New York Comic Cons of the Past

The 1960s gave birth to the Comic Book Convention. While they began as modest ventures at run-down hotels for fans to engage in the business of buying, selling and trading their wares, they soon expanded into larger extravaganzas at the hands of organizers who exploited the medium's burgeoning interest. The first Con was crafted by teenage fan Bernie Bubnis in 1964. The determined youngster made the rounds at several publishing houses and put the Con together at a small space in downtown Manhattan. You can read his first-hand account about it in a piece he wrote on this blog several years ago:  https://nick-caputo.blogspot.com/2022/06/ditko-and-kid-guest-post-by-bernie.html

Steve Ditko's cover adorned the first New York Comicon program booklet in 1964. Image talen from J. Ballman's detailed book on the Con, which you can still purchase from Amazon and other outlets. 

Soon others would take up the mantle. Dave Kaler, a fan who also wrote for The Comic Reader fanzine, operated shows from 1965-67. It evoled with a larger collection of guests from the world of comics, including professionals such as Stan Lee, Bill Everett, Carmine Infantino and Otto Binder. While Bubnis' premiere Con had guests such as Gold Key artist Tom Gill, Steve Ditko (who attended but did not take the stage for any questions; instead he sat in attendance as an observer and spoke with several fans) and, representing Marvel comics, corresponding secretary Flo Steinberg and intern Dave Twedt. 

The next, and longest-running Con organizer was Brooklyn born and raised Phil Seuling, a teacher who took over the operation and ran the NY shows from 1968-1983. While his premiere show was held in November, all later Cons were held over the Independence Day weekend. Under his tuteledge the annual festivites greatly expanded. Seuling oversaw the shows and was visibly in attendence; he often made programming announcements, interviewed guests and mingled with fans during the duration time of the convention.   

One of the earliest program books I aquired (where else?) at a Con! Cover art by newspaper cartoonist Hal Foster. 

Contents page inside the 1969 program booklet which listed the participants. A few notable names are John Benson, who wrote articles on guests Hal Foster and Harvey Kurtzman, Bill Pearson, publisher of Witzend, and Chris Steinbrunner, who ran film programs shown at the con, which he also did professionally at local NY station WOR-Channel 9 giving him access to the material, including serials, which could be shown at the con. Steinbrunner was an enthusiast of comics and wrote one of the earliest books on fantasy-sci-fi (and one of the earliest I read): Cinema of the Fantastic. You can read more about this fascinating man here:https://thethunderchild.com/BurnsintheCity/ChrisSteinbrunner.html 

The Con booklet included professional greetings from Marvel, DC and Warren, which provided an excellent oppotunity to promote their titles, comic strips by fan artists and plenty of ads for popular fanzines and back issue stores.

The comics occcasionally took notice of Cons, as seen by this satirical piece from the pages of Charlton. "Comics Convention", Abbott and Costello # 13, August 1970. Possible script by Denny O'Neil or Grass Green; art by Grass Green. 

In 1970 I atteded my first Con with my brother and fellow comics afficianado, John. I recall being baffled when we received a flyer in the mail announcing the upcoming event, drawn by humorist Sergio Aragones (of Mad fame). Neither of us had a history of buying comics or fanzines through the post, nor had any letters published in periodicals at the time. We still have no clue of how it was sent to us, as potential attendees. Neverthelless, John decided we would go. For my very first Con I can tell you little of what was seen. In the eyes of a young kid I was overwhelmed by the many dealers/books/fans around me. I only recall a huge room with the hustle and bustle of huge crowds. I don't believe we attended any panels; my brother was too busy adding to his collection! One notable event was, on our way home John asked me to carry the shopping bag of comics he purchased into the back yard while he sauntered into the kitchen to greet our parents. He figured they wouldn't take a liking to all those four color gems he picked up! Later on I would venture into the back yard and sneak them into our third floor bedroom. There was a lot of espionage in collecting comics back then! 

