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

[jimjum12]

On 5/8/2024 at 12:50 AM, OtherEric said:

And today I've got a box from @Surfing Alien's latest sale

Mine showed up as well. 

GOD BLESS ...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[Darwination]

Unhappy Hooligan - Stuart Palmer (1957. Perma Books M 3079) cover James Meese

I saw this recently when @Robot Man mentioned clowns on pulp covers and had to have it.  Things never do go well for us clowns. It's a plentiful book, and I picked up a cheap copy, but I almost wish I'd found a truly downtrodden beater for the aesthetics of the thing...

[jimjum12]

On 5/8/2024 at 11:23 AM, Darwination said:

Unhappy Hooligan - Stuart Palmer (1957. Perma Books M 3079) cover James Meese

I saw this recently when @Robot Man mentioned clowns on pulp covers and had to have it.  Things never do go well for us clowns. It's a plentiful book, and I picked up a cheap copy, but I almost wish I'd found a truly downtrodden beater for the aesthetics of the thing...

If I find you a beater, maybe we can swap out? ... I'm magnanimous enough to take that shiny monstrosity off your hands.  I mean, the audacity of that book, daring to shine while others can't. GOD BLESS ... 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

Edited May 8 by jimjum12

[jimjum12]

I still don't think it was Edward, but I did bid on this one. GOD BLESS ... 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[Surfing Alien]

On 5/8/2024 at 1:25 PM, jimjum12 said:

I still don't think it was Edward, but I did bid on this one. GOD BLESS ... 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

 

Here's a better scan of my copy. It's the scan we used for my Raymond Johnson article in Illustration

It's a masterpiece imho. Love that brick work and the way they sliced up "Ripper" among *ahem* other things...

 

[Black Cactus]

A great mail day today 😁

This is about half of it, though this is all of the greenleafs

[OtherEric]

Today's addition is a flat-out classic that I don't recall seeing in the thread before, although I might just not remember it:

[Randall Dowling]

This is a great little exploration of the translation for PKD's famous novel into the classic film.  Lots of references to artists and publications that we all love.  Fun 10 minute read if you like the material! 

 

[Black Cactus]

I’ve been working on collecting the Spade Classic series from Star Distributors. It’s gay sleaze from the early 1970’s, and most of the covers feature black & white illustrations by Gene Bilbrew.

I was attracted to the monochromatic work, but did immediately notice it was not Bilbrew’s better work.

It helped me make the connection that these books were published between 1972-1974, the last two years of Bilbrew’s life (he died in 1974) when he was struggling with substance abuse and the collapse of his industry. I thought that was an interesting dynamic in regard to this series. It may have been some of Bilbrew’s last paperback cover work.

There are other cover artists snuck in, and I suspect the publisher asked them to copy Bilbrew’s style. 

I’d love the forums help in identifying which covers are Bilbrew and which are not, if you all don’t mind looking at a bunch of dick bulges. There’s no explicit nudity. 

[Surfing Alien]

On 5/10/2024 at 5:48 PM, Black Cactus said:

I’ve been working on collecting the Spade Classic series from Star Distributors. It’s gay sleaze from the early 1970’s, and most of the covers feature black & white illustrations by Gene Bilbrew.

I was attracted to the monochromatic work, but did immediately notice it was not Bilbrew’s better work.

It helped me make the connection that these books were published between 1972-1974, the last two years of Bilbrew’s life (he died in 1974) when he was struggling with substance abuse and the collapse of his industry. I thought that was an interesting dynamic in regard to this series. It may have been some of Bilbrew’s last paperback cover work.

There are other cover artists snuck in, and I suspect the publisher asked them to copy Bilbrew’s style. 

I’d love the forums help in identifying which covers are Bilbrew and which are not, if you all don’t mind looking at a bunch of dick bulges. There’s no explicit nudity. 

This is a pretty small group, you're probably much more likely to find people with enough Bilbrew and other hard sleaze artist knowledge on the Facebook "Vintage Paperback and Pulp Forum" group. There's 40k people in that group.

[Surfing Alien]

Some Friday Fun...

Best Detective Selection No.7 "The Corpse Hangs High" by Edward Ronns (Aarons)  1943  Cover art by George Dunsford Klein   

A beautiful early Atlas forerunner. I'm bearing down on picking up the early 40's books lately. They have such a great Golden Age feel to them, and who doesn't love a hanging corpse on a flagpole cover?

 

[Pat Calhoun]

excellentium: I just got in a 1953 Ronns... 

[Surfing Alien]

On 5/10/2024 at 8:33 PM, Pat Calhoun said:

excellentium: I just got in a 1953 Ronns... 

Great cover too. I love her shorts. Graphics are totally underrated and still many great bargains and covers in a pretty long run.

Just got this in, one of only a few GA  Woolrich pbs I didn't have, mostly because it's a bear to find in decent shape. Not as nice as your Ronns but happy to have one. Great read too, the first two stories were page turners as usual 

[Surfing Alien]

On 5/10/2024 at 2:17 PM, OtherEric said:

Today's addition is a flat-out classic that I don't recall seeing in the thread before, although I might just not remember it:

Don't think I posted this awesomeness in this thread but I did sell my undercopy in one of the sales threads. A classic  Kurtzman piece 

[OtherEric]

On 5/10/2024 at 6:28 PM, Surfing Alien said:

Don't think I posted this awesomeness in this thread but I did sell my undercopy in one of the sales threads. A classic  Kurtzman piece 

I'm getting close on my Kurtzman collection.  Complete runs of Two Fisted Tales, Frontline Combat, every MAD he worked on, both issues of Trump, I still need a couple Humbug issues, complete run of Help!, Jungle Book, and a complete run of Little Annie Fanny.

[Surfing Alien]

On 5/10/2024 at 9:36 PM, OtherEric said:

I'm getting close on my Kurtzman collection.  Complete runs of Two Fisted Tales, Frontline Combat, every MAD he worked on, both issues of Trump, I still need a couple Humbug issues, complete run of Help!, Jungle Book, and a complete run of Little Annie Fanny.

He did a lot of small work in the 1940's that would probably be tough to put all together but you might as well get as many as you can if you find them for the right price

[Black Cactus]

On 5/10/2024 at 4:18 PM, Surfing Alien said:

This is a pretty small group, you're probably much more likely to find people with enough Bilbrew and other hard sleaze artist knowledge on the Facebook "Vintage Paperback and Pulp Forum" group. There's 40k people in that group.

Thanks for the tip. I don't have a facebook account, but I'll look into it.

[OtherEric]

On 5/10/2024 at 6:45 PM, Surfing Alien said:

He did a lot of small work in the 1940's that would probably be tough to put all together but you might as well get as many as you can if you find them for the right price

I've got the Hey Look reprint collection, and a few odd issues here and there.  I don't consider his pre-EC work nearly as essential as his 1950-1950 output.  Not that I'll pass it up if I see it, but it's not as vital as his work once he hits EC.

His 1950-1965 output, I can unironically argue for Kurtzman being one of the most important forces in the development of popular culture that lasts to this day.

[Pat Calhoun]

[johnenock]

Just got these nice ones in: