Dave Karlen Original Art Blog

National Cartoonist Society Profile: Ed Nofziger

2012-01-25T16:44:00.000-06:00

Presented here is one of my favorite "bigfoot" funny animal cartoonist who had success with many amusing strips over the years including Buenos Dias, Chloe, and ANIMALogic, the delightful Mr. Ed Nofziger...I was born in Porterville, California on June 14, 1913. I graduated from University of California in Los Angeles in 1936 and left for New York to sell my first cartoon The New Yorker in 1937. Polar bear cub to parents," I don't care what you say, I'm cold!" Selected by Look magazine as one of ten best New Yorker cartoons of the year. (signed E.Nof) Then the Saturday Evening Post started buying my animals in color. Illustrated Will Cuppy features for the Post. Did national advertising, TV spots in the 1940s and 50s. Wrote UPA's "Mister Magoo" with Dick Shaw. Later created "Mother Magoo". Did all the Magoo ads and displays. Next Hanna-Barbara "Ruff and Ready" stories and story boards. "Animals Are For Fun" cartoon book. Walter Foster Productions. Taught cartoon workshops, - fifteen years on Disney foreign comic stories. - married Margaret Sheppard, an artist of note. Combined our families, so we have our five, plus five grandchildren and one great grand kid.

Foreign Favorites: Kriminal

2012-01-19T09:31:00.000-06:00

With his origin appearance in August of 1964, Kriminal was the first anti-hero as the protagonist of his own book created by Luciano Secchi and Roberto Raviola under the pen names "Magnus and Bunker". Anthony Logan was an English master thief who was unusually cruel and wicked in the early episodes motivated by revenge of his father's death at the hands of criminals. For the early 1960s the combination of sex and sadism in these Italian tales quickly caused a sharp outcry from many civil groups as the lawsuits and seizures started. After much controversy, publisher Andrea Corno decided to change his "king of crime" into a married suave gentleman with a trusted Asian assistant, Shan-Ton, in his later toned down and more heroic adventures. Starting as a monthly feature, it popularity made it change to a fortnightly and finally weekly schedule, due mainly to the creators keen social and political satire they wove in their entertaining story lines. Spawning two Italian motion pictures in 1966 and '68 the comic series ended in 1974 after publishing four hundred nineteen issues.

Sensational Strips: Dr. Kildare

2012-01-13T09:38:00.000-06:00

Max Brand was best know for his Western tales, but back in 1938 he was screen writing in Hollywood for a living and created two main characters for what he thought a minor film called Interns Can't Take Money. The overwhelming response to Doctors James Kildare and Leonard Gillespie spawned ten more entries in the film series. Later in 1961 Dr. Kildare debuted on NBC television with Richard Chamberlain in the title role which sudden success encouraged King Features to start a strip version on October 15, 1962 and added a Sunday page on April 19,1964. Written by Elliot Caplin and drawn by Ken Bald, the young, idealistic Kildare was an intern at Blair General Hospital whose new ways clashed with the older seasoned Dr. Gillespie. Whether it was gunshot wounds or cases of amnesia, Dr. Kildare hot-headed enthusiasm was always present as he treated the beautiful patients from the delicate pen of Bald. Though there were many of these soap-opera story lines that ended in romance with a patient or nurse, the handsome medic was definitely married to his career. The artist skillful representation of the main characters based on the actors likenesses from the hit show made it a very attractive feature that lasted nineteen years after the shows cancellation in 1965, with the strip ending in late 1984.

Society of Illustrators Profile: Coles Phillips

2012-01-07T11:48:00.000-06:00

Coles Phillips was born in Springfield, Ohio and attended Kenyon College where his first illustrations appeared in the school's newspaper and yearbook. Wanting to pursue his art career, he left for New York in his Junior year taking a series of part-time jobs and night classes at Chase School of Art. His skill as a sketch artist won him numerous advertising jobs, and he soon started his own agency in 1906, but left it to free-lance once again desiring the artistic side over running a business. When the editors of Life asked him to come up with a new concept for their covers, his famous "Fade-away Girl" was born. Best know for this unique design, Phillips would tie the figures in his pictures into the background by using either a color, value or pattern. This left the viewer to fill in the missing parts by using their own imagination as Coles carefully designed these crafted images. This device was an instant success that lasted for over twenty years on the covers of Collier's, Liberty, Good House Keeping ,Vogue, and The Saturday Evening Post. Sought after by all the major publications of the day, Phillips take on beautiful women with their delicate lines and beautiful features made him a very busy illustrator. However, in the early 1920s the artist had developed a serious kidney disease and travelled abroad seeking a cure from European specialists, but none was to be found as Phillips passed away at the young age of forty-seven in 1927.

Frank Thorne's "Big Man Little Man"

2012-01-01T08:25:00.000-06:00

Lets start the new year right with a story from one of my favorite comic artists! DC Comics had the best war anthology titles around and quite often their back-up story was a Bob Kanigher "Gallery of War" yarn that were drawn by some of the best in the business, such as Ric Estrada. But once in a while they were illustrated by such stellar talents as Alex Toth, Dan Spiegle, Doug Wildey, Lee Elias, and as shown here from the original art, Frank Thorne. I recently ran across some old letters from Toth and he was asked by a fan who was an artist we should watch. Toth mentioned a few Europeans of interest, but said Frank Thorne was an artist who could tell a story right, simple and to the point. I can see what he was talking about in this lush seven page gem from 1973 out of Our Army at War #260 in this tale called...

Read 'Em And Weep, Early Comic Art Prices

2011-12-26T08:41:00.000-06:00

Thought I would end the year by posting more prices from the past, read 'em and weep! The Rocket's Blast Comic Collector was the best way to find original comic art from both dealers and collectors who sold items every issue back in the early days of collecting. Bernie Bubnis, also know as "The Sucker" was one of these collector/dealers with his amusing ads selling some great material, but don't take my word for it, looks at these prices. How about starting out with some Golden Age gems from artists, such as John Romita. A Captain America splash page from Young Men #26 would only set you back thirty dollars, or page three with Cap, Torch and Namor was only $35, other pages cost $20 each. A Bill Everett splash of Subby from the same issue was listed for $30, but if you wanted a Bob Powell Sub-Mariner splash from Human Torch #36 you could have it for the same low price! This guy had Toth, Infantino, Kubert, all the greats at mind-blowing prices and being the nice guy he was, he even had "poor boy" pages for mugs like me for $3 each, such as Mike Sekowsky Justice League of America #25 pages. A Curt Swan splash page from Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olson #79, "Jimmy's Forgotten Girl Friend", was a whopping $10. A Frank Frazetta Li'l Abner daily from 2-15-63 was only twenty five dollars, but the best deal for me was the Murphy Anderson complete Atomic Knights story from Strange Adventures #150, sixteen pages for $75 and please add $2 for postage.

Honest Jack's Old Paper Museum and Junk Shop was one professional from a 1970 issue selling comics and art, including Andru & Esposito Metal Men or All-American Men of War pages for $5 and $4 respectively. Honest Jack "The Children's Friend" as he called himself had Bill Everett Tales to Astonish #88 Sub-Mariner pages for only $10 each. Alberto Giolitti's Tonto, Sergeant Preston, or Gunsmoke pages ran ten to seven dollars each, however I would hold out for a complete four page story "Trick Shot" from Have Gun ,Will Travel for the sum of $25. Wally Wood's Total War #1 page 13 was twenty bucks or Fred Ray's Tomahawk #85 splash page "A Noisy Welcome" was ten smackers. Johnny Thunder pages by Alex Toth from National's All-American Western #120- #123 were only $15 to $10 dollars each, or Jimmy Wakely panel pages sold for $7. Finally, Jack had the complete Golden Gladiator story "Thunder of the Chariots" by Russ Heath from Brave and the Bold #1 from 1955. Seven pages for $120, even though it was missing page 3, which was he said was destroyed, not exactly complete, but very cheep!

Gary Dolgoff has become a big time dealer since his small ad from many years ago, but those prices, they can take your breath away. How about some Steve Ditko Amazing Spider-Man pages from issue #22 page 4 or #23 pages 6, 7,or 19 for $17.50 each! You could have Ditko Dr. Strange pages for the same price if Spidey was not your bag. Dick Ayers' Sgt. Fury pages from issue fourteen, pages 8, 11-13, 16 and 17 cost ten bucks each, or you could have the Human Torch splash page one from Strange Tales #63 for the same price. Iron Man pages from Tales of Suspense #60, pages 2, 6, 8, and 13 by Don Heck were $10. Avengers pages by Heck #11 were also ten each for page 5, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19.

Lots of great pages for not much money. Werner Roth X-Men pages from issue #18, were $15 for the page one splash and ten bucks for pages 3-5, 7-15, 17 and 19. Larry Lieber pages from Strange Tales #113 or Tales of Suspense #43 were six American dollars, but some DC prices were just as great. Gil Kane's Green Lantern #24 page 12 was ten dollars and a Batman page from Detective Comics #374, page 10 was only $8. Joe Kubert war pages from any of his titles ran again around ten dollars as well, or you could have a Irv Novick All-American Men of War cover for just $10. Covers, splashes, and pages for less than the cost of shipping today, those truly were the good old days.

Make Mike Marvel: Deathlok The Demolisher

2011-12-19T14:12:00.000-06:00

With his first appearance in Astonishing Tales #25, Deathlok the Demolisher was a Marvel series inspired by the cyborg craze of the 1970s written by Doug Moench and illustrated by Rich Buckler. Colonel Luther Manning was a tough American soldier from Detroit who after suffering a fatal injury on the battlefield, awoke as a reanimated experimental cyborg under the Deathlok Project in a post-apocalyptic future. A power hungry scientist named Simon Ryker rebuilt the warrior incorporating many new "improvements" including a symbiotic computer that communicated with Manning to often provide strategy in his numerous battles. With his enhanced mechanical and cybernetic physiology, Deathlok now has superhuman strength and stamina as well as increased agility and reflexes. The cyborg's woven metal-mesh body suit and body armor incorporated on his right arm and half his scarred face made him a frightening opponent, coupled with his prior expert military training. Equipped with a helium-neon laser pistol, standard issue for the U.S. Army of the future and a perfectly balanced throwing dagger, Deathlock skill as a killing machine lives up to his name in his many bloody conflict. Finally escaping from Ryker's control, Manning dreams of regaining his humanity and reuniting with his family, as he fights the military and corporate entities that have taken over the United States. Moench tight scripts have Deathlok fighting the War-Wolf, Ryker's Super-Tank and even his own clone drawn in Bucklers bold style over their initial twelve issue run. With many incarnations since its debuted, Deathlok still survives today in the Marvel Universe, ever waiting to be reborn once again.

My Greatest Adventure: Anthro

2011-12-12T18:14:00.000-06:00

DC Comics in the 1960s always had some interesting new ideas for characters they would often promote in their signature anthology book, Showcase, and issue #74 was no exception, introducing the prehistoric cave boy called Anthro. Caught between two different and conflicting worlds, Anthro was the first Cro-Magnon boy with intellegence who had some very unusual parents. His Neanderthal father was a fierce warrior and leader of his people's Bear Tribe, while his deceased mother was from a mysterious lost race that gave him the wisdom and intellect not yet seen by his race. Equipped with only his quick wit and problem solving skills, our stone age hero was superior to his peers in every area, as he excelled in hunting and even showing compassion to his enemies. An unbelievable quality never seen before in this savage time. Not accepted by the brute force of the old ways, Anthro was the new hope for an age of reason in the dawn of civilization. Artist Howie Post was the perfect choice to illustrate the cave boy with his rough and rugged style for its debut issue and his short-lived six issue self-titled series that soon followed.

National Cartoonist Society Profile: Stan Goldberg

2011-12-06T15:38:00.000-06:00

Born in New York City in 1932. I started my career in 1949 as a staff artist for Timely Comics (which is now Marvel). I was also in charge of the color department. In 1958 I went freelance and continued to color all of Marvel Comics for about ten years. As "Stan G" I was responsible for all the color costumes for all the classic Marvel superheroes and villains of the 1960s. During the period from 1949 to the late 1960s I illustrated adventure stories, drew gag cartoons, pop art for advertising, and illustrated all the teen titles for Marvel, Kathy, all the Millie the Model titles, Patsy Walker, etc. From '68 to '70 I drew the teen titles from DC Comics...Scooter, Binky, and Debbie's Dates. Since 1968 I've been drawing many of the titles and covers for Archie Comics, and for five years I drew the Archie Sunday strip. Some of my other illustrations have appeared in childrens books, greeting cards and magazines: McCalls, Redbook, Seventeen, etc. I was given the Ink Pot Award at the San Diego Comics convention in 1994 when I drew the most improbable paring of Archie Meets The Punisher, a Marvel-Archie crossover book.

Jack Kirby Splash Pages!

2011-12-01T16:11:00.000-06:00

Born Jacob Kurtzberg on August 28th, 1917, the artist drew under many names before finally landing on Jack Kirby. Growing up on the tough streets of New York's Lower East Side, Jack discovered at an early age he had a talent for drawing. Starting out as an "in-betweener" for Popeye cartoons, he later decided to leave animation in 1939, for more work in the syndicated newspaper strips. Joining with another budding artist, Joe Simon, they quickly found work in the new art medium called comic books. The team worked together nearly two decades, but are best know for their first iconic creation, Captain America, which they created for Timely Comics in 1940. From there, Kirby co-created literally hundreds of characters for National and other companies including the Boy Commandos, Challengers of the Unknown, Manhunter, Fighting American, The Newsboy Legion , and Sandman. But it wasn't until 1961 when Kirby's true legacy was to be discovered within the pages of Marvel Comics with writer Stan Lee. Now christened "The King" by Lee in all their titles, Jack either created, co-created, or revamped Marvels "A" list of characters such as The Avengers, The Incredible Hulk, Captain America, The Fantastic Four, Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandoes, The Mighty Thor, and The X-Men, just to name a few. Always a fast penciller, Kirby was teamed with some of the greatest inkers in the field as shown in these 1960/70s splashs such as Vince Coletta and Joe Sinnott. Why "The King" did so many splashes is anyone's guess; dramatic flair, a time saving element, or perhaps he just loved composing dynamic images for his books. In 1970, Kirby returned to his roots at DC Comics and continued his influence on the medium by creating such popular characters as the The Forever People, Mister Miracle, The New Gods, The Demon, and Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth. Embellished by artist Mike Royer for many of these later DC splashes, he added numerous new characters to DC's growing stable with his popular "Fourth World" series. Jack returned to Marvel Comics in 1975, pencilling once again Captain America, The Black Panther, and his new Devil Dinosaur, and The Eternals series, before slowing down and returning to more animation work. Poor health forced the artist to retire in 1987, but he was still active in comic fandom with his many convention appearances. Jack Kirby eventually passed away on February 6th, 1994, but is recognized by fans and professionals alike as the true master of the comic art form. So in the traditional proclamation made following the accession of a new monarch...Long live the King!

Foreign Favorites: Bruno Brazil

2011-11-25T11:04:00.000-06:00

Offered here is another one of the many fantastic strips to come from Belgium and a personal favorite of mine. Created by writer Michel Regnier and artist William Vance, Bruno Brazil first appeared in a 1967 issue of Belgium's weekly magazine, Tintin. A strip spawned by the spy craze, it was a rough mixture of Mission: Impossible and the The Dirty Dozen. Bruno Brazil is the leader of a motley crew of mercenaries known as the "Cayman Commandos" who takes on special espionage missions around the globe. Along with main characters "Gaucho" Morales and the lovely lash-wielding heroine called the "Whip", Bruno drives his unsavory team to the limit on every adventure, whether fighting Mafia Chieftains, counterspies, or island dictators. Regnier dynamic scripts and Vance's lush illustrations packed these tales with exciting characters, exotic locals, lots of violence and a break-neck pace that always made the feature a suspenseful thrill ride with a loyal fan following even today.

