It was 68 pages long 64 interior pages plus the covers, and included stories featuring characters like chuck dawson, zatara master magician, pep morgan, and cowboy tex thompson. In 2014, a pristine issue of the 1938 comic, with its original price of 10 cents still on. Scientific explanation of superman s amazing strength. Superman is the bestselling comic book character in history, having sold millions of copies.
Action comics was started by publisher jack liebowitz. This page lists prices for the first 100 issues of supermans appearances in his solo series, which began in 1939. But as the comic moved on and picked up the idea of flying which first showed up on the radio program this superman was soon forgotten. Stephen fishler, the owner of the online auction site comic connect said the superman comic had been in the same hands since 12 years after it was published, when a young boy on the us west coast bought it for 35 cents. And remarkably chilling for a comic book at the time. Sixty years of the worlds favorite comic book heroes by les daniels 1995 the great superman comic book collection includes comments by e. Featuring over 20,000 cover images across two oversized volumes, the photojournals document comic books published during the golden age 193845 and into the dawn of the silver age mid1950s, reproducing each cover in fullcolor, photographed from the best possible copies of each issue available. Kalel, also known as clark joseph kent and best known as superman, is the main protagonist of the superman comic book series and the overall deuteragonist of the entire dc multiverse.
Action comics, which was published in april 1938 and became dedicated to superman, is the first and oldest of those periodical comic books. Supermen the first wave of comic book heroes 19361941. The collectible marked the first appearance of superman, and was originally published in 1938. The first bid, three minutes into the auction that began on aug. Buy superman comic books at newkadia and they all have a. Dc comics proudly presents the earliest adventures of superman. Aug 25, 2014 the first bid, three minutes into the auction that began on aug.
Kaan claimed at the time to have been the first movie superman. Superman 1938 comics superman comics s comics comic. Superman, clark kent, lois lane, jimmy olsen, perry white, and lex luthor have attained an iconic stature rarely seen in any art form. This version of the justice league was attached to. He auditioned to play sergei, the charismatic expat who salsas up a storm. A rare copy of the first comic book featuring superman has sold for nearly one million dollars. The strip proved so popular that national launched superman into his own selftitled comic book, the first for any superhero, premiering with. Rare comic showing supermans 1st appearance to be auctioned. But the main problem is action comics 1 from 1938, for superman did not get his own title until 1939, has been reprinted many times in different formats, hence those seriously vary by size as well. The original superman comic book series is the most popular series. Superman quickly became a sensation, and today is regarded as the quintessential comic book superhero. Dec 08, 2009 superheroes have been the dominant comicbook genre ever since superman transformed the industry in 1938.
Since the debut of superman in 1938 by jerry siegel and joe shuster, stories of superheroes ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing yearslong sagas have dominated american comic books and crossed over into other media. Comic books in 1938 were definitely of a different size than they are today. After a month of spotlighting the strange if endearingly strange history of comic books and especially the silver age, i think it is worthwhile to show the comic books of the silver age that are simply great stories period, without any enjoyably goofy aspect to them. Profiles in history announced friday that it will sell a copy of. Buy superman comic books at newkadia and they all have a 100% moneyback guaranted. Mayer found the rejected superman comic strips, and sullivan told siegel and shuster that if they could paste them. Profiles in history announced friday that it will sell a copy of action. Scientific explanation of supermans amazing strength. Back cover features the first pinup of superman with is also the 1st ever pinup page to appear in a comic book. Article with photos and biographies of jerry siegel and joe shuster. The character was created by writer jerry siegel and artist joe shuster in 1933 when they were teenagers and it was one of the first major superhero characters.
Lets talk about the very first superman comic issue in 1938. Comic book containing supermans debut sold for nearly one million. He has undergone changes over the years and even died once during a famous storyline in the comic books. The superman character was created by jerry siegel and joe shuster in 1933 before being sold to detective comics, inc. Published on april 18, 1938 coverdated june, by national allied publications, a corporate predecessor of dc comics, it is considered the first true superhero comic. The first superman comic book cover drawn by joe shuster in 1934 for humor publishing inc. Superman has the secondhighest number of kills out of all of the combatants, killing not only his opponent, but everyone on earth, which at the original airing, earth had a population of just. Supermanclark kent, lois lane, conduit, ma kent appearance. The online auction started two weeks ago and attracted 89 bidders. The cover shows the capewearing action hero from the planet krypton lifting a car above.
Aug 15, 2014 first superman comic book now up for auction on ebay. Superman is the first comic book character to fight against an animemanga character, with the next three being captain marvel, carnage and war machine. In the early 70s a series of filler blurbs started appearing in various publications, occasionally with a photo, about a man named mayo kaan. He was so widely popular that in the summer of 1939, he got his own comics, also by dc comics. Superman is a fictional character and superhero, also known as clark kent and kalel. First superman comic book now up for auction on ebay. Check out our wide selection of superman comics, back issues, collectibles, and more today. Mar 19, 2009 comic books in 1938 were definitely of a different size than they are today. The yesterday man by david micheline scriptand jackson guicedenis rodier art. This superman had an effect on the early versions of the cartoon superman. The strip proved so popular that national launched superman into his own selftitled comic book, the first for any superhero, premiering with the cover date summer 1939. Superman clark kent, lois lane, conduit, ma kent appearance. Most comic fans know that superman actually began life in action comics.
I can only imagine how a kid in 1961 would have handled this comic book. Heritage says the copy came from the collection of an unidentified east coast comic. Other than a handful of hardy survivors, the hundreds of costumed crime fighters that sprang up in comics early era are long forgotten. Some superman series are just one issue oneshots and others are longer series, such as adventures of superman. It features the first appearance of several comicbook heroesmost notably.
Dc comics has been regularly publishing superman comics since 1938. The 1938 edition of action comics no1 was sold by a private. It is widely considered to be both the beginning of the superhero genre and. Feb 26, 2009 the comic book marked the first appearances of lois lane, giovanni john zatara and, of course, superman. The comic book marked the first appearances of lois lane, giovanni john zatara and, of course, superman. First superman comic book now up for auction on ebay cnet. It is thought that there are less than one hundred copies of the issue. There is then a bittersweet ending with supergirl and krypto carrying on in superman s name. Superman would become the first action hero to appear in multiple comic book series.
The book is in high demand because there was no such thing as a superhero before superman. Superman 1938 series comics published by dc comics. Someone out there just leapt all comic book purchase price records in a. Created in 1938 by jerry siegel and joe shuster, the man of steel continues to fly faster than a speeding bullet. Superheroes have been the dominant comicbook genre ever since superman transformed the industry in 1938. Mar 25, 2016 supermans always had a lot going for him. There are only 100 copies left of the first superman comic, which sold for 10 cents when it appeared in june 1938. As a baby, he was sent to earth in a spaceship by his scientist father jorel, moments before krypton was destroyed in a. What happened in 1938 including pop culture, significant. Overman was from a grimngritty world precrisis earth17 where he was the first superhero, and all the others were grown from his cells. You can find out values of action issues by clicking here. The original comic book, coverdated june, 1938, hit the newsstands sometime during the late spring of that year. Action comics is the series that introduced superman, one of the first major.
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