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Update Archives For July 2007

30 July 2007

British Update - Beanos & Dandys from the 40's - 70s, Magnet #1 and more humour, plus dozens of girls' picture libraries from the 1960's!

Some very old and venerable comics in another remarkably wonderful British update this week as follows:

*Humour Comics & Picture Libraries: Vintage Beano and Dandy rule the roost this time, with Beano from 1949-1961, plus a scarce 1967 Summer Special, new to our listings. The earliest Beano in this update is #383, in a remarkable white FN. Beano’s stablemate, Dandy, is also well represented with a range from 1953 to 1977, and the very first issue of the story paper Magnet, with Harry Wharton & Co. from 1908, is an unusual addition to our stock in GD-. Sparky, TV Comic, Whizzer & Chips, Whoopee and the 1970’s Knockout have also been updated this time. Cover scans of Beano #383 and Magnet #1 can be seen in our Cover Gallery – go to the catalogue listing and click the link to be redirected to the image.

*Girls’ Comics and Picture Libraries: a jamboree of Picture Libraries this update! A selection of five titles from 1962-1969, including Bunty (from #37), Judy (from #4), long runs of Princess and June & School Friend, and a smattering of Schoolgirls’, for a veritable gymkhana of fun and thrills! Starring Mimi the Mesmerist, boarding-school avengers The Silent Three, Lucky’s Living Doll, suburban busybody Sue Day, dauntless Miss Adventure, and plucky Mam'selle X Of The Resistance, among many others, these digest-sized collections, reprinting complete stories originally serialized in the weekly comics, amused and delighted girls (and a few furtive boys!) for generations, and retain a lot of charm today. The Princess and June & School Friend Picture Libraries have been particularly hard to come by from this period in the past, and these are in nice grades, averaging VG/FN. So, if you want to know the final fate of the 'Runaway In Ballet Shoes', or witness the ordeal of 'The Slaves of the Staring Eye' (aren’t they in the Big Brother TV show?), place your order today – demand on these will be high. Also, keep your eyes peeled, as over the next few months we will be processing a significant collection of 1960’s and 1970’s girls’ comics, including long runs of Bunty and Judy, plus Diana, Pink, Oh Boy!, My Guy, and dozens more titles. It’ll take some time to get through them, so stay alert for updates!

Posted by Rob | 07:49 p.m. GMT | 30 July 2007

American Update: 1940's/50's goodies inc. Fawcetts, Frazetta and much more, plus vintage Westerns inc many Atlas titles

A lovely bunch of old stuff in this week's American update in the following categories:

*Miscellaneous 1940-1959: More miscellaneous than most this update, as we cover the gamut from classic super-heroes through crime, jungle, strip reprints and anthropomorphic antics. Top of the shop is Famous Funnies #210, with a dazzling Frazetta cover of Buck Rogers and a damsel in distress against subaquatic monsters. This beautifully-preserved copy clocks in at a FN-. Three late issues of Captain Marvel Adventures are added, with the World’s Mightiest Mortal illustrated by Schaffenberger and Costanza; we also have the second #1 of St. John’s Atom-Age Combat, and a new entry from Fiction House's Jungle Comics, with Kaanga, Camilla, Tabu and company. Prize’s Headline Comics, a substantial run of Giggle from ACG (with Superkatt, Spenser Spook and more), and the frankly bizarre Ding Dong complete the US portion of this update, but we also have a batch of Canadian Editions, including Quality’s Modern Comics with Blackhawk and Torchy, Gleason’s Crime and Punishment, and Atlas’ s Spy Cases, Sports Action, and Crime-Fighters – the latter of which, bizarrely, features a rebound or reprinted copy of Quality’s Spirit! Famous Funnies #210 and Captain Marvel Adventures #144 are reproduced for your delectation in our cover gallery – go to the catalogue listing and click on the relevant link.

