golden age Archives

This issue is the first appearance of The Hangman, as well as chronicling the demise of The Comet, making it a significant piece of Golden Age history and one of the best origin stories of that era A stand-out cover by Irv Novick completes the picture of this noteworthy Golden Age MLJ key, and there's[...]

Although you may not have heard of him, MLJ Magazines' the Comet has one of the most interesting story arcs of the Golden Age — and he likely inspired one of the X-Men in the process The Comet was created by Jack Cole, the writer/artist best known for creating Plastic Man The character ran in[...]

Hughes and David Gabrielsen, and with a cover by Elmer Wexler, there's a CGC VG 4.0 copy of Exciting Comics #9 (Nedor, 1941) featuring the first appearance and origin of the Black Terror up for auction in the 2024 September 26 – 27 Heroes of the Golden Age Comics Showcase Auction #40265 at Heritage Auctions. Exciting Comics[...]

But one of the earliest and most interesting of these was Thor, God of Thunder who debuted in Weird Comics #1 from artist Pierce Rice.  This Thor's adventures ran in Weird Comics #1-5, and while every issue of this Fox Feature series is a tough get, there's a CGC VG 4.0 copy of Weird Comics[...]

Although Fox Feature Syndicate published its last comic book in 1951, several characters it published have had life after Fox.  The Flame, Phantom Lady and Samson were later used by Ajax-Farrell for example, and more famously, Phantom Lady (who had started life at Quality Comics) and Blue Beetle ended up at DC Comics.  The little-known[...]

A historically important part of the Golden Age, there are copies of five of the six-issue Samson series up for auction in the 2022 May 29-30 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122222 at Heritage Auctions. Samson #1 (Fox Features Syndicate, 1940)   Samson, based on the biblical figure of the same name, was a super-strong[...]

The creation of cartoonist Walter Frehm, the Green Mask was the cover-feature of Mystery Men Comics #1 in 1939, debuting in that issue alongside the likes of Blue Beetle and Rex Dexter of Mars.  The Green Mask was more of a mystery than any other feature in early Mystery Men Comics, as he is portrayed[...]

An obscure, unusual, and fascinating superhero saga from the WWII era, there's a CBCS VG/FN 5.0 copy of Blue Ribbon Comics #16 (MLJ, 1941) and several other issues of Blue Ribbon Comics featuring Captain Flag and others up for auction in the 2024 September 26 – 27 Heroes of the Golden Age Comics Showcase Auction[...]

In a moment that triggered one of the most important sequences of events in American comic book publishing history, the Wonderworld Comics title was launched as Wonder Comics #1 on March 17, 1939.  Its publisher Victor Fox was sued by DC Comics virtually the instant his debut issue hit the newsstands, "for infringement of copyright[...]

The iconic cover artist Alex Schomburg created over 240 Golden Age covers for publisher Standard/Better/Nedor, among them a group of Miss Masque covers on Exciting Comics, America's Best Comics, and Fighting Yank during the late Golden Age.   Created by artist Lin Streeter, Miss Masque was a sign of the times in comic book in this[...]

Madam Satan is something of an oddity from MLJ's Golden Age.  Seductive and macabre in a manner that largely seems intended for older readers, the character first appeared in the background of the cover of Pep Comics #15.  But her story began in Pep Comics #16 from 1941, which revealed her rather tawdry origin story[...]

Mystery Men Comics #3 is best known for its spectacular Lou Fine cover featuring the Green Mask.  Comics featuring Fine's covers are highly sought after on that basis alone, and virtually all the comics he worked on have historical importance for many other reasons as well.  While Mystery Men Comics #3 features one of the[...]

MLJ Magazines joined this fiery fray and launched their own fire-based character with Fireball in Pep Comics #12 shortly after those.  The first appearance and origin of an overlooked Golden Age superhero, there's a CGC GD/VG 3.0 copy of Pep Comics #12 (MLJ, 1941) up for auction in the 2024 September 26 – 27 Heroes[...]

His soldiers and spies are everywhere, and all hope of liberty seems gone forever." The source of Power Nelson's power is left vague in Prize Comics #1, which simply states that "A scientific way has been discovered to endow one man, and one man only, with tremendous power."  Chosen to receive "the strength of a steam[...]

The Black Owl went through two quick reboots in the early days of Prize Comics -- one from a character called K the Unknown.

