A $3,000 COPY OF CREEPY NO. 1

Who would have believed it? My 35 cents got plunked down on the drug store counter back in 1964 for a copy of Creepy #1. This was some comic! Every story had a "shock" ending and was illustrated by guys that I knew were masters, even if I was a dedicated Kirby/Ditko/Romita kid at the time.

Suddenly, fifty years later appears a copy, nearly as pristine as the first day it was sold. Only this time it's sealed in a plastic clam shell case, never to be opened, like some Pharaoh's tomb. Well, if it is, it won't crumble to dust like Kharis, but it will certainly plummet in value. Forget the Kool-Aid, somebody must have knocked back the brew of all 9 tana leaves when the hammer dropped on their $2,990 bid back on May 2005. Despite the inflated value, Creepy #1 stands the test of time as the "First Magazine of Illustrated Horror"!

Here is the description that accompanies the lot: 

Creepy #1 Pacific Coast pedigree (Warren, 1964) CGC NM+ 9.6 Off-white pages. Warren Publishing's concept for its first full-length horror comic magazine was to fill its pages with the work of the best artists available. And hardly anyone would dispute that the goal was accomplished -- not only does the issue have what is believed to be the last comic book story Frank Frazetta ever produced, it has the work of Joe Orlando, Al Williamson, Reed Crandall, Angelo Torres, and Gray Morrow. Reportedly, Jack Davis was chosen to illustrate the first issue's cover to "soften the blow" a bit with a lighthearted image -- soon thereafter, more horrific covers ruled the day. This debut issue is also the first appearance of host character Uncle Creepy. This pedigree copy is the only 9.6, and the highest-graded copy overall, that CGC has certified for this issue to date. Overstreet 2005 NM- 9.2 value = $160. CGC census 1/05: 1 in 9.6, none higher. From the collection of Chris Bell.