# Question for Long-Time Comic Book Fans **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 17, 2012, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-long-time-comic-book-fans/622204 "2012-05-17T13:46:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-long-time-comic-book-fans/622204/1 "2012-05-17T13:46:29Z")
Any one who collected comic books back in the 1970s and 1980s (or before) knows that the cover dates for comics were several months ahead of the actual release date – for example, the “January 1978” issue would be available on the news-stand in the Fall of 1977. My question is – how many months ahead would it be? I’m thinking it was at least three months, maybe even four. But I am not absolutely certain. Also, when did this practice stop? I’m thinking around 1987 or 1988, but, once again, I am not sure. Any information would be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-long-time-comic-book-fans/622204/2 "2012-05-17T13:51:03Z")
It was consistently three months back then, at least for monthly comics. A cover dated May 1981 would be on the stands in February 1981. And it hasn’t stopped, although it seems it’s down to two months now. The copies of Shade # 8 and Legion of Super-Heroes # 9 that I just bought yesterday (5/16/2012) have a cover date of July 2012. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-long-time-comic-book-fans/622204/3 "2012-05-17T13:55:43Z")
And it’s been consistently 2 months as long as I’ve been buying new comics, so…20 years, at least, at this point. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-long-time-comic-book-fans/622204/4 "2012-05-17T14:11:06Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > It was consistently three months back then, at least for monthly comics. A cover dated May 1981 would be on the stands in February 1981. > > And it hasn’t stopped, although it seems it’s down to two months now. The copies of Shade # 8 and Legion of Super-Heroes # 9 that I just bought yesterday (5/16/2012) have a cover date of July 2012. Okay, good to know! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-long-time-comic-book-fans/622204/5 "2012-05-17T14:12:24Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > And it’s been consistently 2 months as long as I’ve been buying new comics, so…20 years, at least, at this point. Okay! For some reason, I though they had gone down to 1 month, but I haven’t bought a comic since 2007, and my memory is rusty. ---
**Author:** ![heathen\_earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-long-time-comic-book-fans/622204/6 "2012-05-17T14:18:14Z")
> **[Why do comic books have publishing months that are months ahead? Ex: Issues...](https://www.quora.com/Why-do-comic-books-have-publishing-months-that-are-months-ahead-Ex-Issues-released-in-February-that-are-labeled-April)** > > Answer (1 of 2): It's an artifact of newsstand sales. When that was still the primary point of sale for comics, most publishers printed dates 2-4 months in advance to give the books a longer shelf-life. The actual "cover date" would serve as an... > [@](#): > > **Why do comic books have publishing months that are months ahead? Ex: Issues released in February that are labeled “April”** > > It’s an artifact of newsstand sales. When that was still the primary point of sale for comics, most publishers printed dates 2-4 months in advance to give the books a longer shelf-life. The actual “cover date” would serve as an expiration date of sorts as well. DC seems to have been pretty consistent in having their cover dates two months ahead since the 1940s, while Marvel seems to have experimented with three, even four month windows through the 1970s. > > In the modern non-returnable direct market, these advanced cover dates seem to serve no purpose, save for consistency with the rest of a title’s printed history. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-long-time-comic-book-fans/622204/7 "2012-05-17T15:07:05Z")
Heck, if you go to one of those cover browser websites, you can find Christmas-themed issues with cover dates of March or therabouts. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-long-time-comic-book-fans/622204/8 "2012-05-17T18:17:41Z")
Marvel’s down to one month nowadays, I believe, although they don’t print their months on the cover anymore (unless they’ve brought it back recently). DC is at two. I remember when Marvel went from three to two in the very early '90’s, I’d say. One issue is that shipping schedules aren’t as well maintained as they were in the '80’s (although much better than they were in various periods from the mid-'90’s to the early Aughts), so any given comic you pick up might not have the “right” month for when it comes out. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-long-time-comic-book-fans/622204/9 "2012-05-18T06:43:27Z")
In the 1960s, Marvel was about four months ahead, and DC about two. I remember going to the store to pick up the latest Marvel books on the last day of school (early June in those days), and remarking to my friend, “Here we’re just getting out, and the comics are already dated for back-to-school,” because of their September cover dates. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2012, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-long-time-comic-book-fans/622204/10 "2012-05-19T01:19:37Z")
This is specifically about Transformers comics, but since that series was running at the time Marvel started shifting to closer cover dates to the actual month, it’s a good point of reference. > **[The Transformers (Marvel comic) - Transformers Wiki](https://tfwiki.net/wiki/The_Transformers_%28Marvel_comic%29#Cover_dates)** > [@](#): > > There is some confusion over when issues first appeared, due to changing practices regarding the cover dates. When the comic began in 1984, Marvel issues were normally cover dated four months ahead of their going on sale. This was partially a hangover from the days of fierce newsstand competition when each company tried to make its comics look newer than its rivals and partially a mechanism to compensate for slower distribution on newsstands and overseas sales. > > As a result of this, although issue #1 is cover dated September, it went on sale in May. This is supported by the first Usenet post about Transformers which was posted by Ted Nolan to net.comics on May 22 1984.[3] > > In 1989, Marvel decided to rationalize things by moving to a system where the cover date was only two months in advance. In order to achieve this, issues released in August 1989 have the cover date “Mid November”, those in September 1989 have “December” and those in October “Mid December”. The relevant Transformers issues were #59, #60 and #61. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-long-time-comic-book-fans/622204/11 "2012-05-21T18:15:51Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > This is specifically about Transformers comics, but since that series was running at the time Marvel started shifting to closer cover dates to the actual month, it’s a good point of reference. > > [The Transformers (Marvel comic) - Transformers Wiki](http://tfwiki.net/wiki/The_Transformers_%28Marvel_comic%29#Cover_dates) Okay, I thought that it was about four months! So it was 1989 when they changed that? Good info – thanks!