*DC: As rare as hen’s teeth! In 30+ years of flogging comics, we’ve only ever had a couple of issues of the first series of Phantom Stranger through our hands before the series we’ve been marketing over the last few months. In 1952, he appeared from nowhere, without explanation or origin to be DC’s mysterious omniscient and omnipotent being of mystery. Despite numerous theories in the DCU, no concrete information has ever been revealed about his true nature. Edited by Whitney Ellsworth, and created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, this series had the finest creators of the time working on it in a number of horror/supernatural stories. Here we get scripts by John Broome and Jack Miller with pencils by Carmine Infantino, Murphy Anderson, John Giunta and Jerry Grandenetti. Whilst perhaps not as Pre-Code horrifically as the fare of other less polished publishers, the Phantom Stranger made up for that in the quality of substance and style of his stories. This final issue of our run is also the final issue of the series and is in the best condition of the issues we’ve had. Murphy Anderson pencils a fabulous cover which many years later he swiped for Justice League of America #2. There are just a few cover flaws – a small split at top of spine, small colour-breaking creases across top and bottom right corners and a tiny nick out of the right cover centre edge. The cover image is clean and attractive with great colours. Staples are firm and strong at spine and centrefold and the supple pages are a remarkable off-white to white.
PICTURED: PHANTOM STRANGER #6 VG- £400 SOLD
Category Archives: What’s New
American Comics Update: My Greatest Adventure transitions into the Doom Patrol
*DC: A gang of misfits endowed with strange powers and led by a guy in a wheelchair… sound familiar? Yes, you knew it was the Doom Patrol, didn’t you? Debuting in My Greatest Adventure #80 (June 1963, a few months before the X-Men), the Doom Patrol took over that title, as eventually it morphed with #86 into their own title. We have the last two issues of My Greatest Adventure starring the Doom Patrol, and the first issue of the Doom Patrol proper in this update.
IN THIS UPDATE: ALL SOLD
MY GREATEST ADVENTURE
#84 GD/VG p £24.50 (PICTURED) Pence stamp and subscription crease
#85 GD p £10.50
DOOM PATROL #86 PR/FA p £10.50 loose centrefold, heavy cover creasing and wear.
American Comics Update: Six Of The Best: Hawkman #9-14
*DC: It will come as no surprise to regular followers that I really rate the 1960s Hawkman comics as among the best ever. Science fiction super-hero adventures with the loving relationship of Katar (Hawkman) and Shayera (Hawkgirl) at its heart. Clever stories by the superb Gardner Fox and beautiful art by the unexcelled Murphy Anderson, both masters of their craft. All very nice copies of this highly recommended series.
IN THIS UPDATE: HAWKMAN ALL SOLD
#9 VG/FN p £14.75 (PICTURED) Atom guest-stars
#10 FN- p £15.75
#11 VG p £9 Restapled at lower
#12 FN- p £12.25
#13 VG/FN p £10.25
#14 FN- p £12.25
American Comics Update: The Good Doctor Collection: Tales of Suspense #64-66 – three significant issues
*Marvel: A great time for Tales of Suspense from the Good Doctor this week, with significant events going on in both the Iron Man and Captain America strips.
PICTURED: TALES OF SUSPENSE ALL SOLD
#64 VG+ p £50 1st Black Widow in costume, teamed up with Hawkeye. Nice pence-stamped copy with good colour, some gloss and structural integrity with tight, firm staples and supple off-white pages. Minor edge wear and tiny creases across the bottom right corner that just break colour. ‘MMMS Wants You’ box on cover.
#65 VG+p £60 1st Red Skull appearance in Silver Age (in WWII story). Nice pence-stamped copy with good colour, some gloss and structural integrity with tight, firm staples and supple off-white pages. Minor edge wear and a couple of spine ticks just breaking colour at the very spine itself only. Faint, tiny soft crease at top right corner just breaks colour. ‘MMMS Wants You’ box on cover.
#66 VG+ £60 Origin of Red Skull. Nice solid cents copy with vivid colour and some gloss. Tight, firm staples and supple off-white to white pages. Minor edge wear and very minor corner blunting.
American Comics Update: Daredevil #10 & #11 – the last of Wally Wood
*Marvel: The consummate craftsman Wally Wood concluded his run on the Man Without Fear in Daredevil #10 and #11, a two-parter introducing the Organizer and the Ani-Men. Wood scripted and pencilled #10, relinquishing the story to Smilin’ Stan for #11 and the pencils to Bob Powell, but Wood’s inks on #11 are so definitive that it looks just like a Wood issue.
PICTURED: DAREDEVIL
#10 VG+ p £50 Pence printed with ‘Pop Art’ logo in masthead. Nice unmarked cover with rich colour. Minimal edge wear. Tight firm staples and supple off-white pages. Tiny chip off top back cover corner and moderate to heavy tanning to inside cover edges (not brittle), which brings down the grade of this otherwise lovely copy.
#11 VG+ p £30 Pence printed. Rich colour cover. Minimal edge wear. Tight firm staples and supple off-white pages. Moderate to heavy tanning to inside cover edges (not brittle), which shows faintly on the white background front cover edges.
American Comics Update: The Good Doctor Collection/Spider-Mania: Amazing #58-60, inc 1st Mary Jane cover
*Marvel: Also from the Good Doctor this week, sandwiched between low to mid-grade copies of the Spider-Slayer in Amazing Spider-Man #58 and the Kingpin in #60, we have a decent mid-grade example of the first issue to feature Mary Jane on the cover, boogying on down, as you do.
IN THIS UPDATE: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
#58 VG- £23.25
#59 VG p £60 (PICTURED) Pence-stamped, good colour, nice staples and off-white pages. Faint subscription crease and reading crease at spine break colour.
