One area of focus in comic collecting that has been overlooked since other forms of media began to have such a great influence on the hobby is that of hunting down key comics by top creators. Never fear. We’re here to help you sort through the top books by individual creators, both in terms of investing and reading. This time we’re looking at the works of Matt Baker.
The Legendary “Good Girl” Artist
Matt Baker was the first prominent African American artist in the comic book field. Few could draw women as he could and his influence has spread far and wide, both among comics artists and the greater art world. In a career cut short by an untimely death, he produced hundreds of comic book covers and more than 1,000 individual pages that are definitively his work. There may be many more that have not been entirely confirmed.
In a nod to the future, he also drew what is arguably the first graphic novel. One caveat when discussing Baker’s work is that, while he was indeed a prolific artist, so was the entire Iger Studio for which the bulk of his earlier work was done. Baker quickly became an oft-imitated artist within the Iger Studio, so it can be difficult to determine beyond a reasonable doubt that some of the work attributed to him is actually his.
First Comic
Despite being the optimal age for wartime service, Matt Baker was exempt from the draft during World War II. A bout of rheumatic fever as a youth had damaged his heart. After a stint as a student at Cooper Union in Manhattan, by 1944 Baker found himself working at the Jerry Iger Studio as a background artist. Iger hired him based on one sketch, appropriately enough, of a woman. Baker’s first assignment was to draw the women for a Sheena, Queen of the Jungle story in Jumbo Comics #69, published by Fiction House in 1944.
There are 27 graded copies of Jumbo Comics #69 in the CGC census, including two 9.0 copies, one of which sold in a 2021 ComicConnect auction for $3,800. The most recent sales include a 7.0 selling for $2,750 in an eBay fixed price sale in December of last year and a 4.5 going for $1,020 in the July 18 Heritage auctioin.
Bondage & Seduction of the Innocent
Baker quickly left his mark in the comic book field through his ability to draw women, and he became an incredibly prolific artist for St. John, Fiction House, Fox, and Quality throughout the latter half of the 1940s. Of course, this led to a number of bondage covers that are highly prized by collectors, as well as a trio of covers that were featured in Fredric Wertham’s Seduction of the Innocent.
Baker’s first cover that featured a woman in bondage (and a swastika to boot) was Fight Comics #40. There are 67 graded copies in the CGC census, including a 9.4 Promise Collection copy that sold for a record price of $10,800 in a 2021 Heritage auction. Two 6.0 graded copies have sold this year for an average price of $1,260, while a 6.5 graded CBCS copy sold for $1,950 in an April 24 fixed price eBay sale.
One additional bondage cover of Baker’s deserves mention, that being Jo-Jo #25. The only 8.0 graded copy is a pedigree Promise Collection one and it sold in a June 23 Heritage auction for $9,900. That’s down from the $11,400 paid in a Heritage auction for the same copy. Even a famous work by one of the Golden Age’s most popular artists isn’t immune to the downward pressures currently being felt in the back issue market.
As mentioned, a few of Baker’s works were included in Seduction of the Innocent. The holy grail of all Baker covers – Phantom Lady #17 – was cited in Wertham’s screed against comics. While there are 118 graded copies of this comic in the CGC census, only three are graded 9.0 or higher. The top grade, a 9.6 Promise Collection copy, sold in a 2021 Heritage auction for $456,000, solidifying it as Baker’s top collectable work. Four copies have sold this year, including a 5.5 selling in a March 22 ComicConnect auction for $55,200. That sale looks like a bit of an outlier on the high end, particularly when compared to a 7.0 that sold in a September 2023 Heritage auction for $57,600 and a 6.0 that went in a September 15, 2024 Heritage auction for $42,000. It’s a five-figure book, even in the lower grades. Just be careful that you don’t overpay for a comic that has a fairly large census count.
Other Barker works Wertham used as an example of depravity in his book include Zoot #14[a], for which the highest price paid this year was $1,846 in a March 22 ComicConnect auction, and Authentic Police Cases #6, with the top price paid this year being $1,560 for a 4.5 in a March 19 Heritage auction, a price that is down from that paid for both 4.5 and 4.0 graded copies in 2023.
Famous Heroines
Baker is generally praised for his depiction of women in Golden Age comics that weren’t just beautiful but had character and personality. From the start, he found himself drawn to strong heroines, the first being Sky Girl. In his very first comic – Jumbo Comics #69 – Baker drew, in addition to the Sheena story, a Sky Girl story. It was the character’s second appearance, having just debuted in the previous issue, Jumbo Comics #68. He would draw nearly all of Sky Girl’s stories through the series’ end in Jumbo Comics #129.
Alani, the heroine of Seven Seas Comics, is a particular favorite of Baker collectors. While there are six issues in the series, Baker wouldn’t contribute cover artwork until Seven Seas Comics #3, the issue where Alani became the headliner for the series. Of the six issues, the one most favored by Baker collectors is Seven Seas Comics #4. Published by Leader Enterprises in 1947 (their final year of publishing comics), there are 46 graded copies in the CGC census. The most recent sale was a 7.5 going for $31,200 in the September 15 Heritage auction in what was the first sale in the grade. The highest price paid was $81,000 for a 9.2 graded Davis Crippen Pedigree copy in a February 2023 Heritage auction. In the low grades, you’re looking at prices in the $5K to $7K range.
