CRIME SUSPENSTORIES #11 * CGC 6.5 * Psychosexual Savagery
Author:
Title: CRIME SUSPENSTORIES No. 11
Place Published:
Publisher:EC [Indicia: L. L. Publishing Co. Inc.]
Date Published: June-July, 1952
Description: CGC certified: Fine+ (6.5). Off-white to white pages. Grader notes: Light creasing to cover; light spine stress lines to cover.
CGC Census: 101 graded copies (96 Universal, 5 Restored).
GPAnalysis: An 6.5 sold for $840 in 12/23.
Credits: Cover: Johnny Craig. Scripts: Johnny Craig, Bill Gaines, and Al Feldstein. Art: Johnny Craig, Jack Kamen, Jack Davis, Graham Ingels. Psychosexual Savagery: Craig's cover, featuring an anatomy professor freezing his wife's corpse for his students to dissect, probably isn't one of his strongest. But the story that it illustrates, "Stiff Punishment," features one of Craig's bitterest portrayals of a married couple who hate each other's guts. Craig's depiction of blasé med students casually choosing corpses to carve up is strangely chilling ("Here's the one I want! This babe looks like she's REALLY been through the mill!"), and the panels in which the professor goes ape and murders his wife overflow with psychosexual savagery: "My fists were leaden hammers that clubbed and pounded her... my fingers were claws that ripped and tore! She battled with an intense fury as we thrashed about the room, leaving havoc in our wake... And I roared with a gloating exultation as, little by little, she weakened.... Her body was completely limp... and her eyes bulged from their sockets from the pressure of my fingers that were knotted around her neck!"
Craig's uncharacteristic verbosity caused Max Allan Collins to speculate that Al Feldstein scripted this yarn, although Grand Comics Database credits the script to Craig: "Craig has claimed 'Stiff Punishment' as one of his scripts, but the style and technique seem Feldstein's." – Liner notes, Crime SuspenStories Vol. 2. Russ Cochran: 1983.______________________________________________________________
A limited edition of ten hardcover catalogues is available, in addition to a few dozen softcovers. Fun reference, great keepsake, fully illustrated, chockablock with obscure facts, gags, bon mots. Softcovers are $40, deluxe hardcovers with dust jackets and limitation plates are $200. These books always go fast so don't delay. To order, contact ivan@pbagalleries.com.
Consignments welcome for PBA's Summer 2024 Comic Book sale. Top prices for Pre-Code Horror, Golden Age, Silver Age, original art and ephemera. Find out why PBA is the new fan-fave of funnybook fiends. "This is some of the best commentary I've yet seen on the quality of the content of comic books... Priceless." – R. Crumb. Send inquiries to ivan@pbagalleries.com.
Coming Soon: The DC Universe Collection Part 3: The Golden Age (August 2024) and Weird Tales and Amazing Stories: The PBA Pulp Sale (September 2024). Contact ivan@pbagalleries.com to get on the notifications list.
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Author:
Title: CRIME SUSPENSTORIES No. 11
Place Published:
Publisher:EC [Indicia: L. L. Publishing Co. Inc.]
Date Published: June-July, 1952
Description: CGC certified: Fine+ (6.5). Off-white to white pages. Grader notes: Light creasing to cover; light spine stress lines to cover.
CGC Census: 101 graded copies (96 Universal, 5 Restored).
GPAnalysis: An 6.5 sold for $840 in 12/23.
Credits: Cover: Johnny Craig. Scripts: Johnny Craig, Bill Gaines, and Al Feldstein. Art: Johnny Craig, Jack Kamen, Jack Davis, Graham Ingels. Psychosexual Savagery: Craig's cover, featuring an anatomy professor freezing his wife's corpse for his students to dissect, probably isn't one of his strongest. But the story that it illustrates, "Stiff Punishment," features one of Craig's bitterest portrayals of a married couple who hate each other's guts. Craig's depiction of blasé med students casually choosing corpses to carve up is strangely chilling ("Here's the one I want! This babe looks like she's REALLY been through the mill!"), and the panels in which the professor goes ape and murders his wife overflow with psychosexual savagery: "My fists were leaden hammers that clubbed and pounded her... my fingers were claws that ripped and tore! She battled with an intense fury as we thrashed about the room, leaving havoc in our wake... And I roared with a gloating exultation as, little by little, she weakened.... Her body was completely limp... and her eyes bulged from their sockets from the pressure of my fingers that were knotted around her neck!"
Craig's uncharacteristic verbosity caused Max Allan Collins to speculate that Al Feldstein scripted this yarn, although Grand Comics Database credits the script to Craig: "Craig has claimed 'Stiff Punishment' as one of his scripts, but the style and technique seem Feldstein's." – Liner notes, Crime SuspenStories Vol. 2. Russ Cochran: 1983.______________________________________________________________
A limited edition of ten hardcover catalogues is available, in addition to a few dozen softcovers. Fun reference, great keepsake, fully illustrated, chockablock with obscure facts, gags, bon mots. Softcovers are $40, deluxe hardcovers with dust jackets and limitation plates are $200. These books always go fast so don't delay. To order, contact ivan@pbagalleries.com.
Consignments welcome for PBA's Summer 2024 Comic Book sale. Top prices for Pre-Code Horror, Golden Age, Silver Age, original art and ephemera. Find out why PBA is the new fan-fave of funnybook fiends. "This is some of the best commentary I've yet seen on the quality of the content of comic books... Priceless." – R. Crumb. Send inquiries to ivan@pbagalleries.com.
Coming Soon: The DC Universe Collection Part 3: The Golden Age (August 2024) and Weird Tales and Amazing Stories: The PBA Pulp Sale (September 2024). Contact ivan@pbagalleries.com to get on the notifications list.
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