Comics Buyer's Guide (1971) comic books

Denis Kitchen interview by Murray Bishoff.

Transcript by Murray Bishoff of a Noel Neill speech at a local college.

The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #218, Jan. 20, 1978. This issue has four sections and 80 pages, and includes an extra full-color, 52-page comic book-sized Superhero Enterprises catalog. Inside, the issue features a TBG Cartoon Caption Contest by Keith von Cannon. The Captain Marvel/Spirit cover is by Alan Jim Hanley.

David Scroggy interviewed by Theodore Sturgeon for his Wugga Wugga column.

The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #222, Feb. 17, 1978. This issue has four sections and 84 pages, and features a TBG Cartoon Caption Contest by Keith von Cannon; and a Media Report column by David McDonnell. The Simarillion cover is by 17-year-old Gary Kwapisz (or 19-year-old, depending on which internet source one believes), who eventually turned pro and went on to work for DC, Marvel, Eclipse, and other publishers.

The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #223, Feb. 24, 1978. This issue has four sections and 84 pages, and features a Beautiful Balloons column by Don and Maggie Thompson (which includes a full-page clipping of the pre-Maus article, Art Spiegelman and the Language of Comics; Information Center by Don Rosa; a Media Report column by David McDonnell; a two-page 1977 Creation Con convention report and photos by Gary Berman; the first of two Polychromatic Effulgence columns by Rick Marschall, covering newspaper strip news and commentary (the second, and last, column appeared in TBG #229); and two full-page Dateline strips by Fred Hembeck. The sword and sorcery cover is by Stephen Flame Taylor.

The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #224, March 3, 1978. This issue has three sections and 72 pages, and features a TBG Cartoon Caption Contest by Keith von Cannon. The Fantastic Four cover is by Jim Chadwick, who also drew the cover for TBG #205. These were Chadwicks only two TBG covers.

The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #225, March 10, 1978. This issue has four sections and 92 pages, and features a Now What? column by Murray Bishoff; a Futureview column by L. Bruce Sapp; a Dateline comic strip by Fred Hembeck; a Media Report column by David McDonnell; a one-page 1977 ConnectiCon 1 convention report (with photos) by Bob Ossowski; and a Captain Marvel (Shazam) Golden Age reprint (NOTE: This appears to be the last such CM reprint Alan Light published). The Spider-Man/Creeper cover is by Rick Stasi, his first, and only cover published in the first 400 issues of TBG. Stasi eventually turned pro and has worked for Marvel, DC and Warner Brothers, and, according to his biography on the Smallville Comicon website, "has taught comics, sequential art and storyboarding courses for more than twenty years, as an instructor with the Shawnee Mission School District, the Westport School of Art and the Kansas City Art Institute.

The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #226, March 17, 1978. This issue has four sections and 88 pages, and features a TBG Cartoon Caption Contest by Keith von Cannon; and a Crusader Comments column by Martin L. Greim. The Lord of the Morgul Host cover is by Stephen Flame Taylor.

The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #227, March 24, 1978. This issue has three sections and 64 pages, and features a Beautiful Balloons column by Don and Maggie Thompson; a Media Report column by David McDonnell; a Cecil Kunkle strip by Charles Wagner; a Collection of Art -- or five TBG covers that almost made it -- printed as a full page, featuring art by Brown, Marcus Boas, Jim McGreal, Gene Day and Dick Kulpa; an Information Center column by Don Rosa; a Green Ring comic book strip by Alan Jim Hanley; and a WE Seal of Approval report page by Stan Blair. The great science fiction cover is by Bret Blevins, who, at the time, was 17 years old. Blevins later turned pro, and worked for DC, Marvel, Epic, and others. It was Blevins' only TBG cover published in the first 400 issues.

he Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #228, March 31, 1978. This issue has four sections and 96 pages, and comes with an extra 12-page, tabloid-sized catalog for Doug Sulipas Comic World. Inside, this issue features a TBG Cartoon Caption Contest by Keith von Cannon. The Star Wars cover is by Neil Riehle and Sam de la Rosa.

