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Canadian Edit; off white pgs; coupon out bc, ONE OF A KIND
Not supposed to exist! UNIQUE - Ogden Whitney cvr/art, Frank Frazetta, L.B. Cole art
Highest Graded

Manhunt #11 was published by Magazine Enterprises in August 1948. #12 should have followed the next month, but for unknown reasons, that issue was never published. Four years later, in 1952, Manhunt #13 appeared, the issue was subtitled as A-1 #63. For more than 70 years collectors thought this book did not exist; Robert Overstreet at first suspected its existence, but eventually dropped the listing completely from his guide. The Gerber photo journals purported that it was never printed, and online comic sources don't even acknowledge the issue.



This year a copy surfaced at a flea market, purchased with several hundred other comics. It features an Ogden Whitney cover and interior art by two legends in the industry, L.B. Cole and "Fritz" aka Frank Frazetta, which only adds to the appeal of this unearthed treasure. The exact history of this issue remains a mystery, but if it is the sole existing copy of Manhunt #12, it could be the holy grail of pre-code comics, and even the rarest published comic book ever.



"After nearly six decades of discovery and documenting throughout our hobby, it seems hard to imagine a published and distributed comic book of which a copy has never surfaced," stated Matt Nelson, president of CCS. "But here it is, a Manhunt #12, opening up the possibility that there are other published comic books we haven't discovered yet. An incredible, exciting find!"



"I've been buying and selling comics for over 30 years. When I was approached with this book, I thought surely, I had bought and sold a copy at some point, but lo and behold, when I checked my database zilch! Then I conferred with my partner, Stephen Fishler, and he agreed he had never seen a copy. We knew we had to have it for our auction," proclaimed COO of ComicConnect, Vincent Zurzolo. "The words rare and scarce can sometimes be used rather carelessly, but in this case, they don't do this book justice, unique, or one-of-a-kind may be better. The book presents so much better than the 1.0 grade, but for the coupon cut out of the back cover."



"Rarely in the history of comics, especially after 50 years exposure of the Overstreet price guide, has a Golden Age book long thought to not exist surface," Bob Overstreet stated. "The title of the book is Manhunt, issue #12. The cover date is blocked out with a horizontal white bar and there is no indicia. There is no publishing information and no date of publication. Its value will be determined in the marketplace."



This extraordinary discovery is sure to be a hotly contested item.


Artists Information

Frank Frazetta was an American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, LP record album covers and other media. He is often referred to as the "Godfather" of Fantasy Art, and one of the most renowned illustrators of the 20th century. He was also the subject of a 2003 documentary "Painting with Fire".

Leonard Brandt Cole was a comic book artist, editor, and publisher who worked during the Golden Age of Comic Books, producing work in various genres. Cole was particularly known for his bold covers, featuring what he referred to as "poster colors"—the use of primary colors often over black backgrounds. In addition to his covers, Cole did interior art for comics published by Holyoke Publications, Gilberton, and Ajax/Farrell. He also worked as an editor for Holyoke in the 1940s. Cole's comic book career started in the early 1940s, mainly as a cover artist for titles such as Suspense Comics (Et-Es-Go Magazines) and Contact Comics (Aviation Press). He soon became known for his distinctive covers: examples include the covers to Mask Comics #1, Mask Comics #2 (Rural Home), Contact Comics #12, and Captain Flight Comics #11 (Four Star Publications). An avid science fiction fan, Cole was known for slipping in sci-fi elements even when they weren't appropriate, such as rocket ships and ray guns appearing on the covers of Captain Flight Comics and Contact Comics. During this time, Cole created the character "Wiggles the Wonderworm" who appeared in five issues of Taffy Comics, published by Rural Home/Orbit Publications. In 1949, publisher Novelty Press sold its characters and artwork to Cole, who was the cover artist for Novelty's Blue Bolt Comics. Using his new assets, Cole began Star Publications, which operated from 1949 to 1955. After the closure of Star, Cole continued doing cover illustrations, many for Classics Illustrated Junior. In the early 1960s, Cole was art director and editor at Dell Comics. He gained further recognition when comic fandom grew in the late 1960s and through the 1970s. In 1981, he created a new painting that was featured on the cover of the 11th edition of the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. During this same time, he began selling re-creations of his classic covers. In the early 1990s, Ernie Gerber published his two-volume Photo Journal Guide To Comic Books which featured on its covers a number of Cole's covers. As a result, the demand for Cole's work increased dramatically.