Comic Book Sales Figures for 1968

Average Total Paid Circulation as Reported in Publishers' Statements of Ownership and Filed with the United States Postal Service

This list includes only those titles which offered subscriptions via the USPS Second or Periodical Class, and which published their sales reports in their titles.

A number of changes altered the shape of the market in 1968. Marvel, which had been limited in the number of titles it could send to market by its distributor, negotiated a new deal and split its three double-feature titles two ways. Tales of Suspense became Captain America and Iron Man; Tales to Astonish became Incredible Hulk and Sub-Mariner, and Strange Tales became Doctor Strange and Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

But you can't tell it from looking at the available Statements of Ownership, because Iron Man, Sub-Mariner, and Nick Fury were on new Second Class permits and there was no carry-over of data for those titles. The other three not only kept the numbering of their "parent" titles, they kept the same permits.

Another change was in the air as by the end of the year, Gold Key had raised its prices from 12¢ to 15¢ (unlike earlier in the decade, ths change took). Other publishers would follow in 1969.

And all was not well in Adam West-World. With the Batman TV series canceled in March, Superman overtook Batman to reclaim the top spot in comics.

1968 was the first year not covered in Gail Sutton's fanzine work, previously mentioned in the entry for 1967.

Magazines with comics content (like Mad) are sorted separately at the bottom.

—John Jackson Miller

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