Post Your Anti-Communist Comics! 8 8

[Sqeggs]

Nice pickup sir. It doesn't come around too often. There was a time a few years ago when anytime it did it would spark a nasty bidding war. I just think all the other antiC guys have their copies already?

 

Well, there was another bidder, besides Sqeggs, which raised the auction price.

 

 

I was prepared to go considerably higher. So it was lucky you stopped bidding or one of us would really have overpaid!

[vaillant]

I was prepared to go considerably higher. So it was lucky you stopped bidding or one of us would really have overpaid!

 

It wasn’t me, I told you I was following the auction, not bidding.

In fact, I was surprised at the starting price of $150 or so, since I thought it was a lot, and I was sorry for you (well, of course back then I did not know it was you! ) as I saw the other bidder raising your price.

 

Reason for which I was following it was that by coincidence I came across a copy and had just bought it myself (still waiting for it to arrive). When it will arrive I will post a scan.

[Sqeggs]

I was prepared to go considerably higher. So it was lucky you stopped bidding or one of us would really have overpaid!

 

It wasn’t me, I told you I was following the auction, not bidding.

In fact, I was surprised at the starting price of $150 or so, since I thought it was a lot, and I was sorry for you (well, of course back then I did not know it was you! ) as I saw the other bidder raising your price.

 

Reason for which I was following it was that by coincidence I came across a copy and had just bought it myself (still waiting for it to arrive). When it will arrive I will post a scan.

 

Ah, Ok. I thought you were the other bidder. I imagine that soon you or someone else who owns a raw copy will have it graded and knock out my 6.5 at the top of the census.

[vaillant]

No way you’ll see me slabbing one of my comic books!

 

Unless for some reason I should come across a valuable book which doesn’t interest me and I have to sell it.

Very unlikely to happen by the way, as I am in Italy.

 

I am sure there must be some other nice raw copy around, after all, scarce as it may be, it was a giveaway. Yours looks nicer than a F+, anyway.

[vaillant]

Mark has a scan on his site, but I thought to post this, even if I am sure it has already been posted, it’s the first chapter of "This Godless Communism" by Reed Crandall.

This is not my copy (which is slightly better) but a spare low grade copy I have.

 

Still tough to find in nice shape and with better pages at decent prices.

 

 

[Sqeggs]

It's a fascinating series. Were they ever reprinted together?

[vaillant]

As far as I know, no.

From what I have seen, none of the features running in Treasure Chest were collected in reprints later on.

 

Slightly OT, but since he’s been apostolic nuncio in Bulgary, Turkey and France and dealt with communism in many ways I guess it’s OK to post it here. This is a page of Pope John XXIII’s life wonderfully rendered by Joe Sinnott, look at the care and love he put into details. It also appears hedid a great job in researching the physionomies and the environments, with all the limitations a young american artist must have had back then.

 

[esquirecomics]

 

Many thanks, I did not read your reply before. So there is not a chance to see the insides?

I take the opportunity, since Mark was roaming around… I wonder if there are raw copies somewhere, I would be really interested even just in pictures of the inside pages.

 

Alas, I don't own a B/W copy of Is This Tomorrow. I was the underbidder a couple of times it came up at Heritage.

[esquirecomics]

It's a fascinating series. Were they ever reprinted together?

 

It is actually quite interesting and very readable. It would be great to have all issues reprinted together.

[vaillant]

Thanks Mark! (thumbs u It seems that the Advance edition (not just a B/W version but different, as it’s been stated on the descriptions) is a really tough one. Maybe just a very limited number was printed? After all, it was for evaluation.

 

As much as it’s easier to find, I never felt so much interested about "Is this tomorrow?". Drawings are not so good and also the story seems a lot more "sensationalistic" and less interesting than the Treasure Chest Crandall feature.

It is understandable, as those were one-shot giveaways aimed to stir attention with some clamor, also Crandall is really awesome!

 

I have been dreaming about doing an italian edition of the story, as well as the life of Pope John XXIII, and it wouldn’t be difficult to have an english version printed if the artwork is already restored. Only thing, I think there’s the need to ask for permission, as the latter Treasure Chest volumes are not in the Public Domain yet.

Edited February 10, 2013 by vaillant

[esquirecomics]

Thanks Mark! (thumbs u It seems that the Advance edition (not just a B/W version but different, as it’s been stated on the descriptions) is a really tough one. Maybe just a very limited number was printed? After all, it was for evaluation.

 

As much as it’s easier to find, I never felt so much interested about "Is this tomorrow?". Drawings are not so good and also the story seems a lot more "sensationalistic" and less interesting than the Treasure Chest Crandall feature.

It is understandable, as those were one-shot giveaways aimed to stir attention with some clamor, also Crandall is really awesome!

 

I have been dreaming about doing an italian edition of the story, as well as the life of Pope John XXIII, and it wouldn’t be difficult to have an english version printed if the artwork is already restored. Only thing, I think there’s the need to ask for permission, as the latter Treasure Chest volumes are not in the Public Domain yet.

