Everything old is new again. How often have we heard that phrase? Well, concerning classic pulp and comic book characters, the slogan hits home. The recent rebooting of great Golden Age comic book characters Daredevil, The Black Terror, Green Lama, The Flame, The Face, Hydroman, The Blue Beetle, and others by Alex Ross has drawn attention. As has the recent reprinting of classic pulps containing the timeless adventures of heroes like Doc Savage, The Spider, and, of course, The Shadow. 

While The Shadow may mostly be remembered for his appearances in his self-titled pulp and his famed radio show, he also appeared in comic books of the era. These comics were published by Street & Smith Publications, who also published The Shadow pulps.  Shadow Comics ran from March, 1940 through August-September, 1949.

In Geppi’s Entertainment’s current Hake’s Americana & Collectibles auction, they are offering the original cover art to Shadow Comics #9, which was published in March, 1941. The issue featured a Shadow story “Mystery of the Sealed Box” written by noted Shadow author Walter B. Gibson and featured art by Vernon Greene. The art depicts The Shadow leaping from a runaway car as it careens through fence and off of a cliff. The area at the bottom of the cover shows back-up characters The Hooded Wasp and sidekick Wasplet. 

Hake’s auction #195 will begin closing on Tuesday, September 2, 2008. To peruse the many lots Hake’s has to offer, click here.