Roy Thomas ’ Ever-Timely

Comics Fanzine SPECIAL ISSUE!

FROM THE
GOLDEN $
6.95
AGE OF TM
In the USA

MARVEL! No. 57
March
2006

Art & Artifacts by:

JAY ANACLETO
AL AVISON
DICK AYERS
ALLEN BELLMAN
RICH BUCKLER
CARL BURGOS
JOHN BUSCEMA
GENE COLAN
BILL EVERETT
AL FELDSTEIN
RON FRENZ
RUSS HEATH
DON HECK
DAVE HOOVER
GIL KANE
JACK KIRBY
ALAN KUPPERBERG
MORT LAWRENCE
STAN LEE
JOE MANEELY
BOB POWELL
FRANK ROBBINS
JOHN ROMITA
ALEX SCHOMBURG
MIKE SEKOWSKY
JOHN SEVERIN
SYD SHORES
JOE SIMON
LEE WEEKS
BASIL WOLVERTON
& MORE!! Lavishly-Illustrated! Mike Nolan’s
PLUS: INDEX of EVERY TIMELY/ TM

MARVEL SUPER-HERO TALE

1939-1957!
New art ©2006 Pete Von Sholly & Estate of Jack Kirby; 1940s-50s art ©2006 Marvel Characters, Inc.; Captain America TM & ©2006 Marvel Characters, Inc.
Vol. 3, No. 57 / March 2006 ™
Editor
Roy Thomas
Associate Editors
Bill Schelly
Jim Amash
Design & Layout
Christopher Day
Consulting Editor
John Morrow
FCA Editor
P.C. Hamerlinck
Comic Crypt Editor
Michael T. Gilbert
Editors Emeritus
Jerry Bails (founder)
Ronn Foss, Biljo White,
Mike Friedrich
Production Assistant
Eric Nolen-Weathington
Cover Artists
Jack Kirby & Pete Von Sholly
And Special Thanks to:
Heidi Amash Stan Lee
Michael Ambrose
Jay Anacleto
Ger Apeldoorn
Mark Luebker
Jon Mankuta
Harry Mendryck
Contents
Mark Austin Raymond L. Miller
Allen & Roz Will Morgan Writer/Editorial: O.K. Axis–––And Commies–––Here We Come! . . . . 2
Bellman Matt Moring
Jack Bender Brian K. Morris The Timely Comics Super-Hero Index (1939-1957) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Daniel Best Roger Mortimer Mike Nolan’s lavishly-illustrated skeleton key to the Golden Age of Marvel.
Bill Black Frank Motler
Dominic Bongo
Richard Boucher
Ray Mueller
Jess Nevins
“They Depended On [The Super-Heroes] To Keep Us Afloat”. . . . . . 65
Super-artist Gene Colan talks to Jim Amash about the late-1940s Timely/Marvel bullpen.
Dwight Boyd Michelle Nolan
Jerry K. Boyd George Olshevsky
Tom Brevoort Robert F. Palki
Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt! ––– Have They No Shame? . . . . . . . . . . 71
Nick Caputo John G. Pierce Michael T. Gilbert walks us through some blatant ripoffs from the 1940s to the ’60s.
Gene & Adrienne Warren Reece
Colan
Mike Costa
Ethan Roberts
Mike Royer
FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America) #116. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
P.C. Hamerlinck, Marc Swayze, & Hames Ware on the Jack Binder shop—plus our comics section.
Teresa R. Davidson Eric Schumacher
Rich Donnelly Rick Shurgin About Our Cover: Thanks to A/E associate editor Bill Schelly for allowing us to utilize the
Steve Fischler Joe Simon Captain America sketch done especially for him by the late great Jack Kirby—and to Pete Von
Creig Flessel Marc Swayze Sholly for turning same into a strikingly painted image! By an amazing coincidence,
Shane Foley Dann Thomas TwoMorrows also puts out a mag called The Jack Kirby Collector—and has published two
Rudy Franke Stuart Vandal Halloween editions of Pete’s Crazy Hip Groovy Go-Go Way-Out Monsters. Check out his
Ron Frenz Dr. Michael J. website at www.vonshollywood.com Thanks also to the Jack Kirby estate. [Painting ©2006
Greg Gatlin Vassallo Pete Von Sholly; pencil sketch ©2006 Estate of Jack Kirby; Captain America & background art
Janet Gilbert Pete Von Sholly TM & ©2006 Marvel Characters, Inc.]
Matt Gore Greg Theakston
Jennifer Hamerlinck Hames Ware Above: If the art at the top of this page seems vaguely familiar, it could be because it’s the
Mark Heller Lee Weeks original version of one of the two covers done a couple of years back for Alter Ego #33 by Ron
Heritage Comics Robert Wiener Frenz, artist on Thor and other titles for much of the 1980s & ’90s. We’d asked for a Mike
Dave Hoover Darrin Wiltshire Sekowsky homage for that issue, and Ron delivered a great one—only, Ye Editor really wanted
Greg Huneryager Marv Wolfman all five (adult) heroes of the 1946 All Winners Squad on that cover. So, with Ron’s permission,
Dan Kocher Vern Yu Sal Buscema changed Namora into Miss America when he inked the illo. But we saved a
Alan Kupperberg Rodrigo M. Zeidan photocopy of Ron’s original pencils, so you could see that version, as well, at the first oppor-
Thomas C. Lammers David Zimmerman tunity. Thanks again, Ron! [Art ©2006 Ron Frenz; Captain America, Human Torch, Sub-Mariner,
Whizzer, & Namora TM & ©2006 Marvel Characters, Inc.; Starro TM & ©2006 DC Comics.]
This issue is dedicated to the memory of Alter EgoTM is published monthly by TwoMorrows, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614, USA. Phone: (919) 449-0344.

Martin Goodman, Roy Thomas, Editor. John Morrow, Publisher. Alter Ego Editorial Offices: 32 Bluebird Trail, St. Matthews, SC 29135, USA.
Fax: (803) 826-6501; e-mail: [email protected]. Send subscription funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial offices. Single issues:
$9 ($11 outside the US). Twelve-issue subscriptions: $72 US, $132 Canada, $144 elsewhere. All characters are © their respective
Founding Publisher of Timely/Marvel companies. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © Roy Thomas. Alter Ego is a TM of Roy & Dann
Thomas. FCA is a TM of P.C. Hamerlinck. Printed in Canada. FIRST PRINTING.
 2 writer/editorial
Title

“O.K. Axis–And Commies–Here We Come!”

