1 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: Love and Las Vegas. Las Vegas, home of cheesy, magic, 2 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 1: ultimate fighting, and people mortgaging their homes to let it ride. 3 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:25,439 Speaker 1: It's a playground for adults, a disneyland of decadence. And 4 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 1: on this day in June, something even more remarkable than 5 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: disappearing elephants is happening. I say remarkable because it might 6 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: be one of the few wholesome things going on in 7 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:44,519 Speaker 1: the city. It's the Las Vegas Comic Con. Thousands of 8 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 1: fans are streaming into the building to get autographs from 9 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 1: artists and pick up titles for their collections. Some are 10 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: browsing comic books that are a dollar or less. Some 11 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:59,639 Speaker 1: are picking up titles worth a few hundred and one man, 12 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 1: one very recognizable man, is spending a lot more than that. 13 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 1: Nicholas Cage, once a disenfranchised comic fan, is back in 14 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 1: the game. As fans gawk and ask for his autograph, 15 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:19,479 Speaker 1: Cage admires big ticket books like X Men Number one 16 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 1: and Fantastic Four number one, titles worth hundreds of thousands 17 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: of dollars, titles he used to own before ditching his 18 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:34,320 Speaker 1: entire collection. Surrounded by tables full of books, it's like 19 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: the world's most expensive flea market. He holds them up 20 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 1: for scrutiny, squinting to make out the pencil lines through 21 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 1: their protective plastic casing. Some sixteen years after losing four 22 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: of the most valuable comics in the world, Cage is 23 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 1: seemingly ready to rejoin the ranks of the comics faithful. 24 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: It's also been five years since his most treasured book, 25 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:11,919 Speaker 1: Action Comics Number One, surfaced in a storage locker. No arrests, 26 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:17,359 Speaker 1: no real suspects, just a story, one pretty much impossible 27 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 1: to prove or disprove, but one worth examining to see 28 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 1: if there's any clue or trace of how a multimillion 29 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: dollar comic wound up in a storage unit, the place 30 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: where people store old rugs and broken chairs. Two men, 31 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 1: Mark Ballo, and a man known only as Sylvester, presented 32 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 1: it for sale, not knowing one of their potential buyers 33 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 1: was an undercover police officer. But just who are Mark 34 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 1: and Sylvester and why does one of them seem to 35 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 1: have an unlikely connection to Cage. It's a page turner, 36 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 1: and we are at the last page for I Heart Radio. 37 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 1: This is Stealing Superman. I'm your host Danis Schwartz and 38 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:26,800 Speaker 1: This is the final episode special farewell issue a quick recap. 39 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 1: Nick Cage's copy of Action Comics Number one was stolen, 40 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: along with three other comics from his bell Air home 41 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 1: around two thousand. After several leads failed to materialize, Action 42 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 1: number one was finally discovered in April two thousand eleven, 43 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 1: when a storage unit liquidator named Mark Palelo emailed comic 44 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: dealer Stephen Fishler and told him he had a copy 45 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 1: for sale. Fishler was the same dealer who sold the 46 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 1: book to Cage. Unfortunately for Ballelo, he was able to 47 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 1: positively identify it as cages copy. Fishler and l ap 48 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: D detective Donald Harresk went to Ballelo's warehouse to see 49 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:15,560 Speaker 1: it in person. There they met Ballelo and a man 50 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 1: named Sylvester, who claimed to have found the comic in 51 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 1: a storage locker he had bought at auction. But here's 52 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: the twist, he couldn't remember which one. With nothing tying 53 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 1: either Ballelo or Sylvester to the original theft, and without 54 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:38,679 Speaker 1: a storage locker owner to question, the case went cold. 55 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 1: Cage got his comic back from the insurance company and 56 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:46,600 Speaker 1: sold it for two point one six one million dollars. 57 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 1: Mark Ballelo seemed to relish the attention, immediately notifying the 58 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 1: press about the controversy. He even hosted auctions in a 59 00:04:55,800 --> 00:05:00,919 Speaker 1: Superman costume Sylvester all but disappeared for the storage locker 60 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 1: scene as quickly as he had entered it. The next 61 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:09,800 Speaker 1: steps seemed obvious enough. Reach out to both men and 62 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: see what they have to say. In the case of Mark, 63 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 1: that's unfortunately impossible, and we'll get to why in a moment. 64 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 1: But we did speak to several people who knew him 65 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:26,119 Speaker 1: and worked for him, and this is where things get 66 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:32,840 Speaker 1: well more interesting. He seemed fun. He seemed like a 67 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: fun guy. Like I said, from what I saw the 68 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:39,239 Speaker 1: way he treated his family that would come from Brazil. 69 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 1: He was very generous with them. I could tell he 70 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 1: loved them a lot. That's Liz. Liz worked for Mark 71 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 1: for a few years, overseeing his online sales division. She 72 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:54,239 Speaker 1: got to know Mark fairly well, and while he was nice, 73 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:59,799 Speaker 1: there were dimensions to him that could be unsettling. Drug 74 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: habits and stuff that he didn't really care to hide 75 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 1: from anybody. But he was fun to talk to. I 76 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 1: enjoyed having conversations with him. Yeah, No, he was he 77 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:13,159 Speaker 1: had his moments. You know, because of his drug case, 78 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 1: he would get a little aggravated. But I mean, other 79 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:21,839 Speaker 1: than that, I enjoyed working for him while things were good. 80 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: At the time Mark popped up with the action number one, 81 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:29,040 Speaker 1: he was actually on probation. Mark had been arrested back 82 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:34,039 Speaker 1: in December two thousand seven on three felony charges, possession 83 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:38,279 Speaker 1: of the controlled substance, possession with intend to sell or distribute, 84 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 1: and sale or transport of a controlled substance. Mark denied 85 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:46,240 Speaker 1: any wrongdoing and said friends had been using drugs in 86 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:50,160 Speaker 1: a hotel room registered in his name. He pled guilty 87 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:52,640 Speaker 1: to the last charge in two thousand nine and was 88 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: sentenced to sixty days in jail along with three years probation. 