bc Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 On 7/23/2024 at 2:33 PM, Albert Tatlock said: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! (PART 1) The last couple of UKPV pre-hero Strange Tales have trickled in, and I now have a full run of all 25 available (ST78 has no pence variant, more's the pity). Still chipping away at the other titles. Not far off completing Tales To Astonish. Then I need to get the cents copies, then the appropriate Creatures Roam/Monsters Dwell, then the Miller Mystic, Spellbound etc variations, then the Alan Class with ST covers, then the Mexican editions, and then....................... It's going to be a hectic couple of days. Awesome set of classics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirbyJack Posted July 24 Share Posted July 24 No question. Very few runs look better than a secession of monster-era Kirby pre hero Marvels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Tatlock Posted July 24 Share Posted July 24 On 7/19/2024 at 3:16 PM, KirbyJack said: I’ve reached a point in my life where I must sadly accept that I will never join my fellow villagers in protest; pitchforks and torches in hand. Other than that, life has been pretty good to me. What is it about having a pitchfork that makes you feel invulnerable? This lot are taking on a 50 foot reptile with no qualms. No word balloons, but if there were, they would read: 'Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough' and 'Did you spill my pint, mate?' in Serbo-Croat or whatever. Frisco Larson and KirbyJack 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc Posted July 24 Share Posted July 24 On 7/24/2024 at 1:38 PM, Albert Tatlock said: What is it about having a pitchfork that makes you feel invulnerable? This lot are taking on a 50 foot reptile with no qualms. No word balloons, but if there were, they would read: 'Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough' and 'Did you spill my pint, mate?' in Serbo-Croat or whatever. More pitchforks & torches! -bc Frisco Larson, Jasonmorris1000000, Albert Tatlock and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc Posted July 24 Share Posted July 24 And the one time you could use a guy with a torch, no one is around... -bc Frisco Larson, Albert Tatlock, KirbyJack and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post bullmark Posted July 24 Popular Post Share Posted July 24 Made some puny humans for the Goom sculpt , without scared people around Goom has no purpose in life . Albert Tatlock, Jasonmorris1000000, Frisco Larson and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc Posted July 24 Share Posted July 24 On 7/24/2024 at 6:45 PM, bullmark said: Made some puny humans for the Goom sculpt , without scared people around Goom has no purpose in life . That is super cool -bc Sweet Lou 14 and bullmark 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullmark Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 On 7/25/2024 at 12:50 AM, bc said: That is super cool -bc thanks! now making some scientists with kirbytech equipment ... bc and KirbyJack 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post trmoore54 Posted July 25 Popular Post Share Posted July 25 Just posted this in the JIM Appreciation Thread...figured I'd post it here as well...don't see these every day...my post below from the JIM thread... Hi all my JIM lover homies...maybe this thread has evolved into more JIM/Thor copies which I am of course a BIG fan of...but love the PRE-HEROs as well. Just retired and have a little more time to get back on the boards and am archiving scans of all the books I have owned over time. Thought I'd post these pre-issue 50 copies you don't see everyday...issues 30/36/37/38/39/40/42/44/48...got these from zzutak/Jay a while back...sold 3 or 4 of them to Harley Yee at the Yorba Linda Con...read all of 'em before I sold 'em...love love I've added issue 45 which I also found...super pre-pre-hero-goodness! Albert Tatlock, Jasonmorris1000000, KirbyJack and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mucheee1 Posted July 25 Popular Post Share Posted July 25 Great JIMs, here’s a few more from that era. Albert Tatlock, KirbyJack, bc and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post bc Posted July 26 Popular Post Share Posted July 26 Since he's part of our monster family, super congrats to @Sweet Lou 14 on his Registry Masterpiece Award John Verzyl Sr. Registry Masterpiece Award Sweet Lou 14 – John Verzyl Sr. Registry Masterpiece Award John Verzyl was one of the most incredible comic collectors the hobby has ever known. His expertise and knowledge were invaluable, his instincts unmatched, and his collection unparalleled. His devotion to the hobby was only matched in passion by his devotion to family and friends. As friends of John Verzyl, CGC has the honor each year of paying tribute to him by recognizing a Registry member who shares his qualities, and this year CGC is proud to award Sweet Lou 14 with the John Verzyl Sr. Registry Masterpiece Award. Since joining us way back in 2009, Registry member Sweet Lou 14 has been hard at work building a collection of comic books over 2,800 entries strong across nearly 200 sets — of which half are in ranked in the top 5 — and has risen to the top 3 in rank for overall scoring. This expansive collection of primarily Marvel title runs touches all comic eras, and the examples in many of these sets are nothing short of stunning. But this is more than just a collection. It’s an ever-evolving testament of devotion to the hobby, and we’re fortunate to have it here on the Registry. Kicking off in the summer of 2020, the Marvel Bronze Age 1st Appearances (1970-1979) set is a newer addition to the collection but is already top ranked for completion and teeming with gorgeous examples throughout. Seeing all the keys from this era together in the same place is a real pleasure. The trio of Amazing Spider-Man #129, Incredible Hulk #181 and Marvel Spotlight #5 are real bangers in this amazing set, all gorgeous 9.6 white page copies! The Marvel Super Hero Comics (1961-1965) set is incredible! Assembling the early issues of Marvel’s top-of-the-line characters, this set really has it all. The majority of the books are graded 9.4, and with high-grade Silver Age books becoming increasingly difficult to acquire, this is a set that’s truly mindboggling to see. Aside from the grails in Amazing Fantasy #15, Tales of Suspense #39 and Incredible Hulk #1, we also appreciate some of the other keys in this outstanding collection. The first appearance of Mysterio, Amazing Spider-Man #13 graded 9.4 with white pages, is very impressive; there are only 25 entries on the census in that grade. And if we’re talking rare, the first appearance of Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four #5 is unreal in 9.0! Only 16 entries in this grade on the census for this mega key! The #3 ranked X-Men (1963) 1-201 set is another complete run of beautiful, high-grade copies in Sweet Lou 14’s colossal collection. Issues #2 to #100 come in at 9.4 or 9.6, and from issue #101-#201 it’s a straight run of stunning 9.8’s. This set also includes Giant-Size X-Men #1 and the set copy is graded an enviable 9.6 with white pages. We really like X-Men #4 for its introduction of the Scarlet Witch and iconic Jack Kirby cover — and the 9.4 grade doesn’t hurt either! Of course X-Men #1 is the crown jewel of this set graded 9.0, one of only 51 entries in this grade. A gorgeous trio of mega keys! We’ve only highlighted a handful of the sets and keys here and would like to encourage everyone to stop by and check out the dozens of others. Congratulations to Sweet Lou 14 for all the amazing sets in this collection, and the 2024 win for the John Verzyl Sr. Masterpiece Award! Very well deserved Lou! -bc KirbyJack, BEAUMONTS, Frisco Larson and 3 others 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 My oldest grand daughter turned 11 Thought I'd post a few 11's here... -bc Mucheee1, Frisco Larson, KirbyJack and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirbyJack Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 The TOS 11 is easily my favorite of those posted! And thanks, bc, for posting the sweet, Sweet Lou14 update. Never one to slab, I would not have found that on my own. Congratulations Lou! You have a transcendent collection! bc and Sweet Lou 14 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Tatlock Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 (edited) On 7/15/2024 at 3:30 AM, Frisco Larson said: I've never seen that but can easily understand why it might be. Some people got pretty carried away with the whole "prototype" business! That Strange Tales issue (76? maybe) that they're calling a Human Torch prototype!!! Really? Someone go back to 1939 and tell Carl Burgos! Could not agree more. Far too many 'prototype' claims. The Hulk of JIM # 62 and # 66 was an at least partly mechanical alien tyrant from a distant galaxy, and cannot have been a prototype or