I finally got my grail. Thought it would never, and COULD never, happen!

[SOTIcollector]

I just had to share. I know this crew will appreciate it.

 

Thanks to the kindness of another boardie, I finally have my grail. I thought that not only would I never get one, I thought I could never get one. And at last, I have it! Yippeeeeeeeee!!!!

 

More to come...

[Mmanick]

I just had to share. I know this crew will appreciate it.

 

Thanks to the kindness of another boardie, I finally have my grail. I thought that not only would I never get one, I thought I could never get one. And at last, I have it! Yippeeeeeeeee!!!!

 

More to come...

 

Very cool man. I'm hoping to get my last one soon a golden age cap but today I did get my favorite book in Asm 129 SS....my last grail to conquer is a GA cap shomburg cover.

[Johnny545]

Congrats man, must be a great feeling - don't forget it.

 

Still waiting on mine...

 

 

[originalisbest]

Sounds special -- can't wait to hear details!

[OtherEric]

*raises eyebrow*

 

I wonder if it's what I think it is. Would this be a book that had a fairly long thread recently?

[eccomic]

My money is on Nightingale

[SOTIcollector]

*raises eyebrow*

 

I wonder if it's what I think it is. Would this be a book that had a fairly long thread recently?

 

It very well could be.

[SOTIcollector]

It all started in about 1978, when I picked up a copy of Four Color 250, in which Bugs Bunny is captured by a tribe of savage natives. This was the first comic I owned that was cited in Seduction of the Innocent. I was fascinated by the fact that comic books could be considered so horrible that there were people who talked of banning them, and the U.S. Senate even investigated them.

 

I would have loved to collect more SOTI books, but my primary focus back then was Silver and Bronze superhero books. I was more concerned about finding a way to read the entire FF saga and the entire Spidey saga (through a combination of originals and reprints) than in buying pre-code books. Over the years, I acquired a few other SOTI books, but never gave a lot of thought to, or even really dreamed of, owning them all. Given that comic shops were few and far between in the midwest, and I never got to any of the big cons, it seemed like one of those things that was even too big to dream of.

 

But all of that was before the advent of... cue dramatic music...the internet.

 

[SOTIcollector]

In the late 80's, I moved to the East Coast and was able to get to cons in NY and Boston. Still, finding these books was a challenge. Nobody ever had a "SOTI Books" box at a show. I ended up flipping through Overstreet page by page, writing down by hand and then entering into a database every known SOTI book. This way, at least I had my shopping list.

 

Sometime in the mid-90's, I compared my list of known SOTI books to my copy of SOTI, and realized that some hadn't been discovered yet. That's when I decided to make it my mission to find those undiscovered SOTI books. I published a "want to buy" list and even distributed the list at a few cons in Boston. It didn't get me very far.

 

But with the advent of the internet, I was able to search multiple dealers' stocks easily. I learned of eBay relatively early on, and started watching it for SOTI books. First, I focused on the books that were pictured in SOTI. At this point, I had dreamed of owning all the SOTI books, but I never expected I'd have the time or, more importantly, the resources to buy all the books that were pictured AND mentioned.

 

Eventually, though, I did acquire just about all the known SOTI books.

 

 

[SOTIcollector]

So I acquired these 125 books, and more.

 

