The GA in Australia 4 4

[AJD]

Missed out on this one on eBay, but I thought it was cool enough to post the image here:

[Flex Mentallo]

Missed out on this one on eBay, but I thought it was cool enough to post the image here:

 

 

So rare, these books!

[AJD]

Another Aussie FH reprint to add to the collection.

[Bronty]

Very nice

[damonwad]

Another Aussie FH reprint to add to the collection.

 

Love it. Great colors.

[AJD]

An Australian original title this time. The late great John Dixon's Crimson Comet, with a GGA cover to boot. A recent eBay pickup:

[sagii]

An Australian original title this time. The late great John Dixon's Crimson Comet, with a GGA cover to boot. A recent eBay pickup:

 

Cool one Andrew, very cool.

[Scrooge]

An Australian original title this time. The late great John Dixon's Crimson Comet, with a GGA cover to boot. A recent eBay pickup:

 

Cool one Andrew, very cool.

 

Agreed. So fantastic. Very reminiscent of early Mystery in Space covers. Does this predate the MiS and Strange Adventures series?

 

Plus, I've got to give it more props. It's the one rare flying squirrels attack cover. Don't know of any other flying squirrels covers!

[AJD]

That CC #40 is from 1953 or 54 I think. Like many Australian GA/Atom Age comics, the indicia doesn't have a date. According to the 'Bonzer' book, the CC ran from 1947 to 1959. To make things more confusing, there were two series - the first ran from #1 to #69 (at least) and the second from #10 - #42. This is a first series book judging by the cover price. In that case Bonzer says the art is by Albert De Vine - all I'll say is he did a pretty fair John Dixon impersonation if that's the case.

 

Collecting Australian comics is definitely more confusing than collecting American ones!

[Sqeggs]

Probably should add this here -- particularly since I accidentally broke the links to my other post of it.

 

 

[Scrooge]

That CC #40 is from 1953 or 54 I think. Like many Australian GA/Atom Age comics, the indicia doesn't have a date. According to the 'Bonzer' book, the CC ran from 1947 to 1959. To make things more confusing, there were two series - the first ran from #1 to #69 (at least) and the second from #10 - #42. This is a first series book judging by the cover price. In that case Bonzer says the art is by Albert De Vine - all I'll say is he did a pretty fair John Dixon impersonation if that's the case.

 

Collecting Australian comics is definitely more confusing than collecting American ones!

 

Thanks for the info! I have been looking around for a definitive publication about French post-war publications and there appears to be none surprisingly. Same situation (or maybe even worse) than for the Australian case.

[AJD]

Probably should add this here -- particularly since I accidentally broke the links to my other post of it.

 

 

 

Great book, and very hard to find. I wondered who won that one. It sold for a lot for an Australian comic. There's only a handful that go for A$2k.

[Sqeggs]

Probably should add this here -- particularly since I accidentally broke the links to my other post of it.

 

 

 

Great book, and very hard to find. I wondered who won that one. It sold for a lot for an Australian comic. There's only a handful that go for A$2k.

 

Definitely went for more than I had hoped. A book that I not only had never seen, but that I never knew existed. I figured it was now or maybe never.

[AJD]

 

 

 

Interesting what they chose to put on the back. The American copy also has Ten Commandments of Citizenship (Canadians only got six) :

 

1. Know your government

2. Know the issues before it

3. Keep up on foreign problems

4. Be respectful of all other races, nationalities and religions

5. Practice your own religion

6. Read newspapers and magazines critically

7. Use your vote

8. Follow closely the actions of your elected representative

9. Join political organizations

10. Be American first

 

Some obvious changes for Australia, but a couple of them are a bit odd. "Be British and Australian first" is a real hangover from the days of Empire. That wouldn't surprise me on something from 1915, but it does in 1950ish (is there a date on the comic anywhere?). It suggests that the sense of being Australian rather than a British subject is more recent than I thought. I when Australia voted to remain constitutionally tied to the UK rather than become a republic in the late 1990s. so I suppose it shouldn't be such a surprise to see the view from 1950.

