6/29/12

Signed Coop and Alex Nino, Cavewoman, Pino DVD, Adventures Into the Unknown!

It looks like we have our computer problems from last week fixed. If you had any problem with the new item links last week, they are all working properly now. You can see last week's email (and lots of older ones) on My Blog.

We were unable to load pictures of the new items last week. We substituted price-reduced items. If you'd like to see those new items and their descriptions, click here and just scroll down past this week's new items.

Inside Cover of The Art of Coop

Idle Hands: The Art of Coop was first announced last year but has been well worth the long wait. It's a fine collection of his Avant-garde paintings. And to thank everyone for the wait, the publisher asked Coop to personally sign all our copies. We have just 15 of these left, so act now.

Adventures Into the Unknown: The Pre-Code Horror Anthology. In Fall 1948, super hero comics were still sputtering along and crime comics were the new popular genre. Horror? EC Comics were still several years away. But small yet steady little American Comics Group took a chance and started a 64-page comic filled with vampires, werewolves, witches, ghouls and dreadful menaces. It was a risk, but within a short time this heralded hundreds of imitations and the horror boom was on. But besides being the first, Adventures Into the Unknown also boasted one of the best writer/editors in the business: Richard Hughes. Hughes did not pander to the reader: his stories hold up very well even today. And his stable of artists included Al Feldstein (from his pre-EC days), Fred Guardineer, Leonard Starr and others. Here are the first four great issues of the title lasted 20 amazing years....to 1967! With a new introduction by historian and artist Bruce Jones. Highly Recommended and $10 off.

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Alex Nino is one of the most remarkable artists in comics, and certainly in a class by himself. His first art book, Satan's Tears, is today one of the most coveted and collectible art books in our field. Here is a fine collection of his highly imaginative pen & ink and his color pieces, portraying subjects from H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu, to sci-fi, to fantasy. His work often has a psychedelic feel, though he has claimed he's never delved into drugs; he has an imagination on par with Moebius or Bernie Wrightson.

Jim Steranko offers a glowing opinion of Alex's work: "The Filipino Invasion of the early 1970s visually transformed American comics with an infusion of high-quality craftsmanship and unbridled enthusiasm. Alex Nino emerged as one of the spearhead figures of the movement...{his art] ranging from the ultra real to the profoundly surreal..."

This 2008 book was produced by Alex's close friend and a fine art publisher in his own right, Manual Auad. We are now offering the softcover edition at 30% off, just $17.50 instead of $24.95. Also, we have a handful of signed copies at the cover price of $24.95. And available from just Manual and ourselves, we have the deluxe edition which includes a signed and extra-illustrated bookplate, numbered from 500 (otherwise the book is the same as the softcover), at publication price of $34.95.

We also now offer two more fine Auad Publishing books at new discount prices: Bernet features the work of Torpedo 1936 and Bettie by the Hour artist Jordi Bernet. Bernet took over Torpedo 1936 from the hands of Alex Toth and he made the graphic novel series his own over seven releases. His gritty and sexy work can offend some, but it has a feeling of reality and truth rarely achieved in comics. As a testimonial to this, note that none other than Will Eisner provides the introduction to this collection and Joe Kubert provides the forward! Now $7.50 off at $17.50. Hardcover and Highly Recommended.

Lastly, we now are discounting Auad Publishing's finest work to date: Frank Brangwyn's Way of the Cross. This is a facsimile reproduction, in portfolio form, of the original 1935 folio that today is extremely rare. The 14 plates are superbly printed on custom 80 lb. paper and come in a magnificent hardcover maroon leatherette box, with delicate and beautiful embossing. Printed in an edition of just 700 at $65, now just $45, a saving of $20. Learn more about this important artist here.

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Pino Master Illustrator is the latest collection of this fine-art painter, a handsome oversized softcover. We have brought it back into stock because his other book, Pino Contemporary Realism, remains one of our most popular art books. We are one of the very few sources for both these books--the publisher does not sell it to Amazon. Master Illustrator now comes with a full-length DVD at a discounted price of $65. $10 off. Contemporary Realism, in hardcover, is discounted from $100 to $85.

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H.J. Ward now on sale. I shake my head in disbelief that this book is not more popular. Ward is THE artist who set the style for the "Spicy" pulp line in the 1930s and early 1940s; he painted the first actual painting of Superman; he created the first visualizations of The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet, for pulps, Big Little Books and radio show campaigns. And all this before he died far too young during World War II. With over 200 paintings, drawings and photos, this is a magnum opus to one of the best of the pulp artists, written by the excellent David Saunders, the son of artist Norman Saunders. Hardcover and oversized, the $40 price has always been a deal in itself--a major publisher would have priced this at $50 or $60. Now it's $24.95.

