One of the longest running publishers in the comic book industry was Charlton Comics. Producing comics from 1944 to 1986, Charlton’s comics covered nearly every genre. For collectors, while much is unimportant, there are some series and issues that are worth your attention. Let’s take a look.
Charlton Comics
Charlton Comics was formed by John Santangelo Sr. and Ed Levy. Previously known for sheet music and puzzle magazines, the two founders of the Derby, Connecticut company needed something to keep their presses running and turned to the booming medium of comic books. They were rare in the comic publishing world in that they controlled all aspects of publishing, from editorial to printing to distribution.
They were also really cheap, paying creators some of the lowest rates in the industry, printing comics on poor quality paper, and publishing previously unpublished material acquired from defunct companies. They changed titles of series quite often as a new series would require a new second class postage permit, an expense they avoided paying. As a result, many series’ first issues do not begin with number one. To top it all off, as a budget-conscious east coast company, distribution west of the Mississippi River was often spotty. Amidst all of this, they did manage to serve as early launchpads for two giants in the field: Steve Ditko and Dick Giordano.
Like most publishers, Charlton took a big hit with the advent of the Comics Code Authority in the mid-1950s and the end of the Golden Age. More catastrophic for the company, however, was Hurricane Diane, which flooded the publisher’s office on August 19, 1955, destroying their paper inventory, plates, mats, and original artwork, including artwork they had purchased from Fawcett Comics when the publisher went belly-up. Entire print runs of many comic issues were destroyed as well, causing Charlton to completely abandon some series.
Much of Charlton’s output in the Golden Age was of middling quality at best. They churned out cheap comics across nearly every genre – horror, suspense, crime, romance, war, western, science fiction, talking animals, superheroes – they published it all, even comics devoted to racing cars. From the standpoint of a collector, much of it is worth little; you can look through entire series and barely find any graded copies in the CGC census. However, amidst all this dreck are some gems that could be worth adding to your collection.
First Published Series
Charlton’s first series began publication in 1944 with Yellowjacket Comics #1. There are 34 graded copies in the CGC census. Recent sales include an 8.5 selling in a 2024 Heritage auction for $1,560 and a 0.5 selling in a 2023 eBay auction for $450. This gives you a pretty good value range for Charlton’s first comic. Collectors also focus on Yellowjacket Comics #7 and Yellowjacket Comics #8, both of which sport nice covers by Ken Battefield. Recent sales range from $1,000 in the high grades to $300 in the mid grades for the former, and $600 in the high grades to $150 in the mid grades for the latter.
Western & War Comics
Like most publishers after World War II, Charlton had more than their share of western comics. The most popular began with Cowboy Western Comics #17 published in 1948. There are five graded copies, and the only sale of the past few years was a 7.5 going for $225 in a 2024 eBay auction.
As tastes shifted in the 1950s, so too did Charlton’s publishing slate as they shifted from westerns to war comics. Their Fightin’ series focusing on different branches of the military remained one of the publisher’s staples into the 1980s. It all started with Fightin’ Marines #14 in 1955. Of course, it’s the continuation of a series purchased when St. John ceased publication, and this first issue contains reprints from St. John issues. But it also contains artwork by Matt Baker, Gene Colan, and Don Perlin. Again, there are only five graded copies and the last sold was a 4.0 going for $100 in a 2023 eBay auction.
Humor Comics
No stranger to imitation, Charlton sought to capitalize on the success of EC’s Mad with their own humor comic, Eh! #1 published in 1953. There are 14 graded copies, and a big sale of the sole top-of-census 9.2 copy brought in $2,880 in a 2024 Heritage auction.
The other issue of note in the series is Eh! #4. There are 22 graded copies, and sales in 2024 include a 7.5 going for $528 and a 3.5 for $192, both in Heritage auctions. If humor is your game, you may also want to consider From Here to Insanity #8, the first of a short-lived series begun in 1955. The only 9.4 graded copy of three copies graded total fetched $2,400 in a 2024 Heritage auction.
Romance Comics
Charlton stayed in the romance game longer than most, publishing their most popular series until 1976. It began with a series they purchased from Mainline, which had published the first four issues. In Love #5, published in 1955, sports a Jack Kirby cover. Interior artwork was provided by Jack Kamen and (presumably) Lee Elias. There are only four graded copies and the top-of-census 9.0 just sold in the April 6 Heritage auction for $1,440. The only other recorded sale was a 6.5 going for $141 in 2019.
