*Miscellaneous 1960 Onwards: Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard’s ongoing saga of a band of survivors struggling to get by in the wake of a Zombie apocalypse has achieved huge popularity, helped along by the TV show in which Andrew Lincoln plays our hero, Rick Grimes, with an American accent that after several seasons is almost convincing. New stock for the Dead this week includes forst and second printings of #100, in which the new ‘Big Bad’ of the series, Negan, made his debut. Oddly, the second printing – the only variant on #100 which had Negan featured on the cover – outstrips all of the #100 first printing variants in demand, and this NM/M copy is offered at £50 – but for those of you who just want the story, a first printing is also available at a mere £8! Further additions this week include selections from the range #106-122, and a smattering in the early #150’s. SORRY, #100 2ND PRINT NOW SOLD
Category Archives: What’s New
American Update: More Fabulous Marvel Firsts!
*Marvel: A selection of premier issues from the 1970’s and 1980’s, including Black Goliath, Black Panther by Jack Kirby (rather startling people who’d been following the McGregor/Graham version over in Jungle Action), Godzilla King of Monsters, the Inhumans, Logan’s Run, the New Mutants, Rom Space Knight, and the ‘Original X-Men’, X-Factor. First issues are always highly sought-after, and with the Marvel media Empire happily strip-mining its own history for source material, who knows which one will be the springboard for the next cinematic blockbuster? (Okay, probably not Black Goliath, I’ll give you that…) Full details of grades and prices in our catalogue listings.
American Update: 1st Psylocke in New Mutants Annual #2
*Marvel: The 1986 New Mutants Annual, issue #2, featured a delightful story illustrated by Alan Davis which had much to commend it – including the first American appearance of Betsy Braddock (sister of Captain Britain) as Psylocke, one of a number of psychically-talented ladies with which the X-Men have been blessed at various times. This version, all pretty in pink and strongly reminiscent of the then-popular Princess Diana, is a very far cry from the later Asian Babe with an array of psychic weapons we saw in later comics (and the recent Age of Apocalypse movie, played by the rather embarrassed-looking Olivia Munn). Nevertheless, it’s her first appearance, and as such has recently escalated in demand. This Fine copy would grade higher but for a tiny tear at the upper right cover edge, just a fraction of an inch out from the top spine. Otherwise in excellent condition, it is offered at £20.
British Update: The Legendary Starlord! (No, the other one…)
*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: From 1978, the entire run of the sci-fi weekly Starlord, a quality item which featured a number of innovative strips – “Strontium Dog”, “Ro-Busters”, “Planet of the Damned”, “Timequake” and more – and with more colour pages and slicker paper, seemed to be attempting to upgrade the 2000 AD model. Sadly, mass audiences didn’t care whether there were higher production standards or not, and after only 22 issues, Starlord was absorbed into 2000 AD, with Strontium Dog and Ro-Busters being the long-term survivors. All 22 issues new in, in mid-high grades, plus the one and only Summer Special, also from 1978 (FN £30).
American Update: A Queen-Size Update!
*Teen Humour/Funny Girls: Half-a-dozen of the later Millie the Model Annuals/Specials, each of which proudly proclaimed over its masthead, “A Queen-Size Special!” – to distinguish them from the testosterone-soaked super-hero “King-Size” counterparts. In 1967, the venerable Millie the Model series had a ‘reboot’ (and you thought DC were the first…), flipping from a soap-opera romance to a shameless imitation of the ‘mod’ Archie style, and the Annuals followed suit, under the artistic helm of Stan Goldberg. These are all of the ‘Mod’ Millie Annuals, from 1968’s #7 through to #12 in 1975 – dated three years after Millie’s own ongoing title shut shop! Most are Fine or better, seldom seen in any grade, and some very attractive copies. #11 pictured.
American Update: DC Archives
*Modern Reprints: A couple more of DC’s handsome hardcover Archive Editions added to our inventory: the one and only Blackhawk volume reprinting the early Golden Age adventures of Blackhawk from Military Comics #1-17, plus Volume 2 of the Justice League Of America, with true classic tales of the early days of the JLA by Gardner Fox & Mike Sekowsky. Check our catalogue for full details of these and other Archive Editions available.
