Comic books April 1953

Articles on sports, crime, and adventuring, plus pin-up photos. 8" x 10.5". 66 pages. B&W. -MATURE READERS- Cover price $0.25.

Add to cart FR/GD 1.5 $41.00 View scans Near-complete spine split (taped). Cover detached. Cover oxidation.

Cover by Ken Bald. Edited by Richard E. Hughes. Stories by Richard Hughes. Art by Sam Cooper, Pete Riss, Charles Sultan, King Ward, and Charles Nicholas. Tales of pre-Code horror from legendary early independent comics publisher ACG. Betty and Slim are menaced by a mysterious black cloud that is somehow alive, fifty years before the Lost TV series. A coward makes a strange bargain to gain courage. Movie star Sandra invokes an ancient Roman deity to ensure her path to stardom. Black Dust; The Dream Keeper; Beyond the Grave; Mirror of Doom; Horror in Hollywood. 36 pages, B&W. Cover price $0.10.

Space Mouse and friends appear in four stories, The Great Electro, Beauty Contest, Flying Saucers, and Atomic Attack, plus three one page shorts "Genius at Work, The Great Hero, and Master Mind, and a one page text story, Terry and the Dream-Makers. No creator credits available. Cover price $0.10.

Volume 2, Issue 1 - April, 1953. 6.75" x 9", 134 pages, B&W. Cover price $0.25.

Add to cart GD 2.0 $69.00 View scans

Stan Campbell cover art swiped from Wally Wood's cover on Spirit Section (Will Eisner) #1952-08/03. "Menace of the Meteor Men," script by Walter Gibson, art by Stan Campbell; When the Army is on maneuvers in the Arizona desert, they find themselves in the midst of a meteor shower; When some of the meteors prove to be low-minded creatures composed of rock and metal, impervious to bullets and explosions, it's up to Spurs Jackson to halt the invasion of the Meteor Men. "The Battle of Spaceman's Gulch," script by Walter Gibson; Spurs Jackson and Strong Bow go on a mission to investigate explosions seen on the moon, leaving Hank Roper to meet a group of costumed science fiction fans invited by Spurs for a nearby local convention; Expecting the fans to show up in costume and an airplane mocked-up to appear like a rocket ship, Hank is surprised when a real alien from Neptune named Jawa shows up instead. "Visit Spurs Jackson at his Spaceranch in Spaceman's Gulch" one-page story, script by Walter Gibson. "Spurs Jackson and the Vanishing Water" text story. "Beyond the Moon," script by Walter Gibson, art by Stan Campbell; The Soviets are using flying saucers as guided missile transport ships to take slaves to work on Mines on the Moon; The discs are sent from a secret Soviet base orbiting just beyond the moon, where it cannot be seen. "Space Prospectors!" one-page non-fiction story. "Trip to Mercury," script by Walter Gibson; Strong Bow goes with Laughing Frog and another member of his Mayan tribe; They go to a Mayan pyramid in Mexico where legend has it was the last place Princess Karna was seen centuries earlier; Strong Bow and his tribesmen discover a spaceship inside the pyramid. "SPACE WESTERN COMICS." 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Ernie Bushmiller. Stories and art by Ernie Bushmiller, Rudolph Dirks, Warren Tufts and Ernest G. Osborne. United's anthology featured reprints of early comic strips, including Casey Ruggles, Captain and the Kids and Nancy. When a wave of cattle-rustling, highway robbery, and murder sweeps across California, the fearsome outlaw chief Juan Soto is believed to be behind it. Casey Ruggles sets out to track down the killer who is feared even by his own men. The Captain's quiet day of fishing is disrupted by the Kids and the sudden appearance of a submarine. The Family Workshop; Nancy; Captain and the Kids; Casey Ruggles; Strange as It Seems. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Volume 4, Issue 4 - April 1954. Men's adventure magazine featuring articles on sports, hunting politics and crime. 10-in. x 13-in., 66 pages, B&W. Cover price $0.25.

Add to cart VG- 3.5 $86.00 View scans Cover detached at one staple.

Add to cart GD+ 2.5 $59.00 View scans

Cover pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Ray Burnley. I Was a Hollywood Soldier, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Ray Burnley. Two Heroes from West Point, art by Ramona Fradon. Alias General Snodgrass, art by Jim McArdle. Prisoner of War, pencils by Jerry Grandenetti, inks by Ray Burnley. Private Pete filler page by Henry Boltinoff. Shorty filler page by Henry Boltinoff. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart Very Good $23.00 View scans

Add to cart Poor $9.00 View scans Paper: Cream No Back Cover. Water damage: Extensive. Staple rust: Moderate.

