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Author:
Title: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN No. 59
Place Published:
Publisher:Marvel [Indicia: Non-Pareil Publishing Group]
Date Published: April, 1968
Description:

CGC certified: Fine (6.0). White pages. Not cleaned and pressed. Cover: John Romita pencils and inks, Marie Severin colors? Story: Stan Lee and John Romita. Pencils: John Romita, Don Heck. Inks: Mike Esposito (credited as Mickey Dimeo). Lettering: Sam Rosen. GPAnalysis: A 6.0 sold for $150 in 7/22.

Spidey smacks down lurkers as MJ shakes her can onstage. What was the public perception of go-go dancers in Heartland, USA, circa 1968? Was Mary Jane basically coded as a dime-a-dance good-time gal? In post-Code superhero comics, anything unsavory was so sublimated as to be essentially invisible, even to some of the dirty-minded monks of the Underground. For instance, when PBA's Director of Comics asked R. Crumb if he had any youthful Spidey scribbles to consign to this sale á la Clowes (see lot 247), Crumb replied:

"Briggs, I got NOTHING for you, Bubby. I never did anything based on Spiderman or Steve Ditko, no doodles, no nothing. I never bought and never read ANY superhero comics. Super Duck is as far as I got. I found superheroes supremely boring. But I must tell you, I truly enjoyed the last couple of those PBA catalogues. I read every word of those things and closely studied the comic book covers with a magnifying glass. Thanks for keeping me on the mailing list. – R. Crumb."

Thanks, Crumb ol' chum, we appreciate the kudos. But you oughta take a second look at those old Ditko Spidey mags sometime. In their own Code-approved way, we think they're as gonzo as anything you'll find in Zap, Snatch, or Jiz.

Enjoying the Spidey Sale? Order a fully-illustrated softcover catalogue for 30 bucks. Only about 100 copies were printed and they're going fast. To reserve a copy, contact PBA's Director of Comics: ivan@pbagalleries.com.

Consign to PBA Galleries. Our comic sales average a 98% sell-through rate, our prices realized are top-of-the-market, and our research-intensive catalogues are the best in the business. Seeking Silver Age Marvel, Golden Age superheroes, and pre-Code horror. Contact ivan@pbagalleries.com.