C all it an experiment—or the fulfillment of an ambition—or simply a
quirk. For several years, I’ve been wanting to reprint Mike Nolan’s
1969 Timely Comic Index—with some corrections and additions—
One thing this version of the Index has that the original didn’t is
pictures. And it is in the captions under those pics that the reader will find
considerable (if still far from complete) information about the artists,
and the time has finally come. writers, and/or stories themselves—whenever we have it. Of course, it was
impossible to work in as many images as I’d have liked, even though the
Regular readers will instantly notice that this issue is a bit unique. No Index takes up more than 60 pages. I’ve tried, for the most part, to include
lengthy interview this time—only a fairly brief one with Gene Colan, with art that has not appeared in previous issues of A/E, though some slight
Jim Amash’s questions limited to Gene’s work as a young artist at repetition was unavoidable.
Timely/Marvel in the late 1940s. (A fuller interview with Genial Gene is
still available from TwoMorrows in A/E #6.) We’ve dropped the letters I can’t speak for other readers, of course—but I’ve always enjoyed
section (we plan to double up in #58), and Bill Schelly graciously agreed to simply reading the story titles—letting them suggest to me what they will
delay the continuation of his thorough look at the 1966 “Benson con” till about the nature of the tales they represent, as well as about the compul-
next time. Of A/E’s regular features, only the “Comic Crypt” and FCA sions, prejudices, and preoccupations of the writers and editors who
will be found in these pages dreamed them up. Try it. Read this Index—whether in one long sitting or
over a period of days—and let the titles roll off your tongue:
So what does this Index consist of? Well, it begins with a nostalgic
introduction by Michelle Nolan, followed by a listing of the various “Sinister Secret of the Sewer Snakes”—“Unmask a Gestapo Rabbit”
Timely/Marvel heroes of 1939-1957, the names of heroes, and the number (yes!)—“The Queer Case of the Murdering Butterfly and the Ancient
of stories in which they appeared. But the real meat of the Index is section Mummies”—“Blood of Dr. Necrosis”—many an unfortunately-titled tale
III—“The Comics”—an issue-by-issue account of each of the hundreds of like “The Jap Scourge of the Pacific”—“Horror of the Doll-Devil”—“The
comics covered therein, with each issue’s date and number, the names of Washington Murder-Go-Round”—“The Tick Tack Toe of Death”—“I
its hero features and their stories (if they had titles), and the number of Hate Me”—“Five Million Sleep-Walkers”—the list could go on and on.
pages in each story.
And it does, in the 62 pages that follow.
What it doesn’t contain—and some would prefer that it did—is the
names of the artist(s) of each story. That information wasn’t given in the Read ’em and savor, effendi! We thank Michelle Nolan for permission
original Index—at least partly because far less was known at that time— to reprint and revise what is both an authentic document of 1960s comics
and, being aware that we would’ve had to spend untold hours trying to fandom—and a contribution to the ever-growing knowledge about this
track down that info for many hundreds if not thousands of stories, and field we all know and love!
still come up short, we opted not to try to add it here. Bestest,

#
COMING IN MAY 58
THE X-MEN MOVIE
THAT NEVER WAS!
Plus Other Mutant Merriment!
• GIL KANE’s immortal cover pencils for Giant-Size X-Men #1—now lavishly painted
by MARK SPARACIO!
• The “Lost” X-Men Movie! GERRY CONWAY & ROY THOMAS on their 1984
screenplay for Orion Pictures—plus notes on both script & the history of Marvel’s
mutants by CHRIS IRVING! Featuring rare art by DAVE COCKRUM, NEAL ADAMS,
JOHN BUSCEMA, JOHN BYRNE, GIL KANE, JACK KIRBY, DON HECK, JOHN
ROMITA, BILL SIENKIEWICIZ, MARK GLIDDEN, and others!
• 1950s Timely/Marvel artist VIC CARRABOTTA interviewed by JIM AMASH—
& artist ALLEN BELLMAN on the 1940s Timely bullpen!
• Special tributes to MORT LEAV & BILL FRACCIO!
• Plus: FCA with MARC SWAYZE & “Fawcett 1943”—ALEX TOTH—BILL SCHELLY
presents a 1966 symposium on 1950s comics—MICHAEL T. GILBERT on
Magnus/Tarzan artist RUSS MANNING—letters on A/E #48-49—& MORE!!
Edited by ROY THOMAS
Marvel Characters, Inc.;
SUBSCRIBE NOW! Twelve Issues in the US: $72 Standard, $108 First Class
acio; background art ©2006 (Canada: $132, Elsewhere: $144 Surface, $192 Airmail).
[New art ©2006 Mark Spar Characters Inc.]
X-Men TM & ©2006 Marvel
NOTE: IF YOU PREFER A SIX-ISSUE SUB, JUST CUT THE PRICE IN HALF!

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TwoMorrows • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA • 919-449-0344 • FAX: 919-449-0327 • E-mail: [email protected] • www.twomorrows.com
 3

The Timely Comics

Super-Hero Index (1939-1957)
A Skeleton Key To The
Golden Age of Marvel
by Mike Nolan
Nature Red In Torch And Claw
The covers of the first and last issues
covered in this index: Marvel Comics #1
(Oct. 1939), drawn by noted pulp-mag
artist Frank R. Paul—and Yellow Claw
#4 (April 1957), by the incomparable
John Severin. With thanks to Dr. Michael
J. Vassallo for the scan of the latter.
[©2006 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

[Main text ©2006 Michelle Nolan.]

A/E EDITOR’S NOTE: The following work was

originally published in 1969 under the title The
Timely Comic Index. It has been slightly
the original edition. We’ve also added info on when and where this
material may have been reprinted (in the sections beginning with
“REP” for “reprint” that follow each issue-by-issue entry), although
retitled for re-publication here, since it was designed only to cover we haven’t killed ourselves trying to find every single instance of a
Timely/Marvel’s super-hero material, plus a few series (“Jimmy reprint. Oh, and special thanks to Brian K. Morris for retyping and
Jupiter” and its ilk) that ran in predominantly super-hero mags such rearranging the text in chronological order, by the cover date of the
as Marvel Mystery Comics. Few changes have been made to the first issue of each title. —Roy.
original Index, except for (a) the correction of a few (mostly minor)
errors; (b) the addition of several story titles that didn’t make it into
the ’69 edition; and (c) the additional indexing (by Michelle Nolan
and a few generous souls mentioned in the text and captions 1969 Introduction And Acknowledgements
following) of a handful of series that were considered outside the
You hold in your hands the result of many long hours of research—
scope of the first edition. The latter include The Witness (not really a
research that has been plenty of work, but also lots of fun. It goes back
super-hero title, but featuring a lead character and even sharing a
some five years; it’s taken that long to get complete data on the nearly
name with an early Timely hero), Venus (that most genre-shifting of
400 comics published by Timely. And, as always, I have to thank the
series, which began as humorous romance and wound up as a horror
dozens of fans who have helped me in this and other projects. As with
comic, with a semi-super-hero stage in between), Black Knight (a
my other indexes, this one could never have been published without so
quasi-super-hero in the days of King Arthur), and Yellow Claw (the
much fine help. Though I can’t list everybody who helped, let me thank
Fu Manchu-style villain whose mag closes out this reprinting—and
the following special people the proverbial million times:
whose cancellation coincided with the near-demise of the entire
Martin Goodman/Timely empire). Interestingly, except for The Rudy Franke, Raymond Miller, Phil Seuling, Bill Thailing, Rick
Witness, the four above-named characters found renewed life in the Durell, Dick Hoffman, M. C. Goodwin, Victor Topper, Len Brown &
Marvel Comics of the 1960s and since. And perhaps The Witness Collectors Books, Burt Blum and Cherokee Books, Steve Edrington and
should be listed in Overstreet as a prototype for The Watcher? Bond St. Books, and as usual the whole San Jose crowd, who’ve suffered
through more than the rest combined. In this paragraph are the guys
Although the Index made no attempt to catalog the artists (let
through whose help this index has been made largely possible. Any
alone writers) of the various series, or to cover the origins, powers,
corrections, additions, and/or comments welcome.
and/or careers of the various characters, some of that information will
be found in the captions for the illustrations, which were not a part of —Mike Nolan
4 A Skeleton Key To The Golden Age Of Marvel

