The Invaders Annual #1Who penciled and inked the"the greatest superheroes of World War II?" The same artist created "blockbusting battle issues!" What artist has been drawing since the Golden Age and making Nazi villains pay for their treacherous ways? Well, there is one guy that stands out, the original artist of Captain America of the 1940s: Alex Schomburg! He did several early Captain America comic covers in the Golden Age. Can this golden oldie still percolate prices as an echo of our once-great past? Further, who was Alex Schomburg, and is his very last book worth anything?

 

 

 

 

 

The Invaders Annual #1Alex Schomburg (Captain America's cover artist)

He was born "Alejandro Schomburg y Rosa May 10, 1905 – April 7, 1998), and was of Puerto Rican descent. He started as a commercial artist to become a comic book artist and painter whose career lasted over 70 years in the mainland United States" (Wiki). He did the cover to The Invaders #1 at the end of his comic book career.

Alex Schomburg freelanced for Timely Comics in the 1940s. This comic book publisher would eventually become Marvel Comics. During his time at Timely Comics, he worked on the following Marvel icons: Captain America, Sub-Mariner, Human Torch, and others. His contribution to each of these iconic characters is monumental.

 

 

 

The Invaders Annual #1

 

Perhaps without Schomburg, these favorite superheroes would be long forgotten, food for thought. He also worked for a time for "Harvey Comics doing covers for the Green Hornet Comics crimefighter" (Wiki). He was at the center of creating images we still enjoy today.

Stan Lee said of Alex Schomburg that "despite the quantity of work we gave him, despite the care and effort that went into every Schomburg cover, I cannot remember Alex ever being late with any illustration."

 

 

 

The Invaders Annual #1The Invaders Annual #1

This annual was created in 1976 by Alex Schomburg and a group of comic book artists from the Golden Age. It was written by none other than Roy Thomas. "Schomburg penciled and inked a six-page chapter featuring the Golden Age Human Torch" (Wiki). This is also said to be his last cover work in comics and probably his last art in comic books as well.

As an investment, this book has solid numbers and is essentially the last hoorah of an old-time classic comic book artist. This is a forgotten beauty. It is too expensive to buy early Captain America's Schomburg for most collectors. But this is a way to own a solid little collectible piece of the Golden Age, without the price. The long-term projections are solid, and the CGC Census is simply outstanding take a look:

 

 

 

Title Grade Last Sale CGC Census Sales Trend

The Invaders Annual #1

9.8 $325 287!!! +11.8%
  9.6 $83   +11.2%
  8.5 $25   +85%

 

The Invaders Annual #1Conclusion

There are not many copies of this running around. They are cheap when you do find them, as the realization of their value is just starting to percolate. You want to give a decisive speculative blow to the Axis powers (speculative losses) and pancake them with a piece of a Nazi vehicle just like the Sub-Mariner? Then your best bet is Schomburg's last hoorah: The Invaders Annual #1.

 

 

 

 

 

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