Comic books in 'Promotional'

Store display circa 1956 for Kleenex tissues. Little Lulu is carrying a box of Kleenex in a majorette uniform. Scarce. 9 3/4-in. x 10 1/2-in. Full color on cardstock.

Cover by Frank Carin. Art by Fred Ottenheimer and others. Adventures of Little Miss Sunbeam, the bread-company mascot created by Ellen Segner. A promotional series of the same title was also published as a giveaway. The kids have fun with a homemade telephone, including instructions on how to make one with two tin cans and some string. Explorer Uncle Teddy hates kids, so the gang decides to try and win him over. Little Miss Sunbeam's dog Ginger misbehaves once too often and gets sent to a farm up state, but she escapes and saves the family from a robbery. What's Wrong with This Picture?; The Tin Can Telephone; How to Make the Tin Can Telephone; Uncle Teddy's Terrible Temper!; Toothy Snyder, Delivery Boy; Cinderella's Sister; Little Dog Gone!; Sunbeamland Puzzle Page; Sunbeam Scores! 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Frank Carin. Art by Frank Carin and others. Adventures of Little Miss Sunbeam, the bread-company mascot created by Ellen Segner. A promotional series of the same title was also published as a giveaway. The kids find a magician's suitcase and decide to put on a magic show of their own; A grocer's least favorite customer has to try everything in the store; The gang accidentally frees a circus tiger and tries to help recapture it. What's Wrong with This Picture?; Out West; Toothy Snyder, Delivery Boy; The Magic Suitcase; Danger Road; Gus the Grocer; Little Dog Gone!; Sunbeamland Puzzle Page. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Frank Carin. Art by Bob Powell and others. Adventures of Little Miss Sunbeam, the bread-company mascot created by Ellen Segner. A promotional series of the same title was also published as a giveaway. A talking horse takes the kids on an adventure; Little Miss Sunbeam falls asleep on a plane and winds up on Terry and the Pirates-style adventure in the Far East; The kids outwit thieves at the county fair. Sunbeamland Puzzle Page; The Talking Horse!; Gus the Grocer Shoots the Works!; Toothy Snyder, Delivery Boy; War Whoops on the Santa Fe Trail!; The First Bow; The Rainbow Veil; Magic You Can Do. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart GD/VG 3.0 $21.50 View scan

Adventures of Little Miss Sunbeam, the bread-company mascot created by Ellen Segner. A promotional series of the same title was also published as a giveaway. Sunny and Weegee encounter outlaws during a wild horse roundup out West; The gang puts on a play that becomes a runaway hit when a poster mishap has Clark Cable starring in it; The kids race gangsters to find Blackbeard's buried treasure. Sunbeamland Puzzle Page; The Desperados of Devil's Gap; Gus the Grocer; Toothy Snyder, Delivery Boy; Sunbeamland Quiz and Game Page; The Treasure in the Sand!; Pencil Fun with Little Miss Sunbeam. Final issue of the series. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

How To Play "instruction manual" (the game is not included). This Ovaltine premium, circa 1934, features Little Orphan Annie in a six panel comic strip explaining to children how to play her shake-up game. Double sided sheet of paper folded once in the center. 9 5/8-in x 3 1/8-in.

American Dental Association Promo. Illustrated picture booklet. Art by Merryweather. 6-in. x 5-in. 16 Pages, duotone color.

The Book of Street and Highway Accident Data booklets, which this series would later become known as, were a series of free driving safety booklets published annually (except for the war years) since 1931 by Travelers Insurance Co. The booklets contain traffic statistics and illustrations that typically depict dangerous driving situations and/or accidents.
This is the 6th annual issue. The front cover, back cover, and the centerfold all have painted artwork. Inside, the booklet is heavily illustrated with many of them full page. Also, there are 4 cartoons worth mentioning in particular. One by Carl Anderson (Henry), another by Bill Holman (Smokey Stover), and two by Ralph Stein (Popeye).
8.5 x 11.5, primarily b&w with some color, 40 pages on slick paper.

