Marvel Mysteries and Comics Minutiae

Unaltered Reprint covers

2012-02-26T21:51:00.001-05:00

Ever since I can remember I've been fascinated by the process of comics: how they're put together. Pencils, inks, colors, lettering, editing, production. Early on I had an ability to notice alterations in artwork. I was a lad of 10 when Kirby moved to DC and Superman and Jimmy Olsen's redrawn faces stuck out like a sore thumb. Or, at Marvel, Romita faces were sometimes on Kirby's women, or a Marie Severin or Herb Trimpe face or figure would show up in a George Tuska or John Buscema story. I was particularly interested in comparing changes that occured in reprint titles such as Marvel Tales or Marvel Collector's Item Classics. I often took out the originals from my brothers collection and discovered that the entire story was often recolored, or there were sometimes changes in copy. Covers were particularly interesting, since the originals were often restructured in some form, either cropped, images flopped or copy added or deleted.

While many covers were new versions by different artists, especially in the 1970s, including Gil Kane, Sal Buscema, Marie Severin, Jim Starlin, John Buscema and Ron Wilson, the originals were also used, but sometimes there were subtle differences. Some of the covers, it turned out, were not the original publsihed covers, but stats of the covers before they were changed in production. There were changes big and small that occured, and I thought it might be interesting to doccument some of them.

Fantastic Four # 68, Nov 1967, Kirby/Sinnott

Detail to Marvel's Greatest Comics # 51, Sept 1974

The above example is one of the, um, minute changes that sometimes appeared and could easily escape detection. In the original published version the Thing's mouth is smaller than the stat that was published on the reprint. Why the change? Did someone think the Thing as originally depicted looked too frightening? The coloring on the reprint appears to obscure some of the machinery, but I don't think there are many alterations from the original, although on both versions Marie Severin may have touched up some of the machinery directly above the Thing's head.

Fantastic Four # 70, Jan 1968 Kirby'Sinnott/Romita alterations

Marvel's Greatest Comics # 53, Nov 1974

Kirby's original drawing reveals a number of differences from the printed cover. Sue's figure on FF # 70 was positioned to turn in the direction of the Android. Romita redrew parts of Sue's waist and leg's, as one can see from the way the lines on her skirt are drawn. Also, Johnny was originally drawn without the flames emanating from his body. Some of Sue's figure is covered on the reprint because the original copy was moved in order to add an additional caption on the upper left. In the 1970's editors often felt the need to add more captions or word baloons, making the covers cluttered and less dramatic.

Thor #129, June 1966 Kirby/Colletta

Marvel Spectacular # 2, Sept 1973

In the original Thor cover Stan decided to eliminate the architecture in order to focus on the three figures. This turned out to be a good idea, as the black background was more dramatic and attractive. The Marvel Spectacular cover had to crop the images a bit in order to fit the bigger logo.

Fantastic Four # 71, Feb 1968, Kirby/Sinnott

Marvel's Greatest Comics # 54, Jan 1975

As you can see, Marvel used quite a few unpublished stats in this period on their reprints. It is interesting to compare the two versions. In the published FF cover Stan again choose to simplify the background elements, eliminating most of the details on the left side of the cover (Reed and Johnny). Only the outline of a bulding appears by Reed's figure, and Johnny's flame was altered so as not to cover the android's face. The burst in between the characters and the blurb was also cut out. The MGC cover cropped the Sue section in order for the logo to fit, but I find the composition of the burst more attractive than the published cover version.

Thor # 133, Oct 1966, Kirby/Colletta/Romita alterations?

Marvel Spectacular # 4, Nov 1973

The face of Ego was changed considerably on the published Thor cover, perhaps by John Romita, although I'm not certain. Stan must have felt that Ego's face looked too normal and wanted a more otherwordly look. I was comparing these covers with my brother John, who felt the published Thor cover looked better than the Marvel Spectacular stat. I believe minor alterations may have worked better, perhaps deleting the beard. I do like the way Kirby drew the eyes.

Captain America # 101, May 1968. Kirby/Shores/Romita alterations

Marvel Super Action # 2, July 1977

Finally we come to a cover that was not not changed due to editorial choice, but by the demands of the Comics Code. Roy Thomas has explained that the Code was very touchy about the depiction of the Skull, and early on made it clear that the Skull's face should look like a mask, not a real skull. Kirby apparently forgot that demand when he was drawing the original cover, and John Romita was called on to make the Skull acceptable. By 1977 the Code had softened enough for the cover to appear on Marvel Super Action. The stat also has a few background elements that are a little different, and the title had to be relettered so that the UPC code could fit on the lower left hand corner.

Those are a few of the covers that were used on reprints in the 1970s. There are quite a few more, and I may detail some of those on a future blog post.

John Powers Severin - An Appreciaton

2012-02-15T22:28:00.005-05:00

"I've always been interested in people's faces. I've tried to study the types you see in various occupations or in the differences that show up with racial groups. Yes, I reckon the face is the best way to show character, but there's plenty of other things that go along with it. The hands - for example -- the way a man uses his hands shows how his mind is really working. You can control an expression on the face, but the hands give it away. Then there's the way a character is dressed or his way of posturing."

John Severin interview with John Benson, Graphic Story Magazine # 13, spring 1971

Beginning in 1947, and only ending recently with his passing on Feb 12th, John Severin had been drawing comics, and drawing them with distinctive finesse, for over sixty years. Quite an accomplishment by any standard.

"Dien Bien Phu", Two Fisted Tales # 40, Jan 1955

Severin was an artist who did not get a lot of attention, perhaps because he was not too involved or interested in super-heroes, prefering genres rooted in a realistic background: western, war, period pieces. Too, he spent many years working on humor strips for Cracked, and was never associated with a single character for long. Nevertheless, Severin was one of those artists, like Russ Heath and Joe Kubert, who turned out superior work year after year.

Kid Colt, Outlaw # 84, May 1959. Severin draws you into the scene. Severin, along with Maneely and Heath, drew some of the very best covers for Atlas.

Caught # 4, Feb 1957. Severin contributed a number of spectacular covers for Atlas crime titles, which deserve to be collected in a Masterworks edition (you listening, Cory??)

I probably first took notice of Severin's work when he took over the artistic chores from Dick Ayers on Sgt. Fury for three issues (#'s 44-46).

Sgt. Fury # 45, Aug 1967. The expressions and body language on the characters say it all.

Severin continued on Sgt. Fury for a long run, inking Dick Ayers pencils, adding authenticity and detail. Severin's inks were exquisite on everyone, from Herb Trimpe and Ross Andru. Of special note is his collaboration with sister Marie on Kull.

Two-Gun Kid # 103, March 1972; Gil Kane pencils

Captain Savage # 16, Sept 1969, Don Heck pencils. Possibly the only time Severin inked Heck.

I began to appreciate Severin even more when I discovered his earlier work, especially reprints of his EC war and humor stories for Mad. As I became interested in collecting pre-hero Marvel in the 1980s I bought many westerns at conventions, attracted by Severin's exceptional covers. All the while Severin continued to work for companies such as Warren, the short-lived Atlas/Seaboard line (in the magazine Thrilling Adventure Stories), and DC, on the Losers, Unknown Soldier and Enemy Ace to the recent Bat Lash. It was always worth checking out anything Severin drew, since the quality of his art continued to remain high.

Western Gunfighters # 9, May 1972. Severin produced many covers on Marvel's western reprints on the 1970s, well worth seeking out. Severin also drew the sidebar characters.

John Severin was a rare breed that turned in exceptional work day in and day out. Never flashy, his art had a quiet integrity which stands the test of time.

Stan Goldberg – Prince of the Palette

2012-02-07T23:19:00.001-05:00

Stan G., as he became popularly known at Marvel in the 1960s, was both proficient and highly skilled, coloring covers and interiors, and inventing the color schemes for the Marvel Super-Heroes, including the FF, Spider-Man, the Hulk, Thor, X-Men, Daredevil, Iron-Man and Dr. Strange. Goldberg was not only a stunning colorist, but also a solid artist in the teen-humor/romance line, including a long run on Millie the Model. Goldberg used his limited palette to produce a distinctive look for the Pre-Hero Marvel and Marvel Age line-up. His use of solid colors, gradations and knock-outs (a single solid color to make a panel stand out) was exceptional, and Editor Lee had a trusted and professional staffer to rely on.

The "Knock-Out" from "The Clock Maker" Strange Tales # 96, May 1962, Ditko Art

Kid Colt Outlaw # 97, March 1961 - Kirby-Ayers Art. Goldbergs's coloring of the prisoners in the foreground in solid gray, along with white space, makes Kid Colt stand out.

Goldberg began working for Timely as a teenager, drawing stories and coloring. He soon took over the coloring department and remained with Marvel until 1968, when he moved over to drawing for Archie Comics. At Marvel, Goldberg added a quality of mood and dimension that fit well with the line. Very different from DC’s primary colors, Goldberg used grays, purples and dark greens to great effect, especially in the monster and fantasy stories of the late 1950s and early 1960s. His monsters all followed similar color schemes; oranges, grays, browns - making them stand out (as can be seen in my post Monster's at my Window) . This sense of mood continued with the Marvel heroes, fashioning a personality quite different from other companies. Goldberg's work followed a pattern: the villains were adorned in greens and purples (Dr. Doom, The Mandarin, Loki, Mysterio, the Frightful Four); the heroes in blues, reds and yellows. Lees Marvel line-up developed a consistent look, down to the lettering and coloring. Goldberg, like Simek and Rosen (see my previous post for more on both men), were professionals who created a body of work than can be admired and appreciated, especially since it was done on a deadline.

Amazing Spider-Man # 23, Apr 1965, Ditko art. Notice how Goldberg did not color Spider-Man's costume in solid red or blue, instead using shading to provide depth, as he did on many of the Marvel characters .

Avengers # 23, Dec 1965, Kirby-Romita Art. Goldberg's coloring of Kang adds dimension to the cover and contrasts with the colorful Avengers.

FF # 47, Feb 1966. Kirby-Sinnott Art. Beautiful use of grays to emphasise the heroes, with the red of the Torch standing out.

X-Men # 16, Jan 1966, Kirby-Ayers cover. Kirby's 3-D art is enhanced by Goldberg's reds and yellows. The purple logo stands out.

Tales of Suspense # 80, Aug 1966. Kirby-Heck cover. Another beautiful combination of colors, especially the yellows and greens.

Sgt. Fury # 16, March 1965, Kirby-Stone art. Goldberg's use of yellow in various gradations makes the reader literally feel the heat and exhaustion that Kirby vividly depicts on the Howlers.

Stan Goldberg is one of a kind. Versatile, inventive and charming in person, he is part of a special era in comics, when a few very intelligent and talented people got together and made comic books that are worth revisiting. While comic book production has changed and improved over time, and coloring is now done on computer, with endless choices, the old school of Goldberg and his peers were able to do more with less, and often accomplish much despite the drawbacks. They tower above the rest as examples of some of the best in the field.

Amazing Spider-Man # 39, Aug '66, Romita cover. One of my earliest memories of a comic book I took notice of on the comics rack, the brilliant gradations of light blue to purple immediately caught my attention and remains a favorite.

Journey Into Minutiae - Undocumented Ditko Thor

2012-01-28T00:08:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while its nice to write something deserving of the "Minutiae" title, and this post achieves that. A few months back my brother John, who often sends me emails when there is a question of identifying art, forwarded me something that was being advertised on Heritage Auctions. It was page 13 of Journey into Mystery # 88, an early Thor story, drawn by Kirby and inked by Dick Ayers. It's always a treat to look at original art pages, especially (for me) studying the border notes by Kirby and others, as well as Stan's production notes to Sol Brodsky. This page was particularly intriguing because it includes a panel that was changed before publication.

Original art to Journey into Mystery # 88, Jan 1963, Kirby pencils;Ayers inks

Close-up of Thor panel by Kirby

There have been numerous instances where Stan requested art corrections or alterations, so that was no big surprise. I put the page away and intended to compare it to the original, to see why it was altered and what Kirby redrew. I never got around to comparing the page, having completely forgotten about it, but the other day I found it mixed in with other papers and decided to check out the original comic. That's when I was in for a surprise.

When I took a close look at the panel I realized the alteration was not by Kirby, or production man Sol Brodsky, but Steve Ditko! The distinct inking on Thor's arms and the depiction of earth was a clear giveaway.

