L.B. Cole’s Death Ship & Other Science Fiction Horror, Up for Auction

We’ve talked a lot here in these auction posts about L.B. Cole‘s skill at creating covers that stood out on crowded newsstands, and Ghostly Weird Stories #122 is yet another memorable example of that ability.  68 years after that issue was published, that cover still made me want to read the comic to find out what the hell happened on that tragic death ship.  During the Star Publications era, Cole made a point of being particularly inspired by the interior story he was cover featuring, and Disbrow’s stories brought out the best in him.  Ghostly Weird Stories #122 rarely changes hands in anything approaching high grade, which explains why solid lower-graded copies like this Ghostly Weird Stories #122 (Star Publications, 1954) CGC GD/VG 3.0 Off-white pages are in such demand.  Another classic Cole science fiction cover from the Pre-Code era, Blue Bolt #110 (Star Publications, 1951) CGC FN 6.0 Cream to off-white pages is also up for auction in the 2022 October 27 – 28 Halloween Pre-Code Horror and Crime Comics Showcase Auction #40207 at Heritage Auctions.

As chronicled in the interior story by Jay Disbrow, that ill-fated interstellar expedition found itself caught by the gravitational pull of a red giant star, with tragic results.  Disbrow contributed to around 45 comic books for Star Publications 1950-1954, across the range of titles the company published, focused on horror, science fiction, and romance, and the covers his stories helped inspire were frequently amazing. The cover of Ghostly Weird Stories #122 (Star Publications, 1954) CGC GD/VG 3.0 Off-white pages is among the most memorable of these.  Another classic Cole science fiction cover from the Pre-Code era, Blue Bolt #110 (Star Publications, 1951) CGC FN 6.0 Cream to off-white pages is also up for auction in the 2022 October 27 – 28 Halloween Pre-Code Horror and Crime Comics Showcase Auction #40207 at Heritage Auctions. If you’ve never bid at Heritage Auctions before, you can get further information, you can check out their FAQ on the bidding process and related matters.

Ghostly Weird Stories #122 (Star Publications, 1954) CGC GD/VG 3.0 Off-white pages. Science fiction rocket ship cover by L. B. Cole. Jay Disbrow story and art. Overstreet 2022 GD 2.0 value = $142; VG 4.0 value = $284. CGC census 10/22: 8 in 3.0, 40 higher.

Blue Bolt #110 (Star Publications, 1951) CGC FN 6.0 Cream to off-white pages. L. B. Cole “classic” cover. Target appearance. Overstreet 2022 FN 6.0 value = $270. CGC census 10/22: 4 in 6.0, 11 higher.

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