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Superman, Action Comics #1 Continues to

Dominate the $1 Million Club

Superman. The Man of Steel. The Last comic from 2010 until 2021 with sales growing from $1 million to
Son of Krypton. $3.25 million (the record was broken by the Amazing Fantasy #15
CGC 9.6 that went for $3.6 million in a September 2021 auction). In
long with Mickey Mouse, Clark Kent’s alter ego has consistently total, Action Comics #1 has had nine sales over $1 million, representing
been one of the two most recognized fictional characters in the one-third of all 28 total comic sales over seven figures.
Aworld for decades.
The best-known creation of writer eMoviePoster’s April Auctions
Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, Realize $719K
Superman/Clark Kent is the stalwart hero, eMoviePoster is an online-based auction house
unfalteringly brave, and unwaveringly specializing in all things movie posters, paper
ethical. A superhero whose impact and movie collectibles, and related material. They offer
mythos never stop growing, he is one of a robust selection of standard one-sheet size movie
the most popular comic book characters of posters, any size of movie material from glass
all-time, and the benchmark by which other slides to 24-sheets, international posters, as well as
superheroes have been measured. The pillar of travel posters, movie magazines, comics, and
strength and justice, Superman has inspired more. Each month, they host three auctions filled
several generations through his comic book with hundreds to thousands of items.
adventures and into every other form of media During April 2023, eMoviePoster hosted a
across eight decades. trio of auctions that offered US and internation-
In fact, he’s the reason that superheroes are al posters, as well as lobby cards, photo stills, and
called superheroes, and fans recently celebrated other related content. Collectively, those
the 85th anniversary of the character’s first auctions netted a total of $719,245 in sales.
appearance in Action Comics #1. The issue hit The first auction, which closed on April 11,
the newsstands on April 18, 1938. contained movie posters, signed repro posters,
And when it comes to record prices, Action stills, and lobby cards, seeing $111,595. Three
Comics #1 is as much of a standard-setter as its of the auction’s surprising results were a Gunga
cover-featured main character. When the comic Din lobby card for $1,651, Dr. Terror’s House
appeared on newsstands in 1938, it could be of Horrors three-sheet for $1,050, and Eldridge
purchased for the sum of 10¢. Now, Action Cleaver one-sheet for $600.
Comics #1 regularly sells in the six figures and Two days later, on April 13, they closed an
what is even more impressive, it holds multiple auction of 1,117 US and international posters
records among million-dollar comic sales. that brought $92,186. The top three results
Superman’s debut was the first comic to sell were an Out Of The Past half-sheet 1953
for $1 million when a CGC-certified 8.0 copy rerelease for $1,404, a My Neighbor Totoro
sold for that amount in 2010. In December The dominance of Action Comics #1 as the highest Japanese poster for $1,180, and a Battlestar
2011, it became the first to reach $2 million with selling comic and best performer at $1 million or more Galactica set of ten Italian photo bustas
the $2.1 million sale of a CGC 9.0 copy. Just a began with this CGC 8.0 copy that became the first for $876.
comic to sell for $1 million in 2010.
few years later, a CGC 9.0 example was the first The monthly auctions closed on April 16
to breach $3 million with a $3.2 million sale in with their April Major Auction, featuring 778
August 2014. movie and non-movie items of all kinds. This sale, which is one of their
Action Comics #1 is the only comic with two sales in the $2 million bigger auctions each year, garnered a total of $515,464. It was one of
range, including the $2.1 million CGC 9.0 sale and a CGC 8.5 that their most successful major auctions in years, and many individual
hammered for $2 million in June 2018. It also holds the record for records were set. A few surprises were a 2001: A Space Odyssey 40” x 60”
most copies that surpassed $3 million with five sales, led by the CGC poster for $18,277, Breakfast At Tiffany’s six-sheet for $12,305, and
9.0 which realized $3.2 million, and a CGC 8.5 that sold for $3.25 in Charlie Chan At The Race Track set of eight lobby cards for $8,250.
April 2021. The last three $3 million sales were all for the CGC 6.0
Rocket Copy (known for the red rocket ship stamped on the cover),
which sold for $3.1 in January 2022, $3.4 in September 2022, and J.C. Vaughn is President of
$3.55 in January 2023. Gemstone Publishing.
The demand is so strong that it also holds the record for the lowest- Amanda Sheriff is Gemstone’s
graded comic to sell for over a million when a CGC 3.0 realized $1.6 Editor - Digital.
million in December 2021. It held the record for the most valuable

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