Alter Ego #112 by TwoMorrows Publishing

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No.112 August 2012

Edited by ROY THOMAS The greatest ‘zine of the 1960s is back, ALL-NEW, and focusing on GOLDEN AND SILVER AGE comics and creators with ARTICLES, INTERVIEWS, UNSEEN ART, P.C. Hamerlinck’s FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America, featuring the archives of C.C. BECK and recollections by Fawcett artist MARCUS SWAYZE), Michael T. Gilbert’s MR. MONSTER, and more!

2012 EISNER AWARD Nominee Best Comics-Related Journalism

Other issues available, & an ULTIMATE BUNDLE with all issues at HALF-PRICE!

ALTER EGO: CENTENNIAL (AE #100)

ALTER EGO #101

DIEDGITIIOTANSL BL AVAILA

ALTER EGO #97

ALTER EGO #98

ALTER EGO #99

The non-EC Horror Comics of the 1950s! From Menace and House of Mystery to The Thing!, we present vintage art and artifacts by EVERETT, BRIEFER, DITKO, MANEELY, COLAN , MESKIN, MOLDOFF, HEATH, POWELL, COLE, SIMON & KIRBY, FUJITANI, and others, plus FCA, MICHAEL T. GILBERT and MR. MONSTER, and more, behind a creepy, eerie cover by BILL EVERETT!

Spotlight on Superman’s first editor WHITNEY ELLSWORTH, longtime Kryptoeditor MORT WEISINGER remembered by his daughter, an interview with Superman writer ALVIN SCHWARTZ, art by JOE SHUSTER, WAYNE BORING, CURT SWAN, AL PLASTINO, and NEAL ADAMS, plus MR. MONSTER, FCA (FAWCETT COLLECTORS OF AMERICA), and a new cover by JERRY ORDWAY!

GEORGE TUSKA showcase issue on his career at Lev Gleason, Marvel, and in comics strips through the early 1970s—CRIME DOES NOT PAY, BUCK ROGERS, IRON MAN, AVENGERS, TEEN TITANS, HERO FOR HIRE, and more! PLUS: JIM AMASH’s interview with Golden Age Fiction House artist BILL BOSSERT, MICHAEL T. GILBERT in MR. MONSTER’S COMIC CRYPT, FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America), and more!

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ALTER EGO #102

ALTER EGO #103

ALTER EGO #104

A/E celebrates 100 issues, and 50 years, of ALTER EGO magazine in a double-size BOOK! ROY THOMAS interviewed by JIM AMASH about ALL-STAR SQUADRON, INFINITY, INC., ARAK, other DC work, and more! Art by PÉREZ, McFARLANE, BUCKLER, ORDWAY, MACHLAN, GIL KANE, COLAN, GIORDANO, and more, plus Mr. Monster, FCA, BUCKLER/ORDWAY cover!

Fox Comics of the 1940s with art by BAKER, FINE, SIMON, KIRBY, TUSKA, FLETCHER HANKS, ALEX BLUM, and others! “Superman vs. Wonder Man” starring EISNER, IGER, MAYER, SIEGEL, and DONENFELD! Part I of an interview with JACK MENDELSOHN, plus FCA, Comic Fandom Archive, MR. MONSTER’S COMIC CRYPT, and new cover by SpiderMan artist DAVE WILLIAMS!

Spotlight on Green Lantern creators MART NODELL and BILL FINGER in the 1940s, and JOHN BROOME, GIL KANE, and JULIUS SCHWARTZ in 1959! Rare GL artwork by INFANTINO, REINMAN, HASEN, NEAL ADAMS, and others! Plus JACK MENDELSOHN Part II, FCA, MR. MONSTER’S COMIC CRYPT, and new cover by GIL KANE & TERRY AUSTIN, and MART NODELL!

The early career of comics writer STEVE ENGLEHART: Defenders, Captain America, Master of Kung Fu, The Beast, Mantis, and more, with rare art and artifacts by SAL BUSCEMA, STARLIN, SUTTON, HECK, BROWN, and others. Plus, JIM AMASH interviews early artist GEORGE MANDEL (Captain Midnight, The Woman in Red, Blue Bolt, Black Marvel, etc.), FCA, MR. MONSTER’S COMIC CRYPT, and more!

Celebrates the 50th anniversary of FANTASTIC FOUR #1 and the birth of Marvel Comics! New, never-beforepublished STAN LEE interview, art and artifacts by KIRBY, DITKO, SINNOTT, AYERS, THOMAS, and secrets behind the Marvel Mythos! Also: JIM AMASH interviews 1940s Timely editor AL SULMAN, FCA, MR. MONSTER’S COMIC CRYPT, and a new cover by FRENZ and SINNOTT!

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ALTER EGO #105

ALTER EGO #106

ALTER EGO #107

ALTER EGO #108

ALTER EGO #109

See comic art and script BEFORE and AFTER the Comics Code changes, with art by SIMON & KIRBY, DITKO, BUSCEMA, SINNOTT, GOULD, COLE, STERANKO, KRIGSTEIN, O’NEIL, GLANZMAN, ORLANDO, WILLIAMSON, HEATH, and others! Plus: FCA, Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, BILL SCHELLY, JIM AMASH interviews Timely/Atlas artist CAL MASSEY, and a new cover by JOSH MEDORS!

DICK GIORDANO through the 1960s—from freelance years and Charlton “Action-Heroes” to his first stint at DC! Art by DITKO, APARO, BOYETTE, MORISI, McLAUGHLIN, GIL KANE, and others, Dick’s final convention panel with STEVE SKEATES and ROY THOMAS, JIM AMASH interviews Charlton artist TONY TALLARICO, FCA with MARC SWAYZE and ROY ALD, MR. MONSTER’S COMIC CRYPT, BILL SCHELLY, GIORDANO cover, and more!

