Dan Spiegle: A Life In Comic Art

Written by

John Coates with Dan Spiegle

All characters shown TM & © their respective owners.

DAN SPIEGLE

A Life in Comic Art

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A Life In Comic Art

by John Coates, with Dan Spiegle

DAN SPIEGLE A Life In Comic Art John Coates

John Morrow

Author

Publisher

Mark McNabb

Mark Evanier & John Morrow

Designer

Proofreaders

TwoMorrows Publishing 10407 Bedfordtown Drive Raleigh, North Carolina 27614 www.twomorrows.com e-mail: store@twomorrowspubs.com ISBN-13: 978-1-60549-049-6 First Printing • May 2013 • Printed in China

Dan Spiegle: A Life In Comic Art is © 2013 TwoMorrows Publishing and John Coates. All rights reserved under international and Pan-American copyright conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, Photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. All reproductions in this historical overview of video games and comic books are copyright by the respective copyright holders, and are used here strictly for historical, journalistic and educational purposes, with no infringement intended or implied. Attempts have been made to properly attribute copyrights and trademarks for use in this book; if you are a valid holder and have not been properly credited, please contact TwoMorrows so that this can be corrected in any future printings. The viewpoints expressed in the text are the opinions of the author and interview subjects, and do not necessarily reflect those of TwoMorrows Publishing, a division of TwoMorrows Inc.

A full-color Digital Edition of this book is available at www.twomorrows.com

COPYRIGHTS: Hopalong Cassidy TM & © U.S. Television Office, Inc. • Blackhawk, Camelot 3000, Arion, Supergirl, Unknown Soldier, Teen Titans, Jonah Hex TM & © DC Comics • Space Ghost, Herculoids, Scooby-Doo, DynoMutt, Jonny Quest TM & © Hanna-Barbera Productions • Pocahontas, Herbie the Love Bug, Old Yeller, Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Spin and Marty, Corky and White Shadow, Son of Flubber, The Black Hole, Scarecrow of Romney Marsh, Huey, Louie, and Dewey, Three Musketeers TM & © Walt Disney Productions • Spider-Man, Firestar, Green Goblin, Ice Man TM & © Marvel Entertainment, Inc. • Grimm’s Ghost Stories, Tragg and the Sky Gods TM & © Gold Key • Indiana Jones TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. • Terry and the Pirates TM & © Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate • Boys’ Life TM & © Boy Scouts of America • Captain Action TM & © Captain Action Enterprises, LLC • GO Bots TM & © Tonka Toys • The Shadow TM & © Conde Nast • Star Trek TM & © Paramount Pictures • Jungle Twins, Brothers of the Spear, Mighty Samson TM & © Whitman Publishing • Crossfire, Rainbow, DNAgents TM & © Mark Evanier and Will Meugniot • Doctor Zero TM & © Archie Goodwin • Modesty Blaise TM & © Modesty Blaise Ltd. • Green Hornet © Sony Pictures • Lassie TM & © Classic Media • Korak, Tarzan TM & © Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. • My Favorite Martian TM & © The Chertok Company • Maverick, Don’t Give Up The Ship TM & © Warner Brothers • Buck Rogers TM & © The Dille Family Trust • Space Family Robinson, Dagar the Invincible TM & © Gold Key • Magnus, Robot Fighter TM & © Random House • Annie Oakley, Hardy Boys, Brave Eagle, Airboy, The Untouchables TM & © the respective owner

CONTENTS 4 Acknowledgements 5 Introduction 6 Foreword - Mark Evanier 10 Chapter One: The Early Years 16 Chapter Two: Hopalong Cassidy 1949-1955

24 Chapter Three: Western Publishing (a.k.a. Dell, Gold Key, and Whitman) 1956 - 1983

44 Chapter Four: DC, Eclipse, & Indy Publishers 1980s - 1990s

58 Chapter Five: 2000s to Present

64 Chapter Six: Watercolors 68 Chapter Seven: Process of Drawing 72 Chapter Eight: Growing up with a comic artist father 76 Chapter Nine: Partners in Art & Life - Dan and Marie’s write-ups of one another 80 Chapter Ten: Dan Gheno’s 1972 interview with Dan Spiegle 86 Comic Index 102 Afterword - Sergio Aragonés

Above: Figure sketches

Acknowledgements Mark Evanier and Sergio Aragonés for their insight and contributions to the Foreword and Afterword, respectively.

Roy Thomas and Michael Eury for their assistance in providing industry contacts, and John Morrow for “getting” our vision for this book, and in general for continuing to publish books and periodicals on the history of the comics industry.

To the following persons who provided original artwork scans for the project: Val & Steve at www.coollinesartwork.com, Terry Doyle, Thorsten Bruemmel, Arthur Chertowsky, Miki Annamanthadoo, Ralf Simmons, Karl-Erik Lindkvist, R. Scott Taylor, Dave Karlen, David Holden, Holli Land, and the gang at www.comicartfans.com.

For commissions of Dan’s work, please inquire at www.davekarlenoriginalart.com To Dan Gheno for presenting Dan to fandom years ago, and allowing us to re-present that interview, and to Richard Kyle for the vintage photos.

Special thanks to the Spiegle family: Marie, Gayle, Carrie, Kip, and Dan III, without whose contribution this book would have not been as insightful.

Of course, thanks to Dan Spiegle for his talent, grace, time, patience, and, oh yeah… the stuff he draws!

4

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

INTRODUCTION Like most intentions that start out simple, this book took a somewhat sinuous route to publication. I first contacted Dan in the Fall of 2011 for an interview. I had always been aware of and a fan of Dan’s work—his Dell/Gold Key work—and I considered his work on DC Comics’ Blackhawk series in the 1980s to be one of the high points of the character, not to mention Dan’s work on one of the best “Indy” comics in the 1980s, Crossfire.

So, after numerous phone calls, e-mails, and revisions, we submitted the finished interview to TwoMorrows Publishing in January 2012; both Roy Thomas at Alter Ego magazine, and Michael Eury at Back Issue magazine, had planned to publish the interview in two parts, each book publishing the interview portions devoted to their magazines’ respective comic eras of focus.

Dan and I were thrilled! But, there was only one problem; looking at the amount of material and relevant content we’d compiled, I felt Dan’s career went past “just” an interview. Roy and Michael agreed, as did John Morrow, publisher of TwoMorrows. (For the record, Dan agreed, too!)

Now, I mentioned above about how “aware” I was of Dan’s work prior to our interview. But, post-interview I discovered that I’m now also aware of Dan’s love of art, music, gardening, and life, his sense of humor, his strong devotion to his family and his faith, and the utmost respect and admiration his peers hold for him. a•ware•ness [uh-wair-nis] noun: the state or condition of being aware; having knowledge; consciousness.

— Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition.

Read on and discover for yourself…

John Coates August 1, 2012

INTRODUCTION: JOHN COATES

5

FOREWORD

BY MARK EVANIER

This is my Foreword for this splendid book about Dan Spiegle.

So naturally, I’m going to start it out by writing about Jerry Lewis.

In July of 1959 when I was nine, my parents took me to the Paradise Theater, which was located on Sepulveda Boulevard not far from where L.A. International Airport is now situated. There I saw the first movie that I remember seeing. It wasn’t the first movie my parents ever took me to. It was just the first one where I was cognizant of what a movie was and that I was seeing it. The film was Don’t Give Up The Ship starring Jerry Lewis. It wasn’t bad if you were nine and had nothing to compare it to.

A day or three later, I had an appointment with my pediatrician and I wound up sitting in his waiting room, waiting for my parents to come pick me up. As I waited, I read comic books from a pile I’d acquired on the way to Dr. Grossman’s. One was the Dell comic book adaptation of Don’t Give Up The Ship.

Also waiting was a kid around my age. He saw the comic I was 6

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

reading and informed me—like it was the most natural thing in the world—“That’s one of my dad’s movies. My dad starred in that.”

I pointed to the photo of Jerry Lewis on the cover and said, “Your dad is Jerry Lewis?” The kid said yes.

And I was just about to call him a liar when Jerry Lewis walked into the office.

Thinking it would please him, I quickly told Mr. Lewis that I had

just seen his new movie. His reply was along the lines of, “Who the hell cares?” and “Leave me alone.”

For some reason, this did not bother me or cause me to stop going to Jerry Lewis movies. I guess I just figured I had said the wrong thing and that Mr. Lewis was grumpy because his kid was sick.

Or something.

So what does this story have to do with Dan Spiegle?

Simple: Dan Spiegle drew the Dell version of Don’t Give Up The Ship. That’s how long I’ve been a Dan Spiegle fan.

Of course, I didn’t know it at the time. No credits. But as I avidly collected Dell—and later, Gold Key—comics, I came to recognize That Guy’s style. It was on Maverick comics. It was on other westerns and later on Space Family Robinson...and I don’t remember when I got a name to go with the style. But somewhere, somehow I learned that artist I liked was named Dan Spiegle. There was just something so organic about his work. The people had emotions and expressions and they posed like real

human beings. He also had an astounding eye for detail and a wonderful way of setting the scene.

Wherever the characters were, you knew what it was like there.

In late ’71, I began writing comic books for Western Publishing Company, the firm that had once produced the contents of Dell Comics and had printed them.

They were now putting comics out under the Gold Key label and Dan Spiegle was drawing many of them, though not the kind I wrote. I was doing Super Goof and Bugs Bunny and Woody Woodpecker. Dan did stuff like Korak, Son of Tarzan... and adaptations of Disney movies that all seemed to have Dean Jones in them.

Our editor (Dan’s and mine) was a cheery gent named Chase Craig and when I delivered work to his office on Hollywood Boulevard, I’d run over to the table of incoming artwork and look for the drawn versions of my scripts.

Invariably though, there’d be Spiegle pages there and I’d paw through them, getting up close and personal with that fine linework. I gushed more than a few times to Chase about how much I liked Spiegle art and I wasn’t hinting at anything. At least, I don’t think I was. But my gushing gave Chase an idea.

One day, he asked me if I’d like to do some scripts for Scooby-Doo, a comic based on the long-running

(though nowhere near as long as it would run) Hanna-Barbera TV show. I said yes to just about everything in those days, but I didn’t particularly like the program, and I said to Chase, “If you want, but I’d rather do more for the Warner Brothers comics.”

He said, “Well, okay. But I thought you’d enjoy a chance to write for Dan Spiegle.”

Dan Spiegle? What in the name of Hopalong Cassidy was Dan

Spiegle, one of the best straight adventure artists working in the business, doing drawing Scooby-Doo? Chase explained. Western had cut back on this and that, and the New York office (which produced half the line) was claiming all the new titles that Spiegle might have drawn. “I had nothing else to give him and I needed a new artist on Scooby-Doo so I thought we’d try it.” I asked how it was working out.

He said, “So far, not bad. It’s not Dan’s kind of comic but he’s figuring it out.”

Dan was one of Chase’s favorite artists and, he said, one of the two most dependable freelancers he’d ever employed, the other being Mike Royer. And in neither case did he just mean the work was always in on time. That would have been impressive enough, but Chase meant it was always on time and good. Read the following slowly: I (this is me, Mark) worked with Dan Spiegle for around twenty years. We did hundreds of stories together. He was never even a day late with a single one of them. He was, in fact, usually early.

And I never saw one thing in any of those jobs that caused me to think that Dan didn’t understand what he was doing or that he hadn’t given it his all. Editors get down on their knees and pray for contributors like that.

When I wrote my first Scooby-Doo story, the pages were back from Dan in no time and Chase really liked the way they came out. He ran around the office showing the work to everyone and saying, “Look! Spiegle’s learned how to do this kind of comic.” I got a fair amount of probablyOpposite Above: Dan Spiegle & Mark Evanier in 1972 Opposite Below: Dell Don’t Give Up The Ship, 1959 Above (left to right): Gold Key Scooby-Doo... Mystery Comics #25 and #29, 1974 FOREWORD: MARK EVANIER

7

undeserved credit for that and he told me, “You have to write the book from now on.” Fine with me.

A few days later, some friends of mine and I drove up to Santa Barbara for a day and I got to meet Dan in person for the first time.

There should be a photo from that day somewhere on or around this page. What it may not tell you is how much I liked the guy from the moment I met him. He and his wife Marie are still just about the nicest people I’ve ever met.

Except for one inventory script they had lying around, I wrote all the issues of Scooby until Gold Key lost the rights to the Hanna-Barbera properties. But they liked what we were doing so much that they hired me to write a new, original comic that was kind of like Scooby-Doo. I created something called Kat and Kaboodle and Dan drew the first issue and that’s where things stopped. Gold Key suddenly had to downsize again and they never put that one out. I was sad about that...and fearful I would never again get the chance to write anything drawn by the great Dan Spiegle. Little, as they say, did I know...

A year or so later, the Edgar Rice Burroughs company began hiring writers and artists to create Tarzan and Korak stories for the overseas market. They hired Dan to draw Korak and he asked, “Is it okay if I suggest a writer?” They 8

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

said it was, he suggested me and I not only wound up writing all the Korak stories, but eventually taking over as editor of the department.

That ended after a few years but then Chase Craig, who had retired from Western Publishing, unretired to edit a new line of comic books for Hanna-Barbera. He asked Dan to draw Scooby-Doo again. Dan asked if there was any way Chase could get me to write them. I wound up writing not only ScoobyDoo, but almost everything else the department did. And then Chase

way I could write it. Len said, “Hey, he’d be perfect” and he called me and I agreed to do it. That was how Evanier and Spiegle came to do Blackhawk and, of course, at some point in there I took over as editor of the comic. Notice a pattern?

When Blackhawk looked to be ending, I asked Dan if he’d like to draw an idea I had for a comic using a character my friend Will Meugniot and I had created named Crossfire. He said he would and I had one of the greatest experiences I ever had as a writer of comic books. There wasn’t much money in it, but money isn’t everything.

There’s also creative freedom and self-expression and working with people you really like.

And the best part was getting Dan’s pages in the mail and seeing what he did with the script...how he’d staged this scene, what he’d made that character look like. I was always pleased. retired again and I took over as ediWe did other projects together, tor of the department. some of which you never saw.

After the Hanna-Barbera projSome were successful, some ect ended, I convinced the folks at weren’t...but the joy of working DC Comics to use him and at first, with Dan made every one a pleasit was mostly back-up stories and ure. I could go on and on about the mystery tales, all without me. Then guy, filling this entire book with how much I love him as a person one day my friend Len Wein who was on staff there called me. He Above: was to edit a new Blackhawk comic Gold Key Korak Son of Tarzan #32, 1969 and he wanted my suggestion as to who should draw it. I suggested Opposite Above: Dan. Len said, “Hey, he’d be perDC Comics Blackhawk #266, 1984 fect” and he called Dan who agreed Opposite Below: to do it and asked if there was any Eclipse DNAgents #9, 1984

the comic book, mind you. The same one. I never throw anything away.

Jerry was impressed. After he signed it at my request, he paged through it and said, “Hey, this is nicely drawn.” I told him yes, it was. By an artist named Dan Spiegle. I said, “I’m currently working with him on a Tarzan comic book.”

“This is the guy who draws Tarzan?” he asked.

“One of them,” I said. Lewis pointed at a panel on the page and said, “Oh, so that’s why I look like a baboon here.”

I’m sorry. I’m lying. He didn’t say that. But he did say the part about it being nicely drawn...and it was.

Everything Dan has ever drawn has been nicely drawn. That’s why it was a joy to work with him all those years. I’ve collaborated one way or another with a lot of folks over the years but I was never happier than when my work was in the hands of Dan Spiegle. After he did his part, the silly stuff I wrote always looked like a real comic book.

— Mark Evanier August 2012

and an artist but I have to close. And I think I’ll close with Jerry Lewis...

Twenty-three years after our encounter in that waiting room, I was Head Writer on a TV variety show that, one week had as its guest star, Jerry Lewis.

The producer, Marty Krofft, and I flew to Las Vegas for a day to meet with Jerry. Hoping I would quickly bond with our guest, Marty told Jerry, “Mark here knows every microscopic detail of your life and career”—a slight exaggeration.

“Oh, yeah?” Jerry said, turning to me. “Tell me something about me that isn’t in any book or article.”

That was easy. I told him he’d taken his kids to a pediatrician named Dr. Arthur Grossman who had offices on Wilshire Boulevard, just east of Robertson.

Mr. Lewis did a double-take that would have been considered overacting in The Nutty Professor and asked me how the hell I knew that. I told him the story I told you a minute ago and with a flourish, I reached into a satchel I’d brought and pulled out the comic book I’d been reading that day. Not a copy of FOREWORD: MARK EVANIER

9

Chapter One

THE EARLY YEARS JOHN COATES: Let’s start at the beginning: When and where were you born, Dan? DAN SPIEGLE: I was born in Cosmopolis, Washington on December 12, 1920; my sister was two years older, and my brother was six years younger.

COATES: Were your parents in some artistic or in a creative field?

SPIEGLE: Not really. My mother was a nurse and my father was a druggist.

COATES: Were your parents supportive of your interest in drawing?

SPIEGLE: My mother encouraged my art but my father wanted me to be a druggist, like he was.

COATES: Did your siblings share your interest in drawing?

SPIEGLE: Not really, no.

COATES: I read that your family moved to Hawaii for a stint, before moving to California. Was that an adventure for a young child?

SPIEGLE: In Cosmopolis, Washington, where my father owned a drugstore, he developed an ulcer and became very ill.

The doctor suggested that my father retire and move to a warmer climate. I was four years old when my father sold the drugstore and we moved to San Diego, California; that’s where I started grammar school. In 1927, when I was seven years old, Charles Lindberg flew across the Atlantic Ocean and my father took me down to Ryan Airfield where the Spirit of Saint Louis was built and he showed me around the old aircraft

Opposite: Dan, his sister, & his mother Above: Dan & Father, 1937

hangers. That is probably why I have loved to draw all types of aircraft.

About that time my aunt and uncle, who owned a couple of small hotels in Honolulu, suggested that we move to Hawaii. So my folks leased a beach house just south of Diamond Head. My sister and I enjoyed swimming every day and going to school. That suddenly all 12

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

changed in 1929 when the stock market crashed and my parents lost most of their savings. We had just enough money to buy a chicken ranch in Northern California and rode out the Depression “living off the land.” In 1934 my father bought another small drug store in the little town of Loleta, California and I started school in Fortuna.

COATES: Was this when you

knew you wanted to be an artist?

SPIEGLE: No, that was earlier. I was about five years old. My father sold newspapers and magazines.

That is where the comic strip dream started, reading Doc Savage, G8 and the Battle Aces, and other adventure stories. I really liked the magazine illustrators at the time.

My influences were Alex Raymond, Roy Crane, Fawcett, and

Milton Caniff from the newspapers.

I used to make-up and draw continued stories on these five-cent tablets.

COATES: Did you have any early formal art training?