Street and Highway Accident Data booklets, series of free driving safety booklets published annually since 1931 by Travelers Insurance Co. The booklets contain traffic statistics and illustrations that typically depict dangerous driving situations and/or accidents.
This is the 6th annual issue. The front cover, back cover, and the centerfold all have painted artwork. Inside, the booklet is heavily illustrated with many of them full page. Also, there are 4 cartoons worth mentioning in particular. One by Carl Anderson (Henry), another by Bill Holman (Smokey Stover), and two by Ralph Stein (Popeye). 8-in. x 6-in. B&W with some color, 16 pages on plain paper. There is a larger version with 40 pages.

Add to cart VG+ 4.5 $29.00 View scans

Advertising Broadside issued in 1940 to promote Living Romances Magazine. Printed on heavy cardstock. 10.5" x 14", single-sided, full color. Cover price $0.15.

The Lone Ranger radio show was sponsored by Silver Cup Bread. To tie in to the radio show, they would offer premiums in their loaves of bread. This is a beautiful, painted example on stiff cardstock in full color. The back is unprinted. 4-in. x 6 1/2-in., matte-finish postcard, full color.

Add to cart Very Good $40.00

Add to cart Very Good $40.00

Add to cart NM 9.4 $150.00 View scans Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout. Graded by MCS, not consignor.

Add to cart VF+ 8.5 $64.45 View scan Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout. Graded by MCS, not consignor.

Original Promotional Fold-Out Brochure for the animated 1978 adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings by Ralph Bakshi. Art by Mike Ploog. The fold out brochure measures 8.5 x 11.5 and unfolds to a massive 34″. The backside of the brochure has a single panoramic scene depicting the hobbits celebrating Bilbo Baggin's birthday. The front side of the brochure contains more concept art and talks about the new technique used to make the movie which involved filming costumed actors in live action scenes first, before taking the individual frames and animating them, creating an enhanced realism for the audience. 8 pages printed on heavy cardstock.

Love and Rockets Fall Lineup 1988. Single sheet folded to 8 1/2-in. x 11-in. B&W.

"Free Copy" Sample of the November 15, 1930 issue of Love Story Magazine. 16 Pages, Text Only, 6.75" x 9.75".

"Free Copy" Sample of the January 7, 1933 issue of Love Story Magazine. 16 Pages, Text Only, 6.75" x 9.75".

"Free Copy" Sample of the February 8, 1936 issue of Love Story Magazine. 16 Pages, Text Only, 6.75" x 9.75".

"Free Copy" Sample of the March 7, 1936 issue of Love Story Magazine. 16 Pages, Text Only, 6.75" x 9.75".

Volume 139, Issue 4 - January 29, 1938. Vintage pulp magazine that offers novels, short stories, and poetry all centered around romance - all of which are unique to it's volume, not reprints. This issue's main stories include the first part (of 5) of "So Many Hours" written by Audrey Mountain and Part 3 (of 5) of "Passion Star" by Jennifer Ames. Short fiction and novelettes include "Diamond Wedding" by Daisy Dean, "Shadow Woman" by Ruth Lyons, "Dangerous Kisses" by Gladys Johnson, "Romantic Ideas" by June Jennifer, and many others. Also includes poetry from Lydia A. Edstrand, Philip Jerome Cleveland, and Ruth Lamson, as well as beauty tips and reader's letters to the editor. 6.75" x 9.75", 278 pages, B&W, text only.

1979 reprint edition. Art and cover by Harvey Kurtzman. A public-health giveaway from EC, back when the company was still run by Max Gaines and called "Educational Comics." A public service awareness-builder about STDs, then called "venereal disease." Cowpoke Lucky is duped by a rival and winds up with syphilis, putting a damper on his romance with Saddle Sal. Produced by EC for the Columbia University Press, and probably distributed to schools, military bases and the like. Noteworthy now for reprinting the first work Harvey Kurtzman did for EC, back before he created Two-Fisted Tales and MAD and changed comics forever. 16 pages, B&W.

