The OTHER Kirby Rawhide Kid cover

Following up on my last post I've found another alternate Jack Kirby western cover, this time featuring the Rawhide Kid.

Kirby and Lee created a new Rawhide Kid when  the title was revived with issue 17, August 1960. Aided greatly by the original Rawhide Kid's artist, Dick Ayers, on inks, the new Kid was a success - a veritable James Cagney tough-guy in the west. Kirby worked on the strip for 16 issues, pulled away once he became more important on the super-heroes. He was followed by Jack Davis, Dick Ayers, Jack Keller and, for the longest run, Larry Lieber, who wrote and drew the strip continuously (with occasional fill-in stories by Dick Ayers, Werner Roth, and Paul Reinman) from # 42, October 1964, until # 115, April 1973 when it went all-reprint. Rawhide Kid finally rode into the sunset with issue # 151, May 1979.

Rawhide Kid # 20, Feb 1961, Kirby pencils; Dick Ayers inks

Issue #20 was Lee and Kirby's fourth Rawhide Kid issue. Kirby's cover image of the Kid became iconic, used often on pin-ups, a tee-shirt and cover symbol. The cover is a bit awkward in its construction, with the caption appearing between the Kid's foot and the badman. The lettering is also odd, clearly not the work of Artie Simek and not a recognizable style. What is interesting is that another cover was rejected, appearing for the first time (I'm guessing) at the Dutch company Classics/Williams, which also featured the unpublished Kid Colt cover, as seen in my last post.       

    

The Rawhide Kid appearing in Sheriff Classics # 997, 1968. Kirby pencils; Dick Ayers inks.

The rejected cover showed up seven years later at the Dutch company. I find this cover image more appealing than the published version. The Kid is the center figure, with only the criminals weapons and hands shown. Like the printed version, the background figures are fleeing. Why was this cover replaced? I can only speculate that Lee or Goodman wanted the villain to be seen.

But that's not the end of the story. The original cover WAS finally published in the states 15 years later, unnoticed and without fanfare.

Rawhide Kid # 136, Nov 1976.

As noted, Rawhide Kid had been a reprint title for a number of years, and the covers alternated between new art, usually by Gil Kane, and reprinted covers. Kirby stories and covers were used beginning with # 134, and while there were some alterations and relettering, they were recognizable as reprinted from the original run. When I first saw this cover I thought it might have been an image taken from the interior, but that was not the case. I was never 100% sure the image wasn't a blow-up from an earlier issue, but when I recently discovered that it appeared as early as 1968, complete with the Black-Jack Borden title, it confirmed that the cover was an unpublished version. 

Perhaps I'll find other such discoveries. If so, I'll be sure to share them here.           

       

Jack Kirby's unknown Kid Colt cover

Over the years I've discovered instances where foreign comics reprinting american stories were provided original stats from publishers. When compared to the printed covers alterations ranged from minor (movement of copy or relettering of a word) to more comprehensive (the Ditko Spider-Man figure redrawn by Jack Kirby: Amazing Spider-Man # 35) . These unaltered stats were sometimes used on reprints in the states as well. Less often, an unpublished cover would be used, usually uknown to most fans. It's always a thrill to find such surprises and compare them to the originals.

The Dutch company Classics/Williams reprinted many Marvel comics in the 1960s and 1970s, ranging from superhero to pre-hero monsters. They also reprinted many of Marvel's cowboy heroes in the comic Sheriff Classics. This title cover featured the likes of Kid Colt, Rawhide Kid, Ringo Kid, Two-Gun Kid (as Twee Pistolen Kid) and Ghost Rider (as, my favorite, De Spookruiter).

Sheriff Classics # 9111, 1968; De Spookruiter cover featured. Originally from Ghost Rider # 2, April 1967, Dick Ayers cover art.

Classics/Williams employed a mixture of styles, included some attractive painted covers and many that copied interior scenes by their own staff, often closely copying the work of Jack Keller, Dick Ayers, Jack Kirby and Larry Lieber. The Grand Comic Book Database has many of these covers on their site, as can be seen here:

    http://www.comics.org/series/19745/covers/

scroll down to view the Kid Colt covers and check the four pages of covers.

While looking through those covers I came upon one that was not familiar to me. I have all the Kirby Kid Colt covers, including those he drew for Gunsmoke Western, and this cover was nowhere to be seen:

Sheriff Classics # 978, circa 1967, published by Classics/Williams. Image from the GCD.

