Do Issue Numbers Matter?

[Stephen Parry]

Thank you for working it out, my friend. I was too lazy.

Now, if only someone could solve this one: if Gold Key had continued to publish Star Trek comics, completely uninterrupted, what issue number would we be heading for now? Answers on a postcard...

[paw broon]

Numbering is there as an organisational system surely? It makes life a lot easier for collectors and I can't imagine how fans of Commando, TPL SDL. etc. would manage without issue numbers. For a long time, the latter 2 series had no dates. That part of my collecting life would have been much more difficult without issue numbering. So, when DC and Marvel start from scratch again, it might well give them increased sales for a wee while, but it makes life a bit harder.
I think starscape has a point when saying that the higher the no., the lower the quality, and despite Lew's suggestion that Dandy was at it's best when it folded, I'd have to disagree. I tried some issues of Dandy a bit before it's demise with some local kids. Their parents reported that the children disliked it and two of them were frightened by bits of it. My personal opinion is that it was pretty poor stuff. I'm an old bloke so it probably wasn't for me, but it seems like it wasn't for a lot of young readers either.
I really dislike the re-numbering trend in American comics nowadays but, fortunately, as I don't buy or collect them, it doesn't affect me too much. Apart from when talking comics and my ignorance shows up with where various series are. Some folk still think I'm supposed to know all about comics. Truth to tell, I've never had much of a memory for what happened in what number.
I always thought there was something a bit off with many unnumbered British titles. Perhaps not when they were delivered every week, but nowadays collectors must use dates to figure out missing issues on their wants list. Perhaps I'm a bit lazy Newspapers have numbers or volume + number on the front page.

[starscape]

I always thought there was something a bit off with many unnumbered British titles. Perhaps not when they were delivered every week, but nowadays collectors must use dates to figure out missing issues on their wants list.

What's even more frustrating is searching for that issue, just to find there was no issue due to a strike!

[Lew Stringer]

I think starscape has a point when saying that the higher the no., the lower the quality, and despite Lew's suggestion that Dandy was at it's best when it folded, I'd have to disagree. I tried some issues of Dandy a bit before it's demise with some local kids. Their parents reported that the children disliked it and two of them were frightened by bits of it.

Jeepers. If they were scared by our stuff, Gawd knows what they'd have made of Ken Reid's work in the sixties!

[Digifiend]

Thank you for working it out, my friend. I was too lazy.

Now, if only someone could solve this one: if Gold Key had continued to publish Star Trek comics, completely uninterrupted, what issue number would we be heading for now? Answers on a postcard...

514.

March 1979 was the final issue, #61. December that year would be #70. Add 37 years, 12 issues per year. 37 x 12 = 444. 444 + 70 = 514, which would be the December 2016 issue.

Not hard to do the maths when you have a calculator handy (hint: Google).