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Susan Burgos Talks About Two Marvel Mysteries
(Above:) “The Human Torch” by Carl Burgos debuted in Marvel Comics #1 (Oct. 1939) to the tune of 80,000 or so copies. According to comics researcher Keif Fromm, a quick second printing with a November cover date sold around ten times that many. This page is from the 1991 hardcover quasi-reprint. (Right:) This primo Burgos page appeared in The Human Torch #2 (Aug. 1940—really the first issue), and is reproduced here from a photocopy of the original art. [©2005 Marvel Characters, Inc.]
uncle or other family members after my teen years; whatever happened between the brothers, I do not know. Their parents immigrated from Russia and were of Russian-Jewish descent. I remember my uncle and his family as a child. He wore this ruby
ring that somehow always amused me. I do not remember my dad wearing any jewelry— not even a watch. In the later years, he discovered the art of jewelry making and proudly wore a ring he crafted. He produced some very creative pieces: rings, pins, pendants, etc. One jewelry designer that inspired him was a man by the name of Henry Steig. Dad always set the bar high and was completely selftaught, wanting to experiment and challenge himself. For instance, there was the “lamp period” where he crafted some interesting lighting fixtures for our home. My mother’s name was Doris. After my dad returned from military service, he was introduced to my mom by friends. Six months later, they were married, in 1947. They went on to raise two daughters—my sister Linda, and, of course, me. Because of “The Privacy Act of Carl Burgos,” I was confused about his comic book career. I always avoided talking about it because he hated it so much. It was only after his death that I started to visit book stores in search of articles and information. This was the first time I learned about his comic book career in detail. For many years, I actually thought his timeline was World War II, comics, and family. I never had a sense about the 1930s, before the war, when it all started. From my perspective as a child, you weren’t supposed to ask parents questions. It was the parents who asked the questions. Whatever he felt wasn’t important to him was not discussed. JA: As the son of immigrants, did your father learn to speak a foreign language? BURGOS: If he learned anything, it would have been Yiddish or Russian. I’m not sure. My grandfather died before I was born. My grandmother... well, I never understood her too well, because she spoke broken English/Yiddish/Russian. I do not remember an instance where we communicated, and I recall her as always being elderly. I was 16 when she died; she was in her 80s.
This Burgos page from Marvel Mystery Comics #2 (Dec. 1939) is repro’d from photocopies of the original comic, courtesy of Robert Wiener. Reproduction of the first four issues of Timely’s flagship title in the recent hardcover Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics, Vol. 1, wasn’t all one could have hoped— but even at $50 the book is still worth picking up. Like, you’re gonna get a better deal on Marvel Mystery #1-4 anytime soon? [©2005 Marvel Characters, Inc.]