*Marvel: A good update to our Silver/Bronze Age stocks of Captain America, from the second issue (#101) and the greatness of Lee & Kirby through many issues previously missing from our stock to #173 by Englehart and Sal Buscema, guest-starring the X-Men.
Technical Update: Our email address
As you know, our email address is sales@30thcenturycomics.co.uk For some time now, for technical reasons, we have been sending emails from our Hotmail address, which is comics30thcentury@hotmail.co.uk. From today, we are no longer using that Hotmail address, so if you have us saved in your email contacts list, please make sure that the address you have for us is sales@30thcenturycomics.co.uk This will ensure that your emails are attended to promptly without undue delay.
British Update: Her Grand Revamping! Girls’ Crystal 1941-1952
*Girls’ Comics: Girl’s Crystal started out as a story paper, with a style highly evocative of it’s time, such as the use of headings like Their Camping Holiday and Her Dilemma. The front cover and some internal pages carried illustrations, all of which suggest that women of the time only wore red. The characters were stylised, and intentionally youthful, but impossible to pin down to a particular age – mid-teens to late twenties. Stories were all Grand or Exciting (both if you were lucky), suitably patriotic during the war years, and, with the emphasis on cruises and adventures in exotic locations, offered post-war escapism. We’ve revamped our stock of Girls’ Crystal from its years as a story paper to bring the pricing structure into line with contemporary boys’ story papers, so that our stocks of these (1941-1948) are now approximately half the price at which we previously had them listed. For good measure we’ve added a complete year from 1952 also at the new prices. Bumper reading fun, with cover summaries such as ‘The Kiddies Were Looking Forward To The Mexican Fiesta — And Thanks To The Gay Outlaw All Their Hopes Were Realised’ (#583 1946). And in 1952 we get the Silent Three as well! Treat yourself to some ripping yarns, schoolgirl style!
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 Books Section:
*TV/Film Tie-Ins
*Pulp Fiction
As of the time of writing, these categories are bang up to date, with every item listed available.
American Update: Ant-Man’s Big Christmas!
*Marvel: Borrowing our heading from an Ant-Man special of a few years back, we’re delighted to present at this festive season both the first appearance of Ant-Man (Hank Pym) from Tales To Astonish #27 and of his partner the Wasp from Tales To Astonish #44. Two dynamic debuts for a favourite Marvel couple. Hank Pym, later to become Ant-Man (and Giant-Man, and Goliath, and Yellowjacket, and briefly the Wasp, but we don’t talk about that…), made his first appearance in Tales to Astonish #27 as “The Man In The Ant Hill!”, another of those ‘science gone awry’ stories so beloved of the early Marvel Bullpen. There was nothing in this story to distinguish Hank from myriad other white-coated geeks who had odd encounters at the hands of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, but for some reason he sparked the public imagination and returned in TTA #35 as a fully-fledged super-hero, Ant-Man. We have a copy of Hank’s first appearance, Tales to Astonish #27, new in in FN+, a highly attractive copy with excellent cover colour and gloss. The front cover has minuscule chips from the bottom right corner and mid-lower cover edge. There is also a small (approx. 1cm square) piece out of the back cover’s lower edge, which alone prevents a substantially higher grade. (The front and back back covers are pictured below). Ant-Man soon discovered that loyal as his ants were, they lacked something in the companionship stakes – so in Tales to Astonish #44, he was joined by Janet Van Dyne, alias the Wasp, and one of comics’ greatest and most turbulent relationships was born. Our copy of TTA #44 is a gorgeous VF-, with stunning cover and gloss, and only one tiny imperfection – a staple puncture just above the logo. Hank & Jan always had the most believable romance of the Marvel Universe, and the pair have long been favourites here at 30th C., so we’re delighted to see the characters getting their due recognition. Both of these highly collectible items are cents copies, with no UK price or overstamp, and, with the second Ant-Man movie now having been retitled “Ant-Man and the Wasp”, both characters are coming into greater public prominence, so now is the time to buy. Tales To Astonish #27 FN+ is offered at £3,275; Tales To Astonish #44 VF- is £650.
British Update: 30th Century Goes Poptastic!
*Girls’ Comics:
This special one-off event features dozens of items, many of which would be a spectacular update in themselves in an ordinary week – but because we’re too good to you, it’s a fantastic festive free-for-all! With cover dates ranging from 1957 to 1975, a spectacular array of love, pop, fashion and fun in comics and magazines intended for teen+ gals!
