A Glance at the Gallery by Michael McFadden, CGC Quality Control
Hello, fandom. Michael McFadden here with a brief briefing on the latest additions to grace CGC’s online DigiGallery.
Who doesn’t dig cool #1 issues? This month’s selection includes EC’s pre-new trend Animal Fables and Saddle Romances (#9 was the first issue), Buster Crabbe (for you late-comers, the Olympic swimmer portrayed Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, and Tarzan in the movies), Wonder Comics from Better Comics (better than what? Little Dot?!?), and Journey into Mystery #83, the origin and first appearance of Thor. Crime Smashers and ACG’s Unknown Worlds tied highest-graded honors, and DC’s Our Fighting Forces and Charlton’s Masked Raider are both highest-graded. So is Charlton’s Jungle Tales of Tarzan, with cover artist Pat Masuli’s rendition of the Ape Dude’s physique looking very much like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s… after he’s been flayed alive. This title, incidentally, was not authorized by the Edgar Rice Burrough’s estate. Charlton believed Tarzan was public domain and had to abruptly cease publication after four issues of the most faithful Tarzan adaptation in comics to that time. Oops!
For the magazine fan, we offer #1’s of Larry Ivie’s Famous Monsters competitor, Castle of Frankenstein, a title easier to find on eBay today than it was on magazine racks in the 1960s. Cliffhanger, Mad Monsters, Warren’s On the Scene Presents Super Heroes, Skywald’s Psycho (with a wild cover), and noted fanzine editor Bill Spicer’s above-ground pub, FanFare, are added. Other fun magazines, not #1’s, also include a run of Charlton’s obscure Mad Monsters, Acme News’ really obscure Shriek and a couple of issues of Forry Ackerman’s sadly short-lived Spacemen for Warren.
Cool books and pedigrees include Amazing Spider-Man #88 in 9.6 (only one 9.8 has been certified); Tim Holt #17, the highest graded copy, with a fabulous Frank Frazetta Ghost Rider cover; Superman #4 (only two certified higher); Centaur’s Amazing-Man Comics, at 9.2 the second highest copy; and Captain America #24, highest graded. Now on the CGC DigiGallery, a 9.6 Avengers #4, which creates a five-way tie for top copy. Three-Dimensional Adventures #nn (DC, 1953), while only 6.5, is one of only three certified copies extant that is complete… with the 3-D glasses still attached… and one of those is a 1.5. One of truly stunning covers of the Golden Age, Captain Marvel Jr. #4, at 8.0, the second highest we’ve seen, and it shows Mac Raboy’s art to great effect. And 9.8 is most impressive on a Fantastic Four #24.
More hot Flashes this month, kids! The legendary Mile High Flash Comics run continues to surface at CGC. Look for #8 (8.5), #16 (9.0) and a non-pedigreed but gorgeous #97. A Western Penn Flash #152 is 9.6. A pair of 9.0 Camera Comics (Carson City) are scarce: #3 is the only one we’ve seen and #4 is only the second copy to cross our desks. Northland House of Mystery #’s 183, 188, 191,193, and 196, Rockford Air Fighters Comic V2 #10, Clue Comics #4, and the Crowley copy of #5 are available for viewing. And while our primary magazine grader, Dave Couillou, may salivate over the Harvey file copy of Little Dot #44 (9.2), I’ll go for the non-pedigreed copy of the mega-sublime Atomic Rabbit #2 (8.5) any day!
And now to the sports desk: In a Marvel League contest, Fallen Son #3 was upset 7 to 5 by Secret Invasion #1, ending a year-long streak of annoyingly maudlin Captain America sketches dominating our SigSeries sketch offerings. Fallen Son had RBIs — that’s Really Behemoth Illustrations, naturally — from Darling Dick Ayers (Cap), a rare Jim Lee sketch (Cap again), and Philip Moy (Cap again, this time with a Powerpuff Girl — even I gotta love that one!) Marvel’s other winghead, Thor, is painstakingly delineated by Jim Cheung. And Marc Wolfe does a dynamite full-color Hellboy, also signed by creator Mike Mignola, star Ron Perlman, and director extraordinaire Guillermo del Toro.
