The term ashcan, coined during the Golden Age referred to the practice of creating a physical comic book for purposes of registering the trademark for titles and logos to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. It is rare for early ashcans to have survived. Ashcans are now used as a marketing device by publishers and are the equivalent of a preview. Modern ashcans will be included in this list if their resale value exceeds the amount of their initial selling cost.

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Starwatcher ⋅ 1997

Low
$0
Mid
$0
High
$0

Key Facts

16-page black and white sketches by French illustrator Jean Giraud aka Moebius, limited to 100 copies

Value unknown

Starwatcher ⋅ 1999

Low
$15
Mid
$50
High
$500

Key Facts

16-page black and white sketches by French illustrator Jean Giraud aka Moebius, limited to 100 copies

Starwatcher ⋅ 1998

Low
$50
Mid
$150
High
$500

Key Facts

16-page black and white sketches by French illustrator Jean Giraud aka Moebius, limited to 100 copies

Starwatcher ⋅ 1996

Low
$15
Mid
$50
High
$150

Key Facts

14-page black and white sketches by French illustrator Jean Giraud aka Moebius, limited to 250 copies

Starwatcher ⋅ 1991

Low
$30
Mid
$90
High
$300

Key Facts

16-page black and white sketches by French illustrator Jean Giraud aka Moebius, limited to 250 copies

Platinum ⋅ DC ⋅ 1993

Low
$45
Mid
$120
High
$450

Key Facts

Variant cover art by Matt Wagner, creator of Grendel

'Silver Moon' Platinum Foil Edition, limited to 25 copies

Obtained by winning a contest facilitated by Hero Illustrated Magazine

The gold stamp is part of the proprietary Hero Illustrated protective slipcase and not on the actual comic

This much anticipated publisher crossover was written in 1991 but was delayed due to Comico going through bankruptcy proceedings. DC eventually published the story in 1993

Ashcan ⋅ Image ⋅ 2005

Low
$3
Mid
$9
High
$30

Key Facts

16-page Ashcan edition

Ashcan ⋅ IDW ⋅ 2014

Low
$1
Mid
$3
High
$12

Key Facts

Ashcan edition

New York Comic Con 2014 exclusive

Ashcan ⋅ Warren ⋅ 1965

Low
$390
Mid
$950
High
$3.2k

Key Facts

Ashcan edition limited to 200 copies

The publisher of this magazine quickly printed this first issue of their magazine to beat rival publisher Eerie Publications from using the title

Ashcan ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 1996

Low
$2
Mid
$9
High
$20

Key Facts

Black and white, limited to 2,000 numbered copies

San Diego Comic Con 1996 exclusive

Ashcan ⋅ Dark Horse ⋅ 2019

Low
$1
Mid
$3
High
$12

Key Facts

Ashcan, preview edition sent to retailers, two per store

ComicsPro ⋅ Scout ⋅ 2018

Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$10

Key Facts

Variant cover art by Rafael Loureiro offered exclusively through ComicsPro

Ashcan edition

Ashcan ⋅ DC Lion ⋅ 2019

Low
$0
Mid
$0
High
$0

Key Facts

Ashcan edition

Features a double-page spread of the Dark Multiverse Batmen alongside heavy metal band, Lacuna Coil

Includes art and interviews from the creators and members of the band

Value unknown

Ashcan ⋅ Image ⋅ 1993

Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$25

Key Facts

Ashcan edition limited to 1,800 copies

Black and white issue with partial story pages from issue #1 and #2

Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$10

Key Facts

Origin of the Silver Surfer, a compilation of panels from previous stories

Wraparound cover art by Jim Lee (pencils) and Sean Tiffany (paints)

Ashcan ⋅ Chaos! Comics ⋅ 2000

Low
$65
Mid
$230
High
$700

Key Facts

'Ashcan' edition limited to 66 copies

'Ashcan' previously was a term used when publishers would create a prototype copy in order to secure legal intellectual rights to their property, but now its more of an unfinished preview of a book

Ashcan ⋅ Scout ⋅ 2019

Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$10

Key Facts

Ashcan edition, New York Comic Con 2019 exclusive

Glow-in-the-dark cover

Ashcan ⋅ WildStorm ⋅ 2009

Low
$3
Mid
$9
High
$35

Key Facts

2009 San Diego Comic Con giveaway

Ashcan ⋅ DC ⋅ 2017

Low
$8
Mid
$20
High
$70

Key Facts

Ashcan edition given away at New York Comic Con 2017 to attendees of the Doomsday Clock panel

12-page, non-standard size, black and white preview of the first issue

Character preview of the second Rorschach

Ashcan ⋅ IDW ⋅ 2019

Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$5

Key Facts

First meeting of The Transformers and Ghostbusters

1st appearance of Ecto-1 (Ecto-tron), the Ghostbusters' car as a Transformer

Promotional Ashcan edition

Ashcan ⋅ Ultimate Creations ⋅ 1996

Low
$4
Mid
$12
High
$40

Key Facts

Written by James Hellwig aka the Ultimate Warrior

Ashcan edition with wraparound cover

Cover appearances include: Captain America, The Flash, Wolverine, Bone, Milk and others

Ashcan ⋅ Chaos! Comics ⋅ 1995

Low
$5
Mid
$15
High
$55

Key Facts

Ashcan edition with blue-foil enhancement

Limited to 2,000 copies

Sold at the 1995 San Diego Comic Con

Ashcan ⋅ Image ⋅ 2019

Low
$10
Mid
$5
High
$15

Key Facts

Oversized ashcan (11.5 x 8.5) numbered and limited to 400 copies

Ashcan ⋅ Image ⋅ 2017

Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$20

Key Facts

Promotional ashcan edition, limited to one per store

Ashcan ⋅ Image ⋅ 2018

Low
$3
Mid
$9
High
$35

Key Facts

16-page ashcan edition previewed at Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo 2018

Ashcan ⋅ Image ⋅ 2019

Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$25

Key Facts

Ashcan edition

Retailer exclusive given away at San Diego Comic Con 2019

Ashcan ⋅ BOOM! ⋅ 2019

Low
$4
Mid
$12
High
$40

Key Facts

Ashcan edition available at San Diego Comic Con 2019

Ashcan ⋅ Image ⋅ 1991

Low
$15
Mid
$50
High
$150

Key Facts

16-page black and white preview of Youngblood #1

Limited to 1,000 copies

Ashcan ⋅ Image ⋅ 1991

Low
$8
Mid
$25
High
$95

Key Facts

16-page black and white preview of Youngblood #1

Limited to 500 copies

Ashcan ⋅ Harris ⋅ 1996

Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$20

Key Facts

Ashcan preview

Ashcan ⋅ Harris ⋅ 2001

Low
$12
Mid
$40
High
$125

Key Facts

Ashcan preview of the 2001 one-shot

Ashcan ⋅ Chaos! Comics ⋅ 1995

Low
$4
Mid
$12
High
$45

Key Facts

Cover art by Steven Hughes

'Comics Cavalcade' exclusive ashcan

Ashcan ⋅ Independent ⋅ 2014

Low
$0
Mid
$0
High
$0

Key Facts

Scarce, Ashcan edition

Cates said about this issue "it's the first ashcan I ever produced. Maybe the rarest book with my name on it."

Value unknown

Ashcan ⋅ Antarctic ⋅ 1994

Low
$2
Mid
$9
High
$25

Key Facts

12-page ashcan preview

SDCC ⋅ 88 MPH Studios ⋅ 2004

Low
$8
Mid
$20
High
$80

Key Facts

San Diego Comic Con 2004 exclusive

Ashcan edition, 12-pages black & white

Ashcan ⋅ Image ⋅ 1995

Low
$100
Mid
$300
High
$1k

Key Facts

Ashcan edition, limited to 350 copies

Signed and numbered by Sam Kieth

Ashcan ⋅ IDW ⋅ 2004

Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$20

Key Facts

16-page ashcan retailer incentive

Adapted from the video game of the same name

Ashcan ⋅ Dark Horse ⋅ 2015

Low
$5
Mid
$18
High
$60

Key Facts

Ashcan edition preceded the first official issue

Convention Exclusive ⋅ Red 5 ⋅ 2019

Low
$5
Mid
$15
High
$50

Key Facts

ComicsPro Ashcan given away to industry attendees of the February 2019 annual meeting

Ashcan ⋅ Image ⋅ 2017

Low
$3
Mid
$9
High
$35

Key Facts

Ashcan Edition

Limited to 500 copies

Ashcan ⋅ Image ⋅ 1994

Low
$4
Mid
$12
High
$45

Key Facts

Variant purple Ashcan Edition with cover art by J. Scott Campbell

Low
$10
Mid
$30
High
$100

Key Facts

Ashcan edition

Ashcan ⋅ Image ⋅ 1993

Low
$20
Mid
$70
High
$200

Key Facts

Limited to 1,500 signed and numbered copies

Ashcan ⋅ Image ⋅ 1993

Low
$15
Mid
$50
High
$150

Key Facts

Ashcan edition limited to 4,000 signed and numbered copies

Ashcan ⋅ Image ⋅ 1993

Low
$8
Mid
$20
High
$70

Key Facts

Ashcan edition limited to 5,500 copies

Signed by artist and creator, Dale Keown and writer, Brian Hotton

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