The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #229, April 7, 1978. This issue has three sections and 72 pages, and features a Futureview column by L. Bruce Sapp; a Media Report column by David McDonnell; a Now What? column by Murray Bishoff; a Dateline strip by Fred Hembeck; a WE Seal of Approval report page by Stan Blair; a two-page Prince Valiant center spread poster by Dan Hoffman; and a Polychromatic Effulgence column by Rick Marschall. This was the second, and last, PE column, and it featured an article by Marschall about Al (Max Allan) Collins. The exceptional Batman cover is by Dan Hoffman.

The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #230, April 14, 1978. This issue has four sections and 80 pages, and features a TBG Cartoon Caption Contest by Keith von Cannon. The Red Sonja cover is by Stephen Flame Taylor. Content info by Russ Maheras

The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #231, April 21, 1978. This issue has four sections and 84 pages, and features a Crusader Comments column by Martin L. Greim; a Beautiful Balloons column by Don and Maggie Thompson (part of which includes a one-page Fans and the Law: Libel and Slander article by Glenn Mackles); an illustrated, two-page, The George Tuska Saga article by Howard Leroy Davis; and a nine-page Noel Sickles interview by Shel Dorf for his column Shel Dorf and the Fantasy Makers (which includes a lengthy introduction by Alex Toth). The photo cover is of Noel Sickles (left) and Milton Caniff. Summary of this issue by Russ Maheras.

The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #232, April 28, 1978. This issue has four sections and 80 pages, and comes with an extra 12-page, tabloid-sized Comic City catalog, and a one-sheet, quad-folded fanzine called Ed Savages 10-Cent Comics. Inside, the issue features a TBG Cartoon Caption Contest by Keith von Cannon. The Hawkman and Hawkgirl cover is by Stephen Flame Taylor. Summary of this issue by Russ Maheras.

The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #233, May 5, 1978. This issue has three sections and 72 pages, and features a Futureview column by L. Bruce Sapp; a Media Report column by David McDonnell; a Now What? column by Murray Bishoff; a Wugga Wugga column by David Scroggy; and the last of two installments of, TBG covers that almost made it. Publisher Alan Light printed nine of these almost covers inside, as full-page posters. The artists included Randy Lance, Jackson Butch Guice, Jerry Ordway, Gary Sassaman, Bob Conway, Alan Jim Hanley, Robert Susor, Mark Heike and Steven Kelez. The Thor front cover for this issue is by Bruce B.C. Boyer, who later drew for the Comics Journal, Eclipse, and Astro Comics. This is Boyers only TBG cover among the first 400 issues. Summary of this issue by Russ Maheras.

The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #234, May 12, 1978. This issue has four sections and 88 pages, and features a TBG Cartoon Caption Contest by Keith von Cannon; and a full-page Dateline comic strip by Fred Hembeck. The sword and sorcery cover is by Stephen Flame Taylor. Summary of this issue by Russ Maheras.

The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #235, May 19, 1978. This issue has three sections and 72 pages, and features a Beautiful Balloons column by Don and Maggie Thompson, and a full-page Dateline comic strip by Fred Hembeck. The Beautiful Balloons column has two notable inclusions. The first is a two-page interview of Leigh Bracket (with photos), and the second is a seven-page revised comics checklist by Ron Goulart. The Nova spoof cover is by future pro Willie Peppers, and its Peppers only TBG cover published in the first 400 issues. Content commentary by Russ Maheras.

NO Mile High catalog. The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #236, May 26, 1978. The core issue has four sections and 88 pages, and originally included an extra two-section, tabloid-sized, 32-page Mile High Comics catalog. In total, for this issue to be complete, there should be six sections and 120 pages. Inside, the issue features a TBG Cartoon Caption Contest by Keith von Cannon; a Crusader Comments column by Martin L. Greim; and the final installment of The Boston Butchers comic strip by Al Bradford. The great R2-D2/Pogo and his pals cross-over cover is by Ken Kramer. Summary of this issue by Russ Maheras.

Includes Mile High catalog inserts. The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #236, May 26, 1978. The core issue has four sections and 88 pages, and includes an extra two-section, tabloid-sized, 32-page Mile High Comics catalog. In total, for this issue to be complete, there should be six sections and 120 pages. Inside, the issue features a TBG Cartoon Caption Contest by Keith von Cannon; a Crusader Comments column by Martin L. Greim; and the final installment of The Boston Butchers comic strip by Al Bradford. The great R2-D2/Pogo and his pals cross-over cover is by Ken Kramer. Summary of this issue by Russ Maheras.

