Lot # 1679: 1941 Street & Smith The Shadow #229 High Grade Pulp Magazine with Bound Torture Cover - CGC 8.0 - Highest Graded

Lock and load for a big game hunt, when you join the chase for this 1941 Street & Smith The Shadow #229 (volume 39, #1) issue. Titled "Gems of Jeopardy", this startling issue is fronted with a violent depiction of torture and bondage. The gut-wrenching scene depicts a victim bound to the chopping block, with a devious criminal torturer set to lop off his good right hand. The Shadow is nearby, lurking covertly behind the glass panels of a door seen in the background.

Though there are scant exceptions, pulps typically max out a grade of 6.0. This prime WWII era example pins the grading meter needle as one of the occasional exceptions, with an exceptional CGC grade of 8.0, Cream to Off-White Pages. This lofty grade places this well-preserved pulp at the top of CGC's Population Report, as "1 of 1", with none higher. The fun doesn't stop there, as it's well worth noting that the total CGC graded population for this issue stands at precisely two examples. So it's safe to say this #229 issue is a truly scarce commodity. The creator responsible for the harrowing cover art is cited on the grading label as "Cover by Graves Gladney".