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October 2003

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(NOW WITH 16 COLOR PAGES!) “AllInterview Issue”! Part 2 of an exclusive STEVE ENGLEHART interview (continued from ALTER EGO #103)! “Pro2Pro” interviews between SIMONSON & LARSEN, MOENCH & WEIN, and comics letterers KLEIN & CHIANG. Plus JOHN OSTRANDER, MICHAEL USLAN, and longtime DC color artist ADRIENNE ROY! Cover by Englehart collaborator MARSHALL ROGERS!

“Gods!” Takes an in-depth look at WALTER SIMONSON’s Thor, the Thunder God in the Bronze Age, “Pro2Pro” interview with TOM DeFALCO and RON FRENZ, Hercules: Prince of Power, Moondragon, Three Ways to End the New Gods Saga, exclusive interview with fantasy writer MICHAEL MOORCOCK, art and commentary by GERRY CONWAY, JACK KIRBY, BOB LAYTON, and more, with a swingin’ Thor cover by SIMONSON!

“Liberated Ladies” eyeing female characters that broke barriers in the Bronze Age: Big Barda, Valkyrie, Ms. Marvel, Phoenix, Savage She-Hulk, and the sword-wielding Starfire. Plus a “Pro2Pro” interview with JILL THOMPSON, GAIL SIMONE, and BARBARA KESEL, art and commentary by JOHN BYRNE, GEORGE PEREZ, JACK KIRBY, MIKE VOSBURG, and more, with a new cover by BRUCE TIMM!

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THE BEST IN COMICS AND LEGO MAGAZINES!

ALTER EGO #105

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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! SHEL DORF 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, ANDRU, TUSKA, CELARDO, & LUBBERS, plus FCA, MR. MONSTER, BILL SCHELLY, cover by EVERETT & BURGOS, and more!

Interview with inker SCOTT WILLIAMS from his days at Marvel and Image to his work with JIM LEE, and PATRICK OLIFFE demos how he produces Spider-Girl, Mighty Samson, and digital comics. Also, MIKE MANLEY and BRET BLEVINS’ “Comic Art Bootcamp”, a “Rough Critique” of a newcomer’s work by BOB McLEOD, art supply reviews by “Crusty Critic” JAMAR NICHOLAS, and more!

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LEE & KIRBY: THE WONDER YEARS (KIRBY COLLECTOR #58)

Special double-size book examines the first decade of the FANTASTIC FOUR, and the events that put into motion the Marvel Age of Comics! New interviews with STAN LEE, FLO STEINBERG, MARK EVANIER, JOE SINNOTT, and others, with a wealth of historical information and Kirby artwork!

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“Kirby Vault!” Rarities from the “King” of comics: Personal correspondence, private photos, collages, rare Marvelmania art, bootleg album covers, sketches, transcript of a 1969 VISIT TO THE KIRBY HOME (where Jack answers the questions YOU’D ask in ‘69), MARK EVANIER, pencil art from the FOURTH WORLD, CAPTAIN AMERICA, MACHINE MAN, SILVER SURFER GRAPHIC NOVEL, and more!

LEGO SPACE WAR issue! A STARFIGHTER BUILDING LESSON by Peter Reid, WHY SPACE MARINES ARE SO POPULAR by Mark Stafford, a trip behind the scenes of LEGO’S NEW ALIEN CONQUEST SETS that hit store shelves earlier this year, plus JARED K. BURKS’ column on MINIFIGURE CUSTOMIZATION, building tips, event reports, our step-by-step “YOU CAN BUILD IT” INSTRUCTIONS, and more!

Go to Japan with articles on two JAPANESE LEGO FAN EVENTS, plus take a look at JAPAN’S SACRED LEGO LAND, Nasu Highland Park—the site of the BrickFan events and a pilgrimage site for many Japanese LEGO fans. Also, a feature on JAPAN’S TV CHAMPIONSHIP OF LEGO, a look at the CLICKBRICK LEGO SHOPS in Japan, plus how to get into TECHNIC BUILDING, LEGO EDUCATION, and more!

LEGO EVENTS ISSUE covering our own BRICKMAGIC FESTIVAL, BRICKWORLD, BRICKFAIR, BRICKCON, plus other events outside the US. There’s full event details, plus interviews with the winners of the BRICKMAGIC CHALLENGE competition, complete with instructions to build award winning models. Also JARED K. BURKS’ regular column on minifigure customizing, building tips, and more!

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Vol. 3, No. 29 /October 2003

™

Editor Roy Thomas

Associate Editors Bill Schelly Jim Amash

Design & Layout Christopher Day

Consulting Editor John Morrow

FCA Editor P.C. Hamerlinck

Comic Crypt Editor Michael T. Gilbert

Editors Emeritus Jerry Bails (founder) Ronn Foss, Biljo White, Mike Friedrich

MONSTERS MALICIOUS & MIRTHFUL Section

Production Assistant Eric Nolen-Weathington

Cover Artists Frank Brunner Pete Von Sholly

Contents

Cover Colorists Tom Ziuko Pete Von Sholly

And Special Thanks to: Gary Arlington Mark Austin Randall J. Barlow John Benson Chris Brown Frank Brunner Mike Burkey Orlando Busino Nick Caputo Gene Colan Dave Cockrum Jon B. Cooke Al Dellinges Roger Dicken & Wendy Hunt Shel Dorf Shelton Drum Tim Easterday Bill Fraccio George Gladir Stan Goldberg Paul Handler Dustin Harbin Daniel Herman

Richard Howell Thomas G. Lammers Stan Lee Steve Leialoha Pablo Marcos Michael Mikulovsky Mile-High Comics Fred Mommsen Brian K. Morris Dave O’Dell Jerry Ordway Tom Palmer John G. Pierce Larry Rippee Paul Rivoche Trina Robbins Pete Von Sholly Marc Swayze Dann Thomas Alex Toth Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr. Michael J. Vassallo Hames Ware Michael Zeno

This issue is dedicated to the memory of

William Woolfolk

Special Halloween Hulkorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 “I Didn’t Want to Draw Superman and Captain America!”. . . . . 3 A brief Halloween-oriented interview with the fantastic Frank Brunner.

