Steve Ditko Potpourri

Originally published on September 30th, 2013, this is a revised and updated presentation. 

This time out I'd like to share some odds and ends by that master of the graphic form, Steve Ditko, including a few obscure but noteworthy efforts. 

The above piece was drawn specifically for the cover of Comics Buyer's Guide # 1214, February 1997, promoting the first issue of Strange Avenging Tales, which was published by Fantagraphics. Ditko creates a visual feast, employing a wash- 

tone effect to spotlight his creation, the Baffler. Ditko's agglomeration of images cascades around his central hero: faces, masks, words, barbed wire; silhouetted figures attempt mischief while the artist's working tools (pencil, pen, brush, eraser, ink bottle) frolic about animatedly. Most situations are connected to the interior stories, whetting the reader's appetite for what lurks inside the covers.    

Created by Jack C. Harris, with designs and artwork by Ditko, Substance was a character who became invisible with the aid of a device. The first issue appeared in 1990 for publisher Ray Zone. Ditko does an effective job with the 3-D technique, using depth perception to good advantage, enhanced by Ray Zone's expertise. In his introduction Jack C. Harris wrote about the concept:

"Substance came about from conversations with Steve Ditko about crime, justice, good, evil, etc. We supposed, if "illegal evidence" could be collected without active participation by the police, could it be used to bring about justice? After all, even if evidence is "inadmissible" it might still proclaim the truth. And isn't the truth the goal of every trial? Are truth and justice the same thing? Maybe, maybe not."  

Harris went on to discuss working with Ditko in the late 1970's and 1980's in his editorial capacity at DC on Shade, the Creeper (appearing in World's Finest) and various mystery and sci-fi stories. Harris later created Star-Guider for Western publishing with Ditko; it eventually saw publication in Robin Snyder's Revolver at Renegade Press. Harris explained:

"We prepared and shipped a slew of presentation packages featuring a half a dozen characters. I'm willing to bet there is at least one Harris/Ditko proposal deep in the files of every independent publisher."      

It's unfortunate that so many ideas were left floundering, especially at a time when independent publishers were plentiful. How many characters, ideas and stories  have fans lost out on seeing or being developed? Harris concluded:

"Steve and I drifted on to other projects. Then, a couple of years later, while walking in New York, lo and behold, there was Steve. We stopped, stood in the middle of a throng of passers-by and talked of old comics and new, of likes and dislikes. "Remember all those old proposals we did? Let's do some more'" I suggested. He agreed."

"That very night I went home and outlined Substance. With Steve's art in hand, in August, I headed for the San Diego Comic Convention to pitch the idea to the publishers in attendance. I got as far as Ray Zone's booth. Looking at the presentation piece both Ray and I said (simultaneously) "an invisible man in 3-D! Wow, what a concept!"     

An attractive, non 3-D image on the inside back cover of 3-D Substance # 1.

Included in the first issue were some of Ditko's 1950's Charlton covers along with a Crime and Justice story, adapted into the 3-D format by Ray Zone.    

Cover to 3-D Substance # 2. The villain of the piece, with those goggles, reminds me of Hambone, a character invented by Sandy Becker, who was a staple of New York City local children's television in the 1960's. For those of you who are not in my age category, do not reside in the US, or have NO idea what I'm talking about: Local stations once employed hosts in between cartoons such as Bugs Bunny, Heckel and Jeckel and Popeye. They performed skits, featured puppets and advertised for their sponsors. Sandy Becker was also a voice actor on radio ("Young Doctor Malone") and (here's the comic book connection, kids!) was the voice of Steve Rogers/Captain America on the 1966 Marvel Super Heroes cartoons. 

The inimitable Sandy Becker as "Hambone" See a resemblance?

Inside front cover, explaining Substance's powers.

A second issue of Substance appeared in 1991 featuring all-new material before the title faded away. It was an interesting strip, worthy of continuation, with or without 3-D techniques.

