LOT #41001 |
Sold on May 3, 2007 for: Sign-in
or Join (free & quick)
The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck - First Printing - Brother Jonathan Extra IX Bookstand Edition (Wilson and Company, 1842...
Click the image to load the highest resolution version.
Sold on May 3, 2007 for:
$9,560.00
Bid Source: Live: Phone bidder
Get one of these:
Explore Available Items
Description
The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck - First Printing - Brother Jonathan Extra IX Bookstand Edition (Wilson and Company, 1842) Condition: Apparent GD. This is the earliest known sequential-art American comic book, therefore the significance is tough to overstate! Published 165 years ago, this rare gem is almost 100 years older than Action Comics #1 and it's a far scarcer item to boot -- less than a dozen copies have been confirmed to exist, several of which are owned by institutions and unlikely ever to be offered to collectors.Swiss writer/artist Rodolphe Töpffer, considered the inventor of the modern comic strip, originated the work as Les Amours de M. Vieux Bois in the late 1820s, which was then pirated by Aubert in Paris in the 1830s. A few years later in 1841 this Aubert version was translated into English with a cover montage re-drawn for British publisher Tilt and Bogue by Robert Cruikshank. As Robert Beerbohm noted, "In a world where international copyright conventions did not exist, this was perfectly legal, if morally questionable."
The printing plates were then shipped over to New York City in 1842, and this edition was produced by the publishers of the newspaper Brother Jonathan, reformatted into what constitutes a modern comic book format as we recognize it today, printed in black and white and bound with string. Staple-binding and color printing weren't an option in the 1840s!
The presentation of this copy befits its significance - it's in a beautiful archival presentation folder. Obviously no "high-grade" copy could be expected to exist for such an early item. This copy has a 2 ½-inch spine split, foxing is present, and there is a chip missing from the back cover. We have assigned this an "apparent" grade because of a meticulous conservation measure that was undertaken. As the conservation expert's notes state, "The paper and inks were not conserved. The missing sewing was replaced using cotton thread that was acrylic-toned (Winsor & Newton) to appear a light tan color."
Overstreet notes that in 2005 a GD/VG copy and a VG copy each sold for $20,000. Overstreet 2006 GD 2.0 value = $1,800; FN 6.0 value = $5,400. Overstreet goes on to note, "In 2005, a FR copy sold for $10,000; a GD/VG for $20,000; and a VG for $20,000."
Auction Info
2007 May Signature Vintage Comics & Comics Art Auction #824 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
May, 2007
3rd-4th
Thursday-Friday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 17
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 18,726
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
19.5% of the successful bid per lot.
Shipping, Taxes, Terms and Bidding
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms | Comics Grading Tutorial
Important information concerning Sales Tax and Resale Certificates. Learn More
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms | Comics Grading Tutorial