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No. 14 April 2002

Art ©2002 James Cavenaugh; JSA TM & ©2002 DC Comics

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Vol. 3, No. 14 / April 2002

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Editor Roy Thomas

Associate Editors Bill Schelly, Jim Amash

Design & Layout Christopher Day

Consulting Editors John Morrow Jon B. Cooke

FCA Editor P.C. Hamerlinck

Comics Crypt Editor Michael T. Gilbert

Editors Emeritus Jerry Bails (founder) Ronn Foss, Biljo White, Mike Friedrich

Cover Artists Mike Nasser & Steve Leialoha Michael T. Gilbert

Cover Colorists Tom Ziuko & Michael T. Gilbert

Mailing Crew Russ Garwood, Glen Musial, Ed Stelli, Pat Varker, Loston Wallace

And Special Thanks to: Pedro Angosto Jeff Bailey Brian H. Bailie Bill Black Ray Bottorff Jr. Jerry K. Boyd Jack Burnley Glen Cadigan James Cavenaugh Gerry Conway Mike Cruden Mike Curtis Ray A. Cuthbert Fred W. DeBoom Craig & David Delich Al Dellinges Jay Disbrow Ric Estrada Mark Evanier Ryan Farnsworth Stephen Fishler Creig Flessel Keif Fromm Keith Giffen David G. Hamilton Paul Handler Irwin Hasen Mark & Stephanie Heike Carmine Infantino Fred Jandt Jim Korkis Thomas Lammers Jim Lee Paul Levitz Russ Maheras Scott McAdam

Christopher McGlothlin Ralph Ellis Miley/ New Creation Al Milgrom Sheldon Moldoff Matt Moring Mart & Carrie Nodell Michelle Nolan Eric NolenWeathington Jerry Ordway Bob Overstreet Carlos Pacheco Chris Pedrin Ian Penman Peter C. Phillips Ginny Provisiero Charlie Roberts Ethan Roberts Julius Schwartz Dez Skinn Robin Snyder Joe & Hilarie Staton Marc Swayze Joel Thingvall Dann Thomas Alex Toth Dr. Michael J. Vassallo Nikki Vrtis Hames Ware Len Wein Marv Wolfman Ed Zeno Mike Zeno

In Memoriam:Chase Craig & Dan DeCarlo

Contents Writer/Editorial: ...And Justice Society for All! . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 All the Stars There Are in (Super-hero) Heaven! . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 The 1970s JSA revival—a guided tour by Conway, Levitz, Estrada, Giffen, Milgrom, & Staton.

Inking Comics the ORDway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Pardon the bad pun! Jerry Ordway on inking/embellishing the early All-Star Squadron.

Welcome to Fandomland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Bill Schelly tells how comic fandom changed his life in the 1960s.

re: [a letter of response from veteran artist Carmine Infantino] . . . 35 Tributes to Craig Chase and Dan DeCarlo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America) #73 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 P.C. Hamerlinck presents Marc Swayze, C.C. Beck—& Jay Disbrow.

All-Star Comics in the 1940s––plus Fox and Elias. . . . . . . . . Flip Us! About Our Cover: In 1977 Craig Delich assembled (and his brother David published) The All-Star Comics Revue, an 88-page celebration of the JSA up to that point. It sported a gorgeous cover penciled by Mike Nasser (now Mike Netzer) and inked by Steve Leialoha, which all associated with it have given us their blessing to use as one of this issue’s covers— including copyright owner James Cavenaugh. Thanks, guys! We figured it was high time this nice piece of art was seen in color again! [Art ©2002 James Cavenaugh; JSA © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

Above: Everybody’s present and accounted for but Superman, in this Joe Staton/Bob Layton panel from the JSA’s first-ever origin in 1977’s DC Special #29. Reproduced from photocopies of the original art, courtesy of Brian H. Bailie. [©2002 DC Comics.]

Alter EgoTM is published 8 times a year by TwoMorrows, 1812 Park Drive, Raleigh, NC 27605, USA. Phone: (919) 833-8092.

Roy Thomas, Editor. John Morrow, Publisher. Alter Ego Editorial Offices: Rt. 3, Box 468, St. Matthews, SC 29135, USA. Fax: (803) 826-6501; e-mail: roydann@ntinet.com. Send subscription funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial offices. Single issues: $8 ($10.00 Canada, $11.00 elsewhere). Eight-issue subscriptions: $40 US, $80 Canada, $88 elsewhere. All characters are © their respective companies. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © Roy Thomas. Alter Ego is a TM of Roy & Dann Thomas. FCA is a TM of P.C. Hamerlinck. Printed in Canada.

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writer/editorial

2

...and Justice Society For All! Just when you thought that everything had been said about past incarnations of the Justice Society of America that was worth saying, this issue of Alter Ego comes along—and if it doesn’t prove you wrong, then you and I are on definitely different wavelengths, friend.

You even get a choice of which decades to start in—the 1940s or the 1970s and ’80s!

If, attracted by the brand new, tongue-firmly-in-cheek JSA cover drawn by Michael T. Gilbert, you read our Golden Age-centered “flip” section first, you already know there’s a wealth of art and information there, much of it—such as five pages from the unpublished 1945 story “The Will of William Wilson”—never before seen by more than a handful of collectors and their intimate pals since the ’40s.

If, on the other hand, you were drawn to this issue by the beautifully garish primary hues of a JSA illustration penciled by Mike Nasser and inked by Steve Leialoha a quarter of a century ago, then welcome to the “Bronze Age and Beyond” features on this side of the four-color tracks.

It may seem strange to have skipped the so-called Silver Age, circa the 1960s, this time around. But, a year or so back, we devoted beaucoup pages to the classic JLA-JSA team-ups that ran from 1963-85. “Crises on Finite Earths” in A/E V3#7 had originally been prepared as a chapter for our nearly out-of-print 2000 book AllStar Companion, but had been dropped at the last minute to keep the book at just over 200 pages. For the A/E version, I added short interviews with most of the team-ups’ writers.

questions and volunteer anecdotes and information about that “brief shining moment” from 1976 to 1979. The first two responded via e-mail, while talks with Estrada, Giffen, and Staton were transcribed by Brian K. Morris—and I scribbled down a few notes after phoning Al Milgrom (who in the ’70s became the youngest addition to a poker-playing circle that included John Romita, Sol Brodsky, Mike Esposito, Stan Goldberg, Al Sulman, and Yours Truly). We suspect that even the 1970s-era collector who owns all 24 “revival” issues—which includes the first-ever origin done for the JSA—will learn quite a few things he never knew or even suspected.

What’s more: thanks in particular to a trio of collectors with coincidentally similar surnames— Bails, Bailey, and Bailie, believe it or don’t!—and one Fred DeBoom, we’ve been able to illustrate many of our points with panels reproduced from the original art. As an extra bonus, A/E’s coassociate editor, Jim Amash, owns the better of the series’ two Wally Wood covers, and artist Jim Lee owns Neal Adams’ cover for the JSA origin—both of which are reprinted herein for the first time from the original art.

One rainy night in late 1940, a year before America entered World War II after Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt decides to enlist the aid of the mystery men who have popped up since 1938—to save Great Britain from a Nazi invasion. From the JSA’s origin in DC Special #29 (Aug.-Sept. 1977). Reproduced from photocopies of the original Joe Staton/Bob Layton art, courtesy of Brian H. Bailie. Brian is an illustrator for NASA at the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and is founder of "The Cosmic Treadmill," an online chat forum dedicated to the pre-Crisis DC Universe, esp. the Golden and Silver Ages; the latter is up and running every Wednesday night from 8:00 to 9:00 PM EST. Log onto AOL and type in the Keyword CHATDC and just click on the Chat Room. [©2002 DC Comics.]

But that still left sadly unprinted the chapter I’d prepared for the Companion about the Justice Society/AllStar Comics revival during the latter half of the 1970s. I promised that, one of these days, Alter Ego would print that chapter. And now we have—with a vengeance.

For, just as with the JLA-JSA team-ups, we interviewed many of the major people connected with the 1970s JSA return, most of whom are happily alive and well. Writers/editors Gerry Conway and Paul Levitz, story artists Ric Estrada, Keith Giffen, and Joe Staton, and cover penciler Al Milgrom all generously gave of their time to answer

Also, because people keep requesting it (and evidently reading its predecessors), here’s another installment of the story behind All-Star Squadron, the JSA-related series I conceived and wrote in the ’80s. This segment consists of nothing less than an interview with Jerry Ordway, now a well-known writer and penciler as well, but in 1981 the original inker/embellisher of Rich Buckler’s art on the series.

All this, plus the usual and always-entertaining ten-page FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America) section, and a brief excerpt from Bill Schelly’s new book Sense of Wonder: A Life in Comics Fandom, should make this issue of Alter Ego one of the liveliest ever!

And if you think now we’ve finally exhausted the subject of the vintage Justice Society of America with all these pages—just stick around for a few months!

Bestest,

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4

All The Stars There Are In (Super-Hero) Heaven!

There Are In Super-Hero Heaven!

The 1970s Justice Society Revival—All-Starring the Original Cast!

by Roy Thomas Special thanks to Michelle Nolan, Eric Nolen-Weathington, and Ray Bottorff Jr. for providing the All-Star and Adventure covers.

I was there for the conception—but that’s just about it.

In 1975 Gerry Conway, scripter of several of Marvel Comics’ major titles, left that company and became a writer/editor for DC. Gerry and I had already been friends for over half a decade, so it was only natural that, one evening early that year, at his apartment on Manhattan’s West Side, we started kicking around some ideas for new projects he could initiate at DC. Gerry had plenty of his own concepts, of course—but, on a whim, I suggested a revival of All-Star Comics.

printed on the revived All-Star’s first letters page; I figured that wouldn’t ruffle too many feathers back at Marvel. All-Star Comics #58 hit the newsstands in autumn of 1975, and became a reasonably popular if not best-selling title.

In February 1976 Stan Lee asked me to become Marvel’s editor-inchief again—the post I’d held from 1972-74. I agreed, but (after a week’s vacation in sunny L.A. convinced me I’d rather move to California instead) I soon reneged, and suggested to Stan that he offer Gerry the job. He did, and Gerry very briefly became Marvel’s editor-in-chief in between Marv Wolfman and Archie Goodwin... and, even when he decided the job was not to his liking after all, he continued to write exclusively for Marvel for some months.

In those days, the fabled Justice Society appeared only in annual guest-shots in Justice League of America, and were assumed to dwell on “Earth-Two,” an other-dimensional world that existed parallel to that of the JLA. I reasoned, why not give the JSA their own title again, tapping into that exposure? (Of course, what I really wanted, as a fan of All-Star Comics from 1945 through the end in 1950, was just to see the guys return in their own mag instead of in one story a year.)

With Gerry’s departure from DC in early ’76, Paul Levitz, his assistant editor who had already dialogued a bit of JSA material, became All-Star’s new writer. He continued as scripter for the remainder of AllStar’s ’70s run, which culminated with #74 (Sept.-Oct. 1978)—and included the Justice Society’s never-before-told origin, unveiled in DC Special #29 in 1977—and which then continued in Adventure Comics #461-466 in 1979, at which point the JSA “died” with the decade that had seen its revival.

Gerry sparked to the idea and, for good or ill, from that point on I had no more to do with it. (How could I? I was under exclusive contract to Marvel, and probably shouldn’t even have suggested the idea in the first place!) Well, actually, I did send, at Gerry’s request, comments to be

The following is a brief overview of the JSA’s career during the Gerry Ford and Jimmy Carter years, punctuated by short interviews given by both of the series’ writers and by all three of its surviving pencilers. (The great Wally Wood, alas, died in 1981.) We greatly appreciate the time

The Justice Society returned after a twelve-year hiatus in The Flash #137 (June 1963). Two months later they guest-starred in Justice League of America #21, the first of many annual JLA-JSA team-ups—which led eventually to a full-scale All-Star revival in 1975-76! Repro’d from photocopies of the original Infantino/Giella art, courtesy of Jerry Bails. [©2002 DC Comics.]

The 1970s Justice Society Revival these five gents spent with us via e-mail and telephone; and while their comments have been edited slightly for space, we’ve made every effort not to put words into their mouths—or to take too many out.

What we have, I believe, is both a bird’s-eye and microscopic viewpoint of two dozen 1970s comics which are more fondly remembered, and which have left a more lasting legacy, than 90% of what was published during that era and since...

I. The All-Star Issues (and an Awesome Secret Origin) All-Star Comics #58 (Jan-Feb. 1976) “All Star Super Squad” – 18 pp.

Cover: Mike Grell Writer: Gerry Conway Artists: Ric Estrada & Wally Wood [see Estrada interview]

5

NOTES: (a) Brainwave (Brain Wave in 1940s All-Stars) has a new body and look. (b) Though Star-Spangled Kid says he “belong(s) in the 1950s,” his original stories actually ran from 1941-48; he’d returned in 1972, with the rest of The Seven Soldiers of Victory, in Justice League of America #100-102. (d) Though listed in the roll call, SSK and Power Girl are not JSAers in this issue; indeed, this is Power Girl’s debut. (e) SSK henceforth uses Starman’s Cosmic Rod, borrowed from Ted Knight; (f) The issue’s “All-Star Comments” letters page includes pre-solicited missives from longtime JSA fans Roy Thomas and Jerry Bails. (g) From #58-65 All-Star covers feature a smallish “Justice Society” logo plus a larger “Super Squad” one, plus the main All-Star Comics logo; “SuperSquad” was usually hyphenated in the stories. (h) The splash-page logo from #58-65 will read “The All Star Super Squad,” with no interior JSA logo. (i) This is the first All-Star cover ever to feature a Justice Society logo of any kind. (j) All-Star #58-59 were reprinted in the DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest, Vol. 1, #3 (July-August 1980).

All-Star Comics #59 (March-April 1976)

JSAers Participating: Flash, Hawkman, Dr. Mid-Nite, Wildcat, Dr. Fate, Green Lantern, Robin (plus Star-Spangled Kid and Power Girl)

“Brainwave Blows Up!” – 18 pp.

Cover: Ernie Chan (as “Ernie Chua”) Writer: Gerry Conway (“with an assist from Paul Levitz”) Artists: Ric Estrada (“designer”) & Wally Wood (“artist”)

THE STORY: Brainwave tries to destroy Seattle, Capetown, and Peking (Beijing) to gain revenge on the JSA, who are joined by Robin, Star-Spangled Kid, and newcomer Power Girl (Superman’s cousin) as a younger “Super-Squad.”

JSAers Participating: Same as in preceding issue THE STORY: The JSA prevents Brainwave and his ally Per Degaton from pulling the Earth from its orbit.

[©2002 DC Comics.]

NOTES: (a) Degaton, with a new look and hair color, is treated as the “greatest [scientific] genius of all time,” a trait not consistent with his 1940s persona. (b) At story’s end, Star-Spangled Kid and Power Girl are accepted into the JSA as [©2002 DC Comics.] a youthful “Super-Squad” adjunct which includes Robin—though the Boy Wonder will not appear again until issue #67, as he is featured in a new Teen Titans comic.

All-Star Comics #60 (May-June 1976) “Vulcan: Son of Fire!” – 17 pp.

Cover: Ernie Chan (as “Ernie Chua”) Writer: Gerry Conway Artists: Keith Giffen & Wally Wood [see Giffen interview] JSAers Participating: Power Girl, Flash, Wildcat, Star-Spangled Kid, Green Lantern, Dr. Fate THE STORY: The destruction of Vulcan Probe One, a 200-day mission to orbit the sun, turns astronaut Christopher Pike into a cosmic-axewielding super-villain who menaces the Earth.

Ye Editor confesses he winced when he saw that the cover of All-Star #58, the very first revival issue, showed four JSAers sprawling, defeated, while three upstart youngsters rush to save them—but it was lovely Mike Grell art!

Original art repro’d from a black-&-white copy in Amazing World of DC Comics #6 (May 1975). [©2002 DC Comics.]

NOTES: (a) Alan (GL) Scott is revealed to be having economic problems as head of Gotham Broadcasting. (b) Layout penciler Ric Estrada, replaced by newcomer Keith Giffen, is announced as having moved on “to new heights in Blackhawk.”

Main text continued on p. 9

[©2002 DC Comics.]

6

All The Stars There Are In (Super-Hero) Heaven!

GERRY CONWAY (Writer/editor, All-Star Comics #58-62) GERRY CONWAY: My recollection of events from the mid-’70s is a bit vague, at least when it comes to the details of why I did things a certain way in a certain issue. At the time I was writing and editing half a dozen magazines a Gerry Conway in the 1970s. month, with a part-time assistant, in an editorial regime that, in many ways, was the bureaucratic opposite of the system in place at Marvel, where I’d been for the previous five years. In contrast, today’s comic book editors handle about four titles a month, under the direction of “group editors” and with a full-time assistant. My position at DC was somewhat difficult and unique: I was trying to do comics the way I’d done them at Marvel, and that put me up against a pretty entrenched creative structure.

It was a hectic, exciting, frustrating, and rewarding time—and I was only 23 years old! I couldn’t have accomplished anything at all (to the degree that I did) without the support and encouragement of Carmine Infantino, Paul Levitz, and Joe Orlando... not to mention your very helpful kibitzing.

ROY THOMAS: Which of course was very much off the record, since at the time I was under contract to Marvel! Do you recall, one night in 1975, our talking over possible new projects you might initiate at DC, and my suggesting the revival of All-Star and a full-blown Superman-Captain Marvel fight? Not that I want to claim any credit for what you did with the concepts... I’m just curious.

CONWAY: I don’t recall the specific conversation, but I know we talked about it. Your interest in an All-Star revival certainly put me on the path to championing it at DC. Obviously, because of my age at the time, I was only familiar with the “Earth-Two” version of the JSA, as per the annual JLA-JSA team-ups, so I think it was your enthusiasm for the team’s potential that inspired me, more than anything else.

RT: Later you offered me a chance to ghost-write an issue or so of AllStar. But I preferred not to, since it would have had to be anonymous... and I wanted any JSA story I wrote to have my name on it. How did Ric Estrada and Wally become the art team?

CONWAY: I didn’t have access to the so-called “good” artists—and I’m not sure I would have agreed with that designation at DC then anyway!

Most of the artists I worked with then were people the other editors wouldn’t use, because they were either brand new (Keith Giffen) or were perceived as being “burned out” (Steve Ditko, Wally Wood) or just not “good enough” for the traditional DC super-hero book (Ric Estrada, Ernie Chan, Dick Ayers, Chic Stone). But I’d seen Ric’s pencils on some books Joe Orlando was doing (I think), and thought he had a great storytelling/design sense.

Wally Wood, of course, was a master of long standing—though his stock had fallen somewhat among other editors at that time—but I’d never felt his storytelling was his strong suit. I had this (probably crackpot) theory that one could combine artists with different strengths and that the whole would be greater than the parts. I thought the teaming of Ric’s pencils and Wally’s inks would be exciting, and I was right (I’d like to think).

RT: Was Paul Levitz your assistant editor from the beginning?

CONWAY: If not from the beginning, very soon afterward. I believe I also worked with Alan Asherman. An anecdote: shortly after I started working at DC as an editor, the powers-that-be decided to eliminate all

The first two splashes for the revived All-Star, by Estrada and Wood. Boy, had The Brain Wave changed since his last previous appearance, in 1947’s All-Star #37, as drawn (at right) by Irwin Hasen! [©2002 DC Comics.]

The 1970s Justice Society Revival Another concept that came out of that 1975 Conway-Thomas brainstorming session was the all-new Superman vs. Shazam! tabloid, though it took till 1977 to come to fruition. Cover art by Rich Buckler & Dick Giordano. [©2002 DC Comics.]

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musty to me at the time. I was doing a contemporary, “modern” version of the JSA, with younger characters, in a very different style from that of the original series. I’m probably a bit of a philistine, but I never felt much commitment to consistency for its own sake—sigh.

RT: How was the choice made to include Power Girl, Robin, and Star-Spangled Kid in the JSA—and how did the “Super-Squad” idea emerge?

CONWAY: As I said, I wanted to do a “modern” group—which at the time meant kids in costume. Youth rules—and the original JSA characters were a bit long in the tooth, according to continuity (even given that time seemed to run at a different rate on EarthTwo). Robin was a nod to the present; The StarSpangled Kid was a nod to the past; and Power Girl was an attempt at something “new.”

Calling the resulting group the “Super-Squad” was intended to differentiate it from the JSA. Also, while I wanted to use the All-Star name for the comic, I knew that, in fact, none of these characters were what readers of the ’70s would consider to be “stars.” Hence, “SuperSquad.” Which also avoided the acronymic problem presented by the alternative “All-Star Squad.”

assistant editors to cut costs. Joe Orlando and I split Paul’s salary out of our own pockets to keep him on. Which raises the question: If we hadn’t done that—would Paul be co-running DC Comics today?

RT: Joe Orlando is usually given credit for designing Power Girl, but Amazing World of DC Comics back in ’75 printed what might be a design sketch by Ric. If Joe designed Power Girl, then why the Estrada sketch?

1978 saw Gerry launch (with artists Jose Garcia-Lopez and Dan Adkins) a Superman/Wonder Woman slug-fest—during World War II, which means on Earth-Two! In the 1980s Roy Thomas did a postCrisis take on the storyline, minus those two retroactively nonextant heroes, in The Young All-Stars #21-25. [©2002 DC Comics.]

CONWAY: In the ’70s, when I was writing comics at DC and Marvel, I made it a practice to sketch my own ideas for the costumes of new characters—heroes and villains—which I offered to the artists as a crude suggestion representing the image I had in mind.

I had done that with The Punisher at Marvel. Similarly, I sketched a crude version of Power Girl, including the open circle on her chest, which either Joe or Ric developed into the finished design.

RT: So there may have been as many as three design sketches for Power Girl, starting with yours! According to a Levitz letters page, Wally Wood suggested closing up the bare spot on Power Girl’s chest.

Hardly a major point, but...

CONWAY: Actually, closing the circle on Power Girl’s costume was [publisher] Jenette Kahn’s idea. She felt it was sexist, and she was probably right. I doubt Wally would have had such qualms, given his taste for ill-clad buxom babes. (A taste I share, by the way, and another reason why this former Catholic boy will probably burn in hell.)

RT: Did you consciously decide to re-design Brain Wave (in #58), then Degaton (in #59)? Degaton became a scientific genius, too, which he hadn’t been in the ’40s.

CONWAY: The original versions of those characters seemed pretty

RT: You mentioned StarSpangled Kid as being from the 1950s, but of course it was actually the ’40s. And did you give him Starman’s rod because he lacked power otherwise?

CONWAY: I guess when I was writing that particular bit I confused Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy with Captain America and Bucky (for obvious reasons)! Since Cap and Bucky’s careers continued into the ’50s despite Stan’s assertion in Avengers #4 to the contrary (and let’s not get started on the continuity problems that created!), I must’ve assumed the same was true with SSK. Sloppy continuity on my part, but I suppose I’m in good company. As for Starman’s rod, you’re right—I gave it to the Kid in order to increase his power potential profile.

RT: Did you write most or all of your All-Star scripts in advance, or “Marvel style”?

CONWAY: Marvel style.

RT: I got a kick out of your inviting Jerry Bails and me to write letters to appear in your very first issue.

CONWAY: Had to do it, didn’t I? RT: You had several high-profile projects at this time, including the Superman/Spider-Man team-up. Were these pretty heady days, with that, All-Star, and soon Return of the New Gods?

CONWAY: Absolutely. Heady, and a bit depressing, given the circumstances that had brought me to DC. Nonetheless, I had a lot of fun, and I

8

All The Stars There Are In (Super-Hero) Heaven!

was given more independence than I probably deserved, thanks to Carmine.

RT: Was it you who decided to have Wildcat talk less intelligently for contrast, or was that inherited from somewhere?

CONWAY: I don’t recall. Probably another continuity seizure on my part.

RT: Why did Ric Estrada leave after #59... and how did newcomer Keith Giffen get the job?

CONWAY: I don’t recall why Ric left. I gave Keith the assignment based on his samples. Like Ric, he had a very strong design/storytelling sense, though his draftsmanship wasn’t as polished as it later became.

Nobody would use him, but I thought he’d do a kick-ass job, and I’d like to think I was right. I later brought him over to Marvel, where he penciled The Defenders for me, I believe.

RT: The villain Vulcan, Son of Fire, in #6061, was a good one. Any roots we should know about, besides maybe Thor crossed with a mad astronaut?

CONWAY: Wasn’t Vulcan, Son of Fire, a Charlton character written by a certain Missouri boy before it was shamelessly stolen by some hack at DC—or am I getting that confused with something else? Probably. [ED. NOTE: Gerry refers to Son of Vulcan, the mid-’60s Charlton comic which was Roy T.’s first professional writing job.]

RT: Paul Levitz wound up dialoguing #62, with Zanadu the Lemurian—your last issue. That’s the point at which you quit to go back to Marvel. Were any concepts of yours—bringing in The Shining Knight, a third Injustice Gang, etc.—left behind for Paul to use?

CONWAY: We probably talked about it, but whatever followed my departure is to Paul’s credit.

RT: Did you have any regrets about leaving All-Star and your other new projects to return to Marvel in early ’76?

CONWAY: Well, considering that I stayed at Marvel only a year that time, yes. DC was going through a major creative upheaval in the mid’70s, an exciting time.

RT: During that DC sojourn you also did the first real Superman/Wonder Woman co-starrer, but set in World War II and thus on Earth-Two. Any reason? It was a very good book, with Garcia-Lopez art.

CONWAY: Like yourself, I’m a bit of a history buff (real history, not comics history, though). I thought it would be fun to do a story set in World War II. In any case, I’ve long felt that some characters work best in certain historical contexts and not in others. Wonder Woman always struck me as a character who belonged in the 1940s.

RT: And a bit later you created Steel, the Indestructible Man, also set during World War II. CONWAY: Steel was intended to be a tip of the hat to the original During the revival, Marty Pasko wrote, and Mike Nasser & Vince Colletta drew, Wonder Woman #231-232 (1977), wherein the wartime Amazon rescued five 1943 JSAers... though Sandman should’ve been in purple-and-gold by then, and Mr. Terrific made his only All-Star appearance in ’45. Still, a fun story. [©2002 DC Comics.]

Gerry’s WWII hero Steel the Indestructible Man was cancelled after a few issues during the “DC Implosion”—so, a couple of years later, using art from a discarded 1978 Don Heck-drawn issue, Roy inducted him (promoted to Commander Steel) into the All-Star Squadron. [©2002 DC Comics.]

Captain America. My favorite Cap stories, when I was growing up, were the ones Stan and Jack set in World War II, so I was just trying to recapture that feeling.

RT: When you returned to DC a year later, you inherited a Wonder Woman series set in World War II, because of the first season of her TV series. By WW #239 you’d returned to a former policy of guest-starring other JSAers. Was that your idea?

CONWAY: I don’t recall. Most of the work I did that first year or so after my return was as a hired gun, executing my editors’ ideas.

RT: Any parting thoughts concerning your 1970s revival of All-Star Comics? Anything you wish you’d done differently—or anything you’re especially proud of, in retrospect?

CONWAY: I’m proud that we did it. I’m proud of creating Power Girl, who was certainly one of the first tough babes at DC in the ’70s. I’m proud I got to work with a great artist like Wally Wood, and that I gave Keith Giffen his first series. I’m proud that I (and Joe Orlando) kept Paul Levitz at DC. If I had it to do over, at the same age and with the same skill set I had then, I doubt I would have done anything differently.

[©2002 DC Comics.]

The 1970s Justice Society Revival Continued from p. 5

All-Star Comics #61 (July-Aug. 1976) “Hellfire and Holocaust” – 17 pp.

Cover: Ernie Chan (as “Ernie Chua”) Writer: Gerry Conway Artists: Keith Giffen & Wally Wood JSAers Participating: Same as previous issue, plus Hawkman & Dr. Mid-Nite THE STORY: Xlk-Jnn, the alien entity responsible for creating Vulcan arrives on Earth and helps the JSA defeat the Son of Fire—but Dr. Fate is badly wounded.

[©2002 DC Comics.]

NOTES: (a) Joan Garrick, Flash’s wife, appears... as do Carter Hall and Dr. Charles McNider, alter egos of Hawkman and Dr. Mid-Nite. (b) On the letters page the editors explain that they “consider the Super Squad to be the combination of the two teams [the JSA and the three youngsters], and ‘All Star Super Squad’ is just a handy way of working the magazine’s title into the story’s.”

RIC ESTRADA (Layout Penciler, All-Star Comics #58-59) Transcribed by Brian K. Morris RT: Ric, you’re noted for your war comics work A recent photo of Ric alongside Kanigher, Kubert, Andru, Heath, et Estrada, courtesy of the al., on DC’s “Big Five” war comics, as Chris artist.

Pedrin called them in his book a few years back.

You haven’t drawn many super-heroes, so why do you think writer/editor Gerry Conway asked you to pencil the revival of AllStar Comics in 1975?

RIC ESTRADA: I think it may have been because my style was very direct and very simple—plus I happened to be available at the time. I did a lot of romance stories, war stories, mystery stories... but no, I didn’t do many super-heroes, though I did do Legion of Super-heroes and Super Friends and one issue of Batman.

All-Star Comics #62 (Sept.-Oct. 1976)

RT: I know Gerry was very happy with the work, because I saw a lot of him at that time in New York. How did you feel about the idea that Wally Wood was going to ink the book?

“When Fall the Mighty” – 17 pp.

Cover: Ernie Chan (as “Ernie Chua”) Writers: Gerry Conway (plot) & Paul Levitz (dialogue/“patter”) Artists: Keith Giffen (“pacing”) & Wally Wood (“pictures”)

ESTRADA: Very happy, because Wally Wood is one of the big names in the industry. I think everybody admires him and loves his work. I felt that would enhance the value of my work, and it did. Years later, when I did Richard Dragon, Kung-Fu Fighter, and I sold the original art, the ones I inked would sell for something like fifty bucks, and the only one he inked sold for like a hundred and fifty. [laughs]

JSAers Participating: Wildcat, Power Girl, Dr. Fate, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Flash, Hourman, Superman

RT: It was a happy combination. Did you ever meet Wally personally in connection with this book or at any other time?

THE STORY: As Dr. Fate lies dying, the JSA battle Zanadu, the ChaosMaker, a revived Lemurian. At story’s end, Wildcat attacks Hawkman, under the influence of a new Injustice Gang.

ESTRADA: You know how it was: you freelanced in those days, and you came to the editorial office and you met people for half an hour, you chatted for a while, and then you didn’t see them for another three years. I kept meeting people over the years. I remember meeting Neal Adams almost every week; he worked at DC and had this little office there. And I met people like Joe Orlando and Carmine Infantino; they were always there.

NOTES: (a) Hourman and Superman come out of “retirement.” (b) Shiera Hall (Hawkgirl) appears out of costume. (d) A shadowy figure seen in an Egyptian bazaar will turn out in #64 to be The Shining Knight. (d) The issue contains a schematic drawing of the JSA’s Gotham City HQ. [©2002 DC Comics.]

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But Wally Wood—I would run into him and say hello and say good words and that was it. I also knew Wally from the EC days, way back in 1950, ’51.

All-Star Comics #63 (Nov.-Dec. 1976)

RT: Joe Orlando is often credited with designing Power Girl, maybe from Gerry Conway’s suggestion. But the only design sketch I’ve ever seen was one you did that DC ran in its fanmagazine Amazing World of DC Comics. Do you remember how that character was designed?

“The Death of Doctor Fate” – 17 pp.

Cover: Rich Buckler (p) & Wally Wood (i) Writer: Paul Levitz Artists: Keith Giffen & Wally Wood JSAers Participating: Same as previous issue THE STORY: Dr. Fate arises from the “dead” to defeat Zanadu and rescue Shiera Hall—while Solomon Grundy Main text continued on p. 10

Ernie Chan’s cover for All-Star #61 and Buckler & Wood’s for #63 were printed from b-&-w photostats in Amazing World of DC Comics #11 & 12 (1976). [©2002 DC Comics.]

We printed this Estrada concept sketch of Power Girl from Amazing World of DC Comics #6 (1975) two issues ago, but we just had to repeat it here! So how did that bare circle on Kara’s chest get smaller and, well, centralized? [©2002 DC Comics.]

ESTRADA: Not the exact details, but I do know they liked the way I drew women, because I had done

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All The Stars There Are In (Super-Hero) Heaven! a lot of romance stories. In fact, the first year I worked for DC, I did mostly the romance line. I drew girls sexy but not too muscular like they became later.

RT: Of course, Wally was noted for his females, too, so the inking worked out between the two of you. She had a very sexy outfit.

ESTRADA: And she was kind of a hefty girl. She was not a slinky girl.

Ric Estrada is most noted for his work on DC’s war comics.

This 1994 sketch saw print in Chris Pedrin’s Big Five #1 in 1994-95—an illustrated “information guide” to DC’s major quintet of war titles: All-American Men of War, Our Army at War, Our Fighting Forces, Star Spangled War Stories, and G.I. Combat. Issue #1 is still in print and #2 should go to press this summer. Check Chris’ website at <www.bigfive.net>. [Art ©2002 Ric Estrada.]

RT: Do you recall what kind of reference they gave you to start on AllStar?

ESTRADA: They gave me a couple of comic books from the ’40s, and they said, “Do your own stuff, based on this.” So what I did is I updated the style. The styles of the ’40s and ’50s were a little more, I would say, primitive. And by the ’60s and ’70s, we were a little more refined, not in drawing structure, but in line-handling.

RT: You probably won’t remember the main villain—Brainwave. In the old comics, he appeared in several issues and he was just a guy with a scientist’s smock and a great big bald head. But in your two issues he ends up as a more modern-style, costumed villain. Another old villain, Degaton, appeared in your second issue, and he was altered, too.

ESTRADA: I think they gave me a prototype for the costume and I sort of slicked it up a bit. Usually, they would give you some kind of a sketch that the editor or one of the staff artists would do, and you’d follow that.

RT: In your second story [#59] you’re listed as “Designer” instead of “Penciler.” What did that mean? It says, “Ric Estrada, Designer; Wally Wood, Artist.” Did you do less finished pencils on the second one? On the first, you’re listed together as “Artists.”

RT: They wanted you mostly for the storytelling.

ESTRADA: Exactly. And that’s been my strength most of the time. All my life, storytelling is my forte.

RT: Do you remember whether you worked “Marvel style,” from a plot—or did you work from a full script?

RT: Why did you leave the book after two issues?

A recent self-portrait of the artist.

ESTRADA: I think they just assigned [©2002 Ric Estrada.] me to something else. I was working with Murray Boltinoff on his war comics, and with Joe Kubert, and they knew that’s what I did best. I put my heart into the war comics. To me, superheroes were interesting but infantile. [laughs] The war stories—there was a reality to them that I enjoyed very much. Even though my art is very stylized, I believe in the realism of the story.

RT: You didn’t work on either of the covers for your two issues of AllStar.

ESTRADA: I’ve only done one cover for DC Comics—and it was when I started with them and I was doing romance. They liked my style very much, and Carmine Infantino gave me a cover to do. And he bet, I don’t know, fifty bucks, a hundred bucks, that issue was going to outsell every other issue—and he lost. [laughs] He never gave me another cover. I loved the guy, but because I had a very slick girlie style, he thought that cover was going to really sell with the little girls. After that, I said, “When am I going to get another cover?” And I never did get another one.

RT: Do you remember anything else in connection with that time?

ESTRADA: Well, I just remember working with Gerry Conway, and he was fine to work with. But something that always kind of rattled me a little bit was that he made a little fun of my accent, and I’m very touchy about my accent. I grew up in Cuba and I came to the US in my teens, and I still kept a little sound that is not quite the same as a New Yorker’s, or whatever. A couple of times Gerry made fun, but we got along beautifully, because he was a very talented man and he wrote beautifully.

Continued from p. 9

and The Fiddler act as the vanguard of a new Injustice Gang.

NOTE: The Shining Knight and his flying stallion Winged Victory are seen in silhouette, but not named.

All-Star Comics #64 (Jan.-Feb. 1977) “Yesterday Begins Today!” – 17 pp.

Cover: Wally Wood Writer: Paul Levitz Artist: Wally Wood JSAers Participating: Same as previous issue, minus Dr. Fate THE STORY: The Shining Knight leads the JSA into the past—to Camelot—to learn that their old foe Vandal Savage is tampering with the course of history.

NOTE: The Star-Spangled Kid has customized Starman’s Cosmic Rod into a Cosmic Converter belt.

[©2002 DC Comics.]

ESTRADA: It was a kind of an iffy thing that I never quite understood.

If you did finished pencils with shading and everything, they called you a “penciler” or “artist.” If you did layouts that were a little more unfinished and fast, they called you a “designer”—and I think that’s what happened—that they needed a book fast, and I drew it without any frills.

They knew Wally Wood was going to ink it, so I didn’t have to put in too many details and shading. But my structures and compositions were very complete.

ESTRADA: I have the recollection that I worked from a full script. I don’t think DC did too many of the Marvel style.

Gerry may have been asked to write a full script. I do remember that, once in a while, DC Comics would give me a script and say, “We don’t know what to do with it. There’s a good story but it’s not well-written. Would you rewrite it?”

I would rewrite it, but there was always a script.

The 1970s Justice Society Revival All-Star Comics #66 (May-June 1977) “Injustice Strikes Twice!” – 17 pp.

Cover: Rich Buckler (p) & Jack Abel (i) Writer: Paul Levitz Artists: Joe Staton (p) & Bob Layton (i)

JSAers Participating: Same as last issue, plus Wildcat

JSAers Participating: Same as last issue, plus Dr. Fate

THE STORY: The Justice Society are imprisoned by Savage on a planet of solid Kryptonite—while the Icicle (of the new Injustice Society, a.k.a.

Injustice Gang) brainwashes Hourman into capturing Wildcat.

THE STORY: Several of the Injustice Society (Wizard, Brainwave, Icicle, Thinker) attempt to avenge their earlier defeats by the JSA—only to rack up another loss—while Green Lantern goes wild under the influence of the second Psycho Pirate.

Perhaps the most fondly remembered cover of the entire 1970s JSA revival is Wally Wood’s Battle of Camelot for All-Star #64. Repro’d from a photocopy of the original art, from the collection of Jim Amash. Lucky guy, huh? [©2002 DC Comics.]

NOTES: (a) Inza Nelson, wife of Dr. Fate, appears... as does Bruce Wayne, once Batman and now Gotham City’s police commissioner. (b) Beginning this issue, the “SuperSquad” name and logo are dropped; on the cover, the “AllStar Comics” logo is reduced in size, with emphasis given to a new “Justice Society of America” logo. (c) Psycho Pirate’s name, often hyphenated, is written in this series as two words.

Main text continued on p. 15

Wood’s splash page for #64, the first he both penciled and inked. [©2002 DC Comics.]

[©2002 DC Comics.]

“The Master Plan of Vandal Savage” – 17 pp.

Cover: Wally Wood Writers: Wally Wood (“plot”) & Paul Levitz (“dialog”) Artist: Wally Wood

[©2002 DC Comics.]