    This ad for Charlton's line appeared in fanzines, including the Comics Journal # 105 and Amazing Heroes # 82 in 1985. The figure in the middle, Static, was originally published by Eclipse Comics, moved to Charlton, and later collected and published by Robin Snyder. Charlton's hosts from their Ghost line appear in the background: The Mysterious Traveler, Dr. Haunt, Mr. L. Dedd, Dr. Graves, Winnie the Witch and Mr. Bones, all drawn by Ditko during his decades-long association with the company .  

I'll conclude with another Charlton ad, penciled, inked, lettered and likely written by Ditko, including his first and only interpretation of heroes Yang and Thane. Another rare, charming and delightful surprise was seeing Ditko's interpretations of characters catering primarily to a younger audience such as Li'l Genius, Timmy the Timid Ghost and Atomic Mouse! (all of which were then appearing in reprinted comics.) The ad spotlights a playful artist who clearly enjoyed the variety in Charlton's titles and could have illustrated anything with a sense of purpose and integrity to the material. This was a last ditch effort to promote the Charlton line, which - unfortunately - closed their doors in 1986.

I hope you enjoyed this look at a potpourri of Ditko's unusual efforts in the 1980's and 1990's. It points to a body of work that is endlessly fascinating and always worth investigating.      

  

More Kirby War: Battle

Note: This post was originally published on November 30th, 2012. I was inspired to resurrect it (revising some content) with the express intention of directing aficionados of the war genre - and the Atlas line in particular - to a couple of noteworthy books. The first of those, Atlas at War! is an impressive undertaking, showcasing an array of talents, including Russ Heath, Don Heck, John Severin, Syd Shores, Gene Colan, Hank Chapman, Paul Reinman, Carl Wessler and Jerry Robinson. It was edited by Timely/Atlas historian (and my pal) Dr. Michael J. Vassallo, and reprints four of the Jack Kirby stories discussed below:

https://www.amazon.com/Atlas-War-Dr-Michael-Vassallo/dp/1682474704/ref=sr_1_1?crid=32GMYIYHLUOK8&dchild=1&keywords=atlas+at+war+marvel&qid=1607655407&sprefix=atlas+at+war%2Caps%2C361&sr=8-1    

The Complete Kirby War & Romance quite specifically aligns with my piece, since it will collect the entirety of Kirby's war stories for Atlas/Marvel, from his initial effort in Battlefield to his seven issue run on Sgt. Fury (of course, all the Battle tales examined here will also be included in the anthology). I was honored to assist with research and source material for the Omnibus, but the person who deserves the highest accolades is editor Cory Sedlmeier. His herculean efforts and unwavering dedication to presenting the material as close to the original form as possible, while never seeking the spotlight, is admirable. In my estimation he has always exceeded expectations. 

You can pre-order the book (due on May 5th, 2021) on Amazon and other outlets:

https://www.amazon.com/Marvel-Love-Jack-Kirby-Omnibus/dp/1302922084

FYI (and courtesy of Cory) the above image is the one that will adorn the Omnibus, not the one pictured on Amazon. 

I'd encourage everyone to add both titles to your bookshelves.          

And now, back to my regularly scheduled post:     

For my 50th post (I never thought I'd make it this far!) I will examine the 10 stories Jack Kirby crafted for Battle from 1950 until its final issue, dated June, 1960, capping its nearly 10 year run. In this piece I will delve into (pardon the blatant self-promotional reference) minutiae regarding Kirby's efforts in the genre, in the hope of encouraging others to seek out material worthy of recognition. In the past these comics were limited to hardcore fans, and then only those who could afford to purchase the originals. The above-mentioned prestigious editions will not only preserve the material, but allow for a wider audience in which future generations can study, appreciate and enjoy the work of an American original. 