1971 program book. Cover by Jim Steranko. This event lasted four days and featured a smorgasborg of excitement. Along with guests such as Steranko, Jim Warren and Gardner Fox, there were costume contests, serials (Spy Smasher, Dick Tracy), bloopers from the Star Trek TV show, Superman cartoons, art exhibits, and, of course, a kalidescope of comics, fanzines, big little books, movie posters, monster mags, and a wide range of ephemra for sale.    

Program booklets were filled with an array of talented illustratons by a cadre of talent, both older and of more recent vintage. A young Frank Brunner contributed this illo to the '72 Con book.   

Inside page of the 1973 Comic Art Convention Program with art by Mike Kaluta. Five days of entertainment, with the events described above, and all for $2.50 cents a day!

Phil Seuling wrote several articles in the '73 program book, one in concert with Joe Parente on artist Mac Raboy. Parente's ad for his Litle Nemo shop also appeared in that issue. I was not aware of his store until about a year later. My brother and I made frequent visits to his Foerst Hills shop, purchasing the latest comics, along with fanzines such as The Comic Reader, Mediascene and The Comics Journal. From my conversations with him I soon discovered that Parente was knowledgable about comics and comic art, and I even saw and met artists such as Al Milgrom in his store.

   

1974 Program cover. Art by Joe Simon. The booklet continued with spotlights on creators Frank Robbins, Will Eisner, Roy Thomas and Joe Simon, accompanied by aselection of photos, art and advertising by a plethora of comic stores and fanzines. 

My brother and I may have attended more Cons from 1971-74 - we just don't remember. He was a collector, mainly of Marvel Comics, although he purchased from other companies as well, including selected DC, Charlton, Warren and Gold Key titles. I read all the comics he bought, and occasionally, in between collecting gum cards (if you're so inclined, you can venture to this post for more: https://nick-caputo.blogspot.com/2024/02/card-collecting-in-1960s-memories.html ) I'd buy a comic or two of my own, such as the Adventures of Jerry Lewis. Hey, I'm seven years younger than him, so we sometimes had different tastes! 

In any event the next Con I specifically recall attending was engineered, not by Mr. Seuling, but Marvel comics, in 1975. It was a three-day affair and we, accompanied by John's friend Ben, had a blast every day. We found our way at many panels and saw pactically the entire Marvel staff. I also was floored by seeing plenty of original cover art, many for issues not yet published. It was exciting to see the large art, sans copy, in glorious black and white. In addition to the panels and art, there were costume contests and films to be seen. And on the last day, at a Fantastic Four panel, Jack Kirby, who had left Marvel to work exclusively for DC in 1970, made a surprise appearance!  

                        Cover to the '75 Mightry Marvel Comic Convention. John Romita art. 

Two pages of autographs and a triad of art by Marvel staffers, including a Daredevil sketch by John Romita; Forbush Man by Marie Severin and the Vision by Don Heck. Back in the day a kid could go over to his favorite creators and just ask for a sketch without renumeration. 

Kirby joined Stan Lee, Roy Thomas (I believe) and others on the podium to thunderous applause! It was an thrilling moment, and as can be seen by my program book autographs above, I was able to acquire Kirby's signature as well!

We met an array of creators on those three days, including Marie Severin, Don Heck, George Perez, Steve Gerber, Joe Sinnott and many others I'm forgetting. Practically everyone working for Marvel was there, and we all enjoyed the festivities.

Checking into the Caputo archives I discovered that I still have my ticket from attending the 3 day event. 

   

Jack Kirby did the cover honors for the '75 Seuling Comic Art Convention Con in his own incomparable style.  

Before we knew it we were back for another Seuling Con several months later. The program book was filled with fascinating material. It featured interviews with Kirby, Barry Smith, Frank Robbins, Joe Simon, Roy Thomas and Stan Lee, accompanied by articles related to comics from the 40s to the 60s, photos of guests from previous years and related material.

It's evident that Seuling had a satirical edge, as evidnced by this wittily writtten house ad, illustrated by Steve Harper and Mike Kaluta, that appeared in the '75 program.Besides running the Con and being a teacher, Seuling also sold comics.  

