| Slot: |
Real Life Comics 1 |
| Item: |
Real Life Comics #1 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.2 |
| Cert #: |
0059164001
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Owner Comments
Real Life Comics started its run with a strong cover depiction of Uncle Sam drawn by Alex Schomburg. Uncle Sam is the personification of the United States and this patriotic character was a fitting first cover model for a title that drew heavily on the nation's feelings during WW II.
This copy is CGC's highest graded to date. From the Denver pedigree, I feel fortunate to have it. With only 133 books comprising the Denver pedigree, they can be quite difficult to acquire.
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| Slot: |
Real Life Comics 2 |
| Item: |
Real Life Comics #2 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 6.0 |
| Cert #: |
0160411016
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Owner Comments
Another highly patriotic cover by Schomburg depicting Columbia, the female version of Uncle Sam. While not as well known as Uncle Sam, Columbia was a popular personification of the American spirit. Her popularity as a representation of the United States seemed to ebb about the beginning of World War II. Perhaps the anxiety related to the war made Uncle Sam a more comforting image for Americans.
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| Slot: |
Real Life Comics 3 |
| Item: |
Real Life Comics #3 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 5.5 |
| Cert #: |
0165298010
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Owner Comments
In my opinion, the ultimate Hitler cover. Just a magnificent cover image.
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| Slot: |
Real Life Comics 4 |
| Item: |
Real Life Comics #4 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 6.0 |
| Cert #: |
1221952004
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Owner Comments
A bright and colorful cover celebrating the French contribution to the war and a nod to French history with Joan of Arc and the French Revolution thrown in.
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| Slot: |
Real Life Comics 5 |
| Item: |
Real Life Comics #5 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.0 |
| Cert #: |
0160411017
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Owner Comments
Another of my favorite covers in this title, Alex Schomburg beautifully incorporates the red Chinese dragon into the cover image of Chinese forces during WW II. The image of Chiang Kai Shek and his wife "Madame Chaing," Soong May-ling, crushing the Japanese battle flag is a vivid reminder of the struggles of the Chinese against Japanese forces during World War II.
On a totally unrelated note, some people have remarked that the picture of Alexander the Great in the lower left of the front cover bears a striking resemblance to the actor Sean Penn.
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| Slot: |
Real Life Comics 6 |
| Item: |
Real Life Comics #6 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 6.0 |
| Cert #: |
0160411018
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Owner Comments
The US Navy is featured on this colorful cover. President Roosevelt makes a cover appearance as well.
Conrad E. L. Helfrich, depicted on the left below John Paul Jones, was a leading Dutch naval officer. At the outset of war in the Pacific, Helfrich was given command of Dutch naval forces in the Dutch East Indies and waged an aggressive campaign against Japanese naval forces. He made the cover of TIME magazine in March 1942.
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| Slot: |
Real Life Comics 7 |
| Item: |
Real Life Comics #7 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 7.5 |
| Cert #: |
0160411019
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Owner Comments
Australia played a major role in World War II, in both the European Theatre in support of the British Commonwealth and in the Pacific Theatre as an ally of the United States and Great Britain.
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| Slot: |
Real Life Comics 8 |
| Item: |
Real Life Comics #8 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 7.0 |
| Cert #: |
0160411020
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Owner Comments
I'm guessing that most amphibious landings didn't result in close quarter hand to hand combat, but the cover is stirring nonetheless.
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| Slot: |
Real Life Comics 9 |
| Item: |
Real Life Comics #9 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 7.0 |
| Cert #: |
0160411021
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Owner Comments
The USCGC Icarus, a Coast Guard cutter, sank U-352 on May 9, 1942, off the coast of South Carolina, and took 33 prisoners, the first Germans taken in combat by any U.S. force.
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| Slot: |
Real Life Comics 10 |
| Item: |
Real Life Comics #10 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 6.5 |
| Cert #: |
2065236010
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| Slot: |
Real Life Comics 11 |
| Item: |
Real Life Comics #11 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.4 |
| Cert #: |
1968402002
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Owner Comments
From the National Naval Aviation Museum: On 16 January 1942, the crew of a TBD-1 Devastator torpedo plane operating under radio silence from the aircraft carrier Enterprise(CV 6), ran out of fuel during a search mission over the Pacific. Ditching their plane in the water, the three-man crew began a thirty-four day odyssey adrift in a raft on the vast expanse of ocean with only their wits, fortitude, and a single knife to rely upon for survival.
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| Slot: |
Real Life Comics 12 |
| Item: |
Real Life Comics #12 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.0 |
| Cert #: |
1157781008
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Owner Comments
On the night of August 21, 1942, Al Schmid was manning a M1917 Browning machine gun along with Corporal LeRoy Diamond and PFC Johnny Rivers. The Japanese, 800 strong, attacked the perimeter held by the Marines with the goal of breaking through to destroy the American airstrip of Henderson Field. During the night, Rivers was killed by a bullet through the head. Diamond, the gun commander, was wounded and several bullets hit and shredded the water jacket of their machine gun. A Japanese greenade thrown in the machine gun pit blinded Schmid, but he kept firing using instructions from Diamond. The next morning over 200 dead Japanese were counted in front of their machine gun. Schmid was awarded the Navy Cross on 18 February 1943. This cover is dated July 1943.
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| Slot: |
Real Life Comics 13 |
| Item: |
Real Life Comics #13 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 6.0 |
| Cert #: |
2042532002
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Owner Comments
This is one of my favorite covers of the run. Schomburg depicts a collection of American soldiers through the years and ends with a WWII GI slugging a pair of Axis enemies. The red, white, and blue background makes for a beautiful cover.
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| Slot: |
Real Life Comics 14 |
| Item: |
Real Life Comics #14 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.2 |
| Cert #: |
1015503001
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Owner Comments
PT-34 was a PT-20-class motor torpedo boat commissioned on 12 July 1941. The official designation for PT boats was "motor torpedo boats."
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| Slot: |
Real Life Comics 15 |
| Item: |
Real Life Comics #15 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 8.0 |
| Cert #: |
1969375019
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Owner Comments
From TIME.com: An Aussie unit, whose nickname was the Sparrow Force, was driven to the hills when the Japanese attacked Timor with a superior force in February. The Sparrows had rifles, a few machine guns, a little ammunition and 400 miles of open sea between themselves and refuge. They ambushed four Japanese officers and 50 men. They dynamited bridges and burned camps. They sniped and rushed and potshot until they claimed 30 Jap officers and 500 men. They had lost exactly three Sparrows.
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