OtherEric Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 (edited) It's been mentioned in several threads in the pulp forums that CGC seems to be generous with the "Classic Cover" designation on slabbed pulps. I'm starting this thread for two related reasons: To start cataloging which pulps are actually getting the "Classic Cover" designation, and to discuss which ones actually deserve the label, whether or not CGC labels them as such. I'll update the list as we see slabs with the designation. __________________________________________________ Books that have received a "Classic Cover" notation from CGC: Famous Fantastic Mysteries #41 (v7 #5) August 1946 ("Classic skull cover") Famous Fantastic Mysteries #64 (v11 #5) June 1950 ("Classic robot cover") Fantastic Adventures #97 (v12 #7) July 1950 ("Classic hound cover") Ghost, Super-Detective #1 (V1 #1) January 1940 Mystery Novels and Short Stories #2 (v1 #5) December 1939 ("Classic torture wheel cover") Planet Stories #10 (V1 #10) Spring 1942 Spicy Detective Stories #87 (V15 #3) July 1941 ("Classic good girl cover") Spider #81 (V21 #1) June 1940 ("Classic bondage cover") Startling Stories #60 (V20 #3) January 1950 ("Classic robot cover") Startling Stories #61 (V21 #1) March 1950 ("Classic good girl witch cover") Startling Stories #64 (v22#1) September 1950 ("Classic girl in flames cover") Unknown #1 (V1 #1) March 1939 Edited June 9 by OtherEric jimjum12, Darwination and Cushing Fan 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post OtherEric Posted June 7 Author Popular Post Share Posted June 7 To add some color to the thread, here's one that I think definitely deserves the label... it's been an iconic image for decades, at least since the Steranko history of comics and possibly earlier. Not sure if it's actually getting the designation from CGC, but I would be surprised if it isn't: pmpknface, Darwination, Sarg and 4 others 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Calhoun Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 pmpknface, OtherEric, Point Five and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Ricksneatstuff Posted June 7 Popular Post Share Posted June 7 A couple classic covers. I have no arguments on these. comicnoir, comicjack, OtherEric and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Ricksneatstuff Posted June 7 Popular Post Share Posted June 7 My favorite classic cover Spicy pmpknface, jimjum12, Darwination and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waaaghboss Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 Store by me has a cover proof of this cover, pretty tempted to pick it up 🤤 Ricksneatstuff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Sarg Posted June 7 Popular Post Share Posted June 7 CGC's pulp division is like that kid who discovers Alex Schomburg for the first time. He's amazed by Alex's technique, line, action, and attention to detail. Compared to every modern comic cover, it staggers the imagination. It seems too vivid and artistic for a mere comic book. "What a classic cover!," he exclaims, and hurries to all his friends' houses to share his thrilling new art discovery. Then he discovers a second Schomburg cover. "Another classic!" Then a third ... and a fourth ... eventually, he discovers all 500 Schomburg covers. His enthusiasm never subsides. Declaring all 500 to be "classic," he has drained the word of all meaning. Schomburg was a great artist. But only a few of his covers are "classic." In reality, there are fewer than 50 pulp covers that deserve the "classic" designation, and these are ones that have been singled out for excellence by the pulp collecting community over the course of decades. Amazing Stories' "Skylark in Space" is a classic, not because it is visually arresting, or wildly lurid, or has bosomy, semi-nude women in bondage. What makes it classic is that pulp collectors singled it out for distinction from very early on, it is the first (or one of the first) visualizations of a man flying, and has been reproduced in books about pulps, pop culture, and science-fiction for a long, long time as being an archetypal sci-fi pulp image. OtherEric, Bugfarm, Hibou and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OtherEric Posted June 7 Author Share Posted June 7 On 6/7/2024 at 2:53 PM, Sarg said: Schomburg was a great artist. But only a few of his covers are "classic." In reality, there are fewer than 50 pulp covers that deserve the "classic" designation, and these are ones that have been singled out for excellence by the pulp collecting community over the course of decades. Amazing Stories' "Skylark in Space" is a classic, not because it is visually arresting, or wildly