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A Letter To Superman
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68 posts in this topic

I believe there's a Supermen of America ad in Ssuperman #1 also. The dates here make #2 impossible. In any case, if that's the motivation for these mailings, it's actually pretty interesting information about how quickly that issue made it from publication to a town of 1400 people in rural Utah.

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6 minutes ago, Qalyar said:

I believe there's a Supermen of America ad in Superman #1 also. The dates here make #2 impossible. In any case, if that's the motivation for these mailings, it's actually pretty interesting information about how quickly that issue made it from publication to a town of 1400 people in rural Utah.

I wonder if both sisters had their own copies? Two Superman number one's potentially hiding somewhere in Utah....

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1 hour ago, Qalyar said:

I believe there's a Supermen of America ad in Ssuperman #1 also. The dates here make #2 impossible. In any case, if that's the motivation for these mailings, it's actually pretty interesting information about how quickly that issue made it from publication to a town of 1400 people in rural Utah.

Action 13 had an ad  for Superman 1 as well as the Superman of America ad.  The date on Action 13 is June 1939, therefore, I'm guessing that it was an Action Comic, either 13 an earlier copy, since the letter was dated July 1939. I figured Action 13 fit because the books usually were on the stands before the date.

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32 minutes ago, skypinkblu said:

Action 13 had an ad  for Superman 1 as well as the Superman of America ad.  The date on Action 13 is June 1939, therefore, I'm guessing that it was an Action Comic, either 13 an earlier copy, since the letter was dated July 1939. I figured Action 13 fit because the books usually were on the stands before the date.

Check out the image you posted for that ad for Superman #1 in Action Comics #13, it has an "on sale" date listed as May 18th, so that's not a bad choice.

 

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On 2/24/2021 at 5:02 PM, skypinkblu said:

Action 13 had an ad  for Superman 1 as well as the Superman of America ad.  The date on Action 13 is June 1939, therefore, I'm guessing that it was an Action Comic, either 13 an earlier copy, since the letter was dated July 1939. I figured Action 13 fit because the books usually were on the stands before the date.

Action 14 - July 1939 cover date has the ad devoted solely to the club details whereas Action 13 references that Superman # 1 will contain club details.

Edited by pemart1966
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8 hours ago, Qalyar said:

Unfortunately, neither of the Outzen sisters responsible for these covers are still with us. Mary Lamar passed away in 2005; she had married in the early 1950s, but details about her are scarce and I don't believe she had children. Ann Marie died in 2008, after a fairly interesting life. There is still a scholarship offered in her name to Occupational Therapy students at the University of Utah.

I don't know if she ever got a response to her letter, but I think she did her childhood superhero proud.

It sure sounds as if she did.

The 1940 census lists her as ANNA but she clearly preferred ANN.

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7 hours ago, Get Marwood & I said:

I wonder if both sisters had their own copies? Two Superman number one's potentially hiding somewhere in Utah....

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If it was anything like our house - they'd better have had lol

It would seem that each girl sent away for the Club kit.

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On 2/23/2021 at 3:52 PM, goldenacase said:

This appeared on Ebay thought it was so cool I couldn't help myself just normally a comic guy I love the date and that is was written by a little girl... Superman is everybody's Hero! Thought I would share 

s-l1600-78.jpg

Very cool piece.  Congratulations. Also amazing detective work here by the boards again!

Who would have thought two sisters would send in their letters in 1939,   only to have a digital image reunion of the surviving envelopes here on the CGC boards in 2021. :golfclap:

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On 2/24/2021 at 3:24 PM, skypinkblu said:

Action 13's date is June 1, but I think I know someone who might know more...

@Hudson

I believe the great detectives of the board have answered all the questions far better than I could have.

I want to thank the OP for sharing this really cool piece of comic history.  Awesome find.

I also want to thank everyone who took the time to research the other information found in this thread.  I found it a great read.

When I first started reading the thread and saw "Letter to Superman", I was a little confused by the 1939 date, as I am pretty certain the first "letters to the editor" page did not show up until Action #245 (in 1958).  Then I read further and saw that it was likely for the Superman club.  doh! That makes sense.

Once again, a great read and a great find.  :golfclap:

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On 2/27/2021 at 8:48 AM, Hudson said:

I believe the great detectives of the board have answered all the questions far better than I could have.

I want to thank the OP for sharing this really cool piece of comic history.  Awesome find.

I also want to thank everyone who took the time to research the other information found in this thread.  I found it a great read.

When I first started reading the thread and saw "Letter to Superman", I was a little confused by the 1939 date, as I am pretty certain the first "letters to the editor" page did not show up until Action #245 (in 1958).  Then I read further and saw that it was likely for the Superman club.  doh! That makes sense.

Once again, a great read and a great find.  :golfclap:

Even if the "Letters to the Editor" feature did not appear until 1958, it wouldn't have precluded someone from sending a letter to the editor prior to that - it just wouldn't have been published.

Still - no question that these two letters were fan club member requests.

Edited by pemart1966
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There were probably thousands of envelopes like this over the years. The club ran from 1939 to 1961. The paper work stayed the same but the buttons changed over the years. Here is the full set.

Bottom row left to right: 1939, 1948, 1955 and 1961

The one in upper left is smaller due to War rationing of metal. Was used one year. Top upper right is the English club circa 1961. Only one I've seen.

Bottom photo is a complete 1961 kit.

supeclubpins.jpg

supermanmemberkit1961.jpg

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4 hours ago, Randall Ries said:

Guess it's just me but I wonder what the odds are that two kids in Utah would get the same PO stamp on a subscription request envelope? Not IMpossible but still...

Under normal conditions most would agree, but given the research that was all found and posted in this thread it is more than likely these are genuine.  This sleuth work was posted earlier in the thread. 20210228_153528.jpg.c50a19c218a7d0a50aabea964fb6ef9a.jpg

Meaning the two letters were written by two sisters given similarly in some of the writings on the envelopes leads to the thought that some of it was more than likely filled out by one of the parents, and  then the remaining by each daughter.  They were also probably mailed together.  Which would also be common for that time and resulted in the same PO stamp. 

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