Maurice Whitman’s Rare and Coveted Kaanga Comics #8, up for Auction

Kaanga Comics #8 appears to be one of the toughest Fiction House comics in high grade, and features a spectacular cover by Maurice Whitman. This issue has recently attracted some attention among serious vintage comic book collectors, as high grade copies have been virtually unheard of on the public marketplace in the CGC era.  Last year, a CGC 5.5 copy went for $3960 at Heritage Auctions.  Whitman is an underappreciated superstar of the late Golden Age, and this Summer 1951 cover-dated issue features some of his early cover artwork.  Collectors are finally starting to appreciate Whitman’s work, and this Kaanga Comics #8 (Fiction House, 1951) CGC FN+ 6.5 Off-white to white pages is the highest CGC-graded copy to come up for public auction.

Kaanga was created by artist Alex Blum with an unknown writer for his debut in Jungle Comics #1, cover-dated January 1940, as a classic “boy raised by apes” character in the Tarzan mold. Just as Jungle Comics was the comic book companion of Fiction House’s Jungle Stories pulp title, Kaanga had a basic counterpart in the character Ki-Gor from Jungle Stories. Kaanga eventually got his own comic book series from Fiction House which lasted for 20 issues 1949-1954.

Maurice Whitman (June 10, 1922 – May 9, 1983) is best known for his gorgeous Good Girl art comic book covers that practically define the late Fiction House era. Whitman worked with major studios of his day, including Funnies, Inc., Chesler Studio, and Iger Studio, creating comic book art for publishers such as Charlton, DC Comics, and Fiction House. His cover for Kaanga Comics #8 is a prime example of his incredible talent.

Only a handful of CGC-graded copies of the issue have traded on the public market over the past 20 years, with this CGC 6.5 copy the highest graded among them. But there’s a chance to add a Kaanga Comics #8 to your collection during the 2023 March 30 – April 2 Comics & Comic Art Signature® Auction #733.  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.