King Kong | 1932, first edition with the incredibly rare original dustjacket

The first time King Kong was featured in book form

The shockingly rare first edition of King Kong from 1932, written by Delos W. Lovelace in 1932 at the request of his friend Merian C. Cooper. The novel is based on Cooper's then-upcoming film King Kong and was created to serve as part of the film's advertising. This is the very first time King Kong was unleashed onto the world as it was published slightly before the film was released. Before this, there was no Kong. Of course, now King Kong is worldwide and has entered almost into a mythical horror creation, alongside other icons like Jaws, Godzilla and more. 

This first edition King Kong features stills from the famed and pioneering 1933 movie, starring Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong and Bruce Cabot. King King is ranked by Rotten Tomatoes as the greatest horror film of all time and the fifty-sixth greatest film of all time. In 1991, it was deemed "culturally, historically and aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. A sequel, titled Son of Kong, was fast-tracked and released the same year, and several more films were made in the following decades, including two remakes in 1976 and 2005, and a cinematic universe (dubbed the MonsterVerse) featuring Kong starting with Kong: Skull Island in 2017. 

This first edition of King Kong is accompanied by the incredibly rare original dustjacket, making it a highly sought after item. It is one of the most sought after in rare books. This is due to the fragility of said jacket, as well as the fact that dustjackets from that time usually thrown away as mere advertisements, resulting in only a small number remaining available. The original King Kong jacket art is brilliant and certainly one of the best, combining the New York setting with the dinosaurs of Skull Island.

Description and Condition:

First edition, first impression. Bound in publisher's lime green cloth lettered in dark brown with black topstain. Some minor nicks to the edges but overall a smashing example with the lime green still pretty vibrant. The black topstain, so often faded, is here still strong. Internally, the book is incredibly fresh. Easily, one of best example for collectors. Previous owners name to the title page in rather jazzy gold ink. The original dustjacket is a brilliant example; still incredibly vibrant and with only incredibly minor sunning to the spine which for this particular first edition is almost unheard as the jacket was very prone to fading and and of the few remaining original jackets to have survived, pretty much all are found with faded front and rear panels as well as faded spines. There are small nicks to the edges and some minor loss to the top of the front (very small as can be seen in pictures). Overall, a simply stunning example of a rare title.

Published by Grosset & Dunlap, New York, 1932