Reminder: Saturday 9th December is the last day to order for UK Pre-Christmas Delivery
Here’s a reminder of relevant dates for our trading during the festive period.
Saturday 9th December: Last day for orders for UK pre-Christmas delivery. You need to place your order no later than 4 pm. Orders placed after this deadline will not be posted until the New Year. This is also the day we shall be issuing our last Newsletter before Christmas.
Wednesday 13th December: Last posting before Christmas for all orders placed by 4 pm on Saturday 9th and paid for by 4 pm on Tuesday 12th December.
Saturday 30th December: Newsletter resumes. All orders placed after 4 pm on 9th December (up to 4 pm on 30th) will be filled this weekend and bills issued on 31st December 2023.
Wednesday 3rd January 2024: Posting for all paid orders outstanding.
American Comics Update: The Bute Collection/Batmania: Batman #35 (1946) with Catwoman
*DC: Another Batman gem from the Bute Collection this week. Batman #35 from 1946 has three excellent stories under a nifty Dick Sprang cover. Nine Lives Has The Catwoman is the lead story, wherein she adopts for the first time the classic purple and green costume with mask; written by Bill Finger with art by Bob Kane/Ray Burnley. Dinosaur Island is an action-packed adventure with monsters aplenty; the mechanical dinosaur here is the one that ends up in the Bat-Cave; written by Bill Finger with art (probably) by Paul Cooper/Ray Burnley. In Dick Grayson, Author, (cover featured) Dick goes to work for Crescent Comics; art (probably) by Sprang, Cooper and Burnley. This is a more than respectable copy, with a vivid red cover background and strong, reflective colours. Pages are white to off-white (rare for this vintage) and the staples are strong at centrefold and fairly firm at spine (just tiny tears around upper staple, visible only on interiors). Inner covers have slight tanning around edges. No cover creasing and virtually no wear; one tiny nick at centre spine. Very slightly mis-cut so that the cover is at a very slight angle, with the very top of the cover missing and a very small white border at the bottom. This does not spoil the appearance of the beautifully presenting copy. High resolution images are available on request.
PICTURED: BATMAN #35 VG/FN £550 SOLD
American Comics Update: Nine late Strange Adventures
*DC: After Julius Schwartz moved away from the editorship of Strange Adventures, the torch was passed to Jack Schiff with his brand of horror/mystery mostly replacing the title’s traditional science fiction. There were still plenty of recurring characters though: Star Hawkins and his robot secretary Ilda still had a few adventures left over from the Schwartz era, plus there were new heroes such as the Enchantress, Animal Man and Immortal Man. Nine issues new in from this period this week as follows:
IN THIS UPDATE: STRANGE ADVENTURES ALL SOLD
#165 GD/VG p £9 Restapled
#179 VG+ p £13.25 Star Hawkins story
#181 VG p £9 Upper restapled
#182 VG/FN p £11 Star Hawkins story
#190 GD p £11 Animal Man & Immortal Man stories
#191 VG+ p £10 Enchantress story
#192 VG+ p £10
#193 VG+ p £10
#217 GD p £2.50 Reprints 1st Adam Strange and Atomic Knights stories. Book shop stamps
American Comics Update: …In A Galaxy Far, Far Away… Star Wars #2-6
*Marvel: The original and, we’re fairly sure, the best loved Star Wars series from Marvel which debuted hot on the heels of the original film in 1977. Issues #2-6 which complete the comic version of the first Star Wars movie, all towards high grade, all first printings. Not my personal cup of tea but the Holy Grail for generations that came after me.
PICTURED: STAR WARS
#2 FN+ p £55
#3 VF+ p £55
#4 FN+ p £32
#5 VF p £42
#6 VF+ £32
American Comics Update: The Good Doctor Collection/Spider-Mania: Amazing #103-118
*Marvel: 16 consecutive issues of the Amazing Spider-Man from the Good Doctor Collection this week from #103 to #118. A mixture of cents and pence printed copies, nearly all in very decent shape. Spidey faces up to Gog, Kraven the Hunter, the Spider Slayer, the Gibbon, Dr Octopus, Hammerhead, the Smasher, the Disruptor and more. Highlights below.
PICTURED:
#109 VF £41 Guest-starring Dr Strange
#110 VF+ £60 1st Gibbon
#112 VF £41
#116 VF/NM p £70
American Comics Update: Hulkinued: Hulk #340: Hulk/Wolverine clash with classic cover
*Marvel: Fan favourite Todd McFarlane’s run on Hulk peaked at issue #340, featuring the classic cover design of the Hulk reflected in Wolverine’s claws and an ensuing battle royale within. Peter David’s intelligent script meant that this was more than a simple slugfest. Our latest copy is mid-grade, has great colour and gloss, white pages and tight, firm staples. There are several spine ticks that narrowly break colour, and a couple of shallow, faint creases on the cover which do not. Some handling wear, but presents well. To Be Hulkinued…
PICTURED: HULK #340 VG+ £60
American Comics Update: Tabloid Headlines: Howard the Duck and the Defenders
*Marvel: Two more Marvel Treasury Editions round off our Tabloid Headlines feature for the time being. The Howard the Duck Treasury reprints the earliest adventures of the fabulous fowl, and includes a brand new 27 page adventure with the Defenders, leading us appropriately enough into the Defenders Treasury, which reprints their most famous adventures. Both in beautiful high grade.
PICTURED: MARVEL TREASURY EDITION BOTH SOLD
#12 VF p £20 Howard The Duck
#16 VF/NM p £25 The Defenders
American Comics Update: Marvel #1s: John Carter & Tarzan
*Tarzan/E R Burroughs: In 1977, Marvel gained the license to publish new adventures of the major Edgar Rice Burroughs characters, leading to two series by many fine creators. #1 of both John Carter & Tarzan new in, plus Tarzan Annual #1.
