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Update Archives For April 2008

30 April 2008

British Update: Hotspur 1940s/50s, Bunty 1970s/80s and early Judy Picture Libraries

We're back with a midweek special update this week, unearthing hundreds more vintage gems from our storeroom to make space for another couple of huge collections of British comics heading our way. Freshly on offer in this update are:

*Boys’ Adventure and War Comics: A massive intake of ‘old’ Hotspur, in its days as primarily a picture-story paper, this update. In excess of 250 copies, from 1949 to 1955, mostly starring the ‘Red Circle’ club, which appears to have been a kind of Justice League of public schoolboys, with various rotating heroes including Numb Ned, Scatty Saunders, and Cripple Dick, who had a much longer career in soccer than you’d think. But it doesn’t stop there – other Hotspur stars from this vintage include the Iron Teacher (whose speciality wasn’t so much education as beating people up), space ace Captain Zoom, Super-Boy Johnny Jett, Karga the Clutcher, and Dirk the King’s Dog Boy (of whom I’ve already exhausted my supply of punchlines in previous updates…) Coming soon – the upstart ‘New’ Hotspur! Keep your eyes peeled…

*Girls’ Comics and Picture Libraries – We’re particularly pleased to have a run of early Judy Picture Library in stock this week, beginning with number #3, from 1963, starring 'Debbie At Drama School'. This run, while far from complete, is a good representation of the title up to #150, and includes 'Bess of the Black Arrows', 'Tell-A-Tale Tilly', 'Dawn of the Donkeys' (that’s as in the girls’ name, not as in Dawn of the Dead…) 'Grandpa’s Got To Go!' and science-fiction adventure with 'Fabula'. Our brain-boggling Bunty Bonanza rolls on, with four years – 1979-1982 – newly updated, including many issues new to our stock. And yes, we had already done 1983 to 1986, but that wasn’t a mistake, honest – it was sabotage from those pesky alien invaders. Hey, have you ever noticed how Bunty’s dog Buster isn’t ever the same colour from one issue to the next? SKRULL!

Posted by Rob | 08:05 a.m. GMT | 30 April 2008

27 April 2008

British Update: US format sci-fi and more in Boys' Adventure (inc. Hal Starr by Sydney Jordan) plus Buster 1960s/80s and complete first year of Jackpot, with humour file completely updated!

Some wonderfully rare stuff this week plus some very overdue housekeeping. Details as follows:

*Boys’ Adventure and War Comics: A striking selection of US-format British and Australian originals, featuring many of the greats of the industry in their early years. During the austerity years from 1940-1959, American comics were almost unobtainable in the United Kingdom, and several publishers of ‘ersatz’ US-style comics strove to fill the market gap, including Miller, Arnold, Strato, Approved, Streamline, and World Distributors. Most of these companies had ownership links, and it wasn’t uncommon for titles to start with one publisher and continue with a different one entirely. Usually, they reprinted American stories, in black & white and sometimes censored, but there were several original series that were, and remain, much sought-after. This update, we lead off with Strange Worlds, (published by 'Man’s World!'), a science-fiction title launching with issue #12 (the numbering was often ‘inventive’ on these series), and featuring the first appearance of space-hero 'Hal Starr', by Sydney Jordan, who later became famous for the 'Jeff Hawke' newspaper strip. A scan of the first issue’s cover can be seen on our Cover Gallery – click on the link in the catalogue listing. Another comic-strip legend, Jim Holdaway (later of 'Modesty Blaise'), cut his teeth on musclemen like Captain Vigour and Steve Samson, rendering covers (and occasional interiors) of these steroid-fuelled lunks’ wacky escapades. One issue of the Captain, and several Steve Samsons, new to our listings. Ron Turner, later famous for 'Rick Random', draws 'Space Ace' in our Lone Star addition, and Mick Anglo, mainstay of the Miller empire, brings us Space Comics (featuring Captain Valiant of the Interplanetary Police Patrol), Space Commander Kerry, and more superheroic adventure with the Marvelman Family. Super Thriller Comics presents two exploits of Ace Hart the Atom Man (one of which introes his slinky Gal Friday, Valra), and we collapse, spent and gasping, with new listings for Captain Tornado, Pango, Hooded Rider, and good old Daniel Boone. The world of UK comics is still terra incognita once you get past the major publishers, and we’re having great fun here at 30th Century finding out more – come and join us!