Big BATMAN issue, with an unused Golden Age cover by DICK SPRANG! Interviews SPRANG and JIM MOONEY, with rare and unseen Batman art by BOB KANE, JERRY ROBINSON, WIN MORTIMER, SHELLY MOLDOFF, CHARLES PARIS, and others! Part II of the TONY TALLARICO interview by JIM AMASH! Plus FCA, MR. MONSTER’S COMIC CRYPT, BILL SCHELLY, and more!

1970s Bullpenner WARREN REECE talks about Marvel Comics and working with EVERETT, BURGOS, ROMITA, STAN LEE, MARIE SEVERIN, ADAMS, FRIEDRICH, ROY THOMAS, and others, with rare art! DEWEY CASSELL spotlights Golden Age artist MIKE PEPPE, with art by TOTH, TUSKA, SEKOWSKY, TALLARICO Part 3, plus FCA, MR. MONSTER, BILL SCHELLY, cover by EVERETT & BURGOS, and more!

Spectre/Hour-Man creator BERNARD BAILY, ‘40s super-groups that might have been, art by ORDWAY, INFANTINO, KUBERT, HASEN, ROBINSON, and BURNLEY, conclusion of the TONY TALLARICO interview by JIM AMASH, MIKE PEPPE interview by DEWEY CASSELL, BILL SCHELLY on “50 Years of Fandom” at San Diego 2011, FCA, Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, PÉREZ cover, and more!

(84-page magazine with COLOR) $7.95 (Digital edition) $2.95

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Vol. 3, No. 112 / August 2012 Roy Thomas

Editor

Bill Schelly, Jim Amash

Associate Editors Jon B. Cooke

Design & Layout John Morrow

Consulting Editor P.C. Hamerlinck

FCA Editor

Michael T. Gilbert

Comic Crypt Editor Jerry G. Bails (founder), Ronn Foss, Biljo White, Mike Friedrich

Editorial Honor Roll

William J. Dowlding

Proofreader

Murphy Anderson (plus Wayne Boring, Paul Cassidy, & Joe Shuster); layout by Arlen Schumer

Cover Artists

Arlen Schumer

Cover Colorist

With Special Thanks to:

Rob Allen Heidi Amash Bob Bailey Alberto Becattini Jack Bender Lee Boyette Roger Broughton Brett Canavan K.C. Carlson Dick Cassidy Larry Cassidy Anthony Castrillo Shaun Clancy Bill Cox Les Daniels Mike DeLisa Joe Desris Joseph Eacobacci Bruce Edwards Jim Engel Don Ensign Jon R. Evans Ron Ferdinand Shane Foley Ron Frenz Stephan Friedt Dave Gibbons Janice Gilbert Larry Guidry Jennifer Hamerlinck Mark Heike

Mel Higgins Bob Hughes Al Jaffee Arvell Jones Douglas Jones/“Gaff” Jim Kealy Dominique Leonard Jim Ludwig Matt Lunsford Mike Malhack Joe & Nadia Mannarino Chris Marshall Brian K. Morris Martin O’Hearn Jerry Ordway John G. Pierce Scott Rowland Randy Sargent Jeff Siemons Neil Slowik Marc Swayze Jeff Taylor Dann Thomas Michael Vance Neil Vokes Lawrence B. Vossler Loston Wallace Hank Weisinger John Wells Tony Young

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Contents Writer/Editorial: Man Of TwoMorrows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Requiem For Weisinger Comics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Arlen Schumer illuminates the Mort Weisinger era of Superman—and talks with his son Hank! Or maybe his second—but either way, definitely a comics pioneer! Article by Mel Higgins.

Paul Cassidy—Superman’s First Ghost? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

“Spaghetti” Superman, a.k.a. The Nembo Kid—And Batman, Too! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 The Italian Man of Steel & Dark Knight in the 1950s & ’60s, explicated by Alberto Becattini.

Continuing Jim Amash’s epic interview with comic book, On Stage, & Annie artist Leonard Starr.

“Cartoonists Are Good Guys”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Michael Vance views the Joseph Eacobacci artifacts of ACG editor/writer Richard E. Hughes.

“Something…?” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Michael T. Gilbert showcases cataclysmic commission drawings of the Silver Age DC series.

Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt! Suicide Squad Task Force X! . . 55 Comic Fandom Archive: The “50 Years of Comic Book Fandom” Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Bill Schelly presents Mark Evanier’s hosting of an event at San Diego Comic-Con 2011.

re: [correspondence, comments, & corrections] . . . . . . . . . 68 FCA [Fawcett Collectors Of America] #171 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 P.C. Hamerlinck shines the spotlight on a 1955 suspense story drawn by Marc Swayze.

On Our Cover: Artist/designer Arlen Schumer did such a great job combining Superman images by Joe Shuster, Paul Cassidy, Wayne Boring, and especially Murphy Anderson for the “splash” of his 16-page “Weisinger Comics” section that begins on p. 3 that we decided to use virtually the selfsame art for the cover of this Supermancentered issue. [Art © 2012 DC Comics; design © 2012 Arlen Schumer.]

