Alter Ego #187 March 2024 (magazine review).
The cover of Alter Ego # 187 showcases Edmond Hamilton (1904–1977), a writer of science fiction and comic books. If you grew up reading DC Comics in the early 1960s, you likely encountered his work on the Legion of Super-Heroes in ‘Adventure Comics’ and, as I discovered, other titles as well. With a strong focus on plot, he provided the Legion of Super-Heroes with a degree of continuity that didn’t always end with a reset at the end of each story.
Glen Cadigan, a writer, examines his life in SF and comic books. His time on the LSH also reveals that he created several legionnaires, although he struggled with dealing with Triplicate Girl, a character Jerry Siegel created. He asserted that in his final tale, ‘The Super-Stalag Of Space’, the way Duo Damsel divided to find the male legionnaires demonstrated her effectiveness. He also took aim at his former editor, Mort Weisinger, for not paying his replacement, young writer Jim Shooter, the full writing rates. He really was one of the good guys. Cadigan effectively highlights that many early science fiction writers, such as Hamilton, have largely faded into obscurity and are no longer in print. Some of these writers, like Hamilton and his wife Leigh Brackett, are no longer in print due to their estates or relatives, but they also lack copyright protection.
Michael T. Gilbert’s Mr. Monter looks at some of the early work of Grey Morrow and Leonard Starr, both demonstrating they were good from the start. There’s also a look at a different splash page for ‘Giant-Man And The Wonderful Wasp’ from Tales To Astonish #61, which Norman Rockwell’s artist brother Dick Rockwell was supposed to work on but couldn’t complete, so Steve Ditko and George Bell re-drew it. It’s fascinating comparing the two. I doubt if Giant-Man could support his weight on two fingers, though.
This time, among the obituaries, I will highlight Bud Plant’s for Jim Vadeboncoeur Jr. (1946-2023) because, among other things, he played a significant role as a researcher and contributor to Jerry Bails’ ‘Who’s Who’ in the American comicbook industry, even when his name wasn’t directly linked to the work. He was also a major contributor to American comic fandom before moving into books.
For a change, P.C. Hererlinck of the Fawcett Collectors takes a different approach, focusing on CC Beck and Pete Costanza, who established their own studios and supplied both Fawcett and other comicbook companies. These pieces, in my opinion, hold significance as they serve as a reminder that CC Beck and Pete Costanza were not individuals working for just one company. Having said that, I do have to wonder why characters like Vic Verity and the cub reporter at DC Comics wore loud-check coats.
As always, there is a lot to learn; however, it’s important to exercise caution when interpreting the sky during a lightning storm. You do have to wonder about the 30th century resurrections.
GF Willmetts
September 2024
(pub: TwoMorrows Publishing. 82 page illustrated magazine. Price: $10.95 (US). ISSN: 1932-6890. Direct from them, you can get it for $10.95 (US))
check out websites: www.TwoMorrows.com and https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_55&products_id=1770
