Instagram story viewer> @croquetacomics> Tagged

CroquetaComics

@croquetacomics

undefined

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

They called it “Famous Funnies.” Frank Frazetta apparently missed the “funny” part. 👹🚀

This 1954 Buck Rogers cover looks like a sci-fi horror movie waiting to happen!

📚 The book: FAMOUS FUNNIES 213, cover-dated September 1954, published by Eastern Color. Original price? Ten cents. Apparently, being chased through a spaceship by nightmare fuel was once very affordable.

This cover is one of eight Frazetta created for the title, spanning issues 209–216. And it’s a lesson in visual storytelling: the glowing hatch frames the creature, its dark silhouette leaves your imagination to fill in the details, and the heroes’ body language tells you everything you need to know.

No speech bubbles required. Just RUN. 💨

Here’s a fun detail: Frazetta said he borrowed the spaceship interior from fellow comics legend Wally Wood as a playful tribute. A little artistic appreciation tucked inside a whole lot of terror.

The copy shown here is graded CGC 4.0, but the cover’s ability to pull you into the action is timeless.

That’s why I wanted to bring it to life. Frazetta gave us the moment before everything goes wrong. My animation presses play. 🎬

You’re Buck Rogers. That thing just stepped through the hatch. What’s your next move? Wrong answers encouraged. 👇

🎨 Original cover: Frank Frazetta
🎬 Animation: my tribute to this classic comic

#FrankFrazetta #BuckRogers #FamousFunnies #GoldenAgeComics #ComicBookArt

98

21

I’ve seen plenty of Golden Record reprint comics, but I’d never actually held the record.

Until now.

And this one hits different, with Stan Lee’s signature right on the cover. 🔥

Back in 1966, Marvel and Golden Records paired comic reprints with vinyl adventures, complete with voices, music and sound effects. You could turn the pages while the story came to life.

The Avengers set revisited Avengers 4, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s classic 1964 story bringing Captain America back and into the Avengers. It was one of four Marvel stories given the Golden Record treatment, alongside Fantastic Four 1, Amazing Spider-Man 1 and Journey into Mystery 83.

Holding the record is already a connection to how fans experienced Marvel decades ago. Seeing Stan’s silver signature on the cover makes that connection feel a little closer.

This is why I collect.

Have you ever played a Golden Record reprint? 👇

Excelsior! 🖊️

#StanLee #Avengers4 #GoldenRecords #comics #CaptainAmerica

52

20

What an incredible day at @paradise.comics !!!

Yesterday I had the absolute pleasure of meeting John Romita Jr. @johnromitajr and his son Joseph @elite_creator_mgmt at Paradise Comics’ 35th Anniversary celebration. I brought four special books with me and was lucky enough to have them signed and remarked by JRJR, pieces that now mean so much more to me because of the memories attached to them.

Getting to watch John work on the remarks right in front of me was such a cool experience. He couldn’t have been nicer, sharing stories and just chatting…. it was a real pleasure getting to meet both him and Joseph. True salt of the earth people.

A huge thank you to Peter and Kristina for putting together such an awesome event here in @toronto . Paradise has been my LCS, and days like this are a perfect reminder of why comic shops are about so much more than just the comics. They’re about the people, the friendships, the stories and the community.

It was also fantastic seeing so many familiar faces and reconnecting with the amazing Toronto comic community. There’s nothing quite like being surrounded by people who share the same passion. ❤️

35 years of Paradise Comics!!! Here’s to many more! I’m already putting in my request for JRJR to come back for the 40th Anniversary! 😄

Thanks again to everyone who made the day so memorable. These four books are definitely staying in the collection. 🙌

#JohnRomitaJr #JRJR #ParadiseComics #ParadiseComics35 #ComicSigning SignedComics ComicBookCollecting ComicCollector MarvelComics SpiderMan IronMan XMen DoctorDoom TorontoComics TorontoComicCommunity LCS LocalComicShop ComicBookCommunity MarvelCollector

89

11

This book needs no introduction. 💚

But the case does.

When you’ve got an Incredible Hulk #1 in the collection, “HULK SMASH!” is the last thing you want to hear. 😅

Huge shoutout to @keyguardshop for giving this grail some serious armor. The slab fits beautifully, the presentation is clean, and most importantly… Hulk is protected from any accidental smashing. 👊💥

Collectors: are you team DISPLAY IT or LOCK IT IN THE VAULT? 👇

#IncredibleHulk #Hulk1 #MarvelComics #ComicBooks ComicBookCollector ComicCollector ComicBookCollection CGCComics GradedComics VintageComics MarvelCollector ComicBookCommunity

65

15

When you own a Hulk 1, “HULK SMASH!” hits a little different. 💥

This book needs no introduction… but this case deserves one.

@keyguardshop absolutely nailed it. Clean display, serious protection, and a little extra peace of mind around one of the biggest books in my collection.

