Action Comics Sales Figures
Circulation as Reported in Publishers' Statements of Ownership
Filed with the United States Postal Service
While Action Comics ran Statements of Ownership well before 1960, but the first one for which circulation figures were requires appeared in Action #273 (Feb 1961).
Right away, it could be seen that despite clearly being a Superman title, Action lagged sales of the main Superman series, selling 458,000 copies per issue versus Superman's 810,000 in 1960. (See its postal record here.) Action was monthly at the time, while Superman was published nine times a year; name recognition certainly also factored in.
But the pattern would continue, with Action always trailing a bit behind its sister title throughout the 1960s and 1970s, seeing its peak in 1965. The exception was in 1987, when John Byrne was working both on Action and a newly renumbered Superman title; the regular Superman series, which had been redubbed Adventures of Superman, trailed Action slightly that one year.
With #601, however, the title went to a weekly anthology, and sales fell. The experiment lasted less than a year. Sales were down to 70,316 copies monthly at the end of the 1980s, after which postal data is not available.
The title reached new heights in the 1990s boom, the pinnacle being in April 1993 when Action #687 topped a million copies as it helped bring Superman back from a temporary case of death.
In April 2018, Action became the first American title since Dell's Four Color to reach 1,000 issues with Action #1000. Four Color wasn't strictly a serial title, of course, but then Action's direct path has its own blemish, in the series' renumbering during the New 52 period of 2011-16.
Some direct-market only information is available in the monthly reports.
—John Jackson Miller
| 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issue Statement appearing in: | #273 February | #286 March | #297 February | #309 February | #327 August |
| Date of filing: | 10/1/60 | 10/1/61 | 10/1/62 | 10/1/63 | 10/1/64 |
| Issues published during year: | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Annual subscription price: | $1.50 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.40 | $1.40 |
| Cover price during year: | $0.10 | $0.12 | $0.12 | $0.12 | $0.12 |
| Total Copies PRINTED (avg): | 716,000 | ||||
| Sales through DEALERS (avg): | 513,000 | ||||
| Sales by SUBSCRIPTION (avg): | 5,026 | ||||
| Total PAID circulation (avg): | 458,000 | 485,000 | 435,000 | no data published | 518,026 |
| Samples by MAIL (avg): | 387 | ||||
| Samples OUTSIDE mail (avg): | 0 | ||||
| Total FREE circulation (avg): | 387 | ||||
| TOTAL DISTRIBUTION: | 518,413 | ||||
| Copies not distributed (office): | |||||
| Copies not distributed (RETURNS): | 197,587 | ||||
| Reported % Paid/Requested: | |||||
| % of RUN RETURNED: | 27.6% | ||||
| Copies existent: | 518,413 | ||||
| SELL-THROUGH at RETAIL: | 72.4% | ||||
| 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | |
| Issue Statement appearing in: | #338 Sept. | #346 February | #359 February | #374 March | #386 Mar |
| Date of filing: | 10/1/65 | 10/1/66 | 10/1/67 | 10/1/68 | 10/1/69 |
| Issues published during year: | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Annual subscription price: | $1.40 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | No subs |
| Cover price during year: | $0.12 | $0.12 | $0.12 | $0.12 | $0.15 |
| Total Copies PRINTED (avg): | 758,000 | 754,000 | 720,000 | 695,000 | 673,000 |
| Sales through DEALERS (avg): | 518,000 | 485,000 | 418,000 | 422,000 | 377,000 |
| Sales by SUBSCRIPTION (avg): | 7,254 | 6,135 | 2,900 | 1,000 | 535 |
| Total PAID circulation (avg): | 525,254 | 491,135 | 420,900 | 423,000 | 377,535 |
| Samples by MAIL (avg): | 142 | 330 | 340 | 386 | 386 |
