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Is my copy of Superman #26 cut-up, or normal?

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Hi, this is a rather odd question, but I don't know whom to ask...

 

I just bought the comic-book of Superman #26 from somebody on eBay.

 

Looking through the comic, I noticed three interior pages that appear to be completely cut-out. There is a thin sliver of paper in the center and it seems to have been completely removed via an X-acto knife or other careful, straight-edged process.

 

These missing pages do not affect any of the stories. The page number will go from 6 to 7 with no interruption, but there is that sliver of paper at the centerfold area (which is connected to a full page on the other side of the staples).

 

I figure this is one of two things:

 

(1) An advertisement/coupon page that somebody has very carefully removed.

 

(2) Some sort of production remnant in which extra pages were added in such a way that they could be stapled into the comic without having to be full wraps.

 

Do you know anything about this? I am sorry to ask such a detailed question, but I am trying to figure out whether I need to ask for a refund on eBay or whether I in fact have a very nice, complete copy of Superman #26.

 

If you could point me to any resource that contains the full, raw Superman #26 in digital form, that would also be helpful.

 

Thank you very much for whatever help you can provide.

 

I will try to add a photo to show what I mean.

 

superman26-flaw.jpg

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There are 28 interior pages, or 56 if you count both sides of each page. (Or 30/58 if you count the front/back cover pages). Is that right?

 

If you are correct that this is normal and nothing is wrong with the comic, then I am very happy with the deal I got on it, as it's in nice 4.0 condition. (Now the only thing I need to figure out is how to store it, because being from 1944, it's one of those large-sized comics -- almost as big as a small magazine.)

 

Thanks for your help. One question, though: Why were comics manufactured this way?

 

 

 

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There are 28 interior pages, or 56 if you count both sides of each page. (Or 30/58 if you count the front/back cover pages). Is that right?

 

If you are correct that this is normal and nothing is wrong with the comic, then I am very happy with the deal I got on it, as it's in nice 4.0 condition. (Now the only thing I need to figure out is how to store it, because being from 1944, it's one of those large-sized comics -- almost as big as a small magazine.)

 

Thanks for your help. One question, though: Why were comics manufactured this way?

 

 

 

According to the Keltner Index, Superman 26 should have 56 interior pages. I have a copy of 27 and it has the same number of interior pages and you can also see the partial pages that look cut out. This is pretty common and was supposedly due to reduction of paper consumption required for the war effort. I think they were just saving money on production. Some issues also have only one staple to reduce metal consumption.

 

GA comics should be stored in super golden age size bags if available. Some GA have tattered edges or severe spine roll and don't fit in a golden age size bag very easily and people switch to magazine size bags. Backer boards should always be used especially with mylar. The boards protect the back of the book and add stability. I learned that the hard way. (Sorry about the Suspense 3, Dave).

bb

 

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These are called "wartime books"

 

there are many comics from DC & Timely mostly that have this feature which was a paper saving issue due to wartime paper shortages as paper was used in so many things for the war effort & couldn't manufactured fast enough

 

I dont recall if MLJ books also have this feature

 

In any case, I DC & Timely comics are like this for periods between 1942 & 1945

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It was common in DC books in the early 40's, (I have some ifrom 42 and 43) there should be an uneven split more on one side than the other. If you count the pages in the first half (before the staple) and the 2nd half. You will see one fold was glued in the front and a page was sliced out of the back. They repeated this in the 50's on a few issues. I have NO idea why, I think it was with the Batman books in 1952, but I don't remember.

Split was usually 16/12 on the GA books.

 

I think I do have one Timely like that as well.

 

Hope this helps:)

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"It's all about pagination, my friends. Pagination. If it ain't 32 pages then it must be 64 pages, and if it ain't that it's then 128 pages. Covers don't count... different press, different paper stock, different process. Anything less they would go back and slice out a page or add in 8 page increments. All Star #8 was a good example."

Excerpt from the University of Reprobate Printers graduation speech given by

Sir Pedantic Busted Flush, Summa Gab Loudly 1965

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These are called "wartime books"

 

there are many comics from DC & Timely mostly that have this feature which was a paper saving issue due to wartime paper shortages as paper was used in so many things for the war effort & couldn't manufactured fast enough

 

I dont recall if MLJ books also have this feature

 

 

Yes, it's also common in MLJs from that period.

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Something I've always wondered about is that full wraps would likely have to have been printed and then trimmed to half wraps in the production process, with the excess presumably being recycled. Has anyone ever seen a war era book with a blank page in it? Or am I incorrect in this assumption about production?

 

From my vague recollections in reading about war era paper rationing - publishers were limited by tonnage, so the reduction in pages was geared to keeping as many books on the stands as possible, not due to a maximum allowable page amount in each book, and that reducing the interior page count to 48 (leaving all wraps complete) was initially considered too drastic a cut. I've also noticed that Timely in particular kept shrinking their books dimesionally as well, and that some books from the end of the war era are closer in size to today's comics than to most other GA books.

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Thanks for the interesting responses, everybody. To the person who requested more photos of the comic in question, I will be happy to do so (I am not at home at the moment, though).

 

I am somewhat confused about the issue of 8-page increments. A wrap is 4 pages, is it not? Why are 3 different pages cut this way (resulting in 6 fewer pages), rather than just using 1 fewer wraps (4 pages) and then cutting 1 page (2 pages)?

 

Not that everything done by these manufacturers has to make sense...

 

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Okay, here are a couple pics. Let me know what you think.

 

Here's what I think: It's the best copy I will ever get. I haven't read the stories yet, but am looking forward to finding out if Superman really does interrupt Goebbels' propaganda broadcast on Radio Berlin so he can ring the Liberty Bell and, presumably, rupture lots of National Socialist eardrums.

 

Oh by the way, after all his hard work, I figure Superman deserves a friend, so I put a comic nearby that has Bettie on the cover -- looking rather inviting.

 

superman26.jpg

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