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Baker Romance
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Started by JvR11,

13,373 posts in this topic

10centcomics

10centcomics

Posted
Posted
On 10/12/2021 at 12:18 PM, Point Five said:

Congrats! Did you get any of the other Bakers in the MCS auctions? I was surprised how aggressively some of the other issues were bid up. 

 

Yeah I picked up DS13 and DS17 as well. The Baker covers with suggestive captions seemed to do well!

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eschnit

eschnit

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 10/11/2021 at 3:42 PM, Dr. Love said:

I was thinking about Kamen particularly.  There is no comparable swiper for the males, but in contradiction to what I said earlier, probably not that it couldn't be done - more like who would bother.

I think we may agree on this.  Baker was freelance.  If memory serves, his early work was Fiction House, mostly uncredited, and not covers, or at least not complete covers.  And Fox.  Fight Comics, Phantom Lady, Jo-Jo, etc.  And then whomever the publisher of Seven Seas was.  Kamen and Baker knew each other, worked together.  Many were inspired by, and mimicked Baker.  Kamen particularly, and on Fox and Fiction House, their art is so similar, you can’t really tell them apart.  This was circa late 40s.  
 

St. John was mostly early 50s.  These books are so distinctly Baker, there is no one else many of them could possibly be.  Cinderella Love 25 couldn’t possibly be anyone else.  Giant Comics Edition 12 and 15, True Love Pictorials, Pictorial Romances, Teenage Romances and Temptations, Authentic Police Cases, Canteen Kate, Flamingo.  The women are unmistakable.  Kamen could draw Phantom Lady all day, and you couldn’t tell them apart.  Or if you could, you found some small tell.  They’re virtually identical.  Seven Seas, I’d guess Kamen could come close, but couldn’t copy completely.  But the St. John Bakers is what makes Baker special in my opinion.  Phantom Lady and Seven Seas, and others came first.  That matters.  But the craftsmanship from later Baker is Schomburg or Frazetta in its unique quality of a preeminent artist that no one compares to.  In my opinion, that is what makes Baker singularly special.  And it’s the women, not the men.  Are the men distinct?  I don’t know, probably.  But it’s the way he drew women for St. John that is his standout quality above the rest.

Edited by eschnit
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10centcomics

10centcomics

Posted
Posted

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this! What has been the golden source for determining if something was done by Baker for the Fox comics? Jo-Jo Comics 25 is credited to Baker on the CGC label. In GCD, it states the original indexer credited Jack Kamen for the cover. Do we have any documentation of the debate that went on to make this revision? 

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10centcomics

10centcomics

Posted
Posted
On 10/12/2021 at 4:27 PM, comicnoir said:

Links to those auctions please?

DS13: https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?ItemID=54562367

DS17: https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?ItemID=54197362

DS19: https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?ItemID=54012880

Wartime Romances 8: https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?ItemID=54132268

 

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Ricksneatstuff

Ricksneatstuff

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 10/12/2021 at 10:36 AM, 10centcomics said:

I'm shocked there wasn't more activity around that one as it's such a beautiful cover. As the winning bidder, I'm not complaining:bigsmile:

I always forget about those MCS auctions. I think I would have paid more than most of those went for. 

Edited by Ricksneatstuff
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BakerFanOne

BakerFanOne

Posted
Posted
On 10/10/2021 at 11:11 AM, RareHighGrade said:

Is this a Baker cover?  It looks like it, but he's not credited on the CGC label.

 

ATAP.PoliceCases.2.jpg

Amazing copy.  I once owned two copies but sold one to a boardie a few years ago.  In my opinion, this is absolutely positively Baker.  I would stake a lot of money on it being Baker.  

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