Flex Mentallo

That's a worthy torch to be the bearer of, I'd say.

...and if one includes the OA, and the wonderful reproductions by Murphy Anderson et al, it's that sheer love of the medium you've so eloquently described that illuminates his collection. As I recall, it was the remarkable depth and diversity of Jon's collection that Richard described to me, years before it went to auction.

Stunning - especially that #5!

I remember asking you who in your opinion had the best Golden Age collection, and your answer was Jon Berk.

Fascinating, Adam.

I seem to recall reading that too, Mitch. Was it some of his Centaurs perhaps?

So saddened - and shocked - by this news. What an eye he had! If Jon had not decided to sell his fabulous collection, I would never, ever have obtained my personal grail. [I dont care about the resto, just the colors, almost impossible to find like this.] From our too few back and forths via pm, he also had a mischievous side.... look carefully at the photos, you'll see that glint in his eye. In a hobby that sometimes takes itself a bit too seriously, that glint should linger.

Interesting idea for a topic, buckott!

Such much?

Sharp!

Tough book! Anyone else have any of his Planets? The Nic Cage Heritage Auction was the first I ever bid in. Delighted to win the #28. Sold it years later and of course regretted it when I started collecting Planets in earnest. Then it popped up in a Comiclink Auction and I won it back - so I cherish it all the more. [Way nicer than the given grade, on account of a tiny missing corner.] Still don't think it gets the love it deserves - for me, it is the quintessential 'pulp sci fi' cover in the run...

Nice to see you back, Jeff! Glad to see this thread successful!

In addition to much of the OA, the collector Rich Oberg hoovered up multiple high grade copies of the desirable titles. He consistently outbid the likes of me on the books he wanted. So he single-handedly took most nice copies out of circulation. (He authored a book some years ago which spotlights his amazing collection, which is well worth seeking out.) The discovery of large warehouse finds about 20 years ago brought numerous high grade copies to market and spawned a feeding frenzy - I suspect all the more intense because of previous scarcity Rich helped to create. @lbcolefan and I didn't know each other back then, but we were both involved in those bidding wars. That was the first time I saw multiple high grade mags being listed all at once. Man, it was great to take delivery of a hefty box fill of high grade copies for the first time! Those copies seem to have remained locked away in collections ever since. A decade later, the high grade NAPA collection had already been plundered before I got my mitts on any. In particular, virtually all the Mans Story and Men Today issues had vanished. No idea where most of those ended up, though I wouldnt be at all surprised if it turns out Mr Oberg has a lot of them! What seems to be left are the occasional attic finds we see on Ebay - often low grade copies at high grade prices. So many great covers one hardly ever sees these days! I've long since given up the search - so hats off to those like you, RD, who still hunt them down! If things run in cycles, we're due another high grade find any time now!

Sad news! I recall phoning him long distance from the UK about an item in his wide-ranging catalogue that became a fascinating 3 hour conversation about comics, pulps and other media. He was a warm, friendly, passionate raconteur. This must have been twenty five years ago, but I haven't forgotten, and I still own the item!

Those colors!

Just to show what a tight little Fiction House island we here inhabit, a couple of killer books that will be familiar to both @cheetah and @kelholt!

As far as I can tell, its all about that final layer of magenta in CMYK printing - perhaps it ran out mid-print run, and perhaps only the first few copies in the print run had saturated colors as the colorist intended.I doubt we'll ever know for certain.

Ironic, isn't it, that Fiction House covers, so often faded, frequently relied on color as a compositional element?

Were there ever conversations along the lines of 'I wonder where the hobby might be in 50 years time?'

Albrecht Durer was so fascinated by hands he made portraits of them - as expressive as any face!

Great analysis of a perfect cover. As a composition, it has so many disparate elements, but Heath orchestrates them brilliantly, so it doesnt feel cluttered. The almost lyrical 'dance' of the circling jets contrasts with the static tension of the foreground, with the explosion serving as a unifying device. The light falling on the knife echoes the planes. The apocalyptic explosion makes manifest the G.I's berserker rage. And every element of the composition leads us inexorably to the Chinese soldier's panicked eyes. It's cinematic! There is a unifying psychology holding the entire composition in a fugitive balance. In another instant, darkness will fall.

I find it really annoying that so many authentic Golden Age listings get in the way of my search for photocopies.