october Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Unreal. Thanks for posting them. Your collection, as broad as it seems to be, is of the best quality I can imagine. I have read most of, if not all, of Lovecraft's work, so collecting the first editions would just be for the cover art (which I do like) and "coolness" factor. The other AH books would be for reading, since a lot of them weren't reprinted to my knowledge. Any recommendations as to particularly cool non-Lovecraft stories? That Skull-Face cover is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tb Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Dare I ask if this is a first edition? Found this at abebooks: "Of the 636 copies printed, the first 536 were bound with the spines stamped in gilt with author's name and book's title along the spine in the European style--bottom to top. When this was discovered, the final 100 copies had their spines stamped in the American style--top to bottom." Looks like your copy has the text top to bottom? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurfingAlien Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 I would love to see more Arkham House books. Some beautiful covers on those, not to mention the great stories they contain. This will give you an idea of their covers. Unlike comic books, pulps, vintage paperbacks, or even record albums; I never heard of anyone who collected Arkhams because of their covers. You have to love the stories to really appreciate the books (or just enjoy collecting). er..ahhhh..I confess... I love Arkham covers... of course I love the stories and that is what originally got me into them, but the books have a certain look and feel to them that is highly addictive - that black binding and tight,small format must have something to do with it - some of them with the all text covers aren't as interesting, but most of the cover art is very cool - Hannes Bok is purely amazing, The Skull Face and House on the Borderland art is waay cool - your copies look minty fresh - Beyond the Wall of Sleep is usually seen with a very tattered DJ if any - yours looks nice - creepy CA Smith sculptures on there - do you have a copy of The Outsider? I know Beyond the Wall of Sleep is rarer but The Outsider has a wild DJ. Genius Loci by CA Smith is a wild DJ as well. Sorry, enough ... feel free to post more comics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurfingAlien Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Hey BZ - I know this is a Comic board, but do you have any early Sci-fi specialty press items with nice cover illo (Bok,Paul,Cartier?) Here's a Hannes Bok cover for a book that was essential reading for collectors of Fantasy, in times past. Very nice - Shasta Publishers had quite a few Bok covers. I recall the Wheels of If by L. Sprague DeCamp and The Slaves of Sleep by L. Ron Hubbard (For anyone who doesn't know, he was a major league sci-fi writer before he became famous for Dianetics) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurfingAlien Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Dare I ask if this is a first edition? Found this at abebooks: "Of the 636 copies printed, the first 536 were bound with the spines stamped in gilt with author's name and book's title along the spine in the European style--bottom to top. When this was discovered, the final 100 copies had their spines stamped in the American style--top to bottom." Looks like your copy has the text top to bottom? Thats talking about the stamping on the spine of the book itself, not the lettering on the DJ - either way - this is the first edition and at only 636 total copies printed is the second or third rarest Arkham House book. And RE Howard to boot - so highly sought after. This book is of his poetry though, which, while cool, is not as cool as all the Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane and Bran Mak Morn stories in Skull Face. The stories themselves really blow the comic adaptations away, with all due respect to all the great comics portraying his characters. RE Howard's writing style is still brisk and fresh today. Skull Face has to be one of the coolest books ever printed - loads of first edition stories of the above mentioned characters and that awesome Hannes Bok DJ. So glad I have my beat up copy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moondog Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 I have 5 of the books in your photo, BZ, but not Beyond the Wall of Sleep (my all-time favorite HPL story). I have a beautiful Dark Carnival (Bradbury is my favorite SF author). Any others hiding in that bookcase of yours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BangZoom Posted May 4, 2007 Author Share Posted May 4, 2007 I's like to see Planet #56. I do so love a "nice women in tubes" cover. I don't own a copy of # 56. Hope this Uncanny Tales from 1939 will suffice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Black Hand ® Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 I's like to see Planet #56. I do so love a "nice women in tubes" cover. I don't own a copy of # 56. Hope this Uncanny Tales from 1939 will suffice. Oh it does ...it does suffice! Thank You! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BangZoom Posted May 4, 2007 Author Share Posted May 4, 2007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr.schomburg Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 BlackHand, BZ has shown several books that used coding including at least one that was similar coding to Church copies (Leading #1), but since he stated he wasn't buying by the time Chuck made his discovery, and he never paid those kind of "crazy" prices anyway, you can rest assured that is not the Church copy of All Star #8 (it is really darn sweet though). The majority of my purchases were over by the 70's but I still was buying after that date. I bought a complete set of Classics, a Tracy collection, a vf/near mint Dell collection, and assorted odds and ends. Wouldn't it be funny if I went through old correspondence and discovered I'd been approached by the Church family, years before Chuck made his deal, and I'd bought some of the collection but never followed up on the rest of it. On a serious note, I've noticed the similarity of the coding on some of my books to those of the Mile Highs. I just assumed it was something lots of newstands must have been doing. How do collectors and CGC distinguish what is the genuine article? Coding + Smell + Page Quality + Gloss = Church My wife has a similar method for determining who passed gas: Verberation+Duration+Smell+black out= Shommy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BangZoom Posted May 4, 2007 Author Share Posted May 4, 2007 I have 5 of the books in your photo, BZ, but not Beyond the Wall of Sleep (my all-time favorite HPL story). I have a beautiful Dark Carnival (Bradbury is my favorite SF author). Any others hiding in that bookcase of yours? Arkham House? I have (I'm estimating) about 150 additional titles. However, I don't have Dark Carnival. It's one I always wanted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BangZoom Posted May 4, 2007 Author Share Posted May 4, 2007 Unreal. Thanks for posting them. Your collection, as broad as it seems to be, is of the best quality I can imagine. I have read most of, if not all, of Lovecraft's work, so collecting the first editions would just be for the cover art (which I do like) and "coolness" factor. The other AH books would be for reading, since a lot of them weren't reprinted to my knowledge. Any recommendations as to particularly cool non-Lovecraft stories? That Skull-Face cover is The big 3 of 1930's weird fantasy are Lovecraft, Howard, and Clark Ashton Smith. Start with them and follow whatever trail is most appealing to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GACollectibles Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 This is the one Arkham that I think really does have a beautiful cover. Bok He had a way with frogs(and wimmens) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BangZoom Posted May 4, 2007 Author Share Posted May 4, 2007 This is the one Arkham that I think really does have a beautiful cover. Bok He had a way with frogs(and wimmens) His use of colors was spectacular. His work was like that of Maxfield Parrish on Acid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koko Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 (edited) More Eisner covers, please. Where is that stick-prod icon when I need it!? Regards, Koko Edited May 4, 2007 by Koko Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Black Hand ® Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 This is the one Arkham that I think really does have a beautiful cover. Bok He had a way with frogs(and wimmens) I just love women in tubes! My wife used to get into the acrylic tube I had made when we were first dating, but after we married....like pulling teeth! I have to give her neck and back massages and be all romantic for a day or two before... and even then, she'll just do it for a minute or two....yeesh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vacliff Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Oh....I wasn't looking at the feet! The award for tiniest feet goes to...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BangZoom Posted May 4, 2007 Author Share Posted May 4, 2007 Roundup # 1 (July/August 1948) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrwoogieman Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 How about a nice Cap Am 3? or maybe Mask 1 or 2? Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G.A.tor Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 just a quick question BZ...outsite of the AA 16 and Adv 40 (both great, as you know)...are we going to see the Tec 27 or Supes 1 or Marvel 1 or Whiz 1, etc? (you can always watermark the jpgs, if you fear someone swiping for ebay scams, etc) just curious (and a little more anxious) gator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
