Beware (1953 Trojan/Merit) comic books 1938-1955

Stories and art by Henry Kiefer, Vince Napoli, Gerald Altman and Harry Harrison. Pre-Code horror comics from Trojan Magazines. Series continues from Beware (1952 Youthful) #12. Sometimes listed as Beware (1953 Trojan) #13. What is the connection between henpecked Clarence Homes and the humanoid slug that demands the love of beautiful Melissa? Brian lives to regret the things he said to his dying aunt after she returns from the grave. A modern-day family inherits a creepy old house inhabited by the Keeper of the Ghosts. Rebirth; The Horrible Offering; His Brother's Keeper; Wish For the Dead; Keeper of the Ghosts. 32 pages, Full Color. NOTE: #13 January on cover (Actual #1 in series). Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Roy Krenkel and Harry Harrison. Stories and art by Henry Kiefer, Martin Smith, Paul S. Newman, Leo Hagler, Richard Kahn, Al Gordon, Jesse Merlan and Harry Harrison. Pre-Code horror comics from Trojan Magazines. Sometimes listed as Beware (1953 Trojan) #14. A human is abducted by aliens for their gladiatorial games, but even his victory may hold disaster. Edward hates cats, but they seem to follow him everywhere - and what is their connection to the mysterious beautiful woman? According to the Table of Contents, the last story has the charming title Give Me Back My Head. It is described thusly: "Strange and horrifying are the mysterious happenings in the looming darkness of the jungle. Sorcery or not, Dr. Carter learned a terrible lesson when his greedy eyes rested on the jeweled crown of the Ugarnos." No improving on that. Also, a severed hand avenges its owner's murder. The Uninvited; The Clutching Hand; Death Trap; Revenge of the Dead; Give Me Back My Head. 36 pages, Full Color. NOTE: #14 March on cover (actual #2 in series). Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart VG- 3.5 $280.00 View scans 1" Cumulative spine split. Cover coming loose at one staple.

Add to cart FR 1.0 $119.95 or Best Offer View scan 8.25" Cumulative spine split. Cover detached at one staple. Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout. Graded by MCS, not consignor. Other items consigned by humble cow

Cover by Harry Harrison. Stories and art by Henry Kiefer, Martin Smith, Paul S. Newman, Leo Hagler, Richard Kahn, Al Gordon, Jesse Merlan and Harry Harrison. Pre-Code horror comics from Trojan Magazines. Sometimes listed as Beware (1953 Trojan) #15. A scientist encounters gigantic amoebas deep in the swamp - amoebas with a taste for humans. A man resurrects the spirit of his ancestor, a murderous pirate, hoping to learn where he hid his treasure. A magazine artist is hired to draw the faces of the dead. The Swamp Horror; Never Call a Ghost; The Stolen Soul; Chills in the Night; The Faces of Death. 32 pages, Full Color. NOTE: #15 May on cover (actual #3 in series). Cover price $0.10.

Cover by William Zeller. Stories and art by Henry Kiefer, Martin Smith, Paul S. Newman, Leo Hagler, Richard Kahn, Al Gordon, Jesse Merlan and Harry Harrison. Pre-Code horror comics from Trojan Magazines. Sometimes listed as Beware (1953 Trojan) #16. Shipwrecked sailors encounter giant spiders on a deserted island. A mummy rises, or as the Table of Contents has it: "Woe be to him who deprives ancient pharaoh Ak-Ahmen of his mate! Only a live girl, shivering in terror, will placate the wrath still churning in the mouldering bones." Whew! A hunter stalking the rare Blue Gorilla learns that it is also stalking him. The cover by William Zeller is a variation of Howard Parkhurst's cover of Spicy Mystery (February 1941), a pulp also published by Trojan. The Web of Doom; The Mummy's Bride; Kill No More; Eyes of the Dead; The Murderous Presence. 32 pages, Full Color. NOTE: #16 July on cover (Actual #4 in series). Cover price $0.10.

