[Yoc]

Hi guys,
Nice to see these generating some conversations.
I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest perhaps the books on the stands come from a select one or two distributors that made a better pitch to the stand owner?
A chart of which books on the stand were distributed by which distributor might shed some light on the question.  A job for larger brains with more source material than my capabilities.

-Yoc

[narfstar]

A certain distributer was my first thought too Yoc

[John C]

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.

That's been my impression, as well.  It might be something used to sell to management or intended for a house ad (which are almost as significant and easy permutations on the story), but it's definitely not a "hey, what if we do this?" sketch.

[JVJ]

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.

That's been my impression, as well.  It might be something used to sell to management or intended for a house ad (which are almost as significant and easy permutations on the story), but it's definitely not a "hey, what if we do this?" sketch.

Exactly, JC. People don't draw like that when they are sketching their ideas. (|:{>

[Yoc]

Here's a unique one - pulled from the tv show
Adventures of Superman broadcast Feb. 25, 1956 (sea 4, ep 67) - The Unlucky Number
Poor Lois - standing in front of Superman AND his comics and doesn't have a clue.  

(click on thumbnail to see full size pic on ImageShack)

Here is a better view of the 3 comics on display -

Superboy #44 (Oct'55)
Batman #95 (Oct'55)
Superman #101 (Nov'55)

-Yoc

[rez]

Holy Cow! YOC's graduated to color!

[Yoc]

Anyone ever see one of these Comic Vending Machines before?
It's new to me!
Click Here!

-Yoc

[narfstar]

Not in real life just recently in another list discussion

[John C]

Anyone ever see one of these Comic Vending Machines before?

I wonder if the companies railed against the "coin-op frontier" (poor security, for example) in the same way today they gripe about Internet distribution...

(Also, I feel almost absurdly young, sometimes.  The idea of putting pennies into a coin slot creeps me out to no end.  You just can't go around doing things like that!  I only barely remember the days when pay phones still accepted pennies.)

[darkmark]

I saw one of these for the first and last time in Iowa in 1964.  They were pretty neat, except that you had to settle for the comic in front...no choice.  I bought an ish of JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY (first one with Cobra and Mr. Hyde) and I think an ish of UNEXPECTED.  Never saw the contraption again.

[JonTheScanner]

(Also, I feel almost absurdly young, sometimes.  The idea of putting pennies into a coin slot creeps me out to no end.  You just can't go around doing things like that!  I only barely remember the days when pay phones still accepted pennies.)

Are you sure about that?  I don't recall payphones ever taking pennies.  The standard phone I recall took quarters, dimes and nickels only.

Like this:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://www.msu.edu/~atchiso5/191Main.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.msu.edu/~atchiso5/191G_01.html&usg=__GBsm4C9vbwbcRbFle_qusH5cd4s=&h=1961&w=679&sz=857&hl=en&start=3&sig2=H8Qb5-znBtgOUrB4xN7REw&tbnid=RnWUa27DVY_oUM:&tbnh=150&tbnw=52&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpay%2Btelephone%26hl%3Den&ei=tRm9StzHOsLilAeu5em1AQ

[John C]

Are you sure about that?  I don't recall payphones ever taking pennies.

I was sure, but I've certainly gotten things more important than that wrong over the years.  But I thought there was a window during the late-70s or early-80s, when the coin recognition was purely sound-based, that pennies were permissible because it didn't take any additional mechanism to support.

That said, I can't find any evidence of such a thing, so it may have been a prototype I'm thinking of (my local mall had a bizarre Bell Telephone showroom kind of thing, where they displayed random innovations like videophones rather than actually sell stuff--the joys of monopoly, I guess) or I could be thinking of something entirely different.

[narfstar]

The post office recently added stamp dispensers that take and give pennies. Too many complaints about the machines that gave penny stamps I guess.

[rez]

Just to add to the discussion this little burg I call my hometown still has 10cent payphones in the downtown area or what's left of it.

a dime but no pennie slots.

[Yoc]

Hey, this topic has gone silent for long enough!
I've got a few more goodies to share starting with one I found only last night!

Here's a few screen shots from Naked City S4,ep04-Hold for Gloria Christmas -broadcast Sept 19 1962.
I'm sure a couple of books will jump out at you like they did me.

First is a long shot of the newstand to set the scene.


Next is a group of screen shots numbered 1-4.

Number 1 has star Burgess Meredith (who made a lot of great guest appearance in his career IMO) with a big shot of Amazing Fantasy 15 [Aug 1962], the first appearance of Spiderman!
Number 2 has Meredith and co-star Lou Gilbert talking.  AF15 is there again along with Journey into Mystery #83 [Aug 1962].  Another debut issue this time it's Thor!
Number 3 is Gilbert again talking to star Paul Burke and behind them this time is Dell's Thirteen #4 [Sep 1962] as well as JIM83 again.  A 'Playbill' and something possible called 'Secrets' between them.
Number 4 is a blurry shot that I believe includes Thirteen4 hidden by JIM83, two unknowns, and a Dell Flintstones #6 [Jul-Aug 1962]. Another Thirteen ends the line.

And finally here's the original covers from GCD.


Knowing cover dates are usually three months later than the month on the stands the likely date the show was shot would be June-July 1962.  Oh and a young Alan Alda plays a beat-nick poet in the show.  Fun stuff eh?   

-Yoc

[narfstar]

Super cool. I never would have figured out it was 13 between the other two unless you pointed it out but when looking for it pretty sure you are correct. The value of all the books on that newstand would probably be worth more than the cost of the movie or its box office at the time