2022 Comic Book News Archives
March 21, 2022: Four Historic Superman Family Prototypes to Sell at Auction
Four Super-Historic DC Comics Prototypes, Including a 1939 'Superman Comics,' Soar to Heritage Auctions in April
1940s ashcans for Supergirl, Superboy and Superwoman titles are so rare most aren't even in DC's vaultsThirty-seven years ago Gary Colabuono saw his first ashcan. "And I did not know what they were," he says now, decades after he began collecting, preserving and promoting these cheaply made, stapled-together black-and-white mock-ups made to secure a comic book title's trademark and meant to be tossed into the trash.
In time, Colabuono became the expert on these lost rarities from the earliest days of the comic-book industry. Now, four of his ashcans – including one of two surviving Superman Comics ashcans from 1939 – head to market for the first time during Heritage Auctions' history-making April 7-10 Comics & Comic Art Signature® Auction.
"Gary has been a close friend of mine for nearly 30 years, and I am extraordinarily grateful to be offering these on his behalf," says Heritage Auctions Senior Vice President Ed Jaster. "I have no doubt the market will reward him for his decades of impeccable stewardship of these treasures."
Colabuono's collection, and his essays about ashcans, have appeared in numerous history books, among them the essential Comics Between the Panels and DC Comics' 75th anniversary treasury The Art of Modern Mythmaking. The author of DC's history, its former president Paul Levitz, even inscribed Colabuono's copy with a thank-you note: "To Gary, without whom there'd be no pages 96-97, and so much less fun in the world of comics!"
But in 1985 he only knew of the ashcans' significance due to their provenance.
"Because they came from the retired president of DC Comics Sol Harrison, I knew these were items of historical importance," Colabuono says. "There was Wonder Woman on a white cover, and I had never seen something like this. I was like, 'What am I looking at?' Same with Superman Comics, with its black-and-white cover art from Action Comics #7. And I kept wondering: 'What is this?'
"I was a history minor in college, so I started doing the research. At the beginning there was just a curiosity. There was no market. Nobody knew about them. It took a while for me to understand all this. I was friends with Paul Levitz, and I am the only guy who got to go into DC's archives and do all this research."
He discovered that ashcans were sent to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to secure a comic book's name, logo and even heroes to fend off rivals. The cover image and interior art were just place-holders borrowed from other comics; all that mattered was the title and the look of its logo, to be recorded and registered before someone else could lay claim. They were then to be tossed in the rubbish pile – hence the name ashcan, the intended final destination of these strange, seldom-seen one-offs.
But one company's trash became Colabuono's treasure, not to mention passion. As former Wizard Entertainment CEO Gareb Shamus once told the Chicago Tribune, "When you talk about collectibles, it's all about having things that are rare and, in a lot of cases, one of a kind. What Gary has is a piece of history that people haven't seen before. That's what gets the juices flowing for collectors out there."
Colabuono says he only saw himself as the temporary caretaker for these ashcans, which were never meant to survive more than 80 years after their quickie production. And so, one year after Heritage sold his Action Comics ashcan for $204,000, he brings four more titles to auction, each... well, Super.
There's that Superman Comics ashcan featuring on its cover the iconic image from Action Comics #7, showing the Man of Steel dangling a crook high over Metropolis; its interior was a Superman story previously told in Action Comics #8. There are just two copies of this ashcan known to exist – this one and another Colabuono sold 21 years ago. Even DC doesn't have a copy in its vaults.
This extraordinary rarity predates Superman #1, which hits newsstands in the summer of 1939 – without "Comics" as part of its title.
Here, too, are some other Super-rarities, including Superwoman, of which there are two copies known to exist – this one, and a copy secured in DC's vaults.
According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, this ashcan was filed on Oct. 24, 1941, and officially registered seven months later. Only, there was no Superwoman at the time; though characters using that moniker appeared as early as 1943, DC didn't actually publish a Superwoman title until 2016. But DC in 1941 had good reason to believe a competitor would swoop in and steal the title: Two years earlier the company successfully sued Fox Publishing over its Superman knockoff Wonder Man, and surely more copycats in capes were to follow.
Without a Superwoman to feature on the ashcan's cover, DC used instead the Dr. Fate artwork that appeared on the front of More Fun Comics #73, the Golden Age classic that featured the debuts of Aquaman and Green Arrow. And its interior artwork came from Action Comics #38 – the same one used for the Superboy ashcan also in this auction.
No surprise there: Superboy was filed with the USPTO just one day after Superwoman, and was likewise registered in May 1942. Again, as there was no Superboy at the time, DC used for this ashcan the cover image from Detective Comics #57, featuring Batman and Robin, DC's true Boy Wonder. This is the sole Superboy ashcan known to exist.
The April auction also features the only Supergirl ashcan known to exist – and the only Super title in this auction that didn't come from Harrison.
