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

[PopKulture]

On 10/30/2021 at 5:30 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

 

Yes, I'd say this is a perfect storm of a grail, given your deep dive into Johnson of late. Congratulations!! 

[Surfing Alien]

On 10/30/2021 at 6:37 PM, Book Guy said:

Wisdom House. NYC. 1961. A lot of this political literature is just sitting there unnoticed by Vintage Paperback Collectors. Some with striking covers, though they are usually pretty heavy on text.

There's a funny karma that you were queing up these in your first posts while I was queing up the cover art for "I Killed Stalin", the most notorious anti-communist vintage pb, without each other knowing what the other was doing! Welcome to the thread & nice books! 

[Randall Dowling]

On 10/30/2021 at 5:30 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

 

Congratulations, SA!  That's an incredible piece to own!!  And it's signed!! 

[Surfing Alien]

On 10/30/2021 at 7:00 PM, Randall Dowling said:

And it's signed!!

From what i've been able to add up, there's about 20-25 known originals that have come up for sale in the internet age and think that less than 10 of them are signed. I think he had to have really liked the result to sign it (and the publisher would have had to allow it... most didn't) as he signed almost nothing out of 500 or so covers.

[damonwad]

On 10/30/2021 at 3:30 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

 

Awesome painting SA!   Congratulations.

[Surfing Alien]

On 10/30/2021 at 8:21 PM, damonwad said:

Awesome painting SA!   Congratulations.

Thanks! It is crazy cool! Hope you are well and still hoarding hi grade classics!  

[frozentundraguy]

On 10/30/2021 at 5:30 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

 

Terrific acquisition!!   The painting looks to dominate the room, but it could be the angle. What are the dimensions?

[Surfing Alien]

On 10/30/2021 at 8:51 PM, frozentundraguy said:

Terrific acquisition!!   The painting looks to dominate the room, but it could be the angle. What are the dimensions?

It is the angle... I was all up on it though  but it is a big canvas for a paperback cover, about 33 x 19... Thanks, still digesting it 🤘

[damonwad]

On 10/30/2021 at 5:43 PM, Surfing Alien said:

Thanks! It is crazy cool! Hope you are well and still hoarding hi grade classics!  

All good, thanks.

I don't know about classics, but I've still been picking up books here and there. Nothing good enough to change my avatar though. 

[waaaghboss]

Dipped my toe.  Kept coming across this cover on a magazine, then found it was used on a book a year prior  

Edited October 31, 2021 by waaaghboss

[Surfing Alien]

On 10/31/2021 at 3:13 AM, waaaghboss said:

Dipped my toe. 

Be careful... you might find it to be like quicksand 

[Randall Dowling]

On 10/31/2021 at 2:13 AM, waaaghboss said:

Dipped my toe.  Kept coming across this cover on a magazine, then found it was used on a book a year prior  

That's a great book to start with!  Believe it or not, my entry into digests was many years ago and was also a quarter book- Leg Art Virgin.  Looking forward to other books you find!  

[OtherEric]

A few from a local store today.  The Rohmermight be my first book from Graphic:

[Pat Calhoun]

Super congrats to SA on scoring the incredible signed Ray Johnson original cover art painting of a PB classic. (and tip o'hat to Electricmastro whose ID of Green Girl to RJ started the ball rolling back on 11/25/20...)

[OtherEric]

And, of course, my utter inability to resist Ace D-Series books shows up yet again:

[Surfing Alien]

On 10/31/2021 at 6:15 PM, OtherEric said:

my first book from Graphic:

Trust me... it won't be your last 

[Surfing Alien]

On 10/31/2021 at 6:19 PM, Pat Calhoun said:

Super congrats to SA on scoring the incredible signed Ray Johnson original cover art painting of a PB classic. (and tip o'hat to Electricmastro whose ID of Green Girl to RJ started the ball rolling back on 11/25/20...)

Pat... you are a Gentleman and a Scholar... thanks for all you do! It's amazing Ray Johnson squeezed in a bunch of Sci-Fi classic covers for Avon while painting a TON of best seller fiction covers for their "regular" authors & Thanks @Electricmastro!

[frozentundraguy]

On 10/31/2021 at 5:30 PM, OtherEric said:

And, of course, my utter inability to resist Ace D-Series books shows up yet again:

Nice group of Aces OtherEric. Are you going after all Ace "D" doubles?

[OtherEric]

On 10/31/2021 at 8:15 PM, frozentundraguy said:

Nice group of Aces OtherEric. Are you going after all Ace "D" doubles?

Part of me really wants to; another part of me thinks I'm crazy to even think of that.  The only thing I'm sure of is I'm going for all the Science Fiction doubles, I'm well over half-way on those.

Then again, I do have D-15 already; which is far and away the most famously difficult one.  Which is not the same as the actual most difficult one, of course...

[Randall Dowling]

On 10/31/2021 at 11:03 PM, OtherEric said:

Part of me really wants to; another part of me thinks I'm crazy to even think of that.  

I'm in the same place.  I love the look of fresh, glossy copies of the doubles and I have a lot of them.  But it's a long way to go to complete the set.  Feels like a 10-15 year goal if I embark on it.  Especially when I'm working on a Midwood run, an Ace F-series run, a Popular Library run, etc.  Then toss in various digest runs and man, it's a tall climb to the top!

My challenge is creating bookends (metaphorical) for where to start and stop pursuits.  Still working on it.