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Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: Carl Burgos, pre-code horror
Carl Burgos does Pre-Code Horror in Haunted Thrills #13, at Auction
Haunted Thrills 13 features a classic PCH skull cover, & a great interior story that backs it up, plus work by Human Torch creator Carl Burgos
Article Summary
- Haunted Thrills #13 boasts a classic Pre-Code Horror skull cover with an unforgettable eerie design.
- Featuring a spine-tingling story, "Rendezvous with Doom" follows a man's chilling pursuit of Death itself.
- The issue includes art by Human Torch creator Carl Burgos, adding to its collectible appeal.
It's a shame that the cover artist of Haunted Thrills #13 is unknown because the skeletal in-your-face symbol of death on this PCH classic is driving the petrified couple in the backseat of that car straight to Hell. Throw in some equally creepy interior stories like "Death Do Us Part" featuring a supernatural baboon and a story by Human Torch creator Carl Burgos called "Experiment in Terror," and you've got the makings of a Pre-Code Horror classic which was published just in time before the moral panic whipped up by Fredric Wertham and a Senate Subcommittee ended the fun and virtually shut down the horror comics genre. A PCH thriller that combines a creepy skull cover with equally bizarre interior stories, there's a CGC VF+ 8.5 Off-white pages copy of Haunted Thrills #13 (Farrell, 1954) up for auction in the 2024 October 24 – 25 Pre-Code Horror & Crime Comics Showcase Auction #40272 at Heritage Auctions.
But the interior tale "Rendezvous with Doom" might be the stand-out of the issue, because it provides something that not all PCH comics do — the story behind the cover. In this psychologically spooky little drama, a man who has everything ends up becoming obsessed with a woman he seemingly cannot have. He chases her as her car plummets over the side of a cliff, but still, he can't find her. Ultimately, he discovers that he has been pursuing Death herself. It's a well-crafted story by creators unknown that is worthy of that spectacular cover. Judging by its CGC Census numbers, Haunted Thrills #13 is even tougher than many classic PCH comics, but there's a CGC VF+ 8.5 Off-white pages copy of Haunted Thrills #13 (Farrell, 1954) up for auction in the 2024 October 24 – 25 Pre-Code Horror & Crime Comics Showcase Auction #40272 at Heritage Auctions.
Haunted Thrills #13 (Farrell, 1954) CGC VF+ 8.5 Off-white pages. Skull cover. Carl Burgos art. To date, just a single copy of the issue has been given a higher grade by CGC. Overstreet 2024 VF 8.0 value = $362; VF/NM 9.0 value = $619. CGC census 10/24: 2 in 8.5, 1 higher.
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