Alter Ego #108 by TwoMorrows Publishing

Roy Roy T Thomas homas’ Marvel Marvel of of a a Comics Comics F Fanzine anzine

A 1970s BULLPENNER TALKS ABOUT

8.95

MARVEL COMICS No.108 & SOME COMIC BOOK LEGENDS

WARREN REECE

ON ON CLOSE CLOSE ENCOUNTERS ENCOUNTERS WITH: WITH:

BILL EVERETT CARL BURGOS STAN LEE JOHN ROMITA MARIE SEVERIN NEAL ADAMS GARY FRIEDRICH ALAN KUPPERBERG ROY THOMAS AND AND OTHERS! OTHERS! PLUS: PLUS:

GOLDEN AGE ARTIST

MIKE PEPPE

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AND AND MORE! MORE!

In the USA April 2012

Edited by ROY THOMAS The greatest ‘zine of the 1960s is back, ALL-NEW, and focusing on GOLDEN AND SILVER AGE comics and creators with ARTICLES, INTERVIEWS, UNSEEN ART, P.C. Hamerlinck’s FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America, featuring the archives of C.C. BECK and recollections by Fawcett artist MARCUS SWAYZE), Michael T. Gilbert’s MR. MONSTER, and more!

2011 EISNER AWARD Nominee Best Comics-Related Journalism

Other issues available, & an ULTIMATE BUNDLE with all issues at HALF-PRICE!

ALTER EGO #98

ALTER EGO #99

Spotlight on Superman’s first editor WHITNEY ELLSWORTH, longtime Kryptoeditor MORT WEISINGER remembered by his daughter, an interview with Superman writer ALVIN SCHWARTZ, art by JOE SHUSTER, WAYNE BORING, CURT SWAN, AL PLASTINO, and NEAL ADAMS, plus MR. MONSTER, FCA (FAWCETT COLLECTORS OF AMERICA), and a new cover by JERRY ORDWAY!

GEORGE TUSKA showcase issue on his career at Lev Gleason, Marvel, and in comics strips through the early 1970s—CRIME DOES NOT PAY, BUCK ROGERS, IRON MAN, AVENGERS, TEEN TITANS, HERO FOR HIRE, and more! PLUS: JIM AMASH’s interview with Golden Age Fiction House artist BILL BOSSERT, MICHAEL T. GILBERT in MR. MONSTER’S COMIC CRYPT, FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America), and more!

(84-page magazine with COLOR) $7.95 (Digital edition) $2.95

ALTER EGO #103

ALTER EGO #104

DIEDGITIIOTANSL BL AVAILA

ALTER EGO #95

Marvel’s NOT BRAND ECHH madcap parody mag from 1967-69, examined with rare art & artifacts by ANDRU, COLAN, BUSCEMA, DRAKE, EVERETT, FRIEDRICH, KIRBY, LEE, JOHN and MARIE SEVERIN, SPRINGER, SUTTON, THOMAS, TRIMPE, and more, GEORGE KASHDAN interview conclusion, FCA, MICHAEL T. GILBERT and MR. MONSTER, and more! Cover by MARIE SEVERIN! (84-page magazine with COLOR) $7.95 (Digital edition) $2.95

ALTER EGO: CENTENNIAL (AE #100)

ALTER EGO #96

Focus on Archie’s 1960s MIGHTY CRUSADERS, with vintage art and artifacts by JERRY SIEGEL, PAUL REINMAN, SIMON & KIRBY, JOHN ROSENBERGER, tributes to the Crusaders by BOB FUJITANE, GEORGE TUSKA, BOB LAYTON, and others! Plus an interview with MELL LAZARUS, FCA, MICHAEL T. GILBERT and MR. MONSTER, and more! Cover by MIKE MACHLAN! (84-page magazine with COLOR) $7.95 (Digital edition) $2.95

ALTER EGO #101

ALTER EGO #97

The non-EC Horror Comics of the 1950s! From Menace and House of Mystery to The Thing!, we present vintage art and artifacts by EVERETT, BRIEFER, DITKO, MANEELY, COLAN , MESKIN, MOLDOFF, HEATH, POWELL, COLE, SIMON & KIRBY, FUJITANI, and others, plus FCA, MICHAEL T. GILBERT and MR. MONSTER, and more, behind a creepy, eerie cover by BILL EVERETT! (84-page magazine with COLOR) $7.95 (Digital edition) $2.95

ALTER EGO #102

A/E celebrates 100 issues, and 50 years, of ALTER EGO magazine in a double-size BOOK! ROY THOMAS interviewed by JIM AMASH about ALL-STAR SQUADRON, INFINITY, INC., ARAK, other DC work, and more! Art by PÉREZ, McFARLANE, BUCKLER, ORDWAY, MACHLAN, GIL KANE, COLAN, GIORDANO, and more, plus Mr. Monster, FCA, BUCKLER/ORDWAY cover!

Fox Comics of the 1940s with art by BAKER, FINE, SIMON, KIRBY, TUSKA, FLETCHER HANKS, ALEX BLUM, and others! “Superman vs. Wonder Man” starring EISNER, IGER, MAYER, SIEGEL, and DONENFELD! Part I of an interview with JACK MENDELSOHN, plus FCA, Comic Fandom Archive, MR. MONSTER’S COMIC CRYPT, and new cover by SpiderMan artist DAVE WILLIAMS!

Spotlight on Green Lantern creators MART NODELL and BILL FINGER in the 1940s, and JOHN BROOME, GIL KANE, and JULIUS SCHWARTZ in 1959! Rare GL artwork by INFANTINO, REINMAN, HASEN, NEAL ADAMS, and others! Plus JACK MENDELSOHN Part II, FCA, MR. MONSTER’S COMIC CRYPT, and new cover by GIL KANE & TERRY AUSTIN, and MART NODELL!

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ALTER EGO #105

ALTER EGO #106

ALTER EGO #107

The early career of comics writer STEVE ENGLEHART: Defenders, Captain America, Master of Kung Fu, The Beast, Mantis, and more, with rare art and artifacts by SAL BUSCEMA, STARLIN, SUTTON, HECK, BROWN, and others. Plus, JIM AMASH interviews early artist GEORGE MANDEL (Captain Midnight, The Woman in Red, Blue Bolt, Black Marvel, etc.), FCA, MR. MONSTER’S COMIC CRYPT, and more!

Celebrates the 50th anniversary of FANTASTIC FOUR #1 and the birth of Marvel Comics! New, never-beforepublished STAN LEE interview, art and artifacts by KIRBY, DITKO, SINNOTT, AYERS, THOMAS, and secrets behind the Marvel Mythos! Also: JIM AMASH interviews 1940s Timely editor AL SULMAN, FCA, MR. MONSTER’S COMIC CRYPT, and a new cover by FRENZ and SINNOTT!

See comic art and script BEFORE and AFTER the Comics Code changes, with art by SIMON & KIRBY, DITKO, BUSCEMA, SINNOTT, GOULD, COLE, STERANKO, KRIGSTEIN, O’NEIL, GLANZMAN, ORLANDO, WILLIAMSON, HEATH, and others! Plus: FCA, Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, BILL SCHELLY, JIM AMASH interviews Timely/Atlas artist CAL MASSEY, and a new cover by JOSH MEDORS!

DICK GIORDANO through the 1960s—from freelance years and Charlton “Action-Heroes” to his first stint at DC! Art by DITKO, APARO, BOYETTE, MORISI, McLAUGHLIN, GIL KANE, and others, Dick’s final convention panel with STEVE SKEATES and ROY THOMAS, JIM AMASH interviews Charlton artist TONY TALLARICO, FCA with MARC SWAYZE and ROY ALD, MR. MONSTER’S COMIC CRYPT, BILL SCHELLY, GIORDANO cover, and more!

Big BATMAN issue, with an unused Golden Age cover by DICK SPRANG! Interviews SPRANG and JIM MOONEY, with rare and unseen Batman art by BOB KANE, JERRY ROBINSON, WIN MORTIMER, SHELLY MOLDOFF, CHARLES PARIS, and others! Part II of the TONY TALLARICO interview by JIM AMASH! Plus FCA, MR. MONSTER’S COMIC CRYPT, BILL SCHELLY, and more!

(84-page magazine with COLOR) $7.95 (Digital edition) $2.95

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $2.95

Vol. 3, No. 108 / April 2012 Roy Thomas

Editor

Bill Schelly Jim Amash

Associate Editors Jon B. Cooke

Design & Layout John Morrow

Consulting Editor P.C. Hamerlinck

FCA Editor

Michael T. Gilbert

Comic Crypt Editor Jerry G. Bails (founder) Ronn Foss, Biljo White Mike Friedrich

Editorial Honor Roll

Rob Smentek

Proofreader

Carl Burgos & Bill Everett

Cover Artists

AT LAST! ALL IN COLOR FOR $8.95!

Tom Ziuko

Cover Colorist

Contents

With Special Thanks to:

Writer/Editorial: Magnificent Obsession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 “With The Fathers Of Our Heroes” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Glenn Ald Barbara Harmon Roy Ald Heritage Comics Heidi Amash Archives Michael Ambrose Roger Hill Dave Armstrong Douglas Jones (“Gaff”) Richard Arndt David Karlen [blog] Bob Bailey David Anthony Kraft John Benson Alan Kupperberg Dominic Bongo Batton Lash Lorraine Broertjes Len Leone Susan Burgos Jim Ludwig Mike Burkey Russ Maheras Aaron Caplan Timothy Marion Nick Caputo Barry Pearl James Cassara Fern Peppe Dewey Cassell Michele Peppe Shaun Clancy Warren Reece Bob Cosgrove Gene Reed Jose Delbo Marc Swayze Mike Delisa Tony Tallarico Jackie Estrada Mitch Tart Justin Fairfax Jeff Taylor Sholly Fisch Dann Thomas Shane Foley Dorothy Tuska Joe Frank Albert Val Stephan Friedt Gary Watson Paul Gambaccini Gregg Whitmore Janet Gilbert Robert Wiener Kevin Greenlee Bill G. Wilson Jennifer Hamerlinck

This issue is dedicated to the memory of:

Bill Everett & Carl Burgos

1970s Marvel Bullpenner Warren Reece talks about legends Bill Everett & Carl Burgos— and how he amassed an incomparable collection of early Timelys.

Part III of Jim Amash’s candid conversation with artist Tony Tallarico—re Charlton, this time!

“I’m Responsible For What I’ve Done” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Dewey Cassell talks with Fern Peppe about her husband, Golden/Silver Age inker Mike Peppe.

“Being A Cartoonist Didn’t Really Define Him”. . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Michael T. Gilbert on the 97-pound weakling who transformed all the rest of us!

Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt! Charles Atlas—Man And Myth! . 57

Bill Schelly begins his coverage of that 2011 San Diego Comic-Con event—with a photo festival!

Comic Fandom Archive: Fandom’s 50th Birthday Bash, Part I . . . 63

re: [correspondence, comments, & corrections] . . . . . . . . . 69 FCA [Fawcett Collectors Of America] #167 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 P.C. Hamerlinck proudly presents two of Fawcett’s finest—Marc Swayze & Roy Ald.

On Our Cover: What do you do when most of the art and story mentioned in an issue’s featured piece has been reprinted in hardcover Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age volumes over the past few years? Well, first of all, you realize that it really hasn’t—’cause most of those vintage pages have had to be retouched and fixed up (albeit with increasing skill and improved results in recent times), 99% of the original art having been blown away forever by the errant winds of time. Luckily, thanks to collector/historian Robert Wiener, Ye Editor has been in possession for some years of good photocopies of pristine Photostats of original art for a number of those early Timely pages—including the Torch/Namor splash page of Marvel Mystery Comics #17 (March 1941), the first time the mag’s two stars battled the Axis together rather than pasting each other. Presto—a Carl Burgos & Bill Everett image which has never before appeared on a cover! [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

Above: The first image (out of many) in this issue which is reproduced from color photocopies made from original comics of late 1939 through the early 1940s: Carl Burgos’ “Human Torch” splash panel (plus one) from Marvel Mystery Comics #4 (Feb. 1940), courtesy of Warren Reece. The “Torch” scripting, too, is presumed to be by Burgos, at least in the earliest issues. [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

Alter EgoTM is published 8 times a year by TwoMorrows, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614, USA. Phone: (919) 449-0344. Roy Thomas, Editor. John Morrow, Publisher. Alter Ego Editorial Offices: 32 Bluebird Trail, St. Matthews, SC 29135, USA. Fax: (803) 826-6501; e-mail: roydann@ntinet.com. Send subscription funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial offices. Eight-issue subscriptions: $60 US, $85 Canada, $107 elsewhere. All characters are © their respective companies. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © Roy Thomas. Alter Ego is a TM of Roy & Dann Thomas. FCA is a TM of P.C. Hamerlinck. Printed in Canada. ISSN: 1932-6890 FIRST PRINTING.

writer/editorial

Magnificent Obsession

o call this an “offbeat” issue, as I did in #107’s next-issue ad, was an understatement, at least when describing—or trying to describe—our cover-featured lead article written by Warren Reece.

I’ve known Warren since around 1970. Even then, he was an avid fan and collector already in the process of amassing a distinctly uncommon assemblage of comics—namely, early runs of such Timely mags as The Human Torch, Sub-Mariner, Captain America Comics, Mystic Comics, Daring Mystery Comics—and, above all, Marvel Mystery Comics, the flagship Timely title to end all Timely titles. Along the way, he was getting those classic issues autographed by not only “Sub-Mariner” creator Bill Everett, but even by the elusive Carl Burgos, creator of “The Human Torch.”

Still, what makes Warren virtually unique among fans is that he has always considered his collection as basically a sacred trust. Selling one of his early Timelys—except for the purpose of gaining an even more soughtafter one—has never even entered his mind. His mission in life—well, not his only mission, for he has interests besides comics, and among other things also owns a couple of super-rare artifacts related to the original King Kong—has been to amass and preserve a collection of the first few years’ worth of Martin Goodman’s comics as a pop-cultural national treasure. Along the way, he has also been tireless in his efforts to publicize their creators, particularly Everett and Burgos. To this end, he has often made parts of his collection—which begins with a copy of the Oct. (not Nov.) 1939 Marvel Comics #1, which introduced “The Human Torch” and “Sub-Mariner”—available for exhibits and special events. (As an avocation, he tirelessly does battle with those who believe the “SubMariner” story in Marvel #1 was largely a reprint from Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1. But we’ll let him argue his own case on that score. We don’t have a dogfish in that fight.) Ordinarily, though I naturally have an appreciation for the joys of

comics collecting in its various facets, I haven’t felt the subject was a good fit for coverage in Alter Ego. However, fascinated by Warren’s lifelong quest, a couple of years ago I invited him to write about his intertwined experiences re collecting and his encounters with Everett, Burgos, and a few others along the way. Warren responded, after some time, with an article twice as long as the one I’ve edited down for inclusion on the pages that follow.

In addition, unbidden, he made gorgeous color photocopies of key pages from his vintage issues, since it seemed wrong to illustrate his quest with artwork from Marvel Masterworks volumes—or even from other people’s collections. Thus, readers will have a chance to see the original versions of those pages, all in color, even if necessarily at a reduced size.

No, this isn’t the start of a trend. Alter Ego isn’t going to turn into a latter-day version of Comic Book Marketplace, much as I admired many aspects of that sadly defunct magazine. It’s extremely unlikely that anything much resembling Warren’s article will be printed in a future edition of this zine. Still, just this once, I wanted to give a lifelong fan and super-collector—and a guy who, for a time in the 1970s, even realized his ambition to become a Marvel staffer—a chance to tell what it’s been like.

In the end, he and I and publisher John Morrow agreed it would be a Good Thing to give readers a chance to peruse Warren’s entire article, just as he wrote it. Thus, if you wish, you can download a PDF version of it at this link: http://www.twomorrows.com/media/FathersOfOurHeroes.pdf Bestest,

P.S.: In answer to a couple of puzzled folks: Because my wife Dann and I throw a mammoth Halloween party every year, which takes considerable preparation, I felt a need to avoid having a deadline fall in October, so it was arranged with publisher John M. to switch from January and March issues to February and April ones… which means A/E will be monthly from April through August this year. And chances are that we’ll keep to that schedule next year, as well.

COMING IN MAY & ALL IN FULL COLOR!

STILL MORE ALL-STAR SECRETS OF THE

109

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA! • Juicy JSA cover by GEORGE PÉREZ—never before seen at full size! • The secrets we couldn’t squeeze into The All-Star Companions! Spotlight on Spectre & Hour-Man artist/co-creator BERNARD BAILY, by KEN QUATTRO—the ROY THOMAS/ MICHAEL BAIR 1980s series JSA: Invasion from Fairyland that never was (but with plenty of art that is!)—and “What If” 1940s JSA-style groups from an alternate Earth! Plus rare JSA-related art by Golden Age icons KUBERT, INFANTINO, HASEN, NODELL, RICE, MOLDOFF, NAYDEL, et al.! • The fabulous finales of JIM AMASH’s interview with TONY TALLARICO—and of DEWEY CASSELL’s look at Golden Age artist MIKE PEPPE! • MICHAEL T. GILBERT’s Comic Crypt—BILL SCHELLY with more on the San Diego Comic-Con’s 50th-Anniversary of Fandom Celebration—FCA with ROY ALD & MARC SWAYZE’s Ibis the Invincible!—& MORE! Edited by ROY THOMAS • SUBSCRIBE NOW! Eight issues in the US: $60 Standard, $80 First Class • (Canada: $85, Elsewhere: $107 Surface, $155 Airmail) • NEW LOWER RATES FOR INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS! SAVE $4 PER ISSUE!

TwoMorrows—A New Day For Comics Fandom! TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA • 919-449-0344 • FAX: 919-449-0327 E-mail: twomorrow@aol.com • Visit us on the Web at www.twomorrows.com

“ With The Fathers Of Our Heroes” Personal Memories Of CARL BURGOS, BILL EVERETT, & Others—And Of Collecting The Earliest Appearances Of Their Seminal Brainchildren by Warren Reece

A World Discovered

artooning fandom was a different world when I was a teenager, back in a period that was, metaphorically, analogous to what Australian aborigines term “the dream time.” In that bygone era, there were few shops where you could find old “comic books” (cartoon magazines might be a more accurate term), few books about their history (and little money to buy them), and even fewer opportunities to meet the creators of the legendary characters: “the fathers of our heroes.”

For me, the first of these awesome encounters occurred when I was seventeen and I became aware of the new phenomenon of comics conventions. Until then, besides, I had been considered too young to be traveling to and from Manhattan on trains. All I’d had up till that time was the printed page, but that was a wondrous fate:

In 1966, following my first few months of collecting The Amazing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, and the anthologies that presented “Hulk,” “Iron Man,” “Captain America,” and company, I bought Marvel Super-Heroes #1. In this one-shot, 25¢ special edition, a lost era was briefly glimpsed through a somewhat blurry reprint “window,” when Smilin’ Stan Lee elected to include the “Sub-Mariner” story from Marvel Mystery Comics #8 (June 1940). Readers like me witnessed a furious young Prince Namor destroy a Hudson River tunnel and an airplane, release animals from their enclosures in the Bronx Zoo (an act softened by his rescue of an infant from the path of stampeding elephants), damage the George Washington Bridge, and, as a

Marvel Super-Heroes – From 1939 To The 1960s Warren Reece (then Warren Storob) in the 1980s with his collection of goodies—which includes the Oct. ’39 edition of Marvel Comics #1, the very first Timely/Marvel title. At the time the photo was taken, only one copy with an October cover date (as opposed to the larger-print-run second edition of #1, which had a cover date of November) was known to exist. Warren’s copy is autographed by three of the artists featured therein: Bill Everett, Carl Burgos, and humor-cartoonist Fred Schwab. Photo by Mary Jane Medvecky originally taken for Spigot magazine, as reproduced in Comics Interview #8 (Feb. 1984); with thanks to David Anthony Kraft. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.] Also shown: the composite Bill Everett & Jack Kirby cover of Marvel Super-Heroes #1 (1966), which trumpets at bottom the first Golden Age super-hero story ever reprinted by Marvel—or seen by young Warren. All comic art repro’d with this article was provided by Warren, unless otherwise noted. [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

Personal Memories Of Carl Burgos, Bill Everett, & Others—And Of Collecting The Earliest Appearances Of Their Seminal Brainchildren

A Herd Of Stampeding Elephants Couldn’t Stop Me! (Left & right:) A key “Sub-Mariner” page written and drawn by Everett for Marvel Mystery Comics #8 (June 1940)—and that page as reprinted (as retouched on Photostats) in 1966’s Marvel Super-Heroes #1. Thanks to Barry Pearl for the latter scan. [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

topper, have his first bout with the original, android Human Torch. This was not only their first meeting; according to one scholarly source, it was the first time in publishing history that cartoon characters from separate strips “crossed over” into one story. The opening caption explained that the fantastically-powered SubMariner, master of travel undersea, on land, and in the air, was seeking revenge on humanity for attempting to electrocute him after he had refused to lend his powers to its cause. I didn’t thoroughly understand, but I soon found myself obsessed with the quest for every rare old issue that could tell me more!

With further vintage stories being reprinted in Fantasy Masterpieces #7, 8, & 9 in 1967, I became more familiar with the lost “Golden Age” genesis of Marvel from 1939-41. Of particular interest to me were Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner, and his encounters with the original Torch in Marvel Mystery Comics #8-10. The reprints were slightly edited and condensed, but they were all that were available at the time, at least for kids. I saw more of Namor’s savage rampage against what he perceived as a villainous America, as the Torch and the authorities tried to stop him. I was also introduced to Namor’s undersea people, and was particularly struck by the largeeyed male Sub-Mariners with their huge, spine-like mustaches, which I mistook for products of primitive drawing technique by signing artist Bill Everett. I soon learned not to underestimate his titanic talent, for those undersea guys looked just as their creator

wanted them to look in those pre-revisionist Marvel times.

I also quickly came to look upon the character of Officer Betty Dean with great respect. This clever, classy, charismatic, cute, courageous cop, introduced in the Marvel Mystery for January 1940, was originally assigned as a decoy to trap Namor, but soon became his friend, an ally against the Nazis, and the mediator who settled his battle with the Torch and humanity. As a character and a female role model, she was, I think, ahead of her time. I had to get more old mags and learn more.

Shortly after my return from living in England for a year and a half, the opportunities for fulfillment began to present themselves. I was sixteen when I purchased Marvel Mystery Comics #78, 81, & 85, for $15, at My Friend’s Book Store in Brooklyn, NY. Before that, I had never seen any older Marvels. That summer, one of the first big conventions for comic book collectors was held in New York.

Meanwhile, Jules Feiffer’s 1965 book The Great Comic Book Heroes, featuring an impressive array of Golden Age reprints, came belatedly to my attention. Among the stories therein was the “SubMariner” episode from Marvel Mystery #7. In it, the hero renewed his quest for vengeance, planning to invade and conquer America single-handed. Before long, he was shoving a ferryboat into the path of an ocean liner, wrecking a trestle and train, and hurling the

“With The Fathers Of Our Heroes”

Comics #1 (the series’ first issue lacked the word Mystery in its title) was missing its back cover; even so, he treasured it, and it was not for sale. His face beamed with wonder and delight as he made reference to “the Torch in the bottle.” For my part, I was transfixed by artist Frank R. Paul’s cover rendering of The Human Torch as a fiery, pointy-eared genie with a blazing top-lock. After I snapped out of my trance, I worked out a deal for Captain America #1 and Marvel Mystery #13, 24, & 28, the earliest issues he had for sale. The batch was priced at $152, but Roger, perhaps touched by my awe, let me have it for $125, which constituted my life savings. Then, some big guy at the door was shouting for everyone to get out of there, because the convention was closing soon. What a drag that was!

For the rest of the summer, I found myself dealing doubles of old mags and saving my allowance. I phoned Phil Seuling, who told me he had a beautiful Marvel Comics #1 for sale at $250. I think I worked for my dad in order to earn a little extra. After some rocky negotiations, the two of us went to the Seulings’, The Great Comic Book Nostalgia whose apartment overlooked the famous (Top left:) The cover of the original 1965 Dial Press edition of Jules Feiffer’s all-important collection The Cyclone roller-coaster in Coney Island. I Great Comic Book Heroes, with its Joe Shuster Superman figure. This book, and an excerpt from it that think my dad, who didn’t approve of my appeared a couple of months earlier in Playboy, did much to trigger the nostalgia (or at least the admission hobby, loaned me $150 so I could make of nostalgia) of a number of adults for the comics of their allegedly misspent youth. the purchase before another collector [Superman art © 2012 DC Comics.] could beat me to the treasure. Upstairs, I (Top right:) The splash page of the vintage “Sub-Mariner” story reprinted in GCBH, complete with a recognized Phil as the loud guy at the footnote by Feiffer, enlarged above. His full text for the tome was reprinted by Fantagraphics a couple convention who’d been ordering of years back, but minus the comics reprints, all of which are available elsewhere today. everyone out. I also met his wife Carole, [Sub-Mariner page © 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.; text © 2012 Jules Feiffer.] who, like Phil, eventually did some writing for Marvel, and their two sweet dirigible mooring-mast atop of the Empire State Building down little daughters, whom I recognized from the newspaper photo. upon the crowds below! There was more than a little King Kong in

the latter two depredations. I was hooked, and I don’t think I was the only one, because The Great Comic Book Heroes was always checked out from my local public library, and my high school’s library, as well.

Phil took my dad and me into a little back room, where he kept lots of Golden Age mags and two framed pieces of original art. He pulled Marvel Comics #1 from a box on a top shelf. With trembling hands, I glimpsed wonders as I paged through the mag. I noticed that the Human Torch’s costume was blue, not red as it It was a hot vacation day in July of 1968 when my had been in the Fantasy Masterpieces reprint. I flipped father brought me some newspaper articles about the past the debuts of “The Angel” and “The Masked convention. One featured a photo of old Henry Raider” to reach “The Sub-Mariner,” which was Keller, a dealer of cartoon treasures, with Gwen drawn by Bill Everett with an artistic process and Heather Seuling, young daughters of Marvel had been unable to reproduce in FM. convention chairman Phil Seuling. On Sunday, Apparently the use of Craft Tint, an illustration July 7th, my father’s birthday, he and I took the board that allowed shading by bringing out train into Manhattan to attend the last day of fine parallel and cross hatchings by brushing the convention. On the way into the Statler two different photographic developers on the Hilton Hotel, I bought a Marvel Boy #1 for $4. illustration boards, combined with the screened Up on the hotel’s 18th floor, I went from table tones of the colored inks added at the printers, to table, asking the dealers if they had Marvel had been perceived as “muddy” by the Mystery Comics #1 or Captain America Comics #1. artist/writer and his superiors in 1939, so its use Finally, I was directed to Roger Nelson, an was dropped after the first two stories. elderly, bespectacled gentleman from Still, I was captivated by Namor’s origin: Phil ’Er Up! Chicago with an impressive batch of Captain Leonard McKenzie’s accidental Golden Age mags, including those two Comics dealer Phil Seuling at the 1969 New York Comic bombardment of the Antarctic undersea first issues! Art Convention—his first solo con, after he’d been a cocity of the Sub-Mariners; the Emperor’s host of the SCARP-Con the year before. Reprinted from Roger explained that his copy of Marvel deployment of the lovely Princess Fen as Alter Ego [Vol. 1] #10, 1969.

Personal Memories Of Carl Burgos, Bill Everett, & Others—And Of Collecting The Earliest Appearances Of Their Seminal Brainchildren

A Marvel Of The Ages! (Left:) The Frank R. Paul-drawn cover of the ultra-rare Oct. 1939 edition of Marvel Comics #1 that Warren Reece purchased from Phil Seuling. Warren gives its pedigree as: sold by a Mr. Edwards, a Philadelphia druggist/newsagent, to one Paul Zack for a dime in 1939… sold by Zack to Dave Waxman of Great Neck, NY, for $100 in 1968… sold by Waxman to Phil Seuling for $150 later that year… and sold soon thereafter to Warren for $220. Warren’s copy has appeared in numerous exhibits and publications, as well as on television. (Right:) The first page of the “Sub-Mariner” story therein, autographed by Bill Everett at a New York con. The Craft Tint illustration board was intended to achieve a feeling of “depth under water.” [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

a spy among the “white monsters” of the surface ship (written in a beautiful Shakespearian parlance); the ill-fated marriage of Captain McKenzie and Princess Fen; Namor’s birth and later discovery of his surface heritage; and his first mission of revenge against the surface people for the deaths and damages inflicted on his people when McKenzie’s ship, the Oracle, had blasted its way out of an ice floe—an action mistaken by the undersea race as an act of war. Such plotting was to become standard Marvel formula more than two decades later, but it began in Marvel Comics #1, back in 1939. I paid every penny I had in the world to Phil, along with a large loan from my father which I repaid over several months. It was the best purchase I ever made, with the possible exception of my original, illustrated King Kong script, years later.

“It Was An Ancient Mariner…”

The year went by, and I continued to collect Marvels. I got to know Henry Keller, who had been in the newspaper photo with the Seuling girls, and bought some nice Golden Age Marvels from him and his partner, Al Faruggio, at their old shop on Grand Street in Brooklyn, which looked like a cover for Operation Rebirth, the

project that had spawned Captain America! Finally, July arrived, and, to my great anticipation, there was another of Phil’s Comic Art Conventions.

I was hoping and praying I’d be able to buy there the original Marvel Mystery battle issues that featured the first cross-overs between the Torch and Sub-Mariner, as well as the second “SubMariner” story with its odd Craft Tint murkiness. Tired but “wired,” I packed my English duffle bag (symbol of the comic book collector when I’d visited the market bookstalls in England) with my Marvel Comics #1, Captain America #1, and maybe a couple of other non-conventional status symbols, and, armed with a $200 loan, headed off for the D-Train into Manhattan.

On the 18th floor of the Statler Hilton, I found a mob of enthusiasts on line; they soon spread all over every floor area with open suitcases of mags for sale. In the dealer room I quickly spotted a Marvel Mystery on a wall—issue #2! With a little negotiating, Tom Altschuler dropped the price from $100 to 80 bucks!

I had been given a tip by an acquaintance, Jerome Tepper, that one Louis Valladeres, a guy he’d met in Robert Bell’s famous comic

“With The Fathers Of Our Heroes”

Portrait Of The Artist And A Young Amphibian (Left:) Presumably, both the artist-portrait and Sub-Mariner figure accompanying the (partly bogus) Everett text bio in The Human Torch #2 (Fall 1940; actually the first issue) were drawn by Bill himself; the title utilized his distinctive signature. Too bad much of the line art on Namor’s head dropped out, even in the original comic. You can read the whole bio in the hardcover Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Human Torch, Vol. 1. [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.] (Center & right:) Bill E., seen in a circa-1970 photo, drew this Sub-Mariner profile for Warren Reece at a 1969 comic-con, on a piece of typing paper he found lying about, using a felttipped pen. Warren still has it. [Sub-Mariner TM & © 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

book shop in Queens, was going to be at the show with Marvel Mystery #8 & 10. As it turned out, Valladeres also had #7, the issue with the great “Sub-Mariner” story reprinted in Feiffer’s book. With some high-powered bargaining, I got the price down from $120 to 80 samoleons. Thank you, Lord!

Over the next few hours, with the help of my new acquaintance Perry Albert (whom I’d met that morning, as I had writer Nicola Cuti), I met Jeff Gordon, who had Marvel Mystery #9, priced at $75—an absolutely essential battle issue with the famous TorchSub-Mariner cover by Alex Shomburg. I had to have it, but he had to have his price, and I only had $45 left. For the balance, Jeff agreed to take Captain America #8, which I intended to repurchase when I was “in the money” again! Wow! What a morning! I had accomplished my mission, and then some!

Broke but ecstatic, I received some exciting news: Later that day. Bill Everett, creator of Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner, would be at the convention! With the same exuberant, almost fanatical drive that impelled me to those fabulous original editions of his work, I went from person to person asking where Everett was, not having a clue as to how he looked!

Soon, in the main dealer room, not far from the spot where I’d bought Golden Age mags from Roger Nelson at the previous convention, I was directed to a tall, slim Caucasian man in his fifties with back-swept black hair, wearing black-rimmed glasses and a fashionable Army field jacket. I very politely greeted the artist and engaged him in conversation, soon asking him how he had come up with such a great concept as The Sub-Mariner.

“Well,” he replied, “I was an angry young man. I was fed up with the world, and I wanted to see the world get what was coming to it! I was fascinated by the sea, so I decided to create a character who came from the sea, and he would have his revenge on mankind. But it wasn’t enough to have a super-powered

character who would go around wrecking everything. He had to have a motive; so I gave him the motive, and gave him the power, and thus you have Prince Namor.”

