Just in, a cool Neil Gaiman with wonderful illustrations, Ocean at the End of the Lane. A King-Size Ditko collection and a huge Taschen book on Japanese Woodblock Prints. Firefly Unification Wars part 2, a great Spider-Man collecting the two 1968 magazines; a Mary Shazam, uh, Mary Marvel statue; Star Trek Replica Edition; Vampi #2 replica; six more Sanctum pulp titles on sale; exclusive sale items, warehouse finds including Charles Vess, and more.

Don't miss our Cyber Sale and our Special December email, you can see them both here. See our free book offer, good for ANY order you make: The Golden Age of Fandom by Bill Schelly. And every order this month gets our Christmas Card.

Click here to see ALL New Arrivals, beginning with the latest and going back 30 days.

NEIL GAIMAN The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Superbly and profusely illustrated in this deluxe new edition. Highly Recommended. By Neil Gaiman. Art by Elise Hurst. Once upon a time in a rural English town, an eleven-year-old girl named Lettie Hempstock showed a little boy the most marvelous, dangerous, and outrageous things beyond his darkest imagination. But an ancient power has been disturbed, and now invasive creatures from beyond the known world are set loose. There is primal horror here, and menace unleashed—within the boy's family and from the forces that have gathered to consume it. Determined to get what they want, these otherworldly beings will destroy a meddling little boy if he dares to get in the way. It will take calm, courage, and the cleverness of the extraordinary Hempstock women—Lettie, her mother, and her grandmother, to keep him alive. But his survival will come at an unexpected cost. . . . William Morrow, 2013...More.

Item Code: NGOCH
Hard Cover, 6x9, 192pg, Text/b&w
$26.99 $22.99

ALSO AVAILABLE
SNOW, GLASS, APPLES Signed
Signed bookplate! Our Highest Recommendation. By Neil Gaiman. Art by Colleen Doran. A chilling fantasy retelling of the Snow White fairy tale by New York Times bestselling creators Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran! A not-so-evil queen is terrified of her monstrous stepdaughter, Snow White--who literally murders the king. Roles are reversed and this evil creature cannot be destroyed. We added an illustrated bookplate signed by Colleen before I knew just how beautiful a work this is. Colleen's art and design (there are very few actual panels) are inspired by Art Nouveau illustrator and stained glass designer Harry Clarke. This is gorgeous, page after page!! Adult situations and nudity throughout. Dark Horse, 2019. Mature Readers...More.

Item Code: SNOHS
Hard Cover, 7x10, 64pg, Full Color
$17.99

We actually have three other books about the far-different, more traditional Snow White. And here's more by Neil Gaiman.

DOC SAVAGE Frightened Fish
Back in print after 20 years, the rare Lester Dent/Will Murray collaboration. Highly Recommended. By Will Murray and Lester Dent. Cover by Joe DeVito. This very first in a series of wonderful, well-written new adventures of the pulp hero and his team. The deluded ravings of a madman and the absence of all sea life around a New England fishing village lure Doc Savage and his crew to an obscure island bristling with gunmen. The trail of terror leads to the ravaged coasts of Occupied Japan. There they fall into the clutches of an evil genius long believed dead, a shadowy figure who masterminded World War II... and who now seeks to plunge humanity into a fresh Armageddon. Altus, 2016...More.

Item Code: DOCFF
Soft Cover, 6x9, 142pg, Text Only
$14.95

See more by Will Murray on our website, including King Kong vs. Tarzan and other Doc Savage New Wild Adventures.

FIREFLY The Unification War Part Two
Collects issues #5-8. By Joss Whedon and Greg Pak. Art by Dan McDaid. The secret history of the Unification War, long before our hero became the captain on Firefly...The official continuation of the pop culture phenomenon from visionary writer & director Joss Whedon! Mal Reynolds and Zoe Washburn are arrested for crimes committed during the Unification War by the mysterious Boss Moon and her Unificators! But their escape from captivity might land them in even greater danger, as secrets are revealed and nothing will ever be the same for the crew of the Serenity! Bonus: variant covers and script-to-page feature. Boom!, 2019...More.

Item Code: FIREU02H
Hard Cover, 7x10, 144pg, Full Color
$19.99

Part One is available, same price. See more Firefly collections on our website.

