Heading:
Author:
Title: TALES OF HORROR No. 3
Place Published:
Publisher:Toby [Indicia: Minoan Publishing Corp.]
Date Published: November, 1952
Description:

CGC certified: VG+ (4.5) Purple Label (Restored). Restoration includes: small amount of color touch on cover. Off-white to white pages. Cover: Myron Fass (snake vignette: Mel Keefer). Art: Myron Fass, Mel Keefer, Ben Brown, David Gantz. CGC Census: 15 copies total (14 Blue Label, one Purple). GPAnalysis: No Purple Label sales. Closest result: Blue Label 4.0 sold for $138 in 2020.

The phallic double-whammy of a giant serpent coiled around the Empire State Building was Toby's most memorable contribution to the world of pre-Code horror. The image was so effective that it was revived and given full-cover treatment in Tales of Horror #8.

On the subject of snakes, cover artist Myron Fass was one of the seediest figures in the semi-legitimate publishing world of the 1970s. At his lowlife peak, Fass cranked out tons of trashy rags including True Sex Crimes, Confidential Sex Report, Groupie Rock, Violent World, etc. His cover blurbs were epics of bad taste: "Peanut Farmer Turns DAUGHTER INTO DOG," "Killer Rapist... GETS JOLLIES OFF ON DEAD GIRL," "Negro Girl's Ordeal: CHAINED AND FORCED TO SUBMIT TO WHITE PERVERTS." An erratic man known to carry a gun to work, Fass become paranoid and reclusive, dying in Florida in 2006.

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.