Particular highlights include: Jackie #1, from 1964, and more than twenty issues from 1965 and 1966 – the earliest Jackies we’ve ever had in stock!; eight new issues of Romeo, from 1957’s issue #5 through to 1971!; a batch of Mirabelle from 1966 with astonishing lovely painted covers, including a Free Gift Issue with the Mini-Mirabelle Mag (thus incorporating this week’s Free Gift Farrago!), featuring extra comic-strip adventures!; from 1975, Mates #1, in the last days before photo-love conquered the girls’ comics world! – and new listings for our stocks of the ever-popular romance weeklies Cherie, Marilyn, and Valentine. But not content with that, we also have a range of magazines – no comics content – with features, pictures and articles about the pop icons of the sixties, many of which are debut issues: Date #1(1960), the implausibly-oversized Intro #1 from 1967 (“The Beatles At Their Frankest!”), Scream! #1 (No, not the Skywald horror mag. nor the Fleetway one either!) from 1964; a double-punch from 1963, with the Thank Your Lucky Stars Special and its companion, Lucky Stars (they were low on imagination for titles, but high on Beatles pics!); and Rave #6 from 1964, with a showbiz smackdown – “Beatles Vs. Cliff Great Film Special!” Cover stars include Jagger, Connery, Man from U.N.C.L.E., Herman (no, not Munster…) and, oh yes, did we mention the Beatles? Relive the days of the British Invasion, Swinging London, and just a dab of the BCR’s with this cross-section of pop-culture phenomena! Groovy!
American Update: Dr Strange #1 NM-
*Marvel: After a well-received run in Marvel Premiere, the Sorceror Supreme, Doctor Strange, won back his own series, commencing with this #1 issue from 1974. His run in Marvel Premiere had been characterised by some of the most inventive and daring storytelling and artwork seen in comics at that time, and the quality continued in #1, written by Steve Englehart and featuring the superlative illustrations of Frank Brunner. This particular issue #1 is a serendipitous instance of the quality of the content matching the quality of the copy, as it’s a gorgeous NM- specimen cents copy at £150. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
British Update: Valiant Summer Specials
*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: A trio of Valiant Summer Specials from the 1970’s (with one bonus duplicate copy!) 1971’s ‘Valiant & Smash’ Summer Special has Kelly’s Eye, Sgt. Hurricane, the Steel Claw and company joined by the Ghostly Guardian and His Sporting Lordship. A year later, the title had morphed into ‘Valiant & TV 21’ , and featured Star Trek and Yellowknife of the Yard alongside all the other regulars; and in 1976, in a harsher time, the Summer Special was headlined by tough cop One-Eyed Jack and action dog ‘Paco’. !971 is in VG at £20, 1972 in VF at £30 or PR/FA at £7.50, and 1976 in VF at £30.
American Update: Titans Together!
*DC: Two early appearances of DC’s sidekick super-team. In Brave & Bold #54, the ‘tryout’ title premiered a team-up of Robin, Aqualad and Kid Flash, sans their adult mentors, against the sinister menace of Mister Twister. Sales spiked, and the team, christened the Teen Titans and with the welcome addition of Wonder Girl, won further auditions in B&B and Showcase, before graduating to their own series, and never looking back, remaining (with various line-ups) an integral part of the DC Universe to the present day. Our Brave & Bold #54 is an attractive VG+ (cents copy at £65), with only mid-spine weakness and to tiny chips out of lower cover corners precluding a grade of Fine or better; the Teen Titans #1 is a solid GD+ (cents copy at £30), with a narrow strip/chip off the bottom right cover being the only significant defect.
American Update: He Is Groot!
*Marvel: In 1976, Chris Claremont, assigned the task of scripting that year’s Incredible Hulk Annual, hit on the idea of having Jade-Jaws take a rampage down memory lane and encounter a selection of the Big Panty Monsters who, before the advent of the Marvel Universe, used to rule the roost in Tales Of Suspense, Strange Tales, Tales To Astonish, and so on. Xemnu (Marvel’s previous ‘Hulk’), Goom, Taboo, Diablo, and the Blip were all participants in Greenskin’s ‘Big-Panty-Raid’, but most significant from a contemporary viewpoint is the guest-shot by Groot, fifteen years after his debut in 1960, and almost forty years before he became a pop-culture phenomenon with his role in the Guardians of the Galaxy cinematic blockbuster! This copy of Groot’s second ever appearance is an attractive FN+, with two small and discreet stamps by an American second-hand dealer, in the upper right and left cover corners, being the only defect to speak of. A cents copy – obviously, as this issue was never UK-distributed, enhancing its desirability – this is a rare opportunity to grab a nice-condition copy at an affordable price.
