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Author:
Title: TALES FROM THE CRYPT No. 2 * UK Edition
Place Published: UK
Publisher:ABC [Indicia: Arnold Book Co.]
Date Published: 1954
Description:

CGC certified: VG- (3.5). Off-white pages. Cover: Jack Davis. Plots and scripts: Bill Gaines, Al Feldstein, Harvey Kurtzman. Art: Jack Kamen, Jack Davis, George Evans, Graham Ingels, Reed Crandall, Johnny Craig. Reprints Tales from the Crypt #41 and Crime SuspenStories #19 for the UK market. Black and white contents. CGC Census: Three Blue Label copies, none graded higher than 4.5. GPAnalysis: No recorded sales. PBA sold an unslabbed 2.0 copy last year for $270.

American comics invaded the UK during the Second World War (it's said that huge numbers of comics were used as ballast in ships bound for the UK, then offloaded upon arrival). British parents were concerned about the profusion of violent American comics available to their children, and in 1949 a campaign was launched to eliminate them. The movement struck a nerve, and by 1950, restrictions made it almost impossible to directly import U.S. comics to the British isles.

Enterprising UK publishers found a way to circumvent these restrictions. According to Martin Barker's A Haunt of Fears: The Strange History of the British Horror Comics Campaign, "a small number of publishers started importing the printing matrices, and producing the comics locally with print runs of up to 50,000 per comic." Barker continues: "Their appearance sparked a particularly fiery public reaction, and the Conservative government, late in 1954, introduced a bill to control them. Known as the Children and Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act, it became law in 1955."

A limited edition of 150 softcover and 15 hardcover catalogues is available. 400 lots, fully illustrated. Fun reference, great keepsake. Softcover $30, deluxe hardcover with dust jacket and limitation plate $200. Ten of the 15 hardcovers are pre-ordered and the rest will go quickly, so reserve yours now. To order, contact ivan@pbagalleries.com.

Consignments welcome for PBA's December 2021 Comic Book sale. Top prices for Pre-Code Horror, Golden Age, Silver Age, original art and ephemera. Send inquiries to ivan@pbagalleries.com.