Alter Ego #119 by TwoMorrows Publishing

Roy Thomas’ On-The-Marc Comics Fanzine

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In the USA

No.119 August 2013

A 100th Birthday Tribute to

MARC SWAYZE PLUS:

SHELDON MOLDOFF OTTO BINDER C.C. BECK JUNE SWAYZE and all the usual

82658 27763

SHAZAM! SUSPECTS!

BONUS FEATURE! ics. DC Com TM & ©

THE MANY COMIC ART WORLDS OF

MEL KEEFER

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 #109

ALTER EGO #110

DIEDGITIIOTANSL BL AVAILA

ALTER EGO #106

ALTER EGO #107

ALTER EGO #108

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, & DITKO/GIORDANO cover!

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!

(84-page magazine with COLOR) $7.95 (Digital edition) $3.95

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

ALTER EGO #111

ALTER EGO #112

ALTER EGO #113

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!

SHAZAM!/FAWCETT issue! The 1940s “CAPTAIN MARVEL” RADIO SHOW, interview with radio’s “Billy Batson” BURT BOYAR, P.C. HAMERLINCK and C.C. BECK on the origin of Captain Marvel, ROY THOMAS and JERRY BINGHAM on their Secret Origins “Shazam!”, FCA with MARC SWAYZE, LEONARD STARR interview, Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, BILL SCHELLY, and more!

GOLDEN AGE NEDOR super-heroes are spotlighted, with MIKE NOLAN’s Nedor Index, and art by MORT MESKIN, JERRY ROBINSON, GEORGE TUSKA, RUBEN MOIRERA, ALEX SHOMBURG, and others! Plus FCA, MR. MONSTER, more 2011 Fandom Celebration, and part II of JIM AMASH’s interview with Golden Age artist LEONARD STARR! Cover by SHANE FOLEY!

SUPERMAN issue! PAUL CASSIDY (early Superman artist), Italian Nembo Kid, and ARLEN SCHUMER’s look at the MORT WEISINGER era, plus an interview with son HANK WEISINGER! Art by SHUSTER, BORING, ANDERSON, PLASTINO, and others! LEONARD STARR interview Part III—FCA—Mr. Monster—more 2011 Fandom Celebration, and a MURPHY ANDERSON/ARLEN SCHUMER cover!

MARV WOLFMAN talks to RICHARD ARNDT about his first decade in comics on Tomb of Dracula, Teen Titans, Captain Marvel, John Carter, Daredevil, Nova, Batman, etc., behind a GENE COLAN cover! Art by COLAN, ANDERSON, CARDY, BORING, MOONEY, and more! Plus: the conclusion of our LEONARD STARR interview by JIM AMASH, FCA, MR. MONSTER, BILL SCHELLY, and more!

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ALTER EGO #114

ALTER EGO #115

ALTER EGO #116

ALTER EGO #117

ALTER EGO #118

MARVEL ISSUE on Captain America and Fantastic Four! MARTIN GOODMAN’s Broadway debut, speculations about FF #1, history of the MMMS, interview with Golden Age writer/artist DON RICO, art by KIRBY, AVISON, SHORES, ROMITA, SEVERIN, TUSKA, ALLEN BELLMAN, and others! Plus FCA, MR. MONSTER and BILL SCHELLY! Cover by BELLMAN and MITCH BREITWEISER!

3-D COMICS OF THE 1950S! In-depth feature by RAY (3-D) ZONE, actual red and green 1950s 3-D art (includes free glasses!) by SIMON & KIRBY, KUBERT, MESKIN, POWELL, MAURER, NOSTRAND, SWAN, BORING, SCHWARTZ, MOONEY, SHORES, TUSKA and many others! Plus FCA, Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, BILL SCHELLY, and more! Cover by JOE SIMON and JACK KIRBY!

