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Author:
Title: MYSTERIOUS STORIES No. 2 * 1st Issue
Place Published:
Publisher:Premier [Indicia: Premier Magazines, Inc.]
Date Published: December-January, 1955
Description:

VG- (3.5). Color rubs at spine, 1/4" split at top spine, 1/8" split at bottom spine, corners slightly rounded, a few short tears and a small creased chip to front cover, short tears and shallow chips to back cover, bottom corner of back cover creased and with tiny chip, staples pulled. Cream pages, light tan edges. Cover: Grand Comics Database has no data, but Overstreet says George Woodbridge. Art: Hy Fleishman, Gerald Altman, A.C. Hollingsworth, Ross Andru? First issue, only pre-Code ish. GPAnalysis: No reported sales in this grade; only two reported sales in any grade, the most recent being a 5.5 that sold for $132 in October 2019.

A ballsy, ill-considered late launch by fly-by-night hustler Premier Magazines, released at just about the time the Comics Code was adopted — the worst possible moment for a fledgling comics publisher to peddle a mystery mag. Premier Magazines is probably best-remembered for its blatant EC imitation HORROR FROM THE TOMB, another late entry in the horror stakes. Whereas Horror from the Tomb was a bald-faced EC clone, MYSTERIOUS STORIES was clearly inspired by MYSTERIOUS ADVENTURES, published by Story, EC's most prolific imitator. This mag's creative line-up features art by Story standbys Hy Fleishman and A.C. Hollingsworth, plus an artist that Grand Comics Database and Overstreet have failed to identify, but who appears to be Story stalwart Ross Andru.

Consignments welcome for PBA's Fall 2022 Comic Book sale. Pre-Code Horror, Golden Age and Silver Age comics, original art, vintage comic-related photos and ephemera sought. Send inquiries to ivan@pbagalleries.com.