British Update: It’s Poptastic! It’s A Free Gift Farrago! We’ve got new Boyfriends!
*Girls’ Comics: It’s all happening in this update (fab, gear) as we once again go Poptastic!, incorporating our Free Gift Farrago feature as well! Seven excellent issues of the superior story/pop comic Boyfriend from the early 1960’s, aimed at an older market than your traditional British Girls’ Comic. Comic strips and text stories, pin-ups, pop features and all other things important to teenage girls in the early 1960’s, all printed on higher quality paper than a regular comic of the time and oozing style. Moreover, two issues have their Free Gifts, both from 1963: #192 boasts a Cliff Richard Wall Panel (i.e. poster) and #204 a Disc Pictorial Supplement sporting a Beatles cover. Both may be seen below. Ginchy!
American/British Update: ‘What — Me Worry?’ UK Mad #1
*Mad & Other Parody: Following the success of Mad’s American incarnation, transitioning seamlessly from comic book to the parody mag which became an international institution, it wasn’t long before British publishers had an eye on borrowing some of Mad’s success. In 1959, Thorpe & Porter, who distributed many American magazines in the UK, launched a Mad #1 reprinting selections from the American mag, and started a series that would endure for decades and almost four hundred issues. This week, we have a highly attractive Fine copy of UK Mad # 1 fresh into stock, crisp, clean, unimpeded page images, with only moderate corner and edge wear belying a higher grade, and with a classic cover image of Alfred E. Neuman to boot!
British Update: Funshine Specials!
*Humour Comics: A dozen or so Summer or Holiday Specials for the classic IPC/Fleetway weeklies, with new stock in for Buster, Buster & Monster Fun, Jackpot, Knockout, Whizzer & Chips, Whoopee, and Wow. Ranging from 1973 through to 1986, but predominantly from the early 1980’s, this unusually high-grade selection averages FN/VF, with a couple of nicer examples. Join ‘Kid King’, ‘The Toffs & The Toughs’, ‘Bumpkin Billionaires’, ‘Boy Boss’, ‘Shipwreck School’ and more for extra-thick (and you can interpret that how you like) summertime frolics!
Housekeeping Update
On a regular cycle, we sweep through our entire stock to delete sold items and keep our listing as up to date as possible. We’ve just finished deleting sold items from the following file in our American section:
*DC
As of the time of writing, this category is bang up to date, with every item listed available.
American Update: Announcing… Batmania Max! CGC copies of Batman #7 & #86
*DC: It starts here! Welcome to our special Batmania Max event, running through the summer, as we unveil one of the best Batman collections ever to come through our hands. We’re starting with an outstanding brace of Batman – wrapped in plastic! We here at 30th C., as you all know, think slabbing takes away from the main purpose of comics, i.e., to read and enjoy. But railing Canute-like at trends in the marketplace doesn’t change the fact that a lot of folks out their like the CGC-graded items, and there is no doubt that they’re preferred by investors, so we’re happy to present them as we get them. Here we have two true vintage issues of Batman. The first is issue #7, October-November 1941, with a spectacular iconic cover and featuring an early appearance by the Joker. This is offered at £1,000. Accompanying it is issue #86, from September 1954, again featuring a Joker story, plus one of the goofy variant Batman guises, as our Dynamic Duo become “Man-Of-The-Bats and little Raven!”. It also, we are told, features the first appearance of the Bat-Submarine. Was there a second appearance of the Bat-Submarine? We may never know! For such a packed issue, this runs to a comparatively bargainaceous £150. Both these vintage items are graded by CGC’s valuers at unrestored (universal blue label) 4.5 (a VG+ equivalent), so… if you like this slabbed sort of thing, then this is the slabbed sort of thing you like! More from this special Batman event very soon!
American/British Update: Mr. & Mrs. Mockingbird!
