Comic books April 1953

Photo cover. In order of appearance: "Wallflower Sweetheart"; "The Headlines Between Us"; "Cinderella to a Glamour Queen"; and "Tricked by My Pity". Text articles: "How to Be Graceful: Date Quiz..." reprinted from "Chats on Charm..." in All Love (1949) #27 and from "The Charm Corner..." in Real Love (1949-56 Ace) #48, and partially reprinted as "For Beauty's Sake..." in Ten Story Love Vol. 34 (1954) #6; and "The Secret of Popularity..." reprinted from "Chats on Charm..." in All Love (1949) #26 and from "The Charm Corner..." in Real Love (1949-56 Ace) #39, and reprinted as "Glamorize Yourself..." in Glamorous Romances (1949) #72 and as "Chats on Charm..." in Ten Story Love Vol. 35 (1955) #6. Indicia states "TEN-STORY LOVE". 36 pages. Full color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by L. B. Cole. Stories and art by Jay Disbrow and others. Numbering continues from Terrors of the Jungle (1952) # 21, strangely enough. Pre-Code jungle adventures from L. B. Cole's Star Publications. Female jungle warrior Rulah is asked to escort a harem traveling through the dangerous jungle. After her plane crashes in a forgotten African valley populated by dinosaurs, Rita becomes the jungle warrior Taranga. A beautiful woman named Rana frees captured elephants as part of a revenge plot against the man who killed her father. Cool monster cover by L. B. Cole. Rulah: The Harem of Horror; Taranga: Morass of Death; African Nightmare; Jo-Jo: Kingdom of Terror. 36 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Art by Connie Rasinski and others. St. John presents the comics adventures of the characters of animator Paul Terry's studio. When a comet is discovered streaking toward Terrytown, Mighty Mouse's foe The Claw sees an opportunity. Traveling tool salesmen Heckle and Jeckle find opportunity at the state pen, where the prisoners are eager for files, chisels, shovels and rock hammers. Dinky's latest invention is a mechanical cow that actually produces milk, but Rudy causes it to have technical issues. Mighty Mouse: The Comet; Gandy Goose: High Tide Hero; Heckle and Jeckle: The Jailbirds; Dinky: The Iron Cow. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Movie cowboy Tex Ritter tames the West with his six-guns, his horse White Flash and his dog, Fury. Tex catches ranch hands Kink and Dud trying to kill a co-worker because he won't go along with their plans to rustle the ranch's cattle. Tex tries to figure out which carny performer murdered the show's owner - the dwarf, mind reader, trapeze artist, fat lady, or giant - in one of the strangest whodunits ever. After getting caught in a dam explosion, Tex loses his sight, but the outlaws who blew up the dam are still targeting him. Horse For Sale; The Shadow of the Law; Blind Man's Duties; Loonie Les: Aptly Named!; The Unhappy Medium; Buffalo Bill: A Honey of a Task; Loonie Les: Inside and Outside Man!; Pinto Pete: Boxer De Luxe; Death On the Rails. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart GD/VG 3.0 $6.50 View scans Water damage: Moderate. Staple rust: Slight.

Theatre Arts Monthly (April, 1953). TAM is legendary for its thorough and insightful coverage of the stage, both in American and England. Less well-known is the fact that TAM also provided some outstanding coverage of motion pictures. Broadway and Hollywood. 8.5-in. x 11-in, 100 pages, B&W. Cover price $0.50.

Add to cart FR 1.0 $319.00 or Best Offer View scans 8" Cumulative spine split. Centerfold detached. Cover detached at one staple. Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout. Graded by MCS, not consignor.

