1935-1940: The GOLDEN AGE of Golden Age

[CentaurMan]

Since this thread is supposed to include books from 1935, and no one has posted any yet, here's one:

 

Wow!

 

I've got a copy of that book, in Fair Minus, complete but shredded. Your collection is just flat STUNNING. At this point I'm almost nervous to ask what else ya got....

 

Do you have any of the New Fun Comics run? The size makes scanning impractical, but its a series I've been pursuing for some time, with little success.

[lou_fine]

Since this thread is supposed to include books from 1935, and no one has posted any yet, here's one:

 

Is it just me or is this book quite common for a pre-hero book since it appears to be quite prevalent and shows up in a lot of scans and auctions. Even I have a copy of this book in my personal collection, although nowhere near as nice as the one in your collection. Would love to have your copy in my collection. BTW...Anybody have a copy of issue #2 in close to this type of condition since I never seem to see this book around.

 

Maybe I should check with Chuckie to see if the New Comics #1 was part of his MH2 warehouse find.

[CentaurMan]

Here's King Comics #1, from 1936. I'm trying to collect a run of King Comics 1-10, in VG or better, and I'm having a heck of a time of it. I don't think I've ever seen King 2 or 3 for sale. I'm also still looking for 7 and 8, although I imagine they'll turn up eventually.

 

Anyway, this book has Popeye's first comic book appearance, as well as a number of great other early newspaper strips. The art on Brick Bradford and Buck Rodgers, in particular, is outstanding.

 

 

Edit: Looking at it another time, I'm wondering whether this is the 1st gorilla cover in comics. Anyone got any idea?

[rob_react]

Edit: Looking at it another time, I'm wondering whether this is the 1st gorilla cover in comics. Anyone got any idea?

 

It would almost have to be, wouldn't it?

[RareHighGrade]

Kudos to CentaurMan for starting this great thread. I too find that the 1935-1940 books, especially the pre-hero books, are the most interesting of all. These books represent the dawn of comic book history, It is fascinating to see how comics and their contents rapidly developed during these early years, starting with strip reprints, to humorous material, to adventure/detective themes, before they finally culminated in the super hero genre. Some of the attributes that make these books special: (1) It was during these first few years that most of the great comic book artists made their starts. You can find the earliest work of Siegel and Shuster, Bob Kane and other legendary artists in these early books. (2) There is a feeling of simplicity and innocence in the stories that reflects a bygone era. (3) Finally, the books are just plain rare. They were made of inferior pulp material; even the covers were mostly paper until late 1936. Therefore, few have survived the test of time. Their rarity has been exacerbated by the fact that for decades they were not considered collectible because of the absence of super hero content. To find them in high grade is practically impossible. There are no Mile High copies of the early New Fun and New Comics, and the earliest Mile High copies of those titles were bought by Edgar Church second-hand. Every now and then, however, a nearly perfect copy surfaces, such as this New Comics # 6:

 

 

[tb]

RHG, I very much agree. Over the years, my own interests have gravitated

towards platinum and early gold in high grade. While I completely respect

and support collectors who try to complete titles, I personally get a much

bigger kick out of finding individual gems like your New #6. Although

I am still missing 2 issues in my MM Mag run, that means nothing to me: I

would much rather upgrade a VF copy than fill a gap with a midgrade one.

 

In fact, after I started collecting 1935-40, the later issues lost most of their

appeal. As a Disney collector, I can't really think of a more interesting challenge

than a high grade run of my favorite title. Since, realistically, I can't improve that

much more (I just bought a lot of 42 copies just to upgrade 3 or 4!), I've been

looking to start a collection of early DCs instead. Your post explains my reasons

better than I ever could myself.

 

While I've paid more than I should for many books, I've never regretted

purchasing a rare high grade platinum comic.

[RareHighGrade]

HKP, your Mickey Mouse Magazines are classic examples of books that are so rare that collectors either don't know about them or cannot find them. From what I've seen, you have the best MMM collection in the world, bar none. Now, if you can only duplicate that accomplishment with the early DC's.

[CentaurMan]

You two guys have collecting goals that far exceed my own, since you've added the criteria of high-grade to an already very challenging era. For myself, I'm just happy to find copies of the books at all, and although of course I do prefer high grade to lower grades, it's not a requirement if I don't already have a copy of an issue.

 

I'd ultimately like to have a complete run of Centaurs (and the predecessor publishers), which comes to 196 books altogether. I'm about halfway there. I also like all the pre-hero DCs, as well as some other esoteric early issues (like my King Comics, for example).

 

This next comic is Comics Magazine #1, from 1936, pretty much considered the grandfather of the Centaur line. It contains a Dr. Mystic story (a Dr. Occult prototype, who was in turn a Superman prototype) by Siegel & Shuster. Another of the "paper cover" books that Rare High Grade was referring to.

 

 

By the way, RHG, that New Comics #6 is amazing.

