Appreciating Don Heck

My introduction to Don Heck’s art began in the mid-1960s, where he was thrust into Marvel's growing assemblage of superheroes, including "Iron Man," "Ant-Man," and The Avengers. Reprints in Fantasy Masterpieces educated me on Heck's stylish monster/science-fiction short stories, which, while published only six or seven years prior, seemed to my youthful eyes like artifacts from an ancient age. As my collecting interests grew, I became aware of his facility in an array of genres, including romance, war and westerns. Through fanzines and interviews I learned of his beginnings, both the high-points and pitfalls of toiling in the comic book field. Heck struggled at times to retain his more humanistic, somewhat quirky approach while adhering to the company standard. As a result he often didn't get the choice assignments and was passed over for younger, more popular artists. What I would contend here, though, is that his contributions to the field are significant and deserving of a more thorough evaluation.       

Don Heck’s earliest work was published in 1952 at Comic Media, where his striking covers and interior stories made an impact on such titles as Weird Terror, War Fury, Horrific, All True Romance, Death Valley and Danger. The latter title is noteworthy, for it was there that he was awarded his first feature, "Duke Douglas," a spy series that appeared in issues 7-11. Heck's esthetics and storytelling sense were inspired by master cartoonist Milton Caniff, acclaimed in the field for his newspaper strip Terry and the Pirates. 

While Heck's first forays in the medium had a stiff quality and the positioning of figures was sometimes awkward, he was clearly growing as a sequential storyteller. This story shows a Jack Davis influence. "Full Moon," Weird Terror # 5, May 1953.  Image from Comic Book Plus: http://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=38881   

This western cover (along with the image directly below) is indicative of the more lurid graphic scenes comic books offered during the pre-Code era. Death Valley # 2, December 1953.

 Many of Heck's covers for Comic Media were infused with an intense mood, lush brushwork and an angularity that mirrored the camerawork in such diverse cinematic fare as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), The Wolfman (1941) and Kiss of Death (1947). Weird Terror # 11, May 1954. 

                                                                    

Heck's composition has a movie poster quality and the "leading man" is reminiscent of Bulldog Drummond or The Saint (The cover immediately brought James Bond to mind, but that spy would not appear in films for another decade, although Ian Fleming's first book, Casino Royale, was published about a year before this comic was on sale.) Danger # 11, August 1954. 

In addition to Comic Media, Heck also freelanced for Harvey, Toby Press and US Pictoral, publisher of the one-shot Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion, adapted from the 1955-57 syndicated TV series starring Buster Crabbe. As I noted previously, Heck's art was greatly influenced by Milton Caniff.     

In late 1954 Heck began a long association with Stan Lee, the Editor and chief helmsman of Atlas (which would later become better known as Marvel). Lee took note of Heck's versatility and had the artist working steadily on a variety of subject matter: western, war, horror, crime, romance, jungle tales – you name it – all produced with a high level of professionalism. Heck was soon awarded ongoing features in Navy Action ("Torpedo Taylor") and Jann of the Jungle ("Cliff Mason"). Heck’s war stories were particularly strong, as his visual skills were well suited to tales of heroic adventure. 

"Torpedo Taylor" was a favorite assignment of Heck's. This page demonstrates a young artist with confidence in his abilities. "Get that Sub!", Navy Combat # 10, December 1956.

Heck didn't get the opportunity to pencil Atlas' ongoing westerns (Kid Colt Outlaw, Two Gun Kid, Outlaw Kid, Rawhide Kid, Wyatt Earp, etc.) since Lee already had a stable of regulars assigned to those books. However, he often illustrated the short non-series tales that filled out each title. One exception was The Kid from Dodge City, which was unfortunately cancelled after only two issues, a victim of company wide cutbacks. While Heck's art was not as detailed or authentic as contemporary John Severin's, his cowboy stories were filled with "actors" straight out of central casting and stoic heroes reminiscent of Gary Cooper. 

 Heck's scratchiness was perfectly suited to the gritty atmosphere that typified western fare. His characters, clothing and settings echoed (and were no doubt inspired by) the movies he watched as a child and adult. "The Day of the Gun Duel!," Gunsmoke Western # 41, June 1957.   

Heck excelled on the one-shot title Police Badge # 479 (September 1955). He drew two stories starring a rookie cop, sinking his teeth into an exciting strip that featured dynamic layouts, attractive pencils and atmospheric inks. I have no doubt that Heck would have produced an excellent ongoing feature had this comic continued.  

A dramatic splash page to "Night Rain,"  Police Badge # 479, September 1955.

