Auctions: comic books December 1954

Journey into Mystery (1952) 20 FR/GD 1.5

4" spine split from top. Cover and interior oxidation.

Cover art by Carl Burgos. "Quick-Change!", art by Pete Tumlinson; A guy in love with an evil woman tries to woo her with an amulet which changes him into legendary creatures but she steals it to commit robberies; After one success she realizes that she doesn't know any more legendary creatures so she rushes into the library with police right behind her. "The Man in Black!" text story. "After Man...What?", script by Paul S. Newman, art by Bob Powell; A man discovers that Starlings have actually come from the moon and are planning on displacing humans on Earth. "Hector!", art by John Tartaglione; A woman who has a robot servant for a husband is the envy of all the other neighborhood women. "The Messenger!", script by Paul S. Newman, art by Jack Abel; A warehouse employee from the future gets the foreman taken away as a mental case after he shows him impossible products. "The Crazy Car!", art by Bill Everett; When a stranger approaches Karl Baxter on the street and invites him to take a test drive in his car: a car that runs on no fuel of any kind, Karl decides to kill the old man and figure out a way to duplicate the engine in the car so that he can make a fortune....or so HE thinks! 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.10.

True Life Secrets (1951 Capitol Publications Inc.) 23 VG+ 4.5

The fantastic (and unfortunately uncredited) Good Girl cover art for this issue was repurposed from My Desire #34 (sometimes listed as My Desire #4) with altered dialogue, making the scene a bit more salacious. 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.