Curious & Stimulating Find in New Collection! 1 1

[Kramerica]

   Was going through a new collection and I kid you not: in-between Shade the Changing Man, Steel the Indestructible Man and Starfire were these following catalogues and fanzines:

[Robot Man]

I remember the American Comic Book Co well. A very early store in the LA area run by David T Alexander, Terry Stroud and Carl Macek. They were the early “rock star” dealers. Great covers on their catalogs by William Stout and Scott Shaw!. They threw great parties with actual attractive females attending. If you got in good with them, you got access to the back room where almost daily walk in buys were stacked unsorted in boxes and on tables. I got a lot of killer stuff there. 

They don’t get much acclaim, but they originally coined the terms “Esoteric”, “Good Girl Art”, “Bondage Cover” and many others. This happened because they were buying so many vintage comics and a lot were just sitting around unsold. They figured if they “marketed” them a bit, a lot of books would move. Was a great move. As time went on, a lot of these terms just stuck with collectors.

Just look at those Fiction House prices. These were considered very aggressive at the time. But with some creative marketing, ads in the Buyer’s Guide and their catalogues, they did quite a sucessful business.

A real treat to see those early catalogues. If I only knew then what I know now…

[musicmeta]

Wow! What a cool find.  Way to go Mark.

[goblinjareth]

Such cool little tidbits that don't tend to survive... I would totally be taking these straight to a good framing shop

[Lazyboy]

On 5/16/2023 at 5:38 PM, Robot Man said:

They don’t get much acclaim, but they originally coined the terms “Esoteric”, “Good Girl Art”, “Bondage Cover” and many others. This happened because they were buying so many vintage comics and a lot were just sitting around unsold. They figured if they “marketed” them a bit, a lot of books would move. Was a great move. As time went on, a lot of these terms just stuck with collectors.

[Dr. Balls]

On 5/16/2023 at 4:38 PM, Robot Man said:

They don’t get much acclaim, but they originally coined the terms “Esoteric”, “Good Girl Art”, “Bondage Cover” and many others. This happened because they were buying so many vintage comics and a lot were just sitting around unsold. They figured if they “marketed” them a bit, a lot of books would move. Was a great move. As time went on, a lot of these terms just stuck with collectors.

 

On 5/17/2023 at 6:17 AM, Lazyboy said:

What? You don't like a good "headlights" cover?

Edited May 17, 2023 by Dr. Balls

[buttock]

On 5/16/2023 at 2:13 PM, Kramerica said:

   Was going through a new collection and I kid you not: in-between Shade the Changing Man, Steel the Indestructible Man and Starfire were these following catalogues and fanzines:

 

 

 

 

 

These DCs might be San Franciscos.  What's the date on this catalog?  

[Kramerica]

On 5/17/2023 at 2:07 PM, buttock said:

These DCs might be San Franciscos.  What's the date on this catalog?  

1977-1978

[jimjum12]

On 5/16/2023 at 6:38 PM, Robot Man said:

I remember the American Comic Book Co well. A very early store in the LA area run by David T Alexander, Terry Stroud and Carl Macek. They were the early “rock star” dealers. Great covers on their catalogs by William Stout and Scott Shaw!. They threw great parties with actual attractive females attending. If you got in good with them, you got access to the back room where almost daily walk in buys were stacked unsorted in boxes and on tables. I got a lot of killer stuff there. 

They don’t get much acclaim, but they originally coined the terms “Esoteric”, “Good Girl Art”, “Bondage Cover” and many others. This happened because they were buying so many vintage comics and a lot were just sitting around unsold. They figured if they “marketed” them a bit, a lot of books would move. Was a great move. As time went on, a lot of these terms just stuck with collectors.

Just look at those Fiction House prices. These were considered very aggressive at the time. But with some creative marketing, ads in the Buyer’s Guide and their catalogues, they did quite a sucessful business.

A real treat to see those early catalogues. If I only knew then what I know now…

I was definitely collecting in the 70's, but we didn't have much around here in the way of many shops like these(..if any). Shows were our only recourse. One thing I always wondered, what kind of turnover did these 100 dollar books have ? Would they still be there a year later, or were they flying off the shelves. I mean, back in those days you were rocking' the street if you were bringing home 200 a week.... so a hundred was a chunk. GOD BLESS ...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[Robot Man]

On 5/17/2023 at 4:48 PM, jimjum12 said:

I was definitely collecting in the 70's, but we didn't have much around here in the way of many shops like these(..if any). Shows were our only recourse. One thing I always wondered, what kind of turnover did these 100 dollar books have ? Would they still be there a year later, or were they flying off the shelves. I mean, back in those days you were rocking' the street if you were bringing home 200 a week.... so a hundred was a chunk. GOD BLESS ...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

We were pretty lucky in SO CA. We had Collector's, Cherokee and Bond Street in Hollywood. Later the American Comic Book Co and Fantasy Castle in the Valley. Then Geoffrey's and Nick Scotto in the South Bay. This was pretty much before comic book shops as we know them now. I never went to Fantasy Castle much. Pretty sure @Tri-ColorBrian hit it. And @Ghastly542454 can speak better of Geoffrey's and Nick Scotto. 