*Humour Comics & Picture Libraries: This is the latest of our sections to be updated; we’ve now re-checked all stock and deleted sold items, so order with confidence. But we don’t stop there – there’s a Bonus Buster Bonanza this week! New entries for the years 1965-1968, including an early post-Big One merger issue, and a nice 1966 selection starring superhero Thunderbolt, Charlie Peace, Dinah Mite, the Toys of Doom, and the first appearance of Galaxus. Then, we leap forward to 1983-1986, where X-Ray Specs, Tom Thug, Pete and his Pimple and Prambo are the order of the day. Included in this latter selection are Christmas Issues, Holiday Specials and the rarer Buster & Monster Fun Holiday Specials. And as icing on the cake, our ‘Complete Year Initiative’ returns with the very first year of Jackpot, from 1979. Commencing as it did in May, Jackpot doesn’t lend itself to quite a full year in ’79, but we do have 35 issues, including the Christmas edition and – obviously – all the early numbers! Featuring popular and long-running characters like the Teeny Sweeny, the Incredible Sulk, Angel’s Charlies, and Little & Large Lenny, Jackpot’s Unique Selling Point was its frequent and sometimes bizarre competitions, with prizes such as a mountain of tins of baked beans and the opportunity to be bathed in lemonade by a Premier League Footballer. Hmm. What eventually became of the flatulent and traumatised winners is not a matter of record – but you can see how it all began here!

Posted by Rob | 11:42 a.m. GMT | 27 April 2008

American Update - DC: Showcase Challengers, Strange Adventures, Scribbly; Marvel: Not Brand Ecch and much more!

Fresh stock from the Big Two of US comics publishing this week as follows:

*DC: Sci-fi derring-do in a dozen Strange Adventures from #104 (the first Space Museum story!), in which plucky Earthlings fought, among others, 'Jovian Bubble-Men', 'Turtle-Men from Space', and 'Raiders From the Giant World' – we just don’t get along with anybody! We’re also happy to have a rare copy of Sheldon Meyer’s Scribbly #9, from 1950 – those of you who’ve heard us bang on about Sugar & Spike will appreciate the Meyer genius, and his story of a boy cartoonist, while very different, is just as entertaining. Finally, the big event – Showcase#7, with the second appearance of the Challengers of the Unknown! This issue introduces both the menace of Ultivac and the Chall’s lovely honorary member, June Robbins, and is an attractive VG- …but don’t take my word for it – check out the cover scan by clicking on the link in the catalogue listing.

*Marvel: New additions to our stocks of Daredevil, Fantastic Four, Tales of Suspense and X-Men (the latter Neal Adams issues) this time, but possibly dearest to 30th Century’s collective hearts is an early run of the superlative Not Brand Ecch, Marvel’s in-house parody mag, in which Kirby and Colan demonstrate hitherto unsuspected facility with cartoon humour, while Tom Sutton and Marie Severin rapidly establish themselves as without peer in the field of silly super-heroes.

Posted by Rob | 11:33 a.m. GMT | 27 April 2008

20 April 2008

British Update: Loads of Westerns in UK/AUS reprints, Tiger 1960's/70's, TV 21, Bunty 1980's.

Lots more lovely gems this week for a wide cachment of collectors:

*Vintage UK/Australian Reprints of US Material: More than forty additions to this category, specialising this week in tales of the Old West with titles like Billy the Kid, Davy Crockett (including #1), John Wayne (an even dozen issues), Gunsmoke Western, Kid Colt, Lone Ranger, Monte Hale, Wyatt Earp, Young Eagle and others. Publishers include Miller, Arnold, Strato, World Distributors, Jenson, and Swan.

*Boys’ Adventure and War Comics; Our massive odyssey back through the ages of Tiger comes to an end this week, with more than 250 issues spanning more than a decade, from 1965 to 1977. Best known for its sports stories – including Roy of the Rovers, Skid Solo, and wrestling star Johnny Cougar – Tiger also sported, in its earlier years, super-heroes (Black Archer) science-fiction adventure (The Robot Builders), jungle thrills (Saber) and wartime action (Peg-Leg’s Flying Penguins), featuring a plethora of work by Colquhoun, Turner, Kennedy, and other giants of the British medium. This exciting range also features both the first 'Tiger & Jag' (which added ‘Football Family Robinson’ to the roster) and 'Tiger & Scorcher' (anyone for ‘Billy’s Boots’?) amalgam issues and many Christmas numbers! We are also pleased to report that our TV Century 21 listing (both the first series and second TV21 series), in the wake of considerable recent sales and acquisitions, has now been entirely updated. The definitive weekly of the 1960’s, TV 21 featured the star Gerry Anderson series – Fireball XL5, Stingray, Lady Penelope, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet – illustrated in lush oversized print by Frank Bellamy, Mike Noble, Ron Embleton, and the premier artists of the era. This update features many high-grade (FN to VF) issues at very affordable prices. Buy now, while the listing’s still accurate!

