Alter Ego #111 by TwoMorrows Publishing

Roy Thomas’ Standard Comics Fanzine

OKAY, AXIS—HERE COME THE GOLDEN AGE

NEDOR HEROES! 8.95 $

No.111

In the USA

July 2012

82658 27763

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!

2012 EISNER AWARD Nominee Best Comics-Related Journalism

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

ALTER EGO: CENTENNIAL (AE #100)

ALTER EGO #101

DIEDGITIIOTANSL AVAILA

BLE

ALTER EGO #97

ALTER EGO #98

ALTER EGO #99

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!

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 #102

ALTER EGO #103

ALTER EGO #104

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!

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!

(160-page trade paperback with COLOR) $19.95 US • (Digital edition) $5.95

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

ALTER EGO #105

ALTER EGO #106

ALTER EGO #107

ALTER EGO #108

ALTER EGO #109

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!

1970s Bullpenner WARREN REECE talks about Marvel Comics and working with EVERETT, BURGOS, ROMITA, STAN LEE, MARIE SEVERIN, ADAMS, FRIEDRICH, ROY THOMAS, and others, with rare art! DEWEY CASSELL spotlights Golden Age artist MIKE PEPPE, with art by TOTH, TUSKA, SEKOWSKY, TALLARICO Part 3, plus FCA, MR. MONSTER, BILL SCHELLY, cover by EVERETT & BURGOS, and more!

Spectre/Hour-Man creator BERNARD BAILY, ‘40s super-groups that might have been, art by ORDWAY, INFANTINO, KUBERT, HASEN, ROBINSON, and BURNLEY, conclusion of the TONY TALLARICO interview by JIM AMASH, MIKE PEPPE interview by DEWEY CASSELL, BILL SCHELLY on “50 Years of Fandom” at San Diego 2011, FCA, Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, PÉREZ cover, 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. 111 / July 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, William J. Dowlding

Proofreaders

Shane Foley (after Frank Robbins & John Romita)

Cover Artist Tom Ziuko

Cover Colorist

With Special Thanks to:

Deane Aikins Bob Mitsch Liz Galeria Heidi Amash Drury Moroz Jeff Gelb Ger Apeldoorn Brian K. Morris Janet Gilbert Mark Austin Hoy Murphy Joe Goggin Jean Bails Nedor-a-Day (website) Golden Age Comic Matt D. Baker Book Stories (website) Michelle Nolan John Baldwin Frank Nuessel M.C. Goodwin John Barrett Wayne Pearce Grand Comics Barry Bauman Charles Pelto Database Howard Bayliss John G. Pierce Michael Gronsky Rod Beck Bud Plant Larry Guidry John Benson Gene Reed Jennifer Hamerlinck Larry Bigman Charles Reinsel Claude Held Pre Birenbaum Karen Richardson Dick Hoffman Bert Blum Trina Robbins John Hutchins Jackson Bostwick Pat Iacovone Fred Robinson Len Brown Howard Rogofsky David Kaler Mike Burkey Steve Saffel Jim Kealy Jim Buser Terri Samuels Clay Kimball Aaron Caplan Randy Sargent Kirk Kimball Mike Catron Gary Sassaman Nadine King Michael Cho Frank Scadena A. Kovers Shaun Clancy Eric Schumacher Richard Kyle Russ Cochran Vicki Sebring Matt Lage Colleen Coover Leonard Starr R. Gary Land Bob Cosgrove Joe Stoner Mark Lewis Chet Cox Marc Swayze Paul Levitz John Dahlquist Tom Tallmon Jim Ludwig Teresa R. Davidson Pat Lupoff Bill Thailing Al Davoren Dann Thomas Richard Lupoff Joe Desris Maggie Thompson Dale Manesis Joseph Eacobacci Bruce Mason Michael Uslan Jackie Estrada Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr. Greg McKee Lance Falk James Van Hise Darrell McNeil Tom Fisher Mark Voger Harry Mendryk Shane Foley Alan Waite Peter Meskin Rudi Franke Hames Ware Philip Meskin Doug Fratz Beth Wilson Raymond Miller Stephan Friedt Bill Zimmerman Ken Mitchell

This issue is dedicated to the memory of:

Jerry Robinson

Contents Writer/Editorial: Setting The Standard . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Nedor Comic Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Michelle Nolan re-presents the 1968 salute to The Black Terror & co.—illustrated! Continuing Jim Amash’s in-depth interview with comic art great Leonard Starr.

“None Of Us Were Working For The Ages” . . . . . . . . 49 Michael T. Gilbert’s private takes on some very public Golden Age images.

Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt! Twice-Told DC Covers! . . . 57 Comic Fandom Archive: The Golden Age Of Fanzines Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Part II of a major event from the 2011 50th-Anniversary of Fandom celebration at San Diego!

In Memoriam: Jerry Robinson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 FCA [Fawcett Collectors Of America] #170. . . . . . . .73 P.C. Hamerlinck and some noted friends salute the 70th birthday of Mary Marvel!

On Our Cover: The cover of the very first Golden Age super-hero-starring comic that A/E’s editor ever wrote was Marvel’s Giant-Size Invaders #1 in 1975; it was a monumental piece of work in more ways than one—penciled by Frank Robbins and inked by John Romita. Thus, we invited Shane Foley, who draws each issue’s “maskot” illustration, to use that iconic cover as the inspiration for this homage featuring The Black Terror, The Fighting Yank, Miss Masque, Pyroman, Captain Future, and The Grim Reaper—six of Nedor’s greatest super-heroes. Great job, Shane—and colorist Tom Ziuko! [Art © 2012 Shane Foley.]

Above: Although several stellar talents drew “The Black Terror” during his last year or two in Golden Age comics, the work of the team composed of Jerry Robinson and Mort Meskin stands out. Above is their splash panel for a story from Black Terror #25 (Dec. 1948). Thanks to Eric Schumacher. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.] 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 China. ISSN: 1932-6890 FIRST PRINTING.

writer/editorial

Setting The Standard

edor… Better… Thrilling… Standard… Pines.

Ned Pines’ little company, which in the late 1930s moved from pulp magazines into the hot new field of comic books, had nearly as many names as the late Elizabeth Taylor had husbands… even if you count Richard Burton twice.

I always preferred “Standard,” perhaps because that’s the only name that was ever part of an actual company symbol: a small black flag (or “standard,” get it?) with the words “Standard Comics” emblazoned upon it. It was a relatively late name, never used, far as I know, till after World War II. Still, I myself never thought of the publisher of The Black Terror and The Fighting Yank by any other name. To other folks, though, it will always be “Better”—or “Thrilling”—or clearly, to Michelle Nolan, “Nedor.”

The company had odd connections with other and larger firms in the comics field.

Mort Weisinger, then Jack Schiff and Bernie Breslauer, all moved from being young editors of Better/Thrilling’s pulps to editing for National/DC’s burgeoning line of comics. When I’m looking for a vintage photo of any of that noteworthy trio, I often find myself turning to that single pic of the three of them having an editorial conference—probably at Better, not at DC.

Nedor’s comics had a weird quasi-Timely/Marvel connection, too. Alex Schomburg is best known in comics circles for his wild, ultra-detailed covers for wartime Marvel Mystery Comics and other titles of Martin Goodman’s line—yet he kept equally busy turning out thematically similar covers for Ned Pines (with the Terror, the Yank, and Doc Strange in place of The Human Torch, Sub-Mariner, and Captain America), and indeed he kept at it longer, closing out both Black Terror and Fighting Yank, Nedor’s last two super-heroes standing in 1949. That was the same year Timely’s “Big Three”

D folded their tents—but with other hands drawing their covers.

There was even an American Comics Group connection, with the B.W. Sangor Shop providing art and story for Nedor for years before Sangor’s outfit metamorphosed into an entirely new company, ACG—with Richard Hughes, writer-creator of both the Terror and the Yank, moving from writer and then editor of Nedor to being editor and head writer of the group that in 1948 launched the very first regularly published horror comic, Adventures into the Unknown. (We had announced for this issue an article about Hughes by Michael Vance, featuring newly discovered art and photos, but at the last minute we just couldn’t squeeze it in, so it’ll have to wait for next issue. Our letters section also got frozen out this time.)

Another thing I’d have liked to see in this issue is a good, thorough historical look at Nedor, such as Ron Goulart provided when we printed the Nolan MLJ Index a few years ago.

I’m hoping someone will step up and offer to provide that, as well. By the time we could ready it, I’d definitely be in the mood for another A/E issue about Nedor—one dealing in depth with the publishers, editors, writers, and artists behind that high-flying Standard, and with the full range of characters and concepts that it offered over the decade and a half it was in business. Any takers out there?

Bestest,

P.S.: In the eleventh hour, as I started editing the “Index” without a lot of art on hand, I put out a plea for artwork. A number of generous people stepped forward, and I hope they’re all duly thanked in the course of the piece—but I have to single out particularly Jim Ludwig and Eric Schumacher, who so bombarded me with material that I wound up with far more art than I could possibly print, even after I gave up on the idea of providing examples of many of the features that weren’t super-hero-related. Thanks, guys—and to Michael T. Gilbert, Chet Cox, and the rest of you, as well! Far as I’m concerned, you’ve just given me a leg up on that big second Nedor issue!

COMING IN AUGUST

112

GIANT!

More Stupendous Secrets Of The Last Son Of Krypton!

• Sensational cover featuring art by MURPHY ANDERSON—assembled by ARLEN SCHUMER! • PAUL CASSIDY, the 2nd (or 3rd?) man ever to draw Superman! The Nembo Kid (that’s Italian for “Superman”)! Plus a fabulous 16-page look at the MORT WEISINGER era of the Man of Steel by designer ARLEN SCHUMER—including an interview with Mort’s son! Super art & artifacts by JERRY SIEGEL, JOE SHUSTER, WAYNE BORING, MURPHY ANDERSON, AL PLASTINO, & others! • LEONARD STARR talks to JIM AMASH about his comics strips On Stage & Annie and comic book Kelly Green—plus MICHAEL VANCE revisits RICHARD HUGHES! • FCA focus on MARC SWAYZE’s Charlton days—MICHAEL T. GILBERT’s Comic Crypt— BILL SCHELLY with more on the fandom’s 50th-anniversary celebration in San Diego 2011—& 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!

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Nedor Comic Index The 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes by Mike Nolan

New 2012 Introduction: Solving The Mystery Of Nedor Comics—Issue By Issue! by Michelle Nolan

ver the past 44 years, many comic collectors and historians have asked me why I chose once-obscure Nedor Comics as the subject of fandom’s first issue-by-issue Golden Age index. The answer is a bit convoluted, especially since Nedor Comics were nowhere nearly as well-known during the dawn of modern comics fandom in the 1960s as were DC, Timely, Dell, MLJ, Quality, Fiction House, and several other publishers of 1940s comics.

hunts. (Two of the used-book stores had gone out of business by then and the remaining store offered few comics that predated 1956, possibly because other collectors had joined me in the search.) This friendly fellow was headed for the Air Force and, wonder of wonders, he was willing to sell me a few dozen 1940s comics at the then unthinkable prices of 25¢ to $1 each. (Second-hand comics were six for a quarter at the used-book stores on my childhood hunts.) I bought every issue I could, including Black Terror #16 (Oct. 1946) with the first Alex Schomburg cover I had ever seen. Who in the world, I wondered, was this nearly 20-year-old character with the cool costume? Little did I know that Black Terror’s 174 adventures in three titles between 1941 and 1949 were the high for any Nedor character.

Part of this answer will involve memories earlier revealed in Roy Thomas’ handsome reprints of my Timely Comics Index (in Alter Ego #57) I was absolutely enchanted with this and my MLJ Comic Index (A/E #82), mysterious comic; I still have it. Unlike both originally published in 1969. But contemporary revivals from DC, Marvel, and since the Nedor story is significantly Archie in the mid-1960s, Nedor then had no different, and came first, being enduring Golden Age publishing connecpublished in 1968, I’m trying to avoid tions. It would be many years before a repeating too much of what I said in Nedor story would be reprinted. I the two earlier issues of this magazine. didn’t even know Black Terror #16 was a Although I began reading and collecting Nedor comic. There was no comics in 1956, when I was 8 years publisher’s logo on the cover—I old, I never ran across so much as a Cover Me! could not understand that, since single 1940s Nedor super-hero issue Michelle Nolan displays Rudi Franke’s cover for the 1968 Nedor every comic I had ever seen had a over a nine-year period, even though Comic Index, which spotlights The Black Terror and The Fighting logo—and the indicia listed Visual I spent part of most weekends Yank. (You saw it bigger in A/E #102.) The caricature of her was Editions as the publisher. But this drawn by the late Creig Flessel. [Art © Rudi Franke & Estate of Creig foraging through the back-issue issue had one tantalizing and Flessel, respectively.] comic piles of three large used-book frustrating house ad: a full page on stores, before attending the Saturday the inside front cover, listing 14 titles but no publisher! There they matinees. Likewise, Timely and MLJ also fascinated me in the late were: Thrilling, Startling, Exciting, Wonder, Mystery (which I later 1960s because I also had not seen them as a budding comics learned had not been published for about two years!), America’s historian. Best, Black Terror—and Fighting Yank, who was the only other Standard Comics, Nedor’s real publisher, was still in business in identifiable hero in that house ad, since he had his own title. There 1956, having struck financial gold with the Dennis the Menace were also six non-hero titles. franchise and other humor titles such as Super Mouse. But the last What, I wondered, could these generically named titles be? How of Nedor’s human costume heroes had vanished in 1949. Perhaps could an entire line of Golden Age comics have eluded me for nine they once sold well in other parts of the country, but on the West years? After all, I was a most serious comic book detective! I can Coast, where I spent my childhood in California’s Bay Area and in remember people at the used-book stores saying, “I never saw Northwest Washington, Nedor comics had simply disappeared, if anyone who loves comics so much!” The Nedor mystery made me indeed they were ever well distributed there. wonder for a full year, until that fateful weekend in January 1966 I found hundreds of old comics, mostly from the post-World when I attended a one-day comics gathering at the home of famed War II period, but nary so much as a single Nedor—until I met an fan-artist and fanzine editor Rudi Franke. My comic bookolder collector in January 1965 on one of my final used-book store collecting dentist, Dr. Wayne Pearce, provided the transportation

Mike Nolan’s 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes

Terror Firma Alex Schomburg (photo) rings the bell with his cover for Black Terror Comics #16 (Oct. 1946), the first glimpse the Index’s author ever had of the superhero co-created by writer Richard Hughes and artist Dave Gabrielson for the Sangor Shop (see A/E #61-62) that produced finished comics pages for Nedor/Better. Thanks to the Grand Comics Database; see info on p. 72. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

and further drilled a love of old comics into me. Rudi Franke—who was later to beautifully render the covers for the Nedor, Timely, and MLJ Indexes— played host to an affable gathering of two or three dozen collectors talking, swapping, buying, and selling comics at his home in Oakland.

Among the show organizer’s friends was the late Barry Bauman, a mercurial, entrepreneurial, thoroughly outgoing huckster sort who was my own age. This guy, I discovered, loved comics more than I did and could talk about them endlessly, and with plenty of knowledge. I soon discovered that he and his friends had been producing fine fanzines for several years. He invited some of us to his home nearby in Oakland and I discovered, to my utter amazement, an absolutely breath-taking trove of Golden Age comics in his attic. There were thousands of them, or at least it seemed that way. The minimum price was a buck a book, though they weren’t all for sale. But—he had copies of all eight of those mysterious Nedor titles! At last, I had found a source for Nedors. I was agog and immediately snatched up about two dozen issues.

Little did I know this was the mother lode of Nedors. Barry explained to me that he and his fanzine-publisher friends had discovered thousands of Golden Age comics in a stash at the Liberty Book Store in Sacramento (I still have many issues with the store’s sticker on the covers). If I remember right, he said they paid something like 40¢ (or less) per issue and hauled them away. Their Nedor stock was nothing less than unbelievable, so I had the opportunity to purchase dozens from Barry for a buck a book on several trips to that magical attic. I think he thought I was crazy to be buying comics nobody else cared about; in 1966, everyone wanted old Batman, Superman, All-Star, Uncle Scrooge, EC—anything but Nedor! I was immediately motivated to get my driver’s license and buy a car. I returned often, taking along friends like Bud Plant, and received endless razzing for buying “all that Nedor junk.”

These were such strange comics, all dated between 1940 and 1949. I had never heard of the characters. The art

was mostly mediocre at best, except for those incredible Schomburg covers, but they simply screamed “exotic old comic book” in a captivating way that most other comics did not. And those characters! Not just The Black Terror and The Fighting Yank, but Doc Strange, Pyroman, Captain Future, The American Eagle, Miss Masque, The Grim Reaper, Wonderman, The American Crusader, The Liberator, and more.

I soon realized they were published by the same publishing empire that produced the pulp magazines The Phantom Detective, The Masked Rider, and other characters who were also in some of the Nedor comics, including a different version of the Captain Future character I had become familiar with in second-hand 1940s pulps from Better/Thrilling Publications. Indeed, that pulp, comics, and paperback empire was founded and operated by one of the most prolific of all publishers, Ned Pines. Some years later, I learned the name Nedor came from Ned and his wife Dora.

I noticed that late-1940s Nedor issues ran the same little Standard Comics logo that appeared on issues of Dennis the Menace I purchased in the late 1950s, until Standard left comics and Fawcett began publishing Dennis in 1959. I also noticed some indicias listed these Nedors as Better Publications, some as Nedor, some as Visual Editions, etc. In 1966, I didn’t know anything about tax complications; I only knew that Marvel had done the same indicia thing in the 1950s.

Yanking Our Chain Since our indexer subscribed to G.B. Love’s popular 1960s fanzine Rocket’s Blast-Comicollector, chances are one of the issues that arrived in the ol’ mailbox was #44, which sported a drawing of The Fighting Yank by fan-artist John Fantucchio. Thanks to Aaron Caplan. [Main figure art © 2012 John Fantucchio; Nedor art in background © 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

At about the same time I discovered this treasure trove of Nedors, four key events occurred. I subscribed to the Rocket’s Blast-Comicollector fanzine and began to buy comics through the mail, including Nedor issues. I started corresponding with most of the contributors and advertisers in the RB-CC. I obtained a copy of The Authoritative Index to DC Comics by Howard Keltner and Jerry Bails (1963), which was the first genuine index of Golden Age super-hero comics. And I discovered The Complete EC Checklist (1955) by Fred von Bernewitz, who was the first fan to index comics on an issue-by-issue basis. Why not, I thought in 1966, combine the concept of both of these groundbreaking indexes? I would combine the idea of an index to the long runs of one publisher’s comics, the way Keltner

Nedor Comic Index

Cowboys And Aliens—Nedor Style Alex Schomburg drew (and in one case painted) the final two covers each of Startling Comics (#53, Sept. 1948) and Thrilling Comics (#80, April 1951). The first showcases Lance Lewis, Space Detective—the other, cowboy Buck Ranger, obviously Lone’s long-lost brother. Covers from the GCD. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

and Bails did it out of necessity for DC, with an issue-by-issue listing à la von Bernewitz. Nedor’s modest output was similar to EC’s, unlike the thousands of issues DC had produced by 1963.

By the end of 1966, when I was a freshman at San Jose State University—and beginning my career as a newspaper feature writer while working my way through school—I had become fully involved in fandom, along with Bud Plant and other collector friends. We had discovered the utterly astounding Cherokee Book Shop in Hollywood, where I found many Nedors (and received more razzing) and a whole lot else. I began to realize that I might, indeed, be able to produce actual issue-by-issue Golden Age indexes, with the help of the most fabulous of all Golden Age collectors, the late Rick Durell, plus the crucial information about first and last issues provided by Bill Spicer’s historic listing of Golden Age titles in his ground-breaking Guidebook to Comics Fandom (1965). By writing to the most enthusiastic and friendly fans like Raymond Miller, to whom I dedicated the Nedor Comic Index, along with the knowledgeable likes of dealers Phil Seuling and Bill Thailing, I received vital encouragement and information.

On my first extended cross-country comic-book-hunting trip in the summer of 1967, I visited dozens of fans and dealers, seeking both issues and information over a six-week period (traveling by Greyhound!). By the time I returned, I had most of the information I needed to produce the Nedor Index, plus the inspiration and information to begin indexing Timely and MLJ as well. If memory serves, I must have written hundreds of letters seeking information. I was getting comics-related mail almost every day. At the time, nobody had all the information, but by the middle of 1968 I had acquired all the Nedor issue dates and characters (thanks to Howard Keltner, who filled in the final few) plus story page counts and story titles for all but a few issues. (Keltner’s magnificent Golden Age Index in 1998 provided all the story page counts for every issue from every company.)

I typed the Nedor Index on an ancient portable typewriter and had 500 copies printed in the summer of 1968, shortly before I took off on my second collecting venture around America (also by Greyhound; I started driving in 1969 after I acquired a fondly remembered 1964 Chevy). I figured 500 copies were the most I could sell. I priced the index at 75¢ (I have no idea why I didn’t make it $1). Now I’m thrilled to see Rascally Roy reprint the Index, especially since this may now put the kibosh on the unethical activities of people who have sold unauthorized reprints at ridiculous prices. (I have no problem with originals selling on eBay

and so forth, even though I would never have imagined today’s collector prices in 1968!)

Why did I not list credits for artists? Why did I not list Schomburg covers? Why did I not include artwork other than Rudi Franke’s fabulous cover? As incredible as it seems today, in 1968 I not only couldn’t figure out who did any of the unsigned interior art, but I didn’t care. I really didn’t care. To this day, though I now appreciate many artists, I collect primarily for the fun of the stories. In my Nedor Index, I wanted only to let people know what was in these mysterious comics and what characters were on their covers, since there was no other single source of that information. I also made the serious mistake of not listing Startling Comics #49-53 and Thrilling Comics #65-80, since they did not contain characters I really I cared about. [A/E EDITOR’S NOTE: Brian K. Morris, who retyped the Nedor Comic Index onto a Word document for Ye Editor to, well, edit, reports that, for the benefit of today’s A/E reader, he added on his own initiative a few more issues of Thrilling Comics than were originally indexed, listing some of the Western features but omitting the humor and text material. Thanks, Brian!]

In 1968, I also had no idea that, a year later, I would meet a friendly fellow named Bob Overstreet, an indefatigable researcher who told me he intended to produce something called a “price guide”… which would also evolve into a then-inconceivable (except, I guess, by Bob) list of all mainstream comics. I gave him my Nedor, Timely, and MLJ data for his first edition in 1970.

The days of Nedors for a buck are long gone. Now you’re lucky to find one in sweet shape for $50 or $100! Indeed, the oldest costume-hero Nedors were 28 years old when I produced the index 44 years ago—but in the Paleolithic comic collecting years 19651968, they seemed positively ancient, relics of a vanished and mysterious era. Little did I realize I would see these comics not only grow in popularity and price among collectors, but also in availability at hundreds of comic book conventions and through a miraculous invention I could never have imagined called the Internet.

I can’t help but be proud of producing the first three issue-byissue Golden Age comic book indexes, but I’m even more honored that one of my favorite comic book people, Roy Thomas, would feel they have been worth reprinting. Thanks to you, Roy, and to your wife Dann, for preserving more comic book history in more than 100 issues of Alter Ego than I (or anyone else) could have imagined when I discovered that Black Terror #16. Now all I need to do is find another 1964 Chevy!

Mike Nolan’s 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes

[A/E EDITOR’S NOTE: Because it is largely duplicative of or superceded by what is written in the new 2012 introduction that precedes this section, we have eliminated the brief preface to the 1968 edition, except for these two paragraphs which we felt should be included:]

No project such as this could ever see print without the cooperation of many wonderful fans. I have written hundreds of letters and traveled all over the country in search of data and information on Golden Age comics, and am deeply grateful to the many fans who have helped in my search, and also for those whose friendly hospitality has made many a day on the road brighter. At the risk of leaving someone out, I would like to thank the following people for their cooperation, encouragement, and help: Rudi Franke, Howard Keltner, Tom Fisher, Rick Durell, Dick

Hoffman, Jim Buser, John Barrett, Joe Stoner, Dale Manesis, Tom Tallmon, Phil Seuling, Bud Plant, Barry Bauman, Pres Birenbaum, Joe Goggin, Len Brown & Collectors' Book Store, Bill Thailing, Jerry Bails, Dave Kaler, Pat Iacovone, Bert Blum & Cherokee Books, Frank Scadena, Howard Rogofsky, Claude Held, Howard Bayliss, Ken Mitchell, Wayne Pearce, John Baldwin, A. Kovers, Drury Moroz, M.C. Goodwin, Frank Nuessel, John Dahlquist, Al Davoren, Clay Kimball, Bill Zimmerman, Russ Cochran, Charles Reinsel, the Library of Congress, and last but by no means least, I would like to personally thank most of all Raymond Miller, my longtime friend who has been of such great help. It is to Raymond that I dedicate this index, and through the years I have become convinced that there is no finer group of people than comic fandom in any hobby.