*Marvel & Marvel UK: An odd couple of debuts this update, with characters who wouldn’t become retroactively linked until decades afterward! In June 1971’s Astonishing Tales #6, an un-named mystery woman with brown hair turns up on Ka-Zar’s doorstep, uttering dire warnings of future events with mysterious psychic powers never after referred to. All evidence to the contrary, this is the first appearance of Dr. Barbara ‘Bobbi’ Morse, biochemist and Agent of SHIELD, who would later enter the superheroic life as the Huntress (one time, before DC said ‘Oi’), and then as Mockingbird. Bobbi’s endured a great deal in her time, serving with the Avengers, dying and coming back from Hell, and marrying Hawkeye, but her greatest visibility is being incarnated by the lovely Adrienne Palicki in the hit TV show “Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD”, and this issue is where the character’s lengthy career kicked off. And to be fair, a girl could have a worse start in life than being drawn by Barry Smith at the peak of his talent. This highly attractive VF- Cents copy is offered at £25. Joining Ms. Morse is her televisual hubby (well ex.), SHIELD agent Lance Hunter, who made his debut in the Feb. 16th, 1977 issue of Captain Britain Weekly, Marvel UK’s first attempt to create an indigenous British super-hero. From a very incidental supporting character, the improbably-named Lancelot Hunter’s prominence spiked when played by the equally implausibly-monickered actor Nick Blood in SHIELD’s TV iteration. This FN copy is offered for a scant £20.
Books Update: Take It Sleazy
*Crime, Spies & Sleaze: Some very unusual and hard to find books have sashayed into the Crime section, mainly from the 1950’s and frequently with the author using a pseudonym to protect their reputation. Highlights include Ladies Sleep Alone (Lew Della), The City Of Lost Women (Griff), Torment (Hank Janson), Gin Wedding (Ann Lawrence), No Prude (Jules-Jean Morac) and Sex (Paul Renin). Many have very attractive cover art: all the Hank Janson titles have Heade covers, Jules-Jean Morac’s No Prude has a David Wright cover, while Michael Storme’s Make Mine A Harlot has cover art by John Pollack.
British Update: Free Gift Farrago! Countdown to TV Action
*TV & Film Related Comics: Free Gift Farrago! 1971’s launch of Countdown was a spiritual successor to TV Century 21, featuring strip adaptations Doctor Who and the Gerry Anderson oeuvre – Stingray, Captain Scarlet, Thunderbirds, UFO et al. Though some of the Anderson features were outright reprints of TV 21’s earlier efforts, the new material was of a high standard, including the eponymous ‘Countdown’ strip, superbly illustrated by John Burns. Sadly, the hard-core SF audience didn’t sustain, and by the mid-#30’s, Countdown broadened its remit to TV adventure, with the addition of The Persuaders and Hawaii-Five-O to the lineup, followed by its conversion, with issue #59, to TV Action, with Dr. Who and UFO holding the fort against an invasion of other detective/adventure series. We have many issues of this excellent series back in stock. The first eight are high grade, among the nicest we’ve ever seen, with issue #1 possessing its original Free Gift – a giant Space Chart with Stick-On Stamps (not stuck). The comic is VF- and the Free Gift (an unused and sparkling VF/NM); the price for the #1 plus gift is £140. We also have a selection of lesser-seen issues from the 40’s and 50’s, the first few of the TV Action iteration, and the Countdown Holiday Special from 1971 – the latter admittedly only in Fair condition, but complete!
British Update: Bobo Bunny’s Back! (and this time, he’s brought his chums!)
*Younger Readers’ Comics: Tons of fun for the pre-school set this week! Bobo Bunny is restocked from his second issue, and a further twenty copies take him through 1969 to the beginning of 1970, accompanied by his Funny Family and co-stars such as ‘Pinkie Puff’ and ‘Uncle Bungle and Little Clever Dick’. Our new stock of Jack and Jill spans the years from 1957 to 1970, with the eponymous twins of Buttercup Farm joined at various times by Harold Hare, Freddie Frog, Jolly Jingles and a plethora of playmates. We have a handful each of companion papers Pippin and Playland – just enough for seasoning – with the the Pogles, Tingha and Tucker, Sooty, Andy Panda, Trumpton et al, and we close with a substantial amount of Playhour from 1968 to 1970, including the first Playhour/Robin merger issue in ’69. Playhour sported the ultimate in TV star power with cover-feature “The Magic Roundabout”, but also co-starred Crackerjack hosts Peter Glaze and Leslie Crowther in their own comic-strip adventures, and Rolf Harris and his little Coojeebear. About which, probably, the less said the better.
