On The Drawing Board/TCR

                    The Third part of my examination of The Comic Reader continues...

                                 
An announcement sure to rock comics fans appears unobtrusively in type on the cover of the Comic Reader # 44, Dec 1965. Art by fan Gary Polin.

Derrill Rothermich continued as publisher/editor of The Comic Reader in late 1965/early 1966, with Dave Kaler listed as associate and news editor.While On The Drawing Board was the primary attraction, TCR also featured fanzine reviews, articles, letters and artwork. Steve Ditko quitting Marvel was a shock to fans, and further information appeared inside:      

According to the article, Ditko turned in his last stories for Marvel in November 1965. There was some trepidation that Ditko might leave the industry, but those fears were unfounded, and Ditko went on to create and drawn countless characters and stories in the 45 years since that ominous headline.

 A nice Paul Reinman drawing of Fly-Man and Fly-Girl, two characters he was currently drawing (along with the rest of the Archie Superhero line), also from TCR # 44. In his editorial Derrill notes:

"My special thanks go to Paul Reinman who took the time to do the Fly-Man and Fly-Girl illo especially for TCR. It really surprised me because I didn't think he would find enough free time to do it."  

Reinman seemed to appreciate the fan attention, and it's unfortunate that no one (as far as I know) interviewed him about his long career. Still, from the letters I've read that appeared in fanzines and his generosity, I suspect Reinman was a nice guy.

So much for anonymity! In TCR # 45, January 1966, Kaler reveals who Adam Austin and Mickey Demeo really are. Frank Giacoia lucked out, since he couldn't spell his last name! The news section also mentions that John Romita will take over Spider-Man and Bill Everett will likely be the new Dr. Strange artist. 

Ditko was still very much on fan's minds, including editor Rothermich:

"I suppose that a large number of you were disappointed to see that the great Steve Ditko would no longer be working for Marvel. This came as a great shock to me and now I am wondering what this turn of events will mean for Spider-Man. In my mind, Spider-Man and Steve Ditko were one and the same word. Ditko made Spider-Man unique, something extra special. I am not saying that John Romita won't do a good job on him but he still won't be the same. The one consolation that we do have is that Steve will still be doing comic work for Charlton and Tower."       

Will Eisner contributed this drawing of his most famous creation in TCR # 45. The Spirit returned for a brief two issue run at Harvey in this period, the first introduction to many fans of the masked crimefighter. 

The Comic Reader # 46, February 1966, sports a cover by Alan Hutchinson, who contributed much artwork to early fanzines. Three of the most important companies to fans were Marvel, DC and Gold Key, and Hawkman was apparently preferred over DC's big three!

On The Drawing Board featured a preview of two new characters from Charlton: Mr. L. Dedd and Dr. Graves, both drawn by the underrated Rocco Mastroserio. Graves originally appeared in short stories written by Dave Kaler in Ghostly Tales and would graduate to his own comic soon after. Other news items included info on Mighty, Dell, King, DC and Marvel, as well as the hit Batman TV show, which would soon have an impact on many publishers who attempted to latch onto the superhero bandwagon, most with less than spectacular results. And one can only wonder how a live action Captain America or Spider-Man TV show would have turned out, even with Stan Lee writing scripts. From TCR # 46.    

TCR # 47 included a ton of Batman related news, as the media saturated hero invaded toys, games, records, gum cards, clothing and anything else you can think of. There was anticipation by fans that other superhero and adventure related characters would make the transition to TV and movies, but, aside from animation and a few TV shows such as the Green Hornet, the Batmania phenomenon would not be duplicated.

Even the super-busy Jack Kirby found time to sketch the Thing for the Comic Reader, appearing in issue # 47, March 1966, but Benjy must have been clobbered if he can't figure how to get to Yancy Street!

And now, fasten your seat belts and prepare to be confused (I know I am!). With the following issue The Comic Reader essentially became a new publication, On The Drawing Board (which was the name of the news section), numbered Volume 2, # 2. Rothermich explained he would continue as Executive Editor, but OTDB would be published by the Gateway Comic Book Fan Club, with Robert Schoenfeld residing as President. The new publication would focus primarily on news and Academy of Comic Book Fans and Collectors info, which was a gathering of organized fans. The Comic Reader would become a separate publication, focusing on articles and non-news items.  OTDB was intended to be a monthly publication, clocking in at six pages.  

If you've digested that, be advised that three issues later the name was changed back to The Comic Reader, as Rothermich attempts to explain....