comic books except to dig up the information yourself, either through

A Timely Reappearance letter and fanzine exchanges or by buying the books. Working for the
minimum wage of $1 per hour as a reporter for a weekly newspaper
during my freshman year at San Jose State University, I couldn’t afford
by Michelle Nolan (2006) many Golden Age comics, even at the going rates of $1 to $5 for the vast
It’s difficult to believe that 37 years have passed since I published the majority of issues at that time. So I decided to combine my interests in
Timely Comic Index—just as it’s even more difficult to realize that I’m travel, people, and comics with my decision to become the first collector
now celebrating 50 years as a comic book collector! I think you’ll agree to produce an issue-by-issue Golden Age index.
that feat of endurance and enthusiasm deserves an exclamation point—or
Thanks to the late Barry Bauman, who had unearthed a
even two!! And I’m highly flattered that Rascally Roy—as I will forever
treasure trove of the then-exotic Nedor comics, I made
call one of the first fathers of comic book fandom—thinks enough of my
that company my first project and, in
primitive but enthusiastic efforts to rescue the original Index from the
1968, I quickly fulfilled
dustbin of fandom history.
my ambition to
When I began the Timely project in the mid-1960s, that legendary produce the first issue-
Golden Age company’s comic books were less than 30 by-issue index of a 1940s
years old, but somehow they seemed absolutely company. The MLJ and
ancient. Perhaps it was the influence of the far Timely indexes followed in
more evolved characters flourishing during the 1969, partly because it took
Marvel Age of Comics, as Stan Lee called the era a little longer to acquire the
of the “sizzling ’60s.” information and partly because
I couldn’t afford to print more
Younger collectors don’t realize that, in indexes in the old offset style
those days, 10-, 20-, and 30-year-old comics until I earned more money, after
were darned tough to find in an era when spending my entire bank account
comic book conventions were just to print the Nedor Index. Profits
beginning. The most likely means of from the latter—I printed 500 copies
acquiring old comics was through the and quickly sold more than 400 of
mail from a small network of dealers and them for 75¢ or $1—enabled me to
collectors, and/or from a handful of print the next two indexes.
antique retailers and used-book stores
that stocked them. During the 1956-65 How did I gain the information? I
period, I eagerly unearthed a few dozen traveled coast-to-coast and border-to-
Golden Age comics, but my knowledge of the border in the summers of 1967 and 1968
period was still woefully weak outside of (by Greyhound bus!) and 1969 (in my fondly-
DC, Dell, Quality, and EC. remembered cool white 1964 Chevy after I
turned 21 and gained my parents’ permission). I
It wasn’t until Lee revived several of visited dozens of collectors and dealers, not to
Timely’s Golden Age characters that I mention making frequent trips up and
became fully aware of the legends of Captain down the West Coast. Several collectors
America, Sub-Mariner, and The Human were also kind enough to fill in data on a
Torch, among others. It was fascinating to few issues through the mail.
learn about the hundreds of other characters
created in the two decades before I Much of the information for the
began reading and collecting comics in “Nolan’s Notebook” Lives! Timely Comic Index came from the
1956 at age 8, especially since those For several years, this caricature of Michelle Nolan graced her column late Rick Durell, a memorably
characters were nearly all gone by then. in Comic Book Marketplace magazine. It’s by the great Golden Age friendly Southern California
artist Creig Flessel, who was interviewed in Alter Ego #45. In this collector. He patiently let me take
The first time I ever saw a large updated version, she is holding a copy of the original 1969 Index, with hundreds of pages of notes about his
group of Golden Age comics was at its effective cover by prominent West Coast fan-artist Rudy Franke, fabulous collection—still the finest
the first comic book “convention” held which featured Timely's 1940s “Big Three.” [“Nolan’s Notebook” art group of comics I have ever seen. I
©2006 the respective copyright holders; “Timely Index” art ©2006
on the West Coast—a one-day also received immense help from the
Rudy Franke; heroes TM & ©2006 Marvel Characters, Inc.]
gathering of a few dozen collectors at late New York convention impresario
Rudy Franke’s home in Oakland, Phil Seuling, who welcomed me into
California, in January 1966. It was the same month the Batman TV his Brooklyn home in 1967 and 1968, then hired me (and my Chevy) to
show debuted, and shortly after my parents gave me Jules Feiffer’s help run his first major convention in 1969, after he succeeded with a
milestone The Great Comic Book Heroes as a Christmas gift. It was smaller gathering in 1968.
only a year earlier, as a high school junior in January 1965, that I had
accidentally met an older collector who had amassed about 100 then- After returning from two months on the road during the summer of
obscure Golden Age issues, including titles from Timely, Nedor 1969—including a never-to-be-forgotten journey to Florida to see the
(Standard/Pines), and MLJ (the predecessor to Archie). I had been first manned launch to the moon—I quickly finished my Timely index. I
thoroughly captivated—so enchanted, in fact, that I became an instant began sending it out in the fall, just as my senior year started at San Jose
comic book “historian,” though I’m sure I never thought of myself in State U. Money was still dribbling in—and thankfully paying for
that way. I just wanted to know what was in the darned books! I always meals!—by the time I graduated in June of 1970.
loved sharing the information—and I still do.
Although I didn’t know it at the time, my Timely Comic Index was
Other than the landmark title-by-title DC Index from Jerry Bails not quite complete. Thanks to Howard Keltner’s wonderful Golden Age
and Howard Keltner in 1963, there was no way to learn what was in the Index—which I was privileged to help him finish before he passed
 The Timely Comics Super-Hero Index (1939-1957) 5

away—I have been able now to include a handful of issues I did not 1978. I still treasure his catalog, which in effect became the first truly
know existed. I will always consider Howard Keltner and Jerry Bails the complete listing of all Timely issues ever produced. To this day, I know
ultimate comic book indexers, and I gratefully dedicate this “Timely of no other collector who ever owned every single Timely comic book.
Reappearance” to them.
In recent years, many collectors have asked me why I didn’t include
Issues I left out of the original index include Astonishing #5-6 (with art credits. My answer is: (a) because I couldn’t come close to
“Marvel Boy” stories), Miss America #3-5 (with “Miss America” completing them, since most stories were unsigned, and (b) because I
stories), Comedy Comics #11 (with “Vagabond” and “Stuporman” frankly didn’t care at the time. I just wanted everyone to know what
stories), Blackstone the Magician #2-4 (with “Blonde Phantom” characters were in the books! In retrospect, of course, I look amazingly
stories), and Marvel Tales #97 (with a 2-page “Sun Girl” story). These short-sighted, and I guess I was. I typed the Index on my parents’
are all included in this edition. I also did not include the pre-Marvel portable Royal typewriter from the 1950s, and I wasn’t eager to pound
Comics #1 one-shot Motion Picture Funnies Weekly, since it was not those keys any more than I felt I needed to, especially since I was
really a Timely publication. I also did not include the black-&-white already pounding a lot of typewriter keys as a newspaper reporter. To
super-thick reprints of Marvel Mystery and Captain America. this day, some collectors consider me crazy in that, even in those prehis-
toric times, I was more interested in the evocative nature of the story
Some collectors have told me I should also have included Venus #1- titles than in who produced the art.
19 from 1948-52, plus the 1949 Witness one-shot, along with “Witness”
stories in Ideal #4 and Amazing Mysteries #32… and indeed infor- Other collectors have told me how helpful my little essay was at the
mation on all these has been added this time around, by Roy Thomas, end of the Index: “For those with $$$—Collecting Timely.” I just wish I
Dr. Michael J. Vassallo, and others. Other collectors are convinced I could have had the cash to follow my own advice. That hasn’t changed
should have incorporated Jungle Tales #17/Jann of the Jungle #8-17, in 37 years—Timely issues remain the most expensive, on average, of all
Lorna the Jungle Girl #1-26, and Jungle Action #1-6 with Leopard Girl Golden Age companies. I am still convinced that they were not
(the latter, at least, being a secret-identity character). Still other collectors distributed and/or did not sell nearly as well as comics from DC and
insist I should have included the Timely-published Miss Fury #1-8, Dell, among other companies. That out-of-date essay has been omitted
which contained newspaper reprints by the talented artist Tarpé Mills. from this edition, due to lack of space.

