Charles A. Voight’s Atomic Man in Headline Comics, Up for Auction

The use of atomic bombs on August 6 and August 9, 1945, fundamentally changed world history, and these changes quickly permeated various aspects of media and culture. Late 1945 saw the start of a burst of atom bomb-inspired series such as Atoman Comics, Atomic Thunderbolt, Atomic Comics, and the debut of Atomic Man in Headline Comics. While not technically the first radiation-inspired comic book heroes (cosmic radiation would most notably inspire The Ray much earlier.  One can also convincingly argue that the Flash was a radiation-inspired character from the start), those three characters were the initial wave to emerge in the wake of the atomic bomb.  Atomic Man, created by Charles A. Voight, was the first of these, with a debut in Headline Comics #16.  Perhaps the first hero of the atomic age, there is a Headline Comics #18 (Prize, 1946) Condition: GD featuring an Atomic Man cover up for auction in the 2023 April 9-11 Sunday, Monday & Tuesday Comic Books Select Auction #122315 at Heritage Auctions.

Atomic Man has the kind of origin that feels very familiar from the modern comic book fan’s perspective.  A scientist at an atomic energy research lab, Adam Mann accidentally ingests Uranium 235 while working there.  This combined with an explosion created by an accident with a high-voltage piece of lab equipment gives him an incredible range of radiation-inspired powers.  At the end of Headline Comics #16, Mann calls himself “A human atomic bomb.” Incredibly, Headline Comics publisher Prize had the first issue containing Atomic Man on newsstands barely over a month after the atomic bombs were used. The character became the cover feature of Headline Comics #17-19, and appeared in the series until issue #21.

Charles A. Voight was best known for his newspaper comic strip work in the first few decades of the 20th century, most notably the influential strip Betty (1919-1943).  He began working in comic books in 1944, creating a series of inventive characters, beautifully drawn in his fluid style, including Impossible Man, He-Man, and Atomic Man.  Most of his comic book work was done for publisher Prize. Voight died in 1947.

A little-known piece of comic book history that is reflective of a much bigger picture, there is a Headline Comics #18 (Prize, 1946) Condition: GD featuring an Atomic Man cover up for auction in the 2023 April 9-11 Sunday, Monday & Tuesday Comic Books Select Auction #122315 at Heritage Auctions. If you’ve never bid at Heritage Auctions before, you can get further information, you can check out their FAQ on the bidding process and related matters.

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