1942–1950 Superman-Tim Club Membership Cards
Tim's Pie Eaters Club was created in January 1925 by
Streeter Blair. Regional club branches were established at department stores
nationwide. Tim's Franco Club was sponsored by Frankenberger's in Charleston,
West Virginia.
The Superman Tim-Club was established in July 1942 through a partnership
between Superman, Inc. and Tim Promotions, Inc. Each club member received a
monthly magazine, a button pin, and an official membership card.
The membership cards contain a secret code used to decipher club messages.
Unlike the
Supermen of America Club, a new card and code was issued to Superman-Tim Club members every
September. Various retailers mailed a Superman-Tim birthday postcard and
Christmas card each year. Some participating stores offered a free birthday
pie.
The first stamp series was issued from September 1942 to September 1943. Each
are numbered and perforated similar to a postage stamp. The stamps could be
pasted on the white Superman-Tim Press Card. The 1942–1943 Press Card and
stamps do not contain any copyright date. The
World War II storyline
involves an international spy known as the Brown Scorpion.
1942–1943 : Superman-Tim Press Card
The 1943–1944 stamps depict large numbers and secret code text. The complete
set of twelve could be pasted inside of the red Superman-Tim Press Card. The 1943–1944 Press Card and stamps do not contain a copyright year. The Brown Scorpion
appears again in an Airland plot.
1943–1944 : Superman-Tim Press Card
The 1944–1945 stamps measure 2 x 3 inches and the Press Card title was changed
to Superman-Tim Club for Boys. The story follows Superman and Tim travelling
around the world in search of the "11 Silver Boxes." The 1944–1945 stamps do
not include any copyright information. Each poster stamp contains numbering
inside of a white circle. A stamp album was included in the September 1944
issue of Superman-Tim. The code card is copyrighted by Superman, Inc.
and does not contain a year.
1944–1945 : Superman Tim-Club for Boys
The 1945–1946 stamp album was included in the September 1945 issue of
Superman-Tim. The 2 x 3 inch stamps are labeled for each month and do
not contain a copyright year. The green code card is copyrighted by Superman, Inc. and
reads: "Good until Sept. 1946"
1945–1946 : Superman Tim-Club for Boys
The 1946–1947 stamps are labeled for each month of the year. Each stamp
features an illustration of Tim and Superman in "The Search for El Dorado." A
stamp album was included in the September 1946 issue of Superman-Tim.
The code card is copyrighted 1946 by Superman, Inc. The red and blue code card
reads: "This card is good until September, 1947."
1946–1947 : Superman-Tim Club Official Membership Card
The 1947–1948 stamps depict Superman and Tim facing various elements of
nature. A stamp album was included in the September 1947 issue of
Superman-Tim. The stamps and code card are copyrighted 1947 by Nat'l
Comics Pub. The red and black code card reads: "Official until September,
1948"
1947–1948 : Superman-Tim Club Membership Card
The 1948–1949 series followed Superman and Tim in "Airland Adventures." The stamps and code cards are copyrighted 1948 by Nat'l Comics Pub. The red
and black code card reads: "This card is good until September, 1949."
1948–1949 : Superman-Tim Club Membership Card
The final membership card was mailed in September 1949. The 1949–1950
storyline placed Superman and Tim in a western Rancho setting. The stamps and
code card are copyrighted 1949 by Nat'l Comics Pub. The orange code card
depicts Tim as a cowboy and reads: "This card is good until September, 1950."
1949–1950 : Superman-Tim Club Membership Card
The Superman-Tim Club distributed eight different sets of collectible "Poster Stamps" from September 1942 to September 1949. The stamps contain messages that are deciphered with yearly code cards. A new stamp was included with each monthly issue.
April–May 1947, Superman-Tim Club Poster Stamps
Superman Redbacks were distributed from 1944–1950 in denominations of one,
five, and ten. Each Superman Redback measures 2.5 x 5.5 inches. The coupons
could be redeemed for premiums such as a Superman-Tim Secret Code ring.
There are 94 issues of
Superman-Tim. All issues are at least 16 pages, including the covers. Months that feature
a Superman-Tim comic are 24–36 pages. Superman does not appear in the
final two issues dated April and May 1950. Superman-Tim Club birthday cards
were mailed to members as late as October 1950.
In 2008, an official reproduction of the March 1949 issue of
Superman-Tim was included with
The DC Vault: A Museum-in-a-Book featuring Rare Collectibles from the DC
Universe. The reprint does not include a stamp.
