DALLAS, TX.- Joining a stellar lineup of historic comic books, an incredible amount of original comic art will seduce bidders in Heritage’s June 26-29 Comic & Comic Art Signature® Auction. Fans of the beloved classic newspaper strip Calvin and Hobbes know how rare opportunities are to buy original art from the series. This piece, dated 11-29-85, is just the 12th creator Bill Watterson produced for the strip, which premiered November 18, 1985, and is the earliest known strip to hit the market. It features the first appearance of Calvin’s most audacious alter ego, the intrepid interplanetary explorer Spaceman Spiff, as well as the first look at Principal Spittle, the beleaguered head administrator at the imaginative 6-year-old’s elementary school. Watterson has held on to nearly all of his original drawings from the strip’s 10-year run but has occasionally presented the odd exception as a gift to important people in his life, sometimes beautifully hand-painting color on daily strips that originally ran in black and white. That’s the case with this one, which is inscribed “To Jim, Lynn, & Dylan, fellow explorers of the unknown” and was gifted to Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Jim Borgman and his family.

Before Spaceman Spiff, the far corners of the vast universe were charted in comics by Buck Rogers, represented here in Frank Frazetta’s astonishing cover art for Famous Funnies No.214 (Eastern Color, 1954). No matter what dollar amount he was offered to produce this piece, one of eight covers he created for the series between 1953 and 1955, Frazetta would not part with this pen-and-ink work, clearly recognizing the importance of this frequently imitated, tributed and reproduced part of comic book history. In short, it’s one of the most stunning pieces of cover art from the era to ever appear at auction.

Even the most casual comics fan would recognize the cover image of the first issue of Action Comics. Serious collectors could probably describe every detail of the June 1938 premiere from memory: the dynamic red title lettering, the shocked witness in the lower left foreground clutching his head in disbelief, the wrecked green four-door sedan and the man in the blue and red tights and cape somehow holding the vehicle above his head as easily as if it were a toy. This was the world’s introduction to Superman and arguably to the very concept of superheroes as we know them, and in this auction Heritage presents an opportunity to own a full, original, unseparated front and back cover wrap to one of the most influential works of art and literature produced in the 20th century.

“We tried our best to pack this auction with top material from the entire history of the medium,” says Heritage’s Vice President Barry Sandoval. “You could name most any famous comic artist or key comic book, and it is probably represented in this catalog.”

Just two years later, another classic superhero made his debut in the July 1940 All-American Comics No.16. Within its pages, Alan Scott survives a train wreck and encounters the Green Flame of Life, which, via a ring powered by the flame, empowers and inspires him to track down the culprit responsible for the crash and ultimately to use his newfound abilities to fight crime as the Green Lantern. A CGC Very Good 3.5-rated copy of this debut issue, with only 58 certified copies known to exist, is a highlight of the Green Lantern collection available for bidding. The issue is part of a very rare complete set of a core Golden Age superhero title: That’s every single Green Lantern issue from 1941-49 in addition to his 1940 premiere. Other iconic characters make their first appearances during this decade-long run, including Vandal Savage, the Gambler, the Sky Pirate and the Sportsmaster. Streak the Wonder Dog not only debuts in this period but steals the spotlight from Green Lantern in the latter issues, appearing on the cover more frequently than the title character in an interesting reflection of the period. But interest in the Green Lantern is poised to recharge as he (or they — the powers transfer to whoever dons the ring) will be featured in James Gunn’s Superman and the upcoming HBO series Lanterns.

Another upcoming summer blockbuster, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, will surely ignite renewed interest in the quaint quartet as they make their debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A copy of the crew’s 1961 comic book premiere in fantastic condition — White Mountain Pedigree CGC Near Mint 9.2, to be precise — will be far from invisible in this auction. This copy was already legendary for its condition 30 years ago, and currently ranked No.3 on Overstreet's list of Top 50 Silver Age Comics, it is not a stretch to say this issue has rocked the comics world, as it presents Marvel’s first superhero team and the first appearances of Mister Fantastic, Invisible Girl, the Thing and a re-imagined Human Torch as well as the Mole Man and other characters.

A CGC Near Mint 9.2 issue of The Incredible Hulk No.1 (Marvel, 1962) is the highest-graded copy Heritage has ever offered of the Hulk’s debut, ranked No.2 on Overstreet's list of Top 50 Silver Age Comics, and Heritage has not had a better one in 25 years of auctions. One factor in the condition rating is the disclosure of the title character’s right big toe, which is not always fully pictured on even otherwise pristine copies due to inconsistent cutting at the printer. The Hulk’s digits are all intact here.

Another complete run of one of the most collectible Golden Age series, Phantom Lady, is a highlight, beginning with the title character’s Fox Feature Syndicate bow in Phantom Lady No.13 (which continues the numbering from Wotalife Comics No.12) through issue No.23. Included are Blue Beetle’s only story to appear in the title along with some racy lingerie panels. The heroine otherwise known as Sandra Knight famously used a blinding “black light projector” to disable enemies, but it was a pair of so-called headlights — artist Matt Baker’s work on issue No.17 supposedly depicting "sexual stimulation by combining 'headlights' with the sadist's dream of tying up a woman" — that landed the cover art in Fredric Wertham’s infamous 1954 pearl-clutching anti-comic text Seduction of the Innocent.

Watchmen, a massively influential 1980s title, is represented in the sale as well. Dave Gibbons’ original art from page 18 in Watchmen No.11 Story (DC, 1987) depicts a crucial moment in comic book history, when Nite Owl demands answers from Adrian Veidt, a.k.a. Ozymandias. In a flashback to a moment also depicting the Comedian and Doctor Manhattan, Veidt tells Nite Owl about the case that led him to realize improving the world wouldn’t be as simple as fighting bad guys on behalf of the good guys.

Creating a memorable work of art is not as simple as snapping your fingers, and it certainly wasn’t in the days before the Infinity Gauntlet. Staple holes, adhesive staining, margin notes, handling marks, white corrective paint, and the taped and pasted-up header, text and other elements give you a glimpse into artist Jim Starlin’s creative process for the cover of Captain Marvel No.33(Marvel, 1974), which is the culmination of the Thanos War storyline and the Mad Titan’s first full-body cover shot.

Speaking of fearfully powerful cosmic bad guys, Darth Vader is top and center on the cover of the fourth in the six-part series of Marvel’s 1977 comic book adaptation of the movie released that year simply as Star Wars, no episode number or subtitle necessary. Because the dialog balloons, title and other copy were added later in the production process, this 11-inch-by-16.5-inch Bristol board is uncluttered by text, allowing you to fully appreciate the work of artist Rick Hoberg and inker Frank Giacoia.