[crashryan]

I just revisited Rural Home / Croydon's Red Band Comics and came away very confused. Does anyone know the history of this title?

What we have posted as issue #1 (https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=34490) appears actually to be issue #2. However it's not the same comic as our issue #2. It seems to be a Mexican edition. The indicia says it's published by "Publicaciones Recreativas" and lists the place of publication as "Mexico, D.F." Second class mailing privileges are applied for in El Paso, Texas. There is no copyright notice.

What we have posted as issue #2 (https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=24012) also says it's published by Publicaciones Recreativas of Mexico City, D. F., but place of publication is given as Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Second class mailing privileges are pending in Wilkes-Barre. This copy claims a 1944 copyright by Enwil Associates, Inc. and distribution by "Universal Comic Group" of New York City.

Issue #4 (https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=24013) is apparently a reprint of #3 (https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=24015) with the date and issue number removed from the cover. The indicia of #4 says the comic is published in Wilkes-Barre by Lindsay L. Baird, Inc., of New York City. Second class privileges are in Wilkes-Barre. There is no copyright notice.

Unfortunately we don't have an indicia for #3 since the inside front cover is missing.

So what do we have here? I'm pretty sure our #1 is simply a Mexican printing of #2. But what is the Mexican connection with #2, which appears to be an American comic? Were all four of these comics published by the same people under different shell companies, or did the title change hands once or twice?

[narfstar]

According to comics.org issues one and two are the same and three and four are the same

[crashryan]

I read that, too, Narf. However our #1 says "#2" on the cover. The bottom the cover is chewed up, but from what little I can make out, the indicia seems to say "Volume 1, Number 2" rather than "Number 1." That led me to speculate that CB+'s #1 is actually an alternate printing of #2. I'd sure like to know where Mexico fits into all this.

[paw broon]

So would I. I can't help with your particular query crash but I have a copy of Red Band , #1 or 2.  but up to a couple of years ago I didn't know it was Red Band.  This is a coverless comic in as much as there is no gloss front page, and the story starts on the matte front page.  It is simply a coverless version of Red Band #1 or 2.  But, I think it might be a Canadian published version which was distributed also in U.K. shops, and perhaps by Streamline in the U.K., as they did get invplved in this bit of the market.  I believe it ties in with another "coverless" comic that I found years ago, read, bagged and forgot about till last week, which is Golden Lad.  As with Bogey Man, the story starts on the front matte page but the indicia is completely different to that in the Spark Golden Lad #1.  My book has all the stories from GL #1. 
The front page has a stamped on
                                  "A CENTURY PUBLICATION COMICS"
at the very top and a 6d price stamp added to the lower, right hand corner of the opening intro paragraph.
The indicia from the Spark issue has been edited out and the new one says that it was published by Superior Publications Limited, Toronto, and distributed in G.B. by Streamline Books Limited, London.
I'll have a  go at scanning the front pages of these 2 books but my scanner is playing up so don't hold your breath.

[narfstar]

Please update the grand comic database Paw. We use their data so good to help them with new info