Above: In a Bob Newhart routine from the 1960s, Clark Kent asked Lois, “Do you wanna see my Big Red ‘S’?” Well, in Italy during the 1950s and much of the ’60s, nobody saw it, because the publisher had eliminated it, both on reprints and on homegrown stories of—“The Nembo Kid”! Read all about it (and see the entirety of this page drawn by Lino Jeva) in Alberto Becattini’s intriguing article that begins on p. 29. [© 2012 DC Comics.] Alter EgoTM is published 8 times a year by TwoMorrows, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614, USA. Phone: (919) 449-0344. Roy Thomas, Editor. John Morrow, Publisher. Alter Ego Editorial Offices: 32 Bluebird Trail, St. Matthews, SC 29135, USA. Fax: (803) 826-6501; e-mail: roydann@ntinet.com. Send subscription funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial offices. Eight-issue subscriptions: $60 US, $85 Canada, $107 elsewhere. All characters are © their respective companies. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © Roy Thomas. Alter Ego is a TM of Roy & Dann Thomas. FCA is a TM of P.C. Hamerlinck. Printed in China. ISSN: 1932-6890 FIRST PRINTING.

writer/editorial

Man Of TwoMorrows

hree issues ago, I wrote as a cover blurb: “Just When You Thought You Knew Everything There Was To Know About The JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA!”

Well, that goes double—more likely triple or better—for Superman!

As the most important super-hero of all time, the Man of Tomorrow has influenced every example of the genre that came after him—and, except for a few prototypes like Hugo Danner and John Carter and to some extent Tarzan and Doc Savage and The Shadow and The Phantom and Green Hornet, they’ve all come after him. Kal-L was the costumed, invulnerable, leap-tallbuildings, secret-identified funnel through which those earlier icons were all distilled, so that everything later— from the non-super-powered Batman and the same-but-different original Captain Marvel through this month’s “re-definition” by DC or Marvel or alternative-press or filmic derring-do— shows his influence, even if at times it’s been in an inverted or funhouse-mirror way.

other mythological models, you won’t be able to escape the fact that you’ll either be following in the footsteps (and cape-trail) of the Last Son of Krypton—or else you’ll be painstakingly avoiding treading in same. Might as well try to create a human jungle lord without referencing Tarzan—or a consulting detective without even a passing thought of Sherlock Holmes. Yeah, right.

What’s The Auction House’s Cut? Now-amusing words from the Man of Steel about the value of Golden Age comics on this detail of the 80-page giant cover of Superman #183 (Jan. 1966). Thanks to Jon B. Cooke. [© 2012 DC Comics.]

There’s no escaping it, whether under yellow sun or red. Even if you deliberately set out to do an “anti-Superman,” you’ll be influenced, even if only in a negative way. Even if you claim you’re going to “go back to Hercules” or to

All of which is just my roundabout way of saying that, in this issue of Alter Ego, we explore three more of the everfascinating facets of Superman: the Mort Weisinger era (and the philosophy of that legendary DC editor) that came to fruition in the late ’50s and ’60s—the even earlier work of Paul Cassidy, one of the initial two artists to assist Joe Shuster on the feature—and a long-in-coming look at the more-than-slightly oddball Italian incarnation of the Man of Steel. With ultimate thanks to Arlen Schumer, Mel Higgins, and Alberto Becattini, respectively. So, with this issue’s three-bagger, have we finally exhausted that particular Kryptonian gold-mine? Like I said above: Yeah, right. Bestest,

COMING IN OCTOBER CRY WOLFMAN!

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MARVELOUS MARV’S EARLY CAREER— AND THAT’S JUST FOR OPENERS!

• Cover-featuring Marv Wolfman & Count Dracula (Marv’s the one with the beard)—as limned in pencil by the late great GENE COLAN! • MARV WOLFMAN in the ’60s & early ’70s—and the resurgence of horror comics! Art by COLAN, CARDY, ADAMS, ANDERSON, BORING, SEVERIN, BUCKLER, BOYETTE, PLOOG, KANE, MORROW, AMENDOLA, BUSCEMA, et al.! • “Tales from the Code”—the Fearful Follow-Up, by RICHARD ARNDT! More “before-&after” artifacts of the Comics Code (1954-2011)! • RICHARD HUGHES, Part 2, by MICHAEL VANCE—and LEONARD STARR, Part 4, re On Stage, Annie, & Kelly Green, an interview by JIM AMASH! • P.C. HAMERLINCK’s FCA tribute to EMILIO SQUEGLIO—MICHAEL T. GILBERT—plus the conclusion of the 1960s Fandom Panel from San Diego 2011, presented by BILL SCHELLY—& MORE!! Edited by ROY THOMAS • SUBSCRIBE NOW! Eight issues in the US: $60 Standard, $80 First Class • (Canada: $85, Elsewhere: $107 Surface, $155 Airmail). • NEW LOWER RATES FOR INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS! SAVE $4 PER ISSUE!

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PAUL CASSIDY— Superman’s First Ghost? Starring Two Men Of Steel—And Cousin Hopalong, Too! by Mel Higgins

A Superman For All Seasons Super-early Shuster assistant Paul Cassidy in 1927, more than a decade before he went to work for Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster—flanked by the Superman daily strip for April 11, 1939, and two panels from the “Superman” story in Action Comics #22 (March 1940). Cassidy probably contributed to both; see article for details. Among other things, he is generally held to be the person who added the “S” triangle on the hero’s cape, to match the one on his chest. Photo courtesy of Dick and Larry Cassidy, via Mel Higgins; the Superman strip is taken from Superman: The Dailies – 1939-1942, the 1998 hardcover published by DC Comics & Kitchen Sink Press; comic book panels reproduced from DC’s Superman: The Action Comics Archives, Vol. 2. [Comics material © 2012 DC Comics.]

he year was 1938, with the nation still in the clutches of the Great Depression, when a 28-year-old graphic arts teacher from Milwaukee answered an advertisement in the newspaper with hopes of supplementing his income. Paul Cassidy traveled from Milwaukee to Cleveland to interview with Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster about help they needed drawing comics. Cassidy returned to Milwaukee with a part-time job and became probably the first artist to assist Joe Shuster with the production of comic art. This was the beginning of what would later be known as the Shuster Shop, home of the first, and greatest, super-hero ever created, Superman.

