Back Issue #127 by TwoMorrows Publishing

SOLDIERS ISSUE starring SGT. ROCK

$9.95

NO. 127 JUNE 2021

™

82658 00426 2

Sgt. Rock and Cinder and Ashe TM & (C) DC Comics.

BACK ISSUE

ALL NEW!

HULK FOE THUNDERBOLT ROSS

Nth Man the

Beetle Bailey

is The Ultimate comic books & ★ War ★ ’Nam Hell ★ Ninja ★ more

CONWAY & GARCIA-LOPEZ’S CINDER & ASHE

THE RETRO COMICS EXPERIENCE!

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!

Go to www.twomorrows.com for other issues, and an ULTIMATE BUNDLE, with all the issues at HALF-PRICE!

BACK ISSUE #116

BACK ISSUE #117

ER EISN RD !! AWA NER WIN

BACK ISSUE #112

BACK ISSUE #113

BACK ISSUE #115

NUCLEAR ISSUE! Firestorm, Dr. Manhattan, DAVE GIBBONS Marvel UK Hulk interview, villain histories of Radioactive Man and Microwave Man, Radioactive Man and Fallout Boy, and the one-shot Holo-Man! With PAT BRODERICK, GERRY CONWAY, JOE GIELLA, TOM GRINDBERG, RAFAEL KAYANAN, TOM MANDRAKE, BILL MORRISON, JOHN OSTRANDER, STEVE VANCE, and more! PAT BRODERICK cover!

BATMAN MOVIE 30th ANNIVERSARY! Producer MICHAEL USLAN and screenwriter SAM HAMM interviewed, a chat with BILLY DEE WILLIAMS (who was almost Two-Face), plus DENNY O’NEIL and JERRY ORDWAY’s Batman movie adaptation, MINDY NEWELL’s Catwoman, GRANT MORRISON and DAVE McKEAN’s Arkham Asylum, MAX ALLAN COLLINS’ Batman newspaper strip, and JOEY CAVALIERI & JOE STATON’s Huntress!

SCI-FI SUPERHEROES! In-depth looks at JIM STARLIN’s Dreadstar and Company, and the dystopian lawman Judge Dredd. Also: Nova, GERRY CONWAY & MIKE VOSBURG’s Starman, PAUL LEVITZ & STEVE DITKO’s Starman, WALTER SIMONSON’s Justice Peace (from the pages of Thor), and GREG POTTER & GENE COLAN’s Jemm, Son of Saturn! With a Dreadstar and Company cover by STARLIN and ALAN WEISS!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

BACK ISSUE #119

BACK ISSUE #121

BACK ISSUE #122

SUPERHEROES VS. MONSTERS! Monsters in Metropolis, Batman and the Horror Genre, DOUG MOENCH and KELLEY JONES’ Batman: Vampire, Marvel Scream-Up, Dracula and Godzilla vs. Marvel, DC/Dark Horse Hero/Monster crossovers, and a Baron Blood villain history. With CLAREMONT, CONWAY, DIXON, GIBBONS, GRELL, GULACY, JURGENS, THOMAS, WOLFMAN, and a cover by MICHAEL GOLDEN.

SUPERHERO STAND-INS! John Stewart as Green Lantern, James Rhodes as Iron Man, Beta Ray Bill as Thor, Captain America substitute U.S. Agent, new Batman Azrael, and Superman’s Hollywood proxy Gregory Reed! Featuring NEAL ADAMS, CARY BATES, DAVE GIBBONS, RON MARZ, DAVID MICHELINIE, DENNIS O’NEIL, WALTER SIMONSON, ROY THOMAS, and more, under a cover by SIMONSON.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY ISSUE! A galaxy of comics stars discuss Marvel’s whitehot space team in the Guardians Interviews, including TOM DeFALCO, KEITH GIFFEN, ROB LIEFELD, AL MILGROM, MARY SKRENES, ROGER STERN, JIM VALENTINO, and more. Plus: Star-Lord and Rocket Raccoon before the Guardians, with CHRIS CLAREMONT and MIKE MIGNOLA. Cover by JIM VALENTINO with inks by CHRIS IVY.

CONAN AND THE BARBARIANS! Celebrating the 50th anniversary of ROY THOMAS and BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH’s Conan #1! The Bronze Age Barbarian Boom, Top 50 Marvel Conan stories, Marvel’s Not-Quite Conans (from Kull to Skull), Arak–Son of Thunder, Warlord action figures, GRAY MORROW’s Edge of Chaos, and Conan the Barbarian at Dark Horse Comics. With an unused WINDSOR-SMITH Conan #9 cover.

Celebrates the 40TH ANNIVERSARY of MARV WOLFMAN and GEORGE PÉREZ’s New Teen Titans, featuring a guest editorial by WOLFMAN and a PÉREZ tribute and art gallery! Plus: The New Teen Titans’ 40 GREATEST MOMENTS, the Titans in the media, hero histories of RAVEN, STARFIRE, and the PROTECTOR, and more! With a NEVER-BEFORE-PUBLISHED PÉREZ TITANS COVER from 1981!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

TwoMorrows. The Future of Comics History.

BACK ISSUE #123

BACK ISSUE #124

BACK ISSUE #125

BACK ISSUE #126

SUPERHERO ROMANCE ISSUE! Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark’s many loves, Star Sapphire history, Bronze Age weddings, DeFALCO/ STERN Johnny Storm/Alicia Pro2Pro interview, Elongated Man and Wife, May-December romances, Supergirl’s Secret Marriage, and… Aunt May and Doc Ock?? Featuring MIKE W. BARR, CARY BATES, STEVE ENGLEHART, BOB LAYTON, DENNY O’NEIL, and many more! Cover by DAVE GIBBONS.

HORRIFIC HEROES! With Bronze Age CREATOR-OWNED COMICS! Featuring histories of Man-Thing, the Demon, and in-depth histories of MATT WAGNER’s the Creeper, Atlas/Seaboard’s horrifying Mage and Grendel. Plus other indie heroes, and Ghost Rider (Danny Ketch) sensations of the Bronze Age, including rides again! Featuring the work of CHRIS COLLEEN DORAN’s A Distant Soil, STAN CLAREMONT, GERRY CONWAY, ERNIE SAKAI’s Usagi Yojimbo, STEVE PURCELL’s COLON, MICHAEL GOLDEN, JACK KIRBY, Sam & Max, JAMES DEAN SMITH’s Boris MIKE PLOOG, JAVIER SALTARES, MARK the Bear, and LARRY WELZ’s Cherry TEXIERA, and more. Man-Thing cover by Poptart! With a fabulous Grendel cover by RUDY NEBRES. MATT WAGNER.

“Legacy” issue! Wally West Flash, BRANDON ROUTH Superman interview, Harry Osborn/Green Goblin, Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Infinity Inc., Reign of the Supermen, JOHN ROMITA SR. and JR. “Rough Stuff,” plus CONWAY, FRACTION, JURGENS, MESSNER-LOEBS, MICHELINIE, ORDWAY, SLOTT, ROY THOMAS, MARK WAID, and more. WIERINGO/MARZAN JR. cover!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

TwoMorrows Publishing 10407 Bedfordtown Drive Raleigh, NC 27614 USA 919-449-0344 E-mail:

store@twomorrows.com

Order at twomorrows.com

Volume 1, Number 127 June 2021 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Eury PUBLISHER John Morrow

Comics’ Bronze Age and Beyond!

DESIGNER Rich Fowlks COVER ARTIST Brian Bolland (Originally published as the contents page of Sgt. Rock Special #2, 1994. Original art scan courtesy of Scott Williams.) COVER COLORIST Glenn Whitmore COVER DESIGNER Michael Kronenberg PROOFREADER Rob Smentek SPECIAL THANKS Richard J. Arndt James Heath Lantz Brian Azzarello Jeph Loeb Ed Catto Ed Lute Chris Claremont Al Milgrom Gerry Conway Doug Murray DC Comics Mike Pigott Peter David John Rose Steve Englehart Philip Schweier Grand Comics Brian Sheppard Database Roger Stern Andy Greenbaum Bryan Stroud Larry Hama Roy Thomas Heritage Comics Steven Thompson Auctions August Uhl Ice Cream Soldier Wayne Vansant Tony Isabella Don Vaughan Douglas R. Kelly Ron Wagner King Features Greg Walker Syndicate John Wells John K. Kirk Scott Williams Adam Kubert Craig Yoe Paul Kupperberg

Don’t STEAL our Digital Editions! C’mon citizen, DO THE RIGHT THING! A Mom & Pop publisher like us needs every sale just to survive! DON’T DOWNLOAD OR READ ILLEGAL COPIES ONLINE! Buy affordable, legal downloads only at

www.twomorrows.com or through our Apple and Google Apps!

& DON’T SHARE THEM WITH FRIENDS OR POST THEM ONLINE. Help us keep producing great publications like this one!

BACKSEAT DRIVER: Editorial by Michael Eury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 OFF MY CHEST: Sgt. Rock: No Rest for a ‘Sojer’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Brian Azzarello, Adam Kubert, and Paul Kupperberg inspect DC’s enduring GI THE TOY BOX: Sgt. Rock Diecast Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Move out, Easy! Remco’s rolling battle miniatures BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: General Thunderbolt Ross . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Superstar Marvel writers discuss the Hulk’s most persistent foe FLASHBACK: Bronze Age Beetlemania: Beetle Bailey in Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Mort Walker’s sad sack at Charlton and in graphic novels FLASHBACK: Atlas/Seaboard’s Savage Soldiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 The short-lived publisher’s Marvel-mimicking combat comics BEYOND CAPES: War is Hell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 The story of Marvel’s offbeat battlefield deadman, John Kowalski WHAT THE--?!: Blitzkrieg: As Seen Through Enemy Eyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Bob Kanigher’s “different kind of war comic” INTERVIEWS: The ’Nam Revisted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 The groundbreaking Marvel series, through the memories of its creators BEYOND CAPES: Cinder and Ashe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Gerry Conway revisits his soldier-turned-detective miniseries ROUGH STUFF: Pencil Art Showcase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 FLASHBACK: Nth Man: Larry Hama’s Other Ninja . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Marvel pulled the plug on this innovative World War III warrior BACK TALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Reader reactions BACK ISSUE™ is published 8 times a year by TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614. Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief. John Morrow, Publisher. Editorial Office: BACK ISSUE, c/o Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief, 112 Fairmount Way, New Bern, NC 28562. Email: euryman@gmail.com. Eight-issue subscriptions: $90 Economy US, $137 International, $36 Digital. Please send subscription orders and funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial office. Cover art by Brian Bolland. Sgt. Rock TM & © DC Comics. All Rights Reserved. All characters are © their respective companies. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © 2021 Michael Eury and TwoMorrows. ISSN 1932-6904. Printed in China. FIRST PRINTING.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 1

by M

This issue’s theme started with its cover art, the one and only Brian Bolland’s intense closeup of DC Comics’ grizzled Top-Kick of Easy Company. Sgt. Rock’s eyes bear the heartache of witnessing wanton slaughter and the fury of his ire against an enemy sworn to trample his very beliefs. His brow and crow’s feet are crinkled by the grimness of bloodshed. His sweltering environment is obvious from the perspiration dripping down his craggy face. His very gaze seems to challenge Death with a warning to “Back off!” And Bolland’s expert use of crosshatching evokes the style of the master of battle art, the legendary Joe Kubert. Paul Kupperberg, the talented writer/former editor who is great ally to BACK ISSUE, posted a scan of this artwork on Facebook in late 2019. Paul had commissioned the Bolland art as the cover for a comic he was editing for DC, 1994’s Sgt. Rock Special #2, and wanted to share it online. (DC instead went with a different action-oriented image of Rock for the cover and relegated this piece to the table of contents.) I was blown away. Like most if not all of you, I’ve been a Brian Bolland fan since I first discovered the artist in the early 1980s on Judge Dredd reprints that were winding their way into comic shops in the States, and later got to work with Brian upon a few occasions. So I asked Paul if he had a higherresolution scan of the Sgt. Rock illo for my use as a BI cover. He didn’t, and suggested I contact Brian himself. Which I did. Or tried to. The email address I had for Mr. Bolland, which I had previously used when contacting him, failed, and none of my colleagues had an updated email address. So I searched elsewhere for the art… …on ComicArtFans.com, the online network of collectors (and in some cases, comic artists) where original art is placed in galleries for common viewing and appreciation. And there I found it! Another amazing artist, the Hugo Award-nominated Scott Williams 2 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

ichael Eury

(known for his work on numerous bestselling comics including inking Jim Lee on X-Men and Batman: Hush), owns the Bolland original, and even gushes about it on YouTube (www.youtube.com/ watch?v=TN1ToafQURo). Scott had previously made a high-res scan of the Sgt. Rock cover for an IDW Artist’s edition on DC war comics, and quickly submitted it to me for our use. My next challenge was to create a theme for the issue to build content around this cover image. We had already done an issue on battle comics (“Comics Go to War,” BI #37, which featured a Rock cover by Joe Kubert), and Rock had also appeared in articles in #26 and 69. Then the “Soldiers” theme came to mind, opening up our contents for some entries you might not expect such as Hulk nemesis General Thunderbolt Ross, Beetle Bailey, and a 1989– 1990 Marvel series many of you might have missed, Nth the Ultimate Ninja. Back to the Bolland cover: Glenn Whitmore did his alwaysstellar job interpreting the piece in color, and cover designer Michael Kronenberg, who like me was blown away by the art, complemented it by replicating DC’s Sgt. Rock logo. I invoiced a cover payment for Brian Bolland and still had one more task: contacting him, at this stage not to ask for a scan of his art but to let him know of its impending re-use as our cover. But since my email contacts were unsuccessful, where would I turn? Then guess whom I saw as a mutual Facebook friend of a few comic artists? I sent Brian a friend request, he promptly accepted, then I mentioned the cover to him and asked if he minded if we proceeded. He TM & © DC Comics. cheerily agreed, adding, “I had wondered what that check from TwoMorrows was for.” And there you have it. Sgt. Rock headlining our issue about Bronze Age soldiers. This issue is dedicated to our readers who have served or are serving in the US Armed Forces. We salute you and forever value your commitment and sacrifices!

by J o h n

K. Kirk

His Army At War Courtesy of Heritage Comic Auctions (www.ha.com), Dan Brereton’s original cover painting for Sgt. Rock Special #2 (1994). This is the illustration DC Comics used as the Special’s cover instead of the Brian Bolland art that graces our cover. TM & © DC Comics.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 3

Won’t Stand Down “The Rock” presented a resilient prototype for Easy Company’s Top-Kick. From G.I. Combat #68 (Jan. 1959), by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert. TM & © DC Comics.

The virtues, the spirit, and the message of DC Comics’ goals, dealing with the losses we face, then looking Sgt. Rock are universal ones that every underdog, to the next stage. By virtue of the brevity of the regardless of nationality, situation, or lifestyle, can comics medium, readers are an audience who are appreciate. In everyone’s life, there are moments in very aware of the importance of these lessons in their lives, since so many characters in comic fiction are which we are tested and require courage and representative of these notions. fortitude to overcome those challenges. Often, You can’t keep these ideals down, much the source of that courage lies in the role like a good soldier. The classic values models we encounter in our lives. of resilience and defiance, of what is In comics, there’s none better to wrong in the face of what is right— exemplify that than the Top-Kick of there is always a demand for these Easy Company himself, Sgt. Frank Rock. things and they are eternal, and never His attitude is what you need to get go out of style. They are the noble back up after you’ve been knocked virtues that we find in the character of down, something that will always Sgt. Rock. The character, the genre, the sell comics—and why DC Comics will generation of readers and the creators never keep this soldier down for long. all contribute to the reasons why At the risk of sounding romantic, this character will never disappear, we all need stories with ideals to and why he will continue to return in live up to. We need inspiration robert kanigher various DC Comics incarnations. and hope, as well as exemplars of Caricature by Joe Kubert. these values to emulate regardless of the decade or century we live in. People need to THE CHARACTER see representative characters that stand for ideals Created by the legendary team of artist Joe to give us a perspective on the battles we fight in Kubert and writer Robert Kanigher, Sgt. Rock first life. Life is about overcoming obstacles, achieving appeared in G.I. Combat #68 (Jan. 1959), and then in Our Army at War, running for 29 years, with a brief, transformative title change to Sgt. Rock; the character’s publishing run finally came to an end in 1988 with Sgt. Rock #442. Rock would appear in reprints in the digest-sized format as well. However, Rock returned in a new, 21-issue series that ran from 1988 to 1991; in guest appearances in one-shots like the 1997 DC Holiday Special; and in two miniseries of great distinction by talented and prominent creators like Brian Azzarello and Billy Tucci. While there were many other creators who drew or wrote Rock stories (Ross Andru, Howard Chaykin, et. al.), the two that most stood out after the ’90s were Sgt. Rock: Between Hell and a Hard Place (2003), written by Brian Azzarello and drawn by Joe Kubert, and Sgt. Rock: The Lost Battalion (2009), written and drawn by Billy Tucci. Kubert and Kanigher were responsible for establishing the template of Rock that would remain consistent throughout the various incarnations of the character. In a sea of 1950s war comics, Sgt. Rock’s enduring feature was his constancy. Many of these comics featured a short story based on war experiences, and to be sure, Rock’s first appearance was undistinguished from any of those. An anonymous soldier whose sheer determination and doggedness was born in the boxing ring. Rock didn’t even have a name yet—he was just known as “The Rock.” He wasn’t a champion fighter, but his career was marked by one fact—he had never been knocked down. In this inaugural story, artist Kubert uses a split-panel presentation comparing the young boxer to the young soldier, both characters uttering the same battle challenge, which would become a mantra for the entire story: “C’mon—and fight!” Writer and former DC editor Paul Kupperberg comments to BACK ISSUE, “It helped that Rock was such a well-built soldier—such a well-defined soldier—that brought him to life in the first place. Bob Kanigher had such an uncanny ability to create these [combat] characters—being one himself. Like the Metal Men, [Sgt. Rock] was something he conceived over a weekend. The first few shots were in proto—but then when Joe got a hold of it, and started building the cast around Rock… it was just one of those things. You have a war comic, but you’re outside of reality.

4 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

You can tell stories that you can’t get away with about characters in suits and cities. You can tell these difficult stories because of the influence of war. Bob was talented enough to tell these stories, but Joe Kubert could draw the crap out of them.” Joe Kubert himself once described Rock’s basic character: “‘The Rock’ featured a character whose nature never allowed him to quit. He fought, no matter the odds. No matter the pain. No matter the outcome. It was an integral trait to be assumed by Sgt. Rock.” That was the basis for this passionate first appearance of this enduring character. Wounded, shellshocked and rescuing fallen comrades; even fighting hand-to-hand at times, with memories of fighting in the ring interspersed throughout the story. The Rock manages to overcome pain with a determination reinforced by the repeated mantra of “C’mon and fight” in his head. He takes out a German three-man scout patrol singlehandedly, and then, despite his exhaustion, picks up an anti-tank weapon and destroys an advancing tank. The last line of the story reads, “All because of ‘The Rock’… who knew only one thing… he couldn’t stay down.” With that prototypical appearance, the character of Sgt. Rock of Easy Company was born, and reappeared a few months later in “The Rock of Easy Company!” in Our Army at War #81 (Apr. 1959), written by Bob Haney and drawn by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito. Rocks, by their nature, withstand many things, including the test of time. It would be this one trait that would decide the character’s nature for the rest of Sgt. Rock’s career in comics. Though Joe Kubert acknowledged Robert Kanigher to be Rock’s creator (even though the first actual “Sgt. Rock” story was written by Bob Haney), there was no one who could breathe life into this character better than Kubert. “My dad was Sgt. Rock,” Adam Kubert tells BACK ISSUE. “Everything he did, he made it Easy.” The obvious pun aside, Adam shares that Joe served in the Army during the time of the Korean War. Though he never saw combat, his working knowledge of Army life gave his work a degree of authenticity that made Rock seem alive. “Out of all the books my dad brought home, I liked the superheroes the best!” Adam Kubert jokes. “The relationships mattered in these stories. Without superpowers, Sgt. Rock commanded those men. He demanded their loyalty, and that was something that I didn’t

Takin’ It Easy The Rock greets his readers in this Joe Kubert-drawn, Mike W. Barr-written (and edited) splash page to DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #18 (Feb. 1982), starring Sgt. Rock. Original art courtesy of Heritage. TM & © DC Comics.

appreciate about this book until I was older. I started lettering comics when I was 12 years old, for dirt-bike money! I would letter my dad’s stuff. At the time, I didn’t appreciate it then, but I appreciated it when I got older. The type of character that Rock was, he demanded loyalty. Dozer, Little Sure-Shot, Ice Cream Soldier—these guys would follow him, and that was something special.” Loyalty is an eternally appreciated virtue. Readers enjoy characters with this trait. Loyalty promises sacrifice, indicates endurance, and speaks to the worthiness of the person, a popular trait for characters in war stories, and definitely reflective of whom we like to term the “Greatest Generation.” It’s a trait that heroes need to show their heroism. Our Army at War #116 (Mar. 1962) sees this loyalty demonstrated on an intuitive level. In the story titled “SOS Sgt. Rock,” Ice Cream Soldier and Sgt. Rock take a couple of rookies out on patrol. The rookies are amazed at the level of non-verbal communication between the two of them, claiming that the two veterans are somehow magically tuned into to each others’ thoughts. Ice Cream Soldier jokes, exclaiming that when the two kids have worked with Rock as long as he has, they’ll learn the same tricks. They are separated and divide up a pair of walkie-talkies. Later, Rock gets a faint message of help across the radio, but can’t be sure it is Ice Cream Soldier as the voice fails to use the prior codenames they had arranged aforehand. The source of the first message is a downed P-38 pilot, whose radio transmissions were on the same frequency as Rock’s radio. A second message is heard, and likewise, turns out not to be Ice Cream Soldier but another wounded ally, a tank commander. However, the third message proves to be the most revealing one of the story. Rock discovers Ice Cream Solder’s smashed walkie-talkie lying at the bottom of a crevice. Although it’s non-functional, Rock miraculously Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 5

still hears a message of help from his comrade. Somehow, he is able to locate the wounded Ice Cream Soldier, who has boobytrapped the support pillar of a bridge and, barely conscious, is still trying to transmit his location and situation to his sergeant. Rock’s ability to still hear his comrade is uncanny, almost on a supernatural level. Yet this realization is but a dramatic representation of the depth of his loyalty. It’s a level of familiarity and fidelity that is enviable by anyone who understands the quality of faithfulness, and that says volumes about the character. If you weren’t a reader of war comics, Sgt. Rock might not be a character that would immediately strike your attention. Rock wasn’t a traditional hero who took glory or rewards in hand. Many stories exist in which Rock graciously passes up medals or promotions in pursuit of the greater reward: the safety of his men and the success of his mission. This makes Rock what was once termed a “man’s man”—someone who embodies stoicism. He was simply a fighter, dressed in drab and muted colors, with very few words and always drawn with a grim, thoughtful expression. Keeping his thoughts mostly to himself, but through the breaking of the fourth wall, Rock’s thoughts were always shared with the audience. Rock shared with the reader, who always knew what he was thinking, and his internal monologues were validations of the character’s thoughtfulness. Rock wrestled with decisions in every issue, whether they were about leadership, humane choices, or the tactical situation— whatever the choice was, the idea of a character who didn’t regard himself as a hero and who was generous with his selflessness was hardly a quick grab. It wasn’t until you actually read about him that you understood his value. Of course, this also talks to the character of Joe Kubert as well. Joe was an artist. Quiet and thoughtful when you talked to him, bringing you closer, to learn more about you. His work was solid, and by virtue of its own nature, truly one of a kind. Drawing from his own experiences, he shared his work with his audience with a fierce but stoic pride. He knew what he wanted to draw, and through his work revealed a deep, introspective nature. He understood basic, human values, and anyone who knew him could see that he was always drawing his best work. He drew for his best friend, for his family, for his audience, and of course, for himself. He made an honest living doing something he loved and by the simple adherence to his own self. He was an unassuming big man with a bigger heart who had no hint of self-grandiosity. Brian Azzarello relates: “Look what Joe did. There’s an entire generation of artists who exist because of him—more than one generation, because he started an entire school. Joe really gave back to comics; arguably more so than anyone else in the industry, I’d say.”

THE CREATORS

Our Artist At Work (top) Courtesy of Heritage, Joe Kubert’s 1990 self-portrait featuring some of the characters he had drawn, including the Viking Prince, Tor, the Golden Age Flash, and, of course, Sgt. Rock. This image was produced for (bottom left) Al Dellinges’ book, Joe Kubert: The War Years, but was later reused on (bottom right) Bill Schelly’s Kubert biography, Man of Rock. © the Joe Kubert Estate. Sgt. Rock, Flash, and Viking Prince TM & © DC Comics.

6 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

The war comics genre garnered readership. In the 1950s and 1960s, American society always saw the presence of international war. The post-World War II economic boom in the latter 1940s gave the United States a great deal of international influence. Fathers who returned home gratefully saw prosperity in their afterwar civilian lives and were able to cite their experiences which gave rise to an empowered society. But the ’60s were about great change in American culture. While war stories were still a popular comic choice of genre, they weren’t about America or of a nationalist bent. They were about great characters placed in great situations. In his foreword to the fourth volume of DC’s Sgt. Rock Archives, New York Post film critic Kyle Smith wrote: “The early ’60s mark a crucial period of balance in American popular culture’s relationship with war. No longer are war stories pure nationalist propaganda (and in fact, American flags almost never appear in the Rock comics) … Noble men battle ugly situations, but the sanctity of the ultimate goal is unchallenged.”

No character better embodied this statement him to understand other people’s demons, and he than Sgt. Rock. Ennobled by his adherence to simple was a really good storyteller. He could get at people’s values, Sgt. Rock was about a normal man placed in an weaknesses. He was a bit of a Munchausen and had abnormal situation, giving hope and inspiration to the wonderfully self-aggrandizing tales about himself. He had a scar on his cheek and he would tell everyone readers of his adventures. it was a dueling scar from when he was at “War is hell, but war makes for the best Heidelberg! He was a fascinating guy!” stories,” says Paul Kupperberg, writer and From his time in the Army, Kanigher editor on the Sgt. Rock specials from 1988– created stories that included the most 1991 and 1992–1994. “What could be vibrant of experiences. At their core, better? Where are the consequences though, was the sense of values greater than in war?” and reflection that needed to be Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert highlighted to make these stories real. wrote from personal experience. A combination of personal experiences While neither saw actual combat and fanciful fiction created the stories experience, they both served their that made Sgt. Rock, Bulldozer, and the countries and their experience rest of Easy Company come to life. with military life gave them the Of course, while Kanigher wrote authenticity and experience to create the stories and characters, Joe Kubert stories that not only communicated paul kupperberg brought them to life. realism but also the sense of values © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. “To my mind, there are three that would resonate with a postwar American society. Even in the 1950s with the Korean creators in comics who started off really damn good, War and the Vietnam War in the 1960s, war was and never stopped getting better, and they are Will always in the background of American society and Eisner, Alex Toth, and Joe Kubert,” Kupperberg says. that fed the culture of popular literature, especially “Joe was just such a brilliant cartoonist, an amazing the romantic idealism of comics. [Editor’s note: See artist, and another intuitive storyteller as well. You BACK ISSUE #37 for our earlier exploration of how the could see it in all his work. He wrote Sgt. Rock as well. “In the ‘80s, Joe brought me back to write Arion, Vietnam War shaped Sgt. Rock’s stories.] “Bob was a character.” Paul Kupperberg remarks Lord of Atlantis. He said to me: ‘There’s too much magic about Robert Kanigher. “His own demons allowed in this book—let’s get rid of the magic.’ I replied,

Never-ending Battle (left) Walter Simonson cover art for Sgt. Rock Special #4 (June 1989). (right) Rock as written by Chuck Dixon and drawn by Eduardo Barreto, from Sgt. Rock Special #2 (Dec. 1994). Both, courtesy of Heritage. TM & © DC Comics.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 7

Kubert Re-enlists Joe Kubert returned to his signature character to illustrate Brian Azzarello’s script for the graphic novel, Sgt. Rock: Between Hell and a Hard Place (Jan. 2004). TM & © DC Comics.

Joe Kubert’s loyalty was his signature. “You can ‘But, Joe—it’s Arion, Lord of Atlantis! It’s in the title!’ He said: ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah.’ So, we came up with a only draw and write what you know,” Adam Kubert storyline in which [Arion] loses his magical powers. says. “Like I said: he was Sgt. Rock. You can see the resemblance: the face, the expressions; and he was And it very quickly dawned on me that instead in the Korean War—not on the frontlines— of saying: ‘Hey, Schmuck… your character but he lived through it. He knew what was is just relying on magical powers as a going on. And, getting to work with one crutch; there’s never going to be any of his best friends—Bob Kanigher— excitement because he’ll just say there was every reason to stay with ABRA-CADABRA. Bring him down to this character—everything was easy earth and make him bleed.’ Instead for him. Also, when you stay with of saying that, he let me figure it a character for so long, you take risks out, which was way more valuable. and it grows.” That was his thing—he understood Kubert’s choice to stick with what characters needed.” [Editor’s Rock transferred that sense of loyalty note: Under editor Ernie Colón, Doug to his audience. Dedication matters, Moench became the writer of Arion and because of that dedication, with issue #4. Joe Kubert took over Joe’s identity became synonymous with issue #10, and brought back brian azzarello with Sgt. Rock. the series’ creator, Paul Kupperberg, Niccolo Caranti. to scribe the title beginning with #12. See BACK ISSUE #27 for our coverage of Arion, THE TIMELESS APPEAL OF SGT. ROCK Lord of Atlantis.] War is a natural source of storytelling. It reveals That describes the humanity behind Joe Kubert’s heroes, spawns villains, and, regardless of the work. While Kanigher understood the extremism decade a Sgt. Rock story is written in, the message behind the storytelling, Kubert understood how to is always understood. make it authentic. That also explains his loyalty to the Sgt. Rock is a character from the postwar 1950s that character, which was a loyalty that lasted for decades. was also shaped out of his creators’ war experiences.

8 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

Speechless… …that describes our reaction to Billy Tucci’s realistic treatments of the Rock from the fontless covers to Sgt. Rock: The Lost Battalion #1 (Jan. 2009) and 5. Issue #1’s cover colors by Mark Sparacio, issue #5’s by Hi-Fi Design. TM & © DC Comics.