Cover by John Belfi. Stories and art by Henry Kiefer, Al Tyler, John Belfi, and Gerald Altman. Pre-Code horror comics from Trojan Magazines. Kent ill-advisedly decides to investigate reports of a ghost rider haunting the forest. A French socialite creeps out his guests because of his fascination with snake-worshipping cults. A dead composer's last work drives its performer to commit murder. Plus an article about real-life examples of items rising into or falling from the sky. When Werewolves Die; Galloping Ghosts; Slithering Terror; Into Thin Air...; Music of the Demons. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Stories and art by Henry Kiefer, Al Tyler, John Belfi, and Myron Fass. Pre-Code horror comic from Trojan Magazines really gets into gear with this issue. In fact, this issue was used for an illustration in the anti-comics classic Seduction of the Innocent (illo #12, with caption, "Children are first shocked and then desensitized by all this brutality."). A mad scientist builds a robot and programs it to think, then is surprised when it attacks him with a yen for taking over the world. In one of the more original "poetic justice" horror stories, a man murdered in a paper pulper returns from the grave to avenge his murder through paper products. Hugo seeks revenge on those who have slighted him. Plus a grisly article about real-life decapitations and what happens after. The Thing from Beyond; Almost Human; The Paper Ghost; Life After Death?; The Phantom of the Moor. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart FR/GD 1.5 $199.95 or Best Offer View scans 5" cumulative spine split. Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout. Graded by MCS, not consignor. Other items consigned by humble cow

Add to cart PR 0.5 $119.00 or Best Offer View scan INCOMPLETE. Torn interior. Interrupts art and story. Cover detached at both staples. Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout. Graded by MCS, not consignor.

Stories and art by Henry Kiefer, Sid Check, John Belfi, and Myron Fass. Pre-Code horror comic from Trojan Magazines. A bank robber finds a hideout in the swamps where he is treated like royalty - until he realizes he's been fattened up for slaughter. A hobbyist whose hobby is collecting tombstones finds one that's made out with his name. A man hopes to smuggle his wife out of plague-ridden Paris in a coffin. The Life of Riley; Guest of the Ghouls; Heads of the Dead; The Devil Shares a Body; Black Death. 36 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by A. C. Hollingsworth. Stories and art by Henry Kiefer, Sid Check, John Forte, and Myron Fass. Pre-Code horror comic from Trojan Magazines. A headless man tells George the story of the Alwyn treasure. While exploring a cave in which witches were sealed 300 years before, a music professor finds a flute, and foolishly plays it to see what will happen. Something evil is stalking the sewers and catacombs of Paris. Lost Souls; When Witches Summon; Terror In the Streets; The Watery Ghost; Come Die With Me. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart FR 1.0 $399.95 or Best Offer View scan Cover and centerfold detached, heavy cover oxidation, 7" cumulative spine split. Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout. Graded by MCS, not consignor. Other items consigned by humble cow