The above cover art is pencilled by Jack Kirby and appears to be inked by George Klein. If the inking is the work of Klein it narrows the period when it might have been produced, since Klein inked Kirby on a number of covers and stories in the early 1960s, including Fantastic Four #'s 1 & 2. It immediately brought to mind a cover that also featured convicts, so I rummaged through my Kid Colt collection. It didn't take too long to find this cover:

Kid Colt # 97, March 1961. Kirby pencils; Ayers inks; Artie Simek letters and Stan Goldberg colors.

This cover also has Kid Colt in shackles and in a prison yard. One can also understand why the original cover was replaced. While the convicts in the foreground and background are well drawn and dramatic, the figure of Kid Colt is awkward. The published cover has perfect symmetry. The readers eye moves along with the convicts to the center figure of a despondent Kid Colt, with two police officers on either side. In the background stand two smaller offices and the prison walls. Dick Ayers' brushwork is excellent, as is Stan Goldberg's use of gray tones on the convicts. Stan Lee places Artie Simek's lettering above the artwork, although the cover could have worked just as well with no copy. The cover is an example of Kirby's ability to create images that draw the reader in. What kid wouldn't want to pick up the comic and read the story inside?      

The unpublished cover is an example that not every design worked. Stan Lee told me he often provided cover layouts for his artists, and he may have done so on these covers. Perhaps after he saw the original he realized it did not have the dramatic punch that was needed. It's entirely possible that the change was made at the directive of publisher Martin Goodman, who knew how important covers were to sales. In this period Kid Colt was a very popular title and strong seller, so it would be no surprise that the cover was scrutinized thoroughly. It's possible Kirby himself redesigned the new cover. Whatever the case, Kid Colt # 97 is an example of a redrawn cover that was improved tremendously in its second take. How many others still exist waiting to be found?              

     

Easy Reader Says: "This Blog Is Easy To Read"

In my frenzy to index every comic book I get my hands on for the GCD, I recently borrowed issues of Spidey Super Stories from Barry Pearl (whose Pearl's of Comic Book Wisdom Blog can be accessed in the favorites section). Spidey was a co-production of the Children's Television Workshop, known for Sesame Street. The Electric Company was geared to young children, teaching then reading and punctuation skills while entertaining them with skits, animation and music. Included in the cast were well-known performers such as Bill Cosby, Rita Moreno and - before he rose to stardom -  Morgan Freeman. In 1974 CTW added a segment featuring Spider-Man,  although their version never spoke. If I recall correctly they used word-baloons and captions in place of Spidey actually talking. The Electric Company was a popular show, running from 1971-1977. 

Back cover to Spidey Super Stories # 1, Oct 1974. Art by Win Mortimer and Mike Esposito, with some touch-up work by John Romita.

The Spidey Super Stories comic book debuted in the summer of 1974 to coincide with his appearances on the show, produced under the supervision of Children's Television Workshop. The early issues were written by Jean Thomas, drawn by Win Mortimer (Don Heck drew a story in issue 2) and inked by Mike Esposito. Artie Simek and Ray Holloway lettered most of the stories. John Romita drew all the early covers, which were simple, uncluttered and attactive, unlike many of the concurrent Amazing covers, which were often very busy and relied on an abundance of captions and word balloons. Romita's Spidey covers harkened back to his exceptional mid-1960s work, when Marvel relied more on strong images to sell a cover.

Spidey Super Stories # 6, March 1975. Cover by John Romita and Mike Esposito.

It was fun to look through these stories. They were, of course, prepared for a younger audience, but Win Mortimer, a long-time pro who drew everything from Superman and Batman to romance stories, had a style that complimented the material. The storytelling was clear and simple, and Mortimer's poses often showed the influence of Ditko and Romita, who he clearly looked to for reference.

Back cover to Spidey Super Stories # 14, Dec 1975,by Win Mortimer and Mike Esposito.

An example of Win Mortimer's storytelling skills. While his art was not flashy and did not fit into the "Marvel" mold, he was well-suited to realistic settings and people. Nevertheless, he did a fine job molding his skills on Spidey Super Stories. Inside back cover to issue 17, July 1976.     

Here is a link to view Mortimer's pencils, from the back cover of Spidey # 14:

  http://www.romitaman.com/Images/Category_2/subcat_1064/spideysuper250.jpg

Included in many issues were feature pages such as this one, based on a similar scene that appeared in Spider-Man Annual # 4. Most of the feature pages were redrawn versions of the Ditko pages which explained Spidey's powers, as seen in Amazing Spider-Man Annual # 1. From Spidey Super Stories # 2, Nov 1974. Jean Thomas script; Win Mortimer pencils; Mike Esposito inks, Artie Simek letters.