“And Men Shall Call Him... Prototype!”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Tom Lammers looks at the foreshadowing—or something—of the Marvel Age of Comics.

“Doing Comics Was a Fun Learning Experience!” . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Bill Fraccio to Jim Amash on his years as a comic book penciler—and as half of “Tony Williamsune.”

A Talk with John Benson (Part III). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Bill Schelly concludes his conversation with the editor of the EC fanzine Squa Tront.

FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America) #88 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 P.C. Hamerlinck presents Swayze, Colan, Ordway, Palmer, Cockrum, Marcos, and Pierce— plus a brief tribute to the late great Bill Woolfolk.

Horror, Terror, & Love Goddesses Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Flip Us! About Our Cover: It was a toss-up between two fabulous Brunner Batman pencil illustrations as to which would become our cover—definitely a no-lose situation! See them both in the pages that follow—plus lots more Brunner artwork drawn with the macabre in mind! [Art © 2003 Frank Brunner; Batman TM & © 2003 DC Comics.] Above: “Rorgg, King of the Spider Men” beat your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man into a Martin Goodman mag by nearly two years—but does that mean there was a cause-and-effect relationship between them? Read Tom Lammers’ microscopic scrutiny of the problematical, even controversial Marvel “prototypes,” beginning on p. 14. [© 2003 Marvel Characters, Inc.] Alter EgoTM is published monthly by TwoMorrows, 1812 Park Drive, Raleigh, NC 27605, USA. Phone: (919) 833-8092. Roy Thomas, Editor. John Morrow, Publisher. Alter Ego Editorial Offices: Rt. 3, Box 468, St. Matthews, SC 29135, USA. Fax: (803) 826-6501; e-mail: roydann@ntinet.com. Send subscription funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial offices. Single issues: $8 ($10 Canada, $11.00 elsewhere). Twelve-issue subscriptions: $60 US, $120 Canada, $132 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 Canada. FIRST PRINTING.

Title writer/editorial

Special Halloween Hulkorial! Sneakily, Halloween has gradually become America’s second-biggest holiday. Since the horrific themes of that day (or rather, night) are intertwined with so much comic book work, I decided to see how a special Halloween issue would turn out. No big exhaustive interview this time—though Frank Brunner has some interesting things to say about his early horror work, Tom Lammers analyzes Marvel’s monstrous “prototypes,” Trina Robbins details the evolution of Timely’s Venus from romance to terror, Jim Amash interviews no less than three monster-related comics people, Michael T. Gilbert presents some EC homages, Bill Schelly concludes his interview with EC fanaddict John Benson, Alex Toth ponders the “mysterioso” factor in comics, Ware and

Vadeboncoeur handle Ernie Schroeder and The Heap, Doc V. and others herald a few Joe Maneely monsterworks left over from last issue, P.C. Hamerlinck’s FCA presents Captain Marvel in some creepy company, and painter Pete Von Sholly gives us a window onto a world where Classics Illustrated went whole-hog adapting the works of H.P. Lovecraft and other masters of the macabre. Is it any wonder we don’t have room for even a short writer/editorial on our flip side? So I’ll let this circa-1970 cartoon by Frank Brunner, sent to us by Tim Easterday, have the final word (see the story behind it on p. 10), and let you decide if this issue is more trick... or treat. Bestest,

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• “Just a League of Their Own!” ALEX ROSS on his love for the JLA! ROY THOMAS, MICHELLE NOLAN, & WALT GROGAN on the first great days of the 1960s JLA, with awesome rare art by MIKE SEKOWSKY, DICK DILLIN, et al.! • Blue Hawk! White Archer! Red Mask! Fantômas! A French Superboy (no relation)! Heroes now starring in Strangers from Image! JEAN-MARC LOFFICIER on the super-doers of 1940s-1980s France! Art by STEVE RUDE, STEPHEN BISSETTE, LADRÖNN, JEAN-JACQUES DZIALOWSKI, NEAL ADAMS, & an artistic French Foreign Legion! • “Ghost Writers in the Sky!” Golden Age scripters KIM AAMODT & WALTER GEIER talk to JIM AMASH about writing for JOE SIMON & JACK KIRBY (Boys’ Ranch and beyond!), Magazine Enterprises, Standard/Nedor, and others! • Plus: ALEX TOTH—MICHAEL T. GILBERT—BILL SCHELLY—FCA with MARC SWAYZE, C.C. BECK, and the SHAZAM! cartoon show!—& more!!! Edited by ROY THOMAS • 108 PAGES!