Published panel by Steve Ditko. Note the linework on Thor's arms and the Earth

After comparing the printed panel to the replacement, it was obvious that Stan wanted it to be clear that Thor was flying away from earth. The simple reason Stan didn't have Kirby make the change was probably because Ditko happened to be in the office when it was needed. This was not the first time that Ditko fixed a Kirby panel; he did the same in FF # 20, which was discovered, I believe, by Nigel Kitching, who has pointed out many corrections by Ditko and Kirby in this early period to me many years ago.

Page 17, panel 3 of Fantastic Four # 20, Nov 1963

It's also interesting to note that Ditko inked the cover, which he may have picked up when he made the correction.

Journey into Mystery # 88, Kirby pencils; Ditko inks

It's always a thrill to discover - and share - the little surprises that continue to crop up. It's part of the adventure of investigating the ongoing history of comics.

Attention Paid: The Lettering skills of Artie Simek and Sam Rosen

2012-01-23T23:49:00.002-05:00

An important element of Marvel Comics’ distinctive look in the 1960s included the interior and cover lettering of Artie Simek and Sam Rosen, two of the finest craftsman employed by Stan Lee. Both men had worked in the business for decades: In the 1940s Rosen lettered for Will Eisner on his seminal Spirit comic strip; Simek worked on staff at Timely comics, the precursor to Marvel, and reportedly did some lettering for DC in the 1950s. In the 1960s both men supplied a dramatic style that added a bombastic personality to the line. Guided by Editor/Art Director Stan Lee, who helped design the different bursts, balloons, captions and sound effects that both men brought to fruition, the Marvel letterers, through Lee’s promotional extravagances, began to gain attention on their own, often the punch line to countless jokes in the credits.

Sam Rosen's bold title lettering, splash from Amazing Spider-Man # 17, Oct 1964, Steve Ditko art

Artie Simek's clean, atractive lettering (note the signature scallop style on "The Search for the...".
Fantastic Four # 27, June 1964 (Kirby/Stone cover art)

Besides contributing to a skillful product at Marvel for over a decade, Simek and Rosen helped to create eye-catching and attractive logos that drew the attention of those browsing the neighborhood newsstands. The Fantastic Four, said to be designed by Sol Brodsky, with assistance from Artie Simek, had a fanciful, circus like style that was unlike more serious logos, the Amazing Spider-Man, possibly with the help of Steve Ditko, created a motif that held the lettering in an intricate web; Thor and Sgt. Fury had scalloped edges that were the motif of Artie Simek. The ragged, rough-edged look made the line stand out. Stan Lee, as art director, oversaw the finished product, as did publisher Martin Goodman.

Sam Rosen lettering from Tales of Suspense # 51, March 1965, Kirby/Roussous cover. Stan sometimes wrote directly on the pencilled work, setting the balloon placement and type of look he wanted (i.e. the arrow, burst) that Rosen skillfully rendered.

Artie Simek lettering, splash to Journey into Mystery # 125, Feb 1965, Kirby/Colletta art

While other letterers were employed by Marvel in the 1960s, some quite good, especially the work of John Duffy, Ray Holloway (sometimes under the name Sherigale) and Terry Szenics (actually the husband and wife team of Zoltan and Theresa, who worked for the Eisner-Iger studio in the 1930s), Simek and Rosen were the workhorses, and their presence was as expected as Lee, Kirby, Ditko, Colan or Romita's. Simek worked for Marvel until he died in 1975; Rosen’s last work appeared in 1972; he reportedly had a nervous breakdown and passed away in 1992. His talented brother, Joe, another prolific letterer for many companies, including Harvey, went on to letter for Marvel from the 1970s into the 1990s.

John Duffy's attractive, low-keyed lettering seemed appropriate for Ditko's Amazing Spider-Man, from # 3, July 1963. Incidentally (since this blog is entitled Marvel Mysteries and Comics Minutia) Duffy would be reunited with Ditko in the mid-1970s, when he inked some of Ditko's stories for Atlas Comics.

Timely-Atlas veteran Ray Holloway, splash to Journey into Mystery # 89, Feb 1963, Kirby/Ayers art, featuring one of my favorite titles. Lee would later reuse the phrase in another Thor story years later- "The Thunder God and the Troll!"

Terry Szenics quiet lettering set a proper mood for Dr. Strange, from the splash of Strange Tales # 111, Aug 1963. Steve Ditko art, of course!

Simek and Rosen’s talents, although rarely discussed in conjunction with the Marvel titles they worked on in the 1960s, were most valuable and sadly missed, as could be seen in the 1970s when quite a few poor letterers were employed, a detriment to the look of the finished product .Thankfully, a number of exceptional letterers continued to grace the Marvel line, notably Tom Orzechowski and John Costanza, but the calligraphy of Simek and Rosen was a cut above, ranking highly with others such as Ben Oda, Joe Letterese, Howard Ferguson, Gaspar Saladino and Ira Schnapp, to name only a few. Along with the coloring skills of Stan Goldberg (who rates his own blogpost, coming soon) Simek and Rosen made the Marvel comics of the 1960s stand out as a quality product.

For an informative study on Marvel's logo's (as well as other companies) go to lettering pro Todd Klein's blog:

http://kleinletters.com/Blog/?page_id=2709

Monsters at my Wndow or Why the Pre-Hero Monsters Matter

2012-01-17T21:31:00.001-05:00

Since the Marvel Masterworks –Atlas Era Tales To Astonish Vol 4 comes out this week, which includes my essay on those stories (and I hope you’ll all go out and buy it, since it’s a worthwhile book. I've included a link to the Marvel Masterworks site for a better look).

http://www.collectededitions.com/marvel/mm/atlas/tta/tta_mm04.html

I thought it would be a good time to discuss the importance of what some consider “silly monster stories”, with little meaning in the scheme of things to the Marvel Superhero explosion. Having studied and collected these comics for many years, including the original comics in their sequential order, I’ve concluded that they very much affect the future Marvel Comics Group. In terms of plotting, creative teams and concepts they became the clay which would slowly mold itself into a new era, one that took not only elements of the monster story, but those of romance, westerns and teen humor. What Lee, Lieber, Kirby, Ditko and the rest did was transform bits and pieces of their stories into another format. With the formation of the Fantastic Four in 1961 the scientist hero of the monster stories, as well as the monster, became integral to the new superhero tales.

"Vandoom", Tales to Astonish # 17, Mar '61, Lee/Lieber story; Kirby pencils; Ayers inks

The “sympathetic monster” was not a new idea. It had appeared in literature for a long time, in tales of the Frankenstein monster, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, later becoming the fodder of countless movies, where a larger audience consumed them. The creation of the Thing might be considered an act of either genius or desperation, but this crossover character, reminiscent of the monsters that stampeded through the pages of Strange Tales, Tales to Astonish, Tales of Suspense and Journey into Mystery on a monthly basis, struck a nerve with its audience and became the most popular character in the Fantastic Four. While most of the Pre-Hero monsters were amoral fiends, there were a number of stories that featured a creature that was feared or misunderstood, and sometimes blindly hated due to his appearance. The Hulk was another direct descendent of this scenario, and although the monster-hero that took a while to find his footing, he eventually achieved a lasting popularity.

"Zuttak" Strange Tales # 88, Sept '61; Lee/Lieber story; Kirby pencils;Ditko inks

As a company Marvel took time to develop. They were not an overnight success, although the FF became one of their top selling titles. All the early strips were outgrowths of the pre-hero monsters and held a great debt to them. Henry Pym began life as a scientist-hero in a one-shot monster story, but went on to develop a costumed identity as the Astonishing Ant-Man. Scientists played an important function in the early Marvel Hero era. Reed Richards, Henry Pym, Bruce Banner, Tony Stark, even Peter Parker (who was a science major), were all invested with knowledge that they used to further their goals, or the goals of their country. Scientists in the pre-hero era were either involved in the creation of a monster, or helped to destroy them. Many were heroes, some scoffed at or mocked, but usually not heralded by the public at large. At best, their girlfriend had a greater respect for them. In the Marvel age many of the heroes also quietly performed their good deeds, with little recognition, or often outright distrust and anger. Spider-Man exemplifies this attitude.

"Goom!" Tales of Suspense #15, Mar '61; Lee/Lieber story; Kirby pencil; Ayers inks

The inventiveness and imagination of Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko were very much in the forefront of the Pre-Hero era. In radically different ways both men imbued their stories with a personal drive that few could compare to. Kirby, with his massive, overwhelming, destructive monsters, and Ditko, with his more intense and personalized vignettes, achieved a balance, with the work of Heck, Sinnott, Ayers and Reinman complimenting them.

"Something Lurks Inside", Tales to Astonish # 10, July '60. Steve Ditko's nightmarish creatures

While reading many of these stories in one sitting betrays a repetition in style, tone and plotting, it is important to realize they were produced on a deadline, meant to entertain a young audience that gobbled up monster stories, especially in the theatres and TV. They were not designed to be consumed in one gulp, or analyzed over 50 years later. It is all the more intriguing that these tales of monsters and heroes continue to hold a charm and solidity. One of the reasons seems to be the visceral joy that Kirby put into his figures. One can’t help but smile at some of the outlandish, destructive monsters he continued to envision month after month, story after story. While some were repetitive in look, many had a personality that only Kirby could bring to life.

"X", Tales To Astonish # 20, June '61; Lee/Lieber story, Kirby pencils; Ayers inks

Lee, plotting and editing, with brother Lieber scripting, came up with offbeat names that held the reader’s attention, from Spragg to Zuttak. This enthusiasm made its way into the superhero tales, with an added layer of personalities, characterization and ongoing storylines an audience could relate to.

Mister Morgan's Monster, Strange Tales # 99, Aug '62. Lee/Leiber script; Kirby pencils; Ayers inks

Since my first encounters with these monsters in the pages of Fantasy Masterpieces, to the reprint titles of the 1970s (Where Monsters Dwell, Where Creatures Roam), to my quest of collecting the original issues, I’ve always found the monster era to be a source of fascination - the stepping stone to the Marvel heroes - and a fun place to visit from time to time.

"Spragg, the Living Hill", Journey into Mystery # 68, May '61, Lee/Lieber story; Kirby pencils; Ayers inks. I close out with one of my favorite monsters, who I still think would look great in claymation.

NOW IT CAN BE TOLD! MY AFFAIR WITH ROMANCE COMICS! ("As Told to Nick Caputo")

2012-01-04T23:06:00.015-05:00

I don’t recall when I purchased my first romance comic book, it might have been Our Love Story # 5, with a Steranko story, at a convention, but eventually the stigma of romance comics dimmed, and, like my interest in other genres; western, crime, mystery - I gained an appreciation of this often neglected and demeaned genre . While it often suffers from repetitive plots, that is also the case in many genres, including the beloved superhero. Romance is important in the context of superheroes, specifically the melding of those elements into the 1960s storylines. Stan Lee took aspects of the romance strip, as he did with the humor and teen strips, adding a distinct difference to the superhero formula.

Young Brides # 25, Nov-Dec 1955, Prize. Kirby pencils? Simon inks, alterations? I love the dog in the background!

Romance comics have a rich history, again tied to superheroes, due to Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the team that took notice of what girls were buying and found a way to incorporate it into comics. Soon, every company jumped on the bandwagon, and Romance comics flourished during its heyday of the 1950s, including Timely-Atlas, National, Avon, Fawcett, Charlton and many others. Some stood out for the distinguished artwork of craftsman like Alex Toth, Matt Baker, Don Heck and many others. Vince Colletta was one of the best in this genre, even though he later became associated with superhero comics as an inker. Sales slowed down considerably in the 1960s, but a number of titles held on, especially at DC and Charlton. John Romita, who penciled many romance features for DC, would use his ability to draw attractive women to great advantage when he moved to Marvel in 1966, turning Spider-Man into a strip that emphasized romantic angst, as did Gene Colan. By the 1970s romance was dying out, perhaps due to changing tastes and stagnation. There were a few experiments, such as full-length gothic romance stories at DC, but nothing lasted.

I grew interested in romance comics when I began researching Marvel’s 1960s output for my book, which although focusing on the superhero titles, I thought it important to look at all the concurrent titles (or as much as I could find), including western , teen-humor and romance. With the help of Timely-Atlas scholar Michael Vassallo I was able to pore through some of the earlier titles, including Teen-Age Romance, My Own romance and Love Romaces , which remained into the early years of Marvel’s hero line. I eventually began to track down some of the issues on my own and add them to my collection, especially the Kirby drawn stories that were drew alongside his western, monster and superhero comics.

