Time for a pre code horror poll?

[piper]

All,

 

I've been watching with interest the Silver Age forum conducting a series of polls about the SA key hierarchy. I thought it would be fun to do something similar with pre-code books. (An area I'm just starting to learn about...)

 

Is there interest?

 

How many books should we start the process of elimination with?

 

What books would people recommend be included?

 

What criteria do we want to consider?

 

Cheers,

 

John

[fifties]

I'm sure there's interest.

 

Would this be a poll for best cover illustrations, best stories, hardest particular issues to obtain, icon, or should-be icon covers, or what did you have in mind?

[piper]

I'm sure there's interest.

 

Would this be a poll for best cover illustrations, best stories, hardest particular issues to obtain, icon, or should-be icon covers, or what did you have in mind?

 

I was thinking classic covers, but what do our resident experts things? I'm imagining a mix of EC, Atlas, Avon and who knows what else....

[goldust40]

I'm sure there's interest.

 

Would this be a poll for best cover illustrations, best stories, hardest particular issues to obtain, icon, or should-be icon covers, or what did you have in mind?

 

I was thinking classic covers, but what do our resident experts things? I'm imagining a mix of EC, Atlas, Avon and who knows what else....

 

Classic covers would be the way to go, as they are the most familiar thing about the books. Although anything with Wolverton involved (WTOF) or Atlases featuring Bill Everett ( e.g. Menace) would mean that the book was important for both cover and stories.

[drbanner]

I'm sure there's interest.

 

Would this be a poll for best cover illustrations, best stories, hardest particular issues to obtain, icon, or should-be icon covers, or what did you have in mind?

 

I was thinking classic covers, but what do our resident experts things? I'm imagining a mix of EC, Atlas, Avon and who knows what else....

 

Classic covers would be the way to go, as they are the most familiar thing about the books. Although anything with Wolverton involved (WTOF) or Atlases featuring Bill Everett ( e.g. Menace) would mean that the book was important for both cover and stories.

Agreed...you should open the nominations!

[IngelsFan]

Quite honestly, I'd go with classic covers. With PCH, interior content is second. That's why more people want Crime Suspenstories 22 than Crime Patrol 15, even though by "normal" standards the first Crypt Keeper would be the most important book.

 

I'm not sure how many nominees you're looking for, but I'd like to throw in these usually under-appreciated books for consideration:

 

This Mag is Haunted 16

Beware 6

Tomb of Terror 16 (yes, 16-because 15 already gets a lot of love)

Chamber of Chills 23

Tormented 1

Mysterious Adventures 6 (because the later ones with more gore get a lot of attention, this cover beauty gets neglected!)

 

Thoughts?

[piper]

Come up with 30 and whittle them down in individual polls by 3?

[fifties]

I'm not sure exactly what is meant by "classic" covers, so perhaps 'splaining it would help narrow things down. The exploding robot face in Black Cat Mystery 50, and the beheaded female in Fight Against Crime 20 would be two examples, in addition to the aforementioned CSS 22, but we all know those.

 

Are you looking for perhaps less-recognized as iconic covers?

 

At least for me, this is close to being my favorite cover; not that gory, just scared the caca out of me when I saw it at the news stand in the spring of 1954.

 

 

 

[IngelsFan]

Fifties, you are speaking my language. I love that cover! I like it way better than 15. It's one of those issues that I pick up every time I find one in nice shape.

[fifties]

Here's another;

 

 

And another;

 

 

And another (you guys should KNOW better than to get me started on this! :wink: )

 

[goldust40]

My candidates:

 

Weird Mysteries 4

Weird Mysteries 5

Weird Tales Of The Future 2

Weird Tales Of The Future 3

Mister Mystery 12

Mister Mystery 6

Dark Mysteries 19

Chamber Of Chills 19

Eerie 1

Black Cat Mystery 50

Tomb Of Terror 15

Lawbreakers Suspense Stories 11

Amazing Mysteries 32

Spellbound 17

Thing 7

Thing 12

Shock Suspenstories 6

Haunt Of Fear 14

Haunt Of Fear 17

Vault Of Horror 26

Vault Of Horror 30

Menace 5

Strange Tales 28

Mystery Tales 19

Marvel Tales 130

Astonishing 15

Chilling Tales 16

Horrific 3

Beware 10

Mask 1

Mask 2

Ghostly Weird Stories 122

Suspense 8

Suspense 11

Startling Terror Tales 11

Worlds Of Fear 9

Worlds Of Fear 10

Web Of Evil 5

 

Those are off the top of my head. There are other Atlas books I would add...