Heck could switch gears easily, showing his proclivity for fashion, design and attractive women in such titles as Love Romances, My Own Romance and Teen-Age Romance. Heck enjoyed working on fantasy and space opera, contributing to Mystic, Strange Worlds, Journey into Mystery, World of Fantasy, Strange Tales, Tales of Suspense and Tales to Astonish.

 Heck conveys  a mixture of beauty and vulnerability in the demeanor of the woman who dominates this opening page. "Incident in the Rain!," Love Romances # 102, November 1962. Heck: "I couldn't draw girls at all in the beginning - that was my worst feature, and me a fan of Caniff's! I decided I'd better start learning."  

An example of Heck's elegant science-fiction work. “Rocket Ship X”, Strange Tales # 69, June 1959.

An air of menace prevails on this splash page, heightened by Heck's positioning of the robot in the foreground (Stan Goldberg's coloring doesn't hurt either!) Artie Simek lettering. Tales to Astonish # 11, September 1960.    

Two pages that are indicative of Heck's employment of favorite "character actors," expressive mood and "cinematography," enhanced by Stan Goldberg's evocative coloring. Page 3 and 4 of "Something Lurks in the Fog!," Tales of Suspense # 24, December 1961.  

While continuing to draw fantasy, western and romance stories, in 1962 Stan Lee added superheroes to Heck's resume. Lee's primary artist-collaborator, Jack Kirby, couldn’t handle the workload of drawing every title, although he created Iron Man's initial uniform (used as the cover of Tales of Suspense # 39, March 1963). Heck penciled the debut story and modeled Tony Stark's image in the mold of debonair actor Errol Flynn. Heck's expertise in depicting ordinary people served him well. He devised supporting players Happy Hogan (a stoic chap whose appearance may have been influenced by comedian Buster Keaton) and Pepper Potts, who Heck noted was visually based on actress Ann B. Davis. The two bickering employees of Stark Enterprises brought an element of much-needed humor to the grim surroundings.

Happy Hogan and Pepper Potts from their introduction in Tales of Suspense # 45, September 1963. Stan Lee plot; Robert Bernstein script; Heck art; Sam Rosen lettering.   

Heck: "When I was doing "Iron Man," I enjoyed it because in the beginning, there were characters like Happy Hogan and that other girl, Pepper Potts. They were characters. They were people...Stan called up, and he said he wanted Pepper to be prettier, and as far as I was concerned, that killed her. In other words, if she gets prettier, who cares if she's second fiddle or something like that? But if she's homely and she winds up going out, then its a big deal. And the same [call] he said "make Happy handsomer." And I liked him with his banged up ear and his crooked nose and a whole mess of stuff like that...Suddenly, everybody had to be pretty, and I didn't like it."          

 

While Heck's art was not as inventive or intensely powerful as Jack Kirby's (few artists were) he had an appealing style with a charm all its own. Favorite early Iron Man stories include “The Mad Pharaoh” (Tales of Suspense # 44, August 1963), where his rendering showed a distinct Alex Toth influence; a two-part Mandarin story (Suspense #’s 54 & 55, June-July 1964), the latter which included a special feature:  “All about Iron Man,” where Heck's inking was particularly crisp; and the introduction of the Unicorn (Suspense # 56, August 64), a villain Heck probably designed on his own, and quite expertly. All of Heck's penciled and inked Iron Man stories are great reads and reflect some of his very best work in the super hero field.

In his Comics Feature interview Heck explained: 

 "..I was more or less inspired in some cases by stuff I had seen that Alex Toth was doing, and so I was having fun with it, and I saw Toth was working with a Rapid-O-Graph [a technical pen], and I did an Egyptian story with all of these characters, and it was the first time I used a Rapid-O-Graph."  

"The Mad Pharaoh!" (Tales of Suspense # 44, August 1963) is the story Heck references.  Stan Lee plot; Robert Bernstein script; Sam Rosen lettering. 

Iron Man floats weightlessly above the Manhattan crowd; one of Heck's most accomplished pages of the period. Tales of Suspense # 54, June 1964.

A special feature page from Tales of Suspense # 55, July 1964. Lee script; Heck art; Sam Rosen lettering.  

When Stan Lee gave Heck an additional title to draw in mid-1964 (taking over the reigns from Jack Kirby on The Avengers with # 9, cover-dated October) he relinquished his inking responsibilities for the first time in his career. Dick Ayers, Chic Stone and Mike Esposito filled that role with varying degrees of success. Overall, though, the results diluted Heck's pencils. Heck provided his perspective on producing the finished art in Comics Scene # 21, November 1982 (conducted by Richard Howell):  

"I would much rather finish my own work. Obviously, if I do that, I’m not going to do as many pages per month, as far as that goes, but I like to get into the characters. I like to work with the whole feeling of the story. And I think you--I do, anyway--draw better if you do the whole drawing."   

