Alex Schomburg Covers the Mysterious Miss Masque, Up for Auction

The iconic cover artist Alex Schomburg created over 240 Golden Age covers for publisher Standard/Better/Nedor, among them a group of Miss Masque covers on Exciting Comics and America’s Best Comics during the late Golden Age.   Created by artist Lin Streeter, Miss Masque was a sign of the times in comic book in this 1946-1949 era during which female superheroes were on the rise.  The combination of an appealing character and Schomburg’s cover artistry makes has always served to make these issues desirable to collectors, and there are several issues of Exciting Comics, and America’s Best Comics featuring Miss Masque covers by Schomburg up for auction in the 2023 February 23 The Thrillingly Exciting Heroes of Nedor Comics Showcase Auction #40219 at Heritage Auctions.

While the character was never given an origin, Miss Masque is the wealthy socialite Diana Adams, relying on her athletic ability and her handguns to fight crime.  She was created by the artist Lin Streeter for Exciting Comics #51 in 1947. The cover of America’s Best Comics #23 with the Black Terror and Fightning Yank literally giving Miss Masque her flowers is a good symbol of what was happening in the comic book industry at the time. The character rose to cover stardom at a time when a new wave of female superheroes such as Black Canary, Namora, Sun Girl, and Blonde Phantom were being introduced and gaining popularity. Streeter (1915-1968) worked for a wide variety of publishers throughout the Golden Age and beyond, from Lev Gleason to Marvel/Timely and ACG.  Streeter and artist Bob Oskner likely did several of the interior Miss Masque stories here.

In comic books, Alex Schomburg is best remembered for his Marvel/Timely WWII-era covers, but he did more covers for Standard/Better/Nedor than any other comic book publisher.  The set of Miss Masque covers up for auction here includes America’s Best Comics #23 in CGC 4.0, America’s Best Comics #24 in CBCS 5.5, America’s Best Comics #29 in CGC 5.5, America’s Best Comics #30 in CGC 5.5, America’s Best Comics #31 in CGC 5.0, and Exciting Comics #53 in CGC 5.0.

Like all of his Golden Age covers, Alex Schomburg’s Miss Masque covers are sought after by collectors, and these covers have the added significance of being from a time when female characters were on the rise in comics. There are several issues of Exciting Comics, and America’s Best Comics featuring Miss Masque covers by Schomburg up for auction in the 2023 February 23 The Thrillingly Exciting Heroes of Nedor Comics Showcase Auction #40219 at Heritage Auctions. Any prospective bidders should check out their FAQ on the bidding process and related matters.

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