ComicLink Featured Focused Auction Ends Soon
CGC Golden Age, High-Quality Silver/Bronze and Original Art

There are over 1,000 vintage CGC-graded comic books in ComicLink's Featured Focused Auction of Vintage Comics and Comic Art, which ends over three days from June 19th through the 21st. "We are proud to say that this is the best auction we've put together yet for each genre within the auction — Golden Age, Silver/Bronze, and Original Comic Art," said Josh Nathanson, President of ComicLink.  "There are over 1,100 CGC-graded vintage comic book lots and nearly 200 original comic art lots to bid on.  We highly recommend that interested bidders give themselves a comfortable amount of time to review everything and that they bid early to mark their territory so they do not miss anything!"

Golden Age auction participants will see an eclectic assortment of popular titles, rarities, and standout covers. While there is plenty of material in every grade to choose from, this auction is a virtual candy store for high-grade collectors. Over 300 Golden Age issues featured in the auction top the CGC census and over 130 examples place second-highest. Over 400 Golden Age comics are from pedigree collections; Mile Highs (58), Crowleys (283), Gaines File Copies (16) and others. Original Art collectors will select from standout works by Jack "The King" Kirby, Steve Ditko, John Romita and Romita Jr, Barry Windsor-Smith, John Buscema, Neal Adams, Dave Cockrum, Mike Zeck, Jim Lee, Alex Ross, Bernie Wrightson, Alex Schomburg, Curt Swan, and many other great artists.  The auction is loaded with original art from popular titles such as Amazing Spider-Man, Conan, Fantastic Four, Hulk, X-Men, Swamp Thing, and others.

In terms of Silver and Bronze Age, the selection of Marvels is striking. The Amazing Fantasy and Amazing Spider-Man comics that are in this auction are outstanding.  Among the highlights are three examples of Amazing Fantasy #15, which features the first appearance and origin of Spider-Man.  The grades are diverse, including one of the best existing examples in the world (a nearly impossible to obtain CGC NM 9.4), a very tough high-grade CGC VF+ 8.5, and a solid CGC FN 6.0 of growing unavailability.  There are Amazing Spider-Man issues from #1 up in a variety of conditions, but what sets this auction apart are the high-grade standouts.  There are too many highlights in the auction from this title worth of mentioning, so just take our word for it and check out the auction listings — we're talking 9.4 to 9.8 early Spider-Man issues here starting with issue #3. This is a rare opportunity for the Spidey collector that wants to best of the best.  Some of the other Silver/Bronze Age Marvel standouts are from the Daredevil, Fantastic Four, and X-Men titles. There are key issues in a variety of conditions and high-grade standouts. Some of the marquee items are X-Men #1 in four different grades (the best is in 9.0), early Daredevil issues (among them #1 in 9.2 & 8.5 and #7 in 9.2 and 8.0), two examples of Fantastic Four #1 (including an 8.0 from the Northland collection and a solid 4.5), Hulk #1 in 5.0, Journey into Mystery #83 in 4.5, and Tales of Suspense #39 CGC 4.5. There are also near-complete sets of Amazing Spider-Man and Fantastic Four. 

While we are on the subject of rarity, we have got to mention a truly unique item — the Atom #29 CGC 9.9 with a double cover is one of only three 9.9's published by DC that have been graded by CGC out of over 179,000 Silver Age submissions.  This is the highest-graded and most unique Silver Age DC item that we have ever seen offered for sale or auction.  Another standout Silver Age DC item is Flash #112 CGC 9.0 which is nearly impossible in this condition (it is 1 of 2 and the highest grade). Some of the other Silver/Bronze Age highlights are from Green Lantern, Justice League, and Showcase, and 70's horror titles such as House of Secrets, House of Mystery, Phantom Stranger, Witching Hour, and Vampirella.  The Green Lantern #1 in 8.5, Justice League #1 7.5, #15 & 21 Pacific Coast in 9.4 and high-grade 70s horror comics (check out all the 9.6's and 9.8's) are toward the top of the list.

Key Golden Age items are included from these titles; Captain America Comics (#1 in CGC 6.0 variant and CGC 7.5 Slight P), Human Torch (#1 in CGC 8.0 and CGC 4.5), Sub-Mariner Comics (#1 in CGC 8.5 and CGC 7.0 and CGC 6.0),  Young Allies (#1 in CGC 7.5), Detective Comics (#38 (1st Robin) in CGC 6.5), Superman (#1 in CGC 5.5 Restored & #5 in CGC 8.5), Green Lantern ((1941) #1 in CGC 4.0), More Fun Comics (#14 (1st Superman Prototype) CGC 7.0 (Mod P)), Mystery In Space (#1 CGC 8.5), Four Color #9 CGC 4.5 (1st Carl Barks Donald Duck) & #74 CGC 9.0 (1st Little Lulu, highest graded).  Among the DC titles from which there are standouts; Action Comics, Adventure Comics, All-American Comics, All Star Comics, All-Flash, Batman, Boy Commandos, Comic Cavalcade, Detective Comics, Flash Comics, and Superman.

Over 300 of the Golden Age issues featured in the auction are the highest graded by CGC with over 130 examples coming in as the second highest.  The auction is stacked with over 400 Golden Age comics from pedigree collections; Mile Highs (58), Crowleys (283), Gaines File Copies (16) and others.  Some of the standout Mile High examples are WWII covers from Air Fighters, All-New Comics, and Boy Commandos, issues from popular crime title Boy Comics, and good girl covers such as All Top #12.  Gaines File copies include 9.2 to 9.8 examples from Crime Suspenstories, Haunt of Fear, Tales From The Crypt, Vault of Horror, Weird Fantasy, Weird Science and Weird Science-Fantasy.

