Catechetical Guild Educational Society 0

[esquirecomics]

As many of you know, I am collecting anti-communism books, particularly promotional versions. My collection can be viewed here:

 

Mark Zaid's Personal Anti-Communism/Cold War Collection

 

This organization prominently published many different scarce titles, but there seems to be a dearth of information anywhere about it.

 

Can anyone shet any light or provide details?

 

Who discovered the 5 B/W file copies of Blood is the Harvest?

[Harvey Dude]

You are correct that there is a dearth of information in regards to these historically significant books. I believe that Phil Levine, out of NJ, has the largest collection of Catechetical Guild material. I would love to find out what he can offer on the subject. I like your website but you have one minor error. Overstreet notes there are thirteen known color copies of “Blood is the Harvest”. I believe the actual number would be higher but still less than twenty copies. Keep me in mind, if you want to sell some of your Atomic War books.

[Harvey Dude]

Who discovered the 5 B/W file copies of Blood is the Harvest?

 

Hopefully someone with a better memory could correct me if I am wrong but I heard that someone (a priest?) brought, into a convention, the five black and white copies with a handful of the color versions. The copies were from the Catechetical Guild files in Minnesota. I don't remember if Sparkle City played a role in this find.

[Larryw7]

Who discovered the 5 B/W file copies of Blood is the Harvest?

 

Hopefully someone with a better memory could correct me if I am wrong but I heard that someone (a priest?) brought, into a convention, the five black and white copies with a handful of the color versions. The copies were from the Catechetical Guild files in Minnesota. I don't remember if Sparkle City played a role in this find.

 

 

I believe all of the above is true, except the books were from the files of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia(I think). The priest took the books to a Creation show in Philly in the late seventies and sold them to Sparkle City.

[paperpeddler-migration]

Jay Maybruck told me right after the story broke that there was no priest at a convention. That whole part of the story was made up -- a hoax.

[Harvey Dude]

Jay Maybruck told me right after the story broke that there was no priest at a convention. That whole part of the story was made up -- a hoax.

 

Interesting. Phil, Might you know the real story of this find?

[paperpeddler-migration]

It has been so many years and is a little unclear but I do remember that detail. Phil

[bronzilla]

Mark, do you have a copy of the Rare Book Portfolio, not the original set by Sparkle City but the ones reissued recently. I cant remember who printed them, but Part of this re-issue set has the entire story Behind "The find"

Jay explains and confirms the Preist bringing in the Copys of Blood is the Harvest to a Convention as I remember.

If I can find time this weekend I will scan it.

[bronzilla]

Indulge me please as I will never pass on an opportunity to show off the Prize of my collection. I too love the Anti-Communisim Comics! I consider my collection "The poor mans Esquire Comics!"

Interesting how Overstreet Values the Color copys over the Black and White.

Both are obviously quite rare, but the Black and white copys more so.

 

[bronzilla]

As promised:

[esquirecomics]

Mark, do you have a copy of the Rare Book Portfolio, not the original set by Sparkle City but the ones reissued recently. I cant remember who printed them, but Part of this re-issue set has the entire story Behind "The find"

Jay explains and confirms the Preist bringing in the Copys of Blood is the Harvest to a Convention as I remember.

If I can find time this weekend I will scan it.

 

I've informally interviewed most of the people involved with this "discovery" and the Priest episode. While the facts are still fuzzy, to say the least, I think it is safe to assume the Priest was not a Priest.

[paperpeddler-migration]

Hi, It's me Phil Levine. I am intrerseted in buying a Black and White original copy of "Blood is the Harvest' I am also interested in buying back the only uncut copy of "Blood is the Harvest" that I so stupidly sold to Danny Dupcak about 30 years ago. What a mistake it was dealing with that character. Can anyone help? Does anyone know where it is? Thanks, Phil

[Straw-Man]

As many of you know, I am collecting anti-communism books, particularly promotional versions. My collection can be viewed here:

 

Mark Zaid's Personal Anti-Communism/Cold War Collection

 

This organization prominently published many different scarce titles, but there seems to be a dearth of information anywhere about it.

 

Can anyone shet any light or provide details?

 

Who discovered the 5 B/W file copies of Blood is the Harvest?

