Pre-Code Horror

Comic Book covers produced prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Cover art by William Ekgren

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Cover art by William Ekgren

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Extreme violence cover, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Extreme violence cover, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Skull cover art by George Tuska

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Skull cover art by George Tuska

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Cover art by Matt Fox, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Cover art by Matt Fox, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Pre-code horror Injury-to-Eye panel

Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Pre-code horror Injury-to-Eye panel

Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Decapitation cover

Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Decapitation cover

Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Final issue of Blue Bolt, retitled Ghostly Weird Stories continuing with issue #120

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Final issue of Blue Bolt, retitled Ghostly Weird Stories continuing with issue #120

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Cover art by L.B. Cole

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Cover art by L.B. Cole

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Cover art featuring The Old Witch

Interior biography of Ray Bradbury and story adaptation of 'The Black Ferris'

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Cover art featuring The Old Witch

Interior biography of Ray Bradbury and story adaptation of 'The Black Ferris'

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Cover art by Harry Anderson

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Cover art by Harry Anderson

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Formerly titled Marvel Mystery Comics

New format featuring horror and sci-fi tales

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Formerly titled Marvel Mystery Comics

New format featuring horror and sci-fi tales

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Horror cover, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Horror cover, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Cover art by Matt Fox

Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Cover art by Matt Fox

Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Classic pre-code horror story 'Caterpillar House'

Only two issues of Tormented were released before the Comics Code Authority placed major restrictions on the horror format

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Classic pre-code horror story 'Caterpillar House'

Only two issues of Tormented were released before the Comics Code Authority placed major restrictions on the horror format

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Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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1st appearance of Drusilla, female host of the anthology title

Hanging cover, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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1st appearance of Drusilla, female host of the anthology title

Hanging cover, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Cover art by George Evans, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Cover art by George Evans, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Cover art by Wally Wood

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Cover art by Wally Wood

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Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: a man pours the poison used to kill his wife down the drain and avoids being charged for murder

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Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: a man pours the poison used to kill his wife down the drain and avoids being charged for murder

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Cover art by Don Heck, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Cover art by Don Heck, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Iconic 'Injury to Eye' cover

Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Iconic 'Injury to Eye' cover

Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Morbid cover art by George Evans, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Morbid cover art by George Evans, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Damsel in distress cover, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

Adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (1886), opening story

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Damsel in distress cover, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

Adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (1886), opening story

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Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: a man is severely beaten by the police while the real killer, a high-ranking cop, gets away with murder

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Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: a man is severely beaten by the police while the real killer, a high-ranking cop, gets away with murder

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Cover art by Don Heck

Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Cover art by Don Heck

Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Cover art by Don Heck

Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Cover art by Don Heck

Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Banned cover art that bleakly suggests humanity is nothing but a puppet show performed by ghoulish parental archetypes where the father is brainless and the mother is sadistic

Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Banned cover art that bleakly suggests humanity is nothing but a puppet show performed by ghoulish parental archetypes where the father is brainless and the mother is sadistic

Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Horror cover, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Horror cover, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Cover art depicting graphic horror

One of nine comics banned by Congress

One of many examples during this era of an eye injury that adds value to a cover similar to: 'headlights' 'bondage' 'Nazis' and other recurring taboos

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Cover art depicting graphic horror

One of nine comics banned by Congress

One of many examples during this era of an eye injury that adds value to a cover similar to: 'headlights' 'bondage' 'Nazis' and other recurring taboos

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Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Demon cover, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Demon cover, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Cover art by L.B. Cole

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Cover art by L.B. Cole

Ghost Comics #6

Fiction House ⋅ 1953

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Price Trend

Low

$110

Mid

$3.1k

High

$11k

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Bondage cover

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Bondage cover

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Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Bondage cover, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Bondage cover, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Iconic cover art by Wally Wood, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Iconic cover art by Wally Wood, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Cover art by Ken Bald, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Cover art by Ken Bald, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Cover art by Alex Schomburg

Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

Considered to be the most valuable non-superhero comic book

✅ Nick's Picks: Tap the KICKSTARTER link above to check out the Pre-Code Horror Facsimile Collection Kickstarter that ends in under 24 hours

This historical collection of recreations that spurred the Comics Code Authority ban on extreme horror in comics displays even the 10c cover price and original ads

Over 1,000 collectors have pledged over $300k to the Kickstarter goal which ends soon

This is an unpaid promotion

Key Facts

Cover art by Alex Schomburg

Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

Considered to be the most valuable non-superhero comic book

✅ Nick's Picks: Tap the KICKSTARTER link above to check out the Pre-Code Horror Facsimile Collection Kickstarter that ends in under 24 hours

This historical collection of recreations that spurred the Comics Code Authority ban on extreme horror in comics displays even the 10c cover price and original ads

Over 1,000 collectors have pledged over $300k to the Kickstarter goal which ends soon

This is an unpaid promotion

Lawbreakers Suspense Stories #11

Charlton ⋅ 1953

View Details

Lawbreakers Suspense Stories #11

Charlton ⋅ 1953

View Details

Low

$1.2k

Mid

$4k

High

$12k

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Pre-code horror cover referred to as the 'Tongue Bouquet' cover

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Pre-code horror cover referred to as the 'Tongue Bouquet' cover

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Cover art by Bernard Baily

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Cover art by Bernard Baily

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Cover art by Bernard Baily

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Cover art by Bernard Baily

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Horror cover, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Horror cover, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Cover art by Bernard Baily

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Cover art by Bernard Baily

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Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Iconic cover art by L.B. Cole

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Iconic cover art by L.B. Cole

