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L.B. Cole Covers 1952's Popular Teen-Agers #11, up for Auction

L.B. Cole, was a comic book artist, editor, and publisher, known for his covers that emphasised primary colours over black backgrounds.


Leonard Brandt Cole, or L.B. Cole, was a comic book artist, editor, and publisher, known for his covers that emphasised primary colours over black backgrounds. Creating comics and covers for a variety of publishers in the thirties and forties, he also worked as an editor for Holyoke. This saw him found Great Comics, his own comic book studio, packaging work for a variety of publishers, including Ace Magazines, Aviation Press, Chesler Publications, Farrell Publications, Fawcett Comics, Holyoke Publishing, Magazine Enterprises, Spotlight Comics, Novelty Press, Orbit Publications, and Rural Home Publishing.

In 1949, this changed when the publisher Novelty Press sold its existing characters and artwork to Cole, who had drawn covers for their Blue Bolt Comics series, and saw L.B. Cole begin to publish comic himself as, Star Publications, which ran from 1949 to 1955.  Founded with lawyer Gerhard Kramer, Star published many horror comics, crime, and romance comics in its time, and Cole created many of its covers. Including the series Popular Teen-Agers which ran for 19 issues. One of which is up for auction from Heritage Auctions, Popular Teen-Agers #11, CGC rated at 5.0, and a comic that Heritage states they rarely see up for auction. With three uncredited stories, My Dream Lover, The Key to My Heart and My Secret, with a cover in the classic "romantic clinch" fashion.

Star's closure in 1952 saw LB Cole work for Classics Illustrated and as art director and editor at Dell Comics. Recognition later in life, especially for his covers, saw him recreate some of his classic covers, featured on the cover of the 11th edition of the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. He died of a heart attack in 1995, and was inducted into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 1999.

Popular Teen-Agers #11 (Star Publications, 1952) CGC VG/FN 5.0 White pages. L. B. Cole cover art. A book we very seldom see. Overstreet 2023 VG 4.0 value = $78; FN 6.0 value = $117. CGC census 9/23: 4 in 5.0, 7 higher.

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Rich JohnstonAbout Rich Johnston

Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne, Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from Blacks on Dean Street, shops at Piranha Comics. Father of two. Political cartoonist.
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