JOE KUBERT TRIBUTE! Four Kubert interviews, art by RUSS HEATH, NEAL ADAMS, MURPHY ANDERSON, MICHAEL KALUTA, SAM GLANZMAN, and others, MR. MONSTER’S COMIC CRYPT, BILL SCHELLY’s Comic Fandom Archive, FCA’s Captain Video conclusion by GEORGE EVANS that inspired Avengers foe Ultron, cover by KUBERT, with a portrait by DANIEL JAMES COX!

GOLDEN AGE ARTISTS L.B. COLE AND JAY DISBROW! DISBROW’s memoir of COLE and his work on CAT-MAN, art by BOB FUJITANI, CHARLES QUINLAN, IRWIN HASEN, FCA (Fawcett Collector’s of America) on the two-media career of Captain Video, MICHAEL T. GILBERT in Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, BILL SCHELLY on comics fandom history, Cat-Man cover by L.B. COLE!

AVENGERS 50th ANNIVERSARY! WILL MURRAY on the group’s behind-thescenes origin, a look at its first decade with ROY THOMAS, STAN LEE, JACK KIRBY, THE BROTHERS BUSCEMA, TUSKA, ADAMS, COLAN, BUCKLER, ENGLEHART, MERRY MARVEL MARCHING SOCIETY, MR. MONSTER, BILL SCHELLY, FCA, Golden Age Blue Beetle artist E.C. STONER, unused Avengers cover by DON HECK!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

Vol. 3, No. 119 / August 2013 Roy Thomas

Editor

Bill Schelly Jim Amash

Associate Editors Christopher Day

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

Rob Smentek William J. Dowlding

Proofreaders

Marc Swayze

Cover Artists Tom Ziuko

Cover Colorist With Special Thanks to:

Aron Laikin Heidi Amash Terrance Armstard Mark Lewis Alan Light Richard J. Arndt Richard Lupoff Mark Arnold Giancarlo Malagutti Paul Bach Brian K. Morris Bob Bailey Kevin Patrick Alberto Becattini Barry Pearl Judy Swayze Grey Ray Blackman Warren Reece Gary Brown Gene Reed Bernie Bubnis Charlie Roberts Aaron Caplan Jan Russell Nick Caputo Al Saltan Shaun Clancy Randy Sargent Nick Cuti Gary Sassaman Marvin DuBois Ramon Schenk Roni Eller Dan Sehn Shane Foley Mitchell Senft Janet Gilbert Desha Swayze Chris Green June Swayze Robert Gustavson Jennifer Hamerlinck Dann Thomas Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr. Anita Holye Mel & Joyce Keefer Hames Ware Lindsey Wilkerson Alan Kupperberg

This issue is dedicated to the memory of

Marc Swayze, Fran Matera, Paul Laikin, & Monty Wedd

Contents Writer/Editorial: Marc Of A Gentleman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The Multi-Talented Mel Keefer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Alberto Becattini queries the artist about 40 years in comics, illustration, animation, & film.

Michael T. Gilbert showcases the influence of the legendary Harvey K. on other great talents.

Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt! The Men Who Would Be Kurtzman! 29 Gary Brown throws a 2011 San Diego Comic-Con spotlight on A/E’s associate editor.

Comic Fandom Archive: Spotlight On Bill Schelly . . . . . . . . 35

re: [correspondence, comments, & corrections] . . . . . . . . . 43 Tributes to Fran Matera, Paul Laikin, & Monty Wedd . . . . . . . . 49 FCA [Fawcett Collectors Of America] #178 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Our 100th-birthday salute to Fawcett super-artist Marc Swayze—plus other special features.

On Our Cover: Obviously, we wished to honor the late Marc Swayze on the cover of this issue commemorating the 100th anniversary of his birth—but how to do so? Two of the best of the illustrations of Captain Marvel he had done late in life had already been used as A/E covers (#18 & #41)—as had his paintings of his co-creation Mary Marvel. In the end, we decided we couldn’t do better than to print the very first interior illustration ever published that spotlighted Mary— along with Cap and Cap Jr., of course—from the splash of Captain Marvel Adventures #18 (Dec. 1942). You can’t improve on perfection. [Shazam heroes TM & © DC Comics.]

