How’d You Like to Own An Unpublished 1968 X-Men Page?

Posted by: Scott Tags: Posted date: November 26, 2010 | No comment

Thanks to all of you who took part in the first two auctions of Irene’s artwork meant to help fund a trip sometime next year to Machu Picchu. (One pleasant surprise—who knew how much love there was out there for Doom Patrol artist Bruno Premiani?) A third auction of items from Irene’s collection started last weekend, and runs until 11:00 p.m. this Sunday, but life’s been so busy this is the first moment I’ve had to let you know about it.

Only four items this time, and two of them are quite unusual. First up, an unpublished X-Men page by Werner Roth and Sam Grainger that was meant to appear in issue #48 back in 1968, but never did. It was part of the back-up story “Metoxo the Lava Man,” starring Iceman and the Beast, which was promoted at the end of issue #47, but didn’t see print. The page features both Hank McCoy and Bobby Drake in civvies.

Next up, a true oddity—a piece of original art that isn’t a piece of original art at all. It’s the
Gil Kane/John Romita splash page from Captain America #145 (1972), and it’s made up entirely of multiple stats of actual original art cut and pasted into the final design. What happened to the originals? Who knows! But this is what Marvel actually used to print the issue.

Then we’ve got a half-page by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito from The Flash #180 (1968). No Flash on the page, but, hey, we’ve got Mrs. Flash, a k a Iris West Allen.