Will Elder was one of the original cartoonists at Harvey Kurtzman’s MAD comic book. Elder has often been hailed as the source of the MAD visual sensibility. Packing the panels with gags upon gags was Elder’s style and it became the foundation for MAD. William Gaines, the first publisher of Mad, once described Mr. Elder as “our only contributor who lived a life as crazy as our magazine.”

It was Elder’s story in the first issue of EC’s PANIC comic book that pushed Congress to investigate the influence comics had on the rise of Juvenile Delinquency in our society. As David Hajdu, author of “The 10-cent Plague”, says, “If you trace the Hurricane back to the flutter of the butterfly, it’s Will Elder’s Visit to St. Nicholas that was the cause.”

Will Elder stayed with Kurtzman when he left MAD and brought his unique perspective to TRUMP, Humbug, Help and Playboy’s Little Annie Fanny; all culture bell-weathers. To say that Elder and Kurtzman were the influences of the turmoil of the sixties is not an understatement, they enabled the youth of America to question authority with their exposure of advertising and corporate hypocrisy in MAD and beyond.

To trace the story of Will Elder from the streets of the Bronx to the newsstands of the world, director Gary VandenBergh has assembled an amazing cast of comic book creators and experts. These include: Mad Magazine’s founding editor Harvey Kurtzman; Bill Gaines, Mad Magazine and EC publisher; Nick Meglin, Mad Magazine editor and writer; cartoonist Arnold Roth; Gary Groth, publisher and editor of Fantagraphics, and author David Hajdu.

The Mad Playboy of Art is a work-in-progress documentary. To contribute or for more information visit www.TheMadPlayboyOfArt.com

Fine Print Press Administrator,

One thing to remember is that a comic book is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it, no matter what appraisal you may get to tell you what the value is, therefore, using a little common sense when determining the value is needed.  There are licensed appraisers for comic books that charge a small fee to give an appraisal on a comic book and this method is one of the most reliable when trying to resell a comic as it gives the market something to go by when buying and selling these books.  This is usually where the negotiations begin.

Another method that you can do to determine the value of comic books is to do a little online research to see what other comics that are alike are selling for.  At one particular time you may have a comic that is worth very little, while at another date it may be selling for a much higher price, meaning that the demand is higher, creating a better market for sellers of comics.

As previously stated, comics are only worth what someone is willing to pay for them but with a little research, you should easily be able to get yourself in the ballpark.  You never know, you may just be sitting on a gold mine.

Once these comic books came into existence, or published, they drew in a great amount of popularity almost instantly.  Many didn’t really know what to think of the new entertaining comics, though nearly everyone liked them and as it seemed, every little kind in the world, at the time, wanted to be a superhero.

The Golden Age of Comics really brought comic books to the mainstream as they had been created in people’s homes and garages as hobbies, though never published for the world to see, until the Golden Age.  Then is when comics were taken as a true art form that has been studied for many decades thereafter.

Golden Age comic books can be viewed at many of the different comic exhibits that are now held all over the world.  They can hold great value and come with a very hefty price tag should you be looking to purchase one.  The greatest defining aspect of comics is the true supply and demand as there are some comics that are very rare and these are the ones that hold the most value among collectors today.  If you ever get a chance to own one of these great comics from this legendary era, you should really pride yourself as being one of the chosen few.

Stan Lee, Garder Fox, and John Broome were all some of the famous comic writers of this time while people such as Gil Kane, Curt Swan, and John Romita, Sr. were all of some of the most famous artists for the Silver age comics. These people were eventually replaced by what was considered “new age” writers and artists, though if it were not for the original writers and artists then there would have never been any knowledge of interest for this particular type of comic books.

For this era, the Silver age Comics, there was a decrease in interest among people everywhere with the superhero comics and more interest pointed towards other types of comics such as romances, horrors, and crimes but eventually many people started to link these types of comic books to young children committing crimes therefore, parents of comic book readers shifted their interests back to those of the superhero genre.  Once people started reading them, popularity among these took off like a rocket and haven’t looked back since.  Since then, Silver age comics have become collectibles and are now very sought after by the many avid collectors in the world and can hold great value in today’s collectors market.  They are very desirable for many, not only due to value, but in their quality as well.