All-Star Comics #65 (March-April 1977)

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All The Stars There Are In (Super-Hero) Heaven! à la Jack Kirby, the storytelling there could be dynamic, it can be solid, but there’s something about the panels almost becoming part of the story that got a lot of people very excited about comic books as a visual format.

KEITH GIFFEN Layout penciler, All-Star Comics #60-63 Interview Transcribed by Brian K. Morris

Of course, the ideal situation probably falls somewhere in between. I’ve seen people who can take the grid and make like Kirby. No one is going to deny Jack. Dynamics, that was Jack’s artwork—and how powerful it was, even with a very standard layout. What was going on in the panel superceded everything, especially when one got into Jack. I still think that a lot of our experimentation with panel design actually reflected nervousness or inadequacy: “Oh, I don’t think my drawing is good enough. Okay, can’t I just play a little with the visual rules?” I think we were also the first generation that came in very heavily influenced by film and TV. We were the first visuallyoriented generation.

RT: You started with #60, the series’ third issue. Do you remember how you got the All-Star assignment? Was it your first job in comics?

KEITH GIFFEN: No, but it was my first job at DC. My first job in comics was at Marvel—The Sword in the Star, bad experience —and Gerry Conway had looked at my samples to give me AllStar. Of course, that was a trip, given the weaknesses of my drawing, and boy, there were a lot, Roy. [chuckles]

Keith Giffen’s self-caricature from Justice League America #50 (1991). [©2002 DC Comics.]

RT: Well, it came out looking good.

GIFFEN: Well, Wally Wood—come on! Woody over the top of me! I guess Gerry responded to the fact that I seemed to know my way around a story.

The one thing I’ll never forget about getting that job on All-Star was the first day. They sent me down to Carmine Infantino. I’d never met him, but I was a big Flash fan when I was a kid, and all of a sudden, I’m being dragged down to meet Carmine Infantino. The fact is he’s the publisher and I’m intimidated, but he was also the guy who drew my alltime favorite comic when I was a kid. I’ll never forget: Carmine was sitting behind the publisher’s desk. He had his coffee in a mint julep glass with a sprig in it and he was getting a shoeshine. And I thought, “Oh God, now what? What have they brought me into? Who is this man?”

We were beginning to understand the concept of not only juggling the camera, but we were also turning into the sound bite generation. We were getting a lot of the French film, the whole auteur thing, which came rolling down on us, different ways of telling the story, moving the camera around, panning shots. The stuff that Steranko did [in the 1960s] barely scratched the surface of this new vision.

It was just a lot of fun back then, and you know that. You were there.

RT: Before, during, and after. The first villain Gerry had you do was Vulcan, Son of Fire, an astronaut turned into a mad Thor type, with a double-headed axe. Did you design that, or did Joe Orlando?

He looked through my pages real fast, he pulled out a box of tissue paper, and he said, “I want to show you something. I’m only gonna take you through this once, kid, so you pay attention. Here’s how you tell a story; here’s how you lead the eye.” And he put the tissue paper over some of my crude little drawings, my portfolio pieces, he did a couple of pencil lines, and in two minutes, taught me everything I’ve ever had to know about visual storytelling in comics.

He taught me things I still do to this day. Two minutes! Bum-bumbum! [laughs] It was like a white explosion goes off behind my eyes.

You go, “Of course.”

He knew how to take the top of the head at a certain angle and have their eyes slide from the top of the head, lead the word balloon down the shoulder, bang, right into the next panel, just where you want the effect. He was simply a master, the way he just passed it on in such a cavalier fashion, I was good and lucky. Looking back on where I was at that point, I certainly wouldn’t have hired me. I still think they were responding to the fact that I had a rudimentary sense of storytelling, and they knew that I was still going to be inked by Wood. I could have drawn stick figures and it still would have looked good.

RT: Page 2 in #60 has a T-shaped panel in which The Flash’s leg extends down between two other panels, so you were somewhat audacious, for DC, from the very beginning.

GIFFEN: For DC, yes. George Pérez was stretching his creative legs over at Marvel, starting to play around with panels. It was a time where any kind of visual experimentation, as long as it moved the story, was not only tolerated, but actively encouraged. I really think it charged up the writers, too, because when you use a six-panel grid,

This Giffen/Wood page from All-Star #63 is repro’d from a photostat of the original art, as sold in a catalog. Thanks to Jerry K. Boyd. [©2002 DC Comics.]

The 1970s Justice Society Revival GIFFEN: I think I did design Vulcan, because I see in the design a lot of little things that I was doing back then. Once again, I was looking over at Marvel and what George Pérez was doing. He was putting a lot of detail—and, of course, I was young enough to say, “Oh boy, I’m going to draw this guy, all these details”—and suddenly realize halfway through, “Oh, no—I’ve gotta draw this guy about 55 times!” [laughs] And I’m sure Woody cursed me.

you and Wally did together was superior to the two issues he drew afterwards on his own, or rather with his assistants.

GIFFEN: Well, the funny thing was, he got excited about the book, about what was going on. It might have been his first exposure to that kind of tight, barrel-down storytelling. All I know is, Gerry at one point said to me, “Woody’s having so much fun on the book that he wants to do it solo.” But Gerry didn’t throw me into the street.

He had something waiting for me, but what was I going to say? Like I felt kind of good. Like, wow, I kind of got Wally Wood charged up. [laughs]

RT: Did you work what they then called “Marvel style” with Gerry— with him giving you a plot, rather than a full script?

GIFFEN: Yeah. It was a very tight plot with some loose snippets of dialogue put in there. Oddly enough, I didn’t work full-script until I did some horror stories with Robert Kanigher, when I worked on the ghost books. Gerry was very much a Marvel thinker, and that was being resisted at DC. I think that’s another reason why I might have landed on the All-Star book—that I could work off a plot. I remember Gerry being very, very dedicated to each individual book and really, really caring. I’m a good PR man for Gerry right now.

RT: He’s producing and writing television now... has been for years.

13

RT: But, after you left, Wally only lasted two issues as the full artist on All-Star.

GIFFEN: Maybe the All-Star stuff was kind of a novelty to him. And then, maybe, once he was doing it all himself, he just felt it was too much like what he’d been doing since EC. RT: But you two were a great combination for those few issues.

Zanadu strikes, in #62. The effect of the guard’s flashlight shining about the museum storeroom for several panels was incorporated in the lettering of his scream. [©2002 DC Comics.]

GIFFEN: God bless him. He had a good story sense. You know what the whole thing is? We all get to a certain point where, “Oh, man. I’m tired. I want to go watch some TV. I want to go outside and take a walk so I’ll just gloss this part of the story over. They won’t notice.” That one part where you know you didn’t give 100% and hoped no one would notice? The first thing, he’d flip through the pages, “Dum-te-dum-dum-dum. What’s this here?” And aw, jeez. Gerry always notices. He’ll always call you out.

RT: You and Gerry also created Zanadu of Lemuria.

GIFFEN: I did the basic designs on him. Gerry would go over and sort of tighten them up and fine-tune them. If I remember correctly, we had all sorts of different little subplots. It was just a fun book to do, and I didn’t mind back then. To this day, I still like those stories. I liked that I could pack it full of stuff.

And, again, there was a certain confidence, knowing Wally Wood was going to go over it. That let me—you know, I was new—do those upshots, those weird angles.

GIFFEN: We were having fun—we were really having fun. Who knows?

Maybe when Gerry left, Woody left, too. All I know, Roy, is, how many guys can say, right out of the box, “I worked with Wally Wood”? [laughs]

That man was incredible.

RT: All-Star #62 says: “Keith Giffen, Pacing” and “Wally Wood, Pictures.”

GIFFEN: That’s the way it should have been. I think that, in the first two issues, Gerry was being very generous in terms of the credits. As for my style you talked about—I call it “The Pérez School.” Starlin was there, too, but Pérez was the guy who rubbed your face in it. I’ve always said: if you like it, send George Pérez a thank-you letter. If you don’t, blame him. I was very much looking at his stuff, because we’re both around the same age, both coming in—what’s he doing that I’m not? I was fascinated by it. It was like I was a raven, and he was a shiny object.

RT: The first couple of credits don’t identify “penciler” or “inker.” It’s “Keith Giffen & Wally Wood, Artists,” or “Keith Giffen & Wally Wood, Illustrators.”

GIFFEN: Which I always objected to. I was just the layout artist. I can make a claim to some design work, the pacing of the story, and the layout of the panels. But I was just the storyboard guy. And then Woody would come along with his people and he would work his magic over the top of it.

RT: I’m a Wally Wood fan, too, but I felt the work Giffen’s Superman was strongly influenced by Joe Shuster’s original version—with white temples added. [©2002 DC Comics.]

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All The Stars There Are In (Super-Hero) Heaven!

RT: I remember the big panel where Zanadu is towering over this guard, strangling him. And you drew pictures in the guard’s “EEYAAAAAAAA!” scream lettering that showed the museum, with the guard’s flashlight shining around over crates, etc.—then suddenly, he’s attacked.

GIFFEN: That was very much Gerry’s idea: “Let’s make the flashlight beam a character in this sequence.” I distinctly remember him saying that, not as an order, but he was always going to suggest something that was so dead-on right.

RT: He probably didn’t suggest putting in the lettering, though.

He just said, “Do it in panels.” So that just shows how he gave one visual suggestion and you took it and turned it into your own thing.

GIFFEN: Yeah. That’s why I said it was fun. The most fun comics for me have always been the ones where I look at it afterwards and I don’t remember where I started and somebody else left off. To this day, Marc DeMatteis and I argue over who was the first one to do “Bwahhah-hah” in Justice League. But you know what? I don’t care. I still think the best books are collaborative books. I’ve read interviews with you where you’ll say, “You know, I don’t remember whether that was me or Buscema, or me or Barry.” I’ll bet those are probably the books you had the most fun on.

who diagrammed it and put in all the little things, so the diagram is mine. Back then, I liked that kind of stuff. I remember how thrilled I was when, in Fantastic Four, they would cut away the side of the Baxter Building. So I figured, let’s do it.

RT: When you finished #64 with the white-templed Superman retiring in favor of Power Girl, did you know, even though it’s a continued story, that you wouldn’t be coming back?

GIFFEN: I knew before that issue began. I knew Woody wanted to take it. I had no problem with that.

Gerry had Kamandi or some other book lined up for me. But after All-Star, it all started falling apart.

I blew myself out of the field.

After Gerry left, I was dealing with Paul Levitz, and I have to admit to you—well, there’s a reason I disappeared from the comics for about three years. Back then, I was doing the work, but I was also a kind of a jerk. I got in, I thought I’d do everything, I thought, “Hey, I know about comic books!” And it got to the point where I could have written a book on how not to break into comics. I would blow deadlines; it was horrible. Eventually, I literally had to leave the field in shame with my tail between my legs.

And then, later, my girlfriend, now my wife, said, “What’s the worst thing that could happen?

RT: Of course, there are also Don’t you owe them the opporbooks in which each person says, tunity to hang up on you?” I really “I did everything.” [laughs] had slunk out of town, it was GIFFEN: And if you think back, really pathetic. But I called up Joe those would be your painful experiOrlando and he said, “Come in, ences. I love the books where it just we gotta talk.” And he sat me Convention sketch of Doctor Fate by Keith Giffen. Courtesy of the artist and all blends, because I’m a very big down and he didn’t make it easy Mike Zeno. [©2002 DC Comics.] proponent of the end product, the on me. He said, “You know, you book. I think the book is more were a screw-up, but we still think important than any one, the individual person working on it. you’ve got something to offer. So we’re going to put you on probation.”

RT: You did a nice sequence of Superman changing. In the final panel, suddenly, there’s just a bunch of papers blowing around. That gives the feeling that Superman has flown off and left a vacuum behind him.

GIFFEN: That was right out of one of the old Fleisher cartoons. The one thing I will take credit for in All-Star Comics is that Superman face—that Shuster face. That came from me—because, to me, that is Superman. To me, no one should ever know what color Superman’s eyes are because he’s always squinting. I liked them, especially when Wally followed through on it. The only thing I didn’t do that I wish I had done was, I didn’t have him doing the Wayne Boring jog. Yeah, I look back on All-Star as a really fun experience. I find it hard to find a down side.

RT: Was it Gerry’s idea to do the schematic diagram of the underground part of the headquarters? The credit on it is, “A hearty hand for Keith and Wally.”

GIFFEN: It was Gerry’s idea, though Paul wrote it later. I was the one

And they bounced me into Dick Giordano’s lap. He was editing the so-called “horror” books at that point. Robin Snyder was the assistant.

And they gave me the acid test. They gave me the work, but it was all Bob Kanigher. And you know, you don’t mess with Kanigher, because he’ll come after you! [laughs] So it was kind of like, “Here you go— you’re going to have to wrestle this grizzly bear.” And so they watched me to see if I could make the deadlines.

Then Mike Barr brought me on board to do the “Dr. Fate” backups in The Flash, and that was my first foray back into super-heroes. I really put nose to the grindstone and made sure I didn’t miss a deadline. And when Gerry went back to Marvel, before long, he brought me over to do The Defenders, if I have my chronology right.

After the way I’d been before, the fact that Paul Levitz let me come back later and work on Legion is a testament to the fact that, really, he’s not as bad or as harsh as people think. [laughs] I mean, Paul really tried to help me. It wasn’t like, “Eh, get rid of him. Throw him on the street.” He really stretched!

The 1970s Justice Society Revival

15

Continued from p. 11

[©2002 DC Comics.]

All-Star Comics #67 (July-Aug. 1977) “The Attack of the Underlord!” – 17 pp.

Cover: Al Milgrom (p) & Jack Abel (i) Writer: Paul Levitz Artists: Joe Staton (p) & Bob Layton (i) JSAers Participating: Wildcat, StarSpangled Kid, Power Girl, Hawkman, Flash, Dr. Fate, Robin THE STORY: Several JSAers are taken by the grotesque Underlord Aryn to a land beneath the Earth, while facing arrest above by police commissioner Bruce Wayne—as Green Lantern continues his rampage.

NOTE: Bruce Wayne appears.

AL MILGROM (Cover penciler, All-Star Comics #67-70) [When asked to confirm that he had, indeed, penciled—with Jack Abel inking—the four covers listed above, Al added these related comments:]

Staton and Layton started their stint on All-Star with a bang with this splash for #66. Repro’d from a photocopy of the original art, courtesy of Jerry Bails. [©2002 DC Comics.]

A little earlier, I had been doing a lot of covers and cover layouts for Gerry Conway over at Marvel, and [managing editor?] Joe Orlando called me up. He said that [publisher] Jenette Kahn liked my covers and he invited me to do some for DC. They paid a little better than Marvel, so I said yes.

paying me more for the same work. He said, “Well, if the money means that much to you....” And I laughed and told him, “Hey, Arch, look at it this way... I’m working for you at bargain prices.” Later that day he apologized and said he understood my position as a freelancer. He was a real gentleman about it. Since the majority of my work was for Marvel, I would’ve had to quit the DC gig if he had pressed me.

But, before I started, Joe told me, “We don’t want our covers to look like Marvel covers.” I was confused, because Marvel covers were the reason Jenette had liked my covers, but I tried to make my DC covers a little different from my Marvel ones.

Ironically, shortly thereafter, Joe Orlando came to me and said, “Jenette doesn’t like your covers.

She says they’re not like the ones you did for Marvel.”

I even got into trouble with [Marvel editor] Archie Goodwin over doing covers for DC, because he didn’t think I should be doing covers for both companies. It was the only time I ever really saw Archie get angry! I felt bad about it, because Archie was a good friend, and I thought he was feeling the pressure of the editor-in-chief job. I went to his office and explained that I was a freelancer, and getting to do covers for both the “big two” was a fan’s dream come true. Besides, I pointed out that DC was actually

I said, “Joe, you told me not to draw them the way I do for Marvel.”

And he just winked, as if to say, “You know that and I know that, but I can’t tell Jenette that.”

But that was Joe. Courtesy of Al Milgrom—the artist's alternate cover rough for All-Star #68.

See p. 20 for the published version. [©2002 DC Comics.]

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All The Stars There Are In (Super-Hero) Heaven!

This one’s got ’em all! The splash of DC Special #29 by Staton & Layton, repro’d from a photocopy of the original art, courtesy of Jeff Bailey. [©2002 DC Comics.]

Neal Adams' cover for the JSA origin issue was a real gem! Many thanks to comic book artist/writer Jim Lee for sending us a scan of the original art. [©2002 DC Comics.]

DC Special (Vol. 7) #29 (Aug.-Sept. 1977) “The Untold Origin of the Justice Society” – 34 pp.

Cover: Neal Adams Writer: Paul Levitz Artists: Joe Staton (p) & Bob Layton (i) JSAers Participating: Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Dr. Fate, Hourman, Sandman, Hawkman, Atom, Spectre, Superman (NOTE: Also depicted, on the splash only, are Dr. Mid-Nite, Mr. Terrific, Johnny Thunder & his Thunderbolt, Wonder Woman, both Red Tornados, StarSpangled Kid, Robin, Starman, Wildcat, Black Canary, Power Girl) THE STORY: In late 1940 President Franklin Roosevelt summons ten super-heroes to stop an invasion of England by the forces of Adolf Hitler—both Nazi soldiers and Asgard-sent Valkyries. Afterward, FDR asks the heroes to continue to work together. They will—calling themselves the Justice Society of America.

NOTES: (a) DC’s version of the legendary Spear of Destiny, which plays a crucial part in this story, first appeared in Weird War Tales #50 (Jan-Feb. 1977), in a story written by Steve Englehart and drawn by Dick Ayers and Alfredo Alcala. (b) The Englishman who tells FDR of Hitler’s plan is an agent for William Stephenson, co-author and hero of the best-selling 1976 memoir A Man Called Intrepid. (c) An Americabound German bomber at the story’s climax is based on the “New York bomber” planned by Nazi technicians—a plane capable of flying all the way from Europe to drop a load of bombs on New York City. (d) This origin was reprinted in the digest-sized The Best of DC, Vol. 4, #21 (Feb. 1982). (e) The post-Crisis on Infinite Earths version of this tale, minus Superman and Batman, was related in Secret Origins #31 (Oct. 1988) by writer Roy Thomas and artists Michael Bair and Bob Downs. (f) As was admitted in a later All-Star letters page, Green Lantern’s Power Ring could not have smashed through the heavy oaken doors of a Scottish castle therein.

Main text continued on p. 20

The 1970s Justice Society Revival

LEVITZ: I think I broke down #59’s plot for Gerry when he got behind. We did that a couple of times. He’d verbally lay out the logic, and I’d do an overnight structure and type job. Not much creative work on my part. I had read all the JSA stories by then in DC’s library, but I don’t recall our making a great effort at fidelity.

PAUL LEVITZ (Writer, All-Star Comics #63-74, DC Special #29, Adventure Comics #461-466; plus co-writer on All-Star #59 & #62) RT: You’re listed as “assistant editor” even in All-Star #58. How did that come about?

17

Was it a foggy day in London-town? Paul Levitz says this is a

RT: Did Gerry or you photo of “me and Joe [Staton] on the Thames, photographed by PAUL LEVITZ: I think Joe Orlando hooked me handle the letters pages his wife Hilarie, circa 1978 or 1979—whichever year the [Science up with Gerry when Gerry started freelancewhile he was editor?

Fiction] Worldcon was held in Brighton.” Today, of course, editing. I could use another day’s per diem (that Paul is president and publisher of DC Comics, but in the late 1970s was how my deal worked while I was in college), LEVITZ: I wrote the texts he was the writer of All-Star Comics. and Gerry could use someone who was around a for #58-74. Frighteningly, I few days a week and could look in on anything he needed. I helped think I’ve written more text pages for comics than anyone, at least at DC Gerry on almost all his books, although I think Jack Harris pitched in or Marvel... a dubious distinction. on Blackhawk, as he was a great fan of the original and I was not. I just RT: You’re listed for “patter” on #62—meaning, you wrote the loved working on All-Star, after a lifetime as a JSA fan. dialogue?

RT: Seems to me I heard somewhere that Wally was not happy inking LEVITZ: Gerry had left to go back to Marvel. I hated doing #62, Ric. because at that stage I had no sympathy for Keith [Giffen]’s work LEVITZ: The structure of the deal that Ric and Woody were under was (ironic, isn’t it, given the quantity of work we later did together on also used for books done by José Garcia-López and Woody... and given that Legion)—and I vividly remember dialoguing that job in three hours one Ric was a master cartoonist and José a master illustrator, there’s no question night while I was living at Mercer Street.

Woody had to put in more work on Ric’s stuff for the same money, and RT: What did you think of the Giffen/Wood combination? And why probably didn’t love it. For what Ric was being paid (a pittance, even by the did Keith leave the book after #63? standards of the time), he was putting a fair amount in.

RT: Joe Orlando is usually given credit for having designed Power Girl, but Amazing World of DC Comics #6 featured what looks like a design sketch by Estrada.

LEVITZ: I remember watching Joe do his initial drawings, but I doubt they survive. He didn’t treasure his sketches—just threw them off.

RT: Already by issue #59 you are credited with an “assist” to Gerry as writer. What did you do on “Brainwave Blows Up”? Did you have enough knowledge of Brain Wave and Degaton to know that they looked all wrong, and that Degaton wasn’t a scientific genius in the original All-Star?

LEVITZ: In theory, Giffen/Wood could work well. I don’t recall why Keith left at that point, but I was happy about it.

RT: Why did Joe become editor when Jerry left, and not you? (You stayed assistant editor, though.)

LEVITZ: I talked Joe into editing the book so I could write it. At that point DC had no writer/editors, and God knows I wasn’t competent to be one, anyway. Joe humored me.

RT: #63 was the first issue for which you got solo credit. Was there ever any chance that you wouldn’t write it?

LEVITZ: If Gerry had left during Carmine’s run, I probably wouldn’t have gotten the chance; but I had the good fortune to be sucking up far more writing assignments than I should have as he left, and “JSA” was a high priority to me.

RT: As late as #64’s letters page, you’re still talking as if Wally will continue to draw and even plot All-Star—but the very next issue, he’s gone. How and why, if you recall?

LEVITZ: No memory.

RT: You’ve written that Wally wanted to remove the bare circle on Power Girl’s chest. (Oddly, it appears on his cover for #64... maybe drawn in by a staffer? But her chest area is colored all white!)

LEVITZ: Woody thought it was sexier. Kinda fun to see Wood and Orlando arguing about what makes drawing a girl sexy.

RT: Wally gets credit for plot and art in #64, but in a letters page you said the two of you discussed the plot. Was it really co-plotting?

The original Estrada-Wood version of Power Girl was, uh, rather fetching. From All-Star #59. [©2002 DC Comics.]

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All The Stars There Are In (Super-Hero) Heaven!

LEVITZ: Keith’s always been one to alter plots. On Legion of Superheroes we played regular games of “Can you top this?”—twisting each other’s ideas until the result was best. On All-Star I have less happy memories, though that may have been both our youth. Woody altered ideas and pacing, and not always for the better at that stage of his life.

RT: The “Untold Origin” issue of DC Special came out about this time, probably your finest hour on “JSA.” How did that plotline come about—the invasion of England, and all? How much research did you do? Did you actually read A Man Called Intrepid, which was a fairly new book at that time?

LEVITZ: I definitely read it. I still have my beat-up first edition from 1976. Probably was deep in Churchill at the time, too. I think that’s when I discovered his six-volume history of World War II. RT: What made you think of using the Spear of Destiny the way Steve Englehart had handled it in a fairly recent mystery story?

LEVITZ: I either edited or assisted on the Weird War Tales story you’re referencing, and it was fresh in my mind.

RT: You don’t by any chance have a black-&-white of Neal Adams’ cover for the origin, do you?

LEVITZ: Gave the original to Jim Lee as a present a few years back. I’m sure he still has it.

RT: Starting in #68 you listed yourself, Staton, and Layton as “story-

A first among firsts: Batman, Flash, and Green Lantern meet in Commissioner Gordon’s office in late 1940, in DC Special #29. Repro’d from photocopies of the original Staton/Layton art, courtesy of Jerry Bails. [©2002 DC Comics.]

LEVITZ: That’s #65. I think he had a particular bunch of scenes he wanted to draw, so I deferred.

RT: Did you do most of your “JSA” writing script-in-advance, or what was then called “Marvel style”?

LEVITZ: Without checking my records, I think I wrote all my “JSA” work plot/dialogue. Gerry started me on that good foot, and since most of the run was with Joe Staton, a favorite collaborator, I’m sure I stayed that way.

RT: With #66 you put a big “Justice Society of America” logo on an All-Star cover for the first time ever. Did you feel the “Super-Squad” thing was just too unwieldy?

LEVITZ: I never cared for “Super-Squad.” Guess I’m a traditionalist.

RT: How did Joe Staton and Bob Layton become the art team?

LEVITZ: They were two of the upcoming “young Turks,” and loved the history of the characters... and, like most accidents in our field, they probably were available when Woody quit. I loved working with them.

RT: In #67 you write in the third person that this is only the second issue that Paul Levitz wrote “without Keith or Wally altering his plots.” Did they alter a lot?

The Spectre makes his debut in the JSA’s origin story in DC Special #29.

Repro’d from photocopies of the original Staton/Layton art, courtesy of Jerry Bails. [©2002 DC Comics.]

The 1970s Justice Society Revival

19

RT: #69 introduced The Huntress. How and why was she created?

LEVITZ: I had just read a biography of Fredric Law Olmstead, who designed Central Park (among many other beautiful places) with partner Calvert Vaux. The Faust element was certainly in there somewhere.

Don’t recall if #463’s story was started for All-Star or Adventure.

LEVITZ: Bob Layton suggested we do a new Batgirl, and I went from that to a new Huntress, whom Joe Orlando designed.

RT: In the offbeat story in #464, Wildcat is the only JSAer who appears in costume.

tellers.” Is this because Joe partook in plotting?

LEVITZ: Both of them kibitzed ideas.

RT: Why did you have The StarSpangled Kid quit the JSA in #71?

LEVITZ: Never a favorite of mine, and complex backstory.

RT: You must’ve liked All-Star expanding to extra-size with #74. When, after only one issue, the so-called “Implosion” of 1978 happened— with DC cutting back many of its titles—did you (and/or Joe Orlando) look for a berth for the JSA? The group went from a big book to no book overnight. You clearly had little warning, hence the optimistic letters page.

LEVITZ: As the The second and third pages of the Levitz/Staton/Layton “Prologue” from Adventure Comics #461, repro’d from photocopies of the original art, principal juggler of courtesy of Jeff Bailey. [©2002 DC Comics.] where to land everything in the Implosion, I’m sure I looked after the JSA (and, to be LEVITZ: A favorite. Short and fun. fair, myself—since I loved the assignment and was giving up Legion to cut my page count down enough to let me keep it).

RT: How did Adventure #466’s “The Defeat of the Justice Society!” come about? The two halves of the story—first in space, then before RT: Joe Staton took over full art chores with #461. Was he or you Congress—seem a loose stitch, nicely held together by the unhappy with Giella, or had he only been meant to be a fill-in inker Huntress/Power Girl narration. Did you think at all about the fact for two issues? that Wonder Woman obviously didn’t retire in 1950-51 like the other six JSAers?

LEVITZ: We’d had a tough time matching inkers to Joe in that period—on Legion, as well. If memory serves, since the page counts on LEVITZ: Like you, I’m a bit of a history buff, and enjoy fitting the “JSA” became variable because of the switch to Adventure, it was easier retro pieces in... though I’ve had far fewer opportunities to do so. I to let him ink himself. imagine I justified the Wonder Woman exception either by figuring the switch to Earth-One occurred at that point, or that she used her military RT: Any late thoughts about Batman’s death in Adventure #462? security clearance to get through.

LEVITZ: It’s one of those stories that probably couldn’t be done today, RT: That story’s final caption seems to indicate you knew in advance in the post-Crisis world. Wish I had done a better job on it. The that it would be the last “JSA” story in Adventure—or indeed melodrama was mostly a musical overtone, not an organic element of the anywhere, for the time being. Did you? story. Ah, well...

RT: The recap of the JSA/Earth-Two situation in Adventure #462 was obviously done because the story had been split in two, so #463’s story was probably the first one prepared for Adventure. Was Fredric Vaux intended to be the Earth-Two Felix Faust?

LEVITZ: Not while plotting it, I think... but by the time I dialogued it, certainly.

20

All The Stars There Are In (Super-Hero) Heaven! [©2002 DC Comics.]

Continued from p. 16

All-Star Comics #68 (Sept.-Oct. 1977)

THE STORY: After the JSAers go their separate ways, StarSpangled Kid and Wildcat battle the bank-robbing Strike Force.

Captured, they are joined by the mysterious Huntress.

“Divided We Stand!” – 17 pp.

Cover: Al Milgrom (p) & Jack Abel (i) Writer: Paul Levitz Artists: Joe Staton (p) & Bob Layton (i)

NOTES: (a) Bruce Wayne makes his peace with Power Girl and the JSA. (b) Power Girl goes directly to her own solo series in current issues of Showcase.

All-Star Comics #71 (March-April 1978)

THE STORY: With Green Lantern under his control, the Psycho Pirate uses the emotions of fear and despair to defeat members of the JSA—momentarily.

“The Deadliest Game in Town!”

– 17 pp.

Cover: Joe Staton (p) & Dick Giordano (i) Writer: Paul Levitz Artists: Joe Staton (p) & Dick Giordano (i)

[©2002 DC Comics.]

NOTE: (a) The end caption heralds “the annual JLA-JSA classic” in Justice League of America #147, guest-starring the Legion of Super-heroes (written by All-Star scripter Paul Levitz). (b) The letters page reports Paul Kupperberg wrote dialogue for All-Star #65, pp. 13-16, to help Levitz get past “a nasty writer’s block.”

JSAers Participating: Wildcat, StarSpangled Kid, Dr. Fate, Power Girl (cameo only) THE STORY: Star-Spangled Kid, Wildcat, and The Huntress defeat The Strike Force, who are led by the former’s nephew, Arthur Pemberton.

The Huntress reveals she is Helena Wayne, daughter of Bruce/Batman.

All-Star Comics #69 (Nov.-Dec. 1977) “United We Fall!”– 17 pp.

Cover: Al Milgrom (p) & Jack Abel (i) Writer: Paul Levitz Artists: Joe Staton (p) & Bob Layton (i)

THE STORY: Bruce Wayne sicks the cops on several JSAers, and Power Girl is badly wounded by a police weapon. Other JSAers take action against their fellow members... and it’s learned that Wayne, too, was under Psycho Pirate’s influence.

[©2002 DC Comics.]

JSAers Participating: Same as previous issue, plus Robin, Hourman, Dr. Mid-Nite, Wonder Woman, Starman, Superman

NOTE: (a) Green Lantern, Flash, Superman, Hawkman, and Dr. MidNite make cameo appearances in their civilian identities. (b) At story’s end, Star-Spangled Kid resigns from the JSA to pick up the threads of his private life. (c) The Huntress is announced as having her own series in Batman Family, in which the fact that her mother was The Catwoman will be unveiled.

All-Star Comics #72 (May-June 1978) “A Thorn by Any Other Name” – 17 pp.

Cover: Joe Staton (p) & Dick Giordano (i) Writer: Paul Levitz Artists: Joe Staton (p) & Bob Layton (i)

NOTE: A prowling, shadowy form that casts a silhouette similar to Batman’s is revealed in the final panel to be a costumed female—The Huntress—though she is not named till next issue.

“A Parting of the Ways!” – 17 pp.

Cover: Al Milgrom (p) & Jack Abel (i) Writer: Paul Levitz Artists: Joe Staton (p) & Bob Layton (i) JSAers Participating: Same as previous issue

[©2002 DC Comics.]

All-Star Comics #70 (Jan.-Feb. 1978)

JSAers Participating: Flash, Green Lantern, Power Girl, Huntress, Wildcat, Hawkman THE STORY: A series of murders in Keystone City are committed by The Flash’s old enemy, The Thorn—who wounds Wildcat with a poison thorn. And then—enter Sportsmaster and the original Huntress!

NOTES: (a) A one-panel flashback shows The Huntress being voted into the JSA; Star-Spangled Kid makes a cameo appearance. (b) Hawkman dons a modernized helmet-mask and wrist bands, designed by his wife Shiera, who appears.

Main text continued on p. 24

[©2002 DC Comics.]

JSAers Participating: Wildcat, Flash, Power Girl, Dr. Fate, Star-Spangled Kid, Hawkman, Green Lantern

The 1970s Justice Society Revival

21 STATON: Yeah, I was. The way The Huntress came down—Layton was inking and he suggested there should be another girl in the group. And then Paul came up with the actual idea of the character. But it was the colorist, Tony Tollin, who suggested that The Huntress be Catwoman’s daughter. I think that was the piece that made it all work. Paul took that and then developed the character from there.

JOE STATON

(Penciler of JSA in All-Star #66-75 & DC Special #29, Adventure Comics #464-465; full JSA artist in Adventure Comics RT: The idea that Batman and Catwoman had been #461-463, 466) married came from that, probably.

STATON: Right. I don’t know if I had the Joe Staton in the 1970s. Special thanks to wife Transcribed by Brian K. Morris Hilarie Staton—who with Chris Mills does a RT: Do you recall how or why you got the job, also whether it was from Joe as editor or Paul as assistant editor and writer?

JOE STATON: Paul offered it to me. I guess he thought I could do Earth-Two with Wally Wood inking.

webstrip called Femme Noir which can be accessed at <www.supernaturalcrime.com>; it’s a mystery strip which should appeal to fans of movie serials and pulp magazines.

Hilarie can be contacted thorough the site <dancingkoala@supernaturalcrime.com>.

RT: This was some of your earliest DC work. You had never done the JSA in any comic before, had you?

STATON: No, no. The only thing I knew about Earth-Two and the Justice Society were the JLA crossovers Julie had done. I think my first DC work was doing finishes over Ric Estrada on Karate Kid. And I think All-Star was the first actual penciling I had done.

I came on with Wally Wood being promised as the inker. Keith Giffen had left, but Woody was going to keep on doing the finishes.

And then, when he couldn’t—I guess his health got so bad, or whatever—well, Bob Layton had been Woody’s assistant and could keep up that Wally Wood look. As long as Bob was doing the Wally Wood look, I liked his inking a lot.

whole script or just Paul’s ideas, but I did sketches and I showed them to Paul. He said Joe Orlando was the boss, so Joe had to pass on the sketches.

And then—this is funny—Joe took me off to a conference room. Vinnie Colletta was supposed to be the Art Director at the time. As far as I could tell, all he did was sit up at DC and ink. But Joe yelled over at Vinnie and said, “Hey, Vinnie. You’re the Art Director. You come be a part of this. We’re designing something.” So Vinnie followed Joe and me in, and Vinnie stretched out on the couch and went sound asleep. [laughs] And then Joe and I had a really nice session, and he took my sketches and punched them up a little bit. I think Joe was the one who actually came up with The Huntress’ emblem. But it was pretty much what I started out with, with some improvements by Joe, and we had a very nice time. Then Joe went over and touched Vinnie and said, “Time to go, Vinnie. Meeting’s over.” [laughs] And Vinnie says, “Okay,” and he went back to work, inking in his room. So as best I can tell, that’s how The Huntress came about.

RT: Paul thought the cover of #71 might be yours. It’s the one where Wildcat, The Huntress, and StarSpangled Kid are fighting The Strike Force in a sports stadium.

He thought it might be you inked

by Dick Giordano or someone.

RT: Were you given any kind of reference to the stories besides the preceding issues, do you recall?

STATON: I had all the JLA-JSA stories, and DC did those 100-Page Specials reprinting stuff from the old comics. I didn’t have any of the original All-Stars or other really old comics; that was before my time.

STATON: That sounds right.

RT: I’m curious—how did you and Paul work in terms of the script?

RT: Of course, “really old” now includes Fantastic Four #1. [laughs] How did you feel about drawing so many heroes in the same stories? Were you like George Pérez, who likes to draw a lot of them, or were you indifferent, or didn’t like it?

STATON: Wow. I think most of the stuff I worked on with Paul was full scripts. [ED. NOTE: In his interview, Paul Levitz recalls it as all plot-then-dialogue.]

STATON: I really got into the JSA. Some group things I don’t warm up to, but I really warmed up to the whole Earth-Two thing.

RT: Were you involved later in the creation of The Huntress?

The Atom’s finest hour—saving President Roosevelt from the deadly spear of a Valkyrie, in the JSA origin in DC Special #29. Repro’d from photocopies of the original Staton/Layton art, courtesy of Brian H. Bailie. [©2002 DC Comics.]

RT: The splash of All-Star #72, that Thorn story, shows four JSAers standing around a corpse on the street which is covered in a sheet, and there are cops and a police car. It’s seen from an overhead angle, and it always reminded me in terms of layout of the splash page Gil Kane did for his and Ron Goulart’s adaptation

22

All The Stars There Are In (Super-Hero) Heaven!

of Robert Bloch’s “Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper” for Marvel. Was this just a coincidence? It’s not the same angle, exactly... and certainly not a swipe. I was just curious because I figured Gil was something of an influence on you.

and even when I went back on it, inking it myself, it didn’t look quite right.

STATON: Yeah, yeah. It may have been a direct influence, or it may just be that when my brain goes to work, I’ve got Gil to fall back on. I wind up with a lot of Gil’s shots without meaning to. [laughs]

STATON: We still needed Wally Wood to come back. [laughs]

RT: Well, a lot of other people do it, meaning to. [laughs] Hawkman’s headgear got redesigned at this time, with wings added and a more modernistic style, plus a couple of wristbands. They made sort of a big deal out of it.

RT: But your own inking had a nice style to it.

RT: But it never happened. You did have Dave Hunt for two issues, with more of a Joe Sinnott kind of style. And then you returned to inking with Adventure #466, which was the last one. Did you know that would be the last one—the story that showed how they retired? It made an interesting end to the series, though it wouldn’t have had to be.

STATON: Oh, I’m pretty sure I didn’t know it.

STATON: I think that was me, at Paul’s direction. I think the idea was to make more of a connection with Hawkman looking Egyptian, so we were trying to get the headgear to suggest ancient Egyptian stuff.

Before, he had just like a bag on his head! I didn’t like the bag on his head.

RT: It makes a nice bookend to the series, so it’s good that it was published. Besides the related All-Star Squadron hero drawings you did recently for the new JSA Sourcebook, did you ever return to doing any more JSA at DC?

RT: I didn’t like it when I was seven, either, compared to the original hawk-shaped headgear. Why the switch, in #73, to Joe Giella as inker?

STATON: Well, I did one Wonder Woman when the book was set in World War II. I think that Gerry wrote that one. And I did the “Huntress” back-up in Wonder Woman.

STATON: Without doing details, there were just problems between me and Layton around that time. And Giella also looked kind of oldfashioned, more ’40s-ish.

RT: Yeah, I wrote Wonder Woman briefly, soon after I moved to DC. But I drifted away from it after Colan left, even though I’d really wanted to do Wonder Woman—partly to get away from Legion because I never really liked doing Legion.

RT: Did you like Giordano inking a cover or two of yours?

