The Jack Adler Collection Of DC Cover Art!

This Auction Includes:
SUPERMAN FAMILY #189 Original Cover Acetate Four-Color Separation 
  THE FEATURES AN INCREDIBLY MULTI-FACETED EFFORT, SHOWING INSIDE THE MILD OF LOIS LANE, ONE BATTLE SUPERMAN CANNOT WIN!  THIS PHENOMENAL DEPICTION, WITH EVERYTHING FROM SUPERMAN AND SUPERGIRL TO VILLAINS AND SKULLS TO A DRAGON AND EVEN THE SUPER-DOG KRYPTO, COURTESY OF JOSE LUIS GARCIA-LOPEZ.  THIS IS ALREADY ABOUT FORTY YEARS OLD, AND WAS USED TO PRODUCE THE FIRST PRINTING OF THE FAMOUS COMIC, NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE PLETHORA OF ITEMS IN THE MARKET THAT ARE MERE REPRINT MATERIAL, USED TO CREATE A MODERN TPB OR GRAPHIC NOVEL OR ARCHIVES EDITION, ETC.   This includes FOUR DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE COVER ART!  (Just a couple samples are shown in scans below.)  The top version, with just the black, is surely the finest rendition of the line work extent, with the possible exception of the pencils/inks if they too have been well preserved all these decades since.  (I included a picture of me lifting the top sheet of a similar (but different issue) with the black-lines raised up, exposing the different layers with the colors beneath it.)  I also included an overall scan, showing the entire item, with all four sheets in their appropriate places, but the scan made the minor corner crease at upper right of the top sheet look way worse, because the light reflected there and makes it look white, but in person you barely notice it.  Yes, there are four individual sheets, layered up, to form the complete depiction; Includes the page with only blue, and one for yellows, one red:  Beneath the black-only top sheet, there's a different transparent layer, so you get one 'page' for each major color.  Once they are properly aligned atop one another, it looks like the comic's cover but with an awe-inspiring three-dimensional effect!   A conversation piece of the highest order.      This actual one-off item was used and reviewed by D.C. Comics in 1978 to produce the front cover to a popular superhero comic-book.  Some fans refer to these rarities as 3-M Progressive Proofs.    This gorgeous piece includes unique versions of the classic cover: The first page is one with just the blacks, followed by the clear sheet with the blues, another with the reds, and one with just yellow, against a white backing, and the sheets are taped at the corners, so that the great 3D image is able to be enjoyed.   Extra fresh, bright, and glossy colors, and printed on clear instead of paper, they actually have a depth unlike any other production format, almost a 3-D effect, so they look more awesome than the famous comic cover they produced.      In the 1970's, little by little, the comic-book publishers converted to this style of Color Separations for their comics' cover production process (made of four transparent acetate or mylar sheets, layered against a white background), while most sixties publications used the paper form of the sep's, and very few of these acetate "sep's" still exist for DC covers, even in the renowned Adler find.  This is a rare opportunity indeed, and would be a great addition to any collection of comic-art or cult-classic silver-age titles and related collectibles & ephemera, or just the serious DC comic fan's collection!   Many of you have read about this significant find in C.B.M. and C.B.G. and Alter Ego
(Comic Book Marketplace #85 or Comics Buyer's Guide #'s 1399, 1402, 1414, etc.)   We are secure packagers and prompt shippers so expect to be pleased.   Jack Adler worked through all the major periods of the comics: Golden-Age, Silver-Age, and Bronze-Age.  He even colored the plates for the very first golden-age comic, the landmark introduction of Superman, in Action Comics #1, when he was but a youth back in 1938!  He continued his freelance work, including work for the comics and the fashion industry, and eventually became DC Comics' premiere colorist, on staff from the early '50's through the mid '80's, and was head of the art department for much of his tenure.  He graduated from high school at the age of fifteen, and quickly got a degree in fine art.   He became proficient at sculpting, pencilling, inking, painting, and photography. He pioneered the washtone/graytone effect which became so popular on the DC "Big Five" war titles, with this particular series one of the hottest of alll!  In addition, he inked hundreds of covers over several decades as well; such as dozens of G.I. Combat covers and the entire run of Sea Devils, for but a couple examples... (You'll also see his name on the front cover of Plop #18, which he did with Basil Wolverton!)  Moreover, he also developed the "3-D" process used on the Batman 3-D and Superman 3-D comics in 1953; --so we're talking about a major contributor to DC history.     During the summer of 2004, the living legend himself, Jack Adler, (thought by some to have passed away years prior), at the urgings of his kind family, made his very first public appearance, at the San Diego Comic-Con.  He was honored Thursday afternoon at the popular convention with the Inkpot Award For Excellence for Outstanding Achievement In Comic Art, and a rousing standing ovation from the many onlookers at the panel of Golden-Age and Silver-Age Greats, hosted by Mark Evanier (of course!)  Besides just Mr. Adler, other noteworthy members on the entertaining and informative panel were Tom Gill (RIP), Sid Jacobson, Gene Colan, Frank Springer, Harry Harrison, and Frank Bolle.  On Friday at the Comic Con, there was a one-on-one panel, with just Mark Evanier and Jack Adler, titled "Spotlight On Jack Adler", and many questions were answered for the crowd of audience members, who were kept entertained by the charismatic and respected living legend.  It is amazing how many great names were hired on or got their start in the industry by him!  He also explained how he invented the 3-D image technology popularly used in Viewmasters, but was unable to get the deserved patent, as the film itself had been patented, (but not in a similar 3D format, so he got burned, as viewmaster was able to capitalize on his invention freely!)  Plus, the method that made integrating photo cover and line-drawn cover art easily into a single cover image was also pioneered by this influential innovator.  (The technology was supposed to be kept a secret, but was leaked immediately by a DC exec!)   Julius Shwartz had told him "don't tell me about it, just do it", and when it worked, it worked, and was immediately utilized, as the articulate and charming Adler related.  As an accomplished photographer, he created covers using photographs he had taken of his own grandchildren, producing his own copies of Shazam #2 and #6, which were displayed on an overhead projector to the glee of many enthralled listeners!  The picture of Captain Marvel, sitting reading to the innocent youths, was actually of Jack Adler reading to his grandkids.  (These same grandkids were present at the panel, and turned out to be pleasant, gracious, and kind adults.)  Moreover, he highly touted the art skills of good friends Neal Adams and Joe Kubert, (relating entertaining stories, of course!)  He helped Kubert set up his now legendary School Of Comic Book Art. Once the school was set up, he was supposed to head the school, but had to back out, as he couldn't bring himself to move to New Jersey!  You could write a book on the contributions Mr. Adler has made to the medium many of us know and love.  He passed away in September of 2011, at the age of 93.    Back in the "good ole days", DC normally burned or discarded such production art once the comic went to print.   However, during the period of 1967 to 1974, (with some exceptions dating earlier/later), this award-winning artist pulled aside many prime examples of production art, representing each step of the comic-making process. Nevertheless, there's an extremely small amount of these that were saved, considering the volume that was produced in those days. It is estimated that out of 840,000 pieces created for the production process over that time period, only about 4,000 or so survived, thanks to Jack Adler; ~A miniscule percentage of less than one half of one percent!  And among the formats of silver/bronze production art that Mr. Adler shrewdly retained, the Acetate Color Sep's are one of the RAREST; Look around on ebay, or anywhere else, and you'll notice that seventies acetate color progressives are almost never seen in the marketplace.    This is the actual Acetate Four-Color Separation, (sometimes known as Progressive Color Proofs), for the front cover of the fan-favorite comic. The top page is a transparency-stat of the line work, which is layered above the other three transparent sheets, to provide a 3-Dimension-like image which is much like the finished cover, but sometimes includes revisions and improvements, confirming its "work in progress" function in comics history.  Just beneath the top layer, you get a version of just blue, followed by one page of just reds, then another page has just yellow.  (All total, you get four different versions of the comic's front cover.)   The DC exec's used this crucial step to fine-tune the art before the actual book went to print. Only one such piece was created per cover...   Mr. Adler's grandson sold most of his art collection in one fell swoop in Texas in the late eighties, which represented the majority of the DC Archives of Comic-Book Covers for that halcyon Silver & Bronze era.  Then, years later, it changed hands again, with the vast bulk of the load still untouched... Eventually, after lengthy negotiations, a longtime friend and I were able to acquire the whole load (less the horror material) from the Southern California art collector who possessed this landmark find since 1997. I was later able to obtain the horror genre after a few years of additional wrangling, along with other art items after he passed away when I was the only dealer welcomed to search his long-term home in Queens. See the included picture at the bottom of this description, showing Mr. Adler and myself, at his lone convention appearance, admiring one of the many covers he painted for DC Comics back in the heyday.  Additional pieces can be found by checking the other Key Comics ebay auctions.  Buy aggressively, as such items are truly one-of-a-kind, and pre-eighties DC production pieces as a whole are notoriously rare.   A signed & embossed cardstock Certificate Of Authenticity is included, forever guaranteeing the provenance of each art piece from this major historic discovery.    Four-Color Separations to Silver-age & Bronze DC Covers are exceedingly rare in the market, and very impressive, as they are incredibly bright and 3D appearing, and contain unique variations seen no place else. This item is a bit larger than comic size, at 7.25" x 11".  For more information, please see the informative color feature article on this historic pedigree collection in the September issue of Comic Book Marketplace magazine from 2001; We have a copy of that informative mag in our ebay store. Another excellent fan mag, Alter Ego #56, has a great interview with Adler, and also enlightening interviews with a few of the major talents he influenced: Joe Kubert, Neal Adams, and Howard Stern.  Lots of great reading and helpful info!  I hope the images convey that this is a great looking showpiece, which would be especially impressive with a few of one's favorite versions in a grouping, framed on a wall or shelf. Regrettably, our scanner makes the colors look bland and the lines appear blurry, --when this museum piece is actually stunning.  It looks awesome in person and doesn't have darker regions nor does it have any tears or scuffs.  This irreplaceable item is just as rare as the blander black & white twice-up art... ~ Buy accordingly.   Fabulous eye-appeal: High-quality materials were used, and it was stored well. Snow-white whites and super rich colors! This is a must-have piece for any fan of ultra-rare DC collectibles, or original art fanatics, or the pedigree comic & art collector, or the serious Flash buff, or just the super-villain ephemera fan or Jack Adler fan who enjoys owning true rarities ~ to keep himself satisfied visually, while keeping his portfolio diversified in a most dramatic fashion!   As Usual: LOW ASKING PRICE AND NO RESERVE!
KEY COMICS is a Power(GOLD)Seller and CBM Market Report contributor and CGC Member Dealer that has specialized in Mail-Order Comics & Art for over a quarter-century;
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