Always a versatile and prolific artist, Jack Kirby was particularly busy in 1959, illustrating monster, western and romance comics for Editor Stan Lee. In that period he was assigned work on the war-anthology title, Battle. Based on a detailed reading it appears that Kirby scripted as well as drew a majority of the pre-1960 vignettes. There are many similarities in style, tone, word emphasis, phraseology, use of quotation marks and sound effects that are indicative of the Kirby method.      

"Action on Quemoy!" Battle # 64, June 1959, Jack Kirby story ?; Kirby pencils; Christopher Rule inks; Artie Simek letters. Job # T-266.

The opening narration echoes a Kirby tendency to employ a long paragraph of exposition (a stylistic tic observed in many of his 1970s scripted tales). There are other similarities, such as his use of sound effects. "WHAAM!" was a favorite, which appeared in his "Losers" stories some 15 years later. The tale centers on a lone reporter vying for survival in the midst of destruction, an ongoing theme of Kirby’s.  

On page 5; panel 2, the caption literally shouts at the reader with words in all caps:

“WE ARE STILL ALIVE!” shrieked the sound! WE ARE STILL FIGHTING!” cracked the fury! “WE ARE STILL FREE!” thundered the echoes of rumbling in the torn and twisted steel!”

The words read very much like Kirby's edited and written stories for DC and Marvel in the 1970s. 

"FIND 'EM -- CHASE 'EM -- BLAST 'EM!," Battle # 65, June 1959. Jack Kirby story ?; Kirby pencils; Christopher Rule inks; Artie Simek letters. Job # T-300.

If THAT isn’t a Kirby title, I don’t know what is! The opening employs Kirby’s terse style, and there are numerous uses of quotation marks throughout the story, beginning on the splash page (“Guided Missile Story”). Sound effects such as "WHAAAM" are used. This story is about the weapons of war and how they grow more deadly and sophisticated. Kirby’s interest in technology was ongoing.

An overhead shot adds significant drama to Kirby's splash page. 

"Ring of Steel!," Battle # 65, Jack Kirby story ?; Kirby pencils; Christopher Rule inks; Artie Simek letters. Job # T-341. 

 In Kirby’s second story in issue # 65 the threat of a tank attack rears its ugly head; a device that later surfaced in one of his "Losers" issues for DC. Kirby's narration is declarative and filled with trademark exclamation points. We again see the use of familiar sound effects. Hungarian freedom fighters battle against overwhelming odds, and Kirby somehow evades the Comics Code restrictions that demand a happy ending. The good guys DON'T end up victorious, although the character's bravery is evident.

"Submarine," Battle # 66, Oct 1959. Kirby story ?; Kirby pencils; Christopher Rule inks; Artie Simek letters. Job # T-411.

The history of submarines is the focus of this yarn, with the use of quotation marks in abundance. Kirby’s theme of asking the reader a question is also employed: "WHERE DID IT ALL START?,” as he transitions from the present to the past: images of a submarine commander segue to a depiction of a Viking at the helm of a medieval ship. We see this visual cue appear decades later in titles such as 2001: A Space Odyssey.

"The Invincible Enemy!," Battle # 67, Dec 1959. Jack Kirby story ?; Kirby pencils; Christopher Rule inks; Artie Simek letters. Job # T-453.

This story is worth studying in detail, due to evidence of the Comics Code Authority's heavy handed tampering. Kirby’s story centers on four soldiers preparing for an attack by Hitler’s elite corps. A close observation of the pages  confirms that Kirby originally had soldiers killed, although it appears there was a decree to conceal this in both copy and art. Beginning on page one a minor alteration appears; the opening paragraph has the word "veterans" re-lettered in a hand other than Artie Simek's, perhaps a substitute for "killers" or "butchers."

"The Invincible Enemy" Page 3

On page 3, panel one, the machine gunner is murdered, but the crudely lettered replacement copy ("...driving him back to another position") has him escaping. There are signs of art alterations on the right hand side, likely the area where Kirby had the soldier struck down. In the following panel, though, they forgot to white out his boots in the rubble, as can be seen on the lower right panel.

In panel 3 "Fights back" is crudely lettered, replacing more violent language.

Panel 6 has a crudely drawn puff of smoke (possibly added by editor Stan Lee) to obscure a dead Nazi soldier. "Wounded" replaces a word, perhaps dead or murdered.

"The Invincible Enemy" Page 4

On page four it appears that the corporal and sergeant have also have been killed, although the art and captions do not convey this.

Page 4, panel 1

  Large, hastily scribbled puffs of smoke are again used to hide dead bodies. The copy is obviously replaced in the last sentence:. "....he stares in disbelief at the SMOKE FILLED RUINS!." I suspect he was originally staring at his fellow fallen soldiers. Panel 3 also seems to be tampered with, probably deleting the body of the Machine Gunner. His weapon lies on the ground, the same one seen in page 1; panel 2.    

Page 5

Page 5, panel 5

At the conclusion the young replacement survives, taking out a tank. Other soldiers come along to assist him, although there is no mention in the narrative that they are his group, and they do not look like the men on page one. In panel 5 the word "DEFEATED" is substituted for another word, and the obligatorily puffs of smoke replace dead bodies.  

The final caption was modified, beginning with:  "..no enemy is invincible!.." Kirby's expurgated text surely focused on the harshness of war and its devastating impact. Kirby's depiction of a rookie overwhelmed by his experiences, but surviving nonetheless, is considerably weakened by the Comics Code, which depicts a war without casualties or consequences. As a private in the army during WWII, Kirby lived through such horrors and knew their reality.

"Sitting Duck!," Battle # 68, Feb 1960. Kirby story ?; Kirby pencils; Al Williamson inks; Artie Simek letters. Job # T-523.

This short story, wonderfully inked by Al Williamson, focuses on a Korean flyer. I'm not convinced that Kirby wrote the dialogue; although some of it evokes the usual Kirbyisms, none of the tell-tale signs appear: no bold words, sound effects of stylistic touches that I can discern. I suspect this was either heavily edited by Lee, or possibly a Lee plotted/Larry Lieber scripted story (the team that reportedly worked on many of the unsigned pre-hero monster tales).

   "Guard Duty!," Battle # 69, April 1960. Kirby pencils; Steve Ditko inks; Artie Simek letters. Job # T-530.

Steve Ditko’s superb embellishment adds crispness and moodiness to Kirby's pencils. Ditko’s inking was very much influenced by John Severin in this period, and his delineation over Kirby was impressive (further complimented by Stan Goldberg's coloring). This is another tale of a young recruit facing his baptism of fire, but the writing reads more like the Lee plotted/Lieber scripted stories appearing in the fantasy line. Around this period Kirby became heavily involved in drawing stories and covers for Lee's entire comic book line (minus the girl-teen humor titles) and his solo scripting chores seems to have tapered off.

"Doom Under The Deep!," Battle # 69, Kirby story ?; Kirby pencils; Joe Sinnott inks; Artie Simek letters. Job # T-600.

The  tale of a submarine crew facing the Japanese has a few Kirby tics, including the use of quotation marks, so this may have been scripted by Kirby and edited by Lee. This story is an example of an early Joe Sinnott-inked Kirby story. 

"A Tank Knows No Mercy!," Battle # 70, June 1960. Kirby pencils; Ditko inks; Artie Simek letters. Job # T-692.

This examination of Kirby’s Battle stories concludes with two stories that appeared in the last issue.

“A Tank knows no Mercy!” opens with a wordless pictorial, a choice that Kirby rarely, if ever, used on his own. The silent splash did follow the pattern of other Atlas fantasy stories, which leads me to suspect this was a Lee plotted/Lieber scripted tale. Ditko once again provides exquisite inking, and the art drips with atmosphere. The plot again focuses on the threat of a tank and a lone soldier protecting a family.

"A Tank Knows No Mercy!" page 3. Kirby's soldier slouching out of the panel border gives the panel a three dimensional effect. Ditko's meticulous inking adds further depth.

