This was the first Superman book I owned. It wasn’t the
original DC American full color edition but, a black/white reprint published in Great Britain in a series from 1950-56
of Superman reprints. Only the covers were color printed until 1956, when the
inside pages began to appear in color. The series finished soon after but, copies were still on sale later than that.. I got it
in a newspaper shop across the road from the local cinema where, incidentally
the first Superman serial movie starring Kirk Alyn as Superman was showing. This
was a neat tie-in and helped to maintain interest until the next movie chapter
the following week. The book cost me 6d, six pence in sterling money, and was
more expensive than the visit to the cinema which, at that time (late 1950's)
was only 4d, four pence. That exhausted my week’s pocket money which meant I had
NOTHING to spend until the following week, very severe financial restriction
for a schoolkid.
The book had two Superman stories; “ The Man Who Out-Supered
Superman” (12 pages) and “ High Man On a
Flagpole” (13 pages). Men climbing up flagpoles were a phenomenon in the 1950’s.
The rest were locally British produced items; “ Atomical Tom" The Boy
Inventor (Atomical Tom The Boy Inventor) Story, 1 page, Hurricane Hardy and the Metal Man (Hurricane
Hardy) Story, 7 pages , Lemmy Loo Story, 1 page, Splinter. The Superman art was by Wayne Boring
inked by Stan Kaye. The cover was from DC Superman #46, May-June 1946 and I’m
presuming the stories were from the same but, I can’t be sure as what was on
the covers didn’t always relate to the stories inside. I can’t remember much of
any of it.
I had the book for a few weeks but, in those days comics
would easily disappear without explanation. My brothers could have taken it and
swapped it for something else or even “loaned” it out, “loans” which never came
back. Adults regarded comics as disposable litter and I could find it had been
used to light the open fire or to mop up spills of various kinds. I didn’t have
a proper collection until the 1970’s which I eventually extended with
quantities of back issues gleaned from anywhere I happened to travel to which
had a newsagent.
American comics were available, but, in the strangest
fashion. After WW2 when commercial shipping eventually resumed, ships from the
USA travelling to Britain used large quantities of comic books “returns” from
newsagents (remember, Superman et al
were selling in millions then) with covers torn off as ship’s “ballast” if they
hadn’t a full cargo. On arrival they were just dumped on the quayside and were
taken by anybody working or visiting there on the day. Liverpool, which had
close connections with Ireland, was a place where these could be found and
eventually turned up in Dublin. They weren’t just handed out, but some ended up
in “second-hand” book shops being sold for 2d or 3d an item. We were glad to
get them. It wasn’t until the 60’s that the American books returned to
normal retail outlets.
Kirk Alyn, the first movie Superman, as he appeared in the 1948
Columbia Pictures serial "SUPERMAN"
(More Kirk Alyn pics later on)
PLANETRONIX
EARTH 27/01/2012
