Comic Book Artist #17

THE ART OF ARTHUR ADAMS

No.17 Jan. 2002

$6.95

In The U.S.

GRAY MORROW & GEORGE EVANS TRIBUTES • ROUSSOS • KINSTLER

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At

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TwoMorrows.Celebrating The Art & History Of Comics. (& LEGO! ) TwoMorrows • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA • 919-449-0344 • FAX: 919-449-0327 • E-mail: twomorrow@aol.com • www.twomorrows.com

Last-minute bits about the Community of Comic Book Artists, Writers and Editors

Space Cowboy! GRAY MORROW: At Casa CBA, we get weird ’n’ wild stuff crossing our desk all the time and the mixed-bag pick of the month is J. David Spurlock’s Space Cowboy #1 ($4.95). While the episodic adventure of Flash Gordonwannabe Rick Montana—a.k.a. Space Cowboy, natch!—is a pastiche of Al Williamson’s ’50s space operas, it is cliché-ridden and predictable, lacking in the charm of those classic tales it pays explicit homage to—though artist Pat Binder is a delight! More! Whatever the comic’s shortcomings, the special color section, featuring a mindblowing array of images from Williamson, Wood, Gray Morrow, Steranko, and (yep!)

Frank Frazetta, are impressive indeed. (But what’s this habit of the colorist adding his signature to those master’s artworks, eh?).

Order from Vanguard Prod., 59A Philhower Rd., Lebanon, NJ 08833. Add $4 s&h.

DEADMAN RISES AGAIN!

By the latter 1960s, after Batmania had died down and when Marvel was getting all the notice from the mainstream media and comic fans alike, something very weird indeed took place at DC Comics in the guise of a new costumed character called, of all things, “Deadman.” This masked avenger would represent the beginning of great things to come from the House of Superman, debuting at a time of creative stagnation for the staid publisher.

After his creation by writer Arnold Drake and artist Carmine Infantino, “Boston” Brand, the murdered aerialist, would be immediately embraced by the most dynamic— and courageous—new artist to enter the field in almost 15 years, Neal Adams. The fearless Young Turk would establish Deadman as the artist’s trademark character at DC during his early years at the company. And Adams’ artistry kicked ass.

Finally, after 25 years, DC has collected virtually every single Deadman tale drawn by Adams (though curiously omitting the Justice League of America #94 stuff, assuredly a more important tale in the canon comparative to the included quasi-horror tale from Challengers of the Unknown #74) in a gorgeous 354-page slipcased edition. Behind a new Neal Adams cover (detailed here), the $75 tome includes the breathtaking Deadman tales from Aquaman #50-52.

Reprinted here for the first time, those short stories (written as well as penciled and inked by the master) feature perhaps Adams’ best and most mature DC Comics work. But the pièce de résistance of this luscious book is the artist’s newlyinked rendition of his debut story in Strange Adventures #206. It must be seen to be believed! This superb edition could be the most essential book of 2002.

VISIONARY 2001 will be regarded as a tragic time for many Americans and, to compound the sadness for those of us who appreciate exquisite comic book artists, it will also be recalled for the year that artist Gray Morrow passed away. An under-appreciated illustrator of exceptional ability, and one never hired enough by the comics publishers, Gray did at least receive the appreciation of some of his friends and peers through the publication last Summer of his extraordinary art book, Gray Morrow: Visionary, edited by Mark Wheatley and Allan Gross (both of whom contribute to our special Gray Morrow tribute inside this issue). CBA implores readers who appreciate solid draftsmanship and superior comics storytelling to check out this fine production, lavishly illustrated with numerous Morrow paintings, many rarely-seen. Please help keep Gray’s legacy alive and appreciated by referring to the ad for the book on page 61. Also, please note the information regarding the upcoming auction (pg. 65) to benefit Gray’s wife, Pocho, and the Morrow estate.

Marvel’s Long Strange Trip Please join us next issue for an excursion into the far-out days of Captain Marvel, Adam Warlock, and Dr. Strange with our 18th issue’s celebration of the ’70s Cosmic Comics of Marvel featuring a special round table interview with the “Cosmic Code Authority”: Jim Starlin, Alan Weiss and Allen Milgrom, plus talks with Steve Englehart and Steve Leialoha. Our art showcase includes pages from the unpublished Warlock #16! But wait! There’s more! We chat with staffers Flo Steinberg, Herb Trimpe, John Romita, Marie Severin, Linda Fite and others on those great days in the ’60s Marvel Bullpen!

THE BETTY, VERONICA & JOSIE ARTIST PASSES AWAY

Dan DeCarlo

Comic book aficionados lost another legend when on December 18, 2001, renowned cartoonist Dan DeCarlo died. Celebrated for his creation of Josie and the Pussycats, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and the definitive Archie Comics “style,” which continues at that publisher to this day, the artist was immersed in legal wrangling over the last few years with his former employer in a contest over ownership of Josie (a character Dan modeled after his wife, Josie DeCarlo). Comic Book Artist, who had hoped to interview the artist for a future issue devoted to Archie Comics, extends our deepest sympathies to Josie and family for their tragic loss.

Upon hearing the news from Dan’s good friend and frequent CBA contributor Terry Austin,

this editor found the death hard to fathom as upon talking with the cartoonist in San Diego during recent years, we found Dan to be a feisty, lively and resolute fellow. Dan’s passing is made doubly sad by his shoddy treatment over the years by his former publisher, which now unfortunately will remain a permanent blot on the history of comics.

DAN DECARLO TRIBUTE COMING IN CBA #18, FEB. 2002 Space permitting, Comic Book Artist is hoping to include a significant tribute section in memory of the Archie Comics artist in our next issue. A portion of the proceeds from this issue will go to the DeCarlo family.

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CELEBRATING THE LIVES & WORK OF THE GREAT CARTOONISTS, WRITERS & EDITORS

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Editor/Designer JON B. COOKE Publisher

TWOMORROWS JOHN & PAM MORROW Associate Editors CHRIS KNOWLES DAVID A. ROACH CHRISTOPHER IRVING GEORGE KHOURY Contributing Editors ROY THOMAS JOHN MORROW

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THE FRONT PAGE: LAST MINUTE BITS ON THE COMMUNITY OF COMIC BOOK ARTISTS, WRITERS & EDITORS Another master goes to heaven, Deadman returns, and the vision of the late Gray Morrow ..............................1 EDITOR’S RANT: A QUESTION OF CHARACTERS Ye Ed goes on a tirade about the dilution of comic-book icons, DK2, and hope for the future............................4 COCHRAN’S CORNER: THEN THERE WERE GIANTS Columnist John Cochran gets the skinny from Greyshirt writer-artist, Rick “Comicon.com” Veitch! ..................5 CBA COMMUNIQUES: THE TORONTO AND FRENCH CONNECTIONS Vortex compatriots Dean Motter and Ken Steacy clarify the X-factor, and other missives & missles....................6 CBA COMMENTARY: LARRY IVIE ON COMIC BOOK ARTIST #14 The artist/writer responds to issues raised in our “Tower Comics: Years of Thunder” issue ..............................10 MICHELLE’S MEANDERINGS: WHY CAPTAIN VIDEO COMICS DIDN’T FLY Our newest columnist looks back at the old George Evan’s comic featuring one of TV’s first sci-fi stars ..........13 CBA COMMENTARY: ALEX TOTH—’BEFORE I FORGET’ The master artist discusses art at face value and how a simple approach is always best ....................................18

COMIC BOOK ARTIST™ is published 10 times a year by TwoMorrows, 1812 Park Drive, Raleigh, NC 27605, USA. 919-833-8092. Jon B. Cooke, Editor. John Morrow, Publisher. Editorial Office: P.O. Box 204, West Kingston, RI 02892-0204 USA • 401-783-1669 • Fax: 401-783-1287. Send subscription funds to TwoMorrows, NOT the editorial office. Single issues: $9 postpaid ($11 Canada, $12 elsewhere). Six-issue subscriptions: $36 US, $66 Canada, $72 elsewhere. All characters © their respective owners. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © their respective authors. ©2002 Jon B. Cooke/TwoMorrows. Cover acknowledgements: Jonni Future, Para-Man ©2002 America’s Best Comics, LLC. Monkeyman & O’Brien, Shrewmanoid ©2002 Arthur Adams. Creature from the Black Lagoon ©2002 Univeral City Studios, Inc. The Authority ©2002 Wildstorm Productions, an imprint of DC Comics. Longshot, The Mole Man, The Thing, Wolverine ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc. Godzilla ©2002 Toho Co., Ltd. Gumby ©2002 Art Clokey. Arthur Adams ©2002 Joyce Chin. Why are you reading this? If you’re not a copyright lawyer, you really should think about getting a real hobby, y’know? First Printing. PRINTED IN CANADA.

FRED HEMBECK’S DATELINE: @!!?* Our Pal Fred looks at the Marvel art of the late artist Johnny Craig....................................................................21 THE ART OF ARTHUR ADAMS ARTHUR ADAMS INTERVIEW: THE ARTIST’S LIFE, FROM LONGSHOT TO JONNI FUTURE A discussion with the artist (and occasional writer) about his background, career and aspirations......................22 HERO INDEX: THE ARTHUR ADAMS COMIC ART CHECKLIST The “Unofficial Arthur Adams Web site” proprietor, Vilmar Vogelaar, contributes a thorough listing ................44 REMEMBERING GRAY MORROW IN MEMORIUM: “THIS WAS A MAN!” Christopher Irving takes a journey to find the humanity and artistry of the master known as Gray Morrow ......48 PROFESSIONAL COURTESIES: FAREWELL TO THE MASTER Testimonials and anecdotes about the artist from many of Gray Morrow’s friends and acquaintances................56 GRAY MORROW INTERVIEW: SORCERER SUPREME A short conversation with the artist on his memorable tenure as artist/writer/editor at Red Circle Comics ........62 HORROR INDEX: RED CIRCLE COMICS CHECKLIST A thorough look at the short yet beautiful comics imprint helmed by Gray Morrow ..........................................64 GEORGE ROUSSOS: AN ARTIST’S LIFE GEORGE ROUSSOS INTERVIEW: ‘INKY’ SPEAKS! The late artist on his over half-century in the biz, from Golden Age Batman to modern-day Marvel ................66 GEORGE EVANS TRIBUTE GEORGE EVANS INTERVIEW: EVANS IN THE HEAVENS A delightful career-spanning talk with the late, lamented comics artist and aviation buff ..................................82 CBA TRIBUTE & PROFESSIONAL COURTESIES: GEORGE EVANS REMEMBERED Artist/writer Michael T. Gilbert and other friends on the life of the wonderful EC artist, George E.....................94 EVERETT RAYMOND KINSTLER: COMICS AND BEYOND EVERETT RAYMOND KINSTLER INTERVIEW: THE ARTIST’S PANACHE (AND PORTRAITS A SPECIALTY!) Paul Wardle interviews the great portrait painter on his origins in comic books and the lessons learned..........104 Opposite page: T-shirt design of Monkeyman & O’Brien by Arthur Adams. Courtesy of John Fanucchi & the artist. ©2002 Arthur Adams. Below: Yep, we’re apesh*t over Monkeyman & O’Brien! Here’s a pin-up of the pair by their creator, Arthur Adams. Courtesy of John Fanucchi and the artist. ©2002 Arthur Adams.

Proofreader ERIC NOLEN-WEATHINGTON Cover Art ART ADAMS Cover Color HOMER REYES, Our Hero!

Transcribers JON B. KNUTSON BRIAN K. MORRIS SAM GAFFORD Logo Designer/Title Originator ARLEN SCHUMER Mascot WOODY by J.D. King Issue Theme Song ART FOR ART’S SAKE (Money for God’s Sake)

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Please send all letters of comment, articles and artwork to: Jon B. Cooke, Editor, Comic Book Artist, P.O. Box 204, West Kingston, RI 02892-0204 Phone: (401) 783-1669 • Fax: (401) 783-1287 • E-mail: jonbcooke@aol.com

Visit CBA on our Website at:

www.twomorrows.com Contributors Arthur Adams • Gray Morrow George Evans • George Roussos Everett Raymond Kinstler John Fanucchi • Pocho Morrow Mark Wheatley & Insight Studios Terry Austin • Bob Wiacek Michael T. Gilbert • Chris Irving Carol Petersen • Dick Giordano Marie Steinberg • Ray Cuthbert Roy Thomas • William Cain Dan Reed • Steve Cohen Alan & Pauline Weiss • Alex Toth Alan Kupperberg • Michael Netzer Terry Austin • Sal Amendola Dave Gibbons • John R. Cochran Fred Hembeck • Michelle Nolan Howard Chaykin • Dan Kraar Paul Wardle • Steven A. Ng Vilmar Vogelaar • Andrew Steven Ken Steacy • Dave Stevens Patrice • Neil Polowin • Lance Falk Larry Ivie • MadScienceMedia.com In appreciation of our friend & supporter

Terry Austin and dedicated to the memories of

Dan DeCarlo Seymour V. Reit and Ronn Foss N E X T January 2002

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Editor’s Rant

A Question of Characters The murder of icons and the time for character assassination Below: Batman comes to DC’s rescue—again—with the hot-selling limited series The Dark Knight Strikes Again

by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley. ©2002 DC Comics.

YE ED’S NOTE: Okay, okay. Maybe I do fly off the handle a bit in this here editorial, but if CBA doesn’t start getting letters to the editor soon enough, Ye Ed’s gonna go stark raving looney and begin advocating not Mylar-bagging your comics, or something equally insane! Our columnists, including Alex Toth, deserve your comments and opinions expressed in these pages. So if you got something you’d like to discuss, kind reader, please drop us an e-mail or letter.

Being ten-times-a-year these days means we need your missives more than ever, compadres!

HOMER REYES IS GOD! Who knows where Arthur Adams could ever get a reputation for being… umm… liberal with deadlines, but (as you’ll notice from the date on AA’s cover sig) this beauty was finished close to the wire, 24 hours before the start of our cover date. Our regular colorist extraordinare, Tom Ziuko, was just too busy to turn the job around in 48-freakin’-hours (!!!), but Homer (Superstar!) Reyes must have been out of his mind to take on such a complicated assignment. But Homer (of homerr.com), who so ably colored our Love & Rocketeers (#15) cover, pulled through like gangbusters! Now, go get some sleep, H.R., and many thanks!—Y.E.

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I hate super-heroes. Well, I hate what the companies have done to dilute the power of super-heroes and that genre’s stifling prominence in the industry, to be more precise. After the 1945 or so heyday of the “Golden Age” costumed do-gooders, the biggestselling comics were anthologies, often starring non-continuing characters. A parade of genre titles featured stand alone short stories, and they appealed to a wide mainstream audience of adults and children, significantly including large cross-sections of women and girl readers. Funny animal, teenage humor, crime, horror, satire, Western, war, and Dennis the Menace-type kid humor were all genres that achieved enormous, far-reaching popularity, with the unparalleled romance category atop the heap.

Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, love comics—almost exclusively purchased by the fairer sex—were the most popular genre in the history of U.S. comics, by 1950 peaking in sales of often over a million copies per issue and setting an overall sales record that has never been achieved since. In fact, sales (and, ergo, the readership) of comics have declined virtually non-stop since that year, no doubt devastated by the government/Wertham crackdown of the early to mid-’50s, an industry that has been reduced eventually to the niche market it is today.

Certainly the growing influence of television and other more accessible media have adversely impacted sales of comics over the decades. Today, courtesy of the growth of computer imaging, motion pictures now routinely visualize the spectacle and grandeur that were once the exclusive purview of comics. The power of Kirby and Lee’s Marvel tales or the comedic absurdity of Jack Cole’s Plastic Man have been appropriated by Hollywood, and our beloved four-color magazines are often reduced to serving as glorified storyboards for property-hungry movie executives.

Perhaps the most courageous publisher in the history of this medium was William M. Gaines, a man of imagination and taste, who produced the best line of comics ever, from Harvey Kurtzman’s Mad to Gaines and Al Feldstein’s Weird Science-Fantasy, titles appealing to grown-ups as well as adolescents, if not children. But the fix was in, and the other mainstream publishers banded together to crush Bill Gaines’ EC Comics, eliminate any possible adult appeal in the product and the final gasp of innovation in the field was spent, as the Last Great Hope for the art form gave up the comics ghost forever. Since Gaines left that day in 1956, comics have never been the same.

Certainly there is virtue in aspects of comicdom’s “favorite genre” which grant them strength and resilience over time. The respective myths of Superman and Batman (the only true archetypes in comics) make them powerful and worthy—if opposing—symbols which will doubtlessly endure through the ages, along with Tarzan, Dracula, and perhaps to a lesser degree, Conan the Barbarian. The nature of DC’s most popular pair of super-heroes is true and at their core they represent not only justice and vengeance respectively, but they also embody those extremes of the American character. Yet the more the icons are mined, altered, and removed from their true natures by their trademark owner, their essence is denied and the

weaker they become. With each “death” and “knightfall,” Superman and Batman are increasingly reduced to meaningless figures, indistinguishable from the thousands of other super-heroes (every one of the multitude a variant knock-off of the Man of Steel or the Darknight Detective). But the dominance of the super-hero over the past 40 years has alienated potential readerships since before the Marvel Age of Comics. Issue after issue of testosteronated slugfests left many casual readers cold. By 1970, girls had virtually abandoned the field and, before the decade was out, comics were leaving the newsstands and relying on direct sales to comics shops, banished from the gaze of —and potential impulse purchase by—any mainstream audience.

Since the early ’90s, children—a demographic which made the medium a success to begin with—was finally and completely deserted as a plague of speculation and greed infested comics, and the ascension of the super-hero fanboy was complete. No new generations of readers would enter the inhospitable, often downright hostile and misogynistic, environs of the declining number of comic shops.

And what has been the Big Two’s response to the industry’s monumental loss of readership? Why, to shore up their respective lines of super-hero books and continue to appeal to an ever-diminishing, overwhelming aging male audience! Under the somewhat refreshing leadership of Joe Quesada (perhaps the first artist to serve as editor-inchief of a major publisher since Carmine Infantino at DC during the late ’60s/early ’70s), Marvel enticed Vertigo stalwarts and Hollywood creative-types (Kevin Smith, Bob Gale, etc.) to bolster their imprint.

DC’s answer was to retain Stan Lee to “recreate” their headliners in an odd scheme to Marvelize the DC heroes, albeit in a series of overpriced and over-produced one-shots. The publisher also attempted to relive past glories (and bygone revenues) by signing up Frank Miller for a Batman retread, The Dark Knight Strikes Back, the first issue of which features the weakest art of the often-exceptional creator’s career along with an incomprehensible storyline. The much-publicized mini-series appears to serve as a parade of licensable characters, if from the Miller quadrant of the DC Universe. The ballyhooed number of pre-orders—reportedly over 200,000, perhaps the largest print run since the flush days of Image—in a nation of 300,000,000, in a world of six billion-plus, shows us just how much a niche market we are today, pathetically dwarfed by 1940s’ numbers.

Outside of the local news store, where comics have been reduced to a handful of titles, the only outlet where I have seen funny books on sale in recent years is at the checkout line in Wal-mart where Archie Comics Digests continue to appeal to a more mainstream audience with their wholesome brand of innocuous humor.

But maybe Archie Andrews’ circulation is dwindling, too.

My solution? Do the characters justice or kill ’em all. Drop the convoluted and downright inaccessible continuity, eliminate the fanboy pandering, and shut down the printing of those over-produced, over-priced books. Or else make Superman’s death permanent, break Batman’s back for good, abort any Marvel super-hero’s rebirth! For the sake of the art form, I shout out: Stop the silly madness and let’s get together to reinvent the business. Publish comics in fresh, innovative formats for new marketplaces that emphasize great storytelling, not licensed characters; reintroduce the comics form to children as well as weave tales appealing to mature audiences that include women; and rediscover the anthology! In a field renowned for being inventive, it’s time to use our imaginations and put folks to work.

(And all this raving from a guy pitching his own comic book property—Prime8™—to Hollywood! Film execs, call (401) 783-1669!)

—Jon B. Cooke, Editorman COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

Cochran’s Corner

Then There Were Giants John Cochran gets the view from Rick “Comicon.com” Veitch

by John R. Cochran Every time you talk to Rick Veitch, he’s hard at work. At the moment he’s laboring on the six-issue Wildstorm mini-series Greyshirt: Indigo Sunset with Alan Moore, the one with the echoes of Eisner’s Spirit. Veitch and Moore also paired on the 1963 series, Supreme and Miracleman among others. If Veitch is paying homage to one of the giants in Greyshirt, his own personal giants are the ones he grew up on: Kirby and Kubert.

“The ones that meant the most to me are the ones I grew up with, Jack Kirby and Joe Kubert. If Kirby was still alive, he’d probably point to Hal Foster and Alex Raymond. Everyone’s giants are the ones that get your attention when you’re growing up. They’re the ones that stay with you.

“There are so many giants you can’t answer in a soundbite.”

Not that you offered him a soundbite, but talking about superlatives is not Veitch’s cup of java.

Sure, he thinks his Web site, http://www.comicon.com is tops but he doesn’t necessarily have a favorite comic book or anything. In fact, he doesn’t even follow them on a regular basis.

His own favorite project was Roarin’ Rick’s Rare Bit Fiends (shades of Winsor McCay), which ran 21 issues and was threaded together from his dreams (shades of Franz Kafka!). It taught him a lot about himself, he says.

“I took all the skills I had as a commercial artist… and applied them to my own dreams. The result was a giant step forward for me. Suddenly I wasn’t so much an entertainer as a pure artist. I was creating an artistic record of a dialogue with the deepest part of myself. Our modern industrial culture has ignored the creative wellspring of dreams; in fact we’ve sort of replaced the dream function with television. But ancient cultures understood how important dreaming was to the health of the individual and the community, and my Rare Bit Fiends work was meant to get back in touch with that primal and sacred part of each of us.”

In January, Comicon.com, which Veitch bills as a comic book convention online, began its fourth year. “Our growth tripled this year,” he says proudly. He and his partner, Steve Conley, created the site from scratch, without getting caught up in the dot com euphoria of easy investment capital. Veitch adds, “The strategy paid off. All the overfunded comics sites on the Internet went belly up last year.

Their audiences were still on-line, looking for a place to talk about comics, and they found us!”

He is surprised and pleased by the resurgence of the comic book business. “The rule of thumb is that comic book sales go up when the economy is in the toilet, and that seems to be the case,” Veitch says. Another rule of thumb is that skirts rise in good times and descend in bad. Comedy is also supposed to do well in hard times.

“After five years of dropping across the board, sales are up 11% from November 2000 to November 2001,” he says. “Many people in comics are beginning to think we’re headed for better times.”

Rick thinks the mainstream media is missing a story here but then the mainstream media is often tone deaf when it comes to the comics, and yours truly labors in the mainstream media. As far as the mainstream media’s concerned, comic books are either the cat’s pajamas or nothing at all. Serious criticism of the comics ends up in the litter pan. And coverage of the business is paltry, at best. I remember listening to these two top editors at a major metropolitan January 2002

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daily talking about the then new movie, Spawn. The first big hurdle was in figuring how to pronounce it and it was all downhill from there. Shades of the blind leading the blind.

Speaking of tone deaf, any chance one of those hearing aid outfits can help out Bud Plant? The latest Bud Plant Catalogue as of this writing lists the book Frank Kelly Freas: As He Sees It, and says,”More than 24 publications featured his work including Analog, Astounding Science Fiction and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction; he’s illustrated stories by great science friction writers Asimov, Heinlein and Clarke; created record and CD art; and did the original 3-D bust of Alfred E. Neuman, Mad magazine’s official mascot.”

Err… Freas was Mad magazine’s finest cover artist. Mind you, I’m talking about the magazine version, not the original comic book. He drew 30 covers for Mad and every one of them is a gem. It’s a dirty, rotten shame the catalogue only mentions the bust.

Since we’re on the subject of shame, all I could bring myself to utter was a Kurtzman-esque Hoohah when I encountered the distaff Thor, err, Tarene the designate, in the pages of The Mighty Thor. Bat-mite was bad enough. So was losing John Romita Jr. But a lady Thor? Hellooo, as my six-year-old would say.

And speaking of shame, it’s also a shame yours truly hasn’t heard from anybody else offering to supply him with copies of the Win Mortimer Superman strip from the ’50s.

Hello, out there.

Below: Recently granted his own four-issue mini-series, written and drawn by Rick Veitch, Greyshirt was a regular feature in the recently suspended America’s Best Comics title, Tomorrow Stories, where his tales were written by Alan Moore and drawn by Veitch.

The character is an obvious homage to Will Eisner’s immortal character, The Spirit. Below is a detail from “The Making of Greyshirt,” Tomorrow Stories #2. ©1999 America’s Best Comics.

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CBA Communiques

The Toronto Connection & Mr. X Motter’s Canadian comics clarifications and other stuff on CBA

Below: During a visit to France, artist Dave Stevens drew this gorgeous Bettie Page pencil piece for a fan who bought the creator lunch! Courtesy of that fan, Patrice (sorry, we’ve misplaced the last name!), and ©2002 Dave Stevens.

Dean Motter via the Internet If I had known how much ink you were going to waste on me [in Comic Book Artist #15], I would have edited my extemporaneous remarks to be a little more articulate. In doing so, I would've spotted some glaring omissions I made in my account of the Toronto years.

First of all: It was Mark Askwith's bright idea for Paul to illustrate Mister X back in 1982. Mark was the central brain trust of the Silver Snail, in fact the whole T.O. comics community at the time. A mover and a shaker, he was also (and still is to a degree) a matchmaker. The irony is that Paul and I were already sharing a studio (along with Ken Steacy) upstairs from the store at the time. Mark also reminds me that he coined the word “psychetecture” during one of the long creative “lunches” we often enjoyed at the Beverly Tavern.

As for earlier times: A year or two before Van Leeuwen published Andromeda, a fellow named James Waley actually got the ball rolling with Orb magazine. This was the first real “ground-level” comic book to come out of Canada. Containing slick production values, full color cover, and hand-separated interiors (à là the Warren magazines), it featured the work of many artists whom I came to know and cross paths with for years after, including studiomates John Allison, Robert MacIntyre, and Ken Steacy. There was also Ronn Sutton, Jim Craig, Dave Ross, and the late Gene Day. All made an impact on Canadian comics and all had the tenacity to get their work published south of the 49th parallel.

But it really all goes back to George Henderson's Memory Lane in Markham Street Village, a kind of Haight-Ashbury of its time. This was a nostalgia shop that carried and sometimes reprinted “old comics.” And back in ’68, he published a black-&-white sci-fi epic called Operation Missile by British expatiate animator Derek Carter. When I saw that, I knew that's how I wanted to see my work presented one day.

Thanks again for the noise.

Ken Steacy via the Internet Just a quick note to express my appreciation for another fascinating issue of CBA [#15].

I must take you task, however, for letting the dog eat your journalistic homework— you really should have read the editorials in Mister X and Vortex for period context, and given me a shout to confirm all the things I was alleged to have said and done.

What I found most irksome (and I’m gonna bitch-slap that darn Dean next time we have lunch for putting words in my mouth!) was his assertion that I was dismissive of Love and Rockets’ viability, and contacted Los Bros. in order to appeal to their mercenary side. In regards to the former, I’ll quote myself from the editorial of Vortex #7: “I’ve been in awe of Los Hermanos Hernandez ever since Love and Rockets #1— it’s one of the few valid reasons for killing trees. Buy them all, buy extra copies for the car, boat, gyrocopter and beach house! But read them! The pictures are great, but the stories are even better!” ’Nuff said?

As to the latter, having just been

6

unceremoniously booted out of the studio we had all shared (it’s a

looong story!) but still editorially involved with the principals, I could see that Mister X was in deep trouble. As I recall, Bill Marks showed me Dean’s sample page and I remarked that as good as it was, Dean was no Paul Rivoche. Besides, we concurred that there was no way Dean could possibly continue to service his burgeoning client base and produce a quarterly comic as well. A new artist was needed, and I knew that the expectations raised by the remarkable promotional material could only be met by an equally strong, singular vision, hence names like Steranko, [Dave] Stevens and Toth were considered in addition to Los Bros.

When I approached Beto, Jaime, and Mario, it was to offer creative carté blanche, and as editor I really wanted the unique sensibility they eventually brought to the project. I assumed that this was understood, so I’m puzzled that both Dean and Paul expressed disappointment that the “Deco Detective” approach they originated was not followed. In any event, we all hoped that Mister X would be a hit, but no one thought they’d retire from the proceeds any time soon.

A lot of water has been passed since then, and it’s kinda charming how polite everyone you interviewed is about what went on—suffice to say the volume was turned up to 11 on more than a few occasions back in the day. I’m happy to report that I’m still pals with Dean and Paul, and Los Bros. forgave me long ago for talking them into doing Mister X. As for Bill, well, we haven’t spoken in years, but at the very least he deserves his day in court, so to speak. Anyhow, consider yourself thoroughly chastised—thanx again, but next time just pick up the phone, eh? Cheers!

P.S. From the trivia archives: punster Deano did indeed coin the term “psychetecture,” but the concept originated in a 1962 short story by mutual fave author J.G. Ballard. Titled “The Thousand Dreams of Stella Vista,” it concerned a weirdo architect (!) whose psychotropic home drives his wife to murder him—later, the house itself tries to off the new tenants. Strange, but true!

P.P.S. Attached is a more-better outtake from the photo session featured in Dean’s interview, and a snappy shot of yours truly and Mr. Marx—enjoy! [See page eight, and thanks, Ken!—Y.E.] John Carbonaro via the Internet A major correction on the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents copyright dilemma article [in CBA #14]. My lawyers timely filed Tower's copyrights on original books which were still valid under the law. It wasn't me filing for something that already went into public domain. So, as in this case, if an expert is told the wrong information, he can't get the right answer. Tower’s original copyrights are registered as well as the stuff I did.

[Big John also reminded Ye Ed to tell readers that prose stories starring the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents can be found on the World Wide Web at <http://www.envy.nu/darkmark90/darkmark1.htm>.]

Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr. via the Internet Here's a funny Atlas/Seaboard story: The launch of the new company was a big secret and leaks, at least at the fan level, were nil. I had only heard rumors that something might be up and then I got a phone call from, I think, Chip and Martin Goodman. I was totally amazed since I have never had very much to do with the production of comics. But I had published a portfolio of Doug Wildey drawings, The Movie Cowboy, in 1971, and the Goodmans were trying to get hold of Doug. I asked them why, not wanting to give out the phone number without Doug's consent without a very good reason. They finally admitted, very reluctantly, that they wanted him to draw for a new comics company they were forming. I thought that Doug COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

wouldn't mind so I gave them his phone number.

Before letting them go, I asked if I could ask Martin a couple of questions (they were both on the line). Since I'm an avid Timely/Atlas fan, I thought I might clear up a few mysteries by approaching the source. Martin said okay, and I started out with a very broad, “I'd like to talk to you about Atlas."

The silence was deafening. I honestly thought I'd lost the connection. Finally, a choked, "What did you say?" came over the line. I repeated my statement and added that I collected Atlas comic from the ’50s and had a few questions. Martin said something like, "I don't want to talk about that" and they hung up. I didn't even realize the humor of the situation until almost a year later when the line debuted. Then I realized that for a few seconds they were certain that someone had leaked their secret name for the new company.

[Thanks for the amusing anecdote, Jim! Don’t forget, kind readers, to check out Jim’s extraordinary new magazine, ImageS, devoted to magazine illustration. Send $50 for three issues ($60 int’l) to ImageS, c/o Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr., 3809 Laguna Ave., Palo Alto, CA 943062629 USA, or visit <http://www.bpib.com/images.htm>.]

Glenn Danzig via the Internet Just looking thru the new CBA [#15] with the Dave Stevens article.

Although I like seeing Satanika everywhere, that piece was published back in October, 1998. It was done as one of of eight pieces by various artists for our Verotik Halloween Cards Set. It is also one of three covers for this month’s NeoSatanikatales comic. Also, in the future, please note that our copyright info is © Glenn Danzig/Verotik Publishing. That's it and keep up the great work. [Will do!—Y.E.] Eric Roberts Atherton, CA I just finished reading CBA #14 and wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed reading the magazine, especially the interview with Len Brown. I really think you guys should devote an issue to the artists that worked at Topps. Some greats passed through Topps, guys like Norman Saunders, Jack Davis, Basil Wolverton, Robert Crumb, Jay Lynch, art spiegelman, Tom Sutton, John Pound and Wally Wood. Artists like Norman Saunders had a huge impact on kids in the ’70s. Did you know that Wacky Packages are the only nonsport card series to ever outsell baseball cards? I think an issue devoted to these guys would be incredible and would relate well to the interests of your core readers. [A Topps issue is in the works!—Y.E.]

Neil Polowin via the Internet I received my copy of CBA #11 yesterday from TwoMorrows, and I want to offer congratulations. Putting this together must have been as much a thrill on your end as it was to read on mine.

I've compared your checklist with mine, and—since you've asked for input—here are some additions, clarifications, speculations, etc.

[See sidebar.]

DC also has a Super Friends trade paperback available now that includes two Toth pieces: "Wendy and Marvin Meet the JLA" (6 pages) and "TV Cartoons" (10 pages), a text-&-illustration piece about the process of putting together an animated show. Both come from the tabloid-sized DC Limited Collectors' Edition #C41.

One final item you might be interested in. I've been running the Hembeck Files site <http://www.proudrobot.com/hembeck> for a couple of years now; while it's been a while since I've updated it, I

Above: Though this splash panel of Rocketeer Adventure Magazine #2 arrived too late to make it into CBA #15, we couldn’t resist printing this beaut, courtesy of the artist, Dave Stevens. Sigh. Any millionaires out there want to bankroll a new Rocketeer comic book by Dave? ©2002 Dave Stevens.

Alex Toth: Comic Art Index Corrections Neil Polowin’s revised listings for the CBA #11 Toth Art Checklist #

STORY TITLE (WITH INKING CREDITS)

APPLE COMICS BLAZING COMBAT: VIETNAM AND KOREA 2 The Edge (rep. Blazing Combat #4)

PAGES

6

DATE

1993

BLAZING COMBAT: WORLD WAR I AND WORLD WAR II 1 Lone Hawk (rep. Blazing Combat #2) 6 1994 DC -NATIONAL BATMAN BLACK AND WHITE 4 Cover

1996

BATMAN BLACK AND WHITE (TRADE PAPERBACK collection) Cover (enlarged portion of the cover from #4 of original mini-series) GREEN LANTERN ANNUAL, NO. 1, 1963 1 Too Many Suspects (rep. Green Lantern #37) 12

2000

CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN 2 Headline Heroes (filler)

1

1952

DALE EVANS COMICS 12 The Case of the Ailing Elephant 13 The Case of the Missing Totem Heads

8 8

1950 1950

DETECTIVE COMICS 174 The Man With the Bullet-Proof Heart

8

1951

SGT. ROCK SPECIAL 8 White Devil… Yellow Devil (rep SSWS #164)

8

1990

SUPER FRIENDS 1 Super Fans (text page using Toth art as header 1 2 Super Fans (text page using Toth art as header 1 3 Super Fans (text page using Toth art as header 1

1976 1976 1976

January 2002

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

VERTIGO VISIONS Pin-up (Rep Sandman pin-up from Vertigo Gallery)

2000

WONDER WOMAN GALLERY Wonder Woman pin-up 1 1996 DELL/WESTERN/GOLD KEY QUEEN OF THE WEST DALE EVANS 3 1954 4 1954 ECLIPSE SEDUCTION OF THE INNOCENT 3-D 1 Gift of Murder 2 1985 (I'll defer to Jim Vadeboncoeur on this one; when Eclipse published this, he indicated that it looks like Toth's work— although it was credited simply to "Scott"—but that even Toth himself couldn't answer yes or no definitively.)

GLOBE COMMUNICATIONS GROUP MONSTERS ATTACK! 4 Bookworm (withdrawn from Charlton in ’75) 6 1990 5 A Job Well Done (rep Thrilling Adv. Stories #2) 7 1990 HARRIS CREEPY: THE CLASSIC YEARS Grave Undertaking (rep Creepy #5) 6 1991 The Stalkers (rep Creepy #6) 6 EERIE’S GREATEST HITS (I haven't been able to track down definitively which stories it reprints, but Archie Goodwin apparently scripted all 19 of them, so that narrows Toth's involvement down to the Goodwin/Toth collaborations that ran in Eerie. I'm pretty sure those are just "Vision of Evil" (Eerie #2) and "The Monument" (Eerie #3).)

IMAGE COMICS COMPLETE CLASSIC ADVENTURES OF ZORRO Reprint of Eclipse ZORRO Collection V1 & 2 252 1999 AUAD PUBLISHING TOTH: ONE FOR THE ROAD Hot Rod strip collection 178 2001 Collects almost all of Toth's work in BIG DADDY ROTH, CARtoons, DRAG CARtoons, and HOT ROD CARTOONS; includes everything in your index except: "AA Fool" and "A Gas" from DRAG CARtoons #10, and "The Fine Art of Fuelmanship" from HOT ROD CARTOONS #7 CLARIFICATIONS: ALL-STAR COMICS 41 Toth provided pencils & inks, cover AND splash page JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA 113 (reprints All-Star Comics #41, including Toth's splash page DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST 7 Sgt. Rock's Prize Battle Tales (reprints "Burma Sky" (Our Fighting Forces #146); your index has Digest #6 (Ghosts) credited instead DRAG CARtoons 8 In addition to the stories you've listed, there's an additional one-pager called "Way Out" (yes, it's in the One For The Road collection) ALEX TOTH: BLACK AND WHITE This is the second appearance of the story "Bookworm"; it first appeared in Monsters Attack #4, as noted above.

7

Above: Courtesy of Ken Steacy, here’s a shot of him (left) and Dean Motter from the early 1980s.

Inset right: Also from Ken, here he is (right) with Vortex publisher Bill Marks, in a newspaper picture.

Below: French editions of Atlas/Seaboard comics. Characters ©1975 Seaboard Periodicals, Inc.

should be getting things back in gear pretty soon (new strips, new commentaries, etc.)

Hey, would you happen to know where I can get a copy of the Alex Toth By Design book? I'm having a difficult time tracking one down where I don't get out-gunned by the trust-fund kids on eBay. [That book by the master and Darrell O’Neil is one tough puppy to find! If any reader can help Neil out, please contact him via e-mail at <polowin@proudrobot.com> or snail-mail Neil in care of CBA.—Y.E.] John Backderf via the Internet I'd have to say ish #15 is your wonkiest issue ever. The Dave Stevens interview was particularly excruciating. AAAAUGH! Too much detail!

I suppose that's only fitting for a guy who works slower than a Franciscan monk slaving away on an illuminated letter "G." You need to break these interviews up with other pieces like you do in The Jack Kirby Stalker… err, I mean... Collector. Some critical writing would be a nice break. I would like to see, concisely illustrated… outside of the

interview format… how these guys have influenced the art form. You always do a great job on how others influence your subjects… but not how their work still resonates. I know we're all comix dorks here, but it's not the common knowledge you apparently think it is.

Heartened to see you've finally gotten over your underground hang-up and wisely included the Hernandez Bros. in this ish… but how could you leave out ’80s indie vanguards like Charles Burns and Peter Bagge???

And finally congrats on the move to monthly. But can you come up with 12 themes a year? Will an all-Richie Rich issue be popping up in my mailbox soon?

[Analytical writing in CBA? I dunno, as that kind of high-falootin’ discourse ain’t my cuppa, and because we don’t pay much, I’m loathe to ask those good writers to work for peanuts. But, we’ll mull this over, Derf. I hope others don’t perceive an “underground hangup,” in CBA but certainly issues devoted to comix are a long time in coming. But before that, I’m planning a retrospective focusing on Arcade, Weirdo, RAW, and other quasi-undergrounds (where the aforementioned Burns and Bagge will be covered, I hope), after our look at the “ground-level” and portfolio phenom of the 1970s. Also, look for a Wonky Comics theme featuring Bob Burden and perhaps the World’s Toughest Milkman, among others. Actually, CBA is ten-times-a-year and we haven’t been lacking in theme ideas yet, so… And, yep, Richie and pals will be showing up in March’s Harvey Comics retrospective!—Ye Ed.]

ATLAS/SEABOARD: THE FRENCH CONNECTION [Ye Ed is continually amazed at the sheer diversity of CBA’s readership, as this mag receives e-mails and snail mails from the world over, with many of the missives sharing new facts about those good ol’ comics we hold so dear. Imagine our delight when we received word from a European reader (whose name we have unfortunately misplaced) regarding hitherto unknown French editions of Atlas/Seaboard comics!

We were directed to <http://perso.clubinternet.fr/comicsvf/ue/10.html>, where we discovered this utterly charming checklist of the Atlas contents of Titans magazine (a monthly comic album which would subsequently reprint Marvel super-hero strips for a number of years)! At left are the painting cover images depicting (from top) Wulf, Phoenix and Destructor adventures!

C’est bon, oui, mon ami?—Ye Ed.]

3/ Le Justicier (20 pages)

Wulf the Barbarian # 3 (The Colossus of

Destructor # 1 (The Birth of a Hero) (Archie Goodwin/Steve Ditko/Wally Wood) 4/ La Planète Maudite—Le long chemin du retour (20 pages) Planet of Vampires # 1 (The Long Road Home!)

#2 May 1976 3,5 FF (0,53 EUR) 1/ Wulf le Barbare—Le monstre de la famine (20 pgs.)

Wulf the Barbarian # 2 (The Beast of Famine) (Larry Hama/Larry Hama/Klaus Janson) 2/ Phénix—Et la mer s'entrouvrit (20 pgs.)

Phoenix # 2 (And the Sea Ran Red) (Gabriel Levy/Sal Amendola) 3/ Le Justicier—L'étau (20 pgs.)

TITANS Destructor # 2 (Death Grip) #1 March 1976 3,5 FF (0,53 EUR) (Archie Goodwin/Steve Ditko/Wally Wood) 1/ Wulf le Barbare (20 pages) 4/ La Planète Maudite—La lutte pour la vie Wulf the Barbarian # 1 (20 pages) (Wulf the Barbarian) Planet Of Vampires # 2 (Quest For Blood) (Larry Hama/Larry Hama/Klaus Janson) 2/ Le Phénix renaît de ses cendres (20 pages) #3 July 1976 3,5 FF (0,53 EUR)

Phoenix # 1 (From the Ashes) (Jeff Rovin/Sal Amendola) 8

the Iron Citadel) (Steve Skeates/Leo Summers) 2/ Le monde de Wulf le Barbare (1 page) 3/ Phénix—Un homme pour tous les siècles!

(18 pgs.)

Phoenix # 4 (A Man for All Centuries) 4/ Le Justicier—…Entre les mains de la Chasseresse! (19 pgs.)

Destructor # 3 (The Hands of the Huntress) (Archie Goodwin/Steve Ditko) 5/ La Planète Maudite—Le fléau… (17 pgs.)

Planet of Vampires # 3 (The Blood Plague)

#4 September 1976 4 FF (0,61 EUR) 3/ Le Justicier—L'avant-dernier jour du monde (18 pgs.)

Destructor # 4 (Doomsday… Minus One) (Gerry Conway/Steve Ditko/Al Milgrom) 4/ Wulf le Barbare—Une nuit dans le BoisSombre (16 pgs.)

Wulf The Barbarian # 4 (Death-Night in the Darkling Forest) (Mike Friedrich/Jim Craig/Atlas Bullpen) 1/ Wulf le Barbare—Le Colosse de la Citadelle de Fer (17 pgs.)

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

CBA’s Jon Cooke is back in April!

Make ready for COMIC BOOK CREATOR, the new voice of the comics medium!

TwoMorrows is proud to debut our newest magazine, COMIC BOOK CREATOR, devoted to the work and careers of the men and women who draw, write, edit, and publish comics, focusing always on the artists and not the artifacts, the creators and not the characters. Behind an ALEX ROSS cover painting, our frantic FIRST ISSUE features an investigation of the oft despicable treatment JACK KIRBY endured from the very business he helped establish. From being cheated out of royalties in the ’40s and bullied in the ’80s by the publisher he made great, to his estate’s current fight for equitable recognition against an entertainment monolith where his characters have generated billions of dollars, we present Kirby’s cautionary tale in the eternal struggle for creator’s rights. Plus, CBC #1 interviews artist ALEX ROSS and writer KURT BUSIEK, spotlights the last years of writer/artist FRANK ROBBINS, remembers comics historian LES DANIELS, sports a color gallery of WILL EISNER’s Valentines to his beloved, showcases a joint talk between NEAL ADAMS and DENNIS O’NEIL on their unforgettable collaborations, as well as throws a whole kit’n’caboodle of other creator-centric items atcha! Join us for the start of a new era as TwoMorrows welcomes back former Comic Book Artist editor JON B. COOKE, who helms the all-new, allcolor COMIC BOOK CREATOR!

80 pages • $8.95 All-color • Quarterly Digital Edition: $3.95 COMING THIS JULY: COMIC BOOK CREATOR #2 (double-size Summer Special) Former COMIC BOOK ARTIST editor JON B. COOKE returns to TwoMorrows with his new magazine! #1 features: An investigation of the treatment JACK KIRBY endured through FRANK ROBBINS spotlight, rememberreturns to TwoMorrows with his new magazine! #1 features: An investigation of the treatment JACK KIRBY endured through FRANK ROBBINS spotlight, remembertures: An investigation of the treatment JACK KIRBY ing LES DANIELS, WILL EISNER’s Valentines to his beloved, a talk between NEAL ADAMS and DENNIS O’NEIL, new ALEX ROSS cover, and more!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $17.95 (Digital Edition) $6.95 • Ships July 2013

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TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA • 919-449-0344 • FAX: 919-449-0327 E-mail: store@twomorrowspubs.com • Visit us on the Web at www.twomorrows.com

CBA Commentary

Larry Ivie talks about CBA #14 An in-depth letter from the artist/writer on his Tower days YE ED’S NOTE: For the record, Larry Ivie asked us not to use periods in the title T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, in transcribing his handwritten essay, saying “the clutter weakens the power of the word,” but we have already set the style in CBA #14 and, with a nod to Larry, we will continue to do so, as awkward as it may look.

The text is ©2002 Larry Ivie.

Above & below: First appearance of work by Larry Ivie and Wally Wood in the same publication, the July 1961 issue of IF Science Fiction. Courtesy of Larry Ivie. ©2002 the respective copyright holder.

10

Larry Ivie Somewhere in California What would happen if a half-dozen people tried to describe the full picture of a puzzle most had only a few pieces from? The result appeared in CBA #14, in which the challenge was to describe the picture of how the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents title began. The surprise to me is how many of those interviewed no longer had pieces I know they once had! Since I was the only one represented in the issue who had been present from the beginning, it’s up to me to fill in what’s missing. To begin with, as absurd as some of the quotes were in the article beginning on page 64 [of Ivie’s Tower Comics essay], they are absolutely word-for-word accurate. At the time the fuller version of that was published in Scary Monsters #23 (1997), I assumed most of those I mentioned were still living, with memories intact, to confirm everything in it. It was unexpected to find those interviewed contradicting one another, and some themselves!

Samm Schwartz, editor of Tower, in response to the question of who did the early T.H.U.N.D.E.R. work, credited the writing to Len Brown, and the art to Wally Wood, Mike Sekowsky, and Lou Silverstone. But the answer he gave to the same question for the third issue’s letter page was that the writing was by Larry Ivie, Len Brown, and Wally Wood, and the art by Wood, Reed Crandall, Mike Sekowsky, and Gil Kane. (Actually, at the time of the sixth issue, Wally told me he had done none of the writing. Bill Pearson had been the primary writer after me, then Len Brown and Steve Skeates.)

Although the death of Menthor was mentioned during the interview, and elsewhere in the issue, it was without the more interesting note that Harry Shorten, head of Tower, had presided over an earlier major sudden death: The Comet in 1941 [Pep Comics #17]. A new feature, “The Hangman,” took over his spot with a hero whose mission was to avenge The Comet’s death. There was little in the ’60s titles, at all companies, that had not been done before.

Len Brown was a very likeable individual I’d known for some time.

Although he now recalls being at my apartment only once, he was actually there at least several times during our efforts on cards that I was writing for the Topps Company where he was working. I was writing Superman, Batman, Flash Gordon, and King Kong, and others not produced, including Daniel Boone, The Mummy, and The Green Hornet. I also worked on the art for most of the humorous monster cards assigned to Wood, but those were done at Wally’s studio. (It was because the individual heading the work at Topps was named Woody Gelman that those of us who knew both called Wood Wally, while some of those who later worked on T.H.U.N.D.E.R. called him Woody.)

The assumption, stated repeatedly in the issue, that Tower decided to join the super-hero revival was logical if the company had been logical and aware. But, as with editors at most companies, they weren’t. They called me to do a color version of the horror title I’d written for Warren Publishing. When I handed them samples titled T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents instead, they didn’t really seem to care what they got, as long as it could fill the needed page count!

Len now recalls contributing to T.H.U.N.D.E.R. only after Wally’s call to him. But it had to be earlier because before that call, on the day Wally first saw the samples and immediately after my call to Len had “once suggested” the name Thunderbolt as a character, as though it had been quite a while before. It was due to this that I suggested seeing if Len would like to write the script I had

intended to write for Reed and why I, not Len, named the character Len Brown during the reworking of the script. So, the first contribution that was to eventually effect the title in some way, although he’s apparently forgotten it now, was Len’s!

Wally’s first excuse for changing the name to Dynamo was that the word “Thunderbolt” had already been used by DC for Johnny Thunder’s thunderbolt “genie.” This seemed odd, not only because the change harmed the thunder theme, but because there had already been three Dynamos! It wasn’t until my final conversation with Wally, years later, that he admitted the real reason….

Bill Pearson has been one of the most energetic, best, honest, and well-liked people in the business. I’d been counting on him to correct any word I got incorrect in the conversations where he was present (total accuracy being important to me). So I was surprised to see how many of the puzzle pieces he once had that are no longer handy (hopefully just misplaced, not permanently lost). How could he no longer recall he, on that Saturday morning long ago, was the first, following Tim Battersby-Brent, to be given all the details on the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. project, along with an opportunity to contribute— which he did, then—two days before Wally Wood? I don’t know what Wally later phoned for, while Bill was at my apartment, that led to my taking Bill to see him, but that was well after the project was under way, with Bill already having helped on it (as mentioned in the article).

Tim Battersby-Brent, at 15, had an enormously rapidly improving talent—doing his first work on a Wood story for Charlton, then getting numerous assignments from other companies on his own, from editors who probably assumed he was much older than he looked. He wrote some stories for T.H.U.N.D.E.R. that were so brilliant they would have been wasted on the title, so I bought them from him to vault away until the day he could use them for a book of his own characters with art that was all his.

The personalities of Tim and Wally were as different as could be.

Tim was much brighter than Wally (able to keep up with Roy Krenkel’s extensive curiosities in science, which Wally couldn’t), and adverse to nicotine, alcohol, foul language, the copying of work by others, and Wally’s failure to stick to the truth. He several times naively corrected Wally’s “poor memory,” unable to understand it might not be accidental. Those corrections were not appreciated by Wally! To others, however, Tim was a joy. Frazetta included him with us for bowling, Roy Krenkel called him the gem of a new generation (there was no doubt to us that Tim was a true genius—a term I’ve never used frivolously) and Gil Kane agreed with Roy, rescuing Tim from the smoke-filled den of Wood with an offer to switch to the Kane studio. I never visited it myself to know the differences, but Tim later said it was like jumping from hell to heaven, and in phone conversations from Kane on other matters, Kane kept referring to how useful, talented, and bright his new assistant Tim was. Tim’s too-early death (his mother said from a combination of pneumonia and a heart attack) was a loss to the media’s future.

Ralph Reese was a basically decent 15-year-old runaway from bad situations with, fortunately, some good friends. He was brought to me by 15-year-old Larry Hama, and I saw enough talent in him to convince me that with enough information on drawing, he could eventually be of use to Wood. But Ralph eventually had too much initiative to wait. When he had some good samples (he was a conscientious worker), he proceeded to see Wood on his own.

Wally’s opinion agreed with mine and he became Ralph’s official guardian. I had been hesitant to take him to Wally immediately, in hopes of getting Ralph free of his need to smoke, since Wally was also addicted. (Had that, indirectly, contributed to his death?) But it was useless. I was able to save only Tim from the insidiousness of that often-instant addiction, convincing Tim to never try it. My concern for Ralph, due to that habit, is still strong. I’ve been afraid COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

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to ask if he was ever able to overcome it.

Wally Wood and I met at the EC office in late 1955. He was impressed enough with my drawings at that time (I was just out of high school) that he wrote down my name. But it wasn’t until our work was beginning to appear in the same publications, and I had moved to an apartment within an easy walk from his, that he began giving me calls for help to meet deadlines. He said he preferred help from me not only because I was near, but I never wasted time with a need to use the tracing machine, and he could trust me to ink even the faces in his style. After I’d finished the Daredevil figure on the cover of issue #10, he hovered his brush over it for at least 15 seconds before simply adding a small dot for the nose. Prior to T.H.U.N.D.E.R., I did writing as well as art for him for a seemingly endless number of “emergency” pages for Marvel, Charlton, Warren, Gold Key. It was an annoyance because, at that time, I could make more on my own, so I was on the lookout for others to replace me who could tolerate Wally’s taste in “music,” smoking, and irritating tendency to invent gossip.

Wally had long been known for giving everyone who asked a different version of his past, which is why I tried to let his would-be biographers know that they should check every item with as many who knew him well as possible. Also any art they planned to use as illustrations—even the EC pages—to avoid what’s now happened on the cover of Alter Ego (Vol. 3) #8. I was surprised to see my Daredevil figure from #10 because the story behind it had already been shown in Scary Monsters #23. With so many great figures by Wally available, it’s unfortunate when one is used to represent his work that was instead by me, Ralph, Tim, Dan…. They were all so good I’m not sure myself who did the other figures used on that cover.

I soon learned that much of what Wally said was pure put-on.

But, he said, he also had some subconscious demons. It wasn’t until my final conversation with him that, at the suggestion of a psychiatrist he’d been seeing twice a week for years, he admitted to me what I’d already known. It was the only thing that made sense. It had already been his resentment of having to work on T.H.U.N.D.E.R. rather than a war title, that led to his “subconscious” sabotaging of the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. theme. But he consciously—a guilt burdening him for years—removed all names from the first issue except his, and gave Reed the script he’d had me tailor for him, to help him feel the title he so resented was at least “his”!

He apologized for breaking his promise to change the title to SILVER Agents, so the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. theme I’d first presented could be restored as a follow-up title. “We both know your version would have been much better, and the damage I did to it was inexcusable.

All I can say now is, I’m sorry!”

“No,” I tried to assure him, “It was Tower’s increase in the page count that made the original concept impossible!” And I steered the conversation onto the subject of the proudest accomplishments of his career. (A subject for a someday article, well-illustrated, including art not yet published.)

This changed his mood from the one in which he’d made himself so vulnerable to one much closer to the earliest days of our friendship, that I hadn’t seen for years. It was with a tear in his eye (really!) and a broad smile on his face that I last saw this monumental talent who had so inspired my high school days.

Dan Adkins was a likeable personality with great potential as an artist. He had been pre-New York City friends with Bill Pearson and both, at different times, shared an apartment with me—Dan prior to the apartment near Wood which resulted in too many calls from Wally. Wally couldn’t turn down any work offer, no matter how behind he was, counting on others to help him meet deadlines.

During the pre-T.H.U.N.D.E.R. era, there was no one else but us in the small, two-desk room, as the work never ended, and Wally’s delight in inventing untrue gossip seemed to increase. Once the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. work was under way and he had help from others, I had an enormous sense of freedom and seldom returned.

Making up for the impositions by Wally, I received a call from another artist seeing my work, who was in need of help due to failing eyesight, Joe Shuster. Soon a worthy project was under way, in the form of new Superman pages, to leave the future final thoughts by his creators on how the feature should be done, when “times are better.”

I hadn’t realized, until Dan’s interview, he hadn’t been among those of us who had soon caught on to Wally’s put-on games which, from Dan’s interview, included the question to Dan, “Who’s Larry Ivie?” Another was a tall tale (he told similar ones about Dan I knew January 2002 COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

weren’t true) about me, or another, taking home pages of Captain America to change the costume to its ’40s version!

I’m told he also said that to, or about, others. That didn’t happen with me, but it did with Wally himself, or Don Heck, on an Avengers story penciled by Heck [The Avengers #20].

When I pointed out the current design included stripes on the back, he said, “But it looks better with them just on the front, doesn’t it? If Stan doesn’t like it, he’ll have Sol [Brodsky, Marvel production manager] change it at the company.” (They didn’t!) But why would Wally try to shift the “blame” to another?

More important is Dan’s belief that a convention talk I gave had been critical of his work. That was a hoax by one of Dan’s “friends,” not invented by Wally. When I heard of it, I assumed Dan would know the truth because every talk at that convention had been recorded and published, including mine. It contained no mention of Dan, and couldn’t have, because the subject was old-time pulp artists who later worked in the early comic books. But the mention by Dan of a letter continuing that “joke,” supposedly sent by me to editor Cele Goldsmith, who had been at the convention, is a mystery. If it exists, I’d like to see a copy because it wasn’t by me and was never mentioned to me by Cele. The only letter I wrote about Dan’s work was to a fanzine editor I knew he respected, in hopes he would pass on a suggestion that would help, before the beginning of Dan’s professional career. But the suggestion wasn’t taken seriously and it’s no secret that as soon as he professionally signed his name (as did Wally, but less obviously) to work copied from others, he soon had the reputation—not added to by me—of not possessing the talent to draw on his own. That’s not true. I’ve personally seen him draw—and well—without reference and can only attribute Dan’s straying from that to momentary failings in confidence. But could that excuse apply to Wally? Dan mentions that Wally had him copying old drawings by Reed Crandall for T.H.U.N.D.E.R. (At the same time Reed was doing new ones, for his own pages?) Although Wally had none while I was working with him, I showed him my collection of Reed’s early ’40s super-hero work so he could see why I had selected him to draw Thunderbolt, and Wally asked to borrow it, a bit at a time, for “inspiration.” I was unaware he was projection-tracing the figures for the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. file. Drawing can only be fun if it contains the joy of creation. The lack of that joy for Wally could have contributed to the headaches that so often incapacitated him.

I should add that the fanzine editor was [Robert E. Howard fanzine] Amra’s George Scithers. I had George accompany me, in his car, on one of my trips to the home of Roy Krenkel, where he was loaned most of the drawings by Roy that George would use in Amra (an e arlier interview got that wrong). Those, when printed, helped to get Roy work at Ace Books (who initially turned down Frazetta!), but only after I’d already gotten Burroughs work for Roy at Canaveral Press.

The interview with Russ [Jones] is a valuable contribution to the field’s history in many

Above & below: Dan Adkins’ work (above) first appeared with that of Larry Ivie (below) in the August 1961 issue of Fantastic. Courtesy of Larry Ivie. ©2002 the respective copyright holder.

11

Below: More recently, Adkins appeared with Ivie on the cover of Alter Ego Vol. 3, #8, if by mistake.

Ivie says he penciled and inked the Daredevil figure on the cover of The Man Without Fear’s tenth issue. A/E ©2002 Roy Thomas. Daredevil ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc.

Above: Ivie’s preliminary design for the cover of DD #10. Character ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc. 12

ways, both good and bad. Among the good is its revelation of the many contributions he did make. And I can add to that. Among the bad is his addition to the sad tale of Eerie #1—the “ashcan” issue— dragging the name of the usually more astute Archie Goodwin into what was a total fiasco, as explained by me in the 1998 Monster Memories Yearbook.

Jim Warren had repeatedly ignored my questions to him, so I was hoping Russ would fill in those gaps. But he raised new questions.

Wally had a long list of grievances against Russ. I know at least one of those was unfair, as was the image among others of Russ having no talent. I’ve personally seen Russ painting for both Wood and Warren. The issue raised some doubt as to whether Russ contributed to Wood’s set of sample historical strips. The first I heard of Russ was when Wally mentioned to me that someone named Jones had come to him with the idea of a newspaper feature showing an event in that day’s history. One of Wally’s later complaints was the time “wasted” on that project that went nowhere. Unfair! It was a good idea and although not syndicated, it resulted in a welcome part of the legacy of the work Wood left for future generations, and credit for that must go to Russ.

What I can’t respond to is Wally’s blaming Russ for his not receiving the script “Bewitched!” I’d written for him for Creepy #1.

Why did it go instead, in an EC artist issue, to non-EC artist Gray Morrow? I had scheduled Gray for #2, along with the first of two artists Krenkel had met in the Philippines, whose work didn’t show up until long after. What happened?

When Russ was asked if Bill Pearson had been involved in the work for Warren’s photo-story issues, he said, “Not to my recollection. If he was, I didn’t see him.” Bill was involved a lot and Russ was present during some of that, still owing money to us both.

Russ has educated me on the existence of No-Man type bodyswitching in a Van Vogt novel. The use of it in T.H.U.N.D.E.R. came totally from Wally’s suggestion (I wrote the first script) that I use a dream I mentioned to him in which I’d been able to switch to another body. I’d never heard of the Van Vogt story and Wally didn’t mention it to me, if he had. I still haven’t taken time to locate it, but would like to know which book.

Another curiosity is the use of the word “diabolical” in a reference by Russ to pages I’d penciled for a romance story he says I was late in finishing. I don’t recall ever missing a deadline and I wasn’t assigned to finish (ink) it. If there was criticism for the art in the company’s previous issues, it could be easily understood, and I think this story will be perfect for a future article showing the evolution from what a company was publishing (which I saved for comparison), to the pencil version of the next story (stats on my pages survive) to a comparison between that and the inking by others, and the editor’s decision to use the story’s first page, as drawn by me, as the issue’s cover. Also the reason Jack Kirby, who liked the pencil version, insisted I keep stats of that stage.

What does seem “diabolical” and still unexplained is the severely damaged state (admitted by Warren as being his fault) of what appeared on the stands as Creepy #1, over the 1963 plans for it shown in the 1997 Monster Memories Yearbook. Russ says there seems to be a parallel world for those seeing past events differently from his version. What seems obvious to me is that there were parallel tracks for some events of that era, but no communication between the trains on them, headed in the same direction. Warren perhaps assumed everyone was in the same train he had given the go-ahead to, while in reality the one leading to what appeared on the stands had veered far away.

On my track, the steps for Creepy #1 began with the first story drawn in comic book format specifically for a black-&-white

magazine. “Vampire!” appeared in 1962, written and drawn by me.

Step #2 was a conversation with Warren explaining the idea of that type of story, with an improved format, being expanded to a full issue titled Famous Monsters of Filmland presents Creepy Comix, which concluded with the promise from Warren to be its editor and an appointment for me to show him a “rough” on the project in his office on Oct. 2, 1963.

Step #3 was a letter from Warren dated Sept. 11, 1963 confirming our appointment and promising that this could “change the course of your life.”

Step #4 was, on the morning of Oct. 2, a package ready for Warren containing seven scripts, tailor-written for former EC artists I’d already worked with, a sketch for a cover I suggested should be painted by Frank Frazetta, sample art left with me by Al Williamson, and several sheets of directions on what should and should not be done for the title, so it would not seem to be simply an EC comic without color (as it, unfortunately, was allowed to become). With everything in place for it to be at the printers in November, Warren did not show up for the appointment he had promised in writing (shown in Monster Memories) and couldn’t be reached by phone.

Step #5 involved, during the wait, my conducting an extensive set of newsstand tests, using cover variations to see which ones would be picked up most. The winner was the one with white title lettering against black, with a large “First Issue!” The one always bypassed had red lettering against a yellow background, with a small number designation (which describes the first Creepy newsstand cover)!

Step #6 was my mentioning the project to Russ and his reply on the coincidence that he, too, had envisioned a similar project for Warren.

Step #7 was the suggestion by Wally, impatient to get to work on the script “Bewitched!” I’d written for him for the first issue, that the next time Russ has a delivery from him for Warren, Wally would have him stop by my place so I could include a reminder for Warren. When Russ came by I loaned him art I had not left at the company, saying to take good care of it. When Russ returned, he said a taxi was waiting outside to take me to see Warren. I paused only to pick up a sample of the hand-lettering I thought Creepy should have. (But the newsstand version appeared with merely typical second-rate quality!)

When I arrived, Warren apologized for the delay and said some financial problems would require lower than average pay rates for the first issue, but that would be made up for later. (It never was.) And he promised an additional $50 for whoever suggested the title word that would be used. (Although it appeared on the stands with my original word, “Creepy,” I never received the $50—another in a list of broken promises that convinced me to withhold from Warren the additional title ideas (still given to no one) I knew would prove many times more profitable.) He gave me a small check, and again mentioned editorship. It was at this time he suggested the possibility of Russ working with me on the project (logical if Russ had already suggested something similar). But there was nothing else that needed doing. Every detail had been written down, for the scripts and direction sheets to go immediately to their artists on Oct. 2, 1963, so the entire issue could have been at the printers in November, had Warren been financially secure.

When I later asked Warren to respond in a letter to how many things that had been so perfectly in place had come apart during the long delay, he failed to answer, as happened again in his CBA [#4] interview, although given a copy before it, for that purpose, of the Monster Memories article listing the failings.

When Crandall phoned to ask me why so many things were going wrong, I had no answer. Frazetta phoned me to rush to his place to help him finish the story I’d written [“Werewolf!”] for him because, somehow, the two-month deadline he was supposed to have had been reduced to two days!

Since Russ had admitted, at the time, being responsible for the loss of scripts and art (Reed was particularly annoyed at not receiving “Dead Man’s Chest,” which had been written for him), most assumed all of the blunders that made the newsstand version so inferior to the Oct. 2 version of the year before, were somehow due to Russ, but Warren in his CBA interview states he was the one in control at that time (the time almost everything was going wrong, as detailed in the Monster Memories 1997 Yearbook). So for the sake of Russ, that needs to be pointed out again.

Ogden Whitney was mentioned in the issue as having a 1940s feature in Big Shot Comics. It should be added that this T.H.U.N.D.E.R. artist had his own title, Skyman, from 1941 to ’48.

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

Michelle’s Meanderings

Why Capt. Video Comics Didn’t Fly The hard landing of the 1950s television science-fiction hero

by Michelle Nolan One of the great mysteries of 1950s comics is why Captain Video didn’t fly.

Captain Video is one of those oddities of pop culture—an original character who should have taken off in comic book form but was an unqualified failure, despite good, lengthy stories and even better art. Early in their careers, two consummate creators of highadventure illustration—George Evans and Al Williamson—combined to turn in six beautiful bi-monthly issues of Captain Video for Fawcett Comics (Feb. 1951-Dec. 1951) though the final issue is dated only by the year).

Today, these are highly collectible artifacts of that period of comic book limbo some call the Atom Age—relegated to being post-Golden Age, pre-Silver Age curiosities.

Captain Video’s publisher was an industry leader in 1951, with a sparkling variety of titles in the costumed hero, Western and romance genres, and a sprinkling of others such as Captain Video.

In fact, Fawcett’s 300 issues published with 1951 dates trail only Marvel/Atlas (305). Fawcett was so successful that year that the company printed more comics than either DC (273) or Dell (256).

Granted, only two years later Fawcett decided to leave the comic book business in the wake of its loss of DC’s long-fought lawsuit against their flagship character, Captain Marvel, with the last few Fawcett comics being dated Jan. 1954, hitting the stands late in ’53. In 1951, though, Fawcett reigned supreme, with a national corporate circulation base that was the envy of a multitude of lesser comic book publishers. So while it’s easier to speculate about the failures of other contemporary television-based titles, such as Space Patrol from Ziff-Davis, the surprisingly quick demise of Captain Video remains much more a mystery.

These were truly slick publications, from Captain Video’s beautiful photo front and back covers to their sterling interior art by enthusiastic masters of the genre. Strictly from a production point of view, comic books of that era simply did not come any better. And the six issues gave the reader the most for his or her dime. In fact, they carried no advertising except the publisher’s own and were devoted almost entirely to story pages. Most comic books of the period absolutely pale in comparison to these half-dozen issues of Captain Video, which were among the first television-based comics in what a few years later became a deluge of TV themes.

Captain Video #2, 3 and 4 were 52-page comics (increasingly less common by 1951) and #1, 5 and 6 were 36 pages. This was not unusual at Fawcett, which for some reason became inconsistent in its page counts beginning in 1945. Issues #1, 5 and 6 featured photo covers of Al Hodge, the second Captain Video on television, and Don Hastings, the only actor to portray the Video Ranger. The other three issues featured painted covers based on photos. Every issue featured a pretty photo back cover except for #4, which ran a message from the good Captain concerning the obligation of America’s youth to remain physically fit. Captain Video issued such spirited public-service pronouncements in interior-page messages in other issues.