As Colabuono notes, the collecting community only became aware of its existence 35 years ago, when it appeared in a classified ad in the Comics Buyer's Guide. An East Coast collector said a relative who worked at DC was given the book as a keepsake when she retired. The collector said he was later given the ashcan as a birthday present.
Another collector scooped it up before Colabuono could complete his collection of Super ashcans, and it took another two decades before he was able to land the sole surviving Supergirl, which was sent to Washington, D.C., in November 1944 and registered in the summer of 1945 – 14 years before Supergirl joined her Kryptonian cousin in the comics. Hence the use of Jack Kirby and Joe Simon's hard-charging artwork from Boy Commandos #1 on the cover and a story from Action Comics #80 on the inside.
Colabuono had planned on auctioning this collection once before, only to get "cold feet," he says with a laugh. But then he realized: "It's time to do it," he says now.
"These are all so cool, so important and so rare," Colabuono says of his Super ashcans. "It will be interesting to collectors and the public that something so rare is coming to the market. It should be something truly special. I was always proud of the fact I am the only guy on the entire planet who owns these things. I showed them off at a comic convention, and I was so proud. Well, I don't know if that's the right word, but I always knew I was just the caretaker."
2022 Comic Book News
Listed below are all the Comic News items archived for 2022.- January 11, 2022: Five Preview Pages from Mark Waid and Dan Mora's “Batman/Superman: World's Finest”
- January 11, 2022: “Action Comics #1” with Rocket Stamp to Sell for Over $2 Million
- January 13, 2022: “Action Comics #1” with Rocket Stamp Sells for Over $3 Million
- January 19, 2022: DC Announces “Death of the Justice League” in “Justice League #75”
- January 21, 2022: First Look at Superman/Nightwing Crossover in “Nightwing #89”
- January 22, 2022: DC Announces “Dark Knights of Steel: The Gathering Storm”
- February 3, 2022: Defenders of Truth, Justice and the Prehistoric Way in “The Jurassic League”
- February 9, 2022: DC Announces “Dark Crisis” Comic Book Event
- February 10, 2022: First Look at “Batman/Superman: World's Finest #1”
- February 14, 2022: A Dark Crisis Looms on Free Comic Book Day 2022
- February 14, 2022: Daniel Johnston Posthumously Covers DC
- February 16, 2022: “JLA/Avengers” Crossover Reprinted for Hero Initiative
- February 28, 2022: Superman Content Available on DC Universe Infinite in March 2022
- March 10, 2022: Favorite Superman Comic Book Artist - Poll Results
- March 15, 2022: Auction for “Superman #1” at ComicConnect.com
- March 15, 2022: DC Announces “Dark Crisis: Young Justice” Comic Book Miniseries
- March 15, 2022: DC's Pride 2022 Publishing Plans Announced
- March 17, 2022: Favorite Superman Comic Book Writer - Poll Results
- March 18, 2022: “Superman #1” Sells for $141,450 at Auction
- March 19, 2022: Heritage Auctions Lists Original “Death of Superman” Art by Jon Bogdanove
- March 20, 2022: Mark Waid Discusses “Batman/Superman: World's Finest”
- March 21, 2022: Four Historic Superman Family Prototypes to Sell at Auction
- March 24, 2022: 25 Years Since Electric “Superman Blue”
- March 25, 2022: Comic Book Covers for “Batman/Superman: World's Finest #2”
- March 28, 2022: DC Universe Infinite is Going Global
- March 29, 2022: DC Holds Second DC Round Robin Voting Tournament
- March 31, 2022: Superhero With the Best Villains - Poll Results
- April 4, 2022: A Superman Classic in the Making: “Superman Space Age”
- April 6, 2022: DC Reveals the Cover for the Finale of “Earth-Prime”
- April 6, 2022: DC Announces “Young Justice: Targets” from “Young Justice: Phantoms” Creators
- April 7, 2022: DC Announces “Dark Crisis: Worlds Without a Justice League - Superman #1”
- April 8, 2022: Heritage Auctions Sells Original “Death of Superman” Art by Jon Bogdanove
- April 13, 2022: Mile High Copy of “Superman #1” Sells for Record $5.3 Million
- April 14, 2022: Dreamer Makes Her DC Universe Debut in “Superman: Son of Kal-El #13”
- April 19, 2022: Heritage Auctions Sells Original “Superman Annual #11” Art by Dave Gibbons
- April 21, 2022: Should Zack Snyder Fans Be Angry at “Earth-Prime #2: Superman & Lois”? (The S Files)
- April 22, 2022: DC Celebrates George Perez's Birthday for All of June
- April 29, 2022: Neal Adams, Legendary Comic Book Artist, Dies Aged 80
- May 7, 2022: George Pérez Dies, Aged 67
- May 11, 2022: Meet the Earth-11 Super Heroes of “Multiversity: Teen Justice”
- May 16, 2022: DC Announces “Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen's Boss, Perry White #1”
