Last week I referenced that I'd had one of the greatest days in my comic book collecting life. Part of that great day was getting hold of the fabulous reprint of Charlton's awesome E-Man comics from First Comics which I talk about at length here. But perhaps of even greater personal significance was a call from my daughters which put me onto nine fabulous Mandrake the Magician, Flash Gordon, and The Phantom comic books from the heyday of King Features.
See the impressive covers above, especially for Mandrake the Magician five, possibly the single coolest cover in the history of comics (Man in top hat and tuxedo lays haymaker on one-eyed green alien invader as another attacks from behind, while Bavarian villagers run away in fear from an old-fashioned flying saucer! What could be finer?). My girls not only spotted these gems, but were willing to go meet a guy to get these jewels for me. I gave them the go ahead.
They came in for a visit this weekend and presented their dear old Dad with these totally awesome comic books for his birthday. It's one of the greatest gifts they ever given me, and to think they not only bought these, but located this sweet sweet deal. I've long been thinking I might want to build a King Features back issue collection of these three icons and now I have a very firm base on which to work. These are all in pristine shape and will form the sweet core to a sweet collection one day. But I'll always know that it was my beloved girls who got these fantastic comic books for their Dad. It was a great day indeed.
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