   

         

    “The Thick of Battle!” Kirby pencils; Joe Sinnott inks; Artie Simek lettters.  Job # T-707.

"The Thick of Battle!" features an early inking job by Joe Sinnott, who, in just a few years, would bring a lustrous sheen to Kirby’s pencils on The Fantastic Four. The tale involves the heroism of a linesman in the signal corps during the Korean war. Aside from the use of sound effects in a few panels (Kirby may have penciled those in while drawing) the story reads like a familiar Lee/Lieber tale. 

And so ends Kirby’s Battle run, consisting of ten stories and seven covers, an often- neglected part of the artist's oeuvre. Kirby's attempts at graphic realism, despite the heavy-handed, often corrosive presence of the Comics Code, focus on the turmoil, grief and atrocities facing individuals in the midst of madness. Derived largely from his personal experiences during World War Two, these slices-of-life would be repeated, dramatized and embellished by Kirby in Sgt. Fury, "The Losers" and countless comic books, in ways both obvious and subtle, throughout his extraordinary career.   

For a definitive history of Atlas War comics, including discussion of the above Kirby stories, go to Michael J. Vassallo's blog (That name sounds familiar...)

 http://timely-atlas-comics.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-history-of-atlas-war-comics-1950-1960.html

 

 

The Letterers of Charlton Press

Over the years Charlton has been typecast and even maligned for their use of typeset, as opposed to hand lettering, in a majority of their comics. This purview has been a mainstay for decades, prompted by a cadre of fans who have derided and marginalized the company. To sway minds at this point might be a tough hurdle to overcome, especially when pros, including Dick Giordano during his editorial tenure, often satirized the procedure (credits read: "Lettering: A. Machine"). My intent is to provide a more balanced account by revealing the actual efforts of Charlton's unsung letterers, and in doing so, give them the recognition they deserve.

The multi-talented Jon D'Agostino penciled, inked, lettered, and may have even colored the cover to Li'l Genius # 42, January 1963.     

One of Charlton's most prolific letterers, Jon D'Agostino, was also an accomplished artist, inker and colorist. This skilled craftsman often drew stories in Charlton's humor line and embellished the pencils of Charles Nicholas, Dick Giordano and Pat Masulli, to name a few. His handiwork also appeared on covers and he likely designed many of the logos for the company. In addition to his work for Charlton, D'Agostino's credits include art and lettering for Marvel from the 1950s to the 1980s (credited in early issues of Amazing Spider-Man as "Johnny Dee"), Story Comics, Western/Dell and nearly 30 years illustrating Archie's line of characters.

Jon D'Agostino drew himself, along with editor Pat Masulli in My Little Margie's Fashions # 1, February 1959, where the title character visits the Charlton offices. 

According to Todd Klein, a talented letterer in his own right, the above page is likely that of Editor Pat Masulli. Bill Molno pencils; Rocco Mastroserio inks; Joe Gill possible script, Battlefield Action # 17, December 1957. Todd has contributed greatly to identifying lettering styles and his blog is highly recommended:   https://kleinletters.com/ 

Early Charlton work by Charlotte Jetter, accompanying the Bob Powell-drawn story "Insincerely Yours," Sweethearts # 26, September 1954. 

Charlotte Jetter was another extremely talented letterer. Originally paired with her husband, art director and artist Al Jetter (who also lettered) at Fawcett in the 1950s, Jetter's credits outside of Charlton include working for DC and numerous assignments at Marvel in the 1970s. Jetter's polished, attractive style enhanced Charlton's stories and covers for over two decades. 

Charlotte Jetter's calligraphic skills graced hundreds of Charlton comics; her pairing with Steve Ditko was always aesthetically pleasing. "The Dog Howls for You!," Joe Gill script, The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves # 26, June 1971. 