American Update: Quirky Corner: The Owl and the Pussycat….and the Chimp?
*Gold Key/Whitman: Three oddball titles from Gold Key this update: the Owl, a 1967 revival of a Golden Age character, was one of myriad attempts to cash in on the Batman TV series’ popularity, with the shapely Owl Girl standing in for Robin. Sadly, readers couldn’t give a hoot, and the series stalled with issue #2. Another trend-jumper was Tiger Girl, 1968’s mix of the superhero and superspy crazes, as circus aerialist Lily Taylor borrows the circus tiger (as you do) and nips out to battle the ranks of I.N.F.A.M.Y. on behalf of W.A.A.V. (want to decipher the initials? Buy the comic – there was only one issue!) Finally, a direct rival of the man from U.N.C.L.E. in the form of Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp! Based on a TV show which starred live-action chimpanzees, our simian hero and his glamorous cohort Mata Hairi defy the Criminal Headquarters for Underworld Master Plan, or C.H.U.M.P.! 1971’s Issue #1 new in.
American Update: If you can stand the Shock and the Suspense, the Mother Of All Pre-Code Horror Fests concludes!
*EC: Eight issues of EC’s most challenging title new in the conclusion to our Pre-Code Horror Fest event! Shock SuspenStories was, like its stablemate Crime SuspenStories, a departure for the EC comics group which had founded its empire on the supernatural, whether horrific or science-fictional; Shock derived its drama primarily from the darker side of human psychology – and what a dark side it was! Among the usual stories of lust and violence (and there were plenty of them), were parables about racism, drug addiction, corruption, anti-Semitism, child abuse and more. Presented with intelligence and skill – albeit punched-up for dramatic effect – these stories raised the bar for what could be expected in the comics medium, and, as always, illustrated by Wally Wood, Jack Kamen, Johnny Craig, and others of the finest artists of the time. Particularly worthy of note is issue #6, with its notorious “Klan” cover; this copy, though apparently a Very Good, is marred by a severe interior page tear which removes most of two interior panels (see scan below). Ordinarily we would not sell something so severely damaged, but the price of this issue has escalated so sharply over recent decades (seriously, check for yourselves online) that we thought we would offer an opportunity to obtain an otherwise very presentable copy at an affordable price. Pictured Below: #6 App VG £75, #7 FN £150, #14 VG/FN £63. We’re looking forward to further Fests in the New Year if we’re lucky enough to acquire more of these increasingly rare gems…
American Update: Archie’s Fly and Jaguar
*Archie: From the early 1960’s, in the Archie Adventure series, updates to their two most famous super-heroes, the Fly and the Jaguar. With accomplished art by John Rosenberger, both series had a look and feel very much like contemporary DC and were great entertainment. Later, after the cancellation of the Jaguar, Fly became Fly-Man, Archie Adventure became Mighty Comics Group and the look was shamelessly Marvel, with vastly inferior creators, which gave it an entertainment value of a very different kind! Both ‘looks’ new in, including a Jaguar #1 in GD/VG at £18.25.
British Update: TV 21 2nd series #1-25
*TV & Film Related Comics: Carrying on immediately after the first series (TV Century 21) ended in 1969, the second series (known initially as TV 21 & Joe 90) commenced. The Thunderbirds strip continued by Frank Bellamy, and was joined by Joe 90 by Michael Strand. Other features included the Saint, Tarzan, Star Trek and Land Of the Giants; curiously, it took until #7 to get an Anderson-realted cover (Thunderbird 4). The series lasted 105 issues and we have fresh in the first 25, all in the large format of the first series before it ‘shrank’ in a variety of grades. #1 is Fair only at £25, but many of the subsequent issues rise to Fine.
American Update: Complete run of Logan’s Run #1-7 1977
*Marvel: A title new to our Marvel listings is the series based on the movie Logan’s Run (you remember the one, where everyone got killed off when they reached the age of 30?). We have the complete short-lived series #1-7, inc #6 which rather bizarrely sports a Thanos story in the back. It’s a good job they don’t apply that over-30 rule to comic shop proprietors (or many of our customers!)
