DC Archives

[KevinP]

Has DC stopped doing Archives?  Marvel Masterworks seems to be doing a brisk business so I wonder why DC isn't.  Would rather see complete issues like MM offers but single-hero collections like DC were worth having. 

kevin

[Yoc]

Really?  I hadn't heard that.
I was never a fan of the paper stock or recolouring they did but did like the idea they existed.

[OtherEric]

They are still doing some projects as archives, just not nearly as many.  (And that's direct from DC as of March, I asked the question myself at one of the panels at ECCC)

[josemas]

They have a Sugar and Spike Archive coming out around the end of the year and there is also a Lois Lane Archive and a new LSH Archive scheduled.  Probably a few more that I am forgetting about too.

Best

Joe

[KevinP]

Thanks!  I have SUGAR & SPIKE on order

[OtherEric]

Gotta love Sugar & Spike!  One of my all-time favorite comics.  And one of the absolute rarest DC titles, sadly. I've only got 6 of the issues in the first archive, so this will be a very nice addition to the library.  And, honestly, while I insist on being willing to read any book I own, no matter how valuable, there's maybe 5 people on the planet I know personally who I would trust to look at my copy of #1 outside the bag & board.  Having a book to share will be nice.

[josemas]

I too am definitely looking forward to the Sugar and Spike Archive.  Hopefully down the line DC will also make the stories available in a cheaper format (the archive retails for $60.00) such as their Showcase Presents books or something akin to Dark Horse's reprints of John Stanley's Little Lulu and Tubby comics so that people can pick up copies for their kids.

Also hope that this will be just the first of some long overdue attention to Mayer that may get more of his work back in to print.

Best

Joe

[narfstar]

I think DC saw that there was a market for things like LL and Tubby and decided they might be able to sell S&S.
It is interesting, the large number of us old men that have such a love for S&S. It really one of the all time best comics.

[KevinP]

I think DC saw that there was a market for things like LL and Tubby and decided they might be able to sell S&S.
It is interesting, the large number of us old men that have such a love for S&S. It really one of the all time best comics.

With Sheldon Mayer it has to be among the best!  I'm reading his J. Worthington Blimp, Strange Adventures of Mr Weed and Scribbly strips in THE FUNNIES, POPULAR, ADVENTURE and ALL-AMERICAN now.  Unfortunately I can't share the DCs here.  I didn't realize he had also done THE THREE MOUSEKETEERS which I read as a kid, but now I'm looking for those too.  Does anyone know if LEAVE IT TO BINKY was as good?

[KevinP]

I too am definitely looking forward to the Sugar and Spike Archive.  Hopefully down the line DC will also make the stories available in a cheaper format (the archive retails for $60.00) Also hope that this will be just the first of some long overdue attention to Mayer that may get more of his work back in to print.

I'm buying more Archives and Masterworks since today's comics are so disappointing.  I get them through a subscription service at G-Mart Comics at a standard 35% discount, so a $60 book runs me $39.  Unfortunately some of the books are OOP, so it cost me about $150 each to get THOR and DR STRANGE vol 1 Masterworks thru Amazon sellers, but G-Mart can get me any that are still in print.  Not shilling for G-Mart, but I couldn't afford these editions otherwise.

[OtherEric]

As far as I know Mayer didn't work on Leave it to Binky past the first two issues, and I'm not sure how much he did in those.  The story in issue #15 is actually a Scribbly story from when the title went on hiatus for about a year.  It's not quite as simple as "the stories in Binky 15 and Buzzy 32, 33, 34 and 39 were intended for the unpublished Scribbly #14", though.  The Binky 15 and Buzzy 32 came out the same cover dates as Scribbly #12, and the Buzzy #39 is actually cover-dated 9/10 compared to the Scribbly #14's 10/11- BUT the story in #39 actually clearly follows the stories in the #14; that ties into the page count drop from 52 to 36 around then.  Meanwhile, while I think the stories in Scribbly 12 & 13 and the batch of strays could accurately be called the material intended for Scribbly 12, 13, & 14; saying that the strays were intended for Scribbly 14 is not correct, I think.  (There's some other stray material in a couple issues of Sugar & Spike for that matter; a Little Snoony story and a Cartooning page.)

All of which is probably something very few people even care about, but I love trying to guess what was going on from the contents of the books.  It would help if I had more than half of the relevant issues.

I'm lucky enough to have all 3 of Mayer's major first issues: Scribbly, Sugar & Spike, & Three Mousketeers.  The 3M's aren't bad, but not nearly as good as S&S or Scribbly.  I've only got a couple issues, plus most of the early 70's reprints.

[jfglade]

'Leave it to Binky' was certainly entertaining in its day but I haven't reread any issues since probably 1957 or even earlier so I don't know if they hold up. Then again, they could be even better than I remember.