          

   

And BACK to the Drawing Board (or more precisely ON the Drawing Board) with the following issue! Believe me, folks, this was not an easy fanzine to try to collect! Since the print is hard to produce, I'll just note that Schoenfeld explains that he is returning to OTDB and continuing the numbering, with The Comic Reader becoming a bi-monthly publication (which didn't occur). This was also the last issue Rothermirch edited. (As Groucho once said, I'll go out into the lobby until this blows over!)  

(I promise the title won't change again....at least not until part 4!). Alan Hutchinson's cover features the short-lived Harvey heroes, Spyman, Piranha, Jigsaw and Will Eisner's The Spirit. Vol 1, no 6 (whole # 53), October 1966.  

In that same issue Schoenfeld makes an important point about how fans often ignored older creators, letting their history and contributions to comics slip away for all time. Sadly, neglecting those pioneers in lieu of the current favorite happened all too often.    

  A humorous cartoon about Rothermich in the service, drawn by Mike Fleisher, likely the same person who went on to produce the Spectre and Jonah Hex.

The back cover to OTDB # 53 included an ad for Et Cetera # 1 before Wood changed the title to Witzend.

On The Drawing Board Vol 2, # 55 includes info on Frank Giacoia.

Long time DC staffer Mark Hanerfeld writes about the 1966 Academy Con. Who wouldn't want to hear a transcript of this Con, featuring Stan Lee, Bill Everett, John Romita, Roy Thomas, Denny O'Neil, Steranko, Dick Giordano, Bill Finger, Gil Kane, Murphy Anderson and Bill Harris, to name a few. 

On The Drawing Board Vol 2, no 12 (# 59) includes a letter by Bill Harris, editor of King Comics, describing their attempts to find alternative areas of distribution. Sadly, despite utilizing some fine writers and artists, they soon stopped publishing comics.

            Popular fan artist Ron Foss provides the cover to OTDB Vol 2, no 14 (#61), June 1967

   

Fan artist Rich Buckler shows his Kirby influence early on. Buckler would soon turn pro and work for both Marvel and DC on many of their superhero features. What's News became the new title of the news section., and fans Mike Fredrich and Jeff Jones receive their first professional assignments.

Len Wein went on to write many of the Marvel and DC characters he DREW for this Con ad on the back cover to OTDB 61.

An atmospheric cover by Dick Memorich of Eisner's Spirit, from OTDB vol 2, no 15 (# 62), August 1967.

  

Dave Kaler's news column in #62 reveals the upheaval that took place in late 1967. Too many companies competed for rack space, with many following (and attempting to copy) the popularity of Batman/Marvel. Sales were apparently down overall, and many companies either folded or stopped publishing superhero material (Archie, Charlton). The Tower line, which held promise, soon met its demise. Perhaps with time they would have found an audience, but their higher 25 cent price apparently hurt sales. Whatever the case, lack of imagination, an overabundance of publishers and changing tastes put an end to the proliferation of superheros. In less than a decade most genres would be gone, and sales continued to plunge. The children's audience was largely abandoned, as mainstream comics catered more and more to older, long time superhero fans. The writing was on the wall over 40 years ago; since then comics have become a marginalized, niche audience, with corresponding sales figures. 

The next issue mentions further industry changes. A popular misconception is how Dick Giordano brought Steve Ditko to DC, but Joe Orlando was talking to Ditko about creating new characters for DC while Giordano was still at Charlton. Shortly, Ditko created the Creeper, although Murray Boltinoff was listed as editor of his premiere in Showcase. Bob Powell's passing is also noted, an extremely talented and versatile artist who produced excellent work throughout his career.

More changes for On The Drawing Board. As of Vol 2, no 17 (#64) January 1968, Mark Hanerfeld takes over the news column from Dave Kaler and the Academy is disbanded, with the possibility of OTDB being cancelled. Fear not, though. We're not done yet! The Creeper and Hawk and Dove are announced as new Ditko titles, and Dick Giordano leaves Charlton to replace outgoing Editor George Kashdan. 

Mark Hanerfeld takes over the editorship and publication of On The Drawing Board with Vol 3, no 2 (# 65)(March 1968). As you might suspect, there were plenty of internal upheavals, and we're not quite finished yet. Included in the news section is a sketch by Bill Ligante of Dr. Doom, a strip he was supposed to draw for Marvel that never materialized.

           Murphy Anderson also contributes a sketch for the same issue.    

    

Dick Giordano was busy editing a number of books for DC, and while most of the upcoming news came to pass, not everything did. Reed Crandall wound up sending back the Blackhawk script, which was completed by Pat Boyette. Another intriguing news item that never materialized was DC's intention of using the title Adventures into the Unknown from the defunct ACG, which would include a new "Dr.Strange type" character by Steve Ditko. That would have been interesting, although Ditko's plate was pretty full at that point with Creeper and Hawk and Dove. DC instead decided to revamp an ongoing title, House of Mystery, which had been headlining Dial H for Hero, returning it to its anthology roots (#174, June 1968), with no continuing characters besides the host. That series was edited by Joe Orlando. Giordano became the editor of The Witching Hour, which debuted in late 1968 (February 1969 cover-date).   