ALFRED HITCHCOCK The Complete Films
Highly Recommended. Edited by Paul Duncan. Meet the inventor of modern horror, suspense, and innovative filmmaking--the directoral equivalent of Will Eisner. This complete guide to the Hitchcock canon is a movie buff's dream: from his 1925 debut The Pleasure Garden to 1976's swan song Family Plot, this traces the filmmaker's entire life and career. Detailed behind-the scenes essays for each of Hitchcock's 53 movies, along with behind-the camera, on-set photos. With triumphs such as Rebecca, Vertigo, Rear Window, and Psycho, and of course, The Birds, Hitchcock fashioned a new level of cinematic intrigue and fear through careful pacing, subtlety, and suggestiveness. Taschen, 2019...More.

Item Code: ALFHH
Hard Cover, 7x10, 688pg, Partial Color
$40.00 $35.00

You'll find more about Alfred Hitchcock in The Digest Enthusiast and The Pulpster #26, with a piece on Robert Bloch, who wrote The Birds.

DC BOMBSHELLS MARY SHAZAM! Statue
Numbered & limited, 5000. Recommended. Designed by Ant Lucia. Mary Marvel has grown up, and is she a beauty! The favorite youngster of the Marvel family is now a drum major and the newest addition to the DC Bombshells statue line. OK, ok, she's now Mary Shazam, according to DC. But this still captures that Fawcett magic that fans so love from the 1940s, at least I think so as a fan myself. Except that little Mary Marvel is now a beautiful young lady, with a winning smile and a salute to her fans. Designed by Ant Lucia, sculpted by Tim Miller. It's a keeper for me...one you may not want to miss! DC, 2019...More.

Item Code: DCMS
10.4" tall, Full Color
$135.00

Click here for more Shazam! material.

Japanese Woodblock Prints

JAPANESE WOODBLOCK PRINTS 1680-1938
Taschen does it again--a massive fifteen-pound, oversize volume in a fancy box. Includes 17 fold-outs. Recommended. By Andreas Marks. This book lifts the veil on a much-loved but little-understood art form by presenting the 200 most exceptional Japanese woodblock prints in their historical context. Ranging from the 17th-century development of decadent ukiyo-e, or “pictures of the floating world,” to the decline and later resurgence of prints in the early 20th century, the images collected in this edition make up an unmatched record not only of a unique genre in art history, but also of the shifting mores and cultural development of Japan. From mystical mountains to snowy passes, samurai swordsmen to sex workers in shop windows, each piece is explored as a work of art in its own right, revealing the stories and people behind the motifs. Taschen, 2019...More.

Item Code: JAPWBH
Hard Cover, 11x16, 622pg, Full Color
$200.00 $180.00

ALSO AVAILABLE
THE PRINTED IMAGE The Flowering of Japan's Wood Block Print Culture
Recommended. By Matthi Forrer. The Printed Image offers a chance to discover Japan's groundbreaking woodblock printing culture through 348 full color images. Cologne's Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst has been collecting Japanese woodblock prints and books for more than 100 years, and this publication brings together the best of its holdings in a major new survey of the art form. With a massive 400 pages, all genres are explored: Geisha, Risque, Theatre, Landscapes, Wind & Rain, Nature, Legend, Ghosts and the Supernatural. Fine large reproduction. Walther KÃ¶nig Verlag, 2018...More.

Item Code: PRIMH
Hard Cover, 10x12, 400pg, Full Color
$55.00

See our website for more Japan-related books, from film director Miyazaki, and Shin Hanga (Modern woodblock works), to its influence on Kay Nielsen and manga.

Spider-Man

DITKO IS...AMAZING! KING-SIZE
Collects Amazing Fantasy #15, Amazing Spider-Man #3, 11-13, 24, 31-33, Annual #1-2, 1962-4. Highly Recommended. By Steve Ditko and Stan Lee. The incomparable Amazing Spider-Man work of Steve Ditko, in the massive King-Size format. From Spidey's origin to the first appearances of villains like Mysterio and Doctor Octopus, all for the first time OVERSIZE. Including the Master Planner saga (#21-33) -- considered by many to be the greatest Spider-Man story ever. A host of bonus material, including Ditko's original Amazing Fantasy #15 artwork with variant art, several pages of his uninked pencils, full color house ads and more. Marvel, 2019...More.

