Digital Comic Museum
General Category => Comic Related Discussion => Topic started by: bminor on May 18, 2014, 06:51:00 PM
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Way, way back in about 1981 or so I wrote off to Russ Cochran and received information on the hardbound EC collection that he was going to do.
I sent off $40 for the first collection, Weird Science I believe it was. That was a lot of cash for a college student in those days.
I ended up owning three of the collections, one of the horror line and one of the war line collections. I just loved them, and parted with them a couple of years later to go on a trip.
Well, flash forward to today, and I am starting to collect those original black and white collections again. I vividly remember the Cochran flyer drawing of all the collections on a shelf, and always thought they would be magnificent to own. I just purchased via Ebay Weird Science and the Weird Science Fantasy collections and am awaiting there delivery any day now.
Anyone out there collect this series? or maybe be interested in parting with theirs?
I know there are the newer color collections currently being produced, but as much as I would like owning the color, I am a bit nostalgic for the black and white. They look quite nice in their slip cases.
Thoughts?
B.
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Me, me, me, B. I collect them. I love them, too. Have them all. Much prefer them to the color reprints, though I do have a few versions and a bunch of the originals. Lots of good additional text info inside, too. Good luck with your quest for the rest of the sets. (|:{>
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I have them all, I think, except for the horror titles. Despite the great art, I was just never a fan of the horror genre. I have the similar Barks set from Another Rainbow as well.
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I agree with JVJ, I prefer the B&W EC reprints to color versions. For me EC was all about the art. In Cochran's reprints you can see every line--all shot from the originals! However. then as now I was short on money and couldn't afford the high (back then) prices. I could only afford two. I settled on the two war books. May sound odd, but I hated the horror books and the mix of artists in the s-f books varied widely. Kurtzman's books had the highest percentage of my favorite artists in each issue (Wood, Crandall, Evans, Severin) plus guest shots by the likes of Kubert and Colan (no Williamson to speak of though). In addition some of the stories were quite good and they weren't horribly overwritten like Feldstein's titles.
A few years ago I picked up one of the horror sets in a thrift store. It turned out to be a reprint (I hadn't realized there HAD been reprints). But I almost never open it. There's some nice Evans and Crandall stuff, but I'm not crazy about Davis or Ingels and I HATE horror stories!
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JVJ, have you ever had any interaction/communications with Russ Cochrarn? You know, publisher to publisher?
B.
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I've run into Russ several times over the years at conventions, B, and we've had on and off correspondences. But my kind of publishing is so very different from his that we've never had much to discuss in that arena. Fan to fan we've gotten on fine. I have always admired his EC sets, and loved his auction catalogs while they lasted.
My enjoyment of each EC title/editor is based on the different aspects they brought to the artistic table. Much as I love Kurtzman's war books for their penetrating social insights and artistic integrity, they lacked the gleeful spontaneity and frequent artistic competitive one-up-manship that Crash laments in the artistic mix in the s-f titles. And Kurtzman's control over layouts brought a continuity and consistency to his titles certainly lacking in all the others, but at the cost, I feel, of some artistic freedom and creativity.
Since I have managed to refrain from reading most Feldstein captions in EC comics, I don't have quite the same darts to throw at his writing. I can see its faults, but I don't experience all of them. Still, I never thought it was all that good, even sans captions. Agree that the horror books never seemed to bring out the best in any of the artists, save perhaps Ingels. Being in it for the art, therefore, I tend to shy away from them when revisiting the company.
The Crandall, Evans, Severin, Craig realism crowd are my solid second tier, meat and potatoes, gotta love 'em artists. (Throw in Kamen just to put him somewhere, but he never really belonged at EC.) These are the guys whose work I will pick up at other companies on general principles. I interviewed Severin and compiled a checklist of his pre-1960 work. I could probably do the same for most of Evans. but not Crandall or Craig. I'm not that dedicated.
Now all the rest of the EC crowd (you can rattle of the names here) I collect religiously and can and have put together indexes of most of them for myself and for various publications: notably Frazetta, Williamson, Wood and Krigstein - those being my favorites. These artists I will purchase any pre-1960 work from any company sight unseen. Add Torres and Krenkel and Toth and Colan and you have a core EC group that could and did transcend the editors.
If any of you are at all interested in modern times and 100 years ago, my Kickstarter Campaign of TODAY just reached it's first Stretch Goal of $10,000 and is arcing towards the second Stretch Goal of $12,500. I'm running the Campaign to help finance the 13th issue of The Vadeboncoeur Collection Of ImageS in which I will RE-present classic Public Domain illustration from the turn of the 20th Century in carefully recrafted colors. This issue will feature a special GOLD fifth spot color and 52 pages, the largest issue ever. If you'd like to learn more, visit: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1694106638/images-magazine-13-the-golden-glory-of-the-art-i-l (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1694106638/images-magazine-13-the-golden-glory-of-the-art-i-l). Thank you very much.
Peace, Jim (|:{>
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I got 3 sets at Larry McMurtry's Blue Pig Bookstore. Still love 'em.
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40 dollars for one set of those gorgeous EC library sets?!?!?!
You got me hyperventilating for some minutes there...