The Nedor Comic Index (1968) I. Nedor Features–Title By Title

Note: Startling #'s 50–53 and Thrilling #65–80 were published without any super-heroes and are not included in this index. However, strips which continued into one or more of these issues are marked with double asterisks. [A/E EDITOR’S NOTE: As mentioned above, Brian K. Morris did add those issues and their key features. Also, some "convenience" story titles have been added from GCD listings.]

America’s Best Comics

Buck Ranger #31

Cover Features

The Black Terror #1–31

Doc Strange #1–22

Captain Future #1–3, 5, 22 The Liberator #1, 3–5

The Woman in Red #1–2

The American Eagle #2, 6–8, 10–12, 14

Pyroman #3–8, 10, 12–13, 17, 22

#1 (Feb. 1942) – #31 (July 1949)

The Black Terror #1–31

Doc Strange #1–23, 27

Captain Future #1–3, 5, 22 The Liberator #3–5, 8

The Woman in Red #1–2

Don Davis, Espionage Ace #1–2

American Eagle #2, 6–7, 10–12, 14

A Date That Will Live In Terror

Pyroman #3–8, 10, 12–13, 17–22, 24, 28–29

The indicia date of Black Terror #1 was simply “1942”—no month given. Maybe they weren’t sure there’d be a second issue? Art by Alex Schomburg. Thanks to the GCD. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Jimmy Cole #4

The Lone Eagle #5

The American Crusader #6

The Fighting Yank #9, 11, 13–21, 23–25

Thunderhoof #7

Miss Masque #23–31

Lucky Lawrence, Leatherneck #8

The Fighting Yank #9, 11, 13–25 The Ghost #9

Miss Masque #23–31 The Sea Eagle #25

The Silver Knight #26

The Phantom Detective #26

The Commando Cubs #27–28

Jefferson Jones #29

Terry Moore #29

Bart Bradley #30–31

Nedor’s Most Self-Aggrandizing Comics The artist of the cover of America’s Best Comics #1 (Feb. 1942) is uncertain. This was Nedor’s equivalent of DC’s World’s Finest Comics and Fawcett’s America’s Greatest Comics. And the companies were all so modest, too! Nedor’s biggest heroes in late ’41 were clearly The Black Terror and Doc Strange. The Fighting Yank had only recently debuted, but his rise to parity with the Terror would be swift, perhaps bolstered by World War II jingoism. Thanks to the GCD. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

The Black Terror

#1 (1942) – #27 (June 1949)

The Black Terror #1–27

Crime Crushers #1–4, 6, 13, 16–19, 24

Thunderhoof #5, 9, 14–15

The Ghost #7

Hale of the Herald #8

Jimmy Cole #8

The Scarab #20

Nedor Comic Index

The Liberator #15–30, 34–35

Crash Carter, Air Cadet #16–21, 23, 25–28, 31–39, 48–53

Pepper Swift #21–25

Crime Crushers #28–32, 36–41, 50–59

Kara, Jungle Princess #39–49 The Scarab #42–48

Roger Dodger #51–67

Miss Masque #51–54

Strut Simmons #54–61

Judy of the Jungle #55–69

Rick Howard, the Mystery Rider #60–67

Johnny Dale, Secret Agent #62–67 Billy West #68–69

Cover Features

Major Mars #1

Mars Needs Press Agents! The “Major Mars” cover of Exciting Comics #1 is credited to “L. North”—which is curious, since Exciting soon sported a hero-feature titled “Larry North”! The Major must not have been a hit even around the Nedor offices, though—for by #2 he was gone, long before the readers could have cast their votes with their bright shiny dimes. Thanks to the GCD. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Miss Masque #21

The Crime Professor #22

Space Speedsters #23

Spectro, the Mind Reader #25

Cover Feature

The Black Terror #1–27

Exciting Comics

#1 (April 1940) – #69 (Sept. 1949)

Sgt. Bill King #1–21, 23–27, 29–39, 42–43, 48– 50

The Mask #1–20

Jim Hatfield, Texas Ranger #1–16, 18–19, 21

Dan Williams, Private Investigator #1–14

Major Mars #1

Gunner Thompson #1

Hy Hardy, Ace Newsreel Cameraman #1

Ted Crane #2–22

The Sphinx #2–14

Space Rovers #2–9

Son of the Gods #2–8

The Black Terror #9–69

Larry North, U.S.N. #10–15, 17, 19–22, 24– 28, 33–35

Ted Crane #2, 8

Space Rovers #3–7

The Black Terror #9–21, 23–52, 54–55

The American Eagle #22

Miss Masque #53

Judy of the Jungle #56–66

Rick Howard #67

Billy West #68–69

The Fighting Yank Comics #1 (Sept. 1942) – #29 (Aug. 1949)

The Fighting Yank #1–29

Mystico, The Wonder Man #1

The Rio Kid #1

Larry North, U.S.N. #3

Jimmy Cole, #3, 4

Hale of the Herald #3, 10 Jill Trent #6, 9

The Grim Reaper #7 Don Davis #8, 15

The Oracle #11

The Supersleuths #12, 16–17, 19–20

Parish: The Pacific #13

American Eagle #18

Kara, Jungle Princess #21

Miss Masque #22, 24

Tex Marlin, Stuntman #23

Fighting For Survival The cover artist of Fighting Yank Comics #1 may be unknown, but the hero himself somehow managed between 1942 and 1949 to solo-star in two more issues of his own title than did The Black Terror. Thanks to the GCD. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Miss Masque #22

Mystery Comics #1 (1944) – #4 (1944)

Wonderman #1–4

Dick Devens [King of Futuria] #1–4

Zudo, The Jungle Boy, #1–4

The Magnet #1–4

The Silver Knight #1

Jack Manning #2

Lance Lewis, Space Detective #3–4

Cover Feature

Wonderman #1–4

Startling Comics

#1 (June 1940) – #49 (Jan. 1948)

Captain Future #1–40

The Masked Rider #1–17

Mystico, The Wonder Man #1–9, 11–17

The Cavalier #25

G-Man Dalton #1–10, 14–15

Fighting Yank's Ancestor #29

Mysterious Dr. X #1, 4

Sandy of the Circus #26 Front Page Peggy #27

Cover Features

The Fighting Yank #1–29

Detective Sgt. Burke #1–3, 5–13 Scoop Langton #1–3

Don Davis, Secret Agent #2–9, 11–21, 25–28, 32, 33, 35, 37, 39–40, 48

Mike Nolan’s 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes

Thrilling Comics

#1 (Feb. 1940) – #80 (April 1951)

Doc Strange #1–64

Nickie Norton #1, 6–18, 21–24 Famous Texas Rangers #1

The Woman in Red #2–18, 20–22, 24–30, 34, 35, 38, 46

The Rio Kid #2–21, 23, 25–26, 28–29

Tom Niles, Undersea Raider, #2, 4, 6–12

The Three Comrades #2–5

Tommy Dolan, Ace Detective #2

The Ghost #3–40, 42–44, 46–52

The Lone Eagle #3–20, 22–31, 33–35, 40–45, 47–49, 51–55, 61

Detective O'Hara #6

Happy Lannings of the Air Patrol #7

Dan Duffy, College Athlete #8–25, 27–29

The American Crusader #19–35, 37–39, 41

I Wonder As I Wonder… Alex Schomburg’s cover for the 1944 Mystery Comics #1 featured the garishly named, costumed, and colored “Brad Spencer – Wonderman.” Maybe we can blame the unwieldy feature title on Nedor’s fear of the wrath of National/DC, which had sued Victor Fox’s “Wonder Man” out of existence several years earlier (see A/E #101)—but what can excuse the outfit and color scheme? Later, the feature’s title was indeed altered to simply “Wonderman.” Thanks to the GCD. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Hale of the Herald #25–33, 36, 38

Lucky Lawrence, Leatherneck #30–34, 37, 39–45, 47, 50–51

** Jimmy Cole, Boy Sleuth #32–36, 45–46, 48–49, 52–55, 62, 64, 69

The Supersleuths #35

Biff Powers #2, 4–17

Ace Buckley, Time Traveller #3–10 The Fighting Yank #10–49

Four Comrades #16–31, 33–34, 36

Pyroman #18–26, 28–43

The Oracle #20–25, 27, 29–32, 35–40

The Scarab #34

Front Page Peggy #41–44 Trouble Shooter #41–43

** Jefferson Jones #44–49

** Lance Lewis, Space Detective #44–49

** Tygra #45–49

Cover Features

Captain Future #1–9, 13–14

The Fighting Yank #10–12, 15–17, 21–22, 24– 26, 28–42 (even #s)

Pyroman #18–20, 23, 27–43 (odd #s) Lance Lewis #44–49

What’s Up, Doc? Doc Strange was in the spotlight on the cover of Thrilling Comics #1 (Feb. ’40)—under the feature’s original title, “Dr. Strange.” But, despite having super-powers, he was clearly in the mode of pulp-mag hero Doc Savage and was usually called “Doc” from the start, so the name of the strip was soon changed. Art by Alexander Kostuk. Thanks to the GCD. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Grim Grow The Lilacs Alex Schomberg’s cover for Wonder Comics #1. The Grim Reaper was an apt name for a waroriented super-hero (there was “nose art” featuring a scythe-wielding Grim Reaper on U.S. bombers during World War II)—but Nedor’s, shall we say, Standard-bearer didn’t really have a very grim look. Even so, memories of the 1940s stalwart led Roy Thomas to develop a scythewielding super-villain of that name for Marvel’s The Avengers; that bad-guy’s been around for well over four decades. Thanks to Michael T. Gilbert. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

** The Commando Cubs #36–52, 55–60, 63, 65 ** The Phantom Detective #53–70 The Cavalier #53–54 ** Princess Pantha #56–74 Captain Eagle #63 Stories from the D.A. File #66–68, 70 Tara #71 Buck Ranger #72–80 Sea Eagle #72 Billy West #75–80 Rangeland Spitfire #75 Speedy Hopper #75 Chester #76–79 Danny Glover #76–78 Kim Carson #79

Cover Features

Doc Strange #1–19, 25–36, 38–52 (even #s), 53–57, 59 The American Crusader #19–24 Commando Cubs #36, 37–51 (odd #s) Princess Pantha #58, 60–71 Buck Ranger #72–80

Nedor Comic Index

We Have Seen The Future—And Frankly, We Prefer The Present! (Left:) “Captain Future” was first the name of the science-fiction hero (in another century) of one of Nedor’s pulp magazines, Startling Stories. Seen here is a relatively late cover, that of the Fall 1946 issue, painted by Earl Bergey. (Center:) Sensing even in 1940 that science-fiction wouldn’t sell as many comics as a superhero would, Nedor’s editors commissioned a quite different “Captain Future” as the star of a series set solidly in the 20th century. Cover credited to Kin Platt. Thanks to the GCD. (Right:) This photo-ad for Thrilling/Nedor/Better’s pulp and comics 1940 lineup ran, among other places, on the inside front cover of Thrilling Comics #8. Thanks to Eric Schumacher. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Wonder Comics

#1 (May 1944) – #20 (Oct. 1948)

The Grim Reaper #1–17

Spectro, the Mind Reader #1–5, 7–8, 16 Tim Dawson, Soldier of Fortune #1–6

Mekano #1

Supersleuths #2–4, 6–8, 17

Jill Trent, Science Sleuth #8–20

Bart Bradley #8–10

Wonderman #9–20

Dick Devens [King of Futuria] #11–14

Tara #15–20

Silver Knight #18–20

The Crime Casebook #18, 20

Cover Features

The Grim Reaper #1–8 Wonderman #9–15 Tara #16–20

The Fighting Yank (141)

The American Eagle (34)

[A/E EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a list of the Nedor heroes, the number of stories in which they appeared, and the comic books in which those tales were printed. The number totals and order were compiled by Brian K. Morris, with a couple of additions by Roy Thomas. This was done primarily to be consistent with what was done in Nolan’s Timely and MLJ Indexes.]

America's Best #9, 11, 13–25

Fighting Yank #18

Thrilling #1–64

Thrilling #2–18, 20–22, 24–30, 34–35, 38, 46

Exciting #9–69

Pyroman (43)

II. The Nedor Heroes And Their Stories

Startling #10–49

Fighting Yank #1–29

Doc Strange (88)

America's Best #2, 6–7, 10–12, 14

The Woman in Red (33)

America's Best #1–23, 27

America's Best #1–2

Startling #1–40

Thrilling #19–35, 37–39, 41

Captain Future (45)

The Black Terror (174)

America's Best #1–3, 5, 22

America's Best #1–31

America's Best #3–8, 10, 12–13, 17–22, 24, 28–29

Black Terror #1–27

Exciting #22–27, 29–38, 40–47, 49–50

Startling #18–26, 28–43

The American Crusader (22) America's Best #6

The Liberator (22) Exciting #15–30, 34–35

America's Best #1, 3–5, 8

Mike Nolan’s 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes

On The “Fritz” (Above:) Some folks have found traces of ol’ Paintingwith-Fire himself, Frank Frazetta, in this two-page splash from Black Terror #22 (March 1948), which we retrieved from the always-rewarding Golden Age Comic Book Stories website. Other artists are uncertain. Incidentally, since the scripters of Golden Age Nedor stories are almost never known, in future pages of this Index we’ll only mention the writer if we do have some idea of who he/she might be. (Right:) Frazetta definitely did draw a number of “Looie Lazybones” yarns for Nedor, including for Thrilling Comics #69 (Dec. ’48), where he signed his early pen name “Fritz” (detail below). “Looie” was an imitation of Li’l Abner; a few years later, Frazetta would work for a time on Al Capp’s ultra-popular comic strip. Thanks to Michael T. Gilbert. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Nedor Comic Index

The Mask (20)

Black Terror #21

The Four Comrades (19)

Thrilling #25–33, 36, 38

Exciting #1–20

Hale of the Herald (14) Black Terror #8

Startling #16–31, 33–34, 36

Fighting Yank #3, 10

The Grim Reaper (19)

The Scarab (9)

Wonder #1–17

Startling #34

Fighting Yank #7

Exciting #42–48

America's Biggest #1

Black Terror #20

Wonderman (18) Mystery #1–4

The Magnet (6)

Miss Masque (16)

The Cavalier (3)

Mystery #1–4

Wonder #9–20

Complete Book of Comics and Funnies

Complete Book #1

Fighting Yank #25

America's Best #23–31

Fighting Yank #22, 24

Black Terror

Doc Strange – “The Mechomen”

III. The Nedor Comics

#1 – Feb. 1942 Black Terror

The Liberator

Doc Strange – “The Great Gold Robbery” 13 The Liberator

Captain Future Don Davis

The Woman in Red

#2 – Sept. 1942 Black Terror

American Eagle [origin]

12 6

Doc Strange – “The Human Bombs”

The Woman in Red

Pyroman

Captain Future – “The Red Regent” Don Davis

#3 – Nov. 1942

Doc Strange – “The Mystery Submarine” 13 Black Terror

The Liberator

Captain Future

#4 – Feb. 1943 Pyroman

A Cavalier Attitude “The Cavalier” appeared in only three comics before he hung up his foil. The Wikia site from which we retrieved this art spot attributes his creation to artist Sam Cooper. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Thrilling #53–54

Exciting #51–54

America's Best Comics

13 11

Jimmy Cole

#5 – April 1943

10 11

Pyroman

Captain Future

Black Terror

Doc Strange – “The Green Ghoul”

The Liberator

14 9

Jimmy Cole

Pyroman

#6 – July 1943

Black Terror

American Crusader “In Holland”

Black Terror

Doc Strange

American Eagle

#7 – Oct. 1943

Doc Strange Pyroman

American Eagle

Thunderhoof [origin]

12 9

#8 – Jan. 1944 Doc Strange Black Terror Pyroman

The Liberator

Lucky Lawrence

#9 – April 1944

14 12

12 8 7

Black Terror

The Ghost

Doc Strange

Fighting Yank

#10 – July 1944 Black Terror Pyroman

Doc Strange – “The Zoo Crew” American Eagle

#11 – Oct. 1944

Black Terror – “Broken Battleships”

Doc Strange – “Engine of Destruction”

Fighting Yank – “Attack on Cincinnati”

American Eagle –

“Mystery of the Dead Pilot”

#12 – Jan. 1945 Pyroman

15 12

10 11

12 8

Mike Nolan’s 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes

Four Heroes, Four Colors America’s Best Comics was not Nedor’s first super-hero title, but we elected to go with the alphabetical order employed in the Nedor Comic Index. Seen here are four of the frenetic features in America’s Best #2: “The Black Terror”—artist unknown, with thanks to Mark Austin via Jim Amash & Teresa R. Davidson; The origin of “The American Eagle,” which the GCD credits to Richard Hughes (writer; inset photo courtesy of Joseph Eacobacci) and Kin Platt (artist); “Don Davis, Espionage Ace,” art credited to Ed Moritz, who in 1948 seems to have drawn the cover of the first issue of the American Comics Group’s Adventures into the Unknown, the first regularly published horror comic; “The Woman in Red”—art attributed to Raymond Thayer. Red preceded “Wonder Woman” by nearly two years—but she hasn’t lasted quite as long. Thanks to Jim Ludwig for the latter three scans. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Nedor Comic Index

#13 – April 1945 Black Terror

Fighting Yank – “The Blinding Light”

Pyroman – “The Radio Activator”

10 9

Doc Strange – “The Ghost Gang”

Black Terror

#21 – March 1947

Doc Strange

“The Case of the Extra Nazi Prisoner” 11

American Eagle

#15 – Oct. 1945 Doc Strange

Black Terror – “One Corpse Too Many” Fighting Yank

Black Terror – “Mystery at the Hotel Bellmore”

#16 – Jan. 1946

Doc Strange – “Appeal For Farm Workers” 12

American Eagle – “Submarine Threat”

Pyroman – “The Wreakers of Terror”

Fighting Yank –

Oddly, Pyroman’s powers had less to do with actual fire than with electricity! Still, for a while, as above in #4, he took the lead spot in America’s Best away from Black Terror. Artist unknown. Thanks to Jim Ludwig. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Black Terror – “Dr. Turner's Experiment” 11

Fighting Yank – “The Japanese Spy”

Doc Strange – “The Miner”

#14 – June 1945

Pyromaniacs Of The World Unite— You Have Nothing To Lose But Your Cigarette Lighters!

#20 – Dec. 1946

Black Terror

Doc Strange

10 8

11 8

12 11

Black Terror – “Timber!”

Fighting Yank – “The Tormentor”

Pyroman –

“The Conflict of Past and Present”

Doc Strange – “The Conquering Knights” 11

#22 – June 1947 Doc Strange –

“The Mysteries of Ancient Egypt”

Black Terror

Pyroman – “Pyroman Hits the Jackpot” Fighting Yank – “It Pays to be Honest”

10 8

Fighting Yank – “Undersea Island”

Captain Future – “Weapons Raiders”

Black Terror

Fighting Yank – “The Stone Age Monster” 11

Fighting Yank

Black Terror

#17 – March 1946

Pyroman

Doc Strange

#18 – June 1946 Pyroman

Doc Strange

Fighting Yank

#19 – Sept. 1946 Black Terror

Pyroman – “The Unseen”

Doc Strange – “Savages from Borneo”

Fighting Yank –

11 9

13 9

“The Case of the Hoofprint Triangle” 10

Don’t You Know There’s A War Over? On Alex Schomburg’s cover for #15, Black Terror, Fighting Yank, and Doc Strange mop up some black marketeers in the waning weeks of World War II—while the Yank’s actual yarn was doubtless written and drawn (by whom we don’t know) before the May 1945 surrender of Nazi Germany. Nedor had to get those war-era stories off its shelves somehow! Thanks to Jim Amash. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

#23 – Sept. 1947

Doc Strange – “Undersea Raider”

Black Terror – “Rehearsal for Death”

Miss Masque

Mike Nolan’s 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes

Battefield On The Battlefield Ubiquitous artist Ken Battefield had a hand in both these splashes from America’s Best #22— with an unidentified inker on “Captain Future” and reported embellishing by Rafael Astarita on “Doc Strange.” The former, with its Nazi menace, was probably written in 1946. The Nedor heroes fought World War II longer than those of most companies. Thanks to Eric Schumacher. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Black Terror –

“The Musical Monkey Murders”

Fighting Yank –

“Case of the Honest Crooks”

Miss Masque – “Cleopatra's Comb”

#26 – May 1948 Black Terror –

#24 – Dec. 1947 Black Terror –

“The Case of the Creaking Chair”

Miss Masque – “Diana's Jewel”

Pyroman “vs. The Ghost Horse”

Fighting Yank – “The Service Crooks”

#25 – Feb. 1948 The Sea Eagle –

“The Trail of Captain Blood”

“The Man Who Betrayed Himself”

Miss Masque –

“The Case of the Crafty Collectors”

11 8

The Phantom Detective

#28 – Nov. 1948

Black Terror – “The Quiz Crime”

Commando Cubs –

The Silver Knight

#27 – Aug. 1948

Miss Masque – “Death Stalks at Night”

Commando Cubs – “Jungle Jitters”

10 11

Doc Strange – “The Hot Breath of Death” 10

Black Terror –

“The Million Dollar Ray of Death”

Miss Masque – “Death Holds the Cards” 10 “Case of the Cautious Count”

Pyroman – “Pyroman vs. The Tornado”

Sitting Pretty (Left:) This “Miss Masque” double-page spread from America’s Best #23 is credited to artist Lin Streeter. Thanks to Jim Ludwig. (Right:) Schomburg’s memorable cover featuring Miss Masque for #25. Thanks to Bruce Mason. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Nedor Comic Index

#29 – Jan. 1949

Black Terror – “The Last Payoff”

Pyroman – “Terror From the Past”

Miss Masque –

“The Society Swindle Case”

Jefferson Jones – “Jeff Gets Useful”

Terry Moore – “The Sabotage Thieves”

#30 – April 1949 Black Terror –

“The Challenge of The Puzzler”

Miss Masque – “Gems of Jeopardy”

#1 – 1944

Zudo, the Jungle Boy

Bart Bradley – “Fight for the Finals”

Black Terror – “The Court of Miracles”

#31 – July 1949

Miss Masque –

“The Horse Cried 'Murder'”

Buck Ranger – “The Wealth of the West” Bart Bradley – “Prison Break”

America’s Biggest Comics Book

The Silver Knight

#2 – June 1943 Black Terror

Black Terror

Commando Cubs – “Flares in the Night” 12

Thunderhoof

Grim Reaper

Commando Cubs Commando Cubs Thunderhoof

The Black Terror

#1 – 1942 Black Terror

Black Terror

Crime Crushers

13 10 15 15

157

Pulping The Comics The Phantom Detective, as per the cover at left, was originally a pulp magazine from Nedor/Better/Thrilling, launched for Feb. 1933 (left) with a hero whose modus operandi was disguise. In the stories, he was referred to only as The Phantom—but Nedor wanted to let potential readers know up front they were buying a mag about crime-fighting, not ghosts. This Phantom preceded the King Features costumed comic strip hero by a year or so. The “Phantom Detective” story in America’s Best Comics #26 (right) was illustrated by Bob Oksner. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Black Terror

Crime Crushers

Black Terror – “The Lunchtime Follies”

#3 – Aug. 1943

Black Terror – “Killer Apes on the Loose” 14

Black Terror – “Wartime London”

Crime Crushers – “Death at the Ballet”

#4 – Nov. 1943 Black Terror

Black Terror

Crime Crushers

#5 – Feb. 1944

Black Terror – “Adventure in Europe”

Black Terror – “The Invisible Cloak”

Black Terror – “Amnesia”

Thunderhoof – “Horse Traders”

#6 – May 1944 Black Terror

Black Terror

Crime Crushers

#7 – Aug. 1944

Black Terror – “The Adventure of the Kidnapped Airplane”

Black Terror – “South American Trap”

Black Terror – “Occupied France”

The Ghost – “The Dorma Concerto”

#8 – Nov. 1944 Black Terror

Black Terror

13 11

12 8

12 11

Hale of the Herald

Black Terror

#9 – Feb. 1945

Black Terror

Thunderhoof

16 16

Mike Nolan’s 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes

Biggest Is Better! The 1944 one-shot America’s Biggest Comics Book, despite its total of 196 pages, contained just one true super-hero story: “The Grim Reaper,” drawn by Al Cammarata. That story might possibly (unlikely though it be) have seen print before the Reaper’s appearance in Fighting Yank #7 (Feb. ’44), and perhaps before his regular series began in Wonder Comics #1 (May 1944). His costume is colored totally differently here than in Wonder. In addition, ABCB’s “Silver Knight” saga is signed by writer Leo Isaacs, penciler Ken Battefield, and inker Everett Ray Kinstler. All its “Commando Cubs” yarns were drawn by Oksner. The “Grim Reaper” splash at right was provided by Jim Ludwig; the cover is from the GCD. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

#10 – May 1945

#13 – Jan. 1946

Black Terror

Jimmy Cole

Black Terror Black Terror

#11 – Aug. 1945 Black Terror

Black Terror

Mortimer Magic [only appearance]

#12 – Nov. 1945 Black Terror

Black Terror Black Terror

12 12

11 6

10 8

Black Terror

Crime Crushers

Black Terror

#14 – April 1946 Black Terror Black Terror

Black Terror

Thunderhoof

#15 – July 1946

12 9

Black Terror

Thunderhoof

Black Terror

#16 – Oct. 1946 Black Terror

Black Terror Black Terror

Crime Crushers

#17 – Jan. 1947 Black Terror

Black Terror

Crime Crushers

Nedor’s Best America’s Best? Two smash splashes from America’s Best #28: one of George Tuska’s finest “Black Terror” efforts, complete with his byline—and the splash panel of a “Miss Masque” exploit. Reportedly, the splash of the latter is by Ralph Mayo, with art for the rest of the story by Bob Oksner. Thanks to Eric Schumacher. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

#18 – April 1947

Black Terror

Crime Crushers

#19 – July 1947 Black Terror –

“The Crooks Who Would Be Kings”

10 8

Black Terror – “Formula for a Get-Away” 10

Black Terror – “Steeplechase of Crime”

Crime Crushers

#20 – Oct. 1947

11 9

Black Terror – “You'll Die Laughing”

Black Terror – “The Golden Doom”

Black Terror –

“Trouble Down Mexico Way”

The Scarab

Jerry Robinson circa 1940-41; photo courtesy of the late artist.