Item Code: DITAKH
Hard Cover, 14x22, 328pg, Full Color
$100.00 $85.00

Also in this King-Size series: Kirby is...Mighty [KIRMH] and Kirby is...Fantastic [KIRIH] ~~$100~~, $89.95.

SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN Lo, This Monster
Collects the rare magazine run #1-2, 1968. Highly Recommended. By Stan Lee. Art by John Romita Sr. and Larry Lieber. In 1968, Spider-Man swung into a brand-new magazine-sized format -- and the results were spectacular! With John Romita Sr. channeling film noir in his visuals and Stan Lee offering longer stories for a more mature readership, these were Spidey tales like nothing that had come before! In the first issue, told in glorious halftone black-and-white, things get political as Richard Raleigh bids to be the next mayor of New York -- but will his campaign be derailed by a monster running amok in the Big Apple? Then, Lee and Romita go fittingly full-color for the high-flying return of the Green Goblin and deliver a feature-length showdown between Spidey and his archnemesis! Plus, revisit the origin of Spider-Man as retold by Stan and his brother, Larry Lieber! Marvel, 2019...More.

Item Code: SPECLO
Soft Cover, 7x10, 136pg, Partial Color
$19.99 $17.99

You will find more new and archival Spider-Man collections on our website, 30 different titles.

Replica Editions

STAR TREK The Motion Picture
Facsimile of the original 1979 magazine, adapting to comics the first ST film! Recommended. By Marv Wolfman. Art by Dave Cockrum and Klaus Janson. A complete 52-page full color comics adaptation of the film, plus photos, interviews, features, art, and the new Starship Concordance. An alien presence of enormous power enters Federation space, destroying three powerful Klingon cruisers and neutralizing everything in its path. As it heads toward Earth, Admiral James T. Kirk returns to the helm of an upgraded U.S.S. Enterprise and sets course to meet the aggressor head-on. IDW, 2019...More.

Item Code: STARMP
Soft Cover, 8x11, 64pg, Full Color
$5.99

Find more Star Trek collections, including both comics and newspaper strips, on our website.

VAMPIRELLA Volume 2 1969 Replica Edition
Limited. By Forrest J. Ackerman, Nick Cuti, Don Glut, Bill Parente et al. This Limited Replica Edition of Vampirella #2 is exactly what you got off the newstand in 1969! Every story and advertisement. Artists this issue are Mike Royer, Ernie Colon, Billy Graham, William Barry, Jerry Grandenetti, Dick Piscopo and Tony Williamson. This issue features historic first appearances by Vampirella's cousin Evily and her blonde twin Draculina. Seven stories, including "Queen of Horror," "Down to Earth," "The Octopus," "Rhapsody in Red," a robot story, Vampi's Feary Tales and more. Dynamite, 2019...More.

Item Code: VAMR02
Magazine, 8x11, 66pg, b&w
$6.99

Volume 1 replica is also in stock, and has been selling well [VAMP01. $6.99]. See our website for more Vampi books and three statues.

See our website for more facsimile editions: Calla Editions, Dick Tracy Feature Books, Wow #1 (Canadian), even a Matt Baker Pictorial Confessions!

Sanctum Sale, part 3

Here's three more short run titles. We may have the rest done by next week. Meanwhile, The Shadow #1-115 and Doc Savage #1-87 are all $5.95, but beware, they are selling briskly. We are sold out of the Shadow Annual #1 and close to it on #2, but we are trying to get more copies.

NICK CARTER Volume 1
Closeout Price! Marked for Death & The Impossible Theft. Recommended. By Richard Wormser and Thomas C. McClary writing as Nick Carter. The first of three double-story issues, from the same publisher as the outstanding Shadow and Doc Savage pulp reprints. This legendary master detective actually predates Sherlock Holmes! But he was reborn in the hard-boiled 1930s as a new hero from top pulp publisher, Street and Smith (publisher of The Shadow and Doc, among many other titles). Here is his debut appearance in "Marked for Death" from the first Nick Carter Magazine (March, 1933), designed as a "sister" title to Doc Savage. Sanctum, 2013...More.