Life Before Superman

Paul Henry Cassidy was born on June 11, 1910, in Cherry Valley, Illinois. He was the son of Henry Thomas Cassidy and Stella Jane (Buck) Cassidy. Henry Cassidy wore many hats, including those of farmer, veterinarian, barber, horse trader, game warden, and even milk deliveryman, and was remembered for being able to swear a blue streak. Stella Cassidy was a very outgoing, tough, crusty woman. She hated the Democrats, especially Joe Kennedy. With Stella, you knew exactly where she stood on matters. When Henry Cassidy passed away in 1933, Stella lived by herself until she was

75, at which time she moved to Los Angeles to be with her older sister, Lyda.

To quote Paul Cassidy’s son, Dick Cassidy, Stella would “fry an egg, one egg, hard as linoleum, every day, and have one warm beer and a cake of brewer’s yeast, every day. But she was clear it was only one beer!” Stella Cassidy passed away in 1984 at the age of 104. Other members of Paul’s nuclear family included older brother Clayton Graham Cassidy (born 1905), and brother Thomas Cassidy, who died either at birth or shortly thereafter.

The Cassidy family moved to Rockford, Illinois, in 1917, when Paul was 7 years of age. It is from Rockford that Paul Cassidy would graduate high school in 1928. Paul did very well in school and was in the National Honor Society. Upon graduation from high school, Paul attended the University of Wisconsin/Madison between the years of 1928 through 1934. Paul Cassidy was drawing as early on as anyone could remember, and it was this interest that he pursued at University. It was there that he earned a bachelor’s degree in applied arts and a master’s degree in art education. While at the University, Paul was an accomplished runner. His thin frame (Paul was about 5' 7" and weighed 132 pounds at university) helped him become an excellent half-miler. He even competed at the Penn Relays as a sophomore. Paul was also the staff artist/

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COMICS’ GOLDEN AGE LIVES AGAIN! MINUTE-MAN BLACK TERROR • AVENGER PHANTOM LADY • CAT-MAN DAREDEVIL • CRIMEBUSTER CAPTAIN FLASH SPY SMASHER MR. SCARLET SKYMAN • STUNTMAN THE OWL • BULLETMAN COMMANDO YANK PYROMAN • GREEN LAMA THE EAGLE • IBIS

The above is just a partial list of characters that have appeared in AC Comics’ reprint titles such as MEN OF MYSTERY, GOLDEN AGE GREATS, and AMERICA’S GREATEST COMICS. Virtually all issues published to date are available at $6.95 each. To find over 100 quality Golden Age reprints, go to the AC Comics website at <accomics.com>. AC COMICS Box 521216 Longwood FL 32752 Please add $1.50 postage & handling per order.

“Spaghetti” Superman, a.k.a. The Nembo Kid—And Batman, Too! The Italian Man Of Steel & Dark Knight in the 1960s by Alberto Becattini

here was a time when numerous “Superman” and “Batman” stories were produced in Milan, Italy, in the offices of Arnoldo Mondadori Editore.

One of Italy’s greatest publishers, Mondadori had entered the comics field in 1935, buying out the weekly tabloid Topolino (the Italian name of Mickey Mouse) from Mario Nerbini of Florence. The sole Italian Disney comics publisher from 1935-88, in April of 1949 Mondadori decided to turn Topolino into a monthly digest. The reason for such a change was merely practical. Now the Disney comic had exactly the same format as Selezione dal Reader’s Digest (the Italian edition of Reader’s Digest), which Mondadori had been publishing since October 1948. To print the monthly Selezione at his huge plant in Verona, Mondadori had bought an expensive new printing press; and to keep it working between one issue of Selezione and another, it was decided to use it for printing Topolino, too, whose sales had been dwindling for quite a while.

Much to Mondadori’s surprise, the format change was a success, and Topolino’s sales skyrocketed. Profiting by this unexpected success, the far-sighted Mondadori decided to acquire the rights to

Hail, Hail, The Gang’s All—In Italy! The wraparound cover, by Italian artists Piero and Paolo Montecchi, for the giveaway “sticker-story” album S.O.S. – Earth Looking for Oil (1968), costarring Superman, Batman, Robin, Supergirl, and Batgirl, plus Krypto and Comet. See details on p. 32 & 37 about this comic that was created especially for the Italian company Total Gasoline. All art and photos accompanying this piece were provided by Alberto Becattini. [© 2012 DC Comics.]

publish DC/National Comics’ super-heroes in Italy. Which he did, in a digest-sized bi-weekly comic named Albi del Falco – Nembo Kid, whose first issue was cover-dated May 16, 1954. “Nembo Kid” was the Italian name that Mondadori had chosen for Superman, reportedly because the publisher thought that a literal translation of Superman, “Superuomo,” could suggest a connection with Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophical doctrine of the Übermensch–also translated into Italian as “Superuomo.” Whatever the reason, for about thirteen years every single “S” on Superman’s chest and on the back of his cloak would be deleted by a staff artist in each and every panel of every single story published in Italy until April 1967.

