Sarg

One of the great collectors. RIP.

I love that the Moon Goodess a thousand years in the future is using a circa AD 1500 rapier as her only weapon.

"EC Adjacent Books" would be an interesting thread.

Yes, by "Golden Age," I mean the old definition of 1933 to 1955. It's not that many covers by Everett prior to the Atlas horror lines. Amazing Man - 6 covers Amazing Mystery Funnies - 7 covers Heroic Comics - 12 covers Nothing for Timely/Atlas until Sub-Mariner 32 (June 49) Any others prior to 1950?

I have a feeling that Robert Strasser's name is going to become more and more well-known. Quite possibly the Edgar Church of pulps.

Of course, Bill's qualifications have a couple of shortcomings ... he didn't get to do that many covers. And his style is only semi-realistic. I think the only other contender to meet all those criteria is Jack Kirby, but I think Everett was a better artist of the two during the GA. I don't like Jack's GA art at all, it's too crude. Of course, he surpassed Bill and everybody else during the Silver Age.

OK, so the original question was too broad. What if we tighten the qualifications to only include the following criteria: - the artist must have worked for a significant period of time during the Golden Age on commercial newsstand comics (at least eight years) - the artist must have created, co-created, or significantly shaped a major character, one that is still recognized by comic fans today - drew covers AND interiors, emphasizing interiors - drew in a realistic or semi-realistic style (no funny animals) I think that we are left with no other choice than .... drumroll please ... BILL EVERETT. Take a bow, Bill!

Stop! You're killing us!

Yeah. I (like many, I suspect) overlook Mac Raboy because Captain Marvel, Junior is such a minor character. It's a shame because Mac was undoubtedly a great, great artist. I wish he'd done Superman or Batman.

Never saw that before on a pulp. I think pulp remainders was similar to other magazines. Part of the cover, or the whole cover, would be torn off.

Great points, Cat-Man. Yes, I think any consideration for this honor must include an artist who regularly drew covers and interiors. AFAIK, Schomburg never drew interiors, so he would have to be excluded. I would exclude newspaper comic artists. Since most of Eisner's best work was done for newspapers, that probably excludes him. By "best overall" I was thinking of some one who drew covers and interiors as well as a variety of genres: adventure, humor, sci-fi, super-heroes. Personally, I thought Wood was great in humor, adventure, horror, sci-fi, war. But he arrived a bit late. His style only came into maturity in 1951.

I meant to include Frazetta. Oops.

Greatest in terms of ability, draftsmanship, originality, versatility, etc.

Great to see the near-mythical Atlas logo.

Isn't FF Series 1 the first to actually to be put on sale, though? That was a huge risk for 1934 and, it could be argued, the most important breakthrough rather than the size.

There are no Jumbo covers by Matt Baker.

Yes. I disagree with CGC "standards," which are, of course, arbitrary, subjective, and debatable. The notion that, for example, a mild spine roll could knock a whole point off the grade while large, prominent writing in the middle of a cover only counts for a .2 reduction is pure whimsy, utterly devoid of anything resembling aesthetic judgement.

No book with prominent writing in the middle of the cover is 9.8. I don't care if GCG wants to pretend it isn't there.

Fiction House is pretty much just non-stop headlights, legs, and bondage. I suspect that they had the largest adult readership among comic publishers.

Would you believe ... GRAVE ROBBERS FROM OUTER SPACE?

Promise grade 9.0.

Only one comic strip reprint (Famous Funnies), only two funny animals, Chamber of Chills #19, and no ECs. Funny how things change over time...

A classic example of FH ink deterioration from red to orange.

Sky Girl is pretty much just Phantom Lady plus "aeroplanes."

It's always good to show Fiction House covers in their early and late states. Rule of thumb: anything "orange" on a FH cover probably started out red.