American Update: Berni Wrightson’s Swamp Thing
*DC: From 1972, an almost complete run of the first series of Swamp Thing (just missing #3). Issues up to #10 are drawn by that master of the macabre Berni Wrightson, and in particular are much sought after. Nice grades on most of these cents copies, except that the #1 issue, sadly, has suffered the fate of rodent meal and has a gnawed bottom corner by the spine, although the story remains untouched.
British Update: A small update to Thriller Picture Library
*Boys’ Adventure & War Picture Libraries: Eight new issues in of Thriller Picture Library from the 1950’s, between #53 & #126, featuring Robin Hood, Rob Roy and others.
American Update: Tales To Astonish with Subby & Hulk mid-high grade
*Marvel: A couple of dozen new issues in of Tales To Astonish between #70 and #100, featuring Sub-Mariner and the ever Incredible Hulk. All cents copies, and mostly in mid-high grade from FN to VF, including many issues previously missing from our listings. A great period for both characters, with the cream of Marvel’s 1960’s bullpen present on both strips.
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 files in our American/British section:
*Mad & Other Parody
*Undergrounds
and in our British section:
*Magazines/Books About Vintage UK Comics
As of the time of writing, these categories are bang up to date, with every item listed available.
Books Update: Holmes And Away
*Crime, Spies & Sleaze: The world’s most famous detective stars in our Crime update this week. Sherlock Holmes by his creator (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) in his very first adventure ‘A Study In Scarlet’ and ‘The Memoirs Of Sherlock Holmes’, as well as by other writers, including Robert Lee Hall (‘Exit, Sherlock Holmes’ Sphere 1st 1979), Michael Harrison (‘The World Of Sherlock Holmes’ NEL 1975) and Michael Kurland (‘The Infernal Device’ NEL 1st 1979). If it’s a triple-pipe problem for you choosing which to buy, it’s elementary — buy them all!
American Update: Batmania explodes!
*DC: A one week event as Batmania returns to our listings! More than 50 new Silver/Bronze issues of the Caped Crusader’s own series new in, ranging from #142 through to #327, including many appearances by classic villains (Joker, Penguin, Catwoman, Two-Face) and some that are, well, less classic (The Eraser, Death-Man, the Ten-Eyed Man, and Gaggy!). High points include #181, the first appearance of the lovely-but-lethal Poison Ivy, and #227’s “Demon of Gothos Mansion”, with a stunning Neal Adams cover (though stunning Adams covers were not in short supply around the early 1970’s, this tops the lot). Not content with that, we have most of the first nine issues of Batman Family, the oddball series which teamed Batgirl and Robin surprisingly effectively. Issues #6, #8 & #9 of Batman Family feature the earliest appearances of Duela Dent, the Joker’s Daughter. Also, Brave & Bold featured Batman in tandem with other DC super-stars, and our new B & B stock offers several of the harder-to-find 100-page issues, as well as low-UK-distribution numbers #111, #129 and #130, which co-star the Joker. And finally, Detective Comics, the series which launched Batman’s career, is topped up with a dozen or so issues from the ‘Dark Knight’ early 1970’s, as well as the silver age classic “Negative Batman” from issue #284. Our copy of Batman #181 is VG-, sound with light wear, and while the centrefold poster is present, there are some light pencil lines around the Robin figure. This cents copy, with no UK price mark or overstamp, is offered at £60.
British Update: Batmania sidebar: Aussie Batmans
*Vintage UK/Australian Reprints of US Material: To complement our other substantial Batman update this week, we have additional issues of the 1950’s Batman reprint series from Australia’s K. G. Murray publishers, featuring two vintage Batman stories and one Green Arrow per issue, in glorious black & white! issues between #89 and #100 new to our listings this week.
British Update: Gorblimey, Matey!
*Marvel UK: Evoking every American’s favourite clichés about the UK, it’s Captain Britain! The entire 39-issue run of the Defender of Albion’s weekly series is back in stock, with linguistic patterns and cultural misfires that anticipated the “Austin Powers” movies by decades! By Chris Claremont and Herb Trimpe (later augmented by Fred Kida and Pablo Marcos – it just keeps getting better and better, doesn’t it?), this series received reviews that could charitably have been described as ‘mixed’, but is significant for the character’s later prominence in the Marvel Universe under more gifted hands – Jamie Delano, Alan Davis, and Alan Moore, to name just three pivotal contributors. But here, for better or worse, is where it all started – so it’s ‘istorically significant, innit? Most unusually, issue #8 of the series has spiralled in price over the last few years, as it featured the first appearance of our hero’s sister Betsy Braddock, who would later turn Japanese and join the X-Men. As you do. Our VF copy is £40.
