SUPERMAN MATCHED SET OF FIRST 3 SUNDAY PAGES (NOVEMBER 1939).
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Winning Bid:
$2,213.09
(Includes 18% Buyer's Premium)
Bidding Ended:
Wednesday, November 16, 2022 9:00:00 PM (20 Minute Clock Begins At Wednesday, November 16, 2022 9:00:00 PM)
Item Description
One thing vintage newspaper comic strip collectors can all agree on is that Superman first appeared in a newspaper comic strip on Nov. 5, 1939, which was predated by just a few months with Superman #1 in Summer 1939. However, did you know that not all examples of the Nov. 5 1939 Superman #1 Sunday page are created equal? A few factors to be aware of regarding Sunday newspaper comics is that newspaper sizes differed, w/full pages ranging from approx. 15x22" down to tabloid sizes of approx. 11x15". Most Superman comic strips published in Nov. 1939 were half-pages. There are no known examples of Nov. 1939 Superman strips taking up a full page (either full-sized or tabloid). Secondly, some newspapers had much better color printing presses than others. And thirdly, newspapers had the ability to format the strip panels differently. Which brings us to the trio offered here, a matched set of the first three Sunday pages from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which include three distinct features specific to this newspaper. First, these are the largest known examples, meaning the Superman strip is over half the page space of an approx. 15x20.5" full-sized newspaper page. Second, the Post-Dispatch is legendary among newspaper strip collectors as they had possibly the best color press of any newspaper in the US at the time, resulting in outstanding colors and much more crisp images than most other newspapers of the era. Finally, the Post-Dispatch's Superman #1 Sunday page (Nov. 5) has notable formatting that includes enlarged first and second panels compared to most, if not all, versions from other newspapers. Pages are evenly aged w/horizontal fold at centers. Nov. 5 page has 5/8" tear at center right margin and two .5" tear at top left margin. Nov. 12 page has tiny tear at top and slightly uneven left margin as trimmed, but all Superman content remains intact. Nov. 19 page has uneven left margin as trimmed, w/sliver off left edge of first panel (mountain landscape area not featuring any characters). Paper remains supple and bright. VF/Exc. overall and would make for wonderful framed displays. These early Superman comic strips were often clipped out, making the matched set of full pages offered here - all from the Post-Dispatch - incredibly hard to come by. Added to that scarcity is the fact that these are high grade examples, offering the largest known size and stunning color (as good or better than any other versions), making them an impressive addition to any Superman collection.
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