Impressed with his answer, I politely asked whether he would draw a sketch of The SubMariner for me. Obligingly, he went with me to an empty dealer table, where lay some sheets of typing paper, and, with a felt-tipped pen, he began to draw a portrait of Namor. He stopped a few seconds later, apparently dissatisfied with the attempt—and began again on a fresh sheet of paper. Within a short time, he completed a nice portrait of his brainchild. He also signed my Marvel Comics #1 in the right margin of page 1 of his first “SubMariner” story, then signed the first page of each “Sub-Mariner” story in issues 2, 7, 8, 9, & 10.

I thanked him for his generosity, at which point he was approached by several other fans who wanted sketches. Patiently, he obliged them all.

I attended the rest of the convention that week, broke but happy; and, each evening at home in the Seacrest Apartments in Sheepshead Bay, I pored over those wonderful, rare old cartoon magazines. I immersed myself into the depths of New York Harbor, the East River, and Central Park Lake with Prince Namor, and into the adventure-fantasy world of William Blake Everett, as richly illustrated in the long-lost pages of Marvel Mystery #2, with its undersea Craft Tint look.

As Bill would later explain in an interview with friend, editor, writer, fan, and sometime roomie Roy Thomas (which would eventually be published in Alter Ego [Vol. 1] #11, in 1978), the artists had had no control over the way their art was colored back in those early days. Beyond guides for specific costumes, all color decisions were made by the printers, so Bill had attempted to provide watery tones and shadows with Craft Tint. It had line screens that were invisible until two different chemical “developers” were applied, each making a screen of parallel lines appear in black. The overlapping of these tonal screens actually produced a third gradation of black line screening. The results were three

Personal Memories Of Carl Burgos, Bill Everett, & Others—And Of Collecting The Earliest Appearances Of Their Seminal Brainchildren

Taking The Eerie Canal to Carl Burgos

shades of grey for the human eye, but sharp black lines for the “eye” of the camera at the engravers, which enabled the preparation of plates for inexpensive “letterpress” printing. Later, color “Ben Day” dot screens were printed over this black line art.

Carl Burgos in a detail from a photo taken, his daughter Susan believes, in the late 1960s/early ’70s, flanked by a page he drew for the late-’60s Eerie, drawn by Burgos— and his handwritten response to Warren’s letter to him. The comics page is repro’d from the hardcover The Weird World of Eerie Publications: Comic Gore That Warped Millions of Young Minds! by Mike Howlett (2010, Feral House)—a worthwhile book about a salacious subject. The rest of the photo, which includes 1940s Timely artists at a reunion, was printed courtesy of Susan Burgos in A/E #49, the Burgos issue, still available from TwoMorrows Publishing. [Eerie art © 2012 estate of Carl Burgos.]

Bill felt the printing for this second “Sub-Mariner” appearance was an improvement, but he and (probably) publisher Martin Goodman still weren’t happy with the “muddy” effect—though Roy Thomas said he always thought it worked fairly well, and I sure did! In fact, a couple of years after getting that issue, I had occasion to dive to the bottom of Central Park Lake, and I assure you that it was a hell of a lot darker than the allegedly muddy depiction in Marvel Mystery #2; but there I was, like Namor, below a rowboat with two guys in it. Still, I had compensation for the darkness I experienced; there were two sharp European blondes waiting in the boat, as well.

Speaking of lovely young ladies, one striking feature of the “Sub-Mariner” story in Marvel Mystery #2 was his desire for a wealthy young New York socialite. Unaware at first that she could not survive underwater, he attempted to take her home with him, though eventually, after a spectacular battle with the police, he fled New York without her.

Marvel Mystery Comics #4 (Feb. 1940) introduced Namor’s grandfather’s fleet of aerial submarines, powered by alcoholcharged steam and equipped with steam guns and magnetic towlines. I recognized an uncanny similarity to the later “Flying Sub” on TV’s Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, but Bill Everett, who, as I later read, had been art director for an electronics- and inventionrelated magazine in the 1930s, had apparently designed his version more than twenty years earlier! The true genius of this man was

reaching out to me, through his old work.

Still, not all I learned about this “father” of one of our greatest cartoonmagazine heroes came through his work. I began to learn more about Bill Everett through other people. One was a future Marvel artist, Alan Kupperberg, the champion author of letters published in Marvel letters pages; more about him below.

The other was an Everett colleague and friend of long standing: Carl Burgos—the “father” of the original Human Torch.

“The Man Who Lit The Torch”

I was in my first semester of college at Long Island University’s Brooklyn Center, just up DeKalb Avenue from the site of the foundry where the casting of the famous statue of the “Flag-Raising at Iwo Jima” had been done. My own “casting,” so to speak, was in part being done by Assistant Professor of English Tim Boggan, who would become world-famous in 1970 when he was on the pingpong team that sneaked over to Communist China, without U.S. State Department permission, to play those outstanding Chinese folks.

It was around that time that I noticed some black-&-white horror cartoon mags on the stands. The art looked rather crude when compared with Warren Publications’ Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella. But in the editorial credits I immediately saw a mention of “Carl Burgos”—the name of the creator of the Golden Age Human Torch.

I was very interested in meeting him, so I wrote a very nice letter requesting an appointment—though I couldn’t be sure that I

“With The Fathers Of Our Heroes”

Torch as he flew out of Professor Horton’s house at the end of his debut story in Marvel Comics #1, I “flew” out of the Tau Epsilon Phi frat house, likewise determined that no one would use me for selfish gain! I knew what was more important to me, and it wasn’t scrubbing frat houses with toothbrushes. I was free!

was actually writing to the Carl Burgos. Still, the letter of reply that I soon received stated: Dear Warren: The creator of the Torch is Carl Burgos; the same one whose name you saw in the horror books. Okay, you can have your few minutes, only call before you come up to the office….

I telephoned Eerie Publications, Inc., for an appointment. The call was picked up by Carl Burgos, whom for some reason I had expected to sound like a Hispanic gentleman. I discovered I was incorrect about my ethnic presumption. He seemed quite friendly and granted my request to visit him and have him autograph some early Marvel Mystery Comics.

A few days later, however, I ran into an impediment to my planned journey. I had been “rushed” into “pledging” for the L.I.U. chapter of the Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity. The house chairman, Howie Mand, expected all “pledges,” or prospective frat brothers, to hang around their table at school and run errands, or do things like scrub things at the frat house. When I told Howie about my upcoming appointment, he raised a powerful objection to my going; I was expected to spend that time serving the fraternity. I told him I was not about to cancel my appointment. Howie made some obscene remark about what he alleged I was going to do with Mr. Burgos, whereupon I responded to him with my own timehonored obscene suggestion. In turn, he vowed that I would never get into that fraternity. Consequently, like the original Human

On the day of my appointment, I made the journey across Brooklyn and the East River to 222 A “Torch” Song? The “Blues”? Park Avenue South, only a You Decide! short walk from where, Carl Burgos (or someone else?) drew the years later, I was to artist’s portrait to accompany his text freelance for Marvel Age, bio in Human Torch #2—which is the news magazine of juxtaposed here with the first page of Marvel Comics, writing the “Human Torch” story that led off about the company’s Marvel Comics #1, as autographed by history, and culminating in Burgos. Now that Alter Ego has gone allthe publication of Carl color, such pages can be repro’d, Burgos’ obituary. I was on courtesy of Warren, from the original my way, with my little comics rather than from any retouched version, original blue costume and all! English duffle bag slung [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.] over my shoulder like Robin Hood’s quiver of arrows, only I was carrying some of the very Marvel Mystery Comics later utilized when I worked for Marvel on the company’s various licenses. I had studied them. I had gotten to know the Torch and Namor, who, in a sense, were the “fathers” of the modern Marvel heroes, and was on my way to meet the “father” of The Human Torch. As I gazed upon Manhattan, I almost expected to see the Torch and Sub-Mariner flying through those concrete canyons. Finally, I arrived at my destination: not a skyscraper, but an old, cast-iron-facaded structure.

After the receptionist announced my arrival, I was soon greeted by a robust-looking, black-haired chap in his fifties. He looked different from the image I’d imagined. Rather than an artist’s smock, he was in his shirtsleeves. He said something like, “Warren? Carl Burgos!” He stuck his drawing and writing hand out for a vigorous shake and led me into the office suite, where we sat down for a chat.

I withdrew the mags from my little black bag. He noticed the name “Tom Altschuler” on the label sealing the plastic bag that contained my Marvel Mystery #2. “It would be an Altschuler!” he exclaimed. He seemed taken by the notion that I was a Jewish lad. Years later, when the third volume of Alter Ego published an interview with Carl’s daughter Susan, I learned a number of revealing things about the old master, including his original name: Max Finklestein. At this point, I asked Carl the same question I’d asked Bill Everett:

“Mr. Burgos, how did you come to create a great concept like the Torch?” “Because I was hungry!”

Then, he went beyond the practical, Depression-era motive and added a reference to a scene in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar in which one of the conspirators describes seeing men in fire

Personal Memories Of Carl Burgos, Bill Everett, & Others—And Of Collecting The Earliest Appearances Of Their Seminal Brainchildren

walking up and down the street. Next, he asked, “How’s my old friend, Bill Everett, doing? I hear that he’s gettin’ around on a cane!”

I didn’t have much to tell him, other than that Bill hadn’t been using any cane when I’d met him, but had looked well and been dressed in an Army jacket, like a lot of hippies. Carl made a point of telling me that Bill had earned the right to wear that Army jacket. Bill, like Carl, Jack Kirby, and a number of other “fathers” of our heroes, had served in the armed forces during World War II, and some had become heroes without the aid of super-powers. I also told Carl that Bill had drawn a sketch of The Sub-Mariner for me. I hoped Carl would draw one of the Torch. He had told me on the phone that maybe he’d do one some other time, after this appointment. I mentioned it again. Carl emphasized that he had done such a picture for only one person. I believe that person was collector Chester Grabowski, because “Chet” once told me about Carl’s having drawn a picture for him—in color, too, if my chat with him many years later is still intact in my memory.

Carl gingerly autographed Marvel Comics #1 and Marvel Mystery #2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 24, & 28. He emphatically told me he had never autographed mags for anyone else, which I took in a very awestruck, respectful way. Then he picked up some of my mags, stood up, and proudly displayed them to people around the office. As I learned, years later, from the interview with Susan Burgos, Carl, like Bill, no

longer owned copies of those old mags. Bitter over his unsuccessful attempt in the late 1960s to gain ownership of his creation, he had tragically destroyed his back issues that contained the Torch’s adventures. Like his creation, Carl had an incendiary quality—an anger that blazed when he felt sufficiently provoked. I was later to experience that for myself, for it didn’t take much to make Carl blaze.

Anyway, our initial meeting went fast and pleasantly, after which I headed back to Brooklyn, the special memory of meeting the “father” of one of our seminal super-heroes fresh in my mind. I knew the autographed comics safely tucked in my bag were extremely special, and never to be sold. I was determined to be their faithful guardian, their curator, for the rest of my life.

After a little time passed, I wrote to Carl to thank him again for his time and generosity. The generosity came in the form of two items. One was the felt-tipped pen with which he signed my mags. The other was a piece of

…And All That Jazz Jazzy Johnny Romita, as per the photo-feature in the 1969 Fantastic Four Annual—juxtaposed with a sample “storyboard script” page he sketched for Warren during the latter’s first appointment at the Marvel offices—plus JR’s colored cover rough for The Amazing Spider-Man #80 (Jan. 1970), which, as the recipient writes, he presented “to Sheepshead Bay’s personal ‘Spidey.’” Thanks to Bob Bailey & Justin Fairfax for the photo scans in this and the next art spot. [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

“With The Fathers Of Our Heroes”

I’d Rather Be Blue Herb Trimpe, as per the ’69 FF Annual, and two of the four blue-pencil cover roughs he generously gave to Warren during that office visit: an alternate Hulk/Glob sketch to the one used for The Incredible Hulk #129 (July 1970), and one for a Hulk issue which was to have showcased The Mole Man, a story apparently not done at that time. [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

paper upon which Carl had simultaneously signed his name, forwards and backwards, with a pen in each hand, several times. There they were like mirror images. I thought that was absolutely brilliant: a cosmic power exclusively possessed by Golden Age Marvel cartoonists! Actually, like most magic tricks, it can be performed in a simple, effective way, for people can move their right and left limbs in relatively symmetrical patterns if the movements are simultaneous.

Remembering his telling me that he had never autographed any other mags, and recalling a story I’d heard about a fan who’d had Frank Frazetta sign a paper cup and then sold the darned thing, I asked Carl in my letter whether he might want to let the several signed mags in my archive remain the only ones he ever signed. I reasoned that, if he didn’t autograph any others, they would become incredibly important collector’s items, as well as not being

used for selfish gain by profiteers who might sell the signed mags for a higher price—just as (to repeat an earlier image) the Torch had declared, at the end of his debut story, that he would never again allow himself to be used for selfish gain or crime. Off went the letter, and quite a bit of time went by with no response.

“With the ‘Foster Fathers’ Of Our Heroes”

My later encounters with Bill Everett had some connection with my first appointment up at the Manhattan offices of Marvel Comics, at 635 Madison Avenue, in Manhattan. I managed to get an appointment around two years after my first personal letter from Stan Lee, for whom I had boundless high regard. Upon arrival, I was greeted by a robust, clean-shaven, dark-haired man in a white shirt with rolledup sleeves. Smiling, he vigorously shook my hand, introducing himself: “John Romita.” Away I went with Marvel’s de facto art director, who was drawing The Amazing Spider-Man, to very good effect, in the wake of co-creator Steve Ditko’s resignation; that made Johnny Romita a sort of “foster father” to Spidey.

We settled into a cubicle partition that served as the in-house art department. Sharing the area was a tall young man, also with dark

Personal Memories Of Carl Burgos, Bill Everett, & Others—And Of Collecting The Earliest Appearances Of Their Seminal Brainchildren

hair: Herb Trimpe, who was drawing The Incredible Hulk: Ol’ Green-skin’s “foster father,” if you will, following in the path of Hulk’s co-creator, Jack Kirby, and other successors.

Johnny looked at some of my work, especially a piece featuring characters of my own. He remarked that I had a flair for costume. Since the key character was cloaked and armored, he noted that he was essentially a Doctor Doom kind of character. Learning of my interest in writing, he told me about a format he called a storyboard script. Instead of typing, he related how I might sketch a story using stick figures or somewhat more defined ovals, label them, and write the captions and word balloons along the lines of comic book panels. He indicated how, with the simple oval construction, you could give an artist a better idea of what you, as the writer, really wanted.

Johnny and Herb were both very friendly, and generous, as well. Herb reached on top of a filing cabinet, in the corner next to his drawing table, and handed me a wonderful little stack of drawings: blue-pencil cover roughs, on 8½"-by-11" sheets of light paper. They were quite detailed for roughs. He allowed me to take a few. Overwhelmed, I gingerly selected three sketches of Hulk and a rough for the cover of The Silver Surfer #11. Johnny, for his part, took a larger full-color rough on tracing or vellum paper for Amazing SpiderMan #80 (“On The Trail of The Chameleon”) and signed it, “To Spidey, from John Romita”—for I’d told him how I was an agile little guy, who could climb ropes quite well, tumble with considerable skill, and skitter along apartment house hallways without touching the floor, by wedging myself between walls! He gave me that rough, the sample storyboard script page, and a little piece of paper on which he had tested his inking brush strokes.

He encouraged me to try to create storyboard scripts, saying those might be very useful for him. I was then graciously sent on my way, very enthusiastic about the prospect of producing storyboard scripts for Marvel— and for Johnny Romita.

On The Trail Of The Torch And Namor

My quest for the missing Marvel Mystery Comics I needed to complete my run of issues #1-

10 had never really ceased since the July Comic Art Convention acquisitions, but my treasury had! Perry Albert had my wants, but it was going to take a lot of money and negotiation. The rare #3 & 4 were priced at 75 bucks apiece (with some photostatic restoration on the back cover of #3, and some tape in the inside of #4’s spine). Therefore, my time became divided between college, studying old and new Marvel comics in preparation for my career, working for my father, dealing back issues to earn money for the Marvel Mystery issues, working on the storyboard scripts for Johnny Romita—and swapping letters with Perry.

Perry was impatient. He wanted to make the sale. He said he needed money for associates of his: “the vampires,” as he called them. Words became tense. Profanity increasingly peppered the pages. Innocent lad that I was, I had the notion that we might have been violating obscenity laws, and I wondered what might happen if governmental censors were to open any of our letters! Hey, those TV Or Not TV were wild times! Finally, around Key panels from the Burgos and Everett entries in Marvel December, I was ready to close the Mystery Comics #3 (Jan. 1940)—the former, surely one of the deal on Marvel Mystery #3 & 4. I don’t earliest comic book panels to feature a “new-fangled remember whether I had saved the television set”—and the full page, recording the first-ever money, or my dad had granted meeting between Sub-Mariner and Betty Dean. Burgos’ another loan to me. I just remember depiction of TV predates even Everett’s panels showing the going to Manhattan, one Saturday new invention, which had attracted crowds at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.] night….

My best friend, Gary Lipton, accompanied me as I again headed into Manhattan, by bus and train, with $150—a bloody fortune, for a kid, in those times—and something incredibly special for Perry to see, guarded by my crazy pal, who was the most fearless fighter and daredevil I knew. Our business rendezvous was to occur at the Statler Hilton Hotel at ThirtyFourth Street—near King Kong’s final hangout, the Empire State Building, and the very same hotel where I had met Bill Everett and had purchased most of the rare issues he and Carl had later signed.

In a little alcove near the hotel entrance, we met Perry, who had traveled in from Wantagh, Long Island, with an entourage. We were really quite an assembly. Perry later founded Starwind Comics. His friend Phil would relocate to Margate, Florida, where he opened Phil’s Comic Shop. I later went to work for Marvel, attaining the dubious position of principal archival researcher, for, as Stan Lee had declared in his first letter to me, I had a bigger collection of Marvel mags than the company did.

“With The Fathers Of Our Heroes”

On an empty shelf near the telephones, we proceeded with our archival business. As Perry took things out of his attaché case, I observed a memo on which was written, “For Warren to buy: Marvel Mystery #s 3 and 4. For Warren to see: Marvel Mystery #5 (Photostat); Marvel Mystery #6.” I felt a little cheated by the poor-quality Photostats; I had thought he was going to bring the actual book. I surmised that he was so fanatical about its rarity, which he insisted time and again was unequalled, that he wouldn’t risk bringing the real thing to our meeting.

Do Clothes Make The Man? (Left:) The last page of the “Sub-Mariner” story in Marvel Mystery #6 (April 1940). During this period, both in that series and in his “Amazing-Man” feature over at Centaur, Bill E. was experimenting with the idea of a super-hero who didn’t wear the same outfit all the time. As Warren Reece, Gil Kane, Roy Thomas, and other pros have said again and again, Everett’s early oeuvre is, for all its primitive qualities, a remarkable body of work in terms of both writing and drawing for comic books. [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

Afterward, I corresponded with Perry, in an aggressive and difficult campaign to buy his personal copies of Marvel Mystery Comics #5 & 6. He didn’t want to part with them, especially #5. He had surrendered his copy of Detective Comics #27 (the debut of Batman; May, 1939) in the deal that had gotten him MMC #5 and some cash. Finally, I went out to Long Island with my father and $250 and bought Perry’s #5 and 6. I later discovered that the #6 had the

After leafing through Marvel Mystery Comics #6—and getting a glimpse of Sub-Mariner, clad in swim trunks, with a black hood over his head, strapped in an electric chair—I examined the two comics I was actually there to buy. Their condition left much to desire. Still, I badly needed them both, for my copy of #4 was not in good shape. Reluctantly, I closed the deal on the pair of mags.

Meet And Greet (Left:) The first story page of the issue in which the Torch and Sub-Mariner would meet for the first time: Marvel Mystery Comics #8 (June ’40), autographed by Everett. (Even though Burgos probably drew the Human Torch head shot, Warren opted to have him sign the issue’s “Torch” splash instead; see p. 17.) (Right:) Warren got both Burgos and Everett to sign the splash of Marvel Mystery #9 (July 1940)—making that copy of the first real “battle issue” a collector’s item in more ways than one! As for writer/co-writer John Compton, see p. 24 for treasures contained in his estate when he died years later. [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

Personal Memories Of Carl Burgos, Bill Everett, & Others—And Of Collecting The Earliest Appearances Of Their Seminal Brainchildren

wrong back cover, but Perry discovered that his remaining #3 had the wrong back cover, as well! Boy, was he ticked off at himself!

Suffice it to say that, at the following July convention in New York, I traded my Captain America #1 in a deal that copped me a nice Marvel Mystery #6, signed by Bill Everett. I re-bought my onetime copy of Cap #1 the following week from good ol’ Henry Keller and Al Faruggio, who’d bought it from Thomas Czapliki after our trade (which is detailed below).

issues of episodes that made history: a conflict between The Human Torch and Sub-Mariner, who, stylistically, were the “fathers” of our modern Marvel super-heroes. The conflict bore echoes, of course, of King Kong’s escape and rampage in Manhattan, transposed to the world of costumed heroes… including giving a strongwilled blonde (in this case, Betty Dean) a key role in ending Namor’s rampage by turning stand-off into truce at the beginning of issue #10.

I had done a lot of searching, acquiring, and studying of those rarities from long before my time. So I believed I was prepared for my next encounter with the creators of these seminal cartoon magazine heroes. What happened when I met them again, though, proved more surprising than the climax of “The Human Torch vs. The Sub-Mariner”— for me, anyway.

Broke but fulfilled, I studied my treasures, experienced the reprinted stories in their original editions, and discovered those that had not yet been reprinted. Aspects of #6’s trial of Namor bore a striking similarity to the trial sequence in the motion picture Tarzan’s New York Adventure, which would come out several years later. The “Sub-Mariner” The Wrath Of The tale’s prison sequence echoed the Biblical tale of Samson and “Fathers” prison movies like Castle on the The order in which I encounHudson and Angels with Dirty tered Carl Burgos, Johnny Faces. The attempt to Romita, and Bill Everett for the electrocute him merely second time has become vague revitalized him, and he broke Tube “E” (For “Everett”) Or Not Tube “E” in my memory, but what free. The story in Marvel happened remains quite clear. The famous first interior page of Marvel Mystery Comics #10 (Feb. 1940), which Mystery #6 left a lasting depicts Betty Dean’s clever compromise in the Torch/Namor standoff held over impression on me, as powerful I labored slowly and from #9—and is autographed by both Everett and Burgos. [© 2012 Marvel as the best of the Spider-Man thoughtfully on my storyboard Characters, Inc.] and Fantastic Four adventures script for John Romita. I chose of decades later. As Stan Lee to create a “Fantastic Four” later acknowledged, the work Bill Everett did on the early “Substory that included some characters of my own. I made a slight Mariner” was very much like what Stan and company did later in modification in procedure, though. Instead of drawing stick “The Marvel Age of Comics.” figures, which were far too primitive and non-specific, I decided to

Of course, I didn’t ignore the work of Carl Burgos, including the Torch’s encounter with Martians in Marvel Mystery #3 (Jan. 1940), a nice salute to Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre on the Air, whose famous radio adaptation of H.G. Wells’ novel The War of the Worlds had created panic across America in 1938, with some people mistaking it for a live news feed. The Torch’s visual appearance was redesigned (temporarily, as it turned out) in MMC #4 (Feb. 1940). And in MMC #7 (May 1940), Torch was allowed to enter the NYC Police Academy and became Officer Jim Hammond, with the record of an honor student! This story, in which Burgos had the nuts to represent a politician as an egotist and a crook, rather than a paragon of virtue, was one that provoked critical thinking about government; something more than timely—something timeless. There wasn’t time to dwell on that, though, because, at story’s end, the Torch was informed that some character of whom he’d never heard was wrecking the city: The Sub-Mariner! What followed was a sequence of events spread over three

draw the whole thing in rough form. Johnny had referred at our first meeting to making things more specific for the artist. The sample sheet he’d drawn for me had shown figures that seemed a little more loop than stick. He also had put labels in the margins. Since then, I had seen reproductions of some Kirby-penciled Marvel pages and noticed similar notations by Jack in the margins. Since I was an aspiring artist as well as an aspiring writer, I thought it would be better for the script, as well as more enjoyable for me, to sketch roughs. That way, Johnny would get a much better idea of what I was envisioning, and I would get some good practice along the way.

On an 18"-by-24" sketch pad, I stenciled a large rectangle onto each page as I worked on it. I sketched the panels within those borders, not bothering with gutters in between them. I wrote the word balloons and captions inside the panels, and notes for Johnny outside the large rectangles that represented the page edges. The drawings were not polished, beautiful illustrations like Johnny’s or

“With The Fathers Of Our Heroes”

Jack’s, but were like a combination of the storyboard sketches you might nowadays see on the special features on DVDs of the Studio Ghibli theatrical cartoons from Japan, and the 1962-64 Fantastic Four work that Jack Kirby had done. Johnny had already seen my chosen adversary for the F.F., the Doctor Doom-type character, during our first meeting.

I tried the storyboards on people I knew, most of whom weren’t comic book fans. Most of them seemed interested. I especially recall one moment when I was on a bench with some guys in the lobby of the apartment building where I lived, and the craziest bully of the lot was gazing at a page depicting my armored, cloaked, horned character’s battle with soldiers. He looked over at me, dressed as I was in my Army jacket, with my Beatle-styled hair, and said, “Y’know somethin’? You scare me!” It was a very satisfying, if funny, moment—almost a Bill Everett kind of moment, because, even as Bill had his revenge on humanity through Prince Namor’s rampages, I was having my similar moment with these guys, and not having to engage in any kind of violent or threatening behavior.

The pencil is mightier than the punch!

seem to matter to him. He angrily concluded, “This is too limiting to my imagination!”

I was trying to assuage the angry man who stood in the place of the one I had met before, warmly addressing him as “Mr. R.”—when a dark-haired, good-looking young man, dressed similarly to Johnny, interjected, “You mean Mr. Romita!” Of course, my respect for Johnny Romita was implicit, but apparently not understood by the critical young man, who sat at a drawing board just to the left of the exit from the cubicle. Johnny left. Still reeling from his rebuff, I gingerly approached the man at the drawing board for a little recovery time. It turned out to have been another big mistake. Like Peter Parker, I was living a typical Marvel Comics kind of story!

Horns Of A Dilemma The above picture reproduces Warren Reece’s pencils depicting the three main characters he introduced in the “Fantastic Four” storyboard script he did as a sample for John Romita, including his horn-headed, Dr. Doom-influenced villain. It was drawn about two years after he presented the rejected “storyboard script” to Romita, but in the same style. The youth seen at lower left bears a more-than-coincidental resemblance to Warren himself. [© 2012 Warren Reece.]

I made an appointment to see Johnny Romita, and soon found myself in a cubicle near the front-right of Marvel’s office suite at 635 Madison Avenue, with Johnny smiling as usual with hospitality. As he looked at the first page or so of the sketchbook containing my storyboard script and model sheet, though, things precipitously changed. His expression became unfriendly. His voice became annoyed, and his volume became louder and angrier as he addressed me: “Why did you do it this way? I told you to use stick figures!”

Stunned at this reaction to my project, I tried to explain, but it didn’t

The artist was inking what turned out to be the cover for the first appearance of “The Defenders,” in Marvel Feature #1 (Dec. 1971), with a big, bold image of the Hulk leaping toward the viewer, leading Doctor Strange and Sub-Mariner. I was very impressed, never having achieved such apparent mastery of inking myself, using the crummy newsprint paper and dip pens provided by my art teachers back in junior high and high school. “Boy, you’re good with that brush!” I exclaimed.

“That’s very audacious of you!” he exclaimed, shooting a piercing glance at me. “I am not good with that brush! I am terrible with that brush! What you mean to say is, you like the way I use that brush!”

I was still reeling from Johnny Romita’s angry reaction to the storyboard script. Furthermore, I had never heard or even read the word “audacious” before. Apparently, I had much to learn, and I was discovering that life among people in the cartoon magazine industry was quite an education! I tried to agree with him in some tactful way: “Well, perhaps you’re not quite as good as Vincent Van Gogh.” “Van Gogh was a lousy artist!” he shot back.

“Some of his work was good. I saw an exhibit, and his work in Antwerp was quite realistic. By the way, who are you, please?” “Neal Adams,” he replied, calming down.

The Adams Family Neal Adams (as per the aforementioned 1969 FF Annual) and his cover for Marvel Feature #1 (Dec. 1971), which he was drawing at the time of Warren’s first encounter with him. [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

Personal Memories Of Carl Burgos, Bill Everett, & Others—And Of Collecting The Earliest Appearances Of Their Seminal Brainchildren

I very gingerly talked with him for a while, trying to avoid another verbal explosion. Two in one day was far more than sufficient. Soon, I left for the train.

The repercussions were not over, however. Some weeks later, I was at the home of a collector friend, Billy Green. His folks were friendly with Tony Mortellaro, an artist who worked for Marvel and sometimes drew backgrounds for Johnny Romita. I briefly met Tony, who looked at my storyboard, not understanding what it was supposed to be, nastily called the art not “rough” but “bad,” and demanded that I decide, right then and there, whether I wanted to be a writer or an artist. I also heard later, from Billy, that Tony said they had thrown me out of the Marvel office, which is hardly the way I recalled it. In fact, I didn’t even remember having been in the same room as Tony. He didn’t seem to me like a very nice guy. Therefore, I was not very surprised when, years later when I was on staff at Marvel, my office mate, Stu Schwartzberg, told me that Mr. Mortellaro had been dismissed from the Marvel company for a serious impropriety.

Anyway, that jarring day after my encounters with Johnny and Neal, the train and bus trip home seemed all the longer, for I was greatly shocked and deeply disappointed. I couldn’t understand why my work had been rejected without a reading. Only when I arrived back home and was greeted by the slim, red-haired, bespectacled English lady in the kitchen, my mother, did I begin to sort out the events of the day.

I recounted to her what had happened. Regarding Johnny’s reaction to my storyboard script, my mother’s analysis was that perhaps Mr. Romita had felt threatened. I couldn’t believe that. Johnny Romita certainly had no real reason to feel threatened by me in any way.

The Torch’s “Father” Blazes

It was around this same time that my next two encounters with Carl Burgos occurred.

I hadn’t received any response to the letter I’d written him after our first meeting. Being in Manhattan, in the neighborhood of Countrywide Publications/Eerie Publications, Inc., I thought I’d take a chance and stop by and learn whether Mr. Burgos had a few minutes for me. Soon, I was speaking with the company’s receptionist. She checked with Carl. To my relief, she sent me in to my second meeting with the “father” of the original Human Torch. Unfortunately, my relief didn’t last long. Carl let me know that he had been very annoyed by my letter. He had taken offense at my suggestion that he might decide not to sign any other comics, so the issues he had autographed for me

would remain an exclusive thing. He told me that if anyone told him not to autograph mags, he would tell ’em to go jump in a lake. He said that more than once during his tirade. I tried to explain what I had meant in the letter, and that, certainly, I hadn’t “ordered” him not to sign stuff. Wanting to calm him somehow, I told him an older acquaintance of mine was a big fan of his, having been a reader of “Golden Age” comics the first time around. I asked whether I might bring him up to meet the old master who had provided stories and art that had been such a memorable part of the fan’s boyhood. I thought that would be a very nice thing for both of them, especially since Carl hardly ever met with his fans. Carl consented to a future meeting.

I remember little else about this second encounter, except that Carl asked me whether I knew Nick Cuti. Indeed, I was Nicola Cuti’s first personal fan. Nick became a writer for Vampirella when he came out of the Air Force. I met him at the same convention at which I met Perry Albert, and had begun to correspond with Nick as his work spread to the other mags at Warren Publications, Creepy and Eerie. Also, Nick wrote, drew, and published his own feature, Moonchild. Figuring he must have contacted Carl to try to write for the horror mags the older artist was editing, I’m sure I spoke well of Nick, who I felt was a very nice guy, as well as a good writer.

Not long after, I spoke with Jerome Topper, the fan I had mentioned to Carl Burgos. He was around twice my age, about my height of 5' 7", and a bit pudgy, with short, reddish-brown hair. He had an upper-mid-range voice, with which he would engage me for hours on the telephone, telling me about the great collection of Golden Age comics he was building. The trouble was, he did far more bragging than collecting.

Jerry was into having professional cartoonists draw sketches for him. Sometimes he paid them for those sketches; this was back during a period when artists usually drew sketches as free gifts for fans. Jerry got around to many of the artists, including Johnny Romita, whom he visited at the Marvel offices, once he learned that I had done so. I remember how at one convention he came over to me with a Marvel Mystery Comics #2 which he had purchased for $75, only to sell it for $80 a few minutes later.

Jerry, a Golden Age fan who always claimed he had once visited Funnies, Inc., the shop that had produced Marvel Comics #1, naturally expressed a great interest in meeting the creator of The Human Torch. I familiarized him with my two visits, mentioning that Carl had signed mags only for me to date. I didn’t want Jerome to pull one of his “get and sell” actions with an autographed Burgos story, so I asked him that, if he wanted to get an autograph, he get whatever

The Cuti Edge Of Comics Some years after the events recounted herein, writer/artist Nick Cuti received an Inkpot Award at a San Diego Comic-Con—and his underground “Moonchild” material was collected in the book Moonchild and Others. [Art © 2012 Nick Cuti.]

