World’s Most Dangerous Comic. 0

[BabaLament]

Hello all!

I hope everyone is happy, healthy, and of reasonably sound mind on their end of the internet.

I just bagged a quirky piece of American history: Dagwood Splits The Atom!

Originally an article in a 1948 Popular Science magazine, the expanded comic was produced by King Features in 1949. In 1950 the comic was included as part of “the world’s most dangerous toy,” the Gilbert Atomic Energy Lab! 

The copy I bought looks to be in pretty good shape for a 1950’s comic. It has a kid’s ballpoint pen mark up next to the Phantom, but considering how rare & old these are, I wasn’t going to hold it against it too much. I’m sure the graders will do that for me. 🤣

I have the job equivalent of Homer Simpson, and this “toy” is one of the things we joke about professionally. Thing is, nobody I work with has ever actually seen one. When I saw the comic, my first reaction was “mine(!)” followed by “…do you have the rest of the toy?!” Alas, no joy, only the comic remained.

Considering the original packaging and its contents, I am going to check this to make sure it’s clean & not contaminated with radioactive material. If it is, I’ll have to surrender it to the proper authorities. If it’s clean, it’s getting graded; provided CGC will slab it. Gotta call and ask first.
 

This is so cool…😁

[LudaToke]

That is definitely a cool piece to add to your collection.  The comic looks like something straight out of the Fallout video game.  I also work in the nuclear industry and I have a small Fallout Buddha statue at my desk.

[BabaLament]

@LudaToke Radioactive Man #1 & Radioactive Man Funko Pop are my desk ornaments. I would stick the Homer Simpson Pop on my desk, but I’m afraid someone would check PPG & swipe it. 

[Nic8612]

Is this missing the cover? Or did this particular edition not have the black cover like this?

[BabaLament]

@Nic8612 Very nice! The Gilbert Atomic Energy Lab toys were manufactured in 1949 & sold 1950-1951. You've got a beautiful copy of the stand-alone educational comic; I love it!. Incredible piece. The copies packaged with the toy have the illustrated paper cover, not the black cover. So...early example of a variant cover? 

[Nic8612]

On 3/9/2022 at 3:14 PM, BabaLament said:

@Nic8612 Very nice! The Gilbert Atomic Energy Lab toys were manufactured in 1949 & sold 1950-1951. You've got a beautiful copy of the stand-alone educational comic; I love it!. Incredible piece. The copies packaged with the toy have the illustrated paper cover, not the black cover. So...early example of a variant cover? 

Unfortunately that's not my copy, I just remembered seeing that cover at some point and didn't know there was a different version. Learn something new everyday!

[Ken Aldred]

Never a good idea to give kids a chemistry set containing a toxic radioisotope with a half-life measured in millions of years. Quite insane. I knew about this product but never noticed that it also came with a comic book, with a unique definition of ‘hot’ associated with it.

[JollyComics]

On 3/9/2022 at 5:12 PM, Ken Aldred said:

Never a good idea to give kids a chemistry set containing a toxic radioisotope with a half-life measured in millions of years. Quite insane. I knew about this product but never noticed that it also came with a comic book, with a unique definition of ‘hot’ associated with it.

Thanks God.  I born in latter years!

[Readcomix]

It’s a lot of fun…Mandrake shrinks the Bumsteads a la Ray Palmer and sends them on an adventure…and then there’s Mandrake’s “neutron bazooka” 

[MattTheDuck]

Lots of fun with atoms.

[Toz]

I picked up a nice copy of this in the original envelope when I was chasing a run of King Comics.If I can find which box it's hiding in I'll post a scan.

[BabaLament]

@Toz Too cool. That would be neat to see. Yeah, I keep going to estate sales & flea markets looking for comics, but in the back of my head I think about how I’d handle it if I came across a complete set.😂

[Toz]

Found it! In only the 4th box I looked in.Really nice copy that could benefit from a press.

 

 

[Bird]

On 3/9/2022 at 12:24 PM, BabaLament said:

Hello all!

I hope everyone is happy, healthy, and of reasonably sound mind on their end of the internet.

I just bagged a quirky piece of American history: Dagwood Splits The Atom!

Originally an article in a 1948 Popular Science magazine, the expanded comic was produced by King Features in 1949. In 1950 the comic was included as part of “the world’s most dangerous toy,” the Gilbert Atomic Energy Lab! 

The copy I bought looks to be in pretty good shape for a 1950’s comic. It has a kid’s ballpoint pen mark up next to the Phantom, but considering how rare & old these are, I wasn’t going to hold it against it too much. I’m sure the graders will do that for me. 🤣

I have the job equivalent of Homer Simpson, and this “toy” is one of the things we joke about professionally. Thing is, nobody I work with has ever actually seen one. When I saw the comic, my first reaction was “mine(!)” followed by “…do you have the rest of the toy?!” Alas, no joy, only the comic remained.

Considering the original packaging and its contents, I am going to check this to make sure it’s clean & not contaminated with radioactive material. If it is, I’ll have to surrender it to the proper authorities. If it’s clean, it’s getting graded; provided CGC will slab it. Gotta call and ask first.
 

This is so cool…😁

I sold one of these on the boards here a few years ago. I got it in a lot at a local auction IIRC. Fun book!

[kav]

do not build breeder reactors at home folks.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hahn

[Toz]

I don't remember where I saw it but some make up from back then had radium in it.So women would,like you know.

Glow!