Herb Field's lettering was recognizable by the large capital letter he began captions with. Captain Atom # 84, January 1967. Dave Kaler script, Steve Ditko pencils, Rocco Mastroserio inks. 

 Field lettered the debut issue of Hercules (October 1967) scripted by Joe Gill and drawn by Sam Glanzman.

Herb Field's credits date back to 1946 at the Sangor studio. He went on to letter stories for Better Publications, Fawcett, Nesbit, Stanmor and DC. His Charlton efforts appeared in the mid-1960s, including work on Steve Ditko's revised "Blue Beetle", Captain Atom and  "The Question."

Bob Agnew's understated lettering complimented Steve Ditko's art on "The Question" back-up from Blue Beetle # 4, December 1967. Dialogue by Steve Skeates (as Warren Savin).   

Another example of Agnew's lettering, from World of Wheels # 17, October 1967. Writer/artist Jack Keller illustrated the adventures of Kid Colt Outlaw at Marvel for years but being a car enthusiast found Charlton more to his liking, since the company had that corner of the market covered.     

Bob Agnew's career in the comic book field appears to have been a brief one, baring any undiscovered information (and I'll be sure to report/update it here). His credits in Jerry Bail's Who's Who of American Comics extend from 1967-68, working for Marvel and Charlton.    

Ray Burzon lettering; Steve Skeates script; Henry Scarpelli art, Abbott and Costello # 5, November 1968.  

Ray Burzon was the least polished of Charlton's "regulars," but advantageous to the company as a dependable worker who could grind out pages. In Alter Ego # 107, Fall 2012, Artist Tony Tallarico recalled: 

"I had a friend of mine, Ray Burzon, who was an art director at J. Walter Thompson. He lettered a lot of my stuff." 

In addition to his many lettering jobs for Charlton in the 1960s and 1970s Burzon is also credited as working for Dell, Warren and Fitzgerald publications. 

Frank Bravo lettered for Charlton from 1972-75. He also provided spot illustrations in titles, including The Partridge Family. Bravo was credited on The Phantom #'s 60-63, which were reprints of foreign editions. While Bravo and editor George Wildman's names appeared on the splash page, Charton failed to provide the names of the writer and artist. Thanks to the Grand Comic Book Database, though, I can reveal that they are Giovanni Fiorentini and  Mario Pedrazzi, respectively. The Phantom # 63, January 1975.   

Bravo's actual comic book credits are scarce, but his name was listed in The Comic Book Guide for the Artist-Writer-Letterer, a booklet sent as a bonus to subscribers in 1973. Bravo had a distinct style which I suspect will help to track down more of his published work. Image from the Charlton Library blogspot.      

One important aspect of Charlton that distinguished itself from other lines was the freedom they gave their artists, who often produced a near-complete job, at times writing, penciling, inking and lettering, leaving only the coloring to a staffer. This brought a cohesiveness to the finished product that came closer to what the artist envisioned. In the corporate structure of DC and Marvel this was usually not the case (the only Marvel example I can point to is Frank Thorne on the Red Sonja stories he illustrated for Roy Thomas in the mid-1970s). As you will see with the examples I've posted below, the artists who lettered their own work had better control over the composition of a page. They could set the placement of word balloons, captions and sound effects in a much more aesthetically pleasing way; in movie terms they were the equivalent of cinematographer, director and editor. This added an ambiance to the completed presentation.  

For Several years Jim Aparo was one of Charlton's top talents before he was lured away to DC where he spent the remainder of his career illustrating features including The Phantom Stranger, Aquaman and Batman (notably in the long-running series The Brave and the Bold).  Aparo was one of the rare artists who continued to letter the stories he drew at DC. "Wander," Denny O'Neil script, Cheyenne Kid # 67, July 1968.

The distinctive art of Pat Boyette enlivened many a Charlton comic. This illustration was written, drawn and lettered by the artist. War and Attack # 63, December 1967.  