STATON: I’ve always liked Dick doing my stuff. Yeah, he’s a classy-looking guy.

RT: How did you feel about All-Star’s cancellation? Of course, you went right over to Adventure.

STATON: [laughs] Me, either.

The death of the Earth-Two Batman—witnessed by his horrified daughter, The Huntress, in Adventure #462. Repro’d from photocopies of the original Staton art, courtesy of Fred W. DeBoom. [©2002 DC Comics.]

STATON: Yeah, and then it disappeared in Adventure after a few issues. I was real attached to the characters and so I still kind of miss them.

RT: About this time, you did that JSA origin story in DC Special. Did you do any special research on all the different historical things in it?

STATON: Paul would have done the serious research. He put it all together. I know I was given a lot of Xeroxes on a lot of different stuff.

You know, the Spear of Destiny, and all that.

RT: With the switch to Adventure in #461, you did your own inking.

Why was that?

STATON: Oh, wow. Probably it was just hard getting the right look,

RT: And then, of course, along came Crisis on Infinite Earths, and that ended all the Earth-Two stuff.

STATON: Yeah, a wall fell on The Huntress in the Crisis. [laughs] In one panel.

RT: She deserved better than that.

STATON: I thought so. [laughs] RT: She and Power Girl were very good characters. I enjoyed using them for a while in Infinity, Inc. If I hadn’t had so many characters, I’d have used them more.

STATON: I really liked the Earth-Two Huntress. I think I miss her more than anything from the book.

The 1970s Justice Society Revival

Here’s a final mystery: Sometime probably in the late 1970s, Joe Staton drew a series of 15 drawings, depicting 17 JSAers—but neither Joe nor Ye Editor has any idea (a) why they were drawn; (b) if they were ever printed anywhere; or (c) who sent photostats of them to Roy Thomas years ago, when he was writing All-Star Squadron. (Nor does Joe now have either the originals or even a set of the photostats!) Numerous ink lines will repro poorly if at all, but they’re such a nice grouping that we wanted to show them all to you, and let your mind’s eye connect the dots. [Art ©2002 Joe Staton; JSA © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

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All The Stars There Are In (Super-Hero) Heaven!

Continued from p. 20

All-Star Comics #73 (July-Aug. 1978) “Be It Ever So Deadly...” – 17 pp.

Cover: Joe Staton (p) & Joe Giella (i) Writer: Paul Levitz Artists: Joe Staton (p) & Joe Giella (i) JSAers Participating: Same as previous issue, plus Dr. Fate THE STORY: Batman’s daughter earns the right to the name “Huntress” by defeating the evil version, while Thorn and Sportsmaster are likewise brought to heel. Wildcat is saved by an operation.

NOTES: (a) Joan Garrick (Flash’s wife) appears. (b) The words “of America” are dropped from the cover logo.

All-Star Comics #74 (Sept.-Oct. 1978) “World on the Edge of Ending” – 25 pp.

Cover: Joe Staton (p) & Dick Giordano (i) Writer: Paul Levitz Artists: Joe Staton (p) & Joe Giella (i)

All-Star #74 and other comics coming out around the same time, publisher Jenette Kahn defined “The DC Explosion.” She announced that, effective immediately, all DC comics would now contain 40 interior pages (rather than 32) for the new 50¢ price tag, and would generally feature 25 pages of art and story. As Jenette reckoned it: “It’s a 47% gain in story, for a 43% raise in price.” The idea, of course, was to make DC’s comics a more attractive package for the retailer, so that more stores would stock comic books, in an age when the five-and-dimes and “mom-and-pop” stores that had once been the mainstay of the industry were increasingly dropping by the wayside. DC would “grow” a few titles, drop a few others, and add some new ones. Indeed, that selfsame issue needed a full-page feature titled “The Answer Man’s Guide to the DC Explosion”—headed by a caricature of Paul Levitz in an academic cap and gown—to tell when and where readers could now find their favorite DC heroes and features.

All-Star #74 was itself an example of the Explosion, with its 25-page “Justice Society” adventure... and a very special giant-sized story was planned for the next issue: “For the very first time: one of the JSAers dies!” (The JSAer would be Batman, and it would be a rather good story, as a matter of fact.)

But, alas, things didn’t work out. There was considerable distributor and retailer resistance because of the price hike—despite its relative “bargain” nature—and DC speedily backtracked in what became known in fan circles as “The DC Implosion.” (Myself, having lived through the heady days of 1970 when, for about a month and a half, both DC and

JSAers Participating: Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Power Girl, Huntress, Flash, Green Lantern, Superman, Starman, Dr. Mid-Nite, Wonder Woman, StarSpangled Kid, Robin, Hourman, Sandman THE STORY: The JSAers battle an entity called The Master Summoner, who tricks the heroes into using their super-powers to create an energy that nearly upsets the balance of the universe. They eventually defeat him by doing... nothing.

NOTES: (a) This final issue of All-Star was published as part of “The DC Explosion,” in which all the company’s magazines expanded to 40 interior pages for 50¢. (b) This is Sandman’s first appearance in the 1970s All-Star revival. (c) Power Girl briefly appears in her new civilian identity of Karen Starr, having lunch with Helena Wayne. (c) The letters page explains that four former JSAers were no longer counted as members: The Spectre, who had “seemingly vanished,” the retired Batman, and Black Canary and the android Red Tornado, who had “moved to Earth-One and joined the JLA.” (d) Among potentially active members listed on the same page are Johnny Thunder and Mr. Terrific; but, except for the latter’s cameo in Adventure #465, neither of these ever appeared in the All-Star/Adventure “JSA” series. (e) The cover sports a new “Justice Society” logo, still minus “of America.”

II. The Adventure Continues...

In all DC comics with cover dates of August 1978 (including All-Star #73), and thus on sale in late spring of that year, there appeared a fullpage, hero-studded house ad heralding “The DC Explosion” that was set to begin that June 1. “More pages! More stories!” the ad trumpeted, adding that “full details” would be revealed next month.

In a “Publishorial” entitled “Onward and Upward” that appeared in [Above covers ©2002 DC Comics.]

A three-page “Prologue” introduced readers of Adventure Comics #461 to the JSA-come-lately series. For the other two, turn back to p. 19. Repro’d from photocopies of original Staton art, courtesy of Jeff Bailey. [©2002 DC Comics.]

The 1970s Justice Society Revival Marvel titles had abruptly jumped to 48-pagers for 25¢—before Marvel publisher Martin Goodman cannily dropped all Marvel mags back to 32 pages for 20¢ and left an “over-priced” DC holding the bag for the next year, to its detriment—well, I had been rooting for DC, Jenette, and the Explosion. Ever since childhood I’d wanted to see comic books increase in size, at least back to something like the 48-pages-plus-covers they’d had when I was a kid in the 1940s. And DC’s move was a step in the right direction—but, as it turned out, a step off a cliff.)

Among the casualties of the “Implosion” was All-Star Comics, which fortunately soon found a berth in the long-running Adventure Comics title, which had 64 pages (plus covers) and sold for a buck, as part of DC’s “Dollar Comics” line it had begun a year and a half before the abortive “Explosion.”

Here is an overview of those six issues....

Adventure Comics #461 (Jan.-Feb. 1979) 3-page “Prologue,” plus “Only Legends Live Forever” – 13 pp.

Cover: Jim Aparo (cover split between JSA and 3 other features in issue) Writer: Paul Levitz Artist: Joe Staton

25

Catwoman, “last summer,” which spurred Batman to retire. (c) Heads of Deadman, Aquaman, and the Earth-One Wonder Woman and Flash appear on issue’s JSA cover.

Adventure Comics #463 (May-June 1979) “The Night of the Soul Thief!” – 17 pp.

Cover: José Garcia-Lopéz (also depicts Earth-One Wonder Woman) Writer: Paul Levitz Artists: Joe Staton (p) & Dave Hunt (i) JSAers Participating: Dr. Fate, Huntress, Robin, Flash, Power Girl, Green Lantern, Wildcat THE STORY: To avenge Bruce Wayne’s death, the JSA battles Fredric Vaux, the evil sorcerer who gave Bill Jensen his deadly powers—so that he could kill Batman.

NOTE: Dr. Fate undoes Vaux’s spell, so people will forget that Bruce Wayne was Batman.

JSAers Participating: Green Lantern, Power Girl, Flash, Wildcat, Huntress, Robin THE STORY: Atop one of Gotham City’s Twin Towers, madman Bill Jensen, radiating super-powers, threatens to destroy the city unless Commissioner Bruce Wayne comes to him—and the JSA can’t get to him.

NOTE: (a) All 1940s JSAers but Mr. Terrific and Johnny Thunder are depicted in the “Prologue,” as is Robin; Wonder Woman wears her skirt from Sensation Comics #1 therein. (b) “Prologue” explains the EarthOne/Two phenomenon, and also shows the Justice League. (c) “Prologue” was added when the JSA story for the unpublished All-Star #75 was split between Adventure #461-462. (d) The group’s new logo reads “Justice Society”—no “of America.” (e) Back cover of issue is fullpage JSA illo by Joe Staton (p) & Dick Giordano (i).

Adventure Comics #462 (March-April 1979) “Only Legends Live Forever!” – 15 pp.

Cover: Jim Aparo Writer: Paul Levitz Artist: Joe Staton (splash inked by Dick Giordano) JSAers Participating: Robin, Huntress, Power Girl, Superman, Wildcat, Green Lantern, Flash, Wonder Woman, Dr. Fate, Batman, Starman, Star-Spangled Kid, Hourman, Hawkman, Dr. MidNite, Sandman THE STORY: Batman comes out of retirement to stop Bill Jensen, and the two of them perish together in a burst of explosive energy.

NOTES: (a) The last six JSAers named above appear only in a cameo at Bruce Wayne’s funeral. (b) Brief flashback to the death of Wayne’s wife, [Above covers ©2002 DC Comics.]

This drawing which became the “JSA” splash in Adventure #462 was initially intended to be the cover of the never-published All-Star #75. To judge by the topline, at one time it was slated to be the cover of Adventure #462, as well!

Repro’d from photocopies of the original, autographed Staton/Giordano art, courtesy of Brian H. Bailie. [©2002 DC Comics.]

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All The Stars There Are In (Super-Hero) Heaven!

Adventure Comics #464 (July-Aug. 1979) “To Everything There Is a Season...”

– 8 pp.

Cover: Jim Aparo (no depiction of JSA) Writer: Paul Levitz Artist: Joe Staton THE STORY: Wildcat, both in costume and as ex-heavyweight champ Ted Grant, helps an African-American boy, Charlie Bullock, then leaves the JSA to concentrate on helping others.

Instead, they vanish.

NOTES: (a) Wildcat is the only JSAer who appears in costume in this humaninterest story, though Huntress, Power Girl, and Robin appear in their civilian identities. (b) Wildcat is depicted in one of four illos on the back cover, by José Delbo (p) & Dick Giordano (i).

Adventure Comics #465 (Sept.-Oct. 1979) “Countdown to Disaster!” – 16 pp.

Cover: Jim Aparo (six JSAers’ heads shown) Writer: Paul Levitz Artists: Joe Staton (p) & Dave Hunt (i) JSAers Participating: Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Huntress, Power Girl, Dr. Fate

NOTES: (a) The Senator who heads the Committee is unnamed, but is obviously intended to be Sen. Joseph McCarthy; in 1985’s America vs. the Justice Society #1, the name of McCarthy’s Earth-Two equivalent is retroactively given as “O’Fallon.” (b) This is the only 1970s JSA story in All-Star or Adventure in which The Atom and Black Canary play an active part. (c) The JSA are not shown on the cover, but their story is mentioned, as “The Man Who Defeated the Justice Society!” (d) The “Justice Society of America” logo from DC Special #29 is restored on the splash.

Near the end of 1979 the decision was made to drop the “Dollar Comics” line, including that version of Adventure Comics... and one of DC’s oldest continuing titles now shrank ignominiously into a digestsized mag which mostly reprinted stories of The Legion of Super-heroes, Aquaman, the Simon & Kirby Sandman, and even occasional Fawcettera exploits of the original Captain Marvel. Adventure Comics, even in digest form, was finally discontinued with issue #503 in 1983.

By that time, the heroes of the Justice Society of America had returned—as part and parcel of the series I had conceived in 1980-81, All-Star Squadron, which was set during the (comic book) glory days of the Second World War. Old super-heroes, like old soldiers, never die. They just get redefined.

[ROY THOMAS, who as Alter Ego’s editor rarely includes a mini-bio of himself at the end of articles herein, has been a writer and sometime editor in comics since 1965, mostly for Marvel and DC... and counts the 1940-1951 run of All-Star as the comic books which have had by far the most influence on him.]

THE STORY: The JSA must fight the clock to recover a stolen capsule of deadly poison that otherwise will devastate Gotham City.

NOTES: Mr. Terrific appears in the one-page “Epilogue” to rejoin the JSA just in time for their “regular visit” with the JLA in Justice League of America #171-172; alas, Mr. T. will perish in the first of those issues.

Adventure Comics #466 (Nov.-Dec. 1979) “The Defeat of the Justice Society!”

– 17 pp.

Cover: Jim Aparo (JSA not shown) Writer: Paul Levitz Artist: Joe Staton JSAers Participating: Hawkman, Dr. Mid-Nite, Atom, Green Lantern, Flash, Black Canary, Wonder Woman, Power Girl, Huntress (and, on splash only: Superman, Star-Spangled Kid, Wildcat, Starman, Dr. Fate, Sandman, Robin) THE STORY: The Huntress tells Power Girl why the JSA went inactive in 1951. Flashback reveals that, after a harrowing adventure in space, the seven then-members refused to reveal their true identities to the Combined Congressional Un-American Activities Committee.

[Above covers ©2002 DC Comics.]

Seven JSAers make a decision—and “respectfully decline” to unmask for an oppressive Congressional Committee in 1951, going into retirement instead. A real downer, yet somehow a fitting “end” for the Justice Society, the first time around.

From Adventure #466. [©2002 DC Comics.]

All-Star Squadron Chronicles Part IV

Chronicles

Part IV

27

Inking Comics The ORDway

An Interview with JERRY ORDWAY on the Early Days of All-Star Squadron Conducted by Roy Thomas As Monty Python didn’t say: “And now for something just a wee bit different...”

The three preceding installments of these Chronicles of the creation and roots of the All-Star Squadron series I conceived and wrote for DC Comics during the 1980s were all first-person accounts by Yours Truly, albeit with a few welcome comments here and there from editor Len Wein, penciler Rich Buckler, and even almost-editor Dick Giordano.

This issue, with no time for fanfare (especially since our coverage of the 1970s JSA revival grew to quasi-gargantuan proportions), we’re pleased to present a short interview with Jerry Ordway, whose first ongoing professional comic art job was on DC’s retroactive-continuity super-group. We appreciate his taking a break from his current Marvel work to answer a whole passel of Roy’s questions via e-mail on January

3, 2002. Many of his comments will see print later in this series; here we’re concerned only with those that deal with AllStar Squadron #1-5 (and the mag’s 16-page Preview in Justice League of America #193), when Rich and Jerry were the art team.

Jerry Ordway renewed his fannish roots when he attended the 1997 Fandom Reunion Luncheon put together in Chicago by Bill Schelly, et al. Left to right: cartoonist Jim Engel, Jerry, and comics researcher Bob Beerbohm. (Roy T., Jerry Bails, Maggie Thompson, Tony Isabella, and a dozen or so others were there, too—and we all had a blast!!) Photo courtesy of Russ Maheras.

As related two issues ago, Rich and I had slight trepidations in 1980 when Len assigned an untried newcomer to ink the new title we were preparing...

ROY THOMAS: How did you get the assignment to ink All-Star Squadron? Were you trying to get work as a penciler as well as inker?

JERRY ORDWAY: Well, starting in the summer of 1980, I had done a few jobs for DC, as an inker, while still working full-time at a commercial art studio in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. DC was obviously pleased with my work, and first offered me The New Teen Titans to ink, but I passed, as I wasn’t ready to quit my day job.

Later, in December of that year, I made a trip to New York City to attend an illustration seminar held by Bob Peak, Mark English, Bernie Fuchs, and Fred Otnes, top illustrators of their time. In between art workshops, I went to see [DC editors] Len Wein and Karen Berger, my contacts at DC. They convinced me to try comics full-time, which I agreed to, providing I could eventually get penciling assignments instead of inking. Working with you, Roy, was a big factor in taking on AllStar Squadron, as I was a huge fan of your Since Dick Giordano inked the “interior cover” of the 16-page Preview in JLA #193 (Sept. 1981), its “Page 1” was the first the waiting world saw of the Buckler-Ordway team.

On that single page—and on vellum over “poor photocopies,” to boot—Jerry had to “embellish” a shadowed FDR, his aide Harry Hopkins, an empty JSA-HQ, Johnny (Quick) Chambers and his pal Tubby—plus a Wonder Woman/Flash/Green Lantern charity race inspired by the cover of Comic Cavalcade #1, which would go on sale in fall of 1942.

(Incidentally, that 15¢ anthology’s back cover continued the front scene, revealing that Wildcat and other heroes from CC #1 were also in the race, but well behind the star trio!)

Repro’d from a photocopy of the original art, in Roy’s collection. For the Buckler-Ordway version of the race’s photo finish, see A/E #12. [©2002 DC Comics.]

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Inking Comics The ORDway

Avengers work.

color my own covers.

RT: But of course you’d have made a mint in royalties if you’d signed on earlier on Titans. Were you familiar with Rich Buckler’s work before you inked him on Squadron (as I’ll call the book to differentiate it from the original All-Star without abbreviating it!).

RT: You had a bit of a Wally Wood-influenced flare in places, like on The Shining Knight. Was that conscious?

ORDWAY: Oh, sure. I saw everything Rich had done, starting with a story he did for a slick fanzine called Phase. I preferred the Marvel work he did, prior to his “Neal Adams”-looking DC work, though. Deathlok was just great stuff, as well as the issues of Avengers he did.

RT: Were you told why Dick Giordano inked both the “interior cover” on the AllStar Squadron Preview in Justice League of America #193 and the cover of Squadron #1?

ORDWAY: Oh, sure! I was and still am a huge fan of Wood’s work. He always used to render the chain-mail shirt on Captain America a certain way, and that influenced me to do it, as well. I used Wood as a model, too, in inking Squadron, because the book was set in the 1940s and seemed to need a classic look. I also was resistant to inking the book to look like the Neal Adams work that Buckler had referenced, preferring to give it its own identity.

RT: Did you have to do much redrawing at the start? I remember the Iwo Jima flag-raising panel, but did Len or I really have you doing that many corrections as you inked?

ORDWAY: Yes. I did a fair amount of changing a male head to a female head, or even redrawing figures as you requested. I remember you used to cut and tape tiers of pages together at times, when Rich’s storytelling didn’t match what you wanted, and invariably there would be a panel or two that required redrawing. Len Wein knew he could rely on me to do it on deadline, so I assumed that’s why they never sent that stuff back to Rich, as he was drawing other features for DC concurrently.

ORDWAY: I wasn’t privy to any of that. I assumed that Dick did it because he’d inked most of Rich’s DC work to date, rather nicely at that.

As penciled by Rich Buckler on the final story page of the Preview, this panel’s background depicted the statue of the 1945 Iwo Jima flagraising, based on the famous photo— and thus a patent impossibility in a tale set on the night of December 6, 1941. Regretfully, as Rich had clearly put a lot of work into penciling even that small image of the statue, Roy had Jerry redraw it as a well-known obelisk that dates back to the Civil War. (Oh, and the guy in the hat and coat is Robotman, though the reader wouldn’t know that till he picked up All-Star Squadron #1 a few weeks later.) [©2002 DC Comics.]

RT: Were there any special problems about inking Rich’s work? Were the pencils pretty tight? (I seem to recall they were.)

ORDWAY: Well, I was hired and paid as a finisher, though the pencils were fairly complete.

I figured I earned that fee because of the high volume of art corrections you requested in the margins of the pages. I routinely fixed cars, planes, fashions, and hairstyles to match the 1940s.

My biggest problem with inking Rich was on issue #1, where the first 14 or so pages were lost by FedEx, and I was given poor photocopies to ink over, on vellum (a thicker version of tracing paper), without any of your margin notes, where you called for specific changes.

That was a nightmare.

RT: Funny, I don’t recall that... not even hearing about it, though I’m sure I did at the time. I seem to remember that you used some zip-atone or other kind of artificial shading in the Preview... like on Page 4, the final panel, where Grundy slugs Wonder Woman. But you soon abandoned that, and your work got a bit slicker.

ORDWAY: I believe I continued to use a fair amount of shading film throughout my run on the book. The early ’80s were not a great time for printing in comics, as the newsprint paper they were printed on was almost grey, and thin as tissue, but guys like Tom Palmer and Klaus Janson, whom I admired, used zips in combination with color to great effect. My biggest battle was that Carl Gafford consistently colored my zip with pale blue, where I wanted a regular fleshtone. I don’t blame Carl, because I think production had some inflexible rules about color at the time. I took to putting tracing paper guides on panels where I wanted a specific look, something I did on all my covers, as well, until the late ’80s, on Superman, when I was finally allowed to “officially”

The Shining Knight makes his entrance in All-Star Squadron #1, drawn by Buckler and Ordway. Good thing it was Danette Reilly and not Marvel’s Thor who popped up on the next page, or nobody would’ve been able to understand what the heck they were saying in Archaic-speak! Repro’d from photocopies of the original art, courtesy of Jerry Bails. [©2002 DC Comics.]

All-Star Squadron Chronicles Part IV

29

Danette Reilly may have slept in the nude, but when she got up, DC’s production department put her in underwear. Next page, she experienced a case of spontaneous combustion—and lived to tell the tale, becoming the second Firebrand on the page repro’d from photocopies of the original art, courtesy of Fred DeBoom. [©2002 DC Comics.]

RT: Rich didn’t add the crack in the Liberty Bell on Liberty Belle’s blouse in the earliest issue or two (which made sense, since there wasn’t one in the old stories, either, for some reason). The crack pops up by Squadron #2. Did you add it, or did Rich start drawing it at my direction? I can’t recall.

ORDWAY: I believe you drew it in pencil over Rich’s pages, and asked me to clean it up a bit in ink.

RT: I know you inked the pin-up/Fact File page of Degaton for #3.

Did you ink the several JSA figures that Rich had penciled as promotional drawings, too—Green Lantern, Atom, etc.? They were used on later Fact File pages.

ORDWAY: Yes, I received the whole batch of them, and they were kind of fill-in work for me, when I didn’t have pages to ink because of scheduling problems.

RT: Were there any issues of All-Star Squadron that you especially liked (or hated) inking... or penciling later, for that matter?

ORDWAY: I think my favorite to ink was issue #5, Rich’s last issue, where the All-Stars traveled to South America. My favorite one to draw was the framing sequence in the third Annual, with Tarantula and Wonder Woman. It was a great story, too!

RT: I had a lot of fun doing that one. My wife Dann researched where the then-and-future US Presidents were on a particular day in 1941.

Beginning in #3 I listed you as “embellisher.” Would you have preferred “inker”? (In #4 I amended the term to “inker/embellisher.”) You still got full pencils from Rich, right?

ORDWAY: I think at the time I felt “embellisher” was too vague a term to define my job, the type of title that a guy on the street wouldn’t have a clue about. I’m sure I wanted something like “inker/embellisher” if “finisher” wasn’t given out. Since DC paid me for finishes from Page 1 of the Preview, I assumed Rich Buckler didn’t want to be relegated to “layout artist” or something. And, as I stated earlier, his work was fairly complete, but needed a strong hand to polish it. Without passing judgment, Rich at the time was swiping Neal Adams’ figures about 90% of the time, often combining shots from different periods of Adams, and it was a job to make the compositions cohesive.

RT: I think you both did a great job. Even when Rich returned to do the covers for issues #3 & 4, they were inked by Dick Giordano— and #5 was inked by Romeo Tanghal. Did you lobby to do them, or feel you should have? Or did you feel your day would come?

ORDWAY: Sure, I would have liked to ink them, but Len Wein, our editor, probably didn’t think I was experienced enough at the time.

Looking back, I would agree. I had just started my first regular comics assignment, and it entailed inking 26 or 27 pages a month, not the 22 that’s standard today. At a rate of two pages per day, that was a full month’s work. Covers might have thrown a monkey wrench into the schedule for me.

30

Inking Comics The ORDway

RT: Did it take extra time to ink so many characters in some of the panels, or would you have done the pages about as quickly anyway, just doing backgrounds instead?

ORDWAY: Oh, figures take longer than a standard comic background, not counting establishing shots. I also tried hard to give each character a distinct look, using different artists’ renditions you provided me via Xeroxes of 1940s stories. I always tried to reference the way Mort Meskin, for example, drew Johnny Quick, or Kubert, Hawkman.

RT: In Rich’s last issue, #5, on Page 16, he penciled and you inked Danette Reilly (the soon-to-be Firebrand) in the nude, but panties and bra lines were added at the panel in the lower left corner. Did you do this at Len’s behest, or did someone else draw them in?

ORDWAY: I remember you were very specific that she was to sleep in the nude, so I tried to render the figures tastefully with shadows and such, but was told by Len that it was a Comics Code problem, so DC production drew on some very heavy undergarment lines. Sigh. I pointed out to Len that the very same month that All-Star Squadron #5 came out, Ernie Colón

When he inked Firebrand’s see-through blouse in All-Star Squadron, Jerry looked at the same 1970s Alan Light black&-white reprint of Police Comics #1 that the rest of us had!

Below is a 1982 sketch of the distaff Firebrand in which he did a slight redesign of her outfit. [1982 art ©2002 Jerry Ordway; both Firebrands © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

had drawn a warrior woman frolicking in the nude in Arak, and that passed Code! It was clear they judged the super-hero books differently.

RT: I have a drawing by you of Firebrand from a very early time, but am I right in assuming that Rich designed the costume—which actually was just an adjustment on the male Firebrand in the early ’40s?

ORDWAY: Rich drew her, so I assume he designed it. I always looked at what Reed Crandall did in Police Comics #1, I think, because he drew the semi-transparent shirt really well, though it was tricky to pull off, in line art.

RT: What was your relationship with Len, and with me? Did we talk mostly by phone, or did you hear from me mostly via notes on the original artwork, etc.?

ORDWAY: I know initially I dealt with Len, but after you had seen my pages, you started writing up page-by-page critiques of what I did right or wrong. I think after that we talked quite a bit on the phone, several times per month. For a while, though, I was definitely caught between you and Len, with loyalties to both. I think it’s all water under the bridge now, but I knew there was a fair amount of tension building between you two.

Funny Jerry should say that—because I don’t really remember much overt tension between Len and me over All-Star Squadron during the twenty issues which Len edited. Still, there was bound to have been a bit, if only because Len would have known that I preferred to be writer/editor of my own material (hey, so did he, for that matter!), but that wasn’t an option at DC or Marvel by that time. Besides, when wasn’t there at least a little friction between an editor and his creative personnel?

But, more of that another time—when Len, too, can have his say.

Next: The All-Star Preview in JLA #193— under a Microscope!

(Yeah, we know we promised you that this time—but who knew that Jerry Ordway was gonna have so much of interest to say about the All-Stars?

Title Comic Fandom Archive

31

Welcome to Fandomland How a Life-changing Odyssey Began with My Discovery of Comic Fandom in the Fall of 1964

by Bill Schelly Introduction: I’m sure regular readers of Alter Ego (and my various Hamster Press tomes) won’t be surprised when I say that the moment I first became aware of the fledgling comic fandom movement in the early 1960s ranks as one of the most important days of my life—along with the birth of my children. Here’s the story of how it happened, and how I came to publish my first fanzine, excerpted from a chapter in Sense of Wonder: A Life in Comic Fandom, my recent book from TwoMorrows Publishing.

A good part of the fun of any hobby is sharing it with others of like mind. I’d been a comics fan from the moment I first laid eyes on Superman Annual #1 in 1960, and by 1964 had amassed a nice stack of back issues—mainly DCs and Marvels, with a sprinkling of Gold Key, Charlton, and ACG comics for the sake of variety. My imagination had been seized by the colorful four-color adventures that adorned their pages, and I had tried my hand at drawing them, too.

My frustration, at this point, was the lack of anyone with whom to share my enthusiasm. I was basically alone with my hobby.

A few neighbor kids (usually younger) had stacks of comics, and we would occasionally swap mags, but their attitude about comics was far more casual than mine. For me they were more than mere entertainment; they were a medium where I could experience a sense of wonder that was available nowhere else to me, not even at the movies.

back. (Seeing the cover of Superman #1, reproduced on the back cover of that first annual, was like viewing the Holy Grail.)

I had no way to get in touch with other fans in my vicinity. I did notice that some DC Comics (Flash, Justice League of America, Green Lantern) were printing full addresses in the letter columns. Editor Julius Schwartz made this unobtrusive change to facilitate contacts between fans, but the erudite commentators in those columns seemed far too imposing for me—a mere twelve-year-old—to befriend. The same was true of the people who had letters published in Marvel’s “Fantastic Four Fan Page.” I couldn’t have held my own in a correspondence with them, and there was no hint that they could help me in my goal of filling in back issues. Besides, none of them seemed to live in Pittsburgh.

Then, fortune smiled upon me, and I was off to Fandomland.

No, it wasn’t a White Rabbit with comics tucked under one arm who led me to that magical new world; it was through a lanky, freckled-faced blond boy that I got my direction. One fateful day, while perusing the extensive shelves full of comics at my favorite drugstore, I noticed another set of hands pulling issues. When I checked out their owner, I was surprised to see a fellow from school named Richard Shields.

I recognized him at once. We were the same age and had some of the same classes, but he ran in different circles than I did, and I had no idea he collected comics, too—until we encountered each other in that drugstore, sometime in the spring of 1964. I watched as he assembled a huge stack of Marvel, DC, and Gold Key comics. I think my opening line was, “I guess you like comics, too.” Not too

I wanted more of them, and I wanted to Covers of the 1964 Rocket’s Blast Special. [©2002 the try my hand at drawing them. I’d already respective copyright holders. Human Torch, Captain America, done so, creating my own heroes and and Sub-Mariner © & TM 2002 Marvel Characters, Inc.] villains, but none of the neighborhood kids seemed to share my fanaticism. Also, I desperately wanted to find back original, but it broke the ice. issues of my favorite comics. I hadn’t started buying Amazing SpiderMan until #7, and Fantastic Four with #21, and I wanted the earlier Richard had no qualms about buying and liking comics. “My older issues badly. I quickly got what I could from the neighborhood kids, but brother read ’em, and I do, too.” We began commenting on our selecwhere to find more of them? Sometimes a school bazaar would have a tions, and before I knew it I had a friend who shared my hobby. It table with some back issues, and I was able to score some earlier turned out Shields had amassed what to my eyes was a huge collection Batman, World’s Finest, and Detective Comics. of comics. He was mature for his age, and had a paper route that gave him plenty of spending money—making him the envy of other kids, By the early 1960s comics weren’t the same sort of mass medium including me. (My parents wouldn’t let me have a paper route; they they’d been in the 1940s, when just about every kid read them. didn’t want the neighbors thinking we needed the money!) He and I Television had made major inroads. Also, they were considered to be began getting together on a regular basis to discuss comics, negotiate reading for pre-adolescents; one tended to be secretive about liking them trades, and occasionally check out a far-flung newsstand on our bikes. once a guy got into his teens. How could I ever fill in the back issues of Marvel Comics that I had missed? It was a frustrating dilemma.

After our friendship was a few months old, late in the summer of 1964, Shields pointed out a curious item in Justice League of America Nor was there any way for me to learn about comics of the past. #30: editor Schwartz had inserted a plug for some sort of magazine There weren’t any books or magazines about the history of comics. I about collecting comic books. It didn’t mention the price, but merely was solely dependent on the comic book letter columns that occasionally gave an address where those interested could send for information. We included factual tidbits about the comics published during World War II, both immediately sent away to an organization in Miami, Florida, with or the DC annuals with reproductions of old covers in color on the the cryptic name “The SFCA” to find out about something called The

32 Rocket’s Blast-Comicollector.

I’ll always remember that day the envelope from the SFCA arrived at my house. Mom hadn’t noticed that it was addressed to me, since the only mail I ever got was greeting cards from relatives on my birthday and holidays, and had opened it by mistake. She came into my room with a quizzical expression on her face.

“Bill, you got something odd in the mail,” she said, handing the torn envelope and the contents to me.

“What is it?” She stood there waiting for my reply.

Welcome to Fandomland “I don’t know, but a lot of the other old stuff is only three or four bucks. I think I’ll get some of ’em, if I can figure out which ones are the best.”

“That’s too much for me, but here’s a copy of Spider-Man #1 for a buck-fifty. I think I’ll send for that.”

Although the ads for much-sought-after back issues were fascinating, I was equally interested in the fanzines that promised information about comics of the past. Just the idea that you could buy a bunch of different magazines about comics excited me. What a momentous, mind-boggling development this was! My joy knew no bounds!

I could hardly contain my excitement. It was three sheets with advertising. The first was for the magazine (called, I learned, a “fanzine”) Rocket’s BlastComicollector (RB-CC for short). The second was “Yours truly in 7th grade, about the Without hesitation, I ordered several of the most time I discovered comic fandom.” for the RB-CC Special #1, featuring a long article on promising fanzines, carefully taping quarters, Timely Comics of the 1940s by someone named nickels, and dimes to pieces of notebook paper and stuffing them into Raymond Miller. The third, which I found particularly intriguing, was envelopes. The first ones I received, in addition to RB-CC, were Yancy for Fighting Hero Comics #10, starring a weird super-hero called The Street Journal (devoted solely to Marvel comics), Batmania (dedicated Eye, Underworld Executioner, with a huge eyeball for a head. The to the Dynamic Duo), and Fighting Hero Comics (featuring a changing SFCA, I discovered, stood for the Science Fiction and Comic roster of amateur heroes such as the aforementioned Eye, but also other Association. intriguing characters with names like Dimension Man and The Demon).

“It’s some stuff I sent away for,” I explained. “For comic book I quickly ascertained that the one called Alter Ego looked especially collectors. You can order a magazine about comic books!” interesting. I ordered the seventh issue of A/E, which introduced me to “How much does it cost?” the Marvel Family (Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr., Mary Marvel, and the rest). I had never heard of Captain Marvel until I saw A/E. I “Hmm, let’s see. Looks like a sample copy costs fifty cents.” read Roy Thomas’ article “One Man’s Family” and a long letter from Marvel Family scripter Otto Binder over and over, and yearned to Her eyebrows raised. “That much? It sounds too expensive.” peruse the adventures of the Marvel Family myself.

“I’ve got the money! I have over six dollars saved up.”

Soon I understood the basic make-up and origins of comic fandom. It was a grass-roots movement started mainly by people who had read and She paused, then shrugged. “I guess it’s all right. Let me see it when it loved comics in the 1940s, and who were enthused to see the new wave comes. I want to make sure it isn’t something dirty.” of heroes emerging in the not-yet-named Silver Age. Fanzines like Alter “Mom!!”

Ego, Comic Art, and The Rocket’s Blast-Comicollector had gotten the ball rolling, and by 1964 there were dozens of fanzines being published.

I hopped on my bike and pedaled like mad over to Shields’ house, Fans and collectors from all walks of life came out of the woodwork to where I discovered that he had not only received the three pages of share their appreciation for the medium. information, but also a copy of RB-CC which he had ordered right off the bat. (He had boldly included a dollar with his letter of inquiry.

I got a copy of Who’s Who in Comic Fandom, published early in Shields was always rolling in dough.)

1964 by Alter Ego’s founder, Jerry Bails. In it, he listed the names and addresses of some sixteen hundred active fans. And these weren’t a “What’s this?” I asked Richard, pointing to the sheet with The Eye bunch of pre-adolescents. Most were in their mid-teens or in college. A character. “Some kind of comic book?” significant number (like Bails, who was a college professor) were adults in their twenties and thirties. Some had loyally followed comics for years “Yeah.” on their own, having only linked up with other collectors after hearing “Where do you buy it? I’ve never seen this character on the racks.” I about fandom in 1961. wondered if there were regional comic book companies that didn’t I was at first surprised, then thrilled that (supposedly) sober and distribute their wares in Pittsburgh. intelligent adults openly expressed their enthusiasm for comics. It gave “Idiot!” he said, laughing. “It’s not like a regular comic book. You me a strong message of validation. For the first time, I envisioned myself have to send away for it. It’s probably printed like Rocket’s Blast-Comicollector.”

We looked through the copy of RB-CC, which was duplicated by the same printing method our school teachers used for pop quizzes and worksheets. I didn’t know the name of the process, but the print was purple. We were captivated by page after page of advertisements for old comic books, many dating back to the 1940s. Shields let out a long whistle. “Look at this! Someone wants fifteen bucks for Captain America #1!”

“That’s nuts!” I replied, shaking my head. “Who would pay that much?”

An ad from an early-1964 issue of RB-CC. 75¢ for Amazing Fantasy #15! Just imagine!

Comics Fandom Archive reading comics for the rest of my life.

The fandom phenomenon was a result of a pent-up need among collectors to share information, to trade and sell back issues, and to express a wide range of opinions.

Postage was cheap—four cents for a first class letter—so just about anyone could afford to join in.

I found out a lot more about the Golden Age of Comics, something that had only been sparingly mentioned in DC The ad from RB-CC for Bill’s first fanzine. titles, mostly in connection with the Jay Garrick-Flash and Justice Society of America appearances. Stan Lee’s letter columns in Marvel Comics, too, offered occasional allusions to that period, making it clear that Sub-Mariner and The Human Torch and Captain America had been first published during World War II. The fanzines fleshed out the picture. Discovering the history of comics was an exhilarating experience for me, a mere thirteen-year-old.

Richard Shields was able to place orders right away for a number of rare old issues. I benefited from his largesse, since I was able to read and enjoy his acquisitions when they arrived from dealers around the country. Like me, Richard enjoyed the Marvel Family and bought numerous mid-range issues of Whiz Comics, Captain Marvel Adventures, Captain Marvel Junior, Master, Wow, and a complete run of Ibis the Invincible.

When we discovered the great EC comic books like Tales from the Crypt and Weird Science (which had died before we had entered kindergarten), Shields went on a buying frenzy. We chortled with glee as we read the wonderful, forbidden, gory pre-Comics Code EC comics for the first time. This was our first inkling that comics of the past could be just as exciting as the latest releases.

Much as I enjoyed the old issues themselves, I was equally interested in the fanzines that were devoted to them. As an aspiring writer and artist, it didn’t take long before I began to think about publishing a fan magazine of my own.

“We could do one of these,” I said one day, scant weeks after first seeing RB-CC.

“I don’t know. Let’s ask our parents.”

Soon it developed that, while Dad had a mimeograph machine at the NP office, Richard’s father had an easy-to-use new type of machine called a Xerox copier. It had just appeared on the market. Mr. Shields kindly offered to print a limited number of copies if we kept the page count down.

“What will we call it?”

“We can’t name it after any particular super hero.”