The format for Spidey Super Stories usually included three stories per issue, with one an adaptation of an Electric Company Spidey story. The comic was 36 pages long, had no ads and was priced at 35 cents. 

While there were no outside ads in Spidey Super Stories, the back page was often used to promote subscriptions. Here Spidey and Easy Reader do the honors. Art by John Romita; letters by Gaspar Saladino. 

John Romita rendered some attractive illustrations in these ads. Spidey Stamps were similar to Marvel Value Stamps, with many drawn by Romita. Back covers to  Spidey Super Stroies #'s 18 and 24. Lettering by Irv Watanabe.

The inside front covers and sometimes the interior feature pages were often used to provide background on the villains and guest-stars. Here, Lockjaw, a popular character in the "Spidey universe" is featured. Win Mortimer pencils; Mike Esposito inks; Ray Holloway letters. Script by either Ralph Macchio or Kolfax Mingo (which is very likely a pseudonym). Spidey Super Stories # 24, July 1977. 

  

In some respects the title was similar to Marvel Team-Up, since most issues had Spider-Man meeting a Marvel hero. Medusa, Iceman, Shanna, The Cat, Falcon, Storm and Captain America were introduced to the younger set, and issue # 16 included a team-up that never occurred in the Marvel Universe....

Spidey Super Stories # 16, April 1976. John Romita cover.

No this wasn't a cross-over with the famous Steven Speilberg film! Since Jaws was such an overwhelming box-office hit, comics took advantage and utilized sharks on covers to promote sales. The obvious guest was the undersea hero Sub-Mariner, although he was only referred to as Namor, perhaps because it was thought to be an easier name for kids to pronounce. The unexpected co-star turned out to that granddaddy of cowboys, Kid Colt Outlaw.

     

Spider-Man Meets Kid Colt, Jim Salicrup script; Win Mortimer pencils; Mike Esposito inks. Ray Holloway letters. 

In the "Spidey" universe Lockjaw can teleport through time. He takes Spidey and the Electric Company to the past to clear Kid Colt's name. Interestingly, four months prior Steve Englehart had the Avengers travel to the past for Marvel's first cross-over with their western heroes in a story illustrated by George Perez and Vince Colletta. In that tale the Avengers met Kid Colt, Rawhide Kid, Two-Gun Kid, Ringo Kid and the Ghost Rider (Avengers #'s 142-143; Dec 1975-Jan 1976). I always enjoyed the Marvel westerns and was thrilled when Englehart brought them into the lines continuity. While there were requests in the letters pages from time to time for a cross-over, editor Stan Lee kept the line separate. When Roy Thomas took over editorial he was more open to the idea. George Perez was an energetic and talented young artist recently assigned to the Avengers and while he did a fine job illustrating the story, in retrospect Don Heck (who had recently been replaced by Perez on The Avengers) would have been a more perfect fit, as his efforts in the genre were particularly inspired. It would also have been interesting to see his interpretation of the characters, since he rarely worked on the lead characters. But I digress...

I asked writer Jim Salicrup about this story, thinking perhaps he was influenced by Englehart's story, but he replied that using Kid Colt's appearance may have been requested by Children's Television Workshop. Salicrup thought that perhaps they noticed the Avengers story and figured it might be interesting to use Kid Colt.  Salicrup worked on Spidey Super Stories for some time, usually with Win Mortimer and Mike Esposito. He recalled that the folks at CTW were pleased with Mortimer's work and Salicrup noted that he was a gentleman. 

Other creators that worked on Spidey included Byron Preiss, Ralph Macchio, Nick Cuti, Bill Mantlo and Dave Kraft (scripts); Don Perlin and Riccardo Villamonte (pencils and inks, respectively);and Tony Mortellaro often assisting Mike Esposito on backgrounds. Later covers featured the work of Sal Buscema, Al Milgrom, Dave Cockrum and even Jack Kirby on a cover or two!

Even Thanos got into the act! Spidey Super Stories #  39, March 1979. Al Milgrom pencils ?; Sal Buscema inks ? Image from the Grand Comic Book Database.

Spidey Super Stories continued until # 57, March 1982, a solid eight year run. While researching I was surprised to learn that the Electric Company also produced its own magazine, which included 4-5 page Spidey stories in many issues, a few illustrated by John Romita as recorded here:  https://www.spiderfan.org/title/comics/electric_co_mag.html

Writers and artists on these stories included Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Steven Grant, Sal Buscema, Jim Mooney and Alan Kupperberg. The magazine ran longer than the comic, lasting into the late 1980s.   

