Comics, Pulps, and Paperbacks: Why such a discrepancy in values? 25 25

[Surfing Alien]

On 10/21/2023 at 12:30 PM, Robot Man said:

How many of you depraved individuals own these sick books?  

I think I have six out of seven of those. It's interesting to me that 3 out of those 7 are Raymond Johnson covers, "I Killed Stalin", "Three Comrades" and "When the Gods are Silent". Just nobody knew who he was back then.

I also own the original art for "I Killed Stalin", which I first posted here almost exactly two years ago and which I don't tire of re-posting

 

On 10/30/2021 at 6:30 PM, Surfing Alien said:

So I'll probably never be able to top this post, because I acquired a unique super grail. You folks know I've been researching the mysterious artist Raymond Johnson to do an article on his life and checklist his paperback paintings. So when the opportunity arose to acquire his signed original painting for "I Killed Stalin" (Eton Books #119), I had to have it. It's incredibly powerful in person, partly because it's such an iconic image that every paperback collector knows, and it is LARGE, and executed on canvas, when most of these paperback illustrations were done on illustration board. I could go on and on about it but I'm sharing here with you gents first because y'all deserve to be in the know

 

 

[damonwad]

SA posted a copy of Last Days a few months ago and I'm happy to get one. Here's the similar Wild Town (posted a few years ago) for comparison. Two great Maguire covers, but I agree with SA that the Last Days is better, though the Thompson's going to cost much more.

 

[Surfing Alien]

On 10/21/2023 at 5:17 PM, damonwad said:

I haven't seen this one before and it's now on my list too. Here's another Road Show (1961) about carny life, but different book and author and Mannix's very interesting autobiography of his time as a carny (including being a sword swallower and fire eater). And to tie in to OtherEric's Oz post, the Mannix Wiki page shows him as being one of the founders of the Munchkin convention.

 

Nice... both on the never ending want list now

[mstrange]

On 10/21/2023 at 2:40 PM, damonwad said:

SA posted a copy of Last Days a few months ago and I'm happy to get one. Here's the similar Wild Town (posted a few years ago) for comparison. Two great Maguire covers, but I agree with SA that the Last Days is better, though the Thompson's going to cost much more.

 

Wow   those are beautiful

[damonwad]

On 10/21/2023 at 2:42 PM, Surfing Alien said:

Nice... both on the never ending want list now

   I thought you had them all and were just slow rolling us.

[Surfing Alien]

On 10/21/2023 at 6:11 PM, damonwad said:

   I thought you had them all and were just slow rolling us.

I never thought of Carny books as a sub-set, but now that I've seen more, I must have them all

 

[Darwination]

That Thompson book is incredible.  That's a gorgeous copy, too.

[Darwination]

Not gorgeous, nice work Black Lizard

 

[damonwad]

On 10/21/2023 at 4:10 PM, Darwination said:

Not gorgeous, nice work Black Lizard

 

The Black Lizard books were the first Thompson's I read. This was about 25 years ago and I think they all had black and white photo covers then.

[Darwination]

Yeah, man, now that's a cover.

[Randall Dowling]

Routinely, the best thread on the boards. 

[moonpool]

On 10/21/2023 at 5:42 PM, Surfing Alien said:

Nice... both on the never ending want list now

Perhaps a Don't want list would be shorter.

[Surfing Alien]

On 10/21/2023 at 9:59 PM, moonpool said:

Perhaps a Don't want list would be shorter.

Oh, that's a short list But I still buy so much stuff I don't want

 

[Surfing Alien]

Was putting away that stack of Lion Books so figured I'd display some Thompson Firsts...

[Pat Calhoun]

the first: my favorite Thompson novel and a sweet Lion PBO package, the second: while the Lions are roaring, and the third: classique...

Edited October 22, 2023 by Pat Calhoun

[Randall Dowling]

On 10/22/2023 at 2:53 PM, Pat Calhoun said:

and the third: classique...

One of my favorite stories about Voltaire (which may or may not be true) is that on his deathbed, as he was nearing the end, a priest came to see him.  After sitting down on a chair next to the bed, the priest asked Voltaire if he would renounce the Devil for the sake of his immortal soul. 

Voltaire responded "This is no time to be making enemies."

Even if the story is apocryphal, I still enjoy it.  Print the legend and all that.

[Darwination]

I think I read Candide Sophomore year of high school.  Somehow, it had a lot of appeal to a young punk c. 1990. 

I'm not sure we're putting Zola in the same classics category, but he did make into a lot of paperbacks

[Darwination]

and even the comics, oh, Avon...

[OtherEric]

On 10/22/2023 at 9:08 PM, Darwination said:

I think I read Candide Sophomore year of high school.  Somehow, it had a lot of appeal to a young punk c. 1990. 

I'm not sure we're putting Zola in the same classics category, but he did make into a lot of paperbacks

Well, if we're doing Zola...

I think that's the only case of Ace reprinting a single as part of a double, they reprinted halves of doubles as singles all the time.

[Darwination]

What's the flipside on that bottom one, OE?