Classic Comics Gold Bug and Other Stories

Three Poe tales adapted into colorful comics for younger readers, offering classroom-ready discussions and engaging, age-appropriate thrills.

Includes three chilling Poe tales: "The Gold Bug"; "The Tell-Tale Heart"; and "The Cask of Amontillado". In "The Gold Bug", three men search for the infamous Captain Kidd’s vast hidden treasure using a mysterious golden beetle to navigate the way! In "The Tell-Tale Heart", a man is driven to the brink of insanity, racked with guilt after murdering his innocent landlord. In "The Cask of Amontillado", a man exacts a terrible revenge upon another who has taunted him for years…

Classics Illustrated tells these chilling tales in colorful comic strip form, offering an excellent introduction for younger readers. This edition also includes theme discussions and study questions, which can be used both in the classroom and at home to further engage the reader in the story.

The Classics Illustrated comic book series began in 1941 with its first issue, Alexandre Dumas’ "The Three Musketeers", and has since included over 200 classic tales released around the world. This new CCS Books edition is specifically tailored to engage and educate young readers with some of the greatest works ever written, while still thrilling older readers who have loving memories of this series of old.

Edgar Allan Poe (19 January 1809 - 7 October 1849) was an American poet and novelist best known for his gothic tales of mystery.

After his family moved from Hungary to the USA, ALEX BLUM studied at the National Academy of Design in New York. He eventually joined the Eisner-Iger shop, and in 1939, he started illustrating 'Samson' and 'Eagle' for Fox. In 1940 he illustrated 'Purple Trio', 'Neon' and 'Strange Twins' for Quality Comics. In the same year, Blum started contributing to Fiction House, illustrating 'Red Comet', 'Kaanga', 'Midnight' and 'Greasemonkey Griffin' among others. He was presumably also the artist behind the pseudonym Armand Budd, that also drew for Fiction House.

Alex Blum was a top artist for the Classics Illustrated series from the early issues. He illustrated over 25 Classics and stood out for his use of theatrical dramatics, which is probably why he illustrated three of the five Shakespeare Classics. Alex Anthony Blum retired in 1961 and died in 1969.

RUDOLPH PALAIS worked in the comics field from the late 1930s to 1969. He and his brother Walter worked for several New York publishers. He then joined the Harry "A" Chesler shop in 1939. He worked briefly for National/DC on 'Doctor Mid-Nite', for Holyoke on 'Catman', for Quality Comics on 'Blackhawk', 'Doll Man' and 'Phantom Lady', and for Charles Biro on the original 'Daredevil'. In the early 1940s he drew the fifth through seventh issue of the 'Rangers of Freedom' comic, about a group of marines.

JIM WILCOX was a pulp illustrator and Golden Age comic book artist for the Chesler and Funnnies Inc. studios. He was born James Milton Wilcox on 27 July 1895 in Columbus, Ohio. He served in the Army during the Great War, and returned to his hometown in 1919. Wilcox attended the Herron School of Art in Indianapolis and eventually became a commercial illustrator in advertising. His art appeared in several pulp magazines from Chicago and the East Coast, such as The Magic Carpet Magazine, Weird Tales, Thrilling Western, Ace Sports, Exciting Western, Western Aces, and Western Trails. Among his pulp work are the first illustrations of Robert E. Howard's 'Conan' in 1933.

By 1937 he began drawing comic features through the Chesler Studio, which he signed Jim Wilcox. He was the second artist of the 'Dick Cole' feature for Novelty's Blue Bolt Comics from 1943 to 1947; the original artist was Bob Davis. Wilcox also illustrated several stories with 'Young King Cole' and 'Dolly O'Dare', and contributed to companies like Dell ('Gene Autrey'), Gilberton ('The Gold Bug', 'Telltale Heart'), Centaur Comics ('The Lucifer Trail', 'Tex Maverick') and Fawcett ('Jim Dowlan'). Among Wilcox's final artwork are the illustrations for a sportsman's guide to surf fishing for the Stackpole Company in 1956. Wilcox died in Connecticut at the age of 62 on 20 February 1958.

After his family moved from Hungary to the USA, ALEX BLUM studied at the National Academy of Design in New York. He eventually joined the Eisner-Iger shop, and in 1939, he started illustrating 'Samson' and 'Eagle' for Fox. In 1940 he illustrated 'Purple Trio', 'Neon' and 'Strange Twins' for Quality Comics. In the same year, Blum started contributing to Fiction House, illustrating 'Red Comet', 'Kaanga', 'Midnight' and 'Greasemonkey Griffin' among others. He was presumably also the artist behind the pseudonym Armand Budd, that also drew for Fiction House.

Alex Blum was a top artist for the Classics Illustrated series from the early issues. He illustrated over 25 Classics and stood out for his use of theatrical dramatics, which is probably why he illustrated three of the five Shakespeare Classics. Alex Anthony Blum retired in 1961 and died in 1969.

JIM WILCOX was a pulp illustrator and Golden Age comic book artist for the Chesler and Funnnies Inc. studios. He was born James Milton Wilcox on 27 July 1895 in Columbus, Ohio. He served in the Army during the Great War, and returned to his hometown in 1919. Wilcox attended the Herron School of Art in Indianapolis and eventually became a commercial illustrator in advertising. His art appeared in several pulp magazines from Chicago and the East Coast, such as The Magic Carpet Magazine, Weird Tales, Thrilling Western, Ace Sports, Exciting Western, Western Aces, and Western Trails. Among his pulp work are the first illustrations of Robert E. Howard's 'Conan' in 1933.

By 1937 he began drawing comic features through the Chesler Studio, which he signed Jim Wilcox. He was the second artist of the 'Dick Cole' feature for Novelty's Blue Bolt Comics from 1943 to 1947; the original artist was Bob Davis. Wilcox also illustrated several stories with 'Young King Cole' and 'Dolly O'Dare', and contributed to companies like Dell ('Gene Autrey'), Gilberton ('The Gold Bug', 'Telltale Heart'), Centaur Comics ('The Lucifer Trail', 'Tex Maverick') and Fawcett ('Jim Dowlan'). Among Wilcox's final artwork are the illustrations for a sportsman's guide to surf fishing for the Stackpole Company in 1956. Wilcox died in Connecticut at the age of 62 on 20 February 1958.