Yeah, a hundred bucks was living LARGE. I rarely spent any more on a book than $20. but I wasn't buying GA Timely's and DC's much. PCH, GGA and the stuff that is so popular now could be found for $5. or in some cases as little as $1. By 17, I was on my own and my $2. an hour job was just enough to pay my rent living in a house full of hippies...

[Kramerica]

On 5/17/2023 at 5:26 PM, Robot Man said:

We were pretty lucky in SO CA. We had Collector's, Cherokee and Bond Street in Hollywood. Later the American Comic Book Co and Fantasy Castle in the Valley. Then Geoffrey's and Nick Scotto in the South Bay. This was pretty much before comic book shops as we know them now. I never went to Fantasy Castle much. Pretty sure @Tri-ColorBrian hit it. And @Ghastly542454 can speak better of Geoffrey's and Nick Scotto. 

Yeah, a hundred bucks was living LARGE. I rarely spent any more on a book than $20. but I wasn't buying GA Timely's and DC's much. PCH, GGA and the stuff that is so popular now could be found for $5. or in some cases as little as $1. By 17, I was on my own and my $2. an hour job was just enough to pay my rent living in a house full of hippies...

There was the Aquarius Bookstore in Santa Monica on 4th street but they went out of business in 1981 I think. Hi De Ho was in West La at that point and moved to Santa Monica on 5th street by the Ice Skating rink for 6 months, maybe a year before moving to their location between 5th and 6th Street on Santa Monica Blvd. I worked there from 1983-1986 during Jr High and some High School.

[Ghastly542454]

On 5/17/2023 at 5:26 PM, Robot Man said:

We were pretty lucky in SO CA. We had Collector's, Cherokee and Bond Street in Hollywood. Later the American Comic Book Co and Fantasy Castle in the Valley. Then Geoffrey's and Nick Scotto in the South Bay. This was pretty much before comic book shops as we know them now. I never went to Fantasy Castle much. Pretty sure @Tri-ColorBrian hit it. And @Ghastly542454 can speak better of Geoffrey's and Nick Scotto. 

Yeah, a hundred bucks was living LARGE. I rarely spent any more on a book than $20. but I wasn't buying GA Timely's and DC's much. PCH, GGA and the stuff that is so popular now could be found for $5. or in some cases as little as $1. By 17, I was on my own and my $2. an hour job was just enough to pay my rent living in a house full of hippies...

There was another comic book store in the South Bay for about 5 or 6 years though not very well known. Bob’s Comics owned Bob Dreyer. Bob worked for Pan Am Airlines as a jet plane mechanic. He was so upset over the way Nick Scotto had treated him that he opened his own comic book store in 1974. Bob’s Comics was located on Hawthorne Blvd just a couple of blocks south of Rosecrans Blvd in Lawndale. I worked there on the weekends for a couple of years while going to college at CSULB. Saturdays were a real busy day there and Rick Durell/Durand? was one of his customers. Bob eventually relocated the store a few blocks down on the opposite side of street on Hawthorne Blvd and in the late 70’s early 80’s opened up a second location in either Garden Grove or Huntington Beach. I lost contact with him in the 80’s but later heard he had died of diabetes complications.

[Point Five]

That 1977 dealer ad is amazing. Always wild to see how golden age was once valued. Ghost Comics #6 VFNM for $7? Sure, I'll take it. Alternate choices? Eh, give me Wambi the Jungle Boy #4 in VG. (I understand I will need to pay an extra 50 cents to make up the difference.)

 

[Robot Man]

On 5/17/2023 at 6:53 PM, Point Five said:

That 1977 dealer ad is amazing. Always wild to see how golden age was once valued. Ghost Comics #6 VFNM for $7? Sure, I'll take it. Alternate choices? Eh, give me Wambi the Jungle Boy #4 in VG. (I understand I will need to pay an extra 50 cents to make up the difference.)

 

Nobody wanted books like Ghost 6 back then. Thusly, the boys coined the term “bondage cover” to boost sales. 

[thehumantorch]

On 5/17/2023 at 8:39 PM, Robot Man said:

Nobody wanted books like Ghost 6 back then. Thusly, the boys coined the term “bondage cover” to boost sales. 

