Heading:
Author:
Title: MYSTERIOUS ADVENTURES No. 13
Place Published:
Publisher:Story [Indicia: Story Comics, Inc.]
Date Published: April, 1953
Description:

CGC certified: VG+ (4.5). Cream to off-white pages. Cover: Dick Beck. Art: Marty Elkin, Art Gates, and a third, unidentified talent George Suarez calls the "MYSTERY ARTIST." Longtime pre-Code collector Dave O'Dell suggests Ed Goldfarb as the mystery man. GPAnalysis: No reported sales in this grade. A 3.5 sold for $1680 in November 2021; a 5.5 sold for $2790 in December 2019.

A woman tries to free her man from the literal jaws of Death on Dick Beck's classic skull cover. Inside the pages, Story ramps up its strategy of ripping off EC's general aesthetic with a horror host cackling cornball puns: "Issue #13's cover bears a logo change and, even more importantly, imitation of EC moves into high gear. The lead story, 'Life's Blood,' is introduced with a new but as-yet still unnamed horror host with the typical EC patter: 'Salutations, sinners! Come, step inside my steaming cauldron and let me brew you an appetizing plate of HORROR!' [This ish also] features the hanging of a witch and the removal of her heart." — George Suarez, Tales To Terrible To Tell #5. NEC: 1992, p. 30.

Speaking of EC rip-offs, Art Gates' creepy "The Living Dead" is cribbed from Johnny Craig's classic "Till Death" (Vault of Horror #28, Dec.-Jan., 1953). Both tales feature men whose wives die in Africa, only to be resurrected by voodoo men who promise the bereaved hubbys that their wives will "never leave you again." Soon, the undead wife's flesh starts to rot, but her libido is as lively as ever, culminating in a grotesque final panel depicting the hubby being sexually assaulted by the horny corpse of his wife.

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.