Lately I've spent a fair amount of time reading pre-Code stories (circa 1945-1956)
The one I just finished reading that compelled me to create a topic on the subject is
"Jailbird's Romance", from MY ROMANTIC ADVENTURES 49, September 1954.
While clearly a product of its time and not Alan Moore or of the same narrative style of modern fare, this story and many others of the period are interesting and compelling, and in some ways more human than the current era. They manifest the values and colloquialisms of that period, and their narrative style and dialogue manifests a strong influence of classic-Hollywood films.
On the latter fringe of the pre-Code era, one I spent several years assembling a full run of is a 36-issue series called
THE WORLD AROUND US (1958-1961) for Gilberton (Classics Illustrated) that has some nice art by Al Williamson, Sam Glanzman, Gray Morrow, and a guy I discovered with this title, Gerald McCann.
McCann illustrated comics in the 1950's and early 1960's until he finally left the field, and excels at drawing historic adventure stories, particularly westerns and naval/pirate scenes. With a linestyle comparable to Williamson and Frazetta.
The Pre-Code era has work that gives early insight to artists who rose to major or minor acclaim in work they did later for Marvel and DC in the 1960's and 1970's.
Other artists for the series include more E.C. alumni such as George Evans, Graham Ingels, Sid Check, Ed Ashe, and other forgotten talents.
But beyond schlock horror and lurid crime stories, there's a lot to explore in this era.
The E.C. titles.
Basil Wolverton horror stories.
Various crime, horror and romance titles by Simon and Kirby.
FOUR COLOR COMICS and other Dell titles, with a huge range of material, from Carl Barks funny animal stuff to historic adventure and movie adaptations.
Matt Baker's good girl art.
Quality Comics (although they were more quality in the 1940's era).
Plus work of guys like Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, Don Heck and others, who evolved from anthology horror and SF/monster stories into the superstars of Marvel Comics in the early 1960's. It's interesting to see how their styles evolved, both at Marvel and elsewhere.
It's a fun era to explore, and for me the most obscure and difficult era to collect. But in a flurry of recent hardcover books by IDW and others, in complete runs available for next to nothing on DVD's you can buy on ebay, or just scans of stories like the "Jailbird's Romance" one above you can read off the internet, these stories are arguably far more accessible now than when they were first published. Probably easier to find in these various formats than even when they were fresh on the stands.