 

[jimjum12]

My candidates:

 

Weird Mysteries 4

Weird Mysteries 5

Weird Tales Of The Future 2

Weird Tales Of The Future 3

Mister Mystery 12

Mister Mystery 6

Dark Mysteries 19

Chamber Of Chills 19

Eerie 1

Black Cat Mystery 50

Tomb Of Terror 15

Lawbreakers Suspense Stories 11

Amazing Mysteries 32

Spellbound 17

Thing 7

Thing 12

Shock Suspenstories 6

Haunt Of Fear 14

Haunt Of Fear 17

Vault Of Horror 26

Vault Of Horror 30

Menace 5

Strange Tales 28

Mystery Tales 19

Marvel Tales 130

Astonishing 15

Chilling Tales 16

Horrific 3

Beware 10

Mask 1

Mask 2

Ghostly Weird Stories 122

Suspense 8

Suspense 11

Startling Terror Tales 11

Worlds Of Fear 9

Worlds Of Fear 10

Web Of Evil 5

 

Those are off the top of my head. There are other Atlas books I would add...

 

.... I would also add Menace 1 to that list...........GOD BLESS....

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[piper]

To help newbies like me, I could add cover scan thumbnails or links.

 

How about Venus 19?

[goldust40]

My candidates:

 

Weird Mysteries 4

Weird Mysteries 5

Weird Tales Of The Future 2

Weird Tales Of The Future 3

Mister Mystery 12

Mister Mystery 6

Dark Mysteries 19

Chamber Of Chills 19

Eerie 1

Black Cat Mystery 50

Tomb Of Terror 15

Lawbreakers Suspense Stories 11

Amazing Mysteries 32

Spellbound 17

Thing 7

Thing 12

Shock Suspenstories 6

Haunt Of Fear 14

Haunt Of Fear 17

Vault Of Horror 26

Vault Of Horror 30

Menace 5

Strange Tales 28

Mystery Tales 19

Marvel Tales 130

Astonishing 15

Chilling Tales 16

Horrific 3

Beware 10

Mask 1

Mask 2

Ghostly Weird Stories 122

Suspense 8

Suspense 11

Startling Terror Tales 11

Worlds Of Fear 9

Worlds Of Fear 10

Web Of Evil 5

 

Those are off the top of my head. There are other Atlas books I would add...

 

.... I would also add Menace 1 to that list...........GOD BLESS....

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

 

I was going to include it - good call Jim.

 

Also forgot Out Of The Shadows 8.

[N e r V]

To help newbies like me, I could add cover scan thumbnails or links.

 

How about Venus 19?

 

 

17, 18 and 19 are all killer Everetts.

[goldust40]

To help newbies like me, I could add cover scan thumbnails or links.

 

How about Venus 19?

 

 

17, 18 and 19 are all killer Everetts.

 

Now those should've obviously been on my list. Can't believe I forgot them...

[Point Five]

Goldust took care of nearly all I would have offered up... well done.

 

Couple more:

 

Mystic #18

Spellbound #14

Journey Into Mystery #6

Super-Mystery vol 6 #3

 

 

[jimjum12]

There are so many, it's easy to overlook a couple dozen..... It's one of the most rich genres in the hobby..... no wonder they're still coveted after all these years.... GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[N e r V]

Among the most "over the top" in graphic display would be Crime Suspenstories #22 and Fight Against Crime #20.

 

Easily two books any pre code collector would lose their heads over.

 

So are these exempt as not being horror or do head choppings qualify?

 

Also isn't Menace #5 the only PCH book that actually introduced a regular series character? After all these years I only recently noticed the logo on "zombie" from the Tales of the Zombie magazines was lifted directly from the Menace #5 cover lettering. How stupid is that not to notice.

[piper]

Candidates so far:

 

Weird Mysteries 4

Weird Mysteries 5

Weird Tales Of The Future 2

Weird Tales Of The Future 3

Mister Mystery 12

Mister Mystery 6

Dark Mysteries 19

Chamber Of Chills 19

Eerie 1

Black Cat Mystery 50

Tomb Of Terror 15

Lawbreakers Suspense Stories 11

Amazing Mysteries 32

Spellbound 17

Thing 7

Thing 12

Shock Suspenstories 6

Haunt Of Fear 14

Haunt Of Fear 17

Vault Of Horror 26

Vault Of Horror 30

Menace 5

Strange Tales 28

Mystery Tales 19

Marvel Tales 130

Astonishing 15

Chilling Tales 16

Horrific 3

Beware 10

Mask 1

Mask 2

Ghostly Weird Stories 122

Suspense 8

Suspense 11

Startling Terror Tales 11

Worlds Of Fear 9

Worlds Of Fear 10

Web Of Evil 5

Venus 17

Venus 18

Venus 19

Crime Suspenstories 22

Fight Against Crime 20

Mystic #18

Spellbound #14

Journey Into Mystery #6

Super-Mystery vol 6 #3

Menace 5

 

(Don't worry; Once the list is finalized, I'll put everything in alphabetical order.)