Marvel produced its second (and final) Con the following year, with a much smaller program book. Art by Mike Nasser and Al Milgrom. I attended that one as well, but it was not as memorable as the first.

Jack Kirby was celebrated with two articles in the issue, this one looking back at his career and the other to his current Marvel efforts.  

The exceptional Bernie Wrightson provided the cover for Seuling's special event. It was a thick and nicely designed book designed by Sal Quartuccio and Bob Keenan.  

Inside, artist Mike Nasser crafted this image for Seuling's celebration which took place in Philidelphia instead of NYC that year! 

It was the tenth anniversary of Seuling's Cons, and he celebrated it admirably. His essay paid homage to Bernie Bubnis and his nascent foray into the shows, but Seuling elequently segued into his own person feelings:   

"I believe collectors have some traits in common. We all have a sense of history, for instance, for the relevance and signifigance of our favorite titles and issues in the contexxt of the times. Another shared feeling is intellectual curiosity. Who was responsible for such an idea, or such an innovation? Why was it published, or discontinued? When did this artist begin his career, or that one retire?  Perhaps we share an aquisitiveness, also, wanting to keep what we have and add even more to our hoard. We certainly share an affection for fantasy and adventure. But I think we share one more characteristic, too. I believe we have an instinct for grouping - an urge to gather, to be among others with the same interests." 

The program book offered articles on Bernie Wrightson and John Stanley, two very different and hugely expressive creators, the former immersed in horror-themed images. the latter a wtiter/artist who offered children's tales such as Little Lulu, but adorned with wit, wisdom, humor and charm. I had not been aware of Stanley at the time, but years later read the book collections of his work and was so amused I passed them on to other comics fans/friends. They alll loved them, and proved Stanley's theory that he wrote the stories to please himself and his peers, but in essence he produced work that had universal appeal.

Walt Simonson contributed this Iron Man illo to the program book. He was one of many, including Jack Kirby, Alex Toth, John Severin and Gray Morow, who made the publication a visual feast. 

This was followed by 53 pages of illustrations by top pros, a short piece by Frank Thorne, the recognized artist of Red Sonja and a look at the very popular costumers, back in the days when contests were prevalent. All in all a well-realized "annual" production.

Seuling made an appearance on the syndicated Mike Douglas program, proudly showing off a handful of golden age comics. It aired on July 28,1977 and was likely taped around the time the Con was running. Douglas' show was produced in Philadelphia.

Another outstanding cover featuring a quartet of then-young and vibrant talent adorned the 1978 program cover.

The 1978 Comic Art Convention was yet another solid affair, with a beautifully shiny cover (the white background is STILL vibrant some 42 years later!) and spotlights on guests Roy Thomas, Trina Robbins, Jeff Jones, Bernie Wrightson, Barry Windsor-Smith, Michael Kaluta and Phillipe Druillet. . It included a 10 page portfolio of artwork and was finely designed.

 While Seuling's annual extravagana continued apace, it shoud be noted that he also produced a monthly con, which was often filled with dealers where you could search out comics to fulfill your want lists. I made many forays into these shows over the years and filled many holes in my collection! Art by Dennis Kitchen.

  

The 1980 program was reduced to a 32 page newsprint affair, less-slick than most of the previous efforts. The cover art was by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez and Dick Giordano, and interior features were prepared for guests including Harlan Ellison, Bob Kane, Boris Vallejo and Wendy and Richard Pini by Cat Yronwode. Plenty of autographs were attained in my book, including Jim Aparo, Steve Leialoha, Jeff Jones, Charles Vess, Rudy Nebres, C,C. Beck and Bill Plympton! A few, including Plympton, added sketches gratis!   

 The last of my Seuling Program books, which was even smaller than the previous effort, clocking in at 20 pages. This was heading towards the end of the line for Phil, as the ringmaster passed away on August 11, 1984. In addition to his duties runing shows, Seuling was instrumental in overseeing Sea Gate Distributors, where he convinced major publishers (DC, Marvel, Archie, Warren) to ship their titles to comic stores on a non-returnable basis. Seuling was a major businessman and made the July Cons a sucsessful venture that predated the immensly popular San Diego Comic Con, which began in 1970. Putting this piece together reminded me how animated and prevalent Seuling was in this period. I'm happy to be devoting space to his accomplishments.  

