Two-Fisted Tales #23 Gaines File Pedigree 5/10 (EC, 1951) CGC NM+ 9.6 White pages....

Auction amount: $3,840.00

Sold: Jun 29, 2025

Two-Fisted Tales #23 Values

Publisher: EC, 1951

About Two-Fisted Tales #23

Harvey Kurtzman cover and art. Jack Davis, Wally Wood, John Severin, and Bill Elder art.

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COVER DETAILS

Pencils: Harvey Kurtzman

Inks: Harvey Kurtzman

Colors: Marie Severin

Letters: Ben Oda

Notes: Colorist and letterer credits by Craig Delich.

STORY DETAILS

(6 Stories)

Title: Death Stand!

Characters: Joe Hill (American soldier); Joe's soldier buddies [Sullivan (death); Chintala (death); Wishart (death); Cox (death); Ross (death); Miller (death), one unnamed boy (death)]; rescued pilot (death); Communists (villains, all die)

Synopsis: Joe and his buddies spot a U.S. fighter jet hit and heading to crash, but the pilot bails out and they head for that spot in two jeeps to rescue him. However, an enemy tank comes on the scene and blasts one tank to pieces. The other take the rescued pilot in the remaining jeep and Joe remains behind with a bag of grenades to face the enemy.

Pages: 8.000

Script: Harvey Kurtzman

Pencils: Jack Davis (signed)

Inks: Jack Davis (signed)

Letters: Ben Oda

Title: Old Soldiers Never Die!

Characters: Pappy Davidson; Caruso; unnamed American replacement soldiers (many die); the Germans (villains)

Synopsis: U.S. replacement soldiers have a lot to learn on the battlefield and old Pappy Davidson is trying to teach them. But they make major errors which cost them their lives, but one, Caruso, learns the lessons. However, when the war is finally declared to be over, he searched out Pappy to give him the news and discovers that the veteran soldier has died in the last battle.

Pages: 7.000

Script: Harvey Kurtzman

Pencils: Wally Wood

Inks: Wally Wood

Letters: Ben Oda

Reprints: EC Portfolio (Russ Cochran, 1971 series) #2 (1972)

Notes: Story occurs in the time period of August through November of 1918.

Title: The Ditch

Characters: Lieutenant Ryan (death); tank crew [PFC Glazer (driver); others unnamed] (all but one die); North Koreans (villains)

Synopsis: The M-4 tank, its commander and crew were heading out to aid the First Cavalry in routing the North Korean soldiers when they were attacked and the tank ended up in a ditch. Glazer and another ran for cover, and later heard shots from their original position and surmised all the rest were dead. They were soon captured and marched off when an American group of soldiers closed in. The enemy decided to kill their two prisoners, but one did survive: for a most unusual reason.

Pages: 2.000

Pencils: ? (masthead illustration)

Inks: ? (masthead illustration)

Letters: typeset

Notes: Page revision, art and colorist credits by Craig Delich.

Pages: 1.000

Pencils: ? (masthead illustration)

Inks: ? (masthead illustration)

Letters: typeset

Notes: Letters of comment from Company A Gulf Coast Military Academy, Gulfport, MS; Gene Burnett, USS Thomas F. Nickel; Pfc. W.L. Taylor, 10th Air Rescue Sqdn., AK; Pvt. T.G. Payne, Jr. Camp Gordon, GA; A.K. Altos, Jersey City, NJ; Jimmy Kish, New York City, NY; Duke Thames, Beaumont, TX; Gerald Knokal, Yakima WA; Sonny Somerville, Torrance, CA; Russ Smith, Santa Monica, CA; Alfred Pollack; Grady Chastain, Brownwood, TX; and Alvin Poffenberg, Clinton IA.

Title: Kill!

Characters: Abner (soldier, death); Joe (soldier); North Korean soldiers [Li (death); others unnamed] (villains)

Synopsis: Two opposing soldiers, who truly hate the other side, each prepare in their own ways to meet their foe......the result is not what either expected.

Pages: 6.000

Script: Harvey Kurtzman

Pencils: Harvey Kurtzman

Inks: Harvey Kurtzman

Letters: Ben Oda

Title: Dog Fight!

Characters: USMC Captain Jacob Strange (pilot); Sergeant J. F. Friday; Bates (pilot); Johnson (pilot); The Japanese (villains, some die)

Synopsis: Fighter pilot Strange, despondent over the perceived loss of his girl, Katherine, really doesn't care whether or not he dies when fighting against the enemy. When the enemy approaches, Strange is told that a whole sack full of mail for him has come in, and he tells Friday to hold them until he comes back. Unsettled weather and fog settles in over the airfield, and the field radio crackles with Jake's plea to give him landing instructions since he can't see the base......but his receiver is out and he heads on out to sea, never seeing the sack full of letters from Katherine.

Pages: 7.000

Script: Harvey Kurtzman

Pencils: John Severin [as Severin] (signed)

Inks: Bill Elder [as Elder] (signed)

Letters: Ben Oda

Data Courtesy of Grand Comics Database under Creative Commons license

GoCollect Price Guide Report for this comic

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CGC Census Report*

Grade	NG	PG	CVR	0.5	1.0	1.5	1.8	2.0	2.5	3.0	3.5	4.0	4.5	5.0	5.5	6.0	6.5	7.0	7.5	8.0	8.5	9.0	9.2	9.4	9.6	9.8	9.9	10.0	Total
Universal	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	2	0	4	1	2	1	0	2	2	0	1	1	1	3	5	1	0	0	28
Qualified	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Signature Series	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
CGCxJSA	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Restored	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	2	0	4	1	2	1	0	2	2	0	1	1	1	3	5	1	0	0	28

*All information listed is intended to be as accurate as possible, but errors are possible. No item may be returned or refused based on this information which is provided as a service to our customers. You should contact each pricing source directly to determine the accuracy of this information.

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