Joe Kubert’s art was a massive draw to any subject, and this was the case with Sgt. Rock. “I didn’t like superhero comics when I was a kid. I liked DC’s war books,” admits Brian Azzarello. “Joe’s work… he was the greatest artist I’d ever seen. I loved his Tarzan; right in my wheelhouse.” However, war comics’ storytelling has a profound effect upon the young comic-book reader who would grow into a superstar writer. “War comics clean war up. Azzarello says. “They give it a mythic element. One of my favorite characters was the Unknown Soldier—just an incredible idea.” It’s the mythic, romantic element that brings out the nobility in people during war. Our Army at War #115 (Feb. 1962) is a story that talks about this nobility. The members of Easy Company are talking about their families they left behind at home. Everyone, save Rock, has someone they love—parents, children or a lover. Rock laments this in the story titled “Rock’s Battle Family.” In a series of three adventures, he rescues an Italian elderly couple as German tanks storm their cottage. Having no children themselves, they declare Rock to be the son they never had and because of his willingness to sacrifice on their behalf, they leave the house to him. Rock now has parents. In the next segment, Rock helps defend a French town from attack. Easy Company learn that a child’s christening had been interrupted and young French mother, whose husband is fighting with the Free French, begs for Rock to stand in and act as the child’s godfather. In reward for his actions, now Rock has a son, of sorts. The third segment sees the introduction of another of DC’s seminal war comics heroines, the famed resistance fighter, Mademoiselle Marie. When Rock rescues her from a German patrol boat, she asks him if he has a girlfriend. Rock’s shy answer that he doesn’t elicits her declaration that “he does now,” and gives him a loving kiss. This nobility is built on the classic values of camaraderie, teamwork, self-sacrifice, and loyalty which, as previously mentioned, are character ideals that never go out of style. These things are not just universal in terms of storytelling, but they are universal in every time period. There is a tendency in people to nostalgically look back and pine for a generation when these values were not just readily accepted, but expected. Adam Kubert says, “How many stories did my dad draw and write that were centered around little kids… you know, holding a rag doll while a tank is coming on. Sgt. Rock—will he get to the little kid in time to save him? That’s something we can all relate to.” While the heroism is very obvious, who wouldn’t throw themselves in harm’s way for the sake of a child? Or, in Our Army at War #111 (Oct. 1961), when Rock answers the question “What’s the Price of a Dogtag?” and the entire collection of “Combat-Happy Joes” from Easy Company go all out to rescue one of their most beloved company—Sunny. It all comes back to values and the resilience that we can all have. Brian Azzarello had this to offer: “You know, a lot of those stories didn’t have happy endings. I liked that. They ended in either someone dying, many people dead, and he just walks away with the ‘Make War No More’ tag.” There is a sense of finality in those stories. Sure, Rock walks away with that sense of “War is Hell,” but the acceptance and appreciation are also matched by acceptance. Accepting a situation clears one’s head, allows him or her to appreciate it for what it is, and that creates headspace to be able to think your way out of a problem. One could argue that this was simply a suppression of expression—a common way of dealing with stressful situations in the mid-20th Century—but for better or for worse, this was part of the values that allowed a generation to go to war and come home and rebuild a society. If you read and enjoyed war comics, these were the values that an audience readily accepted. The Combat-Happy Joes of Easy Company created a sense of appreciation that the readers of my generation, raised by the Greatest Generation, could appreciate and understand. The events that would see a proliferation of the Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 9

Rough Stuff Signed Tucci original pencil art to the pages 18–19 double-page spread from The Lost Battalion #2 (Feb. 2009). Courtesy of Heritage. TM & © DC Comics.

That was Joe Kubert’s Rock. The sunken eyes, events after World War II that allow a greater valuation for the storytelling of giants like Kubert, Russ Heath, the emphasis on the stone-cold expression, that was poignantly broken when Sad-Eyes was killed (“The Ross Andru, and Kanigher. After all, these storytellers wrote and drew from Four Faces of Rock”). Emotion was sparse for a reason: personal experience. When, in Our Army at War to emphasize when it was needed to yield resolve and #87, Rock reveals to the audience: “They call me propel people through a challenging time. Sgt. Rock is a way to understand a bit of war. the Rock of Easy Company… I’m supposed The carnage and full experience of war can’t to be tougher than tough! But I’ll tell be fully conveyed in these stories. However, you somethin’ I’d never let Easy they pay homage to the enduring spirit know! Sometimes, the things these of the men and women who served in characters do—split me wide open.” the Greatest War of the 20th Century. The reader intuitively understands The essence of the ideals needed to that this is a story being told from bring a person through this conflict are the perspective of someone who described and depicted, and while the has said these words in real life. full violence wasn’t detailed, readers The appeal of this story is readily knew what the stakes were whenever picked up by the children of those Rock made decisions or choices. Lives who served during this time, too; it were at risk and the internal dialogue was a subtle language of tough love. of the character gave readers a Though in peacetime, the examples billy tucci thinking process to observe. of their fathers who served in war Regarding core values, little has gave them both resilience to not © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. changed in the recent versions of only serve their terms, but also the confidence they needed to persevere in their own lives as Sgt. Rock. Looking at Brian Azzarello and Joe Kubert’s they started lives together and businesses, and raised Between Hell and a Hard Place, while the internal a family of their own. While the mettle of humanity monologue and going beyond the fourth wall is measured in its greatest moments of challenges, approach have changed, there is still the weighing of the fruits of those challenges gave them the consequences; making the hard choices when placed opportunities to measure up to their parents. If so, then in an impossible situation. In this book, Easy Company has captured a group of German intelligence officers. that was a pretty good standard.

10 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

During the confusion of a firefight, all of the prisoners are discovered to be executed—except one, who escaped. This story is a constant conscience check for Rock and Easy Company—during war, when men are expected to kill their enemy, why should they bother to hunt down this one who did their job for them and got off with his life? This type of moral dilemma is at the heart of understanding Rock and the time in which he was written. To understand Rock is to understand the hardcore values that were created by this time. It’s a reason why DC Comics continues to resurrect this character. “It’s a great character,” Adam Kubert says. “Depending on whose hand in on it, though. Any character can fall flat. The writer or the artist makes the story. My dad was my dad. He lived during this time. He knew what was important and what was going on.” Billy Tucci’s The Lost Battalion is a more historical approach to the character. Tucci adam kubert painfully researched the period of the Tracy Kubert. post-Normandy invasion to portray a story of the noble character of the soldiers, rather than individually focusing on Rock himself. However, the inspirational values of the character do not go unnoticed. The 442nd “Little Iron Men,” or “Nisei,” as they were more popularly known, and the members of the 141st Infantry, which Easy Company is attached to, are all representations of the character of Rock. Their perseverance, their endurance, and their ability to make the hard choices and accept the consequences of their actions and to continue are what gives us inspiration. Because if people like them, placed in the worst possible conditions, can endure and go on, then so can we. We need to be worthy of these ideals. Paul Kupperberg comments on this: “Rock is a universal character, but he’s a hard sell. You could say that Avengers: Endgame is a war story. But it’s about characters that you can accept being in war. There are fewer and fewer war films made these days. There’s a sense that we don’t want to glorify war. [Rock] needs to survive, but he needs to be handled correctly.” It’s not an easy decision to write a story about war. However, the intellectual property that is the character of Sgt. Rock needs to stay current in order to secure the integrity of the property. Dormant characters run the danger of falling into public domain if neglected, but the values need to be secured and kept current as well. Personal note: Any story about war is nothing to dismiss. When I was growing up in Scotland, I loved the British war comics because they had historicity and factual elements contained within them. When I emigrated to North America, I came to love Rock because of the American perspective of the sacrifice of war. Even at a young age, I could appreciate that while Rock didn’t have the same amount of technical historical stuff (weapons, people, etc.), it had an element of emotion that I could relate to. Rock’s struggle matched up with my grandfather who had both ankles blown out at Dunkirk. It resonated with the story of my other grandfather who was torpedoed three times in two theaters of war and still managed to survive from 1939 to 1945. Both got back up. The Rock always gets back up. From the epilogue of Kubert and Azzarello’s Between Hell and a Hard Place: “Easy Company had 79 men and 6 officers the morning before the assault on Grosshau. 160 replacements were added to bolster the ranks. At the end of the day, when Easy was ordered to remain in reserve at Grosshau, a little more were still standing. Standing tall.” All good soldiers get back up, and if there is anything that Joe Kubert and Robert Kanigher have taught us all, including other creators, it’s this. Can we be any less? JOHN KIRK is a librarian and English teacher with the Toronto District School Board in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, who incorporates comics and comics history into his classroom teaching.

ROCK ROCKS ON For three decades, Sgt. Rock commanded the pages of Our Army at War, whose title was changed to Sgt. Rock in 1977 until its cancellation with issue #422 (July 1988). After that time, DC Comics has reprinted classic Rock tales in its DC Archives series, a 2000 replica edition, a series of Showcase Presents volumes, and elsewhere. Presented below are significant Sgt. Rock publications released after the cancellation of Sgt. Rock’s monthly series. • Sgt. Rock Special #1–13 (reprint series, 1988), continued as Sgt. Rock #14–21 (reprint series, 1991) • Sgt. Rock Special #1 and 2 (new stories, 1992 and 1994) • Sgt. Rock: Between Hell and a Hard Place (graphic novel, 2004) * Sgt. Rock: The Prophecy #1–6 (Joe Kubertproduced miniseries, 2006) • Sgt. Rock: The Lost Battalion #1–6 (miniseries, 2009)

Make War No More DC’s WWII pantheon, anchored by Sgt. Rock, as rendered by Joe Kubert for the 1986 History of the DC Universe Portfolio. TM & © DC Comics.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 11

Over the years, there have been many famous diecast models based on DC Comics characters, from Corgi’s classic Batmobile and Batboat in the 1960s, to the current offerings by Hot Wheels. However, others are less known—and possibly the most obscure would have to be the range of vehicles based on military hero Sgt. Rock, made by Azrak-Hamway International (AHI). Azrak-Hamway International was a New York-based toy importer founded in 1964 that imported cheap toys, mainly from Hong Kong. During the 1970s, the company obtained the licenses to many of the major entertainment franchises, including DC and Marvel Comics, Star Trek, Space: 1999, Planet of the Apes, and many other popular TV and cartoon characters. Despite the high profiles of the licenses, the toys produced were budget-priced “rack toys” of low quality. Many had little to do with the characters they were based on, and were items such as water pistols, flashlights, and puzzles—often the packaging was more interesting than the contents! In 1982, rival toymaker Hasbro revived its G.I. Joe trademark, but instead of reviving the large 12” action figures that were introduced in 1964, the new G.I. Joes were now a line of 3 3/4” mini-figures, a size that had been popularized by Kenner’s Star Wars figures. Instead of being realistic American fighting men, they were now a mercenary force. The backstories of the team were developed in conjunction with Larry Hama and Jim Shooter of Marvel Comics, which published a popular tie-in comic book, and the enemy was a terrorist organization called COBRA. [Editor’s note: See BACK ISSUE #16 for our G.I. Joe coverage.] A year later, AHI introduced a range of similarly sized military figures based on DC Comics’ Sgt. Rock. These were sold under the Remco brand; Remco was a major toy manufacturer that had gone broke, with AHI acquiring its trademark in 1974. It was intended that AHI would use this respected brand for its more expensive toys. The product line included a Sgt. Rock figure, but none of his Easy Company Combat-Happy Joes such as Bulldozer or Wildman. Other figures just had generic names like “Marine” or “Airman.” Instead of fighting Nazis, Rock’s enemies were now a terrorist group with the unimaginative name of “The Bad Guys,” and whose emblem was… a cobra! Remco also released a line of stocky action figures based on DC’s sword-and-sorcery character the Warlord, which looked suspiciously like Mattel’s Masters of the Universe [see BI #121—ed.]. The irony was that the el-cheapo rip-offs were officially licensed from much higher-profile characters than the originals they were copying!

DIECAST MILITARY VEHICLES

AHI also used its Sgt. Rock license for some cheaper rack toys, including a water pistol, cap gun, and parachute figure. In addition, there was a line of eight military vehicles, including four tanks. None of the

Move Out, Easy! DC Comics house ad drawn by Joe Kubert promoting the Sgt. Rock vehicles from Remco (a trademark of Azrak-Hamway International). TM & © DC Comics.

12 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

by M i k e

Pigott

models were original castings, and were produced by Universal Toys of Hong Kong. The tanks were a set of four international machines that had been sold under different brands including Tough Wheels, Uniborn, Dyna Mite, and Victory Force, some of which were brands especially produced for a major retailer. While fairly recognizable replicas, they did not have working treads; the tracks and driving wheels were part of the black plastic base component, and the tanks rolled on four concealed wheels. The product line consisted of:

M60 TANK - Being an American main battle tank, this would seem to be ideal for the series, although as it did not enter service until 1960, it would be unlikely that Sgt. Rock ever used it. Painted dark tan, it had a rotating turret, raising cannon, and small turning gun turret in black plastic. A clear “US Army” label was affixed to the turret sides.

CENTURION TANK - The main British tank of the postwar era, it was designed during the war but did not enter service until 1946. Painted dark green with beige camouflage, it had unlikely US Army labels on the sides, as the USA did not operate Centurions. It featured a rotating turret and elevating cannon.

No Joe, This G.I. Hasbro’s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line inspired Remco’s Sgt. Rock figures. Courtesy of WorthPoint. Sgt. Rock TM & © DC Comics.

SU-100 - This Soviet armored vehicle was not actually a tank, as it did not have a turret; it was classified as a tank destroyer. The model was painted light gray with black camo and a moving cannon, but strangely also had US Army labels.

KING TIGER TANK - The tank that Easy Company most frequently encountered was a Tiger tank, so this model of a King Tiger would seem appropriate for the group. It was painted tan with brown camo markings, and had a turning turret and elevating gun. Unbelievably, this enemy tank had also been given spurious USA markings! Later, the SU-100 and King Tiger were reissued without US Army labels and in “Bad Guys” packaging, indicating that the “neutral” terrorists were now Russians and Germans. Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 13

MILITARY JEEP - The only vehicle in the line that Rock himself may have used was this combat Jeep. Although crude, it featured a folding windscreen and a rotating double-barrel machine gun. However, it rode on undersized speed-wheels, lacked a steering wheel, and had the front seats folded down. It was dark green with a star decal on the hood.

MILITARY POLICE CAR - Another strange inclusion was a modern MP car. Based on a Chevy Impala, this casting had previously been issued by LJN Toys in its “Road Stars” line as a police car from the TV series The Rookies. It was painted olive green with a bare metal base and a star label on the hood.

MILITARY AMBULANCE - Also a modern vehicle, this was clearly not an ambulance but a fire truck. Again originating in the Road Stars line, it was formerly the Dodge squad truck from Emergency! Now painted in olive with khaki camo, it had a large Red Cross decal on top. It really looked nothing like an American military ambulance, and had nowhere to carry patients.

MILITARY HELICOPTER - The final item was a helicopter, which was also unlikely to be have been used by Sgt. Rock. Actually, this was a reasonably competent model of a Hughes 369 helicopter, which was used by the US Army—although not until 1966. The casting originated as part of a toy line based on the TV series CHiPs, made by Imperial Toys. It was painted light olive, with working top and tail rotors in brown plastic.

Rock’s Been Pegged! Sample Bad Guys and Sgt. Rock blister cards, featuring lackluster artwork. Sgt. Rock TM & © DC Comics.

PACKAGING

The models were about the same size as Hot Wheels cars (the tanks and helicopter were slightly larger). They were packaged on blister cards with a red and yellow background, logos for DC and Sgt. Rock, and an illustration of Rock that copied the art of Joe Kubert. The back of the card featured AHI’s other Sgt. Rock merchandise, although there was no listing of the diecast vehicles in the series. There was also a cut-out coupon for a discount subscription to the Sgt. Rock comic. The two enemy tanks came on black “Bad Guys” cards with a badly drawn picture of a huge cobra. Unfortunately, there was no mention of DC Comics or Sgt. Rock on the models themselves, so once removed from the packaging 14 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

they just became generic budget military toys. They are not easy to find today. While not great models by any means, they are of interest for being the only diecast toys based (however loosely) on a DC Comics military character. Product photos of vehicles courtesy of Mike Pigott. MIKE PIGOTT is an Australian writer based in London who specializes in diecast models and pop culture. His work appears in every issue of Diecast Collector Magazine, and he has also featured in Collector’s Gazette and Diecast Model World.

While Doctor Robert Bruce Banner and his green- (and gray-) skinned alter ego the Incredible Hulk would disagree, General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross really isn’t a bad guy in the traditional sense of the term. He’s not like Darkseid, Lex Luthor, Doctor Doom, or the Red Skull. Ross is more like Captain Ahab in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. He’s obsessed with capturing and defeating the Hulk in the same way Ahab is with hunting literature’s most famous white whale. As our salute to soldiers continues, BACK ISSUE takes a look at the life, adventures, and personality of Thunderbolt Ross in Marvel’s comic pages in the BI era and beyond. Watch out for the gamma rays, dear readers. by J a m e s

Heath Lantz

GENERAL HISTORY

General Thaddeus E. Ross, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, is a product of his lineage, environment, life as a soldier, and the wars in which he fought. Thaddeus comes from a family with a proud tradition in the military. His grandfather and father both served, leading him to follow in their footsteps. Ross gained the nickname “Thunderbolt” on the battlefield, which led to his blustery demeanor and stormy reputation in combat. Readers first saw Thunderbolt Ross in The Incredible Hulk #1, way back in 1962. However, he was a part of Bruce Banner’s life even before the Gamma Bomb’s creation. The Hulk had not yet even become a physical manifestation of Banner’s Dissociative Identity Disorder when young Major Ross had “recruited” teenage Banner in a post-Bronze Age flashback in The Incredible Hulk #81 (July 2004). Going back to 1997, in The Incredible Hulk #-1 [minus 1] (July 1997), a special backstory issue by Peter David, Adam Kubert, and Mark Farmer, General Ross discusses the Gamma Bomb with Bruce Banner. Ross claims he wants to put the fear of God and into the enemy with the weapon Banner designed. What Ross says to the young nuclear physicist could sum up how Thaddeus Ross perceived himself before he encountered a certain Green Goliath. “They call me ‘Thunderbolt,’ Banner,” Ross says, “because when I’m angry, it’s like Zeus throwing thunderbolts from on high.” Bruce Banner is unimpressed. His response even expresses this. Peter David, whose memorable run of The Incredible Hulk in the 1990s still resonates with readers, tells BACK ISSUE of Thaddeus Ross’ past with Bruce Banner. “I just figured that there had to be some potential backstory here. It wasn’t as if they had met the day of the Gamma Bomb test. Bruce was already romantically involved with Betty, and Ross already had strong negative feelings about him, possibly because of his involvement with Betty. So I have, from time to time, explored their relationship because I wanted to see how it got to the point that it was at in [1962’s] The Incredible Hulk #1.”

No. 1 Hulk Hater Thunderbolt Ross, from the splash page of Incredible Hulk #291 (Jan. 1984). TM & © Marvel.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 15

Ross is “a dedicated Army officer,” David says, “who sees everything in terms of how it can be used to protect and defend the United States. If he can make use of it, it interests him—if he can’t, it doesn’t.” Going further back into the Ross/ Banner history, Ross says to Bruce in Bill Mantlo and Mike Mignola’s The Incredible Hulk #312 (Oct. 1985) that

he knew Brian Banner, Bruce’s father, and considered him a “real man.” Now, in the aforementioned issue #-1, Ross does not know who Brian is and is disgusted by his presence. This is due to Bruce repressing that latter event’s memory. Yet, Ross maybe felt as he did in #312 before learning of Brian’s murder of Bruce’s mother Rebecca. However, Ross could have merely been trying to provoke Banner in #312 as he would a foe in battle. He would have said anything to get the Gamma Bomb test done, even if it meant contradicting himself, because he was a good soldier working to protect his country. peter david In addition to being a soldier, Thaddeus Ross is a family man. © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. He married his captain’s daughter, Karen Lee, and together they brought a daughter, Elizabeth “Betty” Ross, into the world. Thaddeus loved his family, but he felt more at home in combat. When he was at home during times of peace, he’d be itching to fight an enemy, even as he saw Betty grow. Writer Jeph Loeb describes Ross’ character, while discussing with BACK ISSUE his work on the series Hulk: Gray (2003–2004) and Hulk (2006). “In Hulk: Gray, Tim Sale and I spent a lot of time working with the dynamic of Ross/Betty/Banner. The heartbreak of that story was Banner realizing that Betty loved him as a monster because it was familiar to her, as her father General Ross was a verbally abusive parent. She lived with a monster growing up and, in turn, fell in love with one as an adult. Ross, of course, never saw himself in that light. He was a protective dad doing what was best for his only child. When the Gray and Green Hulk came around, he was somehow, curiously attached to Betty. This put him in Ross’ crosshairs from Day One.

Back to the Beginning (right) General Ross has been a part of Hulk history since Ol’ Greenskin’s (then Grayskin) first issue back in 1962. Cover art by Jack Kirby and George Roussos. (above) Writer Peter David fleshed out the Banner/Ross backstory in Incredible Hulk #-1 (July 1997). Art by Adam Kubert and Mark Farmer. TM & © Marvel.

16 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

“Ross was and still is a man who uses his power to achieve his goals,” Loeb continues. “He’s a ‘might makes right’ kind of guy.” The day that the Gamma Bomb was tested and thereby gave physical manifestation to Bruce Banner’s Hulk persona did not take the thunder out of Thunderbolt Ross. He begins his debut in The Incredible Hulk #1 complaining about delaying the detonation and boasting how things would have been different had he pressed the button to begin its explosion. Ross’ bravado continues when he begins hunting the Hulk. He then seeks revenge for the Gray and Green Goliath frightening his daughter. This grows to an Ahab-like obsession that leads to a distrust of the “milksop” Bruce Banner, whom Ross feels is connected to the Hulk. He discovers how right he is when Banner is revealed to be the Hulk in Tales to Astonish #77 (Mar. 1966).

in the issue where Banner and Betty almost got married, I stuck a photo of an H-bomb explosion over the mantle in his home,” Thomas says. “I got some flak from a couple of people, saying that was over the top, but I actually took it from the home of the father of a good friend of mine, who circa 1964 was in charge of an Air Force base not that far from St. Louis and who had been in command of what they called ‘air weather’ for one of the H-bomb explosions at Eniwetok. He had just such a large color photo beautifully framed above his fireplace. Some things you can’t satirize.” Thunderbolt Ross’ need to destroy the Hulk to the point his Ahab-like obsession was getting almost as strong as the Hulk himself during the Bronze Age. Ross would stop at nothing to destroy his gamma-spawned foe. He even enlisted the aid of heroes like the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and Iron Man, and villains such as the Leader and the Abomination. BRONZE STAR GENERAL This leads one to perceive that this By the time the Bronze Age of soldier’s patriotism, while foremost of his Comics rolled around in 1970, General redeeming qualities, is put to the test Thunderbolt Ross was torn between when it comes to the Hulk. He views the duty to his country and that of his Hulk as something that goes against daughter’s happiness. Bruce Banner his country, and he’ll use whatever had gained control of his green alter means necessary to stop the creature. ego, thereby forcing Ross to recruit the Steve Englehart, who followed Hulk for a mission while burying the Archie Goodwin as the scribe of The hatchet with both thorns in his side. Incredible Hulk in late 1972 and 1973, “It seemed to me,” writer Roy roy thomas tells BACK ISSUE of how he worked Thomas says of Thunderbolt Ross in out Thunderbolt’s arc and character. his run on The Incredible Hulk, “that © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. “It was all me—still much influenced those were the main emotions shown in Ross before by Archie Goodwin. The secret of The Incredible Hulk is, by Stan and others, so I just carried it on. I do think his it’s not about the Hulk. He’s a blunt instrument in everyone devotion to duty—to country, to career, to the Army— else’s life. I was very interested in his supporting cast—Betty would probably outweigh his love for his daughter, became the Harpy, and Ross and Armbruster kept butting though. He’d have told himself that he had to rise heads. I had been in the Army, so I had a working knowledge above personal feelings. I’ll admit I didn’t delve into his of how officers tend to drive forward at all times. With two character that deeply.” of them, conflicts were sometimes inevitable. The other Thomas goes on to discuss something he placed in stuff with Ross was just trying to keep him an integral part Incredible Hulk #124 (Feb. 1970). “I was proud how, of the storylines, as I try to do with everyone in a book.

Bad Blood (left) The world discovered Bruce Banner’s grim secret in Tales to Astonish #77 (Mar. 1966). Cover by Kirby and John Romita, Sr. (right) From Bill Mantlo’s Incredible Hulk #312 (Oct. 1985), readers learn that Bruce’s abusive father had earned Ross’ respect. Art by Mike Mignola and Gerry Talaoc. TM & © Marvel.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 17

jeph loeb Gage Skidmore.

Thunderbolt Ross: Gray General Ross makes a quiet but effective appearance on this amazing Tim Sale original art page from writer Jeph Loeb’s Hulk: Gray #4 (Feb. 2004). Courtesy of Heritage (www.ha.com). TM & © Marvel.

18 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

“Ross is pretty hot-headed for a general,” Englehart continues, “but he’s not stupid and he loves his daughter. He’s a human being who’s a little obsessed with the Hulk, maybe, but wouldn’t you be if you’d been a part of creating the monster?” Englehart brings up a valid point. When looking at General Ross’ history with Bruce Banner in flashbacks taking place before the Gamma Bomb test, it was Ross who recruited young Banner. A part of Thaddeus feels responsible for the Hulk walking the Earth and creating endless paths of destruction. In his mind, he needs to rectify the situation, even if it means the end of his career or his life. Had he not found young Bruce Banner in Peter David’s “Tempest Fugit” Hulk arc and/or pressed him into creating and testing the Gamma Bomb, the Hulk persona possibly would not have had a physical manifestation leaving destruction in his wake. Throughout much of his Hulk-hunting career, Thunderbolt Ross had his share of defeats at the gargantuan hands of his nemesis. This would take its toll on anyone. While Thaddeus would probably not admit it openly, he is no exception to this. Outbursts with the press and a nervous breakdown drove the thunder out of Thunderbolt. Learning that Dr. Karla Sofen was Moonstone triggered the latter event in Hulk #229 (Nov. 1978), but this was during her fight with the Hulk, leaving one to speculate that the Hulk not only rampages into lives physically, he smashes them psychologically. Roger Stern, the writer of Incredible Hulk #229, recounts with BACK ISSUE his work and plans for Thunderbolt Ross, including Ross’ nervous breakdown. “As I recall, that was my idea,” Stern says. “Ross had been going through a lot at the time, both personally and professionally. He’d seen his daughter’s marriage fall apart. An amnesiac stranger had taken over Gamma Base. His command was starting to look a little shaky. Of course, the immediate trigger for his breakdown was Moonstone. She was able to recognize his problems and prey upon them. “I did have longer-range plans to eventually rehabilitate Ross under the care of Doc Samson,” Stern continues. roger stern “That’s why I had the two of them leave the book in The Incredible Hulk Alexander Fuld Frazier. #238, but I wound up leaving the series after plotting issue #243 (Jan. 1980), and all of that was left for future writers to work with as they saw fit.” When asked of how he viewed Ross’ character, Stern says, “I saw Ross as a career military officer. Not a bad guy, but really driven. He was one of those gruff, hard-as-nails types who kept his personal worries and insecurities bottled up inside him.” While Thunderbolt Ross escaped the Soviet Union, locked horns with his superiors and Colonel Armbruster, and recovered from his nervous breakdown, there is one moment that nearly broke the war hero who eventually became an obsessive Hulk hunter. That was when the Hulk, with Bruce Banner’s intelligence, was deemed a hero in the middle of Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema’s run on The Incredible Hulk. In “Old Soldiers Never Die!” in issue #291 (Jan. 1984), Ross reflects on his life upon realizing he has betrayed his country after disobeying orders to not fight the Hulk. He’s about to attempt suicide. Yet he stops himself because living with his disgrace is the greatest battle he must win. This does not mean he came out of it unscathed. When we next see Thunderbolt Ross in writer/artist John Byrne’s The Incredible Hulk #319 (May 1986), he is quite insane and intent on stopping the wedding of his daughter Betty to Bruce Banner by any means necessary, even murder. Rick Jones took the bullet meant for Banner. However, it was the general’s daughter who gave him his comeuppance after years of his trying to control her life. In the issues afterward, S.H.I.E.L.D. uses Ross and his obsession for destroying the Hulk to merge him with the electric entity Zzzax, making his already fragile mental state even worse, in Incredible Hulk #327 (Jan. 1987). Thaddeus confronts two Hulks—Rick Jones’ green one and Banner’s recently returned gray one—giving the series’ resident Ahab a pair of white whales to hunt instead of a single one.

Bad Luck Betty (top) The almost-wedding of Bruce and Betty, from Incredible Hulk #124 (Feb. 1970)—and an explosive piece of art above the Ross mantel. By Roy Thomas/Herb Trimpe/ Sal Buscema. (bottom) Betty as the Harpy on Trimpe’s cover to Hulk #168 (Oct. 1973). TM & © Marvel.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 19

Ross’ Rocky Road

OLD SOLDIERS RARELY DIE

After having been put through the ringer, Thunderbolt Ross dies after fighting the crab-like Nevermind in Incredible Hulk #330 (Apr. 1987). He tells Betty her loves her and states that he’s changed his mind about Incredible Hulk #229 (Nov. 1978). By Roger Stern/ both Bruce Banner and the Hulk before going to the Great Beyond. Comics legend Al Milgrom, writer of The Incredible Hulk during Sal Buscema/Mike Esposito. (bottom left) Despite its this period, discusses Ross’ character and his decision to kill the gravity, Al Milgrom’s cover for Hulk #291 (Jan. 1984) cantankerous general. “The old boy is first and foremost a patriot,” Milgrom states to BACK was part of Marvel’s wacky Assistant Editors’ Month. ISSUE. “He loves his country, his daughter, and God, in that order. (right) Thunderbolt Ross, wedding crasher, in John He was cruising along being a pretty successful career soldier when this monstrous behemoth bursts into his bailiwick and upsets the apple Byrne’s Hulk #319 (May 1986). cart. Then, despite all his best efforts and the best military technology, he’s unable to stop, or even contain, this rampaging behemoth TM & © Marvel. known as the Hulk! Perhaps even worse, his beloved daughter falls in love with a milksop scientist Bruce Banner. I’m sure the good general didn’t know which was worse! Imagine his mortifying chagrin when he ultimately learns that the two biggest thorns in his side turn out to be one and the same being. “You’ve got to give the man credit,” Milgrom contends. “He sticks to his guns. He tries every imaginable way to kill the Hulk. He never gives up. He blasts him, freezes him, launches him into space in what was supposed to be a one-way trip. Nothing succeeds. This has to make Ross bitter. After a long and distinguished career in the military, he reaches the twilight of his days and suffers defeat after defeat at the hands of a mindless and heedless monster. I only hope that he can take solace in the realization that if he had succeeded in his missions to destroy the Incredible Hulk, the world would’ve probably been destroyed many times over. The Hulk ultimately became a force for good, so the old soldier’s defeats could, I suppose, be viewed as humanity’s victories.” Milgrom shares with BI the story behind Thunderbolt Ross’ death. “This was my decision. I’m sure I had to run it by editorial first. I thought—wrongly, as I feel now— that the old warhorse had been heckling, chasing, attacking, and trying to eliminate the Hulk for decades in real time. By now, the Army would’ve either put him out to pasture or the Hulk would’ve destroyed him. I felt it would be a big dramatic thing to kill the old grouch off, and I did. I remember having a big fight with [Hulk editor] Bob Harras because he didn’t feature the dead General Ross on the cover of The Incredible Hulk #330. I thought the death of such a major character would al milgrom have spiked sales for the issue. Bob never thought of © Marvel. it that way. This also cost me and the art team some royalty money as well as profits for the company. “Of course,” Milgrom continues, “deciding to kill him off was probably the stupid reaction of a longtime fan and reader—myself! It’s not necessarily the thing a writer should do in episodic, continuing fiction. It messes with the basic premise of the strip. I’m not surprised, and even

(top left) The general has a nervous breakdown in

20 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

somewhat relieved, that they brought him back shortly thereafter. That’s the fortunate thing about comics. It’s very rare that anyone important really remains dead.” Thunderbolt’s return from the Great Beyond that Milgrom mentioned occurred in the midst of Peter David’s nearly 12-year-run on The Incredible Hulk. Ross is seen in flashbacks throughout until readers see that his vegetative, zombie-like body within the Redeemer armor during the “Ghost of the Past” serial in issues #397–400 (Sept.–Dec. 1992). Nearly five years later, in issues #455 and 456, Ross is his old blustery self once again, in full military uniform, recalling only the color green and his enmity with the Hulk. “I thought that killing off Ross was a mistake,” Peter David admits. “I didn’t want to belabor it, I didn’t want to make it a big deal. I just said, ‘Screw it, let’s just bring him back and minimize the fact that he was killed off in the first place.’ I figured the less of a deal I made of it, the easier it would be for readers to accept it.” Coming back from the dead wasn’t all wine and roses for Thunderbolt Ross. Sure, he sort of reconciled with Betty, Bruce Banner, and the Hulk before and after his initial demise. Yet, the general’s world came crashing down around him when his daughter succumbed to gammaradiation poisoning. While evidence pointed to the Hulk, Hulk’s old foe the Abomination was the actual culprit. However, Thunderbolt Ross blamed both behemoths and, to some degree, himself, for what happened to Betty. Had he not brought Bruce Banner in to create and test the Gamma Bomb, Thaddeus and his daughter

might have a life without the destruction and pain caused by the Hulk and all the other gamma-spawned beings. He probably even felt a sense of redemption during the times he used Banner and the Hulk against Emil Blonsky, a.k.a. the Abomination. He knew he wasn’t the only one seeking revenge for Betty Ross-Banner’s murder.