“With The Fathers Of Our Heroes”

inscription he More Heat Than Light wanted on a Burgos’ autographed “Human Torch” splash separate piece of page from Marvel Mystery #8. By story’s end, paper, rather than the Torch and Namor had met and briefly on a comic. I told clashed, paving the way for the next issue’s him he could later free-for-all. Nor did Warren Reese have much put it in some old better luck with Burgos at the outset of their issue containing a second meeting. [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.] Burgos story as a personalized flyleaf. Jerry agreed.

An appointment was made with Carl Burgos. Jerry and I met at 222 Park Avenue South, if I’m not mistaken, and went up to meet with Carl. Things seemed to be going reasonably well, until the moment came when Jerome asked for Carl’s autograph. Then, instead of passing a piece of typing paper to Carl and politely asking for some personal message and a signature, Jerry made a point of telling Carl that he wanted the writing on that piece of paper, and not on a magazine containing a Burgos story, so as not to interfere with my exclusive set of Burgos-autographed Marvel Mystery Comics.

Suddenly, Carl became loud and angry. “I won’t sign any of your books,” he reprimanded me, claiming he had told me not to tell people not to ask for his autographs on books. I told Carl I had no recollection of any such instruction from him, and he calmed down a trifle. Carl said he didn’t want to come between friends, and Jerry took Carl’s inscription on the typing paper. Soon, we left. I was very disturbed by the incident. I felt Carl had misunderstood and overreacted. It was another typical Marvel Comics plot!

Around three weeks later, I wrote to Carl, trying to make amends. I never received a reply. Then, around eight years after our first meeting, I was laboring in the dark, hot, vapor-tinged Reproductions Department of the Marvel offices, when my senior partner, Stu Schwartzberg, came back to that stifling hell-hole from the Bullpen room to tell me that Carl Burgos was in there.

Carl was very friendly with Marvel’s head letterer, Danny Crespi, and fellow paste-up and mechanical artist and letterer Morrie Kuramoto. They had all worked together in the Timely Bullpen of the 1950s. I was told Carl used to go to lunch or dinner with them (and maybe others of Timely’s staff) just about every week. I gingerly walked into the Bullpen. There, sitting between desks occupied by inker Frank Giacoia and correctionist John Tartaglione, was Carl, looking quite serious as he talked with them. I smiled, greeted him, and moved on. I didn’t want to get into any problematic situation with Carl, especially in front of my colleagues. I’m not even sure he recognized me.

Around eight years later, I was contacted by Marvel’s Jim Salicrup, who had formerly been my editor on Marvel Age magazine. He asked me to write a very special piece for the first Marvel Age Annual. Unfortunately, it was a piece I wished that there had been no reason to write. It was the obituary of Carl Burgos.

I responded with a compact but informative biography of the “father” of the original Human Torch—one of the “fathers,” in fact, of the cartoon magazine industry as we know it. I tried not to be emotional, to maintain an appropriate level of journalistic objectivity. Still, I couldn’t help including a small passage describing how, once upon a time, a lean, long-haired kid had visited Burgos with a little stack of his earliest Torch works, how the artist had autographed those rarities and then proudly displayed those wonderful old cartoon magazines to the other people in the office.

The Secret Fire

It was a very long time before I learned some things about Carl that gave some insight to me concerning his fiery anger—from the aforementioned interview with Susan Burgos in Alter Ego #49. In it, Carl’s daughter recounted how her father sued the publishers of Marvel Comics over the rights to the original Human Torch. He lost, because his creation had been categorized, for legal purposes, as a “work made for hire,” all rights to which are contractually sold to the publishers. How Carl thought he could win is a mystery, but then again, one can imagine that the creator of the Torch, a blazing maverick who did as he felt compelled to do in order to accomplish an objective he believed worthy, was a pretty strong, determined, gutsy kind of guy.

Angry and bitter over his failure to gain the rights to his pioneering creation, according to Susan, Carl had burned all of his old comics containing the Torch’s adventures. She related how she retrieved some of the mags and took them to her room to save them. When Carl discovered this, he was furious. He confiscated the treasures she had rescued, and off they went for their appointment with oblivion. That’s how comics become rare!

Although the situation described by Susan Burgos was not identical to mine, it still provided some insight into her father’s personality, and of a traumatic incident that had deeply embittered him. Perhaps the stress of the legal action and the understandable disappointment resulting from his loss had exacerbated his inclination toward anger, as well as his reluctance to do any Torch art.

Personal Memories Of Carl Burgos, Bill Everett, & Others—And Of Collecting The Earliest Appearances Of Their Seminal Brainchildren

In any case, I did inking as “not halffind him. I did obtain bad,” though. Like those extremely rare Neal and others of autographs on those his mindset, Alan super-collector items. said exactly what But maybe the best was on his mind, part was bringing with little regard for Carl and the Torch tact or sensitivity. back together, and As a result of that presenting the oppormindset, coupled tunity for the old with his contacts master to have a with professionals, moment of pride Alan had gained a with his colleagues considerable degree up at Countrywide. of “inside Yes, I, among the knowledge” that most obscure might best have been Prelude To A Showdown individuals in the kept private. That (Above:) Looks like Carl Burgos and Bill Everett provided the spot art for this final panel in the "Human cartoon magazine day, without my Torch" episode in Marvel Mystery Comics #8 (June 1940), which announced the epic battle to come in the field, had the having asked for following landmark issue. [©2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.] distinct privilege of such private inforimplementing a mation, Alan told me that Bill was an alcoholic. very special sort of father and son reunion, and was later accorded the honor of saluting him in print, introducing him to a younger I was rather disturbed by what Alan revealed. For one thing, I generation who didn’t know who and what they had missed. I had no reason to believe this brash kid was a reliable source of hope that, in its own my small way, my written salute did information. Nor did I believe that he had demonstrated proper justice to Carl and pleased his spirit, in that respect and discretion in revealing a very personal and private wonderful place where those who have matter. Certainly I don’t recall anything that resembled culturally enriched us eventually go. drunken behavior on Bill’s part. I wouldn’t

“Did I Do That?”

Not all my experiences with the fathers of our heroes were as tough as those I experienced with Johnny and Carl, which was lucky for me. I needed some kind of therapeutic encounter to get my outlook back on track. Thank heavens for that distinguished great-grandson of the famous English artist/poet William Blake—the “Ancient SubMariner,” Bill Everett!

As I briefly mentioned earlier: Just before my second encounter with Bill, I met fellow fan and aspiring artist Alan Kupperberg. Alan lived in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn, while my family lived in the section of that borough known as Sheepshead Bay. Our address was 3090 Voorhies Avenue, Apt. 2-D—coincidentally, near where Winsor McKay, the creator of Gertie the Dinosaur and Little Nemo in Slumberland, had once lived.

mention this episode at all, except that Bill’s drinking is long since a matter of public record; and Bill, being the great person he really was, managed to emerge from that period as a positive and inspirational force to others, as will be elaborated upon later.

Anyway, around that time, I made a breakthrough with my obsessive efforts as collector, particularly those first ten issues of Marvel Mystery Comics. My persistent letters to the aforementioned Perry Albert, coupled with his apparent need for money at that time, led to a deal for the rather worn copies of issues #5 & 6 for $250, which was a bloody fortune to me—especially for a couple of “ratty old comic books,” as far as regular human beings were concerned! At any rate, all those angry and profane letters and two trips to Wantagh, Long Island, later, I was broke and in debt to my father, but in possession of those two mags.

One day, Alan came for a visit. I think he was seventeen years old at the time, and I was eighteen. He was already quite a talented artist, as he demonstrated by sketching my armored character from my storyLook Out, Alan—Here We Come! board script, and declaring Alan Kupperberg circa the 1970s—and a 2006 commission drawing he did of The his own sketch less Invaders, whose Marvel comic he drew in the late ’70s. All of Alan’s work on that World “clunky-looking” than my War II-set series has been reprinted in trade-paperback volumes of The Invaders Classic. version. He did judge my Thanks to Alan for the scans. [Invaders TM & © 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

Over the next four months, I got ready for another July

“With The Fathers Of Our Heroes”

Comic Art Convention. I in water as well as air, and repaid my father. I sold resist the Antarctic cold. doubles of Marvel mags That operation became to fund my upcoming believable to me when I purchases, and I studied later studied and restudied those Developmental Anatomy thrilling rare issues of at Brooklyn College. I Marvel Mystery, in prepalearned that all vertebrate ration for another creatures are built on the encounter with Bill same basic body plan. This Everett. Meanwhile, includes clefts on the Thomas Czapliki of pharynx that correspond Michigan, who owned a to the position of gills in copy of Marvel Mystery #6 fishes. Science fiction is autographed by Everett, extrapolated from science made me aware that my fact. Once again, I was own copy had been given impressed with Bill an incorrect back cover, as Everett’s scientific sense, well as an incorrect, albeit coupled with his advenclever artistic restoration turous imagination. of the lower-left side of I was in the dealer the front cover. I had to room at the Statler Hilton. replace it! After some It was in the six o’clock edgy negotiation, I traded hour, as I recall. Hardly my Captain America #1, any conventioneers were which had a rather poorly left in the room. Things restored spine, for the were winding down for pair. In those days, it the dealers, whose tables Rough ’Em Up seemed as if my Golden bordered the walls. The Prince Namor acted like a Bogie-style gangster when he decided, briefly, that a surfaceAge issues of Captain floor was free of the sea of woman named Lynne Harris was the one for him. Bill Everett in Marvel Mystery Comics #15 America were unfortunate fans selling mags from (Jan. 1941). [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.] pawns in my quest for the suitcases and bags. I had a first ten issues of Marvel clear view. Then, I saw him. Mystery Comics. By various trades, I even brought my run up through #13. My badly restored copy of Marvel Mystery #6 and an “Hello, Mr. Everett!” All-Winners #3 fetched a nice Captain America #3, containing Stan Lee’s first professionally-published story (which he later “Oh! Hi!” autographed to me!), Mystic Comics, Vol. 1, #6 (starring that weird “How’ve y’been?” hero with the Captain America-like origin, The Destroyer), and some other nice pieces, such as a set of Yellow Claw from the 1950s. “Fine!” Naturally, I liked Carl’s “Torch” stories dealing with the “I met you right here, last year! You signed my Marvel Mystery criminal gang headed by the mysterious “J.B.,” and the New York #s1 & 2, and my battle issues 7-10 for me, and did that nice sketch exploits of jungle king “Ka-Zar” (yet another precursor of the film of Prince Namor for me!” Tarzan’s New York Adventure), but the really big treat for me was Bill Everett’s aftermath to the historic battles between the Torch and Bill put his arm around me like a “Dutch uncle.” I told him that, The Sub-Mariner, as he returned to his undersea people in since then, I had acquired Marvel Mystery #5 & 6, and had read the disgrace. I was great trial-andparticularly attemptedintrigued by execution of the operation The SubNamor wanted Mariner, to arrange for which led to his latest the battle with human object The Human of desire, Torch. I asked Lynne Harris, him how it so that she had come could breathe about.

Sitting Pretty Warren invites us all to compare and contrast Bill Everett’s “lovely” splash panel for Marvel Mystery #4 (Feb. 1940) with the “chilling” one he drew for #6 (April ’40). [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

Personal Memories Of Carl Burgos, Bill Everett, & Others—And Of Collecting The Earliest Appearances Of Their Seminal Brainchildren

“Did I do that?” he inquired, with apparent amusement and surprise.

familiar with industry professionals, was that they were in the business of creating new stories and art, meeting deadlines, and just trying to earn a living and have a bit of life outside of all that! They didn’t spend much time studying their works. Many of them didn’t even save their old mags. As he related in his Alter Ego interview, Bill not only didn’t save his old mags, but, though he’d saved the original art for some of his covers for a while, after a time he even disposed of those artifacts. Then, there was another life factor, beyond the passage of decades, that may have had some effect on his memory of details about his early stories.

I don’t remember anything else about our chat, other than my coming to terms with the fact that a great lost event in cartoon magazine history was not only lost to most people because of its extreme rarity (and it had never been reprinted!), but lost to the memory of its creator. I had expected to hear a wonderful account of how he prepared for the historical (or hysterical?) battle with Carl Burgos’ fiery android, only to learn that Bill had entirely forgotten about all of it!

Still, I didn’t let it upset me. I just spent a few minutes with his hand on my shoulder, as The information came to me through Gary though he were my uncle, and my looking up Friedrich. Gary was an editorial assistant and Across The Wide Missouri to him, physically and psychologically, trying writer for Marvel in the late ’60s, and a very By 1967, Gary Friedrich, like his Missouri to convey my respect and appreciation for him. good story man. He was then in his twenties, buddy Roy Thomas, was working for Mighty It didn’t matter that I didn’t hear some with longish blond hair, a mustache, and, Marvel; hence this photo from the 1969 FF elaborate explanation about his work on those Annual. Thanks to Bob Bailey & Justin Fairfax sometimes, a little beard—which was quite amazing old mags, however fascinating that appropriate, since his great-grandmother, for this photo scan and for the next two. would’ve been. I was there with Bill Everett, Maggie Calhoun, was the sister of the famous [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.] putting a smile on his face as I was letting him U.S. Civil War Brigadier General, George know how special and important his work Armstrong Custer, who passed into history and was; and, in doing so, I’d like to think that, in my humble little legend at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. He also confessed to way, I gave something to him. being related to Union Army Commander and later U.S. President

Still, it didn’t end there. I was to meet Bill again, and get some significant answers.

Secrets Of The Sub-Mariner’s “Father”

What was the secret answer to my question about Bill’s work? I couldn’t seem to get information about the execution of the historic Torch/Namor battles in Marvel Mystery Comics, but why hadn’t Bill remembered?

Ulysses S. Grant, whom he described as having been not so much a great-uncle as a drunk uncle! Gary may have inherited some of Custer’s looks and boldness, as well as Grant’s thirst for strong drink. Both may have contributed to his camaraderie with Bill Everett. Gary had met Bill through Roy Thomas. Gary (Ol’ Yellow Hair) and Roy (he of the corn silk blond hair, resembling rocker Tom Petty) had known each other since high school days in Jackson, a small town in southeastern Missouri, before moving to New York. Roy was hired by Marvel first, but would soon bring Gary into the company.

One answer, which was to become obvious to me as I became more

Truth Or Dare Bill Everett did a splendid job on Daredevil #1 (April 1964), which was written and edited by Stan Lee—but reportedly the artist was ruinously late turning it in, and other artists, particularly Steve Ditko, contributed to its later pages in a Herculean effort to finish the thing. Bill is seen here in the 1969 FF Annual— Stan Lee from the 1964 Marvel Tales Annual #1. [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

“With The Fathers Of Our Heroes”

Bill and his family had their home in Pittsfield, Massachusetts; but, in the ’60s, beginning with his art for Daredevil #1 done in late 1963, he found himself in Manhattan on a more frequent basis. Actually, it was something of a wonder that he got any more comics work after Daredevil #1. According to accounts I’ve heard and read, Bill missed the deadline of that issue, and missed it big. Marvel was fined something like $7,000 for missing press time reserved at the printers. Back then, that was money! Even so, more work came Bill’s way; such was Stan Lee’s (and publisher Martin Goodman’s) respect for his talent, and for the important role he had played in the company’s earliest days.

him, and he had unlimited credit. That was when we [Marvel’s office staff] were at 655 Madison Avenue, the Standard Brands Building. Every week, we’d all go down, after work, for a drink. Everyone went. Even Marie Severin used to go. I never saw her get tipsy or anything, but Marie’s a fun gal. Bill would tell the bartender, ‘Give everyone a drink on me,’ and he’d say, ‘Yes, sir, Mr. Everett,’ and you’d’ve thought his name was Rockefeller!

“One day, everyone came in, and the regular bartender wasn’t on duty, and [the acting one] wouldn’t give Bill credit. Bill put a $10 bill on the bar and said, ‘Fix me a liqueur parfait.’ Now, a liqueur parfait consists of different liqueurs served in a parfait glass. The liqueurs are carefully poured off a spoon, in layers, and are supposed to be sipped off, slowly, one by one. Bill picked up the glass, tipped the whole thing up, and swallowed it down! Then he looked the bartender right in the eye and said, ‘Fix me another one.’ Again, the bartender slowly poured the liqueurs, and again, Bill tipped it up and swallowed it down! Then he glared at the livid bartender and said, ‘Fix me another one!’ Finally the guy went in the back, found the regular bartender who knew Bill, and brought him out to see what was the matter. The regular bartender

In late 1965, Roy and Gary shared a pad in New York’s Greenwich Village, home of Marvel’s Doctor Strange. Since Bill, just rejoining the company, needed a place in Manhattan to stay on weeknights, Roy (at the suggestion of production manager Sol Brodsky) invited the “father” of The Sub-Mariner to stay Fight, Fight, Fight! at his and Gary’s Bleecker Street Despite an altercation or two, as related by Warren Reece apartment. Soon afterward, Bill’s channeling Gary Friedrich, Bill Everett and Roy Thomas remained wife Gwen passed away. As if friends to the way-too-early end of Bill’s life in February 1973. It having a demon like Namor, the may very well be that the drawing Bill gave Roy that late-’60s Avenging Son, inside him, were not evening is the one used (and colored) in 1999-2000 as the cover of enough, Bill now had to deal with the still-available Alter Ego, Vol. 3, #3—albeit with a Burgos Torch the tragedy of Mrs. Everett’s death, figure added from a photocopy of original 1940 art. [Sub-Mariner & Hulk TM & © 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.] as well. Bill apparently helped himself deal with his great stresses and sadness by consuming more strong drink than was good for restored Bill’s credit.” him. One major side effect was his increasingly missing deadlines. Gary related another story, one that occurred after he and Roy Anyway, Gary recalled coming home one day. There, on the moved to an apartment on the Upper East Side, on the occasion of couch, was this guy. The stranger said, “Hi, I’m Bill Everett! How a very low-key “stag party” before Gary’s second marriage. As about a beer?” Gary related it to me: Gary told me, “Right away, I knew that this was my kind o’ guy!”

He didn’t know anything about Bill. He had never heard of The Sub-Mariner before his reappearance in Fantastic Four. But the two of them became close friends in short order, and drank together for years, until Bill joined Alcoholics Anonymous, straightened himself out, and then helped inspire Gary to do likewise. Still, before that:

Bill, tragically (as it later proved to have been) was a smoker, as so many people were in those days. Bill, Gary explained, had a cosmic power that only “fathers” of our Golden Age heroes had: he could smoke a cigarette right down to the end, and the ash wouldn’t fall off! This amazing ability, far beyond those of mortal men, apparently did not stop Roy from following Bill around with ashtrays, just in case….

In a taped interview with me done in the late 1970s, Gary recalled another amusing story about Bill. Unfortunately, the tape is inaccessible at this time, but the tale went pretty much like this: “Bill was the king of Schrafft’s Bar. The bartender there knew

“Roy thought it would be a nice idea to have Bill do a drawing of the Sub-Mariner and have it framed on the wall, so he asked Bill to do it. Well, a few weeks went by, and Bill still hadn’t done the picture. Roy was becoming impatient. I told Bill. ‘Bill, I don’t particularly care what you do for me, but you’d better get that ---damn drawing done for Thomas, or the ----’s really gonna hit the fan!’

“Well, the time was drawin’ close. Roy said to me, ‘Bill won’t let me down.’ “I said, ‘Roy, Bill’s an alcoholic. Don’t bet on it.’ “‘Oh, no, he won’t let me down!’ “‘O-kay!’

“Well, Saturday night came. The guests started showin’ up. Well, it must’ve been ten o’clock; still no sign of Bill, because Bill had to stop off for dinner at Schrafft’s Bar. Roy was pacing up and back. Finally, I looked over by the door, and there was Bill. I don’t know whether someone let him in, or he just poured himself under it!

Personal Memories Of Carl Burgos, Bill Everett, & Others—And Of Collecting The Earliest Appearances Of Their Seminal Brainchildren

In fairness to Alan, he may not have meant to be insolent. In fairness to Marie, she was rather conservative about things like respect, and quite loyal to her colleague. She apparently wanted appropriate business behavior, especially from kids.

Marie The Mermaid Despite Warren’s recollections, we can’t recall any specific occasions on which Bill Everett inked work penciled by Marie Severin—but Marie drew a pretty mean Namor herself, as witness this splash page she penciled and inked for The SubMariner #12 (April 1969); script by Roy Thomas. Photo is from 1969 FF Annual. [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

“He said, drunkenly, ‘Roy! Got yer drawin’ for ya, ol’ buddy!’

“Roy was furious and said, ‘Why don’t you just take it and stick it…!’ “Bill asked, ‘What the hell’s th’ matter with him?’

“I said, ‘Never mind, Bill.’

“I leaned him up against the door, put a drink in his hand, put a cigarette in his mouth, and lit it up.

“Now, Bill could smoke a cigarette right to the end, and the ash would never fall off. Roy proceeded to berate Bill for the length of the cigarette. Bill remained silent. Finally, he asked, ‘Roy, are y’ done?’ “Roy nodded.

“Bill just flicked the ash off!”

I thought that was a great response!

It must be understood that Bill eventually straightened himself out, and then helped do the same for others. He would tell Gary, “You’re gonna hurt yourself with that stuff,” before Gary also joined Alcoholics Anonymous.

Aside from his unfortunate problems with strong drink and deadlines, or maybe in spite of them, Bill was, by all accounts that have come to my attention, very well-liked by his colleagues at Marvel. He had a friendly spirit, which was helpful to my aforementioned acquaintance, Alan Kupperberg. According to Gary, back in the days of young Alan’s visits to the Marvel offices, Alan was an “uppity kid” who didn’t exactly endear himself to people up there, so I guess I wasn’t the only kid who ran into any problems!

In any case, according to Gary, Alan made some kind of harsh remark about Johnny Romita’s artwork. When Marie Severin heard about it, she was furious. She stormed in to Stan Lee and threatened to quit if Alan were ever allowed into the office again.

Anyway, Stan decided Alan could visit the office as long as someone in the office would see him. Who came to the rescue? Gary Friedrich was one. Bill Everett was the other! Bill’s beneficence was a Lordsend. Marie was very fond of Bill. It seems that, after Bill’s little return to the “Sub-Mariner” feature in Tales to Astonish, which didn’t score well with a lot of fans (the Lord knows why!), Bill was put to work as an inker, sometimes teaming with Marie Severin, and was very successful.

Besides being well-liked by his professional colleagues, Bill was also highly regarded by people in Alcoholics Anonymous. Still, alcohol and tobacco had done harm to him—much more than anyone, including Bill, probably knew. His remaining time in this life was short, as I learned when it was too late. Nevertheless, I saw him twice before he took his leave of us, and, although the occasions were brief, they were, for me, most inspirational and memorable.

Legacies Of The “Fathers”

In the year or so following my second moment with the “father” of Prince Namor, I wasn’t idle. Acquisition continued. Phil Seuling added to the Marvel Mystery Comics #21 that he had sold to me for $15 a week after I’d bought Marvel Comics #1 from him, by selling me issues #15, 18, 19, & 20 for $112. From Terry Stroud came a Marvel Mystery #14, with a Bill Everett autograph discreetly signed on its cover, for $25. Billy Green, a neighbor and customer of mine, traded a Marvel Mystery #17 to me for some Silver Age Marvels I had in duplicate. David Alexander sold a nicer Marvel Mystery #3 to me for $120, and a better #7 for $70. I upgraded my Marvel Mystery #4 in a swap. Ted Kessler sold me a Marvel Mystery #12 for $12.50. From Nick Pappas came a Marvel Mystery #23 for under $25. Tom Borchardt sold me a first issue of The Human Torch (Fall, 1940) for $60. Those prices may seem like peanuts today, because this was before “the boom” set in and prices went nuts, but, for a kid, on a small budget, that amounted to a lot of money.

There was other work that had to be done. Normally, I didn’t buy mags that were taped or had any writing or stamping on them, unless the writing was the signature of one of the creative contributors, or the ownership mark or stamp was that of someone like George Olshevsky, the noted Marvel indexer and supercollector/historian, or Biljo White, the old-time fan who actually became a minor Marvel character in Roy Thomas’ 1970s series The Invaders. With Golden Age mags, though, I was sometimes forced to make exceptions, because of their scarcity. Therefore, tape had to be removed from some mags… tears had to be sealed with carefully-applied glue… sometimes, marks had to be erased. Finally, fun time began!

As a result of all the aforementioned transactions at conventions or homes, coupled with the restoration work, I found myself in possession of Marvel Mystery Comics issues #1-24. It was a treat to

“With The Fathers Of Our Heroes”

study the

Flaming Youth One of the comics Carl Burgos autographed for Warren was The Human Torch #2 (Fall 1940)—the issue that introduced Toro. Whether or not Burgos actually scripted most of the “Torch” stories he drew before he was drafted shortly after Pearl Harbor is unknown. [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

read the introduction story of the Torch’s young ally Toro in an actual specimen of the first issue of Human Torch, instead of the reprint in Fantasy Masterpieces #11. Carl Burgos’ art had strengthened since the Torch’s intro in 1939. Overall, the art acquired a look rather like the 1940 art that Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson did for “Batman.” Things like placing heroes in a yellow circle like a full-moon background could be found in both strips.

Meanwhile, Bill Everett was creating some very interesting and complex adventures for The Sub-Mariner, sending him and his cousin Dorma off to a personal war with the Nazis in Marvel Mystery #13 &14. Namor’s personal tailor Toro (no relation, I presume, to the Torch’s young partner) outfitted them with magnificent protective costumes equipped with gas-mask cowls with goggle lenses, a pair of horns, and a long, decorative tassel, hanging from the top. Bill had infusd his hero with a fondness for American gangster-like quips. When Princess Dorma asked how she looked in her fanciful costume, he responded, “Colossal, sweetheart! Like a lunatic’s nightmare—but it’s practical!” Bill gave them pistols that could shoot charges of steam; one might imagine that the pistols super-heated water capsules with an advanced electrical rapid-heater, akin to a modern, fast-cooling, instantsoldering gun, which, according to a television commercial, can heat and cool in a moment. Bill was into science, and he sure had an imagination.

In Marvel Mystery #16, Namor and the Torch learned of tunnels planned by the Nazis to allow sub-oceanic invasions of both England and America. This led to a great cartoon-magazine

milestone in #17, courtesy of Burgos and Everett. The stage was set for the first Marvel Team-Up: Torch and Sub-Mariner, fighting side by side this time!

After that, through issues #18, 19, & 20, Bill kept readers off-balance with plot twists, as Namor, Lynne Harris, and her boyfriend Luther Robinson shifted from being reluctant allies to reluctant enemies, coupled with similar personal situations involving Betty Dean. Bill did something few writers of that era would have done—he had Lynne maintain her love for her human boyfriend, rather than fall headover-heels for Namor! After Namor relinquished his plans to force her to marry him (plans made only at his mother’s insistence), Betty finally confessed her feelings of friendship and admiration for her noble adversary. Realizing the Nazis were their true enemies, they agreed to form an alliance.

The time came for a brief, but very special encounter, again, between someone very special, and me.

I was up at Marvel’s offices, with my artwork samples, in the waiting area. It was lunchtime. Many members of the Marvel crew filed past my view, around twenty feet away, headed out the doorway. I recognized some of them from their photos in Marvel Tales Annual #1 and Fantastic Four Annual #7. I think I even spied my inspirational role model, Stan Lee; but, uncertain and insecure as I was, I did not call out to him. In fact, I did not call out to anyone, until one very special and familiar person walked by, after all the other members of that procession had left. I greeted the very friendly figure who was halfway out of the doorway. He held the door as we briefly spoke. “Hi, Mr. Everett!”

“Oh, hi!” he responded, with apparent enthusiasm.

“How are you?”

“Fine!”

Bill wasn’t really fine, as I later learned, but his robust voice, energetic step, and friendly face gave the impression that, for him, there was never a better day, as far as I could tell.

Award Of The Worlds

Conventionmeister Phil Seuling may have given Bill Everett a special award a year or so later—we’re not certain—but (left to right) cosmos-makers Bill, Joe Kubert, and Neal Adams were all honored at a July 1970 luncheon at Phil’s New York Comic Art Convention. Thanks to John Benson for loaning us the ’71 con program book that printed a transcription of that luncheon panel (which saw print in A/E #21). [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

“How are you?” he continued.

“Scared!” I exclaimed, with a smile. “Why?”

“I have an appointment with Mr. Romita.”

“Don’t be scared,” he replied, with warmth and reassurance that was to last me a lifetime. With that, he went out, releasing the door. Still, his words, and that wonderful smile, were with me, when I went into my third and final meeting with Johnny. Over the July 4th weekend I attended another Comic Art Convention in Manhattan. A

Personal Memories Of Carl Burgos, Bill Everett, & Others—And Of Collecting The Earliest Appearances Of Their Seminal Brainchildren

wonderful thing happened there. Chairman Phil Seuling presented Bill with a lifetime achievement award. It did my heart good to learn that this modest man, so under-discussed by overall fandom, was receiving that special recognition before an enthusiastic crowd of cartoon fantasy aficionados and professionals. There was Seuling, a giant in the collecting field, a man who had revolutionized it, giving more than a trophy to Bill: giving attention, appreciation, respect, recognition, and warmth, to Bill Everett, one of the great “fathers” of our heroes.

Not too long after that ceremony, Bill suffered a heart attack. He seemed to rally toward recovery, though. His family, friends, and colleagues were hopeful. However, the period of alcoholism, and years of smoking, had done too much damage to him. He had another heart attack. Gary Friedrich recalled going to visit Bill in Manhattan’s Roosevelt Hospital. About the last thing he remembered Bill saying was: “Friedrich! Get me a damned cigarette!” Bill Everett soon died—way too soon. He was only about 56 years old.

intended (but not used) for the cover of Marvel Mystery #2, fetched a reputed $14,000 at auction. Those prices exceeded any I’d heard for cartoon-book art at that time.

Perhaps the most controversial items in the history of cartoonmagazine collecting also emerged from that estate: five copies (one of them incomplete) of Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1. The proposed premium giveaway had a color front cover, with a solicitation to theatre managers on its back, which told them how they could contact Funnies, Inc., if they wanted to carry it in their theatres. Its black-&white interior included the first eight pages of the origin and debut of Bill’s “Sub-Mariner,” pages which also appeared in Marvel Comics #1. The empty caption box in the final panel of page 8 was filled with the words “Continued Next Week.”

MPFW #1 was soon marketed by dealer Don Phelps as the first appearance of “Sub-Mariner,” and the rarest, most valuable comic book in the world. The publisher of The Comic Book Price Guide bought the incomplete copy for a reputed $2,000 and promoted the magazine in the Guide. The promoters claimed the use of Craft Tint illustration board proved that Bill Everett created Namor for the black-&-white MPFW.

Like most of Bill’s admirers, I Comic book phenom Alex Ross painted this portrait of "Wild" Bill Everett and his immortal creation, Prince Namor, which graced the cover of the didn’t learn of the loss until I second edition of late Jerry Weist's Comic Art Price Guide (2000). read of it on the Bullpen Bulletins [Art ©2012 Alex Ross; Sub-Mariner TM & ©2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.] page in a Marvel comic, around three months later. It was a loss that would become more and more meaningful to me during the Marvel super-collector George Olshevsky and I became the years that followed. primary opponents of those claims. Bill’s pal, Carl Burgos, survived him by around a dozen years. These people had perhaps failed to read the definitive Everett At one of the lunches Carl regularly attended with Marvel head interview published in 1978 in Alter Ego [Vol. 1] #11, prior to the letterer Danny Crespi, Morrie Kuramoto (I think), and perhaps discovery of the then-unknown MPCW #1; it would be reprinted in others, Carl announced that he had cancer. In the brief period that A/E #47 in 2005. In it, Bill stated that he had used Craft Tint to give followed, they still got together with him when it was possible, the feeling of being underwater, and he related the problems that and kidded him that he’d beat the silent, hidden villain. How had occurred in Marvel Comics #1 and Marvel Mystery Comics #2 wonderful that victory would’ve been! when the Ben Day color dots were printed over the Craft Tint black line screens. He clearly speaks as if he had intended the feature for Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1 Goodman’s color mags, but didn’t count on the consequent muddiness that would occur in the printing processes. —And A Shot On Live TV

A Man of Marvels

Bill and Carl were gone, but their legacies lived on. Around two years after Bill’s death, the estate of John Compton, a writer who had once worked for the Funnies, Inc., studio that had produced the contents of Marvel Comics #1 for publisher Martin Goodman, yielded some amazing and controversial items. One was a drawing of the Torch by Carl Burgos, in the revised style he used for Marvel Mystery #4, with a notation indicating to Goodman that it was the new look for The Human Torch (mainly, we could see his face when he was aflame); it eventually sold at auction for approximately $4,000. An Everett color rough of the rampaging Namor,

The rare specimens of MPFW #1 were continually promoted as the first appearance of “The Sub-Mariner,” and were offered for thousands of dollars apiece. The asking price for a sixth copy that was later revealed, accompanied by vintage studio notes concerning the pay for each feature listed in it, was in the tens of thousands of dollars, while prices for copies of Marvel Comics #1, including the pay-noted specimen from that publisher’s estate, skyrocketed way beyond even those for the sample movie premiums, as the years rolled by. Meanwhile, I continued my efforts to bring public attention to

“With The Fathers Of Our Heroes”

Marvel Mystery Comics, and to the work of Bill and Carl.

