Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: sheena, will eisner

An Iconic Early Sheena Cover in High Grade, Jumbo Comics 15 at Auction

Jumbo Comics #15 features one of the best early Sheena covers by Will Eisner, shown off to spectacular effect on this CGC 9.6 copy.

Sheena's relationship to the early issues of Jumbo Comics can be thought of similarly to Superman's relationship to the early issues of Action Comics.  In this 1938-1940 era as publishers were figuring out how all of this might work, nobody knew for sure which characters would develop as the stars of a series.  It took DC Comics 19 issues of Action Comics before Superman became the consistent cover feature of that series.  Likewise, it took Fiction House 17 issues of Jumbo Comics before Sheena became the regular cover star.  Issues featuring the eventual star before then in both cases are considered special by collectors, and the Will Eisner cover of Jumbo Comics #15 is arguably the best of the early Sheena covers.  An iconic early issue in downright miraculous condition for an 85-year-old comic book, there's a stunning Jumbo Comics #15 (Fiction House, 1940) CGC NM+ 9.6 White pages copy up for auction in the 2025 July 18 Golden Age Comics Century Showcase Auction.

Sheena was created by Will Eisner, Jerry Iger, and Mort Meskin at the behest of a publisher called Editors Press Service.  Sheena debuted in a one-page feature in the UK weekly tabloid Wags #46, which according to GCD is dated January 14, 1938.  It is perhaps worth pointing out that nobody seems to know of the current existence of a copy of this issue, and that the early issues of Wags (there's also an Australian version, which apparently differs from the UK version) are sparsely documented at best. According to historian Denis Gifford in the International Book of Comics, which seems to be the best reference on this matter, Editors Press Service split with its UK agent, who took the British rights to many of the syndicated reprints that Wags contained with him, causing Editors Press Service to seek out original material.  Editors Press Service's founder turned to Jerry Iger, who he had apparently become acquainted with during the brief run of Wow What A Magazine in 1936. Wags publisher Editors Press Service was founded by Joshua B. Powers in 1933.

The lead story of Jumbo Comics #15, with art by Bob Powell, is a classic Sheena adventure. Sheena and her companion, Bob Reynolds, encounter a group a local tribe and are captured. They are taken to a village ruled by the seemingly benevolent Friar Ivan, who is revealed to be an escaped, insane monk who terrorizes the local tribe and possesses a priceless stolen diamond. Sheena, develops a plan to return the Friar and the jewel to his monastery. Upon hearing the monastery's bells, the Friar's sanity briefly returns before he dies.  This issue also featured The Hawk by Eisner, the superhero Lightning by Charles Nicholas, and science fiction adventurer Stuard Tayler by Chuck Mazoujian.

As DC Comics did in Action Comics #4, Fiction House ran a reader contest/poll in Jumbo Comics #15, ostensibly to help them determine who their star character was.  Sheena became the regular cover feature of the title two issues later.  For the modern collector, Jumbo Comics #15 is a desirable Golden Age book based on its status as an early appearance of an important character and featuring a great cover, but this specific copy, graded CGC NM+ 9.6 with White Pages, makes it exceptional. For a comic from early 1940, printed on cheap pulp paper and intended as disposable entertainment, to survive in this condition is remarkable.  There are no known copies of Jumbo Comics #15 nicer than this CGC NM+ 9.6 White pager up for auction in the 2025 July 18 Golden Age Comics Century Showcase Auction. If you've never bid at Heritage Auctions before, you can get further information by checking out their FAQ on the bidding process and related matters.

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