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Update Archives For December 2007

30 December 2007

British Update: Marvel UK, Complete Year Eagle 1968, Battle & other Picture Libraries, 1970's Beano & Dandy, plus Diana!

Well, we hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! We're rounding off 2007 with another absolutely jam-packed stonker of an update in the following categories:

*Marvel UK: A varied assortment of updates this time, with additions to the 1970’s 'Gorblimey' Captain Britain (from #3), Savage Sword of Conan Weekly, Complete Fantastic Four, Forces In Combat, Indiana Jones, Marvel Team Up, Mighty World of Marvel, Planet of the Apes, Savage Action and a huge upgrade to our Spider-Man Comics Weekly stock, beginning with issue #7. We also have the first six issues of 1979’s Hulk Weekly, with predominantly new material starring Hulk himself, the Black Knight, Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD, Ant-Man, and David Lloyd’s Night Raven, by a range of talents including Dave Gibbons, Paul Neary, and Steve Dillon.

*Boys’ Adventure and War Comics: Our Complete Year Set Initiative continues this week with Eagle. The complete Volume 19, from 1968, is now available, starring the Guinea Pig, Sky Buccaneers, Mickey Merlin, Blackbow the Cheyenne, the Iron Man (not that one) and Tales of Asgard (yes, that one), plus the, sadly by this time reprint, adventures of space crusader Dan Dare. 52 issues averaging VG (some Good, but many Fine), and a chance to grab up the entire penultimate year of what is regarded by many as the definitive boys’ adventure weekly.

*Boys’ Adventure and War Picture Libraries: We have further stock of Air Ace Holiday Special, Commando (from #184 to #2338) and Giant War to delight you this time round, but star of the show has to be an extremely nice run of Battle Picture Library, commencing with #450 and running through to #729, not complete but extremely comprehensive, and in an exceptionally appealing FN grade.

*Humour: Beano from 1971, most of the year’s issues averaging VG, with Admiral Jumbo, The McTickles, the Nibblers, Billy the Cat and the Belles of St. Lemons joining the regular roster of superstars, Dennis the Menace, Minnie the Minx (hey, what name is ‘Minnie’ short for anyway?) et al. Also a selection of Dandy from 1976 and 1977, with Screwy Driver, the Jocks & the Geordies, Dirty Dick, Winker Watson, and Jack Silver, the Pal From Outer Space!

*Girls’ Comics and Picture Libraries: Our Bonanza continuese, taking a break from our extensive Bunty and Judy events, we’re topping up Diana this week; fencing star 'Suzette of the Silver Sword', schoolgirl super spies 'The Girls From NOODLES', flying tour guide 'Starr of Wonderland', and hockey adventure 'The War On Wendy’s Dad!' (no, really…) are some of the highlights awaiting you in this selection ranging from #2 to #171. And look for more from our Girls' Comics Bonanza continuing into 2008!

And that's just about it for 2007! Be sure to make this one of your frequently visited places for 2008 as our weekly updates will be bigger and better than ever!

Posted by Rob | 02:33 p.m. GMT | 30 December 2007

American Update: EC's Panic & Vault Of Horror

*EC: Panic in the Vault of Horror! We have an issue of Panic, ('The Only Authorized Imitation Of Mad') in this week, featuring parodies of the classic sci-fi movie 'Them' (art by Wally Wood) and an inspired 'Joe Palooka' parody by Elder, among others; and we have five fear-filled issues of Vault of Horror, from the second ever issue (confusingly numbered #13) onwards, featuring the talents of Ingels, Kamen, and the criminally-underestimated Johnny Craig. A cover scan of Vault of Horror #15 is available for inspection on our website – click the link in the catalogue listing.

Posted by Rob | 02:12 p.m. GMT | 30 December 2007

23 December 2007

American Update: Amazing Half Price Spider-Man offer!

*Marvel: As regular visitors to our website will be aware we’ve been selling the Alan Austin Pedigree Original Owner Amazing Spider-Man collection on his behalf throughout 2007. Following instructions from Alan Austin, we are offering a unique opportunity to purchase the remaining issues at half price! This offer will only be available until January 31st 2008 and represents an unrepeatable chance to fill those elusive gaps in your wants list from the Lee & Ditko run, still regarded by many as the definitive incarnation of the character. These copies are generally towards high grade and have been carefully stored since Alan originally bought them back in the 1960’s. A significant number of the run remains including Amazing Fantasy #15 and Amazing Spider-Man #1. The temporary new prices are now displayed in detail in the Marvel Comics section of the website.

