Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: Chesler

Rocketman and the Brutal, Bizarre, and Rare Scoop Comics 2, at Auction

The rare Scoop Comics #2 features some wild superhero/horror/science fiction content, a spectacular cover, and a villain named Dr. Strange.

The designation of an"injury-to-eye" panel in Scoop Comics #2 is just the beginning of the brutal and strange content of this issue.  We've discussed this with the Chesler line before, and this might be one of the best examples yet, the story content here is often a weird fusion of horror and superheroics that would have raised an eyebrow even in the the Pre-Code Horror era.  This issue also marks the first appearance of the high-flying Rocket Boy, but it's the classic Master Key cover attributed to Charles Sultan when combined with this issue's rarity that is driving the collector's market on this issue, particularly in recent times. Published by Chesler's Dynamic Publications, and featuring a cover and content that is coming to the greater attention that it deserves, this is an issue that's so tough to get that the appearance of any copy at market is a significant event, and there's a Scoop Comics #2 (Chesler, 1942) CGC FR 1.0 up for auction in the 2025 July 18 Golden Age Comics Century Showcase Auction.

The entire comic serves as a stark reflection of the mood in America in late 1941, reflected in the raw and virulently anti-Nazi sentiment of the stories. The cover-featured Master Key story aligns perfectly with the wartime mood of its moment in time, likely written a few weeks before Pearl Harbor.  Ray Cardell, the Master Key, uses his "radio eye" to uncover a ring of fifth-columnists and saboteurs framing high-ranking naval officers.  Early on, the Nazis have captured Master Key, with their leader exclaiming, "in a short while that drill will penetrate his head, he will bleed to death in a scene that makes this issue's CGC-labeled 'injury to the eye" designation seem like an understatement. The final sequence shows a furious battle at sea with the heavily-tattooed Nazi leader.  In a scene that gives rise to the cover, Master Key and the Nazi fall into the ocean, with only the hero emerging alive.

The Rocketman story by Art Pinajian in this issue features a splash page so good that it was later reused as the cover of Zip-Jet #1.  The Dan Hastings story features a mad scientist villain called Dr. Strange.  Both of those stories include the threat of drug injection against innocent victims. In the Rocket Boy story, a captured policeman is bound to a post while gangsters sadistically throw knives at him.

The current market value of Scoop Comics #2 is a textbook case of how rarity, a great cover, and other attributes can drive a book's value far beyond standard metrics. With only 17 unrestored copies on the CGC census, the available supply at any given time is minuscule. This creates bidding competition whenever a copy surfaces for sale, even for low-grade copies. While the copy offered here is graded CGC FR 1.0, it represents a rare opportunity to acquire this issue. There's a Scoop Comics #2 (Chesler, 1942) CGC FR 1.0 up for auction in the 2025 July 18 Golden Age Comics Century Showcase Auction. If you've never bid at Heritage Auctions before, you can get further information by checking out their FAQ on the bidding process and related matters.

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