American Update: A Classic Sci-Fi Ditko Triptych
*Charlton: At the beginning of his career, in the early 1950’s, Steve Ditko did a huge amount of work for the lesser-known publisher Charlton, and we have here three early examples that are highly sought after from Space Adventures: issues #10, #11, and #12 of that series, each with an iconic Ditko cover. Watch the Robots Revolt on #10! See the Space Squid Attack on #11! And marvel at the rubbish peripheral vision of the lady astronaut on #12! These classic covers are among Ditko’s most sought-after works. Issues #10 and #11 are also graced by Ditko interior art, whereas issue #12 is not – but the notorious cover of issue #12, plus its remarkable condition of FN+, means that it will probably go fastest! Check out our catalogue for grades and prices.
Books Update: The March Of The Vans
Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror: You may have noticed that the vehicles used by a certain large broadband and entertainment supplier have been given names that include ‘Van’: those spotted so far include Van Helsing, Van Morrison, Vangelis and Marlon Vando (although we think that one’s cheating). We, however content ourselves in horror with just one van, Herbert Van Thal, who edited a vast number of superb Pan horror collections. We have added five more spine-chilling copies including the original collection, The Pan Book Of Horror Stories, its reincarnation as The First Pan Book Of Horror Stories, as well as the Sixth, Ninth and Tenth Pan Book Of Horror Stories.
American Update: Complete run Supernatural Thrillers
*Horror/Mystery 1960-1980’s: The Marvel 1970’s horror title Supernatural Thrillers went through a variety of adaptations of classic texts (by Thoedore Sturgeon, H G Wells, Robert E Howard, Robert Louis Stevenson etc) before settling (with #5 as pictured and then #7) to recount the adventures of the Living Mummy up to its final issue #15, a moody and atmospheric quality strip with superior art mostly by Val Mayerik. We are pleased to present the entire Living Mummy saga, plus the earlier one-off other stories in the entire 15 issue run, in nicer grades, all cents copies.
Housekeeping Update
On a regular cycle, we sweep through our entire stock to delete sold items and keep our listing as up to date as possible. We’ve just finished deleting sold items from the following file in our British section:
*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics
As of the time of writing, this category is bang up to date, with every item listed available.
American Update: Green Lantern Chronicles
*Modern Reprints: New in, all four volumes of DC’s Green Lantern Chronicles. The Chronicles softcover series reprints classic characters from the beginning in full colour, and promises ‘all the stories in the exact order they were published’. So the Silver Age iteration of Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, is here right from his first appearance in Showcase #22 right up to #20 of his own series. Classic, inventive sci-fi super-hero adventure at a fraction of the price of the originals.
American Update: The Lady & The Duck!
*Marvel: An Odd Couple this update, with two of Marvel’s Mid-Seventies sensations: Howard the Duck and Ms. Marvel! Howard the Duck, Steve Gerber’s misanthropic waddling crusader trapped in a world of ‘hairless apes’, was a throwaway supporting character in Man-Thing, brought back by popular demand, and won his own series, illustrated first by Frank Brunner, then most famously by Gene Colan, in which the foul-mouthed fowl and his zaftig accomplice, Beverley Switzler, tackled social issues of the day. Ms. Marvel, created by Gerry & Carla Conway and John Buscema, took a failed romantic interest from Captain Marvel – Carol Danvers, possibly the crappiest security chief ever – and made her into the first true female Marvel powerhouse. Later, Dave Cockrum redesigned her costume so as to give her own identity, separate from Captain Marvel’s, but ironically, in later years, she has assumed the mantle of Captain Marvel herself, and in that form is soon to blaze across the big screen. Howard’s earliest issues (#1-5) are restocked, while Ms. Marvel’s update ranges from her first issue to #23, including #18, with the first full appearance of Raven Darkholme – later Mystique – and issue #20, the ‘relaunch’ issue.