My Own Romance # 75, May 1960, Kirby pencils, Vince Colletta inks

While most of Marvel’s romance line ended in the early 1960s, replaced by superheroes, there was a return to the genre in 1969, when Marvel launched Our Love Story and My Love , which featured new stories and artwork by the same folks that were producing the regular books, including Stan Lee, John Romita, Don Heck, Gene Colan and John Buscema. I suspect some of the stories were prepared from old scripts and redrawn (and edited), which was also done on the mystery line, but it was a thrill to see “new” work from those familiar artists. Some, like Don Heck, were more comfortable here than in the costumed hero group (and had better inkers, like Frank Giacoia and John Romita), but the storytelling skills, ability to draw attractive women and attention to clothing and hair styles was superior. I bought as many issues as I could, and was often surprised and pleased by the variety of artists and inkers paired together, some that were never seen in the superhero line. Many young artists learned their craft on romance stories, including Jim Starlin, Alan Weiss and Steve Engelhart, as both a writer (under the name “Anne Spencer”) AND artist (Engelhart began his career as an artist, drawing stories at Warren, before he settled down as a writer) where he was inked by pros like John Romita and Jack Able.

"Must I Live Without Love?" Stan Lee story?; John Buscema pencils; Sal Buscema inks? My Love # 1, Set '69

"I Dream of Romance" Stan Lee script?; John Romita art, My Love # 1, Sept 1969. Romita's eye for design is in evidence on this page. In the early issues there were no credits, so this may be a Stan script, or a revision of an earlier Atlas story.

"Jilted!" Stan Lee story?; Don Heck pencils; John Romita inks, My Love # 2, Nov'69.
A wonderful combination.

My Love # 14, Nov 1971. Gray Morrow cover

As Time Goes By!", Gary Freidrich script, Gene Colan pencils, Dick Giordano inks, My Love # 16, Mar '72
Colan was always excellent as facial expressions and body language, and here we get to see his interpertation of Bogie!

"Puppet on a String!" Gary Freidrich,script, Steve Englehart pencils, John Romita inks, My Love # 16, Mar '72

"One Day a Week!", Author unknown; Jim Starlin pencils; Jack Able inks, from My Love # 20, Nov '72, as reprinted in Our Love Story # 33, Apr '75

"How Do We Know When It's Really Love?", Stan Lee story, Gene Colan pencils; Sal Buscema inks,
Our Love Story # 4, Apr '70

I don't believe Sal ever inked Gene anywhere else, which is a shame since he did a very nice job here.

"As Good As Any Man!" Holli Resnicoff story, Alan Weiss art; Our Love Story # 16, Apr '72

"The Game of Triangles!", Joy Hartle script, George Tuska pencils, Paul Reinman inks; Our Love Story # 20, Dec '72.
Personally I think Reinman made a better pairing witth Tuska than his frequent inker, Mike Esposito

I’ve been lucky enough to acquire most of the new material Marvel issues, a number of earlier Atlas material, as well as assorted companies like DC and Charlton. DC had wonderful covers by Nick Cardy and Dick Giordano, as well as interior work by Don Heck, Mike Sekowsky, Creig Flessel, Tony DeZuniga, Werner Roth and Alex Toth; Charlton featured early work by Garcia Lopez, and, surprisingly, a few stories by Steve Ditko, some only recently discovered (I can only hope a few more exist in the plethora of Charlton romance titles, but it’s doubtful).

"Surfing, Fishing and Kissing", Joe Gill script?; Steve Ditko art, Time for Love # 13, Nov '69.
While Ditko is not known for his romance art he does a nice job here, although he excells on the emotional face of the father in the last panel.

I’ve learned so much more about romance comics, mainly through my pal Jacque Nodell’s blog, Sequential Crush, which has a great mixture of information, cultural history and just plain fun. Jacque is a historian that has developed her own style in discussing romance comics of every time and era. You can’t go wrong checking out her blog, its the best of its kind (You can find her on "My Bloglist" on this very page).

Over the years I’ve learned that the romance genre is just as rich and interesting as any other, and though I (like most boys in that time-period) steered clear of them, I’m glad that I’ve matured a bit since then, and can truly appreciate the quality and variety that romance comics have brought to the field.

Special thanks to the queen of romance comics, Jacque Nodell, for her time, knowledge and friendship.

A Kirby inking Kirby Addition

2011-12-23T22:29:00.000-05:00

I added another Kirby inked cover to my Kirby inking Kirby post: Strange Tales Annual # 1. Take a look and see if you agree with my assesment. Have I missed any Kirby inked covers? Stay tuned.

I wish one and all the warmest holiday wishes and hope that 2012 will be a peaceful, productive and positive year.

Farewell to Joe Simon

2011-12-15T15:25:00.001-05:00

We are losing the pioneers of comics at an alarming rate. Jerry Robinson passed away on Dec 7th, and now Joe Simon. The comics industry rests on the shoulders on men such as Simon, who came onto the scene before there were ground rules, making them up as they went along. As editor, artist, writer and businessman Simon did it all, only Will Eisner comes to mind as someone with as many skills.

Partnered with Jack Kirby, Simon was a recognizable name early on. He produced comics that were not only innovative, but sold tremendously. The Simon and Kirby team were legendary in the industry, and inspired so many of the kids who followed them, from Steve Ditko to John Romita. They had a track record and maintained a high quality of production. It is wonderful that we now have the ability to see more of their output; not just the superheroes, but crime, horror and romance. There is so much to explore and appreciate, and the rich history of the medium is being represented now in quality publications that will remain in print.

On a personal note I was privileged to visit Joe in his studio a few years back, through the grace of Harry Mendryk, along with fellow enthusiasts Stan Taylor and Rand Hoppe. It was quite an experience to meet such a legendary figure, who was pleasant, enthusiastic and full of stories. I also saw him at a number of comic cons, one of which Mike Vassallo recently recounted here.

Joe Simon was a talented gentleman who made a distinct mark on the comics landscape. His body of work will continue to be rediscovered by future comics enthusiasts, as well as those who appreciate individual accomplishments in any field.

Me with Joe Simon

Who Authored Ditko??

2011-11-30T22:45:00.002-05:00

This essay, an investigation on Ditko's Timely-Atlas Fantasy stories, was originally published in Ditkomania # 71. It's been updated and revised for this blog post.

The fantasy stories that Steve Ditko drew for Atlas comics in the late 1950s-early 1960s have always been admired and revered for their originality, mood and charm. The question of authorship of these stories, however, has been riddled with inconsistencies, with Stan Lee usually credited over the years. Stan Lee’s signature did not appear on Ditko stories until 1961. The mythology that has permeated the fan press is that Stan Lee signed everything he wrote, but if that is indeed the truth, then the question cries out: WHO wrote the pre-1961 Ditko stories, of which more than a few read very much like the later Lee signed stories? There is proof of at least one author on a few stories, but the others lead to further speculation. Perhaps somewhere along the line a better understanding of the Lee-Ditko working relationship will emerge, providing some insight into the evolution of what would become the Marvel style of storytelling in the 1960s.

One known fact is that Steve Ditko began working for Editor Stan Lee at Atlas Comics in 1956. Most of the stories were fantasy related, although Ditko did draw a western filler, which, coincidentally, included Stan Lee’s first byline with Ditko (“The Badmen”, Two-Gun Western # 4, May 1956). Carl Wessler scripted some of Ditko’s early fantasy stories (Wessler kept records of the stories he wrote)[1]. With only two stories appearing in 1957-58 for Atlas, Ditko returned with a vengeance in 1959, working on over 100 stories into 1961, most with no writing credits. The tone of many of the early non-Wessler credited stories are distinct; many are very copy-heavy and use names and plots with possible input by Ditko (Ditko denies writing any stories in this time period). By 1960 the stories became less verbal and many may be either plotted by Lee or Ditko. Larry Lieber, who has been credited with scripting the majority of Jack Kirby drawn feature stories, as well as back-ups by Don Heck, Paul Reinman and Dick Ayers (over Lee plots), has often been the likely suspect, but this appears to be a falsehood. A close examination of some of these stories, however, shows an uncanny resemblance to the signed work of Stan Lee, in tone, style and mannerism.

The First Stan Lee and Steve Ditko byline, 2-Gun Western # 4, May 1956

The “fact” that Stan signed everything he wrote begins to unravel with a little detective work. Stan himself has disputed the statement a number of times. Comics’ historian Will Murray interviewed Lee in Comics Scene # 76. In reply to a question regarding the writing of the monster stories, Stan states:

“I only did the ones I signed my name to. But there were some that I did that I didn’t sign because I wasn’t thinking of it.”

Lee elaborated further in email correspondence with this author (Dec 29, 2007):

“Actually (and this is just a guess, because I really don’t remember) I probably just forgot to sign those stories because in those days it’s hard to describe how rushed we were, trying to meet our torturous deadlines. Or, there’s the off chance that someone else wrote ‘em, but in that case I imagine I’d include the writers name. No, I’d say the odds are I wrote ‘em and forgot to sign, or the letterer forgot to letter my name—or—occasionally (though rarely) my signatures were pasted in and they might have just fallen off.”

Lee makes one error regarding writer credits of the period, which, aside from his name were usually NOT included. Otherwise his statements remain consistent, leaving the possibility that he did write unsigned stories.

In an interview with Jim Amash (Alter Ego # 35, April 2004), John Romita replies to the question of who wrote the Captain America stories in the mid-1950s:

“ … Stan wrote them all. I remember seeing his name on the scripts.”

Lee’s signature is notably absent on these stories.

Since Lee has contradicted himself in the past and has a notoriously bad memory, should we regard as gospel earlier statements that he signed everything he wrote? Sometimes misconceptions die hard, and this may be just such an instance.

Do we have proof that Lee wrote ANY unsigned stories? We can look to an editorial note from Lee himself, which appears at the end of a signed Lee/Ditko story in Tales of Suspense # 26 (Dec 1961). Lee wrote:

“Remember our sensational tale ‘The Silent Screen’ a few issues ago? We still get letters asking for another such unusual tale. ..and now in response to all your requests-here it is- by the same talented artist-writer team who brought you the now classic SILENT SCREEN” (emphasis added).

Tales To Astonish # 26, Dec 1961

Stan's Editor's note from the splash page

The story Stan refers to appeared in Tales to Astonish # 21 (July 1960), five months earlier.

The story Stan referenced five months later, signed only "S.Ditko",
from Tales To Astonish # 21, July 1961

Three months later Stan’s signature began appearing regularly on Ditko stories, beginning with October 1961 dated issues. Is it likely that there were others Lee forgot to sign as well?

Did Stan simply forget to sign some of the stories, or was there a more logical reason? Did the division of labor alter at some point? Could Stan’s involvement have grown, making him feel his signature was warranted? According to Larry Lieber, Stan took particular interest in Ditko’s stories early on. Could he have heavily edited Leiber’s (or other writers) stories to suit his tastes, in effect making them sound more like his own work? Over time the type of stories changed, focusing on offbeat endings that mirrored the popular Twilight Zone TV series. One possible scenario: Stan discussed stories with Ditko, who penciled from Stan’s plot. Lee then handed the pencils to Lieber to dialogue. Its possible Ditko was unaware of contributors other than Lee, as he never mentioned other writers (aside from a handful of stories written by Carl Wessler). There is only one signed Leiber/Ditko story, plotted by Lee, in Tales of Suspense #37, Jan 1963. This was a rare lead story by Ditko, who was likely called into service because Kirby was busy working on new superhero features which were replacing the fantasy stories. If Lee and Ditko DID work in this manner, it may have inadvertently led to the origin of the Marvel method, which would soon dominate the Marvel line. While this is an interesting theory, it appears to unravel, as we shall see.

There are many mysteries and contradictions in this time period: while the answers lie hidden beneath the rubble of the fleeting decades, a few clues exist on the surface. Did someone other than Larry Leiber write some of these stories? If so, who? Ditko has stated that he worked from Stan Lee plots early on and did not work from full scripts[2]. The question is how early did this occur?[3] It has also been discovered by comics scholars Michael Vassallo and Tom Lammers that Lee often recycled old scripts, handing them to artists to revise. While the basic plot is the same, such as in “I Know the Secret of the Flying Saucer!” from Tales of Suspense # 11, Sept, 1960, originally presented as “I Discovered the Secret of the Flying Saucers”, art by Jack Kirby; inks by Chris Rule, from Strange Worlds # 1, Dec, 1958 (no scripting credits on either story), there are enough differences to wonder if Stan handed the original script to Ditko, who went off in another direction. If so, this ability to plot stories may have given Stan confidence to work with Ditko in a closer capacity. If Ditko reworked the script, and Stan added dialogue and edited, this may have been the genesis of their working method. Quite a few later signed Lee-Ditko stories were revisions of earlier stories, so it would make sense that they had begun working in this manner earlier on.