Volume 29, Issue 3 - April, 1953. Cover by Ed Emshwiller. Stories by Kendell Foster Crossen, Ross Rocklynne, Robert Sherman Townes, Robert Donald Locke, Sam Merwin Jr., Richard Barr and Wallace West, Leslie Bigelow, and Peter Phillips. Alex Schomburg and Emsh illustrations. 6.5" x 9", 200 pages, B&W. Cover price $0.25.

Cover by L. B. Cole. Stories and art by George Peltz and others. Pre-Code horror and crime comics from L. B. Cole's Star Publications. Hoodlum Red Fresno's plan to rob a carnival payroll leads to a shootout on the fairway. Prohibition-era bootlegger Charlie Zack relies on his boyish good looks, but if that fails, he falls back on his murderous temper. The public gun-battle that led to the demise of The Brady Gang has become an essential part of Maine folklore, even portrayed in Stephen King's It. Crime at the Carnival; Frame Up; Mad Trigger-Finger; Stir Scared Killer; Crimson Trail of Murder. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart VG 4.0 $22.00 View scan

Add to cart GD/VG 3.0 $10.50

Add to cart GD- 1.8 $7.00 Cover detached at one staple.

Art by Bob Powell and Fred Meagher. Cover by Fred Meagher. Rancher Steve Adams, a Comanche raised by white settlers, has a secret identity as the warrior Straight Arrow, a hero who first appeared on a popular radio show. An outlaw uses a sheriff to set a trap for Straight Arrow. Red Hawk faces the magician Cat Eyes, who kills his enemies with a gigantic black arrow. Straight Arrow tracks mysterious cattle deaths to a scientist experimenting with germ warfare. The Ghost Apaches!; Straight Arrows Secret!; Red Hawk: Black Arrow of Death!; The Mysterious Stranger! 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

"Hum,an Time Capsules," "The Magic Typewriter," "The Four-Dimensional Forceps" (pencils by Gil Kane; 6 pages), and Captain Comet in "Lights, Camera--Invasion!" (art by Murphy Anderson). Superman stars in a one-page public service announcement, "People are People!" Kane cover pencils. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

"Witch's Brand"; Sylvia Benton inherits a locket which belonged to a witch; Wearing it transforms her personality to an evil one; She kills her dog and poisons her husband, but a witch hunter from England can put her to death. "Visiting Corpse"; The marriage of Marge and Ted is breaking apart; Marge finds a magical ring and wishes upon Ted's death; Receiving news of his demise, she repents and wishes for him to come back. "Dream Destiny" text story. "Cadaver's Revenge"; Martin Jacoby is filled with happiness when his boss dies; He is to follow in his footsteps; Celebrating the event, Jacoby visits the cemetery and dances on his boss's grave. "Dead or Alive?"; Marveling at the likeness of a museum mummy and herself, Trudy is hurled back through time to ancient Egypt; As queen Ozarb she has to fight her way back into the present. 36 pages, full color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover art by Carl Burgos. "Danny Had a Dream," art by Joe Sinnott; Danny, a kid living on a farm, dreams of growing up and creating a powerful weapon which he can use to conquer the world; To get started on his task, he decides to gather some old junk and build a model of the machine which he envisions. "Feud!", script by Stan Lee, art by Jerry Robinson; A stranger in a mountain town comes across a murdered man, but the local sheriff refuses to do anything about it; The sheriff explains that the dead man is a member of the Ratfield family, who have been feuding with the McKay clan for years. "I Am a Vampire" text story. "The Big Kill," art by Charles A. Winter; This story's narrator claims that he's responsible for thousands of deaths every year, yet people love him and always want to make him a part of their lives. "5 Years Too Late!"; Released from prison after serving a five-year sentence, Birdie Salvo prepares to pick up his hidden loot; However, he gets picked up by some members of his former gang, who force him to tell them where the money is hidden. "Father-In-Law Trouble," art by Dick Briefer; Jeff Mitchell marries a woman for her money, but he soon finds out that her father, Mr. Hudson, has cut off her inheritance because he (correctly) considers Jeff to be a "cheap fortune-hunter"; Angrily, Jeff pushes his wife off a cliff and pretends that she fell off by accident. 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.10.

Vintage magazine featuring stories about, and tips for those interested in the nudist way of life. Softcover Magazine, 8" x 11", 32 pages, B&W. -MATURE READERS- Cover price $0.50.

UK Edition - April, 1953. Softcover pulp, B&W.

Australian Edition - April, 1953. Softcover pulp, B&W.

Add to cart GD+ 2.5 $180.00 View scans 1.5" Spine split from bottom. 3" Cover tear.

Add to cart GD 2.0 $115.00 View scans Cover detached. 1 1/2" Spine split from bottom.