IN THIS UPDATE:
JOHN CARTER, WARLORD OF MARS #1 VF £15 (PICTURED)
TARZAN #1 VF £10.75 (PICTURED)
TARZAN ANNUAL #1 VF £7.50
British Comics Update: A Miscellany of Adventure with Buccaneers, Diamond, Four Aces
*Vintage UK/Australian Reprints Of US Material: An assortment of vintage adventure reprints new in this week as follows:
IN THIS UPDATE:
BUCCANEERS NN FA/GD £10 (PICTURED) (Boardman/Popular) Reprints Quality title of the same name. The only copy of this we’ve ever seen.
DIAMOND ADVENTURE COMIC (Atlas) Reprints Fiction House jungle stories
#15 VG/FN £4.50
#19 VG/FN £4.50
#22 VG £4
#26 VG £4
FOUR ACES (Miller) Reprints Flash Gordon, Tim Tyler, Johnny Hazard, Secret Agent X-9, Big Ben Bolt, Phantom, Mandrake.
#2 VG £12 (PICTURED)
#3 GD/VG £10
British Comics Update: Free Gift Farrago! Jackie #1 (1964) – for ‘Go-Ahead’ Teens – With ‘Twin Heart’ Ring!
*Girls’ Comics: Now at a reduced price: the quintessential Girl’s comic/magazine Jackie. In 1964, Jackie was launched to bridge female readers between Bunty and Woman’s Own, a brief playtime with the ‘England Swings’ zeitgeist of the day, before girls were expected to settle into consumerist conformism. This debut issue, 11 Jan 1964, features Pin-Ups of Cliff, Elvis and the Beatles, Perfume Tips for a More Kissable You, Dreamy Picture Love Stories and Way-Out Exclusives on all the Popsters – for pity’s sake, what more could you want? Well, how about the original Free Gift – a ‘Twin Heart’ Love Ring – still sealed in its original packaging, never having had a chance to turn anyone’s finger green in the intervening decades? Plus – the Power! The Fury! The senses-shattering debut of Cathy and Claire, Jackie’s indefatigable advice page oracles, dispensing wisdom on bras, boys, and (hushed voice) ladyproblems. Jackie became a watchword for a generation, not bowing out until 1993 and is well-remembered today. This Jackie #1 is FN+, just falling short of a higher grade on account of a tiny amount of upper right soft corner creasing. The Free Gift, never opened, is NM.
PICTURED: JACKIE #1 FN+ WITH FREE GIFT (NM) £125
Books Update: Re-Working our Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Category: Clement – Conklin
*Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror: We’re continuing to introduce the new layout for our books categories, with an image for each book. This week, we return to our Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror category and authors/editors alphabetically from Clement to Conklin. Of particular note is the hardcover anthology Invaders Of Earth, edited by Groff Conklin, stories of Earth invasion (duh!) by science fiction masters including the complete and infamous Orson Welles broadcast Invasion From Mars; a handsome first US edition from 1952 in a nice clean dust jacket.
PICTURED:
HAL CLEMENT: THROUGH THE EYE OF A NEEDLE Ballantine 1978 1st US PB GD/VG £5
MARK CLIFTON: EIGHT KEYS TO EDEN Pan 1965 1st UK PB VG £3
HUNT COLLINS: TOMORROW AND TOMORROW Pyramid 1965 3rd US PB VF £5
HUNT COLLINS: TOMORROW AND TOMORROW Pyramid 1970 US PB VG £4
GROFF CONKLIN (Ed): INVADERS OF EARTH Vanguard 1952 1st US HC FN £50
Books Update: Re-Working Our TV/Film Tie-Ins Category: Gerry Anderson’s Stingray and Thunderbirds
*TV/Film Tie-Ins: We’re continuing to introduce the new layout for our books categories, with an image for each book. This week, we return to our TV/Film Tie-Ins Category and two iconic creations by the legendary Gerry Anderson. Stingray and Thunderbirds have fired the imagination of generations of children and still remain high in the nostalgia ratings of many an adult collector. Many books originated soon after the TV series in the 1960s, mostly written by John Theydon.
PICTURED: ALL BY JOHN THEYDON ALL SOLD
STINGRAY Armada 1965 1st UK PB GD/VG £12
STINGRAY AND THE MONSTER Armada 1966 1st UK PB VG £15
THUNDERBIRDS Armada 1966 1st UK PB VG £15
CALLING THUNDERBIRDS Armada 1966 1st UK PB VG £15
THUNDERBIRDS RING OF FIRE Armada 1966 1st UK PB GD/VG £12
Books Update: New: The Spider, Master Of Men. Classic Pulp from 1935
*Pulp Fiction: Something rather special this week: a copy of the classic pulp magazine, the Spider, from March 1935. Great Spider vs werewolf cover painted by John Howitt. Interior illustrations by J Fleming Gould. Feature length novel The Flame Master by Grant Stockbridge plus two shorter stories. Decent copy with intact spine, short damage at top and bottom spine; some edge wear. Cover creases break colour at edges only; central image unspoilt.
