Comic Book Artist #14 (magazine review).
Issue 14 of ‘Comic Book Artist’, which I purchased in bulk some months ago, primarily focused on Tower Comics and their ‘T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents’, which were created by Wallace Wood and others. Writer Chris Irving gives the history of the company, Tower Books, which decided to join the superhero bandwagon in the late 1960s. Publisher Harry Shorten, who had no prior experience in the comics industry, chose two individuals from ‘Archie Comics,’ Samm Schwartz and Harry Lucen, to manage their comics line.
These individuals then hired freelancers to enhance their creativity. From Irving’s article, it’s plainly clear that they didn’t have proper circulation sorted in a time when distributors sent back or destroyed comics because they weren’t profitable. I can’t even remember if they were ever distributed in the UK. In essence, the superhero titles were only available for about two years.
Writer Lou Mougin’s history of the ‘T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents’ stories over their two years of existence demonstrates a continuity that wasn’t afraid to defy traditions. Upon examining the front and back covers, I discovered that I could easily identify all the characters.
The interview with comic book artist, inker, and writer Dan Atkins provides a wealth of insight into his time working for Wallace Wood, a busy apprenticeship that, surprisingly, didn’t lead to burnout due to lack of sleep.
Oddly, the lengthy interview with writer Len Brown, who contributed to the creation of three stories for ‘T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents,’ focuses more on his career at TOPPS and how he established connections with various comic book artists for their non-sports cards. Wallace Wood primarily contributes to ‘Mars Attacks,’ highlighting other aspects of his career.
Writer Larry Ivie focused more on getting the name of the group sorted out, especially what the acronym would mean, and nearly ended up calling them ‘S.I.L.V.E.R. Agents.’ Compared to other interviews, this one includes some contractions.
Many of the interviews with individuals such as Samm Schwartz, Bill Pearson, George Tuska, Chic Stone, and Steve Skeates are either relatively small or have been taken from other interviews they conducted and used more appropriately with the appropriate subject matter. They provide a clear depiction of the prevailing circumstances. Considering that each comic was 64 pages long, with stories spanning ten pages, and that the price was 25 cents back then, they stood out significantly from other companies.
The interview with writer/artist Russ Jones is more comprehensive, covering his extensive career, including his creation of Uncle Creepy for Warren publications, in just a few paragraphs toward the end. The samples of his work, including real people, are jaw-dropping, and I wondered why I hadn’t heard of him before or hadn’t sunk in. Interestingly, he points out that Wallace Wood was a fan of Van Vogt’s ‘Null-A’ books and that Noman was based on Gosseyn’s body swaps, something I was unaware of. The world is getting smaller.
Just in case you think it’s all about superheroes, inker Terry Austin turns writer and covers ‘Tippy Teen,’ which lasted longer and evolved into the ‘Vicki’ ’ comic book. This was all done in the style of ‘Archie’, and Austin’s interest stemmed from the people who worked on it.
Finally, Chris Irving looks at the ownership of ‘T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents’ up to 2001 and the problems caused. It’s still a lesson in copyright, trademarks, and how to protect your work, especially if you purchase characters.
All these early ‘Comic Book Artist’ magazines are long reads, but you come away from them with a world of comic book knowledge that I hadn’t had otherwise. The only peculiar aspect is that very few of the print releases end up at auction.
GF Willmetts
November 2024
(pub: TwoMorrows Publishing, 2001. 114 page illustrated magazine. Price: varies. ISSN: 401-783-1689. Direct from them, you can get it digitally for $ 5.99 (US))
check out websites: www.TwoMorrows.com and https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_56&products_id=530&zenid=buutee2b501vhseao2cb759ii5