Edited by Will Lieberson, V.A. Provisiero and Al Jetter. Stories by Bill Woolfolk and unknown. Art by Shelly Moldoff, Bob McCarty, Leonard Frank and unknown. Horror tales that are so scary they could only lead you to believe that This Magazine is Haunted! In this issue: When Professor Niles unearths the remains of a Neanderthal man, the whole town suddenly regresses into inexplicable caveman behavior in "Let the Past Lie Buried!" with pencils by Shelly Moldoff. Plus: An adventurous photographer wants to take pictures of a mysterious, forbidden place called City of the Dead amidst a desert. He forces his entry by poisoning himself, but takes too high a dose and actually belongs in the realm of the dead in "The City of the Dead!" with art by Bob McCarty. Also: Engineer Roger Ellis is able to see striking doom in form of a black phantom. With a sorcerer's help he captures the phantom and imprisons it. But the horrible creature can free itself and strikes again in "Phantom of Disaster!" with story by Bill Woolfolk. And: Art painter Leo Main is threatened by his landlady Mrs. Tyran. He paints a murder scene involving her and an ominous fat man. The fat man becomes reality, though, and starts developing a will of his own in "The Fat Man!" with art by Leonard Frank. Plus: 2-page text story "The Mills Grind Fine" written by John Martin, and ads for Strange Stories from Another World and Worlds of Fear. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Volume 71, Issue 2 - April, 1953. 6.75" x 9", 114 pages, B&W. Cover price $0.25.

April, 1953. Cover by Jack Coggins. Stories by Damon Knight, Katherine MacLean, Philip Jose Farmer, Lee Priestley, Evan Hunter, Rolf Martell, and Ralf Sloan. Two Virgil Finlay illustrations. 7-in. x 10-in.; black and white; 148 newsprint pages. Cover price $0.25.

Cover by Ernie Bushmiller. Stories and art by Ernie Bushmiller, Rudolph Dirks, Dick Van Buren, and Bob Lubbers. Tip Top Comics presented color reprints of United Features newspaper comic strips. Hans and Fritz see the queen's concert as a perfect opportunity for mischief. Pursued by the Hunter, Tarzan abducts one of his native guides, whose chieftain tells Tarzan the identity of the Hunter. But even Tarzan does not suspect the existence of Vor, the man-eating "devil tree" worshiped by the Lebos tribe. Nancy; Strange as It Seems; How it Began!; The Captain and the Kids; Stamp Tips; Tarzan. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Volume 9, Issue 5 - April, 1953. Peter Driben cover. Men's magazine featuring lingerie pictorials with humorous captions. 8.5" x 11.5", 52 pages, B&W. Cover price $0.25.

Add to cart VG+ 4.5 $8.80

Add to cart VG 4.0 $8.00

Add to cart Good $4.00

Stories by unknown. Art by unknown. Featuring: Tom & Jerry tale; Adventures of Tom tale; Big Spike & Little Tyke tale; Bertie Bird text story "Champion Chaser"; Wuff the Prairie Dog tale; Barney Bear & Benny Burro tale; Flip 'n' Dip 2-pager; Fuzzy & Wuzzy tale; and Droopy 1-pager. 52 pages, full color. Cover price $0.10.

Volume 13, Issue 6 - April, 1953. 8" x 11", 82 pages, B&W. Cover price $0.50.

Add to cart FN- 5.5 $9.00 View scans Paper: Off white Water damage: Slight. Staple rust: Moderate.

Volume 12, Issue 3 - April, 1953. 6.75" x 9", 146 pages, B&W. Cover price $0.25.

Volume 8, Issue 1 - April, 1953. True crime magazine with stories and article about women in the world of organized crime, murder, robbery, and debauchery. Softcover Magazine, 8.5" x 11", 72 pages, B&W. Cover price $0.25.

