This is a thing of beauty. I wasn’t going to share it here, but with the new Superman movie out this summer… this is an 814 page collection of Superman comic books from the late 1950s thru the early 1960s. It weighs a ton and every page is drenched in color.
A year ago a friend sent me a link to this book, and my eyes almost popped out of my head. A Superman Silver Age Omnibus! 814 pages! $100.00!
But I’m not the comic book fan I once was, and couldn’t bring myself to shell out a hundred clams for this fella. I stuck it in my Amazon Wish List account. Then last week, Amazon alerted me there was only one copy left and I noticed the price was reduced almost half to $53.70. SOLD.
Silver Age comics were comic books published from 1958 to 1970. I began collecting comics in 1968, when they were 12 cents an issue.
(Your average comic book now is 5 bucks. They’re not marketed to kids like they were in my day.)
I don’t think this OMNIBUS is marketed to kids either—more to “older kids” like myself, Baby Boomers who loved these simpler, more innocent stories from a bygone age.
Silver Age Superman was drawn by Wayne Boring, Curt Swan and Kurt Schaffenberger, who did all the “What If” stories and “Superman’s Girl-Friend, Lois Lane”. The books were bright and fun, with stories about red kryptonite, bizarro supermen, super cousins, super pets, beauty queens from the 30th century or the lost city of Atlantis, juvenile delinquents from outer space.
One of my favorites were Zigi & Zagi from Alpha Centauri; after arriving on Earth, they stop at a hot dog stand, gobble up some dogs and tell the vendor not to change the recipe. They fly off in their jet packs while the vendor exclaims they owe him 2 bits each. “Come back here!! Superman!!”
In the late 1960s, if I could get a quarter from my dad or mom, I’d stop at GC Murphy’s on the way home from school and buy a comic book and dime candy bar (and still have 3 cents left over for penny candy).
In the spring of ‘69, I saw this sign above the comic books:
SORRY KIDS! ALL COMICS NOW PRICED 15 CENTS!
They had the exact same sign above the candy bars, also now 15 cents (except Reeses & Mallow Cups). My first taste of inflation!
For the record, I gave up collecting comic books in 1979, after graduating from high school. Not because I was becoming an adult and had my future to think about… they went up a nickel in price 5-6 times in the 1970s, and now cost 45 cents for my favorite titles. I just couldn’t bring myself to shell out that kind of bread for 5-6 books every week.
Look at all the comic books reprinted in this volume; these early covers contain 3-4 Superman stories each. Until I see the new Superman movie, I am in for some super-duper reading.
I read Little Lulu comics as a kid, but no Superman. I was a girl back then.
ReplyDeleteHaha! Thanks DJan, I didn't buy Harvey comics who put out Little Lulu, but I read her stories too in my doctors waiting room or every month at Hendersons Barbershop 🙂
DeleteWow.green with envy here. A dime bought all the action and adventure and rampant escapism a kid could crave in the fifties. I was a straight DC gal, no Marvel for me. When no new titles I always had some Archies to fall back on. Your post brings back so many Saturdays chilling out with a new comic and a cold Pepsi. Heaven. Thanks for the flashback. Kris in Ohio.
ReplyDeleteKris thank you! I was straight DC too, and you just made my day! 🙂
DeleteDug, I can't type for long with this eye recovering, but wanted to say that your post reminded me of the times when I was young and mom and I would go over to her best friend's house (who was also her sister-in-law). My cousins (3 boys) would hide their stack of comic books from me as if I found them, I'd spend all my time reading comics and not playing. Enjoy your new 'older boy' comic!
ReplyDeleteRian I'm surprised to hear from you but I am super pleased too, thanks so much. And for sharing your own sweet & funny memory too. I hope you know you're always in my thoughts and hoping you make a speedy recovery.
DeleteThis is such a wonderful throwback! You brought the Silver Age to life again with charm and heart. I could feel the excitement of GC Murphy’s and 12-cent comics.
