House of Secrets (1956 1st Series) comic books

Auction Item: CGC 9.0 View scan Auction opens April 27 Paper: White Label #4700858004

Add to cart CGC 9.4 $299.99 View scans Paper: Off white to white Label #4630413023 Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout.

Cover art by Luis Dominguez. "To Never Grow Old," script by Mary Skrenes (as "Virgil North"), art by Tony DeZuniga; A scientist gets revenge on a partner for cheating him out of the profits of a rejuvenation machine by reverting him to an infant's body forever. "The Right Demon Could Do It!", script by Sheldon Mayer, pencils by Paul Kirchner, inks by Tex Blaisdell; A crabby man wishes tortures on all who annoy him and a demon records all of his wishes until it finally appears before him and offers him a wish; The demon suggests a promotion at work, but the man turns that down as he knows he'd still be working for his boss that he doesn't like; The demon suggests marrying his supervisor's attractive secretary. "The Lion's Share," script by Steve Skeates, art by Alfredo Alcala; A hunter in Africa uses dogs to finish off a wounded lion that the natives regard highly; To get their revenge, they toss a voodoo doll of the hunter to the dogs and release them so that the dogs tear apart the hunter as they did the doll. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.20.

Add to cart CGC 8.5 $119.99 or Best Offer View scan Paper: White Label #4582216024 Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout. Other items consigned by Code’s Comics

Cover art by Luis Dominguez. "Child's Play," script by Jack Oleck, art by Ramona Fradon; This story is told from two viewpoints; One, an old man's belief that the neighbor's kids are out to do him in with voodoo, and the other, the girl's brother who professes innocence. Abel's Fables cartoon page by Sergio Aragonés. "Corpus Delicti," script by Jack Oleck, art by Gerry Talaoc; A man resents his smothering wife so he strangles her after a year of marriage and dumps her body in a trunk; He attempts to send the trunk to the cabin where they had their honeymoon so that he can dump it in the lake, but when the movers bring it back he becomes agitated and causes them to drop it down the stairs. "Ms. Vampire Killer," script by Don Glut, art by E. R. Cruz; A village with a vampire problem unknowingly hires a female vampire who works as a vampire killer in order to eliminate the competition and score some fringe benefits such as the men who find her attractive whom she lures into secluded spots for feeding. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.20.

Cover art by Luis Dominguez. "Requiem for Igor," script by Jack Oleck, art by Alfredo Alcala; The 2nd best pianist makes a deal with a witch for the hands of the best, but the thugs that the witch hired to murder the victim burn the body and Satan places the charred hands on to the would-be pianist. "The Centaur," script by Sam Glanzman and Martin Pasko, art by Sam Glanzman; Three hunters split up in the woods in order to look for a deer when one of them encounters a centaur; The centaur offers to take the man through a light portal to a paradise and the man agrees. "Grave Business," script by David Michelinie, art by Ruben Yandoc (as Rubeny); A widow tells the funeral director that her dead husband had all of his money placed inside his casket and offers to share it with him if he unseals the casket; At first the man refuses, but after the man is buried, he decides to dig it up; The widow covers him with a gun when he finishes, but he flings dirt in her face and then kills her with the shovel. "There He Is Again!", script by Don Kaar, art by Alfredo Alcala; Ushers are startled to see a boy who sneaks into the theater fall backwards into the movie screen and become part of the horror movie after they surround him. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.20.

Add to cart CGC 7.0 $225.63 or Best Offer View scans Paper: Off white to white Label #4667918011 Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout.

Add to cart CGC 6.5 $250.00 View scans Paper: Off white to white Label #4599139002 Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout.

