OtherEric

On 4/30/2024 at 9:21 AM, Robot Man said:

As a side note. I saw Fantasy Illustrated list a copy of the Bookery Guide on EBay for $700! Dave states only 500 were printed. Does this book bring even close to that price? 

Not sure on that price, but I'm utterly certain there aren't nearly enough copies of the book out there for the people who want them at this point.

On 4/29/2024 at 8:57 PM, Jayman said:

Maybe. Either way it does not make or break the story for me. It just seemed a bit ogre ish for no particular reason. Sutton was probably just having fun with it! 

To paraphrase myself from when we first encountered Sutton in the reading group, one of Sutton's signature tricks is using exaggeration with the precision of a scalpel.  Here, I think it fits the modern version of character perfectly, while also working as a dramatic contrast when he reverts to the more eloquent reincarnation of the pirate captain. 

Also, thank you so much for joining the reviews, I should have said that in my last post.

@Jayman:  It's possible that Sutton was just warming up for his legendary run on Planet of the Apes in a few years.  Although Ploog did some classic work on that series as well.

On 4/29/2024 at 6:18 PM, adamstrange said:

Unless they cite a solid source for the attribution or it's done by one of the high quality art spotters, I don't take the GCD too seriously.  They were an open platform that encouraged lots of participation by enthusiastic but not always equally skilled contributors. 

It's an outstanding resource supported by an awesome group of volunteers, and they seem to be cleaning things up, gradually.

I really miss Jim Vadeboncouer Jr. for many reasons, but not least because I felt I could trust his assessments whenever we had a question.  Admittedly, he always denied being definitive... but he was as good at spotting a comic artist as anybody who ever lived.

We've had tons of iffy received wisdom for decades, as well... there are still tons of arguments over the difference between Matt Baker and other Iger shop artists imitating Baker.

The credits at the GCD are often just best guesses, particularly with older books.  It may be somebody figured there was no reason to think it wasn't by Keefer until the OA showed up.

I've got a couple EC's that have been hole punched.  It's not that uncommon:

On 4/29/2024 at 1:27 PM, Darwination said:

My rather large late night order wouldn't process because of a non-recognized address, and I'm supposedly getting help from the proprietor.  I suspect half the items in my cart will be gone by the time you jackals beat me to it.

I can't deny the possibility.

On 4/29/2024 at 12:58 PM, Randall Dowling said:

It's like ringing the dinner bell, posting a link like that. 

I may have placed a small order...

On 4/29/2024 at 10:50 AM, Mavrick76 said:

Thoughts on whether or not these covers are Baker’s ? (Not my photos) 

 

I've wondered the same thing on this one, I think I've asked before and didn't get much response.  To me, it's the man on the left that makes me think Baker more than the other faces.  At least it has a Baker story inside for certain.

:

On 4/28/2024 at 6:34 PM, Darwination said:

Alrighty, here we go.  I somehow got into some painting today besides the lawn amongst other *buying* distractions, heh heh, but back to it.  Four issues and a freebie left, and I'll cap the thread, all Manhunts.

Manhunt v01 n09 1953-09 $12

Good Minus.  This one's a beater but a perfectly suitable reading copy of an excellent ish.  Jeans and white T attacker being fended off via broken bottle by abarefoot blonde with a  with her blouse coming apart. Artist unknown - it kills me we don't have more solid IDs on some of these early Manhunts, maybe I'll get better at it with more time in the paperbacks. Edge chipping, creases, staining, grubby like the grubby little magazine it is.  Supple square pages inside but some browning and a corner stain through the first 15 pages or so.  Glue at spine but solid with good hinges.

Fictionwise, this is a strong issue.  Erskine Caldwell (underappreciated these days), Ray Bradbury, Evan Hunter, Fletcher Flora and more.

Brown, olive, blue, and green accent inks,

Just caught the sig here, this is a Don Rico woodcut illustrating Ray Bradbury.  Rico had a long career in the comics, studied woodcuts under Lynd Ward, and later became a writer of sleaze and SF paperbacks.  He has a second unsigned woodcut in here, too.

