The Distribution of US Published Comics in the UK (1959~1982) 15 15

[Albert Tatlock]

1 hour ago, Kevin.J said:

small DC sample to get some more data on the stamp numbers

A few more examples:

In case they are not showing, the numbers are:

109 = 7, 110 = 1, 111 = 3, 112 = 6, 113 = 8, 114 = 8, 115 = 4(!) 116 = 3 and 117 = 4

So the 115 is the odd man out, it should have been a 9.

Maybe a late arrival, or possibly a short-sighted T & P stamper who could not tell 4 and 9 apart.

But I am sure T & P's rigorous staff selection procedure would have weeded out any Magoo applicants.

[Albert Tatlock]

Here is another batch:

111 = 3, 113 = 8, 114 = 8, 115 = 9 (twice)

So the number 4 of 115 is on the naughty step.

[Albert Tatlock]

And a March 1960 Brave and Bold behaving itself quite nicely.

[Get Marwood & I]

Afternoon guys 

First up, I haven't processed the last few posts yet so if there is anything in them that is relevant to this I'll get to it later.

Here are the results of an assessment I have made today of all the available images on eBay for the following six DC titles covering the first four uses of the 1-9 T&P stamp:

Click to enlarge:

 

 

 

 

@Albert Tatlock below are your suggested cover dates vs T&P stamp numbers - I have added the results of my six title review and they're not a million miles away:

DC COVER DATE        ALBERTS NUMBERS  STEVES NUMBERS

OCT 1959                                 7                                          

NOV 1959                                 8

DEC 1959                                 9

JAN 1960                                  1                            1

FEB 1960                                  2                           1/2

MAR 1960                                 3                           3

APR 1960                                  4                           3/4

MAY 1960                                 5/6                         6

JUNE 1960                                7                           7

JULY 1960                                 8                           7

AUG 1960                                  9                           8

SEPT 1960                                1                           9

 

This note interests me, from my table - a near 9 month cover date sequence for the 2-4th uses:

 

Now I could go on all year adding every title - and I may well do - but three things are now very clear to me:

1. For DC, the stamp numbering is definitely sequential with the most likely explanation being that the numbering tallies to sequential overseas deliveries
2. The mix of each delivery - notwithstanding the odd outlier / late issue - generally comprises a mix of issues within 1 or 2 months of each others cover dates (which is entirely logical given the scale of the operation)
3. Each use of the 1-9 stamps seems to fit a 9 month or thereabouts window, indicating monthly overseas deliveries - itself entirely logical given the predominantly monthly format of the publications being shipped

There is only one thing that we do not yet know for sure. The exact months / dates that correlate with each 1-9 usage. We can make a very good reasoned guess in my opinion, using on sale dates, arrival dates, shipping times, peoples individual recollections etc, but that guess may be one or two months out. 

My other point that is yet to be proven beyond reasonable doubt - whether any publishers other than DC (e.g. Charlton) precede the known first numbered DC examples.

All very good fun 

[Get Marwood & I]

4 hours ago, Kevin.J said:

Looked at my comics today here is a small DC sample to get some more data on the stamp numbers, I hope it helps and I can go further if required, just let me know numbers and I will look to see if I have pence or cents

A few anomalies but, I think the Alberts theory stands up and may.....or may not settle down later

Action comics - 260 =1, 261 =2, 262 =3, 263 =4

Adventure Comics - 267=8, 268=9, 270=3, 271=4

Batman - 231=5, 233=8, 234=9

Detective - 274=8, 275=1

Strange Adventure - 110=9, 111=9, 112=1

Worlds Finest - 107=4, 108=3, 109=5, 111=8

Any chance of a scan or photo of that Detective 274 with the 8 stamp Kevin?

[Get Marwood & I]

6 hours ago, Garystar said:

I’ve drawn up a template to populate for Marvels. Thought I’d start with the stamped issues I have, first impression is that a very large proportion are illegible especially the early ones with the number in black half circle. I have six early avengers stamped - only one I can read number. If someone was hoping to do some administrative task based on the numbers it wouldn’t be easy. 

Cor, tell me about it Gary. I had to disregard about 7 copies of the same DC issue due to illegible stamps 

Quote

I’ll let you know when it’s populated enough to make some conclusions/assumptions. 

Second impression - why couldn't Popular Book Centre stamp books just once? Mine, including X-Men #1, all have at least three stamps and sometimes four.

Tell me about it again Gary! It's why I personally refer to them as the Unpopular Book Centre 

[Kevin.J]

26 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

Any chance of a scan or photo of that Detective 274 with the 8 stamp Kevin?

[Albert Tatlock]

Figthin Air Force 12, price 1/3. Cannot be sure of stamp, but looks like a 2.

Dated 1958, available on ebay in quantity, not all stamped, though, so remaindered copies likely dumped on T & P back in the day.

[Kevin.J]

2 hours ago, Albert Tatlock said:

Figthin Air Force 12, price 1/3. Cannot be sure of stamp, but looks like a 2.

