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Harvey Kurtzman and Bill (Will) Elder Help! V2#1 (#13) "The Adventures of Goodman Beaver - Chapter III Goodman Goe...
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Description
Harvey Kurtzman and Bill (Will) Elder Help! V2#1 (#13) "The Adventures of Goodman Beaver - Chapter III Goodman Goes Playboy" Story Page 6 Panel 4 Illustration Original Art (Warren, 1961). Kurtzman and Elder managed the near-impossible: they got under Archie Comics' squeaky-clean skin. In "Goodman Goes Playboy", the wide-eyed Goodman Beaver reunites with his old school buddies -- only to find the "typical teenage crowd" now worshiping at the altar of a slick, hedonistic lifestyle straight out of Playboy. The joke wasn't really on Archie... but Archie's boss John Goldwater didn't see it that way. A deliberate visual echo of the Riverdale gang triggered an infringement lawsuit, and the story was effectively seized, owned, and suppressed.This panel, originally Panel 4 from page 6 of the seven-page feature, reflects Elder's strategic retouching to tone down the likeness of the "Archer" character -- altering the haircut and even adding a gap-toothed grin -- in a failed bid to appease Goldwater. The modified version appeared in the 1962 paperback anthology Executive's Comic Book (MacFadden Books/MacFadden-Bartell Corporation), where the story resurfaced after Archie Comics had secured ownership and effectively suppressed the original. Hefner, meanwhile, was so delighted by the controversy that he rewarded the duo with the long-term security of creating Little Annie Fanny for Playboy.
Elder's detailed art from Kurtzman's layouts was rendered in ink over graphite on Bristol board affixed to illustration board, with an image area of 6" x 8.5". Light toning, rubylith acetate overlay taped to the back, tape and adhesive residue in the top margin, text paste-ups, whiteout corrections, and light handling wear. In Very Good condition.
More information about Harvey Kurtzman. See also: Kurtzman, Harvey, WEHK Artist. Lookup the Comic Book in our Guide
Auction Info
2026 April 23 The Art of Harvey Kurtzman & The Birth of MAD Comic Art Showcase Auction #40354 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
April, 2026
23rd
Thursday
Internet/Mail Bids: 48
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 464
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
25% of the successful bid per lot.
Jerry Weist's Comic Art Price Guide 2011
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