First Torture Wheel/Breaking Wheel Cover Appearance? Let's See Yours! 1 1

[Dr. Balls]

The classic Middle Ages torture device shows up in an altered (simplified) version on variety of PCH covers - not really being used as it was originally, but it clearly had some inspiration on artists :

Which, is classified as a "bondage" cover, since women in red dresses have been depicted strapped down to tables, posts, columns and just about anything you can lash to - and if nothing can be found, they'll just sit there with their hands tied behind their back. Just like in Star Trek, if you're a girl and you're wearing red - you don't have much of a chance when it comes to pre-code horror books.

Anyways, I picked up a neat copy of The Flame #6, which had a great bondage cover, but as I looked at it today - I wondered if this is the earliest example of the torture wheel (or torture wheel-type object?) shown on a comic book? It's from 1941, way before the horror genre took hold. I know there are a variety of bondage covers from this era, just not sure about how many featured a wheel.

 

I did find a couple pulps that pre-date this cover by a couple of years (1939, and 1937 respectively) - so illustrators were definitely using this as a compositional device for their paintings.

Anyways, it'd be great to see some other early pre-war examples of the torture wheel if anyone has 'em. 

Edited October 10, 2023 by Dr. Balls

[Point Five]

Yep, there were definitely a bunch in 1930s pulps that kicked off the trend. Here's a 1941 comic cover with one --

[Readcomix]

 Not my copy, but Blonde Phantom 14 belongs here

[Dr. Balls]

On 10/10/2023 at 8:12 PM, Point Five said:

Yep, there were definitely a bunch in 1930s pulps that kicked off the trend. Here's a 1941 comic cover with one --

I always remember this cover by that creepy green Butterface in the background.

[Point Five]

On 10/11/2023 at 7:58 AM, Dr. Balls said:

I always remember this cover by that creepy green Butterface in the background.

Somewhat off-topic, but it's funny how rarely these Pep and Zip covers with a bunch of crazy/disturbing villains and monsters torturing people matched the main story inside. It's like "hey guys, stuck for a story idea? How about just run with that?"

 

[Mr. Lady Luck]

On 10/10/2023 at 10:02 PM, Readcomix said:

 Not my copy, but Blonde Phantom 14 belongs here

Agreed! And this is my copy.

[Artboy99]

[Robot Man]

On 10/10/2023 at 3:03 PM, Dr. Balls said:

The classic Middle Ages torture device shows up in an altered (simplified) version on variety of PCH covers - not really being used as it was originally, but it clearly had some inspiration on artists :

Which, is classified as a "bondage" cover, since women in red dresses have been depicted strapped down to tables, posts, columns and just about anything you can lash to - and if nothing can be found, they'll just sit there with their hands tied behind their back. Just like in Star Trek, if you're a girl and you're wearing red - you don't have much of a chance when it comes to pre-code horror books.

Anyways, I picked up a neat copy of The Flame #6, which had a great bondage cover, but as I looked at it today - I wondered if this is the earliest example of the torture wheel (or torture wheel-type object?) shown on a comic book? It's from 1941, way before the horror genre took hold. I know there are a variety of bondage covers from this era, just not sure about how many featured a wheel.

 

I did find a couple pulps that pre-date this cover by a couple of years (1939, and 1937 respectively) - so illustrators were definitely using this as a compositional device for their paintings.

Anyways, it'd be great to see some other early pre-war examples of the torture wheel if anyone has 'em. 

The first ones I thought of were that Dark Mysteries and Mr Mystery.

My wife likes to tell people when they ask her what I collect, “Anything with a woman tied to a wheel”   

[Dr. Balls]

I wish I'd hung onto my Dark Mysteries because I could have started a sub-focus  - it was pretty banged up, but as I've learned with GA: beat up is better than nuthin!

[Robot Man]

On 10/11/2023 at 8:06 AM, Dr. Balls said:

I wish I'd hung onto my Dark Mysteries because I could have started a sub-focus  - it was pretty banged up, but as I've learned with GA: beat up is better than nuthin!

No kidding! Still sick about selling my vg Great Comics #3 in my “fine or better” phase…

[Point Five]

On 10/11/2023 at 11:06 AM, Dr. Balls said:

I wish I'd hung onto my Dark Mysteries because I could have started a sub-focus  - it was pretty banged up, but as I've learned with GA: beat up is better than nuthin!

Well, you have to have some standards! Myself, I sold off all these covers because I consider them partial wheel covers. I only collect covers with women tied to full wheels.   

 

[Yorick]

Fight Comics 41 & 44, and Rangers Comics 25.  Fiction House loves bondage.

[Bronty]

On 10/11/2023 at 11:06 AM, Dr. Balls said:

I wish I'd hung onto my Dark Mysteries because I could have started a sub-focus  - it was pretty banged up, but as I've learned with GA: beat up is better than nuthin!

sub-focus or dom-focus?  

[Dr. Balls]

On 10/11/2023 at 9:13 AM, Robot Man said:

No kidding! Still sick about selling my vg Great Comics #3 in my “fine or better” phase…

The only phase I have now in GA is “Not Mouse Chewed”.

[Ameri]

[Cat-Man_America]

Here's an early one from '42... 

[gino2paulus2]

Sold the 1.5 but I too have a fondness for this book

[gino2paulus2]

A few others from the collection. BB is from 1942. 

Cant think of many Cap comics with the ol’ wheel  haha. Some crazy devices but not sure about the wheel off the top of my head.

[Bronty]

its interesting seeing the various designs on these torture wheels.   A lot of the wheels pictured on these covers just seem to dip the head into water or the body onto spikes or whatever when the wheel is turned.    Seems more like a visual danger on the cover rather than depicting a torture device (why build a wheel if you are just going to drown someone or dip them in acid a la Mister Mystery 6?).

The ones that are more interesting/ sadistic and probably truer to life I imagine (?) seem to follow a formula -  either hands or feet are affixed to something that does not move, and then the other half of the body is affixed to the wheel.   And then as you turn the wheel you stretch the person a tiny bit at a time until they pass out / die etc.

The BP cover is probably the one that makes the device easiest to understand as the male has his feet fixed to the floor while the wheel pulls on his arms.   Ouchie.

 

 

Edited October 16, 2023 by Bronty

[whomerjay]