Oddly, Fawcett apparently did virtually nothing to publicize its Captain Video title, perhaps feeling that the hit television show was advertisement enough. It wasn’t surprising that Fawcett did not include Captain Video in its list of the company’s titles at the top of the front page of every Fawcett comic, since for the most part only long-running titles were included. But in a house ad on the inside front cover of Captain Video #5, headlined “Adventure for the January 2002

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

Atomic Age! Fawcett Comics!” and featuring an atomic bomb explosion, Captain Video did not rate a mention! Here Fawcett had a title oriented to sciencefiction, and seemingly ideal for this plug, and Captain Video was not mentioned, while such minor titles as Bob Swift Boy Sportsman, Young Eagle and Bob Colt received plugs.

In fact, Don Winslow of the Navy, which last appeared under the Fawcett banner with #69, dated Sept. 1951, received a plug in this ad in Captain Video #5, which was dated Oct. 1951. Ironically, in the last issue, the undated #6 (but obviously intended for December, since it is still copyright 1951), Captain Video did appear in the house ad on the inside front cover, which featured stamp-size images of leading Fawcett characters.

Fawcett did not date the final issues of a few other titles, as well. My guess is that the company may have known the title was to be cancelled and thus hoped to keep the last issue on the newsstands long enough to avoid removal so it could sell more copies.

Captain Video—who first appeared on television on June 27, 1949 and was last seen in an original broadcast as a serial host on April 1, 1955—was created exclusively for the Dumont TV network.

Though seldom remembered today, in its time Dumont was the fourth major television network in the early days of the tube, expiring in 1955. Captain Video #5 featured a list of 22 Dumont outlets on which his show could be seen, but none were farther West than Omaha, Nebraska, and two in Texas. After Superman hit the screen in 1953 as a syndicated mega-hit, DC occasionally ran a list of the subscribing coast-to-coast stations. (Not surprisingly, I can’t remember ever hearing about either the Dumont Network or Captain Video while growing up on the West Coast during the 1950s.)

When Captain Video made his television debut in 1949, as the name implies the character had no radio roots, unlike so many early character-based TV shows. Most other early TV-based comics had radio predecessors, such as DC’s successful Gangbusters, Mr. District

Above: Cover of Fawcett’s Captain Video #1. ©1950 Dumont Television Network.

YE ED’S NOTE: It is with great pride that we introduce Michelle Nolan to our pages as CBA’s newest columnist. Ye Ed has often said to anyone who’d care to listen that his favorite feature in Comic Book Marketplace— along with most anything by Will Murray, the extraordinary comics historian—are the friendly, chatty and informative Nolan’s Notebook columns. Well, we got a chance to tell Michelle just that in person this past San Diego Comic-Con and she suggested writing a regular feature for CBA! Quicker than you could say, “You betchum, Red Ryder,” we wholeheartedly agreed!

Welcome aboard, Meech!—JBC

13

Above: The good captain’s plea for tolerance from Captain Video #5. ©1950 Dumont Television Network.

14

Attorney and Big Town along with the short-lived Mike Barnett, Man Against Crime from Fawcett and Martin Kane from Fox. In hard-boiled detective Mike Barnett’s case, both his radio and television shows began Oct. 7, 1949, with veteran actor Ralph Bellamy playing the role in both mediums. Oddly, Fawcett replaced Captain Video on its production schedule with a six-issue run of Mike Barnett, Man Against Crime beginning with #1, dated Dec. 1951.

Captain Video was not the first television comic, but Captain Video was the first “serious” character to appear on TV to be later adapted for comic books. Dell began its regular Lone Ranger series with #1 dated Jan. 1948, about two years before the unforgettable Clayton Moore debuted Sept. 15, 1949, in his famous role as the masked man.

Captain Video was so popular that his prime-time, half-hour show ran nightly Monday through Friday from August 1949 through September 1953. From that point until April 1955, in Dumont’s dying days, the good Captain was relegated to serving as the host of movie serial chapters (except, of course, in reruns). Captain Video also appeared on Saturday nights from Feb. 1950 through Nov. 1950, so the Fawcett comic book was based on a hugely popular character.

So it’s difficult to comprehend why Captain Video lasted only six issues, never to appear again in four-color form. In the history of comics, it was almost unheard of for a popular character to see his or her comic book cancelled before the original run of the television show, especially when that program was so popular.

The only indication that Captain Video was a licensed character came on the covers of the six Fawcett issues; there was no mention in the indicia, unlike most licensed characters. “Directly from Television!” screams the blurb on the cover of #1. “The Famous Dumont Television Star—The Greatest Hero of Them All!—In a Comic Magazine Of His Own.” #2-6 all plugged the “Famous Star of the Dumont Television Network” on the covers.

Captain Video was also licensed for one movie serial, the unsuccessful and amazingly campy Captain Video from Columbia in 1951. Although prints have turned up in recent years, information about this serial originally was so hard to come by that the seminal 1972 serial history “To Be Continued” by Ken Weiss and Ed Goodgold, contained no information or stills from Captain Video other than a list of cast credits. Readers of that book—like me—were left with the impression that Captain Video was the least-known of all post-war serials.

Unlike Richard Coogan, who played Captain Video in 1949-51, and his successor, powerful Al Hodge, the relatively mild-mannered, lesser-muscled and softer-voiced Judd Holdren played the character

in the serial. Holdren also played Republic’s Rocketman/Commando Cody character in Zombies of the Stratosphere (1952) and in the odd hybrid TV show/half-hour serial Commando Cody, Sky Marshal of the Universe (1953).

It should be remembered, though, that when Captain Video hit the newsstands at mid-century, science-fiction was uncommon outside the realms of pulp magazines and specialty book publishers. The genre was considered cultural trash by the vast majority of the public.

In fact, other than a few obscure 1920s and ’30s films remembered primarily by historians, until 1950 most of the public’s exposure to science-fiction was in the realm of the Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers movie serials and comic strips. That’s why magazine and newspaper articles in the early stages of the Space Race invariably made references to stuff right out of Flash Gordon (or Buck Rogers).

Fiction House’s Planet Comics was the only regularly-published science-fiction comic in the 1940s, although several science-fiction strips were included in anthology titles. In the world of feature-length movies, Destination Moon in 1950 and The Day the Earth Stood Still in 1951—along with a handful of other flicks made in those years— were the first science-fiction films most of the general public had ever seen, beginning a decade-long splurge with the genre.

When National Comics began Strange Adventures in 1950 and Mystery in Space in the following year, those historic science-fiction titles represented significant gambles, just as Captain Video did for Fawcett. For example, when Fawcett converted Captain Midnight into a fantastical, science-fictional character in the last two years of his comic in 1947-48, sales continued to plunge so sharply that the title was converted in 1948 into Sweethearts, Fawcett’s first romance comic (and perceptively begun in the year before romance became a best-selling genre with dozens of titles).

Thus, in retrospect Captain Video appears to be a title far ahead of its time, as were other short-lived, pre-Code sciencefictional titles such as Captain Science and Space Patrol. Even the iconic likes of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers made only infrequent, sporadic comic book appearances in the 1940s and 50s outside of their newspaper reprint titles, King Comics and Famous Funnies, respectively, which began reprinting their newspaper adventures during the 1930s.

Indeed, most collectors today may not be aware of how unsuccessful most fantastic supermen and superwoman were in their own titles in the 1950s, be they super-heroes or science-fictional characters. Only four such characters ran throughout that decade in their own titles—Superman/Superboy, Batman, Wonder Woman and Blackhawk—a far cry from the hero-centric Silver Age, Bronze Age and Modem Age, not to mention the Golden Age. Maybe, then, it’s not such a mystery that Captain Video failed in the comics.

The comics were only moderately faithful to the future-set television series, in which part of the fun of Captain Video was the names of the devices he invented to battle villains—the Radio Scillograph, the Opticon Scillometer, the Atomic Rifle, and, of course, my all-time favorite—the Cosmic Ray Vibrator (!). How innocent were we in those long-gone days!

Evans drew wonderful machinery and gimmicks, and Williamson assisted primarily with the figures for Fawcett’s version.

These are all long, densely plotted stories with more word balloons than most comics used even in those days, when those beautiful balloons were generally filled with a lot more words than they are today.

The titles are evocative today of the highest in vintage adventure—”The Secret of Sun City” and “The Creatures of Doom” in #1; “The Time When Men Could Not Walk,” “The Hidden Island” and “The Legion of Evil” in #2; “The Indestructible Antagonist” and “Project X” in #3; “School for Spies” and “The Ring of Orgon” in #4; “The Dark Side of the Moon” and “The Missiles of Doom” in #5, “A-Bomb Sabotage” and “The Island of Conquerors” in #6.

The best look at TV’s Captain Video I’ve ever read appeared in The Great Television Heroes by the accomplished pop-culture historians Donald Glut and Jim Harmon. That book was published in 1975 — 26 years after the debut of Captain Video. Now 27 years have passed since the book appeared, and Captain Video has long since vanished into the void, living on only in the minds of those who remember the good captain.

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

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“HOW TO DRAW COMICS THE KIRBY WAY!” PART 2: JOE SINNOTT on how he inks Jack’s work, HUGE PENCIL GALLERY, list of the art in the KIRBY ARCHIVES, MARK EVANIER, special sections on Jack’s technique and influences, SPEND A DAY WITH KIRBY (with JACK DAVIS, GULACY, HERNANDEZ BROS., and RUDE) and more!

Two UNPUBLISHED KIRBY COVERS!

(84-page tabloid magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

(84-page tabloid magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

(84-page tabloid magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

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(84-page tabloid magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

KIRBY COLLECTOR #39

KIRBY COLLECTOR #40

KIRBY COLLECTOR #41

KIRBY COLLECTOR #42

KIRBY COLLECTOR #43

FAN FAVORITES! Covering Kirby’s work on HULK, INHUMANS, and SILVER SURFER, TOP PROS pick favorite Kirby covers, Kirby ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT interview, MARK EVANIER, 2002 Kirby Tribute Panel (DICK AYERS, TODD McFARLANE, PAUL LEVITZ, HERB TRIMPE), pencil art gallery, and more! Kirby covers inked by MIKE ALLRED and P. CRAIG RUSSELL!

WORLD THAT’S COMING! KAMANDI and OMAC spotlight, 2003 Kirby Tribute Panel (WENDY PINI, MICHAEL CHABON, STAN GOLDBERG, SAL BUSCEMA, LARRY LIEBER, and STAN LEE), P. CRAIG RUSSELL interview, MARK EVANIER, NEW COLUMN analyzing Jack’s visual shorthand, pencil art gallery, and more! Kirby covers inked by ERIK LARSEN and REEDMAN!

1970s MARVEL WORK! Coverage of ’70s work from Captain America to Eternals to Machine Man, DICK GIORDANO & MARK SHULTZ interviews, MARK EVANIER, 2004 Kirby Tribute Panel (STEVE RUDE, DAVE GIBBONS, WALTER SIMONSON, and PAUL RYAN), pencil art gallery, unused 1962 HULK #6 KIRBY PENCILS, and more! Kirby covers inked by GIORDANO and SCHULTZ!

1970s DC WORK! Coverage of Jimmy Olsen, FF movie set visit, overview of all Newsboy Legion stories, KEVIN NOWLAN and MURPHY ANDERSON on inking Jack, never-seen interview with Kirby, MARK EVANIER on Kirby’s covers, Bongo Comics’ Kirby ties, complete ’40s gangster story, pencil art gallery, and more! Kirby covers inked by NOWLAN and ANDERSON!

KIRBY AWARD WINNERS! STEVE SHERMAN and others sharing memories and neverseen art from JACK & ROZ, a never-published 1966 interview with KIRBY, MARK EVANIER on VINCE COLLETTA, pencils-toSinnott inks comparison of TALES OF SUSPENSE #93, and more! Covers by KIRBY (Jack’s original ’70s SILVER STAR CONCEPT ART) and KIRBY/SINNOTT!

(84-page tabloid magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

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97

KIRBY COLLECTOR #44

KIRBY COLLECTOR #45

KIRBY COLLECTOR #46

KIRBY COLLECTOR #47

KIRBY COLLECTOR #48

KIRBY’S MYTHOLOGICAL CHARACTERS! Coverage of DEMON, THOR, & GALACTUS, interview with KIRBY, MARK EVANIER, pencil art galleries of the Demon and other mythological characters, two never-reprinted BLACK MAGIC stories, interview with Kirby Award winner DAVID SCHWARTZ and F4 screenwriter MIKE FRANCE, and more!

Kirby cover inked by MATT WAGNER!

Jack’s vision of PAST AND FUTURE, with a never-seen KIRBY interview, a new interview with son NEAL KIRBY, MARK EVANIER’S column, two pencil galleries, two complete ’50s stories, Jack’s first script, Kirby Tribute Panel (with EVANIER, KATZ, SHAW!, and SHERMAN), plus an unpublished CAPTAIN 3-D cover, inked by BILL BLACK and converted into 3-D by RAY ZONE!

Focus on NEW GODS, FOREVER PEOPLE, and DARKSEID! Includes a rare interview with KIRBY, MARK EVANIER’s column, FOURTH WORLD pencil art galleries (including Kirby’s redesigns for SUPER POWERS), two 1950s stories, a new Kirby Darkseid front cover inked by MIKE ROYER, a Kirby Forever People back cover inked by JOHN BYRNE, and more!

KIRBY’S SUPER TEAMS, from kid gangs and the Challengers, to Fantastic Four, X-Men, and Super Powers, with unseen 1960s Marvel art, a rare KIRBY interview, MARK EVANIER’s column, two pencil art galleries, complete 1950s story, author JONATHAN LETHEM on his Kirby influence, interview with JOHN ROMITA, JR. on his Eternals work, and more!

KIRBYTECH ISSUE, spotlighting Jack’s hightech concepts, from Iron Man’s armor and Machine Man, to the Negative Zone and beyond! Includes a rare KIRBY interview, MARK EVANIER’s column, two pencil art galleries, complete 1950s story, TOM SCIOLI interview, Kirby Tribute Panel (with ADAMS, PÉREZ, and ROMITA), and covers inked by TERRY AUSTIN and TOM SCIOLI!

(84-page tabloid magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

(84-page tabloid magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

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(84-page tabloid magazine) SOLD OUT (Digital Edition) $3.95

(84-page tabloid magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

KIRBY COLLECTOR #49

KIRBY COLLECTOR #51

KIRBY COLLECTOR #52

WARRIORS, spotlighting Thor (with a look at hidden messages in BILL EVERETT’s Thor inks), Sgt. Fury, Challengers of the Unknown, Losers, and others! Includes a rare KIRBY interview, interviews with JERRY ORDWAY and GRANT MORRISON, MARK EVANIER’s column, pencil art gallery, a complete 1950s story, wraparound Thor cover inked by JERRY ORDWAY, and more!

Bombastic EVERYTHING GOES issue, with a wealth of great submissions that couldn’t be pigeonholed into a “theme” issue!

Includes a rare KIRBY interview, new interviews with JIM LEE and ADAM HUGHES, MARK EVANIER’s column, huge pencil art galleries, a complete Golden Age Kirby story, two COLOR UNPUBLISHED KIRBY COVERS, and more!

Spotlights Kirby’s most obscure work: an UNUSED THOR STORY, BRUCE LEE comic, animation work, stage play, unaltered pages from KAMANDI, DEMON, DESTROYER DUCK, and more, including a feature examining the last page of his final issue of various series BEFORE EDITORIAL TAMPERING (with lots of surprises)! Color Kirby cover inked by DON HECK!

(84-page tabloid magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

(84-page tabloid magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

(84-page tabloid magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

KIRBY COLLECTOR #55

KIRBY COLLECTOR #56

KIRBY COLLECTOR #57

KIRBY COLLECTOR #53

KIRBY COLLECTOR #54

THE MAGIC OF STAN & JACK! New interview with STAN LEE, walking tour of New York where Lee & Kirby lived and worked, re-evaluation of the “Lost” FF #108 story (including a new page that just surfaced), “What If Jack Hadn’t Left Marvel In 1970?,” plus MARK EVANIER’s regular column, a Kirby pencil art gallery, a complete Golden Age Kirby story, and more, behind a color Kirby cover inked by GEORGE PÉREZ!

STAN & JACK PART TWO! More on the co-creators of the Marvel Universe, final interview (and cover inks) by GEORGE TUSKA, differences between KIRBY and DITKO’S approaches, WILL MURRAY on the origin of the FF, the mystery of Marvel cover dates, MARK EVANIER’s regular column, a Kirby pencil art gallery, a complete Golden Age Kirby story, and more, plus Kirby back cover inked by JOE SINNOTT!

(84-page tabloid magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

(84-page tabloid magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

KIRBY COLLECTOR #59

KIRBY COLLECTOR #60

“Kirby Goes To Hollywood!” SERGIO ARAGONÉS and MELL LAZARUS recall Kirby’s BOB NEWHART TV show cameo, comparing the recent STAR WARS films to New Gods, RUBY & SPEARS interviewed, Jack’s encounters with FRANK ZAPPA, PAUL McCARTNEY, and JOHN LENNON, MARK EVANIER’s regular column, a Kirby pencil art gallery, a Golden Age Kirby story, and more! Kirby cover inked by PAUL SMITH!

“Unfinished Sagas”—series, stories, and arcs Kirby never finished. TRUE DIVORCE CASES, RAAM THE MAN MOUNTAIN, KOBRA, DINGBATS, a complete story from SOUL LOVE, complete Boy Explorers story, two Kirby Tribute Panels, MARK EVANIER and other regular columnists, pencil art galleries, and more, with Kirby’s “Galaxy Green” cover inked by ROYER, and the unseen cover for SOUL LOVE #1!

“Legendary Kirby”—how Jack put his spin on classic folklore! TONY ISABELLA on SATAN’S SIX (with Kirby’s unseen layouts), Biblical inspirations of DEVIL DINOSAUR, THOR through the eyes of mythologist JOSEPH CAMPBELL, a complete Golden Age Kirby story, rare Kirby interview, MARK EVANIER and our other regular columnists, pencil art from ETERNALS, DEMON, NEW GODS, THOR, and Jack’s ATLAS cover!

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

FANTASTIC FOUR FOLLOW-UP to #58’s THE WONDER YEARS! Never-seen FF wraparound cover, interview between FF inkers JOE SINNOTT and DICK AYERS, rare LEE & KIRBY interview, comparison of a Jack and Stan FF story conference to Stan’s final script and Jack’s penciled pages, MARK EVANIER and other columnists, gallery of KIRBY FF ART, pencils from BLACK PANTHER, SILVER SURFER, & more!

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(84-page tabloid magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

(84-page tabloid magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

(104-page magazine with COLOR) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

(104-page magazine with COLOR) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

98

COLLECTED JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR VOLUMES, edited by John Morrow Each book contains over 30 PIECES OF KIRBY ART NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED!

VOLUME 2

VOLUME 3

VOLUME 5

VOLUME 6

VOLUME 7

KIRBY CHECKLIST

Reprints JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #10-12, and a tour of Jack’s home!

Reprints JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #13-15, plus new art!

Reprints JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #20-22, plus new art!

Reprints JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #23-26, plus new art!

Reprints JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #27-30, plus new art!

Lists EVERY KIRBY COMIC, BOOK, UNPUBLISHED WORK and more!

(160-page trade paperback) $17.95 ISBN: 9781893905016 Diamond Order Code: MAR042974

(176-page trade paperback) $19.95 ISBN: 9781893905023 Diamond Order Code: APR043058

(224-page trade paperback) $24.95 ISBN: 9781893905573 Diamond Order Code: FEB063353

(288-page trade paperback) $29.95 ISBN: 9781605490038 Diamond Order Code: JUN084280

(288-page trade paperback) $29.95 ISBN: 9781605490120 Diamond Order Code: DEC084286

(128-page trade paperback) $14.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 ISBN: 9781605490052 Diamond Order Code: MAR084008

NEW!

Lee & Kirby: THE WONDER YEARS

Celebrate the 50th ANNIVERSARY OF FANTASTIC FOUR #1 with this special squarebound edition (#58) of THE JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR, about two pop-culture visionaries who created the Fantastic Four, and a decade in comics that was more tumultuous and awe-inspiring than any before or since. Calling on his years of research, plus new interviews conducted just for this book (with STAN LEE, FLO STEINBERG, MARK EVANIER, JOE SINNOTT, and others), regular Jack Kirby Collector contributor MARK ALEXANDER traces both Lee and Kirby’s history at Marvel Comics, and the remarkable series of events and career choices that led them to converge in 1961 to conceive the Fantastic Four. It also documents the evolution of the FF throughout the 1960s, with previously unknown details about Lee and Kirby’s working relationship, and their eventual parting of ways in 1970. With a wealth of historical information and amazing Kirby artwork, STAN LEE & JACK KIRBY: THE WONDER YEARS beautifully examines the first decade of the FF, and the events that put into motion the 1960s era that came to be known as the Marvel Age of Comics!

(128-page tabloid-size trade paperback) $19.95 • (Digital Edition) $5.95 ISBN: 9781605490380 • Diamond Order Code: SEP111248

NEW!

SILVER STAR: GRAPHITE EDITION

First conceptualized in the 1970s as a movie screenplay, SILVER STAR was too far ahead of its time for Hollywood, so artist JACK KIRBY adapted it as a six-issue mini-series for Pacific Comics in the 1980s, making it his final, great comics series.

Now the entire six-issue run is collected here, reproduced from his powerful, uninked PENCIL ART, showing Kirby’s work in its undiluted, raw form! Also included is Kirby’s ILLUSTRATED SILVER STAR MOVIE SCREENPLAY, never-seen SKETCHES, PIN-UPS, and an historical overview to put it all in perspective!

JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR SPECIAL EDITION

(160-page trade paperback) $19.95 (Digital Edition) $5.95 ISBN: 9781893905559 Diamond Order Code: JAN063367

CAPTAIN VICTORY: GRAPHITE EDITION

Compiles the “extra” new material from COLLECTED JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR VOLUMES 1-7, in one huge Digital Edition! Includes a fan’s private tour of the Kirbys’ remarkable home, profusely illustrated with photos, and more than 200 pieces of Kirby art not published outside of those volumes. If you already own the individual issues and skipped the collections, or missed them in print form, now you can get caught up!

For the first time, JACK KIRBY’s original CAPTAIN VICTORY GRAPHIC NOVEL is presented as it was created in 1975 (before being broken up and modified for the 1980s Pacific Comics series), reproduced from copies of Kirby’s uninked pencil art! This first “new” Kirby comic in years features page after page of prime pencils, and includes Jack’s unused CAPTAIN VICTORY SCREENPLAY, unseen art, an historical overview to put it in perspective, and more!

(52-page comic book) $5.95 • (Digital Edition) $2.95

(120-page Digital Edition) $4.95

NOTE: THIS IS ISSUE #58 OF THE KIRBY COLLECTOR!

KIRBY FIVE-OH! CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF THE “KING” OF COMICS

For its 50th issue, the publication that started TwoMorrows presents KIRBY FIVE-OH!, a BOOK covering the best of everything from Kirby’s 50-year career in comics! The regular KIRBY COLLECTOR columnists have formed a distinguished panel of experts to choose and examine: The BEST KIRBY STORY published each year from 1938-1987! The BEST COVERS from each decade! Jack’s 50 BEST UNUSED PIECES OF ART! His 50 BEST CHARACTER DESIGNS! And profiles of, and commentary by, the 50 PEOPLE MOST INFLUENCED BY KIRBY’S WORK! Plus there’s a 50-PAGE GALLERY of Kirby’s powerful RAW PENCIL ART, and a DELUXE COLOR SECTION of photos and finished art from throughout his entire half-century oeuvre. This TABLOID-SIZED TRADE PAPERBACK features a previously unseen Kirby Superman cover inked by “DC: The New Frontier” artist DARWYN COOKE, and an introduction by MARK EVANIER, helping make this the ultimate retrospective on the career of the “King” of comics! Takes the place of JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #50.

(168-page tabloid-size trade paperback) $19.95 • (Digital Edition) $5.95 ISBN: 9781893905894 Diamond Order Code: FEB084186

NOTE: THIS IS ISSUE #50 OF THE KIRBY COLLECTOR!

KIRBY UNLEASHED (REMASTERED)

Reprinting the fabled 1971 KIRBY UNLEASHED PORTFOLIO, completely remastered!

Spotlights some of KIRBY’s finest art from all eras of his career, including 1930s pencil work, unused strips, illustrated World War II letters, 1950s pages, unpublished 1960s Marvel pencil pages and sketches, and Fourth World pencil art (done expressly for this portfolio in 1970)! We’ve gone back to the original art to ensure the best reproduction possible, and MARK EVANIER and STEVE SHERMAN have updated the Kirby biography from the original printing, and added a new Foreword explaining how this portfolio came to be! PLUS: We’ve recolored the original color plates, and added EIGHT NEW BLACK-&-WHITE PAGES, plus EIGHT NEW COLOR PAGES, including Jack’s four GODS posters (released separately in 1972), and four extra Kirby color pieces, all at tabloid size!

(60-page tabloid with COLOR) SOLD OUT • (Digital Edition) $5.95

TwoMorrows—A New Day For Comics Fandom!

TwoMorrows • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 • 919-449-0344 • FAX: 919-449-0327 • E-mail: store@twomorrowspubs.com • www.twomorrows.com

CBA Commentary

Alex Toth

‘Before I Forget’

18

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

This page and opposite: Model sheets by Alex Toth of some of DC Comics’ greatest heroes for the 1973 and ’77 Hanna-Barbera Super Friends animated TV series.

Courtesy of Lancelot Falk. Characters ©2002 DC Comics.

January 2002

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

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A COMICS HISTORY GAME-CHANGER!

AMERICAN COMIC BOOK CHRONICLES

THE

1960-64 Volume NOW SHIPPING! 1980s Volume ships in MARCH!

This ambitious new series of FULLCOLOR HARDCOVERS documents every decade of comic books from the 1940s to today!

Each colossal volume presents a year-by-year account of the comic book industry’s most significant publications, most notable creators, and most impactful trends.

This ongoing project enlists TwoMorrows’ top authors, as they provide exhaustively researched details on all the major events along the comics history timeline! Editor KEITH DALLAS (The Flash Companion) spearheads the series and writes his own volume on the 1980s. Also in the works are two volumes on the 1940s by ROY THOMAS, the 1950s by BILL SCHELLY, two volumes on the 1960s by JOHN WELLS, a 1970s volume by JIM BEARD, and more volumes documenting the 1990s and 2000s. Taken together, the series forms the first cohesive, linear overview of the entire landscape of comics history, sure to be an invaluable resource for ANY comic book enthusiast!

JOHN WELLS leads off with the first of two volumes on the 1960s, covering all the pivotal moments and behind-the-scenes details of comics in the JFK and Beatles era! You’ll get a year-by-year account of the most significant publications, notable creators, and impactful trends, including: DC Comics’ rebirth of GREEN LANTERN, HAWKMAN, and others, and the launch of JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA and multiple earths! STAN LEE and JACK KIRBY’s transformation of superhero comics with the debut of FANTASTIC FOUR, SPIDER-MAN, HULK, X-MEN, AVENGERS, and other iconic characters! Plus BATMAN gets a “new look”, the BLUE BEETLE is revamped at Charlton Comics, and CREEPY #1 brings horror back to comics, just as Harvey’s “kid” comics are booming!

NOW SHIPPING! The Best of FROM THE TOMB Compiles the finest features from the preeminent magazine on horror comics history, along with never-seen material!

(192-page trade paperback with COLOR) $27.95 • (Digital Edition) $8.95 ISBN: 9781605490434 • Diamond Order Code: AUG121322

The co-founder of Filmation Studios tells all about leading the last American animation company through thirty years of innovation and fun!

(288-page trade paperback with COLOR) $29.95 • (Digital Edition) $9.95 ISBN: 9781605490441 • Diamond Order Code: JUL121245

MATT BAKER: The Art of Glamour The fabled master of glamour art finally gets his due!

(192-page HARDCOVER with 96 COLOR pages) $39.95 • (Digital Edition) $11.95 ISBN: 9781605490328 • Diamond Order Code: JUN121310

TwoMorrows. A New Day For Comics Fans!

TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA • 919-449-0344 • FAX: 919-449-0327 E-mail: store@twomorrowspubs.com • Visit us on the Web at www.twomorrows.com

PRINTED IN CANADA

LOU SCHEIMER: Creating the Filmation Generation

All characters TM & ©2013 their respective owners.

1960-64 VOLUME: (224-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 • (Digital Edition) $11.95 • ISBN: 9781605490458 • Diamond Order Code: JUL121245

January 2002

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

21

©2002 Fred Hembeck. Iron Man ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc. Be sure to see Fred’s weekly strip in The Comic Buyers’ Guide.

A career-spanning chat with the celebrated artist/writer on his comics

The Art of Arthur Adams

Conducted by Jon B. Cooke Transcribed by Jon B. Knutson Let’s face it: Arthur Adams, since blasting onto the comics scene like a neutron bomb with his limited series Longshot back in the 1980s, is a creator of enormously fun comics. From that refreshing debut to his memorable three-issue run on the Fantastic Four (#347-349) to his creator-owned Monkeyman and O’Brien to his present-day (and some say personal best) work on “Jonni Future” in Tom Strong’s Terrific Tales (not to mention Ye Ed’s fave AA work, The Creature from the Black Lagoon), Arthur’s artistry remains eminently entertaining and pleasing to the eye.

But few Arthur Adams interviews seem to exist, so we cover pretty much his entire career in the following three-hour interview, which took place via telephone on November 15, 2001, and was copyedited by the artist. Special thanks to John Fanucchi for his spectacular and herculean assistance in gathering and contributing art for this feature. Special kudos also, to Joyce Chin.

Comic Book Artist: Where are you from, Arthur?

Arthur Adams: We’re not going to film out of sequence? [laughs] Where am I from? That’s hard to remember; after all, I was very young when I was born. That’s complicated. I was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, many, many years ago. My dad was in the Air Force, so we actually moved around quite a bit until I was about five years old, when we moved to a little town called Vacaville outside Travis Air Force Base in California. My dad found some way to keep us stationed there was the rest of his 20-year Air Force career. It’s just 50 miles from here where I am right now, in San Francisco, California.

CBA: You were born in 1963?

Arthur: I was!

CBA: You’re probably the youngest guy I’ve ever interviewed for the magazine! [laughter] Younger than me!

Arthur: Bruce Timm isn’t that much older than me! I mean, he’s old, but….

CBA: Bruce is one of the few exclusively contemporary guys I’ve interviewed [in Comic Book Artist Special Edition #1]. He was born around 1961, I believe.

Arthur: That sounds about right, he’s about 40, right? Man, he’s old. [laughter] CBA: Hey, I’m almost 43, so watch it, dude! [laughs] Did you get into comics at a young age?

Arthur: Yeah, I’d always liked comics, I think my interest really started when my dad came back from one of his trips overseas, and he brought with him the first Marvel Treasury Grab-Bag, that had in it a Ross Andru Spider-Man/Human Torch story, a Wally Wood Daredevil/Sub-Mariner story…

CBA: Had that holly wreath on the cover?

Arthur: Yeah! I think it was a Buscema cover, maybe inked by Romita. But yeah, it’s a bunch of the super-heroes running forward, and then on the back cover, it’s them running away. It also had a real nice Gene Colan/Bill Everett Black Widow story, and my favorite was the two-parter Fantastic Four and the Avengers versus the Hulk!

CBA: By Stan Lee & Jack Kirby! Was this your first real exposure to super-heroes?

Arthur: The first time I really noticed. I’m sure I must’ve seen them before, but this was the first one I really got jazzed about. I’m sure I’d seen all those old Marvel cartoons… I must’ve seen some comics, because my mom once a month would go to the thrift shop and come back with a hay-bale of comics, a big pile wrapped in twine. About half of them would be romance and war comics, and those would get tossed aside, and the other half would be super-hero and monster comics.

CBA: The good stuff!

Arthur: Yeah! It was the stuff I liked. I now wish I’d kept some of those war and romance comics, those would’ve been pretty interesting to see now.

CBA: Did you see the Marvel reprints of the old Atlas monster stories? Where Monsters Dwell, Creatures on the Loose…

Arthur: Oh, yeah, sure! I love that stuff! When I first started Monkeyman and O’Brien, I had the Marvel reprint book they did, Marvel Monsterworks, with Walt Simonson’s cover as inspiration. “Van Doom’s Monster” was my favorite! It was about a big wax monster, and it didn’t really make much sense, but it sure was cool! [laughter] CBA: Did you start drawing at a young age?

Arthur: Oh, I’ve always drawn. I don’t remember ever not drawing. My mom has some drawings around the house—don’t ask to see those!—and I drew everything! Mostly I drew dinosaurs, King Kong and monsters. I was crazy for all those monster movies, the Creature Features every Saturday.

CBA: Did you draw your own comics as a kid?

Arthur: You know, I was not intending to do comics when I was a kid. I wanted to be a paleontologist, because I just thought dinosaurs were the coolest, I was really into dinosaurs, so I Opposite page: Unless otherwise noted, all the art contributions in this section are courtesy of John Fanucchi and Arthur Adams. John gathered these treasures from numerous sources and we profusely thank him, Arthur and all who contributed to this herculean effort. This melange of Adams’ trademark characters appeared as cover for the French mag, Comics Box #34, last summer. All characters ©2002 their respective copyright holders. Right: Whether or not Arthur says he never previously cared for the character before rendering it, when it’s all said and done, perhaps Adams will be best remembered for his spot-on rendition of children’s TV character, Gumby, in two Specials drawn for Comico in the ’80s. Courtesy of Bob Wiacek, here’s the clay-based hero by Arthur. Gumby ©2002 Art Clokey. Art ©2002 Arthur Adams.

January 2002

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

23

Above: Collecting some scattered Arthur Adams stories from hither and yon, the Dark Horse compilation, Art Adams’ Creature Features sported this cover art by AA which includes a rare self-portrait of the artist. The trade paperback (still available from DH) includes a reprinting of the hard-to-find Creature from the Black Lagoon comics adaptation from the early 1990s. All characters ©2002 their respective copyright holders.

Art ©2002 Arthur Adams.

24

wanted to just sit around and draw prehistoric creatures all the time.

Then I found out paleontologists actually have to go out into the desert where it’s really cold or really hot! I didn’t think that sounded that good. [laughter] CBA: When did the idea of comics as a vocation come to mind?

Arthur: You know, I haven’t thought about that for a while, but the first time I thought about comics as something I wanted to do was when I bought and read the very first issue of Micronauts, by Michael Golden and Joe Rubinstein, written by Bill Mantlo. So when I saw it, I bought lots of copies of that one and was giving them to everyone I knew in high school, and they were looking at me like I was insane, and I’d say, “Look, that’s what I’m going to do!”

CBA: [laughs] You immediately clued into Mike Golden’s abilities?

Arthur: Somehow, it just leapt off the page at me. I’m not even sure why, because I’ve looked at the first issue since then, and while there’s neat things about it, his drawing style changed so radically around issue #5 or 6 and I liked that stuff much better. It’s really strange to look at #1 and then the last issue he did, because they’re completely different!

CBA: Was he the first artist you really admired?

Arthur: He’s the first one I really noticed. I don’t know if I’d really

seen too much of Bernie Wrightson at that point. That would’ve been in 1978, ’79.

CBA: He was working on Frankenstein, I think.

Arthur: Yes, that’s right, portfolios and stuff like that, so I wasn’t really aware of that material, and we didn’t have any comic book shops where I was living. I’d go to the Air Force base commissary and it was tough to find my comics. They had pretty much standard comics. After Golden, then I started looking more at other artists.

CBA: As you were getting an interest in comics again, the direct sales market was just starting.

Arthur: Right. I knew a guy at the base whose mom would take him to Comics & Comix in Berkeley once a month, so he had a huge collection of comics and lots of the old Mego super-hero action figures. Man, was I jealous! [laughter] CBA: Did you get into the Star Wars stuff?

Arthur: A little bit. You know, I was never that crazy about Star Wars. I liked the first movie—that’s the one you’re supposed to like, right? [laughs]—and I had some of the toys, but I don’t think I went nuts on the Star Wars stuff. I was always more interested in model kits. I got all the model kits of the Star Wars and Star Trek I could find, all the Aurora monster models and stuff like that.

CBA: Did you start developing an interest in retro, older material at all? Or was it pretty much the contemporary scene?

Arthur: It’s hard to imagine now, but I guess I always liked that old stuff, because it wasn’t like they were making Boris Karloff Frankenstein movies in the ’60s, and that’s what I loved, the Frankenstein stuff, Creature from the Black Lagoon… It never even occurred to me that that stuff was old or new or whatever. I just liked it! [laughs] CBA: I try to get my kids to understand what’s so cool about King Kong, and my 12-year-old looks at it, of course, and says, “Dad! It’s in black-&-white!” [laughter] Arthur: “Yeah, that sucks!” [laughter] That was the thing that always bugged me about Mike Mignola: The first King Kong he saw was the Dino Di Laurentis one, and he loved it! It’s so awful! [laughter] CBA: We have to be slightly reverent now, right, because it’s got the World Trade Center twin towers in it.

Arthur: That’s not enough, it’s a terrible movie! [laughter] It doesn’t even compare to the original King Kong!

CBA: Well… It does have Jessica Lange in it.

Arthur: Yeah… but that’s not enough, either! When my wife and I first started going out, she came over to my place, and I sat her down and said, “You’ve got to watch these!” and I had her watch both Frankenstein and Dracula, and she watched them, and when they were done, she went, “Well, that was weird. There’s no music in those!” That had never occurred to me! There’s almost no music in those movies! She said, “They’re dull, and there’s no music!” It was really hard to put music on the talkies in the early days, I guess.

CBA: So, you picked up Micronauts, and you said…

Arthur: That was it! That got me going, and then I started looking at comics all over the place, and I was keeping an eye out for Golden’s stuff, and right around that time Bill Sienkiewicz started working on “Moon Knight” in the back of The Hulk magazine. I thought that stuff was pretty cool. I also really got into Walt Simonson’s stuff. He had done some Rampaging Hulk stuff I liked.

He’d done one fill-in issue of Star Wars that I really loved, then he penciled and inked—and I think maybe wrote—one issue of Battlestar Galactica I thought was the greatest. His X-Men/Teen Titans was like the bible of how to draw comics for me. I wore out I don’t know how many copies looking through that thing!

CBA: When you learned more about Walter, were you surprised to find parallels in your respective lives? He studied paleontology.

Arthur: [laughs] Walt’s a much smarter guy than I am! [laughter] He’s actually done some stuff! He went to college! I’ve only thought being a scientist, “Hey, that would be cool! Nah, I’d have to go outside!”

CBA: Did you become friends?

Arthur: Yeah, I like Walt a lot! We don’t talk as often as we should, I’m notorious for not calling anybody, but Walt and I have gone through periods where we were talking every day, then we’d go through periods where we’d talk about every six months, but every COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

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time, it’s like we talked just the day before. I love Walt and Weezie, they’re great.

CBA: Did you see him as your biggest influence for a period?

Arthur: Walt and Michael Golden, they were both about equal in their influence. Of course, it was easier to get Walt’s stuff! [laughs] He was doing more of it! Barry Windsor-Smith was a huge influence, as well. It’s hard to say who wasn’t an influence around that time. I really liked Windsor-Smith, Wrightson, Kaluta…

CBA: You were buying the old comics?

Arthur: When I could, I was finding old stuff as time went by, yeah, I was learning more about things, so I started picking up Swamp Thing reprints, early on. When I was 18 or 20, A Look Back came out, and I picked that up at a convention, and somehow I worked up the nerve to spend as much as $40 on a book!

CBA: [laughs] Now probably valued at $250!

Arthur: Yeah, I know! I’m not selling my copy! [laughter] Actually, mine’s pretty messed up by now. Before I started going to conventions, I was doing drawings for people at school to get money to buy comics. I had a couple of the Frazetta books, and I’d get Xeroxes of the black-&-white drawings, and I’d paint them… I didn’t know what I was doing with any of the stuff! I wanted it to look like the oil paintings, but I had no idea how to do that, so I was just using watercolor, putting it on as thick as possible! [laughs] If you bent the pages, the paint would just crack off! [laughter] I ended up using it in really odd ways, but I would sell those for a couple of bucks to kids at lunchtime, and I’d take that money to buy comics. Then, I started going to conventions when I was about 17, and I met Bob Shreck at a Creation Convention, and asked if I could set up at a table, too. I had brought my portfolio and showed it to him, and he said, “Sure!

Grab a table!” There was this one particular girl out here who just wanted drawings of Harrison Ford as an elf. Fortunately, I don’t think I have any copies of those! [laughter] Somehow, I’d go to the conventions and do things for like five or ten bucks or so. Then I started buying that old stuff!

CBA: What was in your portfolio?

Arthur: Crap! It was just lots of pin-up stuff. There was nothing!

CBA: There was no attempt at continuity?

Arthur: By the time I starting going to conventions, there was a little bit of continuity. Early on, I’d done one monster comic for myself, but it was all splash pages—50 pages of splashes!—so I hadn’t really tried much continuity. When I was around 17, I started trying to draw, I did a Wolverine story. Everyone else did, why shouldn’t I? CBA: Were you into X-Men? Arthur: I knew X-Men was popular, but I was not into it that much. Which is actually pretty funny because I became so associated with X-Men for a while. I thought Chris did a great job on it, though I was never that crazy about the John Byrne stuff.

CBA: Do people naturally assume he’s an influence on you?

Arthur: No, I’m just talking about when the book was really popular, and people were telling me, “You’ve got to check out this X-Men stuff!” I’d look at it, and I really liked the story, the whole Phoenix story towards the end, but I liked it as a writer/artist package! I could recognize it was a good comic book. The writing and the art were balanced. You couldn’t really have one without the other, and I really liked those, but artistically, Byrne was never really an influence.

CBA: I’m a little surprised, because there’s that element of whimsy in your work, as well as in his.

Arthur: I think what might be the aspect I really liked about X-Men artistically was Terry Austin. He inked Tom Sutton, I think, on some Alice Cooper Marvel Premiere, and Terry had just gone nuts on it! He put Popeye in the background, graffiti on the walls… [laughter] Just really odd things everywhere! I loved that stuff. Somehow, Terry was more of an influence, I think, than John was on my stuff.

CBA: What was High Anxiety [misnaming High Energy]?

Arthur: [laughs frenzied and nervously] That never happened!

There is no High Anxiety! [laughs] It’s an old Mel Brooks movie! [laughter] Honestly, I met some guy—can’t even remember his name now, it’s been so long—at a convention, and he was putting together a comic book magazine, and he saw some of my stuff and asked me to put something together, and I put together something I hope will never, ever see print! Ever! [laughter] It was pretty bad.

CBA: What was it?

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Arthur: I can’t remember it that well, it was just not good. [laughs] CBA: Was it super-heroes, science-fiction…?

Arthur: [Sobbing] It was horror, as I recall… please stop. I’ll give you money.

CBA: [laughs, after accepting a large sum of cash] Thanks. We’ll move on, now!

Was that your first published work?

Arthur: That might’ve been the first, but the first piece I was ever definitely paid for, was a pin-up in the back of Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew! Those of us of a certain age remember the Farrah Fawcett poster of her in a one-piece swimsuit, very multi-colored background, and I basically copied it for a Zoo Crew character, “Farrah Foxette,” and I sent that to the letters page and got a call from Roy Thomas telling me, “We’d really like to publish this, but we can only pay you $10!” I said, “That’s cool!” [laughter] CBA: Ten whole dollars, your first professional sale! Did you get stuff published in fanzines at all?

Arthur: No, I was not even aware of fanzines. They weren’t around much at that time. Amazing Heroes might’ve been being published around then, and I’d occasionally pick up those.

CBA: Did you have any art education?

Arthur: No, I just sat around drawing all the time! [laughs] I had a couple of good teachers in high school that mostly told me not to draw super-heroes. [laughs] When I was a freshman, there was a teacher who was teaching newspaper strip kind of storytelling, so I did one or two of those, and he just stressed how important it was to be clear in storytelling, and that’s always stuck in me.

Mr. Vandenberg, as I recall.

CBA: What did your parents think about you drawing?

Arthur: [laughs] Well, they thought it was neat that I drew.

They were supportive enough that they made sure I always had pencils and paper. They were way more generous than they should’ve

Above: In the process of becoming a professional artist, Arthur Adams would often attend comic cons and sketch for his dinner. ©2002 Arthur Adams. Below: Arthur’s big pro breakthrough was his celebrated art on the Marvel mini-series Longshot. We’re not sure what this pin-up of the character was used for but she’s a beaut! Longshot ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc. Art ©2002 Arthur Adams.

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Above: Unused Longshot #1 cover

by Arthur Adams. Longshot ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc. Art ©2002 Arthur Adams.

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been! I had four younger brothers, and I know things were always tight, but… we were pretty spoiled! [laughs] I always had my art supplies, and we always had more toys than we probably should have. [laughs] But yeah, they were very supportive. I was very into drawing, and I’d say, “Oh, yeah, I’m going to become a comic book artist,” and they’d say, “We like that, that’s great, that’s really terrific, but we really think you should have something to fall back on.” Then I got into drama club! So I said, “Okay, if I don’t work out as a comic book artist, I’ll become an actor!” [laughter] CBA: “And if not that, a musician! Okay, Mom?” [laughter] Arthur: “This is not what we had in mind, son!” My grades in high school when I got in were pretty good, but by my senior year, I just didn’t care anymore. They were sure I was never going to move out.

CBA: [laughs] Was there any thought for you going to college?

Arthur: Not really, no, I was desperate to become a professional comic book artist, and I guess I was young enough to be arrogant enough to think I didn’t need to go to school, I’d just got myself a couple of “how to draw the human figure” books, and I thought that was enough! I guess I was right! [laughs] It seems to have worked out okay. I was looking at all those various people I was talking about were comic book artists, all big influences as well, and I think that showed for a long time. It probably still does, to some degree.

CBA: Did you get support from people you showed your work to?

Did they spark into it and say, “Hey, this kid’s got something!”?

Arthur: Yeah, some did, which is funny because, looking back on some of that very early stuff, it was god-awful! [laughs] But yeah, I’d hang out a little bit with Mignola early on, before he started as a professional inker.

CBA: Where did you guys meet up?

Arthur: Oh, we met at a Creation Convention in San Francisco.

We were both showing our artwork to some guy, and he was horrified that I was inking with a Croquille. Mignola might’ve been inking with a Croquille, too, so I went home and thought, “Oh, I’d better learn how to ink with a brush.” Actually, that was good advice.

Somehow, in getting control of the brush, I actually got to be a much better artist all the way around! Much better with the pencil and the Croquille, which I eventually went back to inking with.

CBA: How soon?

Arthur: Maybe a year or so after. I was mostly interested in penciling anyway, I didn’t spend that much time trying to ink, as I recall.

CBA: You’re renowned as a really tight penciler, right?

Arthur: Well, that’s what people say! That’s what I hear. Yeah, I don’t trust inkers. [laughter] I don’t even like them! They’re terrible people… [laughter] No, no, I’ve been terribly lucky, I’ve had very good inkers. But I guess I’m kind of a control freak when it comes to my art, I want it to look “just so.” So yeah, my pencils have tended to be pretty tight. They’re not so tight when I’m inking myself.

CBA: Which is the majority of your work nowadays?

Arthur: Well, I prefer to ink myself, because as lucky as I think I’ve been with inkers, still somehow, it’s never looked quite right to me, mostly because when I do it myself, I’ll just change things as I’m inking it, or add a little more shading or rendering. Once the inker has it, it’s out of my hands, and no matter how much I beg my editor to send it back to me, [laughter] editors just don’t think that’s a good idea! So yeah, I prefer to ink my own stuff. Right now I’m inking “Jonni Future” for Tom Strong’s Terrific Tales, but I’m still working— as of this moment—on The Authority, and that’s being inked by Tim Townsend, who’s doing a great job.

CBA: Could you name a handful of favorite inkers?

Arthur: Sure! Of course, I was very fortunate to have Terry ink a couple of things early on, and that was great. I really like the way Bob Wiacek inked me on some X-Men Annual.

CBA: Who inked you on Fantastic Four?

Arthur: That was Art Thibert, who inked all of the first issue, and I think most of the second. Al Milgrom inked the third one, and I think Al did a great job on that desperately late issue. Walt [Simonson, the writer] said he needed a breather, so he got me to pencil three issues.

Not only did he need a breather, he needed to get a little bit ahead on the issues, so he wrote three for me, and I think during the whole time I was working on those three, he didn’t do any work on his own stuff, so he didn’t get anywhere! [laughter] That was a fun series…

See, I have a reputation for being slow, so I remember the few times that I’m not! [laughter] I think the first issue I ended up taking five weeks, a week longer than it should’ve been, but I did my best. [laughter] I think the second issue—of course, it was getting later— took about four weeks, and then the third issue, I think it was so desperately late, I think Ralph Macchio was calling me several times a day, saying, “Please send out pages today!” I think I ended up doing that one in three weeks! That’s unbelievable! For me, anyway.

CBA: [laughs] I heard that story earlier this morning. One of his old assistants, George Khoury, said, “Ask Art about that last issue!”

Arthur: Oh, yeah, that was a rough one! I think I actually ended up inking two pages at the last minute, because it just had to be done! I penciled those two pages the day before, inked both of them and mailed them off. I was very impressed with myself! [laughter] I was finally a real comic book artist! Then I think I took the next three months off.

CBA: [laughs] What can you produce in a day?

Arthur: I can apparently produce two pages in a day, but I have to be in some weird state of panic. [laughter] As a general rule, I tend to do 2/3 to 3/4 of a page a day.

CBA: And inking?

Arthur: About the same. Really, that’s one of the weird things about me, it’s always depended on the deadline. If I have a lot of COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

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time, I’ll take a lot of time. If I don’t have a lot of time, I won’t! I did have one cover for Scott Dunbier [Wildstorm/ ABC editor], I don’t think it came out particularly well, but it came out okay. It was a blank page at eight o’clock in the morning, and at four in the afternoon, it was completely done, penciled and inked. It can be done!

CBA: Do you color at all?

Arthur: No. I’ve toyed with painting at various times, just watercolor, nothing fancy. I’ll try it once every couple of years, and then, because I haven’t done it in such a long time, I always have to relearn whatever I’ve forgotten, [laughs] and then I’m not generally happy with the results, and don’t have a chance to do it again for quite a long time. I’d like to find more time to do stuff like that. We talked earlier a little bit about my trying to paint Frazetta drawings, like oil paintings. I eventually did get some oil paints, and that was a lot of fun, I would like to experiment with that again.

CBA: In a perfect world, would you like to go to art school?

Arthur: The only thing I really regret about not having gone to art school is knowing more about art history. I think I would’ve been exposed to more artists, and I think that probably would’ve been a good thing. Mostly nowadays, I don’t really like talking too much with artists about art! “Look, I did this magical thing!” “Shut up, whatever!” [laughter] CBA: Early on, did you seek out professional advice?

Arthur: Definitely. I have only got one comic book signed ever— some issue of Spider-Woman—by Steve Leialoha and Chris Claremont, who were at that same Creation Convention where I first met Mignola. I just got it signed because I wanted to ask them how to get into comics. They gave me the standard answer, and that was fine.

CBA: So how did you go about getting into comics?

Arthur: [laughs] Actually, this is pretty weird! At one of the early Creation Conventions, I met Joe Rubinstein, who said, “Let me take some of your samples to Denny O’Neil and Linda Grant.” They were at Marvel at the time, maybe editing Daredevil at the time. They were doing a black-&-white book called Bizarre Adventures, of which they only did three or four issues. They said, “Do you want to do a short story for this?” I said, “Sure, why not? I’ll come up with something.” So I wrote a three-, maybe four-page story, and I did thumbnails of it, so I had the complete script with thumbnails, and I sent that in, and they said, “Oh, this is great, this is funny, who would you like to draw it?” [laughter] I said, “You don’t understand, I want to draw it!” They said, “Okay, give it a go!” So I penciled it, sent it in, Joe inked it, and I was so excited, “Wow, I got my first little short story done!” I called up Grant, and asked, “So, do you have anything else for me now?” She said, “We’ll call you.” [laughter] Thank God, that book was cancelled, and that story was never printed. It was some really odd thing about some middle-aged guy whose life has gone horribly wrong, and decided some high school teacher had ruined his life. So he went back to school to kill his teacher, at this point an old lady, and she whips out this giant machine gun and blows him away, and says, “Do you remember that apple you gave me? It was sour!” [laughter] So I’m not really sorry January 2002

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that wasn’t published!

CBA: At the time, you must’ve been disappointed.

Arthur: I was, but I got the impression nothing more was coming, so I did yet again more samples. I was working at Round Table Pizza at the time, so I did a short story of the She-Hulk and SpiderWoman going to Round Table Pizza. [laughter] There’s a monster at Round Table Pizza.

So I sent that to everyone, because at this point, I think DC Comics had a submissions editor, but Marvel did not, so I just sent copies of everything to every editor whose name I could find at Marvel.

CBA: Did the fanboy within cry out, “All I want to do is Fantastic Four”? Did you have a goal?

Arthur: I just wanted to draw comic books. I didn’t care what I drew. I figured I was going to end up

Left inset: Longshot model sheet

by Arthur Adams. Note the fourdigit hand of that other-dimension hero. Courtesy of madsciencemedia.com. Longshot ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc.

Below: As a gift for his early collaborator and co-creator of Longshot, Ann Nocenti, Arthur Adams drew the scribe as an intergalactic pistol-totin’ mama & super editor in this detail from his piece. ©2002 Arthur Adams.

drawing G.I. Joe, at that time my least favorite comic book.

CBA: But you were willing to do it?

Arthur: I just wanted to be a professional comic book artist. After I decided that was what I wanted to do, that’s all I ever wanted to do. So, I sent these samples to everyone at Marvel, and apparently Al Milgrom at that point was just beginning to go freelance, so he had a big pile of Xeroxes, and Carl Potts was moving into his office, and so Al was just going through this pile and tossing ones he thought might have some potential over to Carl! So I got a call a couple of days after that from Carl or Ann Nocenti, who was Carl’s assistant at the time. They thought my samples might have some potential, so they sent me a script they wanted me to take a pass at (that was already being made into a finished story by another artist). I did thumbnails, sent those in, and they

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Above: Pals Mike Mignola and Arthur Adams jam on this cover featuring their respective breakout characters, Longshot and Rocket Raccoon. This appeared on the Comics & Comix newsletter, The Telegraph Wire. ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc. Below: The old “New” X-Men, featuring the shortlived member, Thunderbird, in this Arthur Adams pin-up. ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc.

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seemed to like my work okay, but then the real comic book came out, and I thought, “Wow, mine’s actually better than that!

Mine’s actually funnier!”

CBA: Was it a superhero story?

Arthur: Yeah, it was. I don’t want to say who did the printed story. It was a script for a regular Marvel series at the time. So they liked my samples, and then they asked if I was interested in drawing Longshot. I said, “Sure!”

CBA: How did they describe Longshot?

Arthur: [laughs] It’s been a long time, I don’t remember there was that much description on the phone. I think she sent me the description, after she said she’d asked absolutely every artist involved with comics at the time to draw it, and absolutely everyone

else said no. Carl had done some character designs on Longshot. Do you remember in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the blue suits they wore that looked kind of like footie pajamas? He drew Longshot like that, with curly blonde hair with a black streak in it. Somehow, Longshot also had a tattoo on his eye when he was using whatever the heck his stupid power was, and that didn’t make any sense to me whatsoever. [laughter] I just started doing my own drawings. I think I did five or six different drawings of Longshot, and then I did 20 alien creatures. It was a lot of fun!

CBA: The general look of the character, was there an influence from Michael Jackson with the costume?

Arthur: I don’t think so. This was actually the early days of MTV, 20 years ago, and there was a group called Kaja Googoo, and I saw the lead singer and said, “Oh, that’s weird hair! I don’t see anyone in comics with that kind of hair, I can use that for Longshot!” I’m not sure where the rest of the costume was from, I was just trying to make it look different than other costumes that I was aware of.

CBA: Did you have a specific schedule for Longshot?

Arthur: Thank God, no, I didn’t. Louise Simonson was the editor on that—which was weird, because as we were just getting started, she decided to just freelance edit the rest of the book, which was great for us. We didn’t really have much of a schedule, no, and I ended up taking eight months for the first issue! I don’t even know why it took that long, I just wanted it to be just so. I think I actually redrew the first half of the book. The way Ann writes, she just packs a ton of story in those few pages, so I was sending in layouts for pages with 20 panels on them, and Louise wisely said, “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.” So I redid the first half. I had all kinds of problems with perspective, because I’d always drawn just guys running around and fighting, and hadn’t really bothered to learn how to draw buildings, things like that. In that first issue, I had to draw a town, and there’s a windmill there. Oh, my gosh, a windmill! There’s all kinds of perspective on that! So I had to draw that, and there was a baby in it, and it had never even occurred to me previously to draw a baby! Yeah, that first one ended up taking about eight months.

CBA: Were you still working at the pizza joint?

Arthur: No, I was done working at the pizza place by then. No, I was still living at home, thank goodness! [laughs] CBA: Did you have a job?

Arthur: At Round Table Pizza, after a while, I started having nightmares about pizza, and I thought that was a good sign to stop working there and just work on comics. I’ll tell you, I was fortunate that my mom and dad let me stay home and work on that stuff, to do more samples. So I finally did get some work.

CBA: Oh, you slacker, you!

Arthur: Yeah, I was pretty bad. [laughter] Let’s see, I think it took eight months for that first issue. What could I have been doing?

CBA: Did you see your style progressing during that eight months?

Could that have been a part of it, too, of redoing the first half of the book?

Arthur: Well, that was certainly why I redid the cover a year later! [laughs] It just didn’t look good, my drawing had definitely improved, as I think anyone’s would, if you’re not used to drawing all the time, like over eight months—I could’ve been drawing all the time, I think I was! [laughs]—after that, I did the Pacific Comics Alien Worlds 3-D Special, so I did one little short story in there.

CBA: Did you luck out getting Weezie Jones as your first editor?

Arthur: Oh, I think so! I think anyone else—especially considering what she was doing, she became a freelance writer with some freelance editing on the side—I think mostly she was just saying, “Yeah, you guys do it, whatever!” [laughs] CBA: Were the plots Ann gave you particularly dense?

Arthur: Oh, yeah, definitely. That’s why there are some pages in there that are just cram-packed! Almost every issue is a couple of pages longer than it should’ve been. I kept asking, “Please, let me have one more page. We need this! Can we have one or two more pages?” We were really lucky. I don’t know how many mini-series had been done at that point, there weren’t that many, but I think Marvel was just very flexible on that particular book at that time. I’m not even really sure why, I don’t know whether we were getting any attention from Jim Shooter, because I wasn’t really aware of him at that time! I’d met Jim once at a convention. Louise had introduced COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

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me to him at, I think, my first San Diego convention, and he was very helpful. She made him sit me down, and he got this old, tattered Marvel comic—I can’t even remember what it was, I think it was an old Kirby Captain America comic—and he just gave me a really quick, “This is how to draw comics… this panel introduces the character, this is a… just try to make the storytelling as clear as possible,” and it was really, very helpful! That was pretty much my only interaction with Shooter! I was never in New York, I was in California this whole time.

CBA: Did you remain in California?

Arthur: Yeah, I was in California for ages. I finally moved away from home, moved to Oakland, moved to the same apartment building where Mignola and one of our friends, Steve Purcell, was living. We weren’t sharing an apartment, just in the same apartment building.

CBA: Were you close with Mike?

Arthur: Yeah, it’s funny… I sometimes think of Mike as an older, meaner brother. [laughter] Which is kind of strange, since I only have little brothers, I never had an older brother. I hope my brothers don’t read this, [laughs] but I was just always closer to Mike than my own family, because my family’s not interested in the same things I’m interested in.

CBA: Have you ever inked anybody else’s work?

Arthur: Very little, not too much. I inked a Don Heck thing, a “Mister Miracle” for… I can’t remember what the name of that book was [Secret Origins]. It was a really odd job. I think Mike Carlin was the editor on it. It was a really odd job, it was from two different characters’ points of view, so the top half of the page and the bottom half of the page was the same pencil drawing, even though Don Heck drew it twice—it wasn’t like a lightbox, it was actually drawn twice, the same thing—but it was written from two different points of view, so the top half of the page, as I recall, was inked by Klaus Janson, and I inked the bottom half. It was a really peculiar job.

But it was weird, sort of fun.

CBA: Did they offer the job to you?

Arthur: Sure, sure. I inked an issue of Superboy, of all things. Who did I ink on that? I think it might’ve been Jim Mooney! That was really odd!

CBA: [laughs] That was your limited experience inking others?

Arthur: Oh, I’ve done some bits of stuff. I was supposed to ink an issue of Ghost Rider for [editor] Bobbie Chase over one of the Kubert brothers, and they sent me a bunch of pages, and I don’t remember anyone giving me a deadline, so I was just putzing away at it, until finally somebody said, “Hey, the whole issue is due tomorrow!”

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“Well, I’ve inked five pages!! Why didn’t someone tell me that?” [laughter] I ended up having to send that one back. I inked a handful of those pages, and I liked the way those came out. Not too long ago, I inked over my wife, Joyce’s pencils. She’d done a couple of pages for Dan Brerton. That was fun.

CBA: At the time, when you came to the fore, people could argue that 1986 was just about the best year in comics. From one side, there came out The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen, but there was also Love and Rockets and Maus coming out, some real solid alternative material, and it just seemed almost limitless where comics could go. Of course, it came crashing down in ‘87, but for a moment there… Did you have aspirations of not going the Marvel route at all? Seeking out your own way?

Arthur: Not at that point. That never even occurred to me, really, until Image showed up. I was content working on various Marvel things. I’d done a little bit of DC stuff, but not too much at that particular point.

You know, it never occurred to me until the early ’90s, when Erik Larsen called and asked if I ever considered making up anything of my own, and that now was the time to do that with Image. It never occurred to me to make up my own thing! So I talked to him, and said, “Oh, I don’t know what the hell I’d want to do,” but I thought about it for a few minutes, and said, “Well, I like King Kong. I know: ‘Monkeyman and O’Brien.’ I can do that!” So I had the giant scientist ape, and this smart woman, realizing that, oh my God, I just made up Angel and the Ape! [laughter] CBA: Were you ever particularly political?

Above: Arthur Adams rivals the prolific George Peréz for his apparent ease at drawing character groups as evidenced by this incredibly populated pin-up of Marvel heroes. Below: The stock Arthur Adams iconic image of Wolverine, Marvel’s most popular character, reproduced on a zillion items, from T-shirts to cans of Chef Boyardee. ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc.

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Above: Arthur Adams obviously had a blast drawing three issues of Fantastic Four—#347-349—all written by Walter Simonson— where he got to visualize a new FF team, featuring the then-hot properties Ghost Rider, Hulk, Spider-Man, and Wolverine. The storyline, involving a ton of Atlas Kirby monsters and the Mole Man obviously resonated with the artist as he continued to explore like themes in his own Monkeyman & O’Brien tales. The “Monsters Unleashed” story arc was also quickly collected by Marvel, as was almost all of Arthur’s work for the House of Ideas, but the lack in shared royalties from those trade paperback books by the publisher has prompted the artist to shy away from major commitments with Marvel. ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc.

Right: A circa-1989 Arthur Adams self-portrait in a detail from his cover for Ron Goulart’s The Great Comic Book Artist, Volume Two. ©2002 Arthur Adams.

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Arthur: No, not at all. I’ve probably been way too wishy-washy.

I’m hoping I’m getting to be less so as I get older, but…

CBA: Do you see issues within the comics field that perhaps you should address more?

Arthur: Gosh, no. I just want the comics industry to do well! [laughs] When various companies are doing too much of one particular book, I understand why they’re doing it, but I don’t necessarily think it’s a good idea. And then subject matter, like when Marvel was doing all the Punisher books, that bugged me, because I hated those. I thought they were pretty unpleasant, too much glorification of a guy with a gun. But you know, now I really like the new Punisher series, [laughs] and I don’t know why! Maybe because it’s written with more of a sense of humor, and I think those other issues were kind of humorless, at least for me. For a while, I was worried about things in comics getting too violent and women being too objectified. But you know the stuff I’m working on right now? [laughs] This Authority stuff? We’ve actually had to tone the stuff down temporarily because of the [Sept. 11] attack, we’ve pulled back on the violence on the first and second issues. Who am I to say things are too violent, when I’ve just drawn something that’s really horrifyingly violent here?

I’m actually thinking about a new series that’s going to be really objectifying women, let’s just leave it at that! [laughs] Have I mentioned

that I’m not very smart? “I’m not very smart.” [laughter] CBA: Do you feel that, perhaps, the difference is there’s an injection of humanity within your work?

Arthur: I think almost anything is okay as long as there’s some sense of humor to it. In the second chapter of “Jonni Future,” the universe is invaded by moth-women, and the description says, “they are kind of cute, but they’re just eating everything… rocks, vegetables, animals, people, everything… ” Why moth-women want to eat everything, I don’t know. [laughter] I really like what Steve Moore and Alan Moore are doing with the series so far, and I’m amazed they’re able to get as much story into eight pages and still make it relatively comfortable to draw. The moth-women are kind of terrifying! They’re outrageously shapely, but have these horrible buggy heads [laughter]…

CBA: As long as you’re not aroused by them! [laughs] Arthur: No, no, no, no! [laughter] It’s just that people are going to look at this and go, “Oh my God, what happened?!?” [laughter] There’s millions of these moth-women invading the solar system eating everything, so Jonni tricks them by igniting this magnesium asteroid, so it’s burning brightly, so all the mothwomen are attracted to it, and of course, they all die horribly! [laughter] They all fall into it, and they’re exploding, and there’s flames everywhere…

I’m thinking, “This is COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

grisly!” [laughter] But oh, well… ! It’s written by Steve and Alan Moore, so it’s genius, pure genius!

CBA: I read a Comics Interview featuring you, in which you said that because of your experience with Ann’s dense scripts, you weren’t particularly interested in collaborating with Alan Moore.

Arthur: You tracked down that Comics Interview, huh? I was hoping I didn’t leave enough of a trail, so I could just be mysterious at all times! [laughter] Yeah, I was really worried about working from a full script. I liked the freedom of being able to set my own pacing from just a plot and suggesting dialogue, which I would often do. So I wasn’t crazy about the idea of a full script, but I figured, hey, give it a try, and you know, it’s been a lot of fun! It’s been a surprising lot of fun, and both Alan and Steve constantly makes it clear that I’m welcome to change things wherever I think might be appropriate.

CBA: Are Alan’s scripts, as legend has it, very dense?

Arthur: They can be, but not overly so. Early on, they just set the tone, there’s quite a bit of description, but not too bad. Not nearly as much as I feared. The Authority has been all full-script. I think of “Jonni Future” as being Steve and Alan’s book, really. Only partly mine, because I designed it. But The Authority, I really think of that as being solely Mark Millar’s book, and sometimes, if he asks for something I might not think would be a great idea, I’ll try to find some way to do it the way he suggests. Sometimes it doesn’t work, and I go with what I think would be better, but I’ve really enjoyed working from a full script, both on the Mark Millar stuff and on the Steve and Alan Moore stuff.

CBA: On The Authority, did you always have in mind this would be a temporary stint?

Arthur: It was only going to be three issues… and it still is only three issues! And maybe not even that! [laughs] There’s just been problems throughout the whole thing.

CBA: Isn’t the content you’re talking about post-September 11?

Arthur: Mark has been ill, and there’ve been some illnesses with some people around here. It’s just been a rough year, terrible for some reason for getting that book out. It’s coming along, and I’m really happy with it. I liked it better before it was toned down, but you know, we felt we had to lighten up on the violence. In the first issue, it was made clear that George Bush—while not necessarily being a bad guy—was certainly one of the pawns of the bad guys, and then in the third issue, Bush was going to be treated very unkindly, and that’s not that popular right now, and that’s okay, because I don’t know Bush personally, so I felt a little bit bad about making him a bad guy. He might be a bad guy, but I don’t know!

CBA: Not now, he isn’t, mister! [laughter] Arthur: Oh, no, not now!

CBA: Do you think Alan Moore is generous with co-creator credit in his ABC titles?

Arthur: Oh, absolutely. He’s had a hand in the creation of Jonni Future, but on the little “created by” credit it says “Steve Moore and Arthur Adams.” So, yeah, he’s very generous, and a really smart guy.

I really like those ABC Comics! I was actually asked to do one of those earlier on, and I said, “I don’t think I’d enjoy doing that right now, but thanks for asking.” But the things started coming out, and those are great.

CBA: You drew a Tom Strong story.

Arthur: Right, around #4, after I realized my mistake!

CBA: Do you have a piece of the action, so to speak? Do you own the Nazi villainess you visually created in that issue?

Arthur: Oh, no. That never even occurred to me. If someone told me I did, I’d look at them like they’re crazy, because it’s Chris Sprouse’s book. It’s like if I was to do a Batman book, and make up a new villain, it’s nice that I did that, but they’re not mine! I made it up for a Batman book. If I made noise about it, it’s possible, but no one’s going to make a series about the naughty nympho Nazi torture goddess! [ponders] Although, come to think of it… hmmm….

