Forbidden Worlds #73

In "Herbie's Quiet Saturday Afternoon!", a boy underestimated by his father stumbles into a day of unexpected heroism—starting with a daring stand against a zoo tiger, then rescuing a senator from the open sea, and finally fending off an otherworldly threat. Written by an unknown author and illustrated by an unknown artist, the story turns a mundane afternoon into a whirlwind of absurd, high-stakes adventure.

When theatrical booking agent Ben Adams dismisses a mysterious performer calling himself the Magic Maker, he scorns Mr. Vishnu's traditional illusions as tired and worn-out—until the mystic offers one final demonstration of his "greatest skill." After Vishnu makes a paperweight vanish from Adams's own desk, the skeptical agent throws him out, but a cryptic parting threat suggests the magician's abilities may be far more genuine than the agent believed.

Harry Q. Wilson is an ordinary man struggling to make ends meet when a mysterious idol mysteriously appears in a park, granting his wishes for wealth—but as his fortune grows, so does his greed and cruelty toward those around him. Trapped by the idol's corrupting influence, Harry finds himself unable to escape the very thing that's transforming him into someone his own family no longer recognizes. This tale explores what happens when material desires override the values that once made life worth living.