Joe Simon & Jack Kirby’s Earliest Team Up on Blue Bolt, up for Auction

Sometimes a comic book key is not about a first appearance, origin, first issue, or pivotal events in the story.  Sometimes, it’s more about an important moment in time, and the first collaboration of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby is one such moment.  The legendary pair  are among the most famous creative teams in American comic book history.  Of course, they are the iconic creators of comic book titles and characters like Captain America and Bucky, Newsboy Legion, Boy Commandos, Manhunter, Boys’ Ranch, Fighting American, and numerous others.  Every team starts somewhere, and the earliest collaborations of these two creators are the interior Blue Bolt story of Blue Bolt #2 (July 1940).  There’s an affordable copy of Blue Bolt #2 (Novelty Press, 1940) Condition: Apparent PR and several other early issues of the title up for auction in the 2023 April 23-25 Sunday, Monday & Tuesday Comic Books Select Auction #122317.

As established by Joe Simon in issue #1, the origin of Blue Bolt starts college football star Fred Parrish, who gains superpowers after being struck by lightning during practice and receiving an experimental radium treatment from scientist Bertoff. With his newfound abilities and a lightning gun given to him by Bertoff, Parrish assumes the Blue Bolt identity and embarks on a mission to combat his arch-enemy, the malevolent Green Sorceress — and eventually the evils of World War II.  Starting with issue #2, the creative duo of Simon & Kirby collaborated for the first time, resulting in a unique blend of art and storytelling that would soon form the bedrock for future projects, including Captain America, Newsboy Legion, Boy Commandos, Manhunter, and beyond.

With an underappreciated history that started in the early Golden Age, Novelty Press made its mark by publishing a variety of titles such as Target Comics, 4Most, Young King Cole, and Frisky Fables. As an imprint of Curtis Publishing Company, the successful publisher behind The Saturday Evening Post, Novelty Press was a significant entrant into the competitive Golden Age, and worked with an impressive array of creators, including the likes of Kirby, Simon, Bill Everett, Carl Burgos, Basil Wolverton and Mickey Spillane. In 1949, esteemed artist L.B. Cole and Gerhard Kramer would acquire Novelty Press’s assets and co-found Star Publications.

Early Blue Bolt issues can be tough to get in any condition, but there are several early issues of the title up for auction including  Blue Bolt #2 (Novelty Press, 1940) Condition: Apparent PR with the first Simon & Kirby collaboration in the 2023 April 23-25 Sunday, Monday & Tuesday Comic Books Select Auction #122317. For those new to bidding at Heritage Auctions, it’s advisable to consult the auction house’s FAQ section to familiarize yourself with the bidding process and auction event details.

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