Auctions: comic books published by EC

Crime Suspenstories (1950-55 E.C. Comics) 2 PR 0.5

Interior is complete. Brittle and chipping. Severe spine damage (full length split). Heavy smoke damage on interior.

Cover art by Johnny Craig. "Dead-Ringer," script and art by Johnny Craig; A petty thief learns that his virtual double, a millionaire, is an amnesia victim residing at a local sanitarium, and plans to somehow get into the sanitarium, dispose of the rich man and take his place, then suddenly come out of his amnesia state, and assume the man's identity. "A Moment of Madness!", script by Bill Gaines (co-plot) and Albert B. Feldstein (co-plot, script), art by Graham Ingels; A noted brain surgeon is experiencing blackouts, which cause him to unconsciously commit acts of violence during his blackouts. "Perfect Murder!" text story, script and art by Albert B. Feldstein. "Face-to-Face" text story by Albert B. Feldstein. "The Corpse in the Crematorium," script and art by Johnny Craig; A man subject to cataleptic fits is brought to a crematorium while his wife-to-be searches frantically for him; She fails to find him before he is scheduled for cremation. "Contract for Death," art by Jack Kamen; A doctor, conducting experiments on the human brain, comes across a man attempting suicide, and offers him $5000 not to do so...for one month; The contract is signed and money given, and the man goes out and lives it up; Plot adapted from Damon Runyon's story, "A Very Honorable Guy", featured as part of the 1989 film "Bloodhounds of Broadway." 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.10.

Haunt of Fear (1950 E.C. Comics 2nd Series) 25 CGC 2.5

Paper: Cream to off white

Label #4153731011

Cover art by Graham Ingels. The New Arrival--The Witch's Cauldron!, script by Otto Binder, art by Graham Ingels; This story is told by a mansion; The occupant is a lunatic old woman who lost her mind when her husband was killed in WWI and kept her new born infant uneducated and in shackles for 40 years. Indisposed!--The Vault of Horror!, art by George Evans; A man uses his new garbage disposal to eliminate the remains of his wife's body, but his plumber friend who installed it doesn't have experience and connects it to the water intake. Out Cold--Haunt of Fear, script by Carl Wessler, art by Jack Kamen; The old witch tells us a story with two endings; The first ending relates what would have happened to the protagonist if he had pursued a relationship with a new office girl who turns out to be a ghoul using human meat to feed her mother's cats, but the old witch tells us that's not what actually happened. The Light In His Life!--The Crypt of Terror, script by Otto Binder, art by Jack Davis. 36 pgs. $0.10. Cover price $0.10.

Haunt of Fear (1950 E.C. Comics 2nd Series) 26 CGC 3.5 Restored

Restored: B1

Paper: Off white to white

Restoration includes: small amount of color touch on cover.

Label #4419124004

Cover art by Graham Ingels. Marriage Vow--The Witch's Cauldron!, script by Otto Binder, art by Graham Ingels; A woman who was murdered by her husband for her money comes back from the dead to fulfill her wifely role in a zombified way. The Shadow Knows--The Vault of Horror!, script by Otto Binder, art by Reed Crandall; A man murders his wife making it look like a suicide in order to marry a wealthy woman. Spoiled--Haunt of Fear, script by Otto Binder, art by Jack Kamen. Comes The Dawn!--The Crypt of Terror, script by Otto Binder, art by Jack Davis. 36 pages, full color. NOTE: Contains anti-censorship editorial, 'Are you a Red Dupe?' Cover price $0.10.

Mad (1952 EC) 4 FR 1.0

6" cumulative spine split. Cover detached. Oxidation.

Cover by Harvey Kurtzman. "Superduperman!", art by Wally Wood; Superduperman defeats Captain Marbles by causing Marbles to punch himself out, but Superduperman still can't make it with Lois; The classic Superman parody. "Flob Was A Slob!", art by Jack Davis; Ramona is engaged to slobby, boring Flob but is smitten by the newcomer Rackstraw and follows Rackstraw into a life of crime. E.C. comics ad. "The Parole" text story by Jerry DeFuccio. "Let's Deplore Your Mind" text story; A fake letters column with Cosmo answering the letters. "Robin Hood!", art by John Severin; After robbing a sheriff's posse, Robin Hood and his gang rob Big John and Sparkie of their last two cents. "Shadow!", art by Bill Elder; Lamont kills Margo to preserve the secret of his identity; Shadow parody. 36 pgs., full color. $0.10. Cover price $0.10.

