Deep Background
Secret Origins of the Direct Market Part Two: Phil Seuling and the Undergrounds Emerge by Robert L. Beerbohm
Right inset: A trio of Rocket’s Blast Comicollector covers. From left: #36, art by Howard Keltner; #54 and #56 art by Wally Wood. RBCC ©2000 James Van Hise.
Below: On his ad page for the 1972 Comic Art Convention souvenir book, the late con organizer (and direct market developer) Phil Seuling added this pithy tag line under this snooty portrait: “Perhaps others can offer the comics, the books, the artwork, old and rare premiums. But can they offer arrogance?” Ahh, Phil: You are missed! ©2000 The Phil Seuling Estate.
In Part One, comics historian/dealer Robert Beerbohm examined the development of comics distribution, with an emphasis on “affidavit returns,” which may have led to the cancellation of many popular titles in the early ’70s due to erroneous sales reports sent to the publishers. With Part Two, the writer examines the burgeoning underground comix market and the marketing savvy of Phil Seuling, written with a unique personal perspective as Bob has been active in the field as a fan and retailer since the late 1960s.
which offered a mint set of X-Men #1-25 for $10 (and no takers, I might add)—was at the tail end of a multi-pager from a couple of guys from Houston named Roy Bonnario and Marc Schooley who were promoting something they wanted everybody to attend called “Houston Con.”
Truckin’ to the Cons I fondly remember turning 15 years old on June 17, 1967 at the second Houston Con. And I went to Dallas the next year, back to Houston in ’69, then Detroit and Multicon in ’70 followed by a trek to my first Seuling Con during the July At that first comic con I Fourth holiday and another Detroit Triple Fan ever attended, which I rode a Greyhound Bus Fair that Labor Day weekend. Disneyland in for 28 non-stop hours to reach, Marc Schooley, Roy Bonnario, and L.A., Phoenix, Houston, Dallas and New the rest of Houston fandom introduced my impressionable 15-yearYork in ‘71 and back again to most of old mind to the wonders of collecting artifacts of popular culture. Bill those cities plus Oklahoma City for Wallace’s table was right next to mine, Boyd and Dee Magers were the 2nd Multicon that Summer on the other side. For a short while, this was heaven as we knew it. of 1972 when the Watergate My memory says I am sitting unidentified right next to Boyd and Dee break-ins were first being in a con photo in an old Star-Studded spread they used to run of the IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PREVIEW, reported in stray newspapers first few of those still fondly remembered shows way back when. TO ORDER THIS and TV spots as weCLICK traveledTHE LINK I had to come FORMAT! back for more. Dallas in 1968 is where I joined ISSUE OR DIGITAL from city to city which IN PRINT OAF (Oklahoma Alliance of Fandom) because some of the guys said included Chicago, New it wasn’t right that a collector should be so isolated from his peers. I York, Detroit, Atlantic City, believe I was OAF #32 and my first sub began after a dozen issues or San Diego and a few so of their fanzine had been published. others I forget right now. News on comics had come since 1961 mainly from the long I first joined comics running Comic Reader. Beginning as a feature in Jerry Bails’ two fandom with RBCC fanzines, Alter Ego and The Comicollector, it soon branched out on #45 and ran my first ad its own. Numerous fan publishers carried the tradition forward over therein by #47 which had the years, improving on it along the way. At one point it was even a color cover of The produced by Paul Levitz, who is today the publisher of DC Comics. Spirit by Buddy Beginning in 1971, fans were also treated to the very Saunders. My cosmopolitan Graphic Story World produced by Richard Kyle with first little help from Fred Patten and others. This magazine displayed the 10talents of some writers and artists taking bold new steps in directions liner— not considered “marketable” by establishment publishers. Its
COMIC coverage BOOK ARTIST #7international in scope, introducing many of of comics was
Featuring ’70s Marvel greats PAUL GULACY, JOHN BYRNE, American fans to previously unknown European and Japanese RICH BUCKLER, DOUGusMOENCH, DAN ADKINS, JIM MOONEY, STEVE GERBER, FRANK SPRINGER, DENIS issue featured a visit with Carl Barks, an comics creators. Theandsecond KITCHEN! Plus: a rarely-seen Stan Lee P.R. chat promoting the introduction to Pilote, a run down on the French magazine Phenix ’60s Marvel cartoon shows, the real trials and tribulations of was devoted theFuserious study of comic art), Swedish Comics Distribution, the(which true story behind the ’70sto Kung Craze, and a new covercomics by PAULplus GULACY! news on U.S. companies Marvel, DC, Gold Key, and (80-page Digital Edition) $3.95 Skywald. The DC news
in that issue says Green Lantern/Green Arrow is not selling well, and the book will be split in two, with separate stories for the two characters. Rumors are that the new black Green Lantern may be a permanent replacement, and others indicate the Lantern maybe eliminated.
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COMIC BOOK ARTIST 7
March 2000