Tom Sutton's macabre splash page art (and lettering). Nicola Cuti script, Wayne Howard colors, Midnight Tales # 2, February 1973.  

Thunderbolt was Pete Morisi's signature character, created during Charton's "action hero line" under editor Dick Giordano. Story, art and, of course, lettering, all rendered by Morisi. Thunderbolt # 52, June 1966. 

Sanho Kim's unique art was a standout at Charlton. Kim always penciled, inked and lettered the stories he wrote (as well as many he didn't). "The Bloody Mermaid," Ghostly Tales # 91, January 1972.    

Although Wayne Howard worked with other writers and inked an assortment of artists, he could compose a complete story for Charlton, as the above example - written, drawn, lettered and colored by him - attests. Midnight Tales # 4, July 1973.   

Joe Staton illustrated comics in every genre at Charlton, often working in-tandem with writer Nick Cuti. His lettering skills usually accompanied the stories he drew, including this cover to Haunted # 12, May 1973.  

Mike Zeck started out at Charlton, working mainly on monster-related titles such as this one-page vignette scripted by Joe Molloy. Creepy Things # 2, October 1975.   

In addition to the war, western and ghost stories he illustrated, Warren Sattler had runs on Billy the Kid and Yang. Attack # 8, November 1972.  

John Byrne was another newcomer who cut his creative teeth at Charlton. He soon moved over to Marvel where he became a fan favorite, illustrating the adventures of the X-Men with writer Chris Claremont. One of his early efforts was on Doomsday + 1.  Page from # 2, September 1975, Joe Gill script. 

Don Newton graduated from having his art showcased in numerous fanzines to securing a position in the comics field. His skill was evident early on, as seen on this page, where Newton and author Bill Pearson paid homage to the classic 1942 film Casablanca, with "appearances" by the cast, including Peter Lorre, Claude Raines and (pictured above) S. Z. Sakall and Humphrey Bogart! The Phantom # 70, April 1976.     

The plethora of lettering skills by artists and professionals in Charlton's comic book line accentuates the illegitimacy of the: "they were all poorly typed" narrative. There is no doubt that mechanical type was used to a large degree at certain points in their history; management clearly sought to cut costs - but the flip side is also worth exploring.  Editors or production heads at other companies decided who lettered a strip, with no input from an artist (lettering was added after pencils and before inking); accordingly the results - good, bad or indifferent - would be viewed when the comic was published. At Charlton the artist who lettered his stories had a degree of satisfaction over the finished product. It was not complete control (that would only occur with self-published or independent work) but closer to their vision than most corporate agencies allowed.   

Like any publisher Charlton had its positive and negative aspects, but a reliance on typeset lettering was hardly new in the business. Many employed the system before Charlton, including Western/Dell, Gilberton (Classics Illustrated) and the prestigious EC. So why is Charlton singled out?

The talented Jon D'Agostino lettered (and perhaps drew) this house ad for Charlton premiums that appeared throughout their line.

It's high time to celebrate the work of Charlton's veteran talents. Jon D'Agostino and Charlotte Jetter, in particular, deserve the accolades that  many of the more recognizable letterers in the field, including Ben Oda, Gaspar Saldino, Ira Schnapp, Sam Rosen, Artie Simek, John Costanza and Tom Orzechowski, have had bestowed upon them by comics scholars and aficionados. Hopefully this examination will lead to a better understanding and appreciation of the men and women who plied their craft at Charlton Press.         

I'll close with a page written, drawn and yes, lettered (and even colored) by Steve Ditko, from Tales of the Mysterious Traveler # 15, December 1985, the last issue to appear under the Charlton banner before they closed their comic book operation. This also gives me an opportunity to mention Robin Snyder's publications, quite a few of which have reprinted Charlton material, with contributions by Joe Gill, Steve Ditko, Jon D'Agostino, Charlotte Jetter and others. Robin's products are always worthwhile and come highly recommended:  http://ditko.blogspot.com/p/ditko-book-in-print.html