Flash collectors thread 23 23

[flashlites]

Ugh! My 126 is another one of those 'well loved" comics. So well loved in fact that some kid 50 years ago thought it necessary to tape it back together! Well its the thought that counts, you can tell he loved his Flash comics! Just like me.

[bocabill]

[flashlites]

Nice 126 Bill!!! Wanna trade?Thanks for always posting and helping me keep this thread going!

Edited October 12, 2019 by flashlites
addition

[flashlites]

Since my 126 copy is a little more, shall we say accessible? (raw reader copy) Let's take a look inside and see what the legendary Don Thompson had to say about about the classic Flash 123 in 'Flash Grams'!!!

It looks like they sent him the original cover art of Flash 123!!!

Edited October 16, 2019 by flashlites
addition

[Jaylam]

On 10/15/2019 at 10:42 PM, flashlites said:

Since my 126 copy is a little more, shall we say accessible? (raw reader copy) Let's take a look inside and see what the legendary Don Thompson had to say about about the classic Flash 123 in 'Flash Grams'!!!

It looks like they sent him the original cover art of Flash 123!!!

Wow, I wonder what happened to it? 

[flashlites]

1 hour ago, Jaylam said:

Wow, I wonder what happened to it? 

I'm sure his wife Maggie still has it. They were quite the collecting team. Comic collecting soul mates!!!

[Jaylam]

9 minutes ago, flashlites said:

I'm sure his wife Maggie still has it. They were quite the collecting team. Comic collecting soul mates!!!

I'm not familiar with this Donald Thompson. What's the story?

[Jaylam]

Wait, the  just went off. Famous for the Don and Maggie Thompson Collection, early comic book fandom etc., right? I think I have one of their books. My GL #48 I believe. 

Edited October 17, 2019 by Jaylam

[flashlites]

9 hours ago, Jaylam said:

Wait, the  just went off. Famous for the Don and Maggie Thompson Collection, early comic book fandom etc., right? I think I have one of their books. My GL #48 I believe. 

Yep! You got it!

[Jaylam]

Here's my #126. I looked for a long time to find a decent, affordable copy. One of my favorite covers of the run. They always seemed to come up with new, quirky predicaments for the Flash. The Mirror Master turning the Flash into a mirror was brilliant in it's predictability and simplicity and wonderfully illustrated by Infantino/Anderson.

[flashlites]

1 hour ago, Jaylam said:

Here's my #126. I looked for a long time to find a decent, affordable copy. One of my favorite covers of the run. They always seemed to come up with new, quirky predicaments for the Flash. The Mirror Master turning the Flash into a mirror was brilliant in it's predictability and simplicity and wonderfully illustrated by Infantino/Anderson.

Very nice!!! Thanks for sharing! I love the Yes logo BTW! One of my all time favorite bands Jaylam!!!

Edited October 18, 2019 by flashlites
addition

[Terry E. Gibbs]

I have been promising some of these Australian edition comics for a while. Flash initially ran in Hundred comics which ran to appropriately number 100. Flash then switched to a comic titled Worlds Finest. I think Hundred 100#  was Flash 146 and had a Flash cover. Initially the covers were shared with Wonder Woman and Brave and Bold and they only ran one story though in the first six issues which covered several years they sometimes ran both stories and were supported by the US B cover not used in the US.  So I am guessing a little but around a little over half  the Flash stories appeared here and maybe 60-70% of covers. Luckily key covers and key stories appeared. Trying to get them is hard and I basically wait for a second hand book store to get a collection although the prices they ask vary. Local comic dealers of course would give you 50c for one and then list it for $80.00.  Anyway I will start with issues close to 126 and work backwards. Last point is these were not local reprints (as are Australian Marvels) as Flash was not sold here until direct sale comic shops appeared in late 1970s. So these are published here by DC through a local printer and appeared basically as soon as they could get art out here and get the print run lined up.

[Terry E. Gibbs]

And the second one I bought followed by a better copy I lucked into as part of the 125 a 136 and 119 that are the best condition Australian comics I have seen. They were worth nothing for maybe 30-40 years and only had print runs of maybe 5,000 to 10,000.

[flashlites]

1 hour ago, Terry E. Gibbs said:

And the second one I bought followed by a better copy I lucked into as part of the 125 a 136 and 119 that are the best condition Australian comics I have seen. They were worth nothing for maybe 30-40 years and only had print runs of maybe 5,000 to 10,000.

Wow! These are amazing Terry!!! Very rare treat to see these!!! So these were 100 page specials with a Flash story or two and a Flash cover? And if I understand you correctly they were printed in the 1960's but in Australia for DC?

[Terry E. Gibbs]

1 hour ago, flashlites said:

 So these were 100 page specials with a Flash story or two and a Flash cover? And if I understand you correctly they were printed in the 1960's but in Australia for DC?

Yeah that is basically it. In the 1940s Federal made an agreement with DC to print DC comics here rather than import them. From memory it had something to do with paper restrictions during the war in the US. After that it just stuck. At some time in around 1960 comics made by DC were imported but those under this license were still excluded. So Batman, Flash, Superman, Wonder Woman, LSH, Challenger, Adam Strange and Atom, were always printed here, while Green Lantern (from 2 onwards) Metal men, Hawkman, etc were imported and for some strange reason JLA was printed here and imported. They were initially 100 pages and were a mix of western, crime, sci-fi and adventure with some super hero stuff. So printed stuff from Mystery inn Space, Strange tales, My Greatest Adventure (including Doom Patrol), together with Tomahawk, Hoplaong Cassidy Tim Holt, Tommy Tomorrow, Rex Wonder Dog, Congo Bill, Captain Comet, Atomic Knights etc. Some of the stuff that was filler was dated early 50s, and only the Silver Age super hero stuff was really current or new. Got some great Fox (who DC must have bought some property from) Tiger Girl last week, Also we got early Shining Knight, Rip Hunter, Suicide Squad, Adam Strange etc. I am trying to put together a Flash run, but some people ask stupid prices ..... and occasionally people pay it. A$80 for a Flash 108 cover that would grade VG. And of course every time a book sells at BIN at such a price the next few months others follow. Still mail from the US with Global Priority and local GST (sales tax) is nuts, and it kind of fulfils my collecting bug leaving money for the real stupid stuff that I cannot resist. I will drop more in the future but we must be getting close to 127 (!!!!!!) looking forward to that.

[DanCooper]

On ‎10‎/‎17‎/‎2019 at 1:19 PM, Jaylam said:

On ‎10‎/‎15‎/‎2019 at 10:42 PM, flashlites said:

Since my 126 copy is a little more, shall we say accessible? (raw reader copy) Let's take a look inside and see what the legendary Don Thompson had to say about about the classic Flash 123 in 'Flash Grams'!!!

It looks like they sent him the original cover art of Flash 123!!!

Wow, I wonder what happened to it? 

The original cover art to Flash 123 was sold at the very first Sotheby's comic auction in December 1991.

It went for $17,600, which by today's standards would seem incredibly low, but the pre-auction estimate was $8,000 - $10,000.

Of note also in that "Flash Grams" letters column, is the person right after Don Thompson's letter - Bill Sarill of Boston.

Bill was a respected comic book restorer/conservator back in the 1980s-90s.

See this earlier CGC thread discussing this very Flash 126 "Flash Grams" and it's contributors:

 

Edited October 27, 2019 by DanCooper

[Terry E. Gibbs]

Thank you for that link. As a child growing up reading these in Australia I had no idea about the artists, writers and none of my friends read B & W comics, when they could read Marvels. It has only been coming back as a collector I have delved into the background of the story behind the stories. (and actually have a local friend who I can talk with now). Last year I bought and read Man of Two Worlds, Julie's reminiscences of his career. (as he points out these are his memories and if other people have other recollections that was fine by him). From there I have been looking into some Fanzines (and trying to avoid Crudzines - even the significantly historical Crudzines). The Thompsons feature very early, as both were at the First Alley Party where fans voted on the best of the comic industry. The above letter column shows how Julie was trying to support fandom, and how significant early fandom treated the Silver Age DC characters. A nice reminder on the silver age super hero and the team of Schwartz, Fox and Infantino   (and Broome) who started it all. .. and that cover would really stretch the bank these days.

[Math Teacher]

I know that this doesn't belong on page 126, but I just wanted to share it anyway: Flash #137 CGC 8.0.

 

Joe

 

[flashlites]

I think that will wrap it up for page 126 Flash Fans! Onward to 127!!! Of course mine is beat up, but still holding that place for me as I continue my life long quest to complete the entire run to 350! ( I'm down to just about 50-55 books or so now) I cant wait to see what y'all got!!!

Edited November 6, 2019 by flashlites

[Terry E. Gibbs]

On 11/3/2019 at 9:56 AM, Joe Ankenbauer said:

I know that this doesn't belong on page 126, but I just wanted to share it anyway: Flash #137 CGC 8.0.

 

Joe

 

That is one of the great Silver Age books as it builds on 123 and introduces the Legendary JSA .. and now to dig out the 127s