Shield

MLJ, hands down. Why? 1. They invented the first teenage character, Archie, which is still successful today. 2. First WWII War cover in comics (Top-Notch #2, Jan 1940). 3. First Patriotic Superhero in comics (Shield, Pep 1, Jan 1940). For me, the run of Pep from #22 to about #50 is the best stuff ever produced in the Golden Age. You'd have a great opening Shield Story, then a Bob Fujitani Hangman story complete with Anti-Nazi propaganda, swastikas, murder, etc., then turn to page 49 and read about Archie taking Betty to the Prom. Same for Jackpot Comics #4-#9. It's like a Little Lulu story in the middle of an EC Comic! Especially considering how "squeaky clean" Archie Co. is nowadays. Example: These three pics are in the same issue - Pep Comics #31, September 1942 1. Shield/Dusty villian "Snowbird" doing cocaine (possibly the first time ever in comics) - 2. A man being "impaled" on top of a Church steeple 3. Archie, meeting Mr. Lodge for the very first time! Doesn't get any better than that for me, folks.

Better not get that too close, or I'll get my slobber on it. Unbelievable book. Wow!

You guys gave me a great idea! I'm going to hit the hay early tonight, and read a couple Weird Science EC reprints before I fall asleep. I loves my EC's! Thank goodness they were all reprinted!

How is that possible if you joined these boards on 3/23/2004? Hammer was banned on 5/23/2003? You got some explainin' to do!

Oh, you don't want THAT thing clogging up your collection! I'll gladly take it, and even pick up shipping! PM me if you need my address!

That lightning comics #1 is off the hook. I've never seen it before! How many issues are there, who published it, etc? Incredible!

Negative.

Tell you what...if you want to go ahead and just send that in lieu of the money for the Zip #27, I'd be quite happy.

For some reason, that pulp reminds me of this Pep Cover. What's the year and date of the pulp? This Pep is from April 1941...

BIG KUDOS FOR ARCHIEFAN. I just purchased an Archie #1 from him, and everything went smoothly. Very good packing and excellent speed on shipping.

Oh, my former collection wasn't in the top 10. It's the guy who I sold it to..the one with the Rockford Detective #27. He had an unrestored Fine Marvel Mystery #1 with just the October date, a Superman #1, Batman #1, Cap #1, All Amercian #16, Suspense #3, and a boatload of super high grade Marvels and DC's in VF/NM. He had a full run of Flash, Batman, All-American, USA Comics, Captain America (including #74 and 75 obviously) Submariner (some of those early issues from the 1950's I had never seen before)... (pulling out my Gerbers) Let's see...he had: A high grade run of Phantom Lady comics Very high grade Miss Fury, full set of Silver Streak, full runs of pre-code horror. Centaurs, Better, Nedor's, you name it. He had a book sitting out that he was looking at before I came over in probably NM+ (it was that clean) and he told me how hard it was to find in grade. It was a Sub-Mariner #29 with the "club" cover. Is that book really hard to find in high grade or at all? Also, he's 8 books away from having the full set of MLJ titles, which I myself was trying to complete. Oh yeah he had the Windy City Sugar 'n' Spike #1. 12,000 books. I'm quite sure you have higher grade copies, but just the sheer amount of high grade books the man has by all those different publishers was overwhelming to me, a lil 'ol MLJ/Archie collector.

Geesh Timely, you have the 2nd coolest collection of books I've ever seen! Show me your Marvel Mystery #1; that'll be the decider!

That's disgusting. Did you just buy it off the newstand before you submitted it? Ridiculous, Timely, ridiculous.

Timely, is this YOUR book? I want it if so; what's your price? Shawn

Blue Ribbon #6 (EBAY) Pep 17 Pep 20 (one on EBAY, and another much better copy) Pep 24 (above) Pep 27 (above) Pep 40 Pep 48 Top-Notch 15, 18 Shield-Wizard #7 Top-Notch #23 (EBAY), #33 (EBAY) Zip #21 (ebay) #22 (EBAY), 30, 33, 34

And of course...the very 1st WWII cover in comics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But of course! And, for some other MLJ titles:

I think Novick drew the superheroes and Schomburg drew the Nazi's. Check your Gerber; I think I'm right though...

By the way...I have a few MLJ's for sale; PM me if interested.

*Ahem* I beg to differ...I thought Novick and Schomburg collaborated on Pep #38 as well...see scan

Uhm...the star rating is no more...?

PUNYHUMAN, NEARMINT, GHOULAID, 143KSK...YOU GUYS ROCK! I love all those covers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 5 stars for you all!

Correct! The very first appearance of Archie on a cover of a comic was Jackpot Comics #4 (3rd or 4th appearance). First "full body" on a cover was Archie #1, just before Pep #36. If you like this stuff, by all means, please visit my website. I have about 99 percent of all the MLJ covers scanned, and about 1/2 of the entire run scanned! Shawn

Hey 143ksk...that's the 2nd nicest Pep #28 I've ever seen, and I've owned 3 of them myself. The guy I sold my MLJ run to had the CGC NM 9.2 copy. It was sick. Still though, your copy has better color! Shawn