What Does the Fox Say About Some Very Rare Early Fox Comics?

Rarity is a surprisingly tough idea to pin down relating to comedian books, or actually any space of accumulating.  Our notion of what comedian books are uncommon has advanced significantly since the days of Overstreet Price Guide scarce and uncommon designations and the Gerber Scarcity Index.  There are additionally alternative ways to consider rarity: uncommon in excessive grade, uncommon as unrestored, uncommon on the market, and low CGC census numbers amongst different methods to have a look at it. Demand can be inextricably linked to rarity, in observe.  A fascinating comedian ebook that turns into extensively referred to as uncommon tends to develop into much less uncommon over time — often.  With all this mentioned, 20+ years into the period throughout which we’ve CGC census and public gross sales knowledge out there, Fox Feature Syndicate as a line is actually deserving of extra consideration for the variety of uncommon and fascinating points the firm printed throughout the early Golden Age.

When I began researching my protection of this  2022 December 1 Fox Comics Showcase Auction #40214, I observed that as of this writing, there are about 90 pre-1944 Fox superhero comics which have single-digit common (unrestored) census numbers out of the lower than 200 points printed over that interval.  Fox collectors are used to uncommon as a baseline, so what may skilled collectors on this space take into account really uncommon?  Let’s take a better take a look at that subject by means of the lens of what is out there at this public sale.

When a Fox is Not Really a Fox, is it Actually a Unicorn?

On March 6, 1942, the infamous Golden Age writer of Blue Beetle and far more, Victor Fox was compelled into chapter 11 by collectors.  Fascinatingly, a type of collectors, printer Holyoke Press took over the title, and with Fox’s Blue Beetle and different titles the writer acquired beneath related circumstances from Frank Z. Temerson, Holyoke determined to get into the comedian ebook publishing enterprise.  Holyoke printed the sequence from Blue Beetle #12-30, and after a one-issue transition, Temerson’s employees led by Charles Quinlan, finest identified for his work on Cat-Man Comics took over Blue Beetle for Holyoke.

Victor Fox regained management of the title in 1944 and resumed publishing the sequence with Blue Beetle #31.  For the functions of this public sale and in the minds of many Blue Beetle and Fox collectors, the Holyoke points are merely grouped in with Fox.  While not out there on this public sale, Blue Beetle #16 has solely a single copy on the CGC census, and I’m informed there are usually not numerous uncooked copies sitting in collections.  Generally talking, this vary of the run is taken into account powerful by collectors, and Blue Beetle #17 with its battle cowl is a mix of each powerful and fascinating.  In mixture with that, it could be price noting that the Holyoke stretch of the run is wildly underappreciated by collectors, that includes some bonkers stuff by Quinlan amongst others.

Fox’s Tough 1941/1942 Stretch

The finish of the Wonderworld Comics sequence is taken into account legendarily powerful by collectors, however there are numerous powerful Fox points from the late 1941 / early 1942 interval, which is the interval main as much as Fox Publications, Inc’s 1942 chapter.  The writer chased increased circulation by way of rising the variety of titles in his line over this timeframe, and it merely did not work — in truth, in an more and more aggressive market of the time, it appears to have backfired. As Fox’s audited circulation knowledge exhibits, Fantastic Comics, Mystery Men Comics, Wonderworld Comics, and Science Comics had been averaging 345,713 copies bought every at their early 1940 peak.  By the final month of 1941, the line was averaging beneath 115,000 copies bought per title — a drop of 66%.  It’s seemingly that the early months of 1942 had been that unhealthy and even worse.  While this isn’t the full image of any rarity equation, it’s actually an element.

What Does the Census Say?

There are some surprisingly low CGC census numbers amongst early Fox.  Here are the lowest CGC Census numbers for Fox comics on this public sale, together with notes on the availability of unrestored excessive grade the place that’s significantly noteworthy:

What Do Collectors Say About Rare and Desirable Fox Comics?

But even the CGC Census and historic circulation knowledge are usually not the be-all and end-all of the rarity image.  Here’s what longtime critical Fox collectors take into consideration the uncommon and fascinating points from early Fox:

• Blue Beetle #10, 11, 12 – The mini-bondage cowl run.  Probably the most fascinating a part of the sequence.
• Blue Beetle #17 – Part of the very powerful part of the run, and funky battle cowl.
• Eagle #2,3,4 – The Spider Queen points.  None are frequent.
• Fantastic Comics  #17, 18, 23 – Probably the most tough problems with this run.
• Flame #7,8 – These are the hardest on this run.
• Green Mask #7, 8 – These points are very difficult in any grade.
• Mystery Men Comics #7,8 – Probably the hardest points in the first half of the run.  Of course, Mystery Men Comics #7 as the first Blue Beetle cowl is especially vital.
• Mystery Men Comics #10 – An usually ignored and superior cowl.
• Mystery Men Comics #30 – This subject may be very powerful in any grade, and this one is tied for 2nd highest. One of the 10 most fascinating Fox books, and we have taken a glance a better take a look at this subject right here.
• Samson #5 – This is an usually ignored run, and this subject is a cool and difficult battle cowl.
• Weird Comics #11 – This subject is hard, and far of this run just isn’t frequent.  Also price trying out is the cool subject #18 spider-apes cowl and subject #19 with an incredible battle cowl that may be very powerful in respectable grade.
• Wonder Comics #2 – Another of the prime 10 most desired Fox books, and this one is perhaps the most inexpensive copy you will ever see.  We’ve taken a deep dive into this one.
• Wonderworld Comics #22 – A contender for the hardest subject on this run.
• Wonderworld Comics #33 – Don’t let the census idiot you, that is legendarily one among the rarest Fox books.  At least two main Fox collectors had been stymied by this ebook and by no means discovered a duplicate.  A really excessive proportion of all copies that exist are seemingly in the census presently.

While it is a fairly good roundup of accessible knowledge mixed with professional opinion, needless to say that is nonetheless solely a part of the Fox rarity image.  These lists concentrate on what’s out there in the 2022 December 1 Fox Comics Showcase Auction #40214, which itself largely has a concentrate on the early Fox period.  And even past this, with an unimaginable 45% or so of early Fox points in the single digit (unrestored) CGC census vary, if you happen to’re a comic book ebook rarity fan, this materials is price your time.

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