In case you weren't totally confused, there are TWO On The Drawing Board # 66's! Robert Schoenfeld published The Comic Reader # 66, which is listed on the cover as OTDB! In the editorial he states that he will continue The Comic Reader as a separate publication, with Hanerfeld publishing OTDB, but his Comic Reader didn't continue (as far as I know...at this point I'm getting a headache!).

The REAL On The Drawing Board # 66 (Vol 3, no2), March 1968, did appear, still run by Mark Hanerfeld. Rocke Mastroserio's passing is noted. He was just starting to work for DC, and would have been a fine addition to their mystery line. 

A Milton Caniff sketch of Steve Canyon adorns the aforementioned issue.

A Frank Frazetta sketch accompanies the news of  Martin Goodman's sale of Magazine Management to Perfect Film, from OTDB # 68 (Vol 3, no 4), June 1968. Bill Everett's announced western feature, Black Arrow, was unfortunately never produced.

Other news included Steve Ditko being hospitalized. Gil Kane took over the art, and later the writing as well on Hawk and the Dove, but Neal Adams didn't spell Ditko on the Creeper. Jack Sparling would complete the 6th and final issue, so it's anyone's guess if Ditko would have returned to the strip after he recovered.    

Jack Sparling's drawing of the new character Jonny Double, based on a sketch by Neal Adams, as noted elsewhere in the mag. 

           And speaking of Adams, he produces a Deadman sketch for the very same issue!     

Finally we close out this go 'round with another Spirit sketch by the incomparable Will Esner.   

We're far from done with TCR (or is it OTDB)? Next time out they'll be more changes, along with lot's of interesting news and artwork from one of the most important fanzines of the 1960's (and beyond)              

More on TCR

The Comic Reader was a source of news and information on upcoming product from a variety of publishers, as well as a lively forum for fans with articles and a letter column. They also kept in contact with many professionals, leading to artwork specially prepared for the publication.

 
The talented Russ Manning not only kept TCR informed of his work on various features for Western Publishing, including Magnus, but provided artwork as well. Cover of The Comic Reader # 34, February 1965. This issue also mentions in the news section that "Marvel MIGHT put out a book concerning Sgt. Fury's activities as a spy after the war, patterned after the Man From UNCLE. Instead of Thrush they'd have Hydra!" . They were correct, of course, and about four months later Fury replaced The Human Torch in Strange Tales.

The Comic Reader # 35, March 1965 took a look at some of the results of the 1964 Alley Awards. Spider-Man and FF were very popular with fans, but surprisingly, Hawkman was third runner up, not one of DC's bigger stars. Marvel and DC were not singled out either. ACG's Forbidden Worlds won the Best Regularly Published Fantasy Comic; Russ Manning was second favorite pencil artist (Infantino was # 1, followed by Kirby, Murphy Anderson and Kubert) and best humorous comic was ACG's Herbie, followed by Uncle Scrooge. Other awards (not shown above) included Strip most desired for revival, with a distinct emphasis on DC's 1940s heroes, including Spectre, Dr. Fate, Dr. Mid-Nite, Justice Society, and Fawcett's Captain Marvel. In the years ahead many fans wishes were fulfilled in one form or another. Best new strips included Captain America, Daredevil, Hawkman, Elongated Man and Jungle Tales of Tarzan. Charlton published an unauthorized series (they apparently believed Tarzan to be in the public domain) which ran four issues. Edgar Rice Burroughs inc. reportedly filed an injunction against Charlton, who had a fifth issue,"on the presses" according to a news item in TCR #39. Did any of these issues survive, or were they all pulped? 

Steve Ditko provides the cover to TCR # 36, April 1965, foreshadowing his return to Charlton. This was simultaneous with Charlton reprinting Capt. Atom stories. The news section explains "...if it catches on Steve will probably be asked to continue the series." concluding with "I hope Steve has the time to work for two companies." 

Fan artist Ron Foss provides the back cover illo promoting the second NY Comiccon in 1965, run by Dave Kaler. One aspect of the early comic book conventions that remains popular - as anyone who attends in the present day knows - is the costume contest. More clear than the drawing is the postal stamp, dated April 17th, and the 10 cent stamp!

