Newsdealer (Newsdealers Magazine Inc) comic books 1948

Vol. 3 #5 - July 1948. The business paper for publication retailers. This special issue was devoted to comic books and contains one of the earliest iconic photographs of a spectacular newsstand in Bayonne, NJ. There's pictures of sales-winning comic book displays from around the country. Articles include "Comics -- Headache or Profit-Maker?" "Are Comics Good or Bad for Kids?" (in which the article lands decidedly on the side of good and participant George Hecht talks about forming a Code). "Big Volume - Big Profits" has a graph showing that 50 million copies of comics sold means $1.25 million in retailers pockets. "A Force for Good in the Community" by Lev Gleason also defends comic books with this opening paragraph: "The main contention of the principal critic of the comics, a so-called psychiatrist, is that, according to his findings, juvenile delinquents have been reading comic magazines. He therefore concludes that the youngsters became delinquent BECAUSE they read comic magazines. I think this is preposterous." An article and photograph showing retailer in New Jersey how his comic rack has paid off. "Wham! Zing! Zowie!" by William Lydgate (editor of the Gallup Poll) based his laudatory article on comic books on his four children who read comic books. "Who Buys and Reads Comics?" is a breakdown with graphs with one graph showing Yes, comics appeal primarily to boys and girls... but grown-ups read them too! "I Like Good Comics" by DC editor Whitney Ellsworth. Ads include a full page of Superman thanking newsdealers for selling over 101 million copies of Superman comics in 1947, a full-page ad for Fawcett showing a copy of Whiz Comics (Sales on Fawcett's 12 Comics exceed five million copies per month), a half-page ad for Lev Gleason comics (Crime Does Not Pay, etc.), small vertical ad for EC (distributed by MacFadden Publications) and Classics Illustrated (Our comics are not dated - they always sell) and a full-page ad for Archie Comics. Other interesting ads feature Argosy, David McKay, Reader's Digest, Hearst Magazines and Kable News Company. Also included is a list of that month's magazines and comics with their cover prices and publication frequency. Distributed only to newsagents, distributors and retailers. For comic book historians, this issue is a Grail item. Extremely scarce. 8 1/4-in. x 11-in., 26 pages, B&W.