Sunday, August 27, 2023

Superman Presents Tip Top Comic Monthly #37

KG Murray's Tip Top Comic Monthly #37 was published May 1968:


The cover is from DC's Teen Titans #11, September-October 1967:

The main features:

Monster Bait! [Part 1], originally published in Teen Titans #11, September-October 1967

Monster Bait Part 2, originally published in Teen Titans #11, September-October 1967

Monster Bait Part 3, originally published in Teen Titans #11, September-October 1967

Honeymoon in Space, originally published in Mystery In Space #16, October-November 1953

How Many Times Can A Guy Die! [Part 1], originally published in Strange Adventures #208, January 1968

How Many Times Can A Guy Die! Part 2, originally published in Strange Adventures #208, January 1968

The Great Space-Train Robbery!, originally published in Mystery In Space #19, April-May 1954

Showdown Battle!, originally published in Charles Starrett as the Durango Kid #10, April-May 1951

The Riddle of the Four Clues, originally published in Blackhawk #186, July 1963

The Kid Who Was King of Crooks, originally published in The Doom Patrol #114, September 1967

There are a few short filler strips in this issue: Cap's Hobby Hints (Teen Titans #11, September-October 1967); Varsity Vic (Superboy #15, July-August 1951); and Casey the Cop (Detective Comics #183, May 1952).

There are also two full-page filler strips: Chief Hot Foot (Tomahawk #111, July-August 1967) and Varsity Vic (Leave It to Binky #52, January-February 1956).

The advertiser's date code on the rear cover is KGM TT 568.




Advertising KG Murray comics in-house: Get with the Action-Wonder Comic, World's Finest, All Favourites and Mighty

The following in-house advertisement, appearing in Tip Top Comic Monthly #37, promotes four of the titles in the KG Murray stable c.1968: Wonder Comic Monthly; World's Finest Comic Monthly; All Favourites Comic; and Mighty Comic:

The image of the super heroes is from a panel illustrated by Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs in the story Earth--Without a Justice League-- Part 3, originally published in DC's Justice League of America #37, cover-dated August 1965:


This scan is from the reprint in Justice League of America Archives Vol. 5, October 1999.

Incidentally, a portion of this image was used on the frontispiece of this Archives volume:


Of course this image previously appeared in KG Murray's Mighty Comic #51, February 1966 which reprinted the Justice League (sans of America) story Earth--Without a Justice League!

Saturday, August 26, 2023

Superman Presents Tip Top Comic Monthly #35

 KG Murray's Tip Top Comic Monthly #35 was published March 1968:


The cover is from DC Comics' Showcase #71:



The main features:

What Swings, Fiddle Strings?, originally published in Showcase #71, November-December 1967

Part Two, Act 1, of "Confederate Yankees!" Confused?, originally published in Showcase #71, November-December 1967

Act II -- Part III (or Should That Be Part III -- Act II?), originally published in Showcase #71, November-December 1967

An Eye for An Eye!, originally published in Strange Adventures #206, November 1967 

Waif of the Wilderness, originally published in The Doom Patrol #112, June 1967 

The Beautiful Witch, originally published in The Ghost Rider #11 [A-1 #75], March 1953 

The Do-It-Yourself Villains, originally published in Blackhawk #175, August 1962 

Liquid Larceny!, originally published in World's Finest Comics #50, February-March 1951

The Caveman Batman, originally published in Batman #93, August 1955

As there are no contemporaneous reprints of Liquid Larceny! and The Caveman Batman, I assume they are both recycled from their earlier appearances in Century The 100-Page Comic Monthly #2.

There are also a few filler gag strips: Private Pete (originally from Star Spangled War Stories #132, September 1952); Little Pocahontas (originally from Tomahawk #25, July 1954); and a couple of instalments of Cap's Hobby Hints (originally from Showcase #71, November-December 1967 and Strange Adventures #206, November 1967 - both of these are related to the main features above).

The advertiser's date code on the rear cover is KGM. TTC.368



Sunday, August 20, 2023

Advertising KG Murray comics in-house

In late 1967 DC published a short-lived 2-issue magazine titled Teen Beat (and Team Beam).

This magazine was advertised in DC comics cover-dated December 1967:


This advertisement was modified by KG Murray to promote Super Adventure Comic:


This is a scan of the full-page advertisement appearing in Tip Top Comic Monthly #34.

