Changing logo and changing prices help to date comics to particular
periods. This can then be matched with other known information and estimates.
My estimates of these periods form the basis of the
Guidelines for dating Australian reprint comics.
The Mitchell Library in Sydney, NSW, Australia, has a large collection of
Australian reprint comics dating from the early to mid-1960. These comics had
dates stamped on the cover when they were received by the Library. The dates
vary (for example, two consecutive issues can be stamped the same), but show a
generally regular pattern of publication. I have standardised dates to develop
monthly, bimonthly and quarterly schedules.
Date codes: Some advertisements include a code to help the
advertiser track the source of the coupon. The above code indicates a comic
published February 1972. (back cover of Superman Supacomic 150,
February 1972)
Some advertisements have dates that can be used to precisely date the
comic or estimate its age. Many of these dates are "hidden" in advertisers
codes (see image at side). These codes consistently match other dating
information until the mid-1970, even though there are similar codes after that
time.
Original US publication dates set the earliest possible date for the
reprint. However, there is little consistency in how long after US publication
the story is reprinted. Up until the 1960s, issues included a wide mix of
reprints across several decades—and the most recent story is not
necessarily the lead/cover story! The Mitchell Library date stamps suggest
some reprints appeared within three to six months of the originals.
Continuity forced sequential reprints increasingly in the 1960s and 1970s. Many of these continued stories seem to have been reprinted quickly after
the original US publication where the Australian DC reprint was part of a
regular series.
Hand written or stamped months or full dates were put on some comics by newsagents. These
can be either arrival dates or restocking dates, two to three months
after publication!
These dates only give a three to four month approximation.
A copyright year in the indicia appeared consistently for the first
time during the final Australian Edition DC logo period.
During the change to decimal currency in Australia, dual
pricing was printed on covers. The Currency Act 1963 provided a
transitional period of one-and-a-half to two years following "C-day", 14th
February 1966. It appears that comics included dual
pricing from August 1965 until May 1967. More specifically, from August 1965
to January 1966, the 2/- was dominant; from February 1966 to July 1966, the
20c was dominant; from August 1966 to March 1967 the 2/- was again dominant;
with the 20c dominant again in April 1967 to May 1967, before the 20 pricing
took over entirely in Jun 1967. Some comics appear to vary from this pattern.
An advertisement about the Trade Practices Act 1974 appeared
in Planet Comics. This appears to have occurred over the six month period,
February to July 1975.
The Murray Comics period of one-shots is a nightmare to date. I wasn't reading the
reprint comics much at the time and have few memories. I can't even work out
the order some of the comics came out in! I'm working on it...
Note on the number of pages:
The advertised number of pages on earlier comics generally included the
covers—comics had the front cover unnumbered, but the first story page
was numbered "3". Later, the number of pages advertised on the cover excluded
the covers (4 pages), and inside a "1" began to appear on the first story page.
The change in approach occurred just before the change to the second Planet
Comics logo, around October 1975. (I've wondered if it has something to do
with the Trade Practices Act misleading advertising provisions, as all comics
included notification of this during 1975).