Gus Arriola...In His Own words

2011-11-18T08:31:00.000-06:00

Here is a short biography written by the artist in the 1960s for a trade publication who was one of my favorite cartoonists with his entertaining feature Gordo... I was born in the northern part of Mexico, now known as Arizona, July 23, 1917. I was reared in Los Angeles, California and was graduated from high school directly into the M.G.M. Cartoon Department as a story-sketch man on Tom 'n' Jerry cat and mouse series. That was in 1937. I created and sold Gordo, June 1941, to United Features Syndicate. Ten months after Pearl Harbor I joined the Army Air Force's Motion Picture Unit where I spent three and a half years making animated training films. A post-war search for an ideal home led me from Los Angeles to La Jolla, California for three years, thence to Phoenix, Arizona for five...then I finally found it in Carmel, California where I settled in an old redwood house by the beach, with my wife, Frances, my swinging son, Carlin, and Smelly Dave, the funniest, most charming of countless cats we've owned.

I'm interested in GOOD everything: music, books, food, wine, friends and times. I work alone on story and art. Consequently I lack enough time to enjoy all the GOOD. My working habits are sporadic. I spend from six to sometimes twelve hours a day in my studio at home. My mind works twenty-four hours a day. I rough out strips and Sunday pages on tissue...and ink them in over a light board. I like to vary material from nutty continuities or social satires, to single, daily gags. Sunday pages are my favorite. I love color. I try to work color and design into the Sunday pages to help ease my frustration of not having the time to paint.

Gold Key Comics...Tragg and the Sky Gods

2011-11-12T09:48:00.000-06:00

When Don Glut got the chance to write for Western Publications in the early 1970s, one of his first stories he produced was a rejected idea he had for Jim Warren about a caveman encountering the world's first werewolf. Appearing in Gold Key's Mystery Comic Digest #3, "Cry of the Dire Wolf" introduced Tragg and his lovely mate, Lorn fighting both saurians and the supernatural in a thrilling tale drawn by Filipino great, Jesse Santos. Another appearance followed the next year in the same anthology title, but editor Del Connell didn't want another dinosaur book since they already had great success with both Turok, and Tarzan. However in 1975, Erich Van Daniken's books were suddenly all the rage, Western wanted to develop a alien book in the same vein, so Tragg and the Sky Gods debuted in June of 1975. A strong mixture of science fiction and Stone Age action, the story revolved around the space aliens (Sky Gods) whose experiments on a prehistoric couple (Tragg and Lorn) creating the first Cro-magnons who eventually lead their Neanderthal brothers in revolt against the alien race. Lasting just twelve short issues in various anthology books and his own title, Santos commitments to other projects left the pencilling chores to Dan Spiegle, though Jesse still did the fantastic painted covers for the series.

Make Mine Marvel: Iron Man

2011-11-06T15:21:00.000-06:00

Tales of Suspense #39 from March of 1963 was the debut of one of Marvel Comics most inspiring new heroes, the "Golden Avenger" known as Iron Man was written by Stan Lee and initially drawn by Don Heck. Millionaire inventor Tony Stark while in Vietnam was kidnapped by the evil warlord Wong-Chu, who demanded the industrialist to build him the world's most powerful weapon. With an injured heart from his sudden capture, Stark fabricated an iron suit with built in pacemaker to keep him alive during this grueling ordeal until he eventually escaped by the sacrifice of another fellow scientist. Though Jack Kirby helped create the early look of the character in his bulky grey iron suit, Steve Ditko later greatly streamlined the flexible suit of armour, now forged in flashing gold-and-red. After fighting hordes of Vietnamese villains, Iron Man finally returns to America to work as Tony Stark's bodyguard, to be always close at hand when danger strikes. With a legion of various armour changes over the decades, Iron Man has become one of Marvel's hottest and long-lasting properties, especially with its blockbuster silver screen treatments with Robert Downey Jr. in the title role.

Direct Currents: The Haunted Tank

2011-11-01T14:14:00.000-05:00

Back in May of 1961, DC Comics introduced another of their unusual war titles with The Haunted Tank, appearing for the first time in G.I. Combat #87 by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Russ Heath. The story revolved around a Yankee Sergeant named Jeb Stewart who commanded a Stuart M3 tank during World War II that was possessed with the spirit of the Confederate General, James Ewell Brown. This ghost was chosen by by the spirit of Alexander the Great to watch over future brave warriors, including the noble crewmen of this chosen "haunted" tank. Sgt. Stuart was the only soldier able to see the spirit who appeared in times of trouble to guide their tank out of many dangers. Sporting a Confederate Flag in honor of their shared namesake, the Sargent's courage under fire greatly impressed the spectre, while his crew often thought their senior top-kick was either shell shocked or suffering from excessive heat stroke. Eventually Jeb Stewart was transferred with his crew to a number of different tanks across the European Theater, but the loyal ghost of J.E.B. never once left his side.

Society of Illustrators Profile: Frederic Remington

2011-10-25T09:07:00.000-05:00

Born in Canton, New York in 1861, Fredric Sackrider Remington spent many hours in the saddle riding with his father as a boy which started his lifelong love for horses that would help inspire the artist in his future career. Attending military school and a brief stint at Yale University, Remington was more interested in drawing and sports than his academic studies, so hearing tall tales of adventure on the frontier, he ventured West in 1881 to seek his fortune. Raising sheep and herding cattle in Montana did not provide much money, but he did end up with a bag full of drawings which he sold to Harper's Weekly upon his return. As much at home on the Western plains as with his society friends back East, Remington saw the Old West was quickly disappearing, so he decided to return many times to document the people, customs and landscapes of this dying tradition. In 1886 his work appeared in St Nicholas, Harper's Weekly, and Outing magazines, followed by offers from various other publications of the day. Thrilling the American public with his accurate Western scenes, the artist left the print media and turned to painting for exhibition in 1903. His equal care and attention to authentic detail in his paintings and sketches carried over to his budding interest in sculpture in 1898, where he was the first American to use the lost wax process. During the Spanish-American War, Remington went to Cuba as an artist/reporter where he met and developed an enduring friendship with the legendary rough rider, Teddy Roosevelt. Upon his death in 1909 from an appendicitis at age 48, Roosevelt spoke about this robust and energetic friend at his funeral," The soldier, the cowboy and rancher, the Indian, the horse and cattle of the plains will live in his pictures, I verily believe for all time."

Comic Art Legend: Jesse Marsh

2011-10-18T16:52:00.000-05:00

Born in Monrovia, California in 1907, little is known of Jesse Marsh's early life, though he joined Disney's Animation Studio at age thirty two doing breakdown animation on film classics such as Pinocchio and Fantasia. After a two year stint in WWII, he returned to Disney as a storyboard artist and idea man on various Donald Duck and Pluto cartoons among other features. While still at Disney, art director Tom McKimson at Western Printing encouraged Marsh to draw comics in his spare time, with his first assignment a Gene Autry cowboy book in 1945. Numerous children's books and comics soon followed until Marsh was fortunate enough to be chosen to do a Tarzan one-shot in February of 1947. Marsh's moody style inspired by Milton Caniff and Noel Sickles helped promote Burroughs ape-man for the next fifteen years on that blockbuster title. Best known for his one hundred sixty one issues of Tarzan he illustrated, the artist also worked on many of Western's licensed properties like Rex Allen, The Range Rider, Annie Oakly, and Jonny Mack Brown, just to name a few. Even though he produced thousands of pages over his twenty years at Western Printing, he also found time to work on Walt Disney's syndicated Treasury of Classic Tales Sunday page drawing Davy Crockett and Nikki, Wild Dog of the North. Drawing countless other projects such as Zorro for the foreign markets and ghosting the Flintstones were on his board in 1965, before diabetes caused his retirement due to failing eyesight. Now wanting to paint at his leisure, the artist unfortunately passed away within a year in 1965.

National Cartoonist Society Profile: Sheldon Moldoff

2011-10-12T17:20:00.005-05:00

Being the first of many "ghosts" to assist Bob Kane on Batman and Robin's many adventures, "Shelly" Modoff was an early favorite with DC's legion of fans in his long career with National. One of only a handful of cartoonists at the dawn of the Golden Age, the artist's solid drawing style helped him last well into the Silver Age...I was born April 14, 1920 in Manhattan, and had no formal art training, but learned to draw on the streets of New York with chalk. My favorite artists include, Norman Rockwell, Walt Disney, Alex Raymond, Milt Caniff, Hal Foster, and Willard Mullin. I sold my first cartoon at age seventeen, and was Bob Kane's first assistant on Batman. Was the Golden Age creator of the Black Pirate and Hawkman. I was also the cover artist who introduced the Green Lantern and The Flash at National. Ghosted Batman for Bob Kane from 1953-1967. Story-boarded the Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse animated series plus hundreds of other short films. Produced the original full length feature Marco Polo Jr show. Created comic book giveaways for Red Lobster, Shoney's Big Boy, Captain D's, Burger-King, Blockbuster, Atlanta Braves, and many others.

V.T. Hamlin...In His Own Words

2011-10-06T13:26:00.000-05:00

Here is a brief explanation, published years ago by cartoonist V.T. Hamlin about working on his world famous caveman, Ally Oop he created in 1932, and illustrated for over forty years. It's still being published today by the only husband and wife team in syndiction, Jack and Carole Bender...I'm an outdoors man myself, and my life has been a pleasantly exciting one, and often quite hazardous. I actually dislike violence, although I was a football player, a semi-pro boxer, a race car driver and any number of other crazy things. Now, I mostly fish...in the Florida Keys, with a fly rod or, in late summer, on the Yellowstone River, which I navigate mostly in a rubber boat. My character Alley Oop, with whom I have been most intimately associated for the past thirty years, is a kindly and gentile soul...albeit his physical appearance belies it. Physically, Oop is the man I would loved to have been myself. Mentally, I figure maybe I'm a notch or two up on him, but not much more than that.

My methods of working...it just sort of happens, if you get what I mean. Sometimes I know what I'm going to put down on that strip of blank paper. More often than not, however, I don't...and I'm often surprised at what I do put there. Now, I'm not just saying that for effect; it's the truth. As a young newspaper man in the Southwest, mostly in and around Fort Worth and Houston, Texas, I became fascinated by geology...especially the part devoted to the Mesozoic Age, the age of the reptile. In those days (1926) not many people knew much of anything about dinosaurs. So, being the good reporter that I was, I decided to tell them. What better way than with Alley Oop?

Nick Cardy's "Three Day Free Home Trial!"

2011-10-01T10:36:00.000-05:00

Nick Cardy is probably best known for his thirty nine issues of DC's Aquaman where he helped create the King of the Seven Seas lovely wife, Mera, and the evil villain, Ocean Master. His equally successful forty three issue run on National's Teen Titans was also an instant fan favorite, coupled with the artist's uncanny ability to draw very attractive female characters. Cardy's great skill with pen and ink soon made him DC's primary cover artist for the mid-1970s where he illustrated many titles including Superman, Action Comics, The Brave and the Bold, Batman, Flash, Ghosts, The Witching Hour, Bat Lash, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, World's Finest and numerous 100 Page Giant comics, just to name a few. Working more in the superhero genre in his long career with National, it's great to find a moody Cardy horror story drawn in his clean distinct style from DC's The Witching Hour #8 in this 1970 tale entitled...

Foreign Favorites: Lieutenant Blueberry

2011-09-25T15:04:00.000-05:00

Created in 1963, Lieutenant Blueberry was written by Jean-Michel Charlier and illustrated by artist Jean Giraud for the French magazine Pilote for their first story entitled "Fort Navajo." One of the most exciting and authentic Westerns to date, Mike Blueberry was a disillusioned solder assigned to the mythical Seventeenth Regiment to the U.S. Calvary assigned to the New Mexico territory. As well as his soldering duties, Blueberry usually ended up fighting his own private wars against lots of different foes, from marauding Apaches to savage gunrunners. With the help of his trusty sidekick, Jimmy McClure, the two adventurers enjoy fighting, whiskey, wild women, and gambling in their many stories together. Jean Giraud, who signed the work simply as Gir, made each character distinct and original, with his wonderful attention to detail, fantastic locals, and dramatic use of color. Considered by many to be one of the best strips in European comics, Gir left the strip to follow other projects after a few years. However, the talented artists Colin Wilson and William Vance both picked up the reigns at one time to continue these mighty yarns of the American wild west.

Marvel Spotlight: Captain America

2011-09-18T11:12:00.000-05:00

Created in March of 1941, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby's Star-Spangled Avenger burst onto the scene in his own title in Timely Comics Captain America #1. The greatest of heroes to come from our country's patriotism during WWII, donning the red, white, and blue flag-inspired costume of soldier Steve Rogers transformed him into the Sentinel of Liberty. Originally rejected from military service due to his scrawny build, Roger's was chosen for a secret experiment to create a race of super soldiers by drinking a potion making him super-human. With the death of the scientist who formulated the serum by Nazi spies, the one and only Captain America was born. With the help of his young side-kick, Bucky, the duo spent the war years fighting endless Axis enemies across the globe until the conflict ended. With the war won, Captain America's adventures faltered with him battling lesser criminal types until ending the title in May of 1949 on the 74th issue. Two brief appearances were published in a 1950s Atlas book, before Marvel Comics relaunched the character once again in The Avengers #4 in 1964. In Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's new origin for the hero, Steve was found frozen in an iceberg and brought back to life to fight in Marvel's Tales of Suspense before a name change to Captain American #100 in April of 1968. Thinking himself an anachronism in this modern age, Cap has many changes occur over time: including his many different professions; another new Bucky; the revival of his arch enemy, The Red Skull; and a hip new black crime-fighting partner, The Falcon. Depicted in animated cartoons, paper premiums, toys, paperbacks, a 1940s movie serial and his recent big screen treatment makes the legendary Captain America one of Marvel Comics hottest properties for a new legion of fans.

My Greatest Adventure: Hawkman

2011-09-13T10:58:00.003-05:00

Chasing criminals from their home world of Thanagar to Earth, Officers Kater Hol and his wife Shayera Thai were befriended by the Midway City police commissioner George Emmett, who helped them establish their new cover identifies. Now as Carter and Sharon Hall, they pose as museum curators while further studing our world's crime fighting methods as members of the Justice League of America. Using the weapons developed by his father, Hawkman and Hawkwoman's amazing artificial wings, hawk masks, and anti-gravity belts enables them to fly at great speeds and lift enormous weights aloft. Favoring our planet's ancient weapons, Hawkman duplicates them to form a mighty ancient arsenal to battle evildoers. The two alien crime fighters miraculously learn all our world's knowledge through their mysterious absorbascon machine, and start communicating with birds to aid in their endless war on crime. One of the early relaunches of the DC Comics Silver Age in Brave and the Bold #34, artist Joe Kubert and writer Robert Kanigher were the first to create these thrilling tales before Murphy Anderson was chosen as artist for Hawkman #1 in 1964. The enduring popularity of this long lasting DC property has the Winged Wonder still being published today.

