Sgt. Fury # 35's Mystery Cover Artist

As someone who has studied the techniques of comic book artists with what some would refer to as an obsessive nature (and I wouldn't argue it) I can often distinguish minutiae that some may overlook. I suspect this innate sensibility had its origins in my formative years, when I strived to copy the work of my favorite artists, particularly Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. This necessitated a closer analysis of the DNA unique to every cartoonist. In time even subtle nuances are discerned. I also observed the distinctive contributions that inkers added to the finished product. It's akin to listening to a song and hearing a particular vocal intonation or guitar lick and knowing exactly who the artist is. I love many aspects of comics - as anyone reading this blog knows - but delving into (and occasionally solving) mysteries regarding comic art is one of the most rewarding areas for me. Some may think it a frivolous pastime, but consider this: the use of drawings to tell a story have been with us since our beginnings, from the earliest illustrations on caves to Michelangelo's sequential pictures adorning the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. From then to the present they carry weight and depth and meaning - and I see no signs of that going out of style.        

The cover to Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos # 35 is one of those art mysteries which I believe I've finally solved. 

The cover to Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos # 35, October 1966. Inks by John Tartaglione, lettering by Sam Rosen, pencils by...Stay Tuned!

Sgt. Fury began publication in 1963 under the aegis of writer/editor Stan Lee and artist-co-plotter Jack Kirby. The war strip starred a band of soldiers representing a diverse ethnic mix (African-American, Italian, Irish, Jewish) in stories tinged with drama, adventure and humor. Kirby drew issues # 1-7 and 13, followed by Dick Ayers, who illustrated the majority of stories until the title went to reprint material in 1974. 

Jack Kirby produced many exciting covers for Sgt. Fury but this one was arguably his most emotionally powerful, inked with finesse by Chic Stone. Sam Rosen letters, Stan Goldberg colors. Sgt. Fury # 16, March 1965.  

Sgt. Fury was a regular gig for artist Dick Ayers that lasted almost a decade. He co-plotted with Stan Lee, Roy Thomas and Gary Friedrich and crafted many compelling covers, such as this one from Sgt. Fury # 38, January 1967. Sam Rosen lettering. 

Jack Kirby drew the covers of #'s 1-8, 10-20 and 25; Ayers penciled all the non-Kirby efforts (#'s 9, 21-24 and 26-34) and continued in that position for several years - but not the one that is the subject of this piece. Since Ayers was the regular Fury cover artist it was natural to suspect that he did the honors on issue 35 as well. While aspects of the work suggest his involvement, I've concluded that is due to inker John Tartaglione, who performed the same function on Ayers' interior pencils, and had been doing so regularly for many months. Taking a more comprehensive look will reveal another artist at work.

Both Fury and the Nazi soldier were awkwardly posed and did not at all resemble the look of Ayers' broad-shouldered, weightier figures. I originally thought someone on staff redrew/altered the foreground characters, but the art doesn't point to the usual suspects (John Romita, Marie Severin, Sol Brodsky) so maybe I wasn't thinking outside the box.

Perhaps the culprit was someone I wouldn't normally associate as a cover artist. In his role as editor Stan Lee chose - in this period - to often have the interior illustrator perform the same chore on covers, thus John Romita on Spider-Man; Gene Colan on Daredevil; Don Heck on Avengers; Werner Roth on X-Men; Larry Lieber on Rawhide Kid and Kirby on FF and Thor. There were exceptions, likely due to either deadlines or the rejection by Lee and possibly Publisher Martin Goodman of a submitted cover. The speedy and reliable Kirby often stepped into the fray, but Lee would try out others from time to time. For example Gil Kane, one of DC's top artists (Green Lantern, The Atom) drew a few covers for Lee in 1966, including Sgt. Fury # 37. 

Gil Kane's cover to Sgt. Fury # 37, December 1966. Kane worked for Lee sporadically in the mid-1960s, drawing several covers and also a few brief runs on the Hulk and Captain America. By the 1970s he would become one of Marvel's primary cover artists. 

