Legendary Leading Comics #1-#14 3 3

[sagii]

2 minutes ago, Ghastly542454 said:

Leading Comics #13 Winter 1944-45 Cover by Louis Cazeneuve and the story “Trophies of Crime!” by Joe Samachson. The interior artwork was done by his brother Arthur Cazeneuve. By the way, Louis Cazeneuve is best known for co-creating Red Raven for Marvel Comics. He also did a lot of work on Aquaman, Shining Knight, and Boy Commandos. 

In this issue, the heroes tackle The Barracuda, a master crook who desires curios for his crime museum. By this issue, Green Arrow’s Arrowplane can fly as well as race along the ground. I personally really like the robot cover to this issue. 

My copy of Leading Comics #13 came from High Grade Comics in 2018. It was raw and I was surprised to find it there. I think I paid $325 for it and then submitted it to CGC for grading.

One of the more unique Robot covers! Outstanding! 

[Ghastly542454]

Leading Comics #14 Spring 1945 Cover by Jon Small and the story “The Bandits from the Book” by Joe Samachson. 

A scientist, Dr. Wimsett, brings fictional characters from books to life with his formula. He keeps those characters locked inside of his house, but one day he forgets to put the lock on and all of them except Humpty Dumpty run away. The Seven Soldiers of Victory encounter Humpty Dumpty, Old King Cole, Hamlet, Long John Silver, Falstaff, Uriah Heep, the Chershire Cat, the Giant from Jack and the Beanstalk, and Lilliputians from Gulliver’s Travels. The Seven Soldiers of Victory take it upon themselves to find and bring the runaways back home. This would be the last time the Seven Soldiers of Victory appeareduntil Justice League of America #100-#102 in 1972 twenty seven years later . After issue #14, the Seven Soldiers were dropped from Leading Comics and beginning with issue #15 in the Summer of 1945 and would become a funny animal title. At issue #34 in 1948, the comic was retitled Leading Screen Comics and would continue until the last issue #77 in August-September 1955.

My gorgeous copy of Leading Comics #14 came to me by being in the right place at the right time! In January 2020 during the Sunday of the Costa Mesa Comic Con, I was looking through a dealer’s box and found one of the Leading Comics I still needed. It was a raw book. Another collector noticed that I had pulled the Leading Comics out of the box and asked me if that was a title I collected. I told him it was. He then asked me which issues I still needed. There were like 3 of them at that point that I still needed. When I told him #14, he said good luck finding that one!!! I’ve been looking for a copy for over 20 years now!!! After he left, I was pretty upset thinking well here I am again with a title that I am close to completing and this guy tells me he hasn’t found a #14 in over 20 years. I can’t be looking for it for 20 years! Hell, I might be dead before I find it! 

That night after I had finished eating dinner, I was still depressed thinking about the #14. I laid down on the couch with my iPad and went on eBay. I went into the search area and typed in “Leading Comics CGC” and sorted them by the newest listing. Suddenly I couldn’t believe my eyes!!!! In a fortunate stroke of serendipity, there before my eyes was not only a Leading Comics #14, but an absolutely gorgeous 9.0 copy with a buy it now of only $595!!!! I couldn’t buy it quick enough and four days later, it was in my hands where it shall remain for many years to come.

[sagii]

16 minutes ago, Ghastly542454 said:

Leading Comics #14 Spring 1945 Cover by Jon Small and the story “The Bandits from the Book” by Joe Samachson. 

A scientist, Dr. Wimsett, brings fictional characters from books to life with his formula. He keeps those characters locked inside of his house, but one day he forgets to put the lock on and all of them except Humpty Dumpty run away. The Seven Soldiers of Victory encounter Humpty Dumpty, Old King Cole, Hamlet, Long John Silver, Falstaff, Uriah Heep, the Chershire Cat, the Giant from Jack and the Beanstalk, and Lilliputians from Gulliver’s Travels. The Seven Soldiers of Victory take it upon themselves to find and bring the runaways back home. This would be the last time the Seven Soldiers of Victory appeareduntil Justice League of America #100-#102 in 1972 twenty seven years later . After issue #14, the Seven Soldiers were dropped from Leading Comics and beginning with issue #15 in the Summer of 1945 and would become a funny animal title. At issue #34 in 1948, the comic was retitled Leading Screen Comics and would continue until the last issue #77 in August-September 1955.