American Update: Near complete run of Astonishing Tales inc. high grade 1st Deathlok
*Marvel: Astonishing Tales was a Marvel title from the 1970’s that went through a lot of changes in its brief 36 issue span. Starting off as a ‘split’ book between Ka-Zar & Dr Doom (with star creators on board such as Jack Kirby, Wally Wood & Barry Smith), the bad doctor was soon dropped and Ka-Zar took over the title, before ceding to It, The Living Colossus from #21 for a few issues (including a tangle with our old pal Fin Fang Foom), and finally to Rich Buckler’s futuristic machine/assassin Deathlok in #25 who saw the title out apart from a reprint of the first Guardians Of The Galaxy story in #29. An almost complete run in this week, in mixed grades, all cents copies, including the first Deathlok (pictured) VF+ at £45.
British Update: Free Gift Farrago: Beezer #838 with the Big Bang!
*Humour Comics: This week’s Free Gift Farrago dates from 1972: Beezer 828, featuring all of your regular chums – Ginger, Pop Dick and Harry, Baby Crockett, Colonel Blink et al – but retaining its original free gift – the Big Bang – which was not only the giveaway this issue, but is also the topic of the front-page ‘Ginger’ strip! The comic is VG, with slight wear at the centre where these A3 comics were often folded even when brand-new in the newsagents’, and the Big Bang gift is also in VG and still in working order – as one of my colleagues demonstrated, much to my startlement! Total price for gift and comic is £20.
American Update: Wolverine Mini 1982 1-4 complete
*Marvel: From 1982, the first Wolverine solo comics in the shape of Chris Claremont and Frank Miller’s classic 4 issue mini, all now available in high grade. See our catalogue listing (which you can jump to from the link at the beginning of each post here) for exact grades and pricing information.
Books Update: Cases Too Old For UCOS
*Crime, Spies & Sleaze: We’ve added more crime from the prolific Edgar Wallace. This time many of the books are from the 1920’s and 1930’s and include several unusual editions. Chick is a movie tie-in and shows the lead actor on the cover in pyjamas and dressing gown. Angel Esquire, Iron Grip and The Big Four are all hardcovers with dust jackets. Mr Justice Maxell has cover art by Abbey, while On The Spot has cover art by Monroe Reisman. All in all, a selection that has WANTED written all over it.
American/British Update: Large batch of British Classics Illustrated inc. rarities
*Classics Illustrated: It’s the turn of the British versions of this favourite title this time out, with dozens of new issues added to our stock in a variety of grades and prices, including very many previously missing from our listings. Highlights include (as pictured below): The Deerslayer, The Black Tulip & The Master Of Ballantrae (all in the British art cover versions) and the less common #160 In Freedom’s Cause. A firm collectors’ item series, so check our listings to see if a gap or two in your collection is included in our incoming stock.
American Update: Hellblazer #1 NM
*DC: Hard to believe this is now 28 years old, but from 1988 we bring you Hellblazer #1, the first giant 40 page issue of John Constantine’s first series by Jamie Delano & John Ridgway. Constantine has become very much a mainstay of the DCU since then, and particularly popular on this side of the Atlantic, of course. This is a sparkling, pristine NM copy at £45.
American Update: Marvel Bronze Age Sweep
*Marvel: Another sweep through some of Marvel’s Bronze Age titles, adding issues previously missing from our listings of the following titles: Captain America, Conan, Daredevil, Ghost Rider, Machine Man, Marvel Classics Comics, Marvel Premiere, Marvel Spotlight (2nd series), Marvel Team-Up, Master Of Kung Fu, Nova, Power Man & Iron Fist, Star Wars, 2001 A Space Odyssey (#8, with 1st Machine Man), Warlock, X-Factor & X-Men (inc #221 1st Mr. Sinister & #222 classic Wolverine/Sabretooth battle). Full details as always in our catalogue.
British Update: Complete run of Tornado plus Summer Special (yes, again!)