Upon his return to Marvel, John Romita's first job was inking Heck's pencils on The Avengers. Heck had assisted Romita on a few romance jobs at DC, and both were noted for drawing attractive women. Stan Lee script; Morrie Kuramoto lettering, The Avengers # 23, December 1965. 

While Heck didn't particularly enjoy working on a team book (or superheroes, for that matter), many of the early Avengers stories focused on a core group consisting of Captain America, Hawkeye, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, giving him the ability to play up characterization and human drama. This began to change in his last dozen-odd issues when first original members Goliath and the Wasp returned (in issue # 28) and Hercules was added as a new member (# 38) instituting a more unwieldy congregation of heroes and villains.

Concurrent with his mid-1960s Marvel work Heck freelanced for Western Publishing/Gold Key on an array of popular TV adaptations: The Man from Uncle, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Twilight Zone and Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery. "The Ten Little UNCLE's Affair," Dick Wood script, Mike Esposito inks, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. # 5, March 1966.  

After Heck was relieved of his Avengers duties he became a utility player at Marvel, laying out stories for Werner Roth on X-Men and working over John Romita’s breakdowns on Amazing Spider-Man (often completed by inker Mike Esposito). While serviceable, this piecemeal approach deprived Heck of his many signature qualities. Heck returned to full pencils on Captain Marvel, Captain Savage and anthology stories in Tower of Shadows, Chamber of Darkness, Our Love Story and My Love. Heck's non-superhero efforts were undoubtedly the best of what he produced in this period, before he was prodded to emulate Jack Kirby's Wagnerian visuals.  

In the mid-to-late 1960s Heck was rarely given the opportunity to ink his own pencils and his work suffered accordingly. On occasion he was paired with a compatible inker, such as veteran artist Syd Shores. "The Junk-Heap Juggernauts!," Captain Savage and his Leatherneck Raiders # 13, April 1969.   

Master draftsman John Buscema was both a friend and an admirer of Heck's art. They only collaborated on a handful of stories, but Heck's delineation on this page suggests (at least to me!) that they should have been paired together more often. "A Time to Die!,"; Stan Lee script; Sam Rosen lettering,  Tower of Shadows # 1, September 1969.  

With superheroes showing signs of weakness publisher Martin Goodman decided to revisit several once-popular genres, including romance (Love Romances was cancelled in 1963). My Love and Our Love Story debuted on alternate months and it was only natural for Heck, often praised by fans and professionals for depicting stunning women, to become a primary contributor on both titles. The above splash teams him with his contemporary in the romance field, John Romita. "Why Did I Lose You, My Love?," Stan Lee story; Heck pencils; Romita inks, Sam Rosen letters, Our Love Story # 1, October 1969.    

Marvel also initiated two mystery-oriented comics in the spring/summer of 1969, Tower of Shadows and Chamber of Darkness, where Heck was again on solid ground. The above page underscores the artists instinctive understanding of where the "camera" should be placed. This story also profits from Heck inking his pencils, a rare occurrence in this period. "Evil is A Baaaad Scene!!," Allyn Brodsky script; Sam Rosen lettering, Tower of Shadows # 4, March 1970.  

In the early 1970s Heck switched allegiances and moved to DC, where he was wisely assigned to strips starring female leads, from superhero/adventure series Wonder Woman, "Batgirl" and "Rose and the Thorn," to a plethora of romance stories. The supernatural titles such as House of Secrets and The Witching Hour also benefited from his artistic skills. As good as they were, he hit a high note with the extra-length Gothic thrillers The Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love/Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion and Sinister House of Secret Love. 

Heck's use of contemporary fashions and beautiful women were combined to design many exceptional covers for DC's romance titles. Girls' Romances # 156, April, 1971. Dick Giordano inks (who often stated he loved inking Don's work).  

When given the opportunity to draw more realistic scenes and settings Heck stretched his muscles. This atmospheric page includes an impressive birds-eye view in panel five. "Kiss of Death," The Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love # 3, February 1972, Heck pencils and inks; Jack Oleck script; Ben Oda lettering.  

Heck was reportedly given the "Batgirl" strip due to Jack Kirby's referral and he came through with flying colors. "The Deadly Go-Between!," Detective Comics # 416, October 1971. Heck pencils and inks. Frank Robbins script; John Costanza lettering. 

Back at Marvel in the mid-1970s Heck penciled a few above-average stories, particularly in Giant-Size Dracula and Giant-Size Defenders. As the decade wore on, though, both Heck's assignments and inkers were wanting and his work fell out of favor. Heck was often the guy editors called on when deadlines loomed; he was always dependable and delivered the goods on time. The finished product did not always meet fans expectations, though, and Heck - not the inkers or editors - would get the blame. 

