November 1953 - December 1953

Personal Love #24

To read the Frank Frazetta-illustrated story referenced below, click here.

The comic includes the story “A Love of My Own,” illustrated by Frank Frazetta. The cover is a publicity photograph for the movie Vicki. The actors are Elliott Reid & Jeanne Crain. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Eastern Color (Famous Funnies). Cover/indicia date: November 1953. Cover price: 10¢.

Note

The exact publication date is unknown. No copyright registration appears to have been filed.

Mad #9.

Published on November 1, 1953. Edited by Harvey Kurtzman. The comic includes these stories: “Little Orphan Melvin!,” by Harvey Kurtzman & Wallace Wood; “The Raven,” by Harvey Kurtzman & Will Elder; “Bop Jokes!,” by Harvey Kurtzman & John Severin; and “Hah! Noon!,” by Harvey Kurtzman & Jack Davis . Cover illustration by Harvey Kurtzman. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Educational Comics (E. C.). Cover/indicia date: February-March 1954. Cover price: 10¢.

Note

“The Raven” adapts the poem by Edgar Allan Poe.

Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories, Vol. 14, No. 3 (#159).

Published on November 3, 1953. Edited by Alice Nielson Cobb. The comic includes the Donald Duck story “Wispy Willie,” by Carl Barks. Cover illustration by Carl Barks. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 52 pages. New York: Dell. Cover/indicia date: December 1953. Cover price: 10¢.

Dick Tracy Comics Monthly #71.

Published on November 10, 1953. Edited by Leon Harvey. The comic features material originally published in Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy daily newspaper strip. Cover illustration by Joe Simon. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Harvey. Cover/indicia date: January 1954. Cover price: 10¢.

Marge’s Little Lulu #66.

Published on November 10, 1953. Edited by Helen Meyer. The comic includes the Little Lulu stories “The Explorers,” “Santa’s Snowman,” “The Spider Spins Again,” “The Yo-Yo Snowball,” “Ol’ Witch Hazel and the Golden Eggs,” and the Tubby story “Prisoner of War,” all by John Stanley & Irving Tripp. Cover illustration by John Stanley. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 52 pages. New York: Dell. Cover/indicia date: December 1953. Cover price: 10¢.

The Haunt of Fear #23.

Published on November 15, 1953. Edited by Albert B. Feldstein. The comic includes these stories: “Creep Course,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Graham “Ghastly” Ingels, with William M. Gaines; “No Silver Atoll!,” by Albert B. Feldstein & George Evans, with William M. Gaines; “Hansel and Gretel!,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Jack Kamen, with William M. Gaines; and “Country Clubbing!,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Jack Davis, with William M. Gaines. Cover illustration by Graham “Ghastly” Ingels. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Fables (E. C.). Cover/indicia date: January-February 1954. Cover price: 10¢.

Thrilling Romances #24.

To read the Alex Toth-illustrated story referenced below, click here.

Published on November 20, 1953. The comic includes the story “Ring on Her Finger,” illustrated by Alex Toth, with Mike Peppe. The cover photograph is a publicity still from the film Houdini. The actors are Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. Meriden, CT: Standard. Cover/indicia date: January 1954. Cover price: 10¢.

Marge’s Tubby #7.

Published on November 24, 1953. Edited by Helen Meyer. The comic includes the stories “The Fountain of Youth,” “The Runaway Statue,” “Camping In,” and “The Guest in the Ghost Hotel,” all by John Stanley. Cover illustration by John Stanley. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Dell. Cover/indicia date: January-March 1954. Cover price: 10¢.

Shock SuspenStories #13.

Published on November 24, 1953. Edited by Albert B. Feldstein. The comic includes these stories: “Only Skin-Deep,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Jack Kamen, with William M. Gaines; “Blood-Brothers,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Wallace Wood, with William M. Gaines; “Upon Reflection,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Reed Crandall, with William M. Gaines; and “Squeeze Play,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Frank Frazetta, with William M. Gaines and Al Williamson. Cover illustration by Jack Kamen. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Tiny Tot (E. C.). Cover/indicia date: February-March 1954. Cover price: 10¢.

Famous Funnies #209

Cover illustration by Frank Frazetta. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Eastern Color (Famous Funnies). Cover/indicia date: December 1953. Cover price: 10¢.

Note

The exact publication date is unknown. No copyright registration appears to have been filed.

Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories, Vol. 14, No. 4 (#160).

Published on December 1, 1953. Edited by Alice Nielson Cobb. The comic includes the Donald Duck story “The Hammy Camel,” by Carl Barks. Cover illustration by Carl Barks. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 52 pages. New York: Dell. Cover/indicia date: January 1954. Cover price: 10¢.

Intimate Love #26.

To read the Alex Toth-illustrated story referenced below, click here.

Published on December 4, 1953. The comic includes the story “Lonesome for Kisses,” illustrated by Alex Toth, with Mike Peppe. The cover photographer and actors are unknown. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. Meridien, CT: Standard. Cover/indicia date: February 1954. Cover price: 10¢.

Marge’s Little Lulu #67.

Published on December 8, 1953. Edited by Helen Meyer. The comic includes the Little Lulu stories “The Dolly’s Ghost,” “Good Little Citizen,” “Gran’ma Jones,” “The Case of the Disappearing Drums,” “Best-Dressed Boy,” “That Ol’ Witch Hazel and the Trip to the Moon,” and the Tubby story “Kite Flight,” all by John Stanley & Irving Tripp. Cover illustration by Irving Tripp. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 52 pages. New York: Dell. Cover/indicia date: February 1954. Cover price: 10¢.