Gold Key Comics...Star Trek

2011-09-06T20:16:00.000-05:00

One of the many licenced properties that Gold Key published in the late 1960s was NBC's new science fiction television show, Star Trek. Even though the show only last three years before cancellation, its success in reruns helped promote this first Star Trek comic series which debuted in September of 1967, and lasted for thirteen years. Italian artist Giovanni Ticci drew the first issue followed by Nevio Zeccara for the second in his loose cartoony style, before fan favorite Alberto Giolitti took over the pencilling with the help of his studio for the next ten years. With just a handful of stories based on the original TV series, the writers and artists at Gold Key created new adventures for Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and the valiant crew of the Starship Enterprise. Gerry Boudreau, Arnold Drake, and Len Wein were just some of the talented writers to work on the feature, showcasing Giolitti's exciting aliens, savage landscapes, and weird architecture before he eventually left the title for other projects. George Wilson's did many of the outstanding painted covers as strip artist Alden McWilliams finished out the run, ending with issue #61 in March of 1979. Surprisingly, Alberto never saw an episode of the television show, but used stills for reference that the editors provided, which might explain the flames coming out of the Enterprise engines in some of the panels. As the first of many Star Trek related comics to be published by different companies over the years, this definitive version is still a favorite to Gene Roddenberry's legion of fans.

A Neal Adams Gallery

2011-09-01T10:04:00.000-05:00

Neal Adams was one of the first new Silver Age artists to break into the stable of DC illustrators that had remained virtually a closed shop for a decade or more prior to his arrival. After attending the School of Industrial Art in Manhattan, he soon started working for Archie Comics illustrating mostly humor strips before leaving for some brief syndicated strip work on Bat Masterson. His work in advertising with Johnstone and Cushing lead to the NBC TV property Ben Casey daily and Sunday strip, while also "ghosting" a few other strip features. A handful of stories with Warren Publications followed before he finally got his big break with National in 1967 doing a back up war story in Our Army at War. Being DC's lead cover artist, Adams revamped the look of superhero icons such as Superman, Batman, and Green Arrow, while developing new characters, before his historic and short stint on the X-Men and The Avengers at Marvel in 1969. Probably best know for redefining Batman with writer Denny O'Neal, his classic work on Green Lantern/Green Arrow ushered in relevant and serious themes never seen in comics before, challenging the Comics Code Authority with these exciting stories. The artist's dynamic photorealistic style revolutionized comic book art for the modern era, pushing the boundaries of the medium. As well as being one of the most important creators in the Silver Age, Neal was a leading advocate for creator's rights. Adams spearheaded the fight for Jerry Robinson to secure a pension and recognition for Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster. A co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates, this award winning talent is still an important contributor in comic art today.

Society of Illustrators Profile: Coby Whitmore

2011-08-25T10:06:00.000-05:00

Born in Ohio in 1913, Coby Whitmore's early interest in art lead him to attend the Dayton Art Institute, though he was later still undecided to pursue an art career. Fortunate to be working at McCall's print department during the Great Depression, his chance encounter with a dapper gentleman who came in to check on his cover's color reproduction changed Whitmore's life forever. Artist McClellan Barclay visit so impressed the youth that fateful day, Coby quit his job, borrowed some funds and moved to Chicago to be an apprentice to Haddon Sundblom. After three years under Sundblom's tutelage and attending night classes at the Chicago Art Institute, Whitmore got his first break working as a staff artist for the Chicago-Herald Examiner.

The 1940s ushered a move to New York and work for the Charles E. Cooper Studio where the artist excelled drawing lovely women for various publications. Covers and inside pages of America's most popular magazines including, The Ladie's Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, and McCall's soon followed. Sexy, beautifully dressed, classy women were his speciality that made Whitmore a true "star", though his male counterparts were always as dashing and sophisticated. If art imitates life, Whitmore's great success provided him the lifestyle he often created on canvas. Traveling the world, racing cars, was now all within his grasp, even as he moved his family to Hilton Head Island in the late 1960s to finally specialize in painting portraits.

Hal Foster...In His Own Words

2011-08-18T16:27:00.001-05:00

By profession I am a cartoonist, and my work is displayed through the medium of the Sunday comic section. But in reality I am an illustrator, and my methods are those of an illustrator. A through foundation of perspective, anatomy, composition and color are essential. Like most of the artist who draw story or adventure strips, I spent many years as a commercial artist. Cartooning is the presentation of ideas. The best illustration or the funniest caricature is static unless it is the visual part of an interesting or comic idea. Prince Valiant is written in novel form, corrected, changed and researched. The the page is laid out and the story broken down into captions; the first panel takes up the story where it left off the previous week, and the last panel suggests suspense to be told the following week. The layout of the page is a pencil sketch, so that each panel can be planned to offer variety...the portrait, half-figures and intricate and detailed scenes. Two-thirds of the "novel" is discarded, for the captions must be reduced to a minimum. Nobody ever wants to read a long caption.

The page, 29 x 15 inches, follows the pencil sketch. The finished black-and-white page is then Photostatted and the 'stat' colored. It is this colored photostat that the engraver follows in making the plates. Much research has gone into the illustrations; the costumes and weapons, architecture, harness, even the farm implements must be of King Arthur's period. Even more care must be taken with the story, for each actor must remain in character, and the action must be ever-changing. Too much drama or violent action can be boring, so I try to follow with family scenes, introduce new actors, or add a touch of humor, before the next dangerous episode. There is an old saying among cartoonists, "No one ever sold a funny drawing, but a funny idea illustrated puts meat on the table!" I have emphasized the story idea here, because of all the aspiring young students who have asked my advice, no one has seemed to consider it at all. Their interest was in the pens and brushes, the paper, size, how to draw a funny figure...and would I introduce them into my Syndicate.

National Cartoonist Society Profile: Carl Barks

2011-08-12T16:55:00.000-05:00

Carl Barks has spent most of his life drawing, illustrating, painting and telling stories about ducks. He was editor and artist for the Calgary Eyeopener until he joined the Disney Studio in 1935. Barks wrote and drew thirty six early Donald Duck cartoons. Walt Disney was supervisor to his "duck unit". In 1942 he dedicated himself to the art form that made him famous: writing comics books and drawing them. Carl became the preeminent Disney comic book artist and remains so to this day. In 1996 his timeless work has been reprinted worldwide. He is known as the father of Donald Duck as well as the creator of the miserly Uncle Scrooge. Duckburg and most of the duck clan owe their existence to his pen and paintbrush. In 1968 Carl began a new career capturing the duck family in oil paintings. Many Disney Bark's products have been created from his work including silk-screens, lithographs, bronze and porcelain figurines. At 93 Barks went on an eleven country museum tour with his oil paintings. From Iceland to Poland forty of his paintings were received to rave reviews and huge crowds. In Denmark the 3rd grade was let out to meet Barks at the boat. When asked what he would most like to be remembered for he answers "storytelling."

Comic Art Legend: Jesse Santos

2011-08-06T10:06:00.004-05:00

As a child growing up in the 1970s, I was fascinated by the colorful painted covers of Gold Key Comics. I later found out that some of their greatest short-lived titles were done by the nicest man in comics, the talented Jesse Santos. Born June 24, 1928, Santos was already an artist at the young age ten with a mural he did that was placed in front of his town church in Tereas, Rizal. At fifteen he he started his career doing portraits of both American servicemen and Japanese soldiers that occupied his small town. Even the Filipino guerrilla fighters sought Jesse out to draw talismans of good luck on their clothing. Working as a sidewalk portrait artist he was soon discovered by cartoonist Tony Valasquez who had the young Santos illustrate his first feature, Kidlat, for Philippines' early Halaklak Comics. When Pilipino Komiks started out Santos teamed up with Damy Velasquez to produce the most famous detective strips ever produced in the country, DI 13.

Later attending the University of Santo Tomas, he soon quit school to fulfill more art assignments for Paraluman magazine, Liwayway, Ace Publications, Gold Star Publishing, and numerous others. Handling magazine and book illustrations, covers, portraits, and movie advertisements, this hard working artist still had time to team up with some of the best talent to produce many new comic series over the years. His success in the art world helped him win awards and serve as as officer in both the prestigious Philippine Illustrators and Cartoonist and the National Press Club. Leaving for the United States in 1969, Western Publications quickly picked up the talented illustrator to draw various sword and sorcery and adventure titles like Davy Crockett, Dagar, Tragg and the Sky Gods, Brothers of the Spear, The Occult Files of Dr. Spektor, and Mystery Comics Digest, just to name a few.

Santos unique style had a loose and rough approach to his heroic characters with both some life-like portrait expressions and realistic but exaggerated and distorted figures, which were a wonderful combination that made him stand out in the comic world. The artist was a member of many groups including the Philippine Comic Archives and the Philippine Science-Fantasy Society. His fine art paintings have been exhibited by the Society of Western Artists, winning numerous awards while shown in international art shows, universities, museums, galleries, and private collections. A man of many talents he is well remembered by fan and pro alike for his contributions to comic art.

Foreign Favorites: Zagor

2011-08-01T14:09:00.003-05:00

Created by writer Sergio Bonelli and artist Gallieno Ferri, Zagor first appeared in his own self-named title in 1961. An American Western hero of the 1830s, Patrick Wilding was an orphan of an Indian raid that killed his parents as a child. Taken in by a friendly trapper called Wandering Fitzy, the lad grew strong as he mastered the use of a fighting hatchet. Taking the Indian name of Za-Gor Te-Nay or Zagor for short, this "Spirit with the Hatchet" later trained with a traveling family of acrobats to better hone his skills into the avenger of justice that he is to become. With his trusty and amusing chubby side-kick, Don, our hero set up a fortress in Darkwood Forest to help fight for all oppressed men, no matter their color or creed. Not your typical Western feature, there is often a wild mix of science fiction and horror that overshadow the adventure strip. An Italian comic with a world following, its popularity grew steadily in the former Yugoslav Republics, Austria, Turkey, Greece, Israel, and many other countries. Zagor's adventures are still being published today to a legion of new fans.

Archie Comics: Adventures of The Fly

2011-07-25T10:04:00.000-05:00

Hearing rumors that his employer, Mr. March, was a sorcerer, orphan boy Tommy Troy snuck into his attic one night to discover a weird glowing ring that the boy was compelled to try on. As the room was plunged into darkness, Turan, Emissary of the Fly people appeared out of another dimensional plane activated by the mysterious fly ring. Explaining how his people were overcome by power-hungry despots, they reduced his race to the insignificant life form known as the fly! Since evil and greed still flourish in the world today, the emissary stated that only one pure of heart could still wield the powers of the lost fly race by simply rubbing this magic ring. Thomas Troy, met the challenge, and became the super-guardian of justice known as, The Fly. Now possessed with the insect's properties, Troy has the strength of a hundred men, can see in all directions, scale any height, and fight crime with his ultra quick reflexes and feared buzz-gun whose powerful stinger leaves crooks unconscious. Grown to manhood, our hero serves justice by day as an attorney at law, but as night falls on a sleeping city, Troy becomes the nemesis to all criminals, the dreaded Fly! First published in August of 1959, this early Joe Simon and Jack Kirby hero lasted for thirty suspenseful issues before its cancellation in 1964.

Sensational Strips: Paul Temple

2011-07-18T09:08:00.001-05:00

Francis Durbridge's crime novelist turned private detective, Paul Temple, started out in a collection of 1938 radio show serials before later featured in four films produced in the 1940s. Durbridge further success with a novel and Paul Temple television show helped spur the Associated Press editors to develop a strip version which began in the London Evening News on November 19, 1951 for its twenty year run. Since Durbridge was hired to write the feature, he quickly picked up his main characters, Paul, his beautiful wife Steve, and Scotland Yard's Sir Graham Forbes. Alfred Sindall was chosen as the first artist, but soon left to develop his own strip property, and Bill Bailey too over the drawing chores. But most fans just remember the skilled pen work of artist John McNamara who changed the look of the title character to match his on screen persona. Numerous marketing items and pocket-sized comic books soon followed, but who can forget the fond memories of this delightful strip reprinted in America's Menominee Falls Gazette.

Direct Currents: Batgirl

2011-07-12T17:04:00.001-05:00

With her first appearance in Detective Comics #359 from January 1969 spawned from the ABC TV program, Batgirl has become one of DC's more popular female characters over the years. Barbra Gordon, was a mild mannered librarian who was on her way to attend her father's Policeman Masquerade Ball in a Batgirl "homage" costume she designed herself. On her way to the party, she witnessed the villain Killer Moth ambushing millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne as part of an massive extortion plot. Impulsively rushing to help her father's friend, Barbara enjoyed the excitement of the chase so much, she decided to devote her life to fighting crime. Wearing her utility belt similar to the Caped Crusader's, she has at her fingertips all the modern devices needed in her endless war against crime. With the beautiful heroine's extensive skills in the martial arts, and a custom-built batcycle, Batgirl often fought with Gotham's Dynamic Duo in their many memorable adventures together.

Make Mine Marvel: The Incredible Hulk

2011-07-06T09:59:00.001-05:00

Doctor Bruce Banner was preparing a test of his new gamma-ray bomb created for the United States government, when he noticed a youth on the bomb site. In rushing to save the trespassing Rick Jones, Banner was bathed in rays of the explosion, changing him into a green skinned raging monster. Borrowing heavily from both Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mister Hyde this creation of writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby debuted in 1962 as The Incredible Hulk. Misunderstood by the public as an evil monster, this green goliath's only friend was the boy he saved, Rick Jones, as Bruce tried to evade capture from his former boss, General "Thunderbolt" Ross. Betty Ross rounded out the cast as Banner's girlfriend in between his transformations to the creature as the doctor continually searched for a cure. After a short six issue run in the original series, Hulk was featured in Tales to Astonish before he took over that title with issue #102. Out of all the artists that worked on the popular Marvel Comics feature, Herb Trimpe is best remembered in depicting the emerald giant.

Society of Illustrators Profile: Noel Sickles

2011-07-01T08:48:00.000-05:00

Noel Sickles grew up in Chillicothe, Ohio where he was inspired by his father's many sketches of his hard days working on the railroad. Taking a correspondence course from the Landon School of Art, Noel would often scourer the library studying all the illustrations he could find in books and magazines. At the age of nineteen, Sickles joined the Ohio State Journal as a political cartoonist, and three years later he created his classic adventure strip Scorchy Smith. Described as "the greatest natural cartoonist I ever knew" by his good friend Milton Caniff, Sickles gave up cartooning in 1940 to begin his illustration career with Life magazine during WWII. He drew for both the Navy and War Departments illustrating highly sensitive material and events that could not be photographed. After the war he worked for many different publications drawing his unique black-and-white scenes and often sparsely colored illustrations for National Geographic, Reader's Digest, and Life, who sponsored an exhibit of his work that toured the world.

Mort Walker...In His Own Words

2011-06-24T08:16:00.003-05:00

I was born in Kansas in 1923, reared in Kansas City, Missouri educated at the University of Missouri, and matured with the Untied States Army in Italy. Instead of bedtime stories, my father used to tell me anecdotes about the famous cartoonists of that day. I drew constantly, and spent many days on the floor of the art department of the Kansas City Star going through drawers of old cartoon originals. Success at my chosen art came early. I started selling to magazines when I was twelve. All of my dates were financed by the money I made selling cartoons to church publications, the local newspaper, and amateur contests in kids' magazine's. My father was an architect who painted, wrote poetry and drew cartoons. My mother had been an illustrator and designer. We were poor by financial standards (we were often without heat, lights or food), but we were rich in every other way imaginable.

