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Fantastic Fears

Ajax/Farrell // May 1953 - September-October 1954
Issue count: 9

This short lived Pre-Code Horror title is among the most grotesque of the genre, and are very sought after! You may be in the money if you have any of these...check out the prices that this title is demanding in our price guide!

Fantastic Fears

Robert Farrell had been kicking around for a while. In the 30's, he cut his teeth writing the popular syndicated newspaper strip Scorchy Smith. It was around this time that he befriended Will Eisner and Jerry Iger, who had just opened their freelance comic book studio. He honed his craft writing stories for them, which subsequently were sold to various outlets.

In 1940, after working as an editor for Fox, he decided to start his own publishing house, Farrell Publications, and started putting out comics in all sorts of genres under different imprints. Ajax is probably the imprint that is most remembered, releasing hero books like the Black Cobra and, in somewhat of a coup, obtaining the rights to Phantom Lady - a character made very popular at Fox, with provocative art provided by Matt Baker, an Eisner/Iger alumnus. Disappointingly, Ajax/Farrell’s four issue run presented a more sanitized version of Phantom Lady, and promptly ceased production. But we are getting ahead of ourselves…

The area that Farrell really cooked in was the horror genre, and in the late 40’s - early 50’s produced the high-quality, much beloved titles Haunted Thrills, Strange Fantasy, and Fantastic Fears.

The stories and art for these titles were for the most part supplied by the S.M. Iger Shop (the name which Jerry Iger was operating under after the departure of Will Eisner). Unfortunately, although very top-notch, well done material, the Iger Shop material was notorious for not including any credits - leaving readers and scholars to study and speculate as to who actually wrote and drew particular stories.

However, it is highly suspected, and in some cases confirmed, that artists such as Robert Webb, Myron Fass, Howard Nostrand and Jack Abel did contribute to Fantastic Fears.

Most notably, this title - and Ajax/Farrell - will forever be known as the book and the publisher that gave a very young Steve Ditko his first published work, in the January 1954 issue (#5), with a macabre 5-page story titled “Stretching Things,” written by Bruce Hamilton. This is an extremely collectible issue, for as we know, Ditko went on to practically revolutionize the comic book industry with his groundbreaking work for Marvel a few years later…

Many of the covers of the Ajax horror books are particularly revolting, with an editorial leaning toward the liberal use of skeletons; hooded skeletons nailing a still-alive man into a coffin, a skeleton swami manipulating two snakes with human heads, a skeleton puppeteer with human skeleton puppets, even a skeleton werewolf! All told, 5 covers out of the 9 issues of Fantastic Fears featured images of skeletons (it’s parent book, Haunted Thrills, featured skeletons on the covers on 10 of its 18 issues).

All of Farrell’s horror titles fell victim to The Senate Subcommittee On Juvenile Delinquency’s crackdown on graphic content, and ceased publication months before the Comics Code Authority “rules” went into effect in the spring of 1955.

Farrell’s “pre-code” horror titles are revered by aficionados of that genre, and trade hands on the collectors marketplace for big money!

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Key Art: Comic Book Price Guide

Issue #1

What's Fantastic Fears #1 worth in 2024?

The mint condition value of Fantastic Fears #1 is unknown. The highest-rated copy to sell publicly is an unretouched 7.5 that sold for the price of $717 in August 2017. An unretouched 6.0 has an October 2018 value of $516, which is an increase from its February 2011 price of $215. An unretouched 5.0 has a May 2013 price of $212.89, which is a decrease from its January 2012 value of $155.35

Why is this comic book valuable?

Fantastic Fears #1 is also Captain Jet #7 and picks up where the former title left off, published by Farrell in May 1953. The stories featured in the comic are “And Death Makes Three,” “Curse of Coincidence,” “Hawk’s Folly,” and “The Blood Blossom.”

Price Guide Report

GD 2.0 VG 4.0 FN 6.0 VF 8.0 NM 9.4 RECORD SALE!
$200 $330 $500 $1,300 $3,000 $0

Sell Fantastic Fears #1

Issue #2

What's Fantastic Fears #2 worth in 2024?

The mint condition value of Fantastic Fears #2 is unknown. The highest CGC rated copy to sell at auction is also the only copy to sell publicly. This copy is an unretouched 6.0 that sold for the price of $155.35 in October 2010.

Why is this comic book valuable?

Fantastic Fears #2 is also Captain Jet #8, and was published in July 1953 by Farrell. Renzi and Pietro chase a thief through the sewers of Rome. When they come across his mostly-eaten body, the pair try to escape but end up hunted by the Green Horde. Renzi gives Pietro to the group, and then tries to find them more victims.

Price Guide Report

GD 2.0 VG 4.0 FN 6.0 VF 8.0 NM 9.4 RECORD SALE!
$130 $250 $430 $750 $1,700 $0

Sell Fantastic Fears #2

Issue #3

What's Fantastic Fears #3 worth in 2024?

The highest recorded sale of issue 3 in existence (or once on the market) has a 8.5 CGC NM and sold for the price of $227 in 2007. A lower grade copy of this issue in the 2.5 CGC GD mark sold for $293 in 2019, so good luck finding someone to sell you a copy that doesn't cost a few hundred bucks.