At Brooklyn College, my copies of Marvel Comics #1 and Marvel Mystery #2-13 were displayed in the Student Union Building with many of my other Timely/Marvel treasures; organization director Phil Zaretsky described it as the best display ever exhibited there. They were prominently featured in the ExCo (Experimental College) course I taught in that building. Some were later featured in a photo of me that appeared with an article by Mary Jane Medvecky for Spigot, one of the Brooklyn College newspapers. Bill’s influential work was also mentioned in an interview with Stan Lee conducted by Alan Dulfon, Robert Schoen, and me for Kingsman, at Brooklyn College. I was not going to let Carl and Bill be forgotten!

Around that time, I finally completed a quest of almost mythological magnitude: I became one of the very few people to have acquired all 92 issues of Marvel/Marvel Mystery Comics, one of the others being master collector George Olshevsky, who sold that last missing issue to me.

Buried Treasures Two of the several historically valuable items from the John Compton estate sale in the mid-1970s, reproduced from the Sotheby’s catalog for the art auction held Dec. 18, 1991: (Left:) Carl Burgos’ watercolor drawing (dated 1939), provided to Funnies, Inc., head Lloyd Jacquet, of a revamped Human Torch, with his facial features visible. That “new look” began in Marvel Mystery Comics #4 (Feb. 1940), but didn’t last long. According to the catalog, “M.M. #4” is written on the reverse side of the art, while penciled lettering to the right of the Torch, which had been erased, had once read: “To Lloyd, Hi, I’m the New Human Torch.”

My autographed Marvel Comics #1 was seen by millions of people on NBC television’s The Tomorrow Show in 1975, when interviewer Tom Snyder hosted Stan Lee, DC editorial director Carmine Infantino, DC editor Julius Schwartz, and me for a late-night discussion of comic books. A lot of bickering went on between Stan and his friendly competitors from DC Comics, but I got a very good “review” from collector Murray Bishoff in The Buyer’s Guide for Comic Fandom. The recog-

(Right:) Bill Everett’s proposed (but not used) cover rough for “Marvel Comics” #2 was listed in Sotheby’s catalog as being done with “Craftint Doubletone no. 206, watercolor and gouache, and “signed [in the] lower right corner.” [Human Torch & Sub-Mariner TM & © 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

nition I got from Stan Lee was not only gratifying, but professionally helpful—for a short time.

That appearance led to my first professional association with Marvel. This is not the place to elaborate on my staff life with the company, except to say that I never got the job I was supposed to get and was largely imprisoned in their reproduction department for two Motion Pictures Comic—Weakly? years— The cover of the legendary (and ultra-controversial) because, as I giveaway comic Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1, learned from which featured eight pages of the first “Sub-Mariner” my first story in black-&-white, was drawn by talented freelance cartoonist Fred Schwab. Warren Reece, who met work editor Schwab at one point, writes: “Fred had no (an honest recollection of when [MPFW #1] appeared in relation and ethical to the publication of Marvel Comics #1. He did guy), “When remember having half an ad for the proposed movie you were on premium, which was probably one of the solicitation covers.” [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.] that show with Stan, The cowboy at right, sketched by Schwab for Warren, you had ’em seems to be the same one he drew on the slant board outside the movie theatre on his cover for MPFW #1. runnin’ Schwab, like Burgos and Everett, signed Warren’s scared up copy of Marvel Comics #1. here. They [© 2012 estate of Fred Schwab.]

Personal Memories Of Carl Burgos, Bill Everett, & Others—And Of Collecting The Earliest Appearances Of Their Seminal Brainchildren

mated. Through Wiener, Roy obtained black-& white line art photocopies for the first eight pages of Everett’s very first “SubMariner” story—the pages that had appeared in MPFW #1. It was re-colored, giving less attention to strict underwater realism and more to reproduction clarity. Colorist “Don Dickens” (a pseudonym for my old pal Donald Warfield, I believe) helped Marvel bring that virtually-lost treasure to the public for the first time since its 1939 debut, turning The Invaders #20 into a milestone!

Boxed In? The final two panels of the eighth and final page of the “Sub-Mariner” debut, as printed in MPFW #1, includes what Warren calls the “notorious caption” in its last panel. In the b&w comic, the words “Continued Next Week” are written in that box—but those who argue that MPFW #1 precedes Marvel Comics #1 question why, if Marvel #1 came first, there would be an empty caption box in that same panel in the 12-page version of the story printed in the color mag. Even so, as Warren points out, Craft Tint was used not only on the four added “Sub-Mariner” pages in Marvel #1 but also in the 12-page “Sub-Mariner” story in Marvel Mystery Comics #2. [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

said, ‘There was this guy on the show with Stan, last night, and he’s got all the old books, and he knows them backwards and forwards, and Stan wants him up here, and if he gets up here, Stan’s gonna start listening to him, instead of us, and we can’t let that happen!’”

Nevertheless, like Carl Burgos, at least in a figurative sense, I was hungry; and Bill Everett had told me not to be scared, so I persevered.

One major objective of mine was to bring the complete Everett “Sub-Mariner” series from Marvel/Marvel Mystery #1-12, and the major “Human Torch” stories that interacted with them, to the public, through accurate reprints from my original mags.

During my staff period, I received a letter from a fan and collector who’d been around in the Golden Age: Ed Lahmann. He recounted how, as a boy in Indianapolis, Indiana, he had owned both Marvel Comics #1 and Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1. His reliable information was later incorporated into the definitive article I wrote, which I will soon describe. Humbled and encouraged by Ed’s kind words, I kept trying to help bring Carl and Bill’s seminal works to the public, not only when I was on staff, but in the years that followed. I couldn’t get anywhere. Thank heavens for Roy Thomas!

Roy was writing and editing The Invaders, a mag that principally featured new stories about Golden Age Marvel heroes set during World War II, but that also occasionally included reprints. Through Roy’s connection with collector Bob Wiener, who was said to have been the purchaser of the rarities from the Compton estate that had included Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1, and because of Roy’s own fondness for the work of Everett and Burgos (especially his former roomie, Bill!), two very vintage stories were reprinted in that 1970s series. The second was a slightly abridged edition of the teaming of the Torch and Namor from Marvel Mystery #17 (its final, cleaning-up-loose-ends page had to be dropped because of space limitations). That was a very worthwhile choice, but the importance of the first, especially for that period, cannot be overesti-

I was far from oblivious to the importance of what I saw. As the material from MPFW #1 came into the Marvel reproductions department, I made additional, high-quality Photostats of that historic line-art, at various sizes—including one at approximately the size the original art might have been—on Kodak Photostatic paper. I kept these for preservation in my own Chamber of Fantasy, in anticipation of the probable time when Marvel would be unable to locate theirs! Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1 had finally fulfilled a destiny, even as I prepared for a future destiny.

My efforts to keep the “fathers” of our heroes in people’s minds continued. Besides my display of their earliest Torch and Namor appearances at the second Marvel Comics Convention in the mid1970s (and, several years earlier, at a Creation Con), I prominently featured reports about those heroes in the “Marvel Character Profiles” series I wrote for Marvel use in the late ’70s.

Through the mediation of Gary Friedrich, I was able to resolve an unfortunate misunderstanding with Roy, and was allowed to submit something that, for me, at least, was very special: a plot for an untold portion of the origin of the Golden Age Human Torch. Gary told me that Roy liked it and hoped to develop it into a full script as soon as the circulation figures of The Invaders improved a bit. My story of how a good-hearted, clever gangster named Jim Hammond sacrificed his life to save that of Professor Horton, and how his mind engrams were later encoded into the brain of Horton’s project android with a device invented by Tony (Iron Man) Stark’s father before the mobster financing the Professor’s project could sell it to the Axis, hopefully would’ve done honor to Carl Burgos. Unfortunately, Marvel cancelled The Invaders before Roy was able to utilize it. Later, the plot got lost in our personal files. I remained lost in company oblivion.

Nevertheless, I continued to be professionally associated with the “fathers” of our heroes. I wrote a special detailed report about The Sub-Mariner, commissioned by Sol Brodsky, now Marvel’s Vice President in Charge of Operations, for a group of filmmakers. It included a complete checklist of all of Namor’s American appearances, in cartoon magazine stories, animated cartoons, and just about anything else. It would have taken most people then working for Marvel months to gather all that info and write the report. Sol had the finished job in his Manhattan office by the next day. He offered me $75!

“I was hungry!” Carl Burgos had told me, when he described his motivation for the creation of The Human Torch.

“Don’t be scared,” Bill Everett had told me, smiling, as I had waited to see Johnny Romita, years before.

I “piped up” to Sol, sort of like Peter Parker when he bargained with J. Jonah Jameson. Sol reluctantly paid a grand total of one hundred fifty bucks!

Also, I managed to convince editor-in-chief Jim Shooter to make note of Timely/Marvel’s 40th anniversary. I was paid to provide a color photo of my October-dated Marvel Comics #1 (the only known specimen at that time; the rest were November-dated

“With The Fathers Of Our Heroes”

specimens from the second edition a few weeks later when the first one sold out). People were treated to Frank R. Paul’s then-rarely-seen rendition of the Torch, even though it was past the anniversary by the time the photo appeared on the Bullpen Bulletins page in all the Marvel comics.

Keep It Colorful

funds to hire me. When I suggested they simply offer me a share of the admission proceeds for the exhibit, a representative of the Metropolitan Museum of Art said they would not share the proceeds. At the Museum at Old School Square, I was told they In the ’77 comic, the proto-Atlanteans were colored blue to match didn’t have the room—and had no their current Marvel look; but, as a matter of fact, in Marvel Comics display cases! Around that time, a #1, Princess Fen and the other “Sub-Mariners” had only been rendered news item on National Public Radio in green (or occasionally in blue!) by the anonymous colorist when Soon afterward, my Marvel detailed the astronomical salaries they were underwater, which indicates that those hues were meant to Comics #1 and Marvel Mystery convey an effect, not skin tones! When, in the 1939 Timely mag, Fen being paid to top Smithsonian went topside and met Leonard McKenzie, she sported the same Comics #10 were displayed at the personnel, with the executive director Caucasian “flesh” tones as her later offspring—who was also colored Fantasy Symposium in San Jose, receiving $800,000 per year. One has green or blue when under the sea! (This underwater coloring effect California. They were placed in to assume he brought no Marvel was continued through #6.) Thanks to Robert Wiener for the 1975 the same display case as original Mystery Comics with him, since, as I photo of himself (above left, taken by artist Jeff Jones), and to Barry art from the aborted film was told by a member of the Pearl for the Invaders page; the RT pic is from the 1969 FF Annual. production Creation, which had Smithsonian staff the first time I tried [© Photo and panels 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.] led to the King Kong project. My to get a position, they would not hire dear late friend, Dr. Orville C. collectors! I thought that was as Goldner, M.B.E., who had worked on Kong in 1932, provided those ludicrous as if, say, Major League Baseball refused to hire anyone wonderful pieces of production art and was responsible for my who’d played Little League Baseball as a child! For $800,000 per invitation to the Symposium. Augmenting our display were my year, they could’ve hired ten dedicated, knowledgeable people, other first-issue Timely mags, as well as my 1932 illustrated King with outstanding collections, to bring their expertise and artifacts to Kong script. In addition, I was privileged to perform an official the Smithsonian. I was learning the hard facts of budget—and presentation about Marvel in an auditorium (with Orville and wife politics—in museum organizations. Dorothy in attendance). I was honored when Occasional convention exhibits followed, plus many encounters Orville told me he felt I should be on the with dealers and power-people in the cartoon magazine lecture circuit. hobby, as well as print publishers and folks in the news Over the years, I talked about Bill’s media. I had a brief opportunity to promote Golden wonderful “Sub-Mariner” stories in Age material when I was commissioned to write numerous presentations at conventions and the history series for Marvel Age magazine, but in schools, sometimes with a slide show, that ended badly, with interference from and at other times with the original other staffers who wanted the assignment magazines. I also trumpeted Carl’s work, for themselves…and eventually got it. as well as Joe Simon & Jack Kirby’s Still, when I was working in the Captain America. public schools in Marine Park, In addition, I made numerous Brooklyn, and kids found out I was attempts to bring those fantastic the writer of the history articles in rarities to various major museums, Marvel Age, they raided the local including New York’s Metropolitan comic book shops, bought every Museum of Art, the Smithsonian available back issue containing Institution, and numerous others. my work, and brought them to What’s In A Namor? Various folks at those museums me for autographs (not knowing This drawing of Prince Namor was a salute done by Warren Reece in the expressed an interest, but usually that anything I sign is automatistyle of Bill Everett for the second Marvel Comics Convention program claimed they didn’t have the cally worth one-third less, right book in the mid-1970s. [Sub-Mariner TM & © 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.] (Above:) In the 1970s, collector/researcher Robert Wiener, who’s now with Hake’s Collectibles, sent Roy Thomas photocopies of all eight pages of the “Sub-Mariner” story from Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1. As editor, Roy utilized them to fill a hole in The Invaders #20 (Sept. 1977), the mag he developed to recount retroactive-continuity exploits of Timely’s “Big Three” during World War II. Roy had the words written in that final, nagging caption box changed to read: “More Next Issue.”

Personal Memories Of Carl Burgos, Bill Everett, & Others—And Of Collecting The Earliest Appearances Of Their Seminal Brainchildren

Another Horse Built By A Committee Also auctioned off by Sotheby’s in 1991 was this odd combination of (a) the torn-off cover of an Oct.dated Marvel Comics #1, and (b) what was described in the catalog as “the interior of Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1 with ink crossovers to First Funnies, on all three locations at bottom of copyright paragraph on first page of comic indicates that they are from the Estate of Lloyd Jacquet.” You can make of the preceding convoluted sentence what you will—and don’t ask us what “ink crossovers” are! Is this the fifth, “incomplete” (i.e., coverless) copy of MPFW #1 that Warren mentions—or the “sixth copy which was later revealed, accompanied by vintage [Jacquet] studio notes concerning the pay for each feature listed in it”? Most likely the latter, since it was featured in the same 12-12-91 Sotheby’s catalog as other treasures from the Compton mother lode. [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

away). What was important was that they were learning about the “fathers” of our heroes.

Likewise, when I did remedial reading sessions with tough little boys in the East New York section of Brooklyn, kids who were bored with professionally prepared reading materials came alive when I brought in Jules Feiffer’s book The Great Comic Book Heroes and an original Fantastic Four #1. Once, I assigned a different character to each kid, and we performed the story like a play, doing the voice-overs. Carl Burgos, Bill Everett, Jack Kirby, and Stan Lee would’ve been delighted to see and hear the effects their works were having on those boys, who needed and wanted what the “fathers” of our heroes had to give.

As the years passed, interest in and expenditures for the early works of Carl and Bill grew by leaps and bounds. Things jumped wildly beyond a $15,000 price for Sub-Mariner #1 from 1941. By the

time the millennium turned, a special copy of Marvel Comics #1 allegedly changed hands for an unbelievable $1,000,000! I have it on good authority that the only known page of original art from Marvel Comics #1—the last page of the “Sub-Mariner” story— ultimately changed hands for $88,000, perhaps a record price. I doubt that poor Bill earned that much in the first decade of his career in the field!

Bill’s memory was, however, honored by industry artists. The Bill Everett Heart Fund was established at Manhattan’s Roosevelt Hospital, and, later, The Bill Everett Fund for Indigent Artists. At comics conventions, artists charged a fee—initially $5—to draw a sketch for a fan and donated the money to the Bill Everett Fund. Through their philanthropy, the legacy of Bill Everett was memorialized. (The money from that fund was eventually turned over, a few years ago, to the comics industry’s own charity, the Hero Initiative.) Could Bill have wanted a better legacy?

I myself continued to struggle on. I was in negotiation with an associate of TV nostalgia expert Joe Franklin to provide material for a proposed Museum of Nostalgia in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and had just received a new research assignment from Marvel, when a fire caused by a malfunctioning electrical power bar struck my apartment/archive—the third Chamber of Fantasy. That ended both projects before they began, and I was forced to move to Florida.

That fire led to two lawsuits, on which I did most of the legal work myself, writing hundreds of pages and fighting three teams of lawyers to a standstill. I felt like Prince Namor and the Torch, fighting against corrupt politicians and the powers-that-be, on those occasions. I even had another legal misadventure, involving highly questionable actions by branches of both Federal and local government that got me in a lock-up from which I escaped, like Namor (or maybe Houdini), and evaded law officers of two counties while I sought documentation to clear myself, risking recapture during that week in order to perform life-saving acts, in the spirit of Namor, as Bill Everett scripted him in Marvel Mystery Comics #8. I may not have been with the “fathers” of our heroes at such times, but in a very important sense, they were with me.

Also during the period of my forced exile to Florida, I had to fight for my omitted credit on Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World’s Greatest Comics (written by Les Daniels, published by Harry Abrams & Co.). My credit was finally added when the trade paperback version was published. Additionally, in the 1990s, I was in negotiations with Micro

The Gathering Storm Carl Burgos’ “Human Torch” splash page from Marvel Mystery Comics #19 (May 1941) illustrates the pre-WWII defense build-up. Timely’s heroes were famously fighting the Nazis at least a year before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought us into a war against Japan, Germany, and Italy. [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

“With The Fathers Of Our Heroes”

Color International, a company that produced and marketed microfiche, which are like tiny sheets of microfilmed pictures. They wanted to borrow many of my rarities, including my tripleautographed Marvel Comics #1, for their extensive series of rare Golden Age cartoon-mag runs on microfiche. They A Voice From The Past wanted me to send Longtime comics fan Ed Lahmann (1930-2011), my treasures to them, in a photo first printed in Alter Ego [Vol. 1] #6 in another state, for in 1963. them to use for profit. Since Marvel was cooperating with Micro Color at that point, this was a worthy opportunity for me to help bring the Timely heroes to the public, but there was a knotty problem beside the physical risk to my rarities: the company refused to pay any money. All they offered was a set of the microfiche and a microfiche reader. Like The Human Torch, on page 16 of Marvel Comics #1, I was determined not to be used for selfish gain. I had to make a living, after all, if I were to survive and keep the collection together.

Although the Micro Color project failed to achieve great acceptance from collectors, they did provide a new and accessible record of Carl and Bill’s seminal stories. Moreover, after the project had been discontinued, Marvel enlarged its microfiche images and printed them in full (and largely accurate) color on slick paper, as part of their Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age series of hardcover books, beginning in 2004. But the black art lines did not reproduce well, and Marvel desired to achieve far better reproduction in the future in books for which it was, after all, asking $50 apiece and up.

Some time later, Marvel’s reprint department, learning of my complete run of Marvel Mystery Comics and my complete sets of everything from Timely/Marvel’s first two years of publication, proposed that I make high-quality reproductions of those items for the Marvel Masterworks. However, they offered me only a few dollars per page for the copying, which constituted considerable effort (as well as potential damage to the delicate issues). I was unwilling to do for them what I had gladly done for my old friend Roy Thomas for his books Stan Lee’s Amazing Marvel Universe and The Marvel Vault. Some time later, the company seemed more amenable to my quoted rates, but by that point they had severely reduced—virtually imploded—the volume of pages I was to provide, wanting me to make copies of only the rarest and most expensive issues. My quoted rate had been intended to be an average, based on a large volume of material, both super-valuable and of lesser value. Because of that, and for reasons related to the contract Marvel sent, the

Shocking! Prince Namor breaks free after an attempt by the surface-dwellers to electrocute him in Marvel Mystery Comics #6 (April 1940). The scene had echoes of the 1933 film classic King Kong. [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

company had to look elsewhere for old Timely material to reprint.

Later, speaking with a young lady named Stephanie Kelleher, the customer service representative of a different company, I learned that her father, Mike, had been commissioned to perform restoration (digital, I believe) on the microfiche images for Marvel. I could not believe it was less costly for Marvel to go that route. Still, when I purchased the omnibus volume that featured Marvel Comics #1 and Marvel Mystery Comics #2-12, I thought the images looked wonderful, so I guess Mike did a great job, and the public at last had quality access to those wonderful works of the “fathers” of our heroes. I was (and am) gratified.

Still, in an historical segment in that volume authored by Will Murray, there was a glaring problem. It perpetuated the allegation that “Sub-Mariner” first came to the public in Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1. This was contrary to information published, years before, in Comic Book Marketplace #21 for Dec.-Jan. 1993. I had authored the latter article, explaining all the facts I had learned which indicated that Marvel Comics #1 had predated Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1.

Some time later, I had a telephone conversation that provided priceless illumination for this aspect of Bill Everett’s “Sub-Mariner” legacy. It is published here, for the first time.

Personal Memories Of Carl Burgos, Bill Everett, & Others—And Of Collecting The Earliest Appearances Of Their Seminal Brainchildren

A “Secret Origin” Debunked

As detailed in my article in Comic Book Marketplace #21, which editor Gary M. Carter retitled “The History, Contents, & Controversy of Marvel Comics No. 1,” Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1 was never received for copyright by the National Library of Congress. Its back cover carried a solicitation to theatre managers, asking whether they would be interested in carrying such a premium, and advising them where to contact Funnies, Inc. All the known copies of MPFW #1 came from “the estate of the deceased publisher”—all the surviving ones, anyway. As I mentioned earlier, original Golden Age fan Ed Lahmann had written to me during my staff period at Marvel, explaining that he had once owned both Marvel Comics #1 and Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1. He elaborated:

“Now, when I was a boy, we lived next door to a distributor for periodicals, and I remember very well the various old comics, as he used to give me his extra or damaged copies. I had many, in addition to the ones I bought. A small neighborhood movie used to give several different kinds of premiums, and I remember that one of the premiums was Motion Picture Funnies, so it did see some distribution in some areas. I had it, but like many of my other old comics, it flew by the way; however, I remember very well that I had gotten a copy of Marvel Comics #1 from the guy next door some time before I got the movie premium.”

Ringer, a “distributor,” gave him two coverless copies of Marvel Comics #1. Inasmuch as it was the practice of distribution people to send the covers, or at least the mastheads (title logos), of unsold issues back to the publishers (or to their main distribution people) for credit, this indicated that the copies of Marvel #1 received by Ed were the remains of unsold copies from some time before.

As for his specimen of Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1, Ed explained that a local theatre used to give a voucher to each customer who paid to see a certain number of movies. That voucher was good for a grab-bag at the candy store adjacent to the theatre. It was in one of those grab-bags, Ed said, that he got his specimen of MPFW #1. The magazine apparently was not given to patrons in the theatre.

It’s quite possible that the candy store was owned by the same party who owned the theatre next door. The theatre’s manager probably got the magazine as a solicitation, and had no intention of paying for copies to be made available for patrons, but the solicitation piece looked good enough for a grabbag—and didn’t cost anything! Why throw them into the ashcan when they could be put to a good purpose—and why would the candy store owner honor a voucher from the theatre unless both were owned by the same party? The significance of the evidence for cartoon-magazine historians and collectors is nothing short of monumental. The only reliable person who ever claimed to have owned both mags back in the Golden Age provided the account directly quoted from his letter to me, and augmented it with the details provided by telephone.

Several years after the publication of my article, I obtained contact information for Ed from collector Stephen Keisman. I phoned Ed in hopes of learning more about the historic mags. My quest was not disappointing! Stimulated by my questions, Ed provided more information about how he had obtained both items.

According to his account, Ed’s next-door neighbor, a certain Mr.

The evidence that MPFW #1 was an inexpensive black-&white reprint compilation, made as a sample for the purpose of solicitation to theatre managers, and not distributed to patrons, with its contents never

“With The Fathers Of Our Heroes”

Strange Trails Bill Everett’s cover for Strange Tales #8 (July 1952) and Carl Burgos’ for ST #16 (March 1953) are examples of the artists’ ability to combine horror and a sense of humor. Of course, both drew plenty of straight horror covers, as well. The Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era hardcovers are now reprinting these jugular gems. [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

able to be copyrighted since they were already copyrighted by the publishers for whom they had previously been produced, is overwhelming. What remains to be done is definitive correction.

I submit that it has been proven, after more than three decades of controversy, and beyond any reasonable doubt, that Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1 is not the magazine from which Bill Everett’s “Sub-Mariner” was reprinted in Marvel Comics #1, but rather vice versa. I wish Bill could’ve had the many thousands of dollars spent by collectors who thought they were buying Namor’s first appearance when they were purchased MPFW #1. Even so, the enormity of the controversy over the two mags and the tremendous amounts of money expended on them are monuments to the importance of both The Sub-Mariner and his writer/artist “father,” who, in terms of his influence, was indeed a “father” of later heroic characters.

Concluding Memories

In my efforts to bring exhibits of my original cartoon-magazine rarities to the public, I turned at one point to The Walt Disney Company, after it purchased Marvel Comics around 2009. There were several Disney venues in Orlando, Florida, including of course Walt Disney World, that presented possibilities for exhibits. In addition, I knew the Disney organization was good at the preservation of its archival history, whereas Marvel’s archives were

Olshevsky until he sold his treasures.

far less complete than my own collection, and that of George

However, all I received from Disney was a monumental runaround. Apparently because all organizations concerned in any way with motion pictures or television are extremely apprehensive about plagiarism lawsuits, I was told that any materials I wished to submit to Disney had to be sent via the company’s website. Since I don’t own a computer of any kind, as well as because of the nature of my materials, that was virtually impossible for me. My experience confirmed my belief that creative people should be the ones who make decisions about hiring creative people, not lawyers or regular business people. I suspect that Walt Disney’s original animators and “Imagineers,” his “Nine Old Men,” wouldn’t make it into the company today, if they couldn’t apply to it on a computer!

But my interest in the “fathers” of our heroes was not confined to the early adventures of the Torch and Sub-Mariner. I collected many other mags containing Carl and Bill’s work, thanks to an ongoing search among the wares of many dealers.

It was an ever-changing marketplace, and I found myself missing folks from the old days. Henry Keller and Al Faruggio closed their little old Magazine Center at 795 Grand Street, Brooklyn, NY, shortly after my last visit. I remember Henry, that

Personal Memories Of Carl Burgos, Bill Everett, & Others—And Of Collecting The Earliest Appearances Of Their Seminal Brainchildren

happy talking heads! I didn’t know Carl had done such things for years, because they were unsigned works, done in a very different style from his earlier “Torch” art. Carl drew other covers like those two, combining humor with horror.

Bill did such things, as well. Although he drew many straight horror covers, he also drew humorous horror. His cover for Strange Tales #8 (July 1952) depicted a beautiful brunette fearfully asking two denizens of the walking dead for whom they’re digging a grave! Then there was Bill’s funny-monster cover for Crazy #1 (Dec. 1953) and his cover for Marvin Mouse #1 (Sept. 1957). The latter was drawn in such a different style that, if Bill hadn’t signed it, I’d never have suspected that the creator of Prince Namor had drawn it.

Thinking of Bill’s impish sense of humor reminds me of a very funny story that Gary Friedrich told me.

Back in the latter half of the 1960s, when Gary was writing and editing for Marvel, Bill wrote and drew a story for one of Marvel’s revived Western titles—but this wasn’t any ordinary cowboy story. This one really was comic, in a very wild way. The plot told how three old codgers got riproarin’ drunk, rode off on their horses, and shot up a town. That was pretty much it!

The Write Stuff Betty Dean’s warmth and intelligence influence the better angels of Prince Namor’s nature, prompting him to join her in fighting the Nazis, in this page from the Everett entry in Marvel Mystery #19 (May 1941). Bill’s work tended to be more dialogue-laden than most comics stories in the Golden Age—which aided him in achieving a level of characterization reached in few 1940s titles. [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

lovable, grizzled old pirate, sitting in the darkened place, amid fallen shelves and stacks of old magazines. I went next door and bought two tall cans of beer, and we had a very pleasant time, as I thought about the old days and about building my collections, of which Al and he had been such a significant part, as they had been for writer/artist/historian Jim Steranko and early dealer Howard Rogofsky. I was sad when I learned that, after moving to family in New Jersey, Henry had passed away. You know, I’m still not sure that Henry and Al’s little old shop wasn’t the front for the secret Operation Rebirth lab in which Professor Reinstein transformed Steve Rogers into Captain America! It was a place of hidden wonders— and those two words bring me back to Carl and Bill.

My narratives about their work on Torch and Namor have not shown how multi-talented they were. Both those gentlemen also excelled at horror, humor, and combinations of both! Carl drew two fine examples of horror for the covers for Strange Tales #15 (Feb. 1953) and #16 (March 1953), showcasing decapitated characters with

Well, that story was absolutely unpublishable under the stringent no-drunkenness-allowed rules of the Comics Code Authority, but that didn’t stop the members of the merry Marvel staff from really getting into the story! According to Gary, he and the other Bullpenners were passing Bill’s original pages around the office, absolutely in tears from laughing so hard! Gary wishes he knew where those pages went! So do I! [NOTE FROM ROY: I must interject here that, as one of its admirers at the time, what I remember most about that great little backup story is an early page which showed one of the cowboys striding down the town street, drunkenly firing his six-shooter into the air and yelling—and I quote—“WHOOPDE-DOO!” I don’t recall specifically that the Comics Code ever nixed the story—but I remember editor Stan Lee definitely did not share the enthusiasm for it that the rest of us had, although I don’t remember if it was because of the potential Code problems or for other reasons. I wouldn’t be surprised if the tale was never even submitted to the Code. If anyone out there has any evidence that it was ever published in any form, we sure hope they’ll let us know. That’s one comic I’d put on my next Christmas wish list!]

Sing, You Sinners! This Everett “SubMariner” panel from Marvel Mystery Comics #16 is the closest thing Ye Editor has seen to the way Bill E. handled a drunken cowboy shouting out “WHOOP-DE-DOO!” in a filler story a quarter of a century later. That off-beat 1960s Western yarn may or may not have seen print. [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

“With The Fathers Of Our Heroes”

All this shouldn’t be surprising, though. Bill and Carl were very bright, creative people, and such folks frequently possess great versatility. This is also frequently true in other areas of endeavor, both professional and private. Unfortunately, in this society, many people try to narrow people down to one category.

“May Their Force Be With Us!”

Perhaps I can best conclude this memoir of the wonderful work Carl and Bill did on “Human Torch” and “Sub-Mariner” with these last little stories. Through them, you can experience what others felt when I shared those old Marvel Mystery Comics with them.

From the reaction of my English teacher, let’s move on to the reaction of another Sylvia: my late mother. She was from another country— England—as well as from another age. In her youth, cartoon magazines from America were not sold in the UK. They did have weekly comic papers, mostly in black-&-white, but the kind of mags we understand as comic books, especially superhero ones, were outside her experience. Mum, as we would say in England, was a voracious reader. Although she was very fond of Barbara Cartland’s romance novels (Cartwheels, as I used to call her), she also read more serious stuff.

Since no one could live with me and have no knowledge of the things I collected, it was only natural for her to have developed some familiarity with Prince Namor and Bill Everett. I remember that she learned to recognize some of Bill’s work by the distinctive line he drew to accentuate a cheekbone when he illustrated a profile.

It was Senior Day at my high school. It was customary to allow one twelfth-grader in each class to teach a lesson. I was given the privilege of teaching about cartoon magazines in my English class, so I brought my doubles of things like Amazing Fantasy #15, The Incredible Hulk #1, and Daredevil #1 to pass out to In the closing years of the class for examination. her life, Mum suffered Some of the students, I from myopic macular knew, were far from fans I’ll Take Manhattan… degeneration, which of any comics. The Human Torch vs. the Sub-Mariner in one of the latter’s “King-Kong-like” rampages prevented her from Nevertheless, I elaborated through New York City, in this page by Carl Burgos and Bill Everett from Marvel Mystery reading. That was a great on the more mature Comics #8 (June 1940). [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.] loss to her. Later, she was approach to storytelling diagnosed with two kinds that had been introduced, of cancer. A decision was made to have her return to England, or reintroduced, in Marvel’s mags. which she did. She was readmitted to the National Health system

Finally, we got to the jewel in the crown: Marvel Comics #1. My teacher, Mrs. Sylvia Smith (whose son, a chemistry teacher, was an avid collector who claimed to own sets of Fawcett’s Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr., and Mary Marvel), and my classmates gathered around her desk with me as I carefully displayed and explained, page by page, the wonders within. Everyone seemed to regard the contents with interest, as I called attention to such things as the Shakespearean parlance of the Emperor in Bill’s first “SubMariner” story.