My parents were wonderfully inspiring, guiding hand in my career. When I was fifteen I did a strip for the Kansas City paper. It was about a group of goofy sailors with a fat captain. Little did I know then that I would hit it rich with the same theme...but in different uniforms! I submitted my first strip to a syndicate while I was still in high school, but it was turned down. In my first year of college and working in the stock room of Hallmark Greeting Card Company, I read an add for an artist...at Hallmark! They almost fired me for looking for a job while in their employ. I told the company, honestly, that their cards were gooey, over sentimental and sickening, and I wouldn't buy one for my grandmother. They hired me. At seventeen I became the editorial designer for all the greeting cards that Hallmark produced. The war interrupted the great start I had. While in the service I met all the characters who people my strip. The "Sarge" I knew didn't have a hair changed to walk right into the strip.

I work with an "assembly line " system. That is, I pencil in an entire week of strips in one day. The next day I ink them in. This is opposed to the "one complete strip a day" method used by many cartoonists. Two days I write ideas, sketching them in pencil on typing paper, one to a page. Jerry Dumas, who works with me, has also at the same time been home writing, and we get together Monday morning and discuss our week's output of ideas. We vote on the best, discard the bad ones, and put aside those that are worth saving, if we can repair them. I use a three-ply, plate finish drawing paper. A #170 pen point for drawing, and a stub for lettering. I use India ink, F pencils, and erasers, among other things. And don't forget your electric pencil sharpener and an electric eraser for ink smears.

Foreign Favorites: Kaliman

2011-06-18T09:15:00.000-05:00

Created in 1963 for a Mexican radio play by Rafael Cutberto Navarro and Modesto Vázquez González, the mysterious hero known as Kaliman was an instant hit with audiences across Latin America. With his sworn oath to the goddess Kali to fight injustice around the world, he travels with his side-kick, Solin, an Egyptian boy who is descended from the Pharaohs. A master of the martial arts, Kaliman also has extensive mental powers including telepathy, levitation, remote viewing, telekinesis, hypnosis, astral projection, self-healing and his "actus mortis" state to fake death, just to name a few. A hero that never kills, Kaliman is a human at the peak of his abilities, thanks to his superior esoteric knowledge, but often states that all mankind could have these talents with great study and dedication. His wise phrases are legendary to fans as he guides young Solin along his own path. Sayings like,"The mind's eye sees further" and "He who brings peace opens any door" or "Life ends and begins with a vision of hope" are some of many. Kaliman's first Mexican comic appearance was in December of 1965 with a ten part storyline entitled "The Tomb Raiders" which sold out its 100,000 copies in just one week. The original series lasted for twelve hundred exciting issues loaded with action and adventure before the title finally ended in 1991. Reprints of Kaliman have been published in Latin America since 1998.

Charlton Comics...Judomaster

2011-06-12T09:51:00.000-05:00

An early Charlton hero, Army Sergeant Rip Jagger was stationed in the South Pacific with a small elite band of soldiers hunting a ruthless Major called Yoku. While saving a young girl from a Japanese sniper, Rip's whole unit was wiped out as he was rescued by the island natives that opposed Japan's war plans. Sensei, their native leader, grateful for this stranger saving his only child, honored Jagger by teaching him the secrets of the martial arts. Immersed in spiritual and physical training unknown to the Western world, Jagger became a master of Judo and dawning a colorful outfits became leader of Sensei's band of rebels. Once the island was free from Yoku's men, Rip was assigned to a local army base as he continued to fight on his clandestine missions as the Judomaster. Later, when an orphan Japanese boy is discovered on the army base, his early skills in martial art lead him in becoming Judomaster's reckless side-kick, the dreaded Tiger.

National Cartoonist Society Profile: Alden McWilliams

2011-06-06T12:51:00.004-05:00

Born, Greenwich, Connecticut. Graduated New York School Fine and Applied Art. First artwork in pulp magazines. Pioneer in comic books with Dell Western printing. Assisted on Tim Tyler's Luck. In the army 1942, European Theatre for three years. Continued in comic books for almost every company, plus adventure and illustration. Assisted on Rip Kirby, illustrated Twin Earths strip, later at same time, illustrated Davy Jones and assisted on Dan Flagg! Left Flagg to assist on Mary Perkins, On Stage. Changed from both Jones and On Stage to illustrate Dateline: Danger, the first integrated strip (Field Newspaper Syndicate). Following that I have worked chiefly for Western Publishing doing art on Star Trek and others, currently Buck Rogers. Live in Darien, Connecticut with wife Ruth. Two sons, oldest Chris, Captain Air Force (Strategic Air Command), currently based in England: younger son Rick teaching art, photography and coaching soccer, hockey at private prep school in Millbrook, New York. Both sons married. Ruth and I spend all time available at beach house, Eastham, Cape Cod, quohoging and trying to meet deadlines.

Joe Kubert's Ragman "The Tatterdemalion of Justice"

2011-06-01T08:47:00.003-05:00

One of DC Comics most unusual new heroes to see print in the Seventies was Kanigher and Kubert's Ragman that debuted in its own short-lived title in August of 1976. A Vietnam veteran, Rory Regan, returned home to help his father, a junk man who owned a pawn shop called Rags'n'Tatters. Worried about his son's financial success, Pop Regan unexpectedly discovered a fortune hidden in an old mattress that was recently pawned in his shop. While Pop celebrated with his side show friends over his stroke of luck, a band of thieves arrived to retrieve the loot from their armored car heist. Not giving up the money's location, the hoods shot down some electrical wires to torture the group. When Rory later came upon the scene, the crooks had gone without the money, but in reaching out to help his dying father and friends caught in the wires, the youth was shocked unconscious. When our hero awoke, all the powers of his father and his circus friends had mysteriously been transferred to him. So taking up a weird costume made of rags his father constructed for a party, this "Tatterdemalion of Justice " was born to fight for the weak and oppressed. Here is one of Kubert's moody tales from issue #4 in this 1977 story entitled...

My Greatest Adventure: Omac, One Man Army Corps

2011-05-25T12:38:00.001-05:00

One of Jack Kirby's DC creations that has been revived time and again, Omac, One Man Army Corps, debuted in his own title in October of 1974. In an alternate timeline, a Great Disaster will destroy Earth in the late 21th century, so a group of friendly aliens created the Global Peace Agency to stop threats to our planet's security. To monitor the world aggressive forces they developed a satellite called Brother Eye and chose a simple stock boy, Buddy Blank, to lead Project O.M.A.C.. When called upon to prevent a global threat, Blank is transformed into Omac and charged with alien energy provided by the all-watching Brother Eye. This "one man army" has superhuman strength, superior intellect, protective shielding, and near invulnerability from his computerized overseer orbiting high above Earth. With only an eight issue initial run, Omac appeared over the years in other DC titles and was used in two very different story timelines. In the first he was able to prevent the Great Disaster, and his grandson grew up to be DC's Tommy Tomorrow, but in the other, Omac failed as beasts took over the planet and Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth became his offspring in this alternate reality.

Marvel Spotlight: The Avengers

2011-05-19T13:25:00.001-05:00

One of the earliest super teams created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, The Avengers debuted in their own title in September of 1963. Originally consisting of Iron Man, The Wasp, Thor, Ant-Man and The Hulk, the green skinned goliath soon left the feature and was replaced by a recently revived WWII hero, Captain America. With the Captain dominating the storylines for the next dozen issues or so, the entire team eventually resigned as new members Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch joined the roster. As often as team members changed over the years, so did the artist which drew the feature including, Don Heck, Gene Colan, Bob Brown, and the brothers John and Sal Buscema. But most comic fans fondly remember the few issues written by Roy Thomas in 1972 when the Scarlet Witch fell in love with The Vision, illustrated by Neal Adams who was at the top of his game in layouts and penciling at that time.

Society of Illustrators Profile: Jon Whitcomb

2011-05-13T15:10:00.000-05:00

With a mother who was an art teacher, and a father who made a career as a drafting instructor, you might say that illustrator Jon Whitcomb was predestined to have superior artistic talents. Having plenty of access to art supplies as a child, Jon's interest in drawing began at an early age and steadily grew over the years until he finally decided to make art his profession. Eventually attending Ohio Wesleyan University and Ohio State, Jon did pictures for school publications and posters for a local theatre company. Upon graduation the artist worked for various studios doing advertising, travel and theatre posters. Moving to New York in the early 1930s, Whitcomb had developed his colorful, simple, direct style, especially in rendering the perfect glamorous American woman image.

Always able to portray the latest in dress fashions and elegant decor, the artist excelled in numerous magazines including Good Housekeeping, The Saturday Evening Post, Cosmopolitan, and Collier's. When WWII broke out, Whitcomb was a Lieutenant in the Navy doing his duty as a mine sweeper, before the military discovered his drawing skills and a transfer to the Pacific as a combat artist. After the war, Jon did a series of monthly articles and sketches starring the latest motion picture stars for Cosmopolitan as well as their covers and other spot illustrations. Sometimes working as much as eighteen hours in a single day to accomplish all his writing and illustration duties, Whitcomb lived and worked in his beautiful home with studio in Darien, Connecticut. His clean direct style attracted a legion of imitators, but only Jon Whitcomb was a true original and master of this specific genre of illustration.

John Cullen Murphy...In His Own Words

2011-05-06T13:13:00.011-05:00

I was born in New York City in 1919, and reared in Chicago, where I attended the Chicago Art Institute. In 1934 I was a model for Norman Rockwell, the noted illustrator, for several of his paintings. He also gave me great encouragement in my art work. I attended the Phoenix Art Institute, Grand Central Art School, and the Art Student's League. I studied with Franklin Booth, George Bridgeman, Sidney Dickinson, and Charles Chapman. I painted cover for Columbia and Liberty magazines in 1939 and 11940.While I was in the Army, I traveled all over the country.I also saw service in Australia, New Guinea, The Philippines, Okinawa and Japan. I painted portraits of many outstanding generals: MacArthur, Krueger, Kenny, Eichelberger and others.Also did the on-the-spot war paintings for the Chicago Tribune.

I came out of the Army as a Major, and began doing paintings and illustrations for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Look Magazine, Colliers and many more. Most of these illustrations were in the travel or sports vein.Elliott Caplin, brother of Al Capp, contacted me with an idea for a new strip in 1949. I agreed to illustrate it, he to write it...it was to be called Big Ben Bolt, and it was sold immediately to King Features Syndicate. It's been going ever since. Elliott Caplin lives near me, and he sends me scripts every week. They are different stories for the daily and Sunday strips, and they require a great deal of research. In my employ is George Raymond, younger brother of the late Alex Raymond.Raymond does research and lettering, and roughs out picture ideas. I do all the final work except the lettering. I frequently use real people... neighbors, friends etc. as models. Ben Bolt in a prize-fighter and I have an extensive background in that sport. I have a studio separate but adjacent to my one hundred year old Victorian home. When not drawing, I am painting.

Frank Frazetta's... Johnny Comet

2011-05-01T10:20:00.014-05:00

In January 28, 1952, twenty four year old artist Frank Frazetta started his only stint in newspaper strips with Johny Comet, McNaught Syndicated newest feature that added a Sunday version on February of the same year. Credited to writer Peter de Paolo, a real race car driver in his own right who acted more as a technical advisor, the feature was actually scripted by Earl Baldwin. The story revolved around California midget-car races and fifty-lap showdowns, a handsome driver named Johnny, and his lovely blonde girlfriend, Jean Fargo. A big hunk of a man whose only interest was the races, his shapely gal could never get his mind on other subjects. Unfortunately the stories never lived up to the pulsating power of Frazetta's lovely ladies or dynamic race cars as they encountered a world of oily car mechanics, shady garage proprietors, small-time chiselers and big-time crooks on and off the track.

Early on, Peter de Paolo's car-racing tips that accompanied the Sundays helped authentic the pit-stop feel of the strip, but in August of 1952, the syndicate decided to drop the Sunday continuity to showcase self-contained gags. For some unknown reason the strip was renamed to Ace McCoy in November. Even Frank Frazetta's superior artwork, an artist who could handle an adventure or gag episode equally well, could not save the strip which only lasted untill February of 1953.

Foreign Favorites: Jerry Spring

2011-04-24T10:14:00.003-05:00

Belgium's Jerry Spring was created by Joseph Gillain who signed his work as Jije for the weekly comic Spirou in 1954. A dour but fearless noble figure, Spring travelled as a kind of knight errant across the Western plains with his cheerful Mexican side-kick, Poncho. This contrast of characters, superior story lines and Jije's magnificent artwork brought what could have been an ordinary cowboy story out of typical stereotypes into the realm of myth. Armed only with his twin Colts and a driving sense of justice, our hero was always his own man righting wrongs and making quite an impression with his exploits on the European market. The success of the feature helped revive the Western strip all across Europe until it original run ended in 1967. Picked up in reprints by Editions Dupuis, it was revived in 1974 to continue these classic adventures.

Sensational Strips: Walt Kelly's Pogo

2011-04-17T13:20:00.003-05:00

Carl Sandburg once echoed the cry of millions when he said: "I GO POGO." Creator of the most famous possum in the world, Walt Kelly, was born in 1913 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Kelly had a variety of odd jobs as a youth including sweeping floors in a factory that made ladies underwear in the early 1930s to make ends meet. That job that only lasted three weeks, before he became a reporter for a local newspaper. Walt had already worked for this same publisher in high school doing political cartoons when he was just thirteen years old. Later, after following his dream, Kelly worked for Walt Disney studios along with fifteen other artists to create cartoon features like Snow White, Fantasia, and Pinocchio, just to name a few. In 1948 Kelly next worked in comic books and drew political cartoons when he decided to renew drawing a favorite character from his comic book days.

Needless to say, that character was Pogo who had first appeared way back in 1943 in various comic books. After trying his luck with a handful of syndicates, who quickly turned him down on his new strip, Walt showed the feature to Bob Hall, President of the Hall Syndicate, who liked it enormously. Within five years the popular daily and Sunday was appearing in around four hundred newspapers across the country. Even today, Walt Kelly is a very famous a man, with Pogo books and other merchandise selling in the millions over the years. When asked about his methods of working, Mr. Kelly simply replied: "There are none that I know of; I just sit myself down and start drawing from scratch."

Direct Currents: Enemy Ace

2011-04-12T11:15:00.002-05:00

With his first appearance in Our Army At War #151 in February 1965, Hans von Hammer, was one of DC's most unforgettable war heroes created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Joe Kubert. The son of a German aristocrat, the young Baron was one of the first to enlist when World War I broke out in 1914. A model Third Reich soldier, von Hammer quickly excelled in flight school over the envy of his peers, causing an early duel of honor with a fellow cadet that gained his permanent scar on his left cheek. One of the greatest natural pilots to be seen, this "Hammer of Hell" as the Allied forces called him was soon appointed as Rittsmeister of his own Jagdstafell. Over the long and deadly years of the war, this "Enemy Ace" had over seventy confirmed kills to his credit, much to his dismay for this endless loss of life. A solitary man who kept to himself, he took no joy in his new found fame performing his grisly duties for the Fatherland. When not flying, von Hammer would aimlessly roam the grounds of his estate in the Black Forest, with his only true companion, a huge grey wolf.

National Cartoonist Society Profile: Alfred Andriola

2011-04-06T19:30:00.000-05:00

I was born in New York City and grew up in Rutherford, New Jersey. All through school at Cooper Union and Columbia , I wanted to be a writer, but I got hooked on comic strips as Milton Caniff's assistant. My first strip was "Charlie Chan" from 1938 - 42. I started "Kerry Drake" in 1943 for Publishers-Hall Syndicate. Co-authored "Ever Since Adam and Eve" in 1955, edited "The Cartoonist!" and "The Newsletter" for the National Cartoonist Society and served on several boards of governors and committees. Received National Cartoonist Society Silver T-Square Award in 1970 and the Reuben Award in 1971. Chairman of the Newspaper Comics Council and Chairman of Diamond Jubilee Committee of Comics. My interests are theater, food, writing and far-away places. I live in New York, where I enjoy my bachelor status. If I could do it over again, I'd want to be a writer, and I'd be damn glad if it turned out that I became a cartoonist!

