Posted in: Archie, Comics, Current News, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: archie, Hangman

A Very Rare Hangman #6 Pops Its Head Up From 1943

Hangman Comics was an anthology comic published by Archie Comics in 1942 and 1942, and who has been revived every couple of decades or so.

Hangman Comics was an anthology comic published by MLJ Comics, who would later become Archie Comics, for seven issues in 1942 and 1942. Starring superhero The Hangman created by Cliff Campbell and George Storm, it also featured the Boy Buddies, made up of the teenage sidekicks of The Shield, Dusty the Boy Detective, and The Wizard. Roy the Superboy.

Hangman first appeared in Pep Comics #17 the year before Hangman Comics debuted. The first Hangman, Robert Dickering, is the brother of the Comet, who dies in his brother's arms. Robert promises to avenge his brother's death, and becomes the Hangman in a green, skin-tight body suit  with a black cowl and cape and carrying a noose, who terrorises criminals by showing them images of gallows with his torch. His own series would see its name change in 1944, to Black Hood Comics, with the Hangman replaced by the Black Hood. The Hangman would continue to appear in Pep Comics for a few years, but there would be over a twenty year gap between his last issue of Pep Comics and his appearance as a villain fighting the Mighty Crusaders in Fly Man #33, in 1965.

DC Comics returned the Hangman to publication when DC Comics licensed the Red Circle rights from Archie Comics with The Hangman appearing as a back-up strip in 2009's The Web by Angela Robinson and Roger Robinson. Now Robert Dickering was a lieutenant and doctor in the during the US Civil War, sentenced to death, but saved by godly forces, tasked to track down those who don't confess to their own evil deeds, becoming the Hangman. In 2015, the character returned to Archie in a new series as part of their Dark Circle Comics imprint. The Hangman by Frank Tieri and Felix Ruiz in which Robert Dickering would pass the mantle to Michael "Mikey Ice" Minetta. Thre were other versions of the character along the way.

But right now Heritage Auctions has a copy of Hangman #6 from that very first series in 1943, a rather rare comic book indeed, even at the CGC grade of 1.5. With bids currently totalling $363. and rather beating its CGC estimate. Worth putting your head in the noose for?

"Hangman Comics #6 (MLJ, 1943) CGC FR/GD 1.5 Cream to off-white pages. Harry Sahle skull cover featuring the titular hero as well as the "Boy Buddies," Roy and Dusty. Hitler and Goering appearances inside the issue. Bob Fujitani, Irv Novick, and Paul Reinman art. You can count on one hand the number of times that we've offered a copy of issue #6 in any grade! CGC notes, "Spine of cover completely split & front of cover detached." Overstreet 2022 GD 2.0 value = $271. CGC census 4/23: 1 in 1.5, 17 higher."

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