The overall effect may be summarized by Mrs. Smith’s concluding remark: “This is the closest I’ve ever come to wanting to read a comic book.”

and had the biggest specialists in England tending her.

In the last few weeks she spent in America, I tried my best to help her pass time in ways that were interesting and uplifting. Somehow, and without my prompting, she decided to have me read Bill’s early run of “Sub-Mariner” to her, along with the “Torch” crossovers by Carl. We did this a little at a time—and she thought the stories were good! Draw your own conclusions about those tales, based on the reaction of that critic. They were some of the last things enjoyed by this foreigner, who had not known such things in her youth, before she returned to her native land with terminal cancer. It’s a comfort to me to know that the creative force of Carl and Bill was there for my mother, at that very important time.

Personal Memories Of Carl Burgos, Bill Everett, & Others—And Of Collecting The Earliest Appearances Of Their Seminal Brainchildren

One final story: This one, appropriately enough, involves young people and their experience with those wonderful old mags, likewise in a time long after their original release.

“These are better than the comics they make now!’”

At that moment, I felt that my efforts to collect those rare old treasures was worthwhile. In that classroom, I was able to use those mags for a useful purpose, and continued to do so for the rest of the course—in which, by the way, I received an A in the middle of a bunch of real teachers, many of whom who went down in a hail of C’s, D’s, and F’s.

It was summer, years ago. I was required by the New York City Board of Education to take a course in how reading was taught. I hated taking it, but I needed it in order to maintain my Temporary Per Diem Teaching License. The course was In those moments offered at Brooklyn with Mrs. Smith and College, by three my classmates, with instructors. Our my late mother, and work wasn’t done on with those wonderful campus, though. We little guys on couldn’t be that lucky. Albemarle Road, I We all met in a big, think that the spirits ancient school on of Carl and Bill stood Albemarle Road in there smiling at us, Brooklyn. As we all like the spirits of stewed in that hot Obi-Wan, Anakin, old place, we underand Yoda did at the stood why schools conclusion of Return are closed in New of the Jedi. Their York during the “force” was with summer. The kids me… with us… and, who needed help my dear “cousins,” with their reading may their force be didn’t want to be with you, as you there. The student discover their works Timely Keeper Of The Chamber Of Fantasy teachers didn’t want and go on, inspired, to be there. I’m quite This photo of Warren Reece with his rare Oct. 1939 copy of Marvel Comics #1 was taken by Anastasia to create wonderful sure our three superWalsh some years back, for an article published in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, as repro'd in Comics works of your Interview #8 (Feb. 1984); thanks to David Anthony Kraft. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.] visors didn’t want to own…. be there. I felt it was lucky that Greenwood Cemetery (a national historic site) was only a few blocks away. In case any of us dropped dead of the heat, I Dedications figured that they didn’t have far to take us! To the memory of my father, Jesse, for those no-interest loans My instructor was a very bright and dedicated woman from one and rides to where the rare mags were when I was a younger kid of the Caribbean islands—Jamaica, I think—named Joyce Gerald. than I am now, even though he hated comics—and to the memory Both of us had known British education, so we were kindred of my mother, Sylvia, for all her support; she became a Bill Everett spirits. Around lunch time, everyone needed a break. So our “Sub-Mariner” fan at a time when it made a very important instructors, knowing our backgrounds, put us in charge of special difference to her. activity groups; and they put me in charge of (you guessed it!) The I am indebted to Gary Friedrich, a highly intelligent and Comics Club! talented wordsmith, who provided some revealing stories about There I was, several days a week, in a small classroom with a the times he and Roy Thomas spent with the great Bill Everett. group of little boys—maybe third-graders, mostly AfricanI am thankful to Darlene, Casey, and Josh of the “211 for Palm American kids—having to fill their time in some kind of Beach County” telephone counseling and resource service, for their meaningful way. I looked at their tired, bored little faces, as they feedback during the development of this project. were stuck in this oven with this long-haired paleface; and, remembering my time years before at George Gershwin Junior High My gratitude to Roy Thomas for the wonderful professional School, I decided to bring those treasured old Marvel Mystery opportunities he has extended to me is beyond words. Comics for them to see. Last but not least (because He is the most important), I thank Session after session, I showed those amazing “Human Torch” thankful for the Creator of the Universe, whose help makes all and “Sub-Mariner” stories to them. I watched those great little wonderful things possible, and in my life, real, time and again. The guys come to life, viewing those old pages with enthusiasm and Force was with me when I built the archival collection that made wonder. The Torch blasted enemies with flame, Namor was this project, and many others, realities. cheated and mistreated and rampaged through Manhattan like King Kong. I still remember what those hard-boiled kids, from a —Warren Reece, 17th of March, 2011 generation described by Professor Gerald as being “very into ‘the now,’” had to say about those old mags:

“ I’m Responsible For What I’ve Done ” Part III Of A Candid Conversation With Veteran Artist TONY TALLARICO NTERVIEWER’S INTRODUCTION: In parts 1 & 2 of this interview with the comic book artist (and sometimes writer), we discussed his entry into comics as an assistant to various artists and his early work for Avon, Youthful/Story, et al., as well as his long partnership with fellow artist Bill Fraccio both for Charlton and elsewhere. This time, we conclude the part of our talk that deals primarily with the Charlton years. —Jim.

Conducted by Jim Amash

Transcribed by Brian K. Morris

“[Editor Pat Masulli] Was Always The Boss’ Pet”

JIM AMASH: You started working at Charlton under Al and Blanche Fago. Pat Masulli soon became your editor. Tell me about him.

Tony Gets Toasted TALLARICO: I felt he didn’t really know that much about Tony Tallarico at an exhibit of his work, at a “Berndt Toast Gang” function in conjunction with the comics, editing, or anything National Cartoonists Society—and a chapter-splash else, but he was there. He was from Geronimo Jones #1 (Sept. ’71) that he both a body, which is all you can JA: After Charlton closed the New York office, did you go scripted and inked, with pencils by Jose Delbo. That say about most of the people in person or did you do it by mail? issue’s opening splash was seen last issue. Tony says who were there. I guess that’s in this installment that creating, writing, and inking TALLARICO: By messenger. They would send a a criticism to say that the latter series was his most pleasurable experience at messenger down to the city, and we still met at the somebody was just there. He the Connecticut-based comics company. Thanks to same office. Only they weren’t Charlton anymore—it didn’t strike you as being Gary Watson for the comics page scan. [Page © 2012 was a law office, and they allowed Charlton to use brilliant or bad or anything. the respective copyright holders.] the office as a drop-off or pick-up area. Then I Masulli had a coloring started doing illustration spots for their Word Search company with a man named magazines. Somebody at Charlton went to Canada and saw a Word Pallet, but that didn’t mean he [knew much about putting a good Search magazine, and thought it was great, so they did a knock-off. book together]. As far as my work was concerned, he was very uncritical. JA: You hardly ever went to the Derby, Connecticut, offices? JA: How long did Charlton have that New York office? TALLARICO: I was there twice. Once for this magnificent feast to try to talk us all into moving up there; and the second time, Sal TALLARICO: They had it for several years, because at one time [Gentile, editor] invited my whole family to have a barbeque at his they had a knock-off of Playboy that they were doing out of that house, and we had to stop at Charlton to pick him up. It was a office. I don’t remember the title.

Part III Of Our Career-Spanning Interview With Tony Tallarico

Saturday or something. He worked half a day.

JA: Do you think Masulli paid much attention to the content of the material?

TALLARICO: No, and here’s an example. Once, he asked me if I knew anybody who could write? I said, “Yes, I have a friend of mine who is a very good writer, and is having a bit of a problem getting work. Let me ask him if would be interested.” And he was. This guy’s name was Don Siegel [NOTE: Also spelled “Segall.” —Jim]. So he was writing for Charlton, and everything was okay for a while. Then one day, Masulli said to me, “You’ve got to change writers. I don’t like his stuff. His stuff is terrible.” Now, Pat had never met Don Siegel face-to-face. I said, “Okay, I’ll look around.” And Masulli said, “I want to meet the guy that you choose.” I called Don. “Hey, look. He’s never met you. Get a different typewriter, do a different layout, and let’s see what happens. There’s no reason not to use you! Your stuff is fine for what they do.” And Don did this.

another piece of work. That’s why he was desperate for work.

JA: What did he write for you?

TALLARICO: Generic stuff, mostly romance stories. He wrote for me as Don Siegel, for maybe six months, seven months. And then as “Max Weldon,” I would think about two years.

JA: Speaking of names, you and Bill Fraccio were “Tony Williamsune,” which was spelled two different ways. TALLARICO: Yeah, depending on who lettered it. That was Jim Warren’s idea. I guess he didn’t want to have any association with any other publishers that we were working for.

JA: Was Pat Masulli the type of guy to initiate a new series at Charlton?

TALLARICO: Yes. He was the one who created Son of Vulcan, or so he claimed. Masulli wrote the first story, and then Joe Gill took over.

JA: I don’t have the impression Masulli was creative. He may have been told, “Let’s start doing super-heroes.”

I showed Pat the work, and he loved it. He wants to meet this guy. So one Wednesday, Don went up there with me, using the name “Max Weldon.” We sat at a big conference table and I said, “Pat Masulli, this is Max Weldon.” “Oh, I’m glad to meet you. You’re a terrific writer, and we can keep you busy all the time.” End of story.

Don was a very nice man, very talkative. He came from Boston and his family was involved in entertainment. They had travelling shows and things like that, but he was a very smart, clever guy. He wanted to break into show business. He later left comics to go into television and wrote a number of episodes for various TV shows, but he never became an important writer in television.

TALLARICO: I’m sure of that, because he was always the boss’ pet. He did anything the boss wanted, and the strange thing was that he was fired, and I have no idea why. Masulli was editing comics, and then they replaced him with Dick Giordano.

Mysteries Of Unphotographed Editors Future Charlton editor Dick Giordano’s cover for Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds #46 (June 1965), introducing “Son of Vulcan,” a feature that was apparently the brainchild of then-editor Pat Masulli. Thanks to the Grand Comics Database; see info on p. 72. With #49, the comic’s title was officially changed to Son of Vulcan—but it still crashed and burned with #50, the issue written by Roy Thomas (for panels from that one, see A/E #106). This mag’s editor has tried for years, to no avail, to locate a photo of Pat Masulli, who as Charlton’s editor bought the first two comics scripts he ever sold. [Son of Vulcan TM & © 2012 DC Comics.]

I remember my daughter and a couple of her friends went to California on a vacation, and I gave them Don’s address. “He’d love to see you.” But they chickened out. They drove by the house, and there was a car parked in the driveway, and on the license plate was the phrase “REWRITE.” [laughs] Rewrite, that’s probably what he did. That’s what most screenwriters do, rewrite each other’s stories.

JA: Did he write anything before he worked with you?

TALLARICO: Yes. I met him at Dell. He wrote Car 54, which I drew. He wrote a lot of stuff for them. He and [editor] D.J. Arneson were good friends.

JA: And then you brought him into Charlton.

TALLARICO: Well, that’s another fiasco. One day, I guess Don was feeling his oats, and he said to D.J., “You’d be doing me a favor not to give me any more comic work. This way, I’m forced to go to the West Coast.” So Arneson took it literally, and never gave him

JA: Nobody knows why he was fired. If Joe Gill knew, he wouldn’t tell me. Joe Gill hated him with a passion. TALLARICO: Oh yes, I know that.

JA: When I told him Pat Masulli was dead, he said, “Good.” When you were in communication with Masulli, how much of it was by telephone?

TALLARICO: Probably 95%. We talked maybe once a week, once every two weeks, depending on the amount of work that he needed. He was giving me a list of things to do.

“The Only Good Thing About Working For Charlton”

JA: In the case of Son of Vulcan, Roy Thomas wrote the final issue, and he wrote a Blue Beetle. Those were his first comic book stories. In fact, when you saw Roy’s name on a script, you probably didn’t even pay any attention, I’d imagine.

TALLARICO: True. I mean, I didn’t know him, and I always thought, “Nobody knows us.” [laughs] You know, we just do what we do, doing something because we have to make a living, and you don’t worry about the other stuff.

JA: What did you think of the “Son of Vulcan” idea?

TALLARICO: I thought it was not bad. I mean, you had to give it a little time for it to generate, and the problem with Charlton was

“I’m Responsible For What I’ve Done”

Vulcanized! they wanted instant success, or they’d go on to the next idea. If you don’t give something a chance, it’s not going to work. And the first issue of anything is not going to sell unless it has a lot of publicity in back of it, which Charlton never did.

JA: Who visually designed Son of Vulcan? Dick Giordano drew his first cover appearance, for Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds #46.

TALLARICO: Bill and I might have designed the character, but I don’t recall after all this time. The character was interesting because it was a change of pace. Through the years, many fans have commissioned me to do a drawing of him.

Three major pages penciled by Bill Fraccio and inked by Tony Tallarico for Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds #46. (Clockwise from top left:) the first"Son of Vulcan" splash page—Johnny Mann’s initial transformation into the Olympus-based suyper-hero—and the splash page of the issue’s second adventure, which features credits, including one for editor/writer Pat Masulli. Thanks to Michael Ambrose. [Son of Vulcan TM & © 2012 DC Comics.]

JA: You must have been aware of the earlier versions of the Blue Beetle.

TALLARICO: I was, but too much time had passed. I associated with it, but I didn’t think much about it.

JA: You and Bill changed the Blue Beetle costume. I assume you had total leeway to do what you wanted.

TALLARICO: Yes, we could do anything we wanted. That was the only good thing about working for Charlton. We had the freedom to do anything.

Part III Of Our Career-Spanning Interview With Tony Tallarico

The Continuity Kids A 51st (well, actually, a sixth) issue of Son of Vulcan was fully written and drawn, but never published. These two Fraccio/Tallarico pages, from a tale in which the hero goes mad, are probably from the second SoV script that editor Masulli bought from a non-pro—in this case, from prominent fanwriter Tom Fagan (see photo in last issue’s Comic Fandom Archive). Tom attempted to introduce continuity into the only two super-hero series then being published by Charlton, by mentioning the pre-Ditko incarnation of Blue Beetle. In fact, he even had a scene from Blue Beetle #54 redrawn and footnoted, referring to the story scripted by his fan-friend Roy T. Thanks to Jeff Taylor for finding the page above left on the David Karlen blog; we’re not certain of the source of the page on right. [Son of Vulcan & Blue Beetle TM & © 2012 DC Comics.]

JA: Did you like the stories? Did you like the Blue Beetle character?

TALLARICO: I liked the character. I don’t remember the stories. Except for the Roy Thomas issue, Joe Gill wrote them. He wrote everything else, because he was guaranteed, I believe, a hundred pages of work a week. He was a fast typist. That’s the only thing I can say about him.

JA: Well, he would have agreed with that.

TALLARICO: And I know his brother from Fawcett. In fact, Ray Gill and Adolphe Barreaux worked together at Fawcett.

JA: I didn’t realize that Adolphe Barreaux worked at Fawcett. That must have been early on.

TALLARICO: Yep. I didn’t know him at the time. I’m trying to think of how I met him. I didn’t have any business with him at the time. I saw him in the office of the executive editor at Fawcett, Will Lieberson. Ray was doing some freelance work. Ray and his brother had a men’s magazine, and I did some spot illustrations for them. Then he went over to a publisher of a Sunday supplement for the Armed Forces, and I worked for him, doing one page a week, until it folded, a couple of years later.

Ray Gill was a very quiet, meek, guy. He never really spoke unless you spoke to him. I told him that I knew his brother, and he didn’t think much about that, either one way or another. He was editing some magazines for Fawcett. He might have been writing for the magazine that he was editing.

JA: Tell me about Will Lieberson.

TALLARICO: He was really a political appointee there. [mutual laughter] You’d bring in a job, and he would defend it. “Oh, this is very good, this is blah-blah-blah-blah-blah.” He never gave you a comment, “Why didn’t you do it this way or that way?” He was very easy to work for. I did work for his [non-comics] magazines, [apart from Fawcett]. He was the money man, and was behind a Playboy knock-off… I think his magazine’s name was Gent.

“I’m Responsible For What I’ve Done”

Commies And Carnosaurs (Left:) The cover of Blue Beetle, Vol. 2, #2 (Sept. 1964), proudly announced that, inside, “The mightiest man battles Reds from today and monsters from yesterday” in the story “Hot War in the Arctic!” Here’s a little bit of both 1964 and the primeval from the climax of that Cold War saga, courtesy of writer Joe Gill, penciler Bill Fraccio, and inker Tony Tallarico. A photo of Gill can be seen on p. 46 of this issue; Fraccio was depicted last issue. [Blue Beetle TM & © 2012 DC Comics.]

TALLARICO: Yes. Dick Giordano was not receptive.

JA: Did you ever approach Pat Masulli about you writing stories?

TALLARICO: No. I was too busy to deal with that at that time.

JA: Why didn’t Dick want you to write? TALLARICO: I don’t know.

JA: Were you responsible for the lettering, as well?

TALLARICO: No. They had this lettering machine that Pat invented. It was an oversized typewriter. They’d put a standard comic book page in it, and they had clerical people typing out the lettering. [NOTE: Dick Giordano spoke at length about this lettering device, sometimes bylined in the actual comics as “A. Machine,” in a 2009 comic-con panel which was transcribed for A/E #106. –Jim.]

JA: From 1968 to ’75, you’re listed as lettering for them.

TALLARICO: No, that was my friend, Ray Burzon. I might have lettered a story that I was working on if the deadline was tight and

“I Had Ideas, And I Wanted To Carry Them Out”

JA: How long were you working for Charlton before you became a packager for them? TALLARICO: It must have been a few years.

JA: Besides Don Siegel, did you pick writers for the work you packaged?

TALLARICO: No, I just did it that one time. Joe Gill wrote most everything. I wrote very little for them, and that was later on, because I wanted to do my own things. I had ideas, and I wanted to carry them out.

JA: That would have been for editor Sal Gentile.

TALLARICO: Yes.

JA: I imagine he was pretty receptive.

Outlaws Are Better Than In-Laws! (Right:) The last page of a Fraccio-penciled, Tallarico-inked (and doubtless Gill-scripted) story from Outlaws of the West #15 (June 1958). Note how Fraccio handled the angles so he didn’t have to draw a horde of Indians and Cavalrymen in every panel, cutting a few corners and yet giving the reader his money’s worth. (And we’re pretty certain that the boys were giving Charlton its money’s worth, as well, given the company’s bargainbasement rates!) Thanks to James Cassara. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Part III Of Our Career-Spanning Interview With Tony Tallarico

All You Need Is [Jonnie] Love Tony apparently both penciled and inked (and signed) the cover of Charlton’s Teen-Age Love #61 (Nov. 1968), which introduced his with-it hero Jonnie Love—but Bill Fraccio penciled the story inside, which was signed with their pseudonym “Tony Williams.” Script by Joe Gill. Thanks to Ramon Schenk for the splash scan; the cover was picked up from the Grand Comics Database. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

TALLARICO: That’s right. Every editor just accepted our work.

I didn’t have time to give it to Ray. But that didn’t happen very often.

JA: I want to ask you about a few of these books that you did. First of all, even though Bill was doing the bulk of the penciling and you were still doing some, what kind of reference library did you have? Did you have a morgue?

TALLARICO: Not really. I didn’t; I know Bill didn’t. If we were doing something that was really technical, I would go to a library and look it up. With Westerns, you could do a couple of stories, and become a pro at it. Bill really drew the war stuff because he was in the service and knew what was what—same as Sam Glanzman.

JA: How tight were Bill’s pencils?

TALLARICO: Very loose.

JA: Did you ever have to change his stuff?

TALLARICO: I’m sure I did. When he was doing a Western, he had a bit of a fit about it. He would always draw these big cowboy hats with no face showing. The shadow of the hat would engulf the face, and you can’t do that. [chuckles] You can do that as an effect, but you can’t do it in every panel.

JA: He was looking for shortcuts, then.

TALLARICO: Yes, right. So I’d draw a face on it.

JA: Do you think that, if the money had been better, if you were working for a more prestigious outfit, that might have affected his attitude any?

TALLARICO: Yes.

JA: It seemed like, on the Warren stuff, you guys took a little more time.

TALLARICO: Yes, we were getting paid better. [chuckles]

JA: So you felt like your Westerns and your war stories were reasonably accurate. From what you’ve told me, nobody would have criticized you if they weren’t.

“You Can’t Learn On The Job”

JA: You did a lot of horror, you did a lot of hot rod comics—Hot Rod Racers, Hot Rod Talk, Hot Rods and Racing Cars…. [laughs]

TALLARICO: I created a character named Jonnie Love with a guitar and an attitude. I told Sal that I had an idea for a character. He said, “Okay, let’s do it”; it was as simple as that. It was only a filler amongst four other stories in the romance book. If nobody liked it, no big deal. It wasn’t like he had his own book. I think I wrote the first one, and then Joe Gill started writing it. That’s when I got disgusted with it, because it was the same old stuff Joe always wrote. It was programmable. Joe was programming all the other stuff that he always did into “Jonnie Love.” After a while, you feel like you’re doing the same story over and over.

JA: Why didn’t you continue writing it? Was that Sal’s idea? TALLARICO: Yes, probably.

JA: That character did last for a while, from 1968 to 1971. That’s not bad, three or four years. But you lost your affinity for the character after a while.

TALLARICO: Yes, because of Joe’s writing. I mean, there was always a fight scene in every story. He was not supposed to be that kind of a character. I was thinking about what was happening in the latter part of the 1960s. He was a guitar-playing peacemaker, not a fighter.

JA: Was he based on anybody in particular?

TALLARICO: No, although at approximately the same time, I was doing Bobby Sherman and The Partridge Family.

JA: Well, Bobby Sherman comes in 1972. That’s a little later. You also did “Ken King.” Were you supplied with reference material [for The Patridge Family and Bobby Sherman]?

TALLARICO: Yes.

“I’m Responsible For What I’ve Done”

Bobby-Soxers Of The ’70s Two pages from Tony’s 1972 Bobby Sherman comic. Bobby Sherman was the breakout teen star of the TV series Getting Together, who had a singing career for a time. Thanks to James Cassara and Albert Val. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

JA: What do know about how Charlton licensed this stuff? Do you know how any of that worked?

TALLARICO: No, I didn’t. There was a guy, whose name I can’t remember, who was the business agent for Charlton. He was there from the beginning to the end of Charlton. He made the licensing deals for everything, including the Hanna-Barbera material.

JA: You drew Blondie in 1970.

TALLARICO: Yes, I did. George Wildman thought himself to be the next comic strip artist for Popeye, and it never happened. His stuff was not right for a strip.

JA: George Wildman acted like he created Popeye, from what I’ve heard.

TALLARICO: Oh, boy, then he’d have then been doing it in the ’30s, when it was created. I think there were ten books that he edited. Charlton was doing Popeye for King Features. The books were going to be used in schools, and it was just too much for George to do, and he asked me if I could do the character. I think I did three of those.

JA: What did he think of your Popeye?

TALLARICO: He never commented, but King Features liked it.

JA: By the way, did you know Vince Alascia at all?

TALLARICO: Not really. I just knew him from the pencils that I got from Norman Nodel that Alascia inked. And when Norman was working for Avon, Alascia inked his pencils, too.

JA: What did you think of Alascia’s work?

TALLARICO: Well, it was like a glorified Flash Gordon. It was good, it was competent. I remember him calling me after Charlton closed down: “Is there anything I can do?” I said, “I don’t have

anything. I’m not into that particular area any more, and I don’t know anybody in comics. I can’t help you.”

JA: Is there anybody else at Charlton that you knew that we didn’t mention? I know you didn’t know Pat Boyette, because he was in Texas.

TALLARICO: That’s right. In fact, I don’t know how it came about—I had something and Sal Gentile said, “Why don’t you give it to Pat Boyette? He could do a good job.” I said, “Okay, fine.” It was a cover for Charlton, and I sent it to him. Pat did it in ink washes, and it was awful. I paid him anyway. And the same thing with Alex Toth. Toth wanted to do a cover, and again Gentile said, “Give it to him. Give him a cover to do.” Okay, I said to Alex, “Fine, do the next one. You can do anything you want. It’s a Western, do a generic thing.” So Toth does a close-up of a holster with a hand about to take the gun. It was terrible! It was not a cover. I sent it back to him. I wasn’t going to pay a second guy for something that really wasn’t any good, and I told him, “If you want to re-do this, and you want to make it into a scene, by all means, please do.” I never heard from him. JA: [laughs] That sounds like Alex.

TALLARICO: It was out of his territory. He was not a painter.

JA: He wanted to be.

TALLARICO: Well, that’s fine, but then you can’t learn on the job. You’ve got to do something else. That’s why comics were great. I learned on the job. If somebody’s starting out now, where are they going to start? There’s no pulps, there’s no comics—I mean, there’s comics, but you have to be good to do them. You can’t learn on the job, not any more.

JA: Charlton was the last place for that. That’s interesting about Toth, because I know he did one Western cover that Charlton used, and I guess

Part III Of Our Career-Spanning Interview With Tony Tallarico

Before Popeye’s Last Name Was Doyle Some folks who went voyaging with Popeye the Sailor Man. (Left to right:) Charlton editor and artist George Wildman (on right) in 1994 with Joe D’Angelo, then head of King Features Syndicate, which owns the character—Wildman’s signed cover for Charlton’s Popeye #98 (Oct. 1969)—and Tallarico’s signed splash page for Popeye #E-10 (prob. 1973), done for the revived King Comics company. Oddly, the ubiquitous Joe Gill seems to have scripted the King issue—while the author of interior stories of the Charlton #98 is uncertain! Thanks to Michael Ambrose for the photo, and to the Grand Comics Database and Gregg Whitmore for the art scans. [Pages © 2012 King Features Syndicate.]

that’s why he was sent to you after that one cover.

Did you have a favorite genre? Because you did everything.

TALLARICO: I didn’t, because I liked to do a little bit of everything. It was like when I was doing illustrations. One of the comments an art editor made was, “Your stuff is always different.” “Well, yes! I’m doing that on purpose because I don’t want to fall

into a groove.” I want to have fun doing it, so you have fun by doing different things. If you’re going to use water color for one, the next one would be done in casein, the next one would be something else, pen and ink or whatever. That was done on purpose.

“[Working In Various Styles] Kept Me On My Toes”

JA: You would do horror, then you’d do Hee Haw. Working from one style to another, did you feel like that kept you fresh?

TALLARICO: Absolutely. It kept me on my toes. I actually enjoyed what I was doing, even though the pressure was tough. You know, lack of money and no time. JA: How did you feel about the work you were doing for Charlton, because of the low pay and the lack of time?

TALLARICO: It depended on the job that I was doing. I did a book based on a Broadway show about the Revolutionary War period, 1776. It was really fun. I was good at drawing likenesses; that’s why I got Bobby Sherman and The Partridge Family, among others. It took longer to do that kind of work. I probably couldn’t do more than two pages of pencils a day then. Everything had to be accurate.

JA: The 1776 book—that was Joe Gill. Was the story faithful to the source?

TALLARICO: Well, he didn’t punch anybody out. [mutual laughter]

JA: Did you get a higher rate for doing these licensed projects?

TALLARICO: Yes. I was getting thirty-five a page, no lettering. The other stuff was $26 to $35 a page.

JA: How detailed were Joe Gill’s scripts? Would he say, “Panel one, soand-so says, ‘So-and-so’?”

TALLARICO: That’s about it, and a general “in a garage” scene. He wouldn’t call the angle, or anything like that. I had complete leeway.

JA: But his scripts pretty much defined where and what was happening,

“I’m Responsible For What I’ve Done”

and who was saying what. He basically gave you the scene, but not the stage direction.

TALLARICO: That’s right.

JA: How often would you ever change anything in his scripts?

TALLARICO: I probably did, but I can’t remember.

JA: I know Pat Boyette changed stuff all the time, and Joe didn’t care.

TALLARICO: I know that. I had the attitude, though, with his stuff—if he didn’t care, why should I?

JA: And you knew Charlton didn’t care. But don’t you think Dick cared more than the others?

TALLARICO: Yes, and so did Sal.

JA: What about George Wildman?

TALLARICO: Other than Popeye, I don’t think he gave a darn about any of the stuff.

JA: I’m looking at some Black Fury work you did. Did you feel like drawing the animals was a strength for you?

TALLARICO: Yes. I always enjoyed doing that. I never had a problem with it. In fact, later on, when I did a series of How to Draw books for …

JA: Lee Ames?

TALLARICO: No, I didn’t do it for Lee Ames. I did it for another publisher. The How to Draw books that I did, I own the rights. I got the rights back when they were no longer publishing them, and I’ve placed them with different publishers. I did 16 in that category, and I did about another eight or nine for Grosset and Dunlap, and all of the rights have returned to me.

JA: What was the time period you were doing them?

TALLARICO: From the ’80s on up to the present.

strength of the character, that’s all.

JA: You also drew some Tex Ritter comics. Maybe backups there?

TALLARICO: Yes, maybe fillers in the book, because Tex Ritter, I’m pretty sure, was one of the Fawcett books that ended up at Charlton.

JA: How aware were you of Charlton buying other comic book companies’ material?

TALLARICO: I was not aware of it until they got the Fawcett material. That was the first time I ever heard of it.

JA: By the way, do you know anything about Charlton distributing for Quality Comics? I was told that, when Quality Comics lost their distributor, Charlton became their distributor, and it was a disaster. Charlton didn’t bother to promote these comics. They hardly put them out, and basically sunk Quality. TALLARICO: No, I never heard that story.

JA: To get back to Charlton here, with all the hot rod comics, you didn’t have any photo reference for hot rods or anything? That’s amazing to me.

JA: Did you know anything about how Charlton distributed their own comics, their own magazines?

TALLARICO: Of course. They were the only ones that created, printed, and distributed. But I never knew the details. Dell did that, but they did it with more class.

TALLARICO: No, they were basically the same thing. I wasn’t doing a specialized car, or then I would need reference, of course. It was just generic things.

JA: You did some Wild Bill Hickok, Rocky Lane, and a character named “Hope Wilson.” That must have been one of the first things you did, because the date on that is ’55. Who was that?

TALLARICO: You got me. I never heard of it. Maybe my work was in a comic book called that, and I did something?

JA: When you drew characters like Wyatt Earp, did you ever base them on anybody?

TALLARICO: No. I based them on the

“[Geronimo Jones] Was My Favorite Series At Charlton”

JA: Did you ever talk much to John Santangelo or his son?

1776 And All That Tony says he penciled and inked the 1776 comic, coverdated March 1973—which was actually based more on the 1972 film than on the original Broadway musical play. A still from the movie was used as the comic’s cover. Scripted by Joe Gill. Thanks to Jim Ludwig. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

TALLARICO: No, except once I spoke to John Santangelo, Jr. I was doing painted covers for a magazine that they had called True West or Real West. Junior wanted the art for his kids’ room, so he called me on the phone. What am I going

Part III Of Our Career-Spanning Interview With Tony Tallarico

JA: How often would you draw a story and think, “This is a good one”?

to do, say no? [laughs] So he got that. In fact, I never even met the other partner, Ed Levy. But I was never in jail.

TALLARICO: From Charlton? Never.

JA: Yet you still managed to take pride in the work you did. How did you manage that?

JA: There’s still time. Did you ever hear about the Mafia connections?

TALLARICO: Yes, that was a rumor that just kept going around and around. I didn’t have any basis to believe it or not.

TALLARICO: Well, I’m responsible for what I did. I can’t be responsible for the writer, the colorist, the printer, the salespeople. I can only do what I can do, and that was my attitude.

JA: It wasn’t anything you gave much thought to then. Did you just accept it, that it was going on?

JA: When you did Geronimo Jones, and you did Gunmaster...

TALLARICO: No, really, I didn’t believe it.

TALLARICO: You know, going back to writing, I created and wrote Geronimo Jones. Jose Delbo did the pencils. I enjoyed that one, though I don’t remember where the idea came from.

JA: Did you talk about what you did with your neighbors or your friends? Would your kids brag about "my dad, the comic book artist”?

TALLARICO: Oh, sure. I always did exhibits and chalk talks in the schools that my kids went to, from young grades to high school. And even into college, I did an exhibition for my daughter who was going into C.W. Post for her art class. I still do it for my grandkids.

JA: Did you ever work at home?

JA: It seems like you were more open to coming up with ideas once you were working with Sal.

We’re Looking For People Who Like To Draw And Cartoon Mr. T.’s cover for the art instruction book Drawing and Cartooning Monsters, done for Perigee Books, apparently a division of Putnam; he reports there were six titles in the series. Probably published in the 1980s. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

TALLARICO: My wife married me for better, for worse, and for lunch. [Jim laughs] So does that answer? Even when I had a studio in the city, I would try to work in the studio a couple of days, and home the rest of the time, because it was a waste of time, the hour and a half commute back-and-forth, unless I was doing advertising and I had to be there. JA: How often would you get a story and think, “This is stupid”?

