Set Description:
AUSTRALIAN reprint editions of some US Sci-Fi themed comics from the 1950's and 60's
Due to the post WW2 ban on importing US comics, Australia began printing our own comics, many of which were reprint editions of the US version. Printed on low grade newsprint, B/W inside, but a coloured front page.
The Australian reprint editions do not have as many issues as the US counterpart, and there are a lot of inconsistencies with the numbering of the Australian Editions in relation to the original US version.
OUTER SPACE.
Printed in Australia by New Century Press 1958. Each price 1/- (1 shilling)
Only 4 Australian Editions : AUST #1 = US #17; AUST #4 = US #19
BLUE BOLT.
Printed in Australia by Jubilee Press 1952. Each issue priced 8d (8 pence)
Only 4 Australian Editions : AUST #1 = US #109; AUST #2 = US #110; AUST #3 = US #107
Extremely rare and hard to find!
JOURNEY INTO UNKNOWN WORLDS.
Printed in Australia by Jubilee Press 1953. Each issue priced 8d.
Only 6 Australian Editions : AUST #1 = US #2; AUST #4 = US #6 ; AUST #5 = US#7 and AUST #6 = cover image of US#8 but title is changed to 'The Time Machine'.
Extremely rare and hard to find.
SPACE SQUADRON
Printed in Australia by Jubilee Press in 1953, priced 8d
ONLY 1 reprint issue of this series was printed in Australia. No. 1 [US#3]
FLASH GORDON
Printed in Australia by Atlas Publications 1956-57. Each issue priced 1/-
There are only 3 Australian issues (out of 16 published) that match US cover versions: namely Aust. No. 1 = US Four Color #512; Aust. No. 2 = US Four Color #424 and Aust. No. 3 = Flash Gordon DELL #2
For the Australian editions No. 11 to No. 17, the series was re-titled to Flash Gordon Space Adventurer, published by Page Publications, 1964-66.
STRANGE ADVENTURES.
Published in Australia by Colour Comics Pty Ltd.
Issues: No.1 - 8 (Sept 1954 - April1955) priced 8d (8 pence)
Issues: No.9 - 22 (May1955- June 1956) priced 9d (9 pence)
Issues: No.23 - 43 (July 1957- April 1958) priced 1/- (1 shilling)
Only 43 Australian Editions.
The Australian versions of "Strange Adventures" were created between 1954 - 1958. The numbering of the Australian editions do not follow the US versions precisely and are a varied mix of some of the US versions, mainly from the US issues #40 - #80 but again not in any logical or chronological order.
Most Australian reprints have similar cover images to the US versions of 'Strange Adventures' but some have covers from the US versions of 'House of Mystery' ( Aust. No. 25 [US #48] and Aust. No. 32 [US #53] ) or 'Mystery in Space' ( Aust. No. 43 [US #38]).
This anomaly can be seen in my CGC Graded issue No. 32 [AUST. Ed] {listed below as Strange Adventures 32 Australian Edition SN4411309011} where CGC have labelled the comic HOUSE OF MYSTERY # 53, but sub-titled Strange Adventures No. 32 in keeping with the CGC Foreign issues policy. Thankfully , there are only two other issues with this problem.
Printed in Australia 1954 -58 on newsprint paper and B/W inside. A rare series, and difficult to find quality copies after nearly 70 years.
TWIN EARTHS
Printed in Australia by New Century Press , Sydney
Series 1 1954-1956 29 issues.
Issues: #1 - #16 8d (8 pence) 1954-55
Issues: #17 - #29 9d (9pence) 1955-56
Series 2 Atlas Pub 1958
Issues: #11 (starting number) - #13 1/- (One Shilling). Only 3 issues.
Series 3 Page Pub.
Issues: #13 1965 1/-; #14 1968 12c; #15 1970 15c . Only 3 issues.
No Australian cover images match the US version.
TOM CORBETT SPACE CADET
Printed in Australia by Larry CLELAND Pty Ltd 1954 - 57
Only 8 Australian editions printed
Issues: #1 - #6 [1954 - 56] priced 9d (9 pence) but oddly #2 is only priced 8d
Issues: #7 and #8 [1957] priced 1/- (1 shilling)
As usual, with Australian comics of this era, the numbering does NOT match the US versions in any logical order: AUST No. 1 = US DELL #6; AUST No. 2 = US DELL # 9; AUST No. 7 = US DELL #1 etc
PLANET COMICS.
Printed in Australia by H John Edwards Co. 1952 - 54
Issues: No.1 - 4 (Dec 1952 - Mar. l1953) priced 6d (6 pence)
Issues: No.5 - 24 (Apr. 1953 - Nov 1954) priced 8d (8 pence)
Only 24 Australian Editions : AUST #1 = US #60; AUST #2 = US #55.
Again, some cover images of the Australian versions of Planet Comic don't match any of it's US counterparts.
A classic example is the Australian PLANET COMIC No. 15. The cover image is the same as the US "MAN O' MARS", but also has the word 'COMIC' missing from the title. Another example is Issue No. 12, where the image of the Jet Fighter comes from US Jet Fighters #1, the Flying Saucers in the image are uniquely Australian.
Interestingly, 5 of the run of 24 Australian versions of Planet Comics have only PLANET as their title. This inconsistency is similar to the Australian CATMAN series where the title varies from The Adventures of CATMAN to just CATMAN.
For all of the Titles in this Set Collection, most of the Australian cover images may look similar to its US original, there are often varying degrees of differences. Almost ALL Australian Editions are B/W inside. Printed on cheap newsprint, it is difficult to find good quality copies after 70+ years.
Apart from being listed in alphabetical order, within each title, the comics are listed in the US numbered order, with the exception of the comics that were graded before CGC changed its policy on labelling International comics. For example: Strange Adventures 1 Australian edition is in fact US #44 but was graded in 2017.
SPECIAL NOTE: My copy of the Australian version of PLANET COMICS No. 15 has been labelled and listed here as "MAN O'MARS" #1, under CGC policy. It is graded CGC 9.2 NM- and I believe the highest graded version of this comic. It has the same stories as the US counterpart.
Will be getting graded Space Squadron No. 1, Blue Bolt No. 1 and other Twin Earths, Planet and Strange Adventures in 2026 or maybe sooner.
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