Grit comic book ads 1950s

My enthusiasm for imitating peter parker always ended in disaster and bruised limbs. A lot of ads in old comic books just wanted your money. Grit and atlas and other comicbook ads the classic comics. Posted on january 16, 2017 by the vintage toy advertiser. Americans turned to comics to put themselves in better moods during these hard times. Grit newspaper hey lady, hey mister, wanna buy a grit. These classic ads in the back of comic books tricked kids from the 50s through the 80s. Here we have the story of chris, a prematurely grayhaired kid who doesnt have enough money to go have fun with his friends. Other entrylevel experiences for budding entrepreneurs included selling items marketed in comic book ads. The strange history of comic book advertisements syfy wire. One recurring and ubiquitous ad was for the magazine grit. Comics influenced emotions and attitudes of the american people superhero comics became. Within the comic book industry, it goes all the way back to the early 1950s. Turns out russ created the two most famous comic book toy soldier ads and they are probably among the most widely remembered and most reprinted ads ever seen in comic books of the era.

Posted in comics tagged 1970s, 1970s comic book ads, monster fan club 70s, moon monster, retro, vintage horror leave a reply nontoy ad tuesday. I was on my way to being the next donald trump minus combover. Get the best deals on superman golden age comics 19381955. This one is actually pretty stripped down compared to the others, without very much text at all, and this is the first ad of theirs ive seen where theyve used a cartoony character rather than a photo or realistic drawing. Back to menu comic book mail order ads offered toy selections for all ages. This article may feature affiliate links to amazon or other companies, and purchases made via these links may earn us a small commission at no additional cost to you. Because of my job, i have spent a lot of time in williamsport, pa over the past 5 years and i took some pictures of the grit building in the downtown area to share with her. First, a brief history of comic books from their origins to the late 1940s. So, armed with some hot dialogue, we both agreed that i should be the one pitching the sales. Grit called itself americas greatest family newspaper. Leave a comment posted on april 21, 2017 june 12, 2018 comics image. Jul 24, 2014 a lot of ads in old comic books just wanted your money.

Charles atlas one of the most famous comic book ads in existence. Supermans other life, script by bill woolfolk, art by al plastino. Young boys reading superhero comics saw a lot of body building ads and ads to get taller, thinner, and richer. What i find odd is that i own the 19601964 edition of the american comic book chronicles and the binding is perfect. Sep 10, 2014 comic book adverts of the 1960s70s its been so long since ive opened up a new comic book, i dont even know if they still run ads anymore.

It would later be reprinted in numerous newspapers throughout the united states. The american comic book chronicles continues its ambitious series of fullcolor hardcovers where twomorrows top authors document every decade of comic book history from the 1940s to today. In the early 1950s horror comics, such as chamber of chills, sold womans fashion items and items for hair loss. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. May 31, 2016 i earned a pocket watch and possibly other small prizes that i cant recall. Obviously being a superhero was not all it was crackedup to be. This is why as kids, every so often wed come across an ad in a. Bill schelly authors the volume on the 1950s era of marilyn monroe and elvis presley, with a yearbyyear account of the most significant publications, notable creators, and impactful trends, including. Monday, april 22, 2019 1960s comic book ads, 1970s comic book ads, 80s comic book ads, comic book ads, comic book ads 1950s, comic book ads 1970s, comic book ads from the 70s, comic book ads vintage, grit magazine comic book ads, hostess comic book ads edit. Great advertisements from the golden age of comic books, a large size paperback that reprints in colour comic book ads from the forties and fifties.

Its so much more colorful and entertaining than the others. See more ideas about vintage advertisements, vintage ads and comic books. Comic books in the 1940s and 1950s comics became popular in the 1930s during the great depression. Grit carried a fullpage ad offering valentine cards for seven cents each. No comic book was harmed in the making of this article. This ad introduced the 98 pound weakling, named mac, who birthed the cliche of having sand kicked into his face by a bully. Anybody remember that newspaper that used to advertise in comic books in the 60s and 70s, trying to get kids to be paperboys for them. The stories in these books, says david hajdu, author of the new book, the tencent plague. Jul, 2014 old comic book ads xray specs sea monkeys kit charles atlas workout duration. Here are some of my favorite comic book ads that ive come across in my collection. May 31, 2018 from the 40s to the 70s, ads for grit would appear regularly in comics, not necessarily offering subscriptions but recruiting newsboys to sell their paper for them. Please send me your big prize book and one order of 45 packs of american seeds.

In fact, they are among the older and more desirable comics on the market. Almost every comic book in the 1970s had ads recruiting boys to sell grit newspapers in their hometowns to earn a little money. More 10 stunning vintage evening dresses worthy of the red carpet. Founded in the early 1880s, grit is, somewhat surprisingly, still going today, catering to middle america with very little change in content over the last century and claiming itself to be americas greatest family newspaper. Comic book ads from the1950s and 1960s barrys pearls of. I earned a pocket watch and possibly other small prizes that i cant recall. Bobby saves the life of a golden palomino and in return, the horse saves his life when he is attacked by a mountain lion. Grit and atlas and other comicbook ads the classic. Honey bunns class lets a rare fish, the durantis finnius, loose in the sea and its a race to see who can catch it. So keep reading to find out if your favorite heroes made my list, and feel free to respond with your different opinions.

