posted March 18, 2003 04:18 PM               

Facsimilies/Faux Reprint Collections:
Green Lantern Annual 1963
Teen Titans Annual 1967
JLA 100 Page Super Spectacualar
JSA 100 Page Super Spectacualar
Brave and the Bold 80 Page Giant (1969)
Jack Kirby's Green Arrow
Shazam! and the Shazam Family 80 Page Giant
Wonder Woman 80 Page Giant

posted March 18, 2003 04:19 PM               

Facsimilies/Faux Reprint Collections:
Green Lantern Annual 1963
Teen Titans Annual 1967
JLA 100 Page Super Spectacualar
JSA 100 Page Super Spectacualar
Brave and the Bold 80 Page Giant (1969)
Jack Kirby's Green Arrow
Shazam! and the Shazam Family 80 Page Giant
Wonder Woman 80 Page Giant

posted March 29, 2003 09:52 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Steven Utley:
... but also from the late-period is one called, if memory serves, "My Buddy, The Dinosaur." Therein, a G.I. reveals that he keeps having a dream in which he turns into a dinosaur. He exacts a promise from one of his squadmates: "Promise me you'll shoot me if I start to turn into a dinosaur." And, next thing ya know, he has turned into a dinosaur.

Honestly, I wonder sometimes if Kanigher wasn't on drugs.

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Amen.

I finally got a chance to see for myself.

posted March 30, 2003 02:04 AM            

Concerning this one in particular: man, do I ever want a collection of these goofy war tales. Both stories are just so odd! I suppose the Appalachian-American Legal Defense Fund would have a fit, but jeez, it's such a hoot! In the dinosaur story, did anyone catch the line anachronistic line concerning TV dinners?

posted March 30, 2003 10:49 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by NecessaryImpurity:
Concerning this one in particular: man, do I ever want a collection of these goofy war tales. Both stories are just so odd! I suppose the Appalachian-American Legal Defense Fund would have a fit, but jeez, it's such a hoot! In the dinosaur story, did anyone catch the line anachronistic line concerning TV dinners?

Even more fun are the ads. Jimmy Olsen, Agent Double-5? I remember the reprint of that story, with the hair-dye comb. I don't recall much else, but that's stuck with me for 30 years. 100 magnets, for only 79 cents? Mom! I wanna get some magnets!

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Well, as someone living in the shadow of the Appalachians, it's still a hoot! It's even funnier to read Jody's lines aloud according to their spelling.

As far as the ads go, I want the Petticoat Junction train set! The whole issue was just so much fun.

posted March 30, 2003 01:34 PM               

I have a candidate for a facsimile edition. Is anyone familiar with the very first EVER annual to have been published?? Well, it was printed way back in 1944 by none other then National Comics. (National Periodical Publications, aka DC comics). It was a 132 page one shot. This was a compilation of stories from the Golden Age (obviously.. ) starring Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, the Atom, Wildcat, Scribbly, The Whip, Ghost Patrol, Hawkman by Kubert, Hop Harrigan, Johnny Thunder, Little Boy Blue, Mr. Terrific, Mutt & Jeff.

The cover to this historic book was replicated for the tribute TPB edition to 911 that DC did last year. On the original cover was a little boy with his back to the reader, stareing in awe at the comic heroes of that era, the JSA. On the cover of the tribute edition, which I'm sure a lot of you are familiar with, replacing the little boy was Superman stareing in awe at the heroes of 911, firemen, policemen, doctors, nurses, etc. Also included was the long lost word balloon eminating from the mouth of Superman exclaiming... "Wow!" Very touching.

May I ask a question? There is a wealth of DC knowledge here and I don't consider myself a slouch on this subject being in the almost 50 age bracket and have a DC collection that numbers in the probable 30,000 range, but for the life of me and other collectors of DC whom I've thought of asking this question, I can not find out the answer to these two questions:

1) Why oh why did DC start the numbering of the 100 Page Super Spectaculars with #4??? I cannot come up with one series prior to this that the spectaculars was a continuation of.

2) Super DC Giant. Same thing. Why did they start the numbering at #13.

posted March 30, 2003 01:54 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by NecessaryImpurity:
We really need to have a thread to discuss those comics Mike puts up. I know it was attempted about 6 months ago and everyone decided they didn't want to jinx a good thing, but still.

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I'm always hesitant about it - perhaps the best solution would be to have a forum at his site.

