commando issue 1 mint condition

[philcom55]

I think Bryon has now switched from staples to glue for his binding. The best way to distinguish one of his facsimiles from the original is to compare the cover stock to the interior pages. On an original you should be able to tell that the inside pages are printed on slightly coarser off-white paper - whereas Bryon uses the same blindingly white paper throughout.

Incidentally the facsimiles tend to sell for about £5 so, even if your copy isn't worth hundreds of pounds, you still got a bargain at 50p!

- Phil Rushton

[Phoenix]

I think Bryon has now switched from staples to glue for his binding.

I'm afraid you are a bit behind the times re. Bryon Whitworth, Phil. He sold his entire business, including the rights to A.C.E., in 2002 to David Mirfin of Nostalgic Comic Creations, which is based in Rotherham. David's partner Evelyne Ladusch took over The Illustrated Comic Journal. As far as I am aware, no issues of that have appeared since 39 (Spring/Summer 2002), even though 40 was promised, albeit with a swingeing increase in the price from £6 to £15. A monochrome edition was to be made available for £6 but only for the time being. I may be wrong about the non-appearance of issue 40, but presumably, if the new owners had felt able to produce it, they would have contacted me, given that I had been one of the technical advisers for over a decade, virtually since Bryon bought the business from Manchester-based comic enthusiast and dealer Alan Cadwallander. Perhaps David and Evelyne were only ever really interested in the indexes. Steve Holland might be worth contacting to shed further light on the matter as he was the other technical adviser.

[philcom55]

Thanks for the update Phoenix. I knew Bryon had retired and moved to France, but when his facsimiles and indexes started regularly appearing on Ebay and at marts again I assumed he was back in business.

- Phil R.

[Phoenix]

I knew Bryon had retired and moved to France

He did, but I don't think things worked out too well for him over there. A secondhand book dealer did tell me a year or so back that he'd heard that he'd come back to live in England, so he's probably back in Colne. Anything he is selling on eBay will presumably be items that didn't form part of the sale agreement with David Mirfin, who incidentally doesn't appear to be contactable at the Rotherham address. I know this because I gave his details to 30th Century Comics about six weeks ago, but despite doing him the courtesy of enclosing an s.a.e. with their letter, they have not had a reply. Bryon's eBay username by the way is brywinfred, Winifred being his wife.

[colcool007]

As this thread prompted me to have a wander around the net, I found this about issue 4453. It's just possible that someone may have requested a copy from DCT. They may have got it and either didn't want it or a spouse/relative had a clearout.

Either way, I agree it doesn't look likely that it's an original.

Update: Just checked my emails and I have received a larger version of the back cover. The bit that makes me pause is having the No 1 bit on the back.

Mind you, checking other copies around the net indicates that the price tag is still in line with the C of the Commando logo.

However, one of the best examples (for reference purposes) is this copy. Because if you have the same inside covers as this one, the probability of it being an original rises significantly.

[Lew Stringer]

Mind you, checking other copies around the net indicates that the price tag is still in line with the C of the Commando logo.

Here's a good scan of the original:
http://belatednerd.com/wp-content/uploa ... ando-1.jpg

As you can see, if you compare that to the image that Andy provided, the price circle on Andy's is slightly further to the right, aligned above the end of the fence post. Unless the angle of Andy's photo has caused an optical illusion of course.

[andypollqpr]

The inside pages are exactly the same as the one indicated on the link to ebay.

Will upload images when I get into work on Monday

Will send you an email with the images now Colin

Cheers,

Andy

[colcool007]

Look forward to viewing it.

Update: Just got the pics and it looks like one of those rare beasts. A very lucky find. The pics are exactly the same as those issue 1s sold on Ebay.

If I saw it for sale, I would grade it as Very Near Mint and sit back and watch the bidding go. However, as someone has mentioned that a set of reprints were done, does anyone have any idea of how you could tell the difference between the Whitworth reprint and the original?

