Collecting Cheesy Comic Covers

You may be aware that I’m a bit of a comic book geek. All my life I’ve adored superhero comics and I’ve been a serious collector for a couple of decades.

Problem is, collecting comics takes space – lots of it. Moving house last year and becoming engaged to Shelley meant that I had to be practical and cut down on the collecting. Nowadays, I am restricted to Daredevil and the classic Silver Age issues of Fantastic Four and The Amazing Spider-Man. But there is one area of comics that I can’t stop swapping hard-earned cash for – cheesy covers.

Never mind the classic masterpieces of Kirby and Ditko. These covers cause more accidental mirth than creating a sense of adventure, which is why I love them.

I adore old comics and with their quaint and down right daft stories. Some of these covers just made me laugh out loud so much I had to have them. These are the comics I want to mount on the wall far more than my rare and valuable Daredevil and Spider-Man comics.

Batman #133

I actually featured this comic and the cover in my university thesis on Batman, illustrating the light-hearted family approach the comics took in the 1950s to pad out the duo of Batman and Robin. Adding a mother figure – Batwoman - as well as Bat-Girl and even a dog – Ace the Bat Hound – turned the Batman team into the perfect nuclear family. With Bat-Mite playing the toddler, the roles are complete.

The ridiculousness of the Batman Family (as they became known) is highlighted in this cover, showcasing a story typical of the era, where the plot revolves more around their internal squabblings and silliness than true crime-fighting action.

Tales to Astonish #49

Many other comic collectors would pick this up for being the first appearance of Giant Man, one of the original Avengers. I picked it up because the cover is simply brilliant. The Living Eraser has to be one of the daftest Marvel villains ever dreamed up, with his ability to wipe you away bit by bit with swipes of his hands.

A power that only makes sense on the comic page makes for some great visuals, even if any reader thinking for more than thirty seconds would realise how retarded it all is.

I was amazed to discover that, far from being a one-off villain condemned to obscurity, The Living Eraser returned again and again to threaten many other key Marvel heroes.

Strange Adventures #201

Yup, issue 200 may have been the landmark anniversary issue, but #201 is the one I went for. I must admit to never having read the story inside, terrified that it could never live up to the imaginative visuals on the cover.

If the mod pin stripe suit with yellow shirt and polka-dot tie wasn’t enough, sticking a gorilla in the outfit is just gold. A perfect example of a colour palet gone wild with a cover to be avoided with a hangover.

I’ve always wondered why, if a gorilla is able to get a suit and shirt tailored to fit, he doesn’t complete the outfit with winkle-pickers? Spent too much on the cufflinks to afford shoes?

Action Comics #293

Another first appearance, this one. Comet the Superhorse made his debut in this Superman adventure, as the new steed for Supergirl. If the idea of a super flying horse wasn’t enough, why the hell did they put a cape on him? Surely a saddle would work better!

And as for the alien invaders with a kryptonite laser beam, the horse is pretty useless without the other two! After all, I doubt he’s got a hot line to the Metropolis police. Take aim!!

Those are four of my faves. I’m sure as I go through my boxes deciding what to keep and what to sell I’ll come across more classic covers deserving of reappraisal.

Do you have any favourite superhero comic covers like these?