Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: fiction house, golden age, Jumbo Comics, maurice whitman

Maurice Whitman's Underappreciated Jumbo Comics Covers, at Auction

Maurice Whitman is one of the most underrated artists of the late Golden Age, and his Jumbo Comics covers are stand-out examples of his work.

We recently noted that the series Ghost Comics is in demand by vintage collectors, largely due to the covers of an underrated artist of the late Golden Age, Maurice Whitman.  But Whitman's work graced a large number of comics of the mid-1940s through the early 1950s that are undeservedly overlooked. After serving in WWII, Whitman entered the comics industry working in the mid-1940s for the likes of Harry Chesler, Lloyd Jacquet, and Jerry Iger. But in 1947, he began working for the publisher with which he would make his mark: Fiction House.  Whitman worked on interior stories for the likes of Wings Comics, Planet Comics, Jungle Comics, and other Fiction House titles 1947-1950 before starting to get cover work as well.  Maurice Whitman created dozens of covers for Fiction House 1950-1954, and his covers for the classic Jumbo Comics series are great examples of his many stand-outs. There are several issues of Jumbo Comics with Maurice Whitman covers from the very end of this important series up for auction in this week's 2024 May 26-28 Sunday, Monday & Tuesday Comic Books Select Auction #122422 at Heritage Auctions.

Whitman worked for Fiction House until Summer 1954, and the company ceased operations shortly thereafter, becoming a victim of the anti-comics moral panic of the mid-1950s. From 1955 to about 1965, Whitman got steady work from Charlton, which gave way to the early days of the Warren Publishing horror magazine line in 1966-1967. He largely disappeared from the comics industry shortly after that, resurfacing at DC Comics on a handful of stories in titles like Unknown Soldier, House of Secrets, and Wonder Woman in 1978-1980.

But his Fiction House work is Whitman at the peak of his abilities, and his Jumbo Comics covers are among his best work.  There are several issues of Jumbo Comics with Maurice Whitman covers from the very end of this important series up for auction in this week's 2024 May 26-28 Sunday, Monday & Tuesday Comic Books Select Auction #122422 at Heritage Auctions.

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