“Let’s call it….” I was thinking fast, “how about—Super Heroes Anonymous?”

It sounded good to us. A new fanzine was born.

Much as I loved Alter Ego, it was far more professional than anything we could produce. We chose as our models the funkier Yancy Street Journal, published by Marty Arbunich and Bill DuBay in San Francisco, and Batmania, produced by a talented artist with the odd name of Biljo White. Our magazine would consist of such typical features as a cover, editorial, pin-ups, short articles, a discussion column, a cover reproduction of a rare comic book, and our personal Want and Sale lists.

The one original element to Super Heroes Anonymous was the debut of a brand new super-hero. As a result of all my ruminations as I walked by a cemetery twice a day, I had gradually formulated a character with the ghoulish name the Immortal Corpse. It was the story of a mortician named Jon Walker who was gunned down—and came back from the dead because of a strange chemical substance that had seeped into his wounds. He discovers that he is able to change his age at will, which effectively renders him immortal. I typed up his origin story (“Murder at Midnight!”) and created a drawing of the character for our cover.

Fearlessly plunging ahead, we shelled out $3.00 for a full-page display ad in Rocket’s Blast-Comicollector. It appeared several weeks later, and before long I began receiving envelopes from around the country bearing coins. (Even with the tape removed, the coins stayed sticky.) I carefully made a list of our customers. It wasn’t a long one. We received money for no more than twenty-five copies, including four from something called the House of Info. (The House of Info was a collection of books, comics, and fanzines owned by John and Tom McGeehan of Santa Ana, California. They bought multiples of every fanzine published.) By then, we had the twenty or so pages typed up, and I had both penciled and inked the artwork.

Dad saw me working on the finished pages, and asked what I was doing.

“Richard Shields and I are publishing a fanzine about comic books.”

“What? Publish our own fanzine?”

“What’s a fanzine?”

“Sure! That would be really cool!”

When I explained, he expressed concern that it might interfere with my schoolwork.

“What about your grades?”

Shields immediately warmed to the idea. “Yeah. You’re a good artist.”

“And you could write it.” We were both seized with the urge to publish, but knowing my history, I suspect that I was the main instigator of the idea.

“Where could we get it printed?”

33

“They’re fine.”

Justice League of America #30: “the comic book that opened the door to comic fandom to me in mid-1964.”

34

Welcome to Fandomland “Well… if they drop, you’ll have to stop this.”

“Okay.” I was confident they wouldn’t.

“And it can’t interfere with your household chores.”

“It won’t.”

“Where will you get the money to print and mail it? How will you get it printed?”

My God, where was the entrepreneurial spirit in the Schelly family? Finally, I answered the questions to his satisfaction.

The finished pages were given to Richard’s father to be printed. We waited impatiently for him to bring the copies home from his office. A few days later, Shields phoned. “They’re here!”

“How do they look?”

“Well… pretty good. Except—um, you have to see them.”

The cover of the first fanzine I published, as I drew it...

...and, sadly, as it appeared—printed by an early Xerox machine (in March 1965).

I rushed over to the Shields residence. Right away a problem was obvious. Early Xerox could not reproduce solid blacks, so all the areas in the artwork where the black area was thicker than a narrow line were completely washed out. Unfortunately, the front cover had been a figure of the Immortal Corpse standing against a solid black background. I was bitterly disappointed, but at least the pages were all legible, and most of the other illustrations looked all right. We sat down then and there, collated the pages, addressed the copies, and applied the stamps. Despite some misgivings, I couldn’t help but feel a certain pride as I beheld the neat stack of copies.

“Where do we mail them? The post office?”

“Naw,” Shields said. “Drop ’em in a mailbox on your way home. There’s one on the corner.”

“But when they fall into the box, they might get damaged.”

He laughed. “What, you think if you take ’em to the post office, they aren’t going to get thrown around? C’mon!”

I followed his suggestion. On the way home, I carried the copies of Super Heroes Anonymous #1 to the mailbox on the corner, opened its metal mouth, and shoved them in, five at a time.

For better or worse, we were publishers.

[That was the beginning of a string of graduallyimproving fanzines I produced through high school and college. For more on that, and lots more, grab a copy of Sense of Wonder: A Life in Comic Fandom from TwoMorrows. Also, now out from Hamster Press is the Comic Fandom Reader trade paperback book, which includes some of the best text features from the classic fanzines of the 1960s, including “When Hawkhood Was in Flower!” by Derrill Rothermich and Roy Thomas from Alter Ego #8 (that’s the 1965 #8!). CFR goes for $19.95 postpaid to: Hamster Press, PO Box 27471, Seattle, WA, 98125.]

re:

35 had the authority to do so at the time.

I do recall Murray telling me that Cockrum was leaving and I expressed my concern for the book, but Murray assured me that there was no problem as he had already found a replacement artist. Cockrum also stated that Julie Schwartz told him I would not allow him to continue the “Capt. Marvel Jr.” backup feature or any work for DC if he took on work from Marvel. I don’t recall any discussion with Julie about the matter and obviously there were other artists doing work for both companies at the time.

re:

After I became President at DC, I was successful in reversing the policy, and for the first time in DC history began the return of original art. That good news was announced in a memo from me in 1974. There are frequently unpleasant situations that come up between artists and writers and their editors. And it’s important for them to maintain a good working relationship. With that in mind, most of the editors under me at DC would occasionally blame bad news on me. Joe Orlando used to do it all the time and Julie and Murray were no exceptions. I was fully aware of this and I didn’t mind, as it helped the editors get along with the talent and I figured it came with the territory of being Publisher.

Lastly, surely Dave’s leaving DC helped him in the long run. I can’t imagine he would have had the success he did with X-Men, had he stayed. So, if I am to be blamed for his leaving, I guess I should also be thanked.

Carmine Infantino Far as we can see, Carmine’s and Dave’s accounts are hardly mutually exclusive. Unlike some other comics-related publications, Alter Ego has little if any interest in arousing controversies over comics history, creative matters, or whatever—but sometimes, inadvertently, such disagreements are going to rear their heads. We hope that this airing will set the matter to rest, since there was and is no personal bad will between the co-creator of the Silver Age Flash and the co-restorer of the 1970s X-Men. Next issue we’ll have more letters, as well as our usual (hopefully not too long) list of corrections.

Wonder Woman took her job as Justice Society secretary very seriously! A re-touched detail repro’d from the original Arthur Peddy/Bernard Sachs art of the cover of AllStar Comics #49 (Oct.-Nov. 1949), courtesy of Jerry Bails. [Art ©2002 DC Comics.]

[EDITOR’S NOTE: Because of our extended sections this issue on the Justice Society in the 1940s, ’70s, and ’80s, we could print only one letter this time—and it just happens to be from one of Ye Ed’s favorite Silver Age artists, Carmine Infantino, whose work was a primary focus of issue #10. Carmine, who also served for nearly a decade as the editorial director of DC Comics, takes issue with comments made by artist Dave Cockrum in the FCA section of #10, and we were happy to promise him ample room to relate his own side of things.

Dave mentioned that he quit drawing Legion of Super-heroes in the early 1970s because Carmine would not allow editor Murray Boltinoff to return to him a page of original art from Superboy and the Legion of Super-heroes #200, and that shortly afterward Carmine prevented editor Julius Schwartz from allowing him to continue drawing “Captain Marvel Jr.” stories for Shazam! Dave made these statements, it would seem, with no personal animosity toward Carmine, whose work he later says he admired, but Carmine wished to respond to Dave’s statements. His letter follows:]

Meanwhile, Ye Editor still has for sale a few personal copies of the out-of-print Alter Ego, Vol. 3, #1, with Ordway, Hasen, Lee, Gilbert, FCA, et al., for the audacious but non-negotiable price of $15 (postpaid) per copy—autographed if desired. Ditto a handful of copies of Comic Book Artist #2-5 (each with an Alter Ego section) for $15@, likewise postpaid. He even has a few sets left of Alter Ego #1-4, the super-hero color comic book series published in 1986 by First Comics, with story by R.T., art by Ron Harris, and a cast of some of the greatest public domain heroes ever—$20 postpaid for all four issues, also autographed if you swing that way. Send checks and M.O.’s (made out to Roy Thomas) to the address below: Roy Thomas/Alter Ego Rt. 3, Box 468 St. Matthews, SC 29135 Fax: (803) 826-6501 E-mail: <roydann@ntinet.com>

Monthly! Edited and published by Robin Snyder

Alter Ego: I was pleased with your last issue and most of the information about my career was on target. But there were some comments in the interview with Dave Cockrum that need to be addressed.

Even after I became Publisher at DC, we all had explicit orders from the Warner Bros. upper management that artwork could not be returned! I can’t help but be suspect of the idea that editor Murray Boltinoff promised art to Cockrum when Murray knew that none of us

Write to: Robin Snyder, 2284 Yew St. Rd. #B6, Bellingham, WA 98226-8899

36

Chase Craig

Chase Craig (1910-2001) A Tribute by Mark Evanier It is written in the Talmud that there are two things every man must do for himself, and he must do them without the aid of God: he must find a friend, and he must find a teacher. I’ve been fortunate to have had, in my life, many who fit in each category and two who qualified in both.

Most folks know that Jack Kirby was a very special mentor and friend to me. Equally important was Chase Craig.

Chase was the man who ran the West Coast office of Western Publishing Company for several decades. During his tenure, he edited as many great comic books as any man who ever lived, and I considered him my first “real” editor. That is, he was the first editor who, though he came to be a close friend, treated me and my work on a wholly professional basis. I am still, with every assignment, applying things I learned from him, or trying to.

Chase was born August 28, 1910, in Ennis, Texas. In 1935 he moved to Hollywood and went to work in animation, starting with Walter Lantz, then with the Leon Schlesinger Studio (a.k.a. Warner Bros.), where he worked under fellow Texan Fred “Tex” Avery. After a year, though, he decided that print cartooning was more his speed. He and a fine artist named Carl Buettner teamed up on several cartooning projects—including the Charlie McCarthy newspaper strip—and also worked individually.

Alvarado, Joe Messerli, Jack Manning, Gaylord DuBois, Warren Tufts, Del Connell, Joe Prince, Phil DeLara, Bill Wright, Paul Murry, Vic Lockman, and hundreds of others.

Somewhere near the end, I squeezed in there and somehow became his most prolific writers for a few years before his retirement in 1975.

Two years later, he un-retired to set up a comic book operation for Hanna-Barbera. Then he got bored with that, handed it over to me, and went back to retirement. He passed away on December 2, 2001, from complications following surgery to repair damage from a recent fall.

I have a long obit for Chase over on my website, <www.POVonline.com>, so let me just say the following here...

I’ve never been reticent to complain about bad editors... and, God knows, there are enough of them in this world. Chase was a very good editor who believed in finding good people—okay, so maybe I was an exception—and leaving them largely alone. But he was also a diligent supervisor, always ready to leap in and fix that which needed fixing.

He took special pride in finding simple solutions to problems.

Faced with a story that didn’t work, another editor might have commenced grand-scale rewriting. Chase would do that when necessary, but he preferred to think how he could repair things with the least intrusion.

One time, he showed me a script by another A Russ Manning panel from a 1963 issue of Magnus—Robot Fighter (maybe even the first issue?), writer that—I agreed edited by Chase Craig. Thanks to Jerry Bails & Hames Ware. [©2002 Western Publishing Co.] In 1940, when Western with him—made zero Publishing secured the sense. He said, “If I can’t rights from Schlesinger’s studio to do comic books based on their figure out a way to save this, I’m going to have you rewrite it”—and he characters, the studio recommended Chase as a writer/artist. He wrote was willing to pay me full rate to do so. That’s how much work it would and drew Large Feature Book #8—the first “Bugs Bunny” comic have required. book—and much of the first issue of Looney Tunes and Merrie But I never had to touch it. Chase thought for a day or two and then Melodies. A few years later, he also wrote and drew for Western the first rewrote one caption and about three balloons on the first page... few weeks of the Bugs Bunny newspaper strip.

It was the beginning of a long, mutually-beneficial relationship with Western for both Craig and Buettner. After Chase did a stint in the Navy, he resumed fulltime production for Western, writing hundreds of stories and occasionally drawing, eventually moving into editorial work.

He became executive editor of their L.A.-based office, which handled the Disney comics, the Warner Bros. comics, and most others tied in with Hollywood-based movie and TV production.

For a time, the office had to dispatch a minimum of one finished comic to the printers every day—sometimes two—and many were routinely selling in the millions. Along with the Disney and WB comics, he supervised almost all the books derived from the properties of Walter Lantz, MGM, Hanna-Barbera, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and dozens of others, along with original creations like Space Family Robinson and Magnus, Robot Fighter. Among the creative talents who worked for and with Craig were Russ Manning, Alex Toth, Carl Barks, Harvey Eisenberg, Dan Spiegle, Michael Maltese, Don R. Christensen, Paul Norris, Roger Armstrong, Jerry Belson, Kay Wright, Tony Strobi, Pete

...and suddenly, this incomprehensible story was the most logicallyconstructed thing in the world. That’s great editing.

That was one thing I admired about him. Another was his loyalty to freelancers. (He could have rejected that script altogether, but its author needed the bucks.) Yet another was that he really knew his business and was not reticent about sharing what he knew.

I could end this by saying, “I’ll miss him,” but, as it happens, I started missing Chase the moment I stopped working for him. I just miss him more now.

[Comics and Hollywood writer Mark Evanier has written a long obituary for Chase Craig for his website <www.POVonline.com>, which generally deals with comic books, cartoons, TV, movies, Groo the Wanderer, Broadway, Las Vegas, Hollywood, Stan Freberg, Laurel & Hardy, Jack Kirby, and possums in his back yard.]

Dan DeCarlo

37

The Kids of Summer A Tribute to DAN DeCARLO (1919-2002) he met and married Josette Dumont... then brought her back to the US. They were soon joined by Dan’s twin sons Dan Jr. and Jim. He began working for Timely Comics, doing a teenage book called Jeanie, then Millie the Model and My Friend Irma. He and Stan Lee also did a strip called Willie Lumpkin, about a mailman whose namesake would later pop up in a comic called Fantastic Four. Other projects included The Yardbirds and The Brain, as well as cartoons for men’s humor magazines.

by Mike Curtis

Eventually, Dan began freelancing for Archie Comics. Instructed at first to imitated Archie’s creator Bob Montana, Dan’s own style soon became the official Archie look.

Dan DeCarlo signs comics at the All Time Classic New York Comic Book Convention held in White Plains, NY, in June 2000. Courtesy of Joe Petrilak.

When we were kids and school let out for summer vacation, the Archie kids were already on the beach. Many an hour was spent reading their four-color antics, usually with the covers rolled.

There were no names of creators in the comics, but it wasn’t hard to pick out your favorite “draw-ers.” For most, it was the guy doing Betty and Veronica. He made the girls look attractive to young boys who’d normally just as soon throw a rock at one. Soon that same guy came out with a new book called She’s Josie. We bought that one, too.

During this time, he created a teenage feature called Josie. He planned the feature as a comic strip and later showed it to Archie president Richard Goldwater. Goldwater added his name to it and it was pitched unsuccessfully as a comic strip. Eventually it became a comic from Archie, created by “Dick and Dan,” the first wide use of creator credits at the company. Josie later underwent a name change to become a girl rock group. Josie and the Pussycats became a CBS cartoon show, which is still airing on the Cartoon Network.

During the 1960s Dan also co-created Sabrina the Teenage Witch with George Gladir for the Archie comic Madhouse. Dan Jr. and Jim also did work at Archie during this period, before their untimely deaths. Later, Dan created the third “Archie girl,” Cheryl Blossom, to make the Archie triangle a quadrangle.

Summers came and went. You progressed from chasing girls to catching that special one.

Pretty soon, you were buying Archie comics for your own kids. By now they were giving credits and you recognized your favorite art. Yep, he’s still there. And his name is Dan DeCarlo.

The kids grow up and stop reading those comics. Still, you see his art on the Archie covers.

Good to know he’s still keeping kids entertained.

One day, you read the newspaper and there’s a picture of this DeCarlo fellow. Seems he’s been fired. You read further, about his military career during World War II and how he met his wife Josette “over there.” How he created Josie, named after his wife, by watching his own teenage sons. And how the comics publishers refused to deal with him when they wanted to make a movie of his characters.

He stayed busy, doing The Simpsons, two Harley Quinn stories and a Scooby Doo story for DC. We at Shanda Fantasy Arts also had the pleasure of having him do a few covers for us. Dan made many convention appearances, and at his first “furry” con in July 2001 was treated to a performance by a live “Josie” played by Katmandu artist Lisa Jennings.

Now you begin following the news. You buy some Simpsons comics for your grandkids, telling them about this “great draw-er” that’s in there.

You keep hoping things will be settled before the Josie movie comes out. It doesn’t happen.

Just before Christmas, you read the news: “’JOSIE’ CREATOR DAN DECARLO DIES.” Dan was born in New Rochelle, NY, in 1919.

During World War II, while stationed in Belgium,

As the 1990s dawned and many older artists retired, Archie Publications had videotapes made of Dan DeCarlo giving lessons on drawing in his style. When Sabrina became a TV show and he heard rumors Josie might be next, Dan decided to look into his legal rights and retained a lawyer. He was promptly let go by Archie Publications.

The original radio-and-TV “dumb blonde” meets artist Dan DeCarlo and Stan Lee in a page from My Friend Irma #41 (March 1954). Courtesy of Thomas Lammers. [©2002 the respective copyright holder.]

Dan was busy with plans for two new series at his death: Lower East Side for Dan Fogel, and Jessica and the Bunnygirls, a teenage girl-group comic. He is survived by his wife Josie and two granddaughters, Jessica and Christie.

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40

Marc Swayze There was one other situation involving collaboration that took place around the close of the ’40s. In the daily mail there was an occasional brief, courteous letter that usually ended with the suggestion that the writer and I pool our efforts toward a syndicate venture. I never met Jerry Siegel face to face and, although this was several years after his connection with Superman, I was a bit awed by attention from the co-creator of the first, as far as I knew, super-hero of comic book, radio, and movie fame.

By

mds& logo ©2002 Marc Swayze; Captain Marvel © & TM 2002 DC Comics] (c) [Art

[FCA EDITOR’S NOTE: From 1941-53, Marcus D. Swayze was a top artist for Fawcett Comics. The very first Mary Marvel sketches came from his drawing table, and he illustrated her earliest adventures, including her origin story; but he was primarily hired to illustrate “Captain Marvel” stories and covers for Whiz Comics and Captain Marvel Adventures. He also wrote many “Captain Marvel” scripts, continuing to do so while in the military during World War II. After the war he made an arrangement with Fawcett to produce art and stories on a freelance basis out of his Louisiana home. There he created both art and story for “The Phantom Eagle” in Wow Comics, in addition to drawing the Flyin’ Jenny newspaper strip for Bell Syndicate (created by his friend and mentor Russell Keaton). After the cancellation of Wow, Swayze drew for Fawcett’s romance comics, and eventually ended his comics career with Charlton Publications. Marc’s ongoing professional memoirs have been FCA’s most popular feature since his first column appeared in FCA #54, 1996. Continuing from last issue, Marc reflects further on his several attempts to sell a syndicated comic strip… and sparking the interest of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel. —P.C. Hamerlinck.]

The correspondence continued until Jerry was convinced of my aim to do my own writing.

Much of that writing is found in the stack of notes and sketches left from the syndicate tries. The majority of it had been typed somewhat formally, but some was apparently conceived along with the initial drawings. One of those, a feature almost forgotten, was Louis LeBone.

Louis was a Cajun, a member of a family living in a contemporary community of fun-loving Americans, descendants of the Acadians who had settled in a section of the deep South before the Revolution.

The strip was intended to be funny, and, by the standards of the day,

by George, it was funny! Looking over the drawings in the cold light of today, however, one can see Louis as a Cajun Li’l Abner. Really... too much so. Perhaps that realization was why the work was carried no further than two weeks of partially-completed daily strips.

Notwithstanding, I liked Louis. It would have been a pleasure telling the world about those people who clung so loyally to the traditions and dialect of their ancestors.

Come to think of it, Louis LeBone might be more acceptable to the syndicates now, fifty years after his time, where funny funnies once again dominate the newspaper page.

The idea of combining music, art, and writing in some way had lurked in the back of my mind since I left the milk route. Neal Valentine was the eventual response to that urge.

The thoughts, however, of writing and drawing something that was meant to be heard was a stymie for a Marc Swayze in a 1950s photo. while. Neal, a piano-playing Courtesy of the artist. songwriter with a penchant for detective work, was the answer to that. Then there was the question of whether the music game would provide story ideas for the long haul.

That took considerable thought. Since college days I had performed in combos and bands in environments ranging from roadhouses to ballrooms. I had composed, arranged, and copyrighted songs that could be worked into the stories. I had known and worked with many musicians. The conclusion… I could do it.

“Syndicate tries” makes it all sound so simple… like the work of maybe two or three weeks. In actuality they were all done during the same periods I was working on “The Phantom Eagle,” the Fawcett romances, Flyin’ Jenny, “Captain Marvel,” and “Mary Marvel.”

Completing one required weeks… months… even years. None was considered lightly. They were work!

Previously unpublished Mary Marvel sketch by Marc Swayze, who designed the character in 1942 and drew her first few stories in Captain Marvel Adventures and Wow Comics. [Art ©2002 Marc Swayze; Mary Marvel © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

I completed two weeks of Neal Valentine strips and five weeks of typed continuity… and made the rounds.

We Didn’t Know...

Letter dated 12/27/49 to Swayze from Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel, later the comics director at Ziff-Davis Publishing Company.

As it turned out, the subject, music, had too limited an audience, according to the syndicates.

Good character, though, they said… good art, good writing… but sorry, no go. “Let us see your next try…”

Neal Valentine was the feature I later revamped and sold to Charlton Publications. It appeared as the lead story, “Melody of Hate,” in Strange Suspense Stories #27, October 1955. [Editor’s note: The splash page to the story was reproduced in Alter Ego No. 9.]

Then came an idea for a western comic. Not a gun-totin’ bang-bang type, but one featuring a little retired cowpoke faced with a changing world… a dude ranch. Clem of the Circle M, I thought, might be acceptable to the syndicates with that environment… and a continuous series of mild humor.

At the drawing board, rather than go at it with a flat, cartoony style, I favored a sort of 3-dimensional realism that had been trying to evolve for years. In 1940, when I was a very green assistant, we had received word from the syndicate that in the printing of the Sunday pages at some newspapers, the solid black areas were appearing “dull and lifeless.” It was said that the cause was the color plates not extending completely over those areas. The point was clear: solid black, overprinted with color, is good… when not… bad.

That’s all there was to it. No suggestion as to how or what to do… only the problem. I was just learning to feather, so with my trusty little

Swayze’s Louis LeBone “might be more acceptable to the syndicates now....” [©2002 Marc Swayze.]

“The idea of combining music, art, and writing....”

Neal Valentine by Swayze. [©2002 Marc Swayze.]

41

42

Marc Swayze

290 pen I went to work on all those areas intended as solid black.

The result was a lifelong interest in the back light, or reflected light, and in seeking the 3-D effect with pen, brush, and ink… in what I call line drawing.

So it went with Clem. Two weeks of daily strips were completed and by foot and mail offered to every syndicate listed in Editor and Publisher. The general comment: too much like Red Ryder or the Lone Ranger.

“Let us see your next try, though…”

Some fun, the syndicate game.

[Marc Swayze’s memoirs of his days in comics will continue next issue.]

Swayze’s Clem of the Circle M: “a little retired cowpoke faced with a changing world.” [©2002 Marc Swayze.]

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Gentle Giant

43

Gentle Giant A Golden Age Comic Book Artist Remembers a Well-respected Fawcett Editor

by Jay Disbrow As most Captain Marvel fans are aware, Fawcett Publications had their editorial offices in the Paramount Building at Broadway and 43rd Street in mid-Manhattan—New York City.

This same building, however, also Longtime comics pro Jay Disbrow— housed the plush offices of the a self-portrait, with special thanks legendary Adolph Zukor, who in to Ralph Ellis Miley/New Creation. partnership with Jessey Lasky and [Art ©2002 Jay Disbrow.]

Cecil B. DeMille founded the Paramount Motion Picture Studios back in 1915.

I first discovered Captain Marvel in the fall of 1940, when I was still a kid. At that time the character failed to impress me, because for years I had been a Flash Gordon fan. Alex Raymond’s magnificent art had worked its magic upon me.

Then, in the summer of 1941, The Adventures of Captain Marvel motion picture serial from Republic Pictures was released, and that changed everything. I became an instant Captain Marvel fan. Nothing like this production had ever been seen before. The special effects and the flying sequences were astonishing, and the musical score left a haunting memory in the viewer’s mind from week to week.

Of course, Tom Tyler looked nothing like Captain Marvel. But then again, neither Ralph Byrd nor Warren Beatty looked anything like Dick Tracy. But Tyler brought great dignity to the role of Captain Marvel, despite his weak diction and grating voice. Even to this day I enjoy dropping my Captain Marvel tape into the VCR and watching those glorious moments of 1941. I realize that the late C.C. Beck had nothing but contempt for this cinematic production, but in this case I must disagree with him.

The fact that I had chosen the comics as a career is mute testimony to the influences of a host of comic creators who had preceded me. While I never sold a comic book story to Fawcett Publications, I am proud to say that Wendell Crowley, editor of Captain Marvel Adventures, Captain Marvel Jr., The Marvel Family, and others, was a friend of mine.

“Tyler brought great dignity to the role.”

Stuntman (and future Mummy) Tom Tyler in the 1941 Republic serial The Adventures of Captain Marvel. [Captain Marvel © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

I first met Wendell at his office in the fall of 1946.

He was one of the tallest men I had ever seen. While I was by no means short, he towered above me, and above all the people on the Fawcett staff. He had the potential of being very intimidating, but he also had a way of putting

people at ease. He was a very gracious individual. He examined my woefully amateurish pages of comic art, and with great diplomacy explained that I was not ready for the world of comics publication. He knew that all I had going for me at that time was an unbridled enthusiasm for a career in this medium. He encouraged me to keep at it and come back when I had progressed further.

Of course I did come back, again and again… not only to Fawcett Publications, but also to many other comic publishers. In those days, fondly remembered as the “Golden Age” of comics, there were a host of comic book publishers, nearly all of whom were located in mid-town Manhattan. Wendell Crowley always took the time to examine my art pages carefully. He even corrected the spelling and syntax errors in my stories. He frequently would place my pages side by side with the Fawcett comics pages he was currently editing so I could see the differences. Such comparisons can be devastating to one’s ego, but it is obvious that he did it for my own personal development.

Wendell Crowley (1921-1970) edited Captain Marvel Adventures, Marvel Family, and other Fawcett comics from 1944 through the end in 1953—including the legendary MF #1 (Dec. 1945), below, with its one-andonly Golden Age Black Adam story.

Art by C.C. Beck. Photo courtesy Ginny Provisiero. [Art ©2002 DC Comics.]

During that three-year period I came to Wendell’s office many times, but he never once gave me short shrift. By 1949 the quality of my artwork took a quantum leap forward, and Wendell recognized this. I

44

Jay Disbrow & Wendell Crowley defunct Curtis Publishing Company. Leonard Cole decided to use my original comic book stories as feature material in most of his magazines; then he filled the remainder of the magazines with old inventory from the Curtis Company. Economically this arrangement worked well for Star, because their backlog material had been purchased for pennies on the dollar.

Almost from the beginning, I had convinced Leonard Cole to allow me to write my own comic book stories. They consisted mostly of weird mystery, fantasy, jungle adventures, and a hefty dose of so-called “romance” features, which had come into vogue at that time.

With the exception of the romance stories (which I thought were rather silly), I had a blast letting my imagination run wild with weird adventure, tropical, and occasional science-fiction material. Of course, Cole kept a rein on the stories, to make certain I did not run into the realm of the utterly fantastic.

But, during this time, I never forgot Wendell Crowley. Occasionally when in New York, I would drop by the Fawcett offices to visit him and show him my latest published material. He was delighted with the progress I was making and encouraged me to keep at it.

Then one day in the early autumn of 1953, I stopped at the Paramount Building to visit Wendell. As I emerged from the elevator at the floor occupied by Fawcett Publications, I was astonished to discover there was no one there. The large reception room was empty and denuded of furnishings. The tall glass doors leading to the editorial offices were closed and locked. Beyond the doors all was enshrouded in darkness. In what was once a scene of bustling activity, the silence of the tomb now lay upon everything.

Jay Disbrow says: “My first meeting with Wendell Crowley was daunting. He was so big, I felt like I was in kindergarten again.” [Art ©2002 Jay Disbrow.]

had immersed myself in the works of Andrew Loomis and absorbed all (or most) of what he had to offer. Later, I had enrolled in Al Dorn’s Famous Artists School course of commercial illustration.

In late December of 1949 I was in Wendell Crowley’s office, and he liked the work I was showing him. Unfortunately he had no work to offer me at the time. I believe Fawcett was already beginning to scale back some of its production schedule, and they were probably finding it difficult to provide work even for their seasoned artists. Wendell suggested that I try the Jerry Iger comic art studios. I told him that was fine with me, so he reached for his massive Manhattan classified telephone directory and looked up Iger’s address. He wrote it down on a piece of scrap paper and handed it to me. I hurried to the Iger studio (which was on West 53rd Street) and met the famous man himself. Jerry Iger liked the work I presented to him, and he immediately hired me as an inker. Just like that, I was in!

I began working at the Iger shop on January 2, 1950, and I inked such famous Fiction House features as “Sheena,” “Kaanga,” “Wambi,” and a gaggle of others. Eventually I was given scripts to pencil, and it was then that I made a remarkable discovery. These scripts I was working from were childish nonsense; Hal Foster and Milton Caniff would have been embarrassed by them. I was convinced I could write better comic book stories. All the comic stories I had produced prior to working for Iger were written by myself. However, I knew I would never have the opportunity to write my own material as long as I remained at the Iger Studios.

One year later I met the famous L.B. (Leonard) Cole, editor and cover artist at Star Publications. Star was a rather small publishing house with a large backlog of comic stories that they had purchased from the

I stood there frozen, wondering what kind of tragedy had engulfed this splendid institution. Later, Leonard Cole filled me in on the details concerning the lawsuit that DC Comics had instigated against Fawcett, in which it was alleged that Captain Marvel was plagiarized from Superman. On the face of it the charge was absurd. Captain Marvel was in no way a rip-off of Superman. The only thing they had in common was extraordinary physical strength and the ability to fly. There were a number of other comic heroes who were indeed stolen from the Superman concept, but they were from smaller publishers who posed no financial threat to DC as Captain Marvel/Fawcett did.

I eventually found Wendell Crowley’s address and we corresponded on a frequent basis. When he learned of my impending marriage, he sent me a note of warmest congratulations. He loved domesticity, and because he was happily married, he wanted everyone else to be.

But economic necessity had compelled Wendell to accept

Among the various companies for which Jerry Iger Studios produced finished comics work was the infamous Victor Fox. This sketch of comics’ first “Thor” feature, which appeared in Weird Comics #1-5 in 1940, was drawn by Jay Disbrow for his 1985 book The Iger Comics Kingdom. The Lee-Kirby Thor of 1962 would owe a distinct debt to Fawcett’s Captain Marvel. [Thor ©1985 the Caplin-Iger Company. Ltd.; art c 1985 Jay Disbrow]

Gentle Giant

45

Left to right: Jerry Iger, L.B. Cole, and Jay Disbrow a couple of decades back, as seen in the 1981 edition of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. Special thanks to Bob Overstreet. [©2002 the respective copyright holder.]

employment in his father’s lumber yard. By reading between the lines of his letters, it was obvious to me he had little interest in the work he was obliged to do. After spending those previous years in the heady fantasy world of adventure comics, it was no doubt a tremendous letdown, and a real grind on a daily basis.

It was years later that I learned of his untimely death, and his passing saddened me. The world of comics had lost one of its greatest advocates.

A writer once referred to Wendell Crowley as the “gentle giant” of the comics industry. He was that… and a man of integrity as well.

[Jay Disbrow not only enjoyed an illustrious career as a comic book artist and writer for L.B. Cole and Star Publications, but also a career in journalism for many years as a feature newspaper and magazine writer. He authored the book Iger Comics Kingdom, of which only a dozen copies are still available at <www.marvelfamily.com/aroc>—where you’ll also find installments of Jay’s science fiction/fantasy strip, Aroc of Zenith.]

www.marvelfamily.com/aroc

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46

C.C. Beck

Real Facts...

About an Unreal Character

by C.C. Beck Edited by P.C. Hamerlinck [EDITOR’S NOTE: FCA presents another previously unpublished early-’80s essay from the FCA archives by the original Captain Marvel’s chief artist, C.C. Beck. Special thanks to Sam George.

—PCH.]

Part I “Comic as in Comic Strip” The real secret behind the success of Captain Marvel, which few people recognized, was that Billy Batson told about Captain Marvel’s exploits over his radio and television programs. In the very first story in Whiz Comics, written by Bill Parker, Billy never revealed anything about Captain Marvel to Sterling Morris and instead said, “Boy, oh boy!

Here’s where we go to town! Me and—” “You and who else, son?” Mr. Morris asked.

A 1977 Beck sketch of Captain Marvel, done for our publisher, John Morrow, in Montgomery, Alabama. [Art ©2002 estate of C.C. Beck; Captain Marvel © & TM DC Comics.]

“Oddly, they [the three other Billy Batsons] knew Billy was Captain Marvel and acted as if it were common knowledge. This was an incongruity in the early Marvel tales. Sometimes few people knew, sometimes everyone seemed to know.”

A little farther into his introduction Bridwell wrote: “Again [there was] that note of unreality—mentioning that the action was occurring in comic books.”

Of course it was! It was all fantasy and imagination and good-natured hokum, never intended to be taken seriously!

“—er, nobody, sir. Just me and the microphone. That’s all, sir—just me and ’Mike!’”

Billy said. As far as anyone ever knew, Billy may have made up the stories he told over the air.

I won’t bother to list all the ways in which Captain Marvel and his stories were different from the super-hero comic books of the time; admirers of the character are probably more aware of them than I am. One big difference was that Captain Marvel was comic, not sobersided and stuffy.

The stories were actually made up by Otto Binder and some other very talented writers.

They knew that children, and for that matter most adults, are far more interested in fantasy, magic, and outrageous fiction than in reality and facts, which are generally dull.

Fawcett Publications knew this, too, but they were always trying to hide the fact that they were publishing fiction in magazines such as True Confessions. The True Confessions type of stories were written by hard-bitten male writers, not by innocent young women who had lost their virginities.

The photo illustrations in True Confessions and similar magazines were all taken in Fawcett’s photo studio and heavily retouched in Fawcett’s art department.

By comic I mean as in comic strip—cartoonstyle artwork drawn in the style more like Mutt and Jeff or Bringing Up Father than in the heavy-handed, realistic-style artwork. Bridwell, however, didn’t understand the difference between drawing comic and being comic. Most people don’t. He wrote: “As far as anyone ever knew, Billy may have made up the stories he told.” Billy Batson, from the first issue of Whiz Comics. Art by C.C. Beck, words

by Bill Parker. [©2002 DC Comics.]

Even E. Nelson Bridwell, who wrote some of the better “Captain Marvel” stories for DC after they revived the character, never quite grasped the fact that Captain Marvel wasn’t supposed to be real. Here’s what Bridwell wrote in his introduction to the book, Shazam from the ’40s to the ’70s:

“…Fun! Everyone I’ve talked to who ever had a hand in the Big Red Cheese has used that word to describe it. Cap was a different kind of hero, though originally conceived as another Superman imitator. His creators and the writers and artists who followed them put a peculiar magic into their work.”

Bridwell and others don’t know that it’s not at all comical simply to put funny words into a script. “Big Red Cheese” is not funny by itself… only when spoken by a comical character like Dr. Sivana, who was a burlesque character—short, big-nosed, round-shouldered, and wearing Coke-bottle-lensed eyeglasses. The magic of Captain Marvel was fun

Real Facts...

47 of men and women just as interesting as these, but as nobody has ever written about them nobody will ever know about them.

Behind every great character in comics there is also a writer, or two or three or a dozen. These writers come in all shapes and sizes and have varying amounts of talent. Some of them can sit down at a typewriter and bang out, like machines, so many words per minute at so many cents a word. They start when an editor tells them to and stop when the editor cries, “Enough!” These writers seldom give a publisher any trouble, as they are dependable and will furnish whatever kind of stories the publisher or his editors want.

“Invasion of the Salad Men” (Shazam! #10, Feb. 1974) was the story that was the final straw for Beck, causing him to leave DC and comics for good. It was then drawn by Bob Oksner and Vince Colletta. [©2002 DC Comics.]

magic, not frightening, gooseflesh-producing magic or evil, demonic magic. It was the kind of magic a kid could produce—if given the power, as Billy Batson was, by a benevolent old wizard with a long white beard who looked like Moses.

The story that caused me to stop illustrating new “Captain Marvel” stories for DC was an impossible pile of garbage about some talking vegetables that had to land on Earth when their little flying saucer ran out of fuel. Captain Marvel had to do such idiotic things as carry them around in a grocery shopping bag and, to avoid suspicion, pretend that he was catching a cold when one of the vegetables in the bag sneezed loudly.

I laid out the story as written but then suggested a change in the copy to have Billy telling the story over the air, just narrating it, as it were. I showed some kids watching television and wondering whether the story was real. “Of course not, it’s just a TV program,” their father assured his children. Then the kids went out in their backyard and saw something—a flying saucer?—taking off in the distance.

There are some writers, however, who write what they want, not what some publisher tells them to. Such a writer was Bill Parker. He was told by the upper management at Fawcett Publications to “create a comic character just like Superman.” Parker, after looking at a Superman comic, sat down at his typewriter and wrote “Captain Marvel” instead. Fawcett was not very happy with the new character Parker came up with, but they decided to publish it anyway.

Captain Marvel was a big hit right from the beginning. Readers loved this huge, red-suited character… who was really only the boy, Billy Batson, magically grown up. They could identify with Billy, a kid like themselves, much more than they could with Clark Kent, a sort of ordinary, middle-aged commuter type.

Parker went into the armed services when World War II began, and other writers took over the writing chores for The World’s Mightiest Mortal. Among these writers was the very talented Otto Binder, who concealed, beneath a blandlooking exterior and a cheerful face, the fact that he had the soul of a Jonathan Swift.

Binder wrote biting satire and sardonic humor, disguised as jolly little adventure stories. He knew that without villains there could be no heroes. A super-hero must have supervillains to battle, and Binder knew that without some human touches in their make-ups both heroes and villains become mere cardboard figures, dancing like puppets at the ends of strings pulled by invisible manipulators. Binder’s characters moved and acted on their own, which is what makes a story come to life and keep the reader asking, “Now what will our hero do?” instead of muttering, “Oh, no, how stupid this story is!”

I felt it was that touch of unreality that attributed to Captain Marvel’s success in the Golden Age. But Julius Schwartz, chief editor at DC, was furious.

“You can’t do that to our scripts!” he roared at me when I met him in New York, where I had gone as a guest of honor at one of Phil Seuling’s comic conventions. “We’ve put another artist on the story!”

