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A 15% BUYER'S PREMIUM WILL BE ADDED TO THIS ITEM AT CONCLUSION OF THE AUCTION
slightly brittle pages
not pictured in the Gerber Photo Journal; bondage cvr
Ruben Blades Copy


Catman Comics is beloved by Golden Age creators for both outstanding artwork and a general scarcity as the title moved between different publishers. Catman Comics #13 became a prime collectible in the wake of Ernst and Mary Gerber publishing the Photo Journal of American Comics in 1990. This epic project attempted to chronicle every known existing Golden Age and early Silver Age comic book. Catman Comics #13 was among the handful of comics too scarce to be documented in the Gerber's exhaustive work. These missing books instantly became collectibles amongst collectibles. In the case of Catman Comics #13, however, there's the added appeal of a sensational cover by Charles Quinlan.

Catman Comics was publisher Frank Z. Temerson's attempt to cash in on the sudden superhero boom, resulting in a colorful costumed crimefighter with an origin combining elements of Tarzan, Batman, and Captain America. Catman (aka David Merrywether) originally fought crime as a private detective, and later became a U.S. Army officer. He'd also adopted child acrobat Katie Conn, saving her from a life of crime as she became his sidekick Kitten.

The beloved Axis-bashing hero found a dedicated following despite that often-troubled distribution. (In a unique twist, Catman and Kitten were also the only superhero team who'd age somewhat realistically over the years.) The scarcity of the run has made Catman Comics one of the toughest and most rewarding of hero titles to collect. There's also the challenge of Golden Age collectors particularly drawn to the book's amazing WWII-era covers from Quinlan and (occasionally) L.B. Cole.

This copy of Catman Comics #13 is a typically rare treasure from the Ruben Blades Collection, and boasts impressively bright colors at an investment-level grade. The CGC census shows a scant 21 Unrestored copies, with over half of those graded lower.

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