What is the very first horror cover?

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Well i'll selfishly plug both books from 1939

 

 

Awesome man!!!! Two exceptionally cool books there!!

Feature Book #13 - May 1938

Does this qualify - Where do you draw the line on horror?

Those are two great books-I don't see Movie Comics 6 up for sale often at all, AND it's a cool early robot cover. That Wonderworld has to be the earliest pure horror cover. I paged thru the monthly newsstand on the Mike's Amazing website (which was fun, by the way, especially if you start with 1935 and watch how month by month the comics medium grew), and I found a few earlier with horror elements, but nothing that was a clear cut, definitive horror cover like that one.

Maybe Detective Comics 6 would be a contender if the view were shifted 180 degrees so we could see what that was casting the menacing shadow (it almost looks ape like to me, but even then, would that be horror?).

As a side note, I had to read up in the Twilight collection after seeing that slabbed Wonderworld, since I wasn't familiar with it and I'm starting to get interested in pedigrees. Awesome copy!

Bedrock that is a stunning book!

Thank you. It's one of my favorites.

 

 

 

Did you have Alex sign that or did you purchase it that way?

I bought it that way. Unfortunately I never met him at a show.

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.

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.

Well i'll selfishly plug both books from 1939

 

I was thinking too bad Movie Comics #1 doesn't have a Son of Frankenstein cover, and totally forgot about this one. Great book

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

 

 

 

 

Yes. I agree.

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

Totally agree but maybe the colouring holds it back some. Instead of causing the art to pop it seems to do the opposite; the artwork seems muted by the color

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

 

 

 

 

Yes. I agree.

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

 

Totally agree but maybe the colouring holds it back some. Instead of causing the art to pop it seems to do the opposite; the artwork seems muted by the color

http://comics.ha.com/itm/golden-age-1938-1955-/silver-streak-comics-2-lev-gleason-1940-cgc-nm-92-cream-to-off-white-pages-joe-simon-draws-a-horrific-cover-of-the-cl/a/803-7404.s?ic4=ListView-ShortDescription-071515

The colors and the cover attracted me and of course a Simon cover

This one doesn’t overlapped with the sci-fi or superhero genre like with Movie Comics or Our Flag Comics, and emphasizes on deformity, which is usually considered the mark of a horror cover.

I think this would also be a candidate worthy of consideration.