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Above: As it happens, artist Mel Keefer, who’s featured in our lead-off interview, depicted very few masked or costumed heroes during his days in comics—but he did draw one who, in many ways, helped inspire the whole darn genre! Alberto Becattini www.twomorrows.com sent us this fast-galloping panel from the story “The Well” in Dell/Western’s Zorro #10 (June-Aug. 1960). Without Zorro, there was probably no Superman—certainly no Batman—nuthin’! Scripter unknown. [©2013 Zorro Productions, Inc.]

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

Marc Of A Gentleman

hy didn’t I just hop in the car and start driving—and not stop till I reached Monroe, Louisiana?

It wouldn’t have been all that hard. After all, Louisiana was only ten or so hours away from South Carolina.

Every time I talked to Marc Swayze on the phone—an average of maybe 8-9 times a year for the first decade of this century—I made a silent (and occasionally stated) wish to visit him. He was effusive in his invitations, and I’ve no reason to doubt their sincerity. For, on the phone—and, P.C. Hamerlinck assures me, in real life as well—Marcus D. Swayze was the epitome of a Southern gentleman. The kind of person whose photo could be used on a poster extolling that oft-elusive quality, Southern hospitality. Our conversations were mostly business—going over corrections or changes Marc wanted made to his FCA column “We Didn’t Know… It Was the Golden Age!” based on photocopies I’d mailed him from the laid-out first draft of an issue of A/E. At the outset, Marc objected to a couple of my stylistic quirks, such as putting quotation marks around the name of a feature (“Mary Marvel”). In deference, I eschewed those quotes in his segment—and only in his segment. I remember well Marc’s comment after I acquiesced in this matter. “We’ll get along,” he said. I could hear him smiling over the phone lines… not with triumph (he wasn’t that kind of guy), but with the realization, I like to think, that I was someone open to his concerns.

I didn’t always accede to his wishes, but if he was ever truly annoyed about any of those minor (but uneven) battles that he lost, certainly none of that ever came through to my end. And his wife June, on the occasions we spoke, was just as gracious and friendly as her husband. She appreciated my (quite genuine) interest in her career as a singer in the swing era, and soon realized I was quite sincere in wanting her interviewed about it.

In the past few years, Marc’s hearing had become worse, and I had to be certain I spoke loudly and slowly… but other than that, I sensed no real diminishing of his faculties. From the beginning, I’d have loved to talk more with him… after all, he was the secondmost-important Captain Marvel artist in the early 1940s, had been key in the creation of Mary Marvel (one of the few successful Golden Age super-heroines), and had drawn the “Phantom Eagle” stories I’d read in Wow Comics. He had even known Jack (Plastic Man) Cole at Charlton after Fawcett discontinued its comics line. But somehow our conversations rarely lasted more than five or ten minutes. If I neglected to ask him about some arcane historical matter, well, he was likely to cover that in a future column, wasn’t he? And besides, there’d always be the next time. Until, of course, there wasn’t.

A couple of years ago, Marc stopped calling as his health declined. His daughter Desha sometimes phoned in Marc’s few suggestions, but increasingly, there was no response to the photocopies. And, for about the last year of his life, Marc’s powers of concentration were no longer sufficient for him to write those few hundred words for each issue. But I knew that, even so, he’d be poring over the issue when it arrived in his mailbox, and I’d hear about it, politely but firmly, if he felt anything had gone awry. And now that, too, has ended.