PICTURED: THE SPIDER Vol 5 #2 March 1935 GD/VG £125 SOLD
American Comics Update: The Bute Collection: DC Debuts: Brave & Bold #28-30: 1st Justice League Of America
*DC: This week, a special selection from the Bute Collection: from 1960, one of the most important and significant comics of the Silver Age. The Justice League Of America, teaming up all of DC’s then current key heroes, debuted in The Brave & The Bold #28, and thus a legend was born. The second and third Brave & Bold try-out issues are also included in this update. In these early stories, the roles of Superman & Batman were kept pretty much to cameos (presumably because DC felt they had enough exposure elsewhere), but the JLA kept up the tradition of reviving Golden Age concepts for this new Silver Age (in this case the Justice Society). In a manner of speaking, this comic was also responsible for launching the Marvel Age of Comics, since Stan Lee’s response to the success of the JLA was to create the Fantastic Four.
PICTURED: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD
(below) #28 VG+ £2,800 1st Justice League. 1st Starro the Conqueror. A lovely mid-grade cents copy with good colour and some gloss. Tight and flat, with good staples firm at spine and centrefold. Unspoilt and virtually unmarked cover image. There is the faint suggestion of a horizontal subscription crease down the centre, but this is neither firm nor apparent, just very faintly breaking colour in the logo area and at the very bottom centre. There is a narrow 5 cm crease across the top right corner of the back cover. Nice off-white to cream supple pages. High resolution images are available on request.
(For the budget conscious, we also have two other copies of this classic listed in our catalogue – yes, I know, we’re thrice blessed! – a VG- at £1,700 and a PR at £750)
(above) #29 GD+ £175 1st Weapons Master. Nice cover image with good colour and some gloss. A name is written in pen in the ‘G’ of ‘League’ in the logo. The spine is split almost halfway up from the bottom and thus the cover is off bottom staple; it looks like tape had been used to seal it, but this has now been removed, leaving a brown stain which is almost all on the back cover. Upper staple is firm at spine and both staples firm at centrefold. Supple pages are off-white to cream. Presents well, with only minor corner blunting and a few tiny edge creases which do not break colour.
(above) #30 VG p £185 1st Amazo. Pence stamped. Nice cover image with good colour and some gloss. Staples firm at spine and centrefold. Supple pages are off-white to cream. Minor corner blunting and edge wear. There is a diagonal crease from the Comics Code box in the top right corner across the top half of the cover and a further crease along the lower half right edge, 1 cm in from edge. Both of these hardly break colour and are not obvious. SOLD
American Comics Update: Two Wonder Woman Bondage Covers from the ‘Emma Peel’ years
*DC: Two bondage cover issues of Wonder Woman new in this week. Always popular and in nice shape! Both are from Diana’s ‘Emma Peel’ years where she lost her powers and costume, a period particularly rich in this sort of thing. The covers speak for themselves.
PICTURED: WONDER WOMAN
#188 VF/NM £85 An outstanding copy with brilliant cover and full gloss, tight, firm staples and supple white to off-white pages. Virtually no wear; just the merest hint of corner blunting at base of spine.
#196 FN £35 Nice copy with good colour and gloss, minor edge wear and corner blunting. Good staples, although the cover has a tiny tear around the bottom staple, but firmly attached. Nice white to off-white pages.
American Comics Update: Spider-Mania/The Totally Amazing Spider-Man Collection: Amazing #91-94
*Marvel: If you’re looking for really nice copies of Amazing Spider-Man for your collection, then look no further than the Totally Amazing Spider-Man Collection. All high grade; even the few that fall below VF (and most are above) are really good-looking copies – no duds here, and nearly all cents copies. Amazing #91-94 comprises four diverse issues. In #91, everyone turns against Spidey as a result of the machinations of the man called Bullit; in #92, there’s a dust-up with Iceman; #93 features the return of the Prowler and in #94 the Beetle strikes again.
PICTURED: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
#91 VF- £85 Tight and shiny with just marginal handling and reading wear.
#92 VF £80 Tight and shiny with just tiny stress marks at upper staple and a couple of small back cover creases.
#93 FN/VF £55 Tight and shiny with handling and reading wear at spine and a few pressure marks on cover, not breaking colour.
#94 VF- £75 Tight and shiny with minor stress marks at spine and tiny reading wear bottom right corner; nothing breaks colour.
American Comics Update: Hulkinued! Tales To Astonish #93 – Classic Hulk/Silver Surfer Clash
*Marvel: Our special Hulk feature continues this week with a favourite issue. Sentinel of Galactus, Norrin Radd, aka the Silver Surfer, became a hugely popular guest character following his early appearances in the Fantastic Four, and one of his most sought-after guest-shots – still prior to the premier issue of his ongoing series – is Tales to Astonish #93, in which the Surfer and the Incredible Hulk face off, courtesy of Stan Lee and Marie Severin. Cosmic power and epic action with a poignant ending – and a Sub-Mariner story, too! Even though it’s the Surfer’s twelfth appearance, it’s his first crossover with the wider Marvel Universe, outside of the Fantastic Four series. This is a decent pence printed mid-grade copy with good colour and some residual gloss. Staples are tight and firm at spine and centrefold and pages are a nice off-white. Minor edge wear; a couple of spine ticks in the masthead box area extend across it in creases which only break colour at the very spine itself. The centre right edge and bottom right corner have small patches where the colour has eroded, but these barely affect the overall appearance of the cover image. Corner blunting is minor. To Be Hulkinued…
PICTURED: TALES TO ASTONISH #93 VG p £90
American Comics Update: Four Bronze Age Marvel #1s: Black Goliath, Champions, Ms Marvel & Spider-Woman
*Marvel: Four noteworthy Marvel #1 issues from the Bronze Age new in this week, all in lovely high grade. The three pence copies are all pence printed.
PICTURED:
BLACK GOLIATH #1 VF+ p £30
CHAMPIONS #1 VF+ p £50 SOLD
MS MARVEL #1 VF p £40
SPIDER-WOMAN #1 VF/NM £55
American Comics Update: The Good Doctor Collection: Three Early Journey Into Mystery With Thor
*Marvel: From the Good Doctor Collection this week, three classic issues of Journey Into Mystery with Thor; all are nice clean mid-grade issues. Listed in our catalogue under ‘J’.
