Heritage Offers Doc Savage Pulps Certified by CGC

The Man of Bronze goes for gold in Heritage Auctions’ The Man of Bronze: A Doc Savage Pulp Magazine Showcase Auction on July 31, 2025. The auction includes many classic pulps graded by Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®).

Pulps came into existence at a time when publishing was revolutionized by the development of high-speed presses and the availability of cheap wood pulp paper. Because of pulps’ frequency of release, which was often monthly or even bi-weekly, writers had to work fast, churning out stories to fill issues that contained upwards of 60,000 words each. A narrative form developed in pulps over time: straightforward stories of dynamic action that were told in clear, direct prose. Their themes, plot devices and character types profoundly influenced radio, movies, comic books and eventually television.

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Included in the auction is a Doc Savage #1 graded CGC 4.5 (lot 76002), published by Street & Smith in 1933, featuring the first appearance of Doc Savage — who paved the way for superheroes long before comic books took flight. Created in 1933 by Lester Dent, Doc was a bronze-skinned adventurer, scientist, physician and master of combat. Known as the Man of Bronze, he roamed the world with his team of specialists, using his mind and muscle to fight evil wherever it lurked.

His influence can be seen in the later creation of Superman, from Doc Savage’s original Fortress of Solitude to their similar nicknames: the Man of Bronze and the Man of Steel.

Doc Savage isn’t the only classic pulp hero found in this auction. Also available is an All-Story Weekly #395 graded CGC 3.5 (lot 76001), published by Munsey in 1919 and featuring the first appearance of Zorro. Created by Johnston McCulley, the swashbuckling vigilante was a masked swordsman who fought injustice in Spanish California with cunning, skill and a flair for the dramatic. By day he was the wealthy and aloof Don Diego de la Vega, but by night he became the black-clad hero who left his signature “Z” carved into the hearts of villains.

Similar to how Doc Savage influenced Superman, Zorro’s dual identity, secret lair and mission to protect the innocent directly inspired the creation of Batman. In some Batman stories, young Bruce Wayne and his parents were at the theater to see a Zorro movie on that fateful night when he became an orphan.

Other CGC-certified pulps in this auction include:

• a Doc Savage #2 graded CGC 5.5 (lot 76003)
• a Doc Savage #6 graded CGC 6.0 (lot 76007)
• a Doc Savage #9 graded CGC 6.5 (lot 76010)
• a Doc Savage #10 graded CGC 7.5 (lot 76011)
• a Doc Savage #12 graded CGC 8.0 (lot 76013)
• a Doc Savage #61 with a Strasser pedigree graded CGC 8.0 (lot 76055)
• a Doc Savage #68 graded CGC 8.0 (lot 76061)
• a Doc Savage #105 graded CGC 9.8 (lot 76098)
• a Shadow #1 graded CGC .5 Restored (lot 76133)
• a Shadow Comics #1 graded CGC 4.0 (lot 76134)

About CGC

Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for a vast variety of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC Cards, CGC Video Games and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for sports cards, TCGs and non-sports cards. CGC Video Games is dedicated to video game grading for the most popular consoles, including Nintendo, Sega, Atari, PlayStation and more. CGC Home Video provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of videocassettes, DVD, Blu-ray and more. CGC also offers seamless solutions for autograph collectors with CGC Signature Series and JSA Authentic Autograph services.