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What is the very first horror cover?
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33 posts in this topic

Since Eerie #1 is considered the first horror comic, even though there were precursors like Front Page Comic Book with its horror cover and some horror stories inside, here's a fun idea: post your opinion as to the first comic book horror cover. Does Captain America 17 count? What about Our Flag 5? Where did it all begin?

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You know how you have seen something over a hundred times, but never really LOOKED at it? That was me with MM3. I never noticed the string of skulls-it's on my list now. That has to be one of the earliest by far. Thanks for the suggestion.

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Great question OP. No one would love to tag Our Flag Comics #5 as the 1st official horror cover more than me trust me but it simply was not.

 

As another poster mentioned Silver Streak #2 was the same month as MMC #3 (I believe Jan 1940). Also to be noted was publisher Harvey Comics for their early iterations of horror covers found in Speed and Prize comics respectively. I am currently reading The Ten-Cent Plague The Great Comic Book Scare and How It Changed America by David Hajdu and he mentions Prize Comics #7 as an early horror cover as it contains a small depiction of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein who also appeared in the stories to come (although not a horror character as much as a protagonist in the fight against the Nazi's)

 

Great question though!! My hopes are to ultimately obtain many of the early Hero/Horror crossover covers but I am not alone in wanting to add these to my collection as many others especially recently are beginning to see them for their true uniqueness and overall, "cool" factor. Unfortunately many of them are scarce and command high premiums but I guess that only adds to the allure of them in general.

 

Now time for a shameless plug of Not the first, but certainly not the least in awesome Horror covers...

 

18745080772_47584779f0_c.jpg

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Corpses coming out of coffins? That qualifies! SS2 is great-the background details really make it awesome.

 

 

2cf368571f1562a8978cc455b6ce5876f540de02.jpeg

 

 

Yes. I agree. :grin:

I think Silver Streak 2 is one of the great, over-looked cool cover books. Just a killer cover on that one.

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mm3.jpg

 

:applause: Once again we just got Bed-Rocked!! Awesome book dude...no matter how many time I look at the hatchet wielding gentleman with bilateral above the knee amputations I can't seem to wrap my head around it. Truly a horror

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Much depends on the definition of "horror" and how much it should be different from a "crime" cover.

 

The best candidate is probably Wonderworld 7 Nov 39

 

Some earlier and tamer candidates:

 

Feature Book 13 Apr 38

Keen Detectivve Funnies 2 Aug 38

Movie Comics 6 Sep 39

 

 

 

 

 

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Much depends on the definition of "horror" and how much it should be different from a "crime" cover.

 

The best candidate is probably Wonderworld 7 Nov 39

 

Some earlier and tamer candidates:

 

Feature Book 13 Apr 38

Keen Detectivve Funnies 2 Aug 38

Movie Comics 6 Sep 39

 

 

 

 

I think your spot on. My vote would definitely be for Wonderworld 7. One of the earliest classic covers if there ever was one.

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