Author Steve Gerber praised Heck for his storytelling on "Too Cold A Night for Dying!" in Giant-Size Defenders # 4, April 1975. Vince Colletta inks; Dave Hunt lettering.  

Disappointed with the treatment he received at Marvel Heck returned to DC in 1977, remaining with the company until 1988. There he had runs on Wonder Woman, The Flash, Steel, the Indestructible Man and Justice League of America. Some of the DC editors were more accommodating to Heck, either providing sympathetic inkers or granting him the opportunity to do the complete job. The results were generally of high-quality. 

A time-travel tale gave Heck an opportunity to revisit familiar territory as Green Lantern encounters Jonah Hex, one of DC's popular western characters. Justice League of America # 199, February 1982. Brett Breeding provides the sturdy inks.  Gerry Conway script; Ben Oda lettering. 

Like most comic book artists Don Heck was almost certainly an avid moviegoer who studied cinematic techniques. While fans got a kick out of seeing Heck's versions of Jimmy Olsen, Adam Strange, Deadman, Blackhawk and Woozy Winks, Heck was almost certainly more interested in depicting movie stars Spencer Tracy, Edward G. Robertson, Charlie Chaplin, Gary Cooper and Harpo Marx! "All This And World War, Too!" Jean-Marc Lofficier plot, Roy Thomas script; Heck pencils and inks; John Costanza lettering; Carl Gafford coloring. DC Challenge # 9, July 1986.   

In addition to his DC work, Heck's art appeared in other venues from time to time, including the magazine anthology Adventure Illustrated # 1, Winter 1981. Heck provided three illustrations to accompany a chapter from Owen Wister's 1902 western novel "The Virginian." The artist's exuberance for the material is echoed in his delightfully fluid technique.  

Heck returned to Marvel for the final time in 1989 when work dried up at DC. He penciled, inked or provided finished art over other artists in Avengers Spotlight, Marvel Comics Presents, Thor and other features. Heck also worked for a few independent publishers including Topps Comics. 

 

Heck revisited the armored hero he was most recognized for in Iron Man Annual # 12, September 1991, illustrating this one-page recap of his origin. Heck also inked an IM story in that issue.   

                      

One of Heck's last jobs was drawing a character Jack Kirby designed, Nightglider, for Topps comics. "She Glides in Beauty Like the Night...," Nightglider # 1, April 1993. 

Don Heck has been described by his peers as an amiable, hard working, no-nonsense guy; a visual and verbal mix of Leo Gorcey and Art Carney, equipped with a sharp sense of humor. A self-effacing man, Heck was not afraid to speak his mind when prodded, typical of his working class upbringing in the streets of Jamaica, Queens. Heck passed away on February 23, 1995, at the age of 66.

In a career spanning more than 40 years Don Heck produced a body of work that is worthy of appreciation. Unjustly and often cruelly denounced by the fan press in his later years, Heck was deeply wounded by these assaults, but he bravely weathered the storm and was determined to continue perfecting his skills, as this exchange with Will Murray illustrates:

Murray: So you maintain your edge by drawing, no matter what.

Heck: I draw all the time, yeah. I've got a whole bunch of pages where you're just drawing figures there, [working] with that, trying different things that you're working with. 

In retrospect, Heck was a distinctive artist whose greatest achievements were in the pages of comics devoid of super-heroes. Thankfully, the past few decades have preserved a good portion of his work in attractive hardcover editions such as Marvel Masterworks. Online, one can view and read many of his 1950s-era stories, now in the public domain and easily accessed at Comic Book Plus, and fans can discuss, share, study and celebrate Heck's output on Facebook. By peering more deeply into his 40+ year career, scholars of the medium and aficionados can reassess the quality of an artist who, standing in the shadow of Jack Kirby, was all-too-often dismissed. Removed from that shadow a talented cartoonist comes to light.

                                      
                             

 Note: This is an updated and greatly expanded version of an article that originally appeared in Alter Ego # 42, November 2004. It has been further revised from my post originally published on January 15, 2017. 

Don Heck; A Work of Art by John Coates is an essential look at the artist's work and was an invaluable resource tool in reworking this article. It can be purchased from TwoMorrows or at Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Don-Heck-Work-John-Coates/dp/160549058X

To see a fine selection of Heck's Comic Media work (and view full issues of comic books in the public domain) go here:   
http://comicbookplus.com/?cid=814)

To share your thoughts and art on Don Heck join the Don Heck Appreciation Page 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/593969397306357/

    I'll close with a sketch Don drew for me at the 1975 Marvel Con: