The recent article from Fine Book Magazine on prices for comics points out a particular problem associated with attention on comic book media. The rush to pay high prices for Golden Age comic book has put the spotlight on collecting and the cultural value of the comic books, especially the superhero comic book. With this rise in value comes a serious re-evaluation by academics and cultural critics. The real value in the article is the overview of price points--Silver Age stuff in six figures, Golden Age stuff in the seven figure range. Rarity is a more complex question than this article reveals. There are a number of lesser known Golden Age characters that arguably would be easier to find, but would the average reader even recognize such characters. Recently, as I was putting together my TEDx Orlando talk, I was cautious not to use characters under copyright protection. Thus those characters from Marvel (Spider-Man) and DC (Superman) were for the most part off limits. On the other hand, a host of Golden Age characters were free and in the public domain. The images were clearly superheroic in nature, but the characters were unknown to the wider public. The rise in value associated with comics are linked to Golden and Silver Age characters controlled by Marvel and DC, but a legion of Golden Age character exists and it is possible that these comics may still exist in dusty bins somewhere. You can find information on these public domain characters on the web. Keep your eye out for these forgotten characters.
A blog for and about the intersection of comic books and American history.
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