predecessor in the mind of the creators of the alter ego of Bruce Banner, a human scientist transformed by a tragic accident. Far more likely to have been an inspiration is the Midnight Monster of JIM # 79, as shown below. And this is cover dated only one month before Incredible Hulk # 1, so would have been fresh in the minds of Stan and Jack. A few others have also noted this, but for the most part it seems to have gone under the radar. And, of course, the wellspring for the tale is depicted in the Classics Illustrated shown. If only Robert Louis Stevenson had been around in NYC in the 1940s his talent would have been tailor made for the comics. I was familiar with Treasure Island, but when we had to cover Kidnapped during my school days, I was turned off by the passages of Scots dialect, but I rediscovered the book later and was able to appreciate it, and it led me on to RLS's short stories, little masterpieces. Whoops! Missed a couple of pages out, have added them at bottom, out of order, but better late than never. Edited July 31 by Albert Tatlock scan added. Frisco Larson, bc, adamstrange and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frisco Larson Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 The JIM #62 & #66 could possibly be noted as the first use of the name Hulk but certainly no prototype. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Albert Tatlock Posted August 5 Popular Post Share Posted August 5 (edited) MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! (PART 2) Just discovered the last two Tales To Astonish UKPVs in my spares, #s 14 and 21. They are a bit rough compared with my cents copies, but they complete the set of all available pre-hero Astonish UK 9d versions, 22 in number, as 11, 12 and 13 have never been observed, and it is overwhelmingly likely that the Loch Ness Monster will emerge blinking into the daylight before those 3 show up. The hunt for the remaining missing issues of the other PHM titles goes on. There are two anomalies in that the old masthead used on the first 11 issues briefly reappears (minus exclamation mark) on #s 18 and 33. No idea why, maybe someone can enlighten me. Edited August 5 by Albert Tatlock add 1 line KirbyJack, Jasonmorris1000000, Mucheee1 and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 On 8/5/2024 at 11:38 AM, Albert Tatlock said: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! (PART 2) Just discovered the last two Tales To Astonish UKPVs in my spares, #s 14 and 21. They are a bit rough compared with my cents copies, but they complete the set of all available pre-hero Astonish UK 9d versions, 22 in number, as 11, 12 and 13 have never been observed, and it is overwhelmingly likely that the Loch Ness Monster will emerge blinking into the daylight before those 3 show up. The hunt for the remaining missing issues of the other PHM titles goes on. There are two anomalies in that the old masthead used on the first 11 issues briefly reappears (minus exclamation mark) on #s 18 and 33. No idea why, maybe someone can enlighten me. Awesome set sir! Think the reason that they dropped the "!" in the title block was due to them needing to use that at least 3 times in the cover word balloons after their shift to the "big monster" era from the sci-fi stories in issues 1-8 of both TTA and TOS. That TTA 10 has 12 exclamation marks in the cover word balloons alone !!!!!!!!!!!! -bc KirbyJack 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Tatlock Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 On 8/5/2024 at 9:37 PM, bc said: Awesome set sir! Think the reason that they dropped the "!" in the title block was due to them needing to use that at least 3 times in the cover word balloons after their shift to the "big monster" era from the sci-fi stories in issues 1-8 of both TTA and TOS. That TTA 10 has 12 exclamation marks in the cover word balloons alone !!!!!!!!!!!! -bc And poor old # 22 has none at all. But # 32 has nine of these......????????? bc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 On 8/5/2024 at 5:20 PM, Albert Tatlock said: And poor old # 22 has none at all. But # 32 has nine of these......????????? The Letterer must have had to a minimum number of characters in order to get paid and they used !!!!! and ????? as padding -bc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 "Hey Boss, how can we make sure readers remember the name?" Boss: -bc KirbyJack, Frisco Larson and Albert Tatlock 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