PICTURED: JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY
#105 VG+ p £48 Pence printed. The Cobra and Mr Hyde. Bright copy with just minor edge wear. Beautiful unmarked and unspoilt cover.
#106 VG- p £33 Pence printed. The Cobra and Mr Hyde. Small amount of edge wear and corner blunting. Name in ink on ‘Mystery’ in logo. SOLD
#108 VG p £42 Pence printed. Loki and Dr Strange. Minor edge and handling wear. Tiny bit of rust on top staple. Beautiful unmaerked and unspoilt cover.
American Comics Update: Six Of The Best: The Invincible Iron Man
*Marvel: Six issues of Iron Man added this week, between #56 and #63, where Shellhead takes on Fangor, the Mandarin, the Unicorn, Firebrand, Whiplash and Dr Spectrum. What a busy little Avenger he was! All pence printed copies.
IN THIS UPDATE: IRON MAN ALL SOLD
#56 FN- p £10.25
#57 VF- p £11
#58 VF- p £11
#59 FN p £6.75
#62 VF p £12.50
#63 FN p £6.75
American Comics Update: Pre-Code Horror Fest: L B Cole Miasma: Blue Bolt Weird Tales #111 1953
*Horror 1940-1959: L B Cole was one of the most famous of Golden/Atomic Age cover artists. He drew in a variety of genres, and was artistic director at Star, illustrating 95% of the company’s covers; his lurid, feverish style, almost hallucinogenic, graced horror, science-fiction, jungle and romance alike. Star took over the venerable title Blue Bolt in 1949 (previously it had been a classic anthology title starring the titular character, with much work by Simon & Kirby, Everett etc, lasting throughout the war years and beyond). The title on the cover changed to Blue Bolt Weird Tales with this issue, #111, although the indicia remained as Blue Bolt. #111 was the last to feature Blue Bolt himself regularly, and the emphasis of the series had changed to horror, according to the zeitgeist of the time. Indeed, the title was rebranded as Ghostly Weird Stories from #120 onwards. In #111, with the usual mix of new and reprint material, the stories are either horror or science fiction with strong horror overtones. But of course it’s the wonderful L B Cole cover for which these issues are prized, here a face of horror surrounded by ghouls, skulls, guttering candles, a snake, a demon and clutching hands emerging from dark water. This is a very decent copy, with just very minor spine ticks and a couple of creases in the top right corner which do not break colour. The vivid colours pop out from the solid black background. The spine has a lower cover split of less than 3 cm. Staples are tight at the spine, but the centrefold is detached. Pages are a supple off-white to cream. High resolution images are available on request. PICTURED: BLUE BOLT WEIRD TALES #111 VG £900 SOLD
American Comics Update: Six Of The Best: Adventures Into The Unknown
*Horror/Mystery 1960-1980s: Adventures Into The Unknown from ACG was the earliest ongoing horror title, starting in 1947. It’s the Silver Age incarnation that concerns us here, when the horror of pre-code had given way to the more whimsical fantasy/mysteries for which ACG became known in the 1960s.
IN THIS UPDATE: ADVENTURES INTO THE UNKNOWN ALL SOLD
#114 GD- p £4
#126 VG p £7.25
#127 GD- p £3
#128 GD p £3.50
#135 GD/VG £4
#141 FN £8
British Comics Update: Free Gift Farrago: Hurricane #1 with Free Gift
*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: Now at a reduced price: Hurricane #1, complete with its Free Gift, one of the rarest of all accompanying gifts. In February 1964 Fleetway/IPC released Hurricane, a companion to their highly successful Valiant. Featuring in the lead a lightly comedic bruiser – ‘Typhoon Tracy, as opposed to ‘captain hurricane’ in the lead slot, Hurricane ploughed the expected row of adventure, war, sports and historical strips, but allocating several of them a longer run (5 pages, rather than the two or three that were the weekly standard), and with its slightly larger size, seemed to be aiming a little higher age-wise. The most famous alumnus of Hurricane, apart from Tracy himself, was ace racing driver ‘Skid Solo’, who had a decades-long career after Hurricane’s eventual absorption into Tiger. Because it had a regrettably short run, a mere 63 issues, Hurricane is highly sought after today, and this first issue, in a gleaming Fine condition, is made extra precious by the presence of the Free Gift which originally accompanied it – a punch-out cardboard model of the TSR2 fighter plane, not punched out (in this instance), but still in its original ‘flat’ form, albeit with the card having sustained a light horizontal fold at some time; the original rubber band used to launch it is missing (but easily replaced).
PICTURED: HURRICANE #1 FN WITH FREE GIFT VG £150 SOLD
British Comics Update: Dandy 1947 – new and improved!
*Humour Comics: Continuing our policy of providing more information for Beano and Dandy, we have a new batch of Dandy in this week from 1947. That year is now annotated with details of strip and prose debuts: HM Wizard, Mr G Whizz (#341), Smudge (#349), Cinder Eddie (#351) and Curly’s Two Ton Kitten (#353). We also have the Fireworks and Christmas issues for 1947. Full details as always in our catalogue.
PICTURED: DANDY #359 GD £50 Christmas issue
Books Update: Re-Working Our Crime, Spies & Sleaze Category: The Name Is Bond
*Crime, Spies & Sleaze: This week’s featured books need no introduction from me. Ian Fleming’s iconic creation is known worldwide thanks to the hugely successful movie franchise, but James Bond got his start in novels, so it is in this category that these books belong. And let me tell you, the books are darker and deeper than the films, less gadgety and more visceral. We have nine of the thirteen Fleming books in our listings, all in a superb Pan uniform livery, which is the edition from the 1960s that I grew up with.