 

I have been trying to research the Guild for years. It is a complete mystery, as is anyone associated with it. I believe I know what entity purchased the rights to their publications back in the 70s I believe but they have never responded to my inquiries.

[vaillant]

That is very useful Mark, thanks for the information.

 

So I guess the better way to try to contact them in case one wants to publish something (albeit on a non-commercial basis) would be to write to the American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives site, which has put online some TC material: http://www.aladin0.wrlc.org/gsdl/collect/treasure/treasure.shtml

[vaillant]

As a side note, I also thought how I could maybe ask to Reed Crandall’s family, but Crandall died in 1982 and it appears his son has died as well, in 2005. There would be his daughter which doesn’t seem to have been so much involved in his father’s work, but I have no idea on how she could be contacted.

[BOOT]

This Godless Communism - Found this weird black and white pamphlet with some other material from The Christian Anti-Communism Crusade, publishers of The Two Faces Of Communism and Double Talk. Reprints the opening episode of the Treasure Chest series, with Reed Crandall art. Could be a prototype/mock-up/ashcan for a proposed but unpublished stand-alone publication of "This Godless Communism?"

[vaillant]

That’s interesting BOOT, thanks for posting. (thumbs u

 

What is the "The Christian Anti-Communism Crusade"? I see you have capitalized the words, was that an association?

I ask because it seems to me "The Two Faces Of Communism" and "Double Talk" use a satiric imagery, and does not seem to be related to the editions of George A. Pflaum. Could that "Crusade" be a protestant publisher?

 

It is also unclear to me whether the Catechetical Guild and George A. Pflaum were just two imprints or different publishing houses. I seem to get it’s the latter.

 

"Treasure Chest" was published by Pflaum, "Is this Tomorrow?" was published by The Catechetical Guild, which seems to be also the publisher of "Topix". I’d like to understand better the relationships, although from what I got from Mark there is not so much written on the publishers.

[BOOT]

That’s interesting BOOT, thanks for posting. (thumbs u

 

What is the "The Christian Anti-Communism Crusade"? I see you have capitalized the words, was that an association?

I ask because it seems to me "The Two Faces Of Communism" and "Double Talk" use a satiric imagery, and does not seem to be related to the editions of George A. Pflaum. Could that "Crusade" be a protestant publisher?

 

It is also unclear to me whether the Catechetical Guild and George A. Pflaum were just two imprints or different publishing houses. I seem to get it’s the latter.

 

"Treasure Chest" was published by Pflaum, "Is this Tomorrow?" was published by The Catechetical Guild, which seems to be also the publisher of "Topix". I’d like to understand better the relationships, although from what I got from Mark there is not so much written on the publishers.

Yes, the Christian Anti-Communism Crusade was an association. Some of the literature I have has their address in Long Beach, California. But the comics have an address in Houston, Texas. See the pics for samples of different versions of the Two Faces of Communism.

 

I think Pflaum worked separately from the Guild. The Guild seemed to publish under several different names including Catechetical Guild, and Guild Educational Society.

 

The "This Godless Communism" booklet has no publication info on it...

[BOOT]

Here's another recent find - a version of "Double Talk" imprinted for the Freedom Information Center of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

[esquirecomics]

That is very useful Mark, thanks for the information.

 

So I guess the better way to try to contact them in case one wants to publish something (albeit on a non-commercial basis) would be to write to the American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives site, which has put online some TC material: http://www.aladin0.wrlc.org/gsdl/collect/treasure/treasure.shtml

 

I also tried contacting numerous Catholic organizations, and no one was really able to provide any substantive information. In fact most never heard of the Guild.

 

If you contact anyone and they actually have knowledge, let me know!!! (thumbs u

[vaillant]

@BOOT: Thank you.

 

The "Christian Anti-Communism Crusade" seems more "politicized", it also shows a slant at satire. While the "anti-communist" sentiment in America was often painted in colorful and exaggerate tones, the Treasure Chest features are more attuned with the spiritual issues raised by the materialistic side of marxist-leninist communism.

 

"This Godless Communism" is a Treasure Chest feature, so the publisher must have been Pflaum, unless he licensed the material to someone else.

 

If you contact anyone and they actually have knowledge, let me know!!! (thumbs u

Sure thing! (thumbs u

[AtlasFan]

That is very useful Mark, thanks for the information.

 

So I guess the better way to try to contact them in case one wants to publish something (albeit on a non-commercial basis) would be to write to the American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives site, which has put online some TC material: http://www.aladin0.wrlc.org/gsdl/collect/treasure/treasure.shtml

 

I also tried contacting numerous Catholic organizations, and no one was really able to provide any substantive information. In fact most never heard of the Guild.

 

If you contact anyone and they actually have knowledge, let me know!!! (thumbs u

 

Why not just reprint the stories and see if anyone comes a calling...what's the worst that could happen?