Sept. 1951: This month it’s Astonishing #8, cover art by Russ Heath (pencils and inks). Heath got his first professional job in 1942 during the summer vacation between his freshman and sophomore years of high school. But he only did a couple of assignments before being drafted into the Air Force during his senior year, so he didn’t become a full-time artist until 1947 when he took on a staff job at Timely, where he became a regular artist on the “Kid Colt” feature. While he spent most of his early years working on westerns (he drew great horses), in 1951 he switched to mainly working on horror and war books. He was known for his accuracy of details when it came to military uniforms and equipment, but, man, he was great at depicting water.
The Phantom (v2) #74 January 1977 Cover art by Don Newton
This period tale of 1776 nicely commemorates and coincides with the American Bicentennial. Released at the tail end of the Bicentennial year, this story put the Ghost Who Walks at the time of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence. So this very patriotic cover was entirely appropriate for both the year the comic was released and the year that the comic was set in. The colonial-era Phantom comes to the aid of Benjamin Franklin, but not before denouncing the colonies' ongoing participation of slavery. Don Newton's flag cover painting (considered a classic by many) conveys both patriotism and traditionalism. The interior story, the artist's last of the series, is no less exemplary. Don Newton was an artist who burned very bright for a period of about ten years in mainstream comics, doing wonderful work on Detective Comics, New Gods, “Shazam” in Adventure Comics and a series of comics for Charlton Comics. Newton’s most memorable work at Charlton was on the longtime comic-strip favorite The Phantom, and his very best issue was #74.
Great covers guys!!!! Missed yesterday, so how bout something really cool. This roughed up beauty is the South African Spiderman 122(Supercomix Spiderman #4 1978). The South African Supercomixs books really have to be some of the rarest bronze age comics in the world. Even topping some tough Filipino bookstore books in rarity. According to our sources, the same song and dance played out in South Africa as it did in so many other places. A large majority of kids there preferred the American originals to the local output whenever possible. This bias didn't bode well for these books. Not easy to find in any condition, when you come across any Supercomix they are like a jewel. On top of that posters were included attached to the spine, so finding one with poster intact is even rarer. This book still has the poster of Peter Falk along with the prize winners on the reverse sides attached to the spine. A very interesting and wonderful aspect to Supercomix comic books is this. Somehow the strict apartheid censors who did everything in thier power to separate the races in media either didn't care or were not all that concerned with these comic books. Prize winner pages had kids represented wether black, white or any mix of the two. This is pretty darn neat and Republican Press appears to be on the right side of history in South Africa. it's a joy to own a few of these amazing books in my collection.
Kinda neat to see Supes right next to a Spidey splash page. Republican Press had both DC and Marvel licensing rights.
National Comics #25 October 1942 Art by Reed Crandall
National Comic might be the most patriotic comic book ever produced. It starred Uncle Sam, the national personification of the United States. There were many great patriotic covers during National Comics’ run, but I think this one ranks as one of the patriotic covers ever.
Captain America (v1) #5 August 1941 Cover by Jack Kirby & Syd Shores
7 stories in one comic! When a circus comes to town near Camp Lehigh, Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes decide to check it out, unaware that it is secretly a Nazi operation and that the Ringmaster has been charged with eliminating various military officials in the area. Using his "Wheel of Death" the Ringmaster sets his sights on General Blaine. When his assistant Tommy Thumb refuses to participate in murdering Blaine, the Ringmaster uses violence to force the dwarf to do as he is ordered. Tommy goes and lets a lion loose from it's cage and it mauls Blaine to death. Spotting the danger, Steve Rogers and James change into Captain America and Bucky and subdue the big cat and return it to its cage. Deducing that Blaine's death was not an accident the pair attempt to capture Tommy Thumb but are stopped by other circus workers. Overhearing them talk of a "ringmaster" in charge they become suspicious of the operation.
This comic also contained19-year old Stan Lee's first scripted comic book story in this comic. It was titled "Headline Hunter, Foreign Correspondent"
Uncle Sam was first depicted as a character in cartoons during the War of 1812. So by the time World War II began, there was no issue over ownership of the name or design of the icon. In fact, Quality’s National Comics was not the first traditional comic in which the character appeared, but rather Dell’s The Comics #10 (Sept. 1938). But National was where he was first portrayed as a superhero. So for the 4th I’m going to post a few covers from other publishers which had Uncle Sam on display. Here’s Target Comics vol. 2, #1 (#13, March 1941) by Ben Thompson from Novelty Press.