 While rarely mentioned when discussing Marvel's 1970s line, Spidey Super Stories was an example of the growing influence the characters had outside of comics. Like the earlier 1967 animated series, Spidey took the strong foundation of the Lee, Ditko, Romita era characters and simplified them for a younger audience.     

The Impossible Man pops up in a back page ad from Spidey Super Stories # 25, Aug 1977. Art likely by Al Milgrom. 

With special thanks to Gentleman Jim Salicrup and Bashful Barry Pearl.

Utah Kid Update

Blake Bell has unearthed the original stats of the Utah Kid story I analyzed two posts ago. You can read about it here (scroll down to Steve Ditko Minutiae):

http://blakebellnews.blogspot.com/

As you can see the answer raises more questions, which we may never discover the reasons for. The long, winding web of Stanley Morse and his line of comics is interesting in itself, and I thank Blake for sharing the information.  

Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and that old Black Magic

As discussed in my last blog post, Simon and Kirby published some of Ditko's earliest comic art. One such story appeared in Black Magic # 27, Nov-Dec 1953.

Cover to Black Magic # 27 by Jack Kirby; letters by Ben Oda. Very likely inspired by the atmospheric 1942 movie "The Cat People" directed by Jacque Tourneur. The cat on the right is actually Yancy Streeter Barry Pearl's cat "Kirby", who enjoys wearing scarves and tee-shirts.   

Along with work by Kirby and Bob McCarty, Steve Ditko drew a six page story, "A Hole in His Head". For a young talent Ditko turned in atmospheric scenery and strong character faces, which would only improve over the years. What's interesting is the stone age creature that shows up and wreaks havoc with our cast.

Page 4 of "A Hole in His Head" by Steve Ditko; letters by Ben Oda.

With the appearance of the stone age creature, someone, either Simon or Kirby, didn't think Ditko's version was dramatic enough and replaced his figures with those of Jack Kirby.

A detail of panel 2, introducing the stone age creature. Kirby's hand is evident in the pose and musculature. Kirby's figure is likely more imposing than the one Ditko originally drew.

     

Panel 3 detail. Again, a distinctive Kirby pose.

Page 5 includes one unaltered Ditko creature. Can you guess which one?

Clearly a Kirby face and figure in panels 6 and 7. The hand in panel six is possibly by Ditko.

Detail of panel 3 by Ditko. Here the figure looks less imposing, although the face may have been altered. Kirby's creature is more solid and powerful looking, not unlike some of the monsters he would draw a few years later on Marvel's pre-hero line. Kirby's stone age creature in this story reminds me of "The Abominable Snowman" he drew, which, if I recall correctly, was inked by Ditko. In that same period Ditko would specialize in weird aliens and moody stories. Both men were well-served drawing their own particular brand of suspense.

The last page features the creature in only one panel. And if the story didn't frighten you, the ugly pimples that the ad refers to might! As revealed by Blake Bell, who had the stats to the story, the ad replaced a final panel, although there was no Ditko art to be seen (is this how the Missing Man started? Take a look here for the story:

 http://blakebellnews.blogspot.com/

close-up of Page 6, panel 1, which looks like another Kirby illo. 

This early Ditko story is an example of alterations that often occurred in comics. When editors were not pleased with the art on a particular page, figure or panel they would institute changes, often asking an artist other than the original to make the corrections.Sometimes they decided to change an ending, as in this story, and alter or delete a scene. This was often done due to time constraints, so if another artist or someone on staff was available, that person would make the change. This often led to a rather jarring stylistic jumble that wasn't always appealing.  

Whether it was Simon and Kirby or Stan Lee, editors had their own view of what sold, or of a distinctive look they wanted. Covers, in particular, were of paramount importance, and many were altered before the final product was allowed on the stands (some changes were demanded by publishers). For those of us looking from the outside, the changes don't always make sense, but the bottom line was sales, or what those in charge perceived would sell. Comic books are a business, and unless an artist is in complete control of his work there are always others who, for good or ill, will have the final word.     

      

Early Ditko and the mystery of the Utah Kid

One of Steve Ditko’s early published stories appeared in Blazing Western # 1, dated January 1954. “Range War” was an eight page story published by Timor publications, one of a group of imprints, including Stanmor, Gilmore and others, under publisher Stanley P. Morse. Quite a bit of his horror stories heve been reprinted over the years, and you can see examples of some of the complete comics on this excellent site, which only includes public domain material :  

http://comicbookplus.com/?cid=829

Technically this was the first year Ditko’s art appeared in comics, although its dated Jan 1954, it appeared on the stands most probably in either October or November of 1953. Ditko’ s earliest art appeared in 1953, including background inks for Simon and Kirby on Captain 3-D, along with work on unpublished issues; stories for Black Magic, and likely breakdowns, possibly with Sy Moskowitz for “Hair-Yee-eee” in Strange Fantasy # 9, published by Ajax-Farrell. The first story Ditko sold, “Stretching Things” would see publication in  Fantastic Fears # 5, January 1954, at Ajax-Farrell (sold to them by Morse).