Posted by Rob | 03:25 p.m. GMT | 23 December 2007

British Update: Annuals, 1980's Tigers inc. Complete Year Sets 1981, 1983, Complete Bunty 1986

*Annuals: Significant updates to several traditional favourites this week, with Beano (from 1978), Bunty (from 1977), Dr. Who (from 1979), Girl (2nd series), Jackie (1980’s), Misty from 1981, and Smash! From 1970.

*Boys' Adventure & War Comics: Three more triumphant years of Tiger, 1981-1983. Starring Skid Solo, Hot-Shot Hamish, suicidal racing driver Death Wish, teenage stuntmaster Topps on Two Wheels, and wrestler Johnny Cougar (who bizarrely co-starred with real-life matman Big Daddy for much of 1983..), the all-sports weekly roared on, with Trevor Francis, Ian Botham, David Gower and Charlie Nicholas being ‘celebrity writers’ at one point or another. Lead feature for this period was 'Billy’s Boots', which had a successful spin-off how-to, 'Billy’s Soccer School', in which he dispensed hints and tips to the audience, though given the premise of his strip, surely the only sporting advice Billy should legitimately offer would be, 'Find a pair of magic boots and cheat your way to fame!'. Be that as it may, we have Complete Year Sets from 1981 and 1983 on offer (1981 including the Royal Wedding Special, in which our assembled stars take time out to wish good luck to Charles and Diana. So that worked out well, then…), as well as many issues from all three years averaging FN grade.

*Girls' Comics & Picture Libraries: Our Girls' Comics Bonanza runs into our Complete Year Initiative this week with a complete year of Bunty from 1986. The old gal got a bit of a revamp this year, and while Bunty herself and the Four Marys carried on regardless, we were also treated to 'Run, Mum, Run!', in which a teen tried to makeover her Mum to stop her Dad’s affections wandering; plucky World War II resistance fighter 'Catch The Cat!', 'Robina Hood', an all-girl next generation Sherwood Saga (though Friar Tuck shouldn’t have had a daughter, if you think about it; maybe she was adopted) and goddess-in-training 'Maisie Mercury'. A good year for Bunty, and all for 52 issues yours for only £90.

Posted by Rob | 03:18 p.m. GMT | 23 December 2007

Season's Greetings and all that jazz!

We'd like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.

Our shop will be open normal days and hours over the holiday period, with the following exceptions:
Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day only.
Closing early on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve at 5 p.m.
Please note that deliveries of new comics are taking place on FRIDAYS for the next 2 weeks. i.e. 28th December and 4th January. We expect to have new comics on the racks for sale on those days around 3-4 p.m.

There'll be one further website update for vintage comics later today and we'll probably round the year out with a further update on 30th December. 2008 will see even more excitement than 2007, with more comics pictured in our Cover Gallery, the continuation of our Girls' Comics Bonanza, the return of our hugely popular Free Gift Farrago, a huge expansion of our Complete Year Set Initiative, oodles of American gems from the 1940's and 1950's, the best EC original collection ever on offer in the UK, and, for the first time, the introduction of selected modern (i.e. post 1980) American comics on our website. And, of course, there's all the collections and stuff we don't even know about yet!

In the meantime, keep well, eat, drink and be merry and may Santa fill a gap or two on your wants list...

Rob, Will, Sandy, Peter and all at 30th Century.

Posted by Rob | 11:17 a.m. GMT | 23 December 2007

16 December 2007

British Update: Adventure 1946-1961 inc. final issue, Battle 1975-1981 plus Holiday Specials, Hornet 1963-1975 inc. #1, Lion 1964-1974 inc. final issue, Scream, Starlord, Action, Bullet, Eagle, Ranger, Super DC, Victor Summer Specials, 200 Toppers 1956-1959, Judy 1968-1969, Complete Bunty 1984 and rare Penelopes!

