When was it Published?
The dating for most comics on this site is an estimate—very few Australian reprints included publication dates. I have developed dating guidelines based on available information.
This is a summary of my conclusions, which can help you date your comics. Please read read the details of the dating problem to understand why the following estimates may not be accurate. Also, some series did not follow this patter, particularly those that were not super-hero focused or were mainly non-DC reprints.
| No logo | Colour Comics | Planet Comics (1) | Planet Comics (2) | Murray Publishers | Murray Romance Library | Murray Comics (Red) | Murray Comics (Black) | Federal Comics (Murray the Cat) | Federal Comics (Murray the Cat 2) | Federal Comics | Australian Edition DC | DC |
| 1947–1949 | 1949–1973 | 1973–1975 | 1975–1979 | 1979–1979 | 1980–1982 | 1980–1982 | 1982–1983 | 1983–1983 | 1983–1983 | 1983–1984 | 1984–1985 | 1985–1986 |
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Logo | Pages/pricing and other changes | Estimated dates | Notes |
No logo Jan 1947 | 36 colour pages for 6d | 1947 to Feb 1950 | There appears to be a period of overlap where some issues had the Colour Comics logo while other series remained unbranded. |
| Blue Star | 1947 | KG Murray produced various one-shot comics with Australian work under the generic "Blue Star" branding, including Blue Star All-Australian Comic, The Blue Ray, Man Out of Space, Treasure Planet and Valley of Doom. | |
| Various | 1940s to 1970s | KG Murray produced various comics without any branding through until the 1970s, particularly series that were not DC reprints. Examples include The Adventures of Devil Doone until the late 1950s, All Favourites Comic Annual and All Love Romantic Stories. | |
Colour Comics May 1949 | 26-36 B&W pages for 6d | 1949 to Feb 1951 | Comics appear to have gradually reduced in page count, but transistion dates are not certain. |
| 24-28 B&W pages for 8d | Mar 1951 to Feb 1955 | ||
| 24-28 B&W pages for 9d | Mar 1955 to Dec 1956 | ||
| 148 B&W pages for 3/6 | 1955 to Jan 1960 | ||
| 100 colour pages for 2/6 | 1956/57? | ||
| 32 colour pages for 1/- | Jun 1956 to Apr 1957 | Superman was in colour from issue 109 (June 1956) to 119 (April 1957). Colour Batman issues appear to have been produced during the same period, whild some series were in colour for shorter periods or not at all. | |
| 100 B&W pages for 2/- | Jul 1956 to Apr 1965 | ||
| 28-32 B&W pages for 1/- | Jan 1957 to Oct 1959 | ||
| Use of 100 page strip at spine | Feb 1958 to Apr 1965 | ||
| 100 B&W pages for 2/6 | 1958 to April 1965 | This higher pricing was used for romance comics. | |
| 116 B&W pages for 2/- | Jan 1960 to Sep 1961 | Some series were 116 pages for shorter time. | |
| Use of 116 page strip at spine | Jan 1960 to Sep 1961 | Only some series went to 116 pages for varying lengths of time. | |
| 164 B&W pages for 3/6 | Feb 1960 to Apr 1966 | ||
| 84 B&W pages for 2/- | May 1965 to Aug 1965 | ||
| 84 B&W pages for 20c or 2/- | Aug 1965 to May 1967 | ||
| Dual pricing with 2/- dominant | Aug 1965 to Jan 1966 | While the changes in dual pricing occurred across most major series, there are variations with some series. | |
| Dual pricing with 20c dominant | Feb 1966 to Jul 1966 | While the changes in dual pricing occurred across most major series, there are variations with some series. | |
| 164 B&W pages for 3/6 or 35c | May 1966 to Apr 1967 | ||
| Dual pricing with 2/- dominant | Aug 1966 to Mar 1967 | While the changes in dual pricing occurred across most major series, there are variations with some series. | |
| Dual pricing with 20c dominant | Apr 1967 to May 1967 | While the changes in dual pricing occurred across most major series, there are variations with some series. | |
| 164 B&W pages for 35c | May 1967 to Aug 1970 | ||
| 84 B&W pages for 20c | Jun 1967 to Jun 1969 | ||
| 68 B&W pages for 20c | Jul 1969 to Jun 1972 | ||
| 52 B&W pages for 20c | Feb 1971 to May 1973 | There are some strange pricing variations. See All Star Adventure Comic 79. | |
| 68 B&W pages for 25c | Jul 1972 to May 1973 | ||
Planet Comics (1) Jun 1973 | 52 B&W pages for 20c | Jun 1973 to Oct 1974 | The Colour Comics logo appears to have continued for up to a year (possibly until around May 1974) on some no-super-hero series that did not adopt the "Planet Comics" logo. |
| 68 B&W pages for 25c | Jun 1973 to Oct 1974 | ||
| 100 B&W pages for 40c | 1974 to 1976 | ||
| Green Lantern | June 1974 | The Original Green Lantern starts without Planet branding. | |
| 52 B&W pages for 25c | Nov 1974 to Nov 1975 | ||
| 68 B&W pages for 30c | Nov 1974 to Nov 1975 | ||
| 52 B&W pages for 30c | 1974? | Some non-super hero comics were produced without Planet Comics branding and sold for this higher price. For example, see Battle Action. | |
| Trade Practices Act advertisement | Feb 1975 to Jul 1975 | Some comics appear to have run the ad slightly longer. | |
