HA Hall of Fame Description: John Romita Sr. Amazing Spider-Man #121 Cover

Auction result: $286,800 on February 22, 2013

John Romita Sr. Amazing Spider-Man #121 "The Night Gwen Stacy Died" Cover Original Art (Marvel, 1973).

 Some say the death of Gwen Stacy marked the end of the Silver Age of comics. "This was the end of innocence for comics... it remains one of the most potent stories ever published," was Arnold Blumberg's comment in Comic Book Marketplace.

The caption at the lower right crystallizes the theme of the most desirable piece of 1970s comic art we've auctioned to date. "Not a trick! Not an imaginary tale -- but the most startling unexpected turning point in this web-slinger's entire life. How can Spider-Man go on after being faced with this almost unbelievable death?"

It's a story that fans still talk about, and the most senses-shattering deathblow in comics. Letters from outraged fans flooded the Marvel offices.
The loss of Gwen marked nothing less than an end to the carefree fun and offbeat innocence of the Silver Age era. Spider-Man and the Marvel Age of Heroes were never quite so merry after this story.

This dynamic cover spotlights the taut suspense in an almost unbearable manner -- who among the beloved ASM cast would die? Many a fan thought, "Oh, please let it be Norman Osborn." Any Spider-fan who bought this issue off the spinner-rack has this iconic scene seared into his/her comic consciousness. With this scene, John Romita and Gerry Conway marked a tragic milestone for the world-famous Spider-Man saga launched by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee -- and for Marvelites, landmark issue covers just can't get better than this.

The image area of this eye-popping bombshell, showcasing John Romita Sr. at the height of his talent, measures 10" x 15". The art has some overall paper aging, a horizontal crease in the middle (at the level of the top of Spider-Man's head), a tear on the right side, and scattered staining that has little effect on the overwhelming power of the image; otherwise, the art is in Very Good condition. John Romita signed the page at the lower right. It's not just a classic cover -- it's a priceless piece of Bronze Age Marvel lore.


Don sez: I missed out on describing the most valuable piece of American comic art at auction to date, Todd MacFarlane's cover art for Amazing Spider-Man #328. My former cube-mate Mark Stokes, creator of the web comic Zombie Boy, did the honors of writing that one up. We all expected the Spider-Man #1 cover to be the top lot. It jost goes to show, you just never know what will happen in any given auction!



Auction result: an astounding $657,250 on July 26, 2012. This world-record lot was described by Mark Stokes.