Rare Comic On Rare Stamps, Thrilling Adventures in Stamps, Auction

Youthful Publications was part of a constellation of publishing companies with loose ties to the DC Comics founder Harry Donenfeld. A principle of the company, William Friedmanhad acted as Donenfeld’s lawyer on numerous occasions, while another, Adrien Lopez, had previously co-founded a magazine publisher with Donenfeld. With publications that included adult satires, cheesecake magazines, and romance and horror comics, something like Comic stamp (renamed Thrilling adventures in stamps for its latest issue) might be the last thing you expect from these editors. But it was perhaps the most promoted publication Youthful had ever tried to launch. An interesting idea that caught the attention of stamp collectors in its time and since then the series didn’t gain much traction in its time, it seems, and its latest issue is considered very rare. But there is a Thrilling adventures in #8 stamps (Stamp Comics, 1953).

The premise behind Comic stamp was simple and clever: each story took a look at an important postage stamp from across history and told the story the stamp represented. As an editorial in Issue 1 explained: “It has been rightly said that stamps are the mirror of history. Those tiny gummed labels that carry mail to the farthest corners of the world have started wars, heroes and villains, immortalizing the great and the unknown; and in doing so, they have become the most popular pastime in the world. In this book, we have attempted to tell you some of the thrilling and exciting stories behind behind the stamps in your collection.”

The collecting hobby of the time seems to have reacted enthusiastically to the idea. Youthful promoted the series at collectors’ conventions, and it was promoted in numerous collector’s trade journals and advertised in other magazines. It was a healthy idea at a time when the general public had a very bleak view of the comic book industry, but unfortunately it only lasted eight issues. Thrilling adventures in #8 stamps might just be the toughest out of the race, but there is a Thrilling adventures in #8 stamps (Stamp Comics, 1953).