Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: Ace Magazines, Challenge of the Unknown

The NY Legislature Hated 1950s Challenge of the Unknown #6, at Auction

Ace's Challenge of the Unknown #6 was supposed to level-up their PCH line, running afoul of the NY State Legislature in the process.

Published Tue, 11 Jul 2023 11:48:12 -0500

by Jeremy Konrad

Last updated Wed, 23 Oct 2024 08:41:57 -0500

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Article Summary

Ace Magazines' Challenge of the Unknown #6 is a rare one-shot from 1950, notorious for its graphic cover art.
Highlighted by the NY Legislature, the comic stirred controversy with depictions of crime and violence.
The issue included a chilling story of an atomic scientist's brain in a killer's body, ahead of its time in horror.

Ace Magazines published Challenge of the Unknown #6 in 1950, and for reasons discussed elsewhere, it is a one-shot. The book continued the numbering from the series Love Experiences from 1949, and was rebooted as The Beyond. This one is also controversial for the decapitated heads that can be seen in two places on the cover, and it also has a story about an atomic scientist's brain transferred into a mindless, powerful hulking killer's body which seems quite familiar from our modern perspective. Many of the stories in this book have been reprinted, but not with such a unique and cool-looking horror cover. There's a very solid VG condition copy of Challenge of the Unknown #6 (Ace Magazines Inc., 1950) up for auction in the 2024 October 24 – 25 Pre-Code Horror & Crime Comics Showcase Auction #40272 at Heritage Auctions.

Challenge of the Unknown #6 (Ace Magazines Inc., 1950)

Challenge of the Unknown #6 ended up in a 1951 Report of the New York State Joint Legislative Committee to Study the Publication of Comics. The Joint Legislative Committee depicted panels and pages from a number of comics in this report, placing their examples into three groups:

Brutality, violence and crime.
Drawings which depict ways of bodily injury, plans for commission of crime and unlawful breakings.
Sexually suggestive cartoons and in some instances semi hidden pornography.

In the section giving examples for the "brutality, violence and crime" group, the report shows the splash page from the story Villa of the Vampire with artwork by Lin Streeter.

The Ace Magazines Pre-Code Horror Era Levels Up

"Challenge of the Unknown #6 (Ace Magazines Inc., 1950) Condition: VG. Decapitation cover. "Villa of the Vampire" story used in the New York Joint Legislative Committee Publication. Mike Sekowsky art. The top staple is popped from the back cover, and there is some water damage. Overstreet 2022 VG 4.0 value = $116 "Villa of the Vampire" splash panel appears on page #48 of the "Report of the New York State Joint Legislative Committee to Study the Publication of Comics", March 1951. In order of appearance: "High Priestess of the Snake People" reprinted in Hand of Fate (1951 Ace) #19 and in Snake Tales: The Chilling Archives of Horror Comics HC (2016 IDW) #1-1ST; "True Tales of the Supernatural #1" reprinted with CCA alterations as "True Tales of Unexplained Mystery #55" in Web of Mystery (1951) #29; "The Ghost in the Portrait" reprinted in Baffling Mysteries (1952) #18; "True Tales of the Supernatural #2"; "Villa of the Vampire" art by Lin Streeter, reprinted in Web of Mystery (1951) #19; and "No Grave to Hold Him" art by Mike Sekowsky, reprinted in Web of Mystery (1951) #21. "Unburied Dead" text story reprinted in Hand of Fate (1951 Ace) #8. Indicia states "CHALLENGE OF THE UNKNOWN (Formerly Love Experiences)". 36 pages. Full color. Cover price $0.10."

There's a very solid VG condition copy of Challenge of the Unknown #6 (Ace Magazines Inc., 1950) up for auction in the 2024 October 24 – 25 Pre-Code Horror & Crime Comics Showcase Auction #40272 at Heritage Auctions.