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Shock Gibson in Temerson & Brookwood's Speed Comics, Up for Auction

Speed Comics, a relatively famous name among Golden Age comic book titles, was started by a company named after a small AL town.

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Brookwood is a small town near Birmingham, Alabama. While it was officially incorporated in 1977, comics industry pioneer Frank Z. Temerson considered it his hometown when he graduated from the Chattanooga College of Law in 1913.  Temerson must have had fond memories of the place, because he named the comic book publisher he formed with Maurice Rosenfield and Maurice's father J. A. Rosenfield Brookwood, after that small Alabama town.  It's widely known that comics publisher Et-Es-Go as a company name was inspired by shorthand for Temerson's sisters Etta, Esther, and Goldie, and lesser known that publisher Helnit is named after Temerson's nieces, Helen and Anita, who were Goldie's daughters. Temerson had yet another imprint called Nita as well.  Temerson's roots were obviously important to him, and while the historically important comic book title Speed Comics is usually associated with Harvey Publications, the title actually got its start at Temerson's Brookwood. There are several issues of the early Golden Age Speed Comics title up for auction in the 2025 September 18 Golden Age Comics Century Showcase Auction II at Heritage Auctions.

Speed Comics #6 (Brookwood, 1940). A comic book illustration of a muscular superhero in a red outfit lifting a car overhead, surrounded by colorful clouds and a dramatic sky. The action is energy-filled, with visual effects suggesting strength and power.
Speed Comics #6 (Brookwood, 1940)

Speed Comics star Shock Gibson was a pretty typical superhero in the Superman mold.  An experiment involving chemistry and electricity went awry and transformed a scientist into a superhuman.  Shock Gibson had incredible strength, but interestingly, he could not fly and seemed to have a limited degree of invulnerability.  The title reportedly did not sell well on the already-competitive comic book market of the time, and Brookwood published 11 issues before selling it to Harvey Publications.  All of these early issues have very modest CGC census numbers, but there are several issues of the early Golden Age Speed Comics title up for auction in the 2025 September 18 Golden Age Comics Century Showcase Auction II at Heritage Auctions.

 

 

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Mark SeifertAbout Mark Seifert

Co-founder and Creative director of Bleeding Cool parent company Avatar Press since 1996. Bleeding Cool Managing Editor, tech and data wrangler, and has been with Bleeding Cool since its 2009 beginnings. Wrote extensively about the comic book industry for Wizard Magazine 1992-1996. At Avatar Press, has helped publish works by Alan Moore, George R.R. Martin, Garth Ennis, and others. Vintage paper collector, advisor to the Overstreet Price Guide Update 1991-1995.
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