INVESTING IN COMIC BOOKS
Compiled and edited by Terry Hoknes www.HoknesComics.com hoknes@hotmail.com
MARVEL COMICS - WHITMAN BAG VARIANT EDITIONS 1977 1978 1979 1980 - MARVEL COMICS DIRECT EDITION FOR COMIC SHOPS 1979 1980 HISTORY
Beginning in February 1977 some Marvel Comics titles were distributed by Whitman in bagged sets in department stores. Not all Marvel titles were included and not every consecutive issue was included. These comics were printed with a new comic book cover (variant) which had a diamond shaped logo around the price tag. We will see the birth of the Direct Edition to comic shops and all its variations as well.
We will use Marvel Comics two biggest selling titles at the time to help demonstrate the variant cover differences using Star Wars and Amazing Spider-man.
STAR WARS #1 (JULY 1977) is the perfect spot to start with trying to explain the complex confusion in all these variant covers. Why did they all get printed - did they come out at the same time - are any variants actually reprints. Star Wars #1 has 7 known different USA printings in 1977. They did NOT all come out at the same time. Note there are different price versions as well as some with UPC bar codes and some with a blank box instead. Some are actually marked reprints. So lets break these down. Star Wars #1 has more variant covers than any other Marvel comic of this era.
LEFT TO RIGHT: #1 the original newsstand printing which came out in April 1977 pre-dating the actual movie. The original 1st printing has a 30 cent price cover and bar codes. At the same time a test version was printed with a higher price tag of 35 cents but only released to 6 american cities. The movie became a hit and within a month or two of release a new printing came out still with a 30 cent cover price but states REPRINT on the cover. It is clear to see that the other variants came out later as they have a later high price tag of 35 cents. The next 3 all have diamond shaped logos and were all printed for distribution by Whitman in bagged comic sets. The first one has UPC bar codes but the next two have a blank UPC box but continue the diamond logo and one says REPRINT right on the cover while the last one says reprint only inside the first page in the indicia. The final version has no price tag and I am unsure of its origins at this point.
Marvel Comics had started publishing comics with Whitman in bagged sets starting in February 1977 and featured many of their more popular titles but definitely NOT all of their titles and packaging might have been quite random so some monthly issues were not included. Note these early ones still have a UPC bar code - the difference is simply the Diamond shaped logo. A study of the ebay market determined how rare these Diamond logo versions are consisting of only 5% of the copies on the market.
BLANK UPC BOXES - These became the most famous Whitman bagged versions and are debatably the most common or at least the easiest to identify.
These were published sporadically from October 1977 to May 1979
Its important to note that many Whitman bag sets actually were distributed using the regular newsstand edition and NOT a variant at all.
LINE DRAWN VERTICAL THROUGH THE UPC BAR CODE BOX
This may possibly be the beginning of the Direct Edition for Comic Shops - not verified if these were produced by Whitman or if these are the first Direct Edition Comics ever printed by Marvel.
These appeared from June 1979 to February 1980 when the Direct Edition officially is confirmed.
DIRECT EDITIONS - COMIC STORES EXCLUSIVE PRINTED COVERS
February 1980 saw the first titles hit comic shops with a special variant cover printed with a white Spider-man face in the UPC Bar code box.
CANADIAN COVER PRICE VARIANT EDITIONS
October 1982 saw the debut of a 4 year run of comics printed specifically for the market of Canada with a higher cover price than that of the USA.
Instead of 60 cents the Canadian variants had a higher 75 cent price. These are much scarcer as the Canadian population is only 10% of USA making the print run of these only 10% at the most of the USA printings.
DIRECT EDITION FOR COMIC SHOPS - BLACK SPIDER-MAN
With the debut of the black Venom symbiote costume the month before Marvel changed the color Spider-man to black color on all of its comics starting May 1984.