Quite a bit of Ditko’s early work was sold to small publishers such as Stanley Morse. Morse published comic books from 1951-1956, leaving comics to go into the men’s adventure magazine business, competing with Martin Goodman. Morse was prolific into the 1970's and his story, if ever told, would be quite fascinating. You can read more about Morse, as well an assortment of small 1950s horror publishers, in this excellent essay by Lawrence Watt-Evans :

http://web.archive.org/web/20090422090241/http://www.watt-evans.com/theotherguys.html

Some of Ditko's earliest sales were to Morse, including “Paper Romance” in Daring Love # 1 (Sept-Oct 1953), with others sold to Ajax-Farrell. Some stories may have been produced for other companies, but eventually saw publication through Morse, which leads to the mystery of “Range War”

Blazing Western # 1, Jan 1954. Cover by Bernard Baily, who did a fair share of artwork for Morse's comics, including bizarre, nightmarish covers for Weird Chills and Weird Mysteries (long before DC, Morse had the Weird field covered!)

“Range War” is a typical western featuring the “Utah Kid” the hero of the story, and his Indian companion, Golden Eagle. The eight page story proves that Ditko was accomplished early in his career. The pacing, storytelling and composition are quite good, despite a few awkward figures and panels. Ditko was learning very quickly, and his character faces were already beginning to stand out. What makes this story odd, though, is the uncanny resemblance the hero has to an Atlas western character.

Splash page to "Range War" by Steve Ditko; scripter uknown; lettering by Ben Oda.

My first inclination was that perhaps Ditko tried to get work from Stan Lee earlier than suspected, and, for whatever reason, it was not accepted. Ditko’s first story for Atlas was in Journey into Mystery # 33 , dated April 1956 (“They’ll Be Some Changes Made”, scripted by Carl Wessler) but counting production it had to have  been drawn in late 1955. In “Range War” the hero’s name is very crudely re-lettered throughout, replacing another name.

Two examples of the crude UTAH lettering replacing whatever name Ben Oda originally lettered in. At least we know he was a "Kid". THAT narrows it down! 

Atlas comics had a character called the Ringo Kid, dressed in black, with a red scarf. black hair and (often) yellow gloves. Ringo also occasionally had an Indian companion. The Utah Kid has the same outfit. color combination and black hair. Could this have been a rejected Ringo Kid story?

"One Hour Truce", as reprinted in Ringo Kid # 12, Nov 1971. Originally printed in Ringo Kid Western # 17, April 1957. Art by Joe Maneely. 

The theory makes sense - except the dates don’t correlate. Blazing Western # 1 was dated Jan 1954. Ringo Kid Western # 1, debuted eight months later, in an August 1954 dated comic. Ringo Kid stories were usually five pages long; Utah Kid was eight pages. But how to explain the remarkable coincidences?

I passed on the scans to Michael J. Vassallo, good friend and Timely-Atlas expert, to get his thoughts on the matter. He was surprised and stymied as well. I postulated that perhaps the Ringo Kid was being prepared in 1953 but did not see publication until 1954. Perhaps Ditko was given a script to work on and, for whatever reason, it was turned down. Would Lee have given the story back to Ditko? Could Ditko have then kept it and shopped it around? Michael opined that perhaps the story had not been completed, perhaps only pencilled and lettered, and Ditko inked it later on. Obviously, if there was knowledge that the story was prepared for Atlas the characters name would have to be changed. Or is there another answer?

page 2 of "Range War". One can see Ditko's eye for detail, character and panel composition early on.

Could there have been another character in use at the time similar in look to the Ringo Kid? Was the story prepared for a different company? Interestingly, the Utah Kid was featured in later issues by different artists (Les Zakarin pencilled or inked the story in # 4. Issue # 2 was again re-lettered, although by issue 4 there are no changes. Blazing Western ran until issue # 5, and I’m uncertain if the Utah Kid was featured in every issue. His appearance pretty much remained the same, although, from the stories I've seen Ditko’s is by far the best artistically. 

    The Ringo Kid turned out to be a popular Atlas Western hero, appearing in his own comic as well as in anthologies such as Wild Western. He was drawn by a number of noted artists, including Fred Kida, John Severin, and, most memorably, the incredibly talented Joe Maneely.