 

The other odd thing is the reference to the Constitution as a charter of freedom. I'd assumed that had just been copied over from the American edition, but clearly not. With the Bill of Rights, the US Consitution does guarantee many freedoms. But the Australian Consitution is a very much a legal document spelling out the powers of the Federal Government as opposed to the states that agreed to sign up as a single entity in 1901. There's not a lot in it about rights and freedoms - those are mostly inherited from British Common Law or legislated, rather than Constitutional.

 

A final comment - the conservatives in Australian politics ran very hard on an anti-communist platform in the 1951 election (and even tried to dissolve the local communist party with the Communist Party Dissolution Bill, which caused a huge fuss at the time). This comic would have played very well for their platform.

[Duffman_Comics]

Politics

 

Not really, but it is an interesting offering. Any idea what's on the inside?

[AJD]

Politics

 

Not really, but it is an interesting offering. Any idea what's on the inside?

 

Well, Australian politics of 1950... so no poofs here (I hope).

 

The Heritage listing said this: Slightly different from the US edition with some extra graphic content.

 

Clearly the covers are different, including the old Parliament House on the back.

 

Sqeggs: can you shed any light on the contents changes?

 

 

[Sqeggs]

Politics

 

Not really, but it is an interesting offering. Any idea what's on the inside?

 

Well, Australian politics of 1950... so no poofs here (I hope).

 

The Heritage listing said this: Slightly different from the US edition with some extra graphic content.

 

Clearly the covers are different, including the old Parliament House on the back.

 

Sqeggs: can you shed any light on the contents changes?

 

 

I need to do a detailed comparison because I haven't read the U.S. version in a while. The main changes seem to be cosmetic ones, such as changing a map displayed in one panel from the U.S. to Australia and changing references to the head of government from president to prime minister. The interior is also black and white, while the U.S. version was printed in color.

 

Given the scarcity of the book and given that this copy is three-holed punched as if stored in a binder, I wonder whether the book was ever actually distributed in Australia. Obviously there must have been some intention to distribute it because some work was done to adapt it for Australian audiences, but you would think it would be more common if it had actually circulated.

 

I don't see a date, but the U.S. and Canadian versions both appeared in 1947 and Heritage also listed this one with a date of 1947, but they may have based that on the dates of the other versions.

[AJD]

SOTI Australian style

 

Well, it's Australia Day again (Jan 26), so g'day cobbers.*

I thought I'd post something interesting in the spirit of the occasion. Here's a piece form the local press which was spotted by Duffman recently:

State Library secrets: Eleven books you're banned from reading in Queensland

It turns out that State Library of Queensland (QLD) has an obligation to keep books banned in that state, even though the original reasons for the ban are passe these days. The picture in the article above has a romance comic:

The Library has blogged about it here. Here's the offending item:

 

From the Library blog:

Queensland passed its own ‘Objectionable Literature’ legislation in March 1954, setting up a Literature Board of Review as a means of banning any publications which

• unduly emphasized acts of sex, horror, crime, cruelty, and violence
• were blasphemous, indecent, obscene, or likely to be injurious to morality
• were likely to encourage depravity, public disorder, or indictable offence
• or were otherwise calculated to injure the citizens of Queensland

From the National Library of Australia, here's a 1954 QLD press clipping which describes the banning of certain comics, under the front page headline '9 comic books banned in state'. Here's the text of the story:

MOST DEAL IN HORROR AND WAR

NINE of 10 publications banned in Queensland from today are comic books. The tenth is an illustrated magazine. Names of the banned publications were

announced last night by the State Literature Board of Review chairman (Mr. W. G. Hamilton).

Most of the banned comics have been on open display at Queensland bookstalls. The magazine, called 'Dare,' has not been sold openly in Queensland. All the banned literature is published in southern States.

Its distribution in Queensland will be illegal from today, following a Government Gazette order.

The banned publications are: —

'War Battles,' published by Red Circle Press, 149 Castlereagh Street, Sydney;

'Famous Yank,' Rosnock Pty Ltd. 149 Castlereagh Street, Sydney;

'Fight Comics,' Action Comics Pty Ltd, 14 Bond Street, Sydney;

'G-Man,' Atlas Publications Pty Ltd, Queen Parade, Clifton Hill, Victoria;

'Guilty,' Atlas Publications Pty Ltd;

'Anti-Crime Squad' (Kerry Drake), Red Circle Press, Sydney;

'Love Illustrated,' Barmor Publications, 149 Castlereagh Street, Sydney;

'The United States Marines,' Larry Cleland Pty Ltd, 125 Swanston Street, Melbourne;

'War Heroes,' Blue Diamond Publishing Co, 15 Park Street, Sydney.