TALLARICO: Often, with Charlton. But you know something? I never read the story before I did it. As I read it, I drew it. I wasn’t going to bother reading it, because there was there was nothing I could do about it.

TALLARICO: Yes, because he gave me the opportunity. Everybody else was very tight-assed about it.

JA: If you said to Pat Masulli, “Hey, I’d like to do this character,” what would he have said?

TALLARICO: He would have said, “Oh, I have to show it to –” his boss, whoever that was at that time. He was protecting himself constantly.

JA: When you had a character-driven series that you were doing regularly, would you have more affinity towards that, as opposed to just generic stories?

TALLARICO: Yes. Geronimo Jones was a good indication of that. That was fun to do. That was my favorite series at Charlton.

JA: You did “The Charisma Kid,” which I have you as writing and I have your daughter as writing in the ‘71 to ‘72 period. TALLARICO: “The Charisma Kid”? It

Tarz An’ The Apes One project that garnered Charlton a lawsuit (from Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.) was its short-lived Jungle Tales of Tarzan series, for which Tony drew several backup stories that didn’t star the Apeman. At left is TT’s animal feature for issue #2 (Feb. 1965); at right, an “historical” filler from #3 (May ’65). Thanks to Stephan Friedt for the former scan, and to Mike Delisa for the latter. Joe Gill was probably the scripter. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

“I’m Responsible For What I’ve Done”

Geronimo! (Left:) Nicely-composed action page by Jose Delbo (penciler) and Tony Tallarico (writer & inker) from Geronimo Jones #2 (Nov. 1971)—and (right) cover of the final issue, #9 (Jan. 1973), which looks as if it may have been drawn by Tony himself. Thanks to Gary Watson for the splash, GCD for the cover, and Señor Delbo for the pic above of the talented team. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

does not ring a bell. My daughter wrote some stuff for Charlton, but I don’t remember what she wrote. JA: You never got any of your original artwork back, did you?

TALLARICO: No. At the time, I didn’t think about it. Later on, I did ask for some, and got a few things. They kept the work in their storage area. “Help yourself,” they said. I have a couple of issues of Car 54... I have a few books. I never got anything back from Charlton.

“[Dick Giordano] Was The First Pro Editor Charlton Had”

JA: How forceful an editor was Dick Giordano?

TALLARICO: Compared to the others, he was the first pro editor Charlton had. He wanted to do more super-heroes; he had a vision. He also was in the same pickle that all of us were: lack of money, and nobody at Charlton giving a damn.

JA: I never did get to ask Dick how he got that job. Do you happen to know?

TALLARICO: Dick’s father was a cab driver and one day picked up Al Fago, and in conversation he said, “Hey, my son wants to be a cartoonist.” Al Fago says, “Tell him to come up and see me.”

Dickie The Kid Dick Giordano, a couple of years before he became editor of Charlton—and a cover he penciled (and Vince Alascia probably inked) for The Masked Raider #7 (May 1957), a comic that was clearly inching its way toward changing its title to Billy the Kid, which it did two issues later. Hard to imagine a time when DG was being inked by somebody else, isn’t it? The photo, from Treasure Chest, Vol. 19, #11 (Jan. 31, 1963), also saw print in A/E #106, which dealt with Dick’s years at Charlton. Thanks to Gene Reed for the cover scan. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

That’s how he started at Charlton.

JA: Do you know how Dick got the editorial job?

TALLARICO: Just probably from working for Charlton for so long, because I think he had an editorial job twice. The first time, he was an assistant to somebody, I guess it was Pat Masulli. Then he left, and then he came back as editor.

JA: There was a time when Dick was packaging work for Charlton, too. Did you guys ever work together before he was an editor?

TALLARICO: No, I just knew him from high school. We were friends.

JA: I have the feeling you weren’t wild about Wildman.

TALLARICO: No, [Wildman] was a pompous ass. Everything he touched, that was gold. He hated Sal Gentile—absolutely hated him. JA: Why do you think it was?

TALLARICO: I don’t know. Sal was the nicest, meekest guy I ever met. During World War II, his brother was killed, and Sal volunteered to go behind enemy lines. He parachuted down and he

Part III Of Our Career-Spanning Interview With Tony Tallarico

worked with the Underground. He had a hell of a background, and this little twerp Wildman didn’t care for him. Well, that’s too bad.

JA: Do you think Wildman might have forced Gentile out?

TALLARICO: Yes.

JA: So, because that happened, you decided to quit.

TALLARICO: Yes. They had absolutely no loyalty. They demanded that from you, though. Santangelo was way beyond anything like that. If you’re working for a nice guy, you don’t mind [what’s going on above you], but if you’re working for George Wildman...

JA: How critical was Wildman, compared to the other editors?

TALLARICO: They weren’t critical at all. He was just nasty, and who needs that? JA: Would he put you down?

TALLARICO: Not to my face. He did that to other people, so if he does it to somebody else, he’ll do it to you when you’re not there. He wouldn’t do it to your face.

JA: I don’t think Joe Gill liked him much, either.

TALLARICO: There you are.

JA: Did you have much personal contact with Joe Gill?

TALLARICO: Just on the phone. We met, maybe two or three times. I liked working with him, and he made sure I got back every original painting that I did for his magazine covers.

JA: So he was much easier to work for as an editor than to draw his scripts?

TALLARICO: Yes, absolutely. Well, I can understand why he wrote scripts the way he did. He was forced to. I don’t know what kind of a page rate he was getting.

JA: I think his highest rate ended up being like four bucks a page or something, so that’s the reason he had the attitude he did. That’s why he didn’t care.

TALLARICO: But the thing is, the longer you stay in a place like that, the angrier you get. The best thing is to try to get out, and he tried, when Dick went to DC, to do things for Dick, but Dick didn’t want any part of him.

JA: I know Joe did a little work for DC, but nothing substantial. I figured it was because Dick just saw him as a jobber. But I don’t know whether, if he’d had more time, or if he’d gotten paid better, Joe Gill might have done better work.

TALLARICO: I don’t think so, at that point. I think he was stuck in a rut. JA: When I interviewed Joe, he was nice and everything, but I got the impression he didn’t care. TALLARICO: No, and that was because of being at Charlton. I have to blame them, I really do.

JA: Was there a reason why you stopped working for Charlton? Were you

The Gill Man When editor Jon B. Cooke ran this photo in his comics-history magazine Comic Book Artist #9 (Aug. 2000) with its massive Charlton coverage, he referred to this as a “fuzzy picture of Joe Gill with his trusty typewriter, which saw him through thousands of script pages at Charlton.” And since JBC is now the ever-lovin’ layout guru for Alter Ego, we figured we’d repeat both photo and phrasing. Thanks, Jon. Sadly, Joe passed away in 2006.

just too busy with the other books?

TALLARICO: No. I stopped doing the Charlton comics because all the guys who were up there were fired, and I said, “This son of a bitch [Santangelo, Jr.], he really used us.” I said, “I don’t want to have anything to do with you.” But I could afford to say that because I was doing well doing books. JA: You weren’t surprised when they quit publishing comics, were you?

TALLARICO: I was out of comics, so I didn’t even know about it until later on. I had nothing to do with them. I don’t know who was the editor. I would have no contact with them.

Jim Amash’s interview with Tony Tallarico will be concluded next issue.

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“Being A Cartoonist Didn’t Really Define Him ” Spotlight On Golden & Silver Age Inker MIKE PEPPE —By His Wife FERN PEPPE And Others Who Knew Him NTERVIEWER’S INTRODUCTION: Inkers are the unsung heroes of comic artistry. Their craft is often undervalued and their contribution frequently overlooked. But there are many pencilers of the Golden and Silver Ages whose graphite was refined, enhanced and improved by the work of exceptional inkers. The best of them were able to finish the artwork, leaving it better than when they started without overpowering the pencils with their own style. Mike Peppe (pronounced “pep’-i”) was one such unsung hero, whose inks graced the work of such legendary comic artists as Alex Toth, Mike Sekowsky, Steve Ditko, Mike Roy, John Celardo, and George Tuska.

Interview Conducted & Transcribed by Dewey Cassell

Mike Peppe was born on October 4, 1921, in the Greenwich Village area of New York City. His family was of Italian descent, but his parents were born in America. His father worked as a truck driver and later as a bartender. His mother raised four children, of which Mike was the oldest.

Mike started with the S.M. (“Jerry”) Iger shop in 1944. Iger had many clients, Fiction House being one of the biggest. Rumor has it that Mike left Iger after making a delivery to Fiction House and discovering that company had much better working conditions. Mike joined the staff at Fiction House in 1945. While at Fiction House, Mike penciled and inked a number of two-page filler pieces with titles like “Jungle Facts” that appeared in Jungle Comics and other books of their line. He remained at Fiction House for several years, working with artists like Celardo, Tuska, and Bob Lubbers. Mike left Fiction House in 1948 for Standard Publications, where in

The Hands Of Mike Peppe Mike Peppe during the comic book years— and the splash page he inked superbly over Alex Toth’s dramatic pencils for Standard’s Adventures into Darkness #9 (April 1953), as re-colored for the mid1980s Eclipse reprint title Seduction of the Innocent. Scripter unknown. Thanks to Fern Peppe for photos and other artifacts accompanying this piece; all comic art herein was provided by Dewey Cassell, unless noted otherwise. [Page © 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

some respects he made his biggest mark in the comics industry as art director, alongside editor Joe Archibald. Mike worked closely with artist Alex Toth at Standard, and the two of them defined the style by which Standard would be best known in both romance and adventure stories. Mike reportedly encouraged Standard artists to draw like Toth, but Mike’s own influence is clearly evident in the brushstrokes of other inkers who were working at Standard at that time, such as Frank Giacoia.

Mike left Standard in 1954. As a freelance inker, he did some crime, adventure, and romance stories for Timely and St. John. He also assisted Mike Roy on newspaper strips such as Ken Weston and Nero Wolfe. In addition, he was one of the artists who contributed to the Picture World Encyclopedia.

Spotlight On Golden & Silver Age Inker Mike Peppe

As a member of the National Cartoonists Society, Mike was invited to play in a celebrity golf tournament held every year at Shawnee on the Delaware, a resort in the Poconos owned by Fred Waring, renowned bandleader and inventor of the blender. Mike, George Tuska, Al Plastino, and others, along with their wives, were treated to a weekend of luxury, hobnobbing with the likes of TV star Jackie Gleason. Starting in the mid-1950s, Mike worked predominately for Dell (and later Western Publishing), frequently inking the pencils of Mike Sekowsky and Mike Roy. Peppe worked on unique Dell properties (e.g., Frogmen), as well as on many of their media-related titles such as Around the World in 80 Days.

He later also worked for DC Comics, where he inked horror stories in House of Secrets and Steve Ditko’s pencils in the last couple of issues of Beware The Creeper. Mike’s last work for Western and DC was in the early ’70s, after which he did little other comics work before his untimely death in 1982. Mike was survived by a sister and brother, his two children, five grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and his wife Fern. —Dewey.

Interview With Fern Peppe

Mike married Fern Bishop in July 1944. In this interview, conducted in October 2005, Fern Peppe talks about her husband, his work, and their family. The interview was copy-edited by Mrs. Peppe, and preceded the passing of Alex Toth, John Celardo, and George Tuska.

DEWEY CASSELL: Where did Mike go to school?

FERN PEPPE: He went to high school in Brooklyn. When he graduated, he went in the Army. After he left the Army, a very good friend’s mother asked him to come work in a glove factory in Manhattan. That’s where we met. I worked in the office and he worked as a shipping clerk. A year later, we were married.

DC: Did Mike go to art school?

PEPPE: Not a day. My husband learned how to ink by himself. He

used to sit with the black ink and a brush and do swirls, brushstrokes. That’s how he became a very good inker.

DC: How did Mike get into inking professionally?

PEPPE: Before we were married, I saw some of his work, samples of drawing that he did, and I felt that he was very talented. I kept pushing him. One day, he came back to the house, because I had quit my job in the office and I was looking for something locally. We weren’t even married a year. He came up the stairs and said, “I have an appointment. I came back to get my samples.” They weren’t anything like you would do today. He took his samples to this man, Jerry Iger. Iger wanted to hire him for $18 a week. But the last thing I said to him when he left the house was, “Mike, don’t work for less than $25.” So, he told Iger, “My wife said I can’t make anything less than $25 a week.” So they hired him. The war was on, so they could use another person.

He stayed there for a short time. He sat on an egg crate and was learning how to use a brush and developed a very good talent for it. He left there and went to Fiction House on 40th Street and Fifth Avenue, right across from the Library. Every month, he would get one picture about an animal, say, a bear, and he did a story about it that was included in the comics. Then he went to Standard, and after a while, he was put into the position of art director.

DC: Who did Mike work with at Standard?

The Frogmen Creep In On Little Frog Feet… After leaving Standard, Peppe inked for Dell and DC, among other companies. Here he is over Mike Sekowsky pencils on Dell’s The Frogmen #9 (May-July 1964) and over Steve Ditko on Beware The Creeper #5 (Jan.-Feb. 1969). The Frogmen page is repro’d from black&-white photocopies of the original art. Its script is by Don Segall, Creeper’s by Denny O’Neil. [Frogmen page © 2012 the respective copyright holders; Creeper page © 2012 DC Comics.]

“Being A Cartoonist Didn’t Really Define Him”

Hottest Spot North Of Havana… Mike and Fern Peppe (on left) and Mr. and Mrs. John Celardo at the famed Copacabana night club in New York City; date unknown.

pages a day. But he was not a man who should ever have been freelancing. He liked to do other things. He loved to garden and he liked to play golf. And I was a nag. He liked to sleep late in the morning and he liked to stay up all night doing his artwork and watching Johnny Carson while he worked.

PEPPE: He had a very good friend there, Joe Archibald. He was like a parent to us. They [Joe and wife Dottie] had no children. They just loved Mike and myself, and we became very bonded. The Archibalds were about twenty years older than us, and treated us just like their own family. When Dottie passed away, I went to visit Joe and stayed with him for about a week. When Joe died, he left something for me and my children in his will. Joe Archibald was a writer of children’s short stories and an artist. If you ever come to Naples, you’ll see a wall in my living room with all watercolors that he did. This man should be acknowledged. He was a very private person, very quiet and very dear.

Anyway, my husband worked for Standard for a few years and then he decided to become a freelance inker. That was his work.

DC: Are there other artists that you remember from when Mike was working?

PEPPE: I have a few names of people that I remember very well. George and Dot Tuska became very close friends. We used to play pinochle until five o’clock in the morning—this is before we had children—and the men would go fishing afterwards. We had the best relationship and we still do. They have come to see me every February for twenty-five years. That’s how long we’ve been friends. George was also godfather to my son and Dot is his godmother. We’re like family.

I have some paintings that George has done for me. One of them is a painting of two peasant women with big aprons. It’s so sweet. It’s not even completely finished; you can see where he didn’t finish the hand. When we were all very young, this picture was thrown down by his desk. I said, “George, what are you doing with this picture?” He said, “Why, do you want it?” I said, “George, I would love to have it. I wish you would give it to me.” He said, “I just need to have it for one thing, Fern. I’m going to show it to somebody as a sample and then you can have it.” And he gave it to me. It is one of my favorite pictures in the whole house.

DC: Did Mike enjoy being an art director?

PEPPE: Yes, he enjoyed it, but when he saw the money that freelancers were making and he was bringing home probably $40 a week, he realized he could make more money if he did a couple of

morning.

DC: I heard George Tuska tell stories about how he would stay up all night working so that he and Mike could go play golf in the

PEPPE: Absolutely true. I’ll tell you one fault my husband had, where his work was concerned. He put off deadlines. When something was due, he would work two days, 24 hours, to get the job done. You see, I worked on the side, so he always felt confident that, “Well, Fern will take care of it.” That’s how it was.

DC: What other people did Mike work with?

PEPPE: Mike made friends with a lot of people in the art business. Mike knew Bob Lubbers, who worked for Al Capp. Bob Lubbers did Li’l Abner, and there was another strip. Because of Bob Lubbers, my husband was called in to help with Al Capp’s inking. My husband went up to Massachusetts at the time. This is when he was freelancing.

Mike also inked for Johnny Celardo. They were very good friends. He lives in Staten Island now. I think in later years he was an art director at Dell Publishing.

And Mike knew Andre LeBlanc. Andre LeBlanc was one of the nicest men. He was Portuguese and he had a house in Rio de Janeiro. He’s deceased now, and so is Al Capp. Andre did religious comics, and he and Mike became friends when they were both quite young. I think it was at Fiction House, but their friendship lasted, and even after my husband died, my son and I went to visit them. They lived out on Long Island.

And Mike and Jerry Fasano were good friends. Jerry sent our daughter Michele a hand-painted birthday greeting every year on her birthday, because their birthdays were either on or near the same day.

Mike also worked with Al Toth. They had a mutual admiration for each other. Al Toth now works in California. Al stayed at our house for a couple of months one time. Al also went into cartooning on TV. There was a time when Al wanted Mike to move to California to work on animation, but we didn’t want to move away from family.

DC: Did they get along well?

PEPPE: My husband got along with everyone. My husband was a charmer. I loved all his friends. Better than anyone else in profes-

Spotlight On Golden & Silver Age Inker Mike Peppe

“I Told The Witch Doctor…” (Above:) A real rarity! Mike Peppe both penciled and inked this two-pager from Fiction House’s Jungle Comics #80 (Aug. 1946)! Scripter unknown. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

sional life, the men in the comic business were the nicest of that era.

DC: When you and Mike got married, did you live in New York?

PEPPE: We lived out on the Island. I lived on Long Island when I met Mike. Then, in later years, we bought a house in Hauppauge. Before that, we bought this little house in New Jersey. We were only married about four years when we bought that house. In those days, you could buy a house with no down payment, if you were a veteran. I saw a little house when I was visiting a friend and I loved it and talked Mike into buying it. One day, he saw me hanging out of a window, painting the trim on the windows, and he came home and said, “We’re selling this house.” He didn’t like me doing that kind of work, but we couldn’t afford to pay a painter. That’s when he was an art director. I’d say that was around 1950. And then we moved back to New York City, to Long Island. We got an apartment. We’d been married about twelve years when I had a A Sporting Chance daughter, Michele. And then I was (Right:) At Standard, Peppe penciled, inked, and signed this one-page feature for Mel Allen Sports married twenty years Comics #5 (Nov. 1949), a comic supposedly when I had a son, hosted by the then-famous radio sports Joseph. DC: Tell me about Michele and Joseph.

“Being A Cartoonist Didn’t Really Define Him”

DC: Mike was a great inker. Do you have any idea why he didn’t do more penciling?

What do they do?

PEPPE: I have a very successful daughter. She is one of the top real estate sales people in the country. And I have a son who is a cabinet-maker. He is self-taught, just like his father.

PEPPE: That’s just what he started to do. He used to “ghost” for Prince Valiant a few times when the artist DC: Did either of your was sick or children show any behind schedule. artistic abilities? They would call him from the PEPPE: Both of New York News. them. My daughter When the artist is so talented it’s for Dick Tracy unbelievable. She died, the can paint and she newspaper can draw and she called my can write and she’s husband, never had a lesson. because they She’s very smart. knew him from And this is not a when he went mother speaking. into the office She has a lot of my Your Host In The Poconos—For The Most In The Poconos and he did some husband’s qualities, (Left to right): An unidentified friend—Mike & Fern Peppe—and Dorothy & George Tuska—at Fred Waring’s work for them. but she has my Shawnee on the Delaware resort in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, 1967. Fellow artist Al Plastino (of They asked him personality. She’s “Superman” fame) also spoke about these events, back in Alter Ego #59. The late George Tuska’s sidebar to give them a very outgoing. My about Mike Peppe will appear next issue; meanwhile, for a sample of MP inking GT, see p. 55. week’s samples son is also talented, for Dick Tracy. but he hasn’t had My husband went to Washington, DC, to have a very good friend time to develop his talents because he has to work. My son is a of his named Mike Roy do the pencils, which I guess proves he very hard worker. He has two little children, and his wife is an was more comfortable just inking. He brought back the samples, artist. There are artists all around us in my family. I’m sorry to say and he was so excited. It was an opportunity of a lifetime. That I have no artistic talent. would have made us, if he got the job, but he didn’t. It was just

Archibald Unleashed Mike Peppe (on left) and his good friend, artist Joe Archibald, dressed in suits and ties at Standard/Nedor. At right are panels from Archibald’s “Tinker Twins” series, which appeared in National’s New Comics #1 in 1935—long before that company could’ve possibly be called DC, ’cause there wasn’t yet a mag called Detective Comics! The panels were retrieved from the www.lambiek.net website. [Panels © 2012 DC Comics.]

Spotlight On Golden & Silver Age Inker Mike Peppe

We’re No Angels Mike P. and his artistbuddy Mike Roy may not have landed the Dick Tracy newspaper strip assignment, but they still did a lot of work together— work as varied as this “Little Angel” cutout page done for an unknown Standard comic in the 1950s and this Len Wein-scripted tale for House of Secrets #98 (June-July 1972). [“Angel” page © 2012 the respective copyright holders; HoS splash © 2012 DC Comics.]

him and another man. It was quite an honor to be chosen with only one other person to supply samples, even if he didn’t get the job. I think my husband felt it wasn’t what you know, it was who you know.

DC: I know some artists, like George Tuska, eventually got tired of doing strips. The deadlines were tough.

PEPPE: George was a much more regulated artist. He actually did it like a job. My husband should have been a landscaper, because he loved the outdoors. My husband died under sixty, so I don’t feel bad that he never made a lot of money. He did what he loved to do. I’ve accomplished a lot since my husband passed away, because I am a worker. I’ve always worked hard and I always

Standard Fare At Standard, Peppe inked Alex Toth on such fare as Adventures into Darkness #5 (Aug. 1952) and Mike Sekowsky on Joe Yank #15 (April 1954). The former was re-colored by Toth himself for a 1985 Eclipse reprint; a photo of Toth was seen in A/E #106. For both John Celardo and Bob Lubbers talking about Peppe, see next issue. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

“Being A Cartoonist Didn’t Really Define Him”

A Sekowsky Double-Dip At both Gold Key (Western) and DC, Peppe inked some interesting work penciled by Mike Sekowsky—and he did it up proud. The script for the moody page from Twilight Zone #6 (Feb. 1964) is attributed to Dick Wood—while the “Supergirl” tale in Adventure Comics #398 (Oct. 1970) was written as well by Sekowsky. The latter, Dewey Cassell notes, was the first appearance of the Maid of Steel in a re-designed costume, but the artists clearly hadn’t quite got the hang of it yet: note the missing “S” symbol in panel 2, and the indication of fingernails on her gloves! [Gold Key pages © 2012 the respective copyright holders; “Supergirl” page © 2012 DC Comics.]

supplemented his income. We lived very nice. We never lived poor. I had a beautiful home on the Island. In those days, you could buy a house for five or six thousand dollars down. We bought it in 1960 and we sold it in 1970. My mother passed away and we went to live in New Jersey in my father’s house because he was alone.

DC: Tell me about the Voice of America.

PEPPE: My husband applied for a job at the Voice of America. He had a very good friend in Washington, DC, Mike Roy, who went to work for the Voice of America in the art department. He encouraged Mike to fill out an application for it, because it was a steady job. This probably was about 1970-something. Mike asked for too much money, so he didn’t get that job. He had quite a few disappointments. That’s part of living and you have to accept them. DC: Did you save any of Mike’s comics?

PEPPE: No, I’m very sorry that I didn’t save his comic books. I have to be honest with you. I never read comic books as a kid. Every month, when we got a check, we received two issues of whatever comic book he worked on, that his inking was in. They would kick around the house for a couple of weeks, and then I

would say, “Honey, we don’t need these books. Do you need these books?” “No, that’s okay.”

We used to go to Frank Giacoia’s house and he would be working downstairs in the basement. We didn’t socialize with him too much, maybe once a year. He had files and files filled with reference material and books. And I would be throwing Mickey’s books out.

DC: Did Mike do any advertising work?

PEPPE: He did Smokey the Bear. And he also did The Man from U.N.C.L.E. My husband did Jackie Gleason’s comic book, too. If my husband were alive, he could tell you so much.

DC: Did Mike ever get any original art back?

PEPPE: He had a few [pages]. I don’t know what happened to them. I don’t have any of Mike’s artwork. Very seldom do you see his name on his artwork.

DC: Did it ever bother him that he didn’t get credit?

PEPPE: He didn’t care. He really liked what he did. Do you know how many men go to work that hate their jobs? My husband never

Spotlight On Golden & Silver Age Inker Mike Peppe

A Peppy Family (Left:) Fern Peppe and daughter Michele, in a photo taken a few years ago, probably by Dorothy Tuska. (Right:) A portrait of Mike and Fern’s son Joey, drawn by MP when he was a teenager. Dewey Cassell believes that Joey was named after the Peppes’ friend Joe Archibald.

apartment building in New York City. I’m sorry to say he quit doing the artwork. In the beginning, he did it, but later on he didn’t.

DC: I guess managing the apartment building had more regular hours?

PEPPE: It was the first time I really saw him enjoy doing something, because he met with people and talked to people. It was a very nice building. We had a doorman around the clock. It was a good job.

DC: It sounds like he was a people person.

hated his work. I think he felt a little intimidated bringing a job completed and standing there waiting for them to give him something else. I think that might have been the only thing that was hard for him. And he always dressed up when he brought his work to New York. I always said to him, “Mike, your clothes make the impression. Don’t go in there in your jeans and T-shirts. Go dressed up.” And he always did.

DC: By the mid-1970s, Mike quit drawing professionally …

PEPPE: The last three years of his life, he was a manager of an

PEPPE: In his younger years he wasn’t. He was a quiet man. My husband only opened up the last ten years of his life, that he was a good talker and mixer. I have to think that I rubbed off on him, because I was very outgoing. When we were young, I used to feel that he was kind of introverted. Wherever I worked, when we had a Christmas party, he would say, “I don’t want to go. I don’t like those people and I’m not going.” And I would say, “That’s okay, honey. You stay home. I’m going.” That’s all I had to say, then he was right there. And he was the life of the party and he loved it. All the women I worked with thought, “Oh, Mike Peppe. God, he’s gorgeous.” Which he really was. He looked like a movie actor and he was built like a movie actor. He was a beautiful man.

DC: What were the circumstances surrounding Mike’s death?

PEPPE: He had a heart attack. Died in ten minutes. He used to have pains in his chest and he treated it like a hiatal hernia, because somebody else told him about their pain. Every time I made an appointment for him to go to the doctor, he’d cancel it.

It has been almost thirty years since Mike passed away, at the age of sixty. Fern never remarried, but she continues to find great joy in her son and daughter, who are reflections of the best of their father. And Mike's legacy lives on in the art he embellished during the best of the Golden and Silver Age. Dewey Cassell’s spotlight on artist Mike Peppe will be concluded next issue, showcasing interviews with Mike Peppe’s daughter Michele and with his fellow artists Bob Lubbers, John Celardo, and George Tuska.

Love That Artwork! In the penciled self-portrait at left, Mike Peppe seems to be contemplating a Toth/Peppe splash page from Standard’s Popular Romance #22 (Jan. 1953), as recolored for an Eclipse reprint. Scripter unknown. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

“Being A Cartoonist Didn’t Really Define Him”

Comparison Of Mike Peppe’s Inking On Various Pencilers

Mike Peppe did an excellent job of bringing out the best of the pencilers with whom he worked. He did not impose his own style when inking others’ work. Consequently, it can be challenging to identify Peppe inks, especially since so much of his art was uncredited. Still, even if it doesn’t happen to be one of the stories in which Mike hid his name in a painting or on the side of a truck in the background, there are still a few clues to look for.

Mike was typically a very detailed inker. He tended to follow every line of the pencils, giving each one definition in the finished work. He usually had a fairly light and distinctive touch and he usually did not make

extensive use of cross-hatching or other shading techniques. However, he could adapt his style to the tenor of a story, if necessary, as evidenced in some of the horror stories he inked for Gold Key.

An extension of his attention to detail was that Mike often fully inked the upper lip on male characters, a trait typically reserved for women. Examples of this can be found in his inking of the pencils of Mike Sekowsky, Alex Toth, Steve Ditko, and George Tuska. It is noteworthy that the individual style of each penciler is clearly evident in the finished work.

MIKE PEPPE Checklist

[NOTE: The following checklist is adapted from information on the Who’s Who of American Comic Books (1929-1999) website, established by Dr. Jerry G.

Bails (www.bailsprojects.com) [see info on p. 75], and on the Grand Comics Database website, www.comics.org [see info on p. 72]. Names of features below

which appeared both in comics with that title and also in other comics are generally not italicized. Key: (a) = full art; (p) = pencils only; (i) = inks only; (S) =

Sunday newspaper comic strip; (d) daily newspaper comic strip.] Name: Michael (“Mike”) Peppe (1921-82) (artist)

COMIC BOOK CREDITS (Mainstream US Publishers):

Illustrator: Books for Random House; pulp magazines for Fiction House in the mid-1940s; Picture World Encyclopedia 1959

DC Comics: Adventure Comics 1970; Beware The Creeper 1969; Girls’ Love Stories 1961-71; Heart Throbs 1968; House of Mystery 1970; House of Secrets 1969-70, 1972; Secret Hearts 1964-67, 1971; special crime feature 1952; Supergirl c. 1970; The Witching Hour 1969; Young Love 1963-65; Young Romance 1965

Education: Studied with artists Bob Lubbers, Ruben Moreira

Commercial Art: Jackie Gleason merchandising 1955-57; Van Husen Shirt ad booklets, dates uncertain

Syndication: Gran’ma (some i) for King Features; Ken Weston (some i); Li’l Abner (some i); Nero Wolfe (d)&(S) (i) 1956-57 for Columbia Features; Robin Malone (d)&(S) (some asst i); Terry and the Pirates (some i) for Chicago Tribune-New York News Syndicate; Winnie Winkle (some i) for Chicago Tribune-New York News Syndicate

Comics Studio: S.M. Iger Studio (p)(i) 1945; Schoffman Studio (p)(i) c. 1950 [NOTE: Shared studio with Mike Roy 1952-54: advertising comics, syndication, illustration]

[NOTE: All credits below are for inking, unless noted otherwise.]

Dell Comics: Four Color 1953, 1956-1961 (The 3 Worlds of Gulliver 1961; Around the World in 80 Days 1957; The Horse Soldiers 1959; The Hunchback of Notre Dame 1957; The Indian Fighter 1956; The LeftHanded Gun 1958; The Lost World 1960; Pepe 1961; Pride and the Passion 1957; Quentin Durward 1956; Solomon and Sheba 1959; Spartacus 1960; Super Circus 1956); The Frogmen 1963-65 Eastern Color Printing: New Heroic Comics (a) 1955

Spotlight On Golden & Silver Age Inker Mike Peppe

Eclipse Enterprises: (reprints of Standard Comics) Seduction of the Innocent 1985-86; True Love 1986

Skywald Publishing Company: (reprints) Butch Cassidy 1971; The Sundance Kid 1971 St. John: Jackie Gleason 1955; romance 1953

Fiction House Comics: Camilla 1945-47; Captain Wings (dates uncertain); Jungle Comics 1946-48; Jungle Facts (a); Jungle Lore (a) 1947; Men of Adventure (a) 1948); Kaänga c. 1945-47; Men of Adventure (a) 1948; Movie Comics 1946-47 (a); Rangers Comics 1952 (a); Sheena c. 1945-47; Wambi the Jungle Boy c. 194547; Wings Comics (Wing Tips) (a) 1946

Standard (a.k.a. Better/Nedor/Pines): Art Director 1948-52; Adventures into Darkness 1952-53; Best Romance 1952; Billy West, date uncertain; Exciting War 1953; Intimate Love 1953-54; Jet Fighters 1953; Joe Yank c. 1952; Little Angel 1957-58; Lost Worlds 1952; Mel Allen Sports (a) 1949-50; New Romances 1952-53; Out of the Shadows 1952-54; Popular Romance (a) 1953-54; romance 1950-51; Super Mouse, date uncertain; This is War c. 1952; Thrilling Romances 1952-54; The Unseen 1952-54, war 1954; Western 1949-50

Harvey Comics: Spyman 1966

King Comics: Mandrake the Magician 1966

Sterling: Surprise Adventures 1955

Lev Gleason: The Amazing Adventures of Buster Crabbe 1954

Marvel Comics (a.k.a. Timely Comics): Arrowhead 1954; adventure (p) c. 1947-48; crime (i) c. 1946-48; crime (p) 1953-54; Love Romances 1955; romance comics 1953-55; war 1953-54; Western 1953-54 New England Comic Press: (reprints) Tales Too Terrible to Tell 1992

Cry U.N.C.L.E.! This page from Gold Key’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E. #15 (Nov. 1967) was reportedly penciled by recent X-Men artist Werner Roth. Where’s that ol’ kanga-wrangler Wonder Woman when you really need her? [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Western Publishing (a.k.a. Gold Key): 55 Days at Peking 1963; Ripley’s Believe It or Not 1966, 1969; Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery 1962-63, 1966-67; Lancelot Link c. 1972; The Man from U.N.C.L.E. 1965-68; McClintock 1964; Smokey Bear c. 1972; Stoney Burke 1962; The Twilight Zone 196366; Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, dates uncertain

NOW ON SALE! FIRST ALL-NEW ISSUE OF THE ALTER EGO COMIC BOOK IN 25 YEARS—BY ROY THOMAS & RON HARRIS! In #1-4, Alter Ego fought World War II alongside comic book super-heroes! Now, he’s trapped in the world of LATE-1940s CRIME COMICS—and this might just be his FINAL STAND! #1-4 previously released in special 25th-anniversary edition—still available.