"I Discovered the Secret of the Flying Saucers!"
from Strange Worlds # 1, Dec 1958

The last page to "I Know the Secret of the Flying Saucer!"
from Tales of Suspense # 11, Sept 1960

Larry Lieber has repeatedly stated that he did not write any of the Ditko stories and that Stan worked exclusively with Ditko, meaning either Leiber may have forgotten that he wrote any Ditko stories or, more likely (since he clearly recalls Heck, Reinman and others illustrating his scripts), he never wrote those stories[4]. If Lieber was not the author, then the question begs to be answered, who was? There are very few possible candidates.

Marvel Comics in the late 1950s-early 1960s was far from a robust operation. Lee was running the show with a small staff of freelance artists. Robert Bernstein was one scripter who appeared early on in the super- hero run, so it’s possible that he arrived at Atlas earlier and worked on some of the unsigned stories. Sol Brodsky was working for Atlas as an artist/production assistant: his name would occasionally appear as writer on a number of filler stores, usually in the western genre. Publisher Martin Goodman oversaw a big operation, including many slick magazines, under the parent company, Magazine Management. Perhaps an unknown writer was “slumming” on the comic’s stories. All these theories remain unproven, which leads to another scenario that may have a basis in reality.

Stan Lee may have deliberately left his name off the Ditko fantasy stories. Considering the times, and how few years had passed since the senate hearings and the institution of the Comics Code, Lee may have felt there was still a stigma attached to the pseudo-horror stories and chose not to sign his name because he didn’t want to be associated with them. Lee always signed the teen humor and westerns of the period - the “safe” stories - but he could easily have left his name off the fantasy stories to remain cautious. It may be hard to imagine the impact that the Comics Code had on the industry, especially reading these stories in a present-day mindset, but Lee was always aware of appearances. Would it do him any good on his resume to have his name displayed on these stories? After all, how did he know if the industry was even going to survive? Why then, would Lee do an about face and add his name to the credits? Shows like the Twilight Zone were getting critical acclaim, so this may have given Stan incentive to legitimize the fantasy stories he was writing.

A close examination of many of the stories shows distinctive Stan Lee traits that turn up over and over. A few examples are the use of sparse dialogue as opposed to the earlier copy-heavy stories; abundance of slang words, and fewer dialogue balloons per panel. The style and tone of these stories are very noticeably different from the early 1960 period. Were they just heavily edited by Stan, or fully dialogued by him?

The question of who authored the Ditko fantasy stories may never be fully answered, but it is not a stretch of the imagination to conclude that Stan Lee, as editor, appreciated and utilized the unique artistry and concepts of Steve Ditko. The truth may forever be clouded by the passage of time, but the evidence on the printed page points to exceptional work in the fantasy stories signed either “Ditko”, “Steve Ditko”, or “Stan Lee and S. Ditko.” They are worth seeking out and enjoying, whoever the true authors may be.

My sincere thanks to all those who contributed to this essay: Melissa Webb for her copyediting and wisdom, Frank Mastropaolo for his insight and intensity: the research, interviews and knowledge of Michael J. Vassallo, Robin Snyder, Will Murray and Larry Lieber. and to those on the Ditkomania and Ditko and Kirby lists for their challenging discussions. A special thank you to Steve Ditko, whose creativity and imagination has kept my mind active and constantly seeking out the truth.

[1] Known stories include “They’ll be Some Changes Made”, Journey into Mystery #33, “Those Who Vanish” Journey Into Mystery # 38; “The Faceless Man” Journey into Unknown Worlds #45; “No Bars Could Hold Him” Mystery Tales # 45; “None are so Blind” Spellbound # 29; “Who Lurks Down There?” World of Suspense # 2 Thanks to Robin Snyder for the information

[2] “…in regards to our working method, Stan provided the plot ideas.” Steve Ditko, “An Insider’s Part of Comics History Jack Kirby’s Spider-Man”, Robin Snyder’s History of Comics, May 1990

[3] While Ditko only mentions the year 1961 in his article, he later refers to the five page fantasy stories as “we” meaning he and Stan working on them. It should be noted that Ditko identifies Stan (from all information, erroneously) as the writer of the lead Kirby features as well.

[4] “Steve Ditko would do the last one (story) which Stan wrote himself. Those were special stories with Stan. He liked working with Ditko.” Interview with Larry Leiber, conducted by Will Murray, Comics Scene # 52. This author also spoke to Larry Lieber in a phone conversation on Sept 10, 2004. Lieber again clearly stated he did not write any of the Ditko stories.

POSSIBLE STAN LEE WRITTEN STORIES:

Although I suspect Stan may have written other stories, I pared this list down to a minimum. My criteria consisted of some of the telltale signs of Stan’s scripting, i.e. use of slang, short captions and dialogue, humor, emphasis on certain words and narrator addressing the reader. While there is no absolute proof that Stan provided the dialogue for any of these stories, this list may, at the very least, provide a starting point for more research in this direction.

AMAZING ADVENTURES (NOTE: DITKO HAS EXPLAINED THAT HE WORKED WITH LEE ON STORIES IN AMAZING ADVENTURES, ALTHOUGH ONLY ISSUE 6 HAS LEE’S SIGNATURE)

# 1 (June 1961) “Midnight in the Wax Museum”

# 2 (July 1961) “Rocky’s Last Ride”

# 3 (Aug 1961) “The Teddy Bear”

# 4 (Sept 1961) “Who or what was…the Bootblack?”

# 5 (Oct 1961) “The Joker”

TALES OF SUSPENSE

# 7 (Jan 1960) “I Come from the Shadow World”

# 14 (Feb 1961) “I Am Gorak”

# 18 (June 1961) “Enter..the Robot!”

# 19 (July 1961) “The Haunted Paper”

# 20 (Aug 1961) “The Bomb”

# 21 (Sept 1961) “Whose Face is in the Mirror?”

STRANGE TALES

# 71 (Oct 1959) “I Dared to Defy Merlin’s…Black Magic!”

# 74 (Apr 1960) “When the Totem Walks”

# 78 (Dec 1960) “The Worm Man”

# 79 (Jan 1961) “ The Ghost of Grismore Castle”

# 82 (Mar 1961) “The World Beyond”

# 84 (May 1961) “They Met on Mars”

# 86 (July 1961) “Georgie’s Globe”

# 88 (Sept 1961) “The Lifeless Man”

JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY

# 61 (Oct 1960) “I Opened the Door to Nowhere”

#62 (Nov 1960) “I Can’t Escape from the Creeping Things”

# 63 (Dec 1960) “I Took A Journey into Fear”

# 64 (Jan 1961) “I Must find Korumbu”

# 68 (May 1961) “Where Walks the Ghost?”

# 69 (June 1961) “When Darkness Falls”

#70 (July 1961) “The Stone Man”

#71 (Aug 1961) “The Painting”

#72 (Sept 1961) “Will this be the End of the World?”

#73 (Oct 1961) “One Look Means Doom”

TALES TO ASTONISH

# 7 (Jan 1960) “I Spent Midnight with the Thing on Bald Mountain”

# 8 (Mar 1960) “I Live Again”

# 9 (May 1960) “No Way Out”

# 12 (Oct 1960) “A Monster Waits Outside”

# 14 (Dec 1960) “Behold! I Am the Master of Time!”

# 15 (Jan 1961) “I Am the Invisible”

#16 (Feb 1961) “I Am a Victim of the Sorcerer”

# 17 (Mar 1961) “Beware! Of the Ghastly Glass!”

# 18 (Apr 1961) “Monsteroso!”

# 19 (May 1961) “The Terrible Trap”

# 21 (July 1961) “The Silent Scream” (unsigned, but later noted in an editorial message as Lee-Ditko)

# 22 (Aug 1961) “For Whom the Drum Beats”

The Mighty Marvel Westerns

2011-11-10T14:58:00.003-05:00

The Marvel westerns have usually been neglected or dismissed, perhaps rightfully so in terms of the presence and dramatics afforded the superheroes. It may not be a genre they are noted for, but I’ve always found something interesting about the “Kid” heroes; Kid Colt, Two-Gun Kid and Rawhide Kid, in particular, the “big three” of my childhood. The westerns were always far removed from the superhero shenanigans of the Marvel Age, even though Stan Lee tried to indirectly tie them in by using costumed villains from time to time, but they remained on the edge, in their own little niche (at least until Steve Englehart tied them into the Marvel Universe in the Avengers in 1975. I once asked Stan why he didn’t cross-over the Western characters bad he simply said he never thought of it. I suspect the primary reason was there was little interest in them, as far as fan base was concerned, and they were thought of as lesser titles). Kid Colt always seemed to be drawn by Jack Keller, a solid if not entirely dramatic artist, who seemed particularly suited to the character. Larry Lieber, in his best Kirby style, wrote and drew the Rawhide Kid for many years, and Two-Gun was usually at the helm of steadfast Dick Ayers, although Ogden Whitney drew quite a few issues before new material was phased out.

My first Rawhide Kid comic. Issue # 75, April 1970, Larry Lieber pencils and inks

I slowly got interested in westerns, having been immersed in Marvel’s superhero fare growing up. I don’t recall the first western I read, although I have a dim memory of a kid Colt comic in the house, probably purchased by Brother John. In 1967 Martin Goodman took the name of The Ghost Rider, a western hero created by Ray Krank and Dick Ayers for Magazine Enterprises. It was not the first time Goodman took control of an out of date trademark (does the name Daredevil ring a bell?) and this time around, since Dick Ayers was working at Marvel, he was assigned the strip, with Roy Thomas plotting and Gary Friedrich scripting. Dick has recounted that he never knew that Marvel didn’t own the character until years later, when he spoke to Editor Vin Sullivan. One reason the Ghost Rider was given his own book, according to Mark Evanier, was because Independent News did not allow Marvel to add another superhero title. They reportedly could add a western title, and the idea was to make it as superhero-ish as possible, hence the costumed, masked Ghost Rider, who also fought costumed villains such as the Tarantula, and was advertised as “In the style of a western Spider-Man”. The first issue I recall seeing was # 5, and I was instantly attracted to the white garbed hero with a full face mask and “Spider-Man” eyes that pre-dated Spidey (one wonders if the original provided any inspiration for Steve Ditko). The Ghost Rider only lasted seven issues; they were interesting but not on the highest level. Still, I missed the character and wanted to see more. At that point I likely had no knowledge of the earlier version; I assumed this was a “new” character.

The Ghost Rider # 5, Sept 1967. Dick Ayers pencils; Vince Colletta inks

After a two year hiatus the Ghost Rider did return, as the star of a new 25 cent anthology entitled Western Gunfighters. Ayers was back, inked in the first installment by Tom Sutton, who lent an appropriately eerie atmosphere to the art. This version was again not long for the world, and the book soon reverted to all reprint material and a standard 20 page format. Soon after, the western Ghost Rider was replaced by a contemporary, motorcycle riding hero, once again written by Gary Friedrich. The western character was relegated to occasional appearances in the Marvel Universe, and when the originals were reprinted his name was changed to the NIGHT Rider, which always bothered me (couldn’t we have had a reprint series entitled “the Original Ghost Rider”? Wouldn’t kids be able to differentiate between a motorcycle and a horse?).

After Western Gunfighters, there was very little new material produced by Marvel in the 1970s. Reprints abounded, though, and one distinctive memory was of buying the first issue of a western comic entitled the Ringo Kid. It featured a tall hero, clad in black, and the art was distinctive. I immediately liked the art, which was by a guy named Joe Maneely, who I would grow to appreciate (and learn much more about, thanks to Timely-Atlas Historian and good friend Michael Vassallo) in the years to come. Truth to tell, I’d seen Maneely’s art in a few Marvel Tales “Black Knight” reprints earlier, but for some reason that Ringo Kid cover touched a nerve.

The clean, attractive artwork of Joe Maneely instantly attracted my attention. The Ringo Kid # 1, Jan 1970, reprinted cover from Ringo Kid Western # 18, 1954

I continued to buy many of the western reprints, attracted most of the time by the cover art. Gil Kane, prolific cover artist on the superhero line, also loved westerns and did some of his best work on the covers (one of his favorites turned out to be one of mine – which I discovered when I spoke to him at a con and gave it to him to sign).