Maneely was an Atlas workhorse; versatile, dependable and exceedingly talented. In 1970 Marvel brought the Ringo Kid back in reprint form, utilizing Maneely’s original covers and stories. I distinctly recall seeing the first issue on the newsstand and was impressed by the tall, thin figure who commanded the cover spot. This was something different than the typical Marvel style. Although there was no signature on the cover I looked forward to this artists work, not knowing until years later of his contributions to 1950s Atlas. 

Joe Maneely adds character, simplicity and perfect composition to this cover that caught my attention back in the fall of 1969. I particularly like how Maneely positioned the owlhoot on the right side. Ringo Kid # 1, Jan 1970; originally from Ringo Kid Western # 18, June 1957. 

Comics were a business, and a great amount of material was produced, some never published; others altered or sold to different publishers. Steve Ditko, beginning his long and exceptional career in comics, was making the rounds in the early 1950s and getting assignments. In time he settled down to a few big accounts, notably Charlton and Atlas. The question of “Range War’s” origin may be a long forgotten memory, but a detour –hopefully – of some small interest within the circle of  comic book mysteries.                   

 

A Marvel Oddity-America's Best TV Comics

In 1967 Marvel packaged a comic book for the ABC television network, promoting their Saturday morning cartoons. Not coincidentally, two of the debuting cartoons featured the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man. The indicia provided further information:

“Published by the American Broadcasting Company” and “prepared and edited by Magazine Management Company.”

It also included information that did not appear in other Marvel comics:

"Distributed nationally by the Independent News Company" 

Independent News had been distributing Publisher Martin Goodman's products since 1957, although, as far as I know, it was never included in the indicia (The IND symbol appeared on covers for a period of time).   

There was no reference to Marvel, either on the cover or interior pages, aside from the reprinted FF and Spidey stories.

In the past Goodman packaged comics for outside companies (see my blog post on Big Boy). As with Big Boy, Production head Sol Brodsky was almost certainly overseeing the ABC comic; employing Marvel staff and freelancers on new material and likely assisting on the art in places. 

AMERICA'S BEST TV COMICS on sale in August, 1967.

The cover is a compilation of vignettes featuring ABC's cartoon line-up, including stats of the Fantastic Four (Jack Kirby pencils; Joe Sinnott inks) and Spider-Man (John Romita). The art for Casper, King Kong, George of the Jungle and Journey to the Center of the Earth has been attributed to Mike Royer. The center image of Mr. Fantastic reaching out to the reader is penciled by Jack Kirby. The figure looks a little awkward, and the face may have been altered by another hand  (perhaps putting a smile on Reed's face). Inking is likely by George Roussos with Sam Rosen providing the distinctive lettering.    

The inside front cover includes all the upcoming ABC animated cartoons. The copy may be written by Roy Thomas, who, in email exchanges explained that he did not script any interior stories but may have written some of the ad copy. The art is possibly by John Verpoorten, who at the time was production assistant; lettering by Sam Rosen (Note that the Spidey and FF cartoons rate two exclamation points instead of one!!!). As a child I eagerly awaited the FF and Spidey cartoons in the fall of 1967 and watched all the ABC cartoons, including the Beatles, which, likely due to contractual agreements, did not rate a feature.    

  

"The Flying Horse" originally appeared in The Friendly Ghost Casper # 17, January 1960. Script may be by Ralph Newman; art by Warren Kremer; lettering by Joe Rosen. 

Casper, the Friendly Ghost had a long history in animation and comics. Originally created for a children's book by Seymour Reit and Joe Oriolo, the character instead found life (pun intended) in Paramount/Famous Studios cartoons beginning in 1945. While the theatrical cartoons ran until 1959, Casper became a staple of early television, with new cartoons soon created for television. Casper first starred in his own comic book at St. John in 1949, moving to Harvey comics in 1952. In 1959 Harvey purchased the rights to the character. 

        

Special thanks to Mark Arnold for providing story and possible author info. 

A truncated version of Fantastic Four # 19 (October 1963) by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers (with the spelling of Pharaoh corrected from the original; thankfully I have spellcheck to fix my errors!) is included. The story was loosely adapted for the 1967 Hanna-Barbera cartoon (with Alicia cut out of the storyline). Added to the splash is the Marvel corner symbol and a copyright and trademark notice.

"The Birth of a Super-Hero!" by Stan Lee and John Romita, was originally published in Amazing Spider-Man # 42, November 1966, approximately a year earlier. It was heavily edited to fit the 10 page slot. Unlike the FF tale, this was not adapted for the Grantray-Lawrence cartoon. The Mavel corner symbol and trademarks again appear on the splash page.

Journey to the Center of the Earth. Paul Reinman pencils and (likely) inks. Jean Izzo letters. Author unknown.  

The cartoon version of the famous Jules Verne story (which had been adapted into a movie in 1959) took many liberties with the original. Produced by Filmation, an animation firm in competition with Hanna-Barbera, was best known for adaptations of Superman, Batman, Aquaman, Archie, and Star Trek. Like H-B, their limited animation technique was often lacking, although a few, including Star Trek, offered a degree of quality. As with many of these cartoons, the openings were better animated than the rest of the show (and they often had catchy theme songs), as can be seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpvAY96sZOY

The series lasted one season, although it continued in re-runs. The voice of Prof. Oliver Lindenbrook and Count Sacknussem were supplied by Ted Knight, who worked as a  voiceover artist for Filmation in the 1960s. Knight began his career as a character actor and would go on to greater acclaim a few years later as inept broadcaster Ted Baxter on The Mary Tyler Moore show.           

King Kong. Possible Sol Brodsky pencils; Frank Giacoia inks; Jean Izzo letters. Writer unknown.   

King Kong was a Rankin-Bass production, in association with Japan based Toei, who provided the animation. The cartoon was (very) loosely based on the original movie, and Jack Davis, of EC and Mad fame, was involved in character designs. You can read much more about the genesis of the cartoon here:

http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2008/12/20/king-kong-cartoon-series-guide/

Watch out for that TREE!!  I’m uncertain of exactly who drew George of the Jungle; Bill Everett dabbled in a few children's titles a decade earlier for the pre-Marvel Atlas line, and Ursula’s face has an Everett feel; inking possibly by John Tartaglione.  Jean Izzo lettering. Writer unknown.

George of the Jungle was the last new cartoon series produced by Jay Ward and Bill Scott. Both men are noted for the satirical Bullwinkle show, which included segments on Dudley Do-Right, Fractured Fairy Tales and Peabody and Sherman. George lasted one season and contained episodes of Tom Slick and Super chicken. the catchy opening theme can be seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaXWy-HQefc

ABC's Sunday morning schedule. Art possibly by John Tartaglione and/or John Verpoorten. Letters by Sam Rosen. Copy by Roy Thomas?

The inside back cover promoted ABC's Sunday morning line-up, which included Bullwinkle, Peter Potamus and Tennessee Tuxedo, the latter which featured the voice talents of Don Adams of Get Smart fame. While the copy claims the cartoons were all-new, many - if not all - shows had been in syndication. Discovery '67 was an educational programs geared towards teens that ran from 1962-1969, changing it's name each year (researching these shows has been quite educational!).  

ABC also the comic as an opportunity to promote its prime time fall programs in full page ads.

Cowboy in Africa. John Tartaglione art; Frank Giacoia inks or corrections (the lion in the center frame may be the work of Giacoia); Sam Rosen letters; Roy Thomas copy?

Cowboy in Africa starred Brooklyn born Chuck Conners, of Branded and Rifleman fame. This series was produced by Ivan Tors, known for his hit series about a dolphin, Flipper, as well as a show about a boy and his pet bear that I fondly remember, Gentle Ben,  but it only lasted one season. You can see the opening here:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7jnLeo3hnQ

The Second Hundred Years. John Tartaglione art? Morrie Kuramoto letters. Roy Thomas copy?

The Second Hundred Years was another short-lived series. The premise revolves around a gold miner frozen in ice for sixty-seven years (perhaps the producers were reading The Avengers # 4, published a few years earlier, for inspiration. In that issue Lee and Kirby resurrected Captain America in the same manner) and revived in present day 1967. The series starred Monte Markham, an actor with a prolific career, particularly on television, beginning in the 1960s. He appeared everywhere from Mission Impossible to the Golden Girls. Arthur O'Connell was another familiar face in movies and TV. One of his earliest roles was in the closing moments of Citizen Kane, but he also had a strong supporting role in Anatomy of A Murder (1959) starring Jimmy Stewart. I even found the opening episode of this obscure show on You Tube! Watch it - if you dare!       

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz-sUUnnv5U

Custer! and Batman by George Tuska pencils and (likely) inks; Sam Rosen letters; Roy Thomas copy?

Boy, did ABC have it's share of flops in 1967! Custer was another one season wonder. The series co-starred Slim Pickens but was cancelled after seventeen episodes, facing heavy competition from the Virginian and Lost in Space.

A clip of Custer can also be viewed on You Tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F786Jp9opVk

While it’s odd to see Batman promoted in a "Marvel" comic, it should be noted that it  was packaged for ABC, and the caped crusader was enjoying his third season on television, although after becoming a phenomenal hit with both children and adults the ratings were sliding precipitously. 1967-68 would be its last season. Art is by veteran George Tuska who likely never drew Batman before, but would do so again in the 1980's at DC.  Robin is left out of the picture, likely due to ABC's desire to promote Batgirl, who debuted in the third season, played by Yvonne Craig. (Thanks to Britt Reid for correcting the info!) 

                                 Off To See The Wizard. John Verpoorten art?; Sam Rosen letters.

Off To See The Wizard was a program the spotlighted recent MGM family movies such as Clarence the Cross Eyed Lion and Flipper, highlighted by wraparound animation segments and music from the Wizard of Oz. Chuck Jones was executive producer, Abe Levitow, producer and director, and voices were provided by Daws Butler, June Foray and Mel Blanc. You can view an animated segment here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tQksNVUCpU

Back cover. The Flying Nun. John Tartaglione art; Sam Rosen letters; Roy Thomas copy?  

We end with a particularly odd concept, even for 1960s TV, which featured monster families, witches and talking horses. The Flying Nun was based on the 1965 book The Fifteenth Pelican, by Tere Rios. It starred Sally Field as Sister Bertrille, a nun who discovered she had the ability to ride air currents. Every week she became involved in outlandish situations. The show was a modest hit for ABC, running three seasons. Sally Field went on to greater heights (I couldn't resist!) on television and critically acclaimed movies such as Norma Rae (1979), Places in the Heart (1984) and Mrs. Doubtfire (1990). To continue the comic book connection, Sally Field played Peter Parker's Aunt May in two movies beginning in 2012.

Master artist Alex Toth's rendition of Jack Kirby's Watcher, a supporting character in the Fantastic Four. The Watcher appeared in a few FF cartoons, notably adaptations of "It Started on Yancy Street" and "Galactus." 

On a personal note, there was an air of excitement that Saturday morning in September, 1967 when the new cartoons premiered. As a kid I was already hooked on comics, having been weaned by my older brother John, and was particularly thrilled that two of my favorites - FF and Spider-Man - were being translated to TV. A year earlier I enjoyed the syndicated Marvel Super Heroes, shown, broadcast in New York on WOR-TV, channel 9. ABC's affiliate in New York was Channel 7, and after Casper (yes, I watched that too!) the FF debuted. I  enjoying seeing the Lee-Kirby characters come to life, assisted by Alex Toth, an exceptional comic book artist who produced storyboards for Hanna-Barbera on all their shows in this period. The jazzy theme song and incidental music was another plus. I later learned that Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic was voiced by Gerald Mohr, a radio performer (notably as the lead in "The Adventures of Philip Marlow") and character actor who was featured in many western-themed TV shows in the 1950s and 60s. 

The 1967 Spider-Man cartoon often utilized Steve Ditko images on the show, as they had done earlier with The Incredible Hulk segment of Marvel Super-Heroes in 1966, reworking many of his drawings from Tales to Astonish.  

Spider-Man followed (with the words "IN COLOR" flashing on my black and white TV. I didn't quite understand why there was no color on MY set!). It was a thrill to see my favorite hero brought to life, although I couldn't quite understand why The Green Goblin  was so different from the comic book version, and why they didn't adapt the unmasking story! Grantray-Lawrence obviously didn't understand their target audience!     

 

While many of the cartoons don't hold up under viewing as an adult, they were appealing to me as a child and remain sentimental favorites. It's surprising that many of these obscure shows have survived, especially the short lived prime time programs, and can be viewed (at least in part) on You Tube. 

Bullwinkle # 1, November 1987, part of Marvel's Star Comics Children's line. Ernie Colon pencils and possible inks. image from the Grand Comic Book Database.  

America's Best TV Comics was packaged in the hopes of getting children who read comics interested in ABC's programs. Sales may have been lacking, since no other collaborations between ABC and Marvel occurred. Adaptations of cartoons or television shows were left largely to competitors such as Dell and Western/Gold Key, who specialized in such fare. This would change in the 1970's and beyond, as Marvel became involved in a slew of movie and television adaptations, including The Wizard of Oz, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars, Planet of the Apes, Man From Atlantis, Battlestar Galactica, Indiana Jones and many others. While each title achieved varying degrees of success, it pointed to a different editorial mindset, where less emphasis was placed on developing new characters and concepts unique to comics. The foundations of the past, where the Fantastic Four's and Spider-Man's became fodder for animation, was now inverted. Marvel, once promoted as "The House of Ideas,"  was often taking those ideas from other media.