About 15 years ago, I had the privilege of salivating over the only As I write this, Rascally Roy tells me the reprinting and updating of
complete Timely collection ever amassed, before San Diego collector my Timely Comic Index will be lavishly illustrated and annotated.
George Olshevsky broke it up to sell it. As I recall, he needed about ten What can I say but thanks?
years to complete the set and finished it with Blonde Phantom #22 in

Who Was That Lady I Didn’t See You With Last Night?
Two colorful costumed females whom we didn’t include in this updating of the Index were:
Miss Fury—whose 8 quarterly issues (Winter 1942-Winter 1946) were merely Timely
reprintings of Tarpé Mills’ newspaper comic strip, which ran for most of the 1940s; seen
here is the cover of #2 (Summer 1942). [©2006 the respective copyright holders.]
“Leopard Girl”—a secret-identity jungle heroine, drawn by
Al Hartley of Patsy Walker fame in Jungle Action #1-6 (Oct. 1954-Aug. 1955). Thanks to
Greg Gatlin for the scan from the first issue. [©2006 Marvel Characters, Inc.]
Incidentally, we also left out Basil Wolverton’s Popeye-powered humorous hero
“Powerhouse Pepper”—but here’s a 1940s panel repro’d in The Basil Wolverton Reader (2003).
[Restored art ©2006 Pure Imagination.]
6 A Skeleton Key To The Golden Age Of Marvel

I. The Heroes And Their Stories

[A/E EDITOR’S KEY: Below is a listing of all super-heroes (plus The which the comic book titles themselves were launched, not necessarily
Yellow Claw and one or two other peripheral characters) published the order in which the hero first popped up in them. If he/she
by Timely/Marvel between 1939 and 1957. The characters are listed appeared in more than one comic book, the magazine series in which
in descending order based on the number of stories about the the character first appeared (as judged by cover date) is preceded by
character published during that period. That number, in parentheses, an asterisk (*). The issue in which a hero’s origin, if any, was first
follows the character’s name. E.g., surprisingly, even though he was related is listed in parentheses on that same line; the lack of such
clearly less popular than Captain America or The Human Torch, The information means there was no origin story. Origin information is
Sub-Mariner actually appeared in more stories during these 18 years taken from Dr. Jerry G. Bails’ monumental work Collector’s Guide:
than any other Timely hero: a total of 292. Of course, a few Timely The First Heroic Age, which, by coincidence, was also published in
stories were only two pages long—and others ran, like, 45! Following 1969. Hero appearances in those 2-page text stories the P.O. required
each name is a list of, so far as we can ascertain, each and every comic aren’t counted. You have to draw the line somewhere!]
in which that hero appeared. The comics are listed in the order in

Sub-Mariner (292)
* Marvel Mystery #1-91 (origin #1)
Daring Mystery #9-12
The Human Torch #2-33, 36-38
Captain America #20, 68, 70
Sub-Mariner #1-42
All Winners #1-19, 21; #1 (2nd series)
Kid #4
All-Select #1-5, 10
Blonde Phantom #13-15, 17-22
Namora #1-3
Young Men #24-28
Men’s Adventures #27-28

The Human Torch (280)

* Marvel Mystery #1-92 (origin #1)
Daring Mystery #9-12
Human Torch #2-38
Captain America #19, 21-67, 69, 76-78
Sub-Mariner #23, 29, 33-35
All Winners #1-19, 21, #1 (2nd series)
All-Select #1-10
Mystic (2nd series) #1-2
Young Men #24-28
Men’s Adventures #27-28
The Quintessential Timely Cover Artist
Captain America (277) Pulp-mag icon Alex Schomburg was easily Timely’s most
popular cover artist during the World War II years… and his
Marvel Mystery #80-84, 86-92 admirers were still clamoring for his work decades later.
[Both these pieces of art ©2006 Marvel Characters, Inc.]
The Human Torch #35
(Above:) In 1977, writer/editor Roy Thomas commissioned
* Captain America #1-74, 76-78 (origin #1) Alex to pencil and ink the cover of The Invaders Annual #1—
Sub-Mariner #31 but the Comics Code forced Marvel to remove the small pool
of blood at bottom left, under the fallen Nazi officer’s arm.
All Winners #1-19, 21, #1 (2nd series) This pre-censorship version, reproduced from a photocopy,
USA #6-17 has never before seen print. Alex also drew that issue’s
“Human Torch” chapter. (Isn’t that the only time Schomburg
All-Select #1-10 ever illo’d an actual story of one of Timely’s Big Three?) That
Blonde Phantom #16 mini-classic was recently reprinted in the trade paperback
The Avengers: Once an Invader.
Young Men #24-28
(Right:) Schomburg re-created his cover for All Winners
Men’s Adventures #27-28 Comics #8 (Spring 1943) for the 1991-92 edition of The Official
Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, which celebrated a half
century of Captain America.
 The Timely Comics Super-Hero Index (1939-1957) 7

Flash and Johnny Quick—Move Over!

Timely, like DC, had a pair of Golden Age super-speedsters:
“Hurricane” (née “Mercury”) continued to run in place after creators Joe Simon and Jack
Kirby ankled Martin Goodman’s company for bigger rival National/DC, as per this splash
for a Stan Lee-scripted tale from Captain America #11 (Feb. 1942), the first post-S&K issue.
And “The Whizzer” (right), with various permutations in his costume, stayed in the race
till 1946; here’s a half-page from USA Comics #4 (May 1942). Artists of both pages
uncertain. [©2006 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

The Angel (107) Miss America (48) The Vision (37)

* Marvel Mystery #1-79 * Marvel Mystery #49-85 (origin #49) * Marvel Mystery #13-48 (origin #13)
Sub-Mariner #1-21 All Winners #19, 21 Kid #3
All Winners #1 All-Select #11
Mystic (2nd series) #1-3 Blonde Phantom #12-14
The Secret Stamp (18)
Daring #10 Miss America #1-5 * Captain America #13-27 (origin #13)
Sun Girl # 1 USA #7-9
The Young Allies (62)
Marvel Mystery #75-83 Venus (46) Marvel Boy (17) (1950s hero)
Sub-Mariner #22 Venus #1-19 * Marvel Boy #1-2 (origin #1)
* Young Allies #1-20 (group origin #1) Astonishing #3-6
Kid #2-10
The Destroyer (41)
* Mystic #6-10 (origin #6)
The Yellow Claw (15)
Amazing/Complete #1-2
Mystic (2nd series) #4 All Winners #2-12 The Yellow Claw #1-14
USA #6, 8-14, 16-17
The Patriot (53) Black Knight (14)
Kid #4-6, 9-10
Marvel Mystery #21-45, 49-74 (origin #21) All-Select #6, 10 Black Knight #1-5

* The Human Torch #3-4 Amazing/Complete #1-2

Sun Girl (13)
Daring #11-12
Blonde Phantom (50) Mystic (2nd) #1-4
Marvel Mystery #88-90

Marvel Mystery #84-91 The Human Torch #34

Sub-Mariner #25-28, 30 The Whizzer (38) * Sun Girl #1-3

All-Select #11 All-Winners #2-5, 7-11, 13-19, 21 Marvel Tales #97

Blonde Phantom #12-22 * USA #1-2, 4, 6, 8-12, 14-17 (origin #1) [NOTE: Other appearances of Sun Girl in
Marvel Mystery and Human Torch were as a
Sun Girl #2-3 Kid #7, 10 supporting character in “Human Torch”
Namora #2 All-Select #3-5, 7 stories.]
Blackstone the Magician #2-4 Amazing/Complete #1-2
All Winners (2nd series) #1
8 A Skeleton Key To The Golden Age Of Marvel

Dynamic Man (4)

Mystic #1-4 (origin #1)

The Fiery Mask (4)