[andypollqpr]

inside front cover

[andypollqpr]

inside back cover

[Lew Stringer]

inside front cover

Admittedly it does look genuine from those new photos, as it has the off-white interior pages and not bright white as you'd expect from a Whitworth reprint. But it still looks too new for a 53 year old comic.

The one thing that still doesn't look right is how tight the binding is. Obviously I wouldn't suggest opening out the comic too much as that'd devalue it, but I didn't think the binding was that tight in those old issues. I seem to recall the covers opened fully and the cover stock wasn't stiff. But I wasn't buying it back in 1961 so perhaps I'm wrong. What do others think?

EDIT: I've just noticed two differences between yours and the original that was shown on eBay. Yours has a page number at the top, and on the inside back page there's no indica at the bottom. I'm afraid it looks like it's a fake.

[philcom55]

I'm afraid I have to agree with Lew. Although I don't have an original Commando no.1 my copy of the second issue doesn't include page numbers while it does indeed have an indicia for John Leng & DC Thomson printed at the bottom of its inside back cover.

For comparison here are some scans of one of Bryon's facsimiles of Thriller Picture Library no.430 that I bought about fifteen years ago, alongside the original issue:







As you can see from the third image the facsimile can be easily recognized by its staples and the bright interior paper.

Unfortunately things have since been complicated by the fact that David Mirfin's current products appear to have adopted off-white paper for the interiors while the staples are now hidden by the tightly glued spine that Lew noticed. I only realized this myself when I picked up a recent facsimile of TPL no.7 at the weekend for £4:



While I've no reason to suspect that anybody is deliberately offering these reproductions as the real thing it proves that you now have to be extra careful when buying comics off Ebay as the seller might genuinely believe he's in possession of a rare original!

- Phil Rushton

[colcool007]

inside front cover

Admittedly it does look genuine from those new photos, as it has the off-white interior pages and not bright white as you'd expect from a Whitworth reprint. But it still looks too new for a 53 year old comic.

The one thing that still doesn't look right is how tight the binding is. Obviously I wouldn't suggest opening out the comic too much as that'd devalue it, but I didn't think the binding was that tight in those old issues. I seem to recall the covers opened fully and the cover stock wasn't stiff. But I wasn't buying it back in 1961 so perhaps I'm wrong. What do others think?

EDIT: I've just noticed two differences between yours and the original that was shown on eBay. Yours has a page number at the top, and on the inside back page there's no indica at the bottom. I'm afraid it looks like it's a fake.

Lew, thank you. I knew there had to be a definite way of identifying it either as a real issue or a good fake. And the page number is the perfect method. I don't believe that the page number is printed there even now!

[Lew Stringer]

inside front cover

Admittedly it does look genuine from those new photos, as it has the off-white interior pages and not bright white as you'd expect from a Whitworth reprint. But it still looks too new for a 53 year old comic.

The one thing that still doesn't look right is how tight the binding is. Obviously I wouldn't suggest opening out the comic too much as that'd devalue it, but I didn't think the binding was that tight in those old issues. I seem to recall the covers opened fully and the cover stock wasn't stiff. But I wasn't buying it back in 1961 so perhaps I'm wrong. What do others think?

EDIT: I've just noticed two differences between yours and the original that was shown on eBay. Yours has a page number at the top, and on the inside back page there's no indica at the bottom. I'm afraid it looks like it's a fake.

Lew, thank you. I knew there had to be a definite way of identifying it either as a real issue or a good fake. And the page number is the perfect method. I don't believe that the page number is printed there even now!

It's the missing indicia that's the main giveaway I think. Curious that whoever did the bootleg copy would omit it though. It's still copyright infringement even if the copyright line is removed.

[philcom55]

The indicia on the interior back page of Fleetway titles is included but not the vertical line of text on the left-hand side of the first page. Of course, as the format appears to have been 'tweaked' to look more authentic since Bryon's day, these aspects might have since been changed as well (though, to be fair, I haven't seen any recent reprints of DC Thomson material).

- Phil R.