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Frankenstein #23
Prize Comics
February-March 1953
Golden Age Pre-Code Horror
Classic 1953 issue of Dick Briefer’s Frankenstein, featuring one of the most striking covers from the character’s pre-Code horror period.
The cover features an enormous close-up portrait of Frankenstein’s monster with yellow eyes, stitched forehead and grotesque facial detail, entirely illustrated by legendary Frankenstein artist Dick Briefer.
Creator: Dick Briefer
Writer: Dick Briefer
Artist: Dick Briefer
Cover Artist: Dick Briefer
Cover Pencils: Dick Briefer
Cover Inks: Dick Briefer
Editor: Joe Genalo
Publisher: Prize Comics
Indicia Series: Frankenstein
Issue: #23 / Vol. 4 #1
Cover Date: February-March 1953
Original Cover Price: 10¢
Original Page Count: 36
Era: Golden Age
Genre: Pre-Code Horror / Science Fiction
Format: Single Issue Comic Book
Language: English
This issue comes from Dick Briefer’s return to Frankenstein as a darker horror character. After earlier humorous Frankenstein stories, Briefer revived the title in 1952 with a considerably more grotesque and horror-oriented interpretation of the monster.
Stories include:
The Monster’s Mate
The Carved Initials
Nightmare Statue
The Monster’s Mate follows Frankenstein’s encounter with a female monster who is persecuted by terrified villagers.
The Carved Initials involves a cursed tree and deadly consequences for those who carve their initials into it.
Nightmare Statue presents a macabre variation on the living-statue theme.
CONDITION:
Extremely low-grade and structurally fragile original copy.
Book is barely holding together at the staples. Staple/binding integrity is extremely weak and the comic should be handled with considerable care.
Front cover remains remarkably displayable considering the structural condition and retains the iconic Dick Briefer Frankenstein portrait.
Visible defects include extensive spine wear and splitting, tears, creasing, edge and corner wear, substantial paper loss, surface wear, staining/discoloration and general age-related deterioration.
There is particularly significant paper loss along the right side of the front cover, including portions affecting the monster’s face and lower-right cover area.
Back cover is present and exhibits heavy age-related wear, creasing, tears, edge wear and general deterioration.
Interior pages exhibit substantial age-related tanning, edge wear and handling wear but remain readable with strong color and artwork.
Due to the extremely fragile binding, this comic has not been extensively manipulated or handled beyond what was necessary for the provided photographs.
This is a heavily worn but highly displayable original example of a desirable Dick Briefer Frankenstein pre-Code horror issue.
Please review all photographs carefully for exact condition and contents.
Sold exactly as pictured.
