CRIME MYSTERIES #4 * 1.5 * Crazy BLOOD DRAINAGE Cover

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Author:
Title: CRIME MYSTERIES No. 4
Place Published:
Publisher:Ribage [Indicia: Ribage Publishing Corp.]
Date Published: November, 1952
Description:

Fair/Good (1.5). Spine of cover split 90% or more and barely holding on at top staple like a loose tooth, chips to edges of covers. Cream to off-white pages. Cover: Uncredited. Art: Frank Frazetta (single-page "Prayer Works Wonders" public service ad), Keats Petree, Newt Alfred, uncredited others. Overstreet: "Cover shows girl in bondage having her blood drained." GPAnalysis: No reported sales in this grade. Lowest-graded sale: A 3.0 sold for $586 in April 2019.

This mag's crazy cover features a mad scientist using a hand-pump to drain a pretty brunette's blood (her murky green shift indicates that the uncredited artist never got the memo that female victims on pre-Code covers are supposed to wear red). Inside: Man's corpse covered in ugly pustules due to giant ant attack; gruesome "severed head" panel (the head is sculpted wax, but still); criminologist Dr. Foo shares Confucian wisdom with readers ("Anything in skirts can fool a man"); black and white Frazetta ad encourages readers to "Attend the CHURCH or SYNAGOGUE of your choice"; pistol-play; cheesecake art; etc.

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.

Consignments welcome for PBA's Spring 2022 Comic Book sale. Top prices for Pre-Code Horror, Golden Age, Silver Age, original art and ephemera. Find out why PBA is the new fan-fave of comics auctioneers. "This is some of the best commentary I've yet seen on the quality of the content of comic books... Priceless." — R. Crumb. Send inquiries to ivan@pbagalleries.com.