Here’s Big Shot Comics #24 (June 1942) from Columbia. I’m not sure if the artwork is by Ham Fisher or one of his assistants, but either way it’s nice drawing.
I was specifically avoiding Quality, since everybody knows that Uncle Sam, and because you had already posted Quality’s Uncle Sam. That’s why I said: “So for the 4th I’m going to post a few covers from other publishers which had Uncle Sam on display.” Trust me, I'm not going to forget Quality Comics! :smiley:
Great patriotic covers guys!!!! I gotta head to a BBQ real quick so how bout a neat cover alteration. The Swedish Jonah #1 is darker and includes blood where the American is more sanitized. Enjoy....
I was specifically avoiding Quality, since everybody knows that Uncle Sam, and because you had already posted Quality’s Uncle Sam. That’s why I said: “So for the 4th I’m going to post a few covers from other publishers which had Uncle Sam on display.” Trust me, I'm not going to forget Quality Comics! :smiley:
I was just looking for an excuse to bust out another Uncle Sam cover :)
Lebanese Arabic Supes 236! We believe these were printed in Lebanon right around the time of the civil war. We know that there are later printings of these issues but being unable to read Arabic I cant tell if this is an original or not. Doesn't really matter to me though. The Lebanese Arabic's are very very neat whichever printing you can find. Remember Arabic is read right to left similar to Hebrew or Japanese Kanji. So the spine is on the right…. all artwork was flipped horizontally so Supermans chest S is backwards throughout but correct on the cover. Neat stuff….
What to share today? How about something many horror fans have never seen? The former Yugoslavian Tomb of Dracula #1(Eks almanah #385) is an oversized marvel. This issue was published by Dečje novine in 1984 a few years before the devastating series of conflicts that shattered the country of Yugoslavia into pieces. Totally dig the K used in Dracs title. According to my understanding Dečje novine was the largest Yugo publisher of comics right up until the civil war. They had both the DC, Marvel and Disney license. One has to wonder how many of these books survived the conflicts there. This brings me to a point I make often. People sometimes ask me why I am so heavy into the foreign niche of the hobby? Why I choose to search books out from around the world and make it the focus of my collection? Well, on top of being a bad ass, choose my own way, path less traveled type of guy. I do this of course because the damn things are so freaking cool! But….. also because many foreign editions have extra cultural/societal baggage that fascinates me. Lessons to be learned or just simply opportunities to wonder about human experiences outside my own safe borders. For instance, with these former Yugo books I wonder about the kid or kids that read them? I wonder if they lost loved ones during the civil war? Did they grow into adults that fought and on which side? I wonder if they lived through the siege of Sarajevo inside the city or as forces arrayed outside? Or worse still, did a child that held this book in their hands lose their innocence during the ethnic cleansing of the times? Either as a witness to horror or as the perpetrator? Also, I didn't buy this book from Ebay in a sanitized fashion with insurance's from paypal! I used a contact from within Serbia, a former Nato enemy he was unbelievably forthcoming with his experiences. We had many conversations about his thoughts on the war. His sadness about the atrocities that were committed by all sides. This was eye opening and over time we became friends. We also talked about how in Serbia America is still hated by many. And it makes sense, NATO bombs fell and killed many of his countrymen. I remember reacting in shock sort of as he wrote to me this fact-he could be vilified or worse if people found out he helped me, an American acquire these books. Think about that for a second…. I was able to reach out to a former enemy of NATO and as two friends find common ground though comic books! Now, at this later date many former Yugo books can be found on EBAY. This book however will always be special to me because of the human journey it took me on… this is why I do what I do.
