CRIME SUSPENSTORIES #18 * CGC 8.0 * Stairway to Hell
Author:
Title: CRIME SUSPENSTORIES No. 18
Place Published:
Publisher:EC [Indicia: L. L. Publishing Co. Inc.]
Date Published: August-September, 1953
Description: CGC certified: VF (8.0). Off-white to white pages. Grader notes: Light spine stress lines to cover; small ink missing right top of front cover; very light creasing to cover.
CGC Census: 117 graded copies (111 Universal, 6 Restored).
GPAnalysis: An 8.0 sold for $720 in 7/23.
Credits: Cover: Johnny Craig. Scripts: Bill Gaines and Al Feldstein. Art: Johnny Craig, Bill Elder, Jack Kamen, Reed Crandall. Stairway to Hell: Craig's cover illustrates Reed Crandall's "From Here to Insanity," in which a sex maniac gets sick kicks from carving up his kills. Stories of sex abuse pop up with surprising regularity in EC mags of this era – in fact, this very ish has a house ad for Weird Science #20, featuring Al Williamson's serial-rapist-in-space story "50 Girls 50" (July-August, 1953). Just a few months earlier, Al Feldstein shocked readers with his "rapist's-eye view" cover to Shock SuspenStories #8 (April-May, 1953), and the previous year, EC published a story in which a horny corpse rapes a guy in a coffin ("None But the Lonely Heart," Tales from the Crypt #33).
Pre-Code collectors tend to scorn Dr. Wertham as a showboating, fact-fudging buzzkill. But let's face it, a comic book backlash was inevitable. Maybe we're a nation of fuddy-duddies, but most folks tend to frown upon the sale of cheap, colorful pamphlets packed with rape and murder to little kids. "The keynote of the comics books' sexual message, drummed into children from an early age on, is the admixture of sensuality with cruelty." – Seduction of the Innocent, p. 178.______________________________________________________________
A limited edition of ten hardcover catalogues is available, in addition to a few dozen softcovers. Fun reference, great keepsake, fully illustrated, chockablock with obscure facts, gags, bon mots. Softcovers are $40, deluxe hardcovers with dust jackets and limitation plates are $200. These books always go fast so don't delay. To order, contact ivan@pbagalleries.com.
Consignments welcome for PBA's Summer 2024 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 funnybook fiends. "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.
Coming Soon: The DC Universe Collection Part 3: The Golden Age (August 2024) and Weird Tales and Amazing Stories: The PBA Pulp Sale (September 2024). Contact ivan@pbagalleries.com to get on the notifications list.
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Author:
Title: CRIME SUSPENSTORIES No. 18
Place Published:
Publisher:EC [Indicia: L. L. Publishing Co. Inc.]
Date Published: August-September, 1953
Description: CGC certified: VF (8.0). Off-white to white pages. Grader notes: Light spine stress lines to cover; small ink missing right top of front cover; very light creasing to cover.
CGC Census: 117 graded copies (111 Universal, 6 Restored).
GPAnalysis: An 8.0 sold for $720 in 7/23.
Credits: Cover: Johnny Craig. Scripts: Bill Gaines and Al Feldstein. Art: Johnny Craig, Bill Elder, Jack Kamen, Reed Crandall. Stairway to Hell: Craig's cover illustrates Reed Crandall's "From Here to Insanity," in which a sex maniac gets sick kicks from carving up his kills. Stories of sex abuse pop up with surprising regularity in EC mags of this era – in fact, this very ish has a house ad for Weird Science #20, featuring Al Williamson's serial-rapist-in-space story "50 Girls 50" (July-August, 1953). Just a few months earlier, Al Feldstein shocked readers with his "rapist's-eye view" cover to Shock SuspenStories #8 (April-May, 1953), and the previous year, EC published a story in which a horny corpse rapes a guy in a coffin ("None But the Lonely Heart," Tales from the Crypt #33).
Pre-Code collectors tend to scorn Dr. Wertham as a showboating, fact-fudging buzzkill. But let's face it, a comic book backlash was inevitable. Maybe we're a nation of fuddy-duddies, but most folks tend to frown upon the sale of cheap, colorful pamphlets packed with rape and murder to little kids. "The keynote of the comics books' sexual message, drummed into children from an early age on, is the admixture of sensuality with cruelty." – Seduction of the Innocent, p. 178.______________________________________________________________
A limited edition of ten hardcover catalogues is available, in addition to a few dozen softcovers. Fun reference, great keepsake, fully illustrated, chockablock with obscure facts, gags, bon mots. Softcovers are $40, deluxe hardcovers with dust jackets and limitation plates are $200. These books always go fast so don't delay. To order, contact ivan@pbagalleries.com.
Consignments welcome for PBA's Summer 2024 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 funnybook fiends. "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.
Coming Soon: The DC Universe Collection Part 3: The Golden Age (August 2024) and Weird Tales and Amazing Stories: The PBA Pulp Sale (September 2024). Contact ivan@pbagalleries.com to get on the notifications list.
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