Last year was a long, hard slog of a year for many of us. It was hard to be optimistic at times, or to relax long enough to focus on the smaller things which make us happy. So this issue, we wanted to do just that - and use the intro to quickly check in on everything Mythic Markets is doing to start 2021 on the right foot.

First of all, we’re expanding our Classic Comics Collection after the sellout success of our Amazing Fantasy #15 - the first ever Spider-Man comic. You can already secure your shares in an equally foundational Marvel issue, Fantastic Four #1, and our next drop (Wednesday, January 27) continues the trend of superhero debuts by featuring Wonder Woman!

From the formative golden age of comic books, it’s All-Star Comics #8 - the 1941 issue which introduced Amazon Princess Diana to the rest of the Justice League. Like Wonder Woman herself, this issue is an irreplaceable part of the comics canon (catch the story of her real-life inspiration in our next blog entry!).

We’re going to continue adding these rare and foundational comic books to our collection wherever we can - but we also have assets dropping SOON which apply that same love of pop culture history to other beloved forms of media! The huge first offering for our Historic Games Collection will be announced next month… and we aren’t stopping there.

We hope you all ride with us as the 2021 roller-coaster takes off!

Signed Alpha Lotus auction brings new wave of interest in collectibles

One of the few things we liked about 2020 was the growing acknowledgement of collectibles as an asset class for mainstream, everyday investors. An eye-catching Michael Jordan documentary led to a spate of high-profile moves in the sports card market, and suddenly everybody had questions to ask. What makes these so valuable? Where are people trading the big stuff? What other collectibles have the pedigree to hold their value against the threat of general recession?

Black Lotus, the most valuable and notorious card in Magic: The Gathering, could certainly be considered a candidate. Printed at the dawn of that card game’s 27-year history, it is now a status symbol and community treasure which has regularly set eye-watering sales records.

And it’s about to set another one! Master collector David Edwards, who also owns a near-complete set of Gem Mint graded cards from the game’s first edition, is currently auctioning a perfect 10.0 graded Limited Edition Alpha Lotus online. The last such listing, around 6 months ago, fetched $250,000 - and with a week left to go, this Lotus is already far above that!

Even among its species, Edwards’ Black Lotus is something quite special. One of only 7 Alpha edition copies to have been graded a perfect 10 by PSA, its plastic case also bears the authentic signature of beloved artist Christopher Rush. The visual architect of Magic posted publicly about signing the card back in 2014, which was already a big deal at the time. After Rush’s untimely passing in 2016, his signature became immeasurably more special, a way to salute a man so important to the game and community. Having it on the single most valuable canvas in MTG is what makes this item such a unique prize for collectors.

Edwards’ auction is scheduled to run through eBay until the 27th, although those wishing to bid in the final 24 hours must apply for eBay’s approval in advance. That precaution against bad actors and PR stunts seems well justified now, as the opening days of the auction saw fake bids of $1 million or more briefly register on the site before fraud-checkers could expunge them.

The level of hype around Black Lotus will always attract this sort special attention, good and bad - but the biggest news story for investors will come when the hammer falls, and perhaps sets the tone for a renewed rush on Magic staples in 2021.

Striking Tintin cover leads to debate over comic art price record

We were NOT joking when we mentioned a new surge in the collectibles market, folks! Another new price record was seemingly smashed this week with the auction of a stunningly beautiful 1936 original from the beloved comic Tintin.

The globe-trotting adventures of the titular young reporter and his faithful dog Snowy have long been the benchmark for international comics, beloved by generations of readers worldwide. The interest they command from collectors reflects that status, with this new record price of 2.6 million euros ($3.1 million USD) for a preliminary cover for The Blue Lotus simply the latest affirmation of Tintin’s worth.

The Tintin series was created by Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi under the mononym Hergé. His specific, striking artstyle is on full display in this piece, which is one of just a handful Hergé ever produced directly in color. The art and composition are unusually fine for comics of the day - maybe too fine! According to the auction house, this first illustration was actually deemed too expensive to mass-produce as a cover, with the famous final version being Hergé’s simplified re-draw.

It’s a stunning piece with a great story behind it, but this new narrative of “most valuable comic art” is being contested by some experts. As was swiftly pointed out by industry journalist Rich Johnston and others, the Associated Press story heralding a new record failed to acknowledge the $5.4 million price tag of Egyptian Queen, a painting by modern fantasy master Frank Frazetta. While it may seem a far cry from the Hergé piece stylistically, Egyptian Queen was originally commissioned and published as the cover art for horror anthology comic Eerie in 1969 - meaning Tintin and Snowy still have a long way to go to seize the title!

Fast fandom

As always, there is a ton going on in the interconnected world of pop culture and fan media. Here are a few of the stories that caught our eye:

Lord of the Rings fans pounce on big leak from upcoming Amazon series

Nearly two decades on from Peter Jackson’s groundbreaking film trilogy, The Lord of the Rings is still the high watermark for serious epic fantasy in pop culture. While that sheer weight of expectation has kept further adaptations at bay, Amazon’s gargantuan wealth and the current arms race for original streaming content has made them brave enough to take on the challenge.

But not even Sauron’s fiery gaze can match the scrutiny of Tolkien lovers. Fan sites this week leaked the plot synopsis and other key details for the show, which seems to be planned for at least 40 episodes showcasing the lesser-known Second Age of Middle-Earth. This would set its events centuries before those of the films - although thanks to the number of immortal beings running around, that doesn’t completely rule out some famous cameos!

Scientists blame Pokémon Go for recent increase in car crashes

Older generations of geeks are well used to alarmist media stories trying to frame our favorite media as responsible for all manner of social ills. So it’s natural to start rolling your eyes when you see a headline like this! But there’s a decent amount of data behind the alarmism here.

Academics Mara Faccio and John J.McConnell link stats from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to show a 47% increase in crashes since the launch of Pokémon Go was disproportionately focused around Pokéstop locations, and that “these crashes are associated with increases in the dollar amount of vehicular damage, the number of personal injuries, and the number of fatalities.” They go on to estimate the total cost as between $2 billion and $7.3 billion. Yikes.

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