DC. July-August, 1943. CGC certified: VF- (7.5). Off-white pages. Cover by Jack Burnley. Scripts by Don Cameron and Jerry Siegel. Joe Shuster and Sam Citron art. Classic war cover.

Classic WWII cover. Comic book sales were astronomical during the war, with sales doubling between 1941 and 1944 from 10 million to 20 million copies sold per month. The medium was ideally suited for clear-cut morality tales, and it didn't take long for publishers to realize that pitting superheroes against America's enemies meant boffo sales.

It's been estimated that the typical Golden Age comic book was passed around and read by an average of seven readers, adding up to an unprecedented saturation rate that wouldn't be equaled until the rise of TV. The circulation figures made comics an attractive propaganda vehicle, a fact that didn't escape Uncle Sam's notice. According to comics historian Mark Seifert, "The Office of War Information, in cooperation with the Writers' War Board (and in the case of comics, a committee called 'The Magazine Section'), issued specific, regular directives to the periodical industry that were meant to support our war effort with propaganda. Compliance could be tied to paper quota."

A limited edition of 100 softcover and 15 hardcover catalogues are available. Over 200 pages, fully illustrated. Fun reference, great keepsake. Softcovers $40, dust-jacketed hardcover with limitation plate $200. To order, contact ivan@pbagalleries.com or call 415-989-2665

R. Crumb says, "I found [PBA's catalogue] so interesting that I am saving it for the texts that accompany the comics which were put up for auction. This is some of the best commentary I've yet seen on the quality of the content of comic books. I especially enjoyed the reviews of the post-war horror comics. Great. Priceless."

Consignments welcome for PBA's Spring 2021 Comic Book sale. Pre-Code Horror, Golden Age and Silver Age comics, original art and ephemera sought. Send inquiries to ivan@pbagalleries.com or call 415-989-2665