Comic Art Auction Spotlight: Sam Glanzman’s “Haunted Tank”

By John Freeman on December 31, 2018

Leave it to Sam Glanzman, championship realist among DC’s war-comics crew, to capture an essence of heroism-under-fire in the simplest of short-story vignettes for G.I. Combat #280.

In this complete three-page Story, “Prize Shot”, published by DC Comics in 1985, a lull in combat finds a member of the Haunted Tank crew relaxing at a village fair in France. An ironic opening in a make-believe shooting gallery gives way to a real-life siege atop a rollercoaster, with a Nazi bombardment closing in. Brilliant work from one of the best-of-the-best artists.

The art sold for just over $200 on Heritage Auctions just before Christmas.

Sam Glanzman, who died in 2017, was a professional illustrator and writer. Self-taught, Sam did freelance work for comic book companies and other publishing entities including DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Charlton Comics, Outdoor Life magazine, and many others.

A number of his creator-owned projects and classic works are now being re-published by Drew Ford at US publisher It’s Alive, including Red Range and Voyage to the Deep.

In 2019, Drew will be using Kickstarter to publish Red Range: Pirates of Fireworld by Keith Lansdale and Jok LP, a continuation of the “weird western” created by Joe Lansdale and Sam Glanzman. E-mail samglanzman@gmail.com to be on Super Early Bird Specials list for more information.

• Heritage Auctions regularly offers art by Sam Glanzman and many other comic creators | https://comics.ha.com

• Find out more about It’s Alive at www.itsalivepress.com | Facebook | BigCartel

• Read Thom Glanzman’s tribute to his father

G.I. Combat copyright DC Comics – art spotted on Heritage Auctions by Ernesto Guevara

About the Author
Latest Posts

John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.