Journey into Mystery

There were 48 issues of “Journey into Mystery” as a horror (and after the comic code, less horror and more “suspense”) comic between 1952 and 1957. After a break of 18 months, with issue 49 it continued with lighter science fiction/fantasy fare often featuring those infamous Atlas monsters. They usually had bonkers names like Zog the unbelievable, Rorgg, Spragg, Rro, Lo-Karr, Gomdulla, The Hulk (no relation), and my favourite, Shagg.

And of course these comics regularly featured artwork by Ditko and Kirby. The Norse God of Thunder, Thor was introduced in issue 83 cover-dated August 1962 and by issue 126, although the numbering continued, the comic was simply retitled “The Mighty Thor”.

There were three subtley different versions of the cover to issue 76 according to the Grand Comics Database. Issues up to number 75 had always been priced at 10¢. Perhaps they forgot to tell the printers about the 2¢ price increase required for the following issue. It looks like the first batch of issue 76 were printed with 10¢ prices . Once the mistake was realised, the incorrect price was blacked out and a 12¢ price was hastily added. Later printings then had two different versions of the 12¢ price.

Actually there were four versions of this cover printed, because in those days Atlas/Marvel were printing alternate covers with a 9d price (and the month blanked out) especially for the UK market (a practice that would continue, with umpteen changes in price, for many years).