Because some grails deserve armor. 🛡️💚

What do you think of this hard case. Would you use it? 👇

#Hulk #Hulk1 #IncredibleHulk #MarvelComics ComicCollector ComicBookCollector #grail ComicBooks CGCComics GradedComics VintageComics MarvelCollector ComicBookCommunity ComicBookCollection

77

24

🔥 ATLAST COMICS CENTRAL — FLORIDA EDITION! 🔥

Florida, WE’RE COMING FOR YOU! 🌴🦈📚

Mark your calendars for SATURDAY 8/15 for an ALL-DAY COMIC BOOK EVENT packed with keys, grails, slabs, raw books, collectibles, community & MORE! 💥

🟢 VENDORS — YOU’RE WELCOME!
Looking to sell? We’ve got spots available! DM us to reserve your spot.

🔵 BUYERS — COME SHOP!
Hunting for that next big key? 🔑 Looking for grails, slabs, runs, or hidden gems? We’ve got you covered!

🤝 Come hang out, buy, sell, trade, and connect with fellow collectors for an EPIC day of comics & community!

📍 ATLAST COMICS CENTRAL — FLORIDA EDITION
📅 SATURDAY 8/15
⏰ ALL DAY!

🔥 VENDORS + BUYERS = EVERYONE WELCOME!

📲 DM @atlastcomix for more info & vendor spots!

#AtlastComics #AtlastComicsCentral #FloridaComics #FloridaComicCon #ComicBooks ComicCollectors ComicBookCommunity ComicBookEvent ComicBookVendors ComicBookBuyers KeyIssues ComicGrails CGC CBCS ComicBookSale FloridaCollectors CentralFlorida ComicsAndCollectibles

72

10

What makes a comic dangerous enough to end up in a U.S. Senate hearing?

In 1954, All-Famous Police Cases 14 became one of 24 comic books selected as evidence during the Senate hearings on juvenile delinquency.

Today, thanks in large part to @codebluecomics and @crimecitycomics1 hard work and dedication, collectors know these books as the Dirty Two Dozen.

This issue has everything I love about the era.

A dramatic L.B. Cole crime cover bursting with his unmistakable color palette, a tense shootout frozen in time, and bold typography that practically jumps off the page. Long before superheroes dominated the hobby, covers like this were designed to stop readers in their tracks, and they still do over 70 years later.

What makes this copy even more special is that it’s housed with CGC’s new Dirty Two Dozen custom label, a fitting tribute to one of the most historically significant groups of comics ever published. Paired with a beautiful yellow @keyguardofficial , it really makes the colors on this L.B. Cole masterpiece explode.

For me, these books represent more than incredible cover art.

They’re physical reminders of one of the most important moments in comic book history—the controversy that helped shape the future of the entire industry through the creation of the Comics Code Authority.

Owning a Dirty Two Dozen book isn’t just owning a comic.

It’s owning a piece of the story that changed comics forever.

Key Facts
• 📖 All-Famous Police Cases 14 (Star Publications, March 1954)
• 🎨 Classic pre-Code crime cover by L.B. Cole
• 🏛️ One of the Dirty Two Dozen books presented during the 1954 Senate hearings on juvenile delinquency
• 🏷️ Features the new CGC Dirty Two Dozen custom label

How many of the Dirty Two Dozen have you crossed off your list?

#comics #LBCole #DirtyTwoDozen #GoldenAgeComics #comiccollector

94

11

They didn’t just hate this comic…

They used books like this to try to put the entire comic industry on trial. ⚖️

This is Crime SuspenStories 20 from EC Comics, one of the most infamous pre-Code crime covers ever published, with a classic Johnny Craig hanging cover used in both the Seduction of the Innocent and the Senate Hearings on Juvenile Delinquency.

A hanging corpse. A dead-eyed victim. A 10¢ newsstand comic that somehow became part of a national panic.

In 1954, psychiatrist Fredric Wertham released his Seduction of the Innocent, the book that claimed comic books were corrupting kids and fueling juvenile delinquency. This issue was one of the shocking examples used to scare parents, politicians, and the press.

Then came the 1954 Senate hearings.

EC Comics, the publisher behind some of the boldest horror, crime, and suspense books of the era, was dragged into the spotlight. Publisher William Gaines defended his comics, but the public pressure was already exploding. Soon after, the industry adopted the Comics Code Authority, a censorship system that nearly destroyed crime and horror comics overnight.

So this isn’t just a comic book.

It’s a censorship artifact.

Dr. Wertham asked “Can a comic book corrupt a generation?”

The government panicked.
The industry folded.

And 70 years later, collectors are still chasing the books they tried to bury.

Would you collect a book this controversial?

I bought this as a PSA slab from crimecity_comics but had to crack it and send it in for the senate label from cgccomics

#dirty2dozen #PreCodeHorror #ECComics #goldenagecomics #horror

118

10

106

16

Shoutout to @keyguardofficial for the amazing gift! I’m loving the 1:1 keygaurd and signed #Venom comic. Thankyou!

Their products aren’t just about protection; they bring colour and style to your slabs and make them easy to display. You should totally check them out.

#keygaurds #cgc #psa @psa_comics @cgcsigseries @psaautograph @the.venom.collector

36

5

Happy Star Wars Day!! May the 4th be with you!

#starwars #starwarsday #maythe4th #may4th #happystarwarsday

48

6

These Key Guards are awesome!! They not only protect your slabs but they also look awesome and have notches in the back to allow you to hang them, if you want.

I have bought a bunch. Check out some of my grails in this post highlighted with the Key Guards.

You can find them at @keyguardofficial

108

29