Mighty Marvel Western # 44, of which, when I handed it to Gil Kane, he told me it was one of his favorite covers and that I have good taste

Marvel was also graced with the distinctive pen work of John Severin, who also excelled in the genre. Of course, earlier on Jack Kirby drew some exciting Rawhide Kid stories, many of which were reprinted in the 1970s, along with his distinctive covers on Kid Colt, Two-Gun kid, etc. Herb Trimpe did some nice work, as did Dick Ayers (naturally), Larry Lieber, and the occasional special covers by the likes of Gene Colan, Jim Steranko, John Buscema and Paul Gulacy.

Kid Colt, Outlaw # 214, Jan 1977. Gene Colan pencils; Klaus Janson inks

By the late 1970s, even the reprints were being phased out at Marvel, and aside from a few revivals, have pretty much disappeared from view. Meanwhile I scoured conventions, collecting many of the original Atlas westerns, such as Gunsmoke Western, enjoying the covers and work of artists such as Russ Heath, Bill Everett, Carl Burgos, John Severin, and of course, Joe Maneely. Inside there are numerous examples of superior craftsmanship by the likes of Werner Roth, Joe Sinnott, Jack Keller, Dick Ayers, Don Heck, Angelo Torres and many others. For some it is their best work, and their love of the genre stands out. While the stories are usually standard fare, there are exceptions to the rule, and many are comparable to other genre shorts.

Gunsmoke Western # 56, Jan 1960. Jack Kirby pencils; Steve Ditko inks

While it is understandable that Marvel, in particular, concentrated their interests on the best-selling superheroes in the 1960s and 1970s, it’s unfortunate that we didn’t get to see what Jim Steranko, Gene Colan or John Buscema could have done with a well written script (Steve Englehart was set to write a Ringo Kid series, some of which was penciled by Dick Ayers, but it was shelved. You can see more on Steve's site:

http://www.steveenglehart.com/Comics/Ringo%20Kid%201.html

The Marvel westerns might not always have been mighty, but they were not without charms of their own.

Barry Pearl Guest Blog

2011-11-05T00:50:00.012-04:00

Before Barry begins, I wanted to let everyone know that this is not a eulogy. I'm still alive and kicking, although personal issues have kept me away from regular postings. I sincerely want to thank Barry for orchestrating a very touching post that makes me very glad to be part of fandom. It is people like those whose comments you will read that make the world a little easier to get through.

The Way It Began!

Nick Caputo: The First Yancy Streeter!

Nick Caputo was born at a very early age. But he would gain a reputation of knowing and loving comics and being incredibly generous. Nick would also be one of the premiere identifiers of Marvel Age Artists. You don’t make many good friends after the age of 40, but the Yancy Street Gang, me, Nick, Mike Vassallo and our ward, John Caputo, became fast friends really quick. And I mean real friends.

So our story begins: How did Nick get involved with comics? John says:

“As his brother I am 7 years older, so I can vividly remember his youth. Nick always loved books and was an avid reader of many different genres. My brother's exposure to comics came from my always having comics, magazines, and an abundance of books that I had purchased around. Many a time he had to help me hide my comics from my parents so they wouldn't get torn up or thrown out because of some trouble I might have gotten into.

His ability, even as a young child, to focus on details, was remarkable. His love and enthusiasm for comics reinforced his knowledge of comic writers, inking and artists drawing styles. Even as a teenager he amazed me and my friends with his ability to identify artists, inkers and even letterers. As he was getting older we would have many discussions on storylines art styles and sometimes lack of.

Brother John Caputo on phone, who started Nick (in front) on his path to unearthing comic book mysteries.

I used to joke about the "minutia" he knew (still do), but his love and knowledge grew, and my little brother is now a respected authority. He deserves all the recognition he gets for his abundant knowledge. I am proud of how he continues to learn and is not afraid to correct a mistake which he or someone else may have made. I am happy that in a very small way I may have contributed to the way he turned out. Proud of you Nick!"

I met Nick when I decided that, after 40 years, I wanted to put my book together. I wound up on some sites filled with Kirby fanatics. What I didn’t realize at the time was ALL these sites had mostly the SAME people, with the same point of view. They didn’t believe that I knew my stuff or that I had all those comics. I had innocently posted something that made them declare me: UNKIRBY. I had posted that Steve Ditko did a great job at Marvel and often improved characters. They got upset when I said he improved the Hulk when he added his anger management issues. But they really got mad when I said I thought that Dr. Strange was a reworking of Dr. Droom, the first Silver Age Lee/Kirby super hero production, but a failed project. “How do you know”, I was asked, “that Ditko even knew about Dr. Droom?” I was asked a dozen times. But I knew that Ditko inked the first story. And so did a poster named Nick Caputo.

Now this is the big thing so that I need to underline: Many comic book fans know the credits, many know the characters and many just follow the stories. Nick knows all three; he can discuss comics with anyone. Even me.

Nick cut through the crap and said, “Wait, Barry has a point.” We started discussing comics, on and off line, and haven’t stopped. Nick was anxious to see the outline of my book and I sent it to him. He gave me invaluable suggestions and does till this day. In fact, when I told Nick I had worked for 40 years getting the cover artists for all those comic, Nick spend days putting it together for me. Without him and Mike my book would never have been complete or have been completed.

Mike Vassallo (Va-SALL-o) and Nick and John invited me to meet them at a comic con. They had been to several, this was my first one. Mike Vassallo:

"How long have I known Nick Caputo? Over 10 years, having met him on Kirby-L back in the late 1990's. Realizing we both lived in the New York area; we made arrangements to meet at a con and continued to do so frequently. What great times we had! Probably the highlight was walking Joe Simon, arm -in-arm, up and down 2 flights of stairs when his panel discussion was going to be cancelled due to a broken elevator. I looked at Nick, surveyed the stairs and told him "We can do this! C'mon, Joe!” grabbing him on both sides to help him negotiate the stairs.

I began to invite him up to my house and he'd come up about every three months to hang out, talk comics, compare research and book ideas and have dinner with my family. We would have a ball doing massive art ID sessions in my basement where I'd pull out a long run of Atlas books and we'd page through them yelling out ID's to unsigned story art, checking and double checking each other and honing our skills to a sharp point.

Nick would take the subway and then the train out of Grand Central up to the Croton-Harmon station where I'd pick him up. Once my sister-in-law was over and offered to drive him home as she was headed downstate to Queens also. Since Nick doesn't drive, he had a tough time giving my sister-in-law directions! His visits often ended very late and on another occasion, after losing track of the time, I had to rush him to the train station well after midnight so he wouldn't miss the last train of the night, once making the last train with seconds to spare!

At some point another guy showed up online who shared a common Queens New York background and Nick and I arranged to meet him at a show. You may have heard of him, name of Barry Pearl. Anyhow, Barry immediately joined our little group and soon frequent treks up north became the norm as Barry would drive Nick up on Saturdays as a revived Yancy Street Gang was born. Nick and Barry have seen my children grow over the last decade and become surrogate uncles to them. Our dinners would include my wife Maggie as well as my children. The group slowly expanded as Nick's brother John was added to the roster and another online acquaintance who happened to be a neighbor of Barry's, Mike DeLisa, would occasionally join us. Further honorary members culled from our online community would also join at conventions and our after-con dinners began to become legendary and frequently include my now college age daughter Michelle, picking her up from her apartment on the lower east side.

But after-con dinners aside, I still prefer the laid back atmosphere of our Saturday breakfasts at my local diner and then a BBQ around my pool while discussing the merits of Chu Hing's inking over Pierce Rice and what titles deserved to be reprinted in upcoming Masterworks volumes!"

Dr. Michael J. Vassallo and Nick, very likely discussing the inking technique of Chu Hing

When we met at that first convention, we went out have lunch. We just talked for eight hours. We forgot about the convention! Mike said at one point, “The people at this table know more about Martin Goodman comics than anywhere else.” But we did do something that night for the first time, something we do at every convention now. We see a stack of Atlas comics for sale and look at the covers, and identify all the artists who drew them. Soon, we discovered that we had so much in common: the love of reading, books, Laurel and Hardy, Baseball, movies and so much more. We also learned that Nick, John and I had lost our fathers when we were very young and we grew up in one family homes. That is something that changes you forever.

We also all grew up in Queens and shopped in the same comic stores. In fact, we probably met at those stores but wouldn’t remember it.

Nick is very generous. Our next meeting was our first trip to Mike’s house as a group. When I went to pick Nick up, he handed me a stack of comics. To keep! No joke, I had a stack for him! The bunch of us are like that.

I asked Nick and Mike if they had the Marvel Masterworks of the Rawhide Kid, I wanted to read those comics. They didn’t. So the next time I saw Nick, he handed the first 20 issues of the Rawhide Kid! Not reprints, the originals! Since then, really, cartons of books and comics and DVDs have been shuttling through our houses! One of my favorite stories is a time I came over to Nick’s house with a huge amount of stuff and he had an equal amount for me. His mother was there and was just astonished to see what was going on.

The Yancy Street gang has shared a lot of adventures together. We have visited the home of Dick Ayers, had dinner with Flo Steinberg and Joe Sinnott and his wonderful family; we have gone to museums, movies and so many other events. Nick and I also like to go to the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria Queens. We saw the Muppet Exhibition the last time we were there.

Speaking of the Muppets, Nick has five good friends who wanted to be part of this, but can’t type: Cindy (Mike’s dog), Sammy (John’s dog), Lee, Kirby and Gussie (my cats). All jump when they see Nick and run to him! I hope Nick can post my favorite picture: “Kirby Overlooking A Caputo.”

Together for the first time! Nick and Kirby!

Mike DeLisa, author of Cinderella Man, and a great comic book collector found us on Timely Atlas. Mike D writes:

“Nick used his mind and talents to unveil under-appreciated aspects of Ditko's work. Magazines featuring his always trenchant articles were snapped up and preserved. By the time I met Nick in person, I felt as if I knew him well -- unpretentious, slightly inscrutable, droll, and all-around good guy. I have been lucky enough to tag along with the Yancey Street Gang on several excursions. Nick, a charter member of the Gang, made me feel welcome.

Nick is a thinker, that much is clear -- especially now that the Internet's morass has coalesced into the Web and thousands of voices shout at each other in bootless competition with each other. Nick's blog makes it easy to find his recent thoughts. It is good to see that Nick continues to think, write, and contribute. As always, sharper than the rest."

An animated Yancy Street Gang at Doc V's House. From left to right: Mike Vassallo, Mike DeLisa, John and Nick

Nick has been generous with others. Sometimes that has led to disappointing results. He contributed 90% of the material to many Ditko books and is barely mentioned in them. There are too many greedy and selfish people out there who take advantage of Nick’s willingness to share. Nick is always willing to share his great love for the artistry of Steve Ditko. Rob Imes, the publisher of Ditkomania writes:

“I first encountered Nick's work in Ditkomania #11 (Jan. 1985) which I obtained from DM's original editor-publisher Bill Hall in 1993. Nick had a few illos in that issue. He was no longer involved in Ditkomania for most of the 1990s, so I didn't really know who he was. I began buying Comic Book Marketplace in the late 1990s, and there was an article about Ditko's 1970s Charlton ghost comic work in CBM #84 (Aug. 2001). The article was by Nick Caputo, and I could certainly relate to the subject matter, since I had written an overview of that material in DM #55 (Oct. 1997). At the time, it was rare for Charlton's non-superhero comics to get any fan appreciation. When Bill Hall announced the retirement of DM later that year, Nick contributed a short commentary about the zine (as did I) for the "In Memoriam" page about DM on Blake Bell's "Ditko Looked Up" site.

(Here is a) scan from the letters page of DM #10 (Aug. 1984) where Bill Hall reprinted a page that Nick had typed up to circulate among friends in the summer of 1983, where Nick had used the word "Ditkomania" before learning of the existence of the fanzine with that name. (DM #1 debuted in January 1983.) It was a coincidence, or "Synchronicity" as Bill headlined the piece.

Nick's "Ditkomania" Announcement

Nick's first appearance in DM was drawing the cover of issue #8 (April 1984).

The cover to DitkoMania # 8, drawn by Nick (which reminds him why he took up writing instead!)

