I Spy #1: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

I Spy No. 1 printed by Gold Key Comics. The front cover has a color image of Alexander Scott (Bill Cosby) and Kelly Robinson (Robert Culp), the main characters in the television show I Spy. Both men are in gray suits with ties and holding hand guns in their right hands. They are standing in profile with their left sides facing the viewer. They are looking up and to the left and have their guns raised. The top left corner has the logo for Gold Key Comics and “10182-608” in white text. Written at the top in orange and red block text is “I Spy.” A green box with black text in the bottom right corner reads “Scotty and Kelly slug / it out with enemy / agents to recapture an / American defector!” Underneath this in white text is“(c) 1966, THREE F PRODUCTIONS.” The inside front and back cover have black-and-white depictions from the television show with accompanying text. The comic books has sixteen colored pages and the main story is titled The Stolen Secret.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1966
• Published by: Gold Key Comics, American, 1962 - 1984
• Subject of: Bill Cosby, American, born 1937
• Subject of: Robert Culp, American, 1930 - 2010
• Type: comic books
• Medium: ink on paper, metal
• Dimensions: H x W: 10 1/4 × 7 1/4 in. (26 × 18.4 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (open): 10 1/4 × 14 1/2 in. (26 × 36.8 cm)
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Amusements
• Topic: Race relations
• Topic: Television
• Object number: 2014.53.9.1
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © 1966, Three F Productions Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.