An Esteban Maroto Gallery

2011-04-01T11:26:00.005-05:00

Out of all the posting I've published over the past five years, the most popular by far, being viewed thousands of times more than any other article is on artist, Esteban Maroto. Born in Spain in 1942, Maroto burst on the American comics scene in the early 1970s with his captivating work for Warren Publication's horror magazines Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella. Lush, dynamic, and intensely erotic, Maroto's work quickly earned him a loyal fan following and a reputation as one of comics' most exciting and unique talents. Beside his extensive work published throughout Europe, most American fans fondly remember his brief episodes with Marvel, DC, Topps, Image, Heavy Metal, Cross Gen, Dynamite, and Continuity Comics. Offered below is a selection of images from Avon's Conan paperbacks, Red Sonja, The Atlantis Chronicles, Five for Infinity, Tarzan, various Warren pages, and other color commissions recently done by the Spanish artist.

Make Mine Marvel: Iron fist

2011-03-26T09:35:00.003-05:00

With his first appearance in Marvel Premiere #15 from May 1974, "The House of Ideas" added a second martial arts hero, Daniel Rand, AKA Iron Fist to their impressive lineup. His parents murdered before his eyes by a double crossing business partner on a snow capped mountain in Tibet, nine year old orphan Rand was taken in by mysterious K'un L'un Monastery to study the ancient art of Kung-Fu. After years of intensive training, Rand honed his skills to become a living weapon, mastering the technique of focusing all his "chi" energy into an almost invincible smouldering iron fist. Returning to American to work as a bodyguard, Daniel, in his new identity of Iron Fist searches to avenge his parents murders, eventually finishing off the deadly villain who preformed the deed. Roy Thomas was chosen to craft the early scripts with Gil Kane doing the character design and artistic chores for the first few dynamic issues. But the hero's real popularity came when he got his own title in November 1975, written by Chris Claremont and illustrated by fan favorite, John Byrne, for its successful fifteen issue run. Later teaming up with Marvel's Powerman to find a wider audience, Iron Fist has survived many incarnations in new titles over the years.

Foreign Favorites: El Indigo

2011-03-19T11:00:00.000-05:00

When the Spaniards were searching for the Indies they mistakenly called the Malayan they discovered "Indigos" or Indians, a name they used for all non-Spanish citizens of the Philippines. Written and illustrated by the father of Filipino comics, Francisco V. Coching, El Indigo was the first grand epic to grace the pages of a 1953 Pilipino Komiks, running for over thirty thrilling chapters of action and suspense. Our hero, Fernando, was a revolutionary who unknown to him, defied his father's rule, Kapitan Castillo, who towered over the Filipino people with an iron hand. Equally skilled with pistol or sword, Fernando used his shrewed tactics and superior horsemanship to wreak havoc on the domineering Spanish colonists. With a wonderful supporting cast including our star's beautiful girlfriend, Victoria, and his lovely mother Blanquita, who unfortunately was the lover of Castillo, the writing was always witty and engaging. Wonderful scripts coupled with excellent artwork made the feature an instant adventure classic, that could only have been produced by an individual of Coching's skill and mastery of the comic art form.

Ric Estrada's "A Helping Hand"

2011-03-13T13:44:00.000-05:00

Born in Cuba, Ric Estrada came to the United States in 1947, and was soon was working for publishers like Hillman, EC, Ziff-Davis, St. John, and other comic book companies. In the sixties and seventies the artist worked for DC Comics on their many romance titles, while also illustrating numerous war and superhero stories. Estrada also excelled in the animation field and was an influential instructor at the Famous Artist School and later, the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. Many of us fondly remember those thrilling back-up tales he produced containing some of his most dramatic storytelling in his long comic book career, including this ironic little 1975 tale from Our Army at War #278 called...

Buried Treasure: Dark Shadows

2011-03-06T09:03:00.001-06:00

With its first appearance on March 14, 1971, Dark Shadows, had a daily and Sunday feature based on the popular Dan Curtis ABC television soap opera. Created by the Newspaper Enterprise Association, it was written by Elliot Caplin and drawn by artist Ken Bald, under the pen name K. Bruce due to conflict with other strips he illustrated at the same time. Unfortunately, the TV show ended just a few weeks after the feature saw print, but they finished out their one year contract over the next fifty weeks with six separate story lines lasting two months each. Not following the continuity of the show, it also didn't include all the main characters, but concentrated on Barnabas Collins and some of the lovely ladies of the story. Bald already being a fan of the show, was the perfect choice, producing his moody Gothic scenes filled with warlocks, werewolves, gods and goddesses, all rendered in his slick illustrative style. With a collection of Jonathan Frid stills, the artist always got a good likeness of America's favorite vampire, but rather used his wife as model for Elizabeth Stoddard and the other female characters. Superior to the stories and artwork of the Gold Key comic book published concurrently, the last Dark Shadows newspaper strip appeared on March 11, 1972.

Comic Art Legend: Bob Brown

2011-03-01T08:40:00.004-06:00

William Robert Brown was born on August 22, 1915 and and received his formal artistic training from the Hartford Art School in Connecticut and the Rhode Island School of Design. He broke into comics drawing romance and Western yarns for Timely, Ziff-Davis, and various war and mystery titles for National Comics throughout the early 1940s. In 1951, Bob drew many of DC's second-tier heroes like Vigilante and Tomahawk, before moving over to Marvel Comics to illustrate their first issue of the Rawhide Kid in 1955, and other non-super hero genres for "The House of Ideas". Always looking for new opportunities, Brown once again returned to DC Comics in the late fifties working with Jack Schiff to illustrate National's space and mystery anthologies and create his well received, Space Ranger, which ran in Tales of the Unexpected for over five years, before transferring the character to Mystery in Space.

When Space Ranger was cancelled with all the other DC stellar related titles, Bob did some of my favorite work on many features including Action Comics, Batman, World's Finest Comics, House of Mystery, Detective Comics, Doom Patrol, Superboy, and Challengers of the Unknown, just to name a few. When Carmine Infantino took over as DC's editor-in chief in the late 60s, he wanted to establish a more illustrative "house style" for the company, base largely on Neal Adams approach, and that helped end the careers of numerous old time artists. Bob Brown's art was now considered "old fashion", though he lasted longer than many of his peers. Eventually even Brown could not grasp what the editors were wanting in the new samples they provided him, that just displayed examples of poor anatomy and perspective in Bob's opinion.

Bitter about this new direction DC was taking, Marvel Comics, who helped motivate the changes were only to happy to pick up these talented creators like Jim Mooney, Wayne Boring and Bob Brown. Bob was immediately given work drawing their flagship title, The Fantastic Four and he also illustrated a long successful stint on "The Man Without Fear", Daredevil. Numerous issues of The Rampaging Hulk, Luke Gage, Powerman, Warlock, and other fill-in stories kept the artist busy at Marvel, until he even considered returning to DC after they came calling, now offering Bob to be the new artist on Wonder Woman. But just when he agreed to signed with National Comics again, Brown finally lost his long battle with leukemia, and passed away on January 29, 1977 at the age of 61. Just ask any professionals in the comic field about Bob Brown and they will tell you of his generosity in fostering relations between American and European artists, his quick wit, sly sophistication, and how he will be missed by fan and pro alike.

Society of Illustrators Profile: Robert Peak

2011-02-23T11:26:00.000-06:00

Bob Peak was born in Colorado, grew up in Kansas and attended Wichita State University before serving his country in the Korean War. Obtaining his formal training at the Art Center he arrived in New York in the early fifties working on top ad campaigns for different advertising agencies and drawing for American magazines like Sports Illustrated, Good Housekeeping, and Time. But his big break came in 1961 when United Artist hired Peak to design the movie poster for Robert Wise's "West Side Story". His imaginative new solution was to do a montage of characters and scenes that became the prototype of over one hundred posters he did for UA throughout the years. As the Father of the modern movie poster, his multiple image format was woven into a complicated design to create one spectacular image was highlighted in poster such as "Camelot", "Star Trek", "My Fair Lady" and "Funny Girl". Winner of numerous awards for his superior artistic skills, for his thirty year contribution to the film industry, Peak received from The Hollywood Reporter their Key Art Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992. A larger than life figure, the artist lived most of his life with his family in Connecticut before ending his career spending time in both Arizona and California.

My Greatest Adventure: Dial H For Hero

2011-02-17T13:34:00.001-06:00

After stumbling into a hidden cave, Robby Reed discovered a strange dial from another dimension that had weird inscriptions carved on its surface. After studying the device in his private lab at home, the school boy found that dialing the translated letters H-E-R-O changed him into one of a thousand different super beings. Billed as the most original character's in comic history, Dial H For Hero, debuted in DC's House of Mystery #156 in January 1966. Written by Dave Wood and illustrated by Jim Mooney, this short-lived adventure series initially lasted only two years, but had some of the wildest story lines in comic's as Reed's fantastic secret created three new heroes every issue. The only problem the boy faced though was Robby never knew which hero he was to become or what powers he would possess. The Hoopster, Human Starfish, Giantboy, and The Squid were just a few of the colorful characters Robby dialed up ever month with his signature saying, "Sockamagee!".

Sensational Strips: Flamingo

2011-02-12T13:05:00.001-06:00

Surviving just over a year, Jerry Iger's independent Phoenix Features produced an beautiful new strip, Flamingo, in February of 1952. Initially drawn by one of the Golden Ages premiere "good girl" artist, Matt Baker, it quickly gained an strong following, highlighted by equally sensational scripts by Ruth Roche. Flamingo was a dark haired shapely Gypsy dancer whose various adventures took her all over Europe and she helped others with her many good deeds. With the help of her American boyfriend, Joe, and her loyal father, Old Pepo, Flamingo foiled kidnappers, caught burglars, and drove all the men wild with her exotic dancing and extreme beauty. A feature ahead of its time, it scripts dealt with issues like prejudice and intolerance, as well as being written by a woman and illustrated by one of the first African-American artists in comics. Unfortunately Baker left the feature half way into the run with John Thorton taking over the artistic chores, whose illustrations could never lived up to the high standards set by Baker. Even with adding a enjoyable Sunday page and continuing entertaining story lines, the feature finally closed in March of 1953 with Flamingo marring her one true love.

Charlton Comics...Son of Vulcan

2011-02-06T09:30:00.001-06:00

With his first appearance in Charlton Comics Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds #46 in May of 1965, Son of Vulcan, was one of the company's most unusual short-lived heroes. Johnny Mann was a newspaper reporter for Worldwide News sent to cover a civil war on the Greek island of Crete. Exploring the ruins of the Hall of Jupiter, Johnny pondered why the gods would allow such war and killing and was instantly transported via a thunderbolt to Mount Olympus. Confronting the Olympians with his question, they replied that since the gods did not create man's evil they would not deal with it. Vulcan was the only deity to defend Mann and decided to provide his assistance in weapons and curing Johnny's crippling war injury. Now as the Son of Vulcan, our Greek hero has the sword of Ulysses, mace of Vulcan, and other mystical powers of the gods, like controlling fire and the elements to fight the many evils on Earth.

Alex Kotzky...In His Own Words

2011-02-01T09:05:00.001-06:00

It seems that as as far back as I can remember I have always been drawing. It was, then, a natural conclusion for me to earn my living in some art endeavour. However, before Apartment 3-G was released as a syndicated strip, I had traveled a circuitous route in the free-lance art field. I was born in the Bronx, New York in 1923. I attended the Music and Art High School, Pratt Institute, and the Art Student's League. During the war I served in the 4th Division, and I toured the scenic spots of the European continent amidst a restless native element. With the conclusion of the war, I plunged back in to the real war...free-lancing in New York...and I was wounded severely many times. I did advertising art and illustration. I also received good comic strip experience by ghosting several of them.

In May 1961, Apartment 3-G was released. The immediate problem that Apartment 3-G posed was to depict three good-looking, shapely career girls living together in an apartment. Each girl had to have an identity of her own, not only professionally and as a personality, but each had to be recognized physically as an individual. I tried to solve this problem by thinking of Lu Ann Wright as the smallest of the three, with a blonde pony-tail and a rounded face. Tommie Thompson is a red-head, medium in stature, and with a square face. Margo Magee is the tall brunette you usually see in the offices of many large advertising agencies, high cheek-boned and long-legged. It is very useful to have clear-cut personalities established because it seems that after a while dictate their individual mannerisms. This does much to help animate a particular strip which is necessarily devoted to discussion and conversation.

Perhaps the most important element in drawing a strip is to establish its personality. You should decide what you want to say pictorially, and then concentrate all your efforts on that theme. Everything in the strip should be positively stated. Space in a strip is at such a premium that no opportunity should be wasted to keep punching the story across. I use a 2-ply kid-finish board. I use the smooth side because it seems to provide a better surface for pen work on small drawings of heads. I generally use a #3 sable brush for figure work. The brush gives the figure more zip and vitality. I use a #290 point for heads. This is a flexible point, and I can get a thin and thick quality of line. For backgrounds and mechanical items I use a #659 pen. The point is more rigid, and enables me to get a firm, consistent line.

Try to get your art work reproduced. You can them check ways to get better reproduction. You will also see your work in a reduced size, and you can determine ways to improve it. Most often you will find that you can greatly simplify your art. Best of luck to aspiring young cartoonists. In my own case a patient and understanding wife, Emma, has been my most important asset, without her cooperation, my weekly deadlines would be sorely tried.

Marvel Spotlight: The Mighty Thor

2011-01-25T17:20:00.002-06:00

With his first appearance in Journey into Mystery #83 in August 1962, The Mighty Thor has endured these last forty eight years as one of Marvel's most popular characters both in his own magazine and as a member of The Avengers. Fascinated with the deities of Norse mythology, artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee created this god-hero early in Marvel Comics renaissance filled with noble warriors, fierce ice giants, crafty trolls, and fire-breathing dragons. The story surrounded a frail doctor named Donald Blake who while vacationing on the Norwegian coast found an ancient wooden staff in a hidden cave. After striking a bolder with the walking stick it changed into the enchanted hammer Mjolnir, as the spindly physician transformed into the golden-haired "God of Thunder" in full Norse battle garb with winged helmet.

Over the many yarns Lee spun, he added a huge cast of supporting characters including the evil half-brother Loki, Balder the Brave, The Lovely Sif, High-Father Odin, Heimdall, Volstagg, and many other memorable nefarious villains and stalwart heroes. Written with Stan's colorful neo-Shakespearean dialogue and illustrated with Kirby's majestic cosmic images, the series thrived for years, even overcoming the departure of Jack in 1970 and Stan in 1972. John Buscema was chosen from Marvel's bullpen to take over the art chores, with Roy Thomas writing the scripts, which continued the popularity of these mighty Asgardians for years to come. As a legion of other talented creators worked on the series over the past decades, all helped prepare The Mighty Thor for its major motion picture debut to hit the silver screens in the very near future.

