MAD (1952-2018) #1
CGC NM/M: 9.8
(Stock Image)
SOLD ON: Thursday, 03/16/2023 8:31 PM
$81,000
Sold For
30
Bids
PUBLISHER: EC
COMMENTS: ow/white pages; w/COA; QES Certified: Preferred staple placement, beautiful spine, deep color strike (blue & yellow); only 1 graded higher
historic 1st issue!; Kurtzman cvr; Wood, Davis art (10-11/52) COMIC BOOK IMPACT rating of 9 (CBI)
Gaines File Copy
Read Description ▼
historic 1st issue!; Kurtzman cvr; Wood, Davis art (10-11/52) COMIC BOOK IMPACT rating of 9 (CBI)
Gaines File Copy
DESCRIPTION
ow/white pages; w/COA; QES Certified: Preferred staple placement, beautiful spine, deep color strike (blue & yellow); only 1 graded higher
historic 1st issue!; Kurtzman cvr; Wood, Davis art (10-11/52) COMIC BOOK IMPACT rating of 9 (CBI)
Gaines File Copy
The argument can be made -- and has been made very well -- that American comedy of the past five decades owes its existence and style largely to this unassuming little raised-middle-finger of a comic, William Gaines' brutal, brilliant, brave broadside directed squarely at the heart of post-war American culture. It was a nearly instant smash hit, inspiring dozens of often dreadful imitators, and eventually morphed into a black and white magazine that became even more influential and world-famous throughout the 1960s and 1970s, but it was this full-color blast of sick humor that was a nuclear explosion going off in the minds of impressionable young readers and hip comedy mavens. One of the rare instances in which a series' style and tone was dead-on from the very first page, this outlandish first issue allowed Gaines and Kurtzman's small army of incredible talents to unleash the pent-up frustrations and residual traumas felt by the generation that grew up in the grinding poverty of the depression and survived the unspeakable horrors of WWII. The result influenced everyone from Lenny Bruce to George Carlin to Ernie Kovacs to the Smothers Brothers, and beyond. It's hard to overstate the importance of this first issue, and the 22 comic issues following, to American popular culture, so we'll just stop trying now.
This classic Harvey Kurtzman cover is iconic in the history of American satire, as it announced the premiere of what would go on to become one of the most influential runs of published periodicals (first in comic form and later as a magazine) that would rival the counterculture aspirations of Playboy, National Lampoon, or Heavy Metal thanks to a heady mix of humor, satire, art, and social commentary. This copy is a staggering 9.8, which comes from the Gaines File Copy pedigree, and has been lauded by QES for its preferred staple placement, beautiful spine, and deep color strike. Without question, this is one of the finest copies of Mad #1 known to the comic-collecting community.
Overstreet Guide 2022 NM- (9.2) value = $8,500.
If you are a new customer planning to make a first-time purchase over $25,000, please contact us 24 hours in advance of the item closing at 212.895.3999 or support@comicconnect.com so that we may approve your account for bidding. (This policy was instituted to protect consignors and bidders against bids from fraudulent accounts, and to ensure the integrity of the bidding process.) Once approved, please log out of your account and then log in, for the approval to take effect.
Visit the QES website.
We realize many of you would like to bid on this auction lot, so for this listing, ComicConnect.com offers a 6 month, interest free, time payment plan with a 20% non-refundable deposit. Time Payments invoices can only be paid by cash, check, money order or wire transfer. LEARN MORE
historic 1st issue!; Kurtzman cvr; Wood, Davis art (10-11/52) COMIC BOOK IMPACT rating of 9 (CBI)
Gaines File Copy
The argument can be made -- and has been made very well -- that American comedy of the past five decades owes its existence and style largely to this unassuming little raised-middle-finger of a comic, William Gaines' brutal, brilliant, brave broadside directed squarely at the heart of post-war American culture. It was a nearly instant smash hit, inspiring dozens of often dreadful imitators, and eventually morphed into a black and white magazine that became even more influential and world-famous throughout the 1960s and 1970s, but it was this full-color blast of sick humor that was a nuclear explosion going off in the minds of impressionable young readers and hip comedy mavens. One of the rare instances in which a series' style and tone was dead-on from the very first page, this outlandish first issue allowed Gaines and Kurtzman's small army of incredible talents to unleash the pent-up frustrations and residual traumas felt by the generation that grew up in the grinding poverty of the depression and survived the unspeakable horrors of WWII. The result influenced everyone from Lenny Bruce to George Carlin to Ernie Kovacs to the Smothers Brothers, and beyond. It's hard to overstate the importance of this first issue, and the 22 comic issues following, to American popular culture, so we'll just stop trying now.
This classic Harvey Kurtzman cover is iconic in the history of American satire, as it announced the premiere of what would go on to become one of the most influential runs of published periodicals (first in comic form and later as a magazine) that would rival the counterculture aspirations of Playboy, National Lampoon, or Heavy Metal thanks to a heady mix of humor, satire, art, and social commentary. This copy is a staggering 9.8, which comes from the Gaines File Copy pedigree, and has been lauded by QES for its preferred staple placement, beautiful spine, and deep color strike. Without question, this is one of the finest copies of Mad #1 known to the comic-collecting community.
Overstreet Guide 2022 NM- (9.2) value = $8,500.
If you are a new customer planning to make a first-time purchase over $25,000, please contact us 24 hours in advance of the item closing at 212.895.3999 or support@comicconnect.com so that we may approve your account for bidding. (This policy was instituted to protect consignors and bidders against bids from fraudulent accounts, and to ensure the integrity of the bidding process.) Once approved, please log out of your account and then log in, for the approval to take effect.
Visit the QES website.
We realize many of you would like to bid on this auction lot, so for this listing, ComicConnect.com offers a 6 month, interest free, time payment plan with a 20% non-refundable deposit. Time Payments invoices can only be paid by cash, check, money order or wire transfer. LEARN MORE