Here's a variant I'll bet you've never seen...

[dhennen]

I just got home from the Van Halen concert, exceptional! I wasn't expecting such a great show!

All right, I'll get to the point. I've got a little too much energy to go straight to bed so I thought I'd go through a stack of books I picked up at a yard sale yesterday. A few interesting finds like a Batman #182 (80 pg giant) and #300, a decent run of All-Star Squadron but check out the strangest variant I've ever come across..

Adventures of Superman #443 with "Rhode Island Mall" in the upc box? I've seen a lot of books and never run across something like this. It's not ink stamped onto the cover but printed with the same reflectivity as the blacks on the cover artwork. The date on the book is 1988 and while there is a toy store in the RI Mall today that sells some comics, I'm sure there wasn't anyone selling comics there way back in 1988.

Overstreet's promotional section doesn't list anything for Supes #443 which is a common issue. Anyone ever see any other "Rhode Island Mall" variants

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v434/dhennen/supes443rim.jpg

[marvelguy]

Wow! That's something right there. A book with a specific variant marked with a location of some sort such as a mall, not a regional kind of variant but a local kind. Maybe STL would dredge up some info on this.

STL, this one's for you!

[68 Guns]

I have an Avengers 11 that is a giveaway by the Grand Central Terminal Business District.However,the original came out in 1964 and the giveaway is from 2006. Interesting book,I haven't seen it offered for sale anywhere.

[stupidman]

I just got home from the Van Halen concert, exceptional! I wasn't expecting such a great show!

All right, I'll get to the point. I've got a little too much energy to go straight to bed so I thought I'd go through a stack of books I picked up at a yard sale yesterday. A few interesting finds like a Batman #182 (80 pg giant) and #300, a decent run of All-Star Squadron but check out the strangest variant I've ever come across..

Adventures of Superman #443 with "Rhode Island Mall" in the upc box? I've seen a lot of books and never run across something like this. It's not ink stamped onto the cover but printed with the same reflectivity as the blacks on the cover artwork. The date on the book is 1988 and while there is a toy store in the RI Mall today that sells some comics, I'm sure there wasn't anyone selling comics there way back in 1988.

Overstreet's promotional section doesn't list anything for Supes #443 which is a common issue. Anyone ever see any other "Rhode Island Mall" variants

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v434/dhennen/supes443rim.jpg


Maybe call the Time Capsule, see if they have any idea about it? (That's the only comic store in Rhode Island I've been to and I think they've been there a while). Did the RI Mall ever have comic conventions? I have a vague recollection that they might have, but the more I think about it, it was the Auburn Mall in MA that I went to a few shows at.

[marvelguy]

In the 80's, there was lots of malls that has comic book sellers selling comics in the aisle of the stores. This might be a promo of some kind.

Today, I don't see them very often, last time I've seen comics in malls like a con was about 5 years ago.

[dhennen]

Hi Stupidman (I like the Milk n Cheese graphic!) I know Rob at Time Capsule very well and plan to pass it by him when I get a chance. Clearly it's a promo book but my surprise is that as a long time collector who's lived in RI more than 20 years, I've never seen one of these books before and why promote RI Mall rather than the specific show or promoter?

Dave H

[68 Guns]

Is there a theatre in the mall? In 1989,there were an awful lot of Batman The movie tie-ins and promotions.

[StlComics]

This is the first time I've seen a copy of that book. I'll do some digging and get back to you. Incidentally, is it for sale? I'm not interested myself, but I likely would know if a few people that might be.

[stupidman]

Hi Stupidman (I like the Milk n Cheese graphic!) I know Rob at Time Capsule very well and plan to pass it by him when I get a chance. Clearly it's a promo book but my surprise is that as a long time collector who's lived in RI more than 20 years, I've never seen one of these books before and why promote RI Mall rather than the specific show or promoter?

Dave H

Do you think it had anything to do with renaming the Midland Mall to the Rhode Island Mall? (I have no idea when this happened, but I remember going to it as a kid when it was called The Midland Mall).

[dhennen]

Midland mall, very good I wouldn't have thought of that! you know your RI history, I owe you a Del's :)

A google search showed that the Midland mall changed to RI Mall in 1984. And no movie theater there, although that was a good guess too!

[stupidman]

Midland mall, very good I wouldn't have thought of that! you know your RI history, I owe you a Del's :)


LOL! I had one this weekend, after eating at Cap'n Jacks. Yeah, like I needed a Del's after eating the dessert at Cap'n Jacks! :)

Man, my memory is fuzzy, but didn't the RI Mall have a comic book store back then? (Not the ToyLoft or whatever it is now). Seems like it was on the first floor, near the Toys R Us/eastern entrance? (If you take the first left off of Rt 2 going south, after getting off 295, and then took a left into the Mall?). Not sure why I think that...

[StlComics]

OK. At least one of my resident specialists also says he's never seen one of these before. We would love to have it added to our cover galleries if you are willing. We would prefer you added it yourself so that you get the credit for finding it, but if you'd prefer to not have to register, please let me know and I'll go ahead and add it myself.

http://gallery.stlcomics.com

THANKS!

[stupidman]

I hear there's an 80 cent price variant of it too ::poke::

Dave, any chance Newbury Comics ever down near the RI Mall? Their current location isn't too far down the road on Rt 2... or maybe the Strawberries (now FYE) across the street from the Mall sold comic books? I know that's where I bought my copies of Kerrang! so they sold some magazines.

[dhennen]

I stopped by The Time Capsule today, the longest running comics shop in RI and Rob said he'd never seen one of these before. He speculated from the year published and title that it might have been a promo book from the 50th Anniversary of superman (1938-88) which makes sense to me

Rob also told me there were a few collectible shows at the RI Mall around that time but the promoter was "way too cheap to spring for something like that"

I'll show it to the big guy at Harrison's (probably the largest comics shop in the Boston area) at the July show and see if he's got any info

If anyone has a public relations contact at DC I'd love to contact them to see if they can shed any light...

HI James, I think I have an STL logon and I'll add it when I get a chance

Thanks!
Dave H

[stupidman]

If anyone has a public relations contact at DC I'd love to contact them to see if they can shed any light..

I think you should contact Ian Levine - LOL!

[StlComics]

HI James, I think I have an STL logon and I'll add it when I get a chance

You have to register to the galleries separately. Let me know if have any problems. :D

[StlComics]

I think you should contact Ian Levine - LOL!

I think one of my guys at Stl might have already done that. I'll find out... #popcorn#

[dhennen]

Hi James, I uploaded it this AM to the Modern Promo gallery. Poked around in there for a while, lots of fun stuff!

Dave H

[68 Guns]

I don't believe Ian collects variants.

[StlComics]

Hi James, I uploaded it this AM to the Modern Promo gallery. Poked around in there for a while, lots of fun stuff!

Dave H

I just ok'd the upload so it is live now. THANKS! #cheers#