Posted in: Comics, Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: auction, spider-man, todd mcfarlane
Todd McFarlane Gold Spider-Man Sold Less Than 10,000, Now At Auction
This week, DC Comics told retailers that the 1:25 tiered variant cover for Batman #118 that plays off Todd McFarlane's cover to Spider-Man #1 would switch to be open order, such was the demand for it by retailers. And while Todd McFarlane may no longer have that original cover artwork, he does have the opening double splash page and might consider selling it for seven figures one day…
Talking of seven figures, Spider-Man #1 from 1990 sold two-and-a-half million comics to retailers back then but that still wasn't enough, so they put out a second printing of only four figures, less than ten thousand copies. And to distinguish it from the others, they used a black background and metallic gold print. And as a result, a genuine collectors item.
And one of those copies, in a 9.8 CGC slab is currently up for auction at Heritage Art Auctions, with bids of up to $165 and going under the hammer later today.
Todd McFarlane wrote and drew fifteen of the Spider-Man series' first sixteen issues, many issues of which featured other popular Marvel characters such as Wolverine and Ghost Rider in guest roles. He would leave after editorial disputes, which viewed Spider-Man as a historically light-hearted character marketed to young readers, with editor Jim Salicrup required to make a number of content compromises, the portrayal of violence, limiting his choice of villains, and strong disagreement over Mary Jane Watson. The disagreements between the two also spilled out into the book's letters pages. After a brief sabbatical away from comic books, he co-founded Image Comics and launched his series, Spawn.
Spider-Man #1 Gold Edition (Marvel, 1990) CGC NM/MT 9.8 White pages. Lizard appearance. Todd McFarlane story, cover, and art. Indicia notes, "Second Printing". Overstreet 2021 NM- 9.2 value = $35. CGC census 10/21: 1680 in 9.8, 20 higher.