Beschreibung:

CGC certified: VG (4.0). Cream to off-white pages. Sticker attached to cover. Brazilian version of Vault of Horror #37 (EC, 1954). Contents printed in blue line art, uncolored. Stories translated into Brazilian. Cover: Unidentified artist in the style of Johnny Craig Art: Johnny Craig's story "Surprise Party" (no data on other stories). Drusilla's international debut; only Drusilla cover appearance. CGC Census: This is the only graded copy. Rare mag; like many vintage International keys, a thorough internet search does not reveal another copy, nor even any mention of this obscurity. International comics scholar Joey Anuff says: "Gorrion was one in a short-lived wave of B&W Brazilian horror publishers in the early '70s, along with Taiki and Graúna, who mixed pre-code swipes with 70's horror revival influences, rounded out with locally produced 3-page stories. They're all a bit tricky to collect, cheap when you can find them but not very common." Key mag for Drusilla diehards: this Brazilian rarity boasts her only cover appearance. Drusilla's sultry mystique has made her a cult favorite among modern Fan-Addicts. A recent EC Fan-Addict Club online thread discussed Vault Keeper's relationship with his vault-mate ("So were these two a couple? I find it very disturbing to think of the Vault Keeper having regular sex"). A volley of wiseguy quips ensued ("Oh, I doubt there was anything 'regular' about it"), but perhaps the most insightful response came from Nicholas Gazin: "I get the feeling that the Vault Keeper is not a sexual being. He delights in tormenting us with his ghoulish tales. Drusilla is a display of his power and he's controlling this woman to torment the adolescent boys reading the comic. 'Don't you wish you could control the minds and emotions of pin-up girls?' But he's looking at us, not her." The American version of this mag, Vault of Horror #37, features a Johnny Craig suicide-by-hanging cover. It's interesting that the editors of the Brazilian version preferred the psychosexual dynamics of the VK-Drusilla relationship to Craig's dreary suicide imagery. Was this because sex is a stronger sales prompt than suicide, particularly for a Catholic-majority readership? Josh Alen, one of the most prominent International collectors, says: "All I know is Brazil used more splash pages than actual covers. Not sure what the reason would be!" Joey Anuff, International buff, says: "I think the reason Brazilian art directors used splashes for their covers is because the line art is easier to copy." Brazilian publisher Gorrion's EC reprints were unauthorized. Mexican publishers La Prensa and Editora Sol were licensed, which may be why their reprint rags tended to use the original US cover illustrations, with new logos, boxes and blurbs added. Anuff: "As licensed publishers, I assume La Prensa and Editora Sol had better mechanicals." A deluxe limited edition of 12 hardcover catalogues is available, in addition to a small number of softcovers. 400 lots, fully illustrated. Fun reference, great keepsake. Softcover $40, deluxe hardcover with dust jacket and limitation plate $200. Eight of the 12 hardcovers are pre-ordered and the rest will go quickly, so reserve yours now. To order, contact [email protected] . Consignments welcome for PBA's Spring 2022 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 comics auctioneers. "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 [email protected] .