[RareHighGrade]

From what I've seen CentaurMan, you've got a great collection of these old gems. Your copy of The Comics Magazine # 1 is a good example of something you almost never see. It's pretty much impossible to put together a high grade collection of pre-hero books unless you started a long time ago or have limitless wealth. Keep posting.

 

RareHighGrade

[lou_fine]

Love this thread also. The first comic book I ever bought through the mail was a high grade copy of New Book of Comics #2. I just absolutely loved the big thick squarebound cardboard cover books. Also loved the paper covers of the early pre-hero DC books.

 

My initial foray into GA books centered on the pre-hero DC books. I used to read and reread that article which Gary Carter had written on the pre-hero DC's back in the OS #12 or #13 guide and dreamed about acquiring some of these books. I think what really attracted me to them was how rare these books truly were along with the fact that they represented the beginnings of the comic book industry.

 

From pre-hero DC, my interests then drifted towards the Centaurs followed by the Batmans prior to the movie coming out. With the big run-up in Bat prices, my interests shifted towards Timelys and when these got too expensive, picked up on the early Fox books with the amazing Lou Fine covers in the mid 90's. Not really sure what to focus on now that everything has gotten so expensive.

 

Maybe I'll head back to pre-hero DC's since interest appears to be on the super-heroes and pre-heroes can now be found for lower than guide, especially when in mid-grade or lower condition.

[buttock]

That's one of my grails CentaurMan. Great book.

I've never had a chance to go through the interior of that book, is the Dr. Occult story very similar to the one in More Fun 14? Is it as blatant of a Superman prototype?

This thread rules. I'm buying a scanner next week. It can't wait any longer.

[PUNYHUMAN]

This Thread Floors me!!! You guy's have some truly incredible books.Keep posting,I'm really enjoying this thread.

[tb]

Centaurman, I've really enjoyed all your scans - please keep posting.

My own DC collection will never get very big (and certainly nowhere

near complete) but I am fine with that. I hope to kick it off with a nice

book this year.

 

Here's another recent arrival to my MM Mag set. Aside from the ding

in the top corner, this book is in virtually perfect condition. I like how

Disney experimented back in the early days while they were developing

the new medium. "Ferdinand the Bull" was state of the art back then

and it took the academy award for best animated short in 1939. Most

Disney collectors I know don't like these oddball covers, but I think it's

cool to see how Disney were trying to explore the synergy between

shorts and magazine covers. Within the next year or so, both DC and

KK/Dell would discover the marketing psychology of putting their most

popular characters on the cover.

 

[CentaurMan]

I've never had a chance to go through the interior of that book, is the Dr. Occult story very similar to the one in More Fun 14? Is it as blatant of a Superman prototype?

 

Well, why not let you see for yourself? The book is mildly fragile, so I couldn't hold it open too well, and the lighting isn't great, but I think you see enough of it to determine the similarities. In my mind, it's the exact same strip, just renamed. It's got a very strong early Spectre feel to it, with a giant-size Dr. Mystic fighting a similarly large foe amongst skyscrapers, and otherworldly demons attacking later on.

 

 

 

THIS is exactly why I don't like my books to be slabbed. I read everything in my collection at least once, and I go back and refer to the books every now and again. I've been very happy to see that none of the other books posted in thread have yet been slabbed, despite some awesome possible grades. (Not that slabbed books wouldn't be welcome, and I do have some myself).

[CentaurMan]

I like that Ferdinand cover a lot. Very unique.

[archiefan]

I've never had a chance to go through the interior of that book, is the Dr. Occult story very similar to the one in More Fun 14? Is it as blatant of a Superman prototype?

 

Well, why not let you see for yourself? The book is mildly fragile, so I couldn't hold it open too well, and the lighting isn't great, but I think you see enough of it to determine the similarities. In my mind, it's the exact same strip, just renamed. It's got a very strong early Spectre feel to it, with a giant-size Dr. Mystic fighting a similarly large foe amongst skyscrapers, and otherworldly demons attacking later on.

 

I believe it is the same strip. Siegel and Shuster were very wary of letting Wheeler-Nicholson at National have Superman since they were holding out to showcase it in a quality magazine so they gave him some of the lesser stuff they had done. There opinion was justified when he had trouble paying his staff and farmed out the Dr. Occult strip to contacts he had at this publisher (without Siegel's knowledge or permission). This storyline continues in More Fun Comics with the reference changed back to Dr. Occult.

[dgillock]

Thanks for posting the Dr.Mystic pages. Great to see that stuff from the pages of an original copy. I for one appreciate you pulling out such a gem and photographing it for our benefit.

 

This has quickly become my favorite thread. Though I will say that some of you guys are making me green with envy!

[PovertyRow]

As dmgcsr said, thanks for posting those interiors. It really is GREAT to see these!!!!

[CentaurMan]

Next up, New Adventure Comics #28. Great Flessel cover.

 

No real story behind this one, although as Ian can attest, this run of DC's is virtually impossible to complete.

 

[PUNYHUMAN]

Great Cover,you ain't kiddin!!! Why,oh,why don't they make covers like that anymore!!!