  
 A nice Dick Ayers drawing of the Human Torch (who he was drawing or inking at the time) graces the cover to The Comic Reader # 37, May 1965. The inside front cover notes that Ayers drew this for fan Kent Russell. Don't try reading the fading purple type unless you want to wind up like the near sighted Mr. Magoo!  

  
 A big announcement from Charlton editor Pat Masulli, one of the first to seek out fans to write comics. Masulli would keep is word, as we shall soon see. Another interesting note at the bottom of the news column says that Masulli will sell original art for $25.oo a page to "qualified collectors only". Did any fans in that period buy art from Masulli? Was he "authorized" to sell the art which many believed was destroyed ? Was he selling art covers that he drew (Masulli was an artist as well as an Editor). Did Charlton management know or care?    

Another interesting news item is the information on future issues of Spider-Man. Since issue # 27 would have been out at the time of this announcement, and Ditko and Lee were not speaking, the news apparently came directly from Ditko (who is often credited in the news sources on page 2, although not in this issue). This is direct proof of how far ahead Ditko was plotting Spider-Man: mention of "the Octopus" (obviously DR. Octopus, referring to the Master Planner storyline) and the Meteor Man, who would not appear until issue # 36, some nine months later. 

 

 The 38th issue of The Comic Reader (June 1965) announced Roy Thomas' first pro work for Charlton, which appeared in Son of Vulcan # 50, January 1966. As noted in the article, Roy planned to have Son of Vulcan meet Blue Beetle and Capt. Atom, but issue # 50 was the last issue. Roy might have been able to team-up the heroes in Blue Beetle, since he wrote #50 (Feb-March 1966), but THAT title succumbed to poor sales as well! Don't feel too bad for Roy, though. Although his career at Charlton was short-lived, I've heard he's written a few comics since then....

Charlton heralds a new writer from the world on fanzines on the cover of Son of Vulcan #50. Although Roy Thomas didn't get his name mentioned on the cover, a month earlier Dave Cockrum, who would soon become a prolific fan artist and later pro, was - for costume ideas. That creativity served him well a few years hence, designing costumes for the Legion of Super Heroes and the revised X-Men. Bill Fraccio pencils; Tony Tallarico inks. Image from the GCD.      

Ditko returns to drawing Capt. Atom for Charlton (this time credited as a news source on the second page) while continuing at Marvel on Spider-Man and Dr. Strange. Errors occasionally slipped in - one sentence states the inker is unknown and the next announces Rocke Mastroserio. As noted earlier, the info on Jungle Tales of Tarzan here is probably wrong. The later news item was confirmed by one of the Burroughs family and Pat Masulli.  The Comic Reader # 38.    
          

DC editor Murray Boltinoff was a friend of many fanzine editors and the source of news items. He also read articles related to his titles as the letter explains. From the "Quotes From the Readers" section of The Comic Reader # 39, July 1965. 

Also from TCR # 39: Bill Dubay drew these "Picto-Origins" which were illustrated histories of Timely characters in fanzines such as TCR and his own Yancy Street Journal. About six months later, in Yancy Street Journal # 12 (Jan 1966) new Editorial Assistant Roy Thomas informed DuBay that Marvel could not give him permission to continue the picto-origins. Roy explained: 

"While Stan and I certainly have no personal objections to the series, which is quite well-handled by Bill Dubay, the entire affair is strictly a legal matter." 

Speaking of Roy Thomas, the On The Drawing Board section of TCR # 40, Aug 1965, announces his joining Marvel. Other "Bombshell Announcements" include Tower Comics starting up, Charlton's new Thunderbolt comic and Simon and Kirby Fighting American reprints from Harvey.  

The cover to The Comic Reader # 41, Sept 1965, features another Russ Manning illo, this time of Tarzan which he had recently taken over. 

That issues On The Drawing Board has probably the first mention of Jim Steranko. Although he didn't get a job with Stan Lee the first time around, Steranko picked up some work from Joe Simon at Harvey, where he created characters such as Spyman. A year or so later he was given the Nick Fury feature in Strange Tales to draw, and soon write, making a name for himself as a dynamic new talent. Dave Kaler was another fan turned pro that Charlton Editor Pat Masulli hired. Although the Son of Vulcan story mentioned never appeared since the book was cancelled, Kaler went on to write Capt. Atom and assorted features for the company. Did Tom Fagan ever write anything for Charlton?

  
Sal Trapani was another artist/inker who added some background info on himself and his work with Dick Giordano. From TCR # 41.

Issue 41 had another interesting news item concerning fan writers and Charlton.