| Samples OUTSIDE mail (avg): | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total FREE circulation (avg): | 142 | 330 | 340 | 386 | 386 |
| TOTAL DISTRIBUTION: | 525,396 | 491,465 | 411,240 | 423,386 | 377,921 |
| Copies not distributed (office): | |||||
| Copies not distributed (RETURNS): | 232,604 | 262,535 | 298,760 | 271,614 | 295,079 |
| Reported % Paid/Requested: | |||||
| % of RUN RETURNED: | 30.7% | 34.8% | 41.5% | 39.1% | 43.8% |
| Copies existent: | 525,396 | 491,465 | 421,240 | 423,386 | 377,921 |
| SELL-THROUGH at RETAIL: | 69.3% | 65.1% | 58.5% | 60.9% | 56.1% |
| 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | |
| Issue Statement appearing in: | #398 Mar | #410 Mar | #422 March | #434 April | #447 May |
| Date of filing: | 10/1/70 | 10/1/71 | 10/1/72 | 10/1/73 | 10/1/74 |
| Issues published during year: | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Annual subscription price: | No subs | $3.00 | $3.00 | $3.00 | $3.00 |
| Cover price during year: | $0.15 | $0.25 | $0.20 | $0.20 | $0.25 |
| Total Copies PRINTED (avg): | 621,030 | 585,000 | 542,000 | 532,922 | 487,877 |
| Sales through DEALERS (avg): | 329,638 | 325,460 | 251,230 | 239,421 | 253,333 |
| Sales by SUBSCRIPTION (avg): | 287 | 158 | 1,087 | 1,137 | 1,833 |
| Total PAID circulation (avg): | 329,925 | 325,618 | 252,317 | 240,558 | 237,166 |
| Samples by MAIL (avg): | 127 | 0 | 518 | 100 | 100 |
| Samples OUTSIDE mail (avg): | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total FREE circulation (avg): | 127 | 0 | 518 | 100 | 100 |
| TOTAL DISTRIBUTION: | 330,052 | 325,618 | 252,835 | 240,658 | 237,266 |
| Copies not distributed (office): | 259 | 561 | 3,481 | 3,194 | |
| Copies not distributed (RETURNS): | 290,978 | 259,123 | 288,604 | 288,783 | 247,417 |
| Reported % Paid/Requested: | |||||
| % of RUN RETURNED: | 46.9% | 44.3% | 53.2% | 54.2% | 50.7% |
| Copies existent: | 330,052 | 325,877 | 253,396 | 244,139 | 258,460 |
| SELL-THROUGH at RETAIL: | 53.1% | 55.7% | 46.6% | 45.1% | 48.6% |
| 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | |
| Issue Statement appearing in: | #459 May | #471 May | #483 May | #494 April | #506 April |
| Date of filing: | 10/1/75 | 10/1/76 | 10/1/77 | 10/1/78 | 10/1/79 |
| Issues published during year: | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Annual subscription price: | $3.00 | $3.00 | $5.00 | $6.75 | $6.75 |
| Cover price during year: | $0.30 | $0.25 | $0.35 | $0.40 | $0.40 |
| Total Copies PRINTED (avg): | 493,000 | 470,000 | 457,274 | 476,694 | 338,546 |
| Sales through DEALERS (avg): | 229,000 | 206,000 | 177,638 | 182,135 | 159,885 |
| Sales by SUBSCRIPTION (avg): | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,076 | 1,466 | 1,443 |
| Total PAID circulation (avg): | 231,000 | 208,000 | 179,714 | 183,601 | 160,928 |
| Samples by MAIL (avg): | 1,000 | 1,000 | 400 | 110 | 0 |
| Samples OUTSIDE mail (avg): | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total FREE circulation (avg): | 1,000 | 1,000 | 400 | 110 | 0 |
| TOTAL DISTRIBUTION: | 232,000 | 209,000 | 180,114 | 183,711 | 160,928 |
| Copies not distributed (office): | 4,000 | 2,000 | 1,484 | 4,045 | 121 |
| Copies not distributed (RETURNS): | 257,000 | 259,000 | 275,676 | 288,938 | 177,496 |
| Reported % Paid/Requested: | |||||
| % of RUN RETURNED: | 52.1% | 55.1% | 60.3% | 60.6% | 52.4% |
| Copies existent: | 236,000 | 211,000 | 181,598 | 187,756 | 161,449 |
| SELL-THROUGH at RETAIL: | 46.9% | 44.3% | 39.3% | 38.5% | 47.5% |
| 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | |
| Issue Statement appearing in: | #519 May | #531 May | #543 May | #554 April | #567 May |
| Date of filing: | 10/1/80 | 10/1/81 | 10/1/82 | 10/1/83 | 10/1/84 |