Foreign Favorites: Bernard Prince

2011-01-19T12:20:00.000-06:00

Created for the Belgian weekly magazine Tintin in February of 1966, Bernard Prince was written by Michel Regnier and illustrated by artist Hermann Huppen. A former Interpol agent turned soldier of fortune and journeyman, Bernard Prince traveled the world on various adventures aboard his yacht "The Cormorant" with his trusted stalwart crew. Accompanied by the hairy hard-drinking Barney Jordan, and his teen-aged sidekick Djinn, this unlikely trio traveled from the deserts of Central Asia, to the jungles of Amazonia, and the mean streets of Manhattan Island. Set in the classic adventure strip tradition, this thrilling feature introduced many memorable over the top villains such as the international criminal mastermind, Kurt Bronzen, or the bloodthirsty General Satan, captain of a band of assassins. Hermann's illustrations were simply electrifying, done in his bold powerful style from Regnier's dynamic whirlwind scripts. With plenty of gun play and exciting chases, the strip was reprinted in numerous volumes of Editions du Lombard and the American magazine Wonderworld.

National Cartoonist Society Profile: Roy Crane

2011-01-13T09:15:00.000-06:00

Born Abilene, Texas, 1901. Reared Sweetwater, Texas. When the bottom of my swimming lake blew away in a cloud of dust, I caught freight, went to sea, later became H.T. Webster's assistant on New York World. Other turning points: Given job doing Wash Tubbs-Captain Easy with NEA because, luckily I had taken art editor C.N. Landon's correspondence course. Days of joke comics, but I couldn't think up jokes. Dreamed of adventures in far away places; thus became early pioneer in both story and adventure strips (1924) . Switched to Buz Sawyer for King Features in 1943. Schooling: Chicago Academy Fine Arts, Hardin Simmons University, Texas University. Honors included the National Cartoonist Society Reuben, 1950, Banshee's Silver Lady, Navy Distinguished Publication Service Award. Have Wife (Ebba) two daughters, two grandsons, two orange groves, three assistants and ulcers. If I had to do it over, I'd never do a Sunday. It's the straw that breaks backs.

Direct Currents: The Creeper

2011-01-07T10:03:00.000-06:00

DC Comics Showcase #73 from April 1968 introduced one of the most bizarre characters to come from comic genius Steve Ditko, his strange anti-hero called The Creeper. Jack Ryder was a network security agent, a type of TV reporter with a badge, who was trying to track down a brilliant scientist who was about to be kidnapped by communist spies. At a wild costume party disguised in colorful attire, Ryder discovered a professor who gave him an instant-healing serum, that also provided super strength and other powers before the scientist was suddenly shot dead by an enemy agent. With the help of his new powers, The Creeper tracks down criminals with his reckless mad behaviour and maniacal laugh that chills to the bone every crook that inhabits the underworld. Misunderstood by the police, our weird avenger fights villains such as the blank faced Proteus, and other uncanny Ditko rogues that were way ahead of there time for most 1960s National Comics readers. After his try-out and a short six issue run, The Creeper was not heard of until the middle of the 1970s when he showed up in various Batman related titles, which brought the character before a new generation of fans and a new found popularity that spawned series being printed even today.

Society of Illustrators Profile: Edwin Georgi

2011-01-01T08:30:00.003-06:00

I think I'll start out the new year with a brand new feature focusing on that wonderful illustration art from some of our top American artists. Founded in 1901, The Society of Illustrators was created to promote the art of illustration in all its forms, hosting various projects by a dedicated group of volunteer members. Starting in 1958 the Society created the Hall of Fame Award recognizing the foremost American artists of the last two hundred years, including in this first feature, the 1992 award winner Edwin Georgi. After eighty long years, in 1981 this devoted group of art enthusiasts founded the Society of Illustrators Museum of American Illustration in New York City to exhibit the best in vintage and contemporary illustrative art to an appreciative world wide audience. But let us start off with one of my favorites artists...

A football star who studied engineering at Princeton, Edwin Georgi, left his studies when WWI started to become pilot for the U.S. Air Force. After the war, he got a job doing paste-up in the art department of an advertising agency, but seeing promise in the youth, art director Rene Clark encouraged Georgi to follow his own illustrative talent. Soon the artist was creating beautiful work for big name clients like the Hartford Fire Insurance Company, Stetson Hats, Yardley Soap, Studebaker, U.S. Steel, and Crane Paper, just to name a few. An artist who excelled in drawing beautiful women, the national magazine market took notice of Georgi in the late 1930s just as color was being introduced on a large scale.

Edwin's unique style coupled with his bold use of color had publishers calling for his dynamic pictures of elegant women in social settings which appeared in Collier's, McCall's, Redbook, Women's Home Companion, and Cosmopolitan. The artist's early works where characteristically done in muted subtle tones, but years later Georgi developed a new style done in a pointillist approach and vivid colors. Pushing the limits of realism with his short paint strokes of cool and warm colors, these high impact illustrations took advertising art to a new level on the printed page. A perfectionist who would often do his paintings over two or three times, Georgi also enjoyed composing and playing music in his spare time.

Alfredo Alcala's...Voltar

2010-12-24T09:45:00.000-06:00

One of the most spectacular strips ever produced, Filipino artist Alfredo Alcala's Voltar made his first appearance in Alcala Fight Komix in July of 1963. Traditionally, comic book production was a team effort used to maximize the profits for its publishers and capitalize on popular artists in the field. So when an epic adventure on the scale of Voltar was written, pencilled, inked, lettered, and published by a sole individual, it makes this achievement all the more unbelievable when readers encountered the pristine quality of the work. Done in a lush etched style, it rivaled the work of the old master showcasing the most detailed penwork ever to appear in comics. Astonishing double page spreads graced every chapter that simply baffled the mind considering the effort Alcala devoted to these monumental illustrations, even spawning the artist to develop a special fountain brush to embellish his pages.

A blend of legends, myth, and history, Voltar is packed with savage beasts and strange creatures as our hero travels through ancient cities overrun with wild barbarians on his quest for truth and justice. Alfredo weaved a delicate tapestry of brave deeds and costly betrayals, with his outstanding characters that encompass all the emotions so wanting in other comic features of the day. Alcala's moody mythological tales were always filled with a tremendous presence whether he is rendering a lovely damsel in distress, or a crafty old wizard set on defeating our wandering hero. Winner of the prestigious Society of Philippine Illustrators and Cartoonist Award numerous times in the early 1970s, Voltar also captured the attention of American fans taking first place in various science fiction show events and published in the historic Hannes Bok Memorial Showcase of Fantasy Art.

Buried Treasure: Johnny Reb and Billy Yank

2010-12-18T09:25:00.002-06:00

When the New York Herald-Tribune Syndicate wanted to explore both sides of the American Civil War in a new Sunday feature, the adventures of Johnny Reb and Billy Yank was born. An interesting attempt to try new themes in newspaper strips, it was first released on November 18, 1956, and published in a little over sixty papers at its height of popularity. It showcased with their symbolic names a Southerner from Virginia called Johnny Reb, and his New England partner for the series, Billy Yank. When starting out the soldiers exploits were told one North then South, switching back and forth evenhandedly taking turns with the stories. Later on there came a preference for the Southern character, so the strip title was shortened to Johnny Reb, now focusing more on the Confederate hero. Written by Ben Martin and drawn by the talented Frank Giacoia, the team did equally well on elaborate battle scenes, or quieter moments, often using many historical personalities from the period. One of the last full page Sunday strips, it was also ghosted at times by other famous artists like Jack Kirby and Joe Kubert. But after three years, and twenty complete tales, the public seemed to lose interest, preferring newer features hitting the market, so with less circulation and fewer papers the series suddenly ended in May of 1959.

Make Mine Marvel: Daredevil

2010-12-12T08:33:00.001-06:00

Matt Murdock was the son of boxer "Battling" Jack Murdock, and though of athletic build, he was a bookworm taunted by his peers with the nickname "Daredevil". One day Matt saved a blind man from being hit by a speeding truck, but was struck by a radioactive crate that had fallen from the vehicle that caused the boy to lose his sight, though his other senses were greatly enhanced. Desperate for his son to become a lawyer despite his injury, Jack decided to throw his last fateful fight to finance his son's education. But the night of the bout, Jack reneged on his promise once he saw young Matt in the crowd, which cost the boxer his life. Donning a black-and-yellow costume and adopting the name Daredevil, Matt sought to avenge his father's death against the crime syndicate and to serve justice after hours outside the court of law. Changing his costume to a red one-piece in issue #7, Daredevil's senses are so alert he can read a newspaper by touching the ink on a printed page, can hear a liar's false heartbeat, or know how many bullets are in gun just by its weight. With his radar sense and incredible strength this "Man Without Fear" has become one of Marvel Comics most enduring characters.

Foreign Favorites: Corto Maltese

2010-12-06T09:20:00.005-06:00

Created by the talented Italian artist, Hugo Pratt, Corto Maltese became one of the most popular adventure strips in France and Belgium. A spin-off from an earlier story, Corto Maltese first debuted in the French weekly Pif-Gadget on April 1, 1970. For a salty tale of the sea, Corto is an unfortunate captain without a ship, a man without a country who always sides with the rebels and oppressed in every battle. Set around 1910, his escapades lead him from South America, to Europe to North Africa, fighting in numerous conflicts, seeking treasure, and often trying to save his skin from the magic and witchcraft that permeates the heavy atmosphere of the strip. The supporting cast such as the pirate captain Rasputin, Irish lass Banshee, Professor Steiner, and the lovely Venexiana Stevenson are just a interesting as the main character when they appear in these swashbuckling episodes. After four years, Pratt decided to move on to other projects, but continued to return to the feature, now being published in a full color format for its many reprints. Translated into a half dozen languages, Corto Maltese proved to be a popular figure around the world, inspiring extensive studies on the seafarer and an animated series for television.

Jim Aparo's "Masque of Mirrors"

2010-12-01T09:23:00.005-06:00

With her first appearance as girlfriend and side-kick heroine to Captain Atom in issue #82, the lovely Nightshade guest starred in a few tales before landing her own backup stories in the final three books of Charlton's cosmic hero. Created by Joe Gill and Steve Ditko, Eve Eden was the daughter of a U. S. Senator and a mysterious alien from another dimension, Magda, who had the ability to transform into a living two-dimensional shadow. She passed this power on to her daughter, and even though Eve had only a handful of stories, DC Comics revamped the character when it acquired the Charlton property into new incarnations that's still popular today. But it's great to see an early "Darling of Darkness" story drawn in the crisp, clean style of Jim Aparo, from Captain Atom #89 in this 1967 story entitled...

My Greatest Adventure: The Doom Patrol

2010-11-25T17:21:00.001-06:00

One of the wildest super teams to ever come from DC Comics, The Doom Patrol debuted in My Greatest Adventure #80 in the Summer of 1963 written by Arnold Drake and drawn by Bruno Premiani. Reborn out of disaster, strangers were offered another chance as fabulous superhero freaks, guided by a wheelchair-bound genius, Dr. Niles Caulder, AKA, The Chief. Actress Rita Dayton became the dynamic Elasti-Girl, being able to expand and contract her body like a gorgeous rubber band. Robotman was what's left of sportsman and race car driver Cliff Steele who's brain only survived a deadly auto crash. Larry Trainor, a jet test-pilot who flew through an atomic cloud created a radio-energy being separate from his body,The Negative Man, he can now control at will. Together with Steve Dayton, Rita's husband and one of the world's richest men, Steve can lift an elephant with just one thought wave as the mighty Mento. Scorned as freaks by the citizens they protect,The Doom Patrol use there super powers to fight bizarre menaces like the Brotherhood of Evil and Mr. 103, to save humanity from world domination.

Comic Art Legend: Russ Manning

2010-11-18T17:07:00.003-06:00

Best know for his work on Edgar Rice Burrough's Tarzan of the Apes, Russell Manning was born in Van Nuys, California in 1929 and after completing high school he enrolled in the Los Angeles Art Institute. When just starting out in comics, Russ was drafted in 1950 and sent to Japan where he excelled in his map making skills while drawing cartoons for the base newspaper. After discharge from the military, Manning was fortunate to meet with Jesse Marsh who was drawing Tarzan for Dell Comics at the time, and helped him get a position with the Dell art staff. Russ drew various Western and movie related titles including the Tarzan backup feature Brothers of the Spear. His later creation called, Magnus, Robot Fighter, was a Tarzan inspired hero set in the distant future which was an instant fan-favorite for Gold Key Comics.

Chosen to succeed his friend Jesse Marsh in 1965, Manning quickly made Tarzan an exciting feature all his own, and was hailed by his many fans worldwide for his loyal intrepretations of Burrough's work. This success persuaded ERB Inc. to have United Features Syndicate pick Russ to take over the syndicated Tarzan dailystrip in 1967. Adding a Sunday page the following year, the artist was praised for his inspired stories and artwork, though unfortunately the strip continued to be a commercial failure. In 1972, Russ left the daily to give more attention to the Sunday page, which was alway his favorite, and do other Tarzan related comics on the European market. In 1979 the artist was asked by the Los Angeles Times Syndicate to illustrate the new Star Wars strip which he did until his poor health made Russ turn over the feature to Alfredo Alcala, just months before Manning's early demise on December 1, 1981.

Ed Dodd...In His Own Words

2010-11-13T09:15:00.000-06:00

Mark Trail is created by not one but several writers and artists, pooling their ideas to produce the finished daily and Sunday product. Any member of my staff may come up with an appropriate idea for a sequence. It is then kicked around by the entire group until it reaches the acceptable stage. We put particular emphasis on character in Mark Trail, and attempt to let the characters produce the dramatic quality of the stories, rather than the other way around. Once we have finished the sequence in my studio, it is forwarded to New York, where it is studied carefully by an editor of the Hall Syndicate. It is criticized and returned to us. Then we go into another story session, either accepting or rejecting the criticism...using our best story judgement.

We then write the final draft. At this point the weekly "scenes" are written, and frequently they are changed slightly, depending on both the art and dramatic quality improvement. These are also forwarded to New York for criticism, and are often changed in detail before the drawing is started. Once the weekly scenes are agreed upon, artists then lay out the art, including the balloons, in pencil. This "rough" is then turned over to the letterer who put in the finished copy. After that the drawings are completed in ink. I was born in Lafayette, Georgia in 1902. I studied architecture at Georgia Tech one year, and spent two years studying at the Art Students' League in New York. Mark Trail was started in 1946.

National Cartoonist Society Profile: Eldon Dedini

2010-11-06T11:30:00.000-05:00

I was born June 29, 1921 in King City, but really love New York. I now live in beautiful Monterrey, California. Studied art in Salinas, Los Angeles, and many museums far and wide. Graduated from Chouinard Art Institute. My early work was with the "Salinas Index-Journal" and "Salinas Morning Post" from 1944-46. I worked on Donald Duck and Mice features at the Walt Disney Studios, also "Ichabod and Mr. Toad" and "Fun and Fancy Free". Gag man and cartoonist for Esquire from 1952 to 1955, with The New Yorker since 1950, with Playboy since 1960. I received the National Cartoonist Awards for best magazine cartoonist in 1958, 1961, 1964, 1989. I now do posters and advertising. My recent book: "A Much, Much Better World". Microsoft Press. I did it all with the support of my wife, Virginia and son Giulio.

Original Comic Art Prices: 1972

2010-11-01T17:11:00.007-05:00

You could always find a deal if you looked hard enough in the most famous comic related fanzine, The Rocket's Blast Comic Collector, and issue 90 from 1972 was no exception. As well as ads from the bigger dealers in this budding new hobby of collecting original comic artwork, there were a few private collectors with some great deals. John Vargas, out of Los Angeles was one of these "dealers" that had a full page ad selling his Silver Age pages at slightly higher prices...for the day. One of his advertisement's had a mere twenty one pages by eleven different artists, but what fantastic pages they were, from some giants of the field. Starting off at the top of the page was none other than a Jack "King" Kirby Fantastic Four #81 pg. 8 piece for $22.50, or you could have Captain America #112 pg. 16 for the very same price!

