Things are busy, ICE consignments are streaming in nicely, the warehouse move is inching forward, even if not so nicely, at Big B Comics on Upper James in Hamilton we’re rolling out our “Give Comics Not Cavities” packs for Halloween where we sell 25 comics for $10, cheap enough for you to give them away as a treat at the door. The kids will get more than enough candy from the neighbors, it will be nice to have something to read later while they’re woofing down all those chips and chocolate bars. I remember as a kid avoiding the houses that gave away apples, those homes were usually new immigrants thinking they’ll give the kids something special, it usually took a year or two for them to catch on and switch to candy. I wish they never capitulated but those kids with those nasty rumors of razors in the apples had us all spooked. Well we’re not backing away from our Halloween Packs, no razors in those. “Hey kid, where you going? Come back, you forgot to grab some comics…”
Our Cover of the Week didn’t come from the “heading to the icecollectibles eBay auction” pile this week, it came in the mail, a friend had bought Detective Comics #71 online and had it shipped to the store. I was planning on pranking him and saying the book wasn’t in yet and then ignore his calls and texts when he eventually saw it on our weekly auction. The headache of taking it down and disappointing some bidders brought me back to reality. I like how the hobby has defaulted into calling Detective Comics – Tek – it has a nice ting to it. Tec 71 boasts the classic Jerry Robinson Joker cover. Those early Joker covers, namely 62, 69 and 71 are insanely expensive these days, as a matter of fact all the Golden Age Tek Joker covers are in huge demand, it is a very active collecting strain in the hobby. My pal is trying to get as many as he can, we did count them but I’ve forgotten the total, I think it was around a dozen. Time has a way to allowing the cream to rise to the top, Joker covers are indeed the cream of the crop.
Our Splash of the Week comes from Avengers #98. Funny story, I grabbed this book with Neal Adams in my head, Neal of course did the a few issues ending at #96 but anyways I was working fast and had Neal Adams in my head as I opened the book to view the splash. I literally stepped back with a “whoa what the heck”. Of course this is a Barry Windsor Smith splash and his take on the Vision is initially jarring, I’m not even sure I like it, I just know its very striking, very impactful. Looking at it again, now, on this post, I’ve decided I do like it, a lot.
I remember when King Kong came out in the late 1970s, even as a kid I knew enough to be a huge Jessica Lange fan, goodness. To a 12 year old kid this was a great flick, it got buried between a bunch of society changing films as was quickly forgotten. Jaws was the summer before, Rocky was earlier that year and Star Wars was the summer after. Don’t laugh but I think the best version of Kong was the 1st one way back in 1933, I really liked that one, too back Jessica Lange wasn’t in the first one. At any rate, this ad, from Amazing Spider-Man #167 is our Ad of the Week.
Another weekly icecollectibles eBay auction ended last night and I couldn’t help but notice quality raw lots were performing well, not many auctions put up quality raw lots, collectors are starving for them. Here’s a great lot I thought actually went for a deal, this nice lot of higher grade Flash Gordon from Gold Key and Whitman, beautiful painted covers, the lot sold for $87 USD, advantage Buyer!
I can no longer remain silent about painted covers.
When I was a kid, a painted cover was always the infallible and obvious indicator of a cheesy comic that was clearly to be avoided.
The allure of a painted cover still remains a complete mystery to me.
I know, I know, ‘Different strokes for different folks’ and all that, but I don’t think I’m the only one who feels this way.
Gordon, I like your strong stance, I’m one of the ones who disagree with it but I do like your stance. Do you remember the first painted cover you saw as a kid? Titles? Genre? Maybe you just hit a bad batch?
When I was a kid I also thought painted covers spelled cheesy but I no longer feel that way. My change happened due to my love of pulps and now collect Ziff-Davis comics ( primarily G.I.Joe) who had covers by artists who did pulp covers. During 365 a few years back we also saw some great Dell painted covers as well!
The Smith splash is pretty striking! A lot of his superhero work I didn’t care for and felt his Conan work was his pinnacle… even over his later work!
I am with you on the 30’s King Kong as the best! Even with cgi, they don’t offer me the same excitement. I also thought Fay Wray was a babe!
Just for the record, I appreciate your listing says they don’t ship to Portugal. I won an auction recently on one of those Ziff-Davis Joe’s and then the seller canceled saying he wouldn’t ship to me despite saying I would send him extra for shipping! Sheesh!
Some Classics Illustrated and an issue of Turok, Son of Stone had made their way into our house when I was a very young kid thanks to my older siblings. I was curious about them but was too young at the time to care very much. They didn’t create my distaste for painted covers.
But when I was older (7 or 8) and got into comics (1968-69), I was a complete superhero fan. The other genres didn’t interest me one bit. They seemed old-fashioned. Totally uncool. And the Dell/Gold Key superheroes with their painted covers had been already discontinued for a while. And in any case, I quickly became a Marvel fanboy (card-carrying member of FOOM). I would never in a million years bought a Dell, Gold Key, Charlton, or DC comic even for a nickel at the used bookstores. When I was looking through piles of used comics, a comic with a painted cover was never considered for a second.
So I was conditioned to avoid painted covers. But even now, they look absurdly static and old-fashioned compared to pen and ink covers. Also, as Gerald notes painted covers are part of the pulp magazine (prose) tradition, which had more ‘literary’ aspirations than the illustrated superhero comics. I think that’s also what puts me off painted covers, the whiff of goofy pretentions at ‘bookishness’.
It is inconceivable to me that any kid in November 1978 (two years before the release of the film) would buy those Flash Gordon comics (“Flash and Dale face the wonders and terrors of Ming’s city of science”), especially with those old-fashioned covers. One last friendly provocation: You included the first issue of Charlton’s Six Million Dollar Man comic in an undervalued spotlight in 2018 noting “Joe Staton’s gorgeously painted warm sepia tone cover”. Even the reliable Meli said “The painted Staton cover is definitely a big plus.”
I consider that to be the worst cover of any comic I ever owned. The colour is more sickly yellow than sepia, suggestive of jaundice or an infection.