Mad (1952 EC) 17 GD 2.0

Humor magazine with this issues' contents printed upside down. The cover says "Turn insides downside-up, the cover turns upside-down. What fun, gang! People see you reading with the cover upside-down and think you're crazy!" Ad for Panic magazine. "Bringing Back Father!", art by Bill Elder and Bernie Krigstein; Jiggie cannot take Maggs's abuse any longer so when he has his serious moments he hires some goons to beat her into submission. "What's My Shine!", art by Jack Davis; How the Senate Subcomittee hearings would go if they were run like a TV game show; Loosely based on "What's My Line?" Ad for Piracy magazine. "Meet Miss Potgold," art by Basil Wolverton; A collection of drawings of grotesque women entered in the Miss Potgold of 1955 contest. "Julius Caesar!", art by Wally Wood; MAD writer points out standard lampoon shtick elements during a portion of Julius Caesar story. 36 pgs., full color. $0.10. Cover price $0.10.

Mad (1952 EC) 59 GD/VG 3.0

Water damage.

Cover art by Kelly Freas. "If Doctors Advertised," script by Gary Belkin, art by Bob Clarke; Altering famous advertising campaigns so they advertise the services of physicians. "The Mad Side-Show of Modern Freaks," script and art by Dave Berg; Familiar modern stereotypes presented as carnival side-show attractions. "Famous Lost Words," script by Gary Belkin, art by George Woodbridge; Examples of historical misquotes. "The Safecrackers," script and art by Don Martin; Four safe-crackers are apprehended when one of them makes the wrong noise at the wrong time. "TV's Wonder Dog, Lizzie," script by Larry Siegel, art by Mort Drucker; Parody of the television show "Lassie." "How to Get Complete Newspaper Coverage," script by Frank Jacobs, art by Joe Orlando; Comparison of how the New York Times and the New York Daily News would cover particular stories. "Commercial Roulette," script by Gary Belkin, art by Bob Clarke; A person channel-surfs and keeps hitting commercials. "How They Spend Their Summer," script by Gary Belkin, art by Bob Clarke; If famous people had to do a "how I spent my summer vacation" essay. "New Service Organizations for a Lazy America," script by Frank Jacobs, art by Joe Orlando; New services designed to let Americans do even less. "The Two Faces of World War II," script by Larry Siegel, art by George Woodbridge; Comparison of stereotypical war movie characters from films made during World War II and after the war. "The Parent from Ages 21 to 60," script by Al Jaffee, art by Wally Wood; Satirical look at child-rearing. Parody of Arrow Shirt print ads, art by Kelly Freas. 52 pgs., B&W. Cover price $0.25.

Mad (1952 EC) 96 FN 6.0

Cover oxidation.

Cover art by Norman Mingo. "Substandard Brands, Inc.," script by Ronald Axe and Sol Weinstein, art by Bob Clarke; Consumer products, parodying then current ad campaigns, which are blatantly and proudly inferior. "The Man From A.U.N.T.I.E.," script by Arnie Kogen, art by Mort Drucker; In a parody of the series The Man From U.N.C.L.E., two secret agents wander through a semi-serious plot trying to track down the head of a rival spy organization. "On the Job," script and art by Don Martin; A construction worker accidentally eats one of his tools for lunch. Cartoons on the margins by Sergio Aragones. "Spy Vs. Spy," script and art by Antonio Prohias; The White Spy tricks the Black Spy with a flying serum. "Unspoken Messages in TV Commercials," script by Tom Koch, art by Joe Orlando. "Today's Typical "Sales & Promotional" Gimmicks," script by Larry Siegel, art by Paul Coker, Jr.; Examples of sales promotions of dubious value. "The Lighter Side of the Boss," script by Dave Berg, art by Dave Berg; Satire of various people and their relationships with their boss at work. "Crazy Fists," script by Dick DeBartolo, art by Mort Drucker; In a satire of the "boxing movie" genre, a youth gives up his ambitions to become a musician in order to make a living as a professional boxer. "The Harvest We Shall Reap From the Super-Patriots' Methods of Exposing Communist Plotters in America" Mad Fold-In by Al Jaffee. 52 pgs., B&W. Cover price $0.30.

