Comic Reader (1961) comic books 1960-1969

Published by Jerry Bails, the Father of Comic Book Fandom, The Comic Reader was one of the earlier comic book fanzines, making it an important part of comics history. Issue #11 includes: brief plot synopses of (or information on) various "current" super-hero comics, including Flash, Justice League, Spider-Man (Amazing Fantasy), and Hawkman (Brave and the Bold); classified comic book ads from Michael Tuohey; and ads for Alter Ego #4 and The Authoritative Index to All-Star Comics. 6 pgs. July, 1962.

Issue #14 - Dec. 17, 1962. Special issue in which Jerry Bails devotes the bulk of the issue to answering fans' questions that he has received. Here's some examples: "Where do I get my comics bound professionally," "what data will be in the DC Index," "are there back issues of The Comic Reader" and so forth. There's also a list of available fanzines Bails has compiled for the month of December. Ads include a full-page Howard Rogofsky want list, a half-page ad from Ronn Foss with artwork and classified ads from T. Casey Brennan and others. Ditto printed. 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 10 pages, blue ink with spot red on white paper.

Issue #17 - May 17, 1963. Edited and produced by Jerry Bails. Lead article is about the wish for a national comic book convention and how in lieu of that Bails describes a vacation where he travels to five different states visiting other fans. Richard "Grass" Green, Ronn Foss, Ed Lehmann, Bill White, Roy Thomas and Vern Coriell. Reviews and news of current comics and magazines. Len Wein is listed as a contributor. Gold Key, which had just instituted letters columns, is given star treatment. Ads from Raymond Miller, Ronn Foss, Ed Lehmann, SFCA, Jim Harmon and others. There's a plea for everyone reading TCR to buy ten copies of Hawkman and distribute them to local barber shops to increase the circulation of the title. Also, Bails has a page of information needed for his Index to DC Comics. Ditto printed. 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 14 pages, blue ink on white paper.

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Issue #18 - Aug. 1963. Current comic news reported by Jerry Bails with his opinions. In commenting on the second issue of Avengers, Bails sees "Ant-Man in his new role as Giant-Man and Iron Man in a new costume. Personally, I liked both characters the way they were." An article about Blackhawk and Torchy artist Bill Ward, who admits he had a difficult time drawing the hats on the Blackhawks. Listing of comic fanzines received that month. Ads from Bails, Howard Rogofsky, two-page photo-offset ad for Mike Vosburg's fanzine Masquerader #6, which includes a photo of Biljo White and Ross Foss. Ditto printed. 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., B&W, 18 pages.

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Issue #19 - Sept. 9, 1963. Free fanzine published and edited by Jerry Bails. Current comic news and opinions by Jerry Bails. He is ecstatic about Captain America's return in Avengers #4, for instance. News about the Alley Awards. Ads from Bails and others. Includes a full-page ad for Star-Studded Comics #2 from Larry Herndon, Howard Keltner and our own Buddy Saunders. Upon seeing the ad, Buddy says he did not lay the ad out or do the artwork and believes it was Howard Keltner. Single-page photo-offset ad for Mike Vosburg's Masquerader #6. 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., loose pages bound with staples, B&W, 12 pages. Circulation 1,000.

Issue #20 - Oct. 8, 1963. Subtitled The Official Newsletter of the Academy of Comic-Book Fans & Collectors. Edited and published by Jerry Bails. Features comic book news and industry information. This issue announces Julius Schwartz taking over as editor of Detective Comics and Batman, Supergirl will be meeting her parents in an upcoming issue of Action Comics. Bails' new policy of not commenting on comic book news with this issue is made in the hope that it will encourage more news from professionals. Sole ad this issue is for Richard Weingroff's Black Star Comics #1. 8 1/2-in. x 11-in. 4 pages, mimeographed.

Issue #21 - Nov. 1963. Published and edited by Jerry Bails. Current comic news reported by Jerry Bails. Sample news includes Hawkman getting his own title and Captain America to be a permanent member of the Avengers and My Greatest Adventure to become Doom Patrol and so much more. Includes the charter for The Academy of Comic Book Fans and Collectors along with a listing of the executive board of the Academy, which reads like a Who's Who of early fandom. Names like Edwin Aprill, E. Nelson Bridwell, Bernie Bubnis, Tom Fagan, Ronn Foss, Larry Herndon, Richard Kyle, Jim Harmon, Don Glut, Bill Spicer, G.B. Love, Ray Miller, Bruce Pelz, and our own Buddy Saunders. Learn about plans for a NY Comic Con that was to take place in conjunction with that year's New York World's Fair. Ads from Bails and Russ Manning, who was looking for newspaper adventure strip reprints. 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 12 pages, B&W.

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Issue #22 - Jan. 1964. Published and edited by Jerry Bails. This special issue is devoted to the 1963 Alley Awards Poll. This issue also announces that the Comic Reader and the Comicollector were expected to be merged into one fanzine, but this obviously fell to the wayside as the Comicollector merged with G.B. Love's Rocket's Blast instead. Also in this issue is a full page photo-offset ad for Fantasy Illustrated #1 with interior art by our own Buddy Saunders. Ads from Bails and Robert Jennings. 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., B&W, 12 pages.

Add to cart GD 2.0 $95.00 or Best Offer View scan Margin cut from bottom of first page. Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout. Graded by MCS, not consignor.

