Welcome back to this week's top pics from Heritage's weekly comic book auctions! Heritage holds weekly funny book auctions that feature key issues, overlooked comics, oddball memorabilia items, and more. These auctions are a must if you want to beef up your collection! Here are my top picks for you to watch.
Buster Brown Comics #1 CGC Universal 7.0
In 1902 Richard F Outcault introduced his latest creation, Buster Brown. Years prior Outcault found fame and popularity with one of the Platinum Age's most iconic cartoon characters, The Yellow Kid. But unlike the Kid, Buster would have more of an impact on modern pop culture. That's not to say The Yellow Kid isn't important - I've argued in favor of him for years! But in the modern-day scope of pop culture Buster Brown is a name that is still recognizable beyond that of the seasoned comic book fan. Two years after Buster's introduction, he became the face of The Brown Shoe Company. The company still operates today under the Caleres name. Brands under that umbrella include Famous Footwear, Naturalizer, and Dr. Scholl's Shoes.
Buster and his dog Tige were nothing short of terrifying in certain renditions. But he would remain the face of the company and appear in print, radio, theater, and television ads. The characters were used through the 1990s, and are still recognized today. In fact, most people were simply unaware of Buster's ties to comics!
This issue of Buster Brown Comics #1 is noted as a scarce comic. Smilin' Ed - the jolly face on the cover - was a radio DJ who had his own Buster Brown radio program in 1943. In 1945 Smilin Ed's Buster Brown (which is not different than the Outcault character, it's just how the book was marketed), would get his own comic series. These comic books were promotional books given away at show stores across the country.
Per our records, only 8 copies of this book were graded by CGC. This copy is the current highest graded on the census, with the last sale being in 2011 when the book sold for $478. While I don't see this comic becoming a hot commodity, this is till a fun piece of comic book history!
Four Color #375 U.K. Edition CGC Universal 7.0
Despite how well-known John Carter of Mars is today, the Edgar Rice Burroughs character has had an on-again, off-again relationship with comic books. He had the occasional comic strip and book here and there and was a popular character in the Big Little Book series. He could have even been a direct competitor for Buck Rogers, but ultimately that win went to Flash Gordon. In 1951 Dell Comics did release a John Carter comic in their Four Color series, but that only lasted for a year.
Despite that, the Four Color stories were popular enough to be reprinted. This U.K. edition of Four Color Comics #375 was distributed by World Distributors. It features Carter against one of his many enemies, though with a face like that, I'm not sure if I'd call them a threat. The cover also has a File Copy stamp on it, making this a unique comic. If you collect foreign comics and file copies, this could be your lucky day! There isn't a lot of data on this specific copy, but Heritage does note that this is the highest grade for the U.K. edition.
Doctor Who #1 CGC Universal 9.6
For over 50 years BBC's Doctor Who has been a staple in science fiction. The series has seen 15 unique Doctors, dozens of companions, and one iconic blue TARDIS that is forever stuck as a blue police box. Many of the earliest episodes are lost media, but thanks to earnest efforts by a number of groups (including the BBC) many of the lost episodes have been partially or fully restored. As Doctor Who is a popular series, it should come as no surprise that the series also had comic book adaptations. Starting in 1964, the first Doctor Who comic strip started in the British TV Comic series.
This copy of Doctor Who #1 reprinted stories from Doctor Who Weekly which began in 1979. Featuring the Fourth Doctor (as portrayed by Tom Baker) front and center, with his companions behind him and enemies before him. To date CGC has graded 337 copies with 162 copies grading higher than a 9.6 - in fact, one copy received a 9.9 grade! The current Fair Market Value of this book is $80, making this an affordable minor key.