#60 GD/VG p £22
American Comics Update: Mighty Marvel Firsts: 2001: A Space Odyssey #8 Kubrick via Kirby, premiering X-51 (later Machine Man)
*Marvel: Following Kirby’s tabloid-sized Special, Marvel green-lit an ongoing series exploring the milieu of 2001: A Space Odyssey, giving artist/writer Kirby a free hand – perhaps too free a hand, as while time-transcending spectacle there was in abundance, the lack of a central cast left the readership feeling ‘unanchored’ to the series. This was remedied to an extent with issue #8, and Kirby’s introduction of X-51 (later known as Mister Machine and his final (so far) identity of Machine Man), a humanoid robot in search of his soul, who became the protagonist for the rest of the series, spinning off into his own title and becoming a prominent part of the main Marvel Universe. This copy of 2001 #8 is a high grade pence-printed example, with just the faintest of marks at spine, not breaking colour.
PICTURED: 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY #8 VF/NM p £55 SOLD
American Comics Update: Big Panty Monsters – they’re back and they’re coming for you!
*Marvel: ‘We’re always happy to see giant panty-wearing monsters’ is a phrase one seldom expects to hear, but it’s certainly true here at 30th Century, as the pre-hero Marvel anthologies – usually featuring at least one enormous critter in a giant gusset bent on world domination – are spiralling ever upward in popularity and collectability. We have new entries for Amazing Adventures (1st series #6 Serpo the Creature who Crushed the World plus Dr Droom) Tales Of Suspense (#14 – I Created the Colossus) and Tales To Astonish (#22 – The Crawling Creature) Art by Kirby and Ditko abounds.
PICTURED:
AMAZING ADVENTURES #6 FA p £19.50 Cover detached, much spine wear, subscription crease.
TALES OF SUSPENSE #14 FA/GD p £38 Tears around staples, heavy creasing bottom right cover.
TALES TO ASTONISH #22 FA/GD p £23 Cover creases, wear at spine, book shop stamp.
American Comics Update: The Bute Collection: Quirky Corner: 8 Oddities from the 1940s/50s
*Miscellaneous 1940-1959: Some oddball comics from the Bute Collection this week, so odd in fact that we felt it necessary to feature them all with images:
PICTURED:
BIG SHOT #88 VG £19 Adventure and comedy anthology with such characters as Tony Trent, Dixie Dugan and Sparky Watts.
BUSTER BROWN #40 VG £16 Shoe brand promotional with 2 jungle stories of Gunga by Reed Crandall and one comedy strip of the Buster Brown gang. Small cover scuff
BUSTER BROWN #41 VG+ £18 Content as #40
CLASSIC GIVEAWAY: A CHRISTMAS ADVENTURE VG+ £10 Store promotional fantasy Christmas story with delightful painted cover.
FAMOUS FUNNIES #201 GD- £8 Long running anthology title of famous comic strips. Chip out bottom cover and a few page margins.
FOOTBALL THRILLS #1 FA/GD £22 Does what it says on the tin. Long spine splits top and bottom; small piece of tape inside spine.
FUTURE WORLD #2 GD- £26 Adventure and factual illustrated pages with an emphasis on technology. Single staple all but off comic. SOLD
SCIENCE COMICS: TRUE SCIENCE ILLUSTRATED #1 GD- £17 Adventure and factual illustrated pages with an emphasis on science. Long spine splits top and bottom SOLD
American Comics Update: Six Of The Best: ACG’s Forbidden Worlds
*Horror/Mystery 1960-1980s: Forbidden Worlds from ACG was their second major title, starting in 1951. It’s the Silver Age incarnation that concerns us here, when the horror of pre-code had given way to the more whimsical fantasy/mysteries for which ACG became known in the 1960s, nothing more so than Herbie, who makes one appearance this time.
IN THIS UPDATE: FORBIDDEN WORLDS ALL SOLD
#110 VG+ p £13.25 Herbie story, lower spine split
#111 VG+ £7.50
#113 VG+ £7.50
#117 GD/VG p £4.50
#120 GD+ £3.25
#122 VG p £4.75
British Comics Update: Pre-decimal Alan Class Suspense
*Alan Class Reprints: A nice update to our regular stock of Alan Class this week with early pre and post decimal issues of Suspense, between #24 and #39. Please note these are not file copies and are uncertificated, and can be found in the regular stock part of our catalogue listing. Plenty of Kirby and Ditko await you within, particularly their collaboration on the Torch and Spidey in #49.
IN THIS UPDATE: SUSPENSE
#24 VG £6
#25 GD/VG £6.75
#28 FN- £6
#36 GD £3.75
#46 VG+ £5.25
#49 VG+ £12.50 (PICTURED) Reprints Torch and Spidey story from Strange Tales Annual #2.
British Comics Update: 1950s early Topper Annuals in landscape format
*Annuals: Although there was a Topper Book published in 1954, this was a factual picture book and not really an annual of the characters from the comic. This came a year later in 1955, where established stars such as Beryl the Peril, Mickey the Monkey and Captain Bungle rubbed shoulders with serious adventure stories, puzzle pages and factual educational pages within. We have the 1955 1st ‘proper’ annual, as well as examples from 1956 and 1958, all printed in a unique landscape format.
IN THIS UPDATE: TOPPER ANNUAL
1955 GD/VG £30 (PICTURED) 1st proper Annual. Wear at top and bottom spine and 1st 2 pages loose at top part of binding only.
1956 FN £35 (PICTURED)
1956 VG £25
1958 VG/FN £20 (PICTURED) 2 available.
Books Update: Re-Working Our Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Category: Spotted: Philip K Dick Part 7: Collaborations
*Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror: We’re continuing to introduce the new layout for our books categories, with an image for each book. This week, we return to our Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror category for Philip K Dick, one of our best-selling authors; many would consider him the finest exponent of science-fiction of the late 20th century. I guess his themes of religion, drugs, counter culture and destructive relationships hold wide appeal. We are blessed with an excellent stock of his works, the enhanced re-listing of which we’ve been spreading over several updates. This seventh and final part features a couple of his collaborations with other authors: Ray Nelson and Roger Zelazny (who finished off Deis Irae after Dick’s death). This is all the Spotted Dick we have for now, but I daresay more will be along in due course.
