Forbidden Worlds Among the Many Classic ACG Titles, Certified by CGC, in Heritage Sale

Selections from a remarkably well-preserved private collection of classic mid-century comics, certified by CGC®, are being offered by Heritage Auctions. Online bidding is already underway for the American Comics Group Collection Part II From the Jack and Jean Honkow Private Collection Auction, which will be held on August 27, 2026.

American Comics Group (ACG) was one of the most innovative publishers of the Golden and Silver Ages, producing a wide range of horror, fantasy, science fiction, humor, and superhero comics from the 1940s through the 1960s. Long before horror comics became a dominant genre, ACG helped pave the way with imaginative supernatural storytelling that relied more on eerie atmosphere, clever twists and fantasy than graphic violence.

Among its signature titles, Forbidden Worlds debuted in 1951, becoming one of the publisher's longest-running and most beloved series. The series featured tales of ghosts, monsters, time travel, strange dimensions, and unexplained mysteries by popular creators including Richard E. Hughes, Ogden Whitney, Ken Bald, and Steve Ditko.

Among the many examples found in this auction are a Forbidden Worlds #43 with a Bethlehem pedigree graded CGC 9.4 and a Forbidden Worlds #86 with a Bethlehem pedigree graded CGC 9.4.

The Bethlehem collection of 18,000 comic books was assembled by Stanley Pachon in Bethlehem, Pa., and stretched from 1950 into the Silver Age. It contained many popular ’50s runs and a score of Marvel and DC keys. After Pachon passed away, the collection was sold to Joe Rainone and Phil Weiss in 1990. The Bethlehems are from one of the first pedigreed collections to contain Silver Age comics, many of which are easily identifiable by a store stamp found on the back covers.

Other CGC-certified comics in this sale include:

• a Commander Battle and the Atomic Sub #1 with a Bethlehem pedigree graded CGC 7.0
• a Commander Battle and the Atomic Sub #2 graded CGC 9.0
• a Forbidden Worlds #1 graded CGC 9.0
• a Forbidden Worlds #9 with a River City pedigree graded CGC 9.6
• a Forbidden Worlds #20 graded CGC 6.0
• a Forbidden Worlds #22 graded CGC 8.0
• a Forbidden Worlds #26 graded CGC 9.0
• a Forbidden Worlds #65 graded CGC 9.0
• an Operation Peril #5 with a Davis Crippen (“D” Copy) pedigree graded CGC 7.5
• an Operation Peril #9 with a Davis Crippen (“D” Copy) pedigree graded CGC 7.5

About CGC

Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for a vast variety of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC Cards, CGC Video Games, and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for sports cards, TCGs, and non-sports cards. CGC Video Games is dedicated to video game grading for the most popular consoles, including Nintendo, Sega, Atari, PlayStation, and more. CGC Home Video provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of videocassettes, DVD, Blu-ray, and more. CGC also offers seamless solutions for autograph collectors with CGC Signature Series and JSA Authentic Autograph services.

CGC is part of the Certified Collectibles Group, a global provider of expert and impartial authentication, and grading services for collectibles. Since 1987, the Certified Collectibles Group companies have certified more than 110 million collectibles, including coins, banknotes, comic books, cards, autographs, and stamps.