[John C]

Between Oscar and Buzzy in an issue of Ha Ha Comics (probably #47

Oh, that's MUCH better.

And the book under Action should be All-American, no?  I don't have time to rifle around looking for the specific issue, but that's the only book I can think of whose logo matches.  The only alternative I can think of is one of the "lost" National titles, like Double Action, but that doesn't seem right at all.

The logo doesn't seem crisp enough to be a DC book. If you look at the other DC titles, their logos are among the easiest to read. This title is obscured by poor design almost as much as by low-rez.

I thought so too, for a while, but it looks to be just...too much stuff going on, that month.  I tracked it down as #91.  Once you see the original, it's easy to identify the Mutt and Jeff cut-out, the DC logo, and the door cutting into the logo (with detail on GL and the Harlequin's heads just below the resolution).

http://comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=6247&zoom=4

[JVJ]

When you're right, you're right, JC.
AA 91 it is!

Good job.

(|:{>

[Yoc]

I love these two from 1948!
The first one has a very 'serious' reader intent on Flash Comics #102...


And the second one speaks for itself!

Books that can be seen - Western Outlaws #48 (Fox - Nov'48), Unknown 'Funnies' comic

-Yoc

[Yoc]

Here are two that get me excited for different reasons...
The first has got to be one of the most beautiful sights a GA comic fan could ever witness...

I wont even TRY to list them all from this one!  40 books in the one from 1947 was enough.  This one is insane the number of books - an all alphabetical too.  *sigh*
(Is that Weezer from Our Gang on the bottom left???  Gotta be a twin or something eh?  )


And this one is a crying shame.  Said to be from a 1948 Birmingham, NY comic burning reportedly organized by the Boy Scouts as result of all the media attention crime and horror comics were getting in NY state.  Several attempts were made to ban comics there but the governor always vetoed the bill.  Connecticut did ban them and here is a web site has been put up detailing their efforts HERE.  Some interesting reading.

Enjoy!
-Yoc

[rez]

Oh man,That COMICLAND Pic!!!

Slay Me! Just go ahead and Slay Me!


If there were ever a pic to be made wall size for a salesroom....

[John C]

I wont even TRY to list them all from this one!  40 books in the one from 1947 was enough.  This one is insane the number of books - an all alphabetical too.  *sigh*

I wonder what the reasoning is for the books that have been cut off from the herd.  I mean, they're not ALL alphabetized.  The books on the bottom shelf are either the best-sellers or there's a distribution deal to push them (like the aisle end-caps at supermarkets).  But the books on top?  Who the heck reads Archie who can reach that high?

But if you wanted to list them, that issue of Detective Comics looks mighty familiar...

And this one is a crying shame.  Said to be from a 1948 Birmingham, NY comic burning reportedly organized by the Boy Scouts as result of all the media attention crime and horror comics were getting in NY state.  Several attempts were made to ban comics there but the governor always vetoed the bill.

Of further historical interest, perhaps, is that a lot of the book burnings were orchestrated around seminars by a certain noted psychiatrist who talked about the corrupting influences of comic books.  Yep.  It wasn't him alone, but these are the Golden Age adventures of Dr. Wertham, so to speak.  The talks were a followup to his "Horror in the Nursery" article.

As a result of this backlash against comics, the industry created the ACMP, which was basically the first stab at the Comics Code Authority, except that everybody pretty much ignored it.

[Yoc]

Right you are JC.  I hope you checked out that link I included.

Here are a couple more anti-comics themed pictures from later in the 50s including Wertham himself on the stand.

   

[John C]

I hadn't given it more than a cursory scan, so I apologize if I repeated the timeline's contents verbatim anywhere.

This is, of course, later in the cycle, but there might be someone interested in the era who hasn't already seen this:

http://www.thecomicbooks.com/1954senatetranscripts.html

The hearings, by the way, were televised, and I believe that recordings exist somewhere for download, but I can't track them down.  This is also worth a peek, though, in the meantime:

http://learning2share.blogspot.com/2007/11/dr-fredric-werthams-what-parents-dont.html

[Yoc]

Thanks for that last link JC.  That Ladies Home Journal entry was great!

-Yoc

[OtherEric]

Well, it's Gay Comics #33 from August 1948,  Looney Tunes/ Merry Melodies #81 from July 1948, and Authentic Police Cases 3 from June 1948; that should help anybody trying to figure out the Comic Land picture narrow down the time frame somewhat.

I can tell those three because in the first two cases I own copies and on the third I just scanned JVJ's copy a few weeks ago.  I'm surprised I had even two of the books on that page; my LT/MM collection is pretty decent but I think I can count my Marvel/ Timely books from the 40's on the fingers of one hand.

[Yoc]

Thanks Eric.

Hey, this isn't a 'one man show' gang.  Anyone with other fun pictures PLEASE share them.
I find ImageShack has been working fine so far.

Doesn't have to only be old pics either if you have something else that's fun to share.  Fanzines, whatever.  Feel free.

-Yoc

[JVJ]

Here are two that get me excited for different reasons...
The first has got to be one of the most beautiful sights a GA comic fan could ever witness...

I went quickly through this apparition, Yoc,
and believe that I have fully HALF of the comics shown here - the ones lacking being primarily DC, Fawcett and MLJ. GREAT image!