*Western: A bumper round-up of Atlas western, with new listings for Gunhawk, (including #12, the first issue), Gunsmoke Western, Kid Colt, The Kid From Dodge City, The Kid From Texas, (The Kid From Honolulu and The Kid From Salt Lake City were unfortunately unavailable this week…), Outlaw Kid, Quick-Trigger Western, and Western Outlaws & Sheriffs. All the Atlas stalwarts – Maneely, Williamson, Heath, Wildey, Everett – are here in abundance. Furthermore, it’s not just Atlas! Marvel’s Night Rider, Charlton’s Billy the Kid, and ME’s beautifully drawn Straight Arrow, with Bob Powell art, also have new stock this time.

Posted by Rob | 07:36 p.m. GMT | 30 July 2007

Alan Class Signing: Report

Our second signing by the publisher Alan Class took place yesterday, 29th July, at our shop and like the first one 18 months ago, once again proved highly successful.

Mr. Class signed dozens of his comics for collectors and enthusiasts, those who were there in person and also those who had contacted us to ask for comics to be signed (including fans from the USA). There was also plenty of opportunity for him to answer questions about comic publishing in the UK from the 50s to the 80s; as those of you who have now met Alan, you'll know he has a unique insight into the UK comics industry and many very entertaining stories to tell. During the afternoon, he was interviewed for a forthcoming article in Roy Thomas's Alter Ego magazine.

We hope to hold more such events in the future as time and circumstances permit, following on from the signings by Colleen Doran, Trina Robbins, Steve Englehart and Alan Class (now twice).

Posted by Rob | 07:29 p.m. GMT | 30 July 2007

22 July 2007

American Update - More original ECs and Modern Reprints

Our 'EC Does It' summer continues as well as a sweep through the latest (and some new-to-us but not so recent) Modern Reprints:

*EC: A further update to our brand new catalogue section: the three key horror titles – Haunt of Fear, Tales From The Crypt and Vault of Horror – with issues ranging from FN to FA, some in very affordable grades. Highlights include the origin of the Crypt Keeper (TFC #33), the dark and disturbing Ingels cover for HOF #18, and a shocking ‘transformation’ scene from Jack Davis for TFC #36. We also have the ‘Civil War Special’ issue of Frontline Combat, with Severin and Davis at their finest, and a nice run of low-mid grade Two-Fisted Tales, with Kurtzman’s unexpectedly poignant and emotive artwork. Scans of Tales From The Crypt #36 and Haunt of Fear #18 may be inspected at our Cover Gallery feature – simply check out the catalogue entries in the EC section, and click on the link.

*Modern Reprints: Huge additions to this eternally-popular section. DC leads off with further instalments in its Archive hardcovers (Golden Age Dr. Fate, Action Heroes with Captain Atom and Blue Beetle, and Spirit) and Silver Age Showcase paperbacks (Batgirl, Batman 2, Atom, Flash, and The War That Time Forgot!), as well as special projects such as the Amazing Transformations of Jimmy Olsen, a celebration of unabashed silliness. Marvel, not to be outdone, strikes back with Masterworks hardcovers for Hulk and the Silver Age Sub-Mariner, and further volumes of the Essential paperbacks for Defenders, Fantastic Four, Marvel Two In One and the Silver Surfer, plus the striking Omnibus hardcovers, oversized full-colour reprints of the entire first-run Silver Surfer and the complete Steve Ditko Amazing Spider-Man, respectively. The activity isn’t confined to the Big Two, though, with the Gemstone EC reprints topped up, particularly in Weird Science, a plethora of fifties horror from, among others, Americomics/AC, Eternity and Eclipse, and vintage newspaper greatness with the handsome Little Nemo In Slumberland hardcover, Checker Books’ complete sequential paperbacks of Milton Caniff’s Steve Canyon, and a myriad of the Gladstone and Blackthorne Dick Tracy editions!

Posted by Rob | 05:17 p.m. GMT | 22 July 2007

British update - Jet, Hotspur and a gaggle of Girls' comics!

A nice mixture of Boys' and Girls' comics this week:

*Boys' Adventure & War Comics: Fleetway’s Jet leads off this week; lasting a mere 22 issues, Jet started strongly with a line-up of established adventure creators, but never caught on owing to distribution problems in 1971 (Newsagents allegedly thought there were too many comics on the racks – remember those days?), and took the unusual step of merging with the humour title Buster, rather than Valiant, Lion or Tiger, as might have been expected. Because of the short run and low distribution, Jet are as rare as hen’s teeth, and this selection, including the final issue, is expected to move quickly even though averaging only FA/GD. Backing this up are a couple of dozen issues of Hotspur – and yes, I know we did a Hotspur update only recently, but this batch is from 1958, the last days of the story-paper incarnation before its re-launch as the ‘New’ Hotspur comic. Featuring tales of war, sports and the old West, these empire-defending artefacts average an attractive VG.

