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Infinite Bronze Horror Thread
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Started by sterlingcomics,

Pick your four favorite Bronze Horror Title:  

12 members have voted

  1. 1. Pick your four favorite Bronze Horror Title:

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14,909 posts in this topic

Brad Tabar

Brad Tabar

Posted
Posted

While I like most of DC's horror titles from the 70's, Unexpected is, along with Weird Mystery Tales, my favorite.

 

Here are a few I recently picked up for a modest price and one Darth Korgi got for me.

 

U127.jpg

 

U140.jpg

 

U144.jpg

 

I found issue 127, rather damaged, in a box at a shop in the Orlando area. I 'd never seen it before and immediately was captivated by that great cover!

 

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gaute

gaute

Posted
Posted
I found issue 127, rather damaged, in a box at a shop in the Orlando area. I 'd never seen it before and immediately was captivated by that great cover!

Cardy at his finest, such great atmosphere! :cloud9:

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Jayman

Jayman

Posted
Posted
I found issue 127, rather damaged, in a box at a shop in the Orlando area. I 'd never seen it before and immediately was captivated by that great cover!

Cardy at his finest, such great atmosphere! :cloud9:

 

I agree! unexpected 127 was one of (if not the first) issues I ever had. I haven't read it in years but I can still see the piper sinking in the quagmire singing "Follow me, follow me...Ha, ha, ha!"

Such are the images that get burned into your brain... :eek:

 

All great books Brad!

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Brandon Shepherd

Brandon Shepherd

Posted
Posted

i just picked this up this morning at a local con. I was hoping to find more books like this but this was the only one in decent shape I could find. Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion #6 (1972), described as VF. When I flipped through it I recognized Mr. Kirby's work immediately!

 

DarkMansion6_zps6bda6bc8.jpg

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Brad Tabar

Brad Tabar

Posted
Posted (edited)

Thanks man! I was a little too young when this one came out to get it off the rack (I didn't start collecting until 1973) But I love these seventies horror books! I just wonder when Unexpected, House of Mystery, and House of Secrets became this cool! I've heard the earlier ones, from the sixties, weren't quite as great, probably due to the comics code. The ban against horror was lifted in 1970, wasn't it?

 

 

I found issue 127, rather damaged, in a box at a shop in the Orlando area. I 'd never seen it before and immediately was captivated by that great cover!

Cardy at his finest, such great atmosphere! :cloud9:

 

I agree! unexpected 127 was one of (if not the first) issues I ever had. I haven't read it in years but I can still see the piper sinking in the quagmire singing "Follow me, follow me...Ha, ha, ha!"

Such are the images that get burned into your brain... :eek:

 

All great books Brad!

Edited by Brad Tabar
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Brad Tabar

Brad Tabar

Posted
Posted

Great cover! I've gotta check this book out!

 

i just picked this up this morning at a local con. I was hoping to find books like this but this was the only one in decent shape I could find. Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion #6 (1972), described as VF. When I flipped through it I recognized Mr. Kirby's work immediately!

 

DarkMansion6_zps6bda6bc8.jpg

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Brandon Shepherd

Brandon Shepherd

Posted
Posted

I have a few question for you other boardies who have been collecting Bronze Horror comics over the years - in regards to DC comics specifically.

 

I've just started looking at these books to collect, in the limited time I've researched this, I've concluded that House of Mystery is THE DC Bronze Horror title. This has been based on prices of high grade raws I've seen online. Other titles like Unexpected and and Dark Mansion, House of Secrets, Witching Hour and others seem much more affordable compared to HOM.

 

Am I correct on this observation?

 

Second question: were these horror titles printed in lesser quantities compared to the superhero books? I've noticed there do not appear to be many 9.6s and 9.8s for a lot of these books - I imagine the dark covers do not help.

 

Thanks

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Jayman

Jayman

Posted
Posted
Thanks man! I was a little too young when this one came out to get it off the rack (I didn't start collecting until 1973) But I love these seventies horror books! I just wonder when Unexpected, House of Mystery, and House of Secrets became this cool!

 

They've always been cool! :cool:

 

I've heard the earlier ones, from the sixties, weren't quite as great, probably due to the comics code. The ban against horror was lifted in 1970, wasn't it?

 

HOM was the only title that started out as Precode and made it to the Bronze Age. It drifted into sci-fi and some quirky superhero tales (J'onn J'onnz, Dial H for Hero) before it settled on the horror/mystery format in issue 174. House of Secrets which came later, made a similar change at issue 81. These are the start of the early Adams and Wrightson issues.

 

The ban on horror was not so much lifted (as the code was still in effect) but it eased up quite a bit and let vampires, werewolves, demons and such be reintroduced back into storytelling.

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Jayman

Jayman

Posted
Posted
I have a few question for you other boardies who have been collecting Bronze Horror comics over the years - in regards to DC comics specifically.

