Wolverton Debuts Spacehawk in Target Comics #5, up for Auction

Among the icons of the Golden Age, Basil Wolverton is unique. A creator who had a knack for imagining the unimaginable in comic books and beyond, Wolverton left an indelible mark on Golden Age history with one of his most memorable creations: Spacehawk. This superhuman science fiction enforcer made his debut in Target Comics #5, in a story that showcases everything there is to love about Wolverton’s creative prowess. There’s a solid copy of Target Comics #5 (Novelty Press, 1940) Condition: FN- up for auction at the 2023 April 23-25 Sunday, Monday & Tuesday Comic Books Select Auction #122317.

Before the debut of Spacehawk, Basil Wolverton had developed several previous science fiction adventure heroes, such as Marco of Mars and Steve Grover of the Stratosphere Patrol. Despite their general thematic similarities to Spacehawk, it was the latter character who became the most fully realized version of Wolverton’s wild vision for this kind of space adventure — and it captured the attention of Lloyd Jacquet and his Funnies, Inc. as well. This would eventually lead to Spacehawk’s debut in Novelty Publications’ Target Comics in a memorable issue that presented readers with an interplanetary hero capable of challenging the lawless villains that plagued the cosmos.

Spacehawk’s initial story presented a  hero who emerged just when interplanetary travel brought about new criminal threats that traditional law enforcement agencies were ill-equipped to handle.  Spacehawk became a formidable force against piracy and crime, and is now an icon in science fiction comics history due to Wolverton’s creative depiction of the aliens, monsters, technology and worlds of space.

Basil Wolverton’s contributions to the comic book world range from his humorous Powerhouse Pepper strip for Marvel/Timely to his eerie science fiction and horror stories in the early 1950s. One of his most renowned works, “The Brain Bats of Venus,” was featured in Stanley Morse Publications’ Mister Mystery title. Wolverton’s influence extended beyond comic books, with his distinct work reaching other audiences from his caricatures in Life Magazine to a book of his illustration of the Old Testament.

Novelty Press was the comic book imprint of Curtis Publishing Company, publisher of The Saturday Evening Post.  Their roster of talented creators included the likes of Jack Kirby, Joe Simon, and Mickey Spillane, with notable titles such as Blue Bolt and Target Comics becoming long-lived staples of the Golden Age.

With a cover by Submariner creator Bill Everett and a White Streak story by Human Torch creator Carl Burgos,  Target Comics #5 including the debut of Wolverton’s Spacehawk is among the best of what the Golden Age is about.  There’s a solid copy of Target Comics #5 (Novelty Press, 1940) Condition: FN- up for auction at the 2023 April 23-25 Sunday, Monday & Tuesday Comic Books Select Auction #122317.

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