CGC-graded Dell and Gold Key Comics in Upcoming Heritage Sale

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Dell had been publishing comic books since 1929, and in the 1940s they entered an agreement with Western Printing and Lithographing Co. to create original material using various popular television characters. One of their most popular titles was Four Color (also called “Four Color Comics”) which featured a different character in each issue, such as Dick Tracy, Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Three Stooges and others.

After making his cartoon debut in 1928’s “Steamboat Willie,” Mickey Mouse and friends began appearing in newspaper comic strips in 1930 written by Walt Disney and illustrated by Ub Iwerks. Disney later began publishing in standard comic book format at Dell Comics, beginning with Donald Duck starring in Four Color #4 (1940) and Mickey Mouse arriving in Four Color #16 (1941).

In 1962, 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 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 and eventually closed in 1984.

Heritage Auctions previously presented a Dell and Gold Key Comics auction in November 2022, which included a Star Trek #1 graded CGC 9.6 that sold for $46,500.

Other CGC-graded comics from this auction include:

• a Four Color #108 featuring Donald Duck graded CGC 9.6 (lot 82089)
• a Four Color #367 featuring Donald Duck graded CGC 9.4 (lot 82111)
• a Four Color #456 featuring Uncle Scrooge graded CGC 9.2 (lot 82118)
• a Four Color #990 featuring Huckleberry Hound graded CGC 9.6 (lot 82182)
• a Four Color #1173 featuring The Twilight Zone graded CGC 9.6 (lot 82207)
• a The Green Hornet #1 graded CGC 9.4 (lot 82233)
• a Jonny Quest #1 graded CGC 9.4 (lot 82257)
• a The Rifleman #10 graded CGC 9.4 (lot 82379)
• an Uncle Scrooge #5 graded CGC 9.6 (lot 82435)
• a Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #31 graded CGC 8.0 (lot 82451)