Item Code: NC01
Soft Cover, 7x10, 144pg, b&w
$14.95 $6.95

Click here to see the other two books in the Nick Carter series, both on sale for $6.95 [NC02, NC03. $6.95].

CAP FURY Volume 1
Closeout Price! Recommended. By Laurence Donovan and Steve Fisher. In the two-fisted tradition of Doc Savage, Captain John Fury and the crew of his super-ship The Whirlwind battle modern-day piracy in two thrilling pulp novels from 1935 and 1937! First, after the law fails, Cap Fury follows a trail of vengeance to his brother's murderers in "The Red Heart Pearls." Then, "Black Daylight" strikes at high noon, enveloping thousands in terror and suffering, and propelling Cap Fury on an urgent mission to Mexico's Sierra Madres. Plus, an action-packed adventure of Sheridan Doome from the back pages of The Shadow Magazine! Sanctum, 2014...More.

Item Code: CF01
Soft Cover, 7x10, 128pg, b&w
$14.95 $6.95

THE PHANTOM DETECTIVE Volume 1
Closeout Price! The Emperor of Death & The Crime of Fu Kee Wong. Recommended. By D'Arcy Champion, writing as G. Wayman Jones. The pulp era's longest-running pulp title--20 years--starred this handsome, masked detective in his signature black top hat. Here are his first two adventures, straight out of 1933, in this two-book series from Sanctum. On a special mission for the President, The Phantom seeks to end the murderous reign of The Emperor of Death in his debut adventure! Then, he combats a mysterious Asian's sinister plot in The Crime of Fu Kee Wong. Also from Thrilling Comics #53, the first Phantom Detective comic book story, illustrated by Justice Society and Flash artist E. E. Hibbard. Sanctum, 2012...More.

Item Code: PHDE01
Soft Cover, 7x10, 144pg, Text/b&w
$14.95 $6.95

Also available and on sale is The Phantom Detective Volume 2 [PHDE02. $6.95].

New on Sale

The Cave Paintings and Alex Schomburg are reduced for a limited time, until January 31st!

CASEY RUGGLES A Saga of the West Volume 1
Closeout Price! 1949-55. Highly Recommended. By Warren Tufts. Warren Tufts is one those rare artist‘s artists, hugely admired his fellow creators. Tufts' assistants were another talented list: Al Plastino (Superman artist), Edmond Good, Alex Toth, and the super DC creator Ruben Moreira. Tufts is not so well known to the public today, but this small body of work--and then his next project, Lance-- captured devoted admiration from fans AND other creators, for quality stories AND quality artwork. Casey Ruggles is a smart and brave adventurer, in and out of scrapes with nefarious villains and beautiful women. Classic Comics Press, 2018...More.

Item Code: CASR01H
Hard Cover - No Dustjacket, 12x9, 336pg, Full Color
$59.95 $24.95

The second volume is currently slated to come out sometime in 2020; the publisher moved and it's been delayed along with his other upcoming projects.

CAVE PAINTINGS The Art of Budd Root
Closeout Price! Limited, 2000! Recommended. By Budd Root. Introduction by Frank Cho. "I'm a huge Budd Root fan from day one and I always wanted a nice hardcover Budd Root art book for a long time. After years of waiting, I decided to put my publisher hat on and just publish it myself." -Frank Cho. And is this a hot book! Page after page of dazzling art, not only wonderful nudes (and almost nudes) of Cavewoman, but specialty pieces, commissions, Universal monsters, convention book covers and posters, and an interview. Monkey Boy, 2016. Mature Readers...More.

Item Code: CAVPH
Hard Cover - No Dustjacket, 9x12, 128pg, Full Color
$30.00 $19.95

Budd does all those nude cover variants on Cavewoman. See them all on our website.

THE THRILLING COMIC BOOK COVER ART OF ALEX SCHOMBURG
Closeout Price! Highly Recommended. By J. David Spurlock. Alex Schomburg produced the most dazzling array of high quality comic book covers in the Golden Age of American comics (1933-1955). This book collects, for the first time, a host of tantalizing Schomburg treasures in one volume. Super-heroes, jungle girls, robots, wild animals, and space travelers abound in these romantic and nostalgic pop art icons of the bygone WWII era. Vanguard, 2005...More.