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Frank Brunner

“I Didn’t Want to Draw Superman or Captain America!” A Brief Halloween-Oriented Interview with Formerly Far-Out FRANK BRUNNER Conducted by Roy Thomas (via e-mail) [Unless otherwise indicated, all art accompanying this interview was provided by the artist.] ROY THOMAS: In the interview in Comic Book Artist #6 you said that you originally had it in mind to be an underground cartoonist. Why was that, and what made you change your mind? FRANK BRUNNER: Back in 1968-69, it seemed as though the underground press was where things were happening. These were comics produced by young creative people without restrictions on style or content. After meeting some of them, I realized we had a lot in common. We listened to the same music, smoked the same “stuff,” spoke in similar terms, and dressed quite colorfully and, of course, we all were against the war going on at that time. So I set my cap and worked up some ideas for my entry into this subculture of comics. However, just as I was about to join them, they all left New York and headed (no pun intended) west to San Francisco! Well, that ended those plans, and I began to take another look at doing “overground” comics. My fanboy roots began to flourish and I started meeting new eager young writers and artists, who also were just breaking into the business. We all had ideas about changing comics, working around the Comics Code if possible, sneaking little things past management, and in general trying to expand what comics looked like beyond the very prevalent “house” styles that were fairly well entrenched at companies like DC and Marvel. RT: Your first published work appeared in black-&white horror mags. Did you always have an affinity for horror comics, or was it just a way you saw as your entrée into the field? You have said, after all, that you never saw yourself as a superhero artist. BRUNNER: Actually, my first solo story was published in Web of Horror #3 (“Santa’s Claws”). And by solo, I mean solo. I wrote it, penciled and inked it, and lettered it, too! Yes, I was an EC Comics fan, especially the horror and sci-fi books, but when the Code came along, all that ended for

Photo of Frank Brunner taken at the 2003 Heroes Con—and a black-&-white version of his penciled Batman/graveyard commission drawing that was used as this issue’s cover. To learn how to contact Frank to buy or commission original work, see the end of this piece. With thanks to Shelton Drum & Dustin Harbin of the Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find comics shop in Charlotte, NC; check out their website at <www.heroesonline.com>. [Art ©2003 Frank Brunner; Batman TM & ©2003 DC Comics.]

“I Didn’t Want to Draw Superman or Captain America!”

Splash page of Frank’s first professional solo art effort, from Web of Horror #3 (April 1970). WoH was a “Warren wannabe” black-&-white horror comic which featured the developing work, in its three bimonthly 1969-70 issues, of newcomers (and future stars) like Jeff Jones, Bernie Wrightson, Michael Kaluta, Bruce Jones—and Frank Brunner. To learn more about their Web experience, pick up Comic Book Artist Collection, Vol. Two, available from TwoMorrows; see its ad bloc in this issue. [©2003 the respective copyright holder.]

color comics. Then came the Warren magazines (without the Code) and a chance to do some work that had teeth! I liked reading super-hero comics as a child, but after discovering those old pre-Code EC comics (while in my teens), I saw what could be done in the medium beyond just super-heroes! I didn’t want to draw Superman or Captain America, especially at a time when my country was trying to get me killed (or make me a killer) in Vietnam! And finally, yes, horror was the way I got into the business; not everyone could (or wanted to) draw the dark and stylish art these stories required. RT: Anything else you can remember about the Web of Horror experience besides what you said in Comic Book Artist #6, about how editor Terry Bisson left the company and so they canceled the mag right away? What was the second story you had done for Web, the one you wound up selling to Warren? BRUNNER: As you say, I don’t want to go over what happened to Web again. But when the publisher canceled Web (he really only wanted to do Cracked magazine), I had already completed stories for issues #4 and #5. Word got out that Warren was lusting after most of the artists who had done work for Web, so I took the stories over to his office and he instantly bought the story called “Eye of Newt, Toe of Frog,” written by Gerry Conway. The other story, “Sword of Dragonus,” he wanted also, but I got it published in a very slick “pro-zine” entitled Phase #1. I had plans to continue doing “Dragonus” stories and wanted to retain the rights to the character. [See Star*Reach #3.] RT: You did three stories for Marvel’s color comic Chamber of Chills.

The splash page of a story Frank drew for James Warren’s Creepy or Eerie. It was never published. [© =2003 Frank Brunner.]

Frank Brunner The first of these was the Robert E. Howard adaptation “The Monster from the Mound,” scripted by Gardner Fox—at least I’m assuming you drew them in the order in which they were published. Any particular recollections of that story? It was reprinted a few years back by Cross Plains Comics, the REH-based company, under its original Howard title “The Horror from the Mound.” BRUNNER: Well, it was my first solo story for Marvel, and my first full-color comic book story, and that first printing (in Chamber of Chills #2) was the best printing it ever got. Later, Marvel reprinted it in one of its black-&-white magazines, and somebody put in all these dark marker tones obscuring most or the drawing. Then, as you say, Cross Plains Comics reprinted it again, using the terrible stats that Marvel used to make. (Marvel’s stat machine seemed to have only one setting, and only the thick and darkest line work would reproduce), so just about all my feathering work dropped out! I offered Cross Plains the opportunity to shoot from my originals, but they wanted to avoid paying me anything, so that’s why it looks the way it does! RT: I think Cross Plains’ idea was to pay, if its comics had made money; but they didn’t, because, though they sold well in comics shops, most store owners wouldn’t order more than the absolute

handful they knew they could sell three seconds after they arrived. The REH comics sold well where they got out, so it was a very shortsighted view on their part. Anyway—I presume Gardner wrote a full script for that story, right? Did you make any changes, or feel that you could have? Did I or someone else talk with you about the story before you drew it? Did you read Howard’s original prose story before doing the art, as well as the script? BRUNNER: I’m pretty sure it was a full script, and no, I made no changes I can remember. We might have talked briefly about the story, but I was most concerned about getting it in on time. I’m a slow inker, and this was my debut appearance for Marvel as penciler. I did not read the original Howard story. I didn’t own a copy at the time, and besides I was mainly into his barbarian stories. For horror I read mostly Lovecraft in the early ’70s. RT: Did you feel any particular restrictions because of the Comics Code (besides the name change, of course)? BRUNNER: You bet your fetid bones I did! We (the artists) were not even allowed to depict red blood, and if any blood were shown it was black.

