Auctions: comic books in 'Pre-Code Horror'

Baffling Mysteries (1952) 6 VG- 3.5

Macabre Ritual in Witches' Glen, pencils by Mike Sekowsky; Witchcraft is at work in New England; A young couple witness "the exchange": a witch transforms her soul into the body of a freshly killed girl; The couple escape, but are stalked by the witch in her new body. Fatal Rendezvous, pencils by Jim McLaughlin; Warner Davis dies on the operating table, goes to heaven, but is sent back, because his time has not yet come; Davis awakes with the gift of clairvoyance and starts warning people about their deaths. Horror on Canvas; Art painter Blake Roberts dies in a car crash, but awakens in the morgue as a deformed living dead man. Black Magic in a Slinky Gown; Leonore Black is a beautiful woman, but also able to transform herself into a giant black widow spider. 36 pgs. $0.10. Cover price $0.10.

Beyond (1950 Ace) 6 CGC 5.0

Paper: Off white

Label #4219560016

Cover pencils by Jim McLaughlin. Scourge of the Scorpion Cult; Searching for a cure for scorpion's venom, Dr. Marston and "his lovely daughter Celia" run into a cult of scorpion people; Their leader wants to take Celia as his queen. Riddle of Pete Dunn's Last Fight, pencils by Jim McLaughlin; Boxer Pete Dunn is ready to win the lightweight championship; As his father dies, he promises him to win the fight and become champion; Dunn gets killed in a car accident, but manages to show up for his fight. He wins the championship, but vanishes in his dressing room. Black Wings of the Demon Gondolier, art by Maurice Gutwirth and George Appel. Return From the Great Abyss, art by Gene Colan. 36 pgs. $0.10. Cover price $0.10.

Beyond (1950 Ace) 14 CGC 3.0

Paper: Off white

Label #4219560011

Fanged Nemesis of the North, script by Robert Turner; Gold prospector Jason Fee has to fight off wolves, but is hurt in the process; Every now and then he turns abruptly into a werewolf. The Gong Of Singh Chlam; In India, art collector Ralph Burgess steals the sacred gong of Singh Chlam; This mythical artifact summons the ghosts and demons of an ancient sect of thugs. Wedded to a Witch, script by Robert Turner, pencils by Bill Molno. Satana's Fatal Beauty, pencils by Robert S. Pious. 36 pgs. $0.10. Cover price $0.10.

Black Cat Mystery (1951-1963 Harvey) 49 GD/VG 3.0

Cover oxidation. Water spotting.

Cover by Lee Elias. Stories and art by Bob Powell, Howard Nostrand, John Giunta and Joe Certa. Former superhero comic Black Cat becomes a showcase for Harvey's unique brand of pre-Code horror. Henpecked Abner contends with his domineering wife over their shared bathroom, until one day Abner just snaps. A dark spoof of The Three Musketeers finds the sinister Milady with a secret advantage against the heroes. A harried businessman is tormented by letters from Death, promising an impending meeting. Clean As a Whistle; The Three Musketeers; Paranoia; A Promise Kept. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Black Cat Mystery (1951-1963 Harvey) 50 CGC 1.0

Paper: Cream to off white

Slab: See item notes

Label #0015754004

Cover by Lee Elias. Stories and art by Bob Powell, Howard Nostrand, Manny Stallman, John Giunta Joe Certa, John Belfi, Sid Check and Frank Frazetta. Former superhero comic Black Cat becomes a showcase for Harvey's unique brand of pre-Code horror. A man is stealing corpses form the cemetery, and the townspeople want to know why. A dark spoof of the movie Mogambo, an experiment in the Mad-style humor that resulted in Harvey's short-lived comic Flip. A mysterious visitor to a small town has plans of revenge against the town elders, in a story with early inking assists by fantasy art legend Frank Frazetta. Notorious pre-Code cover by Lee Elias, showing a man's face and hands burning away, is one of the most famous of the era. The King Is Dead; The Artificial Sky; Occupation; Moe Gambo; White Heat; And Still Champion; Torture!; Here Today…. 36 pages, full color. Cover price $0.10.

Black Magic (1950-1961 Prize/Crestwood) Vol. 3 #5 VF- 7.5

Cover by Jack Kirby. Art by George Roussos, Mort Meskin, Al Eadeh, Harry Lazarus, Bill Draut, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. Captain America creators Joe Simon and Jack Kirby present their own contribution to the horror comics trend of the 1950s, featuring tales of ghosts and the paranormal. Issue # 23 on cover; listed as Vol. 3, issue #5 in indicia. An artist's latest painting foretells a woman's death. A woman whose boyfriend died has horrifying dreams, which her psychiatrist is happy to explain. A woman strangles men with her living hair, similar to the powers of the later Marvel character Medusa. Those Who Are About to Die!; The Faces of Death!; Race with Death!; Land of the Dead; The Guiding Light; Peg ONeils Ghost; Evil Spirit! 36 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Blue Bolt (1949) 114 GD 2.0

Cover coming detached at one staple. Cover oxidation. Water damage.

Cover by L. B. Cole. Stories and art by Jay Disbrow and others. Pre-Code tales of horror and monsters, unofficially called Blue Bolt Weird Tales of Terror. As the horror-comics craze grows, Star shifts the former superhero title to horror and mystery stories. Official indicia title remains Blue Bolt, despite shifting cover titles. A female reporter is the only witness as a long-dead mummy revives and goes in search of his ancient bride. A night watchman at a museum is dragged into a painting that is actually the door into an evil dimension. A writer's latest manuscript holds the potential to destroy all evil in the world. Swamp Spirit; The Vengeful Phantom; The Mummy; The Ghost Who Cried; Picture a Nightmare; Maniac; The Insider. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Chamber of Chills (1952-1954 Harvey 2nd Series) 20 GD 2.0

Cover and centerfold detached at one staple. Water damage.

Cover by Howard Nostrand. Stories and art by Bob Powell, Howard Nostrand, Joe Certa, John Giunta and Manny Stallman. Harvey Comics joins the parade of pre-Code horror comics pioneered by EC in the 1950s. A clockmaker's obsession with his latest clock drives him to murder. A deadly package is the result of an evil plan. A recluse encounters a Martian invader. The Clock; Murder; Lay That Pistol Down; End of the Line. 36 pages, full color. Cover price $0.10.

Chamber of Chills (1952-1954 Harvey 2nd Series) 21 VG- 3.5

Cover oxidation.

Cover by Lee Elias. Stories and art by Bob Powell, Howard Nostrand, Joe Certa, John Giunta and Manny Stallman. Harvey Comics joins the parade of pre-Code horror comics pioneered by EC in the 1950s. A washed-up composer decides to get his famous former students to perform his new chorus, whether they want to or not. An alcoholic ex-reporter returns to his old paper with the sensational story of a murder in a wax museum. A painter and a sculptor find that their works each have horrifying effects on the other. The Choirmaster; Nose For News; The Death Mask; The Inside Man. 36 pages, full color. Cover price $0.10.