Nick Caputo has certainly been an asset to Ditkomania with his contributions of articles, letters and art which have appeared in its pages, as well as his contributions to other fanzines such as Jack Kirby Quarterly, Alter Ego, and others. Long may he write!"

A wonderful thing about our Yancy Street Gang is that when we are published we don’t hesitate to give credit to those who helped. My favorite story is that when we went to Dick Ayers house, I wrote an article about it for Alter Ego. Nick and Mike said that I should keep all the money I got when the story was published, but I said we should all go out for a big dinner together. Well, the meager check came in and we had a moderate breakfast. But even on line, when Nick sees something interesting he won’t “rip” off anyone, as has been done to us. In fact, his honesty plays into how he became friends with Batton Lash.

Batton Lash:

"I met Nick Caputo for the first time a few years ago, but I feel like I’ve known him all my life!

We both shared a passion: comics. Most especially, the work of Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko.

I had seen Nick’s byline on several articles in magazines such as Alter Ego and Comic Book Artist and enjoyed reading his keen observations on various comics and creators, especially those about the Marvel Comics published in the early 60’s. But it was on several online message boards devoted to Ditko’s work, that I truly appreciated Nick’s knack for writing about comics. Even on the best sites, the comments section has its share of tedious meanderings, slapdash analysis, and (worst of all), knee-jerk reactions, usually skewing to the negative. But not from Nick. His comments are always thoughtful, perceptive and upbeat. I would read Nick opine on, say, the classic sequence of Spider-Man lifting the tremendous weight off of his shoulders (literally and figuratively) or the Tales to Astonish Hulk reboot (what worked that didn’t work in the character’s failed first series), and find myself, more often than not, enthusiastically nodding in agreement. When I peruse various comics-lists, I’d check to see if that Nick Caputo fellow would be commenting, because I knew it would be worth my time to see what he had to say! I considered Nick a like-minded cohort, even though I never met the guy.

Although I now live in San Diego, my parents still live in Brooklyn, where I grew up, and I try to get back as often as I can to visit them. On one trip, several years ago, I made it a point to get in touch with Nick, who I learned resided in New York. I was going to e-mail him cold. I'd introduce myself and see if he had any interest in meeting up. I didn’t know what to expect— I had no idea what Nick was like in person or even if he wanted to meet with a total stranger. Much to my surprise (and delight!), before I could send my message, I received an e-mail from Nick Caputo himself! He had read an observation I had made about Ditko’s stories and asked permission to elaborate on my theory in an article he was preparing about Dr. Strange. By all the hoary hosts of Hoggoth, was that kismet or what?

We got together for dinner and hit it off instantly. Nick is one of the nicest guys I ever met. Easy going, good-humored, very smart, quick with a quip, too. We were kindred spirits; two guys who were there at the dawn of the “Marvel Age of Comics”, now examining and discussing those seminal works of Lee, Ditko, and Kirby with all the scrutiny and devotion usually associated with rabbinical students pouring over the Torah. In time, I would meet the other FFFs (am I dating myself, frantic ones?) in his circle: his brother John, Barry Pearl, “Doc” Vassallo, and Mike DeLisa. And all of us were on the same page—comics page, this is! I look forward to meeting with Nick and his “Yancy St. Gang” every time I go to the East Coast. In between visits, though, I’m pleased that Nick now has a blog that I can read regularly. It’s a great showcase for Nick’s astute observations on comics. A subject, as far as I’m concerned, there is never ‘nuff said."

I encouraged Nick not to lose his generosity; that is how he has met Mike and me. If I am remembered for anything, I hope it is for one email conversation we had before I met him. Nick wrote that he had started a book several years ago about Marvel but did not receive much encouragement to finish it. I told him to finish it and I would do anything he need to help him do so. So he started writing again. To this day, I am, I believe, the only person to have read Nick’s first draft!

Nick’s generosity and love for comics always helped and encouraged others. But let us give the final word to Jacque Nodell:

“It's hard for me to remember when exactly I met Nick, because it seems like we have been good friends for ages! I can't even say for certain how it happened, but the world of online comic book enthusiasts is small -- especially when you share the mutual interests of Kirby monsters and romance comics!

Regardless of whenever and however we met, I am glad to call Nick Caputo my friend and colleague. He has unfailingly supported my endeavors as a blogger and comic book scholar, and has always been more than happy to read my works in progress and lend supportive yet rigorous commentary. Nick continues to be a great source of knowledge, and someone who is always willing to answer a question. I am so glad that Nick started his own blog in which to record all his expertise.”

Nick Caputo here again: I really got choked up reading these posts from people I admire and respect. Barry, Doc V, Mike DeLisa, Batton, Rob, Jacque and John are all stand up folks who love comics and have something interesting and important to say. They are as much the "Good Guys" as the professionals I've discussed in my previous post. I had a hard time putting this blog up because I'm not one who likes to be in the spotlight, but I promised Barry I would post his Guest Blog and he surprised me with its contents. Rest assured, you'll hear little about "Nick Caputo" from now on, and more on the comics and creators that are worth analyzing and celebrating.

John Caputo, Nick, and Barry Pearl

The Good Guys

2011-10-25T23:23:00.000-04:00

Over the years I've been blessed to meet many of the creators whose work I admire and respect. With some its been a chat at conventions, others I've gotten to spend time with, such as Joe Sinnott and Dick Ayers, still others email or correspondence by post. Of the old guard, to a person they have been generous, gracious and often humble. From Stan Lee to Steve Ditko, it has been an absolute pleasure to encounter such talented and unique creators.

One of the great moments was meeting Jack Kirby. I first saw him at the 1975 Marvel Convention, when he was introduced as a surprise guest, returning to Marvel. As he walked to the podium there was a tremendous ovation from the audience. From time to time I saw Kirby at other conventions over the years, but my last encounter was a special one. It was at a New York Con, where I had taken my little brother, Terry. I was a volunteer Big Brother for many years, and Terry grew to love comics, especially the work of Lee, Kirby and Ditko (and still does. He now has children of his own that enjoy comics!). After one of the panels we were lucky enough to talk to Jack for a moment when he wasn't mobbed, and I prodded Terry to ask him a question. Terry was a little shy but finally asked Jack how he came up with the Fantastic Four. What amazed me was how Kirby spoke to Terry like he was the only person in the room. You could tell that he really liked children and it it was a special moment that both he and I treasure.

There have been so many others: Gene Colan, Gil Kane, Dick Ayers, Jim Steranko, Herb Trimpe, Marie Severin, Roy Thomas, John Romita, all part of my childhood memories. What is notable is how many of them have a true love for the medium and praise their fellow creators more than themselves. They know comics and respect both their contemporaries and those who preceded them. There are many I wish I had a chance to meet before they passed away, but I've encountered so many who are not only professional in their job, but in demeanor as well. I salute them all, and thank them for their sincere efforts. We'll not see their like again.

Guest Blog by Barry Pearl

2011-10-06T10:40:00.001-04:00

My good friend and comics connoisseur Barry Pearl has kindly consented to add his insightful commentary to my Blog this week (I added the captions on the pictures he sent, but that's all the input from me, although I'm essentially in agreement with his observations). Barry has written an excellent book on Marvel Comics that is not only insightful and thorough, but interactive. You can find out more about it here:

http://comicbookcollectorsclub.com/essential-marvel-age-reference-project/

Barry, take it away!

I don't think I can read current comics anymore. I just finished reading 28 issues of Secret Warriors and boy, did I not like any of it. First, the artwork: the concept that every page needs three or four horizontal panels as it if were a wide screen movie is boring. The over coloring of everything, to cover up, I think weak inking destroys ever bit of individuality in the artwork. I went through this with the recent Captain America Omnibuses. The computerized house style artwork dominates all books, nothing looks very different from the others.

Tony Isabella tells me that I should look outside Marvel and DC, but when I do I still find the same crap. (Except for the Grim Ghost, of course.)

The story jumps from one sub plot to another, so that there are a lot of continued plot lines in each book. Few are ever resolved, but when they are it takes so much time. And, events happen in other titles that are apparently necessary to read to make sense of this plot. And, sadly, these storytellers cannot come up with any, good, original characters. They keep mining the Marvel Age, 1961-77 to death. (And Captain America). So each storyline seems to say, "Here are the characters, let's ignore their previous continuity. Time means nothing. The Howlers would be 90 years old and they still go out on another “final” mission. But the current crew of creators cannot come up with new characters that have any interest or impact. Norman Osborn, whose death created great controversy in Spider-Man nearly 40 years ago, is back and so is Baron Strucker . Both are very healthy for dead men.

Norman Osborn - alive and healthy

(Spoilers ahead) On the opening pages of almost every story, the author says that the Government now is the enemy. There are no longer any good guys. So I have no one to root for. As they bring back well known characters, they are all villains including Contessa Valentina Allegro De Fontaine who was once Fury’s girlfriend. Several times Marvel tried to tie the pieces of the Scorpio/Zodiac plotlines together, most notably in Defenders #46-51. But all that is thrown out here, along with all the Steranko innovations. Well, thrown out may be a bad term, mixed up and convoluted is more like it. But, just like the writers borrow from the past, so do the artists, as they try to copy Steranko’s style. But they are not capable of that, so they just can copy poses.

Contessa by Steranko

Steranko "Hommage"

The story might have made a five to eight issue run in the old days. But the plot is rather weak and preposterous. Early on we learn that SHIELD is supposed to have been a component of HYDRA. This is ridiculous and it negates and ignores so much of the continuity that went before. The Howlers are brought back for a mission. The author jumps around so much in telling the story that it takes four issues to tell the fate of the Howlers. How about one, long uninterrupted segment? In reading the three Omnibuses regarding Cap’s death, I come across the same problems. First, we know Cap would not die, especially if a movie was coming out. We just had to see how long it would be before he got better. In the second Omnibus, it is revealed that Sharon Carter might be the one who shot Cap under the influence of the Red Skull. Then not a major plot point is developed for over twenty issues!!! It goes on and on, doing nothing. In his introduction, Brubaker, the author, states that he, himself, didn’t like the Cap stories from 1980-2000, so he picked up right where I left off and stopped reading Cap (issue #214). How sad to know that in 30 years nothing was developed well enough to stick.

The violence is overwhelming.

(Big spoilers): Finally there is a twist at the end that negates the ENTIRE storyline, yet there is no evidence that these new facts are real. It purpose is to put you back at square one where another Fury storyline can begin at the same place. Fury kills Baron Strucker, violently and in cold blood. This is not the Fury I knew. He was heroic and brave and fought for a cause. No one does that anymore. They are not heroes; they are adventurers and vigilantes, fighting for their own sense of excitement, not for the common good. As I wrote in the introduction to my book, “The decency, humanity and humor of the original Marvel Super-Heroes was hereditary. They got it from their creators.”

Thanks again to Barry for sharing his thoughts. We both look forward to your comments.

Ditko's Shade

2011-09-26T15:49:00.002-04:00

While personal issues have kept me from updating my blog for the past few weeks (including another Kirby inked cover to add to the growing list), I've found a few moments to discuss the recent Steve Ditko Omnibus, which opens with a complete reprinting of his 1970s creation, Shade, the Changing Man. Although its wonderful to see the last issue, which was cancelled along with a plethora of other titles in the notorious "DC Implosion", it is unfortunate that current policy decrees that the stories be reprinted in their "original form", meaning without color. The problem is that Shade # 9 was originally produced FOR color, and was only published in black and white because the book never made it to the colorist before cancellation (coloring is one of the last phases of the production process). As with the earlier Blue Beetle and Capt. Atom stories, which were printed in fanzines that could not afford color, these stories cry out for color.

So far, I've read the first six issues, and it's clear that production wise, these stories shine with the better paper and printing used here. When these stories were first published in 1977, the printing quality in most comics was abysmal. Fine lines wobbled, and any detail was lost. Here we see every line of Ditko's work, and the original coloring is accurately reproduced, much of it vivid and clear.

Ditko created the character of Shade, and it fits into his concept of a heroic individual. As with many Ditko heroes, Rac Shade is a man who is wanted for crimes he did not commit, pursued by both criminals and the law. He wears a scientific outfit that gives him the ability to alter his appearance based on his opponents fears. Like his later Static, the outfit could be used for good or evil, depending on the wearer. Although there is a base on earth, much of the story tales place in other-dimensional realms. Ditko's plot is thick with characters and concepts, perhaps a little too dense in places, but he also adds some interesting twists and turns from issue to issue. Of note is Shade's love interest, Mellu, a Government agent; a strong, independent woman who blames Shade for the crippling of his parents, but who always harbors a modicum of doubt over his apparent guilt. What is interesting is that Ditko actually resolves this problem by the 6th issue and does not steretch it out interminablly.