Mort Meskin, circa 1940s; photo courtesy of Peter & Philp Meskin.

She Wriggles On Her Belly Like A Reptile It’s not known precisely how the “Robinson-Meskin” team divvied up chores on the gorgeous “Black Terror” exploits they drew in 1948-49; Jerry Robinson said in A/E #39 that the two of them worked in every conceivable combination. Ye Editor, associate editor/interviewer Jim Amash, and a number of other researchers believe that Mort Meskin did most of the penciling, Jerry Robinson most of the inking. For some reason, they reduced the Terror Twins’ masks to what looks like merely two separate smudges of mascara! These two pages from #23 should amply illustrate why aficionados consider the Robinson-Meskin collaborations the high point of the series. Thanks to Jim Ludwig. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Terror-ble Two As previously noted, the art (and arguably the writing) in “Black Terror” stories got better in the last year or so of the hero’s Golden Age run. Additional cases in point are this pair of splashes from BT #25 by (left) Ruben Moreira and (right) Mort Lawrence. Thanks to Eric Schumacher. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Mike Nolan’s 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes

Red Mask, Dark Skin—Except On Covers Nedor’s very first comic book was also not mentioned in the Index. Best Comics ran for four issues, dated Nov. 1939 through Feb. 1940. It was an odd publication, 9” tall by 12” wide, filled mostly with humor features—yet all issues led off with “Red Mask,” a series reportedly written and drawn by George West. According to the GCD, the stories bear the 1936 copyright of the “Syndicated Features Corp.,” an offshoot of the B.W. Sanger Shop. Strangest of all, quoting from the GCD notes re issue #2: “The Red Mask is the first African or minority hero in [American] comics and is depicted as black-skinned on the cover of the first issue, but is depicted as a white-skinned hero on the cover of this [second] issue, as well as the subsequent issues 3 and 4. But his skintone remains black throughout the interior story pages.” Seen above are the cover of Best Comics #1 and the first page of “Red Mask” in #2—though his skin tone in the latter is actually more dusky than black; still, his pigmentation is definitely at variance with that of the other characters in the story. Thanks to the GCD for the cover, and to Jim Ludwig for the scan from #2. The existence of Best Comics was probably unknown to most fans in 1968; not even Jerry Bails’ comprehensive 1969 Collector’s Guide: The First Heroic Age names Red Mask in its exhaustive list of Golden Age heroes! [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

#21 – Jan. 1948

#24, Sept. 1948

Black Terror – “Lady Serpent Returns”

Black Terror – “The Revenge of Red Ann” 8

Black Terror – “Plundering Pooch”

Black Terror –

“Larceny in the Lighthouse”

Black Terror – “The Nameless Men”

Crime Crushers – “Aerial Acrobats”

#25 – Dec. 1948

Black Terror –

“The Girl Who Cleared Her Name”

Black Terror – “The Last Chance”

Black Terror – “The Winston Murder”

10 8

Black Terror – “Thieving Leprechauns”

Spectro – “The Case of the Jealous Clown” 8

Miss Masque – “Ring of Death”

Black Terror – “The Wrong Murder”

Black Terror – “A Race with Death”

Black Terror – “Funny Man Murder”

#22 – March 1948

Black Terror – “The Dream Maker”

Black Terror – “Violins for Villainy”

Black Terror – “On the Record”

The Crime Professor –

“A Gun for the Professor”

#23 – June 1948

10 11

11 9

Black Terror – “Eye of the Lady Serpent” 10

Black Terror – “The Road to Revenge”

Black Terror – “Danger in the Air”

Space Speedsters – “End of the World”

10 11

#26 – April 1949

Black Terror – “Handicap to Murder”

Black Terror – “Brute of the Bayou”

#27 – June 1949 Black Terror –

“The Haunt of Kowanchoe”

10 9

#1 – 1944 [A one-shot giant issue] Wonderman [origin]

Zudo, the Jungle Boy

Wonderman

Zudo, the Jungle Boy

The Magnet

10 6

11 8

The Magnet

Chips, the Fighting K-9

The Silver Knight The Silver Knight

Exciting Comics

#1 – April 1940

The Mask – “The Mask Strikes” [origin] Major Mars

Sgt. Bill King “In No Man's Land”

Dan Williams, Private Eye

Jim Hatfield

Gunner Thompson – “Payoff in Lead”

Black Terror – “The Cheat of Chinatown” 10 Black Terror – “Clash By Night”

The Complete Book of Comics and Funnies

Hy Hardy –

“Deep Sea Drama on Parade”

#2 – May 1940

Ted Crane – “The Leopard Men”

Space Rovers

Son of the Gods

Dan Williams

12 6

7 8

10 8

Nedor Comic Index

Sgt. Bill King

Jim Hatfield – “Mystery of the Lost Mine” 8

The Sphinx

The Mask – “The Mask Returns”

#3 – June 1940

8 6

Jim Hatfield

Dan Williams

Ted Crane “In Uganda”

Peter Noble

#8 – March 1941

Space Rovers

Son of the Gods

Sgt. Bill King –

The Mask

Dan Williams

Sgt. Bill King The Sphinx

Jim Hatfield

#4 – July 1940

7 5

Space Rovers

The Mask

Ted Crane – “The Voice from the Flames” 8

Sgt. Bill King

Dan Williams

Jim Hatfield

The Sphinx

Son of the Gods

#5 – Sept. 1940

Space Rovers

Son of the Gods

Ted Crane “In Algeria”

The Mask

Dan Williams

Sgt. Bill King The Sphinx

7 5

Jim Hatfield

Ted Crane “In Egypt”

#6 – Dec. 1940 Space Rovers

The Mask

Son of the Gods Sgt. Bill King

Dan Williams

The Sphinx

Jim Hatfield

#7 – Jan. 1941 Ted Crane

6 9

Space Rovers

The Sphinx

The Mask

Son of the Gods

7 9

Dan Williams

Sgt. Bill King

10 8

Sgt. Bill King

Space Rovers

Ted Crane – “The City of Gold”

The Mask – “The Mask Returns”

10 7

Son of the Gods

Jim Hatfield

“The Case of the Stolen Formula”

The Sphinx

Dan Williams

#9 – May 1941

Space Rovers The Mask

The Sphinx

Dan Williams

Jim Hatfield

8 4 7 7

Black Terror

The Mask

Ted Crane “In Arabia”

The Sphinx

Jim Hatfield

Ted Crane “In the Persian Gulf”

Jim Hatfield

Dan Williams

#12 – Sept. 1941

Larry North

The Mask

Sgt. Bill King

#10 – June 1941

The Sphinx

7 7

Complete In This Issue—And How! (Left:) Another all-new and oversize Nedor comic was the 1944 Complete Book of Comics and Funnies, which not only introduced the Bob Oksner-drawn “Brad Spencer, Wonderman” feature but included two stories about him as the first two features in its 132 pages. It also included two stories each of “Zudo,” “The Magnet,” and “The Silver Knight,” plus a number of other features. The three modernday adventure heroes would be continued only a few months later in the regular-sized Mystery Comics—and yet Complete wasn’t technically a Nedor mag at all, but was officially published by “Wm. H. Wise & Co., Inc.”—as a “surrogate” for Nedor, the GCD says. Note that, this first time out, Wonderman’s real name is emphasized at the expense of his “code name,” perhaps because as a character he was closer in format to Buck Rogers than to Superman. Thanks to the GCD. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Black Terror

Black Terror – “Nemesis of Evil” [origin] 15

Ted Crane “In Basutoland”

#11 – July 1941

Sgt. Bill King

7 5

Black Terror

Larry North

The Mask

Ted Crane “In Afghanistan”

The Sphinx

Sgt. Bill King Jim Hatfield

8 7 6

Dan Williams

Black Terror

Larry North

#13 – Oct. 1941

Ted Crane “In India” Sgt. Bill King The Mask

Dan Williams

The Sphinx

Jim Hatfield

8 6 7

7 7

Mike Nolan’s 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes

#19 – May 1942

I’ve Been Working On The Railroad…

#14 – Nov. 1941 Black Terror

Larry North

Ted Crane “In the Andamans”

The Mask

Sgt. Bill King

Jim Hatfield

Dan Williams

#15 – Dec. 1941 Black Terror

The Liberator [origin]

Ted Crane “In China”

The Mask

Black Terror

13 11

Panels from a story in Black Terror #16, drawn with heightened realism by Mike Suchorsky— who, as detailed in A/E #27, is not to be confused (though he often has been) with 1960s Justice League of America artist Mike Sekowsky. Thanks to Eric Schumacher. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Sgt. Bill King

Jim Hatfield

You Say “Suchorsky” And I Say “Sekowsky”

The Terror’s powers seemed to vary over time, but were greater than Batman’s, if considerably less than Superman’s. Here he improvises a mode of swift transportation in issue #4 (a.k.a. “Vol. 2, #1,” a system used only for that single issue). The unknown writer and artists were really working overtime on this one! Thanks to Jim Ludwig. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

The Sphinx

Larry North

Black Terror

#16 – Feb. 1942 The Liberator

Sgt. Bill King

Crash Carter

The Mask

Ted Crane “And the Singapore Plot”

Jim Hatfield

Black Terror

#17 – March 1942 The Liberator

Larry North

Crash Carter The Mask

Ted Crane

Sgt. Bill King

#18 – April 1942 Black Terror

The Liberator

Sgt. Bill King The Mask

Ted Crane

Jim Hatfield

Crash Carter

8 6

5 7

The Liberator

Larry North

Crash Carter

Ted Crane

The Mask

Sgt. Bill King

Jim Hatfield

#20 – July 1942

Black Terror – “Dr. Eptil”

The Liberator

Crash Carter

Larry North The Mask

Ted Crane

8 7

12 7 6 7

Sgt. Bill King

Black Terror

#21 – Aug. 1942

The Liberator

Crash Carter

Pepper Swift –

“The Secret of the Singing Tomb”

10 7

Larry North – “Burns Out a Hornet's Nest” 6

When Crime Stayed After School “The Crime Professor” was a one-shot “guest feature” in BT #22 and never appeared in any other Nedor mag; artist unknown. Thanks to Jim Ludwig. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Nedor Comic Index

The “Chinatown” Syndrome Roy T.’s all-time favorite “Terror” tale, from the day he first read it in 1949, is this one from the final issue of The Black Terror; its first and final pages are displayed here. The uncredited scripter’s take on U.S. Chinatowns may be shaky in places, but artists Meskin and Robinson employed no stereotyping in portraying its citizens—though the title resident owes a bit to movies’ version of Charlie Chan. The tone-yellow flesh colors, however debatable, were surely not meant to be demeaning; Golden Age comics had a distinctly limited palette. Thanks to Jim Ludwig for providing scans of the entire story; Roy’d been wanting to re-read it for years. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Sgt. Bill King

Ted Crane

Jim Hatfield

Black Terror

#22 – Oct. 1942

American Eagle

The Liberator

Ted Crane “At the Top of the World”

13 11 8

Pepper Swift – “Conspiracy by the Clock” 7 Larry North

#23 – Dec. 1942 American Eagle

Black Terror

The Liberator Pepper Swift

14 10

Crash Carter

Sgt. Bill King

#24 – Jan. 1943 Black Terror

American Eagle

6 15

The Liberator

Larry North

Pepper Swift –

“The Underground Sabotage”

Sgt. Bill King

I’ve Got A Crush On You A recurring feature in Black Terror was “The Crime Crushers.” Art from #4 by Al Cammarata as “Al Camy” (signed). Thanks to Jim Ludwig. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

7 6

Mike Nolan’s 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes

#25 – Feb. 1943 Black Terror

The Liberator

Sgt. Bill King

American Eagle

Larry North – “The Radio Beam Mystery” 6

#26 – April 1943

Sgt. Bill King

Crash Carter

Pepper Swift “In the Balkins”

Who Was That Mask, Man? “The Mask” is a mutated version of yet another Better/Nedor hero who’d appeared earlier in the company’s pulp magazines—more or less. In 1939, the costumed Black Bat (above) debuted in Black Book Detective, with the power to see in the dark but not during daylight. When DC’s “Batman” appeared at roughly the same time, the two firms reportedly avoided a double lawsuit by parceling out rights so they wouldn’t step on each other’s capes—with the result that, in comics, The Black Bat was transformed into The Mask (below), as per the panels reproduced from Exciting Comics #4. This lackluster incarnation soon vanished from comics—leaving a Black Bat imitator, DC’s Dr. Mid-Nite, in charge of the blind-man-who-can-see-in-the-dark franchise. Art alternately attributed to Raymond Thayer and Kin Platt—any other info out there? Thanks to Jim Ludwig for the “Mask” scan. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Sphinx To High Heaven (Above:) “The Sphinx” was another in the long line of masked-guys-in-suits-and-ties who made the scene after “The Clock” started ticking in 1936—a line which culminated, of course, in Will Eisner’s The Spirit in 1940. Thanks to Jim Ludwig for this image from Exciting #4. The art is sometimes attributed to Raymond Thayer. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Black Terror

The Liberator

American Eagle –

“Democracy's Ace Champion”

Sgt. Bill King

Crash Carter

Larry North –

“Larry Smashes the Gulf Sub Menace” 6

#27 – June 1943

The Liberator

#30 – Dec. 1943

Crime Crushers

The Liberator

Sgt. Bill King

#31 – Feb. 1944 Black Terror

American Eagle

Crash Carter

The Liberator

Sgt. Bill King

Larry North – “The Secret Jap Base”

#28 – Aug. 1943

Black Terror

Larry North

Crash Carter

The Liberator

Crime Crushers

Meet the Colonel

#29 – Oct. 1943 Black Terror

American Eagle

Crime Crushers –

“The Secretary’s Secret”

Black Terror

American Eagle

Black Terror

American Eagle

Crime Crushers

Sgt. Bill King

#32 – April 1944

10 8

12 8

Black Terror

Sgt. Bill King

American Eagle Crime Crushers

Crash Carter

Black Terror

Crash Carter

14 9

#33 – June 1944

American Eagle –

“The Case of the Flying Radio Bombs” 13

Larry North – “The Marines Attack” Sgt. Bill King

Nedor Comic Index

#34 – Aug. 1944 Black Terror

American Eagle

Crash Carter

Black Terror

American Eagle

Crash Carter

The Liberator

Sgt. Bill King

Larry North

#35 – Oct. 1944 Black Terror

American Eagle

The Liberator

Black Terror

American Eagle

Crash Carter

Crime Crushers

Kara

Black Terror

American Eagle

Black Terror

Kara

#38 – April 1945

Black Terror

Crime Crushers

Sgt. Bill King

Crime Crushers

#42 – Dec. 1945

Kara

Crash Carter

Crime Crushers

American Eagle

Black Terror

American Eagle

Black Terror

#41 – Oct. 1945

#37 – Feb. 1945

Crime Crushers

10 7

Sgt. Bill King

#40 – Aug. 1945

#36 – Dec. 1944

Kara

Larry North

#39 – June 1945

Crash Carter

Sgt. Bill King

Crime Crushers

11 7

Crash Carter

American Eagle – “The White Angels”

Sgt. Bill King

The Scarab – “The Avengers”

#43 – Jan. 1946

Black Terror

American Eagle

Kara

The Scarab

Sgt. Bill King

#44 – Feb. 1946

American Eagle

The Scarab

Kara

#45 – March 1946

Black Terror

American Eagle

The Scarab

#46 – April 1946

13 8

Black Terror

American Eagle

Kara

The Scarab

Son Of A—

Black Terror

Kara

“Son of the Gods” was drawn, and probably written, by future novelist George Mandel (seen in early-1950s photo); Jim Amash’s interview with Mandel saw print in A/E #103. This scan is from Exciting #4. The photo is from the dust jacket of his 1952 novel Flee the Angry Strangers. Thanks to Jim Ludwig for the comics scan. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

#47 – May 1946 Black Terror Kara

The Scarab

12 9

Mike Nolan’s 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes

The Birth Of The Black Terror [Exciting Comics #9 scans from Jim Ludwig; script attributed to Richard Hughes, art to David Gabrielson; © 2012 the respective copyright holders.] Clearly, chemist Bob Benton wasn’t making much headway on his energy tonic, till young Tim Roland came along…

…and accidentally tossed some formic acid into the mix!

Tim even came up with costume materials for his boss…

..who promptly became The Black Terror, scourge of evil-doers!

Not that Tim intended to be left out of the super-strength sweepstakes!

Nedor Comic Index

American Eagle

Kara

Sgt. Bill King

Crime Crushers

Black Terror

Crime Crushers

#48 – June 1946 Black Terror

The Scarab

Crash Carter

#49 – July 1946 Black Terror

10 7

Kara

Sgt. Bill King

Crash Carter

American Eagle

#50 – Aug. 1946 Black Terror

Crash Carter

Crime Crushers

11 8

American Eagle – “Death from the Stars” 10

Sgt. Bill King

#51 – Sept. 1946 Black Terror

Roger Dodger

Miss Masque – “Case of the Mad Miser”

11 8

Crash Carter

#52 – Nov. 1946 Roger Dodger

Miss Masque

8 9

Crash Carter

#53 – Jan. 1947 Black Terror –

“The Case of the Chinese Casket”

Roger Dodger

Miss Masque

Crash Carter

Crime Crushers

#54 – March 1947 Black Terror

Crime Crushers

Roger Dodger

Miss Masque

Strut Simmons

#55 – May 1947 Black Terror –

“The Man Who Dreamed Too Much”

Roger Dodger

Judy of the Jungle Crime Crushers

Strut Simmons

#56 – July 1947 Black Terror –

“The Mastermind of the Moon”

Seeing Double—And Then Some! As her biographer Pat Schenkar noted in A/E #90, celebrated author Patricia Highsmith (Strangers on a Train, The Talented Mr. Ripley, et al.; seen in photo) wrote comics scripts for the B.W. Sangor Shop that produced art and story for Nedor and other companies before she made significant sales in other fields. One of Highsmith’s recurrent themes in the two novels mentioned above (and in the popular films adapted from them) is that of doubles or dopplegängers—which makes this “Black Terror” splash from Exciting #38 a likely candidate to be from one of her scripts; artist unknown. Thanks to Mark Austin, Jim Amash, & Teresa R. Davidson for the splash; photo from Schenkar’s 2009 book The Talented Miss Highsmith. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Roger Dodger – “Nice Mice”

Judy of the Jungle

Strut Simmons – “Death Cargo”

Crime Crushers –

“The Case of the Reckless Necklace”

11 8 8

Mike Nolan’s 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes

Judy of the Jungle – “Laughing Hyena”

Hey, Look, Ma—No Fangs!

Johnny Dale –

Strut Simmons

Judy of the Jungle –

#61 – May 1948 Judy of the Jungle –

“The Deadly Triangle”

Roger Dodger

8 8

Strut Simmons

Judy of the Jungle – “Liquid of Life”

#58 – Nov. 1947

Black Terror – “The Mystery of the Jumping Mackerel”

Roger Dodger

Strut Simmons

Crime Crushers –

“The Case of the Crazy Lamp”

#59 – Jan. 1948

Judy of the Jungle – “The Deadly Quest”

Black Terror – “Double Identity”

Strut Simmons – “Death on Wings”

Roger Dodger

Crime Crushers –

“Robin Hoodwinks Arrow”

#60 – March 1948 Judy of the Jungle –

“The Treasure of Lobengula”

Roger Dodger – “Dig It, Gates!”

