Cartoons and comics - a great partnership. Some of these comics might be worth something in the collectors market today. Let's take a look at 5 cartoon-inspired comic books from our youth!
One could argue that cartoons were at their peak in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Transformers, Jem and the Holograms, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and more dominated our Saturday mornings, as we sat entranced in front of our televisions. These shows also spawned countless toys, video games, movies, and of course, comic books. Kids could easily escape into these multilayered worlds any way they say fit, and in the pages of a comic book, creators could build on worlds and give characters more depth.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe have had several go-arounds in the comic book world. Their first foray was in 1981 with mini-comics that were packed with the He-Man action figures.
In 1982 DC took over the second wave of mini-comics, and by the end of the year, DC released a full-size limited series.
Since then, He-Man has been in over 10 different comic book series, with the most recent series being released by Dark Horse in 2021 to coincide with the new Netflix series.
Masters of the Universe #1 (1982,) with art by Adrienne Roy, George Tuska, and Adam Kubert, has a total of 1,260 blue labels listed in the CGC census. Of those, 440 are 9.8s - the grade has a current FMV of $625.
Jem and the Holograms
In 1985, Jem and the Holograms danced and sang their way into the hearts of children across America. Their wild outfits and catchy music inspired a generation of children, yet it wasn't until 2011 that a piece of the Jem universe found its way into comic books, with Hasbro including Synergy in the world of Hasbro.
Titled Unit: E this was a New York Comic Con exclusive. Finally, in 2015, Jem and the Holograms got their own comic book title thanks to IDW. The series was popular and did inspire two mini-series after the comic came to an end.
Jem & The Holograms #1, written by Kelly Thompson with art by Ross Campbell, doesn't have many sales listed, with only a couple yellow labels selling for under $100.
Tiny Toon Adventures
If you were a child of the 1990s you probably watched Tiny Toon Adventures. This colorful cartoon show featured a cast of young Looney Toon hopefuls as they attend Acme University.
In 1990 DC released a quarterly series called Tiny Toon Adventures Magazine. DC only released issues 1-4, while Welsh Publishing Group released issues 5-7.
Marvel would also release their own take on a Tiny Toon Adventures comic starting in 1992, but these were only released in the United Kingdom.
Raw copies of Tiny Toon Adventures Magazine #1 can be found for $10 on eBay.
Darkwing Duck
Disney's lighthearted take on Batman was a hit during the early 1990s. The brave mallard and his family, friends, and foes, would see their own comic book adaptation in 1991 with a four-issue mini-series by Disney Comics.
Boom Studios would release their own Darkwing Duck series from June of 2010 to October of 2011, bringing the character back into the spotlight.
IDW would then include one of Boom Studios Darkwing Duck arcs in their Disney Afternoon Giant book. This series did have some controversy, but that is another topic for another day!
Disney's Darkwing Duck Limited Series #1 only registers 133 blue labels in the CGC census. 51 of those are 9.8s, which currently sport an FMV of $375.
Thundercats ![](https://img.gocollect.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJnb2NvbGxlY3QuaW1hZ2VzLnN0YWdlIiwia2V5IjoiYmxvZ1wvYjJiZDZmOGUtZmY4Zi00NGYzLTk2N2MtNDZlM2Y3MDY0NWJmLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6MTk0LCJoZWlnaHQiOjMwMH19fQ==)
One could argue that Thundercats defined 1980s cartoons. The series has managed to live on in various reboots and of course, comic books. Marvel released the first line of Thundercats comics under their Star Comics imprint starting in 1985. This series lasted an impressive 3 years.
Simultaneously Marvel UK released their own Thundercats comic, which also saw a 3-year life span. In 2002 DC's imprint Wildstorm released a few Thundercats mini-series, as well as one-shots.
Panini Comics then released a new Thundercats series to coincide with the 2011 show, but this comic was a UK release only. Finally, in 2016, DC released a He-Man/Thundercats crossover mini-series.
A CGC 9.8 copy of Thundercats #1 sold for nearly $2,000 in April of 2021. Today, that same comic has lost more than 50% of its value with an FMV of only $950. Will you be looking to add it to your collection before the prices go back up?
That's All, Folks
Are these books worth investing in? Depends on who you ask. There was some interest in issue one of the Boom Studios Darkwing Duck, but overall there isn't a lot of data to really tell you if these books are worth investing in. As far as collecting, absolutely. These are great staples of pop culture and an even better way to relive your childhood!
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*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not reflect investment advice on behalf of GoCollect.