*Girls' Comics & Picture Libraries: In a substantial update spanning the Fifties, Sixties, and Seventies, Bunty leads the pack, beginning with 1958’s issue 3 and featuring several from the first year of publication; we’ve also got additions to our stock of several popular titles, including Girl, Girls’ Crystal, Jackie (with a handful of scarce 1970’s issues!), Jinty, Judy, June (1970’s featuring 'The Mark of the Cat', not to be confused with 'Catch the Cat!' or several similar strips – the Nazis couldn’t make a move in World War II without being besieged by jailbait in cat costumes, apparently...), Mandy, and Tammy. Tempting as this update is, it’s a mere trailer for upcoming acquisitions – keep watching the website!

Posted by Rob | 05:08 p.m. GMT | 22 July 2007

Reminder: Alan Class signing just one week away!

Just one week to go now till the exclusive signing by Alan Class at our shop on Sunday 29th July between 2 & 5 p.m. Mr. Class will be signing file copies from his private collection and one-of-a-kind plate sets (many with extras). See the Alan Class reprints section of our catalogue for details of all the goodies available, and remember, if you can't attend on the day, we will be happy to arrange to get any items signed and sent to you. Just give us a call or email.

But try to make it along if you can -- Alan Class comics were part of the memory of every comic fan growing up in the UK in the 60's and 70's, and Mr. Class has a thousand and one stories of publishing to share!

Posted by Rob | 05:01 p.m. GMT | 22 July 2007

16 July 2007

Special Update - New EC section!

A brand new section now graces the American part of our catalogue as follows:

*EC: The most admired and most notorious comics group of the 1950s, EC won critical and popular acclaim for their high-quality stories, illustrated by the all-star roster of artists: Wally Wood, Graham Ingels, Al Williamson, Joe Orlando, Jack Kamen, Harvey Kurzman, Bernie Krigstein, Will Elder and more, each one a legend. However, they also attracted controversial publicity owing to their levels of violence and treatment of more mature themes than were commonplace at the time, and were a favourite target of Dr. Frederic Wertham and his anti-comics editorials. Although extensively reprinted, the original ECs remain rarities, and we at 30th Century Comics have seldom had more than a handful in our possession at any one time. However, we’re in the process of acquiring a more extensive range than ever before, and accordingly have decided to inaugurate this new section, transferring our EC inventory from its former locations and adding new titles as available. Our first new additions are for Weird Science, one of the science-fiction series which are acknowledged by the majority of critics as EC’s finest works. Beginning with the third and fourth issues (confusingly numbered #14 and #15), and following through to #15, these showcase work by Kamen, Orlando, Kurzman, and particularly Wood at his finest, the pinnacle perhaps being the notorious religious allegory, 'He Walked Among Us' from #13, with a gorgeously detailed Wood cover. (To view the cover, go to the catalogue page and click on the link to be taken to the Cover Gallery) More EC’s incoming over the course of the summer – keep watching the skies!

Posted by Rob | 08:27 a.m. GMT | 16 July 2007

15 July 2007

Reminder: Alan Class Signing 29th July

Just two weeks to go now until the signing by Alan Class at our shop: 29th July 2-5 p.m. See earlier entries below for full details.

We've had a great response to the publicity for this very special event, and it's looking like it'll be a wonderful day, so don't miss out!

Posted by Rob | 02:45 p.m. GMT | 15 July 2007

American Update - Silver Age DCs, Gold Key, 1960s/80s Horror Mystery (inc many ACGs) and more magazines/books about comics, inc. the splendid Marvel Vault!