CBA: For instance, when Eastman and Laird were doing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, they would feature characters created by others like Steve Bissette’s X-Dimension turtle… the Panda Khan action figure would have its creator’s trademark on the package, for instance. I was wondering, how far can it go with ABC? Arthur: It just depends on the people involved. I’m not too sure how Wildstorm would be with that, now that DC is involved, but in January 2002

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the past, certainly, if I’d come in and said I want to try out a character, could he visit one of your characters, I don’t think there would’ve been a problem with that. I’d think that’s true with ABC Comics, whether there’s a problem because of whatever involvement DC might have, I don’t know.

CBA: Getting back to the chronology, did Longshot come out on schedule?

Arthur: As I recall, yes, because they were all the way done!

CBA: Was the plan to have a double-sized last issue?

Arthur: From the very beginning? No. But I asked if we could expand the last issue, because I thought it would be nice, and because there’s a lot of story in it.

CBA: Did you feel you were getting some impact within the industry? Did you receive notice from peers?

Arthur: Well, certainly from fans, and yeah, I was getting offered more work. [laughs] Louise had been editor on The X-Men, and then Nocenti became editor on The X-Men, so Claremont was in the office all the time when I was having pages coming in, so Chris was notorious at the time for stealing artists! [laughs] So every time I saw Chris at a convention, we talked about doing some X-Men thing, talking about doing the regular series, and what the sales would be, this and that… and I was, “Okay, whatever. I don’t know!” [laughs] CBA: Were the sales on Longshot good?

Arthur: Nowadays, it would be unbelievable. I think the first issue

Above: Arthur Adams & Bob Burden’s surrealistic Gumby & Pokey adventure was a hoot!

Below: Art’s depiction of Burden’s Flaming Carrot for the Amazing Heroes Preview Special #5. Flaming Carrot ©2002 Bob Burden. Gumby & Pokey ©2002 Art Clokey.

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was a little over 100,000—which at the time was, I think, slightly above average, it wasn’t anything people were going nuts about. I think the last issue went down to 70,000 or 80,000, but now that I think about it, the cover price was probably higher, so that’s probably not that bad a thing. The sales on it were okay. They weren’t stellar, but they were okay.

CBA: Did you get royalties from it?

Arthur: Yes. They weren’t huge, because it was one of their regular books, and there were a little bit of creator royalties.

CBA: Was it the equivalent of a month’s income, or less?

Arthur: More like a half-month’s income. It was like $1,000, something like that. Some of the royalty checks, as I recall, were around $600, most around $1,000. The one Marvel book that actually made a ton of royalties for me was the Excalibur special I did, which surprisingly enough, is the book I hate the most that I’ve done!

Excalibur Mojo Mayhem, they called it. It’s baby X-Men who were on Longshot’s planet who get away from Mojo and come to Earth and meet Excalibur. At this point in the series, everyone thinks the X-Men are dead, so Kitty’s like, “Oh, my God, it’s the X-Men, but they’re babies!” [laughter] Very peculiar. It was one of those when I didn’t have a good time with the editor, because the deadline kept changing. That one has the page I drew the fastest. In half an hour!

CBA: And you made the highest royalties on that book?

Arthur: Yeah, I got a lot… Yeah, tens of thousands out of that one.

CBA: Cool! [laughs] Arthur: Yeah, it was really wild.

CBA: I guess you should do stuff you hate more often! [laughter] Arthur: Well, I guess it got done fast enough!

CBA: Working for Chris, you did a couple of specials?

Arthur: I did an Annual every year, or every other year for a while.

CBA: I do recall you doing a pastiche of Kirby’s Journey into Mystery #83, the first Thor, for a cover.

Arthur: Yeah, for the X-Men Annual #9.

CBA: Around the same time Jack was having a hard time with Marvel about getting his art back. Did you have any feelings about that controversy at the time?

Arthur: No, I don’t know if I was even aware of that at the time. You know, I really don’t remember any of that stuff. Of course, I wanted him to get his artwork back. My feeling was that Marvel should’ve just written out huge checks to Kirby, Stan, and Ditko—especially at that time, because they were making big money at the time—and should’ve said, “Look, here’s a million bucks for each of the things you made up. Ditko gets his million for Spider-Man… I don’t know if you’d give him a million for Doctor Strange, but maybe, I don’t know! [laughs] CBA: Three-quarters of a million!

Arthur: Yeah, I love Doctor Strange, but I don’t think Marvel’s ever done that well with it. I wouldn’t want to say anything bad about Doctor Strange for all of his fans out there!

CBA: It was obviously a big issue at the time.

Arthur: You know, I honestly don’t remember that much about it.

CBA: Did you go to the San Diego conventions?

Arthur: I would go to San Diego every once in a while, but I never met Mr. Kirby.

CBA: You never got a chance to?

Arthur: I saw him, but I’ve always been shy around

the artists I admired. I regret now that I had not talked to Gil Kane. I wish I’d spent some time talking to him.

We actually shared the same birthday, April 5th.

CBA: Did Kirby increasingly become an influence as you were working professionally?

Arthur: Oh, definitely. Even more so after I became a professional. There was that early issue with the Avengers, Fantastic Four and the Hulk, and I loved that like crazy, and there was a bunch of Kirby stuff I loved, but I wasn’t necessarily aware it was Kirby. But when I was trying to draw better, Kirby’s stuff wasn’t more of an influence, actually. I don’t think this is that unusual amongst young artists, but I actually thought Kirby’s style was ugly. You know, a lot of the faces would just be ugly, and I just couldn’t see beyond that. But certainly, as I became a professional, I became more and more aware of the value of the Kirby stuff.

CBA: I wonder if there’s a parallel there with you and Mignola. Kirby certainly seemed to become a bigger influence as he became a professional. Today, Mike’s style is almost a weird amalgamation of Kirby and Toth.

Arthur: Oh, yeah, I think that’s true. I don’t think I ever got as much Kirby in me, as much as I tried. That X-Men Annual wasn’t the only pastiche I did of a Kirby cover, as I’ve done others since. I just love those things so much, and I’m not that smart on my own! [laughter] CBA: When you were becoming a professional and finally making some real money, did you continue to collect comics?

Arthur: For a little while, I started getting all the old stuff, but I realized I was getting it because I wanted to look at it, so I actually have tended to prefer the collections of things I can just look at until they fall apart. I still have some stuff, old Barry Smith Conans, some old Ditko Spider-Man. I have about half of the Kirby FF and Thor.

CBA: Do you look through them for inspiration?

Arthur: Oh, yeah, I have at various times. It depends on the job I’m working on, of course. That stuff is not so much an influence on things like “Jonni Future,” or The Authority, but on other jobs, they have been.

CBA: Certainly one can see Kirby’s influence in Monkeyman, especially his Atlas monster books Arthur: I was looking at more Kirby stuff when I was working on Monkeyman, definitely. Also when I was working on Tom Strong, I was looking at a fair amount of Kirby.

CBA: After you worked on the mutant books, where did you go from there?

Arthur: Who knows? [laughs] CBA: Who does know? You didn’t have a regular assignment past…

Arthur: I never had an assignment on a regular book.

Longshot was my longest run on anything.

CBA: Did Marvel try to get you on a regular series?

Arthur: Never seriously, no. No one ever called up and said, “Hey, here’s a book we’d like you to do.”

Somehow, early on—after all, I did spend eight months on the first issue of Longshot, so I guess I have put some effort into earning this reputation [laughter]—my reputation for being slow. I don’t think my name was high on anyone’s list to do a regular book. I wasn’t in New York, so I wasn’t in on conversations, [laughs] but it’s possible my name came up, and there was a big round of laughter, so who knows? [laughs] CBA: Was that reputation a fair characterization?

Arthur: I’ve often thought I could do a monthly book, but according to Joyce, I’m apparently a bit of a pain in the butt when the deadline pressure is on. [laughter] So it’s just as well for my personal life that I don’t have a regular book. Scott Dunbier had offered

This page and next: Monkeyman & O’Brien trading card art by Arthur Adams. ©2002 Arthur Adams.

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January 2002

me a regular book for ABC, so I can’t say I’ve not been offered any, but no one every called and asked if I wanted to draw X-Men on a regular basis, or anything like that. Which is fine, because I don’t know if I would’ve wanted to draw X-Men on a regular basis!

CBA: Do you have a short attention span?

Arthur: I like to work at my own pace. I don’t think it would be a matter of attention span, because I really think in comics you can do anything from issue to issue.

On X-Men, if I needed to draw an issue where they were in the wild West, riding horses, fighting dinosaurs, I think they could’ve done that! [laughs] It’s all fantasy, it’s all very flexible. I don’t think that would be a big deal. At the time, for quite a while throughout the ’80s and the early ’90s, I was actually booked up with jobs for two years in advance, so there was no point in even asking if I wanted to do a regular book, because I had some odd Gumby book in the way.

CBA: You were exclusively Marvel for two or three years?

Arthur: I worked for Marvel a lot, but I never had an exclusive contract. I only did Marvel stuff for many years, but I was occasionally doing a DC cover, or those Gumby books. I don’t remember where those fit in, I think those were in the ’80s.

CBA: I seem to recall an Action Comics Annual?

Arthur: Yeah, I did that comic which John Byrne wrote.

CBA: Did you ever feel yourself as either a Marvel or a DC artist at any particular time?

Arthur: At the time I thought of myself as more of a Marvel Comics guy, mostly because that’s what I was more familiar with, and the people I knew that I talked to on a regular basis were at Marvel. So I never really thought too much about DC. When I sent samples to DC’s art submissions editor at the time, I didn’t get a very positive response, so I think I was a little crabby about DC for a couple of years… for no good reason, I’m just a petty little man!

CBA: Was Bob Schreck your entrée into Comico?

Arthur: No, actually. [laughs] This is going to be the stupidest interview ever to see print! On the second issue of Longshot, I drew a little Gumby figure in the upper right hand corner on every page, and each Gumby figure was him dressed as Thor, Captain America, Batman, it was just stupid! [laughs] But I did it to entertain Ann and Louise. I had copies of these pages and would visit Mignola in Oakland all the time, and we’d go over to the Berkeley Comics and Comix, where Diana Schutz worked at the time on the fanzine, The Telegraph Wire upstairs. So, she saw these things, and remembered them years later when she got her editing gig at Comico, and called me up and said, “Hey! Want to draw Gumby comics?” thinking I loved Gumby… But I never liked Gumby! I just thought it was funny that I did the one thing, it wasn’t because of my insane love for Gumby! I just thought it was funny! [laughter] I think that because Sienkiewicz was starting to get really into Ralph Steadman’s stuff at the time, I’d drawn a Ralph Steadman-styled Gumby for Bill, [laughs] and I think that might’ve started the whole Gumby thing, who knows? [laughter]

CBA: So you weren’t a big fan of the TV series?

Arthur: No, I had bad memories of Gumby. When we were living in Virginia for a little while, I was two or three, and there was a boy next door named Buster, who was a year or two older than me, and he took my Gumby toy from me and threw it at my head, and then he picked it up and threw it in a bush where I couldn’t get it! So I was insane, I didn’t like Gumby! [laughter] CBA: But you had to work out these emotional issues, so you did a few Gumby specials?

Arthur: Exactly! [laughter] Diana remembered this, January 2002

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and when she was at Comico, she called me up and said, “So, do you want to draw a Gumby comic?” I said, “No, I don’t want to draw a Gumby comic! And if I draw a Gumby comic”—and I don’t even know why I thought this at the time—”If I draw Gumby, people will think of me as ‘The Gumby Artist’ for the rest of my life, I’ll never be able to do anything meaningful in comics!” (What does that even mean?) But it was nothing to worry about. I’d met Bob Burden, and I was a big fan of his Flaming Carrot, and God bless him, he’s a crazy man! So I said, “Sure, I’ll do the Gumby comic if you can get Bob Burden to write it.” Like it would never happen! Half-hour later, Diana called, “Bob would love to write it!” Noooooo!

CBA: Be careful what you wish for.

Arthur: “All right, I’ll draw your Gumby comic.” I’m really glad I did, that’s one of my favorite comics that I’ve done!

CBA: [laughs] And you even followed it up with another!

Arthur: I did! Bob was supposed to have written the second one, but he came up with some story that was just crazy! [laughs] CBA: Well, what did you expect?

Arthur: That second issue would’ve been crazy, he would’ve been involved with the CIA, LSD, mind-control, a vast conspiracy that only Gumby was aware of… [laughter] The whole thing was going to be Gumby paranoid.

CBA: Who ended up writing it?

Arthur: The second issue—which was not the story I just described—ended up being written by Steve Purcell, of Sam and Max fame. He did a great job on that one! He asked what I wanted to draw, and I named a dozen things that had nothing to do with each other, and somehow, he made a story about that!

CBA: Did it free you up a little, to do this blatantly humorous stuff?

Arthur: I think so! We were talking about my stuff kind of being humorous already, and I think that’s true.

If there’s anything that stands out about my work, it’s that there’s a sense of humor to it… At least I hope so!

My thought on all comedy comic books is that they’re better drawn straight, so I tried to draw Gumby straight, like it’s Gumby really having an adventure.

Early on, I actually wished I could’ve drawn Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew, because I wouldn’t have drawn it the way it was drawn, it wouldn’t have been drawn quite so wacky. Scott Shaw! did a great job on it, but it wouldn’t have been quite that book.

CBA: From there, you did Cloak and Dagger?

Arthur: Oh, yeah, I did one Cloak and Dagger for Carl Potts, who for some reason, I was kind of afraid of, I don’t really know why. I guess Carl had a reputation as a hardass for some reason, and so he told me the book was due on a certain date, and that was three weeks away, and I said, “Yes, sir!” and got it done! I think I actually called him up and said, “I need one more day.” And he said that was okay! [laughter] CBA: Whew! You also did some Godzilla? Do you like the Toho movies?

Arthur: I love them! Don’t really know why exactly.

It’s another one of those, “Why do you like Godzilla?”

You’re right! There’s something wrong with me! There’s no reason to like them, they’re mostly awful…!

CBA: You seem to like the exact same things that Walter does! Would you talk on the phone about your mutual likes?

Arthur: Yeah, there’s a bit of that, and there’s also talking about other people in comics, gossip and so on.

I really like Godzilla, and Randy Stradley at Dark Horse Comics also likes Godzilla, so we became friends 33

Above: Axwell and Ann take on savage simians along with Vampi in this pin-up—also used as a variant cover—from the Vampirella Crossover Gallery (1997). Vampirella ©2002 Harris Comics, Monkeyman & O’Brien and art ©2002 Arthur Adams.

Below: Arthur’s wife, talented artist Joyce Chin, sent us along this one pic of we could get of A.A., saying that, “Arthur has been referring to the photo as his "holy moron" picture. Our friends call it "Jesus of Puppyland."

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[laughs] and decided we should do some Godzilla stuff, so I can finally make all these Godzilla models and toys that I have here tax-deductible!

CBA: There ya go! Like you said, you took exception to some of the Punisher stuff, The ’Nam was coming out…

Arthur: You know, I never had any problem with The ’Nam. That was a real thing, not a celebration of guys shooting guys.

CBA: Certainly a dark element had entered comics, or perhaps just came to the fore.

Arthur: Properly called grim, which just never brought me any joy.

But that was all probably part of our audience just getting older.

CBA: Did you do any non-comics work?

Arthur: Very, very little. Let’s see, I drew the can art for some Chef Boyerdee Ravioli, X-Men Spaghetti-Os. That was done through Marvel, so I don’t know if that counts. There is some fella down in L.A. who asked me to do some presentation stuff for some odd Western thing that I think he wanted to do as a kid’s cartoon, which was like the most grisly stuff that would appear on any cartoon! [laughs] I don’t know what he was thinking about, but he paid good!

CBA: There’s that image of Wolverine advancing towards the reader which was seen everywhere.

Arthur: All ripped off from other sources! [laughter] Yeah, even that Wolverine poster, which was everywhere for a while. Actually, I still see my Wolverines on remotecontrolled cars at Toys ’R’ Us. I think I did that Marvel cover for Heroes for Hope, the charity book for Ethiopia.

So I did that cover, and Ann Nocenti said, “Oh, we want it to be this Paul Smith cover.” Paul had recently done a cover that had Wolverine running forward, so I did my version of that, and they liked that, so they said, “Why don’t you draw a Wolverine poster?” because Marvel was

really big into the posters at the time, so I did that one, and that was everywhere.

CBA: How do you feel when you see that image everywhere?

Arthur: That was one of the reasons why I’ve stopped working for Marvel. I completely understand that I was work-for-hire and I know I have no rights to it once I’ve done it (except in some cases, like the Wolverine poster I was supposed to be paid for, and I was, there’s no problem with any of that stuff), but it got to the point where I thought I was seeing an unusual amount of my stuff on T-shirts, toys and things, and I can understand I’m not supposed to get anything out of that, but it would be nice to get something! [laughs] Just a gratuity, for the reprint. So it just bugged me. I knew they could do that, but I’d just never seen so much of one guy’s stuff used for merchandising, besides Kirby. It was really odd and a little disconcerting.

CBA: Did you ever let your feelings be known?

Arthur: Well, I told them, “You know, you guys are using a lot of my stuff. Could you at least send me a copy of it?” [laughter] What I got back in reply was, “You know, we don’t do that here, it’s done with the licensing people.” I don’t really have anything to complain about, I’m just fussy.

CBA: But that increasingly made you sour towards Marvel?

Arthur: Yeah, it made me so I got to be a little less interested in doing stuff for them. I figured, “Well, if my art is going to be everywhere, it might as well be my own stuff,” which is when I got a call from Erik Larsen, and started thinking maybe I should try doing my own creator-owned properties.

CBA: It’s a very small industry, it can be very gossipy, there can be a lot of backbiting—especially during the Shooter and post-Shooter eras, there were a lot of bad words going back and forth. Did you just look at it and say, “This is comics, for heaven’s sake! Let’s have fun!”?

Arthur: Definitely. One of my few regrets in my career is I didn’t COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

say that more often. It is a small industry, but it doesn’t really have many boosters inside the business. There aren’t many people saying, “Wow, this is great, this is super.” Frank Miller is one of the few guys who does that, who really wants the best for comics, who wants comics to be really good. I guess Alan Moore is really like that, too.

CBA: Did you get royalties from the Longshot collection?

Arthur: [sighs] You know, I don’t think I did. I got a reprint fee. I don’t think Longshot ever went to a second printing, another thing that bugged me. I only got reprint fees on the collected X-Men and I never signed anything where I waived royalties. Not that I recall, anyway! It’s been a while, but I’d think if I was going to get royalties, they might still be showing up, because those books are still selling.

CBA: The Asgardian Wars was pretty much all Art Adams?

Arthur: Well, it was half Paul Smith, and half me.

CBA: Did you cite Paul as an influence on your art at all?

Arthur: He was not really much of an influence, as he was working on X-Men about the same time I was. I like Paul’s stuff a lot, and I loved his Leave It To Chance book, I hope he’s able to do some more of that in the future. You know what I like of his that he didn’t do enough? He did “Mike Mahogany.” It was in the back of some book I wasn’t crazy about. Paul drew a couple of short stories of a character who was a ventriloquist’s dummy, Mike Mahogany, who was a detective!

CBA: I always went through long periods of not going into stores, but I’d come across your stuff in a lot of different places. I distinctly recall coming across some beat-up copies of your Fantastic Four work—a mini-series within the regular run—that was just gorgeous!

Arthur: That was really fun, thank you. Those, for a long time, were my favorite books that I’d done.

CBA: Again, those were specifically collected, right?

Arthur: Yeah. I just got a reprint fee for that, too! [laughter] It was like $17 a page.

CBA: You were one of the artists they focused on to reprint all the material!

Arthur: Well, they’re reprinting everything these days! They’re doing a little bit better on the royalties. At least, I hope they are!

Someone at DC pitched me work a long while back and said, “If you do this creator-owned mini-series, it’ll be collected.” I said, “What do I get out of the collection?” He said, “It’ll be collected, people will see it! Don’t you want people to see it?” I said, “It’ll be nice that people will see it, but what do I get out of it?” [laughter] CBA: Like you’re a newcomer or something!

Arthur: They’re saying they’d pay for the initial mini-series in a standard deal. “We’ll pay you to do it as a comic so why do you want to get paid again when it’s collected?” I’d say, “Well, you’re making more money on it, aren’t you?” They said, “But people are seeing it, because we’re selling it!” I said, “Yeah, but that’s not how it works in the real book world, is it?”

CBA: You know, I don’t know precisely how to characterize your work other than I really like it.

Arthur: [laughs] That’s fine!

CBA: There’s a real joy that it seems you put into the work, which is immediately evident to the reader.

Arthur: Thank you very much. It’s all voodoo.

CBA: [laughs] Yeah, your spell’s on me. [laughter] There was something I thought was a revelation: Your adaptation of The Creature From the Black Lagoon.

Arthur: It’s the only book I’ve ever done that actually lost money for a company.

CBA: [laughs] Really? I remember raving about that book!

Arthur: I was hearing that someone at the Kubert school was using that to teach how to draw comics, how to do storytelling.

That was very, very flattering. That could’ve been a made-up story, someone was just kissing my ass, but that was a nice one! [laughs] CBA: You seemed to hearken back to the Milton Caniff stuff. You had very simplified faces, there was an element of real cartooniness in it that I found gratifying, because it was less ornate, more solid in the storytelling than you had been previously.

Arthur: It was really just a matter of the format I had for it, doing as much story as I wanted to do. I only ended up cutting out one scene from the movie. It’s now my policy to only do movie adaptations 40 to 50 years after the fact! [laughter] That was a fun January 2002

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

one, because I actually tried to do some likenesses. Not all of them, I didn’t want the main guy to be Richard Carlson, but more of a Frazetta sort of character. There were a couple of the characters I was trying to make look just like the actors, but I’m not so good at the likenesses. I sent in the first bunch of pages, and the editor, Dan Thorsland, sent them over to Universal, and Universal’s ecstatic, because none of the characters looked like the original actors! [laughter] Apparently, they’d have to pay some sort of royalty. But yeah, Dark Horse had planned on using a bunch of the Universal adaptations, and they were all thrilled about it, but the first three they’d done, Frankenstein, The Mummy and Dracula, just hadn’t sold at all.

CBA: Who did those?

Arthur: Frankenstein was done by Dan Beauve. It was okay, I wasn’t really crazy about it as an adaptation. Then the second one, I don’t recall and Dracula by some new guy whose name escapes me at the moment. I just remember he was a really nice guy.

CBA: What made you jump at the chance to do The Creature…?

Arthur: Well, I’ve always loved the Creature, so I was at WonderCon in Oakland, Schreck was there, and I wasn’t so much interested in doing the adaptation, I was actually quite opposed to it.

I was interested in doing a sequel, my own sequel, and I don’t even

Above: Arthur Adams proves that fun comics can be produced again with his wonderful characters Monkeyman & O’Brien, a strip that has all the elements for engrossing all-ages adventure.

Besides, as the creator of his own general audience talking ape comic, Prime8, Ye Ed is a sucker for simian action! Promotional MM & O’B piece by Arthur Adams. ©2002 the artist.

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Above: Ye Ed found Arthur Adams’ rendering on the comics adaptation of the Universal monster flick, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, to be a revelation and in our humble opinion, Arthur’s best work to date (well, before “Jonni Future,” anyway!). Bravo, Mr. A! Courtesy of inker (and the recipient of this issue’s dedication), CBA’s Main Man, Terry Austin. ©2002 Universal Pictures Company.

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know if I had much in the way of a story. I just thought it’d be cool if I did an all-new, original Creature from the Black Lagoon story, and Bob thought that was a good idea, but he said, “However, we have to do the adaptation first, so please do the adaptation first.” So I said, “Okay, fine, I’ll do that.” And then we could not find a script anywhere, this is one of Walt’s rules of comics—not necessarily a rule, more of a curse, I guess! [laughs]—that whenever you need any sort of reference for any job you’re working on, you can never find it until the job is done! [laughter] So when it was time to do The Creature from the Black Lagoon, we could not find, anywhere, the script! No one had the shooting script! Universal doesn’t have the script! They’d been publishing scripts for all of the Universal films, but no one could find that one! There’s a huge bookstore in Portland that’s got every book ever printed, and I would send people over there, but they could not find the script anywhere. So, I had my friend Steve Moncuse, who did Fish Police and is also a giant fan of The Creature… watch the movie and transcribe it! [laughter] He wrote absolutely everything! “So-and-so screams, you can see this, you can see that, so-and-so said this….” He transcribed it, and I went over that and watched the movie two minutes a day, drew that, and it ultimately meant I could not watch The Creature From the Black Lagoon for about five years.

CBA: [laughs] Did you approach it differently, artistically?

Arthur: I just wanted to get as much into it as I could, and I wanted to make it clear—hence, what I think of as the Dark Knight panel design, so it’s possible for there to be 16 panels on a page—and as I recall, I drew those pages twice-up, not the regular comic book page size, but really big, so I had to make it a little simpler just so people would be able to see it. Terry Austin did a great job inking that one!

CBA: Do you think that was the downfall of the sales? People already knew how the story ended?

Arthur: There are a lot of people who love those stories. Part of

the scheme was they were going to sell the books at the Universal theme parks, which I thought was a pretty good idea! But by the time it came to solicit and advertise The Creature from the Black Lagoon, after the first two had sold terribly, the person who was in charge of advertising and sales at Dark Horse said, “I can’t sell this, I’m not going to waste my budget advertising it!” [laughs] It just didn’t have any advertising, so when it showed up, people went, like, “What?!?” And it sold out, apparently it’s one of my hardest books to find now. I think it only sold like 14,000 copies.

CBA: Well, I bought three of them! [laughter] I immediately grabbed them up and said, “Geez, I’ve got to get this for my brother,” who never goes to comics stores. It seemed to just come out of the blue, but again, all of the Art Adams stuff was coming out of the blue!

Arthur: Yeah, I know, I’m not very consistent! [laughs] CBA: It’s cool, like Alex Toth is always a buried treasure, and you’re able to uncover his stories here or there.

Arthur: I never thought of it that way! [laughs] CBA: Dark Horse collected that hard-to-find book, right?

Arthur: They did, and I was very glad that they did that, that was great. Incidentally, I do get royalties from that, so you don’t have to worry. From the Art Adams Creature Features book, they reprinted that, and the Godzilla book, and a couple of other things. I think they still have some at the Dark Horse warehouse. (So order yours today, kids!)

CBA: Was it your idea to put you as a character on the cover?

Arthur: I guess it was! Who’s scarier than me? [laughs] CBA: Erik called you when he was working at Image. He created Savage Dragon, was a solid comic book artist…

Arthur: Absolutely!

CBA: …who certainly appreciated you…

Arthur: I never said he had good taste.

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

CBA: …and so he asked you to consider…

Arthur: He’d come by to visit, [laughs] when I was living with one of my ex-girlfriends in San Francisco. Years ago, he and his dad came by to visit, and he was bringing by some Doom Patrol covers he was doing at the time for me to ink, and yeah, we talked a couple of times, but not too much. But yeah, he called up and asked if I’d thought about making up anything, and whether I wanted to do something with them!

CBA: Was this right when they jumped over to create Image, or was it before?

Arthur: It was right after. Their first Image issues might’ve been out, but I don’t think they quite were.

CBA: How do you remember the time? Was there a lot of anticipation for Image?

Arthur: Oh, it was really odd, and I don’t think I was a shining example of anything at the time, as being wishy-washy as I can be.

A bunch of the guys I knew just hated the whole Image thing, so while it was nice that Erik called, but I was just being a jerk, “Oh, I don’t want to hang out with those guys! It’d be nice to do my own book, but when I go to conventions, I’ll miss being out with these guys, and I don’t want to hang out with those guys!”

CBA: Why? Arthur: The Image guys were much more positive than the people I was hanging out with, so I probably should’ve! [laughter] Who knows? I was talking to all too many people. Comics are just stupid, there’s too many people on one side saying, “Oh, so-and-so… ” and I never was doing basically the same thing.

CBA: Were these people pretentious?

Arthur: I don’t want to say pretentious, because I was one of those guys, right? It was just the people I was a fan of! [laughter] I think part of my problem with the Image guys was that there were some of them who were were too impressed by me. I don’t have any interest in being fawned over, you know what I’m saying?

CBA: Yeah. I think! [laughs] Arthur: Every time I would see some of these guys, it would be like, “Your work is the most amazing thing ever! It changed my life!”

I’d go, “Oh, that’s nice, but that’s also weird!” [laughter] I just got into comics because I loved comics, wanting to draw comics. I didn’t get into it to change anyone’s life. I didn’t want to set the course for anyone’s career.

CBA: There were people who were looking to make a cult out of you, so to speak?

Arthur: There was a little too much of that, I was a little bit too much someone’s hero, and that doesn’t make any sense, I’m a comic book artist! I sit in a room by myself and draw, I’ve never shared a studio with anybody, and I wouldn’t want to.

CBA: Did you ever have aspirations to do anything beyond comics?

Arthur: No, not really. I did some drawings for The Official Godzilla Compendium. Where was I going with this? [laughs] I’ve driven out of control, that’s why I don’t drive a car.

CBA: [laughs] I asked about aspirations outside of comics.

Arthur: Not too much, though it would be nice.

There’s been talk of Monkeyman cartoons at various times, if I’m involved in working with that, that January 2002

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

would be fine. Sometimes I see stuff in movies and TV shows and I see there are some comic book people involved with that stuff, I go, “Yeah, I could do that, that’s something I could do.”

There’s a fella who lives here in the neighborhood who used to work at LucasFilms doing creature design stuff, and I thought, “Well, I could do stuff like that, that could be fun.” But I’ve just always wanted to draw comics. It’s not that I don’t love drawing monsters, but it’s not like I want to draw a dozen of the same monster to have some producer say, “We like this nose, but get rid of this eye.” I just want to do my own thing, draw my monster, and then draw a little story with my monster!

CBA: Did you receive

Above: A pastiche of Carmine Infantino’s memorable ’60s Caped Crusader cover featuring Batman holding up a wired Gorilla Grodd (who was—holy heavyweight!— timed to explode if the ape touches the ground), Arthur Adams drew this unused Impulse cover. ©2002 DC Comics.

Inset left: With Brian Bolland coming in as a close second, Arthur Adams undoubtedly is the best “gorilla cover” artist out there as evidenced by the slew of “JLApe” covers Arthur did for DC’s super-hero annual story arc in the Summer of 1999, eight in all. This a detail of his JLA Annual #3 cover.

Hey, Mr. Adams, old chum: Wouldja consider doing the forthcoming cover to Prime8: Evolution #1, our full-color mini-series coming next year? ©2002 DC Comics.

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Above: Arthur’s pencils to his delightful “Li’l Danger Girl” story, “Delusions of Grandeur,” from the Danger Girl Special Edition. Okay, so it’s cheesecake. But it’s really cute cheesecake! Danger Girl ™&© 2002 J. Scott Campbell.

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much editorial interference in your career? Did you ever have to do much redrawing?

Arthur: No, next to none. The only editorial interference I got that cropped up a couple of times was just inconsistent deadlines. That’s been a major problem. There’s one DC job I did where the writer and editor didn’t like my storytelling on one page, so they cut up the page and rearranged the panels, and I wasn’t crazy about that, I don’t think it made it a better page. But no, nothing, really nothing about changing anything radically. Scott, who just called earlier, I’d just sent him the latest “Jonni Future,” he was going on about how he liked it all except for one panel, where he thought I did a bad job on Johnny’s butt. [laughter] I told him to send me back the page, and I’d fix it.

CBA: Did you view the experience of Dave Stevens with “The Rocketeer” with any interest? Did you think, “Hmmm… I’d like to go that route.”

Arthur: Every couple of months I get a call, “So-and-so is interested in doing Monkeyman as a cartoon.” Several years ago, Disney couldn’t quite decide between Mighty Joe Young and Monkeyman and O’Brien as a live-action movie, and they finally went to Mighty Joe Young, because they’d already bought the rights.

Also, there was a finished, more complete story.

CBA: You got pretty close, then?

Arthur: Yeah, supposedly! This is all through Mike Richardson.

Thank goodness Mike has the patience to deal with all that stuff, because we had one meeting with an animation company who was trying to talk us into dealing with them, doing Monkeyman as a cartoon, and so we sat down, and they’re asking us, “What’s the relationship between Ann’s sister, Oneiko? Clearly, they don’t look like each other.” “Oh, they’re half-sisters, Oneiko’s the illegitimate daughter of…” “Oh, no, no, no! We don’t want to hear about that, that doesn’t leave this room!” “Well, okay… Her name, Oneiko, actually means ’devil-child.’” “Oh, no, that never leaves this room!

We’ll never talk about that again!” [laughter] All right, I don’t really need to be involved with this that much!

CBA: They’re taking all the fun out of it! [laughs] Obviously, Image arrived like a bombshell on the industry…

Arthur: Oh, absolutely.

CBA: …these guys sold millions of copies of books…

Arthur: They did! And you know what? One of my ex-girlfriends had a comic book store at the time, and you know what’s unfortunate? It got associated too much with guys who were only buying cases of books with no intention of ever looking at any of them.

That’s not why I’m into comics. Just so that some guys can come into a store, pull up a whole giant stack of comics to look for the one with the straightest spine? That’s crazy! [laughter] CBA: Then put them in a slab!

Arthur: Yeah! Why are you doing these things?

CBA: Polyurethane them. [laughs] The greed factor really took over comics for a period.

Arthur: Oh, it was crazy! I might’ve been working on The Creature, when I was asked if I’d like to make up something for myself. I said, “No, no, I’ve got to work on The Creature From the Black Lagoon.” [laughter] Which is, like I said, the only book I’ve done that’s actually lost money for the publisher.

CBA: These guys at Image were making millions…

Arthur: They’re making millions, and I did this book that sold like crap.

CBA: Did your standard of living rise as time went by, through the ’80s?

Arthur: Oh, sure! But I hardly live like an adult. [laughter] Like I was saying, I don’t drive. I’ve never driven—I don’t want to drive!

For the longest time, I had no furniture; just a bed, drawing chair and table, and then just a pile of pillows on the floor and a TV, and then shelf after shelf of books and toys. Things are only better now because my wife had furniture! [laughter] CBA: Now she takes care of you, eh?

Arthur: Well, she has furniture, let’s leave it at that!

CBA: Your wife’s an artist?

Arthur: Yeah, Joyce Chin, she’s drawn a bunch of stuff. She drew Wynonna Earp for Wildstorm years ago, and she drew the Xena comic book, first for Topps, then a little bit for Dark Horse.

CBA: How did you meet her?

Arthur: Strangely enough, we met at the San Diego convention, after I’d broken up with my ex of some period of time. Like I said, my ex had a comic book store, and was also—and presumably still is—Asian, [laughter] and I set myself a rule, “I’m not going to go out with anyone involved in comics or another Asian girl,” because I’d been with my ex for six years, and everyone (Diana Shutz) assumed I only liked Asian girls—she was the only Asian I’d ever been out with! [laughter] “Okay, fine, I won’t go out with an Asian girl, no one involved in comics, and so I can talk to her, she can’t be under 25.” [laughter] So, I was at San Diego, and I met Joyce, and at the time she was 24, drawing comic books, and Chinese! [laughter] But that seems to have worked out okay.

CBA: How long have you been married?

Arthur: We’ve only been married for about a year, but we met and started going out five-and-a-half years ago.

CBA: What was the genesis of Monkeyman and O’Brien?

Arthur: Erik called up and asked if I’d ever made up anything, and I hadn’t. When I’m working, I just think about the things I loved as a kid, and still love. The first thing that came to mind was King Kong. If I’d had any sense then, I would’ve made up Cavegirl, [laughs] but instead, I made up Monkeyman and O’Brien. It’s as simple as that. I COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

just wanted something that involved a giant gorilla, though I didn’t want it to be too much like King Kong. Also, I really liked those Fantastic Four issues I did with Walt, so my thinking was, “Monkeyman is Reed Richards of a Fantastic Four from the gorilla planet. I always liked She-Hulk, so I knew I wanted Ann Darrow O’Brien. (Some people thought it was named after Geof Darrow, but no! Ann Darrow was Fay Wray’s character in King Kong, and of course, Willis O’Brien was the animator of King Kong.

CBA: Obviously, with the names of the characters, it was an homage to that motion picture.

Arthur: Oh, absolutely, and I have more stories planned with more character-name homages.

CBA: You purposely were vague on backgrounds of the characters, wanting to flesh-out as it went along?

Arthur: It’s not so much I wanted to flesh it out, but I was also hoping that more of it would occur to me! [laughter] I don’t know how true this is for other comic book writers in an evolving process…

I think it is more so than not. I just don’t know if I’m a very good comic book writer. I think I write okay dialogue, but I’m not so great at real stories. I think some of the Monkeyman stories come off pretty good, like the Tortorus story with the giant turtle. I think that one’s the purest of what I wanted it to be, where it’s just odd things happening really quick, just really straightforward.

CBA: When Erik Larsen asked you to think up a character, did that just get you started, and then you joined the Legend team?

Arthur: Well, yeah, pretty much. Since we decided that we should have our own group at Dark Horse, who were offering us a great deal. Dark Horse was really very generous, and also very trusting. [laughs] Mike Mignola and I had never really written anything! I’d written some of the Godzilla book Randy and I had done, but we’d never really written anything of our own! We just plowed ahead and did it.

CBA: Was your initial plan to do a regular monthly series, or to do story arcs?

Arthur: I intended it to be [laughs] certainly more regular than it has been! I had ideas—and I still have ideas, they’re all written down—for 20 or 30 stories, and I still think I’m going to get to those sometime. Whether that actually happens is another story!

CBA: You’ve done maybe a dozen episodes?

Arthur: No, you could really only say I’ve done four issues for Dark Horse, and then a two-parter of Monkeyman and O’Brien in Gen 13. I guess you could say there’s six issues. And a bunch of short stories… so it’s really more than six issues, but not a dozen.

CBA: How are sales on that?

Arthur: Sales are pretty good. They weren’t Image good, but they’re in the mid-30,000 range or so.

CBA: Were you happy being part of Legend?

Arthur: [sighs] Legend was a bunch of crabby guys! [laughter] Some of us got along pretty well, and some of us didn’t, and eventually, the ones who didn’t, ran!

CBA: So you’re not a part of it anymore?

Arthur: Oh, Legend’s gone. I imagine if someone wanted to put the word “Legend” on their cover, it would be okay, but what’s the point?

CBA: What was wrong with the idea? Was it just a personality thing?

Arthur: It was just a personality thing, yeah. It’s hard to even remember exactly what the gripes were. I think at one time we were all supposed to do one project together, and one of the group—actually, three of the group—were opposed at the beginning, and then two of those three got talked into going along, and then the last one just wouldn’t hear of it.

CBA: It had to be all or nothing?

Arthur: I think that made sense. We thought about going ahead without the one fella, but…

CBA: Where do you feel you are in your career now? Do you have a lot more stories in you?

January 2002

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

Arthur: Oh, definitely! Right now, I’m still doing “Jonni Future” for Wildstorm, which I have every intention of continuing. Actually, I could be happy drawing her for the rest of my career. (Well, I say that now!) It’s been a lot of fun, though I just wish they were a little bit longer stories. Actually, I think Jonni Future could support her own series. We’ll see how that goes, as time goes by. I have a new series in mind, and I don’t know who’s going to publish that. I’ve been under an exclusive contract with DC for this year, and it’s a matter of whether I want to continue that, and whether they want to!

CBA: Oh, is this with The Authority?

Arthur: I’d never been under an exclusive contract with anybody. So, I thought last year, “What the heck, I’ll give it a try, and see what difference it makes!” [laughs] Actually, I’ve done a little bit more work this year, not because anyone said I had to— well, actually, after I volunteered to take The Authority, I guess someone was saying I had to finish it, weren’t they? [laughs]—but as I was working on “Jonni Future,” I couldn’t really sign an exclusive contract with anyone else, because I wanted to take advantage of health benefits and all that kind of stuff.

CBA: Has there been a downturn for you, simultaneous with the downturn in the industry?

Arthur: I’ve had to work a little bit more, because there’s not the royalties coming in with Monkeyman, even though the sales

Below: The most powerful man on the planet of The Authority, Apollo, levitates above the monsterous villain Seth and the Batmanesque hero Midnighter in these Arthur Adams pencils to his cover for The Authority #28. ©2002 Wildstorm Productions.

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Above: Just about the best new title to arrive in 2001 was the ABC anthology title (and spinoff of Alan Moore’s top-selling book of that line), Tom Strong’s Terrific Tales, which features an impressive array of artists, including Arthur Adams, who contributed the cover to the debut issue above. ©2002 America’s Best Comics, LLC.

were in the mid-30s, I was still seeing a lot of royalties off it for awhile. Monkeyman really did well for me, monetarily, but with things just selling less well—and also, the things I’m working on aren’t so creator-owned, I’d imagine if I kept on doing Monkeyman, I’d probably be doing a little bit better money-wise.

CBA: Because of Monkeyman and O’Brien, you did a whole series of DC covers that had gorillas on them.

Arthur: Oh, yeah, that was fun!

CBA: Were you aware of the “gorilla equation” at DC in the ’60s?

Arthur: Sure, that gorilla covers sell comics, right? Absolutely.

Strangely enough, right before I did those, I’d done another cover for DC that has a gorilla on it, and strangely enough, that one has never been published!

CBA: Really?

Arthur: Yeah! Like two years ago, it was an Impulse cover, the editor at the time was doing homages to past covers, and this was one to the Infantino cover of Batman holding up the gorilla, because if the gorilla touches the ground, he blows up, or something! [laughter] So it was Impulse holding up the son of Gorilla Grodd or something like that. Hopefully, either DC will publish it, or at least give me back the original artwork.

CBA: I was surprised to hear you were working on The Authority.

Arthur: I really like The Authority, I was a big fan of the first run, and while the remarkable Frank Quitely run was different, I liked it quite a lot as well, so no, after I’d heard that Quitely had quit the book—I got a call from someone at Wildstorm that day, I guess it was Scott, called me the same day, “Aw, dammit, Quitely quit the book!” I said, “Oh, so you

Above: Tom Strong’s Terrific Tales features a notable group of artists, all recently celebrated (or soon to be, as in the case of Alan Weiss in our very next issue) by Comic Book Artist, including Jaime Hernandez, Paul Rivoche, and, of course, our subject at hand, Arthur Adams. His work on the back-up feature, “Jonni Future,” may just be the finest art of Arthur’s career, exquisitely rendered with mind-numbing detail. Here is a detail of his bodacious co-creation (thunk up with noted British writer—and onetime Alan Moore mentor—Steve “No Relation” Moore), the aforementioned Ms. Future, from issue #2. Opposite: Arthur’s pencils of a page of his second “Future” story, “Moth-Women of Myriad Moons,” featuring some outrageously-shaped aliens! Her anthropomorphic companion is Jermaal Pan Pavane, the Para-Man! ©2002 America’s Best Comics, LLC. 40

need an artist? I might be interested in that!” He thought about that, and… I actually hoped we’d be able to do it really fast, I thought… I wanted to just dive into it instantly, and just get it done as quickly as possible, but I think…

CBA: Circumstances just… ?

Arthur: Well, just because Mr. Millar’s not been very well this year, he’s had a bunch of medical problems, so he’s been having some problems getting some scripts done, and then… we’ve been trying to get a final script. I didn’t realize it, but they only had half of the script for the first issue when I volunteered, so they wanted to wait until they had the full script, but he was sick, so it took him a while to get that. And also, I think DC, after they heard I wanted to do it, they wanted to resolicit the whole thing in the hopes that sales would either go up—I assume they wanted them to go up, and not go down, but… [laughter] whether sales actually did go up, I’m not sure. Also, I guess they had to resolicit so the books wouldn’t be returnable. After all, if you want a Quitely book, you might not want an Adams book CBA: Are you prevented, if you have an exclusive contract, from doing any more Monkeyman and O’Brien stories?

Arthur: For Dark Horse, sure, but that’s just for this year. If I decide I want to do more Monkeyman stuff, I’d just either go ahead and do it next year, or just wait until whatever contract I might be under is determined. I’m not allowed to work for anyone else without permission. Why would DC want me to work on something for another company? I wouldn’t want to take Monkeyman away from Dark Horse, even though I did that Monkeyman/Gen 13, I still hope at some point Dark Horse will be able to reprint the collection, which is the deal that I had worked out before DC, so I don’t know if that would change anything. Also, I wanted to add one more short story to that collection, because I thought it would be too thin of a book, so I wanted to add a little something to it.

CBA: Was Monkeyman/Gen 13 a blatant commercial project that you worked on?

Arthur: Oh, yeah! [laughter] I’ve done a little bit of Gen 13 stuff, and I thought I’d try doing a little bit more, and see if maybe people who look at Gen 13 might look at Monkeyman, because I don’t know if we share the same audience. We might, but I don’t know. It was another example of my not having an original idea in my head. [laughs] Not only was it a rip-off of an episode of Star Trek, it was actually a rip-off of an episode of Mystery Science Theatre 3000. [laughter] CBA: You did Sunday strips in Dark Horse Extra.

Arthur: Yeah, those were a lot of fun!

CBA: Was that Sunday comic strip format a different approach for you?

Arthur: Sure! Not unusually different, I suppose—it’s still comics— but it’s just an interesting format to work in. I had every intention to do a sequel for that one, and maybe I’ll get around to that eventually. Actually, it never really occurred to me to do newspaper strips, but doing that, and liking Frank Cho’s Liberty Meadows so much, I kind of go, “Hey, maybe this is the way I should’ve gone!”

CBA: So maybe some day?

Arthur: Who knows?

CBA: Did you ever get wrapped up in the celebrity aspect?

Arthur: Oh, no. That was one of the good things about hanging out with Mignola and Purcell.

CBA: What, they’d slap you down?

Arthur: [laughs] Oh, yeah! And they’d keep reminding me how lucky I was that they were going to slap me down! I’ve never had a big head about any of this stuff. But if I did, would I say so?

CBA: How would you assess your career in comics, what have been the high points and the low points?

Arthur: [laughs] I think I’m comics’ meandering buffoon! [laughter] I think I’ve had probably a better career than I deserve! I’ve certainly gotten better than I earned. I just think I’ve been really lucky.

Pretty much right out the chute, with Longshot and those X-Men books, I got a reputation for being pretty good right away, and a little more celebrated right away than I expected.

Like I said, I expected I’d be drawing G.I. Joe or something like that for the rest of my life, and I would’ve been happy doing that! But I got lucky.

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

THE ORIGINAL GOES DIGITAL!

Go online for an ULTIMATE BUNDLE with all print issues HALF-PRICE!

The forerunner to COMIC BOOK CREATOR, CBA is the 2000-2004 Eisner Award winner for BEST COMICS-RELATED MAG! Edited by CBC’s JON B. COOKE, it features in-depth articles, interviews, and unseen art, celebrating the lives and careers of the great comics artists from the 1970s to today. ALL BACK ISSUES NOW AVAILABLE AS DIGITAL EDITIONS FOR $3.95 FROM www.twomorrows.com!

TwoMorrows Publishing 10407 Bedfordtown Drive Raleigh, NC 27614 USA • 919-449-0344 E-mail: store@twomorrowspubs.com

Order online at www.twomorrows.com COMIC BOOK ARTIST COLLECTION, VOLUME 3 Reprinting the Eisner Award-winning COMIC BOOK ARTIST #7-8 (spotlighting 1970s Marvel and 1980s indies), plus over 30 NEW PAGES of features and art! New PAUL GULACY portfolio, MR. MONSTER scrapbook, the story behind MARVEL VALUE STAMPS, and more! New MICHAEL T. GILBERT cover!

(224-page trade paperback) $24.95 • ISBN: 9781893905429

#3: ADAMS AT MARVEL #4: WARREN PUBLISHING

#5: MORE DC 1967-74

#1: DC COMICS 1967-74

#2: MARVEL 1970-77

Era of “Artist as Editor” at National: New NEAL ADAMS cover, interviews, art, and articles with JOE KUBERT, JACK KIRBY, CARMINE INFANTINO, DICK GIORDANO, JOE ORLANDO, MIKE SEKOWSKY, ALEX TOTH, JULIE SCHWARTZ, and many more!

Plus ADAMS thumbnails for a forgotten Batman story, unseen NICK CARDY pages from a controversial Teen Titans story, unpublished TOTH covers, and more!

STAN LEE AND ROY THOMAS discussion about Marvel in the 1970s, ROY THOMAS interview, BILL EVERETT’s daughter WENDY and MIKE FRIEDRICH on Everett, interviews with GIL KANE, BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH, JIM STARLIN, STEVE ENGLEHART, MIKE PLOOG, STERANKO’s Unknown Marvels, the real origin of the New X-Men, Everett tribute cover by GIL KANE, and more!

(80-page magazine) SOLD OUT (Digital Edition) $3.95

(76-page magazine) SOLD OUT (Digital Edition) $3.95

#6: MORE MARVEL ’70s #7: ’70s MARVELMANIA

NEAL ADAMS interview about his work at Marvel Comics in the 1960s from AVENGERS to X-MEN, unpublished Adams covers, thumbnail layouts for classic stories, published pages BEFORE they were inked, and unused pages from his NEVER-COMPLETED X-MEN GRAPHIC NOVEL! Plus TOM PALMER on the art of inking Neal Adams, ADAMS’ MARVEL WORK CHECKLIST, & ADAMS wraparound cover!

Definitive JIM WARREN interview about publishing EERIE, CREEPY, VAMPIRELLA, and other fan favorites, in-depth interview with BERNIE WRIGHTSON with unpublished Warren art, plus unseen art, features and interviews with FRANK FRAZETTA, RICHARD CORBEN, AL WILLIAMSON, JACK DAVIS, ARCHIE GOODWIN, HARVEY KURTZMAN, ALEX NINO, and more!

BERNIE WRIGHTSON cover!

More on DC COMICS 1967-74, with art by and interviews with NICK CARDY, JOE SIMON, NEAL ADAMS, BERNIE WRIGHTSON, MIKE KALUTA, SAM GLANZMAN, MARV WOLFMAN, IRWIN DONENFELD, SERGIO ARAGONÉS, GIL KANE, DENNY O’NEIL, HOWARD POST, ALEX TOTH on FRANK ROBBINS, DC Writer’s Purge of 1968 by MIKE BARR, JOHN BROOME’s final interview, and more! CARDY cover!

Unpublished and rarely-seen art by, features on, and interviews with 1970s Bullpenners PAUL GULACY, FRANK BRUNNER, P. CRAIG RUSSELL, MARIE and JOHN SEVERIN, JOHN ROMITA SR., DAVE COCKRUM, DON MCGREGOR, DOUG MOENCH, and others! Plus never-beforeseen pencil pages to an unpublished Master of Kung-Fu graphic novel by PAUL GULACY! Cover by FRANK BRUNNER!

Featuring ’70s Marvel greats PAUL GULACY, JOHN BYRNE, RICH BUCKLER, DOUG MOENCH, DAN ADKINS, JIM MOONEY, STEVE GERBER, FRANK SPRINGER, and DENIS KITCHEN! Plus: a rarely-seen Stan Lee P.R. chat promoting the ’60s Marvel cartoon shows, the real trials and tribulations of Comics Distribution, the true story behind the ’70s Kung Fu Craze, and a new cover by PAUL GULACY!

(60-page magazine) SOLD OUT (Digital Edition) $3.95

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#10: WALTER SIMONSON

#11: ALEX TOTH AND SHELLY MAYER

#8: ’80s INDEPENDENTS

#9: CHARLTON PART 1

#12: CHARLTON PART 2

Major independent creators and their fabulous books from the early days of the Direct Sales Market! Featured interviews include STEVE RUDE, HOWARD CHAYKIN, DAVE STEVENS, JAIME HERNANDEZ, MICHAEL T. GILBERT, DON SIMPSON, SCOTT McCLOUD, MIKE BARON, MIKE GRELL, and more! Plus plenty of rare and unpublished art, and a new STEVE RUDE cover!

Interviews with Charlton alumni JOE GILL, DICK GIORDANO, STEVE SKEATES, DENNIS O’NEIL, ROY THOMAS, PETE MORISI, JIM APARO, PAT BOYETTE, FRANK MCLAUGHLIN, SAM GLANZMAN, plus ALAN MOORE on the Charlton/ Watchmen Connection, DC’s planned ALLCHARLTON WEEKLY, and more! DICK GIORDANO cover!

Career-spanning SIMONSON INTERVIEW, covering his work from “Manhunter” to Thor to Orion, JOHN WORKMAN interview, TRINA ROBBINS interview, also Trina, MARIE SEVERIN and RAMONA FRADON talk shop about their days in the comics business, MARIE SEVERIN interview, plus other great women cartoonists. New SIMONSON cover!

Interviews with ALEX TOTH, Toth tributes

by KUBERT, SIMONSON, JIM LEE, BOLLAND, GIBBONS and others, TOTH on continuity art, TOTH checklist, plus SHELDON MAYER SECTION with a look at SCRIBBLY, interviews with Mayer’s kids (real-life inspiration for SUGAR & SPIKE), and more! Covers by TOTH and MAYER!

CHARLTON COMICS: 1972-1983!

Interviews with Charlton alumni GEORGE WILDMAN, NICOLA CUTI, JOE STATON, JOHN BYRNE, TOM SUTTON, MIKE ZECK, JACK KELLER, PETE MORISI, WARREN SATTLER, BOB LAYTON, ROGER STERN, and others, ALEX TOTH, a NEW E-MAN STRIP by CUTI AND STATON, and the art of DON NEWTON! STATON cover!

(108-page magazine) SOLD OUT (Digital Edition) $3.95

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(112-page magazine) $6.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

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(112-page magazine) $6.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

#13: MARVEL HORROR

#14: TOWER COMICS & WALLY WOOD

#15: 1980s VANGUARD & DAVE STEVENS

#16: ATLAS/SEABOARD COMICS

#17: ARTHUR ADAMS

1970s Marvel Horror focus, from Son of Satan to Ghost Rider! Interviews with ROY THOMAS, MARV WOLFMAN, GENE COLAN, TOM PALMER, HERB TRIMPE, GARY FRIEDRICH, DON PERLIN, TONY ISABELLA, and PABLOS MARCOS, plus a Portfolio Section featuring RUSS HEATH, MIKE PLOOG, DON PERLIN, PABLO MARCOS, FRED HEMBECK’S DATELINE, and more! New GENE COLAN cover!

Interviews with Tower and THUNDER AGENTS alumni WALLACE WOOD, LOU MOUGIN, SAMM SCHWARTZ, DAN ADKINS, LEN BROWN, BILL PEARSON, LARRY IVIE, GEORGE TUSKA, STEVE SKEATES, and RUSS JONES, TOWER COMICS CHECKLIST, history of TIPPY TEEN, 1980s THUNDER AGENTS REVIVAL, and more! WOOD cover!

Interviews with ’80s independent creators DAVE STEVENS, JAIME, MARIO, AND GILBERT HERNANDEZ, MATT WAGNER, DEAN MOTTER, PAUL RIVOCHE, and SANDY PLUNKETT, plus lots of rare and unseen art from The Rocketeer, Love & Rockets, Mr. X, Grendel, other ’80s strips, and more! New cover by STEVENS and the HERNANDEZ BROS.!

’70s ATLAS COMICS HISTORY! Interviews with JEFF ROVIN, ROY THOMAS, ERNIE COLÓN, STEVE MITCHELL, LARRY HAMA, HOWARD CHAYKIN, SAL AMENDOLA, JIM CRAIG, RIC MEYERS, and ALAN KUPPERBERG, Atlas Checklist, HEATH, WRIGHTSON, SIMONSON, MILGROM, AUSTIN, WEISS, and STATON discuss their Atlas work, and more! COLÓN cover!

Discussion with ARTHUR ADAMS about his career (with an extensive CHECKLIST, and gobs of rare art), plus GRAY MORROW tributes from friends and acquaintances and a MORROW interview, Red Circle Comics Checklist, interviews with & remembrances of GEORGE ROUSSOS & GEORGE EVANS, Gallery of Morrow, Evans, and Roussos art, EVERETT RAYMOND KINSTLER interview, and more! New ARTHUR ADAMS cover!

(112-page magazine) SOLD OUT (Digital Edition) $3.95

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#18: 1970s MARVEL COSMIC COMICS

#19: HARVEY COMICS

#20: ROMITAs & KUBERTs #21: ADAM HUGHES, ALEX #22: GOLD KEY COMICS & examinations: RUSS MANNING ROSS, & JOHN BUSCEMA Interviews & Magnus Robot Fighter, WALLY WOOD &

Roundtable with JIM STARLIN, ALAN WEISS and AL MILGROM, interviews with STEVE ENGLEHART, STEVE LEIALOHA, and FRANK BRUNNER, art from the lost WARLOCK #16, plus a FLO STEINBERG CELEBRATION, with a Flo interview, tributes by HERB TRIMPE, LINDA FITE, BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH, and others! STARLIN/ MILGROM/WEISS cover!

History of Harvey Comics, from Hot Stuf’, Casper, and Richie Rich, to Joe Simon’s “Harvey Thriller” line! Interviews with, art by, and tributes to JACK KIRBY, STERANKO, WILL EISNER, AL WILLIAMSON, GIL KANE, WALLY WOOD, REED CRANDALL, JOE SIMON, WARREN KREMER, ERNIE COLÓN, SID JACOBSON, FRED RHOADES, and more! New wraparound MITCH O’CONNELL cover!

Joint interview between Marvel veteran and superb Spider-Man artist JOHN ROMITA, SR. and fan favorite Thor/Hulk renderer JOHN ROMITA, JR.! On the flipside, JOE, ADAM & ANDY KUBERT share their histories and influences in a special roundtable conversation! Plus unpublished and rarely seen artwork, and a visit by the ladies VIRGINIA and MURIEL! Flip-covers by the KUBERTs and the ROMITAs!

ADAM HUGHES ART ISSUE, with a comprehensive interview, unpublished art, & CHECKLIST! Also, a “Day in the Life” of ALEX ROSS (with plenty of Ross art)! Plus a tribute to the life and career of one of Marvel’s greatest artists, JOHN BUSCEMA, with testimonials from his friends and peers, art section, and biographical essay.

HUGHES and TOM PALMER flip-covers!

Total War M.A.R.S. Patrol, Tarzan by JESSE MARSH, JESSE SANTOS and DON GLUT’S Dagar and Dr. Spektor, Turok, Son of Stone’s ALBERTO GIOLITTI and PAUL S. NEWMAN, plus Doctor Solar, Boris Karloff, The Twilight Zone, and more, including MARK EVANIER on cartoon comics, and a definitive company history! New BRUCE TIMM cover!

(104-page magazine) $6.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

(104-page magazine) $6.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

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(104-page magazine) SOLD OUT (Digital Edition) $3.95

(122-page magazine) $6.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

#23: MIKE MIGNOLA

#24: NATIONAL LAMPOON COMICS

#25: ALAN MOORE AND KEVIN NOWLAN

COMIC BOOK ARTIST: SPECIAL EDITION #1

COMIC BOOK ARTIST: SPECIAL EDITION #2

Exhaustive MIGNOLA interview, huge art gallery (with never-seen art), and comprehensive checklist! On the flip-side, a careerspanning JILL THOMPSON interview, plus tons of art, and studies of Jill by ALEX ROSS, STEVE RUDE, P. CRAIG RUSSELL, and more! Also, interview with JOSÉ DELBO, and a talk with author HARLAN ELLISON on his various forays into comics!

New MIGNOLA HELLBOY cover!

GAHAN WILSON and NatLamp art director MICHAEL GROSS speak, interviews with and art by NEAL ADAMS, FRANK SPRINGER, SEAN KELLY, SHARY FLENNEKIN, ED SUBITSKY, M.K. BROWN, B.K. TAYLOR, BOBBY LONDON, MICHEL CHOQUETTE, ALAN KUPPERBERG, and more! Features new covers by GAHAN WILSON and MARK BODÉ!

Focus on AMERICA’S BEST COMICS! ALAN MOORE interview on everything from SWAMP THING to WATCHMEN to ABC and beyond! Interviews with KEVIN O’NEILL, CHRIS SPROUSE, JIM BAIKIE, HILARY BARTA, SCOTT DUNBIER, TODD KLEIN, JOSE VILLARRUBIA, and more! Flip-side spotlight on the amazing KEVIN NOWLAN! Covers by J.H. WILLIAMS III & NOWLAN!

(106-page magazine) $6.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

(122-page magazine) $6.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

(122-page magazine) SOLD OUT (Digital Edition) $3.95

Previously available only to CBA subscribers!

Spotlights great DC Comics of the ’70s: Interviews with MARK EVANIER and STEVE SHERMAN on JACK KIRBY’s Fourth World, ALEX TOTH on his mystery work, NEAL ADAMS on Superman vs. Muhammad Ali, RUSS HEATH on Sgt. Rock, BRUCE JONES discussing BERNIE WRIGHTSON (plus a WRIGHTSON portfolio), and a BRUCE TIMM interview, art gallery, and cover!

Compiles the new “extras” from CBA COLLECTION VOL. 1-3: unpublished JACK KIRBY story, unpublished BERNIE WRIGHTSON art, unused JEFF JONES story, ALAN WEISS interview, examination of STEVE ENGLEHART and MARSHALL ROGERS’ 1970s Batman work, a look at DC’s rare Cancelled Comics Cavalcade, PAUL GULACY art gallery, Marvel Value Stamp history, Mr. Monster’s scrapbook, and more!

(76-page Digital Edition) $3.95

(112-page Digital Edition) $3.95

Hero Index

The Arthur Adams Comic Art Checklist Vilmar Vogelaar’s exhaustive listing of just about all of the artist’s work PURGATORY: GODDESS RISING 1 Cover (AA inks, pencils by Joyce Chin) 8/99 CLIFFHANGER [Snagged (with permission) from Vilmar’s incredible “Unofficial Arthur Adams Web site,” what follows is the CRIMSON TRADING CARD SET One card, three variants (reprints Crimson #2 cover) 2001 collector’s stunning list of the artist’s work, from comics DANGER GIRL SPECIAL to soda cups, trading cards to video games. While a tad 1 Delusions of Grandeur (a Li’l Danger Girl Tale)17+covs12/00 incomplete, we think it’s certainly the most thorough (Written by AA, Hartnell & Campbell; three variant covers plus a European cover version, all by AA) index to date. Thanks to John Fanucchi for his help. Visit Vilmar’s site via the Internet at: <http://home01.

COMICO COMICO BLACK BOOK wxs.nl/~vogel716/ArthurAdams/ArthurAdams.html> nn Gumby & Pokey pin-up 1 1987 (Any corrections? Please send ’em in!)—Ye Ed.] FISH POLICE 1 4/88 # STORY TITLE (WITH OTHER CREDITS) PAGES DATE V2#5 Pin-up (reprinted from Fish Police V1#5) V2#17 Fish Sticks (written by Steve Moncuse) 5 6/89 ABRAMS GUMBY'S SUMMER FUN SPECIAL FIVE FABULOUS DECADES OF MARVEL COMICS (HARDCOVER)

by Les Daniels (reprints X-Men Annual cover) 1 1991 1 Gumby's Summer Fun Special + two pin-ups 46+cov 7/87 (written by Bob Burden) AC COMICS GUMBY SUMMER FUN SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL POSTER FEMFORCE T-SHIRT Promo poster for Gumby Summer Fun Special 1987 Autumn T-shirt design (art from 1985) 1987?

GUMBY'S WINTER FUN SPECIAL FEMFORCE PORTFOLIO 1 Bobcat pin-up (AA pencils, inks by John Beatty) 1 1987 1 Gumby's Winter Fun Special + two pin-ups 40+cov 12/88 (written by Steve Purcell) ADVENTURE COMICS LIVINGSTONE MOUNTAIN OBLIVION 1 How to Draw the Art Adams’ Way! 2 1991 1 Cover 8/95 (written by Steve Moncuse) COMICS & COMIX AMERICA’S BEST COMICS THE TELEGRAPH WIRE ALAN MOORE’S TOM STRONG COLLECTED EDITION (HC, TPB) 19 Cover (Longshot & Rocket Raccoon jam w/M. Mignola)2/85 nn Reprints Tom Strong #4 2000 COMIC IMAGES ARTHUR ADAMS COMIC IMAGES TERRIFIC TEE T-SHIRT 45 trading cards reprinting AA’s Marvel artwork 1989 Reprints Tom Strong’s Terrific Tales #1 cover 12/01 GHOST RIDER II TOM STRONG One card (reprints “New” Fantastic Four image) 1991 4 An Untold Tale of Tom Strong (AA pencils, 8+cov 8/98 inks by Al Gordon, written by Alan Moore) X-MEN COVERS II Two cards (reprints X-Men Annual #9 & #10 covers) 1990 TOM STRONG’S TERRIFIC TALES 1 Jonni Future: The Halfway House (written by 8+cov 11/01 MARVEL FIRST COVERS II Steve Moore; Jonni Future created by Steve Moore & AA) Two trading cards (Longshot & Classic X-Men covers) 1991 TOM STRONG’S TERRIFIC TALES PROMO POSTER DARK HORSE COMICS Reprints Tom Strong’s Terrific Tales #1 cover 10/01 ALIENS: HAVOC 1 Havoc (written by Mark Schultz) 1 6/97 AMERICAN COMICS GROUP (also one sketch of rejected page) FAT FURY SPECIAL nn Cover 1998 ALIENS SPECIAL 1 Reprints Aliens: Havoc (in the same month?)

6/97 AWESOME ENTERTAINMENT LIONHEART ANIMAL CONFIDENTIAL 1-2 Covers 9/99, 1/00 1 Cover (Sam & Max) 1992 BASEMENT COMICS ART ADAMS' CREATURE FEATURES (TRADE PAPERBACK) CAVEWOMAN: PANGEAEN SEA nn New front and back covers (reprints Creature from 8/96 0 Cover (alternative version based on PSM #35 cover) 10/01 the Black Lagoon, Godzilla Color Special, Negative Burn #18, San Diego Comic Con Comics #2, and Dark Horse ART ADAMS’ CAVEWOMAN PRINT Insider #27, all relatively scarce editions) nn Print of the above image 8/01 ART ADAMS' MONKEYMAN & O'BRIEN (TRADE PAPERBACK) BLACK BULL nn Reprints MM&O’B stories from Hellboy: Seed 137 1997 GATECRASHER of Destruction #1-4, MM&O’B #1-3, and AA story in 5 Cover 12/00 Livingstone Mountain. Includes new front and back cover, BOWEN DESIGN three pin-ups and eight pages of sketches KONGZILLA RESIN STATUE nn Origin comic by AA included with sculpture 5/98 THE ART OF COMIC-BOOK WRITING nn To include new eight-page story forthcoming MAN-BAT RESIN KIT AA designs (unreleased) Man-Bat sculpture 1998 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER 1 Cover (plus “gold foil” variant cover) 10/98 CALIBRE 6 Cover (AA & Joyce Chin pencils, AA inks) 3/99 ALAN MOORE'S SONGBOOK nn Reprints Negative Burn #18 11/98 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER POSTERS Reprints Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1 cover 1998 NEGATIVE BURN Reprints Buffy the Vampire Slayer #6 cover 1999 18 Alan Moore's Songbook: "Trampling Tokio" 4 1994 (written by Alan Moore, starring Godzilla-like monster) BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: REMAINING SUNLIGHT (TPB) CALLIOPE COMICS nn Reprints Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1 cover 3/99 CALLIOPE COMICS PRESENTS: MUSINGS 3 Pin-up ?? CLASSIC STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE 1 Cover 8/92 CHAOS! COMICS CLASSIC STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (TRADE PAPERBACK) LADY DEATH: THE RAPTURE 1993 1 Cover 6/99 nn Cover (reprints Classic Star Wars #1 cover)

Compiled by Vilmar Vogelaar with Jon B. Cooke

44

COMICS’ GREATEST WORLD V4#2Cover (Hero Zero)

9/93

DARING ESCAPES 1 Cover

9/98

DARK HORSE CLASSICS: TERROR OF GODZILLA 1-6 Covers

8/98-1/99

DARK HORSE COMICS 11 Cover (w/Godzilla, Predator, James Bond, Aliens)

7/93

DARK HORSE EXTRA 1-3, 5-7 Faux MM&O’B Sunday strip (pts.1-6) 7-9/ 11/98-1/99 DARK HORSE INSIDER 2 Monkeyman & O’Brien pin-ups 2 (AA & Geof Darrow Jam, mini AA & GD interview) 27 Trapped in Lair of the Shrewmanoid (MM&O’B) 4

1992

DARK HORSE LEGENDS PROMOTIONAL CARD One trading card (Legend creators as snowmen)

1994

3/94

DARK HORSE PRESENTS 48 Enclosed Aliens trading card 2/91 (AA pencils, inks by Steve Moncuse) 80 Tortorus (Monkeyman & O’Brien) 10+cov 12/93 100-5 I Was the Alien (Monkeyman & O’Brien) 8 8/95 118 Gorhemoth the Garbage Heap That Walks Like a Man Part One (Monkeyman & O’Brien) 8+cov 2/97 119 Gorhemoth the Garbage Heap That Walks Like a Man Part Two (Monkeyman & O’Brien) 8 3/97 DIVISION 13 1 Cover

9/94

GHOST HANDBOOK 1 Pin-up

8/99

GODZILLA COLOR SPECIAL 1 Target: Godzilla! (AA script & pencils, break- 24+covSum/92 downs by Randy Stradley, inks by Gracine Tanaka & Steve Moncuse GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS 1 Cover 6/95 2 Cover 7/95 3 Cover 8/95 4 Cover and pin-up 1 9/95 5 Cover (AA breakdowns, inks; pencils by 10/95 Steve Moncuse) 6 Target Godzilla! 2 (AA breakdowns, inks by 24+cov 11/95 AA, T. Ishida and D. Rivera; cover breakdowns and inks by AA, pencils by Steve Moncuse) 7 Target Godzilla! 3 (AA breakdowns, inks by 24+cov 12/95 AA, T. Ishida and D. Rivera; cover breakdowns and inks by AA, pencils by Steve Moncuse) 8 Target Godzilla! 4 (AA breakdowns, inks by 24+cov 1/96 AA and various; cover breakdowns and inks by AA, pencils by Steve Moncuse) GODZILLA PORTFOLIO 1 Godzilla pin-up

1

1988

GODZILLA VS. HERO ZERO 1 Cover (AA mentioned in story & has cover cameo)

7/95

GRENDEL: WARCHILD (TRADE PAPERBACK) nn Grendel pin-up

11/93

HELLBOY: SEED OF DESTRUCTION 1 Who are Monkeyman & O'Brien? (part one) 7 3/94 2 Who are Monkeyman & O'Brien? (part two) 7 4/94 3 Who are Monkeyman & O'Brien? (part three) 7 5/94 4 Who are Monkeyman & O'Brien? (part four) 7 6/94 (AA self-portrait, page seven, announcing MM&O’B series) HELLBOY: SEED OF DESTRUCTION (TRADE PAPERBACK) nn Hellboy pin-up 1

10/94

LEGENDS ART PRINT (NEW YORK COMICCON 1994) Jam art print by all the Legend creators

1994

MADMAN YEARBOOK 1995 nn Small pin-up (reprints Madman X card)

1995

MARTHA WASHINGTON GOES TO WAR 5 Enlist pin-up COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

1

11/94

January 2002

MEDAL OF HONOR 2 Cover

11/95

MONKEYMAN & O'BRIEN 1 Attack of the Shrewmanoid 2 Invasion of the Froglodytes!

