Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: fiction house, golden age, planet comics

A High Grade Issue of the Iconic Planet Comics Series, Up for Auction

Published Fri, 06 May 2022 15:33:10 -0500

Lasting 73 issues from January 1940 to Winter 1953, Planet Comics is the most important science fiction title in American comic book history. Planet Comics #11 is an excellent early example of this iconic series, with a standout Red Comet cover by Dan Zolnerowich, and artwork by the likes of Arthur Peddy, Al Bryant, and George Appel, on material overseen by the legendary team of Will Eisner and Jerry Iger. A high-grade example of why the Planet Comics series has become legendary, there's a Planet Comics #11 (Fiction House, 1941) CGC VF+ 8.5 Off-white pages up for auction at the 2022 May 8-9 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122219 at Heritage Auctions.

Fiction House got its start as a pulp publisher with its long-running Action Stories series in 1921. The company was also a relatively early entrant in comics' Golden Age with Jumbo Comics, which came about five months after Action Comics #1 debuted Superman for the publisher we now know as DC Comics.

Based on how Fiction House reacted once the rest of the comic book industry became aware that Superman in Action Comics was a hit, the notion that the successful Action Comics title had a similar name to their Action Stories flagship pulp title must have stung. The publisher subsequently launched comic book titles that were counterparts for a variety of their pulp series. Fight Stories and Fight Comics, Jungle Stories and Jungle Comics, Wings and Wings Comics, and of course… Planet Stories and Planet Comics. An ad in Planet Stories #2 characterized Planet Comics as the "pictorial companion" of the pulp title. Planet Comics was true to its name and often focused on adventures that took place on various planets of our solar system.

Interestingly, the comic book counterparts of those pulp titles have eclipsed their pulp origins in the eyes of pop culture history. Planet Comics is certainly an avidly collected Golden Age series, and any high-grade early example that hits the market is highly sought after. There are only 25 entries for this issue on the CGC census, with only two higher than CGC 8.5. A gorgeous example of an early issue of an iconic series, there's a Planet Comics #11 (Fiction House, 1941) CGC VF+ 8.5 Off-white pages up for auction at the 2022 May 8-9 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122219 at Heritage Auctions.