Terry E. Gibbs

Hard to know. SC4 Flash 110 and Flash 123 have been hot last two years. All for different reasons. I think it will depend on the trailer. The first Riddler in SA went nuts after Riddler was found out to be in The Batman. Did not do much for Tec 27 or Batman 1#. So it may play out more for the related characters, especially if the book can be bought relativly cheap (139 is not). Say Colonel Computron (don't laugh I frankly enjoyed it and was upset when bates never let on who it was). I am guessing that the Rebirth crossover with Batman may jump, but not sure if Flash overall will get the same carry over. Will all depend on that trailer which is probably not quite a year away. Movie due June 2023.

Of note was an auction on HA this week where a Bronze page went for more than many SA pages, $3,120 https://comics.ha.com/itm/original-comic-art/carmine-infantino-and-bob-smith-flash-300-story-page-24-original-art-dc-1981-/a/322221-49040.s?ic4=GalleryView-ShortDescription-071515 Of note there has been a feeling among Flash collectors that if Flash was not actually on a Flash page then the price be a "B" price. Previous Bronze record was $2,640 https://comics.ha.com/itm/original-comic-art/carmine-infantino-and-bob-smith-the-flash-298-story-page-13-original-art-dc-1981-/a/322132-47113.s?ic4=GalleryView-ShortDescription-071515 Now both pages have something in common Rogues. Rogues that have very little art available. I think that was the reason for premiums, A) Rogues B) and rare Rogues

Back in the 80s I was a buyer from catalogs here in Australia and I quickly realised that I got mine weeks after Americans, so when I thought the catolog was ready I would ring James Payette and go through certain books I was after. I got a SC8 (around VG/F )and SC14 (F-) there was a SC13 and I missed it and living here in a vacuum I did not think of sending a want list as I am sure in that group there was a SC4 . It is strange how they took so long almost three years to launch the book. I guess seeing the JSA, GL, Flash, Hawkman, Seven Soldiers of Victory, Johnny Quick, Black Canary all die a slow death I think those editors did not want to personally take too many risk. Even Marvel played it coyly with SM's first appearance being number 15 AF. Stan ignored super heroes until prodded by the publisher. He had seen cap and Subbie both slowly die less than 10 years before. It really is surprising that Flash did what it did.

Funny how that is on the back cover - who care about the back cover really find that hard to understand.

In 1964 there was an article in I think in Time or the NY papers on "people paying crazy money for old comics " - thinking early Action etc. As soon as that article spread some fans started to buy and keep multiple copies. 1964 is first year of X-men Daredevil and the other marvel titles were still in their infancy. Finding a VF DC before 64 is a lot harder than a VF Marvel or VF late 60s DC

DC had a problem with the stamping pinching the mag and popping a staple. The comic could be over 9.0 but still have this popped staple. The cover was often still attached but the staple had torn through the cover by being too tight. Have a 174 that would be 9.2-9.4 with the top staple popped. (plus a 121 at around 9.2 and ... )

Surprised, 139 has been stable at best recently. I know it is White pages but that is a very serious price.

As covers are often produced in advance to the book so that they can be used in solicitations, you can get some very interesting stories about why they then had to be changed. An insight into writers and editors and the who production process.

I think Action 1 and Tec 27 stand alone. Next tier down is SC4 and FF 1. Also think the importance of SC8 is not appreciated as it introduced the difference between GA & SA, the colourful costumed super villain. That is what separates DC from what Archie comics was doing at the time, Kirby's Private strong and the Fly. They failed, captain Cold, Mr Element, Mirror Master succeeded. (now not sure how Grodd fits into that but that trilogy 106-108 certainly held it together until MM returned in 109.

That looks like a very nice 8.0 some people may be thinking of re-pressing and resubmitting.

Spent near 6 years checking very day and never seen some. First GL SC22 has popped up three times here and once in US. SC4 no.

Know the feeling well. Similar to walking around NYCC and seeing all the original art work. It is fantastic until you come across something that is right in your interest area and will never be able to afford. Still, I do love the photos of those very hi-grade early books

I want to know why Congo Bill was always in these issues. Seriously. The very early "All Star" had Tiger Girl and Kaanga, Tiger Girl was great GGA. Very early "Five Score" has some truly great DC 50s sci-fi from Julie's books, and Aquaman and Green Arrow from their Adventure runs are well represented including Kirby's GA run.