Why is this comic book valuable?

In issue number 3 of Fantastic Fears, there's terrifying tales such as Haunted Matador, The Zombi's Bride, Druid's Castle,  and Floating Coffin. 

Price Guide Report

GD 2.0 VG 4.0 FN 6.0 VF 8.0 NM 9.4 RECORD SALE!
$150 $300 $500 $800 $1,600 $350

Sell Fantastic Fears #3

Issue #4

What's Fantastic Fears #4 worth in 2024?

The highest recorded sale of issue 4 in existence (or once on the market) has a 7.5 CGC VF- and sold for a value of $223 in 2003. A lower grade copy of this issue was in the 5.0 CGC GD mark and sold for around $300 in 2016 (and again in 2017 for $380), so good luck catching such a rarity at a low price. 

Why is this comic book valuable?

In issue number 4 of Fantastic Fears, there's terrifying tales such as Hissing Horror, Race for Valor, Diamonds for the Dead, Devil's Sketch Book, and Black Death.

Price Guide Report

GD 2.0 VG 4.0 FN 6.0 VF 8.0 NM 9.4 RECORD SALE!
$200 $400 $800 $1,200 $2,000 $950

Sell Fantastic Fears #4

Issue #5

What's Fantastic Fears #5 worth in 2024?

The highest recorded sale of issue 5 in existence (or once on the market) has a 7.0 CGC FN/VF and sold for a value of $795 in 2013. A lower grade copy of this issue in the 2.0 CGC GD mark sold for $137 in 2014, so good luck catching such a rarity at a low price.

Why is this comic book valuable?

In issue number 5 of Fantastic Fears, there's terrifying tales such as My Coffin Must Wait, Caught in the Graft, Ghost Gift, Stretching Things, Escape from Hell, and Temple of the Beast.

Price Guide Report

GD 2.0 VG 4.0 FN 6.0 VF 8.0 NM 9.4 RECORD SALE!
$300 $600 $1,000 $1,800 $3,000 $1,458

Sell Fantastic Fears #5

Issue #6

What's Fantastic Fears #6 worth in 2024?

The highest recorded sale of issue 6 in existence (or once on the market) has a 8.0 CGC VF and sold for a value of $725 in 2008 (and again for $700 in 2010.) This is the only copy on file in the CGC registry.

Why is this comic book valuable?

In issue number 6 of Fantastic Fears, there's terrifying tales such as Hollow Horror, Eyes of Terror, Tonight I Die, and Your Coffin Is Waiting.

Price Guide Report

GD 2.0 VG 4.0 FN 6.0 VF 8.0 NM 9.4 RECORD SALE!
$150 $300 $600 $1,000 $2,250 $725

Sell Fantastic Fears #6

Issue #7

What's Fantastic Fears #7 worth in 2024?

The highest recorded sale of issue 7 in existence (or once on the market) has a 7.5 CGC VF- and sold for $717 in 2017. A lower grade copy of this issue in the 3.5 CGC VG- mark usually sold for $445 in 2019, so good luck catching such a rarity at a low value. 

Why is this comic book valuable?

In issue number 7 of Fantastic Fears, there's terrifying tales such as Dragon Egg!, Inhuman Killer; I, The Coffin,  Deadly Shadows, and Demon Fiddler.

Price Guide Report

GD 2.0 VG 4.0 FN 6.0 VF 8.0 NM 9.4 RECORD SALE!
$150 $375 $525 $1,200 $2,000 $1,100

Sell Fantastic Fears #7

Issue #8

What's Fantastic Fears #8 worth in 2024?

The highest recorded sale of issue 8 in existence (or once on the market) has a 7.0 CGC FN/VF and sold for $205 in 2015. A lower grade copy of this issue in the 4.0 CGC VG mark sold for $432 in 2019, so good luck catching such a rarity at a low value.

Why is this comic book valuable?

In issue number 8 of Fantastic Fears, there's terrifying tales such as Terror under Glass, Fear in the Jungle, Be My Ghost,  Ghost Bullet, and Green Horror.

Price Guide Report

GD 2.0 VG 4.0 FN 6.0 VF 8.0 NM 9.4 RECORD SALE!
$200 $425 $650 $900 $1,700 $450

Sell Fantastic Fears #8

Issue #9

What's Fantastic Fears #9 worth in 2024?

The highest recorded sale of issue 9 in existence (or once on the market) has a 6.5 CGC FN+ and sold for $128 in 2015. A lower grade copies of this issue in the 4.0 CGC VG mark sold for $70 in 2017, so grabbing a copy at a low grade won't obliterate your your wallet.

Why is this comic book valuable?

In issue number 9 of Fantastic Fears, there's terrifying tales such as If a Body Kill a Body, Deadly Wish, Secret Coffin, and Broom for a Witch.

Price Guide Report

GD 2.0 VG 4.0 FN 6.0 VF 8.0 NM 9.4 RECORD SALE!
$50 $150 $275 $450 $1,000 $166

Sell Fantastic Fears #9