What comics did you buy today?

[Phoenix]

I just picked up Hawk Books' whopping great 'Big Fat Bunter Book' off a local market stall.

The Sexton Blake Detective Library is one of two companion volumes to The Big Fat Bunter Book, the other being The Complete Casebook Of Herlock Sholmes. Members in general will not be as interested in the Blake because it mainly contains text stories, Sexton Blake and Tinker and The League Of Crime from the 1956 Knockout annual being the only comic strip adventure (16pp) reproduced there. I was always disappointed by the colour plates as they are sepia rather than full colour. At least the Blake carries a photo of the Sexton Blake bust created by Eric Parker in 1926, originally available through Union Jack, one of which stands proudly on one of the many bookshelves in my dining room.

[geoff42]

hate to say this but I purchased a British Action comic from Fleetway from 1977 for £5.99 plus postage. It's expensive but I've waited for this particular issue for months and months and not even a tatty copy materializes. And all the time, while scouring, this available issue keeps stinging my eyes "buy it now!" from Silver Acre. I think a lot of their stuff is quite expensive and yet, generally, they deliver you a nice copy of what you wish. The plus side is that there were a few more stuff that I wanted from them, namely a Bullet issue and a couple of Mighty World of Marvel issues from 1977, which reduced the overall postage by £5. So... I guess I'm reasonably happy.

[Bethanys grandad]

At today's bootie I got 2 famous monsters of filmland and a Alan class comic all from the early 70s the lot for 70p

[Lew Stringer]

hate to say this but I purchased a British Action comic from Fleetway from 1977 for £5.99 plus postage. It's expensive but I've waited for this particular issue for months and months and not even a tatty copy materializes. And all the time, while scouring, this available issue keeps stinging my eyes "buy it now!" from Silver Acre. I think a lot of their stuff is quite expensive and yet, generally, they deliver you a nice copy of what you wish. The plus side is that there were a few more stuff that I wanted from them, namely a Bullet issue and a couple of Mighty World of Marvel issues from 1977, which reduced the overall postage by £5. So... I guess I'm reasonably happy.

Is six quid expensive for a comic that's 37 years old? Admittedly it's from the period after Action was neutered so perhaps one would expect it to be lower, but Action is still one of those highly collectible comics. How much do they usually go for?

[colcool007]

I thought it over-priced as most of the pre-ban and post-ban issues go for around £1. It's only that one issue that goes for much, much more. And the first two issues with their free gifts intact also garner a better price. Those I would expect to pay more than a fiver for, but not a mid-run issue.

[Phoenix]

I thought it over-priced as most of the pre-ban and post-ban issues go for around £1.

That really isn't so, Colin. Assuming you want copies in at least VG condition, you will be very lucky indeed to find any pre-ban issues at less than £5.

[philcom55]

...It's only that one issue that goes for much, much more.

As a matter of interest which issue are we talking about?

- Phil R.

[bubbadog]

...It's only that one issue that goes for much, much more.

As a matter of interest which issue are we talking about?

- Phil R.

23rd October 1976 ? - I'd take one in any condition!

Shame it was a '77 issue - I wasnt aware of any being particularly scarce.

[Phoenix]

23rd October 1976 ? - I'd take one in any condition!

My collection of Action is complete from issue 1 to the issue for 16 October 1976. I am content with those, and I certainly wouldn't pay a king's ransom to get the following week's issue.

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Just ordered Hunt Emerson's Calculus Cat compilation... With the news that it's getting re-released (possibly), thought I'd best get it before it becomes "MEGA RARE" or whatever.

Don't know why I didn't already have it!

[felneymike]

Wasn't the 23rd October 1976 issue the one where the whole print run was shredded and the original art destroyed or heavily altered (on the actual boards themselves)? Good luck finding one of those!

I, too, recently got the Big Fat Bunter Book. I got the Sexton Blake Detective Library years ago, it reprints the first four issues of the Sexton Blake Library from 1915, with the addition of many spelling errors - it was probably hand-typed from tatty, tiny issues of the library; and to a deadline! But the stories are brilliant, especially the very first one.

Anyway, I went to Japan again recently and got quite a few interesting things, such as an issue of Kodan Kurabu (or Short Story Club) from 1942. That has some interesting cartoons! Kodan Kurabu was a big success when it was running, and gave rise to the publisher Kodansha, who today publish Sherlock Bones and Genshiken in English.

I also got an issue of Nihon Shonen (literally "Japan Boy", though it's probably supposed to be "Boys of Japan" or something), a magazine / story paper from 1908. Also an issue of Shonen Sekai (Boy World, or "Boys' World") from some time in the early 20th century, an issue of Hiko Shonen (erm, Flight Boy, apparently) from 1915 (with lots of stories about the navy, airmen in the "Darudanerusu", and evil plotting Germans wearing their spiky helmets at all times. It also has an astronomical amount of adverts for recorders and magic lanterns). Also the March 1956 issue of The Bungei Shunbu, which has lots of gag cartoons, many clearly not Japanese.

I also got another issue of King, which I have looked at before on my blog. This issue is from 1949, and has foregone nationalism in favour of Baseball! Page after page of photos of guys in those stripy outfits.

Oh and quite a few 60's "rental manga" (one with a library sticker still in it, with lots of stamps from the year "39"). One of them is called "Spitfire", but there's only one Spitfire in it, right at the end. Another is called Gouchin, or "Thunder Sink", and is about the crew of a flying boat and some torpedo bombers. I also wanted to track down another manga about Zero pilots I'd seen in the Kyoto Manga Museum on a previous trip. I couldn't properly find it this time (somebody was reading all of them, and I didn't have a pen to write down the name). I think I found a modern reprint of it, though. The squadron is based on an aircraft carrier cunningly disguised as a turtle... which is the size of an aircraft carrier.

[r3tr0_gam3r]

Hi, this is the first time I've been on here in a while. Today, I bought these 15 comics on ebay for £17.35 including postage.

• 9 Hoot issues from 1985/86
  Beezer issues: November 19th 1988, August 12th & 19th 1989
  Wizard October 12th 1974
  Beano September 27th 1986 & July 18th 1987

[Lew Stringer]

23rd October 1976 ? - I'd take one in any condition!

My collection of Action is complete from issue 1 to the issue for 16 October 1976. I am content with those, and I certainly wouldn't pay a king's ransom to get the following week's issue.

I know the strips for the 23rd Oct issue have been published in Action : Story of a Violent Comic but it'd be nice if Egmont published a special facsimile edition of that issue as Print On Demand. (Unlikely though as I doubt they'd want any bad publicity it might bring them.)

[David McDonald]

Unlikely though as I doubt they'd want any bad publicity it might bring them.

They may be willing to allow someone else do it though

[geoff42]

I'm having a lean time of late (good for my bank balance, I guess). Received Warlord annual 1983 for £2.99 - no inscription or doodles and price not clipped, and postage free - a good buy; and a Marvel UK Conan mag for £1.99 which included postage. Seen many of these going between £3-5 plus postage, so quite happy with my meagre pickings for the week.