Production in USA (Western)

General information

Story codes

Sometimes this code was wrong, e.g. in Uncle Scrooge #4, which was coded S.M.O.S. 521-5312 (They originally planned to issue the comic as a One Shot).

When reprinted, these codes sometimes were not removed, so they served as a story code.

In later reprints, all stories from an original comic got the code of that comic. This means that all stories that appeared in the same issue have the same code.

Sometimes, the Dutch reprint had a W or WR before the code: WR-WDC 147. WR = Western Reprint?

About the "weird" codes of 1960s Gold Key comics:
By Martin Olsen

The number continuity of Dell one-shots (the Four Color series) ends with # 1354, dated April-June 1962, a non-Disney comic titled Calvin and the Colonel. The next-to-last issue was Disney's Comanche # 1350, same date. (These were in fact issued in March 1962 as can be read from the code on the first page of the comic itself.)

The missing numbers in the Four Color series were probably a number of cancelled issues, or they may be issues originally scheduled as part of the Four Color series, but in fact published as series on their own with a new numbering for that particular series. We'll probably never know for sure.

The issues with code numbers 01-xxx-yyy or 12-xxx-yyy follow a new Dell numbering system. ALL Dell comics issued from April 1962 through 1972 when Dell cancelled the remains of their comic book line followed this numbering system (with a few exceptions close to the end of the run which carried only a 5-digit code number).

The xxx represents the title, and the xxx codes sorted numerically is equivalent to an alphabetical sorting of the titles. Highest xxx I know is 950 for a Movie Classic titled Zulu (non-Disney of course). The strict equivalence between the two sortings may have been obstructed if a new title would have to fit in between two consecutive numbers previously used. I don't know if this ever happened. I know of no difference between the 01- and the 12- codes - as I see it there is just one big system.

In late 1962 Dell gave up the Disney titles as well as Warner Bros., Hanna-Barbera, MGM and others. Whitman began publishing their own comics (in fact WDC&S - and Red Ryder Comics - had all the time been published by K.K. (Kay Kamen) Publications, though they used the Dell label, probably to avoid confusion). Whitman used the GoldKey label for their new line of comics. The titles were coded with 10xxx-yyy (for 12c books) or 30xxx-yyy (for 25c books). The 10xxx was changed to 90xxx in 1972, probably to ensure that a code would identify a comic book uniquely. The xxx identifies the title, and the yyy the year and month. The xxx were assigned chronologically, so that a new title would be given the next available number. (Of course, during the first months, several new titles were issued each month. I'm not sure whether or not the code numbers reflect the issue date within the month of the first issue.)
The lowest code number is 10000-210 which is Doctor Solar #1, cover date October 1962, issued July or August 1962.

Some titles had some issues at 12c (or whatever the price may have risen to) and some issues at 25c (or...). Chrismas Parade is one example. Another example is WDC&S, where 10 issues were printed with and without a pull-out poster. For example 10011-004 is WDC&S #355 issued without a poster, priced at 15c. 30041-004 is WDC&S #355 issued with a poster, priced at 25c.

Also some titles suddenly have a different title code. Donald Duck #96 and Mickey Mouse #95 are Album issues within the regular run. These issues must be considered "extras" as they don't fit into the regular bi-monthly schedule, and they carry the title codes previously used for "one-shot" Album issues.

The highest GoldKey title code I know is 90313 (no month), The Jungle Book, 1984. The original was a giant, hence coded in the 30-range, to wit 30033-803, so the 32 page reprint had to be given a new code in the 90-range.

Digests have 92xxx-yyy codes (WDCDigest has 92301-yyy), and other formats have other codes: The Jungle Book exixts in a tabloid version coded 6022-801, priced at 59c.

As for the Dell Four Colors, I believe the authority is an old article by Don and Maggie Thompson.

Story codes in the INDUCKS

"W" + space + comic + (spaces) + number + "-" + sequence number + optionally a letter

Example: "W WDC 123-01"

The sequence number indicates the place of the story in the comics: -00 is the cover, -01 the first story, etc. For special pages like games and puzzles, we sometimes use an extra letter, like "W WDC 123-01A".

contributions: Harry Fluks, Martin Olsen