Did you know that.....

HELLO overseas friends!

Few american collectors are aware of how many international editions of Marvel Comics exist...and even less are aware that Italy has been and still is one of the largest comic books markets in the world...

Did you know that comics like Tex and Mickey Mouse still sell 750.000(!!) copies per issue in the Italian version nowadays?!

And now ...some MARVEL-IN-ITALY-INFO for dummies!

0) The first Marvel comic book was published in Italy only in march 1970 (Spider-Man 1 = Uomo Ragno ). FF appeared in some comic magazine in 1968 but nothing else... A poster (a small size reprint of the mythical 1966 USA Spidey Personality poster) came with the book.

It took 2 decades to reach the american production. In 1984 they were still publishing the Marvel USA 1980 issues!

1) MARVEL comics in Italian edition printed in 1970 to 1985 are very very nice collectible items and HARD to find in high grades (according to US standards at least..) especially if complete with their gadgets. Italian collectors are not sophisticated about conditions as US collectors!

It would take too long to explain but in Italy nobody uses the American grading system...

Grades are very unaccurate and superficial and it's VERY hard to find 9.0 or better Italian books from the 60s-80s in accordance with the US grading standards...

Average Collectors just refer to POOR / GOOD / VERY GOOD / FINE / VERY FINE / NEAR MINT / MINT....

2) The first Marvel publisher was "Editoriale Corno" from Milan. The company went into bankrupcy in 1984 leaving Italians orphans of Marvel comics 'till 1987...

In 1987 - 1994 plenty of publishers (Star Comics, Play Press....) got the rights to print various Marvel books...at least until Panini/Marvel in 1994 took direct control of any Marvel related publication in Italy...

3) The first 50 issues of Uomo Ragno, Devil (Daredevil), Fantastici Quattro (Fantastic Four), Thor were printed half in colour and half in b/w to save on printing costs...

4) Many issues from the 70s and 80s had gadgets like posters and stickers...

5) The eyes of Spidey were painted in yellow 'till 1987!!

6) In Italy the standard "SuperHeroes"-comic book had 2-3 stories per issue from various american series, with very limited ads.

I.E. : UOMO RAGNO 18 - 24/12/1970

Stories:

Amazing Spider Man n.22 (03/65) "La minaccia in agguato" (LEE / DITKO)

Doctor Strange n.180 (05/69)"Eternità" (parte 2 di 2)

Doctor Strange n.181 (07/69) "Se un mondo dovesse morire prima che io mi svegli" (parte 1 di 2)

Cover:

Graphic re-elaboration from Amazing fantasy 15

AND this is an essential list of Marvel books published in Italy in 1970-1984 by Editoriale Corno...I left some Italian words but if you want I can translate them for you!

MARVEL SERIES PUBLISHED IN ITALY IN ITALIAN LANGUAGE (1970-1984) by EDITORIALE CORNO

L'UOMO RAGNO (1a serie) 283 issues (from 30/4/1970 to 6/3/1981)

IL SETTIMANALE DE L'UOMO RAGNO 43 issues (from 17/3/1981 to 5/1/1982)

L'UOMO RAGNO (2a serie) 58 issues (from 4/3/1982 to 9/2/1984)

L'INCREDIBILE DEVIL 126 issues (from 6/5/1970 to 6/3/1975)

I FANTASTICI QUATTRO 259 issues (from 6/4/1971 to 18/3/1981)

IL MITICO THOR 243 issues (from 13/4/1971 to 1/8/1980)

CAPITAN AMERICA 128 issues (from 24/4/1973 to 8/3/1978)

GLI ALBI DEI SUPER/EROI 49 issues (from 2/5/1973 to 5/3/1975)

HULK E I DIFENSORI 44 issues (from 20/3/1975 to 11/11/1976)

L'INCREDIBILE HULK 38 issues (from 4/80 to 11/83)

I DIFENSORI 15 issues (from 5/79 to 7/80)

CONAN & KA-ZAR 44 issues (from 19/3/1975 to 10/11/1976)

GLI ETERNI 29 issues (from 3/78 to 7/80)

SHANG/CHI, MAESTRO DEL KUNG/FU (1a serie) 54 issues

SHANG/CHI, MAESTRO DEL KUNG/FU (2a serie) 5 issues

CORRIERE DELLA PAURA 22 issues (from 6/74 to 3/76)

DRACULA 18 issues (from 4/76 to 9/77)

SUPERFUMETTI 17 issues (from 3/76 to 4/80)

EUREKA POCKET 82 issues (from 12/68 to 1/84) with Marvel Horror stories in issues 8, 14, 19, 25, 30, 38, 43, 50, 55.

MARVEL REPRINTS 1970-1984 published by EDITORITOE CORNO:

L'UOMO RAGNO GIGANTE 93 issues - from 7/76 to 3/84

I FANTASTICI QUATTRO GIGANTE 39 issues - from 3/78 to 6/81

DEVIL GIGANTE 40 issues - from 4/77 to 7/80 -

CAPITAN AMERICA GIGANTE 14 issues- from 4/80 to 5/81

I FANTASTICI QUATTRO(2a serie) 16 issues

THOR (2a serie) 42 issues - from 26/5/82

CAPITAN AMERICA (2a serie) 29 issues - from 3/6/82

I VENDICATORI GIGANTE 14 issues- from 4/80 to 7/81

CONAN 9 issues - from 5/80 - to 9/81

CIAO!

FEDERICO

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