LOT #2212 |
Sold on Jan 19, 2006 for: Not Sold
New Fun Comics #1 (DC, 1935) Condition: Apparent VG. This is the first DC comic book, and it's a milestone by any standard. ...
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Description
New Fun Comics #1 (DC, 1935) Condition: Apparent VG. This is the first DC comic book, and it's a milestone by any standard. It's "the prototype of the modern comic in that it featured an anthology format of continuing characters and original rather than reprinted material," as Overstreet once put it. This oversized comic measures 10 1/2 by 15 inches (being the first tabloid-sized comic is another distinction that it holds). This first issue is actually simply called New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine, and it started a series which became More Fun Comics. It was the brainchild of a former pulp writer named Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, who saw the success of Eastern Color's Famous Funnies, which was an all-reprint affair, and reasoned that all-new material in a larger format could top the competition. There's the first comic book appearance of Oswald the Rabbit (later seen in Dell's Four Color series) and the debut of Barry O'Neill (who was later a regular in Adventure Comics). Some of the other features have a marked similarity to established characters of the day, such as the Flash Gordon-esque "Don Drake on the Planet Saro" and a Jack Armstrong ripoff called "Jack Andrews, All-American Boy." This all black-and-white issue has more than just comics -- there are text features covering sports, airplanes, model-building, and radio and movies, and there are photos of cowboy stars Johnny Mack Brown and Tim McCoy, plus a group photo of the Buck Rogers radio actors. Incidentally, this is also one of the first modern comic books to have ads, and wouldn't you know it, one of them is a Charles Atlas ad! This issue is currently #23 in Overstreet's ranking of the most valuable comics, which is even more impressive considering that Overstreet doesn't list a NM- or even a VF/NM value for the issue. Since this issue's got lots of coupons and a number of cut-out features meant for kids to use their scissors on, there can't be many other complete copies in existence of this rarity, a Gerber "8". This copy has a spine split unobtrusively sealed with tape on the interior along the entire length of the spine. The centerfold is detached, and there is some slight rust migration at the top staple. Overstreet 2005 GD 2.0 value = $6,650; VG 4.0 value = $13,300.Auction Info
2006 January Comic Auction #819 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
January, 2006
19th-21st
Thursday-Saturday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 9
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 4,964
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
15% of the successful bid per lot.
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