PICTURED: ALL BY IAN FLEMING ALL SOLD
JAMES BOND: CASINO ROYALE Pan 1964 17th UK PB VG/FN £6
JAMES BOND: DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER Pan 1963 13th UK PB FN £7
JAMES BOND: DR NO Pan 1965 18th UK PB FN £7
JAMES BOND: FOR YOUR EYES ONLY Pan 1964 12th UK PB VG £6
JAMES BOND: FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE Pan 1966 21st UK PB FN £7
JAMES BOND: LIVE AND LET DIE Pan 1965 18th UK PB GD £4
JAMES BOND: THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN Pan 1967 2nd UK PB VG £6
JAMES BOND: THE SPY WHO LOVED ME Pan 1968 2nd UK PB VG/FN £6
JAMES BOND: YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE Pan 1966 3rd UK PB VG £6
Books Update: New: A Long Time Ago… The First Star Wars Novel
*TV/Film Tie-Ins: Hot on the heels of the first Star wars film in 1977, came the novelisation, also by George Lucas. This is the very first UK printing, which includes over 16 pages of colour stills from the film. This is in excellent shape, with only minor signs of handling wear.
PICTURED:
STAR WARS by GEORGE LUCAS Sphere 1977 1st UK PB FN £25
Books Update: Re-Working Our Children’s Books Category: Bessie Bunter, The Sword In The Stone and more
*Children’s Books: We’re continuing to introduce the new layout for our books categories, with an image for each book. This week, we return to our Children’s Books category to conclude our Re-Working exercise (including one new addition). Bessie Bunter At Cliff House School is the only novel of Billy’s sister written by Frank Richards (as Hilda Richards in this instance). although there are other Bessie novels under his name written by others). Terry’s Only Term by Ethel Talbot is a girls’ school story: two sisters, two schools, mystery and adventure. The Sword In The Stone by T H White (new in) is the first of his Arthurian novels published as a stand-alone: the boyhood of Arthur, the Once and Future King. From now on, all further listings in this category will be for books that are new in.
PICTURED:
HILDA RICHARDS (FRANK RICHARDS): BESSIE BUNTER OF CLIFF HOUSE SCHOOL Hawk 1991 UK HC VF £6
ETHEL TALBOT: TERRY’S ONLY TERM Blackie Undated circa 1940 1st UK HC FN £10
T H WHITE: THE SWORD IN THE STONE Armada 1971 2nd UK PB GD/VG £4
Christmas & New Year Trading Dates
It’s never too early to plan and do your Christmas shopping. Here’s a list of relevant dates for our trading during the festive period.
Saturday 9th December: Last day for orders for pre-Christmas delivery. You need to place your order no later than 4 pm. Orders placed after this deadline will not be posted until the New Year. This is also the day we shall be issuing our last Newsletter before Christmas.
Wednesday 13th December: Last posting before Christmas for all orders placed by 4 pm on Saturday 9th and paid for by 4 pm on Tuesday 12th December.
Saturday 30th December: Newsletter resumes. All orders placed after 4 pm on 9th December (up to 4 pm on 30th) will be filled this weekend and bills issued on 31st December 2023.
Wednesday 3rd January 2024: Posting for all paid orders outstanding.
American Comics Update: Tabloid Headlines: Superman Vs Muhammad Ali
*DC: You’ve heard of the Rumble in the Jungle? You’ve heard of the Thriller in Manila? Now, get ready for the Uproarium in the Emporium as we bring you Superman Vs Muhammad Ali in the Treasury-sized All New Collectors’ Edition C56. Highly sought after by both comic and boxing enthusiasts, this one-off issue is gorgeously illustrated by the incomparable Neal Adams, whose art looks amazing at this size. This is a nice mid-grade copy, with moderate spine wear and corner blunting, solid, tight staples and supple off-white to cream pages. Presents well with great colour. Small creases at top edge (front and back) do not break colour. It’s been a while since we last had one of these, but it won’t be here long, so float like a butterfly and get your order in, or you’ll be stung by a bee.
PICTURED: ALL NEW COLLECTORS’ EDITION C56 VG/FN £150 SOLD
American Comics Update: Batmania/DC Debuts: Batman #313, 1st Tim Fox, Future State Batman
*DC: It’s a funny old game, this hobby. You can have a perfectly good issue of Batman, featuring a tussle with one of his major foes (Two-Face) which has been around for 40 years and only accumulated a modest value, then suddenly, overnight, DC announce that a hitherto minor character incidentally introduced in that very issue is to become the new Batman in their Future State storyline, and the collectors and speculators go wild. The Future State hoo-hah has cooled now, of course, and prices have fallen from two years ago, but the first appearance of Tim Fox (#313) is still more highly valued than those issues around it. Our copy is in lovely condition, with just a tiny amount of edge wear.
PICTURED: BATMAN #313 VF £65
American Comics Update: Six Of The Best: The Atom, the World’s Smallest Super-Hero
*DC: Six quality issues of the Atom this week, from towards the end of his Silver Age run, with highly imaginative stories by Gardner Fox and stylish artwork from Gil Kane and Sid Greene. Guest appearances by the Golden Age Atom and Hawkman (2 issues each) with a cameo from Hawkgirl.
IN THIS UPDATE: AtOM ALL SOLD
#29 VG p £17.50 Golden Age Atom guest stars.