Black Terror – “The Double Disguise”

Rick Howard – “Bullets For Black Jack”

11 7

“The Warriors of the Green Lizard”

Black Terror – “The Model Crimes”

Roger Dodger – “Spooks and Crooks”

“Vengeance of U'Bongo”

Black Terror – “Goodbye to Guns”

Roger Dodger

Rick Howard – “Guns For Revenge”

Johnny Dale – “The Death That Glitters”

#63 – Sept. 1948

Black Terror – “The Murder Moll”

Roger Dodger – “Cur-Rent Event”

Black Terror – “Death at 8:30”

Rick Howard – “Death's Last Card”

Johnny Dale –

#66 – March 1949

Rick Howard – “Peril on the Plains”

“The Socialite Swindle Case”

Judy of the Jungle –

“The Talons of the Leopard Queen”

“Grandpa Shows His Medals”

Black Terror –

Roger Dodger – “Water Boy”

Johnny Dale –

“The Racket That Ran by Radio”

7 8

Judy of the Jungle – “Fatal Film”

#65 – Jan. 1949

Johnny Dale – “The Jewels of Borgium”

Strut Simmons

Judy of the Jungle –

Crime Crushers

Judy of the Jungle – “Jungle Vendetta”

#64 – Nov. 1948

Rick Howard – “Massacre on the Range” 10

#62 – July 1948

“The Lion’s Share of the Loot”

Rick Howard

Black Terror – “Spoils For the Slick”

“A Crew of Craven Cowards”

Black Terror – “The Deadly Choice” Roger Dodger

#57 – Sept. 1947

Roger Dodger – “Ski Special”

Rick Howard –

This lead-off “Terror” tale from Exciting #40 deals with the Japanese assault on China. The Chinese in the story are rendered realistically and sympathetically—and even the Japanese soldiers aren’t rendered as grotesquely as in some other comics. Creative team unknown. Thanks to Mark Austin & the guys. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Isn’t It Exciting? Art and story from Exciting #46, courtesy of Eric Schumacher (from left): A “Kara” jungle splash by “Al Camy” (Al Cammarata)…; “The Scarab,” penciled by Ken Battefield; inker unknown. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Nedor Comic Index

#67 – May 1949

Rick Howard – “Plunder on the Prairie”

Judy of the Jungle – “The Bull Roarer”

Black Terror – “The Deadly Frame”

Roger Dodger – “Tickets For Two” Johnny Dale –

“The Fabulous Wooden Box”

#68 – July 1949 Judy of the Jungle

Black Terror

Billy West

#69 – Sept. 1949

Billy West – “The Deadly Dude”

Judy of the Jungle –

“The King of the Toys”

Black Terror –

“The Kid Plays a Lone Hand”

10 9

Fighting Yank Comics

#1 – Sept. 1942 Fighting Yank Fighting Yank

Fighting Yank

Mystico “Fights Black Magic”

The Rio Kid

#2 – Nov. 1942

Middle-Page Spread

12 12 12 7 5

Fighting Yank

Fighting Yank Fighting Yank

#3 – Feb. 1943

14 14

Fighting Yank

Jimmy Cole

Fighting Yank Larry North

Hale of the Herald

14 6

#4 – June 1943 Fighting Yank

Jimmy Cole

Fighting Yank Fighting Yank

Meet the Colonel

#5 – Sept. 1943 Fighting Yank Fighting Yank Fighting Yank

#6 – Dec. 1943

14 15

15 15 14

Fighting Yank

Jill Trent

Fighting Yank Fighting Yank

14 14

Mike Nolan’s 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes

Pass the Saaf, Hold The Mayo! (Left:) As super-heroes lost ground in popularity to other genres, Exciting turned over its lead spot and often cover slot to one of the most innocuously named of all female Tarzans: “Judy of the Jungle.” When AC Comics (see ad on p. 56) ran this page from #58 in black-&-white in its reprint mags, it reported the artists as “Art Saaf with Ralph Mayo”—which may mean that either man drew this splash page. Thanks to Jim Ludwig. (Center:) A (cover) date with “Judy,” by Alex Schomburg—on #65. (Right:) “The Black Terror” stuck around till Exciting’s cancellation; art from #65 by Ruben Moreira. This scan and the previous one from the Golden Age Comic Book Stories website. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

#7 – Feb. 1944 Fighting Yank

Grim Reaper

Fighting Yank

#8 – June 1944 Fighting Yank

Fighting Yank

Don Davis

#9 – Aug. 1944 Fighting Yank

Fighting Yank

#11 – March 1945 Fighting Yank

Fighting Yank

The Oracle

Fighting Yank

#12 – June 1945

Fighting Yank

Jill Trent – “Case of the Sanitary Murders” 8

Supersleuths –

Fighting Yank

#13 – Sept. 1945

Hale of the Herald

#10 – Dec. 1944 Fighting Yank

Fighting Yank

Schomburg Ascendant The cover artist of Fighting Yank #3 is unknown— but with issue #4, Alex Schomburg would begin a run on FY covers that lasted till the end of the title. Thanks to the GCD. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

“The Mystery of the Little Men”

12 11

12 9

Fighting Yank

“Parish: The Pacific”

Fighting Yank

Fighting Yank –

“The Case of the Jonas Lawrence Will” 11

#14 – Dec. 1945 Fighting Yank

Nedor Comic Index

The Fighting Yank At War Schomburg’s wartime covers, surely at editorial direction, depicted the Japanese more often than the Germans—and, reflecting U.S. government propaganda, indulged in racial caricature. (Clockwise from left:) #6 – The Yank takes on the Japanese air force—one stereotype at a time. #7 – Like several Timely covers by Schomburg, this one involved an assault on Hitler’s lofty retreat at Berchtesgaden, Germany. (The contrasting photo, from “In Focus with Alan Taylor” at the www.theatlantic.com website, shows Berchtesgaden on May 26, 1945, just after World War II ended in Europe, as a P-47 Thunderbolt flies low over the heavily cratered area and ruined structure—the result of Allied bombs, not vengeful super-heroes. Thanks to Alan Waite.) #8 – Back to the Japanese, with the torturing of females added to the unsavory mix. Well, there was a war on —a big one. #12 – This one was done with propaganda-style humor—with the Yank having defeated Emperor Hirohito and a throne-room-full of bucktoothed, nearsighted Japanese. Thanks to the GCD. [Covers © 2012 the respective copyright holders; photo © 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Mike Nolan’s 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes

Cowboys, Crime, And Costumed Ladies With the war over, Nedor looked for new cover themes for Schomburg to illustrate—including this Western one for Fighting Yank #19. That issue also contained a funny-animal story drawn by the talented Jack Bradbury (see A/E #61’s coverage of the Sangor Shop). If cowboys didn’t sell enough comics, maybe prominently displayed females with prominently displayed attributes were the answer! The cover of FY #21 combined that with the look of Charles Biro’s Crime Does Not Pay and its ilk, which were all the rage in 1947— —while that of #22 paired up the Yank and Miss Masque. So why didn’t Nedor’s editors ever figure that maybe the two should’ve tag-teamed in an actual story? Thanks to the GCD. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

#15 – Feb. 1946 Fighting Yank

Fighting Yank

Don Davis

#16 – May 1946 Fighting Yank

Fighting Yank

10 11

Fighting Yank

Supersleuths

Fighting Yank

Fighting Yank Fighting Yank

Back on the wartime cover of #6, the Yank had battled Axis fighter pilots in the killer skies. On the 1948 cover of #27, he needs a motorcycle just to pursue a couple of fleeing criminals! Thanks to Mike Catron. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Supersleuths

#17 – Aug. 1946

How Are The Mighty Fallen!

#18 – Nov. 1946 Fighting Yank

Fighting Yank

American Eagle

10 10

#19 – Feb. 1947 Fighting Yank

Supersleuths

Fighting Yank

#20 – May 1947

Fighting Yank

Supersleuths

Fighting Yank

#21 – Aug. 1947

Fighting Yank – “The Apes of Dr. Dulfer” 10 Fighting Yank

Fighting Yank – “The Glow of Death”

Kara – “Vengeance of the Volcano”

Fighting Yank – “Black Wings of Death”

#22 – Nov. 1947

Fighting Yank –

“World That Time Forgot”

Fighting Yank –

“The Mystery of the Wayward Waif”

Miss Masque – “The Devil To Pay”

11 11

Nedor Comic Index

Unmasking Time (Left:) What did Jerry Robinson and/or Mort Meskin have against masks on the two main Nedor heroes? As noted on p. 17, they reduced the Terrors’ masks to two tiny slivers—and they dispensed with The Fighting Yank’s mask altogether. Maybe they thought his powdered wig was disguise enough? From FY #27. Thanks to Mike Catron. (Right:) Also from #27 is this page from a Meskin solo-art story of Bruce Carter III’s illustrious ancestor and lookalike, in which he protected Benjamin Franklin. In the 1940s, the spirit of the 18th-century Carter served as a guardian angel to his crime-fighting descendant. Thanks to Ger Apeldoorn. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

#27 – Jan. 1949

Fighting Yank – “The Return of Fingers” 10

Fighting Yank – “Double Trouble”

#23 – Jan. 1948

Fighting Yank – “The Secret of Wolf”

Fighting Yank – “The Song of Crime”

Fighting Yank – “The Tiger's Treasure” Tex Marlin – “The Strange Cigarette”

#24 – April 1948 Fighting Yank –

“The Panic of the Proton Bomb”

Fighting Yank – “The Last Laugh”

Fighting Yank –

Fighting Yank – “Taxi Terror” 10 11

11 8

10 11

“The Case of the Murderous Magnet” 10

Miss Masque – “Death on Skis”

#25 – July 1948 Fighting Yank –

“The Crossroads of Crime”

Fighting Yank –

“The Shadow of Dismal Island”

Fighting Yank – “Kiss of Death” Cavalier –

“The Case of the Antique Parchment” 10

#26 – Oct. 1948

Fighting Yank – “Beasts of the Sea” Fighting Yank – “The Grifter”

Fighting Yank – “Shadow Killers” Sandy of the Circus –

“Fear Stalks the Carnival”

11 11

Fighting Yank – “Patriots on Parade”

Front Page Peggy – “Grey Market Gang”

#28 – April 1949

Fighting Yank – “The Crucible of Crime” 10 Fighting Yank – “Swing Your Partner”

Fighting Yank – “Ho, For the Artist's Life” 8

#29 – Aug. 1949 Fighting Yank –

“Fireworks on the Fourth”

Fighting Yank’s Ancestor – “Flight For Freedom”

Fighting Yank –

“The Half-Horsepower Judge”

Fighting Yank – “Accidents For Sale”

Mystery Comics

#1 – 1944 Wonderman

Zudo, the Jungle Boy

King of Futuria [origin]

The Magnet

9 9

The Silver Knight

The Magnet

King of Futuria

#2 – 1944

Zudo, the Jungle Boy

Wonderman

Jack Manning – “Short Circuit Doom”

Wonderman

#3 – 1944

Zudo, the Jungle Boy

Lance Lewis

The Magnet

King of Futuria

#4 – 1944

Wonderman – “The Macabre Den of the Immortal Emperor”

10 11 8

The Magnet

Dick Devens

Lance Lewis

Zudo, the Jungle Boy

Startling Comics

#1 – June 1940

Captain Future [origin]

Mystico [origin]

Mysterious Dr. X

G-Man Dalton

Scoop Langdon

Masked Rider [origin]

8 7

Detective Sgt. Burke

Captain Future

#2 – Aug. 1940

Don Davis

Mike Nolan’s 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes

Going Down Fighting, Yank You can’t say The Fighting Yank (just like The Black Terror) didn’t go out with a bang, not a whimper! From #29: cover by Alex Schomburg; splash by Mort Meskin (one of two by him in that final issue). Thanks to the GCD for the cover, and to the Golden Age Comic Book Stories site for the story scans. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

G-Man Dalton

Masked Rider

Ace Buckley Biff Powers

Detective Sgt. Burke

#6 – April 1941

G-Man Dalton

Masked Rider

Scoop Langdon Biff Powers

Detective Sgt. Burke

#3 – Oct. 1940

6 9

Captain Future

G-Man Dalton

Masked Rider

Don Davis

Mystico

Scoop Langdon Ace Buckley

Detective Sgt. Burke

#4 – Dec. 1940

7 8

Captain Future

G-Man Dalton

Biff Powers

Don Davis

Mystico

Ace Buckley

Mysterious Dr. X

Masked Rider

#5 – Feb. 1941 Captain Future Don Davis

Mystico

5 6

12 7

Mystico

Don Davis

Captain Future

G-Man Dalton

Mystico

Ace Buckley Biff Powers

Masked Rider

Detective Sgt. Burke

#7 – May 1941

5 8

Captain Future

G-Man Dalton

Masked Rider

Biff Powers Don Davis

Mystico

Ace Buckley

Detective Sgt. Burke

#8 – June 1941

7 6 5

Masked Rider

G-Man Dalton

#10 – Oct. 1941

Fighting Yank [origin]

Detective Sgt. Burke

Ace Buckley

Biff Powers

G-Man Dalton Masked Rider

#11 – Nov. 1941 Fighting Yank

#12 – Jan. 1942

Masked Rider

Detective Sgt. Burke

#9 – July 1941

Biff Powers

Masked Rider Fighting Yank

Detective Sgt. Burke

Biff Powers

Detective Sgt. Burke

7 12

Ace Buckley

Mystico

Biff Powers

Don Davis

Captain Future

Don Davis

Mystico

Detective Sgt. Burke

Mystico

G-Man Dalton

Captain Future

Don Davis

Ace Buckley

Biff Powers

14 6

Captain Future

Captain Future Don Davis

Masked Rider

8 6

Mike Nolan’s 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes

#15 – June 1942

Fighting Yank Captain Future Biff Powers Mystico Masked Rider Don Davis G-Man Dalton

15 10 7 7 5 6 6

Captain Future Fighting Yank Four Comrades [origin] Mystico Don Davis Biff Powers Masked Rider

11 15 10 7 6 7 5

Fighting Yank Captain Future Four Comrades Biff Powers Mystico Don Davis Masked Rider

12 10 11 7 7 6 5

Fighting Yank Pyroman [origin] Captain Future Four Comrades Don Davis

15 14 10 11 6

Fighting Yank Pyroman Captain Future Four Comrades Don Davis

15 14 11 10 6

#16 – Aug. 1942

#17 – Oct. 1942

I Love A Mystery The cover of 1944’s Mystery Comics #1 was seen on p. 8. Four of its far-out features were “Brad Spencer, Wonderman” (see p. 18 for info on his first two stories ever), “Zudo the Jungle Boy,” “King of Futuria,” and “The Magnet.” Surprisingly, the artist of the “Wonderman” story was none other than cover artist Alex Schomburg! “Zudo” was reportedly penciled by Ken Battefield, and the non-costumed “Magnet” was drawn by Ed Good, while the artist of “King of Futuria” is unknown. (The title of the latter feature was soon changed to "Dick Deven.") Oddly, none of the four issues of Mystery carried a month-related date, only the year. Thanks to Chet Cox. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

#18 – Dec. 1942

#19 – Feb. 1943

If you’re viewing a Digital Edition of this publication,

PLEASE READ THIS: #13 – Feb. 1942 Captain Future Fighting Yank Biff Powers

Don Davis

Mystico

Masked Rider

Detective Sgt. Burke

14 7

6 7 7 7

#14 – April 1942 Fighting Yank

Captain Future Biff Powers Don Davis

Mystico

G-Man Dalton Masked Rider

7 6 7

This is copyrighted material, NOT intended for downloading anywhere except our website. If you downloaded it from another website or torrent, go ahead and read it, and if you decide to keep it, DO THE RIGHT THING and buy a legal download, or a printed copy (which entitles you to the free Digital Edition) at our website or your local comic book shop. Otherwise, DELETE IT FROM YOUR COMPUTER and DO NOT SHARE IT WITH FRIENDS OR POST IT ANYWHERE. If you enjoy our publications enough to download them, please pay for them so we can keep producing ones like this. Our digital editions should ONLY be downloaded at

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Nedor Comic Index

Mystery Is History! Our young indexer may have had problems finding Nedor comics on newsstands, but they were clearly on sale somewhere—as indicated by this circa-1944 photo, where three of the comics whose covers can be seen are issues of The Black Terror, Exciting Comics, and Mystery Comics. Thanks to Larry Guidry. Once again, the cover and the depicted “Wonderman” splash of Mystery #4—the final issue—were both drawn by Alex Schomburg, “The Magnet” by Ed Good. Thanks to the GCD for the cover scan, and to Chet Cox for the splashes. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

#20 – March 1943 Pyroman

Four Comrades

Fighting Yank

Captain Future

The Oracle [origin]

Don Davis

#21 – May 1943 Pyroman

Fighting Yank

Captain Future

The Oracle

The Four Comrades

Don Davis

#22 – July 1943

Fighting Yank “Meets The Gremlin”

Pyroman

Captain Future

Four Comrades

14 8

10 6

15 14

The Oracle

Pyroman

Fighting Yank

#23 – Sept. 1943 Captain Future

Four Comrades

The Oracle

8 8

#24 – Nov. 1943 Fighting Yank

Pyroman

Four Comrades

Captain Future

The Oracle

14 12 9

Nedor Comic Index

The Fighting Yank’s ancestor, Bruce Carter, served his nascent country during the Revolutionary War…

…and paid for it with his life.

More than a century and a half later, his spirit made himself known to his descendant, Bruce Carter III…

…and provided him with a magically bulletproof cape and increased strength…

…which Bruce Carter III soon put to good use. (He rarely if ever lost his hat in future stories, however.)

Mask or no mask, though, he didn’t fool Joan Farwell!

Mike Nolan’s 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes

Four Comrades

Captain Future

The Nedor Of Their Careers Kin Platt’s cover for Startling #4—plus Leonard Sansone’s splash panel for “Mystico,” and the anonymously drawn “Mysterious Dr. X.” Around this time, Sansone was also working with Bens Flinton & O’Connor on DC’s “The Atom.” Thanks to Michael T. Gilbert. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

#25 – Jan. 1944 Pyroman

Fighting Yank

Four Comrades

Captain Future Don Davis

#27 – May 1944

#30 – Nov. 1944

#34 – July 1945

Four Comrades

Fighting Yank

The Oracle

Captain Future

The Oracle

Fighting Yank

Don Davis

Captain Future

Pyroman – “The Battle for

Don Davis

Pyroman

13 11

#31 – Jan. 1945 Pyroman

Four Comrades

The Oracle

#32 – March 1945

11 8 6

Pyroman

Don Davis

Fighting Yank

Captain Future

The Oracle

Captain Future

Four Comrades

Fighting Yank

The Scarab [origin]

Fighting Yank

Pyroman

Captain Future

Four Comrades

Fighting Yank

The Oracle

#28 – July 1944

Pyroman

Four Comrades

Fighting Yank “Meets Nitro-Man” Captain Future

Don Davis

Four Comrades

Captain Future

Pyroman

The Oracle

Four Comrades

Don Davis

Pyroman

#33 – May 1945

Fighting Yank

Captain Future

Fighting Yank

Pyroman

Don Davis

#29 – Sept. 1944

The Oracle

#26 – March 1944

#35 – Sept. 1945

Pyroman

Captain Future

#36 – Nov. 1945

the World of Tomorrow”

Fighting Yank

Captain Future

Four Comrades

The Oracle

#37 – Jan. 1946

Pyroman – “The Case of

the Disappearing Japanese”

11 8

10 11 8

Nedor Comic Index

Par On The 18th In Startling #18, Jack Binder (rhymes with “cinder”) drew The Fighting Yank confronting some alien-looking competition—the same issue in which Pyroman made his debut, albeit with his face colored purple on the splash as if he were wearing a full hood. Thanks to Michael T. Gilbert. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Captain Future

The Oracle

Don Davis

Fighting Yank

#40 – July 1946

Pyroman

Captain Future

Don Davis

Fighting Yank

Captain Future The Oracle –

“The Strange Case of Dr. Ventoni”

Don Davis

#38 – March 1946 Fighting Yank Pyroman

The Oracle

Captain Future

#39 – May 1946 Pyroman

Fighting Yank

The Oracle

#41 – Sept. 1946 Fighting Yank

Front Page Peggy Pyroman

Trouble Shooter –

“The Case of the Nuberian Rubies”

#42 – Nov. 1946 Fighting Yank

Front Page Peggy Pyroman

Trouble Shooter

#43 – Jan. 1947 Fighting Yank

Front Page Peggy Trouble Shooter

10 11

11 8

Pyroman

Lance Lewis

#44 – March 1947

Fighting Yank –

“Case of the Punch-Drunk Portrait”

Best Friends Four-Ever! (Left:) Everett Raymond Kinstler inked Ken Battefield’s pencils on this “Fighting Yank” splash from Startling #28. (Right:) The Four Comrades were a quartet of costumed youngsters doing their bit for the war effort. But the artists and editors forgot to give the readers any way to tell one from another! From that same issue, with art by Maurice Gutwirth. Thanks to Eric Schumacher for both scans. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Jefferson Jones

Front Page Peggy –

“Death in the Doll House”

#45 – May 1947 Lance Lewis

Tygra

Fighting Yank

Jefferson Jones

#46 – July 1947 Lance Lewis –

“The Underground of Mars”

Tygra – “The Menace of the Baboons”

11 8

Mike Nolan’s 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes

#50 – March 1948 Lance Lewis

Sea Eagle

Lance Lewis

Sea Eagle

Jefferson Jones

Tygra

#51 – May 1948

Jefferson Jones

Tygra

#52 – July 1948 Lance Lewis

Jefferson Jones

Tygra

Sea Eagle

#53 – Sept. 1948 Lance Lewis

Wonder If He Foresaw That He’d Be Dropped After Issue #40?

Jefferson Jones

Tygra

Fighting Yank –

“Swag of the Swampland”

Jefferson Jones – “Camera Capers”

#47 – Sept. 1947 Lance Lewis

Tygra

Jefferson Jones

Fighting Yank –

Sea Eagle

11 8

#1 – Feb. 1940

Nickie Norton

“The Tale of the Death Watch”

Tygra – “The Beasts of Dr. Krafte”

#48 – Nov. 1947

Thrilling Comics

Doc Strange – “The Amazing Adventures of ‘Dr. Strange’” [origin]

Famous Texas Rangers

#2 – March 1940

Doc Strange “In the Lost City” Three Comrades

#3 – April 1940

#49 – Jan. 1948

Tygra – “The Green Men of Kharma”

Lance Lewis –

“The Crab Men from Space”

Jefferson Jones

Fighting Yank – “Carnival of Crime”

11 8

10 11

7 9

Doc Strange “In the Orient”

The Ghost – “The Ghost Strikes Again” Tom Niles

12 8

Woman in Red – “The Spirit Killer”

The Lone Eagle “In Finland”

Three Comrades

The Rio Kid – “Arizona Guns”

Doc Strange “Fights Corruption”

The Lone Eagle

#5 – June 1940 The Ghost

Woman in Red – “The Curse of Voa”

Three Comrades

The Rio Kid

Young Smiley West – “Fury on the Frontier” 3

#6 – July 1940

Doc Strange – “The Radium Shell”

14 8

8 6

The Lone Eagle

Woman in Red – “Death Stalks the Grange” 5

The Rio Kid

“At Grips with the Giant Electru”

The Ghost [origin]

Three Comrades

Doc Strange –

Don Davis – “The Death Boat”

Tommy Dolan

The Rio Kid

Jefferson Jones

Woman in Red [origin]

10 11

Tom Niles

Lance Lewis

Fighting Yank

#4 – May 1940

Now It Can Be Told—But Should It Be? This “Pyroman” potboiler for Startling #43, which went on sale near the turn of 1947, not only kept World War II humming well past its sell-by date, but even perpetuated the myth that the wartime Japanese-American Internment Camps in Western states had been filled with enemy aliens ready and eager to work against the USA if they got the chance. Everyone in those camps was referred to as “Japanese,” even though many were born in America. The splash-page caption may have been re-lettered to try to justify this latebreaking war news. Artist unknown. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Nedor Comic Index

The Ghost Tom Niles

8 6

Woman in Red – “The Black Terror”

Nickie Norton

The Lone Eagle The Rio Kid

Detective O'Hara

#7 – Aug. 1940 Doc Strange –

“The Return of the Faceless Phantom” 13

The Ghost Tom Niles

Woman in Red

8 6

The Lone Eagle “In Panama”

Happy Lannings

The Rio Kid – “Mexico Gold” Nickie Norton

#11 – Dec. 1940

Doc Strange – “America's Defender”

The Lone Eagle

The Ghost

Nickie Norton Dan Duffy

Woman in Red

Tom Niles

The Rio Kid

#12 – Jan. 1941

The Rio Kid

Nickie Norton

#9 – Oct. 1940

Doc Strange “In the Everglades”

Doc Strange

The Lone Eagle

Nickie Norton

#10 – Nov. 1940

Doc Strange – “Patriot” The Ghost

Nickie Norton

The Lone Eagle

16 7

Woman in Red

The Rio Kid

Tom Niles

Dan Duffy

The Rio Kid

Dan Duffy

Woman in Red

Dan Duffy

Doc Strange – “The Tower Treasure”

The Ghost

The Lone Eagle

The Ghost

Tom Niles

The Rio Kid

Dan Duffy

Woman in Red

The Lone Eagle

Woman in Red

#13 – Feb. 1941

Dan Duffy

Tom Niles

Nickie Norton

Doc Strange “In the South Seas”

Tom Niles

The Ghost

Doc Strange “Defends Democracy”

The Ghost

#8 – Sept. 1940

Nickie Norton

Woman in Red

#14 – March 1941

The Ghost

Dan Duffy

Nickie Norton

Woman in Red The Rio Kid

#15 – April 1941 Doc Strange –

“The Mystery Kidnappings”

Dan Duffy The Ghost

The Lone Eagle

Nickie Norton

Woman in Red The Rio Kid

8 7

8 7 6

Hold That Tygra! Not to be outdone by Princess Pantha in Thrilling or Judy of the Jungle in Exciting, Tygra of the Fire People swung into action in Startling Comics. In this splash from #50, she’s the one on the ground—but hey, she’s wearing tiger-skin! Retrieved from the aptly named Nedor-a-Day website. Artist unknown. [© the respective copyright holders.]