SPIEGLE: In high school I discovered watercolor and loved it. By this time I knew I wanted to be a cartoonist. As I mentioned earlier, my father was a druggist and owned

a small store. I used to read all the pulp magazines he sold, plus I read the San Francisco newspapers. I was so committed to being a cartoonist that I even created a couple of weeks of an adventure strip and sent it to King Features Syndicate.

I received a rejection, but a nice letter of encouragement and a suggestion that I not color my originals; that they would actually do

the coloring.

COATES: Where did you go after high school?

SPIEGLE: In 1940 I moved to Santa Monica, California and went Opposite: Spiegle Chicken Ranch, 1930 Above: Spiegle Pharmacy

CHAPTER ONE: THE EARLY YEARS

13

to work with Douglas Aircraft in their experimental department.

COATES: Did your job involve any drawing?

SPIEGLE: Yes, we designed and built new “Improvements” for the A20 attack bomber. I would make sketches of how the part would fit on the aircraft; this lead to an offer for a transfer to the design department. Even though I had a deferment, I joined the US Navy because all my friends were joining.

14

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

COATES: When was this?

SPIEGLE: After Pearl Harbor.

This would have been the Spring of 1942. Because of my aircraft experience I was sent to the Norman Oklahoma Naval Air Training Station and became a navel ordinance man. I loaded bombs, ammunition, etc. into the aircraft. We were later stationed at Pearl Harbor to what’s called a “T Unit” (transfer unit) where some of our group was sent to aircraft carriers and other ships

that carried aircraft, or stationed on various Pacific islands. I got stationed in Maui with what was called the “Carrier Aircraft Service Unit #4” or CASU #4; we serviced all the aircraft off the carriers heading South and again when they returned. The squadrons would stay about a week, practice bombing, gunnery, etc. and then ship out.

COATES: Were you able to continue drawing?

SPIEGLE: Yes. Each squadron would have their own insignia.

Like a flying bomb, that type of thing. The pilots wanted their insignia on their jackets, parachute bags, airplanes, etc. so I got the job! I remember I went to the airbase carpenter shop and had them cut 12"x12" slabs of wood and then took them to the air-base paint shop and painted them white. I then painted each squadron’s insignia on it before they shipped out. I was busy, along with my regular duties, but I enjoyed painting.

COATES: Any other duties?

SPIEGLE: Yes, I had guard duty!

(Laughter) I also drew for the base newspaper.

COATES: What year were you discharged?

SPIEGLE: I was honorably discharged in 1946. I lost almost four years of my civilian life to the service, but I met a lot of great guys and left with some fond memories.

Above: McKinleyville Opposite Above (left to right): WWII Crew31: Clayton Simons, Dan Spiegle, Emil Gurbig, Jack Martin Opposite Below: WWII Squadron insignias, 1940s

CHAPTER ONE: THE EARLY YEARS

15

Chapter Two

1949-1955

HOPALONG CASSIDY JCOATES: So in 1946 you’re Stateside. Did you begin your professional art career immediately?

DC: No. Under the G.I. Bill I attended three years at Chouinard Art Institute (illustration course) from Fall 1946 to Fall 1949. This was in Los Angeles, California. I had some great instructors from the movie industry, quite a few from Disney. Incidently, Bill Ziegler (who later drew the Dragnet and Mary Opposite: Commissioned Hopalong Cassidy, 2007

Worth newspaper comic strips) was a student and a good friend of mine. We remained friends. Chouinard was strictly a “fine art” school. I remember that I decided to create a western newspaper strip so I worked on it during my “life” class. I had to make sure Mrs. Chouinard didn’t catch me, so I would start a quick sketch of the “life” figure, and then flip over the page where I would have one of my western strip Above: Sculpting class Left: Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles, 1940s.

Photo by Elizabeth A. Powell (courtesy of Lindy Narver) from www. chouinardfoundation.org

pages that I had been working on.

I would continue working on the strip unless Mrs. Chouinard would stop by. Then I would flip back to the model drawing! (Laughter) All the instructors knew what I was doing but were sympathetic. I also had to work after school so I didn’t have time to work on the strip at home.

Hopalong Cassidy William Boyd played the western hero “Hopalong Cassidy” from the 1930s-1950s, beginning with a popular radio program, over sixty movies, and finally a TV show. He was a show business marketing visionary and not only licensed his character to just about every product imaginable, but also bought the license to his movies, then repackaged those movies into one of the most popular western TV shows of the 1950s; he was an iconic figure in his time.

Above: Hoppy Mirror billboard, early 1950s Right: Russel Haydon, Hoppy (William Boyd), & Gabby Hayes, late 1940s 18

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

COATES: Before we get to your connection with the Hopalong Cassidy [Ed: a.k.a. “Hoppy”] character and William Boyd, can you clear up the “Bozo the Clown” story? Did you draw a Bozo strip at one point?

SPIEGLE: The Bozo the Clown story has been screwed up so many times. (Laughter) Around September of 1949, I answered an advertisement for a “Comic strip writer” at an address in Hollywood, California. I took some samples of my western strip and found it was the offices of Capital Records and they wanted someone to write and draw Bozo. I said I did not think I was the right person as my work was more realistic. The man I talked to

said, “Well, let me see what you have and I’ll decide.” When he saw my strip he said his cousin or uncle was the office manager for William Boyd and that Boyd’s office was just “down the block” and “Why don’t you see if he might be interested in doing a Hoppy strip?” The timing was just right as Boyd also happened to be in the office at this time and liked the way I drew horses. He agreed a comic strip would just about cover the market as he already had Hoppy toys of all kinds, clothes, games, and had his popular television show.

COATES: Can you elaborate on that first encounter with Boyd?

SPIEGLE: I always say timing is everything! (Laughter) When I entered the Hoppy offices I had no

and said he was not interested in his likeness but liked the way I drew horses. He said for me to go home and draw up about two weeks of daily strips and he would think about it.

COATES: Was Boyd ever involved in the strip creatively?

SPIEGLE: No. During my five years that the strip was running, Boyd never offered any story suggestions or ever criticized the art.

COATES: How would you describe Boyd?

SPIEGLE: He was just like his character, “Hoppy;” very friendly and easy to talk to with a great sense of humor. He was gone most of the time on personal appearances, but when he was in his office, you were always welcome and he would take the time to ask about your family and you felt he meant it; authentic.

COATES: Did you ever get to visit the “Hoppy” movie set while they were filming?

SPIEGLE: Once in a while I would go out when they were shooting a sequence and make sketches to use in the strip. The movie set was very idea that I would meet Boyd. He was at the height of his popularity and was making personal appearances all over the country and was seldom in town. The office manager looked at the western strip that I had been working on and took me back to Boyd’s office. Boyd

was pleasant but preoccupied with business; I gave my pitch and showed my strip. I said I would like to show authentic furnishings, equipment, clothes, horses, etc. plus a fair likeness of him, Lucky (Hoppy’s horse), and California.

Boyd was beginning to like the idea

Above (left to right): Barley & Dan Middle: Hoppy strip panel Bottom: Dan & Barley CHAPTER TWO: HOPALONG CASSIDY

19

eight-week Sunday reserve. So the Sunday strips started about March 1950.

COATES: I know Dan Grayson was Boyd’s business partner. Was he involved in the strip creatively, as well?

SPIEGLE: Somewhat. Dan was kind of an editor and he and I also wrote the first story before they hired a writer. Dan was very friendly and always excited to see the next month’s work when I would bring it into Boyd’s offices.

We would go over the drawings and dialogue together and if there were any change in the art or dialogue, I would do it there in their office. The changes were always minor.

COATES: Who was the writer Grayson brought in?

SPIEGLE: Royal King Cole. I was never that happy with Cole’s stories. They were too predictable and lacked the western flavor both in action and in the dialogue. I would have loved to write the stories but just did not have the time.

COATES: Would you describe your process of drawing once you interesting and sometimes quite exciting, but I never got used to the “puff” sound when the actors would shoot blanks in their gun fights.

The loud “bang” would be dubbed in later.

COATES: So, you started drawing the Hoppy strip.

SPIEGLE: Yes, it began publication in January 1950. The Times/Mirror Syndicate was very interested in marketing the strip and wanted to start in January. I started in September 1949 to get ahead on the daily strips. But when the daily strip started, the papers also wanted a Sunday edition, so along with keeping up with the dailies I had to start building up an 20

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

receive a script; layout, rough pencil, ink, etc.?

SPIEGLE: Well, when I was in full production I skipped most of that! (Laughter) Once I received a script I’d read the page I was working on and try to get a mental picture of the most important point. I’d then make that the focus of the page, and the other panels would be arranged to support that.

I started out doing rough pencils of the entire page but quickly stopped. This is really because of my experience on the Hoppy strip.

As I mentioned I started drawing the daily strips in September 1949 knowing they would begin publication in January 1950; they gave me that much time to build-up my finished dailies and get ahead of schedule. Well, once the daily strip was published it became so popular that the newspapers wanted a Sunday, as well. I panicked! (Laughter) So to keep up I started to just pencil the characters, and would fill in the backgrounds and settings during the inking; sometimes no pencils at all. If I made a huge mistake, I would just use a lot of white-out! (Laughter) The early Hoppys were very rough, and looking back, how I got that job I’ll never know! I must have been the only person they saw. (Laughter)

Opposite Above: Sunday page, early 1950s. Scan provided by Ralf Simmons Opposite Below: Korean War Government Bond Drive with Dan & Chic Young, creator and artist/writer of the newspaper strip “Blondie” Above: Newspaper article, 1949 Right: Hoppy unpublished specialty piece for syndicate editor, early 1950s CHAPTER TWO: HOPALONG CASSIDY

21

Left: Sunday page, early 1950s.

Scan provided by Ralf Simmons Opposite Above: Newspaper strip artist group photo includes Zeke Zekley (“Jiggs”), Bruce Russell — LA Times political cartoonist, Fred Johnson (“Moon Mullins”), Buford Tune (“Dotty Dripple”), Chic Young (“Blondie”), Bill de la Torre (“Little Pedro”), Gus Eson (“The Gumps”), and others.

Opposite Below: Dan and Randy ‘Lucky’ Brooks at a promotional event for Hoppy in a Los Angeles Department Store in 1950. Randy played the side-kick ‘Lucky’ in the Hopalong Cassidy movies.

Dan remembers the gift was probably a Hoppy board game the boy had won.

From that experience—and through my comic book work—I’ve always been very loose with my pencils, and used the ink to complete the drawing.

COATES: When you say “full production,” how many pages could you complete in a day, penciled and inked?

SPIEGLE: It really depended on the story. For comic books, if it was 22

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

a western, I would pencil and ink three complete pages a day. If it was a Mark Evanier story, like the ones we did in Blackhawk, it requires research into WWII planes, tanks, etc. I could do a single page a day. The research and renderings take more time.

With Hoppy, Cole would send me the script divided into daily and Sunday panels, but I had the last

word on how many panels and their size because of how I wanted to draw a scene. I tried to finish three daily strips a day which left three days to do the Sunday. I also had to have it copied so that I could make a color guide for the Sunday strip.

COATES: What was your working schedule?

SPIEGLE: I tried to not work on

the weekends. If I had to catch up or get ahead, I would. I hated doing that because we were raising a family, so the only other option was working faster.

COATES: During this time King Features Syndicate bought the Hoppy strip from the Mirror Syndicate.

Did that impact you creatively?

SPIEGLE: No, but we didn’t realize that King bought the Hoppy strip with the idea of using it to force newspapers to order one of their other, minor comic strips to just carry Hoppy.

COATES: When did you leave the Hoppy strip?

SPIEGLE: I did the Hoppy strip from 1950-1955.

When Hoppy started to lose popularity on television, the strip also suffered, so King Features Syndicate wanted Hoppy Inc. to take a cut in compensation.

Hoppy in turn wanted me to take a cut in pay.

COATES: Were you able to save any of your Hoppy strip art?

SPIEGLE: Unfortunately when I was doing Hoppy and early comics, no one saved their art and the publishers used to shred them. Can you imagine shredding Prince Valiant? (Laughter) CHAPTER TWO: HOPALONG CASSIDY

23

Chapter Three

1956 to 1983

WESTERN PUBLISHING (a.k.a. Dell, Gold Key, and Whitman)

Western Publishing produced and distributed comic books under three separate logo-imprints: “Dell Comics” imprint from 1938-1962, “Gold Key” imprint from 1962-1980, and “Whitman Comics” imprint from 1980-1984, when Western Publishing ceased producing comic books. All three logo-imprint names are used interchangeably throughout the interview to represent Western Publishing.

COATES: Is this when you started to work for Western Publishing?

SPIEGLE: Yes, during this time Boyd had also moved his offices from Hollywood to Beverly Hills. One day, while dropping off some Hoppy strips at the new office to be edited, I remembered hearing that Western Publishing had an office in Beverly Hills as well, so I stopped by and met Opposite (left to right): Dell Corky #707 (May 1956), Dell Brave Eagle #705 (June 1956), Dell Spin and Marty #767 (1957), Dell Maverick #945 (1958), Dell Old Yeller (1957), Gold Key Hardy Boys (1970), Whitman Space Family Robinson #59 (1982), Gold Key Mickey Mouse #107 (June 1966), Gold Key Scooby-Doo...

Mystery Comics #21 (1973), Whitman Buck Rogers #14 (1982), Whitman Mighty Samson #32 (1982)

Tom McKimson; he was a story editor there. Tom offered me several western books if I wanted to start right then.

I agreed to start just as soon as I finished the last few weeks of the current Hoppy story. Then I went back to Dan Grayson at Boyd’s office and told him of my decision, and we had an agreeable parting. Hoppy was a wonderful experience.

Above: Space Ghost Left: Gold Key Dagar the Invincible #2, 1982

COATES: It’s 1955 and you start your long association with Western Publishing. Did you focus on working for Western Publishing exclusively or did you also do any advertising, or additional newspaper strip work?

SPIEGLE: Not really. Western Publishing kept me pretty busy with westerns genre stories, and other adventure books. I enjoyed the variety and the money was much better! (Laughter) I did work-up a newspaper comic strip about old sailing ships and the characters that sailed them, but I have yet to find a taker. The title is Penn and Chris.

They are two cabin boys and their adventures are aboard ship with good and bad captains.

COATES: Did you work in a studio bullpen environment or freelance?

SPIEGLE: With Western Publishing and thereafter I always freelanced from my home studio.

COATES: Any specific editors that stand out as favorites?

SPIEGLE: The Western Publishing editors were always friendly and very professional. I especially enjoyed working with Tom McKimson and Del Connell. I think my favorite was Del, though.

We met once when I 26

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

came in to deliver some artwork, and have been friends for over fifty years. He is a talented editor and writer. He had been at Disney and came to Western Publishing as a writer/artist. He was an excellent editor that everyone liked. In fact, he just received the “Lifetime Achievement Award” at the 2011 Comic-Con International held in San Diego, California.

COATES: I’m curious, and this question is unrelated to any specific editor, but is there a difference in the creative approach or treatment of artists from, say, an editor for Western Publishing, a company based in Los Angeles, versus an editor for a company based in New York City?

I guess I’m asking, is there a West Coast/East Coast difference based on the cultures of the two cities?

SPIEGLE: No difference in the editors that I could tell, but a difference in clients. DC, Marvel Comics, and others could put in more sex and violence, while Western Publishing, with producing Disney, Hanna/Barbara, kidsoriented movie and TV adaptations, and other animation studios, were more conservative back when I worked for them.

COATES: And any writers you can recall?

SPIEGLE: Don Christensen was a very humorous writer. I think he may have written some Scooby-Doo later on.

COATES: Were there any artists at Western Publishing that you admired?

SPIEGLE: I liked Sparky Moore. We would meet at the Western offices when we would both be bringing in a finished story. We still keep in

Above left: Dell Corky #707, May 1956

Above right: Dell Brave Eagle #705, June 1956

contact. Alex Toth was my favorite artist. Alex and I would have lunch sometimes. He was quiet and very serious about his work but a real genius. He was always experimenting with the new Japanese pens and markers.

I was greatly influenced by his work and started using “Rapidograph” pens and markers, but found that

Per the Grand Comics Database (www.comics.org) Dan’s earliest published comic book work listed is Dell’s Four Color Comics #707, May 1956—featuring the modern day western adventures of Corky and White Shadow; “Corky” was a character played by Darlene Gillespie on Walt Disney’s then popular Mickey Mouse Club.

However, Four Color Comics #705, June 1956, featured the popular western TV character “Brave Eagle,” and was coverdated a month later; there is no way of knowing which story was drawn first. Both publishing dates sync with Dan’s account of moving to Western Publishing in late 1955. the early markers were not permanent so I gave up the markers, but am still using “Micron” and “Microperm” pens.

COATES: Any other artists come

to mind?

SPIEGLE: Russ Manning was also a terrific artist. I enjoyed looking at his Tarzan pages when we would meet at Western Publishing. Nick

Opposite Above: Penn and Chris daily strip, mid-1950s Opposite Below: Dell Annie Oakley & Tagg #7, Spring 1956 Right: Dell Corky #707, May 1956 CHAPTER THREE: WESTERN PUBLISHING

27

Left: Dell Old Yeller #867, 1957 Below: Dell Old Yeller #869, 1957 Dan’s depiction of the iconic scene of Old Yeller’s death.

Bottom: Dan with Walt Disney, 1950s

Firfires was a handsome cartoonist.

He did western genre books for Western Publishing and later moved to Santa Barbara. I visited him in his studio where he was painting large western-genre themes in oil. Nick later became a popular western genre artist and his paintings sold for thousands. Bill Ziegler, of course, was my closest friend, because of our time postWWII at the Chouinard School.

COATES: Do you recall your first published work with Western Publishing?

SPIEGLE: I’m sure it was a western.

COATES: From the late 1940s through the 1950s, Western Pub28

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

Above: Dell Spin and Marty #767, 1957 panels Right: Dell Four Color #945, Oct. 1958, featured Dan’s first published “Maverick” story.

lishing (under their Dell Comics imprint) was the largest selling comics company. One of the areas they focused on were comic book adaptations of network television shows and motion pictures. This included movie studios Walt Disney, 20th Century Fox, MGM, United Artists, Warner Brothers, Desilu Studios, and others. You began a long career of being one of Western Publishing’s main artists on these adaptations. Was this assignment due to coincidental assignment, or were there any special requests from you or editors to be assigned to these books?

SPIEGLE: It was intentional. I think they felt my “likenesses” were fairly accurate and my style was

more realistic.

COATES: With these adaptations, was there more oversight from the editors or the studio executives, with the characters being licensed properties? I ask because some creators who’ve worked on movie or TV properties for comic books have indicated more involvement by the studio in the form of repeated revisions, touchups, editor-by-committee, etc.

SPIEGLE: No, I don’t recall ever having to redoing likenesses for any of the studios, or interference. I do recall being very careful with the Disney movies and had some favorable comments from time to time.

COATES: You’ve been involved with Walt Disney Studios for more

than forty years; from 1955 to 1996. How did that come about?

SPIEGLE: One of the Western Publishing editors, Chase Craig, sent me to Walt Disney Studios to do some sketching of the Old Yeller movie set during filming. If we didn’t receive photos of characters in a movie, I would have to go to the studio set and sketch the actors.

