Captured by comic book heroes

AFTER reading that an original 1939 Superman comic, issue one, has just sold at auction for an astonishing $9.8m (£6.9m), I have been encamped in my loft in search of my classic old collection.

- Ken Rogers

As a kid, I was not only mesmerised by the 'Man of Steel,' but also spin-off characters like his love-interest Lois Lane and mutual friend Jimmy Olsen. Intriguingly, Superman had a dog named Krypto that could mirror many of his super powers, including the ability to fly.

We had had our own 'superdog' at that time who lived in the backyard of our terraced house in Everton. His name was Dinky. These were the days when inner city mutts of all shapes and sizes were not pampered pets, banned from coming indoors to warm themselves in front of an open fire.

Superman comic issue 1, published in 1939, has just commanded a record £6.8m auction price.

They had backyard kennels and would be let out each morning to meet up with their mates, roaming around the streets for a couple of hours before returning up their respective back entries for an afternoon kennel nap.

I always thought that Krypto would have been a better name for Dinky, particularly because he had his own super powers, not least when dealing with cat-sized rats. Only one winner there.