ACG'S FORBIDDEN WORLDS NO. 1

In his editorial, Richard E. Hughes makes his case for a second series of supernatural-themed comics that was so successful with his first attempt, ADVENTURES INTO THE UNKNOWN. Like its companion, FORBIDDEN WORLDS proved to be a winner, lasting 145 issues from July/August 1951 until August 1967.

The highlight of this issue is the lead story, "Demon of Destruction" with art by the unbeatable team of Al Williamson and Frank Frazetta. It's a strange little tale, but so are the rest of the stories here featuring ghosts, vampires and werewolves. They aren't as potent as other Pre-Code horror stories from other publishers, but Hughes' even-handedness and restraint from the extreme allowed ACG to stay mainly under the radar during The Great Purge and ensure a longer life than virtually all the other titles.

FORBIDDEN WORLDS

Vol. 1 No. 1

July/August 1951

Preferred Publications Inc. (ACG Comics)

Editor: Richard E. Hughes

Cover: Ken Bald

Pages: 52

Cover price: 10 cents

"Demon of Destruction"

Script: ?

Art: Al Williamson; Frank Frazetta

"Love of a Vampire"

Script: ?

Art: Paul Reinman

"From Your Editor to You" (text article)

Script: Richard Hughes

"The Way of the Werewolf"

Script: ?

Art: Emil Gershwin

"True Ghosts of History: The Ghostly Army of Bethune"

Script: ?

Art: Henry Kiefer

"The Monster Doll"

Script: ?

Art: Ed Moritz

NOTE: All lettering is by Ed Hamilton. Third-party ads have been removed.

ANOTHER HORROR COMIC FIRST!

What's behind that door? Readers wanted to know when they grabbed up copies of the first issue of ADVENTURES INTO THE UNKNOWN off the stands in the Fall of 1948. It took almost two years after Avon published their one-shot EERIE COMICS for another full-blown horror comic to appear and it arrived in fine style; ADVENTURES INTO THE UNKNOWN was the first all-new, all-horror comic published on a regular basis.

ACG Comics was founded by Benjamin W. Sangor in 1943. After supplying his son-in-law Ned Pines with animation cartoonists to work part-time for his own comic book company, he tried his hand at the business by forming the Sangor Shop. The first ACG books were funny animal titles published under the Creston imprint. Fred Iger, part owner of National Periodical publications bought a slice of Sangor's company in 1946, then the rest of it in 1953. Harry Donenfeld, who had published the first Superman and Batman comics bought it from Iger and owned it until 1967 when it ceased publishing.

During the Golden Age of comics in the 1940s, Richard E. Hughes co-created a few superheroes for Pines, including The Black Terror and Fighting Yank. In 1944, he became the business manager for ACG and remained there until the company closed in 1967. During that time he edited the full 147 issues of ADVENTURES INTO THE UNKNOWN, as well as writing many of the scripts.

Hughes' editorial policy did not allow for the gory and gruesome nature that horror comics were known for during the pre-Code era and as a result ACG escaped much of the wrath from the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency in early 1954 and the draconic rules of the Comics Code Authority ratified later in the same year. He retired from the comics industry in the 1960's (likely when ACG folded) and ended his days writing replies to customer complaints for Gimbel's Department Store in New York.

NOTE Ads have been removed from this scan.

ADVENTURES INTO THE UNKNOWN

Vol. 1 No. 1

Fall 1948

B. & I. Publishing Co., Inc. (American Comics Group [ACG])

Editor: Richard E. Hughes

Cover: Ed Moritz

Pages: 52

Cover price: 10 cents

CONTENTS

"The Werewolf Stalks"

Script: Frank Belknap Long

Art: Ed Moritz

"The Living Ghost"

Script: Frank Belknap Long

Art: Fred Guardineer

"Strange Spirits: Voodoo"

Script: ?

Art: King Ward

"It Walked By Night"

Script: Frank Belknap Long

Art: Max Elkan

"The Cursed Pistol"

Script: ?

Art: Ed Moritz

"The Castle of Otranto"

Script: Frank Belknap Long adaptation of Horace Walpole novel

Art: Allen Ulmer

"True Ghosts of History: The Vengeful Specter of Lord Tyrone"

Script: ?

Art: Ed Moritz

"Haunted House"

Script: Frank Belknap Long

Art: King Ward