Barker's Komic Picture Souvenir (1892) comic books 1893

1892 1st edition. This is the earliest known promotional comic book, predating as it does the Buster Brown premiums. Reprints advertising cartoons from Barker's Illustrated Almanac, including cartoons that frequently included racist stereotypes of blacks. Each cartoon contained advertising for Barker's products.

Cover (this same cover appears on the 1893 2nd edition) depicting travel to the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois by boat, ferry, railroad, horseback, elephants, camels, bicycle, carriage , covered wagon, stage coach, clipper ship, sailboat, and on foot.

Full-color cardboard covers, 7-7/8-in. x 10-1/2-in., wraparound color cover, 156 numbered pages. published by Barker, Moore & Mein Medicine Company, Philadelphia, PA.

1892 2nd edition. This is the earliest known promotional comic book, predating as it does the Buster Brown premiums. Reprints advertising cartoons from Barker's Illustrated Almanac, including cartoons that frequently included racist stereotypes of blacks. Each cartoon contained advertising for Barker's products.

Cover (this same cover appears on the 1892 1st edition), depicting travel to the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois by boat, ferry, railroad, horseback, elephants, camels, bicycle, carriage , covered wagon, stage coach, clipper ship, sailboat, and on foot.

Full-color cardboard covers, 7-7/8-in. x 10-1/2-in., wraparound color cover, 156-numbered pages. published by Barker, Moore & Mein Medicine Company, Philadelphia, PA.

3rd edition, 6-3/4-in. x 10-3/8-in., 180 pg. Cover depicts a group of people reading a copy of Barker's Almanac. A tall, thin man appears to either side.

Essentially same-c as 3rd edition, except flanking picture on left edge is now gone. The 2nd through 4th editions state their printing on the first interior page, in the paragraph beneath the picture of the Barkers Building.