När det nu ändå finns en
League-tråd kan jag ju passa på att skryta lite om guldkornet i min seriesamling.
Jag råkar nämligen ha ett exemplar av den skrotade förstaupplagan av
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen #5!
Som några av er säkert känner till så drogs upplagan in när DC:s ansvarige utgivare Paul Levitz upptäckte att den innehöll en 1800-talsannons för en kvinnlig "hygienartikel" från en firma vid namn Marvel!
Trots att annonsen var autentisk (det var m.a.o. ingen fejkannons av Moore och O'Neill) så lät Levitz förstöra alla befintliga exemplar ...
Det visade sig dock att ett fåtal tidningar redan hade lämnat tryckeriet och letat sig ut i världen ... bl.a. till Egmonts superhjälteredaktion, där tidningen så småningom hamnade i min ägo!
Annonsen i fråga ser ut så här:

Och här är den första nyhetsrapporten om det inträffade från comicon.com:s Splash-sida (med underbara kommentarer av Moore själv):
MOORE: 'LOEG #5 WORLD'S COSTLIEST PENNY DREADFUL!'
DC Publisher Paul Levitz ordered the complete print run of LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN #5 destroyed yesterday. The move was prompted by a reproduction of an actual Victorian age advertisement by the 'MARVEL CO.' for a douche syringe. The ad copy includes the word 'vaginal'. The SPLASH has received conflicting reports whether Levitz' action was prompted by the 'MARVEL' reference, use of the word 'vaginal', or both.
Writer Alan Moore, who has retained his sense of humor in the face of the pulping told the SPLASH that, "My parents raised me as a gentleman and everyone at Marvel should rest assured that I would never make reference to any person there as a 'douchebag'." Moore estimated the replacement second printing of LOEG #5 would cost in the neighborhood of $30,000, making it, "the world's costliest Penny Dreadful." The book, already legendary for late shipping, will again have its ship schedule pushed back, although Moore has asked DC to announce that this particular delay was not the fault of the creators.
The pulping of LOEG #5 comes after a string of similar incidents at DC, some of which made sensational headlines. In 1999 Levitz refused to publish an already printed ELSEWORLD's 80 PAGE GIANT that contained the double Eisner nominee story 'SUPERMAN'S BABYSITTER' by Kyle Baker because of a scene where SUPERBABY climbs in a micro-wave oven. When a few thousand copies escaped the destruction order and were distributed in the UK, collector prices hit over $300 a copy on e-bay.
Moore told the SPLASH he is "somewhat consoled" since he possesses what he thought might be the only surviving copy of the original first printing of LOEG #5. But if reports of copies turning up in dealers hands prove accurate, he can expect some competition on e-bay, similar to the ELSEWORLDS 80 PAGE GIANT phenomena. The first copy of LOEG #5 "with censored ad intact" appeared on ebay this evening, offered by a seller in Baltimore, MD. Bidding was halted an hour later with no explanation.
Further: Alan Moore, considered by many to be the best and most bankable comics writer in the English language, told the SPLASH today that he is changing his name. "Please inform everyone reading the SPLASH that I am taking the necessary legal steps to transform my last name to 'Marvel-Vagina'. Henceforth I will sign my work as 'Alan Marvel-Vagina'."
Moore also told the SPLASH that he had just received a message from artist Kevin O'Neill bemoaning the fact that "the advert for the 'DC WANK ENGINE', planned for LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN #6, might not be acceptable now."
Hur många exemplar som överlevde Paul "The Mad Pulper" Levitz massaker är såvitt jag vet okänt, men jag har för mig att Wizard beräknade det till ett par hundra stycken ...
Just nu finns det två exemplar av utgåvan till försäljning på ebay.
Det ena med ett utropspris på
$268, det andra med ett "Köp nu"-pris på
$295!