Weird Fantasy (1951 E.C. Comics 2nd Series) 19 CGC 4.0

Paper: Off white to white

Label #4467000019

Cover art by Joe Orlando. Al Williamson is profiled on inside front cover (includes a photo of the artist). "King of the Grey Spaces!" script by Ray Bradbury (original) and Al Feldstein (adaptation), pencils by John Severin, inks by Bill Elder; A group of boys watch the launching of a rocket ship, and two of them wish that they were older and could make the trip themselves; They apply for the Interplanetary Patrol and await their decision once they turn 21, but soon Chris gets a surprise that will change his life forever; adaptation of "R Is For Rocket" by Ray Bradbury. "Hot-Rod!", script by Bill Gaines (co-plot) and Al Feldstein (co-plot and script), art by Jack Kamen; Amos and Sally are driving by a lake when a strangely garbed man jumps up on the running board of their car and drops a package in the back seat; Later, Amos looks at the package, postmarked May 15, 2053, and discovers something called a trans-dimensional transporter inside; Thinking it to be some sort of gadget to soup up his hot-rod, Amos installs the device, traveling into the future. "Cleanser" text story. "Brain-Child!", script by Al Feldstein, pencils by Al Williamson, inks by Al Williamson and Roy Krenkel; Colonel Dane is selected to pilot a brand-new spaceship, powered by an electronic brain, which enables this vessel to be a virtual one-man war rocket; While it seems the rocketship could operate itself with no human pilot, the drawback is the ship is void of emotion: it cannot hate, it doesn't know love and it cannot create. "Time For a Change!", script by Al Feldstein, art by Joe Orlando. 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.10.

Weird Science-Fantasy (1954 E.C. Comics) 25 FR 1.0

Signed by artist Al Williamson, does not include certificate of authenticity. 7" cumulative spine split.

"Flying Saucer Report" (art by Wally Wood), "A Sound of Thunder" (art by Al Williamson with Angelo Torres and Roy Krenkel; adapted from the classic Ray Bradbury story), "Bellyful" (art by Bernard Krigstein), and "Harvest" (art by Joe Orlando). Letter to the editor from Bradbury praising "The Flying Machine" adaptation that appeared in issue 23 by Krigstein: it is "The finest single piece of art-drawing I've seen in the comics in years." Comics artist Dan Adkins writes another letter. Williamson cover. 36 pages, full color. Cover price $0.10.

Weird Science-Fantasy (1954 E.C. Comics) 26 GD 2.0

2.5" Cumulative spine split. Cover oxidation.

Cover by Al Feldstein. Stories by Al Feldstein. Art by Wally Wood, Reed Crandall, George Evans, and Joe Orlando. EC's influential sci-fi comic was a reflection of its times. And none more so than this issue, devoted to the real-life flying saucer craze in 1950s America, and based on the book The Flying Saucers Are Real, by Major Donald Keyhoe, also the inspiration for the 1957 sci-fi classic Earth vs. the Flying Saucers. One article features the distinctive art of Wally Wood, portraying an atomic explosion on Mars, plus the observation that Flying Saucer sightings had a dramatic upswing after the US atomic bomb tests. Other articles are profusely illustrated retellings of real-life flying-saucer sightings and alien abduction claims. Was This "Fairly Heavy Body" a Flying Saucer?; The Eastern Airlines Case; The Gorman-Fargo, N.D., Case; The Mantell-Godman Case; The Muroc Air Force Base Case; The United Air Lines Emmett, Idaho Case; Was This The Answer?; The Dec. 27, 1949 Release; 1950 Sightings; 1951 Sightings; 1952 Sightings; The Utah Pictures; The Indianapolis Case; The Nash-Fortenberry Case; The River Edge, N.J. Case; Saucers Over Washington, D.C.; Recent Developments. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.