* Daring Mystery #1, 5-6 (origin #1)
The Human Torch #2

Flexo, the Rubber Man (4)

Mystic #l-4 (origin #1)

Jack Frost (4)

USA #1-4

Mr. Liberty/Major Liberty (4)

USA #1-4 (origin #1 as Mr. Liberty; Major
The Human Torch Wasn’t The Only Liberty in #2-4)
Hothead At Timely
(Left:) The Blue Blaze wasn’t really a fiery hero, Rockman, Underground Secret
but he had a hot name, anyway—and was the lead
feature in Mystic Comics #4 (July 1940). Art by
Agent (4)
“Harry Douglas,” which may be a pseudonym.
Hurricane (12) (including as Mercury) USA #1-4 (origin #1)
(Above right:) After a brief materialization at the
* Red Raven #1 (origin, as “Mercury”) climax of the Kree-Skrull War in The Avengers #97
(March 1972), The Blazing Skull returned to Marvel
The Vagabond (4)
Captain America #1-11 continuity in writer Roy Thomas & penciler Dave Comedy #11
Hoover’s The Invaders #2 (2nd series, June 1993).
Father Time (9) With thanks to Dave for photocopies of his original * USA #2-4 (origin #2)
pencils. [Both pages ©2006 Marvel Characters, Inc.] Young Allies #4
Mystic #10
* Captain .America #6-12 (origin #6) The Black Widow (5) Captain Daring (3)
Young Allies #3 * Mystic #4-5, 7 (origin #4) * Daring Mystery #7-8 (origin #7)
USA #5 USA #7
The Witness (8) (1948-49 character)
All-Select #1
(see pp. 60) Captain Terror (3)
The Blazing Skull (5)
The Black Marvel (6) USA #2-4 (origin #2)
Mystic #5-9 (origin #5)
* Mystic #5-9 (origin #5) The Falcon (3)
All-Winners #1 The Blue Blaze (4)
* Daring Mystery
Mystic #1-4 (origin #1) #5-6
The Challenger (6)
Human Torch #2
* Daring Mystery #7 (origin) The Defender (4)
Mystic #6-10 USA #1-4

Namora (6) A 1940 Twosome

(Left:) This “Falcon” splash from
Namora # 1-3
Human Torch #2 (Fall 1940) was
[NOTE: One of the 3 stories featuring reprinted in last year’s Marvel
Namora in each of the above issues was Masterworks edition of HT #2-5—but
technically a “Sub-Mariner” story. She we picked it up from a copy of the
also appeared in “Sub-Mariner” stories actual comic. Art by Paul Reinman.
in: * Marvel Mystery #82, 84-91 (origin (Above:) “The Invisible Man,” a.k.a.
#82), Human Torch #31, and Sub- Dr. Gade, according to the website
Mariner #33-42] www.internationalhero.co.uk,
from which this image is also taken,
was rendered by chemicals not only
The Terror (6) invisible but fireproof. Learn more
about this website and its own
Mystic #5-10 (origin #5)
generous sources on p. 54. Artists
uncertain. [Both images ©2006
Marvel Characters, Inc.]
 The Timely Comics Super-Hero Index (1939-1957) 9

Fourth Musketeer (2) Monstro the Mighty (1)

* Comedy #10 (first as Fourth Comedy #10
Musketeer)
USA #5 (named changed to Moon Man (1)
Blue Blade)
Mystic #5
Hercules (2) The Phantom Bullet (1)
Mystic #3-4 (origin #3)
Daring Mystery #2 (origin)
Human Top (2) Red Raven (1)
Red Raven #1
Red Raven #1 (origin)
* Tough Kid Squad #1 (origin)
Roko the Amazing (1)
Marvel Boy (2) (1940s
hero) USA #5 (origin)
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
Strictly speaking, “The Flying Flame” * Daring Mystery #6 (origin) Sub-Earth Man (1)
The Fin (3) wasn’t a super-hero; that was just the USA #7
* Daring Mystery name of fighter pilot Red Ruff’s Mystic #5 (origin)
warplane, whose fiery special effects
Comics #7-8 (origin #7) Purple Mask (2)
evidently scared the bejeezus out of Super Slave (1)
Comedy #9 Nazi pilots. Chalk this up to just
another instance of publisher Martin Daring Mystery #3-4
Mystic #5 (origin)
Invisible Man (3) Goodman trying to frighten
competitors away from impinging on Subbie (2)
his “Human Torch” trademark! Artists The Thin Man (1)
Mystic #2-4
uncertain. Thanks to Dan Kocher for Kid #l-2
Mystic #4 (origin)
the scan from Tough Kid Squad #1.
Silver Scorpion (3) [©2006 Marvel Characters, Inc.] Victory Boys (2)
The Young Avenger (1)
* Daring Mystery #7-8
* Comedy #10 (origin)
(origin #7) USA #1
USA #5 (first in costumes)
Comedy #9

The Thunderer/ American Avenger (1)

The Black Avenger (3) USA #5 (origin)
* Daring Mystery #7-8 (origin #7)
The Black Avenger (1)
All Winners #6 (retitled “The Black Avenger”)
[see The Thunderer, above]
The Witness (3) (1941-42 hero)
Blue Blade
Mystic #7-9
[see Fourth Musketeer, above]
The Blue Diamond (2)
Captain Dash (1)
Daring Mystery #7-8 (origin #7)
Comedy #9
Captain Wonder (2)
Dynaman (1)
Kid #1-2 (origin #1)
Daring Mystery #6
Citizen V (2)
The Laughing Mask (1)
* Daring Mystery #8 (origin)
Comedy #9 Daring Mystery #2

Flying Flame (2) Mercury (1)

Quoth Red Raven: “Nevermore!”
Daring Mystery #6 [see Hurricane, above]
Joe Simon has claimed Red Raven #1 (Aug. 1940) was the worst
Tough Kid Squad #1 comic he ever worked on (he edited it and perhaps drew the cover
Microman (1) with partner Jack Kirby)—but was it really any worse than dozens
of other mags then on the newsstands? No matter. With #2, the
The Human Torch #2 (origin) mag’s title was changed to—The Human Torch. Artist uncertain—
but definitely not Simon & Kirby! [©2006 Marvel Characters, Inc.]
10 A Skeleton Key To The Golden Age Of Marvel

II. The Abbreviations

To save space in the issue-by-issue listing below, a series of
abbreviations has often been used in the individual listings. When
an abbreviation is not used for the name of one of these feature
characters, it is because the story was not otherwise titled.

AN – The Angel PT – The Patriot

BK – Black Knight SG – Sun Girl
BP – Blonde Phantom SM – Sub-Mariner
BS – Blazing Skull SS – The Secret Stamp
CH – The Challenger TR – The Terror
DS – The Destroyer TT – Tommy Tyme
FT – Father Time TV – Terry Vance A Timely Notice
GA – Captain America VN – The Vision The 1941 house ad at
right appeared while
HT – The Human Torch VS – Venus Mystic Comics was still
JB – Jap-Buster Johnson WS – The Witness a going concern, but
when Daring Mystery
JJ – Jimmy Jupiter WZ – The Whizzer Comics had already
MA – Miss America YA – Young Allies been transmogrified
into Comedy Comics.
MB – Marvel Boy YC – Yellow Claw With thanks to Roger
(both 1940s & 1950s heroes) Mortimer. [©2006
NA — Namora Marvel Characters, Inc.]

III. The Comics

Marvel Comics
(Marvel Mystery Comics from #2 on)
[NOTE: The cover and story contents of the first four
issues of this title were reprinted in Marvel Masterworks:
Golden Age Marvel Comics, Vol. 1 (2004).]