lurid, or has bosomy, semi-nude women in bondage. What makes it classic is that pulp collectors singled it out for distinction from very early on, it is the first (or one of the first) visualizations of a man flying, and has been reproduced in books about pulps, pop culture, and science-fiction for a long, long time as being an archetypal sci-fi pulp image. Thank you for explaining far better than I could why the August 1928 Amazing is a classic cover, above and beyond it simply being on a famous issue. I'm not sure the number of classic covers is quite as low as 50, but part of my point in starting this thread is to tease out which ones actually deserve the title. The Batwoman Weird Tales is perhaps the only other one I would say with 100% certainty qualifies, and I can think of quite a few others that I would include. But I had never even seen the Spicy Detective cover before today that I recall, and I think I'm informed enough about pulps that I should at least recognize any cover with the designation, even if I don't agree with it. jimjum12 and Sarg 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darwination Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 I'll drop a terribly unpopular opinion here. Schomburg is *incredibly* overrated. The ridiculous Timely war scene covers the fanboys fawn over? Sure they're busy and detailed but artful? I much prefer the simple and classic composition of some of his Astrology covers or some of his covers for Pines. I happily concede this Amazing as a classic because it's iconic and a famous first. Is it good, though?🤔 There's pulp covers that get classic status just for covering a famous issue, fair enough, but it's kind of an easy in. KirbyJack 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Ricksneatstuff Posted June 7 Popular Post Share Posted June 7 Here is an example of a very famous issue/cover that did not get the designation. jimjum12, comicjack, Robot Man and 8 others 10 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darwination Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 (edited) Classic Edited June 7 by Darwination Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Cushing Fan Posted June 8 Popular Post Share Posted June 8 Just recently picked up my first pulp for my collection and it is a designated classic cover 😀 Pat Calhoun, OtherEric, Darwination and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comicparadox Posted June 8 Share Posted June 8 Maybe instead of “classic cover“, consideration should be given to other notations such as “bondage cover“, “injury to [choose anatomic organ]”, etc just as for CGC comics designators. Darwination 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post comicjack Posted June 8 Popular Post Share Posted June 8 I have considered this a classic for sometime now Darwination, Robot Man, gino2paulus2 and 7 others 9 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post comicjack Posted June 8 Popular Post Share Posted June 8 This is a classic in my eyes a haunting cover of worldly control pmpknface, OtherEric, Cushing Fan and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post comicjack Posted June 8 Popular Post Share Posted June 8 (edited) Doesn't get anymore classic than this one hot cover in so many ways Edited June 8 by comicjack jimjum12, Darwination, Robot Man and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comicjack Posted June 8 Share Posted June 8 Who would say this isn't a classic cover Darwination, Bugfarm, detective35 and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Point Five Posted June 8 Share Posted June 8 On 6/7/2024 at 7:36 PM, Darwination said: I'll drop a terribly unpopular opinion here. Schomburg is *incredibly* overrated. The ridiculous Timely war scene covers the fanboys fawn over? Sure they're busy and detailed but artful? I much prefer the simple and classic composition of some of his Astrology covers or some of his covers for Pines. You could be skinned alive for saying that over in GA. Best to get it out of your system right here. Hibou, Darwination and Sarg 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comicjack Posted June 8 Share Posted June 8 On 6/7/2024 at 8:06 PM, Cushing Fan said: Just recently picked up my first pulp for my collection and it is a designated classic cover 😀 On 6/7/2024 at 2:01 PM, Pat Calhoun said: Classic as it gets Pat Calhoun and Cushing Fan 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibou Posted June 8 Share Posted June 8 (edited) This issue deserves something... instead of [blank] Edited June 8 by Hibou dickymoe74, detective35, Darwination and 1 other 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