You Americans! You do NOT realize how lucky you are.
If US-comics are your hobby, you are f***ed elsewhere in the world.
I imported my first sets (TWO-FISTED/CRIME/VAULT & CRYPT) as a young student and paid approx. 250 Deutschmarks for each!
The equivalent of about 150 dollars...
Hauled the rest of the sets in via Ebay from a guy in Albuquerque five years ago.
Took me thirty years and threethousand dollars (guessing here).
But they are the apple of my eye, on proud display in my living room (and no other comics books!).
Attaching you a photo.
EC rules - even in Germany.
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Tilliban, you are one hardcore EC fan!
A very nice photo of your collection. I hope one day to be able to own all those volumes!
Is that your complete collection?
When I first got all excited about the Russ Cochran EC Library a month ago, I did a search for Russ Cochran EC Library.
Wikipedia has a nice article, and good information on the EC Library.
I did notice that there are three collections that you are lacking! All printed in the 90's!
Pre-Trend
War Against Crime (No. 1-11)/Crime Patrol (No. 7-16) (4 volumes, 1993)
Modern Love (No. 1-8)/A Moon, A Girl... Romance (No. 9-12)/Saddle Romances (No. 9-11) (2 volumes, 1995)
Saddle Justice (No. 3-8)/Gunfighter (No. 5-14) (3 volumes, 1996)
They look pretty dog gone nice. But they are not going to cheap. I have been haunting Ebay looking for them.
I hope that this news does not cause you to have any sleepless nights Tilliban.
Good EC hunting to us both!!!
B.
On another note I was able to win "Weird Science Fantasy" over the weekend! Hurrah!
Lastly, what is the "Tales from the Crypt" volume on your second shelf next to Shock Suspenstories?
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There is also a EC Library edition of Picto Fiction. I think it is the last set in the series.
It includes:
EC TERROR ILLUSTRATED
EC SHOCK ILLUSTRATED
EC CONFESSIONS ILLUSTRATED
EC CRIME ILLUSTRATED
Maybe someday...
b.
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(http://i326.photobucket.com/albums/k413/cimmerian32atgmail/EC%20Library%20Sets%20for%20sale/aaa-Header_zps20d918d8.jpg) (http://s326.photobucket.com/user/cimmerian32atgmail/media/EC%20Library%20Sets%20for%20sale/aaa-Header_zps20d918d8.jpg.html)
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(http://i326.photobucket.com/albums/k413/cimmerian32atgmail/aaa-theshelves04.jpg) (http://s326.photobucket.com/user/cimmerian32atgmail/media/aaa-theshelves04.jpg.html)
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(http://i326.photobucket.com/albums/k413/cimmerian32atgmail/CR07-Officewalltoleftofdoorpt7.jpg) (http://s326.photobucket.com/user/cimmerian32atgmail/media/CR07-Officewalltoleftofdoorpt7.jpg.html)
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I have all 18 slipcases - the complete set !
I got the Crime one when I was 16 in the mid 80's - I began collecting the other sets about 6 years ago on Ebay and got some great prices. This was during the great recession in the US (2008) and people were eager to sell ! I was paying between 60 and 200 dollars per slipcase.
I did a little sell and resell to get better condition sets.
I hope one day they print the 3- D tiles in a book. This is all I am missing.
MAD was printed in color (10,000 print run) and B&W (1,000 print run) I have the B&W
Haunt of Fear - was mostly shipped without slipcase - people scramble to get a slipcase for their books. Make sure yours has one.
The color on the sets can fade if not protected - Reds turn pink and greens turn blue! watch out for this.
The Pretrend and the Picto are not bound in quite the same quality as the others. These were Gemstone - My Vault is also Gemstone - the art does not suffer.
Other great find on ebay - I was able to get Squa Tront EC fan mag issue 2-11 for $77 - these compliment the books nicely and I recommend them to you.
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A friend of mine bought the Cochran EC Portfolios which were pre Library. They are large size (about Original Art size) and B&W. He then got in on the Libraries when they were first printed and purchased a subscription. He ended up with the complete run. Sadly he fell on hard times and sold them off before I learned of his situation.
I only have the Tales from the Crypt and ShockSuspense sets.
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In a review of my records - here is what I paid - on ebay - I was a hawk and searched ebay for listings that were not worded to get a large group to notice them.
TFT-$51
HOF-$125
WSF-$85
WS-$62
VOH-$125
SS-$128
FC-$109
NEW Direction #1 - $75
New Direction #2- $75
Mad - B&W - $125
Love-$144
War against Crime-$75
Picto - $75
WF-$88
TFTC-$112
Western-$113
Panic - $85
Also a while back Russ Cochran had a bunch of leftover empty slipcases for sale - $14 each free shipping - I got a few of those to keep my ec comics and related material in. OK i'll shut up now!
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Whoa!
Does our good Samarit… cimmerian have’em im triples?!
:D
And nothing escapes your Sivana-sharp eyes, bminor!
I do miss the pre-trend romance, crime and western – and the picto-fiction, too.
But I can live with that. Got the CRIME PATROL as reprint annuals from Russ.
You don NOT wanna own the western stuff – it’s awful.