Part II How To Write (Or Not Write) Comic Stories Behind every great person in history there has been a writer. Who would ever have heard of Adam, Eve, or Moses if someone had not written about them? There might have been thousands

As suggested by this illo done in 1982, Beck modeled the old wizard Shazam after none other than Moses, years before Charlton Heston came along. [Art ©2002 estate of C.C. Beck; Shazam © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

Other writers followed

48

C.C. Beck

“The soul of a Jonathan Swift.” Otto Binder (right) was one of those rare items—a “comic book legend” that was 100% the genuine article, and he proved it in stories of “biting satire and sardonic humor, disguised as jolly adventure stories,” as in this splash from Captain Marvel Adventures #96 (May 1949). Art by C.C. Beck. Photo courtesy of Glen Cadigan. [CM art ©2002 DC Comics.]

inside many Fawcett comics… while none of the names of any of the writers ever appeared.) DC did not ask Binder, Woolfolk, or any of the writers who had produced the classic “Captain Marvel” scripts in the ’40s and ’50s to write any of the new stories, which, I feel, was a great mistake.

Instead, DC assigned the scripts to writers who had been handling DC characters… resulting in typical DC stories where the main character could be interchangeable with dozens of other DC characters. Captain Marvel fit in about as well as John Wayne fitting into one of Shirley Temple’s dancing costumes.

After doing the best I could to put some life into the new “Captain Marvel” stories, I gave up in disgust. Although all the old characters were brought back (except Steamboat, for obvious reasons), none of them lived and moved on their own as they all once had, but instead just went through the motions of acting out the feeble little stories which were supplied. I’m sure DC was quite happy when I quit, as they could now have everything their own way… with no static from the old curmudgeon that I am.

I’ll never know why DC made Captain Marvel into a silly lout who flew around the neighborhood like Peter Pan, shoveling coal into furnaces, eating gelatin, or something else equally unimportant.

Binder’s lead, or even surpassed him at times. Bill Woolfolk wrote great supernatural stories; Manly Wade Wellman wrote science-fiction stories; Rod Reed wrote witty, fun-poking stories. All these men, and their editors, worked very hard to get Captain Marvel to the top of the comic publishing world and then to keep him there. Had it not been for this group of writers, Fawcett would have killed off Billy Batson and they would have just made Captain Marvel a carbon copy of Superman.

When I saw the Marvel Family talking to Santa Claus in Shazam! #11, I said to myself, “Why didn’t they bring in the tooth fairy and Cinderella’s godmother while they’re at it?” Perhaps they are saving them for future issues. I can hardly wait for the big Easter issue of Shazam! They’ll probably have Captain Marvel helping the Easter Bunny color eggs. Won’t that be thrilling?

Illustrating the stories were Pete Costanza, Marc Swayze, Jack Binder, Mac Raboy, Bill Ward, Kurt Schaffenberger, myself, and dozens of other artists who laughed and cried at the stories while we enjoyed putting them into picture form. It was hard work, but it was fun!

Meanwhile, over at DC Comics, Superman continued on his stodgy way. He flew faster than a bullet, or a speeding train, or whatever he flew faster than, but he lost out on sales. DC and their lawyers brought suit for plagiarism against Fawcett Publications; by 1953 Fawcett decided it had had enough of DC, courtrooms, and comic books.

The self-styled “old curmudgeon” (but major comic book artist)—Charles Clarence Beck, at his home studio in Lake Wales, Florida, in 1979.

Twenty years after helping to kill off Captain Marvel, DC decided to revive the character.

They asked me to be the artist for the new Captain Marvel book, Shazam!, because my name had some drawing power among fans. (In the Golden Age, my name, with the title of ’Chief Artist,’ appeared on the content pages

“Eating gelatin” and Santa Claus, in a pair of tales from Shazam! #11 (March 1974).

Art (respectively) by Oksner & Colletta, and Kurt Schaffenberger. [©2002 DC Comics.]

Next Issue: KURT SCHAFFENBERGER A Special Tribute & Rare Interview Now—FLIP US for our Golden Age Section

Roy Thomas ’ All-St All-Star ar Comics anzine Comics F F anzine

$$

5.95

In the the USA USA In

NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN ART FROM A LONG-LOST GOLDEN AGE JSA TALE!

ADAMS ANDERSON • BECK BLACK • BROOKS BRUNNER•BUCKLER BURNLEY • DILLIN DISBROW • ELIAS ESTRADA FLESSEL • FOX GALLAGHER GILBERT • GIFFEN GONZALES GREENE • GRELL HASEN • HIBBARD INFANTINO KANE (Bob & Gil) KAYANAN • KIRBY KUBERT • LEIALOHA MANNING MILGROM MOLDOFF •NASSER NAYDEL • NODELL ORDWAY•PACHECO PEDDY • PETER REINMAN • ROSS SCHAFFENBERGER SEKOWSKY SHERMAN•SHUSTER SIMON • STATON SWAN • SWAYZE TOTH • WOOD

April 2002

“The Will of William Wilson!”

Art ©2002 Michael T. Gilbert; JSA TM & ©2002 DC Comics

Plus Rare Art and Artifacts by:

No. 14

THE RETRO COMICS EXPERIENCE!

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Edited by MICHAEL EURY, BACK ISSUE magazine celebrates comic books of the 1970s, 1980s, and today through recurring (and rotating) departments like “Pro2Pro” (dialogue between professionals), “BackStage Pass” (behind-the-scenes of comicsbased media), “Greatest Stories Never Told” (spotlighting unrealized comics series or stories), and more!

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Vol. 3, No. 14 / April 2002

™

Editor Roy Thomas

Associate Editors Bill Schelly, Jim Amash

Design & Layout Christopher Day

Consulting Editors John Morrow Jon B. Cooke

FCA Editor P.C. Hamerlinck

Comics Crypt Editor Michael T. Gilbert

Editors Emeritus Jerry Bails (founder) Ronn Foss, Biljo White, Mike Friedrich

Cover Artists Michael T. Gilbert Mike Nasser & Steve Leialoha

Cover Colorists Michael T. Gilbert & Tom Ziuko

Mailing Crew Russ Garwood, Glen Musial, Ed Stelli, Pat Varker, Loston Wallace

And Special Thanks to: Pedro Angosto Jeff Bailey Brian H. Bailie Bill Black Ray Bottorff Jr. Jerry K. Boyd Jack Burnley Glen Cadigan James Cavenaugh Gerry Conway Mike Cruden Mike Curtis Ray A. Cuthbert Fred W. DeBoom Craig & David Delich Al Dellinges Jay Disbrow Ric Estrada Mark Evanier Ryan Farnsworth Stephen Fishler Creig Flessel Keif Fromm Keith Giffen David G. Hamilton Paul Handler Irwin Hasen Mark & Stephanie Heike Carmine Infantino Fred Jandt Jim Korkis Thomas Lammers Jim Lee Paul Levitz Russ Maheras Scott McAdam

Christopher McGlothlin Ralph Ellis Miley/ New Creation Al Milgrom Sheldon Moldoff Matt Moring Mart & Carrie Nodell Michelle Nolan Eric NolenWeathington Jerry Ordway Bob Overstreet Carlos Pacheco Chris Pedrin Ian Penman Peter C. Phillips Ginny Provisiero Charlie Roberts Ethan Roberts Julius Schwartz Dez Skinn Robin Snyder Joe & Hilarie Staton Marc Swayze Joel Thingvall Dann Thomas Alex Toth Dr. Michael J. Vassallo Nikki Vrtis Hames Ware Len Wein Marv Wolfman Ed Zeno Mike Zeno

In Memoriam:Chase Craig & Dan DeCarlo

Contents Writer/Editorial: “Impossible Things” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The All-Star Companions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 A page-by-page survey of the original 18 JSAers—with some pretty fantastic artwork!

Where There’s a Will. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 More mystery-solving art from that fabled “lost” 1945 issue of All-Star Comics!

The Gardner Fox Scrapbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Michael T. Gilbert walks us through stories and scripts of a Golden Age master!

“Who the Hell Hasn’t Copied from Somebody?” . . . . . . . . . . . 43 A 1970 interview with Lee Elias, 1940s artist of Flash, Sub-Mariner, and Black Cat.

The 1970s Justice Society Revival––Revisited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Flip Us! About Our Cover: In The All-Star Companion we printed Michael T. Gilbert’s own version of a 1944 All-Star Comics cover—so when we were blessed to discover five additional pages of a never-published 1940s JSA story, we invited him to create the cover it probably never had. Michael gave it his own sardonic spin, as one would expect from the writer/artist who’s given us “Mr. Monster”—and we’re pleased as punch to feature it as one of this issue’s colorful covers! [Art ©2002 Michael T. Gilbert; JSA © & TM DC Comics.]

Above: The 1948 All-Star story “The Invasion from Fairyland!”—with its nice Irwin Hasen art and John Broome script—has never yet been reprinted; but this pair of panels sets the scene for the meeting of two worlds in this issue of A/E: the Justice Society of the 1940s, and the fans who’ve waited more than half a century to see a “lost” JSA adventure—whether they knew it or not! [©2002 DC Comics.]

Alter EgoTM is published 8 times a year by TwoMorrows, 1812 Park Drive, Raleigh, NC 27605, USA. Phone: (919) 833-8092.

Roy Thomas, Editor. John Morrow, Publisher. Alter Ego Editorial Offices: Rt. 3, Box 468, St. Matthews, SC 29135, USA. Fax: (803) 826-6501; e-mail: roydann@ntinet.com. Send subscription funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial offices. Single issues: $8 ($10.00 Canada, $11.00 elsewhere). Eight-issue subscriptions: $40 US, $80 Canada, $88 elsewhere. All characters are © their respective companies. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © Roy Thomas. Alter Ego is a TM of Roy & Dann Thomas. FCA is a TM of P.C. Hamerlinck. Printed in Canada.

FIRST PRINTING.

writer/editorial

2

“Impossible Things” Sometimes, just sometimes, dreams do come true—and “impossible feats” are accomplished.

“Stephen,” who said he had recently purchased a considerable amount of vintage original art, including “a complete Golden Age All-Star story.”

One of my primary motives in putting together the 208-page All-Star Companion a year or two ago was to see gathered, in one place, information and art concerning the 1940-1951 run of All-Star Comics—plus the approximately 15 pages’ worth of art and story that had come to light of an incomplete and never-published 1945 “Justice Society of America” adventure called “The Will of William Wilson.”

I instantly suspected “Stephen” might be Stephen Fishler, head honcho of Metropolitan Comics in New York City. I didn’t know him personally, but had been told he might have been the purchaser of one or both of the 1950 All-Star covers I’d sold through Sotheby’s in 1996.

As every real JSA fan now knows, in early 1965 Gardner F. Fox, the hero-group’s co-creator and writer of All-Star #3-34, informed researcher Jerry G. Bails that his records indicated that he had actually scripted four additional “JSA” tales in the mid-’40s, which “apparently... were scrapped, or came out under different titles.” In fact, that’s all Gardner’s records contained concerning them: just the tantalizing titles of the quartet of tales, and nothing more: “The Men of Magnifica” “The Emperors of Japan” “The Will of William Wilson” “Peril of the Paper Death” No hard information on the first, second, and fourth of the above stories has yet turned up, and maybe it never will, although considerable speculation about them was recorded in the Companion.

However, as we all learned later, a considerable amount of original art from the third-named “lost” tale had actually survived, albeit that art had been cut into “tiers”—i.e., rows of panels (there were generally three tiers/rows to each non-splash page in mid-’40s DC comics) from pages which had been sliced into horizontal thirds in the late 1960s by future pro Marv Wolfman, under circumstances described both in the Companion and in issues of Alter Ego. The All-Star Companion printed all 44 tiers of art (that’s 14 2/3 pages’ worth!) from “The Will of William Wilson” that we then knew to exist—except for two from the “Flash” chapter which, for technical reasons, had to be left out of the book. Those two tiers were printed a few weeks later in Alter Ego V3#7.

Naturally, I immediately contacted Stephen Fishler, who did indeed turn out to be that “Stephen,” and who informed me that, actually, he hadn’t bought a “complete” JSA story, but only the five-page introductory chapter of one. He said the notation “A.S.#31” was handprinted at the top of the splash, but that on checking he had realized that this art had not appeared in All-Star #31; indeed, it apparently had never seen print at all!

A few more words of description, and I was certain Stephen had come into possession of the JSA-intro chapter of “The Will of William Wilson”—which somehow had escaped being sliced into thirds!

Without revealing where he’d obtained the artwork (and I didn’t press), he generously agreed to send me photocopies of the five pages for reproduction in Alter Ego. Because of the twice-up size of the 1940s art, plus other demands on his time, it was two or three weeks before I received them, and I was on the proverbial pins and needles until one day an over-size package arrived. I tore it open—and there they were: Page “A” through “E” of “The Will of William Wilson.”

To view that art, placed in the context of material presented earlier both in A/E V3#7 and in the Companion, turn to Page 23. (As you’ll see, it’s the source of the “impossible things” phrase above.)

In honor of what, for Justice Society enthusiasts, is something of a special find, I decided to pull out all the stops and devote this issue almost entirely to the JSA. This section opens with an alphabeticalorder survey of all Golden Age JSAers (counting Mr. Terrific and The Red Tornado)... plus an interview with artist Lee Elias, who drew “Flash” chapters in All-Star #34-36... and Michael T. Gilbert’s look at the 1940s records of JSA co-creator Gardner Fox. While neither these records nor the interview touches on the Justice Society per se, they definitely add to our general knowledge about All-Star and related DC/AA comics of the 1940s.

We also printed in the Companion a problematical “Dr. Mid-Nite” page from the collection of Ethan Roberts, which looked as if it might be from “Will,” though we couldn’t be certain. (The fact that that page, unlike all the art from the story that we’d previously seen, was intact and had never been sliced into thirds seemed, if anything, to mitigate against its being a part of the JSA story.)

And when you’re done? Well, just stand this issue on its head (or stand yourself on yours) and read about the 1970s All-Star Comics revival and the All-Star Squadron of the 1980s, as well as a couple of our regular features.

At that point, we All-Star aficionados had to face the fact that we might well never learn anything more about this minor but intriguing “lost” 1940s exploit of the Justice Society of America.

By the time you finish both halves of this issue—well, to hijack a phrase from the Companion, you’ll definitely have All-Stars in your eyes!

And then everything changed.

On October 26, 2001, Jim Amash—pro comics inker, ace interviewer, and an A/E associate editor—forwarded to me an e-mail from someone who signed himself

In 1986, Roy’s super-hero named Alter Ego (now one of this mag’s mascots) spearheaded The Limbo Legion— the super-hero crossover group to end ’em all. Can you name all these guys—and the various comics companies they started at? [Art ©2002 Ron Harris; Alter Ego © & TM 2002 Roy & Dann Thomas.]

Bestest,

3 Art by Rafael Kayanan (pencils) & Alfredo Alcala (inks), from America vs. the Justice Society #1 (Jan. 1985), as per a b-&-w poster released at the time. [©2002 DC Comics.]

Call it the “Justice Society of America”— shorten it to the “Justice Society”—or slice it down to the bare bones as the “JSA.” By any name, it remains the ultimate, the essential, the first super-hero group of all time.

And so, before we present more newlysurfaced art to the 1945 All-Star Comics saga titled “The Will of William Wilson,” let’s take a full-page look at each and every one of the eighteen stalwarts who, between 1940 and 1950-51, passed through the hallowed headquarters of the Justice Society, as members and/or honored guests.

Not counting the two full-group illustrations on this page, we’ll take ’em in alphabetical order—which means that we begin on the very next page with—

The Justice Society will probably be with us for a long, long time, if the past few decades are any clue (Vol. 8 of the All Star Archives, featuring the classic issues #3438, will be on sale this summer). Still, Avengers Forever artist Carlos Pacheco had fun a few years back drawing our heroes as the “Over-the-Hill Gang” in a Spanish “super-heroes special” called Humor a Tope, published by Tountain. Thanks to Pedro Angosto for pointing it out to us! (For a more dramatic rendition by Carlos of the JSA, see TwoMorrows’ The All-Star Companion! [Art ©2002 the respective copyright holder; JSA © & TM DC Comics.]

Never reprinted—but wait till next year (we hope, we hope!)—is All-Star #39 (Feb.-March 1948), “The Invasion from Fairyland!,” whose Irwin Hasen-drawn splash depicts all seven JSAers, plus future member Black Canary. [©2002 DC Comics.]

The All-Star Companions

4

the Atom

In this tier (row) of panels drawn by Joe Gallagher for an unpublished (?) story drawn circa 1943, The Atom relies on his wits, half a decade before he converted to nuclear power. Thanks to Len Wein. [Atom © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

The Atom displayed a newfound “atomic strength” in a handful of tales before donning a more Atomic Ageoriented costume. This climactic panel from Comic Cavalcade #28 (Aug.-Sept. 1948) looks for all the world like Irwin Hasen pencils, inked (with lots of black) by Frank Giacoia... but don’t quote us on that. [©2002 DC Comics.]

Irwin Hasen, still drawing at 83, is a popular guest at comics conventions, where he does illos like this one of The Atom in his second set of threads—in a pose from Irwin’s cover for All-Star Comics #43. Courtesy of the artist and Michael Zeno. [Art ©2002 Irwin Hasen; Atom © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

The Justice Society of America Revisited

5

Batman

In 1939 artist Bob Kane, working with writer Bill Finger, created “The Batman”—and in 1978, as a guest of the San Diego Comic-Con, drew this illo for their program book. Thanks to Jerry K. Boyd. [Art ©2002 the estate of Bob Kane; Batman © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

Jerry Ordway, who drew a great Batman in All-Star Squadron in the early ’80s, rendered this sketch for collector Keif Fromm several years back, in honor of Jerry Robinson’s legendary version of the Dark Knight. Thanks, Keif. [Art ©2002 Jerry Ordway; Batman © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

Sheldon Moldoff was briefly one of Kane’s first assistants on “Batman”—and returned in 1953 to become his principal “ghost” for the next decade and a half. This commission drawing courtesy of Scott McAdam, via Jerry K. Boyd; repro’d from a photocopy of the original art.

[Art ©2002 Sheldon Moldoff; Batman & Robin © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

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The All-Star Companions

Black Canary (Left:) Black Canary may have been physically the weakest JSAer, but she made up for it in cleverness—not that she had to be too smart to outwit the evil Dr. Egri, who took her word for it when she pretended to come over to his side. He actually believed she was going to shoot his hapless henchmen! Script by John Broome, pencils by Irwin Hasen, inks by Bernard Sachs, from the never-reprinted All-Star Comics #45 (Feb-March 1949). [©2002 DC Comics.]

For obvious reasons, Black Canary continues to appeal to a male readership, as per this drawing

by Bill Black, for The Paragon Pretty Girl Portfolio. [Art ©2002 Bill Black; Black Canary © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

The artist most associated with the Golden Age BC is Carmine Infantino, but all those stories (written by Robert Kanigher) are accessible in The Black Canary Archives. Hence this 1976 pin-up by another formidable talent, Alex Toth, who drew her All-Star debut (in #38, Dec. 1947-Jan. 1948) and, later, some of her exploits in the Silver Age. They’re in the Archives volume, too—so pick it up, already, while it’s still in print. It’s a keeper! Thanks to the artist and to Jim Korkis... and to Bill Black, for whose AC Comics it was originally done. In fact, a bigger version is still in view in one of their publications; see ad elsewhere in this issue. [Art ©2002 Bill Black; Black Canary © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

The Justice Society of America Revisited

Dr. Fate

The only Golden Age Dr. Fate original art we’ve ever run into is from the period after he’d lost much of his magic and half his mask. Still, this splash from All-Star #14 (Dec. 1942-Jan. 1943) is drawn by his co-creator, Howard Sherman—and the illo is repro’d from photocopies of the original art, courtesy of Joel Thingvall. [©2002 DC Comics.]

The returned (and magically/helmetically-restored) Dr. Fate teamed up with Hourman in two stellar issues of Showcase—but on this page from #56 (May-June 1965), he’s on his own. Like, even using fists instead of magic, he really needed help from a guy who had to take a Miraclo pill every sixty minutes? Awesome art by Murphy Anderson, repro’d from photocopies of the original art, courtesy of Jerry Bails. Words (for both Dr. Fate pieces on this page) by Gardner Fox. [©2002 DC Comics.]

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The All-Star Companions

Dr. Mid-Nite

The Man of Night (why didn’t DC ever dub him “the medical manhunter”?) can be seen in other panels from this same unpublished story in the article that follows—so here we’ve repro’d these original-art panels of him as Dr. Charles McNider. This tale, drawn

by Arthur Peddy & Bernard Sachs, involved a stolen owl icon. Thanks to Marv Wolfman.

[Drs. Midnight & McNider © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

(Left:) In the JLA-JSA team-up in Justice League of America #30 (Sept. 1964)—available in JLA Archives, Vol. 4—Doc fought the Crime Syndicate’s Owlman—and lost. But he shouldn’t take it too hard; so did fellow JSAers Hawkman, Starman, Dr. Fate, and Black Canary!

Repro’d from photocopies of the original Mike Sekowsky/Bernard Sachs art, courtesy of Jerry Bails. [©2002 DC Comics.]

The Justice Society of America Revisited

9

the Flash

(Above:) The late E.E. Hibbard, who took over “The Flash” with the hero’s third story in Flash Comics, became the artist most associated with the hero during the 1940s. These panels from AllFlash #2 (Fall 1941) are repro’d from photocopies of the original art, courtesy of Joel Thingvall. [©2002 DC Comics.]

This final page of the third, mostly-unpublished “Flash vs. Rose & Thorn” caper is one of the very few times after 1941 that the JSA was ever mentioned in any member’s solo story. Green Lantern even makes a two-panel appearance, probably the only time Joe Kubert ever drew him! All this, and a mention of Wonder Woman, to boot—courtesy of scripter Robert Kanigher. Since the story’s last two pages had seen print—in Lois Lane #113, Sept.-Oct. 1971—Roy Thomas used them in the 1980s Infinity, Inc. as the rationale for having GL and The Thorn turn out to have been married years earlier. Repro’d from photocopies of the original art, thanks to Robin Snyder—and God bless the memory of the late E. Nelson Bridwell, who preserved them in the first place! [© 2002 DC Comics.]

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The All-Star Companions

Green Lantern

(Above:) Four panels penciled by Carmine Infantino circa 1947-48 for a neverpublished “GL” story—another fabulous find, repro’d from photocopies of the original art, courtesy of Len Wein. [Green Lantern © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

Paul Reinman, in an early effort (All-American Comics #55, Jan. 1944), draws GL reciting his original oath. Repro’d from photocopies of the original art, courtesy of Joel Thingvall. [©2002 DC Comics.]

A 1992 drawing of Green Lantern by Mart Nodell, who in 1940 created Green Lantern with an assist from writer Bill Finger. Don’t miss getting a sketch from Marty at conventions around the country—and say hi to him and wife Carrie! [Art ©2002 Mart Nodell; Green Lantern © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

The Justice Society of America Revisited

11

Hawkman (Right:) Dennis Neville (working from Gardner Fox’s script) drew their co-creation “The Hawkman” only in the first three issues of Flash Comics, then was switched to lesser features, being replaced by “Shelly” Moldoff. These never-reprinted panels are from Flash #2 (Feb. 1940). [©2002 DC Comics.]

(Left:) While we don’t have any pages of the “Hawkman” chapter of the “lost” 1945 All-Star—either by Joe Kubert or anyone else— fortunately a number of original-art pages of Joe’s mid-’40s work on the Winged Wonder (and Hawkgirl) have come to light in recent years, including this one from Flash Comics #72 (June 1946).

Courtesy of Joel Thingvall, originally from the collection of artist Jon Chester Kozlak. [©2002 DC Comics.]

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The All-Star Companions

Hour-man

Though art by Adventure Comics star Hour-Man creator Bernard Baily is rare as hawk’s teeth, the hero (nowadays spelled “Hourman”) enjoyed more good art in the Silver Age, courtesy of Murphy Anderson above (Showcase #56, May-June 1965) and Sid Greene at right (in The Spectre #7, Nov.-Dec. 1968). Writer Gardner Fox and editor Julius Schwartz came up with the gimmick of noting the elapsed time of the hero’s Miraclo-given powers in each panel. Both these action pages repro’d from photocopies of the original art, courtesy of Jerry Bails. [©2002 DC Comics.]

The Justice Society of America Revisited

Johnny Thunder (Right:) Since no “Johnny Thunder” original art by his cocreator Stan Aschmeier (as “Stan Josephs”) is known to exist, dig this nice solo drawing by Marshall Rogers from the JSA Sourcebook. But Johnny never really wore a raincoat in the 1940s comics. (See the following article for details re this useful new publication.) [©2002 DC Comics.]

(Above:) What’s in a name? JT had barely vanished from Flash Comics and the JSA, before writer Robert Kanigher used his monicker for a western hero (illustrated by Alex Toth) who immediately knocked Green Lantern off the covers of All-American Comics (with issue #100, no less—Aug. 1948)! See the cover in The Picto-Journal Guide to Comic Books; here’s the splash page. [©2002 DC Comics.]

(Right:) “As long as they spell my name right....” But writers Roy & Dann Thomas and artist Dick Giordano changed even that in their four fun issues of Jonni Thunder, a.k.a. Thunderbolt in 1984. This art was printed only in that year’s DC Sampler, which was a giveaway item handed out by comics shops. [©2002 DC Comics.]

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The All-Star Companions

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Mr. Terrific

It’s definitely arguable whether Sensation Comics regular Mr. Terrific was ever intended to be a full member of the JSA; he appeared only in All-Star Comics #24. But here are a pair of panels from the 25¢, 128-page one-shot The Big All-American Comic Book in 1944. Art by Stan Aschmeier as “Stan Josephs”; script by John B. Wentworth. [©2002 DC Comics.]

(Above:) Mr. Terrific was murdered in Justice League of America #171 (Oct. 1979), in a JLA-JSA team-up written by Gerry Conway, with art by Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin. (At right:) Then he was killed off again in 1986 by writer/editor Roy Thomas, this time only in a divergent 1945 reality, in the Last Days of the Justice Society Special, as per this art repro’d from photocopies of the originals by David Ross & Mike Gustovich, courtesy of Jerry Bails. [©2002 DC Comics.]

The Justice Society of America Revisited

15

Red Tornado

Editor/cartoonist Sheldon Mayer created The Red Tornado as a super-hero spoof in his classic “Scribbly” feature in AllAmerican Comics—but though she dropped by the first JSA meeting for one page in All-Star #3, Ma Hunkel’s alter ego was never really counted as a member. This sequence from All-American #21 (Dec. 1940) was reprinted in Michael Barrier and Martin Williams’ 1981 tome The Smithsonian Book of Comic-Book Comics. [©2002 DC Comics.]

As with “Johnny Thunder,” somebody—in this case, editor Julie Schwartz and writer Gardner Fox—liked the name of Mayer’s character; so for the JLA-JSA team-up in Justice League of America #64 (Aug. 1968) they produced “The Stormy Return of The Red Tornado,” featuring a new, redhued android with that appellation. Original art by Dick Dillin & Sid Greene, repro’d from photocopies of the original art, courtesy of Jerry Bails. [©2002 DC Comics.]

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The All-Star Companions

Sandman

(Above:) According to publisher John Morrow, Jack Kirby drew this pencil sketch of Sandman for a fan during World War II. It appeared in The Jack Kirby Collector #17 (Nov. 1997), but we wanted to print it bigger. After all, how much 1940s Kirby art is floating around out there? [Art ©2002 estate of Jack Kirby; Sandman © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

This drawing of the original Sandman by Creig Flessel, one of the first artists to depict him, was originally printed in 1990 in Robin Snyder’s History of Comics. For more info on The Comics (as this vital monthly newsletter is now called), see the ad spot elsewhere in this issue. And look for an interview with Golden Age great Creig Flessel coming up in an early issue of Alter Ego! [Art ©2002 Creig Flessel; Sandman © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

(Right:) Sandman picked up Sandy the Golden Boy and a new outfit a few issues before Joe Simon & Jack Kirby took over the feature in Adventure Comics #72 (March 1942). This early-’40s page of Simon & Kirby art is repro’d from photocopies of the original art. [©2002 DC Comics.]

The Justice Society of America Revisited

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The Spectre

Jerry Siegel & Bernard Baily created “The Spectre” for More Fun Comics #52 (Feb. 1940); but in the Ghostly Guardian’s final All-Star appearance (#23, Winter 1944) he was penciled by Cliff Young and inked by Steve Brodie. [© 2002 DC Comics.]

In Secret Origins #15 (June 1987), writer/editor Roy Thomas and artist Michael T. Gilbert retold the coming of Siegel & Baily’s hero. Michael drew this moody drawing as a prospective cover for the issue, but it turned out DC had already prepared one combining Spectre and Deadman, so it became the splash page instead. Repro’d from a photocopy of the original art, courtesy of the artist. [© 2002 DC Comics.]

The rest of this 1968 Spectre page drawn by Neal Adams appeared in The All-Star Companion. Why let this panel go to waste? Repro’d from a photostat of the original art, courtesy of Jerry Bails & Hames Ware. [©2002 DC Comics.]

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The All-Star Companions

Starman

All of original artist Jack Burnley’s stories of the Astral Avenger were reprinted by DC in The Golden Age Starman Archives, so we thought we’d use this opportunity to show this June 2000 photo of Jack with a copy of A/E V3#2, which featured a long interview with him—and utilized one of his re-creation drawings as a cover.

At left is his and wife Dorothy’s 2001 Christmas card. The best to both of you always! [Photo ©2002 Charlie Roberts.]

An exciting page featuring Starman (plus Hawkman) by penciler Adrian Gonzales and inker Jerry Ordway from All-Star Squadron #10 (June 1981). This RT-scripted sequence dovetailed with events chronicled by Gardner Fox and Jack Burnley four decades earlier, in All-Star Comics #11. Repro’d from photocopies of the original art, courtesy of Jerry Bails. [©2002 DC Comics.]

The Justice Society of America Revisited

19

Superman

For years Roy Thomas owned the original art of this un-used “frontispiece,” prepared to be the first interior page of early issues of Superman in 1939-41. On seeing a photocopy of this page in 1984, early “Superman” art assistant Wayne Boring wrote Roy: “Joe Shuster laid the frontispiece out (clue, face on upper right panel). Paul Cassidy worked over the prelim sketches—John Sikela drew and inked Super’s head (heads). Eddie Dobrotka inked the whole thing. Leo Nowack did the line work inside the figure outlines—Joe called this ’slicking’—Pleez! We all drew lousy pics and we actually thought we drew like Mickey Angelo.” Looks nice to us—though in the ’80s Roy traded it for the cover of All-Star #52, which he still has. Although it was finally printed in Secret Origins #1 (April 1986) with the names of Superman, Siegel, and Shuster added, this is how the original art actually looked. [©2002 DC Comics.]

Although the late Gil Kane drew many dynamic figures of Superman in comic books during the 1980s, he had to restrain himself when doing designs for TV animation, as per the above pencils, photocopies of which were sent to us by David G. Hamilton. [©2002 DC Comics.]

The proofsheet of this 12-10-58 Superman strip (and many others) which the great Golden Age comics writer Otto Binder sent Roy in the mid-1960s says it was “Drawn by Wayne Boring”—but it’s actually the work of the late Curt Swan, the climax of a Bizarro adventure not long after that worthy’s creation.

The strips were written not by Binder, however, but by another fine scripter, Alvin Schwartz. [©2002 DC Comics.]

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The All-Star Companions

Wildcat (Right:) Wildcat was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Irwin Hasen, but by the mid-’40s Joe Gallagher had become his principal artist in Sensation Comics, as per the splash from All-Star #24. [©2002 DC Comics.]

The Feline Fury’s origin was recapped in All-Star Squadron Annual #1 (1982) by scripter Roy Thomas, penciler Adrian Gonzales, and inker/embellisher Jerry Ordway. Repro’d from photocopies of the original art, courtesy of Jerry Bails. [©2002 DC Comics.]

Third time’s the jinx! In the late ’80s Roy plotted and artist Greg Brooks penciled a 19-page version of Wildcat’s beginnings for Secret Origins, but Golden Age stories were dropped from that magazine before it saw print. Repro’d from photocopies of the original art. [©2002 DC Comics.]

The Justice Society of America Revisited

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Wonder Woman

By the time Irwin Hasen penciled the above cover art for Sensation Comics #97 (MayJune 1949), that once-mighty mag had gone bimonthly, and the Amazon’s days in it were distinctly numbered (like, through #106). The inker may or may not be Hasen.

Thanks to Robin Snyder’s The Comics. [©2002 DC Comics.]

We’ve got a couple of never-printed early “Wonder Woman” pieces by cocreator Harry G. Peter, but we’re saving them for another feature. Meanwhile, here’s a page by HGP from a story published circa 1947, repro’d from photocopies of the original art. Courtesy of Ethan Roberts. [©2002 DC Comics.]

It’s only fitting that Princess Diana round out our overview of the JSA, since she outlasted them all—even though, since Crisis on Infinite Earths, her mother Hippolyta has to stand in for her retroactively in World War II adventures. But, one way or another—

Justice Society Forever!

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“The Will of William Wilson”

23

Where There s A Will...

Installment No.

Still More Long-lost Art from “The Will of William Wilson”— The Legendary Never-published 1940s Issue of All-Star Comics!

Part III

by Roy Thomas Now, as I was saying back in the Writer/Editorial on Page 2, before I rudely interrupted myself to run 19 pages of scrumptious Justice Society-related art: In The All-Star Companion (TwoMorrows Publishing, 2000) we reproduced well over a dozen pages’ worth of art from the “lost” 1945 story “The Will of William Wilson,” much of which had been for years in the collection of the late Mark Hanerfeld before he sold it to me—all of which I held onto until the middle 1990s, and some of which I still own.

I was truly thrilled to reproduce most of the extant art from “Will” for the first time anywhere, partly because of my firm conviction that only the 55 “Justice Society” stories that appeared from All-Star Comics #3 through #57 are truly “authentic.” Though I enjoyed much of the 1970s All-Star revival and loved writing my own All-Star Squadron in the ’80s, to uncover such a sizable portion of a never-published story was, to me, absolutely the only way that there could ever really be a 56th authentic JSA adventure.

And now we had it—more or less!

[Continued on next page]

Chances are no cover was ever drawn for the unprinted JSA story “The Will of William Wilson” back in the mid-’40s, so Roy Thomas and Michael T. Gilbert put their heads together, and Michael decided to draw one—in his own tongue-incheek style! Since you couldn’t see all the details (or the logos and other info at the top of the art) on this issue’s cover, we’re printing it again here. Enjoy! [Art ©2002 Michael T. Gilbert; JSA © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

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Where There’s A Will...

You’ve read the comics—now play the game!

The JSA Sourcebook, on sale now, is a supplement to the DC Universe Roleplaying Game, with emphasis on today’s JSA and, gratifyingly, yesterday’s Justice Society, Seven Soldiers of Victory—and even All-Star Squadron/Young All-Stars and Infinity, Inc. Behind this great cover by Tom Grummet and Rick Magyar, it sports art by Joe Staton, Tom Grindberg, Steve Lightle, Marshall Rogers, Paul Ryan, Steve Sadowsky, et al.

Thanks to Christopher McGlothlin and Nikki Vrtis. [©2002 DC Comics.]

In the Companion, extrapolating from information given in the 44 (at most, 47) tiers of panels we had of “Will,” I summarized what we could figure out about the missing parts of that story from what we had of it—and I theorized about several things we couldn’t tell.

There’s no space to go into detail here (or any need, since many A/E readers own a copy of the Companion and can easily refer to it—and, truth to tell, they’ll need to, to get the most out of what follows). But, in brief: The JSA were “summoned,” I assumed, by attorney Harvey Davis and asked to try to fulfill the terms of the “peculiar will” of one William Wilson. In order to gain his unspecified inheritance for “the poor and the orphans,” the six JSA men must accomplish half a dozen “impossible feats.” They must obtain a goblet/cup made by Cellini, the signature of a man named Abel Northrup, a certain Near-Eastern jewel, and the sword of Genghis Khan. Existing art in the JSA and solo chapters showed that Green Lantern, Dr. MidNite, Atom, and Flash, respectively, managed to obtain those items.

Practically nothing, however, was known about the missions of Hawkman and Johnny Thunder, since no art has turned up from their solo chapters. Hawkman was seen, in the story’s full-group finale, holding what looked like either a sloppily-drawn sphere or a well-drawn egg, and Johnny was carrying a triangular chunk of something-or-other.

I theorized he “might have been sent after a piece of the green cheese out of which the moon is sometimes said to be made”—and that the Winged Wonder might have gone after either Nostradamus’ crystal ball—or “perhaps the egg of a mythical animal such as a roc—or of an extinct dinosaur or dodo.”

(Re the missing “Hawkman” solo chapter, Jerry Bails writes that “The Will of William Wilson” had originally been “scheduled between earlier stories in which ’Hawkman’ was drawn by Joe Kubert and later stories with ’Hawkman’ by Jon Chester Kozlak. The fact that the ’Hawkman’ chapter hasn’t surfaced suggests to me that it was a Kubert chapter. What a contrast that would’ve been—a dynamic ’Hawkman’ chapter by Kubert following this introduction by Naydel. It makes me wince all the more to see these pages.” Jerry, clearly, is no fan of the ’JSA’ art of Martin Naydel... nor am I, though it didn’t bother me when I first read the stories at ages five and six.)

I also referred in the Companion to an anomaly which the existing art suggested, to wit: All JSA stories from #20-39, covering a period from 1944 through 1948 (and Gardner’s records indicated he wrote “Will” “during September, 1945”) were either 38 or 39 pages long, with most solo chapters—except sometimes Hawkman’s—being five pages.

the new mysteries they in turn unveiled.

In this context, I wanted you to hear, not only from myself, but from two of the most knowledgeable JSA fans around, with their comments interwoven below with my own: Jerry Bails, who in 1962 published a 14-page fanzine, the first Authoritative Index to All-Star Comics, and who in ’65 had learned from Fox about the four supposedly “lost” JSA stories; and— Craig Delich, who in 1977 had edited the handsome, 88-page All-Star Comics Revue, which had greatly expanded on Jerry’s original.

Both publications had strongly influenced my own All-Star Companion, so it seemed only fitting that we jointly examine and annotate this new discovery. It was only later that I realized that we were also, in a sense, much like the fabled “three blind men,” all feeling up the same elephant!

I also sent photocopies to Julius Schwartz, who from 1944-50 was an editor of All-Star Comics, though Julie has never claimed to remember much about specific issues or stories.

We regret that we can’t begin our art-specific commentary on a page which faces Page “A” of that art—which begins three pages from now— but there’s just too damn much to say! Anyway, to begin: “What?” you exclaim, after eyeing the “William Wilson” splash on Page 27. “No JSAers on the splash page? Just black circles partly hiding rectangles inside which their names are lettered?”

