Around $50,000 worth of Platinum, Golden, and Silver Age comics were taken from Friendly Frank's Comic Cavern of Kansas City, Missouri in a daring daylight burglary on Sunday, December 6th. Among the numerous high quality books taken were a Showcase #4, priced at $2,100, and a Young Allies #1 at $3,000. Owner Frank Mangiaracina has offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible and the return of the books.
Mangiaracina took the call from his alarm monitoring company at around 9:30 a.m. Sunday, December 6th. By the time he met police at the store, the three boxes of '$100 and up' books were gone, along with the burglars. This is the sixth break-in at this store, the third with merchandise stolen, since November of 2001 (see 'Kansas City Comic Store Robbed'). In addition to the primarily Marvel books taken in April 2001 (above), another burglary in September of last year netted the thieves a Vampirella run and some high quality Marvel and DC treasuries.
Mangiaracina told us that he has beefed up the security system at the store with additional devices, thinking with each one added, 'Maybe this will gain me a minute and make a difference.' But police have still not been able to arrive at the store in time to catch the burglars in the act.
Mangiaracina said that he had experienced a similar streak in the 80s, when his store in Hobart, Indiana was repeatedly burglarized. In that case, the burglar was caught and all of the thefts were solved.
The list of books taken is below. Anyone with information on these books or the burglary are asked to contact Frank Mangiaracina or Joe Green of Friendly Frank's Comic Cavern at 816-746-4569 or robbery@friendlyfranks.com, or Detective Rund of the Kansas City police at 916-437-6224.
DC
ACTION
91g 75
144vg- 90
ADVENTURE
156vg 80
194vg 75
ALL AMERICAN
33fr 80
ALL AMERICAN WESTERN
118vg 35
ALL STAR
54g 114
AQUAMAN
1vg- 80
ATOM
s 1f 200
BATMAN
12vg 550
s 15vg 500
18g Hitler, Hirohito, Mussolini cover 250
25g 200
26vg+, 30vg 270
38g 110
39vg Catwoman; last pg has 3/4' trimmed off. Doesn't touch story
panels. 150
40gvg 175
53fr 45
109vg 75
111fr 25
114g, 115g 35
119vg+ 75
127vg vs Thor 50
128vg Batwoman 50
137vg 35
140g Batwoman, Superman 18
140vg Joker 36
s 142g+vg- 20
143vg 35
150vg 20
s 3D ('53) vg, no glasses 80
BOY COMMANDOES
s 3vgf 45pgs; Simon &Kirby ; WWII cover 225
BRAVE & THE BOLD
s 29vg- 250
30g 110
30gvg 175
34frg 1st SA Hawkman 110
CHALLENGERS UNKNOWN
s 1vgf 350
COMIC CAVALCADE
3vg- coupon out; doesn't affect any story 225
DETECTIVE COMICS
126vg Penguin cover 175
s 159vg 100
175vg 100
219vg 75
265vg origin retold 70
s 291vfnm 120
s 293vf Aquaman begins 90
296vg 27
s 296vf 90
299vf 70
FLASH
107vg+ (#3) 135
137vg Vs GA Flash; 1st SA JSA 80
Annual 1vg+ 70
GREEN LANTERN (2nd)
1gvg 350
s 40vg+ (2 copies) 80
HOUSE OF MYSTERY
8vg 80
HOUSE OF SECRETS
92vg 1st Swamp Thing 90
92f- 110
JIMMY WAKELY
1g Toth 110
8vg+ Toth 75
JUSTICE LEAGUE
1fr 175
1g 250
1vg 500
2vg+ 125
3vg 90
5vg 60
7vg 50
7vg- 43, vg 90
5vg 60
7vg 50
7vg- 40
21vg, 22vg+ both JSA 60
MYSTERY IN SPACE
s 3vg+ 130
7f Toth 130
s 53gvg 150
OUR FIGHTING FORCES
4f 75
SCRIBBLY
8vg 90
SEA DEVILS
s 1vg+ 85
SGT BILKO (TV)
5vg 60
16vg 50
SHOWCASE
s 4vg 1st SA Flash 2100
s 14vg signed by Infantino 550
s 15vg 1st Space Rang 225
s 18f 2nd Adam Strange 225
s 19vgf 175
s 20gvg 1st Rip Hunter 75
23f 2nd Green Lantern 300
STAR SPANGLED
115vg Batman 67
121vg 60
STAR SPANGLED WAR
113vf 60
STRANGE ADVENTURES
3vg+ 150
4vg 125
SUGAR & SPIKE
All Mayer, hard to find.
