A Slice of Comic Life

[Kashgar]

Over on Lew's blog this week he has been revealing the contents of five 1960's comic titles linked by the fact that they were published in the same week, all five being dated 20th Feb 1965. The five titles were TV21, Wham, Sparky, Valiant and Dandy and it got me thinking how many comic titles from that same week I have in my own collection and, somewhat amazingly, it turns out that I have 21 titles from that week in my collection and 22 if you count Look & Learn.
They are Dandy, Beano, Topper, Beezer, Sparky, Bimbo, Bunty, Judy, Diana, Hotspur, Victor, Hornet, Rover & Wizard, Eagle, Wham, Lion, Tiger, Valiant, Hurricane, Buster & Big One and June & Schoolfriend.
So does anyone have more titles for a particular date than this ( I may do myself if I checked) or do some people focus on particular dates eg birthdays as themes for their collections?

[paw broon]

That's an interesting topic and I'm sure others will have particular dates to mention. Unfortunately, as I have a relatively small physical collection of British comics, and that collection is pretty random, I can't add much to the post. However, lots of collectors have American comics and as they appeared monthly or bi-monthly, there's more than a fair chance that there are a lot of titles from the same month, but that is much easier.
And particular dates have never meant much where my collection is concerned. I've always been addicted to superheroes and masked mystery men since discovering an Australian edition of The Phantom in the '50's while on holiday in Crail. Followed pretty smartly by Superman and Batman. So the excitement and colour of those supersuits and daft powers kept my attention focussed on N. American comics.
I also used to read British comics in form of Beano, Dandy, Victor, Beezer and some of those b&w American look-a-likes, but it's only in the last decade or so that the delight of pocket libraries, British MMM's, Radio Fun and the heroes that I am discovering in British storypapers, have taken up such a big place in my appreciation of comics.
I look forward to finding out how many others use special dates as a factor in their collecting.

[SID]

I know that I have multiple comics with the same issue date thanks to the collections I have. However, I have just started collecting comics with the issue date of 25th July 1964 (my birth date).

So far, I have these:

Look and Learn
The Beano
The Dandy
The Victor
Eagle and Swift
Rover and Wizard

Not a lot true but to be fair, I only just started this collection.

[Lew Stringer]

I look forward to finding out how many others use special dates as a factor in their collecting.

I probably should add that the only reason I put several comics from the same week on my blog was to give people an idea of the range that were available in one week 50 years ago. I don't go out of my way to collect comics based on dates. I think what Ray was asking was whether people happen to have numerous comics from one week, based on their collections.

[paw broon]

And also:-
"or do some people focus on particular dates eg birthdays as themes for their collections?" Kashgar

[suebutcher]

A news stand filled with magazines and comics from a particular week in history would make a nice museum-piece. I'd do it myself, except I'm on a budget, and since I'd want it to be British publications, it would be impractical because I'm in Australia. If you think British comics are neglected in Britain, it's far worse in Australia!

[starscape]

It's a great idea. Might well do it for the more important occasions in my life.

[Kashgar]

I look forward to finding out how many others use special dates as a factor in their collecting.

I probably should add that the only reason I put several comics from the same week on my blog was to give people an idea of the range that were available in one week 50 years ago. I don't go out of my way to collect comics based on dates. I think what Ray was asking was whether people happen to have numerous comics from one week, based on their collections.

And also:-
"or do some people focus on particular dates eg birthdays as themes for their collections?" Kashgar

I was referring to both, either the casual, accidental accumulation of issues with a particular publication date or else the more systematic collecting of birthday week issues etc.
For the record I think I have 14 issues in my collection dated for the week I was born Dandy, Beano, Topper, Beezer, Adventure, Rover, Wizard, Hotspur, Lion, Tiger, Film Fun, Radio Fun, Knockout and T V Fun. But these would fall into the accidental accumulation category rather than the themed collecting category.

[Lew Stringer]

I look forward to finding out how many others use special dates as a factor in their collecting.

I probably should add that the only reason I put several comics from the same week on my blog was to give people an idea of the range that were available in one week 50 years ago. I don't go out of my way to collect comics based on dates. I think what Ray was asking was whether people happen to have numerous comics from one week, based on their collections.

And also:-
"or do some people focus on particular dates eg birthdays as themes for their collections?" Kashgar

I was referring to both, either the casual, accidental accumulation of issues with a particular publication date or else the more systematic collecting of birthday week issues etc.
For the record I think I have 14 issues in my collection dated for the week I was born Dandy, Beano, Topper, Beezer, Adventure, Rover, Wizard, Hotspur, Lion, Tiger, Film Fun, Radio Fun, Knockout and T V Fun. But these would fall into the accidental accumulation category rather than the themed collecting category.

Ah right. Sorry. I must have misread your last bit in my rush.

[paw broon]

Point is, it's a good question.
"A news stand filled with magazines and comics from a particular week in history would make a nice museum-piece." suebutcher.
What a good idea.

[Earl]

I don't have any exact stats by week but at one time I was trying to collect all comics published during 1982 and have 1,737 of them (the count includes annuals). 1,737/52 = an average of 33 comics per week although it won't be that evenly distributed in reality.

Earl.

[Kashgar]

I don't have any exact stats by week but at one time I was trying to collect all comics published during 1982 and have 1,737 of them (the count includes annuals). 1,737/52 = an average of 33 comics per week although it won't be that evenly distributed in reality.

Earl.

Hi Earl. That's an interesting theme for a collection. Never heard of anyone else using that as a focus. I imagine that the idea to do this came about gradually or was it your intention from the off? What full years of titles are in that lot? It would be interesting to know.

[philcom55]

Lew's photo reminded me of my local newsagent's shop which used to have a table loaded with current British comics just like that during the 1960s (and when there was a major launch they'd have multiple copies of something like TV Century 21 no.1 - presumably on 'sale or return'). I agree with Sue that it'd be great to see something similar preserved in a museum - I wonder which particular week would be likely to include the most impressive cross-section of titles?

[stevezodiac]

I have two copies of my birthday Dandy for 25th February 1956 - yes i'm 59 today. I was lucky to be born on a Saturday which is the date on almost all comic titles.

[philcom55]

Happy Birthday Steve!

(I'm 59 as well - but not for much longer, unfortunately...! )