Yellow Kid

A couple of early Billy Bounce pinbacks. The second one was offered by several different newspapers.

It is generally accepted that Swinnerton's Little Bears, which started in the San Francisco Examiner in 1893, was the first comic strip with continuing characters. It started as a small black and white strip and eventually grew into a large color comic. Here is a picture of the cartoon in its earliest days, examples of which are quite rare.

You got some of the characters from the 1925 Milton Bradley "Happy Hooligan Game." by Opper.. You got his two brothers and some of the children. Most of the popular comic strip characters were featured in games, postcards, sheet music, etc. I think of Swinnerton, Opper, Outcault, and Dirks as the founding fathers of the comic strip so almost anything associated with any of them is worth collecting.

That's a very nice group of comics and magazines.

Your Scrooge and Duck Four Color sets could get me interested in bound volumes--just beautiful.

These are very nice books that confirm my feeling that carefully selected CGC 5.0-7.0 books are great collector's copies.

Hud is a great guy and a long time collector. Long ago I helped him complete his set of Yellow Kid pinbacks and now he has found something even more unique.

I think I suggested this when I first joined the board, but anyone interested in investing in comics, or anything for that matter, should begin by reading Charles Mackay's great book, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds.

As usual, Robot Man is right on target. I actually have multiples of some great pieces because I know what they used to sell for and I can't resist them at today's prices. Sadly, they will someday sell for even less than I paid. This just illustrates once again that you should collect what you really like.

I used to have the 100-count and the 50-count Yellow Kid cigar boxes. I also had the tobacco store Yellow Kid counter cutter for cigars which is quite rare. When James Challenger's outstanding advertising collection was sold, I got one of his favorite pieces, eight Palmer Cox figures advertising Rainmaker's 5 Cent Segar. I have those characters standing in front of a Palmer Cox label. There is also a label for Brownies cigars. I am also including two Buster Brown cigars. I think the rings could be saved and exchanged for premiums in the booklet that is pictured. Because the early comics were aimed at adults to encourage them to buy the paper, the advertisements were also aimed at adults.

Bob, the picture is of the large Yellow Kid cigar box. There is also one that is about half that deep. I sold most of my YK collection some time ago with the exception of my pinbacks and Sunday tear sheets. I also have a set Palmer Cox figures advertising cigars but not a box. I will try and get a picture of them tomorrow.

MMW issue !, pp9-12

MMW Issue #1, pp. 5-8

The next four posts will show the entire first issue of the Mickey Mouse Weekly. As you will see, a lot of the contents are not Disney based, and most of the interior is printed in black and white. I think a regular issue is about 11" x 15" but the bound copies are 1/4" smaller in both directionsdue to the binding process. The title was reduced in size at some point, probably during the war. The cover and some of the interior was draw by Disney artists in England, some of the color comics were reprinted from America, and other material came from a variety of sources. Looking through the volumes, I was surprised by the emphasis on science fiction, which may have represented the influence of H. G. Wells. This post will show pages 1-4 of the first issue, and the next two posts will show pages 5-8 and 9-12. I should add that the format remained constant with a color centerfold and back page, which along with the cover would have been one wrap. Enjoy! .

Here are a few duck images you probably haven't seen before reading this comment. Yesterday I got two NM/M copies of bound volumes of the Mickey Mouse Weekly. Vol. 1 has issues #1-#37 and Vol. 2 has issues #38-#74 and the issues are immaculate. They were the personal copies of the European distributor, which later were part of Steve Geppi's collection, which later became part of Tom Kelley's, and now are part of my collection. The bindings show the slightest wear, but the issues are so beautiful it is hard to believe they are from the 1930's. Quite honestly, I doubt that most of them have ever been opened. Following are pictures of the volumes and issues #1, #38, and #74. The images are from handheld pictures and could be a little nicer but I was so thrilled with the volumes that I wanted to share them with you.