Sarg

Loving the George Evans art in this thread, plus great coloring on those pages.

Feldstein refuted that interpretation in an interview, claiming that Gaines only saved them for legal reasons, thinking he would need them if he got sued, got in postal trouble, etc. But there's no doubt Gaines had great pride in EC comics, and probably would have stayed in the comic business had Wertham and the Comics Code not intervened. Just listen to the transcript of the 1972 EC convention, where he dominates all conversations and has razor-sharp recall of nearly everything.

Thanks for the list. It's good to know exactly what he had. It also busts the myth that Gaines kept 12 of each issue. He was actually pretty inconsistent, keeping 9 one month, 10 the next, 12 the next, and so on.

Nice copy of one of the greatest horror covers of all-time. Sure wish Atlas had stuck with the full-size art on the covers ...

Funny, I've admired that cover many times without ever noticing the "Tunnel of Love" written on the side of the boat.

I'm sure this question has been asked a million times, so forgive me ... How many "Gaines File Copies" exist for any of the pre-Trend titles? According to a Pedigree site I read, there were some 40s DC and EC comics in Gaines' collection, but not many, and presumably single copies at that. Does anyone here have one?

I don't think I've seen that one before. Not a classic like Everett's horror covers that follow, but still nice enough.

One of the nice things about this forum is continually discovering new Alex Schomburg covers that you've never seen before. How great it is that this man drew so many comic covers, and what a great loss it was when he left the comics industry. I sure wish a publisher like Taschen would do something like "The Complete Schomburg Comics Covers" in full size, or oversize. That thing would sell like hotcakes.

This is kind of interesting if you're into comics and "true crime" http://zodiackiller.fr.yuku.com/topic/7089/Found-it-By-Fire-By-Gun-By-Knife-By-Rope?page=1#.U4podCjt020 One of the Zodiac Killer's cards to the San Francisco newspaper had the words "by gun" ... "by knife" ... "by fire" ... "by rope" -- meaning, he was murdering people by these methods. These exact same words are found on the "death wheel" cover of Tim Holt Comics #30 (1952). Zodiac also painted a red mask on the skeleton of his card, and the character on the cover is the Red Mask. Coincidence? It would certainly be bizarre if a 1952 western comic book in any way inspired a serial killer in 1968-70. But the Zodiac Killer was not your average person.

You're a herpetologist, too? Cool. I currently have an adult pair of Striped Mud turtles! Raised them from hatchlings. Yes, a herpetologist and author with 4 snake books under my belt. I took 160 photos of Western Pond Turtles while in CA a week ago. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=brian+hubbs Awesome photo! So you really are a herpetologist. My favorite turtle genus has always been Clemmys (now Glyptemys). I've raised Wood and Spotted, but never had the chance to acquire a Western Pond hatchling. Now if somebody can just locate a Baker drawing of a turtle ...

Interesting about Woolrich being interpreted as an existentialist. I'd never heard that. Then again, Sartre's "Nausea" wouldn't have been too out of place as a 1940s Popular Library PB. The larger point worth dwelling on is how unpredictable the future market for any "collectible" will be. Just because there is still interest in super-heroes that is lifting all boats in comic fandom now, does not mean that this interest will still be there in the next generation. I remember that doowop records used to be super expensive and coveted items, because the '50s and '60s east coast generation loved them. But they have long since been overtaken by '60s rock and soul records which the younger collectors (worldwide) love much more than doowop.

Great observations. The sprawling book shelves of yesteryear have been replaced by wide screen TVs and computers. People still read books, but it's increasingly on a tablet. Most people don't have room for shelves and shelves of books. I'm the only person I know who has an entire wall of shelves, in which I keep hardcovers, comics, paperbacks, and pulps (though not on the same shelves).

"Good girl art" doesn't get any more "good" than this!

Fox's covers from 1947-1949 are some of my favorites of all time. Kamen, Baker, and bosomy brunettes with almost nothing on. I can't believe they got away with this stuff, and of course this "outrageous!" factor has always been a huge part of their appeal.

Zombie rag dolls from the tomb? I'm so scared! The brainstorming must have been really dry that day at Atlas.

One of the greatest Classics covers.

You don't usually see Classics Illustrated along with the rest of the comics in these photos.

Oh dear God, there was a "Barbie and Ken" comic book? That will send anyone screaming back into the arms of the Golden Age.

I guess I need to get out to more coffee shops...

PS Artbooks is reprinting the entire run of The Thing within the next few months. The series hosts some of the finest covers on horror comics, so I hope the inside contents are half as good. Very nice colors on that one.Congrats!

Heh, heh. Somebody should've submitted that cover to the CCA as a joke.

I've got a later printing of Ivahoe. Probably the worst art I've ever seen in any comic book. Just unbelievably amateurish.

I like the early covers with the borders.

You're probably right. There's a running gag of Tubby always suspecting Lulu's father of foul play and donning the role of "The Spider" to uncover the plot. That's usually pretty fun. I don't understand the comparison between Stanley and Barks. Barks's rep is built on him being a writer and artist. Stanley did not draw 99% of the Lulu comics, Irving Tripp did. Plus, the drawings are so simple anyone could have drawn them.

I picked up Volume 6 of the "Little Lulu Library," which reprints issues from the mid-1950s. They are OK. Comparisons between Stanley and Barks or Schulz leave me dumbfounded. There is no Snoopy character in Lulu, no depth like you have in Peanuts. It's all pretty one-dimensional comics for kids. Fun enough, sure, but I don't quite get the hype. Is there really much demand for original copies?