In the meantime, I've enjoyed having the opportunity recently to get a glimpse of Scribbly and Big Town.

posted March 30, 2003 09:35 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by SteelBat2002:
Why oh why did DC start the numbering of the 100 Page Super Spectaculars with #4??? I cannot come up with one series prior to this that the spectaculars was a continuation of.

2) Super DC Giant. Same thing. Why did they start the numbering at #13.

If anyone can answer that I will have DC send you a "baldy". Haven't heard that one in a while, huh?

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I can't remember the exact particulars of the numbering, but there was an article in Comic Book Marketplace a few years back that offered its own reasoning. I will attempt to find the article and post what it postulated. But the gist was the numbering was based somehow on the different types of magazine sizes DC was trying or had tried in recent times. And the 100 page format was the fourth such attempt. I think the article mentioned the 80 page giants were considered #1, the shift to the 64 page giants was #2 and the treasury editions were #3 or something. (the treasuries don't seem to line up quite right time-wise, but there was a third format that DC tried. All of those formats eventually led to the 100 page supe-spectacular size and the odd-ball numbering.

Like I said, I will look for that article and see exactly how the author got to the #4.

posted March 30, 2003 11:01 PM               

The article concerning Silver and Bronze Age* Giants is very detailed, and thus lengthy. But the issue is well-worth having for that reason. It lists every Giant-sized DC comic from SUPERMAN ANNUAL #1 1960 through the over-sized Treasury Editions, 1979.

The logic that its author, Jon McClure, uses to tie all of the various Giant-sized issues into formats changes DC employed is a creature of a different stripe. It is quite interesting just for the effort he put into convincing the reader of his logic, if for no other reason. He supposes that DC-4 WEIRD MYSTERY is actually the 1st issue of the 4th format of DC Giants, for example. (He says in the article no one knows why there was not a 1-3.)

There is also an article in COMIC BOOK MARKETPLACE # 54, Dec. 1997 about Bronze Age* Giants. It is titled "What the Heck is an S-13?" It is totally about just the SUPER DC GIANTS S-13 through S-27, and their scarcity and contents. It is by Bill Alexander.

*The terms SILVER AGE and BRONZE AGE are the authors. Any misspellings or grammar errors are mine.

Wayne

posted March 30, 2003 11:12 PM               

Addendum: The articles mention the number of the S-13 and McClure thinks it is Volume 3 # 1 of a format change, and Alexander says what most everyone else says about it and that simply no one knows why.

In the "dim past" new comics did not particulary start with number one because of U.S. Postal regulations. I don't know if the regulations on mailing other than 1st Class mail had changed by the time these issues in question were printed. It could be that if for no other reason. (ALL-STAR COMICS #56 followed by ALL-STAR WESTERN #57 vice #1.)

posted March 31, 2003 04:30 PM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Steve Topper:
I can't remember the exact particulars of the numbering, but there was an article in Comic Book Marketplace a few years back that offered its own reasoning. I will attempt to find the article and post what it postulated. But the gist was the numbering was based somehow on the different types of magazine sizes DC was trying or had tried in recent times. And the 100 page format was the fourth such attempt. I think the article mentioned the 80 page giants were considered #1, the shift to the 64 page giants was #2 and the treasury editions were #3 or something. (the treasuries don't seem to line up quite right time-wise, but there was a third format that DC tried. All of those formats eventually led to the 100 page supe-spectacular size and the odd-ball numbering.

Like I said, I will look for that article and see exactly how the author got to the #4.

Steve

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Steve, thanks very much for taking the time to respond to my query. I do appreciate it. That little mystery has been an ongoing one with me and a fellow DC comic collector. Wayne, in the next post has given me the issue numbers of the Comic Book Marketplace which I do have. <must have skipped those articles> .. or I forgot about them. In either case, I've dug them out and am going to read them. Thanks again.

Gene

posted March 31, 2003 04:42 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Wayne1776:
The article is titled "Silver & Bronze DC GIANTS. . . and beyond!" It is in COMIC BOOK MARKETPLACE # 69, July 1999. Said issue has a great JSA cover and includes extensive coverage of the JSA. It has in the center-spread 8 full-color, 4 to a page, reproductions of the Silver Age JSA character appearances.

The article concerning Silver and Bronze Age* Giants is very detailed, and thus lengthy. But the issue is well-worth having for that reason. It lists every Giant-sized DC comic from SUPERMAN ANNUAL #1 1960 through the over-sized Treasury Editions, 1979.

