Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: fawcett, marc swayze, mary marvel, otto binder

Mary Marvel's Series Debut in Wow Comics #9, Up for Auction

Published Mon, 16 Aug 2021 12:32:11 -0500

Fawcett's Wow Comics is such an underappreciated Golden Age series. The title, which debuted in winter 1940 and ran for 69 issues through August 1948, featured work by the likes of CC Beck, Otto Binder, Dave Berg, and even Jack Kirby among countless others. But the series really started to shine with the arrival of Mary Marvel with beautiful covers and interior art by artist Marc Swayze. A historically important series that is incredibly underrated, there are a number of early issues of the Wow Comics series including Wow Comics #9 up for auction at the 2021 August 15-16 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122133 coming up from Heritage Auctions.

Wow Comics #9 (Fawcett Publications, 1943) featuring Mary Marvel.

Mary Marvel debuted in the Wow Comics title about three weeks after her first appearance in Captain Marvel Adventures #18, with cover and artwork by Mary Marvel co-creator Marc Swayze. As Swayze would later recall, "I laid aside the Captain Marvel story I was working on in the Captain Marvel production line and whipped up some sketches as requested. There was only one character to create, inasmuch as she was to remain the same with only a costume change. I didn't work up a variety of poses and expressions, as I was certain that my first drawings were going to come back, time and time again for revisions before final approval upstairs. 'Holy Moley,' as Billy would have said, the drawings were accepted without a single change or even any suggestions! I was given the script for the first Mary Marvel story and went to work on it."

That script would have been by Mary Marvel co-creator Otto Binder, who would later go on to co-create Supergirl for DC Comics (among many other things) for the Silver Age. Like much of the rest of the Wow Comics series, Mary Marvel's Wow Comics debut is a gem of creative execution on the cover, story, and artwork. There are a number of early issues of the Wow Comics series including Wow Comics #9 up for auction at the 2021 August 15-16 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122133 coming up from Heritage Auctions.