You’re right—it’s an unusual page. During this period, the JSA nearly always appeared in the splash panel itself, not just in cameo shots in the margins. The only issue in which they were “marginalized” is All-Star #24 (Spring 1945). So, just for the heck of it, to the left of the “Will” splash, we’ve added the heads of the seven JSAers who appear in “Will,” lifted from #24’s splash and arranged so they all face right.

Moving across the top of the unlabeled Page “A”:

However, very strong circumstantial evidence in the surviving art pointed to each of the six solo chapters in “Will” as having six pages, and to the total story as having been at least 45 pages long. And that was if the missing JSA intro was only three pages long, not five or six like the finale! (For my full reasoning on this point, you’ll have to see the Companion.)

“Will,” as indicated by the notation “A.S.#31,” was at some point scheduled to appear in All-Star #31. It was supplanted, for unknown reasons, by a tale with a similarly alliterative title, “The Workshop of Willie Wonder.” (Either Gardner or editor Shelly Mayer sure liked “w’s”!) But, as detailed in The All-Star Companion, JSA stories were often published out of the order in which they had been written.

But, as detailed in our Writer/Editorial, we are now privileged to have access to the five-page JSA introductory chapter of “The Will of William Wilson,” thanks to Steve Fishler, and it’s time to show them to you—and to tie them in to what we knew (or suspected) before... while revealing

Actually, it’s the two notations which flank “A.S.#31” that are really fascinating.

First, there’s the circled “48PP”:

“The Will of William Wilson” This was a real revelation, because, as noted, all published JSA stories during this time were either 38 or 39 pages long. Never more, never less.

Yet “Will” was definitely slated to be 48!

You might argue that, in one sense, all DC/AA comics of that day had 48 pages—i.e., they contained 48 pages, excluding covers, which were printed separately. But that can’t be what is meant by “48PP”— because nine or ten of those 48 interior pages of All-Star (as well as other DC/AA mags) were always given over to a combination of paid ads, house ads, public service announcements, filler cartoons, and the two-page text story which every comic book had to have in order to keep its second-class mailing permit.

No, “48PP” can only mean that the JSA story itself was 48 pages long—which immediately suggested, to my mind, two likely possibilities.

25

Given what we know, the only page-count in the above list that isn’t an almost 100% dead certainty is the 7-page “Hawkman” chapter. That 48th story page of “Will” could have been given to some other JSAer’s solo chapter. However, during this period, Hawkman’s segments were sometimes a page longer than those of his fellow members. (Well, why not? Not only had he, like The Flash, been created by scripter Gardner Fox, but he was also the Justice Society’s permanent chairman. Surely rank has its privileges. Hawkman usually appeared in more panels and had more dialogue in the JSA intros and finales than the others, too— and “Will” would prove no exception.)

The other most likely reason for the story’s 48-page length was that “Will” was originally prepared for a one-shot comic, probably even thicker than World’s Finest and Comic Cavalcade. Here the template would have been the 128-page Big All-American Comic Book published in 1944, an anthology which had contained solo tales of every current JSAer except Dr. MidNite, plus other features.

The first and (to me) more intriguing is that the publisher— either M.C. Gaines, co-publisher of the All-American Comics group which was loosely allied with DC at this time; or else DC co-publishers Harry Donenfeld and Jack Liebowitz, if they had bought Gaines out by then—had decided to expand All-Star Comics into a regularly-published Jerry Bails feels 15¢, 80-page comic this one-shot (84 counting covers). approach is “far This would have put it more likely” than in a class with World’s Among the Golden Age original art saved from the fire by Marv Wolfman circa 1967 were these panels from a a plan to increase Finest Comics, which late-’40s “Dr. Mid-Nite” story once scheduled for All-American Comics #109. That mag metamorphosed into the page count of All-American Western with #105, and the story was never used. Art by Arthur Peddy & Bernard Sachs. [Dr. starred Superman and All-Star on a Mid-Nite © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

Batman, and Comic regular basis. He Cavalcade, which concurs with my spotlighted Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern. Since All-Star view that “Will” might well have been “one of the last special projects was a successful title which showcased seven heroes, it would seem a Gaines had in mind [before selling his share of AA to Donenfeld and likely candidate for increased size, if any DC/AA comic was.

Liebowitz]. Maybe he was planning a second Big All-American a year Julie Schwartz, who began editing for All-American Comics (AA) in early 1944, has no recollection of such a size jump ever being considered... though he admits it’s not impossible. Understandably, he argued with my contention that “Will” had originally been a 48-page story, until I explained to him why it must have been. I showed him how the steel-tight evidence of the available art now suggested the story had been divided: JSA intro - 5 pp.

Hawkman - 7 pp.

Dr. Mid-Nite - 6 pp.

Atom - 6 pp.

Green Lantern - 6 pp.

Flash - 6 pp.

Johnny Thunder - 6 pp.

JSA finale - 6 pp.

For a grand total of 48 pages.

after the first, with the JSA featured. He seemed to like the idea of bigger packages. This may explain why Gardner couldn’t fit all the issue numbers into the sequences [in his February 1965 letter to Jerry, which first named the four ’lost’ stories]. One was for that giant.”

Jerry goes on: “The 48-page JSA story wouldn’t fill a second Big AllAmerican, but it could be the lead feature, with a bunch of other backup features. This second giant would’ve come a year after the first Big AA, and it would feature the one AA strip that wasn’t featured the first time around”—namely, the “Justice Society.”

As to the “A.S.#31” notation at the top of Page “A,” Jerry suggests: “Notice that ’A.S.#31’ was written in a different hand than the rest of the proofreading. I think it was scheduled to be #31 after the idea of the second Big AA was dropped (after Gaines sold out), but when the proofreader checked it out, he discovered it was 48 pages long, and made the notation and circled it three times. The proofreader was clearly

26

Where There’s A Will...

trying to call special attention to this, and it probably led to the story being ’killed’ in favor of ’Willie Wonder.’”

Jerry detects “no evidence that the story ’Willie Wonder,’ written after ’The Will’ [according to Fox’s records], was once written as a longer tale. This supports my view that this longer tale was for a oneshot, not a new, expanded All-Star.”

Interesting speculation, though there’s no hard proof for either suggested sequence of events, or for any other.

To the right of “A.S.#31” is a circled “OH,” followed by an illegible two-digit number. Jerry asks:

case—or not till Sept. 30, 1949, when (as detailed in recent issues of A/E) large quantities of DC story and art were permanently “written off” for business reasons?

It’s because of the above possibility that not only is this article treated as a fourth installment of our “All-Star Compendium” series, which included corrections and additions to The All-Star Companion—but it is also, in effect, the third part of the “Written Off - 9-30-49” series we inaugurated four issues ago!

Enough detours—even necessary ones! Time to get to the actual story and art of “The Will of William Wilson.”

Proofreading notes in the margins of the splash indicate that all of “Could this have been the original designation for this story? Do you that “peculiar will” depicted there was to be totally re-lettered. The know what ’OH’ stands for? Many stories with no regular home that handwritten phrase “LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT” was to be were used as backups carried this designation: ’The Atom,’ ’Cotton-top changed to “Old English Katie,’ etc. All ’GL,’ Lettering,” doubtless to ’Flash,’ and ’Wonder make it look more Woman’ stories I happen authentic. The seven lines to have (from a run of shown were slated to be Comic Cavalcade bound altered, as well. The with some All-Stars) give comment in the right code numbers that clearly margin reads: “Sol— stand for one of the three letter like typewritten books these strips lettering... upper + lower appeared in. I never saw with seriphs... I William an ’OH’ on any feature etc.” that had a regular slot, so “Sol,” Julie Schwartz I’ve always assumed these confirms, was almost were stories done without certainly DC production any particular title in chief Sol Harrison, who mind, but to be used when Alter Ego has printed a few other panels from this never-published “Flash” story which followed the remained with the needed.” model of Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. Pencils by Carmine Infantino; company (as a vice inker uncertain. Thanks to Marv Wolfman. [Flash/Jay Garrick © & TM 2002 DC Comics, Inc.] Alter Ego’s founder is president) through the probably right about the 1980s. Not that Sol meaning of “OH.” Myself, I’ve always believed the abbreviation stood would’ve done the re-lettering himself; but he’d have overseen the work. for “On Hand,” or some similar phrase. It appears on “Atom” stories, (And of course the correct spelling of that word above is “serif.”) no doubt, because in 1946 the Mighty Mite lost his regular berth in AllBut who wrote the proofing notes on this and other pages? “They American Comics and after a few months’ lapse became a fixture in aren’t mine,” Julie says, adding that they were probably the work of Flash Comics, but also popped up three times in Comic Cavalcade. His editor Shelly Mayer. “Some of the corrections deal with the art, and stories were probably labeled “OH” because the editor wasn’t sure [fellow story editor] Ted Udall and I didn’t deal with that.” Schwartz where they’d be used! and Udall handled the stories in initial script form; changes made after But the question remains: Was “OH” (plus that illegible number) the the art was completed would have been Mayer’s province. original code scheduling for “The Will of William Wilson”—or was it added later, perhaps after plans either to expand All-Star or to publish a And what shocking art it is! second Big All-American may have been dropped?

The artwork of Martin Naydel, who during 1945-46 drew most JSA chapters in All-Star (as well as “Flash” exploits there and in other mags), Next comes that big “KILLED” scrawled across what is clearly (on our photocopies, at least) a traced, penciled ’Justice Society’ logo, is unlikely to make many hearts beat faster. Primarily a funny-animal complete with the filigree shape which often surrounded that particular artist, he was an odd choice for super-hero work; but comics companies logo (e.g., in All-Star #24). were short-handed during the World War II period.

Craig Delich writes: “The word ’KILLED’ across the masthead where the ’Justice Society of America’ logo was to go) really bothered me for some reason. Only twenty issues later, that word would be for real! Wouldn’t it have been weird if this issue had been scheduled for All-Star #38, when the JSA was actually killed!” (Of course, Craig is being hyperbolic here, since “Will” was prepared long before “History’s Crime Wave!”—in which the six male JSAers are murdered, and Wonder Woman’s scientist colleague Paula restores them to life.)

But when was “KILLED” writ large over the logo? Clearly when the decision was made to scrap the story. But—was that circa 1946, with DC deciding it was never going to find (or make) a place for a 48-page JSA

As Jerry Bails wrote last December 6, after viewing these pages: “The art of Martin Naydel suggests to me that he did most of his drawing with a brush and pen, with very little more than very rough pencils. This technique probably served him well doing cartoon features, but it was far less than satisfactory on an adventure strip. His use of large potted plants and other simple objects in the foreground is an obvious copout... Why Mayer continued to use Naydel for so long [on All-Star and “Flash”] is more a mystery to me than what happened to the missing stories. I suspect the motive was personal, rather than professional.

Mayer could have used [Paul] Reinman, who was at his peak about then.”

27

[JSA © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

“The Will of William Wilson”

And Ye Editor agrees.

No, it’s not the drawing, but what is drawn on this splash page that was such a pleasant shock to me the moment I first glimpsed it.

The first thing I noticed was the seated gent. He’s basically a dead-ringer for the old man on Ethan Roberts’ “Dr. Mid-Mite” page! Bald pate—fringe of white hair—black tie— white shirt—dark suit— plaid shawl—vest—even eyebrows, nose, and cleft chin—all make it virtually certain that the man on Page “A” is the same one who faces down Doc on P. 113 of The All-Star Companion.

Which means—yes, we did indeed print one more page of “Will” therein than we knew for certain! And now, thanks to Stephen Fishler, we had 20 2/3 pages of the story, out of the total of 48—approximately 43% of all interior art!

On the splash, too, we get our first glimpse of two items the JSAers will seek in “Will”: the huge gem The Atom holds in the finale, and a glowing globe of light in the sky which could be the moon. (Of course, given that glow, it looks more like the sun; only further information would pin it down.)

The splash also depicts an ornate goblet and sword, and a very definitely egg-shaped object, all of which match things shown in the previously-known art.

The splash’s caption speaks for itself—though why the title “The Will of William Wilson!” was lettered only in pencil at this late stage is

unknown. An arrow points up toward it from below, but no proofreading comments made it onto our copies.

One final question re this page: Why no names inside the “roll call” shield? Were they to be photostatted from an earlier issue? And surely those seven names wouldn’t then have been duplicated near the head shots on the left?

Whatever. Onward...

This panel from the “Dr. Mid-Nite” original art page in Ethan Roberts’ collection, seen in full in The All-Star Companion, depicts the armed “recluse”—who turns out to definitely be Abel Northrup! [Dr. Mid-Nite © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

Where There’s A Will...

[JSA © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

28

Page “B,” likewise, clears up a couple of mysteries.

Since during this period Wonder Woman was occasionally not depicted at all in an All-Star issue, even when listed in its roll call, it’s good to see her interacting with Johnny Thunder. She isn’t shown in any pages we had previously seen.

In Panel 6 Dr. Mid-Nite offers Johnny a vitamin tablet to fortify him—the only time in the series he offered a fellow JSAer a pill! A proofing note directs the production department to “Fix it so J. Thunder’s balloon is read first,” as the script had obviously intended.

To my surprise, it turns out that, instead of being summoned by a lawyer who tells them of William Wilson’s will, as I’d surmised in the Companion, the JSAers already know about it. In fact, Wilson apparently died “last year,” potentially leaving to charity “several million dollars”—so at last we know the size of the inheritance.

Two of the will’s “impossible” conditions are related in Panel 3: “a man had to visit the moon” and “another to find a dodo egg.”

So it wasn’t, as I’d guessed, a piece of green cheese from the moon (certainly an “impossible feat”) but merely a trip to Luna itself that was required. Very close to what I’d imagined... but not nearly as “impossible” as Gardner and Shelly thought, since in the real world that “giant leap for mankind” would occur less than 2H decades later!

Also, the object Hawkman holds in the JSA finale is definitely identified as a dodo egg—my third choice back in the Companion, after roc and dinosaur. (Well, fourth, if you count Nostradamus’ crystal ball.)

Probably the egg of this extinct bird was the best bet from the start, since the expression “dead as the dodo” was much more common in the 1940s than it is today, when the human race is wiping out species at a much-escalated rate.

29

[JSA © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

“The Will of William Wilson”

Here Hawkman and Flash ruminate over the two items mentioned on Page “B”—and The Atom first mentions “the Star of Scheherazade,” the jewel which is not shown (or named) in surviving panels from his solo segment.

In Panel 1 Hawkman’s mask is shown at an unusual frontal angle which will be repeated on Page “E.” (In published work, Naydel drew it that way only in a single panel in All-Star #32.) He almost looks as if he’s grinning!

At what is clearly their first meeting, the attorney (who is named only by the lettering on his door in the finale) gives the JSA, minus Wonder Woman, the full list of six items that must be obtained. Opposite Panel 4, a proofing note indicates that the word “something” should be relettered “heavy”—i.e., bold.

Storywise, I fear this JSA intro chapter is fairly thin and repetitious.

First the heroes mention three of the will’s provisions—then the lawyer repeats those and adds three more. By the end of Page “C,” two of the

items—the dodo egg and trip to the moon—have been mentioned three times! The intro seems so padded and awkward that one is almost tempted to suspect it was originally scripted to be just three pages long, and later expanded. Jerry Bails feels that “Will” may well be “for all the world, a 38-pager stretched to 48.” Certainly everything done in its five pages could have been accomplished in three, counting the splash!

Jerry again: “Naydel was working as fast as he could move a brush, sticking figures in ridiculous positions. The Flash is caught between Hawkman’s wings as three JSAers try to enter a door at the same time [in Panel 3 on this Page ’C’].”

Craig Delich notes similarities between “Will” and earlier All-Star stories: the “forgotten crime” in #25 with its six clues the heroes had to locate... “in #6, the JSA having to get $1,000,000 for the poor war orphans—or, in #4, the taking of food capsules to the poor and hungry.

Fox really hit humanity issues very hard!” Indeed—but then, some similarities were inevitable in a formulized, multi-part feature like “Justice Society.”

Where There’s A Will...

[JSA © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

30

On Page “D” we learn that only three days remain to perform the tasks and gain a fortune for charity. The JSAers sure took their time about getting worked up about William Wilson’s will, didn’t they?

The attorney also adds details about the goblet, although the reference to “the Cardinal of Ferrara” isn’t repeated in the “GL” chapter.

Here we learn the Star of Scheherazade belongs to “the emir of Saudi Arabia” (but wouldn’t the proper term even in the mid-’40s have been “king”?), as each JSAer volunteers for the mission of his choice. One nice touch is for the attorney to say Genghis’ sword “will be judged by experts.” Guess not even Flash’s word could be taken as gospel, with so much money at stake!

(It will come as no surprise to anyone who knew of Gardner Fox’s love of history that the “famous” goldsmith/sculptor Benvenuto Cellini actually did have dealings with one “Cardinal d’Este of Ferrara”—a city in northeastern Italy—who got him released from prison in 1539.

Though the tempestuous Cellini had previously killed a rival metalsmith and had wounded a notary, this time he was in the slammer merely for embezzlement. In 1540 he created an objet d’art—though a seal, not a goblet—for the Cardinal. I found no reference to any of Cellini’s work being “lost at sea,” but hey, give Gardner a little artistic license!)

Abel Northrup, the lawyer relates, has been a recluse for a quarter of a century, and is “a violent man”—and indeed, on Ethan Roberts’ “Page 5,” he confronts Dr. Mid-Nite with a double-barreled shotgun.

31

[JSA © & TM 2002 DC Comics.]

“The Will of William Wilson”

Johnny Thunder, as per usual, volunteers for a mission before thinking about it—in this case, going to the moon. Actually, he’d already been much further, to the planet Mercury, in 1942’s All-Star #13, from which his personified Thunderbolt had flown him back; and that’s probably how Johnny reached Earth’s satellite in his AWOL solo chapter. (Hmm... wonder if JT was thinking about this trip later when, in #33, he wondered what “the man in the moon” would do with the captured monster Solomon Grundy. Had he perhaps even met that legendary lunar gent in “Will”? I for one wouldn’t bet against it.)

Hawkman, with his bird connections, volunteers to find the dodo egg—quite logically, since the beak on his helmet-mask as drawn by Naydel looks as much like that of a dodo as it does like a hawk’s!

Two words on this page—the second “extinct” in Panel 3, and “succeed” in Panel 4—are marked to be “strenghen[ed]”; the “C’s” in the latter do seem a bit weak. And, in the final panel, the word “Still” was to be replaced by three hyphens, which actually would have made for odd phrasing.

On this page occurs the only reference to the “Alfred Fiddle” who will inherit Wilson’s fortune if the JSAers fail. In the finale, printed in The All-Star Companion, “Fiddle” will appear in the flesh, only to turn out to be “William Wilson”—as well as the heroes’ earlier enemy, the original Psycho-Pirate!

32

Where There’s A Will...

All JSA aficionados— and fans of Golden Age super-hero comics in general—will rejoice that still more pages have been found of this vintage “Justice Society of America” adventure, both for their own sake and for the light they shed on the period... even if the story itself is hardly in a league with the JSA’s best exploits of the early ’40s or with those soon to follow.

likely that “Will” was still under the direction of Shelly Mayer, assisted primarily by Julie Schwartz... and Mayer would have been the one who okayed the story, whether or not he actually co-plotted it with Gardner Fox as he had done with JSA stories a few years earlier.

“The real mystery for me,” Jerry concludes, “is why Sheldon Mayer let this book fall so far before he picked it In this page-wide panel from another unpublished “Flash” story, a Golden Age baddie tries to up. Working as far ahead as send the Fastest Man Alive to meet his maker. We’re betting he didn’t. Pencils by Carmine he was, there was no good Infantino; inker uncertain. [The Thinker © & TM DC Comics.]

Jerry, Craig, and I excuse for it. It almost agree that, like several other issues of All-Star in this period just before appears as if he lost interest in his creations. We don’t have the whole story, that’s for sure. the title’s Renaissance began with #33, “The Will of William Wilson” is symptomatic of a weakness in JSA stories during this middle period of “I wish I could be kinder to this old story, but the JSA deserved the series. better.”

“I have difficulty,” Jerry Bails writes, “understanding the reason for All the same, I know Jerry is as glad as Craig Delich and myself—and the neglect the JSA was getting in 1945 and ’46, and the sudden many of Alter Ego’s readers—that the first five pages of “The Will of substantial improvement with #33 [likewise prepared in 1946, though William Wilson” finally surfaced after 5H decades... and that Stephen with an early ’47 cover date]. It seems to be clearly the impact of Fishler graciously opted to share them with us. somebody new on the scene who was challenging everybody to do better work. Was this pressure from above? Or the impact of a new I can’t help wondering... Stephen says he also obtained in that recent editor working for Mayer—viz., Kanigher?” cache some Golden Age “Green Lantern” art which he hadn’t yet had Possibly... although, as Jerry well knows, Robert Kanigher, who went on staff as an editor at DC/AA in 1945, has denied that he and Julie Schwartz ever co-edited any comic, as would have been the case if he had worked on All-Star other than, later, as a writer. It seems more

time to go through. Could it include still more art from Paul Reinman’s “GL” chapter of “Will”?

If so, we can only hope we’ll see that in some near-future issue of Alter Ego.

WANTED COMIC BOOK

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BEFORE YOU SELL YOUR ART, CALL ME. I CAN AND WILL PAY YOU MORE.

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Number 7, Mar.-Apr. 2002 • Hype and hullabaloo from the publisher determined to bring new life to comics fandom • Edited by Eric Nolen-Weathington

Two Legends Return!!

XAL-KOR and GRASS GREEN—two blasts from the past! In 1964, the HUMAN CAT debuted in the classic fanzine STAR-STUDDED COMICS, creating a sensation! Now, almost 40 years later, writerartist Grass Green has crafted a fantastic climax to this muchhonored series, packed with ROUSING SUPER-HERO ACTION! In it, Xal-Kor awakes from 23 years of suspended animation, to find his arch-enemy QUEEN RODA and her rat legions on the brink of conquering planet Earth. Is there time for Xal-Kor—the intrepid soldier from the cat-planet Felis—to save Earth from becoming a slave planet? Has his great love, the beautiful and sensual FELINA, survived his long absence? Get ready for shock after shock!

With inks by ANGEL GABRIELE and RON FONTES, introductory remarks by ROY THOMAS and JEFF GELB, and background on the Xal-Kor series by editor BILL SCHELLY to get new readers “up to speed,” this 100-page trade paperback brings Xal-Kor back with a vengeance!

IMPORTANT NOTE: In 2001, Grass Green was diagnosed with lung cancer. All profits from XAL-KOR go to him, so show your support by buying this book in May!

Shipping March The Jack Kirby Collector #34 Alter Ego #13 Comic Book Artist #18 DRAW! #3

Shipping April Alter Ego #14 Comic Book Artist #19 DRAW! #4

Coming Soon!

CBA Sold-Out No More!

Can’t find those CBA back issues you’re missing? The search is over! Simply pick up the new COMIC BOOK ARTIST COLLECTION, VOLUME 2! It reprints the sold-out CBA #5 (’70s DC) and #6 (’70s Marvel) and includes over 20 NEW PAGES spotlighting STEVE ENGLEHART and MARSHALL ROGERS’ Batman work, plus DC’s ultra-rare CANCELLED COMIC CAVALCADE! Also included are interviews with and unpublished art by BERNIE WRIGHTSON, NEAL ADAMS, JOHN ROMITA SR., MIKE KALUTA, FRANK BRUNNER, P. CRAIG RUSSELL and more for a whopping 208 pages of great reading the May!

Keep Your Eyes on CBA!

Let’s Talk Designing!

When should you tilt or overlap a comics panel? What’s the best way to divide a page to convey motion, time, action, quiet? PANEL DISCUSSIONS (our new trade paperback, shipping in June) is the place to find out! It picks the minds of over a dozen of the industry’s top storytellers, covering all aspects of the design of comics, from pacing and word balloon placement, to using color to convey emotion and how gutters between panels affect the story! Learn from WILL EISNER, MIKE MIGNOLA, MIKE WIERINGO, WALTER SIMONSON, MARK SCHULTZ, DICK GIORDANO, BRIAN STELFREEZE, MIKE CARLIN, MARK CHIARELLO and others as they share their hard-learned lessons about the DESIGN of comics, complete with hundreds of illustrated examples. If you’re serious about creating the most effective, innovative comics possible, or just enjoying them from the creator’s perspective, this in-depth guide is must-reading!

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Issue #20 presents a fathers/sons special with the KUBERTS & the ROMITAS! Featuring an interview with Marvel men JOHN ROMITA, SR. & JOHN ROMITA, JR. and another with JOE, ADAM & ANDY KUBERT and plenty of UNPUBLISHED and RARELY SEEN ART from both families! Issue #21 will feature ADAM HUGHES and a huge Gallery section of his UNPUBLISHED and IN-PROGRESS work, plus a “DAY IN THE LIFE” of ALEX ROSS! CBA #21 also respectfully gives tribute to the late, great JOHN BUSCEMA! Look for it!

Alter Ego Gives You More JSA!

The Jack Kirby Collector #35 (May) CBA Collection, Vol. 2 TPB (May) Xal-Kor the Human Cat TPB (May) Comic Book Artist #20 (May) Alter Ego #15 (June) Panel Discussions TPB (June)

Pros and Cons Convention season is gearing up and TWOMORROWS will be there! We’re planning on attending a slew of shows this year starting with the Atlanta Comicon on April 12-14! John and Pam will be there showing off our newest employee, LILY MORROW! Check out www.atlantacomicon.com to get the full scoop on the show. Shortly thereafter we’ll be at the Pittsburgh Comicon (April 2628). MIKE MANLEY will be joining us there, showing off the new issue of DRAW! Log on to www.pittsburghcomicon.com for more info. And as usual, we’ll be returning to Charlotte, NC’s Heroes Con on June 14-16.

Hey, it’s one of our favorite cons and it’s right in our backyard! We’re there! Visit www.heroesonline.com to get the skinny!

If you need to contact the TwoMorrows editors (or want to send a letter of comment), try e-mail!

A/E #14 is an ALL-JSA issue covering the history of the team from the ’40s to the ’80s! There’s rare JSA art by JOE KUBERT, ALEX TOTH, JACK KIRBY, GIL KANE, SHELLY MOLDOFF, H.G. PETER, CREIG FLESSEL and others as well as more NEVER-SEEN ART from an UNPUBLISHED 1940S JSA tale! Plus, secrets behind the 1970s All-Star revival, with PAUL LEVITZ, GERRY CONWAY, JOE STATON, and others and much more in April!

John Morrow, publisher, JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR editor (and the one to go to with subscription problems): twomorrow@aol.com

We’re Hittin’ the Airwaves!

P.C. Hamerlinck, FCA editor: fca2001@yahoo.com

THE JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR appeared on the January 13 broadcast of CBS’s SUNDAY MORNING WITH CHARLES OSGOOD! The segment showed Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon at a comic book convention perusing a copy of TJKC #31.

And if that’s not cool enough, TWOMORROWS is now the Unofficial Comics History Advisor for the TV game show THE WEAKEST LINK! (Goodbye!)

COPYRIGHT NOTICES: Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batman, Robin, Deadman, Hawkman, Kid Flash, Green Lantern, Metamorpho, Creeper, Bat Lash, Enemy Ace, Phantom Stranger Justice Society of America TM & ©2002 DC Comics.

Hellboy TM & ©2002 Mike Mignola. Xal-Kor TM & ©2002 Grass Green. Lara Croft TM & ©2002 Core Design, Ltd.

Jon B. Cooke, COMIC BOOK ARTIST editor: jonbcooke@aol.com Roy Thomas, ALTER EGO editor: roydann@ntinet.com

Mike Manley, DRAW! editor: mike@actionplanet.com And the TWOMORROWS WEB SITE (where you can read excerpts from our back issues, and order from our secure online store) is at: www.twomorrows.com

Previously Unpublished Art ©2002 Frank Brunner

ATTENTION: FRANK BRUNNER ART FANS! Frank is now accepting art commissions for covers, splash panels, or pin-up re-creations!

Also, your ideas for NEW art are welcome!

Art can be pencils only, inked or full-color (painted) creation!

Contact Frank directly for details and prices.

(Minimum order: $150) Write now (be sure to include a self-addressed stamped envelope!) and receive FREE with my reply an autographed Brunner “Star Wars Galaxy” trading card!

Contact the artist at his NEW address:

FRANK BRUNNER 312 Kildare Court Myrtle Beach, SC 29588 Visit my website at: http://www.geocities.com/sberry52000/frankbrunner.html

Red Sonja © & TM 2002 Red Sonja Properties, Inc.

Missing a Back Issue?

Got a hole in your Mr. Monster collection? We’ll gladly e-mail you a free Mr. Monster EEEK-Mail Catalog! Just Contact Michael T. Gilbert at:

MGILBERT@EFN.ORG

For a printed version, send one dollar to Michael T. Gilbert, P.O. Box 11421, Eugene OR 97440

The “Write” Stuff!”

35

36

Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt the method most often used by Gardner Fox.

Introduction by Michael T. Gilbert There are no hard and fast rules to scripting a comic book story.

Every writer approaches the task in his or her own way.

Writer Gardner Fox (along with editor Julius Schwartz) was the hero of a story in Strange Adventures #140 (May 1962), as drawn by Sid Greene. [©002 DC Comics.]

Artist/writers such as Harvey Kurtzman, John Stanley, and Will Eisner generally favored visual scripts—even when their stories were illustrated by others. In these, the artist draws a rough comics page, often in miniature. Dialogue can be written directly on the roughly sketched pages, or indicated with numbers and typed separately for clarity.

Even this seemingly straightforward method isn’t quite as simple as it appears. Often a series of steps between writer and editor may be required before a script is approved. The editor may ask for a short story idea, usually only a paragraph or two. If the idea’s approved, the writer will generally type up a longer plot synopsis describing the major action throughout the story.

In Fox’s case, his editors would often discuss the storyline with him, and together they would work out the bugs before he went on to write the synopsis. Afterwards, if there were still flaws in the story, Fox and his editors would sit down and fix them. At that point, Fox would either be asked to rewrite the synopsis or to begin writing the actual script.

Finally, he might be required to rewrite all or part of the finished script if the editor found something amiss. Whew! With all those hurdles to overcome, it’s a miracle Fox was able to write so many memorable stories!

In the 1960s Stan Lee perfected the “Marvel method,” carried on by a host of other Marvel scripters.

Here, a short description of the story is given to the artist, who tells the story visually as he sees fit. Afterwards, the writer adds the actual dialogue and captions to the penciled art before it’s sent off for lettering and inking. Simple, huh?

Back in the Golden Age, things were a bit different.

Back then, DC and most of the major publishers required their writers to type panel-by-panel descriptions of the visual action, followed by the characters’ dialogue. This is

Step 1: Fox begins by submitting a few short plot ideas. As you can see, few details are worked out at this early stage. No sense doing too much work for a story that might be rejected!

To give you a clearer idea of what we mean, we’re reprinting a small sampling of Fox’s notes and script pages on the following pages. We hope this will give you an idea of what it takes to create a comic book story. While we weren’t able to find one single story that documented all the stages described above, there were numerous separate examples of each in the University of Oregon’s Gardner Fox collection. These scraps of comics history, mostly done for DC in the 1940s, have never been printed before. As such, they provide a rare glimpse of comic book history in the making.

We hope you enjoy them!

Though he doubtless didn’t know it in advance, Fox’s “Zatara” 1943 story “Bobby Meets a Brownie” would appear in World’s Finest Comics #12 (Winter). As per the next page, he seems to have been writing “Starman” and even “Sandman” scripts at the same time. [©2002 DC Comics.]

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Step 2: The plot is then expanded into a longer story synopsis—in this case, Fox’s 8-page Zatara story idea for “Bobby Meets A Brownie.” Note how Fox indicates how many pages he expects each bit of action to take up in the comic.

Fox wrote numerous “Spectre” stories during the period when he had teamed up with “Percival Popp, the Super-Cop”—but Percy never showed up in Gardner’s JSA stories. [©2002 DC Comics.]

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Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt

Step 3: The synopsis is transformed into the final script. Page one looks like a corker!

Fox said one of his early assignments for National/DC was writing “Zatara” stories.

We couldn’t come up with a copy of “Bobby Meets a Brownie” by deadline time, but this earlier splash from World’s Finest #7 (Fall 1942) could be one of his.

Joseph Sulman was the artist. [©2002 DC Comics.]

The “Write” Stuff!”

Mr. Terrific gets his man in The Big All-American Comic Book (1944). Art by Stan Aschmeier, as “Stan Josephs.” [©2002 DC Comics.]

Backstep 1: We don’t know what corrections Fox’s editor suggested between steps 2 (synopsis) and 3 (final script) of his Zatara story. However, this letter to Fox concerning his synopsis for a Mr. Terrific tale should give you an idea of what a good editor does at that earlier stage. Even without Fox’s original letter, we can get a good idea about his story’s pros and cons thanks to his editor’s notes. In this case the editor has added a very evocative opening scene. Man, I’d love to do my own take on this story, beginning with that emotional beginning!

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40

Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt

Backstep 2: Here’s part of another Fox plot synopsis—this time from All-Flash #6.

With #6 All-Flash went from quarterly to bimonthly; its four-chapter “novel” introduced “those three lovable nit-wits, Winky, Blinky, and Noddy.” Note that Fox refers to them as “the stooges,” thereby betraying (as if anyone had any doubts) the inspiration for the Three Dimwits. [©2002 DC Comics.]

“Who The Hell Hasn’t”

41

“Who The Hell Hasn t Copied From Somebody?”

An Insightful 1970 Interview with Golden Age Artist LEE ELIAS PART I [A/E EDITOR’S NOTE: In June 2000—I believe partly through the good offices of British editor Dez Skinn—I received a most welcome package and letter from fellow Britisher Ian Penman:] “Please find enclosed a (coverless) copy of the third issue of Armageddon, a fanzine I published close on thirty years ago (yikes!). I more than likely sent a copy to you at the time when you were at Marvel. The item that might be of interest is a long interview that my friends Mike Cruden and Peter C. Phillips and I conducted with Lee Elias in December of 1970, at his house in Warrington, just outside of Manchester, while Lee was resident in the UK.

[ASIDE FROM A/E EDITOR: Lee Elias (1920-1998) was a favorite artist of mine as a comics-reading kid back in the ’40s and ’50s, largely because of his work on “The Flash” for DC (including in AllStar Comics #34-36) and Black Cat for Harvey. So, when assembling this special JSA-oriented issue of Alter Ego, I wanted to include this artist interview. The entire piece was too long to fit in this issue, however, and will be completed a couple of issues from now, dealing in more detail with Elias’ work in the 1960s. The interview begins with the trio of Armageddon interviewers saying that, in the July 1970 edition of the DC comic The Unexpected (formerly Tales of ...), “there appeared a short biographical sketch of Lee Elias, one of the most respected comic artists of the last three decades. This potted life is reprinted below: “Born Manchester, England, May 21, 1920. Arrived in US 1926. Left again 1965. Reason?

As Harvey Kurtzman asked ’way back in 1954’s Mad #14: “Where has The Flash dashed to?”

A Lee Elias panel from the final super-hero issue of Comic Cavalcade (#29, Oct.-Nov. 1948). Photo of Lee Elias courtesy of Ray A. Cuthbert. [“Flash” panel ©2002 DC Comics.]

“Armageddon had only limited distribution in the US, so the interview would be new to 99% of your readers, if you’d like to use any of it. It was copy-edited by Lee Elias and myself. The final part of the interview was on the missing inside back cover, so I’ve included a photocopy of the final page.

“To fill in some background details: I tracked Lee down after a letters column had mentioned that he was now living in the UK, in the Manchester area (Elias wasn’t a very common last name!). I nervously rang him up, told him who I was, and he graciously invited us to his home in the suburbs, where he was living with his young English wife and daughter.

“Mike and I were twenty at the time, Pete a couple of years older. Lee was the first ever US professional that any of us had met, but he chatted freely, with great humour, putting us quickly at ease. I kept in contact with Lee for a while, and then lost touch. As I understand it, his marriage broke up sometime later and Lee returned to the US.”

Heaven only knows. Nostalgia? Dissatisfaction with the “good life”?

My wife’s nostalgia? I honestly can’t give any reason. Studied violin and viola. Studied art at Cooper Union and Art Students League.

Taught cartooning and illustration at School of Visual Arts in New York. Did the syndicated strip Black Cat and ghosted many others, then went on to Beyond Mars. Assisted on Steve Canyon and Li’l Abner.

“Did illustrations for slick magazines and advertising. Work exhibited at various state fairs and New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. Comic book characters include The Flash, Green Arrow, Green Hornet, Tommy Tomorrow, Eclipso. Biographical data has appeared in Who’s Who in American Art, Who’s Who in Music, Who’s Who in the East, and other Who’s Whos.”

At this point the Armageddon trio asked Lee to elaborate on how he first began in comics:]

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Lee Elias

LEE ELIAS: My first job was with a trade paper, a liquor publication, in fact, in about 1934. Every once in a while, I’d get an idea for a funny gag cartoon and I’d get an extra $3 for this. I had always been drawing, from when I was old enough to hold a pencil and I realized there was a living in this, so I began to take an interest in comic strips and cartooning.

I had always loved Terry and the Pirates, and I began studying it to try to learn how it was done. My career in the comics field began via the plodding route, taking around samples that were pretty horrible.

I remember each one telling me, “Well, if you had some experience, we’d take you on.” So how do you get the experience if each one tells you that?

My first full-time professional job in comics was with the nowdefunct Fiction House. Largely it was just a matter of plugging away. I remember my guiding philosophy during all those years was, “Look at all these guys who can’t draw a damn coining it in, hand over fist, doing 10-15 pages a week while I struggle trying to make it perfect—but—I get a higher price per page than they do!” So it ended up with me taking about a week to do one page, and I got, say, $40, while these guys would be doing 15 pages at $20 a page. Work it out by simple arithmetic and you’ll see that these guys were doing a hell of a lot better financially than I was. But in the long run it paid off, because when the crunch came in about 1946, when things became real bad in the comic book publishing industry, these guys weren’t working—and I was.

ARMAGEDDON: This was in the early ’40s?

ELIAS: Yes, during the very beginning of World War II. A: Then you went on to Fiction House from there?

ELIAS: Yeah. At Fiction House my first assignment was a feature called “Clipper Kirk.”

A: Were there any difficulties with that? There were a lot of planes in it, weren’t there?

ELIAS: Oh, yeah, I knew every plane backwards and forwards.

In fact, I could have been a spotter for the Air Force, because you had to know all the details. The strip was read by servicemen and they used to look very carefully for mistakes.

You had to get the insignia right on them, and that sort of thing.

A: Fiction House went overboard for—er—naked ladies and sex in their stories.

What did you feel about doing those?

ELIAS: I wasn’t too happy about it. Not because I’m a prude, but because of the age bracket that might read this sort of thing and the impression that they would get. To my mind, it was misusing something which, seen by an artist, wasn’t dirty.