Full-page in-house advertisements in this period were rare but they did occur occasionally, for example this advertisement from Tip Top Comic Monthly #2, .June 1965 promoting the three new series replacing The Hundred, Century Comic and Five-Score Comic Monthly:


However the norm for promoting comics in-house in this period was small advertisements inserted as filler at the bottom of the page at the end of a story or between chapters of a story. For example, this ad is from Tip Top Comic Monthly #32, December 1967:  


Note it still refers to Superman's Supacomic, which it had not been titled since 1959.

Another ad from this period, from Tip Top #32, promotes Mighty Comic:


Note that it promotes the Justice League with headshots of the Justice Society!

Update 26 August 2023: A Blackhawk variant of the Ban Gloom ad appears in Tip Top Comic Monthly #36:



Superman Presents Tip Top Comic Monthly #33

KG Murray's Tip Top Comic Monthly #33 was published January 1968:


The cover is from DC Comics' Showcase #69:


The main features:

Poor Richard's Maniak! [Part 1], originally published in Showcase #69, July-August 1967

Part II... Happiness Is Just a Thing Called Dough!, originally published in Showcase #69, July-August 1967

Part III...  If You're Going to Trot Down the Bridal Path, You Need a Groom!, originally published in Showcase #69, July-August 1967

The Return of the Faceless Creature!, originally published in Strange Adventures #142, July 1962

Kor--the Conqueror, originally published in The Doom Patrol #114, September 1967

My Cargo was Death..., originally published in My Greatest Adventure #1, January-February 1955

Ambush!, originally published in Charles Starrett as the Durango Kid #26, November-December 1953

I Jumped From Eight Miles Up, originally published in My Greatest Adventure #4, July-August 1955

The Buildings That Went Berserk, originally published in Blackhawk #174, July 1962

The Building That Went Berserk is a Blackhawk story which is presented without the Blackhawk masthead:

Compare to the original page:

The KG Murray edition clearly had the space on the page to include the masthead but opted to omit it. It's possible this story was reprinted in a previous edition of KG Murray's Blackhawk series and the masthead was dropped to camouflage the recycled story. Just guesswork on my part.

There are a number of short filler strips in this issue including two instalments of Cap's Hobby Center (from Showcase #69, July-August 1967 and The Doom Patrol #114, September 1967), and the full-page Lucky (from Superboy #60, October 1957).

There are also three Little Pete strips. The first is from Challengers of the Unknown #40, October-November 1964. 

The second Little Pete strip is an 'advertorial' for Brandnu Custom Finish:


There are other variants of this strip advertising other brands such as Testor's Custom Finish.

The third Little Pete filler, original source unidentified:


Some of the stories in this issue were published in other KG Murray comics.

The advertiser's date code on the rear cover KGMTTC1 68

Sunday, August 13, 2023

Superman Presents Tip Top Comic Monthly #13

 KG Murray's Tip Top Comic Monthly #13 was published c.May 1966:


The cover is slightly modified from the original on DC Comics' Superboy #125:


The stories:

The Sacrifice of Kid Psycho!, originally published in Superboy #125, December 1965

The Fantastic Origin of Beast-Boy [Part 1], originally published in The Doom Patrol #100, December 1965

The Fantastic Origin of Beast-Boy Part 2, originally published in The Doom Patrol #100, December 1965

The Wizard of the Diamond World, originally published in Tales of the Unexpected #93, February-March 1966

The Witch of Metropolis, originally published in Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #1, March-April 1958

The Riddle of the Captive Astronauts!, originally published in Mystery In Space #105, February 1966

The Human Flame-Thrower!, originally published in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #33, December 1958

The Beast-God of Xochatan! [Part 1], originally published in Teen Titans #1, January-February 1966

The Beast-God of Xochatan Part 2, originally published in Teen Titans #1, January-February 1966

The Beast-God of Xochatan Part 3, originally published in Teen Titans #1, January-February 1966

Some of these stories were previously published by KG Murray, notably The Witch of Metropolis, which was cover-featured on Superman's Supacomic #2:



Saturday, August 12, 2023

Superman Presents Tip Top Comic Monthly #8

 KG Murray's Tip Top Comic Monthly #8 was published c.December 1965:


The cover is modified from the original on Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #58:


The stories:

The Captive Princess!, originally published in Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #58, July 1965

Billy the Kid, originally published in Badmen of the West #1 [A-1 #100], 1953 

The Mad Planet, originally published in Mystery In Space #19, April-May 1954

The Family with the X-Ray Eyes, originally published in Superboy #66, July 1958

The Three Signs of Evil!, originally published in The Phantom Stranger #2, October - November 1952

The Day The World Went Mad! Part 1, originally published in The Doom Patrol #96, June 1965

[The Day The World Went Mad!] Part 2 The Three Families of Fear, originally published in The Doom Patrol #96, June 1965

[The Day the World Went Mad!] Part 3 Whom the Gods Would Destroy, originally published in The Doom Patrol #96, June 1965

The Creature That Couldn't Exist, originally published in Tales of the Unexpected #65, September 1961

The Dream Detective!, originally published in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #51, March 1961


Some of these stories were reprinted in subsequent KG Murray issues.

