DCML Digest, Vol 42, Issue 21 (Postal Regs)

JTorci3511 at aol.com JTorci3511 at aol.com
Thu Aug 17 13:57:58 CEST 2006


Everyone:
 
Robert Hutchings writes: 
 
>>Joe is correct in stating that the comic books were required to  contain a 
backup story which did not include any character anywhere else  mentioned. A 
brief editorial on page 512 of the Carl Barks Library Uncle Scrooge  1-20 (this 
is the second volume in the set) confirms this. >>
 
 
Good detective work,  Robert!  At the time I sent my comments, I couldn't 
remember exactly where  I'd read this, though I knew it was somewhere in the CBL! 
 In further proof  of this I offer UNCLE SCROOGE #  75 (June,  1968), in 
which Gyro had a major role in the main story, "The Battle of  Marathon", and, 
according to regulation, could not appear in the  back-up.  Daisy Duck and 
Dimwitty filled the back-up requirement for this issue.  
Robert also said:  
>>It was news to me that  they [ text pages ] were actually only required 
beginning in  1956.>> 
They would have been required  before that, if Dell had applied for Second 
Class Subscription Mailing  Privileges before that.  It strictly ties in with 
when Dell began offering  subs on their regular comics line.   
Looking at some other comics, you can see that  BATMAN # 54 offered 
subscriptions as “Second Class Matter” at  least as far back as 1949.  Inside  there 
was a text on Dr. Alexander Fleming and Penicillin and a  comics-illustrated 
piece on speedboat racer Gar Wood (…to satisfy the  “Second/Guest Story” 
requirement)  …Under the regulation, I suppose, Batman could never have solved the  
hypothetical mystery of Gar Wood’s missing speedboat, if it occurred in Batman’
s  title!  But, oddly, Superman or  Green Lantern could!    
Back to Western, BUGS BUNNY # 49  (June/July 1956) began Second Class subs 
for that title, and “Guest Stories” and  Text Pieces were in place with that 
issue.  For a few issues prior, the indicia read “Application for Second Class  
Entry pending at the Post Office at New  York, New York”.  Guest stories began 
appearing during  that period, but the pairing of Guest and Text begins in 
earnest once the Second  Class subs were officially offered.  
Either this clarifies – or further confuses –  matters.   
Joe Torcivia.   

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://nafsk.se/pipermail/dcml/attachments/20060817/ed823245/attachment.html 


More information about the DCML mailing list