But Secret Invasion is not so secret anymore at any show where CGC SigSeries reps are present. RBIs this month include Jim Cheung’s Scarlet Witch (note to Wanda: maybe lighten up on the perming solution on your next salon visit, girlfriend!) and Phil Hester and Ande Parks team for a send-up of Iron Man #128’s bottle-in-front-of-me cover. Pat Broderick’s rendition of Captain Marvel proves his investment in Burne Hogarth’s “Dynamic Anatomy” was money well spent. Georges Jeanty takes time off from Buffy to deliver a dramatically lit portrait of, I believe, CGC’s own Bradley Bradley. And Cliff Chiang does a deceptively simple and decidedly elegant Green Arrow.
Now I know we see a lot of Stan Lee SigSeries books at CGC, but face front, true believers, the man is a superstar and there still aren‘t enough books to go around. Though I’m judicious about adding them to the DigiGallery, when you’re staring at the classic cover of Avengers #4 on your desk, the revival of Cap for us Silver Age fans, signed by Lee, well… how much would you pay? But wait, there’s more! We’ll throw in the autograph of Cap’s co-creator, Joe Simon, giving you the defining writers of this spandex icon! How can you lose? Be among the first 5,000 callers and you’ll also receive Stan Lee’s signature on Marvel cult book Amazing Adult Fantasy, issue 10. Could you possibly ask for more? Uh, yeah, Ditko’s autograph, maybe? Oh, well…
Other cool summer SigSeries finds begin with actor Richard Dreyfuss’ scrawl on a Jaws-inspired Mad #180 cover, Bernie Wrightson and Bruce Jones’ on the second issue of Jones’ terrific little horror book, Twisted Tales, She-Hulk (2005) #1 by cover artist Greg Horn, and Image Zero #nn signed by seven of Image’s founders. A Project Superpowers double cover has one of ‘em sporting Alex Ross’ signature. On Treehouse of Horror (2006), the Simpson’s annual Halloween treat for comicdom assembled, cover artist Bill Morrison draws sketches of Comic Book Guy sniffing, “Hmmph! I prefer EC!” So do I, Comic Book Guy, so do I! For some, Walking Dead is a cogent zombie book. For this St. Louis expatriate, it reminds me of day-to-day living amidst the retirees and snowbirds here in Florida. Issue 19 is personalized by writer Robert Kirkman, artist Charlie Adlard and has a sketch by cover artist Tony Moore. The same for #16, only that copy earns an impressive 9.9.
Bureau of Statistical Inevitability: A recent guest in the Fortress of Qualitude — a non-fan — saw a ten-oh and remarked, “That’s not impressive, it’s brand new!” Yes, young padawan, were it only that easy! This month’s 9.9’s include 2099AD #1, 30 Days of Night: Red Snow #1 RRP, Angel: After the Fall #1 New Dimension variant, Avengers/Invaders #1 and also its variant, Doctor Who Classics #6 RRP, Jim Lee Sketchbook #nn (SigSeries!), Justice Society of America #9 variant, Locke & Key (as usual) #4, Michael Turner’s Fathom: Kiani #1 Wizard World LA edition, Miracleman #12, and X-Men #175 Wizard World edition. Certifying as CGC’s coveted ten-oh were Brian Pulido’s Lady Death: Dead Rising #1 Leather edition (as usual!), Paolo Parente’s Dust #2, Sheena Drag Queen of the Jungle #1, and Captain Atom: Armageddon #1. The book got a ten, Captain Atom’s silly uniform rates a 2.5.
My favorite book this month is Clue Comics V2 #2. Here we have a typically American late Forties/early Fifties domestic situation. You see this stuff all the time in Crime Does Not Pay. The sizzling blonde, (well, not yet at least) is too tied up to help with the laundry. But it is a pressing need. The gent with the iron appears to have a burning desire to get right back to work. The fellows draped on the floor and slumped over the ironing board clearly have opinions whether the steam iron is hot enough for the job. So does the fellow entering the room who was thoughtful enough to bring his own heat. I’m confident, though, that these nice folks will manage to iron out their differences.
G’bye, Steve! We’ll miss you!
Comments and questions regarding the gallery? We’re fans, too. We enjoy hearing from you. Is anybody reading this far down? Somehow, I doubt it. You can contact me at mmcfadden@cgccomics.com. Thank you for your time and do remember — be good to yourself. Be CGC-ing you!