Marc Swayze has been, and P.C. and I are determined that he will remain, a part of Alter Ego and FCA. If Julie Schwartz, Gardner Fox, and Otto Binder were the unofficial “patron saints” of the 1960s Alter Ego, Marc became the one constant Golden Age presence in Vol. 3. He is likely to remain so for the indeterminate future… as a mark of our respect for his talent, and for his humanity. Rest in peace, Marc… but don’t go away. We still need you. Bestest,

# COMING IN AUGUST 120 THE X-MEN ’S FIRST DECADE! A Senses-Staggering Salute To The Merry Mutants’ 50th Year!

• The “rejected” JACK KIRBY/CHIC STONE cover done in 1965 for X-Men #10! • The X-Men’s first series (1963-70) surveyed by WILL MURRAY! The reprint covers of 1970-74—and the origins of the New X-Men! Plus—the startling original 1960s Kirby-style X-Men stories seen only in BRAZIL! Featuring art & artifacts by: LEE • KIRBY • ROTH • THOMAS • HECK • ANDRU • TUSKA • FRIEDRICH • DRAKE • BUSCEMA • STERANKO • ADAMS • O’NEIL • SEVERIN • KANE • COCKRUM & others! • The scintillating saga of the MERRY MARVEL MARCHING SOCIETY! • ED SILVERMAN, writer for Hillman (Airboy Comics, Real Clue Crime Stories) & ZiffDavis (Wild Boy of the Congo, Bill Stern’s Sports Stories, Weird Mysteries), talks to SHAUN CLANCY! Plus a reminiscence by Hillman/Z-D editor HERB ROGOFF! • Plus: FCA with OTTO BINDER, MAC RABOY assistant RED MOHLER, & Captain Marvel Jr.—BILL SCHELLY panel, concluded—MICHAEL T. GILBERT on “The Men Who Would Be Kurtzman – Part 2,” & MORE!!

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The Multi-Talented MEL KEEFER Forty Years In Comics, Illustration, Animation, & Movies Interview Conducted, Edited, & Annotated by Alberto Becattini

UTHOR’S NOTE: This interview was conducted primarily by e-mail on different occasions between May 2004 and September 2007. I have to thank Mel Keefer for the kindness and patience he showed in responding to all of my questions. I also have to thank Roni Eller, assistant to Joyce and Mel Keefer, for patiently typing Mel’s handwritten answers; Giancarlo Malagutti, for providing several illustrations as well as precious insights; and Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr., the Who’s Who of American Comic Books, and the Grand Comics Database for helping with the checklist; and, of course, thanks to Roy Thomas for publishing it! Lastly, I warmly invite you to have a look at Mel’s great website (www.melkeefer.com).

younger sister Phyllis and I did many household chores, while my mother worked helping my father to deliver and pick up from the various dentists. I was 15 years old when Pearl Harbor was bombed and when we entered the war. I enlisted in the Navy prior to graduating from Los Angeles High School in 1944, and immediately went into service after graduation, where I remained from 1944 until 1946. AB: What were the comics you read as a kid, and who were your favorite artists?

—Alberto.

“I Received A Letter... From Norman Rockwell”

ALBERTO BECATTINI: Okay, Mel, let’s start with a simple one: Where and when were you born, and where did you grow up?

MEL KEEFER: I was born in Los Angeles, California, on July 2, 1926. I grew up in West L.A. in a middle-class neighborhood when Los Angeles was a relatively “small town”—a wonderful place for a kid to grow up in, even though it was during the Great Depression years. My father was a dental mechanic. He made false teeth and worked for dentists. He was very good at his work, and we have speculated that he may have been responsible for some of my artistic talents, as he had great “finger dexterity” and sculpted very artistic false teeth. My

Tell It To The Movies! In this 1980s self-portrait, Mel Keefer seems to be pondering two memorable moments from his comics career: his cover for Toby Press’ Monty Hall of the U.S. Marines #4 (Feb.1952)—and a lobby card from the 1965 film How to Murder Your Wife. Ignore stars Jack Lemmon and Virna Lisi in the foreground of the latter—those are Mel’s Brash Brannigan strips pinned to the drawing board, produced especially for the movie! (For a photo of Mel, see p. 20.) Unless otherwise noted, all art and photos accompanying this interview were supplied by Alberto Becattini and Mel Keefer. [Monty Hall cover & film lobby card ©2013 the respective copyright holders.]

