AtlasFan

I tried for the for TTA 29 but I lost out with 2 seconds left, I have wanted that specific issue for awhile. It looks like I will keep waiting. As for those Marvel Westerns, those were sold at bargain prices. I can't believe Rawhide Kid 22 (8.5) only went for $600. I was expecting that to hit the $900 dollar mark, guess nobody was watching these. I was ready to hit 800 on it....but my dial up didn't refresh the page quick enough....at the right time and right venue I would think that 22 should be a 1200 dollar book. I didn't bid on the 29 as I knew you would....but it is one of my top ten pre hero covers and one I've never even read. A 7.0 to 7.5 is more my speed with these....8.5's and up are just out of my range. Metro just posted some new ones on their site, but no pics or prices yet...only the inquiry button. I've gotten 2 out of 3 books I've inquired about....but they don't have a TTA 29 in ANY grade.....but rest assured, I'M on the case now( can't find a Sherlock Holmes gremlin) and when I find one for you ,you'lll be notified. If you've already got it...I'll just keep it. GOD BLESS... -jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u Ahh, TTA 29. My favorite alien invasion cover. Marvelous work by Kirby. Just looking at the details on the faces in the crowd! I think it should get one of those "Classic Cover" notation.

Jerry really had some good pre-hero stuff in his auction last night. There were some bargins to be had....in particulat the HG TOS #32 (Man in the Beehive) looked like a very nice copy and sold for a very reasonable price, $300-ish.

WOW! Nice book and an even nicer story. I'm sure i am not alone when I say that we would love to see more of your dad's books. Bill

Thanks - I am thinking along those lines too. I am also listing everything as "reported stolen" ... but with that being said, I think, all in all, people reporting comics stolen are pretty honest....and the site obviously is not an official go to source to report something stolen... the police are. I can't see how someone can benefit by reporting something stolen here that actually isn't...as it isn't a place an adjuster will use to pay a claim on, etc. The only way to benefit financially is to actually complete a police report - and in that case, if they did it fraudulently, they would be committing a crime. In my case (the FF49 on the site was stolen from me), the police response was very slow and ... lets just say it could have been better (they pulled the thief over in his car while he had the book in his car...and the police did nothing about it..despite knowing it was there..they just took his word for it). The postal authorities took days to call me back, if at all. I feel like we (the collecting world) do a much better job of policing in these cases than sometimes the proper authorities do - and don't get me wrong, I love the police - I just think they are usually quite busy dealing with much more important cases than to chase down comic books. The reason I might not require a police report is that it often takes a fair amount of time to get one done...during which time the thief is pawning off their priced books. I might make it a requirement to get a police report to me within 48 hours or something - or the books will be removed from the site - what does everyone think of this? and thanks for your suggestions True, sometimes time is critical in getting a lead on a stolen item. Getting the word out quickly is essential to recovery. I am sure police reports are filed differently in each jurisdiction. If the poster does not have a police or postal report "in hand" (ready to upload), maybe you could have a "pending official documentation" status. I would see this web page as more of an anonymous tipster site...people who see the book at a show or a local comic book owner who is offered the book could anonymously tip the owner (thru the site by email). For example: "Hey, this is Dealer X I think someone offered me your book today.. I was at the YYY show in Anytown, USA and this guy with a Strawberry Shortcake T-shirt and swollen ankles came up to me and..." It would be unfair to expect someone to confront the thief directly. Not only could it be dangerous, but the crook might bolt and dump the book if they think someone knows their identity.

Nice idea, but this could be an unintended playground for mischief... I have not looked the site yet, but I would recommend that only stolen books where there is filed police report or open postal investigation be allowed to be listed. I can just imagine some unscrupulous person posting book that are, in fact, NOT stolen on the site -- just to give the rightful owner a hard time. My 2 cents: I would also recommend that the person filing the stolen book post fully identify themselves and the circumstances of the theft. The poster should list their full name, address and contact information either publicly or, at least, to the site's admin. That admin should authenticate the poster's story and, only then, should the book be listed.

Here are a bunch of Big CCA stamped covers. Most of these Big stamps are in he early days of the Code. It makes sense that the early books would have a large stamp -- to show they were "safe for the kiddies". After a while, I am sure the publishers scaled down the stamp size in favor of more cover.

I say, that book is absolutely SMASHING!

My good man, I do believe you have hit the nail square on the head...the DC Sci-Fi collector is the most discerning of collectors...yes. Unlike those...if you pardon the expression, "Marvel zombies" who only collect those nasty little plastic encased "keys". Each DC Sci-Fi books is a masterpiece in its own right. The interior of these treasures simply cannot be sealed up in a clear plastic. They must be allowed to breath the air and have their interior artwork and stories be enjoyed by its loving owner. If I may, I would liken a slabbed DC Sci-Fi book to a beautiful and elegantly dressed woman, who you could only look at, but never touch...(brings a tear to the eye). What are your thoughts about this, my fellow DC Sci-Fi enthusiasts?