#16 – May 1941

Doc Strange – “The Haunted Castle”

The Lone Eagle

Dan Duffy The Ghost

Woman in Red

Nickie Norton

The Rio Kid

#17 – June 1941

Doc Strange – “The Lost Plane”

Dan Duffy

Woman in Red

The Ghost

The Lone Eagle

Nickie Norton

The Rio Kid

8 8

14 8 8

Mike Nolan’s 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes

#18 – July 1941 Doc Strange –

“The Case of the Major's Double”

Dan Duffy The Ghost

The Lone Eagle Nickie Norton

Woman in Red

The Rio Kid

#19 – Aug. 1941 Doc Strange

7 8

The Lone Eagle

The Ghost

The Rio Kid

#20 – Sept. 1941

American Crusader

Woman in Red

Doc Strange – “The Crown Jewels” The Lone Eagle

The Ghost

Dan Duffy

The Rio Kid

#21 – Oct. 1941 American Crusader

Doc Strange – “The Nazi Spy” The Ghost

The Rio Kid

Woman in Red

Dan Duffy

Nickie Norton

#22 – Nov. 1941

14 7

12 9

8 8

American Crusader

The Ghost

Doc Strange – “The Solar Cannon” The Lone Eagle

Dan Duffy

Thrilling Auditions

American Crusader [origin]

Dan Duffy

We stumbled across this historically important rarity on dealer Mike “Romitaman” Burkey’s website as this issue was being prepared. Here are three different “prelims” for the Doc Strange cover of the very first issue of Thrilling Comics by artist Alexander Kostuk! Wonder where they were all these years? For the published cover of Thrilling #1, see p. 8. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Woman in Red

Nickie Norton

#23 – Dec. 1941

14 7 6

7 8

American Crusader

The Ghost

Doc Strange

The Lone Eagle

12 7

Nedor Comic Index

Strange But True (Left:) American Crusader got his brief shot at stardom in mags like Thrilling—but apparently he didn’t quite have what it takes. Art by Max Plaisted. (Right:) In some ways, Doc Strange was ahead of his time, comic-book-wise, fighting crime without a real costume or secret identity. Artist uncertain. Thanks to Jim Ludwig for both scans from Thrilling #21. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

The Lone Eagle

The Rio Kid

#27 – May 1942

The Ghost

Dan Duffy

“Saves the Flying Tank”

Dan Duffy

Nickie Norton

#24 – Jan. 1942

American Crusader –

“The Scorched Earth”

Doc Strange – “The Mad Emperor” The Ghost

The Lone Eagle Dan Duffy

Woman in Red

Nickie Norton

#25 – Feb. 1942

7 8 8

13 9

7 7

Doc Strange – “The Return of The Emperor” 12

American Crusader –

“The Case of the Magnetic Mines”

Dan Duffy The Ghost

Hale of the Herald

Woman in Red

The Lone Eagle The Rio Kid

#26 – March 1942

6 8

Doc Strange “In the Sargasso Sea”

Hale of the Herald

American Crusader

“Vs. The Black Vulture”

Woman in Red

The Ghost

6 8

Doc Strange – “The Living Death” American Crusader

The Rio Kid

Hale of the Herald

The Lone Eagle

Hale of the Herald

Woman in Red

Doc Strange – “The Deathless Fields”

Doc Strange

Lucky Lawrence

Hale of the Herald

#28 – June 1942

American Crusader –

“The Case of the Mysterious Meteors” 8

Hale of the Herald

Dan Duffy

The Lone Eagle The Ghost

Woman in Red

The Rio Kid

#29 – Aug. 1942

7 8

#31 – Nov. 1942 American Crusader

“Ends the Sub Menace”

Dan Duffy The Ghost

The Lone Eagle

#32 – Jan. 1943 Doc Strange

“In the Tomb of the Monster”

1 9

Doc Strange

Hale of the Herald

Jimmy Cole

Hale of the Herald

American Crusader

“Smashes an Invasion”

The Ghost

The Lone Eagle

The Rio Kid

Dan Duffy

Woman in Red

#30 – Oct. 1942 Doc Strange

American Crusader

Lucky Lawrence [origin]

The Ghost

11 8

10 8

American Crusader –

“The Mysterious Murders”

Lucky Lawrence The Ghost

#33 – Feb. 1943

10 9

Doc Strange

The Ghost

American Crusader –

“The Missing Military Mission”

Lucky Lawrence Jimmy Cole

Hale of the Herald

8 9

10 9

Mike Nolan’s 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes

Also In This Issue: Rounding out Thrilling #25 were: “The Ghost,” drawn by August Froelich… the George Mandel-drawn origin of “Hale of the Herald,” who gained invisibility powers that gave him an edge over criminals—and other reporters… plus an action panel of “The Woman in Red,” with art attributed to Kin Platt. Thanks to Eric Schumacher for the scans. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

The Lone Eagle

#35 – May 1943

Doc Strange – “The Flaming Fiends”

The Ghost

Jimmy Cole

Woman in Red

#34 – March 1943

American Crusader –

“The Horror Invasion”

The Ghost

Lucky Lawrence

The Lone Eagle

Doc Strange

8 9

Woman in Red

The Lone Eagle

Supersleuths –

#36 – July 1943

American Crusader “Joins the Chetniks”

“The Mystery of Moonglow Manor”

Commando Cubs

The Ghost

Doc Strange Jimmy Cole

Hale of the Herald

10 10

Commando Decision (Left:) With Thrilling #41, “The Commando Cubs” took over the cover spot, which they held for much of 1944-45, no doubt encouraged by the popularity of Simon & Kirby’s Boy Commandos over at National/DC. And where S&K had depicted Captain America slugging Hitler on the cover of his first issue in 1940, at Nedor it was the Cubs who got the honor of humiliating Der Führer. Thanks to the GCD. (Right:) This splash page is from Thrilling #51. Artist Bob Oksner and Nedor’s editors should be praised for ceasing to illustrate the group’s African-American member as a racial stereotype—even if the dialogue wasn’t nearly so praiseworthy. Thanks to Eric Schumacher. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

#37 – Aug. 1943 Commando Cubs –

“The Affair of the Blake Formula”

Doc Strange The Ghost

American Crusader

“Stirs Up a Greek Rebellion”

13 8

Lucky Lawrence

Commando Cubs

#38 – Oct. 1943

Doc Strange

Nedor Comic Index

American Crusader –

“The Voice of Norway”

The Ghost

Hale of the Herald

Woman in Red

#39 – Dec. 1943 Commando Cubs –

“Even the Windmills Cry Freedom”

Doc Strange

American Crusader

Lucky Lawrence

The Ghost

#40 – Feb. 1944

8 8

10 6

15 8

8 9

Commando Cubs

The Ghost

Doc Strange

The Lone Eagle

Lucky Lawrence

#41 – April 1944 Commando Cubs –

“The Doomed Guerrilla”

Doc Strange

American Crusader

The Lone Eagle

15 14 8

Lucky Lawrence

Commando Cubs

The Ghost

#42 – June 1944

Doc Strange

Lucky Lawrence

The Lone Eagle

#43 – Aug. 1944

10 6

Commando Cubs

The Ghost

Doc Strange

The Lone Eagle

Lucky Lawrence

Commando Cubs

The Lone Eagle

#44 – Oct. 1944

Doc Strange

Lucky Lawrence

The Ghost

11 7

Swamped! Comic art experts Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr., and Hames Ware concur that, in Hames’ words, “The excellent Raphael (Raf) Astarita is responsible for everything good about” the above splash page from Thrilling #63, one of the most illustrative of the entire series. Jim V. elaborates: “During the war, [editor Richard] Hughes relied heavily on [artists] Edvard Moritz, Leo Morey, and Ken Battefield to produce reams of material. When the war ended and better artists [came out of uniform], ‘art directors’ like Astarita, Graham Ingels, Ralph Mayo, etc., were hired to rework the tired efforts of the old guard. Consequently, this splash might be almost pure Astarita inks with some pencils while page two might be pure Moritz (or Battefield) with a face redrawn by Astarita. The Nedor books from 1946 and 1947 are a mishmash of unlikely and never-before (or since) ‘team’-ups.” Hames adds he feels this page is “primarily Astarita” and that Nedor/Pines gave those “art directors” orders “to make usable the reams of material that Pines had had primarily Ken Battefield churn out during the war years in case they might lose all their artists [to the armed services]. Raf said the chore was so draining to Ingels, especially, that he just could not continue and left.” Thanks, guys, for the background—and to Jim Ludwig for the scan. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Mike Nolan’s 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes

A Pair Of Leopard-Skin Panthas “Princess Pantha” briefly took over the covers and lead spot in Thrilling, as witnessed by this cover by “Xela” (a belatedly-adopted pen name of Alex Schomburg’s) and splash page by Art Saaf, both from issue #69. Thanks to Michael T. Gilbert. For the Western-style covers that closed out the title, see p. 5. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

#49 – Aug. 1945 Commando Cubs

The Lone Eagle

Doc Strange The Ghost

Doc Strange

Commando Cubs

The Ghost

Commando Cubs

The Lone Eagle

Doc Strange

Lucky Lawrence

Jimmy Cole

#46 – Feb. 1945 Doc Strange

Commando Cubs –

“What the Chuting's All About”

Jimmy Cole The Ghost

Woman in Red

#47 – April 1945 Commando Cubs –

“The Affair of the Fascist Five”

Doc Strange

Lucky Lawrence

The Lone Eagle

The Ghost

#48 – June 1945

11 8

7 9

Commando Cubs

The Ghost

Doc Strange Jimmy Cole

The Lone Eagle

Jimmy Cole

#50 – Oct. 1945

#45 – Dec. 1944

Lucky Lawrence

#51 – Dec. 1945

12 8

#55 – Aug. 1946 Doc Strange

Commando Cubs

The Lone Eagle

Commando Cubs

Princess Pantha

Commando Cubs

#57 – Dec. 1946

Doc Strange

Commando Cubs

The Lone Eagle

The Ghost

Lucky Lawrence

#52 – Feb. 1946 Doc Strange The Ghost

Jimmy Cole

The Lone Eagle

#53 – April 1946

6 7

Phantom Detective

Jimmy Cole

The Cavalier –

“The Case of the Curious Dagger”

The Lone Eagle

Doc Strange

#54 – June 1946 Phantom Detective

The Cavalier –

“The Case of the Silent Reporter”

Jimmy Cole

The Lone Eagle

11 8

Phantom Detective

Jimmy Cole

#56 – Oct. 1946

Phantom Detective –

“The Case of the High-Flying Corpse” 9

Doc Strange

Commando Cubs

Doc Strange

Phantom Detective

Princess Pantha

#58 – Feb. 1947

Commando Cubs “In Hollywood”

Doc Strange

Phantom Detective

Princess Pantha

#59 – April 1947 Commando Cubs –

“The Man Who Regained His Soul”

Phantom Detective –

“The Case of the Curious Killer”

11 9

Nedor Comic Index

Doc Strange

#64 – Feb. 1948

Princess Pantha

Jimmy Cole – “Totem Pole For Trouble”

Princess Pantha

#60 – June 1947

Phantom Detective –

“The Case of the Crawling Corpse”

Commando Cubs

Doc Strange

Doc Strange – “Madman's Dream”

#61 – Aug. 1947 Phantom Detective

Princess Pantha

The Lone Eagle

#62 – Oct. 1947

10 9

Doc Strange

Phantom Detective

Princess Pantha –

“The Trail of the Sacred Ox”

Jimmy Cole – “Death on the Diamond”

#63 – Dec. 1947 Princess Pantha –

“The Land of Rainbow Light”

Doc Strange – “The Swamp Beast”

Captain Eagle – “Airackets, Inc.”

Commando Cubs –

“The Case of the Silent Sleuth”

Princess Pantha –

“The Fire God of Death”

Doc Strange – “World of the Volcano”

#65 – April 1948 Commando Cubs

Phantom Detective

10 7

11 9

Princess Pantha

Phantom Detective

#66 – June 1948

Princess Pantha

Stories from the D.A. File

#67 – Aug. 1948 Phantom Detective

Princess Pantha

Stories from the D.A. File

#68 – Oct. 1948 Phantom Detective

Princess Pantha

Stories from the D.A. File

#69 – Dec. 1948 Jimmy Cole

Phantom Detective

Princess Pantha

#70 – Feb. 1949 Phantom Detective

Princess Pantha

Stories from the D.A. File

11 5

12 9

10 6

12 9

#71 – April 1949

Princess Pantha – “The Jungle of Despair”10

Tara – “Satellite of the Moon Spiders”

So How Come Wonderman Wasn’t In Wonder Comics And The Grim Reaper In Mystery Comics? The cover of Nedor’s Wonder Comics #1, spotlighting The Grim Reaper, was seen on p. 8, and that worthy led off the issue in a tale drawn by Al Cammarata. Also featured therein were the Bob Oksner-drawn “Mekano” and Cammarata’s “Spectro.” The GCD feels this issue’s “Grim Reaper” story follows the one printed in the oneshot America’s Biggest Comics Book. Thanks to Jim Ludwig for the scans. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

#72 – June 1949 Princess Pantha

Buck Ranger

Sea Eagle

Princess Pantha

#73 – Aug. 1949

Buck Ranger

Princess Pantha

#74 – Oct. 1949

Buck Ranger

Speedy Hopper

#75 – Jan. 1950

Billy West

Rangeland Spitfire

#76 – April 1950

Buck Ranger

Danny Glover

Billy West Chester

#77 – July 1950

7 6

Buck Ranger

Danny Glover

Billy West Chester

7 6

Mike Nolan’s 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes

#78 – Oct. 1950

Spectro

#7 – Jan. 1946

Supersleuths – “Black Magic”

Danny Glover

Grim Reaper – “Dead Man's Mission”

Supersleuths –

Buck Ranger

Spectro

#8 – Oct. 1946

Grim Reaper – “The Escape of Prisoner X” 8

Buck Ranger Billy West Chester

#79 – Jan. 1951 Billy West Chester

Kit Carson

#80 – April 1951 Buck Ranger Billy West

Wonder Comics

#1 – May 1944

Grim Reaper

Tim Dawson

Mekano [origin] Spectro

#2 – Aug. 1944

Grim Reaper [origin]

Tim Dawson

15 8

#3 – Nov. 1944

Tim Dawson

Supersleuths – “Death in Brooklyn”

#4 – Feb. 1945

Supersleuths – “Death over the Campus” 11

Spectro

Tim Dawson

Grim Reaper

#5 – July 1945 Tim Dawson

Spectro

#6 – Oct. 1945 Grim Reaper Tim Dawson

Spectro

Supersleuths

Grim Reaper

“The Case of the Innocent Killer”

“The Case of the Scared Skeleton”

Bart Bradley Jill Trent

Grim Reaper

12 7

Wonderman

#9 – Dec. 1946 Jill Trent

Grim Reaper

Wonderman

Spectro

Bart Bradley

Supersleuths

Spectro –

#10 – Feb. 1947 Jill Trent

Grim Reaper –

10 12

“The Case of the Crying Bandit”

Bart Bradley

It’s Not Easy Being Grim For once, The Grim Reaper actually managed to visually deserve his moniker, on the Schomburg cover of Wonder Comics #6 and even more so on his Cammarata-drawn splash page. “Al Camy” did double duty that issue, also drawing the “Supersleuths” crime-busting feature. Thanks to Michael T. Gilbert. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Nedor Comic Index

The Wonder Lust Surprise! No Schomburg cover this time! Instead, the cover was drawn by Graham Ingels— ol’ “Ghastly” himself, a few years before he’d become a stellar presence at EC on the GhoulLunatics. The two super-hero stories in Wonder #11 each began with a two-page spread— “Wonderman” by Bob Oksner, and “Grim Reaper” maybe by Al Cammarata. Thanks to Michael T. Gilbert. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

#13 – Aug. 1947 Wonderman –

“Space Gold For Conquest”

Jill Trent – “Bubble Trouble” Grim Reaper

#11 – April 1947

Dick Devens

Wonderman

Dick Devens

Wonderman

Jill Trent

Grim Reaper

#12 – June 1947 Jill Trent

Grim Reaper Dick Devens

8 9

10 11

#14 – Oct. 1947 Wonderman –

“The War of the Thermodons”

Jill Trent

Jill Trent – “Portrait of a Crime”

13 8

10 11

13 9

Grim Reaper – “The Case of the Evil Eyes” 9 Dick Devens

Tara – “The Fabulous Jewel of Morn”

#15 – Dec. 1947

Wonderman – “The Hordes of the Immortal Emperor”

Grim Reaper – “The Master of Treachery” 7

Spectro – “Murder in Mind”

Grim Reaper

Wonderman

#16 – Feb. 1948 Spectro

Jill Trent Tara

#17 – April 1948

Tara – “The Eight Hands of Tenalith”

Wonderman –

“The March of the Dinosaurs”

Grim Reaper – “Disappearing Room”

Jill Trent – “The Freezer Gas”

Supersleuths –

“The Case of the Meaning Statue”

#18 – June 1948

Tara – “The Keys of the Cuchin Van”

Silver Knight – “The Saxon Hostage”

8 7

8 9

Mike Nolan’s 1968 Guide To The Thrilling/Better/Standard Super-Heroes

From Black Terror—To Blond Tara Alex Schomburg’s pseudonymously signed cover (as “Xela”) for the final issue of Wonder spotlighted “Tara, Pirate Queen”—who on her off-days was no doubt making up a bridge foursome with Princess Pantha, Judy of the Jungle, and Tygra of the Flame People. The days when The Black Terror and The Fighting Yank had been alpha males at Nedor were long since over and done with. Thanks to Michael T. Gilbert. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

Wonderman – “The Song of Lorelana”

Crime Casebook – “Sourges of the South” 5

Jill Trent – “The Gentle Mr. Habersham”

Tara – “The Secret Bride of Bharbon”

#19 – Aug. 1948

Wonderman –

“Sleepers of the Glass Cocoons”

Jill Trent – “Gems of Jeopardy”

Silver Knight – “Siege of Camelot”

Tara – “The Death That Grew”

#20 – Oct. 1948 Wonderman –

“The Robots of the Demon Star”

Jill Trent – “The Bulletproof Bandit”

Silver Knight – “Curse on the Gamelets” 13

Crime Casebook – “The Last Three Times” 3

Of Super-Mice And -Men (Above:) By the end of World War II, super-heroes were already losing their ascendancy at Nedor. In this house ad from Fighting Yank #18 (Nov. 1946), only eight of the 14 titles shown featured the likes of The Black Terror and his ilk—and actually, Mystery Comics shouldn’t be there at all, since it had been cancelled a year or two earlier. (Right:) After “Standard” had become the Ned Pines company’s officially emblazoned name, and heroes like the Terror and the Yank were history, it still retained one popular super-hero. This art by Milt Stein from Supermouse #15 (Oct. 1951) was provided, like the 1946 house ad, by Eric Schumacher. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

“None Of Us Were Working For The Ages” Part II Of An In-Depth Interview With Celebrated Comics Artist LEONARD STARR

Interview Conducted by Jim Amash Transcribed by Brian K. Morris Starring Leonard Starr Artist Leonard Starr (on left) and interviewer Jim Amash smile for the camera at the big New York Comics Convention held in February 2008—between images of Starr’s work from two companies discussed in the previous segment and for which he drew: an historical adventure from Hillman Periodicals’ Airboy Comics, Vol. 5, #9 (Oct. 1948); scripter unknown—and the cover of American Comics Group’s The Hooded Horseman #25 (Nov.-Dec. 1952). The photo was snapped by Charles Pelto, whose Classic Comics Press has published the nine volumes to date of Leonard Starr’s Mary Perkins On Stage, collecting the artist’s landmark newspaper comic strip—which will be a focal point in later installments. [Pages © 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

NTERVIEWER’S INTRODUCTION: Leonard Starr started out as a background artist at Funnies, Inc., quickly becoming an inker and then penciler/inker on such features as Timely Comics’ “SubMariner.” During the 1940s and ’50s, his work was published by numerous companies, including McCombs, Orbit, Parents Magazine Press, ACG, Avon, DC, Timely/Marvel, and St. John Publications. We covered several of those sojourns last issue; this time we follow his career

further as he moves toward the day when he left comic books in 1957 to do the widely acclaimed On Stage newspaper strip which he created, and later Annie, the renamed Little Orphan Annie. Special thanks to our mutual friend Tom Sawyer (whom I interviewed in A/E # 77) for giving me Leonard’s contact info. —Jim.

Part II Of An In-Depth Interview With Celebrated Comics Artist Leonard Starr

doesn’t register to me now.

JA: Then you began working for St. John Publications.

STARR: Yes. Warren King and I had put out a couple of books for St. John. We were inspired by Simon & Kirby. They put out the romance books, and they did well. Ours was a romance book called Adventures in Romance. They were adventures with a lot of girls, and a lot of heavy breathing. [NOTE: See art spots at left. —Jim.]

JA: When you and Warren did them, what was the division of labor?

STARR: I did some of the stories, and he did some of the stories. I wrote my own stories. Those were among the first stories that I wrote. I don’t know who wrote Warren’s stories. The people we dealt with at St. John were Nadine King and Richard Decker. Archer St. John wasn’t involved in the creative end, or at least not that I saw. Comics were really a side part of his company. He was a magazine publisher. I didn’t see much of him. What I remember about St. John was that he was an alcoholic. One time, a group of us went out to The Brass Rail, and while we were drinking, he decided to join in and have a martini. Ten minutes later, he was drunk. He hated hotels, so he stayed at the New York Athletic Club. I think he was a troubled man. His face was deep-lined, maybe from drinking, and maybe from the kind of life he led. I think he felt inferior to his brother Robert, who was a well-known journalist. Archer felt he never lived up to his brother. [NOTE: See A/E #77 for an indepth study of St. John Publications by Ken Quattro. —Jim.]

Adventures In Time Starr and his pal Warren King (photo) worked on both issues of the St. John Publishing Co. comic officially titled Adventures in its indicia, but which was heralded on its covers first as Adventures in Romance (#1, Nov. 1949), then as Spectacular Adventures (#2, Feb. 1950). Starr wrote and drew the period love story at top for the former, while King illustrated the slave-girl fantasy seen directly above for the latter; its scripter isn’t known. Thanks to Rod Beck for both art scans, and to John Benson for providing the pic of Warren King, which is courtesy of Nadine King. [Art © 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

“We Were Inspired By Simon & Kirby”

JIM AMASH: You drew some romance stories for Fawcett Publications in 1950—and I have you working at Fiction House, doing “Star Pirate,” in 1949. Does that sound familiar?

LEONARD STARR: It’s certainly possible that I did that work. It

I remember one Christmas he gave one of his editors, Marion McDermott, a bowl of goldfish. She made him take it back because “It makes too much noise.” [mutual laughter]

“I Was A Great Admirer Of [Mort Meskin’s] Work”

JA: Tell me about working for Simon & Kirby.

STARR: Nice guys; I liked them. I worked for them for some time,

“None Of Us Were Working For The Ages”

off and on [NOTE: From 1949-53. —Jim].

JA: You drew crime and romance stories. Black Magic was one of the books you had work in. When you went to work for them, who hired you?

STARR: I don’t know how I started for them. I guess I got there when some other company was holding inventory. But that was kind of interesting, because Mort Meskin was working there, and I was a great admirer of his work. I was very, very impressed to see him there, and very flattered that he knew my work. “Oh, yeah,” he said, “You do very nice work, but let me give you a little pointer.” I said, “Sure.” He said, “Make sure you get a room at the sunny side of the hospital.” [mutual chuckling] He was commuting to some sort of mental institution.

JA: I know he’d had some nervous breakdowns.

Just The Real Facts, Ma’am! Artist Mort Meskin was seen on p. 17. Here are his cover and splash page for Real Fact Comics #10 (Sept.-Oct. 1947), which reputed to reveal the skinny behind the brand new Vigilante movie serial. The comic script is credited to three DC editors: Jack Schiff, Mort Weisinger, and Bernie Breslauer. Apparently, Columbia Pictures went ga-ga for any feature that appeared in Action Comics, since in 1948 it released Superman (starring Kirk Alyn) and Congo Bill, then Atom Man vs. Superman in 1950. Must’ve been a package deal, with the Man of Steel as the main prize. Thanks to Michael T. Gilbert for the splash. [© 2012 DC Comics.]

STARR: Yes, and what a shame it was. When I was going to Pratt—I guess this would be like ’43 or something—I went up to DC with a bunch of samples, and the editors were out to lunch. On Mort’s drawing board was a whole sheet full of sketches of The Vigilante. These were all over the place, and I thought, “Nope, I’m not ready yet.” [mutual laughter] Really! I took my stuff and left. So you can imagine what meeting Mort meant, and how sad I was that he was having these mental problems.

We did meet, later on when [artist] Johnny Prentice and I had a better studio, and Mort asked if he could work there. “You sure can!” Oh, it was painful, watching him. He would try various ways to draw a page. He would work with charcoal, so he didn’t have to erase. He’d brush it off after he did the inking. You can imagine how sloppy that was. Or he would pencil with a brush with pale blue for the same sort of reason. Some guys worked with blue pencil, and that was okay because it wouldn’t photograph when printed. He would draw something and it would look terrific, and he’d erase the whole thing. It was just awful. Johnny and I were just crazy about him, but we just didn’t know how to help him.

Mort was always very sweet. There was a niceness about him, and he would converse, but he would be so absorbed in trying to get something down. He just couldn’t bring anything to fruition.

JA: What was holding him back?

STARR: [pauses] Let’s see, how can I explain it? It had to do with

visualization and making his point, or maybe making it as quickly as he used to, because those figures on his drawing board couldn’t have taken him more than 20 minutes, and they were probably doodles, and just so sensational. You look at his early “Vigilante” stuff—it’s just terrific. He’s one of the guys who comes stomping out of his mother’s womb, holding a pencil. [Jim laughs] No kidding, there are those guys. Alex Toth was another one, and a third one was Bob Lubbers, although he got sort of careless at times. But the speed of that guy [Meskin] was just phenomenal.