Disney had their first titles during the Golden Age of comic books. This particular era in the industry is known as the pioneer age of all comics. As this era started around 1930’s, more and more cartoon characters were popularized everyday as they become more accessible through the several pieces of papers filled with graphics and thought balloons. Disney thought that it would be better if they also venture into this aspect. As a result, the lovable characters like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and the likes were not only present in those small boob tubes, but also in those pages of comic books, as the cartoons come alive flip after flip of each page. Some of the fairy tales adapted by Disney into full-length cartoons were also put in comic book versions. Cinderella tops the list of the titles made by into one of the Golden Age Disney comic books which is popular during that era.

Disney has made a considerable contribution when it comes to the Golden Age of comic books. Remember to grab a copy of this particular genre of comic books if you really want to start a valuable collection.

Origin of comic books

The comic book story has two versions: some say that the first comics were made by Egyptians in the early days through wall art and other paintings, while other comic historians say the first comics were ‘comic strips’ – those three to four frames of short skits we see illustrated in newspapers.

The United States first saw comic books in 1896, around the time that publishing houses started pulling together comic strips from different newspapers and putting them into one book. The sales of these rather primitive comic books skyrocketed, prompting publishers to come up with fresh stories and characters in a comic format.

The comic book as we know it today – a soft cover glossy magazine type – gained popularity in the 1930’s, when Action Comics introduced Superman to the world. Superman did so well that different publishers eventually created many other comic book characters, some are very popular to this day.

Types of comic books

Comic books today cover an assortment of subjects – there are even different genres, such as horror, sci-fi, fantasy, crime and real life. The format of comic books has changed over the years, and continues to change. There are now ‘graphic novels,’ that are thicker and more heavily bound. Graphic novels are comics with more mature content. Graphic novels can also be compilations of comic series.

Web comics are gaining popularity. This refers to both comic strips and comic books found on the Internet.

An exceptional example of a given book – the best ever seen. Only the slightest bindery or printing defects are allowed. Cover is flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with high reflectivity. Corners are cut square and sharp. Spine is tight and flat. Staples must be original, centered and clean with no rust. Paper is white, supple and fresh. No interior autographs or owner signatures.

9.9 MINT (MT):

Near perfect in every way. Only subtle bindery or printing defects are allowed. Cover is flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with high reflectivity and minimal fading. Corners are cut square and sharp. Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. Spine is tight and flat. Staples must be original, generally centered and clean with no rust. Paper is white, supple and fresh.

9.8 NEAR MINT/MINT (NM/MT):

Nearly perfect in every way with only minor imperfections that keep it from the next higher grade. Only subtle bindery or printing defects are allowed. Cover is flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with high reflectivity and minimal fading. Corners are cut square and sharp. Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. Spine is tight and flat. Staples must be original, generally centered and clean with no rust. Paper is white, supple and fresh. Only the slightest interior tears are allowed.

9.6 NEAR MINT+ (NM+):

Nearly perfect with a minor additional virtue or virtues that raise it from Near Mint. Only subtle bindery or printing defects are allowed. No bindery tears are allowed, although on Golden Age books bindery tears of up to 1/8″ have been noted. Cover is flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with high reflectivity and a minimum of fading. One corner may be almost imperceptibly blunted, but still almost sharp and cut square. Almost imperceptible indentations are permissible, but no creases, bends, or color break. Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. Spine is tight and flat. Staples must be original, generally centered, with only the slightest discoloration. Paper is off-white, supple and fresh. Only the slightest interior tears are allowed.

9.4 NEAR MINT (NM):

Nearly perfect with only minor imperfections that keep it from the next higher grade. Subtle bindery/printing defects are allowed. Bindery tears must be less than 1/16″ on Silver Age and later books, although on Golden Age books bindery tears of up to 1/4″ have been noted. Cover is flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with high reflectivity and a minimum of fading. Corners are cut square and sharp with ever-so-slight blunting permitted. A 1/16″ bend is permitted with no color break. Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. Slight foxing. Spine is tight and flat. Staples are generally centered; may have slight discoloration. Almost no stress lines. Paper is off-white to cream, supple and fresh. Slight interior tears are allowed.

9.2 NEAR MINT- (NM-):

Nearly perfect with only a minor additional defect or defects that keep it from Near Mint. A limited number of minor bindery/printing defects are allowed. Cover is flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with only the slightest dimming of reflectivity. Corners are cut square and sharp with ever-so-slight blunting permitted. A 1/16-1/8″ bend is permitted with no color break. Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. Slight foxing. Spine is tight and flat. Staples may show some discoloration. Almost no stress lines. Paper is off-white to cream, supple and fresh. Slight interior tears are allowed.