PICTURED: BY PHILIP K DICK
WITH RAY NELSON: THE GANYMEDE TAKEOVER Ace 1967 1st US PB FA/GD £4
WITH RAY NELSON: THE GANYMEDE TAKEOVER Arrow 1971 1st UK PB GD £3
WITH ROGER ZELAZNY: DEUS IRAE Sphere 1978 1st IK PB GD/VG £5
Books Update: Re-Working our Crime, Spies & Sleaze Category: Rare Midwood Sleaze with 10 pages of Frazetta art
*Crime, Spies & Sleaze: We’re continuing to introduce the new layout for our books categories, with an image for each book. This week, we return to our Crime, Spies & Sleaze category for something rather exceptional. The US publisher Midwood specialised in material we categorise as ‘sleaze’ and this certainly fits the bill. Two novels in one book: Perfumed by Jason Hytes (‘Three wives – three promiscuous ways to spend an afternoon.’) and Pampered by Kimberly Kemp (‘Husband and wife sharing the same mistress.’). All Midwoods are enthusiastically collected, but this one especially so due to the ten interior black and white full page illustrations by Frank Frazetta (five of which are reproduced below). These, and the extreme rarity of this title, make it one of the most highly prized volumes from this niche publisher. A pretty good copy; minor creasing at the spine and very slight binding separation towards the rear, but no loose pages.
PICTURED: SOLD
JASON HYTES – PERFUMED
KIMBERLY KEMP – PAMPERED
Midwood 1963 1st US PB VG £125
Books Update: Five Michael Innes Mysteries
*Crime, Spies & Sleaze: Michael Innes was the pen name of John Innes Mackintosh Stewart. Between 1936 and 1986, he published nearly fifty crime novels and short story collections. These abound in literary allusions and in what critics have variously described as “mischievous wit”, “exuberant fancy” and a “tongue-in-cheek propensity” for intriguing turns of phrase. The best-known of Innes’s detective creations is Sir John Appleby, who is introduced in Death at the President’s Lodging, in which he is a Detective Inspector at Scotland Yard. Appleby features in many of the later novels and short stories. We have five of Innes’s novels fresh in this week in Penguin Green Crime editions. Further details, including condition notes, may be viewed in our catalogue.
PICTURED: ALL BY MICHAEL INNES ALL SOLD
THE DAFFODIL AFFAIR Penguin 1964 1st UK PB VG £5
DEATH AT THE PRESIDENT’S LODGING Penguin 1964 4th UK PB VG £4
HAMLET, REVENGE! Penguin 1964 3rd UK PB GD/VG £5
THE JOURNEYING BOY Penguin 1964 2nd UK PB VG/FN £5
SILENCE OBSERVED Penguin 1966 2nd UK PB GD £3
American Comics Update: The Bute Collection: Batmania: Classic Wartime American Eagle Cover on Batman #17 (1943)
*DC: Another special issue of Batman from the Golden Age courtesy of the Bute Collection. Batman #17 features an iconic cover by Jerry Robinson (signed as by Bob Kane) with Batman and Robin aloft upon an American Eagle against a black sky and yellow moon, encouraging us to: ‘Keep the American Eagle flying! Buy war bonds and stamps!’ Four Batman stories within, including a Penguin caper, with art by Bob Kane and Jack Burnley. This is a notoriously tough comic to get in decent grade due to the black cover, but this copy holds up pretty well. There is some wear with chips out along the bottom edge (nothing too serious, see images) and a tiny weeny colour-breaking crease across the bottom right corner. There is also a 2 cm tear at bottom edge below the moon which is barely noticeable and is without loss. Both staples are tight and firm and the pages are supple and a beautiful off-white. A long and a short indentation show on the inside front cover and only faintly show on the outside front cover when viewed from a certain angle. There are one of two other very faint lines on the front and back covers which do not break colour and perhaps suggest that the comic was used to rest on at some time in its history, but to the best of our knowledge there are no colour touches nor any restoration to the cover. Inside covers are tanned but not brittle. Certainly a remarkable copy. High resolution images are available on request.
PICTURED: BATMAN #17 VG- £1,200
American Comics Update: Flash with Professor Zoom and Mr Element
*DC: Two members of Flash’s Rogues Gallery, Professor Zoom and Mr Element, combined in two issues shortly after the debut of the former. Two classic issues for your delight.
IN THIS UPDATE: FLASH BOTH SOLD
#147 VG p £30 (PICTURED)
#153 GD p £7.50
American Comics Update: (Deep) Six Of The Best: The Sea Devils
*DC: The brainy leader, his best friend who’s big and strong, the blonde girl friend and her kid brother. Yes, of course it’s the Sea Devils. Debuting in Showcase in August 1960, over a year before their counterparts in Fantastic Four, Dane, Biff, Judy and Nicky thrilled us with undersea adventures for a very respectable 35 issues, plus their three try-out issues in Showcase. Art on issues up to #10, plus some later covers (as on #14 shown here) was by the superb craftsman Russ Heath, lending an air of quality to the series, although the art standards were reasonably strong after his departure.
IN THIS UPDATE: SEA DEVILS ALL SOLD
#4 FA p £5.25
#10 GD+ p £9.25
#11 GD/VG p £9
#12 GD+ £8.25 off bottom staple
#14 VG p £11.75 (PICTURED)
#29 GD- p £4 Loose staples; off bottom staple.
American Comics Update: The Bute Collection: Fantastic Four #32-34
*Marvel: The brainy leader, his best friend who’s big and strong, the blonde girl friend and her kid brother. Deja vu? This time it’s the Fantastic Four! Issues #32-34 of Marvel’s flagship title are for some reason less commonly seen than those around them. Each issue has something unique. #32 is the very personal story of Sue & Johnny’s father; #33 has the debut of Attuma and the FF fighting alongside the Sub-Mariner; #34 features the menace of the man called Gideon who pits them against each other. Three very nice condition copies from the Bute Collection.
PICTURED FANTASTIC FOUR
#32 VF- £135 Unmarked cover with great colour and gloss, white background. Tight and flat with firm staples. Very minor corner blunting and edge wear. Supple pages are off-white to cream with just a tiny hint of tanning to the inside cover edges.
#33 FN/VF £175 Photo background cover. Unmarked with great colour and gloss. Tight and flat with firm staples. A little corner blunting and minor edge wear (slightly more along top edge). Supple off-white pages.
#34 FN/VF p £85 Pence-stamped. Cover with great cover and gloss, unmarked but for pence stamp. Great colour and gloss. Staples tight and firm. Minor wear at spine. Supple off-white pages.
American Comics Update: Captain America Vs Iron Man in Tales Of Suspense #58
*Marvel: In Tales Of Suspense #58, Iron Man and Captain America were ‘in mortal combat’ (as a result of the machinations of Kraven the Hunter and the Chameleon, who had hopped over from Amazing Spider-Man). Cap was to co-star in the title with the very next issue and pitting the stars against each other in the last ‘solo’ issue was obviously a popular ploy, since Marvel did the same thing with Giant-Man and the Hulk over at Tales To Astonish. This is a reasonable pence printed copy with good colour and an unmarked cover. Staples are firm at centrefold, but slightly loose at top staple at spine. Pages are a supple cream. Some corner blunting and minor edge wear; there are a couple of sharp colour-breaking cover creases across the bottom right corner (Iron Man’s foot).
PICTURED: TALES OF SUSPENSE #58 VG- p £80 SOLD
American Comics Update: The Totally Amazing Spider-Man Collection: Spider-Mania/Mighty Marvel Firsts: Debut of Madame Web in Amazing #210
*Marvel: If you’re looking for really nice copies of Amazing Spider-Man for your collection, then look no further than the Totally Amazing Spider-Man Collection. All high grade; even the few that fall below VF (and most are above) are really good-looking copies – no duds here, and nearly all cents copies. Debuting in Amazing Spider-Man #210, Madame Web was a new type of foe for our hero. An elderly, blind and paralysed woman who happened to be a telepath, both clever and sadistic. This lovely copy of #210, has great colour and gloss, sharp corners, flat and tight, white to off-white pages — everything you would want. One or two tiny stress marks along the spine preclude an even higher grade.
PICTURED: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #210 VF+ £80
American Comics Update: The Good Doctor Collection: The Dark Phoenix Saga
*Marvel: X-Men #134-137 concluded the Phoenix storyline begun years earlier in #101 as, via the machinations of the Hellfire Club, Jean Grey first became the Black Queen, leading to her emergence as Dark Phoenix and cosmic justice. Or at least we thought it was Jean Grey at the time. I don’t have room here to unravel the convoluted history of Phoenix and her subsequent role in the MU, but as a reader of these at the time, you really felt that Jean died and, if you were my age, you’d lost someone you’d grown up with. Lovely copies of these four key issues from the Good Doctor, all in clean, unmarked and fresh condition with only very minor wear (the #137 has a tiny bit more than the others, but nothing much).
PICTURED: X-MEN
#134 VF p £50
#135 VF p £50 SOLD
#136 VF p £45
#137 VF- £55
American Comics Update: A trio of Sub-Mariner, including the last great Bill Everett story with Venus
*Marvel: Bill Everett will always be known for his creation Namor the Sub-Mariner, so it was great to see him back on that title in the early 1970s. Sadly, his efforts were limited due to ill health and he died before accomplishing very many stories. However, he wrote and drew one great masterpiece before his death, which appeared in Sub-Mariner #57 and co-starred another pre-Marvel great he was associated with, Venus the Goddess of Love, whom he had portrayed in the now highly-sought after Atlas horror issues of her own title. The joy of seeing them paired up in this Everett written and drawn story provides an apt legacy for this comic book great. Sub-Mariner #57 is still available for a totally bargain price for a comic of such quality. And we’ve thrown in a couple of other contemporary issues for good measure.
IN THIS UPDATE: SUB-MARINER ALL SOLD
#54 FN+ p £5.50
#56 FN+ p £5.50
#57 FN+ p £20 (PICTURED) Return of Venus
American Comics Update: Six Of The Best: Charlton’s Ghostly Tales
*Horror/Mystery 1960-1980s: Six issues of one of Charlton’s flagship 1970s horror titles freshly in this week between #70 and #113. Plenty of Ditko work in nearly all of these.
PICTURED: GHOSTLY TALES ALL SOLD
#70 FN+ £15.25
#99 FN p £9
#107 FN p £6.75
#108 VG p £4.75
#109 GD p £2.50 Book shop stamps and felt tip pen price
#113 FN p £5.75
American/British Comics Update: An Illustrated Library of Great Indian Stories
*Classics Illustrated: In the early 1950s, UK publishers Thorpe & Porter got the rights to produce Classics Illustrated reprints in a UK annual type format with board covers (with illustrations) and full colour interiors. One such example from 1952 is ‘An Illustrated Library of Great Indian Stories’ which features four tales by James Fennimore Cooper: The Pioneers, The Pathfinder, The Deerslayer and The Prairie. A reasonable sound copy with some corner and edge rubbing, a solid spine, decent page quality with vivid colour and just a tiny chip out of the front cover picture towards top of spine (see image). Very uncommon.