JA: I interviewed his sons a few years back [Alter Ego #24], so I’m familiar with some of Mort’s problems. Like he had that terrible stutter, for instance.

STARR: Not when I knew him. JA: Did he seem meek and mild?

STARR: Yes. He was always like a supplicant. He was apologetic— “Oh, gee, I’m sorry, fellas.” He would come in and he’d have to leave. He’d feel like he was disturbing us… it was very painful. We’d tell Mort, “You can’t do anything wrong. Everything you do is great and everything you do is great with us.” He lost his confidence, and I wonder how he could have. It wasn’t that we were doing such great stuff, either. [mutual laughter]

JA: How much about his emotional problems were you aware of? You obviously knew he was in a sanitarium.

STARR: We knew that, but we didn’t know how profound his problems were. We could see that it was crippling, and it was very

Part II Of An In-Depth Interview With Celebrated Comics Artist Leonard Starr

…That You Weave So Well! Super-team supreme Joe Simon (seated) and Jack Kirby during the Golden Age of Comics—and their cover for Black Magic #16 (Sept. 1952). Titan Books plans a hardcover edition of the S&K work for this title, while PS Artbooks of England has announced a hardcover reprinting of the entire Prize series. Both series should be worth getting! [Page © 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

refinishing, and his wife Harriet was pregnant at the time. She called down from upstairs. Joe’d be talking and he would answer her very casually, and he’d go back to the conversation. His wife was probably having some sort of pre-natal anxiety. She’d call down and say, “Joe, what’ll we name the baby?” She knew that Joe had company. Joe’d call back, “How about Hyman? Hyman Simon” [mutual laughter] and hear [imitates a woman crying out loud]. Oh, he was terrific, and funny!

painful to see. But we didn’t know how much time he’d spent in the sanitarium, how much time he was home, how much work he was still doing. We knew he was having a very, very tough time, and it was just heartbreaking.

“I Felt That [Simon and Kirby] Were Equal”

JA: What do you remember about Joe Simon?

STARR: Joe was a great guy. Simon and Kirby both lived fairly close to each other out on Long Island in nice, modern houses like guys returning from the Army would be living in. So, rather than delivering the job all the way into New York, I made the 20-minute ride to Joe’s or Jack’s to drop off the work.

Joe was very fond of refinishing furniture. He’d buy stuff from the Salvation Army and various antique places, and refinish them. It was his way of relaxing. I don’t think he did it for the money, but we were all doing stuff like that at the time. Once I came over and Joe had this big piece in the living room that he was sanding and

JA: Did you deal with Joe or Jack more often?

STARR: I think it may have been pretty much even. I can’t say this for a fact, but I remember that Jack’s studio, if it can be so

When Romance Was In The Air Simon & Kirby, of course, created the first real love comic, Young Romance, in 1947—and Leonard Starr drew the story whose splash is seen at right (#30, a.k.a. Vol. 4, #6, Feb. 1951). Writer unknown. At far right is Starr’s splash for a S&K/Prize offshoot, Western Love #1 (July-Aug. 1949). Both are repro’d from scans of the original art provided by Harry Mendryk, on behalf of the Joe Simon estate; thanks also to Steve Saffel. [Art © 2012 Estates of Joe Simon & Jack Kirby.]

“None Of Us Were Working For The Ages”

described, was in the basement. He had his drawing board there, and his taboret was like an orange crate or something. I mean, it was the last place you’d imagine the great Jack Kirby would draw, [though] he wasn’t the great Jack Kirby at the time. Everybody knew he was good, but he hadn’t gotten to his absolutely mythic state yet. Also, a very, very nice guy. They were terrific guys, and I’m glad that they did well, and they certainly deserved it. Of their own stuff, Joe was pretty much Jack’s inker. I don’t think Jack’s stuff ever looked better than when Joe did it.

JA: Do you remember who wrote your stories there?

STARR: No.

JA: Did either Jack or Joe give you any criticism or critique of your work? Was there much discussion about your jobs?

STARR: None that I remember. I enjoyed it because I enjoyed them. They were very nice, easy-going guys, and they were feeling the flush. The romance books were doing very well, and they were enjoying that, and I was enjoying their enjoyment of it.

JA: Are there any Jack Kirby stories that you can tell me?

STARR: The only one is that Frank Bolle tried inking Kirby. Jack smoked cigars, and the pages, when Frank got them, would reek with cigar smoke, and he absolutely couldn’t work on them. He had to return them, and so I don’t know how much work he actually did for them, but the cigars almost did him in.

JA: Did you see Jack draw very often?

STARR: We didn’t really look at each other’s work all that much. I shared a studio with Johnny Prentice for a long time, and I never went over and looked at his stuff. He never came over and looked at mine, either. Sharing a studio with Stan Drake: same thing. These guys did very, very good work, but we had our own drawing board, and we had our own deadlines, and so we did our stuff. Occasionally, we had to look at the other’s work, for whatever reason. We already knew what was good. [mutual chuckling]

JA: When it came time for you to get paid, who paid you of the two?

STARR: I just got a check from the company. I guess they had a company name.

JA: Crestwood.

How Do You Hit The Bulls-Eye—When You’re Seeing Double? Re this back-up story drawn by Starr for Bulls-Eye #3 (Dec. 1954), we wound up with both a scan of the original art, provided by Harry Mendryk on behalf of the Simon estate, and with the same page as printed in color, provided by Rod Beck. We opted to print the latter, but our thanks to both gents! [© 2012 Estates of Joe Simon & Jack Kirby.]

STARR: Then that would be it. I don’t think I ever had a check signed Joe or Jack.

STARR: So he kept busy, but not with a high profile—certainly nothing like Jack’s.

STARR: I wondered what the hell Joe did during all of Jack’s great years. Do you know?

STARR: Never. I felt that they were equal, and equal just in terms of their impetus. I didn’t know how they regarded themselves in concert with one another, but as guys, there was no sense of one being superior to the other.

JA: The interest in both of them has always been so high.

JA: I know Joe did some inking, but they had other inkers, too. I think Joe was doing probably more of the editorial work for their books, but he also wrote stories and laid out covers.

STARR: As you know, Jack was celebrated up until the day he died, but after I worked for them, Joe sort of dropped out of— certainly my—eyesight, and I have absolutely no idea what he did. Did he and Jack dissolve their partnership?

JA: Yes, in the mid-’50s. Then Joe packaged books for Harvey, for DC, and for Archie Comics, sometimes with Kirby, but mostly with others. He continued editing romance magazines for Crestwood until they sold them to DC in the 1963. Joe did Sick magazine for years, and he did lots of advertising work.

JA: Did you feel that Jack was the more potent member of that team?

JA: They had a lot of people come in and out of that studio. Did you meet some of the other people who worked for them?

STARR: I know George Roussos’ name, but I don’t think I ever met him. The only way we’d meet each other is if we were delivering at the same time. I don’t recall a hell of a lot of socializing.

JA: Jack and Joe had their own company called Mainline Comics for about a year. I have you as doing some work in the Bulls-Eye comic. Bulls-Eye was a Western and the character carried a bow and arrow, and on his chest, he had circles, like a bullseye.

Part II Of An In-Depth Interview With Celebrated Comics Artist Leonard Starr

STARR: A bullseye, like the title of the book. [chuckles] I hated drawing Westerns because they had lots of horses and cattle drives. Oh jeez, have a heart! [chuckles again]

“You Did Everything From Prehistoric Stuff To Science-Fiction”

JA: What was your favorite genre?

STARR: I had no favorites. When doing comic books, you did everything from prehistoric stuff to science-fiction, and so you covered everything in between from time to time, and it all becomes a blur, of course.

JA: And you were just earning a living.

the feeling. To shoot forward a little bit, when Gus Edson’s strip, The Gumps, died, he got the idea of Dondi, which he did with Irwin Hasen. I guess the syndicate just wanted to keep Gus working. It was sort of a familial loyalty. Dondi became a hit. It did well, and we thought, “Gee, we should try something else.” And then Stan Drake came through with [The Heart of] Juliet Jones, and I tried to get through to do my own strip, and by God, somehow it happened.

JA: Do you remember drawing stories in Real Life Comics for Standard Publications?

STARR: No. [Just like I didn’t remember my work at Avon Publications.] Those jobs are a blur to me now.

JA: Do you remember anything about working for Ziff-Davis?

STARR: Yes. I was just in town to see the Illustration Show at one of the galleries, the Kelly collection, and [writer] David

STARR: Jerry Siegel was the editor. A very nice guy, and he looked as if he’d been through a lot, somehow. He was rather diffident. He was not Bob Kane. There was a niceness about him, a gentleness, and he started another character named “Funnyman,” which seemed very peculiar to me. I didn’t think much of it.

Don’t Try Anything Funny, Man! Jerry Siegel in 1976, around the time Warner and DC Comics finally offered him and his old partner Joe Shuster pensions for their 1938-debuting creation “Superman”—plus the pair’s cover for Funnyman #1 (Jan. 1948), the title they created right after they left (and sued) National/DC in ’47. Shuster’s assistants probably did much of the work on this cover as well as inside, since by that time Joe’s eyesight was severely curtailed. Sadly, Vin Sullivan, whose company Magazine Enterprises published Funnyman, said in an interview in A/E #11 that he “lost quite a bit of money” on the short-lived series. More happily, the recent Feral House book Siegel and Shuster’s Funnyman: The First Jewish Superhero reprints a number of “Funnyman” stories, with authors Tom Andrae and Mel Gordon providing historical context. [Page © 2012 Estates of Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster.]

Apatoff was there—I was there at his invitation, as a matter of fact—and the same sort of thing came up as to how important we felt our work was. [chuckles] I said, “Listen, we were making a living and thrilled to death, and astonished that it was possible. Don’t forget, we came out of the Depression, so the fact that I could actually make some bucks and get married and buy a house and all of that was a hell of a lot of work, but at least we were making a living.” And David remembered something Saul Bellow wrote saying pretty much exactly the same thing. We wanted to write, and we didn’t think we could make a living at it. But we wanted to do it, so that’s what we did. Some of us made a living and some of us didn’t, but none of us were working for the ages.

We didn’t think highly of what we were doing. For all of us, the idea was to one day get a syndicated newspaper strip. At the time, it was very, very hard to do, because it seemed to me that the strips we were reading had been in the papers forever. Nothing much changed, so it was like trying to break into a bank vault. That was

JA: It didn’t last too long.

STARR: Who drew it?

JA: Joe Shuster and several assistants, because Joe’s eyesight was terrible. He would do layouts and then essentially, Dick Ayers and Marvin Stein—and there might have been another person in there—did the bulk of the artwork. I take it you didn’t know Joe.

STARR: I met him once. I’m surprised he was working that late in the game, because he could hardly see. Anyway, Joe and Jerry were giving a talk somewhere. These two quiet Jewish kids talked about the creation of “Superman.” As a matter of fact, they were talking about the early days of comics when Major Nicholson owned DC, and the seats of his office were a sack of papers on the radiator. I found that fascinating. [chuckles] I had bought some of those comics. They had done a feature called “Slam Bradley” that I liked a lot, and then they came up with “Superman.” I didn’t care for it at all. [mutual riotous laughter] And I think the editors must have noticed that I was hopelessly earthbound, because I never did any of the super-heroes.

JA: Except at Timely.

STARR: The early ones, the “[Human] Torch” and “Sub-Mariner.” I would never write those in my repertoire. [chuckles again]

JA: The description I’m always given of Jerry Siegel was that he looked

“None Of Us Were Working For The Ages”

Ziff-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Two dramatic splash pages drawn by Starr for Ziff-Davis: Amazing Adventures #3 (May 1951) and Crime Clinic #3 (Winter 1951-52). Scripters unknown. Thanks to Rod Beck. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

kind of disheveled and he looked like a beaten man.

STARR: Yes, though “disheveled” may be putting it a little strongly. But I guess he had a disheveled soul.

JA: You felt a strong sense of sadness within him.

STARR: Yeah, maybe even tinged with a little desperation. But he was very complimentary and very nice to me.

STARR: [chuckles again] Nothing, no.

JA: Siegel left, and Herb Rogoff replaced him. The people who owned ZiffDavis just didn’t feel like Jerry was doing that great a job for them—that Jerry wasn’t what they had expected—and they became disenchanted with him.

STARR: Ziff-Davis published a whole bunch of other stuff. They decided to do comics because comics sold. So I guess they went to Jerry because he had been a co-creator of “Superman.” I guess when Funnyman didn’t do anything, and his titles at Ziff-Davis weren’t hits, either, they thought they’d made a mistake.

STARR: It was a comic strip, too? I’m surprised, because it was a peculiar idea. It could never have become a hit.

JA: Do you have any memory of who you dealt with at Harvey? Would it have been Leon Harvey or Alfred Harvey?

STARR: No, my main association with Harvey was Joe Coleman, who did almost all of the coloring of their books. He was a close friend. He went to Phoenix Art School with Warren King, who was a very close friend of mine, and so we sort of socialized because of that. Outside of that, I just don’t remember much about working for Harvey. I didn’t spend time in anybody’s offices, which is why it’s hard to tell you much about them.

Jim Amash’s interview with Leonard Starr continues next issue.

Press, publishers of The Paintings of J. Allen St.John. John Carter TM Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.

JA: Funnyman was actually published at another company, Magazine Enterprises. Ziff-Davis is after Funnyman. Funnyman was also a newspaper strip.

Artwork courtesy of The Korshak Collection & Vanguard

JA: Some of the features I have you doing for ZiffDavis are crime stories, a character called “Red Feather,” “Tom Rogers’ Crime Clinic,” some science-fantasy, some war, and some Westerns. Does any of that ring a bell?

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Where’s The Hen’s Teeth? (Left:) Martin Naydel’s original cover to All-Star Comics #31 (Oct.1946). (Above:) Michael T. Gilbert’s re-do, from Alter Ego #14—actually illustrating the “lost” All-Star #31, “The Will of William Wilson.” The original All-Star logo has been added for this printing. [©2012 DC Comics.]

Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt!

Twice-Told DC Covers! by Michael T. Gilbert

ast issue I shared some of my Twice-Told Timely covers, illustrated in the style of the early-’40s Marvel Comics. Since we at Alter Ego never play favorites, here’s a second Gilbert Golden Age Art Gallery—of imaginary DC covers!

My first faux Golden Age cover (which featured Mr. Monster and the Justice Society) appeared in A/E v2 #4 (Spring 1999), back when Alter Ego was still a backup feature in Jon B. Cooke’s Comic Book Artist. That cover, a take-off on Mike Sekowsky’s Justice League of America #29 cover, was a simple cut-and-paste job.

My first original illustrated cover was for “The Will of William Wilson,” an unpublished Golden Age Justice Society of America script that was discussed in Alter Ego #14 (April 2002).

Since then, a number of art collectors have asked me to create Golden Age covers for them, many starring the Justice Society. That was the case when one loyal JSA fan wanted me to reimagine Frank Harry’s classic All-Star #18 cover.

Altered Ego! (Right:) The cover of A/E v2 #4 (Spring 1999), the flip cover of Comic Book Artist #4, featured a Gilbert/ Mr. Monster illo juxtaposed with Al Dellinges’ re-creation of the Mike Sekowsky/ Murphy Anderson cover for Justice League of America #29 (Aug. 1964) — which itself had been a re-do of sorts of All-Star Comics #8 (Dec. 1941-Jan. 1942). Talk about degrees of separation! [Mr. Monster ™ & © 2012 Michael T. Gilbert; JSA art ©2012 DC Comics.]

Twice-Told DC Covers!

Wonder-Fowl!

Oh, What A Tangled Web!

To be honest, that particular cover wasn’t a favorite. While I liked the idea of the JSA trapped by an icky bug monster, the original drawing seemed a bit staid.

My solution was to give the scene a greater depth of field by showing team members Hawkman and Dr. Mid-Nite struggling to escape in the foreground, while others battled in the distance. A down-shot view added to the effect. I also thought it would be fun to integrate the caption copy so that the creature’s webbing actually covers part of the “Insects Turn to Crime” lettering. I’m not sure if 1940s DC would have appreciated that approach, but it added some punch to the scene.

With that cover, I diverged considerably from the original, keeping only the basic idea. But my All-Star #33 re-do was another matter entirely. Irwin Hasen’s original cover was simple but highly effective. I decided to keep Hasen’s layout, while doing my own interpretation of the villainous Solomon Grundy. In the original cover, the trapped JSA stood helplessly inside Grundy’s globe. I decided to show them using their powers to escape––and the problems of doing so in a tightly enclosed space.

Computer color was added to the black-&-white artwork of the “#31” & #33 covers for this printing.

(Above:) Since we have a little extra space, we thought we’d share Gilbert’s contribution to the 2008 and 2009 Wonder Woman auction. Cute, eh? [Daisy Duck ™ & © 2012 Disney Enterprises, Inc.; Wonder Tot TM & © 2012 DC Comics.]

Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt!

Simply Super, Boy!

Our next piece leapfrogs from the Gold to the Silver Age. My client gave me lot of leeway on this assignment, which is always nice. In this case, I was to personally suggest an old comic book cover that I would especially enjoy re-inventing. The Curt Swan and Stan Kaye Superboy #49 cover had good memories for me.

I found a used copy of the comic when I was seven, shortly after it came out. The cover story, “Metallo of Krypton,” featured Superboy and a Kryptonian robot marooned on a small asteroid. They become pals, and in the end the robot sacrifices itself to save the Boy of Steel from Kryptonite poisoning. As a young boy I found it extremely touching.

So I decided to rework Swan’s cover by replacing Metallo with Robbie the Robot, famed for his appearances in the Forbidden Planet movie and the Lost In Space TV series. It was a mash-up made in heaven! Afterwards, the art was colored and “distressed” in Photoshop to create an authentic Silver Age look.

Danger… Kal-el! (Above:) Gilbert’s version of Superboy #49, a take-off of Curt Swan and Stan Kaye’s original cover (left) from June 1956. Cartoonist Kirk Kimball helped MTG achieve that glorious “rotting comics” look. Thanks to R. Gary Land. [© 2012 DC Comics.]

Twice-Told DC Covers!

Even More Fun!

Now let’s return to the Golden Age and check out my More Fun Comics #61 cover. This one wasn’t a re-interpretation, but a wholly original drawing. Actually it had to be, since the published cover didn’t even feature The Spectre, only his mystical rival, Dr. Fate. My client thought it was unfair that this conjurer-come-lately upstaged The Spectre, and asked me to correct that decades-old oversight. He envisioned a giant Spectre looming over Manhattan, about to battle with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I was happy to oblige. With a description like that, how can you go wrong?

This turned out to be one of my favorite covers, particularly after I added color for this printing. It wasn’t my first crack at a More Fun cover. Earlier, another fan had requested a new version of the first Dr. Fate cover of the sorcerer battling his nemesis, Wotan –– but with The Spectre added to the mix!

Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt!

Back From The Dead!

I had drawn The Spectre before. Way back in 1986, Roy Thomas invited me to illustrate an issue of DC’s Secret Origins featuring you-know-who. At the time, editor/writer Roy figured that Mr. Monster’s creator might be a good fit for the ghostly hero.

I was happy to oblige. I’ve always been fond of The Spectre, and his origin literally killed! As you may recall, he was actually Detective Jim Corrigan, murdered in the early ’40s and brought back to life to wreak vengeance on evildoers.

Working from Roy’s plot (and the original Jerry Siegel/Bernard Baily story from More Fun #52 and 53) I started working on the 23page story and cover. Before I finished, DC changed formats, combining my solo “Spectre” with a “Deadman” origin in a double-sized issue.

With one cover too many, one had to go. Namely mine, unfortunately! When our story eventually appeared in DC’s Secret Origins v2 #15, June 1987, my original splash page was scrapped and replaced by my rejected cover. I was disappointed, since

“Gat’s” Guns (Above:) Jim Corrigan gunned down by “Gat” Benson, in this symbolic splash page, previously unprinted. (Left:) When Gilbert’s cover for Secret Origins #4 was pre-empted by a drawing showing both The Spectre and Deadman, the former was utilized as The Spectre story’s splash page, replacing the original splash. [© 2012 DC Comics.]

that splash featuring “Gat” Benson killing Jim Corrigan was one of my favorites. Regardless, it was a thrill to see that story in print, even with one of my pages left out.

But now, like The Spectre himself, the page is back from the dead––rescued from the darkest recesses of the Comic Crypt. We hope you enjoy the missing page, lost in comic book limbo for 25 years.

That’s it for now. But do join us here next issue for more highculture fun! Till next time...

The Comic Fandom Archive presents…

Fandom Reunion 2011: The Golden Age of Fanzines Panel From The 50th-Anniversary of Fandom Celebration At Comic-Con International 2011, San Diego—Part 2

Eight Is (More Than) Enough Seven prominent early fanzine editors—and the spouse of an eighth. (Left to right:) Bill Schelly (Sense of Wonder), Jean Bails and Roy Thomas (Alter-Ego), Richard Kyle (Graphic Story World), Paul Levitz (The Comic Reader), Pat and Dick Lupoff (Xero), and Maggie Thompson (Comic Art). Photo by Jeff Gelb.

Introduction

ast issue, we presented Part 1 of the lively discussion of the early1960s fanzines Xero, Alter-Ego, Comic Art, The Comic Reader, and Graphic Story World by their editors and publishers Richard and Pat Lupoff, Roy Thomas and Jean Bails (Jerry's widow), Maggie Thompson, Paul Levitz, and Richard Kyle—a truly historical aggregation of legendary comics fans together on one panel, of an hour and a half’s duration. This time, we’re pleased to offer the rest of that panel discussion, which was held on July 22, 2011, as transcribed by Brian K. Morris. —Bill Schelly.

BILL SCHELLY: Let’s talk about the feature of your fanzine that most exemplified it. What do you think was the thing about Alter-Ego that was most central to its appeal or its mission?

ROY THOMAS: I think the thing that was of the most interest was the articles about old comic books. [The comics publishers] weren’t reprinting many of them then—maybe a couple of “Batmans” or “Supermans.” This started with Dick Lupoff’s “The Big Red Cheese,” and then the others as they came out. Don Thompson had written his article on Timely Comics which had its title the phrase “OK Axis, Here We Come!” I think that I borrowed that for somewhere later on. [audience chuckles] The great thing for me was the idea of covering a whole comic company, however it was done,

whether it was Richard Kyle’s Fox analysis, or just recounting the stories with a certain amount of cleverness like Dick, or Jim Harmon on the Justice Society, Ted White, people like that, just doing a nice job of that.

That was the sort of thing I was interested in. When I started off, okay, I drew the “Bestest League” and I wrote a “Spectre” thing, but what I was really interested in were the articles about the old comics. I was interested in the Justice Society, so I decided to write an article about [Timely’s] All Winners Squad, but all I had was one of the two comics, and it was missing the last two pages of one chapter. I had to sort of say, “Well, I don’t know how Sub-Mariner got rid of the tidal wave.” And Jerry, typing it, spelled it “tital wave.” [audience chuckles] It took me like five or ten years before I got a copy of that book. So that was the thing that I liked the most about the articles.

We were always trying to get up to the standards of the articles that were in Comic Art and Xero. When I took over as editor and publisher with #7, I wrote the article “One Man’s Family,” taking the title from an old radio show. I couldn’t do a piece just about Captain Marvel, because Dick Lupoff had done that. So I said, I’ll write about the family and cover the whole group, and that was my approach. I drove over to visit Biljo White in Columbia, Missouri, who had this little block house with complete runs of Batman, Superman, Captain Marvel, all that stuff. I made a lot of

NOTE: This is the fourth 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

BS: Well, you know Jerry’s life mission ended up being about giving recognition to the creators of comics with his Who’s Who, and so it’s obvious that was very high-priority, even from the beginning. Now, Richard, when you did Graphic Story World, the first issue had a manifesto about the coming of the graphic novel and the graphic story. Was that your mission with Graphic Story World and Wonderworld?

Jerry’s Last Alter-Ego—And Roy’s First Alter Ego (Left:) The first photo-offset issue of Alter-Ego (#4, 1962), edited by Jerry Bails as had been #1-3, featured a cover by Richard “Grass” Green and Ronn Foss, and rare gold ink. Jean Bails, seen in the preceding photo, joined the panel to represent Jerry, who passed away in 2006. For closeups of her and/or Roy, afraid you’ll have to look back at our previous issue. [Hawkman, Superman, Flash, Atom, Green Lantern TM & © 2012 DC Comics; The Fly TM & © 2012 Estate of Joe Simon; Human Torch TM & © 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc.; Alley Oop TM & © 2012 UFB, Inc.]

