The Undead Thread: Pre-Code Horror 21 21

[BangZoom]

in the mailing list, a member mentions that Ekgren was alive as of last year and Roy Thomas is trying to set an email interview with the heirs and Bill, pretty much the same way that PCKeith tried. We'll see if anything comes out of it. -

 

Interesting. I'd love to read more about him.

 

Is William the only name associated with him?

 

I checked a few people finder type search engines and they didn't have any matches.

 

I also checked the Social Security Index and there was no William Ekgren listed as deceased.

 

Ekgren is a very uncommon name. The death index only has three individuals with that surname, all from Minnesota.

 

 

[Scrooge]

The impression given was that the heirs were in Sweden and so Ekgren might also have gone back there? Maybe PCKeith can tell us if the person he was in contact with was abroad?

[adamstrange]

If you would like to learn more about Ekgren the pick up a copy of Arf Forum. It has a picture of Ekgren, the unused horror cover and information about his life. I heard at San Diego that he was alive and living in Switzerland.

 

link

[precodekeith]

Can you post a scan of the cover???

This recent discussion prompted me to try & get back in touch with his "heir" who had contacted me previously in order to try & dig up some more info.

[precodekeith]

Great bondage stuff here...

[MrBedrock]

Great bondage stuff here...

I love those covers where the guys are all emaciated and the girls are very "healthy".

[Wrightson fan]

Great bondage stuff here...

I love those covers where the guys are all emaciated and the girls are very "healthy".

 

 

You beat me to that observation Richard. Her clothes aren't even torn yet......where is the fun in that? Maybe she is a new addition to the dungeon. In either case.....her 24 hour bra is holding out like a champ.

 

Scott

[Pat Calhoun]

don't know if this is the best place to announce this- but here's horror for sale. my forum skills are less than zilch and my old computer and dial-up don't help so any interest best contact the email address below- thanks -Pat

 

Pat Calhoun

phone-707-573-9643 fax-707-573-0345 114 W 8th Santa Rosa CA 95401 pcalhoun@sonic.net

 

please email pcalhoun@sonic.net for a copy of this list with images of the books

 

Frankenstein 18 Mar 1952 origin and relaunch issue (#1-#17 humor series ended in 1949) high-impact Briefer cover and bright VG+ with light crease upper right and mini-chip bottom right $90

 

Frankenstein 19 Sum 1952 classic Briefer cover on this second horror issue in 'flawless' FN- $70

 

Adventures Into The Unknown #51 Jan 1954 solid VG even wear with spine edge a little rough but not split- white is pretty clean- respectable copy of a tough somewhat fragile book with high-impact Harry Lazarus cov and interior $75

 

Jumbo #159 May 1952 nice VG+ black is clean- classic Maurice Whitman cov- penultimate Sheena cov as Ghost Gallery took over also by MW with #161 $45

 

Adventures Into Weird Worlds #26 Feb 1954 VG+ solid, clean, bright, tight with light even wear- a reasonable sample of Joe Maneely's vivid work $45

 

Spellbound #17 Sept 1953 spine stresses, slight offset at bottom spine, long very light (no break) crease FC- still- almost VG+ (that's VG) with classic Bill Everett cov and Krigstein inside on a solid, bright, complete (no chipping) copy $45

 

Mystery #4 1944 VGF a little light wear, no real flaws $140

 

Wonder #14 Oct 1947 VGF (minimum!) very minor dampstain back cov- notable absence of wear $160

 

Captain Flight 11 Feb-Mar 1947 light name in 'H', slight tears both staples but both sound enough, little crease/tear on leaf on right edge, crease at bottom right,hint of spine roll. A long enough list but up close in all the little flaws fade in the face of a moderately clean and flat book that's solid and square and complete (edges etc) and bright with nice pages. Pages are in well, back cover is clean and complete VG $220

 

Mystic 9 June 1952 another nice Maneely- some spine roll but still clean, flat, square even on 'fanning' edge- vivid VG+ $65

 

Forbidden Worlds 12 Dec 1952 Ken Bald's art is good enough to let the bright colors (pink!) and clean condition make this a winner- would be fine but for minor edge chipping back cov so VG+ or VGF (priced at the former...) $50