Cover art by Frank Robbins. "A Fugitive Apparition," script by John Albano, art by Leandro Sesarego; A cranky ghost in an old house makes friends with a young boy until the kid meets a girl and loses interest in the ghost. "A Connecticut Ice Cream Man in King Arthur's Court," script by Michael Fleisher and Russ Carley (script continuity), art by Alex Toth; An ice cream man finds himself transported to King Arthur's court by a thick fog and gets in Arthur's good graces by offering him ice cream; It doesn't take long before he thinks of dumping rat poison into the ice cream to polish off Arthur and his nobles and take over; Merlin overhears him scheming and goes to the king with the rat poison as proof; The king is in a quandary as he wishes to execute the ice cream man for treason but only he can provide ice cream to the banquet Arthur has promised his nobles. Letter from comics writer and editor Paul Levitz. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.20.

Add to cart FN/VF 7.0 $25.50

Cover art by Luis Dominguez. "Last of the Frankensteins," script by Jack Oleck, art by Ernie Chan; The last of the Frankensteins, Edmund Frankenstein, turns out to be a mechanical construct; The irony of the story turns out that he is destroyed by an angry mob of peasants without knowing that he is in fact a robot. "Never Rouse a Vampire!", script by George Kashdan, art by Jay Albister; A carnival barker gets the idea that he can drum up more business if he exhibits a vampire so he has one of his showgirls chat up a creepy-looking carnival drifter into agreeing to play the part; The dupe thinks the showgirl likes him and she tells him that the barker is saving up the money for the two of them to get married. "Make Believe," script by Jack Oleck, art by Ruben Yandoc (as Rubeny); A crippled boy makes a centaur friend on a Greek isle and tells his nurse and father about their adventures; At first the adults are angry that they believe the child is lying to them about not needing his crutches in the magic circle, but after he persists in his tales, the father contacts a psychologist who recommends that the boy be taken from the isle. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.20.

Add to cart FN 6.0 $65.00 View scans Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout. Graded by MCS, not consignor.

First 25-cent cover price. Cover art by Luis Dominguez. "The Headsman of Hell," script by Marv Wolfman and Len Wein, art by Abe Ocampo; A Frenchman during the time of the Terror obsesses over the identity of the headsman until he becomes scheduled for execution himself; He reaches up to yank off the black hood only to discover that there is nothing underneath. "A Test of Innocence!", script by Mike Pellowski, pencils by Mike Sekowsky, inks by Bill Draut; A man steals emeralds from an Amazon native tribe, but when he attempts to raft down river with the hollowed-out melon he's stashed the emeralds in, it rolls off the raft into the river; He reaches into the river for the melon but when he withdraws his hand it has been stripped of flesh by Piranhas. "Death on Cue!", script by David Michelinie and Russ Carley, art by Ruben Yandoc (as Rubeny); A pool hall bum steals a magic cue from an old man and beats him to death with it; He plays well until he has only one more guy to beat and then he will be champion but the ghost of the dead man shows up before the match; The ghost challenges him to a game, and even though the killer is using the magic cue, he plays terrible like he used to play. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.25.

Add to cart GD- 1.8 $2.65

Cover art by Luis Dominguez. "Almost Human," script by Jack Oleck, art by Franc Reyes; A woman explorer of the Amazon is abducted by the Bee people she wishes to study and made their queen. Abel's Fables cartoon page by Sergio Aragonés. "The Lottery," script by Michael Fleisher and Russ Carley, art by Ernie Chan (as Ernie Chua); A stranger from out of town gets on the wrong train to go to a business meeting and is told that he must wait until the following day for another train; He sees workman setting up a fifty thousand dollar lottery booth in the center of town and asks the ticket seller if he can buy a ticket; At first the ticket seller doesn't want to sell him one and tells him that it's a local thing, but he is very persuasive and the ticket seller gives in; The man thinks with the rotten luck he's had today he could use some good luck; When the little girl draws his number he's ecstatic that he won but doesn't quite understand why they ask for his family's address and just won't give him the check; He is knocked over the head and wakes up bound in the cemetery. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.25.

Add to cart VG/FN 5.0 $7.20 View scan Extra staples (manufacturing).