What to share today? How about something many horror fans have never seen? The former Yugoslavian Tomb of Dracula #1(Eks almanah #385) is an oversized marvel. This issue was published by Dečje novine in 1984 a few years before the devastating series of conflicts that shattered the country of Yugoslavia into pieces. Totally dig the K used in Dracs title. According to my understanding Dečje novine was the largest Yugo publisher of comics right up until the civil war. They had both the DC, Marvel and Disney license. One has to wonder how many of these books survived the conflicts there. This brings me to a point I make often. People sometimes ask me why I am so heavy into the foreign niche of the hobby? Why I choose to search books out from around the world and make it the focus of my collection? Well, on top of being a bad ass, choose my own way, path less traveled type of guy. I do this of course because the damn things are so freaking cool! But….. also because many foreign editions have extra cultural/societal baggage that fascinates me. Lessons to be learned or just simply opportunities to wonder about human experiences outside my own safe borders. For instance, with these former Yugo books I wonder about the kid or kids that read them? I wonder if they lost loved ones during the civil war? Did they grow into adults that fought and on which side? I wonder if they lived through the siege of Sarajevo inside the city or as forces arrayed outside? Or worse still, did a child that held this book in their hands lose their innocence during the ethnic cleansing of the times? Either as a witness to horror or as the perpetrator? Also, I didn't buy this book from Ebay in a sanitized fashion with insurance's from paypal! I used a contact from within Serbia, a former Nato enemy he was unbelievably forthcoming with his experiences. We had many conversations about his thoughts on the war. His sadness about the atrocities that were committed by all sides. This was eye opening and over time we became friends. We also talked about how in Serbia America is still hated by many. And it makes sense, NATO bombs fell and killed many of his countrymen. I remember reacting in shock sort of as he wrote to me this fact-he could be vilified or worse if people found out he helped me, an American acquire these books. Think about that for a second…. I was able to reach out to a former enemy of NATO and as two friends find common ground though comic books! Now, at this later date many former Yugo books can be found on EBAY. This book however will always be special to me because of the human journey it took me on… this is why I do what I do.
Very cool, @define999. I greatly respect your taking the time to get to know the people you deal with in other countries. Thanks to my work, I’ve been able to make friends and acquaintances around the world as well, and I agree that it can be hugely rewarding and inspiring.
@define999 Thanks. Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing is still one of my favourite things ever. As some of the other classics from the 80s such as Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns, and the Killing Joke get re-assessed and lose some of their reputations I think the Moore/Totleben & Bissette run just grows and grows (appropriately). Remarkable, progressive, and seriously scary stuff.
@nweathington Yes my friend, its one of the joys for sure.... Getting to know the world thru its comic books and people. But, when a typhoon hits the Philippines I worry… when the austerity riots were happening in Greece I worried, when floods hammered Serbia a few years ago I worried. Right now in Turkey I am real worried about my friend there. So there is that..... Its kinda crazy to say but this particular niche of comic collecting has made me a global citizen.
@define999 Thanks. Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing is still one of my favourite things ever. As some of the other classics from the 80s such as Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns, and the Killing Joke get re-assessed and lose some of their reputations I think the Moore/Totleben & Bissette run just grows and grows (appropriately). Remarkable, progressive, and seriously scary stuff.
I totally agree... I am always directing non hardcore comic friends who ask me what the hoopla is about Moore to those trades.
@nweathington Yes my friend, its one of the joys for sure.... Getting to know the world thru its comic books and people. But, when a typhoon hits the Philippines I worry… when the austerity riots were happening in Greece I worried, when floods hammered Serbia a few years ago I worried. Right now in Turkey I am real worried about my friend there. So there is that..... Its kinda crazy to say but this particular niche of comic collecting has made me a global citizen.
True. I have a friend in Turkey as well. And when the earthquakes shook Equador, I had to check Facebook repeatedly to make sure my friend there was okay. But I think that’s a good thing.
Yea Turkey scares the you know what out of me.... I think so, the awareness is positive thing. As a middle class American I cant afford to travel and see the world. But, being aware of its troubles through others and having skin in the game so to speak, helps me to have a perspective I wish more Americans had. Is America isolationist? Hell no, our government is the worlds cops. LOL All the more reason for us to be focused on our diplomatic footprint and foreign policy. But, I do think the average American has less of an understanding of the goings on outside our borders than say someone from Europe or other westernized countries.
Here's my most beloved non-English comic. Nothing too exciting, but this was the first non-English comic I ever owned; my memory is my grandfather brought it to me from France. Interior date is 1972 which sounds right.
Oddly, this one is a mix of color and black and white -- with the pages interspersed within each story! I know, physically, it's because of the paper signatures, but still, you're reading Batman and page 1 is color, pages 2 & 3 are black and white, 4 & 5 are color and so-on.
Folks probably recognize the cover story -- the interiors on that story are by O'Neil and Neal Adams, with inks by Giordano. There's also some text pieces, a Superman story, a Supergirl story, and one more that translates to something like "Raymond Leroy: The Timeless City." Seems to be a detective?
