Ug Ashcans

[50Cent #II (1st print)]

Hey Arnie, how rare are these?  Haven't seen Ug ashcans posted before...

Jesus #2 (1st print)

Mother Oats #1 (4th print)
(By the way, I've found a new printing that goes between the 4th and 5th print of the Mother Oats #1's on UGComix.info, making it actually at least 6 printings for MO #1.)

[dr_s]

Ug ashcans are tough to get. I have 2 or 3 Crumb comics (big ass?) a Fantagor 2 , the Sunpot (if it is an ashcan - these wer sold at a con) and one of the Den comics. Except for the Sunpot I don;t believe there could be more than 10 or 20 of a number. (Prove me wrong since I am just guessing)

[Sir Real]

Um, ashcan?

[50Cent #II (1st print)]

Ashcans are b&w copies of a comic book usually by the printer/pub, basically a bound photocopy.  I believe they send them out to distributors so they can decide how many copies they want to order.  But originally it was for legal reasons and they were thrown out most of the times.

Here's a more detailed explanation on how they came about.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashcan_edition

[Comix Junky]

You got a COA from the publisher?
Anybody can xerox off a bootleg

And why would anyone ashcan a 4th printing?.

[50Cent #II (1st print)]

You got a COA from the publisher?
Anybody can xerox off a bootleg

And why would anyone ashcan a 4th printing?.

No COA, guess anybody with the right equipment could.  Can't use just any copier due to the size of the sheets of paper (and probably less likely when these issues came out) and then a binding machine or special stapler.
As for why a ashcan for a 4th print?  Why not?  Didn't they want to sell later printings too?

[Reverend]

I have to laugh about the "binding machine" thing. You can buy a saddle stitcher for around $40-50 through the mail. It's also very easy to use. Reproducing these sorts of things wouldn't be that difficult, especially these days.

The above comics do, indeed, look Xeroxed, given how the toner is wearing along the spine. And do they have three staples in the binding? That's more than a little odd.

[50Cent #II (1st print)]

Ashcans aren't for everyone I guess...

By the way, anyone see how much the Golden Age ashcans for Superman went for?

[dr_s]

First, I will scan everything as soon as I straighten out my comic area and plans for my kid's surprise wedding. The ones I have, have pedigrees of a sort. the Big A***es are blue, and look like test copies. I got them from the Frenchman Diediet in the 70s. He was the guy how paid Kim Dietch $500 for the cover to the Ballentine Fritz the Cat. I do not know where I got the Fantagor, but it is in full color. I do not know what it is, probalby a proof. I won the Den from ebay. Turns out the dealer was someone I know for 15 years and he is a rare regular comic dealer. It was an ashcan from the Library of Congress for copy write purposes. The Sunpot is xeroxed inside and signed and sold by Bode at some convention, I have one comic ashcan of note, the Warren House of Frankenstein or some thing like that. A regular  mag that Warren put out for copywrite purposes. I was out bid  at $600 for another Warren ashcan, Yesterday Today and Tomorrow a one printing ashcan that had a reprint Corben story. Of course in regular comics there was Motion Picture Funnies 1 - the 1st Submariner and the legendary Thrill Book 1 or Whiz 1 (the first Captain Marvel). The later ones go for big bucks but a fraction of the 1st regular comic editions of these characters.

[50Cent #II (1st print)]

My copies have provenance also.  His name is listed in JK page 6.

[dr_s]

You bought them from me?

[Rick Bradford]

Man, I hate that term, "ashcan"...

[wpbooks]

I have one comic ashcan of note, the Warren House of Frankenstein or some thing like that. A regular  mag that Warren put out for copywrite purposes. I was out bid  at $600 for another Warren ashcan, Yesterday Today and Tomorrow a one printing ashcan that had a reprint Corben story.

Wasn't Eerie #1 technically an ashcan, for copyright purposes, and only sold at a newsstand near the Warren offices? 

[dr_s]

There were several famous ashcans. One of the Chicago dealers (I can picture the face but not the name) dealt in Superman 1 and other types of ashcans. He was getting $50lk but this was over a decade ago. Of course there was the Eerie 1. I remember a customer buying a copy from me and then counterfeiting it and selling it all over New York. Another great story is Boy Explorer 2. About 20 years ago or more, a famous dealer got into the Harvey warehouse. He wound up with 1000 mini mint copies of this book. It was great trading with him. Every time a trade of $2k or more was being  made and was close, he would throw in a BE 2 to make you happy. Since he liked me, he would give me 2. I used to get $1k apiece for them in San Diego and in Chicago at the cons. I am sure that there are other famous ashcans, but that's all I remember for now.

[Comix Junky]

< ...As for why a ashcan for a 4th print?  Why not?  Didn't they want to sell later printings too?...>

Makes no dam sense.
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An ashcan for copyrite or trademark purposes would be the first ever/anywhere publication.

You can't copyrite something till it's been published. (your manuscript is not copyrighted)
For copyrite purposes,  "publication" means it's been distributed. (errors printed and sent to the landfill are not copyrited)   I think the minimum is 20 copies. (check, i could be wrong)
They could be passed out to friends, mailed, or at the newstand in front of the office; free or sold.
Usually your normal distribution system is all you need to claim a copyright.

But if your distribution gets interupted before it gets to the printer, (can you say "DC implosion"?)  you might want to produce a few "ashcans" on your xerox, to protect your copyrite.
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A publisher might have a need for a few copies before they're published. (to stimulate sales?)
But once he's got some in the wherehouse, He'll use the real ones.

10k copies cost what?  .25cents each?
Xeroxing and hand stapleing one copy is a lot more cost & trouble.
And it doesn't matter who did it or how few there are, it's an unauthorized bootleg.
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The whole point of an ashcan for copyrite is that it is THE authorized publication.
This and the rareity makes it valuable.

Your Jesus and Mothers Oats are  NOT  LIGIT.
They are obviously photo-copies of exitsing, published copies (4th printing no less)
There is no need for anybody to ashcan anything after the first printing.
I say again:
It doesn't matter who did it or how few there are, They are unauthorized bootlegs
.
If i'm wrong, if they're authorized, you need documintation.