From my days in art school, the human body was something you wished you knew how to paint and was, indefinably, a very great creation. You tried repeatedly to interpret what you saw, and to translate the form and texture into paint on a flat surface. That was my attitude to the human body—but then to debase it—the way this publisher did.... His name was Thurman T. Scott, a reactionary white-supremacist, who grew pecan nuts on his plantation in Georgia. He wanted sex in the books.

Whenever other cartoonists asked me what rate of pay I was getting... I was then getting up to $100 per page... I didn’t mind A “Firehair” page by Lee Elias—complete with color markings which would have telling them. There was nothing disappeared when printed in the actual comic. Collector Paul Handler, who sent us personal between me and my photocopies of the original art, informs us it’s from Fiction House’s Firehair #2 publisher. He didn’t employ me (Winter 1949), reprinted in Rangers #59 (June 1951). No half-naked ladies, alas! for my looks or for my [©2002 the respective copyright holder.] friendship with him, but because I can remember one story I did good work. If another artist where I had to draw a bra and panties on a girl who was taking a bath in did equally good work, I couldn’t keep him from competing with me by a river. At first the editor, Malcolm Reiss, had said, “Make her naked, not revealing my page rate. But most of the guys in the business but cover her up with the water!” But after I did it, somebody wouldn’t tell anybody what they were making. The publishers used this complained—I don’t know who it was—they thought this was going too against them. When nobody knew what the next guy was getting, the far and I had to draw in the bra and panties, so she was taking a bath publishers kept cutting prices, and artists ended up making half of what with the bra and panties on—which seemed pretty ridiculous... but this they used to make when times were good. was the commercialism bit. I didn’t like it—never did.

The first thing I did was “The True Story of John Powers,” about an In fact, I did horror comics, and there was a psychiatrist named Dr. air ace in World War II who crashed his plane into a Japanese battleship.

Frederic Wertham who crusaded against them, and although I performed It was, I think, a four-pager for a company called Western Lithographing a farcical skit in which I imitated him, with a comic German accent, at an and Printing. The editor was a guy named Oscar Le Beck—boy, I’ve got affair in the Hotel Pierre in New York, I really wasn’t so much in a better memory than I thought! I think I got $10 a page for it, and that disagreement, afterward, as I thought. I had two kids of my own, and I’d was pretty low, even in those days, but I thought I was doing great.

“Who The Hell Hasn’t” read his book, The Seduction of the Innocent. In the centerfold there were eight covers as examples of “horrible comics,” and four of them were mine. My signature was just barely legible with a magnifying glass, but for the first time in my life, I felt I was reading about a cancer, and I was one of the symptoms.

I’d told the publisher I’d done these for [Harvey]—“Christ, Al, do we have to do this sort of thing—have rats eating people—to sell books?” He was a Boy Scout master, and he said, “If you don’t do it, Lee, someone else is going to, and it’s best that you, who feel something about this, do it. You, at least, can tone it down where necessary.” And he convinced me.

But it was wrong. I hated to let my kids see what I was drawing. I tried to rationalize it, and figured—“What the hell, it’s not going to hurt anybody! You can’t make a criminal out of anybody by letting them read something.” But that was baloney, because it was a bad influence, and I shouldn’t have had any part of it.

That’s also the reason why I haven’t had anything to do with war comics since 1952. I thought it was wrong, and turned down many offers. I could have really packed it in. I was offered to do a strip by the Pentagon—like The Green Berets which Joe Kubert did. This would have popularized war, so it was very simple for me to decide, in the final analysis. I asked my son, who was at the time about fifteen, “Joel, what would you think of me if I accepted the offer and drew this, knowing the way I feel about it and what we’ve been talking about?” And he said, “I’d have to feel that you were a phony, Dad.” I said, “Right—that’s the way I feel”—and I dropped it.

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But in the ’50s, when there were 200 or so titles on the stands, Wertham hit them with the bomb about it being bad for children. Most of the small companies folded, leaving only the big ones like DC and Marvel, who at that time were Timely.

Now, Stan Lee—26 years ago, when I met him—was a good-natured but dopey kid, who played an ocarina, and his uncle [Martin] Goodman owned Timely Comics. So he had an office where he sat playing his ocarina.... [laughter] I’d just left Fiction House, so I went to see him.

Some time later, Frank Giacoia and Carmine Infantino came to my house, but Carmine was too shy to come in. I hadn’t met either of them before... this was back in 1946. Giacoia came in and he said he’d like to be my assistant. I told him that I’d never had an assistant and that I didn’t think I could use one.

(Al Capp, to whom I later became assistant, had been assistant to Ham Fisher [creator of the then super-popular newspaper strip Joe Palooka], and spent the next twenty years writing stories about what a louse Fisher was. In the years since I quit Capp, I haven’t written any stories, but it wasn’t for lack of material.)

Anyway, Giacoia said he’d just come out of the service. He wanted to learn and he wanted to get into the business. I told him that if he could do the job and I got paid for it, I’d feel dishonest about it—but I’d try it. I couldn’t be sure how I’d feel until I tried it. If it worked, he’d be adequately paid.

But it didn’t work out, then or subsequently. I could never have an assistant for this reason.

Having been a concert violinist—I always pictured it was being similar to this: suppose Jascha Heifetz (one of the world’s greatest violinists) A: Was work easy to come by in was on the stage going through the ’40s? the motions of playing the ELIAS: No... it was never easy violin, and some talented, A page from an Elias-drawn story in Sub-Mariner #22 (Spring 1947) Thanks to Matt to come by. The only thing that unknown kid was offstage Moring for the scan. [©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc.] made it easier than it might have really playing a concerto. When been was the US entry into the he’s through, everyone claps and Heifetz bows. He’s got soap on his war in 1941, when all able-bodied men—one of which I was not, because strings. He hasn’t played a note—the kid’s been doing the playing. Then I’d had rheumatic fever—were drafted. It made it a little easier because it he goes backstage and slaps the kid in the face: “What the hell did you removed some of the manpower, and there weren’t too many good play E flat on page 4 for? You want to ruin my reputation?” artists around to begin with. Soon, even poor ones were hard to find. As soon as the war was over in 1945, and the artists came back, anybody This is an imaginary incident, but the parallel is what’s relevant—this who was just marking time, or filling space, was out. Many of the people was the way I felt working for Capp, and why I couldn’t have an who had drawn for the books were let go. I can remember some girls, in assistant. I considered it dishonest, in something like the arts, even fact... Fran Hopper was one, Lily Wilhelm was another. I’ve never seen though it was done in the time of the Old Masters. I consider it a breach any of their work since then... they probably left comics for good when of ethics for a work of art (even as humble as some comics may be) to bear the signature of any person other than the artist (or artists) who the returning artists became available once more. And so it leveled itself off. For a while, mediocrity still found a place in the business. executed it. That would mean assistants would have to sign the strips, too, and we all know that just doesn’t happen. So I told Giacoia that it

44

Lee Elias We’ve all drawn, at one time or another, practically every character you see around.

A: What was the reason for so much switching around?

Deadlines? Did editorial decisions come into it at all?

ELIAS: I really don’t know. It might have been because they figured it was the artist’s fault that the book wasn’t selling, so they tried changing artists. Or they may have thought that it was the writer’s fault, so they’d change him first and change the artist afterwards. And sometimes it’d have nothing to do with either of them.

Maybe Stan Lee paid Lee Elias $100 for four drawings, not one. At least, that’s how many of the artist’s drawings appear with the text story “Debbie Does It!” (no relation to a later movie with a similar name) in the April 1947 Junior Miss #24, actually the first issue of a new series. Elias’ credit comes on the second of the four illos—and, oddly, the heroine’s name is spelled “Debby” in the story itself. Thanks to Dr. Michael J. Vassallo. [©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

wouldn’t work out. I never signed anything that I hadn’t done myself.

Then he told me something that, to this day, I’ve been a little burned up about, and this is why I digressed from the Stan Lee bit... so back to the story.

For instance, there was the character Eclipso, which I designed.

I did the first couple of stories, and it seemed to be going down pretty well with the fans. Then I got a divorce in Mexico from my first wife, and I was taking my son to Florida with me, so I couldn’t do the next story. So [DC editor] Murray Boltinoff got Al Toth to do it, and when I came back, Murray gave me the Tommy Tomorrow book to do. So now I didn’t have time to do a 25-page book, plus the “Eclipso.” Toth was doing all right on it, so he stayed on it. There’s a case where just personal circumstances made the change.

A: Do editors ever place restrictions on you?

You know Sub-Mariner? In 1945, when I went to see Stan Lee, SubMariner was a minor character they had. He looked like a bloody fish— an awful character. Stan Lee said, “Ah! Lee Elias!” Toot-to-toot-tetooo... [laughter] “I can use your work, sure! How’d you like to do Sub-Mariner for us?” I said, “Never heard of it.” “You never heard of Sub-Mariner? Great character! Wonderful, wonderful!” Toot-te-tootte-tooo. [more laughter]

ELIAS: Sure they do. The less experienced the artist is, the more of that you’ll get. Although, experience doesn’t necessarily exempt you, either.

When I’d had a bellyful of working for Capp on Li’l Abner and I went back to work for DC, I was already a well-established artist, having had a newspaper strip of my own and so on, but the fact that I hadn’t worked for DC for a few years meant that I had to start from square one again. I had to take an awful lot of crap and even had a row with one editor, where it almost came to blows. But I said I was at fault, and I was. This was because I couldn’t take so many directions from him.

So he shows me this thing that looks like a fishy abortion, and I think, “Bloody hell! I’ve done some awful things in my life, but now this!” He said, “We want you to re-design it. Don’t look at it the way it is now. Just take the general idea of the character and develop it. This could be a great character!” Toot-te-toot-te-toot-te-tooo. I thought the guy was a nut! [more laughter, even louder than before]

Now, of course, even though I’m 3000 miles away, he’ll say, “I’ll leave it to your good judgment.” That’s something that only eventually happens when they become sure enough to figure they won’t jeopardize their jobs by letting you do what you want. Most of the time it’s mostly circumscribed what you can do and what you can’t do. But, if I were in their shoes, I might feel the same way.

Anyway, I took this thing up, and I worked at a lower price than I usually did, just to get started with this company. I’d never worked for Timely before. I did a couple of stories of “Sub-Mariner,” plus an illustration for a teenage girls’ magazines, that he paid me $100 for. At that time, at least for him, that was an unheard-of price, but he paid it to get me to do it, figuring I was a “name cartoonist,” because a lot of the fans bought the books by the guy whose artwork they liked, rather than by the title of the magazine.

A: Have you ever been instructed to imitate anyone else’s style?

He later told me that his uncle had bawled the hell out of him because he paid me $100 for this illustration. But the real payoff was what Giacoia told me... remember, I said he’d told me something?

Giacoia told me that the reason I was asked to re-design Sub-Mariner was so that he could have something to copy from, having just come out of the service. But he had no model to follow, so they figured, “We’ll pay Elias to design the character, then pftt! he’s out, and we’ll let Giacoia do it, at a lower rate of pay!” That was the last work I did for Timely!

A: You knew Joe Kubert, didn’t you?

ELIAS: I’ve known Joe Kubert since he was about 18. [laughs] I could tell you stories about Joe, but if you ever published them, Joe would take the next plane over here and break my head! No, Joe’s okay.

Actually, it makes me laugh when I see things like, in this Special he had, Joe saying that he “did ’The Flash’”! He did. But who the hell didn’t? I, too, did it—I’ve done “Green Lantern”! We all interchanged.

ELIAS: When I worked on Li’l Abner, I naturally had to imitate Al Capp’s style, which was very hard for me, as it wasn’t anything like what I was used to doing. And there was Milton Caniff, whom I drew like for years, because I did covers and artwork for the Steve Canyon and Terry and the Pirates books. It was good experience, because each one you had to imitate demanded a new discipline which made you think— something you’re inclined to forget about when you’ve gotten into your own rut. You’re drawing in a certain way and it becomes facile. You feel you’ve got it licked: a script comes in and you know how to do it—it’s almost like stamping out pictures. Then suddenly you’re called upon to do something completely out of character; you’ve got to stop and think again, and this adds a little bit to your stature as an artist.

A: Did you ever find anyone imitating your style?

ELIAS: Many. But, in the beginning, of course, I was very flattered.

Then angry. By turns. Till the thought finally occurred to me, “Who the hell hasn’t copied from somebody?” Let him who is without guilt cast the first stone. I remember the years I sat on the toilet studying Milton Caniff’s stuff. [laughter] Can I honestly say that I didn’t copy?

Swiping is something else. That was never countenanced, and I don’t like it. Especially when it’s deliberately done to sell, as I think was mentioned in one of the articles in Armageddon. With swiping, you’re not using your own brains or your own talent, if you have any. You’re just using another guy’s talent and making money on it, and this is the

“Who The Hell Hasn’t”

45

lowest form of exploitation. In a sense, you’re making a slave of the other guy without his knowledge. He’s done the work, and you get paid for it. Why not use the original guy’s drawing and pay him the royalty, and eliminate the middle-man copyist?

Eventually your own personality comes out and rounds off what you’ve learned and injects individuality. It’s really learning the alphabet of drawing and finally becoming confident enough so your own personality feels sure enough to make decisions that you couldn’t make before.

Learning to draw by imitation was all we could do, once we recognized our own inadequacies—because there was no school for cartooning in those days. There was one later on—The School of Visual Arts—at which I taught. But we had had to learn by trial and error—by our own mistakes—and imitation, in the early days.

Story about Frank Giacoia: when he wanted to be my assistant, I gave him this story to ink for The Black Cat (which he never finished, incidentally... I had to make my apologies to Harvey Publications and finish it myself). He was copying my style. He took it home and was inking my pencils. When he brought it back, I noticed that on every figure there was a little cross at the elbow. At first I thought he’d just inked fast, but then I noticed it was on every drawing. I asked him what this cross was, and he said, ’That’s the way you do it!” I said, “I do? Where?” Then he showed me one drawing where I’d inked fast, and hadn’t whited my mistake out. He thought that was the way I drew, so he made every figure like that... [laughter] ...and now, if he heard this story, he’d probably be dubious, as he’ll have forgotten it long ago.

“What, me?” he’d say.

But it happens to be true!

So naturally you looked for somebody who was doing something you admired, and you tried to figure out what he did, or to draw in the style of this guy, or see how he did a certain thing, but not actually copy the composition of the panel. If sometime it got too close for comfort and somebody recognized it, which many times did happen, it made the guy who was being copied a little bit angry.

A: Do you think this copying, as against actual swiping, was one As Lee says, “Who the hell didn’t [draw “The Flash”]?” Well, after Harry Lampert, Hal Sharp, Martin Naydel, Lou Ferstadt, Jon Chester Kozlak, various inkers and cover artists, and especially E.E. Hibbard, there came (clockwise from upper left): Irwin Hasen (only in the 1946 Flash Comics miniature-edition Wheaties giveaway)... Joe Kubert (Flash Comics #88, Oct. 1947)... Carmine Infantino (Comic Cavalcade #25, Feb.-March 1948)... and Elias inked by Bernard Sachs (Comic Cavalcade #29, Oct.-Nov. ’48). Actually, it’s so tricky sometimes to tell Elias’ art from Infantino’s on “Flash” stories that collector/expert Craig Delich, who helps ID art styles for DC itself, says there’s a chance the “Infantino” page was penciled by Elias—or even that it may be Infantino inking his own pencils for a change!

Thanks to Al Dellinges for the Kubert art. [©2002 DC Comics.]

There was one chap, I think his name was Jack Keller, who was guilty of this all the time. He had been copying Milton Caniff’s stuff and then he copied my stuff. And Molly Slott, who was the head of the News Syndicate, called and said that Caniff was very angry at me because it had come to her attention that I was swiping stuff of his. I told her this couldn’t be, so she said she could show me the stuff if I came up. I went up, and she showed me this thing, which wasn’t signed. I said, “That’s not my work!” And she said, “It isn’t? Well... they told us it was your work.” I said, “It’s so bloody like my work that anybody could mistake it! But it’s not mine, and I can prove it!” I went to the trouble of finding out whose it was, and it happened to be this guy Keller’s.

So that’s how I feel about copying of style. It’s almost like masturbation. Nobody can get very upset about it because everybody’s done it.

reason why a lot of the artists’ styles in the ’40s were very similar?

Because they were having to work in a rush, all working on the same strip and probably having to maintain a certain distinctive style for one character, for continuation?

ELIAS: It’s possible. I’ve looked at some of the stuff I did in the ’40s, and it doesn’t look too much like the stuff I do today—at least not to my eye. But it wasn’t too much like most of the cartoonists in the business. If anything, it was a lot like Caniff’s, because I had been looking at his work more than the others. As I said, it is possible, although it’s hard for me to give a positive answer, because I never really thought about it.

I remember that Alex Raymond, who at the time was doing Flash

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Lee Elias

Gordon, was one of the gods of the industry, and some of the guys at Fiction House—Artie Saaf, Nick Viscardi—he now calls himself Nick Cardy—all had a bible of Raymond swipes. I can’t remember whether I had one or not—I know I had a lot of pictures in a file, some of which I may still have—I’m so sentimentally attached to them! I never use them, but I hate to throw them away!

thirty years, I just don’t know how to answer. I can say... [hamming up voice] “They’ve all been giants amongst writers—I mean, Dosteievsky had nothing on any one of these great, talented,” etc., etc.! [laughter] There were some very illustrious writers who were once comic book writers.

[A/E NOTE: At this point Elias talks about pop art’s “borrowing” from comics, and other topics which will be covered in Part II of this interview.]

ELIAS: No, he’s not illustrious. He’s just a guy who made a lot of money! I’m thinking of people like Ray Bradbury. My science-fiction strip Beyond Mars was written by Jack Williamson, who was well known and reasonably respected as a writer of science-fiction even before he entered into syndication.

A: Mickey Spillane?

A: Who wrote the Black Cat strips for you?

ELIAS: Many people. Bev Suser, Blanche Carlin...

I can’t really remember all the names. There have been as many writers who have written things that I’ve drawn as there have been artists that I’ve known, but only with rare exceptions can I remember the writers—probably because they kept changing after every script or two.

Cover for Black Cat #11 (May 1948), repro’d from a photocopy of the original art. [©2002 Lorne-Harvey Publications, Inc.]

A: What do you think of the standards of the writing in general of the strips you did?

ELIAS: Some were good, some were bad. Always, though, they were comics. You’ve got to remember what they are writing for. It’s not supposed to be a Shakespeare play or a Hemingway novel; it’s supposed to be a comic story, limited to eight, ten, sometimes four or three, pages, and it has its own problems of squeezing the copy in and still leaving room for pictures. Sometimes you go nuts figuring how to fit all this into one page. Knowing all of this, when you ask me what I think of all the writers who’ve written all the scripts and all the pages in the past

If you’re viewing a digital version of this publication, PLEASE read this plea from the publisher! his is COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL, which is NOT INTENDED FOR FREE T DOWNLOADING ANYWHERE. If you’re a print subscriber, or you paid the modest fee we charge to download it at our website, you have our sincere thanks—your support allows us to keep producing publications like this one.

If instead you downloaded it for free from some other website or torrent, please know that it was absolutely 100% DONE WITHOUT OUR CONSENT, and it was an ILLEGAL POSTING OF OUR COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL. If that’s the case, here’s what you should do:

[A/E NOTE: At this point we skip to a 1940srelated statement near the end of the interview as printed, when Elias is asked about the different techniques and styles he has used at various times.]

ELIAS: You’ve got to vary your style to suit the type of story you’re doing. For the mystery or horror type of story, thick lines and lots of black would be used, whereas the love stories require a far finer line, like—everything has to look “pretty.” I use whatever I’ve got at hand to create whatever effect I want. Maybe I chew up a matchstick and dip it into the ink, if I need a really thick, rough effect. Sometimes you’d bash your brains out, trying to figure out how to do something.

For example, when I was doing “The Flash,” back in the late ’40s, I remember the biggest headache was trying to create the “super-speed” effect. I wanted to get it right, and not just bash it out, like some of the previous artists on the strip had been doing, so I worked on this for days, trying all sorts of things.

Finally, I thought, “Oh, to hell!” and dashed off a squiggle. Then I looked at it, and thought, “Hey! That’s it!” I had accomplished exactly the right effect, more or less by accident. Sometimes this would happen: By doing something fast, it would turn out better than if you’d spent days over it.

[To be continued, in a near-future issue of Alter Ego. This interview is ©2002 by the interviewers, and is reprinted by permission of Ian Penman.]

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2) If you enjoy it enough to keep it, DO THE RIGHT THING and purchase a legal download of it from our website, or purchase the print edition at our website (which entitles you to the Digital Edition for free) or at your local comic book shop. We’d love to have you as a regular paid reader.

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We’re not quite sure what Lee Elias means when he says he “dashed off a squiggle” to create a super-speed effect, but maybe he referred to the vibration lines in these panels from his “Flash” chapter in All-Star #35 (June-July 1947). See the whole issue— and four more of the very best JSA tales ever, including two never before reprinted anywhere!—in The All Star Archives, Vol. 8, on sale soon. [©2002 DC Comics.]

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Now—FLIP US for our Golden Age Section

Edited by ROY THOMAS

DIGITAL

The greatest ‘zine of the 1960s is back, ALL-NEW, and focusing on GOLDEN AND SILVER AGE comics and creators with NS EDITIO BLE ARTICLES, INTERVIEWS, A IL AVA NLY UNSEEN ART, P.C. Hamerlinck’s FOR O 5 FCA (Fawcett Collectors of $2.9 America, featuring the archives of C.C. BECK and recollections

by Fawcett artist MARCUS SWAYZE), Michael T. Gilbert’s MR. MONSTER, and more!

EISNER AWARD WINNER for Best Comics-Related Periodical

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ALTER EGO #4

ALTER EGO #5

ALTER EGO #1

ALTER EGO #2

ALTER EGO #3

STAN LEE gets roasted by SCHWARTZ, CLAREMONT, DAVID, ROMITA, BUSCEMA, and SHOOTER, ORDWAY and THOMAS on INFINITY, INC., IRWIN HASEN interview, unseen H.G. PETER Wonder Woman pages, the original Captain Marvel and Human Torch teamup, FCA with MARC SWAYZE, “Mr. Monster”, plus plenty of rare and unpublished art!

Featuring a never-reprinted SPIRIT story by WILL EISNER, the genesis of the SILVER AGE ATOM (with GARDNER FOX, GIL KANE, and JULIE SCHWARTZ), interviews with LARRY LIEBER and Golden Age great JACK BURNLEY, BOB KANIGHER, a new Fawcett Collectors of America section with MARC SWAYZE, C.C. BECK, and more!

GIL KANE and JACK BURNLEY flip-covers!

Unseen ALEX ROSS and JERRY ORDWAY Shazam! art, 1953 interview with OTTO BINDER, the SUPERMAN/CAPTAIN MARVEL LAWSUIT, GIL KANE on The Golden Age of TIMELY COMICS, FCA with SWAYZE, BECK, and SCHAFFENBERGER, rare art by AYERS, BERG, BURNLEY, DITKO, RICO, SCHOMBURG, MARIE SEVERIN and more! ALEX ROSS & BILL EVERETT covers!

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ALTER EGO #6

ALTER EGO #7

ALTER EGO #8

Interviews with KUBERT, SHELLY MOLDOFF, and HARRY LAMPERT, BOB KANIGHER, life and times of GARDNER FOX, ROY THOMAS remembers GIL KANE, a history of Flash Comics, MOEBIUS Silver Surfer sketches, MR. MONSTER, FCA section with SWAYZE, BECK, and SCHAFFENBERGER, and lots more! Dual color covers by JOE KUBERT!

Celebrating the JSA, with interviews with MART NODELL, SHELLY MAYER, GEORGE ROUSSOS, BILL BLACK, and GIL KANE, unpublished H.G. PETER Wonder Woman art, GARDNER FOX, an FCA section with MARC SWAYZE, C.C. BECK, WENDELL CROWLEY, and more! Wraparound cover

by CARMINE INFANTINO and JERRY ORDWAY!

GENE COLAN interview, 1940s books on comics by STAN LEE and ROBERT KANIGHER, AYERS, SEVERIN, and ROY THOMAS on Sgt. Fury, ROY on All-Star Squadron’s Golden Age roots, FCA section with SWAYZE, BECK, and WILLIAM WOOLFOLK, JOE SIMON interview, a definitive look at MAC RABOY’S work, and more! Covers by COLAN and RABOY!

Companion to ALL-STAR COMPANION book, with a JULIE SCHWARTZ interview, guide to JLA-JSA TEAMUPS, origins of the ALL-STAR SQUADRON, FCA section with MARC SWAYZE, C.C. BECK (on his 1970s DC conflicts), DAVE BERG, BOB ROGERS, more on MAC RABOY from his son, MR. MONSTER, and more! RICH BUCKLER and C.C. BECK covers!

WALLY WOOD biography, DAN ADKINS & BILL PEARSON on Wood, TOR section with 1963 JOE KUBERT interview, ROY THOMAS on creating the ALL-STAR SQUADRON and its 1940s forebears, FCA section with SWAYZE & BECK, MR. MONSTER, JERRY ORDWAY on Shazam!, JERRY DeFUCCIO on the Golden Age, CHIC STONE remembered! ADKINS and KUBERT covers!

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ALTER EGO #9

ALTER EGO #10

ALTER EGO #11

ALTER EGO #12

ALTER EGO #13

JOHN ROMITA interview by ROY THOMAS (with unseen art), Roy’s PROPOSED DREAM PROJECTS that never got published (with a host of great artists), MR. MONSTER on WAYNE BORING’S life after Superman, The Golden Age of Comic Fandom Panel, FCA section with GEORGE TUSKA, C.C. BECK, MARC SWAYZE, BILL MORRISON, & more! ROMITA and GIORDANO covers!

Who Created the Silver Age Flash? (with KANIGHER, INFANTINO, KUBERT, and SCHWARTZ), DICK AYERS interview (with unseen art), JOHN BROOME remembered, never-seen Golden Age Flash pages, VIN SULLIVAN Magazine Enterprises interview, FCA, interview with FRED GUARDINEER, and MR. MONSTER on WAYNE BORING! INFANTINO and AYERS covers!

Focuses on TIMELY/MARVEL (interviews and features on SYD SHORES, MICKEY SPILLANE, and VINCE FAGO), and MAGAZINE ENTERPRISES (including JOE CERTA, JOHN BELFI, FRANK BOLLE, BOB POWELL, and FRED MEAGHER), MR. MONSTER on JERRY SIEGEL, DON and MAGGIE THOMPSON interview, FCA with SWAYZE, BECK, and DON NEWTON!

DC and QUALITY COMICS focus! Quality’s GILL FOX interview, never-seen ‘40s PAUL REINMAN Green Lantern story, ROY THOMAS talks to LEN WEIN and RICH BUCKLER about ALL-STAR SQUADRON, MR. MONSTER shows what made WALLY WOOD leave MAD, FCA section with BECK & SWAYZE, & ‘65 NEWSWEEK ARTICLE on comics! REINMAN and BILL WARD covers!

1974 panel with JOE SIMON, STAN LEE, FRANK ROBBINS, and ROY THOMAS, ROY and JOHN BUSCEMA on Avengers, 1964 STAN LEE interview, tributes to DON HECK, JOHNNY CRAIG, and GRAY MORROW, Timely alums DAVID GANTZ and DANIEL KEYES, and FCA with BECK, SWAYZE, and MIKE MANLEY! Covers by MURPHY ANDERSON and JOE SIMON!

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16

ALTER EGO #14

ALTER EGO #15

ALTER EGO #16

ALTER EGO #17

ALTER EGO #18

A look at the 1970s JSA revival with CONWAY, LEVITZ, ESTRADA, GIFFEN, MILGROM, and STATON, JERRY ORDWAY on All-Star Squadron, tributes to CRAIG CHASE and DAN DeCARLO, “lost” 1945 issue of All-Star, 1970 interview with LEE ELIAS, MR. MONSTER on GARDNER FOX, FCA with SWAYZE, BECK, & JAY DISBROW! MIKE NASSER & MICHAEL GILBERT covers!

JOHN BUSCEMA ISSUE! BUSCEMA interview (with UNSEEN ART), reminiscences by SAL BUSCEMA, STAN LEE, INFANTINO, KUBERT, ORDWAY, FLO STEINBERG, and HERB TRIMPE, ROY THOMAS on 35 years with BIG JOHN, FCA tribute to KURT SCHAFFENBERGER, plus C.C. BECK and MARC SWAYZE, and MR. MONSTER revisits WALLY WOOD! Two BUSCEMA covers!

MARVEL BULLPEN REUNION (BUSCEMA, COLAN, ROMITA, and SEVERIN), memories of the JOHN BUSCEMA SCHOOL, FCA with ALEX ROSS, C.C. BECK, and MARC SWAYZE, tribute to CHAD GROTHKOPF, MR. MONSTER on EC COMICS with art by KURTZMAN, DAVIS, and WOOD, and more! Covers by ALEX ROSS and MARIE SEVERIN & RAMONA FRADON!

Spotlighting LOU FINE (with an overview of his career, and interviews with family members), interview with MURPHY ANDERSON about Fine, ALEX TOTH on Fine, ARNOLD DRAKE interviewed about DEADMAN and DOOM PATROL, MR. MONSTER on the non-EC work of JACK DAVIS and GEORGE EVANS, FINE and LUIS DOMINGUEZ COVERS, FCA and more!

STAN GOLDBERG interview, secrets of ‘40s Timely, art by KIRBY, DITKO, ROMITA, BUSCEMA, MANEELY, EVERETT, BURGOS, and DeCARLO, spotlight on sci-fi fanzine XERO with the LUPOFFS, OTTO BINDER, DON THOMPSON, ROY THOMAS, BILL SCHELLY, and ROGER EBERT, FCA, and MR. MONSTER on WALLY WOOD ghosting Flash Gordon! KIRBY and SWAYZE covers!

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ALTER EGO #19

ALTER EGO #20

ALTER EGO #21

ALTER EGO #22

ALTER EGO #23

Spotlight on DICK SPRANG (profile and interview) with unseen art, rare Batman art

by BOB KANE, CHARLES PARIS, SHELLY MOLDOFF, MAX ALLAN COLLINS, JIM MOONEY, CARMINE INFANTINO, and ALEX TOTH, JERRY ROBINSON interviewed about Tomahawk and 1940s cover artist FRED RAY, FCA, and MR. MONSTER on WALLY WOOD’s Flash Gordon, Part 2!

Timely/Marvel art by SEKOWSKY, SHORES, EVERETT, and BURGOS, secrets behind THE INVADERS with ROY THOMAS, KIRBY, GIL KANE, & ROBBINS, BOB DESCHAMPS interviewed, 1965 NY Comics Con review, panel with FINGER, BINDER, FOX and WEISINGER, MR. MONSTER, FCA with SWAYZE, BECK, RABOY, SCHAFFENBERGER, and more! MILGROM and SCHELLY covers!

The IGER “SHOP” examined, with art by EISNER, FINE, ANDERSON, CRANDALL, BAKER, MESKIN, CARDY, EVANS, BOB KANE, and TUSKA, “SHEENA” section with art by DAVE STEVENS & FRANK BRUNNER, ROY THOMAS on JSA & All-Star Squadron, MR. MONSTER on GARDNER FOX, UNSEEN 1946 ALL-STAR ART, FCA, and more!

DAVE STEVENS and IRWIN HASEN covers!

BILL EVERETT and JOE KUBERT interviewed

by NEAL ADAMS and GIL KANE in 1970, Timely art by BURGOS, SHORES, NODELL, and SEKOWSKY, RUDY LAPICK, ROY THOMAS on Sub-Mariner, with art by EVERETT, COLAN, ANDRU, BUSCEMAs, SEVERINs, and more, FCA, MR. MONSTER on WALLY WOOD at EC, ALEX TOTH, and CAPT. MIDNIGHT! EVERETT & BECK covers!

Unseen art from TWO “LOST” 1940s H.G. PETER WONDER WOMAN STORIES (and analysis of “CHARLES MOULTON” scripts), BOB FUJITANI and JOHN ROSENBERGER, VICTOR GORELICK discusses Archie and The Mighty Crusaders, with art by MORROW, BUCKLER, and REINMAN, FCA, and MR. MONSTER on WALLY WOOD! H.G. PETER and BOB FUJITANI covers!

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ALTER EGO #24

ALTER EGO #25

ALTER EGO #26

ALTER EGO #27

ALTER EGO #28

X-MEN interviews with STAN LEE, DAVE COCKRUM, CHRIS CLAREMONT, ARNOLD DRAKE, JIM SHOOTER, ROY THOMAS, and LEN WEIN, MORT MESKIN profiled by his sons and ALEX TOTH, rare art by JERRY ROBINSON, FCA with BECK, SWAYZE, and WILLIAM WOOLFOLK, MR. MONSTER, and BILL SCHELLY on Comics Fandom! MESKIN and COCKRUM covers!

JACK COLE remembered by ALEX TOTH, interview with brother DICK COLE and his PLAYBOY colleagues, CHRIS CLAREMONT on the X-Men (with more never-seen art by DAVE COCKRUM), ROY THOMAS on AllStar Squadron #1 and its ‘40s roots (with art

by ORDWAY, BUCKLER, MESKIN and MOLDOFF), FCA, MR. MONSTER, and more! Covers by TOTH and SCHELLY!

JOE SINNOTT interview, IRWIN DONENFELD interview by EVANIER & SCHWARTZ, art by SHUSTER, INFANTINO, ANDERSON, and SWAN, MARK WAID analyzes the first Kryptonite story, JERRY SIEGEL and HARRY DONENFELD, JERRY IGER Shop update, ALEX TOTH, MR. MONSTER, and FCA with SWAYZE, BECK, and KEN BALD! Covers by SINNOTT and WAYNE BORING!

VIN SULLIVAN interview about the early DC days with art by SHUSTER, MOLDOFF, FLESSEL, GUARDINEER, and BURNLEY, MR. MONSTER’s “Lost” KIRBY HULK covers, 1948 NEW YORK COMIC CON with STAN LEE, SIMON & KIRBY, JULIUS SCHWARTZ, HARVEY KURTZMAN, and ROY THOMAS, ALEX TOTH, FCA, and more! Covers by JACK BURNLEY and JACK KIRBY!

Spotlight on JOE MANEELY, with a career overview, remembrance by his daughter and tons of art, Timely/Atlas/Marvel art by ROMITA, EVERETT, SEVERIN, SHORES, KIRBY, and DITKO, STAN LEE on Maneely, LEE AMES interview, FCA with SWAYZE, ISIS, and STEVE SKEATES, MR. MONSTER, BILL SCHELLY, and more! Covers by JOE MANEELY and DON NEWTON!

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17

ALTER EGO #29

ALTER EGO #30

ALTER EGO #31

ALTER EGO #32

ALTER EGO #33

FRANK BRUNNER interview, BILL EVERETT’S Venus examined by TRINA ROBBINS, Classics Illustrated “What ifs”, LEE/KIRBY/DITKO Marvel prototypes, JOE MANEELY’s monsters, BILL FRACCIO interview, ALEX TOTH, MR. MONSTER, JOHN BENSON on EC, The Heap by ERNIE SCHROEDER, and FCA! Covers by FRANK BRUNNER and PETE VON SHOLLY!

ALEX ROSS on his love for the JLA, BLACKHAWK/JLA artist DICK DILLIN, the super-heroes of 1940s-1980s France (with art by STEVE RUDE, STEVE BISSETTE, LADRÖNN, and NEAL ADAMS), KIM AAMODT & WALTER GEIER on writing for SIMON & KIRBY, ALEX TOTH, MR. MONSTER, and FCA! Covers by ALEX ROSS and STEVE RUDE!

DICK AYERS on his 1950s and ‘60s work (with tons of Marvel Bullpen art), HARLAN ELLISON’s Marvel Age work examined (with art by BUCKLER, SAL BUSCEMA, and TRIMPE), STAN LEE’S Marvel Prototypes (with art by KIRBY and DITKO), Christmas cards from comics greats, MR. MONSTER, & FCA with SWAYZE and SCHAFFENBERGER! Covers by DICK AYERS and FRED RAY!

Timely artists ALLEN BELLMAN and SAM BURLOCKOFF interviewed, MART NODELL on his Timely years, rare art by BURGOS, EVERETT, and SHORES, MIKE GOLD on the Silver Age (with art by SIMON & KIRBY, SWAN, INFANTINO, KANE, and more), FCA, ALEX TOTH, BILL SCHELLY on comics fandom, and more!

Covers by DICK GIORDANO and GIL KANE!

Symposium on MIKE SEKOWSKY by MARK EVANIER, SCOTT SHAW!, et al., with art

by ANDERSON, INFANTINO, and others, PAT (MRS. MIKE) SEKOWSKY and inker VALERIE BARCLAY interviewed, FCA, 1950s Captain Marvel parody by ANDRU and ESPOSITO, ALEX TOTH, BILL SCHELLY, MR. MONSTER, and more! Covers by FRENZ/SINNOTT and FRENZ/BUSCEMA!

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ALTER EGO #34

ALTER EGO #35

ALTER EGO #36

ALTER EGO #37

ALTER EGO #38

Quality Comics interviews with ALEX KOTZKY, AL GRENET, CHUCK CUIDERA, & DICK ARNOLD (son of BUSY ARNOLD), art by COLE, EISNER, FINE, WARD, DILLIN, and KANE, MICHELLE NOLAN on Blackhawk’s jump to DC, FCA, MICHAEL T. GILBERT on HARVEY KURTZMAN, & ALEX TOTH on REED CRANDALL! Covers by REED CRANDALL & CHARLES NICHOLAS!

Covers by JOHN ROMITA and AL JAFFEE! LEE, ROMITA, AYERS, HEATH, & THOMAS on the 1953-55 Timely super-hero revival, with rare art by ROMITA, AYERS, BURGOS, HEATH, EVERETT, LAWRENCE, & POWELL, AL JAFFEE on the 1940s Timely Bullpen (and MAD), FCA, ALEX TOTH on comic art, MR. MONSTER on unpublished 1950s covers, and more!

JOE SIMON on SIMON & KIRBY, CARL BURGOS, and LLOYD JACQUET, JOHN BELL on World War II Canadian heroes, MICHAEL T. GILBERT on Canadian origins of MR. MONSTER, tributes to BOB DESCHAMPS, DON LAWRENCE, & GEORGE WOODBRIDGE, FCA, ALEX TOTH, and ELMER WEXLER interview! Covers by SIMON and GILBERT & RONN SUTTON!

WILL MURRAY on the 1940 Superman “KMetal” story & PHILIP WYLIE’s GLADIATOR (with art by SHUSTER, SWAN, ADAMS, and BORING), FCA with BECK, SWAYZE, and DON NEWTON, SY BARRY interview, art by TOTH, MESKIN, INFANTINO, and ANDERSON, and MICHAEL T. GILBERT interviews AL FELDSTEIN on EC and RAY BRADBURY! Covers by C.C. BECK and WAYNE BORING!

