Crime Does Not Pay #86

Charles Biro's cover for Crime Does Not Pay #86 sets the scene with two punchy vignettes: a sharp-dressed man shoves another to the ground near a fire hydrant while barking at him to get out of his way, and across the panel a uniformed officer pursues a fleeing figure past a shoe repair shop window. This April 1950 issue packs 52 full-size pages of "All True Crime Illustories," including stories titled "Foolish Johnny Wagner," "I Was a Crime Reporter!," "Invitation to Murder!," and a reader-participation mystery asking whether you can solve the murder of Alma Nadlon. With interior art by George Tuska and the Comics Code seal of approval on the cover, it's a solid snapshot of crime comics at their mid-century peak.