Bob Hope Comics Are No Laughing Matter for Collectors

The ‘Adventures of Bob Hope’ from DC Comics ran for nearly 20 years, ending in 1968.

The Adventures of Bob Hope #11,
(DC, 1951), CGC NM 9.4, $1,140.

Comedian and actor Bob Hope (1903–2003) may have ended his nearly 80-year career as something of a cliché, but long before that, he essentially invented modern stand-up comedy and became a Broadway star. He also had the highest-rated radio and television programs, entertained generations of military personnel with his popular USO tours, and commanded the movie box office for decades.

Hope was such a big star that he even headlined his own comic books. Published by DC Comics, The Adventures of Bob Hope was a mainstay for nearly 20 years, running from 1950 to 1968 and featuring 109 issues.

These comics are now avidly collected, and nearly 20 were offered during Heritage Auctions’ “Good Girl Art and Romance Comics Showcase Auction” Oct 3-5.

The top lot was The Adventures of Bob Hope #11 with a Palo Alto Collection Pedigree (DC, 1951), CGC NM 9.4, which sold for $1,140. The cover features a crowned Hope sitting on a throne and, as with most covers in the series, there are also pretty ladies, this time with one feeding him grapes while another fans him.

It’s a testimony to Hope’s popularity at the time that the comic book series lasted as long as it did, especially since his act was never for children. Though the younger crowd could get some laughs from Hope’s physical comedy in the Road movies he did with Bing Crosby, his humor was aimed at adults, who understood the significance of his raised eyebrow and suggestive smirk and got his double entendres.

The comic book stories depict a version of Hope’s screen persona, the hopeless ladies’ man, and many of the comics’ covers include mildly suggestive jokes (in that now-sexist ’50s way) that likely went over kids’ heads.

From left: The Adventures of Bob Hope #81 (DC, 1963) CGC VF/NM 9.0, $720;
The Adventures of Bob Hope #89, (DC, 1964), CGC NM 9.4, $528.
The Adventures of Bob Hope #62 (DC, 1960), CGC VF/NM 9.0, $480.

The first four issues had photo covers that were stills from Hope’s films. Each book during the 1950s included three separate stories, with the lead one featuring Hope in a misadventure similar to his film roles and secondary ones generally revolving around movie-related themes or characters.

By the 1960s, however, the comic book industry was rapidly changing. In response, new characters were added to the series. Issue #86 in 1964 introduced a talking dog, “The hilarious, happy-go-lucky, wise-cracking Harvard Harvard III, a li’l ol’ lovable hound dog,” that became a recurring character. A copy of this issue sold for $432.

Editors also attempted to add contemporary humor by introducing Hope’s honorary nephew, Tadwallader Jutefruce, in Issue #95 in 1965. When Jutefruce, a buttoned-up nerd, got angry, he transformed into the hippest superhero—the mop-topped, guitar-playing Super-Hip, who could fly and shapeshift.

Neither character was able to save the series, however. Hope also alienated younger audiences and comic book buyers with his political views, especially his support of the Vietnam War and his condescending comments on the women’s movement. With sales and Hope’s popularity dwindling, the series ended in 1968.

From left: The Adventures of Bob Hope #56 (DC, 1959), Condition: VG/FN, $124;
The Adventures of Bob Hope #77 (DC, 1962), CGC VF/NM 9.0, $336;
The Adventures of Bob Hope #86 (DC, 1964), VF+, $432.

None of that stops the comic books from being collected today, however. Other sales highlights include Issue #81 (DC, 1963), CGC VF/NM 9.0, which fetched $720; Issue #89, Savannah Pedigree (DC, 1964), CGC NM 9.4, which brought $528; and Issue #62 (DC, 1960), CGC VF/NM 9.0, which sold for $480.