You will see 100+ AF 15s for sale for each one of those. Check Australian Ebay for last 3 months zip.

I have no idea. It is a minor key as first GL crossover in Flash (although Green lantern comic had a cross over earlier) but must be one of the earliest 9.8s out there. One for the very serious Flash collector. Also a 9.4 Flash 123 coming up. Plenty to enter the bank accounts.

sort of off topic but as Neal has recently passed I thought I would share - https://www.ebay.com/itm/284799830456 https://comics.ha.com/itm/original-comic-art/nick-cardy-flash-219-cover-original-art-dc-1972-/a/7224-94047.s?ic4=GalleryView-ShortDescription-071515 Ebay some people just should not do it

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5730352/ Kirkman did something about Siegel and Shuster's battle, which included some film of Neal fronting the media, tells how when Jerry reached out basically Neal was the only one who thought, this injustice must be fixed. (the industry writes about heroes fighting for justice - well it was about time the creators did some fighting for justice too) The rest of the series is pretty good to.

That is a super nice book. Congrats on the grade.

Yeah there is a very good book out there on Carmine. I will dig out a photo. Julie's bio is called " Man of two Worlds" , very good but it covers a lot of Julie's life and he did a lot. Plenty of reference to him as a Sci-Fi agent. When you get into it, DC was actually a pretty small organisation back in late 50s-60s. Many of the writers worked from home. It was the editors who were so important in the success of failure of the books.

Think it was an "Alter Ego". Will try and did it out, it is something I should keep a copy of. Julie and Bob were probably two of the longest running editors at DC along with Mort Wesinger. They were there from 40's to 70's. They shared the same office and Julie often gave Bob writing work. Julie and Mort never wrote but Bob was prolific (even if somewhat light) . Story goes in Bob's later years his workload dried up a bit and so did his income (writing plus editor was a lot of $$ . ) He asked Julie for some writing work and when Julie said he did not have any, he said "come on Julie we're friends.."Julie's reply was something along the lines, of "we share an office Bob but we have never been friends". Bob's war comics which he wrote and edited were exceptional. He also under Julie's editing co-created Black Canary and Poison Ivy. (the other co-creator was Carmine - with Julie as editor.) All of Bob's best creations have Julie as editor. Funny about that.

My latest local pick up. Very nice condition, very rare to see then this good. One of my all time favourites as a kid and still is. The conversations between Barry & Iris were much more adult that the "young heroes in love " that the opposition pumped out. Still stands out to me whenever a Marvel fan tells me how childish DC in the 60s were and how Marvel was much more real. Better stop now. Aust chopped off a fair bit of the bottom but we picked up more of Wally. Always interests me how the stats we got often are a larger image than what ever made it to the cover.

This was in the last HA feature auction. One big beautiful glossy full page giving this Flash book the love it deserves.

Yeah Julie is credited everywhere but I have read a piece by Kanigher where he says that at the editors meeting that gave SC4 the go ahead he remembered being the advocate as much as Julie. Thinking of his Metal Men, Suicide Squad v Julie's JLA, Adam Strange, GL Atom, Hawkman no wonder Rob did not get much traction in his claim. Yeah and I think Wally West may have been created before SC4 hit the stands. Julie may have mapped out all the early pieces.

The question of who created the Flash has been open to interpretation. Kanigher who got to write the first story has claimed it was mainly his idea. Julie's says his memory was otherwise. Julie never claimed to have written a Flash story but the way he worked with his writers was, that they would sit in his office and kick the ideas around and when they had the plot worked out then go do lunch and Broome or Fox would then go home and type it up. If Kanigher had in fact thought the story up from scratch or near scratch I have to query the use of the name Iris West. I think that Julie already had ideas going forward for the Flash one of which was a side kick, named Wallace West, the name of a Sc--Fi writer Julie was at least familiar with and possibly and agent for back in the 40s. I think Julie contributed much more of the original idea than Kanigher would like to admit.

Also Infantino's last Flash work for a very long time, tied up beautifully with Barry & iris having dinner where Barry tells her he is the Flash (and she tells him "she knows"). Tied up that final loose thread. (note he did do some covers, but covers was basically all he did for quite some time - some of the very best JLA covers ever done as well)