3 Into the Terminus

24+covs 7/96 24+covs 8/96 24+covs 9/96

MONKEYMAN & O'BRIEN ASHCAN nn Promotional pamphlet for retailers

4+cov 7/96

MONKEYMAN & O'BRIEN DIAMOND PAMPLET nn Promoting the MM&O’B mini-series 4 at Chicago ComicCon ’94 (includes AA interview)

BATMAN 400 Pinocchio and Jonah, Too! 8 1988 (AA pencils, inks by Terry Austin, written by Doug Moench) BATMAN ANNUAL 23 Cover (JLAPE-GorillaWarfare cover series) BATMAN 3-D nn Batman & Robin pin-up (AA pencils, inks by Steve Moncuse)

8/99 1

1990

1994

THE BIG BOOK OF URBAN LEGENDS (TRADE PAPERBACK) nn The Spider in the Hairdo 1 (written by Jan Harold Brunvand)

1994

MONKEYMAN & O’BRIEN PHONE CARD Reprints image from Dark Horse Presents #80

1993

BLOODLINES Six double-sided trading cards

1993

MONKEYMAN & O’BRIEN POSTER First full-color appearance of MM & O’B

1993

MONKEYMAN & O’BRIEN SHOT GLASS Reprint from Monkeyman & O’Brien #3, page 26

CAPTAIN CARROT AND HIS AMAZING ZOO CREW 12 Farrah Foxette pin-up (1st published pro work) 1 20 Pin-up (???)

1

2/83 11/83

9/98

CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN 7 Cover (acknowledgement: “after Mr. Steranko, 1968”)9/91

MONKEYMAN & O'BRIEN SPECIAL nn Reprints Hellboy: Seed of Destruction #1-4 27+covs 2/96 (includes new front, inside front and back covers) MONKEYMAN & O’BRIEN T-SHIRT

1993

MONKEYMAN & O’BRIEN ZIPPO LIGHTER MM&O’B custom drawn by AA on lighter casing

9/98

NATHAN NEVER 1-4 Covers

3-6/99

NOCTURNALS: WITCHING HOUR nn Pin-up

1

9/98

DC JAM PROMOTIONAL POSTER Jam w/50 different artists (includes AA pencils & inks) 1993 DC UNIVERSE 80 PAGE GIANT SPECIAL 2 Challengers of the Unknown: The Great Unknown 10 1/00 (written by Karl Kesel) DEATH GALLERY 1 Death pin-up

1

1994

DOOM PATROL 8 Cover (AA inks, pencils by Erik Larsen) 15 Cover (AA inks, pencils by Erik Larsen) 16 Cover (AA inks, pencils by Erik Larsen)

5/88 1/89 2/89

OUT OF THE VORTEX 7 Cover

4/94

THE REAL ADVENTURES OF JONNY QUEST 9 Cover

ELSEWORLD PROMOTIONAL PAGE Advertisement illo (in Guy Gardner #20 & others)1

1994

6/97

FLASH ANNUAL 12 Cover (JLAPE-GorillaWarfare cover series)

9/99

GREEN LANTERN ANNUAL 8 Cover (JLAPE-GorillaWarfare cover series)

9/99

THE ROCKETEER ADVENTURE MAGAZINE 3 Death Stalks the Midway 5+(?) 1/95 (AA pencils at least five pages to assist Dave Stevens) THE ROCKETEER: CLIFF’S NEW YORK ADVENTURE (TPB) nn Reprints Rocketeer Adventure Magazine #3 1995

GREEN LANTERN/SUPERMAN: LEGEND OF THE GREEN FLAME nn Chapter 3 (AA inks, pencils by Eric Shanower) 6 12/00

SIN CITY: THE BIG FAT KILL 3 Pin-up

1/95

HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE (HARDCOVER EDITION) Jam pin-up (drew only Martian Manhunter & Cryll)

1988

6/96

JLA ANNUAL 3 Cover (JLAPE-GorillaWarfare cover series)

8/99

1/98

JLAPE POSTER Reprint of JLA Annual #3 cover

1999

LEGACY OF SUPERMAN 1 Cover

5/93

MARTIAN MANHUNTER ANNUAL 2 (JLAPE-GorillaWarfare cover series)

9/99

SIN CITY: THE BIG FAT KILL (TRADE PAPERBACK) nn Pin-up (reprints Sin City: The Big Fat Kill #3)

1 1

STAR KID 1 Cover

STARSHIP TROOPERS 1 Starship Troopers (AA pencil assists for Mitch Byrd) 11/97 2 Starship Troopers (AA pencil assists for Mitch Byrd) 12/97 STARSHIP TROOPERS (TRADE PAPERBACK) nn Reprints Starship Troopers #1-2

1998

STAR WARS HANDBOOK: X-WING ROGUE SQUADRON 1 Five pin-ups 7/98 TERMINATOR PORTFOLIO nn Terminator print

1990

ORION 10 Legends of Apokolips: Light (Scott Free) (written by Walter Simonson)

AQUAMAN ANNUAL 5 Cover (JLAPE-GorillaWarfare cover series) ARMAGEDDON INFERNO 1 “Seeds of Doom” (AA pencils, inks by Terry 1 Austin, written by John Ostrander) 3 “The Last Hope” (AA pencils, inks by Terry 8 Austin, written by John Ostrander) 4 “The Gathering of Heroes” (AA pencils, inks by 1 Terry Austin, written by John Ostrander) January 2002

3/01

SECRET ORIGINS 33 Escapism (AA inks, pencils by Don Heck, ??? 12/88 written by Mike Carlin; Mister Miracle origin)

UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON nn Creature from the Black Lagoon 49+cov 1993 SHOWCASE ’93 (AA pencils, inks by Terry Austin, written by Steve Moncuse) 1 Front and back covers URBAN LEGENDS SHOWCASE ‘93 POSTER 1 King Kong vs. Godzilla 1 1993 Reprint of Showcase ’93 #1 back cover XENA: PRINCESS WARRIOR SPECTRE ANNUAL 4 Cover (AA inks, pencils by Joyce Chin) 1/00 1 Cover (AA pencils, inks by Terry Austin) 5 Cover (AA pencils, inks by Joyce Chin) 2/00 SUPERBOY: THE COMIC BOOK DC COMICS 8 But, Am I Art? (AA inks, pencils by ACTION COMICS Jim Mooney, written by John Moore) 600 Pin-up (AA inks, pencils by Linda Medley) 1 5/88 ACTION COMICS ANNUAL 1 Skeeter (AA pencils, inks by Dick Giordano, 39+cov 1987 written by John Byrne)

6

SUPERMAN 165 Various pages (with various writers)

1/93

6

1988 8/99

1 1

1992 1992

BATMAN VS. PREDATOR (TRADE PAPERBACK) nn Reprints two pin-ups from mini-series 2 1993 DELTA COMICS INMATES: PRISONERS OF SOCIETY 3 Pin-up 1 8/98 DISNEY DISNEY ADVENTURES (DIGEST) V1#10 (8 page dinosaur story inked by Walt Simonson)7 1991 DYNAMIC ENTERTAINMENT CREATORS’ UNIVERSE Two MM & O’B double-sided trading cards 1993 ECLIPSE COMICS APPLESEED: BOOK II 1-6 Cover paintings 2-6/89 ARKEN SWORD 19 Pin-up 1 FANTAGRAPHICS AMAZING HEROES 62 Longshot & Shadowcat pin-up 75 Longshot, New Mutants, X-Men sketches 82 Shadowcat illustration 119 Gumby preview 8 122 Reprints three Gumby Summer Fun Special panels 145 Pin-up??? ?

178 Cover (art jam with Steve Purcell)

1/85 7/85 11/86 3/89 6/89 5/91 2/94

AMAZING HEROES PREVIEW SPECIAL 1 Longshot, X-Men sketches 5 Cover (Flaming Carrot & Gumby)

Sum/85 Sum/87

THE COMICS JOURNAL 87 Announcing Longshot mini-series with illustration FICTIONEER BOOKS COMICS INTERVIEW 40 Gumby pin-up 1 46 Interview and cover (Shadowcat) COMICS INTERVIEW SUPER SPECIAL nn Reprints Comics Interview #46?

FISH WRAP FISH POLICE 5 Fish Police pin-up GENESIS WEST LAST OF THE VIKING HEROES 7 Cover HARRIS COMICS CREEPY 1993 FEAR BOOK nn Bugs (written by Kurt Busiek)

1986

12/83

1986 1987 ??

1

8/86

1/86

13

1993 3/97

1988

“HORROR AND MORE” PROMOTIONAL POSTER Vampirella, Uncle Creepy & Cousin Eerie poster

1992

22+cov(i) 9/90

VAMPIRELLA CALENDAR Illustration (reprints Vampirella Summer Nights)

1999

VAMPIRELLA CROSSOVER GALLERY 1 Double-page pin-up (also used as variant cover) 2

3/97

3

SUPERMAN ANNUAL 11 Cover (JLAPE-GorillaWarfare cover series)

2/01 9/99

4/92

WHO'S WHO: THE DEFINITIVE DIRECTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE 4 Cat-Man, Batman, Robin pin-ups 2 6/85 11 Invisible Kid II pin-up 1 1/86 18 Punch & Jewelee pin-up (AA pencils, inks by 1 8/86 Gary Martin) 20 Scarecrow pin-up 1 10/86

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

9/91 2/92

CYBERFROG 0 Cover

SWAMP-THING 122 Swamp Thing pin-up

7/92

WONDER WOMAN ANNUAL 1 The Diving Bird (written by George Peréz) 8 Cover (JLAPE-GorillaWarfare cover series) DC COMICS/DARK HORSE COMICS BATMAN VS. PREDATOR 2 Batman & Predator pin-up 3 Batman & Predator pin-up

9/90 10/90 2/91

1993

8/99

6/92

WHO’S WHO IN THE DC UNIVERSE (LOOSE LEAF) 2 Mordu pin-up 3 Lightray, Gorilla Grodd pin-ups & 3 small illos 7 Pin-up and three small illos (AA inks, pencils by Linda Medley) 13 Blackfire pin-up and three small illustrations 16 Forever People pin-up ^ three small illos (AA pencils, inks by Steve Moncuse)

1

8/92

VAMPIRELLA FLIP BOOK nn Bugs (reprints Creepy 1993 Fearbook) HARRIS COMICS/DARK HORSE COMICS VAMPIRELLA SUMMER NIGHTS nn? Cover IMAGE COMICS ART OF WILDSTORM CALENDAR Cover (reappears inside) BADROCK ANNUAL 1 Cover (signed “With apologies to Mr. Kirby”)

13

1994

1/86

1

8/98 7/95 45

CRIMSON 2 Cover

6/98

DARKCHYLDE: THE LEGACY 1-3 Covers

8/98, 12/98, 6/99

GEAR STATION 2 Cover

5/00

GEN13 1-C Cover (featuring Li’l Gen13) 34 I Want My Mommaaaaa! (AA pencils, inks by 4 Scott Williams, written by John Arcudi)

3/95 10/98

GEN13 3-D SPECIAL 1 Cover, 12 pages (interior AA pencils, inks by 12 Garner, Hope, and Guzman, written by Mauling)

1997

GEN13: CARNY FOLK nn Pin-up and reprints Gen13 #34

5

GEN13 COVER PORTFOLIO nn Reprints Gen13 #1-C cover

2/00 1995

GEN13/GENERATION X 1 Generation Gap (AA pencils, inks by AA, 28+covs 7/97 Garner and Guzman, written by Brandon Choi; three variant AA covers including Dynamic Forces edition) GEN13/GENERATION X 3-D EDITION 1 Same contents as regular edition, but no AA cover

7/97

GEN13/MONKEYMAN & O’BRIEN 1 Untitled (AA pencils, inks by Sandra Hope) 25+covs 6/98 (Four variant AA covers, including Dynamic Forces versions) 1 Untitled (AA pencils, inks by Sandra Hope) 25+covs 7/98 MAXX TRADING CARDS One trading card with AA self-portrait on reverse

1995

DOUBLE DRAGON 2 Cover

8/91

EXCALIBUR: MOJO MAYHEM nn Mojo Mayhem (AA pencils, inks by Terry 48+cov 12/89 Austin & Bob Wiacek, written by Chris Claremont) FANTASTIC FOUR 347 Big Trouble on Little Earth (AA pencils, 22+cov 12/90 inks by Art Thibert, written by Walter Simonson) 348 Where Monsters Dwell!

22+cov 1/91 (AA pencils w/Gracine Tanaka assist, inks by Art Thibert & Allen Milgrom, written by Walter Simonson) 349 Eggs Got Legs!… or Love Conquers All! 22+cov 2/91 (AA pencils w/Gracine Tanaka assist, inks by Art Thibert & Allen Milgrom, written by Walter Simonson) 358 A Tale of Doom: The Official Story 5 11/91 (written by Tom DeFalco) FANTASTIC FOUR MONSTERS UNLEASHED (TRADE PAPERBACK) nn reprints Fantastic Four #347-349 66+cov 1992 (includes new cover, five pin-ups & two pages of sketches)

MARVEL FANFARE 13 Cover 37 Spider-Man & Hobgoblin pin-up (from 1984) 45 Fantastic Four pin-up (sans Human Torch)

1 1

3/84 4/88 11/89

THE MARVEL FUMETTI BOOK 1 “Special Effects by Art Adams”

35

4/84

MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL 1 A Christmas Coda (AA pencils, inks by AA & 10+cov 1991 Allen Milgrom, written by Walter Simonson) nn Wraparound cover 1/93 MARVEL ILLUSTRATED: SWIMSUIT ISSUE 1 Pin-up?

1991

MARVEL MASTERWORKS 11 Reprint of Classic X-Men #1 Cover

1

1989

MARVEL PORTFOLIO Print of the New Mutants (never officially released)

1986

MARVEL POSTER BOOK: SUMMER 2001 nn Reprints X-Men #100 cover

6/01

FANTASTIC FOUR POSTER Reprints Marvel Fanfare #45

??

FANTASTIC FOUR: THE LEGEND nn Pin-up?

10/96

FIRESTAR 3 Cover (AA pencils, inks by Bill Sienkiewicz) 4 Cover (AA pencils, inks by Barry Windsor-Smith)

MARVEL SUPER-HEROES (SUMMER SPECIAL) 6 Cover

5/86 6/86

MARVEL SUPER-HEROES SECRET WARS 12 Secret Wars (AA inks, pencils by Mike Zeck)

GENERATION X 67-72 Covers

1991 2

1993 1994

11/92

MARVEL TEAM-UP 141 Cover (AA pencils, inks by Mike Mignola)

5/84 1986

NEWMEN 12 Cover

3/95

HEROES FOR HOPE 1 Cover

1/86

TELLOS 4 Cover

10/99

HEROES FOR HOPE POSTER (rep. Heroes for Hope #1 cover)

MARVEL UNIVERSE SERIES ONE STICKERS 3 stickers (Rogue, Shadowcat, Longshot) (Longshot & Rogue reprint, Shadowcat new art?)

1/86

MARVEL VISIONS 12 Five sketches for Hulk III action figures

WILDSTORM CCG CARDS Three trading cards (reprints Newmen #12 cover, 1998 Allegra from Wildstorm Legends (’97), Reign from Wildstorms (’96), Evo from Wildstorm Legends (’97)) WILDSTORM FINE ARTS: THE GALLERY COLLECTION nn Reprints covers from Wildstorm Universe ’97, Crimson #1, and Gen13 #1

12/96

WILDSTORM UNIVERSE ’97 1 Wraparound cover 12/96 IMAGE COMICS/FLEER/SKYBOX THE PROPHET COLLECTION TRADING CARDS One trading card 1996 IMPEL MARVEL UNIVERSE 1 Nine double-sided trading cards of Marvel characters 1990 MARVEL UNIVERSE 2 36 double-sided trading cards

1991

SILVER SURFER ALL PRISM CARD One card (reprinted from Marvel Fanfare #45) 1992 MARVEL COMICS ART ADAMS HEROES & VILLAINS: MARVEL MASTERPIECE LITHO Poster of many Marvel characters by AA 6/01 BIZARRE ADVENTURES AA written & drawn story for mag but unpublished ’82/’83 CLASSIC X-MEN 1-10, 12-23 Covers & frontispieces

9/86-6/87, 8/87-7/88

CLOAK & DAGGER 9 The Lady and the Unicorn 22 11/86 (AA pencils, inks by Terry Austin, written by Bill Mantlo) CONAN THE BARBARIAN 247-248 Covers

8-9/91

DAREDEVIL 238 Cover (AA pencils, inks by Klaus Janson) 239 Cover

1/87 2/87

DEADPOOL 50 Cover

3/01

THE DEFENDERS 142 Cover (AA pencils, inks by Mike Mignola) THE DEFENDERS 2 Cover DOCTOR STRANGE CLASSICS 3-4 Doctor Strange pin-ups 46

4/85 2/01 5-6/84

5/84

MARVEL SUPER-HERO TEAM CALENDAR 1993 Illustration (???)

1994 Illustration of various Marvel characters

9/00-2/01

GHOST RIDER/BLAZE: SPIRITS OF VENGEANCE 4 Choices (AA inks on six pages, pencils by Adam Kubert, written by Howard Mackie)

MARVEL SAGA 25 Wraparound cover (AA pencils, inks by Steve Leialoha) 12/87

12/96 HISTORY OF THE X-MEN STICKER ALBUM MICRONAUTS: THE NEW VOYAGES (Reprints art from Classic X-Men & New Mutants Spec.) ’87 2 Cover (AA inks, Butch Guice pencils) 11/84 IMPOSSIBLE MAN SUMMER VACATION SPECTACULAR MOJO T-SHIRT 1988 1-2 Covers (#2 AA inks, pencils by Michael Golden) 8/90, ’91 MUTANTS POSTER INCREDIBLE HULK POSTER MAGAZINE Rep. Marvel Age Annual #4 cover w/some redrawing 1988 Pin-up reprints from Fantastic Four Monsters Unleashed ’92 LONGSHOT 1 A Man Without a Past 24+cover 9/85 (AA pencils, inks by Whilce Portacio, story by Ann Nocenti) 2 …I’ll Wave to You from the Top 24+cov 10/85 (AA pencils, inks by Whilce Portacio, story by Ann Nocenti) 3 Just Let Me Die 24+cov 11/85 (AA pencils, inks by Whilce Portacio, story by Ann Nocenti) 4 Can’t Give It All Away 24+cov 12/85 (AA pencils, inks by Whilce Portacio, story by Ann Nocenti) 5 Deadly Lies 24+cov 1/86 (AA pencils, inks by Whilce Portacio, story by Ann Nocenti) 6 A Snake Coils 41+cov 2/86 (AA pencils, inks by Whilce Portacio, story by Ann Nocenti) LONGSHOT (TRADE PAPERBACK) nn New cover art, reprints Longshot #1-6

160

LONGSHOT T-SHIRT Reprints Longshot #1 cover MAGNETO 0 reprints Classic X-Men frontispiece

1989 ??

1

MARVEL 1991: THE YEAR IN REVIEW Cover (X-Men characters) MARVEL AGE 29 Interview with AA & Ann Nocenti 3 (includes selected art from Longshot) 32 Two Shadowcat pin-ups 2 68 Magneto pin-up (reprints CX-M frontispiece) 1 (AA pencils, inks by Al Williamson) 71 Interview by Peter Sanderson (with pencil illos) 4 72 Pin-up (reprints X-Men Asgardian Wars cover) 1 76 Painted Longshot cover 78 AA artwork 87 Longshot, Spiral & Mojo pin-up 89 Wolverine pin-up 111 Sketches of Fantastic Four #347-349 story

1992 1991 8/85

NEW FANTASTIC FOUR T-SHIRT Reprints Fantastic Four #438 cover

1992

THE NEW MUTANTS 36 Cover (AA pencils, inks by Barry Windsor-Smith) 38 Cover and frontispiece 39 Cover (AA pencils, inks by Bill Sienkiewicz)

1/86 4/86 5/86

NEW MUTANTS SPECIAL EDITION 1 Home is Where the Heart Is (written by Chris Claremont)

24+cover 1985

OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE 7 Longshot pin-up 1 1985 9 Mojo pin-up 1 1985 11 Sersi, Shadowcat pin-ups 2 1985 12 Spiral pin-up 1 1985 14 Unicorn pin-up (AA pencils, inks by Joe Rubinstein) 1 1985 SPIDER-MAN PRINT 12 Reprints Fantastic Four #347 page

1

1992

THING T-SHIRT HOLDER Reprints the Thing’s head from Marvel Fanfare #45

1994

ULTIMATE X-MEN 8 Double-page pin-up of Longshot & Co. (AA inks?)

8/95

MARVEL AGE ANNUAL 2 The New Mutants (written by Louise Simonson) 1 1986 4 Cover Sum/88

UNCANNY X-MEN 214 Cover (AA pencils, inks by Barry Windsor-Smith) 2/87 218 Cover (AA pencils, inks by Bob Wiacek) 6/87 UNCANNY X-MEN ANNUAL 9 There is No Place Like Home 48+cover 1985 (AA pencils; AA, Mike Mignola, & Walt Simonson inks; written by Chris Claremont) 10 Performance (AA pencils, inks by Terry 32+cov 1986 Austin, written by Chris Claremont) 12 Resurrection/I Want My X-Men (two stories) 36+cov 1988 (AA pencils, inks by Bob Wiacek, written by Chris Claremont) 14 You Must Remember This (AA pencils, 40+cov 1990 inks by Dan Green, Bob Wiacek, Allen Milgrom, Art Thibert, and Steve Moncuse, written by Chris Claremont)

MARVEL COMICS PROMOTIONAL POSTER Wolverine poster

WEB OF SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL 2 Wake Me Up, I Gotta Be Dreaming

31

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

11/85 11/88 2/89 3/89 7/89 9/89 4/90 6/90 4/92

1987

9/86

14 Cover

(written by Ann Nocenti)

4/96

LEONARD NIMOY’S PRIMORTALS ORIGINS WOLVERINE FROM THEN ’TIL NOW 11/95 Three trading cards (rep. Classic X-Men & Marvel Age)1992 1 Cover 2 Cover 12/95 WOLVERINE POSTER 1987 TIGER COMICS WOLVERINE CARDBOARD CUT-OUT PROMO PHANTASY AGAINST HUNGER Life-size cardboard cut-out 1988 Pin-up 1 9/87 X-FACTOR TITAN BOOKS 41 Golden Boy (AA pencils, inks by Allen 22 6/89 GODZILLA: AGE OF MONSTERS (TRADE PAPERBACK) Milgrom, written by Louise Simonson) nn Reprints Godzilla Color Special, Godzilla #1-4, 6/98 42 All That Glitters (AA pencils, inks by Allen 22 7/89 Godzilla vs. Hero Zero, five pin-ups Milgrom, written by Louise Simonson) GODZILLA: PAST PRESENT FUTURE (TRADE PAPERBACK) X-MEN nn Reprints Godzilla #5-8, and a pin-up 7/98 100 Cover 5/00 MORE TALES FROM THE FORBIDDEN PLANET (TRADE PAPERBACK) X-MEN ANNUAL nn Pin-up 1 1991 2000 Cover 2000 TOHO CO. LTD. X-MEN ASGARDIAN WARS (TRADE PAPERBACK) GODZILLA T-SHIRT nn Reprints New Mutants Special #1 & X-Men Annual #9 Front & back illos of Godzilla and 12 of his enemies 1991 (New front and back covers by AA) TOP COW X-MEN CHOCOLATE BARS DISPLAY BOX KIN Reprints X-Men #100 cover & Ultimate X-Men 2/01 6 Cover 9/00 X-MEN DAYS OF FUTURE PRESENT (TRADE PAPERBACK) WITCHBLADE SPRING PIN-UP nn Reprints X-Men Annual #14 40+cov 1991 nn Pin-up (reprints Witchblade trading card) 4/87 nn Reprints April 1987 pin-up 2000 X-MEN FROM THE ASHES (TRADE PAPERBACK) nn Front and back covers 1990 WITCHBLADE TRADING CARDS One trading card 1996 X-MEN MILLENNIAL VISIONS nn Cover 8/00 TOPPS X-MEN POSTER 1987 DARK HORSE COMICS’ GREATEST WORLD CARD SERIES One card (reprints CGW V.4, #2 cover) 1993 X-MEN POSTER MAGAZINE JACK KIRBY’S SECRET CITY SAGA Reprints 1988 Wolverine poster 1993 1 Cover (AA inks, pencils by Steve Ditko) 5/93 X-MEN SKETCHBOOK ARCHIVES JURASSIC PARK 1 Reprints of various AA X-Men sketches 3 11/00 Three dinosaur trading cards 1992 X-MEN T-SHIRT 2000 JURASSIC PARK X-MEN THE MOVIE SPECIAL 1 Frontispiece (reprints Jurassic Park trading card) 1 6/93 1 Wraparound cover 7/00 TOPPS/DARK HORSE COMICS MADMAN X 50 BUBBLEGUM CARDS X-MEN UNIVERSE One card (Madman) 1994 10 Reprints X-Men #100 cover 2000 X-MEN UNLIMITED 8 Double-page pin-up???

MAXIMUM PRESS ASYLUM 1 Merlyn (written by Rob Leifeld)

2

2

???

12/95

AVENGELYNE 3 Cover & pin-up of Avengelyne 1 7/95 NEEF SOFTWARE UCM (UNIVERSAL COMICS MAGAZINE) 12 Cover (Monkeyman as Batman, drawn as sketch at 1998 the 1997 Breda Comic Convention in The Netherlands) NEW COMICS GROUP DEADTIME STORIES 1 Dinosaur Terror pin-up 1 11/87 TOMMY AND THE MONSTERS 1 Cover ONI PRESS CLERKS HOLIDAY SPECIAL 1 Cover FREE SPEECHES 1 Monkeyman & O’Brien pin-up

1989

1/98 1

NOCTURNALS: TROLL BRIDGE nn? Troll Bridge (AA inks, pencils by Joyce Chin) 5 OVERSTREET OVERSTREET'S COMIC BOOK PRICE GUIDE UPDATE 5 Cover (AA pencils, inks by Bob Wiacek)

9/98 10/00

1986

OVERSTREET'S FAN 21 Cover of Wynonna Earp (AA inks, pencils by Joyce Chin)3/97 PACIFIC COMICS 3-D ALIEN WORLDS 1 Away Off There Amid the Softly Winking Lights 5 7/84 (written by Bruce Jones) (1st published pro story) ST. MARTIN’S PRESS GREAT COMIC BOOK ARTISTS Volume 2 (TRADE PAPERBACK) nn Cover, four back cover illos (inside reprint of X-Men 1989 Annual #10 page, includes one-page bio by Ron Goulart) TEKNO COMIX LEONARD NIMOY’S PRIMORTALS 13 Cover 3/96 January 2002

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

STAR WARS GALAXY One trading card (reprint)

1995

VISIONS OF VAMPIRELLA TRADING CARDS One card (reprint from Vampirella Summer Nights) 1995 TSR MARVEL SUPER-HEROES: CHILDREN OF THE ATOM ADVANCED GAME OFFICIAL GUIDE BOOK TO MUTANTS Cover (reprints Classic X-Men #1 cover) 1986 UNDERWOOD BOOKS SPECTRUM 5: THE BEST IN CONTEMPORARY FANTASTIC ART Reprint of Playstation Magazine #1 cover (see misc.) 1998 VERTIGO ANGEL AND THE APE 1-4 Covers 10/01-1/02 WILDSTORM PRODUCTIONS THE AUTHORITY 27 Brave New World (part two) 22+cov 11/01 28 Brave New World (part three) 22+cov? * 29 Brave New Worlf (part four) 22+cov? * (All the above: AA pencils, inks by Tim Townsend, written by Mark Millar; *forthcoming) WILDC.A.T.S V2#1 Cover WILDC.A.T.S STREET SMART (TRADE PAPERBACK) nn Reprints WildC.A.T.s V.2 #1 cover as pin-up MISCELLANEOUS ALIENS AND MONSTERS CALENDAR 1999 Pin-up

3/99 1

1999

1999

CHEF BOYARDEE Four different X-Men hologram card giveaways Four different X-Men labels for canned food Promo poster reprinting hologram & label graphics

1995 1995 1995

COMIC BOX 34 Cover (French magazine)

4-5/01

COMICFEST 2000 THANKS POSTER AA inks, pencils by Tim McEwen (limited to 100)

2/00

COMICS QUARTERLY Promo & packaging art for video tape (MM&O’B)

1996

EVERWAY 1996 CALENDAR nn Wizards of the Coast cover (Gypsy Woman & Frankensteinlike monster) GODZILLA: THE OFFICIAL COMPENDIUM nn 10 illos for “Profiles of the Monsters” section (published by Random House)

1998

HERO ILLUSTRATED 8 AA interview by Steve Darnall

2/94

HIGH ENERGY 1 One-Eyed Jack (1st published work)

8

JONES SODA: MONKEYMAN & O’BRIEN AA design of soda bottle label

1982 1998

MARVEL ARCADE GAME AA art on arcade game

?

OAKLAND WONDERCON SOUVENIR BOOK 1989 Cover (w/Sub-Mariner, Human Torch, Batman, Robin) 1989 1994 Cover (collaboration with Dan Breteton) + bio 1994 PSM (PLAYSTATION MAGAZINE) 1 Cover 5 Cover 17 Cover 29 Cover 35 Cover 36 Six pin-ups 37 Cover & sticker 41 Cover 42 Pin-ups (reprints from PSM #29 & 37) SAM & MAX SHOW (TO THE MOON) 1-2 Titles? (both written by Steve Purcell?)

9/97 1/98 1/99 1/00 7/00 8/00 9/00 1/01 2/01 ?

4-5/91

1

7/92

4

7/93

SAN DIEGO COMIC CONVENTION SOUVENIR BOOK 1994 Godzilla pin-up (reprinted from Godzilla tpb) 1

7/94

STRIPSCHRIFT 276 De verbijsterende zaak van de korte dagtrip 4 (reprints San Diego Comic Con Comics #2 plus five-page interview, all translated into Dutch)

12/94

STRAIGHT ON ‘TIL MORNING LIMITED EDITION (HC) nn Illo in Chris Golden story (Cemetery Dance book)

1/01

SAN DIEGO COMIC CON COMICS 1 Godzilla pin-up (originally done for Ogleo Comics store opening) 2 The Shocking Case of the Brief Journey (first appearance of Monkeyman & O’Brien)

UNIVERSAL ISLAND OF ADVENTURE PAPER CUPS Three AA designs of Marvel characters for themepark 1998 URANUS ATTACKS COMPUTER GAME Unpublished MM&O’B computer game

1994

WESTFIELD COMICS ADVERTISING Wolverine cover (seen in G.I. Joe #89 & others) 1

1989

WIZARD 31 Wraparound cover (art jam with Legend creators) 3/94 72 Texture: Friend or Foe? (art lesson w/sketches) 4 8/97 81 Hulk vs. Doomsday illo for “Last Man Standing” 5/98 89 Greeting card of Monkeyman as Santa w/O’Brien 1/99 (signed “From Leyendecker’s ‘Santa and Boy’ 1923”) plus Danger Girl pin-up by AA WIZARD POSTER 44 Reprints Xena #5 cover

2/00

WIZARD POSTERMANIA 2001 nn Reprints Gatecrasher #5 cover

1/01

WORLD COMICS WEB-SITE Illustration for Internet site 1998?

MISCELLANEOUS PRINTS Two of a Perfect Pair (Gargoyle & Demon pin-up) 9/83 (AA pencils, inks by Mike Mignola; authorized?)

Waiting For the Prince (published by Peter & Pan) 1984 Black Guns San Diego Comic Con print 1999 (published by Cyclops Entertainment; print of story board/character sketches AA did for the never-released movie Black Guns)

Thanks to Scott Conner, longbox.com staff, Jim McLauchlin, Rob Ledford, Royd Burgoyne, Brian T. Rivers, Aaron J. Szabo, and other members of the comic art mailing list for their last-minute help verifying many items for this index.—Ye Ed. 47

Gray Morrow: 1934-2001

“This Was a Man!” A journey to discover the artist who was Gray Morrow Below: The photos which illustrate this article are almost all courtesy of Gray Morrow’s very sweet and lovely bride, Pocho, who also graciously shared her memories of her artist husband with Chris Irving in his poignant essay here. Our heart goes out to her in these difficult days and, in appreciation of her spouse’s impact on the field and her boundless generosity, we in turn will donate a portion of the profits from this issue to the Morrow Estate. Gray astride his horse in an undated photo.

“His life was gentle, and the elements So mix’d in him that Nature might stand up And say to all the world ‘This was a man!’”

—Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar Act V, Scene V “He was a man,” Alan Weiss said of Gray Morrow over the phone. “He was a man.”

But how does one find the man imbued in the core of each piece of his work? Gray Morrow was an illustrator in the classic vein of Alex Raymond, Mac Raboy, and Lou Fine. Rather than going the route of impossibly-muscled super-heroes punching it out in impossibly revealing costumes, Morrow drew real people in believable clothes. They were movie serial characters imposed on a comics page. No gross exaggeration.

In “Recollections”, Morrow’s contribution to Streetwise, he cited his childhood influences, and his move to New York as a young man. He and a friend had met Basil Rathbone in the park one day. Still, “Recollections” was just that: a series of anecdotes and some details about Gray’s life and career. But what does it tell about the man himself?

Now, Gray is dead, and the search for the true man behind the artwork begins. It is not an easy search, but one that begins with all his loved ones.

Pocho Morrow stands at the door of the cabin she and Morrow shared on their 14 acres of land. She is an attractive woman, tall and with a strong build. Short, curly auburn-red hair frames her face. The A-frame cabin is swarming with artists and friends, some legendary, who cradle drinks and wander through a nicotine haze caused by cigarettes and pipe tobacco.

It is noon on a chilly day, and the Morrow home is the result of a six-hour car drive started in Richmond, Virginia and ending in Kunkletown,

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Pennsylvania. Their cabin is off the road and back in the woods.

The mood in the cabin is festive, despite the reasons for gathering. Pocho had always promised Gray an “Old Scottish Wake,” or (as Pocho put it) an “extravagant party” with all his friends. Here Angelo Torres, Alan Kupperberg, Sal Amendola, Ernie Colón, Mark Wheatley, Alan and Pauline Weiss, and others stand to reminisce about Morrow, exchanging anecdotes and shop talk. Two strangers from Virginia are quickly welcomed.

A gallery of character drawings line the upper part of the living room wall, showcasing many of Gray’s influences and childhood heroes, all drawn in a period when an injury had kept Gray out of work. The Face, Spy Smasher, Lone Ranger and Tonto, Green Hornet, the Golden Age Green Lantern, Green Llama, Captain America, Iron Man, Superman, Mandrake, Starman, Sandman… all drawn in Morrow’s realistic style and vibrantly colored, adorn the walls. It’s a wonder less-established and prolific photo-realistic artists like Alex Ross can be successful in today’s comics market, yet Morrow has been absent from comic books for years.

It is Alan Kupperberg that shows Gray’s studio. An orange tigerstriped cat sits outside the garage. The studio doorknob has a brass handle in the shape of a naked woman over it.

Judging by his garage studio, it is obvious that Morrow was the artist’s artist and, had he been born 20 years earlier, may have been deemed as legendary as an Alex Raymond or Chester Gould. It is chilly in Gray’s studio. Inexpensively framed on the walls is a virtual museum of cartoonist’s original work: a few Toth pieces, a Sekowsky Wonder Woman page, a female portrait drawn by Alex Raymond, as well as a Certa and Belfi Straight Arrow strip, among countless other pieces of art. Bookcases inhabit the room, filled to overflowing with reprint books of Foster’s Prince Valiant, C.C. Beck’s Captain Marvel, Raymond’s Flash Gordon, as well as pulp magazines and various reprint editions. A series of identical black, metal file cabinets feature a painstakingly collected “swipe” file, the yellowing folders neatly labeled by typewriter. All types of costume helmets and props lay throughout Gray’s studio. It is painfully obvious that Gray had the good fortune to grow up in a time where the daily adventure strip was in vogue. In today’s society of instant gratification and short attention spans, one can imagine that his abilities were too great to really be appreciated by today’s limited audience.

His drawing table sits, flanked by an army of art supplies as well as another bookshelf, with some blank comic strip pages, the grids pre-drawn, and dialogue scrawled out in pencil. One almost expects Morrow’s dramatic figure to walk in, take a seat back at his table, and continue drawing the next installments of The Body. A letter on Insight Studios letterhead, dated April 2001 and placed near a personal computer, tells of the Gray Morrow: Visionary book.

Joe Brozowski leans back on an old green sofa, smoking a cigarette, chatting about the shortcomings of Doc Martin’s colored dyes, and the six-strip Tarzan binge he and Gray went on one day.

“I went over to his place to hang out and drink, and he had about five or six weeks of the Sunday strip to do,” he would recall a week later. “I got to his place fairly early in the day. We poured a few Scotches and said ‘We’ll do all six strips before the night is over so that we can go out drinking.’ We made it.”

Admiring the great cache of supplies Gray had accrued, examining pens and brushes set up in a series of caddies and homemade racks, there is a slight yet unrealistic hope to find the one magic pen or brush that will channel all of Gray’s innate drawing ability, letting anyone draw like a master.

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January 2002

Ron Jordan is Gray’s agent. He is selling Gray’s artwork on eBay as a favor to Pocho, refusing to take any payment or percentage of the sales. Gray has drawn everything from the aforementioned Sunday Tarzan strip (for 18 years) to Penthouse Comix (“the smut” as it is jokingly referred to as) to fantasy and science-fiction book covers.

Ron pulls out a copy of Gray Morrow: Visionary that he had left for Gray to sign a short time back. He had just found it that morning, with a kind note and sketch from Gray on the inside front cover. It’s obvious the discovery has touched him.

Gray stored artwork in two identical, back-to-back cabinets with flat shelves on the inside. Inside are the proofs for Orion (from Edge of Chaos, one of Gray’s pet projects), as well as various movie monster paintings, and a few renditions of The Shadow. Interestingly enough, Gray focuses on the Kent Allard aviator identity of The Shadow, rather than the more popular Lamont Cranston, perhaps a sign of his love of aviation.

As the wake progresses, others arrive, including Larry Hama, Jim Steranko, and Frank Cho and his wife. The mood continues to be festive, and food is gradually added to the dining room table.

After a while, Pocho brings a glass decanter into the living room, and places it on the mantle, by a striking black and white portrait of Gray with his pipe. A friend explains that they are Gray’s ashes, while Pocho notes the refusal to go for a dull, metal urn.

The ashes are, quite fittingly, a light gray. Pocho had placed some of Gray’s favorite pipe tobacco at the bottom.

Pippi is a black and gray tiger cat. She climbs from the upper level of the house, onto a beam overlooking the living room.

Retreating into the corner where the beam meets the sloped ceiling, she quietly observes the crowd below. Pocho notes that Pippi was Gray’s favorite cat, and she hasn’t been the same since his death.

The cat continues to look over the company, perhaps hoping in vain for the return of her favorite person. Pauline Weiss points out a small pot of mums: the only consolation gift sent by United Features Syndicate, for whom Gray did Tarzan for 18 years.

Eventually, Pocho calls some of Gray’s best friends into the front bedroom and closes the door. After 20 minutes, they slowly start to file out. Larry Hama quietly migrates to the sofa, next to his young daughter and wife, wearing a leather vest of Gray’s. Alan Weiss walks out with a few of Gray’s cowboy hats. The mood turns more somber. A few minutes later, the Weisses stand in the bedroom, admiring even more of Gray’s framed art, as well as a pair of rapiers mounted on an alcove wall. A water pistol, used as a raygun prop by Gray and still holding some water, reminds Alan of a toy gunfight he and other artists had with Gray’s toy guns one day in the 1970s.

“There was one time I remember,” Weiss says three days later.

“When a bunch of us were down at Gray’s place in Brooklyn. I don’t remember why we were all there. A whole bunch of us wound up there, and we were looking through Gray’s pistols, some of which were toys, some of which were replicas, and some of which he’d made himself. He would make up science-fiction ray guns out of missile parts and jet model parts. He’d take a fuselage and different rockets, and mix and match to put together these raygun shapes.

“I don’t remember whose instigation it was [to have a gunfight], probably mine. This was just complete fun. I don’t remember how many people and who was there, but I’m pretty sure that Steve Mitchell would have been there, and Chaykin was there. We chose up sides, and we were running up the halls shooting at each other, and doing these great dramatic falls, agonizing, and then you’d get up and play another round. It was terrific, and Gray got up and played along with us. We must’ve been all in our early twenties, which would’ve meant Gray was 15 to 20 years older than me. It was a lot of fun.”

The mood has picked up once more as dusk starts to settle and the evening becomes chillier, and this writer prepares for a long trek home with his travelling companion. There is a feeling, on the drive back, of loss and grieving for a man never met. It is almost a heavy guilt over not having taken the opportunity in the past to contact Morrow.

January 2002

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

“This was a man!”

“When I say a man, I mean a mensch,” Alan Weiss elaborates on Gray Morrow. “That’s all the word implies: a gentleman, a man with certain traditional nobility, a sense of historical personality. He had a dignity about him; it was quiet, but always smiling. I never saw him angry. He’d been hurt, he’d been messed up by the biz.”

“He did a Captain America job for Marvel, during the early ’70s. It was a back-up job, maybe half a book, 12 to 13 pages. He was a huge fan of the serials, as you know. Like he drew The Vigilante, he drew Captain America as a real guy in a suit. A real muscular guy, but it wasn’t like Kirby and exaggerated. At the time, the house style was really important to Marvel: become like Kirby. “[Marvel] didn’t like that job, they didn’t like Gray, and didn’t think Gray could do super-heroes. They would say things: ‘He can’t do super-heroes, he can only do this.’ They took the job, and we didn’t think it’d ever be seen again. But, it was seen, but by the time we saw it, it wasn’t Gray anymore.

Somebody, probably Romita, leaned on it real heavily and put in hard blacks and changed faces and did things to it.

“Here was a guy who kept that freshness and that interest in all the elements, visual and storytelling, that had brought him to where he’d ultimately arrived as an artist. He had that love, and he was just the coolest, a cool guy. He didn’t get riled up, and I never heard him attack anybody. He was sharp, he was smart enough to do it, and he could play. But I never saw him manipulate anyone, or insult or tear them down. His criticisms of people in a conversation would be so light and qualified, that they were literally only criticisms, never insults. Even people who deserved them! When there was a qualification, he’d go ‘Well, that’s how he is, and we can accept that.’ Very few would be hard pressed to say that there was anyone Gray came out directly and said ‘He’s an asshole.’ There were one or two, but not many. More deserved it than got it from him.”

Below: CBA thought long and hard about whether to emphasize art or pictures of Gray Morrow in this tribute section and we decided to focus on the image of the man, and to urge readers to explore his artistry by purchasing the recent book Gray Morrow: Visionary.

Please see the ad on page 61.

Here is a picture of Gray decked out as a pirate for a costume party. Courtesy of Pocho Morrow.

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Below: When the artist was hospitalized for a spell, Gray humored himself by drawing fullbody portraits of his favorite adventure characters, rendered in full-color. The innumerable pictures were framed and remain lined on his studio walls to this day. Pocho sent us this provocative image of the Golden Age heroine, The Black Cat. Art ©2002 the Morrow Estate. Character ©2002 Lorne-Harvey Productions.

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Gray’s cool demeanor got Weiss the first time he met him, introduced by Neal Adams in the 1970s, while at DC Comics.

“Gray, I believe, was working on an ‘El Diablo’ page,” Weiss says of the strip he would eventually take over. “Neal introduced us, and I was trying not to gush too much, but was explaining how I was impressed with his research. When he did historical pieces, Westerns particularly, the costuming was so accurate. He didn’t just limit himself to the one cowboy gun. I’m sure he gave El Diablo Smith & Wessons, and he’d use these old Adams, and accurate clothing that fit people accurately. I was going nuts as to how impressed I was. Gray just cocked the eyebrow, smoking his pipe, and said ‘Well, that’s the fun.’ That’s about as detailed an answer as it gets. I’ll never forget it, along with his advice to never put all your eggs in one basket, which was valuable advice.”

Shortly after the dispensing of some of Gray’s belongings to the “inner circle” of friends at the wake, Gray’s ashes were spread over the pond in the backyard. It was an interesting experience for Weiss: “It was a very surrealistic scene for me, but kind of nice. We all put on our coats, and she read her poem, which she had written about Gray. It was this sweet, simple little poem, and she could barely get through it without breaking into tears. She put the brave face on and said ‘Okay, that’s my poem. It might be stupid, but I wanted to read it to everybody. Now we’re all going to go outside and have a little ceremony of spreading the ashes.’

“It was Gray’s wish that his ashes be put into a Scotch decanter. She brought that out.

Here we were, this quiet bunch of artists and weirdos walking out in the woods, right at dusk. I don’t think anyone hardly spoke, and it was almost single-file, since we were walking through the branches. Steranko had his trench coat almost cape-like over his shoulders. We walked out by the side of the pond. I don’t remember what Pocho said. I think she was partly addressing him directly, and partly saying ‘We know that he’s not here, these are remains. He’s up there.’ She took a handful and scattered them over the waters and anybody else who wanted to do that could do that. Most of us did, but some didn’t.

Everybody would take a handful and say a little something, and then scatter the ashes over the pond. In my mind, it struck me how fitting it was for Gray, whose birthday was the same as mine: March 7, and I said ‘How fitting that, as a resting place, the waters for a fellow Piscean. Ride on, partner.’ It was strange, I don’t think I’ve ever done anything like that before, but it was okay, it was nice. Again, we knew this was all symbolic, and that the spirit was elsewhere. We trooped back in and continued to party, but by then it was more a question of people saying goodbye and making their rounds. We were among the last batch of folks to leave.

“She says how she’s been thinking about last Sunday ever

since, and what great friends Gray had, and how much respect they had for him, and what high regard they had for him. It wasn’t just the inside batch there, but people all over the world who really love this guy and love his work. I’d say he was a pretty damned successful artist, given all that.”

The phone conversation continues leading back, naturally, to Gray and his status as a comic book artist. “You have this bittersweet irony: Does it take a guy having to leave the planet to get proper respect and have a tribute issue done?” Weiss points out. “How many of us artists are going to have to get their tribute after they’re not actually able to see it? [Although] I’m not assuming that he can’t.”

Unfortunately, it seems Morrow’s career took a usual path for those most revered and talented in the comics field: Be greatly admired within professional circles, yet not widely appreciated until after you’re gone.

The day before Thanksgiving, a bit more than two weeks after Gray’s death, Pocho sounds tired. She has a pumpkin pie in the oven for her family, and has to leave the phone after five minutes to get it out of the oven.

“I met Gray in 1981,” Pocho remembers. “There was a house on the front of the street in New Jersey. Upstairs was Ron Wagner, who was studying at the Kubert School, and downstairs was my girlfriend Cecilia and her husband who I knew from the Cornerstone Theater that I was involved with at that time. Gray was in a small house that he rented behind us. We’d heard he was some artist, was very quiet and always wore a dark hat, smoked a pipe. You’d never see his face because he was always looking down at the ground or reading something. We always used to call him ‘The Old Man Artist.’

“One summer, Cecilia said ‘Why don’t we go to the pool?’

There was a pool over there to use. I was sitting down at the pool with Cecilia and, all of a sudden, there was a splash in the pool.

Somebody slammed under the water and surfaced right in front of us and said ‘Hi, my name is Gray Morrow. Nice to meet you,’ and asked for our names.”

Pocho laughs as she deepens her voice to imitate her late husband, and a hint of the woman from last Sunday’s wake surfaces.

“Cecilia said ‘I live here, and this is my girlfriend Pocho. Nice to meet you.’

“He invited me out that night, but I couldn’t go because I couldn’t find a babysitter for my daughter. He figured that I didn’t want to date him and wasn’t interested. But I was interested, but couldn’t get out to Cici’s house until two weeks after I’d first met him. Then, love blossomed when I went to the studio, saw what he did, and had a great time with him. He was a real gentleman, wonderful person, and we started dating a long time. We dated seven years, until one day I bought a ring to propose to him. We went out to dinner at the Mountain View Restaurant in Dover, New Jersey. I got down on my hands and knees in front of the whole restaurant, proposed to him, and he said yes.”

As seems to be habit with her, Pocho read Gray a poem as she proposed. They married on April Fool’s Day, 1988, since nobody thought they’d ever get married. They got the cabin in January, and she moved in with Gray in March. Like many artists, Gray had his own routine, where he worked “eight days a week.”

“He’d get up every day for his definite first cup of black coffee.

Then his second cup, and third. In the meantime, he’s in the ‘library’ if you catch my drift, and he’d read for an hour. He’d love to read four to five books a week. I’d go to used bookstores constantly for him. Then, after that at ten o’clock, he’d go to the studio and work.

Sometimes, I’d go and get his favorite tobacco at the store, or a newspaper or magazine if he needed it for some swipe. Then it was back to work again. He’d finish around six o’clock, eat dinner, and then it was back to work for an hour or two. In the meantime, he’d like to take breaks and watch a half an hour of black-&-white movies. He loved old, antiquated, black-&-white! Mysteries, and Charlie Chan movies, old swashbuckler movies… he loved them all.”

It seems that Gray Morrow led an existence where he was fortunate enough to divulge in his fantasies, childhood and otherwise.

Perhaps that is why the Tarzan strip was among his favorite projects.

Perhaps that is also why his being dismissed from the strip this past COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

Spring may have been so devastating.

“They decided to go with cheaper labor, kids who’d do it for less than half the price,” Pocho surmises. “I guess that, since they’re tightening their belts, they decided to do that. The fan-following for Tarzan is phenomenal, and we couldn’t understand it. When I talked to the editor there, I said ‘Did you know that Gray wouldn’t have minded doing it for that price, too? He was so in love with Tarzan, and his name has been with that strip. Why change over?’ She didn’t say anything, nothing at all. That was the biggest blow to Gray.”

However, it is the subject of Gray’s Parkinson’s that obviously has Pocho the most upset: “Three years ago, he started having these tremor problems. Six months of doctors, three hospitals, no one could figure out what it was. They termed it some kind of Parkinson’s disease. In those six months, his Tarzan faltered just a little bit, but he still did it. I said ‘Gray, how do you draw Tarzan, but not make a loopy line?’

“He said ‘I make my mind say to my hand “You have to do this.”’ He’d talk his hand into drawing a line that wouldn’t quiver. It was amazing. Eventually, it got so hard, that we had to find the better doctor, the one with Parkinson’s who helped him so much.

“He was slowly going downhill with it getting worse and worse. Today, going through the address book to send people cards, I saw two addresses he wrote before, and you’d swear to God that they were so wiggly. Right now, I see how hard it was for him to draw a line, even with the medicines and the new doctors and changes they’re trying to do, it’s getting worse.”

Despite it all, Pocho does not feel sorry for herself, but only feels empathy for Gray’s plight. Perhaps there is a relief that she knows he is no longer suffering? That all disease is left with the crude shell we call a body upon death? Surely, Gray’s hands remain calm and still in heaven.

Still, Gray’s loss will still take time for those who loved him to deal with… including the cat Pippi, who still sleeps on the ceiling beams, waiting for “Gray to come in the door.” It has been two weeks since his death, and she is just now coming down for dinner breaks.

January 2002

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“[Gray was] the best that ever happened to me on this planet,” Pocho says. “I was so happy to be with him. When I first met him, I couldn’t wait to be in the same room with him. We’d laugh and talk about all the things in his life, about music and art, about people, experiences. He always had a listening ear, caring thoughts, and always welcome to have me in his home. He was my best friend. In my poem, I wrote ‘He also was my hero.’ I thought the world of him.”

She sends a poem out by e-mail, a poem used to help focus her grief and channel it through her sense of humor: The bars are always open up here in The heavenly skies, Where they always serve you Scotch, Whiskey & Rye. When our glasses are almost empty All you have to do, is ask the bartender To fill it up with Tulamore Dew. One never has a hangover or a dizzy Spell, for that is reserved solely for those Who dwell in Hell.

If you ever get to Heaven don’t forget to Look us up, please, Love and cheers to all, Gray Morrow, Pat Boyette, Wally Wood, And John Belfi…

Above: CBA associate editor Christopher Irving was perhaps most impressed with the atmosphere of Gray Morrow’s studio (which remains in the same condition as the artist left it in November) as the essence of the recently-deceased master seemed to reside. Picture courtesy of Alan Kupperberg, who took this shot on the day of Gray’s well-attended wake.

“He was a pro,” Neal Adams says from Continuity Studios in New York. “I don’t like to think of him being dead. Some people die in an explosion, but Gray just slipped away, and I’m pissed at him that he did. I didn’t get to say goodbye, I didn’t get to hang out. It’s not his fault. I’m sure he did his best to stay alive, but it’s like ‘Christ!

This is not good. Don’t take Gray away from us.’”

Adams’ relationship with Gray dates back to the 1970s, during their days at DC Comics. “He was one of those new men of mystery that seemed to have shown up with the advent of Warren 51

Above: Mrs. Gray Morrow—the indomitable Pocho—embraces the stoic artist while he signs (Daredevil?) prints in their Pennsylvania cabin in an undated photo. Courtesy of Pocho.

Below: The quaint and intimate Morrow abode, nestled in the Poconos mountains of Western Pennsylvania.

Courtesy of Pocho Morrow.

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Publications. Warren, to a certain extent, was like the potentially new EC Comics, that died aborning. Just like EC Comics, I guess you could say.

“When I was casting around, I was looking for comic work, because I had just lost a portfolio of illustration work. I was no longer doing Ben Casey, the comic strip. I went to Warren, because whoever this Warren person was, he seemed to try to redo the EC thing. He had gathered in this new group of artists, people I’d never heard of before, but who somehow came together on this thing: Angelo Torres, Reed Crandall, Williamson was gathered in.

There were these old EC guys that seemed like the thrust of it.

Then, there was this guy named Gray Morrow, who set the pattern, he seemed to be sincere and more of an illustrator than a comic book artist. His line wasn’t a brush line with a point at one end, and a wide area in the middle, and a point at the other end; it was more of an illustrator’s style. I hadn’t been aware of his work, but I’d found out later that he had been bouncing around the comics field doing this and that. I wasn’t aware of him until Warren.

When I went over to Warren, I got to see his work but I didn’t get to meet him.

“Then, when I was doing work for DC Comics…“ Adams stops, reconsiders his train of thought, and then switches the tracks over. “Gray isn’t the kind of person who you’d run into and necessarily remember. He was like a fog: He just sort of appeared [and was] kind of a romantic figure with a moustache, casual clothes (like a cowboy, but like an urban cowboy), leather jacket, very casual and quiet, good-looking, but not maniacally good-looking. There was this sort of casual handsome-ness that you don’t always see in comic book guys.

“At DC Comics, he sort of appeared, came out of the mists. I got to talking to him within a short period of time. He wasn’t like the old comic book guys. The old comic book guys were always crying in their beer about how terrible things are. He was mellow, like a cowboy. He didn’t have a Western accent or anything, but a casual/ natural ‘Everything’s fine’ [attitude]. I gravitated toward him very often, because the crying and whining from the other guys drove me crazy, and he never did that. I got to know him on a fairly regular basis. He

was never up-front, but always there and in it for the good fight.

When we were forming the academy, Gray was in the frontlines. He was a regular stalwart fellow, anytime I needed help on anything.”

The fact that Morrow made an impact upon Adams, who works at a level far above the average comics artist, is only testimony to the power of Gray’s work. The two had remained in touch every once in a while, even through Gray’s illness.

“I think of Gray as a contemporary, and I’m angry that he died,” Adams confesses. “I don’t feel good about it in any way.

There’s nothing about Gray dying… I’m not thankful about anything, I just hate it. The guy was a great guy.”

And for those who never met the man, but miss him and grieve for him in our own way?

“If Gray were next to you, Gray would put his arm around your shoulder and say ‘Hey, it’s all right. I did good,’” Adams laughs. “He did [all right], he did good work.” “[Gray] wasn’t noted as the most dynamic artist, like Neal Adams, for example,” Tom Grindberg says a few hours after the phone conversation with Adams. “He drew in a realistic way, and illustrative fashion, like people from the 1950s. Neal’s stuff was all derivative of the Stan Drake art. Guys like that, I’ve learned an awful lot from. I’ve always liked Norman Rockwell, and all of the illustrators of that period. When it came down to comic book artists, it was the same thing all over again, and when you find out what their influences were, they were the same things I was looking at, all the illustrators from that era. I guess it’s a curse and blessing at the same time, because it has a timeless quality. He knew how to draw women beautifully, he knew how to draw men beautifully, he knew how to draw backgrounds beautifully, cars, airplanes… That’s what I mean by an artist’s artist: someone who can make something convincing.

Plus, I loved Gray’s Warren work, and his Tarzan strip was always something I looked for every Sunday.

“It’s the little things that you feel happy to see. Gray’s work was definitely one of the things that influenced my decision to get into comic books. He was definitely with the top artists of the time.”

Grindberg, like Gray, was never a comic artist attached to one project. One of the younger partygoers that past Sunday, Grindberg has pretty much given up on drawing comic books in today’s dying industry, and has instead focused on promotional art and advertisingtype projects. Gray was, in many ways, his mentor.

“The last time I saw Gray was about two years ago. I think he might have made it to a Ramapo [New York] show. I know Gray was getting up there in years, and that his health may not have been as good as someone like Al Williamson. I had no clue that Gray was that sick. I didn’t realize, also, that they took Tarzan away from him. I didn’t understand what was going on. You hear stuff like that and hope for the best. It was a great shock. I just couldn’t believe Gray was gone.”

The latest issue of Comics Buyer’s Guide, with its sharp new design and new format, printed an obituary on Gray. ‘Gray Morrow Dies.’ Dwight Graydon Morrow, born March 7, 1934, dead November 6. This is what he drew. He lived, he drew, he died. There are two fuzzy snapshots of him at different signings, and quotes from Mark Wheatley about the Gray Morrow: Visionary book. It is an informative obituary, handled well to accommodate a weekly magazine, but doesn’t begin to touch on the core of the man, of the eccentricities or flamboyancy spoken so widely in the past few days.

On Thanksgiving Day, Joe Sinnott calls to wish a happy holiday, and the conversation (as many held this past week) comes around to Gray Morrow. “I really didn’t know Gray that well,” Sinnott admits.

“I met him at conventions, and never really talked that much. My first-hand impression was that he appeared very flamboyant, and a very colorful character. I knew of his versatility. He did a number of different types of art, cartoon-wise, and he was good at all of it, if I remember correctly. I always appreciated that in cartoonists. John Severin has always been one of my favorites because of that, because he was so versatile. I felt that Gray was that way.

“The last time I saw him. You know how he was tall and thin.

He had a white suit on with a white panama hat on. He stood out in the crowd. I don’t know if he was as flamboyant as he looked and COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

appeared to be, but I’m inclined to think that maybe he was. In any case, he’ll leave his mark on the comic industry like a lot of great ones.”

Don Kraar is a slight, tall, dark-haired man with the air of a gentleman about, and a low, dramatic voice. He wrote Tarzan for a dozen years. “Gray Morrow was simply one of the best friends I’ve ever had,” Kraar says over the phone. “The last time I saw him, I took he and Pocho out to dinner, and I commented during the dinner ‘In 30 years, we’ve never had a bad moment.’

That’s pretty remarkable for a relationship, personal or professional. There was a lot of emotion involved.

“I met Gray when I was a teenager. He was just always, wonderfully down-to-earth, and refreshingly honest and straightforward. He was a person who never played games.

He never condescended. He just dealt with you as a human being. I got to know him over the years and liked him enormously. As time went by, I got to know him better.

“Apparently, he was not too happy with the script he had from United Features for the Tarzan story he’d just completed. They were suggesting getting another writer, and he suggested me to them. The editor there called and asked if I’d like to do Tarzan, and I said ‘I’d love to do it.’ I wrote a couple of sample plots for them, and they called back and said ‘You’ve got Tarzan.’ I proceeded to work.

Gray had comments as far as what I could improve upon to match the content to the form. It was very positive and constructive. We had excellent communication, and I worked on those things over time. It became a very happy collaboration. When someone like Gray had something to say about content and form, you really had to listen, because of his experience. I paid attention and did it. It was just very gratifying.

“We didn’t get paid that much, since strips don’t pay much. I’d been doing it for 12 years, doing 50 stories. When you start looking at the financial picture: the taxes and cost of doing business and so forth, I wasn’t really making anything. I explained to Gray that, financially, I didn’t know if I could continue doing it. He understood that, and there was no problem. With regrets, I left the strip after United Features didn’t come up with a reasonable increase.”

Kraar’s voice comes through the receiver in low tones, rising with a storyteller’s flair when required, and dropping when the conversation turns to the more tragic details of Gray’s life. Most of the conversation comes out in a lower voice.

“In terms of their letting Gray go, I think that the decision was made by people who strictly looked at the bottom line. I have never seen any particular effort made by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., or United Features to promote the strip. In fact, I never saw Burroughs do much to keep Tarzan in the public eye over those years. It doesn’t present a very good picture, but with the decline of the newspaper strip—in particular, the adventure strip—I suppose this is the current trend of events. It’s a very tough situation and, with declining health, was a dilemma for Gray. It was a tough spot to be in, and a terrible feeling of impotency, since there wasn’t much his friends could do to help. That part of it leaves you feeling very sad of the whole picture.

I don’t blame the editor, Amy Lago, it was not her fault or decision that he was let go. I don’t think that was the primary cause of events: it was declining health. Parkinson’s is a dreadful disease. I felt bad. If anyone was a decent human being it was Gray. What more can I tell you?”

There is wisdom in Angelo Torres’ voice, perhaps from a combination of age and experience. Next to Al Williamson, he is perhaps Gray’s oldest friend. “I met Gray through Al Williamson,” Torres remembers. “I had met Al about a year before that. I used to drive out to see Al periodically. He lived in the Bronx then, and I lived in Brooklyn. He said ‘Would you mind picking up a couple of guys, friends of mine that I just met recently? They’re real nice guys, bring them out.’ I said ‘Fine.’ I stopped in at West 76th Street, where he lived with Howard O’Donnell. I introduced myself, and they knew I was picking them up. We drove up to see Al together, and by the time we got to Al’s, I had so many things in common with Gray that we hit it off and started seeing each other regularly.

“He had just arrived in Chicago, not too long before that, from the Mid-West (he was from Fort Wayne, Indiana). He was totally difJanuary 2002

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ferent than any other friend I had in New York.

Most of my friends were from New York, most of them from Brooklyn, and Gray just seemed totally different from anyone else.

He seemed very aristocratic, very good-looking, young, cleanshaven, and he told us about how he grew up with his Dad’s horses, and how he was a good horseman. He seemed totally different from most of the guys we knew. But, by the same token, he was just so charming, and we hit it off right away.”

Pocho is Gray’s second wife. Morrow married a young actress, Betty, in the late 1950s “Gray and Howard lived on West 76th Street, which is now one of the poshest areas of the city. In those days, these brownstones were rented out to actors, actresses, and artists. They lived at 19 West, which is right around the corner from the Museum of Natural History. At 21 West, which was right next door, a whole bunch of actors and actresses lived. As a matter of fact, my present wife was one of those girls. I knew her then, we didn’t see each other for years, and then we got together again. His first wife was also in that group. They had all gone to school together, and were all from the South, the Memphis and Southern Missouri area. Betty, who’d eventually marry Gray, was one of that group. She was also into the theater, like my wife, and into music and so on.

They hit it off and eventually married.”

Above: Two snapshots of Gray Morrow from 1956, courtesy of Pocho. At left, the artist poses for a comic book story (for Al Williamson?) and above is the dapper Man about Town who remains legend in the industry.

Above: During a visit to the Morrow cabin in the Summer of 2001, premier comic book artists Al Williamson (left) and Ernie Colón (right) flank Gray Morrow as they share a few beers and some laughs. Courtesy of Pocho Morrow.

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Above: Two artist legends and old friends—Frank Frazetta (left) and Gray Morrow pose for this 2001 photo, courtesy of Ray Cuthbert.

Below: The artist turns the other cheek in this photo courtesy of Pocho.

Whatever happened to the former Mrs. Morrow? Betty was never brought up at the party, or in any subsequent phone conversations. Torres and his wife still keep in touch with Betty, who has now moved to the West Coast. Torres, with a gentlemanly yet protective tone to his voice, explains that she “is very private and has put all of this behind her.”

“The period when we really saw each other was the early years,” he reminisces. “I hung out with him quite a bit before he went into the service and he worked for Stan Lee and Classic Comics [Gilberton Publications].

At that time, the bottom was falling out of the market, but we always managed to find some work. We found ourselves working for the same people, and hung out a lot. We’d work all night, drink beer, smoke cigars and tell jokes. We had a nice relationship going. We also did a lot of travelling out of the city and going camping and doing other outdoors-y stuff, which he was very much into. We enjoyed each other that way. Of course, the movies and chapters which we managed to catch with Williamson and others.”

Like others, Angelo Torres has a final memory of Gray, his seems more observant, perhaps since he has known the man longer than most anyone else. “I saw him at San Diego, at the Comic Con out there. He was out there with Pocho and had a table. We saw each other several times. He seemed to be in pain. He was using a cane to walk. He told me he was fine, but I could see that he was in a great deal of pain, it seemed. Just not well at all.”

Angelo Torres paints a romantic picture of the man, one culled from his early years as both a young man and an artist.

Rather than the flamboyant, goateed older man and seasoned artist so many other remember Gray Morrow as, Torres conjures up memories of Morrow in his youthful prime.

“He was so prolific with his work. He’d just work when he got one of these jobs. He enjoyed it, and had so much fun doing the work, whether it was classic stuff, or the Stan Lee stuff. He just enjoyed it, and just got better and better as he went along. He emerged as the illustrator he became. He was a tremendous artist and a very good friend. We went on with our separate lives. There was a lot of years between then and now. I sometimes sit down and think ‘My God, it was 30 or 40 years ago that I was running around with Gray and doing the stupid things we did.’ We had other friends we also hung out with, and did a lot of things.” “[Gray] was one of those people like Frank Capra and the wonderful old-time directors who made you feel that they were telling you a story without playing up their own role,” Ernie Colón observes.

