Pat Calhoun

I like 'em three!

Alanna- informative and enlightening. I sold my first GA collection in 1969 and traveled Europe/N Afica/W Asia for 18 months. The Afghanis are great people as are the Moroccans. And tho collecting may seem the ultimate materialism- my modest store are talismans that take me to the limitless world of imagination. Thanks! Pat (and congrats Gator!)

non listing of authors on cover probably equals grade 'z' content...

re: GCD- could be the same Centaur- pulp co 'evolved' to comics co... Notes: Properly speaking, "Centaur" as a publisher should only refer to two indicia publishers: Centaur Publications, Inc. (March, 1938 - December, 1940) and Comic Corporation of America (September, 1939 - April, 1942). Comics published by both of these publishers were advertised together and referred to as being published by the "Centaur Group" in those ads. Several additional companies have historically been lumped under "Centaur" on the grounds that the titles they published were later purchased and continued by Centaur Publications, Inc. The earliest of these was Comics Magazine Co., Inc., formed by William Cook and John Mahon. Cook and Mahon had been the managing editor and business manager, respectively, of National Allied Publications (DC's earliest predecessor). They began publishing The Comics Magazine with material taken from National Allied's inventory (in lieu of unpaid wages, by some accounts), and several National artists followed them to the new company. However, this company lasted just over a year before ceasing operations, selling their two longest-running titles to Frank Z. Temerson and I. W. Ullman's Ultem Publications, Inc. Elsewhere around the same time, Harry "A" Chesler was making his first foray into comic book publishing with Chesler Publications, Inc. He published six issues each of his two oversized titles before he, too, sold his books to Ultem. But while Cook and Mahon were no longer involved with their series, Chesler stayed on to edit Ultem's entire line (two titles each from Chesler and the Comics Magazine Co.), giving all four a similar look. Ultem, too, was short-lived, producing issues for only five months (although Frank Temerson would later form numerous other comic book publishers such as Brookwood, Tem, Helnit, Nita, Et-Es-Go and Continental). They sold all four titles to Joseph Hardie and Raymond Kelly's Centaur Publications, Inc., which had been publishing pulp magazines since at least 1933. Centaur used these to begin their comic book line, and also drew on the back inventory of stories to fill out the early issues of their new titles with reprints. Comic Corporation of America began with Amazing Man Comics in 1939, but did not add other titles until after Centaur Publications, Inc. had ceased production at the end of 1940. By many accounts, Centaur / Comic Corporation of America's titles suffered from poor distribution and as the U. S. was drawn into World War II they ceased publication. Some of their final issues involved an experiment of including advertisements mixed in among the panels of the story. These were published for the Chicago Mail Order Co., (but not by the Chicago Mail Order Co., contrary to some sources) and may have been published later in 1942 than the regularly dated titles. Comic Corporation of America continued on as a publisher of non-comics titles. Two other Hardie / Kelly companies, Harle Publications, Inc. (seen in the statement of ownership of Funny Picture Stories v3#1) and H-K Publications, Inc., would publish a few comics in the 1950's but mostly published other sorts of magazines. See also the separate entries for Harle Publications and H-K Publications.

good one! I thinketh it's Saunders and definitely is a tuff Fowler Wright. just about the only other edition is the pricey '30s hardback... an interesting dystopian. The (apt) blurb for one of his most famous (justly) short stories, 'Original Sin': 'Under the Doctrine of Futility Mankind decides to commit suicide..."

Thanks, Jayman, 'Dorothy's Doll' is a super story- and so tightly packed into 4 pages! That's why I love Atlas!

MM as cat-tamer is superb, and of course your copy is sharp!

well I named my 2 boys after a poet & a sf writer. Crane from Hart Crane Voyages II --And yet this great wink of eternity, Of rimless floods, unfettered leewardings, Samite sheeted and processioned where Her undinal vast belly moonward bends, Laughing the wrapt inflections of our love; Take this Sea, whose diapason knells On scrolls of silver snowy sentences, The sceptred terror of whose sessions rends As her demeanors motion well or ill, All but the pieties of lovers' hands. And onward, as bells off San Salvador Salute the crocus lustres of the stars, In these poinsettia meadows of her tides,-- Adagios of islands, O my Prodigal, Complete the dark confessions her veins spell. Mark how her turning shoulders wind the hours, And hasten while her penniless rich palms Pass superscription of bent foam and wave,-- Hasten, while they are true,--sleep, death, desire, Close round one instant in one floating flower. Bind us in time, O Seasons clear, and awe. O minstrel galleons of Carib fire, Bequeath us to no earthly shore until Is answered in the vortex of our grave The seal's wide spindrift gaze toward paradise. and Theo from Theodore Sturgeon

#6 = International Comics #1

more PCH- I picked the 'mad scientist' cover for BB who should know I was joshing about his 'scooping' me on Dr Drew- I am of course pleased to see us on the same page so often! Sheldon 'Shelly' Moldoff's story of how he pitched a prototype of 'This Mag Is Haunted' with horror host Dr Death to Bill Gaines BEFORE EC started their 'hosted horror' rings truer every day and adds stature to this already strong title. Fawcett horror was fun.

how about a little Atlas PCH? -many of my faves in this category feature art by Matt Fox, like this from Adventures Into Terror #25- a great yarn about COLLECTING...

well this wasn't the ? but my fave TITLE (ie the words themselves) is Forbidden Worlds. I like the ACG storytelling and many of the artists, started buying in 1960 (8) now prefer the precode- but still am moved by the charming promise...

BB- you dog! I was gonna do Drew (have all 11!) but was waiting 'cause so much FH -hmmmppffhh!!!!#%*+

This was my first of the 'late' (this is last ish) Wonder and Startlings with Xela covs. I was thrilled to discover that the insides: Tara, Wonderman, Silver Knight- were almost as cool. Great, great stuff...

I've got some thoughts of great strips/series/runs- want to start with the most embarrassing since I have none of them- borrowed this from BB back in '07: Wolverton's Space Patrol (this page from AMF #24)

well I was close- knew it was a Hitch term- maybe the Maltese Falcon is a good physical example...

kind of like the 'McCoy' (the real vs the phony) the maguffin is the real reason for something other than the purported reason- in a mystery setting extends to the clue that ties it all together (all off top of head rather than web query)

well the 39 cover is certainly a graphic representation of why a 'sidekick' might be a good idea- especially one who grins as he's about to kick a goon to death... NICE!

yes, that is fun & excellent title. Nevins has put together several volumes of Woolrich reprints and always provides good introductory material.

The Window is a 1949 American black-and-white suspense film noir, based on the short story "The Boy Cried Murder" (reprinted as "Fire Escape") by Cornell Woolrich. many films (including Rear Window) from Woolrich stories (Truffant dropped the ball in his 'The Bride Wore Black') we love you Cornell !!!!!!!

it's almost like TRUEVISION!

cool!