Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: archie, golden age, jackpot comics, MLJ

Archie and the Man of Steel in Jackpot Comics #6, Up for Auction

Published Sun, 15 May 2022 13:57:10 -0500

Jackpot Comics was an early anthology comic book series published by MLJ Magazines during the Golden Age, which featured some of the publisher's most popular characters from other titles. That group of characters originally included Steel Sterling, Black Hood, Sergeant Boyle, and Mr. Justice, by creators including Charles Biro, Irv Novick, Ed Camy, and Sam Cooper. But issue #4 would bring an essential addition to the series: Archie Andrews & company by Bob Montana. Archie was a rather startling contrast with the often horror-tinged MLJ hero characters like Steel Sterling, who used the "Man of Steel" tagline before Superman became known for it. Cover-dated Summer 1942 and with a copyright date of July 3 of that year, Jackpot Comics #6 is a sought-after early Archie appearance, and there's an affordable copy in Jackpot Comics #6 (MLJ, 1942) Condition: GD up for auction in the 2022 May 15-16 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122220 at Heritage Auctions.

Jackpot Comics #6 (MLJ, 1942). Early Archie Andrews appearance.

Sterling first appeared in Zip Comics #1, published with a February 1940 cover date. Abner Sundell and Charles Biro created the character. Sterling's origin is somewhat similar to Batman's. After mobsters killed his father, young John Sterling swore vengeance, dedicating himself to fighting the underworld. Sterling devised a scientific process to give his body the strength of steel and other associated properties. The Steel Sterling tale in Jackpot Comics #6 puts him up against a brutal Nazi supervillain named Baron Gestapo and also includes appearances by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Adolf Hitler. The story is as serious as superhero comics get, and provides for a dramatic contrast with the Archie tale in that issue, which puts Archie and Jughead up against Reggie in a cross-country car race.

Jackpot Comics featured some of the publisher's most popular characters from that era, and by Summer 1942 that included Archie as well. This one is important to both Archie collectors and Golden Age superhero collectors, and there's an affordable copy in Jackpot Comics #6 (MLJ, 1942) Condition: GD up for auction in the 2022 May 15-16 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122220 at Heritage Auctions.