[JVJ]

What they said, plus "fiche" is a French word for "card."  So rather than the cartridges of microfilm you used to see at your local library, microfiche (which some libraries also have/had) are about twice the size of an index card, and you can see the tiny page images on the card without equipment or manipulation.  That "see," not "read."

I have to admit that I loved working with microfiche--you could flip through the cards and find the pages you needed for research without working page-by-page or hoping you have the right keywords.  If the library was interested in cooperation, you could also leave small notes between pages for the next guy.

But yeah, suboptimal for scans, but waaaay better than no scan at all.

The saddest aspect of microfiche (and microfilm) is that the libraries of the 1950s and 1960s had NO qualms about tossing out all the material that they had committed to the micro-media. So many runs of newspapers and magazines were discarded after these "suboptimal" reproductions had been made. If only they could have waited...

Peace, Jim (|:{>

[John C]

Definitely.  My libraries had microfilm and microfiche into the mid-90s, and I often kick myself (among blissfully few other regrets) for not asking what they were planning to do with the stock when they started to modernize.  Sure, I have a hard enough time finding space for everything and I certainly don't have the space (or possibly maintenance skills) to keep a microfilm reader, but there was a lot of content that I'm not likely to run across again.

It shows, I guess, how few people grasp the idea of preserving older material, that only a handful of people even notice that the machines and content are gone.

On a related "end of an era" note that surprisingly few people seem to really mind, the local (well, not to me, so much, but nearby) Bookmobile is apparently winding down its life after close to fifty years.  I'm hoping they can pull something together (I put in an offer to help them set up something like the Internet Bookmobile to help them raise funds), because the neighborhoods they frequent benefit greatly from the interaction.  And yet, the town just can't be bothered to fix the trailer.

[JVJ]

On a related "end of an era" note that surprisingly few people seem to really mind, the local (well, not to me, so much, but nearby) Bookmobile is apparently winding down its life after close to fifty years.  I'm hoping they can pull something together (I put in an offer to help them set up something like the Internet Bookmobile to help them raise funds), because the neighborhoods they frequent benefit greatly from the interaction.  And yet, the town just can't be bothered to fix the trailer.

I still remember the Bookmobile in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania (which I LEFT in 1958, at the age of 11). It was the source of my discovery (via Gnome Press reprints) of Robert E. Howard's Conan stories, after I'd devoured ALL of their Robert Heinlein and Edgar Rice Burroughs books. Those books/stories prepared me, four or five years later to notice the Ace ERB paperback reprints and introduce me to Roy Krenkel and Frank Frazetta - which went a LONG way towards preparing me to embrace Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby when I was exposed to them in 1965/66.

I have many reasons to thank (and mourn the passing of) the Bookmobile.

Peace, Jim (|:{>

[OtherEric]

But yeah, suboptimal for scans, but waaaay better than no scan at all.

I've said it before, fiche scans may normally rank a "1" on the scale from 1 to 10.  But the difference from 1 to 10 is only 1000%, the difference from 0 to 1 is infinite.  So yay for fiche!

[jrvandore]

Re: Nyoka

I'm not sure how you folks define complete, but Nyoka 45 is apparently scanned from a Canadian edition which was 36 pages, as opposed to the 52 pages of the American version.  The scan here is all the Nyoka pages, but nothing else.

Please don't misconstrue this as a criticism in any way.  I appreciate all the efforts of everyone here and wish I could give back for all this site has given me.

[JonTheScanner]

A man after my own heart.  I'll even add the inside cover pages and re-upload if I've got them.  You can often tell what the inside front or back covers are by getting a good Heritage scan flipping them left to right and adjusting the contrast until you can read the other side.  Some of us are just compulsive.  You do have to be careful about whether or not there's an indicia there.

[phabox]

As a GGA fan I'm pleased to see that the six issue run of Quality Comics 'Torchy' is now only ONE issue away from completion.

All thats needed now is issue FIVE and some filler pages (17-20) for issue three.

-Nigel

[narfstar]

Thanks once again to Even Steven

[Yoc]

Thanks to Geo and Jim we are only one issue away from the complete run of Ace's 'Web of Mystery'!
The last issue is the only one missing!

We are also only a single book from all of Fawcett's 'Beware Terror Tales'!
#1 being the missing book.

Thanks guys!

[JonTheScanner]

Thanks to Geo and Jim we are only one issue away from the complete run of Ace's 'Web of Mystery'!
The last issue is the only one missing!

We are also only a single book from all of Fawcett's 'Beware Terror Tales'!
#1 being the missing book.

Thanks guys!

Web of Mystery #13 is missing ads and #20 is small and missing story pages.

On happier notes Fawcett's
Unknown Worlds #1 / Strange Stories from Another World #2-5
Strange Suspense Stories #1-5
are complete

Also since I've now uploaded a ctc version of Planet Comics #32 from Fiction House, we only needs #20 (which does exist as a GM scan) and two pages from #18 to be complete

[JVJ]

Thanks to Geo and Jim we are only one issue away from the complete run of Ace's 'Web of Mystery'!
The last issue is the only one missing!

We are also only a single book from all of Fawcett's 'Beware Terror Tales'!
#1 being the missing book.

Thanks guys!

Web of Mystery #29 is available for scanning, guys. We've got two weeks to arrange for the next shipments before I'm out of touch for a month. Jon, Geo, Eric, Ont? Who's up for what?

Peace, Jim (|:{>

[Yoc]

Thanks for reminding the guys Jim.

[JonTheScanner]

Web of Mystery #29 is available for scanning, guys. We've got two weeks to arrange for the next shipments before I'm out of touch for a month. Jon, Geo, Eric, Ont? Who's up for what?

Peace, Jim (|:{>

What with the school year starting, I'm pretty sure I won't get through what I still have in a month

[Yoc]

More completed series to announce thanks to Jim and Geo!

Ace's Space Action 1-3
Fawcett's Captain Video 1-6

Great job guys!

[Ed Love]

Interesting. Doing an online check, apparently the Captain Video comic is public domain, although Columbia did renew the rights on the actual tv show. Wonder how they missed the comic?

[narfstar]

The comics would not have been a direct sell for them. Fawcett just paid so much to use the character while Columbia could resell the vidoes and still license the character to anyone else.

[Geo (R.I.P.)]

More completed series to announce thanks to Jim and Geo!

Ace's Space Action 1-3
Fawcett's Captain Video 1-6

Great job guys!

Plus "Alarming Tales" by Harvey is done.

Geo

[Yoc]

Trojan's CRIME SMASHERS is now complete!
http://tinyurl.com/yf2av4j
A wonderful flood of all the missing issues scanned by bhcomics and uploaded by freddyfly.
Thanks very much guys!

-Yoc

[DennyWilson]

Interesting. Doing an online check, apparently the Captain Video comic is public domain, although Columbia did renew the rights on the actual tv show. Wonder how they missed the comic?

Columbia renwed the Movie Serial - not the TV Show!

[josemas]

The saddest aspect of microfiche (and microfilm) is that the libraries of the 1950s and 1960s had NO qualms about tossing out all the material that they had committed to the micro-media. So many runs of newspapers and magazines were discarded after these "suboptimal" reproductions had been made. If only they could have waited...

Peace, Jim (|:{>

I remember when I worked for the State of Arizona back in the 1970s we actually had to take the old runs of newspapers in the State's Library to the dump, under guard, after they had been transferred to microfilm.  I wondered then and still wonder why they couldn't have offered to donate them to some other institution or sell them off and use the money for something useful.  What a waste!

Joe M