CGC-certified Golden Age Comics Hit the Market

The Golden Age of comics may be best remembered for its heroes, but before the creation of the Comics Code Authority, comics with mature artwork and themes flourished. Now these romance and crime comics, certified by Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®), are available to collectors in Heritage Auctions’ Golden Age Comics Century Showcase Auction IV on December 11, 2025.

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Among the featured comics in this sale is a Cinderella Love #25 graded CGC 5.5 (lot 82028), featuring a cover by artist Matt Baker — an influential comic artist who was among the first African-Americans in the industry. Baker gained widespread recognition for his exquisite and dynamic artwork, particularly in the realms of romance, horror, crime and “Good Girl” comics. The term “Good Girl covers” was coined in the 1930s, referring to covers with provocative images of attractive women. Baker passed away in 1959 at the age of 37 and was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2009.

Also available is an Authentic Police Cases #6 graded CGC 4.5 (lot 82012), published by St. John Publications in 1948. This comic is notable for its citation in the controversial book, “Seduction of the Innocent,” written by Dr. Fredric Wertham in 1954. In it, Wertham famously argued that comic books were corrupting the minds of young readers and contributing to juvenile delinquency. Growing public concerns culminated in the Senate hearings on comic books, aiming to investigate the alleged negative impact of comic books on youth, and these hearings led to the creation of the Comics Code Authority. This self-regulatory body imposed strict guidelines on comic book content, effectively curbing the graphic and provocative storytelling.

Other CGC-certified comics in this auction include:

• An All-New Comics #8 graded CGC 4.0 (lot 82002)
• an America’s Best Comics #13 graded CGC 7.0 (lot 82010)
• an America’s Best Comics #18 graded CGC 8.0 (lot 82011)
• a Catman Comics #14 graded CGC 4.0 (lot 82025)
• a Cinderella Love #27 graded CGC 4.0 (lot 82029)
• a Keen Detective Funnies #20 graded CGC 5.0 (lot 82043)
• a Liberty Scouts Comics #2 graded CGC 5.5 (lot 82044)
• a Punch Comics #1 graded CGC 5.0 (lot 82052)
• a Punch Comics #18 graded CGC 7.5 (lot 82054)
• a Samson #1 graded CGC 5.0 (lot 82055)
• a Shield-Wizard Comics #5 graded CGC 6.5 (lot 82057)

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.