"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here...this is the WAR THREAD"! -- adapted from my favorite film of all time DR STRANGELOVE. Mick, I would enjoy engaging in a friendly discussion about cold war issues, offline, if you like...no problem! But, let me revisit the original question: Why didn't DC use the "Red Scare" as a plot devise in its (war and other) covers and stories at a time when all other media was doing so? My original hypothesis was that the executives at DC may have been sympathetic to those causes and, for that reason, held off making Communists the antagonists in their stories. Now, since this topic came up, I have been doing a little research. ALTER-EGO is a treasure-trove of interviews with folks who lived through those days and have first-hand knowledge. After digging thru my stash and reading interviews with the likes of Jerry Robinson, D ick Dillon, Robert Kanigher and others, unrelated interviews do show that there was a consensus that the DC offices (in the 40s-60s) were mostly liberal D emocrats (nothing wrong with that), with a few editors who may have had some extreme leftist views. The latest issue of ALTER-EGO (#93) has a wonderful 2006 interview with the late DC editor George Kashdan. Kasgdan was an editor at DC from 1947 to the late 1970s. Embedded in this lengthy article, Kashdan talks about the politics at DC and points out that senior editor Jack Schiff did have radical left-leaning views. The article does not say specifically that any stories depicting Communism in a bad light were squashed, but it does leave that impression. This is a 2 part interview, so I am hoping that the next issue may address this directly. I had only heard of Schiff with regards to the SKY MASTERS lawsuit with Jack Kirby (which resulted in Kirby leaving DC and to go to Marvel). After doing some looking, I learned that Schiff was at DC from before the beginning. Schiff had written and edited some of the "Spicy" pulps that company (that would become National/DC) had published in the 30's. Schiff was also very close to DC's owners. The point is that Schiff had a lot of editorial power at DC and may have been a driving force in suppressing any Red Scare themes. I will continue looking thru my ALTER-EGOS this weekend (it sure beats yard work!). Bill

It is ironic that during that late '50's period, little old Treasure Chest was more vocal than straight War comics from DC. Actually, I'd say that's anything. . .everything else BUT ironic. Definitely NOT ironic. You are correct that my word choice was poor. I should have: "On the other hand, it was no surprise that Treasure Chest was more vocal than DC." I do understand the background and motivation behind Treasure Chest's decision. I did not know though about the timing of the "unde God" addition. (thumbs u After all, one should remember that radio carried such a show as: I was a Communist for the FBI As per the wikipedia entry (to save me more research), "The film and radio show are, in part, artifacts of the McCarthy era, as well as a time capsule of American society during the Second Red Scare. The purpose of both are partly to warn people about the threat of Communist subversion of American society. The tone of the show is ultra-patriotic, with Communists portrayed as racist, vindictive, and tools of a totalitarian foreign power, the Soviet Union." Granted McCarthy used American's fears of an atomic war in an effort to advance his own career, don't forget, at that time that there was a real threat of Communist infiltration in the Government, academia, business, and the media. The cases of Alger Hiss, the Rosenbergs, etc are well documented facts of Communist Americans spying for the Soviets. Comics like TREASURE CHEST and others were keen to make Americans aware of a very real threat. Its a shame that the lasting impression from that era are "black lists" and "witch hunts". While those things did happen, the greater good was that a lot of traitors were exposed and that resulted in the nation being a safer place.

Depends on how big it was when it started. Jack probably Big Head Todd and the Monsters One of my favorite PCH covers. What more could one ask for - a post-apocalyptic scene with a mushroom cloud in the distance and a floating shrunken head. Very atmospheric. First time I've seen a high grade copy of that book, too.... Nothing says Atomic Age horror more than a shrunken head, a pretty girl and nuclear explosion. WOW! Nice book. I love Atom Bomb explosion covers. River City copy?

The think I like about the 78 is the aliens look like middle-aged Caucasian businessmen. Like Kane momentarily ran out of ideas and had to get the art turned in. Thanks for the tip on the dinosaur story. Love those. You can actually read the story on line at this new Gil Kane blog: http://www.kingdomkane.com/search/label/Gardner%20Fox

Here are a couple of recently aquired SAs...the theme today is mini-space aliens in teeny-tiny spaceships! SA 78 has a spectacular Gil Kane dinosaur story...too bad Gill didnt do a couple of "War Before Time" stories.

How about those who purchased books that were classified as the "EASTERN COLOR" pedigree from FANTAZIA?

My, that is a nice book. Rare in such nice condition. MGA #28 THROWDOWN! Here is my humble copy...