Tom O'Sullivan in blue, there's also art from Ray Houlihan, and I suspect a couple of unsigned Joe Kuberts.

On 4/28/2024 at 5:19 PM, Surfing Alien said:

"Goldie Goes West" 

Nicer than the copy I got earlier this week, for sure.

  Vampirella #14- November 1971

According to the Warren Magazine Index:

14. cover: Manuel Sanjulian (Nov. 1971)

                1) Vampi’s Feary Tales: Ladies Of Misfortune [Tom Sutton] 1p   [frontis]

                2) Vampirella: Isle Of The Huntress! [Archie Goodwin/Jose Gonzalez] 20p

                3) The Wedding Gift [Nicola Cuti/Mike Ploog] 7p

                4) The Sword Of Light [Sam Glanzman] 9p

                5) Deadman’s Treasure! [Lynn Marron/Tom Sutton] 9p

                6) Vampi’s Flames: Doug Moench Profile/The Crimson Heel!/The Prisoner/The Entity/The Last Blast! [Doug Moench, Fuat Ulus, Ron Lovett, John Kaska & Dan McGee/Cara Shorman, Robert Shugrue, Jose Munoz, Vivian Jane Amick & Glen Abrams] 2p   [text article/stories]

                7) Wolf Hunt [Joe Wehrle/Esteban Maroto] 7p

Notes: Great issue!  True, the Vampirella story was no great shakes (but then, they rarely were) but the rest of the issue was dazzling.  Sanjulian’s cover was one of the best of the early Vampirella run.  Esteban Maroto made his first Warren appearance (and it’s a beaut!) in ‘Wolf Hunt’.  Mike Ploog illustrated a darn good Cuti story.  The legendary Sam Glanzman turned in his only Warren work and it’s a fine, fine job!  Lynn Marron made her professional debut with a solid story and Tom Sutton, who probably illustrated more stories by first time writers than anyone else at Warren, provided her with an equally solid art job.  Another South American pro, this time the great Jose Munoz, saw his sample art stuck on the fan page.

____________________________________________________________

A few notes:  Since I'm taking over the post the weekly starting block duty until further notice, I'll hold off on my personal thoughts on the issue for about a day to see if any discussion happens, and to give the thread a bump.  I won't promise to be quite on the nose time-wise as @Axe Elf was, although I'll try very hard to get it posted before I go to bed Saturday nights.  And I'll start posting the images of my copies of the issues with the opener posts, rather than when I give my review.  Other than that, I'm open to any suggestions people have: this has always been a group project, and it should continue that way.  Here's hoping that Axe Elf will be back soon to take back over, we're still trying to figure out a way to contact him or his family.  On a very different note, I highly recommend getting some contact info out to some other boardies you trust, so if something like this does happen we have a better chance of finding out what's going on.

Sorry if some of that is a bit of a downer; let's move forward and enjoy this weeks issue! 

Looking ahead a little, are you going to have any of the issues with John D. MacDonald stories coming up?

On 4/27/2024 at 4:44 PM, Surfing Alien said:

 The Fabulous Clipjoint by Frederic Brown Bantam Book 302 1948                   $15
 
1st Paperback edition of the 1948 Edgar Award Winner.     Beautiful Ed Grant GGA Cover
 
Fine/Fine plus.  Tight and bright with great color. Very little wear, lamination is lifting but almost all there.

@Bookery Do you have any idea what's up with the alternate 1st page illustration on the Manhunt #1, Kubert rather than Baker?

On 4/27/2024 at 10:51 AM, Surfing Alien said:

The Lady and the Snake by John Farr (aka Jack Webb) / Nothing To Lose But My Life by Louis Trimble     Ace D-235  1957     $18

Beautiful un-credited cover art on the "Snake" side - looks like Barton - Rudy Nappi on the flip side

Fine-ish.  Square, tight and bright. Reader creases and "Snake" side has some light creasing. Still a nice looking copy.