Another absolutely huge update to our British stocks this week as follows:

*Boys’ Adventure and War Comics: A plethora of vintage items this week, from the 1940’s to the 1980’s: DC Thomson story paper Adventure is heavily updated, with additions to 1946 and 1953 before settling down to a virtually unbroken run from 1960’s #1838 to the final issue, #1878, in the early days of 1961. Featuring first 'Johnny Bull’s Broadway Boys' and then the rather beautifully-drawn 'Commando Jim' on its covers, Adventure remained stoically text inside until the very end, when it was subsumed into Rover. We’re updating the controversial and acclaimed Battle with additions from 1975-1981, including scarce Holiday Specials; Hornet from the very first issue in 1963, and with considerable fresh stock from 1975; a decade of Lion, from 1964 to the very final issue in 1974; the short-run 1970’s titles Scream and Starlord, both 2000 AD-stablemates with popular characters and creators; and touch-ups to Action, Bullet, Eagle (old & new), Ranger, Super DC, and Victor Summer Specials. Many more boys' adventure imminent, as soon as our minions can process them – work, minions, work!

*Humour Comics: Hang on to your Topper! Almost 200 issues of the oversized weekly from 1956 to 1959, featuring Mickey the Monkey (and his male parrot named Polly – what was going on with that?), as well as Beryl the Peril, Foxy and Ernie Bushmiller’s US newspaper strip, Nancy, in addition to more obscure figures such as Happy Daze, Captain Bungle – He Lives In The Jungle, and Dixie’s Box of Tricks! A feature of Topper was the historical adventure strips, usually drawn by Dudley D. Watkins, and adaptations of Sabatini’s Captain Blood, Dickens’ Oliver Twist, and the wacky hijinx of Scottish rebel Wild Young Dirky all fill the adventure bill.

*Girls’ Comics and Picture Libraries: Yet more from our Girls' Comics Bonanza! A triple treat this update, with Judy from 1968 and 1969, during which Bobby Dazzler seizing the cover spot from The Girl from D.O.R.S.E.T., and settled down to a virtually unbroken five-year run as Judy’s ‘frontwoman’. Inside, prima ballerina Sandra Wilson takes on not only the Sultan’s Ballet but also the Sinister Ballet (that girl never stops…), and we enter the ‘Parental Cruelty’ phase of Judy with not only 'My Mother, My Enemy!' , but also 'My Father, My Jailer!', a tender timeless tale of a telepathic table-tennis titan. (what else would it be...?) Bunty continues our ‘Complete Year’ initiative with the entirety of 1984, 52 issues averaging Fine. (Featuring, among others, 'The Flights of Flopear', a pet rabbit who converts into a spaceship – what were they smoking back then?) but we are especially pleased to proffer five issues (the entire month of November 1969) of Penelope, the title into which ‘Lady Penelope’ converted when it jettisoned most of its adventure-related content. Lady Creighton-Ward still stars, in the retconned adventures of 'Penny On Her Own', in which our teenage heroine abandons the posh life to prove herself, years before meeting Jeff Tracy, and TV’s 'Bewitched' co-stars, along with equestrienne 'A Girl Called Pony', 'Jane & Debbie Model Girls' and other more traditional girlie fare replacing the vanished 'Marina' and 'Angels' series. Any issues of Penelope/Lady P. are vanishingly scarce, so I’d grab up these FN copies in a hurry if I were you.

Posted by Rob | 01:23 p.m. GMT | 16 December 2007

American Update - Little Archie, Jann of the Jungle, Millie the Model and more!

You’re familiar with 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'? Well, we have a 'Four Thingies and a Whatsit' theme going at 30th Century with our US updates this week, as follows;

*Archie: Four Little Archies and a Madhouse! The giant-sized Little Archie series by Bob Bolling has become hugely sought-after in recent years, and we’re pleased to offer four issues of the retconned early adventures of Riverdale’s favourite son, in VG/FN grades. This selection includes issue #40, the first 'Little Pureheart' superhero tale, and #44, in which little Pureheart takes on the villainous Black Widow – who’s a bit saucy for a kiddie comic! Plus, Archie’s Madhouse, from the mid-sixties, with hippy humour (or middle-aged to elderly men’s idea of same…) and Sabrina the Teenage Witch!