American Update: About as Cosmic as it gets: Captain Marvel #1-53 & GS #1
*Marvel: Not a lot of people know this: Mar-Vell, agent of the Kree Empire, began his career as a copyright-saving device when another 1960’s publisher put out a ‘Captain Marvel’ comic which appeared to threaten the entire Marvel trademark. A new character was rapidly created, and after test appearances in Marvel Super-Heroes #12 and #13, launched into his own magazine, with perhaps more haste than sales figures would normally have justified. Captain Marvel was a somewhat hit & miss series, despite a dynamic costume redesign with #16, and rather floundered until a certain Jim Starlin took over with #25, and introduced the cosmic tropes which have become the character’s watchword. We have the first 53 of the good Captain’s own series, in addition to the 1975 one-off Giant-Size Captain Marvel, all cents copies, and including all of the Starlin ‘Cosmic Odyssey’ (with Thanos, Drax, the Avengers, and all Cap’s wacky chums) issues, #25-34, mostly in high grades. Many of these issues were low or non-distributed in the UK, so are doubly desirable here in the Old Country. A key member of the Captain’s earliest supporting cast was Carol Danvers, later Ms. Marvel and currently holder of the Captain Marvel title, so the early issues are now gathering sales momentum with the announcement of a Captain (Carol) Marvel movie in the works. pictured below: #1 FN- £30, #25 VF £30, #26 VF £35.
British Update: Free Gift Farrago – Lindy #1 with Super Bracelet!
*Girls’ Comics: New in, the first issue of this short-lived weekly which got absorbed into Jinty in only a few months. Lindy is one of the less-commonly seen Fleetway girls’ weeklies, with not only a lower print run, but a high incidence of mutilated and incomplete second-hand copies, as it featured a number of pop photos which are frequently clipped or pulled out. Featuring ‘Pavement Patsy’, ‘The House of Fear’, ‘Sophie’s Secret Squeezy’ (our heroine has adventures when she inhales from a washing-up liquid bottle – nowadays, there’s rehab for that…), ‘Hard Days For Hilda’ and more, this debut issue is complete with centrefold of the Bay City Rollers – you have been warned – and has the original free gift, a heart-charm bracelet! In Fine, with a VF Free Gift, at £50.
American Update: Silver Age Hawkman inc #4 (1st Zatanna)
*DC: Early issues of the Pinioned Paladin back in stock, with high-flying sci-fi stories by Gardner Fox and luminous Murphy Anderson artwork, from issue #2 to #8. All of these issues are superb (not that we’re prejudiced witnesses or anything…), but the highlight of this selection is issue #4, featuring the debut of the Princess of Prestidigitation – Zatanna! Zee (as she’s familiarly known), a personal favourite here at 30th Century, daughter of DC’s Golden Age magician Zatara, took her quest for her missing father through the pages of Green Lantern, Atom and Detective Comics, but here’s where her illustrious career began. (And yes, they did miss a bet by not having her featured on the cover. Foolish mortals). This Fine cents copy is offered at £125.
American Update: A Fantastic Four of Fantastic Four!
*Marvel: A quartet of classics from Marvel’s First Family: first, #16, guest-starring the Astonishing Ant-Man versus the menacing “Micro-World of Doctor Doom!”; issue #26, the conclusion of the classic Thing/Hulk battle, in which “The Avengers Take Over!”; a remarkable NM-p #54, guest-starring the Inhumans; and Annual #3, the wedding of Reed and Sue, guest-starring Sgt. Fury, Patsy & Hedy, Kid Colt (no, really; he’s on the cover there, see…), Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and just about everybody else who was in the Marvel Universe at the time!
