Beachy, why so interested in collecting this particular line of books?

Interesting. I've got a couple of issues of Dell's "Dracula" superhero book, a companion of that "Werewolf" comic.

There was a "Steve Canyon" comic book? Were those strip reprints or original stories?

Some of each in the various incarnations of Canyon in comics.
I've seen those Dell Frankenstein, Dracula, and Werewolf comics before, but have never owned one.
They looked "so so" at best.

Partially because it's difficult. There were 1325 issues in the run. Since it was an anthology title,
almost no one attempted to collect it, which means fewer issues actually survived. Since many
of the issues came out during World War II, many issues were recycled in paper drives. Since
many of the issues were developed and marketed for kids, the issues were read to death by kids.

Partially because it is the history of American culture between the 40s and the 60s, with themes
and characters that reflect us. It ranges from the early newspaper strip reprints of popular comics
to adaptations of TV shows and movies.

Partially because many of our popular comic characters had their comic book debuts in these
issues: Donald Duck, Uncle Scrooge, Zorro, and so on. Along with that, they come with the
earliest comic work of greats like Carl Barks, Alex Toth, John Buscema, etc.

Partially for the shear variety: where else can you collect one title that contains Prince Valiant,
Beetle Bailey, the Little Rascals, Bonaza, Santa Claus, El Cid, John Carter of Mars, Bugs
Bunny, Popeye, Little Orphan Annie, Maverick, Gyro Gearloose, the Lennon Sisters, Woody
Woodpecker, Ben Bowie and his Mountain Men, Sugarfoot, Roy Rogers, Leave it to Beaver,
Turok, and so on, in one place?

Also, many of the people who own the issues, don't know it's part of a large set. So, some
bargains can be had. But, on the other side of that, there are many people who want just one
or two issues of the series—say Peanuts or Bullwinkle fans—who only need to collect one or two
issues, and they are willing to pay three or four times Price Guide value to obtain them.

Plus, the beautiful covers. Just spend a few minutes looking through them:
http://www.comics.org/covers.lasso?SeriesID=279

Those are some awesome cover, fo sho.

Well, there's some real dogs, too. Same thing with the actual comics. But it's just incredibly diverse.
I'd love to have a huge room with all of these hanging wall-to-wall floor-to-ceiling.

Good description of "Dracula." The art was by Tony Tallarico, which should tell you something....

I pretty sure that I had never heard of "Johnny Mack Brown" until I started collecting
Dell Four Color comics. Known primarily for his 160+ westerns, this former University
of Alabama halfback for the Crimson Tide was once being groomed by MGM as a leading
man until they decided to replace him with Clark Gabel.

He must have a following, though, as it has been nearly impossible for me to get any of
his Dell Four Color issues in the past for what I would consider a "reasonable" price. I'm
always amused when I try, though, because the covers to these are always so "uninspiring":
like John Mack shines his boots, or Johnny Mack is making coffee. It's hard to see
these as anything other than posed shots featuring standard western fare.

Managed to get four VG issues this morning (and 4 other Four Colors). Here's three of them:

I guess I should make a "Johnny Mac Beach" avatar one of these days,
doing something exciting like installing software.

Professor, Comics Buyers' Guide published a complete list of all FC titles
in both the first and second series. This was independant of the Overstreet Price Guide's list
though I don't know if both lists matched or not. I'm pretty sure you could get the CBG list
via their website http://cbgxtra.com/
This may be common knowlege, I don't know.
Just throwing it out there in case it will help.

Thanks, Tommy. If I recall correctly, Don and Maggie Thompson (of CBG) may have been the
first to gather together all of the Dell Four Color Comics information. My Dad used to contribute
to their early SF fanzines, and may have traded them some of his Four Color issues.

Now that you reminded me, I've been meaning to send Maggie an email.

Couldn't find her email anywhere on the site, so I just joined their forum.
Looks like place I should be hanging out at anyway. I used to subscribe
to the CBG in the early 1980s. That made my Dad quite happy, as he
got to read it then, too.

I had never heard of Johnny Mack Brown, either. Those examples are pretty lame, all right. I guess it was part of the whole '50s cowboy craze.

Here are the two exciting Johnny Mack cover that I spoke of earlier:
Shines his boots
Makin' Coffee

Be still my racing heart. The excitement is almost too much to bear.

Is this better?

It's Johnny...makin'' coffee.

Number of people who will understand that avatar? Seven.

If that.

I was assuming a word of mouth campaign would bring the other three Johnny Mack Brown fans into IMWAN.

On the odd chance you don't already have this reference:

http://www.coverbrowser.com/covers/four-color

A big load of FC covers.

Thanks again, Tommy.
But let me introduce you to the Grand Comic Database, a great effort to try to get a scan of every
comic book cover known to man, along with artist and author and synopsis information:

http://www.comics.org/

Beware, though, as you can lose yourself there for hours at a time.

That is cowboy porn, is what that is! I'm agin it!

Great avatar, BTW!