  
Dave was apparently working on Son of Vulcan # 51, but, as noted earlier, it was cancelled. However it was in production and pages exist, as seen here:

http://www.catspawdynamics.com/son-of-vulcan-forgotten-badass/

The Blue Beetle has a cameo appearance and a recent issue is referenced. This may have been Roy Thomas' idea. I asked Roy, who doesn't recall  his exact involvement, but believes it was indeed Dave Kaler who scripted that issue, with some editing/assistance by him. Kaler went on to script some of Ditko's Capt. Atom stories, along with fillers such as Dr. Graves appearing in Ghostly Tales.

Derrill Rothermich took over the editing/publishing of the TCR with issue # 42, October 1965, and a noticeable improvement was the switch to offset printing, creating a much clearer look. This is the complete Sal Trapani Nukla drawing, with inking likely by Dick Giordano (thanks to Mike DeLisa for pointing that out) that appeared in truncated form in the previous issue.    

From the same issue, Paul Reinman adds a little background about Archie's Mighty Comics Superhero line of which he was the primary artist.

And we close out with not one, but TWO items from Steve Ditko in the very same issue! This illo is again from fan Kent Russell, who had earlier provided the Ayers Torch drawing. Kent was certainly getting some wonderful artwork from the pros. Apparently this was an older Ditko drawing, since Dr. Strange is attired in his earlier cape and Spidey looks less muscular than he was currently drawn.    

Ditko also wrote a letter to TCR in response to their requests for background on him. Ditko points out that he had an uphill battle, seeking work in comics for three years and "just as regularly got turned down." One area worth pointing out is Ditko stating that he worked with other inkers on Harvey's 3D line. We know he assisted Simon and Kirby on Captain 3-D # 1, as well as the unpublished # 2, but did he assist on any other 3D comics for Harvey?   

                        More explorations on The Comic Reader coming soon... 

Gems in early Fanzines - The Comic Reader

The early fanzines had a charm, enthusiasm and energy that continues to fascinate me. So many of the pioneers produced work that is historically important and filled with the essence of youth, a wide-eyed spirit that filled many ink stained pages. There are many gems sprinkled throughout the aging, small-press fanzines (some with a print run of 300 or less) and I thought one of the most important, The Comic Reader, would be a good place to start.

The father of fanzines, Jerry Bails is worthy of praise for producing Alter- Ego alone, but his accomplishments are many and varied. After passing AE to Roy Thomas, Bails produced the Comicollector and On The Drawing Board, which included comic book news and information of the pros. Bails discussed his early contributions in Bill Schelly's exceptional book, Comic Fandom Reader:

"My initial conception of Alter-Ego turned out to be unrealistic. I wanted well-researched articles and features, comic strips, news, and ads. Each of these features demanded different deadlines. The Comicollector was the first spin-off in September 1961. Eventually the "On The Drawing Board" news feature became a separate newsletter, which later evolved into The Comic Reader. All of these publications had a life long after my tenure, each becoming more and more professional over the years."       

A page from an early issue of The Comic Reader, possibly # 25, has two pages of news items on Marvel, DC, Dell and Charlton, as well as magazine related comic book articles. George Tuska's announcement as new artist on the Human Torch was premature - although he drew a few stories for Marvel early on, he would not return full  time until 1967, as inker and soon long-time artist on Iron-Man. Dick Rockwell also never went on to Giant-Man, replaced by a Steve Ditko fill-in (Tales to Astonish # 61, Nov 1964)    

TCR had many interesting features and often contacted creators, many of whom were surprised and flattered by the attention. On this page from TCR # 27 July 1964 (now taken over by Glen Johnson), aside from items on Frank Thorne, DC's Phantom Stranger and Curt Swan, there is background info by Chuck Cuidera and Joe Certa, both solid artists who had long careers in comic books. It's a pleasure to discover a little about Certa's career. In later years many of the old pros were ignored, with emphasis on the latest fan favorite, an opportunity missed that, in many cases, can never be rectified.    

In addition to his work for DC on a variety of features, notably John Jones, Manhunter from Mars, Joe Certa drew a variety of features for Gold Key over the years, including a long run on Dark Shadows, based on the popular ABC daytime soap opera.Don Arneson script, Ben Oda letters, from Dark Shadows # 5, May 1970.

With contacts throughout the industry, including Nelson Bridwell, Julie Schwartz, Jack Schiff, Murray Boltinoff, Pat Masulli, Ray Miller and Russ Manning, TCR had a good deal of accurate information and the ability to report on much of the industry. We're still waiting for that Harlan Ellison Hawkman story, though! From The Comic Reader # 30, October 1964

 Displaying a fair-minded and thoughtful personality even when he was a fan, Roy Thomas makes his case in a letter from TCR # 30    

These two pages from TCR # 32, Dec 1964, are one of the most important facets of early fandom. Where else could one find information on the Dell creators, who were rarely credited in the comics? Here we get information on not only the artists, but writers, cover painters, letterers and colorists. I've discovered much while perusing through the early fanzines, and it is a credit to those early fans that they were interested in the diversity of writers, artists and companies.