American Update: With Super Friends Like These…
*DC: As part of our catalogue expansion, we welcome DC’s Super-Friends, the 1976-launched series which spun off from a successful TV cartoon show. Written by E. Nelson Bridwell and illustrated mostly by Ramona Fradon, the criminally-underestimated creators turned in a series which was not only a vast improvement on its televisual parent (have you seen any of the TV ‘toons? They’re terrible!), but provided the best Justice League stories being published at the time. Substantially expanding the cast, and introducing a multinational feel to the plots (as well as creating characters such as Green Fury, Icemaiden and Godiva, who would later step into the DCU proper) Super-Friends’ adventure sagas remain cracking reading to this day!
American Update: She-Devil With A Sword
*Marvel: Red Sonja puts in an appearance with us this week, from both Marvel Feature (2nd series 1975) and her own series from 1977. Several issues from both fresh into stock of your favourite chain-metal bikini-clad barbarienne!
British Update: When it comes to the Crunch…
*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: …we’ve got it covered! A long run of Crunch new in, most of the 54 issues in this D C Thomson series from 1979/80, starting with #1. Home to such series as Arena by Alcatena, The Mantracker by Alberto Salinas, The Walking Bombs by Denis McLoughlin, Hitler Lives by Pat Wright and many others, the title was eventually merged into Hotspur.
British Update: Rupert Adventure Series
*Rupert: A welcome update for Nutwood’s resident little bear in the form of four issues of the Rupert Adventure series, comics that were published quarterly from 1948 to 1963. They contained full colour stories in the same format as the more famous annuals. This update comprises #24, #30, #32 & #41. They all veer towards the later end of the 50 issue series, which are harder to find due to smaller print runs. Grades and prices vary from FA at £9 to VF at £25.
American Update: Power Man (& Iron Fist)
*Marvel: A further update to our stocks of Luke Cage, Power Man between #28 & #53. This encompasses the title change with #50 to Power Man & Iron Fist, whereas in fact the Power Man/Iron Fist partnership started in #48, with Claremont and Byrne aboard as creators. #48, #49 & #50 all present in this update in high grade.
British Update: Boys’ Adventure large format rarities 1930’s-1960’s
*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: Some large format rarities in this section, comprising Boys’ Broadcast from 1935, illustrated text stories based on radio adventures, Boys’ World from 1964, the short-lived Eagle imitator Rocket from 1956, a Christmas Swift from 1958, Wild West Weekly from 1938, also illustrated text, and several issues of Zip from 1958, featuring Strongbow The Mighty by Ron Embleton and Wells Fargo by Don Lawrence.
British Update: Fanderson alert! TV Century 21 update!
*TV & Film Related Comics: Several dozen issues of the seminal TV Century 21 1st series new to our listings, right across the run as early as #6 and as late as #226, including many issues previously missing from our catalogue. These additions are mostly in very affordable low to mid-grade.
American Update: The Mother Of All Pre-Code Horror Fests shambles on!
*Horror 1940-1959: We reach the penultimate chapter in our Mother Of All Pre-Code Horror Fests event, with a devil’s half-dozen plus one from various publishers out to outrage you in the 1950’s: two Hand Of Fate from Ace, two Tales Of Horror from Toby, two Witches Tales from Harvey and a solitary but early Journey Into Unknown Worlds (#4) from Atlas. Look out next week for our frantic finale — and we’ve saved something very special for last!
American Update: Steve Ditko at DC 1968: Complete runs of Creeper and Hawk & Dove
*DC: To the dismay of Marvelites everywhere, Steve Ditko left Spider-Man and Doctor Strange at Marvel in 1968 and moved over to DC, where he created two quirky series, whose reputations live on to this day, despite short runs on both their titles. The Creeper debuted in Showcase #73 and went on to a six issue series; Hawk & Dove were in Showcase #75 and also went into their own series for six issues. We suspect the cancellation of both series may have had as much to do with Ditko’s poor health at the time as with sales figures (Hawk & Dove was in fact finished off by Gil Kane, himself no piker, of course). We’re delighted to present both Showcase issues and every issue of both series in a mixture of grades. The characters Ditko created still crop up in various places throughout the DCU, and here’s your chance to acquire the full vintage collections of both series!
American Update: Catalogue Expansion: Marvel’s Battlestar Galactica
*Marvel: We continue our programme of expanding our catalogue into later years by adding this time Marvel’s Battlestar Galactica series from 1979. Whilst lacking the sophistication of the show’s most recent reincarnation, the original series of BG is fondly remembered, and executed here in comic form by talented creators from the contemporary Marvel Bullpen, including Walt Simonson. The series lasted 23 issues, and we have several of them including the first and last.