9.0 VERY FINE/NEAR MINT (VF/NM):

Nearly perfect with outstanding eye appeal. A limited number of bindery/printing defects are allowed. Cover is almost flat with almost imperceptible wear. Inks are bright with slightly diminished reflectivity. An 1/8″ bend is allowed if color is not broken. Corners are cut square and sharp with ever-so-slight blunting permitted but no creases. Several lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable. Very minor foxing. Spine is tight and flat. Staples may show some discoloration. Only the slightest staple tears are allowed. A very minor accumulation of stress lines may be present if they are nearly imperceptible. Paper is off-white to cream and supple. Very minor interior tears may be present.

8.5 VERY FINE+ (VF+):

Fits the criteria for Very Fine but with an additional virtue or small accumulation of virtues that improves the book’s appearance by a perceptible amount.

8.0 VERY FINE (VF):

An excellent copy with outstanding eye appeal. A limited accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Cover is relatively flat with minimal surface wear beginning to show, possibly including some minute wear at corners. Inks are generally bright with moderate to high reflectivity. An unnoticeable 1/4″ crease is acceptable if color is not broken. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. Minor foxing. Spine is almost completely flat with a possible minor color break. Staples may show some discoloration. Very slight staple tears and a few almost insignificant stress lines may be present. Paper is cream to tan and supple. Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present.

7.5 VERY FINE- (VF-):

Fits the criteria for Very Fine but with an additional defect or small accumulation of defects that detracts from the book’s appearance by a perceptible amount.

7.0 FINE/VERY FINE (FN/VF):

An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with outstanding eye appeal. A small accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor cover wear beginning to show, possibly including minor creases. Corners may be blunted. Inks are generally bright with a moderate reduction in reflectivity. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. Minor foxing. The slightest spine roll may be present, as well as a possible moderate color break. Staples may show some discoloration. Slight staple tears and a small accumulation of light stress lines may be present. Slight rust migration. Paper is cream to tan. Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present.

6.5 FINE+ (FN+):

Fits the criteria for Fine but with an additional virtue or small accumulation of virtues that improves the book’s appearance by a perceptible amount.

6.0 FINE (FN):

An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with no significant creasing or other serious defects. Some accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor cover wear apparent, with minor to moderate creases. Inks show a significant reduction in reflectivity. Blunted corners are more common, as is minor staining, soiling, discoloration, and/or foxing. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. A minor spine roll is allowed. There can also be a 1/4″ spine split or severe color break. Staples may show minor discoloration. Minor staple tears and a few slight stress lines may be present, as well as minor rust migration. Paper is tan to brown and fairly supple with no signs of brittleness. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present. Centerfold may be loose.

5.5 FINE- (FN-):

Fits the criteria for Fine but with an additional defect or small accumulation of defects that detracts from the book’s appearance by a perceptible amount.

5.0 VERY GOOD/FINE (VG/FN):

An above-average but well used comic book. An accumulation of bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor to moderate cover wear apparent, with minor to moderate creases and/or dimples. Inks have moderate to low reflectivity. Blunted corners are increasingly common, as is minor to moderate staining, discoloration, and/or foxing. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. A minor to moderate spine roll is allowed. A spine split of up to 1/2″ may be present. Staples may show minor discoloration. Minor staple tears and minor stress lines may also be present, as well as minor rust migration. Paper is tan to brown with no signs of brittleness. Centerfold may be loose. Minor interior tears may also be present.

4.5 VERY GOOD+ (VG):

Fits the criteria for Very Good but with an additional virtue or small accumulation of virtues that improves the book’s appearance by a perceptible amount.

4.0 VERY GOOD (VG):

The average used comic book. Cover shows moderate to significant wear, and may be loose but not completely detached. Cover reflectivity is low. Can have moderate creases or dimples. Corners may be blunted. Store stamps, name stamps, arrival dates, initials, etc. have no effect on this grade. Some discoloration, fading, foxing, and even minor soiling is allowed. As much as a 1/4″ triangle can be missing out of the corner or edge; a missing 1/8″ square is also acceptable. Only minor unobtrusive tape and other amateur repair allowed on otherwise high grade copies. Moderate spine roll may be present and/or a 1″ spine split. Staples may be discolored. Minor to moderate staple tears and stress lines may be present, as well as some rust migration. Paper is brown but not brittle. Minor to moderate interior tears may be present. Centerfold may be loose or detached at one staple.

