Steve Ditko's The Thing! : 160 pages of pre-code art by the master of shadow and light. Steve Ditko’s stories for THE THING! are some of the earliest of his career, and offer a look at the shape of more fantastic work to come. Also included in this volume are horror and science fiction stories from the 1950s. The early work of Ditko is now only available to lottery winners and merchant bankers (!) so this particular book is much sought after by Ditko and horror-comic fans alike and has become a rare collector's item. It is a square-bound paperback, 8.5 x 11 inches, bw, published by Pure Imagination 2006 at $25. This is not a new book but it is in very fine near-mint condition (vfn/nm).
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In detail the reprinted comics are as follows:
"Cinderella" from THE THING! #12 (feb. 1954)
"Library of Horror" from THE THING! #13 (Apr. 1954)
"Die Laughing" from THE THING! #13 (Apr. 1954)
"Avery and the Goblins" from THE THING! #13 (Apr. 1954)
"Rumplestiltskin" from THE THING! #14 (June 1954)
"The Evil Eye" from THE THING! #14 (June 1954)
"Doom in the Air" from THE THING! #14 (June 1954)
"Inheritance" from THE THING! #14 (June 1954)
"The Worm Turns" from THE THING! #15 (July 1954)
"Day of Recconing" from THE THING! #15 (July 1954)
"Come Back" from THE THING! #15 (July 1954)
"If Looks Could Kill" from THE THING! #15 (July 1954)
"Family Mix-Up" from THE THING! #15 (July 1954)
"Live for Reunion" from MYSTERIES OF UNKNOWN WORLDS #5 (Oct. 1957)
"Stranger in the House" from MYSTERIES OF UNKNOWN WORLDS #5 (Oct. 1957)
"Stowaway" from MYSTERIES OF UNKNOWN WORLDS #5 (Oct. 1957)
"A Dreamer¹s World" from MYSTERIES OF UNKNOWN WORLDS #5 (Oct. 1957)
"Nightmare" from DO YOU BELIEVE IN NIGHTMARES? #1 (Nov. 1957)
"The Somnambulist" from DO YOU BELIEVE IN NIGHTMARES? #1 (Nov. 1957)
"The Strange Silence" from DO YOU BELIEVE IN NIGHTMARES? #1 (Nov. 1957)
"You Can Make Me Fly" from DO YOU BELIEVE IN NIGHTMARES? #1 (Nov. 1957)
"The Man Who Crashed" from DO YOU BELIEVE IN NIGHTMARES? #1 (Nov. 1957)
"The Elixir" from STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #36 (Mar. 1958)
"The Shadow" from STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #36 (Mar. 1958)
"Failure" from STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #36 (Mar. 1958)
"Oggo the Thinker" from MYSTERIES ON UNEXPLORED WORLDS #11 (Jan. 1959)
"Confederate Girl" from UNUSUAL TALES #25 (Dec. 1960)
1566850282
I obtain and can produce an official Certificate of Posting for every item shipped. Ask me for the price of insurance if you require it.
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Grading is not an exact science, but the Overstreet system makes it possible to achieve some degree of uniformity across all the dealers and collectors who need to grade books. I try to detail any major faults of the item in the description, and have the following criteria in my mind as I write the listing (I apply them to magazines and books as well as comics):
Mint (M) (9.8 to 10) The comic is printed perfectly, with no faults and perfectly centred. The cover has all its original gloss (if applicable): there are no signs of wear or aging (including white of pages), and the corners are sharp. I almost never using this rather dangerous grading as very few new comics or magazines and only publisher-sealed paperback or hard cover books are this good!
Near Mint (NM) (9.0 to 9.7) Any wear to the cover is so minor as to be nearly un-noticeable. The spine is tight with no roll at all. The cover has nearly all its original gloss (if applicable). Any printing defects are minor. Pages are white. Some new comics are in this grading though actually I seldom find it possible to use it. For books they are invariably new and often in the publisher's shrink-wrap.
Very Fine (VFN) (7.5 t0 8.9) Some wrinkles at the staples are allowed and minor stress creases down the spine: it is clear the book has been read. There is some loss of the original gloss: there is no spine roll and any crease is minor, perhaps a tiny one-eighth-inch dog-ear at one corner. In general it is a nice comic. A comic, paperback, or hardcover that has been read but looked after will often be in this grading and it is in my opinion a very collectable grade.
Fine (FN) (5.5 to 7.4). Certainly no writing on the cover or tape repair, but there may be more stress creases and one or two minor, short creases. Corners may be rubbed a bit. A well-read paperback or hardcover kept on an open shelf is often in this grading.
Very Good (VG) (3.5 to 5.4). The original gloss is now gone, and there may be minor writing such as newsagents make, or other discolorations. There may be spine roll, larger corner creases or minor tears / splits. I seldom sell in this grade and only for books which would be rather expensive in higher grades. "Very good" is a low grade and the lowest collectable grade in my opinion.
Good, Fair, Poor . I don't sell in these grades. It would have to be a real rarity, and I would describe the faults in detail.
I grade dozens of comics and books each month and my feedback suggests I am ok in this area, but if you think I have made an error of description please message me so we can sort it out (my email address is under the BUSINESS SELLER heading on any of my listings: click the blue 'contact details' link)..