There’s plenty for the dedicated British comics collector to savour in the latest ComPal comic book auction, with bidding via the-saleroom.com running until 27th November 2016. While there aren’t many art items on offer this time around, there are some fantastic items, including individual Beano comics from 1941 between numbers 128-159, a near full run of Britain’s Mickey Mouse Weekly from Numbers 1-66 and some scarce UK reprints from the 1950s, including Planet Comics issues 1-5, Captain America Number One, published by L. Miller in 1954, and Radio Fun’s centre-page Superman issues.
Also of interest to downthetubes readers will be lots offering copies of 1970s girls comic Misty, 1960s comic WHAM!, a good run of TV Century 21 at a reasonable starting price and full year runs of early Eagle comics featuring “Dan Dare”, “Luck of the Legion”, the all 39 issues of Captain Britain Weekly and more.
ComPal’s September catalogue saw the sale of Magic Fun Book 2 (1942) for £1250, another gem from the Brenda Butler Archive, with £700 for The Dandy Monster Comic 1945, (the one with Desperate Dan racing downhill on two logs) and £720 for a 1952 Broons Book in high grade. Brenda’s archive provides more rarities in this auction, including the first two releases of the Beano Book, offered at the highest grade ever offered at auction. 1942’s Beano Book 3 is also to go under the hammer, along with the scarce Magic Fun Book 1 and war years Dandy Monster Comics.
And don’t miss Desperate Dan’s first ever annual, this edition with a scarce cover misprint where the colour yellow was not used and Dan’s shirt is pink instead of red (don’t tell Auntie Aggie!).
ComPal’s first run of the alternative magazine International Times exceeded all expectations in September (14 issues sold for £420) and the next tranche on offer in this auction, with an issue that includes an alternate Wonder Woman strip bound to bring surprise.
Also included is another well-known, some would say infamous alternate title, Oz Magazine (Issues 2, 4, 6 and 7) and several of Frendz – perfect Christmas presents for everyone into the highly collectable, subversive, right-on journalism of the late 1960s, perhaps?
As well as the rare L. Miller Captain America Number One reprint, the US section starts with some low grade Golden Age issues including All-Flash #21, Batman #31 and #84, Blue Bolt #11 and Detective #82, all at No Reserve.
Avengers #1, Amazing Spider-Man #129, Iron Man #1, Silver Surfer #1 and a cents copy of Doctor Strange #169 are some of the keys on offer with strong runs of Avengers, Daredevil, Fantastic Four, Journey Into Mystery, Strange Tales and Tales To Astonish. Plus, some high quality Marvel Magazines from the early 1970s, including titles Deadly Hands Of Kung-Fu, Haunt Of Horror, Monsters Of The Movies, The Spirit and Unknown Worlds Of Science Fiction, all steadily increasing in value.
• Go to the-saleroom.com to place bids. Bidding ends 27th November 2016. You can also browse the November Catalogue on the ComPal site – click here for the Catalogue main page
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “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.
Categories: Auctions, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News