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The Golden Age of Comic Strip Reprints
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131 posts in this topic

Thought this was the best forum to have a continued (?) discussion of what I consider to be the Golden Age of Comic Strip Reprints.

 

I know a large chunk of my monthly $$ comics budget goes to buying the new collected editions coming out these past few years.

 

Am I the only one that actually buys and reads these on here?

 

My most recent reads have been:

 

1) Walt & Skeezix vol. 4 - Gasoline Alley 1927 - 1928. I read the complete year 1927 and stopped for now. The "year" was a little disappointing since this is the second time that Skeezix is abducted and it felt like a retread of a storyline from the first time Madame Octave kidnapped Skeezix. There was more suspense the first time around.

 

2) I started on Volume 7 of Mary Perkins - On Stage by Len Starr. I cannot wait for each of these volumes to come out. Starr is a master at subtle body language and expressions. It feels like he's getting more (or better) help on the background in this volume and it enhances the strip for sheer details and / or leaving more time for Starr to focus on the main figures. There are a couple of Sundays from the first sequence that I already wouldn't mind tracking down. Simply fantastic work.

 

The upcoming collection I am most looking forward to is the Collected early Blondie :)

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Thought this was the best forum to have a continued (?) discussion of what I consider to be the Golden Age of Comic Strip Reprints.

 

I know a large chunk of my monthly $$ comics budget goes to buying the new collected editions coming out these past few years.

 

Am I the only one that actually buys and reads these on here?

 

My most recent reads have been:

 

1) Walt & Skeezix vol. 4 - Gasoline Alley 1927 - 1928. I read the complete year 1927 and stopped for now. The "year" was a little disappointing since this is the second time that Skeezix is abducted and it felt like a retread of a storyline from the first time Madame Octave kidnapped Skeezix. There was more suspense the first time around.

 

2) I started on Volume 7 of Mary Perkins - On Stage by Len Starr. I cannot wait for each of these volumes to come out. Starr is a master at subtle body language and expressions. It feels like he's getting more (or better) help on the background in this volume and it enhances the strip for sheer details and / or leaving more time for Starr to focus on the main figures. There are a couple of Sundays from the first sequence that I already wouldn't mind tracking down. Simply fantastic work.

 

The upcoming collection I am most looking forward to is the Collected early Blondie :)

I really like these strip reprint books also.

I've read the first Peanuts volume (Fantagraphics): a very enjoyable read and it is interesting to see the introduction and developement of the characters everyone is familiar with.

I also have read the first 2 Tracy volumes (IDW). I really like these. Entertaining story arcs. I can't wait until they start getting into the weird villains (Flat Top, etc...).

I didn't know the early Blondies were being reprinted. I will definitely get those. I only own 3 pieces of original art and two of them are Blondie dailies (10-14-30 and 11-4-31).

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Captain Easy, Soldier of Fortune: The Complete Sunday Newspaper Strips Vol. 1 (1933-1935)

 

4456547128_f939f22bdf.jpg

 

I just picked up Roy Cranes "Captain Easy" yesterday at dcbs.com.

 

Predating the DC line of adventure stories by four years, it is fascinating to see how the genre evolved.

 

 

http://www.fantagraphics.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=1716&category_id=628&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=62

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The first D_ick Tracy volume was hard to go through as it was wordy and not flowing very well. It got better quick ... but it wasn't all pleasant going. Still, every strip has growing pains and it was worth it on Tracy.

 

The Blondie volume is solicited in July's Previews along with a reprint of Sagendorf's comic book Popeye stories. My guess that those are from the Four Color series so I won't be buying it.

 

Wouldn't mind seeing your Blondie dailies.

 

I saw a Blondie Sunday circa 1933 IIRC in person just last week. Very very fine line used.

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Am I the only one that actually buys and reads these on here?

 

The dcbs.com store is 1 mile from my house. I go in there about 2 times a month. After spending nearly an hour browsing everything in the store, I'm always swayed by the GA stories.

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I have a few questions about these strip reprints. Scrooge, I know that you've bought quite a few. What is the quality like? I wonder if they are using OA for the source of if they have to go back to the original newspapers. If so, this must prove to be difficult? What is your experience with these reprints? Have you bought books with microfilm as the source?

 

 

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Here's the Blondie volume solicit:

 

"Blondie, Vol. 1

 

Chic Young (w & a)

 

Celebrating Blondie's 80th anniversary, IDW's Library of American Comics presents Blondie like you've never seen her before. This book collects the early strips by Chic Young for the first time ever, beginning with the first ones from October 1930. Blondie Boopadoop is a light-headed flapper who meets Dagwood Bumstead, the heir to a wealthy, high society fortune. Dagwood's parents are aghast and refuse him permission to marry the blonde, but their son is in love. He and Blondie hatch a scheme-the voracious Dagwood goes on a hunger strike for 28 days, 7 hours, 8 minutes and 22 seconds. This first volume chronicles the amazing and hilarious courtship, and concludes with the spectacular wedding in February 1933!

