John Richard Flanagan 3 3

[october]

That MF 45...

[Frisco Larson]

I only have the More Fun issues at present. 

[sacentaur]

19 minutes ago, Frisco Larson said:

I only have the More Fun issues at present. 

Two gems right there. 

I know there are 2.5x more MF 48’s in the Census than MF 45’s, but based on my personal experience I think they’re almost equally tough.

[Frisco Larson]

10 minutes ago, sacentaur said:

Two gems right there. 

I know there are 2.5x more MF 48’s in the Census than MF 45’s, but based on my personal experience I think they’re almost equally tough.

I think my experience says the same. It ebbs and flows though. I just recently saw Mark Zaid sell 2 copies of 45. About a year ago, there were 2 or 3 copies of 48 floating around, mostly on eBay, but now they're gone. The More Fun run is such a mixed bag in that it goes from humor to light hearted adventure, to more serious adventure, then to super-hero, then back to humor. It has something for everyone and yet most only collect portions of it. I only have issues 12, 30, 45 & 48 right now. I'd like to have the run of 42-51 someday. Oh and thanks Steve 

Edited May 2, 2020 by Frisco Larson

[Yorick]

7 minutes ago, Frisco Larson said:

I think my experience says the same. It ebbs and flows though. I just recently saw Mark Zaid sell 2 copies of 45. About a year ago, there were 2 or 3 copies of 48 floating around, mostly on eBay, but now they're gone. The More Fun run is such a mixed bag in that it goes from humor to light hearted adventure, to more serious adventure, then to super-hero, then back to humor. It has something for everyone and yet most only collect portions of it. I only have issues 12, 30, 45 & 48 right now. I'd like to have the run of 42-51 someday. Oh and thanks Steve 

Your sig-line MF30 is sweet.  There are some stand-out Flessel covers in the run.  51 is also pretty cool (and one I don't see too often).

[Frisco Larson]

Just now, Yorick said:

Your sig-line MF30 is sweet.  There are some stand-out Flessel covers in the run.  51 is also pretty cool (and one I don't see too often).

Thanks Yorick! I'll attach a big pic of it so you can get a better look (even though it's a Flessel, shhhhh ). I would LOVE to get a nice 51!!! A GREAT Shelly Moldoff cover!!! 

[Yorick]

I cannot let the last image posted be of non-Flanagan work....

(PS. I apologize for these lousy images, but my old computer running Windows 7 recently died and I had to upgrade to W10 which doesn't support any of my expensive scanners or software  )

[sacentaur]

Here’s my MF 45, not so hot but it does have nice colors and pages.

MF 48 has managed to elude me (never owned one). 

[Frisco Larson]

4 minutes ago, sacentaur said:

Here’s my MF 45, not so hot but it does have nice colors and pages.

MF 48 has managed to elude me (never owned one). 

That's a real nice copy right there Steve! If you upgrade or get tired of this book, let me know …. I know people in the market for this issue. 

[Yorick]

On 12/5/2019 at 6:27 PM, adamstrange said:

Perhaps Major Nicholson wouldn't have gotten into financial trouble if Flanigan drew more covers for him.

I just read "DC Comics Before Superman: Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson's Pulp Comics", and it provides an interesting perspective to why DC declared bankruptcy.  It seems to me that Wheeler-Nicholson was the reason DC had such talented artists working there at the beginning.  When he left DC, why too did O'Mealia and Flanagan?

[Primetime]

1 minute ago, Yorick said:

I just read "DC Comics Before Superman: Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson's Pulp Comics", and it provides an interesting perspective to why DC declared bankruptcy.  It seems to me that Wheeler-Nicholson was the reason DC had such talented artists working there at the beginning.  When he left DC, why too did O'Mealia and Flanagan?

Wheeler was in a lot of debt, so Harry Donenfeld purchased the D.C. rights from him for $19.7k in 1938. Lloyd Jacquet bailed and started Funnies, Inc. Victor Fox left as well to start FOX. I'm sure O'Mealia and Flanagan were free lancers and just trying to find paid work like every other artist at that time. Donenfeld was certainly in the driver's seat when he acquired All American Comics from Max Gaines in 1944 for $50k. I believe this is when we started seeing the "National/DC" slug logo on comics. 