Cover by Matt Baker. Stories and art by Matt Baker, Cal Massey, Jim Mooney, Bob Bean, Arthur Peddy, Bernard Sachs, Bill Ely and Dana Dutch. Torrid tales of romance from St. John, with great covers by Matt Baker. This issue is a 100-page special, made up of remaindered romance comics from St. John; issue contents may vary. Dorothy dreams of a career as a model, but feels trapped in her parents' low-rent tenement on New York's Lower East Side, in a story with art by celebrated good-girl artist Matt Baker. But when her handsome boss invites her to a party, she learns she's expected to be a "good-time girl" for important clients, in a story that is very modern for 1952. Janet has loved Ronny since high school, but he only takes advantage of her generosity because she's got a good job, while handsome co-worker Drew really loves her. Audrey tries to keep John when old flame Jennifer reappears, in a story that takes place in "French Indo-China," or as it is now known, Vietnam. This story has early art by future Marvel artist Jim Mooney, as well as an early look at the US military presence in Vietnam. Plus the "Correspondence Club" page tries to find love for men (and women) stationed overseas. Party Girl; I'd Never Love Another; His Ring on My Finger; Second Chance for Love; So I Chased Him; More Than I Bargained For; My Troublesome Family; She Came to Steal My Man; Correspondence Club; My Way Was Wrong; Marriage on the Rebound; I Borrowed for Broken Promises; The Love I Brushed Aside; He Fought Against His Dreams; My Wiser Choice. 100 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.25.

"Canteen Girl" (art by Ogden Whitney), "Adopted Sweetheart," "Beloved Enemy," and "Mission: Marriage." Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart GD+ 2.5 $74.95 or Best Offer View scan 3" cumulative spine split. Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout. Graded by MCS, not consignor.

Cover by Wally Wood. Stories by Harvey Kurtzman and Jerry De Fuccio. Art by Joe Kubert, Johnny Craig, Wally Wood, and Jack Davis. Harvey Kurtzman's legendary series enlisted top EC artists for gritty tales of war and adventure. A WWII soldier meets his final battle in a story by Johnny Craig. In a rare collaboration between two legends of war comics, Kurtzman and Joe Kubert, the real-life story of D-Day's Navy Combat Demolition team is revealed. Master strategist Hannibal launches his legendary attack on Rome, using elephants no less, with art by Wally Wood. Cool submarine cover by Wally Wood. Silent Service!; Lost Battalion!; Submarine School; Hannibal!; Tide! 36 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Bill Everett. Stories by Stan Lee and unknown. Art by Joe Maneely, Harry Anderson, Larry Woromay, Bob Brown and Howie Post. "Kill, Clown, Kill!" with art by Harry Anderson - A clown kills his clown rival so he can have his fame and his girlfriend. He tries to find a plastic surgeon to alter his looks so he will appear as the dead man, but fails. The police track him back to the circus where he is shot resisting arrest. He dies at the foot of the woman he professes his love to as he realizes she is blind. Plus: "The Witch of Landor" with art by Larry Woromay - A duke forces a witch to call up his ancestor so that he can ask the ghost where the castle's hidden treasure is. When the witch does as she is bidden, the ghost replies that the treasure location was a secret even in his time and that the duke will have to seek further back. The witch calls up several spirits in succession without the knowledge of the treasure's location until she calls up a gorilla which strangles the duke. Also in this issue: "The Gal Who Talked Too Much!" with art by Bob Brown - A (mad?) scientist looking for 'volunteers' to spend the rest of their lives buried in a time capsule gives two sleeping pills to a husband and his blabber-mouth wife, lying to the both of them that they can be rid of each other if they administer the pill to their spouse...while they are asleep, he transfers both of them to the time capsule; "Planet of Death!" with art by Howie Post - Aliens find Earth air poisonous so they observe a man haranguing a crowd about flying saucers through a telescope; "I Was Locked in a...Haunted House!" by Stan Lee and Joe Maneely - When a boy tells his friends that he doesn't believe in the spooky things they read about in comic books, they dare him to spend an hour in a haunted house at midnight; and 2-page text story "The Twins"! 32 pages, full color. Cover price $0.10.

Auction Item: CGC 3.5 View scans Auction opens January 3 Paper: Off white to white Label #4377745014

Add to cart GD/VG 3.0 $110.00 View scan Water spotting. Staple rust with migration.