“You never looked at his strip and said ‘Isn’t this panel interesting?’ or ‘Look at the figure jumping out of the panel.’

He never called attention to himself as a director, he just wanted to tell the story. I admired that a lot. It was deceptively simple. A lot of technique went into that type of storytelling.”

Colón first encountered Gray about 18 years ago, during the artists/writers bar-hopping scene. Colón, at the time, was an editor at DC Comics.

“Sly” is how he describes Morrow. “He had a very sly smile on his face. He would often go for long stretches of time not saying anything, but taking in everything being said. When he said anything, it was usually brief and trenchant, so that it always stopped what everybody else was indulging in, and then the buzz would resume. He was a

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very intelligent man, very perceptive.”

The Sunday wake comes up in conversation, and Colón gives his perspective, particularly of the spreading of the ashes: “There were a lot of laughs. The drink flowed freely, but no one was inebriated. Everyone kept it to a sensible observance. I felt that he was missing, of course. Everything in the place was of him, whether it was pipes, or ashtrays or clothing, or his artwork on the walls. I really and truly felt that he was gone when his ashes were scattered over the pond behind the house. That’s when it hit me that he was really and truly gone.”

Pocho sounds much more chipper come Friday, perhaps spending time with her family on Thanksgiving the preceding day has helped to liven her spirits. She sounds more like the carefree spirit from last Sunday’s wake. Her sense of humor is more intact than it was two days previous.

“As everyone was partying all the time here, I gathered them next to Gray’s picture, and said ‘I have a poem here to read, and I’d like you to hear it. It’s to my husband Gray.’ I read the poem and then I said ‘We’re spreading the ashes. Those of you who want to come out, please do.’

“When we got out there, I said ‘Do not be grossed out by what I’m going to do. I put the ashes in my hand because: This is not Gray. This is the material that made his body that he used on this Earth. We’re doing this in memory of him. If you’d like to do this, please do.’

“I spread the ashes and said ‘Now and forever, I will love you.’

We were returning Gray’s ashes to the earth, air, and water, which I thought was very important. We did that, went in the house, and drank some more.”

She laughs, almost as a balance for the seriousness of the conversation. Gray’s dismissal from Tarzan comes up again, and leads to his attitude as an artist. “He never cared about promotion, about selling himself and saying ‘Aren’t I good? Look at me! Kiss my butt!’” Pocho laughs. “He was never like that. He’d say ‘If they like it, they like it,’ and would go on to another thing.”

Mark Wheatley first met Gray at a convention in the late ’90s, held by the Edgar Rice Burroughs Bibiliophiles group. Within a few years, Mark would be the major force behind the Gray Morrow: Visionary book, as well as behind Gray’s tenure on the Internet strip The Body. “At that point, I’m afraid Gray was already suffering from the Parkinson’s, and I thought that he seemed ill,” Wheatley recalls the convention. “If I remember, he was moving very slow at that convention, and it caught us all off guard. I think he had oxygen with him. Whether he needed it a lot or not, it was a big red signal to all of us at the convention (it was a small convention; 80 or 100 people), but we didn’t ask. It would be some time before I found out what was going on.”

The Body was an aborted strip, written and drawn by Wheatley, for Heavy Metal magazine in the late ’70s. It wasn’t until recently, when Mark’s Insight Studios started the Sunny Fundays Website, that The Body had a home. “Allan Gross and I decided to start putting up some of those long-delayed strips as Sunday strips. I did The Body that way, with Allan writing with me, and he drafted Gray in, which I thought was incredible.

“There’s an interesting connection there, because the original, seminal inspiration for The Body came from a story I read as a kid in Creepy magazine, which I believe was called ‘A Wardrobe of Monsters,’ and was drawn by Gray! I didn’t realize this until after we’d asked him to become a part of it, and until we were actually working on it and getting art.”

Gray’s death has left the strip unfinished. Wheatley will take over the art chores from his late friend, a “challenging” task: “I feel, in one sense, that Gray is there. There’s a certain amount of him being in the room. I guess the other challenge I have is that it started out as my strip, and I don’t want to take it back. I want to try and finish it off closer to where Gray was then how I started it.”

Unsuprisingly, Gray’s death has boosted sales of the Visionary book, more proof that sometimes you have to die in order to become famous. “Diamond ordered very heavy on Visionary, and they’re well-stocked,” Wheatley says. “Because of that, we’re not getting a COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

great amount of activity here. According to Diamond sales, reorders have picked up there. I won’t officially get that information for another week or two, but verbally, that’s what we’re getting from them. But we have seen an increase in interest in the Visionary deluxe edition, which has original art by Gray drawn in it. We have sold probably twice the number we’d sold in the last week and half.”

While most of the guests at Gray’s Scottish Wake came into the field circa the ’60s through ’70s, Frank Cho was one of the younger guests. Cho’s strip Liberty Meadows has a presence in newspapers and the Internet on www.SunnyFundays.com, the same website that features the Wheatley, Gross and Gray Morrow strip The Body. “[Gray] was quiet,” Cho says of his first encounter with Morrow. “I’ve always pictured these guys from the stuff they draw, and Gray Morrow always drew this great space opera like Buck Rogers. I thought he’d be more animated, but he was very, very quiet, and had a great sense of humor. He’s a listener, not a talker, but a listener. He had a great sense of humor. When I first met him, it threw me off because he was so quiet, but as the evening wore on and I listened to the stuff he had to say, I appreciated his company.”

“What blew my mind was that I only knew Gray through his comic work,” Cho later confesses. “I never knew that he did all these paperback covers. I was even more impressed by his paintings. All these years, I didn’t know that he had this other life as a painter.

When Mark Wheatley was putting the Gray Morrow book together, I was drooling over these cover paintings Mark was getting. I’m just amazed at his range of talent.”

Cho’s first visit to the Morrow homestead in Pennsylvania is one more addition to a growing list of humorous anecdotes about the man: “When I first went to his place, he had a pool party. As soon as we drove up, there were these gun shots! We were in the back woods, and it felt like ‘Oh my God! I’m getting shot at from these crazy rednecks!’ It was a bunch of the other guests who had a target set-up at the pond!”

The December issue of Comic Shop News features an article on the new Tarzan creative team: Alex Simmons and Eric Battle, in a short feature. Simmons’ Blackjack character will cross over with Tarzan, who now wields long black hair in the 1990s Image Comics style Battle draws in. Simmons calls it a “bad boy” series. On the same page is “Gray Morrow Passes Away,” the final news item (after the press announcements and comic book news). Morrow’s work is described as “acclaimed,” having a “realistic approach,” “stunning” and “bold.” Nowhere is it mentioned that he drew Tarzan for 18 years.

“Our memories of people are them in their prime,” Larry Hama observes. “When I think of Gray, I think of him 20 years ago, dressed almost like a riverboat gambler. Putting on his cowboy suit and riding his horse, riding his motorcycle, and being really active. He was a guy who lived out his fantasies: Gray had a cowboy suit and horse. He put on his cowboy suit and hat, and rode around.

“When I first met him, I had commented to Woody and said ‘Gray is the first adult I’ve ever met in the comic book business.’

“Woody turned to me and said ‘How many adults do you know have a complete Blackhawk uniform hanging in his closet?’”

Hama laughs.

Gray Morrow: Visionary is a slim hardcover volume with a glossy dust jacket featuring one of Gray’s countless sword-&-sorcery paintings. The work on display, along with the appreciations from colleagues and friends, only hint at the vast scope of work done by Morrow. Any sequential art featured is mostly of the comic strip nature (although the eight-page Buck Rogers story is in comic book format), with an emphasis on his illustrations for paperback books and movie posters.

Morrow’s art is laced with sexuality, through a tilt of a woman’s hip, or a barely concealed breast. His men are molded in the Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan mold, or the Alex Raymond Flash Gordon style. Gray Morrow was a man whose work possessed a timeless and heroic quality.

However, there is very little of Gray Morrow himself in Gray January 2002

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Morrow: Visionary.

What Gray Morrow is there (aside from his art) is in the testimonies and tributes by his friends: Al Williamson, Angelo Torres, Allan Gross, Mark Wheatley and more. A few photographs of Gray at play in the 1950s appear in the biography written by Allan Gross. Gray hanging with Howard O’Donnell and Al Williamson. Gray as a slender young man fencing with his friends, fantasizing a park in New York as a pirate ship with cannons blazing, the mast flapping in the wind, sharks biting in the water outside the hull, and a beautiful (scantily clad) woman on the deck watching the battle between good and evil with bated breath.

Gray Morrow: Visionary cannot begin to touch on Morrow’s body of work, it would need to be a multi-volume project for that to happen, but it does touch on the inspirations that helped direct him to becoming the artist he had become, and showcases the fine art side of Morrow’s.

Before Gray’s death, what was his version of Citizen Kane’s “Rosebud”? His horse as a child? A Buster Crabbe Flash Gordon serial? Perhaps the alleged Blackhawk uniform hanging in his closet, or the weekly Tarzan strip?

Morrow was, as Hama put it, a man who vicariously lived through his strips and his art. Playtime hadn’t stopped for Gray once he became a grown man. When the Parkinson’s kicked in, playtime was over and Morrow could no longer enjoy life quite the same way.

Gray’s penchant for fantasy most likely made him a man that had the elements of his childhood still mixed into the stuff that was the adult Gray Morrow. Apparently, not being considered a “hot” artist in the contemporary, predominantly super-hero marketplace never bothered him. Morrow was content enough to just do work he was happy with.

Many friends see Gray Morrow riding his horse Autumn in Heaven, or having an endless drinking party with his contemporaries and influences. However, it may also be likely that Gray Morrow is now sitting behind the controls of a great rocket ship, bracing himself for a dogfight in outer space. Maybe he’s wrestling a vicious jungle predator to the ground. Perhaps with a rapier in his hand, he is fending off the advances of an evil galactic despot’s monstrous alien army. With his hands on the biplane controls, he is pulling out of turbulence, into a last-minute save….

Wherever Gray Morrow is, there is the feeling that he is on some adventure or other, being the acclaimed gentleman, with the wonder of a child mixed with the wisdom of adulthood into a unique man.

He was a man.

—Christopher Irving

Above: Gray and Pocho Morrow at a comic convention. Courtesy of Ray Cuthbert.

Below: Gray Morrow and his omnipresent pipe and pencil.

Courtesy of Pocho.

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Professional Courtesies

Farewell to the Master His peers & friends discuss Gray Morrow: The man & his artistry EDITOR’S NOTE: It is with profound appreciation that CBA offers its gratitude to Mark Wheatley, Alan Kupperberg, and all who so quickly came to our aid in this quickly-prepared tribute to Gray Morrow. In testament to how well the man was loved by his peers, this section came together so seamlessly yet with an abiding passion. Our hat’s off to these good friends of Gray.—JBC

Below: Israeli artist Michael Netzer (formerly known as 1970s’ DC artist Mike Nasser) contributed this portrait of Gray exclusively for this tribute. ©2002 Michael Netzer.

compiled by Alan Kupperberg & Mark Wheatley

Michael Netzer artist Bearing a gentle soul and armed with a potent measure of grace, you decorated an industry of the creators you touched with your gentlemanly warmth and uncompromising honor for the truths you knew.

This essence of the man in you found its expression in every piece of art you produced. With it you touched the chords of harmony and beauty in an industry drunken with the images of brash power and wanton thirst for violence.

You were the one who walked softly amongst us and carried a stick too big for us to see. Your quiet manner was no indication of the inner power you showed in fending off the calls to put aside your vision of peace and harmony for the one of drama and chaos that lined the pages of our lives. You were a hopeful light that shined in a dark and fearful world… but you knew no fear.

Have peace, our friend, and thank you for the inspiration you leave an industry that mourns not having heard your call.

Perhaps, with your passing, we'll remember the better sides of the creative spirit. Perhaps, in your remembrance, we'll seek the better sides of our souls.

Dick Giordano artist/editor (The following was intended to be included in Gray Morrow: Visionary, the coffee table book that celebrated his art and career. In a letter asking me to write “a few kind words about my art, my paintings, my stories and comics,” Gray concluded with a request to send my text to his Tarzan co-writer, because “if I had to read this stuff you’re going to write about me, I’d be much too embarrassed…!” That was Gray. Anyway, I missed the deadline, I guess (although one was not given me) and I felt badly. Still do. But I’ll feel a small bit better if I can belatedly tell the world.)

Memory fails! Did I meet Gray Morrow and first see his wonderful, illustrative work when I edited for DC Comics in the late ’60s?

I really can’t remember.

What I can recall is that Gray drew things as they actually looked but with style and grace, very much like my heroes Alex Raymond and Hal Foster drew… and very much like I wanted to draw. I can’t remember the precise circumstances, but shortly after meeting Gray, I was offered a story to ink that Gray had penciled.

The pencils were beautiful and I couldn’t wait to start inking! Alas, I just wasn’t up to it. I absolutely destroyed his work (I felt), and it was my last such experience.

While at DC, I was able to get Gray to do some work for me (never enough; he was always busy elsewhere). He beautifully designed and illustrated a number of introduction pages for the romance titles I edited. These intro pages were to create a mood, like a frontispiece, for the material that followed. Gray’s work was often the high point of the issue. Later, he created the montage-like graphics for an illustrated text feature I experimented with, I believe, in one of my romance titles. Again, Gray brought more into the work that I could have anticipated. They were stunningly different, well thought out and beautifully executed.

In the years since then, Gray’s and my paths have not crossed very often but I always followed his work… and wished I was half as good!

Alan Weiss artist I met Gray Morrow up in the DC offices, in the small, windowless, practically airless art-o-graph room. It must have been 1970. Neal Adams introduced us. Gray was working on an “El Diablo” page.

I babbled something about how I’d admired and studied his work since I’d first seen it years earlier in the Warren magazines. I was particularly impressed with his Westerns. His extraordinary attention to costumes, detail, and firearms demonstrated an obvious love for the genre. I asked him about all this comparatively “above-thecall-of-duty” research.

Gray paused, puffed on his pipe, cocked one eyebrow, coolwise, and softly replied, “Well, that’s the fun, isn’t it?”

Gray’s art always exhibited that element of fun, and more. His work radiated a quality of lively adventure best described by William S. Hart as “The Thrill of it All!” Through the years, it was my great pleasure to work with Gray on at least a handful of occasions. Though many may have been closer, I think he considered me a friend. We could always talk comics, cowboys, babes and swashbucklers. Calling to invite me to his annual summer bash, he’d always genially add, “Wouldn’t be the same without you.”

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When asked to write a short piece for the recent collection of his work, Gray Morrow: Visionary, I searched my mind-files for some concise description of his style. How best to express the unique warmth and humanity this fine draftsman bestowed upon even the most fantastic characters? I didn’t have to search long. Two words— romantic realism—dropped into my brain and onto the page. They seemed fitting. This past summer, the last time I saw Gray, I asked him what he thought of this characterization.

Just like that first time we met, he paused, took a puff or two on his pipe, raised one eyebrow, and casually said, “I can live with that.”

I wish he had—at least a while longer. Long enough to sit with him a few more times, to laugh a little, raise a glass or two, maybe talk some cowboys and swashbucklers. But who am I to question destiny’s timetable?

To me, Gray was a swashbuckler. A gentleman illustrator. The coolest. Surely, the world of adventure art has not, and will not, be graced by a finer artist… or a finer man.

Don Kraar writer There are some things that you never want to write, some things that you never want to think at all. It is impossible to sum up Gray Morrow. To many people, he will be remembered as an eminent fantasy and comics artist. To Edgar Rice Burroughs fans, he was the artist who drew the Tarzan Sunday newspaper strip for 18 years. It was my good fortune to be his collaborator for 12 of those years. Yet, Gray was much more than an artist whom I worked with over the years.

Most of all, he was a close friend. If my thoughts seem personal then I must ask you to indulge me. There is simply no way that I could ever be entirely objective about Gray.

Gray Morrow came into my life in the Fall of 1971, when I was still a student. We met at the old offices of National Periodicals (before the name was officially changed to “DC”). He was the image of the gentleman artist.

Smartly dressed, wearing a neatly trimmed Van Dyke, and equipped with an ever-present pipe, he was a casting director’s dream. Quietly confident, he had no need for egotism. To my delight, I learned that he scoffed at it. As time went by, I came to realize that his straightforward manner was absolutely genuine. Gray had no guile, pretense, hypocrisy, or malice, and little use for those who did. His openness and easy going good humor completely won me over, just as it had won over most people. Although he was a generation older than my contemporaries, he never condescended and never played games. Unless you have been directly involved in the comics business, you have no idea how rare that seemed to be the case. As our friend Cary Bates put it, “In an industry known for back-biting, petty people, I never heard a negative word about Gray from anyone.

Quite the contrary.” Yet, Gray was no pushover. He was very much a man’s man, but mercifully free of macho swagger.

Over the years, I got to know him well. Gray was very much his own man. You always knew where you stood with Gray, and you could let your guard down with him. He was always good company and we had a lot of laughs. Our relationship was always marked by mutual respect and growing candor. After he moved out to New Jersey, I visited him often. Gray let me ride his horse, Autumn. We got in some target practice with handguns. We shared a love of movies, comics, fantasy fiction, as well as a disdain for professional sports, sentimental television shows, and posturing politicians.

In 1983, the editor at United Features called and told me that Gray had recommended me to write the Tarzan Sunday newspaper strip. To say that I jumped at the chance would be a colossal understatement. Doing Tarzan with Gray was a dream come true. His supportive and instructive attitude helped me adjust my expansive instincts to the restrictions of the newspaper strip form. It became a very smooth working relationship, which only served to deepen our personal relationship. Over time, it became the happiest collaboration January 2002

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that I have ever known in any creative field.

Gray’s wife, Pocho—real name: Patricia—further enriched our relationship. Pocho and I hit it off from the beginning. She shared Gray’s down-to-earth charm and Rabelaisian humor. When they moved out to the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, I was frequently their guest. Summer pool parties and sumptuous dinners replete with Pocho’s cooking were some of the high points. Those will always be wonderful memories for me.

Gray, Pocho, and I were very grateful for the warm reception we received from the Burroughs Bibliophiles at the Pittsburgh Dum Dum in 1993. The generous support of George McWhorter, Bob Hyde, Ken Webber, Mike Conran, and Bill Morse, to name but a few, will always be deeply appreciated. The fact that Gray and I found an appreciative audience for our work on the Tarzan strip was something that we never took for granted.

Gray never questioned my decision to leave the Tarzan strip.

After the strain of my parents’ final illnesses, I needed time to write on speculation. The fact that I could not get a cost of living rate increase from the syndicate became the deciding factor. Gray understood and remained supportive of my efforts.

As Gray’s health began to fail, Pocho’s care made the vital difference. She kept him alive. Gray’s many friends owe her their profound gratitude and respect. In 1998, Gray was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. At least he could give a name to the problems that he had been experiencing for a few years. The work that he had accomplished with such relative ease in the past became increasingly difficult.

By the 1990s, Gray found himself part of a group of veteran artists who found themselves underemployed. The newspaper story strip seemed like an anachronism. Meanwhile, the comic book industry seemed to be entering its death throes. Nothing could seem to make a difference in this case. When United Features dropped Gray from the Tarzan strip this past August, he told me that he had felt it coming for some time.

Above: Happy trails to an old hand. Longtime Gray Morrow compadre Alan Weiss contributes this heartfelt drawing of the late artist taking one last ride on his trusty steed. Alan and his wife, Pauline, have remained strident and devoted friends to Gray’s wife, Pocho, and we salute their sincere and loving efforts on behalf of the Morrows. ©2002 Alan Weiss.

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Above: Longtime comic book artist and Gray Morrow friend Alan Kupperberg succienctly captures the essence of the suave and debonair artist in this illustration drawn just for this tribute. ©2002 Alan Kupperberg.

On Nov. 3, I managed to get out to Pennsylvania to see Gray and Pocho.

It had been difficult to make arrangements since September 11.

Not having seen him for some months, I was taken aback by the change in his appearance.

He had lost a lot of weight and suffering was clearly written in his face.

It would have been worth the trip just to have Gray sign my copy of his recent book, Gray Morrow: Visionary. Gray wanted me to take some originals from the Tarzan strip. With mixed feelings, I selected half a dozen pieces, knowing that Gray was giving up potential income. Later that day, Gray and Pocho were my guests for a “30th Anniversary Dinner.” In the course of the evening, I remarked that in thirty years Gray and I never had a bad moment. That alone would have been remarkable. Staying overnight, Gray and I watched old Republic serials on video. Before I left on Sunday, I spoke to Gray, never knowing that I was saying goodbye.

The following Tuesday evening, November 6th, I heard Pocho’s frantic voice over the speaker on my telephone answering machine.

Even before I raced for the phone, I realized what had happened.

Pocho and I stayed on the line until the EMS workers arrived. As I told her later, if it had to be this way then I’m just grateful that I could see Gray one more time, and that I could be there for Pocho when she called.

On Sunday, November 18th, Pocho gave a party for Gray’s friends. It was not an occasion for mourning, but a celebration of his life. At sunset, we spread some of Gray’s ashes on the pond by the house. As the ashes slipped through my fingers, I found myself saying, “Friendship lives.” That friendship will always remain a part of me.

It is often said that we do not get to choose our families, but we get to choose our friends. Gray Morrow was a friend who was like a member of the family that I got to choose. In many ways, he was the older, wiser brother that I never had. Above all, I feel fortunate to have known him. Certainly, his many friends and acquaintances feel the same way. Speaking personally, I will miss him until the day I die.

Alan Kupperberg artist Gray Morrow was the first man I ever saw wearing an ascot in real life.

I was as awed by Gray that day in 1969 as I was by him the last time I saw him on August 5, 2001. Gray was that rarity in this profession: As impressive a person as he was a craftsman. I think part of the reason was best summed up by Larry Hama, who once remarked to Wally Wood, that he thought, “Gray Morrow was the only grown-up,” Larry could name in the comic book business.

58

There’s a lot to that observation. Because more so than most artists, Gray let his art do the talking. In a world of self-congratulating blowhards, Gray’s quiet, unassuming dignity stood him far apart and way above so many of his peers.

In a business abounding with insecure talents (and demi-talents), who mistake being obnoxious for camaraderie and gratuitous insults for wit, Gray observed the game, but he did not stoop to play.

Gray knew it was a game for idiots and he ceded the field to the experts.

Besides, Gray could lay waste to legions with the mere elevation of a single eyebrow. An eyebrow deadlier, more acute than a sack full of pundits in full rant. Gray Morrow saved his keen observations for the drawing board.

Because what Gray Morrow put on paper and canvas always was the truth. You’d look at his work and know it was right. He was certainly the master of what Alan Weiss so aptly termed, “romantic realism.”

Adrift in a sea of whiners, Gray bore what life dealt him with a—that word again—dignity that was positively regal.

I can only imagine the hurt he was dealt when the syndicate took Tarzan away from Gray after 18 record years on that feature. If there is no justice in this world, I can only hope for a better place, another world, where Gray has taken up his fencing foil again and he and Basil Rathbone are having a ball playing Robin Hood.

Though Gray and I had never been pals, he'd been a gracious host to me a number of times over a number of decades and in a number of his homes. Most recently on the peaceful Pennsylvania “farm” he shared with his beautiful wife, Pocho.

When I say that Pocho was an expert and devoted in the care and feeding of an artist—well, only those in this difficult field can appreciate what a truly daunting task that can be. I’m glad folks are letting the world know how much Gray meant to all of us. And I hope the world knows how much Pocho meant to Gray. I know she means a lot to us who loved Gray and love her.

God must be gathering in the best, lately. And I often feel as though the best of my childhood is vanishing more rapidly than I care to cope with. Luckily we still have Gray’s work and that is a comfort. A masterful comfort.

Adio, maestro.

Dave Gibbons artist I didn't know Gray, but had always admired his work; a blend of the solidly naturalistic and the romantic. I was lucky enough to work with him on a short story which I wrote for a DC Christmas Special. He did a beautiful job. Of course.

Allan Gross writer I met Gray Morrow in the sunset of his career. And like many Edgar Rice Burroughs fans, I was only familiar with his work through his legendary 18-year run on the Tarzan Sunday newspaper strip. I had no idea of the incredible range of talent Gray possessed or the scope of his career. Later, as we became friends, and as I became his biographer, this amazing world would open up to me. The story of his career can be found in Gray Morrow: Visionary, the coffee table art book that Mark Wheatley and I published in an attempt to do justice to Gray’s 50 years of diverse and amazing illustration work. But it couldn’t tell the whole story. There was no room to express the personal aspects of working with Gray, or the strong and unique friendship we developed.

It has been several years since I began writing stories with Gray’s illustrations for the United Features Syndicate Tarzan newspaper strip. Creating scripts for Gray was a pure joy. Whether it was the two years we spent working together on Tarzan, or the year working on the on-line daily strip The Body, I always looked forward to seeing what Gray would create from what I had written. He had the rare gift to embellish any story and to visualize exactly what I wanted. As I sit in my office, surrounded by his art, I would much prefer to be writing a story for him to illustrate than this heartfelt remembrance.

And though his passing has caused me great pain, I truly appreciate the uniqueness of our friendship and the good times we had— COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

though I must admit that our first meeting turned out to be quite an embarrassment for me!

The first time I spoke with Gray, I called him up to introduce myself and let him know that he could contact me if he had any questions about my script. I had even sent him some panel breakdowns and reference for the story. In his good natured, soft-spoken way he politely told me it wasn’t necessary. Later we’d laugh about this faux pas. I might as well have asked Cal Ripken Jr. if he wanted some pointers on fielding ground balls. Gray had drawn everything.

He’d forgotten more projects than most artists would do in their careers. And his art was always an extension of himself and the rare ability to give life to any scene, especially to ones that had never existed.

Fortunately, I got over my embarrassment and continued to call him whenever I was plotting a new script. I wanted to make sure he would enjoy the story. I also wanted to work in plot points or characters that he wanted to draw. Gray was a cowboy at heart, but he hadn’t had the opportunity to do any Westerns lately, so I wrote one Tarzan story with a Martian horse in a heroic role. And with The Body, Mark Wheatley and I (co-writing), opened with a film noir story arc in response to Gray’s request to try something in that style.

His only limiting request was that I not write stories with a “cast of thousands.” I was sorry to find out why.

Though I didn’t realize it immediately, Gray was suffering from Parkinson’s Disease. It made his drawing hand shake and slowed his output greatly. Scenes with too many people taxed him more greatly than others. Still, he persevered, struggling to keep up the quality of work. And I was never more proud of him than in his final weeks when he did some of his best strips, conjuring up the strength, as if in a final battle against the illness that was crippling his body—and his spirit.

And while I greatly enjoyed working with Gray on Tarzan and The Body, my fondest memories revolve around the creation of the retrospective, coffee table art book, Gray Morrow: Visionary. When Mark Wheatley suggested the project, it offered a rare opportunity for me to get to know Gray better. Not only did I get to interview many of Gray’s friends and peers, I also spent several memorable days meeting with Gray, discussing his life and his art. On several occasions I journeyed up to his Pocono mountain retreat. We’d sit in his studio for hours, sifting through memories of the past. Then we’d take a break at the rustic Sunset Diner. There we’d stop talking about art. Instead, we discussed relationships and dreams—philosophy and people—love and life. And along the line we formed a strong bond that had nothing to do with our projects.

Gray and I came from different worlds and different times—yet we did share several things: a strong work ethic, a love for the work of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and a passion for storytelling. I’ve noticed that all three of these seem to cross the boundaries of generation and background. Gray was a throw back. He was a humble gentleman in an industry of swelled heads and self-importance. He was often shy, but he lived his life to the fullest. He rarely complained and always pointed out that he felt blessed to have been able to have a career in the field he loved. He treated co-workers and all his fans with respect. And he earned mine.

The last night I saw Gray was before the Baltimore Comic Convention, only two weeks before his death. We were scheduled to go out to dinner with the convention and other guests, but Gray was tired, so we went to his room to chat. The Parkinson’s disease and other ailments took so much out of Gray that we only had a short time before he needed to rest, but that hour will always be a precious memory for me. In many ways, that evening was a microcosm of our many conversations. We talked about a past convention in this hotel. And that led to a discussion of earlier conventions and Gray’s earliest working days in New York, sitting outside at night because it was too hot to sleep. And we spoke of New York at present—the terrorist attack and the pages he had just done for the 9-11 Emergency Relief comic book.

Finally, we talked about how the next story arc of The Body would give us enough strips for a book collection, and how we would then try to market the property. And we talked about his Parkinson’s disease. I told him how in spite of that, the last few weeks of The Body strip (which had a crossover with his old Edge of January 2002

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

Chaos hero, Eric Cleese) had been excellent. And he told me he’d been having trouble with the current week but would send it soon.

The next day at the convention I sat back and watched Gray take center stage. Although he had not been part of a major comic book project in a long time, the fans still showed up for him, many with stacks of old paperbacks and magazines he’d illustrated. Even long-time collectors with rare color roughs he had done were eager to get his signature. And though Gray was forced to rest often, he even did some sketches for fans and of course signed copies of Gray Morrow: Visionary. There were also fans who’d recently learned of Gray Morrow from the Internet posting of The Body. Even at the end of his career he was drawing new interest. The strip was getting more attention than any other posted on the Insight Studios’ SunnyFundays.com page. And it was vintage Gray Morrow, a sexy girl in a science-fiction strip. It may have been the final work of his career, but his effort and success on the project only highlighted the type of artist and the type of man he was.

So Gray, my friend, I can’t write any more scripts for you, but perhaps I could ask you for one last scene. One evening, when you’re not too busy at your drawing board in the sky or riding your horse Autumn through the clouds, could you pick up your palette and paint me a glorious sunset — one with colors and creativity that say Gray Morrow. You don’t have to sign it. When I see it, I’ll know.

And I’ll think of you. And I’ll smile.

Below: Sal Amendola contributed this somehow appropriate Gray Morrow image (reproduced here from the late artist’s colored drawing sans the black line acetate), a piece originally intended for DC’s New Talent Showcase in the early 1980s, a title helmed by Sal for a time. Art ©2002 the Morrow Estate.

Sal Amendola artist/teacher A young David Niven. Somehow, that’s who I saw when I met Gray Morrow in 1970. His skill and creativity as an artist moved me from the moment I saw his work in the mid-’60s. Technically, we became colleagues in 1969. A few years later, he was my boss.

He did work for me in the mid-’80s. Most recently, he had agreed to do the illustrations for the completed first manuscript in a series of young adult books I’m writing. A great honor. To me, however, the greatest of all his honors was that he called me “friend.” No matter the nerdy, dorky, insecure “fan-boy” behavior that emanated from me in his presence for so long after we’d met, he was kind, gentle, quiet, nonjudgmental. The only time he showed me annoyance, in fact, was when I’d confided to him how I’d felt unworthy of being in his company for that extended period after we’d met.

Gray was a great illustrator for book covers, movies, graphic novels. Yes, he was a great romance artist. Yes, he was great at science-fiction and fantasy. Yes, he could do Westerns. Yes, he could do “period pieces.” Yes, he could do humor cartoons as well as the best who’d ever done them. Yes, he could draw and he could paint. And in doing superheroes, he had his peers, but NO! NOBODY was his SUPERIOR! Gray had long ago made his mark. Virtually everyone recognized his genius. Given better health… a more prescient human society… he could have gone on making his mark far into the divinable future. I hate clichés, but Gray is evidence for the truth in the saying, “The good die young.” If Gray had lived to be 167 or 567, we would have still said, “Too young.” I don’t think he knew how much we’d miss him.

59

Ray Cuthbert

Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist ©2013 Sequential Artisit, LLC. The distinctive Will Eisner signature is a trademark of Will Eisner Studios, Inc.

Above: Portrait of the artist, courtesy of Pocho Morrow.

art collector/fan Gray Morrow was a great unsung hero in many of the media that folks in Comic Book Artist collect. I feel rotten about the fact that he's gone.

We met only once, but corresponded quite a bit through the past several years.

He did me a great favor by selling me the Al Williamson cover to Flash Gordon #1 (1966) that Al had given him as a gift at the time it was done. Gray knew how much I loved that cover, and in these past several years he'd been hard up for money. I paid him more for that piece of art than any other piece of Williamson art I've ever bought—and I've bought quite a bit—and I still got a bargain! I think what swayed him over to selling it was the fact that I knew something of his rela-

tionship with Al in relation to that book. Gray was the model for Dr. Davro in that first issue, and Gray was an uncredited inker—actually inking page 15—the final page of the first story in that book, when Al was pressed for time to complete the job. Gray also carved a wooden raygun for Al which was used as reference in the series.

Recently, Gray's health had been declining for some time. He had not been allowed to drive anymore for the past several months.

It hit him hard when he was removed as the Tarzan comic strip artist this past summer after 18 years of doing the strip (which was simply not financially viable anymore with its low circulation).

It was hard on Gray and his wife Pocho both that he simply was not getting comic book assignments with any kind of regularity.

He was not the flavor of the month, and therefore just was cast aside—his accomplishments and abilities notwithstanding.

He lived long enough to see Gray Morrow: Visionary published

by Insight Studios—which was a mixed blessing. It was wonderful that Mark Wheatley thought enough of him to publish the book, and Gray was delighted with it.

If anyone wants to give a tribute to Gray—buy the book!

The one time I actually met him in person, although we had talked on the phone several times, I asked him how he liked the San Diego Con. He had attended the 2000 Con. He looked up, kind of stunned and said, "It's been overwhelming…! And it's been a windfall, financially!" Gray was pleased that so many people had asked him for sketches or bought one of the original Tarzan strips he brought along to sell.

He was more talented than most of the people at work in the industry today. If you'd like to see some of his work check out my Lowry Gallery which has been updated today as a tribute to Gray: <http://www.comicart-l.org/comicart-l/ member.cfm?listid=ray-cuthbert> He certainly won my heart, as an artist and as a person.

The Storyteller’s Story Official Selection in over 25 film festivals worldwide “The best comics bio I’ve ever seen… It’s wonderful, well done.”

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Jeffrey Katzenberg Arguably the most influential person in American comics, Will Eisner, as artist, entrepreneur, innovator, and visual storyteller, enjoyed a career that encompassed comic books from their early beginnings in the 1930s to their development as graphic novels in the 1990s. During his sixty-year-plus career, Eisner introduced the now-traditional mode of comic book production; championed mature, sophisticated storytelling; was an early advocate for using the medium as a tool for education; pioneered the now-popular graphic novel, and served as inspiration for generations of artists. Without a doubt, Will Eisner was the godfather of the American comic book.

The award-winning full-length feature film documentary includes interviews with Eisner and many of the foremost creative talents in the U.S., including Kurt Vonnegut, Michael Chabon, Jules Feiffer, Jack Kirby, Art Spiegelman, Frank Miller, Stan Lee, Gil Kane, and others.

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CBA Interview

The Sorcerer Supreme Gray Morrow on the glorious—if short-lived—Red Circle line Below: Many a comic fan (at least those on or near the East Coast) first caught a glimpse of Gray Morrow’s wonders to come in Red Circle Comics through this b-&-w line reproduction of his Chilling Adventures in Sorcery #3 cover in an ad trumpeting the shortlived line’s arrival in the 1973 Seuling New York Comic Art Convention souvenir book. ©1973 Archie Publications, Inc.

62

Conducted by Jon B. Cooke Transcribed by Jon B. Knutson As generous, smart and kind a man as Gray Morrow was, he was one tough interview as most of my questions were longer than his answers. When I spoke to the artist in March 2001, I had hoped to kill two birds with one stone by discussing both his Warren contributions (for The Warren Companion) and his short but very sweet stint as editor of Archie Comics’ Red Circle imprint in the mid-’70s.

While afterwards Gray was kind enough to help flesh-out his Warren answers in writing for the aforementioned book, I asked if it

would be possible to visit him at his studio so we might have a fuller discussion of that short-lived but significant comics line. He graciously agreed to have me as a guest and I suggested I’d come a’callin’ sometime in the Fall or Winter. Sadly that was never meant to be. Here is our conversation regarding Red Circle.

Comic Book Artist: I talked to you briefly about Charlton, and I had a mistaken impression that you had a studio when you were packaging Space: 1999. That wasn’t necessarily so?

Gray Morrow: I was pretty much a lone wolf.

CBA: Around the same time, the Red Circle account came along?

Gray: Yeah.

CBA: Can you tell me the genesis of that?

Gray: Well, I don’t remember who or why they called me in, but they did. I met with Richard Goldwater [of Archie Comics], and his art director, Victor Gorelik. They asked me if I could put together a package for them. I wasn’t sure if I could or not, but I said, “Why not? I’ll give it a shot.”

CBA: Were you living in New York at the time?

Gray: In Brooklyn.

CBA: You brought in a lot of superlative talent to work on the Red Circle books. What were your inspirations, what did you want to achieve with the books? Were they knock-offs of the DC mystery line, or were you reaching back to the EC’s, only within Code constraints?

Gray: Well, I guess I was thinking more in terms of old movies and radio shows. That’s what I was trying to emulate.

CBA: Who was [frequent Red Circle writer] Marvin Channing?

Gray: Marvin was a friend of Alan Barber. Alan is a sort of a super film buff, like Leonard Maltin. He did several books on series-type movies, like The Thin Man, movies of that ilk, etc. He’s also done books on the old serials, or chapter plays. I used to visit him, and he’d run one of these things for me, sometimes two or three! I’d be up until four or five in the morning. [laughter] Where was I going with that? Oh, Marvin was a friend of Alan’s, and Marvin was a high school teacher who had literary aspirations. One thing lead to another, and he showed me some of his scripts, and they were printable.

CBA: Did it just go through the grapevine that you wanted to package material for Red Circle?

Gray: Well, I called up people I thought were the best in the field, like Alex Toth.

CBA: How did you know Alex?

Gray: I met him up at DC’s offices.

CBA: Was it fun to work on the Red Circle stuff?

Gray: Oh, yeah! It was a chance to have some control over the product, and do something that I always wanted to try. Take a shot at writing scripts myself, I had no training as a writer, but found out I could tell a story, after a fashion.

CBA: You had a total approach for the books, for the initial issues that were coming out, you emulated a red circle on the cover, you had all the illustration taking place within a circle. The look of the books had some resemblance to Marvel, though just in very superficial ways—having a bar across the top, stuff like that. Was that instituted by the publisher, or were you looking to perhaps catch a little from the Marvel comics that were extremely popular at the time?

Gray: Not that I’m aware of, no.

CBA: So, you were handed the book Chilling Tales of Sorcery, Sabrina the Teen-Age Witch was on the cover, and they just said, “Go to town with it, and produce a book for us?”

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

Gray: That’s pretty much it.

CBA: Were you happy with the results?

Gray: Yeah, I was!

CBA: You called up people like Frank Thorne and Vincente Alcazar.

Gray: Yeah, they both did some beautiful stuff for the book.

CBA: Did you hang out at Continuity with any regularity?

Gray: Yeah, it was very convenient. I did my business in the afternoon, and stopped up at Neal’s when I was finished, just to hang out, to catch up with whatever else was going on in the business.

CBA: Do you recall why the Red Circle Sorcery line fizzled out?

Gray: Well, I was told by Rich it wasn’t selling as well as they expected, which conflicted with what one of the salesmen told me at a later date. So, your guess is as good as mine.

CBA: Did you have plans to reintroduce super-heroes? You had material that was produced, but not printed for quite a while, Black Hood?

Gray: Oh, yeah, Black Hood. Well, I remember doing it, but I can’t

tell you much more about it than that.

CBA: Do you remember assigning Neal Adams to do a story?

Gray: No, did he?

CBA: Yeah.

Gray: Geez, I don’t remember that, either!

CBA: Eventually, maybe five years later, Archie published a Black Hood Digest that included Neal’s story, plus a Black Hood story by you, if not two. It was beautiful stuff, and it seemed like you were itching to do adventure heroes. For instance, there was an issue of Sorcery which had a wonderful Green Hornet kind of character on the cover.

Gray: Oh, I remember that one, yeah, Cobra or something like that.

CBA: Yeah, that was wonderful. So you were able to use your interests in radio, the old pulps, serials and occasionally go to town with it.

Gray: Yeah, that was a lot of fun.

Below: A melange of Gray Morrow art from his glorious 1970s stint as editor-in-chief of the Red Circle Comics imprint. Sure, the creator may have overwritten a wee bit, but his drawing ability couldn’t be touched as seen in both the splash and concluding panel of his first story in Chilling Adventures in Sorcery #3. The first two issues, by the way, were odd teenage humor/horror hybrids drawn in typical Dan DeCarlo-like style but written as straight horror tales, and even hosted by Sabrina, the Teenage Witch! Perhaps CBA will give them a look someday, but they just don’t hold a light to Gray’s superb efforts. ©1973 Archie Publications, Inc.

Below: Gray’s love of ’30s adventure is evident in his one-shot character, The Cobra, featured in Red Circle Sorcery #8. Here is Gray’s accomplished cover art. ©1974 Archie Publications, Inc.

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Horror Index

Red Circle Comics Checklist The complete index to the 1970s Gray Morrow-edited titles

Compiled by Jon B. Cooke

All covers ©1973-75 Archie Publications, Inc.

BLACK HOOD 1 Unpublished Cover: ?

“Black Hood” Gray Morrow/Gray Morrow 8 “It’s Murder to Beat the Odds” Marv Channing/Al McWilliams 5 “Life’s Not Like a Comic Book!”

Gray Morrow (plot) Neal Adams & Dick Giordano (story & art)10 “Black Hood Hits a Sour Note”Marv Channing/Alden McWilliams 4 Notes: Did not see print during Gray’s tenure, but was published in Archie’s Super-Hero Special Comics Digest #2 (1979) and (sans “Black Hood Hits a Sour Note,” which was probably intended for the non-extant Black Hood #2) in Blue Ribbon Comics #8 (1984).

CHILLING ADVENTURES IN SORCERY 3 October 1973 Cover: Gray Morrow “…Cat!” Gray Morrow/Gray Morrow 6 “A Stab in the Dark” (text fiction with illo) ?/Gray Morrow? 1 “Missing Link!”

Gray Morrow/Gray Morrow 5 “Immortality Factor” Gray Morrow/Gray Morrow 5 “Haunted Gallery” Gray Morrow/Gray Morrow 6 “Essays into the Supernatural” Phil Seuling/Gray Morrow 1 Notes: First two issues were Archie Comics-style horror stories told straight but drawn in the Dan DeCarlo humorous style(!), hosted

by Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. Those two issues sported the lengthy title Chilling Adventures in Sorcery as Told by Sabrina, and appeared in September and October 1972 respectively, one year

prior to the Morrow relaunch. Red Circle Comics Group published “Take Care of Your Little Brother!”Marv Channing/Vincente Alcazar 4

by Archie.

“Two Glass Bottles” (text fiction) 1 Note: Title changed from Archie humor mag Madhouse Glads.

4 December 1973 Cover: Gray Morrow Includes half-page house ad drawn by Gray Morrow.

“Suicide… Maybe” Vincente Alcazar/Vincente Alcazar 6 Cover: Gray Morrow “Loophole” (text fiction) ? 1 96 November 1974 Marv Channing/Jesse Santos 5 “Horripilate Host” ?/Dick Giordano 6 “Never Bother a Dead Man” Marv Channing/Sal Amendola 1 “Golden Touch” Gray Morrow/Gray Morrow 5 “Essays in the Supernatural” Bruce Jones/Bruce Jones 7 “A Thousand Pounds of Clay” Don Glut/Vincente Alcazar 6 “Demon Kiss” “No Respect for the Dead” (text fiction with illustration) Essays into the Supernatural: “The Witch!”

Marv Channing/Gray Morrow 1 Gray Morrow?/Gray Morrow 1 “The Devil’s Matchmaker” John Jacobson/Sal Amendola 4 ?/Vincente Alcazar? 5 5 February 1974 Cover: Gray Morrow “The Gentlest Dog on the Block” Note: John Costanza, letterer on “The Devil’s Matchmaker.”

“The Two Thieves of Baghdad” Gray Morrow & Larry Hama/Vincente Alcazar 6 Includes half-page house ad drawn by Gray Morrow.

“Esmé” Vincente Alcazar/Vincente Alcazar 8 Cover: Gray Morrow “Barometer Falling” Gray Morrow/Gray Morrow 5 97 January 1975 Marv Channing/Frank Thorne 6 “The Choker is Wild” ?/Vincente Alcazar 6 “The Vampire Hunter” Essays into the Supernatural: “Dragons” Phil Seuling/Gray Morrow 1 Essays in the Supernatural: “Zombies”Marv Channing/Gray Morrow 1 ?/Gray Morrow 6 Notes: “Esmé” is signed “Vincente Sarrano.” Title changes to Red “Cellar Dweller” “Heaven’s Not for Losers” Ralph Alfonso/Alden McWilliams 5 Circle Sorcery with #6.

“The Earth Children” (text fiction with illustrations) MAD HOUSE Marv Channing/Gray Morrow 2 95 September 1974 Cover: Gray Morrow “Too Mean to Die” Marv Channing/Carlos Piño 5 “The Terrible Trident” Don Glut/Vincente Alcazar 6 Note: Becomes Archie-style humor title. Includes half-page house “The Happy Dead” ?/Doug Wildey 6 ad drawn by Gray Morrow. “The Vampire Hunter” is thinly-veiled “The Night of the Leopard Men” Don Glut/Carlos Piño 6 Sherlock Holmes pastiche.

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All covers ©1973-75 Archie Publications, Inc.

RED CIRCLE SORCERY 6 April 1974 Cover: Gray Morrow “Warrior’s Dream”Steve Skeates & Mary Skrenes/Gray Morrow 5 Essays into the Supernatural: “The Werewolf” Marv Channing/Gray Morrow 1 “Out of Practice” ?/Ed Davis? 2 “Death Goes to a Sales Convention” Marv Channing/Carlos Piño 5 “The Patience of a Cat” Carole Seuling/Howard Chaykin 5 “Black Fog” (text fiction with illustrations) T. Casey Brennan/Gray Morrow 2 “Face of Love—Face of Death” Marv Channing/Vincente Alcazar 5 Note: Title changed from Chilling Adventures in Sorcery.

7 June 1974 Cover: Gray Morrow “A Twist in Time!”

Steve Skeates/Carlos Piño 6 Essays into the Supernatural: “Dibbuk” Marv Channing/Gray Morrow 1 “The Knife of Jack the Ripper” Marv Channing/Vincente Alcazar 5 “The Super Cops” (promotional page with Morrow bio) Gray Morrow?/Gray Morrow 1 “The Rivals” Marv Channing/Bruce Jones 5 “The Man Who Would Not Laugh” (text fiction with illustrations) Marv Channing/Gray Morrow 2 “The Benefactor” T. Casey Brennan/ V. Hack (Vincente Alcazar) 4 Essays into the Supernatural: “Possession and Exorcism” Gray Morrow/Gray Morrow 1 Note: The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide states that Bernie Wrightson, Jeff Jones & Michael Kaluta assisted on “The Rivals.”

8 August 1974 Cover: Gray Morrow “The Highwayman’s Escape!”

Don Kraar/Frank Thorne 6 “The Marching Band” (text fiction with illustrations) Marv Channing/Gray Morrow 2 “Die in the Name of the Law!” Marv Channing/Gray Morrow 5 Essays into the Supernatural: “Poltergeists” ?/Frank Thorne 1 “Enough to Raise the Dead” Don Glut/Carlos Piño 6 “The Man Who Tried to Kill Death” Marv Channing/Alex Toth 5 Notes: “Die in the Name…” features a pulpesque adventure character, The Cobra, and includes a character modeled on Alex Toth.

9 October 1974 Cover: Gray Morrow “…If I Were King” Marv Channing/Alex Toth 6 “The Devil’s in Borney!”

Pat Boyette/Pat Boyette 5 “The Journey” (text fiction w/illos)Marv Channing/Gray Morrow 11/2 1/2 The Inner Circle (letters column) “The Goal is Death” Marvin Channing/Vincente Alcazar 5 “Come In and Meet the Piano Player” Marv Channing/Carlos Piño 5 Note: Includes half-page house ad drawn by Gray Morrow.

“2 to Get Ready and 4 to Go!” Marv Channing/Frank Thorne 6 Notes: Based on the “incredible but true” adventures of New York City policemen Dave Greenberg and Bob Hantz. Title simultaneously released with the 1974 Gordon Parks MGM movie, The Super Cops. [Special thanks to David A. Roach for his help.]

10 December 1974 Cover: Gray Morrow “Death is My Love’s Name” Marv Channing/Frank Thorne 6 Essays in the Supernatural: “Horror Films” Marv Channing/Gray Morrow 12/3 “Pirate Island” Marv Channing/Howard Chaykin 5 “The Final Battle” (text fiction with illustrations) Marv Channing/Gray Morrow 11/2 “One Evening on a Small Planet” Ed Newsome/Alden McWilliams 3 “The Prince of Evil!”

Marv Channing/Alden McWilliams 2 “Demon Rider” ?/Wally Wood? 5 Notes: Includes separate half-page and third-page house ads drawn by Gray Morrow. Third-page announces impending release of Black Hood #1, which didn’t happen during Gray’s tenure.

11 February 1975 Cover: Gray Morrow “I Want to Die!” Marv Channing/Vincente Alcazar 6 Essays in the Supernatural: “Voodoo” Marv Channing/Gray Morrow 12/3 “The Eyes of Cagliostro” ?/Jack Abel 6 “Monster on My Back” Don Glut/Jim Mooney & Gray Morrow 5 “The Spectre” (text poetry with illustration) Bob Holland/Gray Morrow 2 “The Visitor” Pat Boyette/Pat Boyette 5 Note: Last issue.

THE SUPER COPS 1 July 1974 Cover: Gray Morrow “Crime is Out of Fashion” Marv Channing/Gray Morrow 7 “Bedlam Beat” Marv Channing/Carlos Piño 5 “Men Behind the Shield” (biographical text) Marv Channing 1 “The Next Stop… the Cemetery” Marv Channing/V. Hack (Vincente Alcazar) 6

CALL FOR DONATIONS AUCTION TO BENEFIT THE ESTATE OF GRAY MORROW This list of contributors continues to grow:

Organized by Insight Studios Gray Morrow passed away on Tuesday November 6th, 2001. In spite of his impressive career as an illustrator and comic artist—his final years were a struggle to find enough well paying work. He had been the artist for the syndicated Tarzan strip for 18 years but was “let go” in July. Shortly thereafter his wife was also “let go” from her job. Due to these circumstances and medical expenses associated with Gray’s Parkinson’s affliction, his estate is in debt.

His many friends in the field are gathering to auction their own comic art and illustrations for the benefit of Gray’s wife Pocho and his estate. Contributions will be greatly appreciated and should be sent to: January 2002

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Mark Wheatley c/o INSIGHT STUDIOS 7844 SAINT THOMAS DRIVE BALTIMORE MD 21236 Phone: 410 661 6897 insight@insightstudiosgroup.com

Plans are progressing for the actual auction.

Currently publicity is falling into place and several potential “events” are being considered for the display of the donated works. Your donation will be greatly appreciated and the cash generated from the auction will go directly to Pocho Morrow.

Al Williamson • Alex Raymond Angelo Torres • Alan Weiss Michael Avon Oeming • Ernie Colón Evan Dorkin • Batton Lash • Frank Cho Mark Wheatley • Marc Hempel Howard Chaykin • Frank Brunner Mike Royer (Disney art) • John Buscema Jim Amash • Russ Heath Alan Kupperberg (Little Orphan Annie) Russ Maheras (final Steve Canyon page) 65

CBA Interview

The Great “Inky” Roussos The late artist’s final interview on his 50 years in comics Conducted by Jon B. Cooke Transcribed by Jon B. Knutson George Roussos—nicknamed in the ’40s “Inky” for his expert use of the brush—was a very dear and sweet man whom I befriended a few years ago. I called him for an interview for The Jack Kirby Collector and ended up phoning him on a semi-regular basis just to shoot the breeze, because underneath what many viewed as a gruff, no-nonsense exterior, was a thoughtful, considerate man with no illusions about his life and work. I had the honor of visiting George and his wife Florence in their Long Island home, and we shared a wonderful dinner together at a local steak house in the Spring of 1998. George passed away in 2000 and I miss him terribly. This interview was conducted in two sessions by phone, on May 11 and Nov. 26, 1997.—JBC

Above: George Roussos’ first job in the comics field was as a background man in Bob Kane’s New York studio, where “Inky” worked side-by-side with Jerry Robinson (whose chore was to ink figures).

Courtesy of Roy Thomas, here’s the team’s effort for the cover of Detective Comics #45 (Nov. 1940). ©2002 DC Comics.

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Comic Book Artist: When did you start working in comics?

George Roussos: In 1940. I worked prior to that, when I was in school, but that was my first job. I worked in the Spanish department, and I did corrections, putting the panels… sometimes the drawing was off, so I had to correct the lettering.

Then, in 1940, I got in with DC Comics.

CBA: Working for Bob Kane?

George: At first, I worked directly for Bob, but since we [the art assistants] produced the stuff fast enough—and he was very slow—they decided to have us go into the office several months later.

CBA: You went to work on staff at National [DC Comics], right?

George: I think it was called National, right.

CBA: At Bob Kane’s, you worked alongside Jerry Robinson?

George: Yeah, Jerry and I worked together in the Times building, the old building.

CBA: So you were both quite young.

George: Yeah.

CBA: Did Jerry have a lot of input on the stories?

George: Not on the stories, no. Just with the inking of the figures. Bill Finger was the author, the one that really shaped the strip. Bob had rough ideas, but Bill was the man behind Batman.

CBA: When you went over to National, who were you working for?

George: When we went there, there was only one editor, and he was Whit Ellsworth. Murray Boltinoff was the assistant editor.

CBA: What were your duties?

George: Doing the same thing as I did before: Backgrounds and

lettering on Batman, and Jerry was doing the figures, and Bob would send the pages in. This way, by having us work in the office, he kept tabs on us and what was going on.

CBA: Did you go to school for art?

George: No, I just practiced on my own. I got the job because I knew so much about comics. I used to practice at home, and I would write letters to syndicated newspaper strip artists. I really wanted to go into syndication, though I never did. So, I got replies to my letters, but I didn’t have enough experience to fill any job they might have, so I lost out. I did receive several good scripts I could work off of. What was the question, primarily?

CBA: Why comics? Why did you want to get into comics?

George: [laughs] That’s a three-pronged question. [laughter] Well, I knew there were three forms of art in my time which don’t exist today. One was comics, which needed less education in drawing and so forth, and I liked telling stories, developing characters and the satire that’s involved with it, stuff like that. Then you have illustration, and I knew the work wasn’t as productive as comics.

With comics you’d finish one job, and there’s always another one.

With illustration, you have to wait for another story to be written, and the editor would call you in, and so on, and you had to be pretty well-polished and know how to paint. The third, of course, is fine art, which requires that you sleep out in the cold and eat once a month. [laughter] Being an orphan—I had lost my parents at a very young age—I took the practical solution, the obvious one, which was comics.

CBA: Did you grow up in New York?

George: Originally I was born in Washington, D.C. I was raised properly in Greece, went to school there, came back, and lived in New York pretty much the rest of my life, except when I worked on comics in England for a while. Being an orphan was the reason I went to work in comics. But I found out I’m more naturally adapted to fine art. Most artists try to be fine artists, to me it’s natural, but I could never allow it to take over, because of the economics involved, and I didn’t have the backbone to be… it requires quite a bit of character to be a fine artist.

CBA: Did you admire comics when you were a kid?

George: Yes, in a way. Mostly it was from the practical point of view. I wasn’t as crazy as most of the people are toward it.

CBA: When you got in the business, what did you think of it when you were there?

George: When I was a kid, I suppose I thought it was okay. You did the crazy things that most kids do, you were interested in this artist and all that, and you want to meet people, and blah, blah, blah… and all that, but didn’t realize my potential, which I never developed anyhow. [laughs] So, I could do a reasonably good job. In fact, I proved my point very easily… I might’ve told you we worked with a [real-life] character known as Bob Wood, on “The Targeteers.” I could dramatize with my art, I suppose, because of my background. In other words, what makes certain things is the background that you have, and that reflects on your work, and mine was rather dramatic, so drama has been almost the thing that pulled me through throughout the career.

CBA: In those early years, did you like working on Batman? Did you like the character?

George: I liked it, but it’s hard for me to explain… at this moment, I see it in such an odd way, you know? I would imagine that the reason I worked in comics was mostly economic. I needed a job, and that was the emphasis, primarily, on whatever I did. That’s COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

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why I’ve never succeeded like the others did, because they threw themselves totally into it.

I never did that.

CBA: Didn’t you work in comics for the last 56 years?

George: Yes. Comics and comics and comics. [laughter] Then I worked for 20 years at the same time I freelanced, I worked for General Electric. I did educational comics for them.

CBA: When was this?

George: 1945, if I’m not mistaken. There was a newspaper double-spread emphasizing how comics were so effective with young people, and General Electric decided this was the best way to get their message across, so we did 20 different booklets, which they gave away for free to the various schools. The publication went as far as Ceylon, they had to be done in different languages according to the country.

CBA: So what were you doing on those books?

George: On those, I did the complete job. A fair job, nothing to write home about.

CBA: Do any of those still exist? Do you have them?

George: I have some of those, yes. They’re ordinary. I wouldn’t worry about them too much. [laughs] The reason I apologize, in a way, is that I never ducked into it like the other fellas did, and therefore, I felt my work was always not quite as adequate as it should’ve been.

CBA: Was there any art form you were particularly interested in—not necessarily one you worked at?

George: Actually, I drifted. I did a painting many years ago which gave me the clue to my fate if I had the backbone. The painting included an artist’s drawing, and it was similar to Vermeer’s work. I was looking outside the window, trying to draw… do you know the Vermeer painting, where an artist is painting at a canvas, and there’s a woman posing with a trombone or something like that?

The figure of the artist has no paints, used as a symbol, more or less, to create the dimension and so forth… a lot of things go into it.

Anyway, there’s a window in front of my drawing table, and it’s all in blue, and the high buildings represented success in the future, and everything was blue, there was nothing that was realistic. On the extreme right of the painting, there’s a shadow cast from my drawing board leading to a very weird door that’s off-shape, unique, not totally square, just weird and angled. In other words, I was showing you that’s the uncertainty, trying to go consciously to the future— which was comics, syndication, etc.—my unknown character has been pulling me into this other direction. This is the interpretation I give, and I was very happy with that. That was the clue to the whole thing. It’s a rough little painting. Anyway, that gives you an idea what my feelings were.

CBA: Have you continued to paint?

George: I’ve done some things, but not too many, no, because of the time element. I have a particular one that I like very much, that I January 2002

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did on the cheapest paper you could possibly find. The art paper we drew comics on was protected by two sheets of the cheapest possible paper, about 20” x 40”, some weird size. I said to myself, “If I’m a decent artist, I can make that cheap paper come alive.” So I took the paper, and worked on it… [laughs] and the painting turned out to be one of the finest I ever did. I framed it and everything.

Well, I did this scene of a ship that’s sailing, with the gray clouds up there—always the uncertainty and always brooding, the every day occurrence—and a ship is going, fighting the elements of the water, but the water was done in deep green, because the landscape, which reflects the registration below, and it’s very deep. When you look at my water, the way I interpret it, I give it volume and weight. Most people do a very beautiful shape, things with the whitecaps on things, but I don’t do that. I don’t go into that. I try to express the drama of the water and try to get this tremendous dimension. So, when I saw that later on, I said, “My God, there’s a possibility I may be good one day.” [laughter] That gives you an idea of my peculiarities, okay?

CBA: Your considerations were always economic?

George: Always. Being an orphan, I was raised in an orphanage.

CBA: How old were you when you lost your parents?

George: Quite young. I was in the orphanage for four years, and

Above: Wonderful 1941 photo of young George Roussos at his drawing table. Note the Batman cover proofs and Prince Valiant strip behind the artist. Courtesy of Marie Steinberg, George’s beloved daughter.

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Below: A portrait of George Roussos, perhaps taken during his year or so living in England.

Courtesy of Roy Thomas, Bill Cain, and Marie Steinberg.

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because I never had a home, the experience led me to feel guilty living with people, like relatives, with whom I was just a burden.

CBA: When you came back to the United States, did you come back during the Depression?

George: Yeah, the Depression was on. We had three square meals, and clothing, etc., because it was run by one of the wealthiest men in America, the Gould Foundation, and there were a lot of trustees who contributed a considerable amount of money, so we had more than the average guy on the outside. So, when I did meet artists I worked with, they had a 5¢ soup, and they threw everything in it to get a decent meal out of it.

CBA: In another life, if you didn’t have the pressures so much, would you have pursued storytelling more as a vocation?

George: I liked comics. In fact, I came very close to selling a syndicated feature to England which they liked very much. I did one making fun of automation, but I made one error, and Bill Finger helped me with it, but Bill took away my idea, basically, and turned it into his idea, to make social commentary. But I didn’t want to make social commentary. What makes a good comic artist, I think, is you make fun of all your own weaknesses, all your own characteristics.

That’s what makes humor because it makes it more real. But when you start talking about society, it doesn’t seem to have a… I’m going to be contradicting myself, because I emphasize the situation. I think with humor, it was fine that you make fun of yourself, and I have plenty of weaknesses to do so. So I did this strip, I took it to England, and when the editor saw it, he said, “My God, that’s what we’re looking for!” They needed a new strip to fit the political situation in England at the time which had changed from a liberal government to a moderate one. I did it for about nine months, we wrote a story, made it very funny, but it had social commentary and that’s where we lost out. But they paid me for everything I did.

CBA: What was the name of the strip?

George: I called it Transistor then, though now I’ve got a new name— but I’ll never do it—”Tiny Chips.”

II’ve got to bring it up to date.

I don’t have any love for computers, I find them in business a little ridiculous.

CBA: At the time, did you admire Lou Fine?

George: Lou Fine wasn’t one of the artists I admired. I liked Dick Tracy, and I thought Chester Gould was one of the best storytellers in the business, with a very simple, very schematic type of drawing, flat, no dimensions. So therefore, the reader’s interest went into the characters and the story. In other words, when you start emphasizing technique, it takes away from the content, so you always have to be careful when you draw. I can always tell a different artist, as soon as I see them, by what they’re saying, and I’m sure the audience reacts subconsciously when you start putting in a lot of technique and taking away from the objective of telling the story. In other words, if you have nothing to say, if you have no ability of any kind, you usually start working details, and you overwhelm people with the amount of knowledge that you’ve got and skill that you’ve got, but ultimately there’s nothing beneath it.

CBA: You didn’t particularly care for Alex Raymond?

George: Not as much as I liked Hal Foster, who had much more substance, and

was much better at figures. Raymond’s strips were more highlypolished. He was very successful—and I don’t mean to knock him down—but his stuff left me cold. I never got the human aspect out of it.

CBA: In turn, did you enjoy the work of Mort Meskin?

George: Yeah, I liked Mort’s work very much. I worked with Mort. In fact, I helped him out in very difficult situations he got into.

The guy was very uncertain.

CBA: He was a very sensitive guy, right?

George: Extremely sensitive. I used to go over the pages with him at three in the morning, just to reassure him. I had respect for him, he was terrific, a very reliable person. Extremely so.

CBA: Were you familiar with Simon & Kirby’s work, when they were at Timely?

George: Yes. The Boy Commandos was the first strip they did at DC, and Joe was in the Coast Guard and Jack Kirby was in the Army.

CBA: Did you see them in the office?

George: At DC, yes. I was working on staff, and Jack did a little drawing, and I inked it for him. I inked him, now, in my little driedup gray… [laughs] CBA: Was it Boy Commandos?

George: I don’t recall, it might’ve been.

CBA: Was there any effect at DC when Simon & Kirby came over?

George: I would imagine, yes. Everybody was impressed with Kirby. We were all impressed, we liked Jack. He had a very visual style, a terrific approach.

CBA: Did you do any penciling or were you predominately production?

George: After that four early years at DC, we started to break up. Jerry went freelance, and I soon followed. I did that character, Air Wave. A friend of mine went into the Army, and they asked me to do that strip, which I did for several years. Then I picked up work outside, doing inking on Superman and Batman stories. Then, when Mort Meskin got in trouble with the office—with Ellsworth—in some kind of disagreement, they asked me to do it. I didn’t have the tremendous knowledge he did, but I did “Johnny Quick,” and I did “Vigilante.” They made a movie serial of The Vigilante around 1942, right?

CBA: Right, but it might’ve been a little later.

George: Then we did a 16-page publication featuring The Vigilante [1947 Action Comics theatre giveaway] which was was going to be distributed in each theater showing the serial. So, I told Whit Ellsworth that this was a bit too much for me to handle, and asked if Mort could do the penciling, and I would finish it off. Whit of course, said blah, blah, blah, and he agreed.

CBA: So Mort and you were good friends.

George: Very good. We lived close nearby in the Village. In fact, he lived downstairs from me.

CBA: Was Meskin influenced by Jack Kirby’s work?

George: No, his influence was Edd Cartier’s work in The Shadow pulp magazine. They were line drawings, but they also had the shading. Mort liked his work very much, and he took that guy’s stuff and developed it further.

CBA: Meskin had such action to his work, it just reminded me so much of Kirby.

George: Mort was more graceful, Jack was more exaggerated, one leg would be about ten feet away from the other. Mort was more graceful, he was a gymnast, so it had an influence in his “Johnny Quick” and “Vigilante.” The difference between the two of them, was that one was more graceful while the other was more dynamic. Mort was never dynamic, he was more or less a graceful artist. That’s why he went into the advertising business.

CBA: Is that where he went after comics?

George: Yes, when things were getting bad at DC. CBA: He had a disagreement with the office?

George: No, at that time, no. The disagreement with the Vigilante and Whit Ellsworth was a mild one. I suspect Mort’s artistic temperament sometimes got out of control.

CBA: Often freelancers would say their experience with some DC editors was not very nice. Some of the editors could be downright nasty with the artists.

George: Mort knew how to handle some editors very well.

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Kanigher would bring in his paintings, and they would be mad! If you’ve seen his paintings, his colors are going all over the place! It was madness, colors and shapes clashing with one another. You could see that immediately in the paintings. As I said, the artwork reflects the artists. In any case, no matter how you conceal it. Mort would praise Kanigher and would point out shapes, saying, “How nice! You balanced this and balanced that,” so he would soften this editor up, but occasionally, Kanigher couldn’t control himself.

CBA: Was there a ham-fisted editorial style at times?

George: In the ’40s you mean? Yeah, there was only Whit Ellsworth, the editor, and later on, of course, they broke it up when he went to Hollywood. Murray Boltinoff was the assistant, and there were other artists doing the coloring.

CBA: Jack Schiff was there at the time, too, right?

George: Jack came a little later on. Mort Weisinger came first.

Mort, Jack Schiff and Bernie Breslaw all worked together for Standard Publications before DC. CBA: On the pulps?

George: Yeah. Mort came over and became an editor, and then he went to the Army and brought in Jack Schiff, and then Bernie Breslaw also came in. Jack was absolutely one of the best editors I ever worked for.

CBA: I read an interview with Arnold Drake that said that Jack was a highly ethical man.

George: Yes, absolutely. He tried. You see, what had happened was, they tried to bring a union into Standard Publication, to raise the standard of living, and I think they lost out, basically, from that other publishing outfit. So, over here, he tried to do it more skillfully by telling Jack Liebowitz, the publisher and owner of the company, he tried to very skillfully say, “Don’t give them a bonus, give them additional money at the end of the year for the pages they did for the company,” and that was a very skillful way of benefiting the January 2002

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freelancers. He succeeded in that, did it more skillfully, rather than crying out for a union. Everything worked out. As you say, Jack was a very ethical person, very reliable, and a very bright guy.

CBA: You had four years at DC, and then you went freelance?

George: That’s correct.

CBA: Then who did you work for?

George: I still worked for National, I did inking on Superman, and I did a couple of features and single-page things, stuff with a tight pencil and ink. I did all kinds of jobs, I did “Starman,” oh, my gosh, there’s a huge list of characters I worked on, I can’t even remember them.

CBA: Who were your favorite artists at the time that you were inking? Jack Burnley?

George: No, I wasn’t too keen on Jack Burnley. I was more interested in Mort’s sense of design. I always loved design.

Design is art to me.

CBA: Did you like Jerry Robinson’s work?

George: Jerry Robinson? Not really.

CBA: My memory gets foggy, separating Mort and Jerry.

George: Jerry was slicker, he was very straight, but there’s no content to his work. He did illustrations, and very competent work, you know? But there’s nothing unique in his work. I don’t know how to say it any other way. Certain artists have certain substance to their work, and others don’t. They just have technique, and this is the way I view Jerry’s work.

CBA: Were you living in Manhattan in the early ’40s?

George: I lived out in Queens. I came into work by train.

CBA: Was it generally nine-to-five work?

George: Yes, the regular office work, yes. At night time, I suppose, I did some work.

CBA: When you were freelancing, you were still going into the office?