KYLE: You know, I really don’t have a very clear idea of why I became so intensely interested in comics, but apparently, it was the times. Maggie talked about it being “comics time,” and I was part of comics time. And the comics didn’t grow up the way I had. You know, I was twelve years old and I was a natural comic book reader. Then I became thirteen and they were suspicious of me in the publishing houses, and by the time I was fifteen or sixteen, I was a nut. [audience chuckles] They didn’t want me buying their magazines. You know, only an idjit would read this stuff if you were grown up.

My argument was that, if you do a magazine for five-year-olds, you get five-year-old readers. And if you do a magazine for 82-year-olds—I’m 82—you may get an 82-year-old reader. Comic book people didn’t recognize ordinary economic fact. That maddened me. [chuckles] They simply wouldn’t do something that any other ordinary business would normally do. If you go out and sell a car that’s one design that sells real well, well, then, you design another one also and see how it sells. But the comic book industry never did it. They were the single most blind industry in a supposedly capitalistic society that I could imagine. I was convinced that, “Come on, you can do stuff for me. You can do stuff for people my age.” And I kind of overdid it in my fanzine articles and so on. Reading some of that stuff now is a little embarrassing. [audience chuckles] But I thought that way at the time. I was being sincere, even if I didn’t express it all that well.

(Right:) Roy Thomas’ article about Fawcett’s Marvel Family, accompanied by illustrations by Biljo White— including acknowledged swipes from the great C.C. Beck—was cover-featured on RT’s first issue (#7, Fall 1964) as publisher/editor of the now-unhyphenated Alter Ego. [Shazam heroes & Black Adam TM & © 2012 DC Comics.]

notes on mostly the Marvel Family comics and so forth, and wrote the article. Nowadays, you read these articles and they don’t amount to that much, because, you know, you could go and read the comic or the many reprints. But at that time, that was kind of the essence: let people know what was actually in these comics.

The one thing we didn’t have nearly enough of, but that Jerry wanted from the very beginning, I know, was to cover the professionals. At the very beginning, during that meeting with Julie Schwartz in February of ’61 when Jerry was visiting DC, one of the first things he was doing was trying to press Bill Finger, who I guess he ran into there, to write.... He got a promise of an autobiography—which of course Bill never delivered, as he used to not deliver many things that he was going to do. But the idea was to try to give some credit to these anonymous people working behind the scenes and to get people to know who Gardner Fox was and who Bill Finger was and so forth. Those were the things that we were always wanting to stress.

By the way, if you want to read about Xero, Bill Schelly and I put together a whole 30- or 40-page section about it in Alter Ego #18. I want to get a couple of pennies out of this so I’m not just hopelessly shilling. I’m proud to say that we reprinted both postcards from Art Castillo [that Dick Lupoff mentioned earlier], because I, too, thought that those two postcards—first one, and then after [Dick and Pat] printed it in the magazine, I guess he got upset because you weren’t taking him seriously, so he sent in another one, [audience chuckles] which says a whole world is fomenting and so forth, and “You people sit on your ass and discuss comic books!” [audience laughs] I just thought that was the funniest thing.

BS: And you were right. [audience chuckles] Paul, what was the mission of The Comic Reader? Tell us about that, please.

LEVITZ: I think The Comic Reader, from its beginnings, had been news-focused, news and gossip. At first it had very little information about what was going on in the business. I think Mark Hanerfeld, during his tenure [NOTE: 1968 —Bill.], was the first editor to manage to talk one of the comic book companies into announcing the release dates of upcoming issues in the fanzines. He got that out of DC; I don’t think he was able to get any of that out of Marvel at that time.

Over the three years that I did the fanzine, we managed to get to the point where, thanks to Roy and some of the other former fans who were working at Marvel, Nelson Bridwell, and some of the other former fans, Marv Wolfman, Mark Hanerfeld, who were around DC; we had pretty much the full release schedule for everybody who was publishing comics, at least of the comics that as a 14-, 15-, 16-year-old kid, I thought, counted, a fairly narrow

Fandom Reunion 2011: The Golden Age of Fanzines Panel—Part II

Let’s Get Graphic! definition at that stage. Some stuff on the Gold Key material and the Western material, but I was fairly ignorant of Carl Barks’ work and the importance of it in those years because I’d “outgrown” all that stuff: “It’s not as serious.”

(Above:) Richard Kyle, the man who in 1964 coined the terms "graphic novel" and "graphic story" and later ran the bookstores Wonderworld and Richard Kyle Books in Long Beach for many years. Photo by Aaron Caplan. (Left:) Kyle's "Graphic Story Review" column ran in Bill Spicer's Graphic Story Magazine. Depicted is George Metzger's cover to issue #8 (Fall 1967), showing the influence of psychedelic art in its logo and coloring. [Art © 2012 George Metzger.]

level. DC didn’t have credits on probably 2/3 of the line, Western had them on almost nothing. They didn’t even tell people when their work was coming out or give them copies. The editors at DC, for example, would get 15 copies of each new issue, even of an anthology comic that might perhaps have eight or nine creators, and usually didn’t even bother mailing any to the creators because the assumption was, why the hell would you actually want a file copy of something you’d written for a comic book? You’re embarrassed by it anyway. [audience chuckles]

Probably 90% of the people working in (Right:) Wonderworld #10 (Nov. 1973). comics lived within about 30 or 40 miles Editor/publisher Kyle changed the name of his Graphic of New York City, a very small group of Story World to be shorter, snappier, and perhaps more people in America, maybe 200 people inclusive. Watch for Bill Schelly’s upcoming Comic Fandom Archive interview with Richard, slated for perhaps. The publishers were still just publication soon after our extended coverage of the beginning to recover from what Richard Comic-Con International 2011 festivities. [Jon Fury TM & mentioned about the blandization of the © 2012 Estate of Alex Toth.] Comics Code. But it was more than the blandization, it was also the trauma; the And The Comic Reader became the first place where even the publishers didn’t, in most cases, credit the writers and artists. creators in the business knew where their work was coming out so Marvel was ahead of the pack at that time. Stan had started the they could go run over to Ed Summer’s Supersnipe, one of the first idea of branding the books more regularly, picked up on some stuff comic shops in New York, and reserve copies of their own books. that EC had The rank-and-file fan could find out what was coming out [in TCR] done before but because it was still somewhat random. For most of the people, took it up to the there was just no information in fandom about the present. Until next natural

The Monthly Reader (Above:) Panelist Paul Levitz, shown here in a photo from the Fandom Reunion Party on Saturday night, with the late, much-missed Richard Alf in the background. Photo by Aaron Caplan. (Right:) Two superlative covers from Levitz's tenure as publisher of The Comic Reader: #91 (Nov. 1972), drawn by Don Rosa, and #99 (July 1973), featuring a Walt Simonson Manhunter. A tip of the CFA helmet to stalwart Aaron Caplan for providing these scans, as well. [Demon & Manhunter TM & © 2012 DC Comics.]

Comic Fandom Archive

beginning of that history being chronicled. Dick or Pat, do you feel that was the main feature of Xero, or how would you characterize “All in Color for a Dime” in Xero’s history?

DICK LUPOFF: It’s certainly the one that Xero’s best known for, but we were diverse. When we started out, Pat and I were a couple of young married science-fiction fans and we started this as a hobby. We thought that it was a sciencefiction fanzine, but in fact, it wasn’t. It was more of a general, broad-screen journal of popular culture. We had articles about comics, about films, even about theatre.

A Bunch Of Swell Fans

I was in an Edgar Rice Burroughs convention a few years ago, and somebody came up to me with my very first book. It was a book about Edgar Rice Burroughs from 1965. [NOTE: Edgar Rice Burroughs: Master of Adventure. —Bill.] Here it was, forty years later, he had this beautiful, pristine mint copy, and wanted an autograph. Then he asked me, “Did you ever write anything else?” [audience laughs]

So people in the comics world think of Xero as a comics fanzine, but that was only one facet of it. I do want to mention one thing about (Right:) Xero #3 was one of the most comics-oriented issues of that fanzine, highlighted by Jim bringing recognition, which is what Roy talked Harmon’s article "A Bunch of Swell Guys" about the Justice Society of America. Other comics-related about—bringing recognition to a lot of these contributions that issue were by Dick Lupoff (who’d soon be a professional sf writer), “Captain important creators, writers, and artists. I know, Marvel/Marvel Family/Superman” scribe Otto Binder, and Ted White, another near-future pro sf for instance, Fawcett had a policy against writer and editor; their three pieces mostly amended and expanded prior installments of the putting bylines on any of their comics, so that seminal "All in Color For a Dime" series. The cover was "traced by Sylvia White," then Ted’s wife. Clarence Beck used to sneak the initials [Original All-Star Comics #13 cover © 2012 DC Comics.] “O.O.B.,” for Otto O. Binder, into “Captain Marvel” stories. There would be a book on a the present moved into the past, it didn’t count. And The Comic shelf and you’d see on the spine of it—”O.O.B”—and this was Reader was sort of the first thing that was beginning to edge into Clarence Beck’s way of saying “Otto Binder wrote this story,” the future, and I think that’s why it achieved a solid circulation because the management wouldn’t let him put his name on it. when I managed to get that information out on a fairly regular They didn’t want any identification with individual creators. They basis. only wanted the company to be known. BS: When the fans in the early ’60s started looking for information about BS: Maggie, why don’t you go next? comics of the past, there wasn’t any, and I think probably “All in Color for a THOMPSON: Dime” was Well, let me—I just the (Left:) Pat Lupoff, shown next to husband Dick, was the first woman to win a Hugo award—as co-editor of the fanzine Xero. Aside from other editorial duties, she orchestrated Xero's legendary letter column, called “E. I.” ("Epistolary Intercourse"), which printed letters from a Who's Who of science-fiction and comics fandom. Photo by Aaron Caplan.

It’s Called Comic Art? So What’s It About? (Left:) Maggie Thompson, who coedited the fanzine Comic Art with her late husband Don, talks with Bill G. Wilson, who edited The Collector fanzine. Taken before or after the panel. Photo probably by Beth Wilson. (Right:) Don and Maggie presented art and articles on the work of Uncle Scrooge creator (and Disney Duck writer/artist supreme) Carl Barks in Comic Art #7 (1968), which Maggie describes as "the last issue we published" rather than the "final issue." There could be more, even now! C'mon, Maggie!! [Donald Duck characters TM & © 2012 Disney Enterprises, Inc.]

Fandom Reunion 2011: The Golden Age of Fanzines Panel—Part II

Q&A Bill Schelly fielding a question from the audience— and a shot of some of that audience. Well, actually, this photo mostly shows fan-ed Bill G. Wilson and his wife Beth at the “Spotlight on Bill Schelly” panel held at a different time at the Comic-Con, and we’re not sure who the other folks in the audience are—but it gets the idea across. Bill and Beth came all the way from Florida to be part of the 50th anniversary of fandom festivities.

America.” [audience laughs] Then Walt Disney wanted to speak to one aspect of that died and newspapers around the county took and the incredible tasks that Jerry Bails the opportunity to drop things like the undertook with the Who’s Who, [Donald] Duck panels and so forth, because, because, yes, just tracking anything Bill says: “I wasn't a publisher of a ground-breaking well, of course he couldn’t do it anymore down is a nightmare. My mother fanzine, but Sense of Wonder #5 (1968) with its D. because he died. And we were given always thought that Johnny Gruelle did Bruce Berry cover wasn't too shabby. I was (and am) permission to reproduce that art. But it was a big fan of D. Bruce Berry's interpretation of Otto all the Raggedy Ann and Andy comics, that sort of struggle in that day, absolutely. Binder's Adam Link, which appeared in Fantasy because his name had appeared on Illustrated.” [Art © 2012 D. Bruce Berry.] them. And of course, he had died BS: We have a question from the audience. before comics were published at all. I MALE QUESTIONER: I’ve got a question for Roy. Just recently, I wanted to mention that what fans had to contend with back in was looking at Who’s Who in Comic Fandom, and I just wondered, those days was the kindness of an editor who might forward a fan Roy, if you realized at that time how many of the people in there letter, so that, for example, when my mother discovered after seven lived outside North America. days of reading the “Pogo” stories in Animal Comics to me every night, that on the seventh day it was as much fun as it was the THOMAS: I was aware of two people, I think, outside the States: first, she wrote a fan letter to Walt Kelly. The editor actually John Wright in South Africa and John Ryan of Australia. I forwarded it to Kelly, so they became life-long friends. exchanged at least a letter or two with Wright. [NOTE: Alter Ego V. 3 #35 & #36 featured an interview with John Wright, who passed The flip side to that was—well, it’s not the flip side, it was the away shortly thereafter. —Bill.] kindness of an editor who took it upon himself to forward a fan letter to Carl THOMPSON: John Wright was Barks, who had to sign all his work “Walt important. Because he was in South Disney.” [The editor] forwarded that letter Africa, those of us who did mimeoto Carl Barks, who thought it was a joke. graphed fanzines didn’t care, but the guys [audience chuckles] And then he got a doing the dittoed fanzines—you could second letter.... Mal Willits, I believe, was only get yellow ditto masters from South the author of that first letter; I believe we Africa. [audience laughs] were the authors of the second letter.

So, years later, when we were putting together our last issue, we wanted a cover feature, “The Work of Carl Barks.” We wrote to Disney and asked for permission to reproduce some samples of Carl Barks’ artwork, and the letter we received back was: “Not only do we not give you permission to reproduce any of his artwork, we want to discourage in the strongest possible terms your running any sort of article on this at all, because the children of America believe that Walt Disney draws his comic books and we do not want to upset the children of

BS: And Jerry Bails was the American agent for The Komix, which was John Wright’s fanzine.

LEVITZ: Let me add just one other piece. It’s also important to note, kind of, the

Hey, Kids—Komix! The cover of John Wright’s first fanzine, The Komix #1. Fandom went international with the “arrival” via the mails of this South African and John Ryan of Australia. [© 2012 Estate of John Wright.]

Comic Fandom Archive

can’t thank you enough for what you did. [audience applauds loudly]

DICK LUPOFF: I’d like to add something, if I may. It’s amazing how much effect all of our work had that we didn’t know about, but I’m thinking of two incidents that occurred in recent years. I was doing a little work for a radio station where I lived, and we were interviewing authors as they came through town, and Art Spiegelman came through—the fellow who Having A Blast! created Maus—and he said, Larry Bigman rises to extol the merits and memory of G. B. Love's Rocket's Blast - Comicollector fanzine, as Doug Fratz looks “You’re Dick Lupoff?” And on in foreground. The fan in front of Larry is unidentified. Gordon Love brought many new recruits into fandom when he I said, “Yes. You’re Art advertised his fanzine in pro comics. We intend to do special features on RBCC in future issues of Alter Ego. Unfortunately, Spiegelman?” I was very questions and comments from such audience members (and prominent early fans) as Larry, Doug, and Buddy Saunders impressed. [audience laughs] didn't come across clearly enough on the recording for us to include the original queries, only the panelists’ answers. That part of the discussion was lively, and we regret the omission. He says, “I used to send you sticky dimes and Even before it merged with The Comicollector, Love's Rocket’s Blast had already established itself as the premier advertising vehicle in fandom. At left is the cover of the little-seen RB #20 featuring our favorite "Big Red Cheese" drawn quarters to subscribe to by Howard Keltner—while that of #29 is by Buddy Saunders (though signed with his pen name “Don Fowler”). [Shazam hero Xero when I was a & Air Wave TM & © 2012 DC Comics.] teenager.” And then a couple of weeks later, viral nature of how this all bred when you talk about the internaMichael Chabon, author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and tional side. You’ve heard from the panel how unintentionally all Clay, comes in and he says, “When I was a little boy, I slept with a these things come out of the same family tree, but that continued to copy of All in Color for a Dime under my pillow.” [audience laughs] happen internationally. Even when I was doing The Comic Reader, I had two guys from foreign fanzines write me, asking for KYLE: I’d like to add one addition to that about Xero. There was a permission to reprint the news, like I owned the news. [audience magazine, back around 1930, called Story Magazine and it started chuckles] One was a fanzine called Comic Media in the UK. One of out as a mimeographed magazine and then it became a fullythe two principals of that is a man named Nick Landau, who went printed professional magazine. It had Hemingway and all of the on to found Forbidden Planet and Titan Books with their enormous important writers of their times and was incredibly influential for stand downstairs. And, in the same fashion, they were passing people who subsequently became novelists and who subsequently back tons of information on Modesty Blaise and things that came became successful. It’s an amazing book with initially a very tiny more out of the UK tradition. circulation. Xero was a magazine very much like that, in terms of popular culture. You only had a few hundred copies sold, just a The other was a man named Carston Sondergard from few hundred readers, but its effect was enormous. Roger Ebert Scandinavia—I have no memory of how to pronounce the fanzine contributed poetry to Xero. that he was reprinting my material in. I have had a drawer full of incomprehensible editions of it. And I discovered, I don’t know, DICK LUPOFF: Yes. [laughs] He was our in-house poet. twenty years later that he ended up as the reprint editor for KYLE: Yes, it was really astonishing. I mean, to me, that was a Superman in Scandinavia. All of this in this pre-Internet era. signal publication of enormous importance, not only in the comics Most of what is going on now in the Internet world with field or even in science-fiction and so on, but in the world of Usegroups or whatever is really a funhouse mirror of what was popular culture, and I really honor you for that. going on in the fanzine world. With none of the technology BS: Okay, we’ve got about five minutes left. Should we ask another available to us, we built our own web, and whether it was because question? an editor listed something or because one fanzine editor plugged another fanzine or contacted it or connected it, this desire to be a LEVITZ: Can I just do a one-second Ed Lahmann story that this part of each other’s world led us to do all of these things, and it audience will appreciate? really was very, very far-reaching.

BS: I’d like to take a moment to introduce a fanzine editor here who came from Florida. I’d like him to stand up so we can give him a hand, Bill G. Wilson of The Collector. [audience applauds]

BILL WILSON: May I say something? I mentioned to you yesterday that I wanted to thank these guys. I always felt like we were part of the younger crew. We were all about four or five years, sometimes more, behind you guys, and if not for what you did, what we did wouldn’t have been possible, and I always just felt like one of the little kids that’s allowed to sit at the table. And I

BS: Absolutely.

LEVITZ: It’s one of the best letters I ever received as publisher of DC. Ed [a prominent early-1960s fan] would periodically, after batches of Archives books, write long letters of what we ought to publish again and again and again. And then finally he writes me a letter that says, “It’s probably the last one I’m going to send you, because I’m about to go into a nursing home. But I just wanted to let you know I’ve made arrangements to keep my complete collection of DC Archives going after I’m gone. I’ve essentially

Fandom Reunion 2011: The Golden Age of Fanzines Panel—Part II

endowed my daughter with a fund to keep purchasing the Archives, so this is all complete.” So this is one fan who pretty much took it with him. [audience chuckles]

I would also like to make a plug to this group, because there’s probably more people with more cool fanzines in this room than will gather any other time. There’s a woman wandering around the convention named Julia Ree, who is the librarian of the UC Riverside Library which inherited Fred Patten’s fanzine collection. She would love to have anything that you’re willing to part with, I’m sure, that would fill in the gaps. It’s available as a research library for those of you who want to see the stuff that you remember from your youth on the incredible things. But please feel free to contact her and connect with her. It is probably the single surviving great reference collection of what we all gave our lives to.

THOMPSON: Let me also mention that this is an inspirational panel, because I suddenly remembered that, in my attic, I have the cover and I think three interior pages printed already of Comic Art number whatever-the-next-number-is. [audience chuckles] The story is by George Metzger and the cover is by Vaughn Bodé. So maybe I should … get to work…. DICK LUPOFF: Yeah, yeah. [audience applauds]

A Dynamic Duo—Or Maybe We Should Say, A Terrific Trio! Photographer Aaron Caplan, whom we have to thank for most of the photos accompanying this feature, had Bob Cosgrove (on left) and Doug Fratz pose with his (Caplan's) copies of their venerable fanzines Champion and Comicology, respectively. Aaron himself was seen in A/E #108. Bob and Doug were old-time fans who made a special effort to attend Comic-Con this year, and it was great to see and spend time with them!

BS: Thank you so much.

For those who want to delve into the details of fanzine culture in the 1960s further, may we recommend Bill Schelly’s The Golden Age of Comic Fandom, now in its third printing, as well as the other fine books in the Bill Schelly Collection being offered at www.BudsArtBooks.com? ‘Nuff Said!

In Memorium

Jerry Robinson (1922-2011) “[His] Works Will Long Outlive Him” by Jim Amash

n 1939, a seventeenyear-old Jerry Robinson was discovered by Batman cocreator Bob Kane at a summer resort, and agreed to become Kane’s art assistant. He started inking backgrounds and lettering pages, quickly becoming Kane’s inker before graduating to doing full art on his own stories. Within a few months, Jerry suggested to Kane and Batman co-creator/writer Bill Finger that they should use his new idea for a villain called The Joker. This Robinson and Finger co-creation was an immediate hit with the readers, becoming possibly the most iconic, recognizable evildoer in comics history. It was Jerry’s most significant contribution to comics, and signaled that he was going to be an artistic force to be reckoned with.

As proud as Jerry was about The Joker and his eight-year run on “Batman,” he didn’t want to be known solely for that. There were many artistic high points to come. In the 1940s he created, wrote, and drew “London” for Lev Gleason Publications, drew The Green Hornet and a few other features for Harvey Publications, did a little work for Quality and Novelty, and, along with friend, artistic influence, and co-worker Mort Meskin, produced beautifully drawn stories for DC’s “Vigilante” and Standard Publications’ “Black Terror” and “Fighting Yank,” as well as some crime and romance stories for packagers Joe Simon & Jack Kirby at Crestwood Publications. He also drew Atoman and “Boy Champions” for Spark Publications, his best-paying client in that time period.

The decade of the 1950s was varied in content and career. Jerry began teaching at The School of Visual Arts, taking over Meskin’s classes. Among his students were Don Heck, Eric Stanton, Stan Goldberg, Bob Forgione (who became an assistant and then partner on much of Jerry’s mid-1950s to early-’60s comic book work), and Steve Ditko, one of a number of students for whom Jerry procured an art scholarship. Robinson briefly ghosted the Kerry Drake and Lone Ranger newspaper strips, and from 1953-55 drew the sciencefiction strip Jet Scott. For Timely Comics, Jerry drew stories in every genre but super-heroes and sports in a long list of titles. He also drew Lassie and, in the early ’60s, Bat Masterson, for Dell. His comic book career ended at Gold Key in the early ’60s with Dear Nancy

There’s Always A Joker In The Pack (Left:) A 1989 pen-and-ink sketch of The Joker done by Jerry Robinson for collector Lance Falk. [Joker TM & © 2012 DC Comics.] (Above:) Jerry (on right) and Jim Amash at the Feb. 2008 New York Comic Art Convention. Thanks to Keif Simon for the photo, and to Teresa B. Davidson for forwarding a scan to us.

Parker, The Twilight Zone, and Rocky and His Fiendish Friends.

Jerry went on to draw children’s books, illustration, and advertising art. He started two long-running newspaper strips: Flubs and Fluffs and the critically acclaimed Still Life (later retitled Life with Robinson), the latter being more editorial cartoon than comic strip. He wrote several books, including Skippy and Percy Crosby and The Comics: An Illustrated History of Comic Strip Art, which were recently revised by Jerry and reprinted by Dark Horse. He also started the Cartoonists and Writers Syndicate, which is now carried on by his son Jens, and was responsible for launching the careers of hundreds of cartoonists around the world. He also promoted and gave greater international exposure to hundreds of others who were already established.

A true humanitarian and proud progressive liberal, Jerry fought for creators’ rights on a number of fronts, most famously for Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, which resulted in a pension, medical benefits, and their names being restored to the creation credits of “Superman.” On two occasions, Jerry won the release of imprisoned and tortured cartoonists in Uruguay and the Soviet Union. When Mort Meskin was released from one of his sanitarium stays, he lived with Jerry and his wife Gro for a time, which greatly aided Meskin in his rehabilitation. Jerry was always willing to put his name on the line for causes in which he believed. He won so many awards for one thing or another relating to his remarkable career that I can’t even begin to list them.

