DETECTIVE COMICS #15 * CGC 4.0 Restored * Action Ad * The Major's Moolah

Heading:
Author:
Title: DETECTIVE COMICS No. 15
Place Published:
Publisher:DC [Indicia: Detective Comics, Inc.]
Date Published: May, 1938
Description: CGC certified: VG (4.0): Restored (B-1). Grader's notes: "Piece out right bottom of back cover; piece out right top of back cover; medium crease left bottom of back cover; small amount of color touch on spine; spine & centerfold reinforced; spine split sealed spine Conserved; tear seals right center front cover Conserved". Cream to off-white pages. Provenance: The DC UNIVERSE COLLECTION.

GPAnalysis: No reported sales in this grade. A Conserved 2.5 (incomplete) sold for $2600 in 9/18; a Restored 1.0 (C-1, centerfold trimmed) sold for $750 in 8/18; a Restored 5.5 (EP) sold for $564 in 2003; a Restored 6.0 (A4) sold for $2629 in 2/18.

Overstreet: "Interior ad for Action Comics #1." CGC Census: 25 graded copies (17 Universal, 8 Restored). Gerber Photo-Journal Guide Scarcity Index: 6 ("Uncommon: 50-200 copies").

Credits: Cover: Creig Flessel. Scripts: Creig Flessel?, Bob Kane, Homer Fleming (credited as H. Fleming), Bill Ely (credited as Will Ely), Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, Vin Sullivan, Jerry Siegel (credited as Siegel), and Russell Cole (credited as Alger) Art: Creig Flessel (signed as Flessel), Bob Kane, Homer Fleming (credited as H. Fleming), Bill Ely (credited as Will Ely), Tom Hickey (signed as TH), Joe Shuster (credited as Shuster), Russell Cole (credited as Alger), Sven Elven.Sullivan Speaks: "Oh, he was quite a character... He had been in the army. He was Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, hyphenated name... I think he thought he was British. And he married some gal out of Europe, I think, on top of the Eiffel Tower, or something. But he was quite a character! He had a beaver hat and carried a cane, wore spats occasionally. But I was always amused at the hyphenated name, the 'Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson'.... Then he disappeared, as far as I was concerned.... I went along with Donenfeld's company at that time. Donenfeld bought Nicholson out and I just went along. They didn't know anything about comic books, or anything... but they had the distribution, and they had a little bit of cash." — Vin Sullivan interviewed by David Armstrong, 1998. Comic Book Historians YouTube channel.****************************************
The DC UNIVERSE COLLECTION comprises over 40,000 comic books, encompassing every single DC comic published for retail sale from 1934 to 2014. The collection was amassed by British music producer Ian Levine over the course of several decades, and it's been hailed as the single greatest collecting accomplishment in comic book history. This collection served as the basis for former DC Comics president Paul Levitz's monumental book 75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking, published by Taschen in 2017. PBA is proud to present this epic collection in a series of themed sales, including The DC UNIVERSE COLLECTION Part 3: The GOLDEN AGE, coming this summer. To join the DC Universe Collection notifications list, contact pba@pbagalleries.com.

Enjoying PBA's DC Universe Collection: Pre-Hero, Ashcans and Oddities sale? A very small number of softcover and limited edition hardcover auction catalogues are available for purchase. The catalogues are fully illustrated, thoroughly researched, and make excellent reference works for DC diehards. To order a copy, or to inquire about consignment opportunities, contact Ivan Briggs, PBA's Director of Comics: ivan@pbagalleries.com.