South African Comic Books

Wednesday, 18 September 2013

Supercomix Blondie Series

A range of Supercomix Blondie Comics published in South Africa between 1978 and 1984, reprinting Charlton Comics' Blondie series (1969-1972).

Covers and original Charlton Comics Covers (issue numbers in brackets). Where I am missing the Supercomix cover, I have included the most likely Charlton Cover used.

1 (179):

Blondie Poster from this issue:

2 (177):

3 (178):

Dolly Parton Poster from this issue:

4 (180):

Roger Moore Poster from this issue:

5 (181):

Barbara Bach Poster from this issue:

6 (182):

Sally Struthers Poster from this issue:

7 (185):

8 (183):

Mark Harmon Poster from this issue:

9 (184):

Kiss Poster from this issue:

10 (186):

Abba Poster from this issue:

11 (187):

Christopher Atkins poster from this issue:

12 (188):

Adam Rich Poster from this issue:

13 (189):

Leigh McCloskey Poster:

14 (190):

15 (191):

Sissy Spacek Poster from this issue:

16 (192):

Laurika Rauch Poster from this issue:

17 (193):

18 (194):

Elton John Poster from this issue:

19 (195):

OLM Poster from this issue:

20 (196):

Marie Osmond Poster from this issue:

21 (197):

Hart to Hart Poster from this issue:

22 (198):

Olivia Newton-John Poster from this issue:

23 (199):

Kevin Savage Poster from this issue:

24 (200):

Diana Ross Poster from this issue:

25 (201):

Patricia McPherson Poster from this issue:

26 (202):

Lois Chiles Poster from this issue:

27 (203):

Gregory Peck Poster from this issue:

28 (204):

Tom Jones Poster from this issue:

29 (205):

30 (206):

Farah Fawcett/Lee Majors Poster from this issue:

Tuesday, 17 September 2013

Mimosa How the West was Won

This is Mimosa How the West was Won, a South African reprint from 1963, which reprints the Gold Key Film Adaptation from 1963.

32 Pages, colour cover, black-and-white interior.

Cover of Mimosa issue and Gold Key Comics' original cover:

Tuesday, 10 September 2013

Supercomix Superman 13

Thanks to Supercomix Collector Ravi for this scan of the cover of Superman 13 of the South African reprint series.
Contact Me or Ravi if you have any Supercomix for sale:
NaidooRavie@elec.durban.gov.za

Cover and DC Comics original cover of Superman 310 from 1977:

Urban Cowboy Poster:

Monsters and Superheroes Quartette Top Trumps Card Game

Many Thanks to Jason Kyle for these pictures.

Fans of The Superheroes Swop Sensation in 1982 and Unlimited Comics in 1983 will remember the centrespread adverts for Marvel Comics Gifts, which were on sale in South Africa. One of these gifts was the "Superhero Trump Cards".

Produced in South Africa by Davbar Games, based in Durban, they also produced the "Super Trumps" card games. It is very likely that the text from the South African set was translated from the text of the German edition. An example that supports this theory is that Marvel Comics' THE GREEN GOBLIN is called "Der Grune Satan" on the German card, whereas the South African card has used a direct translation from German, naming him "Green Satan"!

Visit Thomas Rau's blog to see a copy of the German set here:

German Marvel Quartette Game

Quartets card games were popular worldwide in the 1960s -1980s. Each pack contained 32 cards, divided into eight groups of four cards. Interestingly most of the images in this set match the Marvel Comics cards which featured in The Superheroes Swop Sensation Album, which makes one wonder if they were produced by the same company. The backs of the cards feature a blue colour, with Mephisto's head, and "1977 Marvel Comics".

If anyone reading this has a set for sale - please contact me at:

g.vdr26@gmail.com

Advert for the cards, from the centrespread of The Superheroes Swop Sensation:

The cards:

Close-up of the front and back card images:

Many thanks to Damian for these pictures of the AUSTRALIAN SET: "SUPER QUARTETTES: SUPER-HEROES", produced by Momentum:

Tuesday, 3 September 2013

Afri-Comics Mighty Man 2

The second issue of Afri-Comics Mighty Man, published by Xanap in 1976.

Mighty Man battles Johnny "One Eye" and his gang, as they rob a bank. Mighty Man fails to capture them, but an incensed Johnny plans to rid the world of Mighty Man.

Johnny devises an evil plan to ensure Mighty Man's demise. He poisons a group of children, then issues an ultimatum to Mighty Man ... only after Mighty Man's death will he release the cure to the poison. As the children start dying, Mighty Man agrees to sacrifice himself.

Mighty Man promises to blow himself up, with bombs strapped to his body. In the seconds before the explosion, the doctor who created the poison lunges at Mighty Man - giving him the written chemical formula for the antidote.
Mighty Man heroically captures Johnny and his gang

2 further stories:
"Maxwell Malinga" - 2 page story on the boxer.
"Anansi Plays Dead" - 2 page African Folk Tale.

No Creator credits listed in the magazine.

Cover of Issue 2:

The Title Page shows "Editor Simon Sabela", and Mighty Man Splash Page:

Mimosa Batman Digest Series

Mimosa Comics produced reprints of numerous DC Comics titles in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Here are a range of the Batman Digest covers, with original DC Comics cover in brackets.

16 (Batman 135); 17 (comic panel); 18 (comic panel); 19 (Detective Comics 275); 20 (comic panel); 21 (Batman 134); 22 (Batman 136); 23 (Batman 137):

Mimosa Batman 23

This is Batman 23, published by Mimosa (SA Magazine Co) +/- 1961.

Possibly as a money-saving exercise, these comics followed the Newsprint Series (see link below), as being printed in Digest-Sized.

It reprints the cover and first story from DC Comics' Batman 137 (1960):
"Robin's New Boss"
Also reprinted is this story from DC Comics' Detective Comics 203 (1954):
"The Crimes of Catwoman!"
Also reprinted is this story from DC Comics' Detective Comics 217 (1955):
"The Mental Giant of Gotham City"
32 pages, glossy colour cover, black-and-white newsprint interior pages.
These titles were printed in a smaller size (187x131mm) compared to the original DC Comics title.
The printing reproduction from the original was very good quality.

Here is the cover of issue 23 and DC Comics' Original cover:

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