Number 2150: Nell from hell, and Dr Maggot’s ape

So called “Pre-Trend” EC Comics — those published before the popular EC New Trend, could be a mixed bag. They published some standard fare, crime and love comics, after EC founder Maxwell Charles Gaines died in 1947 and his son, William M. Gaines, took over as publisher and editor. Story quality could vary widely, even in the same issue of a particular title. Two stories from Crime Patrol #12 (1949) are good examples. “Nell Baker,” written and illustrated by Al Feldstein, is a straightforward crime story, typical of the genre. Was there a real Nell Baker? I don’t know. The story isn’t claimed to be true despite the cover blurb of “Real Stories from Police Records!” Nell was a stereotype of the female criminal in crime comics, tougher than most men, and more bloodthirsty.

There is an inside joke on page 7, where William Gaines, publisher, is introduced as William Seniag, police artist.

On the other hand, “The Hanged Man’s Revenge” mixes genres, a crime story with a horror story. Most horror comics had crime as the basis for the plot, but this story is a horror in another way. It is not well written. It is by an anonymous writer, and for a good reason. I’m showing it because I like Howard Larsen’s artwork, and I am a sucker for ape/gorilla stories, as longtime readers know. No matter how tepid the plot, I am showing it for purely selfish reasons. Besides the ape, I like the names of the bad guys, Dr. Maggot and Fench.

Here is a 2012 posting from Crime Patrol. Just click on the thumbnail.

Number 1546: The sexy slave girl

Considering the pulchritude of Malu, the slave girl of the book's title, you just know this book flew off the racks in 1949. It has a great cover with chesty Malu in a harem costume. This was hot stuff then, and it is hot stuff now.

So why then did this title only last two issues from Avon? I don’t know for sure, but the forces against comic books were gathering and there were some public burnings of comics. Maybe the publisher felt the heat from those fires. (Although a few years later in the early '50s Avon was right there with much maligned crime and horror comics, so at this late date who really knows.) I can picture a young guy looking at this comic in the drug store, thinking the title is provocative...she’s a beautiful, sexy girl...and she’s a slave girl so she has to do what her owner wants...oh hell yeah! “Hey, gimme a dime so I can buy a comic book!”

Malu lasted one more issue. Number 2 is re-titled Slave Girl Princess, with a less provocative cover. Maybe I’ll get around to showing that sometime.

Howard Larsen did the cover and first story of this issue, but the rest of the book looks like some other artists had their hands in.