#30 GD/VG p £6.75 Small cover scuff
#31 VG £8.25 Hawkman guest stars
#35 VG+ p £7.50
#36 VG- p £9 Golden Age Atom guest stars.
#37 VG- p £6.50 Hawkman guest stars
American Comics Update: Spider-Mania: Amazing Spider-Man #16 – Early Spidey/Daredevil crossover
*Marvel: We’re always happy to welcome an early Spider-Man issue illustrated by Steve Ditko (the only ‘proper’ Spider-Man artist, excellent later contributors notwithstanding), and this one’s a bit special, featuring as it does the first guest appearance of the then-fledgling Man Without Fear, Daredevil, and, we believe, his only guest-appearance in his original black & gold costume! Teamed with Spider-Man against the menace of the Ringmaster (against whose hypnosis DD’s blindness gives him an unexpected immunity) and his Circus of Crime. Sadly, this is a low-grade pence printed copy, a bit of a wreck in fact. Tape has been applied to the front cover a little above the bottom edge, sealing a long tear, and there are further strips of tape on the front cover by the logo and number box, repairing what seems to be a small, previously detached chunk. The copy is worn and tired with lots of colour-breaking creases and some tears; small chips out at top and bottom spine. Wear around the staples, but they are still attached and firm at centrefold. Pages are okay with the occasional dog-ear and small chip out of margin only. The comic is pretty much complete and great as a gap filler or affordable copy if you’re rabid for early Spidey and on a tight budget.
PICTURED: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #16 PR/FA p £150
American Comics Update: The Good Doctor Collection: 4 Kirby Captain Americas
*Marvel: Four splendid consecutive cents issues of Captain America by Lee & Kirby this week, the last releases from the Good Doctor Collection for this title. All four are beautiful copies with high gloss, great colour, staples and pages, no significant defects and grade determined by the amount of minimal wear present. Part of Kirby’s wonderful run on this title after Cap acquired it to himself with #100.
PICTURED: CAPTAIN AMERICA
#105 FN/VF £35
#106 VF+ £65
#107 FN/VF £50
#108 FN/VF £40 Unverified signature by Kirby on lower splash margin SOLD
American Comics Update: Hulkinued: 2nd Groot in Hulk Annual #5
*Marvel: Continuing our Hulkinued feature! A breakout character from the cinematic smash-hits, Guardians of the Galaxy and the Avengers, Groot, together with his ‘guardian’ Rocket Racoon, unexpectedly became the heart of the film – not that scripter Chris Claremont had any inkling of events when in 1976 he pit old Jade-Jaws against a variety of ‘Big-Panty Monsters’ from the pre-Marvel days! In rapid succession, our chartreuse champion fought Xemnu, Goom, Taboo, Diablo, the Blip and, yes, Groot, in his first on-panel experience since 1960’s Tales to Astonish #13! This is a nice copy with great gloss and colour, supple white to off-white pages and firm staples. The spine shows to the front cover, as is not unusual for annuals from this period, which veer more towards flat than squarebound. Only extremely minor handling wear. To Be Hulkinued…
PICTURED: HULK ANNUAL #5 VF £65
American Comics Update: Marvel #1 (and more): Complete run of Nova #1-24
*Marvel: In 1976, the House Of Ideas came up with Nova, designed originally to be an ‘everyman’ character like Peter Parker/Spider-Man, but quickly developing into a cosmic ‘soldier’ more akin to DC’s Green Lantern – luckily, DC’s lawyers didn’t notice the parallels! Although the original run lasted a mere 25 issues, Nova has returned many times to the Marvel Universe, and where he shines is in the protracted cosmic crossovers of which Marvel is so fond. Every issue from #1 to #25 fresh into stock this week, so you can fill your gaps, or, if you’re quick, scoop up the entire run. Full details as always in our catalogue.
PICTURED: NOVA #1 FN/VF p £50 Nice glossy pence printed copy with firm staples and supple off-white pages. Very minor spine and corner wear with a tiny colour-breaking crease across the very extremity of the bottom right corner. The top edge has been dinked at some point in its history, resulting in a narrow colour-breaking crease of approx 2-3 cm on an otherwise quite lovely copy.
American Comics Update: The Bute Collection: Pre-Code Crime: Who Is Next?
*Miscellaneous 1940-1959: A real oddity from the Bute Collection this week. Issue #5 of Who Is Next? from 1953 was the only issue of the series (Standard had a habit of starting their series with #5 issues); there never was a second issue. Borderline very noir crime with strong horror overtones, the multi-story format boasted a grim strangler on the loose with victim cover by George Roussos; interior art is by Toth, Sekowsky, Cardy and Andru, so a very strong artistic line-up for these tales of madness and horrific murder. Quite a rarity – we’ve never seen this issue before. Strong, intact cover image with good colours. Staples are firm at centrefold, with lower staple secure at spine; upper staple is off back cover. Upper spine cleanly split almost halfway down; lower spine has 4 cm split. Small chip off top spine, but little creasing. Pages are a nice off-white to cream, turning to very slight tan at edges.
PICTURED: WHO IS NEXT #5 GD £250 SOLD
American Comics Update: Six Of The Best: A Miscellany Of Charlton Horror
*Horror/Mystery 1960-1980s: Six issues of various Charlton horror/mystery series from the 1960s and 1970s. Lots of Ditko in most of these, including an Atom Bomb cover.
IN THIS UPDATE: ALL SOLD
BEYOND THE GRAVE #5 VG p £4.75
BEYOND THE GRAVE #6 FN p £6.75
CREEPY THINGS #6 FN p £4.75
HAUNTED LOVE #4 FN p £6.75
MANY GHOSTS OF DR GRAVES #35 VG p £4.75
STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #2 (1968) VF £16.75 (PICTURED) Ditko Atom Bomb Cover
American Comics Update: The Bute Collection: A Miscellany of Vintage War
*War: Four mostly very low grade examples of vintage 1950s war comics from the Bute Collection this week.
