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Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: atlas, marvel, pre-code horror
The Vampire/Werewolf Mix-Up in Marvel's Astonishing #32, at Auction
The Marvel/Atlas title Astonishing started life with the name Marvel Boy in 1950, with the series being renamed Astonishing with the third issue. While the series still featured the Marvel Boy character until issue #6 (although his last cover on the title was with Astonishing #5), the rebooted series took a clear and harder turn towards horror. The Pre-Code portion of this run includes some frankly incredible PCH covers, and artist Harry Anderson's werewolf cover is considered a stand-out by collectors. A difficult-to-get issue from a classic Marvel/Atlas Pre-Code Horror title, there's an Astonishing #32 (Atlas, 1954) CGC FN 6.0 Cream to off-white pages 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 ever looked at the cover art here, with its blurb "The Vampire Takes a Wife!" and thought to yourself that the character drawn by Anderson looks more like a werewolf than a vampire, you're not alone. And it seems that a mistake was made somewhere along the line in the editorial process here. The cover is clearly meant to represent the interior story "The Werewolf Takes a Wife" by artist Paul Reinman. In that story, a werewolf takes refuge in a Texas farmhouse to avoid locals who are hunting him. He eventually settles into a friendly relationship with the family and ultimately marries the farmer's daughter. It's a nice little story that perhaps seems more suited to a vampire than a werewolf, which makes one wonder if that was the original idea, thus leading to the cover blurb confusion.
Regardless, it's a classic cover that serves as a nice companion Pre-Code Marvel/Atlas companion to the more famous Werewolf by Night cover of Marvel Tales #116 from the prior year. A tough-to-get PCH Marvel/Atlas issue that's always in demand, there's an Astonishing #32 (Atlas, 1954) CGC FN 6.0 Cream to off-white pages 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.
Astonishing #32 (Atlas, 1954) CGC FN 6.0 Cream to off-white pages. Contains the story "The Vampire Takes a Wife." Harry Anderson cover. Paul Reinman art. Overstreet 2022 FN 6.0 value = $108. CGC census 10/22: 3 in 6.0, 3 higher.
CGC Grader Notes:
color lift right bottom of front cover
stain right bottom of front cover
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