“Cartoonists Are Good Guys” Part III Of Our Career-Spanning Interview With Artist/Writer LEONARD STARR Interview Conducted by Jim Amash

Transcribed by Brian K. Morris

Who Ya Gonna Call? “Ghost-Breaker”! Leonard Starr (photo) drew the “Ghost-Breaker” feature in two different periods, nearly two decades apart. (Left:) The series was called simply “Ghost-Breaker” (both with and without a hyphen) when he first illustrated it in such mags as Star Spangled Comics #127 (April 1952), although the hero’s name was already Dr. Thirteen. No matter; the mag would be cancelled with #130. Scripter unknown. Starr’s cover for SSC #127 was seen in A/E #110. Thanks to Jim Kealy. (Right:) With a May-June 1969 cover date, DC later revived the series as “Dr. 13 the Ghost-Breaker” in a resuscitated Phantom Stranger series. This time, Doc narrated the adventures; his name was spelled out in the stories themselves. Script by France “Ed” Herron. Thanks to Stephan Friedt. [© 2012 DC Comics.] The photo of Starr is from Cartoonist PROfiles magazine #10 (June 1971); taken by Chet Hopper.

s related over the past two issues, artist Leonard Starr started out as a background artist at Funnies, Inc., quickly becoming an inker and then a penciler/inker. During the 1940s and ‘50s, his work appeared in comic books published by McCombs, Orbit, Parents Magazine Press, ACG, Avon, DC, Timely/Marvel, and St. John Publications, among others. He left comic books in 1957 to do the widely acclaimed On Stage newspaper strip which he had created; later he drew the venerable and eternally young Little Orphan Annie, as Annie. This issue, he discusses his attention-getting work for DC Comics and his time in advertising in the 1950s. Thanks to our mutual friend Tom Sawyer (whom I interviewed in A/E # 77) for giving me Leonard’s contact info. —Jim.

“I Brought Samples Up [To DC], And They Hired Me”

JA: Do you remember how you started at DC Comics?

STARR: I brought samples up, and they hired me. It was probably Murray Boltinoff or Jack Schiff who hired me. Jack and Murray worked in the same cubicle, and they had their desks in front of a window. I think Jack Schiff handled the scripts, and Murray handled the artists. I liked both Murray and Jack a lot. Jack was very highly educated. He was a specialist on Virgil, if you can believe it. But he didn’t lay it on you with a trowel. Jack was not a show-off.

“Cartoonists Are Good Guys”

something, and he says, “Hessians, huh?” And I said, “Yeah.” He says, “I always hated those guys.” [mutual laughter] He was, of course, the first Hessian-hater I’ve ever run into. I’m sure there had to be many others, but none of them declared it. JA: So they were lively back there.

STARR: Yes. When you get a bunch of guys who are there all the time, either it’s deadly silent and everybody’s suffering, or everybody’s going crazy. [chuckles]

JA: Mort Drucker worked back there for a while. Did you ever see Mort?

STARR: I know I met him, and he worked for DC there for a while. I liked his stuff a lot. His later celebrity didn’t surprise me.

DC Come, DC Go (Above:) This late-1951 photo, which originally appeared in A/E #98, depicts the DC editors with whom Starr had the most dealings, plus one. (Left to right:) George Kashdan, Murray Boltinoff, Jack Schiff, & Mort Weisinger. Thanks to Joe Desris. (Right:) This 1970s pic of DC production guru Jack Adler was seen in full when he was interviewed by Jim Amash for A/E #56. Sadly, Jack passed away in September of 2011.

JA: Murray’s been described to me as a guy who was hard to get to know. What did you think?

STARR: I don’t know, we got along fine. The whole thing was deadlines. You brought it in on time. I remember once, he got me in trouble. Somebody else had come in very late, and I was standing there. I’d just delivered a job, and I was talking to Jack Schiff, and Murray said to the guy who was late, “What is this

Mort Weisinger was there, too, but I didn’t have to deal with him. His office was separate from Jack and Murray’s. Mort was something! A writer would pitch a story to him, and Mort would say, “Oh, that’s always good!” [laughter] So you can see he was a favorite of mine. JA: I take it you dealt with Boltinoff more than Schiff.

STARR: Yes. Jack was lively, more so than Murray. Jack was very mobile, walking around a lot. Every now and again, Murray would feel that he had to do some editing, so he’d say, “Look at that drawing. Look at how fat that leg is.” First, I would argue with him, then finally, I thought, “I’ll just go in the back room and correct it,” and I’d put white on the outside of the line, not change a thing, and bring it back to him. He’d say, “See?” “Right, you’re right, Murray.” [Jim laughs] We all did that kind of thing. And that back room was quite something. That’s where Sol Harrison reigned [in Production]. Those guys were doing color separations and, to this day, I don’t know what the hell they were all doing there. But they kept busy.

Jack Adler was another favorite of mine. Since you know him, see if he remembers this: it was summer, and all of the guys had sent their wives to the country, so they’d have some freedom. But Jack didn’t send his wife away. The guys in Production were mad at Jack for not doing that, for getting away with not doing it. [chuckles] And they razzed him about it. “Boy, there’s Jack’s wife, just slaving for him all the year long, and he won’t even give her a little summer vacation.” We were all joking about it, and in the meantime, Jack kept his head down listening to all of this, continuing to do color separations. Finally, he said, “Well, I just thought, for that kind of money, I’d keep her home and **** her myself.” [uproarious laughter] The room went absolutely dead silent. I thought, “This is my kind of guy.” [NOTE: Jack, who passed away after this interview was conducted, did confirm the story. —Jim.]

Once, I was doing a cover for some book. It was a period piece with Hessian soldiers. They wore those Pope-like helmets, and Sol Harrison walked over. I was making some corrections or

Indian Giver Some of Starr’s earliest work for DC consisted of back-up features in the new Tomahawk comic. This splash from #3 (Jan.-Feb. 1951) was provided by Stephan Friedt. Writer unknown. [© 2012 DC Comics.]