Charlton changed the series title beginning with I Love You #7, and it is this title that would run for another two decades. This issue, again, has a Jack Kirby cover. There are only five graded copies in the CGC census. One 4.5 sold in a June 2024 Heritage auction for $690. Another 4.5, however, fared far worse, going for just $159 in a February 13 Heritage auction. The cover of the copy that sold most recently is, to be fair, far less esthetically pleasing than the 4.5 that sold last year.
Hot Rods and Racing Cars
Oddly enough, another of Charlton’s long-running series focused on automobiles. Hot Rods and Racing Cars #1 was released in 1951. There are 10 graded copies, but none have sold since 2023 when a 3.0 went for just $89 in an eBay auction. For comparison sake, a 6.5 sold in a 2022 eBay auction for $203.
Science Fiction
Space Adventures #1 was published in 1952 and marks the start of Charlton’s foray into science fiction. There are 36 graded copies and a 5.0 sold in a February 25 Heritage auction for $264. A 9.0 sold in a February 2024 eBay auction for $3,425 and is the current record holder. The lone 9.2 has never sold.
Blue Beetle made his return in Space Adventures #13. The character, who had bounced around between Fox and Holyoke and back to Fox again, ended up in the hands of Charlton when Fox went out of business. Of course, this was Charlton, so that first appearance after five years out of publication featured reprint material. There are 80 graded copies, but they’re fairly affordable. While there have as of yet been no sales in 2025, those in 2024 include a 9.0 selling for a slashed $400 and a 7.0 going for just $87 in a ComicConnect auction. Space Adventures would go on to greater fame in the Silver Age with the creation of Captain Atom.
A bizarre issue of a strange series is Space Western #44. The series only lasted six issues, but the swastika cover is prized by collectors. There are 51 graded copies and the record holder is a 9.2 that sold in a 2022 Heritage auction for $3,840.
Suspense Comics
Now, we’re getting into the good stuff where collectors are concerned. Always looking to purchase titles from closed shops, Charlton picked up Strange Suspense Stories from Fawcett in 1954. A few issues into the series, Steve Ditko began contributing covers and interior art. There are 25 copies of Strange Suspense Stories #18 in the CGC census. The only sale this year was a 7.0 selling for $495 in a January 25 fixed price eBay sale. The record holder is an 8.5 that sold for $1,080 in a 2022 Heritage auction. The lone 9.0 has never sold.
Ditko took a turn toward the gruesome with the cover for Strange Suspense Stories #19. There are 65 graded copies, and a 7.0 sold in the April 6 Heritage auction for $3,840. The record holder is an 8.0 – the third highest graded copy – that sold for $13,200 in a 2019 Heritage auction. There are no recorded sales for the top-of-census 9.4.
Pre-Code Horror
Perhaps no other Charlton series is more desired by Golden Age collectors than The Thing. It is easily the most prominent of their horror titles. The Thing #1 was released in 1952 and this first issue is filled with all sorts of weirdness, including a shrunken head on the cover. There are 36 graded copies. Recent sales in the 3.0 to 4.5 grades range from $264 to $408. While many of the top grades have never sold, the top 9.4 grade – and the only copy in that grade – sold in a 2023 Heritage auction for $14,400.
The gruesome Lou Morales eye injury cover for The Thing #7 is popular with Pre-Code Horror collectors. There are 54 graded copies and a 7.0 sold in a June 2024 Heritage auction for $1,560, followed shortly thereafter by an eBay auction sale in July 2024 for $1,251. The top price paid is $3,600 in a 2019 Heritage auction.
Steve Ditko’s first published cover appeared in The Thing #12. While there are 59 graded copies, only one has sold since 2023 - a 3.0 going for a slashed $1,800 in a 2024 eBay sale. The record holder was sold a year prior, a 7.0 going for $7,245 in a ComicConnect auction. Ditko contributed all of the remaining covers for the series through its end with The Thing #17.
We would be remiss if we didn’t point out the infamous “tongue bouquet” cover for Lawbreakers Suspense Stories #11. Long a favorite of Pre-Code Horror collectors, there are 91 graded copies in the CGC census. You’re looking at coughing up thousands for even a low grade. On the high end, the record holder is an 8.5 Bethlehem Pedigree copy that sold for $19,200 in a 2022 Heritage auction.
Charlton's Golden Age Legacy
Despite its cost-cutting reputation, Charlton managed to produce some fine comics here and there. While there is much for a collector to ignore out of their hundreds of series, it’s worthwhile to seek those few that matter. And with so few graded copies, the hunt is at least half the fun.
