Narf Star's Neat Stuff

[narfstar]

I remain very curious and puzzled about how they handled v2:1, John.
Considering it most "traditional" to have 12 issues in a "volume", it would have not been so unlikely to have an issue labeled both "V1:13" and "V2:1", but all logic for the actual pairing of "V1:13" and "V2:2" escapes me.

Same thing that jumped out at me Jim

[JVJ (RIP)]

We may never know the answer, narf.
Did you ever get a chance to scrounge up a fiche for me?

Peace, Jim (|:{>

[John C]

Considering it most "traditional" to have 12 issues in a "volume", it would have not been so unlikely to have an issue labeled both "V1:13" and "V2:1", but all logic for the actual pairing of "V1:13" and "V2:2" escapes me.

Any idea when the first issue hit the stands?  If it was February, for example, they might have reset the volume with the new year.

Again, I'm pulling that out of, well, let's say my "hat," but it seems like something I might be inclined to do in their situation.  What I mean is that it might make sense for some publishing reason (taxes?) to know the publication calendar year by the issue number, regardless of whether the book was launched in summer or winter, and whether it was quarterly, bimonthly, or monthly.

That logic, though, might be exclusive of my other hypothesis, though there's also the possibility that they gave up their plans of "squatting profits" with issue 12, thus making that the second volume...maybe.

[Bob Hughes]

The attached index card with the credits is for V2 #11.

As far as the discrepancy between the cover and the book, you have to remember they were printed in different places.  Covers were routinely printed at one printer that could handle glossy paper and the book's guts were printed at another printer that did newsprint- and then usually sent to a third company to be bound together!  I think World Color in 1955 was probably the first place to offer to do the whole thing.

Also between v1 and v2, the comic changed publishers.  So the covers were printed before the switchover and the new publisher decided to use them anyway to save money.  New publisher, new address, new business plan.  Nothing in the cover indicia matches the indicia on the first page.  Not even the copyright!

[builderboy]

Good point, Bob. There is a variant form of the indicia printed on the TOC page, so 2 indicias for the single issue.  I didn't do a thorough comparison of the two, but they vary significantly in content. Oddly, both cite that they hold 1937 copywrites, the ifc version by Comics Magazine Company, Inc. and the TOC version by Ultem Publications, Inc. (Harry "A" Chesler, editor).

[JVJ (RIP)]

All makes perfect (well, not literally) sense, and makes me even MORE curious as to if there WAS a V2:1 and how that was treated in the indicia. Still hoping someone can add that info to the discussion.

Peace, Jim (|:{>

[Bob Hughes]

Well, according to Keltner's book, the previous issue also had dual indicias and the one on the inside cover said V1 #10, while the one on the title page said v2 #1.

All this is interesting because v1 actually only goes up to #7. the June issue. There were no July and August issues.

[builderboy]

I wonder if there were two more issues 'in the can'...produced but not printed. The 'Lost Issues'?

Didn't Stan Lee buy up some material that had never seen print after one of the Golden Age implosions?

[darkmark (RIP)]

There's always some unpubbed stuff around comics companies, and some of it's lost forever.  I saw an ad for an unpublished Frank Robbins Dracula story form Marvel, and Dave Kraft confirmed that Ernie Chan drew an issue of SWAMP THING in the first run that's floating around in the ether somewhere.  Many other examples to cite, but yeah, it's *possible* Stan bought some material in the Fifties that didn't get used up prior to or after the 1957 implosion...I'm not sure how *likely* it is, given that Martin Goodman had him use up that huge inventory he'd built up back then.

[builderboy]

Yet another of JVJ's goodies up tonight, scanned by the narfstar, edited and posted by me, a Golden Goodie:

Centaur's Star Ranger Funnies v2 #1...first one of the series in color on the site. Jack Cole and many others serving up western-leaning features in various formats: comic, adventure and bio.

Take a peek...I think you'll like!

[Yoc]

Thanks BB!
I see there are only 51 scans.  Can you tell us where the missing pages should be?
Inner spreads or outer wraps?

-Yoc

[builderboy]

Wish that I had a way to tell you, Yoc. The original scanner possibly would have known (narf...feel free to chime in), and sometimes, a publisher will globally number the pages of a book, but no such luck on this one.

HOWEVER, with this book, hot off the presses, the problem won't re-occur: 

Centaurs Funny Picture Stories v2 #07, a c2c 68-page paper scan...just posted for your viewing pleasure.  A JVJ-narfstar-builderboy production.

I was floored when I saw the Maurice Kashuba piece near the end of the book (Rattlesnake Gulch).     Beautiful work!

[Yoc]

Thanks BB, going up shortly.


I liked 'Voices in the Dark' as well.  Nice art and surprising colour work in both.

[builderboy]

You're right, Yoc...it was the color work that set it all off. Those scenes in the snake pit were surreal!

[narfstar]

I just scan what is in front of me sorry no further help