Welcome back to this week's Weekly Comic Auction Gem rundown! Each week, we'll look at Heritage's weekly Sunday through Tuesday comic book auction to see which items should be on your radar!

Archie's Pal Jughead #1

Since his introduction in Pep Comics #22, Jughead Jones has been a fan favorite for over 80 years. His Devil May Care attitude and negative outlook on dating (despite possibly being in love with Betty) are a sharp contrast to his best friend Archie Andrews. The duo work extremely well together, and if they should have a squabble they always get back together. He's been the focal point of his own solo series throughout the decades. Archie's Pal Jughead lasted for close to 40 years, but other series include Jughead's Fantasy, Jughead's Folly, The World of Jughead, Jughead: The Hunger, and my personal favorite Jughead's Diner. The character is versatile and can fit well in almost any situation.

Heritage notes this copy as being in Good / Very Good condition, so this book could be an affordable get for the right buyer. Lower-graded copies of Archie's Pal Jughead #1 have decreased in value, but I am confident they will go back up. This is a wonderful Golden Age find!

Bringing Up Father Book #1

George McManus' slice-of-life comic about an Irish-American couple that suddenly comes into wealth is one of my favorite Platinum Age comic strips. The strip started in 1913 and ran until 2000, an impressive run for any series. Bringing Up Father looked at how "lace curtain Irish" and "shanty Irish" classes were viewed by Americans (neither term was endearing), and also plays a vital role in showing us how people may have spoken and acted over 100 years ago. I've mentioned Bringing Up Father prior, and I firmly believe this is one of the best Platinum Age comics. The series itself was popular in the 1910s and 1920s and had several live action and animated adaptations.

This copy of Bringing Up Father #1 is noted as being in Good condition. The book presents extremely well, and will likely go for a hair over $110. Similar books have sold on Heritage for under $130 -- Platinum Books have a very small market, so these are truly for the passionate fan. If you've ever been curious about the series, this is a great starting point. This auction itself is full of great Platinum Age books, so if you're looking to build a collection, this is the auction to do so.

Punch Bound Volume Group of 6

Going back into comic history a little further, here's an important piece of cartoon and comic history. Punch may be known for its wit and satire, but Punch also coined the term cartoon;

Acclaimed for its acerbic wit, Punch captured life during the 19th and 20th centuries in astute detail and became one of the most illustrious publications of its time. Staff met every Wednesday to discuss material for the next edition, which was decided over a convivial dinner. The drawings, also referred to as cartoons or ‘cuts’ had to be completed by Friday night, when they were sent to the engravers.

Punch is credited with coining the term ‘cartoon’ as we know it today. The creators behind its much-loved illustrations included John Tenniel, John Leech, George du Maurier, Phil May and of course, Sambourne – who all became household names.

This lot of six bound volumes has issues from 1844 and from between 1900-1903. Heritage notes that while there is some wear with cream to tan pages throughout, the books can still be read. If you love the history of cartoons and comics, do not sleep on this item. A similar lot of 5 sold in March 2024 for $240, and I expect this lot to end around the same price.

Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane #70 CGC 6.0

This is one of my favorite Silver Age covers, and even more importantly, the first Silver Age appearance of Catwoman! Despite not being in a Batman book, Catwoman is ready to jump into the new era of comics. Donning an updated version of her Golden Age costume, we would still be a few years out from the iconic black catsuit she's known to wear now. The Penguin, Batman, and Robin all appear, further proving the point that DC is all Batman, all the time -- even in a Superman spinoff.

This CGC blue label 6.0 has off-white to white pages and has started to climb up in value after dropping significantly between April 2021 and October 2023. The current fair market value is at $425, with a 90-day average of $303, and a 30-day average of $400.