Other great reference sites about Marvel Whitman variants bronze age:
Here is a complete list of every comic produced by Marvel Comics from 1977-1979
|
Item |
MARVEL - 1977 |
1st iss |
New |
Start |
End |
Genre |
# of iss |
|
|
1 |
Howard The Duck Annual |
1 |
yes |
77 |
77 |
1977 |
hero |
1 |
|
2 |
John Carter Warlord Annual |
1 |
yes |
77 |
77 |
1979 |
hero |
3 |
|
3 |
Pizzazz Magazine |
1 |
yes |
77 |
77 |
1979 |
various |
16 |
|
4 |
Star Team |
1 |
yes |
77 |
77 |
?/77 |
hero |
1 |
|
5 |
Tarzan Annual |
1 |
yes |
77 |
77 |
1979 |
jungle |
3 |
|
6 |
Black Panther |
1 |
yes |
1 |
77 |
5/1979 |
hero |
15 |
|
7 |
Logans Run |
1 |
yes |
1 |
77 |
7/1977 |
movie |
7 |
|
8 |
Ms. Marvel |
1 |
yes |
1 |
77 |
4/1979 |
hero |
23 |
|
9 |
Rampaging Hulk magazine |
1 |
yes |
1 |
77 |
6/1978 |
hero |
9 |
|
10 |
Red Sonja |
1 |
yes |
1 |
77 |
5/1979 |
hero |
15 |
|
11 |
What If |
1 |
yes |
2 |
77 |
10/1985 |
hero |
47 |
|
12 |
Marvel Super Action |
1 |
yes |
5 |
77 |
11/1981 |
hero |
37 |
|
13 |
John Carter Warlord of Mars |
1 |
yes |
6 |
77 |
10/1979 |
hero |
28 |
|
14 |
Tarzan |
1 |
yes |
6 |
77 |
10/1979 |
jungle |
29 |
|
15 |
Star Wars |
1 |
yes |
7 |
77 |
9/1986 |
movie |
107 |
|
16 |
Godzilla |
1 |
yes |
8 |
77 |
7/1979 |
hero |
24 |
|
17 |
Human Fly |
1 |
yes |
9 |
77 |
3/1979 |
hero |
19 |
|
18 |
Invaders Annual |
1 |
yes |
9 |
77 |
Sep/77 |
hero |
1 |
|
19 |
Marvel Comics Super Spec |
1 |
yes |
9 |
77 |
11/1986 |
various |
41 |
|
20 |
Eternals Annual |
1 |
yes |
10 |
77 |
Oct/77 |
hero |
1 |
|
21 |
Flintstones |
1 |
yes |
10 |
77 |
2/1979 |
kid |
9 |
|
22 |
Island of Dr. Moreau |
1 |
yes |
10 |
77 |
10/1977 |
movie |
1 |
|
23 |
Scooby Doo |
1 |
yes |
10 |
77 |
2/1979 |
kid |
9 |
|
24 |
Deep |
1 |
yes |
11 |
77 |
11/1977 |
movie |
1 |
|
25 |
Dynomutt |
1 |
yes |
11 |
77 |
9/1978 |
kid |
6 |
|
26 |
Yogi Bear |
1 |
yes |
11 |
77 |
3/1979 |
kid |
9 |
|
27 |
Funtastic World Of Hanna |
1 |
yes |
12 |
77 |
6/1978 |
kid |
3 |
|
END |
Two Gun Kid (70) Marvel Spotlight (71) Werewolf By Night (72) Marvel Double Feature (73) Weird Wonder Tales (73) |
|||||||
|
END |
Kazar (74) Deadly Hands Of Kung Fu (74) Planet Of The Apes (74) Doc Savage (75) Super Villain Team Up (75) Inhumans (75) |
|||||||
|
END |
Marvel Presents (75) Iron Fist (75) Son Of Satan (75) Marvel Adventures (75) Omega The Unknown (76) Captain Britain UK (76) |
|||||||
|
END |
2001 Space Oddysey (76) Howard The Duck Annual (77) Star Tream (77) Logans Run (77) Invaders Annual (77) |
|||||||
|
END |
Eternals Annual (77) Island of Dr. Moreau (77) Deep (77) |
|||||||
|
Item |
MARVEL - 1978 |
1st iss |
New |
Start |
End |
Genre |
# of iss |
|
|
1 |
Captain Britain Annual |
1 |
yes |
78 |
78 |
1978 |
hero |
1 |
|
2 |
Man From Atlantis |
1 |
yes |
2 |
78 |
8/1978 |
tv |
7 |
|
3 |
Laff-A-Lympics |
1 |
yes |
3 |
78 |
3/1979 |
kid |
13 |
|
4 |
Devil Dinosuar |
1 |
yes |
4 |
78 |
12/1978 |
hero |
9 |
|
5 |
Machine Man |
1 |
yes |
4 |
78 |
12/1978 |
hero |
9 |
|
6 |
Spiderwoman |
1 |
yes |
4 |
78 |
6/1983 |
hero |
50 |
|
7 |
Hulk magazine |
10 |
yes |
8 |
78 |
6/1981 |
hero |
18 |
|
8 |
TV Stars |
1 |
yes |
8 |
78 |
2/1979 |
kid |
4 |
|
9 |
Spotlight |
1 |
yes |
9 |
78 |
3/1979 |
kid |
4 |
|
10 |
Super Villain Team Up |
15 |
no |