[Yorick]

23 hours ago, Primetime said:

Wheeler was in a lot of debt, so Harry Donenfeld purchased the D.C. rights from him for $19.7k in 1938. Lloyd Jacquet bailed and started Funnies, Inc. Victor Fox left as well to start FOX. I'm sure O'Mealia and Flanagan were free lancers and just trying to find paid work like every other artist at that time. Donenfeld was certainly in the driver's seat when he acquired All American Comics from Max Gaines in 1944 for $50k. I believe this is when we started seeing the "National/DC" slug logo on comics. 

Wheeler-Nicholson partnered with Donenfeld and Liebowitz in 1937 to create Detective Comics, Inc.  Wheeler-Nicholson already owned three other publishing companies (including National Allied Publications, Inc.).  He needed those partners for their cash as it was difficult to obtain from banks during the Depression.  And Donenfeld and Liebowitz had cash (their ties to criminal elements are known).  Donenfeld and Liebowitz withheld money promised to the Major unless he would agree to various stipulations and sign more and more legal documents.  The bankruptcy was a forced maneuver to remove Wheeler-Nicholson from the company (and Donenfeld and Liebowitz knew bankruptcy proceeding quite well).  During the Bankruptcy proceedings, the Major stated in court that he had been coerced into signing documents that apparently allowed Donenfeld and Liebowitz to take over.

The above is taken from "DC Comics Before Superman: Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson's Pulp Comics".

[Yorick]

Ooooooo!  More original Flanagan at Heritage!  This one does not look like a Blue Book Magazine illustration.  I'd wager it's from Collier's.

[Sqeggs]

2 hours ago, Yorick said:

Ooooooo!  More original Flanagan at Heritage!  This one does not look like a Blue Book Magazine illustration.  I'd wager it's from Collier's.

Yes, I've been bidding on those, but haven't won any. There was one I really wanted but only had in a tracking bid and forgot all about it until the auction was over. 

[Sarg]

This suggests that Heritage has found the Flanagan family. Hopefully, they kept a lot of his stuff and these auctions will go on awhile. 

[mwotka]

14 hours ago, Sqeggs said:

Yes, I've been bidding on those, but haven't won any. There was one I really wanted but only had in a tracking bid and forgot all about it until the auction was over. 

Darn it, I forgot to bid on this as well!  And it didn't go for too bad of a price either ($840) ... 

I must say HA's decision to move all original art to Monday from Sunday has made it harder to stay on top of.  I liked only having to worry about one auction every Sunday night, I can't take having to follow two auctions every Sunday and Monday.  

[Yorick]

6 hours ago, Sarg said:

This suggests that Heritage has found the Flanagan family. Hopefully, they kept a lot of his stuff and these auctions will go on awhile. 

There were two pieces from Blue Book that had a dedication from Flanagan, "For Tom Radcliff 1945" and "For Thomas Radcliff 1946".  I believe this is his collection.

[Sarg]

I got a fever ... and the only prescription ... is MORE FLANAGAN!

Collier's, June 4, 1932. 

So nice to see good pulp illustrations printed on high quality paper instead of the usual junk.

[Sqeggs]

9 hours ago, mwotka said:

On 5/11/2020 at 7:40 PM, Sqeggs said:

Yes, I've been bidding on those, but haven't won any. There was one I really wanted but only had in a tracking bid and forgot all about it until the auction was over. 

Darn it, I forgot to bid on this as well!  And it didn't go for too bad of a price either ($840) ... 

I must say HA's decision to move all original art to Monday from Sunday has made it harder to stay on top of.  I liked only having to worry about one auction every Sunday night, I can't take having to follow two auctions every Sunday and Monday.  

Going to two nights is a mixed bag. I think I suggested it when Sandoval did that survey last year--not that they usually pay much attention to me! My interest is mainly comics, so having them by themselves on Sunday makes it possible to at least think about bidding live. 

[RareHighGrade]

1 hour ago, Sarg said:

I

The detail in that drawing is exquisite.  And I love the signature, which is absent from his few comic covers.