| Slot: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) nn (#1) |
| Item: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) nn (#1) Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0709906002
|
Owner Comments
Dick Tracy. 2nd highest graded copy . Super tough in high grade. Only 9 unrestored copies to date.)
Tracy made his first comic book appearance in 1936 as one of the features included in the first issue of Dell's Popular Comics. As would be the case with most Tracy comic book appearances, these would be reprints from the newspaper strip, reconfigured to fit the pages of a comic book. Tracy would remain a regular feature in Popular Comics through the publication's 21st issue.
The first comic book to feature Tracy exclusively was the Dick Tracy Feature Book, published in May 1937 by David McKay Publications. McKay's Feature Books were magazines that rotated several popular characters from comics strips through 1938. Three more of McKay's Feature Books starred Tracy in the following months.
In 1939, Dell started a comic magazine series called "Black and White Comics," essentially identical to McKay's "Feature Books." Six of the 15 issues featured Tracy. In 1941, Dell's "Black and White" series was replaced by the "Large Feature Books," the third issue of which featured Tracy. As with the McKay series, the Dell "Black and White" and "Large Feature" series were abridged reprints of the strip.
In 1938, Tracy became one of several regular newspaper strips featured in Dell's regular monthly Super Comics, remaining a regular part of that publication until 1948. In 1939, Tracy was the sole feature in the very first issue of Dell's Four-Color Comics, which put out over 1300 issues starring hundreds of characters between 1939 and 1962. Tracy was featured in seven more Four-Color issues throughout the 1940s.
Tracy was frequently featured in comic books used as promotional items by various companies. In 1947, Sig Feuchtwanger produced a comic book that was a giveaway prize in boxes of Quaker Puffed Wheat cereal, sponsor of the popular Dick Tracy radio series.
In January 1948, Dell began the first regular Dick Tracy comic book series, Dick Tracy Monthly. This series ultimately ran for 145 issues, the first 24 of which were published by Dell, after which it was picked up by Harvey Comics. Continuing the same numbering, Harvey published the series until 1961. As with most previous Tracy comic book incarnations, these were, with the exception of the last few Dell issues which featured original material, slightly abridged and reconfigured reprints of the newspaper strips.
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| Slot: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) nn (#2) |
| Item: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) nn (#2) Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0044756017
|
Owner Comments
Don Winslow and the Navy #1. Overstreet calls it "rare". Mile High copy. Best by far. Tough to find...ever!
Interesting facts:
While Martinek gave the strip an air of authenticity, he brought in Naval Lieutenant Leon Beroth as art director and Carl Hammond to handle layouts and research. Martinek articulated this central principle: "Since Don Winslow of the Navy is approved by the Navy Department, I cannot allow him to do anything that is contrary to the ideals, traditions or motives of the Navy."[1][2]
Leon Beroth's Don Winslow of the Navy strip (1947).
The strip debuted on March 5, 1934. A Sunday page was added in 1935. Martinek supervised the daily feature’s "general tone and direction", sending the typewritten continuity to Beroth every week for illustrations. From 1934 to 1952, Beroth was the leading artist on the feature. Ken Ernst (later famous for Mary Worth), assisted or ghosted the art between 1940 and 1942. With Don leaving his fiancee behind in December 1941 to go fight the Japanese, the World War II period saw the height of Don Winslow’s popularity. The strip continued for a full decade after the war ended, coming to a close on Saturday, July 30 1955.[3]
Although created primarily as a Navy recruitment and propaganda tool, the strip received high marks from Coulton Waugh for “excellent suspense, and ingenious, spine-joggling situations.” Ron Goulart credits Don Winslow with "intrigue, spychasing, beautiful women, and villains with names like Dr. Centaur, the Dwarf, and the Scorpion." Like all good propaganda, the strip first sought to grab the reader's attention.[3][4]
[edit] Comic book versions
Dell's Mammoth Comics (1938)
Following up on the success of the comic strip, reprints of the feature in comic book form appeared from various publishers. Merwil, a small publisher, offered reprints in 1937. In 1938 Dell Comics began reprinting the newspaper strips in Crackajack Funnies alongside other established newspaper features. When that title ceased publication in 1942, Don Winslow reprints begin running in Popular Comics, again with other strip favorites of the era. In addition, Dell also had Don Winslow in two issues of their Four Color Comics, a series which spotlighted a different character with nearly every issue. Dell's 1938 oneshot, Famous Feature Stories, contained more Winslow.[5]
Fawcett Publications released the Don Winslow of the Navy comic book with original stories beginning in 1943. The cover of the first issue shows Captain Marvel introducing Don Winslow to the readers. This comic book title lasted until 1948, then was revived in 1951 (bringing the total to 69 issues). Winslow was revived again for a final brief time starting in 1955 in reprints published by Charlton Comics.