“Something…?” A Study Of Comics Pioneer RICHARD E. HUGHES by Michael Vance Utilizing the Collection of Joseph Eacobacci

EDITOR’S Some of the mystery is due to the INTROuse of pseudonyms by artists, writers, DUCTION: In and editors in the early days of the art 2006, in issues form, because the general population #61-62, Alter Ego serialized Michael thought comic books were “kid stuff.” Vance’s 1996 book Forbidden In addition, many considered them Adventures: The History of the just another passing fad in an American Comics Group—“the most industry where new magazines comprehensive history of one comic book appeared and disappeared frequently. Hughes, Herbie, & Hughes publisher,” as the author phrased it in Therefore, bylines on stories were A newly discovered, undated color photo of comics editor & his preface. ACG was formally founded usually non-existent, sporadic, or writer Richard E. Hughes and a 1937 photo of his wife Annabel, in the years after World War II, but even misleading. flanking the cover of the ACG comic Herbie #22 (Dec. 1965-Jan. Vance’s book also dealt with the Sangor 1966), wherein the costumed Fat Fury encounters Nemesis and Richard E. Hughes is infamous for Comics Shop, which was formed in 1940 Magicman, a pair of more standard super-heroes. Art by Ogden using false names in the titles to produce comics material for several Whitney. All three heroes were co-created by Hughes. All art produced by the Sangor Comics Shop publishers, including Ned Pines’ accompanying this article was scanned by Michael Vance, from for several different comics company, which was also known at the collection of Joseph Eacobacci, unless otherwise noted. [© companies beginning in 1940 with various times as Thrilling, Nedor, Better, 2012 the respective copyright holders.] Pines/Thrilling, and by the American or Standard. Prominent at both the Comics Group (ACG) from 1943 to Sangor Shop and the later ACG was 1967. Not only did this policy include his editorial use of pen Richard E. Hughes. The intention of this piece is to utilize a recently names for his own writers and artists; even “Richard E. Hughes” discovered mass of REH materials to further explore the life and career of was a pseudonym! His true name was Leo Rosenbaum. this comics-historically important figure.

A/E

Mystery Man

Comic book writer and editor Richard E. Hughes was a Mystery Man in the truest sense of that early term used to describe superheroes. But a recent, unexpected, and exciting package received at the offices of Alter Ego has shed new light on several aspects of his career.

Additionally, Hughes’ credit as a writer on specific ACG stories is still most often a mystery, because few records were kept of the creative or business activity in the young industry, and Hughes was no exception, which has added to the enigma surrounding his own body of work.

However, it is known that Richard E. Hughes—or at least Leo Rosenbaum—was born on November 5, 1909, and lived until

Something…?”

The unique Eacobacci collection holds some surprises, answers many questions—and creates new intriguing enigmas. Its more than forty items include mostly black-&white photographs from the 1930s of Annabel (and her possible friends or relatives, most of them unfortunately unidentified) and one later snapshot of Richard Hughes, the only known color photo of the comics pioneer—plus manuscripts, mostly typed on cheap newsprint, which were intended for radio and television, as well as a comic strip proposal, multiple copies of two novels, a short story, original greeting card verse, some comic book proofs— and several never-published comic scripts.

Cache As Cache Can

The Bad And The Beautiful Two of the American Comics Group’s cornucopia of titles were the trailblazing Adventures into the Unknown and the definitely non-PC Dizzy Dames. Michael Vance scanned these two printer’s proofs from the Eacobacci collection together, and we felt they well represented the gamut run by the company under Hughes. AITU #21 is cover-dated July 1951; Dizzy Dames #4, March-April 1953. [© 2012 the respective copyright holders.] Incidentally, the complete run of Adventures into the Unknown, as well as its fellow ACG horror title Forbidden Worlds, is currently being reprinted by the English publisher PS Artbooks in a quality hardcover package. Full disclosure: PS Artbooks recently named A/E’s editor its “series consultant” for future comics reprints, including three volumes of the complete Golden Age adventures of The Heap, on sale in September. See ad on p. 71.

January 15, 1974, when he died at the age of 65 of myeloribrosis, a rare blood disease. It was the observation of his wife and of the artists and writers with whom he worked that Hughes was always impeccably and fashionably dressed, was almost never found without his pipe in his mouth, enjoyed parties, loved to laugh (often at his own beloved puns), and was among the kindest, most considerate and professional editors in the business of comic books. It is also clear that Hughes and his wife Annabel were married on January 19, 1935—he was then 26 years old—and that their nearly forty years of marriage produced only one famous offspring: the American Comics Group. Hughes worked there until 1967.

It is now also known that, in 1942, when Hughes was 32 and his wife was 30 years old, they lived at 120 West 183rd Street in the Bronx, that he stood 5' 8" tall, weighed 170 lbs., and listed his occupation as “editor.” Annabel was 5' 4" in height, weighed 119 lbs., and listed no occupation. This personal information comes from their WWII ration books, part of a large package of Annabel’s personal possessions now owned by a Yonkers, New York, resident, Joseph Eacobacci.

Eacobacci recently purchased this amazing cache of materials from a former boyfriend of Annabel’s after her death and generously mailed this collection on loan to Alter Ego editor Roy Thomas for review and for identification. Roy in turn sent it on to me, with Joseph’s permission, because of my 1996 book Forbidden Worlds: The History of the American Comics Group (reprinted in A/E #61-62). When my original study was written, however, relatively little was known about the elusive Richard Hughes.

