“True Ghost Stories” • Painted George Wilson Cover • Pre–Whitman Gold Key Horror
A sharp late–Silver Age entry in Gold Key’s long-running Ripley’s line — the painted cover tradition fully intact, the tone leaning into eerie folklore, cursed relics, and international hauntings. Unlike the “house style” of Marvel/DC, Gold Key horror reads like illustrated campfire lore — quiet, stylish, unsettling in a way only 1960s Ripley’s could be.
📚 Contents
Cover — Painted by George Wilson
Storm-soaked ghost vignette in acrylic — lightning flash, chained spirit, classic 1960s Gold Key palette. One of Wilson’s moodier horror covers.
“The Curse of the Shroud” — 9 pages
Art: Frank Bolle
A ghostly abbot returns to punish the living after a sacred burial cloth is disturbed — a slow-burn tale set in the ruins of Portaranmore Abbey.
“Half a Ghost” — 1-page text story
Art: Joe Certa
Meggernie Castle, clan murder, and a haunting that appears only from the waist up.
“Herne the Hunter” — 4 pages
Legendary English specter tied to Windsor Forest — kings, traitors, executions, and a ghost stag-master. Lettering by Ben Oda.
“Armies of the Doomed” — 6 pages
Jack Sparling retells a Hawaiian legend of Pele’s wrath — volcanic fire, phantom warriors, and a love vow that costs an entire village.
“The Headless Conquistador” — 6 pages
John Celardo artwork — Oklahoma settlers uncover an armored corpse that refuses to stay buried. Ghost horse included.
Plus:
Gold Key Comics Club page • Poof Cereal gag strip • ads for BB guns, projector reels, and mail-order premiums.
📝 Maj. Picto’s Grading Notes
VF/NM (9.0) — Exceptionally clean for a white-border Gold Key. Glossy front, sharp corners, and tight staples. Two micro spine ticks and faint outer edge toning (common for Western Printing stock). Inside pages off-white with strong color fidelity. No creases, no subscription folds, no distributor ink. One of the nicer ‘60s Ripley’s copies you’ll see outside of slabbed census.
“True Ghost Stories” • Painted George Wilson Cover • Pre–Whitman Gold Key Horror
A sharp late–Silver Age entry in Gold Key’s long-running Ripley’s line — the painted cover tradition fully intact, the tone leaning into eerie folklore, cursed relics, and international hauntings. Unlike the “house style” of Marvel/DC, Gold Key horror reads like illustrated campfire lore — quiet, stylish, unsettling in a way only 1960s Ripley’s could be.
📚 Contents
Cover — Painted by George Wilson
Storm-soaked ghost vignette in acrylic — lightning flash, chained spirit, classic 1960s Gold Key palette. One of Wilson’s moodier horror covers.
“The Curse of the Shroud” — 9 pages
Art: Frank Bolle
A ghostly abbot returns to punish the living after a sacred burial cloth is disturbed — a slow-burn tale set in the ruins of Portaranmore Abbey.
“Half a Ghost” — 1-page text story
Art: Joe Certa
Meggernie Castle, clan murder, and a haunting that appears only from the waist up.
“Herne the Hunter” — 4 pages
Legendary English specter tied to Windsor Forest — kings, traitors, executions, and a ghost stag-master. Lettering by Ben Oda.
“Armies of the Doomed” — 6 pages
Jack Sparling retells a Hawaiian legend of Pele’s wrath — volcanic fire, phantom warriors, and a love vow that costs an entire village.
“The Headless Conquistador” — 6 pages
John Celardo artwork — Oklahoma settlers uncover an armored corpse that refuses to stay buried. Ghost horse included.
Plus:
Gold Key Comics Club page • Poof Cereal gag strip • ads for BB guns, projector reels, and mail-order premiums.
📝 Maj. Picto’s Grading Notes
VF/NM (9.0) — Exceptionally clean for a white-border Gold Key. Glossy front, sharp corners, and tight staples. Two micro spine ticks and faint outer edge toning (common for Western Printing stock). Inside pages off-white with strong color fidelity. No creases, no subscription folds, no distributor ink. One of the nicer ‘60s Ripley’s copies you’ll see outside of slabbed census.