Nearly all of the superhero and western comics from the Crowley pedigree collection in this auction are among the highest graded.  Superhero titles include; America's Greatest Comics (starring Captain Marvel), Bulletman, Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr, Captain Midnight, Don Winslow of the Navy, Marvel Family, Mary Marvel, Master Comics, Nyoka (OK, not really), Whiz Comics and Wow Comics. Western titles include; Fawcett Movie Comics, Gabby Hayes Western, Hopalong Cassidy, Lash Larue Western, Monte Hale Western, Motion Picture Comics, Rocky Lane Western, Rod Cameron Western, Tex Ritter Western, Tom Mix Western, and Real Western Hero. In the grades offered, it is very tough — if not impossible — to find examples as nice. A couple of non-Crowley westerns to mention are Lone Ranger #1 CGC 9.0 and #5 CGC 9.2 Mile High. Funny Animal Fawcetts include; Fawcett's Funny Animals, Hoppy the Marvel Bunny. There are also some nice, original Classic Comics issues including the #1, Frazetta Buck Rogers issues from Famous Funnies #210 CGC 9.4 & 211 CGC 9.2, Harvey Hits #3 CGC 9.0 (Pre RICHIE RICH #1, 1st book devoted entirely to Richie Rich), and early Marvel Mystery issues (#7 is a CGC 8.5).

The most impressive selection of classic pre-code horror covers that we've seen in awhile can also be found in the auction. Some of the classic covers include: Black Cat Mystery #33 CGC 9.4, Eerie #1 CGC 7.0 (1st horror comic),  Fight Against Crime #20 CGC 7.5, Tomb of Terror #15 CGC 8.5, Witches Tales #25 CGC 9.4., Weird Tales of the Future #8 CGC 8.0, Weird Mysteries #5, and Worlds of Fear #10.

All Original Art pieces in this auction are worthwhile but here are highlights of some of the best pieces in the auction;

Jack Kirby: The auction is packed with Kirby highlights, the best of which are pages from Fantastic Four #3 (earliest FF page and a beauty), Fantastic Four #12 (historic 1st FF/Hulk meeting & battle), Avengers #3 (historic 1st Hulk vs. Sub-Mariner meeting & battle), Hulk #3 pages (earliest Hulk pages including a transformation page and a less expensive page), Strange Tales #94 pre-hero monster splash, a great original X-Men #2 page (2nd X-Men), two X-Men #9 pages (1st Avengers/X-Men meeting and battle & only art where Kirby pencils both teams together in one book), and a New Gods back cover.  One of the best pieces in the auction was done by both Jack Kirby & Steve Ditko; Fantastic Four Annual #1 (FF vs. Spider-Man, ultra early Spider-Man art)

Steve Ditko; Amazing Spider-Man #37 (outstanding prime Ditko battle page)
John Romita; Amazing Spider-Man Annual #3 (Spidey vs. the Hulk), Marvel Treasury #2 Cover (Fantastic Four)
John Romita, Jr; Amazing Spider-Man #244 Cover, Uncanny X-Men #184 Cover
Dave Cockrum; X-Men #94 (whole team on page, rare available piece from this key 1st New X-Men issue)
Bob Mcleod; Marvel Graphic Novel #4 Cover (1st New Mutants)
Mike Zeck; Secret Wars #11 Cover (Many Heroes, Dr. Doom, Black Costumed Spidey and a standing Professor X), G.I. Joe #56 Cover
Barry Smith; Painted Cover to Conan Saga #5, Conan #2 page, Ka-zar Smith/Everett splash from Astonishing Tales, and Conan Prototype pages.
John Buscema; Avengers #58 2 page Vision Origin, Avengers #62 Cover, Thor #263 Cover
Paul Gulacy; Early Master of Kung Fu Splash
Klaus Janson; Punisher #5 Cover and Complete Story
Gil Kane; Marvel Team-up #4 Cover (Spidey vs. X-Men), Conan #38 Cover, Master of Kung Fu #59 Cover
Jim Lee; Impressive X-Men/Wolverine Illustration
Frank Miller; Great Daredevil/Hulk page
Jim Starlin; Captain Marvel #30 (Thanos Saga page)
George Tuska; Iron Man #63 Splash
Alex Schomburg; World War II Painted Covers
Al Gabriele; Green Hornet #26 1945 WWII Cover
Mike Kaluta; Metropolis Page Featuring Futura, Weird War Tales #2 Painted Cover
Lee Elias; Pre-Code Horror Covers (also see the comparable pre-code covers by unknown artists)
Unknown Artist; Gold Key Phantom Painted Cover
Dave Sim; Cerebus Cover, Cerebus issue #1 page
Neal Adams; Complete Vampirella #1 Story, Brave and the Bold #80 (Batman and Creeper)
Bernie Wrightson; Awesome page from Swamp Thing #7
Nester Redondo; Swamp Thing #17 Cover
Tom Yeates; Saga of the Swamp Thing #13 Cover
Curt Swan and George Papp; Superman splash and panel pages and 1960 Superboy Splash
Joe Kubert; Our Army at War (Sgt. Rock) Cover
Murphy Anderson; Great 1963 Hawkman page
Michael Sekowsky; 2 page JLA lot from 1961
Sheldon Mayer; Sugar and Spike Splash
Alex Toth; Witching Hour #1 page
Nick Cardy; Ghosts #15 Cover
Alex Ross; Kingdom Come page

Aside from the items in the Featured Focused Auction, there are over 20,000 vintage comics and comic art items available (and the most CGC-graded comics anywhere in the world) on the Internet Comic Book Exchange and the Internet Comic Art Exchange.

This is a guest article. The thoughts and opinions in this piece are those of their author and are not necessarily the thoughts of the Certified Collectibles Group.