Cover by A. C. Hollingsworth. Stories and art by Henry Kiefer, Art Gates, A. C. Hollingsworth, and Leo Morey. Pre-Code horror comic from Trojan Magazines. Framed for murder and executed, a man returns as a fiery spirit of vengeance. A thief breaks into the wrong house, encountering ghouls who want his help robbing the dead. A boxer paid to throw a fight gets a ghostly visitation that changes his tune. Vampire's Roost; The Ghost of Fire; No Pockets on the Dead; The Man Who Died Twice; The Sea Ghost Returns; The Corpse in the Ring. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Frank Frazetta and Sid Check. Stories and art by Henry Kiefer, Art Gates, Sid Check, and Jay Disbrow. Pre-Code horror comic from Trojan Magazines. Treasure hunters seeking lost pirate gold find skeleton pirates still guarding it, even underwater. A hanged man seeks revenge on those who framed him, in a story that may feature inks by Wally Wood or Frank Frazetta. Scientists seeking the secrets of life and death encounter a zombie. Early cover by art legend Frank Frazetta. The Bell Tolls Death!; Man with the Broken Neck!; The Thing in the Fens; Out of the Grave…; The Spell of Doom! 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Myron Fass. Stories and art by Art Gates, Leo Morey, Edvard Moritz and Jay Disbrow. Pre-Code horror comic from Trojan Magazines. Archaeologists exploring the lost Mayan "Temple of Eternal Life" accidentally awaken the dead, who want to pick up where they left off with the human sacrifices. A scientist receives a TV message from outer space that turns out to be commands to begin an alien invasion. A writer reveals the supernatural truth behind his latest story. Plus an article about real-life burial practices and death rituals around the world. Ghostly Sacrifice; Cry: Danger; His Own Funeral; Dead and Gone; Dwellers in Darkness. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart GD+ 2.5 $140.00 View scans 1.5" Cumulative spine split. Water spotting.

Cover by Myron Fass. Stories and art by Art Gates, Leo Morey, Edvard Moritz, Rudy Palais and Henry Kiefer. Pre-Code horror comic from Trojan Magazines. A crook hiding out in Thailand decides to start scamming the locals, but he should have just kept hiding out. A couple seeks shelter in the wrong house. Botanists discover the largest carnivorous plant yet known, and ill-advisedly bring it back to the US and its tasty citizens. Plus an article about the real-life belief in demons in various parts of the world. The Voice From Beyond; Stone Dead; Step Into My Parlor; The Land of Demons; Appetite for Death. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Stories and art by Art Gates, Leo Morey, Edvard Moritz, Rudy Palais, Paul S. Newman and Henry Kiefer. Pre-Code horror comic from Trojan Magazines. A carnival fortune teller gives socially awkward nebbish Casper the chance to get even with the guys at the office who take advantage of him. Cal fixes up the old house he inherited, and the house responds as if alive - but the house also gets jealous when Cal starts dating a human woman. Writer Paul learns about the "Potter's Field" ghosts buried in New York's Washington Square, after they show up in his study. Plus a vintage PSA on "Religion in American Life." The Unlucky 13th; The Bitter Joke; Strange Affection; Beware the Drums!; The Man in Black. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart CGC 6.0 $750.00 View scans Paper: Off white to white Label #4322676013

Add to cart CGC 3.5 $295.00 View scans Paper: Off white to white Label #4330647001

Cover by Myron Fass. Stories and art by Art Gates, Leo Morey, Edvard Moritz, Rudy Palais, Paul S. Newman and Henry Kiefer. Pre-Code horror comic from Trojan Magazines. A book collector purchases a book on raising the dead, but others want the book for reasons other than curiosity. A professional translator gets mixed up in the magical rivalry between two sorcerers. A theater reopens 25 years after a dancer was murdered on its stage. Plus a vintage PSA encouraging parents to get involved in their local schools. The Mummy Master; Dark Dancer; The Sorcerer; The Key of Revenge; Daughter of Doom. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart GD+ 2.5 $115.00 View scans 1.75" Cumulative spine split. Cover detached. Staple rust with migration. Cover oxidation.

Stories and art by Myron Fass, Marty Elkin, Tony Tallarico and Alvin Hollingsworth. Merit takes over the publishing of this pre-Code horror comic from Trojan Magazines. An archaeologist is transported into a strange civilization by a magic crystal, and learns he has been foretold to free the people there from a tyrant. A fortune teller tells a down-on-his-luck gambler to concentrate on the number 13 and his luck will change. A homeless man makes the ultimate sacrifice to save the life of the orphan girl who was kind to him. First issue with the Comics Code seal on the cover. The Crystal of Time; Your Number Is Up; The Secret of Pitmurkie Wood; Make Me Invisible!; Right Connections! Final issue of the series. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.