Posted in: Comics, Vintage Paper | Tagged: Alex Schomburg, golden age, Harvey Comics

Alex Schomburg Covers for Those Other Human Torches, Up for Auction

Published Sat, 04 Jun 2022 15:47:09 -0500

Superheroes with various kinds of fire-based power were practically their own category in the Golden Age. Marvel/Timely's Human Torch and his sidekick Toro are the most famous of these, of course, but there's also Fox Feature's the Flame, MLJ's Fireball, Centaur's Fireman, Quality's Wildfire, Nedor's Pyroman, and numerous others. Legendary cover artist Alex Schomburg played his part in helping to popularize the Human Torch with spectacular covers on Marvel Mystery Comics and Human Torch Comics. Perhaps best known for his early pulp covers and his beautifully detailed artwork for Marvel/Timely covers on titles like Marvel Mystery Comics, Captain America Comics, Human Torch, and many others, Schomburg's work for other publishers has also become highly sought-after by collectors. But the Human Torch is not the only firey superhero character that Schomburg provided covers for. He also created Pyroman covers for Startling Comics and America's Best Comics, and covers featuring Red Blazer and Sparky for Harvey's All-New Comics. There are several Alex Schomburg All-New Comics covers featuring Red Blazer and Sparky up for auction in the 2022 June 5-6 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122223 at Heritage Auctions.

All-New Comics #7 Alex Schomburg cover (Harvey Publications, 1944)

The Red Blazer first appeared in Harvey's Pocket Comics #1 in 1941. The character got his flaming, flying powers from exposure to Astro-Pyro Radiation from traveling above Earth's Heaviside Layer (a layer of Earth's ionosphere) in a spaceship. In this context, Red Blazer's origin story is similar to the Silver Age Human Torch's origin as part of the Fantastic Four over 20 years later. Red Blazer's sidekick Sparky came along in All-New comics #5. Schomburg covers are always in demand, and there are a few All-New Comics covers featuring Red Blazer and Sparky up for auction in the 2022 June 5-6 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122223 at Heritage Auctions.

All-New Comics #7 (Harvey Publications, 1944) Condition: FR/GD. Black cat and Zebra appearances. Alex Schomburg cover. Joe Kubert and Bob Powell art. Cover detached and 3/4 spine split. Overstreet 2021 GD 2.0 value = $168.

All-New Comics #10 (Family Comics/Harvey Publications, 1944) Condition: VG. Japanese, chemical warfare cover by Alex Schomburg, featuring Captain Red Blazer and Sparky. Joe Kubert art. Staple pulls. Overstreet 2021 VG 4.0 value = $336.

All-New Comics #11 (Harvey Publications, 1945) Condition: FR/GD. Girl Commandos and Man in Black appearances. Alex Schomburg cover. Jerry Robinson and Bob Powell art. Cover detached. Overstreet 2021 GD 2.0 value = $168.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!