The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #237, June 2, 1978. This issue has four sections and 92 pages, and features a Futureview column by L. Bruce Sapp; a Media Report column by David McDonnell; a Now What? column by Murray Bishoff; a The Scene column by Bob Andelman (his last installment, by the way); a 10-page Mad Marvel/White Lightning comic book story written and drawn by Alan Jim Hanley (trivia note: I inked Page 7); and, after two earlier attempts more than a year earlier, the crossword puzzle returns for one final gasp – this time compiled by the anonymous Monsieur Repulseef. Finally, the editorial material is capped off with a WE Seal of Approval report page by Stan Blair. The Spider-Man cover is by Bob Miller. Summary of this issue by Russ Maheras.

The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #238, June 9, 1978. The core issue has four sections and 92 pages, and includes an extra two-section, tabloid-sized, 40-page American Comic Book Company catalog. In total, for this issue to be complete, there should be six sections and 132 pages. Inside, the issue features a TBG Cartoon Caption Contest by Keith von Cannon; and a full-page Dateline comic strip by Fred Hembeck. The Fantasia cover is by Stephen Flame Taylor. Summary of this issue by Russ Maheras.

he Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #240, June 23, 1978. The issue has four sections and 96 pages, and features a TBG Cartoon Caption Contest by Keith von Cannon. The Kirby-esque Mister Miracle cover is by Paul Bianca, and its the only cover he had published during the first 400 issues of TBG. Summary of this issue by Russ Maheras.

The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #241, June 30, 1978. This issue has four sections and 76 pages, and features a Now What? column by Murray Bishoff; Part 1 of a Milton Caniff interview by Shel Dorf for his column Shel Dorf and the Fantasy Makers; a Conun the Hanna-Barbarian comic book story by Eddie Eddings; two separate Media Report columns by David McDonnell; and a Wugga Wugga column by David Scroggy that includes a three-page interview of Byron Preiss. The Spider-Woman cover was drawn by C. Pealer. Summary of this issue by Russ Maheras.

The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #242, July 7, 1978. This issue has four sections and 96 pages, and features a TBG Cartoon Caption Contest by Keith von Cannon; and a Futureview column by L. Bruce Sapp. The Lord of the Rings cover is by Stephen Flame Taylor. Summary of this issue by Russ Maheras

This issue contains a newspaper article reproduced by Don and Maggie Thompson, and inserted in their Beautiful Balloons column in this issue.

The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #245, July 28, 1978. This issue has three sections and 64 pages, and features a Crusader Comments column by Martin L. Greim; a Now What? column by Murray Bishoff; the second Kirk Alyn interview by Shel Dorf for his column Shel Dorf and the Fantasy Makers (the first appeared in TBG #181); a Star Trash comic strip by Eddie Eddings; and a Dateline comic strip by Fred Hembeck. The terrific Donald Duck and Howard the Duck cover is by Brad Caslor. Summary of this issue by Russ Maheras.

The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #247, Aug. 11, 1978. This issue has three sections and 68 pages, and features a Beautiful Balloons column by Don and Maggie Thompson; two Media Report columns by David McDonnell; a Futureview column by L. Bruce Sapp; a four-page 1978 Chicago Comicon convention report, with photos, by Murray Bishoff (some photos by Rick Best); and a seven-page Don Glut interview, with photos, by Shel Dorf for his column Shel Dorf and the Fantasy Makers. The Prince Valiant cover is by Dan Hoffman and Pete Iro. Summary of this issue by Russ Maheras.

The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #249, Aug. 25, 1978. This issue has three sections and 68 pages, and features a Crusader Comments column by Martin L. Greim; a Now What? column by Murray Bishoff; a Media Report column by David McDonnell; a Futureview column by L. Bruce Sapp; a six-page Steve Schanes interview (fan profile) by Shel Dorf for his column Shel Dorf and the Fantasy Makers; a Dateline comic strip by Fred Hembeck; and a WE Seal of Approval (WSA) report page by Stan Blair. The Shadow cover is by Stephen Flame Taylor. Summary of this issue by Russ Maheras.

The Buyers Guide for Comic Fandom #250, Sept. 1, 1978. This issue has four sections and 88 pages, and features two Dateline comic strips by Fred Hembeck. The cover is by Mike Gustovich and Kelly Alder. Summary of this issue by Russ Maheras.