IN THIS UPDATE: ALL SOLD
CAPTAIN STEVE SAVAGE AND HIS SECRET SUPER-JET #3 PR £5 Covers detached and separated; brittle. (Avon 1950)
FROGMAN #1 PR £7 Cover almost entirely split (Hillman 1952)
GI JOE #8 PR £5 Saunders painted cover. Covers detached and separated; some brittleness. (Ziff-Davis 1951)
YOUNG MEN (ON THE BATTLEFIELD) #13 GD/VG £27 (PICTURED) (Atlas 1951)
British Comics Update: First ‘New’ Captain Britain in Marvel Super-Heroes Monthly
*Marvel UK: Following his original 39 issue weekly run and his stint as a perennial guest of the Black Knight in Hulk Weekly, the good Captain was brought back from limbo in 1981 by Dave Thorpe and Alan Davis, the latter of whom redesigned Captain Britain for his ‘second chance’. Davis gave the Captain the Union Jack inspired outfit he wears today, and replaced CB’s lithe physique with a hyper-muscularity based on the comic-strip hero Garth, an exaggerated superhuman ideal. The political analogies by writer Thorpe proved unpalatable to Marvel UK management, and he was later replaced by then-neophyte Alan Moore, whom the powers-that-be thought might be less controversial (Good luck with that…). This run introduced the Crazy Gang, Opal Luna Saturnyne, Gentleman Jim Jaspers and other characters who would prove instrumental to the Captain’s legend. This debut issue of the new Captain Britain is Marvel Super-Heroes Monthly #377, a splendid high grade glossy issue with virtually no flaws but for a few short spine ticks which do not break colour.
PICTURED: MARVEL SUPER-HEROES #377 VF £50 SOLD
British Update: 2 Misty Annuals
*Annuals: 2 consecutive Misty Annuals new in, in lovely shape, virtually as good as new. All the atmosphere of the supernatural girls’ weekly, with some pages in full or part colour. Glorious painted covers by Shirley Bellwood.
PICTURED: MISTY ANNUAL
1979 VF £25
1980 VF/NM £30
British Comics Update: Battle Picture Library 1964
*Boys’ Adventure & War Picture Libraries: If you’re looking to fill gaps in your Battle Picture Library collection, this update’s for you, with more than 30 issues newly added from 1964 between #143 and #183. Nearly all these issues were missing from our listings, and nearly all are in pretty nice shape, clean, bright and unmarked, with just degrees of staple rust defining grade. Full details as always in our catalogue.
Books Update: Re-Working our Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Category: Ace Doubles
*Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror: We’re continuing to introduce the new layout for our books categories, with an image for each book. This week, we return to our Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror category with Ace Doubles. We’ve decided to list Ace Doubles at the beginning of our page, since they fit there alphabetically and collectors like to home in on them (and we know you’re out there!). Authors featured will also be cross-referenced in the listing. Ace Doubles are flip books and we’ll be featuring both covers per volume. Two further editions this week. The E C Tubb one is of particular interest since it features the first two volumes in his long-running and celebrated Dumarest saga.
PICTURED: ACE DOUBLES
BRUCE W RONALD: OUR MAN IN SPACE / JACK SHARKEY: ULTIMATUM IN 2050 AD
Ace 1965 1st US PB GD £3
E C TUBB: THE WINDS OF GATH / DERAI Ace 1973 2nd US PB VG £6
Books Update: Re-Working Our TV/Films Tie-Ins Category: Star Trek Fotonovels with New Additions
*TV/Film Tie-Ins: We’re continuing to introduce the new layout for our books categories, with an image for each book. This week, we return to our TV/Film Tie-Ins Category and the Star Trek Fotonovels. This includes some new additions to this range. Each volume features a classic Star Trek episode presented as a series of 300 stills with word balloons. Included is the first of the series The City On The Edge Of Forever, arguably the most famous episode of them all written by Harlan Ellison. Published by Bantam in the US in the late 1970s; some were distributed in the UK by Corgi and bear their brand. All in fabulous condition; many are as good as new. Author’s details are given in our catalogue.
PICTURED: ALL SOLD
STAR TREK FOTNOVELS
#1: THE CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER Corgi 1977 1st UK PB VG/FN £12
#4: A TASTE OF ARMAGEDDON Bantam 1978 1st US PB VF/NM £10
#5: METAMORPHOSIS Bantam 1978 1st UB PB VF/NM £10
#6: ALL OUR YESTERDAYS Bantam 1978 1st US PB FN £7
#7: THE GALILEO 7 Bantam 1978 1st US PB VF/NM £10
#9: THE DEVIL IN THE DARK Bantam 1978 1st US PB FN £7
Books Update: Re-Working Our Children’s Books Category: Billy Bunter Part 2
*Children’s Books: We’re continuing to introduce the new layout for our books categories, with an image for each book. This week, we return to our Children’s Books category and the adventures of Billy Bunter. First appearing in the Magnet #1 (1908), Billy Bunter was originally a minor character in the stories of Greyfriars School, but as time went on and the stories grew in popularity, author Frank Richards (Charles Hamilton) realised the comic potential of his most famous creation, so much so that after the Magnet ceased publication in 1940, Bunter was the starring figure in his own series of novels from 1947 to 1967. Our stock comprises mainly Hardback novels, a mix of originals, all with dust jackets, including some first editions, and the 1990s faithful facsimiles produced by Hawk Books. This is our second and final update for Billy Bunter for the time being. The ‘Fat Owl Of The Remove’ has now passed into legendary status as an icon of English literature, so here’s your chance to get acquainted with his antics. Yarooh!
