TOP 25 Golden Age Pre-Code HORROR Books 2019 edition 3 3

[Jayman]

1 hour ago, comicjack said:

To bad this wasn't a comic because i have a feeling it would have been a winner  my second  favorite skull 

 

Reminds me of the Salvador Dali pic.

 

[Mystafo]

Always thought this one was downright awesome too

[Dreamtoreal1]

These are my TOP 25 Golden Age  pre-code horror books as of Sept 2018.  Shuffled the deck a bit    this is soo hard

1)       Mister Mystery #12

         2)       Punch comics #12

3)       Astonishing #4

               4)       Manhunt #14

5)       Red seal comics #20

       6)       Crime does not pay #24

7)       Chamber of Chills #19

      8)       Roly Poly comics #14

9)       Dynamic comics #8

       10)   Witches Tales #25

11)   Weird Chills #1

               12)   Web of Evil #5

13)   Tomb of Terror #16

          14)   Weird Mysteries #4

15)   Chamber of Chills #23

     16)   Startling Terror Tales #11

17)   Black Cat #50

                 18)   Dark Mysteries #19

19)   Venus #19 

                  20)   Beware #10

21)   Out of the shadows #8

     22)   Super Mystery Comics Vol. 6 #3

23)   Haunted Thrills #18 

        24)   Ghost comics #2  

25)   Strange Tales #28 ties with Marvel Tales #16

[Larryw7]

I haven't compiled a list yet, but I'm curious about the inclusion of Tales of Horror 8 on so many lists. It's a decent cover, but, other than scarcity, I've never understood the big fascination with it. I think Tales of Horror 2 with the Jay Disbrow GGA/alien cover is the best in the run.

[Robot Man]

On 9/14/2018 at 9:45 AM, Dreamtoreal1 said:

These are my TOP 25 Golden Age  pre-code horror books as of Sept 2018.  Shuffled the deck a bit    this is soo hard

 

1)       Mister Mystery #12

 

         2)       Punch comics #12

 

3)       Astonishing #4

 

               4)       Manhunt #14

 

5)       Red seal comics #20

 

       6)       Crime does not pay #24

 

7)       Chamber of Chills #19

 

      8)       Roly Poly comics #14

 

9)       Dynamic comics #8

 

       10)   Witches Tales #25

 

11)   Weird Chills #1

 

               12)   Web of Evil #5

 

13)   Tomb of Terror #16

 

          14)   Weird Mysteries #4

 

15)   Chamber of Chills #23

 

     16)   Startling Terror Tales #11

 

17)   Black Cat #50

 

                 18)   Dark Mysteries #19

 

19)   Venus #19 

 

                  20)   Beware #10

 

21)   Out of the shadows #8

 

     22)   Super Mystery Comics Vol. 6 #3

 

23)   Haunted Thrills #18 

 

        24)   Ghost comics #2  

 

25)   Strange Tales #28 ties with Marvel Tales #16

 

Hey Pablo, Here is what your list looks like when you don't flip them as fast as you get them...

Missing a few (mostly Chesslers) or don't have the photos on my phone. I'll see if I can dig up a few more later or maybe some one can fill in the gaps to make him feel really bad.

"Investors" bah...

[Robot Man]

And how 'bout a few sweeties you overlooked...

[Mystafo]

ToT 16 should have made my list somewhere...it's so great. 

[Larryw7]

I want that Voodoo Annual!

[Dreamtoreal1]

21 hours ago, Robot Man said:

Hey Pablo, Here is what your list looks like when you don't flip them as fast as you get them...

Missing a few (mostly Chesslers) or don't have the photos on my phone. I'll see if I can dig up a few more later or maybe some one can fill in the gaps to make him feel really bad.

"Investors" bah...

incredible books Bob!  and I didn't overlooked the ones you posted below. I like them a lot as well. Easy to put them in a top 50. TOP25 Is really hard.