89 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: That's an important detail for a cup of reasons. If 90 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:04,839 Speaker 1: Mark somehow knew the comic book was stolen before attempting 91 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:08,280 Speaker 1: to sell it, it would be colossally silly for him 92 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 1: to get involved while on probation. The last thing you 93 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 1: want to do when you're being monitored for good behavior 94 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 1: is be in possession of stolen property. On the other hand, well, 95 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:26,080 Speaker 1: Mark wasn't exactly being overly careful. In June two thousand eleven, 96 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:29,560 Speaker 1: two months after trying to sell the comic, Mark was 97 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:33,760 Speaker 1: in violation of his parole for possessing a firearm. Mark's 98 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:35,760 Speaker 1: story was that he had found it in a storage 99 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:39,520 Speaker 1: unit and was simply transporting it, but not long after, 100 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: he left California without approval, another parole violation that landed 101 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:48,560 Speaker 1: him forty five days in jail. It's hard to know 102 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 1: to what degree Mark was involved in, well, let's say, 103 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: alternative businesses. A report from Radar in two thousand thirteen 104 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:01,200 Speaker 1: stated that Mark was sometimes high on the set of 105 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:04,960 Speaker 1: Storage Wars, the A and E reality show about storage 106 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 1: locker auctions, and that he bragged he could get large 107 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 1: quantities of drugs from connections in Tijuana. But Liz isn't 108 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:16,080 Speaker 1: so sure about that. I think he was just using it. 109 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 1: I don't think he sold it. Mark could be erratic. 110 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 1: He would make very rash decisions and not think them 111 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 1: out thoroughly. And so he fired his manager, who was 112 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, she was there for him anytime he 113 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:35,800 Speaker 1: needed her, and he decided to fire her. I can't 114 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:38,840 Speaker 1: remember what it was for. And then her husband also 115 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:41,720 Speaker 1: worked for him as well, and he fired him too, 116 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: And then he fired me shortly after that. Yeah, there 117 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:50,680 Speaker 1: were other employees that he would get into arguments with, 118 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:55,600 Speaker 1: and I don't think he took his employees very seriously 119 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:58,440 Speaker 1: or he cared to have like a good relationship with us. 120 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:03,360 Speaker 1: There were other aspects of Mark's life that didn't quite 121 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:07,280 Speaker 1: add up. Before becoming a storage unit magnate, he had 122 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:12,199 Speaker 1: declared bankruptcy back in two thousand eight. Mark's bankruptcy documents 123 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:15,960 Speaker 1: also revealed that two people filed to oppose his debts 124 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:19,200 Speaker 1: to them being discharged because they were owed money for 125 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 1: new cars he had failed to deliver. Prior to getting 126 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:26,959 Speaker 1: into the storage unit business, Mark owned a car dealership. 127 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 1: According to the two customers, he had accepted their orders 128 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 1: for cars with a value of over forty dollars each. 129 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:39,480 Speaker 1: Then Mark later admitted he had used that money to 130 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:45,120 Speaker 1: pay down other debts. Despite offering excuse after excuse that 131 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:48,560 Speaker 1: the cars were stuck in transit or that their registration 132 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:53,359 Speaker 1: needed more paperwork, he had never actually obtained the cars. 133 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:58,720 Speaker 1: There's something else we learned to Prior to owning his dealership, 134 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 1: Mark worked Beverly Hills as a car salesman, and according 135 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:07,439 Speaker 1: to an employee of his, we spoke with Mark had 136 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 1: sold at least one car to none other than Nicholas Cage. 137 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:17,640 Speaker 1: Maybe that's just a coincidence. After all, Cage used to 138 00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:21,120 Speaker 1: buy cars like other people buy socks, so there was 139 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:24,560 Speaker 1: a decent chance any salesman in Los Angeles could have 140 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 1: eventually crossed paths with him. And there's no evidence Mark 141 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:32,520 Speaker 1: new Cage or was ever at his house in bel Air. 142 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 1: In fact, we are reasonably confident we can place Mark 143 00:10:36,920 --> 00:10:40,200 Speaker 1: firmly in Arizona at the time of the theft. But 144 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:44,840 Speaker 1: it is interesting that Mark called Stephen Fishler, the one 145 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:49,560 Speaker 1: dealer who could positively identify the comic as Cages. That's 146 00:10:49,559 --> 00:10:54,640 Speaker 1: another weird coincidence. Stephen believes it's because he brokered other 147 00:10:54,840 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 1: high dollar comic sales, and that's probably why Mark called him. 148 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:03,600 Speaker 1: There are plenty of mysteries surrounding Mark that would make 149 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 1: for an interesting conversation with him. But Mark had problems 150 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 1: that ran deep. In February, he was arrested again for 151 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:20,720 Speaker 1: drug possession for Math. The repeated offenses were piling up 152 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 1: and things didn't look good for him. That same month, 153 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:29,559 Speaker 1: an employee of Marks walked into the warehouse, the same 154 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 1: warehouse where he tried to sell the Action number one 155 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:38,240 Speaker 1: and found Mark dead by suicide, his car engine idling 156 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:42,960 Speaker 1: in the garage. It was carbon monoxide poisoning. He was 157 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 1: just forty years old. He just seemed like a fun guy. 158 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:48,480 Speaker 1: I don't know. I would have never in a million 159 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:50,520 Speaker 1: years thought that he would kill himself the way he did. 160 00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 1: I would have never thought that. We're left with so 161 00:11:54,679 --> 00:12:00,839 Speaker 1: many questions and so few answers. But remember fell auctioneer 162 00:12:00,960 --> 00:12:04,880 Speaker 1: Dan Dotson said he'd been approached by the man who 163 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 1: found the comic book and gave him Mark's information. Mark 164 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:14,000 Speaker 1: didn't volunteer. So what about the man who had handed 165 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:16,640 Speaker 1: Mark the comic and said he found it in a 166 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:26,640 Speaker 1: storage locker. The man known only as Sylvester, the man 167 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:30,240 Speaker 1: who said he bought in the story junits that he purchased. 