JOURNEY INTO FEAR #4 * CGC 3.5 * Eyes Without a FACE *

Heading:
Author:
Title: JOURNEY INTO FEAR No. 4
Place Published:
Publisher:Superior [Indicia: Superior Publishers Limited]
Date Published: November, 1951
Description:

CGC certified: VG- (3.5). Cream to off-white pages. Cover, scripts and art by Iger Studio talent. William Zimmerman, publisher. Ruth Roche, editor. Freakshow story. GPAnalysis: A 3.5 sold for $168 in April 2020.

Superior's publisher, lawyer William Zimmerman, is a poorly-documented figure who emerges dimly through the haze of comics history as a sort of low-budget William M. Gaines. Zimmerman's publishing career mirrors Gaines's in several ways. Both men published three horror titles, both attempted to defend their comics against hostile critics in government hearings, and both of their attempts backfired badly. Zimmerman, however, got chastised by the Canadian Senate a full five years before Gaines' disastrous appearance before the 1954 Senate Subcommittee Hearing on Juvenile Delinquency.

"Like their counterparts in the United States, Canadian senators in the 1949 hearings showed sympathy for the businessman's position as long as the debate concentrated on intangibles such as freedom of speech and psychology. However, when William Zimmerman of Superior Comics, present to defend crime comics, showed examples, he sealed the fate of Bill 10 which outlawed crime and horror comics. Afterwards, Zimmerman defied Bill 10, starting a racy crime comic book and acquiring rights to Bill Gaines' line of New Trend E.C. Comics." — J. Lent (ed.), Pulp Demons: International Dimensions of the Anti-Comics Campaign. Farleigh Dickinson: 1999, p. 27.

A limited edition of 150 softcover and 15 hardcover catalogues is available. 400 lots, fully illustrated. Fun reference, great keepsake. Softcover $30, deluxe hardcover with dust jacket and limitation plate $200. Ten of the 15 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 December 2021 Comic Book sale. Top prices for Pre-Code Horror, Golden Age, Silver Age, original art and ephemera. Send inquiries to ivan@pbagalleries.com.