DCML Digest, Vol 52, Issue 6

[David Gerstein]

	Hey Tim,

> When I came to the British series "The Disney magazine", I got  
> completely lost.
>
> I have an issue number 9 and an issue number 16 which are  
> absolutely identical [...] Apart from that, I have another number  
> 16, which is different from the number 16 mentioned above.
>
> Can someone explain this mistery of numbering to me ?

	DISNEY MAGAZINE is a very confusing series. Even working within  
Egmont, I had trouble figuring the publication schedule out. But I  
finally managed to do it.

	From 1982-1983, the first series was dated by month. They came out  
in February, March, and May through December 1982; then January to  
March 1983. Translating this to month numbers, you get a series that  
is numbered 2, 3, 5-12, and then 1-3. The month and year references  
on the physical comics is the only way to figure out the order  
properly. There are seventeen issues in all.

	In 1983 the second series began, numbered only by issue. It ran from  
1-7 as a monthly title, and then split into TWO titles for awhile, as  
follows:
	• In some parts of the UK (or only certain shops? I'm not sure!),  
the original DISNEY MAGAZINE continued with issue 8 onward, published  
on a monthly schedule as before.
	• In other parts of the UK, THE DISNEY MAGAZINE WEEKLY EDITION 8-23  
were published. This was the official title of the series at Egmont,  
but I recollect that the books themselves give no evidence that they  
are different from their parent except for the dates on them and  
perhaps a "published weekly" indication somewhere.
	Every fourth issue of WEEKLY EDITION corresponded directly to one of  
the concurrent monthly series. This is why your issue 9 (of the  
monthly series) has an identical number 16 (from the weekly series!).

	Eventually, WEEKLY EDITION was cancelled; evidently, the monthly  
version was selling better. But some years later, the monthly did  
begin to be published more than once a month, ultimately being  
replaced with a weekly book.

	Best, David

--
David Gerstein
ramapith at mail.dk • ramapith at verizon.net
http://www.cartoonresearch.com/gerstein