With names like the Eagle, featuring a scientist with anti-gravity wings; Dynamo, master of electricity; and Marga the Panther Woman, the product of a "mad physio-biologist"; the characters of Science Comics were true to the title of their original series.  But all three of these characters hit the Weird Comics series after the demise of[...]

Undeniably, the lure of an intriguing cover plays a significant role in sparking a collector's interest in Golden Age comic books, and the unusual cover of Speed Comics #28 is another great example Published by Harvey Comics at the height of World War II in 1943, the cover here by an unknown artist serves as[...]

Platt contributed work to various publishers during the Golden Age, including Marvel/Timely, Standard/Better/Nedor, Fawcett Publications, and MLJ He took over the long-running Mr and Mrs newspaper comic strip 1947-1963 Platt did extensive writing work for TV animation during the 1960s, including for The Jetsons, The Flintstones, and Jonny Quest The 1961 novel The Blue Man[...]

Among other introductions in this issue is the Comet, who later in this series would become the first superhero to die, with his brother the Hangman rising up in vengeance.  The debut of a long-running historically important series with a cover by Irv Novick, and artwork from legends such as Jack Binder, Charles Biro, Manly[...]

Jackpot Comics was an early anthology comic book series published by MLJ Magazines during the Golden Age, which featured some of the publisher's most popular characters from other titles While the series would perhaps best become known for the addition of Archie beginning in issue #4, the first issue featured Steel Sterling, Black Hood, Sergeant[...]

Rang-A-Tang was one of the first dog stars in Golden Age comic books, predating the likes of Green Lantern's Streak and Superboy's Krypto An important dog star key and the beginning of an important comics publishing empire, there is a CGC FN+ 6.5 copy of Blue Ribbon Comics #1 (MLJ, 1939) up for auction in[...]

Whiz Comics #155 is the beginning of the end of an important chapter in American comic book history.  The Fawcett Publications title had launched one of the most important and successful characters of the Golden Age 13 years earlier with the debut of Captain Marvel in Whiz Comics #2, and its end presaged the closure[...]

Jones was launched in Wonderworld Comics as the cover feature and quickly given his own series as well.  For V-Man, Fox took the unusual step of introducing the character in his own title straight away, something the publisher had never done before that time, previously preferring to elevate established characters from his anthology titles to[...]

According to a lawsuit over the creation of Ace Periodicals comic books during this era, the material in the publisher's earliest comics, including Sure-Fire Comics #1, was the creation of a comic production studio run by Patrick Lamar.  And it has also emerged that several of the stories in this issue were based on plots[...]

With a series of superweapons of his own invention, Sky Wizard defended mankind from a variety of threats.  This is a tough-to-get and often-overlooked series, but there are copies of the complete four-issue series of Miracle Comics, featuring the world's greatest scientist turned superhero Sky Wizard now up for auction in the 2024 August 1 –[...]

Joe Simon and Jack Kirby are among the most famous creative teams in American comic book history.  They are the legendary creators of comic book titles and characters like Captain America and Bucky, Newsboy Legion, Boy Commandos, Manhunter, Boys' Ranch, Fighting American, and numerous others.  Every team starts somewhere, and the earliest collaborations of these[...]

The short-lived Scoop Comics series is unusual even by Chesler standards.  The title cycled through humor, adventure, and war covers in its first three issues 1941-1942.  The title initially lasted only 3 issues, with characters who debuted here like Master Key and Rocketman & Rocketgirl going on to appear in other Chesler titles such as[...]

Captain Battle debuted in Lev Gleason Publications' Silver Streak Comics #10, the creation of Carl Formes and Jack Binder.  Binder is well known as the founder of a major comics production studio active throughout the Golden Age and somewhat beyond, as well as being the older brother of Earl and Otto Binder.  On the other[...]

Fawcett Publications' Wow Comics series is best known for its regular feature Mary Marvel beginning in Wow Comics #9, but the first eight issues of the series are historically fascinating as well.  The cover star of many of these issues is Mister Scarlett, a fairly typical caped crusader based in Gotham City in these early[...]

Sometimes a comic book key is not about a first appearance, origin, first issue, or pivotal events in the story.  Sometimes, it's more about an important moment in time, and the first collaboration of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby is one such moment.  The legendary pair are among the most famous creative teams in American[...]