Charlton Comics was a low-low-budget firm that published comics from the mid-forties through the mid-eighties. They published a lot of ho-hum books produced on the cheap but there were occasional treasures…probably more than the company deserved, given how abominably they paid their talent. One fine (though brief) body of work emerged when a writer named Will Franz scripted (and occasionally co-drew) a combat series called "The Lonely War of Capt. Willy Schultz." An accomplished artist named Sam Glanzman was his collaborator and what they produced was several cuts above Charlton's usual war material, and probably as good as any such tales ever produced anywhere.
Mr. Franz didn't write many comics then. Truth to tell, I don't know much about him other than that he was responsible for a small number of gems. More recently, we're hearing that he is ill and in a bad way, financially. To help him out, Sam Glanzman is selling the original art for four of his collaborations with Franz. They're up on eBay — here's a link — and 100% of the proceeds will go to Willy Franz. As a sad indicator of how poorly guys like him were paid…if just one of these stories goes for the minimum bid, it will probably bring him more money than he grossed in his entire career writing comic books.
I expect the stories to go for way more than the minimums. First off, it's Sam Glanzman art. Sam has been a true professional in comics since 1939 and he has an awful lot of fans out there. Of all his many projects, none is loved more than the work he did in tandem with Willy Franz. In fact, I'd bet Sam has held onto these originals for some time, well aware of their value. Now, he's selflessly turning loose of them because someone is in trouble and that fact alone oughta prompt some of you to bid up the prices. Here's your chance to do a good turn AND (big "and" here) get yourself some fine and precious comic book art for your collection. Go for it.