Among the surprises are four photos of particular interest. One is of an architect’s drawing of the home of ACG owner (and earlier comics shop proprietor) B.W. Sangor, two are of the completed home, and one is of Sangor and two unknown men. The latter is the only known photograph of B.W. Sangor!

The cache also includes more than a dozen printer’s proofs of ACG covers, and two black-&-white advertisements designed for publication in an undesignated trade magazine. The proofs are all of covers of American Comics Group titles from the early 1950s. Printer’s proofs utilize a very high quality of paper, and are given to an editor by a printer for final approval before a title “goes to press.” The Eacobacci materials include proofs of: The Hooded Horseman #21, Cookie #32, Spy Hunters #12, Funny Films #16, Kilroys #33, Soldiers of Fortune #3, Lovelorn #13, Giggle #82, Ha Ha Comics #80, Operation Peril #5, Skeleton Hand #1, Romantic Adventures #23, Adventures into the Unknown #21, Dizzy Dames #4, Forbidden Worlds #15, and Out of the Night #1.

Accompanying the above proofs are three complete comic book stories: “Oakie O’Connor” in “One-Turtle Brain Trust” (7 pages, published in a funny animal title, art by Carl Wessler), “Natch in ‘It’s Love, Love, Love’” (8 pages, teenage comedy, published in The Kilroys), and “The Story of Tolerance” (11 pages, most likely a product of a division of ACG called Custom Comics, with art by Robert Oksner [1916-2007]).

In the “Oakie O’Connor” tale, a young boy earns notoriety as a “whiz kid” (i.e., a genius) until it is discovered that his talking turtle, Oakie, is the true mental giant. But the reptile’s new fame likewise fades, leaving him unfulfilled until he returns to his owner and learns that friendship is the real treasure of life. It was drawn by Fleischer Studios animator Carl Wessler (1913-1989), who continued to earn substantial credits as a comic book writer for multiple publishers, including horror stories for EC Comics. The back of each page of these “Oakie” proof sheets is stamped

The Comic Fandom Archive presents…

The “50 Years Of Comic Book Fandom” Panel (Comic-Con International 2011: San Diego) Introduction

e are proud to present a transcript of this panel, which occurred on July 23rd, 2011, earlier on the same day as the Fandom Reunion Party that we highlighted in A/E #108 & 109 to begin our several-issue coverage of the “50th Anniversary of Fandom” events at Comic-Con last year. (This is installment #5, if you’re keeping track.)

MARK EVANIER: I’ll begin by praising the audience turnout here. You people have class and taste for coming to this panel. [audience laughter and applause] You’re not like those people waiting in line in Hall H to find out what’s on ABC next week. [laughter] It’s frightening that we have a panel called “50 Years of Comic Fandom.” It’s frightening comic fandom has that much history. It’s frightening that comic fandom, which I always interpreted to be done by teenagers in their basements, is done by people with gray hair or no hair or by people who’ve enjoyed it so long. Let me introduce the dais to you. These people made a vital contribution, and we’ll go through what those are. This is Miss Maggie Thompson, ladies and gentleman. [applause] This is Dick and Pat Lupoff. [applause] Mr. Richard Kyle. [applause] Bill Schelly. [applause] Roy Thomas. [applause] And Jean Bails. [applause] Before I ask questions, I would like to introduce you to one of the people who’s responsible for this convention, a gentleman in charge of all the printed publications.... This is Mr. Gary Sassaman. [applause, as Sassaman steps up to an adjacent podium]

GARY SASSAMAN: Thank you, Mark. Comic-Con is incredibly proud and pleased to be able to gather these founders of comics fandom to celebrate this anniversary. Over the years, we’ve picked out epochs of some of our many special guests. A few people that have kind of slipped away from us. I don’t think the Lupoffs have been with us for many, many years, so we want to rectify the fact that we’ve never given them an Inkpot Award. And so, for achieve-

NOTE: This is the fifth installment of our extended, multi-issue coverage of the "50th Anniversary of Comics Fandom" events at Comic-Con International 2011 (San Diego).

Panel moderator Mark Evanier welcomed the convention’s Guests of Honor: Jean Bails, Roy Thomas, Maggie Thompson, Richard Kyle, Dick Lupoff, Pat Lupoff, and myself. This is Part One of Two. It was transcribed by Brian K. Morris, and has been edited slightly for length, and because some parts of the proceedings were indistinct on the tape. These are often covered by ellipses. —Bill Schelly. ments in fandom services, I’d like to present the Inkpot to Dick and Pat Lupoff. [audience gives a standing ovation]

Yeah, they’ve been remodeled over the last few years. [NOTE: Gary S. is referring to the design of the award statuette. —Bill.] One other person I’d like to acknowledge today is a very important part of putting this whole thing together this year, and also a man who literally wrote the book about comics fandom and Golden Age comics fandom, Mr. Bill Schelly. [audience rises and gives another standing ovation]

BILL SCHELLY: Thank you.

EVANIER: [referring to the audience] And because you people were smart enough to show up here, we have an Inkpot for every one of you! [audience laughs] You guys, think about the budget. You know, the Inkpot Awards were started out almost as a joke, and it became a very important part of this convention.

I want to tell a real fast story here, because, to me, if I had but one incident to [mention from] the entirety of these conventions that tells what comics fandom was about, it was this. A few years—I don’t know, this had been ten, fifteen years ago—I was talking on the phone with Dave Siegel, who is sitting out there [in the audience] now. And ... we were talking about comic book artists who had disappeared and had never been to a convention, had never been honored, and didn’t know they had any fans. One of us mentioned Fred Guardineer. A lot of people in this

Splash Panel On the dais (left to right): Mark Evanier (moderator), Maggie Thompson, Pat Lupoff, Dick Lupoff, Richard Kyle, Bill Schelly, and Roy Thomas. Not seen at right: Jean Bails. Photo by Aaron Caplan.

