A June 1938 Action Comic number one that introduced Superman to generations of readers was sold online for a record $1 million, by an unnamed seller to an unnamed buyer. The price is reported to be three times that paid for a lower-grade copy of the comic book in 2009. The owner of Comic Connect, a US-based comics auction site, Stephen Fischler, says there are only about 100 of the number one comic books left, and only two of this quality grade. Fischler says the comic is likely to disappear from view for a number of years again: few people knew of its existence, but he did, because he sold it in 1995 for $150,000.
The Action Comic number one also introduced Lois Lane, Superman’s sweetheart and modern female reporter.
ComicConnect was forced to temporarily remove its normal home page due to the high volume of traffic wanting to know about what it describes as “It’s a Bird…It’s a Plane…It’s the First Million Dollar Comic Book!”
Links to other sites: Comic Connect, Xinhua
Didier Cuche (image: Swiss Ski)
Zurich, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Didier Cuche, 35, one of Switzerland’s best skiing hopes for the upcoming Olympic Games in Vancouver, had surgery Saturday 30 January to mend his right thumb, broken in a fall close to the finish line in Kranjska Gora, Slovakia, during Friday’s World Cup Giant Slalom race. Doctors in Zurich said after the operation that they are very pleased, have put in a plate and seven pins to stabilize it and he should be able to start training again within days. Cuche may be able to join the team in Vancouver, but he and doctors will talk about this further in a press conference Sunday.
Cuche also injured his left knee, an MRI scan showed, but doctors expect him to be able to take up training despite several slight injuries to the knee.
Cuche is currently the world’s top-ranked downhill skier and he is in third place overall. He ended third in World Cup rankings for the 2008-2009 season. A week before his accident he won the legendary Kitzbuehel race in Austria.
Links to other sites: About.com, FIS international ski federation, Swiss Ski
Federer inches closer to another Sampras record
London, England (GenevaLunch) – Roger Federer neatly defeated Scotland’s Andy Murray in three sets, 3-6 6-3 6-1 at the ATP World Tour in London’s o2 arena. The Swiss player thus ensures that he will keep his ranking as the world’s top player for the rest of 2009. He finishes the year at the ATP World Tour Champion: “With five year-end number 1 finishes, Federer ties Jimmy Connors’ mark and now stands just one back of Pete Sampras on the list of all-time ATP World Tour Champions. Sampras finished as the No. 1 player six straight years, from 1993-98,” the tennis association notes on its site.
Federer held the top slot in world tennis for 237 straight weeks from 2 February 2004 to 17 August 2008.
London, England (GenevaLunch) – Rafael Nadal’s chances of pushing Roger Federer out of the number one slot in tennis faded Monday night when he lost to Robin Soderling 6-4, 6-4 in the ATP World Tour, in the first match of a round robin. Soderling had handed Nadal his first loss on clay at the French Open in Paris in May 2009. Monday’s game had Nadal running all over the court, and after the game Nadal said he hadn’t really had the “necessary calm” to stay on top.
Links to other sites: AP, ATP official site, Guardian