Next came two nice panel pages for $18 dollars each, one from Tales of Suspense #92 pg. 10 and The Mighty Thor #154 pg. 3. But the high priced Kirby was @$25 for a Journey into Mystery #107 pg. 7 to round out his "King" pages. Two John Romita Amazing Spider-Man pages were listed from issues #51 pg. 14 and #52 pg. 18 for the unheard of price of $16.50 each. Jim Steranko was up next with page 10 from issue 51 of Marvel's X-Men for the grand sum of $36.50, the highest price piece in his ad and a tie with Neal Adams' Brave and the Bold #85 page 4. This collector really had a "A" list of original comic art offering his Wally Wood Thunder Agents example from the fourth story of issue #15 page 5 for only twelve fifty. How about another giant in the field, Joe Kubert, and his seminal work on Hawkman from Brave and the Bold #44 page 3 for $16.50. I don't know why this guy didn't round up these gems to a whole dollar amount, but with these kooky low price, who really cares.

John Buscema's page one splash for Sub-Mariner #1 as next for $26, you must have to pay more for the splash I guess, but a Captain America piece from issue #115 pg. 13 ran only $15. Perhaps the next two covers were the best deals in print, you could either have Barry Smith's cover to Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #12 for thirty American dollars, or if that's too high, settle for his X-Men #53 cover for only $25! You want more splashes you say? Well, how about two from the talented Marie Severin, take your pick of the Incredible Hulk #102 page one for sale at $26, (more than a Barry Smith cover) or the affordable example of Strange Tales #160 featuring Dr. Strange at $18, go figure? Oh, and this seller also had the first page of Iron Man #1 for only $24 by Gene"The Dean" Colan. Rounding out our ad from the past is the bargain bin prices of $7 each for Don Heck, his Avengers #35 pg. 12 or #42 pg. 8, or a nice X-Men #43 pg. 12 , but if you bought all three Vargas would knock off a buck so the set was only twenty USD.

Marvel Spotlight: The Black Panther

2010-10-25T14:10:00.000-05:00

An African king who also acts as a part time superhero, the Black Panther was introduced by the team of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby as a minor character in Marvel Comics Fantastic Four #52 in July of 1966. After a few issues, the jungle lord was not seen until he resurfaced as a new member of The Avengers with issue #52 in late 1968. With the success of these try-out books, T'Challa got his own title starting in the sixth issue of Jungle Action in 1973 with excellent scripts by Don McGregor and powerful artwork by artist Rich Buckler. Later, one of the few black artist's in comics, Billy Graham, finished out the introductory series with remarkable energy and surprising serious story lines as the King of Wakanda spent half his adventures between Africa and America. Jack "King" Kirby returned to his creation in the late seventies for a two year run done in his unique classic style, before Marvel decided to relaunched the Black Panther once again in the eighties as a darker, grittier character with policeman Kevin Cole donning a bullet-proof costume he found in an alley to fight crime as a ruthless vigilante outside the realm of the law.

Direct Currents: The Spectre

2010-10-18T09:45:00.002-05:00

With his debut in the Golden Age of comics appearing in More Fun Comics #52, 1945, the Spectre is one of the longest lasting of DC characters with thrilling adventures over the past sixty years. When police detective Jim Corrigan and his fiancee Claire Wilson were captured by local crime boss, "Gat" Benson, Jim was quickly knocked unconscious, placed in a barrel of cement, and dumped into a raging river. Corrigan's deceased spirit, now in a black void was traveling towards a light, but unexpectedly prevented to reach its goal. A Voice told Corrigan's spirit that his mission on Earth was not yet finished and had to return to fight evil with the supernatural powers he now possessed. As the dreaded Spectre, he confronted Benson, driving him mad, and overcame his thugs to rescue his beloved Claire. Since only Benson and his gang knew of his death, Corrigan returned to the police force, animating his body once again for his daily work as a detective. But as night falls, Corrigan unleashes his avenging spirit on the evil and wicked of his adopted city of New York. Provided with almost unlimited supernatural powers, the Spectre is capable of virtually any feat in his relentless fight against crime.

Charlton Comics... Captain Atom

2010-10-12T16:02:00.000-05:00

The first Charlton superhero creation by artist Steve Ditko, Captain Atom, debuted in Space Adventures #33 in 1960 for a successful thirty-three issue run. A United States Air Force officer, Captain Nathaniel Adam, was offered a bitter deal after being convicted of treason. To spare his life, he was to join a top-secret nuclear research project. Wrapped in a cocoon of alien metal, placed on top of an H-bomb and detonated, our hero seemed by all accounts to be instantly vaporised. However, what actually occurred was a totally new Adam was created and transported some twenty years into the future. While the real Nathan Adam was left stranded in a void, this new creation enlisted in the military and was given the alter ego of Cameron Scott, to protect his identity as Captain Atom. The alien alloy that coated his body made our hero have the ability to fly, super strength, fire atomic blasts, and even absorb nuclear energy, though it would often cause a quantum leap into the future. Fighting his arch-enemy called Monarch,(the real Nathan Adam who somehow escaped the void), Captain Atom has been entertaining readers for many years at Charlton and later DC Comics, after they purchased the rights to all the comic company's popular stable of characters.

National Cartoonist Society Profile: Fred Harmon

2010-10-06T10:20:00.002-05:00

Born February 9, 1902 in St. Joseph, Missouri. My parents migrated to a Colorado ranch that same year. Was raised cowboy and still ride rodeo appearances and operate my own Pagosa Springs, Colorado, ranch. Have done advertising, and newspaper art. Before creating Red Ryder in 1938, my first art job was in animated cartoons, Kansas City. Married Lola Andrews. One great son, a television engineer, New York. One grandson. My home and studio are in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Member of the Society of Illustrators, New York City and charter member of our National Cartoonist Society. I had no formal art training. Besides working in comics, I enjoy doing Western oils. In 1958, I received the Sertoma Award as Colorado's outstanding citizen. Hobbies include horses and traveling in my truck-camper studio. Ambition... to keep the tubes wet and stay out of the poorhouse.

Leonard Starr...In His Own Words

2010-10-01T12:12:00.000-05:00

What art training I had, I received at the High School of Music and Art in New York City, my home town, and Pratt Institute. I think, however, it's accurate to say that most of the knowledge I now have I acquired on my own. It's the hard way, and I don't recommend it. You find yourself struggling with basics that should be be second nature, and the backing and filling involved is a deplorable waste of time. I would have preferred a full academic background in the old tradition.Up until the time I began On Stage I did advertising and editorial illustration, and ghosted several comic strips. Fortunately, I have friends in different areas of show business, so I was able to enlist their assistance in matters of story material and accuracy when I started to draw On Stage. Show business gossip has been a valuable source of material, and most of my stories have their basis in actual incidents and personalities.

When I use an actual person, which is quite often, I have them pose for the situations in which they will appear. I enjoy this, for in addition to the realism thus gained, it gives me practice in achieving likenesses in different angles and expressions. To avoid having characters look too much like one another, especially those in the same episode, I try to make certain that they all have different head shapes, and that the hair mass on each is distinct. One of the major frustrations is the process of reproductions of art work. This varies so much, and the quality is so inconsistent, that it's almost impossible to tell how much detail and refinement of technique one should use. Even with luck, the reader rarely sees anything close the original drawing, and I don't know any way to combat this. Like most cartoonist I know, I aim for the middle, and hope for the best.

I use 3-ply paper and India ink, and since I ink almost entirely with a brush, it is thinned considerably with distilled water for easier flow. Because of this the ink won't stand much erasure, so I draw with a 7H pencil, which is light in tone but leaves a strong impression. Then I erase the pencil drawing with kneaded erasure, lighting the impression still further, but leaving a drawing clear enough to ink. This, then, precludes the necessity of erasing the finished ink drawing at all. My assistant, on the other hand, does terribly intricate background drawings with a old 104 penpoint, and ink that's barely liquid, that you couldn't erase with a sandblaster. I use a No. 3 brush for practically everything. I've always resisted switching tools once I'm "warmed up." I'm afraid it will break the trance-like state that I find necessary to produce large quantities of work under deadline conditions.

Make Mine Marvel: Dr. Strange

2010-09-24T13:29:00.003-05:00

An arrogant surgeon who was unable to work after a terrible auto accident, Dr. Stephen Strange searched the world for a cure, ending up in the Himalayas asking advise from the mysterious Ancient One. Believing he could restore Strange, the old mystic declared him unworthy of the task, which left the doctor wandering aimlessly, before he discovered a plan to overthrow the ancient sage by his star pupil, Baron Mordo. When Mordo's plot is deftly defeated by Strange, the Ancient One relented and agreed to instruct and repair his soul rather than his hands, and eventually take on his mantle as Earth's next Sorcerer Supreme. Created for Marvel Comics anthology book, Strange Tales #110 in July of 1963, writer Stan Lee and illustrator Steve Ditko made this "Master of the Mystic Arts" not your usual superhero. Older and more worldly, the good doctor could travel the many realms of the universe in these surreal morality tales to accomplish amazing feats, that could even rock worlds with his new found sorcerer skills. Setting up in Greenwich Village area of New York City, assisted by his man servant Wong and lovely student Clea, there is no limit to the magical adventures Dr. Strange and his associates can encounter.

Tatsuo Yoshida's...Speed Racer

2010-09-18T12:45:00.001-05:00

Tatsuo Yoshida was a popular 1960s manga artist and co-founder of Tatsunoko Productions, who wanted to make a animated TV show based on his hit comic series, Mach Go Go Go. Little did we know as children that the catchy title was a clever pun on the Japanese word "go" which meant "five". The series revolved around Go Mifune, the dashing young driver for the Mach Go racing team, his elder brother and fellow driver, Kenichi, a beautiful girlfriend Michi, and the rest of the enduring cast members. Being one of the first Japanese series to be shown in America, Translux obtained the rights to adapt the characters and scripts with the help of talented voice actor and screenwriter Peter Fernandez. He created some snappy new names like Speed Racer, even though he still had a "G" printed on his shirt to confuse us for decades.

Racer X, Trixie, Spritle, Chim Chim, Sparky, and Pops Racer never failed to please its younger audience everyday after school, and not to forget that fabulous wonder car, the gadget laden Mach 5. Influenced heavily by the "spy craze" of the Sixties, Speed and his family traveled the world racing, having fun, and helping foil dasterly villains with the help of his spy brother, Racer X, and a gotee wearing Interpol agent, Inspector Detector. All fifty-two unforgettable episodes were aired on syndicated television in 1967, and continued for many years until MTV helped developed an even larger fan base. It was just about impossible not to love Speed Racer's fast-paced action/adventure stories sprinkled with colorful villains like Cruncher Block, Tongue Blogard, and Ace Duecey, just to name a few.

Later relaunched in various new television and print versions, they all paled in comparison to the original series whose impact on our young memories were hard to follow. Volkswagon even developed an animated commercial using the characters and the Children's Safety Network sponsored the construction of a full-sized real Mach 5 that toured the States with Fernandez and other members of the cast. A big budget live action motion picture that was recently released also failed with the critics and the public as well, since they strayed to heavily away from the original source material, but fortunately the original manga series and TV show has been issued on DVD for new fans to enjoy.

My Greatest Adventure: The Atom

2010-09-12T09:30:00.000-05:00

Physics Professor Ray Palmer was trying to find a way to reduce matter to aid farmers in increasing their crop yield, but in his studies in size reduction, the altered matter would always explode. Palmer finally found the secret to the problem in fragments of a white dwarf star that helped produce his reducing beam, though the objects continued to remain highly unstable. Sometime later, trapped in a cave with a group of students, Palmer turned the experimental beam on himself and saved the party from a sudden disaster. A combination of ultra violent rays, cave water, and his own physiology now mysteriously allowed the professor to safely reduce his six foot frame to even a subatomic size. Developing hand controls and a costume using the star matter, Palmer can control his weight and size, and fights crime in his new alter ego, The Atom. With his first appearance in DC Comics Showcase #34 in 1962, the Atom has learned to master his size controls to great advantage, including travelling through phone lines allowing electronic impulses to propel him, or even aid doctors in medical procedures coursing though a patients bloodstream to discover the cause of their malady.

National Cartoonist Society Profile: Bob Montana

2010-09-06T17:21:00.001-05:00

Name? er...Montana. Born? yes sir! Stockton, California, 1920. Male? yes, six dailies and a Sunday every week!Color? just a blue pencil. Scars? no thanks, don't smoke. Sex? went on first National cartoonist Society U.S.O. tour ...slept with Bill Holman, Al Posen and Dick Wingert. Education? art school drop-out. (Boston Museum, Phoenix Institute and Art Student's League) Service? bus boy New York hotel, Sgt. United States Army. Decorated? yes! murals for Fort Monmouth latrine. Occupation? Wife and four children. Hobby? "Archie" since 1941. Nine hundred and fifty papers (give or take four hundred and fifty) Awards? four children Home? seldom. Live in Rome, Cuernavaca, London, Meredith New Hampshire Pet Peeve? yes, but it died. Work Tip? if you drink don't ink! If you had your life to live over? I'd marry a rich cartoonist!

Foreign Favorites: Barbarella

2010-09-01T12:35:00.001-05:00

In 1962 the French publication,V-Magazine, was intoduced to a new sexy astronaut who traveled the universe righting wrongs and chasing all the handsome males from the planets she encountered. Jean-Claude Forest's Barbarella was an instant hit with fans, but failed to find any favor with the French authorities, who in the later years banned her saucy reprint book versions. As an early forerunner to space-heroines in comics, Barbarella had numerous bizarre adventures that often left her skin-tight spacesuit in pieces, whether fighting off villains like the sadistic hunter Strikno, or using her ray gun on weird, gelatinous creatures. One thing though was for certain, Forest's elegant fine line drawings helped set the mood for the haunting and evocative romantic exploits she had with both man or machine. When the campy film adaptation starring Jane Fonda in the title role arrived on the silver screen in 1968, Forest tried desperatly to revive the feature in both France and Italy. It was not until years later in 1981, when the strip resurfaced in the pages of L'Echo des Savanes with Jaen-Claude now just providing scripts and Daniel Billon the illustration, but unfortunately the liberated heroine tales did not survive long.

Marvel Spotlight: Ghost Rider

2010-08-24T09:10:00.004-05:00

With a successful Marvel Entertainment big budget feature starring Nickolas Cage in the title role, Ghost Rider debuted in Marvel Spotlight #5 with stories by Archie Goodwin and artist Mike Ploog in 1973. Having had a popular Western hero of the same name steadily losing interest with readers over time, Marvel Comics gambled that bikers would be more popular in 1973 that cowboys with their new version of this rider with a tortured soul. Jonny Blaze was a clean-cut cyclist who became the unwilling host of an evil spirit named Zarathos who changed him into a "demon biker" with a wicked super-charged chopper motorcycle and flaming skull head. Often taking on Satan and his horde of demons, this self-titled series lasting eighty one issues in its first incarnation, after its five issue try-out introduction.

The Ghost Rider even was once rescued by his Western counterpart when he was unable to overcome an evil coven assembled against him, until they combined their otherworldly powers to save the day in the historic Ghost Rider #56. In 1990 a new series was launched with more gruesome hard hitting tales showcasing the violence and gore when compared with their earlier hot rod inspired incarnations. Produced by foreign born artists Javier Saltares and Mark Texeira, it new look suited the character well enough to keep the sales going strong for Ghost Rider to still be published to the present day.

