Issue 7 was printed with a couple of the color plates getting reversed. It resulted in a unique look to say the least! Most people saw it as ruined but I kind of like it.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF STAR-STUDDED COMICS by Rick Kelsey
THE BEGINNING: On February 15, 1963, three young men who loved comic books met at a Carrollton, Texas home to talk about the hobby and the possibility of starting their own comic book. They did just that. The comic was called Star-Studded Comics and those three young men, Larry Herndon, Howard Keltner, and Buddy Saunders, became the "Texas Trio." When the "Texas Trio" started Star-Studded Comics in the early 1960s, it was an exciting time in comic books. New heroes and new teams were premiering like Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Magnus Robot Fighter, the Justice League of America. And old heroes were being revived like the Flash, Green Lantern, and Captain America. This was a time before VCRs, DVDs, CD-Roms, personal computers, and cellular phones and when checking your mail meant looking in the mailbox in front of your home not turning on the computer and logging onto the internet. Even comic books stores didn't exist. You got the latest issues of Batman, Superman, the Hulk, or Donald Duck from wire racks in convenience stores, drug stores, grocery stores, and the "five-and-10" shops such as Winn's, Ben Franklin's, and TG&Y. And comic book conventions weren't happening yet. All of that helped to make the entertainment value of comic books all the greater and all the more precious. Fans wanted to meet one another and one way to do that was to publish your own comic book or magazine. Many tried but few succeeded as well as "Star-Studded Comics." The problem? A fan-published comic or magazine didn't usually last or appear with the regularity and dependability of a professional comic. Many fan publications ended or went AWOL after one issue. If you think self-publishing today is a tough job, imagine doing that in the 1960s without computers, desktop publishing software, word processing programs, Fax machines, photo-copiers, a home printer, the internet, or even an electric typewriter. Then toss in the fact that there was little, if any, profit to be made publishing your own comic or magazine. So you couldn't make a living from that. Most of these fan publications were done out of the love of the hobby. And when all of your spare time from your job or school is spent working on a comic or mag, your enthusiasm and dedication can quickly fade. Yet, the "Texas Trio" published 18 issues of Star-Studded Comics and in its time became well-known among fans and professionals alike, gave many future comic writers and artists a start in the industry, and entertained many, many people. And today the comic is a collectors' item and a reminder of a wonderful time when comic books were one of the best entertainment sources and a great escape for youngsters.
The cover to issue 7 had 2 printing plates reversed resulting in an odd cover but to be honest, although at the time it was thought to be ruined, I actually like it!
Gots pizzazz, it does!
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