*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: You know how you can be waiting for a bus for ages, and then several come along at once? Well, we have a similar situation in the arrival of the second complete series of Tornado received in the space of a fortnight! Launched in 1979 as a companion to 2000 AD, Tornado’s stars included psychic teen delinquency with “The Mind of Wolfie Smith”, rebellious slave “Black Hawk”, superheroic parody “Captain Klep” illustrated by Kevin O’Neill, and the UK’s first – ahem – real-life super-hero, in the form of the ‘Big E’, acted out by not-yet-superstar artist Dave Gibbons in a fetching cape, tights & wellies ensemble! Lasting only 22 issues in total – after which Wolfie, Black Hawk and Capt. Klep migrated over to 2000 AD – we have the entire run again new in stock, mostly in FN condition plus the sole Summer Special (FN+ £35), also from 1979.
Books Update: Collections Of Science Fiction Collections
*Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror: A broad sweep of novellas and short stories have just been added to our shelves. They include collections from publications: The First Astounding Science Fiction Anthology (John W Campbell ed.), The Best From Fantasy And Science Fiction 15th Series (Edward L Ferman ed.), The Third Galaxy Reader (H L Gold ed.), The Eighth Galaxy Reader and The Ninth Galaxy Reader (Frederik Pohl ed.), awards; The Hugo Winners 1963 – 1967 and The Hugo Winners 1968 – 1970 (Isaac Asimov ed.) and Science Fiction Hall Of Fame Volume II (Robert Silverberg ed.) and a range of other themes that publishers came up with. Notable additions not already mentioned are The Best Of Robert Heinlein, graced by a Patrick Woodroffe cover (Angus Wells ed.), Looking Forward (Milton Lesser ed.) a hardcover edition, and The Far-Out Worlds Of A E Van Vogt.
American Update: Warren Horror & Other Mags
*Vintage Magazine-Sized Comics: Several dozen Warren Magazines added fresh to our stock, concentrating on the big three horror tiltes: Creepy, Eerie & Vampirella, but also including Comix International, Warren Presents & the non-comic Fumetti or stills/feature titles Horror Of Party Beach, The Mole People & Screen Thrills Illustrated. Of particular note is that Creepy starts as early as #6, and Eerie at #2 (pictured VF £45), the first regular issue following the scarce small format try-out #1.
British Update: 2nd series Eagle 1987, 1989 & 1990 plus Holiday Specials
*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: Several dozen new issues in of Eagle 2nd series for the years 1987, 1989 & 1990, all nice copies in a uniformly FN grade, and a couple of mini-comic free gifts issues included. Plus 3 Holiday Specials: 1985 (FN), 1986 (VF) and 1987 (VF). Thrill to the latter day adventures of Dan Dare, plus Doomlord, the Avenger, Bronski, Dracula and all your other pals in this 2000 AD-like revival of this classic title.
American Update: Silver/Bronze Man Of Steel
*DC: A multiplicity of metals as we present a nice selection of Action & Superman from the Silver & Bronze Ages: Action between #305 & #377 and Superman between #151 & #252, plus Annual #6. Some great storylines here including plenty of Legion of Super-Heroes (& a Super-Pets!) appearances, the 1st Silver Age Toyman and 100 pagers. Much to enjoy, and mostly veering towards the lower end of the grading spectrum, so very affordable prices for those who just want to read some classic material!
American Update: Werewolf By Night #1 VF-
*Horror/Mystery 1960-1980’s: New in, an attractive VF- cents copy (£65) of the first issue of the first Werewolf By Night series by Gerry Conway and Mike Ploog. The colour cover is a rich, deep red; minor spine wear and lower cover creasing preclude a higher grade.
British Update: Buster 1968-1971
*Humour Comics: A long overdue and chunky update for what is probably the premier comedy AND adventure British title of the 1960’s and 1970’s: Buster. We have a great many issues new in from the years 1968-1971, all previously missing from our listings. Included are Christmas issues, issues with promotional flyers, the 1st Buster & Jet from 1971 and the 1970 issue with the 1st Clever Dick strip by Leo Baxendale. Full details as always in our catalogue.
