Dell and Gold Key Comics Graded by CGC in Heritage Sale
Posted on 24/10/2022
Many classic comic books graded by Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®) and featuring popular characters from Looney Tunes, Disney and Scooby-Doo are available in Doug’s Dell and Gold Key Comics Auction presented by Heritage Auctions on November 3, 2022.
Among the most interesting finds is a Four Color #9 graded CGC 9.6 (lot 81089) featuring Donald Duck, a popular Disney character that had debuted less than a decade earlier. Released by Dell Publishing in 1942, this is one of only three copies in the CGC Census graded CGC 9.6, with none higher. Two weeks before the sale, bidding had already reached $18,000.
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Also in this auction is a Star Trek #1 graded CGC 9.6 (lot 81416) from Gold Key Comics in 1967. This is the first comic book appearance of the Star Trek franchise. It is one of only five copies in the CGC Census graded CGC 9.6, with only one graded higher. Two weeks before the auction, bidding had reached $17,500.
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Dell Publishing had been publishing comic books since 1929, and in the 1940s, Dell entered an agreement with Western Printing and Lithographing Co. to create original material using various popular characters, including ones from Walt Disney and Looney Tunes cartoons. In 1962, however, Western ended its agreement with Dell and started its own comic book line, Gold Key Comics, to handle its licensed properties.
Dell moved on to publish a mixture of original titles and television and movie adaptations but struggled without popular licensed characters. Dell tried to create their own superheroes (such as Nukla) and heroes based on classic horror properties, but eventually ceased publishing comic books in 1973.
By this time, Gold Key was also struggling to compete with publishers like Marvel and DC, and even lost its Star Trek license to Marvel Comics. Parent company Western began producing bagged comics for DC under the Whitman logo until the company was sold to toy manufacturer Mattel in 1979. It was eventually sold again and closed in 1984.
Other CGC-graded comics from this auction include:
- an Astro Boy #1 graded CGC 9.8 (lot 81001)
- a Barbie and Ken #1 graded CGC 9.8 (lot 81004)
- a Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom #1 graded CGC 9.4 (lot 81069)
- a Four Color #108 graded CGC 9.4 (lot 81100)
- a Four Color #408 graded CGC 9.4 (lot 81112)
- a Green Hornet #1 graded CGC 9.6 (lot 81205)
- a Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Comics #1 graded CGC 7.0 (lot 81306)
- an Our Gang Comics #1 graded CGC 9.4 (lot 81384)
- a Scooby-Doo #1 graded CGC 9.2 (lot 81403)
- an Uncle Scrooge #15 graded CGC 9.4 (lot 81456)
- a Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #2 graded CGC 9.6 (lot 81461)
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