#1 – Oct. 1939 (2nd edition dated Nov. 1939)

Human Torch (origin) 16
Angel 8
Sub-Mariner (origin) 12
Masked Raider 8
Story “Jungle Terror” 6
Ka-Zar 12
[REP: The “Torch” origin was first reprinted in Fantasy
Masterpieces #9 (June 1967), later in the trade
paperback The Golden Age of Marvel, Vol. 2
(1999). The first 8 pages of the “Sub-Mariner”
origin were first reprinted in The Invaders #20
(Sept. 1977), later in the trade paperback The
Golden Age of Marvel (Vol. 1, 1997). The issue’s
cover and stories were first reprinted in the
hardcover Marvel Comics #1 (1990).]

Sunken Treasures
Since a Torch drawing led off this Index, we’ll let The Sub-Mariner launch this issue-by-issue listing. Here, Namor and his creator/writer/artist Bill Everett look on
as, in Marvel Comics #1, Princess Fen tells her merman son of his previously-unknown origins. Well, actually, this page is repro’d from photocopies of the 1939
black-&-white Motion Picture Funnies Weekly, which showcased the first 8 pages of the 12-page “Sub-Mariner” tale that would soon be printed in Marvel #1;
thanks to Robert Wiener. The portrait of Wild Bill (by himself and Dan Adkins) appeared in Chamber of Darkness #8 (Dec. 1970), and is repro’d from photocopies
of the original art; Bill’s circa-1971 Namor sketch was provided by collector Robert F. Palko. [©2006 Marvel Characters, Inc.]
 The Timely Comics Super-Hero Index (1939-1957) 11

#2 – Dec. 1939 Sub-Mariner 10

Masked Raider 8
Human Torch 16
Electro 8
Angel 8
Ferret 6
Sub-Mariner 12
Ka-Zar 10
Masked Raider 8
American Ace 6 #6 – April 1940
Ka-Zar 12
Human Torch 12
#3 – Jan. 1940 Angel 8
Sub-Mariner 10
Human Torch 16
Masked Raider 8
Angel 8
Electro 8
Sub-Mariner 12
Ferret 6
Masked Raider 8
Ka-Zar 10
American Ace 6
Ka-Zar 12 #7 – May 1940
[REP: The “Sub-Mariner” story was first
reprinted in Fantasy Masterpieces #7 (Feb. Human Torch 12
1967).] Angel 8
Sub-Mariner 10
#4 – Feb. 1940 Masked Raider 8
An Historical Wrong Righted At Last!
Since Marvel Comics became Marvel Mystery
Human Torch 12 Electro 8 Comics with its second issue, there never was a
Angel 8 Ferret 6 Marvel Mystery #1—until 1999, when editor Tom
Brevoort put together an 80-page giant (plus
Sub-Mariner 10 Ka-Zar 10 covers) with that title and number, composed of
Masked Raider 8 [REP: The “Sub-Mariner” story was first reprints of 1940s stories, and sporting the late-’40s
“Marvel Comic” symbol (with an added “s”)! Its
Electro 8 reprinted in Jules Feiffer’s groundbreaking
Schomburg-drawn cover was picked up from MMC
hardcover volume The Great Comic Book
Ferret 6 #74. This little-heralded collection is one of the
Heroes (1965).] very best Golden Age/Timely compilations ever.
Ka-Zar 10 [©2006 Marvel Characters, Inc.]
[REP: The “Sub-Mariner” story was first #8 – June 1940
reprinted in Fantasy Masterpieces #9 (June Electro 8
1967).] SM “The Human Torch and The Sub-Mariner
Meet!!!” 10 Ferret 6

#5 – March 1940 Human Torch 12 Ka-Zar 10

Angel 8 [REP: The “Sub-Mariner” story was reprinted
Human Torch 12 in Marvel Super-Heroes #1 (Oct. 1966)—the
Masked Raider 8
Angel 8 “Torch” story in The Golden Age of Marvel

Electro—It’s A Marvel He Ever Existed!

The Name Sounds Familiar… This pic of the robot “Electro, the Marvel of the Age” from his
A thrill must’ve run through readers when, at the end of the “Sub-Mariner” story in (its?) Marvel Mystery #4 debut is to remind you that you can
Marvel Mystery #7, policewoman Betty Dean mentioned The Human Torch to Namor—who glom that title’s early backup features— “Ka-Zar,” “Masked
replied that he’d “heard of him”! This was very definitely something new in the super- Raider,” “The Ferret,” et al.—by latching onto the Marvel
hero firmament! The two heroes’ encounters in #8-9 and the first page of #10 were Masterworks volume that reprints Timely’s first four comic books
reprinted in the 2005 Marvel 65th Anniversary Special. These panels, though, are repro’d ever. That book had its reproduction problems—but it’s still worth
from a photocopy of the original art. [©2006 Marvel Characters, Inc.] every penny. [©2006 Marvel Characters, Inc.]
12 A Skeleton Key To The Golden Age Of Marvel

standoff at the end of #9, which became the first

page in #10, was first reprinted in Fantasy
Masterpieces #8 (April 1967) as an adjunct to
“The Battle of the Comic Century,” later in
Marvel 65th Anniversary Special #1 (2004).
The “Sub-Mariner” story was reprinted in The
Invaders #21 (Oct. 1977).]

#11 – Sept. 1940

Human Torch 12
Sub-Mariner 10
Masked Raider 6
Ka-Zar 10
Terry Vance 7
Angel 9
Electro 8

#12 – Oct. 1940

Human Torch 12
Sub-Mariner 10
Angel 9
Terry Vance 7
Electro 8
Masked Raider 6
Ka-Zar 10

#13 – Nov. 1940

Human Torch 12
Sub-Mariner 10
Vision (origin) 8
Terry Vance 7
Electro 8
Angel 9
Ka-Zar 10
[REP: The “Vision” origin was reprinted in The
Golden Age of Marvel, Vol. 2 (1999).]
Victory At Sea
Original art from early Timely comics is rare as halibut’s teeth, so we appreciate collector/dealer Steve
#14 – Dec. 1940
Fischler’s sharing this Everett “Sub-Mariner” page from MMC #15. Check out his website at Human Torch 12
www.metropoliscomics.com for comics and original art. [©2006 Marvel Characters, Inc.]
Sub-Mariner 10
(Vol. 1)(1997). Both the “Sub-Mariner” and reprinted in Fantasy Masterpieces #8 (April Angel 9
“Torch” tales were reprinted in Marvel 65th 1967)—later in Marvel 65th Anniversary
Vision 7
Anniversary Special #1 (2004).] Special #1 (2004).]
Terry Vance 7
#9 – July 1940 #10 – Aug. 1940 Electro 8
Human Torch & Sub-Mariner “The Battle of Human Torch 11 Ka-Zar 9
the Comic Century” 22 Sub-Mariner 10
Angel 8
#15 – Jan. 1941
Angel 8
Masked Raider 8 Human Torch 12
Electro 8
Electro 8 Sub-Mariner 8
Masked Raider 8
Ferret 6 Terry Vance 7
TV “The Murder of a Man without a Will” 6
Ka-Zar 9 Vision 7
Ka-Zar 9
[REP: “Battle of the Comic Century” was first Angel 8
[REP: The solution to the Torch/Namor
66

“They Depended On [The Super-

Heroes] To Keep Us Afloat”
GENE COLAN On The Late-1940s Timely/Marvel Bullpen
Interview Conducted by Jim Amash Transcribed by Brian K. Morris

G ene Colan is known as one of the most stylish comic book artists of all
time, although, like most others, he didn’t start out that way. This
interview is a look at the budding artist’s early days at Timely and
what it was like for Gene in the bullpen. —Jim

JIM AMASH: When did you start working at Timely?