Pat Boyette's "The Rain Stopper!"

2010-08-18T10:46:00.001-05:00

It is easy to see when Pat Boyette enjoyed the subject matter of a story he was illustrating, especially since he was fascinated with Lee Falk's world famous jungle hero, The Phantom, the original "Ghost who Walks". Never wanting to draw muscle bound costumed superheros, Pat liked to do tales of a ordinary man without super human abilities up against incredible odds, men like Blackhawk, Jungle Jim, and other various war, Western, or adventure characters. Boyette had already worked in television, radio, and film, before turning his sights on comics, and as shown here, has really pulls out all the stops with his excessive detail and backgrounds including his "scratch effect" for the rainstorms in this delightful jungle yarn from Charlton Comics, The Phantom #43 from 1971 as shown in this story entitled...

Direct Currents: Jonah Hex

2010-08-12T20:29:00.001-05:00

With his first appearance in All-Star Western Tales #10, DC Comic's weird anti-hero was born under a very bad sign. Jonah Hex was abandoned as a child by his mother and sold to an Apache tribe by his brutal father for a pile of animal pelts. After the chief's jealous son, Noh-Tante, betrayed Hex over the love of woman in their tribe, the Apaches rejected the youth. Joining the U.S. Calvary, Hex later fought for the Confederates in the Civil War and made many enemies for his views in not supporting slavery. After the war, Jonah discovered Noh-Tante had married his true love White Fawn, and killed the chief's son in personal combat. When rejected from the tribe, the gunfighter face was scarred forever with the horrible "Mark of the Demon" by a burning Tomahawk. By 1875 though, Jonah Hex was known as the greatest bounty hunter of his time, a superb marksman, who rarely missed his target, he struck fear in outlaws and citizens alike in his bloody trek across the wild wild West.

National Cartoonist Society Profile: Al Jaffee

2010-08-06T15:33:00.001-05:00

I was born a long time ago in what is now known as Savannah, Georgia and it's been down hill ever since. I've tried many fields of cartooning and one of these days "I"ll get it right." I've done comic books, satire magazines, and a minor syndicated feature titled "Tall Tales". One day, in a fit of madness, Alfred E. Neuman invited me to join the "usual gang of idiots". In 1964 I created the "Mad Fold-In" which still appears (yeech!) as of this writing. I've been a member of the National Cartoonist Society since 1950 sponsored by Frank Fogarty, (one of the sweetest people I ever met) and Gill Fox (not as sweet but a great artist). The National Cartoonist Society has been a marvelous joyride.

Irving Phillips' The Strange World of Mr. Mum

2010-08-01T18:27:00.001-05:00

Based on a stage play created by Phillips for Broadway, The Strange World of Mr. Mum debuted on May 5, 1958, with its whimsical iconic style that helped pave the way for other one panel cartoonist with off-beat humor like Gary Larson's, The Far Side, or Dan Pirraro's, Bizarro. Our man on the street, Mr. Mum, was a good-humored, befuddled gentleman who somehow always came across one zany situation after another with his tragic deadpan expression. If ever shaken to his core from these outer limits type weird happenings, the most we ever saw out of this silent bystander was an occasional raised eyebrow. At the peak of its run, starting with the Hall Syndicate and later ending with the Field Newspaper Syndicate, it graced 180 newspapers, spawned a Sunday page in 1961, and was printed in 22 countries...no translation required.

Whether it was a single mother with a brood of children shooting a stork at the local zoo, or a caveman returning several overdue stone tablets to a amused librarian, Mr. Mum somehow remained stable at what he observed. This signature strip won Irving Philips the International First Prize and Cup of the Salone dell' Umorismo of Bordighera, Italy, in 1969. Two books, ten years apart were published about Mr. Mum's exploits, but often appealing to only a narrow section of newspaper readers, until the series eventually ended in 1974 despite protests of his many loyal fans.

Comic Art Legend: Frank Thorne

2010-07-26T09:31:00.002-05:00

Born in Rahway, New Jersey on June 16, 1930, Frank Thorne broke into comics at eighteen drawing romance stories at Standard Comics while studying at the Art Students League in New York. After his graduation, Thorne illustrated Perry Mason for two years at King Features Syndicate, before returning to Dell Comics to work on Jungle Jim, Flash Gordon, The Green Hornet and other adventure related titles. From 1957 to 1964 Frank drew a very well received medical strip called Dr. Guy Bennett for the Arthur Lafave Syndicate before revisiting comics once again. Switching to Gold Key, he worked mainly on Twilight Zone and Mighty Samson and a handful for of other books, before going to DC to draw Tomahawk, Korak, and various war and horror stories. Fans are also quite fond of his few excellent works at Atlas/Seaboard Publications in their black and white and color creations on Son of Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, and Lawrence of Arabia, before next landing at Marvel Comics.

Thorne is best known for his 1975 rendition of Marvel's "She-Devil with a sword", Robert E. Howard's, fiery female Red Sonja. The artist's perfect mixture of sword and sorcery fantasy and the sexy red-haired Amazon made his the definitive image for the character, with a tremendous success that few could follow. Though After three years, Thorne decided to leave Marvel to create his own blond warrior woman, Ghita of Alizzar and began his long career drawing bawdy characters for various publishers such as Playboy (Moonshine McJuggs), Heavy Metal (Lann), and Comico (Ribit!), just to name a few. Besides doing comics, Frank Thorne has done numerous gag cartoons, and the Illustrated History of Union County, for the New Jersey area where he was born.

Make Mine Marvel: Luke Cage

2010-07-19T09:40:00.002-05:00

Luke Cage, Hero for Hire was first introduced by Marvel at the height of the blaxploitation films that hit the silver screens in 1972, when Richard Roundtree starred as Detective John Shaft. Archie Goodwin was chosen to produce the snappy "hip" scripts as George Tuska did the art chores. One of the rare black cartoonist in the field, Billy Graham, was inker for their new sly African-American private eye/superhero series. Sent to a maximum security prison for a crime he didn't commit, Carl Lucas volunteered for a scientific experiment in order to be paroled early, and find the real crook who framed him. Like other supermen before him, the experiment Lucas was involved in went terribly wrong, turning him into a "bulletproof brother" who busted out of prison to seek his revenge. Wanting to profit from his new found skills, he changed his name to Luke Cage and set up an office on West Forty-Second Street to charge high-dollar clients for his new superhuman assistance. So was the story of Luke Cage for many years until the sales on the series finally dropped. Marvel then started calling him the Powerman and teamed Cage up with the martial artist Iron Fist to capture a whole new audience. Recently the popular character has been revived once again in a solo title with adult edgier story lines for the ultimate tough guy title simply called Cage.

Sensational Strips: Lance

2010-07-12T11:44:00.001-05:00

After leaving Casey Ruggles in 1954, Warren Tufts created the ultimate Western comic strip, Lance, that debuted with a full page Sunday on June 5, 1955. Styled after Hal Foster's Prince Valiant, Tufts originally did not use dialogue balloons, but bottom captions, to better display his lavish scenes of the American West, but eventually changed back to the standard format at the end of its run. To have complete control over his new feature, this rare self syndicated strip was published from contributions by Tuft's family. Lance St. Lorne was a Second Lieutenant for the U.S. First Dragoons stationed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in the 1840s, who patrolled the territories west of Missouri. Tufts ultra realistic illustrations and historically based story lines stressed the use of violence and sexual relationships that was uncommon for the late 1950s comic strips.

Warren Tufts crafted exciting stories of good and evil that were equally distributed between the changing points of view of soldiers and Native Americans in these gripping morality tales. Graphic scenes of torture, massacres, and plunder of the white settlers and Indian villages were all done in Tufts' dramatic and grand style. However, the artist could also provide entertaining peaceful moments, such as the formal military dances, and Lance's much celebrated wedding in 1957. Lance's numbers started off very strong, in about one hundred of the larger metropolitan cities newspapers. But after a few years, and newer strips hitting the market, Lance's audience started to lose readers over time, so the size was reduced from a full Sunday to a half-page and eventually a third-page size, until Tufts decided to end his beloved strip on May 29, 1960.

National Cartoonist Society Profile: Will Eisner

2010-07-06T10:20:00.000-05:00

Born March 3, 1917 in New York City. Grew up in all the various boroughs. Starting producing comic books in 1937. Sheena, Hawk of the Seas, etc. Started The Spirit for Sunday news papers between 1940-1952. Introduced comics for training manuals while in army (World War II). Published educational comics for schools and industry from 1952-72, including maintenance manuals in comics format. President Bell-McClure Syndicate 1965. Taught sequential art at SVA from 1974-93. Books: Comics & Sequential Art, Graphic Novels: Contract with God, Life Force, Heart of the Storm, Dropsie Avenue, and others. Helping on Board of International Museum of Cartoon Art. I'm proudest of my National Cartoonist Society 1995 Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award. Live in Florida, travel, tennis and work.

Tales of the Bizarro World!

2010-07-01T10:13:00.002-05:00

It all started with the "Bizarro Code"... Us do opposites of all earthly things! Us hate beauty! Us love ugliness! Is a big crime to make anything perfect on Bizarro World! So was the beginning of one of the wackiest characters to grace the comics, the original "Idiot of Steel". Created by writer Alvin Schwartz and artist Curt Swan for the Superman newspaper strip in the late 1950s, its publication was delayed, so Bizarro eventually made his first appearance in Superboy #68 by creators Otto Binder and George Papp. This "first" Bizarro was created as an "imperfect duplicate" of Superboy by a machine invented by a Dr. Dalton that unfortunately immediately exploded. This replica fought Superboy for a few issues before "disintegrating into the lifeless molecules from which it was formed."

But most readers fondly remember the adult Bizarro Superman that appeared in Action Comics #244-245 written by Otto Binder with Al Plastino doing the art chores. This time, Lex Luthor creates another duplication machine that he turns on the "Man of Steel", as well as making him a Bizarro Lois to be his bride. At the end of the storyline, the Bizarro's leave earth to find happiness on a new planet, where they create more duplicates of themselves and others in the Superman Family on their strange cube-shaped world. Bizarro, who was never a true villain, but more a lovable nuisance, made other "guest" appearance in the Superman features before being awarded his own back-up stories, starting with Adventure Comics #285, June 1961. The Tales of the Bizarro World ran for fifteen wacky episodes over the next two years, producing some of the craziest stories to ever hit the comics, played strictly for laughs!

Foreign Favorites: Perry Rhodan

2010-06-24T14:05:00.003-05:00

The most popular science fiction strip to come out of Germany, Perry Rhodan im Bild (Perry Rhodan in Pictures) debuted in 1968, following closely the novels of the immortal Terran Overlord, drawn by Kurt Caesar. With a large and complicated cast of characters, after twenty seven issues the feature was streamlined and renamed to Perry, in an effort to bring in new readers not familiar with the earlier books. Drawn now in a bolder "Marvel Comics" style, the new look was illustrated by Italian artist Giorgio Gambiotti from the Giolitti Studio in Rome, with some innovating sleek compositions. With many of these later stories written by Dirk Hess, Perry traveled the universe accompanied by a collection of beautiful women which helped it to be reprinted in Italy, France, and Israel. At the height of its popularity, Perry was released in movies, television, and long-playing records in Germany. But after one hundred twenty nine issues, Perry, like other German comics, became victim to the higher costs of production with its last stellar issue hitting the newsstands in the summer of 1975. Fortunately, I've heard from a friend recently that the fan-favorite title is now back in print with all new adventures.

Marvel Spotlight: Red Sonja

2010-06-18T17:05:00.003-05:00

Marvel's "She-Devil with a sword" made her first appearance in Conan the Barbarian #23, February 1973, as the only warrior woman worthy to cross swords with Robert E. Howard's most famous character. A beautiful fire-haired damsel, she ended up in the royal palace after her family was needlessly slain by soldiers who brought her to the king as a trophy of war. Sonja eventually killed the sovereign after she spurned his many advances. Now having to flee the majestic Kingdom of Hyrkania, she took up pillaging as her trade in her many adventures chronicled in Conan and Marvel Features before getting her own title in 1975. Much of the success of the comic was due to Frank Thorne's striking image of the lovely heroine, scanty clad in her delightful chain-mail bikini. The artist's extensive research and attention to detail managed to capture the very essence of Howard's novels with its exotic landscapes, weird people, mystery and magic. Once Thorne left Red Sonja, the title floundered under less talented creators for a few years before its cancellation and a failed movie adaptation. Recently however, revived under the Dynamite Entertainment label, the character lives on in new adventures with a big budget major motion picture soon to be in production, for a new generation of fans.

Direct Currents: The Unknown Soldier

2010-06-12T14:10:00.003-05:00

Kanigher and Kubert's war-torn creation appeared first in Star-Spangles War Stories #151, in the summer of 1970. Enlisting with his older brother in World War II, the man known as the Unknown Soldier, watched as his sibling sacrificed his life to protect him from a Japanese grenade that horribly disfigured the younger soldier's face. This survivor became the United States Intelligence most valued undercover agent with his mastery of disguises and sensitive covert missions behind enemy lines. Such a thorn in the flesh was this lone American, that Hitler pitted a special Nazi operative named the Black Night against our Unknown Soldier until the Fuhrer's demise at the hands of the clandestine hero. After the war, the Unknown Soldier continued to serve U.S. interests in other major conflict around the globe, as the perfect weapon with no name or face.

Buried Treasure: The Seekers

2010-06-06T10:40:00.003-05:00

Premiering in the Daily Sketch on May 2, 1966, The Seekers was a thrilling strip cast in the image of Peter O'Donnell's Modesty Blaise, and trying to capitalize on its tremendous success. Writer Les Lilly and artist John Burns created a missing persons bureau called Seekers, run by Una Frost. The two main players for the stories was the lovely brunette Susanne Dove and the dashing blond Jacob Benedick, who were often assisted in their exploits by Duffy, for his needed underworld contacts. Drawn in a similar style to the late Jim Holdaway, Burns' always delivered solid and exciting visual images to complement Lilly's well written scripts that lead our heroes on numerous adventures over its five year run. With no formal art training Burns became a fine illustrator, starting out as children's features before picking up the strips, developing his more edgy adult style and eventually drawing the story's inspiration, Modesty Blaise, years later.

National Cartoonist Society Profile: Jose Delbo

2010-06-01T11:40:00.001-05:00

Jose Delbo has drawn for scores of American comic book companies since moving to the United States in the mid-sixties. Starting at Charlton Comics he worked on numerous Western and horror titles before joining Dell to illustrate their humor and TV related properties. With a stint at both Tower and Western Comics he drew various sci-fi and adventure books before joining DC for many rewarding years. Jose's strong work ethic never allowed him to stop drawing, doing freelance for other independent publishers, Marvel Comics, and syndicated newspaper strips, before ending his career teaching at Joe Kubert's School of Cartooning and Graphic Arts. Here is his brief bio...Born in Bueno Aires, Argentina and at sixteen I started selling to comic book publishers throughout South America, moved to the United States in 1965, beginning with "Charlton" I sold to all the majors including "DC" and "Marvel", titles include, "Billy the Kid", "The Monkees", "The Lone Ranger", "Turok", "Yellow Submarine", "Wonder Woman", etc. Strip work includes "Superman" and "Phantom" dailies. All accomplished with the help of my wife Mabelle and my family! Joined the NCS in 1990 and was honored by being elected a vice president in 1995, not bad for a guy who talks funny!