 

Rocket Ship X 1 Sep 1951 the one and only- not really a classic cov but crudely appealing...(Foxy!?) light crease upper right FC, few small interior page edge chips well away from panels- acceptable VG with low price $90

 

Mystic 7 Mar 1952 (big Joe) minimum FVF even with micro-chip lower left $120

 

Web of Mystery 17 Feb 1953 one of the few covers by Ace's star Lou Cameron- a beaut! Sharp VG+ $55

 

Beware Terror Tales 4 sharp VGF with under-rated Bernard Bailey classic horror cov (+ incredible interiors!) $75

 

Astonishing 30 Feb 1954The clarity of the image makes comment that it has spine stress/very light reading crease and light crease top right redundant- they don't much get in the way of the lurid lovliness of Joe's 'vision'. SVG (s is for 'solid') $65

 

Planet 70 respectable VG presents well and would grade higher but for bit of 'typical' Fiction House fragility (image shows light crease upper right plus slight wave there- not bad and mollified by mylar)- super Whitman cov and great insides $95

 

Men's Adventures 21 May 1953 with a winner Bill Everett cov- despite creasing at bottom and microchips at both lower corners- rich colors and generally sound VG+ $50

 

 

 

[october]

Hey Pat. You should list them in the marketplace forum with scans...

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=56&page=1

 

For those who don't know him, I bought several pre-codes off Pat awhile back in multiple transactions, and I was happy with them all. He may only have three posts, but he can be trusted completely.

 

Good luck!

 

[MrBedrock]

I'll second that. Pat has been around a LONG time...

[Wrightson fan]

Pat,

 

Please check your pm's (personal messages)

 

Scott

[precodekeith]

Hello Pat!

 

Elated to have you posting in this thread! Love your writing!

[precodekeith]

Yet another nice bondage cover...

[Jayman]

Always loved that skull in the LL corner! Just adds that bit of chill to this cover! (thumbs u

[precodekeith]

Always loved that skull in the LL corner! Just adds that bit of chill to this cover! (thumbs u

 

Yessir, creepy! I always was wigged out by the wild eyes on crazy mask dude, myself.

[selegue]

Yet another nice bondage cover...

 

The expressions of the women on Witches Tales covers always puzzle me.

This one's getting buried alive with a bunch of skeletons by a masked maniac, and she's got a little half-smile. On the last one (#5?) she has a quizzical look, like "I wonder if that gruel has enough cinnamon in it?" They should be freakin'!

 

Jack

 

 

[Jayman]

Funny you should say that as I always interpreted it to be a conscious effort by the artist(s) to draw them that way.

As if to say to the kids buying them: "Hey this is scary stuff, but not too scary!"

[Wrightson fan]

Funny you should say that as I always interpreted it to be a conscious effort by the artist(s) to draw them that way.

As if to say to the kids buying them: "Hey this is scary stuff, but not too scary!"

 

 

Exactly. However, if someone hasn't ever read a Harvey horror comic, are they in for a surprise. Alot of the covers may have been tame by comparison, but boy howdy, they liked to throw a gruesome, violent story your way inside of that tame cover. I love Harvey horror books. The proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing.

 

Scott

[Jayman]

Funny you should say that as I always interpreted it to be a conscious effort by the artist(s) to draw them that way.

As if to say to the kids buying them: "Hey this is scary stuff, but not too scary!"

 

 

Exactly. However, if someone hasn't ever read a Harvey horror comic, are they in for a surprise. Alot of the covers may have been tame by comparison, but boy howdy, they liked to throw a gruesome, violent story your way inside of that tame cover. I love Harvey horror books. The proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing.

 

Scott

 

That must have been Harvey's motto: Lure 'em in with a tame cover then scare the out of 'em!

 

Or maybe it was to keep the parents off their backs thinking the insides were as tame as the cover?

[Blind Owl]

In response to the Ekgran comic art. here's a scan of one of his covers.

I know he did the covers to Weird Horrors #6 & #7 and they are beautiful.

 

Here's a scan to Weird Horrors #7. It's not my copy so I don't know much about it's interior pages.