My gorgeous copy of Leading Comics #14 came to me by being in the right place at the right time! In January 2020 during the Sunday of the Costa Mesa Comic Con, I was looking through a dealer’s box and found one of the Leading Comics I still needed. It was a raw book. Another collector noticed that I had pulled the Leading Comics out of the box and asked me if that was a title I collected. I told him it was. He then asked me which issues I still needed. There were like 3 of them at that point that I still needed. When I told him #14, he said good luck finding that one!!! I’ve been looking for a copy for over 20 years now!!! After he left, I was pretty upset thinking well here I am again with a title that I am close to completing and this guy tells me he hasn’t found a #14 in over 20 years. I can’t be looking for it for 20 years! Hell, I might be dead before I find it! 

That night after I had finished eating dinner, I was still depressed thinking about the #14. I laid down on the couch with my iPad and went on eBay. I went into the search area and typed in “Leading Comics CGC” and sorted them by the newest listing. Suddenly I couldn’t believe my eyes!!!! In a fortunate stroke of serendipity, there before my eyes was not only a Leading Comics #14, but an absolutely gorgeous 9.0 copy with a buy it now of only $595!!!! I couldn’t buy it quick enough and four days later, it was in my hands where it shall remain for many years to come.

Wow! 

Love stories like that one, what a beautiful copy and what an amazing cover! Congrats!

And so ends another incredible journal type thread. Thanks so much for sharing,  you have assembled a very enviable collection of comics. Well done! 

[Ghastly542454]

4 minutes ago, sagii said:

Wow! 

Love stories like that one, what a beautiful copy and what an amazing cover! Congrats!

And so ends another incredible journal type thread. Thanks so much for sharing,  you have assembled a very enviable collection of comics. Well done! 

Thank you Cory!!!

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

1 hour ago, Ghastly542454 said:

Leading Comics #14 Spring 1945 Cover by Jon Small and the story “The Bandits from the Book” by Joe Samachson. 

A scientist, Dr. Wimsett, brings fictional characters from books to life with his formula. He keeps those characters locked inside of his house, but one day he forgets to put the lock on and all of them except Humpty Dumpty run away. The Seven Soldiers of Victory encounter Humpty Dumpty, Old King Cole, Hamlet, Long John Silver, Falstaff, Uriah Heep, the Chershire Cat, the Giant from Jack and the Beanstalk, and Lilliputians from Gulliver’s Travels. The Seven Soldiers of Victory take it upon themselves to find and bring the runaways back home. This would be the last time the Seven Soldiers of Victory appeareduntil Justice League of America #100-#102 in 1972 twenty seven years later . After issue #14, the Seven Soldiers were dropped from Leading Comics and beginning with issue #15 in the Summer of 1945 and would become a funny animal title. At issue #34 in 1948, the comic was retitled Leading Screen Comics and would continue until the last issue #77 in August-September 1955.

My gorgeous copy of Leading Comics #14 came to me by being in the right place at the right time! In January 2020 during the Sunday of the Costa Mesa Comic Con, I was looking through a dealer’s box and found one of the Leading Comics I still needed. It was a raw book. Another collector noticed that I had pulled the Leading Comics out of the box and asked me if that was a title I collected. I told him it was. He then asked me which issues I still needed. There were like 3 of them at that point that I still needed. When I told him #14, he said good luck finding that one!!! I’ve been looking for a copy for over 20 years now!!! After he left, I was pretty upset thinking well here I am again with a title that I am close to completing and this guy tells me he hasn’t found a #14 in over 20 years. I can’t be looking for it for 20 years! Hell, I might be dead before I find it! 

That night after I had finished eating dinner, I was still depressed thinking about the #14. I laid down on the couch with my iPad and went on eBay. I went into the search area and typed in “Leading Comics CGC” and sorted them by the newest listing. Suddenly I couldn’t believe my eyes!!!! In a fortunate stroke of serendipity, there before my eyes was not only a Leading Comics #14, but an absolutely gorgeous 9.0 copy with a buy it now of only $595!!!! I couldn’t buy it quick enough and four days later, it was in my hands where it shall remain for many years to come.

 

 

That story on the acquisition of the #14 is awesome! Talk about serendipity and something meant to be; not to mention a really good price on a beautiful copy with a great cover.

Your description of the story in this issue made me laugh thinking of the juxtaposition of Uriah Heep and Humpty Dumpty in the same tale! I'm sorry to see this thread come to an end and I bet some fans of this book were too back in the day.

In another funny coincidence I logged onto Facebook earlier today and someone had posted in one of the DC comics threads how their favorite JLA story arc was 100-102 and how they have it on their IPad to read again and again. JLA 100 was the first new issue of the magazine I bought off the stands and I think I will pull out that series on the long weekend to read again; which I haven't done since I bought them. It will be 110 degrees in inland LA county this weekend so I suspect I will be inside when its cooking like that.

Thanks again for posting your collection and the associated story notes!