British Update: Valiant 1968
*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: Stock updates are back! Refreshed from my holiday unearthing fossils on the Jurassic coast, I’m now back to unearthing comic gems from the faraway corners of our shop. To start with, we continue of progressive updating of our Valiant stock with the year 1968, most issues now present in a year previously woefully underrepresented in our catalogue. Notable issues in this year include the 1st Sexton Blake, and the issue with the 1st Raven On The Wing, as well as the 1st Bluebottle and Basher by Leo Baxendale. We’ll be returning to Valiant for later years as time allows.
Technical Update: Attention AOL users
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been experiencing intermittent email communication difficulties with aol email addresses. This week’s newsletter, for example (sent on the morning of 7th May), was returned as undelivered from several of our usual recipients. Although we don’t know what’s causing this, we suspect it may have something to do with the level of aol’s spam filters. We should stress that this has only been affecting aol email address users.
So, if you’re an aol user and didn’t get our newsletter, we suggest you check your spam box. If still no joy, you might consider white-listing our email address (sales@30thcenturycomics.co.uk) as ‘safe’; alternatively, you may choose to register a different, non-aol email address with us.
Ultimately, of course, you can keep up with our updates on this What’s New page, but we know many of you prefer to get the weekly newsletter to having to frequently check in with this page.
Skip Week plus Coming Attractions
I’m off dinosaur-hunting on the Jurassic Coast next week for my first proper holiday in two years, so there will be no further stock updates here until after 17th May, with the next newsletter being issued in 2 weeks’ time. Our shop remains open as normal of course, and our crack team of highly-trained comic specialists will be ready to take your orders as always, and send comics and books to the far-flung reaches of the planet.
We’re currently negotiating on two of the most amazing American comic collections ever to come to our attention, and if all goes well, we hope to feature many highly-desirable key issues here in the coming months, both slabbed and raw. More news on this as soon as possible.
British Update: Free Gift Farrago! Smash #1 & #2 with Free Gifts plus #3
*Power Comics: Increasingly becoming a very, very collectable title due to its variety of original material and classic American strip reprints, Smash has never been more popular. This week’s Free Gift Farrago outing features #1 and #2 with their original gifts (and #3 sadly missing the Phantom Fighter). Grimly Fiendish by Leo Baxendale and Queen Of The Seas by Ken Reid are just two of the quality strips that commenced in the debut issue, here present in a very respectable GD/VG grade along with its Free Gift (the Gun With the Big Bang) in GD. Priced at £175 (and if that sounds expensive, bear in mind that copies have changed hands on eBay in only slightly nicer shape for in excess of £500!), only minor edge tears and rusty staples prevent a higher grade; nice page quality. #2 (PR with detached covers and a long horizontal tape-repaired tear across the centre of the front cover) is a more modest £45, but also comes with its Free Gift: the Jumping Frog (in GD). A rare chance to grab copies before they go up even more!
British Update: TV Comic mostly from the 1960’s with Dr. Who & Avengers
*TV & Film Related Comics: Two of the most celebrated British TV shows of all time are celebrated in the pages of TV Comic throughout the mid-late 1960’s: Dr. Who & the Avengers. Issues from this period are highly sought after and turn up quite rarely, so we’re delighted to have a batch of several dozen in (mostly in FN grade) from 1966 to 1970, including a couple of issues with Patrick Troughton covers from 1967 that we’ve never seen before. These make a refreshing change from Popeye, Tom & Jerry and Ken Dodd, who more usually graced the covers of this periodical, in a way masking the sci-fi/adventure delights within. Not content with that, we also have an issue from 1958, and a couple from 1964 with Supercar, Space Patrol or Fireball XL5, as well as one straggler from 1976. #618 from 1964 (FN £25) has the added bonus of a Free Gift: an 8 page BMC Supplement (both comic and gift pictured below). We get asked for these a lot, so now’s your chance!
Books Update: Serving Up The Seventies
*TV/Film Tie-Ins: It’s back to the 70’s for most of the film-related books in this release, with only two outliers: Petulia from 1968 and Superman III from 1983. The main event includes Star Wars (1st UK PB, 1st printing), Alien, Logan’s Run, Porridge (the book of the film), Shaft, The Black Hole and The Cross And The Switchblade.
