Heading:
Author:
Title: CRIME MYSTERIES No. 10
Place Published:
Publisher:Ribage [Indicia: Ribage Publishing Corp.]
Date Published: November, 1953
Description:

VG (4.0). Light spine stress, faint crease to top left region of covers and pages, some rust to top staple, 3/4" chip to right edge of front cover with tape repair to reverse side holding chip in place. Cream to off-white pages. A clean, bright, attractive copy that would grade 5.0 (with potential to clean/press to 6.0 or better) if not for the tape-repaired chip. Cover: Myron Fass. Art: Art Gates, Al Gordon, M.I. Hollingsworth, H.C. Kiefer. GPAnalysis: No reported sales in this grade. A 4.5 sold for $480 in August 2019; a 6.0 sold for $1392 in July 2018; a 6.5 sold for $960 in November 2019. No reported sales in any grade since 2019.

A hold-up man points his gat at a werewolf and a vampiress enjoying a romantic moonlit stroll: "Okay, folks! This is a stick-up!" The werewolf tells his sweetie to "Watch that punk's face when we turn around," as she titters a coquettish "Tee-hee!" like a vampiric Veronica. Petty criminals who blunder into the paths of cold-blooded killers appear in at least a few other pre-Code scenarios (see, for instance, Johnny Craig's burglar-interrupts-murder cover to Crime SuspenStories #14). It's a supremely cynical trope, evincing a Hobbesian view of society as a circle of predation in which even the victims of violence are guilty as sin. Cover artist Myron Fass may have been the most hardboiled character in the pre-Code comics biz, surpassing even legendary dreckmeisters Victor Fox and Stanley Morse in his jaundiced worldview. For the facts on Fass's dark psychology, see PBA Comics catalogue #3022 (Feb. 3, 2022), lots 37 & 39.

Consignments welcome for PBA's Fall 2022 Comic Book sale. Pre-Code Horror, Golden Age and Silver Age comics, original art, vintage comic-related photos and ephemera sought. Send inquiries to ivan@pbagalleries.com.

A limited edition of 100 softcover and 6 hardcover catalogues are available. 140 pages, fully illustrated. Fun reference, great keepsake. Softcovers $40, dust-jacketed hardcover with limitation plate $200. To order, contact ivan@pbagalleries.com.

Consignments welcome for PBA's Fall 2022 Comic Book sale. Pre-Code Horror, Golden Age and Silver Age comics, original art, vintage comic-related photos and ephemera sought. Send inquiries to ivan@pbagalleries.com.