A Glance at the Gallery

Salutations, my fannish droogs. CGC’s urbane QC Doctor Michael McFadden here, with another edition of the latest highlights to grace our dazzlin’ DigiGallery. Grab your icy-cool beverage of choice and let’s begin, shall we? And please don’t touch anything this time!

Extry! Extry! Green Hornet smashes grading records! Not a bad gig, really… Britt Reid publishes a mighty metropolitan newspaper (remember those?) and pushes circulation by making his own headlines as the Green Hornet. Well, when he originated on Detroit’s (remember Detroit?) WXYZ Radio in 1936, nobody considered that conflict of interest. The Green Hornet leads off our pedigree faves this tour. We’re seeing more of the Hornet and Kato as anticipation mounts for the upcoming film, now pushed back to an early January release. Issue #5, from the book’s 1940-41 Holyoke run, is a 9.0 Mile High. Those Holyoke issues had nifty covers that scream Golden Age. About a year after their run ended, Harvey revived the title with issue #7 in 1942. Also from the Edgar Church collection is their #26 at 9.2. Need I tell you this copy has white pages? No, I didn’t think so. Number 33, also 9.2, is an Ohio book. Rounding out the run is #37 (Harvey File Copy, 8.5), #38 (Mile High, 9.4) and #40 (Harvey File Copy, 8.5).

Harvey Publications ultimately found a profitable niche with humor titles, like the pin-up girl of the OCD set Little Dot. Harvey File Copies of #s 108, 110, 116 and 120 that we saw ranged between 9.2 to 9.6. Some Harvey titles actually were humorous, like Sad Sack Comics. Numbers 153 (9.6), 188 (9.6) and 193 (9.8), Harvey File Copies all, show creator / cover artist George Baker’s penchant for drawing often-violent slapstick antics better than anyone else. Sack never did go to Viet Nam in these mid- to late-60s issues and that’s just as well. Imagine what might have happened to the Sarge or General Rockjaw if the accident-prone Sack had access to napalm. A burning question, no?

Generally, the story and art on Dell “Movie Classic” File Copies was mediocre at best, but the covers are usually photos from the movie or, as in this instance, art taken from the movie posters themselves. War Wagon #nn (9.6), Dirty Dozen #nn (9.6) and Valley of the Gwangi #nn (9.8) can all be found on the DigiGallery by searching for their individual titles. Unfortunately, our system doesn’t permit a search for the informally ascribed title Movie Classic. While perhaps not a “Comic Classic” like his Little Lulu, John Stanley’s Melvin Monster #1 (9.6, File Copy) anchors a run that features not only his stories, but his covers and art as well. Frankenstein, Jr. #1, a 9.6 Gold Key File Copy, is based on the short-lived Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning animated series.

Tied for highest grade is a 9.8 Gaines File Copy of Picture Stories from American History #2. The cover scene of a tri-corner-hatted patriot galloping down a street, shouting frantically at the townspeople, suggests one of two important events. Either the British are coming or ye olde township’s grog shoppe has just tapped their last barrel of ale. Also tied as the best ever certified is Frontline Combat #9 (9.8, Gaines File Copy), a Civil War special issue. Pre-Trend EC, Gunfighter #5 (9.2, Davis Crippen) is joined by non-pedigeed copies of issue #s 10 (9.0) and 13 (9.0), all tying for highest certified. A 9.8 X-Men #16 (Curator) vaulted more than 275 previously certified copies, becoming the lone highest-graded copy. Some other 9.6, top-of-the-pack books include Mile High copies of Rangers Comics #1, Jumbo Comics #19 (gotta love that Sheena) and the Pacific Coast copy of Atom #2.

Rocky Mountain books have been coming into the office in most impressive fashion. On the cover of Atom #17 (9.6), the Diminutive Do-Gooder is glued to a spinning automobile tire. “Don’t tread on me” would seem to be some appropriate last words here. Rimshot, please! Gosh, I never TIRE of my humor! The Rocky Mountain Atom #18 received a 9.6 and #30 achieved 9.8. Atom and Hawkman #42 impressively equaled that 9.8. Murphy Anderson covers and art distinguishes Hawkman #5 (9.6), #15 (9.8) and #20 (9.6, e-mail me if you figure out what they forgot on this cover). A new editor, George Kashdan, took the book’s reins with #22 (9.6), hiring the Blackhawk art team of Dick Dillin and Chuck Cuidera and replacing Gardner Fox with Bob Haney. I thought the stories were dumber than my jokes.

