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The Undead Thread: Pre-Code Horror
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Started by precodekeith,

Favorite Pre-Code Publisher  

9 members have voted

  1. 1. Favorite Pre-Code Publisher

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10,235 posts in this topic

PovertyRow

PovertyRow

Posted
Posted
Hey Pov, the Jekyl & Hyde book was the reason I myself put them on the list of "horror publishers" for the poll.

 

juggle.gif

 

"Feature Presentation" #5 contains cover/story "The Black Tarantuala", so there are 2 Fox horror comics. It's definitely a horror comic to my reading, but not good enough for me to vote for Fox as the favorite.

 

I looked for my copy to scan but couldn't find it.

 

Hey Adam! Do you recall if all of the stories in it were horror, or just the cover and the cover story? Or was it all one story? This is most interesting.

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goldust40

goldust40

Posted
Posted
Wanted to continue the discussion earlier but we had a tremendous sunset here on the east coast and was summoned to go for a kayak ride.

 

POV, I believe I see your point, you're asking that Overstreet designate more accurately the distinctions between horror and science fiction books including notes.

Are you looking for examples like this?

 

XXX Comics # 12

Horror cover

Contents: Jungle and crime reprints

 

Journey into YYY Worlds # 34

Scince Fiction cover

Contents: werewolf story

 

If OS would do that, that would be pretty sweet. My main thrust, though, is trying to figure out why OS has come up with such terms as "weird", "supernatural" and "horror" and broken specifics books out based on such terms. I want to know the experts in the genre that contributed to the definitions OS is currently using, and the criteria used to determine these definitions. To me it is a rather shoddy approach with no real basis beyond, possibly, some dealers and advisors giving a stab at these definitions.

 

I'd say they're fudging the issue partly (as you stated) because of their EC bias, but also to allow for more issues to gain importance. There can only be one 1st horror comic, one first cover featuring horror as its' main constituent, one 1st horror series, one 1st horror story and one 1st horror adaptation.

 

That's five comics. Using terms such as "weird" (which was banned from usage by the code, but is nevertheless too vague a term) and "supernatural" (which IMO is not a genre but an element that can be used in many other genres) merely allows for more key or significant issues.

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Larryw7

Larryw7

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In the 1979 OS, EERIE#1 is listed as the "first horror comic", Classic Comics/Illustrated #26 has no notation whatsoever, and ADVENTURES INTO THE UNKNOWN is listed as "First continious series Horror Comic". And #1 is listed for 45 bucks in "Near Mint"! cloud9.gif

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Larryw7

Larryw7

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That's allright, after #9, my next one is 27. I used to have most of 'em from the late seventies until around 1989, I have no idea what happened to them. I don't remember selling them. confused-smiley-013.gif

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adamstrange

adamstrange

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Posted
Hey Pov, the Jekyl & Hyde book was the reason I myself put them on the list of "horror publishers" for the poll.

 

juggle.gif

 

"Feature Presentation" #5 contains cover/story "The Black Tarantuala", so there are 2 Fox horror comics. It's definitely a horror comic to my reading, but not good enough for me to vote for Fox as the favorite.

 

I looked for my copy to scan but couldn't find it.

 

Hey Adam! Do you recall if all of the stories in it were horror, or just the cover and the cover story? Or was it all one story? This is most interesting.

 

It's a book length story and was reprinted in Startling Terror Tales 11 (Ghost Spider of Death cover) so I pulled that comic out to look at it. It's most definitely a horror story with a vampyric lead character that turns into a spider with a human head and has spiders (rather than bats) as helpers. There are some nice panels with poodle-sized tarantulas leaping up and biting buxom wenches (it's midieval story so the terminology is appropriate).

 

It had been a goal of mine to collect one pedigree copy from each horror publisher and the Fox was one of the last ones that I got. I knew I had been careful back then to make sure it was a horror comic. I haven't found a copy of the Jekyll and Hyde issue, but I still consider that enough of a horror comic that I'd be interested in it as well.

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precodekeith

precodekeith

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Hey Pov, the Jekyl & Hyde book was the reason I myself put them on the list of "horror publishers" for the poll.

 

juggle.gif

 

I know you made the poll, PCK. tongue.gif I responded to the first post about only Fox horror book.

 

 

Hehehe. I don't think I phrased that post quite correctly, Pov. I was trying to use the little juggle.gif gremlin to illustrate my initial indecisiveness about including Fox in the poll. After weighing it out, I decided Jekyl & Hyde is recognized generally as horror enough & put them on the list w/all the other publishers. I know that you know that I made the poll, so that wasn't what I wanted to convey. wink.gif I think I need some gremlin lessons from Greggy. 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

 

Now, I can't wait to hear from Adam wether or not that other book is all horror or part horror. What a find! 893applaud-thumb.gif

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PovertyRow

PovertyRow

Posted
Posted

It's a book length story and was reprinted in Startling Terror Tales 11 (Ghost Spider of Death cover) so I pulled that comic out to look at it. It's most definitely a horror story with a vampyric lead character that turns into a spider with a human head and has spiders (rather than bats) as helpers. There are some nice panels with poodle-sized tarantulas leaping up and biting buxom wenches (it's midieval story so the terminology is appropriate).

