Darth Corgi

Here we are at the end of Day 3...

#11 Mister Mystery - no.11 Bernard Baily sure knew how to draw a cover! One of my favorite themes is animals getting the better of man. This scene evokes many of the same attitudes common in monster and B movie flicks of this era Those ants are way out of scale huh? It must be that toxic waste they ate before attacking this poor man. Another thing worth noting is the recurring host of this title, Mr. Mystery himself. Often seen holding a cigarette, dressed up like some magician, and making wise cracks, he is my favorite PreCode host outside of EC’s 3 famous narrators.

#12 Mister Mystery - no.12 Ok, now things heat up. Literally! This is a tough book to find in any grade. Whenever I see one for sale, it never lasts long. What can be said about this cover that hasn’t already been said? Well, one thing I’ve noticed is that among these 25 covers, Mister Mystery 12 seems to have that winning combination that Horrific 3 has. A very simple idea, shown with extreme clarity. There is nothing subtle about this cover and it’s boldness is what makes it rock. The harsh black background makes the white hot poker visually pop. Among a lineup, this book demands you look at it. It is that strong of a design.

#13 Adventures Into The Unknown - no.1 Like Eerie #1, this cover’s strength lies in its restraint in not showing too much. It’s all about the anticipation and most importantly, the mood! It is appropriate that the first issue of the first continuing horror comic series features two charactcers (America’s readers?) at the doorstep of a haunted house, hesitant to enter. Ok, I’m totally reading into it, but this is still a classic cover.

#14 Fantastic Fears - no.6 Ok, I figure this one has got to surprise a few folks. This is indeed one of my favorites! I friggin LOVE this book! One read through this comic was enough to sell me on Ajax-Farrell. There is something raw and crazy about the way these Iger shop stories came out. They are really really entertaining! Superior, Ajax-Farrell and Comic Media all feature these twisted tales. Okay, back to old hippo teeth here! Not only is this one freaky looking dude, but the childlike way he holds the characters like cutout dolls sends this into another area of bizarre. This is made even weirder by that wild pink background. I love contrasts and this cover has plenty!

Day three of the Terrible 25 begins...... #15 Chamber Of Chills - no.23 Who doesn’t like maggots with their kisses? Well, apparently, this lady! I believe this is a Lee Elias cover and I love his horror work. The colors on this are especially neat. All the blues and purples work well against that deep red backdrop. For me, a comic cover’s appeal is not just in the drawing (although that is one of the things I look for in a great cover) but it’s also about all of those other elements that make a comic’s cover truly spectacular. Here are the qualities I looked into for each of the covers on this list: -Concept -Design -Drawing -Color All of the books in the Terrible 25 are excellent in all of these categories. Of course they are! Otherwise they wouldn’t be on the list!

I'm glad you guys are digging the countdown. More on the way tomorrow....

Wow Andy - talk about a hit parade! Indeed, a wonderful batch of books! Menace 1 has some truly spectacular art in it. The WM 5 and Venus ain't too shabby either. Congrats!

Here we are after Round 2! Any surprises in here?

#16 Weird Mysteries - no.4 This is also designated a classic cover by many. That said, I think it’s often overshadowed by the wildness and fame of the title’s next issue (Weird Mysteries 5). The fact that it is one of the scarcest books in the run doesn’t help it’s visibility to collectors either. Animal/human hybrids are cool but insect/human hybrids might be even cooler. The dagger’s overlapping handle onto the title logo is clever. My favorite part is the way the skull is drawn. So often the linework is lost in these covers due to the added color. It’s refreshng to see a lighter area where all the delicate linework is preserved. I think Bernard Baily was incredible and I assure you this is not the last of his covers to appear in this list!

#17 Eerie Comics - no.1 (one-shot) This is one of the few examples in my “Terrible 25” that sports a cover for its restraint rather than showing it all. To further this effect, the overall colors have been muted and drained to a grayish-purple leaving what little color there is to go right to the two main characters; a burst of red on the bound girl and a bright yellow moon to frame the vampire. Considered to be the first “horror comic” by many collectors, Eerie 1 was published a few years before the horror boom was in full swing and thus seems to have a different “feel” compared to the rest of the covers on this list.

#18 The Thing!- no.7 “Injury to eye” is a classic motif however this type of brutal image is usually reserved for the inside pages. Not on this issue though. I’m so glad I was able to get a Lou Morales cover into this list. He did some really wonderful work. I really like the thinner, sensitive linework. It sort of gives a nice layer of realism to this stuff. I love the multiple images of the gorgon’s transformation. Totally horrific!

