[rez]

Got to wondering if anyone ever sat down and calculated the total number of Goldenage comics titles that were produced.

In that '38 to '55 year range, I am asking the total number of individual books within each title in the question.

This done in an attempt to decipher the approximate number of individual comics that would be needed to be scanned in order to complete the ungoing forever project.

And, since we're on a roll, the total number of DC and Marvel to be subtracted from the Goldenage total to get a rough idear of the number of public domain books available.

Thanks all

[rez]

hmmm, didn't think that question would appear too outlandish to ask.

Meaning I considered that the labor to produce an orderly completist manual like the Overstreet Guide might also have come up with a number for various sub-interests involving totals that may have made it out into comicdom lying overlooked somewhere in a book or file?

[darkmark]

Need definition here.  If you just mean the superhero titles, that should be easy to get.  If you want everything that every company in the Golden Age published, that'll be harder.

[rez]

Yep, every public domain goldenage comic that was printed.

hey, if it was easy everyone would be doing it

Need definition here.  If you just mean the superhero titles, that should be easy to get.  If you want everything that every company in the Golden Age published, that'll be harder.

[John C]

Or, if you want it, YOU could do it.  If you've been reading here for any length of time, you know where the Grand Comics Database is, and where Keltner's Index is.  If you can't, there's a search box up top.  One assumes that, perhaps, the completist price guides might be useful, too.

Sorry for my shortness, but I react a little badly to "let's you save me some work" messages in any field.  If you want something done, you should at least show a willingness to get the ball rolling instead of complaining that there isn't a line of people waiting to work for you.

[boox909]

Or, if you want it, YOU could do it.  If you've been reading here for any length of time, you know where the Grand Comics Database is, and where Keltner's Index is.  If you can't, there's a search box up top.  One assumes that, perhaps, the completist price guides might be useful, too.

Sorry for my shortness, but I react a little badly to "let's you save me some work" messages in any field.  If you want something done, you should at least show a willingness to get the ball rolling instead of complaining that there isn't a line of people waiting to work for you.

I myself did not take Rez's post in the "let's you save me some work" mode, but the sources you've listed are the places to start. Personally I think that a complete index within the parameters that Rez wants to look at can never be produce. That is, I believe that so much was produced so quickly and unweldingly that surely some publishers and titles came and went quicker than the newsstands could count.

The key to any of this would be to create new databases while utilizing the existing data bases.

Who will take the lead on such a project? I dunno.

B.

[rez]

So I get ta thinkin' and says, 'self, whatcha need to do is get the latest copy of an overstreet and start at the beginning of the A's.

Then everyday go thru one page and total up the number of pre56 books and writing that number at the bottom of the page.

Then, when I finally make it through the Zees next year I can get the calculator out and add up the numbers to get the total number of goldenage books known at the time.

Then I can publish that number here

and then have someone write in and say I was off by a dozen issues cause the total had already been computed years ago but congratulate me for a good attempt.

Yep, does that sound like a good plan to you all out there in cyberville's comicdom?

Geez Loueez, I gotta go sneeze.

be one in every crowd

[John C]

Well, it's tedious, but that IS how these things get done...and Keltner didn't have access to the Internet, spreadsheets, databases, enormous and over-priced price guides, or even a backspace key.

Two things I can recommend to speed things along:

1.  Contact the people who have done anything remotely similar, especially more recently.  If you find someone sympathetic, they might give you a copy of their list of books in, say, an Excel-ready form.

2.  Once there's a plan of attack, a webpage with information gathered to date can encourage contributors.

Also remember that, no matter how "complete" the list, as our Mr. Boox points out, there's always going to be one more company that managed to squeeze out a small run of one issue of a title before going under.  (And a lot of those books are great reads, as we've all discovered here.)

And hopefully you've learned the most important lesson in the world for lazy people:  Never, ever, say "someone should do this," because that person is invariably going to be you...

[rez]

Can't say I agree with your accessment of the word lazy to describe the desire to hear a total number

in that seeing the massive reasearch which had been done formulating the compilation of such as 'The Overstreet'

one might assume that the reseachers may have had a number somewhere of the total issues of books or even various sub-catagories within the same

which would certainly save much time and involvement which might more readily be spent serving the site in various others ways

than attempting to chase down a number on one's own that seemingly might be already known and lying somewhere

and it is much better to beat the bushes to see if it flies out on it's own before embarking on another time laden adventure in pursuit of a before unknown holy grail.





As much as to the mods who help continually with their hours of dedicated service my appreciation also goes out to those who take it upon themselves to scan files to be placed here

as having attempted a few, realize the amount of time and labor involved is definitely not for the lazy or fainthearted for sure.

Just trying to find a wise use of time is more akin to an accurate definition of the reasoning for the original post


thru mine eyes anyhoo.

[phabox]

In 1972 long before the days of the internet when even fanzines were hard to come by here in the UK at least I thought it would be a cool idea to make a list of every comic character to appear in his own series or as part of a team along with a few very basic details. 

Well here I sit grey and grizzled 36 years later STILL working on this project and thats even AFTER deciding to set 1985 as my 'cut off' date !!! 

So all I can say to you is GOOD LUCK, you may need it !!! 

-Nigel

[John C]

Can't say I agree with your accessment of the word lazy to describe the desire to hear a total number
in that seeing the massive reasearch which had been done formulating the compilation of such as 'The Overstreet'

Uhm...Lazy isn't always a BAD thing.  It's what keeps you from doing the tedious work!