168 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:33,680 Speaker 1: So he's asking everyone to believe a multi million dollars 169 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 1: said the main comics stolen from Nicholas Cage ends up 170 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:40,120 Speaker 1: in the storage locker, that this man just hast bide. 171 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 1: That's Paul Hendry, you probably remember Paul, reformed art thief 172 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:51,959 Speaker 1: turned consultant for art crime investigations. Paul has seen and 173 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 1: heard it all, and he has an opinion on the 174 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:59,240 Speaker 1: storage locker story, the one where Sylvester claimed he bought 175 00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:02,439 Speaker 1: a number of lockers and then found the action number 176 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:06,600 Speaker 1: one among their contents, but he couldn't remember which one. 177 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:09,600 Speaker 1: Number one is. Watched the odds you're going to find 178 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:13,000 Speaker 1: a multimillion dollar comics in a storage locker? Best the 179 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:15,839 Speaker 1: first one. The second one is, what's the odds is 180 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:19,440 Speaker 1: someone who buys multiple storage lockers, not one single one? 181 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:22,240 Speaker 1: And the third thing is, watch the odds they can't 182 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:26,160 Speaker 1: remember which storage locker it came in, so that there's 183 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:29,200 Speaker 1: so many red flames. I think we can just dismiss 184 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:33,559 Speaker 1: the storage locker story as just a fake, fabricated story. 185 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:36,839 Speaker 1: I have the luxury, but just us him my forty 186 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 1: years of experience and analyzing the situation and coming up 187 00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:45,680 Speaker 1: with what my considered opinion is highly valuable items have 188 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:51,040 Speaker 1: turned up in some very unlikely places, including storage lockers, 189 00:13:51,679 --> 00:13:54,760 Speaker 1: but when they do, there's always a chance that their 190 00:13:54,840 --> 00:14:00,640 Speaker 1: discovery could have been orchestrated. Why one part sable motive 191 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:04,560 Speaker 1: for stolen art servicing isn't to sell it, it's to 192 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:07,440 Speaker 1: get a reward for it. Well, let me tell you, right, 193 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:10,480 Speaker 1: if a private art detective was on this case, he 194 00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:15,760 Speaker 1: would charge the insurance company twenty class fact of the 195 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 1: insurance claim, which would have been if we assume it's 196 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:21,760 Speaker 1: a hundred fifty tho and he would have wanted a 197 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:25,080 Speaker 1: hundred fifty thou dollars per insurance claim. He would have 198 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:28,880 Speaker 1: wanted thirty six thousand dollars as his fee for being 199 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:32,160 Speaker 1: a private art detective who recovered this comic, the fact 200 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:35,080 Speaker 1: that it's worth and sold the two point one million. 201 00:14:35,200 --> 00:14:38,880 Speaker 1: Some art detectives would also sign a contract to say 202 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:42,880 Speaker 1: that they want ten or twenty if it's sold within 203 00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:45,720 Speaker 1: a period of time. So on two point one million, 204 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:47,960 Speaker 1: that would have been a lot of money. Okay, So 205 00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:50,840 Speaker 1: that would be private art detectives. And I criticized them 206 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 1: sometimes when they do that because that doesn't look to 207 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 1: be transparent. But these people who recovered it, I would 208 00:14:57,160 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 1: have assumed that they wouldn't have gone away quietly. Is 209 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:02,600 Speaker 1: especially if they are not being in dieted on any 210 00:15:02,640 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 1: criminal charges. They may have a claim for a finder's fee. 211 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 1: So is that why Mark Balelo called Stephen Fishler not 212 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:17,160 Speaker 1: as a coincidence, but to prove it was Cage's comic. 213 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:22,760 Speaker 1: To pursue some kind of reward. That's Paul's theory, and 214 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:26,440 Speaker 1: it doesn't mean either Mark or Sylvester had anything to 215 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 1: do with the book being stolen, just that some research 216 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:33,320 Speaker 1: could have led Mark to believe this book found in 217 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 1: a storage unit could be worth a finder's fee. Here's 218 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:42,960 Speaker 1: Paul's possible scenario. They were prepared for it to be identified, 219 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:47,320 Speaker 1: but wanted to portray themselves Sylvester as being honest and 220 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:50,880 Speaker 1: above board. That was the intention, was to filter into 221 00:15:51,320 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 1: Nicolas Cages Deana via a third party file wall, which 222 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:57,400 Speaker 1: is Mark, and then that's a plain. So then when 223 00:15:57,400 --> 00:15:59,800 Speaker 1: the dealer comes out and says this is the one, 224 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:02,560 Speaker 1: then they may not have thought Donald would be cop 225 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:05,120 Speaker 1: would have been there, but that the next thing would 226 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:07,600 Speaker 1: have been if they hadn't have had it confiscated off 227 00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 1: of them, then there might have been a legal dispute 228 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:13,480 Speaker 1: and they would have still had possession of it. Maybe 229 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:15,600 Speaker 1: they didn't account for the fact that Donald was going 230 00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 1: to be there and confiscate it, but even if that happened, 231 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:22,080 Speaker 1: their whole intention was to monetize it and claim my 232 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:25,920 Speaker 1: finder's fee or a reward. So they knew at some 233 00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:28,120 Speaker 1: stage that they was going to have to be declared 234 00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:30,600 Speaker 1: that this was the sole a month from Nicolas Cage. 235 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:33,960 Speaker 1: Maybe the initial plan was to have the dealer look 236 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:36,640 Speaker 1: at it and go, yes, that's the original I wanted back. 237 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:38,880 Speaker 1: And then the person go well, no, ang and speak 238 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:42,120 Speaker 1: to my lawyer and maybe getting to litigation over it 239 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:44,400 Speaker 1: or something, and declared they want to find this thing. 240 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 1: And then when Donald turned up and dis confiscated it, 241 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:49,400 Speaker 1: they went, well, we can still go down the same 242 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:53,920 Speaker 1: road and claim the finders feel again. That's Paul's theory. 243 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:58,200 Speaker 1: And for Paul, the most intriguing part of the story 244 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 1: is that of all the commock dealers in the country, 245 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:06,800 Speaker 1: Mark could have called he called Stephen Fishler literally the 246 00:17:06,840 --> 00:17:11,560 Speaker 1: only person on earth who could positively identify the action 247 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:16,320 Speaker 1: number one as cages. This Mark person, right, why would 248 00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:18,800 Speaker 1: he focus in on the one avenue that's going to 249 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:21,760 Speaker 1: lead straight back to Nicolas Cage. Why not take a 250 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:24,639 Speaker 1: local estimate, right, He's part of a plane. It was 251 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:27,560 Speaker 1: a plane, it's a scan, it was a sting. It's 252 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:31,159 Speaker 1: a thing to monetize the Superman comic. And then they 253 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:33,879 Speaker 1: tried to make it so confusing that the police wouldn't 254 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:37,280 Speaker 1: be able to pin it on anyone. But yes, of course, 255 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:39,840 Speaker 1: because this is such a small world. It's got to 256 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:43,400 Speaker 1: go through Nicolas Cage stealer in New York, and he's 257 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:45,560 Speaker 1: going to be made aware of it. Yes again, it's 258 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:47,920 Speaker 1: I mean their story. He's like a Swiss change. It's 259 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:51,480 Speaker 1: for the holes. Cages comic sold for two point one 260 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:55,240 Speaker 1: six one million dollars just a few months after it 261 00:17:55,359 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 1: was found, making even a percentage of that a very valuable. 