The '81 program included and ad from Marvel promoting its 20th Anniversary. Frank Miller pencils; Terry ASustin inks; Irv Watanabe letters.   

Those days of traveling to conventions, often accmpanied by friends and fellow fans, or  occasionally on my own, was almost always worthwhile. With Seuling gone others took his place, and there were many excursions in the dealers room, searching out that one issue of Strange Tales to complete my Doctor Strange collection, or discovering a rare old fanzine I just had to have. The thrill of the hunt was satisfying.Don't forget, in those pre-internet, per-ebay days, one had to either get to a store that sold old comics (read more about that on the feature post on the right), purchase them through fanzines like the Buyer's Guide - and I bougtt many that way - or make it to Cons! As the years continued, into the '90s and beyond, I looked forward to meeting and chatting with a great many pros whose work I admired. It's a huge list: Kirby, Jim Steranko, Gene Colan, Gil Kane, Herb Trimpe, Dick Ayers, Joe Sinnott, John Romita, Larry Leiber, Roy Thomas,Stan Goldberg, Flo Steinberg - and that's just Marvel folks. There was also Sam Glanzman, Joe Gill, Steve Skeates, Irwin Hasen, Joe Staton. It was memorable to meet them all, exchanging thoughts and opinions on the medium. I'm also  likely forgetting a few, but looking at those names an unfortunate reality hits home - most of them have passed. 

With the absence of so many from the comic book firmament, along with my no longer collecting back issues, the thrill is largely absent from going to another Con. They have become "events" with overwhelming crowds, Movie stars abounding, and costumed figures in abundance. It's no longer fun for me. But I do appreciate the countless times I raced through the dealers room, or stopped over Gene Colan's table to see him and his wife. Conversations abounded, smiles were exchanged and memories made that last a lifetime. It was a good time to be buying and collecting comics. 

   This pic, from around 2014, was taken at the Comic Con located at the Javits Center, probably one of the last I attended. The erstwhile "Yancy Street Gang", a collection of scholars and wise-guys, was there to celebrate the publication of the oversized Taschen tome on display, Marvel Comics, From the Golden Age to the Silver Screen, which we greatly contributed to. Seen from left to right are "boisterous" Barry Pearl, "meticulous" Michael Vassallo, "Jovial" John Caputo and yours truly, "nifty" Nick Caputo. If only Phil Seuling were there to preside over the event!

    

60 Summers Ago: Amazing Spider-Man Annual 1

Note: This post originally appeared on July 9, 2014 - a decade ago - and four years after my  online premiere. Since this is the sixtieth anniversary of when the first Spider-Man Annual was published I thought it deserved another look back. Some of the analysis has been revised and updated. I hope you enjoy the results. 

On a bygone spring day one can only imagine the delight kids felt when they entered a candy store and encountered a rack of comic books! Further enthusiasm would be generated when he or she saw what amounted to a 25 cent extravaganza that was more than triple the output of the regular, monthly titles, which at the time were priced at 12 cents. This was indeed a special event, understood by both management and the purchaser. With the promise of a long summer ahead there was a sense of magic in the air, and for those who loved comics it became a reality.       

In June of 1964 the first Amazing Spider-Man Annual arrived on newsstand shelves. Marvel had been publishing a number of oversized titles since 1961, with such best sellers as the Fantastic Four and Millie the Model, supplementing their regular product line with a larger variant, generally in the summer months*. Spider-Man seemed like a natural next choice. For fans of the character it was a smorgasbord of his most infamous villains; which were presented in a double-size 41-page story by Stan Lee and co-plotter/artist Steve Ditko. An additional 31 pages of pin-ups and other atypical offerings followed.