Lee was also seeking out seasoned veterans, attempting to acclimate them to the "Marvel method" (drawing a story from a plot synopsis) including a few creators he was familiar with during the company's earlier incarnation as Timely/Atlas in the 1940s and 50s. John Romita was one success story, taking over Daredevil from Wally Wood and then being assigned to Amazing Spider-Man when Steve Ditko quit. John Buscema was also persuaded to return after working in advertising; he was initially utilized on "the Hulk" and "SHIELD" strips and would quickly achieve great acclaim as one of Marvel's top illustrators, noted for his runs on The Avengers, Silver Surfer, Sub-Mariner, Thor and Conan the Barbarian, to name a few standouts. There were some very good artists that didn't make the grade; either they were uncomfortable working from a plot instead of a complete script or Lee wasn't satisfied with their storytelling dynamics. A few that come to mind are Bob Powell, an exceptionally talented artist who drew "Giant-Man", "the Hulk" and "the Human Torch," and Ogden Whitney, who illustrated SHIELD and the Two-Gun Kid. The artist I'll be discussing also passed through the halls of Marvel briefly and with little fanfare.

One month before he drew the cover to Sgt. Fury, the mystery artist was also unidentified on the Hulk story in Tales to Astonish # 84, October 1966. In an unusual move Lee's splash page credits read: "Art - Almost the whole blamed Bullpen." I would speculate that Lee refrained from detailing the participants due to the complicated nature of comic book production. The list would have been lengthy and some names might have been omitted. For instance, Bill Everett drew and/or altered the Hulk and Rick Jones' faces while assisting Sol Brodsky and John Tartaglione on inks. Several Gene Colan/Dick Ayers panels derived from the Sub-Mariner opening tale were also incorporated. Another hurdle was the fact that stories were lettered before they were inked, which meant that, if deadlines loomed, Lee might be unable to add those names to the comic before it went to the printer. This page appears to have been inked by Sol Brodsky, with Everett doing those chores on the Hulk and Rick (see how complicated it is!). At the very least, Artie Simek got his due!         

"The Wrath of Warlord Krang!" Stan Lee script, Bill Everett inks, Artie Simek letters, Tales to Astonish # 86, December 1966.   

Diligently studying every line of that Sgt. Fury cover an artist suddenly came to mind and I had a Sherlock Holmes moment of revelation! But was I mistaken? Did the dates coincide? I checked Mike's Amazing World of Comics website http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/ which lists the publication dates of comics, and it quickly confirmed my suspicions. Can you guess who it is? The answer is revealed in the next image/paragraph (don't cheat!)

Jerry Grandenetti was a veteran artist who had assisted Will Eisner on his classic strip The Spirit. Acclaimed for his work on DC's war line he later turned out pages of impressive thrillers for Warren's horror magazines. Grandenetti was credited on the "Sub-Mariner" story in Tales to Astonish # 86, which went on sale a month after SF # 35. Every page/panel was filled with awkwardly positioned figures, distinctive hands and askew camera angles. 

An intense scene dramatized by Grandenetti, one of many superior covers he provided (along with interior stories) for DC's war line over many years. Our Fighting Forces # 11, July 1956. Ira Schnapp lettering.   

Grandenetti enjoyed experimenting in Warren's black and white horror titles. He employed wash tones to great effect and his characters conveyed a sense of unease in a surreal atmosphere. "Early Warning!," Archie Goodwin script, Ben Oda lettering, Creepy # 13, February 1967. 

Grandenetti's turn at Marvel was short-lived, perhaps for the best. Genre material, which focused on more natural situations and people, played to his strengths; not  muscle-bound superheroes. Lee, perhaps aware of his contributions to DC's war line, considered using him on Sgt. Fury and moving Ayers to another title. A year later Grandenetti might have been a good fit on Marvel's new combat title, Captain Savage, but it was not to be. At DC he had a turn on two of their supernatural-themed characters, The Spectre and The Phantom Stranger, but I personally prefer his more outré renditions.     

Discovering the identity of a previously unknown artist is rewarding and it gives one the opportunity to give credit where it's due. Another benefit is that it often takes you on a divergent path. I originally intended to write specifically about the cover of Sgt. Fury # 35 and nothing more, but I was compelled to look back on the career of Jerry Grandenetti, an artist I always found intriguing. Grandenetti's time at Marvel was a minor moment in his career, but it gave me an incentive to praise the singular efforts of an often neglected cartoonist.