| Advertised page count excludes covers | From Nov 1975 | From this time, comics are advertised with a page count excluding the covers: 96 pages rather than 100 pages; 80 pages rather than 84 pages; 64 pages rather than 68 pages; and 48 pages rather than 52 pages. | |
Planet Comics (2) Dec 1975 | Long-running 1960s series end | Dec 1975 to | When the new logo was introduced, some on-going series also changed titles, with numbering continuing. Superman Presents Tip Top Comic Monthly became Batman; Superman Presents Wonder Comic Monthly became Wonder Woman; and Superman Presents World's Finest Comic Monthly became The Flash. |
| 100 B&W pages for 40c | Dec 1975 to Sep 1976 | ||
| 52 B&W pages for 30c | Dec 1975 to Jun 1977 | ||
| 68 B&W pages for 35c | Dec 1975 to Jun 1976 | ||
| 36 colour pages for 30c | 1976 to 1977 | These issues do not include the standard Planet Comics logo -- it is replaced with a circular logo with "All Color" text. | |
| 100 page albums begin | Jul 1976 to | At this time, many 52 and 68 page comics were converted to 100 pages, with the word "Album" included in the title. | |
| 68 B&W pages for 40c | Aug 1976 to 1977 | ||
| 100 B&W pages for 50c | Dec 1976 to 1977 | ||
| 52 B&W pages for 40c | 1977 to 1978? | ||
| 68 B&W pages for 50c | 1977 to 1978? | Romance, western and war comics were produced at this time without Planet Comics branding. | |
| 84 B&W pages for 60c | 1977 to 1978? | ||
| 100 B&W pages for 75c | Oct 1977 to Mar 1979 | ||
| All Color Planet Comics | Jan 1977 to Dec 1979 | The standard Planet Comics logo was omitted and distinctive branding used on the Superman and Batman and Robin full colour series. | |
| 36 colour pages for 35c | 1978 to Sept 1979 | ||
| 68 B&W pages for 50c | Jul 1978 to Mar 1979 | ||
Murray Publishers Apr 1979 | 100 B&W pages for 75c | Apr 1979 to Apr 1979 | |
| 68 B&W pages for 50c | Apr 1979 to Jan 1980 | There was some crossover with the second Planet and the first Murray logo, around April to July 1979 -- see Super Adventure Album 12, Planet Series 2, and Superman Presents Superboy Comic 116. | |
| 100 B&W pages for 80c | May 1979 to Jan 1980 | ||
| 36 colour pages for 40c | Sep 1979 to Jan 1980 | ||
Murray Romance Library Jan 1980 | 84 B&W pages for 60c | 1980-1981? | The dates for use of this logo are uncertain. I have assumed a timeframe covering the red Murray Comics logo and into mid 1983 when the black Murray logo was used. |
| 100 B&W pages for 95c | 1980?-1982 | ||
Murray Comics (Red) Feb 1980 | 68 B&W pages for 60c | 1980 | The red "Murray the Cat" logo also appears on some later comics (eg, Superman 3, Bat-Villains and Batman and the Cat Woman 2). All these are 84 B&W pages for 99 cents. |
| 100 B&W pages for 90c | Feb 1980 to Apr 1981 | ||
| "Super Easy-To-Win Contest" on cover. | Apr 1980 to Jun 1980 | "Contest closes June 30, 1980" "Results will appear in Batman Comic No. 18 (Oct. Issue)." | |
| 132 B&W pages for $2 | 1981? | ||
| 84 B&W pages for 70c | 1981 to 1982 | ||
| 100 B&W pages for 95c | May 1981 to Feb 1982 | ||
Murray Comics (Black) Mar 1982 | 100 B&W pages for 95c | Mar 1982 to Jun 1982 | |
| 100 B&W pages for 99c | Jul 1982 to Dec 1982 | ||
| 84 B&W pages for 99c | Jan 1983 to Feb 1983 | ||
Federal Comics (Murray the Cat) Mar 1983 | 84 B&W pages for 99c | Mar 1983 to Mar 1983 | The first Federal Comics logo continued to include Murray the Cat with the words across the top only. For the first time, dates were included on the cover of these reprints. |
Federal Comics (Murray the Cat 2) Apr 1983 | 84 B&W pages for 99c | Apr 1983 to May 1983 | This variation, with "Federal Comics" above and below the "Murray the Cat" log, appears to have been used for a very short time only -- possibly just a month or two around June 1983. |
Federal Comics Jul 1983 | 84 B&W pages for 99c | Jul 1983 to May 1984 | |
| 100 B&W pages for $1.25 | Jul 1983 to May 1984 | ||
Australian Edition DC Jun 1984 | 32 (36?) colour pages for 99c | Jun 1984 to Jul 1985 | |
| 84 B&W pages for 99c | Jun 1984 to Jul 1985 | ||
| 36 colour pages for 99c | Jan 1985 to Jul 1985 | ||
| 52 colour pages for $1.25 | Jan 1985 to Jul 1985 | ||
DC Aug 1985 | 68 B&W pages for 99c | 1985 | |
| 36 colour pages for 99c | 1985 | ||
| 68 B&W pages for $1.25 | 1986 to Jun 1986 | ||
| 36 colour pages for $1.25 | 1986 to Jun 1986 | ||
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This site documents Australian comics, focusing on reprints from the 1940s to the 1980s. Images and text are for the purposes of identifying, describing and commenting on the comics. Many issue credits are courtesy the Grand Comics Database under a Creative Commons Attribution license. Publications, titles, logos, art and characters are ©, ® or TM their respective publishers, authors or creators. Design and content of this site © 2003-2010. Please respect the effort involved and acknowledge AusReprints.com when using this data.