Item Code: THRC
Soft Cover, 9x11, 112pg, Full Color
$24.95 $14.95

We also have just two copies left of this in hardcover, still at regular price [THRCH. $34.95]. You can find more of Alex's comics work on our website.

3...2...1...Gone!

Here are another 50 items that we have 3, 2 or just one copy left. Many have been newly reduced in price. Click here for the first and second batches of 50 books.

Warehouse finds

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART'S THE MAGIC FLUTE Set
Signed bookplate! Warehouse find, 1990. Two issues. Highly Recommended. Script by Patrick Mason. Art by P. Craig Russell. Book one: The Magic Flute, adaptation of Mozart's opera. The Queen of Night sends Tamino and Papageno on a quest to rescue her daughter Pamino from Sarastro. Book two: The Queen of the Night wants Pamina to murder Sarastro while Tamino and Papageno face a test. Beautifully illustrated by Russell. Published by the long-gone Eclipse Comics, which IDW editor Dean Mullaney once owned along with his wife cat yronwode. Includes signed bookplate P. Craig Russell did for us in 1992 for his Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde, complete with a special illustration. Eclipse Books, 1990...More.

Item Code: WAMMF
$25.00

CHARLES VESS From the 1970's to 1996 Signed
Signed! Fourth printing. Warehouse find, 1997. Recommended. By J. Olivier Dancoine and John Potten. Scarce publication on the life and early works of noted illustrator and comic book artist Charles Vess. J. Olivier Dancoine, 1997. . As new....More.

Item Code: CVF70S
Soft Cover, 6x8, 96pg, b&w
$80.00

We have just a couple of these, and also a couple with one bumped corner, but still signed and otherwise sharp: [CVF70SR. $60].

Charles is one of our favorite contemporary illustrators. We handle all of his books, see our website for many with signed bookplates. Here are three favorites:

ALSO AVAILABLE
BOOKS OF EARTHSEA The Complete Illustrated Edition Signed
Signed bookplate! 992-pages!! Our Highest Recommendation. By Ursula K. Le Guin. Art by Charles Vess. Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea novels are some of the most acclaimed and awarded works in literature—they have received prestigious accolades such as the National Book Award, a Newbery Honor, the Nebula Award, World Fantasy Award and many more honors, commemorating their enduring place in the hearts and minds of readers and the literary world alike. Now for the first time ever, they're all together in one volume—including the early short stories, Le Guin's “Earthsea Revisioned” Oxford lecture, and a new Earthsea story, never before printed. New introduction by Le Guin herself, fifty illustrations in both b&w and color, some double-page, by Charles Vess, specially commissioned and selected by Le Guin. Saga Press, 2018...More.

Item Code: BOOKEHS
Hard Cover - No Dustjacket, 7x9, 1008pg, Partial Color
$59.99

ALSO AVAILABLE
THE BOOK OF BALLADS AND SAGAS Signed
Signed! Our Highest Recommendation. By Neil Gaiman, Charles De Lint et al. Art by Charles Vess. >This award-winning compendium of English and Scottish fairy tales and folklore returns to print in a sumptuous new collection! Beautifully illustrated by Charles Vess and featuring adaptations by Neil Gaiman, Charles De Lint, Jeff Smith, Elaine Lee and acclaimed children's writer Jane Yolen. This new edition also collects for the first time since 1995, Vess' unfinished epic saga Skade, and 10 additional pages of art never seen in print before. "Each ballad is a little gem sparkling with restored vitality. It is all here: lust and humor, ghosts and demons, passion and terror, all the things that keep us up at night. What more could the fantasy reader desire?" - SciFiDimensions Titan, 2018. Mature Readers...More.

Item Code: BBSAGH
Hard Cover - No Dustjacket, 7x10, 240pg, b&w
$29.99 $26.99

ALSO AVAILABLE
THE CATS OF TANGLEWOOD FOREST Hardcover
Signed bookplate! Our Highest Recommendation. By Charles de Lint. Illustrated by Charles Vess. The magic is all around you, if only you open your eyes... Lillian Kindred spends her days exploring the Tanglewood Forest, a magical, rolling wilderness that she imagines to be full of fairies. The trouble is, Lillian has never seen a wisp of magic in her hills--until the day the cats of the forest save her life by transforming her into a kitten. Little Brown, 2013...More.