[Robot Man]

6 hours ago, Dreamtoreal1 said:

incredible books Bob!  and I didn't overlooked the ones you posted below. I like them a lot as well. Easy to put them in a top 50. TOP25 Is really hard.

I wouldn’t even try as you can see. 

[BB-Gun]

Just because I think Kinstler was great.  How about Phantom Witch Doctor?

[Dreamtoreal1]

On 9/19/2018 at 4:37 PM, BB-Gun said:

Just because I think Kinstler was great.  How about Phantom Witch Doctor?

wow I've never seen that one. beautiful candidate for sure

[Larryw7]

Nice GGA art. What Witch Doctor?

[fifties]

5 hours ago, Larryw7 said:

Nice GGA art. What Witch Doctor?

There was only one by Avon.

[Dreamtoreal1]

some changers on the 2019 List. Some went up some went down. and some new contenders!. Pre-code Horror is heating up

1)      Mister Mystery #12

2)     Punch comics #12

3)      Red seal comics #20

4)     Crime does not pay #24

5)     Chamber of Chills #19  and #23

6)      Roly Poly comics #14

7)      Dynamic comics #8

8)     Black cat #50

9)     Witches Tales #25

10)  Tomb of Terror #15

11)  Weird Chills #1

12)  Web of Evil #5

13)  Weird Mysteries #4

14)  Startling Terror Tales #11

15)  Venus 19

16)  Manhunt #14

17)   Dark Mysteries #19

18)   Beware #10

19)  Out of the shadows #8

20)  Super Mystery Comics Vol. 6 #3

21)   Haunted Thrills #18 

22)  Crime Suspense Stories #22

23)  Mystery tales #19

24)  Mystic #28

25)   Mysterious Adventures #21  

26)  Bonus  Strange Tales #28 ties with Marvel Tales #16

[Hap Hazard]

On 9/15/2018 at 1:15 PM, Larryw7 said:

I haven't compiled a list yet, but I'm curious about the inclusion of Tales of Horror 8 on so many lists. It's a decent cover, but, other than scarcity, I've never understood the big fascination with it. I think Tales of Horror 2 with the Jay Disbrow GGA/alien cover is the best in the run.

Myron Fass cover art and Yes great cover.

[Hap Hazard]

2 hours ago, Dreamtoreal1 said:

some changers on the 2019 List. Some went up some went down. and some new contenders!. Pre-code Horror is heating up

1)      Mister Mystery #12

 

2)     Punch comics #12

 

3)      Red seal comics #20

 

4)     Crime does not pay #24

 

5)     Chamber of Chills #19  and #23

 

6)      Roly Poly comics #14

 

7)      Dynamic comics #8

 

8)     Black cat #50

 

9)     Witches Tales #25

 

10)  Tomb of Terror #15

 

11)  Weird Chills #1

 

12)  Web of Evil #5

 

13)  Weird Mysteries #4

 

14)  Startling Terror Tales #11

 

15)  Venus 19

 

16)  Manhunt #14

 

17)   Dark Mysteries #19

 

18)   Beware #10

 

19)  Out of the shadows #8

 

20)  Super Mystery Comics Vol. 6 #3

 

21)   Haunted Thrills #18 

 

22)  Crime Suspense Stories #22

 

23)  Mystery tales #19

 

24)  Mystic #28

 

25)   Mysterious Adventures #21  

 

26)  Bonus  Strange Tales #28 ties with Marvel Tales #16

 

Red Seal comics # 20 up to the number three slot, great cover tough to find.

[Black Bat]

Great thread! 25 is way too many for me, but here's 12 from my collection I'm currently digging, in no particular order,
 most I think are a bit overlooked.

But I do think Weird Mysteries 12 deserves a top 25 spot.  

Edited April 8, 2019 by Black Bat

[Black Bat]

Also, when this thread reaches a consensus, the OP needs to make a compilation of all 25 covers formatted so we can use it as a desktop!!!

