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LA_Goonie Posts: 10
11/17/2016
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Title: Weather Bird Comics
Missing Issues: All
Country: USA
Publisher: Western Printing
Publication Years: 1957 - 1962
Cover Price: .10
More Info on these books can be seen here: https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=482181
edited by LA_Goonie on 11/17/2016
edited by LA_Goonie on 11/17/2016
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nels783 Posts: 1
6/20/2017
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I too would love to see these 16 issues eventually added! I have a couple of these CGC slabbed in 9.6 ... not too bad considering they are 60 years old!
The only information I know about them are that they were Free Promotional Giveaways to shoppers at Weather-Bird Children's Shoe Stores for 16 months from 1957-1958. They are essentially left over news-stand issue Harvey Comics, with a Promo cover stapled on in place of the original comic cover. Overstreet values the books at 40-60% of the original named comic, depending on the content... IE: A Weather-Bird covered "Harvey Hits 12 - The Phantom" in 9.8 would value 60% of the price of an original "Harvey Hits 12" in 9.8 with the original cover in place.... while a Weather-Bird "Sad-Sack" in 9.8 would value 40% of the price of an original "Harvey Sad Sack" in 9.8 with the original cover.
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jarhead_84 Posts: 481
8/1/2021
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Been a couple years since I posted this, just an inquiry into the status of adding it.
Thanks
Ben
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collectibleshop Posts: 2357
8/1/2021
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pics/info on GCD for CPG: https://www.comics.org/series/25418/
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Defiant1 Posts: 720
8/1/2021
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I'm not familiar with those at the GCD comics linked to above, but I did save a few scans while compiling my web page for Charlton Shoe Store Giveaway comics.
Here's a Weather-Bird Comic wraparound on a copy of MD #3 (EC Comics)
Notice the staple placement. The cover was likely added later and not bound on the comic originally. It does not have an EC cover underneath the cover you see.
Here's a Weather-Bird comic that does appear to be bound onto the comic in the original binding process.
Here's a neat Harvey Shoe store giveaway cover..
I've been trying to collect Charlton Comic scans of all the possible Blue Bird Shoe Store Giveaway comics...
The list is what ~may~ exist. I have a long way to go, but it's fun filling in the missing covers.
http://charltongallery.orgfree.com/Charlton_Blue_Bird_Checklist.html
edited by Defiant1 on 8/1/2021
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collectibleshop Posts: 2357
8/1/2021
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I only looked under the Western Publishing name on GCD, so just searched for Weather Bird and saw the Harvey ones, but they only have 2 cover pics, same cover: https://www.comics.org/series/62837/
For those who care, GCD's history info states: "Contrary to popular belief among collectors, Weather Bird Comics was a monthly unnumbered giveaway series created by switching covers during the production process. Issues are not re-covered copies of various Harvey comics. The series likely ran for at least a year from September 1957 through August 1958 although the content of some issues has yet to be determined. Although not numbered, their sequence can be determined by date. Large quantities of #6-12 were found when the contents of the Harvey Comics warehouse were sold. They are often described as "file copies" but they are more correctly warehouse stock. Most copies on today's market are those from the Harvey warehouse. Copies distributed through shoe stores are somewhat uncommon." That's just for the Harvey stuff, not Charlton, which ran longer.
GCD list of various Blue Bird brand comics: https://www.comics.org/brand_emblem/2252/
https://www.comics.org/brand_emblem/3848/
might be some pics there to use.
GCD also lists these shoe store giveaways, that were sold under various shoe store names apparently, including Weather Bird:
Dick Tracy: https://www.comics.org/issue/676613/
Smilin' Jack: https://www.comics.org/series/39562/
Terry and the Pirates: https://www.comics.org/issue/676614/
I haven't checked CPG to see if they're listed here, takes too long, so this'll be all I'm gonna do for this thread now.
edited by collectibleshop on 8/1/2021
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Defiant1 Posts: 720
8/2/2021
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It appears to me that the shoe store giveaways started as a means to utilize remaindered comic interiors at a time when the comics industry was in turmoil.
As time went by, I believe they did start doing the cover swap during production with generic covers.
Eventually, it becomes evident that the comics started being produced directly for the shoe store market with unique covers.
Harvey did a lot of promotional comics in general.
The comics industry collapsed in the early 50's with Charlton buying up all
the failing publishers. They'd buy a publisher and print all the issues
that were in production, and usually cancel the series after that.
There's some kind of connection between EC (who was struggling towards the end)
and Charlton. We know Charlton printed the first printing of Impact #1
for EC. It has a white logo vs. the yellow logo on the 2nd printing.
I have a Valor #2 with a Charlton pre-code Lawbreakers comic on
the interior. It is mis-cut, but it does not appear to be a "married"
cover done in the aftermarket.