*A wide range of variety in this week's American update in the following categories:

*DC: Silver and Bronze are both well-represented this update, leading off with a complete run of the short-lived Joker solo series from the 70’s. Although a moderately good seller, the trick at the time was having a villainous central character in a decade still very much ruled by the Comics Code Authority, and after nine interesting but flawed issues, DC gave up the ghost and returned to having him as an antagonist rather than an anti-hero. Dialling it back a decade, we have a substantial upgrade to Rip Hunter, Time Master. Often referred to as 'America’s Dr. Who', Rip and his chums traversed time & space to have oddball adventures heavy on the paradoxes. Want to see Cleopatra bitch-slap Helen of Troy, or the Trojan Horse used as a battering ram on Hitler’s mountain headquarters? Well, now’s your chance! We’ve also got new Justice League of America listings, mostly LD or ND 1970’s issues but including #2, Flash from #111, Mystery In Space (including the debut and origin of Ultra the Multi-Alien!), the original (‘scuse the redundancy) Secret Origins one-shot, and further stock for Action, Brave & Bold, DC 100-Page Super-Spectacular, DC Special Series, DC Super-Stars, Detective, Four-Star Spectacular, Freedom Fighters, Green Lantern, Lois Lane, Metal Men, Secret Society of Super-Villains, Strange Adventures, Superman, Superman Annual, Superman Family, Super-Team Family, Teen Titans and World’s Finest.

*Gold Key/Whitman: Even for the notoriously eclectic Gold Key, this is a pretty mixed bag of titles added; Cave Kids (with Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm, lest we forget..), Daffy Duck, Girl From UNCLE, Krofft Supershow, H.R. Pufnstuf, Lassie, Little Monsters, Pink Panther, Secret Agent, Star Trek, Walt Disney’s Comics & Stories, Yogi Bear, and Yosemite Sam – and if you can find a common thread to bind all *that* lot together, you’re a better copywriter than I’ll ever be!

*Horror/Mystery 1960's-1980's: Extensive additions to our Marvel shockers, including all the old favourites – Creatures on the Loose, Monsters on the Prowl, Where Creatures Roam, Fear, Journey Into Mystery, and the intriguing editorial ‘remixed’ Weird Wonder Tales, with Everett Venus reprints and ‘new’ Dr. Druid adventures. Gold Key is enhanced with Boris Karloff’s Tales of Mystery and Ripley’s Believe It Or Not; DC offers us the later, and low-distribution, issues of the horror parody Plop!; and Charlton’s stalwarts Ghost Manor, Ghostly Haunts, Midnight Tales and Scary Tales, are refreshed for your perusal. Keynote of this update, however, is an extensive range of the ACG mystery line, with all three major titles, Adventures Into The Unknown, Forbidden Worlds, and Unknown Worlds, having been fully restocked. The ACG series are a charming mixture of supernatural, sentiment and romance, with an unashamed reliance on heartstring-tugging (and occasionally surprisingly downbeat endings.), combined into a unique appeal. Kurt Schaffenberger and/or Ogden Whitney art appears in most issues, but even artists whose names don’t normally set the pulses racing – step forward, Pete Costanza – make a surprising effort for the ACG line. Bonus – several early Herbie appearances in these series, prior to his own title!

*Magazines/Books About Vintage US Comics: In addition to new issues of the magazines Alter Ego and Back Issue, we have three special items for this popular section; Comics Go Ape!, a paperback compilation of US Comics' ‘special relationship’ with our simian chums; from the 1950’s onwards, apes have sold comics… but why? This more-scholarly-than-you’d-think tome, with a sumptuous new cover by Art Adams, combines fanboy enthusiasm with a dry wit, and includes interviews with key practitioners of ‘Good Ape Art’! Following that, there’s a surprise reissue of Michael Fleischer’s 1976 Encyclopaedia of Comic Book Heroes, beginning with the Batman Volume – Wonder Woman and Superman to follow soon! These works have long been regarded as the definitive references, and this 2007 remastering makes them available to a new generation of readers. Finally, and most importantly, the Marvel Vault hardcover, a lavish, decade-by-decade reconstruction of the evolution of the House of Ideas, from its Golden Age roots to the present day. Written by Roy Thomas and Peter Sanderson, from a unique insider's perspective, this handsome landscape-format hardcover also features removable facsimile artefacts from key moments in Marvel – from reproductions of Bill Everett’s Sub-Mariner sketches to a Marvel Restaurant Menu, from Share Certificates to an MMMS membership badge (and if you need to be told what MMMS stands for – why are you even reading this?), these hands-on treasures give you an interactive experience of Marvel’s history. But don’t take our word for it – see for yourself, at our Cover Gallery, where a specially-deconstructed illustration awaits!