Ditko's visual concepts stand out in his design of villains such as Form; a woman who can change into a misty substance, Sude; a large mechanical face with small arms and big teeth, and Khaos; a distorted figure who represents destruction. Ditko also plays with lighting effects ala Wally Wood, and his close ups of characters faces is delightful.

While Shade has a lot to offer, there are a few drawbacks as well. I find Shade's visual signature of "changing" his appearance through the M vest in order to frighten his foes to be lacking in drama. A big fist and a scary face can only go so far.Shade's costume is simple and not up to the standards Ditko has set for himself. Shade probably would have worked better without the "altering" concept and with perhaps another visual signature instead (such as Static's look). Michael Fleisher provided the dialouge for all the stories, and it is workmanlike at best. Fleisher has stated in interviews that he didn't particularly care for Shade and was just doing a job, and while I've enjoyed his solo writing on strips such as Jonah Hex, its too bad DC didn't get someone more sympathetic to Ditko's ideas, with the ability to write compelling dialouge.

Having said all that, I look forward to reading the last three instalments. This was Ditko's last hurrah for the major companies, in terms of his devoting energy and investing effort in a concept all his own. After this, most of his ideas would go the independent route, with work for DC and Marvel almost entirely produced on pre-existing characters or anthology stories (Yes, I know he worked of Speedball, but others were involved in that character as well, and it did not have the depth of Shade, retreading old paths for the most part).

I'll probably have more on Shade and the Ditko Omnibus in a future blogpost.

Kirby Inking Kirby- UPDATED!

2011-09-09T12:30:00.002-04:00

I wanted to alert folks who have already seen my Kirby inking Kirby post that it's been updated with two additional covers I've discovered. In adding some Kirby inked info to the GCD, I noticed a Tales of Suspense listing with my Kirby inking ID from some time ago, staring me in the face! I also found a romance cover as well. I try to be as thorough as possible, so if anything new pops up I'll add it to the post, so we can have as complete a list as possible all in one spot.

Kirby Inking Kirby

2011-09-06T01:56:00.014-04:00

In studying various inking styles over the decades, I've become familiar with the the distinctive fingerprints of many artists, in particular the early Marvel period. Jack Kirby was inked by a number of very talented and individual inkers circa 1959-1963, including Chris Rule, George Klein, Dick Ayers, Steve Ditko, Sol Brodsky, Don Heck, Paul Reinman and George Roussos. Occasionaly there have been covers that look nothing like "the usual suspects" and by comparing them to known Kirby inked work from the 1940s and 1950s, I'm convinced that Kirby inked a number of early Marvel covers, assigned by Stan Lee when he was in a bind.

The Fantastic Four # 7, Oct 1962

While folks like Mark Evanier believe that Kirby inked the cover to FF # 7 (and I wholeheartedly agree), I suspect that is just the tip of the iceberg, and since a blog is great for studies such as this, presented here, for the first time, is what I believe are Kirby inked covers. These examples present a fascinating glimpse into a rarely seen or appreciated aspect of Kirby's late 1950s and early 1960s artwork.

Tales of the Unexpected # 21 Jan 1958-Kirby inking

Clothing folds

Face

Hands

Machinery Squiggle

water

Although Kirby is not known as an inker, and, unlike many artists, didn't like to complete the job because he felt any competent inker could get it right (and he wanted to go onto the next story), I find his inking quite attractive. Kirby's inking is not very detailed - it is often sparse - and he pays little attention to fine points like fingers. His brushstrokes are sharp, and his indications for folds of clothing, for instance, add the right amount of detail. There is an organic quality to Kirby's inking that more than makes up for the missing elements, and I'll attempt to illustrate some of those points on each cover.

Battle # 67, Dec 1959

This is the earliest cover I've discovered that points to Kirby inking. Most of the Pre-Hero covers in this period drawn by Kirby were inked by either George Klein, Chris Rule, Dick Ayers or Steve Ditko. This cover bears none of their signature styles. The face of the soldier, the folds of clothing, the hands and the background details (including the squiggle type line Kirby uses on one of the enemies helmets), are familiar to Kirby's known inked work.

Journey into Mystery # 56, Jan 1960

This is the first Pre-Hero Monster cover I've attributed to Kirby inking. Everything looks as though it was inked as needed, with nothing extra added. The sharp lines to denote water are indicative of Kirby's DC inked stories. It also looks as though a few additional blocks of ice were crudely added by another hand, either Sol Brodsky or possibly even Stan Lee, who occasionaly fixed things if no one else was around.

Battle # 68, Feb 1960

The very next month we have another Battle cover.In some ways this cover looks a little too detailed to be Kirby inking, but other elements seem very similar to Battle # 67, including the way the face is inked. Perhaps Kirby put a little more detail into this cover, but in the final analysis I suspect this is all Kirby.

Tales to Astonish # 20, June 1961

This is a cover I originally thought was inked by Dick Ayers, but there are a number of distinctive Kirby tropes that made me reconsider. The line work on the folds of clothing, the squiggle on the wheel in the forground, and the brushstrokes on the water are all typical of Kirby inking.

Love Romances # 96, Nov 1963

Another update: This is the only Kirby inked romance cover I've discovered so far. The inking, especially trhe face and hair of the woman in the foreground, has the distinctive Kirby touch.

The Incredible Hulk # 1, May 1962

The Incredible Hulk # 1 has been attributed to many inkers, including George Roussos and Paul Reinman, but I'm "convinced" that Kirby actually inked this cover. The sparse quality, including the way clothing is inked on Dr. Banner, the lack of detail on the Hulk's feet and the singular way the face is inked point to Kirby. There is none of the heavy brushwork of Roussos, or the finer line of Paul Reinman. Ayers also would have had thicker brushwork , so I submit this important cover to be inked by none other than Jack Kirby.

Journey into Mystery # 81, June 1962

The following month features this cover, generally ascribed to Paul Reinman or George Roussos. While the background figures are so small its hard to see any distinguishing features, the robot has sharp, thick lines that are indicative of Kirby inking.

Strange Tales Annual # 1, Summer 1962

A new cover to a reprint compilation that features bold brush work, particularly on folds of clothing and typical lack of detail on hands.

Rawhide Kid # 31, Dec 1962

This is another cover that screams "Kirby" to me. The lines on the clothing, the simple hands and the blocky inking on the Rawhide Kid's clothes, along with the way the buttons are drawn, bigger and closer together, add up to a very attractive cover.

Tales of Suspense # 36 Dec 1962

UPDATE: This issue got past me in my research, mainly because my brother John borrowed some of my Tales To Astonish issues, but while adding some Kirby inker info to the GCD I came across this cover, whuich clearly has the same distinguishing features as the other covers (and don't you love the dog!)

May 1963 cover dated books feature what I believe are a total of three Kirby inked covers. Stan Lee apeared to hand out assignments in batchs, meaning on a given month you would see Reinman handed three covers, with another four asssigned to Ayers. My guess is that Stan needed those covers inked in a hurry and assigned them to Kirby, who quickly turned them in.

Fantastc Four # 11, Feb 1963

While the cover of FF # 11 was altered in places, likely by Al Hartley (mainly the figure of Sue), the inking is another matter. In looking this cover over some years ago I asked Dick Ayers if he inked it. He emailed me, informing me that he checked his record books and it was not one of his covers. The coloring on the cover is very dark, making it hard to pick out details, but the sparse look of the characters faces, as well as the inking on the Torch indicates Kirby input.

Tales of Suspense # 38, Feb 1963

This cover has all the earmarks of Kirby inking. Notice the lack of detail on the background figures, the folds of clothing and the sharp lines. They look nothing like Ayers' work, not the other inkers of the period. While it is true that Ayers ocassionally followed Kirby's line, it was unusual, and Ayers always had some sign of his thicker inking style. I don't see any of it on this cover.

Tales to Astonish # 40, Feb 1963

Kirby had a particular way of inking machinery, mainly hard, sharp lines. The Ant-Man figure has little detail added to his costume, and the faces and figures of the pedestrians are also slight.

Journey into Mystery # 92, May 1963

Here is another cover that screams Kirby to my eyes. Note the lack of detail on Loki's hands, the faces, the way the rocks and sea are inked, and even Thor's helmet, with the slight swiggle. It looks like Kirby also inked the corner box figure of Thor, which was soon changed.

Tales of Suspense # 41, May 1963

Iron-Man's armor has the same choppy lines that accompany Kirby's inking of machinery, and Dr. Strange's clothing again has simple folds.

Strange Tales # 112, Sept 1963

The characters and background elements all employ Kirby's sparse inking. The Human Torch looks fairly normal, but the lines look different enough to sugest that Kirby inked that figure as well.

Sgt. Fury # 3, Sept 1963 Kirby or Ditko inks?

Finally, we come to Sgt. Fury # 3, a cover I'm not totally convinced Kirby inked. On the GCD, the possibility of Steve Ditko inking this cover was brought up, and while I was initially "sure" this was Kirby inking, I'm also aware there were instances where Ditko literally traced Kirby's pencils, such as Tales to Astonish # 50. The lack of definition in the hands and the outfits looks like typical Kirby inking, but there's something about Fury's face that looks a little different, so this may be inked by Ditko.

Cover detail to Fantasy Masterpieces # 4, Aug 1966

This is all the Kirby inking I've discovered so far, although its possible I may have missed something. If anything else turns up, it will appear in a follow up post. Fantasy Masterpieces # 4, which was advertised as inked by Kirby, was the last time Kirby inked any of his Marvel work. It would have been interesting to have seen Kirby ink an entire story at Marvel, but he was too valuable as a penciller (and not interested) for that to have happened. Still, one can imagine a Kirby inked FF, Thor, Ant-Man or Hulk....

More Rejected Covers

2011-08-26T00:31:00.000-04:00

As promised, here are two more rejected covers worth examining:

Unpublished cover to Daredevil # 43 by Gene Colan

Published cover by Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott

In this case Stan called on Jack Kirby to redo Gene Colan's cover. While Gene's version spotlights both heroes equally, Jack's cover puts Cap in the foreground, perhaps because he was the better selling character and would potentially raise sales. I prefer Gene's cover. There is a sense of fluidity in Gene's figures, with DD having the upper hand, striking Cap. In a nice touch, Daredevil has taken possesion of Cap's shield. On Jack's cover the two heroes are about to face off, but Cap's figure is awkwardly positioned, with Daredevil drawn more attractively. Jack's cover is certainly dramatic, but Gene's is more balanced and lively, although I'm sure some of you will disagree with me (and I'd love to hear your thoughts).

Next up, two John Buscema covers:

Rejected cover to the Silver Surfer # 7 by John Buscema

Published cover by John and Sal Buscema

It's easy to see why the original cover was rejected. It's a nicely drawn scene, dramatic on its own, but the Surfer is helpless, showing no sign of his powers. The published version features the Surfer prominently, in action and on his surfboard, blasting away at the villains while another Surfer is helpless in the background. The title "The Heir of Frankenstein!" gives you a clue to the story. John Buscema was a consummate craftsman, and its interesting to compare two versions by the same artist.

I intend to examine more rejected covers in the future, as it seems to be of interest to quite a few folks. While I don't agree with all of Stan Lee's choices, I can see that he had definite ideas as to what worked (and sold) on a cover, and its interesting to explore those specific choices.

Other upcoming minutiae will include comparisons of unaltered stats with published covers, and cover corrections by different artists. I love studying artists styles, and I'll try to show the unique stylistic tics that stand out for me.

Rejected Covers

2011-08-21T18:55:00.000-04:00

Since this Blog IS called Marvel Mysteries and Comics Minutiae, I thought it would be a good idea to probe into an area of particular interest to me, and hopefully of interest to a few of you as well. I've always been interested in the process of comics; growing up I was fascinated when my brother John bought a reprint comic such as Marvel Tales or Marvel Collector's Item Classics. When he also had the original publication around, I would compare the two side by side, often noticing new coloring on the reprints. Occasionally there were alterations in art; editing of footnotes and new copy at the end of the stories. Reprinted covers were ofter recolored, figures sometimes repositioned and copy added or changed (and one day soon I'll do a post on reprint covers that used the original stats before they were changed for publication). But this post will focus on rejected covers, showcasing a few comparisons with my observations.