PICTURED: AN ILLUSTRATED LIBRARY OF GREAT INDIAN STORIES GD/VG £40
British Comics Update: Mighty Marvel Firsts: Debuts of Quicksilver & the Scarlet Witch reprinted in Fantastic #5
*Power Comics: Appetite for UK reprints of Marvel Silver Age key issues has grown enormously over the last few years, driving the prices upwards. Fantastic #5 features the first UK reprint of X-Men #4 (first half), featuring the debut of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants (inc Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch) and is now highly sought after. Now, take care here – there are sellers who will try to convince you that Fantastic #6 features the debut of the Scarlet Witch – that’s not true. Odhams reprinted X-Men #4 over two issues in Fantastic #5 & #6. Although the cover of X-Men #4 featured on Fantastic #6, the siblings actually debuted in the first part of the story in Fantastic #5. Note that we are blessed this week to have 3 copies of this historic issue newly available, all in solid VG.
PICTURED: FANTASTIC #5 VG £15 3 available.
British Comics Update: Buster 1971/72
*Humour Comics: A large update to our Buster stocks from October 1971 to October 1972, with several dozen issues added, including many previously missing from our listings. Starting with the first merger issue of Buster with Jet, this update also includes a flyer issue, Fireworks, Christmas, New Year and Easter issues. See our catalogue for full details.
PICTURED BUSTER 2/10/71 GD/VG £5 1st Buster & Jet
Books Update: Re-Working Our Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Category: Spotted: Philip K Dick Part 6
*Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror: We’re continuing to introduce the new layout for our books categories, with an image for each book. This week, we return to our Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror category for Philip K Dick, one of our best-selling authors; many would consider him the finest exponent of science-fiction of the late 20th century. I guess his themes of religion, drugs, counter culture and destructive relationships hold wide appeal. We are blessed with an excellent stock of his works, the enhanced re-listing of which we’ve been spreading over several updates. This sixth and penultimate part features just one volume, but, significantly, a first edition HC of one of his major later works. Valis is a theological detective story, the first part of an intended trilogy (the second being The Divine Invasion). The intended third part did not take shape before Dick’s death, although his final novel, The Transmigration of Timothy Archer, touched on the same themes and is considered by some to complete the trilogy. This first edition of Valis is published by Kerosina in 1987, complete with DJ, and features cover and interior art by Keith Roberts. Limited to 1500 copies. Owner’s label and BBC stamps on front and back inside pages, otherwise FN.
PICTURED: PHILIP K DICK: VALIS Kerosina 1987 1st UK HC VG/FN £75 With DJ (VG/FN)
Books Update: Re-Working Our Crime, Spies & Sleaze Category: Emphasis on Sleaze (with new additions)
*Crime, Spies & Sleaze: We’re continuing to introduce the new layout for our books categories, with an image for each book. This week, we return to our Crime, Spies and Sleaze category, for half a dozen entries firmly in the Sleaze area, including two new additions. Party Games, Greenwich Village Lesbianism, wanton women, jazz, co-educational frolics and rites of passage are all to be found in this week’s selection.
PICTURED:
GREG HAMILTON: FOLLOW THE LEADER Midwood 1964 1st US PB VG/FN £10 (new in)
JAMES HARVEY: A TWILIGHT AFFAIR Midwood 1960 1st US PB VG £30
ORRIE HITT: TOO HOT TO HANDLE Beacon 1959 1st US PB GD £10
JOHN CLELLON HOLMES: THE HORN Ace 1961 1st US PB GD £10
JAN HUDSON: SORORITY SLUTS Epic 1962 1st US PB VG/FN £25
MAUDE HUTCHINS: THE HANDS OF LOVE Pyramid 1960 US PB GD £8 (new in)
Books Update: Gerry Anderson’s Angels, Captain Scarlet & Thunderbirds
*TV/Film Tie-Ins: This week, more of Gerry Anderson’s iconic creations. These have fired the imagination of generations of children and still remain high in the nostalgia ratings of many an adult collector. Many books originated soon after the TV series in the 1960s, mostly written by John Theydon. More information, including condition notes, is given in our catalogue.
PICTURED: ALL SOLD
ANGELS: THE CREEPING ENEMY by JOHN THEYDON Armada 1968 1st UK PB GD £15
CAPTAIN SCARLET AND THE SILENT SABOTEUR by JOHN THEYDON Armada 1967 1st UK PB FA £7
THUNDERBIRDS by JOHN THEYDON Armada 1966 1st UK PB FA £7
THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO by ALLAN/G & S ANDERSON Armada 1966 1st UK PB VG £12
American Comics Update: DC Debuts: 1st Darkseid cameo in Jimmy Olsen #134 by Jack Kirby
*DC: Having quite startlingly revitalised the moribund Jimmy Olsen title with #133, writer/artist Jack Kirby took it up a notch by introducing Darkseid, the fiendish ruler of the hell-world Apokolips, in the very next issue #134. It was only a fleeting cameo – Darkseid’s image flashes up on a monitor screen while Facetiming with Morgan Edge – but it’s nevertheless the first appearance of the villainous fulcrum of the entire Fourth World Saga, and as such is in high demand. A very nice pence-stamped copy with a brilliant gloss cover by Neal Adams. Very minor ticks at spine do not break colour. Square corners, off-white to white pages, flat with tight, firm staples. There are a few, faint foxing-like marks on the back cover with a small handwritten price in pencil.
PICTURED: JIMMY OLSEN #134 VF- p £185 SOLD
American Comics Update: Their Name Is Legion: Adventure Comics #361-370
*DC: More this week from the Legion of Super-Heroes in their inaugural run in Adventure Comics in the 1960s. These are the comics after which we were named, taking place of course in the 30th Century. And this is a real rich stream, with the debuts of many major villains (and one new Legionnaire), plus Neal Adams covers between #365 & #369. Outstanding grades on most of these; all cents copies.