American Update: 1st Blade in Tomb Of Dracula #10
*Horror/Mystery 1960-1980’s: With all the current fixation with Marvel movies, let us not forget that Blade the Vampire Slayer made the Hollywood scene way before many of the more recent johnny-come-latelies, and we’re delighted to present a FN+ pence copy of his first appearance in Tomb Of Dracula #10 at £60. A lovely copy with good cover gloss and colour, brought down grade wise only by minor edge wear along the spine and bottom and right edges and a small grease mark on the back cover. Beautifully rendered by the pencils of Gene Colan, this is a great looking milestone issue!
Books Update: Old Masters VII – Ellison And Heinlein
*Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror: A sense of déjà vu may strike you as two of our most popular authors are replenished. High grade Harlan Ellison titles include All The Sounds Of Fear (an exceptional FN/VF), Deathbird And Other Stories (FN) and The Beast That Shouted Love At The Heart Of The World (VG/FN). The freshly added Robert Heinlein titles are Between Planets, Starship Troopers and The Puppet Masters and new to our shelves, Space Cadet.
American Update: Wolverine: The Origin – Complete series in NM
*Marvel: One of the more modern entries in our catalogue, we’re glad to be able to refresh our listing for Wolverine: The Origin from 2001, by Paul Jenkins and Andy Kubert. All 6 issues now available in sparkling NM grade.
American Update: EC’s Valor
*EC: One of the most attractive of EC’s post code titles was Valor from 1955, which featured tales of historical adventure. Fine looking comics, as you would expect from the usual EC alumni of Wood, Williamson, Crandall, Evans etc. We have issues #3-5 of the 5 issue run just in at very affordable prices; check out our catalogue listing.
British Update: Complete run of Tornado inc. Summer Special
*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: Tornado launched in 1979 and lasted a short, achievable run of 22 issues before being subsumed into 2000 AD. It featured many notable strips, among them Victor Drago by Mike Dorey, The Mind Of Wolfie Smith by Vano, Angry Planet by Massimo Bellardinelli, The Tale Of Benkie by Steve Moore & Musquera and Captain Klepp by Kev O’Neill. We have fresh in the complete 22 issue run, mostly in nice shape and in addition the less common one and only Summer Special from 1979 (FN £30).
British Update: Are You A Beezer Geezer?
*Humour Comics: …if you are, this update’s for you! Approximately 100 new issues in stock of D.C. Thomson’s broadsheet Beezer, one of the biggest reads in British comics. Commencing with 1957’s issue #77, and running sporadically through to #728 in 1969, decades of mirth are represented with old friends Ginger, Pop Dick & Harry, Baby Crockett, Calamity Jane, the Banana Bunch, and Britain’s own Mr. Magoo, Colonel Blink, whose debut issue – #148 – is among the new listings and pictured here. Mostly in very affordable FA/GD grades, a bargainaceous selection of fun!
British Update: Princess 1965
*Girls’ Comics: Continuing our Princess marathon, we come to the year 1965, with virtually the complete year now present in our listings. Notable issues this year include 14/8, which commenced the serialisation of John Wyndham’s Chocky, and 4/12, the first issue of the merger with My Magazine, as well as the Christmas issue.
American Update: A wild and woolly selection of Marvel #1 issues from the 60’s to the 90’s
*Marvel: 17 Marvel #1 issues fresh in this week from the 1960’s to the 1990’s, including some titles new to our listings. See our catalogue for details of grades and prices, which vary widely. The selection is as follows: Battlestar Galactica, the Cat, the Champions, Dazzler, Godzilla, Howard the Duck, the Inhumans, Ka-Zar the Savage, Marvel Collectors’ Item Classics, Micronauts, Ms Marvel, Not Brand Echh, Rom Spaceknight, the Son of Satan, Tales Of Asgard, 2001: A Space Odyssey and X-Force (polybagged with Cable Trading Card). Get ’em while you can!
American Update: Black Lightning
*DC: DC jumped perhaps a bit late on the Blaxploitation bandwagon when they introduced their ‘boldest new super-hero’ Black Lightning in 1977; cancelled after just 11 issues by the infamous DC Implosion, we have half a dozen of the run fresh in, including #1 in FN at £6.