Feared lost, original art of Wolverine debut found

[Dale Roberts]

Umm... Hate to burst everyone's bubble, but this is the actual 1st appearance of Wolverine.

 

WOLVERINE DRAWINGS BY JOHN ROMITA, 1974. BLUE PENCIL ON THIN VELUM. SIGNED AND NOTED BY ROMITA. Yes, this is the FIRST drawing(s) ever of Wolverine (Also see the accompanied drawing). As Art Director for Marvel Comics, it was Romita's assignment to create the visual appearance of the new character (villain) that was written into the -script to battle the Hulk in issue #180 - 181. Called the "Wolverine", Romita envisioned him as small in stature, but ferocious by nature. The pair of velum sheets depict 2 head shots (front and side view), and two full figure shots (action and standing poses). I bought these directly from Romita many years ago. He told me that the head shots were the first drawings, followed by the full figure drawings. He made the notation on the head shots as he signed both sheets. I remember hesitating on making the purchase, as the drawings were no where near the quality of the Spider-Man pages that I was buying from him at the time. Of course, I'm glad that I did decide to buy them.

 

http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=253574

 

http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=253576

 

 

Are these dated West? Wouldn't that actually be the only way to prove that?

 

Either way, they are pretty cool.

[Davenport]

And I agree the owner has no obligation. But it would be a return-kindness to at least check in with Trimpe, make sure he'll be ok.

It'd have to be like salt on a wound, to be really struggling and have to watch something you created and gave away going for beaucoup bucks.

 

I wonder if they have reached out to Trimpe.

 

I always enjoyed chatting with him and his wife at shows (and at one point even his step mother was on the con circuit with them ). He's definitely a talkative person. Has Trimpe spoken on the subject?

I would assume so. The owner's being generous. So I'd like to think he contacted Trimpe 1st, before an Auction House. If not for Trimpe's kindness the guy would have ziltch.

[VintageComics]

Are these dated West? Wouldn't that actually be the only way to prove that?

 

Either way, they are pretty cool.

 

Pretty sure the owner of those sketches was buying art from Romita before there was an established OA market.

[kav]

isnt 180 the first app wolverine?

so why is 181 the holy grail?

[kav]

interesting how trimpe traced the romita sketch exactly for the first app....

technically does that mean romita did the 'pencils' for that panel?

[Dale Roberts]

Are these dated West? Wouldn't that actually be the only way to prove that?

 

Either way, they are pretty cool.

 

Pretty sure the owner of those sketches was buying art from Romita before there was an established OA market.

 

I thought he bought them from Romita?

[kav]

I just found the original cover with superman lifting up a car-is that worth anything?

otherwise i'll use it as a place mat.

[BradleyX2]

I just found the original cover with superman lifting up a car-is that worth anything?

otherwise i'll use it as a place mat.

 

 

 

[kav]

I just found the original cover with superman lifting up a car-is that worth anything?

otherwise i'll use it as a place mat.

 

 

 

 

[VintageComics]

Are these dated West? Wouldn't that actually be the only way to prove that?

 

Either way, they are pretty cool.

 

Pretty sure the owner of those sketches was buying art from Romita before there was an established OA market.

 

I thought he bought them from Romita?

 

I think he did. I'd have to ask him to be sure but considering he bought everything else he owned from Romita I have little reason to doubt he got those sketches from him.

[slym2none]

isnt 180 the first app wolverine?

so why is 181 the holy grail?

 

The cover.

 

Yes, I know it doesn't make sense.

 

:shrug:

 

 

 

-slym

[kav]

that one truly makes no sense

[slym2none]

As I have said many times - the term "first full appearance" only means it isn't the first appearance.

 

 

 

 

-slym

[delekkerste]

isnt 180 the first app wolverine?

so why is 181 the holy grail?

 

The cover.

 

Yes, I know it doesn't make sense.

 

:shrug:

 

Nostalgia makes this hobby go round. I agree - Hulk #180 features Wolverine's true first appearance and is arguably historically more important. However, Hulk #181 is the one that everyone remembers because he's on the cover and the many of the interior pages (as opposed to just one panel). When news of this Hulk #180 original art started filtering through the grapevine last week, many people had to dig out their copies of Hulk #180 (or the TPB or search online) to look for images of the page so they could remember exactly what was on it. On the other hand, nobody needs to look up what the #181 cover looks like (everyone knows it by heart), which is why the book is more valuable than #180 and why the cover art to #181 would sell for considerably more than the #180 page (which is likely to fetch a huge amount as well).

 

Nostalgia + content > historical importance. Anyway, historical importance is overrated anyway - it's the first appearance of a comic book character...not exactly one of the defining events of Western civilization.

[kav]

well they should at least stop listing 181 as 'first wolverine' because it's not! and AF15 shouldnt be worth more than spiderman #1 cause it's not a 'full appearance'-just one of the stories in the book.

Or something....

[slym2none]

isnt 180 the first app wolverine?

so why is 181 the holy grail?

 

The cover.

 

Yes, I know it doesn't make sense.

 

:shrug:

 

Nostalgia makes this hobby go round. I agree - Hulk #180 features Wolverine's true first appearance and is arguably historically more important. However, Hulk #181 is the one that everyone remembers because he's on the cover and the many of the interior pages (as opposed to just one panel). When news of this Hulk #180 original art started filtering through the grapevine last week, many people had to dig out their copies of Hulk #180 (or the TPB or search online) to look for images of the page so they could remember exactly what was on it. On the other hand, nobody needs to look up what the #181 cover looks like (everyone knows it by heart), which is why the book is more valuable than #180 and why the cover art to #181 would sell for considerably more than the #180 page (which is likely to fetch a huge amount as well).

 

Nostalgia + content > historical importance. Anyway, historical importance is overrated anyway - it's the first appearance of a comic book character...not exactly one of the defining events of Western civilization.

 

Oh, I know why the cover to 181 would sell for more than the last page to 180... it just doesn't make sense that the issues of 181 would guide for more than 180.

 

Luckily, it doesn't have to make sense to me to be reality.

 

 

 

 

-slym

[kav]

yeah I +1 that.

 

[HarrisonJohn]

I assume back when comic collecting was mostly about kids reading and collecting stories someone would want a first appearance to see how the character was introduced, get their origin story, read their first battle etc something that wouldn't be satisfied by an appearance on the last panel of the last page.

[Jeffro.]

well they should at least stop listing 181 as 'first wolverine' because it's not! and AF15 shouldnt be worth more than spiderman #1 cause it's not a 'full appearance'-just one of the stories in the book.

Or something....

 

Not a good comparison. Hulk 180 has one single panel showing Wolverine. AF 15 contains an entire story documenting the origin of Spider-Man.

[joe_collector]

The cover.

 

Yes, I know it doesn't make sense.

 

I've posted this many times, but here we go again:

 

Back in the twisted past, comics were meant to be READ. Yes, people actually opened up the books and READ and ENJOYED the contents.

 

Fans would search for back issues to collect and READ about their favorite characters, usually working backwards from when the reader discovered this character. So if a New X-men fan wanted to go back and buy the early comic adventures of Wolverine, Hulk 181 would be by far the more attractive book to READ as it featured Wolverine in an entire issue of pulse-pounding fights between him, the Hulk and Wendigo, the latter being two of the most powerful beings on Earth.

 

Counter that with Hulk 180, including only a single panel of Wolverine, which if you are a fan or collector buying to READ about the early exploits of Wolverine, amounts to about 2 dead flies.