A1 Guns of Fact and Fiction 13

All-Famous Crime 9

All-Top 14

Authentic Police Cases 3

Authentic Police Cases 6

Beware 6

Beware 12

Beyond 27

Black Cat Comics 27

Black Cat Mystery 36

Black Cat Mystery 39

Blue Beetle 54

Blue Beetle 56

Brenda Starr v2#4

Bugs Bunny Four Color 250

Captain Video 2

Chamber of Chills 7

Classic Comics Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde 13

Classic Comics Robinson Crusoe 10

Classic Comics Uncle Tom's Cabin 15

Classics Illustrated Great Expectations 43

Classics Illustrated Julius Caesar 68

Classics Illustrated Mysteries of Paris 44

Classics Illustrated Silas Marner 55

Classics Illustrated The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 50

Crime and Punishment 2

Crime and Punishment 3

Crime and Punishment 16

Crime and Punishment 59

Crime Can't Win 10

Crime Clinic 3

Crime Detective 9

Crime Does Not Pay 78

Crime Files 5

Crime Reporter 2

Crime Smashers 1

Crime SuspenStories 19

Crime SuspenStories 20

Crimes By Women 3

Crimes By Women 10

Dagar, Desert Hawk 19

Dagar, Desert Hawk 21

Dynamic Comics 17

Eerie Adventures 1

Exposed 6

Exposed 7

Famous Crimes 3

First Love Illustrated 35

Frontier Romances 1

Frontline Combat 4

Fugitives From Justice 3

Harvey Comics Library 1

Haunt Of Fear 19

Haunt Of Fear 23

Haunt Of Fear 17 (#3)

Hopalong Cassidy 5

Famous Crimes 7

Hopalong Cassidy & the Mad Barber nn

Howdy Doody 6

Hunted 13

Ideal, A Classical Comic 3

Inside Crime 2

Jon Juan 1

Journey Into Fear 15

Jungle Comics 98

Justice Traps the Guilty 13

Justice Traps the Guilty 58

Kewpies 1

Killers 1

Law Against Crime 3

Lawbreakers Always Lose 7

Martin Kane 4

Meet Corliss Archer 1

Meet Corliss Archer 2

Meet Corliss Archer 3

Murder Incorporated 8

Murder Incorporated 9

My Life (previously Meet Corliss Archer) 4

Mysterious Adventures 11

Out of This World Adventures 2

Perfect Crime 11

Peter Penny and his Magic Dollar nn

Phantom Lady 17

Planet Comics 53

Public Enemies 2

Real Clue v3#9

Red Seal Comics 16

Reform School Girl nn

Rulah, Jungle Goddess 21

Rulah, Jungle Goddess 22

Sensation Comics 81

Shock SuspenStories 4

Spook 24

Stories by Famous Authors Illustrated 6

Story of Harry S Truman nn

Strange Adventures 39

Strange Mysteries 10

Strange Worlds 2

Super Duck 22

Superboy 2

Superman 55

Tegra, Jungle Empress 1

Terrifying Tales 15

Terrors of the Jungle 17

Thing 9

Tom Mix Western 9

Top Secrets 7

Trapped! 0

True Crime Comics v1#2

True Crime Comics v1#4

True Crime Comics v2#1

Underworld 2

Wanted 12

Wanted 35

Web of Evil 1

Weird Fantasy 16

Weird Mysteries 7

Weird Science 19

Western Adventures 3

Wild Boy of the Congo v1#10

Women Outlaws 1

Wonder Woman 49

Your United States nn

Zoot 14

 

Some, I learned, weren't really used in SOTI, but I kept them around just because Overstreet erroneously says they were. And I was fortunate to come across some others that had not yet been discovered by the collecting public, such as:

 

Batman 64

Batman 67

Gang Busters 3

True Love Problems and Advice Illustrated 11

Tween Age Digest 1

World's Finest Comics 44

 

Some of these were easy to find. Based on what I had read in Overstreet, I knew some would be tough to get, like Teen-age Dope Slaves and Reform School Girl. However, when I started this task, I had no idea that the some of the giveaways and one-shots (Peter Penny, Kewpies, Hopalong Cassidy and the Mad Barber, Harry S Truman) would turn out to be some of the toughest to find.

[SOTIcollector]

I eventually learned, though, that by far the toughest one to get would be... yes, you guessed it... Nightingale. It was produced as an "antidote" to those horrible comics of the late 40's. In SOTI, Wertham called it the only good comic book ever made. Although Overstreet mentioned it was a tough book to come by, I had no idea way back when that years of research would show me there are only three known copies in the world. It was disheartening to learn that, because after getting so close to my goal with all those other books, I thought I'd never be able to acquire that one last book. But it's finally in my hands now, and I can say I have every known SOTI book there is. Words can't describe how excited I am about that... so instead I'm boring you here with lots and lots of words about my quest. Thanks for your indulgence.