Stories and art by Steve Kirkel and others. Classic pre-Code crime comics from Fawcett. Wealthy socialite and jewelry dealer Wayne is a member of high society, but no one suspects he's also a fence for illegal goods and a powerful figure in the underworld. The Harvey brothers tire of truck hijacking, and Al Harvey learned to fly solo during the war, so they begin stealing cargo planes right off the runway. When he recognizes fugitive bank robber Slats Pawling, law-abiding citizen Tom must deal with the consequences of reporting him to the police. Enough Rope; The Fence; Nervous Jervis; Pert Pamela; The Sky Pirates; Sykes the Psychiatrist; Quiz; Gangland Vengeance. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Ajax-Farrell's horror series Voodoo managed to stand out in the crowded field of pre-Code horror comics by dint of its sheer weirdness. The toy robot a man bought from that creepy street vendor turns out to be evil. A hunchbacked assistant plots to take the kingdom from a blind princess. A man spends the night in the haunted castle he's inherited. Dollars and Doom; Satan's Plaything; The Monster In the Mirror; Blood Revenge; The Ghostly Guillotine. 36 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart VG- 3.5 $12.75	Add to cart VG- 3.5 $12.75	Add to cart GD/VG 3.0 $8.00	Add to cart Good $8.00
Add to cart GD 2.0 $8.00	Add to cart Fair $4.00	Add to cart PR 0.5 $2.65 INCOMPLETE. Centerfold missing, interrupts art and story.

Cover by Carl Barks. Stories and art by Carl Barks, Merrill De Maris, Bill Wright, Tony Strobl, Manuel Gonzales, Bob Karp, Don Christensen, Frank McSavage, Gil Turner, Lee Hooper, and Al Taliaferro. Sometimes listed as Vol. 13 #7. The long-running vehicle for Disney character comics featured art by Carl Barks, the legendary Good Duck Artist. The genie takes Mickey to an Arabian country. In a story by Barks, Donald and Gladstone compete to win grand marshal of the Easter Parade, but first they must win over the children. The Pigs let the Big Bad Wolf capture them, because the fortune-teller said it was their lucky day. Donald Duck; Li'l Bad Wolf; Pluto; Little Hiawatha; Goofys Hobby; Grandma Duck; Mickey Mouse: The Miracle Master. 48 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart FR/GD 1.5 $75.00 or Best Offer View scan Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout. Graded by MCS, not consignor.

Cover by John Buscema. Stories and art by John Buscema, Mort Leav, Mort Lawrence, and Bill Woolfolk. Bloody pre-Code crime comics, in imitation of Crime Does Not Pay - including a top-hatted, otherworldly narrator. The twist is that the publisher offers wanted posters (and rewards) for real-life criminals. Tony sets up a racket supplying guns to other criminals. Exiled crook Louie will do anything to get back to America, in an early story (and cover) by future Marvel and Conan legend John Buscema. The Great Unsolved Mysteries contest invites readers to ponder the murder of an elderly miser, in a boarding house where everyone wanted his money. For Hire....Guns For Killers; Murderous Cargo; Great Unsolved Mysteries: Murder of a Miser; Wanted: Raymond Wilt; The Too Smart Killer! Final issue of the series. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart GD 2.0 $70.00 View scan Heavy water damage.

"Big Bertha" (art by Paul Reinman), "The Eagle's Brood," "Lancer!" (art by Gil Evans), "One Day," and a two-page text story, "Undercover." Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart VG+ 4.5 $58.00 View scans 1/2" tear from top. Cover oxidation.

Add to cart GD 2.0 $27.00 View scan 2 1/2" Spine split from top. Cover loose at one staple.