*Miscellaneous 1940-1959: Four Janns and a Jumbo! Jann of the Jungle, Atlas’ second-string jungle queen (but she tried harder!) gets an airing, with four issues in FA/GD grade, very affordable, and with lovely artwork by the likes of Jay Scott Pike, Art Saaf and Al Williamson. Also, a seldom-seen Jumbo Comics from the Fiction House stable, with Sheena, Queen of the Jungle and all her chums, in a very attractive VG+.

*Teen Humour/Funny Girls: Four Millies and a Judy! Key issues in the 1960’s 'mod' incarnation of Millie the Model, by Stan Goldberg, with the extra-thick debut issue of Mad About Millie and the Mad About Millie Queen-Sized Special #1, as well as two further Queen-Sized Specials of Millie the Model. Plus, A Date With Judy! No, not the British comic we’ve been updating lately, (and continue with this week) but a DC adaptation of a once-popular radio & TV show of the 1940’s and 1950’s.

Posted by Rob | 01:07 p.m. GMT | 16 December 2007

10 December 2007

British Update - Bunty 1966-1969 plus Complete Year Sets for Beano, Dandy & Bunty!

This week, as well as more lovely Buntys from our Girls' Comics Bonanza, we continue our new Complete Year Set initiative as follows:

*Humour Comics & Picture Libraries: Following the initial warm reception of our 'Complete Year Sets' in our Boys’ Adventure section last week, we’re expanding the programme. This week, we’re offering a complete year of Beano from 1975, 52 issues averaging FN grade, with Dennis, Minnie, Roger and the Bash Street Kids joined by ‘Wee Ben Nevis’, ‘Richard the Lion’ and ‘Baby-Faced Finlayson’, among others; and a full year of Dandy, averaging FN, from 1979 includes, in addition to stalwart Desperate Dan, such bizarre oddities as ‘Peter’s Pocket Grandpa’, ‘Izzy Skint’, and – wait for it – ‘Bertie Buncle and His Chemical Uncle’! The uncle in question was an inventor, not an artificial life-form, so he should have been more properly Bertie’s Chemist Uncle, but that wouldn’t have scanned.

*Girls’ Comics and Picture Libraries: Our 'Complete Year Set' programme expands to this section with full sets of Bunty for the years 1995 (averaging GD/VG) and 1996 (averaging VG). The 1996 range includes the special issue #2000, and regular features at this time, apart from the evergreen ‘Four Marys’, included 'Nikki' refugee ‘The Comp’, ‘Donna’s Double Life’, ‘Secret Servant’, ‘Rivals For Robbie’, and the photo-strip soap, ‘Luv, Lisa’, as well as photos and facts about pop idols long since forgotten, like Take That. Oh, hang on. The Spice Girls, then? Whoops. Okay, the London Boys – don’t try and tell me they’re still touring! But that’s not all – continuing our progress through Bunty’s long run, dozens of individual issues from the years 1966 to 1969 are new to our stock, and many more to come as we enter the sensational Seventies in a couple of updates’ time.

Posted by Rob | 11:24 p.m. GMT | 10 December 2007

American Update - Sugar & Spike, Unexpected, Witching Hour, Atlas Westerns

Some very different selections of American comics this week as follows:

*DC: Glx Spztl Glahh! An even dozen issues of ''Tomorrow’s Teenagers', Sugar & Spike, with tales of charm, inventiveness, and wacky mishaps from the brilliant mind of Sheldon Meyer. The bulk of Sugar & Spike’s 98-issue run was completely undistributed here in the UK, and are quite hard to find on either side of the Atlantic, so we count ourselves lucky to have this new range, in grades varying from FA to FN+.

*Horror/Mystery 1960-1980s: An ‘unlucky’ 13 additions to our range of DC’s 1970’s Tales of the Unexpected and Witching Hour (from the very first issue, with the superlative Alex Toth!), with moody evocative work from Cardy, Wrightson, and some new kid called Adams; plus, further additions to the 1960’s Strange Suspense Stories from Charlton.

