[JVJ]

Best not to mess with them anyway. There's enough stuff here anyway. Don't need any stupid Superman or Batman!

But historians (like me) REALLY would like to see that PRE-Action stuff that REALLY IS in the PD, and is totally out of any mere mortal's ability to purchase. I don't believe that DC renewed pre-Action #1 comics and, because the DON'T have Superman or Batman, they are very unlikely to reprint them. Sigh...

Peace, Jim (|:{>

[Astaldo711]

Probably because they don't think it would make money and that is the name of the game for them. I'd love to have some of those old stories. The early Detective Comics was before Superman, wasn't it?

[narfstar]

Our new owner may well approve these platinum DC being on here. If so I can add several. As mentioned in another post DC does not seem to pursue digital posters. I think they have come to realize it is often good advertisement. I think it is zero sum. Most who get the scans only, would never have bought anyway. Many are enticed by the scans to buy the books (new) or reprints of old. Some like me often have digital as backup. I do think there may actually be more people who buy or watch a movie because of scans. Otherwise there would not be so many free webcomics. Many often sell paper of what has already been read for free and seem to be able to make a go of it. What is really too bad is that Street and Smith seems completely unwilling to allow us to host their comics or to reprint them themselves. So much going unseen.

[Astaldo711]

I've always wanted to get my hands on S & S stuff. My dad always told me about how he loved the Doc Savage pulps.

[DennyWilson]

Our new owner may well approve these platinum DC being on here.

What's The issue? The works in the public domain are just that - IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

It's no different than the MLJ/Archie titles hosted here that have a cut off becuase later issues where copyrighted,or the issues of the pre-DC Aquired Quality titles that they continued.

The argument that "oh, But DC MIGHT cause problems"  - they the legally CAN'T -there are laws on the books regarding making false copyright claims on expried works. Think about all the Warner Brothers Cartoons and Films (and a hadful of TV Shows) That have fallen in the public domian and put on VHS/DVD,aired on low-powered tv shations over the years,and hosted on websites like archive.org?

[boox909]

I was going to make a point, but you know, it is not worth it to me. No need to bring up old history.

[narfstar]

You are right about that Denny. But we do have some Quality and Fawcett issues onsite that mixed in probably were copyright. So one non-problem could create a problem elsewhere. Janus was supposed to be here this weekend but no luck so far. He is looking for a copyright look up guy so we may get to host the platinum DC yet

[DennyWilson]

You are right about that Denny. But we do have some Quality and Fawcett issues onsite that mixed in probably were copyright. So one non-problem could create a problem elsewhere. Janus was supposed to be here this weekend but no luck so far. He is looking for a copyright look up guy so we may get to host the platinum DC yet

Well,there's a difference between "probably were copyright" and "was renewed".  Due diligence has been used prior to posting material.  Any odd story or issue that might have been renewed  can easily be called "Fair Use" under the scolarly provisions.

[skybandit]

   Ah, but the first line on the Home page promises:
   

All files here available for download have carefully been research by our users and staff to make sure they are in the public domain.

 
   Of course, the lack of an "ed" on the word research somewhat undercuts the credibility of the statement, but there are people out there that make money off of digital reprints of GA comics and trust this site as a source of material that they won't get sued for.  

[bchat]

I'd love to have some of those old stories. The early Detective Comics was before Superman, wasn't it?

and ...

But historians (like me) REALLY would like to see that PRE-Action stuff that REALLY IS in the PD, and is totally out of any mere mortal's ability to purchase. I don't believe that DC renewed pre-Action #1 comics and, because the DON'T have Superman or Batman, they are very unlikely to reprint them. Sigh...

Peace, Jim (|:{>

Detective started in "March 1937" but I believe that was owned by both The Major & Donnenfeld ... if I can remember anything I've ever read accurately.  All the Detective Comics have renewals from what I've seen, but New Fun/More Fun & New (Adventure) Comics do not have renewals (that I can find) until issues 32 & 27, respectively.  Coincidentally, the months those two issues were published is about the same time as/slightly before Action Comics # 1, so draw your own conclusions there.

[JVJ]

It's precisely those early Fun, More Fun and Adventures that I would LOVE to see, Astaldo. There are early artists therein, like Munson Paddock, doing their first comic book work. As an historian, especially of the beginnings of comic books, they could prove to be like a Rosetta Stone and VERY few people have examined them armed with the new information we have from books like Men of Tomorrow. Indicia, Ownership Statements, distributor ads or cover symbols; so many details that MIGHT provide new insight. Well, I've waited over 40 years to see them, so perhaps a bit more won't hurt, but, seriously, I'd be very interested in this site exploring the possibility. And Narf, if you've got some "ahem" things you might share, drop me a PM, please.

Peace, Jim (|:{>

ps. where could you go to confirm that Donnefeld was co-owner of the early Detectives?

[DennyWilson]

Detective started in "March 1937" but I believe that was owned by both The Major & Donnenfeld ... if I can remember anything I've ever read accurately.  All the Detective Comics have renewals from what I've seen, but New Fun/More Fun & New (Adventure) Comics do not have renewals (that I can find) until issues 32 & 27, respectively.  Coincidentally, the months those two issues were published is about the same time as/slightly before Action Comics # 1, so draw your own conclusions there.

Interesting.

[bchat]

ps. where could you go to confirm that Donnefeld was co-owner of the early Detectives?

There are sites out there that don't play by the rules, hosting a lot of Copyrighted books, so I'll refrain from posting any links here.

Anyway ...

Just looked at the Statement of Ownership from Detective Comics 12 (no I don't own it but it would be cool if I did) and it lists as owners "Detective Comics Inc ... M.W. Nicholson ... J.S. Liebowitz".  Donnefeld isn't listed at all, but most history books I've read cite him as being co-owner of the books ... maybe they've been wrong?