Not only were editors generous with their time, many artists were too, taking the time out of their busy schedules to draw for a small press publication. Steve Ditko was one of the most generous and here he does an excellent rendition of Spider-Man and Dr. Strange, from the Comic Reader # 33, January 1965. There will be more Ditko and more on The Comic Reader, coming soon. 

In Appreciation

I thought I’d break tradition this time out and pay tribute to the person who first spurred my interest in comic books: my brother John. John is seven years older than me, and was buying comics before I was born. I can't remember a time when comics weren't in the house. When I was a tyke John was buying Marvel’s on a regular basis, particularly the superhero line. John didn't only buy Marvel's though, he also purchased DC (John particularly liked group titles such as Challengers of the Unknown, Doom Patrol and Blackhawk);Gold Key, Charlton, Tower and Archie’s “Mighty Comics” line.

 FF #20 may well be my introduction to Jack Kirby's art. It was the earliest issue in John's collection, and while I wouldn't describe the art as pretty, it had a rough around the edges quality that held my attention. Inside, equally ominous characters like the Watcher awaited, and I was hooked. Kirby pencils; George Roussos inks; Artie Simek letters and likely Stan Goldberg colors. Fantastic Four # 20, November 1963. 

John started his Spider-Man collection with # 3, and how could this scene not get a child's attention? Ditko's odd-looking hero and mysterious villain was - again - more than likely my first exposure to Ditko's individualistic style. His faces, figures and scenes all had a distinctive personality, and to this day Ditko's work remains an ongoing source of study and appreciation. Amazing Spider-Man # 3, July 1963, Steve Ditko art, Artie Simek letters, Stan G colors?

 The first issue of Suspense John had, if memory serves me correctly (and my memory is usually better than John's) has no Iron-Man on the cover! Instead we have an inset of Tony Stark putting his suit on, while the villain attacks. Perhaps not the most dynamic of covers, but with a certain charm. Kirby pencils; Dick Ayers inks; Artie Simek letters; Stan G colors? Tales of Suspense # 46, October 1963

 Before I could read I would stare at the covers and interior artwork by the likes of Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and Wally Wood. In 1966, at the age of six, I began reading the stories and they had me hooked, particularly Stan Lee’s writing, with it’s touches of humor and drama; and the sense of enthusiasm he was capable of transmitting to the printed page. The continued stories were a real thrill, especially to a child, when 30 days seemed like an eternity. You could pick up a DC at almost anytime and enjoy it on its own merits, but continued stories were rare in that period. Marvel, with its cliffhanger endings and sub-plots were addictive - you HAD to buy the next issue to find out what happened, and John rarely missed an issue.

With little publicity and no news outside of  promotional ads and bullpen pages, there was an immediacy to buying new comics that is hard to describe. Every week we would travel to various newsstands and candy stores in the neighborhood (no comic shops then), either separately or together, to pick up the latest comics. As I got older John and I both discovered fanzines and subscribed to the Comic Reader and the Buyers Guide. We would discuss the new books coming out, what titles were getting cancelled and our favorite writers and artists. John also took me to my first comic book convention, probably in 1970. It was a Phil Seuling Con, but all I remember are tables full of comics and lots of people. We came home with a shopping bag of comics, which we had to sneak into our house lest our parents find and confiscate them.

John has always enjoyed team books, including the Challengers. This is one of the earliest issues I recall. Bob Brown pencils; Brown inks? Challengers of the Unknown # 42, February-March 1965. Image from the GCD.

 Charlton's were not always easy to find in our neck of the woods, Brooklyn in the 1960's, although they might pop up in a dusty corner of John's Bargain Store (a variety store akin to the 99 cent stores of today). Some of John's acquisitions were Blue Beetle, Capt. Atom and Thunderbolt. Distribution improved in the early 1970's and John bought many of Charlton's Ghost line, particularly those with covers by Steve Ditko. Thunderbolt # 1, January 1966. Pete Morisi art.