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| Slot: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 3 |
| Item: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 3 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0080002018
|
Owner Comments
Myra North. First of Many File copies to come. Charles Coll: penciler, inker, cover.
At 7.0 only a single 8.0 grades higher. Only 3 books graded. Tough to find.
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| Slot: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 4 |
| Item: |
|
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0910172009
|
Owner Comments
While this first Donald Duck in the Four Color run only grades at 4.0, it is the impossibly scarce 15 cent variant. To date the ONLY variant graded by CGC.
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| Slot: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 5 |
| Item: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 5 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0910991020
|
Owner Comments
First Smilin' Jack in the Four Color Series. At 7.5, it is, by far, the highest graded copy.
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| Slot: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 6 |
| Item: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 6 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0912960009
|
Owner Comments
Another beautifully stoic Dick Tracy Cover. Over street calles it "rare". It's a file copy and at 8.0 tied with teh Mile High copy for best copy graded to date.
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| Slot: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 7 |
| Item: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 7 |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1173752012
|
Owner Comments
Gang Busters July 1940
Based on Philip H. Lord's radio program (later a television show). Panel arrangement varies from 8 panels per page to 6 panels per page. Some pages have headers. Three staples holds the book together. Month of publication based on ad's for other comics in this issue.
By far, the most difficult book in series 1 for me to find. As of 2013 the highest graded copy was a 7.0. This book is as scarce as they copme.
Cover Art: Jim Chambers
Script: Jim Chambers
Pencils: Al McWilliams and Will Ely
Inks: Al McWilliams and Will Ely
Table of Contents
1. 0. [no title indexed]
Gang Busters
2. 1. ["On the Night of April 25, 1935..."]
Gang Busters
3. 2. ["Jack White was a petty crook.."]
Gang Busters
4. 3. The Jack Markey Gang
Gang Busters
5. 4. ["Together we'll make headlines..."]
Gang Busters
6. 5. ["'Big Boy' Bob Brody, a slippery bank robber"]
Gang Busters
7. 6. The McCoy Gang
Gang Busters
8. 7. ["John West-a hardened old criminal"]
Gang Busters
9. 8. ["At exactly 12 o'clock noon"]
Gang Busters
10. 9. ["A police patrol car is cruising slowly thru the back streets of Cleveland, Ohio"]
Gang Busters
11. 10. ["An early summer morning finds a holdup in progress..."]
Gang Busters
12. 11. ["This is the case of the Tri-State Gang..."]
Gang Busters
Some data courtesy of the Grand Comics Database under a Creative Commons Attribution license. http://www.comics.org/
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode
http://www.comics.org/issue/206582/
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| Slot: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 8 |
| Item: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 8 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0912960007
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Owner Comments
More simple beauty with this cover of Dick Tracy. Only the Mile High copy grades (much) better!
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| Slot: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 10 |
| Item: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 10 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0910975006
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Owner Comments
Second Smilin' Jack. Second best copy to date.
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| Slot: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 11 |
| Item: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 11 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0912965013
|
Owner Comments
Smitty # 1. Great File Copy with the trademark "return to sender" stamp. By far the highest graded copy to date.
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| Slot: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 12 |
| Item: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 12 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0080001017
|
Owner Comments
First appearance of Little Orphan Annie in Four Color. This was composed of comic strip reprints from newspapers. It's the third best copy of only 5 total graded copies. Stamped File Copy.
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| Slot: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 13 |
| Item: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 13 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1019730001
|
Owner Comments
Walt Disney's Reluctant Dragon. This is the first of well over 100 Disney stories in the Four Color format. There are actually a good 20 copies graded to date. This ranks as the third best copy.
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| Slot: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 14 |
| Item: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 14 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0080001016
|
Owner Comments
Moon Mullin # 1. Stamped File Copy and the third best copy.
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| Slot: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 15 |
| Item: |
|
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0080001015
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Owner Comments
Tillie the Toiler # 1. Not the best copy but at 6,0 it is the 3rd best copy out of only five graded to date (04/12)
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| Slot: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 16 |
| Item: |
Four Color Comics (Series 1) 16 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0000837009
|
Owner Comments
Mickey Mouse Outwits the Phantom Blot. This is the holy grail of the Four Color series. It is the most valuable comic in teh series and the scarcest. Overstreet does not list VF/NM or NM- as copies never surcaed in that grade. In recent years a 9.2 surfaced and sold for 50k. Art is byGottfredson. At a modest 5.5 there are only ten better copies out of 42 graded. In Jerry Weists book "the greatest 100 comics" this was listed as the 31st most important of all time.
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