Heritage Auctions - True 1st Appearance of Godzilla from 1954 1 1

[devilmancollector]

Looks like the 1st appearance of Godzilla from 1954 is being offered by Heritage Auctions. I've known about this book for a while now but I've never seen one in anybody's collection. Interesting to see it graded, too. Does anybody have a copy of this book or has anybody seen one before? 

https://comics.ha.com/itm/golden-age-1938-1955-/science-fiction/science-adventure-picture-story-godzilla-nn-shueisha-1954-cgc-vg-35-cream-to-off-white-pages/p/7374-231001.s?ic4=GalleryView-ShortDescription-071515

[woowoo]

On 5/30/2024 at 3:33 AM, devilmancollector said:

Looks like the 1st appearance of Godzilla from 1954 is being offered by Heritage Auctions. I've known about this book for a while now but I've never seen one in anybody's collection. Interesting to see it graded, too. Does anybody have a copy of this book or has anybody seen one before? 

https://comics.ha.com/itm/golden-age-1938-1955-/science-fiction/science-adventure-picture-story-godzilla-nn-shueisha-1954-cgc-vg-35-cream-to-off-white-pages/p/7374-231001.s?ic4=GalleryView-ShortDescription-071515

Might want to ask @Crowzilla

[Primetime]

On 5/30/2024 at 6:59 AM, woowoo said:

Might want to ask @Crowzilla

@Knightsofold might know as well 

[Crowzilla]

This is definitely an interesting auction. I guess this is kind of like the Hulk 181 of Godzilla manga appearances. This separate manga was included as a bonus into the November issue of "Omishiro Book", it was the continuation of a 16 page insert from the October issue which would be Godzilla's first manga appearance. I've helped six or seven people get a copy the past several years and it's never been at cost approaching the current Heritage price (but it could very well have been quite undervalued for some time now). It is definitely difficult to find in Fine or better, and probably around an 8.0 is the best condition I've seen in person.

As an interesting side note, the original art for the splash page to the first appearance (pictured below, part of the 16-page insert) does still exist.

Photos attached are the cover of the October Omishiro Book, and then the book opened showing the splash page of the 16-page insert with the first appearance, and then my copy of the stand-alone "Science Adventure Picture Story" and the November Omoshiro Book it was inserted into.

 

[devilmancollector]

On 6/5/2024 at 3:00 PM, Crowzilla said:

This is definitely an interesting auction. I guess this is kind of like the Hulk 181 of Godzilla manga appearances. This separate manga was included as a bonus into the November issue of "Omishiro Book", it was the continuation of a 16 page insert from the October issue which would be Godzilla's first manga appearance. I've helped six or seven people get a copy the past several years and it's never been at cost approaching the current Heritage price (but it could very well have been quite undervalued for some time now). It is definitely difficult to find in Fine or better, and probably around an 8.0 is the best condition I've seen in person.

As an interesting side note, the original art for the splash page to the first appearance (pictured below, part of the 16-page insert) does still exist.

Photos attached are the cover of the October Omishiro Book, and then the book opened showing the splash page of the 16-page insert with the first appearance, and then my copy of the stand-alone "Science Adventure Picture Story" and the November Omoshiro Book it was inserted into.

 

Oh, wow! This is excellent information! Thank you for sharing these pictures. That's crazy that you were able to find copies of this book. And yeah, I've been looking for the Science Adventure Picture Story issue for years with no luck. I've heard of some past sales numbers and they're a joke compared to what people pay for lesser American comics. I'm sure these books have been incredibly undervalued for decades now. Plus, Godzilla is just tricky in general because even fans of the characters always chalk up the first appearance to the movie, not even the novel. The manga seemed to have been lost to time...

[Crowzilla]

Not sure why you haven't been able to find one, Mandarake usually has at least one a year on the website and they come up for auction on YJ at about the same rate, but you do have to be pretty actively looking I guess.

Honestly, most of the demand from Japanese collectors is for the first HC Godzilla manga (published by Reimeisha also in November 1954). With the DJ it usually sells for 8-10x what the Science Adventure Picture Story insert (used to) sell for and is several times more rare.

The next most in demand after that would be the two HC volumes from 1958 (w/DJ) that were written by Godzilla novelist Shigeru Kayama and published by Akashiya Shobo and they also bring a price very close to the Reimeisha Godzilla

[fast eddie]

Very cool!

[Bronty]

great covers on those 58s!

[supreme-comics]

@Crowzilla Wow, you're extremely knowledgeable on this - thanks for sharing!

One follow-up question - would Omoshiro October 1954 be the 1st appearance (other than the radio program)? Or did the novel pre-date that?

[Crowzilla]

On 6/6/2024 at 10:27 PM, supreme-comics said:

@Crowzilla Wow, you're extremely knowledgeable on this - thanks for sharing!