ReplyDeleteAsep, you are such a nice person--thank you so much!
DeleteThat kind of bread--we're children of the '70s, Doug! :) My paternal grandfather used to give me 25 cents to walk down to the drugstore in their small town. That bought 2 comic books, usually Superman or Supergirl. I hadn't thought about that in years so thanks for reminding me! I've heard that the new Superman movie is excellent!
ReplyDeleteThanks very much Margaret, loved your own memory here! You're the fourth girl here who said they read comic books, this sure has made my day. :^) PS I'm not sure I'm going to make it to the theater to see Superman, but I heard the same thing. At least I have HBO Max, that's where it'll turn up.
DeleteComic books are incredible - an underrated art form that also educates , informs and encourages . Where would we be without them
ReplyDeleteSiobhan x
Very nicely said, thank you Siobhan 😊
DeleteI read Superman from about 1952, 53 to about 1958, 59. It cost one shilling in pre-decimal currency. That’s 10 cents.
ReplyDeleteEvery two or three months they’d bring out a bumper edition, about the size of 3 or 4 regular comics. They cost two shillings and six pence (25 cents). It included Superman, Superboy, Aquaman and a couple of others that didn’t interest me (but I still read them).
I really like Captain Marvel until the Superman publishers sued them for breach of copyright (or some such thing) and the “big red cheese” stopped being published.
A few years ago I bought a book with many Captain Marvel comics in it (similar to your Superman one, I guess, but not so voluminous). I wonder about the taste of my younger self.
Peter my friend thanks very much for sharing. Listen, I was a big fan of Whiz comics and the Shazam Marvel Family from the 1950s too. Mary Marvel, the Sivana family... For awhile there they were selling more comics than Superman. That's precisely why DC sued them with that phony copyright infringement which we both know was a load of bull. I've always been loyal to DC comics, but at the same time I thought that was a really shitty stunt on their part.
DeleteArchie, Betty, and Veronica were my go-to comic. Though I never collected them.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember the price but I do recall I was able to buy a comic and penny candies at Henry's Book Store in my hometown. Oh, the amount of time one could spend picking the penny candy - a fizzy straw, others I can't immediately recall, or my favorite, licorice strings!
Thank you for sharing Maebeme. Well, I never bought an Archie comic but I sure managed to read enough of them! I was especially fond of Sabrina 😗 Anyway, sure do miss that penny candy!
DeleteI was an Archie comic book fan, too! I remember when I was in junior high, taking my babysitting money "uptown" to the drug store, the only place in town that carried comic books. By my freshman year I switched to buying makeup at Woolworths.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy!
Thanks Miss Merry, I know you're on that whirlwind tour of mini-Europe with the grandkids and hope not getting worn out! 😉
DeleteWow..that’s a beautiful thing you got there…congratulations on your find and for holding out for the right price...I would like to see the new Superman movie..I saw the first one with my aunt and uncle..my uncle would love taking us to the movies when we went to visit in Toledo..my uncle was my moms brother..he was in a car accident Christmas 85..he was 29..I miss him dearly..but..we went to see everything…grease..cartoon version of the hobbit..all the Star Wars..huge Star Wars fan..muppet movies…my friend Mary Jean and I went to see Superman 2 when it was out we invested in a fan book which was all about the movie and read it one day at the park..that was a fun day..she was my best friend and how I found out about Westminster college..one of the places I went to school for music..CMU was the other..anyways I digress..I love Nathan Fillion so that’s another reason to go see it..I don’t think I’ve seen Superman 3 yet
ReplyDeleteBut..I thought Superman died in the comic book recently..or was that Batman?
Beth
Thank you Beth, I had no idea the price was going to drop, I really lucked out. I enjoyed reading your movie memories, how awful about your uncle. I have good memories of seeing all the Superman movies with my sister Shawn, it sort of became a tradi tradition with us. Anyway, I stopped following these heroes in the comic books many years ago, no idea what's going on there! 🫣
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