Heading:
Author:
Title: WEIRD TALES OF THE FUTURE No. 1
Place Published:
Publisher:Stanley Morse [Indicia: S.P.M. Publications, Inc.]
Date Published: March, 1952
Description:

VG- (3.5). Light spine stress, 1" split at bottom spine, small color rub atop "W" in "WEIRD," top right corner of front cover creased, a few small nicks and surface wear to covers. Cream to off-white pages. Cover: Unknown artist. Art: Ross Andru, Ed Smalle, John Bulthuis. GPAnalysis: A 3.5 sold for $415 in February 2020.

Splash page: woman abducted by aliens and menaced with huge hypodermic needle. According to at least one UFOlogist, the alien abduction motif in comics may have helped trigger a spate of alien abduction claims that followed:

"Hundreds of thousands or millions of Americans believe they have been abducted by aliens.... Paranormal investigators say it all started in the 1940s and '50s. The Space Age was upon us, and sci-fi literature was soaring in popularity with human-alien encounters a recurring theme. In July 1946, Planet Comics ran a strip in which aliens used a luminous tractor beam to kidnap a voluptuous female earthling, whom they called Specimen 9... Dozens of other abduction stories graced the pages of sci-fi novels and comic books... Eventually, sporadic reports of real-life violent interactions with aliens began to surface." — Natalie Wolchover, "The Surprising Origin of Alien Abduction Stories," LiveScience.com, May 11, 2012.

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.