1942–1950 Superman-Tim Club Membership Cards
April–May 1947, Superman-Tim Club Poster Stamps
The
Superman-Tim Club
was established in July 1942 through a partnership with clothing advertiser
Streeter Blair. Each 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 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.
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. Stamp #2 depicts a
racist caricature of a Japanese soldier.
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
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 August 1946 stamp features Tim trapped
inside a giant clam. 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
set includes a Loch Ness monster inspired creature on the August 1949 stamp.
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
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.