GENE COLAN: I think it was 1946. Stan Lee hired me as a staff penciler. I had
made up a sample of my work that I penciled and inked and even lettered and
put some wash on it. I just didn’t know how to approach it, and I liked to draw
small, not realizing that comic book art in its original form was quite big. My
samples were not much bigger than a postage stamp. [mutual laughter] Not
really, but Stan saw something in that. That was my break, and Stan was able to
see something that needed to be nurtured, so he took a chance on me. I started
out at about $60 a week.

JA: Did you have any certain quota of pages you had to get done?

COLAN: No, they left me pretty much alone—and everybody else in the
bullpen. Fast as you did one assignment, you’d get another, and they never
based anything on whether the books were selling or not selling because of
your work, like they do today. I got to draw a lot of crime stories.

Syd Shores was the art director. He took on the responsibility of making
sure that the work was done properly. If there were any problems, he’d help
out the artist, especially someone like me who was as green as
grass when I came on.

Al Sulman was the one

who first saw my work,
by the way. I was in the
waiting room, and he came
out to look at my work.
We had never met each
other before, and I could
tell by his attitude that he Colan And The Captain
wanted to go in with it and Gene Colan, in a self-portrait (with a few friends) from
show someone, and that the cover of 1996 Gene Colan Treasury, juxtaposed with one of
was my first feeling of good his early super-hero pages—from Captain America #72 (May
news. So I just waited there 1949). Chances are he only penciled this page, for reasons
until he came back. He took revealed in the interview. All comic book images accompanying
a while, certainly a good this interview are courtesy of Dr. Michael J. Vassallo unless
fifteen minutes, and that was otherwise noted. To learn if the Treasury is still available from
Aardwolf Publishing, e-mail them at [email protected]. [Art at
another good sign. And
left ©2006 Gene Colan; art above ©2006 Marvel Characters, Inc.;
when he came out, he says, Captain America, Iron Man, & Howard the Duck TM & ©2006
“Come on in. The main man Marvel Characters, Inc.; Batman TM & ©2006 DC Comics.]
here wants to see you.” That Incidentally, we sent Gene specimens of the “Cap” and “Torch”
was Stan Lee. art used with this interview, to see if he could confirm that it
was his. He said he believed that “maybe 90%” of it was,
The atmosphere at Timely
though others may have pitched in here and there. In
was very good, very funny. particular, he said, “Syd Shores was always there if I needed
The guys were always talking help in drawing something, and there’s probably something of
about politics up front. It was him in there.” Check out Gene’s website at
a big art room and there were www.GeneColan.com
 Gene Colan On The Late–1940s Timely Bullpen 67

about twenty artists in there, all stacked COLAN: No, no one really did. Once
up. Syd was in the last row on my side, in a while, he’d come strolling into the
and there was another row on the other bullpen, just to see what was
side. Dan DeCarlo was there, several happening. Outside of that, no. Hey, if
other people—Vince Alascia was an you wanted a raise or something, or
inker; Rudy LaPick sat right behind me. felt that you needed more money, you
would go in and ask. That, to me, was
JA: Rudy gave you a tattoo, I under- a nightmare. I hated to face him with
stand. that. I’d be nervous as could be.
COLAN: Yeah. [mutual chuckling] We JA: We all have an image of Stan Lee
were always clowning around, Rudy and today. What was he like then?
I. He was quite a mimic. I always
thought he missed his calling. He should COLAN: Very boyish. He always
have been in show business; he was so kind-of reminded me of Jack Lemmon.
good at it. And one time, when I was [mutual laughter] He would think
sitting in front of him, he called me: nothing of standing on a table to get a
“Gene, I want to talk to you.” So I spun point across of how he would want the
around, and he had his inking pen in his super-heroes to look. You know, “Take
hand and it jabbed me in my wrist, and on this type of position and do this,”
that’s where the tattoo remains. and he would act it out. You know, he
was very much a boy.
JA: Was Mike Sekowsky in that room?
JA: But you said you were nervous
COLAN: No, he was in another room. I about asking for a raise. I wondered
loved his work. In fact, I tried to imitate whether that was just you, or was it
it because I was young, I hadn’t been because there was something about
fully formed with a style at all. I had Stan back then?
nothing and was always looking for
ways to improve. I admired Mike for his COLAN: No, it was me. I would have
free-handedness with his work. It looked been nervous in front of anybody,
very loose, which is the way I love to asking for an increase. I didn’t want to
work. No one can describe to you how get into any conflicts or any disagree-
to do that. You either lean towards it or ments about anything, but it comes to
I, Witness
you don’t. But he was fast as hell. He a point where you have to.
More a crime-story narrator than a super-hero, The Witness had
could turn out a job before you could
his own mag for one late-’40s issue, after which a handful JA: While you worked in the bullpen,
blink your eye. He was a good kibitzer, of (probably) inventory tales were utilized in other titles. One
you know? He clowned around a bit, did you do any freelance at home at
of those was Gene’s “Witness” effort (above) which appeared in
talked a lot. You could have a whole night?
Ideal Comics #4 (Jan. 1949). [©2006 Marvel Characters, Inc.]
conversation with him, and at the same COLAN: We were allowed to take
time, he was turning out a page of art. He was so fast; pleasant and home stuff if we wanted to get extra pay for it. But by the time we were
helpful. through at the end of the day, we didn’t want to look at any more pages.
JA: A lot of people describe him as being sarcastic. I would take home work to do with the best of intentions and never get
it done. So I’d take the pages back to work and do them there.
COLAN: I don’t remember that aspect. I didn’t like his brother, George
Sekowsky, who I think was an inker or a colorist, I don’t know which. JA: How tight were your pencils back then?
George would pass some remarks in my direction which I didn’t like COLAN: I experimented a lot. I was influenced, as I said, by Mike
and I noticed something about him, which was kind-of nasty on my Sekowsky’s flowing style. I certainly was influenced by Syd. I loved his
part. His face was always very red. I passed a remark about the color of work, just loved it, and for quite a while there, I tried to imitate his
his face, and he wanted to throw me out the window. He just reacted style. Eventually I got my own style, but it was a struggle.
violently.
Syd Shores was a very quiet man. He would come in with kind-of a
JA: Who decided what your assignments were going to be? very slow walk, with a cup of morning coffee in one of these spiral cups
COLAN: Either Stan or someone else. As soon as we were finished with and a cigarette in the other hand. Big smoker. He would say hello to
one, we had to show it to Stan, and then someone, either Stan himself or everybody very quietly, and sit down. He had been in the war with
someone else, would pass a comment on it, and then give us the next Germany, and sometimes I’d try to feel him out about it. He never
story. wanted to talk about it. Very quiet fellow, but a sweet, sweet guy, and
very helpful; very unassuming.
JA: Did you ever have to do, in those days, much redrawing?
JA: Do you remember Don Rico?
COLAN: Not a heck of a lot, no. Syd Shores would oversee a lot of
stuff, and if there was anything left glaringly wrong, he would help us COLAN: Yes. He always reminded me of a riverboat gambler. He was a
correct it. I don’t remember redoing pages... maybe a panel or two, but good artist, yes.
nothing much. I never knew who was going to ink my work. I cared, JA: Rudy told me that you had one of the early tape machines, and
but not all that much, because I knew I didn’t have much to say about it, you also had a wire recorder, and you used to tape radio shows.
if anything.
COLAN: Yeah, I did. Dragnet and Suspense and all that stuff, which
JA: So did you deal much with Stan while you were in the Bullpen? I’d play at work. Not only that, I would record soundtracks from films
72 Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt!

Twice-Told Tales: Have They No Shame?

by Michael T. Gilbert

A “Spooky” splash from Casper #50 - Harvey. [©2006 Harvey Comics.]