Issue #23 - Mar. 1964. Special edition published for the Executive Board. It is reported that Bill White could not take over a combined TCR and Comicollector because of the death of his mother. Includes a Fantasy Illustrated #1 photo-offset ad and other ads from Bails. 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 8 pages, B&W.

Issue #24 - Apr. 1964. Subtitled a "Limited Editon for the Executive Board" of the Academy of Comic Book Fans and Collectors. Published and edited by Jerry Bails. Proposals on election of the Executive Board, who will take over the Comic Reader, the creation of new offices in the academy and other academy business. Also includes a three-page bibliography of Maggie Thompson's research for her paper entitled Comic Books as Children's Literature. 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 12 pages, B&W.

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issue #25 - May 1964. Limited edition for the Executive Board. News about a possible successor to Jerry Bails' editorship of The Comic Reader. Discussion of a Hall of Fame and new categories of the Alley Awards. Fanzine reviews. Ad for Bails' microfilms of Golden Age comics. Includes an Errata sheet stapled inside. 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 12 pages, B&W.

Issue #26 - June 1964. New editor Glen Johnson takes over the Comic Reader. Report of a visit to Russ Manning's house, the latest comic news, a Chicago showing of the complete Captain America serial, a small Detroit convention report by Jerry Bails, fanzine reviews by Jeremy Barry. 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 12 pages, B&W.

Issue #27 - July 1964. Published and edited by Glen Johnson. Russ Manning contributes a letter discussing the role of the fanzine for two pages. Fanzine reviews by Jeremy Barry. Comic, Burroughs and other news. 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 12 pages, B&W.

"The Comic Reader" #28 features a convention report for New York's first comicon, a lengthy essay, written by Russ Manning, with everything you ever wanted to know about the birth of the character Magnus, Robot Fighter, and what may be the first incarnation of the long-running column, "Information Center." A full-page is devoted to announcing and seeking members for comicdom's first-ever Amateur Press Alliance, CAPA-alpha.

The Comic Reader #29 (August, 1964; 16 pages; ditto). Vintage news, reviews. Glen Johnson, editor. This issue features a cool full-page illustration of Batman by Biljo White, along with a message from Biljo to Julie Schwartz, recommending Joe Kubert as a possible artist for the Batman strip.

The Comic Reader # 30 (October, 1964; 22 pages; ditto). Vintage news and reviews. Edited by Glen D. Johnson. Cover price $0.25.

The Comic Reader # 31 (November, 1964; 10 pages; ditto). Vintage news and reviews. Cover price $0.25.

Issue #34 - Feb. 1965. Published and edited by Glen Johnson. Academy news by Paul Gambaccini. On the Drawing Board is the news column about comics and related publications. Quotes from the Readers includes letters from Steven Grant, Gardner F. Fox and others. John McGeehan contributes an article about comic fanzines. Jeremy Barry fanzine review column. 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 20 pages, B&W. Cover price $0.25.

issue #36 - Apr. 1965. Art by Steve Ditko of Captain Atom. Interior art by Doug Potter, Ronn Foss, Bill Dubay, Howard Keltner and others. 1964 Alley Awards results. Academy news by Paul Gambaccini. Comic news and a short piece by Howard Rogofsky going into his recent spate of missing money sent through the mail. The Ego Crusher fanzine review column by Jeremy Barry. Letters from Ray Miller and others. The Cosmic Mirror by Rick Durell and Paul Moslander compares Marvel's Daredevil and Charles Biro's Daredevil. Ad for the NYC Comicon taking place July 31-Aug. 1, 1965. 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 20 pages, B&W. Cover price $0.25.

The Comic Reader #38 (June, 1965; 8.5" x 11; 20 pages; ditto). Vintage news, reviews, including an early article on the Doom Patrol. Cover price $0.25.

The Comic Reader #40 (August, 1965; 20 pages; ditto). Vintage news, reviews, including a Nukla frontispiece by Biljo White, and a writeup of the New York Comicon. Cover price $0.25.

News and reviews. This issue contains a full-page illustration of Nukla by Sal Trapani, a letter to the editor from Steve Ditko providing early biographical information, and revies of Alter Ego 9 (published by Roy Thomas), Star-Studded Comics 7 (Larry Herndon and the Texas Trio), Batmania 7 (Biljo White). Cover price $0.30.

Among other highlights of this issue: "The Ray" original color cover by Howard Keltner, one of the 'Texas Trio," in homage to the hero of Smash Comics-a tribute to artist great Reed Crandall. Editorial - including the news that legendary Steve Ditko would no longer be doing Spider-Man for Marvel Comics. On the Drawing Board, breaking comics news by David Kaler with header illustration by Doug Potter. Academy of Comic Book Fans and Collectors "Alle Awards" poll, a look at which comic titles, authors and artists were nominated for comicdom's most prestigious "Academy Awards" back in 1966. The Viking Prince, an illustrated tribute by Ron Foss to the great Joe Kubert originated character. Bidgee., an exploration of the Australian comic book scene by John T. Ryan, including cover for Australian Paul Wheelahan's The Raven. Sample pages of Australian comic book artist Stan Pitt artwork. The Spirit, an original sketch expressly done for John T. Ryan by creator Will Eisner. The Fox, a great installment by Alter Ego artist Ronn Foss, one of the titular founders of early comic book fandom. Cover price $0.30.

8.5" x 11", 16 pages, B&W