(Left:) The first Brunner-drawn story in a Marvel comic—and a color mag, at that—debuted in Chamber of Chills #2 (Jan. 1973), based on a Robert E. Howard vampire story from Weird Tales pulp magazine for May 1932. In 1972 the Comics Code still objected to the use of the words “horror” or “terror” in story titles or on covers... though they didn’t object mentioning the story’s original name in the credits. (Right:) In August 2000 the Fox/Brunner adaptation was reprinted by Cross Plains Comics under editor/publisher Richard Ashford—in black-&-white with grey-tones added, with the original credits moved to the inside front cover, with the first caption “typeset”—and with the “Monster” in the title altered to the correct “Horror.” Too bad the exclamation point wasn’t omitted, too; but the $5.95 comic, Robert E. Howard’s Horror, was well-received and well-reviewed, and also contained art by Gene Day, Sandy Plunkett, and Steve Lightle. [©2003 Robert E. Howard Properties, LLC.]

“And Men Shall Call Him... PROTOTYPE!”

“And Men Shall Call Him... PROTOTYPE!” A Look at the Foreshadowing––––or Something–––of the Marvel Age of Comics by Thomas G. Lammers [All art, unless noted, provided by the author or by Alter Ego’s editor.]

Part I Pre-Hero Prototypes Everybody knows them. We’ve all seen them. Amazing Fantasy #15. Journey into Mystery #83. Fantastic Four #1. Tales of Suspense #39. Strange Tales #110. Those crucial first appearances of the heroes who defined what Stan Lee dubbed the Marvel Age of Comics. Some of the most highly desirable (and outrageously expensive) properties in all comicdom. But what if those were not exactly the first appearances of those heroes? What if one could find earlier incarnations of Iron Man or Ant-Man or Dr. Strange in the company’s pre-super-hero books? To see a “market test” of Spider-Man or The Hulk—wouldn’t that be great fun! And wouldn’t that make an otherwise pedestrian comic much more desirable... and much more expensive? We know that editor Stan Lee did such things—at least once. Before resurrecting the company’s Golden Age standard-bearer, Captain America, in Avengers #4 (March 1964), we were treated to an ersatz Cap in the “Human Torch” story in Strange Tales #114 (Nov. 1963). At the end of the story, Lee made it clear that he was indeed gauging the potential for a comeback: “You guessed it! This story was really a test! To see if you, too, would like Captain America to return! As usual, your letters will give us the answer!” If Lee (or publisher Martin Goodman) didn’t want to bring back a former top-seller without a try-out, how much less A trial balloon that flew—or did it? As related above, a bogus Captain America (the villainous Acrobat in disguise) appeared in the “Human Torch” tale in Strange Tales #114 (Nov. 1963), of which we’ve repro’d the cover and a key page. (Interestingly, Cap’s trunks are colored an incorrect red throughout the story, while, on the cover, blue seems to have been laid in over red trunks, making them purple.) The real Cap returned just four months later, in The Avengers #4 (March ’64)—hardly sufficient lead-time to have gauged reader reaction, since Avengers #4 would likely have been in the works by the time S.T. #114 went on sale. Either the Marvel offices were bombarded with letters almost instantaneously upon Cap’s faux comeback and the Real McCap was rushed into print—or else editor Stan Lee and publisher Martin Goodman made up their minds to revive him without waiting for readers’ response (let alone sales reports!). A/E’s editor holds with the latter view, but he’s open to arguments. Thanks to Mark Austin & Chris Brown for the art scans. [©2003 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

The Foreshadowing–––or Something–––of the Marvel Age of Comics likely would he be to inaugurate totally new characters untested? And so was born the concept of the Marvel Pre-Hero Prototypes. Searching through earlier issues of Marvel’s comics reveals any number of stories that in one way or another remind us of our beloved superheroes of the 1960s and beyond. These stories have come to be regarded as prototypes of that which came after. The concept of super-hero prototypes is most closely associated with The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. In the most recent (32nd) edition1, 34 pre-hero issues of Amazing Adult Fantasy, Journey into Mystery, Strange Tales, Tales of Suspense, and Tales to Astonish are identified as “prototype issues.” In fact, the concept is even applied to stories pre-dating the May 1957 “Atlas Implosion” that reduced Goodman’s empire from over 60 titles to a mere 16: three stories in Mystic and Uncanny Tales are likewise considered prototypes. All these stories allegedly foreshadow the development of major heroes (e.g., Spider-Man, Hulk, Dr. Strange) as well as villains (e.g., Dr. Doom, Sandman, Mr. Hyde).