Add to cart VG 4.0 $6.00

Add to cart Good $3.00

Last 25-cent cover price. Cover art by Ernie Chan. "Reprise: The Patchwork Man," script by Gerry Conway, art by Nestor Redondo; Gregori Arcane survived a fall and found himself hiding in a department store; He startled two employees opening up and security fired a shot that grazed his head, knocking him out; The security men turned him over to the police who were visited by a Dr. Chomes who demanded that they release his "patient" into his custody. Dr. Chomes conducted some painful experiments upon the Patchwork Man and the pain caused him to break his restraints and brush past Dr. Chomes and his assistant; Outside, a good Samaritan cab driver picked him up and drove him away from his tormenters; Dr. Chomes took down the license plate number and told his assistant they would acquire the man's address in the morning. The Cup Cake Caper Hostess Cup Cakes ad featuring Shazam! 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.25.

Add to cart GD 2.0 $4.00

First 30-cent cover price. Cover art by Leopoldo Duranona. "You Can't Beat the Devil!", script by Bill Finger, art by E. R. Cruz; A man sells his soul to a demon named Caligula when the demon tells him as Roman Emperor he was so evil that Satan made him a demon to recruit other damned souls; The man thinks he can have fun for a year getting back at people and then when he's judged by Satan, he'll be made a demon like Caligula and can go on tormenting people; After the year, Caligula shows up again and claims his soul; The man expects his wife to testify that he was cruel since he beat her every day, but she lies and tells Satan's court that he was kind and loving. Abel's Fables cartoon, script by Don Edwing, art by Dave Manak. "Exit Laughing," script by Jack Oleck, pencils by Ernie Chan (as Ernie Chua), inks by Bill Draut; A man who was the victim of a practical joke in his college days shows up at the reunion twenty years later and the practical joker howls with laughter that he has been scared for twenty years because of when he dressed up as a ghost to frighten the man; The victim withdraws a knife and stabs the practical joker to death much to the shock of his companion. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.30.

Add to cart FN- 5.5 $10.75

Cover pencils by Jack Sparling, inks by Vince Colletta. The Muse Hostess snack cakes ad featuring Batman. "Witch Blood," script by Jack Oleck, pencils by Ernie Chan (as Ernie Chua), inks by Bill Draut; A baron burns a woman as a witch because he wishes to annex her land. He gives her orphan boy to a vassal of his; When the man discovers that his adopted son can shape-shift he realizes that his mother really was a witch; The boy learns that the baron had burned his mother so he changes into a hawk and claws the baron's eyes. "The Experiment," art by Vicente Alcazar; This is a story with no text that looks like it is telling the story of Frankenstein, except that the last panel features Pinocchio. Abel's Fables cartoon, script by Don Edwing, art by Dave Manak. "The Evil Side," script by Steve Skeates, art by Ruben Yandoc (as Rubeny); A boy sorcerer resents his uncle for attempting to discourage him from following his evil inclinations and when the man's brother visits and mentions the powerful items kept in the attic, the boy waits until his uncle has gone to sleep before exploring the attic; He finds a magic carpet and a spell book that he uses to summon a demon so that his uncle will be killed and he'll be free of his smothering influence. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.30.

Add to cart Very Good $8.00

Cover pencils by Ernie Chan (as Ernie Chua), inks by Vince Colletta. "The Man with Death on His Shoulders," script by Cary Bates, pencils by Mike Vosburg, inks by Vince Colletta; The ghost of a body builder gives a weak man power so that he can humiliate the boyfriends of the girls that previously rejected him; One day he accidentally kills a man walking with a beautiful girl and takes her to a cave while he figures out what to do with the body; The cave begins to collapse and he uses his strength to hold it up while the girl wanders out to the road. "The Vampire of Broadway," script by Robert Kanigher, art by Abe Ocampo; A sign painter working on an advertisement for a Broadway show about a vampire brings his creation to life when he falls in love with the girl; The painting kills him and two police officers before the second police officer, who suspects the painting to be the culprit, fires silver bullets into it and ends its menace. "Justice for All Includes Children" #9 public service announcement featuring Superman. "Bide Your Time," script by Steve Skeates, pencils by Ernie Chan (as Ernie Chua), inks by Vince Colletta; A man becomes the victim of a beautiful woman who claims to be a medium for an old man, but she is actually his lover and his spirit has been transferred into the body of an old man through a crystal ball. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.30.