Norman Saunders - Much of the same can be said of this magnificent art book from the same publisher (Illustration Press, who publishes Illustration Magazine). Also written by David Saunders. Saunders, while also starting in the pulps, lived a long and fruitful life, moving on to comic books in the 1950s, Topps trading cards in the 1960s and 1970s (Mars Attacks--they are all his work! Batman--the first 1966 set is his) and much more. Again this is a well-priced book at $40. Now it's just $24.95. These sell steadily for me at shows because once anyone looks closely, they see how much these have to offer.

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This week we have both a new Creepy Archive and a new Eerie Archive. Howard Chaykin and Michael T. Gilbert do the honors introducing Creepy, with artwork by Bernie Wrightson, Bruce Jones, John Severin, Richard Corben, San Julian and Ken Kelly. Eerie includes work by Esteban Maroto, San Julian and Rich Buckler. Both are discounted. We also have all the back volumes still available.

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Here's a quick wrap-up of the other new items this week:

Best Shot in the West: The Adventures of Nat Love is a brand new hardcover graphic novel, with an appealing photo-realistic and yet impressionistic style. Nat Love was an extremely rare breed--an African-American cowboy. Born into slavery, he left the South to head out west. He spent 20 years on the cattle trail, meeting famous personalities like Bat Masterson and Billy the Kid. He fought Indians, stampedes, and rustlers and watched many good friends die to accidents, shootings and the bottle. His marksmanship gained him the perhaps more famous name of Deadwood Dick. He was even adopted by Indians for a short time, impressed as they were with his bravery as he fought against their braves. This wonderful graphic novel is adapted using his own words from an autobiography that he wrote for a friend and publisher. It's an amazing and true chronicle of the real life on the range and in the wild cattle towns. Recommended.


It Rhymes With Lust by Arnold Drake, art by Matt Baker - Still available in its first new printing in 2007. Who knows what was actually the first graphic novel...but there is no doubt this 1949 books IS a graphic novel and drawn by one of the best artists in comics at that time, Matt Baker, the good-girl artist. Publisher St. John was willing to take risks and he did with this...it sold horribly and is today extremely rare...I just bought an original copy for $350 and was HAPPY to pay that. Here you can get a delightful reprint, with a noir story of power, love and lust, for $14.95.

Comic Books and the Cold War - From T-Man to Superman, EC Comics and even romance, how comics portrayed the culture. Atomic Bomb threats, nuclear holocaust, communist hysteria. It's a sobering but fun and informative look at this unseen aspect of comic books.

Chester Gould: A Daughter's Biography - The creator of Dick Tracy is portrayed in an intimate look at his long life and his famous strip.

Cavewoman Mutation 2 - Limited to 750 copies with a certificate of authenticity.

Bettie Page Magnet Set - All things Bettie still get people's attention. We love this set of magnets. You can play paper dolls with Bettie's outfits and accessories, from sheer nylons to silk gloves. And start out with a sexy, bikini-clad Bettie.

Game of Thrones Coaster Set - No one ever has enough coasters when it's time to put down that drink. Here the four Houses of the smash series are featured in their unique emblems. We also still have the Game of Thrones Playing cards in stock.

Drive-In Dream Girls - Save 10 bucks and re-discover 50 of the most famous heart-throbs of the 1960s and 1970s b-movies. Includes Jackie DeShannon, Meredith MacRae, Sue Ann Langdon, Annette Funicello, and Sandra Dee.

Best Wishes -Bud

Some of my favorite new Items:

ADVENTURES INTO THE UNKNOWN!
The pre-Code delights found in this debut volume include inventive, exciting tales like The Living Ghost, "Kill, Puppets, Kill," The Affair of Room 1313, and the ongoing True Ghosts of History feature - and contributions from golden-age greats Fred Gaurdineer, Al Feldstein, Leonard Starr, Edvard Moritz, and others! This reprints the first four issues of the popular, long-running horror anthology, which ran from 1948 to 1967, along with a new foreword by Bruce Jones (The Incredible Hulk, Solomon Kane). Bask in the free-wheeling, pre-Code golden age of comics!
Item Code: ADVHC01
Published at $49.99

On Sale! Save $12!