 

you're the only guy on the boards who gives a shet about the books, mark.

[esquirecomics]

As many of you know, I am collecting anti-communism books, particularly promotional versions. My collection can be viewed here:

 

Mark Zaid's Personal Anti-Communism/Cold War Collection

 

This organization prominently published many different scarce titles, but there seems to be a dearth of information anywhere about it.

 

Can anyone shet any light or provide details?

 

Who discovered the 5 B/W file copies of Blood is the Harvest?

 

you're the only guy on the boards who gives a shet about the books, mark.

 

Fortunately HarveyDude and Red Fury also give shets.

[comicartcom]

the priest was a total phony.

 

He was a person Jay Maybruck paid to don a priest's robe and bring in the books into the show which he had gotten not much earlier. I know how Jay reputedly got them, but he told me the story personally many years ago in confidence and I will maintain that confidence, even though Jay is no longer in the business as we were at least good friends for many years before he left the hobby.

 

The reason for the priest was to give folks a false representation of source so that Jay could sell the books at that convention quickly and to achieve high prices for them as well as a further reason I won't comment on.

 

There were other Catechetical Guild issues in the group including If the Devil Would Talk, Is This Tomorrow, Red Menace and others including different variant issues of the above titles

 

I think all or most of them sold there at the show or within a short time frame at other conventions..

[TomG]

Overstreet notes there are thirteen known color copies of “Blood is the Harvest”. I believe the actual number would be higher but still less than twenty copies. Keep me in mind, if you want to sell some of your Atomic War books.

 

There are at least 25+ copies of Blood is the Harvest. CGC received a number of copies a few years ago when for a limited time they offered to certifiy the books for free. The CGC Census notes 17 copies graded and I know of at least 7 additional copies in collections.

[esquirecomics]

Overstreet notes there are thirteen known color copies of “Blood is the Harvest”. I believe the actual number would be higher but still less than twenty copies. Keep me in mind, if you want to sell some of your Atomic War books.

 

There are at least 25+ copies of Blood is the Harvest. CGC received a number of copies a few years ago when for a limited time they offered to certifiy the books for free. The CGC Census notes 17 copies graded and I know of at least 7 additional copies in collections.

 

Tom, as usual, would be correct. (thumbs u

[nwpassage]

the priest was a total phony.

 

He was a person Jay Maybruck paid to don a priest's robe and bring in the books into the show which he had gotten not much earlier. I know how Jay reputedly got them, but he told me the story personally many years ago in confidence and I will maintain that confidence, even though Jay is no longer in the business as we were at least good friends for many years before he left the hobby.

 

The reason for the priest was to give folks a false representation of source so that Jay could sell the books at that convention quickly and to achieve high prices for them as well as a further reason I won't comment on.

 

There were other Catechetical Guild issues in the group including If the Devil Would Talk, Is This Tomorrow, Red Menace and others including different variant issues of the above titles

 

I think all or most of them sold there at the show or within a short time frame at other conventions..

 

What a rat turd. The hobby is better off with him persuing other interests.

[Pulpvault]

Here's  a small, 32 page (plus covers) pamphlet, "The Case Against Comics," published in 1944 by the Catechetical Guild, written by Gabriel Lynn. This warned against comics, which were fueling the rising tide of juvenile delinquency. And, of course, they were also a menace to chastity, as well as creating fear and distress in younger children. And superheroes, who act outside of the law, were viewed as un-American and a threat to democracy. Whereas the dime novels of the previous generation, such as Frank Merriwell, were good, wholesome reading. Among the things their study of 92 comic books and over 1000 examples from 27 newspaper comic strips during the period from August through October 1943 found were 216 major crimes depicted, 86 sadistic acts, 186 instances of vulgar behavior, 114 examples of suggestive art, 491 cases of vulgar speech (differentiated from the 194 examples of gross grammatical abuses), 161 physical monstrosities, 204 fantastic situations and actions and 246 un-American, vigilante activities. All sorts of interesting things one can learn from this booklet!

This is one of several interesting comics related items that will be auctioned as part of the first part of the Robert Weinberg Estate Auction being held at the 2019 Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention (April 12-14, 2019 at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center). The auction will be held on the evening of Friday, April 12, 2019.