PICTURED: ALL BY FRANK RICHARDS (More complete information in our catalogue)
BILLY BUNTER #18: LORD BILLY BUNTER Cassell 1959 2nd UK HC VG £20
BILLY BUNTER #21: BILLY BUNTER AFLOAT Cassell 1957 1st UK HC VG/FN £25
BILLY BUNTER #24: BUNTER OUT OF BOUNDS Cassell 1959 1st UK HC VG/FN £35
BILLY BUNTER #32: BILLY BUNTER’S BODYGUARD Cassell 1962 1st UK HC FN £35
BILLY BUNTER #35: BUNTER THE STOWAWAY Cassell 1964 1st UK HC FA/GD £18
BILLY BUNTER THE BOLD Armada 1968 1st UK PB VG £5
American Comics Update: The Bute Collection: World’s Finest #25 1946
*DC: Leading this week’s selections from the Bute Collection is World’s Finest #25, 1946. An amusing Jack Burnley cover typical of the period, featuring Superman, Batman & Robin. In these early days for the title, Superman and Batman appeared in separate stories and had a variety of back-ups, in this case Green Arrow, Zatara, the Boy Commandos and others in its 76 squarebound pages. This well-worn copy is a lower grade example; the spine is split and taped from the top down around 7cm. This split applies also to several of the opening pages. The rest of the spine is okay, as is the cover image, apart from a little grubbiness and a quite faint book store stamp at the centre. Wear around the edges, and page edges are a little tanned. Pages otherwise solid enough. A big package for a relatively small price.
PICTURED: WORLD’S FINEST #25 FA/GD £75 SOLD
American Comics Update: Six Of The Best: Blackhawk (Inc. New Secret Identities)
*DC: In issue #230 of the long-running Blackhawk series our international aviator team gave up their team uniforms to become a bunch of super-heroes, unforgettable for probably all the wrong reasons: who could forget Dr Hands, the Listener, M’Sieu Machine etc? Anyway, we have six issues to offer: #230 itself plus a few before and a few after, to get some perspective.
IN THIS UPDATE: BLACKHAWK ALL SOLD
#224 FN £6.25
#226 GD- £2.25
#230 VG/FN p £5.25 New secret identities
#231 VG/FN p £5.25
#235 VF p £11.75
#238 VF- £7
American Comics Update: The Good Doctor Collection: Spider-Mania/Mighty Marvel Firsts: Amazing #50 with debut of Kingpin and iconic cover
*Marvel: By the time of Spider-Man’s 50th issue, ‘new’ artist John Romita had made the series his own, and this milestone number was marked with the debut of a new villain, the Kingpin – so long associated with Daredevil, in the post-Miller years, that younger readers are unaware that he originated in Spider-Man’s Rogues’ Gallery! The cover of #50, with Peter temporarily abandoning his Spider-Man identity, has become etched in the minds of a generation, endlessly imitated and ‘homaged’, in comics and other media. The Good Doctor Collection copy is towards mid-grade, pence printed, with a strong cover image, great colour and some residual gloss. The staples are firm at spine and centrefold, and the pages are a nice off-white. There is some corner blunting, including a tiny colour-breaking crease at the extremity of the bottom right cover corner. Edge wear is minor except for a tiny chip out central top. Some signs of reading and handling wear, but nothing too serious.
PICTURED: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #50 VG p £375 SOLD
American Comics Update: Hulkinued: Mighty Marvel Firsts: Debut of Wendigo in Hulk #162
*Marvel: I always liked it when at the end of the Hulk’s strip in Tales To Astonish, the caption ‘To Be Hulkinued’ was used, so I thought it was time to revive it for a new feature spotlighting key issues of the ever Incredible Hulk. This week, the first Wendigo appearance in Hulk #162. The Wendigo is a cannibalistic monster of the American/Canadian north, associated with winter, cold and forests. Its spirit takes over being to being, one at a time. We have a nice pence printed copy, with a clean, vibrant cover, off-white pages and firm staples. Minor corner blunting and a couple of very short creases/ticks at the spine (not breaking colour) are the only defects. From an original owner collection and new to the marketplace. To Be Hulkinued…
PICTURED: HULK #162 VF- p £95
American Comics Update: Marvel #1: Red Sonja, She-Devil With A Sword
*Marvel: Following her guest appearances in Conan the Barbarian, demand for a Red Sonja solo series mounted, and after a trial run in Marvel Feature (second series) the ‘revised’ version as redesigned by Frank Thorne gained her own series in 1977, notorious chain-mail bikini and all (that’s gotta chafe, hon). Despite the skimpier clothing, Thorne’s Sonja was often more scary than sexy, as Thorne often drew her with intense expressions that bordered on the deranged, for a very mixed message indeed. This is a lovely pence printed copy of #1, flat, tight and glossy, with just the most minimal handling wear at spine.
PICTURED: RED SONJA #1 VF+ p £55 SOLD
American Comics Update: Six Of The Best: X-Men #157-162
*Marvel: Six consecutive issues of the X-Men from #157-162, all in reasonable shape, with art by Dave Cockrum and others. Includes the first appearance of Rogue in the X-Men title (#158) and a Wolverine solo story (#162). A nice run of stuff!
IN THIS UPDATE: X-MEN ALL SOLD
#157 VF £7.50
#158 VG/FN £8.25 1st Rogue in X-Men title
#159 VG+ £4
#160 FN £5
#161 FN/VF £6.25
#162 FN/VF £10.25 Wolverine solo story