“What Do You Mean, ‘Prototype’?” My dictionary5 defines prototype as “an original model or pattern from which subsequent copies are made, or improved specimens developed.” It is very much a word associated with manufacturing: companies frequently create prototypes as part of marketing research and product development. Before Boeing delivered the first B-17 Flying Fortress to the Army Air Corps in 1936, it produced the Model 299 prototype as a testbed for the production of four-engine heavy bombers.6 Before General Motors introduced the Buick Skylark in 1953, it created the XP-300 concept car and put it on the auto show circuit, to test the reaction of the motoring public.7

Although it is not stated explicitly, it seems to me that a prototype of this sort embodies the concept of intent. In my view, an object is a prototype only if its creator intended to use it as a model or pattern from which to develop subsequent specimens. Therefore, a pre-hero character can be regarded as a prototype for a subsequent character only if there was a conscious Until recent editions, intent to use it to gauge the Overstreet Guide reader reaction and sales carried a very explicit potential. For example, Stan account of how these issues Lee says to Jack Kirby, “I came to be identified as wonder what readers would prototypes. For example, think about a series the 28th edition2 stated (p. featuring a guy inside a 963), “Some of today’s powered metal suit. Let’s popular super-hero whip up a little story for characters were developed Tales of Suspense with a from or after earlier forms guy like that and see what or prototypes. These kind of mail we get. If the prototype characters response is good, maybe I sometimes were introduced Beginning in 1974, Marvel produced an annual calendar featuring its most popular can sell Goodman on a to test new ideas and heroes at that time, with a cover by John Romita. Dracula and Conan the Barbarian regular series.” If such were concepts which later had pre-existed Marvel Comics, and were themselves virtual prototypes for every later the case, I would say such a developed into full fledged vampire and sword-and-sorcery hero. [Conan TM & ©2003 Conan Properties, Inc.; story could fairly be super heros [sic], or old other characters ©2003 Marvel Characters, Inc.] considered a prototype, “an material sometimes would original model or pattern from which... improved specimens [were] inspire new characters. Below is a list of all known prototypes. The developed.” Marvel/Atlas issues have been verified by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, and Jack Kirby.” Curiously, such a statement is not found in the 2002 But what if there was no intent? What if, when the earlier tale was edition. first prepared, it was just another story, with no thought given to possible future development of the character? Later, a certain type of Many have criticized the whole idea of Marvel Pre-Hero character is needed, and the writer or artist harks back (consciously or Prototypes.3 Though the concept is well known among buyers and unconsciously) to this earlier work for ideas or inspiration, thus creating sellers of comics, it is not found in most published histories of the the perceived similarities between the two. Rather than a “prototype,” Marvel Universe.4 In this series, I want to explore this concept in some might it not be better to call such a story or the character in it a detail. We first will consider what it means to be a prototype, and ask precursor or forerunner of the later character? These words denote a whether this is the best term to describe the perceived similarities thing that precedes subsequent development, but do not carry the between pre-hero and later characters. Then, we will examine the stories connotation of intent or deliberate planning. In fact, it allows for the listed by the Overstreet Guide as prototypes, judging their status. possibility that the perceived similarities are entirely unintentional. Finally, just for the fun of it, we will examine additional stories, some Furthermore, while the word “prototype” is associated with manufacgoing back to the early ’50s, that have not been identified as prototypes, turing, a precursor or forerunner has a more naturalistic, almost evolubut which might seem to have as much claim to such a designation as tionary implication, which seems to me more in tune with the nature of some of the others. the creative process.

Bill Fraccio

“Doing Comics Was A Fun Learning Experience!” Veteran Artist BILL FRACCIO Talks about His Years as a Penciler—and as Half of “TONY WILLIAMSUNE” Interview Conducted and Transcribed by Jim Amash

(Top:) Bill Fraccio today—and (at right) a recent illo (drawn for Roy Thomas) of two squabbling 1960s Charlton superheroes, Son of Vulcan and Blue Beetle. Actually, back in early ’65, Bill penciled the first two scripts Roy sold—for Son of Vulcan #50 (Jan. ’66) and Blue Beetle #54 (Feb.-March ’66). Since the covers of those mags were printed in Comic Book Artist #9 and Alter Ego #20, respectively, and both main splashes appeared in A/E #8, on this page are a pair of secondary Fraccio & Tallarico splash pages from those issues. Photo & original art courtesy of Bill Fraccio. [New art ©2003 Bill Fraccio; previously published art ©2003 DC Comics; Son of Vulcan & Blue Beetle TM & ©2003 DC Comics.]

“Doing Comics Was A Fun Learning Experience!” [INTERVIEWER’S NOTE: Bill Fraccio (pronounced Frah’-chi-oh) was the first artist to draw a script written by A/E’s editor, Roy Thomas. While Charlton’s Son of Vulcan was hardly the highlight of either man’s career, I mention it because my purpose in doing this article was twofold. The first was to surprise Roy, which it did; but of primary importance is the recording of Bill Fraccio’s career, which deserved and needed documenting. There have been many unanswered questions in this regard, and now Bill tells us his side of those stories, including the secret of late-’60s Warren artist “Tony Williamsune”! Bill’s career involves more than just Charlton and Warren, but he’ll tell us about them, and about Hillman, Fawcett, and Graham Ingels—starting right now. —Jim.] JIM AMASH: When and where were you born? BILL FRACCIO: In Mount Vernon, New York, July 9, 1920. They didn’t have comic books when I was young, you know. [laughs] JA: Right, but you had the newspaper strips. When did you decide to become a cartoonist? FRACCIO: When I needed to make a living. I went to the same art school [American School of Design] as Fred Kida. He got out of school before I did, and started working at Hillman Publications. Fred was the one who got me into comics. He was a nice, softspoken guy. His father was Japanese and his mother was Norwegian, I think. And we were both big Milton Caniff fans.

