ADVENTURES INTO DARKNESS #11 * 4.0 * Wally WOOD Swipe

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Author:
Title: ADVENTURES INTO DARKNESS No. 11
Place Published:
Publisher:Standard [Indicia: Visual Editions, Inc.]
Date Published: September, 1953
Description:

VG (4.0). Light spine stress, ½" split at top spine, small nick to bottom spine, a few nicks and light creases to top edge of front cover, shallow chip to edge of back cover (1cm x 2mm), a few nicks to top edge of back cover, light handling creases to back cover. A clean, attractive mag, better than it sounds. White to off-white pages. Cover: George Roussos. Art: Mike Sekowsky, John Celardo, Nick Cardy, Jack Katz. GPAnalysis: A 4.0 sold for $535 in October 2021.

Mike Sekowsky's "Mission from the Grave" features an artist who dies before completing his masterpiece, a portrait of his fiancée. He claws his way out of the grave to complete his work ("I must finish the painting! That is my mission from the grave!"), but when his hideous corpse presents the portrait to his fiancée, she rejects him and rips up the canvas (everyone's a critic). The outraged corpse kills his fiancée, then repents and lays the ruined painting on her dead body before giving up the ghost (this time for keeps). The story's "undead artist" gimmick was probably swiped from Wally Wood's "The Man from the Grave" (Haunt of Fear #4, Nov.-Dec., 1950).

A deluxe limited edition of 12 hardcover catalogues is available, in addition to a small number of softcovers. 400 lots, fully illustrated. Fun reference, great keepsake. Softcover $40, deluxe hardcover with dust jacket and limitation plate $200. Eight of the 12 hardcovers are pre-ordered and the rest will go quickly, so reserve yours now. To order, contact ivan@pbagalleries.com.

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