 

HC • PC • $49.99 • 280 Pages • 11 " x 8.5" • ISBN: 978-1-60010-740-5"

 

Blondie1_cvr.jpg

 

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I have a few questions about these strip reprints. Scrooge, I know that you've bought quite a few. What is the quality like? I wonder if they are using OA for the source of if they have to go back to the original newspapers. If so, this must prove to be difficult? What is your experience with these reprints? Have you bought books with microfilm as the source?

 

Most of the new volumes try to get as close to the originals in quality as possible, be it from collectors collected printed strips at worst but other have the advantage that the art is held at a particular institution and / or there still exists the original newspaper syndicate proofs so that the collection is very crisp while others have some work done as the recent Prince Valiant that has been recolored and looks vibrant.

 

I'd say overall that the quality is really high and much better than some earlier reprint efforts, for example on Rip Kirby, the new volumes are better than the Pioneer reprints. Yet, I hear a lot of grumbling about how the Rip Kirby has been reproduced since the source used cuts off some of the original art (as different papers use different areas to have a variety of size available and the main source used opted for a smaller print frame).

 

The recent Phantom Dailies collection look like a waste of time and effort. The format is odd, the repro quality not too good, ... It seems like Hermes bit more than it could chew and that's too bad as I was looking forward to a quality repro run of The Phantom.

 

Sometimes, more recent strips can get badly repro'd. Some of the strips in the Modesty Blaise series are tough to read but that's the best Titan could get at times.

 

Still, by and large most of these projects are worthwhile supporting and strive for best quality of repro.

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The first D_ick Tracy volume was hard to go through as it was wordy and not flowing very well. It got better quick ... but it wasn't all pleasant going. Still, every strip has growing pains and it was worth it on Tracy.

 

The Blondie volume is solicited in July's Previews along with a reprint of Sagendorf's comic book Popeye stories. My guess that those are from the Four Color series so I won't be buying it.

 

Wouldn't mind seeing your Blondie dailies.

 

I saw a Blondie Sunday circa 1933 IIRC in person just last week. Very very fine line used.

I agree the going wasn't all smooth on the Tracy books and growing pains are expected. I still enjoyed them and expect them to keep getting better.

I just checked Amazon. Blondie (IDW) will be released in early October. Complete first few years of the strip.

I will take some photos of my Blondie strips later today and post them here.

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Thought this was the best forum to have a continued (?) discussion of what I consider to be the Golden Age of Comic Strip Reprints.

 

I know a large chunk of my monthly $$ comics budget goes to buying the new collected editions coming out these past few years.

 

Am I the only one that actually buys and reads these on here?

 

My Prince Valiant Vol 2 (1939-1940) arrived a few days ago and I loved it. It's funny, because I bought the first volume not long ago not expecting to like it. But, I had heard so much about it being a great strip that I gave in and gave it a shot. I loved it! I pre-ordered Vol 2 and devoured it in one sitting. It's too bad that I'll have to wait 'til December for the next batch of strips.

 

Next up is Vol 1 of The Phantom. I'm also putting together a collection of Hal Foster's Tarzan in Color and Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon, but I'm going to wait until I have more of them to sit down and read them.

Edited by cshepard81
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Here's the Blondie volume solicit:

 

"Blondie, Vol. 1

 

Chic Young (w & a)

 

Celebrating Blondie's 80th anniversary, IDW's Library of American Comics presents Blondie like you've never seen her before. This book collects the early strips by Chic Young for the first time ever, beginning with the first ones from October 1930. Blondie Boopadoop is a light-headed flapper who meets Dagwood Bumstead, the heir to a wealthy, high society fortune. Dagwood's parents are aghast and refuse him permission to marry the blonde, but their son is in love. He and Blondie hatch a scheme-the voracious Dagwood goes on a hunger strike for 28 days, 7 hours, 8 minutes and 22 seconds. This first volume chronicles the amazing and hilarious courtship, and concludes with the spectacular wedding in February 1933!

 

HC • PC • $49.99 • 280 Pages • 11 " x 8.5" • ISBN: 978-1-60010-740-5"

 

Blondie1_cvr.jpg

 

I haven't really had an interest in Blondie before but this looks like a great book. Which came first Blondie or Betty Boop? Blondie's last name sure is linked to Betty Boop.

