Welcome to blog #2 of What Were They Thinking!  Submitted for your approval are two more head-scratching, hands to cheeks in disbelief, OMG covers.  Exploring these covers in detail also asks the question, "should you invest in them?"

A Schomburg For The Ages!

Alex Schomburg is well...Alex Freakin Schomburg!  He's one of the VERY best and collectible artists of any comic era.  According to Schomburg's official website, "During the war years, Schomburg turned out the most ornate, flamboyant and outrageous covers of the time. Jammed with detail, these covers were wild and amazing." It would surprise exactly 0.0 people who are familiar with Schomburg's work that he would have a WWTT cover.  Select Comics #9 is a classic WWTT cover.  It is a great WWTT cover because it is soooo out there, and that's not because our heroes are in outer space.  The dominant figures, the foreground, and even the background all contribute to make this a world-class WWTT cover!  First, Captain America, Buckey, and Human Torch are ALL fighting in Outer Space, without the need for oxygen! Next, each and every alien has a unique and very funny look on their face.  It is such a classic Schomburg work.  There is an alien getting dinged in the head with a fireball, awesome, but the alien at the bottom of the cover, center-left is the best.  Yes, the alien is waving at us!  It's a complete WWTT cover, but is it worth investing in?  Going after any Schomburg is a must.  Set your price on a raw Schomburg and if you get outbid, you get outbid.  This Schomburg is worth it, for the right price.  A CGC 4.5 sold for $1,100 in May!

Arrgh! Parody Comics Are Tailor-Made WWTTs

Parody comics as a whole, writers and artists, can qualify for WWTTs.  Arrgh! #1 is in this week's blog because of its similarities to Schomburg.  Drawn by the great Marie Severin, could she have channeled her inner Schomburg, or paid tribute to him in some way with this cover?  Like, Schomburg's covers, there is a lot going on; including that man staring up at us from the manhole cover, ala Schomburg secondary characters.  What makes this a great WWTT cover is an attempt at humor! There's a no parking, no standing, no reading signs...er...sign.  Then, there is the suicide jumper just below the exclamation point.  Also, don't forget the cop with the machine gun and the newspaper proclaiming the start of World War III.  Finally, the piece of this cover that really puts it in the stratosphere of WWTT covers?  The man under the police officer with a sign on his head, "totally short," a cup in his mouth, his head, and only his head, on a roller board. Except for maybe MAD #'s 1-10, humor comics are tough to speculate.  Arrgh! #1 has made significant gains in the last year.  A CGC 9.2 jumped 125% in a little less than two years.  A CGC 9.6 has seen a 35% increase in a year.  Marie Severine has done some great work.  Is Arrgh #1 the comic you want representing her in your collection; especially when you can get a CGC 8.0 Incredible Hulk #104 for about the same price?