*See the feature post on the right-side for further exciting details on Marvel Annuals. You won't be disappointed! Exuberant Nick 

    
 The Circus comes to town!  Amazing Spider-Man Annual # 1, June, 1964. Cover by Steve Ditko, letters by Artie Simek and colors by Stan Goldberg. With the exception of Sam Rosen, who did the interior lettering, the same creative team is responsible for the compete book. Stan Lee wrote all the dialogue and cover copy.

With it's multi-colored logo and simple but effective design the first Spider-Man Annual offered a world of excitement. Priced at 25 cents the comic was a bargain, offering a total of 72 pages of interior story/art and only three pages of advertising (inside front cover, inside back cover and back cover). Unfortunately the ad pages grew in the following year, but it was nice to read a story with no interruptions!  

A little background is needed for the uninitiated. Editor/writer Stan Lee wanted to promote the entire Marvel Comics Group, which meant having heroes from other books appear in different comics. He saw it as one self-contained and insular landscape where super-real and real worlds collided in an almost natural but paradoxical fashion. This occurred during the gestation of Marvel; Ant-Man or the Hulk for instance, would get involved with the Fantastic Four. Lee very likely got this idea from radio programs such as Jack Benny, where rival comedian Fred Allen, who broadcast on the same network, would often get into a feud with Benny on HIS program. This helped to cross-promote both shows. In actuality this was not a new idea for Lee; early on he would have Millie the Model meet Patsy Walker in the teen-humor titles. Ditko had other ideas regarding this, though.    

Ditko did not like the idea of using guest-stars in the books he was working on [Spider-Man and the "Dr. Strange" series in Strange Tales] feeling that they undercut the character's story world and the development of the supporting cast. He believed a hero should be able to face any difficulty on their own. Lee had an opposing view, with an eye towards promoting the entire line, thus crafting a "world" where everyone could conceivably meet. From this synergy between titles sales could grow from fan interest. Guest-stars and villains from other strips were common during the time they produced the Annual. Furthermore it was customary for Lee to provide Ditko with a short synopsis, which they discussed before the work began. Once Ditko started to plot solo (circa Amazing Spider-Man # 25) the use of outside characters came to an abrupt end. Ditko made a few exceptions, as he explained in the essay, A Mini-History 1: The Green Goblin:* *

"Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2 (1965) featuring Dr. Strange, was,  as an Annual should be, a special event. It does not necessarily have to connect to the monthly adventures."  

 **The Comics, Vol 12, No. 7, July 2001.

While Ditko's commentary was about the second Annual, it points to the idea that he was more amenable to add guest-stars to these special events, and went along with Lee's edict to include Marvel's heroes throughout the book. What's worth exploring is exactly how he creatively accomplished this without compromising his core beliefs. 

The first costumed hero Spider-Man literally "runs into" is Thor, in a two-panel sequence as he zooms past him. Lee provides the humorous dialogue: "He's either on his way to a meeting with the Avengers..or he's late for his BARBER!". For the edification of the newcomer Lee adds a caption to the panel where the character appears, citing the title's particulars - a simple but effective promotional ploy.  

Ditko's other signature character, Dr. Strange, has a cameo strolling nonchalantly through the streets of Forest Hills while Peter is tussling with Flash Thompson! Dr. Strange is depicted in his "spirit form" (differentiated by a lack of color) but this does not follow previously established tenants from his Strange Tales series. Dr. Strange is known to the public as an investigator of psychic phenomenon and recognized by many as an eccentric. There is no reason for him to be in his other form, since he would likely give citizens a heart attack! Further, he has only used that form to battle mystic forces, and usually is drifting above ground. 

Two panels from "The House of Shadows!", Strange Tales # 120, May 1964, published several months earlier. This clearly illustrates that Dr. Strange moving about in public  flamboyantly attired would be as normal to the average bystander as Bob Dylan ambling around Greenwich Village. Maybe they both ran into each other at Cafe Wha? 