Pogo Possum #15.

Published on December 8, 1953. Edited by Chase Craig. The comic includes the Pogo stories “Teeth for Two” and “The Deaf Toll,” the Howland and Churchy story “The Semi-Mental Gentlemints,” and the Albert the Alligator story “Letter from Wallet Kelly,” all by Walt Kelly. Cover illustration by Walt Kelly. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Dell. Cover/indicia date: January-March 1954. Cover price: 10¢.

Dick Tracy Comics Monthly #72.

Published on December 10, 1953. Edited by Leon Harvey. The comic features material originally published in Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy daily newspaper strip. Cover illustration by Joe Simon. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Harvey. Cover/indicia date: February 1954. Cover price: 10¢.

Popular Romance #27.

To read the Alex Toth-illustrated story referenced below, click here.

Published on December 11, 1953. The comic includes the story “Heartbreak Moon,” illustrated by Alex Toth, with Mike Peppe. The cover photograph is a publicity still from the film From Here to Eternity. The actors are Donna Reed & Montgomery Clift. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. Meridien, CT: Better (Standard). Cover/indicia date: February 1954. Cover price: 10¢.

Crime SuspenStories #21.

Published on December 15, 1953. Edited by Albert B. Feldstein. The comic includes the following stories: “Mother’s Day,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Reed Crandall, with William M. Gaines; “In the Groove” by Albert B. Feldstein & Jack Kamen, with William M. Gaines; “Understudies!,” by Johnny Craig; and “Blood Brothers,” by Albert B. Feldstein & George Evans, with William M. Gaines. Cover illustration by Johnny Craig. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: I. C. (E. C.). Cover/indicia date: February-March 1954. Cover price: 10¢

Panic #1.

Published on December 15, 1953. Edited by Albert B. Feldstein. The comic includes these stories: “My Gun Is the Jury!,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Jack Davis; “This Is Your Strife,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Joe Orlando; “Little Red Riding Hood,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Jack Kamen; and “The Night Before Christmas,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Will Elder. Cover illustration by Albert B. Feldstein. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Tiny Tot (E. C.). Cover/indicia date: February-March 1954. Cover price: 10¢.

Notes

“The Night Before Christmas” was adapted from the Clement Clarke Moore poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas.”

The comic was effectively banned in Massachusetts when first published. The state’s attorney general, George Fingold, was appalled by “The Night Before Christmas” parody, claiming it “desecrated Christmas.” He ordered the state police to confiscate all copies from the state’s magazine distributors and vendors. E. C. publisher William M. Gaines responded by announcing that he would no longer ship issues of Panic to the state.

The issue also led to William M. Gaines’ friend Lyle Stuart and E. C. Comics receptionist Shirley Norris being arrested for obscenity by the New York City police. The charge was ostensibly over a panel in “My Gun Is the Jury!” that showed part of a woman’s slip under her skirt. The judge dismissed the charges at the arraignment hearing.

Source:

Sergi, Joe. “Tales from the Code: The Christmas Panic. Click here to read.

Tales from the Crypt #40

Published on December 15, 1953. Edited by Albert B. Feldstein. The comic includes these stories: “Food for Thought,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Jack Davis, with William M. Gaines; “Pearly to Dead,” by Albert B. Feldstein & George Evans, with William M. Gaines; “Prairie Schooner,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Bernard Krigstein, with William M. Gaines; and “Half-Baked!,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Graham “Ghastly” Ingels, with William M. Gaines. Cover illustration by Jack Davis. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: I. C. (E. C.). Cover/indicia date: February-March 1954. Cover price: 10¢.

The Vault of Horror #35.

Published on December 15, 1953. Edited by Johnny Craig. The comic includes these stories: “…And All Through the House…,” by Johnny Craig; "Tombs-Day!," by Jack Oleck & Jack Davis; "Beauty Rest," by Jack Oleck & Jack Kamen; and "Shoe-Button Eyes!,” by Johnny Craig & Graham "Ghastly" Ingels. Cover illustration by Johnny Craig. Standard-issue comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: L. L. (E. C.). Cover/indicia date: February-March 1954. Cover price: 10¢.

The Spirit #5.

To read the issue online, click here.

Published on December 29, 1954. Edited by J. F. Byrne. The comic features stories originally published in Will Eisner’s The Spirit Sunday-newspaper comic-book insert. The stories include: “Dragnet for Johnny Buffalo,” by Will Eisner, with Jules Feiffer and Jim Dixon, first published on April 8, 1951; “The Target-Man in 16-A,” by Will Eisner, with Jules Feiffer and Jim Dixon, first published on July 22, 1951; “Damosels in Distress,” by Will Eisner, first published on March 25, 1951; and “The Loot of Robinson Crusoe,” by Will Eisner, with Jules Feiffer and Jim Dixon, first published on July 8, 1951. The cover illustrator is unknown. Standard-issue comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Real Adventures (Fiction House). Cover/indicia date: 1954. Cover price: 10¢.

Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories, Vol. 14, No. 5 (#161).

Published on December 29, 1953. Edited by Alice Nielson Cobb. The comic includes the Donald Duck story “Fix-Up Mix-Up,” by Carl Barks. Cover illustration by Carl Barks. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 52 pages. New York: Dell. Cover/indicia date: February 1954. Cover price: 10¢.

Next: January to March 1954.