The Iconic Science Fiction of Planet Comics #1, Up for Auction

Lasting 73 points from January 1940 to Winter 1953, Planet Comics is crucial science fiction title in American comedian e-book historical past. Almost 70 years after the conclusion of that run, the title continues to have an effect on mainstream popular culture. It’s the go-to instance for science fiction comedian e-book artwork and imagery, with numerous traditional covers over the course of its 13-year run. The first situation of this iconic collection additionally includes a cowl by legendary artist Lou Fine, and there is a Planet Comics #1 Trimmed (Fiction House, 1940) CGC Apparent FN/VF 7.0 Moderate (A-3) Off-white to white pages up for public sale within the 2022 October 13 The Fiction House Showcase Auction #40199 at Heritage Auctions.

After launching Jumbo Comics in 1938, longtime pulp writer Fiction House adopted up with a quantity of comedian titles that have been counterparts of some of their pulp titles. Fight Stories led to Fight Comics, Jungle Stories to Jungle Comics, and Wings to Wings Comics. Notably, Fiction House was not identified for science fiction materials as much as this time, and the idea for the Planet Stories pulp and Planet Comics have been deliberate out on the identical time in 1939. Based on Library of Congress copyright data, Planet Stories hit newsstands round October 10, 1939 — about three weeks earlier than the November 1, 1939 debut of Planet Comics.

1939 was an essential yr for the growing reputation of science fiction. The first World Science Fiction Convention was held July 2-4 in New York City that yr, attended by a quantity of figures who would subsequently loom giant over the event of the comedian e-book trade. But it was the 1939 New York World’s Fair with its theme, “The World of Tomorrow” which might closely affect a quantity of comedian e-book titles and options. Aside from the well-known promotional connections that some publishers held along side the truthful, like DC Comics’ New York World’s Fair 1939 comedian e-book, and “Superman Day”, and Fox Feature Syndicate’s “Blue Beetle Day”, numerous science future-themed reveals on the truthful influenced the contents of comics as effectively.

For instance, Perisphere Payne from Fox Feature Syndicate’s Science Comics is clearly named after one of essentially the most well-known symbols of the truthful — the Trylon and Perisphere. The character Electro from Science Comics #1, which launched two months after Planet Comics, was additionally doubtless impressed by the New York World’s Fair. Elektro, the robotic created by Westinghouse Electric Corporation was one of essentially the most well-known reveals on the truthful. He was utilized by Westinghouse as a strolling, speaking commercial of types, and a logo of the trendy wonders of electrical energy. Science Comics #1‘s Electro was additionally symbolic of such wonders — a lot in order that his mastery of electrical energy reminds one of Magneto’s absolute management of magnetism. Unfortunately for Victor Fox, his model was not the one comedian e-book Electro impressed by the Westinghouse robotic. Marvel’s Electro debuted in Marvel Mystery Comics #4 — which beat Science Comics #1 to the newsstands by a mere two weeks. With Marvel’s model extra impressed by the robotic facet of Westinghouse’s Elektro fairly than the notion of electrical wonders like Fox’s model, it appears doubtless that Marvel and Victor Fox got here to a easy settlement. Fox’s model of Electro was renamed Dynamo with Science Comics #2.

Standard/Nedor editors Mort Weisinger (later a longtime DC Comics editor) and Leo Margulies have been impressed to create the character Captain Future throughout the truthful. There have been each pulp and comedian e-book variations of Captain Future, and the comedian e-book model was used as a daily function within the Startling Comics title. The Futurama exhibit and the 1939 New York World’s Fair marketed the expertise to guests as “The World of Tomorrow”, and Captain Future was promoted in Startling Comics and the Captain Future pulp as “The Man of Tomorrow”.

An instance of the truthful’s affect on Planet Comics will be seen in artist Dick Briefer‘s title splash of The Planetary Adventures of Flint Baker and the One-Eyed Monster Men of Mars in situation #1. The launch web site for Flint’s rocketship appears impressed by legendary industrial designer Raymond Loewy‘s imaginative and prescient of a rocket port of the longer term for the Transportation Building. Among different space-themed reveals just like the Elgin Observatory, the Hayden Planetarium featured a fairly spectacular and complicated simulated journey to the Moon and Mars.

Despite Fiction House’s lack of earlier science fiction publishing expertise, with Planet Comics, the writer caught the right storm of the booming comedian e-book trade and the rising reputation of science fiction. The end result was the only most iconic science fiction title in American comedian e-book historical past and a collection that continues to be avidly collected to this present day. There’s a Planet Comics #1 Trimmed (Fiction House, 1940) CGC Apparent FN/VF 7.0 Moderate (A-3) Off-white to white pages up for public sale within the 2022 October 13 The Fiction House Showcase Auction #40199 at Heritage Auctions. In addition to the gadgets listed on this publish, you may try Fiction House titles comparable to Planet Comics, Jumbo Comics, Jungle Comics, Fight Comics, Rangers Comics, Wings Comics and way more. New to amassing Fiction House or need to study extra? Bleeding Cool is doing an ongoing deep dive into the historical past behind Fiction House within the run-up to this public sale. If you have by no means bid at Heritage Auctions earlier than, you will get additional info, you may try their FAQ on the bidding course of and associated issues.

Planet Comics #1 Trimmed (Fiction House, 1940) CGC Apparent FN/VF 7.0 Moderate (A-3) Off-white to white pages. Origin and first look of Auro, Lord of Jupiter. Flint Baker and the Red Comet start. Captain Nelson Cole and Spurt Hammond appearances. Will Eisner and Lou Fine cowl. Alex Blum, Dick Briefer, and Henry Kiefer artwork. Currently tied for #96 on Overstreet’s listing of Top 100 Golden Age Comics. CGC notes, “Restoration includes: color touch, pieces added, tear seals, reinforced. All 3 Edges Trimmed.” Overstreet 2022 GD 2.0 worth = $1,650; VG 4.0 worth = $3,300; FN 6.0 worth = $4,950.