Above: Roussos demonstrates his superb atmospherics and use of blacks to evoke mood. Probably from the late 1940s. Courtesy of Roy Thomas, Bill Cain, and Marie Steinberg Roussos. ©2002 the Roussos Estate. Below: We realize that Roussos studio mate Lee Harris actually drew this Air Wave and his parrot, Static, detail (from Detective Comics #66) but we couldn’t find a version by George at presstime. ©2002 DC Comics, Inc.

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Above: During the early 1940s, young George Roussos lettered Fran Striker’s strip, The Lone Ranger. May 31, 1942 Sunday. ©1942 The Lone Ranger, Inc.

Below: Your guess is as good as ours as to why this photograph— from the late 1940s or early ’50s— was taken of light traveler George Roussos boarding a cimmuter train.

Courtesy of Roy Thomas, Bill Cain and Marie Steinberg.

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George: No, I worked at home. Most of the time. I only went back into an office in 1972, when I joined the staff of Marvel Comics.

CBA: When you were working at home, was it much more relaxed?

George: Yeah, and also very costly, because I always drifted.

I’m a great escape artist. [laughter] CBA: So, discipline was a problem.

George: Yeah, it required a lot of discipline. You think you have a lot of free time, but you actually don’t, because you’re suppressing… the things you didn’t do all day long, you did it at night time.

CBA: That old procrastination.

George: Yes. [laughs] That was the extent of that. I’d travel when I got enough money. I went to England.

CBA: Did comics pay okay then? Did you make a good living?

George: I would say I was making a reasonable salary at drawing. On staff, I was making $65 a week. Jerry and I worked on “Target and the Targeteers” for Bob Wood [in Target Comics], and they saw that book started to sell because it turned out to look like that, and they said, “What’s the idea?” Of course, money was the idea. In those days, $65 was better than the president of a bank, I understand. That was in 1940, ’41, ’42, something like that.

CBA: This was the same Bob Wood who…

George: Yeah, who had that horrible experience. You know all about it?

CBA: About the murder?

George: Yeah, he murdered this woman, this widow.

He got drunk, and he got four years, and afterwards, when he got out, he was begging… he was a con artist in many ways. When I worked with him, he had the most peculiar woman I’ve ever seen, and for me coming from a

reasonably artistic background, I said the women that he was hanging around with, I couldn’t figure out the connection. When he got out of jail after four years, he probably borrowed money from the loan sharks and he wasn’t able to pay because he had no work. It was horrible, during when he was a publisher.

CBA: Bob Wood and who else?

George: He and Charles Biro.

We did Daredevil and we drew a big illustration, and it had my character, Nitro, and I got probably most of the rewards for it. Jerry did his character, and I did mine, and Biro and Wood… huge illustration, took it to the publisher. They saw the damn thing, and they said, “Okay, you can take the books,” and when they became publishers, they became the biggest pain in the asses in the business. He created all kinds of horror comics which brought them down eventually. They were responsible for that. So, Bob Wood, when he came out of jail, he probably borrowed money, didn’t pay it back, and they gave him a ride, and they dumped him out of a car on the New Jersey highway.

CBA: Would he hit you up for money?

George: No, he never did. I stayed clear. By that time I got a little wiser. He had two brothers, [comic book writers] Dick and Dave.

Dave is in Florida, Dick I don’t know if he’s alive or not. Dick was nice, but they loved to drink. I don’t know too much about them. I know about Bob because he used to send me telegrams at three o’clock in the morning on the telephone in those days, and I could get on the train—the subway—at 3:00 A.M. to help him make the deadline on the next day. I enjoyed that aspect, I guess. [laughter] He had the responsibility to get the work in on time; I didn’t.

CBA: These were for the Lev Gleason books?

George: Yes. CBA: Crime Does Not Pay. George: Those came later on, I worked before that, he had a few others.

CBA: Daredevil?

George: No, he didn’t do Daredevil, he had “Target and the Targeteers,” and something else. That came later.

CBA: You created a character called Nitro?

George: Yes, I did. I saw a movie the other day, they used the name, and they used a character with that name in the office at Marvel. They had it in one of those dictionaries which have a listing of all the characters’ names. [laughs] I was blind to think the name would last! Totally blind intellectually in circumstance. [laughter] CBA: Back in ‘75, they had a character called Nitro kill of the Marvel Comics’ Captain Marvel. I know too much about this stuff. [laughs] Did you cross paths with the Chesler studio? Did you ever work in the Eisner studio at all?

George: No. I was away from those studios. That’s not my cup of tea. I worked for Family Comics, Harvey Publications, Al and Leon Harvey, and I worked for them for a while. In fact, I worked on an idea with Jerry Robinson. Jerry was an ambitious kind of guy.

Probably it was stupid, but I told Jerry we could earn some more money using the backgrounds for Batman, so he liked the idea, and we got some work from Harvey, and we divided the check right down the center. I did the layouts, backgrounds, and lettering, and Jerry inked the figures. He was so slow I had to put in more backgrounds so the figures would be kind of small! [laughter] After a few issues, maybe this is his way out, he said to me, “George, I think I deserve more money than you do.” That was the end of our relationship.

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January 2002

CBA: What was the name of the book?

George: Green Hornet Comics. I think the strip was the assistant to the hero. If it comes to me, I’ll mail it to you. But at the moment, the deep crevasses of the gray matter in my cranium… [laughs] CBA: God bless, 57 years! [laughter] George: …because it’s not my interest, actually. When you lose interest in something, you erase it, because there’s not that much room left up there to put anything.

CBA: You’ve said that to me a number of times. How come you don’t have much of an interest in comics per se, or in the business of comics?

George: I really don’t know. I’m more interested in philosophical things, I more or less tend to the ancient Greek philosophies. I think all of us have a certain tradition, wouldn’t you say? When a tradition is broken, you get peculiar people, like you do in California, where everything’s mixed up, the continuity is gone. That’s probably what’s happened in California, with 50,000 religions.

CBA: Right, no sense of context.

George: Everybody’s lost, there’s no connections of any kind. I realize much more of my tastes seem to go pretty much along the edge of the Greek philosophies. You suddenly sense, “Why am I doing this thing?” and you see and read considerably, all the books and plays and all that. In fact, I brought all those books from England—I like the way the English interpret all those plays.

Therefore, if you have that kind of thinking, it’s a contradiction to the other level. I don’t say it’s bad, it’s just a different way of thinking, and that’s why I’ve never been successful, and I knew it, subconsciously, I knew I was not in this field, so I never pushed it.

CBA: So you never really had much of an ambition per se in comics? A drive to achieve something in that field?

George: Not really, no. Well, I wanted to, yet I didn’t want to. I told you about that little painting, something was pulling me away from it somehow or other, and so I became a mediocre artist. I’m trying to be as frank as I possibly can. [laughs] CBA: That you are! [laughter] George: At this point I don’t think it matters, now, with however many days I have left. I like to be truthful to myself, because I don’t like to have any illusions. There are people who live with illusions.

Therefore, I’ve become an oddity in relationships with some people.

CBA: I find it very refreshing that you’re not elevating yourself in your place within history as so many egos in this business can do.

George: Well, probably they need their ego to drive them, I suspect. I don’t know what it is. I don’t have that. That’s why I don’t get along with people too well, because their thinking is entirely different.

CBA: I was speaking to an acquaintance who freelanced at Marvel, and I mentioned your name, and he recalled yakking with somebody outside your office. At that particular time, you had to have a quiet place to work, and so you came out and strongly berated him to keep quiet.

George: Well, yes. This was recently?

CBA: This must’ve been about 15 years ago.

George: Once in a while, yes, I do have a big mouth sometimes.

Usually not. But sometimes, when they annoy me, I charge forward, and I’m not very polite.

CBA: I’m sure some of these fanboys can be very annoying.

George: Finally, they’ve put me in a quiet little corner, and I’m happy. We have a couple of characters now who when they laugh, you can hear them in Hoboken. Most people have no background in manners, and they’re rather rude, and they don’t consider anybody else’s feelings. They just don’t know any better.

CBA: When did you get the nickname “Inky”?

George: “Inky” was given to me by Bob Wood, because I was doing a lot of inking, and he wrote a story about me as a big criminal in one of the books he did. Then Jack Kirby picked it up, and every time he saw me, he called me “Inky Roussos.”

CBA: For a short time, Simon & Kirby had a syndicated strip called “Inky.” Was that was named after you?

George: No. There was a play at the time, I believe, on Broadway. It was something about a cartoonist. I don’t know if Bob swiped it from there or whatever, I was too young to even understand. Of course, they called me that because I was primarily January 2002

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

an inker. That’s how it started. He gave me a nickname, that was the customary thing. I didn’t care what they called me.

CBA: Were you in the service at all?

George: No, I passed the physical, but after they had the atom bomb, they canceled the induction, so I was saved by two days, I think. On that particular Monday, I was going in the Army.

CBA: In August of ‘45? Wow! That was a close shave!

George: I was also saved by General Electric, because we had a book we had to finish, and Charles Biro came to the draft board and gave them the excuse that GE needed me to finish that book, and I was saved there. I was saved later on by the Bomb. That was very close.

CBA: Geez, the idea of having to go to Japan!

George: Either way, I think, would’ve been rough.

CBA: You were freelancing with Bob Wood…

George: It became more and more difficult to work with Bob because I’d get into arguments with him. Charles Biro tried to tell me how to do layouts his way, and he said, “One thumb is different from the other thumb on the crooks,” and I said, “This guy’s a dumb crook. What does it matter what his thumb looks like?” [laughter] Even though I wasn’t so smart, I still could see this was lunacy of the first order, so I left. Enough was enough. Those days, I didn’t need him anyway.

CBA: When you left, was crime comics the thing at the time?

George: Yes. CBA: So George Tuska was there…

George: Yes, yes. George was a very well-liked person. He couldn’t hear, that’s why his characters look like they were talking, to make up for it. You had to shout when you talked to him.

CBA: He drew beautiful faces for the crime comics.

George: What I was saying before, it’s the inner makings that are a reflection of

Above: George was particularly proud of his involvement with his creation of “Target and the Targeteers” for Bob Wood and Novelty Press, a strip which rejuvenated Target Comics. Above are cover reproductions of Target Comics #11-12, 14-18. ©1940-41 Novelty Press. Below: The artist also fondly recalls the pitch he and Bob Wood made to Charles Biro for “The Target.” Here is the splash page to the character’s origin in Target Comics #11, drawn

by George. ©1940 Novelty Press

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Above: Roussos-drawn children’s comic story produced for Standard Publishing. (Sorry about the poor reproduction but this was made from a color photocopy of a hand-colored silverprint in George’s personal collection.)

Courtesy of Roy Thomas, Bill Cain, and Marie Steinberg. ©circa 1946 Standard Publishing.

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ourselves, that makes a difference, really. If you don’t have that, then you see harshness and the lines are put down. You can always interpret, like how you interpret a painting, there’s no difference, it’s just a different level, that’s all.

CBA: Right after you had a falling out with Biro…

George: Yeah, I walked out, I might’ve said a few words besides, because I put in quite a bit of time.

When they got this account, I worked hard on it: I did all the lettering, I used to stay up all night and do all kinds of things. Maybe he didn’t like my work. Can you imagine making a fuss about a thumb? It’s only a millimeter or two millimeters on a figure! [laughter] He’d show the difference! I thought it was so absurd.

CBA: Did you have any affinity for any of the material you were working on? Did you enjoy super-heroes more or crime or Westerns?

George: Not really. I liked mysteries most, actually. Anything involved with mysteries and fantasy, I was more interested in.

Basically, my objective, as I said earlier, was economics. Not a cold-blooded thing, I did my work as best as I could, but I never got lost in the field itself. You know, most of the people involved—and I’m not critical of them, I’m just saying they’re involved—they go to these various conventions, make paintings and drawings to sell, and that’s totally their lives. I don’t see that as my life, so therefore, I didn’t have the intensity for my work.

CBA: Have people approached you for reproductions?

George: Well, I did one. They asked me, I did it and said I’d never do that again. I did it for that auction house, Christie’s. They gave me a stat of the cover, and I inked and colored it, and they had it listed for $2,000. They sold it for $1,200—it didn’t do so good— and by the time they gave me anything, I got very little money out of the deal. I told the guy who was responsible to never call me again, I don’t want to do that. John Romita Sr. is a guy who’s really involved; he does all sorts of things. These people who get intentionally involved, they love every inch of their work, and they work very hard, and I admire them for all that capacity, and when I see myself next to them, I’m blown away! I like that.

CBA: Did it bother you working on the crime stuff? Was it getting excessive?

George: I didn’t do any crime stories for Biro. I did a few crime stories for DC with Jack Schiff, they had a crime comic, Gang Busters. I did several stories there.

CBA: You didn’t do work on Crime Does Not Pay? George: No, I was out at that time. I was out of the picture.

CBA: Were you apprehensive with the field in ‘45, when sales started significantly dropping?

George: Well, I was always concerned, yeah. At one point. comics weren’t getting too popular, I wasn’t doing great work, new people came in, new directions came in, it was pretty shaky, and when I saw Jack Kirby being criticized for not drawing authentically

by Irwin Donenfeld, and he went over to Stan Lee and got together.

I worked for Stan since God knows when, and I like Stan Lee. I have a capacity of predicting things, I can predict very carefully. In fact, I predicted the failure of Marvel Comics, how everybody left a few years ago.

CBA: The speculator market, and..

George: Not only that, they got the wrong editor-in-chief there who was a dummy—I won’t mention his name—and he hired everybody, and they were turning out garbage. They had editors who didn’t know what made a good cover or a good story. Marvel just produced and produced and produced, and it’s obvious there’s a limit to this field. There’s only so much they can produce, and they destroyed the characters! They started to change the costumes of the characters, as you probably know, and when I saw all that, it was like they took the Statue of Liberty and put a red dress, because you don’t like the green brass! You just don’t do that with heroes; heroes are very important to children. Walt Disney, for so many years, never changed his characters. He may have developed them further, but they’re basically the same costumes, same characters, for all of 70 years, going on.

CBA: They’re icons.

George: Right, exactly. Consistency. Once you become inconsistent to the audience, you’ve shown them that you’re going left and right, rather than straight forward, straight on. You don’t ever want to upset something that works. In fact, I used to work for a syndicated newspaper strip—assisting, doing the layout—and he always wanted his signature on the third panel of the four-panel strip. So, the reader always knew where to find that signature. You don’t confuse them by going left and right. Never do that sort of thing. These are the things I’ve learned throughout my career.

When Marvel started jumping all over the place, and the executive department started to control the artists, the editors and so forth, more and more and more, they were going beyond the limits of the market, they produced junk, and now they’re paying for it! Now, they’re trying to reconstruct the company, and I don’t see anything creative being done. It’s a nice outfit, excellent outfit.

CBA: You say you worked with Stan back in 1940?

George: I worked with Stan at the time he was a youngster like me. 1945, a guy by the name of Bernie Klein, who got killed in the Army, he was a sports cartoonist. He wanted my assistance—they all wanted to use me because I worked on Batman, and if I used my Batman technique on the background, they could get a job at DC— so, when he got the job from Jack Kirby to do some inking, because they were turning out Captain America—I don’t know how many pages—so they gave it out to various inkers to get the books out.

Bernie got about 16 of them, and I did the backgrounds on those, and eventually, I colored it, many, many years later for the reprint volumes. I think I worked on Captain America Comics #3.

Eventually, I kept working for Stan Lee on and off, and I did stuff on my own. So, I knew Stan was like a ball of energy, and I realized that somewhere down the line, he needed the right combination to be successful. When he was losing out in ‘57, he was looking for another job, and luckily, Jack got angry at DC, went over to Stan Lee, and the two got together. They were like an electric impulse, the negative and the positive energy. When I saw that combination, I saw the chance for me to move in.

CBA: Back at the end of the war, the comics field was looking a little rough, Joe and Jack were having a hard time getting back on their feet momentarily. You were over at Harvey at that time?

George: Harvey was just an extra job. Most of the money came from National.

CBA: So you were working for Schiff over at National?

George: Yes. CBA: Like on Real Fact Comics, for instance?

George: Yeah, Real Fact and stuff like that. You know more about these things than I do! [laughs] CBA: And you continued on the Batman stuff? I guess people really took note of your work on Batman.

George: Yes. Well, I think I told you the story about when Jerry Robinson came in to help Bob Wood do the figures for “Target and the Targeteers.” Jerry would ink the figures that Bob would rough out—it was more close to our working routine with Bob Kane in COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

many ways, the style of the artwork, a very awkward type of style— and I did the backgrounds and did my blacks like I did with Batman, because the book started to sell. I did the cover; I put a big, huge moon in the background, and the figures were in black, and the thing looked like a Batman when we were through, and the sales picked up tremendously, and DC was alarmed about the competition, and they found out it was us that were doing the work, and brought us in the office and offered us more money. Our excuse was, we weren’t pleased with the money we were making for the amount of work.

CBA: So they brought you into the offices, and you had a salary?

George: Yeah, and they increased our salary.

CBA: Target Comics lasted for quite a while, didn’t it?

George: Yes. Bob was working for Gleason, also, doing some magazines, Bob Wood, and one time we got together, we did a huge illustration board, each of us drew our own character, mine was Nitro. I got very nice compliments from the competition. I did the lettering and background and coloring, or each one colored their own. He brought this to Gleason (because Gleason had asked him to do something, because he wanted to go into publishing) who was impressed with that thing. Charles Biro, a friend of Bob, was also involved with this thing. Eventually, they became publishers, and produced certain books, like Crime Does Not Pay and a few others. I worked for them for a while, but after a while, they got ridiculous, so I left.

CBA: So how did you get the General Electric job?

George: In 1943, ’44 (I’m not quite sure), I worked for General Electric, and the reason for that was, Harry Childs was the advertising agent for DC, and I did comic ads and a few other ads, and he liked me, we got along very well. So he asked me to do four pages for General Electric, they had an idea and some kind of a script. I did four pages, which they showed to GE, and that was the beginning of a 20-year span of work for me.

CBA: So, between 1943 and ’63?

George: Somewhere in there. There was a big spread in the January 2002

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

Sunday News. It had my picture in there, and Harry Childs, and Vin Avery, who was from General Electric, who was responsible for all these publications, and it had this big write-up. The reason for all this was the comics were so popular with children, General Electric thought this was the best way to try to get young fellas to be interested in various forms of electricity, and so they distributed these particular 16-page publications throughout the whole country to the schools.

CBA: Were they documentary-style comics?

George: Just regular comics. There was a big brother and a young brother, and they explained how the TV worked in one particular one. There wasn’t any advertising, really. More educational than anything.

CBA: So it was an annual?

George: There were 20 issues over 20 years. I believe that’s what it was. It went over as far as Ceylon, and all the Eastern countries— they changed the lettering, of course—and it was very popular. I got very little money out of it. I’ve never been a good businessman anyway.

CBA: That’s why they used you for 20 years, eh?

George: I think I wanted to be poor. [laughter] CBA: Keep the humility.

George: I would feel out of place if I got more money. [laughter] I was unaccustomed to that, perhaps.

CBA: Then you freelanced for Avon?

George: Avon? Oh, boy, you remember more things than I do.

Avon, yes. I worked for some nut over there, I forget his name now, he was the editor for them. I worked for them for a short while.

CBA: Were they mystery or horror stories?

George: I think they were mystery stories, if I remember correctly. Or inking one of the two, I don’t know what it was. This guy would make you wait in their very exclusive lobby at Avon.

They were dealing with perfumes or whatever.

CBA: Oh, they were the same company as the “Avon lady”?

George: Yeah, it was a big company. They had a huge, elaborate

Above: During an extended visit to England in the early 1950s, George Roussos contributed to the comic weekly Sun with a strip called “Jeremy Blaze, the Boy Buccaneer.” Here is the October 31, 1953 installment. Courtesy of Marie Steinberg. ©1953 Fleetway.

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Above: George clowning around for a photographer back in the 1950s. Courtesy of Roy Thomas, Bill Cain and Marie Steinberg.

Below: Beginning in the early 1950s, George pitched versions of a daily syndicated newspaper strip—called Transito by the 1970s and, no doubt, would have been called Microchip today!—though no papers took the chance on the quirky little guy. Here’s a spot illo from the presentation package sent to prospective customers. ©2002 The Estate of George Roussos.

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lobby, and one section was the comics, because they were trying to branch out. This fellow (I wish I could remember his name!) used to work for Max Gaines. He was a young guy who was sort of corrupted somewhere down the line. He was a tall guy. So Mort Meskin was made to wait in the lobby. Now, can you imagine Mort waiting for almost three-quarters of an hour? So Mort fell asleep on one of the couches in this elaborate lobby… [laughter] he never did that again! The editor said, “You can’t sleep here, Mort!” Mort said, “I got tired of waiting!” [laughter] Mort purposely took a nap right there to embarrass the editor in front of all the business people who were coming in. In the lounge, here’s this guy snoring away! [laughter] That was a wonderful story, I never forgot that.

CBA: Mort really had an edge to him, eh?

George: Oh, Mort was brilliant, terrific. Shy fellow with an excellent sense of humor.

CBA: You two became close at this time?

George: Mort always liked me. He used to have a lenient type of work, white with lines, and when he saw my blacks, he was interested. See, my black was an abstract black, it wasn’t light and shades. It was more to bring out the drama—this was all subconscious, mind you—I’m just talking because I’m now aware of it, but then I did it by instinct. I knew how to put black in to bring the drama, it had nothing to do with light and shade. So, Mort was intrigued with that, and he complimented me, and he asked me to do something with him, and eventually he changed his style to accommodate my approach. He organized the blacks by light and shade, you see. I didn’t work like that, because I feel when you work realistically, it looks beautiful, but it lacks drama because you don’t add anything to it of yourself.

CBA: Did you like the work

of Milton Caniff or Noel Sickles?

George: Oh, Sickles I liked, yes.

Noel Sickles was the most interesting guy at that time.

CBA: You mentioned Chester Gould?

George: Chester Gould I liked him for the graphics, storytelling and characterization. He had a nice way of drawing the simplicity of doing the characters without all the fancy work in the artwork. He went beyond realism, he became more realistic in a way, because he approached it from his personal view. That’s when art becomes alive. When you become literal, how much more can you say?

CBA: Did you recognize Alex Toth’s work?

George: Yes, I liked Alex Toth right away. His work was well-liked. I used to go out with him occasionally. He wrote to me on several occasions, and I never answered, like a nut! He must’ve thought I ignored them, but that wasn’t the case… every time I sat down to write, I would never finish…

I’m a terrible writer. Alex looked up to me for one reason, though I never accomplished anything. But he did! He was much more polished and finished than I ever was.

CBA: Did you ever think of doing what he did, doing storyboards or animation work out in Hollywood?

George: No, not really. I don’t think I felt I was talented enough. I don’t think much of my talent, but I put enough effort into whatever I did. I was interested in Egyptians and stuff like that.

There’s where my interests begin. I work by interest, I don’t just work by practical reasons.

CBA: History and philosophy were what interested you?

George: I don’t know, I drifted so much. You see, one of the things I stayed away from was not to have a specific technique, because once you get a specific technique of working, it dies after a while. How far can you go with it? It reaches a certain point and it dies. But if you keep it loose in some way, you have the chances to alter it, because you don’t have a definite pattern. Although you do, in a quiet sort of way you have a pattern of a kind, we all have it, perhaps in your writing and so on, your personality comes through.

So I stayed away, I don’t know if that was an excuse for working less, or what! I couldn’t tell you the truth about that, I really haven’t analyzed it thoroughly.

CBA: Do you draw today with any kind of regularity?

George: No. CBA: Do you have a drawing table at home?

George: Yes, I do. I have all the equipment. In fact, I did a little color job, they finally gave me something to do. I find it’s more leisurely.

CBA: Did you go into the office when you worked for Simon & Kirby?

George: When they worked up at Crestwood? In fact, I did work there in the office sometimes. They were up on 57th, 56th, somewhere off Broadway. It was not bad. They were a small outfit.

There was Ben Oda, the letterer, and another fella. It was a small outfit, a small place. Carmine’s brother, Jimmy, worked there for a time. He was very nice, and quite different from Carmine. Marv Stein was there, who’s in Florida now. He retired a long time ago. He was very good. He also did advertising work. Afterwards, when he was leaving, Mort Meskin went up there for a job, and he wound up getting Marvin’s old job at [advertising agency] BBD&O. CBA: Was Bruno Premiani there?

George: I believe he was, but I couldn’t say for sure.

CBA: Did you work for Simon & Kirby, or were you…

George: I was on a freelance basis.

CBA: How were they as clients?

George: They were easy to work with, I liked working with Joe COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

and Jack. Joe was the real business manager. A very efficient guy, and he’d go through stills of photographs he’d use on their romance books or whatever. He was the brains. Jack stood there and he was on the drawing board, he just produced. He had a lot of energy inside of him, he didn’t spend too much time talking and kidding around. He’d put out six pages, seven pages, he’d start from the left side and go right across, and then the next line, and the next line.

Amazing guy. It was a very pleasant atmosphere. Extremely pleasant.

I enjoyed working up there.

CBA: Was Mort there?

George: Yeah, Mort was there, too. I knew Jack Kirby in a good light, as I often told you, and Joe and Jack were very nice to me.

Somehow or other, I got along pretty well with Jack, I don’t know why. When nobody would talk to them after they screwed up a few of the artists money-wise because they couldn’t pay them, I don’t know the complications or the arrangement.

CBA: At Crestwood?

George: Yes. Freelancers weren’t paid, so nobody would talk to Jack, they sort of cut him off, and he was dying when he saw me, he wanted to talk to me. In fact, we walked about 30-40 blocks back and forth, from the art store to the 57th Street or wherever they were, and we’d walk back to Grand Central, and he’s talking away, and I wish I had that dialogue. Who ever thought that you’d come along and ask me this question? [laughter] CBA: So he was just working off his energy?

George: Well, yeah.

CBA: That’s a long way!

George: Yes. We covered every subject, he did all the talking. I guess it was sort of pent-up energy, and he was rather hurt that people took it out on him—unnecessarily, he felt.

CBA: So this with the downfall of comics, with Wertham, right?

George: I don’t know if it had anything to do with that. Prior to that, I was surprised, because the books were selling as much as 95%, all of Jack and Joe’s books. I don’t know what happened that they came down, because their books were nice and clean, there were no weird things that… I didn’t think the books were anything to be criticized, like Gaines’ or Bob Wood’s books. They’re the guys who created the monster.

CBA: Did Jack ever comment on your work? Did he ever come over and give you advice?

George: Jack was never like that.

CBA: Did Joe? George: It’s very hard to say, I don’t remember, because my work wasn’t so outstanding for some odd reason, I guess maybe he could see the practical reasons. Joe saw things from the practical aspect of an artist, how he can use an artist for his publication. I guess I fitted the bill for the specific things, doing certain jobs, and afterwards, I did a rotten job, and that went into the court.

CBA: Oh, you had to get some money?

George: Yeah, he owed me $90 for one job he printed.

CBA: So, you were working primarily on Black Magic?

George: Yes. I was into the mysteries.

CBA: At the time, you were freelancing, so were you also doing work for DC? George: Yeah, I was working for Jack Schiff, primarily.

CBA: Do you stay in contact with Jack Schiff?

George: I did for a while, but I didn’t want to bother him for some reason, he was retired. I think I might’ve called him once or twice since he left, after that, I didn’t bother.

CBA: You were working on House of Mystery?

George: With Mort, together. We worked as a team for a short time. It was a very thunderous experience! [laughs] Mort was a neurotic guy, a sensitive guy who could be driven almost mad by criticism. Kanigher, for instance, wasn’t one to say, “Gee, you fellas didn’t get it just right how I wanted,” in soft tone; Bob was always hysterical.

CBA: Like pounding his fist on the desk?

George: Almost like that. Like a general “What the hell did you do here?!? Blah, blah, blah,” you know? Kanigher scared you, and Mort, being a timid soul, didn’t like that sort of thing. We didn’t last very long.

CBA: But you primarily worked for Jack Schiff?

January 2002

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George: Jack was the guy who gave me work. Mort Weisinger, later on, gave me inking jobs on Superman.

CBA: How was Weisinger as an editor?

George: Speaking personally, I think he was the most reliable, a very honest guy, he always had a job for me, he had a check ready for me, I never had to beg or anything like that with Mort; it was very straightforward. Since Mort built me up to Jack, too, I had Mort’s support—you need that as an artist, you always have to have somebody who appreciates your work, for some odd reason—and that’s a strong point to the editors, because everybody’s knifing each other all the time, and criticizing, and editors hear that, and Mort would never criticize any artist, because he felt word might’ve gotten to the editors, and prevent any artist from getting work! I liked that about Mort, Mort was very honest, and he always paid me well on any job I helped him on when he was ill. I have the highest praises for Mort, a high respect for him.

CBA: Did you work for Atlas at all?

George: Yes, I did, on the mystery stories. They were up in the Empire State Building then, I believe that’s where they were.

CBA: So what did you think of Stan?

George: I liked Stan right away, there was something alive about him that I felt, and he always gave me work. I knew there was something, he was going to be successful, I had a feeling for him. That’s the reason why, when Jack came over to Stan Lee at the very end, I even told it to Stan, “Those two are going to do something together.”

Stan said to me, “When I see the sales, I’ll believe you, George,” and when the sales went up, he never said a word to me! [laughter] He’d forgotten anyway, I’m sure. I liked Stan very much. I always called him the “Sign of the Sun”; you know how we all reach for the sun when it comes out, you get that energy that comes out of it? That and rain, I guess. When he came to the office, we were all half-asleep, and when he came in, you could feel the energy all over the place that stimulates the work! You need an environment of that kind.

CBA: Stan was enthusiastic and positive?

George: Yes. He was a ball of energy.

Above: One of George’s steadiest gigs was the annual Adventures in Science Series contracted by General Electric. Drawn by George, these self-cover comics were distributed to public schools in the U.S. for many years. ©1952 GE. 75

who is transisto?

Above: Section of the 1971 Transisto sell-sheet designed and illustrated by George. ©2002 the Roussos Estate.

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CBA: In the late ’50s, was it predominately you and Mort Meskin as a team, or were you also inking other jobs alone?

George: Because maybe there was less work, we thought we’d try it together for a while. I always felt not at ease with Mort, because I looked up to his work, and when I looked at my own, it wasn’t quite as competent as his. I managed to do some nice things with him, and I inked it as reasonably as I could. I did some of the war stories… I saw the other day a couple of pictures I had taken of the work, it wasn’t that bad at all, quite nice, yes. Mort’s penciling was just so good, I couldn’t ruin them! [laughter] You know, Hal Foster once told me, “Make sure the penciling is right and accurate as best you can, and the inking can be sloppy, and it’ll still work good.” In other words, have a good foundation is what he was implying. Bad artwork and good inking isn’t going to make it any better.

CBA: So, how long were you two a team?

George: Not very long, I would say.

CBA: Did you remain friends with Mort throughout his life?

George: Yeah. It was only in the latter part of his life when I didn’t see him. I spoke with him a number of times when he worked for BBD&O, and after he left, I didn’t have the occasion to speak to him.

CBA: When did he go over?

George: When his girlfriend, who he married later on, and they lived up in West Bronx, Whitestone, whatever the name of the place.

CBA: When did he go to BBD&O? George: I would imagine somewhere in the ’60s.

The comics work began to dry up quite a bit.

CBA: Was he doing TV storyboards?

George: Yes, beautiful storyboards. They liked him very much, because he could animate the figure, like Johnny Quick. They wanted to promote him, but he didn’t want the responsibility. Mort did some beautiful watercolors of boats when he used to go to the waterfront or some beach. He did excellent watercolors. All these shapes were big, and somehow, the way he placed them set a composition, and no one could touch him.

CBA: When you guys broke up, did you go over to Marvel?

George: Afterwards, I was getting less work over there at DC, and when I saw Jack move over to Stan Lee, then I started to jump the ship, and went over to Stan and asked him for work. I worked for peanuts, because he couldn’t afford to pay much for inking. I inked everything, I ruined everything, whatever. [laughter] CBA: For about a year, you were doing an enormous load of work at Marvel. You were inking Fantastic Four…

George: I did everything. What had happened was that the people were very slow, because they inked much neater than me, and neat takes a lot of time. Mine is bold. It reproduces almost as good as theirs. So, I was able to do a whole story overnight. 24 pages, I believe, 22-24 pages. I would outline it with a pen quickly, and throw the blacks in there, and by the time it got out of the drawing board, I could hardly stand up, because I did it for 12-13 hours. But I’d bring it in the following day, I didn’t want them to feel like I rushed it. [laughter] CBA: So you’d ink a page in half an hour?

George: I’d start slow, and warm up… all through the night, without going to sleep. More than 12 hours sometimes, I wouldn’t go to sleep until I finished the job.

It was the only way I could work.

CBA: Do you remember specifically working on Jack’s work?

George: Yes! Oh, I liked it because it was easy. It

was nicely penciled, and no matter what I did to it, it held up, because it was beautifully drawn out. Stan was pleased, he’d look at it and say, “You’re Mr. Marvel now! Look, the books are on time!” No one could produce books like me, for $11 a page, of course. [laughter] I was happy to do it, and happy to be part of it. As I began to see myself sinking, because I didn’t have the energy or the interest, I asked for a job on staff, and I got it.

CBA: Do you remember working on The Avengers #4, with the return of Captain America?

George: No, I couldn’t tell you that.

CBA: Is Marvel still giving you residuals for reprints?

George: I don’t think they do anymore, they did for a while.

CBA: You must’ve received something almost regularly, as that’s a very often reprinted tale.

George: Yeah, I received a reasonable amount. In fact, since you mentioned it, I still get checks for Batman from DC. I got $300 this last week. During my vacation, I received $87, and a couple of weeks ago, I got $13 or $16, something like that.

CBA: These are for the DC archive volumes?

George: Yes. I think they have a little interview in one of the Dark Knight books with this fella who was a collector of comics, out in Chicago. He used to come out to my house and show me artwork, and ask, “Did you do this? Did you do that?” I couldn’t remember anything! [laughs] The daily Batman they did. How did I know all these things? I could’ve kept quite a better record, pages upon pages, all the places I’ve been published in.

CBA: Right now, all of a sudden, there’s a real rush to write the history of comics, to get it all down.

George: Time makes quite a bit of difference, you know? We didn’t have the understanding that you people do. We were quite different. We didn’t have the knowledge or education to preserve what it was like, not saving some of the valuable stuff. In fact, I was talking to Florence in the office, and she was throwing a lot of the artwork away! When the stories were finished, she used to throw the scripts out, the artwork and everything!

CBA: Who would’ve known?

George: That’s exactly it, and then you people come along suddenly with all this, putting it all together— which is amazing—and you speak to a guy like me, and I’m scratching my head. There’s not much in there, but I scratch it anyway. [laughs] CBA: When you were for Marvel in ’64, did you realize these were kind of different books?

George: Yes. That’s why I made the prediction to Stan.

CBA: What made them different?

George: Well, the super-heroes, first of all, and Jack’s work. I never read any of the stories, oddly enough, but just by looking at them, I could tell things. That’s my impression about it.

CBA: You didn’t have to read them?

George: No. Certain things Jack would do I was interested in. For instance, when the Thing would lean against a building, his shoulders would touch it, and I thought that was quite cute, very humane, different from what most of the people did before. Jack had his quiet humor, which I sort of liked, but I never read any stories. To this day, I’ve never read a comic book story.

I don’t know why, I lettered books, I saw words and I lettered words down! What a guy, huh? If they’d catch on to me, they’d fire me! [laughter] CBA: Kind of late in the game to dismiss you, George, don’t you think?

George: And I deserve it now. [laughter] COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

CBA: All of a sudden, you were off the Marvel books! What happened?

George: What happened was that Stan could afford more money, so he could get the best inkers. That was my interpretation.

And I never worked again for Marvel as a freelancer.

CBA: Chic Stone followed you up.

George: Yeah, these were much more efficient inkers than I was, and Stan liked their work. Stan always liked crisp line work, like the other fellow…

CBA: Joe Sinnott?

George: Right. His work is very sharp, and mine was not like that. The two of us were quite different. Stan liked that, and he could afford to pay them more now, because the books were beginning to sell. Whereas I was only getting $11 a page, which I didn’t mind, I thought it was great for me, and I had a very strong feeling I knew DC was sinking, and this guy was coming up. That’s what’s going to happen with Marvel, I suspect, some small outfit somewhere, highly organized, tightly woven together, and they’re going to come out with something new, and it’s going to be something simple! Like a baby. I tried to explain to them, even what’s new has to go through the cycle like we are, we’re born young, like babies, middle-age, junior, teenager, whatever, we go through the whole cycle. Once you reach the top of the cycle, there’s nothing else, you get dead after a while, you lose that something youthful and exciting, the fantasy and imagination, all that stuff. It’s gone, not the stuff they’re doing today. It’s not going to go very far. They’re using the fanciest colors that you can possibly see in the books today, all this fine printing, they look more like pulps, the comics today. They don’t look like comics. So, I feel some small outfit, somewhere, is going to come up with something that’s going to certainly hit the mood.

CBA: That’s how it happens, historically.

George: Well, that’s how I felt about Stan Lee. He brought something new and simple to comics. You know how nice Jack’s drawings were back then? Beautiful, easy to read, nice. You’re not caught up with techniques, you’re caught up with the storytelling, the characters fight one another and do all those things. I suggested something to the guys in the office, and they laughed at me, not because it’s silly, because I’m silly anyway [laughs]… I told them, “How about having covers with the human element, where the super-heroes are tired of fighting, and is eating spaghetti and meatballs or something, and the other guy’s eating something else, and they’re arguing over who has the most nutrients or whatever?” [laughter] Stupid things.

CBA: The mundane. [laughs] George: The human element is what we relate to.

CBA: That’s exactly what Stan and Jack did.

George: That’s exactly what I’m talking about.

CBA: And Steve Ditko, too.

George: Right.

CBA: Did you ever meet Steve?

George: Yes, occasionally, we’d have arguments, though not heavy ones. I’m right and he’s wrong all the time. [laughter] He’s very strong-headed about his ideas, that’s what got him in trouble with Stan Lee. He was very stubborn.

CBA: Was he a nice guy?

George: Yeah, he’s a very pleasant guy; I liked him. I like Steve.

He’s not doing much work anymore. He’d like to, he worked up some ideas, but they don’t accept his stuff.

CBA: He pitched Marvel some ideas?

George: Yeah. When he wasn’t getting any work, he thought he’d write his own story and he brought it in, made some sketches.

CBA: Did they bug him to do Spider-Man? George: No, no. The technique is so different today, you see.

CBA: Todd McFarlane used a lot of Ditko riffs.

George: It’s amazing how this guy became a millionaire, eh? The reason he had the following is because of his Spider-Man work, and somehow or other, he did it in such a way that many people liked his work. I never liked his work too much, really.

CBA: It’s pretty grotesque.

George: Yeah, but the kids liked it tremendously, he had a terrific following. So, when he stepped out into his own business, it must’ve January 2002

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been a pretty good jump, boy! I never met the guy, I might’ve seen him, but I’ve never spoken to him.

CBA: Did you drop your work off at the Bullpen in ’64? Do you remember what it was like?

George: Very small. John Romita Sr., Herb Trimpe, and Marie

Above: The first week’s worth of Transisto, a proposed syndicated strip pitched to the papers by the artist George Roussos. ©2002 the Roussos Estate.

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Severin were there. Marie wanted to do penciling, and she was doing the covers. Stan didn’t like the grays she used, he was rather annoyed with her, and of course, she was very stubborn. They had an argument one time, and Stan Lee brought flowers in to patch up things. She eventually gave me the opportunity to do coloring, because they liked color, Stan liked my work.

CBA: Marie told me the exact same story, that her and Stan got into an argument, and he dressed her down in front of people. She was upset about that, and he brought her flowers, and she stormed back into his office and said, “You never give men flowers, either!” [laughter] George: She’s a rough customer. I had many arguments with her, and the only way I got around her was just by saying I wasn’t going to listen to her anymore, I cut her dead. She couldn’t stand it, and she eventually couldn’t stand me cutting her off, just ignoring her. Then afterwards, for a while, we’d get nice again… we’re both Leos you know, and when you get two lions together, a female lion and a male lion, what do you expect? [laughter] You didn’t need much to start us off. Usually I don’t like to fight, but when somebody starts to insult me outright, I defend myself as best I can.

CBA: Was the Bullpen a pleasant atmosphere when you went in?

George: Yes, very pleasant, and it was for quite a while. Eventually, when they started to broaden out with all the success, all the other elements came in, and people started to come in, other egos came around, and it was getting out of control.

CBA: After Stan was gone, what did you do?

George: I continued coloring the covers.

CBA: When did you start doing that?

George: I started before the place got big, when Marie started to pencil. I took over after she said, “Why don’t you do the coloring?” and I did a sample, she came in and started putting in grays, and I said, “Stan doesn’t like grays?” She said, “Oh, you do it, this is the right way.” Later on, Stan advised me to stay away from grays.

CBA: Well, the Marvel covers had a lot of big problems with grays in the early ’60s.

George: Yeah, he wanted primary colors.

CBA: Grays would muddy right up.

George: Yeah, exactly, he wanted something clean, like a poster, that’s what he wanted. Depending on the artwork, also. Frank Giacoia came in then, too.

CBA: As the art director?

George: Yeah, for a while. He tried all kinds of things, but he was always falling on his head for some reason. He wasn’t a creative artist. He was an excellent inker. He tried to be a creative artist, but he always looked for swipes and everything, he was not an original. He always thought he was more than what he was. I liked Frank, but Frank had a lot of problems with meeting deadlines, and his reputation got worse and worse. A shame, because he was a gifted guy with inking, He was very good.

CBA: Was he a good manager?

George: I think he wasn’t realistic. For some odd reason, he always thought he was more than what he was doing, you know what I mean, that kind of personality? You resent these, I believe. When they accused him of being late, he wasn’t bringing the books in, he’s not doing this, he’d find faults, he’d say, “What about these other guys?” That’s a helluva way to do it. That’s a human trait, you try to put it on someone else. “They’re not better than me!”

CBA: Deflect the blame?

George: Yeah, and he got worse and worse as he got along.

CBA: He seemed to become art director out of the blue.

George: Yeah, they tried to pacify him for some reason, he was complaining…

CBA: He was coming in the Bullpen a lot?

George: Yeah. Then, eventually, he was inking, and he tried to help me with the covers he wanted to get, so I pleased him, and I did what he suggested with some highlights, “George, why don’t you put some highlights in?” and I would do it, and he was pleased, and he felt he was doing something creatively. His thinking was sort of ordinary.

CBA: So, you were coming in the office as a freelancer, doing the covers?

George: No, once I got a job there.

CBA: Oh, when did you get the job there?

George: Oh, God, you would ask me this.

CBA: You told me before ‘72.

George: Yeah, 1972, right, exactly. You’ve got a good memory.

CBA: After ‘64, you were freelancing for Marvel?

George: Yeah, until 1972, when I took the job on staff. John Verpoorten was there, too—I’m sorry, I forgot to mention him—and he was the reason I got my job there. John Verpoorten would call me in to do corrections. They’d give me a whole story, and within a few hours, I’d make all the corrections.

CBA: What would you do?

George: There also was Roy Thomas who would say, “Gee, whenever George comes in, the book gets finished quick, so we can get it out of here.” So, that built up my security a bit, and then I asked John to work on staff, I said I had enough of the outside. I spoke to Verpoorten, and he probably asked Stan, and Stan said okay. In a short time, I was coloring the covers, and I’ve been doing that ever since.

CBA: You replaced Marie when she was working on Kull the Conqueror?

George: Yeah. For a while, I used to go in there freelance and I’d do patchwork, and I’d repair sheets with cut-outs of characters so they can find them whenever they want to for promotion. Marie would tell me, “Cut this, cut that,” and I’d do it.

CBA: You were cutting them out from stats?

Left: Photograph of the artist during his year-long stay in England during the early 1950s. Courtesy of Roy Thomas, Bill Cain and Marie Steinberg.

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COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

George: Yeah, from stats, and then I’d paste them down for presentations, in case they needed a page for this or that. Marie would tell me exactly what to do. She was very helpful, I must admit. It was through her that I’m lucky to have this job that I have now. She was very good. I have to be honest about that.

CBA: In the early ’70s, a lot of new artists weren’t adhering to the deadlines. Was one of your jobs to make sure that the work got finished? Did you sometimes have to yank the art out of the artists’ hands?

George: Well, what they did was, the pages of artwork came in, Roy Thomas or Stan would look it over, and they’ll make certain decisions, and on the margins, they would put certain signals that represented the changes and what kind of changes. Sometimes, if I wasn’t certain, I asked John what he had in mind, and then I’d sit down and take my white-out, ink it, pencil it a bit, ink it, and that was the end of it, and I kept my mouth shut and got the job out.

They were very pleased I could do that amount of pages in a few hours or so, depending on the amount of changes.

CBA: Sometimes they were quite extensive?

George: Well, yeah, generally, there was not an awful lot.

Drawing part of a panel, part of a cloud…

CBA: Have you done corrections up to this day?

George: Not to the extent I once did, no. After I started with the covers, that was the end of doing corrections.

CBA: You were quite a prolific colorist at the time, right?

George: Yeah, I was doing all kinds of coloring.

CBA: Were you quite fast getting color jobs done for 20-page books?

George: Yeah, I think I could sit down and do it overnight, I guess.

CBA: As a colorist, were you working freelance?

George: Yes, I used to do freelance work, yes. I wasn’t making much money then, and added art to my income, and I continued that until Jim Shooter was there, and after that, they lost interest in me. Different people have different ideas. That’s what happens with artwork, you have friends who like you—not like you personally as much as like your work. Art is a very peculiar thing, and I see some damn good artists and they can’t get any work up there, and I see some horrible artists… because the taste of some of the editors, in my estimation, is very low. It reflects in the stuff they buy. The covers they’re buying today, to me, I’m critical of them, but it’s none of my business.

CBA: Starting in 1980 or so, the level of expertise in comic art dropped so much. It often became so amateurish. I see a lot of Spider-Man books that contain very substandard artwork.

George: So they depend on fancy coloring to cover up bad stuff.

See, I think I can dramatize covers better than anyone else in the field, it seems to me. I never had any problem when I did covers for DC. They always asked me, “How come your covers aren’t criticized?” Because I always aimed at the audience when I did something, I always threatened the audience. As I explained to you, if you have a car going horizontally, passing you, you’re not alarmed in any way, but if the car came head-on, you’d better step aside, right? Because I’m aiming the car towards you, the audience. I would make the hero more defenseless in the situation, whether there’d be a monster or anything that really could reach for you. So, that brought in the audience. Now, they just draw pretty pictures, and posing the characters in a Victorian way. Mark Gruenwald would ask me to give an explanation to the editors when we had a meeting one time, and they all yawned. I was embarrassed to be there. I really didn’t want to explain myself, because it’s hard to relate something that you feel to someone else who just feels differently. You can’t relate it! Intellectually, you can, I can explain it for you, but if you have no feelings for it, how are you going to interpret that?

CBA: Did you notice a difference in the Bullpen when you came back in ‘72?

George: After freelancing? No, it was the same thing, it was still small.

CBA: But Stan wasn’t there as much.

George: Yeah, he was. When he went to California, that was quite a difference, then Shooter came in, and there were a few other January 2002

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

editors before he was trying, right?

CBA: A lot in a very short period of time.

George: Some of them only lasted a week or two. They quit on their own, or whatever happened. Stan, later on, wanted to get someone else, so Shooter wrote a tremendous amount of work on how to reorganize the company, and also Stan’s brother Larry Lieber tried—I did quite a lot of work for Larry, I used to ink his Western work—and he wrote something of how he would run the company, and they chose Shooter. I don’t think Stan got along too well with his brother, it seemed.

CBA: Well, Larry went off to Atlas/Seaboard, right?

George: That’s right, and I did some work there, too, because I used to work for Larry. I used to do all his inking, like the Western thing he has. Then, he went over to that other thing, it didn’t last very long there, that had no content at all. Atlas/Seaboard was just another comic book, but with no original ideas. Most of what they did was try to copy what was successful. I did several jobs for them on a freelance basis, just coloring the covers, because he liked my covers. Martin Goodman wanted to capture the Stan Lee technique, but the artwork was quite different.

CBA: You’ve been at Marvel in production since 1972?

George: And maybe a year before that freelancing, doing art jobs. I liked that, with less responsibility. It’s good for me.

CBA: Are you in a managerial position now?

George: I’m nothing! [laughter] I never will be! Sol Brodsky

Above: Today, many a Marvel fan might not only recognize the name of George Roussos to be an unparalleled colorist from the ’70s to the ’90s, but perhaps most noticeably as inker for the cover of The Avengers #4, penciled by Jack Kirby, featuring the unforgettable return of Captain America.

Courtesy of John Morrow. ©2001 Marvel Characters, Inc.

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Above: As a gift to Ye Editor, George Roussos shared an extremely important and heartfelt production that was years in the making for the artist. The Bayard Cutting Arboretum, located in Great River, Long Island, not far from George’s residence, was celebrated in ’84 with a historicalbooklet, sporting this handsome, full-color George Roussos cover illustration. The artist handled all aspects of the publication’s production—from writing to photography to layout to wash illustration—and George told me that he was particularly proud of the finished book. Of note to comics fans is his listing of a couple of Marvel staffers in the acknowledgements: “[Thanks to] James Shooter, Editor in Chief of Cadence Publications, whose generosity and understanding enabled me to arrange my regular work schedule to allow free time for my vital research, and whose many suggestions were helpful. [And to] Mark Gruenwald, an editor of Cadence Publications has given me many hours of his time polishing the text.” George was also devoted to the deer who lived on the grounds of the Arboretum and would occasionally fret to me that he worried how the creatures would get by in the winter after he was gone. The artist confessed that he spent quite a bit of money getting deer feed, expressing a deeply felt love for the animals. George, I’ll always miss you, my friend, and sleep well in your rest eternal.

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asked me to be head of the color department one time when they had this other fella that worked there, he started to bolster his daughter’s vouchers, and Brodsky didn’t like the idea, so he asked me to take over, and I said, “I don’t particularly care for this job.” I did it for a short while, then they disbursed it, I don’t know what happened.

CBA: When you were at Marvel in ’64, you had a pseudonym, “George Bell.” How come?

George: At the time I was inking, I didn’t want to lose some of the contacts with DC, so I thought I’d use it, and afterwards, I thought it was funny, so I used any name I thought of. [laughter] Guys would give me names, “Use that, George.” Stan didn’t care, and Shooter, of course, was suspicious; he thought I was pulling something, I don’t know, he became stiffer, he lost his sense of humor. Stan always wrote crazy things at the beginning of a page.

CBA: Stan didn’t give you a nickname?

George: I never used that with Stan, no. Bob Wood started the stupid thing of calling me “Inky.”

CBA: Stan would do alliterative nicknames, like “Jolly Jack,” and “Sturdy Steve Ditko.”

George: So I followed pretty much that way without thinking about it, and I suppose, subconsciously, you react to that atmosphere. Shooter being a little more weird in his own way, he said, “Cut it out! Use your real name.” What the hell difference it would make, I never knew.

CBA: Did DC look down at freelancers who were working both sides of the fence?

George: Well, I didn’t want to irritate them, let’s put it that way.

I wasn’t getting that much work from them anyway, I was more or less on the way out, and Carmine and I never got along too well.

CBA: So, you’re keepin’ busy?

George: Yeah, a little bit. I don’t want to do much freelance.

CBA: Enjoy life.

George: Just a little bit, yeah, what’s left of it. [laughter] CBA: Did you learn anything from Jack Kirby?

George: I wasn’t influenced by Kirby, no. I was more influenced

by Mort, such as it is. Again, I liked design; design is art to me.

CBA: When you went for that long walk with Jack, what did you think of him? Was he intellectual? Was he a deep thinker?

George: Not really, I didn’t think so. He was a very intelligent guy, yes, but not what I call too much depth. There’s a difference between wisdom and intellect. I’ll give you an example: I asked him, “Do you do any painting, Jack? What kind of painting do you do?” (This I remember because it was very important to the way I think.) He said, “Oh, I paint Captain America and Iron Man and all that.” I said, “Oh, that’s interesting. What kind of paints to you use?” He says, “House paints, they’re pretty good.” I said, “Oh, I was just curious what you use.” I got the impression of not much depth beyond comics, I had a feeling. A bright guy, no doubt about it, you can see his comments he makes about certain things are very

intelligent. But intelligence, wisdom, and the abstract, they’re separate things, they relate, but they overlap a little bit underneath.

CBA: So, how would you sum up your career in comics?

George: [laughs] Oh, gosh! “Failure”? Whatever will fit!

CBA: Oh, stop it, George! [laughter] George: Very unfortunate!

CBA: You mean the mortgage? [laughter] George: The mortgage is paid, but I’m still paying those property taxes, so I think it’s an illusion. [laughter] I asked my wife, “What’s the difference between what we paid the bank and to the town?” She says, “About $102 difference.” I said, “Oh, geez, all the work we had to do before this, we used to send it to the bank, and they’d do all the work!” So anyway, to sum it up, I would say I was very fortunate in many ways, I had some good people who helped me out, and the enjoyment came in, too, to have some people who liked you and saw something in the things you did, and appreciate things you did. These were the things, the relationship of people I liked, few people, and I liked Mort tremendously, he was good. There was another fellow, Jack Small, who passed away many years ago, he was my intellectual friend. We went to concerts, art museums and stuff like that, so he exposed me to another area of life. He also gave me opportunities to go to England, because he could turn out his work, he was a good layout man, so he called me in, “Come and help, George,” and I’d say, “I’ll be over there.”

CBA: When did you go to England?

George: In 1953. I went there in 1967 and every other time I had a little money in my pocket, I went to England. I worked there for a year, also.

CBA: Was that in 1953 you worked there?

George: That was 1953 or ’54. Yeah, I would say I was very fortunate, because the people who took interest in me made the difference, and when I lost those people, I couldn’t stand on my own, it seems. [laughs] It’s hard to explain, really. I can, but it sounds funny… there are certain things I watch on TV which most people don’t like; I like English plays, there was a series they had called “As Time Goes By,” I don’t know if you ever saw it. These two people who were separated during the Korean War, and they met in a very peculiar way, and it was beautiful dialogue, beautifully done, very sensitive, and these are the things that intrigue me, that inspire me. I like the English very much. The English have a tremendous sense of humor, and the way they write… all my books, Greek histories and plays and so forth, they’re all from England. They thought it was humorous, the people in the office at DC, when I said, “I’m going to England to buy English books.” [laughter] I don’t think they understood that sense of humor.

CBA: Do you have any kids?

George: Yes, I do, three boys and one girl. My daughter is the best, she’s wonderful. My daughter is excellent, she’s very helpful to me, if I don’t feel like driving sometimes, she’ll help me.

CBA: When did you get married?

George: Oh, long ago. My first wife died, of course, and I married Florence. We’ve been married for 26 years. My wife is a mathematician, you know. She plays the Lotto with me, that’s our only hope, our fantasy, and she has won about 700 times, small prizes, and finally, the other day, she said, “Please put this in for me,“ and I said, “I’m tired.” Wouldn’t you know it? Five numbers came up, they picked five we’ve played, between $260,000, and at the same time, she had another ticket with four! So it paid up $500,000. That would’ve cleared up all my bills, and I could sit out in my chair and live comfortably, but I’m definitely doing that. I said, “I can’t stand not to have money in my pocket.” Oh, it would’ve been just ideal, I’m kicking myself around.

CBA: Oh, well, the luck of the draw.

George: My wife says, “Forget about it.” I hope I’ve been some help. Clean it up a little bit, make it sound like English, because I like your style of writing. I’d appreciate it if you’d make me just as intelligent as you, a little bit less.

CBA: You have a good Thanksgiving, George.

George: You too, Jon, and thanks for all the compliments you’ve paid me. I appreciate it. Make me a good guy who hides.

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

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!

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CBA Interview

Evans in the Heavens A final, glorious interview with the great EC aviation artist Conducted by Jon B. Cooke Transcribed by Jon B. Knutson

Below: George Evans drawing and dreaming in a self-portrait commission rendered for a fan.

Courtesy of the artist. ©2002 the Estate of George Evans.

82

George Evans was one of the sweetest, dearest men I have ever had the pleasure to spend time talking to. I only met him—through the Internet—a year ago January, but I was immediately charmed by his friendly demeanor and just plain niceness. We spoke on Jan. 16, 20 01, and though I had originally intended just to discuss his Warren contributions (for The Warren Companion, in which small portions of the following initially appeared), he proved such a captivating personality that we covered his entire glorious career. He copyedited the final transcript. A generous, loving, and vastly talented man, George’s spirit soars in heaven, having passed away on June 22, ’01.

Comic Book Artist: George, where are you from?

George Evans: I was brought up in Pennsylvania, about 65 to 70 miles north of where I live now in Mount Joy, in a place called Coldmont. But I was actually born in a little mining town about 30 miles above that. There I spent the first nine years of my life, around coal mines, coal miners, and that was about all!

CBA: And you’re about to have a birthday, right?

George: I am, indeed… 81.

CBA: Congratulations!

George: [laughs] Thank you, I was in World War II, and who expected the way things were, that I’d get to this point?

CBA: Did you draw as a child?

George: Yes, I did. A lot. I remember things I could do by the time I was four. When I had an ear infection—it was chronic until an operation at about age 12—and every winter, it would flare up and I’d be house-bound. We didn’t have all those computers [laughter] and record players and DVDs and things like that, so they bought me watercolors, crayons and a lot of paper! The reading material at the time was newspapers, and the best part of them—then and now—were the comic strips.

CBA: What comic strips were you drawn to?

George: Wash Tubbs, Boots and Her Buddies, Freckles and His Friends… it was mostly NEA stuff, because they serviced the small-town papers.

CBA: You enjoyed Roy Crane’s work?

George: Oh, I loved Crane then! I bought a whole set of the books that reprinted his stuff, enjoyed them all over again, and took another trip back to childhood!

CBA: That’s truly wonderful stuff.

George: It is!

CBA: And early on, you were how old when Charles Lindbergh made his historic transatlantic flight?

George: Seven.

CBA: Do you remember it?

George: Oh, that made me the aviation nut I’ve stayed all my life! Oh yes, he was my hero, really. They had a song about him, and all the rest, and yes, he became my hero.

CBA: Possibly today’s generation might not understand how a seemingly simple flight can make the pilot an international hero. Why was Lindbergh considered the important figure that he was in the 1920s?

George: Like King Arthur, Robin Hood and all the rest of them, he was just a simple guy. While everybody else was trying, with big money financing them and all the rest, here comes this simple kind of fellow who makes a deal with an aircraft company to build him a special airplane, according to his specs, and he made it! He was the Big Hero, took the chance, put his life on the line, gambled and won! Radio was pretty primitive at the time, but if you’d read about it, they followed it, and I remember hearing people around this little town—only a couple of them had the old battery radios—and the word got out, “Hey! Lindy made it! Lindy made it!” and for a seven-year-old kid, that was marvelous stuff to hear that a guy had that kind of guts!

CBA: Your interest in that flight led to a lifelong interest in aviation?

George: Yes, it did, and I have it to this day. I still love COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

aviation of all kinds, but that period—the barnstorming era and World War I—is what I love best.

CBA: Did you have an airport near you as a child?

George: Actually, no. About the biggest thing we actually saw in real life was the mail plane that went overhead. They didn’t really have passenger planes then, and every day, the mail plane had a couple of scheduled flights, and you could hear the droning way up, and then a plane would fly over. It was the two o’clock mail plane which I would see, then there’d be others night flying, and that made even more heroes for me, you know? Somebody had the guts to go up at night and fly across the country to deliver mail!

CBA: Were those romantic times that you grew up in? An age of heroes?

George: Oh, yeah. After all, it was 1927, just before the big crash, but in a small mining town, where there was no library, nothing, just the newspapers and what you heard people who had radios talk about, as I mentioned, and anything heroic, it made a big impact. [laughs] About the only thing there was to do for kids growing up were the age-old games they played and games they invented. Some of them were pretty nutty and dangerous when I was a kid!

CBA: [laughs] Like what?

George: Oh, God! The teenagers who had the money to buy baseballs, gloves and all the rest, had a weird game where they’d take this stiff clothesline wire, and put a spike in the top of a pole in the ground, and get some kind of an object they could hit, and put it on the end of this wire, and stand around in a circle, spaced out with axe-handles, swinging at this thing as it went by them! [laughter] Many an individual got a rap in the skull with the axe handle! It was a hard way to learn how to play baseball! [laughter] CBA: There’s pressure for you! Did you copy the comic strips?

George: I did, yes, particularly Roy Crane’s stuff, especially when he turned it into an adventure strip, rather than the gag-a-day.

January 2002

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

CBA: So you were drawn toward Captain Easy in the Sunday pages?

George: Oh, I loved Captain Easy. He remains the big hero of all the comic strips that ever were! Even more than Terry and the Pirates, you know? Pat Ryan and Terry were more lifelike, but still, Wash Tubbs had been the runt, with tough old Captain Easy, and Pat Ryan was Captain Easy, and Terry was a kid instead of a runt [Wash Tubbs].

CBA: Were you determined to do art as a career at a young age?

George: Yes, by the time I reached high school. The other choice would’ve been aviation, but I have a bad left eye which still is just functional, it gives me balance and perspective and the like, but I attempted to get into the Air Force when I was in my teens and was told, “With bad eyes, you’re not gonna make it!” Of course, when World War II came along, they grabbed me just the same! [laughter] But they wouldn’t put me in for flight training, again because of my eyesight.

CBA: At the time you initially tried to enlist, it was called the U.S. Air Corps?

George: Yes, and it was even then a branch of the Signal Corps, as they called it. That would’ve been when I was about 17 or 18. You also needed a college education, and [laughs] the Depression had set in then, so there was not much chance I was going to get a college education. Although, later I did go to trade schools, after the war.

CBA: By the time you were about 16 years old, comic books really started coming out. Did you see them?

George: Yes. They were reprints, for the most part, of the newspaper strips.

CBA: Did you buy and enjoy them?

George: With what? [laughs] Money was short! Around the kids my own age in town, I would buy this or that one, somebody else would by the other one, and among us, we got to see most of them!

CBA: [laughs] Right. When the super-heroes came along, did you

Above: Night, day, rain, clear, snowy, hot, whatever the time or temperature George Evans loved to walk his dog Boomer all over his Pennsylvanian town. Courtesy of the Evans family.

83

Above: George Evans wrote his own caption, stating, “About five, ready to test fly new tricycle, Harwood Mines, Pennsylvania.”

Courtesy of the artist.

Right inset: 14-year-old George Evans won a whole dollar from the pulp magazine Dare-Devil Aces for this pen-&-ink piece, quite an accomplished illustration for such a young whipper-snapper!

Courtesy of the artist. ©Popular Publications, Inc. 84

have any interest in those?

George: Yeah, in a way. I never went for the super-heroes even as a kid, because I had a young brother, nine years younger than me, and I was taking any kind of thing that would make me a couple of dollars a week, and I would buy Superman and some of the other things, Action Comics, for my younger brother. Of course, I’d take a look at them to see, mostly, what the quality of the drawing was.

CBA: As a child, from seven on up, did you draw airplanes all the time?

George: I tried. Again, there was not much in a mining town, either Harwood or Coldmont, other than newspapers which would give you any real stuff on airplanes. When I discovered a thing called Model Airplane News, which had plans how to build models and things like that, then I got to know them and I began to draw them.

CBA: Oh! Were you a model-builder, too?

George: Oh, yes! [laughs] I tried to! You know, they kept telling us you could build these things of balsa wood and tissue paper and put rubber-band things inside them, wind the propeller up with your finger, and when you let it go it would fly. I guarantee, they did not fly! [laughter] CBA: They dropped! [laughs] George: Whatever way these things spun was called torque, and the thing would take off and immediately begin to turn in the direction of the torque from the propeller spinning, and go bang into the ground, right on its wing tip. That would be the end of that, and then you’d start over again, saying, “If others do it, I can do it!” As I grew up and talked with others, they didn’t get to do it, either!

They had the same frustration.

CBA: Into your teenage years, did you continue to follow the adventure strips? Did you have exposure to Terry and the Pirates?

George: By then we were in Coldmont, which is a bigger town, and they had newsstands and the like, and all of us in the Evans family loved whatever we could get to read, and we became real devotees of the comics.

CBA: How many brothers and sisters did you have?

George: One had died young, but there were five of us. I had a brother and three sisters.

CBA: Where were you in age?

George: In the middle.

CBA: So what were your prospects in 1939? You said that college was out of the question.

George: Right. Well, those who worked in the mines expected that their children would grow up and work in the coal mines. Dad had quit them; he had brains enough to get out of a deadly area of the coal mine and got a job at the Pennsylvania Power & Light. My family, I guess, expected me to go and try to get a job with them. He put my name in, but I wanted to be an artist. My mother said, “There’s nobody in our background who

was an artist. Why do you think you should be?” I said, “Somebody made it from other families, so why shouldn’t I give it a try?” And I did, I stayed with it. From about 14 on, I used to talk about drawing airplanes to a friend of mine, and after he and his family moved to New York he would send me back magazines printed in Germany and France and the like, anything that had airplanes in it, and I began drawing from the photographs the planes as shown. With a dictionary to translate the facts about them, I wrote text to accompany the drawing and sent them to the pulp magazines. So help me God, when I was about 15 or 16, I got a telegram one afternoon offering me money for the stuff I’d sent in!

CBA: Wow! George: Yeah, wow! The summer afternoon that stays in my memory. My mother came out from the back porch and called out, “Who do you know in New York?” I said, “Mike?” (He was the guy who sent me this stuff.) She said, “Would Mike send you a telegram?” I said, “Well, what does the telegram say?” She opened it and said, “‘We can offer you $20 for the drawings you’ve sent. Let us know immediately.’” [laughter] I guess the whole family thought at that moment that George was some special person. [laughter] 20 bucks! Geez, there were people who’d do a week’s work to get $20!

CBA: Was it published?

George: Oh, yes! I had drawings published in Daredevil Aces and Battle Birds. Not too long ago, a friend of mine on the West Coast—a pulp magazine collector—got one of those pulps and made a Xerox of the thing he found in there, and sent it to me and asked, “Is this you?” [laughter] And it was me!

CBA: Was that your first and only sale to pulps?

George: Oh, no! I inundated them with stuff! A lot was rejected. I actually wanted to be a writer more than the artist or cartoonist. So I concocted stories using the same formula they did, but they kept rejecting them. [laughs] But I kept writing and sending them in along with drawings and got a lot of them published.

CBA: Was there a notable income you could make?

George: Oh, I couldn’t make a living on it. In fact, the artists and the writers who were professionals, they had it kind of locked up.

Every magazine had its own group of authors they kept busy.

Occasionally, somebody else came in, and if you were good enough I suppose you could get to be part of the house crew, as they called it. By the time I got rejection slips which said, “If you change this or rewrite that, let us have another look at it,” it was time, the war was on and they drafted me.

CBA: And what year was that?

George: 1943. I was 23 years old. That was funny, too, because I’d been examined before. I’d tried when I was 15 and 17 to get into the Air Force Academy. Anyway, when I went in first, they immediately examined the eyes and put me on the 4-F list, and [laughs] driving home, on the car radio it said, “All those who were 4-F will be reclassified 1-B and reexamined!” [laughter] In fact, I went back in a week and they took me in as limited service. I don’t think I was in very long before limited service became full service, but still, every time I applied for flying status of any kind I was notified, “No, you’re limited service. Bad eyes, heart murmur.”

CBA: Where were you stationed?

George: For the longest part of the time at Shaw Field, South Carolina. But they bounced me around before a regular assignment. I had hit Maxwell Field, and following Shaw Field, Seymour Johnson Field, where they had ceased all flying training—where I was a COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

mechanic—and they were going to retrain all us Air Force ground crew for the infantry transfer to make the assault up the beaches of Japan. At least, that’s what the story was at Seymour Johnson Field. So when we saw the headline that said, “Atom Bomb Dropped on Japanese,” we didn’t weep many tears like the do-gooders are doing now.

CBA: What planes did you service?

George: BT-13s, for the most part, with some AT-6s.

CBA: Were you able to get any air time?

George: Oh, yes! Now, that was really the joy of it, because if you worked on them, before they turned them back into—you know, if they’d been damaged, or had to have any correction, they would put an experienced pilot, one of the trusted test pilots in to do what they called a “slow time,” take it up and do mild maneuvers and such to see if whatever repairs that had been made were not going to endanger the cadets. Being twoseaters, all of them, you could ask for the flight, and the pilot, if you asked for it, would be reassured, you know, “If this guy’s willing to go up in it after working on it, he must know what he’s doing.” That’s where I got flight and stick time. The pilot would always ask, “Want to take over for a bit?”

CBA: So you got it!

George: I did! [laughter] And I enjoyed the hell out of it!

CBA: How many hours, all told, do you think you accumulated?

George: Oh, good Lord, maybe with the stick, 12-15 hours at the very best. Of course, on a flight they might keep you up an hour, an hour-and-a-half, but it would be at the most five or six minutes, then the pilot would take it back. He wouldn’t let me take it for any other until he knew that it was well-conditioned.

CBA: Was it as joyful as you imagined it would be?

George: Yeah, except they would never let you make landings or take-offs. They were probably wise with the landings, because subsequent to the war, I did take some flying lessons, and with the impaired vision, depth perception coming down, it could be scary, and the pilot sensed that when I took the lessons. [laughs] He said, “You’d better let me have it here.” I obviously was not coming in on the right landing path, and if you land six feet too low, it’s disastrous! It would be less so if you’re six feet too high, but you still bang things around.

If I had not had that slight error in depth perception, I would’ve pushed it and got myself a license, but I figured there are other ways to kill yourself than to do it in stupidity! [laughter] CBA: Were you particularly enamored with biplanes?

George: Oh, I loved them! I still do. Well, you saw the address on the E-mail, right? “Sophcamel”? That’s Snoopy’s plane, where he fought the Red Baron. That is my favorite airplane of all time, if somebody asks why I took it out of my code name, it’s because there’s a society of World War I aero-historians, and we keep in touch, publish a journal, etc., etc., and they, with their own, have variations of the same theme.

CBA: Do you contribute to the journal?

George: Oh, yes, they’ve used a lot of my illustrations and at least one cover. Yeah. In fact, they have a new guy doing some art editing for them and he’s asked me if I’d make some sketches of specific planes, and I will when I get the urge to do it! [laughs] I still keep on it!

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CBA: When were you discharged?

George: Three years almost to the day afterwards. Sometime in March ’46.

CBA: When did you go to New York?

George: Now, I can’t give you dates, but not too long after, I went to New York, stayed at the YMCA, and hoofed the streets looking for work on the basis of what I had done. I hit Fiction House just about the exact time as one of their staff writers had given notice that he was leaving, and they picked me up on the basis of what I’d shown them, but it was a while, a couple of months, while I did fill-in stuff, working with the other artists, filling in black areas, cleaning up, doing erasing, God knows what all… anything! Lettering corrections and so on. Just general hack-work, and at a given point, there were two or three others doing the same sort of stuff. They published a whole line of books, and we kept busy. But they wanted to start a new feature, and they tried two of the other guys with this particular feature and one had no idea where to go with it.

They took the script back from him and gave it to the second guy, and they wanted a serious biff-bang-boom story of this kind of a… just a little less than a super-hero, and he wanted to do cartoony. So, when he didn’t produce what they wanted, they asked me if I’d like a try. By God, I took the script home and worked nights on it while I worked days at Fiction House on the staff, and when I turned the job in it was another big moment

Above: George Evans wrote the article as well as drew this evocative pulp illustration from Dare-Devil Aces. ©Popular Publications, Inc. Below: Private First Class George Evans, serial #33498802, requesting R&R, sir!

Mid-1940s picture of the artist at rest. Courtesy of George Evans.

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Above: Trio of snapshots taken of George Evans while serving in the U.S. Army in the early 1940s.

Clockwise from top: G.E. at the U.S.A.F. air maintenance school inspecting an engine: “Yours truly ‘shows’ ‘Pop’ Tomek, 7/26/43.”

PFC Evans, ever the dog lover, walks a distracted German Shepard. Evans in a BT-13: “Hardlooking brute. Honest, I wasn’t mugging. The sun was terrific. (The forehead is sure clumbing, isn’t it?)” All courtesy of the artist.

Below: One of George Evan’s first civilian assignments was for the strip, “The Lost World,” in Planet Comics. Here’s his splash from #60. ©1946 Fiction House Magazines.

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of my life, like Lindbergh’s, because the top editor, after he’d taken a look at it, came out and looked at me and said, “What the hell have you been sitting around here for when you can do work like this?” [laughter] So I said, “Do you like it?” He said, “It’s as good as anything we’re getting!”

Which it wasn’t, it really wasn’t, but it was adequate, let’s put it that way. When I got to do the strip regularly, I could sense myself getting the feel of the whole thing.

CBA: What was the name of that strip?

George: “Tiger-Man.” I had been helping with others that were regular features prior to that, but in this particular one it became mine, and I did “Tiger-Man” in Fight Comics [actually Ranger Comics].

CBA: Was he just an all-around roustabout adventurer?

George: Oh, it was a variation of all these super-heroes with their alter egos. He’d been bitten by a tiger—just like Spider-Man was bitten by a spider [laughter]—and when he was going to right the wrongs of the world, and whenever he was at a point of stress, tiger blood would surge in his veins! [laughter] I had to draw the human figure in action, and with a ghostly tiger behind him, in more or less the same figure.

CBA: Well, I would not have bet good money that George Evans started out doing a super-hero strip! [laughter] George: No, you were right! I never liked them, but this one at least, as a man he was vulnerable, and we could feel some suspense and work toward that end. I disliked the super-heroes because, you know, when the steel bullets’ gonna bounce of Superman’s chest, even the contrived bit where he’s dead and so on, you knew immediately that he was gonna be back.

CBA: Did you meet Frank Frazetta at Fiction House?

George: Oh! I’m glad you brought that up, I must mention Frank.

Yes, they hired him to do the same sort of work I was doing, and Frank Doyle and Mike Peppe were doing, but Frank was having no part of that! He sat at his drawing board, and he had these little sketchbooks with him and wrote and penciled, illustrated his own stories, day in and day out, for two or three weeks I guess it was, and [laughs] he produced a number of completed stories in his sketchbook.

At that point, I guess, the editor was giving him things to do, and when he didn’t do them, he took them back and told the big bosses, the managing editors, “Frazetta’s a loss”; they dropped him! But you know, not too many years ago, he had an auction in New York and I was invited, and by God, there on the walls, for sale, $200 a sheet, were the drawings he had made back then! And they were good then, they were damn good stuff then, but of course he went on to become one of the greats… maybe the greatest. Well, within the range of Al Williamson.

CBA: Did you strike up an

acquaintance with Frazetta at that time?

George: With Frank? Oh, we talked and quacked and… what can you say? He was a good many years younger than me, I was all of 23 and I think he was in his teens. Yeah, we talked, he’d show me the things he’d done and I admired them and was green with envy over the quality of them! They should’ve given him “Tiger-Man” except that he’d left by the time the assignment came up. But if they’d given them to him, God knows, I might still be back there at some publisher or another drawing gutters!

CBA: How long did you stay at Fiction House?

George: On the staff, with staff work, about a year-and-a-half, and then they put us all on freelance because there was too much clowning around, fun and games going on in the shop itself. It was a crazy bunch of guys who enjoyed a good time.

CBA: Who else was there? Mike Peppe, you said?

George: Oh, these were the nobodies. The big guys were the staff. Bob Lubbers was kind of the art director, John Salardo, Charlie Sultan, and Al Walker (who did kind of heavy-handed cartooning, the “bigfoot” stuff), Joe Doolan (who was a pulp illustrator and did most of the covers for them), Maurice Whitman…

CBA: Did you know Reese?

George: Maurice Whitman? Oh! We got to be great buddies, because he and I were both pudgies, and he had a great, open, overt sense of humor, and I enjoyed the hell out of all the clowning… I’m not a humorous funny man myself.

CBA: But you enjoy a good joke.

George: Yes, I would be the straight man. [laughter] Murphy Anderson was there, too. He was a little staff artist. In fact, from the YMCA, he got me the room in the same building that he was staying in at the time and we got to be quite good friends. Went to work together, went back together, when I needed scrap or swipe, he had… oh, his room! Some corners of it were floor to ceiling with comic books! [laughter] Honest to god, I think he knew where every one was! If he was saying, “Oh, if you want reference for a story like this, Lou Fine did this or that, let me show you,” and he’d go over to his corner and bring a finger down to a certain level, and pull out two or three books, and one of them would be the one he wanted! [laughter] That’s the mentality, eh?

CBA: Then you freelanced for Fiction House for a period?

George: Yeah, they put us all on freelance, and I did pretty well but began branching out then. I took what I was doing for them around to some of the other publishers, and I got about all the stuff that I could handle.

CBA: Did you go to Lev Gleason?

George: No. No, I never did. As a matter of fact, after the first one or two jobs I hoofed out for myself, Al Williamson became almost an agent for me. He did the rounds, and if they wouldn’t give him work, he’d show them my work! [laughs] He got me work for Fawcett. I almost took a staff job with them because they’d piled the work on me.

CBA: Who did you deal with? Wendell Crowley?

George: I remember him there, but I worked for Roy Ald, Barbara Hamen and John Graham. John Graham had been up at Fiction House, he was one of their better writers, and the poor guy died at age 46, I think. It was like losing a brother. Anyway, when Fawcett got into the lawsuit with DC, Al had been scouting Bill Gaines’ EC Comics. And again, I guess they gave him little bits to do, but he kept on the heat. “You want to go up? These are great people, and Fawcett’s gonna fold; they lost the lawsuit.” Well, he dragged me around to see EC! And they told me the same thing, “Fawcett’s going to close down the comics section because of the loss to DC.” CBA: How did you meet Al? George: Al Williamson? [laughs] That’s another funny story. He and two other guys—I guess he was 13 at the time and they were probably the same or a year or so older—they came up as visitors and the publishers would allow them in, you know, just told them not to get in the way and not to get into trouble. So, these three guys came up and into the art department, and walked the aisles between the drawing boards watching all of us at work, and Al corrected me on a story. I told the story to somebody within earshot of Al, and Al looked COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

at me and said, “I was the bastard!” [laughter] The three of them gathered behind Bob Lubber’s taboret and watched him. Bob was a genius with a brush! I swear to God, he could do four pages a day in a working day of “Captain Wings” or whatever Planet stories he was doing, and they were watching in fascination and somebody moved and almost upset Bob’s taboret with the India ink bottle on it, and his finished pages leaning against the bottom of it, and he let out a blast and said, “I’m gonna take you son-of-a-bitch and hold you out the window and let go!” [laughter] We were on the third floor. When Al corrected me, I said it was one of the other guys, but Al said, “No, that was me he was talking to, and you know, I thought he was gonna do it!” [laughter] CBA: Al was only a teenager, right?

George: He was, and yet, the stuff he showed around there was mighty, mighty good. If he had applied himself to do whole pictures and some background, I’ll bet he could’ve got work up there. But Al loved to do the swordsmen and the dinosaurs and the pretty girls, so there were all these graceful, animated figures doing this and doing that, and beautiful girls, well-stacked… but they were hanging in limbo, you know? Not in settings. He wouldn’t bother with backgrounds and the like. He would call in Frazetta or Angelo Torres—they called themselves “The Fleagles”—and often he’d call in George Evans, and among us, we’d get the thing finished, do the backgrounds or things he didn’t like to draw. I would kind of needle him about it. “Come on, Al, come on! You’ve got such great stuff here, start to do your own backgrounds and geez, you’ll be top of the heap!” He would get on the phone every now and again and say, “Can you give me a hand with this?” and what it would be is pedestrian kind of backgrounds, somebody walking the streets, somebody climbing a stairway or whatever, and I’d give him a hand, as he often gave me a hand, and when John Prentice, recognizing how great he was with figures that looked derivative of Alex Raymond—which is what John was doing with Rip Kirby, the followon of Raymond’s Flash Gordon—and he took Al down to Mexico.

Then, I guess, with no other place to go to get scripts to do work, he had to buckle down and do whatever Prentice assigned him to, and I’ve read in The Al Williamson Sketchbook where he credits John with pushing him to be the success he is.

CBA: To get some discipline?

George: Yes, to get discipline. Exactly so.

CBA: The Fleagle Boys were pretty wild, right?

George: From what they tell! [laughter] I was “Old Pa,” they didn’t call me granddad, but in a sense you could feel it. Just like in the Air Force, we had a 28-year-old guy, and everybody called him “Pop!” [laughter] I would’ve been a “Pop” if I habituated with the Fleagles.

CBA: When did you get married?

George: Oh, I got married while I was in the service in the ’40s. I guess I’d been in a year and got married on furlough. No, it was six months before the end of the war.

CBA: Being a comic book artist, generally speaking, can be a very solitary life, where freelancers work in their own home studios…

George: You’re right.

CBA: …but you guys were able to maintain a social aspect. Angelo Torres, Al, Frank… the Fleagle Boys, and you were always around these guys to some degree. Was that gratifying?

George: Oh, it was gratifying, but that’s not quite the way it was.

Al and I got together a lot. If I were going into the city I might call him and say, “I’m going to be in New York, let’s have a hot dog or something,” or if he were going into the city, he’d call and ask, “When are you going in again?” and we’d meet often in that way.

And again, we’d see each other at publishers where we were both doing work, like at Fawcett and then later at EC. I didn’t know Angelo until long after. I had met Frank Frazetta, but he moved out near to us on Long Island then when we bought the Levitt house. After Al Capp chopped him off at the knees [dismissing Frazetta as a ghost on L’il Abner], I get a phone call, “This is Frank Frazetta, remember me?” I said, “I’ll never forget Frank Frazetta.” He said, “Do you have any work I could help you with?” By God, I was stunned, I really was! I did have work that he could help with, because I’d gotten to working January 2002

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with Dell and Gold Key and they were giving me whole books to do, so for a period of time, Frank worked with me [The Frogmen #1 and 2, material CBA will examine in our forthcoming Gold Key ish]. I penciled the stuff, he inked it, and up to the time that we left Long Island, I would occasionally still get a letter from some comic collector, some fan of Frank’s, asking, “Do you have any of the books Frank worked on with you? Do you have any of the original art Frank did with you? Do you have any stories to tell about working with Frank?”

So he has made his name! [laughter] You know, the nice part about it is, people tell me still that he remembers it with pleasure, and I sure do.

CBA: Back in the late ’40s, did you know Wally Wood at all?

Above: Zowie! Was George good, or what? A page from Ranger Comics’ Evans strip, “Tiger-Man,” from a gorgeous stat made of the original art, and snagged from Jerry Bails & Hames Ware’s third volume of their 1970s Who’s Who of American Comic Books. ©1948 Flying Stories, Inc. Below: Evans also worked on Captain Video.

Cherce panels from #1. ©©2002 the respective copyright holder.

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Above: One of the most chilling climaxes in EC horror history was the denouement of the George Evans-drawn “Blind Alleys,” from the last issue of Tales from the Crypt (#46, Feb. 1955). The story was so impressive that it was adapted for the 1972 movie (which boasted the same title as the original comics anthology). ©2002 William M. Gaines, Agent.

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George: Oh, yes, I met him again at EC. CBA: You didn’t know him beforehand when he was with Joe Orlando?

George: Only his work.

CBA: You heard EC was looking for artists, and you went up there?

George: No, I didn’t have any idea at all. I’d seen their books, but they appeared to have this cast of artists already. You know, Wally, Jack Davis, the Severin & Elder team, and occasionally they’d print credits. I thought they were all set; these were the permanent contributors, and there’s no point in going there. Fawcett, in fact, kept me so damn busy that they even asked me to pencil things and let somebody else ink them! So, I was content there, and I’ll tell you, the people at Fawcett were just as lovely to work with and be with as people at EC. In fact, it was as if most publishers should’ve been in the same building. They were all good, fun, intelligent people to work and deal with. Al had contacted both companies, and he did some work for Fawcett and then he went down to EC, and he liked the people, they gave him work, he showed my stuff around, and evidently, they said, “Well, bring the guy around, we’ll talk to him,” because they liked compatible people, too.

CBA: They were looking for not only talented artist, but ones with friendly personalities?

George: Yeah, newcomers who could meld in with the people already there. So, Al leaned on me and said, “I’m going down to EC.” We met at Fawcett, and he said, “Come on and bring your stuff down.” We went down. [laughs] I talked to Roy Alt, I said, “I hear Fawcett’s having troubles.” He said, “Yes, if you get other offers, grab

them. We’re going under.” So, you know that was decent of him, too! Anyway, at EC, Gaines and Feldstein—and I was doing sciencefiction—and they told me… well, the science-fiction, they had the two magazines, we have the artists on them, there’d be only occasional story to fit in. I said, “That’s fine, I’ll stay with Fawcett.”

They said, “Well, we could give you some weird stuff, you know.”

They wrote all the horror stuff with a tongue in cheek, playing it for laughs! Even the Old Witch and the rest had their macabre jokes.

Anyway, when I did this script, I kept in mind that this is for laughs!

And did it a little over the top, and when I took it in and gave it to Al, who had written the script, he looked at it and every now and again he would laugh and say, “Oh, geez, look at this, Bill! Look at this!” and Bill would look at it and laugh, and they typecast me! [laughter] They typecast me into the horror stories, where little inconsequential characters wound up doing dreadful things.

CBA: [laughs] Did you enjoy the typecasting?

George: No, I didn’t! I broke out of it, of course, when Harvey discovered that I knew something about airplanes and the military.

They had Johnny Severin do the thing on the Red Baron, “The Death of Richtoven,” and when we get together in a bunch at the offices, Bill would invariably say, “Let’s all go out and have lunch together,” and after he’d always pick up the check. So, who wouldn’t miss a free lunch, right? Anyway, while we sat around the table, Harvey asked me, “What’s your background?” and I mentioned having been in the Air Force, and something was said about this Richtoven story. Harvey said, “Did you see it?” I said, “Yeah!” [laughs] He said, “How did you like it?” I said, “It was good, it was good; nicely drawn, and written out of the Red Knight of Germany.” He said, “Hold back there, what’s wrong? What didn’t you like?” I said, “Well… research on the airplanes and the like, but they had those rotary powered things, the triplane and the Sopwith Camel with the engines all standing still!”

Harvey looked up and he had the funniest look, and he said, “Standing still? What do you mean, standing still?” I said, “All those cylinders went around along with the propeller!” Well, he thought I was pulling his leg, you know? [laughter] Only I wasn’t, because it was a fact! They got as many as, I guess, 12 cylinders in two banks, all going around with the propeller! An incredible, clever design; it was only good for about 230 horsepower, and as soon as they got into the higher horsepower areas, they dropped the rotary. But it was a weird and wonderful and absolutely stunningly wonderful thing to see and hear in action, because all that mass of metal spinning around like crazy, with the propeller. Anyway, Harvey said, “You’re pulling my leg.” I said, “No, I’m not.” But Harvey and I got along very, very well together, though we agreed to disagree on just about everything. I think he resented my revealing to him this crazy business with the rotaries. [laughter] CBA: Did you recognize the level of quality of the EC books while you were working on them, that these were special comics?

George: Of course I did. I used to buy them, not only when I was working for them, either. I still bought their books, which I didn’t do with many other companies, and I enjoyed them. I’m astonished that the war books have become so popular. They were not great sellers, and most of the stories were down-beat! People got killed like crazy, and the endings were tragic. Harvey was anti-war and he let that show, where the success of super-heroes proved that people want to believe in happy endings! But yes, I knew Wally Wood’s stuff, and I often wondered why Everett Raymond Kinstler wasn’t snatched up by the EC people.

CBA: With the advent of Kefauver and Fredric Wertham, obviously EC ended the horror line, but they came up with Aces High.

George: That was based on the mail they got from the air stories in the Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat. The enthusiasm of the readers of that material were much like the science-fiction fans’ enthusiasm. You’d get one guy who’d buy his copy and then write four or five letters, signing different names and mailing them from adjoining towns, praising them, and they thought they had a bigger audience for the air stuff and science-fiction stuff than they had. Bill used to laugh about it! He said, “You’d think the science-fiction magazines were our bestsellers, but there are some people out there each writing 25 letters a month! It’s the same guy!”

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CBA: [laughs] Did you see Aces High as a comic tailored for you?

You always had the lead story and you did the covers.

George: As a matter of fact, yes, that’s exactly it. Bill did, more or less, put it that way. “We had a good response from the stuff we did in Two-Fisted Tales, so you will get the lead and the covers.” And in fact, [laughs] he offered me $25 per issue to read through and correct technical errors, etc., but there were so many, when I gave him the list he said, “Oh, the hell with it!” [laughter] CBA: Were you the de facto editor of the book, too?

George: No, I was the technical editor, but they weren’t about to go back and make the corrections. You know, it’s odd that some of the guys in this World War I era club, they know all the errors that were there and it doesn’t matter a damn bit! [laughter] They were still being drawn in to the fantasy of their own; they loved them.

CBA: Carl Wessler and Jack Oleck wrote the stories?

George: Yeah, they did. Well, for the most part they stole the stories from the old pulps! I recognized every story that was there; it had been lifted from the pulps, or from authentic books written by people who had been in, like The Lafayette Flying Corps and James Norman Hall’s stuff.

CBA: When was the end of EC for you? Was it with the demise of Aces High?

George: Yeah. Well, I worked with them, and I think Bill went to the Picto-Fiction stuff, maybe with some hope, but I think more than anything else he was trying to ease all of us out in the other world of whatever comics, illustration… I think he just provided an end cushion for all of us and let us down easy while we got other work. I realized that was the end, and at this… if you print any of it or tell it, this is the key point that I will always make: In fact, Bill had won, legally, the whole affair, and he could’ve told Senator Kefauver and his committee to “Go soak your heads, you jackasses! The Constitution is on my side and the courts will rule it that way!” But he called us all together and said, “Even though they’re selling well, they tell me I’m hurting kids and I don’t want to hurt kids, so I’m dumping them all.” That’s a great man, and I’ll tell you another great thing about Bill: The stuff we did back then in the 1950s, we still get money from Bill’s daughter based on a scheme Bill set up, a plan he set up dividing among the artists and writers and producers and the like, a percentage, and I just got a check from them for work done in the 1950s. Nobody pressured him to do that! Bill Gaines did that on his own. Everyone does, because I still am in touch with Graham Ingels’ daughter Deanna and apparently Bill, and now his daughter Wendy, sends Deanna what would be Graham’s share. Nobody forced him to do this, this was just the goodness of the man.

CBA: After EC, where did you go?

George: I had kept other accounts, I always had other accounts, even while I was doing EC and Fawcett work. So along with them, and I again tracked down new places to find jobs. I tried the advertising world, doing work for Johnstone & Cushing, which used comics-based stuff for advertising and they produced the segment in Boy’s Life magazine. I had a regular feature in that, “Space Conqueror.” A science-fiction bit. And then one-shots they did, and I had illustrated some… what would you call it now?

Ecumenical stuff for several religious companies. I did stuff for Jewish publications, for Catholic publications, for Protestant publications. So nobody could say I was bigoted! [laughter] CBA: Multi-denominational!

George: Ecumenical, is that what the term is? Anyway, the point being I did work for all of them, and I found them all very nice to work with, and this kept me going. I did work for Topps, the gum company, too, and…

CBA: What did you do for them?

George: Oh, God, a lot of stuff! I remember dinosaurs invade the Earth, when they went to the painted cards with those ragamuffin kids or whatever they called them, January 2002

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I did the black-&-whites and then they sent them down to a guy in Kentucky, Norman Saunders, and he painted them up.

CBA: You worked with Woody Gelman over at Topps?

George: No, I worked with Len Brown and a sub-kind of editor.

Morganstern. Morganstern, and I used his name in one of the episodes in the Secret Agent Corrigan, when I took it over, and I gave him copies of it. Flaky old lady who [laughter] had a genius mind, and had invented something or other, and she muddled her way through the Corrigan story in a goofy kind of way, and I gave Abe a copy of it, and he wrote back a brief card, “I’m gonna sue you!” [laughter] And then on the back of the card, he wrote, “I loved it.”

CBA: Did you work for Western? Dell comics?

George: Right, I was trying to put that together in my head, I know it was a double company. I did lots for them.

CBA: In the early ’60s, they came out with a Twilight Zone comic, mystery-type comics….

It almost seemed like a revival of the EC days.

Angelo Torres, Al Williamson, and you, along with Frank Frazetta, were there doing work.

Did it feel like an EC reunion?

George: I loved it, yes, and at given point

Above: But George’s claim to fame at EC Comics were his exquisite tales of World War One aviation.

Who could delineate a dog fight better than G.E.? In fact, Publisher Gaines was so impressed with the artist’s war tales that George’s stories were showcased in a new title custom-made by EC, Aces High! Here is the splash to the Evans-drawn tale in Aces High #2 (May 1955) ©2001 William M. Gaines, Agent.

Left inset: Re-creation of George’s Aces High #1 cover, painted by the artist for a fan. ©2002 William M. Gaines, Agent.

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Above: Nearly 13 years of Evans’s life went into background work for George Wunder’s Terry and the Pirates. Here’s the June 3-4, 1968 strips. ©1968 Chicago TribuneNew York News Syndicate.

Below: George worked for DC war books in the ’70s. Here’s a Weird War Tales cover. ©2001 DC Comics.

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they gave me the whole book to do, and that’s where Reed Crandall and I worked together. Western or Dell—whatever they called— created a series about skin divers in the salvage business. These were two guys, both had families, and it was a soap opera kind of thing with undersea adventure worked in. I did a lot of it; it was that sort of stuff that Frank and Reed helped me on, as well as the Rod Serling stuff.

CBA: Did you talk to Reed when he was in Kansas?

George: When we began he

was somewhere in this area, and Al Williamson called me and said, “You’re doing the whole book, do you think you can feed some work to Reed? He’s having doldrums.” So Reed and I worked together on a lot of stuff.

CBA: What was Reed like?

George: I liked him, but again, I would meet him either with Al, or we’d talk on the phone. I would meet Reed at EC from time to time, and he was one of the quiet guys who would sit with a big grin on his face and listen to everybody else’s goings-on, especially Bill Elder, and occasionally we’d pose him as being shrinking violets there, and he’d say to me, “Geez, how do these guys do it?” and I’d say to him, “How do these guys do it, Reed?” [laughter] CBA: I know you’ve told this story before, but it’s very important for a history of Warren to include: What was Dan Flagg?

George: My part of the Flagg affair was almost as brief as my time with Warren. A guy named Don Sherwood inherited money. Here’s an oddity: Did you know I worked for George Wunder doing his dailies for 13 years?

CBA: You were ghosting Terry and the Pirates?

George: Only the dailies. Don Sherwood had preceded me.

Wunder gave him a try. I was told that Wally Wood gave it a shot, and somebody else from the DC stables had been given a shot.

Anyway, I wound up doing the strip for 13 years. Don Sherwood had been hired as an assistant or a ghost or whatever, and it did not work out. He worshiped Alex Raymond, if you’ll remember, his style was totally swiped from Raymond, don’t think for yourself, and Wunder soon found this out. But his wife was a genius at research, organization, filing and the like, and so Wunder kept Sherwood on, and I don’t know if he paid his wife or whether Don, in the job as Wunder’s assistant, was doing this stuff for free! So, she kept Wunder’s files. I guess he must’ve paid her—George was a decent man, too. Anyway, Sherwood stayed on with Wunder, but at a given point he had inherited a considerable amount of money for the time, and as I was told this part of it, he decided this was going to be his “in” to the syndicated comics and he proceeded to invent the strip Dan Flagg and got in touch with the various people whose work suited what he wanted to do, and then he’d do only the bits that appealed to him, as I told you the kid Al Williamson had done.

So, he was using Angelo Torres and Al Williamson as artists, Archie Goodwin for the scripts, and he put out this story of a Marine hero.

CBA: What kind of character was Dan Flagg?

George: He had been in the Marines, but apparently he was going be a trouble-shooter… Steve Canyon-type stuff, as he wandered all over the world. Don called me and asked me if I would do such and such for him, and I guess it was because he had alienated everybody in one way or another and was going down the line to get everybody he could, so I think I inked or did a week’s work for him. [laughs] I told him that was all I was gonna do. Whatever he inherited, it must’ve been pretty good, so he had this Dan Flagg thing, and it ran for a while! I don’t know if you…

CBA: I never saw it, no.

George: I went in to visit him at his apartment and studio he had there, and would you believe he had a carpet already made there, hand-made, with pictures from Dan Flagg woven into this carpet! He really thought he was gonna set the world on fire, I guess. Alden McWilliams also did work for him. Anyway, he was using all these people and signing this work with his own name, of which he was apparently doing little or nothing! [laughter] He alienated a number of them, so that…

CBA: What was the alienation, that he wasn’t paying?

George: No, he paid! At least he paid me, and I assume the rest. But it was the business of his ego.

CBA: He was insufferable?

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George: He lived in a Don Sherwood fantasy world. Actually, I think when the stuff was all finished and put together by the rest of us, by all these people, he believed it was his creation and demeaned… he didn’t with me, because I wasn’t with him long enough, but I got the feeling that he sort of demeaned and almost insulted some of the guys.

CBA: So, the story that appeared in Creepy #1, “Success Story,” was based on those experiences?

George: On the actual doing. Except, of course, the grisly ending! [laughter] He went on to do… maybe he’s still doing something about Hollywood stars and the like, kind of a Ripley thing… have you seen it?

CBA: No. The last thing I saw him doing was Partridge Family for Charlton Comics. Did you know Larry Ivie?

George: I knew him briefly.

CBA: You were living in Long Island in the early ’60s?

George: Yes. Up until 15 years ago. I crossed paths with Larry from time to time. He seemed like a nice kid. I liked him. He seemed to like me, and we’d quack if we got together briefly, you know, though he was a lot younger. What my experience with him was that he took on a strip to do for Classics Illustrated and sat on that script for damn near all the time allotted for the artwork to be done. Then when they called him to find out how he was doing with it, he said he was gonna turn it back to them, and virtually nothing was done, and what was done on it, was not going to be usable! They called on me and asked if I could give them a hand, and I think it was—I won’t swear to this, because they had a couple of episodes of this story— but I believe the one Larry had started was The Rough Rider [Classics Illustrated Junior #141A] and it was going to be 72 pages and he had expended most of the time. [laughs] They called on me, and I took a look at it, and they didn’t have a very high page rate, but they usually had four panels per page, it wouldn’t take a lot of time. Anyway, I said, “Oh, Christ! How much are you gonna pay me to salvage this?”

They gave me a figure, and they also included a date. I said, “I’m never going to be able to do it in that amount of time.” They said, “If we get you an inker, can you pencil all 72 pages?” I said, “I’ll give it a good try!” And between me and the inker, we did make it, but when it came out, the inker made it by erasing half of what I had penciled in! He decided how the story should be told and simply did not ink most of what I had put in! All the Army scenes became silhouettes, and here is the hell of it… it won a prize! It won a $100 prize and a big certificate from the Edison Foundation. Of course, it was because of the subject matter.

CBA: Do you recall Russ Jones?

George: Ah, yes, I knew Russ. I shared hamburgers and stuff every now and again, but we didn’t work together.

CBA: Who was he? What did he do?

George: I guess he was a writer and maybe he did some art, but that I don’t know. He did some writing for Marvel, if he did any art, he tried it with Marvel. I’m not too sure of all of it. I think his primary thing was that he did some scripts.

CBA: When did you first meet Archie Goodwin?

George: Oh, Lord, way, way back! He and Al seemed to have been lifelong friends and at some point, I guess while I was working for Fawcett, Al said, “Archie’s going to be around,” and we went and had a hamburger or something together and got to meet Archie; liked him, liked him until the day he died.

CBA: How do you recall what became Creepy #1? First working for Warren?

George: They put together a pretty good piece of work, you know, with the artists they had and Archie doing most of the scripts.

CBA: Interestingly, you did a story written by Larry Ivie…

George: Oh, how about that!

CBA: …and it was dated 1964. Quite early, compared to the dates of the other stories, and it’s interesting how that came about. Also, it wasn’t printed until two years later [in Creepy #8]. Do you remember the story, “Death Plane”? It was a pencil job.

George: Oh, the one that was done in halftone. Oh, yes, I remember it. In fact, it’s odd, somebody sent me Xerox copies of it in the last year or something. I don’t know what I did with them.

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Anyhow, Al Micale did the finish on them, I did the penciling.

CBA: He was a friend of yours?

George: Yes, he was a Long Islander, too, and we’d met at parties and on the shore there, fishing, that sort of stuff.

CBA: So, did you collaborate with Larry Ivie on that story, or did you just receive a script?

George: I received a script, and if his name was on it, I hadn’t noticed it, or maybe it wasn’t on it at the time I got the script. I didn’t know he’d done writing.

CBA: Yeah, he wrote the Frank Frazetta story—and a few other stories—for Creepy #1. Do you remember Russ Jones giving you a call about doing the Creepy book?

George: I can’t pin the name Russ Jones to anything other than meeting him up at Marvel Comics, and he’d been having some kind of a frustrating time. I’d met him before, maybe at a Christmas party or something of the sort, and then up at Marvel, he was there, marching around in a glum kind of way, and I had turned in a job—or went in to pick up a script or something—and he recognized me, I recognized him, and after whatever business we

Above: A big hand for the little lady! (Sorry, couldn’t resist.) Evans illustration for a 1970s small press book, Far Lands Other Days by E. Hoffman Price . Courtesy of Michael T. Gilbert. ©1975 Carcosa.

Below: It’s Sparks, Evelyn and George in this Evans cartoon. ©2002 the Evans estate.

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Above: Before taking over the strip, George Evans would occasionally ghost Secret Agent Corrigan for pal Al Williamson.

Here’s some Evans ghost work from 1976. ©2002 King Features Syndicate, Inc. Below: Corrigan & Evans get stage fright. Courtesy of George. Corrigan ©KFS.

had was over we went out, sat around at a hamburger place and talked a little bit. Whatever his experience at Marvel, he was angry and bitter, and informed me they ought to change the name to Farfel rather than Marvel. I said, “What’s the significance?” He said, “Well, farfel is a Jewish word for some kind of jackass or jerk. They’re all jerks up there at Marvel! They ought to change the name to Farfel!” [laughter] You know, funny things stick in my head. So, that is my best recollection of Russ Jones.

CBA: Do you recall Al Williamson getting you to contribute to the Warren books?

George: I don’t think Al put any pressure on me for that. Al did a lot of stuff for them, though, come to think of it, didn’t he?

CBA: Yes. He seemed to organize a lot of the guys, getting Archie involved, Frank involved. I was wondering if that was true for you, too.

George: Only if Al gave Jim Warren my name.

CBA: So you got a call from Warren yourself?

George: I am pretty sure that he introduced himself on the phone, “I’m Jim Warren, and I’m planing to do this,” and so on.

CBA: You only did three stories for them.

George: Yeah, one was a double spread about World War I aircraft, which Archie wrote up specifically to lure me into doing it, and then the other one you said was written by Larry Ivie, another World War I air stuff, right?

CBA: And “Flying Tigers” [Blazing Combat #1] was one of them.

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George: Oh, now it comes back! It oozed into my head. You’re right! [laughter] Another one with a short deadline, they probably had asked somebody else to do it.

CBA: So, did you feel like it was an EC reunion of sorts when you saw the books?

George: Actually, not. I never had that feeling. In fact, if that’s what he wanted, I think he missed the boat completely.

CBA: Why? George: It didn’t have the spontaneity that Al and Bill got into their stuff. It lacked that business of, “With all this horrifying going on, we’re really pulling your leg.” Which is why I thought the people who handled Bill’s side of it in the Kefauver thing, they missed a key point, too! They should’ve shown the Kefauver people some of the mail they got! The people who read the book took it as a challenge to see if they could come up with crazier endings, more unique endings and the like, and sometimes Bill and Al would take an ending submitted by one of the readers and redo the story, do you remember that?

We treated it as a sort of macabre joke. You know, I can’t remember when I didn’t like to hear a scary story, and all kids are like that. [laughter] CBA: The Warren material was just too serious?

George: Yes, they took it too seriously, and I do believe they had created a character to do commentary, but it didn’t come off.

CBA: You did work for DC comics?

George: After the Terry strip was dropped. I’d worked for 13 years, as I said, doing the dailies for George Wunder, and then Wunder dumped it. His wife had taken seriously ill, and he smoked too much, drank too much, and it was killing him. He straightened out once he got the strip off his back, and had a very nice retirement.

At that point, his wife was sick, and he was sick, and he dropped it.

At that point, then, of course I went around to the various places, and got work at both Marvel and DC. But I found it easier to deal with the DC people than the Farfels at Marvel! [laughter] CBA: And you dealt with Murray Boltinoff?

George: I did, I liked Murray. It worked out very conveniently, because he also lived on Long Island, about four miles from where we lived, so I could take work up to him, rather than go into the city, and he would bring scripts out to me, except if we needed a discussion or anything.

CBA: And you worked for Joe Kubert?

George: Yeah, I did, I guess, about five or six Sgt. Rock things. I liked Joe, too, and it was fun working with him. But we didn’t really get to meet that much—he was one busy guy, coming and going.

CBA: You got the Secret Agent Corrigan strip, and how long did that last?

George: It lasted 15 years, and then I dropped it. They tell me I was on it the longest of all the artists who had worked on it. I bowed out on my own. They had a contract extension ready, but I’m sure even if I had signed it, it would have been dropped. When they let Rip Kirby go, that was the death knell for story strips at King Features, except for the idiotic Spider-Man strip.

CBA: You worked on Terry and the Pirates a long period of time, and Secret Agent Corrigan… a lot of comic book artists always wanted to work on syndicated strips. Did you find it gratifying, and could you keep up with the hectic schedule?

George: I did very well with it, it was only six days a week. I didn’t have to do a Sunday page. Although I would’ve preferred to have a Sunday page, and not the other six! [laughter]. Like most comic book artists, I had submitted any number of strips of my own to the syndicates, and had them rejected one by one by one. One was an eye-opener: I had worked up a fantasy idea about a magician, where everything he did in magic went wrong, and it would’ve had an EC kind of twist ending, and the editor, in rejecting it, said, “You have a kindlier view of the reading public than we have any right to believe. You ask the readers of daily newspapers to remember ten COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

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weeks of a story to appreciate a twist ending, and they don’t remember what they read yesterday!” [laughter] What a commentary!

CBA: You overestimated the intelligence of the readers. [laughs] George: Yeah, you’re right! The old line! Absolutely! Now, do you notice most of the comics are so ill-drawn? Alex Kotsky and I tried a strip about a cartoonist and his family, we called it Russell’s Sprouts, and did a week’s finished, and a lot of penciled stuff, and the editor in rejecting that, after they sat on it for about six months, said, “It’s too professional, people want comics that look as though they themselves could do them.” [laughter] So many of them now look that way!

CBA: Oh, man, Kotsky! There’s a slap in the face!

George: Indeed, indeed.

CBA: What was the highlight of your career in comics?

George: In a way, working with Fawcett and EC, because they really… all the people there were really doing their best to create an entertaining, good, sound, logical, quality stuff as any of us could make it. We all did our best. Now I look back and realize that I overworked things, and I could’ve done this different and that better, but Al Feldstein was writing as well as he could write, Bill contributing to the writing and the stories, plotting and so on…. We were all doing the best we could to provide a quality entertainment feature.

CBA: Do you look back fondly on your life in comics?

George: I’ll quote something Dik Browne said… you know Dik Browne, right?

CBA: Sure, Hagar the Horrible.

George: He knew he was dying when

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somebody said to him, “Dik, you’ve been a good man, you’re as likely to get to heaven as anybody. Do you have any thoughts? Have you thought what it might be like?” He said, “If I could arrange it the way I want it, I’d pass through the pearly gates, and Saint Peter would say, ‘Here’s your drawing board over here, Dik, and all the accouterments.’” [laughter] And I feel the same! I had hit some of the air magazines with color, two-color and illustration in Street & Smith’s Air Trails and the like, and I would’ve loved to have done more of that, but then aviation suddenly, with the bombing and the horror and the nuclear stuff, it fell out of fashion and Air Trails folded.

I think it’s been revived since, but in a totally different format.

I don’t know. I had wanted to be a writer and had some capacity, obviously, as an artist. If I could’ve put it together, that would’ve been my ideal, and then when Al turned over Secret Agent Corrigan, that’s exactly what I got to do. It would’ve been nicer to do it in a Sunday page with color, but I enjoyed every damn day, no matter what the hours were, and I wrote… I told them at King Features, I would take it on if they let me alone. [laughter] And they did! They let me do stories that Genotchka, who works with Mort Walker, the cartoonist, he wanted to see some, and I sent him Xeroxes of some and he said, “My God, one of them gave me the shivers! How did you ever get it published?” It was about a little girl and a space alien.

Kind of a horror story, you know, an EC kind of thing.

And I enjoyed doing Corrigan.

Above: European reprint mag sporting a George Evans Secret Agent Corrigan cover. 1994.

Courtesy of the artist. Corrigan ©2002 King Features Syndicate.

Below: Until the end, George was commissioned to recreate 1950s EC Ghouls. 1997. Courtesy of George. Ghouls ©2002 William M. Gaines, Agent. Art ©2002 the Evans estate.

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CBA Tribute

Evans Remembered Michael T. Gilbert on the life & loves of the former EC artist

by Michael T. Gilbert

Living in Levittown George Evans was a friend of mine. We never met, but became friends through letters and Christmas cards and e-mails, over a 15-year period. Three months before his death, I spoke to him on the phone for the first and only time, and we were chatting by e-mail only a week before he fell ill. I didn’t live close enough to visit him, and I regret not having the pleasure of shaking his hand in person.

Still, I feel I knew him. George’s humor and unaffected warmth made you feel like you were his pal and always had been. When he passed away on Friday, June 22, 2001, the victim of leukemia, the comic industry lost a true friend and a dyed-in-the-wool comics fan.

Above: American gothic redux.

September 1941 photo of George Evans and Evelyn Roadarmel (later Evans). This beautiful couple were married for over 50 years, and remaned together until George’s passing. Courtesy of the Evanses.

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George and I first began corresponding in 1985. I was digging up classic horror stories for a comic I was putting together, and wrote to him for permission to reprint one of his. George replied with a long letter, brimming with warmth and humor. We began trading letters. When I first began writing him, I was surprised to discover that George lived just a few blocks from my family’s house in Levittown, Long Island. Though I didn’t know it, we were neighbors when I was growing up. George was lucky I didn’t find out until decades later. Even as a teenager, I was a huge George Evans fan, and there’s no telling what this “wannabe” cartoonist might have done to meet one of his idols. Last year, George told me of a wonderful opportunity I’d missed decades earlier. Here’s his description of a huge party he and his wife Evelyn put on back in the late ’50s: “Al Williamson, wife, bro-in-law Alex and Roy Krenkel were out to our home for a barbecue. Our kids had friends all around town of course, and somehow word spread. I counted 17 assorted kids who with our guests first-invented ‘Calvinball’ and closed all our street.

We kept sending for more dogs, buns, drinks ’til the stores closed!

After dark parents came searching, I guess by instinct. When we moved away—rather, Ev visited after—one of the little (then) neighbor girls now with five of her own told us in the most

wonderful awed voice, ‘That party with Al and Alex and Roy was the most wonderful thing in my life. If you are still in touch with them— please—tell them!’ They became kids themselves for that time. (Well, hell—Al will be a kid forever, God bless him!) I, of course, was stuck roasting wieners all night! (Hey—how come you didn’t get to come ’round??? All the best, George” Oh, to have stumbled onto that party! That didn’t happen, but I’m grateful I did stumble onto George’s comics.

Hooked On EC! I first fell in love with George’s work in 1965, thanks to a series of Ballantine Books paperbacks. From late 1964 to ’66, Ballantine published five EC collections, reprinting stories from the old EC line of comics—comics many consider among the best ever done. And George Evans was one of EC’s finest artists.

Ballantine’s The Vault of Horror featured the Evans-illustrated “Curiosity Killed…”— a black comedy about a henpecked husband and a wife who pecked once too often. Nobody drew henpecked husbands and battle-axe wives more convincingly than George.

George himself commented on this in a recent e-mail: “…though I’d done reams of science-fiction for a lot of publishers, I wasn’t locked to it and EC quickly typecast me in the ‘lowly, average guy’ horror stuff ’til airplanes came up….”

George’s deceptively ordinary “lowly, average guy” horror really knocked me out. I was particularly impressed with his take on the Al Feldstein-scripted “Blind Alleys,” reprinted in Ballantine’s Tales from the Crypt book. That creepy tale about a man who tortures blind men—and the wall of razors they erect as payback—still gives me the creeps. George’s realistic, understated art made the story truly chilling. Apparently director Freddie Francis thought so too. In 1972, “Blind Alleys” was one of the comic stories he adapted for a movie version of Tales from the Crypt.

George’s understated realism was also displayed in the Feldstein/Evans adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s classic story, “The Small Assassin,” reprinted in Ballantine’s The Autumn People collection. Bradbury’s tale of a newborn baby born with supernatural intelligence and a desire to murder his parents would have seemed ridiculous drawn by a lesser talent. But it became frighteningly real under George’s pen.

From then on, I was hooked on EC—and George Evans.

George’s art appeared in almost all the EC titles. The stories he illustrated for Tales from the Crypt, Frontline Combat, Two-Fisted Tales, Weird Science-Fantasy, Piracy, Valor and Aces High were always first-rate. Whatever the subject matter, his amazing attention to detail made every story utterly convincing. And his covers! George crafted exciting, well-researched eye-catchers for books like Aces High and Piracy that brought the past to life. Then, shifting gears, he’d draw shockingly violent covers for Shock SuspenStories and Crime SuspenseStories. As a teenager, I studied his pictures of murder and mayhem with gory fascination.

Beyond EC Once I started recognizing his style, I began seeing more and more George Evans art. His illustrations for Gold Key’s Twilight Zone and Boris Karloff comics in the early ’60s displayed a light, comic touch.

George’s art on these was perfect for stories of very ordinary people in quite extraordinary situations.

Going further back, I uncovered some spectacular horror stories COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

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he’d drawn for Fawcett Comics in the early ’50s, shortly before joining EC. George’s eerie stories for Strange Suspense Stories, Worlds of Fear and This Magazine is Haunted were every bit the equal of his more famous EC tales. The Fawcett movie adaptations he illustrated were also impressive. George had fun at both companies and it showed.

By the mid-’50s, both EC and Fawcett were essentially gone, victims of the Comics Code and declining sales. George then found work at Gilberton, publishers of Classics Illustrated comics. Both he and fellow EC artist Reed Crandall were well suited to the material.

Together and separately, they drew numerous excellent adaptations of famous novels. Their versions of Romeo and Juliet, The Three Musketeers and such were truly classics—illustrated! The pay was never great, but that didn’t stop them from doing top-notch work.

George discussed it in an e-mail last September: “Classics Illustrated did pay low but no page was more than four panels, many less, and I lightened up on blacks for speed. Plus at a given point where we clashed over authenticity—they lost—and gave me a $5 raise per page! Pays to get your back up sometimes!”

As this post suggests, George was a lifelong history buff. He particularly loved drawing planes, the older the better! His aviation illustrations became the standard in the field and a George Evans trademark. Planes were in the picture as early as 1946, when he began his comic career drawing features such as Air Heroes at Fiction House. In 1955, EC created the title Aces High to showcase his matchless depiction of WWI biplanes. George repaid them with some of his finest work.

In the ’70s, he did a stint on the high-flying Blackhawks for DC, and drew a number of air-oriented stories for their war titles.

George’s love of planes spilled over to children’s books such as 1967’s The Story of Flight and his proposed syndicated strip, The Flying Swifts. Some of George’s last works included re-creations of his stunning Aces High covers. And of course, he took every opportunity to sneak airplanes into the various newspaper strips he worked on.

And there were plenty of those!

career. From 1961-73, George ghosted the syndicated Terry and the Pirates daily strip, where his attention to technical detail came in handy. At various times he also worked on Wash Tubbs, Dan Flagg, and Rex Morgan, M.D. He even drew a flying sequence in Leonard Starr’s Mary Perkins. George would also step in and give uncredited help on other strips when needed. In an amusing e-mail of June 27, 2000, he made this wry observation: “It might interest you to know that at one given point I was drawing Secret Agent Corrigan for Al Williamson; Al was drawing Big Ben Bolt signing Cullen Murphy’s name; and Murphy was doing Prince Valiant for Foster.”

In 1980, George began writing and drawing Secret Agent

Above: Though he never was able to see his final printed piece, George wrote the introduction to Michael T. Gilbert’s latest Mr. Monster collection, as well as contributing the illo above. Courtesy of MTG. Mr. Monster ©2002 Michael T. Gilbert. Art ©2002 the Evans estate.

Below: George and Evelyn Evans, venue unknown, 1987. Time era of ghosting George Wunder’s daily Terry [and the Pirates], according to the artist’s caption. Photo by Paul Petersen. Courtesy of George.

See You in the Funny Papers…

Familiar as I was with George’s comic book work, I was caught by surprise when I discovered the extent of his newspaper cartooning January 2002

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Below: Philadelphia resident Roger Petersen shows us his relationship with his country-bound grandfather and mentor, George Evans (left) in this “city mouse/country mouse” cartoon made for George, who shared this delightful piece with his many correspondents.

Courtesy of George Evans. ©2002 Roger Petersen.

Corrigan after cartoonist Al Williamson and scripter Archie Goodwin decided to call it quits. With that, George Evans finally got his own strip, filling some pretty big shoes in the process.

Corrigan began in 1934, the brainchild of Flash Gordon creator Alex Raymond and famed detective novelist Dashiell

EDITOR’S NOTE: Ye Ed had the opportunity to talk to Roger Petersen, grandson of George Evans and accomplished comic book artist in his own right, by phone over the late Summer when plans were made to include Roger in this tribute to his grandfather. Unfortunately, events became so hectic that Ye Ed neglected to get back in touch with the artist and we extend our apologies to Roger (who, in collaboration with Mark Schultz, drew one mean mini-series for Dark Horse a few years ago, The Subhumans) and hope to make it up to him in the near future.—Y.E.

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Hammett.

Originally titled Secret Agent X-9, Raymond’s strip was an instant hit. Al Williamson and George Evans were both die-hard Raymond fans, and each worked hard to continue his artistic legacy. After an impressive 16-year run, George finally retired Corrigan in 1996.

Commenting on George’s work on Corrigan that same year, comic historian Maurice Horn had this to say in his book 100 Years of American Newspaper Comics: “In February 1980… George Evans, another comic book alumnus, took over Corrigan, which he guided with skill, vigor and integrity. It is unfortunate that, because of the feature’s limited circulation, few people are able to read and appreciate one of the genuinely interesting action strips still extant, a strip still carried on in dashing style by Evans.”

George’s final Corrigan strip, dated Feb. 19, 1996, appeared shortly after Horn wrote this. The heyday of the adventure strip had long since passed, a victim of changing tastes. Part of the problem was the ever-shrinking size of the printed strips, resulting in dwindling circulation and lower pay. The reduced size was particularly difficult for the few remaining adventure artists, with their more complex art and storylines—a situation George bemoaned in an e-mail of March 31, 2001: “…and at the end-point with Corrigan ‘twas true—when I had to wear a second spectacle over milk-bottlebottom ones….”

Towards the end, George was forced to enlarge the lettering, so it could be read even at postage-stamp size, resulting in even less room for the art. Nonetheless, George never gave less than his best.

He was a dedicated craftsman and never stinted on Corrigan.

When George retired, his syndicate ended the strip. But thanks to a friend, Corrigan had one final fling. Earlier this year, Jim Keefe, the current Flash Gordon artist, invited George to revive Corrigan for a guest shot in his strip. This would be the first real crossover between Alex Raymond’s two classic heroes since their debut in 1934. George, ever the fan, accepted. Though Corrigan had been retired for over five years, George brought him back one last time, even illustrating the first strip.

The historic meeting began on January 21, 2001 and ended on

June 17. That final Flash strip in that storyline, featuring a George Evans Corrigan cameo, appeared just five days before his death. It was a situation eerily similar to Charles Schultz’s death within hours of the publication of his final Peanuts strip. There’s never a good time to die, but in both cases the near-simultaneous passing of creator and creation seemed fitting.

If there was less of a fuss made at George’s passing than Mr. Schulz’s, it’s not surprising. For much of his syndicate career, George anonymously “ghosted” other people’s strips. His was a career of quiet excellence. George was a proud member of the National Cartoonists Society, but the awards and big money invariably went to the humor guys. If George resented being in their shadow, he didn’t show it. Occasionally he’d take a few gentle swipes at the NCS, but it was all in fun. George wasn’t bitter about his lack of fame. He was doing what he loved.

The Forgotten Man of Comics Shortly after George’s death, I wrote a condolence letter to his daughter Carol. I mentioned that I’d dedicated my then-upcoming Mr. Monster book to George and told her how sad I was he’d passed away before he got to see it. She replied: “It always amazed George when anyone noticed his work, much less appreciated it. He usually referred to himself as ‘the forgotten man of comics.’ No rancor. Just a touch wistfully.”

While he may not have gotten the acclaim of a Charles Schulz or his beloved Bill Watterson, George Evans is far from forgotten.

He remains respected and admired by a generation of fans and professionals who understood how exceptional he was in his own quiet way. His superb EC work alone secures his place in comics’ history. But of course, he did much more in his long career.

If modern comic book fans are largely ignorant of George’s artistic legacy, it’s not surprising. He loved drawing real people and historical subjects, but in today’s comic book world, super-heroes rule. George never cared much for the genre. He explains why in his first letter to me on Sept. 3, 1985: “…They send me the pro fanzines and my head aches with all the union-suit ‘super-heroes’ all drawn the same, posed the same, same faces and facial expressions—and same stories!”

George was far too original to settle for being like everyone else. Though his EC work is revered among older collectors, his disinterest in most “union-suit” guys made him invisible to many modern comic fans. That in turn made his chances of ever becoming a modern superstar pretty slim.

Even at EC, he was never a superstar. Flashy artists like his friends Al Williamson, Frank Frazetta and Wally Wood got most of the glory. But George never seemed to resent it. On the contrary, the fan in him loved good work, as his recent comments about EC superstar Wally Wood show: “I thought [Wood] was the epitome of the big talent also equipped with a brain and savvy. I loved what I was doing so did it and left Ev to handle what I earned. She did it very well I am happy to say—and still does so. She and I (and our big COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

Lab-mix dog) are a trio of easy going klutzes gimping along in anonymity. All the best, friend!

George (und Evie) Uhh—und ‘Boomer.’”

George didn’t need to be a superstar. He was happy doing what he wanted. Secure within himself, he could afford to be generous to others. When times were lean in the late ’50s and early ’60s, he gave much-needed work to fellow EC artists Reed Crandall and Frank Frazetta. As George described it: “Looking back now, I think I might have become rich and famous if I hadn’t been so busy and “successful.” I see I should have traveled more when I could get around but I glued my rump to the d.b. stool and sent Ev and Jan and Carol a-roving. You know what? Frank Frazetta was worse than me… but he became successful, rich and famous! And he once worked for me!—as inker on a mini-series for Gold Key about skin divers—The Frogmen. What free time I did take I spent around planes and sports cars…. Now—have you had enough of “George the Grate”? Best—himself.”

Last June, Flash Gordon artist Jim Keefe had this to say about George: “Can’t say enough about Evans. Ignorant of his previous work, I first saw his stuff when I was working on staff at King Features Syndicate and he was doing Secret Agent Corrigan. Since it was only in a few papers and never promoted, it was like unearthing a hidden treasure. I began corresponding with him and we’ve kept in contact ever since. A highlight was being able to ghost a few weeks of Secret Agent when he was unable. He’d send me the script with some rough layouts and I’d take it from there. One of the best learning experiences I ever had.”

Another young cartoonist recently told of a visit to George’s studio. As they were discussing the comics business, George took the young man aside and quietly offered to lend him money if needed.

George knew what a tough business comics can be, and he just wanted to help. You can’t buy that kind of generosity. George was similarly supportive of my own work. His praise meant the world to me, and encouraged me to try even harder to live up to the high standards he’d set.

Maybe that’s what I admire the most about George Evans.

Cartoonists with his talent are rare enough. But George had more than that going for him. George was a mensch. A decent human being.

The Family Man The comic history books are filled with tales of brilliant, self-destructive cartoonists who shine brightly for a moment, only to burn out prematurely, working themselves to death or drinking themselves into an early grave. George Evans never fit that profile.

George enjoyed his quiet life. He loved living in Levittown, the quintessential suburb, with his wife, two kids and a dog. Talk about picture-perfect! In 1972’s EC Lives! convention booklet, George’s fellow artist Roy Krenkel feigned shock when describing the Evans’ family domestic bliss. “He has a mad family… mad charming people… like television folks come to life! 500 neighbor kids come in and they all sit around and eat and have fun with their mother and father and every one of them are happy. Nobody leads that kind of life! None of them look it, except that they are.”

George and his wife Evie were happily married for 56 years.

Their daughters Carol and Jan and their families were frequent visitors. George and his grandson Roger Petersen were best pals, and the “Old Man” was tickled that Roger eventually became a comic book artist like him. Roger’s art on DC’s Swamp Thing was clearly rooted in the tradition of his granddad’s Tales from the Crypt stories a half-century earlier. Roger’s mom Carol got in the act, too. For 20 January 2002

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

years, she lettered Corrigan and her dad’s other projects. To the best of my knowledge, George’s dog Boomer never assisted on the strip.

A True Fan Beyond his family life, George was a lifelong fan of comics who never lost his love for the medium. In his letters, he would often gush about his favorite cartoonists and illustrators. Recently, George shared one of those classic horror stories familiar to every true collector: “In a plastic sealed bag I have some 600+ Sunday [Prince Valiant] pages of the full-sheet size (a handful of tabloids mixed in) which I haven’t checked on in ages. I’d also saved Flash Gordon—but got a note from my clean-freak sister while in USAF that she had ‘cleaned up’ my room and threw ‘all those stupid comics down a nearby coal hole.’ Good thing we were a thousand miles apart at that moment!” 50 years later, he still hated to think of all those wonderful Alex Raymond pages tossed away. A true collector!

George’s letters to me were always a delight. He didn’t suffer fools gladly, but he was never mean-spirited. His off-the-cuff remarks displayed a wonderful self-deprecating humor. Though obviously well-read, he poked fun at himself when he got a little too “highfalootin’“ for his own tastes. It was a refreshing change from the glory boys who spend more time writing their own press copy than drawing.

George didn’t need to brag. He was good and knew it. His many fans knew it too. George had every right to be proud of his work, having achieved success through a lifetime of diligent, hard work. A week before his stroke, he was still spending hours every night puttering in his studio, having a great time drawing and painting. Even at 81, George never lost his enthusiasm. This enthusiasm shines brightly in one of George’s last e-mails to me, as he discussed his latest project. He sent this on May 22, 2001, a month before his passing: “Sheesh—’01 is nearing the halfway point and it doesn’t seem possible. As of the moment I am working on a fantasy with portrait in color. Another WW I aviation nut met one of the old airmen to interview and hero-worship and wants a pic of himself time-traveled with that old (well—then young) guy replete with special-marked specific plane and airdrome. It’s fun—I’m WALLOWING IN IT—BUT THE TIME ROARS BY. (Oh, damn them capitals! A draggy-finger pops them into every e-mail I write and I’m too lazy to retype, so forgive, eh?) We Evanses are good—both recently a year older, slower, dumber, etc. And you—a

Above: Two 1984 photos of George Evans and grandson Roger Petersen (who has become an accomplished comic book artist in his own right). Photos by Paul Petersen. Courtesy of George.

Below: This custom-drawn Mr. Monster sketch by George Evans graced an envelope addressed to Janet & Michael T. Gilbert in ’98.

Courtesy of MTG. Mr. Monster ©2002 Michael T. Gilbert. Art ©2002 the Evans Estate.

97

Above: Unpublished drawing of Evelyn, George and Boomer Evans sent to Michael T. Gilbert’s wife, Janet. Courtesy of MTG. Art ©2002 the Evans estate.

Above: Happy landings, George!

Appropriate send-off panel from George Evans’s art job on Aces High #1 (March 1955) ©2002 William M. Gaines, Agent.

98

mere 50? Hah. A pup! Again—thanks for writing—and bear with…

Ol’ George the Slow “ Though he didn’t know it at the time, George suffered from advanced leukemia, and the “draggy-finger” was quite likely a symptom. He figured the pain was just another sign of old age, so he shrugged it off and kept on working. On Monday, June 18, 2001, George suffered a mild stroke and was taken to the hospital. The leukemia was discovered in a routine blood test and the doctors told him even with treatment, he had only weeks to live. They urged him to stay in the hospital, but he’d had enough of doctors. He demanded to be taken home, to be with his family and his beloved dog Boomer. At 3:00 A.M. on the following Friday, George passed away peacefully in his sleep. Ev was nearby and his dog lay by his side in the makeshift bed downstairs.

George Evans died as he’d lived: Quietly, and with dignity.

“Happy Landings, Ol’ George!”

When I heard about George’s death, it hit me hard. My long-distance friend was gone, and I felt like I’d lost a family member.

My one regret is that we never met in person. Last year, we almost did. As part of EC’s 50th anniversary celebration, the San Diego Comic-Con offered to fly George down as a guest. I hadn’t planned on attending that year, but I couldn’t pass up a chance to meet George.

Unfortunately, a last-minute family emergency prevented him from attending, and I missed my chance.

Luckily, we did speak some months later. Years earlier, George had promised to someday draw a Mr. Monster pin-up.

Earlier this year I reminded him of his offer, and suggested it’d be perfect for a new MM book I was putting together. George generally didn’t care for superheroes, but mine was played for

laughs, so it was right up his alley. (The fact that his grandson was a fan probably didn’t hurt either!) Still, knowing how busy George’s schedule was, I didn’t have much hope he’d be able to fit it in. In any case, he’d already written an introduction to my book, and that was special enough.

Then in March, I received a flat 12” x18” package with a bold “George Evans” on the return label. For a moment, I felt like that 14-year-old EC fan from Levittown again. “Thrilling” doesn’t begin to describe how excited I was as I unwrapped George’s pin-up.

Whew! A George Evans’ Mr. Monster. Truly a dream come true for this EC fan! The illustration was pure George, featuring a funny Mr. Monster gag, the obligatory WWI biplane—and one of his luscious gals.

Oh, to draw women that well!

Days later, I called George to thank him. Even though we had corresponded for years, we had never actually talked person-to-person. I was nervous as a kid, but I needn’t have been. George immediately put me at ease, and we were soon chatting like a couple of rabid comic fans.

We spoke for an hour or so about old comics and Levittown and planes and how his favorite comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes, always made him laugh. George was plain-talking, funny and surprisingly humble—with an impressive knowledge of comics history. But equally impressive was his curiosity about what was currently going on in comics. Not content living in the past, George kept up with the times, and even began corresponding via e-mail.

His grandson recently told me how George kept urging him to go online, too, so they could talk more often. With tongue-in-cheek, he gently teased Roger about being so “old-fashioned.”

George and I chatted a little more, and after we finished, he offered to split the cost of the call. It was a typically generous gesture. I told him the next one was on him. We never got around to that second call. Three months later, George was gone.

I miss him, but I’m thankful I got a chance to know George a little. I treasure his letters, and I ‘m very grateful I decided to call him when I did. A few months later and it would have been too late.

So now he’s gone. But rather than feel sad, let’s step back and let George have the last word. He wrote this on Sept. 4, 2000, shortly after the death of the great Disney cartoonist Carl Barks: “Dear Michael and Janet: Good to hear from you—the good and the bad news. Yes—I read of Carl Barks passage to that “great beyond” and wish for him (and myself in proper time) what I was told Dik Browne (Hagar) thought should be heaven: Old St. Peter would welcome him at the pearly gates and say ‘Your drawing board’s over here, Mr. Browne—and here are your fellow artists—’ who would be, natch, all the greats! Us lesser greats would be standing at the edges, dutifully, basking at just being there. (Like attendees at the various National Cartoonists Society functions!)”

Later in the note he added this: “Well—as old Walter Raleigh is recorded as saying, death is sharp medicine, but it does cure all ills.

Of course, this is the inevitable cost of living long—so wallow in the good things while ye may—and don’t think sad thoughts celebrating.

Tip a drink of choice whatever when I go and say (better: Sing!)

Happy Landings, ol’ George!”

Postscript So let’s all smile and drink a toast to George. And to further celebrate, we’ve asked some of his friends and admirers to share some of their memories. Many of the following posts first appeared on an on-line chat-list of comic book professionals. When news of George’s passing reached the list, the response was swift and heartfelt. We thank all who allowed us to share their memories of George Evans. We’d also like to thank George’s daughter, Carol Petersen, for allowing us to reprint some rare family photos and the touching eulogy she wrote for her father’s funeral.

From all of us, a sincere: “Happy landings, ol’ George!”

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

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Professional Courtesies

In Praise of Geo. Evans Testimonials on the work & life of the artist extraordinare Compiled by Michael T. Gilbert The news of George’s death was passed to us by noted collector Ray Cuthbert via the Internet, who relayed the following information from Wallace Harrington. One minor mistake in the original e-mail was recently corrected by George’s daughter, Carol. Though George initially suffered a stroke, he didn’t have a heart attack. He died in his sleep of leukemia.—MTG

Ray Cuthbert

collector In case anyone did not catch the news… George Evans passed away this morning [Friday, June 22, 2001] at 3 A.M. “After walking his dog in the early afternoon, Evans decided to drive into the town where he lives. En route he had a heart attack.

His wife drove him home, and called an ambulance. After he entered the hospital and was treated for the heart attack, physicians learned from routine blood work that he had an advanced form of leukemia and all treatment was stopped.”—Wallace Harrington.

Below: 1990 self-portrait of the artist drawn during George Evans’ years working on the newspaper syndicated strip Secret Agent Corrigan. ©2002 the Evans estate.

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Bud Plant

retailer/patron Re: George Evans, I hope that we can see some thorough retrospectives on his work to honor him, perhaps in the reborne CBM and from TwoMorrows… He is one of my favorite artists.

His EC work was often overshadowed by Williamson, Wood and others, but like Reed Crandall, Jack Davis and Johnny Craig, he was a consummate creator who always could deliver a superbly crafted story.

I loved buying some of his original EC stories as Russ Cochran was auctioning them a few years ago. Gorgeous, wondrous work, from his forte, biplane tales in Aces High, to stunning covers and stories in later Shock Suspense issues. And his Fawcett pre-Code work for titles like This Magazine is Haunted is just gorgeous, as well as his many stories from Fiction House titles like Planet Comics and Wings, in the late 1940s.

Go with God, George.

George Pratt

artist I can’t believe George is gone!

Years ago, when I was still living in Brooklyn, Scott Hampton and I made a sort of pilgrimage to see some of the EC guys.

Angelo Torres lived down the street from me and as I was just beginning Enemy Ace, and Angelo being the big war fan that he is, he suggested I go see George Evans. I’d already hooked up with Kubert and was teaching in his school (talk about my fanboy dreams come true! Getting to hang around Joe Kubert! <grin>). Scott was visiting and we both got real interested in this idea because we didn’t know if Evans was still, at that time, alive and well. Angelo insisted that we should go see him and he gave me his number.

Well, I called him, shaking in my boots… this is one of my heroes, one of the best of the WWI air artists!… and we chatted for quite awhile. He was regaling me with stories about the necessity of being factual with “those old kites!” We could have talked for hours but he said that we’d talk at length when Scott and I got up there.

Our first stop was at Al Williamson’s studio and home. I believe I’d already met Al once, but it was only briefly, but he welcomed us to his home and we all had an incredible day of digging through his studio and telling stories and sharing artwork. What I remember most about Al’s studio was the piles and piles and piles of Alex Raymond original Rip Kirby and Secret Agent strips stacked on the floor. My God! Stacks and stacks of them, packed with that wonderful line work of Raymond’s! Also there were all those proofs of Prince Valiant! Wonderful!

He also showed, and allowed me to pore slowly over, his collection of The Sphere newspaper from England during the First World War. These things were jam packed with Matania paintings and drawings. What a treat! And through all this was Al’s unique brand of humor that had us in fits. In Al’s home, of course, we got to see some great examples of the Golden Age of Illustration…

Schoonover, Cornwell, etc. There was the bridge page of Prince Valiant, numerous Flash Gordon and Jungle Jim pages, as well as a couple of early Jeff Jones oils. A Clement Coll or two!

Well, stupidly we thought we’d only be at Al’s for maybe two or three hours… something like that and the day totally got away from us and we found ourselves still there until after dark. We were supposed to be at George’s an hour or so earlier. Al got on the phone and called him up and took the heat for keeping us there at his studio so long and George said they were going to wait dinner on us.

Scott and I hit the roads and overshot our turn by about two hours! We called George from a pay phone and explained what had happened and he was getting a little put out! <grin> Told us they’d been holding dinner and we apologized again and told him to go ahead and eat and we’d get there as soon as we possibly could.

We finally pulled in around midnight, if memory serves, and George and his wife Evie warmly invited us in. Their grandson Roger was there too and he was a big fan of the new stuff, work by Scott and myself. We told him what a fool he was… his granddad is George Evans!!!! Yeah… but he’s just granddad. We had a great laugh over that and no one laughed harder than George himself.

