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Weird Menace: The 1930s rise of the Shudder Pulps followed by the rise of the forces that ended them and transformed horror on the newsstand.
Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: frank frazetta, pre-code horror
Sid Check & Frank Frazetta Pre-Code Horror on Beware, Up for Auction
Frank Frazetta is perhaps the most famous and acclaimed fantasy artist of the past century, and the number of iconic and very well-known covers he produced during his lifetime is seemingly endless. Even casual fans are familiar with pieces like Egyptian Queen and the Vampirella #1 cover. If there's such a thing as an obscure comic book cover that Frazetta had a hand in, the cover of Beware #10 might just be it. Frazetta inked this one over Sid Check's pencils, but Frazetta's hand is still unmistakable here. That's just one example of the little-known surprises to be found in Trojan Publishing's Beware series, and you can get a solid copy of Beware #10 featuring the Check/Frazetta cover, plus 11 issues of the 18-issue run up for auction in the 2022 October 27 – 28 Halloween Pre-Code Horror and Crime Comics Showcase Auction #40207 at Heritage Auctions.
Trojan Publishing was originally formed by Harry Donenfeld to publish The Lone Ranger Magazine in 1937. Donenfeld, best remembered for becoming a co-owner of DC Comics, had his hand in a number of other comic book publishers throughout the 1940s and early 1950s. Youthful Publications was another part of this constellation of publishing companies with loose connections to Donenfeld. One principal of the company, William Friedman, had acted as Donenfeld's lawyer on numerous occasions, while another, Adrian Lopez, had previously co-founded a magazine publisher with Donenfeld. Comic book titles sometimes shifted between various parts of this constellation, and the Pre-Code Horror title Beware was one of these.
The Beware run is notable in part for containing early art from notorious comics industry figure Myron Fass, who would later be involved in his own string of historically interesting newsstand publishing operations. A talented and noteworthy artist during this era, Fass is best remembered for a number of other exploits in publishing during later decades. In 1966, Fass's MF Enterprises published a character using the name Captain Marvel, prompting a legal battle between him and Marvel's Martin Goodman, over the use of the word "Marvel". Goodman eventually settled the suit. Fass also used names such as Plastic Man and Dr. Fate, prompting a legal response from DC Comics as well.
Around this same time, Fass leaned into his horror comics history by partnering with Stanley R. Harris to launch horror magazine publisher Eerie Publications. Fass and Harris would eventually split up after some legendarily pointed disputes, reportedly, with both men going on to develop newsstand magazine empires. Harris of course launched Harris Publications, while Fass's Countrywide Publications put out a range of classic 1970s/80s newsstand fodder ranging from UFO and wrestling magazines to gun magazines.
For his part, Check is a little-known figure in comics history who collaborated with two industry legends in Frazetta and Wally Wood during his relatively brief time in the comics industry. A title that can include work from the likes of Frazetta, Fass, Jay Disbrow, Henry Kiefer, and others is worth your attention no matter how obscure that title is, and you can get a solid copy of Beware #10 featuring the Check/Frazetta cover, plus 11 issues of the 18-issue run up for auction in the 2022 October 27 – 28 Halloween Pre-Code Horror and Crime Comics Showcase Auction #40207 at Heritage Auctions. If you've never bid at Heritage Auctions before, you can get further information, you can check out their FAQ on the bidding process and related matters.
Beware #10 (Trojan, 1954) CGC VG/FN 5.0 Cream to off-white pages. Classic Frank Frazetta and Sid Check cover. Hanging panels. Check, Henry Kiefer, and Jay Disbrow art. Overstreet 2022 VG 4.0 value = $686; FN 6.0 value = $1,029. CGC census 10/22: 6 in 5.0, 10 higher.
CGC Grader Notes:
Left Top Front Cover Small Crease Breaks Color
Top Back Cover Large Crease Breaks Color
Top Front Cover Small Tear Breaks Color
Top Interior Cover Tanning
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