262 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:03,359 Speaker 1: But Stephen Fishler, who was there when the l a 263 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:07,000 Speaker 1: p d. Sees the comic from Mark and Sylvester, doesn't 264 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:11,200 Speaker 1: think that's what happened. Here's Stephen. No, there was a trip. 265 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:13,919 Speaker 1: They wanted to sell it and it was a stolen book. 266 00:18:14,119 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 1: When y've gone, all right, we want a million dollars. Oh, 267 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:19,240 Speaker 1: by the way, this book stolen, it's a little hard 268 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:21,080 Speaker 1: while the police is there to go, hey, how about 269 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:25,359 Speaker 1: a reward now? You know, I think if they had 270 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:29,359 Speaker 1: said we think this book is the stolen book, you know, 271 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:31,760 Speaker 1: I could see giving them a reward for the recovery 272 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:35,000 Speaker 1: of it. But it just wasn't in the cards. There's 273 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:40,240 Speaker 1: a real mystique surrounding Sylvester. For one thing. Stephen remembers 274 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:44,920 Speaker 1: that he introduced himself as Arthur, and Mark Ballelo told 275 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:49,080 Speaker 1: people that Sylvester only went by his first name. Mark 276 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:52,639 Speaker 1: said he didn't even know Sylvester's last name, which is 277 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:56,720 Speaker 1: very strange. If you were planning to split the profits 278 00:18:56,760 --> 00:19:00,640 Speaker 1: from a multimillion dollar comic with someone, wouldn't you want 279 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:05,640 Speaker 1: to know their last name. Few people did, and maybe 280 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:09,520 Speaker 1: that was by design, but at some point his full 281 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:12,879 Speaker 1: name did leak out, which allowed us to try and 282 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:15,760 Speaker 1: get a better understanding of the man at the crux 283 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:20,399 Speaker 1: of all this, the person who found Cages comic after 284 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:26,359 Speaker 1: it had been missing eleven years. Sylvester doesn't have much 285 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:29,480 Speaker 1: in the way of a social media presence, but we 286 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 1: can tell you he is or was a contractor by 287 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:37,880 Speaker 1: trade and no longer living in California. He's into cars, 288 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:40,760 Speaker 1: as so many of the people in this story seemed 289 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:43,840 Speaker 1: to be. We reached a former employer of his who 290 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:46,479 Speaker 1: said he was a nice guy who wound up quitting. 291 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:50,440 Speaker 1: The employer thought it might have been because of the comic, 292 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:54,919 Speaker 1: because he expected to come into a windfall. Despite his 293 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:58,600 Speaker 1: lack of an online presence, and after a lot of 294 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 1: trial and error, we did manage to find Sylvester we 295 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:07,720 Speaker 1: wanted to ask about finding the comic, but within minutes 296 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:12,520 Speaker 1: of messaging him, he deleted his social media profile. So 297 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:17,080 Speaker 1: we tried email and got no response. Then we reached 298 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:20,000 Speaker 1: out to some friends of his to see what else 299 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:22,680 Speaker 1: we might be able to learn or to find out 300 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:27,159 Speaker 1: how we could contact him. That's when Sylvester asked for 301 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:31,040 Speaker 1: our reporter's number and then sent a text saying he 302 00:20:31,119 --> 00:20:34,639 Speaker 1: did not want to talk about finding the comic. We 303 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:39,040 Speaker 1: asked again and again, as much as we'd like to 304 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:42,639 Speaker 1: hear from Sylvester. He apparently said all he wanted to 305 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:46,520 Speaker 1: say to Detective Horresik on the day the comic was seized. 306 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:52,240 Speaker 1: The story he told the detective is certainly intriguing. According 307 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:54,679 Speaker 1: to people we spoke with who have knowledge of the 308 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 1: storage locker liquidation market, taking the contents from a bunch 309 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:01,920 Speaker 1: of lockers and pulling it all together to sort through 310 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:06,680 Speaker 1: later isn't unheard of. With storage auctions, you're given only 311 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:09,560 Speaker 1: a limited amount of time to clear out the unit, 312 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:13,240 Speaker 1: after all, that's why the locker company wants stuff gone 313 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:16,280 Speaker 1: so they can rent it out to someone else. You 314 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 1: might have just twenty four or forty eight hours, so 315 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:22,800 Speaker 1: piling everything into a truck to sort through later. If 316 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:28,280 Speaker 1: you've bought several units, might be wise. Here's Liz again. 317 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:31,680 Speaker 1: There's just so much stuff there to look through. It's 318 00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:33,840 Speaker 1: hard to keep track of it, especially when you're just 319 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:36,800 Speaker 1: looking through everything and everything just kind of gets bunched 320 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:41,720 Speaker 1: into one place. But the opposite is also true. Some 321 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:45,960 Speaker 1: locker storage buyers keep a strict inventory of where items 322 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:50,040 Speaker 1: came from in case something stolen or illegal like drugs, 323 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:53,040 Speaker 1: are ever discovered. They don't want to be the ones 324 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:58,520 Speaker 1: suspected of possessing them. The other consideration is whether anyone 325 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:02,520 Speaker 1: really would leave a rare and delicate comic in a 326 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:06,399 Speaker 1: storage locker and then neglect to pay the bill. Hey, 327 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:10,560 Speaker 1: it's possible. Sometimes lockers are abandoned because the person renting 328 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:14,399 Speaker 1: it dies or goes to prison. If a storage locker 329 00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:17,919 Speaker 1: owner was storing the comic there, then it would be 330 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:21,200 Speaker 1: a matter of inquiring to the owner whether they knew 331 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:25,600 Speaker 1: anything about the comic. But the problem the storage facility had, 332 00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:28,760 Speaker 1: and the reason they put the lockers up for public sale, 333 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:33,000 Speaker 1: is that their owners weren't easily reached and couldn't pay 334 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:37,800 Speaker 1: the bill. Because Sylvester couldn't remember which locker the comic 335 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:41,239 Speaker 1: came from. There wouldn't be much use in trying to 336 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:44,480 Speaker 1: contact them. You could never prove it was theirs to 337 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:48,120 Speaker 1: begin with. I think as we've gone through the whole story, 338 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:50,920 Speaker 1: it really is a Russian dole. You know, you're only 339 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:53,840 Speaker 1: more and more layers. You're peeling back the onion and 340 00:22:54,119 --> 00:22:56,960 Speaker 1: every kind of stop. There is something there that doesn't 341 00:22:57,000 --> 00:22:59,760 Speaker 1: smell right, It doesn't taste right, and doesn't look right. 