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[jrasicmark]

I'm not aware of any other character named "Tippy Terry", but the name is very similar to Tower's Archie clone, "Tippy Teen". I've always suspected Waldman was inspired by that, but that's only a guess. Now that I think of it, there was also a song that I think was called "Tippy Tin". I only know of it from old Little Rascals reruns when one of the girls would sing it (presumably a popular tune of that era). So I guess it's possible Waldman may have remembered the song, though that might be a stretch.

Link to the book: Tippy Terry 01

[Captain Audio]

No need the wealthy celebrities of today do a great job of making clowns of themselves without any help.

[jrasicmark]

I don't understand how your reply relates to my comment. The thread topic is speculating on the origins of the name "Tippy Terry" and that really has nothing to do with wealthy celebrities of any era making clowns of themselves.

[Captain Audio]

I don't understand how your reply relates to my comment. The thread topic is speculating on the origins of the name "Tippy Terry" and that really has nothing to do with wealthy celebrities of any era making clowns of themselves.

believe I hit the quote button for your post by mistake, I was replying to someone else's post on another thread entirely. Not sure but I think it was a thread on one of the old periodicals that had stories about celebrities of that era.

[Robb_K]

Incredible that Waldman just left the "Little Groucho" story titles on the first story pages.  He was only trying to throw potential discoverers of his copyright infringement off by changing the charactername on the cover, making the cover drawings of the character not quite exactly the same as the original character model, and hoping that someone who could inform the owner/creator that his character was being used without his permission, wouldn't look inside.  That makes me wonder if, in this case, he may or may not have purchased the printing plates, but may have gotten a stock of undistributed Little Groucho Comics, and removed the covers and put new covers over the existing inside pages? Or he obtained the coverless books, as the unsold originals had been sent back by stores to the distributor.  I can't remember, for sure, if the colours of the original "Little Groucho" issues were different from those of The "Tippy Terry" issue, but I seem to recall that they were, which would indicate that Waldman was using plates to print newly-produced books.  If so, it is clear that he was only slightly worried that someone would discover his infringement by seeing the cover, but he wouldn't need to worry about the person who might recognise Little Groucho, or see the story title logo, because these books were sold in sealed packages, only in toy stores and "five and dime" discount stores, and not on the regular comic book stands (in their regular outlets of newsstands, grocery stores and pharmacy/drug stores.

[The Australian Panther]

he may or may not have purchased the printing plates, but may have gotten a stock of undistributed Little Groucho Comics, and removed the covers and put new covers over the existing inside pages? Or he obtained the coverless books, as the unsold originals had been sent back by stores to the distributor.

I think its clear that the second option is what he did. Even today, its standard practice with printed products, FSOR, full sale or return, to return the cover of the item for a credit and dispose of the rest of the magazine - to this day there are those who find ways to profit from this system or not to throw away the bulk of the comic or magazine. Waldman just did this on a much bigger scale and with much more chutzpah.
Example:- I read music magazines. When unsold music mags are accounted for, the Cover-mount CD's are left to be disposed of. You can sometimes buy Cover-mounts separately for a price of $1.00. Lets just say I have a few on my shelves.
Remaindered books is an even bigger business. They are recognizable by black marker lines on the bottom of the book. I know for a fact that Remaindered Books, Comics, Magazines, CD's records and comics are shipped out of the US by the container load. To Australia, and I don't doubt to other countries. At one point a large number of Jim Shooter's Valiant comics were to be found in the shops of a certain dollar chain in Australia. Just one example.
     

[Robb_K]

he may or may not have purchased the printing plates, but may have gotten a stock of undistributed Little Groucho Comics, and removed the covers and put new covers over the existing inside pages? Or he obtained the coverless books, as the unsold originals had been sent back by stores to the distributor.

I think its clear that the second option is what he did. Even today, its standard practice with printed products, FSOR, full sale or return, to return the cover of the item for a credit and dispose of the rest of the magazine - to this day there are those who find ways to profit from this system or not to throw away the bulk of the comic or magazine. Waldman just did this on a much bigger scale and with much more chutzpah.
Example:- I read music magazines. When unsold music mags are accounted for, the Cover-mount CD's are left to be disposed of. You can sometimes buy Cover-mounts separately for a price of $1.00. Lets just say I have a few on my shelves.
Remaindered books is an even bigger business. They are recognizable by black marker lines on the bottom of the book. I know for a fact that Remaindered Books, Comics, Magazines, CD's records and comics are shipped out of the US by the container load. To Australia, and I don't doubt to other countries. At one point a large number of Jim Shooter's Valiant comics were to be found in the shops of a certain dollar chain in Australia. Just one example.

Waldman bought old used and never-used printing plates, and stock never sent out from going-out-of-business publishers, or the people that ended up with the assets of defunct publishers, and he put new covers on the never-sold regular stock books, and on the returned, unsold books, all for cents on the Dollar, and sold them in packs to toy stores and discount stores, for big profits.  AND. he likely got a lot more value to him using it as a business which he could hide dark money, and also buy personal things on his publishing firm's expense accounts.