PRE-CODE HORROR COMICS COVERED

It's no secret that a lot of the appeal for Pre-Code horror comics are the covers. After EC showed how it was done, virtually every other publisher that sold horror comics jumped on the wagon and attempted to outdo each other with some of the outrageous, shocking and excessive images they could come up with.

Here are a few examples that range from mild to wild and that are currently up for sale at Heritage Auctions. The finished, color covers are also shown as a comparison. Included are a few of the most notorious covers that came out of that era.

1. CHAMBER OF CHILLS #21 (Harvey, January 1954). Seen here is the preliminary cover art designed by Warren Kremer using ink and crayon on onion skin paper (when was the last time to heard of that?). He then handed it over to Lee Elias for the finished work. Be sure to check out the notes on the margins -- "Guys dead at desks"!

2. CHAMBER OF CHILLS #24 (Harvey, July 1954). Cover art by the great Lee Elias.

3. CHILLING TALES #16 (Youthful, June 1963 ). Unknown artist illustrating the only cover for this title not done by Matt Fox.

4. TALES OF TERROR #1 (Toby, 1952). Cover art for this one-shot by Gene Fawcette. It was pulled by Toby after one issue after a complaint by EC that the title was already being used by them. It was reprinted by I.W. Publishing in 1958 for EERIE #9.

5. TOMB OF TERROR #15 (Harvey, May 1954). Cover art of a classic by Lee Elias.

5. WITCHES TALES #25 (Harvey, June 1954). Another classic cover by the great Warren Kremer.

EC FAN-ADDICT FANZINE NO. 6

Released by Fantagraphics back on July 16 is this, the sixth issue of Roger Hill and Grant Geissman's EC FAN-ADDICT FANZINE that began in 2004. Sadly, Mr. Hill passed away last December, but his legacy will live on in the books that he wrote and his contributions to this 'zine, where he added many items from his personal collection to share with EC fans everywhere. And this issue is no different -- it's packed with memorabilia, esoterica and minutia from the world's most legendary horror comic.

This has already sold out from the publisher! I got my copy through Amazon who must have a supply in their warehouse.

Tell me EC Comics aren't popular anymore!

From Amazon:

This new 136 page, full-color issue is loaded with even more vintage E.C. lore and rare artwork by E.C. artists. Front and back covers by George Evans. With articles on the recently discovered 1954 Williamson/Torres/Frazetta/Krenkel cover to Buster Crabbe No. 5, Jack Davis’s early 1950s digest-sized Lucky Star comic, a previously unpublished 1967 interview with Dr. Fredric Wertham from the Alan Burke TV show, more Jack Davis and Coca-Cola, a conversation with Graham Ingels featuring―for the first time―all four large and ten smaller-sized Old Witch paintings by Ingels, a feature on Marie Severin’s charming illustrations done for the Financial Follies between 1959 and 1962, a portfolio of Marie Severin’s signed and numbered E.C. cover colorings issued by Russ Cochran, the final installment on the creation of the legendary E.C. fanzine Squa Tront, and much more. This issue is simply a “must have” for all E.C. fans!  Full-color illustrations throughout.

Hurry and grab your copy HERE.

RARE! VOODOO ANNUAL (PART 3)

This is the conclusion of the three-part collection of Farrell's VOODOO ANNUAL from 1952. The first story is "The Shelf of Skulls" illustrated by Matt Baker.

RARE! VOODOO ANNUAL (PART 2)