[bronze johnny]

19 hours ago, Dreamtoreal1 said:

some changers on the 2019 List. Some went up some went down. and some new contenders!. Pre-code Horror is heating up

1)      Mister Mystery #12

 

2)     Punch comics #12

 

3)      Red seal comics #20

 

4)     Crime does not pay #24

 

5)     Chamber of Chills #19  and #23

 

6)      Roly Poly comics #14

 

7)      Dynamic comics #8

 

8)     Black cat #50

 

9)     Witches Tales #25

 

10)  Tomb of Terror #15

 

11)  Weird Chills #1

 

12)  Web of Evil #5

 

13)  Weird Mysteries #4

 

14)  Startling Terror Tales #11

 

15)  Venus 19

 

16)  Manhunt #14

 

17)   Dark Mysteries #19

 

18)   Beware #10

 

19)  Out of the shadows #8

 

20)  Super Mystery Comics Vol. 6 #3

 

21)   Haunted Thrills #18 

 

22)  Crime Suspense Stories #22

 

23)  Mystery tales #19

 

24)  Mystic #28

 

25)   Mysterious Adventures #21  

 

26)  Bonus  Strange Tales #28 ties with Marvel Tales #16

 

Those are your favorite 25.

Horrific 3? 

Web of Mystery 17? Lou Cameron classic witch cover 

Astonishing 30? Classic eyeball cover by Maneely

Weird Chills 2? Better cover than 1 and the best injury to eye motif cover 

Racket Squad in Action? Classic Ditko explosion cover- check out how the master captures the explosion like a freeze framed photo.

Strange Fantasy 2 - Classic meat hook & blood transfusion cover - this one has it all.

Weird Tales of the Future 7 - Baily's best cover ever and the greatest devil cover (sorry L.B. Cole fans). Simply incredible cover!

Haunt of Fear 17? No Ghastly Graham Ingels cover in your top 25? Again, those are your favorites and I love them all! Your taste in precode is exceptional! However, this classic cover feels like the zombies are rotting right off the paper! 

Crime Does Not Pay 33? Biro hits grand slam! Hunchback, cleaver, hanging bodies- previous victims for this serial killer (anything more frightening than a serial killer?- this guy shows up again in 1974 with a mask and chainsaw), beauty in a red dress, and look at the eerie background, and that tree- frightening, almost monster like- reminds me of a Triffid or the "T'bonga" in the '50s B or C movie "From Hell it Came!"

Black Cat Mystery 45? Rod Serling would love this "classic colorama" cover that has a classic story - what I call a "doubleheader" precode key!

Impact 1? Precodes can't always be judged by their covers. This is the most heinous of all classic precode stories! A must for any precode collector.

Adventures into the Unknown 1? The Precode classic that started it all has a classic cover that is an open invitation for everyone to come in and experience the horrors and terror that will continue for the next 6-7 years.

Crime Does Not Pay 22? Simply put, no precode horror without this book. Started it all. In fact, precode starts with the word "Crime" and the number 22 and ends with Crime and 22 (Crime Suspenstories). Something about the word "Crime" and the number 22 in the title.

Again, precode has a diverse portfolio of classic stuff that's to rich to exclude just for the beautiful covers. Moreover, any list that relies on cover art is really a question of preference. A significant list requires criteria way beyond what someone will pay for a book since relative scarcity makes it impossible to determine any accurate fmv. Any criteria must also include the historical significance of a book- yes, precode has historic books like a few I mentioned in the list above. Relative scarcity is also a significant determining factor in the equation. CSS 22 would be more valuable than any other book if it was as scarce as non-EC books. The list should be a "Great 100" done in alphabetical order. Otherwise, arguing preferences will never resolve anything. Even if it did right now, future generations will impose their own interpretations. 

Respectfully,

john

Edited April 8, 2019 by bronze johnny