Item Code: CATTHS
Hard Cover, 6x9, 292pg, Full Color
$18.00

Also available in softcover, without the signed bookplate: [CATT. $11.99]. The sister publication for this is Seven Wild Sisters, also available in hardcover and softcover, [SEVWH. $18] and [SEVW. $9.99].

Rare & Out of Print

We have a few more Pogo books listed this week, as well as a Solomon Kane sketchbook by Gary Gianni, and a paperback Weird World of Gahan Wilson. A few Howard Pyle collections have made it up, and more will be coming soon. Click here to see our newest listings.

Coming in February

WHISPER Omnibus Volume 1
By Steven Grant. Art by Rich Larson et al. The critically acclaimed series by Steven Grant (The Punisher, Badlands) is finally collected in remastered omnibus editions! Alexis Devin was trained in the martial arts by her Japanese stepfather to make her healthy...but this is just what saved her life when she became a target. She thought that putting on a mask would make her a superhero... but she's about to learn that while the world needs heroes, they aren't the kind you see in comic books. Comicmix, 2020. Due Feb. ...More.

Item Code: WHIS01
Soft Cover, 6x9, 338pg, Full Color
$44.99

STEVE CANYON Volume 10 1965-1966
Contraband Cargo. Dailies and Sundays. By Milton Caniff. Shades of Terry and the Pirates! Steve roams the Far East in Volume 10, learning that politics makes strange bedfellows as he first teams up with Cheetah in Taiwan, then goes undercover in Hanoi to rescue “Herself” Muldoon! In between he encounters another femme fatale from his past, now harrying the Hong Kong waters under the nom de guerre “Madame Hook.” Library of American Comics, 2020. Due Feb. ...More.

Item Code: SC10H
Hard Cover, 8x11, 336pg, Partial Color
$49.99 $39.99

Still available: Volumes 1-4, 7-9 [SC01H, SC02H, etc. ~~$49.99~~, $39.99 each. Volumes 4 and 5 are sold out.

Mature Readers

Two picture books this week, both from German erotic publisher, Goliath. First is A Visual History of Lovemaking Toys - just what it sounds like, and all in a pocket-sized hardcover. Same format as the popular Private Pornography in the Third Reich.

Second we have More Dirty Girls Having Fun, a collection by photographer Ellen Stagg. It's always a bit different to see what a woman chooses to picture, and how her subjects react to having a woman behind the camera instead of a man. Also see her first collection, Dirty Girl: Naked and Uncensored.

Nude Photography | Erotic Art | Erotic Films: DVDs | Adult Graphic Novels | All Pin-Up & Adult

Click here to add yourself to our Adult's Only mailing list.

News and Notes

Steranko's History of the Comics

Diamond Comics announced a "new printing" of this, but when our copies came in, they were still the original 1972 printing, complete with various small defects. Until we know better, there is no new printing of this. But we still have the original and it's a classic! [STER02. $20].

Choke! Gasp: The Best of 75 Years EC Comics

Once again, we got the shipment but once backorders were filled, the only copies we had left were damaged due to bad packing. So we're waiting for a new shipment to come in. We had the same problem with The Phantom Sundays Volume 3, we're awaiting replacement copies.

This is our last email before Christmas

...so please accept our very best wishes for you and your family this holiday. Thanks for your support this year. Now we head into 2020 and we will be celebrating our 50th year in business. Really!?! I'm not quite sure how yet, but we'll come up with something fun.

I am very grateful that I still enjoy doing this. It's truly a blessing to be able to make a career from something you enjoy—in my case, comics, art and illustration. I'm glad that I started when I was 18 years old...so I'm not yet too ancient to keep going for a while longer!

~Bud

Our Catalog and Contact Info

We publish a color catalog every two months—if you’ve placed an order in the last 12 months, you will receive it hot off the press. If this is your first order, or if you’d like an extra copy, you can add one to your order: click here. Or call or send us your address and we’ll mail one to you. You can also download it here

Place your order before noon PST, Monday through Friday for SAME DAY shipping (for in-stock items).

Note: FREE SHIPPING OVER $300. If your order total is $300 or more and you are in the U.S., we pay the standard shipping cost.