A most unusual 1950's comic book, Negro Romance, purchased on eBay a few years ago, is the focus of national TV show to air at 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 12, on PBS. It will be repeated at 1 a.m. Thursday, July 14, and 4 p.m. Sunday, July 17. Click here to read more about the find and the TV show History Detectives. Will you be watching?
Setting my DVR for this one!
Thought I'd dig up some info on the Negro Romance series before watching the PBS show tonight. Not much info on this series out there. There were only three issues of Negro Romance published by Fawcett Comics in June #1, August, #2 and October of 1950. Issue #2 was later reprinted by Charlton Comics in 1955 as Negro Romance #4. In the early 1950's Fawcett had seen a decline in Super-hero comics sales and switched gears to real-life crime and romance comics like the short lived Negro Romance. At that time Fawcett sold the creative rights to most of their super heroes like Captain Marvel to Charlton Comics who would later be bought by DC.
Very little is known about Negro Romance. There is almost no information on the web about the creators who worked on the title and nothing regarding print-runs. I would assume Negro Romance was a four-color comic like most of the other Fawcett titles printed in the 1950's.
What I can tell you is that these issues are extremely rare. Currently the CGC census only lists 9 graded copies, the highest in 9.2 Near Mint condition. Negro Romance #1 guides for $1,300.00 in NM condition, #2, $975.00 NM and #3, $1,200.00. Even the Charlton reprint of issue #2, #4 guides for $1,000.00.
In checking Ebay sales I was only able to find auctions for two in the last 5 years. In October, 2009 a copy of Negro Romance #1 listed in Fine Minus condition sold for $738.37 and in April, 2007 issues Publishers Bound editions of #2 and #3 from the Fawcett warehouse sold for $1,271.77.
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Looking forward to the show tonight to see what the History Detectives dug up on this title. I'll update this post with the new info.
Wow that is incredibly interesting. Looking forward to reading your take on the TV show, based on your subject matter expertise.