JULIE SCHWARTZ TRIBUTE with HARLAN ELLISON, INFANTINO, ANDERSON, TOTH, KUBERT, GIELLA, GIORDANO, CARDY, LEVITZ, STAN LEE, WOLFMAN, EVANIER, & ROY THOMAS, never-seen interviews with Julie, FCA with BECK, SCHAFFENBERGER, NEWTON, COCKRUM, OKSNER, FRADON, SWAYZE, and JACKSON BOSTWICK! Covers by INFANTINO and IRWIN HASEN!

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ALTER EGO #39

ALTER EGO #40

ALTER EGO #41

ALTER EGO #42

ALTER EGO #43

Full-issue spotlight on JERRY ROBINSON, with an interview on being BOB KANE’s Batman “ghost”, creating the JOKER and ROBIN, working on VIGILANTE, GREEN HORNET, and ATOMAN, plus never-seen art by Jerry, MESKIN, ROUSSOS, RAY, KIRBY, SPRANG, DITKO, and PARIS! Plus FCA, MR. MONSTER on AL FELDSTEIN Part 2, and more! Two JERRY ROBINSON covers!

RUSS HEATH and GIL KANE interviews (with tons of unseen art), the JULIE SCHWARTZ Memorial Service with ELLISON, MOORE, GAIMAN, HASEN, O’NEIL, and LEVITZ, art by INFANTINO, ANDERSON, TOTH, NOVICK, DILLIN, SEKOWSKY, KUBERT, GIELLA, ARAGONÉS, FCA, MR. MONSTER and AL FELDSTEIN Part 3, and more! Covers by GIL KANE & RUSS HEATH!

Halloween issue! BERNIE WRIGHTSON on his 1970s FRANKENSTEIN, DICK BRIEFER’S monster, the campy 1960s Frankie, art by KALUTA, BAILY, MANEELY, PLOOG, KUBERT, BRUNNER, BORING, OKSNER, TUSKA, CRANDALL, and SUTTON, FCA #100, EMILIO SQUEGLIO interview, ALEX TOTH, MICHAEL T. GILBERT, and more!

Covers by WRIGHTSON & MARC SWAYZE!

A celebration of DON HECK, WERNER ROTH, and PAUL REINMAN, rare art by KIRBY, DITKO, and AYERS, Hillman and Ziff-Davis remembered by Heap artist ERNIE SCHROEDER, HERB ROGOFF, and WALTER LITTMAN, FCA with MARC SWAYZE, MR. MONSTER, BILL SCHELLY, and ALEX TOTH! Covers by FASTNER & LARSON and ERNIE SCHROEDER!

Yuletide art by WOOD, SINNOTT, CARDY, BRUNNER, TOTH, NODELL, and others, interviews with Golden Age artists TOM GILL (Lone Ranger) and MORRIS WEISS, exploring 1960s Mexican comics, FCA with MARC SWAYZE and C.C. BECK, MR. MONSTER, ALEX TOTH, BILL SCHELLY on comics fandom, and more! Flip covers by GEORGE TUSKA and DAVE STEVENS!

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18

ALTER EGO #44

ALTER EGO #45

ALTER EGO #46

ALTER EGO #47

ALTER EGO #48

JSA/All-Star Squadron/Infinity Inc. special!

Interviews with KUBERT, HASEN, ANDERSON, ORDWAY, BUCKLER, THOMAS, 1940s Atom writer ARTHUR ADLER, art by TOTH, SEKOWSKY, HASEN, MACHLAN, OKSNER, and INFANTINO, FCA, and MR. MONSTER’S “I Like Ike!” cartoons by BOB KANE, INFANTINO, OKSNER, and BIRO! Wraparound ORDWAY cover!

Interviews with Sandman artist CREIG FLESSEL and ‘40s creator BERT CHRISTMAN, MICHAEL CHABON on researching his Pulitzer-winning novel Kavalier & Clay, art

by EISNER, KANE, KIRBY, and AYERS, FCA with MARC SWAYZE and C.C. BECK, OTTO BINDER’s “lost” Jon Jarl story, MR. MONSTER, BILL SCHELLY on comics fandom, and ALEX TOTH! CREIG FLESSEL cover!

The VERY BEST of the 1960s-70s ALTER EGO! 1969 BILL EVERETT interview, art by BURGOS, GUSTAVSON, SIMON & KIRBY, and others, 1960s gems by DITKO, E. NELSON BRIDWELL, JERRY BAILS, and ROY THOMAS, LOU GLANZMAN interview, tributes to IRV NOVICK and CHRIS REEVE, MR. MONSTER, FCA, TOTH, and more!

Cover by EVERETT and MARIE SEVERIN!

Spotlights MATT BAKER, Golden Age cheesecake artist of PHANTOM LADY! Career overview, interviews with BAKER’s half-brother and nephew, art from AL FELDSTEIN, VINCE COLLETTA, ARTHUR PEDDY, JACK KAMEN and others, FCA, BILL SCHELLY talks to comic-book-seller (and fan) BUD PLANT, MR. MONSTER on missing AL WILLIAMSON art, and ALEX TOTH!

WILL EISNER discusses Eisner & Iger’s Shop and BUSY ARNOLD’s ‘40s Quality Comics, art by FINE, CRANDALL, COLE, POWELL, and CARDY, EISNER tributes by STAN LEE, GENE COLAN, & others, interviews with ‘40s Quality artist VERN HENKEL and CHUCK MAZOUJIAN, FCA, MR. MONSTER on EISNER’s Wonder Man, ALEX TOTH, and more with BUD PLANT! EISNER cover!

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ALTER EGO #49

ALTER EGO #50

ALTER EGO #51

ALTER EGO #52

ALTER EGO #53

Spotlights CARL BURGOS! Interview with daughter SUE BURGOS, art by BURGOS, BILL EVERETT, MIKE SEKOWSKY, ED ASCHE, and DICK AYERS, unused 1941 Timely cover layouts, the 1957 Atlas Implosion examined, MANNY STALLMAN, FCA, MR. MONSTER and more! New cover by MARK SPARACIO, from an unused 1941 layout by CARL BURGOS!

ROY THOMAS covers his 40-YEAR career in comics (AVENGERS, X-MEN, CONAN, ALL-STAR SQUADRON, INFINITY INC.), with ADAMS, BUSCEMA, COLAN, DITKO, GIL KANE, KIRBY, STAN LEE, ORDWAY, PÉREZ, ROMITA, and many others! Also FCA, & MR. MONSTER on ROY’s letters to GARDNER FOX! Flip-covers by BUSCEMA/ KIRBY/ALCALA and JERRY ORDWAY!

Golden Age Batman artist/BOB KANE ghost LEW SAYRE SCHWARTZ interviewed, Batman art by JERRY ROBINSON, DICK SPRANG, SHELDON MOLDOFF, WIN MORTIMER, JIM MOONEY, and others, the Golden and Silver Ages of AUSTRALIAN SUPER-HEROES, Mad artist DAVE BERG interviewed, FCA, MR. MONSTER on WILL EISNER, BILL SCHELLY, and more!

JOE GIELLA on the Silver Age at DC, the Golden Age at Marvel, and JULIE SCHWARTZ, with rare art by INFANTINO, GIL KANE, SEKOWSKY, SWAN, DILLIN, MOLDOFF, GIACOIA, SCHAFFENBERGER, and others, JAY SCOTT PIKE on STAN LEE and CHARLES BIRO, MARTIN THALL interview, ALEX TOTH, MR. MONSTER, BILL SCHELLY, and more! GIELLA cover!

GIORDANO and THOMAS on STOKER’S DRACULA, never-seen DICK BRIEFER Frankenstein strip, MIKE ESPOSITO on his work with ROSS ANDRU, art by COLAN, WRIGHTSON, MIGNOLA, BRUNNER, BISSETTE, KALUTA, HEATH, MANEELY, EVERETT, DITKO, FCA with MARC SWAYZE, BILL SCHELLY, ALEX TOTH, and MR. MONSTER! Cover by GIORDANO!

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ALTER EGO #54

ALTER EGO #55

ALTER EGO #56

ALTER EGO #57

ALTER EGO #58

MIKE ESPOSITO on DC and Marvel, ROBERT KANIGHER on the creation of Metal Men and Sgt. Rock (with comments

by JOE KUBERT and BOB HANEY), art by ANDRU, INFANTINO, KIRBY, SEVERIN, WINDSOR-SMITH, ROMITA, BUSCEMA, TRIMPE, GIL KANE, and others, plus FCA, ALEX TOTH, BILL SCHELLY, MR. MONSTER, and more! ESPOSITO cover!

JACK and OTTO BINDER, KEN BALD, VIC DOWD, and BOB BOYAJIAN interviewed, FCA with SWAYZE and EMILIO SQUEGLIO, rare art by BECK, WARD, & SCHAFFENBERGER, Christmas Cards from CRANDALL, SINNOTT, HEATH, MOONEY, and CARDY, 1943 Pin-Up Calendar (with ‘40s movie stars as superheroines), ALEX TOTH, more!

ALEX ROSS and ALEX WRIGHT covers!

Interviews with Superman creators SIEGEL & SHUSTER, Golden/Silver Age DC production guru JACK ADLER interviewed, NEAL ADAMS and radio/TV iconoclast (and comics fan) HOWARD STERN on Adler and his amazing career, art by CURT SWAN, WAYNE BORING, and AL PLASTINO, plus FCA, MR. MONSTER, ALEX TOTH, and more! NEAL ADAMS cover!

Issue-by-issue index of Timely/Atlas superhero stories by MICHELLE NOLAN, art by SIMON & KIRBY, EVERETT, BURGOS, ROMITA, AYERS, HEATH, SEKOWSKY, SHORES, SCHOMBURG, MANEELY, and SEVERIN, GENE COLAN and ALLEN BELLMAN on 1940s Timely super-heroes, FCA, MR. MONSTER, and BILL SCHELLY! Cover

by JACK KIRBY and PETE VON SHOLLY!

GERRY CONWAY and ROY THOMAS on their ‘80s screenplay for “The X-Men Movie That Never Was!”with art by COCKRUM, ADAMS, BUSCEMA, BYRNE, GIL KANE, KIRBY, HECK, and LIEBER, Atlas artist VIC CARRABOTTA interview, ALLEN BELLMAN on 1940s Timely bullpen, FCA, 1966 panel on 1950s EC Comics, and MR. MONSTER! MARK SPARACIO/GIL KANE cover!

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19

ALTER EGO #59

ALTER EGO #60

ALTER EGO #61

ALTER EGO #62

ALTER EGO #63

Special issue on Batman and Superman in the Golden and Silver Ages, featuring a new ARTHUR SUYDAM interview, NEAL ADAMS on DC in the 1960s-1970s, SHELLY MOLDOFF, AL PLASTINO, Golden Age artist FRAN (Doll Man) MATERA interviewed, SIEGEL & SHUSTER, RUSS MANNING, FCA, MR. MONSTER, SUYDAM cover, and more!

Celebrates 50 years since SHOWCASE #4!

FLASH interviews with SCHWARTZ, KANIGHER, INFANTINO, KUBERT, and BROOME, Golden Age artist TONY DiPRETA, 1966 panel with NORDLING, BINDER, and LARRY IVIE, FCA, MR. MONSTER, never-before-published color Flash cover by CARMINE INFANTINO, and more!

History of the AMERICAN COMICS GROUP (1946 to 1967)—including its roots in the Golden Age SANGOR ART SHOP and STANDARD/NEDOR comics! Art by MESKIN, ROBINSON, WILLIAMSON, FRAZETTA, SCHAFFENBERGER, & BUSCEMA, ACG writer/editor RICHARD HUGHES, plus AL HARTLEY interviewed, FCA, MR. MONSTER, and more! GIORDANO cover!

HAPPY HAUNTED HALLOWEEN ISSUE, featuring: MIKE PLOOG and RUDY PALAIS on their horror-comics work! AL WILLIAMSON on his work for the American Comics Group—plus more on ACG horror comics! Rare DICK BRIEFER Frankenstein strips! Plus FCA, MR. MONSTER, BILL SCHELLY on the 1966 KalerCon, a new PLOOG cover—and more!

Tribute to ALEX TOTH! Never-before-seen interview with tons of TOTH art, including sketches he sent to friends! Articles about Toth by TERRY AUSTIN, JIM AMASH, SY BARRY, JOE KUBERT, LOU SAYRE SCHWARTZ, IRWIN HASEN, JOHN WORKMAN, and others! Plus illustrated Christmas cards by comics pros, FCA, MR. MONSTER, and more!

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ALTER EGO #64

ALTER EGO #65

ALTER EGO #66

ALTER EGO #67

ALTER EGO #68

Fawcett Favorites! Issue-by-issue analysis of BINDER & BECK’s 1943-45 “The Monster Society of Evil!” serial, double-size FCA section with MARC SWAYZE, EMILIO SQUEGLIO, C.C. BECK, MAC RABOY, and others! Interview with MARTIN FILCHOCK, Golden Age artist for Centaur Comics! Plus MR. MONSTER, DON NEWTON cover, plus a FREE 1943 MARVEL CALENDAR!

NICK CARDY interviewed on his Golden & Silver Age work (with CARDY art), plus art

by WILL EISNER, NEAL ADAMS, CARMINE INFANTINO, JIM APARO, RAMONA FRADON, CURT SWAN, MIKE SEKOWSKY, and others, tributes to ERNIE SCHROEDER and DAVE COCKRUM, FCA with MARC SWAYZE, MICHAEL T. GILBERT and MR. MONSTER, new CARDY COVER, and more!

Spotlight on BOB POWELL, the artist who drew Daredevil, Sub-Mariner, Sheena, The Avenger, The Hulk, Giant-Man, and others, plus art by WALLY WOOD, HOWARD NOSTRAND, DICK AYERS, SIMON & KIRBY, MARTIN GOODMAN’s Magazine Management, and others! FCA with MARC SWAYZE and C.C. BECK, MICHAEL T. GILBERT and MR. MONSTER, and more!

Interview with BOB OKSNER, artist of Supergirl, Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane, Angel and the Ape, Leave It to Binky, Shazam!, and more, plus art and artifacts by SHELLY MAYER, IRWIN HASEN, LEE ELIAS, C.C. BECK, CARMINE INFANTINO, GIL KANE, JULIE SCHWARTZ, etc., FCA with MARC SWAYZE & C.C. BECK, MICHAEL T. GILBERT on BOB POWELL Part II, and more!

Tribute to JERRY BAILS—Father of Comics Fandom and founder of Alter Ego! Cover by GEORGE PÉREZ, plus art by JOE KUBERT, CARMINE INFANTINO, GIL KANE, DICK DILLIN, MIKE SEKOWSKY, JERRY ORDWAY, JOE STATON, JACK KIRBY, and others! Plus STEVE DITKO’s notes to STAN LEE for a 1965 Dr. Strange story! And ROY reveals secrets behind Marvel’s STAR WARS comic!

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ALTER EGO #69

ALTER EGO #70

ALTER EGO #71

ALTER EGO #72

ALTER EGO #73

PAUL NORRIS drew AQUAMAN first, in 1941—and RAMONA FRADON was the hero’s ultimate Golden Age artist. But both drew other things as well, and both are interviewed in this landmark issue—along with a pocket history of Aquaman! Plus FCA, MICHAEL T. GILBERT, and more!

Cover painted by JOHN WATSON, from a breathtaking illo by RAMONA FRADON!

Spotlight on ROY THOMAS’ 1970s stint as Marvel’s editor-in-chief and major writer, plus art and reminiscences of GIL KANE, BOTH BUSCEMAS, ADAMS, ROMITA, CHAYKIN, BRUNNER, PLOOG, EVERETT, WRIGHTSON, PÉREZ, ROBBINS, BARRY SMITH, STAN LEE and others, FCA, MR. MONSTER, a new GENE COLAN cover, plus an homage to artist LILY RENÉE!

Represents THE GREAT CANADIAN COMIC BOOKS, the long out-of-print 1970s book

by MICHAEL HIRSH and PATRICK LOUBERT, with rare art of such heroes as Mr. Monster, Nelvana, Thunderfist, and others, plus new INVADERS art by JOHN BYRNE, MIKE GRELL, RON LIM, and more, plus a new cover by GEORGE FREEMAN, from a layout by JACK KIRBY!

SCOTT SHAW! and ROY THOMAS on the creation of Captain Carrot, art & artifacts

by RICK HOBERG, STAN GOLDBERG, MIKE SEKOWSKY, JOHN COSTANZA, E. NELSON BRIDWELL, CAROL LAY, and others, interview with DICK ROCKWELL, Golden Age artist and 36-year ghost artist on MILTON CANIFF’s Steve Canyon! Plus FCA, MR. MONSTER, and more!

FRANK BRUNNER on drawing Dr. Strange, interviews with CHARLES BIRO and his daughters, interview with publisher ROBERT GERSON about his 1970s horror comic Reality, art by BERNIE WRIGHTSON, GRAHAM INGELS, HOWARD CHAYKIN, MICHAEL W. KALUTA, JEFF JONES, and others FCA, MR. MONSTER, a FREE DRAW! #15! PREVIEW, and more!

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20

ALTER EGO #74

ALTER EGO #75

ALTER EGO #76

ALTER EGO #77

ALTER EGO #78

STAN LEE SPECIAL in honor of his 85th birthday, with a cover by JACK KIRBY, classic (and virtually unseen) interviews with Stan, tributes, and tons of rare and unseen art by KIRBY, ROMITA, the brothers BUSCEMA, DITKO, COLAN, HECK, AYERS, MANEELY, SHORES, EVERETT, BURGOS, KANE, the SEVERIN siblings—plus FCA, MR. MONSTER, and more!

FAWCETT FESTIVAL—with an ALEX ROSS cover! Double-size FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America) with P.C. HAMERLINCK on the many “Captains Marvel” over the years, unseen Shazam! proposal by ALEX ROSS, C.C. BECK on “The Death of a Legend!”, MARC SWAYZE, interview with Golden Age artist MARV LEVY, MR. MONSTER, and more!

JOE SIMON SPECIAL! In-depth SIMON interview by JIM AMASH, with neverbefore-revealed secrets behind the creation of Captain America, Fighting American, Stuntman, Adventures of The Fly, Sick magazine and more, art by JACK KIRBY, BOB POWELL, AL WILLIAMSON, JERRY GRANDENETTI, GEORGE TUSKA, and others, FCA, MR. MONSTER, and more!

ST. JOHN ISSUE! Golden Age Tor cover by JOE KUBERT, KEN QUATTRO relates the full legend of St. John Publishing, art by KUBERT, NORMAN MAURER, MATT BAKER, LILY RENEE, BOB LUBBERS, RUBEN MOREIRA, RALPH MAYO, AL FAGO, special reminiscences of ARNOLD DRAKE, Golden Age artist TOM SAWYER interviewed, and more!

DAVE COCKRUM TRIBUTE! Great rare XMen cover, Cockrum tributes from contemporaries and colleagues, and an interview with PATY COCKRUM on Dave’s life and legacy on The Legion of Super-Heroes, The X-Men, Star-Jammers, & more! Plus an interview with 1950s Timely/Marvel artist MARION SITTON on his own incredible career and his Golden Age contemporaries!

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ALTER EGO #79

ALTER EGO #80

ALTER EGO #81

ALTER EGO #82

ALTER EGO #83

SUPERMAN & HIS CREATORS! New cover

by MICHAEL GOLDEN, exclusive and revealing interview with JOE SHUSTER’s sister, JEAN SHUSTER PEAVEY—LOU CAMERON interview—STEVE GERBER tribute—DWIGHT DECKER on the Man of Steel & Hitler’s Third Reich—plus art by WAYNE BORING, CURT SWAN, NEAL ADAMS, GIL KANE, and others!

SWORD-AND-SORCERY COMICS! Learn about Crom the Barbarian, Viking Prince, Nightmaster, Kull, Red Sonja, Solomon Kane, Bran Mak Morn, Fafhrd and Gray Mouser, Beowulf, Warlord, Dagar the Invincible, and more, with art by FRAZETTA, SMITH, BUSCEMA, KANE, WRIGHTSON, PLOOG, THORNE, BRUNNER, LOU CAMERON Part II, and more! Cover by RAFAEL KAYANAN!

New FRANK BRUNNER Man-Thing cover, a look at the late-’60s horror comic WEB OF HORROR with early work by BRUNNER, WRIGHTSON, WINDSOR-SMITH, SIMONSON, & CHAYKIN, interview with comics & fine artist EVERETT RAYMOND KINTSLER, ROY THOMAS’ 1971 origin synopsis for the FIRST MAN-THING STORY, plus FCA, MR. MONSTER, and more!

MLJ ISSUE! Golden Age MLJ index illustrated with vintage images of The Shield, Hangman, Mr. Justice, Black Hood,

by IRV NOVICK, JACK COLE, CHARLES BIRO, MORT MESKIN, GIL KANE, & others—behind a marvelous MLJ-heroes cover

by BOB McLEOD! Plus interviews with IRV NOVICK and JOE EDWARDS, FCA, MR. MONSTER, and more!

SWORD & SORCERY PART 2! Cover by ARTHUR SUYDAM, with a focus on Conan the Barbarian by ROY THOMAS and WILL MURRAY, a look at WALLY WOOD’s Marvel sword-&-sorcery work, the Black Knight examined, plus JOE EDWARDS interview Part 2, FCA, MICHAEL T. GILBERT and MR. MONSTER, and more!

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ALTER EGO #84

ALTER EGO #85

ALTER EGO #86

ALTER EGO #87

ALTER EGO #88

Unseen JIM APARO cover, STEVE SKEATES discusses his early comics work, art & artifacts by ADKINS, APARO, ARAGONÉS, BOYETTE, DITKO, GIORDANO, KANE, KELLER, MORISI, ORLANDO, SEKOWSKY, STONE, THOMAS, WOOD, and the great WARREN SAVIN! Plus writer CHARLES SINCLAIR on his partnership with Batman co-creator BILL FINGER, FCA, and more!

Captain Marvel and Superman’s battles explored (in cosmic space, candy stores, and in court), RICH BUCKLER on Captain Marvel, plus an in-depth interview with Golden Age great LILY RENÉE, overview of CENTAUR COMICS (home of BILL EVERETT’s Amazing-Man and others), FCA, MR. MONSTER, new RICH BUCKLER cover, and more!

Spotlighting the Frantic Four-Color MAD WANNABES of 1953-55 that copied HARVEY KURTZMAN’S EC smash (see Captain Marble, Mighty Moose, Drag-ula, Prince Scallion, and more) with art by SIMON & KIRBY, KUBERT & MAURER, ANDRU & ESPOSITO, EVERETT, COLAN, and many others, plus Part 1 of a talk with Golden/ Silver Age artist FRANK BOLLE, and more!

The sensational 1954-1963 saga of Great Britain’s MARVELMAN (decades before he metamorphosed into Miracleman), plus an interview with writer/artist/co-creator MICK ANGLO, and rare Marvelman/ Miracleman work by ALAN DAVIS, ALAN MOORE, a new RICK VEITCH cover, plus FRANK BOLLE, Part 2, FCA, MR. MONSTER, and more!

First-ever in-depth look at National/DC’s founder MAJOR MALCOLM WHEELERNICHOLSON, and pioneers WHITNEY ELLSWORTH and CREIG FLESSEL, with rare art and artifacts by SIEGEL & SHUSTER, BOB KANE, CURT SWAN, GARDNER FOX, SHELDON MOLDOFF, and others, focus on DC advisor DR. LAURETTA BENDER, FCA, MR. MONSTER, and more!

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21

ALTER EGO #89

ALTER EGO #90

ALTER EGO #91

ALTER EGO #92

ALTER EGO #93

HARVEY COMICS’ PRE-CODE HORROR MAGS OF THE 1950s! Interviews with SID JACOBSON, WARREN KREMER, and HOWARD NOSTRAND, plus Harvey artist KEN SELIG talks to JIM AMASH! MR. MONSTER presents the wit and wisdom (and worse) of DR. FREDRIC WERTHAM, plus FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America) with C.C. BECK & MARC SWAYZE, & more!

SIMON & KIRBY and NOSTRAND cover!

BIG MARVEL ISSUE! Salutes to legends SINNOTT and AYERS—plus STAN LEE, TUSKA, EVERETT, MARTIN GOODMAN, and others! A look at the “Marvel SuperHeroes” TV animation of 1966! 1940s Timely writer and editor LEON LAZARUS interviewed by JIM AMASH! Plus FCA, MR. MONSTER, the 1960s fandom creations of STEVE GERBER, and more! JACK KIRBY holiday cover!

FAWCETT FESTIVAL! Big FCA section with Golden Age artists MARC SWAYZE & EMILIO SQUEGLIO! Plus JERRY ORDWAY on researching The Power of Shazam, Part II of “The MAD Four-Color Wannabes of the 1950s,” more on DR. LAURETTA BENDER and the teenage creations of STEVE GERBER, artist JACK KATZ spills Golden Age secrets to JIM AMASH, and more!

New cover by ORDWAY and SQUEGLIO!

SWORD-AND-SORCERY, PART 3! DC’s Sword of Sorcery by O’NEIL, CHAYKIN, & SIMONSON and Claw by MICHELINIE & CHAN, Hercules by GLANZMAN, Dagar by GLUT & SANTOS, Marvel S&S art by BUSCEMA, CHAN, KAYANAN, WRIGHTSON, et al., and JACK KATZ on his classic First Kingdom! Plus FCA, MR. MONSTER, STEVE GERBER’s fan-creations (part 3), and more! Cover by RAFAEL KAYANAN!

(NOW WITH 16 COLOR PAGES!) “EarthTwo—1961 to 1985!” with rare art by INFANTINO, GIL KANE, ANDERSON, DELBO, ANDRU, BUCKLER, APARO, GRANDENETTI, and DILLIN, interview with Golden/Silver Age DC editor GEORGE KASHDAN, plus MICHAEL T. GILBERT and MR. MONSTER, STEVE GERBER, FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America), and a new cover by INFANTINO and AMASH!

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ALTER EGO #94

ALTER EGO #95

ALTER EGO #96

ALTER EGO #97

ALTER EGO #98

“Earth-Two Companion, Part II!” More on the 1963-1985 series that changed comics forever! The Huntress, Power Girl, Dr. Fate, Freedom Fighters, and more, with art by ADAMS, APARO, AYERS, BUCKLER, GIFFEN, INFANTINO, KANE, NOVICK, SCHAFFENBERGER, SIMONSON, STATON, SWAN, TUSKA, our GEORGE KASHDAN interview Part 2, FCA, and more! STATON & GIORDANO cover!

Marvel’s NOT BRAND ECHH madcap parody mag from 1967-69, examined with rare art & artifacts by ANDRU, COLAN, BUSCEMA, DRAKE, EVERETT, FRIEDRICH, KIRBY, LEE, the SEVERIN siblings, SPRINGER, SUTTON, THOMAS, TRIMPE, and more, GEORGE KASHDAN interview conclusion, FCA, MICHAEL T. GILBERT and MR. MONSTER, and more! Cover by MARIE SEVERIN!

Focus on Archie’s 1960s MIGHTY CRUSADERS, with vintage art and artifacts

by JERRY SIEGEL, PAUL REINMAN, SIMON & KIRBY, JOHN ROSENBERGER, tributes to the Mighty Crusaders by BOB FUJITANE, GEORGE TUSKA, BOB LAYTON, and others! Interview with MELL LAZARUS, FCA, MICHAEL T. GILBERT and Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, and more! Cover

by MIKE MACHLAN!

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 , 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, tributes to FRANK FRAZETTA and AL WILLIAMSON, art by JOE SHUSTER, WAYNE BORING, CURT SWAN, and NEAL ADAMS, plus MR. MONSTER, FCA, and a new cover by JERRY ORDWAY!

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ALTER EGO: CENTENNIAL (AE #100)

ALTER EGO #99

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, HERO FOR HIRE, & more! Plus interviews with Golden Age artist BILL BOSSERT and fan-artist RUDY FRANKE, MR. MONSTER’S COMIC CRYPT, FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America), and more!

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ALTER EGO: CENTENNIAL is a celebration of 100 issues, and 50 years, of ALTER EGO, Roy Thomas’ legendary super-hero fanzine. It’s a double-size triple-threat BOOK, with twice as many pages as the regular magazine, plus special features just for this anniversary edition! Behind a RICH BUCKLER/JERRY ORDWAY JSA cover, ALTER EGO celebrates its 100th issue and the 50th anniversary of A/E (Vol. 1) #1 in 1961—as ROY THOMAS is interviewed by JIM AMASH about the 1980s at DC! Learn secrets behind ALL-STAR SQUADRON—INFINITY, INC.—ARAK, SON OF THUNDER—CAPTAIN CARROT—JONNI THUNDER, a.k.a. THUNDERBOLT— YOUNG ALL-STARS—SHAZAM!—RING OF THE NIBELUNG—and more! With rare art and artifacts

by GEORGE PÉREZ, TODD McFARLANE, RICH BUCKLER, JERRY ORDWAY, MIKE MACHLAN, GIL KANE, GENE COLAN, DICK GIORDANO, ALFREDO ALCALA, TONY DEZUNIGA, ERNIE COLÓN, STAN GOLDBERG, SCOTT SHAW!, ROSS ANDRU, and many more! Plus special anniversary editions of Alter Ego staples MR. MONSTER’S COMIC CRYPT, FAWCETT COLLECTORS OF AMERICA (FCA)—and ALEX WRIGHT’s amazing color collection of 1940s DC pinup babes! Edited by ROY THOMAS. (NOTE: This book takes the place of ALTER EGO #100, and counts as TWO issues toward your subscription.)

(160-page trade paperback with COLOR) $19.95 (Digital Edition) $5.95 • ISBN: 9781605490311 Diamond Order Code: JAN111351

ALTER EGO #101

Fox Comics of the 1940s with art by FINE, BAKER, SIMON, KIRBY, TUSKA, FLETCHER HANKS, ALEX BLUM, and others!

“Superman vs. Wonder Man” starring EISNER, IGER, SIEGEL, LIEBERSON, MAYER, DONENFELD, and VICTOR FOX! Plus, Part I of an interview with JACK MENDELSOHN, plus FCA, MR. MONSTER’S COMIC CRYPT, and new cover by Marvel artist DAVE WILLIAMS!

NEW!

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

ALTER EGO #102

ALTER EGO #103

ALTER EGO #104

ALTER EGO: THE CBA COLLECTION

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-before-published 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!

Compiles the ALTER EGO flip-sides from COMIC BOOK ARTIST #1-5, plus 30 NEW PAGES of features & art! All-new rare and previously-unpublished art by JACK KIRBY, GIL KANE, JOE KUBERT, WALLY WOOD, FRANK ROBBINS, NEAL ADAMS, & others, ROY THOMAS on X-MEN, AVENGERS/ KREE-SKRULL WAR, INVADERS, and more! Cover by JOE KUBERT!

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

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

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

(160-page trade paperback) SOLD OUT (Digital Edition) $4.95

HUMOR MAGAZINES (BUNDLE ALL THREE FOR JUST $14.95)

ALTER EGO:

BEST OF THE LEGENDARY COMICS FANZINE

Collects the original 11 issues of JERRY BAILS and ROY THOMAS’ ALTER EGO fanzine (from 1961-78), with contributions from JACK KIRBY, STEVE DITKO, WALLY WOOD, JOHN BUSCEMA, MARIE SEVERIN, BILL EVERETT, RUSS MANNING, CURT SWAN, and others—and illustrated interviews with GIL KANE, BILL EVERETT, & JOE KUBERT! Plus major articles on the JUSTICE SOCIETY, the MARVEL FAMILY, the MLJ HEROES, and more! Edited by ROY THOMAS and BILL SCHELLY with an introduction by JULIE SCHWARTZ. (192-page trade paperback) $21.95 ISBN: 9781893905887 Diamond Order Code: DEC073946

COMIC BOOK NERD

PETE VON SHOLLY’s side-splitting parody of the fan press, including our own mags!

Experience the magic(?) of such publications as WHIZZER, the COMICS URINAL, ULTRA EGO, COMICS BUYER’S GUISE, BAGGED ISSUE!, SCRAWL!, COMIC BOOK ARTISTE, and more, as we unabashedly poke fun at ourselves, our competitors, and you, our loyal readers! It’s a first issue, collector’s item, double-bag, slab-worthy, speculator’s special sure to rub even the thickest-skinned fanboy the wrong way!

(64-page COLOR magazine) $8.95 • (Digital Edition) $2.95

CRAZY HIP GROOVY GO-GO WAY OUT MONSTERS #29 & #32

PETE VON SHOLLY’s spoofs of monster mags will have you laughing your pants off— right after you soil them from sheer terror! This RETRO MONSTER MOVIE MAGAZINE is a laugh riot lampoon of those GREAT (and absolutely abominable) mags of the 1950s and ‘60s, replete with fake letters-to-the-editor, phony ads for worthless, wacky stuff, stills from imaginary films as bad as any that were really made, interviews with their “creators,” and much more! Relive your misspent youth (and misspent allowance) as you dig the hilarious photos, ads, and articles skewering OUR FAVORITE THINGS of the past! Get our first issue (#29!), the sequel (#32!), or both!

DIEDGITIIOTANSL E

BL AVAILA

(48-page magazines) $5.95 EACH • (Digital Editions) $1.95 EACH

These sold-out books are now available again in DIGITAL EDITIONS:

NEW!

MR. MONSTER, VOL. 0

TRUE BRIT

DICK GIORDANO: CHANGING COMICS, ONE DAY AT A TIME

Collects hard-to-find Mr. Monster stories from A-1, CRACK-A-BOOM! and DARK HORSE PRESENTS (many in COLOR for the first time) plus over 30 pages of ALLNEW MR. MONSTER art and stories! Can your sanity survive our Lee/Kirby monster spoof by MICHAEL T. GILBERT and MARK MARTIN, or the long-lost 1933 Mr. Monster newspaper strip? Or the terrifying TRENCHER/MR. MONSTER slug-fest, drawn by KEITH GIFFEN and MICHAEL T. GILBERT?! Read at your own risk!

GEORGE KHOURY’s definitive book on the rich history of British Comics Artists, their influence on the US, and how they have revolutionized the way comics are seen and perceived! It features breathtaking art, intimate photographs, and in-depth interviews with BRIAN BOLLAND, ALAN DAVIS, DAVE GIBBONS, KEVIN O’NEILL, DAVID LLOYD, DAVE McKEAN, BRYAN HITCH, BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH and other fine gents! Sporting a new JUDGE DREDD cover by BRIAN BOLLAND!

MICHAEL EURY’s biography of comics’ most prominent and affable personality! It covers his career as illustrator, inker, and editor—peppered with DICK’S PERSONAL REFLECTIONS—and is illustrated with RARE AND UNSEEN comics, merchandising, and advertising art! Plus: an extensive index of his published work, comments and tributes

by NEAL ADAMS, DENNIS O’NEIL, TERRY AUSTIN, PAUL LEVITZ, MARV WOLFMAN, JULIUS SCHWARTZ, JIM APARO and others, a Foreword by NEAL ADAMS, and an Afterword by PAUL LEVITZ!

(136-page Digital Edition with COLOR) $4.95

(204-page Digital Edition with COLOR) $6.95

(176-page Digital Edition with COLOR) $5.95

SECRETS IN THE SHADOWS: GENE COLAN

TOM FIELD’s amazing COLAN retrospective, with rare drawings, photos, and art from his 60-year career, and a comprehensive overview of Gene’s glory days at Marvel Comics!

MARV WOLFMAN, DON McGREGOR and other writers share script samples and anecdotes of their Colan collaborations, while TOM PALMER, STEVE LEIALOHA and others show how they approached inking Colan’s famously nuanced penciled pages!

Plus: a NEW PORTFOLIO of never-seen collaborations between Gene and masters such as BYRNE, KALUTA and PÉREZ, and all-new artwork created just for this book!

(192-page Digital Edition with COLOR) $6.95

ART OF GEORGE TUSKA

A comprehensive look at GEORGE TUSKA’S personal and professional life, including early work at the Eisner-Iger shop, producing controversial crime comics of the 1950s, and his tenure with Marvel and DC Comics, as well as independent publishers. Includes extensive coverage of his work on IRON MAN, X-MEN, HULK, JUSTICE LEAGUE, TEEN TITANS, BATMAN, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS, and others, a gallery of commission art and a thorough index of his work, original art, photos, sketches, unpublished art, interviews and anecdotes from his peers and fans, plus the very personal and reflective words of George himself! Written by DEWEY CASSELL. (128-page Digital Edition) $4.95

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OTHER BOOKS FROM TWOMORROWS PUBLISHING

PENCILER, PUBLISHER, PROVOCATEUR

COMICS’ FAST & FURIOUS ARTIST

THE ART OF GLAMOUR

MATT BAKER

EXTRAORDINARY WORKS OF ALAN MOORE

Shines a light on the life and career of the artistic and publishing visionary of DC Comics!

Explores the life and career of one of Marvel Comics’ most recognizable and dependable artists!

Biography of the talented master of 1940s “Good Girl” art, complete with color story reprints!

Definitive biography of the Watchmen writer, in a new, expanded edition!

(224-page trade paperback) $26.95

(176-page trade paperback with COLOR) $26.95

(192-page hardcover with COLOR) $39.95

(240-page trade paperback) $29.95

QUALITY COMPANION

BATCAVE COMPANION

ALL- STAR COMPANION

AGE OF TV HEROES

The first dedicated book about the Golden Age publisher that spawned the modern-day “Freedom Fighters”, Plastic Man, and the Blackhawks!

Unlocks the secrets of Batman’s Silver and Bronze Ages, following the Dark Knight’s progression from 1960s camp to 1970s creature of the night!

Roy Thomas has four volumes documenting the history of ALL-STAR COMICS, the JUSTICE SOCIETY, INFINITY, INC., and more!

(256-page trade paperback with COLOR) $31.95

(240-page trade paperback) $26.95

(224-page trade paperbacks) $24.95

Examining the history of the live-action television adventures of everyone’s favorite comic book heroes, featuring the in-depth stories of the shows’ actors and behind-the-scenes players!

CARMINE INFANTINO

SAL BUSCEMA

(192-page full-color hardcover) $39.95

MARVEL COMICS

MARVEL COMICS

An issue-by-issue field guide to the pop culture phenomenon of LEE, KIRBY, DITKO, and others, from the company’s fumbling beginnings to the full maturity of its wild, colorful, offbeat grandiosity!

IN THE 1960s

(224-page trade paperback) $27.95

MODERN MASTERS

HOW TO CREATE COMICS

Covers how Stan Lee went from writer to publisher, Jack Kirby left (and returned), Roy Thomas rose as editor, and a new wave of writers and artists came in!

20+ volumes with in-depth interviews, plus extensive galleries of rare and unseen art from the artist’s files!

(224-page trade paperback) $27.95

Shows step-by-step how to develop a new comic, from script and art, to printing and distribution!

(128-page trade paperbacks) $14.95 each

(108-page trade paperback) $15.95

IN THE 1970s

A BOOK SERIES DEVOTED TO THE BEST OF TODAY’S ARTISTS

FROM SCRIPT TO PRINT

FOR A FREE COLOR CATALOG, CALL, WRITE, E-MAIL, OR LOG ONTO www.twomorrows.com

TwoMorrows—A New Day For Comics Fandom!

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