Posted by Rob | 02:42 p.m. GMT | 15 July 2007

British Update - 1970s Hotspurs and UK/Aus reprints

Two very different batches of stuff in this week's British update:

*Vintage UK/Australian Reprints of US Material: New entries for the Strato/Top Sellers reprints of Tomahawk (Vs. 'The Girl Tribe' – wahoo!), Blackhawk, and some folks who don’t even end in ‘hawk’, such as the intrepid Mr. District Attorney. The Blackhawks are nice mid-grade, mid-range, while the Tomahawks include some later issues in FN or better. The Mr. DA’s start with the very first issue, and run through to the thirties, with crime-smashing pluck and valor galore. Also new to this section, time-traveller Brick Bradford!

*Boys’ Adventure and War Comics: Hotspur takes the lead this week, with a couple of hundred new additions ranging from 1970-1978, a period wherein the editors decided that historical pluck had largely had its day, and replaced tales of war and the old West with oddball hybrid superheroes and crimefighters such as Red Star Robinson, Nick Jolly the Flying Highwayman, the Scarlet Hawk, the Black Sapper and the Iron Teacher. Sporting the colourful costumes and scientific weaponry of their Colonial counterparts, but still with a distinctly British sensibility, these eccentric do-gooders struck a chord in the audiences’ hearts, and helped the title carry on until its 1981 demise, following more than a thousand issues, an impressive record by any standard.

Posted by Rob | 02:33 p.m. GMT | 15 July 2007

10 July 2007

British Update - Alan Class Special!

*Alan Class Reprints: In preparation for our forthcoming signing by Alan Class at 30th Century Comics on July 29th, Mr. Class has released further items from his personal collection, including a number of early issues and short-run titles (Secrets of the Unknown #1, Race Into Space, Astonishing Stories, Uncensored Love #1), and unique sets comprising the file copy of the comic, the four-colour printing plates used in the original printing, and occasional bonus items such as colour proofs, interior plates, and more. Two of these items are of particular interest – Out Of This World #5, which includes the full set of progressive colour proofs as used by the printer, and Out Of This World #8, which includes 47 of the original 64 interior page plates. Each item from the Alan Class Personal Collection comes with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Alan Class himself. In conjunction with our signing, prices on several of the Alan Class plate sets have been reduced by up to 50% as a special promotion, so come along on the day, listen to Alan’s recollections of his decades in the comics industry, and collect an irreplaceable fragment of comics history! Several of the plate sets and new certificated copies are featured in our Cover Gallery – check the catalogue listings and click on the links! Full details of everything available now included in the website catalogue pages!

Posted by Rob | 05:34 p.m. GMT | 10 July 2007

8 July 2007

American Update - Pre-code Horror inc #1 issues

*Horror 1940-1959: More stunning stock from the premier purveyors of Pre-Code palpitations this update. Highlights include Astonishing #6 from Atlas, the final ‘Marvel Boy’ issue with three distinctly macabre MB tales by Everett, and the first issue of Atlas’s Suspense, the crime-thriller series that mutated into full-blown horror with issue #3. From Fiction House comes more issues of Ghost, with lovely Maurice Whitman covers and spectacular Bill Benulis artwork, Ace gives us the first issue of Beyond and the scarce final issue, #25b, of Hand of Fate, and Fawcett provides us with Unknown World #1 (eye-popping ‘damsel and skeleton’ cover by Saunders featured in our Cover Gallery - follow the link from the catalogue page), and its title-changed successor, Strange Stories From Another World #2. A top-flight assembly of shockmeisters (no, not schlockmeisters…) for your appreciation.