Order it online, only at www.heroicpub.com/alterego [Alter Ego is a trademark of Roy & Dann Thomas.]

Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt!

Charles Atlas— Man And Myth!

by Michael T. Gilbert

f Charles Atlas had never existed, Angelo Ciciliano would have had to invent him.

Come to think of it––he did!

According to his New York Times obituary, Ciciliano was born on October 30, 1893, in Acri, Calabria, Italy. When he was ten, he moved to Brooklyn and changed his name to Charles Ciciliano.

He later changed it again to become the iron-muscled Charles Atlas, legendary icon of those famous comic book ads. You know, the ones where poor slobs got sand kicked in their faces until they wisely bulked up with the Atlas Course—and instantly became the Hero Of The Beach! But how many fans know anything about the man himself?

Young Atlas! (Above:) “At 15, Atlas was so puny that he practically invited a punch in the snoot –– but look at him now!” reads the caption in Life magazine, April 17, 1964. But when the same photo appeared in 1924’s Secrets of Muscular Beauty and Power, it listed his age as 11! Also, he was called both Angelo and Angelino Ciciliano back then. But this 1941 letterhead shows the Charles Atlas we grew up with! [© 2012 Time-Life Books, Inc.]

According to Robert Lewis Taylor’s article “I Was Once a 97Pound Weakling!” (New Yorker, January 3, 1942), Charles was indeed the archetypical skinny nerd. Taylor writes, “A picture of him in his mid-teens shows a spindly youth standing in an attitude of listless dejection. People who lived in the neighborhood remember him as being sensationally feeble. Atlas does not misrepresent the facts when he cries out in his advertisements in the pulp magazines, ‘I was once a 97-pound weakling!”’

According to Taylor, the 16-year-old Ciciliano was inspired to change his puny physique after seeing a statue of Hercules at the Brooklyn Museum. Disappointed with the standard musclebuilding techniques, he came up with another method while watching a Bronx Zoo lion keep in shape by flexing his muscles. Charles called his system “Dynamic Tension,” based on the idea of “pitting one muscle against another.”

Proof Positive!

(Left:) Charles Atlas won the “America’s Most Handsome Man” contest in 1921 and the "America’s Most Perfectly Developed Man” contest in 1922, as proven by this $1000 check and certificate, (made out to Angelo Siciliano Atlas).

Charles Atlas—Man and Myth!

Chiseled Body! The original caption from an article in the April 17th 1964 issue of Life magazine reads: “In 1924 Atlas posed (far left) for “Dawn of Glory,” which he visited recently in New York City (left). He posed for a dozen others, including Alexander Hamilton statue at Treasury Department in Washington.” [©2012 Time-Life Books, Inc.]

Roman quickly came up with the now-legendary series of magazine and comic book ads that catapulted Atlas into superstardom. Before long, the two were raking in millions!

His new method worked like magic, and soon the scrawny scrapper was proclaimed “The World's Most Perfectly Developed Man” by fitness guru Bernarr MacFadden during a 1921 physical culture exhibition at Madison Square Garden. From there, Charles muscled his way into a $5-a-week strongman job in the Coney Island Circus Side Show.

In 1922, thirty-year-old Charles Ciciliano officially became Charles Atlas, claiming that it sounded more American. I dunno, Chuck. It sounds Greek to me! Atlas, of course, was the Greek god who single-handedly carried the world on his shoulders. One sneeze and the Earth would fall and crack like an egg. Talk about Dynamic Tension!

Charles also modeled for extra cash. His godlike physique is seen in more than 75 statues around the world, including George Washington in New York's Washington Square, Alexander Hamilton at the United States Treasury Building in Washington, D.C., and the Archer in the Brooklyn Museum.

The ads were wildly successful––and why not? They perfectly targeted their audiences. It was one thing to read about super-heroes like Doc Savage and Captain America, but Charles Atlas promised to make you one! And all it took was the price of a stamp and a mere fifteen minutes of daily exercise! What could be easier?

Of course, the reality was a bit more complicated. The free booklet that stamp would get you was really an ad for the twelvelesson Dynamic-Tension course that actually cost a cool $29.95. And that was back when you could get a 64-page comic for a dime! As for the fifteen minutes a day, well, Mr. Atlas probably worked out a tad longer than that to sculpt his chiseled body! Still, kids love to dream, and this was a mighty potent fantasy for comic book readers. Hey, it was way better than those lousy Sea Monkeys!

And those willing to work hard could actually achieve the dream. Atlas fans Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jake (of Body by Jake) Steinfeld can testify to that.

Taylor’s article also featured a personal glimpse of Charles Atlas. “In his street clothes, Atlas has a nonBut his real career breakthrough muscular, unobtrusive look. He goes began in 1922, when he and Dr. out of his way to avoid disputes. When, Frederick Tilney, a British homeoon occasion, some short-tempered man A Man’s Man! pathic physician and writer, tries to draw him into a fight he says, Charles Atlas’s life story was depicted in one of his ads. developed the Charles Atlas course. It ‘Please, mister, I’m a peaceful guy. Just This panel appeared in Heroic Comics #31, July 1945. was only moderately successful until leave me alone, will you?’ Not long ago, [© 2012 Charles Atlas Ltd.] Atlas hooked up with Charles Roman, however, in a crowded subway train, a a little-known advertising genius. large and tough man became abusive when Atlas asked him to move over and let a woman sit down. Atlas raised him into the air Roman met Atlas when he was just twenty-one and fresh out of by the neck and seat of the trousers and shook him vigorously.” college. Four months later he bought out Tilney’s share of the company. Atlas happily handed over business matters to his new friend, and the Gee, sounds like a Charles Atlas ad! Taylor continues, “Before Greek god and the Roman huckster became 50/50 partners. It turned they got off the train the man recognized Atlas and apologized. ‘He out to be a match made in heaven—or maybe Olympus! said he was out of sorts because he was feeling bad,’ says Atlas. ‘I

Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt!

gave him a long talk on the value of exercise and he decided to buy the course.’” Careful, Mr. Atlas. After a little Dynamic-Tension® training, that palooka might throw you out next time!

But not every student became a muscleman, according to Taylor’s research.

“Atlas has a genuine sympathy for non-muscular people. He once got a letter from Mahatma Gandhi, which read, ‘I’ve heard of the wonderful work you are doing and wonder if there is some way you can build me up. M.K. Gandhi.’ Atlas devised a diet and recommended a series of mild exercises for the Mahatma. ‘I didn’t charge him a dime,’ he says. ‘I felt mighty sorry for him. The poor little chap, he’s nothing but a bag of bones.”’

Like all good showmen, Atlas’s stories are best taken with a grain of salt. Stephen S. Hall made the point in his book Size Matters:

“By the time he began to recount his remarkable life in a series of autobiographical accounts that appeared in physical culture magazines, the Charles Atlas story had become so marbled with marketing mythology that it’s difficult to say what was true and what was concocted to help promote the Atlas brand.”

Hall notes that “It may or may not be the case that, as Angelo noted in numerous interviews, he had been a ninety-seven-pound weakling who got beat up at the beach––the episode is not mentioned in any of the early writings.”

Hall continues: “Prior to the appearance of the ad, Charles Atlas had typically maintained, in interviews and in his own signed articles, that he had not been sickly and in fact had been “rather strong” as a young man. After the ad appeared, he began to describe an episode at Coney Island that sounded suspiciously similar to the Mac ad, in which two lifeguards came up and stole his girl. It may be a case of life imitating advertising.”

Similarly, his tale about getting the idea for Dynamic-Tension while watching an animal at the Bronx Zoo varied in the telling. Sometimes the lion was a tiger, and sometimes the event took place in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Zoo.

Regardless of any ballyhoo, Charles Atlas was an amazing ragsto-riches story. He hobnobbed with celebrities like Eddie Cantor, Bob Hope, and even President Franklin Roosevelt. He made TV appearances in the ’50s on What's My Line?, Masquerade Party, and I’ve Got A Secret. Jonathan Black discussed his amazing achievements in the August 2009 issue of Smithsonian Magazine.

“During Atlas’ heyday– –the 1930s and ’40s––two dozen women worked eight-hour days to open and file the letters that poured into his downtown

The World’s Most Perfect Family! The 1924 booklet Secrets of Muscular Power & Beauty shows Charles Atlas, ages 11 and 17, his 1918 marriage to Margaret Cossano, and the married couple in 1924 with their two children, Herc (a.k.a. Charles Atlas, Jr.) and Diana! Try living up to those names! [©2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Manhattan office. By the 1950s the business counted nearly a million pupils worldwide and the Dynamic-Tension regimen had been translated into seven languages. Ads in more than 400 comic books and magazines brought in 40,000 new recruits each year. Celebrity pupils included comedian Fred Allen, Rocky Marciano, Joe DiMaggio, and Robert

The Men Behind The Man! (Left:) A 1982 photo of Charles P. Roman, inventor of all those cheesy comic book ads. He also coined the term DynamicTension. Roman went into partnership with Atlas in 1928 and remained President of Charles Atlas Ltd. from 1929 to 1997. He died in 1999 at age 92. (Right:) Frederick Tilney, a MacFadden copywriter who helped Atlas set up his first mail order course. [© 2012 New York Times.]

Charles Atlas—Man and Myth!

Ripley. (Ripley once wrote in his “Believe It or Not” column that he saw Atlas swim a mile through storm-tossed waters off a New York beach to tow a rowboat and its panicked occupants back to shore.) Not to mention his prowess at tearing telephone books in half or bending metal bars!

But even Charles Atlas had his share of tragedy. In 1965, after his beloved wife Margaret succumbed to cancer, Atlas sought solace in exercise. He sold his half of the company to Charles Roman in 1970 and moved to Palm Beach, Florida, where he kept up a morning routine of 50 knee bends, 100 sit-ups, and 300 pushups. Atlas remained a consultant (and living logo!) at his old company until December 23, 1972, when he died of a heart attack. He was 79.

With Atlas gone, sales slumped. Then, in 1997, Arkansas lawyer Jeffrey C. Hogue bought the company from Charles Roman. Hogue quickly changed focus from comic book ads to Internet sales. It proved to be a smart move, and today Hogue asserts that the Charles Atlas course is hotter than ever.

Regardless of the medium, Atlas’s message remains the same, forty years after his death. Stay fit and healthy, eat right, and maybe someday you can look like Charles Atlas. And become the Hero Of The Beach!

Till next time...

Hero Of The Beach! (Above left:) Detail of possibly the most famous of the Charles Atlas ads, from New Fun #1, Feb. 1935. New Fun #1 was the first comic to feature all original material, so Mr. Atlas was on the comic book bandwagon right from the start! Revised ads like this 1945 model (above) became a common sight for comic fans. [©2012 Charles Atlas Ltd.]

Still Buff After All These Years! A 1940s photo of Charles Atlas, alongside a 1972 photo of the muscleman at age 79 –– lookin’ mighty good two months before his death! [Photo © 2012 Paul Niemi, from Iron Man magazine, Sept. 1972.]

T THE ART ART AR RT T OF OF THE T AR

RT JOE KUBERT KUBER A gor gorgeous, geous, 9" x 12", 232-page, 232-page, full-color full-colo or coffee-table book ook celebr celebrating ating the very very best best of JJoe oe K Kubert's ubertt's 75-y 75-year ear career career in comics! By Alter E Ego go contributor co ontributor BILL SCHELLY! SCHELL LY L Y!

significant eevents vents in comics history, history, the exact exact details are ar somewhat hazy. Leonar d Maurer, Maurer, Norm’s Norm’s older brother, brother, remembered remembered in a later interview intervie that he Leonard w as in the car when Kubert Kubert floated this idea. Other accounts suggest Leonard Leonar was Maurer Maur er was was brought brought in afterward afterward to deal with the technical issues of the printing pr ocess, since he had experience experience in that area. area. In any any case, it was Kubert’s idea to process, pr oduce 3-D comics, comics, and it took all three three of them to make mak it happen. produce first step w as to sell Ar cher St. John on the pr The first was Archer process. The second w as solving the many many technical and practical practical issues involved. inv was Norman Maurer quickly w orked up a sample “Abbott “Abbott and Costello” page using clear acetate to worked cr eate different different layers. laay yers. Kubert Kubert did a single-panel sample s create of his new caveman char acter Tor Tor the Hunter. Hunter. He dated his sample March Mar 25th, 1953. character process w orks because human eyes eyes are binocular, with the eyes The 3-D process works about tw o-and-a-half inches apart, each seeing objects from fr two-and-a-half a slightly different angle allowing us to perceive perceive objects in depth. When one looks at a 3-D comic angle,, allowing book without the glasses off-register red red and green gr glasses,, one sees off-register images. But with glasses with one rred ed and one green green lens, lens, a monochromatic monochr image with the illusion of multiple la ay yers at different different depths is achieved. achie layers was thrilled with the effect and committed to publishing a 3-D St. John was comic book to both test their ability to pr oduce it and find out if it would w produce sell.

ABOVE: “Bloody Yesterday” from Weird Horrors #8 (6/53), and the covers of two issues of that title. Kubert did only a handful of horror comic book covers. OPPOSITE: “Bonhomme Richard!” from Frontline Combat #14 (9-10/53), reproduced in b&w from Russ Cochran’s EC Horror Library.

4(% !24 /& */% +5"%24 s

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS

4(% !24 /& */% +5"%24 s

Available A vailable no now w fr from rom finer comic book stores stores and at ww www.fantagraphics.com ww.fantagraphics.com

Comic Fandom Archive

Fandom’s 50th Birthday Bash! Part 1: The Reunion Party—A Photo-Feature by Bill Schelly hen I heard, sometime in late 2010, that the Comic-Con folks had designated the 50th anniversary of comic fandom as one of the themes of their next mega-gathering in San Diego, it occurred to me that this would be a perfect opportunity to have some sort of a Fandom Reunion.

The 1997 Fandom Reunion held in Chicago during the 1997 Chicago Comicon was one of the greatest experiences of my fannish life. How could meeting Jerry Bails, Howard Keltner, and Grass Green and the other 29 old-time fans in attendance not be an immutable memory? And, since the San Diego con would be bringing in (as Guests of Honor) celebrated fan writer Richard Kyle, Comic Art coeditor Maggie Thompson, Xero’s progenitors Dick and Pat Lupoff, Alter Ego co-editor/editor Roy Thomas, and Jean Bails on behalf of her late husband, the founder of A/E—as well as yours truly—there was already a good start for a special gathering.

Accordingly, I sent out the first of several e-mails to my mailing list touting the idea and urging members of fandom from those early years to come to San Diego for a 50th-anniversary blow-out. Others, most notably Aaron Caplan (fanzine collector extraordinaire), passed the query-announcement to even more fans, and soon the buzz began building.

Understandably, the expense and other difficulties caused many to opt out. For some, the staggering size of ComicCon was more than they wanted to handle. But there were also those who enthusiastically ratified the idea and vowed to be there, and a fairly large group who said they would like to go and would see if they could. Already I was looking forward to the fourth week in July!

But…. to what, exactly? How would Reunion 2011 come together, what form would it take, and where would it be held?

Enter: Gary Sassaman, intrepid purveyor of peerless publications for Comic-Con and their other events. Actually, I had already been in touch with Gary, when I contributed an article about fandom’s history to the Comic-Con Annual (the full-color publication that has taken the place of the old Updates).

Just to get his reaction, I sent Gary an e-mail “wondering” the best way to ask the Powers That Be if they would provide a room at the San Diego Convention Center for a reunion. Next thing I knew, the CCI Board of Directors had not only given us a room, but had committed substantial funding to the event (to print programs and provide food). We were off and running! Saturday night, July 23, 2011, in the San Diego Convention Center, the reunion/party—now dubbed a “Meet and Greet”—was officially “on”! (And, happily, longtime fan Jackie Estrada, chair of the Comic-Con committee, was deemed coordinator of the event.)

As Comic-Con and the Reunion approached, excitement built. Flurries of anxious e-mails arrived from fans wanting to confirm this, that, and the other thing. Aaron Caplan designed a special commemorative button (which he generously paid for)... Gary Sassaman lined up “history of fandom” features for the con’s official program book... the Shel Dorf Memorial Society was creating a display... Jackie Estrada kept a list of names of people who had RSVP’d her e-mail invitations... Steven Fears was bringing the Guest Book... and Dave Armstrong, at the eleventh hour, organized special displays of original fan art and photographs to line the room.

Sooner than seemed possible, I found myself looking out the window as the ancient Boeing 737 that I’d boarded in Seattle was chugging over downtown San Diego on Wednesday, July 20th. Could that really be butterflies in my stomach? Most certainly it was! Future installments of the Comic Fandom Archive will include transcripts of the special “Fanzine” panel and the “Founders of Comics Fandom” panel, as well as an interview with the loquacious Richard Kyle. But, though the “Meet and Greet” party occurred after those panels, Roy and I felt it was appropriate to begin our coverage with a 2-part photo feature of this historic fan reunion.

Special thanks must obviously go to the photographers: Jackie Estrada, Russ Maheras, Aaron Caplan, Dave Armstrong, Lorraine Broertjes, Bob Cosgrove, Bill G. Wilson, and Batton Lash. We weren’t able to include a pic of all 150 guests, but we will be running more in Part 2, as well as a list of everyone who came. And now, let the festivities begin!

NOTE: This is the first installment of our extended, multi-issue coverage of the "50th anniversary of comics fandom" events at Comic-Con International 2011 (San Diego).

Comic Fandom Archive

(Above:) The commemorative Fandom Reunion button, depicting the 1960-61 covers of Comic Art #1, Alter Ego #1, and Xero #1, was designed and paid for by Aaron Caplan. One was given away free to each attendee as a memento of this historic gathering. It measures 3" in diameter.

(Above:) The Reunion Program, designed by Gary Sassaman, gave each attendee a place to gather autographs of fandom's founders and others on hand.

(Above:) Jackie Estrada hands out badges at the registration table for the Fandom Reunion. Also on the registration table were programs, special buttons, and a guest book. Later, it was determined that about 150 people were in attendance. Photo: hubbie Batton Lash.

(Above:) As they approached the registration table, Lorraine Broertjes snapped this photo of a trio of fans from the Sunshine State (left to right): Gary Brown, Alan Hutchinson, and Harry Broertjes.

1 2

(Above:) Moments before it filled up, Bill Schelly (#1), Bud Plant (#2), and Mark Wheatley (#3) were already inside the large room in the San Diego Convention Center that was provided for the event. Photo: Aaron Caplan.

(Left:) Fans are quickly drawn to the wonderful displays of fan photos and original art from the fanzines put together by Dave Armstrong. The original art was donated by Buddy Saunders, Mike Vosburg, and others. Photo: Dave Armstrong.

Fandom’s 50th Birthday Bash!

(Above:) Jackie Estrada brought a portion of her fanzine collection, which helped evoke many memories of comics fandom of the 1960s and early 1970s. Photo: Bob Cosgrove.

(Above:) Aaron Caplan's camera catches Dave A. as he puts the final touches on a display. Thanks to Dave for his tremendous effort, which was appreciated by all. (Left:) Maggie Thompson signs a copy of Comic Art. Photo: Russ Maheras.

(Right:) Jackie with her copy of Fantasy Illustrated #6, featuring a great sciencefiction cover by D. Bruce Berry. Photo: Russ Maheras. (Right:) Stan Landman points to his own likeness in the famous photograph taken at the 1969 New York Comicon, provided by Fantagraphics Books and enlarged by the Comic-Con folks. Photo: Aaron Caplan.

(Above:) Denis Kitchen (center) and Bob Beerbohm, talking with Terry Stroud, whose back is to us. Photo: Jackie Estrada.

Comic Fandom Archive

(Right:) More of Dave Armstrong's display of art, photos, and fanzines, put together by a fan who really knew what he was doing. Photo: Dave Armstrong.

(Above, left to right:) Batton Lash with Marv Wolfman. Photo: Jackie Estrada.

(Above:) Soon the room was full, as attendees availed themselves of food provided by Comic-Con and frequented the no-host bar. The noise level in the room was high. Photo: Aaron Caplan.

(Left, l. to r.:) Dan Bois and Greg Koudoulian, two who were behind a display in tribute to Comic-Con founder Shel Dorf. We all wish Shel could have been with us on this fabulous evening. Photo: Jackie Estrada.

(Above, l. to r.:) Mike Raub with Craig Yoe. Photo: Russ Maheras.

(Right:) Two former members of the erstwhile Los Angeles Comic Book Club, Mark Evanier (on left) and Rob Gustavson. Photo: Bill G. Wilson.

Fandom’s 50th Birthday Bash!

(Above, l. to r.:) Jerry Sinkovec and Paul Levitz, both former publishers of The Comic Reader. (Paul handed over the reins to Jerry and editor Mike Tiefenbacher, who began with TCR #101.) Photo: Russ Maheras.

(Above:) Johnny Chambers, who traveled to the con and Reunion from Oregon (but not at super-speed, like his 1940s namesake), was publisher of Ymir, and is perhaps best remembered for his cartoon character "The Little Green Dinosaur." Photo: Aaron Caplan.

(Right:) Steven Fears of Oklahoma City attended, ably representing OAF (the Oklahoma Alliance of Fans). Photo: Aaron Caplan.

(Above:) Russ Maheras handed off his camera to an unknown fan so he could be photographed with Buddy Saunders (right).

(L. to r.:) Doug Fratz (Quantum) with Bill Wilson (The Collector). Photo: Russ Maheras.

(Above:) Steve Perrin, whose fanzine Mask and Cape was prominently featured in one of Dave Armstrong's displays. Photo: Aaron Caplan.

(Above:) Credit for producing the great commemorative buttons goes to Aaron Caplan, as well as credit for helping to spread the word about the Reunion to his vast e-mail list. Photo: Dave Armstrong.

Comic Fandom Archive

(Right:) Batton Lash photographed this shot with Dick Lupoff, Pat Lupoff, and Roy Thomas in the middle of the crowd. Part 2 of this series will feature more photos of this bunch of fanzine pioneers— and many more.

(Left:) And we end, for this issue, with this uncredited photo of best buddies (l. to r.) Jeff Gelb and Bill Schelly. From a simple idea Bill had in the fall of 2010, and with the major efforts of many, the 2011 Fandom Reunion grew to become a true night to remember!

(Above:) Special thanks to Jackie Estrada, who coordinated all of Comic-Con's efforts to make this Fandom Reunion the success it was. Photo: Batton Lash.

More on the 2011 Fandom Reunion over the next few issues! Meanwhile, don't miss The Art of Joe Kubert, a beautiful coffee table book celebrating Kubert’s monumental career. It's got 300 individual pieces of art, plus 56 pages of pre-Comics Code strips in full color, as well as brand new text by Bill Schelly.

Unknown” when I was briefly editor of Adventure Comics Digest, as George had been the last artist of the Challs’ book’s original run. I lost George after only the first two stories (he was hijacked for HeMan and The Masters of the Universe), but as I was pondering who else to get, Joe Orlando came storming through the offices looking for work for… Alex Toth. Could say we lucked out.

nly room to cover one issue this time, instead of two— and we’ll have to truncate readers’ comments as it is—but if we won’t gain any ground this month on our goal to catch up (’cause we’re still dealing with an issue that came out a year and a half ago!), at least we won’t lose any, right? Shane Foley helps us get off on the right foot, with his salubrious salute the Carl Burgos/Bill Everett cover of Marvel Mystery Comics #9 (July 1940). Thanks to Randy Sargent for coloring it. [Alter Ego TM & © 2012 Roy & Dann Thomas; costume designed by Ron Harris—Captain Ego TM & © 2012 Roy Thomas & Bill Schelly; created by Biljo White.]

Before we leap into communiqués re A/E #95, though, here’s one re #94 that we neglected to print last time, ’cause it got misfiled—and since it’s from Douglas Jones (a.k.a. Gaff), who as Carl Gafford was a professional comic book colorist back in the day, I wanted to print at least some of what Gaff had to say about a couple of things mentioned in that issue’s installment of Jim Amash’s multi-part interview with longtime DC editor George Kashdan:

Roy—

Glad to see that the splash of “Robin Dies at Dawn” you ran was from the Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told collection, as I colored that reprint, and even got some praise from Bill Schelly, who pointed out that Shelly Moldoff & Charles Paris’ art held more depth and feeling than the original printing had allowed, once the story could be colored to its strengths. It remains one of my favorite Bat-stories ever.

I was pleased and privileged to hire George Tuska to draw the reboot of “The Challengers of the

Gaff

A plethora of good choices there, Gaff!

Now, without further ado, it’s time to jump to missives re A/E #95, starting with this one from Paul Gambaccini, prominent member of 1960s comics fandom and, for some years now, a popular host of classical music programs on BBC-Radio across the pond. He had this to say about #95, which spotlighted Marvel’s 1967-69 parody comic Not Brand Echh, behind a wonderfully zany cover by Mirthful Marie Severin: Hi Roy,

I’m loving Alter Ego as much as ever, but this time on an international basis. I’m taking the Not Brand Echh issue with me tomorrow to Italy for a long weekend. You see, I’ve come to realize I’ve affected your life in more ways than we even knew!

I was delighted to see that researchers have traced the first mention of “Echh” in Marvel Comics to a letter from Rusty and Larry Bush printed in Fantastic Four #7 (Oct. 1962) [even if they’d spelled it “ecch”]. More appropriately for our purposes, in [the letters page of] Amazing Spider-Man #7 (Dec. 1963), I wrote: “I don’t know if their stuff has deteriorated or whether you have improved that much, but the competition now seems like echh!”…. Why did I use “echh” independently of the Bush brothers, in my case to describe the 1963 efforts of rival publishers? I could be wrong, but I have the feeling I got it from Harvey Kurtzman’s Mad. Perhaps the Bush brothers did, too. Kurtzman, no doubt, got it from Yiddish, where it originates.

I believe I impacted your life in another way, too! You recently recalled that [DC editor/writer] Robert Kanigher accosted you [in 1965] because another fan had recently written that he had seen the editor in a bow tie. I have a feeling I was that fan, describing a visit to the DC offices in an early issue of Rocket’s Blast [fanzine]. I was talking to Julie, and in walked Robert Kanigher wearing a bow tie. I couldn’t help it! I didn’t put it on him!

[EDITOR’S NOTE: In answer to my query as to why Steve Gerber had made a disparagingseeming reference to him Look Out, Here Comes The Spidey-Man! in the parody one-shot A self-portrait of artist Marie “The She” Severin that appeared Crudzine, also covered in in an issue of FOOM Magazine in the 1970s—with a head sketch A/E #95:] Alas, I have of Spidey-Man of Not Brand Echh infamy which she drew for a fan a decade back. Thanks to dealer Mike Burkey for the latter; no idea what Steve was visit his website at www.romitaman.com. The former will be on about. Maybe he featured on the cover of Dewey Cassell’s new bio of Marie, had a grievance against coming this August from TwoMorrows! [Spidey TM & © 2012 me that I didn’t know Marvel Characters, Inc.; self-portrait © 2012 Marie Severin.]

[correspondence, comments, & corrections]

about, or maybe—and we’re all guilty of this—the mention was just a sophomoric attempt at humor.

I think it’s wonderful we still have a forum where we clear up these things four and a half decades after the fact! Paul

Yeah, Paul, it’s good to know there are a few things further behind than A/E’s letters pages. I just wish you’d had a camera with you to capture RK in his alleged bow tie glory. Or maybe it was really Jack Schiff, whom I (Roy) apparently mistook for Kanigher when ID-ing DC personnel in a 1940s photo printed in A/E #94, as was pointed out to me by Robin Snyder. Now, here are more excerpted remarks re A/E #95:

Timothy Marion says his first issue of NBE was #5: “Please understand that this absolute neophyte to both comics and life had no idea what was going on—he just understood it was the silliest, funniest thing he had ever read. Like you, I feel these comics should be collected in a color hardbound volume. Now nearing 52, I merely find the books to be cute, quaint, with good art and tremendous nostalgia value to me. Very rarely do I chuckle or laugh anymore. Which just goes to prove, I guess, that I’ve grown old, uptight, and humorless. Which may be why I object so much to your reprinting Steve Gerber’s old crudzines. Surely this isn’t the proper way to remember that man! I wouldn’t want anyone to reprint the ditto’d zines I did when I was 12.” If you mean the coverage of Steve’s early Headline, et al., Tim, you should be aware that Steve had approved publication of such material before he passed away, and thought it would be a kick—and if you mean my article on the oneshot mag I’d titled Crudzine, then you totally misunderstood the piece— which may be partly my fault as the writer. Steve Gerber’s Crudzine was definitely not a “crudzine” in the derogatory, lower-case sense of the word—au contraire, it was a brilliantly realized parody of a badly done fanzine. To me, that’s what was so great about it—if you’d seen it back in the mid-’60s when it came out, you could almost have believed it really was someone’s horrible, misfired attempt to put out a decent zine! (Tim also notes that Stan Lee had used the Mad word “fershlugginer” in Fantastic Four a year before he stuck it into Brand Echh #1.)

The Rat Stuff A page of Tom Sutton’s humorous/horrific early-1970s classic tale “Rat,” which was originally done (by “Sutton & Flynn,” the splash page byline says) for the black-&-white comic Web of Horror, but wound up in the magazine Scream Door #1—then was reprinted in color in Marvel’s Arrgh! #1 (Dec. 1974) because editor Roy Thomas loved it. In fact, RT commissioned Tom to write and draw a sequel, which was published in Arrgh! #3 (May 1975). Thanks to Richard Arndt for the scan and early pedigree. [© 2012 estate of Tom Sutton.]

And The Brechh Goes On… When, in 2004-2005, Dark Horse commissioned Roy Thomas to write a twopart faux publishing history of author Michael Chabon’s comic book hero The Escapist from his Pulitzer-winning novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, RT made certain it mentioned that in the late ’60s he and Marie Severin had produced an unpublished parody of The Escapist for Not Brand Echh. Here, courtesy of collector Dewey Cassell, is Marie’s color guide (with her own penciled lettering) for the three-panel sequence she and Roy prepared to accompany the pseudo-history. They both wished they could’ve done the whole story together, like in the Good Old Days! The finished art appeared in Dark Horse’s The Amazing Adventures of The Escapist #5 (2005). [© 2012 Michael Chabon.]

Nick Caputo points out that the cover of NBE #5 “is a solo Tom Sutton job… signed ‘Sutton’ next to the Thing’s shoulder in very small lettering; there does appear to be some touch-up work on the Hulk, though, likely by Romita. When you mentioned the crowd scene in ‘The Origin of the Fantastical Four,’ you jumped ahead about a decade or so and listed Mayor Koch instead of Mayor Lindsay. Since you were then a ‘New Yawker,’ I have to give you a demerit (although most who lived through the harried Mayor’s two terms would like to forget the transit and sanitations strikes that occurred on his watch). I see a lot of Marie [Severin] in the FF parody, leading me to suspect that Stan not only wanted more gags in the story, but also asked Marie to redo a lot of the FF figures. I see very little composition and few figures by Kirby and inking by Sutton, but lots of solo Marie. NBE was one of my favorites growing up.” Nick adds that, though I credited both him and Barry Pearl for researching the history of the term ‘Brand Echh’ at Marvel, all the credit should all have gone to Barry.

re:

Nick also feels that the inking on NBE #1’s cover “is the work of Mike Esposito.” Could be, Nick, since production mangager Sol Brodsky knew that his old buddy Mike had inked a lot of humor (Get Lost, etc.), and Stan generally gave Sol considerable leeway in terms of who inked a cover. Nick likewise tosses in educated looks at who might’ve done what in a few uncertain cases: “It looks like Marie either drew the last page of ‘Dark Moon Rise, Heck Hound Hurt,’ or at least the top two panels. ‘The Puns of Will Bonnett’ also has Marie caricatures of David Jansen and Ben Gazarra. Lloyd Bridges’ face in ‘Don’t Rock the Vote’ is by Marie. ‘Rent a Super-hero’ is almost certainly an uncredited inking job by Tom Sutton; in fact, it’s possible Sutton finished the story. The last page in particular looks more Sutton than Marie. I’m still impressed with the work of Marie, but also love the lunacy that Tom Sutton brought to the strips. He was a talented, versatile, and underrated artist, and his NBE work still holds up. I was also surprised to see how closely you parodied work like the origin of the Silver Surfer, down to following some of the original dialogue and panel arrangements of the Lee-Buscema first issue. You may have put in extra work on the title, but your efforts paid off and still hold up.” Extra work? Yeah, you might say that, Nick—and I did, in A/E #95.

