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Author:
Title: WEB OF EVIL Nos. 15, 17, 18, 21 * Lot of Four QUALITY Horror Comics
Place Published:
Publisher:Quality [Indicia: Comic Magazines]
Date Published: 1954
Description:

#15: Fair/Good (1.5). Spine roll, cover detached, small chips to spine ends, edges and corners, some staple rust, toning to edges of covers, corners curled, soil spot to front cover. Cream to off-white pages.

#17: Poor (.5). Spine roll, cover detached, spine of cover split through and barely held together with yellowing tape, chips and tears. Tan pages.

#18: Good (2.0). Spine roll, spine stress, flecks of rust to staples, center crease, edgewear, ¼" split at spine crown. Cream pages.

#21: Fair (1.0). Spine roll, tears, chips and stress to spine, top staple puled, cover loose at bottom staple, 2" tear to front cover, small chips and edgewear, centerfold loose. Cream to off-white pages.

Covers and art: Chuck Cuidera?, Charles Nicholas, Louis Ravielli, Shelly Moldoff?

Horror comics circled the globe in what critics considered to be a real-life web of evil. It's been said that Uncle Sam's concern about the perceived connection between comics and juvenile delinquency was a smokescreen, and that "in private, federal propagandists and policy makers fretted over the damage done to their efforts" by "racist and violent comics" that were read in huge numbers by international consumers.

"Web of Evil was distributed throughout the decolonizing world, to countries as far afield as Egypt. Policy makers and propagandists feared that brutal images [in horror comics]... generated anti-American sentiment among potential Cold War allies." — Paul S. Hirsch, Pulp Empire: The Secret History of Comic Book Imperialism. University of Chicago: 2021, pp. 159-160.

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.