Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: doll man, golden age, lou fine

Doll Man Hits the Big Time on Feature Comics #30, Up for Auction

Published Sun, 21 Aug 2022 15:34:10 -0500

Doll Man was the creation of Will Eisner and his earliest adventures were drawn by Eisner and fellow legendary artist Lou Fine. The shrinking comic book character made his debut in Feature Comics #27. Considered Quality Comics' first super-powered character, it would appear that Quality Comics publisher Busy Arnold quickly figured out he had a hit concept on his hands. Doll Man's Feature Comics #27 debut had him as essentially the third-stringer of that issue, behind Sunday page reprints Mickey Finn and Nippie, and with no sign of him on the cover. Feature Comics #28 gave him a small cover portrait inset but utterly buried him in the middle of the issue. Feature Comics #29 then moved him to the front of the comic book, the coveted first feature of the issue. And finally, Doll Man hit the big time with Feature Comics #30 with his first full cover and continuing as the lead feature of the title. The character would remain a popular cover feature in Feature Comics as well as remaining the lead feature of the title through issue #139. He would also get his own Doll Man title 1941-1953 and be acquired by DC Comics along with other Quality Comics characters when Quality went out of business in 1956. Doll Man would finally resurface at DC comics with other Quality characters in Justice League of America #107 (October 1973). But Feature Comics #30 with its Lou Fine cover was arguably his first moment in the spotlight, and there's a Feature Comics #30 (Quality, 1940) Condition: GD and a lot of other early Feature Comics with Doll Man up for auction in the 2022 August 21-22 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122234 at Heritage Auctions.

Feature Comics #28 (Quality, 1940) Condition: GD. Second appearance Doll Man. Will Eisner, Rube Goldberg, and Ham Fisher art. Spine split, tape repair to spine, cover detached. Overstreet 2022 GD 2.0 value = $252.

Feature Comics #29 (Quality, 1940) Condition: GD/VG. Clock cover. Third Doll-Man appearance. Will Eisner, Rube Goldberg, Bob Powell, and Ham Fisher art. Tape repairs to cover and centerfold, spine roll. Overstreet 2022 GD 2.0 value = $132; VG 4.0 value = $264.

Feature Comics #30 (Quality, 1940) Condition: GD. Doll Man cover by Lou Fine. Will Eisner and Bob Powell art. Spine split, tape repair to spine, water damage. Overstreet 2022 GD 2.0 value = $226.