Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Sponsored | Tagged: destroyer duck, joe straton, martin pasko, scott shaw

When Martin Pasko Threatened An Editor's Life, Original Art Auctioned

Destroyer Duck was an anthology comic book published by Eclipse Comics in 1982, as well as the title of its primary story, written by Steve Gerber and featuring artwork by Jack Kirby. The book was published as a way to help Gerber raise funds for a lawsuit he was embroiled in at the time, in which he was battling Marvel Comics over the ownership of the character Howard the Duck, which Gerber created for the company in 1973. Issue #1 of the original Destroyer Duck series, labeled the "Special Lawsuit Benefit Edition", is notable for containing the first appearance of Sergio Aragonés' Groo the Wanderer and also featuring additional stories by Mark Evanier, Dan Spiegle, Shary Flenniken, Martin Pasko, and Joe Staton. The rest of the series contained the back-up feature The Starling, written by Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel, with art by Val Mayerik.

And one of those stories, by Martin Pasko, Joe Staton and Scott Shaw, has the original artwork of all three pages, up for auction at Heritage. Part of their Weekly Online Auction 122110. Three pages, currently at a ludicrously low $36 bid for what is a major part of direct market comic book history.

While also telling a tale from the Golden and Silver Ages of comic books, in which Martin Pasko had to threaten an editor's life with defenestration in order to get paid.

Pasko, who died in May last year, was a Canadian comic book writer and television screenwriter, best known for his DC Comics and Superman comics, as well as writing the Superman TV animation, webisodes and a newspaper strip for Tribune Media Services. He also co-created the 1975 revamp of Doctor Fate and co-created the Atomic Skull. Here's the listing:

Joe Staton and Scott Shaw! Destroyer Duck #1 "Gimme My Check!" Complete 3-Page Story Original Art (Eclipse, 1982). Dirty secrets of the Comic Industry behind-the-scenes! A complete story from the land-mark publication that benefited the Jack Kirby lawsuit against Marvel. These pages were created in ink over graphite on Bristol board with an image area of 10" x 15". They are matted together in a 38" x 20" mat. In Excellent condition.

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