Marvel Comics Multi Mags 2 for 99 cents!

[RSS]

As readers of this blog know, I have a fondness for comic multi packs especially the Whitman ones for things like Micronauts or the Shogun Warriors.

That's why this 1981 ad from coluring book publisher Parkes Run (more on them later this week) intrigues me.



It seems that 1981, Marvel dumped Whitman in favour of Parkes Run and the format changed from 3 comics to 2, thanks inflation!



As a side note, my dad knew a distributor of these back in the early 1980s. I remember seeing a whole skid of these two packs in his warehouse. The man said to me "take as many comics as you want!" but my dad's face suggested that I should probably be happy with one.....For more Fashion Mockery and 70's toy love visit us at Plaid Stallions.com


More...

[Earth 2 Chris]

Gotta love the green and yellow bags. Seems weird that they went with those colors. With red and blue, you'd have had Spidey's proper colors!

You Dad sounds like my dad. "Don't wear out your welcome, boy".

Chris

[samurainoir]

One thing I was always curious about in terms of multi-packs... I know some like the Whitman (Diamond symbol Marvels) were reprints, but I would imagine Multi-packs would be a good secondary market to move unsold comics returned from the newsstands as well? Was that the case with certain multi packs?

[cjefferys]

Two 50 cent comics for only 99 cents, what a bargain!

One thing I was always curious about in terms of multi-packs... I know some like the Whitman (Diamond symbol Marvels) were reprints, but I would imagine Multi-packs would be a good secondary market to move unsold comics returned from the newsstands as well? Was that the case with certain multi packs?

I've always assumed that multi-packs were mostly newsstand returns, that makes the most sense.

[palitoy]

Whitman reprinted a lot of key issues of comics for "theme bags" like this:



The Diamond made it impossible to qualify for distributor credit as only covers are returned in the trade.

The Parks Run stuff looks to be mainly overstock, Zellers had poly bagged 90s comics up until they closed around here.

[cjefferys]

Were the Whitman ones true reprints or printed during the original print run where they switched the cover plates at one point to do a run of Whitman versions?

[palitoy]

Were the Whitman ones true reprints or printed during the original print run where they switched the cover plates at one point to do a run of Whitman versions?

I'm not 100%, my guess from being in the print industry for 20 years would be that they just ran all the issues for an order at once. So they'd print Star Wars 1-3, then have them poly bagged and boxed.

They probably also chose themes based on what was selling hot for Marvel?

[cjefferys]

I know you are a print guy, so I'd put faith in your guess. Man, I swear I remember reading somewhere how these were usually done back then, but I completely forget where I saw it.

[palitoy]

I'd like to read that if you find it.

My dad briefly sold them in the whitman marvels in the middle seventies and then poly bags of unsold "Marvel Classics Illustrated" later on. I've never seen a poly bagged 3 pack of classics since and I've been looking.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I've seen the Whitmans referred to as "reprints", but I seem to recall getting some Whitman-branded comics in packs around the same time I got the regular DC comic. So I prefer to think of them as "variants" until told otherwise.

Chris

[Bruce Banner]

Ah, that explains why my Marvel treasury edition of The Empire Strikes Back says "Parkes Run" on the cover.

Yeah, the Whitman editions weren't reprints. Apparently the variants (such as the diamond boxes as well as the UK cover price editions) of the books were all printed at the same time as the regular versions, just at the tail end of the print run for the issues.

[Neutron X]

I used to love these! My early childhood memories are of Whitman Disney comics 3 packs and the ones containing Scooby Doo and other cartoons. They were all over Florida were I bought my comics back then and were often cheaper to buy or discounted from printed price. I bought 3packs when ever I could, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and the super Cheap Modern Comic reprints 3 packs of Charlton comics 3 for .27 cents on sale!. Loved the E-Man books by Staton and Byrne's Rog 3000. Ah..... Good Memories.
INFO Wanted????????????
Sidenote: I have found almost no info on a series of DC comics I bought on vacation on the east coast back in 1980-81 I bought these new and they were all the current DC comics not reprints. Basically DC took new DC comics without the covers and Bound 3 books with a new cover called it DC Super Heroes with a ad on the back for the Newsstand selling it( Elison's?) The book was sold sealed in a clear plastic bag. I still have one issue the only difference was logo color changed that's how you picked different issues. I bought these at an airport in either in Virginia or Atlanta. The books were not combined in any order I could tell. Superman with House of Mystery and Military comic. I liked the cover showing all the DC characters! Anyone else buy these back in the day?

[samurainoir]

[Neutron X]

samurainoir,
I had no idea the 1960s Marvel were distributed this way! SWEEEEEEEEET! I would have lost my mind to find those way back when! It even tells you which comics are inside.
Captain Canuck! Oh Yeah!!!!!!!!! And a 3D Diorama too, genius marketing! I never knew about them either!
The Whitman one brings back many happy memories.

[msenger76]

there is one of those 60s marvels on ebay for $600.

the gi joes were reprints, i had that issue #2 because i couldn't afford a real one