British Update: A whole heap of War & Western Picture Libraries!
*Boys’ Adventure & War Picture Libraries: A large update to our Boys’ Picture Library stock in the War & Western genres. Titles include: Action, Action War, Air Ace (inc Holiday Special), Air War Picture Stories, Battleground, Conflict, Cowboy, Picture Stories of WWII, Pocket Detective, Pocket War, Secret Agent, Silhouette war Stories, Space PL Holiday special, Starblazer (from #1), a couple of late Thriller, Top Secret PL Holiday Specials, Top Three, TV Picture Stories (Charlie Chan), Valiant, War Hero, Western, Western PL Holiday Specials, Wild West PL Holiday Specials.
Coming Attractions: DC & Marvel Expansion
We’re re-jigging some of the space allocated on our ground floor for Silver & Bronze Age comics in order to expand our Silver/Bronze DC & Marvel sections, so that we can include an extra 500 issues from each publisher for your browsing pleasure, without removing any of the vintage selections from other publishers either. And of course our website catalogue will also expand to incorporate these as they’re prepared and go out into the boxes. So you can look forward to an even better selection of DC & Marvel vintage comics in the weeks ahead and into 2016.
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:
*Girls’ Comics
and in our Books Section:
*Crime, Spies & Sleaze
As of the time of writing, these categories are bang up to date, with every item listed available.
Books Update: Wake Up And Smell The Paper
*Crime, Spies & Sleaze: 30th Century Comics have been greatly cheered by recent reports that sales of real (as opposed to virtual) books have stopped falling. Now comes yet more proof that you can’t beat a real book, with the news that a new fragrance, Paperback, has been released “with just a touch of the mustiness of aged paper”. Chemically speaking the scent that habitués of second-hand bookshops identify with is a mixture of acetic acid (think vinegar), rosin and a relative of vanillin. Here at 30th Century Comics though, we say why have hamburger when you can have steak? Our mega crime and spies update gives you the opportunity to own the real fragrance, with more than 40 books added. You’ll be spoilt for choice with a nice spread across the decades. From the 1950’s: Graphic Mystery novels, some with Oliver Brabbins cover art, such as Murder – Very Dry (Samm Sinclair Baker), or two other 1950’s novels, The Big Guy (Wade Miller) and Follow The Saint (Leslie Charteris). 1960’s works include James M Cain’s The Postman Always Rings Twice, Adam Diment’s The Dolly Dolly Spy and The Great Spy Race and Winston (Poldark) Graham’s Take My Life. In the 1970’s we have Victor Canning’s A Delivery Of Furies and two blaxploitation novels, Black Gunn (Larry Pryce) and Shaft Among The Jews (Ernest Tidyman), along with Zero Cool (Michael Crichton disguised as John Lange), The Big Hit (Ken Follett disguised as Symon Myles) and The Ace Of Spies (Don Von Elsner). Finally one book published in 1980, The Drowner by John D MacDonald. This is not an exhaustive list (although it’s been exhausting typing it!): check the Crime, Spies & Sleaze listing to see all the titles.
American Update: Among Us Hide…The Inhumans!
*Marvel: Well, not all of them were hiding. Gorgon and the magnificent Madame Medusa had premiered some time before, but Fantastic Four #45 was the first appearance of Crystal, Karnak, Triton and Black Bolt, (not to mention their ‘porting puppy Lockjaw!) the Royal Family of the Inhumans, and the first explanation of who and what the Inhumans were, so this is regarded as their official premiere. This issue has, with the increased prominence of the Inhumans, skyrocketed in value over the last year, and this attractive Fine+ pence copy, with good cover gloss, unimpaired cover scene and just fine wear lines around the edges, is offered at £290.
American Update: Bombs Away! Superman #18
*DC: No, not a reference to the current lamentable political situation, but a harking back to when the situation seemed simpler. Superman #18, from 1942, has what has been described as a classic ‘bomb rodeo’ cover, in which the Man of Steel leads the assault on the ‘Japanazis’. Four Superman stories by Siegel & Shuster (though with some suspected ghost work by artist Jack Burnley, of Starman fame), including an early Lex Luthor appearance and another costumed criminal, “The Snake”. This vivid cover scene is unmarred, and the interior page quality excellent given its vintage. A half-inch upper spine split and a tiny chip out of a back cover corner are the only significant flaws in this highly appealing Golden Age treat, GD at £250.