I started out as an inker on Bob Fujitani’s “Iron Ace” feature. Bob was a real character and he was at the American School of Design with Fred and me. Bob was one of the stars of the school... actually the three of us were. His pencils were tight and easy to ink. He was a very conscientious, personable guy. He met his wife at the school. Bob was a talker and a wild and crazy guy; you had to like him. I inked a lot of Fred’s and Bob’s work. I’d go over to their houses and work. “Airboy” was Kida’s big feature. Kida and I used to play the clarinet while we were doing these jobs. It sort-of relaxed us in between, because there was a lot of pressure to meet those deadlines. I don’t remember how much we were paid, but it wasn’t much. Kida’s brotherin-law was an agent and he could have gotten better-paying work for Fred, but he wanted to do comics. JA: Do you know if Kida and Fujitani experienced any racial prejudice during the Second World War? FRACCIO: I don’t think they did, but you must remember that there were several Japanese working in comics during this time. There was one guy, George Greg, who changed his last name from Mabuchi. He penciled and inked and was good. I helped him on a few jobs; he later got into doing portraits. George was born in Japan but his brother was born here. He got into trouble for that, and George got into all kinds of crap because of his brother, but it wasn’t really all that bad. It was just a pain in the neck. I also remember Dan Barry from those days. He was a live wire. I didn’t see him that much, though. He’d push his personality on you, so you had to like him. Barry worked so fast that I don’t think he was really looking at the pages when he drew. He turned out so much stuff that he was like a printing press. Dan always needed money.

World War II was on and the companies needed artists, so Fred took me over to meet editor Ed Cronin at Hillman. Fred gave me some pointers. I practiced with a brush before I saw Cronin, taking with me both penciled and inked samples. Cronin was a nice guy—a little fussy, but he was watching out for his job. They had a whole floor where Hillman did comics and magazines, like Pageant. They had a little room for artists, but that was mainly for corrections. I didn’t have to do corrections very often. Cronin had an assistant editor, but I don’t remember his name.

Bill Fraccio

Probably the best-known effort of the Fraccio/Tallarico team was 1966’s The Great Society Comic Book, which was distributed by Pocket Books, sold for $1, and received considerable media publicity. This parody of President Lyndon Johnson’s ballyhooed blueprint for a “Great Society” of civil rights and social entitlements used the Justice League/Justice Society as its model in those days when Batman was the hottest thing on TV. Tallarico got art credit because he sub-contracted the penciling to Fraccio. As per the “S.P.E.C.T.R.E.” and “U.N.C.L.E.” models of the day, the letters of “G.R.E.A.T.” stood for “Group Resigned to End All Threats.” For those A/E readers to whom the LBJ Presidency of 1963-69 is ancient history, some of the super-heroes on the splash (top right) are stand-ins for members of the Johnson administration: Captain Marvelous = Secretary of Defense Robert (“More Bang for a Buck”) MacNamara—Wonderbird = First Lady “Lady Bird” Johnson— The Shadower = V.P. Hubert Humphrey—and the guy with the “D” on his chest is Senator Everett Dirksen. The bespectacled civilian next to Wonderbird may be historian (and JFK holdover) Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.—and is that young Bill Moyers playing the “unassuming reporter” at right? “Bobman and Teddy,” G.R.E.A.T. Society members who’re in hiding at the outset of the story, are obviously none other than Robert and Ted Kennedy, who were out of favor with the LBJ White House. Even a temporarily out-of-power Richard Nixon pops up as The Along Ranger (to whom Colonel America/Barry Goldwater quips, “People say you’re dead, but somehow you keep showing up again and again and again!”); he rides a checkered horse named Checkers—and that historical reference goes all the way back to 1952! Incidentally, when SuperLBJ finally gets free, he defeats the villains—Fu Man Lai (Chairman Mao), Dr. Nyet (Nikita Khrushchev), the Sicko Kid (Fidel Castro), the evil Businessman, et al.—pretty much all by his lonesome. Hey, writer D.J. Arneson must’ve read the second “Justice League” story, in The Brave and the Bold #29! [©2003 Parallax Comic Books, Inc.]

JA: I guess I shouldn’t say this, but those comics are considered to be among the worst comic books of the 1960s.

Pat Masulli was in on this, too. This wasn’t a Charlton product, though many of the people we thanked worked there, like Dick Giordano.

FRACCIO: I wouldn’t be surprised. The books were Tony’s idea. He somehow convinced the people at Dell to put those books out. The stories were terrible and we cranked them out. I didn’t write them.

We also did The Great Society Comic Book for Pocket Books. Again, my pencils and Tony’s inks. It was written by D.J. Arneson. It was a nuthouse working on this thing; I even did some inking and lettering on it. Tony was good at getting work for us to do. He even appeared on television shows promoting the book.

JA: That’s some redemption, at least. [mutual laughter] Why did you two use the “Tony Williamsune” name? FRACCIO: We did it as a gag, but everyone knew who we were. I think it was Tony’s idea to use that signature. He got those jobs and paid me to pencil them. I was a better penciler than Tony. JA: Same deal at Warren? FRACCIO: Yes. I didn’t have any direct contact with Warren. By the way, Tony Tallarico and I started a correspondence cartooning course.

JA: Why did you quit doing comic books? FRACCIO: I was worn out. Tex used to have two sayings, and he was saying them when I first met him: “This is a young man’s job,” and “It’s a man-killer.” He was right. He was saying that right up until he died. After comics, I went into teaching at the Connecticut School of Art, which was more relaxing. Looking back, doing comics was a fun learning experience.