The advertiser's date code on the rear cover is T.1/1/66.

Thursday, August 3, 2023

Superman Presents Tip Top Comic Monthly #7

 KG Murray's Tiptop Comic Monthly #7 was published c.November 1965:


The cover is modified from the original cover of Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane #52:


The main features:

The Lois Lane-Lana Lang Truce!, originally published in Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #52, October 1964 

We Were Menaced by the Thing from the Deep, originally published in My Greatest Adventure #65, March 1962 

Rodeo Ruckus!, originally published in Charles Starrett as the Durango Kid #36, March 1955 

Duel in the Stars, originally published in Mystery in Space #24, February-March 1955

Menace of the Turnabout Heroes Part 1, originally published in The Doom Patrol #95, May 1965 

[Menace of the Turnabout Heroes] Part 2 Return of the Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man, originally published in The Doom Patrol #95, May 1965

[Menace of the Turnabout Heroes] Part 3 Deadline for the Doom Patrol, originally published in The Doom Patrol #95, May 1965 

Rescue Through The Fourth Dimension!, originally published in Mystery in Space #22, October-November 1954

Miss Jimmy Olsen! ,originally published in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #44, April 1960 

The Magnetic Duel!, originally published in Mystery in Space #17, December-January 1954

The Invaders from the Golden Atom, originally published in Strange Adventures #37, October 1953

The advertiser's date code on the inner rear cover is KGM.TT.1165

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

Superman Presents Tip Top Comic Monthly #6

KG Murray's Tip Top Comic Monthly was published c.October 1965:


The cover is a modified print of the cover to DC Comics' World's Finest Comics #148:

The main features:

Superman and Batman--Outlaws! Part 1 The Evil Superman and Batman, originally published in World's Finest Comics #148, March 1965

[Superman and Batman--Outlaws!] Part 2 The Incredible New Super-Team!, originally published in World's Finest Comics #148, March 1965

Station Mars On The Air!, originally published in Mystery In Space #25, April-May 1955

Revenge of the Tigress!, originally published in Charles Starrett as the Durango Kid #32, November-December 1954

The Nightmare Maker Part 1, originally published in My Greatest Adventure #81, August 1963

[The Nightmare Maker] Part 2 Doorway to Disaster, originally published in My Greatest Adventure #81, August 1963

The Man with the Weird Tattoos, originally published in Strange Adventures #177, June 1965

Eclipso Battles the Sea Titan, originally published in House of Secrets #73, July-August 1965

The Star Reporter of Metropolis!, originally published in Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #18, July 1960 

There are also two single-page filler features: Fingerprint Facts, as originally published in Batman #169, February 1965; and Amazing Ratios as originally published in Strange Adventures #137, February 1962.

The advertiser's date code on the rear cover is KGM.TT.1065


Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Superman Presents Tip Top Comic Monthly #3

KG Murray's Tip Top Comic Monthly #3 was published c.July 1965:


The cover image is cropped, originally appearing on DC Comics' The Doom Patrol #94:


The stories:

The Nightmare Fighters, originally published in The Doom Patrol #94, March 1965

The Day There Was No Jimmy Olsen, originally published in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #25, December 1957

Beware the Weirdos, originally published in Tales of the Unexpected #88, April-May 1965

The Spectral Warrior!, originally published in The Ghost Rider #13, July-August 1953

The Chameleon Creature, originally published in Strange Adventures #175, April 1965

Twelve Hours of Fear!, originally published in Gang Busters #42, October-November 1954

A Job For Super-Dog, originally published in Superboy #56, April 1957

One-Man Planet!, originally published in Mystery In Space #26, June-July 1955

The Thing in Challenger Mountain, originally published in Challengers of the Unknown #22, October-November 1961

The advertiser's date code on the inner rear cover is KGM/TT.765