Page:1954 Juvenile Delinquency Testimony.pdf/249

Rh Now, you say horror and something else. I refer to them as weird.

Mr. . Crime and horror.

Mr, Davis. That is right.

Mr. . In other words, 25 percent of your total comics are of the weird variety?

alr. Davis. Right.

Mr. . How many are of the crime variety?

Mr. Davis. I imagine that would be what we refer to as detective ; is that right? Three,

Mr. . Now, let me ask you a bit about your distribution practices, sir.

Mr. Davis. Yes, sir.

Mr. . Now, as a wholesaler I get your complete line; is that it, all this?

Mr. Davis. No, sir; you do not. If there is anything that we dis- tribute that the wholesaler does not want, he immediately refuses it and sends it back express collect.

Mr. . Otherwise I get it?

Mr. Davis. Otherwise you would get it. My situation is similar to Mr. Chamberlain’s, T imagine, that. we are national distributors. There were quite a lot of distributors that have selected lists and they order what they please. They tell you if they want it or not.

Mr. . How do I know as a wholesaler what is coming in in the next bundle?

Mr. Davis. We have advance billing and promotion pieces on most magazines, which is going out far in advance of the release.

Mr. . What the content is likely to be?

Mr. Davis. Not exactly the content. Sometimes we play up the editorial, We have a promotion department telling what is in there; yes, sir.

Mr. . I get a notice from you saying on such and such a date Fantastic would be coming in?

Mr. Davis, Yes.

Mr. . Am I asked to notify you by a certain date as to whether I want Tab or Frolic?

Nr. Davis. No, sir.

Mr. . Do I have the option of notifying you?

Ar. Davis. Youdo. You can tell us you are “not voing to distribute it. You can tell us you you are sending it back express collect; you can do anything you please.

We have no restrictions on that, even thongh I may be honest and adinit that we try to get a general distribution on practically every- thing we «istrbute.

Mr. . The burden is put on me as a wholesaler, then, to get notice to you that I den’t want your magazine?

Mr, Davis. That is right.

Mr. . How would 1 know about that if I were a wholesaler and you were distributing a new kind of magazine? Sry Tops just came out end you sent me a brochure on Tops. How would I decide avhat is in it?

Mr, Davis. Then you send a letter back, “Do not send Tops.”

Mr. . How would I know what is in Tops?

Mr. Davis. You woenrldn’t knew, but a lot of wholesalers don’t take new titles, regardless; that is the freedom in the business.