Title Comic Fandom Archive

A Talk with John Benson The Editor of Squa Tront Talks about WILL EISNER, WALLY WOOD and witzend, His Alter Ego Interview with GIL KANE, His 1966 New York Comicon, & Much More!

Part III by Bill Schelly Introduction [In the first two parts of this interview, John filled us in on his early years, his love affair with Mad and EC comics, and the many comics fanzines that were published in the late 1950s, such as Ron Parker’s Hoohah! We also found out how his ground-breaking interviews with Harvey Kurtzman and Bernard Krigstein came about. In this concluding segment, we move into the mid-1960s and even the early ’70s, as John reminisces about comic fandom in the NYC area, including the informal monthly meetings of comic book fans and pros that took place in the apartments of various pros. [This interview was conducted in January 2003, and was transcribed by Brian K. Morris. It was edited by John Benson and Bill Schelly. [©2003 by Bill Schelly] BILL SCHELLY: How did you get Will Eisner to agree to that great interview for witzend? JOHN BENSON: Even earlier than that interview, I was, I’m pretty certain, the first comic book fan ever to contact Eisner. Maybe there were readers who contacted him when The Spirit was being published, but I’m talking about after. I was a big fan of The Spirit, so I thought, “I’ll go up and talk to the guy.” That was in August 1961. So I just walked in. BS: [laughs] I guess that’s a pretty good method, huh? BENSON: Well, it wasn’t that good. I walked into his office and I told him I was a fan of The Spirit,

[Above, left to right:] Dick Blackburn (mentioned in this interview), Bill Pearson (ditto; back to camera), John Benson, and convention co-host Phil Seuling at the 1968 SCARP-Con cocktail party; photo courtesy of JB. “SCARP” stood for “Society of Comic Art Restoration & Preservation.” [Center:] From the late 1960s on, Will Eisner was supportive of comics conventions; here’s his Spirit-ed drawing from the second San Diego Comic-Con (1971), with thanks to Shel Dorf. [Below:] Eisner and fans at the 1968 SCARP-Con, covered later in this installment; thanks to Fred Mommsen. [Art ©2003 Will Eisner.]

and all. And I remember that he was absolutely desperate to avoid having me sit down, because if I sat down, then I would be there for more than thirty seconds. [laughs] He was very cordial, but he immediately stood up and came around his desk and kept standing. He was obviously anxious to get me out of his office as soon as he could. He seemed very surprised that someone would be interested enough in The Spirit to visit him at that time. It seemed very much in the dark past to him. Rather different from my contact with Feiffer around the same time. Arnold Roth had invited me to a lecture Feiffer gave in Philadelphia. I wrote about this in the latest issue of Squa Tront. I was able to talk to Feiffer at the cocktail party afterward. He was a little surprised that I knew of his connection with The Spirit, but he quite understood my

Four Touches of Venus

Four Touches of Venus Super-hero! Horror! Science-Fiction! Romance! Timely/Marvel’s Golden Age Love Goddess Did It ALL—and BILL EVERETT Was There! by Trina Robbins

Romance! A 1950 house ad treats Venus as a love comic—pairing it with the shortlived cowgirlromance title Reno Browne. Artist uncertain. Reproduced from a photostat of the original art. [©2003 Marvel Characters, Inc.

Science-fiction! On the cover of Venus #10 (July 1950) the heroine and a male are “Trapped on the Moon!” —but you’ll notice that only he needs a space suit. See Jim Vadeboncoeur’s checklist on p. 15 for possible artist. [©2003 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

Super-hero! Long before Thor’s 1962 debut in Journey into Mystery, the Roman goddess Venus swoops down at the bad guys in issue #13 (April ’51), though she didn’t use flying powers in the stories themselves— except to transport her back to Olympus. Bill Everett had a hand in the art. Repro’d from a photostat of the original art. [©2003 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

Horror! The splash of the lead tale in the penultimate issue, Venus #18 (Feb. ’52), is horrifically detailed. Art by Wild Bill Everett, repro’d from a photostat of the original art. [©2003 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

Super-hero! Horror! Science-Fiction! Romance!

Fifteen years before Dr. Don Blake discovered the magic Uru hammer that turned him into the Norse thunder god, Thor, Stan Lee created a comics series starring a different mythic deity—this one female. Timely Comics, under Stan Lee’s editorship, had been successfully producing comic books aimed at girls and/or featuring female protagonists since the 1944 debut of Miss America. In its first five issues, that title spotlighted Miss America, a young crime-fighter from Marvel Mystery Comics who sported a patriotic costume and (sometimes) cat’seye glasses, making her the only near-sighted super-heroine in comics. With issue #6, the magazine devoted itself solely to teenage girls without super-powers, and Miss America was demoted to guest spots in other Timely comics. Next to get her own book was Blonde Phantom in 1946, the only super-heroine to fight crime in a red evening gown and matching highheeled pumps. Blonde Phantom was still going strong when, two years later, Timely came up with Sun Girl, Namora—and Venus, who eventually saw some pretty frenzied action in an evening gown herself. Namora, Sub-Mariner’s cousin, and Sun Girl, billed as “The Mysterious Beauty,” lasted three issues each; but Venus, the ancient Roman goddess of love, was another story, surviving through 1952 and owing her comparative longevity to her (and Stan Lee’s) ability to change with the times. 1948 was also the year that the film One Touch of Venus opened in theatres across America. Based on the 1943 musical comedy with songs by Kurt Weill and Ogden Nash, it starred Ava Gardner as the goddess who comes down to Earth. (In the earlier stage musical, Mary Martin had played the title role. Because she later become so identified with her role as the nurse in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific, I can’t help but imagine her singing, “I’m Gonna Wash That Mars Right Out of My Hair!”) It’s very likely that the movie version was the inspiration for Stan Lee, who always had his eye on the latest trend. In a recent telephone interview, he couldn’t remember whether or not he had been inspired by One Touch of Venus, but he said, “If it makes your article any better, you can say the movie was my inspiration.” He also believes that he did write some “Venus” stories, though he can’t remember how many or which ones. The first splash page from Venus #1 (April ’48). Experts disagree concerning the artist; see both the article and the checklist on p. 15. Repro’d from photostats of the original art. Thanks to Trina Robbins. [©2003 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