American Update: X-Men #121 – 1st Alpha Flight
*Marvel: Never distributed in the UK (and causing a calamitous and expensive gap in many collections), X-Men #121 featured the debut of Wolverine’s old battling buddies Alpha Flight, Canada’s own super-hero team. Smowbird, Sasquatch, Northstar and company were all destined for longer lives and greater notoriety in the Marvel Universe at large, but here’s where it all kicked off, as artist and co-plotter John Byrne brought his own characters into the franchise! This VF+ copy is offered at £50.
American Update: What A Tangled Web We Weave
*Horror 1940-1959: The Mother Of All Pre-Code Horror Fests lurches on! With two tangled webs, in fact, as we bring you two excellent pre-code horror series with a strand in common: Web of Evil, from Quality Comics, and Web of Mystery, from Ace Publications. “The Moulder of Doom”, “The Ghoul of Ghost Swamp”, and “The Strangling Witch” are among the thrills awaiting you with this stylish and evocative selection, many of which are in affordable mid-grades. Just a few more updates to go now in our latest Pre-Code Horror Fest!
American Update: Just Imagine…
*DC: …the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes — all together in one comic! Early issues new in of the Justice League of America, the ‘Hot New Title’ of 1960, half-a-dozen beginning with #4 (Green Arrow joining the team), and including #9 (the group’s previously-untold origin) and #14 (Atom joins the roster), as well as #16, with the JLA’s first ‘Imaginary Story’. (Don’t believe us? Just ask Jerry Thomas!) Written by Gardner Fox, illustrated by Sekowsky and Sachs and with gorgeous Murphy Anderson covers, these are cracking tales close to our hearts here at 30th C. – but they’re also wise investment choices, as the “Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice” movie is bound to spur interest in the team. These new additions are very affordable mid-grade, but with good ‘cover appeal’ – no significant defects or missing bits to impair the cover scenes.
Christmas Window
Our very own Dr. Evilla has been busy again, festooning our window for the holiday season. Our theme this year is Christmas baubles, adorned with images of favourite comics characters dressed as Santa (as they do). Among the many iconic Father Christmasses on display are Spider-Man, Desperate Dan, Archie, Bat-Santa, Mandy, the Hulk, Dennis the Menace, the Punisher and the Joker (naturally!) A very merry Christmas to one and all from all of us here at 30th Century!
British Update: Free Gift Farrago: Eagle, Starlord, Tornado, 2000 AD
*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: When 2000 AD revolutionized the ailing UK comics industry in the 1970’s, its publisher, IPC, launched several other titles in an attempt to duplicate its success. Among them were the revived Eagle, Starlord, and Tornado, all of which offer free gift issues this update, as does 2000 AD itself. Highlights include Starlord #2’s ‘Space Calculator’ and Tornado #2’s ‘Disaster Pack’, (illustrated) but other gifts include Phil Edmond’s World Of Sport booklet, an Eagle Boomerang, and a poster of old Stony Face himself – Judge Dredd!
American Update: Magazines & Books About Vintage US Comics
*Magazines & Books About Vintage US Comics: A more esoteric selection of additions to this popular category, with items from the 1970’s up to the present century: the original Charlton Bullseye, the UK’s Comic Media News, the Golden Age of Comics, the Illustrated Comic Art Workshop (by Giordano, McLaughlin and Romita), the 2002 series of Rocket’s Blast/ComicCollector, and a trinity of creator spotlights: the Frazetta Folio, a magazine-sized collection of vintage reprints and text; the Michael W. Kaluta Treasury, a handsome softcover gathering of his less-known works, plus checklist; and the Neal Adams Checklist, a 1970’s offering with some lesser-seen artwork.
Books Update: Old Masters V – Edmond Hamilton
*Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror: Edmond Hamilton is truly an Old Master. He wrote for Wierd Tales and many other science fiction pulps, and he’s credited with producing the first hard cover compilation of SF stories. He also wrote horror and crime fiction, and in the 1940’s he wrote for DC, particularly for Batman and Superman stories. He is especially esteemed by us at 30th Century Comics because he was highly influential in the development of the Legion of Super-Heroes. We have five books showcasing Hamilton’s larger-than-life, epic style: Battle For The Stars, Chronicles Of The Star Kings (2 novels in one:The Star Kings and Return To The Stars), City At World’s End, Doomstar and The Star Of Life.