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Golden Age Horror Comics Getting The Facsimile Edition Treatments

Golden Age Horror Comics are Getting the Facsimile Edition Treatment on Kickstarter, courtesy of Adam Fortier and Authentic Editions

Published Sat, 12 Oct 2024 06:57:07 -0500

by Rich Johnston

Last updated Sat, 12 Oct 2024 08:39:19 -0500

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Article Summary

Facsimile editions of Golden Age horror comics coming via Kickstarter from Authentic Editions.
Adam Fortier leads the project with facsimile issues like Suspense and Chamber of Chills.
Facsimile trend follows Marvel and DC's success with classic issues reprints.
New Kickstarter editions may skip traditional comic shops, targeting direct buyers.

Alongside Oni Press's revival of EC Comics, alongside Boom Studios's Hello Darkness, Skybound's Creepshow and Tiny Onion's Razorblades, the big auction houses have been seeing big numbers from the original Golden Age horror anthologies. With recent records for classic Pre-Code comics, Weird Mysteries #4 and #6, Chamber of Chills #19, Eerie Comics #1, and Suspense Comics #3 are getting big numbers and attracting speculator attention. But what if you just wanted to read the damn things?

Golden Age Horror Comics Getting The Facsimile Edition Treatments

Well, with all this attention around horror anthologies old and new, it was inevitable that someone would grab some public domain Golden Age and cash in. New publisher Authentic Editions plans to capitalise with a new Kickstarter, printing facsimile editions of these classic pre-code horror comics:

Suspense Comics #3, #8, #11, #12
Punch Comics #12, #9
Chamber of Chills #19, #23
Weird Mysteries #4, #5, #6, #12
Weird Chills #1, #2, #3

And it's coming from Adam Fortier, former VP of Dreamwave Productions on Transformers, owner of Speakeasy Comics, which first published my Flying Friar comic, VP at Boom Studios, Publisher of Joe Books, and now head of licensing at Macroverse.

Facsimile editions of key issues have been all the rage for Marvel and DC. Former Editor-in-Chief Dan DiDio hated them, but since he left, both DC and Marvel have cranked them up, bringing all the critical-first appearances of their big guns back to market. Action Comics #1 and Detective Comics #27, along with Amazing Fantasy #15, have all hit the racks in the past few years, along with every major first appearance. But also entire runs of titles such as Watchmen, Secret Wars, and the first year of Fantastic Four. And DC couldn't resist another money grab as they pumped out a facsimile of Batman's first appearance in 2022 and just did it again for Batman Day in 2024, just 2 years later, but this time in original Golden Age trim size. Rather shamelessly playing the hit. But as a Kickstarter-only offering, will the new trend be skipping Direct Market comic shops altogether?

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