IN THIS UPDATE: ADVENTURE COMICS
#361 VF+ £40 (PICTURED) 1st Dominators
#362 FN £12 1st Mantis Morlo
#363 VF+ £40 (PICTURED)
#364 FN £12
#365 VF/NM £55 (PICTURED) 1st Shadow Lass SOLD
#366 FN £12.25
#367 VF £39 1st Dark Circle
#369 NM- £50 (PICTURED) 1st Mordru SOLD
#370 VF+ £40 (PICTURED)
American Comics Update: Six Of The Best: Adam Strange & Hawkman in Mystery In Space
*DC: One of the most well-received articles posted here during lockdown was the one I wrote on Adam Strange, the interplanetary adventurer, my favourite DC science-fiction hero. So, I can imagine the delight of the readership (self included!) in 1963 when, for a brief few issues, Adam shared the title with another interplanetary hero Hawkman, fresh from his try-outs in Brave & Bold. We’re delighted to present half a dozen issues of Mystery In Space between #82 and #90, including Hawkman’s debut in #87 and the full-length team-up in #90. The finest examples of this sort of thing ever produced, IMHO, and with the best creators. These are mostly lower graded reading copies, providing excellent budget entertainment.
IN THIS UPDATE: MYSTERY IN SPACE ALL SOLD
#82 GD+ p £9.50 Loose centrefold
#84 GD/VG p £11
#85 GD- p £6.50 Stain at lower spine
#86 GD- p £6.50 Stain at lower spine
#87 FA+ p £8 Hawkman begins; covers detached
#90 GD p £11 Adam Strange/Hawkman team-up; off bottom staple
American Comics Update: Mighty Marvel Firsts: Debut of Dr. Strange in Strange Tales #110
*Marvel: A landmark issue. Strange Tales #110, already the showcase title for the Fantastic Four’s junior member, the Human Torch, presented a mystery back-up strip starring a supernatural champion named Doctor Strange. Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, already the creators of hugely popular twist-ending tales in a plethora of Big Panty Monster comics, turned their talents to an eldritch hero, and Doctor Strange was born! Essentially a retread of Marvel’s previous Dr. Droom character, where this Doctor had the advantage was in Steve Ditko’s powerful and gripping artwork, quite unlike anything else in the field, which catapulted the good Doctor from an interesting novelty into the Marvel Universe’s Master of the Mystic Arts. Unheralded on the cover – honestly, is anyone really bothered if Paste-Pot Pete’s Invincible Paste-Gun does finish the Torch off? – the stylish back-up story introduced the Sorceror Supreme to the Marvel Universe, commencing a lengthy career which has crossed over very successfully into the MCU. Here he faces the recurring threat of Nightmare for obviously the first time.
This is a lowish grade pence-printed copy, but therefore relatively affordable. The cover colours are strong and the staples are tight and firm if a little rusty (with no rust migration). There are very short tears at the lower staple, but these are without any loss. There is also some corner blunting with wear at top and bottom spine. The spine itself is a little worn, but other edge wear is minimal. The cover image is very attractive with just a couple of short colour-breaking creases in the bottom right corner and a barely noticeable 10 com crease vertically down from the top edge; you can only see any faint colour-break in this for a few cms. Pages are a supple and very respectable off-white to cream. There are two or three very short tears on interior pages without loss (including pages 2/3 of the Dr Strange story). All in all, not a bad copy. High resolution images are available on request.
PICTURED: STRANGE TALES #110 GD+ p £1,000
American Comics Update: The Totally Amazing Spider-Man Collection/Spider-Mania: 3rd Green Goblin, Amazing #23
*Marvel: If you’re looking for really nice copies of Amazing Spider-Man for your collection, then look no further than the Totally Amazing Spider-Man Collection. All high grade; even the few that fall below VF (and most are above) are really good-looking copies – no duds here, and nearly all cents copies. It’s always good to have a Steve Ditko issue of Amazing Spider-Man through the gates of 30th Century, and particularly so when that’s an issue featuring the Green Goblin. In this issue, Spidey gets caught up in a power struggle between the Goblin (in just his third appearance) and the Lucky Lobo gang. Includes a wonderful Ditko Spidey pin-up page. This is a beautiful copy with glowing colour and a pristine white background. Flat with square corners and only the most minimal signs of wear at corners and spine. We would have graded it even higher if not for a slight tanning round the edges of the inside covers, but the pages are supple and a nice off-white to cream.
PICTURED: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #23 VF- £430
American Comics Update: The Good Doctor Collection: Journey Into Mystery with Thor #104, #111 & #113
*Marvel: From the Good Doctor Collection this week: Tales of Asgard, the back-up feature showcasing the pomp and grandeur of the Norse pantheon, began in Journey Into Mystery #97, and by the time we got over issue #100, had gushed in ever-increasing leaps and bounds into the main storylines. No more so than in #104, the wonderfully titled Giants Walk the Earth, wherein Thor encounters Surtur the fire demon and Skagg the storm giant. Plenty of Asgard too in #111 and #113 also included in this update.
IN THIS UPDATE: JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY
#104 VG+ £47 (PICTURED) Nice clean, unmarked copy with just minor edge wear and some corner blunting; no specific faults.
#111 VG- p £24 Pence-stamped. A touch of rust at upper staple, without migration and staples both firm. Minor wear and corner blunting. SOLD
#113 VG/FN £38 Lovely clean copy with bright colours, good staples and minimal wear at top edge, including a couple of short, soft creases that do not break colour. SOLD
American Comics Update: Six Of The Best: Star Wars #13-18
*Marvel: I don’t need to tell you much about Star Wars, do I? Suffice it to say that after adapting the first film in Star Wars #1-6, Marvel went on to tell new stories of Han, Luke, Leia and the gang. Issues #13-18 featured here. All lovely high grade cents copies.