Fandom Reunion 2011: The Golden Age of Fanzines Panel

room know who Fred Guardineer is. If you don’t, he did “Zatara the Magician.” This is a guy who had work in Action Comics #1. It doesn’t get any more Golden Age than that. Dave is brilliant at tracking people down. He’s a finder of lost artists and found Fred, who was in a nursing home in northern California?

It’s An Honor

DAVE SIEGEL: [from audience] Well, actually not a nursing home. I found him at home. [At this point, David made a few brief comments about finding Fred Guardineer. Unfortunately, David wasn’t near a microphone, so it’s not possible to transcribe his exact words. He said he had first brought Guardineer together with colleagues from the Golden Age on May 19th, 1992. —Bill.]

EVANIER: I’m going to tell the Fred Guardineer part of the story. Fred was in a wheelchair, and he was on the Golden Age panel [at Comic-Con], and I think we had Joe Simon on the panel and we had... Shelly Moldoff, I think, was on it that year. Anyway, an Inkpot was handed to me to present, so I presented the Inkpot Award in a room about this size, I would guess, to Fred Guardineer. Now Fred was in a wheelchair to my right, and there’s a podium to either side of me. People were applauding and Fred starts to get up. I said, “You don’t have to stand up for this,” and he said, “Yes, I do. This is the first award I ever got in my life.” And he stood up—Dave can attest to this— I’m holding the back of his pants. He made the most touching speech. I looked out at his family—his kids and his grandkids were in the audience—and they were crying. It was the first time, maybe the only time, that Fred Guardineer ever got any real recognition for what he had done. (Above:) The Inkpot is Comic-Con International’s official award. In recent years, it was re-designed; this is how it looks now. (Gary Sassaman designed the badge seen on the preceeding page.)

And that, to me, has been probably the essence of comic fandom, that intersection of the people who made the comics and people who loved the comics. And you know a lot of these guys didn’t get paid very well. In a lot of cases, we were their pension. They [fans] were coming up at the conventions and buying their art prints or buying commissions or original art. We financed the retirements of a lot of these people. There are comic book artists whose work we loved who would not have been able to afford their health care in their later senior years if not for comic book fandom. Or who would have thought their work was disposable. And we—us in this room, those of us who had come up with fandom— obviously, we’ve all done a lot of the things for our own pleasure and ambition and the fun of putting out fanzines and the fun of researching this stuff and writing articles. But that [story about] Fred Guardineer— it’s not the only one. If you came the year we had John Broome here, same type of thing, almost the exact, same type story. [It was] the only

time he ever in his life realized how much his work impacted people.

Now I would like to ask each person on the dais to tell us briefly where they were in their lives when the event occurred which you feel was your entré to comic book fandom. What were you doing for a living? What did you want to do for a living? Where were you living? If you want to talk about how old you were, that’s not mandatory. And then, when you started getting involved in it, what was the event when you went, “Okay, now I’m part of this little, strange group here of strangers all over the country.” Maggie?

The Way They Were The late artist Fred Guardineer was in attendance at the 1998 San Diego Comic-Con—and at the banquet of the American Association of Comic Collectors held in conjunction with it. Above is a detail from a posed photo of sixteen Golden and Silver Age professionals. Standing, left to right, are: Joe Simon of Simon & Kirby (“Captain America,” “Boy Commandos”), Shelly Moldoff (“Hawkman,” “Batman”), and Murphy Anderson (Buck Rogers, “Hawkman”). Seated, l. to r., are Vin Sullivan (who as DC’s editor had a hand in launching both “Superman” and “Batman” in the late 1930s) and Fred Guardineer, artist/creator of “Zatara the Master Magician” in Action Comics #1. Guardineer later drew “The Durango Kid” for Sullivan’s company Magazine Enterprises. For the entire panoramic pic, see Alter Ego, Vol. 3, #10. [Photo © 2012 Bruce Edwards; from the website of the American Association of Comic Collectors.]

MAGGIE THOMPSON: It started when I was 4½ years old and I had a dime. I went up to the newsstand on the corner and I bought a comic book. My mom... read to me from that comic book for the next week ‘til I had another dime and bought another comic book. On the seventh night, she found that she liked the story and the writing, so... my mom wrote a fan letter to the editorial offices at Dell. It was a fan letter to Walt Kelly. And he responded, and there began a collection, because it was the Kelly Collection, and she put little notes in the front of it. They had to be kept separate from the other comic books. So at 4½, that was the start.

EVANIER: Maggie, tell us about the first moment you started corresponding with and intersecting with people, with strangers, who were interested in comics.

THOMPSON: Well, my mother was a science-fiction writer you’ve never heard of. Her name was Betsy Curtis. We went to sciencefiction conventions when we could. Dad was a college professor, so he didn’t have any money. But the concept of mimeographing a publication for your friends A Fandom Volunteer began with her. I put the front page of the first Rick Norwood of Manuscript Press issue of [her fanzine] on my website (publisher of Comics Revue) arrived maggiethompson.com. She was discussing what early for the “50 Years of Comic I was reading in comic books at that age. My first Fandom” panel. After all, he had convention with a comic book connection was traveled all the way from Tennessee to Worldcon in 1955 in Cleveland. There was a attend the West Coast event, and dealer there named Howard DeVore, and he had wanted a good seat close to the an Animal Comics I didn’t have. I went up to him action! Photo by Aaron Caplan.