During these visits I would always meet some Disney editors and cartoonists, so I guess that’s why I eventually did most of their liveaction movie comic book adaptations. I continued doing their comic book movie adaptations until they discontinued their comic

CHAPTER THREE: WESTERN PUBLISHING

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book department.

COATES: Did you ever meet the man himself, Walt Disney?

SPIEGLE: I met Walt Disney with several cartoonists at his studios for a government bond drive during the Korean War. This was when I was on Hoppy—also, at a cartoonist’s cocktail party and a couple times when I would be at his studios on assignments.

COATES: You mentioned that during this time you also met the actors on the various movie sets and sketched them?

SPIEGLE: Oh yes. I met Fess Parker on the Disney movie set for Old Yeller; very friendly. He lived in Santa Barbara so we had something in common. Bruce Lee was friendly. He had me hold my hand out about head-high and he twisted and kicked! (Laughter) I could feel the air pass but he never touched my hand. Van Williams

Right: Space Family Robinson sketch, 2004.

Excellent example of Dan’s pencils.

Above: Dell Maverick #945, interior panels, 1958. This featured Dan’s first published “Maverick” story.

Opposite Above (left to right): Gold Key Space Family Robinson #1 page 3, 1962 Gold Key Space Family Robinson #1 splash page, 1962 Opposite Below: Gold Key Space Family Robinson #15 cover, 1966 (reused on #55) 30

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

[Ed: The actor who played Green Hornet on TV] was friendly but reserved. Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke on the Disney movie set for Mary Poppins were nice, as well.

COATES: Is there any specific series that stands out as a favorite during this late 1950s/early 1960s period?

SPIEGLE: The Maverick western series, because I had done Hoppy.

Tom McKimson started me out doing only westerns, but I think after comic adaptations of the then-popular Lloyd Bridges television show Sea Hunt, and Walt Disney’s Spin and Marty, he felt I could do current genre comics. James Garner was the actor who played the character on television and I really like his humor. I can’t remember who wrote those stories.

COATES: Did you ever meet James Garner?

SPIEGLE: Yes, there was this one

occasion when we did not have the early “stills,” so I had to go to the studio to sketch the characters, and I met James Garner.

They were shooting a scene with Garner in jail and we shook hands through the jail bars! (Laughter) He seemed very down to earth and humorous. Like I said, I always liked his stories because of the humor.

COATES: In 1962 Western Publishing changed its comic label imprint from “Dell Comics” to “Gold Key.” Did this change impact you in any way?

SPIEGLE: Not really. Western Publishing changing from a Dell to Gold Key logo had no impact on the cartoonist.

COATES: Also in 1962, one of the most popular and longest

running series from Western Publishing began, and one you’re known for; Space Family Robinson [#1-54 (1962-1977)].

How did you first become involved with this series?

SPIEGLE: Del Connell was the editor and he came up with the idea of a first-family in space and asked me to draw up a cast of characters. Del also wanted a space station that did not look like the typical Flash Gordon type. He said, “Make it kind of boxy with solar gardens and a large telescope on top.”

COATES: Maybe you can shed some light in the discussion surrounding this series and the similar television show, Lost in Space. The first issue of Space CHAPTER THREE: WESTERN PUBLISHING

31

Family Robinson comics was coverdated December 1962, which meant it probably hit the newsstands around the Summer/Fall 1962. In contrast, the TV show Lost in Space debuted in Fall 1965; same basic concept with both families named “Robinson,” traveling in space, etc. Was there any discussion at Western Publishing about the similarities?

SPIEGLE: Oh yes, there was discussion! (Laughter) Western Publishing wanted to sue but their

lawyers advised against it. We all figured it was because Western Publishing was doing other projects for that company. [The TV show Lost in Space was filmed at 20th Century Fox, and broadcast on the CBS network. Both had properties being published by Western Publishing.] So instead, Western Publishing changed the name of the comic book to Space Family Robinson: Lost in Space. [Issue #15, January 1966

Above (left to right): Gold Key Son of Flubber #1, 1963 Example of Dan’s ability to capture the likeness of actor Fred MacMurray.

Left: Gold Key Green Hornet #3, 1967 Opposite Above (left to right): Gold Key Lassie #64 panel end, 1967 Mickey Mouse #109, Oct. 1966 Opposite Below (left to right): Gold Key Flipper #3, 1967 Gold Key My Favorite Martian #2, 1964 32

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

cover date, was the first issue with the new title.] I think one of the reasons for the name change was that Western Publishing wanted to capitalize on the success of the TV series.

COATES: Gaylord Dubois was not only the writer of this series, but also one of the more prolific writers at Western Publishing.

SPIEGLE: Dubois was never my

favorite writer. His stories were too predictable and he never seemed to explore the personalities of the Space Family. Also, I thought there ought to be a villain that would show up in future stories—someone we would get to know and hate!

(Laughter) COATES: Did you ever socialize with Dubois?

SPIEGLE: No, we never met. And

any complaints or suggestions I had about a script were through Western Publishing editors.

COATES: Do you prefer full-script or a plot synopsis from writers?

SPIEGLE: Full-script, absolutely!

CHAPTER THREE: WESTERN PUBLISHING

33

story as clearly as possible.

COATES: Any favorite stories from this series?

SPIEGLE: Some of the early stories where we showed more of the space station.

COATES: Before we leave Space Family Robinson, have you seen the recent hardcover reprint collections of this series from Dark Horse Publishing?

SPIEGLE: No, I wasn’t aware. I guess they got permission. I’d love to see them. (Laughter) COATES: Now, you were still working on other series for Western Publishing while doing Space Family, correct?

SPIEGLE: Yes, I continued doing the movie and TV adaptations, as well as whatever they would give me, as long as I had the time.

COATES: Now, in August of 1968 you began working on the series Korak, Son of Tarzan.

How did this come about?

SPIEGLE: I can’t recall how I started on the Korak series. Usually I would receive a Space Family story, then a Disney, then a Korak, a Magnus, Robot Fighter, then maybe a Maverick, depending on someone’s schedule. I probably was given Korak because Russ Manning was

(Laughter) I really hate the “Marvel Method.” When the writer just provides a synopsis, the artist has to guess what the characters are saying, what their expressions should be, what the mood of the scene is. I think it can also be much more work for the artist. I do think the full-script inspires the writer. They know what they’re going to get, and that their vision will make it to the page. Mark Evanier is wonderful! I would sometimes laugh out loud or chuckle reading his scripts. For example: Mark would write that the character is walking into the room and it’s full of antiques, and I have the characters’ dialogue. I would then research my books and antiques and draw what he visualized, knowing not only his description of the room but what the characters were saying, and what their expressions should be, as I was drawing them. I do agree that the synopsis gives the artist more freedom and flexibility with action scenes.

I’ve always admired writers anyway. Dubois provided full scripts.

COATES: Did you have a different approach to drawing this Space Family Robinson: Lost in Space?

SPIEGLE: Nothing special, no. I would illustrate the 34

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

Opposite Above: Gold Key Korak #24, 1968. Dan’s first work on Korak.

Above: Whitman Space Ghost: The Sorceress of Cyba-3 Big Little Book pages, 1968

Opposite Below: Gold Key Magnus Robot Fighter #23, 1968 CHAPTER THREE: WESTERN PUBLISHING

35

always busy with something else.

COATES: Artistically, did you approach the Korak series differently than Space Family Robinson: Lost in Space?

SPIEGLE: Well, it was in Africa, not space! (Laughter) COATES: (Laughter) Ask a stupid question and all. Was Korak a series you enjoyed drawing?

SPIEGLE: I liked drawing Africa, but not Dubois stories.

COATES: Korak was an Edgar Rice Burroughs (ERB) property.

Did you have any direct interaction with the ERB estate?

SPIEGLE: No, I never heard from the Burroughs estate. All that would have been handled by Western Publishing.

COATES: Chase Craig was the editor on the Korak book?

SPIEGLE: Yes, he was a very nice person, but a worrier. He never felt the artist understood the script and was always calling you to make sure you did. (Laughter) COATES: One of the characteristics of Western Publishing’s Dell and Gold Key imprint were those beautiful painted covers. George Wilson was the cover artist for

most of the Space Family Robinson: Lost in Space and Korak, Son of Tarzan stories. Did you ever interact with him?

SPIEGLE: No, I never met George Wilson. He must have been an eastern artist.

COATES: Before we leave the 1960s, I wanted to take a sidebar.

In an earlier conversation you had mentioned that you had traveled to Vietnam during the war to visit the troops. Can we take a moment to cover that, please?

SPIEGLE: Sure. The trip was sponsored by the National Cartoonist Society and the U.S.O. In November 1967 I took off for about three weeks to visit the military hospitals in the Pacific and ended up in Vietnam with Mell Lazarus (Miss Peach & Mama) and Tony De Preta (Dr. Rex Morgan). We had started visiting hospitals in Hawaii, Guam, Okinawa, and Japan and were scheduled for the Philippines, but the military canceled that part, so we asked if we could go to Vietnam. They said all the wounded were flown out immediately, but if we wanted to visit the troops they Above & Left: Spiegle in Vietnam* Our island-hopping hospital trip across the Pacific ended in Tokyo and was sponsored

by NCS and USO. To keep the record straight, Dan, Tony and I organized the Vietnam trip on our own, with the help of the entertainment officer of the US Air Force based in Tokyo.

Opposite Above: DC Star Spangled War Stories #163 interior spread, 1972 Opposite Below: Gold Key Hardy Boys #1 interior, 1970 *photo from Mell Lazarus

36

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

would assign a “transportation officer” to help us move around the country. In Saigon we hopped a cargo plane heading down the delta and ended up in a small camp on the Mekong Delta with about fifty surprised GIs: “How did you find us?”(Laughter) We did a drawing for each Marine, had lunch with them and flew to another camp.

For the next few days we flew by small “observation” planes, large cargo planes, helicopters and finally a “T” officer got us on a “State Dept.” flight back to Saigon.

Vietnam was the most rewarding part of the trip. We really felt that all the GIs appreciated our efforts!

COATES: Moving into the 1970s, you were still with Western Publishing. Were you working in other areas aside from comics?

SPIEGLE: No, strictly comic books for Western Publishing, and later Hanna-Barbera Studios, DC, Marvel, Eclipse, Dark Horse, and others.

COATES: There are numerous urban legends in comics about artists being called in at the last minute by a frantic editor to finish books over a weekend to “save” the originally assigned artist. Your name is associated with some of these stories as the “go-to” guy when an editor CHAPTER THREE: WESTERN PUBLISHING

37

needs a professional job completed on a tight deadline. Any you can recall?

SPIEGLE: Not specifically. It happened so often. Seems like most of the projects were rush jobs! (Laughter) COATES: You began drawing humorous titles for the first time, such as Scooby-Doo. Was your approach different than drawing an adventure strip?

SPIEGLE: Yes, humorous is drawn with less detail.

COATES: It was during this time on Scooby-Doo… Mystery Comics #22 (December 1973) we find the first listing of collaboration with your longtime friend and collaborator, Mark Evanier. How did you meet and become acquainted with Mark?

SPIEGLE: I met Mark at Western Publishing with Scooby. We were friends right way. You’ve got to like the guy! He is so funny but also a very caring person. I was not sure I could do the humorous drawing needed for Scooby-Doo, but Mark said, “Just make it line drawing with no shading and simple backgrounds and you will do all right.”

[The following is reprinted from Comics Buyer’s Guide #1442, July 6, 2001, with permission from Mark Evanier. Evanier provided this anecdote from the 1970s when he was a writer and editor for Western Publishing.]

“Dan drew a Scooby-Doo story for France and, because of some screw-up (maybe his, maybe mine), it was drawn in the wrong page format. I had to ask him to redraw the same script with slightly different margins.

He was being paid anew, but what he could have done—what almost any other artist would have done—was to just trace or swipe the earlier version. He could even have cut a lot of the old drawings out and pasted them into the new layout.

He didn’t. He drew the entire story over and changed every single panel. Every shot was at least a little different from the way he’d staged things the first time.

I knew the answer but I had to call and ask, anyway; why did you change every single panel?

Answer: “Just to keep my interest up.

It would have been too boring to draw it the same way twice.”

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DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

time you were still working on Korak. Any idea why the license was moved? Did you try and follow the characters to DC Comics?

SPIEGLE: I don’t know why Burroughs moved to DC; never tried to follow.

COATES: Along with your other titles, throughout the 1970s you continued to work on Disney movie adaptations such as the “Herbie” Volkswagen beetle series, The Black Hole movie adaptation, and others. Was this by design or request from Disney?

SPIEGLE: That was by request. I was also working on other comics for them and had a history of doing their adaptations.

COATES: You continued to work for Western Publishing, but in 1977 your first work for Marvel Comics was published; Dynomutt #1 (with Hanna-Barbera characters). Can you describe how you came to work for Marvel Comics?

COATES: During the 1970s your artwork began to appear in such Gold Key titles as Grimm’s Ghost Stories, Boris Karloff—Tales of Mystery, Dr. Spektor Presents Spine-Tingling Tales, and Twilight Zone.

SPIEGLE: Yes, I liked doing the mystery and adventure comics.

COATES: Aside from the genre being different from, say, a western or standard adventure, did you approach these stories any differently artistically?

SPIEGLE: Yes, lots of black ink!

Lightning, rain, scary old houses and twisted old trees! (Laughter) COATES: In 1973, the Edgar Rice Burroughs estate moved their license from Gold Key to DC Comics. At this Opposite Above: Gold Key Scooby-Doo... Where are You? #16, Feb. 1973 One of Dan’s first collaborations with Mark Evanier Opposite Below: Gold Key Mystery Comics Digest #21, 1975 Above: Gold Key Grimm’s Ghost Stories #42, 1977 Right: Gold Key Tragg and the Sky Gods #8, 1977* *Scan provided by Ralf Simmons CHAPTER THREE: WESTERN PUBLISHING

39

SPIEGLE: I don’t recall. It was probably through Hanna-Barbera. I was doing work for them at the time.

COATES: Western Publishing ceased publishing their comics under the Gold Key logo-imprint and started to distribute them only through the Whitman imprint; was there any impact?

40

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

SPIEGLE: No, I just kept doing Space Family, Scooby, and Disney—anything they assigned me that I knew I would enjoy drawing!

COATES: In 1982 Western Publishing discontinued its comic division. Where you aware this might happen?

SPIEGLE: I don’t remember if I was aware of Western’s publishing plans; probably not. During this time I was busy working for Disney and DC Comics, so I had work.

Opposite Above (left to right): Whitman Walt Disney Showcase #74 “Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo” panel, 1977 Marvel DynoMutt splash, 1977 Opposite Below (left to right): Whitman The Black Hole #1, 1980 Whitman Jungle Twins #18 cover, 1982* Above (clockwise): Whitman Brothers of the Spear #18, 1982 Whitman Space Family Robinson #59 cover, 1982 Whitman Mighty Samson #32 cover, 1982 *Scan provided by Miki Annamanthadoo CHAPTER THREE: WESTERN PUBLISHING

41

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DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

Left: Way Out Science Fiction Adventure cover by Whitman Publishing, 1973 Above: Way Out image plates, Whitman Publishing, 1973

CHAPTER THREE: WESTERN PUBLISHING

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Chapter Four

1980s—1990s

DC, ECLIPSE, & INDY PUBLISHERS COATES: Speaking of DC Comics, in 1980 your work began to appear in their comics again. Do you recall how you came to work for DC Comics?

SPIEGLE: Not really. I think I started doing back-up stories for Karen Berger, who at the time was an editor at the time. She was nice and very easy to work with.

COATES: Now, in 1982 you and your longtime collaborator and friend Mark Evanier re-launched the Blackhawk Opposite (left to right): DC Comics Blackhawk #268, (1984), DC Comics Teen Titans Spotlight #21 (1988), DC Comics Blackhawk #271 (1984), Eclipse Comics Crossfire #6 (1984), Eclipse WhoDunnit? #3 (1987), Comico Jonny Quest #21 (1988)

comic for DC. [Ed: The “Blackhawks” were created back in 1941 by Will Eisner, and Chuck Cuidera. They were a team of stunt-aviators, with each team-member being from a different Nazi-occupied European country, banding together as a collective-resistance to the Nazis.] In my opinion, this is some of your finest comic artwork, and it read like a labor of love. How did this project come about, and why Blackhawk?

Above & Left: Commissioned Blackhawk illustrations

SPIEGLE: You know, I hadn’t ever heard of the character before taking on the book. (Laughter) I did like drawing that era, the costumes, architecture, uniforms, and of course the aircraft; one of my favorite series. Also, Mark always made the stories interesting with unusual characters.

COATES: Over the first eleven issues you had four separate editors; Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Ernie Colon, and then Mark Evanier also took over as editor for the remainder of the series. Do you recall any specifics about the numerous editorial changes?

SPIEGLE: Like I said, I’ve never been involved in the editorial decisions, so I’m not sure why the editors kept changing. I kept getting Mark’s scripts and producing the book.

COATES: Do you recall if these changes impacted your working experience?

SPIEGLE: No, as a rule, editors made the dialogue and art changes before I ever received the script, so I usually had very little interaction with the editors until Mark took over. I used to mail the finished art directly to DC Comics, but when Mark took over as editor, I would send SPIEGLE: Thank you. As the artist I was never involved in the editorial decisions. I think it was Mark and Len Wein’s idea to bring the series back. Mark wrote the series.

COATES: Had you and Mark kept in touch through the years, or did you reconnect for this project?

SPIEGLE: Yes, Mark and I had worked on other stories up to this point and enjoyed the experience, so we knew this book was going to be fun.

COATES: Had you known about the Blackhawk character prior to this time, either through the popular comics, 1940s movie serial, or radio show?

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DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

Above: DC Comics Blackhawk # 272, 1984 Opposite Above: Marvel Tarzan #1, 1984 Opposite Below: DC Comics House Ad, Nov. 1982

the art to him and he would make art corrections and make changes in my daughter’s lettering. Carrie was lettering all my work, plus a lot for the West Coast cartoonists. It was very convenient for me because she lived right next door.

[Ed.: Carrie Spiegle is Dan’s daughter and an artist and comic letterer in her own right!]

COATES: With Blackhawk #251264, the covers were drawn by numerous artists such as Dave Cockrum, Howard Chaykin, and Gil Kane. After Evanier took over as editor, you took the covers. Coincidence?

SPIEGLE: Can’t remember why— maybe it was more convenient because we lived fairly close to one another and we would get together quite often.

COATES: Did you ever co-plot with Evanier on the script?

SPIEGLE: No. The stories were strictly Mark’s, but again, fun and interesting to draw.

COATES: Though at the time critically well-received, I’ve read in interviews with Mark Evanier where he joked that DC did so little promotion of the Blackhawk book that he continually had to remind them that it was even being published! (Laughter) Did you ever sense this?

SPIEGLE: Yes! (Laughter) You know, how in the back of comics, they would have house ads for upcoming issues of their other books?

You would never find a Blackhawk ad. I have always felt that it was a kind of “East Coast/West Coast” thing. If you didn’t live near New York City and were not able to come into DC’s offices to remind them how great the project was, it seemed they would forget.

COATES: Can you describe how you came to work for Eclipse CHAPTER FOUR: DC, ECLIPSE, & INDY PUBLISHERS

47

Comics?

SPIEGLE: I remember it was through Mark Evanier. I’m not sure of the details, though.

COATES: I found your first Eclipse work to be in DNAgents #9, 1982. This issue was also the first appearance of your and Mark Evanier’s character “Crossfire.” The first issue of the Crossfire monthly series didn’t debut until May 1984. Was Crossfire intended to be a throwaway character for the spe48

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

cific issue, or had this appearance been intended to introduce the character for the later planned monthly series?

SPIEGLE: Actually, “Crossfire” was a character from the DNAgents series created

by Will Meugniot and Mark Evanier. Eclipse had been publishing the DNAgents and was looking for a new series. Mark suggested me as the artist and they agreed.

COATES: The “Crossfire” character and the Hollywood setting seemed a labor-of-love for you and Evanier.

SPIEGLE: Well, Mark had written movie scripts and had lived in Hollywood all his life. Over the years he would hear lots of rumors about the movie industry.

Some of our Crossfire stories were based on these rumors.

Mark had fun with the characters and I really enjoyed drawing them.

COATES: I believe the final published adventure of the “Crossfire” character was in 1994, a one-shot, and published by A.P. Antarctic Press; Many Happy Returns Annual 2008. Any plans to publish new Crossfire stories in the near future?

SPIEGLE: Unfortunately, no.

COATES: Now, before we leave Crossfire, during this time you also worked on a few other series with Eclipse, as well as other independent comic publishers such as Comico and TSR. SPIEGLE: Well, I worked as much as I could! (Laughter)

Opposite Above: Eclipse DNAgents #9, 1984, interior page. Dan’s first work on “Crossfire.”

Opposite Below: Eclipse Comics Crossfire and Rainbow #2, 1986 Above (left to right): Eclipse Comics Crossfire #5, 1984 About Comics Many Happy Returns Annual, 2008 Final Crossfire story Right: Eclipse Airboy #27, 1987 CHAPTER FOUR: DC, ECLIPSE, & INDY PUBLISHERS

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COATES: In the late 1980s and early 1990s, your work began to appear at Marvel Comics though their creator-owned imprint, Epic. One series, Hollywood Super-Stars, seemed a natural extension of your Eclipse Crossfire series; mystery/detective stories focused on and around Hollywood mythos. Any refections you care to share on this series?

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DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

Top two images (left to right): Comico Jonny Quest #12, 1987 Middle: Epic Comics Doctor Zero #7, 1989 Left: Epic Comics Hollywood Superstars #2, 1991

Above: TKR Agent 13, The Midnight Avenger Graphic Novel, 1988 CHAPTER FOUR: DC, ECLIPSE, & INDY PUBLISHERS

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SPIEGLE: Bad experience! (Laughter) At the time I don’t think Marvel was interested in the series. If it’s not “superhero” it didn’t have a chance. Also, they gave us cheap paper and it had terrible coloring.

COATES: In 1994 DC Comics released a graphic novel on Modesty Blaise. Dick Giordano is sole-credited as the artist in the book but I found where Mark Evanier had indicated on the creative-index website site, Grand Comics Database, that you did the pencils.

SPIEGLE: Yes, and it was a pleasant experience! I had met Dick years before at DC and we worked well together on Modesty Blaise.

As I have said before, my pencils were always very rough but in Dick’s case I had to tighten them and found it was kind of fun!

COATES: Had you been a Modesty Blaise fan?

SPIEGLE: No. I never followed the strip.

COATES: In 1995 you drew the Walt Disney’s Pocahontas #1 movie adaptation. Your artwork seemed more attuned to the movie’s animationart style than your traditional style.

SPIEGLE: Yes, Disney said they wanted the art to look the same as the movie and “Did I want to try?” It was easier than I thought and I found it was kind of fun! (Laughter) COATES: You were also working with Dark Horse Comics on the Indiana Jones franchise.

How did you become associated with the franchise?

SPIEGLE: I guess they called and I said “yes”.

(Laughter) I think Dan Barry was drawing some of the series as well, but I never met or worked with him.

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DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

Left: Dark Horse Indiana Jones Thunder In The Orient #6, 1994 Below: AP Press DNAgents Super Special #1, 1994 ‘Flip-side-book’ to promote DNAgents for a possible TV deal. ‘Flip-side’ was a Crossfire one-shot story by Dan and Mark Evanier.

Opposite Above: DC Modesty Blaise trade paperback, 1994 Opposite Below: Marvel Comics Disney’s Pocahontas #1, 1995 CHAPTER FOUR: DC, ECLIPSE, & INDY PUBLISHERS

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COATES: Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s—aside from DC, Marvel, and Dark Horse—you also published work for Claypool Comics and Archie Publications.

When did you decide to retire?

SPIEGLE: Well, I never decided to retire from comics! (Laughter) Through the years I’ve let it be known that I hate “super-heroes” and would never do one, so that has “retired” me from the comics industry.

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Above (clockwise): Marvel Disney’s The Three Musketeers #1, 1994 GO BOTS Tonka Toys Golden Book interior, 1985 DC Comics Shadow Strikes #29, 1992 DC Comics Star Trek #19, 1985

Above (clockwise): DC Mystery in Space #111, 1980 Marvel Action Universe #1, 1989 DC Jonah Hex #38, 1980 DC Secrets of Haunted House #38, 1981 CHAPTER FOUR: DC, ECLIPSE, & INDY PUBLISHERS

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COATES: Stepping outside of the comic book industry, in the mid-1990s you began working on the newspaper comic strip Terry and the Pirates.

SPIEGLE: Yes, the Chicago Tribune owned the property and was trying to create interest in a Terry and the Pirates TV show, so I decided to recreate the comic strip. They signed up over one hundred newspapers to begin with. The Hildebrandt brothers did a terrific job but made one big mistake…this is not comic books.

You don’t put sex and violence in a family newspaper!

So when I took over we had only six large city newspapers. They paid me a salary and continued to try for a TV show, but after a year-and-ahalf, they threw in the towel.

COATES: Your daughter, Gayle, sent me a note that in 1997 you were honored with a “Lifetime Achievement Award” at a Comic Art Professional Society (CAPS) Banquet.

SPIEGLE: Yes, what a fun night! (Laughter) Gary Owens [longtime TV announcer/pitchman, star of the 1960 TV show 56

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

Laugh-In] was the master of ceremonies and he did a wonderful job. He used to come to some of the CAPS meetings, maybe a Christmas party or two. He’s always been a big fan of cartoonists.

COATES: The poster also shows the event taking place at the famous Friar’s Club; was it a roast?

SPIEGLE: Well, it sort of turned into one. (Laughter) You know, my friends started talking and it was some nice things and nasty things! (Laughter)

Opposite Above: Terry and the Pirates newspaper strip, 1997 Opposite Below (left to right): Marie & Dan Spiegle, with Lynn Johnston. (Mrs. Johnston is the creator of the newspaper strip, “For Better or For Worse”) Above: Poster of when Dan was honored at CAPS, 1997 CHAPTER FOUR: DC, ECLIPSE, & INDY PUBLISHERS

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Chapter Five

2000 to Present

2000S TO PRESENT COATES: Around 2000 you had work published in Boys’ Life magazine: “Bank Street Classic Tales.”

SPIEGLE: Yes, I guess this is the story of my life! (Laughter) I get in on the ending of a good thing…just like when I finished Sea Wolf for Classics Illustrated Comics, they went out of business. Boys’ Life decided to go to Opposite: Boys’ Life May 2000, interior page

photos…illustrated stories were too expensive. It was different and fun illustrating the classics for Boys’ Life and I wish I had had the opportunity earlier.

COATES: Any current work you want to share with the readers?

SPIEGLE: Well, aside from my commissions which we discussed, I did some work for the American Bible Society Above: Dan in his studio, 2004 Left: American Bible Society

Left: Western Classics: Graphic Classics Vol. 20, 2011 Above: Moonstone Captain Action Comics Special #1 cover, 2010

and my last published comic book art was for Western Classics in 2011. I have a 48-page Hardy Boys story, “While the Clock Ticked,” that’s not yet published. It’s with a publisher out of Canada and there’s some issue of copyrights they’re working through, so it can’t be published just yet.

COATES: I found that in 2010 you also had new comic cover art published in Captain Action Comics Special,

by Moonstone Comics.

SPIEGLE: I must be losing it…I don’t recall Moonstone Comics! (Laughter) 60

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

Above (left to right): Commission The Shadow, 2011 Blackhawk War Wheel, 2006 Below (top to bottom): Commission Disney’s Scarecrow of Romney Marsh, 2011 Commission Blackhawk & the Zeplin, 2006

COATES: You seem very busy with fans commissioning you for specialty pieces. Your commissions are beautiful. How do you keep up the discipline after all these years?

SPIEGLE: Thank you, I think it’s just habit! (Laughter) After breakfast I go out into my avocado orchard, take a walk, maybe work in the yard, and just always seem to eventually end up in my studio. I draw most every day. I play golf once a week and I think that’s the only day I usually take the full day off from drawing. I also like to read, but none of those replace drawing for me. I think I feel somewhat empty without it. The commissions have become quite fulfilling. For those interested my agent is davekarlen@aol.com or http://davekarlenoriginalart.com/ COATES: Do you ever plan to fully retire from drawing?

SPIEGLE: I guess I’m just a stubborn guy!

(Laughter) I still do hand exercises to stay limber. You know, I was looking at some of my artwork that I drew back in high school.

It’s awful! (Laughter) I had zero talent! I look at that art and wonder what ever could have made me think I could draw anything, or be an illustrator. But, I did. I kept drawing.

I love it! I think it’s about drive.

COATES: I see over the years you’ve attended a few Comic-Con International comic conventions in San Diego, California.

Back in 1983 you received their Inkpot Award, as well.

SPIEGLE: Yes, I have been to quite a few San Diego Comic-cons, but not recently.

CHAPTER FIVE: 2000s To Present

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They are a lot of fun, but tiring; it’s fun meeting and talking with fans and to see the wild costumes. Some of the fans must spend all year thinking up ideas for those outfits!

COATES: Do you keep up with current comics and art trends?

SPIEGLE: I do see the comic book displays in the book stores (because they cost as much as a book), which means only adults can afford them.

Where’s the comic books for kids?

COATES: Overall, how would you describe your 50+ years in comic books?

SPIEGLE: I wouldn’t change a minute! I have met some terrific artists, writers, editors, and fans.

Most of all I was able to work at home and be with my wife and to watch our four kids grow and become responsible citizens in this crazy world. I hope they can make a difference!

COATES: Beautiful! Final question: Are there any additional insights about your career you wanted to share that we hadn’t covered?

SPIEGLE: Can’t think of anything you haven’t, John! (Laughter) I appreciate the fans’ interest in my career. Best Wishes!

COATES: It’s been a pleasure!

Thank you again from myself, and your fans!

Opposite (Top to Bottom): Commission Indiana Jones, 2007 Commission Disney’s Scarecrow of Romney Marsh, 2009 Above: Commission Blackhawk & Domino, 2007 Left (left to right): Dan Spiegle, Jerry Scott, and Stan Lee. Dan with Jerry Scott, creator of “Zits”, & Stan Lee…who you know already!

CHAPTER FIVE: 2000s To Present

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Chapter Six

WATERCOLORS Opposite (top to bottom): Hopalong Cassidy, 2003 Western Dave’s Saloon, 2009

Above: Spiegle Christmas card illustration Hopalong Cassidy Left: Green Hornet, 2008 Bottom: Maverick, 2000

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Opposite Above: Korak, 2010 Opposite Below: Space Family Robinson, 2007

Left: All American Western #122 Commission, 2012 Below: Scooby-Doo Commission, 2010

CHAPTER SIX: WATERCOLORS

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1.

2.

3.

Chapter Seven

PROCESS OF DRAWING I discussed my overall process earlier in our interview, but here is the way I do the 10"x15" illustrations on cold press medium weight board:

1. I like to rough-in the illustration with a “Col-Erase” (blue) pencil, to get a rough idea of composition, and then tighten up the picture with an HB lead pencil.

2. Using Micron pens (.02 through .08), I draw all faces, figures and backgrounds and brush in heavy blacks.

3. Diluting black india ink, or acrylic paint, I paint in medium shadows in faces, bodies and backgrounds.

4. Finally, I finish the picture with watercolor using either bright colors for the important areas, or leaving them white, which is sometimes more effective than color.

Now that Dad’s studio is in the house, I can always tell when Dad is working at the drawing board, because I can hear Diana Krall, Artie Shaw, Harry Connick, Jr., Dave Brubeck, Benny Goodman (among the many musicians that get Dad motivated) emanating down the hall.

Dad loves his music.

- Gayle Spiegle

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4.

CHAPTER SEVEN: PROCESS OF DRAWING

71

Above: Gold Key Space Family Robinson, Lost in Space on Space Station One #52, 1977

Left: Commissioned art, Herculoids, Space Family Robinson, 2012 Opposite Above: Dan, early 1950s

1956 to 1983

Chapter Eight

GROWING UP WITH A COMIC ARTIST FATHER (REFLECTIONS FROM DAN’S KIDS)

BY CARRIE SPIEGLE LUNDQUIST

F

ew people in the “comic world” know that along with being a comic book illustrator, my father is also an accomplished watercolorist. He has numerous paintings in all of our homes and homes of friends. Not feeling confident in his abilities as a watercolorist, Dad has sold some and given away hundreds of paintings through the years—some of which have been reproduced, matted, framed and given to those extended family members (and their children). I am forever running into an old friend of the family with them saying, “I have a painting of your father’s. It’s the one of the ___, and I absolutely love it!”

The watercolor medium is challenging and difficult at best. However, his paintings were all similar to colored illustrations, and with the fine tip of a brush, not a pen, he is able to create “Norman Rockwell-ish” pictures of current and past events—his favorites being old boats, buildings, houses with pastoral or ominous skies, and his depictions of people being simply drawn, but with character and action.

Growing up with my dad, he had a way of making every one of his four kids feel like we were his favorite.

I don’t really know how he did it, but he did. He was always a kind, gentle man, and self-effacing. Always wanting to “talk it through”, we learned “moderation in everything” and a good work ethic by seeing him spend days and sometimes nights working in his “studio” (a.k.a. converted trailer).

Which could not have been all that easy with four growing children. Whenever there was a disagreement between us siblings, we would run to his studio to settle the matter. He said we would hit his door at 90 miles an hour, startling him, and pens would fly. I’m sure some

white-out was needed after that.

My dad’s world as an illustrator was somewhat obscure. He worked long hours in his studio on books we sometimes knew little about. I remember him saying that each morning when he woke, he could not wait to get to his drawing board. He loved to draw and loved his job. How many of us can say that? When I was about 10, my dad was working on the Mary Poppins comic book for Disney. He was commissioned to draw the “real” characters and someone else would draw the “cartoon” characters. In the scene with the penguins, he asked me to trace the little figures (drawn by someone else) onto the pages so that he would know how much room to leave for the other artist to complete the more cartoonish drawings. I pen this as my “beginning” in comics. I also remember him taking us at times to the Disney studios. We were able to see the movies before the sound effects and music were installed. I even remember seeing Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke having lunch together in the commissary.

During this time, my dad would drive his finished work to Los Angeles and meet with publishers and other artists, usually staying through dinner. My mom, making it a special time for us, would serve breakfast for dinner. Dad would return in the evening with his large, black leather portfolio bursting at the seams with comic books. He wouldn’t make it past the foyer before we would pounce on him wanting to see what he brought home. He would unzip the portfolio, and what seemed like hundreds of thousands of comic books would spew out onto the carpet. The four of us kids would scramble to get as many copies of our favorites, before the others got them....I’m sure there was a bit of

bickering between us.

As a bonus, during this time, he would get free tickets to Disneyland and we usually were able to take a friend with us. This made me quite popular in grade school!

Another thing he did that had a huge impact on me, was he encouraged me to follow him into his world of comic books. He did this in the late ’70s by asking me if I would hand-letter a comic he was working on that was to be printed in every language but English. He said he needed to know “how much room to leave” for the balloons. This came at a time in my life where I was a young wife/mother and needed some additional income, and I think he knew this and in his own quiet way, helped me. He purchased a pen and showed me how to file the nib to the exact angle he wanted my thick lines to be, and proceeded to give me samples of lettering styles he liked so that I could practice and perfect my style.

I went on to work as a letterer for major and minor comic book companies all over the United States in the early ’80s, and it helped to support my young family for many years.

Working at home, I was able to be a “stay-at-home mother” unlike many of my friends. I have a lot to thank him for, getting me involved in a very uncommon job and community of artists. During that time, I would frequent the comic conventions (mostly with my father) and met many famous artists, writers and publishers. Some have remained friends. There were many fond memories of these times...all created by my father.

When my children came along, he was there loving every minute of it. The day I brought my oldest daughter Paula home from the hospital, he was standing outside our house and he reached into the car to take her out of my arms. I’ll never forget the look on his face. It was like his life was complete. He was such a good grandfather, at that time 74

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

when all the granddaughters were young. You could see, he relished the role! He would take them around the orchard in his tractor, show them how to pick avocados, or trim a limb and just spend time with them. He was always so patient and could get each of them to be quiet and fall asleep in his arms if they were being fussy. He would mark a little “x” in ink on their hand when they would come visit him in the studio, and say, “Here’s an X to mark you as mine”. He would tell madeup bedtime stories, sometimes about the adventures of “Johnny and Mr. Needle” (as he did for us when we were little), or stories about horses or their pets. He would dance with the girls on the tops of his feet and play poker with pennies, always letting them win.

Every birthday the granddaughters would look forward to a handdrawn birthday card, usually having some of their favorite animals or events that happened earlier in the year drawn, with each one of them on the card. He had a way of making them each feel like a special little girl. And because of those times, they all love to spend time with him to this day, though they are grown women.

Every Christmas my Father would draw our greeting card for the year— usually something funny about the year’s events, or sometimes just our faces on avocados hanging in a tree.

He also never let a birthday, Valentine’s Day or anniversary go by without hand-drawing a special card for our mother. She has every one of them to this day and it will be 65 years this November. That’s a lot of cards!

Reflecting upon my father and his ever important role in my life, I am filled with gratitude. He has continued to be a rock of stability and sounding board for all the triumphs and calamities in my life. His quiet, humble, yet remarkable life has and always will inspire me, as he embraced us all in his genuine love and

spirit. I am blessed beyond measure to call him Dad.

BY GAYLE SPIEGLE Who will be occupying Dad’s imagination today: Space Family Robinson, Herbie the Love Bug, or would it be Scooby-Doo? I always looked forward to coming home at the end of a long day at school to visit Dad in his studio. I couldn’t wait to find out what character he would draw on my hand that day. It made the hike from the bus stop all the way up that huge hill worthwhile. There were always adventures to be discovered in that studio.

Not only were the adventures endless, but as soon as I would walk through the studio door, the distinct aromas embraced me like a child’s “blanky”. The most impressive memory I recall were the curled shavings from his pencils trapped in the sharpener, and their lead that created his magical characters. He used the lead like an ice skater uses the blade of her skate— the graceful, fluid motions of his pencil dancing on the paper, recording the images he created in his mind. Some of those lines were erased forever and some were to be captured in history by the ink from his fountain pen. The ink that imprisoned and finalized the illustrations wasn’t limited to gracing the paper for the world to see. I remember watching him fill his many pens with that enchanting black matter, only to stain his fingers, floor and clothing in aggravation.

I remember the smell of sulfur from a new delivery of fresh paper.

I used to love to free the paper from its wrapping to see the bright glow of the untouched surface. Just looking at the white of the paper and running my hand upon its silky smooth surface made me giddy with anticipation as to how he would transform it into something memorable.

I don’t know if what I experienced was typical of an artist’s studio. I only know that when I was there I felt a security and comfort that only I was fortunate enough to experience. Dad is responsible for creating a lifetime of brilliant memories for me, which I will carry in my heart forever.

BY KIP SPIEGLE The things I remember most about my dad, was that he was always home, and usually could be found in his studio. When we lived in Ojai during the ’50s, he tried an office in town for awhile, probably to get away from a couple of screaming kids so he could get some work done. That did not last long, and he was back in a converted bedroom once a master bedroom addition was completed. I think his work ethic was probably the most important thing he taught me during my years growing up. If there was no work on a comic book, there were always sidewalks and retaining walls to build, so he was always doing something for the family or home, never for himself.

Having a Dad that drew comic books was ultra-cool for a kid growing up in the ’60s and ’70s. His trips to his office in L.A. always supplied us with stacks of comic books that would last us weeks. Too bad Mom threw them out—what those super-hero comic books would be going for now on e-Bay, I hate to think of...! On a couple of occasions, he took me with him to his company office in L.A. and Disney Studios to preview films that he would be doing the comic book for. Seeing the sets and workshops were the coolest things for a kid— this was way before Universal Studios started tours!

At around 14, he started letting me ink in some backgrounds for a little extra money. It probably was more trouble for him than it was worth (he had to fix some of my errors at times), but at least he gave

me an idea of what an “office type” job would be, and helped me make my career decisions going forward from there.

My dad was always there for us as a family. He and my mom are still together, and have been there for us kids when we each took a fall or two, both emotionally and financially. Thanks to you both, Dad and Mom!

BY DAN F. SPIEGLE III While some memories have faded after 50-some years, I recall the most vivid memories of my dad were of watching him in his art studio, of his periodic trips to Los Angeles to visit the comic book publishing mecca, and of the special trips to the Disney Studios that my brother Kip and I enjoyed.

Dad’s in-home studio was always full of things to see. Despite’s Mom’s occasional objections so I wouldn’t disturb him, I would take whatever opportunity I could to interrupt Dad to see what new comic book he was creating, or to see if he received any new releases that I could take back to my room to read. I always thought the penciling process, while an extremely important part of the creativity process, was the most boring. What I enjoyed watching was how Dad had mastered the art of using his ink pens and brushes. I recall being amazed at how perfect his lines, curves and circles were. All the while I was observing his creative genius and masterful technique, the studio background was rockin’ to the Big Band sounds of the ’30s and ’40s. Perhaps that is why I prefer to listen to the same music at home or at work. All this, while reading advance copies of his creations of Space Family Robinson, Korak (Son of Tarzan), Space Ghost, and many more.

Once a month or so, Dad needed to drive to Los Angeles to meet with the Western Publishing or Gold Key teams. So, what did

Mom do? Well, for some reason I can’t remember, we established a tradition where Mom fixed breakfast for dinner. I remember homemade waffles and sausage sticks or crispy bacon, lots of syrup and orange juice. Cool, huh? Sometimes, though, Dad would take Kip and me with him to Los Angeles. What a treat for a kid to visit comic book heaven! I remember Del Connell’s office had a special room full of comic books. Kip and I were overwhelmed! All we had to do was pick whatever books we wanted to take home, and we would spend the next two weeks reading foothigh stacks of them.

So, what could top this? How about a few trips to the Disney Studios in Burbank, California (a suburb of Los Angeles) where comic books became real (or vice versa)?

What do you think happens to a kid who gets to sit in a cushy overstuffed chair in a private screening room to watch uncut versions of the Parent Trap, Spin and Marty, Mary Poppins, and others; film versions of books Dad was commissioned to create? Sure, there was no background music; parts of the movies were in black-and-white; and some of the special sound effects were missing. Who cares? Kip and I got to see what no other kid in the world could see. Then, to top it off, how about a VIP tour of the Mary Poppins rooftop set, followed by lunch in the studio cafeteria seated at a table near a table where Julie Andrews (Mary Poppins) and Dick Van Dyke (Bert) were seated, fully dressed in costume, with chimney soot makeup on their faces! Did I dream all this?

I hope not.

Dad, I may not have followed in your footsteps, but the impression you left on my childhood can’t be traded for anything. Thank you for your creative influence, love and support. What I cherish the most is your love.

CHAPTER EIGHT: GROWING UP WITH A COMIC ARTIST FATHER

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Opposite: Happy Hour in the garden Left: Looking back I don’t know if I was leaning against the car or the car was leaning against me! [Laughter]. It was a real junker! - Dan Below: Dan and Marie at the CAPS convention.

Chapter Nine

PARTNERS FOR LIFE SWEET MARIE

By Marie Spiegle By Dan Spiegle

D

an and I met on a blind date in 1947. I was going to Chounards art school in Los Angeles. After working at Edison during the day, I would take the train to Los Angeles twice a week. I had aspirations of becoming a fashion designer. Johnny McManus was one of the students and we became friends. He must have told Dan about me because he set up a double-date with his girlfriend and Dan and I. Dan was attending the art school in the daytime. Dan lived in Santa Monica, California and the three of them drove to Compton to pick me up. I was pretty nervous, not knowing what he looked like or if he would like me. When I saw him at the door, I was very pleased. I introduced him to my mom and dad and I could tell they liked him right away. He was a gentleman, very polite and easy to talk to. Johnny had a 1935 Ford coup and I had to sit on Dan’s lap all the way to the Palladium in Los Angeles. After the dance Johnny drove us a few blocks to Dan’s car. That was quite a shock! He had a little 1936 Ford coup. The lining inside was in shreds and it had no bumper on the front.

He told me his plans to fix it up. I wish we had that (continued on page 78)

A

ll of this could not have happened, had it not been for Marie. She has been my devoted and loving partner, a wonderful mother, a caring grandmother and an excited great-grandmother, who never forgets a birthday or anniversary.

I never cared for “blind dates”… it’s like Russian Roulette, but my friend Johnny McManus said “trust me,” this girl has it all, beauty and a personality to match. I was not disappointed!

We were married November 26, 1947 and rented a small apartment in Compton near the Southern California Edison office, were Marie worked. I drove to Los Angeles each day to the Chouinard Art Institute.

Marie stayed with Edison for a couple more years, while I was attending art school. She encouraged me to create a western comic strip, after we saw the movie Red River. We thought a real western with lots of authentic backgrounds to make it more interesting might sell. On weekends we would travel to a western museum near Pasadena, were I would sketch old lamps, furniture, wagons, trains etc. Marie would patiently wait or scout around for interesting things that could be included in some of the stories. (continued on page 79)

MARIE

little car today.

I still have the dress I wore that night, in my cedar chest.

Dan and I celebrated our 65th anniversary on November 26th, 2012. We were married on Thanksgiving Eve, November 26th, 1947 at the Methodist Church in Compton, California. We spent our threeday honeymoon in Crestline, California. I was only able to get the three days off from my job at Edison.

When Dan started working on the Hopalong Cassidy comic strip, we were able to buy a home in the San Fernando Valley. Danny, our first child, was born shortly after we moved in 1950. Two years later Kip was born. We could see that the Valley was growing very fast, so we took a drive up north to Ojai. We fell in love with that little town. Carrie was born there in 1956. It seemed like every Summer was getting hotter, so one weekend we drove over to the coast to another little town called Carpinteria. We moved there a few months later and that is where Gayle was born.

As the kids became more independent, Dan and I would meet friends for tennis, and took Swing Dance 78

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

lessons. Later on Dan had to quit playing tennis after hip surgery, but this is when he picked up golf, and still looks forward to his Tuesday morning golf games with the guys.

Gayle joins them periodically and says that they don’t keep score; they are just there to laugh and play jokes on each other. I think golf is just an excuse for the guys to get out, have a few laughs and end up at Ihop for pancakes or In-n-Out for burgers and chocolate shakes. Boys will be boys!

Dan is still at the drawing board working on illustrations of different characters he has drawn over the years. He receives requests for original drawings from people all over the world. I receive their e-mails and print them for Dan to read. Many of his clients keep in touch with him periodically. They like to call or write him just to find out how he’s doing and what he is working on at the time.

I have always felt that Dan could have become more famous with his art if he had traveled more to the different publishing companies, and become better acquainted with the publishers and other artists in that field. We talked about it over the years, but Dan didn’t want to be away from his family. He enjoyed working at home so the kids and I could talk to him whenever we needed to.

I have always enjoyed having him home. I feel very fortunate that our blind date turned out so well.

I often thank Johnny, in my heart, for bringing us together. We have had a wonderful life raising our children, traveling and being with our good friends.

It is good to have those memories.

This spread: Years’ worth of Anniversary Cards created by Dan for his wife

DAN

We never sold our strip to a syndicate, but we felt those sketches that made our strip more authentic, later helped convince William Boyd that I would be the perfect artist to create his Hopalong Cassidy comic strip.

After the Hoppy strip started (January 1950), Marie left Edison and we bought our first house, with the G.I. bill, in the San Fernando Valley. We had fun landscaping and fixing it up. Our two boys (Danny and Kippy) were born there. I was learning how to handle a daily, a Sunday strip and the color indications for the Sunday page, which led to my first ulcer. Marie was learning how to handle two very active boys and also keep the house quiet, so that Dad could work. Believe me; Marie had the tougher job, which explains her migraines!

We later moved to a beautiful little town (Ojai, California) in the mountains behind Ventura. This is where our first daughter (Carrie) was born. When we had finally had it with hot weather, we took a drive and discovered “utopia”! We found a sleepy little beach town bathed in sunshine and cooled by sea breezes. We found a house a few miles outside of town, in the foothills, which had a panoramic view of the ocean and the Carpinteria valley. We moved just before our second daughter (Gayle) was born. Marie was constantly shuttling kids to-and-from meetings, dance classes, birthday parties, slumber parties, etc.

When Gayle was about four years old, the other kids were finally old enough to babysit, and this is when we joined the local tennis club. Once again, Marie proved to be my indispensable mate. She was a very smart and skilled doubles partner. We have long since withdrawn from the vigorous sport to pursue other exercise, which is a little easier on our old bones. I picked up the maddening sport of golf, and Marie stays busy by passionately gardening and going

to the “Y” two days a week. I don’t know where she gets her energy, but it never seems to wane. We are still very close to our tennis cronies.

We always look forward to getting together to share meals, movies or walks, and undeniably a lot of laughs.

Another indispensable task that Marie took on from the beginning is handling the money and paying the bills, thanks to her background with Edison. If I were doing this job, our credit rating would have been in the tank long ago. She also tackled the intimidating mission of learning how to navigate a computer. This is how I am able to communicate with many of my clients and fans. Marie receives the e-mails, prints them out for me to read, and when I am ready to respond I give her the error-riddled, two-finger typed pages for her to retype and send off.

By now it must be quite apparent, that without Marie I would be a lost man wandering aimlessly through my life. Marie is the most important part of my life and I love her dearly.

Thanks, Johnny!

CHAPTER NINE: PARTNERS FOR LIFE I SWEET MARIE

79

Chapter Ten

INTERVIEW WITH DAN SPIEGLE CONDUCTED BY DAN GHENO This interview originally appeared in Graphic Story World, 1972 (with thanks to Richard Kyle, editor)

“I was born in Cosmopolis, Washington in 1920. Then I moved over to Honolulu. When the stock market crash came, I left its warm climate for Northern California, where I went through my standard school years—and got the itch for drawing as a living...”

DAN SPIEGLE

80

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

Q: You’ve been one of the leading artists in comics for more than twenty years—how did it all begin?

DAN SPIEGLE: In my last year at the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles—this was 1949—I realized that my G.I. Bill was running out, and I thought it best if I looked for a job. A friend of mine seeing my plight handed me a clipping from the classified ads of the newspaper: Capitol Records needed an artist to draw a comic strip of theirs. At that time I’d been working on a western comic strip and I thought that I’d pay a visit to Capitol, show them my idea, and perhaps get the job.

Well, when I arrived they informed me that the comic strip was Bozo the Clown, and of course I was let down because I couldn’t do that kind of strip.

But when they saw my western strip, the man I was talking to told me he was the brother-in-law of one of “Hopalong Cassidy’s”—Bill Boyd’s—managers, and that they were looking for an artist to draw the famous cowboy in syndicated strip form. He told me to walk a couple of blocks down the street to where “Hoppy’s” main office was and see if I could get the job.

As the old saying goes, when you’re lucky, you’re lucky, because I was very fortunate to find Bill Boyd in an agreeable mood. He liked the way I drew horses and commented that it wouldn’t matter how I drew him—I’d learn how through practice—as he considered horses the most important in a Western strip.

He had another artist who could draw good horses in consideration and told me he’d contact me if I got the job. Sure enough, a week later I got the job.

Q: Were you always interested in comics? Some artists start out planning to be illustrators, or to go into advertising...

SPIEGLE: I’ve always liked to draw. From the time I could hold a pencil, I’d scribble away. I used to go down to the dime store and buy these little five cent tablets and draw on them, creating a contin-

comic artist.

While I was in my second year in high school, I drew up a comic strip, colored it, and sent it to King Features—whom I’d always wanted to work for. They sent it back and advised me that the next strip I sent in should not be in color because the colors would print black.

I thought it was very nice of them to point out this fact that I was unaware of.

After my school years, along came World War II, and I found myself in the Navy. There, I did things for the base newspaper and insignias for planes.

Upon release from the service in ’46 I took advantage of the G.I. Bill and entered into Chouinard the same year.

I’d checked out many colleges, but found that none of them were to my liking—you had to take too many minor courses on top of the ones you really wanted to enroll in.

I’d say this is true ued story throughout the tablets. It today, also. If you want to do anywas just a natural thing for me to thing and do it well, you must put do, to tell a story. your whole back into it, and you Q: Were you influenced by the can’t be bothered by what you comic strips appearing at that time? could care less about—like in my SPIEGLE: I don’t really think I own practicing years, I drew six even looked at the comic pages hours a day, and I enjoyed it. I when I was young. know many a friend who enrolled in a university and finally got so The first comic strip to really make an impression on me was Alex Raymond’s Flash Gordon.

Opposite (top to bottom): Then there were Tim Tyler and Dan Gheno & Dan, 1972 Terry and the Pirates while Caniff Dan at his art table, 1972 was still doing it. I would say that Above: Raymond influenced me the most Hopalong Cassidy, 1951 and gave me the drive to become a CHAPTER TEN: INTERVIEW WITH DAN SPIEGLE

81

upset by all the minor, useless courses they had to take that they quit, coming over to Chouinard.

Q: What was it like doing a syndicated strip for the first time?

SPIEGLE: It was rather difficult at first adjusting to the schedule for Hoppy. It took me all seven days to do a week’s amount of strips—and they wanted them six weeks ahead for the dailies, and eight to ten weeks for the Sundays. But later I settled down to taking only about four days for the week’s worth and it helped me get ahead.

The first story was written by Dan Grayson, one of Bill Boyd’s finance managers, and myself—but after awhile we realized we just couldn’t come up with anything interesting, so we hired a writer named Royal King Cole.

Like all writers, he had a tendency to overwrite things. He would always inject unneeded adjectives in the box captions and bog down dialog with long wordage. He’d go on and on, stealing my thunder since everything was already written out and I couldn’t even begin to create as much impact as I would want to with my drawings. A reader can get frustrated with so many descriptions in words when he can see what’s going on by glancing at the drawings. The drawing should always come first and the words second.

I’m lucky now, since at Western I can clean-up the dialog balloon when it gets too cluttered. I never really cared for the stories that Royal wrote, anyway. They just weren’t interesting.

I used an awful lot of Craftint in 82

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

my Hoppy dailies—in fact, for a while, too much. I sort of got carried away, and seeing how good it looked on the drawing board fullscale, I was very proud. Things look different when they’re reproduced half-size, of course, and I was shocked when I saw the mess I’d made. It’s very hard to experiment as I did with Craftint, for you must wait a whole six weeks to see whether you accomplished what you’ve set out for.

Q: Your characters are always

always a very kind and concerned man. Even at the peak of his great popularity he was never too busy to give me the time of day. Often he would hold my oldest son on his knee. This congeniality and love of children always showed through in his personal appearances.

Q: Did any readers of Hoppy ever dislike or disapprove of something you did in the strip?

SPIEGLE: There was this one particular character—I spent a lot of time creating him, and I thought he was pretty good myself.

He was a Mexican and played the heavy. But I received a great many letters from enraged people who thought I was typecasting Mexicans. I’m sure if it had been any other minority I would still have received flak, but I really thought I had a good character and it didn’t seem to me that I was degrading anyone.

From then on we made it a point in our strip never to mention any nationality, and to always make the villain as general-looking as possible.

Naturally, I never tried to convey any message or philosophy or opinion of my own. “Hopalong” really pleasant looking... didn’t belong to me. He was someSPIEGLE: I always tried to make one else’s, and I couldn’t go against Hoppy with a pleasant face. I gave the cast they set for him. So there all his sidekicks a happy face bewas no subtleness in the strip of cause I don’t like this grim-faced, any kind. constantly-frowning approach most Q: When did King Features buy artists have. I see no reason for it. I out Hopalong Cassidy from the original syndicate—the Mirror like to have a little humor in my Syndicate? characters, as much as possible— but of course if it’s necessary to the SPIEGLE: In 1951. They bought storyline I will make the character us out, and then they sent for me to come to New York to get acsolemn appearing. quainted and talk things over. It And then, too, Bill Boyd was

was here that I joined the National Cartoonists Society and got involved with the organization.

King decided to make Hopalong a promotional strip, which means that they would put something like two unknown strips with Hoppy, and sell them as a package. They’d say, if you want Hopalong Cassidy, you have to take the other ones, as well.

Hoppy was extremely popular for a while, hitting a peak of 200plus newspapers. Eventually, the Western trend wore out and Hoppy began slipping until King decided to drop us. We—Cole and myself—looked into other syndicates, trying to sell off Hoppy. But they would only accept us if we took a cut in pay— so Royal and I jointly decided to abandon the venture.

Q: You did a comic strip after Hoppy was cancelled, didn’t you?

SPIEGLE: Yes, Penn and Chris — and while I thought I had it sold a couple of times, it was never picked up by a syndicate. They were having trouble with sailing strips at this time, and since mine was based on pirates, that let me out.

Q: And you moved to Western Publishing Company...

SPIEGLE: Western was lassoing any artist into their corral who had prior experience, so they happily set me to work doing westerns. This was about the time of the great cowboy mania saturation peak in comic books, around ’55 or ’56.

Q: What was your favorite comic book of that time?

SPIEGLE: Well, I rarely look back into my past. The story I’m drawing at the time is my main concern. Nonetheless, I would say my favorite was Maverick, which

nell, a Western editor, was writing the origin issue for the new magazine, and they asked me to draw up a cast of characters. Western liked them so much that they assigned me the strip. It was a success right from the beginning, running about four years, for a while one of their most popular.

In fact, it was so popular that CBS stole our idea and refused to pay us any royalties! We were going to sue, but our lawyers cautioned against it, since we were doing so many comic books on their characters, and in the long run we would lose from the loss of business from them. So we adopted their title and added it to ours in hope of deriving some publicity off the TV show.

Q: Did you have any set plans drawn for the space station? much. Having met the star, I was extra careful to make the drawings SPIEGLE: No. Space Station #1 I did look as parallel to the real per- just progressively evolved out of my imagination. One thing led to anson as possible. I put my all into other, and I had a fully equipped space ship with solar gardens, space pods, and the whole works.

I fashioned the space pods, by the way, out of my electric razor. The only law that was set out before me concerning the design was that I was not to make the space station look like one of those round uninteresting satellites, the type that satellites are “supposed” to look like.

Q: You took over Korak when Russ Manning left Western to do the Tarzan newspaper strip—did you have much trouble adapting to his version? ran about three years—fairly successful, considering the run of other western strips published then.

I was assigned this strip even before they had stills available for the show, so I was sent down to Warner Bros. to see it in production— where I met James Garner, which is perhaps the reason I enjoyed it so

Opposite: Hopalong strip

that strip, having fun all the way.

Q: How did you come to draw Space Family Robinson?

SPIEGLE: At that time, Del Con-

Top to Bottom: Penn and Chris panel Maverick #2, 1958

CHAPTER TEN: INTERVIEW WITH DAN SPIEGLE

83

SPIEGLE: No one likes to copy someone else’s style, and it was particularly difficult since Russ and I were using entirely different pens for the inking. It wasn’t too hard, though, for me to adjust to the Korak characterization, since Russ had done only about ten issues of the magazine. All that was necessary to foster the continuity was to keep his hairdo and youngish appearance intact.

Magnus, Robot Fighter [another Manning-drawn comic book] was another thing altogether, since I was asked to do only an interim issue before another artist took over. The New York office [Western has two editorial offices, one in Hollywood for the West Coast, and a main office in New York] asked me to draw exactly the same as Manning.

Quite impossible!

Q: Did you enjoy working with editor Joe Kubert on his “Unknown Soldier” creation?

SPIEGLE: Yes, very much.

I learned a great many new ways of going about telling a story from him. Unfortunately, the fact that I lived so far from New York [in Southern California] made working conditions almost impossible. Obviously, since Kubert has all his heart into the character, he wanted things done exactly the way he used to do it.

Naturally, since I have my own style, we sometimes conflicted on certain ways to tell the story. If I lived closer to him, we would’ve been able to go over each and 84

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

every panel to our satisfaction.

Alas, the phone rates between New York and California are such that that couldn’t be done, and I left

new storytelling ideas and concepts I normally wouldn’t be allowed to do.

Q: Have you ever been censored?

SPIEGLE: Western has its own code, not too strict or lenient. They usually leave it up to one’s good taste.

Here’s where good composition can be utilized. For instance, you could position a gunman and his pistol in a close-up, firing, and then show the other cowboy dead in the next panel—obscured by a the strip after two issues. It was best shadow of some sort. There’s always a way to imply something like a that he replace me with someone dead body without having to show it outright.

The reason Western didn’t join the Comics Code association was that we were already abiding by our own code—and had for a long time—and we didn’t need another one to go by. We felt, however, that if the Comics Code could induce other companies to exercise good judgement once in a while regarding content, then more power to it. But we didn’t feel we needed someone else to tell us whether our work was in good taste.

I’ve never been censored by Western myself— except once when I put too low a cut on the leading lady’s blouse. However, many times I’ve been asked to change a panel or who could better understand what two when I send in my rough layouts for lettering. [Staff letterers do he wants out of his character. most of the lettering for the WestI did have an awful lot of fun, ern comics, following a standard however—doing that war book gave me a chance to experiment on practice in the industry.] They

write around the borders of the paper, asking me to change a panel when it’s needed to make the story more readable and to flow better.

Often I find myself disagreeing with them, as many artists do I’m sure. But in the long run, the editor is usually right, since it’s his job, and I’m sure he knows best how the reader will react to a certain panel—different from my viewpoint. But this happens only once in a while, asking me to change a panel or two.

Q: What’s your main concern in drawing a story?

SPIEGLE: I aim at creating as much depth in a crowd scene or a group of buildings as possible. The most important thing I attempt is to keep a continuity going in the strips, with the flow of the characters going from right to left. It always hurts a story when you have someone running left to right, since it breaks up the reader’s eye movement and he has to refocus.

Q: What’s your working speed?

SPIEGLE: I pencil about ten pages a day on the average. When I ink them it drops to three pages a day.

Q: Do you work at home?

SPIEGLE: Yes. And working at home I find I can get off my easel for a few moments to an hour, to pull weeds or whatever, if I begin to get tired—until my inspiration returns. Often, when I’m really rolling, I work non-stop late into the night, from the early morning hours. Usually I find the first day on a story goes slow, but after two days I’m more involved with it, and I find myself working at a faster pace.

Q: The reactions of people when they learn you’re a comic book artist—are they ever critical?

SPIEGLE: Certainly many people have sneered about the fact I’m a

comic book artist. But no one as yet has tried to give me a lecture on the “evils” of comic books. Most people are basically polite, and won’t tell you what they think of you to your face—but I can see through to what they think. They envision comic books as the lowest form of literature. But I believe comic books have their own place.

I know for a fact that my children learned how to read better through comics, while also increasing their vocabulary with pictureword association.

Q: What changes would you make

in comic books, if you could?

SPIEGLE: I’d like to have comic books a little larger in size, on a better stock of paper that would reproduce better—so that the art we spend hours on could be better appreciated and the color would be brighter. The coloring, too. At Western the artist has no choice as to how his art will be colored.

That’d be my main concern. The colorer just slaps on any old gaudy color that’s catchy—without any regard to whether it’s night or day, the mood, or whatever. That’s why

I try to put so much black in my art, so that the fella who happens to color it has less to mess up on. I used to indicate what color I wanted, but they made me discontinue that practice for they felt it was too much trouble for the colorer to follow my directions. The only time I was allowed to color an entire issue, page for page, was a Sea Hunt book I did. Doing the coloring myself, I think I added more depth to the art.

Western’s digest-size comic books are an innovation whose future looks very bright. The only drawback with this type of book is that it makes all of the problems we have with the standard comic book more acute. Our art is even more cramped, and the coloring becomes that much worse on the miniature pages. Colors that were appealing in the original stories look horrid when reprinted at a reduced size.

Better paper just might solve this.

Although the digest-sized books appear to be a success, they’re only one answer. As a whole, the industry should be expanding in both size and page-count.

Q: What do we have to look forward to from you, now that you’re no longer drawing a regular series?

SPIEGLE: I’m getting very many scripts from the New York office for some of their mystery books, and I’ll be doing quite a bit of art for Mystery Comics Digest. I’ll also continue drawing the comic book versions of Walt Disney movies.

The latest one I’m working on is Napoleon and Samantha.

Opposite (top to bottom): Korak art Gold Key Lassie #68, 1967 Left: Gold Key Walt Disney Showcase #10, 1970

CHAPTER TEN: INTERVIEW WITH DAN SPIEGLE

85

Dell

Comic Index

A

side from Dan, his family and friends, and my own collection, this index could not have been possible without the work of the contributors to the Grand Comics Database; a nonprofit, Internet-based organization of international volunteers dedicated to building a database covering all printed comics throughout the world. Their website is www.comics.org.

That said, this index is unfortunately incomplete as it was common practice with comics publishers throughout the 1940searly 1960s to not list creator credits in their comic books.

Also, this index does not list reprinted material, or Dan’s original work published in Europe. Further, it does not include Dan’s work on any merchandising (such as coloring books, Big Little Books, and Little Golden Books) related to the movie adaptation or TV-show based comic books he drew, nor does it include his newspaper strip work.

Finally, as mentioned earlier, Western Publishing published comic books under three separate imprint-logos: Dell, Gold Key, and Whitman. For the sake of accessibility to collectors, within this index for all Western Publishing comic books, I’ve listed as “Publisher” their respective imprint as it appeared on the published comic book.

Annie Oakley and Tagg (1955 series) #7 Apr-Jun 56

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

The Flying A’s Range Rider (1953 series) #16 Dec-56 / Feb-57

Spin & Marty - Four Color (1942 series) #707 May-56

The Hardy Boys - Four Color (1942 series) #760 Dec-56

Spin & Marty - Four Color (1942 series) #714 Jun-56

Circus Boy - Four Color (1942 series) #759 Dec-56

Brave Eagle - Four Color (1942 series) #705 Jun-56

Rex Allen (1951 series) #23 Dec-56 / Feb-57

Rex Allen (1951 series) #21 Jun-Aug 56

Annie Oakley and Tagg (1955 series) #10 Jan-Mar 57

Annie Oakley and Tagg (1955 series) #8 Jul-Sep 56

Roy Rogers and Trigger (1955 series) #109 Feature: Chuckwagon Charley’s Tales Jan-57 Brave Eagle - Four Color (1942 series) #770 Feb-57 Spin & Marty - Four Color (1942 series) #767 Feb-57 The Flying A’s Range Rider (1953 series) #17 Mar-May 57 Annie Oakley and Tagg (1955 series) #11 Apr-Jun 57 Circus Boy - Four Color (1942 series) #785 Apr-57 The Flying A’s Range Rider (1953 series) #18 Feature: Sagebrush Stories Jun-Aug 57 Spin & Marty - Four Color (1942 series) #808 Jun-57 Annie Oakley and Tagg (1955 series) #12 Jul-Sep 57 Circus Boy - Four Color (1942 series) #813 Jul-57 Brave Eagle - Four Color (1942 series) #816

Queen of the West Dale Evans (1954 series) #12 Jul-Sep 56 The Flying A’s Range Rider (1953 series) #15 Sep-Nov 56 Annie Oakley and Tagg (1955 series) #9 Oct-Dec 56 Walt Disney’s Westward Ho The Wagons! - Four Color (1942 series) #738 Oct-56 Gold Key Roundup (1952 series) #16 Feature: Gene Autry Oct-Dec 56

86

Little Beaver - Four Color (1942 series) #744 Nov-56

Jul-57 The Hardy Boys - Four Color (1942 series) #830 Aug-57 Tales of the Pony Express - Four Color (1942 series) #829 Aug-57 Spin & Marty - Four Color (1942 series) #826 Sep-57 Johnny Mack Brown - Four Color (1942 series) #834 Sep-57

Maverick - Four Color (1942 series) #930 Jul-58

Maverick - Four Color (1942 series) #962 Jan-59

Annie Oakley and Tagg (1955 series) #13 Oct-Dec 57

Gold Key Roundup (1952 series) #23 Feature: Tales of Wells Fargo Jul-Sep 58

The Hardy Boys - Four Color (1942 series) #964 Jan-59

Queen of the West Dale Evans (1954 series) #17 Oct-Dec 57

Brave Eagle - Four Color (1942 series) #929 Aug-58

Gold Key Roundup (1952 series) #20 Oct-Dec 57

Annie Oakley and Tagg (1955 series) #17 Oct-Dec 58

Annie Oakley and Tagg (1955 series) #14 Jan-Mar 59

Maverick - Four Color (1942 series) #945 Oct-58

Jace Pearson’s Tales of the Texas Rangers (1956 series) #17 Sep-Nov 57

Lawman - Four Color (1942 series) #970 Feb-59 Spin & Marty (1958 series) #9 Mar-May 59 Maverick - Four Color (1942 series) #980 Apr-Jun 59 The Shaggy Dog - Four Color (1942 series) #985 May-59

Old Yeller - Four Color (1942 series) #869 Jan-58

Sea Hunt - Four Color (1942 series) #994 May-59

Old Ironsides - Four Color (1942 series) #874 Jan-58

Roy Rogers and Trigger (1955 series) #131 May-Jun 59

The Hardy Boys - Four Color (1942 series) #887 Jan-58 Spin & Marty (1958 series) #8 Dec-58

Tales of Texas John Slaughter - Four Color (1942 series) #997 Jun-59

Brave Eagle - Four Color (1942 series) #879 Feb-58

Colt .45 - Four Color (1942 series) #1004 Jun-Aug 59

Roy Rogers and Trigger (1955 series) #122 Feb-58

Maverick - Four Color (1942 series) #1005 Jul-Sep 59

Roy Rogers and Trigger (1955 series) #123 Mar-58

John Paul Jones - Four Color (1942 series) #1007 Sep-59

Spin & Marty (1958 series) #5 Mar-May 58

Don’t Give Up The Ship Four Color (1942 series) #1049 Sep-59

Annie Oakley and Tagg (1955 series) #15 Apr-Jun 58

Spin & Marty - Four Color (1942 series) #1026 Sep-59

Maverick - Four Color (1942 series) #892 Apr-58

The Adventures Of Jim Bowie - Four Color (1942 series) #993 May-July 1959

Gold Key Roundup (1952 series) #22 Feature: Tales of Wells Fargo Apr-Jun 58

Yellowstone Kelly - Four Color (1942 series) #1056 Oct-59

Annette - Four Color (1942 series) #905 May-58 The Flying A’s Range Rider (1953 series) #22 Jun-Aug 58 Johnny Mack Brown - Four Color (1942 series) #922 Jun-58 Spin & Marty (1958 series) #6 Jun-Aug 58 Annie Oakley and Tagg (1955 series) #16 Jul-Sep 58

Maverick (1959 series) #7 Oct-Dec 59 The Rifleman - Four Color Gold Key Roundup (1952 series) #24 Feature: Flying A’s Range Rider Oct-Dec 58 Jace Pearson’s Tales of the Texas Rangers - Four Color (1942 series) #961 Dec-58 Rex Allen (1951 series) #31 Dec-58 / Feb-59 Annie Oakley and Tagg (1955 series) #18 Jan-Mar 59

(1942 series) #1009 Jul-Sep 59

Opposite: Dell Four Color #770 Above: Gold Key Dagar the Invincible #1 cover art, 1982 COMIC INDEX

87

Colt .45 - Four Color (1942 series) #1058 Nov-59 / Jan 60

The Aquanauts - Four Color (1942 series) #1197 May-Jul 61

Rawhide - Four Color (1942 series) #1261 Dec-61 / Feb-62

Lawman - Four Color (1942 series) #1035 Nov-59 / Jan 60

Atlantis, the Lost Continent - Four Color (1942 series) #1188 May-61

Lawman (1960 series) #10 Jan-Mar 62

Maverick (1959 series) #8 Jan-Feb 60 Lawman (1960 series) #3 Feb-Apr 60 A Dog Of Flanders - Four Color (1942 series) #1088 Apr-60

Maverick (1959 series) #15 May-Jun 61 Rawhide - Four Color (1942 series) #1202 Jul-Sep 61 Lawman (1960 series) #8 Jul-Sep 61

Maverick (1959 series) #18 Jan-Mar 62 Sea Hunt (1960 series) #12 Jan-Mar 62 The Untouchables - Four Color (1942 series) #1286 Feb-Apr 62 Rawhide - Four Color (1942 series) #1269 Mar-May 62

Maverick (1959 series) #9 Mar-Apr 60 The Texan - Four Color (1942 series) #1096 May-Jun 60

Lawman (1960 series) #11 Apr-Jun 62 Maverick (1959 series) #19 Apr-Jun 62

Annette’s Life Story - Four Color (1942 series) #1100 May-60

Sea Hunt (1960 series) #13 Apr-Jun 62

Lawman (1960 series) #4 May-Jul 60

Walt Disney’s Prince And The Pauper - Movie Classic (1961 series) #654 May-July 1962

Hugh O’Brian, Famous Marshal Wyatt Earp (1958 series) #11 Jun-Aug 60

The Untouchables (1962 series) #01-879-207 [3] May-July 1962

Maverick (1959 series) #10 May-June 1960 Clay Hollister - Four Color (1942 series) #1123 Aug-Oct 60

Rawhide (1962 series) #01-684-208 Jun-Aug 62

Maverick (1959 series) #11 Jul-Aug 60

The Untouchables (1962 series) #12-879-210 [4] Aug-Oct 62

Lawman (1960 series) #5 Aug-Oct 60

Gold Key Maverick (1959 series) #12 Sep-Oct 60

The Rifleman (1962 series) #13 Nov-62

Maverick (1959 series) #13 Nov-Dec 60

Walt Disney’s Big Red (1962 series) Nov-62

Johnny Ringo - Four Color (1942 series) #1142 Nov-60 / Jan 61

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #1 Dec-62

Lawman (1960 series) #6 Nov-60 / Jan 61 Hugh O’Brian, Famous Marshal Wyatt Earp (1958 series) #13 Dec-60 / Feb-61 Maverick (1959 series) #14 Jan-Mar 61 Colt .45 (1960 series) #8 Feb-Apr 61

Boris Karloff Thriller (1962 series) #2 Jan-63 Maverick (1959 series) #16 Jul-Sep 61 Walt Disney’s The Parent Trap - Four Color (1942 series) #1210 Aug-61

Mutiny on The Bounty (1963 series) #[nn] Feb-63 The Dick Van Dyke Show #1 Mar-63

Rawhide - Four Color (1942 series) #1160 Feb-Apr 61

The Untouchables - Four Color (1942 series) #1237 Oct-Dec 61

Lawman (1960 series) #7 Feb-Jul 61

Lawman (1960 series) #9 Oct-Dec 61

Walt Disney In Search of the Castaways (1963 series) Mar-63

Texas John Slaughter - Four Color (1942 series) #1181 Apr-61

Maverick (1959 series) #17 Nov-Dec 61

Rawhide (1963 series) #1 Apr-Jul 63

88

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #2 Mar-63

Boris Karloff Thriller (1962 series) #3 Apr-63 World of Adventure (1963 series) #1 Apr-63 Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery (1963 series) #3 Apr-63 Duke of the K-9 Patrol (1963 series) #1 Apr-63

Walt Disney’s The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (1964 series) May-64

Walt Disney Emil and the Detectives (1965 series) Feb-65

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #8 Jun-64

Walt Disney’s Big Red (1965 series) #[nn] Mar-65

My Favorite Martian (1964 series) #2 Jul-64

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #12 Apr-65

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #9 Aug-64

Gallegher, Boy Reporter (1965 series) #1 May-65

Walt Disney Son of Flubber (1963 series) #[nn] Apr-63

Annie Oakley and Tagg (1965 series) #1 Jul-65

The Rifleman (1962 series) #15 May-63

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #13 Jul-65

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #3 Jun-63

Walt Disney’s The Scarecrow (1965 series) #2 Jul-65

The Jetsons (1963 series) #4 Jul-63 The Dick Van Dyke Show #3 Jul-63

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #14 Oct-65

World of Adventure (1963 series) #2 Jul-63

Walt Disney’s The Scarecrow (1965 series) #3 Oct-65

The Rifleman (1962 series) #16 Aug-63

Walt Disney Merlin Jones as The Monkey’s Uncle (1965 series) Oct-65

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #4 Sep-63

My Favorite Martian (1964 series) #6 Nov-65

The Jetsons (1963 series) #5 Sep-63

Flipper (1966 series) #1 Jan-66

The Dick Van Dyke Show #4 Sep-63

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #15 Jan-66

Rawhide (1963 series) #2 Oct-63 / Jan-64

Legend of Jesse James (1966 series) #1 Feb-66

World of Adventure (1963 series) #3 Oct-63 Yogi Bear (1962 series) #14 Oct-63

Walt Disney’s That Darn Cat (1966 series) #[nn] Feb-66

The Rifleman (1962 series) #17 Nov-63

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #16 Apr-66

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #5 Dec-63

Micky Mouse - Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories (1962 series) #308 May-66

Walt Disney The Horse Without a Head (1964 series) Jan-64 Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #6 Feb-64 Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #7 Apr-64 Walt Disney’s The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh (1964 series) #10112-404 Apr-64

PT 109 (1964 series) #10123-409 Sep-64 Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #10 Oct-64 Walt Disney’s The Moon-Spinners (1964 series) Oct-64 Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #11 Dec-64 Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins (1965 series) Jan-65

The Legend of Young Dick Turpin (1966 series) #1 May-66

Opposite: Dell Four Color Untouchables, 1962 Above: Art & layout for Gold Key Walt Disney Comics Digest #55, 1975 COMIC INDEX

89

Mickey Mouse (1962 series) #107 Jun-66

Lassie (1962 series) #68 Sep-67

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #17 Jul-66

The Invaders (1967 series) #1 Oct-67

Mickey Mouse (1962 series) #108 Aug-66

March of Comics (1946 series) #308 Feature: Lassie Oct-67

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #18 Oct-66 Lassie (1962 series) #67 Oct-66 Mickey Mouse (1962 series) #109 Oct-66

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #24 Oct-67 Walt Disney The Gnome-Mobile (1967 series) Oct-67 Flipper (1966 series) #3 Nov-67

Walt Disney The Happiest Millionaire (1968 series) Apr-68 Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #28 Jun-68 Walt Disney Presents Blackbeard’s Ghost (1968 series) Jun-68 Space Family Robinson - March of Comics (1946 series) #320 Jul-68 Walt Disney Comics Digest (1968 series) #2 Aug-68

Walt Disney Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. (1966 series) #[nn] Oct-66

Korak, Son of Tarzan (1964 series) #24 Aug-68

Flipper (1966 series) #2 Nov-66

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #29 Aug-68

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #19 Dec-66

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #29 Aug-68

The Fighting Prince of Donegal (1967 series) Jan-67

Magnus, Robot Fighter (1963 series) #23 Aug-68

The Invaders (1967 series) #2 Jan-67

Captain Venture and the Land Beneath the Sea (1968 series) #1 Oct-68

It’s About Time (1967 series) #1 Jan-67

The Invaders (1967 series) #4 Oct-68

The Green Hornet (1967 series) #1 Feb-67

Korak, Son of Tarzan (1964 series) #25 Oct-68

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #20 Feb-67

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #30 Oct-68

Space Ghost (1967 series) #1 Mar-67

Walt Disney Comics Digest (1968 series) #4 Oct-68

Uncle Scrooge and Money (1967 series) #1 Mar-67

Korak, Son of Tarzan (1964 series) #26 Dec-68

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #21 Apr-67

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #31 Dec-68

The Green Hornet (1967 series) #2 May-67 The Fantastic Voyages of Sindbad (1965 series) #2 Jun-67

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #25 Dec-67

Lassie - March of Comics (1946 series) #334 1969

Lassie (1962 series) #69 Dec-67

Korak, Son of Tarzan (1964 series) #27 Feb-69

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #26 Feb-68

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #32 Feb-69

The Green Hornet (1967 series) #3 Aug-67

Hanna-Barbera Super TV Heroes (1968 series) #1 Apr-68

Walt Disney Comics Digest (1968 series) #8 Feb-69

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #23 Aug-67

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #27 Apr-68

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #22 Jun-67 Walt Disney Bullwhip Griffin (1967 series) Jun-67

90

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

Walt Disney Comics Digest (1968 series) #9 Mar-69

Space Family Robinson - March of Comics (1946 series) #328 Jan-69 Daniel Boone (1965 series) #15 Apr-69 Korak, Son of Tarzan (1964 series) #28 Apr-69 Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #33 Apr-69

Tarzan - March of Comics (1946 series) #342 1970 Space Family Robinson - March of Comics (1946 series) #352 The Hardy Boys (1970 series) #1 Apr-70 Korak, Son of Tarzan (1964 series) #34 Apr-70

Walt Disney Comics Digest (1968 series) #10 Apr-69

The Hardy Boys (1970 series) #2 Jul-70 Korak, Son of Tarzan (1964 series) #36 Jul-70 Tarzan (1962 series) #193 Feature: Leopard Girl Jul-70 Tarzan (1962 series) #194 Feature: Leopard Girl Aug-70

Walt Disney Comics Digest (1968 series) #11 May-69

Korak, Son of Tarzan (1964 series) #37 Sep-70

Korak, Son of Tarzan (1964 series) #29 Jun-69

The Boatniks - Walt Disney Showcase (1970 series) #1 Oct-70

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #34 Jun-69

Korak (1967 series) #35 Nov-70

Walt Disney Comics Digest (1968 series) #12 Jun-69

Korak, Son of Tarzan (1964 series) #38 Nov-70

Walt Disney The Love Bug (1969 series) #10237-906 Jun-69

Young George Washington - Walt Disney Comics Digest (1968 series) #26 Dec-70

Moby Dick - Golden Comics Digest (1969 series) #2 Jun-69

Korak, Son of Tarzan (1964 series) #39 Jan-71

Space Ghost - HannaBarbera Super TV Heroes (1968 series) #6 Jul-69

Korak, Son of Tarzan (1964 series) #40 Mar-71

Lassie (1962 series) #70 Jul-69

Tarzan - March of Comics (1946 series) #354 1971

Korak, Son of Tarzan (1964 series) #30 Aug-69

Korak, Son of Tarzan (1964 series) #41 May-71

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #35 Aug-69

Korak, Son of Tarzan (1964 series) #42 Jul-71

Captain Venture and the Land Beneath the Sea (1968 series) #2 Oct-69

Harlem Globetrotters Hanna-Barbera Fun-In (1970 series) #8 Jul-71

Korak, Son of Tarzan (1964 series) #31 Oct-69 Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #36 Oct-69

Tarzan of the Apes Story Digest Magazine (1970 series) #1 Jun-70

Little Beaver (1964 series) #22 Apr-70

Korak, Son of Tarzan (1964 series) #32 Dec-69

Tarzan (1962 series) #191 Feature: Leopard Girl Apr-70

Korak, Son of Tarzan (1964 series) #33 Feb-70

Korak, Son of Tarzan (1964 series) #35 May-70

Tarzan - Golden Comics Digest (1969 series) #9 Mar-70

Tarzan (1962 series) #192 Feature: Leopard Girl Jun-70

Korak, Son of Tarzan (1964 series) #43 Sep-71

Opposite: Whitman Space Ghost: The Sorceress of Cyba-3, 1968 Above: Gold Key Space Family Robinson #45, 1975 COMIC INDEX

91

1,000,000 Dollar Duck - Walt Disney Showcase (1970 series) #5 Oct-71

Mystery Comics Digest - The Twilight Zone (1972 series) #9 Jan-73

Korak, Son of Tarzan (1964 series) #44 Nov-71

Hanna-Barbera Scooby-Doo... Where Are You! (1970 series) #16 Feb-73

Korak, Son of Tarzan (1964 series) #45 Jan-72 Twilight Zone (1962 series) #41 Jan-72

Hanna-Barbera Scooby-Doo... Where Are You! (1970 series) #16 Feb-73

Lassie - March of Comics (1946 series) #381 May-73 Mystery Comics Digest - Boris Karloff Tales Of Mystery (1972 series) #11 May-73 Mystery Comics Digest - The Twilight Zone (1972 series) #12 Jul-73 Hanna-Barbera Harlem Globetrotters (1972 series) #6 Jul-73

Bedknobs and Broomsticks - Walt Disney Showcase (1970 series) #6 Jan-72

Scooby-Doo... Mystery Comics (1973 series) #20 Aug-73

Tarzan - March of Comics (1946 series) #366 Feb-72

Walt Disney Comics Digest - Mary Poppins (1968 series) #42 Aug-73

Grimm’s Ghost Stories (1972 series) #2 Mar-72

Walt Disney Comics Digest - The Great Camel Experiment (1968 series) #42 Aug-73

Mystery Comics Digest Ripley’s Believe It or Not! (1972 series) #1 Mar-72 Mystery Comics Digest Boris Karloff Tales Of Mystery (1972 series) #2 Apr-72

Mystery Comics Digest Ripley’s Believe It or Not! (1972 series) #13 Sep-73

Mystery Comics Digest The Twilight Zone (1972 series) #3 Apr-72

Mystery Comics Digest Boris Karloff Tales Of Mystery (1972 series) #14 Oct-73

Mystery Comics Digest Ripley’s Believe It or Not! (1972 series) #4 Jun-72

Scooby-Doo... Mystery Comics (1973 series) #21 Oct-73

DC Star Spangled War Stories (1952 series) #163 Jun-Jul 72

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #37 Oct-73

Mystery Comics Digest Boris Karloff Tales Of Mystery (1972 series) #5 Jul-72

Young Benjamin Franklin Walt Disney Comics Digest (1968 series) #43 Oct-73

Mystery Comics Digest The Twilight Zone (1972 series) #6 Aug-72

Scooby-Doo... Mystery Comics (1973 series) #22 Dec-73

Star Spangled War Stories (1952 series) #164 Aug-Sep 72

That Darn Cat - Walt Disney Showcase (1970 series) #19 Dec-73

Napoleon and SamanthaWalt Disney Showcase (1970 series) #10 Sep-72

Mystery Comics Digest The Twilight Zone (1972 series) #15 Jan-74

Mystery Comics Digest - Boris Karloff Tales Of Mystery (1972 series) #8 Oct-72 Grimm’s Ghost Stories (1972 series) #6 Nov-72

92

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

Mystery Comics Digest - Ripley’s Believe It or Not! (1972 series) #10 Mar-73

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #38 Jan-74

World’s Greatest Athlete - Walt Disney Showcase (1970 series) #14 Apr-73

Scooby-Doo... Mystery Comics (1973 series) #23 Feb-74

Hanna-Barbera Harlem Globetrotters (1972 series) #5 Apr-73

Mystery Comics Digest - Ripley’s Believe It or Not! (1972 series) #16 Mar-74

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #45 Oct-75

Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery (1963 series) #70 Sep-76

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #39 Apr-74

Donald Duck-Micky Mouse: Walt Disney Comics Digest (1968 series) #55 Oct-75

Tragg and the Sky Gods (1975 series) #6 Sep-76

Lassie - March of Comics (1946 series) #394 Jun-74

Tragg and the Sky Gods (1975 series) #3 Dec-75

Scooby-Doo... Mystery Comics (1973 series) #25 Jun-74

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #46 Jan-76

Mystery Comics Digest - The Twilight Zone (1972 series) #18 Jul-74

Tragg and the Sky Gods (1975 series) #4 Feb-76

Scooby-Doo... Mystery Comics (1973 series) #24 Apr-74

Tragg and the Sky Gods (1975 series) #7 Nov-76 Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #50 Jan-77 Tragg and the Sky Gods (1975 series) #8 Feb-77

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #40 Jul-74

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #51 Apr-77

Scooby-Doo... Mystery Comics (1973 series) #27 Aug-74

Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery (1963 series) #74 Apr-77

Herbie Rides Again - Walt Disney Showcase (1970 series) #24 Aug-74

Mickey Mouse (1962 series) #171 May-77

Scooby-Doo... Mystery Comics (1973 series) #28 Oct-74

Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery (1963 series) #75 Jun-77

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #41 Oct-74

Mickey Mouse (1962 series) #172 Jun-77

Scooby-Doo... Mystery Comics (1973 series) #29 Dec-74

Mickey Mouse (1962 series) #173 Jul-77

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #42 Jan-75

Ripley’s Believe It or Not (1965 series) #71 Jul-77

Mystery Comics Digest The Twilight Zone (1972 series) #21 Jan-75

March of Comics (1946 series) #432 Feature: Lassie Aug-77

Scooby-Doo... Mystery Comics (1973 series) #30 Feb-75

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #52 Aug-77

Brothers of the Spear (1972 series) #13 Apr-75

Mickey Mouse (1962 series) #174 Aug-77

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #43 Apr-75 Brothers of the Spear (1972 series) #14 Jun-75

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #49 Oct-76

Gold Key Spotlight (1976 series) #9 Sep-77 Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #47 Apr-76

Mystery Comics Digest - The Twilight Zone (1972 series) #24 Jul-75

Tragg and the Sky Gods (1975 series) #5 May-76

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #44 Aug-75

Magnus, Robot Fighter (1963 series) #44 Jul-76

Mystery Comics Digest - Boris Karloff Tales Of Mystery (1972 series) #26 Oct-75

Grimm’s Ghost Stories (1972 series) #32 Aug-76 Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #48 Aug-76

Mickey Mouse (1962 series) #175 Sep-77

Opposite: Eclipse Crossfire #22 “Hollywood Wax Museum” cover, 1987 Above: Gold Key Dagar the Invincible #3 cover, 1982 COMIC INDEX

93

Marvel Scooby-Doo (1977 series) #1 Oct-77

Gold Key Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #53 Oct-77 Mickey Mouse (1962 series) #176 Oct-77 Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo - Walt Disney Showcase (1970 series) #41 Oct-77

Marvel

Mickey Mouse (1962 series) #181 Mar-78 Mickey Mouse (1962 series) #182 Apr-78 Pete’s Dragon - Walt Disney Showcase (1970 series) #43 Apr-78 Return From Witch Mountain - Walt Disney Showcase (1970 series) #44 May-78

Marvel C.B. Bears - TV Stars (1978 series) #2 Oct-78 Hanna Barbera’s Laff-A-Lympics (1978 series) #8 Oct-78 Hanna Barbera’s Laff-A-Lympics (1978 series) #12 Feb-79 Scooby-Doo (1977 series) #9 Feb-79

Gold Key Grimm’s Ghost Stories (1972 series) #44 May-78

Dynomutt (1977 series) #1 Nov-77

North Avenue Irregulars - Walt Disney Showcase (1970 series) #49 Mar-79 Unidentified Flying Oddball Walt Disney Showcase (1970 series) #52 Sep-79

Gold Key Grimm’s Ghost Stories (1972 series) #42 Nov-77

The Black Hole (1980 series) #11295 1980

Twilight Zone (1962 series) #81 Nov-77

DC Mickey Mouse (1962 series) #177 Nov-77

Shell Collector Series Superman (1980 series) #1 1980

Mickey Mouse (1962 series) #177 Nov-77

Gold Key The Black Hole - Walt Disney Showcase (1970 series) #54 Jan-80

Space Family Robinson (1962 series) #54 Dec-77

DC Jonah Hex (1977 series) #34 Mar-80

Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery (1963 series) #79 Dec-77

Detective Comics (1937 series) #491 Jun-80

Marvel Gold Key

The Funtastic World of HannaBarbera (1977 series) #1 Dec-77

Walt Disney The Black Hole (1980 series) #4 Jul-80

Gold Key Mickey Mouse (1962 series) #178 Dec-77

DC

Mickey Mouse (1962 series) #178 Dec-77

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #166 Sep-80

DC

Mystery in Space (1980 series) #111 Sep-80

Jonah Hex (1977 series) #38 Jul-80

Welcome Back Kotter - Limited Collectors’ Edition (1972 series) #C-57 1978

Gold Key Mickey Mouse (1962 series) #179 Jan-78

Marvel

Detective Comics (1937 series) #494 Sep-80

Scooby-Doo (1977 series) #6 Aug-78

Jonah Hex (1977 series) #40 Sep-80

Captain Caveman - TV Stars (1978 series) #1 Aug-78

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #167 Oct-80

Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery (1963 series) #80 Feb-78

Gold Key

Detective Comics (1937 series) #495 Oct-80

Mickey Mouse (1962 series) #181 Mar-78

The Cat From Outer Space - Walt Disney Showcase (1970 series) #46 Sep-78

Mickey Mouse (1962 series) #179 Jan-78

94

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #168 Nov-80

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #169 Dec-80

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #175 Jun-81

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #177 Aug-81

Mystery in Space (1980 series) #114 Dec-80

Jonah Hex (1977 series) #49 Jun-81

Ghosts (1971 series) #103 Aug-81

World’s Finest Comics (1941 series) #266 Dec-80 / Jan 81

Secrets of Haunted House (1975 series) #37 Jun-81

Jonah Hex (1977 series) #51 Aug-81

Secrets of Haunted House (1975 series) #31 Dec-80

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #176 Jul-81

Secrets of Haunted House (1975 series) #39 Aug-81

Western

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #178 Sep-81

Clash of the Titans (1981 series) #11290 1981

Jonah Hex (1977 series) #52 Sep-81

DC House of Mystery (1951 series) #288 Jan-81

Secrets of Haunted House (1975 series) #40 Sep-81

Secrets of Haunted House (1975 series) #32 Jan-81

Whitman Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom (1981 series) #29 Oct-81

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #171 Feb-81 The New Adventures of Superboy (1980 series) #14 Feb-81

DC Ghosts (1971 series) #105 Oct-81

Secrets of Haunted House (1975 series) #33 Feb-81

Whitman Space Family Robinson (1981 series) #57 Oct-81

Weird War Tales (1971 series) #96 Feb-81

DC The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #172 Mar-81

Detective Comics (1937 series) #507 Oct-81

Secrets of Haunted House (1975 series) #34 Mar-81

Secrets of Haunted House (1975 series) #41 Oct-81

Weird War Tales (1971 series) #97 Mar-81

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #180 Nov-81

Batman (1940 series) #334 Apr-81

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #181 Dec-81

The Best of DC (1979 series) #11 Apr-81

House of Mystery (1951 series) #299 Dec-81

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #173 Apr-81

Marvel

Secrets of Haunted House (1975 series) #35 Apr-81

Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981 series) #1 Dec-81

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #174 May-81

Whitman House of Mystery (1951 series) #292 May-81

Space Family Robinson (1981 series) #56 Jul-81

Secrets of Haunted House (1975 series) #36 May-81

DC Secrets of Haunted House (1975 series) #38 Jul-81

Opposite: Western March of Comics #352 back cover, 1972 Above: Marvel Disney’s The Three Musketeers, 1994 COMIC INDEX

