Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: aquaman, green arrow, More Fun Comics

First Green Arrow, Aquaman Hits Record $111,000 at Heritage Auctions

The first day's sessions of the 2021 April 1 – 4 Comics & Comic Art Signature Auction at Heritage Auctions set a number of records. One of the highlights that interests me the most is the $111,000 paid for a copy of More Fun Comics #73 CGC 7.5 — the highest price ever paid for a copy of this comic in any grade. The November 1941 cover-dated release from DC Comics contains the first appearances of both Aquaman and Green Arrow.  The story "Case of the Namesake Murders" in this issue written by Mort Weisinger and drawn by George Papp features the introduction of Green Arrow and his sidekick Speedy, and the story "The Submarine Strikes" written by Weisinger and drawn by Paul Norris is the introduction and origin of Aquaman.  There are only 6 entries on the CGC census listed above CGC 7.5 at this time.

More Fun Comics #73 has until recent years been considered an afterthought among Golden Age comic collectors, as Green Arrow and Aquaman took something of a backseat in the minds of many fans for decades compared to the likes of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Flash.  The fact that neither Green Arrow nor Aquaman appears on the cover of this issue has historically been an additional quirk in the minds of many collectors.  But with these characters enjoying renewed success driven by movies and television, such perceptions have changed.

More Fun Comics #73 (DC, 1941) CGC VF- 7.5 Off-white to white pages. It's been over four years since we've offered a copy this nice of the key Golden Age issue that brought us the origin and first appearance of Aquaman, as well as the first appearance of a second household name, Green Arrow! It's been on Overstreet's Top 100 Golden Age Comics listing from the beginning, but in recent years has jumped from the second half of the list all the way to #28 currently. The title is notoriously more scarce than other DC titles of the era, with this issue rating a "7" ("scarce") by The Photo-Journal Guide to Comic Books. Howard Sherman, Bernard Baily, and George Papp art. Overstreet 2020 VF 8.0 value = $79,300. CGC census 4/21: 2 in 7.5, 6 higher.

View the certification for CGC Certification ID 1973243002 and purchase grader's notes if available.

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