From the 40s to the 70s, ads for grit would appear regularly in comics, not necessarily offering. Over 19,000 boys are now making money and winning prizes. Last week, i started a twopart column on the greatest comic book characters of the 1950s and 60s. These 19 images are but a small sampling of the comic treasure to be found in the someday funnies.

The site is named after shorpy higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago. From the 40s to the 70s, ads for grit would appear regularly in comics, not necessarily offering subscriptions but recruiting newsboys to sell. I was never going to be spidermanno matter how i tried to swing from washing lines or scale neighborhood walls or tumble out of trees. These kinds of lists are always less the definitive end of the conversation than the start of one.

Even seasoned collectors may have problems attaining comics from this era. This is my favorite of the grit ads ive featured, since its actually in the form of a comic. The golden age of comic books was a period in the history of american comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s. Superman travels back in time and creates a new life for himself as a disc jockey. During this time, modern comic books were first published and enjoyed a surge of popularity. Sep 02, 2015 if you think comic book movies dominate todays landscape, imagine the 1950s, when nearly 100 westerns rode on to traditional and bmovie screens each year. See more ideas about comic books, vintage advertisements and classic comics. Fellows, you can have a paying business of your own by selling grit on saturdays. The american seed company, encouraged young people to sign a simple contract that read. David hajdu has written biographies of music greats billy. Steven spielberg says superhero comic book movies are the new. Precode issues refer to comic books published prior to marchapril 1955.

In the eyedancers, mitchell brant is a comic book collector. So this is our fourth installment of grit, with the previous ones being from 1963, 1972, and 1980. The heyday of comic book mail order ads lasted from the 1950s to the 1980s. Approximately 30,000 children collected dimes from more than 700,000 american small town homes during the 1950s when the publication still carried the subtitle. Look at some inside pages by clicking customer images under the cover. If they dont, its a shame, because a lot of the enjoyment came from these strange little adverts directed at kids. Did you ever sell grit or order 200 plastic army men. They are often different in manufactured copies from originals. Six years ago, artist and historian kirk demarais, who runs the brilliant gen x nostalgia site, secret fun spot, became determined to uncover the truth behind these comicbook ads published between the 1950s and late 80s. During the first threequarters of the 20th century, grit was sold across the country by children and teenagers, many recruited by ads in comic books from the 1940s to the 1970s.

Mar 25, 2008 david hajdu examines the great comic book panic of the 1950s. May 8, 1940 sterling norths anticomics editorial, a national disgrace, is published in the chicago daily news. The comic section for january 1, 1950, carried the following sunday comic. Vintage comic book ads that were too good to be true. David hajdu examines the great comicbook panic of the 1950s. The ads also included recruitment of youngsters to act as salespeople for products such as greeting cards and the national newspaper grit. Many of these amusements and gizmos are now highly collected by baby boomers. Theres little information on why this practice ceased, although one presumes it might have something to do with the increased focus on child labor laws in the 70s. David hajdu has written biographies of music greats billy strayhorn, bob dylan, and joan baez. Cover and centerfold detached, 3 spine split from top of comic.

Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. The great comicbook scare and how it changed america, were unlike anything kids had seen before. Jan 17, 2018 top 20 comic books of the 1950s duration. Old comic book ads xray specs sea monkeys kit charles atlas workout duration.

Boys sell grit earn cash, also a watch, rifle, glove, wagon, knife, scooter and many more free prizes. Im sure i found all these opportunities in comicbook ads. Neither of them, though, has what we now call precode issues. If you like looking at these old ads, check these others ive uploaded since these. Jan 24, 20 young boys reading superhero comics saw a lot of body building ads and ads to get taller, thinner, and richer. Comic book advertisements are a common feature in american comic books mainly from the. I cant believe you showed that one they sent me like 20 copies it was more like a newspaper than a. These ads were in almost every comic book i remember. Detective comics golden age 193855 dc authentic reprint golden age 193855. Mailorder mysteries and hey skinny are both instant nostalgia.

Comic book adverts of the 1960s70s its been so long since ive opened up a new comic book, i dont even know if they still run ads anymore. Comicbook controversy is a cautionary tale nbc news. Dec 08, 2011 last week, i started a twopart column on the greatest comic book characters of the 1950s and 60s. My most lucrative business was selling lancaster vegetable and flower seeds at 10cents a packet. They should be relevant from the era the book was published. Users browsing for golden age comics 1938 1955 in golden age 193855 usually look at. The binding of third copy that amazon sent me as a replacement also fell apart, but i was so disgusted by then that i kept the book and used white glue to repair the binding as best as i could. Weve been selling comics since 1961 our first sale. While most people saw these items as ripoffs, gimmicks, and junk, others now look back fondly on them.