March 1939: Star Comics vol. 2, #2, cover by Martin Filchock. The Grand Comic Book Database has this credited to “Maurice” Filchock, but it's Martin.
Filchock was never one of the greats, but he had a very long career. He sold his first cartoon at the age of 13, and was still selling work when he died in 2012 at the age of 100! People of my age would probably best remember him for his “Check... and Double Check” Cartoons for Highlights magazine.
March 1939: Star Comics vol. 2, #2, cover by Martin Filchock. The Grand Comic Book Database has this credited to “Maurice” Filchock, but it's Martin.
Filchock was never one of the greats, but he had a very long career. He sold his first cartoon at the age of 13, and was still selling work when he died in 2012 at the age of 100! People of my age would probably best remember him for his “Check... and Double Check” Cartoons for Highlights magazine.
You can't have a much longer career than that. I remember his highlights work, just never knew it.
April 1939: The first issue of not just a new comic series, but a new comic publisher—All-American Comics #1 with cover art by the great Sheldon Mayer, who also created the “Scribbly” feature that debuted inside (that's him in the bottom-left starburst). All-American Comics, Inc. would of course go on to merge with National Periodicals (DC) in 1946. And All-American Publisher Max “M.C.” Gaines would take his share of the proceeds from that sale to found EC.
May 1939: I'm foregoing Detective Comics #27 and the debut of a certain popular Caped Crusader for a comic with a better cover and a better back story: Wonder Comics #1 with cover art by Will Eisner.
Most of you probably know the basic story. Superman becomes a hit, and rival publisher Victor Fox hires the Eisner & Iger Studio to create a Superman knockoff for him called Wonder Man, they do so, and the character is cover-featured in Wonder Comics #1. National Periodicals then sues Victor Fox for copyright infringement. End of story, right?
Not quite. Eisner always told the story of the law suit that he spilled the beans on Fox. It turns out that's not exactly the way it went down. When the court transcripts were uncovered about five years ago, they showed that Eisner covered up for Fox and swore under oath that he created Wonder Man on his own with no prior knowledge of Superman. Now, he was probably lying in order make sure he got the money Fox owed the studio, and Fox lost the case anyway, so no harm done in the end, but it puts a different light on things.
You can read the full transcript for yourself here.
June 1939: This time I'm foregoing another iconic cover, Superman #1, as well as a nice cover for Action Comics #13, in favor of a gorgeous cover by John Richard Flanagan for Adventure Comics #39.
Flanagan was an Aussie who came to America in 1916. While he did a handful of cover jobs for DC, he was better known for his illustrations for such magazines as Collier’s and Cosmopolitan—mostly pen-&-ink, but he painted as well. Here's an example of his work for Collier’s—an illustration for a Fu Manchu story.
July 1939: With issue #3, Wonder Comics was renamed Wonderworld Comics, and its cover featured the first time Will Eisner was inked by Lou Fine—a pairing I'll probably be coming back to down the road, as they produced a number of great covers together.
August 1939: No particularly great cover this month, so I'm going with Mystery Men Comics #1 with a Lou Fine cover featuring the Green Mask. Yes, I know his mask is blue here, but inside it is in fact green. And though the Green Mask is the lead feature of the book, it's another hero who makes this a notable comic, as this issue marks the first appearance of the Blue Beetle.
August 1939: No particularly great cover this month, so I'm going with Mystery Men Comics #1 with a Lou Fine cover featuring the Green Mask. Yes, I know his mask is blue here, but inside it is in fact green. And though the Green Mask is the lead feature of the book, it's another hero who makes this a notable comic, as this issue marks the first appearance of the Blue Beetle.
September 1939: I have to pass up an iconic Batman cover in Detective Comics #31 for one of my favorite Golden Age covers—probably my favorite of the ’30s—Creig Flessel’s cover for Adventure Comics #42.
October 1939, and it's getting tougher to pick a clear favorite. There’s the iconic Marvel Comics #1, and an interesting cover for Speed Comics #1, but for me it really comes down to two covers by Lou Fine, both of which are standout covers of the era. But since I've already picked a Green Mask cover, I'll pass on Mystery Men Comics #3 in favor of Jumbo Comics #10. Fine also drew two of the interior stories.
October 1939, and it's getting tougher to pick a clear favorite. There’s the iconic Marvel Comics #1, and an interesting cover for Speed Comics #1, but for me it really comes down to two covers by Lou Fine, both of which are standout covers of the era. But since I've already picked a Green Mask cover, I'll pass on Mystery Men Comics #3 in favor of Jumbo Comics #10. Fine also drew two of the interior stories.
It's funny... you keep posting covers from this book I've had since I was a kid...