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I have a few questions about these strip reprints. Scrooge, I know that you've bought quite a few. What is the quality like? I wonder if they are using OA for the source of if they have to go back to the original newspapers. If so, this must prove to be difficult? What is your experience with these reprints? Have you bought books with microfilm as the source?

 

Most of the new volumes try to get as close to the originals in quality as possible, be it from collectors collected printed strips at worst but other have the advantage that the art is held at a particular institution and / or there still exists the original newspaper syndicate proofs so that the collection is very crisp while others have some work done as the recent Prince Valiant that has been recolored and looks vibrant.

 

I'd say overall that the quality is really high and much better than some earlier reprint efforts, for example on Rip Kirby, the new volumes are better than the Pioneer reprints. Yet, I hear a lot of grumbling about how the Rip Kirby has been reproduced since the source used cuts off some of the original art (as different papers use different areas to have a variety of size available and the main source used opted for a smaller print frame).

 

The recent Phantom Dailies collection look like a waste of time and effort. The format is odd, the repro quality not too good, ... It seems like Hermes bit more than it could chew and that's too bad as I was looking forward to a quality repro run of The Phantom.

 

Sometimes, more recent strips can get badly repro'd. Some of the strips in the Modesty Blaise series are tough to read but that's the best Titan could get at times.

 

Still, by and large most of these projects are worthwhile supporting and strive for best quality of repro.

 

I'd love to see the whole Flamingo strip in book form one day but I think that would take some serious efforts to get the original art images together.

Edited by JvR11
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Let me know how you like the Vol. 1 of The Phantom, esp. since I passed on it after browsing through it in the stores.

 

Yes, the new PV volumes look fantastic with the new colors. I have the complete Foster run in a french version so I cannot justify buying this new series but it is a joy to behold.

 

Completing the Foster Tarzans isn't too hard, esp. vol. # 2 which is very common so don't pay much for that particular one.

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Completing the Foster Tarzans isn't too hard, esp. vol. # 2 which is very common so don't pay much for that particular one.

Vol. 2 (1932-1933) is the one I bought first. I paid just over $20 shipped.

 

Yup. That's how it should be. It's plentiful out there. :thumbsup:

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Wouldn't mind seeing your Blondie dailies.

 

 

Not the best lighting (they are much whiter than shown) but here they are in halves. The two strips each have a viewing area of about 4 1/2" x 18".

 

10-14-30

Blondie10-14-301.jpg

Blondie10-14-302.jpg

 

 

11-4-31

Blondie11-4-311.jpg

Blondie11-4-312.jpg

 

I especially like these strips because they show Blondie and Dagwood before they became the domesticated couple everyone is familiar with. Though someday I'll get a few strips that represent that period as well.

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:applause:

 

Great strips. I'd be stocked to own those. I particularly like the first one with Granma Bumstead and Blondie just about to be devoured and picked apart.

 

These further whet my appetite for the new collection. Thanks for taking the time to post them. :)

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:applause:

 

Great strips. I'd be stocked to own those. I particularly like the first one with Granma Bumstead and Blondie just about to be devoured and picked apart.

 

These further whet my appetite for the new collection. Thanks for taking the time to post them. :)

You're welcome. The Grandma Bumstead one is my favorite too. It's also an early strip. I think 5 or 6 weeks into the run.

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If you can find it go get The Complete Terry and the Pirates by Milt Caniff. 12 volumes that came out in the 80's, some of the best strip art and crisp storytelling EVER. I also greatly enjoy Alley Oop, most recently in a huge stack of Comics Revue I snagged a couple years back. Modesty Blaise, Orphan Annie, Alley Oop, Buz Sawyer, the list goes on and on. Buy these magazines if you can find them they're a great package.

 

Oh, and there were a couple hardcover volumes of Alley Oop a few years back too, probably long out of print.

 

Haven't picked up Gasoline Alley 4 yet, but I've read the first three and liked them. A lot.

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You're right. I wish there was an easy way to get hold of a consistent Alley Oop reprint. I've seen some of the other volumes but didn't want a little of this and a little bit of that.

 

There is still one question that remains about Gasoline Alley. Why in the world is "Auntie Blossom" attracted to Walt? It smells of The King of Queens, why does Leah Remini stay with the Kevin James character?

 

As for The Comics Revue ... the price point for new issues is a tad too high for me to commit but I've also have had no luck finding a good batch of back issues I could snap for cheap.

 

Back in the early '70's, Vintage Funnies reprinted quite a few strips in a tabloid format with one Sunday (about) per issue and that's a great way to read those, including some not usually reprinted since like Don Dixon and Tailspin Tommy.

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