I strongly suspect this was an error by Lee in both his dialogue (telling the teens he is in his "ectoplasmic form") and possible instructions to Stan Goldberg to not color Strange. My theory on Ditko's sequence of events: Strange is walking in his flesh and blood form. In panel one his raised hand indicates a spell cast, allowing him to become intangible (panel 2), thus avoiding physical harm to both himself and the boys, protecting everyone from their hooliganism. In the third panel the dumbstruck gang clearly sees Strange and points to him. Fellow fan and master of minuitae Frank Mastropaolo differs with my theory slightly. He suspects the second panel would correctly have been devoid of color to emphasize his intangibility. I postulate that a lighter shade of blue would have gotten the same effect. Since coloring is one of the final processes before printing, it is also possible that production head Sol Brodsky did not notice the mistake. What do you think? Feel free to weigh in on the comments section. Perhaps we're BOTH wrong!    

While Ditko wrote notes and rough dialogue for every panel/page on separate sheets of paper as a rough guide for Lee, it's possible his intent was lost or misunderstood. Ditko also wouldn't have been aware of a mistake until the comic was published. Either way, Ditko's concept was probably a better strategy than Lee would have asked for, since it was a clever way of showing fandom that here is a great character and this is what he does. 

As the Fantastic Four fly around town they spot Spider-Man, who they assume is goofing off. Unknown to the FF, though, he is actually having difficulty with maneuvers he usually performs effortlessly. Peter is beginning to fear that he is losing his powers. After witnessing his Aunt, May Parker, grieving over a photograph of her deceased husband, Peter's feelings of guilt over not saving him from a criminal's bullet resurfaces. The reader has to wonder exactly what is happening to Peter.   

Lost in thought and worried about how his life will change as a normal teenager, Peter is indifferent to Giant-Man and the Wasp stopping a crime.

The Vulture delivers a message to Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson, informing him that his secretary, Betty Brant, and Peter Parker's Aunt are hostages of "The Sinister Six", a group of Spider-Man's old foes seeking revenge. The Vulture wants Jameson to contact Spider-Man, setting him up for a trap. Jameson, of course, has no clue how to get in touch with Spider-Man and calls the Fantastic Four, who in turn contact the Avengers. Captain America answers the call and tells Reed Richards: "I never even MET Spider-Man!". Yes, there was a time Marvel's heroes didn't all know each other!   

The Human Torch fashions a flaming message in the skies to no avail. Professor X, mentor of the teenage mutants known as the X-Men, has no time to worry about Spider-Man, telling his students to get back to work! If only more superheroes minded their own business instead of getting involved in every story-line! 

Convinced that he no longer has special abilities Peter still heads out as Spider-Man in a desperate attempt to save his loved ones. Arriving at the assigned destination he encounters Electro. When his extraordinary reflexes save his life Peter realizes that his loss of powers was only psychosomatic. Surely the first time a superhero had suffered from such an illness! 

After many near misses, Spidey finally has a direct encounter with another hero. Since the prior panels reflect battle scenes with Electro in Tony Stark's factory, it makes sense that his alter-ego, Iron-Man, shows up, but only AFTER Spidey's confrontation! Since Lee was promoting each character, perhaps he deliberately left off the official titles in his captions. By this point Journey into Mystery and Tales of Suspense's cover logos had been minimized. Superheroes were clearly the main selling point so "The Power of Iron-Man" and "The Mighty Thor" were emphasized. Soon Tales to Astonish would follow suit, although Strange Tales' logo remained intact for some time. 

                           Jameson contacts the FF again, worried about his own neck, of course!  

The Human Torch appeared in a number of Spider-Man's monthly adventures, but the two teenagers were often antagonistic towards each other. Spider-Man declines Johnny's offer of assistance; most assuredly Ditko's take that a hero had to fight his own battles and doesn't need outside help. Ditko explained a specific instance of this in "A Mini-History 12: Guest Stars: Heroes and Villains"*** 

"I also deliberately made S-M (Spider-Man) and the HT (Human Torch) ineffective as a "team" in capturing the B (Beetle)...In yet another S-M/HT team up (#19) I had two policeman capture the Sandman." 

*** The Comics, Vol 14, No. 7, July 2003.

New York's finest save the day! Panel from Amazing Spider-Man # 19, Dec, 1964

Ditko grudgingly accepted Lee's use of guest-stars on occasion, but cleverly turned the idea on its head, making them a detriment to each other, not a boon.  

