Cat-Man_America Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 (edited) I don't recall having posted any acquisitions in this thread, so it's about time that I correct that oversight. My most recent pre-code purchase was at SDCC and to acquire this prize I risked life and limb ...not to mention a nip or two at my wallet. Ladies and gentlemen, this heroic saga is a gut-wrenching story of calculated risk, daring and triumph. Prepare yourselves, and make sure that the kiddies are out of the room, as this tale would most certainly cause them nightmares. It seems like only yesterday, ...well, OK, a couple of months ago anyway... there I was, three days in and working my way through the dense jungle of ComicCon's ever-moving wild kingdom. Without a machete or day old burrito to assist me somehow I managed to cut a swath through the human forest. Tough going for sure, but I was determined to soldier on and find whatever nugget of gold lay hidden in the stacks of mid-grade drek that worked it's way to the surface of some con-weary dealer's short-box. And then, when I least expected it, Eureka! I hit pay-dirt! There amidst a cluster of lesser books was a handsome copy of an early Marvel Tales, ...and it was in the lair of an apparently docile creature wearing an innocuous bat hoody. Luck seemed to be with me, I thought. Heck, maybe I could even smooth talk this genial creature down to cover price! But friends, little did I know that I'd entered the realm of the dread Gator (cue Jaws music)! As I pulled the book from it's resting place I noticed teeth gleaming out of the corner of my eye; it was like a peroxide dental strip gone wrong, or maybe Gator's flashy grin came from the Coke-Zero enamel polish he consumed. Whatever the cause, that sparkling smile displayed more guile than Bedrock sitting on a full house in a Texas hold-em game. Yes, dear friends, I was afraid, very afraid, and in order to survive this encounter my resolve would be severely tested. To obtain this prized collectable I would have to employ every ounce of my own cunning, learned through countless expeditions to exotic conventions far and wide. Safari, you still with me? You're probably wondering how I managed to survive this hair raising ordeal to walk away intact with my pre-code prize? Well, I used the old decoy trick. (thumbs u You see, I distracted the cagey snapper with rectangular pieces of green paper covered with fancy lettering and portraits! Cautiously, book in hand, I backed slowly away into the dense fan jungle. When I looked back Gator was still fascinated with the green paper, counting pictures and adding numbers. And there you have it folks, I've shared my saga and will now post the incredible wildlife photography that bears it out. You may have seen this now famous image once or twice before. However, I believe it's a first for this thread (given the bat, peacockish shirt and colorful cave surroundings our reps should be entertaining offers from National Geographic any day now)! Dedicated to the memory of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom and Gator's B-Day (10/08/11)!!! Edited October 8, 2011 by DavidMerryweather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamstrange Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 Welcome back to the world of pre-code collecting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamstrange Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 I was talking with Mark Haspel about a year ago and he asked if I still had this book. I think it was the first book I purchased from him back when he was a dealer and remembered it because it was so nice and he was certain I would buy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Knight Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 That's a really cool Don Heck cover. All of the Comic Media books seem pretty tough in high grade. Good stuff. (thumbs u Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEAUMONTS Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 (thumbs u Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamstrange Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 Great logo, Beaumont! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEAUMONTS Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 I really dig the complete run of Weird Terror, they all have fantastic cover's.. (thumbs u Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamstrange Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 I really dig the complete run of Weird Terror, they all have fantastic cover's.. (thumbs u Don Heck got his career off to a great start with his work for Comic Media. From wiki: Heck's first known credited work is on the horror comics Weird Terror, Horrific, Terrific, and Danger, and the violent Western series Death Valley, for publisher Comic Media beginning in 1952. Many of his covers stand out in the Gerber Guide because they are based on a "big head" design, but there is something to like in most every one once you see them full size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrooge Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 :hail: No green line of death on that scan Wonderful cover that I'd never inspected in detail. Unlike most, I like Heck's work, esp. his '50's work, in particular this Danger cover Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamstrange Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 No green line of death on that scan About time you cleaned your monitor. Each of the little vignettes on the Danger cover is superb. I don't think I've read any of those issues but I assume the interior is similarly superior? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrooge Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 No green line of death on that scan About time you cleaned your monitor. Each of the little vignettes on the Danger cover is superb. I don't think I've read any of those issues but I assume the interior is similarly superior? Well, I'd have to pull the book out to be certain but, no, the interior is not superior. The main attraction for me in those Dangers is the one PAM (Morisi) story in each issue and occasionally the Heck job. If memory serves, in this one book, Heck gets way too "foldy", inventing creases and folds where they don't belong, even on characters' skin. Think George Wunder on Terry immediately post Caniff, without as a crisp inking as Wunder had. It doesn't make for the best Heck. He did better on the cover, with a cleaner style. Here's a Maneely classic I picked up today - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrooge Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 Published just a few months before the advent of the Code, I always think of the man on the cover as frightened about it. It certainly is clear Atlas was gearing up for the Code before it was instituted - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Illmannered Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 I have a 9.2 file copy myself I think you meant Mr.Illmannered now has that 9.2 file copy for himself! Thanks again man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Illmannered Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 And Mr.Illmannered now finally has this beauty as well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldust40 Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 And Mr.Illmannered now finally has this beauty as well... Bravo. (thumbs u Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrooge Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Here's another new Atlas. Who knew prospecting could be so dangerous Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Illmannered Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Highest on the census and Big Apple pedigree...thanks a lot Tsimanga! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Illmannered Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Another highest on the census...thanks a lot Heritage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Illmannered Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Oh yeah this one too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Fashion PB and J Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 I picked up a few pre codes at NYCC. Nothing in UHG like Mr.Ill over here though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...