Advertising in comic books

Comic book advertisements are a common feature in American comic books mainly from the 1940s onwards. As these advertisements were directed at young people, many made sensational claims,[1] and sold the products for a few dollars or less, to be sent to a post office box. Products offered included novelty items, toys, and self-improvement courses such as drawing and body building.

The dribble glass was a typical comic book advertisement

Companies

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The Johnson Smith Company placed advertisements for gadgets and toys[2] that appeared on the back cover of many historically significant comic books, including Action Comics #1 (June 1938)[3] (the first appearance of the character Superman) and Detective Comics #27 (May 1939) (the first appearance of the character Batman).[citation needed]

Notable products offered

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The ads also included recruitment of youngsters to act as salespeople for products such as greeting cards and the national newspaper Grit.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ By (25 May 2008). "12 Comic Book Ads That Taught Us To Be Cynical". Cracked.com.
  2. ^ Comic Book Come-ons that Catch Kids. Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. November 1974. pp. 43–46. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  3. ^ Tosh, D. (2015). Picker's Pocket Guide - Comic Books: How to Pick Antiques Like a Pro. F+W Media. p. pt252. ISBN 978-1-4402-4514-5. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  4. ^ a b The Thin Man. Cincinnati Magazine. September 2005. p. 58. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  5. ^ "Monkey Madness". NPR.org.
  6. ^ New Society. New Society Limited. 1975. p. 697. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  7. ^ Hix, Lisa. "Sea-Monkeys and X-Ray Spex: Collecting the Bizarre Stuff Sold in the Back of Comic Books". Collectors Weekly.
  8. ^ American Woodworker. New Track Media. p. 42. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  9. ^ The New York Times Book Reviews 2000. Fitzroy Dearborn. 2001. p. 1706. ISBN 978-1-57958-058-2. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  10. ^ Penkava, Michael. "Penkava: Don't monkey around with comic book ads". www.nwherald.com.

Further reading

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