- May 16, 2022: Rare “Superman #1” Comic Book to Sell at Auction
- May 17, 2022: “Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow” Wins DC Round Robin Voting Tournament
- May 18, 2022: DC Announces “DCeased: War of the Undead Gods”
- May 19, 2022: Superman and Supergirl Receive Eisner Award Nominations
- May 24, 2022: Superman Comic Book Creators Attending HeroesCon
- May 25, 2022: Japanese Superman Manga Series Ending Soon
- May 26, 2022: Fan Interest in “Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow” - Poll Results
- May 30, 2022: Video - Superman Hidden Gems Comics by Superhero Stuff You Should Know
- June 13, 2022: “DC: Mech” Comic Trailer
- June 15, 2022: Superman Returns to Earth in “Action Comics #1047”
- June 16, 2022: Comic Book Artist Tim Sale Dies
- July 20, 2022: DC Comics Panels at San Diego Comic-Con
- July 21, 2022: DC Comics Announces “Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths”
- July 21, 2022: Robert Venditti Working on Sequel to “Superman '78”
- July 24, 2022: DC Announces “Superman: Harvest Youth” Graphic Novel
- July 26, 2022: DC Teases “Death of Superman” Special Announcement
- July 27, 2022: SDCC Report - DC's “Dark Crisis” Panel
- July 27, 2022: DC Announces Death of Superman Anniversary Special with Stories from Original Teams
- July 27, 2022: Tom Taylor and Tom King in Conversation: “DCeased: War of the Undead Gods”
- July 28, 2022: “DC's Saved by the Belle Reve” Arrives August 31
- August 2, 2022: “Superman '78” From Screen to Page
- August 4, 2022: Fan Interest in “The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special” - Poll Results
- August 9, 2022: DCComics.com Rebrands as DC.com
- August 14, 2022: First Look at “Superman: Kal-El Returns Special #1”
- August 18, 2022: First Look at Doombreaker from “Death of Superman” Anniversary Special
- August 22, 2022: Superman Comic Book Creators Attending Conventions This Weekend
- August 24, 2022: Final Order Cut Off for “The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1” this Sunday!
- August 24, 2022: Superman Artist Clayton Henry Hates Drawing Windows
- August 27, 2022: “The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special” Comic Trailer
- September 1, 2022: DC and Universal Distribution Enter Into New Distribution Agreement
- September 8, 2022: New Superman Era Starts with “Action Comics #1050”
- September 12, 2022: Auction for “Action Comics #1” CGC 8.5 Restored Copy
- September 12, 2022: DC Announces Superman Panel for New York Comic Con
- September 15, 2022: “Action Comics #1” with Rocket Stamp Sells for $3.4 Million
- September 17, 2022: Who is the Mystery [Redacted] Singer on “Action Comics #1050” Variant Cover?
- September 18, 2022: Get Ready to Meet New Superman Villain - Red Sin
- September 29, 2022: Where Did the Name “Clark Kent” Come From?
- October 5, 2022: DC Unveils New Super-Family Costumes
- October 6, 2022: Superman's Secret Identity - Poll Results
- October 8, 2022: New Era of Superman Starts This January
- October 17, 2022: Revisiting “Superman Blue” Ahead of “Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent”
- October 18, 2022: Superman Comic Book Creators Attending Baltimore Comic-Con
- October 20, 2022: Superman's Secret Identity is... Nabil Fawzi
- October 25, 2022: DC Introduces Digital Collectible Comics Starting With “Superman #1”
- October 27, 2022: “Superman #1” DC Collectible Comic Sold Out!
- October 30, 2022: New Book - DC Greatest Events
- November 9, 2022: RIP Comic Book Artist Carlos Pacheco
- November 10, 2022: 30 Years of Doomsday - A Look at One of Superman's Deadliest Enemies
- November 17, 2022: DC Reveals Mystery Singer on “Batman/Superman: World's Finest #10” Variant Cover
- November 17, 2022: “The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special” Gets Second Printing
- November 18, 2022: “Dawn of DC” Starts in January 2023
- November 20, 2022: DC's “Dark Knights of Steel - Vol. 1” Comic Trailer
- November 23, 2022: Superman's Secret Identity is Coming Back!
- November 29, 2022: Phillip Kennedy Johnson Responds to Fan Complaints Regarding Jon Kent's Age
- November 29, 2022: “Action Comics” Trade Paperback Collections (2016-2022)
- December 8, 2022: Superman Comic Book Interest for 2023 - Poll Results
- December 9, 2022: DC Announces “Superman: Lost” 10-Issue Miniseries
- December 11, 2022: What Happened to Comic Book Cover Dates?
- December 13, 2022: DC Adds “Crisis on Infinite Earths #1” to Digital Collectible Comics
- December 15, 2022: Top 10 Christmas/Holiday Themed Superman Comic Book Covers
- December 15, 2022: Comic Book Reading Habits in 2022 - Poll Results
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