ENS (Export Newspaper Services) was publishing Spanish language versions of EC Comics.
Originally they were published in the U.S.,but around the time EC stopped publishing comics, production shifted to Mexico and the Valor title continued on doing Spanish language Charlton reprints.
I guess my point is that an EC comic with a Weatherbird outer cover may have had nothing to do with EC if Charlton printed other EC's. I'm still trying to find out what the connection is between EC, Charlton, & ENS. We only know about Charlton printing Impact #1. We know Bill Gaines was extremely displeased with the printing quality on it. Did Charlton print other EC's later that were acceptable to Bill Gaines? The Valor #2 with a Charlton interior is pretty strange unless they were printed at the same location. Did Charlton print comics for ENS? These are things I'm trying to find out.
If you factor Hurricane Diane hitting the Charlton facility in 1955 and almost putting them out of business, that would put them into a huge state of distress. It would create a need to open new doors of revenue.
I'm sure Western & Harvey were all in the same mode of survival and towards the late 50's saw a good market in promotional comics.
edited by Defiant1 on 8/2/2021
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jarhead_84 Posts: 481
8/4/2021
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Now that is some serious history lessons that one would only get here!! Thanks Defiant, Does make it difficult on how these comics should be added, along with the obviously hundreds of "others" that are out there as well. Well, the one I have is bagged, boarded and sitting comfortably on my shelf to be added at a later date!!
Ben
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Defiant1 Posts: 720
8/4/2021
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jarhead_84 wrote:
Now that is some serious history lessons that one would only get here!! Thanks Defiant, Does make it difficult on how these comics should be added, along with the obviously hundreds of "others" that are out there as well. Well, the one I have is bagged, boarded and sitting comfortably on my shelf to be added at a later date!!
Ben
--- The later comics produced directly for shoe store chains would be easy to list. It's just difficult to find scans or images in general.
I'm pretty sure my Blue Bird list is going to be accurate, but it appears that 8 variants exist of every issue.
The shoe store giveaways that are swapped out in the normal binding process or the ones that appear to be made from remaindered comics (leftover interiors) afterwards are going to be tough because some might be a lot rarer than others.
Here is a rather goofy checklists I created of remaindered EC comics bound as Rural Home's Blazing Comics #5
http://comicchecklist.atwebpages.com/EC/Rural_Home/Rural_Home_Remaindered_EC_Comics.html
That is just the EC related comics. There are non-EC comics that have the same cover.
Some cover galleries are cool to look at, some aren't.
I like to list everything when I'm compiling my checklists.
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Gilgandra Posts: 1246
1/14/2022
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Defiant1 wrote:
I'm not familiar with those at the GCD comics linked to above, but I did save a few scans while compiling my web page for Charlton Shoe Store Giveaway comics.
Here's a Weather-Bird Comic wraparound on a copy of MD #3 (EC Comics)
Notice the staple placement. The cover was likely added later and not bound on the comic originally. It does not have an EC cover underneath the cover you see.
Here's a Weather-Bird comic that does appear to be bound onto the comic in the original binding process.
edited by Defiant1 on 8/1/2021
I entered these 2 under "Special Tab" with the Weather Bird title I added before. That way there not lost in the Database. I should imagine there are not many of these getting around. https://comicspriceguide.com/titles/weather-bird/pkxyly
Have to do the Harvey ones another day. Like to add all those weather Bird Shoes first.
edited by Gilgandra on 1/14/2022
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Defiant1 Posts: 720
1/14/2022
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Gilgandra wrote:
Defiant1 wrote:
I'm not familiar with those at the GCD comics linked to above, but I did save a few scans while compiling my web page for Charlton Shoe Store Giveaway comics.
Here's a Weather-Bird Comic wraparound on a copy of MD #3 (EC Comics)
Notice the staple placement. The cover was likely added later and not bound on the comic originally. It does not have an EC cover underneath the cover you see.
Here's a Weather-Bird comic that does appear to be bound onto the comic in the original binding process.
edited by Defiant1 on 8/1/2021
I entered these 2 under "Special Tab" with the Weather Bird title I added before. That way there not lost in the Database. I should imagine there are not many of these getting around. https://comicspriceguide.com/titles/weather-bird/pkxyly
Have to do the Harvey ones another day. Like to add all those weather Bird Shoes first.
edited by Gilgandra on 1/14/2022
When people sort through their collections, these are less likely to get scanned or put up on eBay to sell. I need to scour the web for Blue Bird Shoe comic images again. There are a lot of variant covers for those.
Has anyone besides me noticed the similarities between the Blue Bird Comics colophon (Charlton) and Valiant's limited Harbinger TPB logo they used?
 
Defiant1
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