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Cover art by L.B. Cole

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Cover art by L.B. Cole

	Publisher	Low	Mid	High
Weird Horrors #7	St. John	$200	$800	$2k
Shocking Mystery Cases #51	Star	$2.8k	$960	$2.8k
Bulls-Eye Comics #11	Chesler Dynamic	$1k	$3k	$10k
Chilling Tales #17	Youthful	$230	$815	$2.3k
The Thing #16	Charlton	$35	$115	$350
Weird Mysteries #6	Stanley Morse	$650	$1.9k	$6.5k
Haunt of Fear #7	EC	$90	$315	$950
This Magazine Is Haunted #7	Fawcett	$125	$410	$1.2k
Blue Bolt #119	Funnies Inc.	$400	$1.2k	$4k
Thrilling Crime Cases #49	Star	$575	$1.5k	$5.8k
Haunt of Fear #18	EC	$140	$475	$1.4k
Strange Tales #28	Marvel	$900	$2.8k	$9.5k
Marvel Tales #93	Marvel	$300	$1k	$3k
Beware! Terror Tales #8	Fawcett	$215	$765	$2.2k
Chilling Tales #15	Youthful	$850	$4.5k	$11.9k
Tormented #1	Sterling	$650	$1.8k	$6.5k
Crime Suspenstories #21	EC	$90	$315	$925
Vault of Horror #37	EC	$120	$400	$1.2k
Baffling Mysteries #7	Ace	$385	$1.2k	$3.9k
Crime Suspenstories #23	EC	$255	$725	$2.2k
Eerie #3	Avon	$120	$400	$1.2k
Crime Suspenstories #19	EC	$160	$525	$1.6k
Weird Terror #3	Comic Media	$210	$815	$2.1k
Mister Mystery #12	Media Pub.	$2k	$8k	$22k
Crime Suspenstories #24	EC	$115	$440	$1.5k
Startling Terror Tales #10	Star	$180	$600	$1.8k
Shock Suspenstories #4	EC	$80	$250	$875
Horrific #5	Comic Media	$150	$500	$1.5k
Horrific #4	Comic Media	$420	$1.1k	$4.2k
Horrific #2	Comic Media	$350	$1.4k	$3.5k
Horrific #1	Comic Media	$625	$1.8k	$6.2k
Tomb of Terror #15	Harvey	$1.6k	$5.7k	$19k
Menace #9	Atlas	$200	$860	$2.8k
Startling Terror Tales #5	Star	$650	$1.9k	$6.5k
Blue Bolt #115	Funnies Inc.	$1k	$3k	$10k
Power Comics #3	Holyoke	$660	$1.9k	$6.8k
Ghost Comics #6	Fiction House	$110	$3.1k	$11k
Weird Mysteries #5	Stanley Morse	$2.3k	$9.4k	$23k
Tales From the Crypt #41	EC	$150	$500	$1.5k
Shock Suspenstories #6	EC	$460	$1.8k	$4.6k
Forbidden Worlds #24	ACG	$150	$500	$1.5k
Suspense Comics #3	Continental	$26k	$72k	$200k
Lawbreakers Suspense Stories #11	Charlton	$1.2k	$4k	$12k
Weird Chills #1	Key	$400	$1.2k	$4k
Weird Chills #2	Key	$285	$880	$3.2k
Horrific #3	Comic Media	$830	$2.2k	$8.3k
Weird Chills #3	Key	$200	$800	$2k
Dynamic Comics #8	Chesler Dynamic	$6k	$180k	$60k
Suspense Comics #8	Continental	$1.2k	$4k	$12k
Suspense Comics #11	Continental	$1.2k	$4.2k	$12.5k

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Pre-Code Horror

Pre-Code Horror

Weird Horrors #7

St. John ⋅ 1953

Weird Horrors #7

St. John ⋅ 1953

Key Facts

Cover art by William Ekgren

Key Facts

Cover art by William Ekgren

Shocking Mystery Cases #51

Star ⋅ 1952

Shocking Mystery Cases #51

Star ⋅ 1952

Key Facts

Extreme violence cover, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Extreme violence cover, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

Bulls-Eye Comics #11

Chesler Dynamic ⋅ 1944

Bulls-Eye Comics #11

Chesler Dynamic ⋅ 1944

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Skull cover art by George Tuska

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Skull cover art by George Tuska

Chilling Tales #17

Youthful ⋅ 1953

Chilling Tales #17

Youthful ⋅ 1953

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Cover art by Matt Fox, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Cover art by Matt Fox, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

The Thing #16

Charlton ⋅ 1954

The Thing #16

Charlton ⋅ 1954

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Pre-code horror Injury-to-Eye panel

Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Pre-code horror Injury-to-Eye panel

Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

Weird Mysteries #6

Stanley Morse ⋅ 1953

Weird Mysteries #6

Stanley Morse ⋅ 1953

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Decapitation cover

Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Decapitation cover

Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

Haunt of Fear #7

EC ⋅ 1951

Haunt of Fear #7

EC ⋅ 1951

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Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

This Magazine Is Haunted #7

Fawcett ⋅ 1952

This Magazine Is Haunted #7

Fawcett ⋅ 1952

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Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

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Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

Blue Bolt #119

Funnies Inc. ⋅ 1953

Blue Bolt #119

Funnies Inc. ⋅ 1953

Key Facts

Final issue of Blue Bolt, retitled Ghostly Weird Stories continuing with issue #120

Key Facts

Final issue of Blue Bolt, retitled Ghostly Weird Stories continuing with issue #120

Thrilling Crime Cases #49

Star ⋅ 1952