3.5 VERY GOOD- (VG-):

Fits the criteria for Very Good but with an additional defect or small accumulation of defects that detracts from the book’s appearance by a perceptible amount.

3.0 GOOD/VERY GOOD (GD/VG):

A used comic book showing some substantial wear. Cover shows significant wear, and may be loose or even detached at one staple. Cover reflectivity is very low. Can have a book-length crease and/or dimples. Corners may be blunted or even rounded. Discoloration, fading, foxing, and even minor to moderate soiling is allowed. A triangle from 1/4″ to 1/2″ can be missing out of the corner or edge; a missing 1/8″ to 1/4″ square is also acceptable. Tape and other amateur repair may be present. Moderate spine roll likely. May have a spine split of anywhere from 1″ to 1-1/2″. Staples may be rusted or replaced. Minor to moderate staple tears and moderate stress lines may be present, as well as some rust migration. Paper is brown but not brittle. Centerfold may be loose or detached at one staple. Minor to moderate interior tears may be present.

2.5 GOOD+ (GD+):

Fits the criteria for Good but with an additional virtue or small accumulation of virtues that improves the book’s appearance by a perceptible amount.

2.0 GOOD (GD):

Shows substantial wear; often considered a “reading copy.” Cover shows significant wear and may even be detached. Cover reflectivity is low and in some cases completely absent. Book-length creases and dimples may be present. Rounded corners are more common. Moderate soiling, staining, discoloration and foxing may be present. The largest piece allowed missing from the front or back cover is usually a 1/2″ triangle or a 1/4″ square, although some Silver Age books such as 1960s Marvels have had the price corner box clipped from the top left front cover and may be considered Good if they would otherwise have graded higher. Tape and other forms of amateur repair are common in Silver Age and older books. Spine roll is likely. May have up to a 2″ spine split. Staples may be degraded, replaced or missing. Moderate staple tears and stress lines may be present, as well as rust migration. Paper is brown but not brittle. Centerfold may be loose or detached. Moderate interior tears may be present.

1.8 GOOD- (GD-):

Fits the criteria for Good but with an additional defect or small accumulation of defects that detracts from the book’s appearance by a perceptible amount.

1.5 FAIR/GOOD (FR/GD):

Shows substantial to heavy wear. Books in this grade are commonly creased, scuffed, abraded, soiled, and possibly unattractive, but still generally readable. Cover shows considerable wear and may be detached. Almost no cover reflectivity remaining. Book-length creases, tears and folds may be present. Rounded corners are increasingly common. Soiling, staining, discoloration and foxing is generally present. Up to 1/10 of the back cover may be missing. Tape and other forms of amateur repair are increasingly common in Silver Age and older books. Spine roll is common. May have a spine split between 2″ and 2/3 the length of the book. Staples may be degraded, replaced or missing. Staple tears and stress lines are common, as well as rust migration. Paper is brown and may show brittleness around the edges. Acidic odor may be present. Centerfold may be loose or detached. Interior tears are common.

1.0 FAIR (FR):

Shows heavy wear. Some collectors consider this the lowest collectible grade because comic books in lesser condition are usually incomplete and/or brittle. Cover may be detached, and inks have lost all reflectivity. Creases, tears and/or folds are prevalent. Corners are commonly rounded or absent. Soiling and staining is present. Books in this condition generally have all pages and most of the covers, although there may be up to 1/4 of the front cover missing or no back cover, but not both. Tape and other forms of amateur repair are more common. Spine roll is more common; spine split can extend up to 2/3 the length of the book. Staples may be missing or show rust and discoloration. An accumulation of staple tears and stress lines may be present, as well as rust migration. Paper is brown and may show brittleness around the edges but not in the central portion of the pages. Acidic odor may be present. Accumulation of interior tears. Chunks may be missing. The centerfold may be missing if readability is generally preserved. Coupons may be cut.

