Author:
Title: PICTURE STORIES: Lot of Eight Comics * AMERICAN HISTORY * SCIENCE * BIBLE
Place Published:
Publisher:EC [Indicia: Educational Comics, Inc.]
Date Published: 1945-1947
Description: Picture Stories from American History #s 1-4:
#1: G/VG (3.0). Rubs and abrasion to spine, 1" chip to right edge of front cover, cover crease, inside covers ADHERED TO SPINE OF PAGEBLOCK WITH GLUE, small soil spot. Tan pages.
#2: Good+ (2.5). Spine stress, chips, staples pulled, edges of covers and 1st page reinforced with tape, name in ink to front cover. Slightly brittle pages, chipping.
#3: VG+ (4.5). Mild spine stress and spine roll, light edge and corner wear, soiling to top corners of pages. Tan pages.
#4: Good (2.0). Top right corner of front cover chipped, bottom right corner creased and dampsoiled with color loss, 1" tear to back cover, bottom corner of pages dampsoiled. Cream to light tan pages. EC proto-preachie: African-American soldiers kick Cuban keister, earning kudos from Teddy Roosevelt: "Look at them go! Nothing can stop our negro troops!"

Picture Stories from Science #s 1 & 2: Both VG+ (4.5) or better.

Picture Stories from the Bible, Old Testament #1: Good (2.0). Spine stress, tears, corner chips, edge chips to back cover, circular abrasion to front cover from removed sticker. Cream to light tan pages.

Picture Stories from the Bible, New Testament #3: VG (4.0). Staple rust with rust migration, cover miswrap with diagonal white strip at top edge of front cover. Cream to off-white pages.

Credits: Covers and art: Allen Simon, Don Cameron."My Father worketh and I work – the Son can do nothing of himself, but what things he seest the Father doest – these, also doeth the Son likewise!" – Jesus Christ, Picture Stories from the Bible.

Many EC collectors draw the line at Max Gaines's run of Picture Stories mags, mainly because they're boring AF. But in terms of understanding Bill Gaines's lousy relationship with his punitive pop, and the impact it had upon his early publishing career, these overlooked mags rate a second look. EC's founder, Maxwell Charles Gaines, died in a boating accident shortly after publishing the Picture Stories series, and his bumbling son Bill took over the failing family business. M.C. Gaines was a domineering, belittling dad who regularly reminded Bill that he'd never amount to anything. "How the hell can I run a business when I couldn't even make it as the old man's stockroom boy," Bill worried, according to Frank Jacobs's The MAD World of William M. Gaines. "Worst of all was the recurring dream that disturbed Bill's sleep, a quasi-nightmare in which Max would appear and tell his son that he wanted the business back."

Jacobs describes how Max Gaines's editor, Sheldon Mayer, told young Bill that he'd never make it as a publisher until he stopped clowning around: "'I got the feeling that Bill went into the business as a joke, to see if he could screw up things, change them for his private amusement, and still manage to make money doing it,' Mayer remembers.... Maybe Mayer's theory is right. Maybe Bill did have a lot of rebellion to get out of his system. Years earlier, when he worked as Max's editor, Mayer had set down a list of taboos to be observed to the letter by all of Max's writers and artists. Among them:

"Never show anybody stabbed or shot.
Show no torture scenes.
Never show a hypodermic needle.
Don't chop the limbs off anybody.
Never show a coffin, especially with anybody in it.

Less than four years after taking over his father's business, Bill would have punctured every taboo on the list."

But despite rebelling against his dad's editorial strictures, Bill Gaines continued advertising the old man's bottom-selling Picture Stories mags in his horror, suspense, sci-fi and war titles throughout most of the New Trend era. Why? Was he just looking to shift stale merch, or was it a guilt thing? Did pushing his pop's Bible books make Bill feel better about hustling horror despite disregarding his dad's dictums? Was Bill trying to preserve his pop's legacy like a good son? Or was it a calculated effort to deflect criticism of the New Trend books from religious and educational leaders – did Bill use the Bible as a "beard"?

EC research ace Philip Smith observes that the centerfold ads for the Picture Stories books were finally dropped from the EC line in late 1953. "This might correlate with the arrival of Lyle Stuart as business manager." Lyle Stuart was a Svengali-like character who wormed his way into Bill Gaines's confidence, sowing discord in EC's offices and replacing editor Al Feldstein as Gaines's confidante (Feldstein detested Stuart and described him as "a manipulator"). Frank Jacobs hinted that Stuart filled a psychological void, serving as a surrogate father to an approval-hungry Gaines. If Lyle Stuart, acting as Bill Gaines's business manager, decreed the removal of the Picture Stories ads – the last vestige of Max Gaines' legacy in the EC lineup – what does that suggest in psychological terms?

When asked this question by PBA's Director of Comics, Mr. Smith replied, "That is interesting – Stuart sort of Oedipally attacking Max to have Bill to himself.... This reinforces my general sense that one must really have access to original copies to understand EC as a business. The physical organization of the books, including all ads, is relevant to understanding what was going on at the time of publication."______________________________________________________________

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.