 

Good lord! The implications on Startling Terror Tales 11 is considerable. Not only is it a cover swipe of Suspense #8 (well, not sure if you can call it a swipe since LB did both) but now we find the story is a Fox reprint. I wonder if that makes Startling Terror Tales the most desireable (or expensive) all-reprint book of the Atom Age? And according to GCD, Startling Terror Tales is "Reprinted story apparently 2 pages shorter than the original appearance."

 

It would be interesting to determine if this is fact. If someone has Feature Presentation 5 we could compare with my Startling 11 and see what is missing.

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precodekeith

precodekeith

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The dialogue here the last day or so has been exactly what I was hoping this thread could become eventually. Fantastic stuff, everybody! thumbsup2.gif

 

As far as my thoughts on the Overstreet: I think they really need to lay out in print their criteria for what is "supernatural, horror, weird, etc." the same way they have for their "scarcity" ratings. ( I might add some books designated as such - scarce, rare, what have you, are sometimes still argueable to say the least. We've been there before.) Basically, I get the feeling they often change stuff to suit their own agendas, whatever those might be.

 

As for my own opinions, I can totally agree with Pov with the "sci-fi" label for Frankenstein, etc. Technically speaking, they could be classified as such more than Star Wars, which is nothing more than a "space opera." Sometimes though I think that horror wears many hats, and it's putridness oozes into any number of genres. Take Jaws, Alien, Psycho, and the Exorcist for example. All very different vibes, but all with elements easily classifiable as horror.

 

To me, there is no need for Overstreet to attempt to "break down" horror into sub-categories. Simply put, I'd rather see a reversion to simply "horror." 893blahblah.gif

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adamstrange

adamstrange

Posted
Posted

It would be interesting to determine if this is fact. If someone has Feature Presentation 5 we could compare with my Startling 11 and see what is missing.

 

I found my copy and have attached pic. I'll compare later this evening.

 

902067-FeatPres5.jpg

902067-FeatPres5.jpg.ec72e179b1a21673f3104baebe29a3ea.jpg

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adamstrange

adamstrange

Posted
Posted
It would be interesting to determine if this is fact. If someone has Feature Presentation 5 we could compare with my Startling 11 and see what is missing.

 

I found my copy and have attached pic. I'll compare later this evening.

 

The reprint is missing the inside cover and page 15 from the original. The inside cover is no big deal but page 15 is a splash page of a giant orange monster consuming innocent town folk. cloud9.gif

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adamstrange

adamstrange

Posted
Posted
but page 15 is a splash page of a giant orange monster consuming innocent town folk.

 

Yowsa! All the more reason to seek this one! Did it look anything like BOC? smile.gif

 

BOC is a TLA for?

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PovertyRow

PovertyRow

Posted
Posted
but page 15 is a splash page of a giant orange monster consuming innocent town folk.

 

Yowsa! All the more reason to seek this one! Did it look anything like BOC? smile.gif

 

BOC is a TLA for?

 

You know. our own Bachelor Of Comics.

 

err - what is TLA?

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precodekeith

precodekeith

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news.gif

 

.....very pre-code horror related...

 

...I just picked up the "TALES FROM THE CRYPT: SEASON ONE" DVD, a two disk set. The second disk has a feature on it called "TFTC: From Comic Books to Television." This is a must have for PCH collectors. The focus is mainly on the comics and is very slickly produced. Lots of shots of more than just EC horror comics, plenty of the "other guys" on it as well. I can't suggest this one enough for any horror comic collector, especially those among us who are "video starved." thumbsup2.gif

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PovertyRow

PovertyRow

Posted
Posted
news.gif

 

.....very pre-code horror related...

 

...I just picked up the "TALES FROM THE CRYPT: SEASON ONE" DVD, a two disk set. The second disk has a feature on it called "TFTC: From Comic Books to Television." This is a must have for PCH collectors. The focus is mainly on the comics and is very slickly produced. Lots of shots of more than just EC horror comics, plenty of the "other guys" on it as well. I can't suggest this one enough for any horror comic collector, especially those among us who are "video starved." thumbsup2.gif

 

Cool! I just checked this on Amazon and there is a stand-alone version of the documentary that has more footage than the one included in the Season One DVD set (don;t you HATE when they do that!).

 

Here is the official site for the documentary:

 

CryptDVD

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