Forty Years In Comics, Illustration, Animation, & Movies

Celebrity caricatures for various TV shows.

Illustrations for Adventures on the Planet Photog comic/transfer series, 1970s. Drawings for the Toni Holt TV show, 1970s.

Color pictures for film strips – U. S. Historical Society publications, 1970s-80s. Color pictures for educational books and film strips – Pied Piper Productions, 1970s-’80s.

Presentation painting for Miami Vice stunt show – Universal Studios, 1980s. Movie posters – Soniger Co., circa 1980s.

Film storyboards – The Exorcist III, released Aug. 17, 1990.

Trailer Storyboard – Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, released Dec. 6, 1991. Appeared in TV series, Bob (Episode: “You Can’t Win,” January 29, 1993) together with Jack Kirby, Sergio Aragonés, Bob Kane, Mell Lazarus, Jim Lee, and Marc Silvestri.

Smile! You’re On Candid Comic Book! A page from the Adventures on Planet Photog project on which Keefer worked in the early 1970s. Each one-sheet issue, Alberto Becattini informs us, had a comic page on one side, while on the other was a color transfer to be ironed onto t-shirts. Writer unknown. [©2013 the respective copyright holders.]

– layout artist (3 episodes); Blackstar (TV series, Sept. 12, 1981-Dec. 5, 1981) – character designer (13 episodes); The Hardy Boys (TV series, 1969) – layout artist; He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (TV series, 1985) – storyboards; The New Adventures of Gilligan (TV series, 1974) – layout artist; Journey to the Center of the Earth (TV movie, Sept. 9, 1967) – layout artist; Sabrina and the Groovie Goulies (TV series, Sept. 12, 1970-Dec. 26, 1970) – layout artist; Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure (TV series, Jan. 1, 1967-Dec. 2, 1967) – layout artist (3 episodes); The Tarzan/Lone Ranger Adventure Hour (TV series, 1980) – layout artist; The U.S. of Archie (TV series, 1974) – layout artist. PANTOMIME PICTURES 1968:

Skyhawks (TV series, 1969) – layout artist. DE PATIE-FRELENG (1978):

Spider-Woman (TV series, Jan. 1, 1979-Sept. 29, 1979) – character modeler (16 episodes). MISCELLANEOUS:

Bash Brannigan, Secret Agent – comic strip for movie How to Murder Your Wife, released Sept. 20, 1965.

(Far left:) Harvey Kurtzman’s art graced the cover of Two-Fisted Tales #28 (July 1952). [©2013 William M. Gaines Agent, Inc.] (Above:) Russ Heath’s cover to Timely/Atlas’ Battle #6 (Jan. 1952).This story was actually published before TTF #28, but Heath's art was influenced by earlier Kurtzman covers. [©2013 Marvel Characters, Inc.] (Photo:) Harvey in the early 1960s. From The Art of Harvey Kurtzman (Abrams Publishing, 2009). [©2013 the respective copyright holders.]

FCA [Fawcett Collectors Of America]

it.

Memoirs Of A Con Man A cropped snapshot of Otto Binder at the 1965 New York Comic Convention; photo from Bill Schelly’s magnificent (and long out-of-print) biography Words of Wonder: The Life and Times of Otto Binder.

That, friends, is exactly

Maybe I can pin it down a bit more. I intend to keep on filling the pages ahead with all stray thoughts… pet peeves… anecdotes… monologues… theories… denunciations… drolleries… that come tumbling out of my mind from day to day. It’s going to be a potpourri, I warn you. It’s not going to have any plot, or any basic theme, or any conclusion or moral at the end. You won’t be a bit more wise, at the end, than at the start.