Thanks for you comments guys! I will add that there were never as many comics published at any time as there were in the late 40s and early 50s. And that a large portion of the audience was not juvenile -- there were a lot of GI's that read comics during WW2 and Korea. It just seems odd that DC did not "jump on the anti-Red bandwagon" when so many movies, TV shows and books used these themes as major plot points. Heck, even hard-boiled detective Mike Hammer took a break from the pushers & pimps to fight Soviet spies! Why didnt DC didn't vilify the Reds as so many other outlets did in popular culture at the time? As a side note, EC mentions the Red Menace in many of its best tales -- only these stories are really more anti-McCarthy as they really focus more on the persecution of "innocent" Americans rather than the Red Menace. I would suspect that Timely/Atlas' overtly anti-Communist stance was just a reflection of the times...as Atlas was notorious for jumping on any popular trend (and usually after everyone else)...

First Marvel age hero - Dr Droom. It also has a really cool canary yellow cover too!

If it said Marvel Mystery Comics #1, it was definitely a fake, as no such book exists. It was strange...it had some flaming guy on the cover and a Hulk story on the inside...

I work in downtown NYC...Last month, this guy in Chinatown was selling a stack of MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS #1 for $10 each...do you think they were fakes???

I think that it would have been more "politically correct" at the time to show the Reds as the enemies than to not mention them at all. DC had no problem depicting anti-Nazi covers during WW2 and long thereafter in all of its war titles. Ask yourself: Who were the direct polar opposites of the Nazis? The Reds! Why would DC have no issue with depicting the Nazis as villains, but not the Reds? During the Korean War, you can see that DC really seemed to hesitate to depict the Reds as enemies. And. like I said, after 1953, there are no anti-Communist covers or stories -- anywhere in DC-land. The only exception to this was in the BLACKHAWK title, where the first few DC issues did have a couple of anti-Communist stories, but I suspect that DC was just using up the last of the inventory left over from Quality. Remember that during the 50's the Reds were vilified in the US even more-so than the Nazis -- after all, any potential conflict with a Soviet backed country at that time could have resulted in an unthinkable atomic war. Interesting questions that I will continue to peruse the answers to.

I think there is more to this than DC's (or Kanigher's) desire to keep the majority of its war stories set in WW2. If you look through the entire body of what DC was publishing in the 50s & early 60s, there is virtually no mention of the Reds and a protagonist in any stories: superhero, mystery, sci-fi fantasy or war. Even the espionage books (like DANGER TRAIL - King Faraday, Johnny Peril, etc.) never mentions the Reds by name...the adversary is always "a foreign power". This really shows clearly when DC takes over BLACKHAWKS from Quality and all the Red villains/themes vanish. Marvel, on the other hand regularly injected the Red Menace into all its titles...right up to its super-hero rebirth (the FF, Hulk and Iron Man all had Red Menace themes involved in their origins). It would be most interesting to investigate the politics of the owners and editors of DC during this period .. to see if a pattern develops. Bill

There are a smattering of Communist antagonists covers and stories in the BIG 5 during the Korean War, but they all but vanish after 1953 when the war ends. I always suspected that the management at DC may have been "sympathetic" to the cause. I do recall reading -- I believe it was an interview with Kanigher -- that the management at DC leaned a bit twords the left, thus squashing several of his Red themed war stories. And that DC owners Harry Donenfeld & Jack Liebowitz had strong ties to certain radical unions in the 20s and 30s.

I am doing a little research based on a discussion in (of all places) the Timely-Atlas Yahoo Group of Communist themes in DC comics during the 50's and early 60's. Red Chinese/Russian and Korean adversaries were common in Atlas/Marvel, Quality, Standard, etc war books...but are as rare as hen's teeth in DC books. This is made really apparent when DC takes over the BLACKHAWKS series from Quality. In the Quality run, most of the team's adversaries are Reds..very shortly after DC takes over, all the Communist villains disappear and the team turns mainly into monster-fighters. Could anyone here opine as to why DC was so soft on using the Reds as villians? many thanks, Bill PS: I posted a similar thread in the War Comics thread over at SILVER, looking for any DC Stories with the Reds as the bad guys.

Howdy all you war comic buffs: I am doing a little research based on a discussion in (of all places) the Timely-Atlas Yahoo Group of Communist themes in DC comics during the 50's and early 60's. Red Chinese/Russian and Korean adversaries were common in Atlas/Marvel, Quality, Standard, etc war books...but are as rare as hen's teeth in DC war books. This is made really apparent when DC takes over the BLACKHAWK series from Quality. In the Quality run, most of the team's adversaries are Reds..very shortly after DC takes over, all the Communist villains disappear and the team turns mainly into monster-fighters. Could anyone here identify any major post-WW2 era stories in DC war books from the 50's/early 60s that deals with the Reds -- or opine as to why DC was soft on using the Reds as villians? many thanks, Prof. Bill

Mick, Those pre-hero B&Bs are just out of this world! Great covers and even better interior art! The only adventure series that comes close is ROBIN HOOD & BLACK KNIGHT...love those series. Bill