Dad and Comics

LOUIS N CITRO
My Dad and COMICS

LOUIS N CITRO, LIVES ON!  Many of you knew our Dad, and if you knew him, you wanted to hang out with him.  We lost Dad on April 16th 2012 but his legacy lives on!  Here’s the story:  

After serving our country in the Marines, Dad got a job in the mail room at Metropolitan Sunday Comics on Madison Avenue NY NY.  We all remember the Sunday Comics.  They were stuffed amongst the 5 nch thick newspapers and advertisments that most of us had delivered every Sunday.  The comics included; Moon Mullins, B.C., Mutt and Jeff, Rex Morgan, Steve Canyon, Gasoline Alley, Terry and the Pirates, Kerry Drake, Family Circus, Wizard of ID, Dennis the Menace, and more.  

Dad worked his way up to being the Sales Manager at Metro.  Essentially, the comics exist so that it’s readers would also peruse the ads that Dad was responsible for selling.  The artists that created these comics would create a “Story Board” of the comics that would then be reviewed and approved by the editor.  These artists were in Dads building and he befriended many of them.  Our Dad was rather savvy, and during the years of 1965 to 1967 he took the opportunity to ask the artists if he could have some of these Story Boards.   Many of the artists gave them to Dad as gifts, and some were even signed.  

Some time after loosing Dad I was going through all the belongings in our home in Mineola where our family lived for some 50 years.  I discovered about 110 of these.  Each are one of a kind, original pieces, from the original artists!  Dad knew that these would have value some day, and we know he did this so that sometime his family will reap the benefits of his plan.   

Those in my generation know these comic characters but generations to come will not be interested.  The time to sell is NOW!  My brother Gary Citro has been involved from the beginning.  He researched our options.  I took photos of each of these and posted them on my website so they could be seen by interested parties.  They can be viewed here at www.richcitroadventures.com, click on menu, then Louis N Citro, My Dad..  

Gary found that Heritage Auctions on Park Avenue was our best option, so in late 2022 I brought these Story Boards to them in Manhattan.  They began trickling them out at live auctions on January 4th, 2023 as well as other online auctions in the following months.  I know Dad would want me to share this story on FB, as many of you knew and Loved our Dad.  Heritage got their cut and knew how to position their auction pieces so most are now sold except for the ones hat we kept to remind us of our Dad.  Our net return was about $25,000 shared among me, my 2 brothers, and our Mom, born in 1932 and now 91 years old.  Thanks Dad!  This artwork is one of a kind, just like YOU were One Of A Kind, DAD!  

YOUR MEMORIES LIVE ON!