Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: golden age, pre-code horror

Early Joe Kubert Art in the Very Rare The Challenger, Up for Auction

The Challenger was a four issue series from 1945-1946 designed to fight prejudice and discrimination featuring work by Joe Kubert and others.

Published Sun, 02 Apr 2023 14:58:08 -0500

by Mark Seifert

Last updated Mon, 03 Apr 2023 04:43:35 -0500

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As the debut issue states, The Challenger was a comic book "pledged to fight race prejudice, discrimination and all other forms of fascism in North America." The short-lived comic book title was published by poet and political activist Kenneth Leslie, who was also the publisher of the magazine Protestant Digest. According to a biographer, Leslie had been increasingly concerned about "the growth of fascist and anti-semitic attitudes in the United States" during the 1930s and beyond, and used his publishing platform in an attempt to counter such trends. Something of an obscurity today, The Challenger comic book was part of Leslie's efforts at fighting fascist propaganda in America. The series featured artwork by E.C. Stoner and the legendary Joe Kubert among others, and ran for four issues 1945-1946. The entire series is tough to get, but there are copies of Challenger #2 (Interfaith Committe, 1945) Condition: Apparent GD and the particularly rare Challenger #4 (Interfaith Committee, 1946) Condition: VG up for auction in the 2023 April 2-4 Sunday, Monday & Tuesday Comic Books Select Auction #122314 at Heritage Auctions.

The Challenger #2 (Interfaith Committee, 1945).

The Kubert story in The Challenger #2 tells the historical saga of Emiliano Zapata, a prominent Mexican revolutionary figure who advocated for land reform and agrarian rights in Morelos. Initially supporting Francisco I. Madero's rebellion against Porfirio Díaz in 1910, Zapata later turned against Madero due to his failure to fulfill the Plan of San Luis Potosí. In 1911, Zapata issued the Plan of Ayala, which demanded land redistribution for peasants and labeled Madero as a traitor. Throughout the Mexican Revolution, Zapata collaborated with Pancho Villa and other opponents of Venustiano Carranza while concentrating on the restoration and security of Morelos. His life was tragically cut short in 1919 when he was betrayed and assassinated by a colonel feigning defection under the orders of General Pablo González.

Challenger #2 (Interfaith Committe, 1945) Condition: Apparent GD. This series was an anti-racism (and anti-fascism) comic published by the Interfaith Committee of the Protestant Digest. The interior features very early art by Joe Kubert. Restoration includes a spine split that has been taped and new staples through the book itself. Overstreet 2022 GD 2.0 value = $97.

Challenger #4 (Interfaith Committee, 1946) Condition: VG. Black marker over the date. Overstreet 2022 VG 4.0 value = $114.