 

On 4/27/2024 at 10:47 AM, Surfing Alien said:

The Buried Motive by Bruce Cassiday/Marked Down For Murder by Spencer Dean (aka Prentice Winchell)  Ace Double D-253       1957     $30

Very tough mystery double in great shape. Covers are uncredited but I'm sure "Motive" is by Marchetti

Fine Plus/VF minus  Square, tight, glossy and bright with light wear to the extremities and no bad creases. A pretty copy.

 

On 4/27/2024 at 1:10 AM, Darwination said:

Let's start at the beginning, shall we, with Manhunt v01n01.  The first crime digest?  Not really.  Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine was around since 1941, but Manhunt was perhaps the first *hardboiled* digest and landed that initial gutpunch that would bring a slew of imitators to the market.  Archer St. John was willing to pay the top rates it would take for editor John McCloud to lure in heavyweight novelists and top short story writers to a new publication.  Add to that the fact that St. John was a repository of artistic talent from the comics, and you have recipe for a classic, grubby little magazine.  The first issue flew off the stands and had readers clamoring for more.  Is the first issue truly hard to find?  It's hard to say.  I never fiercely collected the series (though that would be fun to do) but I have noticed the first couple of issues are harder to find.  Especially "in grade".  My copy, however, is not in grade Generally, I notice that Manhunt prices have been rising and that finding certain issues can be tricky.

Manhunt v01n01 January 1953 $15.  All of these Manhunts and others of the size will come in a digest sized bag with a custom cut board.

Fair. Significant scuffing and creasing as well as a couple colors of pen marking, split and missing spine at top front and rear covers, split spine bottom inch of back cover.  Beat but complete.  A bit of spine roll, browning but still supple, mostly square pages with some edge staining.  Read it in the can while drinking coffee, like a real man. 

Cover artist unknown?  An itty bitty gun and a redhead falling out of her blouse.

But who cares about the cover (even if some great covers are to come) as the writers are big time.  Mickey Spillane, seller of over 20 million paperbacks, headlines.  William Irish (Cornell Woolrich). Evan Hunter. Richard Prather. Frank Kane.  They all get a spot on the back cover:

But if the fiction aint enough, how about a sock on the jaw on the opening splash from Joe Kubert in awesome yellow inks (it kills me Fictionmags doesn't list artist credits for these in their indexes)

If that doesn't scream Sin City...Kubert doesn't whet your whistle?  How about Matt Baker brings his finesse down to the gutter?

Pink!

Red! Excuse all the pics, I can't help myself

An interesting aside and totally new to me (and I'm not gonna pull the listing just because of it).  I had no knowledge of multiple printings of this first issue, but the scan the pulpscans group has (executed most skillfully by Saskia "the killer" via a paper texture fill technique here) shows a different opening splash (I see no other differences though anywhere else in the issue)

Wild.  I'm not sure how to account for it but would guess that Baker splash here is a replacement.  Either because of the grossness of the yellow bile shooting out of the mouth of the gentleman in the Kubert illo or maybe just the elegant attraction of a Baker dame as the lead.  So much demand they had to do a second edition as a back issue? What the hell.  Anybody ever hear of this?

On 4/26/2024 at 4:52 PM, KirbyJack said:

I’d have pulled the trigger earlier!

It does my heart good to see a well loved old FF get a new home. 
At a 1986 price!

To be fair, he went from 10 to 5 pretty quickly.  And the interior is pretty torn.  But yeah, I probably would have agreed at 10 if he hadn't dropped it so quickly

On 4/26/2024 at 4:15 PM, Surfing Alien said:

Madball by Fredric Brown   Dell First Edition No. 2E   1953     $40

Awesome Griffith Foxley cover art on the true first edition of Brown's zany tale of Carny life ( and the Pickled Punks )

Fine plus. Bright and glossy with minimal creasing. Has slight slant, a few tiny chips at the top and old book smell