*Girls’ Comics and Picture Libraries: Our Big Girl’s Bonanza rolls majestically on with another three years of Bunty from 1983, 1985 and a scattering of 1986. This period features, in addition to the inevitable Four Marys, jungle girl 'Treetop Tania', misery in 'The School For Unwanted Ones', sports adventures in 'Quitters Don’t Win!', and the charming goddess-in-training 'Maisie Mercury', expelled to earth until she earns her way back. Also lots of opportunities to win Sinclair C5s, Spectrum ZX’s, and these strange things called ‘record albums’… I wonder whatever they were?

Posted by Rob | 10:03 a.m. GMT | 20 April 2008

American Update: Charlton, Dell, Atlas pre and post code horror, Modern Reprints

Another great bundle of stuff this week across the following wide range of categories:

*Charlton: A small update to our Charlton stock, featuring laughs with the Flintstones, the Great Gazoo, the Jetsons and Yogi Bear, plus adventure with Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt.

*Dell: A select group of Dell’s esoteric offerings added this week, including TV favourites Ben Casey, T.H.E. Cat, & I Love Lucy, cartoon funnies with Bugs Bunny, Donald Duck, Lady & the Tramp, Looney Tunes, Mouse Musketeers & Spike & Tyke, and the sheer unclassifiableness (is that a word?) of Henry.

*Horror 1940-1959: Don’t Make A Ghoul Of Yourself – come and visit our Atlas event, with more than two dozen Pre- & Post-Code portions of chills and shudders purveyed by Maneely, Everett, Krigstein, Post, Heath, and other leaders in the field. Titles added to this time include Astonishing, Journey Into Mystery, Journey Into Unknown Worlds, Marvel Tales, Mystery Tales, Mystic, Strange Tales, Suspense, and Uncanny Tales, in grades ranging from fair to fine.

*Modern Reprints: This week, we add new stock to DC’s Archives and Showcase Editions (Doom Patrol 4, and Booster Gold 1, Legion 2, Phantom Stranger 2 and Superman Family 2), Marvel’s Masterworks and Essentials (Ant/Giant-Man 2, Atlas Heroes 2, Capt. America 4, Captain Marvel 3 and Tales to Astonish 2, plus Iron Man v.3, respectively), the Claremont/Trimpe Captain Britain is collected in two paperback volumes, and a new Marvel Omnibus for the Invincible Iron Man gathers the first 46 stories of old shellhead in one handsome oversized full-colour volume. Plus, new listings for Gemstone’s Crime SuspenStories, the first Dark Horse colour hardcover of Al Capp’s Shmoo, and the 500+ page Mammoth Book of Horror Comics, reprinting a plethora of Pre-Code and stories from the 50’s through to the 70’s (as well as some modern stuff, but we shan’t talk about that…)

Posted by Rob | 09:53 a.m. GMT | 20 April 2008

13 April 2008

American Update: Captain America's Weird Tales, Atlas Sub-Mariner, Venus plus Jumbo & Jungle from Fiction House

*Miscellaneous 1940-1959: Two trinities from Timely/Atlas and Fiction House this week. From the company that would become Marvel, we have the final issue of Captain America, #75 (aka ‘Captain America’s Weird Tales’), in which the good Captain himself makes no appearance, but is replaced by horror tales in a prototype for Atlas’s later terror line. This otherwise attractive copy has one page missing and replaced by a colour photocopy, but is sufficiently scarce in any grade to be worth a special mention. Our other two Timely/Atlas treats come from the gifted pen of Bill Everett: Sub-Mariner #33, the first issue of the 1950’s revival, retelling Prince Namor’s origin for a new generation of comics readers; and Venus #17, in which our goddess-slash-beauty correspondent gets embroiled with a succession of monsters, ghouls, and otherworldly invaders. Fiction House brings us a sweaty pile of savage adventures, with two issues of Jumbo, starring Sheena, the Ghost Gallery, and Spy Ace ZX-5, and Jungle Comics #47, starring strangely-thewed jungle lord Kaanga, with his wacky chums Tabu, Camilla, Wambi and Simba. Fiction House’s ‘studio pseudonyms’ conceal a stellar roster of artists including Matt Baker, Lily Renee, Fran Dietrich Hopper, George Evans, and covermeister Maurice Whitman, for a plethora of pulpy thrills. Scans of this stirring sextet can be viewed at our Cover Gallery – go to the catalogue listing and click the link!

Posted by Rob | 11:28 a.m. GMT | 13 April 2008

British Update: UK/Australian US reprints (super-hero, sci-fi, crime, jungle etc), Collected Editions, Annuals & Rupert

Another selection of British rarities and goodies this week in the following categories:

*Vintage UK/Australian Reprints of US Material: Thirty-something new listings this week, in several different genres; Superhero adventure (Captains Marvel, Marvel Jr. and Midnight, Master Comics and Whiz), crime (Crime Detective, Crime Does Not Pay, Real Clue Crime Stories and Mike Barnett, Man Against…oh go on, have a guess!), jungle hi-jinx (Jumbo, Jungle and Kaanga), and most especially a slew of the rarer science-fiction themed reprints, such as John Carter of Mars, Planet Comics, Robot Rebellion, Space Adventures, Spacehawks (with Basil Wolverton art), and Tom Corbett Space Cadet. We also have the category-defying Jimmy Durante and Long John Silver, for them as likes ‘em. From the 1940’s through to the early 1960’s, when American comics were poorly or non-distributed in the UK and Australia, these reprint compilations filled the gap, and remain a relatively cheap source of Golden Age material for the discerning collector.

