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1st Buck Rogers story: "Armageddon 2419," written by Philip Nowlan (Aug., 1928)
ow/crm pgs; sharp complete spine w/ minor stress at top and bottom; includes all coupons! (including the often clipped one on pg 466); beautiful copy of this historic treasure
Cuthbert Collection
A 15% BUYER'S PREMIUM WILL BE ADDED TO THIS ITEM AT CONCLUSION OF THE AUCTION
Amazing Stories #5 (Vol. 3, August 1928) is a vital pulp as the first appearance of Buck Rogers. The beloved sci-fi character didn't make the cover, though. That's actually Richard Seaton showing off his anti-gravity device from "The Skylark of Space." Buck Rogers isn't called "Buck," yet, either. He's still just Anthony Rogers, then a modern-day regular guy who wakes up 500 years after being overcome by mysterious gases while going into a mine for the American Radioactive Gas Corp.

This pulp is still the start for a spaceman who'd go on to star in countless other medium. There would be radio dramas, comic strips, serials, TV shows, movies, books, and more. A decade before Batman and Superman, Buck Rogers showcased the immense impact heroes could have on popular culture. (The character actually only appeared in two pulps before moving on to bigger things.) Buck Rogers is even credited with popularizing the idea of space exploration, becoming a major turning point in the history of science-fiction.

Philip Francis Nowlan's “Armageddon 2149” introduces Rogers in a grand style, too. The author brings a truly epic sense of adventure to this debut. There's still a lot of demand from genre fans for a Buck Rogers revival. There were even two projects in development during 2021. That soon fell apart over legal wrangling between the Nowlan Family Trust's plans and a small-screen property being developed with George Clooney by Legendary Pictures. Buck Rogers remains one of the most popular names in sci-fi, and it seems inevitable for the spaceman to return in some form.
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This copy of the August 1928 'Buck Rogers' Amazing Stories is in absolutely stunning condition. Graded VF 8.0, a very rare grade for a pulp, this copy truly shines. The front cover's red and yellow appears so sharp and clean, with the central image of the Skylark of Space flying off of the book. The back cover and spine are pristine as well, with only very minor stress at the top and bottom of the spine. This copy includes beautiful off-white to cream pages, appearing just as crisp as the covers. This book includes many pages of coupons and promotions intended to be mailed out. This copy includes all of them, a very rare achievement.
Coming from the Chester Cuthbert collection, this is no surprise. The vast majority of his sci-fi pulps were kept in astounding condition, looking new or even better than these pulps originally looked on the newsstand. The pulp market is constantly garnering more and more attention, and this is one of the most iconic and most desirable pulps of all time, in absolutely beautiful shape. It is incredibly rare to see a pulp in this shape, let alone such a major key. This book will likely sell for a record price in this auction, but I marvel to think of what it will be worth in years to come.