SEEING RED

After scribe Greg Pak’s “Planet Hulk” and “World War Hulk” story arcs, Thunderbolt Ross had more radioactive thunder to him when he became a new, more rage-filled Red Hulk. This was a case of art imitating art, as it has been said that Kenneth Johnson, the producer/writer/director behind the Incredible Hulk 1977–1982 television series, originally wanted actor Lou Ferrigno’s Hulk to be red instead of green. This was rejected by Stan Lee. While Hulk (2006) writer Jeph Loeb had not heard this story, he states that he and Marvel were trying to work on something with Lou Ferrigno that didn’t pan out. “With anything I’ve written, it’s all about the artist,” Loeb reveals to BACK ISSUE. “In cinematic terms, I’m the writer and producer and the artist is the director. He or she has to have the passion about the character and then, obviously, about the story itself. He gives the story the look, the style, the characters. [Artist] Ed McGuinness is a master storyteller and a dear friend. He and I had a blast on Superman and then Superman/ Batman. We’d talk a lot about the next character we wanted to try, and often came back to the Hulk.

Bring Me the Head of Bruce Banner! (left) Cover art to the death of Thunderbolt Ross issue, Incredible Hulk #330 (Apr. 1987). Art by Todd McFarlane and Tom Morgan. Courtesy of Heritage. (right) Inside that issue, the general vows to kill the Hulk’s tormented alter ego! Written and inked by Al Milgrom, penciled by Todd McFarlane. TM & © Marvel.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 21

The Suit Makes the Man (top) Ol’ Thunderbolt’s seen better days! From Incredible Hulk #400 (Dec. 1992), by Peter David/ Jan Duursema/Mark Farmer. (bottom) Hmmm, wonder who the Red Hulk might actually be…? Hulk #1 (Mar. 2008), script by Jeph Loebs, with art by Ed McGuiness and Dexter Vines. TM & © Marvel.

“Around this time, [Marvel executive] Joe Quesada called and said they had come up with the idea of a Red Hulk. They didn’t have much more than that—but someone who could really go toe-to-toe with Banner. Slowly it came together with the idea of Ross being the villain, as he was always Banner’s nemesis. Other characters, like Rick and Betty, had been exposed to gamma radiation, but I don’t think we’d ever seen Ross having the power of the creature he hated the most. “Great villains have great backstories,” Loeb says of the Red Hulk’s background. “The Abomination had killed Betty, Ross’ only daughter. This gave Thunderbolt the motivation to (a) murder him, and (b) cross a line that we’d never suspect of him. Marvel liked the idea of a murder mystery, and we were off to the races. Ed came up with things like the madder he got, the hotter he got. We’d giggle that he could punch out the Watcher. That single scene made the entire series worthwhile for us as fanboys, but never in our wildest dreams did we think it would have success it had. Greg Pak had just finished ‘Planet Hulk,’ which was brilliant, and we had to follow that! Fortunately, we were introducing a brand-new Hulk and didn’t need to deal with Banner’s Hulk for a while. We are so grateful to the fans that embraced this new idea and expanded the Marvel/Hulk Universe! At one point, we had something like four Hulk monthly titles. It was amazing.” Regarding his perceptions of Ross’ character as the Red Hulk, Loeb says, “As the Red Hulk, he has nearly unlimited power and that made him even more dangerous to his antagonists and to himself. He couldn’t control the anger he’d always carried and now he could take it out on anyone he chose. I’ve always seen him as a very tragic, flawed man who never could see those flaws. Maybe that’s what made him popular. Whatever it is, I hope he stays with us as long as his green counterpart!” After leaving Hulk, Loeb went on to become Executive Vice President, Head of Television of Marvel Television from 2010 until 2020. Yet General Thunderbolt Ross and his raging red alter ego continued smashing and bashing throughout the Marvel Universe. You can find all their adventures and the works of the creators interviewed on paper at your local comic-book shop, bookstore, and/or digitally at Comixology. For Romero. In your brief time with us, you were stronger than every Hulk. Dedicated to my beautiful and incredible wife Laura, whose love is stronger than any Hulk; Pupino, Odino, and our four-legged feline and canine Hulkbusters that can smash every gamma-spawned creature of every color; my nephew Kento, who helped create the Gamma Bomb; and Roy Thomas, Steve Englehart, Roger Stern, Peter David, Jeph Loeb, and all the creators who brought Thunderbolt Ross’ various missions to the comic pages. May the cosmos protect you always. JAMES HEATH LANTZ is a freelance writer whose stories, essays, and reviews can be found online and in print at Sequart.org, Superman Homepage, his blog, and such publications as his self-published Trilogy of Tales and PS Artbooks’ Roy Thomas Presents Sheena vol. 3. James currently lives in Italy with his wife Laura and their family of cats, dogs, and humans from Italy, Japan, and the United States.

22 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

by S

Ten-HUT! Being in the military is a serious business. Beyond all the physical training, beyond all the discipline, beyond all the education, beyond all the impressive uniforms, badges, and medals, when it comes right down to it, the purpose of the military is to turn out soldiers ready to fight and kill an enemy. Heavy stuff indeed, and thus the great need for military humor. Military humor is, of course, an American tradition, exemplified in the early 20th Century by Chaplin’s Shoulder Arms, Keaton’s The General, cartoon characters like Bill Mauldin’s Willie and Joe and George Baker’s Sad Sack [see BI #37—ed.], television characters such as Phil Silvers’ Sgt. Bilko and Jim Nabors’ Gomer Pyle, USMC, and novels such as M*A*S*H and Catch-22. While many of these are now considered classics, they also feel very dated and of their time. And then there’s Mort Walker’s Beetle Bailey, the most enduring military comedy character of them all.

BEETLE BAILEY HISTORY

teven Thompson

For going on 70 years now, Private Beetle Bailey and the resident zanies of Camp Swampy have set the standard for military humor, not only in the US but throughout the free world, particularly in the Scandinavian countries where the strip has long been (surprisingly) even more popular than it is in the United States. A US Army veteran himself, Mort Walker summed up the secret of his strip’s phenomenal success in 1976 when he wrote, “Basically, the strip is not about the army but about a bunch of funny people who happen to be in the army.” In fact, when Beetle Bailey began in 1950, it certainly wasn’t about the Army. It was about college students, and it didn’t particularly go over well. It was only as a last-ditch effort to get more papers for the strip that Beetle and his frat buddies enlisted in the military in 1951 in the growing gung-ho atmosphere of the Korean War. The ploy worked when it came to getting the strip noticed, but, unlike most other college enlistees, Beetle would go on to become a career soldier—in fact, a career Private!

Beetle and Sarge At Camp Charlton Charlton Comics published Beetle Bailey beginning with issue #67 (Feb. 1969), concluding with issue #119 (Nov. 1976). Charlton’s Sarge Snorkel spinoff ran from issue #1 (Oct. 1973) through 17 (Dec. 1976). TM & © King Features Syndicate.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 23

Wars themselves have rarely reared their ugly heads in the strip. Walker once said that he turned down proposals for several liveaction Beetle Bailey movies that took place during wartime. Walker reportedly told the scriptwriters that Beetle would immediately be killed in an actual war! Thus, the strip has always been more about the humor found in the self-contained, enforced society and hierarchy of an Army training camp. Along with the lazy Carl James “Beetle” Bailey, the pasty and somewhat out of shape Sergeant Orville P. Snorkel is the strip’s other major protagonist. Sarge is the standard cliché tough guy drill sergeant, a lifer who’s a tad out of shape but can cuss like xo@#!! and beat the tar out of you on a regular basis, even though at heart he’s a real softie. He even dresses his pet bulldog Otto in a lookalike uniform as a kind of canine mini-me. A succession of other soldiers and officers of various ranks rounds out the cast. Over the years, these have included, amongst others, Beetle’s sleazy partner-in-crime, Killer Diller; the aging, sexist, and inept Brigadier General Amos Halftrack; Lieutenants Fuzz and (later) Flap; Captain Scabbard; the intellectual and philosophical Plato; the goofy simpleton Zero; Cookie, the mess hall sergeant; and, of course, the curvy, controversial civilian secretary to the General, Miss Buxley, who came along in 1971 but never made it into the US comic books. Appropriately enough, Beetle Bailey first came to the world of four-color comic books in 1953 via Dell’s long-running Four Color series. The Four Color series presented multiple titles per month, often one-shots based on popular movies, radio, or TV shows or licensed characters from cartoons or from newspaper comic strips. The newspaper-strip issues originally consisted simply of reprints from the papers, with new covers generally being the only new art. Over time, there were exceptions, where Dell would assign freelance writers and artists to create all-new stories of famous licensed characters. In the case of Beetle, though, Mort Walker insisted on being hands-on, to the

point where he and his assistant at the time—future Sad Sack artist Fred Rhoads—created the first two issues completely on their own. After four good-selling Beetle Bailey issues of Four Color, the character got his own title from Dell in 1956, picking up the numbering at #5 (Feb.–Apr. 1956). By that point, Jack Mendelsohn was providing some scripts and Frank Roberge and Tony DiPreta were doing artwork. Eventually, Walker assigned Bob Gustafson to do the comics. Gustafson, like Walker, was himself a veteran. Following World War II, he had begun selling single-panel gag cartoons to all the major magazines of the day. He got his foot in the door of newspaper comic strips via a short-lived strip called Specs. From there, he became an assistant to Tillie the Toiler creator Russ Westover, eventually taking over that venerable strip for more than four years in the 1950s. He joined Mort Walker’s growing staff in the early 1960s. The staff was growing because by that point, the Walker studio had begun syndicating other strips besides just Beetle, including Hi and Lois, Sam’s Strip, and Boner’s Ark. Gustafson assisted on all the Walker studio strips but found his niche in illustrating the comic books to Mort’s satisfaction. Mort wasn’t the only one satisfied, either, as Gustafson, even though he always worked uncredited on the Beetle Bailey comic books, won major awards for his work from the National Cartoonists Society in 1962, 1971, 1972, and 1982! Mort Walker himself, as one might expect, won numerous awards for Beetle from the NCS through the years as well. Mort told writer Craig Shutt, “They would show me their work until I trusted them to do it, and then I would just let them do it. Bob Gustafson, for instance, worked with me for many years not only doing the comic book but also as my assistant in the studio.” When Dell Comics and Western Publishing ended their partnership in 1963, Western continued publishing Dell’s licensed characters— including Beetle—under its new Gold Key imprint. Gustafson continued on the art and at some point, took on the writing as well. Three years later, though, King Features, which syndicated Walker’s strip, made a half-hearted effort to publish their own comic books, pulling the licenses from Gold Key for all their characters including the Phantom, Blondie, Popeye, and Beetle Bailey. When their experiment was over by mid-1967, their properties were simply no longer seen on newsstands. It seemed they were all relegated back to the daily papers. Even then, with the rising protests against the war in Vietnam, a military strip wasn’t exactly as endearing as it had once been. The steady increase in the number of young men who refused the draft also seemingly made Beetle Bailey less relatable to younger audiences. Nevertheless, about a year and half after that, someone at King Features decided to license their cash cow properties to Connecticut’s Charlton Comics. For those unfamiliar with the company, Charlton Comics was to the comics industry as the various “Poverty Row” film studios were to mainstream Hollywood. They put out some good product, sometimes even with well-known characters, but they were hampered by some less talented folks behind the scenes, lower budgets, poor production values, and spotty distribution.

BEETLE BAILEY IN THE BRONZE AGE

It was into this environment that Beetle Bailey made its comeback with issue #67 (Feb. 1969), and this time the title would run for nearly eight years straight, with an additional 17 issues of Sarge Snorkel in his own Charlton mag beginning in 1973! The first thing one notices about Charlton’s Beetle Bailey is that in spite of its inevitably lesser-quality printing, the art itself is instantly recognizable as being on-model. This is because once again Mort Walker insisted that his studio maintain some control of the project in-house. Chic Young didn’t do any work for Charlton’s Blondie comic, nor did Fred Lasswell draw the company’s Snuffy Smith, except perhaps the covers, but Walker provided quality control on his baby.

First Beetle Bailey Comic Book Dell Comics’ Four Color #469 (May 1953), Beetle’s enlistment into comic books. Cover by Mort Walker. TM & © King Features Syndicate.

24 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

Taking a Stand Beetle Bailey creator Mort Walker’s photo was inset into this undated original art for the Doodle for Hunger fundraiser. Courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com). TM & © King Features Syndicate.

Bob Gustafson continued to handle most of the art so that every character looked just like they did over your morning cereal and toast, only in longer stories. Looking back, Walker told writer Craig Shutt, “I wanted to keep to our own characters. When Bob Gustafson was doing it, I didn’t want him inventing anything or doing something unusual in the comic book. I wanted him creating stories based on the existing themes and characters.” Because of that edict, one finds endless but endearingly familiar variations on tropes such as Sarge beating up Beetle, Beetle trying to avoid work, Beetle peeling onions and potatoes on KP, Beetle and Killer trying to pick up girls, and, as always, the General becoming increasingly bewildered. Another thing a reader notices about the Charlton version of Beetle is the somewhat schizophrenic tone of the early issues, as though no one ever decided whether to market them to children, or to vets and then-currently serving soldiers. There are pages of (clean) Army jokes in some issues, but soon enough come coloring pages and ads for candy and toys as well. There’s even one coloring page that features a naked (but thankfully non-explicit) Sarge in the shower… with his dog Otto! One early backup strip was “Mister Breger” by cartoonist Dave Breger, a civilian version of another once-popular soldier strip, Private Breger. Some issues had no backup strips, but others that appeared from time to time included stories of Beetle’s little brother, Chigger; “Vinny the Vet”; and one of the other newspaper strips from Walker’s stable, Boner’s Ark. The Beetle Bailey comics were always filled with a mixture of short stories and one- or two-page gags. When they were funny—which was often—part of that was based on the reader’s familiarity with the characters. In a way, it was similar to a series of silent movie shorts or scenes in which the audience felt a kinship to a familiar character, actor, or type and then laughed at their predicament.

TEN-HUT! AN INSPECTION OF BEETLE BAILEY #84

Why don’t we take a look at a typical issue of Beetle Bailey, chosen at random? Let’s reach into the box here and pull out… Charlton’s Beetle Bailey #84 (Oct. 1971). There are ten stories and one coloring page gag in this 32-page comic book. 1—The first story, untitled, is the funniest. Sarge orders some new trashcans but the carbon requisition form is illegible and he gets more than he needed. A call to have the excess cans picked up is misinterpreted

as an order for more. His convoluted explanation confuses the situation further. In the final panel of the three-page story, Sarge is sitting outside surrounded by 30 trashcans and says, “I don’t dare call them again.” A simple gag, well played and drawn out just enough for maximum effect. Rather than have Sarge go ballistic, he—and everyone else in the story—remain calm, but frustrated, as in a Laurel and Hardy short. 2—A single-pager with Sarge demonstrating judo to the men. He doesn’t notice General Halftrack arriving to surprise him with news of a promotion. When he accidentally flips the General to the ground, that becomes a demotion. 3—“The Pledge” has Killer convincing Beetle to go bowling with him. He jots down the lane’s phone number on a piece of paper so Beetle can go call for reservations. On his way to the phone, Beetle runs across a charity collecting pledges on the base. He jots down a small pledge on a separate piece of paper and hands it in, not realizing he’s just pledged the telephone number Killer had given him! Everyone thanked him for his more than generous pledge but then he finally gets to the pay phone and realizes his mistake. 4—Next up is “The Fire Fighter,” which finds Sarge and his men camped out on a cold night. The Captain has said “No fires,” so Sarge puts out the one he finds, unaware that it was made by the Captain himself, after getting permission from the General. When the Captain returns with more wood, he restarts it, only to have Sarge act like Smokey the Bear again and put it out. When it happens yet again, Sarge says, “Good Golly, that’s a persistent fire,” and goes to drown it once more, only to be spotted this time by the now-irate Captain. 5—“Code Expert” is another good one. It opens with Private Bailey telling Killer he’s applied for a transfer to the Code Department and is to be interviewed for the position that day. Unbeknownst to anyone, this is also the day the camp psychiatrist has come to interview each man without them knowing who he is. Naturally, when called, Beetle assumes this is his Coder interview and his “decoded” answers to the doctor’s questions come across as nonsense. A sideways coloring page follows with Beetle having set a bull to charge at Sarge. 6—This is a story of Boner’s Ark, one of the Walker studio’s many other strips over the years. Three pages consisting of only seven large panels illustrate a minor gag, but they do it well. 7—This one is a tad creepy. “The Nature Trip” starts with a school bus of young women—High school? College? Who can tell?—being taken Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 25

26 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

on a nature field trip by their plain, middle-aged teacher. The young ladies get more than an eyeful of nature when they immediately and inadvertently stumble on Sarge Snorkel’s camp, filled with halfnaked Army men. As they attempt to run away, the teacher ends up in the stream where the presumably completely naked Killer and Beetle are bathing. As the girls rush back to the bus, the soldiers are all chasing them, leaving one girl to ask with a smile, “When is the next field trip?” 8—A single page gag with Otto and Sarge follows. 9—A three-pager entitled “Girl Hunt” has no girls in evidence at all but once again a platoon of horny soldiers is chasing them anyway, the humor being in the lengths to which they go with just a rumor that girls are nearby. 10—The book ends with a final one-page gag that offers a variation on a running theme in the newspaper strip where Sarge has slipped off a cliff and is hanging for dear life to a branch. Always the same branch! This time, Plato, the camp philosopher, contemplates some insights as to why Sarge just keeps ending up in that position.

SARGE SNORKEL SPINOFF AND RARE GRAPHIC NOVELS

Sales on the Beetle comic book must have been impressive as Charlton took the rare move of serving up a spinoff title starting with Sarge Snorkel #1 (Oct. 1973). While the covers of this new series say Beetle Bailey featuring Sarge Snorkel, the indicia title was always just Sarge Snorkel. Mort’s son Greg Walker, who these days carries on the long-running strip in the newspapers, was the man behind the Sarge Snorkel series. “My dad told me Charlton wanted to do a Beetle spinoff featuring Sarge. I ended up doing that for the whole run.” Mort himself is said to have helped on one early issue.

Offering up more of the same Walker-style humor, the new title lasted a total of three years, ending with #17 (Dec. 1976), a month after the final issue of Beetle Bailey, #119 (Nov. 1976). Greg Walker had taken over the parent title for its final few issues as well. While Charlton Comics would drag on for a few more years, the fact that they dropped all their licensed characters around the same time might have been a cost-cutting move. Perhaps surprisingly, as Gold Key/ Whitman was also nearing its end, Beetle Bailey #120 (Apr. 1978) appeared, followed by another dozen issues featuring the familiar antics of Beetle, Sarge, and the other regulars before ending with issue #132 (Apr. 1980). Not long after that, encouraged by the famous Franco-Belgian comics creator known simply as “Greg” (Bernard Prince, Walter Melon), who had moved to the US as a representative of European graphic album publisher Dargaud, Mort Walker decided to try his hand at original Beetle Bailey graphic novels. At the time, Greg said, “The purpose of the graphic novel is to present fictional entertainment a little differently— almost like movies on paper—and in formats that may be permanent parts of readers’ libraries.” Greg added that Beetle Bailey was a good fit for the concept. “Mort Walker’s talent for humor and storytelling, combined with an entire cast of crazy characters, just made it right for this new format. And it works! The Beetle stories are funny, masterfully drawn, and beautifully colored.” Walker himself was pleased with the challenge and opportunity to write and draw the longest Beetle Bailey stories to date. “These longer stories,” he told an interviewer when the books began coming out in 1984, “are like writing little novels or TV scripts. For one thing, they are like sitcoms in that you can develop characters and emotions and introduce subplots. I’ve got full pages, and many panels to work with; I can combine

Always On-Model (opposite page) The involvement of artist Mort Walker and his sons kept Charlton’s Beetle Bailey comics true to form. Covers for issues #72 (Nov. 1969), 78 (Nov. 1970), 82 (July 1971), and 100 (July 1973). (this page, left) Original Mort Walker cover art to Charlton’s Sarge Snorkel #4 (Sept. 1974), courtesy of Heritage. (right) An undated Sarge sketch by Mort Walker, submitted by Dan Hogan of Lincoln, Nebraska. TM & © King Features Syndicate.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 27

Rare Graphic Novels Dargaud’s Friends and Too Many Sergeants 1984 Beetle Bailey graphic novels. TM & © King Features Syndicate.

the panels and large scenes of the camp, hikes in the who outranks Snorkel. At first, he’s welcomed by the country with all types of scenery, and things like that.” platoon and admired by everyone but soon enough Unfortunately, neither Walker nor Dargaud considered he’s seen for the sleaze he is and everyone pulls that Americans simply did not “get” the graphic-novel together to get back good ol’ Sarge, who, even if he concept as the Europeans did. Walker said, “Even though is a bit clueless and sometimes violent, at least isn’t as the comics were born in America, the Europeans take crooked as the other sexist pig. Lots more cheesecake their comics more seriously. Businessmen, for instance, in this one, and some at least implied sexual innuendo. The third volume in this series, The System, was barely commuters going to work, are not embarrassed to read graphic novels on the train.” But in the US, they were. available new and is quite expensive if and when one can Although the first Beetle graphic album was hyped in find it today. At least one report indicates that there were the comics press, many US comics shops never carried two more of Mort Walker’s Beetle Bailey graphic albums it at all. The second one got even less notice, and the that were published only in Europe. “I don’t know what happened to the original material and I’m not sure I third none at all. What few Waldenbooks or B. even have copies of them all,” says Greg Walker. Daltons that did carry them stuffed them into “In fact, I thought there were only two!” their children’s sections where they sat, roundly ignored. Greg Walker tells BACK ISSUE, BEETLE IN THE 1990s “My dad and I did the graphic In the first half of the 1990s, the oncenovels. He wrote and penciled and mighty Harvey Comics, the company I lettered and inked.” that had dominated the kids’ comics The first Beetle Bailey graphic market through the 1960s and ’70s, album, Friends, is actually quite good. had a short-lived return to the stands At 48 pages, nearly everyone in the that included a number of licensed strip’s cast gets at least a moment or properties such as Beetle. Along with a two of business while the eternal couple of specials that reprinted Bob battle between Beetle and Sarge Gustafson stories from the Charlton carries the plot as a celebration of years, Beetle got his own title again, jorge pacheco Snorkel’s 25 years in the Army is too, for what would be the final—to Pachechotoons.com. planned behind the scenes by Miss date—time in the US. It consisted of Buxley and the General. Walker clearly enjoys playing reprints as well, though, and died when Harvey’s brief with all the extra space and since this was intended for comeback attempt petered out. adults, he even throws in some cheesecake and even a From 1990 to 1995, artist Jorge Pacheco was major nude scene! Granted the latter is Sarge, but still! Staff & Lead Artist for Harvey Entertainment and Not something one would find in the morning paper. contributed some new incidental art to many of the Too Many Sergeants, the second of the full-color licensed properties, including Beetle. “I think I drew albums, is also fun. The plot has a new Sergeant arrive only two or three covers,” he says. “They may have

28 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

Beetle in the 1990s (top left) First issue of Harvey’s short-lived Beetle Bailey run. (top right) Beetle—and his creator—were featured in Big Boy Magazine #477 in 1997. (bottom) Everybody’s here (well, not Miss Buxley) in this uplifting poster from Charlton’s Sarge Snorkel #14 (June 1976). Original art courtesy of Heritage. Beetle Bailey TM & © King Features Syndicate. Rugrats © Nickelodeon. Big Boy TM & ® Big Boy Restaurant Group.

been recreations? It’s been so long ago.” He adds, “It was a really fun project and Mr. Walker has always been one of my favorite cartoonists!” There has been, to date, one last, obscure Beetle Bailey comic-book appearance, in Big Boy Magazine #477 (July 1997). This is the comic-book series originally packaged by Stan Lee and Marvel (then Timely) for the Big Boy restaurant chain back in the 1950s, given away free to young diners in order to keep them occupied while waiting for their food to arrive. Forty years later, the comic was still around, the packaging then being done by Craig Yoe and Clizia Gussoni, who would later form Yoe Books. The cover, signed by both Yoe and Mort Walker, depicts a smiling Beetle and Big Boy holding picture frames around their heads as they stroll down the path to the International Museum of Cartoon Art, an institution founded by Mort. There’s even a photo of Mort Walker on the cover, touting an inside interview. Craig Yoe tells BACK ISSUE, “It was essentially an effort by me to promote Mort’s comics museum.” To date, there have been no more Beetle Bailey comic-book appearances in the US. New Beetle Bailey comic books continued to be created by Mort and his sons and the Walker Studio for parts of Europe, where the strip is known by various different titles including the wonderful Flippie Fink. At the end of the day, though, the comic books, as successful as they sometimes were, both creatively and in sales, had always been just a sideline to the daily and Sunday Beetle Bailey strips, which continue on to this day, even after Mort Walker’s death in 2018. “These days,” says Greg Walker, “My brother Neal and I are penciling, and I’m lettering and inking Beetle. Brian [Walker], Neal, and I are writing Beetle.” Although Beetle Bailey was originally banned by the Army newspaper Stars and Stripes for making fun of military officers, in the year 2000 Mort Walker was awarded the Decoration for Distinguished Civilian Service, the highest honor available from the US Army to anyone not actually in the military. And it was all because of that goldbricking &%$!! Private Beetle Bailey. At ease. Special thanks to John Rose, Greg Walker, Craig Shutt, and Craig Yoe. STEVEN THOMPSON is Booksteve of Booksteve’s Library (http:// b o o k s t e v e s l i b r a r y. b l o g s p o t . com) and a dozen other blogs. He has written for Fantagraphics, TwoMorrows, Yoe Books, Bear Manor Media, and Time Capsule Productions.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 29

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE INTERACTIVE CATALOG! http://www.twomorrows.com/media/TwoMorrowsCatalog.pdf

Advertise With Us! RetroFan & BrickJournal Ad Rates: Back cover or inside cover: $1000 ($900 for two or more) Full-page interior: $800 ($700 for two or more) Half-page interior: $500 ($425 for two or more) Quarter-page interior: $300 ($250 for two or more)

Alter Ego • Back Issue • Comic Book Creator • Draw • Jack Kirby Collector: Back cover or inside cover: $800 ($700 for two or more) Full-page interior: $600 ($500 for two or more) Half-page interior: $300 ($250 for two or more) Quarter-page interior: $150 ($125 for two or more) AD SIZES: COVERS & FULL-PAGE: 8.375” wide x 10.875” tall trim size, add 1/8” bleed. (7.625” x 10.125” live area.) HALF-PAGE: 7.625” x 4.875” live area (no bleeds). QUARTER-PAGE: 3.6875” x 4.875” live area (no bleeds).

Call or e-mail for frequency discounts! Send ad copy and payment (US funds) to: TwoMorrows Publishing 10407 Bedfordtown Drive Raleigh, NC 27614 919-449-0344 E-mail: twomorrow@aol.com

We accept check, money order, and all major credit cards; include card number and expiration date.

These rates are for digital ads supplied (PDF, JPEG, TIF, EPS, InDesign, or Quark Xpress files acceptable). No agency discounts apply.

by D

o n Va u g h a n

The decade in which a comic-book fan gets his or her first taste of the medium is extremely important. It forever informs what kind of comics they read, their favorite writers/artists, and more. For me, that allimportant decade was the 1970s. The first comic book I ever purchased, at age 12, was Where Monsters Dwell #5 (Sept. 1970), a Marvel title that reprinted science-fiction stories from a decade earlier. I was a hardcore Monster Kid (with a subscription to Famous Monsters of Filmland to prove it), and that issue’s powerful Jack Kirby cover spoke to me like no other. I was instantly hooked, and started spending every penny of my allowance on comic books—first monster titles, then funny animals, and finally, superheroes. I loved the Flash and was equally enamored of the Justice League of America. In fact, the first thing I ever had published was an LoC in JLA #94. My name was misspelled, but I didn’t care—I was in heaven. During those early years I was primarily a DC kid, but would occasionally dip my toe into the Marvel pool. I didn’t care for Charlton’s books, aside from Joe Staton’s delightful E-Man, and wouldn’t discover the unique appeal of Dell Comics until years later (although that once-mighty publisher was on its way out in the early to mid-1970s). I knew what I liked, and didn’t feel the need to look elsewhere.

