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Kansas City Massacre, L.B. Cole's All-Famous Police Cases 8 at Auction

L.B. Cole depicts a scene from the Kansas City Massacre on the cover of All-Famous Police Cases #8, for a story on the career of organized crime's Johnny Lazia.

All-Famous Police Cases #8 (1952, Star Publications) contains a number of stories, but it's easy to see why L.B. Cole chose "Killer's Revenge" as the cover feature. The story of the rise and fall of real-life prohibition-era Kansas City, Missouri organized crime figure Johnny Lazia stands out even in this early-1950s era with true crime comics at their peak. Lazia's notorious reputation and violent end made for perfect fodder for the lurid true crime comic book era, while Cole's blazing, high-contrast cover depicts a turning point in Lazia's career, an incident involving Pretty Boy Floyd known to history as the Kansas City Massacre. This particular copy is noteworthy not only for its cover and stories but also for its exceptional condition, being the top-graded copy on the CGC census. There's a CGC VF/NM 9.0 Off-white pages copy of All-Famous Police Cases #8 up for auction in the 2025 June 26 – 29 Comic & Comic Art Signature Auction at Heritage Auctions.

The story of Johnny Lazia, also known as Brother John, is a classic tale of American organized crime during the Prohibition era. Lazia rose to infamy in Kansas City, Missouri, becoming a key figure within the Pendergast political machine. He controlled gambling, bootlegging, and various other illicit activities, earning a reputation for his ruthless enforcement tactics, which he softened in the public eye with acts of charity.  Lazia reached a turning point in his career due to his role in attempting to free bank robber Frank Nash from police custody in 1933. The plan went horribly awry, resulting in the death of four police officers and Nash himself, an incident which became known as the Kansas City Massacre.  Due to the fallout from this, the Pendergast machine started backing a competitor, and gunmen wielding submachine guns ambushed Lazia in front of the Park Central Hotel in 1934.

This dramatic rise and fall made Lazia a prime subject for the true crime comic book era when this story originally appeared in Victor Fox's Murder Incorporated #12 (July 1949), and was then picked up by L.B. Cole and his partner Gerhard Kramer for use by Star Publications a short time later.  It's an excellent example of L.B. Cole's eye for capturing the perfect moment for a cover calculated to grab the attention of potential buyers on a crowded newsstand.  The cover of All-Famous Police Cases #8, with its stark imagery of the Kansas City Massacre, still grabs attention among collectors today, and the highest-graded CGC VF/NM 9.0 copy is up for auction in the 2025 June 26 – 29 Comic & Comic Art Signature Auction at Heritage Auctions.

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