Description
Crime and romance comic books aimed at a largely adult audience made up a large part of the US comic boom of the late1940’s/early1950’s (the all-time high point in comic book sales by volume), but have been sadly underrepresented in terms of historical coverage in the modern era. Golden Age Spotlight Special Volume 18- Guns and Roses will blow the lid off things by presenting a collection of the edgiest, most violent and provocative crime and romance stories of the Pre-Code Era. Originally published by such venerable(though long-defunct) houses as Fox Features, Ajax/Farrell, Quality, Prize, Avon, Standard/Nedor, St. John and others, these stories are written and drawn by a virtual “all-star” lineup , including some of the greatest artists every to put brush and pen to Bristol board. This volume is exemplary of the books (much moreso that the early ’50’s horror comics) that led to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority and brought about self-censorship to the comic book business; the “love” books purportedly leading pubescent youths down the path of moral turpitude, the “crime” maggs offering a blueprint to move juvenile delinquents up to more serious crimes. We’re talking about tawdry classics like “I Joined A Teenage Sex Club”, with art by Bob Powell; “Jo Ardway, Roadside Murderess” (out of Fox’s legendary Crimes By Women comic); “Reform School Girl” drawn by Louis Zansky; Alex Toth’s “Blinded By Love”; TWO Ajax/Farrell early John Romita-drawn gems, “Anguish In My Heart” and “You Must Trust Love”; Matt Baker’s gritty gunsel Kid Kane; Bill Draut on “Tough Beat” and girl detective Calamity Jane; “Beautiful Schemer” drawn by Ralph Mayo; more Bob Powell with “Savage Love”; “Madelon” by Sheldon Moldoff; Reed Crandall illustrating crimestopper Ken Shannon; “The Stranger” by Rudy Palais; plus “Cop Killer”, “Secret Heart”, “Gun Happy”, “Cry For Love”, “Prison Panic”, “Song In My Heart”, “Death’s Calling Card” and a half-dozen more in this super-sized, 164-page collection. These romance stories all sport top-flight “good girl” art and all the crime tales are extremely violent. These are NOT your father’s sanitized, Code-approved comics, but rather your grandfather’s shameful pleasures. Once you read these stories, you’ll say what they said in the Old Days- “Va-Va-VOOM!!” That’s Golden Age Greats Spotlight Special Volume 18- Guns and Roses; black and white interiors with full color covers, standard comic book sized and saddle-stitched. June, 2018
