The Undead Thread: Pre-Code Horror 22 22

[Bonds25]

Great covers and commentary! (thumbs u

 

 

 

Agreed - I'm loving it! Can't wait to see the final 15

[Jayman]

Here we are after Round 2!

 

Any surprises in here?

 

Yup. I thought it was gonna be BCM #50 showing up today instead of WM #4.

I don't know, I just think the WM #4 has been growing on me as an even more bizzare/horrifying cover as of late.

Even moreso than the infamous #5!

 

Enjoying the countdown and commentary very much!

[october]

Top notch choices so far! Some truly great covers already shown like Witches Tales 21, Thing! 15, WM 4 and Horrific 3. I might have put those four higher, but there are so many sweet pre-codes out there I might end up agreeing with bumping them to the bottom 10 once the list is done. I have a firm top 6 in my head (none of which have made it yet), so it will be interesting to see how your list plays out and to see how many match.

[Darth Corgi]

I'm glad you guys are digging the countdown. More on the way tomorrow....

[Darth Corgi]

Day three of the Terrible 25 begins......

 

#15

Chamber Of Chills - no.23

 

Who doesn’t like maggots with their kisses? Well, apparently, this lady! I believe this is a Lee Elias cover and I love his horror work. The colors on this are especially neat. All the blues and purples work well against that deep red backdrop.

 

For me, a comic cover’s appeal is not just in the drawing (although that is one of the things I look for in a great cover) but it’s also about all of those other elements that make a comic’s cover truly spectacular. Here are the qualities I looked into for each of the covers on this list:

-Concept

-Design

-Drawing

-Color

 

All of the books in the Terrible 25 are excellent in all of these categories. Of course they are! Otherwise they wouldn’t be on the list!

[Darth Corgi]

#14

Fantastic Fears - no.6

 

Ok, I figure this one has got to surprise a few folks. This is indeed one of my favorites! I friggin LOVE this book!

 

One read through this comic was enough to sell me on Ajax-Farrell. There is something raw and crazy about the way these Iger shop stories came out. They are really really entertaining! Superior, Ajax-Farrell and Comic Media all feature these twisted tales.

 

Okay, back to old hippo teeth here! Not only is this one freaky looking dude, but the childlike way he holds the characters like cutout dolls sends this into another area of bizarre. This is made even weirder by that wild pink background. I love contrasts and this cover has plenty!

[Darth Corgi]

#13

Adventures Into The Unknown - no.1

 

Like Eerie #1, this cover’s strength lies in its restraint in not showing too much. It’s all about the anticipation and most importantly, the mood!

 

It is appropriate that the first issue of the first continuing horror comic series features two charactcers (America’s readers?) at the doorstep of a haunted house, hesitant to enter. Ok, I’m totally reading into it, but this is still a classic cover.

[Darth Corgi]

#12

Mister Mystery - no.12

 

Ok, now things heat up. Literally!

 

This is a tough book to find in any grade. Whenever I see one for sale, it never lasts long. What can be said about this cover that hasn’t already been said? Well, one thing I’ve noticed is that among these 25 covers, Mister Mystery 12 seems to have that winning combination that Horrific 3 has. A very simple idea, shown with extreme clarity. There is nothing subtle about this cover and it’s boldness is what makes it rock. The harsh black background makes the white hot poker visually pop. Among a lineup, this book demands you look at it. It is that strong of a design.

[Darth Corgi]

#11

Mister Mystery - no.11

 

Bernard Baily sure knew how to draw a cover!

 

One of my favorite themes is animals getting the better of man. This scene evokes many of the same attitudes common in monster and B movie flicks of this era Those ants are way out of scale huh? It must be that toxic waste they ate before attacking this poor man.

 

Another thing worth noting is the recurring host of this title, Mr. Mystery himself. Often seen holding a cigarette, dressed up like some magician, and making wise cracks, he is my favorite PreCode host outside of EC’s 3 famous narrators.

[Darth Corgi]

Here we are at the end of Day 3...

 

[TheEyeSees]

#16

 

Weird Mysteries - no.4

 

This is also designated a classic cover by many. That said, I think it’s often overshadowed by the wildness and fame of the title’s next issue (Weird Mysteries 5). The fact that it is one of the scarcest books in the run doesn’t help it’s visibility to collectors either.

 

Animal/human hybrids are cool but insect/human hybrids might be even cooler. The dagger’s overlapping handle onto the title logo is clever. My favorite part is the way the skull is drawn. So often the linework is lost in these covers due to the added color. It’s refreshng to see a lighter area where all the delicate linework is preserved.

 

I think Bernard Baily was incredible and I assure you this is not the last of his covers to appear in this list!

 

What a great cover... and the date stamp is perfectly placed. It has recently crept onto my want list... love the human/insect nightmarish hybrid!

 

This is becoming my favorite thread... great posts Darth Corgi!!

[Scrooge]

I thought MM 12 would make it to the Top 10.

[october]

I thought MM 12 would make it to the Top 10.

 

It has the #1 spot on my list.

[Jayman]

Here we are at the end of Day 3...

 

 

Hmm...no ECs...yet.

[Darth Corgi]

Here we are at the end of Day 3...

 

 

Hmm...no ECs...yet.

 

YET indeed. Covers weren't their strongest area. Don't worry though....something ghastly this way comes!.....

 

Thanks for the comments everyone. This has been fun putting together. Mister Mystery 12 made it to the top 12...That ain't too bad. In fact, all of the books on this list are honored since they were chosen from over 1400. I hear you though, Mister Mystery 12 is a mega-key!

[Jayman]

Here we are at the end of Day 3...

 

 

Hmm...no ECs...yet.

 

YET indeed. Covers weren't their strongest area. Don't worry though....something ghastly this way comes!.....

 

Gotta be Haunt of Fear #12 or #17?

I'm still betting WM #5 and BCM #50 are in the top 3 I guess I'll throw in ToT #15 as well!

Edited October 27, 2010 by Jayman

[Mio]

HoF #12 was one of the best of the Ghastly run in my opinion. I had a really nice one, but sold it. I miss it, but it did help fund something else, so I can't complain too much.

[BOOT]

The Huffington Post web site has a slide show of "9 Comics Congress Banned in the '50s." It comes from Jim Trombetta -- tying in with his book of course. Pretty entertaining slideshow, with commentary to match. Here's the link.

 

It's deliberately misleading for the author to say those comics were banned by Congress. Congress investigated the role of comics in causing juvenile delinquency. In order to head off what they saw as a threat of government intervention, comic publishers established their own Comics Code Authority. But even that was not mandatory, as Dell Comics never belonged to the "Code."

 

Many cities passed laws forbidding the sale of crime comics in the late '40s, but none of those laws withstood First Amendment-related challenges.

 

Congress never banned any comics. But I guess saying that is more sensational than the truth.

 

By the way, who thought "mixing and mashing" two classic pre-code covers was a good idea?

 

[BOOT]

Considered to be the first “horror comic” by many collectors, Eerie 1 was published a few years before the horror boom was in full swing...

 

Front Page Comic Book, 1945

[Jayman]

Are contents horror or crime stories?