On the heels of “Famous First Ads,” today’s blog dives into four more famous firsts in those hard-to-find advertisements and preview magazines and catalogs. Once you see these values, you will think twice before throwing away any comic ads ever again.
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
TMNT may have had humble beginnings as an underground success story, but Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird did a good job getting the word out to their small audience in 1984.
The Ninja Turtles’ original advertisements are among the most famous comic ads. The turtles were featured in three separate ads for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1. The most famous of those is Gobbledygook #1, another Eastman/Laird creation featuring Fugitoid, who appeared in the 2012 TMNT animated series.
Like that first print of TMNT #1, Gobbledygook #1 is especially difficult to find. That is why the only graded copy with a recorded sale was an 8.5 signed by Eastman that $26,400 on December 10.
Still too much? Then you may be interested in Amazing Heroes #45. This is by far the least expensive of the three TMNT collectibles, but it is not necessarily easy to find. After all, there have only been four graded copies sold this year. The first was a 9.6 that went for $275 in May. Then there was a 9.4 that sold for $295 on December 8. Finally, two 9.0s traded hands this year, bringing $80 in March and $103 on December 13.
VENOM
Prior to Eddie Brock and the Venom symbiote taking the Marvel Universe by storm in Amazing Spider-Man, the first Venom artwork was published in Amazing Heroes #131 in December, 1987.
The highest grade ever sold was the 9.6. This year alone, there have been six of those sold online, and one brought an impressive $600 on October 28. In all, they have averaged $318.
While the 9.6 is setting records, the 9.4 and the 9.0 are much more reasonable, with both selling for $100 or less.
JUDGE DREDD
Before Judge Dredd invaded the United States comic market and, later, movie theaters, he appeared as a comic strip in the publication, 2000 AD. It was in the second issue that Dredd was clearly seen in an advertisement for his upcoming comic strip.
Need one of your own? You will have to check eBay for “raw,” ungraded copies since this is not necessarily a comic. Speaking of eBay, the sold listings for 2000 AD #2 are few and far between. The handful listed tend to sell for $400 or more.
HARLEY QUINN
We all know the story of Harley Quinn, the cartoon original who was so popular that she defied conventions and became part of DC Comics canon. Now she is starring in movies and has an adult animated series of her own.
Since she is not on the cover of CS #31, it is not as coveted as it could have been. Of course, no one at the time knew she would have such an impact on pop culture, so there was not much reason to put her on the cover.
There are no graded copies to be found since it is not a comic, but if you want one, eBay has plenty of copies. Generally speaking, most sell for about $50, give or take, which is not bad for something that most people likely threw away at the time.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
No question, there is a growing market for those early comic advertisements. While they are no substitute for the first in-story appearances, it is worth your time to add these to your collections. The other part of collecting these is nostalgia. As we move further into the digital age, hard copies of preview magazines and catalogs are becoming antiquated. It won’t be long before they are a relic of comics’ past.