Stories and art by Jack Davis and others. Cover by Jack Davis. Lucky Star roams the Old West, battling outlaws and owlhoots with his sidearm and his rope. A promotional giveaway series for Lucky Star Jeans from San Antonio kids' clothing manufacturer SanTone. Lucky and his sidekicks stumble on a violent dispute between Slim Horton and other outlaws over a gold stash. Renegade Natives fake Lucky's kidnapping to lead a regiment of soldiers into a trap. Featuring art and cover by future EC legend Jack Davis. Lost Treasure; Indian Ambush.  5-in. x 7-in., 16 pages, Full Color.

Stories and art by Jack Davis and others. Cover by Jack Davis. Lucky Star roams the Old West, battling outlaws and owlhoots with his sidearm and his rope. A promotional giveaway series for Lucky Star Jeans from San Antonio kids' clothing manufacturer SanTone.  Lucky and his sidekicks escort a European duke crossing the West with art treasures, but all is not as it seems. Lucky investigates a crazed old hermit who claims to have found a gold mine. Featuring art and cover by future EC legend Jack Davis. Royal Treachery; Hermit's Revenge.  5-in. x 7-in., 16 pages, Full Color.

Stories and art by Frank Carin and others. Cover by Frank Carin. Lucky Star roams the Old West, battling outlaws and owlhoots with his sidearm and his rope. A promotional giveaway series for Lucky Star Jeans from San Antonio kids' clothing manufacturer SanTone. Lucky finds danger on a remote trail. A wolf pack threatens a family. Danger Trail; Wolf Pack.  5-in. x 7-in., 16 pages, Full Color.

Stories and art by Frank Carin and others. Cover by Frank Carin. Lucky Star roams the Old West, battling outlaws and owlhoots with his sidearm and his rope. A promotional giveaway series for Lucky Star Jeans from San Antonio kids' clothing manufacturer SanTone.  Lucky's sidekicks try to find gold at their mine in the Nightmare Mountains. Nightmare Gold Mine; Villains of Lost Village.  5-in. x 7-in., 16 pages, Full Color.

Lucky Star roams the Old West, battling outlaws and owlhoots with his sidearm and his rope. A promotional giveaway series for Lucky Star Jeans from San Antonio kids' clothing manufacturer SanTone. Lucky's horse Thunder makes a crucial warning that saves the day. Lucky Star; Thunder's Warning; Live Wires.  5-in. x 7-in., 16 pages, Full Color.

Lucky Star roams the Old West, battling outlaws and owlhoots with his sidearm and his rope. A promotional giveaway series for Lucky Star Jeans from San Antonio kids' clothing manufacturer SanTone. Lucky must face a duel to determine the course of justice. The False Don; Thunder: Mystery Rider; Justice By Combat.  5-in. x 7-in., 16 pages, Full Color.

Lucky Star roams the Old West, battling outlaws and owlhoots with his sidearm and his rope. A promotional giveaway series for Lucky Star Jeans from San Antonio kids' clothing manufacturer SanTone. Lucky helps Pony Express riders cross dangerous territory. Pony Express; Pokey: On the Scent; The Silver Lode. Final issue of the series.  5-in. x 7-in., 16 pages, Full Color.

Lum and Abner's 1935 Family Almanac, presented by Horlick's Malted Milk Corporation. Short entertaining stories are included with each month. Also includes the usual almanac fare like birthdays of historical figures, eclipses and so forth. Also includes ads for Horlick's products. 6-in. x 9-in., 32 pages, black and white.

Lum and Abner's 1936 Family Almanac, presented by Horlick's Malted Milk Corporation. Short entertaining stories are included with each month. Also includes the usual almanac fare like birthdays of historical figures, eclipses and so forth. Also includes ads for Horlick's products. 6-in. x 9-in., 32 pages, black and white.

Lum and Abner's 1937 Family Almanac, presented by Horlick's Malted Milk Corporation. Short entertaining stories with titles like "Caleb Weehunt's Blacksmith Shop" and "Luke Spears Lunch Room" are included with each month. Also includes the usual almanac fare like birthdays of historical figures, eclipses and so forth. Also includes ads for Horlick's products. 6-in. x 9-in., 32 pages, black and white.