Add to cart GD+ 2.5 $159.95 or Best Offer View scans Cover coming loose at staples, 1" spine split from top, soiling. Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout. Graded by MCS, not consignor. Other items consigned by humble cow

Add to cart FR/GD 1.5 $109.95 or Best Offer View scans Cover detached. Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout. Graded by MCS, not consignor. Other items consigned by humble cow

Cover art by Win Mortimer. Superman's Secret Workshop starring Superman and Lex Luthor, script by Edmond Hamilton, pencils by Wayne Boring, inks by Stan Kaye. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea With Superman starring Superman and Little Dan Wheeler, script by Bill Finger, art by Al Plastino. Mysterious Moving Islands text story by Capt. Jeb Manton. The Superwoman From Space starring Superman, Tharka (Intro, the Superwoman), and Bowtie Barris, script by Bill Woolfolk, art by Al Plastino. 44 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

The Man Behind the Blinds!, script by Stan Lee, art by Fred Kida. By the Light of the Moon. Strong as an Ox, script by Stan Lee, art by Jerry Robinson. The Raving Maniac, script by Stan Lee, art by Joe Maneely; Stan Lee is a character in this story. The Man Who Was Going to Destroy America, art by Bob Fujitani. 36 pgs. $0.10. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart GD 2.0 $400.00 View scans 2.5" Cumulative spine split. Heavy cover oxidation. Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout. Graded by MCS, not consignor.

Add to cart Coverless $129.95 or Best Offer View scan Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout. Graded by MCS, not consignor. Other items consigned by humble cow

Cover by Jack Davis. "By the Fright of the Silvery Moon!", script by Al Feldstein, art by Jack Davis; After two men are found torn apart on the night of a full moon, the sheriff of a small American farm community seizes a man who has arrived from Hungary with his two sons and has him shot, believing him to be a werewolf. "Midnight Mess!", script by Al Feldstein, art by Joe Orlando; A man visits his sister in a small town where people get off the street and close up shop before sundown due to a recent spate of seventeen vampire killings, but scoffs at the idea as the work of a homicidal maniac as vampires don't exist. "The Rack" text story. "Busted Marriage!", script by Al Feldstein, art by Jack Kamen; A man has voodoo dolls made as wedding cake figures in order to get a wealthy woman to marry him. "This Wraps It Up," script by Bill Gaines (co-plot) and Albert B. Feldstein (co-plot, script), art by Graham Ingels (as Ghastly); Three archeologists, one with a bad heart (Munson), uncover the tomb of the 5th Pharoah of Egypt with a large treasure. 36 pgs., full color. $0.10. Cover price $0.10.

Lex Barker photo cover. "Tarzan and the Man-Eating Tree," script by Gaylord Du Bois, art by Jesse Marsh; Tarzan is captured by a slaver's party; He escapes and liberates the slaves; The white chief of the slaves is killed in the rebellion. "Tarzan and the Spotted Death," script by Gaylord Du Bois, art by Jesse Marsh; Tarzan persuades several tribes and all the animals of the jungle to help him in wiping out an enormous pack of wild dogs. "Canoe Ride" text story starring Mabu. "Brothers of the Spear," script by Gaylord Du Bois, art by Russ Manning; The brothers and Mothibi scout the town of Amotu, a stronghold of the false king Han-Ool. Gretchen Fraser Sparks in Ski Race ad for Wheaties. 52 pages, full color. Cover price $0.10.

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.

Add to cart GD- 1.8 $8.00

Add to cart FR 1.0 $5.00

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 Good $5.00 View scans Spine split 5%. 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.

Add to cart Good $43.00 View scans Paper: Cream to off white

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

Add to cart Fine $21.00 View scans Paper: Off white	Add to cart FN- 5.5 $21.00 View scans Paper: Cream to off white Staple rust: Moderate.	Add to cart VG+ 4.5 $21.00 View scans Paper: Cream to off white Front cover detached 5%. Back cover detached 5%. Water damage: Slight. Staple rust: Slight.	Add to cart Very Good $13.00 View scans Paper: Cream to off white
Add to cart Very Good $27.00 View scans Trimmed Paper: Cream to off white Staple rust: Slight.	Add to cart GD- 1.8 $9.00 View scans Paper: Light tan to Cream Water damage: Extensive. Staple rust: Moderate.

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 pencils by Ernie Bushmiller. Stories and Art by Ernie Bushmiller, Rudolph Dirks, Dick Van Buren, Bob Lubbers and unknown. (Note: Who the inkers are is mainly unknown.) In this issue: Nancy by Ernie Bushmiller; The Captain and the Kids by Rudolph Dirks; Stamp Tips article "Kamehameha"; Tarzan by Dick Van Buren (script, as Edgar Rice Burroughs) and Bob Lubbers; and How It Began article "Valley Forge." 32 pages, full color. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart Very Fine $165.00 View scans Denting.

Add to cart Very Good $50.00 View scans Water damage: Slight. Staple rust: Moderate.

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 $6.60

Add to cart VG 4.0 $6.00

Add to cart Good $3.00

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.