342 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:02,960 Speaker 1: And in the normal world of things, this is not 343 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:05,480 Speaker 1: normally what would happen, from the theft of it, to 344 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:08,240 Speaker 1: the handling of it, to the surfacing of Chiu of 345 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:11,439 Speaker 1: the comics. But knowing who put the comic in the 346 00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:16,760 Speaker 1: storage locker would still only tell just part of the story. 347 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:20,840 Speaker 1: Art theft is one giant game of hot potato. The 348 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:24,919 Speaker 1: more hands the stolen art passes through, the more convincing 349 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:28,200 Speaker 1: someone is when they say they have no idea where 350 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:33,000 Speaker 1: it came from, because they probably don't. And every time 351 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:36,520 Speaker 1: it changes hands, someone is sold on the fantasy that 352 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:40,680 Speaker 1: for just a few thousand dollars they can take possession 353 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:45,680 Speaker 1: of something worth millions. It's almost like a criminal lottery. 354 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:48,119 Speaker 1: If they can just figure out how to unload it 355 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:52,320 Speaker 1: and then well they can't, so they sell the dream 356 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:57,800 Speaker 1: to someone else. There's no evidence Mark Ballelo or Sylvester 357 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:02,119 Speaker 1: knew anything about the Action Number one being stolen. There's 358 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:06,320 Speaker 1: no evidence the storage locker story was fabricated. There are 359 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:11,399 Speaker 1: just questions which one man can't answer and another man won't, 360 00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:16,200 Speaker 1: and that is his prerogative. It doesn't invalidate his story 361 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:20,520 Speaker 1: that he found the comic. Maybe the reason he doesn't 362 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:23,080 Speaker 1: want to talk about it is because watching two million 363 00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:27,840 Speaker 1: dollars slip through your hands is too painful to revisit. However, 364 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:31,679 Speaker 1: cages comic made its way to Mark Balleto and Sylvester. 365 00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:36,520 Speaker 1: It's a minor miracle it's surfaced at all. Cage, of 366 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:40,760 Speaker 1: course sold it for a handsome profit. But there's still 367 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:45,280 Speaker 1: one act left untold in this story. Where is the 368 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:54,879 Speaker 1: Action Number one? Now? Just a couple of months before 369 00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:58,080 Speaker 1: Nicholas Cage popped up at the Las Vegas Comic Con 370 00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:02,040 Speaker 1: is now very notor his comic book was on display 371 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:06,480 Speaker 1: in London, but it wasn't for public viewing. This was 372 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:11,120 Speaker 1: a private, invitation only affair at a hotel in the city. 373 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:15,080 Speaker 1: Five years after being discovered in the storage locker. One 374 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:18,960 Speaker 1: of the best copies of Action comics. Number one was 375 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:23,919 Speaker 1: inside a glass case and surrounded by security, just in 376 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:27,760 Speaker 1: case anyone had any ideas The comic was part of 377 00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:32,840 Speaker 1: a collection being displayed courtesy of a man named Aman Harreary. 378 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:37,360 Speaker 1: A man is a very big Superman fan, though not 379 00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:41,200 Speaker 1: for the reasons you may think. Here's a man. Superman 380 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:44,639 Speaker 1: was always part of me growing up. I guess it 381 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:48,280 Speaker 1: was a character that I used to watch on cartoons, 382 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:51,760 Speaker 1: and obviously, like every other kid, that captures your imagination. 383 00:25:51,800 --> 00:25:55,480 Speaker 1: To imagine a person who can fly and be invulnerable 384 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:59,520 Speaker 1: to you know, being shot at or any kind of danger, 385 00:26:00,359 --> 00:26:03,680 Speaker 1: it just sparks the imagination of all kinds of stories 386 00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:06,359 Speaker 1: you build in your head and you imagine all the 387 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:08,840 Speaker 1: things that he can do. Even back then. I mean 388 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:11,399 Speaker 1: at the time it was, you know, faster than a 389 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:16,280 Speaker 1: speeding train and can leap tall buildings into you know, 390 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:19,159 Speaker 1: the modern version of what he can do these days. 391 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:21,800 Speaker 1: But I was living in Saudi at the time, so 392 00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:25,199 Speaker 1: the only way that I was exposed to Superman was 393 00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:29,560 Speaker 1: on VHS tapes that would be made available to us 394 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:32,760 Speaker 1: by people from living abroad and sending them to us 395 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:37,639 Speaker 1: or receiving a copy of a comic book. Well, I 396 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:42,880 Speaker 1: think when you're younger, things are less granular. You think 397 00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:46,560 Speaker 1: about doing the right thing. What does it mean as 398 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:49,280 Speaker 1: an adult, and what does it mean as a child. 399 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:53,720 Speaker 1: It probably lacks granularity when you're a child, and you 400 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:56,280 Speaker 1: start to understand the nuances of doing the right thing 401 00:26:56,359 --> 00:26:59,640 Speaker 1: as you get older. I would say that being a 402 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:04,960 Speaker 1: hero was what I would imagine. What I remember thinking 403 00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:08,359 Speaker 1: of this character and what he would do, and if 404 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:11,600 Speaker 1: you put together any kind of scenario and he saw 405 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:15,440 Speaker 1: somebody in danger, that he would do anything and everything 406 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:18,800 Speaker 1: to save that person, he would save the day and 407 00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:22,560 Speaker 1: be a hero. It's not uncommon to grow up with 408 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:25,879 Speaker 1: Superman and then want to own a piece of his legend. 409 00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:29,800 Speaker 1: After all, that's what Nicolas Cage did. But a man 410 00:27:29,920 --> 00:27:34,000 Speaker 1: is in a slightly different category. He's a fan, sure, 411 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:38,040 Speaker 1: but he's also a billionaire and the son of Lebanon's 412 00:27:38,119 --> 00:27:43,320 Speaker 1: one time prime minister, Rafi careery Eman idolized his father, Rafiq, 413 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:46,919 Speaker 1: who was celebrated in Lebanon for his work helping to 414 00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:51,520 Speaker 1: end the fifteen year Lebanese Civil War. He also used 415 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:56,879 Speaker 1: his considerable wealth to provide educational opportunities for the less fortunate. 416 00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:01,040 Speaker 1: According to Amon, his father put third two thousand young 417 00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:06,119 Speaker 1: adults through college. Then in two thousand five, tragedy struck, 418 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:11,520 Speaker 1: a tragedy that in some ways echoes the loss suffered 419 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:15,960 Speaker 1: by Superman's co creator Jerry Siegel, who lost his father 420 00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:20,800 Speaker 1: to a violent crime. Rafiq died in Beirut after someone 421 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:25,040 Speaker 1: detonated a bomb hidden in a car near Rafique's motorcade. 