#19 Horrific - no.3 You know, I think I figured out why this cover is so popular. When I look at my “Terrible 25” in thumbnail size, this cover jumps out at me. It is a masterpiece in design. The simplicity of it, is its strength. One large head against an appealing green background. What’s not to love? Add a wonderful title like “Horrific” above it and by the time you notice the blood on top of each of the letters, your dime is on the counter and you are well on your way to cooking up some nightmares.

Day #2 of the Terrible 25 begins.... #20 Web Of Evil - no.5 Jack Cole was in a class by himself. His Precode horror stories are nothing short of inspiring. Full of animation, these characters simply explode with expression. The way he drew the figure, often twisting and distorting anatomy, places him as one of the most unique comic artists ever. Personally, I think these Web Of Evil issues are undervalued at the moment. A bright orange background fires up old sparky as the lunatic laughs aloud. Even those two guards in the background are not forgotten. Just look at the attention to expression he gives them. Not too many artists would take the time with “miscellaneous” charatcers such as these, but Cole does them justice.

A fav of mine too! sweet copy! Great book from a great collection! That's from that "Montgomery Street" (San Fran) collection, right? I picked up a few off those and it looks like a few other boardies have as well. (thumbs u

Spots 1, 2 & 3 WM #4, WM #5, BCM #50 Two outta 3 ain't bad! Alan: Great observations about Lou Cameron! Roccoco.....what a perfect way to describe his quality. And about the WOF #10. It was originally in my top ten but kept getting bullied down by the other PreCode beasties. The top 20 is quite a mean bunch!

Spots 1, 2 & 3 WM #4, WM #5, BCM #50 One of those books shows up tomorrow.....

Scrooge: I hear you on the WT 25. That is a great cover! Boot: I wanted to put WOF #10 higher up but too many other books bumped it....I think it came down to those white eye patches on the guy's face. That said, Norman Saunders is one of my favorite illustrators of this time period. For anyone interested, an incredible book of his life and artwork was released last year: http://www.normansaunders.com/

Here's how it stands after Day 1...... Place your bets on the other 20!

#21 Witches Tales - no.25 In my opinion, THIS is how to draw a decapitated head! A lot of decap covers seem to cartoon the neck and head a bit for my taste. This creates a manikin-like effect. I mean if you have the guts to put a severed head on the cover, then make sure it looks as creepy and realistic as possible. Just my opinion. This cover makes me sick if I look at it too long. I think it’s one of the best Harvey ever put out. I’m not a huge fan of additional type cluttering up the cover design, but I like how the text falls in an “S” curve above the swinging bell.

#22 Astonishing - no.30 Ok, this cover gets big points for concept. Giant eyeballs shooting out beams has been done a couple of times but in a dark graveyard and causing the victim’s flesh to melt away... Well, put it together and you’ve got one classic Atlas Horror cover! Is it me or does that lady look like she’s screaming at the victim in anger? Jeesh. Let a guy melt in peace!

#23 Web Of Mystery - no.17 Over the last year, I have really gotten into ACE PreCode horror and the reason is because of the artist that drew this amazing cover right here. Lou Cameron has a real fresh approach to these stories. They are not usually over-the-top shock stories filled with gore. Cameron’s style is creative and executed with some solid traditional drawing skills. There is a nice 1950’s style to these. They sometimes feel like illustrations from a storybook. When I first saw this cover, I was totally blown away by that witch face. My favorite part of the cover?.....the way the hair is drawn. That right there is an artist having fun!

#24 Worlds Of Fear - no. 10 Norman Saunders painted a few horror covers for Fawcett and I find them all to be amazing. This one is a classic and very well known. -I wonder what the eye sockets would look like painted dark or pouring blood? -This cover reminds me of Indiana Jones getting chased by that big boulder in Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Can you imagine if that scene was shot with a speeding giant eyeball?......Hmmm..Ok, maybe not -I got this copy from Shiverbones. Thanks again Matthew!

#25 The Thing! - no.15 I think this is the best of Steve Ditko’s “The Thing!” covers. Issue 12 is a close second but this one has more excitement and chaos. The drooling worm is pretty sick. Fans of this book know the inside stories are all Ditko and his signature placement on this cover is great.

Beginning today, I will be listing my personal favorite 25 PreCode Horror covers. One of the guidelines I set up is that each book has to truly be a "horror" comic to be considered. This excludes "Crime" PreCode Horror, so this means no LawBreakers 11 or CSS 22. Those will be on another list featuring PreCode Crime/Shock covers. I will be listing 5 covers a day until it is finished on Friday. I will also be including my commentary. Hopefully you won't find it too annoying and corny. I'd also like to add that this is a very subjective list and even though I have given it a good amount of study and stand by it, I'll admit that there is room for argument as to where each cover should fall and if they should of even been included. So hopefully you ghouls will chime in! This should be fun! Starting soon.....