Posted by Rob | 10:29 p.m. GMT | 8 July 2007

British Update - Some wonderful 50s/60s Annuals, Look & Learn, Red Dagger, Commando PL, Beezer, Cracker, Sparky, Topper

An absolutely stonking British update for you this week, one of our biggest ever, with approx 2,000 new items in the following categories:

*Annuals: Our largest Annual update for some time, with 40+ additions including Dandy 1965 and 1966 in excellent condition, Dennis the Menace 1970, Stingray 1965, Lion 1963, more of the 1950’s Okay Adventure Annuals with Quality comics reprints and Dennis McLaughlin originals, the Okay-companion Super Album, the second Buffalo Bill annual, and the 1957/58 Superman Annual (titled ‘Superman Adventure Book’) , plus new stock for TV Comic, Roy of the Rovers, Score, Tiger, Valiant and more, all waiting for you… The Dandy 1965 and Superman 1957/58 may be inspected at our Cover Gallery; go to the catalogue listing and click on the link for scans!

*Boys' Adventure & War Comics: Two very different titles in this week’s update. First, Look & Learn, (inc #1), the educational title launched in 1962, which is most famous for the Don Laurence science-fiction saga 'The Trigan Empire' (which joined with 1966’s #232, following the incorporation of Ranger), but which also featured sumptuous cover artwork and interior illustration from Ron Embleton, Pat Nicholle, Barrie Linklater and a host of unsung artistic heroes of the UK. Then, a further update to Red Dagger, the scarce DC Thompson series which featured issue-long sagas of its adventure characters; several new issues to our listing, so whether it’s sporting thrills with the Tough of the Track, giant robot menace with the Smasher, or World War II adventures with Sniper, there’s a wide variety on offer!

*Boys' Adventure & War Picture Libraries: A stonking update to Commando, the longest-running Picture Library of them all; from #1001 to #3790, more than four hundred issues have been added to our listings this time, ringing every change on the theme of war stories that you ever could imagine – and a great many you probably couldn’t! Currently the subject of some media attention, having achieved its 4,000th issue and with two collected editions out and a third on the way, Commando is undergoing a renaissance right now, yet remains surprisingly affordable for the reader who wants a big heap of reading. Try some and see!

*Humour Comics & Picture Libraries: Several hundred new entries for four DC Thomson humour titles this week. Beezer and Topper, the tabloid-sized weeklies, are extensively updated with listings from 1973 to 1981 (Beezer) and 1954 (2nd year of publication) to 1981 (Topper); join Ginger, Colonel Blink, the Numskulls, Beryl the Peril and Mickey the Monkey for giggles galore! Another cult title, Sparky, is replenished from 1965 to 1975, a decade’s worth of jollity with Barney the Bulldog, Invisible Dick, Keyhole Kate, Hungry Horace and of course our politically-incorrect eponymous host. This extensive collection averages a nice VG, and includes several complete years from the range. Finally, a short-run series, Cracker, is comprehensively overhauled, including both the first and final issues of its 87-strong run from 1975-1976. Although its content is a bit stranger than the usual DC Thomson material – ‘highlights’ include 'Young Foo', 'Rip Van Tinkle', and the 'Wonder Wellies' – Cracker remains sought after because of its achievable short-run status, and tends to sell very rapidly, so order soon to avoid disappointment!

Posted by Rob | 09:11 p.m. GMT | 8 July 2007

2 July 2007

Star Collections Update (British) - Huge selection of Thriller Picture Library, Super-Detective & more!

We delve once again this week into the treasures liberated on to the market from the collections of some of the foremost comic afficiandoes in the UK. Quantity and quality this week as follows:

*Boys’ Adventure & War Picture Libraries: A comprehensive update to Thriller Picture Library, the digest comic which ran from 1951 to 1963 for 450 issues of adventure and derring-do, initially with characters who were carefully out of copyright and in the public domain (Robin Hood, Rob Roy, the Three Musketeers), and post #300, when the tone of the series changed, starring WWII heroes Battler Britton, John Steel, Dogfight Dixon and Spy 13. More than 300 issues have been added to our stock, ranging from #22 to #436. This original owner collection is, once you get past the earliest numbers in FA/GD, a solid average of VG, with tight covers, bright covers and pages, and only the rusty staples to which Thriller is prone precluding a higher average grade of FN or better. In addition to that – and from the same provenance as the Thriller collection – we have a number of attractive VG Super Detective Libraries, starring Rick Random, Rip Kirby, Blackshirt, and Buck Ryan, including the title’s final issue; in addition, a large number of facsimiles of early additions are now available, starting from #1. And almost as an afterthought, Fleetway Super Library’s Fantastic/Stupendous Series, co-starring cult anti-heroes the Spider and Steel Claw, has also had new stock of these hard-to-find extra-length all-new adventures. Many more Picture Library updates in future weeks – keep watching!