That'll never work 

[Robot Man]

On 5/17/2023 at 6:18 PM, Kramerica said:

There was the Aquarius Bookstore in Santa Monica on 4th street but they went out of business in 1981 I think. Hi De Ho was in West La at that point and moved to Santa Monica on 5th street by the Ice Skating rink for 6 months, maybe a year before moving to their location between 5th and 6th Street on Santa Monica Blvd. I worked there from 1983-1986 during Jr High and some High School.

I went to Hi De Ho a few times. I remember fishing out a copy of Voodoo Annual and a few PCH books out of their store boxes on one trip. 

[Robot Man]

On 5/17/2023 at 6:34 PM, Ghastly542454 said:

There was another comic book store in the South Bay for about 5 or 6 years though not very well known. Bob’s Comics owned Bob Dreyer. Bob worked for Pan Am Airlines as a jet plane mechanic. He was so upset over the way Nick Scotto had treated him that he opened his own comic book store in 1974. Bob’s Comics was located on Hawthorne Blvd just a couple of blocks south of Rosecrans Blvd in Lawndale. I worked there on the weekends for a couple of years while going to college at CSULB. Saturdays were a real busy day there and Rick Durell/Durand? was one of his customers. Bob eventually relocated the store a few blocks down on the opposite side of street on Hawthorne Blvd and in the late 70’s early 80’s opened up a second location in either Garden Grove or Huntington Beach. I lost contact with him in the 80’s but later heard he had died of diabetes complications.

I went to Bob’s Comics a few times. I went in one day and he wasn’t there but a lady was. I asked if they had any “old” comics and she told me no. Right behind her was a box marked Golden Age. I asked to see it and pulled out a few including the Human Torch with the giant robot cover. I think I paid about $75. For them.

I hated Nick Scotto…

[thehumantorch]

On 5/17/2023 at 8:47 PM, Robot Man said:

I went to Bob’s Comics a few times. I went in one day and he wasn’t there but a lady was. I asked if they had any “old” comics and she told me no. Right behind her was a box marked Golden Age. I asked to see it and pulled out a few including the Human Torch with the giant robot cover. I think I paid about $75. For them.

I hated Nick Scotto…

who was Nick Scotto?

[Robot Man]

On 5/17/2023 at 8:17 PM, thehumantorch said:

who was Nick Scotto?

An infamous early LA area dealer who was known for extremely high prices and a nasty attitude. He sold at all the old Shrine Auditorium cons and had a shop in the South Bay. He had the stuff but it wasn’t fun to deal with. Pretty much the only time I could get anything was when he wasn’t in the store. @Ghastly542454 probably can fill you in better. 

[Ghastly542454]

On 5/17/2023 at 8:17 PM, thehumantorch said:

who was Nick Scotto?

I had only been collecting comics for a couple of months in 1966. One Saturday I went the Roadium Swap Meet in Gardena a town next to the town I lived in. It was there that I met Nancy Scotto, mother of the legendary So Cal dealer Nick Scotto. She first introduced me to the concept that sometimes in order to get older comic books that I wanted, I had to pay more than a nickel or dime than the comic books I was buying at the swap meet. 
I remember buying 6-7 comics from her that day for .50-.75 each.

She gave me her phone number and address and within a few weeks, I was spending most of the $35 a month I earned delivering the Herald Examiner newspaper with her.

Nancy Scotto lived in a duplex on 237th St in Torrance between Crenshaw and Arlington. The entire back house was filled with Nick’s comic books. Nick was serving in Vietnam when I first started dealing with her. She eventually opened up a store on 237th and Arlington. When Nick came back in 1970, he took over the store and eventually opened 2 other stores one on Crenshaw near Marine (Compton Blvd at the time) and later another store close to where I lived at the Old Towne Mall on Hawthorne Blvd called Ye Olde Comic Vendor. After he closed the store at the Old Towne Mall, he opened another store in Torrance on the corner of Crenshaw Blvd and Artesia Blvd. Nick could be quite a nasty person if he chose to be and most of time, he ran nasty 🤢! Nick was married to a very attractive woman named Sandy. In 1972, one of his employees Mike, showed up at my door (how he found my address I’ll never know) and told me he had been fired by Nick for making a pass at Sandy! He needed money 💰 and offered to sell me Mad #1-#23 and Panic #1-#12 for $200 which I quickly purchased from him.

I lost track of Nick from the 80’s on but I do know back when you could see the buyer of stuff on eBay I would sometimes see his name. He operated some type of comic book distribution warehouse in Carson for a long time. I heard he had died a year or two ago.