If this book must have a purpose, let’s say I’m going to try to entertain and divert you, if you have any troubles. For instance, if you have a toothache, this book is the lesser of two evils. Now, how am I going to entertain you? Not by being brilliant, or full of breathtaking narrative. Just by being myself, and putting down on paper my own personal thoughts and ruminations. You see, when a writer writes a novel, he takes a “character” preferably from life, and tries to give you an insight into that person’s soul, as nearly as possible. But it seems to me simpler and a lot more direct to put down for you my inward mental process without any framework or subterfuge or dressing-up in novel form. They say the best and most entertaining novels are about real people. That’s where I come in. If, in volunteering myself as a mind to be self-dissected, instead of by another observer-writer, I give you a clear-cut human being in all his complexities, I’ve achieved a purpose. I’ll just spill out my mind and if the whole thing sums up into a purpose, so be it.

One more thing. They say people reading a book subconsciously identify themselves with the main character. They almost feel their emotions and go through all that they do, vicariously. Maybe in reading this, you too will identify yourself with me—one of the two billion souls living on this earth. Maybe you’ll find you have some of the same errant thoughts, and silly fancies, and the many confusions I have about life in general.

Ottobiography

Pun intended. And I’m not going to say “Excuse me, heh, heh, heh” or “pardon the pun.” Why do people always act guilty when they make a pun? Somebody once said a pun is the lowest form of wit, and since then, like sheep, we’ve all believed him. I think a pun is fun. Especially when you think of it first.

But getting down to names—which this chapter is going to be about (I think)—I dislike my first name immensely: Otto. And since I am telling all, my middle name is even worse: Oscar. And I think given names are very important. They have a subtle power for good or bad, in molding a person’s personality and future fortunes. My contention is that both “Otto” and “Oscar” are bad names. Each alone is bad enough. But the two together, as in my

case, is simply dreadful. Both those names are soul-wilting in childhood.

In later life, of course, a name is not nearly so damaging to the psyche as in youth. When you’ve made your mark, any name will do, even Pierpont Saxon Snodgrasshopper. But the damage is already done by then, as far as your own personality goes. A name that brought many wincings, during the sensitive period of childhood, has already left its scratchings on your brain-pan. And psychologists say the childhood impressions are the most important. You overcome it all, yes, but you’ve jumped an extra hurdle that didn’t need to be there in the first place. Parents should take extreme care in choosing names for their offspring. So, if you are about to name a newborn child of yours, speak the name aloud and then see if you can face yourself in the mirror. Remember, you may be blighting a life, you cad.

I suppose when you have an odd name like Otto Oscar Something, people are more liable to remember it than plain John Thomas Brown or Mary Joan Smith. Remember, folks, give all your kids distinctive and odd names to help them achieve fame and fortune. When it comes to last names, luckily, mine is not in the unwieldy class. If anybody reading this is named Dinkelgobbler or Hoppapoppadoppolus or Chlomedneywaughstonedump you have my sympathy and apologies both. Or, to put it on a legal basis, any similarity to names actually existing is purely miraculous. Next: The Modern Pied Piper

“A Job Is A Job” SHELDON MOLDOFF’s Final FCA Interview Conducted by P.C. Hamerlinck heldon “Shelly” Moldoff (1920-2012)—the industrious comic book illustrator best known for his early work on “Hawkman” and as one of Bob Kane’s primary ghost artists on “Batman”—in due course emerged as one of the central figures in comics history, with an extensive body of work that included stories and covers for Fawcett Publications during the 1940s and ’50s. While FCA featured Sheldon in a brief article years ago, I felt that a slightly more extensive interview emphasizing his output for that company was long overdue. My thanks go out to David Siegel, who put me back in touch with the gracious and amiable artist, whom I interviewed via telephone and mail ten months before “Shelly” passed away. —P.C. Hamerlinck.