Your price: $37.50

BETTIE PAGE DRESS-UP Magnet Set
A luscious, fully rendered Bettie Page magnet. Pin-up master Dave Stevens also creates her wardrobe with accessories, including hats, sexy tops, a slinky red dress, black nylons, a sexy high-cut black dress, full arm gloves, a fan, three kinky pairs of high-heeled boots and more!
Now you can create the Bettie of your dreams in high style and change her outfit anytime. Great refrigerator entertainment and an amazing conversation piece. See for yourself if anyone can resist dressing Bettie in their own fantasy outfit!
Item Code: BETP
Published at $19.99

On Sale! Save $2!

Your price: $17.99
      
THE ART OF ALEX NIÑO Deluxe
Signed & numbered, 500.
Dynamic visual storytelling and breathtaking design! In the 1970s Niño emerged onto the American comics scene, and this great collection of his work shows why he is so highly regarded. His works range from the ultra real to the profoundly surreal. This collection includes many unpublished pen/ink/brush drawings, comic book covers from the Philippines, comic book pages, a 20-page full color graphic novel called "Tap-Dancing on a Tender Cerebellum," and a color gallery of mixed media paintings. Illustrated bookplate signed by Alex.
Item Code: ARTAND
Your price: $34.95

PINO: Master Illustrator
The artistic legacy of Pino Daeni is undeniable, and here his masterful skills as an illustrator come to the fore. Loaded with amazing paintings featuring gorgeous men and women in period-correct costumes, this is living proof that Pino's talent was multi-faceted. Loaded with original paintings used for book covers, movie posters and more, this is brimming with vibrant colors and stunning compositions. A must for fans of Pino and great illustrations. The DVD that comes with it is a 15 minute documentary and short synopsis of Pino's career. Starting with his life in Bari Italy to his time as the country's leading illustrator and fine art painter.
Item Code: PNOMH
Published at $75.00

On Sale! Save $10!

Your price: $65.00
      
BEST SHOT IN THE WEST
The Adventures of Nat Love.
A thrilling graphic novel based on the true-life adventures on an unforgettable man. Born into slavery in 1854, Nat Love grew up to become the most famous African-American cowboy in the Old West. A contemporary (and acquaintance) of Bat Masterson and Billy the Kid, Nat was widely known as an expert roper and driver, a crack shot, and a real Wild West character. In 1907, he published his autobiography, The Life and Adventures of Nat Love, Better Known in the Cattle Country as "Deadwood Dick," on which this book is based. Featuring vivid full-color artwork by Randy DuBurke, this is an exhilarating mix of fascinating historical fiction and non-stop adventure.
Item Code: BESTS
Published at $19.99

On Sale! Save $2!

Your price: $17.95

CREEPY ARCHIVES 13
This tremendously terrifying thirteenth volume in the Creepy Archives hardcover series includes classic tales by Bernie Wrightson, Bruce Jones, John Severin, and more, as the esteemed horror magazine hits another fruitful period of frightful delights in the mid-seventies! Collecting the classic Creepy magazines #60 through #63 and featuring Archie Goodwin’s return to the Warren Publishing offices, Creepy Archives Volume 13 includes several color pieces by Richard Corben, Sanjulian, and Ken Kelly with black-and-white stories throughout by Bernie Wrightson, Tom Sutton, Jose Bea, Bill DuBay, Jose Gual, Martin Salvador, and many others. This archival collection is a perfect repast for those starving for a ferociously macabre feast!
Item Code: CRE13H
Published at $49.99

On Sale! Save $10!

Your price: $39.99


DRIVE-IN DREAM GIRLS
A Galaxy of B-Movie Starlets of the Sixties.
Profiled herein are 50 sexy young actresses that teenage girls envied and teenage boys desired, including Jackie DeShannon, Meredith MacRae, Sue Ann Langdon, Annette Funicello, Sandra Dee, and over 40 others. Each biography contains a complete filmography. Many also include the actresses' candid comments and anecdotes about their films, the people they worked with, and their feelings about acting.
Item Code: DRIH
Published at $45.00

On Sale! Save $10!

Your price: $34.95

CAVEWOMAN MUTATION 2 SPECIAL EDITION
Part two this new story. With a special variant cover of Cavewoman running pell-mell from a huge dinosaur, by Budd Root. Limited to 750 copies. Includes a separate certificate of authenticity.
Item Code: CAV02S
Your price: $10.95          

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