IN THE MIGHTY MARVEL MANNER

That all changed in 1974, when the comicbook world was rocked by the debut of Atlas Comics (commonly referred to by comic-book historians today as Atlas/Seaboard to differentiate the company from the Atlas Comics of the 1950s). This upstart publisher intrigued me, and I quickly became a fan, ultimately collecting its entire four-color line. The money man behind Atlas/ Seaboard was Martin Goodman, the former publisher of Marvel Comics, who had sold his baby in 1968 to martin goodman Perfect Film and Chemical (later renamed Cadence Industries) for a very tidy sum. Enough, in fact, to front a new publishing company with his son, Charles “Chip” Goodman, at the helm.

Get Me Ben Stryker! Jaw-dropping opening splash page to Atlas/Seaboard’s Savage Combat Tales #1 (Feb. 1975), premiering Sgt. Stryker’s Death Squad. Original Al McWilliams art courtesy of Heritage (www.ha.com). Note the ruled area across the bottom: The bottom art, below Archie Goodwin’s writer’s credit, was cropped for publication and the placement of the indicia; glue residue from the now-missing indicia is visible in this scan. TM & © SP Media Group.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 31

According to Jon B. Cooke in his outstanding article on the history of Atlas/Seaboard in Comic Book Artist #16, when Martin Goodman sold Marvel Comics to Perfect Film and Chemical, he was promised that Chip would be retained as Marvel’s editorial director. However, in 1973, following PF&C’s name change, Stan Lee was installed as publisher and Chip was unceremoniously shown the door. Goodman was greatly peeved, and decided to exact revenge by establishing a new comic-book company to go toe to toe with Marvel and DC— but mostly Marvel. Indeed, as noted in Cooke’s article, Martin Goodman’s primary goal was to punish Marvel for the perceived slight against Chip by giving readers a better alternative. He hired [Stan Lee’s brother] Larry Lieber and Jeff Rovin as editors; wooed top writers and artists with higher page rates, the return of original artwork, and other perks; and established a total of 23 color titles, a handful of black-and-white comic magazines, and other periodicals. It’s important to note that as a publisher, Martin Goodman, for the most part, had always been primarily a follower, rarely a leader. His modus operandi was to determine which comics were selling well, then flood the market with similar titles. Once a genre had been bled dry, he would cancel those books and start over again. It appears that Goodman took a similar tact with Atlas/Seaboard in that there was almost nothing truly original in the titles the company published. The Brute, for example, was just a Hulk knockoff [see BI #124]. It was as if Goodman had gone down to the corner drug store, studied the spinner rack, and told his editors, “Give me exactly what Marvel is publishing.” As a result,

Atlas At War (top) Savage Combat Tales #1 (Feb. 1975; cover by Al McWilliams) and 2 (Apr. 1975, cover by Larry Lieber and Frank Giacoia); (bottom) Savage Combat Tales #3 (July 1975, cover by Rich Buckler) and Blazing Battle Tales #1 (July 1975, cover by Frank Thorne). TM & © SP Media Group.

32 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

Atlas/Seaboard’s line featured the same old same old: costumed superheroes, adventure, Westerns, horror, teen, sword-andsorcery, etc. From the beginning, all Goodman truly cared about was that the books Atlas/Seaboard published look EXACTLY like Marvel comics, because Marvel comics sold well. It was a mandate that ultimately drove his editors, who had initially hoped to make Atlas/Seaboard stand out from the competition, to distraction and in many ways led to the company’s quick demise. Atlas/Seaboard’s lineup also included two war titles: Blazing Battle Tales (featuring Sgt. Hawk) and Savage Combat Tales (featuring Sgt. Stryker’s Death Squad), both edited by Larry Lieber. (Lieber declined a request to discuss his time at Atlas/ Seaboard for this article.) The inclusion of two war comics made editorial sense because the genre, though not quite as popular as it had been in the 1950s and ’60s, still had a relatively strong readership. It would be another decade before war comics would start to lose their general appeal.

SGT. HAWK IS NO DOVE

Blazing Battle Tales lasted just one issue, while Savage Combat Tales managed to hang on for three. The former’s Sgt. Hawk was obviously Atlas/Seaboard’s attempt at recreating Marvel’s popular Sgt. Fury as the mustachioed NCO led his “Killer Platoon” (the Howling Commandos, with none of the fun) in fighting the Nazis during World War II. The title’s only issue (cover date July 1975, though oddly the month is missing on the interior indicia) features an evocative cover by Frank Thorne and leads with “The One-Armed Beast,” written by John Albano, penciled by Pat Broderick, and inked by Jack Sparling. The story is pretty straightforward: Yvette Duchamps, a French underground leader, has been captured by a sadistic German officer known as the One-Armed Beast, and it’s up to Hawk and his men to rescue her before she cracks under torture. On this mission Hawk brings along “a tough little Indian named White Cloud” (because all US military outfits in World War II apparently contained at least one appropriately named Native American) and “a cool killer named Goldberg” (because… well, never mind.) The trio easily breaches the compound where Duchamps is being held prisoner, rescue her, and fight their way out, killing the evil One-Armed Beast at the end.

The issue’s second feature, “The Sky Demon,” is also written he’s green, Hill is paired with an African-American soldier named by Albano, with art by Al McWilliams. Captain Gunner, a.k.a. Buford Ramm, who takes Hill under his wing and shows him how to survive as a soldier. (Ramm, we learn, is on the front lines the Sky Demon, is an American fighter pilot with a sixth because his family had been killed by a Japanese Zero sense for finding important enemy targets. As a result, during an attack in the Philippines, and he wants he has been allowed to go out alone whenever he revenge.) Ramm saves Hill’s life during an enemy wants to—until those orders are rescinded by a assault when the two are stationed alone on an new commanding officer. Gunner is required observation cliff, and upon returning to their unit, to fly with his squadron, where his heroics and Hill, newly baptized by combat, declines an offer skill are on fine display. At the end of a battle, to hang with the white soldiers, preferring Ramm’s Gunner requests permission to attack a German company instead. train that he suspects might be important, but is Fans of war comics may be inclined to compare denied. Later, the officer who trimmed Gunner’s Blazing Battle Tales and Savage Combat Tales to the wings admits his mistake and allows the Sky titles published by the competition, especially DC. Demon to again go off on his own. The reason? The stories published by Atlas/Seaboard are told His hunch was right—the train he wanted to quickly, with a minimum of character or story investigate was carrying Adolph Hitler! archie goodwin development. A problem is announced, Hawk/ The issue concludes with a two-page profile Stryker and their men go in and save the day. of Bronze Star winner Pvt. William Swanson, who One pines for more detail and nuance, and can’t singlehandedly took out three German machine-gun nests during the Normandy invasion. It’s an interesting moment of help but wonder how such stories might have fared had they real-life military history written by Albano and nicely illustrated by been penned by someone like Robert Kanigher. Savage Combat Tales was published bimonthly, yet issue war comics veteran John Severin. #3 has a July 1975 cover date rather than June. This appears indicative of the many internal and external problems that THE DIRTY NOT-QUITE DOZEN Sgt. Stryker’s Death Squad is the lead feature in all three issues finally brought down Martin Goodman’s self-proclaimed “New of Savage Combat Tales. With this series, writer Archie Goodwin House of Ideas.” By most indicators, Atlas/Seaboard should have been a success. and artist Al McWilliams take a stab at the “conflicted soldier” trope—Stryker, the son of a country doctor, hates to kill, and early It attracted many of the industry’s best writers and artists, and on even finds it difficult to fire on the enemy. Making matters was bolstered by Goodman’s decades-honed business acumen. worse, Stryker has promised to keep an eye on his girlfriend’s kid brother, Andy, who happens to be in Stryker’s unit. Inevitably, Andy is killed in combat, which only exacerbates Stryker’s emotional tumult. As for Stryker’s death squad, it’s actually a poor man’s Dirty Dozen, minus eight. Stryker saves four prisoners from a collapsed cellar—judo expert Lee Shigeta, circus acrobat Duke Ripley, pro wrestler Turk Ankrum, and gangster Ice Marko. All have been convicted of various crimes, but agree to serve with Stryker when a general, impressed with their fighting spirit, offers to commute their sentences in exchange for combat service. Of course, their individual skills all come into play during various missions. Standalone secondary features complete the title’s three issues. In issue #1 (Feb. 1975), the backup is “Bounty,” written by Goodwin with art by Jack Sparling. It involves a hotshot American fighter pilot in Burma who shoots down Japanese planes primarily for the $500 bounty offered by the Chinese government. When he’s shot down himself, he thinks he’s among friends until he is killed by a group of villagers eager for the bounty paid by the Japanese for Flying Tiger pilots. The backup story in issue #2 (Apr. 1975), titled “Chennault Must Die!!,” appears to be Goodwin’s attempt at establishing another recurring character, called Warhawk. His schtick? He’s a mysterious, mask-wearing flyer who aids Allied fighters in Burma. His debut is a fun and exciting story, with art by Alex Toth. Unfortunately, Warhawk’s first appearance was also his last. Despite an auspicious beginning, the character was nowhere to be found in issue #3 (cover date July 1975). The lead story, written by Goodman and illustrated by McWilliams, finds the Death Squad on a mission to kill German Gen. Irwin Rommel. The backup feature, “Dead-Man’s Ridge!,” is Goodwin’s attempt at bringing a little diversity to the proceedings. Pvt. Hill is the new guy at an Army outpost in the Solomon Islands. Because

An Artistic Treat Alex Toth illustrated Archie Goodwin’s “Chennault Must Die!!” Warhawk backup story in Savage Combat Tales #2. TM & © SP Media Group.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 33

Premature Death for the Death Squad Al McWilliams original cover art for the unpublished Savage Combat Tales #4. Courtesy of Heritage. TM & © SP Media Group.

But the four-color line was plagued by distribution problems from the very beginning, which made the comics difficult to find in many regions, observed Jason Sacks in TwoMorrows’ American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1970s. Worse, though, was reader apathy. Fans expressed quite a bit of excitement at the new line’s launch, eager for a comic-book publisher that would give Marvel and DC a run for their money with exciting new concepts and characters. But while there were occasional sparks of creative brilliance within certain Atlas/Seaboard titles, it quickly became evident that there was really nothing new of interest. Goodman’s incessant interference with his editors also contributed to Atlas/Seaboard’s rapid collapse. According to Jon B. Cooke’s article in Comic Book Artist, Goodman was constantly on Lieber and Rovin to make the comics look and read more like the books Marvel published—to the point where he ordered them to hire only Marvel artists and writers. Worse, even before initial sales figures were revealed, many titles underwent radical editorial changes in a desperate attempt to attract more readers. Most of these efforts failed.

It didn’t help that Chip Goodman was an ineffective publisher, according to many quoted in Cooke’s article. Despite being the scion of an industry titan, his understanding of what made a comic book successful was limited, and he had little to offer by way of advice on how to fix a problem or make something better. Quite simply, he was a man completely unqualified for the position he was given. Goodman’s “only Marvel writers and artists” edict finally drove Rovin out the door. The titles he edited were given to Lieber, who did the best he could with what he had to work with. But the writing was on the wall: Atlas/Seaboard was a grand experiment that had failed mightily. With the company hemorrhaging money and sales flagging, Goodman finally pulled the plug in the fall of 1975. No title lasted more than four issues. As for Atlas/Seaboard’s war titles, the kindest thing we can say is that they were unexceptional compared to the competition. In 1975, DC was still all in when it came to war, publishing Blackhawk, Weird War Tales, G.I. Combat, Our Army at War, Our Fighting Forces, and Star-Spangled War Stories. And there would be more to come: Blitzkrieg premiered in 1976 [see article elsewhere in this issue—ed.], followed by Men of War in 1977 and All-Out War in 1979. Marvel, too, was still in the trenches, though with far fewer war titles than it had published during the genre’s heyday of the 1950s and ’60s. During the Atlas/Seaboard era, it was publishing War is Hell [see article following—ed.], Roy Thomas’ superhero-centric Invaders [see BI #37—ed.], and Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos, which at that time primarily featured reprints. And while Dell’s war titles were all casualties by 1974, along with the rest of its comics line, Charlton was still going strong in 1975 with Attack!, Fightin’ Army, The Fightin’ Five, Fightin’ Marines, Fightin’ Navy, and War, the latter of which debuted with a June 1975 cover date. That’s a lot of war action for comic-book fans to choose from, much of it already well-established and featuring beloved recurring characters like Sgts. Rock and Fury. Lieber was wise to bring in Archie Goodwin to script Sgt. Stryker’s Death Squad and more, but the skilled scribe was behind the eight ball from the very beginning. Had Atlas/Seaboard’s war titles lasted years instead of months, it’s conceivable that Goodwin—who proved his talent by penning all but one story in publisher James Warren’s exceptional Blazing Combat—could have made Savage Combat Tales a winner by developing some truly exciting stories with intriguing recurring characters such as Warhawk. Sadly, we’ll never know. Like the old soldiers referenced in Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s farewell speech to Congress, Savage Combat Tales and Blazing Battle Tales have faded away, today nothing but a minor memory, if they’re remembered at all. DON VAUGHAN is a comic-book fan and freelance writer based in Raleigh, North Carolina. His work has appeared in Military Officer Magazine, VFW Magazine, Boys’ Life, Writer’s Digest, Filmfax, and elsewhere. He is the founder of Triangle Association of Freelancers (tafnc.com).

34 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

by E d

Catto

“War is Hell,” the grim quote succinctly describing the reality of war, is generally attributed to General Sherman. Like many, he believed that the way to win a war is to destroy the enemy’s will to resist. And from this he wrote, “War is cruel, and you cannot refine it.” There is no actual evidence that he used “War is Hell” in his writings, even though it is believed that he spoke the words in public. The 1961 film War is Hell, about the deglamorization of war, was held up from release as it was thought to be anti-American. Clearly, this sentiment of war as a horrible thing had been around for a while. And in the anti-war days of the early and mid-’70s, a comic book could embrace war stories, while employing a disclaimer that professed to acknowledge the grim futility of all it. Over at DC Comics, Kubert and Kanigher were punctuating each story with a “Make War No More” button, but a comic that proclaimed that War is Hell was a first. In the early issues of Marvel Comics’ War is Hell, the message didn’t really live up to the hype. The first six issues reprinted old war stories, some memorable, some not, with new covers. Issues #7 and 8 reprinted issues of Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos, often marketed as “the war comic for people who hate war comics,” referring to its comedic and adventuresome tone. But then, all of a sudden, in War is Hell #9 (Oct. 1974), the series lurched from being a perfectly fine, albeit ordinary, reprint title to something unique and deserving of attention.

WAR GAMES

In the ’70s, creative folks like Don McGregor, Steven Grant, and Tony Isabella were working at Marvel in many different capacities as they tried to find opportunities to write. Tony Isabella may have been involved in proofreading an issue or two of War is Hell, but he doesn’t have a specific memory of that. Of course, one can’t help but wonder what the reason was for shifting to creating new war stories. “Likely multiple reasons,” Isabella tells BACK ISSUE, “but I wouldn’t have been involved in the decisionmaking process on that level. I do know Roy [Thomas, then-Marvel tony isabella editor] wanted to give Dick Ayers a series to replace “IT! The Living Colossus” [in Astonishing Tales; see BI #36] and asked me to come up with a new series for War is Hell.

Hell on Earth The Gil Kane/Ernie Chan cover to War is Hell #9 (Oct. 1974), premiering John Kowalski’s adventures. TM & Marvel.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 35

Dick and I had worked together on a number of things and enjoyed working with each other.” The concept created was unique—the hero was a Marine, John Kowalski, who dies on the first day of the war. But then he would be forced by Death to inhabit the bodies of soldiers who had just died. The reasons why were unclear. But in each story, Kowalski, essentially a ghost, has the ability to make a difference in the final days of each soldiers’ life. It was also clear that dying again and again would be agonizing and cruel. “Roy asked me to come up with a new ongoing series for the book and I went as literal as possible,” says Isabella. “War might not have been exactly Hell for protagonist John Kowalski, but it was definitely Purgatory. I created all the basics for the series in my original pitch and my plot for the first issue.” There are similarities to DC Comics’ Deadman, and years later, there would be network TV show with the same premise. “When you think about it, I actually created Quantum Leap before there was a Quantum Leap on TV... just on a much more limited time range,” says Isabella. War is Hell really stood out versus the other war comics of the day. “Going from perhaps faulty memory,” says Isabella, “Marvel didn’t have much going on with its war comics. Sgt. Fury was circling the drain with new stories only every other issue. Over at DC, they had maybe four or five titles, including Weird War Tales. Charlton continued to do its anthology titles, some of which had ongoing features. If I had to pin down what War is Hell was in that marketplace, it was kind of sort of a cross between Weird War Tales and the more historical war comics of the 1950s.”

THE MACABRE ADVENTURES BEGIN

In the first all-new issue of War is Hell, we meet John Kowalski, a Marine who is recently dishonorably discharged. His naturalized citizenship is revoked and he is forced to return to his country of origin, Poland. Upon his arrival, he is warned by a Pole named Ostergan of Hitler’s imminent invasion. The ex-Marine doesn’t take it seriously, and consequently just about everyone in the town is killed—including Kowalski himself. Like Peter Parker in the earliest days of Spider-Man, Kowalski should have been more responsible. But as a result, rather than just one relative dying as in Parker’s case, the population of an entire town is wiped out. Kowalski is dumbfound and confused at first, not even believing himself to be dead. The character Death, in the form of a hooded, spooky skeleton, is introduced as the other half of this strong “odd couple.” He’s a creepy figure and seems to take delight in Kowalski’s morbid plight of coming to grips with his death. In the final panel, Death explains—sort of—what’s happening to the ill-faceted hero: “You bear Ostergan’s Curse, Mortal. So you know this: A coward dies a thousand times before his death. You will die them all. And a thousand-thousand more. Rest in Peace, John Kowalski.” But Kowalski never really understands why he is doomed to such a fate. Even in the penultimate issue, he’s still unclear exactly why he’s suffering. After he’s re-animating the body of a German paratrooper who just died, he’s still perplexed and thinks:

Dead Man Walking (top) Splash page to War is Hell #9. (bottom) In that issue, Tony Isabella raps with readers about this unusual new battle series. TM & © Marvel.

36 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

“Yeah, lucky for me. Another life. Another battle. Another.. death. And I still don’t know why. Was my life that …evil? What did I do that was so bad that I deserved this merry-goround hell? WHAT DID I DO?” The splash page lists “Series Conceived and Plotted by Tony Isabella, with the welcome aid of Roy Thomas.” Isabella noted, in his first issue’s editorial, that another writer was brought in as a scripter when his [Isabella’s] new editorial position ate up a lot of his writing time. The actual scripter for this inaugural issue, and the rest of the series, was Chris Claremont.

Kowalski’s Calling Original Dick Ayers/ Frank Springer art page from John Kowalski’s origin in War is Hell #9. Courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com). TM & © Marvel.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 37

Combat Creepiness Covers for War is Hell #10 (Dec. 1974) and 11, by the Gil Kane/Tom Palmer art team. (inset) An international version of issue #11’s story. TM & © Marvel.

CLAREMONT IS DRAFTED

Code. I would try as much as possible to tell historically Taking a metaphorical walk down memory lane with oriented stories.” And Claremont worked his magic given the parameters Chris Claremont is a treat. He jokes that if someone would write about the B-side of his career, they’d focus he was provided and delved into understanding the character. “Again you have to look at the structure of on War is Hell. Claremont remembers how the assignment “got the character as given. The John Kowalski I got from Tony. He was a Master Sargent in the Marines. That is dumped” into his lap. “The basic memory,” he recalls, a serious rank for anyone. That tells me Kowalski “was the rates sucked. But the economy was is a lifer, and he’s not a kid. [He’s] in his 40s, more forgiving [back then]. As a beginning late to middle career. To achieve a rank he writer, if a book lands in front of you, you had—he was something special.” grab it. And then you figure out what And then he was court martialed. makes it tick and you write it. “So he lost everything that gave his “The first issue established John life purpose.” Kowalski as a disgraced Marine. Where do we go from here? The WARSAW’S CURIE INSTITUTE parameters were that we were going (War is Hell #10, Dec. 1974) sequentially through the war. The rest This story opens with a grim look was up to me.” at Death as wanders across the And that was just fine as battlefield, choosing some and Claremont started out as a political “saving others for later.” Kowalski is theorist and historian. chris claremont in the body of Dr. Simon Bock, a Jew The fans seemed to like what who has recently become a refugee. Claremont was doing too. In the letters Ironically, this issue has an ad for a magazine called page of issue #14, Roger Klorese of Brooklyn proclaimed, “not since Steve Englehart and THE BEAST has a new Hitler, The Horror and Holocaust, which Stan Lee also promoted in that month’s Soapbox as “our Hitler writer been more suited for his first major strip.” “Nobody thought it would last for more than six documentary mag.” Chris Claremont is credited as the writer, and Tony issues,” says Claremont. And he says the ‘70s was “an experimental, less restrictive era. Nobody really Isabella receives a co-plotter credit. Dick Ayers and cared. The only basic rule was to get it past the Comics Frank Springer deliver the artwork.

38 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

TM & © Marvel.

THAT BLAZING LOGO

The Grand Comics Database lists Morrie Kuramoto and Dave Hunt as the letterers for War is Hell covers. One idea is that Kuramoto did the logo letters, and perhaps artist Dave Hunt added the texture on “Hell.” Award-winning letterer Todd Klein notes, “that doesn’t look like something that Morrie would have done,” but humbly admits he is not an expert on Marvel logos. At that time, “HELL” wasn’t a word that many suburban kids where I lived felt comfortable saying out loud. In fact, at my local Catholic church, I don’t recall the priests even saying it out loud. There was a stage where one might substitute the word “Heck” or even jokingly say “H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks,” as if it was a forbidden word. But the blazing “HELL” just made the whole comic more luridly compelling than ever. Perhaps it was a way of stealing a page from the playbook of publisher Lev Gleason—whose Crime Doesn’t Pay could profess to claim it didn’t glamorize

crime and yet sought to communicate just the opposite. But CRIME was certainly the dominant word on all those covers. Likewise, War is Hell could profess to say, “Hey, we’re trying to warn kids that war is awful,” but that blazing “HELL” would draw in young kids the same irresistible way a summer porch light draws mosquitoes. For the last issue, they tried something new. Herb Trimpe created a moody cover with swirly, ghostly madness that engulfed the cover. Writer Chris Claremont remembers it as an example of pulling out all the stops to generate interest in the series. “By issue #15, we were just playing around,” recalls Claremont. “There was nothing to lose at that point. My hope was that Herb could generate more interest. Comics were racked, and one way of catching readers’ interest was to change the look of the logo.” Incidentally, Claremont recalls that he was doing the same thing on Ms. Marvel when artist Dave Cockrum took over.

THE VALLEY OF THE DAMNED IN FINLAND (War is Hell #11, Feb. 1975)

Chris Claremont gets full writing credit starting with this issue, and Don Perlin replaces Dick Ayers as penciler, with Sal Trapani on inks. Although he doesn’t remember much of the series, Perlin provides to BACK ISSUE a nice summary that could almost serve as ad copy. He explains the protagonist’s plight as “Not good enough to get into Heaven, and they don’t want him in Hell.” This issue’s “Winter Kill” is a thriller that employs the backdrop of Finland’s Prokljataja Dolina—the Valley of the Damned—to tell the gruesome story of death in battle and during a deadly winter. In the letters page, Bill Banks’ letter establishes that at least some readers were getting it. He gives his thanks to all and describes War is Hell in this way: “Not merely a good comic or even good literature, but good philosophy—a life-consecrating horror story.”

MY LOVE MUST DIE – THE STANDOUT (War is Hell #12, Apr. 1975)

One issue clearly stands out as the apex of this short-lived series. The cover of issue #12, a stunner by Gil Kane and Tom Palmer, proclaims War is Hell to be “The Weirdest Combat Series of All!”— and for once, that wasn’t standard Marvel hype.

Perlin’s Pick Page 16 of War is Hell #12 (Apr. 1975), written by Chris Claremont, penciled by Don Perlin, and inked by Dave Hunt, is a fave of artist Perlin, as shown in the photo he kindly contributed to BACK ISSUE. War is Hell TM & © Marvel.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 39

Trimpe Flies High (left) Splash to War is Hell #13 (June 1975), featuring a dynamic warplane illustration by Herb Trimpe. (right) Herb was great drawing WWI airplanes, too, as we saw in the “Phantom Eagle” feature in Marvel Super-Heroes #16 (Sept. 1968). TM & © Marvel.

Claremont remembers how he came up with this story: “So, we are talking the Marines—pre-World War I. Where did we put Marines? China. We had a naval presence in China. Boats upstream in Hong Kong and Ch’ang Sha. Figure he’s a young man in that space. What does that young man do? He meets someone. Falling in love? That’s one thing. Marrying them? Bringing them back?” That would clearly be a different thing. As a writer, “you figure out all the elements not seen on panel,” explains Claremont. The Kane/Palmer cover showcases Kowalski in his early days, 1924, as a Marine stationed in Ch’ang Sha, China. And in this story, Claremont and Don Perlin, with inks by Dave Hunt, play with the series’ self-imposed rules a bit to offer up Kowalski’s great love story. Entitled “My Love Must Die” (curiously called “Death Duel” on the cover), the story picks up in 1940 in Ch’ang Sha and a vicious Japanese officer, Colonel Sessue Takeda, who is overseeing a beheading. Kowalski is directed by Death, as he is each issue, to take over the body of a soldier, and this time it’s Takeda. As fates would have it, a young Chinese beauty, Tsuin Hanneford, has arranged to petition to Takeda for the

life of her son. Kowalski, in a vivid flashback, recalls his ill-fated romance with Tsuin years ago, back in 1924. It’s a lovely story full of heartbreak and surprises. It’s fair to say that Claremont’s writing here greatly exceeds what comic fans had expected. He delivers a memorable, gut-wrenching story that should have been a blockbuster screenplay or a bestselling novel. The hero talks about Tsuin’s scent of jasmine several times, and you can almost smell it. Claremont’s narration transcends the typical war story narrative as well. One example is in this sequence: “It was spring—magical time—and all was right in the world and all was right with us. It was so hard to believe. I’d been on my own so long, depending on no one—no one depending on me. I’d liked it that way— nobody ever got hurt… Tsuin changed that.” Likewise, Don Perlin brought to life the joy of an emerging love and anguish of it all gone wrong. Of all the work he created over his impressive career, I was surprised to find that one page he has up in home is from this story. In and of itself, the flashback story is outstanding. But then, in the “current day” of 1940, Claremont and Perlin deliver the gut punch to the reader. The finale is a bittersweet surprise. They allow Kowalski to find a clever way to help his long-lost love and his son, and to outwit Death, at least momentarily. This story tweaks the premise of the series, and Kowalski even jeers Death by telling him, “Well, I’m breaking your rules, baby.”

DUNKIRK JUNE 1940 (War is Hell #13, June 1975)

This issue welcomes Herb Trimpe onboard as “regular” artist. Like Perlin, War is Hell brings out the best in Trimpe. He’s able to show off his skills rendering wartime paraphernalia—he’s especially good at WWII

40 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

The Grim Finale The book’s logo was altered on the final issue, War is Hell #15 (Oct. 1975). TM & © Marvel.

airplanes—but beyond that, he is able to bring the grimness and anguish of the war into each story. Issue #13 spotlights the Battle of Dunkirk. In this story, Kowalski takes over the body of John Brabham. He’s a squadron leader of the Royal Air Force, but also described as a gourmet cook, a painter, and a dart champion. In short, he’s a good man and great pilot. Kowalski is forced to take over his body. In this story, Death has an unusual task for Kowalski. He’s to show a young boy the realities of war and to dispel the boy’s romantic notions of bravery, courage, and combat. By the story’s finale, Kowalski feels a sense of accomplishment as he has succeeded in the strange task. But again, Death has the last laugh as he reveals to Kowalski that the boy will die in 1944 in Normandy, and that Kowalski is powerless to do anything to change that fate.

SKALSO, NORWAY, APRIL 1940 (War is Hell #14, Aug. 1975)

The letters page explains that although “regular artist” Herb Trimpe did a great job on the preceding issue (#13), he needed to focus on his Incredible Hulk art chores. So longtime artist George Evans was brought in as a fill-in artist. With only a handful of Marvel comics to his credit, Evans was an unusual choice. But his work is masterful. In War is Hell #14, Kowalski inhabits the body of a German paratrooper occupying Norway. But soon his true loyalties rise to the surface, and he helps Norwegian Jews escape the clutches of the Nazis. Perhaps he’s trying to atone for his past sins? Either way, it is a gripping story that must have left fans panting for more. Of note: There’s also a nod to issue #10, in typical Claremont style, where Kowalski remembers a recent adventure where he was inhabiting the body of a Jew.

BIR HAGELAH – CHRISTMAS EVE, DECEMBER 1940 (War is Hell #15, Oct. 1975)

In the final story of the series, with Trimpe back as artist, Kowalski again assumes the body of an “enemy solider.” This time it’s an Italian commando, Sgt. Dax. This one takes place in Libya, and Claremont’s deep understanding of history shines through. Again, there is another element of continuity here as an editor’s footnote refers to the classic love story “My Love Must Die” in issue #12.

THE END IS NEAR

Throughout the series, Death cruelly taunts John Kowalski. One gets the impression that the trials of his many deaths will last for an imaginably long time. And the true purpose of Kowalski’s ability to inhabit bodies of soldiers is never really clearly defined. One wonders if in fact Death might have had a positive rather than a sinister motive. But alas, readers were left only to wonder, as the series drew to a close with issue #15. Kowalski would make a handful of other appearances over the years, in Man-Thing and in a Scarlet Witch story, but we never learned of his other wartime adventures.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN

“If it had gone on,” Chris Claremont teases “maybe the ground crew would be waiting for the plane to come back. Or black fighter pilots in Africa and North Italy.” Claremont talks about an idea for a story focusing on a man who worked with Enrico Fermi (the architect of the Nuclear Age): “The person would have to be in the right place at the right time. And then flip the story—tell the story about creating the bomb and then tell the story about the victims. “A story I would have loved to have do—I would love to do more—is a story based in Vietnam as the they were trying to throw off the Japanese invaders. If we had only been paying the right

attention—we could have avoided the French massacres and [the US’ war in] Vietnam.” Always bubbling up with ideas, Claremont shares another War is Hell story possibility that might remind BI readers of his most famous Marvel series: “A story in the camps, with a certain fellow with a certain mutant ability. So much more to play with.” Claremont also suggested that Wolverine could be interwoven into a story with John Kowalski.

OVER BEFORE IT REALLY BEGAN

“I assume War is Hell ended with issue #15 because the new material didn’t improve sales sufficiently,” says Tony Isabella. Would the concept be viable today? “A few days ago, because of the limited time span in which the original series was set, I would’ve said no,” says Isabella. “But, as I answered these questions [via email], I figured it out to make the concept fresh again. Now I just have decide if I want to pitch it at Marvel or, removing Marvel characters, pitch it elsewhere.” A clever, insightful war comic that never really caught on, never reached its full potential, and is largely forgotten. A grim end to a series that touted grimness. ED CATTO is a business strategist, entrepreneur, and educator with a specialty in pop culture. He is an instructor at the Ithaca College’s School of Business and leads the Agendae agency. As an artist, Ed also provides illustrations for publishers including AHOY! Comics and Airship27.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 41

Try all the magazines from TwoMorrows Publishing:

THE PROFESSIONAL “HOW-TO” MAGAZINE ON COMICS, CARTOONING & ANIMATION

ALTER EGO #164

THE CRAZY COOL CULTURE WE GREW UP WITH

THE ULTIMATE RESOURCE FOR LEGO ENTHUSIASTS

COMIC BOOK CREATOR #23

ALTER EGO #165

ALTER EGO #166

ALTER EGO #167

Spotlight on MIKE FRIEDRICH, DC/Marvel writer who jumpstarted the independent comics movement with Star*Reach! Art by NEAL ADAMS, GIL KANE, DICK DILLIN, IRV NOVICK, JOHN BUSCEMA, JIM STARLIN, HOWARD CHAYKIN, FRANK BRUNNER, et al.! Plus: MARK CARLSONGHOST on Rural Home Comics, FCA, and Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt! Justice League of America cover by NEAL ADAMS!

WILL MURRAY showcases original Marvel publisher (from 1939-1971) MARTIN GOODMAN, with artifacts by LEE, KIRBY, DITKO, ROMITA, MANEELY, BUSCEMA, EVERETT, BURGOS, GUSTAVSON, SCHOMBURG, COLAN, ADAMS, STERANKO, and many others! Plus FCA, Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt with more on PETE MORISI, JOHN BROOME, and a cover by DREW FRIEDMAN!

FAWCETT COLLECTORS OF AMERICA (FCA) Special, with spotlights on KURT SCHAFFENBERGER (Captain Marvel, Ibis the Invincible, Marvel Family, Lois Lane), and ALEX ROSS on his awesome painting of the super-heroes influenced by the original Captain Marvel! Plus MICHAEL T. GILBERT’s “Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt” on Superman editor MORT WEISINGER, JOHN BROOME, and more! Cover by SCHAFFENBERGER!

Salute to Golden & Silver Age artist SYD SHORES as he’s remembered by daughter NANCY SHORES KARLEBACH, fellow artist ALLEN BELLMAN, DR. MICHAEL J. VASSALLO, and interviewer RICHARD ARNDT. Plus: mid-1940s “Green Turtle” artist/creator CHU HING profiled by ALEX JAY, JOHN BROOME, MICHAEL T. GILBERT and Mr. Monster on MORT WEISINGER Part Two, and more!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

COMIC BOOK CREATOR #24 COMIC BOOK CREATOR #25 COMIC BOOK CREATOR #26

COMIC BOOK CREATOR #27

WENDY PINI discusses her days as Red Sonja cosplayer, & 40+ years of ELFQUEST! Plus RICHARD PINI on their 48-year marriage and creative partnership! Plus: We have the final installment of our CRAIG YOE interview! GIL KANE’s business partner LARRY KOSTER talks about their adventures together! PABLO MARCOS on his Marvel horror work, HEMBECK, and more! Cover by WENDY PINI.

TIMOTHY TRUMAN discusses his start at the Kubert School, Grimjack with writer JOHN OSTRANDER, and current collaborations with son Benjamin. SCOTT SHAW! talks about early San Diego Comic-Cons and friendship with JACK KIRBY, Captain Carrot, and Flintstones work! Also PATRICK McDONNELL’s favorite MUTTS comic book pastiches, letterer JANICE CHIANG profiled, HEMBECK, and more! TIM TRUMAN cover.

BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH discusses his new graphic novel MONSTERS, its origin as a 1980s Hulk story, and its evolution into his 300-page magnum opus (includes a gallery of outtakes). Plus part two of our SCOTT SHAW! interview about HannaBarbera licensing material and work with ROY THOMAS on Captain Carrot, KEN MEYER, JR. looks at the great fanzines of 40 years ago, HEMBECK, and more!

Career-spanning interview with TERRY DODSON, and Terry’s wife (and go-to inker) RACHEL DODSON! Plus 1970s/’80s portfolio producer SAL QUARTUCCIO talks about his achievements with Phase and Hot Stuf’, R. CRUMB and DENIS KITCHEN discuss the history of underground comix character Pro Junior, WILL EISNER’s Valentines to his wife, HEMBECK, and more!

Extensive PAUL GULACY retrospective by GREG BIGA that includes Paul himself, VAL MAYERIK, P. CRAIG RUSSELL, TIM TRUMAN, ROY THOMAS, and others. Plus a JOE SINNOTT MEMORIAL; BUD PLANT discusses his career as underground comix retailer, distributor, fledgling publisher of JACK KATZ’s FIRST KINGDOM, and mail-order bookseller; our regular columnists, and the latest from HEMBECK!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Summer 2021

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Fall 2021

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Winter 2021

TwoMorrows. The Future of Comics History.

KIRBY COLLECTOR #78 KIRBY COLLECTOR #79

SILVER ANNIVERSARY ISSUE! How Kirby kickstarted the Silver Age and revamped Golden Age characters for the 1960s, the Silver Surfer’s influence, pivotal decisions (good and bad) Jack made throughout his comics career, Kirby pencil art gallery, MARK EVANIER and our regular columnists, a classic 1950s story, KIRBY/STEVE RUDE cover (and deluxe silver sleeve) and more! (84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (DELUXE EDITION w/ silver sleeve) $12.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

See “THE BIG PICTURE” of how Kirby fits into the grand scheme of things! His creations’ lasting legacy, how his work fights illiteracy, a RARE KIRBY INTERVIEW, inconsistencies in his 1960s MARVEL WORK, editorial changes in his comics, big concepts in OMAC, best DOUBLE-PAGE SPREADS, MARK EVANIER’s 2019 Kirby Tribute Panel, PENCIL ART GALLERY, and a new cover based on OMAC #1! (84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

OLD GODS & NEW: KIRBY COLLECTOR #81 “KIRBY: BETA!” Jack’s experimental ideas, A FOURTH WORLD characters, series (Fighting American, COMPANION (TJKC #80) Jimmy Olsen,andKamandi, and others), Kirby

Looks back at JACK KIRBY’s own words, as well as those of assistants MARK EVANIER and STEVE SHERMAN, inker MIKE ROYER, and publisher CARMINE INFANTINO, to show how Kirby’s epic came about, where it was going, and how he would’ve ended it before it was cancelled by DC Comics! (160-page FULL-COLOR TPB) $26.95 (Digital Edition) $14.99 • Now shipping! ISBN: 978-1-60549-098-4

interview, inspirations for his many “secret societies” (The Project, Habitat, Wakanda), non-superhero genres he explored, 2019 Heroes Con panel (with MARK EVANIER, MIKE ROYER, JIM AMASH, and RAND HOPPE), a pencil art gallery, UNUSED JIMMY OLSEN #141 COVER, and more! (84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Fall 2021

TwoMorrows Publishing 10407 Bedfordtown Drive Raleigh, NC 27614 USA 919-449-0344 E-mail:

store@twomorrows.com

Order at twomorrows.com

by D

ouglas R. Kelly

You can assemble all the right ingredients. You can prepare them and mix them just right. You can bake, broil, or sauté everything just the way the recipe instructs. But there are times that the dish doesn’t turn out as intended, even if family and friends at the table do their best to spare your feelings. Cooking and comic books? There are at least two parallels—gathering the ingredients (the plot, the dialog, the pencils, the inks, the lettering, the coloring), and the deadline looking over your shoulder, whether it’s the hungry gang waiting for dinner or the pages due at the printer by close of business Wednesday. Robert Kanigher assembled the right ingredients in 1975 at DC Comics. The prolific writer and creator of such DC characters as the Metal Men and Sgt. Rock had an idea for a different kind of war comic, one that would tell the story of World War II from the perspective of German soldiers. “I went into Carmine [Infantino, DC publisher at the time],” Kanigher said in a 1989 interview with Tim Bateman and Steve Whitaker. “I said I want to do a book called Blitzkrieg. This guy says, ‘go ahead.’ Carmine had assured me previously… I had told him I was not going to do any new books any more unless I was the editor, and he said yes. So I did Blitzkrieg.” Kanigher’s concept was a departure from what was being done in DC’s war comics in the mid-1970s. Titles such as Our Army at War, which would morph into Sgt. Rock in early 1977, and G.I. Combat, which featured the adventures of the Haunted Tank, generally offered readers stories of Allied soldiers (American soldiers, for the most part). Delving into the experiences of German soldiers—Nazis— in a comic book was a risky proposition: Would American readers identify in any way with the lives of enemy combatants, especially at a time when many readers’ families had been damaged, and in some cases, torn apart, by those enemy combatants just 30 years before?

SURVEYING THE BATTLEFIELD

At least Blitzkrieg would have the sub-category to itself. Marvel Comics wasn’t exactly tearing up the racetrack with war comics in the mid-1970s, but they did continue to publish Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos, which featured the adventures of an American unit during World War II. Even the shortlived (15 issues) War is Hell, published from 1973– 1975, had half of its issues made up of reprints of old Atlas Comics and Sgt. Fury stories. The cast of characters in Blitzkrieg was led by a group of soldiers in a German infantry unit.

Not Your Average War Book Blitzkrieg came out of the gate fast with a superb Joe Kubert cover for issue #1 (Jan.–Feb. 1976) that visually summarized the series’ stated goal. All comic scans are courtesy of Doug Kelly. TM & © DC Comics.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 43

Blitzkrieg Behind the Scenes (top left) Blitzkrieg writer Robert Kanigher, with Cary Burkett and Morris Waldinger, early 1980s. (top right) Blitzkrieg assistant editor Allan Asherman, with Carl Gafford and Cary Bates, early 1980s. (bottom left) Primary Blitzkrieg artist Ric Estrada. Kanigher and Asherman photos courtesy of Bob Rozakis. Estrada photo from IllustrationHistory.org. (bottom right) Franz, Hugo, and Ludwig eliminate Polish resistance fighters in Blitzkrieg #1. Despite the horrific subject matter, Ric Estrada’s art had a light, somewhat cartoonish style in the first three issues of the title. TM & © DC Comics.

Kanigher, who died in 2002, said in an interview in The Comics Journal #86 (Nov. 1983), “I invented three soldiers. One of them, I roughly patterned after Paul Bäumer of [Erich Maria] Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front. He was a college boy and he was very uneasy about what he was doing. Not that he didn’t do it, but he did it very reluctantly. And he was very troubled. The middle character was mainly interested in eating. So it didn’t matter if they had just killed a half dozen people, he was thinking about

44 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

the hot rolls in a bakery in Berlin. I placed one scene, actually, in a bakery in which they had killed Allied soldiers. They went in, and this particular character was very food oriented, and thought that the rolls in there were marvelous. The third one was the worst type of soldier, who just obeys orders. They are the ones that are responsible for the atrocities. They obey orders, they have no sense of guilt, no conscience. They do what they are told to do. Their alibi—‘I was just obeying orders.’”

ORDERS ARE ORDERS

Blitzkrieg #1 (Jan.–Feb. 1976) came out with guns blazing. The cover art was by the legendary Joe Kubert—who would go on to do all five covers of the series—and you couldn’t miss its message. German soldiers have their guns trained on the window of a bombed-out building, in which stand civilians, who appear to be mother and son. One soldier is saying, “Do not shoot, Hugo!” while the other replies, “Orders are orders! They are enemies… and this is war!” Underneath the Blitzkrieg logo is a sub-headline, “Searing battle sagas of World War 2 as seen through enemy eyes!” And at the top right of the cover, next to the DC logo, are the words, “We dare to be different!” The 11-page lead story in the first issue, “The Enemy,” is set in Warsaw, Poland. The three German soldiers that Kanigher talked about in The Comics Journal interview— Franz, Hugo, and Ludwig—are taking a break when they’re fired on by Poles holed up in a nearby house. The three of them identify where the shots are coming from and wipe out most of the attackers. But when they see that a woman and a young boy are the only ones left, one of the Germans says, “Hold your fire!” His comrade, however, shouts, “They are the enemy!” and shoots the woman and the boy dead, playing out the scene with which Kubert’s cover teased us. The three soldiers move on through the streets of Warsaw, engaging Polish civilians determined to fight for their country. Kanigher used an effective plot device throughout this first story: a group of Poles continue to broadcast “Radio Warsaw” as the German forces lay waste to their city. The announcer assures the Polish people, “As long as you hear our national anthem, Warsaw still stands against the Huns!” A young man carrying a violin case tries to warn a baker to leave his bakery, only to be shot by Hugo. Franz says to him, “Hugo—you shot a civilian!” When Ludwig says, “I’ll bet your ‘civilian’ was carrying explosives in his violin case!” Franz opens the case and pulls out only a bullet-riddled violin. The three are ordered by a lieutenant to join his forces as they search for the location of the Radio Warsaw broadcasters, intending to silence them permanently. As the story races to its conclusion, the courage and determination of the Poles are on full display. Kanigher establishes his “college boy,” Franz, in this first entry as the voice of reason, as more or less the conscience of the three soldiers. The other two behave pretty much the way German soldiers are usually portrayed in World War II stories: brutal, heartless, and ready to wreak destruction and death on anyone they come across. The interior art was by Ric Estrada, an artist known for his work on such DC titles as Wonder Woman, Freedom Fighters, and Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter. While his artistic style worked well on those other characters, it was a mismatch for Blitzkrieg; Estrada depicted the characters here with a light-hearted, almost cartoonish style that clashed with the dark, tragic events unfolding on the pages. The first panel of page 8 is a good example, as it shows Hugo and Ludwig lecturing Franz on the nature of the enemy while Franz picks up a violin case. Each issue of Blitzkrieg included a second story, five pages in length, by Kanigher and Estrada. The story in issue #1, “The Huns,” draws a parallel between what the German army did in the 20th Century and what Attila the Hun did in 433 AD. Following a battle, Attila loans his sword to a boy who is cleaning it, telling him, “Return with the head of an enemy! Prove yourself a true Hun!” The boy sets off to do just that, but what he encounters demonstrates the power of the human spirit to resist even the mightiest of armies. The first issue wraps up with a two-page spread “Battle Album,” telling the story of Germany’s Dornier Night Fighter aircraft, which was nicknamed “The Anteater.” The art for the album was by noted war comics artist Sam Glanzman.

Following Orders (top) Kubert’s cover for Blitzkrieg #2 (Mar.–Apr. 1976). (bottom) Franz ruminates on the horror of war in Blitzkrieg #2. TM & © DC Comics.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 45

The action in Warsaw continues in Blitzkrieg #2 (Mar.–Apr. 1976), in a story entitled “Walls of Blood,” as the three soldiers continue their house to house fighting with Polish soldiers and civilians. The German units round up the Poles they haven’t yet killed and transport them to “work camps,” while a survivor of one such facility tells his fellow poles that a guard at a nearby camp showed him the gas chambers and dead bodies and then helped the Pole escape. The Poles put up tougher and more determined resistance than the Germans had planned, so the Germans bring in reinforcements to help crush what’s left of Warsaw. But in the midst of the carnage, a 12-year-old boy takes his dying grandfather’s words to heart as he escapes Warsaw to fight another day. The issue’s second story is another Attila the Hun adventure, “Circle of Death.” Attila and his men rape and pillage a small village, expecting to return shortly after to extract even more treasure from the Gauls. The Gauls, however, have other plans for the murdering marauders… Another “Battle Album” closes the issue with a look at the features and capabilities of Germany’s Panther tank. Sam Glanzman once again did art duty on the album.

MALMEDY

Issue #3 (May–June 1976) may have been the strongest of the five issues of Blitzkrieg, with both stories focused on Franz, Hugo, and Ludwig. The main story, “The Execution,” opens on the Normandy coast of France, where a visit from Field Marshal Rommel leads to the three soldiers repelling a nighttime attack by the enemy. Later, in the town of Malmedy, Belgium, the three men capture a group of US Rangers, who are taken to a field outside the town. Franz, Hugo, and Ludwig then take part in an atrocity, led by the German SS, that was based on actual events in Malmedy in 1944. In this story, perhaps better than any of the others in the series, Robert Kanigher showed the stark contrast of Franz’s approach with that of Hugo and Ludwig. The issue’s second story, “The Partisans,” finds Franz, Hugo, and Ludwig in the Ural Mountains in Russia (these three must have earned enormous frequent flyer miles during the war). Their tank units are attacked by Russian partisans, resistance fighters who inflicted heavy losses on German troops along the Eastern front. Following the battle, the commander of the tank units has several locals executed for having fed and sheltered the partisans. As the execution takes place, the Germans are fired on from the woods, and they proceed to take out the attackers. However, they’re appalled to find that the attackers they’ve killed are children. The scene showing the dead children lying in the snow is jarring, and one can well imagine 1970s readers being shocked, as well. “Both stories are excellent,” says Brian Sheppard, one of

Pushing the Comics Code (inset) Cover of Blitzkrieg #3 (May–June 1976). (top) Detail from the splash page spread in #3, showing the arrival of Erwin Rommel on the Normandy coast. (bottom) The second story in #3, “The Partisans,” must have dropped more than a few jaws in 1976, as it showed the three main characters shooting children who had fired on the German unit. TM & © DC Comics.

46 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

the “War Correspondents,” a group of knowledgeable war comics fans who contribute to “The War Report” in the annual Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. “I think the main story leading up to the execution of the American prisoners at Malmedy reveals a lot about the characters, and the backup showing kids fighting and dying in Russia is very powerful. I remember reading this [issue] as a kid and just being blown away. I think Kanigher, Kubert, and Estrada pitched a no-hitter on this [issue]. The one panel after they have killed the American POWs, where the Nazi officer simply says, ‘Bury them’… that demonstrates the efficient, matterof-fact lack of remorse or humanity that the creators were trying to get at with this title.” Something a bit different closed out issue #3: two pages of “table-top dioramas” of USS Buckley and the German submarine U-66. Readers were encouraged to cut out the drawings of the two ships to create a diorama, an atrocity that hopefully few readers actually committed.

PARIS AND AFRICA

The boys are in Paris for the main story, “The Tourists,” in Blitzkrieg #4 (July–Aug. 1976), where they tour the city and see the sights of the City of Lights. Oddly, Ludwig now is called Bruno, which may have been due to Kanigher simply not remembering the character’s name as the change is never explained. Everywhere the three of them go, they’re attacked by French resistance fighters. This puzzles them, as they wonder aloud why the French don’t simply give up and accept that they’re beaten. The ending of the story sheds light on that question in a moving way. Issue #4’s second story, “The Souvenir!,” takes place in the African desert, focusing on a German officer named Wasser, who likes to hunt for souvenirs. He takes

watches off of dead British soldiers, and in general pillages whatever items he can get his hands on. He sends these souvenirs home to his girl, Hilda. But he meets his match when he enters a bombed-out building and tries to help himself to a treasure he spots there. The two-page “Battle Album” at the back of the issue focuses on an American fighter-bomber, the F4U Corsair. Art on the album, once again, was by Sam Glanzman. Ric Estrada’s art went through a subtle shift with issue #4 (and, to a limited extent, with issue #3, as well). His work in #4 has a more finished look, particularly in the second story, “The Souvenir!” When he used a heavier ink line, the art took on more weight. This made for a better visual style—a more somber tone—for the horrors being portrayed in Blitzkrieg. Brian Sheppard likes Estrada’s efforts on Blitzkrieg. “I think Ric Estrada was a good choice for this book. The artwork—while never having the same graphic energy of Kubert, or the precision of Russ Heath or John Severin—was very effective to me. There’s a mania in the eyes of some of the German characters, a lust for conquering, that he really nailed.” The cover for #5 (Sept.–Oct. 1976) was one of Kubert’s most effective for the Blitzkrieg series, showing German soldiers pumping bullets into dead British paratroopers. And then we get a surprise when we open up the issue: the interior art on the first story is by Lee Elias, a veteran artist who worked for Fiction House, Harvey, and Marvel, along with DC. “The Raid” takes place in the French countryside as Franz Steiner, Ludwig Goertz, and Hugo Radl—we learn their last names for the first time (and Bruno is now back to being Ludwig)—survive an ambush on their truck convoy. As the three watch, a group of old French soldiers come out of the smoke,

Within the Gestapo’s Reach (left) Another stirring Kubert cover, on Blitzkrieg #4 (July–Aug. 1976). (right) The second story in #4, “The Souvenir!,” showed a subtle change in Ric Estrada’s art, as a heavier ink line and a more finished look gave the story a more somber tone. TM & © DC Comics.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 47

to the surprise of Franz, who wonders why old men are out there in various tattered uniforms. One of the old soldiers exclaims (translated from the French), “To arms, citizens! Form your battalions and march!” Hugo and Ludwig don’t wait, mowing down the ancient warriors with their weapons. Franz exclaims, “Th-that was… slaughter, Hugo!” Later, the three of them are working their way toward headquarters, engaging Allied paratroopers and American infantry along the way. What the boys fail to realize, as they sit down for a break, is there’s a reason why they’re seeing so many Allied troops in the region, and that history is about to be made in the country of France. Lee Elias’ art on the first story has a weight and a depth that fits the subject matter very well. The opening spread, especially, conveys a heavy sense of the death and destruction that surrounded the three main characters every day. We’re not told why Elias was given the art chores on this issue, although the issue’s letters page (which began in issue #4) does mention that the editors hope that readers will like his work. Issue #5’s second story, “The Devil Waits,” featured art by Ric Estrada and told the story of the testing of Maric, a Goth chieftain in 318 B.C. Trapped in a subterranean chamber, Maric must fight off kill-crazed cavemen. It’s a pedestrian story that would have benefitted from having more space to play out.

THE AXE

Final Issue (top) Joe Kubert excelled himself with the cover of Blitzkrieg #5 (Sept.–Oct. 1976), making it a contender for best cover of the five-issue series. Note the modified logo. (bottom) Artist Lee Elias used the opening spread of #5 to convey the death and confusion of battle. (inset) Elias’ art in issue #5 had a weight and a depth that fit the brutal subject matter quite well. TM & © DC Comics.

48 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

And then it was over. Blitzkrieg was cancelled without warning, at least in the book itself as nothing was said in the story pages or in the letters page of issue #5. As with so many books of that period, we don’t have access to sales figures; it’s possible that they weren’t up to par and DC pulled the plug once they thought the book wouldn’t fly. Blitzkrieg succeeded only partially in showing the war through German eyes, as Kanigher’s stories depicted nearly all of the German characters as onedimensional, stereotypically vicious monsters. Franz Steiner essentially was the only exception, and while his actions and reactions did give the reader some insight into his humanity, it was overwhelmed in the stories by the unrelenting savagery and horror around him. How do you go wrong with Kanigher, Kubert, and Estrada? All excellent ingredients, mixed with a great concept, but the result wasn’t the “different kind of war comic” that its creators intended. The series could have shined a light on what it was like to play a role in perpetrating the worst evil of the 20th Century. Instead, Blitzkrieg offered interesting stories that nonetheless only scratched the surface of that potential, with the majority of the interior art by Estrada—a talented artist with a long resumé of solid work—serving to lessen the impact of the subject matter. Having more Franz Steiners, more of their stories, their conflicts, and their perspectives, would have made for much more compelling reading. Brian Sheppard has a more favorable view of Blitzkrieg. “Kanigher was always interested in showing the human struggle through his stories, and Kubert was interested in putting a lens on war, without glorifying war itself. I think the book did that. I feel it was a lost opportunity because the book never got to really thrive. My personal view is that someone up the chain at DC felt very uncomfortable about doing a book that focused on Nazis. I think Kanigher felt these characters very deeply. These weren’t just war stories to him, I think—they were character studies of monsters in varying degrees.” Special thanks to Brian Sheppard. The author also thanks collector John Wells for his assistance in the research for this article, and Andy Greenham of Forest City Coins. DOUGLAS R. KELLY is editor of Marine Technology magazine. In addition to BACK ISSUE, his byline has appeared in Antiques Roadshow Insider, Model Collector, Collecting Toys, RetroFan, and Buildings magazines. He has a soft spot for Silver and Bronze Age comics, especially the cheap but very high-grade variety, which of course exist only in his imagination.

The ’Nam was, in many ways, a groundbreaking comic. From the mid-late 1960s right through to the early 1980s, Vietnam war stories in comics were few and far between. Although Vietnam war tales had begun appearing as early as 1954 and quite a number of them were published in 1965– 1967, from that point on the comic-book publishers were caught between a rock and a hard place. The US military had made it clear that they wanted no part of anything resembling anti-war comics being sold in their domestic and foreign PXs and that was emphasized by the banning and eventual demise of the excellent black-and-white magazine Blazing Combat, edited by Archie Goodwin for Warren Publications. The comic-book publishers also remembered the distributor nightmares of 1954–1955, when conservative members of the magazine distributors left many comics sitting in the warehouses rather than distribute them, disturbed by the violence and perceived “liberal” stance of horror and war comics. Efforts to soft-pedal that sort of perception in Vietnam stories by the publishers resulted in poor sales as readers declined to buy and read Vietnam war comics that didn’t have “something to say.” With that sort of sales nightmare staring them in the face, both DC and Marvel backed away from any kind of story set in the Vietnam War. Only Korean War and earlier stories would appear in their war books. Charlton continued to publish a few stories set in Vietnam—mostly notable the conservative-leaning “Shotgun Harker and Chicken Smith” tales in Fightin’ Marines, written by Joe Gill and illustrated for most of its run by Sam Glanzman. From 1967–1985, that’s pretty much how things stood.

FROM ‘5th TO THE 1st’ TO A FIRST ISSUE

J. Arndt

The ’Nam TM & © Marvel.

by R i c h a r d

By 1985, DC’s war comics were on life support and Marvel had none, unless you counted G.I. Joe. Debuting that year was Savage Tales vol. 2, a revival of the 1970s black-and-white magazine, under the editorship of Larry Hama. It presented at least one traditional war story every issue, the most popular one being a Vietnam-set serial called “5th to the 1st,” written by Doug Murray and illustrated by Michael Golden. Two episodes of the serial appeared, “The ’Nam, 1967” in Savage Tales #1 (Oct. 1985) and “The Sniper” in 4 (Apr. 1986); the team produced a third installment, “The Tunnel Rat,” intended for the magazine, but Savage Tales was cancelled (with issue #8, Dec. 1986) before it could be published. Several months after the publication of Murray and Golden’s “The Sniper,” The ’Nam #1 (Dec. 1986) debuted, featuring the same writerartist team, accompanied by, at least initially, inker Armando Gil. The ’Nam broke most of the rules that had governed war comics since the advent of the Comics Code in 1954. Both Marvel and DC’s war heroes had been incorporated into the Marvel or DC universes, despite the fact that none of them were superpowered. Much of the military silliness that had marked those much-loved titles—such as shooting down planes with a hand-held machine gun or, worse, a tommy gun, or having soldiers throw grenades down tank turrets (which would have done no damage to a tank and where the muzzle would have been impossible to reach for any soldier on the ground)—were eliminated. As much as possible for a mainstream comic, soldiers talked like soldiers, fought realistic battles, and suffered deaths and wounds as it might have actually happened in combat—very little of those “famous last words” appeared in the mouths of anyone who was mortally wounded in The ’Nam. Perhaps most important, events involving the characters in the book transpired in both Vietnam and Stateside. Seeing the home front events, particularly during the turbulent 1960s, was something that had rarely happened in war comics up to that point. Other rules, unique to the title, were also set down in the very first issue and will be discussed in the following interviews. In addition, editor Larry Hama did the smartest thing he could have done for a relatively high-risk title. He recruited the “5th to the 1st” creative team, who’d only done three stories of that series to date, to write and pencil the new title. Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 49

Then he came into my office and put it on my desk and told me that he’d like to have this book done. [laughs] He didn’t know what the book was about. He just laid it in my lap. We just had a title and mocked-up cover. I had to come up with everything else. I came up with the concept of telling the stories from a grunt’s point of view, and having it be in real time. Real time in that 12 monthly issues would present a full year of the war. That way, characters would do their 364-day tour and then ship back RICHARD ARNDT: How did home. We’d have this continually rotating larry hama The ’Nam get started, and what cast with any one character usually having was your role in that? I think the Michael Soloff/Scoop. only 12 issues or less to appear in. war stories in Savage Tales vol. Characters would move in and out of the 2 had a hand in that. unit just like the real thing. Of course, the military LARRY HAMA: After the fact, they did. We used a “5th would never replace the entire unit. People would to the 1st” story in The ‘Nam in the tunnel rat story; come and go as their tour was up. using that was a ploy to get Michael Golden more time I called up Doug Murray and Michael Golden and on an issue. He didn’t have to draw eight pages that they both signed on. That’s how it happened. I gave month and could get a little ahead on the next issue. what I just said to Doug Murray. I told him those were [chuckles] However, The ‘Nam didn’t spring from “5th my only parameters. The only other thing I think I told to the 1st.” him was “The ’Nam is not like Sgt. Fury and the Howling Basically, [then-Marvel editor-in-chief] Jim Shooter Commandos. The soldiers are not superheroes. North had a cover mocked up in the production Vietnamese and VC do not jump out from perfectly department. He’d taken a G.I. Joe cover of two good cover and charge. I want it as realistic as possible.” soldiers peering through the foliage with their Doug was fine with that. He came up with everything faces camouflaged. He had a logo of The ’Nam done else. All the characters, members of the platoon, were up. It didn’t actually appear as any cover for the his creation. Michael did the visual interpretations. book. It was a mockup. This was all done without Mike is a guy who can look at stuff, just absorb it, and my knowledge. come back with something that’s amazing.

Before The ’Nam… …there was Murray and Golden’s “5th to the 1st,” a short-lived feature in the rebooted Savage Tales magazine, edited by Larry Hama. Pages 1 and 2 of the first “5th to the 1st” story, “The ’Nam, 1967,” from Savage Tales #1 (Oct. 1985). TM & © Marvel.

’the NAM EDITOR LARRY HAMA

50 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

New from Mighty Marvel Fan-favorite Michael Golden’s art may have attracted many Marvelites to The ’Nam, but Doug Murray’s writing and the book’s captivating cast and storytelling quickly locked in an enthusiastic readership. The ’Nam #1 (Dec. 1985). Cover by Golden. TM & © Marvel.

