Auctions: comic books December 1954, graded by CGC

Foxhole (1954) 2 CGC 6.5

Paper: Off white to white

Label #4388597002

Cover by Jack Kirby. Stories and art by Jack Kirby, Hy Fleishman, and Bill Draut. Gritty war comics "produced by veterans" (as the tagline proclaims) from Mainline, the publisher founded by comics legends Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, creators of Captain America. In a suspenseful Kirby tale, a soldier slowly approaches a seemingly deserted Korean farmhouse. A Korean spy tries to lure American soldiers into a trap, but he makes one crucial mistake. Sarge and his men know they must fight their way out of the Hotbox. Booby Trap; Action; Walkie-Talkie; Hot Box; Dishonorable Discharge; Yellow; Replacement. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Shock Suspenstories (1952) 18 CGC 4.5

Paper: Off white

Label #4376861005

Final issue of the series. Cover art by George Evans. Cadillac Fever, script by Carl Wessler, art by George Evans; A poor girl knows her father will never be able to afford to buy a Cadillac, so she murders her mother and swears in court that the father did it, so after he is executed he gets his long sought after ride in a Cadillac hearse. The Trap, script by Carl Wessler, art by Jack Kamen; A husband is betrayed by his wife and funeral director when they plot to commit fraud to collect on his life insurance policy for his own murder. A Special Editorial text article by Albert B. Feldstein. Blowhard text story, script by Albert B. Feldstein, art by Marie Severin. In The Bag, script by Carl Wessler, art by Bernard Krigstein; A cop kills a man with a bowling ball in a bag thinking it's a head. Rundown, script by Carl Wessler, art by Reed Crandall; A man commits murder attempting to acquire enough money to win back his wife's affections. One-page editorial about the attacks upon comics and the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency's investigation into the comic book industry. 36 pgs. $0.10. Cover price $0.10.

True Life Secrets (1951 Capitol Publications Inc.) 23 CGC 6.5

Paper: Off white to white

Label #4278554019

Stories and art by Leon Winik and Ray Osrin. Early romance comics that include noirish tales of melodrama, scandal and deceit. Lola is contemptuous of her friends' make-do marriage plans, and sets out to find a wealthy husband. Nurse Ginny falls for Carl, the handsome doctor she works for, but hypochondriac Sandra wants Carl's attention for herself. Helen enjoys walking in the rain and brooding over her loneliness, but that's how she meets handsome Tod, who comes to her aid when she twists her ankle. Plus a romantic poem by Robert Louis Stevenson in comics form. Fast Track for Love; A Savage in Love; Romance; The Price I Paid; None But the Lonely. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.