'The Curse of the Ring' Art Portfolio by P. Craig Russell

In 1980 the publishing company Schanes & Schanes released the ‘The Curse of the Ring’, a limited edition portfolio of 1200 copies by American comic book writer, artist, and illustrator, P. Craig Russell. The portfolio, signed by the artist on the first plate, consists of six black-and-white plates based on Richard Wagner’s cycle of four operas ‘The Ring of the Nibelung’. The set is housed within an illustrated folder that measures approximately 12.5" x 18" when closed. P. Craig Russell returned to the operatic themes of ‘The Ring of the Nibelung’ twenty years after this portfolio was released with the mini-series ‘The Ring of the Nibelung: Rhinegold’ through Dark Horse Comics in 2000. Central to the mythology of this operatic cycle is the curse, the fall of man and the consequence of submission to selfish desires. Russell’s elaborate artwork, evocative of Art Nouveau illustration, has won multiple Harvey and Eisner Awards.

In 1971, the Schanes brothers (Steve, age 17, and Bill, age 13) co-founded Pacific Comics, which started out as a mail-order company selling to consumers via ads in the Comics Buyer's Guide. This ultimately led to tangible retail stores, with the first Pacific Comics outlet opening in Pacific Beach, California, in 1974. In 1979, Pacific dipped its feet into publishing when they released Warriors of Shadow Realm, a John Buscema portfolio of six signed, coloured plates to accompany a three-issue Weirdworld story in Marvel Comics Super Special #11-13 (June-Oct. 1979). Schanes & Schanes was the name Pacific Comics used for their printing of art portfolios and autographed prints. In addition to work by Russell and Buscema, Schanes & Schanes also published portfolios of other popular properties such as Elfquest (1980) and Cerebus the Aardvark (1981). In August, 1981, Pacific Comics launched Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers by Jack Kirby, the first issue of which sold 110,000 copies! However, by 1984, with the company $740,000 in debt, Pacific Comics was forced to close. 

Marx Tin Train Set

During a recent inventory an unmarked box was brought to light, and inside a Marx train set was discovered consisting of a pressed steel locomotive, six tin cars, and fourteen sections of track. The locomotive appears to be a ‘New York Central Lines’ COMMODORE VANDERBILT streamliner 0-4-0 (Marx Model 232), the key wound variety produced by Marx starting in 1934. However, this particular locomotive and cars are equipped with tongue-and-slot couplers (TSC) which Marx started using about 1936, information which helps to date these items more accurately. Although the locomotive has some superficial chips in its paint, the ‘New York Central Lines’ front name plate is still affixed, and its wind-up motor still runs beautifully. This eighty year old toy is a testament to the Marx company motto "give the customer more toy for less money"!

Louis Marx and Company was an American toy manufacturer incorporated in 1919. By early 1920's they were producing a large array of tin and wooden toys for girls and boys. Eventually their line included tinplate buildings, tin toys, toy soldiers, play-sets, toy dinosaurs, mechanical toys, toy guns, action figures, dolls, dollhouses, toy cars and trucks, and, of course, trains. Unlike Lionel and American Flyer, its main competitors in the toy train business, Marx never set out to make the fanciest toy trains, but rather to make quality toy trains at the lowest price. For Depression-era kids and their parents, a complete Marx railway could be had for the price of a single Lionel train! Sadly, too slow to jump on the electronic-toy bandwagon, in 1972 Marx was purchased by Quaker Oats. By 1975, its manufacturing facilities were closed.

Animaniacs Plastic Lunchbox

This molded plastic lunchbox, featuring images of the Animaniacs characters Yakko, Wakko, and Dot - the Warner Siblings - was sold in 1996 by Aladdin Industries, an American vendor of lunchboxes & thermal food storage containers. Aladdin Industries was created as a subsidiary of Mantle Lamp Company in 1914, specifically to manufacture vacuum bottles. In 1950 they produced the first licensed character lunchbox featuring Hopalong Cassidy, and became instrumental in tying lunch boxes to pop culture. Aladdin continued manufacturing various lunchbox designs until 1998. This lunchbox comes complete with its original thermos, and is in overall fantastic shape!