"Reconnaissance!" (art by Paul Reinman), "Surrender!" (art by Bob Brown), "On Target," "The Prayer" (art by Sy Barry), and a two-page text story, "Confidential: AAA1." Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart VG- 3.5 $32.00

Stories and art by Jack Sparling and Bob Powell. Tales of war from Harvey, published as the Cold War was heating up. Navy frogmen undertake a dangerous mission in the waters off Korea. The life of a flight-deck officer on an aircraft carrier during World War II. US soldiers face a suicide mission in the harsh Korean winter. True facts about the National Guard. Death Mission; Last Stand!; Night in Korea; Two Flags; On Your Guard; Paratrooper; Suicide in the Snow! 36 pages, full color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by William Ekgren. Stories and art by Joe Kubert, Bob Forgione, and Lou Cameron. Classic pre-Code horror from St. John. A reporter learns to his horror that the fingerprints found at a crime scene match those of a killer executed three years before, in a story with early art by comics legend Joe Kubert. Jack discovers that his brother Roger has been trapped in crystal by the sinister mage Enoch Hoskins. Modern-day soldiers discover Vikings frozen alive in a Greenland cave. Another unusual cover (even by modern standards) by William Ekgren. Deadly Double; Out of the Crystal; Gag Bag; Vengeance of the Vikings; Three Who Waited; Comedy Column. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Bernard Baily. Stories and art by Basil Wolverton, Hy Fleishman, Edd Smalle and Ross Andru. Pre-Code tales of horror from Stanley Morse Publications. A businessman tests a magician's abilities by handcuffing him to a coffin, in a story by future Marvel artist Ross Andru. Witches seem to predict that a man will succeed in his revenge plan against his unfaithful wife. A wealthy man who never smiles confronts a greedy man in a cave, in a story by comics legend Basil Wolverton. Devils Disciple!; The Twin Coffins!; Chain Reaction; Choker; The Black Board; The Witches Tale; The Man Who Never Smiled. 36 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart VG- 3.5 $549.95 or Best Offer View scans Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout. Graded by MCS, not consignor. Other items consigned by humble cow

Add to cart CGC 1.8 $349.00 or Best Offer View scans Paper: Off white Tape on Cover and Interior Cover. Label #3824684010 Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout.

Add to cart FR 1.0 $279.95 or Best Offer View scans 5" cumulative spine split. Cover and centerfold detached. Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout. Graded by MCS, not consignor. Other items consigned by humble cow

Cover by Bernard Baily. Stories and art by Sal Trapani and Eugene E. Hughes. Pre-Code tales of horror from Stanley Morse Publications. A couple buys werewolf and vampire costumes from a strange shop for Halloween, but the costumes become their real identities. An aging scientist discovers how to put his mind into a younger body, but he chooses the wrong body. A jeweler sells and resells a cursed ring that makes its wearers the targets of a vampire. Trick or Treat; The Ruby; To the Bitter End; Eternal Death; Vengeance in Death; A Better Mouse Trap. 36 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover art by Howard Sherman. Warpath in the Sky starring the Wyoming Kid, script by Don Cameron, art by Howard Sherman. The Merry-Go-Round Rustlers starring Nighthawk, script by Don Cameron, art by Ruben Moreira. The Incredible City in the Sky, art by Ramona Fradon. Twin Terrors starring Cowboy Marshal, art by Ed Smalle Jr. 36 pgs. $0.10. Cover price $0.10.

Outlaws, gunfighters, and tales of the Old West - some true, and others merely legends. After his son runs away, a sheriff wanders the West, becoming a top gunfighter to prove he's no coward. A young outlaw abandoned in the desert is taken in by a monastery, but soon his ex-partner shows up. A sheriff outwits a rustler gang that uses a pan-shaped brand to mark its stolen cattle, eradicating any previous brands. Also featuring a vintage PSA for the American Red Cross. The Back-Down Gun; Bite of the Desert; March Is Red Cross Time; The Frying Pan Blotter; Sundown Drive; The Engine Rustler. Final issue of the series; followed by Western Fighters 3-D (1953) #1. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.