It has some history text, but is mostly full-page glossy reproductions of golden age covers (40 of them)... I looked at that book so many times, I'm surprised it still holds together.
October 1939, and it's getting tougher to pick a clear favorite. There’s the iconic Marvel Comics #1, and an interesting cover for Speed Comics #1, but for me it really comes down to two covers by Lou Fine, both of which are standout covers of the era. But since I've already picked a Green Mask cover, I'll pass on Mystery Men Comics #3 in favor of Jumbo Comics #10. Fine also drew two of the interior stories.
It's funny... you keep posting covers from this book I've had since I was a kid...
It has some history text, but is mostly full-page glossy reproductions of golden age covers (40 of them)... I looked at that book so many times, I'm surprised it still holds together.
I've talked about that book a couple of times on the board. My mom gave me a copy when I was sick in bed for a week with bronchitis. Still have it—water stains and all. It was one of the main sparks for my love of comic book history.
November 1939: This was a tough call, but since I've done quite a few Lou Fine covers, I'm going to pass on Wonderworld Comics #7 and go with a really nice Bill Everett cover for Amazing-Man Comics #7. Everett created Amazing-Man, a.k.a. John Aman, for Centaur Publications two issues earlier. The character was sort of a forerunner of Peter Cannon and Iron Fist. In fact, Amazing-Man was later used in Immortal Iron Fist, though he goes by the monikers of Prince of Orphans and Green Mist at Marvel. And he was in Malibu’s Protectors series back in the ’90s.
December 1939: This month brings a large expansion to the number of titles being published, about a 20% increase. And there are also four Lou Fine covers, including his fantastic cover for Fantastic Comics #1. But I was really struck by the cover for Dell’s The Funnies #38. I can't find a credit for the cover, but it's probably by Al McWilliams, who drew the “Rex, King of the Deep” feature inside. McWilliams was a great artist, probably better known for his newspaper strip work than his comic work, but he had pretty extensive résumés in both mediums.
December 1939: This month brings a large expansion to the number of titles being published, about a 20% increase. And there are also four Lou Fine covers, including his fantastic cover for Fantastic Comics #1. But I was really struck by the cover for Dell’s The Funnies #38. I can't find a credit for the cover, but it's probably by Al McWilliams, who drew the “Rex, King of the Deep” feature inside. McWilliams was a great artist, probably better known for his newspaper strip work than his comic work, but he had pretty extensive résumés in both mediums.
Godzilla In Hell #1 July 2015 Cover artist Jeff Zornow
Really digging the EC inspired covers that IDW is pushing for July this year. I was persuaded to buy this first issue of a 5-issue mini on the strength of Zornow's cover alone. Order yours at a LCS or through DCBService today :)
Comments
Call Rip Hunter!
Filchock was never one of the greats, but he had a very long career. He sold his first cartoon at the age of 13, and was still selling work when he died in 2012 at the age of 100! People of my age would probably best remember him for his “Check... and Double Check” Cartoons for Highlights magazine.
Mike Esposito and Gil Kane on the Man without Fear #116
Most of you probably know the basic story. Superman becomes a hit, and rival publisher Victor Fox hires the Eisner & Iger Studio to create a Superman knockoff for him called Wonder Man, they do so, and the character is cover-featured in Wonder Comics #1. National Periodicals then sues Victor Fox for copyright infringement. End of story, right?
Not quite. Eisner always told the story of the law suit that he spilled the beans on Fox. It turns out that's not exactly the way it went down. When the court transcripts were uncovered about five years ago, they showed that Eisner covered up for Fox and swore under oath that he created Wonder Man on his own with no prior knowledge of Superman. Now, he was probably lying in order make sure he got the money Fox owed the studio, and Fox lost the case anyway, so no harm done in the end, but it puts a different light on things.
You can read the full transcript for yourself here.
Flanagan was an Aussie who came to America in 1916. While he did a handful of cover jobs for DC, he was better known for his illustrations for such magazines as Collier’s and Cosmopolitan—mostly pen-&-ink, but he painted as well. Here's an example of his work for Collier’s—an illustration for a Fu Manchu story.
Mazzucchelli
Groovy art, too.
Here's Gene Colan and Joe Rubenstein in 1979
It has some history text, but is mostly full-page glossy reproductions of golden age covers (40 of them)... I looked at that book so many times, I'm surprised it still holds together.
My some-sorta-cousin was pretty great!
July 2015
Cover artist Jeff Zornow
Really digging the EC inspired covers that IDW is pushing for July this year. I was persuaded to buy this first issue of a 5-issue mini on the strength of Zornow's cover alone. Order yours at a LCS or through DCBService today :)