| Issues published during year: | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Annual subscription price: | $7.95 | $7.20 | $7.20 | $9.00 | $9.00 |
| Cover price during year: | $0.50 | $0.60 | $0.60 | $0.75 | $0.75 |
| Total Copies PRINTED (avg): | 324,114 | 290,871 | 284,046 | 263,822 | 253,026 |
| Sales through DEALERS (avg): | 116,210 | 109,426 | 101,196 | 104,075 | 84,887 |
| Sales by SUBSCRIPTION (avg): | 2,542 | 2,303 | 2,157 | 1,319 | 1,535 |
| Total PAID circulation (avg): | 118,752 | 111,729 | 103,353 | 105,394 | 86,422 |
| Samples by MAIL (avg): | 127 | 127 | 677 | 740 | 233 |
| Samples OUTSIDE mail (avg): | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total FREE circulation (avg): | 127 | 127 | 677 | 740 | 233 |
| TOTAL DISTRIBUTION: | 131,245 | 111,856 | 104,030 | 106,134 | 86,655 |
| Copies not distributed (office): | 3,315 | 3,331 | 2,403 | 1,982 | 2,823 |
| Copies not distributed (RETURNS): | 189,554 | 175,684 | 177,613 | 155,706 | 145,548 |
| Reported % Paid/Requested: | |||||
| % of RUN RETURNED: | 58.5% | 60.4% | 62.5% | 59.0% | 57.5% |
| Copies existent: | 122,194 | 115,187 | 106,433 | 108,116 | 89,478 |
| SELL-THROUGH at RETAIL: | 36.6% | 38.4% | 36.4% | 39.9% | 34.2% |
| 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | |
| Issue Statement appearing in: | #578 April | #587 Apr | #599 Apr | #641 Mar. 7 | #649 Jan |
| Date of filing: | 10/1/85 | 10/1/86 | 10/5/87 | 10/31/88 | 9/29/89 |
| Issues published during year: | 12 | 12 | 12 | 42 | 12 |
| Annual subscription price: | $9.00 | $9.00 | $9.00 | $76.50 | $9.00 |
| Cover price during year: | $0.75 | $0.75 | $0.75 | $1.50 | $0.75 |
| Total Copies PRINTED (avg): | 201,814 | 155,111 | 319,645 | 116,416 | 79,215 |
| Sales through DEALERS (avg): | 65,288 | 59,827 | 180,395 | 97,261 | 69,908 |
| Sales by SUBSCRIPTION (avg): | 1,368 | 1,330 | 1,372 | 518 | 408 |
| Total PAID circulation (avg): | 66,656 | 61,157 | 181,767 | 97,779 | 70,316 |
| Samples by MAIL (avg): | 127 | 163 | 979 | 327 | 1,053 |
| Samples OUTSIDE mail (avg): | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total FREE circulation (avg): | 127 | 163 | 979 | 327 | 1,053 |
| TOTAL DISTRIBUTION: | 66,783 | 61,320 | 182,746 | 98,106 | 71,369 |
| Copies not distributed (office): | 3,103 | 2,246 | 6,560 | 792 | 1,268 |
| Copies not distributed (RETURNS): | 131,928 | 91,545 | 130,339 | 17,518 | 6,578 |
| Reported % Paid/Requested: | |||||
| % of RUN RETURNED: | 65.4% | 59.0% | 40.8% | 15.0% | 8.3% |
| Copies existent: | 69,886 | 63,566 | 189,306 | 98,898 | 72,637 |
| SELL-THROUGH at RETAIL: | 33.0% | 39.4% | 56.9% | 84.0% | 88.8% |
Statement history
Like many DC titles, Action failed to run a Statement for 1963, apparently due to confusion overthe postal rules. But unlike the other books, which skipped 1964 as well, Action ran a Statement for that year.
Action has the unique distinction of being the last DC comic book for which a Statement of Ownership was filed. Because of the shift from weekly back to monthly frequency, Action must have been slightly ahead of the other books in its production cycle when DC decided to stop shipping comics Second Class in 1989. For whatever reason, the result was that Action alone among DC comics ran a Statement for 1989. (Mad magazine, also published at that time by DC, would continue to do so for years.)
Understanding Statements of Ownership
The figures above are taken directly from the annual Statements of Ownership, Management, and Circulation filed by publishers with the United States Postal Service. The sales figure is the Average Paid Circulation figure and includes all copies sold through newsstands, comics shops, and postal subscription. It does not count copies the publisher gave away for free, or copies that were kept for office use.
More information can be found in the FAQ section.