Only one certified copy is superior to the 8.5 Crippen Dell Four Color #148, top-billing Albert the Alligator over Pogo. About a year and a half later, the duo would move their act to the more profitable arena of newspaper strips and “Pogo” would stay there for the next 35 years. No ordinary funny animals feature, the denizens of the Okefenokee Swamp would become former Disney animator Walt Kelly’s forum for his sophisticated takes on human nature and liberal politics. The River City copy of Journey into Mystery #2 scored a solid 8.0, and the Boston copy of Iron Man / Captain America double feature era Tales of Suspense #73 reached 9.8. And a group of exquisite 50s DCs from the Bethlehem Collection included House of Mystery #4 (9.4) and Strange Adventures #14 (9.2), each surpassed by only one other copy. Mystery in Space, Julie Schwartz’s space opera title, numbers 37 (9.4), 42 (9.2) and 43 (9.2) all tied as the best we’ve seen.

Fifty years later, Flash is still considered the signature book of the DC’s Silver Age output. The title’s creative team was recognized by fans then, as today, as DC’s best from the era. Carmine Infantino, inked by Murphy Anderson or Joe Giella and written by John Broome (with an occasional contribution by Gardner Fox or Robert Kanigher, and edited by Julie Schwartz, then DC’s most progressive editor) is still hard to beat. But exceptional early Flashes are difficult to find compared to Marvel’s flagship books, Fantastic Four and Amazing Spider-Man. No wonder, really. DC’s Silver Age was in full swing long before Marvel reached the Silver Age. FF’s November 1961 debut was two and a half years after Flash’s first issue, #105. ASM came almost a year later and Iron Man and Ant-Man six months after that. When these titles were in their infancy, Flash was around its 30th issue. Flash began its run when superheroes were scarce. It attracted a lot of new fans into the marketplace who were actively buying books and taking better care of them by the time the Marvels came around.

We added some - no hype here - magnificent issues of Flash to the DigiGallery this month, 10 of the first 38 issues, and, with one lone exception, they are all the highest-certified copies or tied; the exception is bested or tied by only one other copy. Number 106 (4-5/59), the second issue (Flash’s numbering continued from the last issue of Flash Comics, #104, published in February 1949) is 9.0. This issue introduced Gorilla Grodd, beginning in a trilogy that continued in #s 107 and 108, both 9.0. Numbers 122 and 124 (Western Penn) earned 9.4. The first Silver Age appearance of the Justice Society, a two-page recounting of their final adventure in All-Star Comics #57, highlights the second Silver Age / Golden Age Flash team-up, a 9.8 copy of #129. (And one of my five favorite comic books of all time!) Two issues later, #131 (9.6) is the second Flash / Green Lantern team-up, the first occurring in Green Lantern #13 three months prior. The third SA / GA Flash team-up, #137 (9.6, Pacific Coast) teased readers with a present-day JSA cameo and the first appearance of Vandal Savage since the 40s. Western Penn copies of #138 (9.6) and #142 (9.6) round out this impressive array. Knowing I’m a huge fan / collector of that era’s Flash, CGC mega-headcheese, Mark Haspel, said I should’ve paid CGC for the privilege of working the days those books came in. What could I say? I wrote the guy a check.

Other impressive Silver Age submissions include, all at 9.8, X-Men #s 20, 28, 32 and 59 (Neal Adams, anyone?). From a bit later, let’s throw in #101 as well. More 9.8s: Justice League of America #s 65 (the last Gardner Fox JLA tale) and 80, Rip Hunter Time Master #29 (a fabulous Gil Kane cover gracing the last issue), Adventure Comics #381 (the first Supergirl solo book) and Green Lantern #59 (the first appearance of Guy Gardner). Charlton’s Gorgo #1, Space War #s 1, 2 and 3 hit 9.4 each. Millie the Model meets the ultra groovy, rockin’ Gears in #s 135 (8.0) and 148 is 9.6 as is Millie the Model Annual #5. X-Men #27 was 9.6.The only thing more terrible than the Terrible 5 in short-lived publisher, uh, M.F. Enterprises’ (I’m not making this stuff up!) Captain Marvel Presents the Terrible Five #1 (9.6) is the book’s art, writing and concept. I guess it came as a big surprise when they realized Captain Marvel and Dr. Fate were copyrighted by competitors.

Additional mind-boggling DCs are Green Lantern #31 (9.6), Action Comics #280 (9.6, highest graded), Sea Devils #9 (9.4) and Rip Hunter Time Master #3 (9.4). From the Bronze Age, a 100-Page Super Spectacular edition of Wonder Woman, #211, earned 9.8. An Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis #8, from 1953, certified 8.0. Most mind-boggling of all may be the first four issues of Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog certifying 8.5 to 9.2. The grades are great, but what boggles my mind is how this book lasted for eight years, occupying the talents of Alex Toth, Carmine Infantino, Gil Kane, Sy Barry, Robert Kanigher and John Broome that could have been deployed elsewhere… like anywhere else. I guess we kids were a little weird in the 1950s.