ARNDT: What led you to pick Murray and Golden to begin with? HAMA: I knew Doug. Both he and Michael were already doing that Nam-based series for Savage Tales. They seemed the obvious choice. That was the main connection. I can see how it may appear that The ’Nam sprang from “5th to the 1st,” but it really did not. I don’t think Jim Shooter was even aware that those “5th to the 1st” tales even existed. ARNDT: It’s easy to see why that connection has been made, even if it’s incorrect. You were the editor of the book for about a year, is that correct? HAMA: A bit longer. It was maybe a year and a half. After I left, my assistant, Pat Redding, did it for a bit, then Don Daley took it over. The history of the book is kind of eclectic. In the early years, [artist] Bob Camp did a lot of work on the book as well. A lot of covers, and he inked a number of issues as well. Bob later went on to become the co-creator of Ren & Stimpy, among other things. That may seem like an odd move, but Bob started out as a funny guy, working for me on Crazy. When it folded, all these funny guys were out of work, so I tried to repurpose them on war books or sword and sorcery. Whatever worked for them among the titles I had. Bob inked a lot of John Buscema on Conan the Barbarian. He also worked as a Bullpen corrections artist. We had a good team on the book. When the first issue came out we got a big write-up in the Washington Post. That piece got picked up by more than 200 of the top-circulation newspapers in the country. The lady in charge of publicity at Marvel told me that she’d never gotten publicity like that on any other comic. She was used to sending out press releases on subjects like “Spider-Man is getting married” [laughs], which just got no recognition in the regular, straight press. They were not interested in anything like that. But the fact that Marvel Comics was putting out a fairly realistic comic about the Vietnam War was big news. ARNDT: It likely didn’t hurt that nearly all the 1960s war comics dealing with the Vietnam War, with the exception of Blazing Combat, and some stories from Charlton, were dreadful. HAMA: Those Archie Goodwin stories, and I suspect, the Charlton stuff were generally short stories, though. We actually won an award for the best media representation of the Vietnam War from the Bravo Organization, which is the MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) designation for infantry. That happened in the same year that the film Platoon came out. We beat out the Academy Award® winner! We flew Doug Murray out to L.A. to accept the award at a dinner. The main guests at the dinner were General Westmoreland and former Vietnamese Premier Nguyen Ky. The main entertainment was Martha Raye. She got up on stage in full uniform and sang “The Ballad

of the Green Berets.” Got a standing ovation. ARNDT: She did a lot of USO shows for the troops over there. HAMA: She was a big USO supporter. She’d been doing USO shows since WWII and was much beloved by the troops. Wayne Vansant took over after Michael Golden’s run and did a pretty good job too. He’s still doing war comics—Katusha—that’s a really good one. He started out doing short war stories in Savage Tales and I thought he was pretty good. When he started out he had some trouble with drawing people, but he drew great tanks! [chuckles] He’s gotten a better at people and his storytelling is really good. Comics is really shorthand, and Wayne is good at characters acting, having them express emotion without having to write dialogue pointing that emotion out. He was also meticulous at research. Golden, [John] Severin, and Vansant were always very good at keeping the visuals accurate. ARNDT: I think people appreciate that even if they don’t recognize it right off the bat. Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 51

’the NAM writer doug murray The creator most associated with The ’Nam is Doug Murray, the writer of the series for issues #1–42, 44–45, and 49–51, plus plotting a story in #75.

doug murray Marvel.com.

RICHARD ARNDT: You didn’t have many professional credits when you started writing this series, although you had been quite involved in fandom, both as a writer and editor. DOUG MURRAY: Yes, I started off in fandom. Back in the late 1960 and early 1970s, I was doing a fanzine called Heritage. ARNDT: This would have been the Flash Gordon tribute title? MURRAY: Yeah. I had met Neal Adams years before, so I had a connection with him. Neal did a piece for that book, but getting Neal to do that amounted to me sitting on him, right in his studio, for weeks. So he kind of gave me a job doing some work for him during that time, so I wasn’t wasting my time. That lasted a couple of months. Then I shipped overseas, so that was pretty much the end of my fanzine title. ARNDT: How did you get picked as the writer of The ’Nam? MURRAY: Basically, Larry Hama was an old friend. We worked in the Neal Adams’ studio together. ARNDT: This would have been Continuity Studios? MURRAY: Yes. When I came back to the States, that was when I met Hama and other artists and writers at Continuity. Neal has a small back room there where young artists could have a place to work. Larry was working there when I arrived. We met and became friends. Ralph Reese was there. So was Bernie Wrightson. It was a good place to be if you wanted to meet the then-youngbloods coming up. It also was a great opportunity to work with Neal and Dick Giordano. It was a great place for me to work, even if only for a relatively short time. ARNDT: So, at some point, Larry Hama became an editor at Marvel and contacted you? MURRAY: Larry was looking for someone to do Vietnam war stories for his B&W magazine Savage Tales. He contacted me about that and it was decided that I would do them. That was “5th to the 1st,” working with Michael Golden. Although that version of Savage Tales didn’t last very long, the “5th to the 1st” stories were quite popular. So Larry made a deal with Jim Shooter, who was actually very supportive of the idea, that we would do The ’Nam. Michael Golden was probably the best person you could have had to start that series off. Michael was a guy who could draw almost anything. He did great detail work. Plus, he was interested in the period. He was available so we were very happy to have him on the book. ARNDT: I realize that you’d been working with him, but had you met him at that point? MURRAY: I didn’t meet Michael until years later. When I started writing the book, I was in New York and he was living in Florida. As we continued on the book, I moved to Florida and he moved to New York! We just never crossed paths until way later when we met at a comics’ convention in Baltimore a couple of years back.

Meet Ed Marks (top) A young soldier says goodbye to his family and hello to adventure and danger on the opening page of The ’Nam #1. (bottom) Doug Murray kept readers informed of military terms and battle-speak in text page glossaries in The ’Nam. TM & © Marvel.

52 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

ARNDT: He did ten—well, technically 11—of the first 13 issues. His pencils were on #1–6, a two-page wraparound piece on #7, then #8–11 and 13. MURRAY: Yes, there were two fill-in issues. Wayne Vansant did most of #7 and John Severin did #11. Michael did ten-plus issues during that period. Michael wasn’t in the military, to my knowledge, but he was very interested in the subject. He’s very detail-oriented. If you look at his issues, when someone has machine-gun belts over their shoulders, every third or fifth one is drawn as an incendiary bullet—a tracer bullet—which was correct, but to draw that was just insane attention to detail! Michael Golden was and is a great artist. He brought a lot to the book on his own. I would describe a character in two or three lines and he would make that character real. That’s something that not everybody can do. ARNDT: Who came up with the idea of doing the series, at least initially, as a month-in-the-life, real-time progression of stories? MURRAY: That was a combination of Hama and I. When he offered me The ’Nam, I wanted to do a realtime book. So did Larry, so we set the series up so that a full month passed between issues. Twelve issues would represent a full year in Vietnam. The first issue started out in February 1966. That real-time month between issues was pretty much how it was supposed to go. ARNDT: Wayne Vansant became the regular penciler when Michael Golden left. MURRAY: Yes, that was his first book, as well. He did a pretty good job. His samples showed that he was pretty solid on the period detail. He’s still doing war comics. He did Civil War stories for a while, even did a history of the Vietnam war in a graphic novel. He’s put out some books from the US Naval Institute—their publishing wing, I guess. He’s getting his licks in. ARNDT: How long were you on The ’Nam? MURRAY: I did pretty close to four years’ worth before I left. I had problems with the editor. ARNDT: I’ve already spoken to Wayne Vansant, and he mentioned that the editors changed more often than the writers or artists did. [laughs] MURRAY: That’s probably true early on. When Larry left Marvel, he was followed by Pat Redding, who was Larry’s assistant. Pat was a really good editor, as good as Hama was, but she wasn’t around for long. She got a job with King Features, the newspaper comic strip syndicate. The comic strips always paid more. When she left, we got Don Daley, who was the editor that I left the book because of. We had three editors in the first five years, but only one writer and two main pencilers, alongside a few fill-in artists. I think Daley was involved with the title until the very end, years after I left. ARNDT: The Michael Golden era started and ended with Ed Marks, the initial lead character, his tour of duty and then his return back to the States. He was a great character. Likable, perhaps naïve, but good-hearted and generally kind. Seeing the early course of the war through his eyes was a real plus. However, the brutality of war in those first 13 issues

was most driven home by the death of Mike Albergo, who had become a very real character in a very short time as Ed’s best friend in the squad. MURRAY: We killed him off in #9 (Aug. 1987). The whole idea of the book was to be as realistic as possible. People would die. I didn’t want to overdo it, and have characters dying in job my [writing] lots, but during the war, it was not unusual for someone to die like Mike did, sudden and without much warning. A person in an outfit might have ten people that he’d be really tight with and one would get killed in the course of your 12-month tour. If you were in the regular service and just doing patrols, you might lose one guy every four or five months. We tried to duplicate that in the comic. ARNDT: Besides Wayne’s pencils, Geof Isherwood was also doing much of the early art… MURRAY: Geof did a few covers solo but was largely the inker, over Vansant’s pencils, for much of my run. I had little to do with the artists. I didn’t work Marvel-style. I wrote full scripts. The artists would do the pencils and

“Insane Attention to Detail” From the Heritage archives, an original art page from The ‘Nam #2 (Jan. 1986), signed by inker Armando Gil. TM & © Marvel.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 53

Trapped Like a Rat A terrifying original art page by Michael Golden and John Beatty, from the “Tunnel Rat” story which was originally planned for Savage Tales but instead ran in The ’Nam #8 (July 1987). Courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com). TM & © Marvel.

54 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

if any changes needed to be made, if anything needed to be shuffled, I would do that then. Usually, however, I wrote a script, sent it in, and forgot about until the book came out. ARNDT: I know that a lot of the classic war artists—and I’ve talked to quite a number of them—much preferred full scripts to the Marvel-style format: the artist working from a plot synopsis or full plot. MURRAY: It’s much easier to deal with full scripts. You know what you’re doing and you know where everything goes. You know exactly where a full-page splash is going to be or where a multi-panel sequence is appearing. You just needed to know where the ads were going to go. With Marvel, page 5 was generally an ad page. You had to break down your pages accordingly. If you knew where the ads went, that was easy enough to do. ARNDT: I know you wrote the issue where Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America appeared in fantasy sequences (The ’Nam #41, Feb. 1990), but did you write any of the pre-Punisher stories featuring Frank Castle as an Army sniper? MURRAY: They started work on the first one while I was still writing the book. The last editor, Don Daley, had hired Chuck Dixon to do a Punisher story. Daley and I had been fighting for months over superheroes. I had considerable distain, not for superheroes in general, but for having them appear in The ’Nam. But he went ahead and did it anyways. I had nothing to do with the Punisher appearing. In fact, Chuck apologized to me for writing that first story. He didn’t know I hadn’t known about it until after he’d turned in his script. He had thought that I was taking some time off or was sick. He did that initial story because he thought it was a couple of fill-in issues. I don’t think Don Daley, my last editor, ever really believed that the war happened. In the 1980s, he was a 20-odd-something who’d come up to his editorial position after starting out in the mailroom. He wanted superheroes in the comic, to tie it into the Marvel Universe, make it a much more mainstream book. That wasn’t anything that I wanted to do. That superhero stuff was the reason I left the book. Working with Daley was a bad experience but, up to that point, everything was fine. ARNDT: Are there any issues that you have a fond memory of? MURRAY: The early issues were my favorites. I liked some of the later issues but the early ones, with Mike Golden, are my favorites. I spent a tour in Vietnam and a lot of what I talked about in the first 13 issues either happened to me or happened to friends or someone I knew. Very little of those early issues were fiction. I was more invested in that first set of issues. I wrote a proposal for a final story, later on, but at that point Marvel was uninterested in working with anyone over the age of 30, so there was no chance of that. That ageism thing is just the way it is. It’s common at Marvel. Nothing to get upset about because you can’t really do anything about it. When I finished The ’Nam and The Merc, and a few other things— following those I was basically told to go away. The ’Nam was fun to do. I was getting paid the Marvel base rate, so I made a little money, not a lot. It was a fun book to write. We did reprints on the first 20 or so issues, but I don’t think much past that has ever been reprinted. On the whole, though, I think it was pretty successful. We got a lot of mail from young people who were telling us that their dads, who’d served in the ’Nam, wouldn’t talk to them about the war, but the comic book helped their parents open up some. I was happy about that, because that was one of the things that we were trying to do, get people to open up about it. That felt good. We did get some awards from veteran groups and the like, which was nice. On the whole, writing The ’Nam was a very positive experience. ARNDT: What are you working on today? MURRAY: I did a series of Seal-Team 6 novels, 12 of them, for Dynamite. I’m currently working on a Sherlock Holmes novel. They’re all online and easy to find.

Tragic Loss (top) The staging and coloring of Golden’s cover for The ’Nam #9 (Aug. 1987) foretell of the death of Mike Albergo. (bottom) Ed Marks and company react to Mike’s death, inside. TM & © Marvel.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 55

patina. The ’Nam opens with this scene of a guy who’s hugging his mother and going off to war, getting yelled at and getting rained on. He’s flying into Saigon and he’s getting shot at and he doesn’t even realize it… It just [gave readers] a completely different perspective. Originally I was drawing a Vietnam series called “5th to the 1st” for Savage Tales. I did three or four [three, as noted earlier— ed.] of those stories. One day, Dick Giordano, who was then DC’s editorial director, called me up and asked me if I wanted to do the monthly Batman. Batman was one of the few superhero books that I could stomach, so I said, “Okay, sure, I’ll give it a try.” The next day, Larry Hama calls me up and says, “We’ve got this Vietnam book we’re going to do and I want you Michael Golden’s artwork on the initial michael golden to do it.” I told him, “I just told Dick Giordano that I was issues of The ’Nam helped the title find its original audience. Golden was © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. going to do Batman.” Larry went, “I know. I just talked to Denny O’Neil [at the time the Batman editor]. I took The unavailable for an interview for this issue, so below are his memories of The ’Nam from his interview with ’Nam over Batman. That may have been [considered] a mistake at the time, but… Michael Eury in BACK ISSUE #24 (Oct. 2007), used with permission. the decision was satisfying on many levels: it worked out fine and the MICHAEL GOLDEN: The… thing about The ’Nam was, they first three issues of The ’Nam outsold the X-Men. It became, basically, weren’t stories of grimness, so that when something did happen a cultural phenomenon and… part of American history. …Ultimately, that was a reality of the conflict in Vietnam… it took on a complete it was the right decision.

’the NAM artist michael golden

56 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

’the NAM artist wayne vansant Following Michael Golden as the regular penciler of The ’Nam was artist Wayne Vansant, who enjoyed a long run on the title.

wayne vansant

RICHARD ARNDT: How did you get involved with The ’Nam? WAYNE VANSANT: It actually started before the book came out. In 1986, I saw a magazine called Savage Tales. That was a black-and-white comic magazine that Larry Hama was editing and writing. It had war stories and Western stories and adventure stories. I said, “I think I could do this.” So I sent in some artwork and story ideas to [Marvel] and then just forgot about it. One day, I got a letter, just a scrawled note. It said, “I can use you if you can talk to me and have a daytime phone.” I talked to Larry for the first time immediately thereafter. I did several stories for that magazine before it was cancelled. But that first time I talked to him, he told me that Marvel was starting a new book called The ’Nam and they had a really good artist assigned, which was, of course, Michael Golden. However, Larry told me that they were going to need a fill-in artist because [Golden] gets behind a lot. [chuckles] So I did 20 pages of #7, pencils and inks, and then by #14 I was on it fulltime as the penciler, with Geof Isherwood inking. I probably learned more about art working on that book than I learned in all the years before that. ARNDT: You were on The ’Nam for roughly seven years, a considerable period of time. VANSANT: Yeah, from 1987 to maybe 1993. I was working on it for a long time. I worked real hard on that book. People would look at it and say to me, “This is nice,” and I’d always say, “Well, I worked real hard on it so that I didn’t have to do anything else.” I’d worked on other kinds of jobs, but I’ve always wanted to do this [work in comics]. So I worked real hard on it, and was wa-a-ay ahead on the book. At one point I was seven months ahead on deadlines. I was always trying to get Marvel interested in other things I could do, but I was something of a fifth wheel there. What I was interested in drawing or writing was not what they were doing. Eventually I started going to other publishers and getting some work and that got me going in the career I have today. ARNDT: Even at the time Marvel was publishing the book, The ’Nam seemed like an anomaly for them. VANSANT: Oh, it was. ARNDT: Until the last couple of years, when they squeezed the Punisher, before he became the Punisher, into the book, The ’Nam had no connection to the Marvel Universe, at least as far as I am aware of. And Marvel, even back then, is a company where everything is a part of the Marvel Universe. In many ways, The ’Nam was much more like a DC war comic of the early-to-mid1970s. The things the people in The ’Nam were doing weren’t like Sgt. Fury or Sgt. Rock where they were constantly tommy-

A True Believer (top) Private Aeder holes up with a stack of Marvel comics on this page from The ’Nam #23 (Oct. 1988). By Doug Murray/ Wayne Vansant/ Frank Springer. (bottom) Its cover, by Pepe Moreno. TM & © Marvel.

The Early Adventures (opposite) Marvel reprinted the earliest issues of The ’Nam, two stories per issue, in The ’Nam Magazine, which ran from issue #1 (Aug. 1988) through 10 (Apr. 1989). TM & © Marvel.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 57

gunning down Messerschmitts or stuff like that. [Wayne laughs] VANSANT: That always made me laugh, those characters shooting down the planes with their infantry weapons. [both laugh] ARNDT: I’ve always said the two greatest aces of World War II were Sgts. Rock and Fury. They downed more enemy aircraft than any pilot flying. VANSANT: That’s right. Why did we need an Air Force at all? [chuckles] And going up to a tank and sticking your gun in these tiny slits, which don’t exist on tanks. There are no open slits on tanks like that. ARNDT: Russ Heath once told me that it made him laugh when he had to draw that scene where the G.I. would throw the grenade down the barrel of the tank. He pointed out that grenades won’t fit down a Tiger Tank’s barrel. VANSANT: It was funny and, as a kid, you just didn’t know any better. ARNDT: To be honest, a lot of those stories were and are pretty good. VANSANT: Oh, yeah! They still are! I’d like to mention that Larry Hama, who was the first editor on The ’Nam, was really great. He stayed on my back about becoming a better artist. He’s a tough guy. He really can be. When I started on the book, I was working a fulltime job at a museum and drawing The ’Nam in my spare time. I finally put in my notice on my regular job and decided I was going to do comics fulltime. That was initially really rough because I was making more money at the museum than I was drawing the comic. What led me to make that jump was I’d sent in some pencils and Larry sent me a really scalding letter. I think I drew somebody with two left hands or something. I was feeling hard-pressed to draw the book and do my day job at the same time. But at the end of the letter, Larry wrote, “I will stick with you as long as you’re improving.” That made my decision for me. I quit my job and became a fulltime comic artist. It’s been up and down over the years since but I have no regrets. The whole book was really a group effort. I was the penciler and Geof Isherwood inked me for quite a while. After I did the one-shot comic Battle Group Peiper for Caliber Comics, Don Daley, who’d become the editor of The ’Nam, saw it and said, “Listen, you’re going to be inking your own work from now on. You’re going to be using the shaded paper, which we will supply for you, and we’re giving you a raise.” The raise was like 150% over my previous page rate. ARNDT: In the somewhat infamous ’Nam #41, where the Marvel superheroes showed up, although the stated premise for the book in #1 indicated they would never show up, I can recognize your pencils on everything except the superheroes. Did somebody ghost those? VANSANT: [laughs] No, I penciled them. The reason they may not look like my work is that I modeled them on old Jack Kirby comics. [laughs] They’re pretty stylized figures. It kind of embarrassed me afterwards, when friends of mine wanted those pages for themselves much more that the straight war stuff.

Avengers in ’Nam (inset top) The John Romita, Sr./Ron Frenz cover of The ’Nam #41 (Feb. 1990). (top) Its splash page. Writer Doug Murray objected to having to add the superheroes to this issue. (middle left) Iron Man was the first character of the Marvel Age to visit Vietnam, which was the site of his origin in Tales of Suspense #39 (Mar. 1963). (middle right) He returned, in Iron Man #78 (Sept. 1975). (bottom left) In pursuit of Loki, Thor buzzed through Vietnam in Journey into Mystery #117 (June 1965). (bottom right) The Star-Spangled Sentinel ran into trouble in Vietnam in Captain America #125 (May 1970). TM & © Marvel.

58 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

AN OVERVIEW OF THE ’NAM

With the comic a hit, Michael Golden left with #13 (Dec. 1987), with artist Wayne Vansant taking over for him. The initial crop of characters—Ed Marks, Sgt. Polkow, Rob Little, and the corrupt Top Sgt. Tarver—began moving out of the book, making room for new characters. The book went direct-market only with #18 (May 1988), disappearing from the newsstands completely. With The ’Nam #23 (Oct. 1988), Marvel comic books began appearing in the book, largely being read by a fan, Private Aeder. Unlike Ed Marks, however, Aeder was rather unlikable. He often whined about not fitting in, didn’t seem to be particularly intelligent, and never shown any signs of maturing as Marks had. He died off-panel in #31 (June 1989), after yet another thoughtless and selfish act that proved to be his last. Doug Murray’s stories were quite daring for the time, dealing explicitly with racial tensions, fraggings (the murder of an officer by his own men), and nonsoldierly conduct. He also managed to keep an even hand dealing with the liberal and conservative biases of the war, and fairly regularly depicted characters back in “the world”—i.e., the US—after their Vietnam tour and often their military service had ended. The infamous The ’Nam #41 (Feb. 1990) featured the guest-appearances of Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America (the only Marvel superheroes that had appeared in Vietnam in their own titles published during the actual years of the war), a gimmick to attract superhero readers to the book. They didn’t appear as actual characters in the story, but as idle fantasy figures when two of the late Aeder’s fellow soldiers came upon a cache of his comics and began chatting about them. Doug Murray hated this marketing intrusion and, as it turned out, so did the fans of The ’Nam. With the exception of a pre-Punisher Frank Castle, comic-book characters—and comic books— disappeared from the title. After Murray had written 42 straight issues, Chuck Dixon wrote a fill-in issue that jarringly interrupted the real-time concept where each story took place during a chronological month. Murray’s issue #42 (Mar. 1990) happened in July 1969. Dixon’s first issue, the fill-in issue #43, took a leap to March 1970. When Murray returned to the writing chores in The ’Nam #44–45, the stories continued the real-time progression through September and October 1969, but following that issue not only did the chronological progression stop, but so did any attempt to further follow the 23rd Infantry squad that readers had been following for 45 issues. Between #46 (July 1990) and 70 (July 1992), the title skipped all over in both time and characters, with the book featuring a lot of one-shot tales along with internal miniseries, all appearing under the umbrella title of The ’Nam, scripted by Dixon and other writers. Not that these stories were second-rate or shoddy. Chuck Dixon was and is a fine writer and the stories and art were often quite good, but the abandonment of the original squad and the near-total loss of any of those characters appearing between those 25 issues was, I believe, a big loss for readers. Doug Murray returned for a multi-issue story, drawn by Herb Trimpe at the top of his game, in #49–51. That story concerned itself mostly with the budding wartime romance between a med-evac chopper pilot and a Red Cross volunteer “Doughnut Dollie.” It was a good three-issue story but clearly was originally intended to run for four issues, as the ending is quite abrupt and a lot of the plot points are left dangling.

The first Chuck Dixon-written pre-Punisher tale was likely started before #41 but didn’t appear until a year later, with The ’Nam #52–53. To Dixon’s credit, Frank Castle isn’t presented in his black jumpsuit with the white skull across the chest. Nor is he a full-blown Punisher. He’s a Marine sniper who’s been recruited into Special Ops after only three days “in-country” and discovers that both the Cong and the Special Ops crew are dangerous to your health. Castle would return to face more corrupt Marines in #67–69. There were also welcome one-off appearances by some of war comics’ greatest artists. Following John Severin’s fill-in issue with #11, Sam Glanzman illustrated #27 and Russ Heath provided the artwork for #65. All three are great issues to read and enjoy. With #70 (July 1992), Wayne Vansant, who’d been inked by a variety of inkers, some compatible with his art style and some not, began providing full artwork. In the same issue, noted Vietnam writerartist Don Lomax debuted as the new writer. If you’d only seen Vansant’s artwork beneath various inkers, the switch to his own inks was a revelation. In turn, Lomax’s firm grasp of scripting—and occasionally inking backup stories—as well as reintroducing past soldiers in new roles—Ed Marks, the lead in #1–13, returned as a war journalist, Rob Little as a disabled vet, Sgt. Polkow as a police sergeant, among others— offered a too-brief revival of what made people pick up the book in the first place.

Make Way for the Punisher The Punisher’s popularity led editor Don Daley to include the character, in his pre-Punisher Frank Castle military days, into the pages of The ’Nam in issues #52–53 and 67–69. Covers by Jorge Zaffino. TM & © Marvel.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 59

Trapped! A gripping cliffhanger, scribed by Chuck Dixon, for The ’Nam #59 (Aug. 1991). Original Wayne Vansant/Kim DeMulder art courtesy of Heritage. TM & © Marvel.

60 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

Doug Murray also briefly returned with a plotting credit for the lead story in #75 (Dec. 1992), an expanded issue where Murray, Lomax, Vansant, Trimpe, and company focused on the real-life My Lai Massacre. One might expect a tilt towards the left or right political spectrum with this loaded a storyline, but the writers and artists provided solid storytelling that attempted to discuss the reasons behind the massacre, the deeply embarrassing cover-ups and pardons that took place for political reasons, and the underlying anger that both veterans and non-veterans felt towards the massacre. Knowing the end of the title was near, Lomax and Vansant spent much of the last dozen or so issues detailing the end of the conflict as South Vietnam imploded following the Nixon administration’s abandonment of the South Vietnamese army there. The ’Nam ended its run with issue #84 (Sept. 1993). All of the main participants of The ’Nam have had long careers. Hama, Murray, and Golden established a firm foundation for the series with their first 13 issues. Dixon provided solid stories during his tenure as writer as well. Vansant, who was on the book the longest, and Lomax, who wrote the final 15 issues, not only provided a graceful and powerful ending for the series at a time when it could have dissolved into pap but have become the two most consistent writer/ artists for war comics in this country. Lomax’s Vietnam Journal, which he both wrote and illustrated, is

the touchstone for anyone considering reading or creating graphic novels or stories dealing with the Vietnam War. [Editor’s note: See BACK ISSUE #37 for more about Don Lomax’s Vietnam Journal.] Vansant, as accomplished a writer as he is an artist, has done dozens of graphic novels and adaptations— among them The Red Badge of Courage and All Quiet on the Western Front—for various publishers. His non-fiction graphic histories on the Korean War and the Vietnam War (with latter with writer Dwight Zimmerman) are the definitive factual graphic histories of those wars. His massive 2019 graphic novel Katusha is a towering achievement, matching and possibly surpassing the EC Comics tales of Harvey Kurtzman and the Blazing Combat tales of Archie Goodwin. Rarely has a comic book had such a high quality of talent attached to it. For that, both the book and the readers should rejoice. RICHARD ARNDT is a comics historian/librarian from Elko, Nevada. He is the author of The Star*Reach Companion, as well as the reference guide Horror Comics in Black and White: 1964–2004. The Star*Reach Companion has 53 pages of vintage comics reprinted inside!

Outgoing Re-Marks (left) The ’Nam’s premier private, Ed Marks, makes a comeback in issue #70 (July 1992). By Don Lomax and Wayne Vansant. (right) Assistant editor Tim Tuohy wrote this farewell to readers on the letters page of the series’ final issue, The ’Nam #84 (Sept. 1993). TM & © Marvel.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 61

In the mid-1980s, DC Comics was enjoying a creative renaissance, thanks to the success of projects such as Watchmen and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Flagship characters such as Superman and Batman were being reinvented for new audiences, and the publisher was fertile ground for fresh ideas. Many remain hot properties decades later, while others remain lukewarm. Cinder and Ashe #1–4 (May–Aug. 1988) is a detective thriller set in New Orleans. The fourissue miniseries is the creation of Gerry Conway, a seasoned writer credited with extended runs on such titles as Amazing Spider-Man, Firestorm, and Justice League of America. As comics began to expand beyond four-color masks and capes in the mid-’80s, DC Comics decided to produce non-superhero material with higher production values. These titles, intended for older, more sophisticated readers with deeper pockets, would be available only in comic shops, and would not be beholden to the Comics Code Authority. Writing stories more grounded in reality very much appealed to Conway. “I had this interest in writing something more adult, more mainstream, and the opportunity presented itself with DC having this market that they wanted to reach,” he says. “I don’t know that DC had a clear idea of what it was they wanted to accomplish other than explore what this market could be,” he continues. “We didn’t know what this audience was capable of responding to. Pretty much anything would have gone, in the sense that it was an audience that could embrace Camelot 3000 or V For Vendetta.” As a result, there were no editorial parameters for what could be pitched, and Conway wanted to create something a little more realistic. He had always been a fan of suspense and mystery in general as a genre, and had played around with the idea of doing more straightforward, thriller-based stories. He had the opportunity to pitch some ideas, and the result that most appealed to him was Cinder and Ashe. gerry conway

BORN ON THE BAYOU

“The premise came to me primarily because of the title,” Conway says. “I came up with the title first, knowing I wanted to do something that was kind of a noir-ish, New Orleans mystery, and then the name Cinder and Ashe, for some reason, popped into my head and that sort of developed into these two characters.” Cinder is the offspring of an African-American G.I. and a Vietnamese woman. As a teenager, she was

From ’Nam to New Orleans José Luis García-López’s covers for writer Gerry Conway’s Cinder and Ashe 1988 miniseries. TM & © DC Comics.

62 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

by P h i l i p

Schweier

rescued by Jacob Ashe when Saigon fell in 1975. After returning home with her to Louisiana, he parlayed his military expertise into security work, and they are now partners in an investigation firm based in New Orleans. It could be argued that the New Orleans is an additional character in the story. “I was very passionate on making this a New Orleans project and being as true to it as I could,” he explains. Conway had visited the Crescent City several times in the 1970s and had become completely charmed by New Orleans as a location for the better part of a decade and a half. In fact, he convinced one of his daughters to enroll in Tulane University. “Something about that city is so transcendent,” adds Conway. “It’s an American city that feels like a European city.” He states New Orleans is comparable to other cities— New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco—that serve as fertile ground for fiction. “It’s so unique, it’s visually exciting and fascinating. I don’t know what it is that speaks to me, but it just does.” A primary motivator for Conway was coming up with a project he and artist José Luis García-López could add to their list of collaborations. “We had done several Superman stories [together], and I think at that time we were also working on Atari Force, or maybe had just finished it. So we knew each other as creators.” García-López, unavailable for comment for this article, was already assigned to the project even as Conway was writing. The series would showcase what García-López was capable of drawing, playing to his strengths as a naturalistic artist. Conway says he has rarely worked with anyone who could express his concepts as thoroughly as García-López has. “As a collaborator, I’ve worked with a number of terrific artists who raised my work to a level that could never be achieved on its merits alone. What José tends to do as an artist is to take your writing and bring every aspect of it to life, and beyond. He combines exquisite draftsmanship with unparalleled storytelling.” Perhaps because García-López has never been attached to a long-term project that achieved notoriety, he’s consistently flown under the radar for many less-sophisticated comicbook readers. He is greatly admired by his comics colleagues, including Conway. “I can’t speak for José, but I would crawl over broken glass to work with him.”