The logic that its author, Jon McClure, uses to tie all of the various Giant-sized issues into formats changes DC employed is a creature of a different stripe. It is quite interesting just for the effort he put into convincing the reader of his logic, if for no other reason. He supposes that DC-4 WEIRD MYSTERY is actually the 1st issue of the 4th format of DC Giants, for example. (He says in the article no one knows why there was not a 1-3.)

There is also an article in COMIC BOOK MARKETPLACE # 54, Dec. 1997 about Bronze Age* Giants. It is titled "What the Heck is an S-13?" It is totally about just the SUPER DC GIANTS S-13 through S-27, and their scarcity and contents. It is by Bill Alexander.

*The terms SILVER AGE and BRONZE AGE are the authors. Any misspellings or grammar errors are mine.

Wayne

---

I also wanted to thank you Wayne, for responding to me. I dug those issues out that you had referred to, #'s 54 and #69 of the Comic Book Marketplace. The article in issue #69 is a long and detailed one as you had described. Which is how I like them. More details the better. Although I must admit that I found the explanation for the S- series leading into the why for the D-4 kind of confusing actually and I will have to re-read that last page a few times I think. Again my wholehearted thanks to you and Steve.

I'm sure you both knew I was kidding about the "baldy" but if either of you are planning to attend the Pittsburgh Comic Con next month, April 25-27, let me know. I will spring for sodas. lol

posted March 31, 2003 07:19 PM               

Gene, I enjoy researching questions like yours when I think I can find the materials to actually research. I am a big-time fan of the 80 Page Giants, and other reprint series from DC and Marvel. They are from my personal Golden Age beginning with SUPERMAN ANNUAL # 4 in 1961 when I was 9. Although it was another year or so before I became a regular buyer of all that was Superman.

I don't own all of DC's Giants in every format, but I come close, and Comic Book Marketplace, Alter-Ego, and Comic Buyer's Guide are part of my scheduled reading. Finally the Archives are back on my regular buying schedule too!

posted March 31, 2003 09:42 PM               

This year, however, I believe I have a kitchen pass to attend, so if anybody plans on going . . .

posted March 31, 2003 09:49 PM            

No, not the blue-ribbon digests of the late seventies, but the digests of the early seventies. I don't know how many there were--but I have one from the early seventies of Tarzan (reprinting Russ Manning), maybe that was the only digest printed at the time, but I would think DC might have tried others. I'll have to check my copy when I get home to see when this came out, and if there are any funny numbers.

Also, another format DC experimented with was a magazine format. I never saw any of these, but I gather Dark Mansion of the Misbegotten was one. There was also something to do with Kirby and gangsters. These might have accounted for some funny numbers as well.

posted April 01, 2003 04:22 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by India Ink:
[B]I wonder if the numbering ties in with the digests.

No, not the blue-ribbon digests of the late seventies, but the digests of the early seventies. I don't know how many there were--but I have one from the early seventies of Tarzan (reprinting Russ Manning), maybe that was the only digest printed at the time, but I would think DC might have tried others. I'll have to check my copy when I get home to see when this came out, and if there are any funny numbers.

Also, another format DC experimented with was a magazine format. I never saw any of these, but I gather Dark Mansion of the Misbegotten was one. There was also something to do with Kirby and gangsters. These might have accounted for some funny numbers as well....

B]

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The two black & white mags you're thinking of are In the Days of the Mob and Spirit World, both of which were indeed by Kirby. But they were both #1s. The third b&w mag, a projected romance comic featuring all black characters, never came out. Given Kirby's frequent awkwardness with dialog, this may be a good thing.

posted April 01, 2003 08:39 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by India Ink:
And then there were the blue ribbon digests later. I think some of these had numbering that went with other regular sized DC comics like DC SPECIAL SERIES (not to be confused with DC Special).

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The DC Special Series Digests were as follows.

18 - Sgt. Rock's Prize Battle Tales
19 - Secret Origins of Super-Heroes Fall
23 - World's Finest
24 - The Flash

Then, to finish of the series, 25-27 were tabloids. Superman II movie adaptation, Fortress of Solitude special, and Batman and the Hulk, respectively.

Never knew what to expect for the next issue with this series. Come to think of it, I never knew that any issues were part of a series. Each one was a treat to find on the newstand in the late seventies.

posted April 01, 2003 08:42 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by James Friel:
The only digest I can recall from that period is the Tarzan, which came out in late 1970. There might, however, have been others that I overlooked if they were humor titles, which I paid very little attention to at that time. Since the 100-page Super Specs started in mid-'71, the timing would be right.

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Nope, the Tarzan digest was DC's only digest until 79.