(|:{>

[Yoc]

It's one of my favourites yes.  Not just the books themselves but the little kid and the idea that these 10 cent throwaways had enough readership clout to warrant such an amazing display!
Jim, your collection boggles the mind... 

And JC, I'm guessing those books 'cut from the heard' might have been the latest arrivals or perhaps popular titles that might still be sold and weren't removed as soon as they were out of date.  Just a thought.

-Yoc

[Yoc]

Well, we are quickly working through my collection.
Here's another couple pulled from that Collector's Society thread.

From an issue of Life-
"Boy renting out comic books to local children to support his family. Philippines. May 1945"

The boy in front is reading Black Terror #6 (May'44)


Front row Left to right:
Sensation #35 (Nov'44),
Unknown More Fun,
Blue Bolt v5 #3 [51] (Dec'44)

Second row:
Unknown,
Possibly coverless True Comics #39 -Merrill's Marauders

Top row:
Unknown Thrilling

[Yoc]

Two more with books I can't see well enough to guess at but still of interest.

From Life 1948 - 'Newstand dealer taking bets. Chicago, IL, US.1948'


1950s

[Yoc]

A little change of theme on this one...
There's an LA Cultural Center's exibit online called (sigh)
"Zap! Pow! Bam! The Superhero: The Golden Age of Comic Books, 1938-1950"
This link has a slide show with some fun shots - sadly a mentioned 'first Joker' sketch isn't among them.

http://www.laweekly.com/slideshow/view/248245/1

-Yoc

[Yoc]

Here's a couple more - I hope I don't repeat myself..

A corner rack shot during the week of July 31 1954.  The early TV Guide cover tells us that.
http://www.coverbrowser.com/covers/tv-guide#i22

(Click on the thumbnail to see the larger version)

And another, this one from 1951-

(Click on the thumbnail to see the larger version)

You can zoom in on the photo REALLY tightly using the following link:
http://www.fotosearch.com/clt003/r1886/
Bottom row from right to left are:

John Wayne #8
Red Ryder #51
Cowgirl Romances #4
Long Bow #1
Teen-age Romances #16
The Texan #14
Ghost Rider #3
King of the Bad Men of Deadwood (Avon) oneshot
Famous Gangsters #1
Captain and the Kids #21
Gene Autry #48
Goofy #42 (Standard)
The Chief #2 (Dell)

The rack behind the man has two columns of comics the titles in the rack are: Column 1 - Column 2
-------------- ---------------
Rangers Comics - Pancho Villa (Avon)
Famous Stars - Peter Rabbit (Avon)
GI Joe - True Movie and Television #3
Lil Abner - Dear Beatrice Fairfax
Kid Cowboy - Durango Kid
Real Life Comics - Ozark
Western Hearts - Straight Arrow
Movie Love - Fight
Wild Bill Elliot - King Comics
Bill West - Wambi Jungle Boy
Famous Funnies - Kathy
Thrilling Romances - Indians
Rex Allen - B-Bar-B Riders
Charlie McCarthy #6 - Jungle Comics
Amazing Adventures #1 - Supermouse #11

[Snard]

I did a web search of "Skirball Cultural Center" and found this page, which shows a thumbnail of the Joker sketch:

http://www.skirball.org/index.php?option=com_ccevents&scope=exbt&task=detail&oid=34

Man, I wish I lived near LA...

A little change of theme on this one...
There's an LA Cultural Center's exibit online called (sigh)
"Zap! Pow! Bam! The Superhero: The Golden Age of Comic Books, 1938-1950"
This link has a slide show with some fun shots - sadly a mentioned 'first Joker' sketch isn't among them.

http://www.laweekly.com/slideshow/view/248245/1

-Yoc

[Yoc]

Thanks Snard, I'm sure I've seen that sketch before but I can't recall where.  I didn't know it was the first concept sketch though.

-Yoc

[JVJ]

Thanks Snard, I'm sure I've seen that sketch before but I can't recall where.  I didn't know it was the first concept sketch though.
-Yoc

I'd bet my entire comic book collection that sketch is NOT the original design sketch for the Joker.

Peace (and credibility checks) by Jim (|:{>

[JonTheScanner]

Jim,

Do you say this because you don't believe Jerry Robinson's story of being involved or because you think the sketch was done later?

Jon

[JVJ]

Jim,

Do you say this because you don't believe Jerry Robinson's story of being involved or because you think the sketch was done later?

Jon

I believe the sketch was done later. IMHO, it's both too convenient and too finished to be a legit first attempt at a character.

Peace, Jim (|:{>

[JVJ]

Did anyone else notice the complete absence of Atlas titles here? Very interesting.

(|:{>

[JonTheScanner]

Did anyone else notice the complete absence of Atlas titles here? Very interesting.

(|:{>

I was going to make a similar comment, but actually stranger than that.  There are no Atlas or DC, nor Fawcett or Quality (I think though there are a couple of titles there I can't simply from memory state for sure are not the latter two).

[JVJ]

I was going to make a similar comment, but actually stranger than that.  There are no Atlas or DC, nor Fawcett or Quality (I think though there are a couple of titles there I can't simply from memory state for sure are not the latter two).

You're absolutely right, Jon,
I don't see any of those other companies, either. Perhaps this was a newsstand serviced by a company that distributed Standard, Dell, Fiction House and Toby. There are certainly a lot of titles missing even from those companies, too. Weird.

(|:{>