A lifelong Glasgow comic collector’s archive of more than 30,000 comics could fetch thousands at auction.
The late John Culbard, from Springburn, spent decades building the collection, which filled his flat with rare and vintage titles from Marvel, DC, and beyond.
John Cuthbert’s comic collection (Image:
His nephew, Bob Gallagher, is now selling the collection through McTear’s Auctioneers in Glasgow, with the first auction taking place on October 20.
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Bob said: “We knew my uncle was a big comic collector, but when we first went into the flat we couldn’t quite believe what we were seeing.
“We were gobsmacked by just how many he had collected.
“He was incredibly meticulous.
“Everything was boxed and catalogued, with records in manila files and on his computer.
“He wasn’t buying comics as an investment, he genuinely loved them, read them and knew an incredible amount about the characters and their histories.
“Comics were his passion.
“We’re very fortunate the collection survived and really want the comics to go to fans who will get the same enjoyment from them that my uncle did.”
The collection nearly faced an abrupt end after being declared a fire hazard due to the sheer volume of paper, putting John’s life’s work at risk of being discarded.
Thankfully, it was saved, and will now be sold in a series of auctions starting this month.
Among the highlights is a rare UK “pence” edition of The X-Men #1 from 1963, estimated to fetch between £4,000 and £6,000.
The comic introduced Professor X and the original X-Men, including Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Angel, and Iceman, as well as their nemesis Magneto.
Other standout items include an early run of The X-Men #2–7 and #9–15, featuring the first appearances of characters such as Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, and Juggernaut.
This set is estimated at £1,000 to £2,000.
Giant-Size X-Men #1 from 1975, introducing Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler, and Thunderbird, is expected to sell for £500 to £1,000.
John Culbard, who lived with motor neurone disease, died earlier this year at the age of 73.
He lived in Springburn for most of his life, except during his studies at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen.
His passion for comics began in childhood and continued well into adulthood, with Saturdays often spent exploring Glasgow’s comic shops.
Beyond comics, his interests extended to science fiction, models, figurines, and DVDs.
He continued collecting until the Covid-19 pandemic and the progression of his illness made it too difficult to continue.
Sean Bruce Gillies, film and pop culture specialist at McTear’s, said: “Over 30,000 comics represents a lifetime of collecting, but what makes John’s collection particularly special is the care and passion that went into it.
“He clearly wasn’t chasing values or buying comics as investments.
“He was a genuine fan who loved the characters, artwork and stories, and his meticulous cataloguing shows just how much the collection meant to him.
“The sheer size means it will take a series of auctions to offer it properly.
“We’re starting with some of the standout comics on 20 October, but there is an enormous amount still to come.
“We hope John would be pleased to know his collection will now be enjoyed by fellow enthusiasts.”
The first sale will feature 156 lots from the Culbard collection.
Other major items in the auction include a professionally graded The Avengers #1 from 1963, estimated at £2,000 to £3,000, and a run of Batman #223–251 from 1970 to 1973, expected to reach £1,500 to £2,500.
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This includes key Bronze Age issues such as the first appearance of Ra’s al Ghul and The Joker’s Five-Way Revenge!
The auction will also feature John’s own comic artwork.
Between 1983 and 1987, he created Captain Kelvin, a distinctly Scottish superhero whose adventures combined comic-book action with Glasgow humour.
The first auction from the collection will take place on October 20.