‘Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs’ is an American animated comedy television series that first aired on Fox Kids from 1993 to 1995, and then on The WB from 1995 to 1998. Each episode usually consisted of two or three cartoon shorts of various lengths, from bridging segments less than a minute long to episodes spanning the entire show length. The Warner siblings functioned to tie the show together by appearing in and introducing other characters' segments. In 1996, Animaniacs won two Daytime Emmy Awards, one for "Outstanding Animated Children's Program" and the other for "Outstanding Achievement in Animation". During its run, Animaniacs became the second-most popular children's show of children ages 2–11 (behind Mighty Morphin Power Rangers)!

Raiders of the Lost Ark Board Game

Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. It became the year's top-grossing film, and remains one of the highest-grossing films ever made. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture. This Raiders of the Lost Ark board game, based on the movie, was released in 1981 by Kenner, an American toy company that also held the rights to produce Star Wars action figures and play sets. In this game, designed for 2-6 players ages 8 and up, players move around a world map collecting cards and try to obtain the Ark, Staff of Ra, and the Map Room. As soon as one collects the Ark, Staff, and Map cards, they move to a designated country to win.

The joy of this game, though, is more than just its play value, and more than just its distinction as being one of the first pieces of Raiders merchandise to hit the shelves. The real joy is the awesome Jim Steranko box art, with an Indy so buff Harrison Ford wishes he ever looked that good - it's classic pulp styling to go along with the classic pulp feel of the movie! Steranko, an American graphic artist, is well known for his innovations in sequential art during the Silver Age of comic books, particularly his infusion of surrealism, op art, and graphic design into the medium. He went on to become a publisher, book cover illustrator, and even created conceptual art and character designs for films, including Raiders of the Lost Ark. 

Conversion of Assets V

With the recent popularity of the Avengers movie and the Iron Man films, there is a growing nostalgia for the Silver Age and Bronze Age Iron Man! With that in mind, the panelology department set their sights on acquiring a nice copy of ‘Iron Man #47’. But in order to acquire the necessary funds the following books were sold: first, ‘Batman #251’, published by DC Comics September, 1973. This issue is the bronze-age debut of the Joker, profoundly revised by writer Denny O'Neil and artist Neal Adams. Graded around F (6.0), the cover gloss on this issue still has moderate reflectivity, although there is some minor cover wear, with some minor to moderate creasing; second, ‘Batman #386’, published by DC Comics August, 1985. This issue contains the first appearance of the villain Black Mask. Graded around VF/NM (9.0), this is a sharp copy with no creases, and still has outstanding eye appeal. Issue #251 was sold for $49.96 CAD and issue #386 for $45.79 CAD - a total of $95.75.

These funds were then used to purchase a CGC graded 9.0 (VF/NM) copy of ‘Iron Man #47’ for a total of $92.64 CAD. Published by Marvel Comics in June, 1972, this issue retells the origin of Iron Man, written by Roy Thomas with art by the incomparable Barry Windsor Smith. This is the first detailed retelling of the golden Avenger’s origin since his debut in ‘Tales of Suspense #39’, a decade earlier. The cover itself, an iconic Iron Man image if ever there was one, is by the legendary Gil Kane. As the Iron man movie franchise has grossed over one-billion dollars worldwide, there will be lots of fans for generations to come that will be interested in key issues of his eponymous comic book series!

