This was Marvel Comics’ very first commercial paperback, published by Simon & Schuster in 1974, and bringing together the first stories of Marvel’s most famous characters at the time, destined for the book market. What a novelty! And it was John Romita father who painted the cover, supposed to be Stan lee typewriter… the original cover art is currently at Heritage Auctions, hammered through November 18-21, and currently auctioned for $ 67,000. and is one of a batch of seriously enviable original artwork going through this system right now.

And here’s what the post looked like. Looks like someone increased the contrast of printers …

John Romita Sr. Origins of Marvel Comics Original Art Cover (Simon & Schuster, 1974). Iconic cover of Marvel’s first Fireside Book and first commercial paperback! Stan Lee’s beloved book was so successful that it spawned annual sequels that have become staples of any Marvel fan’s collection. If you liked the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Thor, Doctor Strange, or the Hulk, you may have read their first and last stories, all in this one book! And it could be found both in bookstores and libraries, which was a rarity for anything comic book at the time. And who better to provide the art of this cover than the legendary comic book artist Romita, providing a rarely seen painting, forgoing her usual pen and ink creations. This image holds a special place in the hearts of countless comic book fans – a piece that embodies what Marvel Comics means to readers! Gouache over graphite and blue pencil on drawing board with an image area of ​​14.5 “x 21.5”. Slight bend, the figures are original art collages, the thing’s collage is discolored, residue stains, duct tape and abrasions in the margins, with some abrasion on top of the thing. Ding in the upper right corner, crease in the lower left corner, with burrs / handling wear. In very good conditions.