Superman Subscription: My First Issue

by Armand Vaquer

There are some things in one's life experiences that stick to one even after 56 years have passed.

Back in the 1960s, DC Comics (known then as National Periodical Publications) offered subscriptions to their comics. If I remember correctly, a year's subscription (10 issues) to their comics was $1.00. At that time, comic books cost 12 cents on the newsstand with 80-page giants costing 25 cents (they were called annuals before). The 80-page giants weren't included in subscriptions.

I subscribed to Superman back in late 1965 and the first issue of my subscription was Superman no. 182 (January 1966 cover date). Someone posted the cover of the issue in a Curt Swan Facebook fan page.

The cover was penciled by Swan and inked by Sheldon Moldoff. It appears Superman's face was re-done by Al Plastino (for whatever reason). 

This particular comic book is now considered a "key issue" as it was the first Silver Age appearance of The Toyman (Winslow Percival Schott). A copy of it is now listed at eBay for $89.99. 

I still have my copy.

This is the cover of that issue:

Superman Artist Al Plastino Dies At 91

by Armand Vaquer

Above, Al Plastino.

One of the few remaining Golden Age and Silver Age comic book artists, Al Plastino, passed away yesterday at age 91 of prostate cancer.

Recently, Plastino has been involved in litigation over artwork he drew for "Superman's Mission for President Kennedy" that was intended to be donated to the John F. Kennedy Library.

Above, a Facebook message to me on the Superman-JFK artwork matter from Al Plastino from a few weeks ago.

Somehow, those pages of art never made it to the Kennedy Library and were to be up for auction last week. When the controversy erupted last month, Heritage Auctions pulled the artwork pending investigation.

While Curt Swan was my favorite Superman artist, Al Plastino was a good illustrator in his own right and I felt his work actually got better as the years went on.

For more, go here.

R.I.P., Al.

Legal Steps To Prevent Al Platino Superman-JFK Art Auction Initiated

by Armand Vaquer

Above, artist Al Plastino with the 'splash page' of the artwork in contention.  Photo: Facebook.

It was good news that Heritage Auctions pulled the Al Plastino original artwork of "Superman's Mission For President Kennedy" and will investigate how it ended up in private hands instead of being at the John F. Kennedy Library, where it was intended.

But this is just a temporary withdrawal. However, steps are being taken to keep the artwork from going on the auction block permanently.

According to the New York Post:

But advocates for comic book artists say that since the art was never given to the museum, Plastino remains the rightful owner. Comic book publishers, they claim, only buy the publishing rights to an artist’s work, not the work itself. Publishers generally dispute this, and it’s an issue that’s been debated for decades. 

“He never gave up ownership of the art because DC never purchased it from him or paid sales tax,” asserted Kris Adams Stone, daughter of comic book legend Neal Adams. She added that legal papers are being prepared to halt the auction for good.

To read the full story, go here.

Was Al Plastino's Superman-JFK Artwork Stolen?

by Armand Vaquer

Above, the cover of Superman issue no. 170.

It is interesting that this story should hit now, since the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy is coming up next month.

There is a bit of a flap over some original artwork that appeared in the July 1964 issue of Superman (no. 170). The issue contained the story, "Superman's Mission For President Kennedy" that was penciled and inked by Al Plastino. In the story, Kennedy enlists Superman's help to get flabby Americans to become physically fit.

As I have this issue in my collection, I remember it well. On the very last panel of the story, it stated that the original artwork would be donated to the John F. Kennedy Library at Harvard University (at the time, that was where the library was planned to be located).

Above, the Plastino art. Note the last panel stating that the original art will be donated to the Kennedy Library.

According to a story at Bleeding Cool.com, the Plastino original artwork is now up for auction at Heritage Auctions. They are looking to get $200,000 for it.  Somehow, the artwork never made it to the Kennedy Library and they have no record of ever receiving it.

Artist Al Plastino is quite upset over this.

 He said:

Please help if you can. The art I donated and thought for all these years was being housed at the Kennedy library at Harvard is now being auctioned off on the anniversary of Kennedy’s assassination. And now I am finding out that the art may have never made it to the library. The archivists tell me there are no records of it ever being received. I asked for the art back and they will not give it to me. I asked for the consigner’s name and they will not tell me that either. They tell me I have no rights to my work and that it is too late to get it back.

I don't blame Plastino for being upset about his artwork, intended for the Kennedy Library, ending up in someone else's hands, possibly by theft.

However, the story gets more complicated.

The story was originally scheduled for Superman no. 168, but it was pulled when Kennedy was assassinated. This version was drawn by artist Curt Swan and inked by George Klein. The editor of Superman, Mort Weisinger, published an announcement in the current issue stating that the artwork would be donated to Jacqueline Kennedy.

Above, editor Mort Weisinger's announcement containing a panel of the Swan/Klein artwork.

Later, President Johnson asked National Periodical Publications (DC Comics) to publish it, and it is speculated that the Swan/Klein artwork was donated already, so it had to be re-drawn and Plastino got the assignment.

Herein lies the confusion or complication.

It appears that the Swan/Klein artwork may have been donated directly to Mrs. Kennedy and not to the Kennedy Library (I assume there was a foundation set-up to get the library built at the time). But, as it shows on the last panel of the Plastino version, his artwork was intended to be donated to the Kennedy Library. It is possible that both versions were intended to be donated (the Swan/Klein art to Mrs. Kennedy and the Plastino art to the Kennedy Library) by National.

Since it was stated on the last panel of Plastino's version that it was to be donated, how did it end up not going to the Kennedy Library, but eventually to an auction house in 2013? Could the artwork have been stolen? What happened?

Heritage Auctions should pull the artwork from their auction schedule, put it on hold (treat it as possible stolen property) and begin an investigation to see if the artwork was stolen as well as the chain of custody since 1964. That would be right thing to do.

UPDATE: Bleeding Cool reports that Heritage Auctions has withdrawn the auction for the Plastino artwork and will investigate.  For more, go here.