RUN THROUGH THE JUNGLE

In Conway’s story, Cinder and Ashe are approached by Wilson Starger, a dairy farmer from Iowa whose life is unraveling. His cows are poisoned, his credit dries up, and loans are called. Now his daughter Jenny, a student at Tulane, has gone missing, supposedly kidnapped. Their investigation leads them to a decade-old vehicular homicide, and Egeria Enterprises, which is bankrolling the political career of an Iowa senator. Acting as hit man for the corporation is Lacey, a corrupt “military advisor” Cinder and Ashe believed had been killed in Saigon. Concurrently with Cinder and Ashe’s investigation in 1988, the story includes flashbacks to their respective histories in Vietnam. Ashe’s father was killed in Korea, so his mother and stepfather are naturally concerned when he chooses to enlist in the Marines as the conflict in Vietnam escalates. Being the supportive parents they are, they respect his decision. While serving in Vietnam, the sympathetic young Marine notices Cinder, orphaned in the Tet Offensive of 1968. Forced to survive on the streets, she and Ashe cross paths seven years later amidst the chaos of the fall of Saigon in April 1975. He later brings her to Louisiana, to be raised by his family as he continues his military career. After leaving the Corps, he returns home, where he serves a brotherly role for her.

Casualties of War (top) Ashe spares the life of young Cinder in Cinder and Ashe #1 (May 1988). (bottom) Detail from page 19 of issue #1, expertly staged García-López panels rendering Conway’s parallel present and past stories. TM & © DC Comics.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 63

Reunited From issue #3: a Vietnam flashback where teenage Cinder is once again saved by soldier Ashe, juxtaposed with a modern-day scene of Cinder plying her detective skills in a French Quarter mystery. TM & © DC Comics.

Unlike DC’s typical war titles, the focus strays from the ’70s and ’80s because it was still very much part of our history. The Punisher [a character battlefield heroics in favor of the ambiguous Conway co-created] was tied to that, results of American forces in Vietnam, and Cinder and Ashe was tied to that.” the sheer chaos of command when the Conway recalls an early-1980s’ objective is unclear. But it also depicts growing awareness of children that a military veteran who has adjusted had been fathered by American to civilian society, supported by soldiers in Vietnam. “I know that someone who can genuinely relate was minor aspect of Watchmen,” to his Vietnam experience. he says, “but I think we were more Conway did not serve during culturally aware of it in general the Vietnam era, but knew people because many of those children who had. “I am of an age where were coming of age at that point, that was a primary consideration. either being raised in America or When you grew up in the ’60s and being persecuted to a degree in came of age in the late ’60s/early josée luis garcia-lopez Vietnam itself.” ’70s, with the draft hanging over Using this Vietnamese-American your head, it was a very pressing © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. template helped Conway create a consideration. And culturally, it was very much on the minds of anyone writing in formidable female protagonist. Cinder is insightful and tough, holding her own with Ashe without sacrificing her femininity. “I’m always happy with the portrayal of a strong female protagonist, and she’s one of the first that DC actually presented.” The writer has tried to be on the side of what he believes to be a forward-thinking viewpoint but admits, “I sometimes look back on stuff and am embarrassed by it as the person I am today.” One regret is using Cinder’s rape as a motivator, which he now regards as a cliché. “If I had it to do over again with the awareness that I have today, I wouldn’t have used that. Ultimately, I didn’t think it was necessary.” DC Comics was very supportive of Cinder and Ashe, as indicated by vice president/creative director Joe Orlando specifically requesting to color it because he wanted to actively participate in the series. When first published, but according to Conway, the series flew under the radar of many fans but had generally positive reactions among those who discovered it. However, one critic of it was author Harlan Ellison. He and Conway had been friends in the 1970s, but for reasons unknown to Conway, that friendship had cooled by the time Cinder and Ashe was released. Ellison was critical of the depiction of Ashe, commenting that the Cajun accent sounded phony. When interviewed by a reporter who was writing an article about the series for a New Orleans paper, Conway inquired, “You know Cajuns, right? Did you find the writing of Ashe to be out of context or unrealistic?” The reporter replied it sounded authentic to him. “So a guy who lives in New Orleans and knows Cajuns feels I got the accent right, and Harlan, who thinks I didn’t? Okay. I even went so far as to get an academic book on regional accents, which I used as a reference, to make sure I was writing it correctly. I found that really weird that that was what Harlan called me out on.” Because Cinder and Ashe didn’t become an ongoing series, it didn’t have significant IP value for DC Comics or its corporate parent. Warner Bros. wasn’t interested in adapting it for film, nor allow any other company to adapt it. “I did have a couple of bites from other companies,” Conway reveals, “but Warners just wouldn’t let it go. That’s unfortunately where it stays now. I don’t know what market they could bring it to, honestly. Network TV wouldn’t be the right market. Warner Bros. doesn’t really have a cable presence. They could possibly do it on HBO

64 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

Max. DC sees their brand as superheroes, the big ones that they promote for film, like the JLA. Their secondary heroes, they’ve found some use for on CW, but for the most part, they’re a superhero company, and Cinder and Ashe, it’s just not [that]. You can’t play it as a fantasy, like a Constantine or a Jonah Hex. It just doesn’t have that marketability, it’s a sideways book.” A few years after the release of Cinder and Ashe, Conway was asked to do a sequel, but by then he was working in television and didn’t have the time to devote to it.

FORTUNATE SON

Shortly before Cinder and Ashe was published, Conway had begun building a new career writing for film. With Marvel Comics colleague Roy Thomas, he had co-authored two fantasy films: the animated Fire and Ice (1983) and live-action Conan the Destroyer (1984). “Those were two that got produced,” he explains, “but I also wrote several films that were science-fiction based, and we were warm in Hollywood for 15, 20 minutes in the ’80s, and that was what we were known for.” In the late 1980s, Conway wrote for a number of animated series, such as G.I. Joe and Transformers. Eventually, he approached producer Dean Hargrove, whom he had met working on a project for Showtime. “That never went forward, but I remembered Dean, he remembered me, and we enjoyed working together.” Hargrove hired him to work on the Father Dowling Mysteries, and later productions such as Jake and the Fatman and Perry Mason [TV movies], leading him to be pigeonholed as a mystery writer. In the early 1990s, there was a handful of superhero shows: The Flash, Lois & Clark, and Black Scorpion come to mind. With Conway’s comic-book experience, you’d expect him to be an obvious choice to contribute scripts. “I pitched myself to a lot of comic-book shows but they all passed on me,” he says, “which is the weirdest farce I’ve ever experienced. “It was never question of me exploring an area that I had a particular fascination for, that’s just where I ended up. That’s the cubbyhole I got pigeoned into and I was happy to it because I do like mysteries. So Cinder and Ashe was a weird kind of crossover thing because it was a comic-book expression of a genre that I later became attached to on television, but not through any plan. It was just one of those things.” Through late 1990s, Conway continued to write for such TV shows as Diagnosis: Murder and Matlock until 2006, when he finished his run as co-executive producer on Law & Order: Criminal Intent. “It’s a very stressful business to be involved in,” Conway admits. “I’d achieved what I wanted to achieve from it, and recognized that I’m not the kind of guy who wants to push for the creator’s chair. That’s a particular personality that, after running one show, I realized I’m not that guy. I’m more of a #2 guy that likes to help out, and even that I find is more stress than I want in my life.” While Conway’s television days are behind him, he still maintains connection to the comic-book industry. He currently has a Spider-Man miniseries in the works at Marvel, so an occasional return to comics is not only possible, but likely. “The only award that I’ve ever received for a specific piece of work of mine was for Cinder and Ashe. It was

a European award that was shared with José, because they recognized José’s talent.” “I think it’s the work I’m most proud of doing at DC,” Conway concludes. He believes DC generally recognizes it as an accomplishment for the company, but its embers had begun to cool until a few years ago when a French publisher got the rights to do a collected edition. In 2014, DC Comics published a trade paperback, fanning the flames for new readers to discover. PHILIP SCHWEIER is a graphic designer and freelance writer living in Savannah, GA. He is also a frequent contributor to www.comicbookbin.com.

Inseparable, But Not Compatible Conway and GarcíaLópez answer the “Will they or won’t they?” romantic question about the two leads on this page from the final issue, Cinder and Ashe #4 (Aug. 1988). TM & © DC Comics.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 65

SGT. ROCK COMMISSION

by RUSS HEATH

selections and captions by

Michael Eury

Master artist Russ Heath (1926–2018) was no stranger to war comics, including many starring Sgt. Rock. He returned to DC Comics’ battle stars in the 1990s (perhaps early 2000s) for this extraordinary study of Rock and Easy Company, illustrated in ink and ink wash over graphite. Courtesy of Heritage, from Heath’s personal collection. Sgt. Rock and Easy Company TM & © DC Comics.

66 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

Mighty Marvel, including many issues of Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos. This undated, uninked Sgt. Fury cover by Ayers, obviously a Thanksgiving tie-in, was deemed a turkey (you knew I wouldn’t be able to resist the pun) by Marvel and this cover went unpublished. Courtesy of Heritage.

by DICK AYERS

Sgt. Rock and Easy Company TM & © DC Comics.

SGT. FURY UNPUBLISHED COVER

Dick Ayers (1924–2014) drew a decades-long salvo of pages and characters for

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 67

RetroFan:

Pop Culture You Grew Up With! If you love Pop Culture of the Sixties, Seventies, and Eighties, editor MICHAEL EURY’s latest magazine is just for you!

SUBSCRIBE!

68 Economy US (with free digital editions) $ 80 Expedited US • $87 Premium US $ 103 International • $27 Digital Only

RETROFAN #10

RETROFAN #11

RETROFAN #15

RETROFAN #16

RETROFAN #17

Sixties teen idol RICKY NELSON remembered by his son MATTHEW NELSON, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., rural sitcom purge, EVEL KNIEVEL toys, the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, Saturday morning’s Super 7, The Muppet Show, behind-the-scenes photos of Sixties movies, an interview with The Sound of Music’s heartthrob-turnedbad guy DANIEL “Rolf” TRUHITTE, and more fun, fab features!

An exclusive interview with Logan’s Run star MICHAEL YORK, plus Logan’s Run novelist WILLIAM F. NOLAN and vehicle customizer DEAN JEFFRIES. Plus: the Marvel Super Heroes cartoons of 1966, H. R. Pufnstuf, Leave It to Beaver’s SUE “Miss Landers” RANDALL, WOLFMAN JACK, drive-in theaters, My Weekly Reader, DAVID MANDEL’s super collection of comic book art, and more!

Dark Shadows’ Angelique, LARA PARKER, sinks her fangs into an exclusive interview. Plus: Rankin-Bass’ Mad Monster Party, Aurora Monster model kits, a chat with Aurora painter JAMES BAMA, George of the Jungle, The Haunting, Jawsmania, Drak Pack, TV dads’ jobs, and more fun, fab features! Featuring columns by FARINO, MANGELS, MURRAY, SAAVEDRA, SHAW, and MICHAEL EURY.

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Now shipping!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships August 2021

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Oct. 2021

RETROFAN #12

RETROFAN #13

RETROFAN #14

NOW BI-MONTHLY! Celebrating fifty years of SHAFT, interviews with FAMILY AFFAIR’s KATHY GARVER and The Brady Bunch Variety Hour’s GERI “FAKE JAN” REISCHL, ED “BIG DADDY” ROTH, rare GODZILLA merchandise, Spaghetti Westerns, Saturday morning cartoon preview specials, fake presidential candidates, Spider-Man/The Spider parallels, Stuckey’s, and more fun, fab features!

HALLOWEEN ISSUE! Interviews with DARK SHADOWS’ DAVID SELBY, and the niece of movie Frankenstein GLENN STRANGE, JULIE ANN REAMS. Plus: KOLCHAK THE NIGHT STALKER, ROD SERLING retrospective, CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST, TV’s Adventures of Superman, Superman’s pal JIMMY OLSEN, QUISP and QUAKE cereals, the DRAK PAK AND THE MONSTER SQUAD, scratch model customs, and more!

CHRIS MANN goes behind the scenes of TV’s sexy sitcom THREE’S COMPANY— and NANCY MORGAN RITTER, first wife of JOHN RITTER, shares stories about the TV funnyman. Plus: RICK GOLDSCHMIDT’s making of RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER, RONNIE SCHELL interview, Sheena Queen of the TV Jungle, Dr. Seuss toys, Popeye cartoons, DOCTOR WHO’s 1960s U.S. invasion, and more!

Exclusive interviews with Lost in Space’s MARK GODDARD and MARTA KRISTEN, Dynomutt and Blue Falcon, Hogan’s Heroes’ BOB CRANE, a history of WhamO’s Frisbee, Twilight Zone and other TV sci-fi anthologies, Who Created Archie Andrews?, oddities from the San Diego Zoo, lava lamps, and more with FARINO, MANGELS, MURRAY, SAAVEDRA, SHAW, and MICHAEL EURY!

Holy backstage pass! See rare, behind-thescenes photos of many of your favorite Sixties TV shows! Plus: an unpublished interview with Green Hornet VAN WILLIAMS, Bigfoot on Saturday morning television, TV’s Zoorama and the San Diego Zoo, The Saint, the lean years of Star Trek fandom, the WrestleFest video game, TV tie-in toys no kid would want, and more fun, fab features!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

TwoMorrows. The Future of Pop History.

RETROFAN #6

RETROFAN #7

RETROFAN #8

RETROFAN #9

Interviews with MeTV’s crazy creepster SVENGOOLIE and Eddie Munster himself, BUTCH PATRICK! Call on the original Saturday Morning GHOST BUSTERS, with BOB BURNS! Uncover the nutty NAUGAS! Plus: “My Life in the Twilight Zone,” “I Was a Teenage James Bond,” “My Letters to Famous People,” the ARCHIE-DOBIE GILLIS connection, Pinball Hall of Fame, Alien action figures, Rubik’s Cube & more!

With a JACLYN SMITH interview, as we reopen the Charlie’s Angels Casebook, and visit the Guinness World Records’ largest Charlie’s Angels collection. Plus: interview with LARRY STORCH, The Lone Ranger in Hollywood, The Dick Van Dyke Show, a vintage interview with Jonny Quest creator DOUG WILDEY, a visit to the Land of Oz, the ultra-rare Marvel World superhero playset, and more!

NOW BI-MONTHLY! Interviews with the ’60s grooviest family band THE COWSILLS, and TV’s coolest mom JUNE LOCKHART! Mars Attacks!, MAD Magazine in the ’70s, Flintstones turn 60, Electra Woman & Dyna Girl, Honey West, Max Headroom, Popeye Picnic, the Smiley Face fad, & more! With MICHAEL EURY, ERNEST FARINO, ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, and SCOTT SHAW!

NOW BI-MONTHLY! Interviews with ’70s’ Captain America REB BROWN, and Captain Nice (and Knight Rider’s KITT) WILLIAM DANIELS with wife BONNIE BARTLETT! Plus: Coloring Books, Fall Previews for Saturday morning cartoons, The Cyclops movie, actors behind your favorite TV commercial characters, BENNY HILL, the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention, 8-track tapes, and more!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

TwoMorrows Publishing 10407 Bedfordtown Drive Raleigh, NC 27614 USA 919-449-0344 E-mail:

store@twomorrows.com

Order at twomorrows.com

by E

When most comic book, animation, or action figure fans hear the words “Larry Hama” and “ninja” in the same sentence, they usually think of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. This is a perfectly understandable response. Despite Hama’s long and multifaceted career in comics, he is best known for his work on Marvel Comics’ G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, as well as his influence on the G.I. Joe property itself, which includes the popular ninja characters of the silent Snake Eyes and the mysterious Storm Shadow. (See BACK ISSUE #16 for coverage of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, and BI #118 for a look at how Hama’s unrealized Fury Force series influenced not only Marvel’s G.I. Joe comic-book series but Hasbro’s G.I. Joe property in general.) However, Hama also created another ninja, but not just any ninja… the ultimate ninja. Nth Man the Ultimate Ninja was published by Marvel Comics in 1989 through 1990, running for 16 issues and one eight-page preview story. The comic tells the story of John Doe, the ultimate ninja, and a telekinetic named Alfie O’Meagan, in a backdrop of World War III and beyond.

d Lute

WELCOME TO WORLD WAR III

In 1989 in our reality, the United States and the former U.S.S.R were still in the midst of the Cold War, which was characterized by the two countries’ reliance on their stash of nuclear weapons to prevent the other country from using their own nuclear weapons [M.A.D.: Mutually Assured Destruction—ed.]. This fear had been permeating both nations for over 40 years, and many citizens feared that World War III was an eventuality. When writer Larry Hama and artist Ron Wagner’s Nth Man the Ultimate Ninja premiered, the real world was still two years away from the fall of the Berlin Wall, which many consider the end of the Cold War—and with that momentous event, the expected world war never occurred. However, when Nth Man premiered, it wasn’t far-fetched to think that the U.S. and U.S.S.R. could be at war in the future. The Cold War and a looming third World War set the stage for this Marvel series. Nth Man the Ultimate Ninja #1 (Aug. 1989) presented readers with a reality in which the two countries—and many others, including China—were at war. However, it wasn’t the nuclear war with the resultant fallout and global desolation that many people expected from a

Marvel’s New Super Soldier Nth Man the Ultimate Ninja #1 (Aug. 1989) through 3 (Oct. 1989). Covers by Ron Wagner and Bob McLeod. TM & © Marvel.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 69

Don’t Mess Around with John (Doe) Even in captivity, Doe’s no doe. From Nth Man #1, by Larry Hama, Ron Wagner, and Fred Fredericks. TM & © Marvel.

conflict between these two superpowers. THE GOOD CHILD? In the first issue, Alfie O’Meagan used his telekinetic The first issue of Nth Man wasn’t the first time that powers to neutralize all of the nuclear weapons readers saw Alfie and John. Although Nth Man on the planet in order to bring peace to the was set in a separate reality from the main world. Although Alfie was trying to save the Marvel Universe (616), Marvel chose to world and avoid war, his plan backfired. give to give the series a preview in its Without nuclear weapons, the countries anthology title Marvel Comics Presents. waged conventional warfare. As detailed in BACK ISSUE #110, Alfie’s nuclear neutralization put MCP contained shorter stories, usually him on the world stage and even eight pages each, and each issue placed a target on his back. The U.S contained a mix of self-contained government sent a special team to stories and serials that ran for Russia to rescue Special Agent John several issues. MCP #25 (Aug. 1989) Doe, a.k.a. Nth Man the Ultimate contained an Nth Man preview story Ninja, a highly trained ninja and that helped introduce the series. deadly assassin, one of the two Although he doesn’t recall specifics deadliest and most effective assassins terry kavanagh about how Nth Man made its debut in the world. The U.S. wanted John in the anthology series, Marvel Comics Facebook. Doe to kill Alfie O’Meagan for what Presents editor Terry Kavanagh tells he had done. However, it wouldn’t work out the way BI, “Although my memory is increasingly questionable they had planned, because there was a link between about specifics, I can tell you that I was happy to debut the two characters that made up the crux of this series. any new character/series in MCP, allowing them to get the exposure proffered to the other Marvel characters with history and existing fanbases. But it was likely Larry Hama’s idea [to preview Nth Man in MCP]. And I’d have been an idiot to ignore any idea from Larry. “But, in general, I welcomed submissions/ideas/ suggestions from anyone and everyone in the industry about what to include in the book. Half the fun of the title was that I could spotlight new characters and characters not seen for a long time, new creators and legacy creators, give supporting characters the lead in their own stories, etc.” In the preview story, which took place in August of 1968, readers were introduced to Alfie and John as young boys. In 1959, the two unrelated youths, as infants, had been dropped on the doorstep of the Merrivale Home for Boys in Iowa by an unknown woman who burst into flames and died shortly after. Before she died, the woman said, “One of them is very, very good… and the other is very, very bad!” In the story, John was depicted as Alfie’s protector when Alfie did something bad. The preview also showed that Alfie could use his powers to see the future. In the future, John would become a worldclass assassin and that Alfie would neutralize of the nuclear weapons of the world. One of the series’ main mysteries of how John would go from a good, caring child to the cold-blooded assassin he became is first introduced in this story. After young John learned he would become an assassin, he said, “I don’t want to kill anybody!” The series kept readers guessing as to which child was good child and which was bad. Through Alfie’s destruction of the nuclear weapons he is depicted as a bad child in this flashback, as well as the other flashbacks throughout the main series. While John is an assassin, he is seen as a good child in the flashbacks.

Nth MAN THE ULTIMATE SERIES

Nth Man debuted one week after the MCP preview. The future that readers glimpsed in the preview was shown to have come to pass in the regular series. Alfie neutralized the nuclear weapons and John had become an assassin. After John Doe was rescued from his Soviet imprisonment by Dr. Irving Nagyu (John’s ninja master and trainer) and U.S. Special Forces Sergeant Deb Levin and her team, they went on the run in an attempt 70 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

to escape the war-torn Soviet Union. Soviet Colonel Vavara Novikova was tasked with hunting them down and killing John. Novikova was chosen not only because she was a top Soviet colonel, but also because she was First Chief Director of the Spetsburo. The Spetsburo was the Assassination Bureau of the KGB. As previously mentioned, John Doe was one of the two deadliest and most accomplished assassins—Novikova was the other. The series initially presented a realistic look at World War III (at least as realistic as a world in which a telekinetic neutralized all the nuclear weapons of the world could show). However, as the series progressed and Alfie began to lose his grip on reality and become unstable, the series dove into more obscure areas and ideas. As John, Deb, Dr. Nagyu, and a rescued Soviet boy named Sasha made their way across the Soviet Union, in issue #5 (mid-Nov. 1989) Alfie telekinetically changed himself into “Godzilla” (or at least a non-copyright-infringing Godzilla lookalike) before attacking and killing the U.S. soldiers that had been sent to kill him in his Antarctic hideout. After that failed assassination attempt, in issue #6 Alfie took the form of Galactus when he attacked Washington, D.C., damaging parts of the Lincoln Memorial and making the monument his base of operations. Even though the series doesn’t take place in the 616 Universe, Marvel comic books existed in this reality, and Alfie was a fan of them. (The main characters even made an appearance in the 616 Universe in Excalibur #27, one month before the final issue of Nth Man. The story featured Galactus-Alfie searching for John and Novikova in the 616 Universe. There was no mention of these events in the Nth Man comic.) Alfie’s powers enabled him to create or manipulate objects that couldn’t or shouldn’t have been able to exist. He created a gigantic television set inside

of the Lincoln Memorial so that he could watch what was happening with John and the others. He transported John and Novikova through the television set into Washington, D.C. He then transported the assassins into a video game that he had designed and forced them to fight their way through it, which they ultimately did. John’s rescuers who hadn’t been transported eventually escaped from the Soviet Union and made their way to back the United States. Issue #8 (Jan 1990) was an entirely flashback issue that contained a retelling of parts of the MCP story but from the viewpoint of the other boys at the Merrivale Home. The issue also showed that after Alfie was adopted by the O’Meagans, he was trained in the use of his powers by his future self. The deaths of Biggot and Gooch, the attendant and nurse at the Merrivale Home, as a result of Alfie’s interference, were also a part of the issue. Back at the Lincoln Memorial, Alfie became even more unhinged when he learned that the

Nth Man Preview (right) The Ultimate Ninja’s new series was previewed in Marvel Comics Presents #25 (Aug. 1989), where (left) Nth Man shared the back cover with Black Panther (cover art by Kevin Maguire and Joe Rubinstein). TM & © Marvel.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 71

WWIII Warrior (left) Original Ron Wagner art for the cover corner box for Nth Man, which was used beginning with issue #4. (right) The art’s cover debut on Nth Man #4. Courtesy of Heritage. (Nov. 1989), where Soviet Colonel Vavara Novikova hogs the limelight. TM & © Marvel.

U.S. and the Soviets had changed their tactics to CREATING WORLD WAR III use biological weapons to destroy the others. After Larry Hama was the main guiding force for Nth Man the trying to destroy the biological weapons that the Ultimate Ninja and its only writer. He is also a talented two countries had launched at each other, Alfie artist, but when asked if he considered drawing Nth Man, (still outfitted as Galactus) departed Earth to use his he tells BACK ISSUE, “No. I only wanted to write the powers to spread message of peace to the entire book, not draw it.” universe. He even had a herald that looked Enter penciler Ron Wagner. Wagner, liked the Silver Surfer to help him locate who had previously worked with Hama on planets that needed his help. Marvel’s G.I. Joe, illustrated the Marvel When he left Earth, Alfie used his Comics Presents premiere as well as all powers to resurrect Biggot and Gooch but one issue of the Nth Man series. as zombies to keep an eye on things He tells BACK ISSUE how he became for him while he was gone. Biggot and involved with Nth Man. “Larry was Gooch gathered the Moots, a cult-like one of the first editors I went to see group that would terrorize the world. after I got of art school. At some The Moots resembled something out point I ended up doing a short story of a Mad Max movie. that Chuck Dixon wrote for the B&W These changes to the series kept magazine, Savage Tales, that Larry challenging readers’ expectations of was editing. I eventually worked on what Nth Man the Ultimate Ninja was G.I. Joe, which Larry wrote, and that ron wagner and could be. What started off as a led to Nth Man.” rjwagner.com. semi-realistic World War III storyline Larry Hama admits to BI, “I thought with a telekinetic and an assassin changed into Ron Wagner was really essential to the book. something more as the series progressed, playing with [Comic books] are a collaborative medium. You reader expectations of heroes and villains and offering need to have a good meld of the two. We worked fans something new to devour each issue. Alfie was well together.” shown to be an unstable madman, while the assassin Wagner feels the same about working with Hama. John Doe saved people. Readers were left wondering “It was great! I learned a lot about my craft working which character was the hero of this tale. with him.”

72 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

Although Hama had most of the comic developed prior to the artist coming on board, Wagner was able to put his mark on the series. “I designed a few characters along the way based on Larry’s ideas,” Wagner says. “I think it was a super-cool concept,” he continues. “I had always loved war comics and it was a great gig for me. I am not sure how or if it stood out on the racks amongst other comics at the time. I always got the sense that no one was really paying much attention to it and that Marvel didn’t really know what to do with it. I could be wrong.” And despite Nth Man’s flirtations with Marvel characters, Ron Wagner says, “I really liked that it wasn’t part of the Marvel Universe. It probably would have benefited from it, though. I’m still glad it wasn’t.” Larry Hama reveals to BACK ISSUE a little-known fact about the characters in Nth Man. “They are all based on real people,” Hama says. “Most people didn’t seem to realize that every single character in the book is based on a real person. Every single character in the book is people I knew or a celebrity. John Doe and Alfie were based on specific people… but I can’t tell you who they are.” However, Hama isn’t reluctant to note the inspirations for some of the supporting cast, revealing, “The Green Berets colonel in the first issue was Gray Morrow. The two Russian pilots, the two bomber pilots, were Adam and Andy Kubert. The female shrink was Cher. The general was Marlon Brando. That was the way we kept the characters consistent. They were character models.” Wagner confirms, “Yes, many of the characters were based on real people in Nth Man. Larry has always been good about doing that in his scripts, saying this character looks like so and so. It really saves time when you are trying to design characters. I believe Novikova was based on an ’80s era porn star.” As mentioned, Wagner penciled every issue of the series except for one. That issue was #8, where Dale Keown filled in for him. “I am sure I was behind on the deadline and they had Dale do a fill-in,” Wagner recalls. “I thought his issue looked great!” Hama concurs: “Dale did a great job on the one issue.” Nth Man was inked by Fred Fredericks, most famously known for his stint on the Mandrake the Magician comic strip. Bobbie Chase was the title’s editor.

GRAPHIC NOVEL ORIGINS

Many comic-book series today are written and published with the realization that it will eventually appear in a collected edition. In 1989 this wasn’t the case, as collected editions and reprint series were few and far between. If a reader wanted to read an issue he had missed, he would have to track down the issue in back-issue bins. Hama saw things differently. He saw the future of comic-book publishing in the form of collected editions. So when Hama pitched Nth Man to Marvel, he pitched it as a series with a beginning, middle, and ending, with an eye toward a collected edition after the final issue was published. “It was conceived of as being a graphic novel,” Hama tells BACK ISSUE. “So it was conceived of, ‘Okay, you do two years’ worth, you get 24 issues, that’s a real novel and not a serial.’ Back then, I thought that graphic novels were going to be the future, and I was right, so I was looking at ways to multi-use and get different iterations out of the same product. That was one way to do it.” Even though Hama had conceived as the series as a graphic novel told over two years, he didn’t have the entire story mapped out from the beginning. He relates to BACK ISSUE, “I didn’t know the ending until I wrote it. I’ve never known what’s on page three until I get to page two. And that’s for any books I’ve ever written. I get the characters into an impossible situation on page one and I try to get them out of it by the last page. I find that if I know how it’s going to end, it’s very hard to keep from telegraphing it. So I’m pretty good at surprising people because I’m surprising myself.”

What’s It All About, Alfie? (top) Telekinetic Alfie O’Meagan as “Godzilla,” in Nth Man #5. (inset) Move over, Abe! Cover to issue #6 (Dec. 1989). (bottom) Alfie as Galactus, on issue #6’s splash. TM & © Marvel.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 73

Marvel “Crossover” (inset) Alfie the killer clown, on Wagner and McLeod’s Nth Man #8 (Jan. 1990) cover. The kids are reading FF #63, Iron Man #1, and Incredible Hulk #102, from 1967–1968. (right) Original art from that issue’s splash, featuring guest-penciler Dale Keown (and Daredevil and Doc Doom, too!). TM & © Marvel.

74 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

PREMATURE ENDING

Nth Man was supposed to run for 24 issues. This wasn’t the case, as the series was cancelled after the 16th issue. Hama recalls, “[Marvel] didn’t know how to promote it. They didn’t know how to sell it. It wasn’t part of the Marvel Universe, and people didn’t know what it was. There was very little effort made to [market] it. There were some house ads for the first issue, but then there was nothing. It hasn’t even been reprinted because they don’t know that it exists.” For a great series with a wonderful premise and interesting storytelling that wasn’t like anything else Marvel was producing at the time, you would think Nth Man would have caught on. “As far as why it didn’t sell and was cancelled, I can’t really speak to that,” Wagner admits. “I was holed up in a room just trying to get pages done! I also don’t think that Marvel really knew what to do with it. They sell superhero comics, and the Nth Man was not that. It seemed to be a bit of, ‘Hey, let’s put this out and see what happens. It it flies, great, if not, oh well. But we’re not really going to do anything to promote it.’” Even though the series was cancelled early, the creators were able to finish their story arc although in an abbreviated fashion. There was a one-year time jump between issues #14 and 15. During the missing year, the U.S. and Soviets put their differences aside and teamed up to defeat the Moots, who had became a danger to the survival of both countries and the entire world. SPOILER ALERT for a 30-plus-year-old comic: While journeying through the Universe, Alfie came across a being more powerful than himself—M’gubgub. Alfie tried to run from M’gubgub but couldn’t, and Alfie eventually made his way back to Earth, with M’gubgub following right behind. Alfie’s plan was to give some of his powers to John. Since John was a warrior, he could use those powers along with his ninja skills to defeat M’gubgub. The plan worked, but before being defeated M’gubgub informed John that he, the Nth Man, was a temporal anomaly that would destroy the Earth. The comic then revealed that a teenaged John had visited Alfie after the untimely death of the O’Meagans. Alfie was traumatized by the deaths of his adoptive parents who loved and cared for him. A grief-stricken Alfie lashed out at John and brought the zombified Biggot and Gooch back in time to kill John. Alfie brought John back to life, but unfortunately was only able to bring back a version of John. This John was Alfie’s impression of him and not the actual John Doe. This version of John wasn’t the kind-hearted teenager who rushed to see his friend when his adopted parents died but was someone who was capable of becoming a cold-blooded assassin. However, this wasn’t the whole story. By bringing the zombified Biggot and Gooch to the past, using them to kill John, and bringing his version of John to life, Alfie had inadvertently created a temporal anomaly. John, using some of the remaining power from Alfie, developed a plan to go back in time to their childhood at the Merrivale Home to start over, hopefully eliminating the temporal anomaly in the process. John took Alfie into the past, but before they could leave, Novikova, who had grown to love John during their time together during the one-year time jump, went with them. When the three arrived back at the orphanage, both boys were infants again. The date they went back to was February 3, 1959, the day that Novikova was born. She burst into flames because she couldn’t exist in two places at the same time. Before dying she was able to give Biggot and Gooch the warning about one being bad and one being good. The story ends where it began. Alpha and Omega (Alfie O’Meagan, get it?).

