1949 ESCO : King Feature Comics Exhibits

The King Feature Comics series of collectible coloring cards were first released in 1949 by the Exhibit Supply Company (ESCO) in Chicago, Illinois. Commonly referred to as Exhibits, the cards were randomly dispensed from arcade vending machines for a penny. Each King Feature Comics card is printed with a copyright year of 1949. The card series was distributed as late as 1955.

The 32-card series depicts popular newspaper strip characters published by King Features Syndicate, Inc. An additional series of 8 characters were released that include properties licensed by other publishers. The black-and-white Exhibits are lithographed on thick cardstock suitable for watercolor painting. Each card measures approximately 3.375 x 5.625 inches, smaller than a standard postcard. The King Feature Comics Exhibits are unnumbered and the back of each card is blank.

The Superman Exhibit card is copyrighted 1949 by National Periodicals. The artwork was penciled by Wayne Boring and inked by Stan Kaye. A variation appears on the cover of Superman #53 (July–August 1948). Colored postcards were distributed by the Supermen of America Club and Fo-Lee Gum. 

Most of the King Feature Comics Exhibit cards contain a facsimile signature of their creators. Casper, Superman, and later printings of Felix the Cat do not contain any credits. Due to the legal battle over Superman and Superboy, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were removed from story bylines in 1948 after Action Comics #118, Adventure Comics #126, Superman #51, and World's Finest Comics #33. Siegel and Shuster were restored to the credits after 28 years in Superman #302 (August 1976).