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

[Hap Hazard]

3 hours ago, bronze johnny said:

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 He'll 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

I agree that CDNP 33 should be on the list, yes a crime book but with a Horror cover.

[Robot Man]

You could ask 25 different PCH collectors this question and get 25 different responses. I’d have a hard time doing it and wouldn’t even try...

[IngelsFan]

I’m surprised that this hasn’t made anyone’s list yet:

[adamstrange]

1 hour ago, IngelsFan said:

I’m surprised that this hasn’t made anyone’s list yet:

The bestest biggest skeleton evuh! 

[Marty Mann]

[Cat-Man_America]

A better title for this thread might be "Top 25 non-EC pre-code HORROR Books 2019 Edition" the rationale being that any objectively legitimate list of pre-code horror must include some EC even if those books aren't favorites on a subjectively constructed list. Maybe a good balance would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 20% EC inclusion.

While I think there are a lot of pre-code books from other publishers with art and stories that ratchet up the grisliness to a level matching EC's horror output, there are many examples of EC horror that stand on their own either due to envelope pushing covers or interior art/stories. With hanging covers, decapitation covers, axe in forehead covers, etc., etc., and stories revolving around baseball teams stringing a disliked player's inards around the baseball diamond, dead rising and getting even with greedy business partners and disaffected spouses, premature burials, razor blade gauntlets, etc., etc., EC has more than it's fair share of grizzle.  Just sayin'.  

 (just the messenger, ...I want to survive this thread with all body parts intact) 

[Hap Hazard]

Well a top 25 list is tough and needs to be fairly flexable, here's a few scans including some crime/Horror mash ups, also I usually keep EC's separate from the rest.

[Robot Man]

6 hours ago, Cat-Man_America said:

A better title for this thread might be "Top 25 non-EC pre-code HORROR Books 2019 Edition" the rationale being that any objectively legitimate list of pre-code horror must include some EC even if those books aren't favorites on a subjectively constructed list. Maybe a good balance would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 20% EC inclusion.

While I think there are a lot of pre-code books from other publishers with art and stories that ratchet up the grisliness to a level matching EC's horror output, there are many examples of EC horror that stand on their own either due to envelope pushing covers or interior art/stories. With hanging covers, decapitation covers, axe in forehead covers, etc., etc., and stories revolving around baseball teams stringing a disliked player's inards around the baseball diamond, dead rising and getting even with greedy business partners and disaffected spouses, premature burials, razor blade gauntlets, etc., etc., EC has more than it's fair share of grizzle.  Just sayin'.  

 (just the messenger, ...I want to survive this thread with all body parts intact) 

There are ECs and then there all the cheap imators...

[Black Bat]

I think it would be helpful if we narrow the scope here, and define Horror books as those involving the supernatural.  I love and collect gruesome crime books too, but no matter how graphic, as long as they tell stories that may be happening in the "real" world, I index them in my collection under Crime.  There are still books that live in the grey area like Out Of The Shadows 8 (is shrinking someone's head a crime or does it involve the supernatural?). In this case, the head-shrinking takes place in a classic horror environment- a dank gothic dungeon, and head-shrinking is generally considered a sort of spell-casting, or an appeal to the supernatural, so I call it Horror. I think Crime Does Not Pay 33 (can't wait to get a copy of my own) is easier to classify.  Again it is a classic horror environment- dead of night, haunted trees, hanging corpses- but it's a serial killer, an all too real occurrence in this world. This one I classify as Crime.   So, since books like (and I'm just scanning through this page of the thread) Roly Poly 13, Law Breakers Suspense 11 (freaking awesome!!) or Manhunt 6, no matter how horrible the depicted acts may be, or how much horror the victims suffer, they do not involve the supernatural, and therefor classify as Crime and not Horror.  I apply this measure to the horrific super hero books too, or else what would we do with all the insanely, horribly wonderful torture monster Timely books?  Agreed??  Great, so now let's start this thread over.  Ha ha! 

Edited April 9, 2019 by Black Bat

[adamstrange]

I think that your definition is a little too restrictive as I don't think a supernatural element is required for something to be considered "horror."

George Suarez, author of Tales Too Terrible to Tell, proposed that a horror comic must meet all three of the following criteria:

1) Horror comic contains exclusively or predominantly a story or stories whose primary purpose is to scare, shock or fascinate the reader.

2) The stories achieve this using plot elements involving the supernatural, the macabre and/or the evil side of human nature

3) The stories cannot be more accurately described as science fiction, crime, jungle, super-hero or humor.

This seems reasonable to me.

[Black Bat]

1 hour ago, adamstrange said:

 

3) The stories cannot be more accurately described as science fiction, crime, jungle, super-hero or humor.

Exactly my point.    And perhaps Mr. Saurez just wanted a thicker book... 

Edited April 9, 2019 by Black Bat

[jimbo_7071]

13 hours ago, Robot Man said:

There are ECs and then there all the cheap imators...

If I were to list my top 25, most of them would be ECs and Atlas books with Everett covers. I think people overlook the ECs because they're so common; people get tired of seeing them despite the high quality. The Johnny Craig covers don't do much for me, but I dig most of the other cover artists (Ingels especially).

[thewritestuff]

On 4/8/2019 at 8:04 AM, bronze johnny said:

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

Glad to see Impact 1 getting some love! Krigstein’s work is top notch.

[Dreamtoreal1]

On 4/8/2019 at 5:04 AM, bronze johnny said:

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

I agree with you  %100 percent John. At the end of the day. It is in the eye of the beholder. Like picking the top 10 horror movies of all time or books etc. Will be different answers and preferences. Also yes if we are just picking covers instead of the crazy stories inside. Like Weird Terror #11 not the best of covers but inside has some nasty good stories with gruesome art.  One of the reasons. I did the list also is because of Overstreet ranking of the top ten most valuable horror books. and I thought  that was really not how the market looks today.

thanks again for your comment John

 

[telerites]

Just curious, have we done a top 10 or whatever number of PCH cover artists? 

 

[Sauce Dog]

I'm too lazy to do all 25, so top 15 will do for now. With one exception (the hanging cover) I don't actually include or consider crime books to be horror (they can be shocking and can depict horrific acts, but the genre and themes are difference from pure horror tales), so hence the lack of those on the list. 

Alas I only own four of these issues thus far (Chamber of Chills, Worlds of Fear, Amazing Mysteries, and The Thing!)

[Jayman]

15 hours ago, telerites said:

Just curious, have we done a top 10 or whatever number of PCH cover artists? 

 

Off the top of my head I would say:

Everett

Feldstein

Ingles

L. B. Cole

Elias

Anderson

Maneely

Craig

Crandall

Wolverton

 

[The-Collector]

43 minutes ago, Jayman said:

Off the top of my head I would say:

Everett

Feldstein

Ingles

L. B. Cole

Elias

Anderson

Maneely

Craig

Crandall

Wolverton

 

Looks good to me. 

[adamstrange]

I can't imagine a list without Bernard Bailey.

[Jayman]

3 minutes ago, adamstrange said:

I can't imagine a list without Bernard Bailey.

Top of my head I said!