There have been plenty of Conan copies over the decades, but none are as famous as Groo the Wanderer. The satirical take on Hyborea’s favorite son has been making headlines this year. Last month, the Hollywood Reporter revealed that a production company is looking for a home for a Groo cartoon series. The property was optioned in November, though that doesn’t guarantee we’ll ever see an animated Groo. In the television and film industry, optioned means exactly that; the studio has the option to develop the property into a movie or series.
Groo fans have been waiting decades for the Wanderer to make it into the mainstream spotlight, and that could be on the way. In that event, it would immediately impact his key issues, beginning with these four.
DESTROYER DUCK #1
Although Groo was created in the mid-1970s, he wouldn’t make it into a published comic until 1981. As the story goes, Sergio Aragones wasn’t willing to sign away all the rights to Groo, so finding a home for his character took time and patience.
Fittingly, Groo’s four-page introduction appeared in Destroyer Duck #1, a comic that was published as a fundraiser for legal fees associated with creator rights of the time.
This issue has been en vogue with collectors for several months, namely due to the Groo news. Last spring, the 9.8s were selling in the $500-$600 range. Since November, that fair market value jumped to the four-figure mark. After earning as much as $1,850 in 2021, the last sale was for a respectable $999 on March 1.
STARSLAYER #5
Groo the Wanderer would make his second appearance as a backup story in the pages of Starslayer #5. Again, Groo wasn’t on the cover art, and his part in the comic totaled five pages.
While it may not sound like much, Groo collectors have coveted this issue for years. However, that doesn’t translate into a tidal wave of sales or inflated price tags.
The last time a 9.8 traded hands, it went for $115 in February 2021.
The raw copies have been selling more regularly this year, and you can get those for less than $10 in many cases.
GROO THE WANDERER #1
After the attention received in Destroyer Duck and Starslayer, Pacific Comics began publishing the first Groo title.
What will entice collectors is that this issue not only marks Groo’s first solo comic, but it’s also the first time he appeared on the cover art.
Those are two major selling points for any key issue, especially for a character on the brink of getting mainstream attention.
At the moment, the graded 9.8s tend to stay near the $200 mark, and the most recent sale was for $180 on March 1.
GROO THE WANDERER #120
Over Groo’s 41-year history, the character has appeared for an assortment of publishers, but he is most closely associated with the titan of the industry, Marvel Comics.
Before the House of Mouse bought the company, the publisher began printing Groo the Wanderer in 1985. For 10 years, Marvel put out monthly Groo comics that helped build the character’s legend among readers.
In 1995, the series came to an end with Groo #120. What makes this issue so alluring is its low print run, making this comic relatively hard to find. In February, a graded 9.8 sold for $265, which happened to be a new record high.
SOMETHING TO GROO ON
While nothing new has been reported on the Groo cartoon front as of late, it would seem that his day is coming. When the series officially lands a home, it will catapult those key issues’ FMVs. Now would be the time to add them to your collections before the boom.
