JOURNEY INTO UNKNOWN WORLDS #36 * 1st Ish * CGC 2.5 *

Heading:
Author:
Title: JOURNEY INTO UNKNOWN WORLDS No. 36 [1st Issue]
Place Published:
Publisher:Atlas [Indicia: Western Fiction Publishing Co., Inc.]
Date Published: September, 1950
Description:

CGC certified: Good+ (2.5). Cream to off-white pages. Cover: Russ Heath? No script credits. Art: Russ Heath, Sol Brodsky, Vern Henkel? First issue (formerly Teen Comics). "Unknown Worlds" in indicia. End of the world cover and story. GPAnalysis.com: No reported sales in this grade. A 3.0 sold for $200 in March 2020.

Before morphing into a sci-fi title, this mag started life as a teen humor vehicle in the Archie Comics tradition. Soon, the soggy sci-fi market would necessitate a shift to terror tales:

"Even a series that didn't start out as a horror comic might evolve into one. Venus pirouetted from romantic escapades to science fiction to tussling with gargoyles and living skeletons. Even before science-fiction title Journey Into Unknown Worlds metamorphosed into a horror comic... lackluster sales left Martin Goodman with a long-lasted distrust of science-fiction comics." Roy Thomas, 75 Years of Marvel: From the Golden Age to the Silver Screen. Taschen: 2014, p. 120.

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.