The "Modern" Comics (late '70s Charlton reprints) Archaeology/Appreciation Thread... 1 1

[jools&jim]

THIS JUST IN to my collection this week: another Modern Multi-Pak with a retail price sticker (Hat Tip to ShieldAgent!):

What a bargain!  A retail value of $1.05, on sale for 99¢ -- a whopping 6¢ discount! 

No wonder these things failed...!

Edited October 15, 2018 by jools&jim

[Dr Zen]

This is the only one I have ever come across.

[Metarog]

My understanding is that Modern Promotions would approach comic book companies and offer to redistribute some of their already published comics. 

This was done with the Giant Comic Album series in the early 70’s which reprinted daily newspaper strips and then later with the 4 issue Archie Giant compilation reprints. 

Later on, they did the Charlton Reprints as detailed earlier in this thread and even redistributed a Battlerstar Galactica Treasury that Marvel initially published. 

I have the complete sets of all the above except the Comic Albums and have 2 sealed Modern Comics 3 paks. This is an interesting thread... thanks to Shieldagent for pointing it out to me.

[Brock]

4 hours ago, Metarog said:

My understanding is that Modern Promotions would approach comic book companies and offer to redistribute some of their already published comics. 

This was done with the Giant Comic Album series in the early 70’s which reprinted daily newspaper strips and then later with the 4 issue Archie Giant compilation reprints. 

Later on, they did the Charlton Reprints as detailed earlier in this thread and even redistributed a Battlerstar Galactica Treasury that Marvel initially published. 

I have the complete sets of all the above except the Comic Albums and have 2 sealed Modern Comics 3 paks. This is an interesting thread... thanks to Shieldagent for pointing it out to me.

I didn’t know they were behind the Giant Comic Album issues... I have a few of those, and always wondered what their story was.

Do you know if this Modern was the same Modern that published the original Voltron series in 1985?

[Metarog]

1 hour ago, Brock said:

I didn’t know they were behind the Giant Comic Album issues... I have a few of those, and always wondered what their story was.

Do you know if this Modern was the same Modern that published the original Voltron series in 1985?

Yes, I forgot to mention that. The address in the indicia is the same as the Giant Comic Album series so they are probably the same outfit.

[fastballspecial]

1 hour ago, Metarog said:

2 hours ago, Brock said:

I didn’t know they were behind the Giant Comic Album issues... I have a few of those, and always wondered what their story was.

Do you know if this Modern was the same Modern that published the original Voltron series in 1985?

Yes, I forgot to mention that. The address in the indicia is the same as the Giant Comic Album series so they are probably the same outfit.

Good to see ya

 

[divad]

Never crossed paths with one of these.  And I had several copies of The Peacemaker series.

 

Edited October 20, 2018 by divad

[RockMyAmadeus]

My opinion, converging with other statements here, is that Modern was to Charlton what Whitman was to DC and Marvel, only on a much smaller, much less successful scale, and using reprints, for the most part. Did Modern take part in the early Direct market...?

[Brock]

21 hours ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

My opinion, converging with other statements here, is that Modern was to Charlton what Whitman was to DC and Marvel, only on a much smaller, much less successful scale, and using reprints, for the most part. Did Modern take part in the early Direct market...?

My recollection is that I purchased my Voltron #1 from a comic shop, but I never saw other Modern books there. The Charlton reprints were ubiquitous in discount chain stores, though.

[All-Star Squadman]

This topic brings me back to my 1st days buying comics as a child. I recall getting a few single issues of E-Man  at Woolworth in 1980. Perhaps they were de-bagged from the 3 packs. I also picked up a bunch of 3 packs in 1979/1980 from a generic discount store where as I recall they were 2 for $1

Edited October 28, 2018 by 35CentEra

[Get Marwood & I]

 

@porcupine48

[the blob]

On ‎10‎/‎20‎/‎2018 at 3:03 AM, RockMyAmadeus said:

My opinion, converging with other statements here, is that Modern was to Charlton what Whitman was to DC and Marvel, only on a much smaller, much less successful scale, and using reprints, for the most part. Did Modern take part in the early Direct market...?

Anecdotally I do not remember the modern comics at my childhood comic shop, but did buy the modern e-man books from a candy store near my school.

 

 

[Gravin]

I just accidentally picked up the Modern reprint of Attack! #13 in an eBay lot and spent about 10 minutes trying to figure out what the heck I was looking at ...I should have known that somewhere here I could find an answer - thanks for the history lesson boardies! 

[jools&jim]

Hey all...still kicking the bushes for Moderns, and especially ones with discount store stamps on them, as discussed earlier in this thread. 

Recent acquisitions are pictured below:

• the Modern variant of House of Yang #1 with a "6 for a Dollar" sticker came from an antique mall in Glen Mills, PA.

• the other three examples (from Gettysburg PA) are genuine Charltons (and -- if not for the discount stickers that made them interesting to me -- are borderline high grade, too):  similar to the Moderns, these were being blown out @ .14¢ each, or 8 for $1.00, at Barkers Discount Department Stores [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barker's_Discount_Department_Stores ]. 

Is this another piece of the Modern puzzle, or just a coincidental case of a wholesaler bulking out unsold stock from a B-list publisher to a discount chain?

Edited October 26, 2021 by jools&jim

[jdandns]

Was looking through my (small) stack of vintage Charltons and this Modern "House of Yang" #1 was with the regular Charlton "Yang" #1 I had.

[jools&jim]

Hey all...haven't been doing much with comics over the past 6 months or so.  But an old and very dear friend recently surprised me with slabbed copies of my all-time favorite Modern Comics reprints of classic '60s Charltons: Captain Atom #83, featuring the first appearance of Ted Cord (the 2nd Blue Beetle); and Blue Beetle #1, featuring the first appearance of The Question.  All Ditko, of course!

Great stuff!  And, at least in my experience, these two issues in particular are very hard to find in F/VF or better these days.  So I was VERY pleased and excited to add them to my Modern collection!

 

Edited May 23, 2022 by jools&jim

[MAR1979]

^ A Seriously NICE GIFT!