IN THIS UPDATE: STAR WARS ALL SOLD
13 VF+ £15
14 NM- £22.75 (PICTURED)
15 VF £12.25
16 VF £12.25
17 VF+ £15
18 VF/NM £18
American Comics Update: Six Of The Best: X-Men #172-177
*Marvel: Six more packed issues of the X-Men this week, from #172-177, during which the artistic reins passed from Paul Smith to John Romita Jr. Features Wolverine’s truncated wedding to Mariko, Cyclops’ completed wedding to Madelyne Pryor, the return of Phoenix in the 20th Anniversary special and lots more.
IN THIS UPDATE: X-MEN ALL SOLD
#172 VF £6.75 (PICTURED)
#173 VG/FN £5
#174 FN/VF £6
#175 FN+ £8.50 20th Anniversary special; Phoenix returns
#176 VF £6.75
#177 VF+ £7.50
American Comics Update: Archie’s Mad House with Sabrina the Teenage Witch
*Archie: Archie’s Mad House started out in 1959 as a sort of rival to Mad, featuring the Archie gang of characters in comics strips, features etc all in a Mad vein. By the time it got to #17, the regular recurring gang had gone and the comedy horror and science fiction covers, which had started slightly earlier, became the norm, with content divided into sections such as Outer Space, Monster and Teenager. And then along came Sabrina. This week we have her 2nd appearance in #24, with many more appearances in this update, which goes up to #40, as annotated in our catalogue. The super-hero Captain Sprocket debuts in issue #25.
PICTURED: ARCHIE’S MAD HOUSE #24 VG- £35 2nd Sabrina the Teenage Witch; off bottom staple.
American Comics Update: The Bute Collection: Pre-Code Horror Fest: This Magazine Is Haunted #12 with Dr Death
*Horror 1940-1959: In our Pre-Code Horror slot and Bute Collection release this week, we present issue #12 of Fawcett’s This Magazine Is Haunted, a title famous for its horrific covers. Hosted by Dr. Death in a shameless bit of nominative determinism, the series went on to be published by Charlton from #15 onwards.
PICTURED: THIS MAGAZINE IS HAUNTED #12 GD £110 Wall of Flesh story with art by Bob Powell. Cover by Sheldon Moldoff (?). Decent copy with nice page quality and firm staples. Tiny colour breaking crease across bottom right; cover colours are good. Cover is unmarked except for three faint-sh) book shop stamps (two also on back cover, where a tiny piece is missing from the bottom edge close to the spine). The comic is slightly mis-cut so that there is a narrow white spine and a narrow white border along the bottom edge. For all that, presents pretty well.
British Comics Update: 3 vintage Rupert the Bear Annuals
*Annuals: Nutwood’s favourite son, Rupert the Bear is an iconic British character, established since the early part of the 20th Century and immortalised in Annuals which still continue to this day. He is a fond favourite of ours here at 30th Century; I grew up with a sense of wonder engendered by those marvellous, evocative front and end papers that so encapsulated magic and adventure. Three splendid examples new in this week.
PICTURED: RUPERT ANNUALS
#2 1937 NM £20 Facsimile.
#11 1946 VG/FN £50 Bright colours, white pages, no marks. Firm tight binding. Price not clipped; neat gift dedication. Very slight spine rubbing and very short 2 cm spine split on back cover. Softcover war economy.
#15 1950 VG/FN £35 Good colour, white pages, no marks. Firm tight binding. Price not clipped; neat gift dedication. Slight edge rubbing with slight spine lean.
British Comics Update: Thriller Comics/Picture Library #31-50
*Boys’ Adventure & War Picture Libraries: This digest-sized comics series, most famous under its later title of Thriller Picture Library, ran for 450 issues until 1963, and while it featured a plethora of characters during its lengthy run, the trend for the early years was for historical swashbucklers based on fictional (but serendipitously copyright-free) characters, but also featuring crime, war, western and science-fiction adventures and sometimes (almost) real people! The artists were all accomplished Fleetway professionals, and readers thrived on these beautifully-illustrated pocket adventures. Issues #31-50 (missing just #42), fresh in this week, mostly centre on adaptations of historical novels. Full details as always in our catalogue.
PICTURED: THRILLER COMICS/PICTURE LIBRARY
#44 GD £15 King Of Sherwood.
#45 GD £15 The Count Of Monte Cristo
#49 GD £15 Guy Fawkes
#50 GD £15 Captain Blood
British Comics Update: Love Story Library: 22 issues from 1962
*Girls’ Picture Libraries: This week’s release of Love Story Library (later Love Story Picture Library), the longest running romance picture library from Fleetway, comprises 22 issues from 1962, most issues in fact between #372 and #400. The series always maintained a high standard and the very accomplished art reflected the fashions and mood of the times. These new additions are in decent condition, with little wear or creasing in most cases, the grades mainly determined by the amount of staple rust. Full details as always in our catalogue.
PICTURED: LOVE STORY LIBRARY #376 GD/VG £4.50
Books Update: Re-Working Our Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Category: Spotted: Philip K Dick Part 5
*Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror: We’re continuing to introduce the new layout for our books categories, with an image for each book. This week, we return to our Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror category for Philip K Dick, one of our best-selling authors; many would consider him the finest exponent of science-fiction of the late 20th century. I guess his themes of religion, drugs, counter culture and destructive relationships hold wide appeal. We are blessed with an excellent stock of his works, the enhanced re-listing of which we’ve been spreading over several updates. This fifth part features seven novels or short story collections. We’ll be spotting more Dick soon…
PICTURED: ALL BY PHILIP K DICK
THE TRANSMIGRATION OF TIMOTHY ARCHER Granada 1983 1st UK PB GD/VG £8
THE TURNING WHEEL AND OTHER STORIES Coronet 1977 1st UK PB VG/FN £10
THE VARIABLE MAN Sphere 1977 UK PB VG £6
VULCAN’S HAMMER Arrow 1976 1st UK PB GD £6 SOLD
WE CAN BUILD YOU Fontana 1977 1st UK PB FN £15
THE WORLD JONES MADE NEL/Sidgwick & Jackson 1976 UK PB FN £15
THE ZAP GUN Panther 1975 1st UK PB FN £7
Books Update: Six Of The Best: Six Vintage Saints from 1960-63
*Crime, Spies & Sleaze: New in this week, six editions of the Saint by Leslie Charteris, all in Hodder & Stoughton paperback editions from 1960-63 with the distinctive matchstick saint figure on the covers. All six volumes feature either short or longer stories or novels of the classic adventurer made famous on TV by Roger Moore. More details, of course, in our catalogue, including condition notes.
