American Comics Update: The Bute Collection: Pre-Code Horror Fest: Strange Terrors #4 with Ekgren cover art
*Horror 1940-1959: Just one item in our American Pre-Code Horror Fest this week, but it’s a rarity from the Bute Collection. William Ekgren’s entire comics output was three covers for St John in the 1950s, but what covers they were, among the most distinctive in the genre, if not the medium with their hallucinogenic imagery. This one is Strange Terrors #4, and the insides aren’t too shabby either with accomplished art by Joe Kubert, George Tuska and others. This is a lowish graded copy, chiefly due to water damage at the base of the spine and along the bottom edge, which permeates through the comic, with a resulting 4 cm lower spine split. However, this is mostly restricted to the page margins and does not spoil the enjoyment of reading the issue. Other than that, an intact copy with good pages and staples, and only minor edge wear. Possibly the cover colours are a little muted, but on a cover as weird as this, it’s hard to tell!
PICTURED: STRANGE TERRORS #4 FA/GD £250