422 00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:30,080 Speaker 1: Along with Rafique, twenty one others were killed. Members of 423 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:34,639 Speaker 1: his Bola were convicted. According to Reuter's, judges said the 424 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:39,640 Speaker 1: attack was quote clearly a politically motivated act of terrorism 425 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:43,680 Speaker 1: end quote. Aman was just twenty six years old when 426 00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:48,080 Speaker 1: his father was murdered, and as you probably gathered, it 427 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:53,080 Speaker 1: was a galvanizing experience for him. He has always been 428 00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:56,920 Speaker 1: my hero. He's somebody who had sacrificed so much of 429 00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:00,880 Speaker 1: his life for his country, for people in need, and 430 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:05,600 Speaker 1: ended up paying the ultimate price. But during his life, 431 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:09,400 Speaker 1: and when I would think of Superman and I would 432 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:12,000 Speaker 1: think of my father, there was always yes this connection 433 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:14,280 Speaker 1: between them, and I didn't really put them together until 434 00:29:14,360 --> 00:29:17,960 Speaker 1: I visited my family home after many years of being 435 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:22,240 Speaker 1: away in school abroad and university in the US. When 436 00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:24,800 Speaker 1: I came back home, I saw this picture hanging on 437 00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:30,560 Speaker 1: my bedroom wall of him represented a superman carrying buildings 438 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:33,640 Speaker 1: in his arms. The buildings were universities and schools and 439 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:39,160 Speaker 1: hospitals above a destroyed city underneath him. And it was 440 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:42,840 Speaker 1: a cartoon that was drawn by you know the cartoons 441 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:45,640 Speaker 1: that used to be in the back of newspapers. This 442 00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:48,440 Speaker 1: was from a local newspaper in Lebanon, and it was 443 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:51,960 Speaker 1: an artist that had depicted my father a superman. And 444 00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:55,120 Speaker 1: obviously that's really on the nose that can ingrain itself 445 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:58,480 Speaker 1: and you completely forget about where things originate from. But 446 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:00,600 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, it was depicted by 447 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:04,160 Speaker 1: somebody else, and he was regarded as a hero and 448 00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:09,120 Speaker 1: still is by his country. I actually in his life 449 00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:12,440 Speaker 1: when I started to buy comic books and collect them, 450 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:16,520 Speaker 1: the original comic books, you know, graded and I work 451 00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 1: with I think, you know, the Metropolis out of New 452 00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:24,080 Speaker 1: York to collect these looks. I remember that I couldn't 453 00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:28,680 Speaker 1: get myself to buy a single Superman book. That I 454 00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:31,640 Speaker 1: felt like I hadn't reached that level yet, And I 455 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:35,520 Speaker 1: always would think of Batman is more sort of where 456 00:30:35,560 --> 00:30:38,600 Speaker 1: I was and the Superman where I want to be 457 00:30:39,840 --> 00:30:45,560 Speaker 1: aspiration Lee. And when my father passed, that's when I 458 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:49,280 Speaker 1: started buying every Superman comic book that I could get 459 00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:52,800 Speaker 1: my hands on. For Aman, Superman and his father had 460 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:56,960 Speaker 1: become linked. The character was emblematic of how he perceived 461 00:30:56,960 --> 00:31:01,920 Speaker 1: her fik as benevolent, kind and generous with his own superpower, 462 00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:05,680 Speaker 1: which was wealth. He was always one of my favorite characters, 463 00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:07,880 Speaker 1: don't get me wrong. I mean when I buy statues 464 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:11,040 Speaker 1: or if I could watch a movie or or anything, 465 00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:14,960 Speaker 1: I was into the character. But yes, at that point, 466 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:17,560 Speaker 1: you know, I guess the floodgates opened and I needed 467 00:31:17,600 --> 00:31:20,400 Speaker 1: to I mean, obviously I missed my father and it 468 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:23,160 Speaker 1: was the most horrible day of my life when he 469 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:26,640 Speaker 1: was taken from us, and I wanted to be connected 470 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:30,040 Speaker 1: to him even more in the way that I imagined him. 471 00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:33,520 Speaker 1: And so you know, buying these books was a way 472 00:31:33,520 --> 00:31:36,280 Speaker 1: of me doing that. It's always been there. I mean, 473 00:31:36,360 --> 00:31:39,240 Speaker 1: certainly Superman has played a big role in my life, 474 00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:41,680 Speaker 1: just in the back of my mind. Like a lot 475 00:31:41,680 --> 00:31:44,520 Speaker 1: of people, you grow up with these characters in your 476 00:31:44,560 --> 00:31:47,040 Speaker 1: life in one form or fashion, and you either grow 477 00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:49,840 Speaker 1: out of them, they become a memory or they they 478 00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:52,800 Speaker 1: stick with you in some form or fashion. And so 479 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:55,880 Speaker 1: a Man began to gather what's become one of the 480 00:31:56,040 --> 00:32:00,680 Speaker 1: most valuable and expansive comic book collections in the world. 481 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:06,960 Speaker 1: Issue after issue of number one titles Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman. 482 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 1: He worked with Stephen Fishler Cages Comic Dealer, and in 483 00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:16,840 Speaker 1: two thousand eleven he had the rare opportunity to acquire 484 00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:22,320 Speaker 1: an Action number one Cages Action Number one. Yeah, I mean, 485 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:25,360 Speaker 1: I'm made aware of the opportunity, and I was obviously 486 00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:28,160 Speaker 1: excited and did my best to get the book and 487 00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:31,760 Speaker 1: ultimately got it, which was one of the major thrill 488 00:32:31,920 --> 00:32:35,040 Speaker 1: because again, you look at the significance of Action one, 489 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:38,480 Speaker 1: I mean Action one. Before Action one, the day or 490 00:32:38,560 --> 00:32:43,440 Speaker 1: the morning or the hour before those stores opened and 491 00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:48,400 Speaker 1: people entered to see that book and start reading them. 492 00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:52,560 Speaker 1: There was no Superman, there was no Superhero, and it 493 00:32:52,640 --> 00:32:56,080 Speaker 1: was the first. He was the first superhero. The significance 494 00:32:56,120 --> 00:32:58,479 Speaker 1: of that is amazing to me when you even think 495 00:32:58,520 --> 00:33:02,840 Speaker 1: about that, Like, we can't even imagine without the idea 496 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:05,840 Speaker 1: of Superman or any of these characters. For amen, The 497 00:33:05,880 --> 00:33:08,560 Speaker 1: fact that this comic had its own story to tell 498 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:12,880 Speaker 1: is part of the appeal. Absolutely, yeah, anything that has 499 00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:17,080 Speaker 1: a history, and certainly when it goes through certain circumstances 500 00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:22,120 Speaker 1: like this one has. You're right, it does develop a character. 