PICTURED: ALL BY LESLIE CHARTERIS ALL SOLD
THE SAINT AROUND THE WORLD Hodder & Stoughton 1961 UK PB GD/VG £5
THE SAINT: THE BRIGHTER BUCCANEER Hodder & Stoughton 1963 UK PB GD/VG £4
SAINT ERRANT Hodder & Stoughton 1960 UK PB VG £5
THE SAINT IN NEW YORK Hodder & Stoughton 1960 UK PB GD £3
THE SAINT ON THE SPANISH MAIN Hodder & Stoughton 1960 UK PB FA/GD £3
THANKS TO THE SAINT Hodder & Stoughton 1961 UK PB GD/VG £4
Books Update: More learned volumes about H P Lovecraft
*Books About Books: We’re pleased to add two more books on H P Lovecraft to this small but growing category. Sometimes it seems that Lovecraft has had more books written about him than any other writer in his genre. Both of these do what they say on the tin and were issued without dustjackets.
PICTURED: ABOUT H P LOVECRAFT
DONALD R BURLESON: A CRITICAL STUDY Greenwood 1983 1st US HC VF £40
BARTON LEVI ST. ARMAND: THE ROOTS OF HORROR IN THE FICTION OF H P LOVECRAFT Dragon Press 1977 1st US HC VG £40
Our Prestige Collections Explained
It’s been some time now since we started releasing the three prestige collections that we’re currently working on, so we thought it prudent to take the time to explain these again for those that missed the announcements first time round. We have already released and sold many comics from these collections, but further releases are due every week and will last for some time to come.
The Good Doctor Collection: This is a comprehensive collection representing a lifetime’s hobby by one of the UK’s most dedicated collectors. It is a mixture of original owner copies and copies sourced from the UK’s most significant dealers (including ourselves); the Good Doctor was very meticulous and patient in collecting nice copies where available and that is reflected throughout this 1500+ collection of Silver and early Bronze Age Marvel titles. All of the important Marvel titles are included and in virtually complete runs from early numbers upwards.
The Totally Amazing Spider-Man Collection: This is devoted exclusively to Amazing Spider-Man and covers almost every issue of Amazing from as early as #12 right up to around #800. The notable feature of the TASM Collection is that all issues are high grade, averaging VF/VF+. If you’re looking for really nice copies of Amazing Spider-Man for your collection, then look no further than this Collection. No duds here, and nearly all cents copies.
The Bute Collection: Named after a favourite place of the owner (Bute is an island in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland), this is the personal reference collection of a working comics artist and author who wishes to remain anonymous. Derived from a multiplicity of sources over decades, but characterised by an astonishing depth, breadth and diversity of American and British items from the 1930s onwards, including many seldom seen on these shores, in a variety of grades. If you’re a lover of vintage comics, you’ll enjoy the ride, and you’re certain to find many comics you’d love to add to your collection.
American Comics Update: Who’s faster? Superman or the Flash?
*DC: Amazingly, given their lengthy careers, 1967’s Superman #199 was the first time Superman and the Flash had ever raced competitively, and writer Jim Shooter and artist Curt Swan drew every ounce of drama out of the situation, throwing tricks, traps and dilemmas as the Man of Steel and the Crimson Comet battle their way to the finish line, with the ostensibly benign agenda, needless to say, being subverted for fiendish purposes. An historic issue, and great fun into the bargain! This is a worn, pence stamped copy. The staples are fine at spine but the centrefold is detached. Lots of wear and creasing at corners and edges, which show significantly on black and dark background. There is a long 13 cm colour-breaking crease across the top right hand corner. Pages are a bit creamy, but okay.
PICTURED: SUPERMAN #199 GD- p £50 SOLD
American Comics Update: 5 early Justice League of America classics
*DC: Once again, we’re straying into my favourite comics territory with these five early issues of Justice League of America. In my opinion, unrivalled in their imagination and scope, and beautifully crafted. It includes #10, which has a special place in my affections as it was the first issue I ever read.
IN THIS UPDATE: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA ALL SOLD
#10 PR p £9.251st Felix Faust; 1st Lord Of Time; 1st Demons Three. Spine heavily taped
#11 FA p £11 Restapled
#13 VG+ p £40 (PICTURED)
#14 GD- p £14.50 Atom joins team
#15 GD p £18.75
American Comics Update: The Good Doctor Collection: Spider-Mania/Mighty Marvel Firsts: Debut of Electro in Amazing #9
*Marvel: From the Good Doctor Collection this week, we present the first appearance of one of Spider-Man’s most nefarious foes, Electro, the master of electricity, in Amazing Spider-Man #9. From this original clash with Spidey, Electro has gone on to appear throughout the Marvel Universe across many decades. This is a lower graded pence printed copy, with the front cover off the bottom staple; otherwise the staples are firm throughout. Edge and corner wear aren’t heavy, with a few fine creases just breaking colour at bottom right corner. There is a long diagonal crease faintly breaking colour from centre bottom logo down across the text to level with Electro’s shoulders. The cover colours are a little muted. Pages are a supple, decent off-white to cream.
PICTURED: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #9 GD+ p £350