Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: Chesler, golden age, Punch Comics

The Prelude to Pre-Code Horror in Punch Comics, Up for Auction

Published Thu, 31 Mar 2022 14:32:10 -0500

We've talked about the fascinating and sometimes weird comics from industry pioneer Harry Chesler several times in recent months. Chesler titles such as Punch Comics, Red Seal Comics, and Spotlight Comics among others run the gamut from crime, superheroes, humor — and often even horror. Although they technically preceded the era that Pre-Code Horror collectors usually focus on (1947-1954), their covers and contents make them impossible to ignore in this context. There's a nice group of horror-tinged Chesler comic books up for auction in the 2022 March 31 The Black Cat Collection and Pre-Code Horror Comics & Comic Art Showcase Auction #40186 at Heritage Auctions.

The cover artist of many of the items on this particular auction list is the distinctive stylist Paul Gattuso. Gattuso worked for Harry Chesler beginning around 1944, on titles such as Dynamic Comics, Punch Comics and Scoop Comics among others. But perhaps his best-remembered work is Black Dwarf who appeared in Spotlight Comics and Red Seal Comics. Notably, in his book Seduction of the Innocent, Fredric Wertham singled out what was originally a Black Dwarf story, published as "Blue Monk" in St. John's Crime Reporter #2, saying, "Children told me what the man was going to do with the red-hot poker."

Historically important for an array of reasons, there's a nice group of horror-themed Chesler comic books up for auction in the 2022 March 31 The Black Cat Collection and Pre-Code Horror Comics & Comic Art Showcase Auction #40186 at Heritage Auctions.

Publisher Harry Chesler circa 1930, photo courtesy of the Chesler family.

Punch Comics #11 (Chesler, 1944) CGC FN+ 6.5 Cream to off-white pages. Jack Cole and Charles Sultan art. Reprints the first appearance of the Sky Chief. Other characters include Master Key (whose origin is retold) and Little Nemo. Just two copies sit above this offering on CGC's current census for the issue. Overstreet 2021 FN 6.0 value = $309; VF 8.0 value = $659. CGC census 3/22: 1 in 6.5, 2 higher.