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  • Classics Illustrated Junior: Silly Willy Comic Book No. 557 1st Ed

Avis Yuni Antiques & Collectibles

Circa: 1958
Manufacturer: Famous Authors, Ltd.
Vintage Classics Illustrated Junior comic book published by Famous Authors, Ltd., which was a division of Gilberton Company, Inc. or Gilberton Publications. This is the Silly Willy comic book, No. 557 (Number 557), with 15 cents price on cover, dated on the inside December 1958. We think this is a first edition of this comic. Unlike most of the other comic books we are listing, there is no listing on the back cover of other comic books available in the series. Instead the back cover has an ad for "The Wonderful World of Fairy Tales" on records. However, on the top half of the inside front cover is a prominent ad for the next comic in the series, stating "Coming Next The Magic Dish" which is shown to be comic #558 (HRN 558), along with a description of that comic. We believe that this ad for the next comic in the series and the back cover ad would not be shown in the same fashion on a reprint of the Silly Willy comic book, and that this is a first edition. This book is not a new reprint (there is no UPC block on this book).

All the Classics Illustrated and Classics Illustrated Junior comic books we are listing came out of the same home where they were purchased as new items for their children in the 1950's and 1960's, so these are not recent reprints. The Classics Illustrated Junior comic books are generally in good/very good or acceptable reading condition but are definitely not mint, showing varying levels of age and wear which will be detailed. All were read and handled by children and thus show expected handling wear. All have interior pages which are browned at the edges, looking overall with an aged paper look, that is, the interior pages are not white as they would have been originally. All have an old comic book smell, not bad, but there if you go sniffing. Many have a child's name or initial noticeably written on the front cover in ink or crayon (and a few have more writing on the cover). For many the interior "connect the dots" illustration has been done or the interior coloring page has been colored.

This Silly Willy comic is a very good copy overall, but does have prominent writing on the cover in two places, with a child's name written in green crayon to the right of the main figure and a capital letter initial written to the left of the figure in blue pen ink (see image). There is no connect the dots picture on the inside front cover. The coloring page on the inside back cover has been about 15% colored in pencil on the shirt and hat of Silly Willy, with this done in a scribbled fashion (not totally within the lines). The comic does have the usual age reading use/wear including on the cover some crease lines/creasing with crease/cracking lines in the front colors (not really bad compared to many of the other comics we are listing), wrinkling/handling wear, two large diagonal lines through the title and near the upper right corner with another smaller diagonal in this corner, a large diagonal line near the bottom right corner, some paper wear to white and creasing/bending along the bound/stapled edge, corner tip wear in both right corners, some wear/bending/creasing/chipping along the top, bottom and right edges, etc. The back cover has a slightly dirty look, with a large diagonal line (this looks to be a pencil line) from the upper right corner, several small tears along the left side and bottom edges, a chip along the top edge and similar wrinkling/creasing/handling wear, etc. The inside pages are clean with a number having corners folded or corner fold lines and some pin holes/small holes in some pages (we believe this is from how the paper was made/handled in publishing). It looks like the comic was hit/torn along the top edge as you can see many pages with folded and torn paper in the top margin area near the binding (this occurs on less than half the pages, but still quite a few). This copy includes two pages illustrating and telling Aesop's Fables The Donkey's Shadow, one page telling the limerick There Was an Old Man on a Hill by Edward Lear, with an illustrated page The Animal World, The Ground Hog on the reverse side.

This collectible comic book measures about 6 15/16 x 10 1/8 inches in size. Given that this is an old or vintage comic book, we do not know what kind of ink was used in the printing (and particularly, whether any lead based inks were used). As such, we will only sell this comic to adult collectors, it should be handled with care, and it should not be given to/handled by children due to concerns with lead exposure.

We have many other comic books listed separately for sale. If you wish to purchase more than one comic book, please e-mail us before placing the order since the shipping information has been inputted for a purchase of just one and will not calculate the savings you would get when purchasing more than one shipped together in the same package (we will need to handle this for you).

Please Note: Comic books must be shipped via U.S.P.S. First Class Mail Package rate; they cannot be shipped via U.S.P.S. Media Mail. The post office does not permit comic books to be shipped via Media Mail due to the advertising that many include in their books. Please choose First Class Mail Package rate shipping for this item (also known as First Class Mail Parcel rate). Thank you.

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