CRYPT OF TERROR #18 * CGC 5.0 * 2nd Issue * EC HORROR *

Heading:
Author:
Title: CRYPT OF TERROR No. 18
Place Published:
Publisher:EC [Indicia: I.C. Publishing Co., Inc.]
Date Published: June-July, 1950
Description:

CGC certified: VG/Fine (5.0). Off-white pages. Cover: Johnny Craig. Plots/scripts: Bill Gaines, Al Feldstein, Al Klapper. Art: Al Feldstein, Wally Wood, Harvey Kurtzman, Johnny Craig. 2nd issue. GPAnalysis: A 5.0 sold for $549 in August 2019; a 6.0 sold for $1000 in April 2020.

Features Kurtzman's classic "Madness at Manderville," scripted by EC also-ran Ivan Klapper. In the early days of the New Trend, Klapper was a contender for the role of Bill Gaines' right-hand man before being edged out by Al Feldstein. How would EC history have unfolded had things gone differently?

Klapper got his start at EC as an errand boy for M.C. Gaines. After M.C. Gaines died and Bill took over his father's company, Klapper stayed with the company, where he worked as both writer and editor. "We were feeling our way and trying to do something good, but it was never good enough for Al Feldstein.... I felt I was being pushed aside by Al Feldstein. He somehow or other ingratiated himself with Bill, and he could produce—he was very good at producing the product—and he convinced Bill Gaines that he and Bill had the best ideas. There were others there at the time—Gardner Fox and I and others—and we had one or two good ideas that we came up with by ourselves, without Al Feldstein." — David Hadju, The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic Book Scare and How It Changed America. FSG: 2008, p. 74.

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.