[rez]

Well, if one wanted to embark on such a journey as the numbering of goldenage issues, might there be any among us who might want to assist in a concentrated effort

by volunteering to accept a letter designation to complete?

That is to say, take it upon one's own self to go thru every listing of a title in a comic listing of that chosen letter and tabulate the number of pre '56 books within that particular alphabet letter.

If so, I will take it upon myself the letter A.


Are there any willing to help share the load?

[misappear]

I remember looking at a book that attempted to list all the TV shows ever done, making an account AND synopsis of all episodes of everything.  Alan Morton (I think) was the author's name.  I can't even imagine the number of hours of research that went into the thing.  I asked myself at the time, "What is the value of this project?"  Now we have DVD volumes of obscure TV series that I know were done in my lifetime, but I never heard of.  Fact is, these things matter to someone, and I can respect that.

I am, however, having a hard time wrapping my mind around the concept of a need for a number on golden age comics.  I can understand if someone wants to index the various issues, or maybe do a synopsis/review of everything ever done, but just a number......?  Like has been suggested, one could simply take Overstreet and a calculator and have a go.  I don't get what the end result would accomplish, tho.  Just knowing the number doesn't seem like a piece of usable research data.  Plus, no one (and I mean no one) can agree on the exact date of the golden age.  Using public domain status as a barometer simply measures the extent of public domain status.  No?

Rez, please understand that I admire your enthusiasm for the golden age of comics.  As a matter of fact, it makes me a little whispy to see someone as fired up about the stuff as I once was.  It seems that being older and more critical of the litererary merits of golden age material than I once was has caused the "loss of wonder" that my eys once saw.  I sincerely hope that you never become as crochety and jaded as I have become regarding this artform.  

In the meantime------define your parameters!

--Dave

[Yoc]

Nicely said Dave.
I wasn't sure of what good any finite number would be either. 
There really are so many variables involved the question becomes very murky.  Even the famous Keltner Index has been criticized for being too focused on superhero books and missing out on a few books/publishers.  I understand an updated sequel was planned at one point but never happened.  A darn shame.

-Yoc

[rez]

Well, it has me wondering now.

Parameters are closer to a rough estimate that puts us beyond guesstimate

which means that seeking an exact number isn't the aim as much as a 'close to' number.

In all actuality the process doesn't seem as far reaching as it might at first seem seeing that perfection isn't the desired aim.

The question arises how long can it take to skim a title and jot down the number of pre '56 books and skim over all the later arriving titles without a second look.

Might be a quality 'fill in' time spent waiting on a scan instead of housework or the boobtube.

Seeing the Overstreet listing often list the last 10cent book in a run it would be easier to say the number of 10cent issues instead of a pre'56 total.

What year did the main books first make the jump to 12cents from the ten?

[phabox]

Not all the companies switched from Ten Cents to Twelve at exactlly the same time but 1961-62 is round about when it all happened.

Also I think maybe Dell Comics jumped straight up to 15 cents for a time !!!

or course they did'nt carry any ads a while but the kid at the newstand only looked at the price and NOT the amount of story pages so it was not a popular move.

-Nigel

[darkmark]

1962.

[rez]

hmmm, 7 years is too much to play with.

Seems like one should be able to tabulate a number within 1000 going either way tho', without going into a lot of trouble trying to be precise.

[John C]

Wait.  You actually just want a single number?  I had assumed you wanted a list of issues, possibly for annotation of copyright status (never/not renewed/renewed/non-US) and the like.

If you just want the number, find someone at Overstreet or the GCD.  It's a safe bet they both run their operations on a database, and an administrator can do something like "gimme a count of all books with a date between A and B."  To the extent that you trust either system's completeness, you have your single number.

...but I wouldn't know what to do with that number, any more than the mice know what to do with 42.

[rez]

heh, ya, just a number to know what we are all shooting at outside of scattershot from a shotgun.

That mice comment went right over my head.

I think I might have seen an old beat copy of a Cap42 with a ratchew on a corner once.

apparently that rodent knew what he wanted tho'.

...any more than the mice know what to do with 42.

[misappear]

Rez

Hitchhiker's guide.  The meaning of the universe.  42.  Mice. 

It ties everything up nicely.

--Dave

[rez]

I see said the blind man.

[JVJ]

Okay, guys,
With the exception of DC and Marvel, which I have no way of tabulating up to any particular point, and using mid-1956 as the cut-off point (when Quality, Ace, Avon, Gleason, and Superior all gave up the ghost), the total number of comic books published was (drum roll PLEASE!)

20,295

That involves a bit of guessing on such things as Classics, ACG and Prize, but it should be accurate to within 1%. Now if someone has the info for Marvel and DC, we can calculate a final  quantity.

Peace, Jim (|:{>

[narfstar]

Wow impressive Jim. Does this include the Atomic Age pop-up companies like Sterling? Not a lot of difference but just wondering.

[rez]

Jim,
Thank you sir.
1%, that was some serious shooting.
Kudos to you!

Okay, guys,
With the exception of DC and Marvel, which I have no way of tabulating up to any particular point, and using mid-1956 as the cut-off point (when Quality, Ace, Avon, Gleason, and Superior all gave up the ghost), the total number of comic books published was (drum roll PLEASE!)

20,295

That involves a bit of guessing on such things as Classics, ACG and Prize, but it should be accurate to within 1%. Now if someone has the info for Marvel and DC, we can calculate a final  quantity.

Peace, Jim (|:{>