Dated 1958, available on ebay in quantity, not all stamped, though, so remaindered copies likely dumped on T & P back in the day.

 

My Copy is a 1 & 9d 

I need to revisit all of my Charltons at some point as the first time I went through them was to look for Pence copies, I ignored stamps at that time  

 

 

 

 

[Albert Tatlock]

A few more 1960 stamps.

W. Finest 107 = 1, Batman 129 = 1, W. Woman 114 = 6, Batman 132 = 7, MGA 47 = 9, Showcase 28 = 1

[Get Marwood & I]

18 hours ago, Albert Tatlock said:

A few more 1960 stamps.

W. Finest 107 = 1, Batman 129 = 1, W. Woman 114 = 6, Batman 132 = 7, MGA 47 = 9, Showcase 28 = 1

Cheers, I'll add some of these to the table later and maybe do The Flash run too.

Any thoughts / comments on this earlier post Antoni before I do?

 

[Albert Tatlock]

3 hours ago, Get Marwood & I said:

Any thoughts / comments on this earlier post

You have done a great job, Marwood on digging out some very obscure stuff, a very praiseworthy effort.

We have enough info on the DCs to establish the trend, and as more data is added we should soon be able to come up with a best fit for the sequence.

In the early 1960s, the cover date on DCs was sometimes 2 months, but more usually 3, behind real time. I can fix this from my own recollections of what I bought matched to birthdays, Christmas, school holidays, etc, and there should be some other collectors with similar tales to tell.

Those pesky Charltons, though.............

[Get Marwood & I]

46 minutes ago, Albert Tatlock said:

You have done a great job, Marwood on digging out some very obscure stuff, a very praiseworthy effort.

We have enough info on the DCs to establish the trend, and as more data is added we should soon be able to come up with a best fit for the sequence.

In the early 1960s, the cover date on DCs was sometimes 2 months, but more usually 3, behind real time. I can fix this from my own recollections of what I bought matched to birthdays, Christmas, school holidays, etc, and there should be some other collectors with similar tales to tell.

I've been trying to find pictures of UK newsagents / newsstands to see if I can see any comics alongside dated newspapers - no luck so far:

Quote

Those pesky Charltons, though.............

Yeah, what on Earth went on there...? I love Charltons 

[Get Marwood & I]

55 minutes ago, Albert Tatlock said:

We have enough info on the DCs to establish the trend, and as more data is added we should soon be able to come up with a best fit for the sequence

I added 'My Greatest Adventure' in just now - the early ones' numbering is all over the place. Flash next...

[Garystar]

50 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

 

Dr strangelove was released 29 January 1964 so that ages the photo - now need to identify some comics. 

[Get Marwood & I]

1 minute ago, Garystar said:

Dr Strangelove was released 29 January 1964 so that ages the photo - now need to identify some comics. 

Yeah, it was just indicative of the kind of photo I was looking for really Gary - we need a clearer / earlier 1959 one!

In the meantime, guys, what do you think was going on with Pat Boone?

It ran for five issues and I can only find T&P stamped examples of 1, 2 & 4 with three examples of a six stamped #1 (September / October 1959 indicia date / October cover date):

One of the two number 2's, one is stamped an 8, the other a 6. Is it likely these stamps were first use do you think? Or could all the Pat Boones have come over later and they're actually the second use of the stamps?

If they're first use stamps, Pat Boone is tied at least for the earliest official DC comic arrival, no?

[Albert Tatlock]

1 hour ago, Get Marwood & I said:

One of the two number 2's, one is stamped an 8, the other a 6.

Pat Boone 2 should be an 8. If a 6 (please check to see whether it could be a smudged 8), then it arrived 2 months early or several months late. Both are problematical.

[Get Marwood & I]

2 minutes ago, Albert Tatlock said:

Pat Boone 2 should be an 8. If a 6 (please check to see whether it could be a smudged 8), then it arrived 2 months early or several months late. Both are problematical.

It's pretty clear Albert - one 6, one 8:

  

[Get Marwood & I]

24 minutes ago, Albert Tatlock said:

Both are problematical.

Mikes Comic Newsstand has Pat Boone #2 and GI Combat #78 both 'on sale' in the US in September 1959:

 

I have a copy of each book stamped #6:

So there's a date link, if you like, which places these two books together.

If they came over to the UK together as well, they would either sit here in the First Use table:

Or here in the Second Use table:

 

The First Use seems much more likely doesn't it based on the cover date alignments?

Accordingly, and regardless of their printed cover dates, are these three books below the current joint earliest known official DC arrivals in the UK do we think? The first DC books, in the first comic shipment, and the first DC comics to be stamped up for distribution in the UK?

[Albert Tatlock]

5 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

The First Use seems much more likely doesn't it based on the cover date alignments?

Sounds reasonable, in which case DC did not let the grass grow under their feet. They recalled these (or gathered up copies that had not been sent out), chucked them on a ship and told the captain to get his foot down. They would have been in the shops here by the end of 1959, possibly.

On a tangent, any hiccups in misalignment of stampings v cover date would possibly have been likeliest around Christmas/New Year break.