501 00:33:22,880 --> 00:33:26,400 Speaker 1: Amen put the Action Number One, along with many other 502 00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:30,880 Speaker 1: valuable books on display in two thousand sixteen. There's even 503 00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:33,720 Speaker 1: a chance, he says, that his collection may go on 504 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:38,200 Speaker 1: public display, bringing comics one step closer to the vaunted 505 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:42,640 Speaker 1: esteem people hold for fine art. Imagine going into a 506 00:33:42,760 --> 00:33:46,480 Speaker 1: museum and seeing an Action Number one on display in 507 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:51,440 Speaker 1: one room and a monet in another. I'm not worrying 508 00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:53,920 Speaker 1: about how do you display them, and how do you 509 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:56,200 Speaker 1: keep them safe? And where would you do it and 510 00:33:56,200 --> 00:33:59,240 Speaker 1: what kind of an experience would people have that With 511 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:02,000 Speaker 1: all the things that I got pulled into in life, 512 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:05,120 Speaker 1: it got really hard to focus on that and execute 513 00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:07,240 Speaker 1: that project. It is in the back of my mind. 514 00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:09,400 Speaker 1: I'd love to do it in one form or fashion. 515 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:12,319 Speaker 1: Maybe there's a digital version that could be done, you know, 516 00:34:12,440 --> 00:34:15,320 Speaker 1: something with VR or a R or something. But you 517 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:17,840 Speaker 1: could say we'll just display two or three books. But 518 00:34:17,920 --> 00:34:19,799 Speaker 1: I think it would be cool to display as many 519 00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:22,000 Speaker 1: as I could. I haven't really figured out a way 520 00:34:22,040 --> 00:34:25,200 Speaker 1: to do it, whether that happens or not, it seems 521 00:34:25,280 --> 00:34:28,640 Speaker 1: as though this comics journey has come to an end. 522 00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:33,359 Speaker 1: Though he could almost certainly sell it for far more 523 00:34:33,480 --> 00:34:36,279 Speaker 1: than the two point one six one million dollars that 524 00:34:36,360 --> 00:34:40,759 Speaker 1: he paid in two thousand eleven, he won't ever. I mean, 525 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:43,839 Speaker 1: my whole planning of this is I would never sell 526 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:45,640 Speaker 1: these books. It would have to be my kids that 527 00:34:45,680 --> 00:34:48,120 Speaker 1: would decide to sell them if they would want to. 528 00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:51,920 Speaker 1: One day, when I'm gone wherever this book might have 529 00:34:52,040 --> 00:34:55,400 Speaker 1: been in the eleven years it was missing in a 530 00:34:55,520 --> 00:35:02,040 Speaker 1: basement attic storage locker glove compartment. It's probably as safe 531 00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:05,680 Speaker 1: as it's ever going to be. And if Cage ever 532 00:35:05,719 --> 00:35:08,640 Speaker 1: wants to take another look at it, he probably just 533 00:35:08,680 --> 00:35:11,560 Speaker 1: needs to ask. I'm a fan of him as an actor, 534 00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:14,480 Speaker 1: and I would love to to meet him and and 535 00:35:14,560 --> 00:35:17,440 Speaker 1: geek out on comic books, and you know, maybe we 536 00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:20,360 Speaker 1: can look at this stuff together. But no, I haven't. 537 00:35:20,480 --> 00:35:24,359 Speaker 1: I haven't had that that experience. And in the incredibly 538 00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:28,920 Speaker 1: unlikely event something happened to this action Number one, well 539 00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:33,520 Speaker 1: Amen is prepared. In two thousand fourteen, he bought a 540 00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:37,880 Speaker 1: second copy. Yeah, that's right before I own a nine 541 00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:42,919 Speaker 1: point oh graded copy. And when another nine point oh 542 00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:46,440 Speaker 1: came onto the market. It's like, Okay, this is an 543 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:50,920 Speaker 1: interesting situation because, on the one hand, from like an 544 00:35:50,920 --> 00:35:55,239 Speaker 1: emotional standpoint, I felt it would be phenomenal to be 545 00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:57,880 Speaker 1: able to have two of these books if I was 546 00:35:57,960 --> 00:36:02,319 Speaker 1: able to buy it. So, just in terms of being 547 00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:04,960 Speaker 1: able to have in one collection two books of that 548 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:08,080 Speaker 1: level and everything that I said about how did they 549 00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:10,600 Speaker 1: survive and all of that, I mean, to have two 550 00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:14,359 Speaker 1: of them in a single collection was something very very 551 00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:16,839 Speaker 1: exciting to me, And so I bought the second one 552 00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:19,480 Speaker 1: for that reason. And I was really really fortunate to 553 00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:22,200 Speaker 1: be in a position to be able to, you know, 554 00:36:22,239 --> 00:36:26,600 Speaker 1: one afford it, and second have the opportunity even to 555 00:36:26,640 --> 00:36:28,799 Speaker 1: be aware of it and be able to buy it. 556 00:36:29,360 --> 00:36:32,600 Speaker 1: This book shouldn't exist. Not only shouldn't it not exist, 557 00:36:32,680 --> 00:36:35,719 Speaker 1: but it shouldn't be able to to find it, let 558 00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:39,000 Speaker 1: alone find it. In the state that it's in. It's 559 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:42,480 Speaker 1: almost a superman in and of itself. How does it exist? 560 00:36:42,880 --> 00:36:47,279 Speaker 1: Amid a volatile economy turned upside down by a pandemic, 561 00:36:47,920 --> 00:36:54,280 Speaker 1: there's been one pretty reliable investment collectibles. Comic book values 562 00:36:54,320 --> 00:36:59,000 Speaker 1: have skyrocketed in recent years. A comic selling for millions 563 00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:03,239 Speaker 1: is no longer a seismic event, but the norm the 564 00:37:03,520 --> 00:37:06,640 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty thousand dollars Nicolas Cage paid for his 565 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:11,319 Speaker 1: copy of Action number one back in was if you'll 566 00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:16,560 Speaker 1: forgive the pun In absolute steal, Action number one is 567 00:37:16,680 --> 00:37:20,640 Speaker 1: so desired that even a single loose page from it 568 00:37:21,080 --> 00:37:25,800 Speaker 1: can sell for thousands of dollars. Brittle shavings of pages 569 00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:29,280 Speaker 1: from a nearly ruined version were sold in a baggy. 570 00:37:29,960 --> 00:37:34,000 Speaker 1: Maybe someday someone will offer a loan. Staple they insist 571 00:37:34,120 --> 00:37:37,360 Speaker 1: is from an Action number one, and if their story 572 00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:42,440 Speaker 1: is good enough, it'll probably find a buyer. In September 573 00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:46,960 Speaker 1: two thousand twenty two, a copy graded six point oh 574 00:37:47,160 --> 00:37:50,320 Speaker 1: that's a good amount below the nine given to cages 575 00:37:50,360 --> 00:37:55,759 Speaker 1: copy sold for a staggering three point four million dollars. 576 00:37:56,400 --> 00:38:00,680 Speaker 1: A higher grade copy coming up for sale could fetch five, six, 577 00:38:01,160 --> 00:38:06,200 Speaker 1: maybe seven million dollars. That figure would have been impossible 578 00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:09,400 Speaker 1: for the thief or thieves who took Cage's book to 579 00:38:09,520 --> 00:38:14,520 Speaker 1: conceive of. It was an audacious heist, taking four high 580 00:38:14,520 --> 00:38:18,279 Speaker 1: profile comics from an A list actor's home. It was 581 00:38:18,320 --> 00:38:22,200 Speaker 1: almost certainly done for profit, as indicated by one of 582 00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:25,400 Speaker 1: the comics popping up for sale on eBay months later. 583 00:38:26,200 --> 00:38:30,759 Speaker 1: A crime of opportunity inflicted by someone on the periphery 584 00:38:30,880 --> 00:38:35,799 Speaker 1: of Cage's life, someone who couldn't resist the temptation of 585 00:38:35,840 --> 00:38:39,400 Speaker 1: stealing a small piece of history that was there for 586 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:46,160 Speaker 1: the taking, unlocked and unguarded. That it was stolen. Isn't surprising. 587 00:38:46,840 --> 00:38:53,279 Speaker 1: Maybe it was inevitable. Maybe someone will come clean one day, 588 00:38:53,320 --> 00:38:57,880 Speaker 1: Maybe someone already has. Though if Cage knows, he's not talking. 589 00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:01,360 Speaker 1: Of course, we wanted to ask about it, but his 590 00:39:01,480 --> 00:39:06,600 Speaker 1: manager politely declined. That's easy to understand unless it was 591 00:39:06,640 --> 00:39:10,439 Speaker 1: a transient worker, someone there to deliver booze or set 592 00:39:10,480 --> 00:39:14,320 Speaker 1: up one of Cage's oversized nutcrackers for a holiday party. 593 00:39:14,960 --> 00:39:18,360 Speaker 1: The person who took the books was known to him, 594 00:39:18,400 --> 00:39:22,120 Speaker 1: considered a friend, or at least trustworthy enough to be 595 00:39:22,239 --> 00:39:27,240 Speaker 1: let into his house, and having that trust betrayed is disillusioning. 596 00:39:28,239 --> 00:39:31,560 Speaker 1: Two of the four books taken are still at large, 597 00:39:32,160 --> 00:39:36,400 Speaker 1: still filed in the FBI's database of Stolen art, A 598 00:39:36,480 --> 00:39:40,440 Speaker 1: Detective Comics Number twenty seven, the first appearance of Batman, 599 00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:45,160 Speaker 1: and A Detective Comics Number one. It's possible they were 600 00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:49,520 Speaker 1: sold in a private transaction, but remember that cages dealer 601 00:39:49,600 --> 00:39:53,440 Speaker 1: Stephen Fishler is often a conduit for big comics sales. 