95

DC The Unexpected (1968 series) #217 Dec-81 Unknown Soldier (1977 series) #258 Dec-81

Eclipse Destroyer Duck (1982 series) #1 1982

DC Sgt. Rock Annual (1982 series) #2 1982

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #185 Apr-82

The Jungle Twins (1982 series) #18 May-82

House of Mystery (1951 series) #303 Apr-82

DC The Saga of Swamp Thing (1982 series) #1 May-82

Whitman Mighty Samson (1982 series) #32 Apr-82

Whitman Space Family Robinson (1981 series) #59 May-82

DC World’s Finest Comics (1941 series) #278 Apr-82

DC Unknown Soldier (1977 series) #263 May-82

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #182 Jan-82

Weird War Tales (1971 series) #111 May-82

House of Mystery (1951 series) #300 Jan-82

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #187 Jun-82

World’s Finest Comics (1941 series) #275 Jan-82

The Saga of Swamp Thing (1982 series) #2 Jun-82

Unknown Soldier (1977 series) #259 Jan-82

Unknown Soldier (1977 series) #264 Jun-82

Weird War Tales (1971 series) #107 Jan-82

Weird War Tales (1971 series) #112 Jun-82

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #183 Feb-82

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #188 Jul-82

Whitman

DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest (1980 series) #23 Jul-82

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979 series) #14 Feb-82

The Saga of Swamp Thing (1982 series) #3 Jul-82

Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom (1981 series) #30 Feb-82

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #189 Aug-82

Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom (1981 series) #30 Feb-82

House of Mystery (1951 series) #307 Aug-82

Space Family Robinson (1981 series) #58 Feb-82

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #190 Sep-82

DC World’s Finest Comics (1941 series) #276 Feb-82

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #191 Oct-82

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #184 Mar-82

Whitman Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom (1981 series) #31 Mar-82

Unknown Soldier (1977 series) #262 Apr-82

The Saga of Swamp Thing (1982 series) #6 Oct-82

Weird War Tales (1971 series) #110 Apr-82

World’s Finest Comics (1941 series) #284 Oct-82

House of Mystery (1951 series) #302 Mar-82

Weird War Tales (1971 series) #110 Apr-82

Blackhawk (1982 series) #251 Oct-82

Weird War Tales (1971 series) #109 Mar-82

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #186 May-82

The Brave and the Bold (1955 series) #192 Nov-82

World’s Finest Comics (1941 series) #277 Mar-82

Whitman

Blackhawk (1982 series) #252 Nov-82

DC

96

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

Brothers of the Spear (1982 series) #18 May-82

Blackhawk (1982 series) #253 Dec-82

Blackhawk (1982 series) #268 Mar-84

Sgt. Rock Annual (1982 series) #3 1983

Blackhawk (1982 series) #268 Mar-84

Marvel

Blackhawk (1982 series) #269 Apr-84

Tarzan of The Apes - Marvel Comics Super Special (1977 series) #29 1983

Blackhawk (1982 series) #269 Apr-84

DC Blackhawk (1982 series) #254 Jan-83

Blackhawk (1982 series) #270 May-84

DC Blackhawk (1982 series) #271 Jul-84

Eclipse Crossfire (1984 series) #3 Jul-84 Crossfire (1984 series) #4 Aug-84 Crossfire (1984 series) #4 Aug-84

DC Blackhawk (1982 series) #255 Feb-83

Blackhawk (1982 series) #272 Sep-84

Blackhawk (1982 series) #256 Mar-83

Eclipse Crossfire (1984 series) #5 Sep-84

Blackhawk (1982 series) #257 Apr-83

The DNAgents (1983 series) #16 Oct-84

Blackhawk (1982 series) #258 May-83

Alien Worlds (1984 series) #8 Nov-84

Blackhawk (1982 series) #259 Jun-83

DC Blackhawk (1982 series) #260 Jul-83

Blackhawk (1982 series) #273 Nov-84

Archie

Eclipse

The Black Hood (1983 series) #2 Aug-83

Crossfire (1984 series) #6 Nov-84

DC

Zot! (1984 series) #7 Dec-84

Blackhawk (1982 series) #261 Aug-83

Crossfire (1984 series) #7 Dec-84

Blackhawk (1982 series) #262 Sep-83

Crossfire (1984 series) #8 Jan-85

Blackhawk (1982 series) #263 Oct-83

Crossfire (1984 series) #9 Mar-85

Blackhawk (1982 series) #264 Nov-83

Crossfire (1984 series) #10 Apr-85

Sgt. Rock (1977 series) #382 Nov-83

Crossfire (1984 series) #11 May-85

Blackhawk (1982 series) #265 Dec-83

Crossfire (1984 series) #12 Jun-85

Blackhawk (1982 series) #265 Dec-83

Federal Scooby-Doo (1983 series) #5 Jul-85

Blackhawk (1982 series) #266 Jan-84

Eclipse Blackhawk (1982 series) #266 Jan-84

Blackhawk (1982 series) #270 May-84

Eclipse

Blackhawk (1982 series) #270 May-84

The DNAgents (1983 series) #9 Feb-84

Crossfire (1984 series) #13 Jul-85 The DNAgents (1983 series) #24 Jul-85

Eclipse DC Blackhawk (1982 series) #267 Feb-84 Wonder Woman (1942 series) #312 Feb-84 Blackhawk (1982 series) #268 Mar-84

Crossfire (1984 series) #1 May-84 The DNAgents (1983 series) #11 May-84 Crossfire (1984 series) #2 Jun-84

Opposite: Whitman Mighty Samson #33, 1982 Above: Whitman Mighty Samson #34, 1982 COMIC INDEX

97

DC Who’s Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe (1985 series) #5 Jul-85

Eclipse Crossfire (1984 series) #14 Aug-85

DC Who’s Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe (1985 series) #8 Oct-85

The New DNAgents (1985 series) #11 Aug-86 Crossfire & Rainbow (1986 series) #4 Sep-86

Eclipse The New Wave (1986 series) #8 Sep-86

DC

Eclipse Crossfire (1984 series) #18 Jan-87 Crossfire (1984 series) #19 Feb-87

DC Who’s Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe (1985 series) #24 Feb-87

DC Challenge (1985 series) #12 Oct-86

Who’s Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe (1985 series) #24 Feb-87

Eclipse Crossfire (1984 series) #15 Oct-85

Who’s Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe (1985 series) #25 Mar-87

DC Star Trek (1984 series) #19 Oct-85

Gladstone

The Omega Men (1983 series) #32 Nov-85

Mickey Mouse Comics Digest (1986 series) #2 Mar-87

Elvira’s House of Mystery (1986 series) #1 Jan-86

Eclipse

Eclipse

Crossfire (1984 series) #20 Mar-87

Three Dimensional DNAgents (1986 series) #1 Jan-86

The New DNAgents (1985 series) #17 Mar-87

DC

Crossfire (1984 series) #16 Jan-86

Who’s Who in Star Trek (1987 series) #1 Mar-87

Crossfire (1984 series) #17 Mar-86

Eclipse Crossfire (1984 series) #21 Apr-87

The New DNAgents (1985 series) #8 Apr-86

Whodunnit?

(1986 series) #3 Apr-87

DC Who’s Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe (1985 series) #15 May-86

Comico Jonny Quest (1986 series) #12 May-87

DC

Who’s Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe (1985 series) #16 Jun-86

The Outsiders (1985 series) #19 May-87

Eclipse Eclipse

Airboy (1986 series) #22 May-87

Crossfire & Rainbow (1986 series) #1 Jun-86 Whodunnit? (1986 series) #1 Jun-86 Crossfire & Rainbow (1986 series) #2 Jul-86 Crossfire & Rainbow (1986 series) #3 Aug-86

Eclipse Whodunnit? (1986 series) #2 Nov-86

Comico Jonny Quest (1986 series) #7 Dec-86

DC Elvira’s House of Mystery (1986 series) #11 Jan-87

98

DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

Crossfire (1984 series) #22 Jun-87

Gladstone Mickey Mouse Comics Digest (1986 series) #4 Jul-87

Eclipse Crossfire (1984 series) #23 Jul-87 Airboy (1986 series) #27 Aug-87

Crossfire (1984 series) #24 Aug-87

Action Comics Weekly (1988 series) #610 26-Jul-88

St. George (1988 series) #7 Jun-89

Crossfire (1984 series) #25 Oct-87

Action Comics Weekly (1988 series) #611 2-Aug-88

DC

Airboy (1986 series) #34 Dec-87

Action Comics Weekly (1988 series) #612 9-Aug-88

TSR

DC

TSR

Warhawks Comics Module (1990 series) #1 1990

History of the DC Universe (1988 series) #[nn] 1988

Agent 13: The Midnight Avenger (1988 series) #[nn] Sep-88

Agent 13: Acolytes of Darkness (1990 series) #[nn] Mar-90

The Shadow Strikes! Annual (1989 series) #1 Jun-89

Eclipse First

Airboy (1986 series) #35 Jan-88

Classics Illustrated (1990 series) #7 Apr-90

Comico Marvel

Jonny Quest (1986 series) #21 Feb-88

A Shadowline Saga: “Critical Mass” (1990 series) #4 Apr-90

Eclipse Airboy (1986 series) #36 Feb-88

Clive Barker’s Hellraiser (1989 series) #5 1990

Crossfire (1984 series) #26 Feb-88

Disney Arachnophobia (1990 series) #1 Sep-90

Crossfire (1984 series) #26 Feb-88

Marvel Airboy (1986 series) #37 Mar-88

Hollywood Superstars (1990 series) #1 Nov-90

DC Teen Titans Spotlight (1986 series) #21 Apr-88

Hollywood Superstars (1990 series) #2 Jan-91

Action Comics Weekly (1988 series) #601 24-May-88

Hollywood Superstars (1990 series) #3 Feb-91

Action Comics Weekly (1988 series) #602 31-May-88

Hollywood Superstars (1990 series) #4 Mar-91

Action Comics Weekly (1988 series) #603 7-Jun-88

Hollywood Superstars (1990 series) #5 Apr-91

Action Comics Weekly (1988 series) #604 14-Jun-88 Action Comics Weekly (1988 series) #605 21-Jun-88

Vortex DC

The Legends of NASCAR (1991 series) #4 Aug-91

Who’s Who Update ’88 (1988 series) #3 Oct-88

Disney

Marvel

Disney Adventures (1990 series) #v2#5 Mar-92

Action Comics Weekly (1988 series) #606 28-Jun-88

Clive Barker’s Hellraiser (1989 series) #1 1989

Action Comics Weekly (1988 series) #607 5-Jul-88

Marvel Action Universe (1989 series) #1 Jan-89

Action Comics Weekly (1988 series) #608 12-Jul-88

Doctor Zero (1988 series) #6 Feb-89

Action Comics Weekly (1988 series) #609 19-Jul-88

Doctor Zero (1988 series) #7 Apr-89

Opposite: Whitman Mighty Samson #34 alternative, 1982 Above: GO BOTS Tonka Toys Golden Book splash, 1985 COMIC INDEX

99

DC

Antarctic Press

The Shadow Strikes (1989 series) #29 Mar-92

Crossfire (1994 series) #1 Apr-94

Disney

Marvel

Disney Adventures (1990 series) #v2#8 Jun-92

Disney’s Pocahontas (1995 series) #1 Jul-95

Vortex

Gladstone

NASCAR Adventures - Mark Martin (1991 series) #7 Jun-92

Walt Disney’s Uncle Scrooge Adventures (1993 series) #38 May-96

DC

Walt Disney’s Uncle Scrooge (1993 series) #298 Jun-96

Legends of the Dark Knight Annual (1991 series) #1 Jun-91

Marvel Eclipse

Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 series) #1 Jul-96

True Crime Comics (1993 series) #1 Feb-93

Claypool Comics

Disney Comic Hits (1995 series) #10 Jul-96

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1993 series) #1 May-93

Archie Scooby-Doo (1995 series) #10 Jul-96

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1993 series) #2 Jun-93

DC The Big Book of Vice (1999 series) #[nn] Jan-99

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1993 series) #3 Jul-93 Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1993 series) #4 Aug-93 Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1993 series) #5 Sep-93 Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1993 series) #6 Oct-93

DC Modesty Blaise (1994 series) [Note: layouts & roughs Dick Giordano inks] 1994

Claypool Comics Soulsearchers and Company (1993 series) #36 May-99

Above & Below: Whitman Walt Disney Showcase #54, “Black Hole Story” pages 1 & 2, 1980

DC Fanboy (1999 series) #6 Aug-99 Fanboy (2001 series) #[nn] Sep-01

About Comics Many Happy Returns Annual 2008 #2008

Bongo Simpsons Comics (1993 series) #144 Jul-08

Marvel

Eureka Productions

Disney’s The Three Musketeers (1994 series) #1 Jan-94

Western Classics: Graphic Classics Volume 20 (Graphic Novels) Mar-11

Disney’s The Three Musketeers (1994 series) #2 Feb-94

100 DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

Above (left to right): Whitman Walt Disney Showcase #54, “Black Hole Story” pages 3 & 4, 1980

Below (left to right): Whitman Walt Disney Showcase #54, “Black Hole Story” pages 5 & 6, 1980

COMIC INDEX 101

Above: Aragonés art for Dan Opposite Above: Commissioned Spiegle art, Hopalong Cassidy, 2011 Opposite Below (left to right): Sergio Aragonés & Dan Spiegle 102 DAN SPIEGLE: A Life in Comic Art

AFTERWORD I grew up in Mexico City and from an early age I was an avid reader. Mostly adventure books, Verne, Dumas, Salgary and Burroughs, but to my parents’ chagrin, my interest in comic strips and comic books was as strong and I spent every time away from school—well, many times at school also—drawing cartoons. And as a boy, like any boy or girl in any country, my biggest desire was to meet my heroes. To other kids, it could have been meeting famous actors, sport figures, ballerinas or writers; in my case, cartoonists!

As a young boy, I could not look at comic books, and know who drew what, but as I grew older, I started to recognize styles and names, as Mark Evanier wrote in the Foreword of this book. In the beginning, many comic books didn’t include the names of the artists or writers, but I knew the ones I liked even if I didn’t know who drew them. I started to form in my head a pantheon of heroes that I tried to emulate or just admire because of their enormous talent. I knew it was impossible for me to come close to those printed treasures that filled my imagination.

Eventually I became a professional cartoonist and had the chance to meet my Mexican idols. I then made my move to the United States in 1962 and I started to work at Mad Magazine. I started to fulfill my dreams of meeting the men that had helped form my career, a dream that in Mexico had seemed impossible to achieve—to encounter and engage with Al Jaffee, Jack Davis and the “Gang of Idiots.” And then the long chats with my dearest friend Jerry Defuccio, then assistant editor of Mad and a comic book historian—and of course one of my most frequent questions was, “Who drew that?” Names started to pour in, Carl Barks, Reed Crandall, Dan Spiegle...(by the way, one of Jerry’s favorite artists). Now I know who drew Hopalong Cassidy, my favorite western!

And then I met the man.

We met at comic book conventions and at cartoonist reunions and we talked. I learned more about the artist, about the great work he was doing and had done through the years. His style was more fluid, more dynamic and secure, but still the same style that as a young man moved me to lose myself in the wonderful world of adventure and make-believe...

Being this is an Afterword, you have already read about Dan Spiegle’s enormous talent, his versatility, his ability to draw humor as well as realistic form and both so well. But above all, that great quality that makes him (and again I quote) “one of the most beloved men in the field of cartooning”.

So I do not have to repeat what you have already learned, but the emotion that I felt meeting one of the most admired artists of my youth is hard to describe.

And than I met his beautiful family. I had the chance to work with Dan’s daughter, Carrie in one of my Mad projects. And then best of all I had the opportunity to work with Dan in a book written by Mark Evanier, titled Fan Boy, published by DC Comics in 1999. Both Dan and myself drawing a western satire—one of those rare moments in the career of an artist!

You read the book, now you know why men like Dan Spiegle inspire young artists to improve their work, writers to wish that there were more Dan Spiegles to illustrate their stories, and why I am so privileged to have Dan Spiegle as my friend.

Sergio Aragonés 2013 AFTERWORD: SERGIO ARAGONÉS 103

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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

Experience the life and work of comics legend DAN SPIEGLE!

DAN SPIEGLE is one of the most respected—and hardest working—comics artists of the last sixty years, with a career spanning the Golden Age of comics through the Modern era.

From his beginnings on the Hopalong Cassidy newspaper strip, to his thirty-year tenure on Dell and Gold Key’s licensed TV and Movie adaptions (Lost in Space, Korak, Magnus Robot Fighter, Mighty Sampson, Buck Rogers), Dan’s work is admired by fans and professionals alike. During the 1980s, he worked at DC Comics on Batman, Unknown Soldier, Tomahawk, Jonah Hex, Teen Titans, and the fan-favorite reboot of Blackhawk (taking the character back to its World War II roots), as well as his popular Crossfire series for Eclipse Comics, Dark Horse’s Indiana Jones series, and more. In this book, author JOHN COATES documents Dan’s entire life in comics, through interviews filled with insight into the comic industry, colorful anecdotes of meeting celebrities, plus an examination of Dan’s artistic process from script to finished drawing, as well as personal reflections by Dan’s family on growing up with a father in comics. It includes dozens of images of Dan’s work, along with personal photos of family and industry peers, and numerous private commission drawings. If you’ve read comics between the mid-1950s through the 2000s, you’ve probably enjoyed a comic with Dan’s art— now learn about his life in comic art. Includes a Foreword by longtime collaborator MARK EVANIER and an Afterword by SERGIO ARAGONÉS.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60549-049-6 ISBN-10: 1-60549-049-0 51795

9 781605 490496

Dan Spiegle is the recipient of: • 1983 Ink Pot Award • 1997 “Lifetime Achievement Award” Comic Art Professional Society (CAPS) GIL KANE: I would like to point up the disparity between the choices of the fans and of the pro artists. Fans tend to focus on the single artist, who is regarded as a good working professional, but hardly with the high regard that fans have; professionals, on the other hand, single out people that I never read about in any fan magazine.

ALTER-EGO: One would be [Alex] Toth?

GIL KANE: Toth is one. Dan Spiegle is another.

[From Alter-Ego #10, Vol. 1 (quoted in 1967, published in 1969), interviewed by John Benson.]

TwoMorrows Publishing Raleigh, North Carolina

www.twomorrows.com ISBN 978-1-60549-049-6 $17.95 in the U.S. All characters shown TM & © their respective owners, as detailed on page 2.