We saw a most unusual DC variant this month… one from the 1950s. All-American Men of War #26, October 1955, 4.0, has its regular newsstand / subscription edition. But it also has a free edition and we can only guess how or why this one was distributed. Printed over the regular cover art are the words “COMPLIMENTARY COPY Not to Be Sold.” Ink stamped complimentaries we see from time to time. Kids, for a fun rainy day project, you can make your own complimentary copies. Ask your mom for a stamp pad, a specially made rubber stamp from your office supply professional and some early-60s Marvel Comics that I need. It’s easy! …Which is why stamped books aren’t variants. Now, when you actually print on the cover, that’s got to be professionally done and that makes the book a variant. Naturally, we call this one the “Complimentary Copy Variant.” It’s thinking up stuff like that that keeps us in the vanguard of the comic collecting industry! Anyway, I bought my first DC war comics in 1963 and this was a new one on me… and everyone else here, too. Pretty cool!

The Amazon princess’s anniversary, Wonder Woman #600 is among our modern books this month. 30 Days of Night #2, Crusade of Comics Presents Spawn #1 and Y, the Last Man #1 were all 9.8. Turtlemania Special #1 notched a 9.6. Donald Duck and Friends #s 347, 351 and 353 were 9.8, #349 was 9.9 and a copy of #348 got the coveted ten-oh.

SigSeries submissions have been robust this summer. A Signed Edition variant of Groom Lake #1, inscribed by Chris Ryall and Ben Templesmith reached a rare 10. Robert Kirkman signed the fourth 9.9 of Walking Dead #67 submitted to us. It’s a double cover and Kirkman signed the outer 9.8 wrap. This summer’s Avengers #1 Convention Edition was autographed by both Stan Lee and John Romita. Danny Cruz put some nicely detailed Thor pencils on a copy of that book’s Sketch Edition variant. Francis Manapul signed a Flash #1 Sketch Edition and Tony Harris autographed his Flash #1 Variant Cover.

It wasn’t all Silver Age this month. Action Comics #93 (9.4) is a delightful Man of Tomorrow Christmas cover, #94 hit 9.4, too. An early Batman appearance, Detective Comics #43, at 7.5, is bettered by only one 8.0 copy. Batman #7 (9.0) tied for highest certified and war cover issue #18 crushed the previous high, 9.4 to 9.0. A pre-Spectre More Fun Comics #14, October 1936, tied another 6.5 copy as highest unrestored; a Green Arrow cover on #99 reached 8.0. Featuring Wonder Woman, Sensation Comics #66 tied for the top spot at 9.2. The first issue of MLJ’s Shield-Wizard Comics from 1940 reached 7.5. Human Torch #13 (8.5) is yet another delicious Alex Schomburg damsel-in-distress cover with ever-present Timely elements of bondage, torture and certain horrible death… ’til the Torch shows up to heat things up for the Axis.

In the Golden Age headlights wing of the DigiGallery, the oft-discussed Betty and Veronica homage cover on Roly Poly Comics #12 (9.4) tied for highest certified. Matt Baker’s cover and art graces a 9.2 Phantom Lady #18. Sheena, who had her own syndicated TV series in the 1950s, headlines Fiction House’s Jumbo Comics. Numbers 56 (9.0) and 60 (9.4) are the best we’ve seen, #122 (9.0) tied the top spot and #123 is the second-highest certified. Fox’s Zoot Comics, which, as I’ve written before, is the all-time coolest title for a comic book. Sheena’s fellow Teamster in the Jungle Queen Union, Rulah, seems to be as astonished by a giant bird flying off with a buxom, scantily clad lady as we are. And you thought you had pigeon problems!

My favorite book this month, while only a 7.0, is still the highest-graded copy we‘ve seen in our 10 years. Mickey Mouse Magazine #8, (May 1936), a title known for outstanding covers, is a penetrating character study of one D. Duck. Donald reminds me here of our own Paul Litch, namely anytime I refer to his beloved Green Lantern as “Green Loser.”

Comments and questions regarding the gallery? We’re fans, too. We enjoy hearing from you, unless we don‘t. You can contact me at mmcfadden@CGCcomics.com. Thank you for your time and do remember - Captain Marvel says Mechanix Illustrated is “Not for Sissies!” Hmm, always wondered why I bought Millie the Model instead. Be good to yourself and be CGC-ing you!