Entertainment Briefs Feb. 24, 2010

'Top Chef' host Lakshmi has baby

NEW YORK - "Top Chef" host Padma Lakshmi has given birth to a daughter, Krishna Thea Lakshmi.

Publicist Christina Papadopoulos says that the baby was born Saturday, and that both mother and daughter are "well and happy." No other details were provided in an e-mail Monday.

Lakshmi is host of Bravo's "Top Chef." She is the author of "Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet: A World of Recipes for Every Day" and "Easy Exotic: A Model's Low-Fat Recipes From Around the World."

Superman comic book sells for $1M

NEW YORK - A rare copy of the first comic book featuring Superman sold Monday for $1 million, smashing the previous record price for a comic book.

A 1938 edition of Action Comics No. 1, widely considered the Holy Grail of comic books, was sold from a private seller to a private buyer, neither of whom released their names. The issue features Superman lifting a car on its cover and originally cost 10 cents.

The transaction was conducted by the auction site ComicConnect.com. Stephen Fishler, co-owner of the site and its sister dealership, Metropolis Collectibles, orchestrated the sale.

Fishler said it transpired minutes after the issue was put on sale around 10:30 a.m. Eastern time. He said that the seller was a "well known individual" in New York with a pedigree collection, and that the buyer was a known customer who previously bought an Action Comics No. 1 of lesser grade.

"It's considered by most people as the most important book," said John Dolmayan, a comic book enthusiast and dealer best known as the drummer for System of a Down. "It kind of ushered in the age of the superheroes."

Dolmayan, who owns Torpedo Comics, last year paid $317,000 for an Action Comics No. 1 issue for a client. Others have sold for more than $400,000, he said, but this copy fetched a much higher price because it's in better condition. It's rated an "8.0 grade," or "very fine."

Dolmayan said he didn't buy this copy but he wishes he could have.

"The fact that this book is completely un-restored and still has an 8.0 grade, it's kind of like a diamond or a precious stone. It's very rare," he said.

There are only about 100 copies of Action Comics No. 1 believed to be in existence, and only a handful have been rated so highly. It's rarer still for those copies to be made available for sale.

"The opportunity to buy an un-restored, high-grade Action One comes along once every two decades," Fishler said. "It's certainly a milestone."

The sticker shock was astounding to Fishler, nevertheless.

"It is still a little stunning to see 'a comic book' and '$1 million' in the same sentence," Fishler said. "There's only one time a collectible hits the $1 million threshold."

Duff engaged to hockey player

EDMONTON, Alberta - Here's something for "Gossip Girl" to talk about.

Actress and singer Hilary Duff, who had a recurring guest role on the popular CW series last season, is engaged to Edmonton Oilers forward Mike Comrie.

Publicist Nanci Ryder says the two were engaged last weekend while vacationing in Hawaii. She says in an e-mail distributed by the Oilers on Friday that the two "are very excited to share this happy news."

The proposal comes during the NHL's two-week break for the Olympics.

The 22-year-old Duff and 29-year-old Comrie had been dating for more than two years.