Dating the $0.95 and $0.99 cover-priced Murray Comics

Here's my notes and guidelines for dating the $0.95 and $0.99 cover-priced Murray Comics:

1. The $0.95 cover-priced issues appear to have supplanted the $0.90 cover-priced issues by May 1981. There may have been some $0.95 issues on the stands a month or two earlier. 

2. These $0.95 issues carry the red Murray Comics logo.

3. The black Murray Comics logo takes over by April 1982. March 1982 appears to be a transitional month between the red and the black logos.

4. Eastern Suburbs Newspapers is the sole printer for the above issues with the red Murray Comics logo.

5.  The Murray Romance Library logo is operational in parallel with both the red and black Murray Comics logos.

6. The black Murray Comics logo runs up to at least December 1982.

7. The $0.99 cover-priced issues begin September 1982. Some may have hit the stands in August 1982.

8. Black Murray Comics logo issues are printed by either Eastern Suburbs Newspapers or Hedges and Bell. There are also a few printed by Comprint.

9. All of the above is in reference to the large size 96 page issues. There are some smaller sized issues (not digest-sized) in this period which may or may not comply with the above schema. These appear to be printed by Comprint, and may be NZ editions. TBC.

10. The above schema is based on a review of approximately 160 issues. The review accounted for newsagency date markings, combinations of advertisements on the rear and inner covers, and in-house advertisements. The review also had some dozen or so issues which were deemed outliers based on the data/information not conforming neatly to the above schema. 

The above guidelines will be updated as more information comes to hand.