The Man Behind Nth Man (top) A winking Larry Hama (right) and this article’s author, Ed Lute. Photo courtesy of Ed Lute. (bottom and inset) An Nth Man/Novikova alliance, in Nth Man #9 (Feb. 1990). TM & © Marvel.

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 75

End of spoilers. What plans did Hama have for the issues that never saw print? “I have no idea,” he admits. “I’ve never written an outline in my life. I had no idea what was going to be in the next issue until I did it. I just got to the end quicker than I wanted to.” While his plans for a 24-issue story were cut short, would Hama revisit Nth Man if given the chance? “No, I don’t think so. I think everything I wanted to do is all pretty much there. It’s kind of hard to go back without the original crew.” Wagner would enjoy revisiting the world he helped to bring to life but doesn’t think it would ever happen, or involve him if it did. “Revisiting it might be fun,” he says, “but I doubt there would be much interest from Marvel for it. They would hire a younger, hot artist to draw it anyway.”

Nth MAN THE ULTIMATE TELEVISION SERIES

While Larry Hama was ahead of the curve with his thinking that graphic novels and collected editions were the wave of the future for comics, he also realized that comic-book properties would make great television series. At that time of Nth Man, there hadn’t been many great television series based on comic books. Adventures of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and The Incredible Hulk come to mind, but not many others. However, when Hama created the title, he was thinking of the possibilities of using it for a low-budget television series. The success of the G.I. Joe animated series was probably on his mind. Hama tells BACK ISSUE, “I went to [Marvel] and said, ‘You can publish this comic and then sell the TV rights. It wouldn’t cost a lot to make this into a series.’ But that wasn’t the thinking back then. Comics on television for an adult audience was a hard sell, so I don’t even think they tried to shop it around. “[Nth Man] wasn’t like anything [Marvel] was publishing at the time. I’d gone to a meeting and I said, ‘Look, we got all of these great characters,’ and this was a period when all the Marvel characters were optioned [for movies] and nobody was making any movies. So I said, ‘We should come up with new characters.’ So they pretty much gave me free reign and I came up with the Nth Man, I came up with Mort the Dead Teenager, I came up with Steeltown Rockers, I came up with Dakota North. All these were sort of they weren’t superheroes. They were outside the box.” The television landscape has changed plenty since Hama first pitched his Nth Man idea to Marvel. Some of the most popular television series and movies are based on comic-book properties. “Nobody was interested in them at the time but now people are interested in Nth Man and Dakota North,” Hama relates. “Dakota North was published and it sold about six copies but now they are reprinting it all. All of these books I purposely created them so they could be done at a moderate cost. They didn’t involve huge amounts of special effects in case people wanted to make a movie or TV show. So now with all the Netflix deals, all of a sudden Marvel is interested in all of these properties that they had that could easily be done as a TV show.” Hama was truly ahead of the pack.

Last Call (top) Alfie-Galactus steps into the Marvel 616 Universe in Excalibur #27 (late Aug. 1990). By Chris Claremont, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Bill Sienkiewicz. (bottom) The creative team wrapped up the Ultimate Ninja’s story in Nth Man #16 (Sept. 1990), a few issues shy of their intended conclusion. TM & © Marvel.

76 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

Even with Nth Man’s early cancellation, Larry Hama and Ron Wagner were able to create a memorable comic book that stood out from other Marvel series at the time due to its realistic characters, believable setting, and engaging storyline that kept challenging reader’s expectations with each subsequent issue. Wagner states, “I loved the series and I am very proud of it. I am always surprised when I meet people these days that read it and loved it. It seems like it had a cool little cult following. I love that.” The author would like to thank Larry Hama, Terry Kavanagh, and Ron Wagner for their invaluable assistance with this article. ED LUTE is a first grade teacher, geek, and freelance writer who loves writing about comics. He also loves to be able to reread beloved comics for “research purposes.”

Send your comments to: Email: euryman@gmail.com (subject: BACK ISSUE) Postal mail: Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief • BACK ISSUE 112 Fairmount Way * New Bern, NC 28562

Find BACK ISSUE on

BACK ISSUE’S BLAZING BATTLE TALES

Looking for more BI coverage of war comics? We refer you to these back issues of BACK ISSUE for our articles about the following soldier-starring and World War II-set comic books: • Airboy (BI #26) • All-Star Squadron (BI #106) • Blackhawk (1980s run) (BI #37) • Captain Storm and the Losers (Our Fighting Forces) (BI #93) • Combat Kelly and the Deadly Dozen (BI #37) • Enemy Ace: War Idyll (BI #37) • G.I. Combat (anniversary issues) (BI #69) • The Invaders (BI #37) • Our Army At War (anniversary issues) (BI #69) • Sad Sack (BI #37) • Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos (Bronze Age reprint issues) (BI #86) • Sgt. Rock (BI #26, 37, 69) • Sgt. Rock (unproduced movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger) (BI #2) • Star-Spangled War Stories (anniversary issues) (BI #69) • Unknown Soldier (Star-Spangled War Stories) (BI #37) • Vietnam Journal (BI #37) • War is Hell (Bronze Age reprint issues) (BI #86) • Weird War Tales (BI #78) • Wonder Woman (World War II-based adventures of Golden Age Amazon Princess, produced during era of Wonder Woman TV show) (BI #37) Here’s a shout-out to Full Mag: Veteran Stories Illustrated, from Full Magazine Publishing! Edited by August Uhl, Full Mag is a slick military history publication which presents first-person narratives from military veterans in comic form, using a mix of established and upand-coming talent, as well as essays and articles, with stories spotlighting conflicts from World War II to today. As of this writing, two issues of Full Mag have been produced. If you’re a fan of the comics narratives of Sam Glanzman or the soldiers’ perspectives presented in Marvel’s ’80s classic, The ’Nam, or if you’re someone who wishes to honor those who served by reading their personal stories, Full Mag comes highly recommended. Presented below are some sample images from Full Mag vol. 2. For more information, visit. www.fullmagazinepublishing.com.

VETERAN STORIES ILLUSTRATED

Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 77

BARBARIC MEN OF WAR

Crom! What a fantastic issue BACK ISSUE #121 was to read and look at! My favorite hero is Conan, and any articles and specials related to REH’s best creation is a treat as far as I am concerned. I loved the top 50 Conan Bronze Age stories (though I would have placed the death of Belit probably 2nd). My first Conan comic was bought at a local drug store in town and it was Big John Buscema’s return to the Conan the Barbarian Marvel comic with issue #84 in 1977 and I have been enthralled ever since. The article on the syndicated Conan comic strip was spectacular, as was the article on Arak, which I was collecting back in the day as well. Mitra! What an issue! Thank you! – David Gehring

COVER-TO-COVER READS

First of all, thank you for BACK ISSUE! Just… thank you! The first time I read an issue of BACK ISSUE was way back in 2007 with issue #22, when I was doing research on a book I was writing about the history of the Boy Wonder in all his (and her) various incarnations. (I actually pitched it to TwoMorrows a couple years before I saw a somewhat similar book of essays by various writers hit the shelves from another publisher.) I remember feeling an overwhelming sense of awe that there was so much more about not only Dick Grayson and the other Wonders, but the TMNT and the early days of Dark Horse (among other topics covered in that issue) than I had ever suspected. That issue inspired me to conduct my own email interviews with legends like Bob Rozakis and Dick Giordano before I had to set that book aside to begin writing another one for a publisher. Cut to BACK ISSUE #114 and its focus on black superheroes of the 1970s. I’ve been a fan of Tony Isabella’s Black Lightning for years, and when I saw that there was gonna be some coverage on m’man Jeff Pearce, I just had to pick up a copy at that year’s NYCC. That issue of BI was the first magazine I’ve ever read literally cover to cover––letters and all. To my surprise, there were stories I enjoyed even more than the superb coverage of Black Lightning, particularly the articles on Black Goliath (which now has me seeking copies in my spare time) and the Irreverent Billy Graham, and, of course, all the articles on Luke Cage. I never realized how much I love the Bronze Age of Comics, nor did I realize just how much there was to know about it from the inside. I just finished reading BI #121, the “Conan and the Barbarians” issue, and this is another issue that I read cover to cover. Funny thing is, I’ve never really been a fan of Conan in the comics. The closest I’ve come was owning one random issue of The Savage Sword of Conan (issue #46) and watching episodes of Conan the Adventurer during my morning bowl of Cap’n Crunch in the ’90s. Normally, I might not have picked it up, but I had been wanting to read another issue of BI, and what sold me was turning to the contents page and seeing that there was a “Toy Box” article about the Lost World of the Warlord Remco figures and some serious coverage on Arak, Son of Thunder, whom I had only known because he was the only Remco action figure I owned as a kid. (And almost recently as an adult, but another collector picked him up at a toy convention before I could reach out and snag him!) So I picked up issue #121, 78 • BACK ISSUE • Soldiers Issue

and I broke my previous record of reading through a copy of BI over my morning coffee. (It took me three months of sporadic reading to reach the back cover of BI #114, and only one month to breeze through BI #121.) By far, though, my favorite piece in BI #121 is the “Top 50 Bronze Age Conan Favorites” by Steven Thompson, which provides quite an in-depth history of the Cimmerian and his creator, Robert E. Howard. I also appreciated all the amazing insights provided by Roy Thomas. Now, I find myself journeying to Adventure Town to dig up some of the key issues on the list (or perhaps an omnibus) of the Marvel run of Conan the Barbarian, just to see what I missed out on in the Hyborian Age. I also find myself keeping a keen eye out for some titles from the other Marvel and DC barbarians that have graced the comics page since the late 1970s. Reminds me that I should revisit my Starfire collection soon. So again, thanks for another excellent installment of BACK ISSUE. I’m looking forward to the next issue, as I’ve always been a huge fan of Wolfman and Pérez’s New Teen Titans, and I’m excited to see what insights the writers at BI will unearth! – J. T. Trigonis David and J. T. … you’re welcome. And thank you for your enthusiastic letters!

MEETING MARV AND GEORGE

Another superb issue of BACK ISSUE [#122]. I can clearly remember buying my first issue of New Teen Titans. It was issue #4, with the JLA battle. I had already met the team in the free insert in DC Comics Presents #26, but thanks to the patchy distribution of American comics here in the UK, I had missed the first three issues of the team’s regular book. I was used to George Pérez’s art from the Avengers and Fantastic Four strips, but his NTT work took his art to a new level. Both George and Marv Wolfman became heroes, and I never thought I’d get a chance to meet them. Fast forward to London Film and Comicon 2017, where I met Marv, who was charming and gracious with his time. I totally fanboyed over his Titans work, and got him to sign a poster of NTT #1. TM & © DC Comics. Two years later I met George Pérez. I have met so many celebrities over the years, but I consider meeting George to be my absolute highlight. (See photos below.)

I loved reading the Pro2Pro feature in issue #122, and loved George’s acknowledgement of meeting fans: “I have people who wait in line—that’s time out of their lives—who are willing to spend for me!” Standing in that London Comicon line and chatting to other excited fans, we all considered that to be time well spent. For a start, George, as he always did, was signing for free, which I found astonishing. I have to confess, I re-queued a couple of times, not through greed, but as a genuine desire to spend a bit more time with him. He was so kind and warm and I couldn’t quite believe I was meeting this hero of mine, whose work I have loved for so many years. I got a chance to ask him about the Titans live-action TV series, unsure of how he felt about it. He confessed he hasn’t seen it, but was happy to sign the DVD cover of Season 1 for me. I can’t say enough good things about George, especially as he wasn’t too well on the day, which didn’t stop him meeting as many fans as he could and spending quality time with them. As ever, his wife, Carol, kept a watchful eye over him to ensure he wasn’t overdoing things. Along with signing my NTT Omnibus #1 and Crisis hardcovers, he added his name to my NTT poster, next to Marv’s signature. On my last visit to him I said I’d taken up a little too much of his time and I’d leave him alone now: “I’m already crying,” he smiled. I walked away from his table with the same smile every other fan had. I consider myself extremely lucky to have met George on his last UK convention, and I will never forget our meeting. – Paul Burns Thanks for sharing that heartwarming story, Paul, and your photos.

DC’s FIRST STARFIRE?

To the best of my knowledge, the first use of the name “Starfire” in a DC/National Comics magazine was in the story “The Answer Man of Space” by Gardner Fox and Sid Greene, which appeared in Mystery In Space #73 (Feb. 1962). I am attaching a scan which I hope you can use (see panel 4). Hope all’s well otherwise in these strange days. – Mike W. Barr Always a pleasure to hear from you, old chum. Thanks for sharing this trivia, and the scan (at right).

BI IS MORE THAN NOSTALGIA TO ME

Michael, I wanted to drop you a line because of the pleasure your magazines give me, especially BACK ISSUE. I am a child of the Bronze Age and entered the Army shortly after graduating high school. I was injured in Operation Desert Storm and have experienced memory problems for the last 29 years. Thanks to your wonderful issues, I get to relive my early years and am reminded of things that I would have lost forever. I devour the latest BACK ISSUE as soon as it comes in and enjoy it from cover to cover, even the articles that cover topics that never interested me before. I gravitate more to the DC heroes, but I also read my share of Marvel comics, too. I also pull out back issues of, well, BACK ISSUE magazine when I need a lift. It’s like getting something new when I read an article that I’ve forgotten about (something similar happens when I watch movies that I’ve forgotten the ending to—sorry for the dark humor). PTSD takes its toll and fogs the mind, but reminders of better times mean the Properties © their respective copyright holders. BACK ISSUE TM & © TwoMorrows. All Rights Reserved.

world to veterans. As long as TwoMorrows publishes BACK ISSUE, Alter Ego, and RetroFan, you’ve got a subscriber here to all three. – Kevin M. Holden SGT, US Army (RET) Thank you, Kevin, for your kind letter about BACK ISSUE and TwoMorrows’ other magazines (I’m happy you’re also enjoying RetroFan, which I edit, and I’m certain Roy Thomas appreciates your praise of his Alter Ego magazine). Your service to our nation is deeply appreciated. I’m happy to read that BI and our magazines are stimulating memories that your PTSD has clouded. Next issue: “Bronze Age TV Tie-ins,” tuning in to television-inspired comic adaptations of the 1970s to the early 1990s, including The Bionic Woman, Dark Shadows, Emergency!, H. R. Pufnstuf, Hee Haw, Lost in Space, Primus, Sledge Hammer, Superboy, V… even Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp! Featuring KEN BALD, Primus star ROBERT BROWN, CARY BATES, DAVID CAMPITI, MARK EVANIER, JOHN FRANCIS MOORE, Lost in Space’s BILL MUMY, JIM SALICRUP, ALEX SAVIUK, JOE STATON, MARV WOLFMAN, and more. TV comic montage cover designed by MICHAEL KRONENBERG. Don’t ask—just BI it! See you in thirty! Your friendly neighborhood Euryman, Michael Eury, editor-in-chief Soldiers Issue • BACK ISSUE • 79

NEW BOOKS FROM TWOMORROWS

OLD GODS & NEW A COMPANION TO JACK KIRBY’S FOURTH WORLD

For its 80th issue, the JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR magazine presents a double-sized 50th anniversary examination of Kirby’s magnum opus! Spanning the pages of four different comics starting in 1970 (NEW GODS, FOREVER PEOPLE, MISTER MIRACLE, and JIMMY OLSEN), the sprawling “Epic for our times” was cut short mid-stream, leaving fans wondering how Jack would’ve resolved the confrontation between evil DARKSEID of Apokolips, and his son ORION of New Genesis. This companion to that “FOURTH WORLD” series looks back at JACK KIRBY’s own words, as well as those of assistants MARK EVANIER and STEVE SHERMAN, inker MIKE ROYER, and publisher CARMINE INFANTINO, to determine how it came about, where it was going, and how Kirby would’ve ended it before it was prematurely cancelled by DC Comics! It also examines Kirby’s use of gods in THOR and other strips prior to the Fourth World, how they influenced his DC epic, and affected later series like THE ETERNALS and CAPTAIN VICTORY. With an overview of hundreds of Kirby’s creations like BIG BARDA, BOOM TUBES and GRANNY GOODNESS, and post-Kirby uses of his concepts, no Fourth World fan will want to miss it! Compiled, researched, and edited by JOHN MORROW, with contributions by JON B. COOKE. (160-page FULL-COLOR trade paperback) $26.95 • (Digital Edition) $12.99 ISBN: 978-1-60549-098-4 • NOW SHIPPING!

OR -COL FULLDCOVER HAR RIES SE nting me f docu ecade o d y! c ea h s histor comic

AMERICAN COMIC BOOK CHRONICLES The 1950s

MARVEL COMICS IN THE 1970s (Expanded Edition)

PIERRE COMTOIS’ sequel covers how STAN LEE became publisher, JACK KIRBY left Marvel, and ROY THOMAS rose as writer & editor! New edition with 16 extra pages! (240-page trade paperback) $29.95 (Digital Edition) $12.99 INCLUDES 16 EXTRA PAGES! NOW SHIPPING!

REED CRANDALL ILLUSTRATOR OF THE COMICS

(Softcover Edition) ROGER HILL’s history of Crandall’s life and career, with never-seen photos and unpublished artwork! NOW IN SOFTCOVER! (256-page FULL-COLOR TRADE PAPERBACK) $39.95 (256-page Digital Edition) $13.99 NEW SOFTCOVER EDITION NOW SHIPPING!

The 1990s

BILL SCHELLY tackles the Atomic Era of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis: EC’s TALES FROM THE CRYPT, MAD, CARL BARKS’ Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge, the FLASH in Showcase #4, return of Timely’s CAPTAIN AMERICA, HUMAN TORCH & SUB-MARINER, & FREDRIC WERTHAM!

KEITH DALLAS & JASON SACKS detail the decade X-MEN #1 sold 8.1 million copies, IMAGE COMICS formed, Superman died, Batman broke his back, Neil Gaiman’s SANDMAN led to the VERTIGO line of adult comics, and gimmicky covers, skimpy costumes, and mega-crossovers ruled!

(240-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $46.95 (Digital Edition) $15.99 NOW SHIPPING!

(288-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $48.95 (Digital Edition) $15.99 NOW SHIPPING!

Coming Fall 2021: American Comic Book Chronicles: 1945-49 and The Charlton Companion

TwoMorrows. The Future of Comics History. TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA

Other volumes available: 1940-44 1960-64 1965-69 1970s 1980s Phone: 919-449-0344 E-mail: store@twomorrows.com Web: www.twomorrows.com Don’t miss exclusive sales, limited editions, and new releases! Sign up for our mailing list:

https://groups.io/g/twomorrows

ED AND EXP COND SE ION! EDIT

THE WORLD OF TWOMORROWS

JACK KIRBY’S DINGBAT LOVE

KIRBY & LEE: STUF’ SAID

MAC RABOY

25th anniversary retrospective by publisher JOHN MORROW and COMIC BOOK CREATOR magazine’s JON B. COOKE! Go behind-the-scenes with MICHAEL EURY, ROY THOMAS, GEORGE KHOURY, and a host of other TwoMorrows contributors!

The final complete, unpublished Jack Kirby stories in existence, presented here for the first time, in cooperation with DC Comics! Two unused 1970s DINGBATS OF DANGER STREET tales, plus unseen TRUE-LIFE DIVORCE and SOUL LOVE magazines!

Examines the complicated relationship of Marvel Universe creators JACK KIRBY and STAN LEE through their own words (and Ditko’s, Wood’s, Romita Sr.’s and others), in chronological order, from fanzine, magazine, radio, and TV interviews!

(224-page FULL-COLOR trade paperback) $37.95 (Digital Edition) $15.99 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-092-2 (240-page ULTRA-LIMITED HARDCOVER) $75

(176-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $43.95 (Digital Edition) $14.99 ISBN: 978-1-60549-091-5

(176-page FULL-COLOR trade paperback) $26.95 (Digital Edition) $12.99 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-094-6

HERO-A-GO-GO!

MICHAEL EURY looks at comics’ CAMP AGE, when spies liked their wars cold and their women warm, and TV’s Batman shook a mean cape! (272-page FULL-COLOR trade paperback) $36.95 (Digital Edition) $13.99 ISBN: 978-1-60549-073-1

IT CREPT FROM THE TOMB Digs up the best of FROM THE TOMB, the acclaimed horror comics history magazine! (192-page trade paperback) $29.95 (Digital Edition) $10.99 ISBN: 978-1-60549-081-6

JACK KIRBY CHECKLIST

CENTENNIAL EDITION

Fully-updated, 256-page definitive edition listing every release up to Jack’s 100th birthday! (256-page LIMITED EDITION HARDCOVER) $34.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-083-0

Big Discounts! Final Copies!

CARMINE INFANTINO PENCILER, PUBLISHER, PROVOCATEUR (224-page paperback) $26.95 Only $12

THE INCREDIBLE HERB TRIMPE (160-page FULL-COLOR Hardcover) $34.95 Only $20

DON HECK A WORK OF ART (192-page FULL-COLOR Hardcover) $39.95 Only $15

MARIE SEVERIN MIRTHFUL MISTRESS OF COMICS (176-page paperback) $24.95 Only $10

COMIC BOOK IMPLOSION

AL PLASTINO LAST SUPERMAN STANDING (112-page paperback) $17.95 Only $7

ROGER HILL documents the life and career of the artist of BULLETMAN, SPY SMASHER, GREEN LAMA, and his crowning achievement, CAPTAIN MARVEL JR., with never-before-seen photos, a wealth of rare and unpublished artwork, and the first definitive biography of a true Master of the Comics! (160-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 (Digital Edition) $14.99 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-090-8

MIKE GRELL

Documents “The DC Implosion”, one of the most notorious events in comics, with an exhaustive oral history from the creators involved! (136-page trade paperback with COLOR) $21.95 (Digital Edition) $10.99 ISBN: 978-1-60549-085-4

Master of the Comics

LIFE IS DRAWING WITHOUT AN ERASER

Career-spanning tribute to a legend! (160-page FULL-COLOR trade paperback) $27.95 (Digital Edition) $12.99 ISBN: 978-1-60549-088-5

THE MLJ COMPANION

Complete history of ARCHIE COMICS’ “Mighty Crusaders” super-heroes, with in-depth examinations of each era of the characters’ history!

(176-page LIMITED EDITION HARDCOVER) $37.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-087-8

STAR*REACH COMPANION (192-page paperback with COLOR) $27.95 Only $10

TITANS COMPANION VOLUME 2 (224-page paperback) $26.95 Only $10

(288-page FULL-COLOR trade paperback) $34.95 (Digital Edition) $14.99 ISBN: 978-1-60549-067-0

BEST OF ALTER EGO VOLUME 2 (160-page paperback) $19.95 Only $8

All MODERN MASTERS books: $8 each!

ALTER EGO: CENTENNIAL (160-page trade paperback with COLOR) $19.95 Only $10

BEST OF DRAW VOLUME 3 (256-page trade paperback with COLOR) $29.95 Only $12

SAL BUSCEMA: COMICS’ FAST & FURIOUS ARTIST (176-page paperback with COLOR) $26.95 Only $15

Alan Davis • John Byrne • Charles Vess • Michael Golden • Jerry Ordway • Mike Allred Lee Weeks • John Romita Jr. • Mike Ploog • Kyle Baker • Chris Sprouse • Mark Buckingham • Guy Davis Jeff Smith • Frazer Irving • Ron Garney • Eric Powell • Cliff Chiang • Paolo Rivera

Download our Free Catalog of all our available books and back issues! https://www.twomorrows.com/media/TwoMorrowsCatalog.pdf

New Comics Magazines!

ALTER EGO #168

ALTER EGO #169

ALTER EGO #170

ALTER EGO #171

ALTER EGO #172

Spotlight on Groovy GARY FRIEDRICH— co-creator of Marvel’s Ghost Rider! ROY THOMAS on their six-decade friendship, wife JEAN FRIEDRICH and nephew ROBERT HIGGERSON on his later years, PETER NORMANTON on GF’s horror/ mystery comics, art by PLOOG, TRIMPE, ROMITA, THE SEVERINS, AYERS, et al.! FCA, MICHAEL T. GILBERT and Mr. Monster, and more! MIKE PLOOG cover!

JACK KIRBY is showcased cover-to-cover behind a never-before-printed Kirby cover! WILL MURRAY on Kirby’s contributions to the creation of Iron Man—FCA on his Captain Marvel/Mr. Scarlet Fawcett work—Kirby sections by MICHAEL T. GILBERT & PETER NORMANTON—Kirby in 1960s fanzines—STAN LEE’s colorful quotes about “The King”, and ROY THOMAS on being a Kirby fan (and foil)!

PAUL GUSTAVSON—Golden Age artist of The Angel, Fantom of the Fair, Arrow, Human Bomb, Jester, Plastic Man, Alias the Spider, Quicksilver, Rusty Ryan, Midnight, and others—is remembered by son TERRY GUSTAFSON, who talks in-depth to RICHARD ARNDT. Lots of lush comic art from Centaur, Timely, and (especially) Quality! Plus—FCA, MICHAEL T. GILBERT, JOHN BROOME, and more!

ALFREDO ALCALA is celebrated for his dreamscape work on Savage Sword of Conan and other work for Marvel, DC, and Warren, as well as his own barbarian creation Voltar, as RICH ARNDT interviews his sons Alfred and Christian! Also: FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America), MICHAEL T. GILBERT in Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, PETER NORMANTON’s horror history From The Tomb, JOHN BROOME, and more!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Now shipping!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships June 2021

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships August 2021

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Oct. 2021

Two RICHARD ARNDT interviews revealing the wartime life of Aquaman artist/ co-creator PAUL NORRIS (with a Golden/ Silver Age art gallery)—plus the story of WILLIE ITO, who endured the WWII Japanese-American relocation centers to become a Disney & Warner Bros. animator and comics artist. Plus FCA, MICHAEL T. GILBERT, JOHN BROOME, and more, behind a NORRIS cover!

BACK ISSUE #128

BACK ISSUE #129

BACK ISSUE #130

BACK ISSUE #131

TV TOON TIE-INS! Bronze Age HannaBarbera Comics, Underdog, Mighty Mouse, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Pink Panther, Battle of the Planets, and Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl. Bonus: SCOTT SHAW! digs up Captain Carrot’s roots! Featuring the work of BYRNE, COLON, ENGEL, EVANIER, FIELDS, MICHAEL GALLAGHER, WIN MORTIMER, NORRIS, SEVERIN, SKEATES, STATON, TALLARICO, TOTH, and more!

BRONZE AGE PROMOS, ADS, AND GIMMICKS! The aborted DC Super-Stars Society fan club, Hostess Comic Ads, DC 16-page Preview Comics, rare Marvel custom comics, DC Hotline, Popeye Career Comics, early variant covers, and more. Featuring BARR, HERDLING, LEVITZ, MAGUIRE, MORGAN, PACELLA, PALMIOTTI, SHAW!, TERRY STEWART, THOMAS, WOLFMAN, and more!

THE KIRBY LEGACY AT DC! Explores Jack Kirby’s post-Fourth World Bronze Age DC characters! Demon, Kamandi, OMAC, Sandman, and Kirby’s Odd Jobs (Atlas, Manhunter, and more). Plus: the SIMON & KIRBY Reunion That Wasn’t! Featuring BISSETTE, BYRNE, CONWAY, GIBBONS, GOLDEN, GRANT, RUCKA, SEMEIKS, THOMAS, TIMM, WAGNER, and more. Demon cover by KIRBY and MIKE ROYER!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships May 2021

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships June 2021

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships July 2021

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Aug. 2021

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Sept. 2021

2021

BRONZE AGE TV TIE-INS! TV-to-comic adaptations of the ’70s to ’90s, including Bionic Woman, Dark Shadows, Emergency, H. R. Pufnstuf, Hee Haw, Lost in Space (with BILL MUMY), Primus (with ROBERT BROWN), Sledge Hammer, Superboy, V, and others! Featuring BALD, BATES, CAMPITI, EVANIER, JOHN FRANCIS MOORE, SALICRUP, SAVIUK, SPARLING, STATON, WOLFMAN, and more!

SUBSCRIPTION RATES Alter Ego (Six issues) Back Issue (Eight issues) BrickJournal (Six issues) Comic Book Creator (Four issues) Jack Kirby Collector (Four issues) RetroFan (Six issues)

ECONOMY US $68 $90 $68 $46 $49 $68

EXPEDITED US $80 $103 $80 $56 $59 $80

PREMIUM US $87 $113 $87 $60 $63 $87

TwoMorrows. The Future of Comics History. TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA

INTERNATIONAL $103 $137 $103 $69 $72 $103

DIGITAL ONLY $27 $36 $27 $18 $18 $27

Phone: 919-449-0344 E-mail: store@twomorrows.com Web: www.twomorrows.com Don’t miss exclusive sales, limited editions, and new releases! Sign up for our mailing list:

https://groups.io/g/twomorrows

Download our Free Catalog of all our available books and back issues! https://www.twomorrows.com/media/TwoMorrowsCatalog.pdf

PRINTED IN CHINA

BACK ISSUE #127

SOLDIERS ISSUE! Sgt. Rock revivals, General Thunderbolt Ross, Beetle Bailey in comics, DC’s Blitzkrieg, War is Hell’s John Kowalski, Atlas’ savage soldiers, The ’Nam, Nth the Ultimate Ninja, and CONWAY and GARCIA-LOPEZ’s Cinder and Ashe. Featuring CLAREMONT, DAVID, DIXON, GOLDEN, HAMA, KUBERT, LOEB, DON LOMAX, DOUG MURRAY, TUCCI, and more. BRIAN BOLLAND cover!