Alter Ego #22 March 2003 (magazine review).
Back in July 1970, at the New York Comicon, Bill Everett, Joe Kubert, and Neal Adams were getting awards. With fewer people, this was more like a full-meal occasion, with everyone eating and talking afterwards. Gil Kane interviews Bill Everett about the Sub-Mariner, while Neal Adams interviews Joe Kubert about Tor, a dinosaur-themed storyline at DC Comics. One of the reasons I seek out these early issues is the uncertainty of their reprinting elsewhere, especially since all four gentlemen have passed away. Everett’s account of the early days of comicbooks, when packagers provided fresh content at prices comparable to those of comicbook companies that reprinted newspaper strips before eventually surpassing them, is a significant historical account.
Roy Thomas describes the early history of the Sub-Mariner, and I was surprised at how many different sorts of swimming trunks and different colors he wore. I do wonder how he can wear a cloak underwater, although, being super strong, being dragged down might not be a problem. I think the only thing he missed out on was how Namor got his ankle wings. This was probably one of the earliest reprints I remember reading.
There are lots to choose from. Writer Jack Elmy’s research on Lloyd Jacquet, who served as a middleman between creators and comicbook companies in the 1940s and 1950s, reveals that he was somewhat of a “stuffedshirt,” lacking a deep understanding of creative people. However, it appears that his wife, Gill, fared better during his time away in World War II.
Jim Amash’s interview with inker Rudy Lapick (1926–2004) focused on when he was in the Timely bullpen, recounting information on various people who worked there, pointing out Stan Lee had only one joke, telling people they’re fired long before he was forced to do it in reality in the 1950s.
Flipping the magazine over, writer Jim Harmon examines Captain Midnight, a character known for his late-night missions during World War 2. I’ve seen the film’s serial DVD version out there, but I really hesitated to go after Reading this article about his changes over the years, particularly his transformation from a one-man glider to a zoot suit, didn’t significantly alter my perspective. it. Clearly, they aim to keep him updated, but is that truly the case?
Under the Fawcett Collectors, artist/writer Marc Swayze discusses his early career and the mistakes he made. When I was young, I did a window painting myself for a decorator shop, but they did agree to let me use their paints as part of the picture to show their products.
I’m not sure if cowboy Tom Mix ever got much exposure in the UK, and if he did, I was probably of the wrong generation. Writers Bill and Teresa Harper and Jon Lundin go over Mix’s history and how his comic books and radio serials continued long after he died in a road accident in 1940.
CC Beck has gone over the history of the original Captain Marvel many times in print, but this might be one of his earliest ones, as it also features templates on how to draw the superhero and what mistakes to avoid. He guided Fawcett artists through this. It must have been odd having panels with the word balloons already in place and having to draw to position. His comparisons between Captain Marvel and Superman show how markedly different they are. What was more important was pointing out that judges don’t know anything but law, so what happened to their childhoods? I mean, didn’t they ever discover comic books, or did they just start with lawbooks?
As always, it’s worth getting these early magazines if you want to have your comicbook history enlarged, even if you don’t read the early comicbooks.
GF Willmetts
February 2024
(pub: TwoMorrows Publishing. 82 page illustrated magazine. Price: $ (US). ISSN: 1932-6890. Direct from them, you can get it digitally for $ 4.99 (US))
check out websites: www.TwoMorrows.com and Alter Ego 22 : TwoMorrows Publishing, The Future of Comics and LEGO™ Publications