*Western: “I Ride Alone Thruout The West, From Dodge To Alamo, I’m On The Trail Of Outlaws, That’s Why My Colts Hang Low!” – or so warbles the Two-Gun Kid, as beautifully rendered by John Severin in the Atlas-era issue added to our stock this week. It’s an Atlas/Marvel western bonanza, in fact, with new listings for Kid Slade Gunfighter, Outlaw Kid (from #2), and Six-Gun Western, by the aforementioned Severin, Maneely, and, okay, Larry Lieber, but hey, there’s plenty of room for everybody out there on the prairie!

Posted by Rob | 11:14 p.m. GMT | 10 December 2007

3 December 2007

British Update: Our new 'Complete Year Set' offer debuts with Tiger, plus new Dan Dare series, early Girls' Picture Libraries, Crikey! and more!

Lots of excitement in this week's updates as follows:

*Boys’ Adventure and War Comics: Great News, Chums! In response to many requests, we’re now marketing complete years of titles in sets at great prices. Fill out your collections in comfort and convenience, at one fell swoop! We’re opening with the final two years of Tiger, the veteran IPC/Fleetway sports title which closed its doors in 1985 after thirty and a half years. The 1985 set has only 13 issues (last issue dated 30th March that year), but of course includes the very elusive final issue, a sad end to a distinguished career. The 1984 set has all 52 issues from that year, including the Christmas Issue and the 30th Anniversary Special, in which all the comic's stars look forward to the next three decades, little knowing the fate that shortly awaited them. Sniff. Both sets average VG/FN – mostly Fine, but a couple of Good in each which bring the average slightly down, so we’re erring on the side of caution. But those of you seeking the individual issues needn’t despair, as we have many of those on offer from 1984 and 1985, also – best of both worlds! At least fifty issues have been added to our listings, as we work our way backwards through Tiger’s long history. Look for many more Tiger updates, complete years and individual issues, in future bulletins, and keep an eye out for more 'Complete Year Sets' updates – not only in Boys’ Adventure, but in Girls’ and Humour too – as new stock rolls in! Also new this week, #1 of the new Dan Dare series from Virgin Comics by Garth Ennis. From the feel of the first issue, it looks like this series updates Dan but keeps true to his roots and heroism. Sold out in most outlets (we're told), but stocked in depth here at 30th Century, where we know the demand for this classic character!

*Girls’ Comics and Picture Libraries: We take a detour on our prolonged trek through the Buntyverse to swivel through a very nice selection of a few dozen Bunty Picture Libraries, beginning with the pre-decimal #46 and continuing through to the mid-200’s. Who is the 'Prisoner of the Purple Ray'? Why is it that 'She Wants to be Expelled!'? Who are 'the Slaves Of Happy Valley'? And what’s the secret origin of 'Susie and Sandie – Action Twins!'? All these questions, and more, will be answered – as long as you purchase the right issues, that is…

*Magazines/Books About Vintage UK Comics: Crikey! No, not an explanation, but a splendid new magazine devoted to articles, reminiscences, and creator interviews about British Comics. Striking exactly the right balance between enthusiasm and scholarship, each issue is a delight to read, and reveals more previously-unknown information about this still, sadly, under-researched area of comics history. Also, new issues of the Dan Dare appreciation magazine Spaceship Away!, the scarce Eagle Times Annual, the first in what we hope will be many Fleetway Library Indexes, this one covering the War Libraries, and a new hardcover Eagle compilation.

Posted by Rob | 11:39 p.m. GMT | 3 December 2007

American Update: Silver Age Marvel Round-Up

*Marvel: Now burgeoning with more stock from the House of Ideas, check our new listings for additions to Avengers, Captain America, doomed Kree warrior Captain Marvel (he’s alive again – but only for the moment!), more than forty new issues for Daredevil, Fantastic Four, Journey Into Mystery both with and without Thor (are you ready to be Captured By Korilla?), the Silver Surfer, Spider-Man, Strange Tales from both the Thing n’ Torch and S.H.I.E.L.D. eras, Tales of Suspense with Iron Man and Captain America, Thor, and the X-Men from #12, the debut of the joltin’ Juggernaut! In grades ranging from FA to FN+, there’s bound to be something to suit all tastes and budgets in this week’s updates.

Posted by Rob | 10:44 p.m. GMT | 3 December 2007