Forbidden Worlds #7
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeForbidden Worlds #7 (July 1952) marks a modest but concrete production milestone: it is the first monthly issue of the series, which had launched on a bi-monthly schedule in July/August 1951. That shift to monthly publication signals ACG's growing confidence in editor Richard E. Hughes's fantasy-horror anthology as a commercially viable ongoing title at a moment when the pre-Code horror genre was reaching full market saturation. As one of the earliest issues of a series that would run for 145 issues and ultimately win the 1964 Alley Award for Best Regularly Published Fantasy Comic, the issue belongs to the formative run that established the book's tonal identity — gothic atmosphere delivered without the visceral gore that would later draw Senate scrutiny toward competitors.
This anthology issue contains at least two stories. The first involves Bob, who is drawn to a lonely hilltop where he encounters strange atmospheric phenomena and glowing, vibrating lights, leading to an encounter with moon monsters that pursue him and a woman named Catella. A man named Édouard is struck down by the creatures, though he is rescued and taken to a hospital. The second story, "The Prowling Terror," features Professor Robert J. Thurston expecting a visit from Dr. Jarro, who is arriving from Europe to give a lecture on medieval superstition, though the professor must prepare guest accommodations for his arrival.
Noel and Claire, investigating a mysterious anemia outbreak in a remote region, find themselves stranded at an isolated tourist camp after suspicious tire blowouts—where the motel owner and his vampire offspring have been luring unsuspecting travelers for years. When Noel discovers the truth and is left weakened and helpless, Claire must flee into the woods with nothing but her wits and whatever resources she can find to survive the supernatural creatures closing in.
When Bob Carlton's experimental radio station begins transmitting mysterious signals each night, Dale and Betty investigate—only to discover the isolated facility has become a beacon for something far more sinister than a ghost. Dale and Betty are drawn into a cosmic nightmare involving the Moonsters, creatures from the dark side of the moon who've been using Earth's own radio waves to fuel their conquest, and they're transported to an alien world to confront Satella and her terrifying plans for universal domination. As they struggle to survive on the moon's hidden face and sabotage the cosmic energy fueling their enemies, they'll uncover secrets that could reshape humanity's future—or end it entirely.
In this 1952 horror tale, a desperate English gambler named Guy Townsend makes a Faustian bargain with Satan himself at the gaming tables of Monte Carlo, trading his soul for unimaginable wealth. What Townsend doesn't realize is that the Devil's gifts come with a twist—and a mysterious newspaper clipping from 1869 India hints at a fate far stranger than he could have imagined.
When an eminent expert on medieval superstition arrives unexpectedly at Professor Robert J. Thurston's home, he brings with him a sinister secret—he may be far more than he appears. As a series of brutal attacks grips the town, Alice finds herself increasingly drawn to the mysterious Dr. Jarro, while her fiancé Allan grows ever more suspicious, and the line between scholarly curiosity and supernatural horror begins to blur. In "The Prowling Terror," a tale of obsession and transformation unfolds that will test the bonds of trust and reveal the unspeakable consequences of dabbling with forces beyond understanding.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Forbidden Worlds was launched by the American Comics Group (ACG) — formally published through Preferred Publications, Inc. and overseen throughout its run by editor Richard E. Hughes — beginning in July/August 1951 with the subtitle 'Exploring the Supernatural!' The first six issues appeared on a bi-monthly schedule; issue #7 represented the title's promotion to monthly frequency. Hughes, who had co-founded the Sangor Shop operation with Benjamin W. Sangor in the mid-1930s, served as ACG's sole editor from the company's 1943 formation through its closure in 1967, making him the single continuous creative force behind Forbidden Worlds from its first issue through this one. Ken Bald, who contributed covers across much of the early run, produced the cover for this issue as well.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published July 1952 by American Comics Group (ACG), cover-dated to that month.
- Designated the first monthly issue of the series; issues #1–6 had appeared on a bi-monthly schedule.
- Cover art by Ken Bald, depicting two monsters in confrontation — described by retailers as a werewolf-themed cover.
- Edited by Richard E. Hughes, who edited the entire ACG line from 1943 to 1967.
- Interior art by George Wilhelms, Harry Lazarus, Sam Cooper, King Ward, and Pete Riss.
- Story lineup includes: 'The Vampires Strike,' 'Ghost Friends,' 'The Realm of the Moonsters,' 'The Ghouls Return,' 'Merciless Medium,' 'The Gambler and the Devil,' and 'The Prowling Terror.'
- No confirmed first appearances of any recurring characters in this issue; it is purely a standalone anthology entry.
- The series in which this issue appears ran for 145 total issues (July/August 1951 – August 1967) and won the 1964 Alley Award for Best Regularly Published Fantasy Comic.
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Reprints
Reprinted in Forbidden Worlds Archives #2 (2013), Gwandanaland Comics #1263, Gwandanaland Comics #1284, Weird Tales of Werewolves #3
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