Archie Comics blatantly copied Marvel's corner design with their short-lived "Mighty Comics Group", which reportedly infuriated Marvel's publisher, Martin Goodman. I have a soft spot for the quirky "Mighty Heroes" mainly due to Paul Reinman's artwork. Cover art by the aforementioned Reinman, from Fly Man # 36, March 1966 

The brilliant artistry of Wally Wood was an immediate attention getter to John and Nick C. Wood cover to Dynamo # 2, March 1967

John was also instrumental in starting my love for comics’ history. Come Christmas or my birthday John would give me gifts such as Steranko’s History of the Comics and Superman and Batman from the 30’s to the 70’s, hardcover books reprinting early exploits of the heroes. I began to relish learning about writers, artists, publishers and all that came before: the Timely era, DC, Fawcett and Captain Marvel, EC and many others. I still have those books in my collection, as well as a beat-up (but treasured) paperback of All in Color for a Dime (which my Mom bought for me). As I got older I returned the favor and bought comic related books for John, and we always shared our stuff (and still do, even though he likes to give me a hard time whenever I raid his collection!)

                                           

It was wonderful to read the early stories of Superman and Batman at a time when reprints were scarce. Superman from the 30's to the 70's, which I may have received in Christmas of 1970. 

Older brothers can be a pain in the neck sometimes, but not only did John buy and share all his comics when I was a little runt, he instilled a deep interest in movies. Although John is a huge sci-fi fan, he appreciates all types of movies, and that diversity could be seen on Television, where crime, western, comedy and dramas were available, as well as old serials and shorts like Laurel and Hardy and the Three Stooges. We also had great old cartoons like the Fleischer's Popeye cartoons. Back in the pre-VCR/DVD days you had to stay awake at night to see a particular movie – you never knew when it would air again. Local television in NY showed plenty of horror and sci-fi - from Universal classics to Roger Corman low budget thrills. We saw them all, when we weren't reading about them in the pages of Famous Monsters and Castle of Frankenstein.

 The opening to WPIX-Channel 11's Chiller Theater program, the source of many childhood thrills and chills!  


Over the decades John and I have devoured countless books on directors, actors, producers and studios, learning about the history of movies from the silent era to the present day.

James Cagney, a favorite actor that we grew up watching on television

And of course, television was part of our childhood. Dark Shadows was a supernatural soap-opera that had something in common with comics – it was continued and had ongoing sub-plots (along with vampires, witches and werewolves) so we were hooked. At six years old I was completely taken by Batman on TV, but there was much to enjoy for kids and teenagers, including Star Trek, Wild Wild West, Lost in Space, Time Tunnel, Twilight Zone, Outer Limits and many others. Not all hold up in later viewings, but they were fun for their time.

Dark Shadows had its own comic book series from Gold Key beginning in the late 1960's. While vampires were not allowed by the Comics Code until the 1970's, Gold Key was not part of the Code and could present Barnabas and company. A nicely designed and hued cover photo of Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins and David Hennesy as David Collins, Dark Shadows # 6, August 1970. 

John also loves music, particularly rock n roll, so I listened to the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Supremes, the Turtles, the Young Rascals, the Doors, Cream and many others that I still enjoy, all on 45 rpm records. And all the while we listened to and appreciated the singers and musicians of an earlier era, since folks like Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Durante and Tony Bennett sang and preformed on variety shows, sometimes introducing the rock acts we enjoyed. It was a period when everything was not compartmentalized as it is today.

So, to John, who celebrates his birthday today, I thank you for instilling a life-long passion for comic books, which we continue to enjoy, but also for the movies, music and television programs which we've shared throughout our lives. Although our tastes diverge in places, we still laugh and have fun talking about a great many things (when we’re not yelling at each other!) and isn't that something to be thankful for? (Now I hope you don''t expect to get a Birthday present ALONG with all this praise!!)   

Marvel’s Forgotten Crossovers

When one thinks of Marvel Comics and characters interacting in their shared “world”, many assume this began with the early 1960's super-hero line, when Stan Lee had the Fantastic Four meet the Hulk and Spider-Man. While crossovers clearly grew in the Marvel Age, they didn't begin with them. Lee liked the idea very early on; one of his text features in the 1940’s had the Torch, Captain America and other Timely heroes meeting. The inspiration likely came from several sources. 

On radio the incredibly talented and popular Jack Benny had a friendly "rivalry" with Fred Allen and both occasionally guested on each others shows.

The Battle of the Century! Jack Benny (on the left) and Fred Allen (on the right) were two comedians who were friends since vaudeville days. Their jibes at each other lasted for decades, moving from the radio into Benny's television show.  

In movies Universal pictures successfully paired two of their monsters together in Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman (1943). They followed with more team-ups and genres even collided when Abbott and Costello met Frankenstein.

 

A moody scene from the first (and best of the lot) Universal studios meeting of monsters. Bela Lugosi as the Monster; Lon Chaney, Jr. as the tortured  Laurence Talbot. Both monsters would be an inspiration for Lee and Kirby's Hulk.