Add to cart FN 6.0 $12.00

Add to cart CGC 9.6 $128.61 or Best Offer View scan Paper: Off white to white Label #4660730005 Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout.

First 35-cent cover price. Cover price by Gray Morrow. "Snow Ghost," script by Bill Reilly (Murray Boltinoff), art by Bill Draut; A man kills his partner for gold and the dead man's ghost manipulates him into returning to the ghost's grandchildren where he expires just outside the cabin and is buried beneath the snow; The following day the kids find some personal effects of their grandfather outside as well as the gold. "Snake's Alive!", script by Michael J. Pellowski (idea) and E. Nelson Bridwell, art by Buddy Gernale; A man and a woman arrive on an island chain where the natives plan to sacrifice her to the snake god; The man is impatient to leave, but since the natives are pampering the woman before they sacrifice her, she doesn't want to go; The man picks up her body to show the terrible accident to the yacht crew and then they will leave, but the natives are enraged and they pursue the man. #7 Curt Swan DC Profiles bio by Mike Gold. Statement of ownership: Total No. Copies Printed Nearest To Filling Date (October 1, 1976): 301,574. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.35.

Add to cart FN 6.0 $12.00

Add to cart Fair $2.65

Cover price by Gray Morrow. Introductory page with Abel, script by Paul Levitz, art by Romeo Tanghal. "A Gift of Evil," script by Jack Oleck, pencils by Ernie Chan (as Ernie Chua), inks by Bill Draut; A man whose village is being destroyed by plague seeks a bargain with Satan and is answered by space aliens who give him their eggs in the form of gold cubes; The man hires agents to distribute the eggs throughout the world in order to buy medicine and supplies in an effort to relieve the suffering of his village. Abel's Fables one-page story, script by Don Edwing, art by Dave Manak. "The See-Through Thief!", script by David Michelinie and Russ Carley, art by Alex Nino; A boy vandalizes a witch's garden and she places a curse upon him that makes him invisible at random times for the rest of his life; He has difficulties proving to employers that he is reliable and so finally gets a job as a night watchman, where if he fades out, no one notices; He starts thinking that maybe he can use the curse to steal the payroll from the safe, so he waits until the curse kicks in and then blows the safe; It looks like he's going to be able to just walk out with the money but he starts to fade in and the police have been alerted. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.35.

Add to cart FN- 5.5 $10.75

Cover price by Gray Morrow. Introductory page with Abel, script by Paul Levitz, art by Michael Golden. "Roman Holiday," script by George Kashdan, art by Ernie Chan; A man answers an ad to go on a Roman holiday and ends up being thrown to the lions. #19 Julius Schwartz DC Profiles bio. "Sorcerer's Apprentice," script by Jack Oleck, pencils by Steve Ditko, inks by Ernie Chan; The sorcerer's apprentice is ambitious and wants to wed the princess; The princess rebuffs him as it is not possible for the princess to marry a commoner; The apprentice gets the king to allow him along on his campaign and actually proves decisive in gaining the victory; When the apprentice again asks the king to marry his daughter, he is once more rebuffed, so he slays the king and usurps the throne; When he returns from the campaign he has his master tossed in the dungeon until he can arrange the marriage ceremony. Letter from comics writer and editor Kevin J. Dooley. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.35.

Add to cart FN 6.0 $12.00

Add to cart CGC 9.6 $115.00 View scans Paper: White Label #4697194020 Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout.

Cover art by Jim Starlin. Batman and Sable Lady Hostess snack cakes ad. "A God by Any Other Name," script by Gerry Conway, art by Gerry Talaoc; At the House of Secrets, The Phantom Stranger tells Abel how exorcists Father John Christian and Rabbi Samuel Shulman used to exorcise possessed machines; Dr. 13 arrives, and blames such stories on mass hysteria; But when machines all over the world run amok due to a demonic computer, it is up to The Stranger to stop it. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.35.