Anyway, I loved this one enough to write my name inside it when I was about 7....
@RobAnderson Very cool Sage edition! What a cool book for pops to bring too. Might seem weird to us as Americans the whole part color part black and white thing. Many foreign pubs did this….. Most of the time we think this was a way to save money on inks…. but sometimes when im feeling particularly detectivey, HA! I think it could have been more a technical thing than money savings. Maybe some presses didn't have as many drums for plates as others. And depending on the paper signatures they might have been forced by the individual press to do some sigs in B&W. Who knows… def adds personality.
Speaking of Turkey and that friend im worried about. He helped me acquire this book. Örümcek Adam Super Seri #96, not a single page of Spidey 201 resides in this book if memory serves. A very neat back cover graphic was done though that reminds me of the 70's with its color scheme. The Örümcek Adam run is pretty neat. Some crudely re-drawn covers exist in the run. No one is quite sure why the pub decided to re-draw some covers and leave the others original? In Turkey comic books are called Çizgi Roman.
Something about this back cover makes me smile.....
Comments
January 1977
Cover art by Don Newton
This period tale of 1776 nicely commemorates and coincides with the American Bicentennial. Released at the tail end of the Bicentennial year, this story put the Ghost Who Walks at the time of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence. So this very patriotic cover was entirely appropriate for both the year the comic was released and the year that the comic was set in. The colonial-era Phantom comes to the aid of Benjamin Franklin, but not before denouncing the colonies' ongoing participation of slavery. Don Newton's flag cover painting (considered a classic by many) conveys both patriotism and traditionalism. The interior story, the artist's last of the series, is no less exemplary. Don Newton was an artist who burned very bright for a period of about ten years in mainstream comics, doing wonderful work on Detective Comics, New Gods, “Shazam” in Adventure Comics and a series of comics for Charlton Comics. Newton’s most memorable work at Charlton was on the longtime comic-strip favorite The Phantom, and his very best issue was #74.
Kinda neat to see Supes right next to a Spidey splash page. Republican Press had both DC and Marvel licensing rights.
October 1942
Art by Reed Crandall
National Comic might be the most patriotic comic book ever produced. It starred Uncle Sam, the national personification of the United States. There were many great patriotic covers during National Comics’ run, but I think this one ranks as one of the patriotic covers ever.
December 1952
Cover by Jerry Grandenetti
Credits for artwork were confirmed from Julius Schwartz's editorial records who kept editorial records for Robert Kanigher, who edited this issue.
August 1941
Cover by Jack Kirby & Syd Shores
7 stories in one comic! When a circus comes to town near Camp Lehigh, Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes decide to check it out, unaware that it is secretly a Nazi operation and that the Ringmaster has been charged with eliminating various military officials in the area. Using his "Wheel of Death" the Ringmaster sets his sights on General Blaine. When his assistant Tommy Thumb refuses to participate in murdering Blaine, the Ringmaster uses violence to force the dwarf to do as he is ordered. Tommy goes and lets a lion loose from it's cage and it mauls Blaine to death. Spotting the danger, Steve Rogers and James change into Captain America and Bucky and subdue the big cat and return it to its cage. Deducing that Blaine's death was not an accident the pair attempt to capture Tommy Thumb but are stopped by other circus workers. Overhearing them talk of a "ringmaster" in charge they become suspicious of the operation.
This comic also contained19-year old Stan Lee's first scripted comic book story in this comic. It was titled "Headline Hunter, Foreign Correspondent"
Uncle Sam Quarterly
Winter 1942
Cover by Al Gabriele
Interior art credits include Al Gabriele, Reed Crandall, and Al McWilliams
Here's my most beloved non-English comic. Nothing too exciting, but this was the first non-English comic I ever owned; my memory is my grandfather brought it to me from France. Interior date is 1972 which sounds right.
Oddly, this one is a mix of color and black and white -- with the pages interspersed within each story! I know, physically, it's because of the paper signatures, but still, you're reading Batman and page 1 is color, pages 2 & 3 are black and white, 4 & 5 are color and so-on.
Folks probably recognize the cover story -- the interiors on that story are by O'Neil and Neal Adams, with inks by Giordano. There's also some text pieces, a Superman story, a Supergirl story, and one more that translates to something like "Raymond Leroy: The Timeless City." Seems to be a detective?
Anyway, I loved this one enough to write my name inside it when I was about 7....
Something about this back cover makes me smile.....