6vg, 10vg 90
SUPERMAN
24fr classic Flag cover 150
44vg+ 150
s 53gvg origin retold; 10th Anniversary issue 350
55g SOTI 65
73gvg 80
74vg 2nd Luthor cvr 110
98vg 70
s 3D vgf, no glasses 100
Annual 1g 80
SUPERMAN TIM
5/48f- rare 85
WESTERN COMICS
4f- last Vigilante 85
WONDER WOMAN
2vg 750
5f 400
33gvg 90
105vg scarce 200
PLATINUM AGE
DONALD DUCK
Linen Book 978vg 1935 some light coloring inside; 1st Donald Duck 650
978g 325
GOLDEN AGE
ADVENTURES INTO TERROR
43vg (#1) 150
AIRBOY
s 6/7vf+nm 110
AIRFIGHTERS
v2/3f/+ glossy cvr 160
ALL WINNERS
1vg Simon & Kirby, Everett, Stan Lee 3000
ANIMATED COMICS
s 1f EC, rare 175
ARCHIE GIANT
s 1vg (2 copies) 150
BLACKHAWK
s 32vf Crandall 175
BOY
s 3vg (#1) 495
CAPT. AMERICA
14f- 1400
CAPT. MARVEL ADV.
28f- 135
s 51 DOUBLE COVER - outside c vf, inside nm 400
CAPT. MARVEL JR.
23vg 80
CAPT. MIDNIGHT
20f- 135
CAVE GIRL
11vg all Powell art 100
CLASSICS
Originals unless noted
6g 110
11vgf 160
12f 200
22f (1C) 100
24f+ 110
27f 100
s 40vgf (2 copies) 110
COMMANDER BATTLE & THE ATOMIC SUB
1vg+ 3D effect; Moldoff flying saucer cover 125
CRIMEFIGHTERS
1f 70
DARING MYSTERY
6gvg Origin, 1st Marvel Boy; only by Simon & Kirby 575
DOLL MAN
8fr 1st Torchy; Ward 110
DONALD DUCK
s FC 159vg Barks 100
s FC189vg-- Barks 80
EXPOSED
6vgf Ingels, SOTI 125
FIGHTIN' MARINES
7vg Baker Canteen Kate 60
11vg Baker Canteen Kate cvr & story; not in Photojournal 75
FORBIDDEN WORLDS
2gvg 75
FRANKENSTEIN (Prize)
3f+vf- 150
GHOST BREAKERS
1f- Powell cover/art 120
GREEN MASK
s 1vg Lou Fine cover 650
HAND OF FATE
18fvf 70
HUMAN TORCH
5vg (#4) 1st Torch Nazi cover; Sub-Mariner 750
7vg 1st Japanese WWII_cover (by Schomburg) 575
JACK ARMSTRONG
1vg scarce 75
JUMBO
98vf+ 120
JUNGLE
113vf+ 125
LAUGH COMICS
23f Katy Keene 95
MAD
s 2vgf 250
s 10fvf 200
12fvf 150
MARVEL MYSTERY
17vg/- classic Torch/Sub-Mariner battle 600
66vgf, color xerox CF Last Japanese WWII_cover. One of 5 covers
Schomburg recreated as a poster. 250
MARVEL TALES
98vg+ Krigstein, Everett 135
111vg Everett cvr, Maneely 80
MARY MARVEL
1vg 375
MILITARY
s 19vg+f Crandall 150
MISTER MYSTERY
1vg 200
MYSTERIOUS ADVENTURES
1vg 110
MYSTERY TALES
3f 110
MYSTICAL TALES
8f Krigstein, Check 75
NATIONAL
2vg- Lou Fine cover 395
OUR GANG
11vg+ Barks 90
OUTER SPACE
21vg Ditko cover 25
PHANTOM LADY
15g 300
PINOCCHIO