Mitch Tart states that “John and Marie Severin are simply national treasures. There are entire panels of Marie’s work that I can call up from memory, and they still make me giggle like an idiot. That splash page from issue #1 where Kid Cold compares Rawhead’s shirt to Thor’s, for example. Or practically every panel in ‘Stuporman,’ one of the highlights of the whole series. I can see why the DC office might have been a little miffed. I wouldn’t mind seeing a hardcover reprint with footnotes to let the youngsters know what you were all making fun of.” I’ll echo that, Mitch!

on: “Was the cancellation of the book a disappointment, or, having satirized all the heroes, was it running out of steam and new targets?” Definitely a disappointment; we could’ve gone on for years.

Sholly Fisch informs us that, since he owns the original art to the last page in the “Sunk-Mariner/Aqualung-Man” story in NBE #11, he can answer a query we asked about the names of a couple of celebrities caricatured on it, via notes still visible in its margins: “The guy you thought was Lou Costello is actually Buddy Hackett, and the ‘little blonde in a tiara’ is Shirley Temple. In the interest of obsessive completeness, you might also be interested to know that most of the caricatures were pasted onto the board, on top of what I imagine was an abortive first try with a notation of ‘Many more characters to be added.’ For the most part, the first try never made it past blue-pencil ovals to indicate faces, apart for a fully inked figure of Shirley Temple and a gunslinger with black hair and a mustache, whom I don’t recognize. Part of the song parody of ‘There’s No Business like Show Business’ was rewritten, too; instead of repeating lines from the first verse, the second verse originally began: ‘We’ll take over/And shake over/And make over the land!’ I’m sure you’ll sleep better knowing that.” Guess the “gunslinger with black hair and a mustache” is forever buried under the paste-ups, Sholly, but everybody else is pretty recognizable: Hackett, Doris Day, Julie Andrews, Sammy Davis Jr., Simon and Garfunkel, Sinatra, Shirley Temple, Elvis Presley, and Peter, Paul, and Mary. (I just did that to prove I could still remember a few things from the ’60s—though what Shirley Temple’s doing in there as a kid, I have no idea! Would love to see that “gunslinger with black hair and a This Story Was A Medoozy! mustache”! Marvel scribe Sholly Fisch sent us this scan of a key page from his and Sholly adds: “When I was a kid in the late ’60s, Not Brand Ecch was humor to me, and Marie Severin was Not Brand Echh. Twenty-plus years later, I took advantage of the fact that I was writing fairly regularly for What The--?! and pleaded with editor Renee Witterstaetter to bring in Marie to draw something—anything—that I had written. My head exploded when I came home one evening to find a message on my answering machine: ‘Hi. You might not know who I am, but this is Marie Severin, and I’m drawing your story….’ I called her back and discovered that she was just as nice and sweet as everyone said. I kept that message on my machine for years.” Thanks for sharing that anecdote behind your story “Driving Medoozy,” a parody of Driving Miss Daisy!

Marie’s parody “Driving Medoozy” in What the--?! #21 (Sept. 1992)—the fulfillment of a dream for the scripter. Marie even colored it, as she always did stories she drew for Not Brand Echh. Any guesses what the Ghost Rider spoof-hero was called? [© 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

Kevin Greenlee really enjoyed Jim Amash’s George Kashdan interview that was spread over several issues, and adds: “The ‘Superman’ plot Kashdan describes (a talking bird that says ‘Clark Kent is Sueprman’) was used in ‘Clark Kent’s Mynah Dilemma,’ a Cary Bates tale that saw print in Superman Family #197 (Sept.-Oct. 1979). But, in the Bates version, Superman solves the problem in a much more amusing way than what [Edmond] Hamilton came up with. Maybe this was an old plot springboard still in the files from the Weisinger days? It’s certainly a lot goofier than typical [Julie] Schwartz fare of the era.”

Joe Frank calls #95 “one of my favorite issues” and asks why NBE ever went to double-size [Note: Beats the heck outta me, Joe—it was Stan’s idea, but one I loved, despite all the extra work involved—still, as with The Silver Surfer, it was probably a commercial mistake] and goes

And Barbara Harmon, my friend and widow of my late friend Jim Harmon, was very pleased by the brief tribute to her husband by our mutual buddy Don Glut, but informs us: "Jim did not have a heart

[correspondence, comments, & corrections]

Dawn was getting married to a wonderful guy, and he had gotten to do most of the things in life he had wanted to do." None of us can ask more out of life than that, Barbara. Thank you for sharing your memories of Jim with us. I miss him. I know he was pleased, a couple of years ago, to see his 1961 JSA article for Xero #3 back in print… and I was overjoyed to have presented it, to remind people just a little of what an important figure Jim Harmon was in the fandom of both comics and old-time radio. Dann's and my best, as always, to you and Dawn.

SPECIAL A/E NOTE: For advance news and informed discussion concerning features in Alter Ego, check out the Alter-Ego-Fans chat list at group.yahoo.com/group/alter-ego-fans/. Or, if you have problems getting on board there, simply contact web co-overseer Chet Cox at mormonyoyoman@gmail.com and he'll lead you right to it. Alter-EgoFans is where the Golden and Silver Ages still live!

Harmony The late Jim Harmon and his daughter Dawn some years back—in a photo taken by another departed friend, Jerry G. Bails. "Harmony" was the name of the fan-column he wrote for more than 60 years.

attack. His arteries were amazingly clear of plaque despite his weight. The damage to his left ventricular aorta caused by childhood rheumatic fever caught up with him in the form of heart failure. He lasted a lot longer than the doctors back in Mount Carmel, Illinois, thought he would. He was so happy about his ‘Green Hornet’ writing assignment, and he was working on it the morning of his death. A few hours before, he told me he was going to die. He said he had had a good life because [our daughter]

Oh, and before we end this letter col, red-faced layout guru Jon B. Cooke sends his apologies to Michael Pate, who lensed the photo of Dick Giordano and Pat Bastienne on p.28 of A/E #106. A mea culpa is also extended to John L. Coker III, miscredited as the pic's contributor.

Send those cards and letters (does anybody really send postcards anymore? hey, does anybody even send letters? well, a few people…) and e-mails to: Roy Thomas e-mail: roydann@ntinet.com 32 Bluebird Trail St. Matthews, SC 29135

Next month—I get my “JSA fix” and get to share with everybody a bunch of surprising info about “Spectre”/ “Hour-Man” artist Bernard Baily, courtesy of Ken Quattro! And that’s just for openers!

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student is that way and content to stay that way. I would suggest that they be dead serious about their other studies, and if they hope to be successful at commercial art they better be able to write and speak well.

[FCA EDITORS NOTE: From 1941-53, Marcus D. Swayze was a top artist for Fawcett Publications. The very first Mary Marvel character sketches came from Marc’s drawing table, and he illustrated her earliest adventures, including the classic origin story, “Captain Marvel Introduces Mary Marvel (Captain Marvel Adventures No. 18, Dec. ’42); but he was primarily hired by Fawcett Publications to illustrate Captain Marvel stories and covers for Whiz Comics and Captain Marvel Adventures. He also wrote many Captain Marvel scripts, and continued to do so while in the military. After leaving the service in 1944, he made an arrangement with Fawcett to produce art and stories for them on a freelance basis out of his Louisiana home. There he created both art and stories for The Phantom Eagle in Wow Comics, in addition to drawing the Flyin’ Jenny newspaper strip for Bell Syndicate (created by his friend and mentor Russell Keaton). After the cancellation of Wow, Swayze produced artwork for Fawcett’s top-selling line of romance comics, including Sweethearts and Life Story. After the company ceased publishing comics, Marc moved over to Charlton Publications, where he ended his comics career in the mid-’50s. Marc’s ongoing professional memoirs have been a vital part of FCA since his first column appeared in FCA #54 (1996). Last time Marc reminisced about two Golden Age colleagues … and one infamous Captain Marvel villain. This time around, I transcribe a May 1979 audio tape wherein Marc discussed commercial art versus fine art after Captain Marvel artist C.C. Beck—soon to take over the editorial reins of FCA(/SOB)—asked Marc for his perspective on the subject…. —P.C. Hamerlinck.]

ello Beck,

About my thoughts concerning commercial art training, you and I have discussed these and similar matters many times in the past. I’ll try to be as argumentative as possible for you, but it goes against my sweet nature!

The first thing that I would do when teaching a class of new art students is relieve them of their switchblades … disarm them completely… or threaten to have them kicked off the football team! Then I would explain to them, in very simple terms, the differences between commercial art and fine art. I say simple terms because I understand that our schools today are failing to simply teach pupils to read and write. Then I would point out to them that the study of art is the study of everything… that learning to draw better, for example, will not eliminate basic stupidity if the

I don’t mean to sound as though I consider ourselves all that articulate, but I do believe we’ve been better off for being able to communicate and elucidate what we’ve done in terms of the needs of various clients.

Art might, as some people have said, “speak for itself,” but in my mind the audience would have to be made up of very sensitive souls. A commercial art client is a businessman, and the wellspoken/well-written word is a language he understands. Beyond the basics I would talk to the students about art media. At that point, I’d draw the first distinction between fine art and commercial art… and I would explain those matters at considerable length. And, when we finally got around to the first assignment, I’d have them all do the same subject and all working in the same medium. In that way, my criticism to any one student would be for the benefit of the entire class. Before they can hit a golf ball, they must all learn the same basic swing together; individuality can come later. Commercial artists don’t flounder if they’re any good; they don’t have time to. They are professionally creative, deliberate and methodical.

A relationship between fine and commercial art might exist after all. For example, whereas the fine artist may never be expected to do anything of a commercial art nature, if a client should approach a commercial artist with a need for, say, a Rembrandt-type painting, the real professional would answer him with: “When do you need it?” It’s called accepting the challenge, isn’t it? It reminds me once when I was in a band and we were rehearsing for a show, and a typically big showbiz-type female singer who was going to do some type of recitation approached the band and shouted (rather rudely, I thought), “Hey, piano player, can you play mood music?” And, without any hesitation, our piano man turned to her and said, “What kind of mood are you in?” Accepting the challenge!

[Marc Swayze’s reminiscences continue in future issues!]

"We Didn't Know… It Was A Golden Age!"

Accepting the Challenge C.C. Beck once considered comic books “the strictest kind of commercial art”; Marc Swayze accepted the challenge of working in various art media, and capably produced beautiful work in both comics and fine art. Complementing Marc’s letterhead for his paintings (on page opposite) are two of his salient canvassed pieces: “Little House by the Bridge” and “Dixieland Gig.” To the left of them is a “fine” Swayze comic book sample from Sweethearts #93 (Nov. 1950) in which the artist’s background as a musician had again emerged in his work. [Paintings © 2012 Marcus D. Swayze; Sweethearts page © 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

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“ Is This What I Want To Do For The Rest Of My Life? ” The ROY ALD Interview, Part 5 (Conclusion) Interview Conducted & Transcribed by Shaun Clancy Edited by P.C. Hamerlinck oy Ald was an editor and writer for Fawcett Publications’ comic books from 1946 to 1953, applying his talents to such titles as Wow Comics (featuring Mary Marvel, the Phantom Eagle, Commando Yank, Mr. Scarlet, and his comical creation “Ozzie and Babs”), Captain Midnight, Don Winslow of the Navy, This Magazine Is Haunted, Captain Video, Life Story, Worlds of Fear, Strange Suspense Stories, Beware! Terror Tales, Gabby Hayes Western, Sweethearts, Suspense Detective, Negro Romance, and others, as well as developing Fawcett’s early graphic novel experiment, Mansion of Evil, before editing various Fawcett magazines after the publisher terminated its comics line. Ald later moved on to other noteworthy publishing ventures with various companies and also authored dozens of books—predominately in the health and fitness fields.

Last issue, the 90-year-old Mr. Ald shared with interviewer Shaun Clancy more memories of the many people with whom he worked at Fawcett Publications. As we wind up this fascinating five-part discourse, Ald divulges more stories—and a few misgivings—from his publishing endeavors. —PCH. SHAUN CLANCY: What happened to you after Fawcett terminated their comics line?

ROY ALD: They transferred me to True Confessions magazine, where I worked with all women! [laughs] When the editor needed a quick story, I’d go home and write one for him in one night. The magazine would have its main story—the actual “true” story—but some of the back-up features were fabricated, and whenever [editorial director] Ralph Daigh found out about anything fictitious being used, there would be trouble. Since it was a reporting-type magazine, there wasn’t the need for me to use a pseudonym like I had done with the comics. I once wrote an article in True Confessions about a famous court trial involving a $500-a-night call girl named Pat Ward who had dated a judge, and which became a national sensation. The issue sold very well and, because of the story, they not only reprinted the issue, but Fawcett also published a separate book on Pat. She also became my companion. As a result of her story being published, a large number of highclass call girls in town tried to get me to do their stories—many of whom I spent time with. They kept me busy… but I never wrote a word! [laughs] SC: Did you ever happen to appear in photographs for any of Fawcett’s magazines?

Ald Acquaintance (Left:) After Fawcett ditched their comics line, Ald transferred over to True Confessions and made his mark on that top-selling Fawcett magazine before going out on his own. Above is the cover of the July 1948 issue, released several years before his tenure with the publication. (Top right:) Ald at the Fawcett offices in 1947, with fellow comics department co-workers Bob Laughlin and (on left) Virginia “Ginny” Provisiero in a cropped photo, which was seen in its entirety back in A/E #104. Photo courtesy of Len Leone. (Right:) As detailed in a recent issue, Roy Ald was a U.S. Army Intelligence officer prior to becoming a comic book editor at Fawcett Publications in 1946. Photo provided by Glenn Ald. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

ALD: No, but when I ran a gymnasium in Manhattan, a German investor approached me about doing a muscle/fitness magazine. When I later met with him about getting a job writing for it, he asked me to take off my shirt… so instead of writing for it, I posed in it! [laughs] SC: After Fawcett, where did you go?

ALD: I had an office at St. John [Publications] in Manhattan after I left Fawcett in 1954. I didn’t do any work for St. John; I just had rent-free space there to work on my own publications. One of them was called Photographers Showplace. The arrangement I made with Archer St. John when I moved in there was that they cover all the expenses of whatever magazine I was doing at the time.

FCA [Fawcett Collectors Of America]

Naked City (Far left:) One of the publications Ald produced after leaving Fawcett was a “girlie”-type magazine called Photographers Showplace; here's the cover of the 4th issue, from Nov. 1957. Ald’s art-directing collaborator during this period was Spectre/Hour-Man co-creator Bernard Baily, whom Ald had met and befriended while Baily illustrated crime, romance, and horror comics at Fawcett during the ’50s. (Left:) Baily’s cover for Fawcett’s Beware! Terror Tales #2 (July 1952)— edited by Roy Ald. (Inset:) Arthur “Weegee” Fellig, the famous photographer known for capturing grisly street scenes from NYC’s Lower East Side during the ’30s and ’40s, was another Ald friend/collaborator who joined forces with him as his photo editor. Ald later did a book with the photojournalist. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

SC: Bernard Baily had worked with you on Photographers Showplace.

ALD: Bernard was my art director.

SC: So you had met him during your time at Fawcett?

ALD: Yes. Bernard was a friend of mine, and I hired him to handle the art and layout; I would do everything else. The well-known photographer Arthur “Weegee” Fellig was also a personal friend of mine for years, and he was my photo editor. I did a book with him in 1959 called Weegee’s Creative Camera. SC: Did you keep in touch with anyone from Fawcett after you left, besides Bernard Baily?

that I got away from it. At the time, I didn’t even like what I was doing with comics, True Confessions, etc. I had no respect for it.

SC: Was that one of the reasons why you would use a fictitious name when writing books?

ALD: No, that had nothing to do with it. It was just a way to get more assignments. I was one person at one publisher, and another person at another publisher. You needed to do that if you wanted to work at several places at once.

ALD: I stayed friends with Wendell Crowley and Ray Cohan.

SC: How long did you have an office at St. John?

ALD: I published several magazines from there, so longer than a year.

SC: When you got your space at St. John, they were just getting out of comics.

ALD: [laughs] I had no idea they had done comics! And they never knew that I had worked in comics.

SC: How would you describe Benard Baily?

ALD: Bernard was very straight, very friendly, and a person that, I believe, felt that he deserved something better out of himself than what he was doing. He and his wife had a wonderful relationship. I think he may have said some things about me to his wife, because I don’t think she thought very kindly of me. I’m glad he got back into comics, because I felt badly for him when he was doing girlie magazines. I was so glad

Suspense In Publishing After a simple phone call to renowned film director and Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, Roy Ald was the first person to secure the rights to do a Hitchcock magazine … but he didn’t hang on to them for long.

SC: Do you recall anything else about working with Benard Baily?

ALD: I remember while working on magazines at the St. John office, sitting there with Bernard—and each day we’d hear from what was called a “celebrity-locating service,” who’d inform you where all the celebrities were at the moment… which hotels they were staying at, phone numbers to contact them, and so forth. I picked up the phone once to make a call when a startled Benard heard me say, “Mr. Hitchcock?” I was talking to Alfred Hitchcock, and I said, “You know, you’re doing so well on TV that you should have a magazine.” And he said, [imitating Hitchcock’s voice] “Do you want to do it?” of which I replied, “Yes!” Then he said, “If you give my daughter an editorial job for $15,000 a year, then you may do it.” That was, of course, manageable, so I acquired the rights and knew I had a valuable property. SC: So you just cold-called him?

ALD: Yes. The locating service had told me

The Roy Ald Interview: “Is This What I Want to Do for the Rest of My Life?”—Part 5

Wait For The Album

he was staying at the Hampshire Hotel. What happened was, while I had my space at St. John, Archer’s son Michael had just got out of college and was attempting to start a magazine for his father’s business. Then they heard that I owned the rights to the Hitchcock magazine; they immediately wanted to buy them from me. SC: But you didn’t fall for it?

ALD: I did fall for it! I should never had done it, but I needed money at the time. I was publishing several magazines, and they made me an offer that covered all my expenses and split the magazine’s profits 50/50. I think they had the same lawyer [Louis Nizer] from the Fawcett/National lawsuit that handled our agreement. At the time I had so many ideas that I wanted to try, so I needed the money to finance them. I sold the rights to them, and then their circulation director, Richard Decker, bought it from them for a large sum of money and published the magazine out of Florida, where he played golf every day. Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine still exists to this day.

SC: Does the name Harry Shorten mean anything to you? He came from MLJ/Archie Comics and published soft porn during the ’60s.

ALD: Yes, I wrote a lot for him under the name “D.A. Royal.” I also worked at Capital Distributors in Connecticut.

SC: Did you know that they were also known as Charlton Comics, which published comic books up until the 1980s?

ALD: I had no idea they did comics. [laughs] When I first went there, I met with John Santangelo, Sr. He was a partner in the business and also owned most of the town. We hit it off so well that a deal was made immediately. When he put the contract in front of me to sign, he said, “What time do you wake up in the morning?” and I said, “Why?”—to which he then replied, “I want to make sure I wake up before you!” After that, I met his partner,

Courtesy of Roy Ald’s son Glenn, here’s a glimpse at an Ald photo album—featuring undated shots of Roy, a few depicting Roy and his wife, and a promotional picture of Roy for his 1971 exercise book, Jump for Joy. A recognized physical fitness expert, Ald developed concepts and training techniques that are still employed today.

Ed Levy, who wore gold chains. I soon learned the fact that both of them had been in prison together; Levy was the Commissioner of Highways and Santangelo was a bricklayer. These guys were like characters straight out of a movie.

SC: How long did you stay at Capital?

RA: Four years. I was very restless. I wanted to do something to legitimize myself with something worth doing.

SC: Did you leave Capital on good terms?

RA: Yes. I just stopped working with them when I wanted to try something else. I moved on and tried doing other publications, like Coupon Magazine. Why I didn’t stay with it is the same reason I would leave all of the other projects I worked on, by asking myself: “Is this what I want to do for the rest of my life?” Here I had a magazine that could grow, but I just lost interest. It always happened to me: I’d have a good idea for a project and, during the process, I’d come up with a better idea and lose interest in the one I was already working on. But at least, by doing that, it kept things exciting and challenging for me.

SC: Which stories or books that you wrote are you most proud of today?

ALD: I’m not proud of any of them. I should have applied my efforts to a long-term project that would have paid off better instead of producing a bunch of small ones. I was writing one book a month and receiving advances for them, but I didn’t care about royalties because I didn’t think I was doing good work.

SC: Did you try to stick with the same book publisher?

ALD: No, they were all with different publishers, even my exercise and food books. I think I was robbed blind by my agent with a lot of my royalty checks, but I wasn’t too concerned about it. I was often paid up front and sometimes would get $10,000 as an advance, which back then was a lot of money.

SC: Did you ever miss a deadline?

ALD: Never. At the rate I was writing, that would never happen. I

FCA [Fawcett Collectors Of America]

SC: Did you ever win any awards for any books or stories you wrote?

ALD: No, not really. I short-changed myself, because I never spent longer than a month on anything I ever did. You’re not going to get anywhere by doing that, and I should have done things differently, because I had the talent. SPECIAL FCA NOTE: Since that all-star photo of a 1952 Fawcett dinner party was first printed in Alter Ego #107, three more of the diners have been identified: (#6) Bob Powell (artist: Lash LaRue, Vic Torry and His Flying Saucer, Red Badge of Courage, hot rods).

(#9) Harvey James (worked on Fawcett Gold Medal books; in charge of research in DC-vs.-Fawcett lawsuit).

(#23) George Evans (Captain Video, Bob Colt, When Worlds Collide, war, horror).

Thanks to Roger Hill for the ID of Powell and Evans—while Harvey James popped up and identified himself! An interview with him will appear in a future edition of FCA.

Fit To Print As we wrap up this scintillating five-part interview with Roy Ald, we find it only fitting to display one more cover from a Fawcett favorite he edited, Wow Comics. Above is that of issue #51 (Feb. 1947), with artwork by Jack Binder… and an undated photo taken on Halloween with Roy (in his workout attire, of course!) and grandchild. Thanks to Glenn Ald for the snapshot. [Shazam! heroine & Mr. Scarlet TM & © © 2012 DC Comics; Commando Yank TM & © 2012 the respective TM & copyright holders.]

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always wrote an outline to pitch my books. There were some editors that tried to get me to sign an exclusive contract, where they would pay me a salary. I was doing a lot of writing for many different of publishers, so there was no way I was going to sign anything like that. SC: Would you ever have any input on which artists illustrated your book covers?

ALD: No, and I didn’t care, either. I’ve never admitted to writing a lot of the books I’ve done, just so my name won’t show up in a Google search. [both laugh]

SC: Do you look back on your career and think that you made the right decisions?

ALD: Of course not. In the late ’50s and through the ’60s, no matter what I was working at the time, I’d always go back to my own personal interest of sociology and science and explore theories behind what turns good into bad. I’m still working on it to this day.

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JENETTE KAHN interviewed by ROBERT GREENBERGER, DC’s Dollar Comics and unrealized kids’ line (featuring an aborted Sugar and Spike revival), the Wonder Woman Foundation, and the early days of the Vertigo imprint. Exploring the talents of ROSS ANDRU, KAREN BERGER, STEVE BISSETTE, JIM ENGEL, GARTH ENNIS, NEIL GAIMAN, SHELLY MAYER, ALAN MOORE, GRANT MORRISON, and more!

“JLA in the Bronze Age”! The “Satellite Years” of the ‘70s and early ‘80s, with BUCKLER, ENGLEHART, PÉREZ, and WEIN, salute to DICK DILLIN, the Justice League “Detroit” team, with CONWAY, PATTON, McDONNELL, plus CONWAY and GEOFF JOHNS go “Pro2Pro” on writing the JLA, unofficial JLA/Avengers crossovers, and Marvel’s JLA, the Squadron Supreme. Cover by McDONNELL and BILL WRAY!

“Toon Comics!” History of Space Ghost in comics, Comico’s Jonny Quest and Star Blazers, Marvel’s Hanna-Barbera line and Dennis the Menace, behind the scenes at Marvel Productions, Ltd., and a look at the unpublished Plastic Man comic strip. Art/comments by EVANIER, FOGLIO, HEMPEL and WHEATLEY, MARRS, RUDE, TOTH, WILDEY, and more. All-new painted Space Ghost cover by STEVE RUDE!

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THE BEST IN COMICS AND LEGO MAGAZINES!

ALTER EGO #110

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ALTER EGO #112

ALTER EGO #113

ALTER EGO #114

SHAZAM!/FAWCETT issue! The 1940s “CAPTAIN MARVEL” RADIO SHOW, interview with radio’s “Billy Batson” BURT BOYAR, P.C. HAMERLINCK and C.C. BECK on the origin of Captain Marvel, ROY THOMAS and JERRY BINGHAM on their Secret Origins “Shazam!”, FCA with MARC SWAYZE, LEONARD STARR interview, Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, BILL SCHELLY, and more!

GOLDEN AGE NEDOR super-heroes, MIKE NOLAN’s Nedor Index, art by MESKIN, ROBINSON, TUSKA, MOIRERA, SHOMBURG, and others, unknown facts about ACG writer/editor RICHARD HUGHES, with photos and never-published Herbie scripts! Plus FCA, MR. MONSTER, more 2011 Fandom Celebration, and part II of JIM AMASH’s interview with LEONARD STARR! Cover by SHANE FOLEY!

SUPERMAN issue! PAUL CASSIDY (early Superman artist), Italian Nembo Kid, and ARLEN SCHUMER’s look at the MORT WEISINGER era, plus an interview with son HANK WEISINGER! Art by SHUSTER, BORING, ANDERSON, PLASTINO, and others! LEONARD STARR interview Part III—FCA—Mr. Monster—more 2011 Fandom Celebration, and a MURPHY ANDERSON/ARLEN SCHUMER cover!

MARV WOLFMAN talks to RICHARD ARNDT about his first decade in comics on Tomb of Dracula, Teen Titans, Captain Marvel, John Carter, Daredevil, Nova, Batman, etc., behind a GENE COLAN cover! Art by COLAN, ANDERSON, CARDY, BORING, MOONEY, and more! AL FELDSTEIN interviewed by JIM AMASH about his pre-EC Comics work, FCA, Mr. Monster, BILL SCHELLY, and more!

MARVEL ISSUE on Captain America and Fantastic Four! MARTIN GOODMAN’s Broadway debut, speculations about FF #1, history of the MMMS, interview with Golden Age writer/artist DON RICO, art by KIRBY, AVISON, SHORES, ROMITA, SEVERIN, TUSKA, ALLEN BELLMAN, and others! Plus AL FELDSTEIN Part II, FCA, MR. MONSTER and BILL SCHELLY! Cover by BELLMAN and MITCH BREITWEISER!

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LEE & KIRBY: THE WONDER YEARS (KIRBY COLLECTOR #58)

Special double-size book examines the first decade of the FANTASTIC FOUR, and the events that put into motion the Marvel Age of Comics! New interviews with STAN LEE, FLO STEINBERG, MARK EVANIER, JOE SINNOTT, and others, with a wealth of historical information and Kirby artwork! (160-page trade paperback) $19.95 (Digital Edition) $5.95 • Now shipping! (Subscribers: counts as two issues)

KIRBY COLLECTOR #59

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“Kirby Vault!” Rarities from the “King” of comics: Personal correspondence, private photos, collages, rare Marvelmania art, bootleg album covers, sketches, transcript of a 1969 VISIT TO THE KIRBY HOME (where Jack answers the questions YOU’D ask in ‘69), MARK EVANIER, pencil art from the FOURTH WORLD, CAPTAIN AMERICA, MACHINE MAN, SILVER SURFER GRAPHIC NOVEL, and more!

PATRICK OLIFFE interview and demo, career of AL WILLIAMSON examined by ANGELO TORRES, BRET BLEVINS, MARK SCHULTZ, TOM YEATES, ALEX ROSS, RICK VEITCH, and others, MIKE MANLEY and BRET BLEVINS’ “Comic Art Bootcamp”, a “Rough Critique” of a newcomer’s work by BOB McLEOD, art supply reviews by “Crusty Critic” JAMAR NICHOLAS, and more!

LEGO EVENTS ISSUE covering our own BRICKMAGIC FESTIVAL, BRICKWORLD, BRICKFAIR, BRICKCON, plus other events outside the US. There’s full event details, plus interviews with the winners of the BRICKMAGIC CHALLENGE competition, complete with instructions to build award winning models. Also JARED K. BURKS’ regular column on minifigure customizing, building tips, and more!

LEGO SUPERHEROES! Behind-the-scenes of the DC and Marvel Comics sets, plus a feature on GREG HYLAND, the artist of the superhero comic books in each box! Also, other superhero work by ALEX SCHRANZ and our cover artist OLIVIER CURTO. Plus, JARED K. BURKS’ regular column on minifigure customization, building tips, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions, and more!

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An exhaustive look at a prolific Golden Age publisher! THE QUALITY COMPANION documents the history of Quality Comics, which spawned a treasure trove of beautiful art and classic characters in the 1940s, including the “Freedom Fighters”—UNCLE SAM, PHANTOM LADY, BLACK CONDOR, THE RAY, HUMAN BOMB, and DOLL MAN—plus PLASTIC MAN, BLACKHAWK, and others now at DC Comics! • Reprints—in FULL-COLOR—nine complete original stories from the 1940s from such rare collector’s items as FEATURE COMICS, SMASH COMICS, POLICE COMICS, NATIONAL COMICS, and CRACK COMICS! • Features Golden Age art by LOU FINE, REED CRANDALL, JACK COLE, WILL EISNER, JIM MOONEY, and others! • Compiles the first-ever A-Z in-depth character profiles of every Quality costumed super-hero! • Provides coverage of character revivals at DC, and more! Written by MIKE KOOIMAN with JIM AMASH!

The ultimate collection of Stan Lee rarities!

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THE STAN LEE UNIVERSE features interviews with and mementos about Marvel Comics’ fearless leader, direct from Stan’s own archives! Co-edited by ROY THOMAS and DANNY FINGEROTH, it includes: • RARE PHOTOS, SAMPLE SCRIPTS AND PLOTS, and PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE! • Transcripts of 1960s RADIO INTERVIEWS with Stan (one co-featuring JACK KIRBY, and one with Stan debating Dr. Fredric Wertham’s partner in psychological innovation and hating comics)! • Rarely seen art by legends including KIRBY, JOHN ROMITA SR. and JOE MANEELY! • Plot, script, and balloon placements from the 1978 SILVER SURFER GRAPHIC NOVEL, with comprehensive notes from Lee and Kirby about the story, plus pages from a SILVER SURFER screenplay done by Stan for ROGER CORMAN! • Notes by RICHARD CORBEN and WILL EISNER for Marvel projects that never came to be, and more! (176-page trade paperback with 16 COLOR pages) $26.95 • ISBN: 9781605490298 • Diamond Order Code: APR111201 (192-page hardcover with 32 COLOR pages, foil stamping, dust jacket, and illustrated endleaves) $39.95 • ISBN: 9781605490304 • Diamond Order Code: APR111202

Follow the evolution of the FF throughout the 1960s! Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Fantastic Four #1 with LEE & KIRBY: THE WONDER YEARS, a new book about the duo who created the Fantastic Four, and a decade in comics that was more tumultuous and awe-inspiring than any before or since! Calling on his years of research, plus new interviews conducted just for this book (with STAN LEE, FLO STEINBERG, MARK EVANIER, JOE SINNOTT, and others), regular JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR magazine contributor MARK ALEXANDER completed this book just before his recent death. It traces both Lee and Kirby’s history at Marvel Comics, and the remarkable series of events and career choices that led them to converge in 1961 to conceive the Fantastic Four. It also documents the evolution of the FF throughout the 1960s, with previously unknown details about Lee and Kirby’s working relationship, and plenty of amazing Kirby artwork!

Examine the work of a true Modern Master: Ron Garney!

Ron Garney can draw cinematic blockbuster action with the best of them, as his iconic runs on Captain America, Wolverine, and Weapon X will attest. But he also excels at depicting the quiet moments—there is emotional nuance in his work, which elevates every story he illustrates. Now join authors GEORGE KHOURY and ERIC NOLEN-WEATHINGTON—along with JASON AARON, TOM PALMER, ALEX ROSS, and friends—for MODERN MASTERS, VOLUME 27: RON GARNEY! This book documents his stellar career by virtue of an exhaustive interview with Garney, where he explains his creative process, and presents a wealth of rare and unseen art, including a gallery of commissioned pieces, many in full-color! (120-page trade paperback with COLOR) $15.95 • ISBN: 9781605490403 • Diamond Order Code: OCT111232

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