I had a look at that once – and shuddered.
EC’s pre-trend stuff is run-of-the-mill, disappointing to say the least.
And hunterguy is very right about fading colors on the slipcases.
My set of HAUNT (purchased secondhand in Austria!) turned PINK.
Look again at my comic rack, if you dare…
Peel your eyes again, bminor…
That „Tales from the Crypt“ is a copy of Digby Diehl’s fabulous 1996 fan book – which came out in the wake of the HBO series!
And, of course, you can easily and cheaply buy it in the US…
I had to wait years again, grumble.
http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Crypt-The-Official-Archives/dp/0312144865/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401381756&sr=8-1&keywords=Digby+Diehl
But I dearly love those library sets in gorgeous black and white.
Got some EC Archives volumes (that new coloring feels wrong) and some single reprints and annuals and whatnot stashed away.
I just delve into the library! They are tops.
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Me, me, me too, B! Love 'em, read 'em, but don't collect 'em, since I got 'em all. :)
Though I too would like to see the 3-D issues reprinted somewhere, somehow, by someone eventually. I think Russ said he was going to do it, but I suppose he never did get around to it.
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Cimmerian,
Could you post another picture of the collection? One is really, really blurry. I think that I speak for all of us in DCM Land. We would just love to look over that collection in fine detail and make some comments on said collection!
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Cimm shared many pictures of his Impressive collection over on this old topic - Shelf Porn -
http://digitalcomicmuseum.com/forum/index.php/topic,4356.0.html
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Looking at Cimm's photos I couldn't help but notice the Vault Keeper statue... I think I also saw a OW one and Crypt Keeper as well... when did they make these?
I recall Uncle Creepy and Cousin Eerie statues from way back, but I never knew someone put out a Ghoulunatic collection.
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Weird Fantasy just delivered, from a win on Ebay last week.
Oh so beautiful.
I have now completed the beautiful blue bound Science Fiction portion of my EC Library.
Thank you Mr. Cochran!!!
Now, which to pursue next? I am keeping a eye on things over at Ebay.
Does anyone out in DCM land have any leads or willing to part with any of your old sets?
I just saw the 14 boxed sets of the original EC Library over on Ebay. With just over four days to go it is up to $736.
Very, very tempting.
Hmmmmm..... what to do!
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I don't have those -- well I have those but am keeping them, but if someone is interested in the similar boxed set of the Carl Bark's Library, contact me.
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Sorry, my copies aren't for sale... perhaps some day though... who can ever really say never.
But if I could, I probably wouldn't mind being buried with mine. :)
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Concerning Drusilla's comic book burial:
Better still. Remove the books and fill up the slipcases with your body parts.
Heh, heh.
>:D
Yuck.
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Ha ha!!!... Yeah, sure! So then you can keep the volumes and leave me with just the slipcases!
Nice try! ;)
But I like your line of thinking T. I was considering something more traditional... and less messy... but now that you mention it, these slipcases AND volumes fastened together somehow might indeed do the trick.
Not only do I get to be buried with my collection, I don't need to buy a coffin!!! :P :)
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Suggestion - a clear plastic coffin with the volumes tastefully arranged around your body.
Colourful!
:)
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Ha ha!... I didn't know CGC did that kind of stuff Yoc! :P
Eh, I could go the paper-mâché route... saving my favorite pieces (covers, splash pages) for the interior and exterior surfaces. But ya know, since I have no immediate family and few friends, like most people in my situation I'll probably end up cremated... eventually. And if they do find my coffin and use it, well... no, I couldn't have that, I liked OW too much. So as I said, my copies aren't for sale... but some day I know we'll part company... as it should be. Just as it is with all old friends I suppose.
But with any luck, hopefully that day is a long way off... I still haven't read all of CrimeSuspense, nor all the New Direction titles, and I haven't even started on Panic yet... and then I just gotta read those Kurtzman Civil War issues over again! :P :)
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Well, the New Direction stuff is kinda disappointing.
I like VALOR the most. The best, IMHO.
But do read CRIME SUSPENSTORIES - they are underrated.
Nobody talks about EC's crime oeuvre.
It's always horror, science fiction, humor, war... yadda yadda...
Their crime books are excellent, too!
:D
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I've always considered the CGC products to be coffins or tombs where comics go never to be read again.
I agree with T. I loved the Crime books! The sci-fi and war books took a bit to grow on me but with CrimeSuspenstories it was love at first read.
-Yoc
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Well, the New Direction stuff is kinda disappointing.
I like VALOR the most. The best, IMHO.
I liked Valor. As I recall it ha a lot of Williamson.
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I just missed picking up Two Fisted Tales for $51.00(plus shipping) 4 whole volumes!
Dang!
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I liked Valor. As I recall it ha a lot of Williamson.
Yep they did, I picked up the color reprints myself because of costs.
Geo
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Catching up on June posts...
I had the good fortune of subscribing early on to the complete Cochran reprints in slip cases and still have them all. I later added the Picto-Fiction and Pre-Trend sets. For the MAD set, I opted for the full-color reprints as I already had all the Ballantine B&W paperback reprints. Best comics ever.