11 |
78 |
11/1978 |
hero |
1 |
|
END |
Power Records (74) Marvel Special Edition (75) Champions (75) Marvel Classics (76) Eternals (76) Kull the Conqueror (76) |
|||||||
|
END |
Rampaging Hulk Magazine (77) Dynomutt (77) Funtastic World Of Hanna Barbara (77) Captain Britain Annual (78) |
|||||||
|
END |
Man From Atlantis (78) Devil Dinosaur (78) Machine Man (78) Super Villain Team Up (78) |
|||||||
|
Item |
MARVEL - 1979 |
1st iss |
New |
Start |
End |
Genre |
# of iss |
|
|
1 |
Amazing Spider All Detergent |
1 |
yes |
79 |
79 |
1979 |
hero |
1 |
|
2 |
Amazing Spiderman VS Hulk |
1 |
yes |
79 |
79 |
1979 |
hero |
1 |
|
3 |
Brother Billy the Pain from Plains |
1 |
yes |
79 |
79 |
1979 |
comedy |
1 |
|
4 |
Marvel Fun And Games |
1 |
yes |
79 |
79 |
1980 |
games |
13 |
|
5 |
Spectacular Spiderman Annual |
1 |
yes |
79 |
79 |
1994 |
hero |
14 |
|
6 |
Super Heroes Puzzles & Games |
1 |
yes |
79 |
79 |
1979 |
kid |
4 |
|
7 |
Uncanny X Men Annual |
3 |
yes |
79 |
79 |
1994 |
hero |
16 |
|
8 |
Micronauts |
1 |
yes |
1 |
79 |
8/1984 |
hero |
59 |
|
9 |
Shogun Warriors |
1 |
yes |
2 |
79 |
9/1980 |
hero |
20 |
|
10 |
Battlestar Galactica |
1 |
yes |
3 |
79 |
1/1981 |
tv |
23 |
|
11 |
Super Villian Team Up |
16 |
no |
5 |
79 |
5/1979 |
hero |
1 |
|
12 |
Marvel Spotlight |
1 |
yes |
7 |
79 |
3/1981 |
hero |
11 |
|
13 |
Machine Man |
10 |
no |
8 |
79 |
2/1981 |
hero |
10 |
|
14 |
Invaders |
41 |
no |
9 |
79 |
Sep/79 |
hero |
1 |
|
15 |
Howard The Duck magazine |
1 |
yes |
10 |
79 |
3/1981 |
hero |
9 |
|
16 |
Tomb Of Dracula magazine |
1 |
yes |
10 |
79 |
8/1980 |
horror |
6 |
|
17 |
Man Thing |
1 |
yes |
11 |
79 |
7/1981 |
hero |
11 |
|
18 |
Amazing Adventures |
1 |
yes |
12 |
79 |
1/1981 |
hero |
14 |
|
19 |
Fantasy Masterpieces |
1 |
yes |
12 |
79 |
1/1981 |
hero |
14 |
|
20 |
Micronauts Annual |
1 |
yes |
12 |
79 |
Oct/80 |
hero |
2 |
|
21 |
Star Wars Annual |
1 |
yes |
12 |
79 |
Dec/83 |
hero |
3 |
|
22 |
Rom |
1 |
yes |
12 |
79 |
2/1986 |
hero |
75 |
|
23 |
Tales To Astonish |
1 |
yes |
12 |
79 |
1/1981 |
hero |
14 |
|
END |
Rawhide Kid (60) Kid Colt Outlaw (69) Tomb Of Dracula (72) Captain Marvel (75) Invaders (75) Marvel Triple Action (75) |
|||||||
|
END |
Howard The Duck (76) Nova (76) Black Panther (77) Ms. Marvel (77) Red Sonja (77) John Carter Warlord Of Mars (77) |
|||||||
|
END |
Tarzan (77) Godzilla (77) Human Fly (77) Flintstones (77) Scooby Doo (77) Yogi Bear (77) |
|||||||
|
END |
John Carter Warlord Of Mars Annual (77) Tarzan Annual (77) Pizzazz (77) Laff A Lympics (78) TV Stars (78) Spotlight (78) |
|||||||
|
END |
Amazing Spiderman All Detergent (79) Amazing Spiderman VS Hulk (79) Brother Billy The Pain From Plains (79) |
|||||||
|
END |
Super Heroes Puzzles And Games (79) Super Villain Team Up (79) Invaders (79) |
Copyright 1995-2018 by Terry Hoknes at hoknes@hotmail.com www.HoknesComics.com / Overstreet Price Guide Data is copyright 1970-2018 by Bob Overstreet & Gemstone Publishing, other info and data reprinted from Ebay at www.ebay.com , Heritage Auctions at www.ha.com , Comichron at http://www.comichron.com / , CGC census info from www.cgccomics.com , GP Analysis from www.gpanalysis.com , Doug Sulipa at www.dwscw.com and comic cover artwork at www.comics.org