Baker would return to depicting jungle heroines in Rulah, Jungle Goddess #17, published by Fox in 1948. The series lasted eleven issues. Unfortunately, Baker didn’t produce any of the covers, but each of the issues has at least 15 pages of generally credited but unconfirmed Baker artwork. These issues are much more affordable than the more famous Baker covers, making them more attractive for collectors who can’t afford those pricier issues. A 6.0 graded copy of Rulah, Jungle Goddess #17 sold in the March 22 ComicConnect auction for $518, and the highest price paid was $2,880 for a 9.0 grade Promise Collection copy in a 2021 Heritage auction.
Canteen Kate made her first of 22 appearances in Fightin’ Marines #2, published by St. John in 1951. Baker is presumed to be the cover artist, and we know for sure that he penciled the Canteen Kate story in the interior. There are only 26 graded copies – none higher than 7.5, so a bit of a tough find. However, prices are relatively low. The highest price paid was $1,320 in a 2021 Heritage auction. Other sales over the past few years are all in the 3.5 grade or lower and are priced at $360 or less. If you’re a budget conscious shopper and you’re looking to start a Matt Baker collection, this could be a good issue to consider.
Like many Golden Age artists, the pinnacle of accomplishment was a comic strip in the newspapers. Baker finally got his shot with Flamingo, published by Phoenix Features from 1952 to 1954. Unfortunately, there are no collections of this strip currently in print.
First Black Hero
Matt Baker is credited with creating the first black hero in American comics. That character was Voodah, who made his first appearance in Crown Comics #3, published by Golfing Inc. in 1945. Regrettably, the character was only depicted as black in that first appearance and would, in subsequent appearances, be depicted as white. It’s a sad commentary on the racism of the time that the medium’s first prominent black character – and one created by the first prominent black artist – would experience this kind of change. There are only 13 graded copies of Crown Comics #3 in the CGC census. The highest grade is 9.0 and there are two copies in this grade. One of them sold in the September 10 Heritage auction for $6,600, an increase of 327% over the previous sale for $1,560 in a 2021 Heritage auction.
First Graphic Novel
In a first for the industry, St. John published the graphic novel It Rhymes With Lust #nn in 1949. Baker provided the cover artwork and all pages of the interior art. There are 28 graded copies and the most recent sale was a 3.0 going for $960 in the April 13 Goldin auction. The highest price paid was $6,274 for one of only two 8.0 graded copies way back in a 2011 Heritage auction. It isn’t hard to imagine a price nearing five figures if it were to show up in an auction today.
Horror and Romance
As tastes in comics began to change in the late 1940s, so too did the comics that contained Matt Baker artwork. Gone were the jungle heroines and heroic women. They were replaced by romance comics and a few horror comics. Of the horror books, the most well known is Amazing Ghost Stories #14. Baker drew only the cover for this comic, yet it’s still a favorite among collectors, owing both to Baker’s cover and the fact that it’s a pre-code horror comic. There are 53 graded copies in the CGC census. The only sales this year are in the 4.5 and 4.0 grades, with prices ranging from $2,400 to $1,140 respectively. The record holder is a 9.2 Bethlehem Pedigree copy that sold for $25,200 in a January 2022 Heritage auction.
Teen-Age Romances, an early romance series published by St. John beginning in 1949, featured Baker artwork on multiple covers and in all but three of the 45 issues. There are few graded copies in the CGC census for most issues and high grades are nearly non-existent. The top issue for Baker collectors is Teen-Age Romances #11. There are only 13 graded copies and a top-of-census 7.0 is the record holder, selling for $18,000 in a January 14 Heritage auction.
A reprint comic of many of St. John’s early romance books was published in 1949 and contains a gorgeous Baker cover. There are 17 graded copies of Giant Comics Editions #12 in the CGC census. They rarely come up for sale. The highest price paid was for a 5.0 graded copy that brought in $26,400 in an August 2022 Heritage auction.
The most prized of Baker’s romance covers is Cinderella Love #25, published by Ziff-Davis in 1954. There are 32 graded copies and the lone top-of-census 8.0 has never sold. The only sale this year was a huge one: a 7.5 going for $60,000 in the June 23 Heritage auction. Even in the 1.5 grade, you’re looking at paying at least $4,500 for a copy.
Much of Baker’s later work was for Atlas comics and included some westerns and a few science fiction stories. But his most prolific work during the later 1950s was for Atlas’ romance comics. Unfortunately, Baker’s damaged heart began to weaken, and his output decreased. He died of a heart attack on August 11, 1959, at the young age of 37. His final confirmed work was the lead story in My Own Romance #73, published by Atlas in January 1960. There are only four graded copies and sales are nearly non-existent. Some authorities credit Baker with one page of artwork in Love Romances #90, published by Atlas in November 1960, but his name is not included in the credits in the Grand Comics Database.
Legacy
More than anything there is the what-might-have-been when considering Baker’s career. Had he lived longer, would he have continued at Atlas, soon to become Marvel, and been included in their superhero renaissance? We’ll never know. Yet, even with his career cut short by a way-too-early death, he’s widely regarded as one of the top comic books artists ever, often considered one of the greatest of the Golden Age, and the very best at “Good Girl” art. Both Dave Stevens and Adam Hughes, two of the most popular cover artists of the past couple decades, were heavily influenced by Matt Baker’s work. He was also way ahead of his time, both in his depictions of women in comics and in producing artwork for the first known graphic novel. Most important is his legacy as the first prominent African American comic artist, producing enduring artwork that is some of the most beautiful to ever grace the covers and pages of comics books.