Lum and Abner's 1938 Family Almanac, presented by Horlick's Malted Milk Corporation. Short entertaining stories are included with each month. Also includes the usual almanac fare like birthdays of historical figures, eclipses and so forth. Also includes ads for Horlick's products. 6-in. x 9-in., 32 pages, black and white.

M&M's Fudge Brownie Candies: Easy Does It. Story by Sean Ryan. Art by Mario Del Pennino. Cover by Mario Del Pennino and Carlos Lopez. 20 pages, full color.

The M16A1 Rifle Operation and Preventive Maintenance (1968), illustrated by Will Eisner, is a Viet Nam era instructional comic booklet published by the U.S. Army Material Command. The M16A1 Operation and Preventive Maintenance booklet covers everything one needs to know about the weapon, as explained by a cute young lady under the introductory title, "How to Strip Your Baby," which refers, of course, to the M16! 30 pages, full color, 5-in x 7-in.

The M16A1 Rifle Operation and Preventive Maintenance (1969), illustrated by Will Eisner, is a Viet Nam era instructional comic booklet published by the U.S. Army Material Command. The M16A1 Operation and Preventive Maintenance booklet covers everything one needs to know about the weapon, as explained by a cute young lady under the introductory title, "How to Strip Your Baby," which refers, of course, to the M16! 32 pages, full color, 5-in x 7-in.

Circa 1970. Early mail-order catalog for bootleg Star Trek items, including a balsa wood phaser and 30 different photos that can be ordered in various sizes. The photos offered are wonderfully primitive, mostly custom made using the Enterprise and Klingon AMT models kits with a few others probably cribbed from the actual television production. Red flag that these are bootleg items is the words "Star Trek" and "phaser" are not found anywhere. 8.5" x 11". Single folded sheet making two pages. Black and white.

Jack the Giant Killer. Promotional comic advertising Ma-Le-Na stomach and liver pills. 12 pages, PC/PB&W, 5" x 6.25".

"Madonna Who's That Girl" (1987) is an AIDS awareness promotional comic book that was distributed at a Madonna concert on July 13, 1987 by the American Foundation for Aids Reserch. "Madonna Who's That Girl," written and edited by Malcolm Ater, was the last title published by Ater's Commercial Comics line, which had been producing industry-related, safety and political promotional comics for forty years.

Add to cart GD+ 2.5 $26.00 View scans Missing bottom staple (not manufacturing).

The Magic Bean The Story of Coffee (October 25,1956, Taldor Pub./National Coffee Association) was distributed at Thanksgiving by the National Coffee Association. An interesting promotional comic telling the history of coffee. Standard 7x10 comic size, 16-pages, full color, newsprint cover and interior.

Magilla Gorilla Kite Fun Book (1964) is a promotional comic distributed by Reddy Kilowatt, Inc. via investor-owned utility companies. Magilla Gorilla joins Reddy Kilowatt in a story about kite safety and fun. The back cover features Reddy's Kite Safety Rules. 16 pages, full color, newsprint, 7-in. x 5-in., no cover price.

1971 Edition. Educational comic published and distributed by The Soil Conservation Society of America. 16 pages, full color.

Promotional comic promoting "the inspiring career of New York's governor Malcolm Wilson." Art by Joe Simon. 8 pages, newsprint, two-color (black, blue), 8 x 11 in. No date, but Malcolm was governor from 1973-1974, so this probably dates from around that time.

When a young soldier is injured raiding Okinawa, he is granted an Honorable Medical Discharge. But what to do after the military? A walk with his father shows him what can come from a Man with a Plan! 7 1/2-in. x 10-in., 16 pages, full color.

1st printing - Quaker Oats cereal giveaway. Written by J. M. Richardson. Drawings by John McCormick. Super detailed with 300+ drawings, along with clear, accurate descriptions, this book will teach you every thing needed to fly an airplane. 6 3/4-in. x 9 1/2-in., 120 pg, BW.

A Christmas Carol