[JVJ]

Just looked at the Statement of Ownership from Detective Comics 12 (no I don't own it but it would be cool if I did) and it lists as owners "Detective Comics Inc ... M.W. Nicholson ... J.S. Liebowitz".  Donnefeld isn't listed at all, but most history books I've read cite him as being co-owner of the books ... maybe they've been wrong?

If you haven't already, bchat, you really ought to read the Alter Ego issue (#88) dealing with Nicholson. No matter your stance on the magazine, it's historically enlightening. When we couple what's there with the content of Men of Tomorrow, we get a slightly different take on early comic books.

Thanks for checking the OS for me.

Peace, Jim (|:{>

[bchat]

Just looked at the Statement of Ownership from Detective Comics 12 (no I don't own it but it would be cool if I did) and it lists as owners "Detective Comics Inc ... M.W. Nicholson ... J.S. Liebowitz".  Donnefeld isn't listed at all, but most history books I've read cite him as being co-owner of the books ... maybe they've been wrong?

If you haven't already, bchat, you really ought to read the Alter Ego issue (#88) dealing with Nicholson. No matter your stance on the magazine, it's historically enlightening. When we couple what's there with the content of Men of Tomorrow, we get a slightly different take on early comic books.

I found this site online: http://majormalcolmwheelernicholson.com/ along with http://majormalcolmwheelernicholson.com/wordpress/, which features an article by Jon Berk about The Major.  I did flip through AE 88 several weeks back, but didn't see much of anything that wasn't covered by those two sites, and $7 for one article wasn't enough incentive to spend money.  I know you keep plugging it, and rightfully so.  Alter Ego is a great publication at times.  I picked-up issues 46 & 64 to read more about Bill Everett, Martin Filchock & Louis Glanzman's time at Centaur/CCA.  Maybe I'll get that particular issue (#88) "one of these days".

Thanks for checking the OS for me.

Peace, Jim (|:{>

No problem.  It was actually kind of fun to figure-out which issue the Statement should have appeared in.  I was off by one month .. I picked January when it actually was in February's issue.

[slingsla]

My first was a reprint of one of the original Captain America stories with Bucky in it

[narfstar]

Proabably in Fantasy Masterpieces one of my SA favorites

[boox909]

Proabably in Fantasy Masterpieces one of my SA favorites

I still cherish my set of this fabled series.

[slingsla]

ah yes, fantasy masterpieces.  i think that was it

[DennyWilson]

The Major in my option is the 2nd most important person in the birth of American comic books right after Max Gaines.

Max Gaines created the first modern comic book,and The Major created the first all-original comic book. His company became the cornstone for the longest running and most sucessful comic book company in the world.  Ironicly, Max's All-American Comics would be another piece in what is now DC Comcs.

The Major also gave Siegel and Shuster their first regular ongoing steady comic book work which evenually led to Superman (Which I believe the Major turned down!) 

[NightRelic]

I have to admit, I'm wracking my brain to figure out what my first exposure to Golden Age comics could have been.

It may have been in Sub-mariner because I think he as the first character other than Captain America I was aware had a "life" before the silver age. I remember going to a garage sale with my Mom around 1978 where a guy was selling his comics. I bought a bunch of bronze/ silver age stuff because it was cheap. He had 2 Golden Age Sub-Mariner comics for $10 each, but being a kid, $10 was a lot, so I passed them by. I still wish I'd bought them. It's true you only regret the ones you don't buy.

I remember another tag sale years later where a guy was selling his silver/ bronze age stuff. He was keeping all his Golden Age goodies, but he showed me his collection, the cornerstone of which was a complete collection of Captain Marvel & Captain Marvel, Jr.

I know I picked up The Invaders from Marvel very early on, so that was likely my first exposure to Golden Age characters.

My first golden age purchases are a little easier to remember. I've always been a big Daredevil (Marvel) fan, so I got curious about the Golden Age Daredevil. I guess it was about 20 years ago I picked up three of the later issues of Daredevil after the Little Wise Guys took over the book. I have to say, I was pretty disappointed with them. Daredevil barely appeared in those books.

[narfstar]

Probably my best deal was buying a Showcase 6 in around 76-77 for a whopping $2

[Poztron]

Probably my best deal was buying a Showcase 6 in around 76-77 for a whopping $2

My favorite deals were at comic cons in the early 70s where I could pick up GA Quality comics (National, Barker, Smash, etc.) and Fox comics (especially the jungle ones) and Fiction House comics for $2-3 each. They were hardly in fine condition, of course, but they were perfectly fine for reading. I also picked up some of the funkier comics found here (such as Ajax), which I enjoyed for the Iger shop output.

I didn't score all that many that way - perhaps a hundred in all - but I enjoyed every one that I did. By happenstance, nearly every comic I own from that era has already been scanned to GAC. I need to double-check if there are any I have that GAC doesn't.

[narfstar]

Some of my first real GA comics was Frankenstein 21 and PeP 44 that I got for a buck each. I still have the Frankenstein. My very first was an Exciting Comics probably in the 40's issue wise. I got it in the mail.

[sisibeck]

My first exposure to Golden Age comics was probably when I borrowed the Smithsonian Book of Comic-Book Comics from my local library as a kid. The quality of the reprints was pretty bad, but it had some great comics in it: Will Eisner, early stories from MAD, John Stanley's Little Lulu, Walt Kelly's Pogo, Plastic Man and Captain Marvel in addition to the first appearances of Batman and Superman. I don't remember being too impressed with the Batman and Superman stories as they were pretty crude, but the rest of them stuck with me.