'Dare,' Ron Ashworth, 7 Lombard Street, Balgowlah, NSW.

Mr. Hamilton said all but one of the prohibited comics featured war or crime horror. The other comic book was titled 'Love Illustrated.' 'The board examined a great number of comics, some of which cannot be regarded as objectionable,' Mr. Hamilton said. 'But certain aspects of the others have been classed as injurious to the age groups in which they are likely to be distributed. 'Nearly all of these are the horror or war type of comic.

Penalties

'The board has not made its decision lightly; the publications have been examined closely by all members.' The Objectionable Literature Bill states that no person shall distribute or promise, offer, represent, or advertise that he will distribute any literature prohibited by the Literature Board of Review. A general penalty of up to £100 is provided for first offenders and up to £500 for a second or subsequent offence.

Antics of 'Famous Yank' and 'Eddie'

HERE are some excerpts from the banned comics.

Famous Yank ('Incredible -True Crime' Stories') :— Illustrated introduction of characters into second Ken Shannon story:—'Arlene— who intended to kiss her way . . . including the kiss of death . . . into fortune' . . . 'Sherry—who had ambitions like killing her way into the social register' . . . 'Roxas — who'd strangle his own brother for a Bob . . . and did.'

The United States Marines:

Scene I: A close-up of land grenade falling on to the head of a terror-stricken Chinese.

Scene 2: Close-up of the explosion flash ('Blaamm!'), with a foot and the Chinese cap protruding.

Bayonetted: Four more close-up scenes of a bayonet being driven hilt-deep into a 'Communist's' throat.

Marine Eddie in two scenes 'stabbing a third 'Communist): 'Kill! That's why I'm here! Not to play music; To KILL!' . .kill! KILL! KILL!'

Sergeant: Eddie! Snap out of it That guy's been dead for a minute.

Guilty ('adapted from TRUE police and FBI cases) :

Foreword to 'Two-Gun Crowley': He was a runt whose hatred for the police was a constantly growing cancer in his heart ... but the law has sure cure for kill-crazy little rats like . . . Two-Gun Crowley.'

His 'chance' Dialogue in a scene of gang war:

Scene I— 'Willie' (The Miser): This is my chance! Nobody around but us! I'll let him have it . . and dump his body in the river !

Scene 2— Flame belching from a pistol into the back of gang leader Tiny.

Scene 3 ('later')— Mobster (to Willie): Willie! Somebody chilled Tiny! They found him in the river.

Willie: Ain't that sad? I'm sittin' in his chair from now on! Get it?

Children's book week

A Brisbane children's book week in November is being organised to counteract 'the more objectionable forms of children's literature.'

A committee, formed to make good literature available to Brisbane children, plans to obtain books from Britain, the United States, and New Zealand, as well as Australia.

Chairman of the committee (Mr. J. Richardson, of the Queensland University Education Faculty) said last night:—'Special features of the exhibition will be sections devoted to the works of Australian authors, sections showing appropriate reading material for children of different ages and a historical survey of the development in children's literature over the last century.'

---------------------------

Well, OK, but what was wrong with 'Love Illustrated'? A possible clue is the Board's second round of bannings, which included this: "The Board is now directing its attack against illustrated magazines unduly emphasising sex and the female figure". Well, there's most of the Fiction House line screwed.

 

 

*It's been about 30 years since I heard anyone actually say that. Included here for stereotyping purposes only.

[AJD]

Here's a sample of Australian SOTI books (QLD readers please avert your eyes). A shout out to the wonderful Oz reprints site for many of these.

War Heroes

Famous Yank

Fight Comics

G-Man

Guilty

Anti-Crime Squad' (Kerry Drake)

The United States Marines

War Battles

[sagii]

Great read Andrew! The Australian books are interesting me more and more. Probably a subset to 'really' dig into after i complete want list of some other American gold. Cherish the few that i have. If you ever snag that Romance book in the photo, please share the insides.