Moldoff At Midnight The above image from the 1993 San Diego Comic-Con depicts (left to right) Sheldon Moldoff, fellow “Batman” artist Dick Sprang, Golden Age fan David Siegel, and Vincent Sullivan—who as DC editor bought the first “Batman” story from young Bob Kane in 1939. [Photo ©2013 Charlie Roberts.] (Right:) Moldoff’s cover for Captain Midnight #16 (Jan. 1944)—identified by the artist to FCA as his work. He drew the radio-spawned aviator before and after serving in the military during World War II. [©2013 the respective copyright holders.]

P.C. HAMERLINCK: It was long believed that your first job for Fawcett Publications was in 1945 (“Capt. Marvel Jr.”). However, in my book Fawcett Companion (2001, TwoMorrows), I reproduced an old Fawcett freelance artist rates sheet, originally from the files of editorial director Ralph Daigh and executive comics editor Rod Reed. Among the artists listed on the sheet is “S. Moldoff,” receiving $15 per pen and ink page. The memo is dated March 29, 1943.

SHELDON MOLDOFF: I did some “Captain Midnight” stories for Fawcett before I was drafted into the service. After the war, I got a “Captain Marvel Jr.” job, and then went on to do a lot more “Captain Midnight” as well as some “Don Winslow of the Navy,” “Tex Ritter,” and others. I got the jobs mostly from chief editor Will Lieberson and editor Ginny Provisiero. I became good friends with Will. PCH: Were you still strictly on a freelance basis with Fawcett at the time?

The Phantom Eagle’s Last Flight MARC SWAYZE’s “The Flight Of The Bee” From Wow Comics #69 (Aug. 1948) Introduction by P.C. Hamerlinck

rom Wow Comics #30 (Oct. 1944) through #69 (Aug. 1948), Marc Swayze created complete story art on all “Phantom Eagle” stories in that magazine for Fawcett Publications, as well as writing a good portion of the stories; all the lettering was done by his sister, Daisy Swayze. (NOTE: There were no Swayze “Phantom Eagle” stories in Wow # 54 & 56, but the artist did two “PE” stories in issues #42 & 43.)

And, even when Marc didn’t write the “Phantom Eagle” story he’d happen to be illustrating, he would still go in and judiciously modify the scripts to his liking. Fawcett comics editor Wendell Crowley and Marc used to laugh about how one of the writers simply left descriptions blank on his “PE” scripts because he knew that Marc was going to depict the story the way he wanted to anyway. In 1999, Marc reminisced about working on “The Phantom Eagle”: “I didn’t even know the kid. When asked recently why I chose ‘The Phantom Eagle’ from all the Fawcett comic book features, it was necessary to go to the research shelves to find out about this Mickey Malone. “There wasn’t much to be learned. Seems he first appeared in Wow Comics in mid-1942, about the same time as ‘Commando Yank’ and slightly before ‘Mary Marvel,’ and was overshadowed by both from the start. For about a year he wore black goggles and thus resembled many masked heroes of the era. Very little is known about ‘The Phantom Eagle.’ In the sources available, there is nothing about who originated the concept, who wrote the first story, or who drew the first character sketches. Before I took over ‘The Phantom Eagle,’ various artists had drawn the character, including Bert Whitman and Charlie Tomsey of the Jack Binder Shop. “So why would I have wanted to

write and draw ‘The Phantom Eagle’? Perhaps it was out of sympathy. Here was a character as mired in obscurity as I was. With no criticism of the work that had gone before, I felt that the feature was in need of help and maybe I was the one to provide it.

“Whatever the reason, I drew ‘The Phantom Eagle’ and wrote many of the stories as I had time for, until Wow Comics closed the store in 1948. And it was a fun job. The characters and environments were easy to draw and the stories easy to write.

