Mimosa Giant Batman 2

This is Giant Batman 2, published by Mimosa (SA Magazine Co) +/- 1963-1964.
It reprints the cover and all three stories from DC Comics' Batman 138 (1961):
"Batman's Master"
"The Simple Crimes of Simple Simon"
"The Secret of the Sea Beast"
 Also reprinted is this story from DC Comics' Detective Comics 204 (1953):
Captain Compass: "The Passenger who never went ashore!"
Also reprinted is this story from DC Comics' Detective Comics 245 (1957):
Martian Manhunter: "The Phantom Fire Alarms"
Also reprinted is this story from DC Comics' Batman 101 (1956):
"The Six Strangest Sleuths"

48pages,  glossy colour cover, black and white newsprint interior.

Here is the cover of issue 2 and DC Comics' original cover:

 See Also:
Mimosa Comics

Beroemde Verhale 5: Robin Hood

Fifth issue in a short series of reprints of the Classics Illustrated Comics. This issue was published by Sebra Uitgewers (Zebra)/Nasionale Boekhandel in 1950.

Newsprint stock cover and interior pages, full colour.

Cover of Issue 5 (Robin Hood, translated into Afrikaans) and Classics Illustrated #7 (1942) Original Cover:

 See Also:
Zebra Publications

Foreign Comic Collector: Supercomix! A History of Comic Book reprints in South Africa

Many Thanks to Matthew Roybal for featuring my article in Foreign Comic Collector Magazine Issue 3 (March 2014).

Visit the site here:

Foreign Comic Collector

Issue 3 Cover:

Zebra Publications Mantelman Strokiesverhale 1

South African Comic Books is Three Years Old!

Blog Post 300 today ... thanks to everyone who has contributed in the last 12 months ... to have made this blog such a success!

A real treat today ... a personal milestone in my quest to catalogue South African Comic Books:

Zebra Publications Mantelman 1!

A FIRST on a number of counts:
- The first line of DC Comics reprints published in South Africa in 1954
- The first Batman reprint Comic Book in South Africa
- The first Batman reprint Comic Book in the Afrikaans language

Zebra Publications were the first to reprint DC Comics in 1954.
The English Titles were: Action Comics, Superman & World's Finest Comics
The Afrikaans translations were issued as " 'n Sebra Uitgawe ":  Mantelman (Batman) and Kongo Koot (Congo Bill).

This is Mantelman 1 from 1954. The cover image is taken from the splash page of the first story. The story locations are changed, taking place in South Africa. The alter ego names are changed to Afrikaans names:
Batman (Joos Storm)
Robbie die Wonderkind (Jan Tyssen)
Green Arrow (Jan Olivier)
Speedy (Gys Roux)

It reprints and translates the following stories:
Mantelman: "Misdaadmuseum van die Onderwereld!" = Batman: "The Underworld's Museum of Crime" from World's Finest Comics 37 (1948)
Die Groen Pyl: "Misdadiger op Vrye Voet!" = Green Arrow: "Criminal at Large"  from World's Finest Comics 37 (1948)

Glossy colour cover, 24 pages black-and-white interior. 

Cover of Mantelman 1 and DC Comics' original splash page used for the cover image:

 DC Comics' original cover of World's Finest Comics 37 (1948), and House Ad for the Beroemde Verhale Series:

See Also:
Zebra Publications

Atlas Publications Action Comics 3

This rare South African reprint was published in 1959 by Atlas Publications (S.A. Magazine Co.).
Cover and Interior pages are newsprint - so after being read and swopped a few times they would likely be falling apart and thrown away.
These titles were printed in a smaller size (240x167mm) compared to the original DC Comics title.
Cover and Interior printed in colour.
The printing reproduction from the original was very good quality. This issue is only 24 pages.

Cover of Action Comics 3 South African Edition and the Cover of DC Comics' Action Comics 253:

 See Also:
Atlas Publications