602 00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:56,399 Speaker 1: It would be hard to sell the books without him 603 00:39:56,480 --> 00:40:01,359 Speaker 1: hearing about it eventually, and he hasn't not yet. And 604 00:40:01,400 --> 00:40:05,200 Speaker 1: if they did surface, Stephen says he could identify them 605 00:40:05,239 --> 00:40:09,600 Speaker 1: just as he did Cages Action number one. So maybe 606 00:40:09,680 --> 00:40:14,160 Speaker 1: they've been destroyed, or maybe they're still out there somewhere 607 00:40:14,560 --> 00:40:20,040 Speaker 1: their handler in a kind of paralysis. Selling them is risky, 608 00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:24,800 Speaker 1: so is keeping them. Maybe they're in another country, maybe 609 00:40:24,800 --> 00:40:27,840 Speaker 1: they were altered in a way that makes them undetectable. 610 00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:33,600 Speaker 1: Here's Paul Hendry again, sixty and seventy pages. Okay, Well, 611 00:40:33,719 --> 00:40:36,000 Speaker 1: they could take off the first tem page. They could 612 00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:41,239 Speaker 1: sell probably pages right as just being discovered in a 613 00:40:41,360 --> 00:40:44,280 Speaker 1: yard sale or something like that. Or they could find 614 00:40:44,320 --> 00:40:46,960 Speaker 1: a half of the book right, or just the middle 615 00:40:47,040 --> 00:40:50,200 Speaker 1: section of the comic had been discovered, and so the 616 00:40:50,239 --> 00:40:53,399 Speaker 1: backpages and all the front pages have been raised it out, 617 00:40:53,440 --> 00:40:56,680 Speaker 1: and then maybe stores separately they just sell the actual 618 00:40:56,840 --> 00:40:58,759 Speaker 1: in between the middle bits, and then it will be 619 00:40:58,880 --> 00:41:03,080 Speaker 1: virtually impossible to distinguish whether this actually was the one 620 00:41:03,080 --> 00:41:06,120 Speaker 1: style an off a Nicolas page, unless, of course, there's 621 00:41:06,200 --> 00:41:09,200 Speaker 1: something that could distinguish it on each page, or you 622 00:41:09,239 --> 00:41:12,520 Speaker 1: could see different pages, because I'm sure that the collectors 623 00:41:12,520 --> 00:41:15,440 Speaker 1: will buy a page from that for obviously a lot less, 624 00:41:15,600 --> 00:41:18,120 Speaker 1: but a page of it should certainly be worth a 625 00:41:18,160 --> 00:41:22,960 Speaker 1: few thousand dollars, maybe ten thousand dollars. While those books 626 00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:27,560 Speaker 1: are valuable, the public interest in their recovery probably won't 627 00:41:27,640 --> 00:41:33,760 Speaker 1: equal the discovery of an Action number one. Superman's status 628 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:38,120 Speaker 1: as a defender of justice, his earnestness will always make 629 00:41:38,160 --> 00:41:43,120 Speaker 1: someone pufferring his first appearance a strange juxtaposition. It's like 630 00:41:43,239 --> 00:41:47,280 Speaker 1: stealing a boy Scout, Marra badge or a Norman Rockwell painting. 631 00:41:47,800 --> 00:41:50,520 Speaker 1: And while you might be able to swipe a material 632 00:41:50,680 --> 00:41:55,680 Speaker 1: depiction of Superman, you can't really take his symbolism. More 633 00:41:55,719 --> 00:42:00,160 Speaker 1: than any cultural character, Superman has come to embody oh 634 00:42:00,200 --> 00:42:05,600 Speaker 1: many things. He's the ultimate immigrant, a savior, the zenith 635 00:42:05,760 --> 00:42:11,239 Speaker 1: of patriotism, truth, justice, and the American way. Steal his 636 00:42:11,400 --> 00:42:15,280 Speaker 1: material form, but you can't steal what he stands for. 637 00:42:15,920 --> 00:42:20,160 Speaker 1: No one can take what Superman means to you, or 638 00:42:20,280 --> 00:42:25,200 Speaker 1: to aim and her Reary or Nicholas Cage. It's possible, 639 00:42:25,560 --> 00:42:29,960 Speaker 1: even probable, that Action Comics Number one will enter the 640 00:42:30,080 --> 00:42:35,919 Speaker 1: public domain on January one, two thousand thirty four, that's 641 00:42:35,960 --> 00:42:41,319 Speaker 1: when the year limit un copyrighted materials will expire. That 642 00:42:41,360 --> 00:42:44,879 Speaker 1: doesn't mean all of Superman's mythology will be up for grabs, 643 00:42:44,920 --> 00:42:48,520 Speaker 1: as much of it, like Kryptonite or even flying, was 644 00:42:48,560 --> 00:42:53,040 Speaker 1: introduced later, and trademark lawyers may have something to say 645 00:42:53,040 --> 00:42:56,960 Speaker 1: about all this, But the basic premise of an alien 646 00:42:57,080 --> 00:43:01,920 Speaker 1: from another planet with superhuman gifts and red boots could 647 00:43:01,960 --> 00:43:06,919 Speaker 1: soon belong to everyone, and who knows, maybe by then 648 00:43:07,160 --> 00:43:11,920 Speaker 1: we'll know the secret identity of the person who stole him. 649 00:43:11,960 --> 00:43:14,080 Speaker 1: And if it's an arch deitective who gets a lead 650 00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:17,560 Speaker 1: on them, trust me, they will be demanding of their 651 00:43:17,600 --> 00:43:21,360 Speaker 1: current value, not of the insurance value. The current value, 652 00:43:21,600 --> 00:43:25,120 Speaker 1: because on paper it's no longer a theft where the 653 00:43:25,160 --> 00:43:28,279 Speaker 1: insurance company owns them. They paid out originally, But I 654 00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:31,279 Speaker 1: would imagine Nicholas Cage has paid the whole claim back 655 00:43:31,719 --> 00:43:33,759 Speaker 1: and so he now not only has two back in 656 00:43:33,840 --> 00:43:36,640 Speaker 1: his possession. If the other two were recovered, he gets 657 00:43:36,680 --> 00:43:40,520 Speaker 1: them back as well, and they're worth millions of dollars. 658 00:43:40,560 --> 00:43:42,520 Speaker 1: So yes, I mean to be honest with you, it's 659 00:43:42,520 --> 00:43:46,360 Speaker 1: a chase on right to see who can monetize these comics, 660 00:43:46,640 --> 00:43:48,799 Speaker 1: and that's why the situation that we're in at the 661 00:43:48,840 --> 00:43:53,759 Speaker 1: moment cagees flying higher again. His recent meta comedy The 662 00:43:53,880 --> 00:43:57,840 Speaker 1: Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, where he plays an exaggerated 663 00:43:57,920 --> 00:44:02,360 Speaker 1: version of himself, was critically praised. He's playing Dracula in 664 00:44:02,400 --> 00:44:06,879 Speaker 1: a movie titled Renfield, about the vampires faithful sidekick. There 665 00:44:06,920 --> 00:44:09,560 Speaker 1: was even talk he was being considered to play Bizarro, 666 00:44:10,160 --> 00:44:14,000 Speaker 1: the slightly off kilter version of Superman, for an HBO 667 00:44:14,080 --> 00:44:18,640 Speaker 1: Max anthology series based on d C comics, and one 668 00:44:18,719 --> 00:44:22,680 Speaker 1: day maybe he'll be reunited with the two missing comics. 669 00:44:23,239 --> 00:44:27,280 Speaker 1: For now, the most remarkable book the Action Comics, Number 670 00:44:27,320 --> 00:44:30,879 Speaker 1: one is with a Man and you look at where 671 00:44:30,920 --> 00:44:33,600 Speaker 1: you know movies have gone. All movies are pretty much 672 00:44:33,640 --> 00:44:36,880 Speaker 1: superhero movies. Every TV show is somebody has powers of 673 00:44:36,920 --> 00:44:40,680 Speaker 1: some sort. And it all started from I believe that book, 674 00:44:41,200 --> 00:44:45,720 Speaker 1: and it sparked the imagination of generations to come after 675 00:44:45,760 --> 00:44:51,319 Speaker 1: that and now shaped industries and ways of thinking and 676 00:44:51,400 --> 00:44:56,440 Speaker 1: what are ideals and just storytelling in general. I absolutely 677 00:44:56,480 --> 00:44:59,560 Speaker 1: love that, And it feels like by owning a book 678 00:44:59,640 --> 00:45:02,360 Speaker 1: like that, to you owning a not only a piece 679 00:45:02,360 --> 00:45:05,720 Speaker 1: of history, but something that represents a moment in time 680 00:45:05,960 --> 00:45:09,480 Speaker 1: that then had a significant impact on everything to come 681 00:45:09,520 --> 00:45:14,560 Speaker 1: after that. Maybe that's what the thief was after, not money, 682 00:45:14,760 --> 00:45:19,680 Speaker 1: not reward, but the chance for a moment to feel 683 00:45:19,880 --> 00:45:26,840 Speaker 1: history in their hands. This has been Stealing Superman for 684 00:45:27,040 --> 00:45:36,200 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio. I'm Danish Wartz. Thanks for listening. Stealing 685 00:45:36,200 --> 00:45:40,520 Speaker 1: Superman is written by Jake Rawson, sound design, scoring and 686 00:45:40,640 --> 00:45:46,120 Speaker 1: mixing by Josh Fisher, additional editing by Jonathan Washington. Original 687 00:45:46,200 --> 00:45:50,680 Speaker 1: music by Aaron Kaufman, mixing and mastering by Baheed Fraser. 688 00:45:51,360 --> 00:45:55,120 Speaker 1: Research and fact checking by Jake Rawson and Austin Thompson, 689 00:45:55,560 --> 00:46:00,600 Speaker 1: with production support from Lulu Philip. Show logo by Lucy Continia. 690 00:46:01,120 --> 00:46:05,360 Speaker 1: Our executive producer is Jason English and I'm your host 691 00:46:05,600 --> 00:46:09,080 Speaker 1: Danish Sports. If you're interested in more from me, I 692 00:46:09,200 --> 00:46:14,120 Speaker 1: host the weekly history podcast Noble Blood, available every Tuesday. 693 00:46:14,360 --> 00:46:18,120 Speaker 1: I also hosted the eight part mini series Haileywood, about 694 00:46:18,120 --> 00:46:22,280 Speaker 1: Bruce Willis's mysterious business dealings in a town in Idaho. 695 00:46:22,760 --> 00:46:25,600 Speaker 1: I wrote a novel called Anatomy a Love Story, and 696 00:46:25,719 --> 00:46:29,560 Speaker 1: its sequel, Immortality a Love Story, which is available for 697 00:46:29,719 --> 00:46:35,120 Speaker 1: pre order now coming out February. If you're enjoying this show, 698 00:46:35,320 --> 00:46:38,960 Speaker 1: give us a nice review. Stealing Superman is a production 699 00:46:39,000 --> 00:46:40,120 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio