The Undead Thread: Pre-Code Horror 21 21

[Buck Biggins]

Holly hell-almighty! What the F is that???? That has to be a photoshop job,!!!

 

I've seen it in person last fall

 

IT EXIST.

[shiverbones]

well we have our first "gerber 10" horror comic. I have never met another person who has seen or heard of that. And it really is comics inside? Easily the rarest horror comic of all time if true.

[shiverbones]

The more I think about this comic, the more it is making my head explode. When was the last time an undocumented comic from the 50's cropped up? There were some questions about certain issues in 50's charlton crime comics and a few things here & there, but never an entire title in a popular genre that I can recall. This has to be among the 5 rarest comics in the world!!!

[Jayman]

Hey Andrew, can you explain your "Horror Crimes" nomination? I've never heard of it, and it isn't in my OPG.

 

I have a collector buddy here in town that had been telling me about it and wanted to know if I had any info on it. He finally sent me a scan of it so I could post it on the boards. It was published in JAN 1955 by Ajax/Farrell and it is the only copy he (me for that matter as well) has seen. I'm thinking it was the last gasp of the Horrific series before the CCA. It appears to be a one shot that has no number on the cover, but in the indicia inside it says HORROR CRIMES #15.

 

Has anyone else seen one?

 

 

Very cool, never heard of it! Very pulpish look to it.

[Buck Biggins]

 

Here is what I'm thinking. Horrific Comics was published by Comic Media Publishing up until #13. It then switches to Terrific with #14 published by Ajax/Farrell. There is no #15.

 

There is a white space in the Gerber Journals and OSPG says #15 does not exist. It then picks up with #16 as Terrific Comics presents Wonder Boy and it is also the last precode issue.

 

Maybe they were trying to quickly put out one last horror comic before the CCA, but decided not to distribute it after a few hit the press.

[TheWatcher]

If it's Horror Crimes #15, that means it's a continuation of a title. Anybody have a guess as to which one?

 

 

See post above

Edited February 23, 2008 by TheWatcher

[shiverbones]

That theory sounds right to me. Amazing. Just amazing. Anyone have a TTTTT#1 they can check & see if this was on the "Does it Exist?" list?

[ajaxfarrell]

WOW....THAT'S a trip....

 

I agree with SHIVERBONES the HORROR CRIMES looks like a photoshop job. Someone took the HORRIFIC logo and a pulp and fooled around a bit with it.

 

In order to really validate if it is the REAL DEAL we have to see some pics of the interiror and the indica....any chance you could get your buddy to do that

 

However, the HORRIFIC morphing into TERRIFIC, then HORROR CRIMES sounds plausible.

 

Someone should ask BANGZOOM if the cover looks like any pulp he's seen, he seems to be the PULP expert.

 

BUCK, if you've seen it in person, then, well, ARE YOU SURE PLEASE get some additional photos of this one.

ON ANOTHER NOTE:

 

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the VOODOO ANNUAL in the scarcest pre-code books. I think ADAMSTRANGE has a copy. The red back cover is awesome on that book too.

 

 

ALSO

Another obscure HORROR SATIRE comic would be SUPER FUNNIES number TWO....rarely ever seen....

 

 

ADDITIONALLY

 

Here is a link to a bit of a discussion on the HILLMAN MONSTER CRIME and CRIME MUST STOP comics.

FURTHER READING

 

 

 

 

 

 

[shiverbones]

I spaced on the voodoo annual. That is tough, but not impossible. Certainly tougher than some others mentioned. I love the Super comic, but I would bounce it on the grounds of it being a satire & not pure horror.

[BangZoom]

Has anyone else seen one?

 

 

 

I've seen this image used two previous times on pulp covers.

 

Terror Tales (July 1935)

 

 

and a slightly modified version for the UK edition of Horror Stories (August 1940).

 

[BangZoom]

 

I guess squeamish sensibilities were soothed by putting the ghoul in a suit and tie.

 

[mike h]

Wow... this is mind-bending! Any chance of hearing some story titles? Maybe rehashed Ajax or Comic Media stuff? Either way, I'm sure it's Iger Shop.

 

Wow... my whole world is shaken... seriously. This is extremely important.

[G.A.tor]

I guess squeamish sensibilities were soothed by putting the ghoul in a suit and tie.

 

amazing detective work BZ...amazing...

the comic art appears to be a rotated/flipped image of the pulp?

Edited February 23, 2008 by Detective27Kid

[Blind Owl]

BZ comes thru again!!!!!

[Jayman]

Wow... this is mind-bending! Any chance of hearing some story titles? Maybe rehashed Ajax or Comic Media stuff? Either way, I'm sure it's Iger Shop.

 

Wow... my whole world is shaken... seriously. This is extremely important.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm hoping it's real but the jury's still out if this is authentic or not.

Buck says he saw it, but is it real or a self created oddity. Have there been other comic books that took the exact art from a pulp cover as opposed to a swipe/reinterpretation?

[adamstrange]

Reform School Girl used a paperback cover photo but both the comic and the paperback though both were published by the same entity. It is certainly possible that a pulp could be used that way during the hectic transition from Comic Media to Ajax and I would think it reasonably easy to prove the book is "as advertised" assuming it was inspected by one of the deeply knowledgeable 50s indexers.

[BangZoom]

It would be great if the comic turned out to be an authentic release, but it seems a bit farfetched.

 

Horror Stories and Terror Tales were published by Popular Publications (Harry Steeger and Harold Goldsmith) who I don't think ever had any relationship to Comic Media Publishing or Ajax/Farrell.

 

 

[october]

Wow... this is mind-bending! Any chance of hearing some story titles? Maybe rehashed Ajax or Comic Media stuff? Either way, I'm sure it's Iger Shop.

 

Wow... my whole world is shaken... seriously. This is extremely important.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm hoping it's real but the jury's still out if this is authentic or not.

Buck says he saw it, but is it real or a self created oddity. Have there been other comic books that took the exact art from a pulp cover as opposed to a swipe/reinterpretation?

I am definitely calling BS on this one. I will believe that book exists when someone puts it in my hands.

[shiverbones]

But Andrew says he saw it,, and I trust that Andrew can tell a real comic when he sees it. I agree it is too much to believe, and if it was someone other than Andrew saying he saw it, I would have a real hard time believing it.

[precodekeith]

I spaced on the voodoo annual. That is tough, but not impossible. Certainly tougher than some others mentioned. I love the Super comic, but I would bounce it on the grounds of it being a satire & not pure horror.

 

Yeah, I managed to blank out on Voodoo Annual as well, and I even have it listed as a grail in my profile! Certainly should have been on the list. Maybe next year we can do another poll & remember to nominate it.

 

I agree with Matthew on the satire book. I only listed Monster Crime because it was nominated, but I didn't vote for it because I don't consider it horror.