One follow-up question - would Omoshiro October 1954 be the 1st appearance (other than the radio program)? Or did the novel pre-date that?

The release date for the novel was October 25th, the Omoshiro doesn't have an exact release date but is generally assumed to be the first week of the month. The HC manga is dated November 25th.

So most likely the October Omoshiro is the first manga appearance (and the November offered at Heritage could be the first full manga appearance?), but of course there were already movie posters up advertising Godzilla, newspaper ads, chirashi (handbills), and even Toho Studio news flyers that would predate the Omoshiro or novel. I've even got a Toho Studios envelope that has an early October postmark on it and has a nice Godzilla photo and advertisement on it saying coming soon. They did a great job of promoting the film before it was released.

 

[supreme-comics]

@Crowzilla Thanks again for this info - best info on the topic I've been able to find anywhere online!

Do you think CGC was right in labeling Omoshiro November appendix the 1st full appearance, given that Omoshiro October contains 16 pages on Godzilla? Are those 16 pages part of the story that is continued in the November appendix, or is it more of just a preview/advertisement?

Edited June 10 by supreme-comics

[Crowzilla]

On 6/10/2024 at 4:10 PM, supreme-comics said:

@Crowzilla Thanks again for this info - best info on the topic I've been able to find anywhere online!

Do you think CGC was right in labeling Omoshiro November appendix the 1st full appearance, given that Omoshiro October contains 16 pages on Godzilla? Are those 16 pages part of the story that is continued in the November appendix, or is it more of just a preview/advertisement?

I guess it depends if you call 16 pages a full appearance or not.

The October issue is definitely part of the story, it says on the final page to be continued next month and the November manga picks up right where the October one leaves off. The October one also has a really cool full color pull-out poster of Godzilla inside.

If I was relating it to Golden Age comics I would say that the October issue is like All Star Comics #8, while the November supplement is like Sensation #1. To me the October issue is much more important (and I guess can be slabbed now since it's about pulp sized), but that would be for the market to decide.

 

[sfcityduck]

On 6/10/2024 at 2:17 PM, Crowzilla said:

 

If I was relating it to Golden Age comics I would say that the October issue is like All Star Comics #8, while the November supplement is like Sensation #1. To me the October issue is much more important (and I guess can be slabbed now since it's about pulp sized), but that would be for the market to decide.

 

 

The market can decide what it wants to pay more for, IH 181 over IH 180, but the facts are that the October appearance came first (as IH 180 came first). 

Edited June 10 by sfcityduck

[Frisco Larson]

On 6/10/2024 at 4:17 PM, Crowzilla said:

I guess it depends if you call 16 pages a full appearance or not.

The October issue is definitely part of the story, it says on the final page to be continued next month and the November manga picks up right where the October one leaves off. The October one also has a really cool full color pull-out poster of Godzilla inside.

If I was relating it to Golden Age comics I would say that the October issue is like All Star Comics #8, while the November supplement is like Sensation #1. To me the October issue is much more important (and I guess can be slabbed now since it's about pulp sized), but that would be for the market to decide.

 

Wow, this is fantastic information, thank you for sharing this!!! I'm a HUGE Godzilla fan, and even though I won't be in the running in that auction, it's so cool to see this info!!! 

[Aman619]

This is all totemo omoshiro, neh?

[devilmancollector]

On 6/10/2024 at 3:10 PM, supreme-comics said:

@Crowzilla Thanks again for this info - best info on the topic I've been able to find anywhere online!

Do you think CGC was right in labeling Omoshiro November appendix the 1st full appearance, given that Omoshiro October contains 16 pages on Godzilla? Are those 16 pages part of the story that is continued in the November appendix, or is it more of just a preview/advertisement?

Cover appeal matters, especially now these books are being graded after 70+ years. Omoshiro covers are little boys faces. The slab appeal is low, in my opinion. The November supplement is a badass, painted wraparound cover of Godzilla wreaking havoc on Japan. Definitely seems there are parallels between Hulk 180 and Hulk 181, but this will still be debated long after we all die

[sfcityduck]

On 6/11/2024 at 3:46 AM, devilmancollector said:

Cover appeal matters, especially now these books are being graded after 70+ years. Omoshiro covers are little boys faces. The slab appeal is low, in my opinion. The November supplement is a badass, painted wraparound cover of Godzilla wreaking havoc on Japan. Definitely seems there are parallels between Hulk 180 and Hulk 181, but this will still be debated long after we all die

Not sure I see a debate. The market decides the price of books. Sometimes the first appearance isn't as valuable as later books (IH181 vs. IH180 being the classic example). Markets can be irrational.

BUT, there's no debate that the first in continuity appearance of a character in a comic book is the "first appearance" as comic fans use that term (compare as another classic example Action 251 to 252 as ads just don't count as "first appearances" even if they are as developed as Action 251!) Although, again, the market may feel they have value - which is certainly the case with the Action 1 ads.