What do you get when you combine Harvey’s Spooky and

Casper? Why, Spunky, of course—as seen below. Wasn’t Ajax
Publishing hoping scared kids would confuse their Spunky the
Smiling Spook with Casper the Friendly Ghost? Or was that the
Casper the Friendly Ghost #50 (Oct. 1962) - Harvey.
whole point? Shameless! [©2006 Harvey Comics.]

Homer, the Happy Ghost #7 (March 1956) - Marvel.

[©2006 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

And of course Timely/Marvel had to get on the “Dead Kids”

bandwagon, too, with Homer the Happy Ghost. Hmmm! If these
Spunky the Smiling Spook #1 (Aug. 1957) - Ajax/Farrell. spooks are so “Friendly,” “Smiling,” and “Happy,” why do they look
[©2006 the respective copyright holders.] so miserable? For shame!
 No. 116
March 2006

[Art ©2006 Mark Heller & Mike Royer; Captain Midnight TM & ©2006 the respective TM & copyright holder.]
 81

Who Was Who In The

Jack Binder Shop (1940-43)
A Captain Marvel’s-Eye View Of Peerless Personnel
Introduction by Hames Ware
W hen I told the late
Wendell Crowley,
longtime and
beloved editor of Fawcett Comics,
of my interest in the comic art
shops and asked for his help in
trying to identify who’d done
what at the Binder Shop where he
had worked, he groaned and
laughed at the same time:

“Hames, that’d be like going to

one of the Detroit automakers and
trying to track down who’d
assembled your granddad’s
Studebaker!”

The reason Wendell was less than

optimistic about specific credits for Yank-ee Doodle Dandy
the studio was that, unlike the other Vince Costello, who figures in several of
three major shops of the comics’ these photos, was both a letterer and
golden era, the Binder Shop truly did artist for the Binder shop during 1941-
often function more on the assembly 42. We’re not saying he necessarily
line basis than the Eisner-Isher shop lettered this “Commando Yank” splash
(later simply the Iger shop), the Jacquet from Wow Comics #8 (Dec. 1942), let
alone contributed to the art—but then
shop (Funnies, Inc.), and the precursor
again, we can’t say for sure he didn’t!
to all the shops, that of Harry “A” [Art ©2006 DC Comics.]
Chesler.

To characterize in a general fashion: in 1936 Chesler opened up what

could be called (and has been called) a “sweat shop.” Rafael Astarita was
the second artist hired there, and, thanks to his photographic memory,
Jerry Bails and I had the best input possible on both the Chesler and were willing to pay them directly. Of course, the byline ploy seldom
Eisner-Iger shops, because Rafael worked at both and was considered worked for long, and thus both Chesler and E&I artists were indeed
one of the top artists at each. hired to work directly for publishers, the former by MLJ and the latter
by Quality and Fiction House.
At Chesler, the idea was that most of the artists would work at the
shop itself, doing complete jobs most of the time, and that then the The odd shop out was Funnies, Inc., shop, where, although there
letterers, also in-house, would complete the work, though this sequence were some artists working in-house at times, most of Jacquet’s artists
might vary. Chesler’s shop serviced his own titles, Star and Star Ranger picked up assignments, completed, and returned them—and, thankfully
and the earlist Cook-Mahon pre-Centaur titles, but one can find Chesler for us “shop detectives,” were often allowed to sign their work,
shop people at early MLJ, in a few Fiction House titles, and in Fawcett primarily at Novelty and the true Centaur line of “Uncle” Joe Hardie.
features now and then, after Chesler rebounded from Cook-Mahon’s
titles going into receivership along with his own. He came back in 1942 Perhaps this overview can be expanded into a more in-depth article in
with more titles of his own and continued to service a few other clients. a future issue of Alter Ego. But, suffice it to say, these four shops
between them accounted for a tremendous amount of what appeared at
The Eisner & Iger shop had the cream of the artist pool, with Lou most comics publishing houses.
Fine, Eisner himself, Astarita, Reed Crandall, and many, many others.
As with Chesler, some artists did complete jobs, but it became more Now, before someone asks about National/DC, it’s true that when
expedient for a number of artists to work on each other’s jobs at times. Jerry and I were first working on the original 1970s Who’s Who in
Using made-up bylines allowed different art styles to come and go, and American Comic Books, it was becoming obvious to us that bylines like
had the secondary effect of keeping artists anonymous so that they “Bob Kane” had a plethora of people behind them—ditto for “Siegel &
wouldn’t be hired away…especially by the publishers, who might learn Shuster”—so were those to be included as shops? We were, after all,
that the fans’ favorites were working for less than they, the publishers, aware that we were defining parameters in those early days, and so we
82 A Captain Marvel’s-Eye View Of Peerless Personnel

arbitrarily decided to make a

distinction between “shops” (a
dozen or more people working
in, for, or out of a specific
location, under an owner-
provider) and “studios,” where
some amount fewer than that
arbitrary number were working
for an individual or individuals,
who were often themselves
artists…and thus we decided
that the latter would also include
Beck-Costanza, Simon & Kirby,
and a number of other studio
arrangements.
Bald & Bulletman #8—Together
As stated, these decisions and Again (For The First Time?)
definitions were arbitrary. There Ken Bald (on left), when interviewed in
were later shops—the Schoffman, A/E #55, found it difficult to say to what
for instance—that might have stories he contributed, but we do know he
qualified. But for our purposes did layouts for a lot of “Bulletman” stories.
then, and for this specific article Could he have contributed to this splash
now, let us just agree that the from Bulletman #8 (Oct. 1942)? The gent in
the foreground at right is Vince Costello
Binder Shop was one of the “Big
again. [Art ©2006 DC Comics.]
Four.”

And what a shop it was!!

Picture a lot of fun-loving pioneers, mostly young and enthusiastic,

who at break time would haul out the sports equipment and lose
themselves in sandlot baseball games.

Picture, too, the most assembly-line set-up in early comic book

history, where literally a dozen people’s hands might be involved in one
feature: one artist drawing the main figures’ heads, other artists concen-
trating on backgrounds, another artist penciling
most panels, several artists following up with the But… to be sure, some artists completed
inking, and then the letterers…and don’t forget whole jobs, from start to finish.
the writers, who started the whole ball rolling in
the first place…and there you have the Binder For instance, the art of Jack Binder
Shop overview. himself can best be studied by looking
through the many “Mary Marvel” stories he
continued to draw postwar. And, though
Wendell’s premature passing prevented his
being able to savor Jerry’s coup in acquiring
some of the Binder Shop records, there was
actually a brief period in 1942 wherein the
art credits are listed at the bottom of the
splash pages themselves. And so, Wendell,
God bless you, we at least are able to say
which artist added which part to which
feature in which comic, during a fleeting
period at that amazing and wonderful
place…the Binder shop!

The Lineup
(Above left:) Otto Binder, Bill Ward, and Charles Tomsey.
(Above right:) Continuing down that side of the table, the next
photo shows Tomsey again, on the left, with Carl Pfeufer.
86

“Captain Marvel Meets The Human Torch” (Continued)

World’s Mightiest Mortal freed the captive Torch from the evil Cobra’s dungeons and took him to a hospital. Now, he has returned to the villain’s undersea hideout…. [Captain Marvel TM & ©2006 DC Comics.]
OUR USUAL SPECIAL BRAZILIAN BONUS! Two more pages from the 1964 Almanaque do O Globo Juvenil in which the comics of Brazil continued spinning yarns of the Big Red Cheese for years after Fawcett
stopped telling them in 1953. In this unique story, Cap met Timely/Marvel’s original Human Torch—even though, in the USA, those characters were published by two different companies. Last issue, the

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