“By the time it was all over, I got to where I really liked the kid… even more than Captain Marvel or Mary Marvel. I guess ‘The Phantom Eagle’ was my all-time favorite comic book work.” We’re proud to present in its entirety the tale that marked the final appearance of The Phantom Eagle, and consequently Marc Swayze’s concluding work on the character, from the last issue of Wow Comics #69 (Aug. 1948). It's not know if Marc wrote the story—but he drew it, and that's enough for us.

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A 100th-Birthday Tribute to MARC SWAYZE FCA EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION: Our respected friend and cherished colleague, Marc Swayze, graced hundreds of pages of this magazine with his enduring chronicle, “We Didn‘t Know… It Was the Golden Age!” Marc’s continuous, regularly-published memoirs were unprecedented amongst his peers, but the humble artist viewed himself the unsung hero, “the most forgotten of the unknowns… or the most unknown of the forgottens,” as he used to say. He never sought the spotlight, but I firmly believed that such a gifted and treasured individual as Marc duly deserved a destiny that was more than just a faded footnote. While our beloved comrade may have left us on October 14, 2012, at the age of 99, rest assured that his presence will continue to live on here in our publication. For the moment, in honor of what would have been his 100th birthday this month (July 17th), let’s dust off and open up the Marc Swayze photo album and celebrate his golden, extraordinary life....

—-P.C. Hamerlinck.

Portrait Of The Artist As A (Very) Young Man Marcus Desha Swayze was born July 17, 1913, the fourth and youngest child of Mildred Turner and steamboat captain Lewis Herbert Swayze. Marc had two older sisters, May and Daisy— the latter would later letter his comics stories—and one older brother, Lewis Herbert. Photo courtesy of Judy Swayze Blackman.

Play A Simple Melody Marc Swayze plays a melody on January 20, 2011—with his framed Alter Ego #18 cover on top of his piano. Special thanks to Lindsey Wilkerson of the University of Louisiana at Monroe Office of Public Information; photo by Terrance Armstard. Check out the feature on Marc by the ULM Alumni Association at: www.ulm.edu/alumni/features/swayze

A 100th-Birthday Tribute To Marc Swayze

“You Should See The Other Guy— Name Of Sivana!” Marc in the 7th grade with broken arm and black eye after a scrap with a neighborhood boy. Photo courtesy of Judy Swayze Blackman.

Graduation Day From 1940-42 Marc Swayze was a staff artist at Fawcett Publications, assigned to draw “Captain Marvel” stories and covers. In addition, Marc co-created Mary Marvel with writer Otto Binder, and also wrote several “Captain Marvel” stories—and he continued to write them on a freelance basis while serving in the U.S. Army from 1942-44. Above is a Swayze-drawn panel from “The Training of Mary Marvel” (Captain Marvel Adventures #19, cover-dated Jan. 1943). [Shazam heroes TM & ©2013 DC Comics.]

Music, Maestro, Please! There was great camaraderie amongst the Fawcett comics crew. In this 1942 snapshot, guitarist Marc jams with his friend/comics editor and writer Rod Reed and an unknown accordion player at a weekend party at Reed’s residence in Malverne, Long Island, NY. Photo courtesy of Judy Swayze Blackman.

When Romance Was In The Air—And On The Drawing Board Marc is seen here working on a romance comics story in the ’40s after he had returned back home from New York City. Marc freelanced for Fawcett from Monroe, Louisiana, where he illustrated “The Phantom Eagle” and drew the Flyin’ Jenny Sunday newspaper comic strip for Bell Syndicate—and added the feature’s daily strip after his mentor/FJ creator Russell Keaton passed away in 1945. From 1948 to late 1953, Marc worked exclusively on Fawcett’s romance comics, producing approximately 80 stories for such titles as Sweetheart Diary (which sold near the two-million mark each month) and Life Story (with a circulation of over 700,000.) Picture taken by Marvin DuBois. Photo courtesy of Judy Swayze Blackman.