Posted by Rob | 01:21 p.m. GMT | 2 July 2007

American Update - 1950's DCs, Phantom Lady, Robin Hood, Wings, Riot & Westerns inc. Atlas Apache Kid & Kirby Rawhide Kid

A stellar mix of titles from the 40's, 50's & 60's in this week's update in the following categories:

*DC: A small but special selection, with the lead being Sensation Comics #53, from the late 1940’s, starring Wonder Woman in 'The Case of the Valiant Dog!' (every DC hero had to take a turn at being co-starred with a canine, and this was Wonder Woman’s slot on the roster…), as well as Wildcat, Sargon the Sorcerer, Mr. Terrific, and, okay, Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys, but never mind..). This attractive mid-grade copy is a stellar example of H.G. Peter’s work on the Amazing Amazon, and is viewable on our Cover Gallery – go to the catalogue listing and check the link! We follow this up with a trio of pre-distribution Strange Adventures, with art by Kane, Sekowsky, Infantino and other masters of the genre: #58, #78 and #108, the latter featuring 'Human Pet Of Gorilla Land!' What more need we add?

*Miscellaneous 1940-1959: The notorious Phantom Lady headlines here, with the debut issue (paradoxically numbered #5, owing to a necessary impurity in the distributors), of the Ajax/Farrell series, still Pre-Code and featuring Matt Baker art. This is featured in our Cover Gallery and you can see the cover by clicking on the link in the catalogue listing. Baker also appears in rather different guise in Quality’s Robin Hood Tales, another new title this week, and we also have Fiction House’s Wings, with aviation adventures starring the Ghost Patrol, Phantom Falcon, Jane Martin and other plucky aviators; and two issues of Riot, Atlas’ Mad-imitator, featuring parodies by Maneely, Heath, Everett, and more of Atlas’ top artistic talents.

*Western: We lead off with Atlas’ Apache Kid, a western hero with all the super-hero trappings (secret i.d., costume changes) that later served as such an effective template for the Rawhide kid et al. And speaking of the Rawhide Kid, we have early Kirby issues in VG/FN grades added to our stock also. Topping it off, additions to Bat Lash, the classic 1960’s Aragones/Cardy anti-hero, and new items in Cheyenne Kid, Texas Ranges In Action and Weird Western Tales, to round out the rodeo.

Posted by Rob | 01:08 p.m. GMT | 2 July 2007

Reminder: Alan Class signing 29th July 2007

We are delighted to announce that Alan Class, publisher from 1959-1989 of the popular fantasy titles Creepy Worlds, Secrets of the Unknown, Sinister Tales and many other series, is re-visiting us for a return signing session following the highly successful event in 2005.

Alan has a totally unique insight into the history of comic publishing in the UK and is happy to share those memories with fans and those interested in comics' history. How many of us grew up reading the comics he published?

Alan has now released further file copies from his private collection and will be signing these between 2 and 5 pm on Sunday 29th July at our shop. These include many #1 issues. Each comic will also come with an individual hand-signed Certificate of Authenticity.

Also available will be a limited quantity of Collectors’ Sets consisting of the comic, the four-colour printing plates used to produce the matching cover and a Certificate of Authenticity. There will be new to the market Collectors' Sets available on the day and a special price promotion will also be available on these.

Full details of new issues available, plus new printing plate sets and the special price promotion on these will be posted here shortly.

Alan Class certificated comics and collectors’ sets are also available by mail order for those who can’t make it on the day. Details on our website or contact us!

Posted by Rob | 12:52 p.m. GMT | 2 July 2007