0.5 POOR (PR):

Sufficiently degraded to the point where there is little or no collector value; easily identified by a complete absence of eye appeal. Brittle almost to the point of turning to dust with a touch, and usually incomplete. Extreme fading may render the cover almost indiscernible. May have extremely severe stains, mildew or heavy cover abrasion to the point that some cover inks are indistinct/absent. Covers may be detached with large chunks missing. Can have extremely ragged edges and extensive creasing. Corners are rounded or virtually absent. Covers may have been defaced with paints, varnishes, glues, oil, indelible markers or dyes, and may have suffered heavy water damage. Can also have extensive amateur repairs such as laminated covers. Extreme spine roll present; can have extremely ragged spines or a complete, book-length split. Staples can be missing or show extreme rust and discoloration. Extensive staple tears and stress lines may be present, as well as extreme rust migration. Paper exhibits moderate to severe brittleness (where the comic book literally falls apart when examined). Extreme acidic odor may be present. Extensive interior tears. Multiple pages, including the centerfold, may be missing that affect readability. Coupons may be cut.

COVERLESS COMICS:

The exception to the “not collectible in Poor” rule. Many collectors want clean, readable, coverless comics that are priced fairly. Coverless copies of key and/or rare comics are often in demand by collectors. These enthusiasts also seek coverless comics to retrieve centerfolds, first wraparounds, coupons and even staples in order to restore other copies of the same or a similar incomplete comic.

INCOMPLETE/UNCOLLECTIBLE:

At the very bottom of the range, comics with the absolute maximum number of defects, heavy degradation, and significant portions of the book missing might not even be considered Poor any longer, but may be termed “incomplete.” These books are so ruined as to be rendered unreadable and virtually uncollectible.

Dust Jackets

Many of the early strip reprint comics, as well as many modern graphic novels and collections, were published with hard covers and dust jackets, which can also suffer damage common to comic book covers and may even be absent on some copies if removed by a previous owner or lost. The condition of the dust jacket should be graded independently of the book. Books with dust jackets are worth more. The value can increase from 20 to 50 percent depending on the rarity of book. Usually, the earlier the book, the greater the percentage. Unless noted, prices listed are without dust jackets.

There are several ways you can store your valuable comic book collection. Comic book storage is really quite versatile.

One of the most important things to remember is to keep them in specially made containers designed specifically for storing comic books or paper. That means anything you use for cardboard or paper storage (ie, comic books) should be lignin-free and acid-free. If you use plastic storage, it should be PVC-free.

Another thing: Store your collection in a climate controlled environment, stored away from direct sunlight. The average attic is not the place for things like this!

Now, there are many kinds of storage containers available for comic books. Individual plastic sleeves or acid-free resealable bags are great for special comics, although very valuable specimens should be kept in plastic boxes designed for comic book storage. When using plastic sleeves or bags with adhesive, make sure that tape or adhesive doesn’t touch the books themselves.

Where do you find plastic comic book boxes? Usually in shops that sell collectibles, or shops that sell storage and organizational containers. Alternatively, you can now find Mylar comic book sleeves that have treated cardboard backing boards, which add a little structure to the container.

So, once you have all your more valuable books tucked away in their special containers, it’s about time to figure out how to store the rest of the collection. There are many boxes you can buy online or at comic book shops, and they generally come in two sizes – short ones hold about 100 books, and the longer ones hold about 300 comic books.

Before you even store your comic books, though, you probably want to think about how you want them organized. It’s most common to organize them by comic book title, then in chronological order based on publication date.

One of the most popular types of comic books was the Golden Age westerns. This type of story concentrates on rodeos and their adventures in the west. The 1940’s was the brightest time for comics with a western theme; however, the idea started in even before the 1940’s, when Western Picture Stories was released. Comics Magazine Company was the publisher of the said comic book, and Will Eisner, the one who created the popular crime fighter known in comic books, graced the cover with some of his early artworks. However, the comic book only came out for a few months, and unfortunately did not see further publication. The late 1940’s, as what has been mentioned, gave way to the cowboy classics such as The Lone Ranger and Hopalong Cassidy. Roy Rogers, a very prominent cowboy actor, also got his own comics in 1948, and a photo cover was featured on every issue. This was also one of the greatest Golden Age westerns which sold in the market.

Surely enough, getting hold of a copy of Golden Age westerns will delight any comic book collector. If you still do not have one, it would be better if you try to find your very own copy soon, just to make your comic book collection worth keeping.