Auctions: comic books June 1965, graded by CGC

Amazing Spider-Man (1963 1st Series) 25 CGC 6.5

Paper: White

Label #2074482011

Cover art by Steve Ditko. First appearance of Mary Jane Watson (cameo; face not shown) in "Captured by J. Jonah Jameson," script by Steve Ditko (plot) and Stan Lee (script), art by Steve Ditko; As Peter goes to sell pictures of a crime to J. Jonah Jameson, an inventor named Smythe comes in with a robot guaranteeing the destruction of Spider-Man; Since Peter needs money bad, he eggs Jameson on to hear out the wacky inventor; Smythe shows how his robot instantly shoots out steel tentacles at the hint of a spider's presence and grabs a hold of Peter, much to his surprise; Jameson is given a remote control and they agree to a deal; Betty is furious with Peter for trying to trap Spider-Man, not understanding his true reasons; Peter shows up at school and has Flash Thompson waiting to fight him as he hangs around Liz Allan too much to his liking; As Peter exits school, he sees the robot and begins to run; Flash, thinking he's running away from a fight runs after Peter; First appearance of Spencer Smythe. Reprinted in Marvel Tales #20 and #163. 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.12.

Fantastic Four (1961 1st Series) 39 CGC 3.0

Paper: Off white to white

Label #4059142017

Cover pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Chic Stone and Wally Wood (on Daredevil figure). A Blind Man Shall Lead Them!, script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Frank Giacoia [as Frank Ray] and Wally Wood (Matt Murdock and Daredevil figures); Reed devises mechanical devices to enable the FF to duplicate their vanished super-powers; Matt Murdoch visits the FF and Dr. Doom attacks; Daredevil assists the FF in battling Doom. Cameos by Medusa, the Wizard, the Sandman, and the Trapster. 36 pgs. $0.12. Cover price $0.12.

Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck (1965 Gold Key) 1 CGC 7.5

Paper: Off white to white

Label #4391056007

# on cover: 30026-509. 25c. A 68-page giant size comic with non-slick paper covers reprinting a variety of Donald Duck and Scrooge McDuck stories including two long classic stories by the grand old Duck man, writer/artist Carl Barks: "Only A Poor Old Man," (from Four Color #386) in which Scrooge, Donald, and Huey, Dewey, and Louie move Scrooge's money to a new hiding place when the Beagle Boys start construction in the lot next to the money bin (This story has the famous Scrooge McDuck philosophy: "NO man is poor who can do what he likes to do once in a while! And I like to dive around in my money like a porpoise! And burrow through it like a gopher! And toss it up and let it hit me on the head!"), and the Four Color #29 reprint, "Donald Duck and the Mummy's Ring" in which a mysterious ring with three serpents on it lead Donald, Huey, Dewey, and Louie into a perilous adventure to Egypt. Issue also has three untitled Donald and Scrooge stories and two one-page gag strips. The gag strips are by Barks and story/art credits are unknown on the untitled stories. NOTE: This comic is very rare in the higher grades. This saddle-stitched (with three staples) reprints Four Color #386 (Uncle Scrooge #1) and the first story from Four Color #29. Rather than being printed on slick paper, the cover is newsprint. Gold Key briefly experimented with newsprint covers on several of their giant comics and Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck #1 was one of them. As might be expected, the results were less than satisfactory, and the experiment was soon dropped. Cover price $0.25.