By Benjamin Nobel
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Thus far I have profiled the following rare Savage Dragon comics:
Graphic Fantasy #1
Graphic Fantasy #2
Savage Dragon #30 Newsstand Edition (As Seen on TV Variant)
Savage Dragon #10 Newsstand Variant
Savage Dragon #102 (Invincible First Appearance)
Savage Dragon #1/2 w/Platinum Stamp
Savage Dragon #137 (1st Obama Cover)
Savage Dragon #156 Herb Trimpe Variant
Savage Dragon Limited Series #1 Newsstand Edition
1st Appearance of Savage Dragon
Introduction
About four years ago I started a blog about rare TMNT comics and misprints. I found it was an enjoyable outlet for sharing thoughts and information with other collectors. I had no idea if anyone would actually read the blog, but it turns out people did. Apparently — according to the statistics WordPress gives me — lots of collectors are out there Googling for information on particular TMNT comics (especially issue #1 and the various misprints) and if they are searching for one I wrote about, they often land on my blog.
Over the years, people have contacted me through the blog to ask questions, share information, even offer me comic books for sale. I even learned about a comic or two from readers that I hadn’t encountered before, but then became interested in collecting. So all in all, creating and adding to that blog over the years has been a positive experience.
That blog was the first time I ever sat down and put thoughts onto virtual paper about my comic hobby, for anyone out there in the world to read. At the time I started it, I myself was searching for information on a particular TMNT comic and had a hard time Googling things up… I ended up contacting Mirage and Diamond Comics directly, and received key information. So, it seemed like a blog to collect and share all that information would fill a void.
I see a similar void today with certain Savage Dragon comics. For example, anecdotal evidence tells me many people don’t know about the existence of Graphic Fantasy #1. It also seems many people don’t know that CGC tracks newsstand copies of Savage Dragon Limited Series #1 as a variant, or that in 2013 it was revealed to collectors that such copies only represented on the order of 1% of the total sales, giving them 1-in-100 rarity.
And in general, if someone became interested in Savage Dragon comics today and wanted to set out to form a collection of particularly interesting comics, they probably could benefit from reviewing a list of “contenders” that another collector found interesting. With the news of Erik Larsen having written a Savage Dragon screenplay in hopes of a future film, the timing also seems to align with potential future interest in Savage Dragon comics ahead of the possible movie.
Much like the TMNT, Savage Dragon ranks among my favorite characters (as does Spawn, and I am also putting together a blog to highlight rare Spawn comics that can be found under $25 each). The format I envision for this Savage Dragon blog is to present (over time) my own personal list of Savage Dragon comics I found the most fun and challenging to find. Rather than being an exhaustive list, it will just be examples of my own choosing, but each one will be rare and interesting in some way. Each blog entry will profile one particular comic. Thanks for stopping by!
Across all of my blogs (TMNT, Spawn, Savage Dragon), to date I have profiled the following comic books:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (first print 1984)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #3 (NYCC variant)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 (misprint)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (2009 Color Special Error Edition)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles v2 #13 (Error Edition)
How To Draw Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (Manufacturing Error)
Creed / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 Blue/Bronze Subscriber Edition
Graphic Fantasy #1 (First appearance of the “original” Savage Dragon)
Savage Dragon #30 Newsstand Edition (As Seen on TV Variant)
Savage Dragon #10 Newsstand Variant
Savage Dragon #102 (Invincible First Appearance)
Savage Dragon #1/2 w/Platinum Stamp
Savage Dragon #137 (1st Obama Cover)
Savage Dragon Limited Series #1 Newsstand Edition
Spawn #1 Black & White Edition Variant
Spawn/The Savage Dragon #1 (1996)
Rust #1 Limited Edition (Pre-dates Spawn #1 and Malibu Sun #13)
Spawn #9 Newsstand Edition (1st Angela)
Spawn Batman Newsstand Edition
I also maintain a rare comics blog, where I discuss collecting themes for rare comics to look for (and I present lists of key comic books by year, including important comics of the 1970’s, the 1980’s, the 1990’s, and the 2000’s) and I tackle questions like why are newsstand comics worth more?… For example, type 1 and 1A cover price variants with low distribution, like the 75 cent variants distributed on newsstands in Canada. And I discuss many other rare comics to collect such as high grade newsstand copies of Wolverine Limited Series #1, and other interesting examples such as:
Marvel Graphic Novel #4 — $5.95 Cover Price Variant (1st New Mutants Appearance)
Amazing Spider-Man #252 — 75 Cent Cover Price Variant (Canadian Edition)
Darker Image #1 — Newsstand $1.95 Cover Price Variant (1st Maxx Appearance)
New Mutants #98 — $1.50 Cover Price Variant (1st Deadpool Appearance)
X-Men Annual #14 (1st Gambit Debate)
Daredevil #21, $3.99 Newsstand Edition (Superior Spider-Man Cameo)
7 Variants Destined For Future Classic Cover Status
95¢ and $1.00 DC Price Variants: How Do We Know What They Are?
