I have several BOMC copies and this is the oddball.

 

[Qalyar]

On 3/28/2023 at 3:13 PM, Stronguy said:

I bought it within the past year on eBay out of Canada.  That's all I know about it.  I have several BOMC copies and this is the oddball.

 

Well, especially with just one copy, that's not much to go on. The lack of a cover price means it must have had an alternative distribution method -- promotional giveaway, multi-pack item, or some sort of third party arrangement (like the actual BOMC books). BOMC was a largely American operation. I wonder if your oddball copy was intended for distribution via some sort of similar system in Canada?

We may not know until more copies with clearer history emerge.

[aszumilo]

On 3/28/2023 at 1:07 PM, Stronguy said:

Then there is the 4th print that looks like the BOMC edition (no text on the back cover) but it doesn't say BOMC in the indicia.  There is only 1 know copy of this one... and it's all mine!  Bwhahahahahaha!

Found another possible one on E-Bay.  It is at worst the BOMC edition, but, hoping...

[aszumilo]

On 3/28/2023 at 6:40 PM, aszumilo said:

Found another possible one on E-Bay.  It is at worst the BOMC edition, but, hoping...

Well, no luck.  Seller cancelled.  Said he couldn't find the book.  Oh well, the search continues.

[aszumilo]

On 3/30/2023 at 7:03 AM, aszumilo said:

Well, no luck.  Seller cancelled.  Said he couldn't find the book.  Oh well, the search continues.

Seller says he will send it to me as soon as he finds it.  Seems like a stand up guy.  Hoping for the best.

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 3/30/2023 at 10:34 PM, aszumilo said:

Seller says he will send it to me as soon as he finds it.  Seems like a stand up guy.  Hoping for the best.

[Michael Browning]

The 13th and 14th printings are the rarest. I'm sure the 9th print is pretty scarce, too, though it's definitely not as rare as those last two printings.

[aszumilo]

On 4/8/2023 at 7:42 PM, Michael Browning said:

The 13th and 14th printings are the rarest. I'm sure the 9th print is pretty scarce, too, though it's definitely not as rare as those last two printings.

14th is not as rare as you think.  It was packaged with the action figures, so, there are quite a few out there.  CGC also labeled the 14th print as "Direct Edition', which they since corrected.  I'd say 12th and 13th are the more scarce then the 14th.  Back when I started putting my registry set together those were the toughest to track down.

8 - 28 graded copies

9 - 64 graded copies

10 - 22 graded copies

11 - 27 graded copies

12 - 13 graded copies

13 - 9 graded copies

14 - 54 graded copies