[The-Collector]

I eventually learned, though, that by far the toughest one to get would be... yes, you guessed it... Nightingale. It was produced as an "antidote" to those horrible comics of the late 40's. In SOTI, Wertham called it the only good comic book ever made. Although Overstreet mentioned it was a tough book to come by, I had no idea way back when that years of research would show me there are only three known copies in the world. It was disheartening to learn that, because after getting so close to my goal with all those other books, I thought I'd never be able to acquire that one last book. But it's finally in my hands now, and I can say I have every known SOTI book there is. Words can't describe how excited I am about that... so instead I'm boring you here with lots and lots of words about my quest. Thanks for your indulgence.

 

Not boring at all! Love hearing stories like this. Congrats on completing your run. What are some other highlights?

[originalisbest]

That's just terrific. BIG congrats!!

[Tsp99]

Great story and CONGRATS! (thumbs u

[OtherEric]

Gratz! Very happy to hear you got the book finally!

 

As long as we're talking about SOTI books, did you ever decide if Almanac of Crime (1948) was possibly a SOTI book? It has the Cattle Kate story from Women Outlaws 1, and my copy at least had Famous Crimes 3 as well.

[DeliBebek]

I eventually learned, though, that by far the toughest one to get would be... yes, you guessed it... Nightingale. It was produced as an "antidote" to those horrible comics of the late 40's. In SOTI, Wertham called it the only good comic book ever made. Although Overstreet mentioned it was a tough book to come by, I had no idea way back when that years of research would show me there are only three known copies in the world. It was disheartening to learn that, because after getting so close to my goal with all those other books, I thought I'd never be able to acquire that one last book. But it's finally in my hands now, and I can say I have every known SOTI book there is. Words can't describe how excited I am about that... so instead I'm boring you here with lots and lots of words about my quest. Thanks for your indulgence.

This is a quest that is worthy of being referred to as a grail. Congratulations on the achievement.

[SOTIcollector]

Gratz! Very happy to hear you got the book finally!

 

As long as we're talking about SOTI books, did you ever decide if Almanac of Crime (1948) was possibly a SOTI book? It has the Cattle Kate story from Women Outlaws 1, and my copy at least had Famous Crimes 3 as well.

 

Thanks.

 

I would think that qualifies as a Seduction book in the same way that some other reprint books and repackaged giants are. For example, there are copies of Xmas Comics #6 with Captain Video #2 in them, and there are copies of Authentic Police Cases #27 with Fugitives from Justice #3. Although Wertham's files state that he saw Cattle Kate in Women Outlaws #1 and not in Almanac of Crime, I don't recall seeing Wertham attribute the Famous Crimes #3 story. In theory, he could have seen it in FC3 or in Almanac of Crime.

 

As I understand it, Fox Giants are always tough to figure out, since the contents vary. Your Almanac of Crime could be considered a Seduction book, but other AOC books, without Famous Crimes or Women Outlaws, wouldn't necessarily be. So to me, this would be a Seduction book with asterisk.

[Duffman_Comics]

 

Yes, another congratulatory post, but boy, what an achievement.

 

OK, so what's the next challenge. Upgrades for the SOTI books - or perhaps a shot at a "Parade of Pleasure" run?

 

C'mon - you're a collector. It's in the blood.

 

Oh, and any chance of a group shot or shots?

[Flex Mentallo]

Well done Steve! Delighted for you!

[SOTIcollector]

 

Yes, another congratulatory post, but boy, what an achievement.

 

OK, so what's the next challenge. Upgrades for the SOTI books - or perhaps a shot at a "Parade of Pleasure" run?

 

C'mon - you're a collector. It's in the blood.

 

Oh, and any chance of a group shot or shots?

Thanks so much for the kind words, everybody.

 

The group shot would be fun. It probably won't be soon, but eventually I'll work on getting it together.

 

As for what's next... My secondary focus for a while has been the other books from that era: Parade of Pleasure, Love & Death, the NY Legislature's docs, the US Senate doc, books Wertham cited in the Saturday Review of Literature. I already have a smattering of these books, but these days my collecting budget is limited because my focus is (happily) on my family. Plus there's the fact that none of these other books like L&D or POP had the influence that SOTI had.

 

Nowadays, I'm actually more into collecting information than collecting objects. As I find the time to put into collecting, I'm more likely to spend time trying to identify the "lost SOTI books" (ones used in SOTI that have not yet been identified) than trying to acquire books from POP and L&D.

 

BTW, here's my new baby.