Rucker Publications' Rocket Man Comics features Gus Ricca's comic artist nightmare cover from the highly sought-after Punch Comics #9.
Vintage Paper Archives
The road that led Al Rucker to comic publishing took a number of twists and turns, including circus acrobat, map maker, bootlegger, and muckraker.
With Jack Kamen art not seen on a U.S. cover, Bell Features' 4Most #22 features Blue Beetle and Goldie the chorus girl.
Gus Ricca's iconic Dr. Doom piece from the cover of Dynamic Comics #11 was also used for Canadian comic The Weekender v2 #1 from Rucker.
On the trail of the obscure history of the Arthur Gontier era of 10 Story Book, a mystery involving Ziff-Davis founder William B. Davis emerges.
Lou Fine's Rex Dexter cover for Mystery Men Comics #2 is an early example from an artist who helped define science fiction art during comics' Golden Age.
Marvel's original Werewolf by Night story appeared in Marvel Tales #116, cover-dated July 1953 in a Pre-Code Horror classic.
Turn of the century Chicago saloon owner Patrick H. Grimes was reportedly a notorious figure in the city's gambling scene, and also an owner of 10 Story Book.
Magazine and Pulp pioneer Louis Eckstein launched important titles Red Book and Blue Book and had an expansive career beyond the newsstand.
Artist/writer Charles Quinlan transformed the character Cat-Man with a series launch that is highly regarded by Golden Age collectors today.
Shock Gibson debuted in Speed Comics #1 by going up against a would-be dictator with an army of zombies at his disposal.
The story behind long running fiction magazine 10 Story Book runs through a number of Chicago newspaper and business institutions.
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.
L.B. Cole produced a number of stand-out Pre-Code Horror covers during his Star Publications era.
This Magazine is Haunted #16 (Charlton, 1954) features the second-ever Steve Ditko cover, and the highest-graded copy is up for auction. #Ditko #sponsored
Superior Comics' 1951-1955 Pre-Code Horror title Strange Mysteries featured stand-out art from Iger Studio, including Matt Baker.
The "Death Wheel" in 1952's Tim Holt #30 cover by Frank Bolle has long been a matter of interest to people who research the Zodiac killer.
Hillman hired Crime Does Not Pay creators Charles Biro and Bob Wood to launch Clue Comics for them, but it seems not to have worked as planned.
Testifying before a Senate Subcommittee seems to have made publisher William K. Friedman angry, because his subsequent comics like Fight Against Crime pushed boundaries even more.
Avon's 1947 Eerie Comics #1 is considered the first Pre-Code Horror comic book, and the publisher eventually battled Ziff-Davis over their own Eerie Adventures.
Crime Does Not Pay is perhaps the most notorious title in American comic book history, and issue #24 is one of its most notorious issues.
The Challenger was a four issue series from 1945-1946 designed to fight prejudice and discrimination featuring work by Joe Kubert and others.
One of the most sought-after Pre-Code Horror comics, Bill Everett's cover for Venus #19 is a fitting reflection of the "Kiss of Death."
Venus #18 (Marvel, 1952) is sought after for Bill Everett's phenomenally creepy cover, but Everett also revisits the ocean depths here in a way that foreshadows Submariner's return in Fantastic Four #4.
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.
In an important moment for Pre-Code Horror, American Comics Group and Ace Magazines waged a war involving the usage of "Unknown."
Crime Reporter #1 is a classic late-1940s crime comic featuring a villain named Dr. Morphine and an exclusive spot called Zombie Club.
Journey into Unknown Worlds #28 appears to be the last time a zombie appeared on a Marvel cover for 19 years. The highest-graded CGC 8.5 copy is up for auction.
The creature on Norman Saunders' Stories from Another World #4 cover may look like a zombie, but it turns out to be something even worse.
Legendary artist Don Heck created many memorable covers over the years, but his cover for 1953's Horrific #3 might be his most infamous.