While I was conducting our issue-long interview for Alter Ego #39, Jerry told me how good his parents were to him. “I was

In Memorium—Jerry Robinson

Life After Batman (Right:) A late-1970s/1980s Life with Robinson daily panel, supplied by Jerry for his extensive interview in Alter Ego #39. [© 2012 Cartoonists & Writers Syndicate (Below:) A Jerry Robinson self-portrait. Thanks to Ger Apeldoorn. [© 2012 Estate of Jerry Robinson.]

about praising the work of others, and offering constructive criticism only when he felt it was important. He liked to see people succeed.

always a progressive liberal, and came from a progressive family who believed that everybody had a right to do as they choose. I was allowed a lot of freedom to express my opinions at an early age, and was taught the importance of independence. In fact, when I was about eight or nine years old… well, my birth [first] name I never liked. I was teased about it at school, and one day I decided to change my name to Jerry. That afternoon, I came home from school, and when my mother called to me, I said, ‘That’s no longer my name. I have a new name.’ ‘Well, what is your name now?’ ‘My name is Jerry.’” And from that moment on, his parents, family, and friends never called him by his original name again. When I asked Jerry what his real first name was (he had never changed it legally), he didn’t want to tell me. “Maybe some day, I’ll tell you,” though he never did. When Jerry died, I saw in his New York Times obituary that Jens had revealed to the Times reporter that Jerry was born Sherrill David Robinson.

Jerry and I were friends before our interview, but that work really cemented our friendship. We spent a bit of time editorially polishing the text, and had a lot of fun doing so, in between offtopic subjects and open expression of unrelated (to the interview) opinions. I became a regular consultant of his. Whenever Jerry had a question related to comics, I could count on a call from him. I edited his article for the William Bremen Jewish Heritage and Holocaust Museum catalogue when they kicked off a nationwide tour of Jerry’s comic art exhibit. Thanks to him, I had the honor of writing the display cards for the works in the show. When Jerry started thinking about a writer’s award for the San Diego ComicCon, I was the first person he discussed it with. Instituted in 2005, The Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comics Writing is given out to two writers (one living and one deceased) every year at The San Diego Comic-Con International, with Mark Evanier as its chairman.

No matter how busy Jerry was—and he was always busy—he would make himself available to help me whenever I had questions that needed answering. He had a great love for the history of the comics medium and of the people in it, and wanted that history preserved for future generations. Jerry wanted the work of yesteryear’s great cartoonists to be studied and enjoyed just as much as he wanted the current generation to carry on and expand the legacy of those who came before by producing good works of their own. Jerry was always ready and willing to advise, consult, and push people on to achieve desired goals. He was very good

Of all the things I think about regarding the subject of my late friend, I am most struck by the fact that Jerry was a goal-oriented man. He was a hard worker who succeeded at everything he ever tried. Jerry never looked down at failure. He always saw a bright future, not just for himself, but for all of humanity. He was a sensitive and caring man whose works will long outlive him.

The

WHO’S WHO of American Comic Books (1928-1999) Online Edition Created by Jerry G. Bails FREE – online searchable database – FREE www.bailsprojects.com – No password required A quarter of a million records, covering the careers of people who have contributed to original comic books in the US.

Since our letters section got squeezed out, what better place to run Shane Foley's homage to a Jerry Robinson/ Mort Meskin splash from Black Terror #25 (Dec. 1948), featuring Alter & Captain Ego! Coloring by Randy Sargent. [Alter & Capt. Ego TM & © 2012 Roy Thomas & Bill Schelly; created by Biljo White.]

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Mary Marvel: 70 Years Young! Quotations & Comments To Commemorate The Shazam Girl’s 70th Birthday Edited by Paul Hamerlinck

The Birth Of Mary Marvel

ey, Marc, there is a new lead character in the works. She’ll be the twin sister of Billy Batson and, upon speaking the magic word, will become a member of the Marvel Family. She’ll remain the same age, however. We want you to give us some quick sketches of her as herself and as Mary Marvel.”

“H

Who said that to me? I’ve been thinking that it was Rod Reed. But Rod says it was Eddie Herron.

Whoever, I laid aside the “Captain Marvel” story I was working on in the Captain Marvel production line and whipped up some sketches as requested. There was only one character to create, inasmuch as she was to remain the same with only a costume change. I didn’t work up a variety of poses and expressions, as I was certain that my first drawings were going to come back, time and time again for revisions before final approval “upstairs.”

“Holy Moley,” as Billy would have said, the drawings were accepted without a single change or even any suggestions! I was given the script for the first Mary Marvel story and went to work on it. It was the story in which Billy Batson meets the twin sister he didn’t know he had and where, when she innocently says the word “Shazam,” Mary Bromfield becomes Mary Marvel for the first time.

I did the art for the first two “Mary Marvel” stories but was then told that the “Captain Marvel” stories were too important for me to leave the team working on Fawcett’s top character. I did the covers featuring Mary Marvel on Captain Marvel Adventure #19 and on Wow Comics #9 and 10 (1943) and possibly others. Then I was called into the armed forces and had other things to worry about for a long time. —Marc Swayze (1981)

Marc’s Amazingly Mod Mary The first Mary Marvel designs had come from the drawing table of Marc Swayze, who also illustrated her earliest cover appearances and Otto Binderwritten adventures. Rod Reed, Fawcett Publications’ executive comics editor at the time of Mary’s creation, noted in his 1974 FCA interview that he still found the Shazam Girl’s original attire “amazingly mod” and recalled that Swayze hoped to draw the entire Mary series himself; but Reed added that “ it was my distasteful job to convince him that he couldn’t be spared from the Captain Marvel team.” Consequently, the assignment was doled out to the Jack Binder shop. At far left is a Swayze-drawn Mary Marvel sketch from the past decade, recently colored by frequent FCA cover contributor Mark Lewis… at left, a mid-’50s snapshot of Marc taken shortly before his departure from the comics industry… and below, selected panels from Mary Marvel’s origin in Captain Marvel Adventures #18 (Dec. 1942) by Otto Binder and Marc Swayze. [Shazam heroine TM & © 2012 DC Comics.]

Mary Marvel: 70 Years Young!

Selena’s Grace

Selena represents the first letter in Mary’s “Shazam,” right? Well … the original was Sappho. I killed her. I was not then enlightened about the healthful effects of homosexuality and lesbianism. In a small way, I was the Anita Bryant of my time. But I said ol’ Sappho must go, and that’s how Selena got in. Roger Fawcett may never have forgiven me for our loss of circulation among dykes. —Rod Reed (1981)

My Pride And Joy

We wanted the “Mary Marvel” feature distinctive from the other two [Marvels] … less heroics and more human interest. Mary was my pride and joy, an idea which originated from “upstairs” … I suppose [my brother] Jack [Binder] and I had disagreements at

times regarding Mary Marvel, but none that I can recall, so they couldn’t have been too important. —Otto Binder (1974)

Minerva’s Wisdom

“Old comics? Some were good, some weren’t.” —Jack Binder (1980)

Busting Out

Perhaps Mary’s mature change had something to do with her new editor. For a long time, “Mary Marvel” was edited by Mercy Shull, who could have fitted easily into a 32A bra. When Mercy left … she was replaced by Kay Woods who would barely have fit into a 38C cup, and consequently, Mary’s shape began to blossom. — Will Lieberson (1975)

The Brothers Binder Otto Binder wrote 69 of the 98 “Mary Marvel” stories published by Fawcett, as well as over 50% of the entire saga of the World's Mightiest Family, including every team story in The Marvel Family. Otto’s older brother, Jack, was already nearly 40 years of age at the onset of comics’ Golden Age. Born in Austria in 1902 Jack came to the U.S. in 1913, when his family moved to Michigan. After attending Chicago’s Art Institute, he relocated to New York City in the mid-’30s. In 1937 he developed a friendship with Harry Chesler and became his art director at one of the first assembly line-styled comic packaging “shops.” Binder also freelanced for various companies and created Daredevil in 1940 for Lev Gleason. By late 1941, having gained years of “shop” experience, Binder decided to become a freelancer and set up his own headquarters in Englewood, NJ. His “shop”—a renovated barn next to his house—produced work primarily for Fawcett Publications, with over 40 artists under his supervision. The Binder shop closed its doors in 1945, and Jack relocated to upstate New York, where he continued to work as a freelancer, principally for Fawcett Publications, and continued on as the main “Mary Marvel” artist, generally working in unison with brother Otto. At top is a previously-printed photo of a party from 1942 at Jack Binder’s home in Englewood, with several of Jack’s “shop” employees in attendance, many of whom had a hand in producing the earliest adventures: (Left to right, back:) Samuel Hamilton Brooks; Dick Ryland; Binder’s sister-in-law; Binder’s nephew; Otto Binder. (L. to r., center:) Ken Bald; Bob Boyajian; Bob Butts; Vic Dowd; Jack Binder. (L. to r., front): Al Duca; Kurt Schaffenberger (who went on to draw “Marvel Family” stories for both Fawcett and DC); and John Westlake. Photo provided by the late Nat Champlin, who worked in Binder’s shop from 1941-42. Also shown are Jack’s cover for Mary Marvel #2 (June 1946) and the artist’s preliminary sketch for same (scan by James Van Hise). Photo courtesy of its new owner, Shaun Clancy. [Shazam heroine TM & © 2012 DC Comics.]

FCA [Fawcett Collectors Of America]

Sexless And Synthetic

Mary Marvel, who was Billy Batson’s twin sister, was created to attract girl readers. Like Captain Marvel Junior, she stayed the same size and age when she became Mary Marvel by saying “Shazam.” Junior and Mary looked the same after their change because the Fawcett management ordered it that way. There was no plan to make Junior and Mary different… it just happened that way. We workers in the art department at Fawcett had nothing to say about such affairs and I had no voice in such matters. I may have been in a meeting or two, but I was not regularly consulted about anything at all. Artists are the lowest form of life in the publishing business… we’re regarded as weirdos who would starve to death if some kindly editor didn’t watch over us.

nobody paid much attention to me at all when I worked for Fawcett.

In my opinion, Mary Marvel was a weak, sexless, synthetic character created on the order of the publisher. She always seemed wooden and artificial and never came to life the way that Billy Batson and Captain Marvel did. —C.C. Beck (1985)

I always drew Mary to look somewhat like Billy Batson, but other artists— most notably Marc Swayze and Jack Binder—drew her in various ways. Her stories were usually fairy tale-like and unconvincing.

I based Mary Marvel on Judy Garland when I drew her, while other artists had their own ideas on how to draw her—just as other artists had their own ideas of what Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. should look like. As a result, the Captain sometimes looked like Jack Oakie, Junior like Peter Pan, and Mary like a young Mae West. I drew Captain Marvel Jr. and Mary Marvel as sturdy teenagers, not a couple of wimpish nerds as some other artists drew them.

I had control over only Captain Marvel, unfortunately, and not much even there. The idea that I had a great deal of influence or power has grown up in the years since. Actually,

A Disarming Smile

Years before there was a Supergirl… or even a Saturn Girl… there was Mary Marvel. Though raised by wealthy foster parents, Mary embodied small-town, Mid-Western values and traits. Ever optimistic, never interested in the spotlight, always ready to help anyone and everyone (and she did so with a pleasant nature and disarming smile), Mary Marvel evoked 1940s-50s America.

Empowered with grace, strength, skill, fleetness, beauty, and wisdom, Mary Marvel’s worthy real-life namesake would soon be the daughter of her creator/writer, Otto Binder. But Otto Binder would not merely give the world Mary Marvel and Mary Binder. It was Otto himself who later created Saturn Girl and Supergirl for DC. Comic book super-heroines owe him a great debt of gratitude, as do fans. —Michael Uslan (2012)

Imaginative World Cover Ups Besides her own magazine, Mary Marvel had a home in Wow Comics from issues 9 through 58, and at top left is the cover of #36 (May 1945), drawn by Jack Binder, reminding readers of Mary’s power sources. Mary Marvel’s first editor, Rod Reed, recalled how Selena—the goddess who represents the first letter in Mary’s “Shazam” shout—was in fact supposed to be Sappho; read the text to see why he dumped her. The immortals who made up Mary’s “Shazam” also included Zephyrus, a male deity depicted as a female! Next is Kurt Schaffenberger’s cover for Marvel Family #69 (March 1952). Kurt illustrated a large number of “Marvel Family” stories for Fawcett, then later drew the characters for DC when they were revived in the ’70s, and inked Don Newton-illustrated “Shazam!” stories in the early ’80s. Up next is C.C. Beck’s cover for Marvel Family #71 (May 1952), in which Beck gave Mary a haircut and redesigned her costume with a lower neckline (briefly as a tank top before settling back to short sleeves) and gave her distinctive “slippers” instead of boots. Last but not least is Jack Binder’s cover for Mary Marvel #21 (Feb. 1948) featuring Dice Head, an anomalous adversary invented by Otto Binder and which the FCA editor calls to mind as a part of Mary’s “imaginative world.” [Shazam heroine TM & © 2012 DC Comics.]

The origin and training… the Marvel Family and Uncle Marvel… Bulletgirl… the Black Magician… Tornado Man… the Chameleon Girl… Robot Paradise… an undersea farm… the miser of resources… the Hate Collector… a growth epidemic… the kindest man in the world… predatory plants… a courageous coward… the bee hive people… the sad dryads… Dice Head… the Birdmobile… tropical snow… Henry Stibbs, the

Mary Marvel: 70 Years Young!

Mary Marvel’s Marching Society Mary Marvel’s popularity, which extended beyond U.S. borders, paved the way for the introduction of various merchandise. Clockwise from above left are: the magnificent Mary Marvel statue manufactured in 1946 by the R.W. Kerr Company of Hastings, Nebraska (courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions)… a Captain Marvel Club letter from December 1945 announcing the arrival of the new Marvel Family comic and Mary’s solo book—the latter described by Captain Marvel to Club members as “a humdinger of a magazine”… Mary Marvel Soap, so you can be squeaky clean like our favorite heroine (letter and soap scans courtesy of Michael Gronsky)… the cover of O Guri (translated as “Boy” or “Lad”), Mary’s home base in Brazil during the ’40s (thanks to John G. Pierce)… and Mary Marvel art evocative of Matt Baker‘s style, taken from a coverless Canadian issue of Spy Smasher from the ’40s (which also included Canuck re-created tales of “Captain Marvel Jr.” and “Commando Yank”). The latter was one of the comics known as “Canadian Whites” that appeared after Canada’s War Exchange Conservation Act restricted trade of items considered non-essentials (which included comic books) from the U.S. into Canada. Therefore, one Canadian comic-producing outfit from Toronto, Anglo-American Publishing, began producing their own versions of existing U.S. Fawcett stories during World War II. A-A’s art director Jack Calder had once brought his stable of artists over to the States for a week to receive instruction from C.C. Beck on how to draw Captain Marvel and other Fawcett characters (thanks to John G. Pierce). A-A went back to simply reprinting U.S. stories once the trade restrictions were lifted after the war. [Shazam hero & heroine TM & © 2012 DC Comics.]

Nightowl… a mermaid in Central Park… Stone Men of the Moon… the Modern Wizard of Oz… Mr. Question… the thoughtstealing machine… idea pills. Thank you, Otto, Marc, Jack, et al, for Mary Marvel’s imaginative world. —P.C. Hamerlinck (2012)

I’ve Always Wondered…

Actually, that’s an exaggeration. When Mary Marvel was introduced to the comics-reading world I was seven years old and I was much more inclined to accept things as given. But after a while I did start to wonder, and I’ve never quite figured this out.

Look, when Billy Batson spoke the ancient wizard’s name he not only received the wisdom of Solomon, strength of Hercules, and so

on. Yes, that happened. But he was also transformed from a little boy to a massive, muscular man.

But when Freddy Freeman spoke the name of his hero, while he achieved a similar set of powers, he remained the same size and apparent age. Oh, and his crippled leg was miraculously healed, as well.

Which brings us to Mary, Billy’s long-lost twin sister. A young girl, obviously the same age as young Billy. And when she spoke the magic word she not only obtained that cute red dress with the yellow trim and the white cape, she became very, very strong, was able to fly, and the rest of the package. But she remained a little girl.

Let’s review: Billy transforms from little boy to great big man with powers; Freddy’s bum leg gets better and he gets powers but stays the same size and apparent age; Mary gets a set of super powers. And they all get new wardrobes, but that’s a relatively minor concern.

FCA [Fawcett Collectors Of America]

Kinda Loopy

I always liked both Mary Marvel and Jack Binder’s artwork for same when I was growing up in the latter 1940s, even though I could sense that Mary’s stories weren’t really aimed at a young male audience as Cap and Cap Jr.’s were. Even so, I agree with Marc Swayze (whose version of her I didn’t see until years later) that Fawcett made a real mistake aiming the stories so directly at girls and putting so little in them to appeal to boys. Even the whole idea of having Billy Batson’s twin sister turn into a Marvel who was Cap Jr.’s age/size rather than Cap’s was kinda loopy, and seemed so to me even then, I believe. I don’t think I missed her when her solo series were dropped as much as I would the other two members of The Marvel Family, a few years later. Still, I was glad to see her stick around in the later issues of The Marvel Family, with her updated costume. —Roy Thomas (2012)

A Touch Of Femininity

Mary Marvel Mix The cover of Shazam! #12 (June 1974) by Bob Oksner, whose version of Mary Marvel is still embraced by appreciative fans—one such fan being veteran animation layout artist Darrell McNeil, who helped bring the heroine to life in Filmation’s Shazam! animated series, and who contributed the top-right illustration especially for the ol’ girl’s birthday. Also included is a Shazam! storyboard featuring a dramatic Mary Marvel sequence from the 1981 NBC cartoon by an unknown Filmation artist. Finally, artist Michael Cho [michaelcho.com] contributed this exemplary interpretation of the Shazam girl. [Shazam heroine TM & © 2012 DC Comics.]

I wish I’d asked Otto Binder about this when I had the chance, but I foolishly failed to inquire back then and Otto is no longer with us, alas. So I suppose I’ll never know.

But she was a sweet child, Mary was. As a kid I obviously had the wrong demographics to become a major Mary Marvel fan. The more I think back on those days, the more I think about Mary Marvel, the fonder I become of her. Guess I’ll go scout up some old Wow Comics and revisit those long-ago days. —Richard A. Lupoff (2012)

Although she had the powers of old Shazam like her family members, Mary Marvel never seemed as intimidating to me as Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, or even the Black Cat—I suppose because she was a girl, and stayed a girl in her super-powered form. She was a charming addition to the Fawcett universe, one that I know was very special to her chief writer Otto Binder. He even named his daughter after her, or at least partly so. The combination of Marc Swayze’s superlative character design and Otto Binder’s writing talent made Mary successful. While Jack Binder’s artwork was just workmanlike, Mary benefited in the latter part of her career by superb Kurt Schaffenberger art. The touch of femininity that she brought to The Marvel Family added to their universal appeal. She had her own title, and must be counted as one of the most popular heroes of comics’ Golden Age. —Bill Schelly (2012)

Mary Marvel: 70 Years Young!

That Ever-Familiar Girl

An Ideal Heroine

…The period of transition between Fawcett and National… [had] changed Mary a bit. Jack Binder, an artist who drew Mary as a young, innocent, highspirited girl who could easily sub for Annette Funicello at a Mouseketeers meeting, found his character changed. Sure, in the last days of Fawcett an order came from above to change the little-girl face, shorten the skirt, and give her a bust, but the ruse failed…. Bob Oksner and Kurt Schaffenberger view her differently, to some degree. Oksner views her satirically as a misfit from a romance mag. Schaffenberger sees her as that ever-familiar girl on the street corner, leaning against the lamppost and dragging on a cigarette. —Matt Lage (1974)

In spite of growing up in luxury, Mary was not a spoiled brat but a wholesome individual, just the sort of girl that boys (when they got a little older) might like to take home to mom… and whom girls would emulate.

Mary did her job as a Marvel without complaint. Unlike Wonder Woman, Mary wasn’t out to preach superiority of women… and, unlike the later Supergirl, she didn’t lose her head over every boy who came along. In contrast to today’s super-heroes, she wasn’t filled with neuroses, either.

Alas, she was also the least popular of the three Marvels and the first to lose her own magazine. Thus, today Mary Marvel is remembered mostly for her role in the Marvel Family trio, not as a separate character.

Nancy Drew Marvel

When I was given Mary Marvel to illustrate, I tried to break away from the confines governing Captain Marvel. I presented her as a “Nancy Drew” type of character. Mary Marvel provided a greater opportunity for me to be myself artistically and indeed provided more enjoyment and satisfaction. —Bob Oksner (1996)

May Mary Marvel continue being an example that a girl can be rich, nice, and an ideal heroine. —John G. Pierce (1981)

The Perfect Complement

Mary Marvel is the perfect complement to the Captain Marvel character and the ideal “big sister” for Captain Marvel Jr., who—when they are all teamed together to fight crime as a unit—melds effortlessly into the colorful and formidable team of classic super-heroes historically known as The Marvel Family. When flying solo, she is a delight to follow with her obvious feminine charms yet totally iron-fisted methods as she fiercely pursues and slams the bad guys. She has her own goddesses to draw her powers from and uses their mythological strengths to the max. She is all girl and, like her alter ego Mary Batson, quite nextdoor-attractive.

Amid Cotton Clouds

While Mary Marvel wasn’t the first female super-hero—Wonder Woman and Black Cat preceded her, for instance—she is the most enduring of the first female “spin-off” superheroes, an important distinction. Mary blazed the trail for the likes of Wonder Girl, Supergirl, Batwoman, Batgirl, Mera, Spider-Woman, SheHulk, and countless others.

I don’t wonder why the Mary Marvel artists who immediately spring to mind for me are those with proclivities for rendering feminine beauty: Marc Swayze (Mary’s designer), Kurt Schaffenberger, and Bob Oksner.

When I was a kid, super-hero comics were a “gateway”—boys read them before becoming interested in girls. The sight of wholesome, adorable Mary Marvel—flying amid cotton clouds with the grace of a ballerina, her red skirt flickering in the breeze – was a harbinger of stirrings-to-come. —Mark Voger (2012)

Robbins. The Girl Wonder Comic artist and historian Trina Robbins remembers the World’s Mightiest Girl from her youth, when she tried with all her might to make Mary Marvel’s magic word work for herself. Above is Trina’s cover for the 1970 underground comic classic It Ain’t Me Babe, which included Mary M. amongst its cover crew of heroines… and a convention photo of Trina and artist C.C. Beck, snapped in San Diego 1977, dug up from the FCA editor’s archives. [Shazam heroine & Wonder Woman TM & © 2012 DC Comics; Olive Oyl, Little Lulu, Sheena, & Elsie the Cow TM & © 2012 the respective copyright holders.]

With DC now feeling they are “forced” to drop the Captain Marvel name in favor of calling the character Shazam (to avoid “confusion” among the fans—hah!), we are ultimately left with a whole new dilemma: will the old wizard now be called Shazam, Sr.? Will Junior now be called Shazam, Jr.? Will Mary Marvel now be Mary Shazam? Ugh! Long live the original Cap, Cap Jr., and Mary! —Jackson Bostwick (2012)

FCA [Fawcett Collectors Of America]

Reality Stars Bob Mitsch and girlfriend Teri Samuels as genuine Shazam heroes, taken in San Diego during ComicCon weekend, 2010. The Captain Marvel costume, based on the one Tom Tyler wore in the 1941 Adventures of Captain Marvel serial, was designed by Liz Galeria [the-MagicWardrobe.com], and later slightly altered by Karyn Richardson [limb factory.com]; the Mary costume was fashioned by the couple’s friend, Vickie Sebring. Bob is, of course, an Alter Ego reader and fervent Marvel Family fan… while Teri adores Hoppy the Marvel Bunny!

With One Mighty Whisper

As a girl, I had my pick of the best… comic book heroines to relate to. And it was the heroines I related to, not the heroes. Superman and Batman couldn’t have interested me less.

My heart swung on jungle vines with Sheena, piloted invisible airplanes over Paradise Island with Wonder Woman, and… best of all… flew with Mary Marvel. In fact, it was only through Billy Batson’s twin sister that I, who scorned super-heroes, came to know and love Captain Marvel.

Wonder Woman and Sheena were fine, but they were women, where Mary Marvel was a girl, a kid just like me. So far as I know, until the advent of Kitty Pryde of Marvel’s X-Men, Mary Marvel was America’s only flat-chested super-heroine.

To a kid like me, that meant that, if I could master the correct way to say “Shazam,” then I, too, might be able to fly. Gosh! Then I’d be popular!

Boy, did I try… always in the privacy of my room. I would whisper the magic word and wait for something to happen. But it never did. Perhaps if I had had the courage to shout it…. —Trina Robbins (1981)

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