Very seldom, but once in a Blue Moon, there is a piece of original artwork which surfaces that is certainly KEY in the rich history of comic book publication. And then, and even scarcer still, there is a piece that not only ranks as key, but RISES above this level of importance to that of being TRULY ICONIC! Lastly, and even more infrequently, there is actually a third and FINAL DEGREE of significance - when a piece of artwork not only ranks as key and iconic, but reaches the very rarified air and designation of being GENUINELY HISTORIC! These pieces combine ALL three of these distinguished FACTS and rank as THE BEST OF THE BEST! The Crème de la crème. The ABSOLUTE FINEST and MOST IMPORTANT examples of original comic book artwork known in existence, bar none - the quintessential royal diadems that reside at the very pinnacle of this industry and form the foundation of Americana. These pieces capture the ULTIMATE PRIZE – the TRIPLE-CROWN TEIFECTA of original comic book art collecting. This is ONE of those ULTRA RARE pieces.
Original artwork for Captain Marvel Adventures #18 (Fawcett Publications, with cover date of December 11, 1942), which featured the very first appearance and origin of the Golden-Age heroine Mary Marvel in her debut story entitled, "Captain Marvel Introduces Mary Marvel." Mary was created by such celebrated Golden-Age legends as writer Otto Binder (August 26, 1911 - October 13, 1974) and artist Marcus (Marc) Desha Swayze (July 17, 1913 - October 14, 2012), both who produced her inaugural tale for publication. She was introduced a full year after Fawcett’s second most important superhero Captain Marvel Jr., who had debuted in Whiz Comics #25 (Fawcett, 1941). The Fawcett brothers believed that Mary Marvel's introduction to their readership was so important an event, that they asked their ace artist C.C. Beck, co-creator (along with writer Bill Parker) of Fawcett's most important superhero - Captain Marvel himself, to go all-out and paint a spectacular cover for this special issue, which highlighted Mary Marvel stepping forward as Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. looked on proudly at the newest member of their famed family - known affectionately as The Marvel Family. This was the very first cover that featured Mary Marvel as well as the entire Marvel Family in one fabulous shot, perhaps the most famous Golden-Age superhero team of them all.
This historic illustration is the very first image ever rendered of Mary Marvel, verified by her creator and artist Marc Swayze himself. Swayze, describes in detail the initial task given to him about Mary:
'"Hey Marc, there is a new lead character in the works. She'll be the twin sister of Billy Batson and, upon speaking the magic word, will become a member of the Marvel Family. She'll remain the same age, however.'" (unlike Billy Batson, who transformed into an adult when speaking the magic word Shazam.) Swayze continued, "'We want you to give us some quick sketches of her as herself and as Mary Marvel.'
"Who said this to me? I've been thinking that it was Rod Reed (writer and editor at Fawcett). But Rod says it was Eddie Herron," (another writer and editor at Fawcett), who co-created Captain Marvel Jr., as well as the Red Skull for Timely Comics - Captain America's greatest arch-enemy).
"Whoever, I laid aside the Captain Marvel story I was working on and whipped up some sketches as requested. There was only one character to create, inasmuch as she was to remain the same with only a costume change. I didn't work up a variety of poses and expressions as I was certain that my first drawings were going to come back, time and time again, for revisions before final approval 'upstairs.'"
"'HOLY MOLEY,' as Billy would have said, the drawings were accepted WITHOUT a single change or even any suggestion! I was given the script for the first Mary Marvel story and went to work on it. It was the story in which Billy Batson meets the twin sister he didn't know he had and where, when she innocently says the word 'Shazam!', Mary [Batson] Broomfield (her adopted surname) becomes Mary Marvel for the first time." This information was published in The Fawcett Companion - The Best of FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America) page 30, edited by P.C. Hammerlinck for the article, Mary Marvel by Marc Swayze by TwoMorrows Publishing in 2001. This exact artwork is featured in this article with the blurb, "The FIRST drawing of Mary Marvel by Swayze." Interestingly enough, Swayze's very first drawing of Mary Batson (Broomfield) appears in the same book as well on page 70 for the article, "Southern Gentleman - Fawcett Artist & Writer Marcus D. Swayze,” interviewed by Matt Lage and Bernie McCarty. Herein, Rod Reed exclaims that, "Altho