To get a better understanding on what the criteria was for rejecting a cover, I went to two sources that were closely involved. Stan Lee had this to say:

"I hardly ever rejected a cover because of the quality of the artwork. Our artists were the best! It was only subject matter and interpretation that I changed.

I might have said :"Put the hero more in the foreground" or "Make the villain bigger"" or "Don't show the new villain's face. Let the reader guess." or "Make the scene more of a long shot." etc. Stuff like that.

Don't really recall any specific covers I turned down. My taste in covers was pretty much the same as Martin Goodman's. After the first few years he left me on my own in that regard."

I also queried Roy Thomas, who kindly answered:

"I remember more about Martin Goodman's rejection of covers than Stan's... after all, if he rejected a penciled cover, it was more likely to be in the privacy of his own office, and I might never hear of it. I see rejected covers that clearly were done during my early days at Marvel, and I usually don't recall anything about them, because Stan didn't generally discuss them with me.

If Stan wanted to reject a cover, I doubt if I could have talked him out of it. I do recall him being unhappy at seeing the bottom of Captain America's boot (the sole) on the cover of GIANT-SIZE INVADERS, and he wanted to get the foot redrawn so we'd see the top of it. That would've made him look like he was putting his best toe forward, so I managed to talk him out of that... but he never liked seeing the bottoms of hero's shoes on covers. I've mentioned I think that's why he rejected one CAPTAIN AMERICA cover by either Kirby or Romita that's floating around... although I don't specifically remember that cover otherwise.

As editor-in-chief, I had pretty much control over the covers, although Stan as publisher could overrule me as Goodman had him... and perhaps he did, once or twice, but nothing I particularly recall."

And now, on to a few covers:

The rejected cover to Amazing Spider-Man # 35, as published in Italy

The published cover to Amazing Spider-Man # 35

A side by side comparison clearly shows that Ditko's Spider-Man figure was redrawn by Jack Kirby, with inking likely by Sol Brodsky. This cover came up in a phone conversation I had with John Romita some years ago. He recalled he was in the office when Kirby was fixing the cover, and Kirby was joking that he always had to fix Ditko's butts. It's obvious that either Stan or Martin Goodman did not think Spidey's rear facing the viewer was attractive, and Stan had Jack make the change, likely because he was in the office. While the original does have a charm, as S-M is descending from above, the replacement figure is also dramatic, as he races towards a confrontation.

Kirby's covers were also rejected from time to time, and here is an interesting example:

Rejected cover to Thor # 167; Jack Kirby pencils; Vince Colletta inks

Published cover to Thor # 167 by John Romita

The changes here are very interesting and point to what Stan was explaining. Kirby's version has more details, although the main idea is part of both covers. In both Thor's ghostly figure looks on helplessly as his alter ego is threatened by Loki. That scene is more in the foreground in Kirby's version, as we also witness the inside of a building where doctors are administrating to another fallen hero. I like the unpublished cover for the look of urgency on Thor's face, but it is a perfect example of Stan's intentions for a successful cover:

"Put the hero more in the foreground..Make the villain bigger!" Stan went to John Romita to redo many covers since he was in the office and deadlines loomed.

I intend to compare a few more examples this week, so stay tuned. I'm interested in feedback to see if most folks like this type of stuff. It's something I believe works well in this format, and personally I really enjoy it.

To Be Continued.....

Musings on the great Wally Wood

2011-08-14T01:45:00.002-04:00

I'll always associate Wally Wood with artistic titans Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. All three worked for Marvel in the magical year 1965; all three were highly distinctive and totally involved in their visions. Wood’s work at Marvel was minimal, seven issues of Daredevil and assorted inking jobs, yet he left an indelible impression on my mind. His art had a brilliant gloss to it, a fairy tale quality that drew you in. His figures were heroic, his women curvaceous (despite restrictions by the Comics Code, Wood's Karen Page exuded sexuality); his machinery detailed and shiny.

My earliest Wood memory. Daredevil # 9, Aug 1965

Wood was always around in the 1960s and 1970s, although you’d never know where his art would pop up. After he quit Marvel, Wood was the prime player at Tower comics, writing stories, drawing, inking and providing layouts for other artists. His covers for Dynamo, Thunder Agents, Noman and Undersea Agents were striking in their simplicity. Wood also worked for DC, Warren, Gold Key and showed up for another short stint at Marvel in the early 1970s, He produced artwork for Science Fiction mags, book covers and Topps bubblegum cards. He did commericial work for TV Guide and ads for Alka Seltzer.

Dynamo # 3, March 1967

Wood published witzend, a fanzine which was instrumental in not only giving creators an opportunity to go outside the restrictions of the Comics Code, but to own their creations. Artists such as Steve Ditko came on board, originating Mr. A. Wood's fantasy worlds were populated with odd little figures, monsters, gremlins and elves that sprouted from his subconcious. There was a child like quality to much of his work, a kid inside of Wood that had to escape. Much of his cartoonish art seemed tailor made for animation, but although copied, the original rarely made it to the screen.

Wood's offbeat imagination at work

 

Wood's inking was exquisite. Everyone looked great rendered by Wood: Gil Kane, Gene Colan, Mike Sekowsky. Some say his style was overpowering, but I saw his collaborations, especially when paired with Ditko and Kirby, as a blending of elements. Wood understood what was important in the pencilled stage. He enhanced but did not dilute.

Jack Kirby pencils, Challengers of the Unknown # 8, July 1959

Gene Colan pencils, Captain America # 126, June 1970

Steve Ditko pencils, Stalker # 1, July 1975

By the early 1970s I became aware of Wood’s past and reveled in the many reprints of his brilliant EC work, including his science fiction classics, and Mad, where his satirical side exploded in all directions. The impish, child-like humor would continue into his self published work and remain an essential element throughout his career.

The Spawn of Venus

I distinctly recall reading about Wood’s suicide while riding on a bus in 1981. It headlined the news in the Buyers Guide, and columnist Cat Yronwood devoted a good deal of her column to Wood's life and career. Wood’s passing shook me up, particularly due to the way he died. A true tragedy, it instilled an awareness that my favorite artists and creators were human and would not be around forever. Now, all these decades later, only a handful remain.

It was also a great loss because Wood was still relatively young, but not having taken care of his health, he wore down quickly. Like some of his brilliant peers, Wood lived in his own world, and anything he considered outside interference - notably editors - was an irratant. He stood on the outskirts of comics, looking through the windows and gazing at the clouds. His imagination took him to distant galaxies, or worlds where odd little creatures ran rampant, but the special qualities of Wally Wood can only be admired by us normal folks.

I’m glad he stopped by to entertain us for a spell.

The King of the World, 1978

To learn more about Wally Wood's art and career I highly recommend visiting
Horray for Wally Wood
which is linked on my bloglist.

A special thank you to Barry Pearl for technicolor assistance

What Made Marvel Different?

2011-08-03T14:07:00.000-04:00

Over at Timely-Atlas Yahoo Groups there has been an ongoing discussion on whether Stan Lee was aware of his competition at DC, how closely he copied their characters and how it affected Marvel's line-up. Of course Stan was aware of the competition, as was Martin Goodman, but no matter how influenced they were, in the final analysis it is the differences - not the similarities - that made Marvel stand out.

Marvel in the 1960s was completely different from DC (and their other competitors) in so many ways. Their covers used darker tones, more grays, purples and gradations, courtesy of colorist Stan Goldberg. Stan Lee's cover copy was flamboyant and melodramatic, but he added self-referential touches and humor that connected with his audiences ("If you don't like this comic, you might enjoy Millie the Model").

Journey into Mystery # 106, July 1964 Kirby/Stone art/ Lee Copy

Strange Tales # 122 July 1964 Kirby/Brodsky art; Lee copy

The art was rougher; less polished than the Curt Swan, Carmine Infantino style. Their style was suburban; Kirby and Ditko's was urban. Their heroes fought in the streets, rooftops and alleyways of New York, where garbage pails, fire hydrants and tenements existed, and water towers loomed above.

Fantastic Four # 20, November 1963 Kirby/Ayers

Flash # 130 August 1962 Infantino/Giella

The heroes looked nothing like the clean-shaven characters that populated other companies; the Thing, the Hulk, Spider-Man, Thor, Sgt. Fury - monsters, heroes with faces concealed, long hair and ripped shirts - not a conservative looking group. What Stan, Jack and Steve did was take surface elements of popular heroes and refashion them, creating their own unique stamp.

Growing up in the 1960s I had the opportunity, thanks to my older brother John, to read comics from a variety of companies, DC, Gold Key, Tower, Archie, Charlton - they all had their own personality. I never confused one product with another (yes, even Archie's Mighty Comics line, which tried really hard to mimic - some would say outright confiscate - Marvel's look, didn't fool me at 6 years old). We did read more Marvel's on a steady basis, attracted by the ongoing stories, sharp writing and superb storytelling. Lee, Kirby and Ditko were the core group, but Wood, Romita, Colan, Buscema, Heck, Ayers and an array of others contributed to a special moment in the world of comics. They were different not because Martin Goodman followed competitors sales figures and asked for similar titles (something he did throughout his life as publisher), but due to the individuality of the creators working for him. Otherwise their work would rarely be discussed and largely forgotten. That, I'm sure we can all agree, has not occurred.

Why I Like Steve Ditko

2011-07-28T12:54:00.000-04:00

It's only fitting that one of my first posts discusses Steve Ditko, whose work I've admired since I was a child. I was trying to recall my earliest memories of his art, and what it was that made it connect on a personal level. An early image came to mind: a panel in Spider-Man focusing on a band of criminals fleeing. I recognized how the folds of clothing moved they looked the same way my trousers moved when I ran. It was a simple observation, but brought a sense of reality to the scene.

Amazing Spider-Man # 19, Dec 1964

Although Ditko's work comes from a cartoonists background, much like the artists he admired (Will Eisner, Jerry Robinson, Mort Meskin), Ditko had the ability to deliniate figures, forms, clothing and settings with a knowledge of the real world. Ditko studied how folds of clothing flowed, he understood the workings of the human hand and how the body moves. Ditko, like Alex Toth, was able to simplify. He knew what to include and what to eliminate.

Ditko made his characters realistic by not turning them into superhuman powerhouses (not that there's anything wrong with that when you're a superlative storyteller, but more on Jack Kirby in another post). Another early memory is the cover to Amazing Spider-Man # 15. The cover draws the reader in with brilliant ease. Spider-Man is in the foreground, struggling to escape a net he is trapped in, as Kraven the Hunter approaches him. The park setting is established by trees and a city landscape peeks out in the background. Unlike DC characters, who often faced unusual situations or gimmicks on their covers, Ditko puts Spider-Man in a "real" and threatening situation. You can easily put yourself in Spider-Man's situation and wonder how he will escape his predicament.

Ditko's heroes were flesh and blood. They could get brusied and beaten (but not bleed in the confines of the Comics Code) and often had to use their mind to outwit their opponents. Ditko thought out his plots and situations and though his pencils look flawless, its obvious that a lot of thoughgt went into his decisions. I believe that is one of the reasons one can go back to these stories and appreciate them over and over.

Ditko is an original. Unique, individual, compelling. Now in his 80s, he continues to draw comics. There are those who chose to denigrate the man on a personal level, attacking him for the type of stories he has chosen to tell in his independent work. I'm not one of them. I've read too many articles, blogs and essays that turn into hateful bile, filled with distortions, inaccuracies and lies about the man - not constructive discussions about his work. I intend to pursue a more positive direction here.

More on Ditko soon....

A Beginning!

2011-07-22T20:10:00.000-04:00

I've finally decided to take the plunge and start a blog of my own. My initial idea, as some may have guessed from the title, is to discuss the world of comics, not only 1960s Marvel Comics (and other periods), but other companies and creators as well. I will look into the obscure, the forgotten, and the unusal. Since my interests are varied, I'm sure I'll diverge from time to time, and topics beyond comics, such as movies, books, Televsion, Animation, etc, will be shared.

I'm currently working on an introduction to the Tales to Astonish Masterworks, which will include the contents of TTA #'s 31-34 and all the non-hero filler stories. I'm thriled to get this assignment, and have been holed up for the past week or so, researching, reading and revising. It's coming into shape after about 8 drafts, although I may feel differently after I look it over again.
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I suspect this blog will evolve over time as I feel my way around. I hope what I write will be of interest and provide some worthwhile discussion. I welcome comments and love hearing divergent opinions; it makes life interesting and I might even learn something.