66 New Canadian Price Variants Confirmed at CGC Since Year-End, a 16% Increase
What If Venom Possessed Deadpool? What If There Was A Rare Cover Price Variant?
What If Venom Possessed Wolverine? (New Avengers #35, $3.99 Newsstand Edition)
• DC Rebirth, $3.99 Newsstand Editions
• AUS Price Variants (Australian Newsstand Editions)
• $2.99 Newsstand Edition CGC Census Variants, and, “Partial Cover Price Variations”
• 30 More Newsstand Census Variants Confirmed at CGC Since Year-End
• Amazing Spider-Man #400: Understanding The Real Newsstand Edition
• Applause To CPG Accepting $3.99 Cover Price Variants Into The Price Guide!
• The Orange Cat Phenomenon (and Canadian Price Variants)
Also see: the hobby’s very first online comic book price guide for Type 1A 1980’s newsstand cover price variants from Marvel & DC:
• The 2018 Price Guide for 1980’s Marvel & DC Newsstand Canadian Cover Price Variants (Type 1A)
• Amazing Spider-Man #238: The Tattooz Situation
• “Canadian Edition” vs. “Canadian Cover Price Variant”
• CGC 9.8 Census Comparison: 1970’s Keys vs. 1980’s Keys
• Investing in Canadian Price Variants: 11 Tips
• Three Variants That Surprised Me
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures: VideoMedia and Archie
• Voltron #1-3, Type 1A $1.00 Cover Price Variants
• Incremental Improvement to CGC’s “Canadian Edition” Labeling
• The “Cover Swipe Test”: 2 More Price Variant Keys Passing It
• How Many Amazing Spider-Man Stan Lee CGC SS Books Exist?
• Canadian Price Variants: Noteworthy Sales
• About My Latest Project (that project: The 2019 Price Guide for 1980’s Marvel & DC Newsstand Canadian Cover Price Variants Type 1A)
• Pence Price Variant Issue Guide (Marvel & DC) [Marvel list & slideshow; DC list & slideshow]
• Australian Price Variants (“APVs”)
Part III of my look at Australian Price Variants: a Top Ten APVs list, new APV research, and new information about the very low print run numbers!
• Our latest price guide edition (2020) to Canadian Price Variant Comics is now available online!
Rare Savage Dragon Comics 
So, I’ve gotten myself started on a bit of a quest. I too am a Dragon fan and have been attempting to collect all of the character’s prime appearances – including variants (which in turn includes Newsstands). I’ve seen that there is an apparent gap in what issues of Savage Dragon were released on newsstands. I’m trying to ascertain whether NS editions of the ongoing (1993) series exist for issues 1 thru 5, 13b (the Larsen-drawn issue, released between issues 19 and 20), and issues 27 thru 28.
I see from one of your posts that Larsen had mentioned in an old message board reply that the NS editions went through issue 28, but I’ve seen no evidence for that. I wonder if that was perhaps a misrecollection on his part. For those earlier issues, it seems a bit strange that all issues of the mini-series had NS versions, but the first 5 issues of the regular series did not – especially considering that other “Highbrow” titles like Vanguard #1-4 and at least issues 3-4 of the first Superpatriot mini-series were released on the stands around the time those early SD ongoing issues were published.
Just wondering if you had any insight as to whether those books are out there or if I’m just chasing windmills.
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Hi Jay, a great quest! I spent a great deal of time years back looking for a newsstand #1 of the ongoing series, before I eventually concluded that they most likely just don’t exist. I didn’t put the same effort into seeking #2-5 (or the later #27-28) but I would not be surprised if #1-5 simply don’t exist either in newsstand. The Jim Lee #13 cover is the only one I’ve ever seen out there in newsstand for #13. I didn’t spend much time looking for 27-28, but I suppose it is possible that Larsen meant to type 26 and typed 28 by mistake in that post; if it were me seeking them I think the most effort I’d be willing to put into the hunt would be setting up an eBay alert for “savage dragon 28 newsstand” and sitting back and waiting to see if any email alerts ever get sent — after a few years of no hits, probably the answer is no, they don’t exist. But here’s a screenshot of Erik Larsen’s post citing #28 as the last newsstand issue:
Good luck on your quest!! 🙂
– Ben
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Thank you so much for your insight! I was leaning toward the same conclusion – glad to have a fellow enthusiast weigh in. Love the work you’ve put into your blogs!
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