Auctions: comic books January 1953

Crime and Justice (1951) 11 VG 4.0

Cover by Lou Morales. Stories and art by Lou Morales, Art Capello, Frank Frollo, and Stan Campbell. Pre-Code crime comics from Charlton, sometimes published under its short-lived Capitol or Law and Order imprints. Mr. and Mrs. Chase are aided by teen gang "The Cobras" (who ride around in an Archie-like jalopy) while investigating a narcotics ring and a mad millionaire who keeps live alligators in his weird mansion. Not your typical crime-comics story. A small-time hood named Lippy still knows enough to bring down a major organized-crime syndicate. A detective flies out to Skull Lake to investigate killings that seem to be the work of a lake monster. Crime Clues: A Simple Case of Murder!; Mr. and Mrs. Chase: The Cobras; Rub-Out!; Plainly Poison; The Demon of Skull Lake; Radio Patrol: Case of the Bottled Murder. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Journey into Fear (1951 Superior) 11 GD- 1.8

Cover oxidation. Water damage. Lateral spine tear.

Beast of Bedlam; a man fights for his soul against the forces of evil from out of the past. Miser in the Coffin; millionaire Thaddeus Crewe decides to take his wealth with him to the grave. The Missing Man text story. Terror in the Night. Blood on Her Lips; a man of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police braves winter climes to try and capture a trapper wanted for murder. Circus Toys and Big Top ad. 36 pgs. $0.10. Cover price $0.10.

Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (1949-Present Mercury Publications) Vol. 4 #1 FN- 5.5

January 1953. Cover by Alex Schomburg. Fantasy and Science fiction stories: "The Big Holiday" by Fritz Leiber, "The Footprint" by Mabel Seeley, "Perfect Creature" by John Wyndham, "The Mask of Demeter" by Martin Pearson and Cecil Corwin, "New Ritual" by Idris Seabright, "When the Devil Took the Professor" by Kurd Lasswitz and translated by Willy Ley, "The Last Magician" by Bruce Elliot, "The Isle of Voices" by Robert Louis Stevenson, "Joy Ride" by William Campbell Gault, "What Shadows We Pursue" by Russell Kirk, "The Chocolate Coach" by Doris Gilbert. Softcover, 5.5-in. x 7.5-in.; 132 pages, B&W. Cover price $0.35.

Strange Mysteries (1951 Superior) 9 CGC 5.0

Paper: Off white to white

Label #1969238005

Jack Kamen-ish art and stories. "Zombie Vengeance"; An aviator crashes in Haiti. He finds a house of zombies who welcome him in; He and a zombie woman escape the other zombies and their zombie dogs. "Death Thumbs a Ride"; A man learns that his wife is having an affair; He kills her and her lover and buries them in the basement. "Was It a Dream?" text story by Charles James. "You Can't Cheat a Ghost"; Three criminals search for pirate gold; One fools the others into thinking he's the ghost of the pirate. "Night of Horror"; A writer of horror books has writer's block; He goes to a movie to steal an idea; He falls asleep and when he wakes he's alone in the theater so he runs a movie. 36 pgs., full color. $0.10. Cover price $0.10.

Web of Mystery (1951) 16 VG+ 4.5

Staple rust. Water damage.

Stories by Bill Molno, Charles Nicholas, and Bill Discount. Suspense-filled horror tales that weave a Web of Mystery for the reader! 36 pages, full color. $0.10. Cover price $0.10.