[Janus Wolf]

Hello Everyone, I am doing some research on out of print comics. I am looking for some examples, websites, contacts for out of print comics up until 2010! No Marvel, Or DC, no big publishers, I am more interested in looking at the smaller publishers that went out of business or are no longer printing.

thanks

Janus

[narfstar]

Lots and lots and lots and lots of em. Go to the GCD at comics.org and type in a few letters in the publisher drop down. You will probably get several to get you started. There are hundreds if not thousands from the eighties and nineties. As I run across books in my own collection pre 1982 I believe that do not have the proper copyright I will let you know. It would be nice if you could confirm that MF Enterprises, Milson and Skywald are all abandened. I really really doubt that they are a problem but would be nice to know for sure.

[Janus Wolf]

thanks PM sent.

[JVJ]

What exactly do you mean by "out of print", Janus. Almost every comic book ever published fits that category in that they aren't being printed anymore. The tiny fraction that get hardback reprints are primarily Marvel and DC, though some other companies are getting a limited version of the reprint treatment, as I'm sure you know.

Nowadays there is enough of a market for high-priced, low print run reprint volumes to put out something like a Magnus Robot Fighter volume, but does that make the comics "in print" again? Since we're hosting scans of pd comics, that, too, could qualify for them being "in print". What's your context for the question?

(|:{>

[JVJ]

As I run across books in my own collection pre 1982 I believe that do not have the proper copyright I will let you know. It would be nice if you could confirm that MF Enterprises, Milson and Skywald are all abandened. I really really doubt that they are a problem but would be nice to know for sure.

Are we talking PD or out of print? I see them as totally different statuses.

Any comic BOOK (not title) that is no longer being made available is, by definition, OUT OF PRINT. 

Curious minds want to comprehend.

Peace, Jim (|:{>

[narfstar]

I believe what Janus is going for is a venue for out of print from out of existence companies product. Books that will probably never again see the light of day without the internet. He is seeking creator permission to host their product and expose it to an audience probably unaware of its existence. I am continually running across titles from the 80's on that I was completely unaware of, many from companies I never heard of. Who could possibly have sampled everything. The creator will get a chance to have their product sampled for free and perhaps gain a whole new market. Some webcomics have proven that people will still buy what they read for free online or buy anciliary products based on those comics. Also many were done as a labor of love that some creators would just like more people to get a chance to see. If I am wrong Janus please correct me.

[Janus Wolf]

yes that is correct, that is the spirit of it all!

Cheers

Janus

I believe what Janus is going for is a venue for out of print from out of existence companies product. Books that will probably never again see the light of day without the internet. He is seeking creator permission to host their product and expose it to an audience probably unaware of its existence. I am continually running across titles from the 80's on that I was completely unaware of, many from companies I never heard of. Who could possibly have sampled everything. The creator will get a chance to have their product sampled for free and perhaps gain a whole new market. Some webcomics have proven that people will still buy what they read for free online or buy anciliary products based on those comics. Also many were done as a labor of love that some creators would just like more people to get a chance to see. If I am wrong Janus please correct me.

[Captain Audio]

Always the possibility that a character that didn't get much exposure or following when it first came out might pick up cult statis and result in the franchise being rejuvenated.

[JVJ]

That's a very positive and optimistic attitude, Captain, but the odds are minuscule. The real reason such books are OoP is that they weren't successful in the first place, back when the audience for them was much stronger and people were more willing to try new things. Perhaps the webcomics will be more attuned with modern readers, but the 80s/90s Out Of Print books probably won't.

I've got TONS of comics from the 80s and 90s, in addition to all the Golden Age stuff. Being able to find them might be tough, though.

Keep thinking positive thoughts, though. I wish I were as hopeful, but I honestly believe that the reality of those books isn't going to match with your hopes.

Peace, Jim (|:{>