*Collected Editions: In the wake of the successful Commando compilations, new hardcover collections of War Picture Library and Battle Picture Library have now commenced, reprinting classic tales of Hun-baiting for a new generation. These handsome books weigh in at nearly 500 pages of vintage battle action, and are terrific value. We have additions to the ongoing reprint series of the James Bond and Modesty Blaise newspaper strips, further volumes of Judge Dredd, Nemesis the Warlock, and Strontium Dog, presenting the archived adventures of the popular 2000 AD anti-heroes in sequential order, and we are especially pleased at the release of the first volume in Titan’s proposed series of hardcover reprints of the Jeff Hawke newspaper strip, featuring tales of sophisticated science-fiction superbly illustrated by Sydney Jordan. Top of the list, however, are two collections of Varoomshka, the 1970’s comic strip from the Guardian newspaper, in which our curvaceous hostess tackled political issues of the day, while seldom encumbered by much in the way of clothing. The Varoomshka hardcover is from 1972, and in FN/VF- condition, with only very slight spine wear preventing a ‘perfect score’. The ‘New Varoomshka Bumper Colouring Book Annual’ is from 1975, and is virtually immaculate, with only the faintest of corner & edge ‘shelf wear’. Two genuine vintage rarities, seldom seen in any condition, let alone as attractive as these copies. Get some political IQ with your T&A! This section has been completely revised, so all stock is guaranteed available as of this update.

*Annuals: Another amended and updated section, to bring you up-to-the-minute inventory status! We’ve added in loads of popular series this time, with Buster, Scorcher, Girls’ Crystal, Judy, Cor, Tiger, Misty, Mandy, Viz, Whizzer & Chips, Valiant, Victor, War Picture Library, and Princess all restocked for your reading delight. Main feature this time is a decade of School Friend from 1954 to 1964, home of plucky schoolgirl avengers The Silent Three – gosh, it’s remarkable how resourceful the weaker sex can be when there are no boys around to help them!

*Rupert: Additional listings for Rupert Annuals, the classic Yuletide favourite compilations of Nutwood’s favourite son, from 1972 onwards. This section has also been entirely overhauled for your browsing convenience.

Posted by Rob | 11:24 a.m. GMT | 13 April 2008

8 April 2008

British Update: 1950's Australian DC reprints, Complete Years of Tiger & Buster

More great collectables this week in the following categories:

*Vintage UK/Australian Reprints of U.S. Material: Over 3 dozen of the wonderful Batman/Superman/Superboy reprints from the 1950s by Australian publisher K. G. Murray new in this week. Four titles featured: Batman, Superman, Superboy & Super Adventure (the latter reprinting World’s Finest). These highly sought after and collectible reprints, showcasing vintage DC material virtually contemporary with their publication, are becoming harder and harder to find now and this is the first batch we’ve had in for some time. Grab them while they’re here!

*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: Continuing our Complete Year Set Initiative, we are delighted to present three more complete years of Tiger: 1966, 1975,and 1976. Extremely popular with collectors, these are a wonderful opportunity to acquire a run of great reading in a keenly priced package!

*Humour Comics & Picture Libraries: And still more from our Complete Year Set Initiative, with Buster 1984 complete for £80, including the Christmas issues plus two issues that come with their original Free Gifts!

Posted by Rob | 09:34 a.m. GMT | 8 April 2008

American Update: Gold Key & Romance titles (Baker, Ward, Simon & Kirby)

Some unusual items in this week's update as follows:

*Gold Key/Whitman: A miscellany of delights from this esoteric publisher, including Captain Venture & The Land Beneath The Sea, Hi-Adventure Heroes, Lord Jim, Man From UNCLE, Maya, Tiger Girl, Tweety & Sylvester and Young Dick Turpin. Whatever else Gold Key may have been they were certainly diverse!

*Romance: A small but sizzling selection of goodies to tug at your heart-strings, including Quality’s Flaming Love, with a sultry photo-cover and Bill Ward interiors, DC’s Girls’ Romances, Marvel’s My Love, Wartime Romances from St John with a sexy Matt Baker cover and from Prize, an early Young Romance with the magic of Simon & Kirby.

Posted by Rob | 09:31 a.m. GMT | 8 April 2008