Spidey battles the X-Men...or does he? They turn out to be robots created by Mysterio. Lee gets his wish to publicize the new team (whose seventh issue was on the stands when the Annual appeared) while Ditko avoids a meeting with the real heroes.

  In one of the most amusing panels Jameson desperately tries to contact Spider-Man by conversing with a spider outside his window. I bet JJ was a fan of Mr. Ed!

The final cameo goes to the Human Torch, who checks in with an aggravated and bombastic Jameson. Ditko included a total of 27 panels featuring guest stars in a 41 page story, most of which were "walk on" appearances. Ditko cannily followed Lee's directive in his own inventive and unique way. 

The story was immediately followed by an outstanding collection of special features that represented exactly WHY these Annuals were highly anticipated. The gallery of Spider-Man's foes included every lowlife the hero had encountered up to publication. Ditko knocked it out of the park with every meticulous illustration he rendered. I'm particularly impressed by the details, such as the lurking rats and the expressive tiny lizard. Lee added details in the copy and a sense of drama and enthusiasm to the mix.       

"The Secrets of Spider-Man" feature included cameos of Thor, the Hulk, the Thing, Mr. Fantastic and The Human Torch, explaining Spider-Man's strength in proportion to other heroes and the capability of his webbing.

The "Guest-Star Page" includes Ditko's versions of the Hulk and the FF, described by Lee as drawn in "the somewhat different Ditko style". Some fans may not have been impressed with Ditko's interpretation of the Kirby characters, but that distinctivness is exactly what made each man stand out as brilliant stylists. To this viewers eye, Kirby's boldness, as exemplified by The Thing's craggy protuberances, was antithetical to Ditko's more organic, down-to-earth figures. That said, he did a fine job on the other members of the FF, particularly the Torch, and the following month Ditko would sucsessfuly revise Kirby's Hulk, plotting and drawing the new co-feature in Tales to Astonish for eight issues. It should be pointed out that the vision exuded by both creators helped set Marvel apart from the competition, and launched them - a relativity small company at the time - to the very top of the industry. 

Finally, we close with this delightful image of Stan Lee being assaulted by Marvel's heroes, including Daredevil and Sgt. Fury, the only characters who didn't make it into the main story. Fury, of course, was set in World War II, and DD may have been omitted because Lee and Ditko worked on the Annual before his first issue was published. Or, as Joseph William Marek pointed out, it may simply be that they were both aware that the character was featured in that month's Amazing Spider-Man (issue #16).     

While I don't totally agree with Ditko's theory that guest-stars diminish a heroes importance, his point that they interfered with the development of the protagonist, his supporting cast and ongoing sub-plots (particularly in the monthly comic book) is valid. For kids reading the comics however, it was often an exciting and welcomed event. In the early 1960's they were used sparingly, resulting in a hightened sense of novelty, but the practice escalated to the point of overuse and excess. As the years went by an "anything goes" mentality produced many poorly plotted stories, lacking in either logic, characterization or originality. All too often these encounters resulted in forced exchanges until they became indistinguishable xerox copies: predictable and cliche ridden. Where's the creativity in that? The Innovation? 

Back in June of 1964, though, few - if any - fans debated the merits of guest-stars. The Amazing Spider-Man Annual # 1 was appreciated by both casual readers and rabid collectors with a quarter to spare for an afternoon's entertainment. They all recieved their money's worth. It was a well-concieved publication, made special by the efforts of sedulous craftsman who did far more than put together a larger version of the monthly iteration. These were seasoned veterans in their prime, maybe visionaries, arguably delivering the best work of their careers. Looking back, it was, and continues to be, a rarefied moment that stands the test of time, when a confluence of forces revitalzed the art form. It was an amazing (no pun intended) epoch we naively thought would last forever. Although in many ways it has. Revisiting this material, even through an adult lens, evokes a sensation of dream-like surrealism, coupled with a persistent awareness that we will not see its like again.