First appearance of Wolverine = 657 large

[Comrade Porn King Mikhail]

You thought our hobby was crazy?

The first published appearance of Wolverine from the last page of The Incredible Hulk #160 just sold for $657K shattering the record for a public sale of an interior comic art page and matching the record for an American original comic art piece.

http://comics.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=7093&lotNo=92191

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2014/05...verine-original-art-by-herb-trimpe-sells-for/

The original art for the final page of Incredible Hulk #180, which features the first published appearance of Wolverine, has just sold at Heritage Auctions for $657,250.

This 1974 Marvel comics page was drawn by Herb Trimpe, inked by Jack Abel, and scripted by Len Wein. Of historical interest, Wolverine’s pose in that final introductory panel is based closely on John Romita‘s original design sketch for the character.

Today’s result ties the highest price ever publicly paid for a piece of original art from an American comic book, matching the hammer price of the 2012 sale of the cover of Amazing Spider-Man #328 by Todd McFarlane.

The page is considered one of the most important pieces of Bronze Age (the period that runs from around 1970 to the mid-1980s) American comic book art to surface publicly. By way of general comparison, Bleeding Cool told you about the sale of the 1973 cover of Amazing Spider-Man #121 (“The Night Gwen Stacy Died”) in February 2013 for $286,800.

As Heritage notes, a large portion of the proceeds of this sale are being donated by the consignor to the Hero Initiative.

At least these are one of a kind items. Imagine there only being one copy of a Metal Slug home cart.

 

[evil wasabi]

It's a trophy piece and if I had that kind of money, Wolverine is definitely a guy I could splurge it on. We're coming into a time where our parents, who had no fucking clue about the value of the future, they are done. Finished. But the real future, and us, we know the value of things. Comics are the new art. As are games. They won't be valuable forever, but right now, yes.

 

[Kid Panda]

...Imagine there only being one copy of a Metal Slug home cart.

I'm calling $1 Mil. Remember that Tetris for MD, I think a member here was selling it. Wanted $1 mil, but never got it I don't believe. I think that one has 3-6 copies out there. Metal Slug homecart and only 1? That's the proverbial million dollar game right there.

 

[El Maricon Loco]

Well, good luck buying any original art now.

 

[Cylotron]

Keep in mind that that's a one of a kind original art piece.

As far as a whole comic goes, 1st place goes to Superman (Action Comics #1) in which a copy sold for $2.89 million
2nd place to the 1st appearance of Batman in Detective Comics #27 which went for $2.57 million

 

[brentsg]

Ha, I recall thumbing through that issue at my LCS and passing b/c I didn't want to spend $50 or whatever on a back-issue.

It would be an amazing piece of original art for sure.

 

[GutsDozer]

I'm pretty sure I had this issue at one point. That's crazy as hell.

 

[brentsg]

At least these are one of a kind items. Imagine there only being one copy of a Metal Slug home cart.

There would be only 1 Metal Slug home cart, until the 3 Euro copies were found and someone recalled seeing one of them in a shop years ago. /wink

 

[T.A.P.]

Does no one else think Wolverine looks dorky in that art?

Man, I'm glad collecting video games hasn't gotten stupidly expensive in the past few years...

Oh wait.

 

[SNKorSWM]

The terminology of a one-of-a-kind neo game would be a proto. Any of those selling for a mil? Not likely.

 

[brentsg]

After reading through all of the links and checking out the sketches that have sold for a record amounts, I have to ask.. what is the significance of the McFarlane work? I get that it was awesome, but wow..

 

[Dr Shroom]

Wolverine really is the most overrated character in recent comic book history.

 

[Poonman]

Wolverine really is the most overrated character in recent comic book history.

People hate growing old, getting sick and dying....that's why fags love wolverine and bitches are obsessed with vampires.

 

[SouthtownKid]

You thought our hobby was crazy?

The first published appearance of Wolverine from the last page of The Incredible Hulk #160 just sold for $657K shattering the record for a public sale of an interior comic art page and matching the record for an American original comic art piece.

Original art always SHOULD be worth more than something mass-produced like a game. That said, ideally, art's value should be based on the artist rather than the subject matter. Trimpe is one of the most iconic Hulk artists of all-time, though, so it's not completely unwarranted.

 

[Azra113]

People hate growing old, getting sick and dying....that's why fags love wolverine and bitches are obsessed with vampires.

Nah man, Wolverine was cool cause he had that elaborate backstory in Canada and Japan and he fought Omega Red during the cold war or something. Plus he had like two or three dead girlfriends that came back to kill him or something. I also thought he was cool cause he was one of the only heroes that was okay with killing bad guys.
That whole code of ethics superhero comics had was lame.

I really liked Spawn when I was a kid, but I doubt any Spawn comic would reach the value the Marvel and DC ones are getting too.

 

[LoneSage]

Wolverine really is the most overrated character in recent comic book history.

who's the most overrated character in ancient comic book history?

 

[Dr Shroom]

who's the most overrated character in ancient comic book history?

Superman.

 

[Taiso]

Wolverine's popularity really took off during the Claremont-Byrne era. When he appeared in Hulk, I don't remember him making that much of an impression. I don't believe his inclusion in the All New X-Men was anything all that exciting.

As I recall it, it was Clarement and Byrne started fleshing him out, making him the cool iconoclast that smoked, wore cowboy hats and had a mysterious backstory including history as Weapon X and his ties in Japan.

For me, the turning point with Wolverine, when I really liked the character the most, was the issue of X-Men where the Hellfire Club had captured the X-Men, turned Jean into the Black Queen and Wolverine was all alone. During the fighting, Wolverine fell into the sewers and in the very last panel he emerged from the water with claws popped and looking as angry as any character as I'd ever seen in comics. He was a feral, snarling animal and his single line was "Okay, suckers. You've taken your best shot. Now it's my turn!"



As a kid in the early 80s, reading that comic gave me serious chills. I wanted Wolverine to kick everyone's ass. I hated seeing the X-Men get taken down and wanted them to come back and win. And I knew Wolverine was in a desperate situation, even as a child.

From there, I paid close attention to the character. I loved the Claremont-Miller mini series. I loved his stuff in Japan with Rogue. Then I went back and read my older X-Men issues, from 108 up, and really loved all the stuff he was doing. He was never my favorite X-Man, but I loved his rebel-outcast persona in the team. Every good team book has a loose cannon, and he was the best loose cannon in comics.

After the Japan stuff w/Rogue, I really started to resent the character's exposure. I pretty much hate him now. But back then? He was definitely a cool character back then.

 

[jsiucho]

I would rather have the first appearance of Thanos original art, or Galactus.

 

[Kid Panda]

who's the most overrated character in ancient comic book history?

Archie.

 

[Taiso]

They're killing Archie in some storyline event that's going on.

I'm actually going to read it. This is such a bizarre, off the wall concept that I don't think I can afford to miss out on it.

 

[Pope Sazae]

Archie.

Archie was slinging dick before AIDS was invented and ruined it.

 

[T.A.P.]

They're killing Archie in some storyline event that's going on.

I'm actually going to read it. This is such a bizarre, off the wall concept that I don't think I can afford to miss out on it.

Will you also read the inevitable "Return of Archie" story ark?

 

[SouthtownKid]

 

[El Maricon Loco]

Superman.

Superman would have happened, even if Superman wouldn't have happened. You just need a couple lazy fuckers who wanted to cash in on comics back in the day - BAM! POW! SPLAT! Unstoppable superhero born. Your best bet is mining a fucking rock off his home planet and jamming it up his ass...spoiler - he still wont' die or go away.

BTW Lobo would sodomize Wolverine.