 

I've just started looking at these books to collect, in the limited time I've researched this, I've concluded that House of Mystery is THE DC Bronze Horror title. This has been based on prices of high grade raw I've seen online. Other title like Unexpected and and Dark Mansion, House of Secrets, Witching Hour and others seem much more affordable compared to HOM.

 

Am I correct on this observation?

 

HOM is very popular along with HOS. Being kind of the 2 flagship titles of DCs Bronze Age horror books. Also the early HOM/HOS books have a lot of Adams and Wrightson cool covers that are popular with collectors. I myself, was a big fan of Ghosts, Unexpected and Witching Hour!

 

Second question: were these horror titles printed in lesser quantities compared to the superhero books? I've noticed there do not appear to be many 9.6s and 9.8s for a lot of these books - I imagine the dark covers do not help.

 

Thanks

 

Not that I'm aware of. I believe it's because these books weren't collected as much as their superhero counterparts. And yes, the darker covers do not help. Back around 2004 these titles were on fire! Prices have cooled way down since then...

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Brad Tabar

Brad Tabar

Posted
Posted

Wow Jayman! Thanks for the info!. Unexpected, Weird Mystery Tales, Witching Hour and Ghosts are my special favorites, but I do like those two Houses!

 

I recently purchased a graphic novel which reprinted all of those Dial H For Heroes books because I was curious about it (I saw it in Who's Who, the DC Directory back in the mid-eighties). I hope I like those stories as much as the later stuff!

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Jayman

Jayman

Posted
Posted
Wow Jayman! Thanks for the info!. Unexpected, Weird Mystery Tales, Witching Hour and Ghosts are my special favorites, but I do like those two Houses!

 

I recently purchased a graphic novel which reprinted all of those Dial H For Heroes books because I was curious about it (I saw it in Who's Who, the DC Directory back in the mid-eighties). I hope I like those stories as much as the later stuff!

 

Sokamageee! (thumbs u

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gaute

gaute

Posted
Posted

Question: When did Unexpected officially transition into the new horror format? IIRC it was #109?

 

The title went from "Tales Of The Unexpected" to "the Unexpected" at #105, and then to "Have You The Nerve To Face The Unexpected" at #107. For me though, I'm starting the collection from #110, as that's when the logo changed, to a distinctly more horror-y one.

 

unexpecteds.jpg

 

(Screenshot from Comics.org)

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gaute

gaute

Posted
Posted
Thanks man! I was a little too young when this one came out to get it off the rack (I didn't start collecting until 1973) But I love these seventies horror books! I just wonder when Unexpected, House of Mystery, and House of Secrets became this cool!

 

They've always been cool! :cool:

 

I've heard the earlier ones, from the sixties, weren't quite as great, probably due to the comics code. The ban against horror was lifted in 1970, wasn't it?

 

HOM was the only title that started out as Precode and made it to the Bronze Age. It drifted into sci-fi and some quirky superhero tales (J'onn J'onnz, Dial H for Hero) before it settled on the horror/mystery format in issue 174. House of Secrets which came later, made a similar change at issue 81. These are the start of the early Adams and Wrightson issues.

 

The ban on horror was not so much lifted (as the code was still in effect) but it eased up quite a bit and let vampires, werewolves, demons and such be reintroduced back into storytelling.

 

This. In a nutshell; the DC Mystery line was revamped in 1968 under the editorship of Joe Orlando. House of Mystery became new at #174, House of Secrets at #81 (1969) - as for Unexpected, see my question above.

 

Imagine being a young, unsuspecting HoM/Dial H for Hero fan in 1968, and then being greeted by #174 on the stands! :cloud9:

 

homchange.jpg

 

 

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Jayman

Jayman

Posted
Posted
Question: When did Unexpected officially transition into the new horror format? IIRC it was #109?

 

The title went from "Tales Of The Unexpected" to "the Unexpected" at #105, and then to "Have You The Nerve To Face The Unexpected" at #107. For me though, I'm starting the collection from #110, as that's when the logo changed, to a distinctly more horror-y one.

 

unexpecteds.jpg

 

(Screenshot from Comics.org)

 

For me, I start with issue 104. Not truly all horror but I like it because it's the start of the V shaped logo treatment and is a significant cover style change from the earlier sci-fi covers. The all horror/supernatural stories I believe start at around issue 108.

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Brandon Shepherd

Brandon Shepherd

Posted
Posted
I myself, was a big fan of Ghosts, Unexpected and Witching Hour!

 

I finally saw the Ghosts covers, I'm fan of Nick Cardy's works, his covers were was started me on Bronze Action Comics. With Cardy as the cover artist for many of these covers, I don't feel like I'm jumping ship by branching out into the horror genre. My favorite Cardy cover so far would have to be Unexpected #141.

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