 Authors such as Jules Verne had supporting characters appear in different novels, and Edgar Rice Burroughs had Tarzan journey to Pellucidar in one of his novels.

              J. Allen St. John art to the 1930 hardcover edition of Tarzan At The Earth's Core

 Characters in pulps met each other, and television had early examples. In researching I discovered that Ann Southern’s character from Private Secretary met Lucy on the Lucy/Desi Comedy Hour in 1957 (both, not surprisingly, CBS shows). It's also interesting to note that other shows were often referenced on situation comedies such as Bachelor Father or Leave it to Beaver. These are often asides, but they were an easy way to promote other network shows, much like Lee would later promote his line with short captions.   

While super-heroes were often paired together on covers, they rarely met inside the pages. One of the most important exceptions was the confrontations between the Human Torch and Sub-Mariner in the 1940's, but when superheroes faded out in the latter part of that decade, there was little interaction between feature characters. For the most part this continued into the 1950's, although exceptions occurred. One crossover appeared in Combat Casey # 10 (June 1953), where Battle Brady guest-starred in one story (I'm Comin' to get ya, Penny..", illustrated by Robert Q. Sale). Both characters were written by Hank Chapman, which made it a simple procedure. The crossover was not publicized on the cover, and is likely known to only a few Timely-Atlas die-hards (Tom Lammers, who discovered and mentioned the story on the Timely-Atlas Yahoo Groups some years ago being one of them. Thanks Tom!)     

In the early 1960's Stan Lee was inspired to promote the "girl line” of humor comics and did so with gusto.

Millie the Model # 103, July 1961. Before Fantastic Four made it's way to the newsstands the following month, Lee had Patsy Walker guest-star, including a large caption and Chili directly addressing the reader. Stan Goldberg pencils and possible inks/colors (with Al Hartley likely drawing Patsy) and Artie Simek lettering. Image from the GCD. 

In December 1961 dated comics (concurrent with FF # 3), Lee has a total of 3 cross-overs! Millie returns the favor and guests in Patsy Walker # 98. Al Hartley cover art (with a MIllie face possibly by Stan Goldberg). Artie Simek letters, Stan G colors. Cover from the GCD.

While it wasn't mentioned on the cover, Kathy # 14 has a 6 page opening tale by Stan's Lee and G entitled "A Visit to Patsy Walker".  

And continuing the cross-over event that month, we conclude with another Millie title:

Life With Millie # 14 has the Lee-Goldberg Kathy meet the Lee-Goldberg Millie in a cute four panel sequence. Inks by Goldberg or Sol Brodsky, colors by Stan G and letters by Artie Simek.

Millie introduces the story, giving Lee an opportunity to plug the other teen-humor strips. This is billed as the first guest-star issue, although others would follow. Millie's guests would not cross genres, although fictional versions of Kid Colt and Rawhide Kid appeared. Alas, Millie never met up with Spragg, the Living Hill or Johnny Storm (although it is established that Millie lives in New York City and Kathy is visiting from Ohio).

Although Lee's signature is left off this story, this was likely an error, as it is on all the other stories. 

Pencils by Stan Goldberg and possible inks by George Klein. Artie Simek lettering.

 Even the feature page has a guest star! Hedy wears attire that Janet Van Dyne would never get past the Comics Code (but was allowed here because it was considered a comic geared to girls). Millie notes this is in response to requests for more guest star fashions, so I assume other characters appeared previous to this page. Lee script, Stan Goldberg art and colors (with a probably Al Hartley Hedy face) and Artie Simek colors.

         

   Two months later, in Patsy Walker # 99 (February 1962) Linda Carter, Student Nurse pays a visit to Patsy. Linda was a new title, also written and drawn by Lee and Hartley, and her third issue would have been on the stands at this point. The title only survived nine issues, and it would be another decade before another comic starring a nurse appeared at Marvel, Night Nurse, which lasted an even shorter four issues (now if only Linda would have gotten a job with a Doctor named Blake....)

Stan Lee clearly enjoyed promoting a line of titles and creating a "world" where characters interacted. This was quite easy when he was at the helm, and could easily coordinate such events. As superheroes became popular it made sense to do the same for them. At it's best it was entertaining and brought a sense of excitement to its audience. The small moments, when a character appeared in one panel or in his civilian identity were subtle. In later years the crossover idea grew to epic (and nonsensical) proportions, where anything goes and anyone can meet, no matter how preposterous. Once upon a time, though, there was a sense of understated charm orchestrated by a small group of individuals whose special touch made comics worth seeking out and enjoying. 

       

  An ad for Marvel's line of humor and teen titles, from Millie the Model Annual # 1, 1962 by Lee and Goldberg.