The photo of dark-haired Ava Gardner in the 1948 film version of One Touch of Venus (left) was quite likely the inspiration for the art spot seen at right, whose comely blonde image topped Timely’s 1951 “Venus” stories. The movie dropped most of the songs from the 1943 stage musical, although singing idol Dick Haymes did get to croon the beautiful “Speak Low” to Ava. Haymes was no stranger to so-called “love goddesses,” once being married to Rita Hayworth; but in the film, after a department-store mannequin of Venus comes to life, he loses Ava (herself often styled a “love goddess”) to boyish Robert Walker—before Venus returns to Olympus in one of those “it-wasall-a-dream” endings. Note that Ava Gardner’s autograph is backward on the reversed photo. Thanks to Trina Robbins. [Art ©2003 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

George Gladir & Orlando Busino

Tales Calculated To Drive You BATS! Brief Interviews with GEORGE GLADIR & ORLANDO BUSINO —Co-creators of Archie’s Horrific Humor Title (Or Was It Their Humorous Horror Title?) Transcribed and Conducted by Jim Amash

George Gladir meets Melisssa Joan Hart (TV’s Sabrina) at the Los Angeles Festival of Books, 2002—flanked by the first-ever appearance of Sabrina in Archie’s Madhouse #22 (Oct. 1962) and the cover of Tales Calculated to Drive You Bats (the full official title) #1 (Nov. 1961). “Sabrina” art by Dan DeCarlo; Bats art by Orlando Busino, whose interview begins on p. 45. [Art ©2003 Archie Comic Publications, Inc.]

I. GEORGE GLADIR, Writer [INTRODUCTION: George Gladir is one of the most prolific writers in comic book history. A few years ago, Robin Snyder’s research indicated that Paul S. Newman wrote more comics stories than anyone else—though recently, in his magazine The Comics! Robin’s begun to wonder aloud if Robert Kanigher might just have a claim on that crown, after all—and it’s just possible that, when all is said and done, George Gladir might just take that title away from both of them! Either way, George’s amazing ability to consistently write funny scripts for several decades, whether for Archie Publications or others, is a remarkable achievement. Personally, we think George was also a horror-ble writer, as the following interview will demon-strate. (Please forgive the puns, George.) —Jim.] GEORGE GLADIR: Archie’s Madhouse was originally supposed to be a take-off on Mad magazine. I didn’t originate the series, but came on board as a writer with the sixth issue. Eventually, I got to do most of the writing, which I did for quite a while. The monster pages were sporadic at first; there was a potpourri of subjects in each issue. I tried to cover things that might interest our readers. Once Orlando Busino and I started doing the monster pages, we soon came up with the idea of doing

Tales Calculated to Drive You BATS!

43 started to complain that the book was too gory. [laughs] Can you believe that? So we had to tone it down a little. If you’ll look at the second cover, you’ll notice the change. Our original cover submission had a humorous nighttime cemetery scene with a blurb that read, “This issue is guaranteed to contain at least 26 ghoulish acts” ...or words to that effect. Archie didn’t go for it, so we came up with an innocuous preHarry Potter witchcraft school scene. JA: How did you feel about having to tone things down? GLADIR: I didn’t dwell on it, though I didn’t particularly like it. We were still doing something we enjoyed.

our own separate monster book. You’ll notice our names were on the Table of Contents page of Bats, and on the splash page of each story. That was something that Archie Publications hadn’t done in many years and wouldn’t do again for many years. I can’t say enough about how spectacular Orlando’s artwork was. He did everything: penciling, inking, and lettering, while juggling his other work... selling his gag cartoons to the major magazines, a field in which he was recognized as a major star. JIM AMASH: To whom at Archie did you present the Bats concept? GLADIR: To Richard Goldwater, the editor and son of publisher John Goldwater. JA: I know things were different in those days, so I’m assuming neither you nor Orlando thought much about owning any rights to the comic. GLADIR: We didn’t even think about it then. JA: How much freedom did you have in developing this comic book? GLADIR: Complete and total freedom, especially in the first issue. But then, some of the other publishers

JA: Were any of those complaints from the Comics Code Authority?

GLADIR: As I recall, John Goldwater was the president of the Comics Code during that time, so the other publishers, who had felt restricted in what they could do, may have felt Archie was taking undue advantage. But in looking at the comics, the only blood we ever had was in the Bats logo, and in the lettering. JA: Did you have story conferences with Richard Goldwater? GLADIR: I wrote the stories and mailed them in. Richard Goldwater was then editing over a dozen other titles, so we had very little time for

Alter Ego #29