Planet of the Apes 50th Anniversary

2013 marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of Pierre Boulle’s science-fiction classic La Planète des singes, also known in English as Planet of the Apes. The novel was published in France in 1963 by René Julliard, with the first English language version, translated by Xan Fielding, published in the United States by Vanguard Press in June 1963. The first paperback edition was published in the US in March 1964 by Signet / New American Library. The novel has inspired a media franchise comprising several films, two television series (one animated), comic books, toys, etc. The small collection gathered here is comprised of the following items:

 

Planet of the Apes 35th anniversary DVD - Released 2004 by 20th Century Fox. 2 DVDs. 1968/color/112 min. Anamorphic, Color, Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Widescreen.

 

 

Dr. Zaius Mego figure - By 1973 a total of five Ape films had been released, and while it might have seemed like the end of the Ape dynasty, it was actually the beginning of the short-lived phenomenon referred to as Ape-Mania. In 1973, 20th Century Fox advertising challenged America to “Go Ape!” They began showing the first two Ape films on TV and all five Ape films in back to back marathons in movie theatres. As luck would have it, Mego President Marty Abrams attended a screening with his son, not even knowing what Planet of the Apes was, but saw fathers and sons enjoying the films together. The next day he was reportedly on the phone with 20th Century Fox executives securing the rights to produce figures based on the Planet of the Apes property. This figure, an early issue Dr. Zaius with the simpler black hero boot, was released in the summer of 1974.

 

 

Addar Cornelius Hobby Kit - The original Planet of the Apes model series was produced by Addar between 1973 and 1975. The kit was sold as a snap-together kit (no glue needed), so no paint or glue was included with the kits. Addar was out of business by 1976, but Cornelius, Dr. Zaius, Dr. Zira and General Ursus were reissued by Polar Lights under the Aurora logo in the 1990s.

 

Adventures on the Planet of the Apes #1 - Comic Book published by Marvel Comics group in 1975. Cover art is by Jim Starlin ; interior art by Ploog and Tuska. This adaptation of the movie by Doug Moench reprints material from Marvel’s Planet of the Apes magazine, but for the first time in color.

 

 

Rubber Gorilla Soldier - Copyright 1973 APJAC Productions and 20th Century Fox; Manufacturer unknown.

 

Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle - First US paperback edition published in March 1964 by Signet / New American Library.

 

Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle - Signet, 18th printing 451-Q5646, circa 1973.

 

Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle - Ballantine Books edition, 1st thus, May 2001.

 

Beneath the Planet of the Apes by Michael Avallone - Bantam Books S5674, first printing, July 1970.

 

Escape from the Planet of the Apes by Jerry Pournelle - Award Books, first printing, 1973.

 

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes by John Jakes - Award Books, first printing, 1973.

 

Battle for the Planet of the Apes by David Gerrold - Award Books, first printing, 1973.

 

Assorted Topps trading cards - From a set for the short-lived Planet of the Apes TV show released in 1975.

 

Pierre Boulle’s Planet of the Apes, a science-fiction classic, was the beginning of a long lasting  series of interpretations of his fantastic vision. Generations have grown up on his ideas, written books with subjects as diverse as 'Planet of the Apes and Philosophy' and 'Planet of the Apes as American Myth: Race and Politics in the Films and Television', and made their own films capturing Boulle’s vision. There have been toys, and games, movies, and books, and a myriad of other products. Truly, the last fifty years have been the Age of the Apes! In the words of the Lawgiver from Battle for the Planet of the Apes: "The promise is yours to keep. Yours to pass on to your children for them to keep." 

Canada Post Banff National Park Stamp

This attractive Canadian postage stamp was issued by Canada Post on June 21, 1985, to commemorate the centenary of world renowned Banff National Park. The stamp itself is an un-mounted mint example of the $2 stamp, beautifully printed using a combination of engraving and lithography. It is housed on a card that slides into an outer cardboard sleeve adorned with vintage and contemporary images of Banff National Park.

Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park, located 110–180 km west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, encompasses 6,641 km2 of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine landscapes. The Canadian Pacific Railway was instrumental in Banff's early years, building the Banff Springs Hotel and Chateau Lake Louise, and attracting tourists through extensive advertising.