I have been a massive fan of George’s work for a long, long time. Scott, too. But the one thing we always found interesting about his work was the big eyes that his characters had. We couldn’t understand how everything could be so “on” about his drawing, but that unique, little weirdness. We’d been talking about that in the car, too. Then, standing in front of the man all was made clear. George COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

had thick, thick glasses and was using himself as a model for his work. His eyes were huge through those lenses! It all made sense! <grin> Well, the night was spent scrounging through George’s stuffed, somewhat dark, studio. The place smelled like a studio, though, that rich, musty smell of old paper. Wonderful! Stacks and stacks of George’s Secret Agent strips cobbled the floor and he had large manila envelopes where from the edges of Caniff Terry and the Pirates Sundays peeked, along with George’s Aces High covers. We shared our various art interests, which were so damn similar, and pored over each other’s work.

George and I had a fantastic discussion on the old planes of WWI, and his enthusiasm was catching. I’d already been bitten by the bug, but he really brought it home for me. He was pulling books off the shelves of WWI histories. And I found myself more and more respectful than I already was, as George was considered a true historian in his own right in WWI air circles. He had written articles for many of the WWI historical journals out there. Very cool!

We all swapped art that night, and what a thrill that was. It’s obvious who got the better end of that deal, Scott and I were practically beside ourselves to have something of George’s. He told us to just go through his stacks of strips and to “pick out a few.” With shaking hands we did just that. We were constantly commenting about how sad it was that he had to draw so small on those strips.

They really are so much smaller than the old days. He bemoaned that fact as well, preferring the large over-sized strips of old.

It was around 3, 4, or 5 in the morning when Scott and I finally forced ourselves to leave George and Evie’s home. He kept pushing us to stay and bed down there at the house. We were dead tired, but really did have to get on the road because I was supposed to be at a church the next morning to meet with my then-fiancé to speak with a priest about getting married (that never came off! We were a little late and, boy, was she pissed! This after just about dying on the road several times breaking our necks to get there in time. Falling asleep at the wheel!) <grin> Anyway, what was most enjoyable about our visit with George was his gentle manner. He loved what he did, he loved what others did, and he loved to share all that he had. He was quick with a smile and treated us as though we were family. It was like getting to see my own grandfather again. It was that comfortable.

Through the years I got to see George and Evie off and on.

George would write me letters and send me articles on the Great War, and various books to enjoy.

John Hitchcock’s fantastic conventions is a good example of getting to see them again. Al was there, George and Evie, Jeff Jones, Mark Schulz, Dave Stevens, Angelo Torres, Archie Goodwin, etc.

After the convention John would throw a dinner party that included just the guests. These were pure treasure. The old guys would get to talking and the stories would come spilling out. Tales of the old Fiction House days, and EC days. The stories were, more than not, humorous anecdotes about those days and some of the funny characters that they worked with, the pranks they’d pull. And in the middle of all this was George and Al going to town, laughing their asses off! What a rare treat! And we knew it!

One thing that is always evident when meeting the people from that group, that time… they’re all gentlemen. They are all well-spoken individuals and their love of the medium is evident in everything they do. George was certainly no exception.

I’m really going to miss him and sorry that I won’t get to share his wonderful insights into the First World War and see that gentle smiling face.

Ronn Sutton

artist I met him about 12 years ago when he and Al Williamson both attended a comic convention held in Toronto, and got to talk to him for a while particularly about his horror work in the ’50s. Very uncharacteristically, I took something with me to get signed. I hauled along my Russ Cochran Valor hardcover and had both he and Williamson sign “Day Of Reckoning” (Valor #5) which they collaborated on. Evans was still currently drawing Secret Agent Corrigan, a strip I hadn’t seen since Williamson left. The originals January 2002

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

were tiny. At least a third smaller than most. The lettering ate up half the panel area, leaving Evans with a space per panel about the size of a baseball card to draw in. Sad to see him go. He did some very nice work, in a quiet manner….

Bob Horvath

artist George and I knew each other about 25 years. Our mutual interest was WWI aviation… and illustration in general. I have collected illustrations since the ’60s… and to quote George… every time I visit you “I Drool”! The collection consists of Golden Age illustrators, Schoonover, Pyle, etc.

My background is art and I was starting to paint aircraft in the ’70s, usually WWI type… Al Williamson introduced me to George. We really hit it off. George used me as a Eastern Bloc baddie in the Corrigan Strip.

George got me to do a calendar for the magazine Cross and Cockade in the late ’70s.

This was a combination of my ideas and George’s. I painted six pieces and G.E. worked on some… I wanted to give him credit but he said no! He prodded me to proffer a painting of an American SPAD to the Air Force! He delivered it to the proper offices in New York and I have been a member of the Air Force Artists ever since.

I would do these large oils of WWI aircraft and have no market for them… I would pack them up and ship them to Mt. Joy [George’s home]… and would get back these many page letters telling me how great they were… we were a mutual admiration society!

Sometime in the early ’90s, I got permission from Jack Hunter to print a limited edition of one chapter of the Be Max. George illustrated it and I sent it out… signed by George, Jack and myself… as a Christmas gift to friends.

What can I say? George was one of the nicest guys I know and knew… he would give so much of himself to other artists… I have sketches here dealing with aircraft markings, for instance, that must have taken him hours… I also have two unfinished paintings that were going to go to him. Will I miss him? You bet. They don’t make ’em like him any more!

Above: Boomer delivers a bouquet under the approving eye of his friend, George Evans, who drew this cartoon which accompanied an Evans essay entitled “A Pulp Addict’s Ramblings: Look, Ma! No Airplanes! What, then? Science Fiction?!! “ Courtesy of George Evans. ©2002 the Evans estate.

Jyrki Vainio

I was very saddened (not to mention surprised) by this sad news.

I’ve corresponded with George for a couple of years, first the old-fashioned way and more recently, via e-mail. Being located in Finland, it’s hard to get to meet cartoonists in person. So instead, I’ve tried my luck writing letters to cartoonists all over the world, just to see who would reply. George’s response was the most overwhelming of them all: In the mail came a thick envelope full of photocopies of art, anatomy charts, newspaper clippings and a very detailed letter.

Not to mention that I had asked him for a sketch and he sent me nothing less than a finished brush-&-ink illustration (of Secret Agent Corrigan). And he even asked me for a drawing in return!

He lamented over the poor state of newspaper strips today. He said drawing Secret Agent Corrigan became very difficult in the last years (it ended in the mid-’90s) because of the shrunken size. But he did say that his favorite comic strip of all time was Calvin and Hobbes! I never got to meet him in person. I hoped to get to do that during my stay in the U.S. this fall, but now that won’t be the case.

You will be missed, George.

Tim Truman

artist/writer I met George (and his grandson Roger Petersen) right after my family 101

and I moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania—almost 16 years ago. I was at a local comic shop when the owner walked up to me and whispered “Are you into EC Comics, Tim?” I said yes, of course. He pointed to an older gentleman who was on the other side of the room, looking through the new comics rack. “That’s George Evans.” My jaw dropped open. I’m a big Evans fan. But I’m also pretty bashful! So I hung back awhile, steeling up the nerve to introduce myself.

I didn’t have to! Someone had told George that I was in the store, too, I guess.

Before I knew it, he was standing before me, smiling. At his side was a young boy who I would learn was George’s grandson. He introduced himself and Roger and shook my hand.

George was a real gentleman, and a bright soul. When he was happy, you knew it. He surprised me by saying: “When Roger asks me which modern comic book artists I like best, I tell him ‘Tim Truman!’” You could have knocked me over with a feather. I’ve never been too confident about my artwork—I’ve seldom drawn things that I feel are up to my potential. That day, George gave me good ammunition against self-doubt.

Any time I feel bad about my work, I just remind myself: “Hey, George Evans likes it.”

Then I feel a lot better!

Anyway, I told him how much I loved his work, naming a few favorite story titles so that he’d get the idea that these were no platitudes and that I was genuinely familiar with his work. I found out that George only lived about 15 or 20 minutes away from me, in Mt. Joy, Pennsylvania. We promised each other to get together, and made good on the promise more than a few times over the years.

One day a few years later I got an unexpected call from George. He wanted me to consider taking in his grandson Roger as an apprentice. I’m a solitary sort, but since George was asking, I agreed to give it a try. I’m glad I did. Roger proved to be great company, a great guy and an incredibly talented artist. Roger was only about 15 at the time and he worked with me off and on for about two summers or more.

I have a few stories about George, but this is my favorite: We invited George, his wife Evelyn, and another couple over for dinner one night. The other folks, my old pal Doc and his lady friend Lucy, are about the same age as my wife Beth and myself, and both are educators. Lucy is an extremely intelligent woman. She is an expert in the field of literature and is passionate about all things literary. She’s become a highly regarded educator in Literary History. During the course of our conversation, she revealed that a single book that she’d read as a kid had sparked her interest in literature: A Classics Illustrated comics adaptation of Great Expectations. George suddenly smiled sheepishly.

“Why, thank you. I did that one.” It was really a priceless moment.

There’s something that his daughter mentioned at his funeral that really struck me: She’d never, ever heard George make a derisive comment about a fellow artist.

I realized that she was right— at least in my too-brief experience with him. He might take an artist to task on a technical point (he hated black panel borders, for instance.

He thought it made storytelling confusing and unclear). But he’d never utter a jealous or mean-spirited word about another cartoonist.

He was truly an inspiration in many, many ways— not the least of which was his kindness, humbleness, and gentlemanly manner. He could be opinionated, but he offered his ideas only as his own opinions. But I never heard him try to sway the listener or prove to someone that their ideas were totally wrong. He simply presented his own viewpoint.

I’ll miss George tremendously.

Karl Waller

artist For those of you who didn’t know him, here he is… Grizzled and cranky old man. Deep gravely voice and glasses. His wife kept the rest of the house tip-top but his studio had 102

bare wood floors. It had that wonderful super-cluttered look of someone who had practiced our craft in the same place for decades. He had an ancient monster Art-OGraph model 800 mounted on a makeshift 2’x4’ stand. I have one too, not mounted on any walls. I have been considering building something a little more high tech out of PVC pipe.

I have also been considering calling George for quite some time. One of those things always swimming around in the back of your mind, “I really should call…”

This is tough to write.

Right around 1988 or ’89, I met Roger Petersen. My art school roomie, Dan Heffner (used to try to get girls using that last name), asked me if I could do a talk at his cartooning class. The class was being taught at nights at Elizabethtown College. There I met Roger. He was a teen and oozing talent. Roger was introduced to me not by who he was but by who he was related to. “Karl, this is the grandson of George Evans” “George who?”

I could tell it irked Rog to be introduced not as himself, but as a relation to someone famous. In later years, I would find myself introducing him to friends in the same manner. And it still irked Roger. Sorry if this is not making a whole lot of sense, guys, I’m just writing this as it goes. It’s kind of tough.

Tim Truman had known Evans, and I had done a little comic shop appearance with him and Tim back in the mid-’80s.

Close-cropped, Neal Armstrong-gray hair, and thick black horn-rimmed glasses and critical as hell. He was especially rough on Roger. The old man knew his sh*t and really wasn’t into shooting any sunshine up anyone’s ass. He critiqued my stuff and was complimentary. I didn’t remember him all that much because the signing was being broadcast on a local radio station and the producer was a twenty-something brunette that nabbed my total and undivided attention. Anyway, I didn’t start hearing about Roger until he graduated art school in Philly.

I re-met Rog and re-met George through Rog. I’m kind of chuckling right now, “This is the grandfather of Roger Petersen.”

George had softened a bit and he was walking with a cane, he had that widehipped, wide-shouldered, big-jointed look that an ancient Rottweiler achieves right about 11 or 12 years of age. Frail yet oddly tough. He and Roger had become friends, Rog never referred to him as anything other than “George.” I was a little envious.

They would go drinking together and invite me along. They would sit and talk about Al Williamson and Frank Frazetta (if anyone is unfamiliar with how George saved Frazetta’s ass, I can tell them the story). They’d talk about all of the EC stuff as if Rog had been there, too.

I lived in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. George lived in Elizabethtown. He had a big black lab mix named Boomer who liked to be walked carrying his ball. That way he could offer it to anyone and everyone who crossed paths with George and him.

Sometimes when I was in a deadline or just general illustrator’s funk I would call George up and he’d tell me tales. One call in particular was a bad one and we ended up talking about not getting paid.

The gruff old man with the horn rimmed glasses got quiet and gently told me that if I were ever in trouble and needed money, to call him. He’d help me out. I promised myself I never would call him for that and I never did.

At Pennsylvania School of Art and Design (where I was teaching) the chair of illustration had decided to put on a show. He called it “Zero Degrees of Separation.”

Bob asked me if I knew anyone who could contribute, someone who had been around and I thought of George. Illustrators from all around contributed. And by around, I meant around the world. There tucked in the long column of names like Murray Tinkleman, David Wisner and Gregory Nemec was George Evans.

He had contributed a wonderful World War I dogfight scene.

It felt right.

So there is George Evans from my perspective, how he was and how I feel about him.

I wish I had called.

Been meaning to and now I can’t….

George Evans’ was laid to rest at 2:30 P.M., on June 26, 2001, at Heilig’s Funeral Home in Mt. Joy, Pennsylvania. Among those attending the funeral services were George’s grandson Roger Petersen, and his fellow EC cronies, Jack Kamen and Johnny Craig. Cartoonists Mark Shultz, Tim Truman, and Mark Lipka were also at the ceremony.

George’s daughter, Carol Petersen, gave the eulogy, which she graciously agreed to let us reprint here. Our great thanks to Carol and all the above who took the time to remember George Evans.

I might also mention that George’s friend Jim Keefe, who provided many of the illustrations in this article, has an excellent George Evans section on his website at: <www.keefestudios.com>—MTG. COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

January 2002

Carol Petersen

George Evan’s daughter Eulogy for my father, George Evans, June 26, 2001: I want to thank you all for coming. It means a lot to us to have you with us, and I know it will mean a lot to you to be together with each other.

I’m sure most of you are as shocked as our whole family is, to find ourselves together here to say good-bye to my father.

Last Sunday, we enjoyed Father’s Day dinner and a happy evening. George drove to our house, his appetite was good, he was laughing, reminiscing, sharing stories, and talking about the latest happenings in my sister’s family, since they keep in touch via e-mail.

On Monday, George walked his dog and started to go out for dinner with my mother. By Monday night, he was in the hospital.

I could spend the next hour telling you every detail of his final illness, and I could spend the next three days telling you about his life, but I really just want to share a few thoughts about my father.

Many of you knew George as an artist—you are either colleagues or fans.

• My father truly loved his life’s work!

• He viewed his whole life as one long vacation: Setting his own schedule and doing what he loved to do every single day. My mother would have loved to travel, but George would always say, “Every day is a vacation for me!”

• The deadlines may have been grueling, but he loved every job he did.

• But George was never happier than when he was working on a painting of a WWI dogfight.

Dad was a true mentor. He never competed with other artists, he didn’t envy their success, and he was genuinely pleased when his friends or protegeés went farther or became more famous than him.

In all my life, I never heard him utter one jealous word. I remember many times when money was very tight for us (especially around the holidays), but George would share part of a job assignment with someone who had been without work longer than him.

And George genuinely enjoyed your artwork. It wasn’t his own stuff that he hung on his walls! He has other artists’ comic pages on his studio walls. While working on a WWI painting someone commissioned him to do, he would use the proceeds to purchase and hang a Wooten WWI painting on his walls, standing back and telling us, “He’s the best!”

Many of you are friends and neighbors of his, or of one of our family’s. You know George from running into him walking his dog 17 times a day, or sitting with him on his front porch (even in the middle of the night!), or from get-togethers at one of our homes. George was well-read, intellectually curious, always learning, opinionated (I’ll pause here for your laughter!), and he loved a good conversation on just about any topic. But any party was a success to George if it ended around the piano, singing anything from operatic arias to show tunes, standards, and even sometimes, hymns. George was an opera buff par excellence, but he would sing anything, and he knew almost every word to almost every song.

George loved the ocean. Not beach going, swimming, or sun bathing! He loved to walk the beach on Long Island in the winter after a good storm.

He loved a book called Winged Victory.

And he loved dogs—especially his own.

George loved his family. He loved my mother and they were married for 56 years on Tuesday. Oh, and he loved my mother’s cooking. Sometimes a dish Mom was preparing didn’t turn out exactly as she had imagined it would. She would call George to the kitchen, handing him a spoonful to sample, worrying out loud about her “failure.” He would squint one eye, lick the spoon clean, and announce, “It’ll git et.”

Of all the things George loved, I honestly believe with all my heart that he loved his grandchildren better than anything and anyone on earth. He was so very proud of each of you. He spoke of you constantly to anyone who would listen. That’s why everyone here knows you even if you have never met them! These last years, he missed you terribly as you each grew up and moved into your own adult lives. He thoroughly enjoyed every moment of every telephone call or visit.

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I’m sure I’m not telling you anything new when I say that my Dad could be hard on people. I hope each of you knows now that my Dad was never mean-spirited. When he challenged us, needled us, pushed us, and sometimes gave us a general hard time, he genuinely did it in hopes of motivating each of us to be the very best we could be! With George, it was all about potential, reaching your full potential. He hoped so much and envisioned so much for each of us.

I pray that when you remember George, it will be with fond memories that will make you laugh. He would really like that. It would make George very happy if you spoke with one another about times you shared that were full of laughter.

Believe it or not George really did have a favorite hymn. I hope you don’t mind if I share the words with you (don’t worry. I am not going to sing!). I have played it on the piano and sung it for him many times over the years. We sang it this past New Year’s Eve. Do you know, until I wrote it out for today, I never really realized it has to do with dying. Maybe that’s why Dad always wiped away a tear when we finished.

Opposite page: George Evans with WWI re-enacter “Lt.” Fred Jungklaus at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base “Fly-In,” September 1996. Plane is a scaled-down replica SE-5 (British WWI fighter).

Courtesy of George Evans.

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go O Love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in Thee; I give Thee back the life I owe, That In Thine ocean depths its flow May richer, fuller be.

O Light that followest all my way, I yield my flickering torch to Thee; My heart restores its borrowed ray, That in Thy sunshine’s blaze its day May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to Thee; I trace the rainbow through the rain, And feel the promise is not vain That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head, I dare not ask to fly from Thee; I lay in dust life’s glory dead, And from the ground there blossoms red Life that shall endless be.*

Below: One of the artist’s favorite pasttimes was to walk his dog.

Here’s Boomer and his pet George in a April 22, 1995 Paul Petersen photo. Courtesy of the Evanses.

Those of you who knew my father well know that he didn’t have the time of day for most church people, and even less for most clergy, so you know how special Pastor Bob Mignard must be, since he was Dad’s choice to preach his funeral. *Text: George Matheson; music: Albert L. Peace

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CBA Interview

The Kinstler Panache Paul Wardle talks to the legendary artist on his comics art Conducted and transcribed by Paul Wardle

Below: A 1995 photo portrait of renowned portrait painter Everett Raymond Kinstler in his Westport, Connecticut studio, taken by Tony Triolo. ©1995 the photographer.

In the 1940s many young artists applied for jobs in the burgeoning new comic book industry, secretly hoping that it would lead to bigger things. For some, either because of a genuine love of the artform, or an inability to succeed in any other field, it became a lifelong profession.

Though the going was slow for a number of years, Everett Raymond Kinstler eventually succeeded in the art world beyond his wildest dreams. His works have hung in many galleries, and his famed portraits have included legendary figures in entertainment, politics, sports and the literary world, most of whom posed for Kinstler in his Manhattan studio.

Born in 1926, Kinstler grew up in New York, and was already working in comic books by age 16. His illustration style, heavily influenced by older illustrators like Gibson, Flagg, and Booth, was

perfectly suited to pulp magazines, and he was one of the few comic book artists who successfully adapted the fine-line cross-hatching, and sketchy dynamics of pulp illustration to comics. With solid storytelling, as well as gripping intensity, Kinstler’s comic work was equal in quality to Frazetta, Ingels, Wood and Crandall, yet because he never applied for work at EC Comics, he is not among the famous names generally batted around when Golden Age comic art is discussed.

Among the comics publishers for whom Kinstler illustrated, were MLJ (Black Hood Comics), DC (“Hawkman”), Avon (many titles), Ziff-Davis (Nightmare and others), Dell/Western (Zorro, Silvertip, Western Marshall, and others), St. John (also Nightmare) and Gilberton (The World Around Us).

In addition to pulp magazines and comics, Kinstler also painted numerous paperback covers, ranging from the sensationalist to literature. It was on these books that he began to develop the painting skills that he had first displayed in school at The Art Student’s League, where he would later teach, occasionally returning even to this day. Two scholarly books of his paintings exist, Painting Faces, Figures & Landscapes and Painting Portraits.

The man’s energy and determination to do things his own way in life, as well as work are excellent qualities for insuring continued development and Mr. Kinstler has somehow managed to retain these ideals without doing anything he would consider “selling out.”

I spoke to Kinstler by phone from his home in Connecticut on a Saturday afternoon in November, 1999. I was calling from an apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, where I was staying for the weekend. Though I was not able to visit his studio, Kinstler’s remembrances and observations were still inspiring, and I was glad to have the opportunity to get his thoughts about this portion of his varied career in print for posterity. I would like to thank William Gee and his sister-in-law Julie, and Walter Dickenson for their help and support. Kinstler was to be the subject of a major PBS documentary airing in 2001.

Everett Raymond Kinstler: I was born August 5, 1926 in Manhattan, and I’ve lived there all my life.

Paul Wardle: When did you move to Connecticut?

Everett: My headquarters and studio is still in New York City, but [my wife and I have] a house in Connecticut, which we’ve had for three years. It’s about an hour outside of the city, so that even when I’m up here, I go back and forth.

Paul: Now, I’m guessing when you were a child growing up, you were a fan of the early newspaper strips and turn of the century illustrators. I know artists like Charles Dana Gibson and James Montgomery Flagg were big influences on your later work. Could you talk about what influence they had?

Everett: The influences I had were twofold. They were the newspaper comic strips, namely personified by Alex Raymond’s Jungle Jim and Flash Gordon; Tarzan, which was then [by] Hal Foster, not Hogarth. I want to be clear on that. And right on into Prince Valiant… again by Hal Foster. And thirdly, and equally important without question because he and I got to be good friends, was Terry and the Pirates, and I knew Milton Caniff quite well in later years when he was doing Steve Canyon. Those were the three major influences I had with regards to comic strips.

I was also very devoted to motion pictures from the time I was seven and eight, and able to go to the movies. One of the great thrills of my life was in 1978-80, when three very famous movie

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stars—James Cagney, John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn—posed for portraits. For John Wayne, I went to California, but Cagney and Hepburn were at my studio often. The reason I mention this to you is that about a month ago, I had painted one of the benefactors of Berkshire school in Massachusetts. The school magazine was reproducing my portrait, and its publisher telephoned me and asked if I would send him a biography, and I did, similar to the one I sent you, and after reading it, he asked me, “Did you ever meet any of the people that you painted?”

I was influenced by the motion pictures, which was very important to me growing up. There were also two other areas [of influence]. One was the magazines, which were flourishing in the 1930s and which my parents would bring home. The Saturday Evening Post, Cosmopolitan, Liberty, Collier’s, Redbook, and as I got a little bit older, say 10-12, I was beginning to look at pulp magazines: The Shadow, Doc Savage; both of whom I drew for later and there were at one point, I think, as many as 60 or 70 pulp magazines every month, when I was just breaking into the pulps in the 1940s.

Aviation, romance, detective, Western, railroad… you name it.

When I was 12 years old, I graduated from public school and went to the High School of Music and Art, which in those days was for honor students. You had to have the artistic as well as academic credits. After one year, I was totally miserable, and I went to a trade school: The High School Of Industrial Arts. The [curriculum] there was to be trained in photo retouching, scratchboard, pen-&-ink, line drawings for newspapers. In short, you would be taught a profession.

One of the students in the school with me was Anthony Benedetto, who changed his name to Tony Bennett. The only difference between Tony and me is that he finished school there and I quit, just before my 16th birthday.

I took a job at $35 a week for six days a week, at a company called Cinema Comics. The editor was a man named Richard Hughes and they were located at 45 West 45th Street. At that time I was hired as an inker—I was 16—and I was on-staff inking, and among the scripts that Cinema Comics was doing were Fighting Yank and a whole series of comics that would relate to World War II. I was inking some of those, and Mr. Hughes was a son-in-law of Ned Pine.

Paul: And Ned Pine owned Better Publications.

Everett: Better Publications. That was the connection. I went to work for BP later in the pulps. I think they were at 10 West 40th Street.

Paul: Were they the first pulp publisher you worked for?

Everett: The first was Popular Publications, which was the biggest.

Paul: Do you remember some of the titles your work appeared in there?

Everett: Oh sure. 15 Western Tales, Dime Western, Popular Western, Romantic Love, Adventure Magazine (which was more or less the higher echelon of their publications), Dime Detective. There were probably about 20 pulps I worked for at Popular Publications.

Paul: This would be mid-’40s?

Everett: 1945. The other link I want to give you was also in 1945: The Shadow, which was a pulp published by Street & Smith. Before I went into the army I did the November 1945 issue of The Shadow, the granddaddy of pulp magazines. I met Walter Gibson [author of The Shadow] 30 years later, who remembered [my name from seeing my work]. The [illustration was titled] “The White Skulls.” I also illustrated several issues of Doc Savage, also for Street & Smith. They were phasing out pulps at that point. They were going into slick magazines and Popular Publications was the largest of the pulp publishers that remained.

Paul: When you worked in pulps, were you able to get your original art returned to you after publication?

Everett: Yes. I got back most of my originals just by asking for them. I found that things were swiped and not returned to me. I was 16 or 17, and I was doing The Shadow illustrations, and there was an artist named Tom Lovell, who was really the best Shadow illustrator ever, and one of the great American illustrators, who just died two or three years ago at 87. He had an enviable and very successful career out in Santa Fe, where his paintings were selling for a quarter of a million each.

I own several wonderful Lovell [original] illustrations. Lovell had January 2002

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a career in every major magazine in the 1950s and ’60s. He was among the most successful illustrator of that period.

Paul: I think, despite the enormous amount of comic book work you’ve done, pulp aficionados know your work more than comic book people. Maybe it’s because you never did a long-running super-hero strip. You did do those couple of “Hawkman” stories in Flash Comics.

Everett: Yes, but remember something else, which I think is of interest. With the comics, I was rarely allowed to sign my work, except at Avon [and Ziff-Davis]. True Publications and DC wouldn’t let me sign my own work, which is why I stayed at Avon for so long.

I could have my name on my work, and particularly with the [black&-white] inside covers, that was the best fun I ever had drawing comics.

Paul: It’s obvious from the amount of work you put into those black-&-white one-page inside front covers, that you were enjoying yourself.

Everett: Number one: The editor, Sol Cohen, gave me total freedom to do what I wanted, and most important to me, they had no color and were reproduced in black-&-white on a shinier [paper] stock, which meant I would get clarity and I could do sensitive pen-&-ink work, which I love. In the comic pages with the cheaper paper, and color over it, much of my line work would be obliterated.

Above: Last page from one of the two Kinstler-illustrated tales in St. John’s Nightmare #3 (1953) ©1953 St. John’s Publishing.

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Above: An example of one of the many pulp covers Kinstler painted for Popular Publications, undoubtedly honing his chops for what was to become the most celebrated aspect of his life, his career as a world-class portrait painter. Cover © circa 1945 Popular Publications.

Below: Kinstler recalls he colored, as well as penciled and inked, this Strange Worlds #3 cover. ©1951 Avon Periodical Publications.

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In addition to all the pulp work, there were some oneshots like Parents Magazine, and later Classic Comics, which I disliked. They would give me two or three pages to draw along with other artists. That was an unfortunate period when I went back to comics at one point [late 1950s] for economic reasons.

Paul: Were you still studying art while doing work in pulps and comics?

Everett: That’s a good question, and I can answer it in this way. In 1943 I was at Cinema Comics, and Ken Battefield, [another penciler there] said to me, “Kid, you need some training,” and I went to the Art Student’s League and studied with Frank V. DuMond.

Mr. DuMond was born in 1865, and he taught at the Art Student’s League until his death in 1951. Almost every major American artist studied with him, including Norman Rockwell, Georgia O’Keefe and James Montgomery Flagg, who studied with him in 1895.

Paul: Another artist whom I’ve interviewed, and whom I’m told only met you once, was George Evans, and he told me of a conversation he had with you in the waiting room at Classics Illustrated. You were each there waiting for an interview with editor Alex Blum, and George told me you said you were taking more art classes, because you claimed, rather prophetically, “I’m not going to spend my whole life scratching away at the comics, and I hope you’re not either.”

Everett: That sounds like me. The only thing that bothers me about that statement is that I never looked down on the work I did as a comic book artist. That is really where I come from. I think what might have triggered that [remark] is that I had a desire to go further into illustration, and he must have been saying the same thing, because comics were going through a terrible transition where artists like me found it very hard to make a living. They were sanitizing [comic books] a great deal. So if I said that to him, it was not a put-down of comics. When I had my first exhibition in 1958 at Grand Central Galleries in New York City, a very prestigious gallery, I listed in my biography that I started out drawing comics, and to this day you will see that in my biography. I have never looked down on it, but to me, it was a stepping stone to what I wanted to do, which was to be a magazine illustrator.

Paul: A lot of people did consider comic and pulp work a stepping stone to magazine illustration and fine art, didn’t they?

Everett: All of them did.

Remember that almost all the young men of that time were in the service. This was World War II. I was too young to go in. I asked Mr. Hughes [at Popular] if he could give me enough work so that I could go freelance, and study painting in the afternoon with Mr. DuMond.

That’s exactly what he did. I was probably earning $55 or $60 a week, and I was living on the West Side of Manhattan. There were little rooms for rent in the penthouses for maids, and I was able to get one for about $15 a month. When I went to the League in the afternoon with DuMond, I was painting figures and heads from life, and I was also going in the summer to Vermont with Mr. DuMond to take landscape classes. During the morning and evening, I was creating pulps, comics, and paperback covers as Avon also had a line of paperbacks.

Paul: At the point where pulps were starting to die out, say in the late 1940s and early ’50s, how did you make the transition to comics? Was it that your pay was decreasing per illustration, or you were just getting less of it, or pulp editors just dropped you altogether? How did it happen?

Everett: I was really jockeying between the two [even in the early days] and I would go out twice a week with my portfolio and try to get work. One other thing. When I was in the service, which was about a year, I continued to be published, because the editors would send me one or two stories a month, and I illustrated pulps right through 1946. I had about 20 illustrations published [in pulp magazines] for that year. I did not like advertising illustration. I did a bit of it for Columbia records. I did a couple of album jackets and advertising illustrations. When I drew paperback covers or illustrations for men’s magazines, namely one called Real, [where] I produced about four or five double-page spreads, they were, for the most part, in oils or black-&-white with two colors, and that was another stepping stone to what I thought of as the “big casino,” which was The Saturday Evening Post, Cosmopolitan, etc.

Paul: So, it wasn’t so much that there was a downturn in the market that made you get away from pulps, you were just always looking for greater avenues for your work?

Everett: There was no downturn at all for me. One of the things that I found frustrating, was working sort of piecemeal. That’s probably what I meant when I [was talking to George Evans].

Scratching out a job here and there. I went to Western Publishing, and the editor was Matt Murphy. I hope he’s still alive.

Matt and I connected, and they promised me as much work as I could handle. The only thing was that my style had to be sanitized a little bit. It was too rough. He said their books were aimed at an audience who were a little gentler, and they also told me, which did not please me, that I wasn’t going to be allowed to sign any of my work. That was a bone of contention with me. I’ve always had that sense of pride [in my work to want my signature on it]. I did the Silvertip books for them, three Zorro books… The Mark [of Zorro], The Mask [of Zorro], and The Sword [of Zorro].

Paul: You also did Ernest Haycox—Western Marshall, Santiago, and Luke Short—King Colt.

Everett: And those were in many ways my most rewarding comic book work, except of course for those Avon inside covers, because I had the whole book to plan, create and layout.

Paul: Yes. They were 34-, 35-page stories that ended on the back cover and no advertising anywhere in the comic, which generally meant about 250 panels.

Everett: And that was great fun for me. In fact, years later, in the 1980s, I met two actors. One was John Carradine, whose sons are also quite famous, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Both of them came to my studio to pose for me. I said to Fairbanks, “I used to use pictures of you, Mr. Fairbanks, and your father in my Zorro comics.” I told John Carradine I had used him too, and both were very interested in this.

Paul: In fact you used many movie stars for characters in the Westerns and horror stories. I see Broderick Crawford, Lloyd Bridges, Fredric March and John Carradine.

Everett: John Carradine was a classic face. Those books at Western Printing were done in connection with promoting movies, so that was purposeful. Now the last book I ever drew for them was an adaptation of The Conqueror, a movie with John Wayne, which was a terrible movie, but I thought they were some of my best COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

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pencils. I went to Matt Murphy, who was the editor at Western at that time, and said I was too busy to ink the comic, and could he find someone? I was trying to get out of comics and move into magazine illustration. I was getting more paperback covers to paint. The pulps were, as you say, fading. I think one of the last to go was Ranch Romances, published by Better Publications.

Paul: And were you still working for them as they were on their way out?

Everett: Right to the end. I’d get $15 for an illustration, and I was a “gun for hire,” which is a phrase I use quite often. The phone would ring and I’d get jobs. And often, for the Westerns I did at Dell, I’d receive movie stills and use actors and actresses to get the right type.

Paul: And in the third panel of this page from Silvertip (Four Color #491), is that Gary Cooper from High Noon?

Everett: Either Gary Cooper or Randolph Scott. They were, again, of a type: bony, lanky Westerners. And in those days, the biggest Western stars were Gary Cooper and John Wayne.

Paul: So your love for movies was coming out in your work, and I’m guessing you were having fun putting in these movie stars.

Everett: A great deal of fun.

Paul: I wanted to ask you about the small amount of work you did at DC, which was I guess in the mid- to late 1940s.

Everett: I’m guessing that would’ve been right after I got out of the service, about 1947. That date sticks in my mind. I had lost time in the Army, and I wanted to pick up my career, and I was going around to every place I could think of, trying to get work.

Paul: I’ve heard some very bad things about the administration at DC in the 1940s. How did you find it, working for them?

Everett: I didn’t do that much, so I don’t know. I never really connected well with them. I’m no different today. If I have a good rapport with someone, and enjoy them, I’m going to work for them.

The person I [had the best rapport with] was Sol Cohen at Avon.

Wally Wood and Joe Kubert, and I guess Frazetta were all working at Avon around the same time. I knew Joe and Wally Wood very well at that time. But remember Avon also had the paperbacks, so I was moving between the paperbacks and the comics. These were some of the top paperbacks; covers for books by D.H. Lawrence, Aldous Huxley, Somerset Maugham. They also had a line of books of science-fiction and fantasy. One of the great connections there was a writer named John Jakes, who has sold more paperback books than anyone since The Bible. He wrote The North and the South, The Kent Family Chronicles. John Jakes, who’s my age, was sending in pulp stories to Avon at the same time I was drawing them… around 1950. John Jakes wrote me once, because we both belong to a club in New York, and said he remembered very fondly those illustrations I did. I sent him the originals, because I had saved them.

Paul: There was another publisher whose comics looked exactly like Avon and also had black-&-white inside covers by you. They were called Realistic Comics. Was that a subsidiary of Avon Periodicals?

Everett: That was Avon.

By the way, you mentioned James Montgomery Flagg earlier. In 1947, I met Flagg and became quite close to him. When he died in 1960, I gave the eulogy at the funeral.

Paul: And I understand you have the largest existing collection of his work.

Everett: No, I’ve given most of it away or donated it. I don’t have that many pieces any more. What’s deceptive is that in that big book about Flagg by Susan Meyer, most of the illustrations are credited as courtesy of Everett Raymond Kinstler. That’s because I had tear sheets or reproductions, and they didn’t want to write to publishers for permission, so they just put that credit in, and most people assume that I have all those originals, which I don’t. At one point I did have a great many which I gave to the Public Library, the New Britain Museum of Art, the Player’s Club, etc. I’ve given away probably 100 of his pieces, to make sure that they’d be taken care of and also perpetuated. I’ve given many to fellow artists.

Paul: Now getting back to Western Publishing, otherwise known as Dell…

Everett: Western Printing had an agreement with Dell to distribute, but Western Printing were the ones I was working for.

January 2002

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

Paul: So that would be different than working for Dell’s humor division on say the Disney cartoon books?

Everett: Let me backtrack a bit. I may have it backwards.

No, it wasn’t. It was Western Printing who had a deal with Dell. I thought maybe I had worked for Dell and they were distributed by Western Printing. I’m not quite sure. I could be persuaded either way.

My impression was that it was Western Printing and the books were distributed by Dell Publishing.

Paul: You did a lot of comic covers, particularly for Avon.

Did you ever do your own color separations?

Everett: Oh, I always suggested the colors. In one or two cases I think I may even have done things with color dyes. I remember on Strange Worlds, the cover with their two-headed dragon [#3], I did color that one. In other words, we’d get what they call silverprints; they were very heavy-duty, refined pen-&-ink, black-&-white reproductions. And I think in the case of a couple of them, I actually did the colors with dyes or indicated what I wanted. But on the inside art, never.

Paul: Now, you mentioned knowing Wally Wood when you worked at Avon. Most people would agree that Wood’s best work was for EC, and many of the best comics illustrators of that era worked there, including George Evans, Graham Ingels, Reed Crandall and Frank Frazetta. In a letter written to me by EC’s publisher, William M. Gaines, he implied that all you would have had to do was walk in the door and he would’ve hired you. Why didn’t you ever apply at EC Comics?

Everett: Because I was trying to illustrate for the paperbacks.

Whatever moves I made were only in the sense of my career.

Number one, not for money, and [number two] not looking down on any of it. I just wasn’t interested in pursuing a career as a comic strip artist.

And remember, in the 1950s, I was starting to do covers. I sold my first cover to Popular Publications on 15 Western Tales in 1945. I think I got $25 or $50 for it, which was more than I made in a week.

From the beginning, my desire was to be in the magazines, but I had to start, somewhat like an actor, where if you wanted to be on the stage, you had to do

Above: Inside front cover frontispiece for Avon’s Strange Worlds #8, depicting scenes from the interior stories in this sciencefiction comics anthology, a title which boasted early work by Wally Wood, Joe Kubert, and Joe Orlando. ©1952 Avon. Below: Another inside cover by Kinstler, this one for Dell/Western’s Silvertop (Four-Color #572). ©1954 Dodd, Mead & Co., Inc.

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Above: The artist was obviously inspired by actor Fredric March’s 1931 film make-up of Mr. Hyde in this Everett Raymond Kinstler page from Nightmare #3, also featuring a bit of lacey lingerie. ©1953 St. John’s Publishing.

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burlesque and summer stock. It wasn’t that I wasn’t competing for it.

I wasn’t interested in continuing with comics. Here and there, I’d get one of the jobs from Western Printing, for Zorro or Silvertip, both of which were supposed to be one-shots. But they [sold] so well, they were continued as a series.

Paul: Do you think that any of that success was because of your artwork?

Everett: I have to think that, because I was told it was a one-shot job and certainly I edited, I cut through those panels a great deal.

This was a freedom I had with Avon and Western Printing, and that was not done very much in those days. If you see a page with three or four panels on it [that I did], it’s because I combined [panels] together. I had a great rapport with Matt Murphy at Western Printing and with Sol Cohen at Avon.

Paul: It’s great that you were given that freedom with page layout, because I’ve heard horror stories about what some editors at other companies were like. Yet even at Avon, towards the mid-1950s, their comic division was going under. The first part of the question I’d like to ask is: Was their paperback division still doing well as the comics were failing, and second: Did you suffer a drop in pay or a loss of assignments when this was happening?

Everett: No, and I’ll tell you why: This, I’m not as sharp about, but my recollection is that their comics went under first.

One of the first strips I ever did, when I was freelancing at 16, was for Black Hood Comics. The man who owned the publishing house [MLJ; later Archie Comics] was named Goldwater. I remember that because of the famous Senator. So I drew Black Hood Comics, I did two or three of those in 1944 or 1945. Those were among the first freelance work I did.

But as to what you asked me, I believe Avon was losing out on the comics at that point, but I wasn’t all that interested because I was doing a lot of Avon paperback covers with all kinds of subject matter, from romance, to detective, to Westerns. I was focusing, and I think that’s a good word to use, focusing on directing myself towards Saturday Evening Post, etc. I was pulling away from comics, and keeping very busy with Avon [paperback] covers. I also painted covers for Bantam Books, Ace Publications, and then in my spare time, I would produce sample covers. If I was commissioned to do a cover for Gunslinger, I would use the same model, Steve Holland, and I’d paint a couple more Westerns and I’d peddle them. So I was kept busy; on the other hand, I could see the handwriting on the wall, because the big magazines were beginning to fold. So I went to book publishers. They were very clear that my style was too mature and too graphic. Then Grossett-Dunlap hired me and I did a series of books for them. I was painting covers for Dodd-Mead publications, from romance to biographies of Verdi. I also did a lot of book covers for Little, Brown & Co., and almost all the major publishers, but mainly Dodd-Mead, because I had a rapport with John Blair, who was the art director.

When I got married, I was about 29, and I found I needed more income. Suddenly, it wasn’t just me I was taking care of. I had a wife. That’s when I went to Classic Comics, to get some supplemental work. In short, I used the comics to supplement my income. You see, the styles were changing. Paperbacks were going into design, and more graphic covers with lettering. I didn’t want to turn my back on comics, but it’s like my friend Tony Bennett. He could’ve stayed with the big bands, but he wanted to go solo. If I had been born a generation earlier, I probably wouldn’t have become a portrait painter. I probably would’ve stayed in illustration, but I enjoyed interpreting people, so portraiture was a natural evolution.

Paul: Speaking of the word graphic, we know there was a big uproar over the content of horror, crime and science-fiction comics and detractors like Dr. Fredric Wertham and [Senator] Estes Kefauver participated in Senate hearings that tried to establish a link between violent comics and juvenile delinquency. Did you get caught up in any of that?

Everett: We were just told that boobs and cleavage and the overall passion in your work had to be tempered. That’s when I went over to Western Printing. They were very clear that they thought I could handle the work for them, but that aspects of sexy or more graphic scenes were not for them.

Paul: In fact, the Dells never even needed the Comics Code seal on their books.

Everett: I remember at Avon, I had illustrated a cover (and I have the original right here in Connecticut), for Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence. I had painted this model named Sherry. We all used to use her. I had her in a negligee, with deep cleavage, and I had to paint white over the cleavage to make it less obvious. When I got the original back, I washed off the [white] and it’s back to its original state. So all the publications [not just comics] were affected by that, and of course it affected me, too. It did not affect my income, or the amount of work I got.

Paul: But let’s face it, comic artists were being looked down upon by these people for drawing these lurid scenes. Did you ever feel any prejudice?

Everett: Oh sure. Comic art was always looked down upon!

When I had my first art show in 1958, which I mentioned to you earlier, which was a prestige gallery, it was a show of landscapes, mainly paintings and portraits. It was mainly to introduce me to the public. I was the youngest artist in their roster, which included many famous American artists, and Mr. Barrie, the director said, “We don’t want any word about your comic work or illustrations, because that’s commercial art.” I must have had balls in those days, because I told him, it was “a part of who I am, and it stays in my biography.”

Paul: You said that you knew Wally Wood. Were you friends?

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Everett: We got along very well. Wally and I would have lunch and dinner together. We were not intimate friends, but we were very close in those years [early 1950s].

Paul: I’ve read a lot of accounts by friends of Wood in his later years that he was a very troubled, depressed man who had a lot of unresolved anger and drank far too much. Did you see that side of him at all?

Everett: No. I never saw any of that side of him. I just remember Wally very fondly. We laughed a lot. We each had a very healthy respect for the other. He was a very nice guy and a terrific talent. I didn’t sense any psychological dimensions there, but again, I didn’t know him intimately. Whenever we would meet up at Avon, we always got on very well.

Speaking of [society] looking down on comics, I’ll tell you a story that might amuse you. There is a very prestigious club in New York called the Player’s Club. It’s a 115-year-old national landmark building, and it has great portraits [on the walls] by Gilbert Stuart, John Singer Sargent. It is a repository of work of the American theatre and American illustrators… Flagg, Gibson, Rockwell all used to belong to the club. There were several cartoonists who were members. One was a writer named Lee Falk, who created The Phantom and Mandrake the Magician [newspaper strips].

About 25 years ago, I had finished a portrait which was about five-and-a-half feet high of an actor named Alfred Drake, the president of the Player’s Club and a famous Broadway actor. Next to it was an earlier portrait of mine of Dennis King, who had been a former president. I was at a cocktail party one afternoon and among this group of about 100 people, I saw that standing near me, speaking to a circle of people was Milton Caniff. I had had just enough belts of liquor to get up the nerve to go up to Mr. Caniff.

You just don’t do that at a social club. I tapped him on the shoulder and said, “Excuse me. Are you Milton Caniff?” He said yes, and I apologized for interrupting him and said, “This is not the most courteous thing to do, but I have to tell you, Mr. Caniff, that I am a great fan and admirer of yours and you’ve been a great influence on my life, artistically. I feel like such a sap interrupting you, but I just figured I’d never see you again and I just had to say this.” He said, “Don’t be silly. That’s so nice to hear.” He was extremely gracious. I started to walk away and he grabbed my arm and asked me my name. I said “My name is Ray Kinstler,” and he said, “Well, Ray, thanks a lot.” Then he said, “Wait a minute. You’re not the Kinstler who painted these portraits of Drake and King?” I said yes, and he looked at me and said, “And you think I’m an artist?”

That led to a great friendship between us which lasted right up until his death, but my point in telling you this story is that even he didn’t really look at himself as an artist, because he was a newspaper cartoonist.

Paul: How many illustrations would a magazine artist do per year?

Everett: People like Montgomery Flagg were selling 300 pictures a year. It’s beyond comprehension; almost one a day.

Paul: The stuff you did at Classics Illustrated was closer to book/ pulp illustration than regular action-packed comics. Yet you said you hated working there. I’ve been told that the reason you hated it was because they placed too many restrictions on your art.

Everett: This is true, but I would amend the word hate. Let’s just say that I was extremely uncomfortable and disliked it. The most important part is this: that at that point, I was around 30-years-old. I had been working half my life. I thought I had made the break from comics into paperback covers and magazine illustration, and suddenly I had to go back and retrace myself because I needed the income to survive. So that, in all fairness to them, was not their fault. What I disliked—not “hated”—but disliked about working for Classics was: number one—the anonymity. I was pushed into a story on The French Revolution [The World Around Us #14, 1959] and I’d be given five pages. That would be followed by five pages by Gerry McCann. We couldn’t go too far out because they didn’t want the styles to look different. They would not let you sign, or even initial the pages, and I felt a total lack of communication with whoever ran the company. They were just, to me, jobbers; like somebody who was cutting material with scissors and throwing out different fabrics for you to sew together into a suit. But it was a bad time for me, January 2002

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

because I wanted to paint.

Paul: So how did you move from doing book covers to starting a career in portraits.

Everett: I think it’s very difficult to look back on anyone’s career and be objective, but I think it’s easier if you’re in a creative field. You can see what you were like creatively at every stage. I think there was one thing I had a flair for. I always enjoyed interpreting people.

Whether it was the detective, or the pretty girl, or the cowboy, I loved people. Even when I was in the service, I was doing portrait sketches of fellow soldiers. I have sketches I’ve done of my father and mother and cousins when I was 10 and 12 years old. I was basically a people interpreter. Cowboys and cleavage, is what I used to say, rather than space ships or machines or airplanes, which I had to do too. In doing illustrations of people, you’re doing types. In portraiture, you’re interpreting individuals.

Somewhere around the mid-’50s, in an effort to get into magazines, I found there were no magazines. They had folded or were folding. Even The Saturday Evening Post, what few illustrations they used were taken off the illustrator’s byline. There was nobody left doing the kind of illustration that I had loved so much. Some of the great men that I had known [in the field] were going from job to job like old actors looking for work, and that was very, very disappointing; very depressing. All along, I was doing portraits for

Above: The March Hyde is particularly prevelant in the third panel of Kinstler’s ghoul tale from Nightmare #3. ©1953 St. John’s Publishing.

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Above: Charcoal on Bristol board portrait of renowned actor John Barrymore (perhaps better known to younger readers as Drew’s grandfather). Inset right: Oil on canvas portrait of U.S. President Gerald R. Ford (1981). Below: Abstract lithograph of famed playwright Tennessee Williams (1975).

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fun. Here and there I’d get a commission, and in 1957, I went to two galleries, the [aforementioned] Grand Central, and Portraits, Incorporated [also in New York City], the first commercial gallery of its kind that represented portrait artists. Both places took me on, and slowly, I began to get commissions.

Paul: Up until you made the big move, your primary income had come from comic strips, covers, and illustrations. What was your page rate for comic book work?

Everett: About $15 a page or $20.

Paul: Was that from Avon?

Everett: I know the covers were $50 a piece, and I think my page rate from Western Printing might have been as high as $30 a page, but that’s for penciling and inking. Avon paid much less, but I was able to do much more at the lower rate, because I had more freedom. On those Avon inside covers, I could draw anything I wanted. I never had anything corrected or changed, whereas at Western Printing, a lot of the penciling was edited before it went to be ballooned [lettered].

Paul: But there were never any changes once you had reached the inking stage.

Everett: Never.

Paul: Your style in many of those Dell comics is much looser than your Avon work.

Everett: I’d question that.

Paul: I’m guessing there were so many pages to the story that you did it out of necessity.

Everett: When I look at those books: Zorro, Silvertip, they were better storytelling to me, intellectually, but I think the things I did for Avon were flashier as far as pen-&-ink work.

At Western, I had 35 pages to conceive a whole story, and I was very aware what was on page 30 when I was doing page two. With the Avon inside covers, I was just presenting a couple of images. The Western Printing comics were the most challenging of any of the comic work I did. I was basically producer, director, stage designer, research director. 35 pages, with six images to a page, is over 200 panels. I had to be very careful not to repeat myself, make every page look interesting. The Avon [black-&-white pieces] were just one-shot drawings, like a poster.

So storytelling became very important for me, and I remember persuading Matt Murphy to leave the borderlines off a lot of the panels, and it was like pulling teeth. I even wanted

to take it further, but they thought that was too adventurous. It’s hard to believe now, but that’s the way it was. The borders were boxed in squarely, and very often I didn’t have the freedom to create interesting images.

Paul: People like yourself who would play around with the page layout, in retrospect, are looked upon as more innovative artists than those who didn’t.

Everett: I agree. That makes sense to me. That’s got to do with imagination. There were things I did in portraiture, which at the time I painted them, almost every board chairman and cabinet officer was painted in a dark suit. I, not trying to be different, painted [President] Richard Nixon’s Secretary of Defense in a white shirt. That was his official portrait. That had not been done before. At the time, it was very adventuresome. What I try to do with every portrait, is what is characteristic of the person. There is one in the book (which is one of my own favorites) of James Montgomery Flagg, that I painted when I was 28, that is just as characteristic of Flagg as others. President Ford, in the dark suit and vest, is the way he posed. I do not improvise. I try to catch the character and the point of view of every person I paint. When I painted John Wayne, that’s pretty much the same image of him that I have 22 years later.

Paul: It’s a very lucrative and prestigious career you’ve had.

Everett: I’d have to strike the word lucrative. I have never, repeat

never looked at what I do as a means of making a buck. I have been fortunate and blessed to have earned my living doing something I enjoy doing, but I assure you, and this is the truth, I have turned down great opportunities to make money on my work, and if it did not appeal to me, I did not do it. Every stage of what I’ve tried to do was because it appealed to me as an artist. Today, I’m doing less portraits, because I want to do more landscapes. It isn’t that I look down on portraits. I feel the need to move in a different direction and challenge myself.

Paul: Well, all artists have to. Every artist has to go through change and develop along with it.

Everett: You do, and it’s a challenge. Milton Caniff had a great career all his life drawing comic strips, as did Alex Raymond, although Raymond did do other things. Curiously enough, where I live here in Connecticut is just a couple of miles from where he was killed in a sports car. He lived right near here, in Westport. Hal Foster also drew comics right up until the day he died. Milton Caniff, to me, was the Orson Welles of comics.

Paul: Do you mean in his staging of the panels, like cinematography?

Everett: I mean in what he created and his effect on the comics industry. In its own way, it was just as strong as how Orson Welles COMIC BOOK ARTIST 17

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changed the way we look at movies.

Paul: It’s refreshing to hear you say that you don’t do things just for the money. In today’s comics industry, there are a lot of people who are only in it for the money; merchandising; selling their original art; royalties on popular characters, etc.

Everett: I spoke last year at a portrait convention, before 800 people. I said to them, “If you are expecting to hear from me how to make money painting portraits, you are wasting your time. The last thing I ever thought about was making money. I had to make a living to support myself and my family. Money, to me, means freedom… freedom to continue to earn a living. Yes, in recent years I’ve done very well, but I still turn down a great deal of work. A great deal of money has been dangled in front of me if I would take on particular ventures. This was not for me. One woman was very prominent in the fashion field, and I did not want to paint her. I didn’t tell her that [at first], and she said, “Painting me will do so much good for you.” I replied “What good is it going to do for me? Madam, you can’t afford me.” Naturally she didn’t understand what I meant.

Paul: Was there any particular reason why you didn’t want to paint this person?

Everett: Yes. I felt she was trying to chisel me, saying they were going to reproduce it and use it a great deal here and there, and it would do great things for [my career], and she just totally turned me off. Or sometimes I get people wanting me to do things within a portrait that I’m just not comfortable with.

I’ve taken on so many things where I had to work from photographs and I did the best I could, but I don’t have to do that any more. It’s not money. I know what I need to survive, and I enjoy selecting what stimulates me.

I remember when I went to a pulp convention, and a lot of people were very interested in what I drew in my pulp work. I told them to please understand that I worked very hard in those years and value what I did, but it was a very small part of my life. So many people who drew comics [were consumed by them]. That’s the way it should be [for them, I guess], but for me, [comics and pulps were] a very limited part of my career. A great deal that happened was

forced upon me when the culture changed.

Paul: Do you still teach?

Everett: I still instruct on weekends twice a year at the Art Student’s League, and at the National Academy in New York City. I don’t like to surrender the time, but because I do like the communication and linking with young artists, one week in the summer about 15 of us travel and paint landscapes; sort of a master class. It’s very important for me.

Paul: Sounds like you’re always busy.

Everett: I don’t “do lunch.” I get up at 6:30 in the morning and go to work, and when I have a client in, which is most of the time, if they want to have lunch, I just take them to the restaurant in the building and I have a quick buffet and go right back to work.

Paul: That being the case, I really appreciate you taking this time to talk to me. It’s a big thrill to finally find out about you.

Everett: Thank you. I’ve enjoyed talking to you.

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Above: Oil on canvas portrait by Kinstler of illustrator/painter James Montgomery Flagg, best known for his legendary “Uncle Sam Wants You” World War I recruiting poster.

THE BEST OF ALTER EGO, VOLUME 2 is the new sequel to ALTER EGO: THE BEST OF THE LEGENDARY COMICS FANZINE, which presents more fantastic features from the fabled mag begun in 1961 by JERRY BAILS & ROY THOMAS—covering undiscovered gems from all 11 original issues published between 1961 and 1978! Editors ROY THOMAS and BILL SCHELLY uncover never-revealed secrets about the first super-hero fanzine ever published, with vintage articles about TOR, HAWKMAN, THE SPECTRE, BLACKHAWK, THE JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA, THE ALL WINNERS SQUAD, ROBOTMAN, WONDER WOMAN, THE HEAP, THE LENSMEN/GREEN LANTERN CONNECTION, and so much more! Plus rarely-seen comics stories by JOE KUBERT (a gorgeous, unsold “Tor” newspaper strip), RONN FOSS (“The Eclipse”), and ROY THOMAS and SAM GRAINGER (adapting Gardner Fox’s novel “Warrior of Llarn”), as well as Roy’s entire “Bestest League of America” parody, collected for the first time ever! There’s even a never-before-reprinted 1977 interview with JEAN GIRAUD (“Moebius”), plus special sections on Bails’ adzine THE COMICOLLECTOR and on “the A/E #10 that almost was”! It’s all behind a classic cover of GARDNER FOX and his greatest creations by then-future Marvel artist SAM GRAINGER! (160-page trade paperback) $19.95 • (Digital Edition) $6.95 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-048-9 • Ships May 2013 STILL AVAILABLE: ALTER EGO: THE BEST OF THE LEGENDARY COMICS FANZINE • (192-page trade paperback) $21.95 • ISBN: 978-1-893905-88-7

TwoMorrows. A New Day For Comics Fans!

TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA • 919-449-0344 • FAX: 919-449-0327 E-mail: store@twomorrowspubs.com • Visit us on the Web at www.twomorrows.com

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KIRBY COLLECTOR #61

ALTER EGO #118

COMIC BOOK CREATOR #1 COMIC BOOK CREATOR #2

BRICKJOURNAL #24

Former COMIC BOOK ARTIST editor JON B. COOKE returns to TwoMorrows with his new magazine! #1 features: An investigation of the treatment JACK KIRBY endured throughout his career, ALEX ROSS and KURT BUSIEK interviews, FRANK ROBBINS spotlight, remembering LES DANIELS, WILL EISNER’s Valentines to his beloved, a talk between NEAL ADAMS and DENNIS O’NEIL, new ALEX ROSS cover, and more!

JOE KUBERT double-size Summer Special tribute issue! Comprehensive examinations of each facet of Joe’s career, from Golden Age artist and 3-D comics pioneer, to top Tarzan artist, editor, and founder of the Kubert School. Kubert interviews, rare art and artifacts, testimonials, remembrances, portraits, anecdotes, pin-ups and miniinterviews by faculty, students, fans, friends and family! Edited by JON B. COOKE.

LEGO TRAINS! Builder CALE LEIPHART shows how to get started building trains and train layouts, with instructions on building microscale trains by editor JOE MENO, building layouts with the members of the Pennsylvania LEGO Users Group (PennLUG), fan-built LEGO monorails minifigure customization by JARED BURKS, microscale building by CHRISTOPHER DECK, “You Can Build It”, and more!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Now shipping!

(164-page FULL-COLOR mag) $17.95 (Digital Edition) $6.95 • Ships July 2013

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Ships May 2013

ALTER EGO #119

ALTER EGO #120

ALTER EGO #121

JACK KIRBY: WRITER! Examines quirks of Kirby’s wordsmithing, from the FOURTH WORLD to ROMANCE and beyond!

Lengthy Kirby interview, MARK EVANIER and other columnists, LARRY LIEBER’s scripting for Jack at 1960s Marvel Comics, RAY ZONE on 3-D work with Kirby, comparing STEVE GERBER’s Destroyer Duck scripts to Jack’s pencils, Kirby’s best promo blurbs, Kirby pencil art gallery, & more!

AVENGERS 50th ANNIVERSARY! WILL MURRAY on the group’s behind-thescenes origin, a look at its first decade with ROY THOMAS, STAN LEE, JACK KIRBY, THE BROTHERS BUSCEMA, TUSKA, ADAMS, COLAN, BUCKLER, ENGLEHART, MERRY MARVEL MARCHING SOCIETY, MR. MONSTER, BILL SCHELLY, FCA, Golden Age Blue Beetle artist E.C. STONER, unused Avengers cover by DON HECK!

MARC SWAYZE TRIBUTE ISSUE, spotlighting FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America)!

Salutes from Fawcett alumnus C.C. BECK and OTTO BINDER, interview with wife JUNE SWAYZE, a full Phantom Eagle story from Wow Comics, plus interview with 1950s Dell/Western artist MEL KEEFER, MICHAEL T. GILBERT in Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, and a SWAYZE Marvel Family cover art from the 1940s!

X-MEN SALUTE! 1963-69 secrets, rare ‘60s BRAZILIAN X-MEN stories, lost ‘60s XMen “character sheet” by STAN LEE, ROY THOMAS on the 1970s revival, art and artifacts by KIRBY, ROTH, ADAMS, HECK, FRIEDRICH, and BUSCEMA—plus the MARVELMANIA fan club story, interview with Golden Age writer ED SILVERMAN, FCA, Mr. Monster, BILL SCHELLY, and JACK KIRBY’s unused X-Men #10 cover!

GOLDEN AGE JUSTICE SOCIETY ISSUE! Features on JOHN B. WENTWORTH (Johnny Thunder), LEN SANSONE (The Atom), and BERNARD SACHS (All-Star Comics inker), art by CARMINE INFANTINO, PAUL REINMAN, MART NODELL, STAN ASCHMEIER, BEN FLINTON, and H.G. PETER, plus FCA, Mr. Monster, and more! Cover homage by SHANE FOLEY to a vintage All-Star image by IRWIN HASEN!

(104-page magazine with COLOR) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Ships June 2013

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Ships June 2013

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Ships July 2013

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Ships August 2013

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Ships Oct. 2013

DRAW! #25

BACK ISSUE #65

BACK ISSUE #66

BACK ISSUE #67

BACK ISSUE #68

LEE WEEKS (Daredevil, Incredible Hulk) gives insight into the artform, YILDIRAY ÇINAR (Noble Causes, Fury of the Firestorms) interview and demo, inker JOE RUBINSTEIN shows how he works, “Comic Art Bootcamp” with MIKE MANLEY and BRET BLEVINS, “Rough Critique” of a newcomer by BOB McLEOD, and “Crusty Critic” JAMAR NICHOLAS reviews art supplies and software! Mature readers only.

“Bronze Age B-Teams”! Defenders issue-byissue overview, Champions, Guardians of the Galaxy, Inhumans, PETER DAVID’s X-Factor, Teen Titans West, Legion of Substitute Heroes, an all-star chatfest of Doom Patrol interviews, plus art and commentary by ROSS ANDRU, SAL BUSCEMA, KEITH GIFFEN, TONY ISABELLA, PAUL KUPPERBERG, ERIK LARSEN, GEORGE PÉREZ, BOB ROZAKIS, cover by KEVIN NOWLAN.

“Bronze Age Team-Ups”! Marvel Team-Up and Two-in-One, Super-Villain Team-Up, CLAREMONT and SIMONSON’s X-Men/New Teen Titans, DC Comics Presents, SuperTeam Family, HANEY and APARO’s Batman of Earth-B(&B), Superman/Captain Marvel smackdowns, plus art and commentary by BUCKLER, ENGLEHART, GARCÍA-LÓPEZ, GIFFEN, LEVITZ, WEIN, and a classic GIL KANE cover inked anew by TERRY AUSTIN.

“Heroes Out of Time!” Batman: Gotham by Gaslight with MIGNOLA, WAID, and AUGUSTYN, Booster Gold with JURGENS, X-Men: Days of Future Past with CHRIS CLAREMONT, Bill & Ted with EVAN DORKIN, interview with P. CRAIG RUSSELL, “Pro2Pro” with Time Masters’ BOB WAYNE and LEWIS SHINER, Karate Kid, New Mutants: Asgardian Wars, and Kang.

Mignola cover.

“1970s and ‘80s Legion of Super-Heroes!”

LEVITZ interview, the Legion’s Honored Dead, the Cosmic Boy miniseries, a Time Trapper history, the New Adventures of Superboy, Legion fantasy cover gallery by JOHN WATSON, plus BATES, COCKRUM, CONWAY, COLON, GIFFEN, GRELL, JANES, KUPPERBERG, LaROCQUE, LIGHTLE, SCHAFFENBERGER, SHERMAN, STATON, SWAN, WAID, & more! COCKRUM cover!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Ships July 2013

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Ships June 2013

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Ships July 2013

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Ships August 2013

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Ships Sept. 2013

Ambitious new series documenting each decade of comic book history!

AMERICAN COMIC BOOK CHRONICLES: 1960-64 & The 1980s

JOHN WELLS covers comics in the 1960-64 JFK and Beatles era: DC’s new GREEN LANTERN, JUSTICE LEAGUE and multiple earths!

LEE and KIRBY at Marvel on FF, SPIDER-MAN, HULK, and X-MEN! BATMAN’s “new look”, Charlton’s BLUE BEETLE, CREEPY #1 & more!

MODERN MASTERS: CLIFF CHIANG

Spotlights the career of CLIFF CHIANG (artist of DC’s New 52 breakout hit WONDER WOMAN series) through a career-spanning interview, and loads of both iconic and rarely seen artwork from Cliff’s personal files. There’s also an in-depth look into the artist’s work process, and an extensive gallery of commissioned pieces, many in full-color. By CHRIS ARRANT and ERIC NOLEN-WEATHINGTON.

1960-64: (224-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 (Digital Edition) $11.95 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-045-8 • Out now!

1980s: (288-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $41.95 (Digital Edition) $12.95 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-046-5 • Out now!

(192-page trade paperback with COLOR) $27.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-051-9 • (Digital Edition) $8.95 • Ships July 2013

All characters TM & ©2013 their respective owners.

(120-page trade paperback with COLOR) $15.95 (Digital Editions) $4.95 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-050-2 Ships May 2013

THE STAR*REACH COMPANION

Complete history of the influential 1970s independent comic, featuring work by and interviews with DAVE STEVENS, FRANK BRUNNER, HOWARD CHAYKIN, STEVE LEIALOHA, WALTER SIMONSON, BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH, KEN STEACY, JOHN WORKMAN, MIKE VOSBURG, P. CRAIG RUSSELL, DAVE SIM, MICHAEL GILBERT, and many others, plus full stories from STAR*REACH and its sister magazine IMAGINE. Cover by CHAYKIN! MATURE READERS ONLY.

KEITH DALLAS documents comics’ 1980s Reagan years: Rise and fall of JIM SHOOTER, FRANK MILLER as comic book superstar, DC’s CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS, MOORE and GAIMAN’s British invasion, ECLIPSE, PACIFIC, FIRST, COMICO, DARK HORSE and more!

DAN SPIEGLE: A LIFE IN COMIC ART

PLUGGED IN!

COMICS PROS IN THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY

Documents his 60-year career on DELL and GOLD KEY’S licensed TV and Movie adaptions (LOST IN SPACE, KORAK, MAGNUS ROBOT FIGHTER, MIGHTY SAMPSON), at DC COMICS (BATMAN, UNKNOWN SOLDIER, TOMAHAWK, JONAH HEX, TEEN TITANS, BLACKHAWK), his CROSSFIRE series for ECLIPSE, DARK HORSE’S INDIANA JONES series and more, with rare artwork, personal photos, and private commission drawings. Written by JOHN COATES.

Offers invaluable tips for anyone entering the Video Game field, or with a fascination for both comics and gaming. KEITH VERONESE interviews artists and writers who work in video games full-time: JIMMY PALMIOTTI, CHRIS BACHALO, MIKE DEODATO, RICK REMENDER, TRENT KANIUGA, and others. Whether you’re a noob or experienced gamer or comics fan, be sure to get PLUGGED IN!

(160-page trade paperback) $19.95 • (Digital Edition) $6.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-048-9 • Ships May 2013

(104-page trade paperback) $14.95 • (Digital Edition) $4.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-049-6 • Ships May 2013

(128-page trade paperback with COLOR) $16.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-047-2 • (Digital Edition) $5.95 • Now shipping!

SUBSCRIBE! • Digital Editions: 3.95 each, or save with a digital subscription (digital editions are included FREE with a print subscription)!

• Back Issue, Draw, Alter Ego & Comic Book Collector are now all full-color!

• Lower international shipping rates! $

2013 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: (with FREE Digital Editions)

Media Mail

1st Class Canada 1st Class Priority US Intl.

Intl.

Digital Only

JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR (4 issues)

$50

$68

$65

$72

$150

$15.80

BACK ISSUE! (8 issues)

$60

$80

$85

$107

$155

$23.60

DRAW! (4 issues)

$30

$40

$43

$54

$78

$11.80

ALTER EGO (8 issues)

$60

$80

$85

$107

$155

$23.60

COMIC BOOK CREATOR (4 issues w/Special)

$36

$45

$50

$65

$95

$15.80

BRICKJOURNAL (6 issues)

$57

$72

$75

$86

$128

$23.70

For the latest news from TwoMorrows Publishing, log on to www.twomorrows.com/tnt To get e-mail updates of what’s new from TwoMorrows, sign up for our mailing list! http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/twomorrows

TwoMorrows. A New Day For Comics Fans!

TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA • 919-449-0344 • FAX: 919-449-0327 E-mail: store@twomorrowspubs.com • Visit us on the Web at www.twomorrows.com

PRINTED IN CHINA

THE BEST OF ALTER EGO, VOL. 2

This sequel to ALTER EGO: THE BEST OF THE LEGENDARY COMICS FANZINE presents more vintage features from the first super-hero fanzine, begun by JERRY BAILS & ROY THOMAS. Editors ROY THOMAS and BILL SCHELLY reveal undiscovered gems from all 11 original issues published from 1961-78, including features on Hawkman, the Spectre, Blackhawk, the JLA, All Winners Squad, the Heap, an unsold “Tor” newspaper strip by JOE KUBERT, and more!

Remembering

Gray Morrow (1934-2001)