FC 92vg All Kelly 100
PLANET
51vg Anderson; last Star Pirate 110
54vg Baker 110
PLASTIC MAN
2g- 110
6vg, 8vg 100
15vg, 16vg 90
POGO
s 2f- 80
16vf- 85
POGO PARADE
1vg+ 40
POLICE COMICS
236vg, 37vg, 38vg 95
40vg- 80
41vg 95
44vgf 100
POPULAR TEENAGERS
s 5vf (#1) LBCole cover 175
PUNCH
18f+ bondage cover; hypodermic panels 250
RAGGEDY ANN
s 3vf 75
SEVEN SEAS
1vg Baker 200
SHIELD-WIZARD
s 1vg 775
8vg+f- Hitler bondage cvr 350
SPACE BUSTERS
1g+ Krigstein 85
SPACE WESTERN
41vg+ Saucer cvr 95
SPEED
2g Powell; 1939 100
7vg Powell 90
SPY SMASHER
6vg Raboy 175
STRANGE MYSTERIES
1vg 115
10f++ SOTI 100
STRANGE TALES OF THE UNUSUAL
1vg Powell 90
STRANGE WORLDS
2vg classic Wood; SOTI; Injury to the Eye 175
3vg Wood, Williamson, Frazetta, Krenkle; Slave Girl 350
SUSPENSE
(50s) 14vg classic Hypo cover, A-Bomb panels 100
SUSPENSE COMICS
(40s) 9vg Classic LB Cole eyeball cover 450
TALES FROM THE CRYPT
33vg origin Crypt Keeper 105
42vgf 75
TALES of the MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER
1vf 225
TERRIFYING TALES
12gvg classic LB_Cole bondage cover and splash 100
14vg LB_Cole bondage cover 135
TERRORS OF THE JUNGLE
21vg LB_Cole bondage cover; POP 150
THING
16vf Injury to Eye 150
THIS MAGAZINE IS HAUNTED
9f 80
21vg cf loose 75
3-D COMICS 3 STOOGES
2f Kubert 100
THRILLING
66VG Schomburg cover 80
UNCLE $CROOGE
FC 386 (#1) g 80
UNDERWORLD
1vg- Moldoff cvr; excessive violence 90
VOODOO
10vg 75
WALT DISNEY'S COMICS & STORIES
s 50vgf Barks 70
WAMBI
1vgf 200
1g 80
WEB OF EVIL
1g SOTI; Jack Cole morphine story 75
WEIRD COMICS
1g- Classic Lou Fine cvr 600
WEIRD HORRORS
1vg+ Tuska 120
WEIRD THRILLERS
1f 250
WESTERN OUTLAWS
62vf 70
WHIZ
62f 80
WINGS
2vg+ 190
19vg 75
23vg+ 80
107vfnm 1 page has 1' tear, o/w nm 150
110nm- 250
WITCHCRAFT
1vg Kubert 130
WONDER
9vg Schomburg cover 100
YOUNG ALLIES
1vg classic S&K 2000
TV/MOVIE
BOB COLT
s 2vf 125
CAPT. VIDEO
2vg+vgf SOTI 135
LASH LARUE
10f 80
MAN FROM UNCLE
1vf 100
MOVIE CLASSICS
both feature JOHN WAYNE!
Circus World vf+ 60
Sons of Katie Elder vf 75
VARIOUS
BONE
2nmm (1st ed) 125
3nmm (1st ed) 90
CALIBER PRESENTS
1nm 1st Crow 75
CASTLE OF FRANKESTEIN
1vf. 75
CEREBUS
21nm/m Scarce 35
CROW
1vf (1st) see Caliber 75
2nm (1st) 50
JOURNAL OF FRANKENSTEIN
1f 50
OMEGA PREMIERE
1f 1st Faust. Only 1000 printed. Vigil 50
1nm 125
QUADRANT
