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July 2008

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NOT BAD FOR A 70-YEAR-OLD MAN, HUH?

PLUS:

Vol. 3, No. 79 / July 2008 Editor Roy Thomas

Associate Editors Bill Schelly Jim Amash

Design & Layout Christopher Day

Consulting Editor John Morrow

FCA Editor P.C. Hamerlinck

Comic Crypt Editor Michael T. Gilbert

Editorial Honor Roll Jerry G. Bails (founder) Ronn Foss, Biljo White Mike Friedrich

Circulation Director Bob Brodsky, Cookiesoup Productions

Contents

Cover Artist/Colorist

.. ................2 writer/editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Superman’s 70th! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Michael Golden

With Special Thanks to: Heidi Amash Bob Bailey Mrs. Jill Baily Mrs. Regina Baily Mike W. Barr Tim Barnes Alberto Becattini Jack & Carole Bender Dominic Bongo Jerry K. Boyd Mark Staff Brandl Glenn Bray Chris Brown Thorstein Bruemmel Lou Cameron Bob Cherry Sean Conlon Teresa R. Davidson Dwight R. Decker Michaël Dewally Harlan Ellison Mark Evanier Thomas Eyssell Ron Fernandez Shane Foley Danny Fuchs Janet Gilbert Michael Golden George Hagenauer Jim Hambrick Jennifer Hamerlinck Harold Havas Tom Hegeman Anton Hermus Roger Hill Glen Johnson Chris Knowles Peter Koch Richard Kyle Arthur Lortie

James Ludwig Leonard Maltin Jay Mampel Jody McGhee Sean Menard Marc Miyake Linda Monaco Brian K. Morris Gabriel Morrissett Noel Neill Marc Tyler Nobleman Ken Quattro Barry Pearl Jean Shuster Peavy Al Plastino Paul Power Richard Pryor Brad Ricca Trina Robbins Charlie Roberts Bob Rozakis Eric Schumacher David Siegel Howard Siegel Robin Snyder Andy Stout Marc Swayze Ty Templeton Dann Thomas Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr. Dr. Michael J. Vassallo Hames Ware Lawrence Watt-Evans Brett Weiss Renée Witterstaetter Monte Wolverton Alex Wright John Wright Raul Wrona Eddy Zeno

This issue is dedicated to the memory of

Steve Gerber, Joe Shuster, & Jerry Siegel

Eddy Zeno salutes seven of the iconic hero’s most important artists since 1938’s Action Comics #1.

“I Was Just The Kid Sister Peeking Around The Corner” . . . 11 Jean Shuster Peavy talks about her big brother Joe—co-creator of Superman.

“K” Is For “Krypton”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Jack Bender reveals unseen art from a 1940 Superman story that could’ve changed comics history!

The Reich Strikes Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 A close look at Superman vs. the Nazis in the real world, by Dwight R. Decker.

A Box of Markers And Tummy Tattoos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 A brief interview with this issue’s cover artist Michael Golden, by Renée Witterstaetter.

“Maybe I’m In The Wrong End Of This Business!”. . . . . . . . 35 1950s artist Lou Cameron tells Jim Amash about drawing for Story, Ace, and Dell.

Secret History of All-American Comics, Inc.: ”1940s-50s Media Blitz” . 55 Bob Rozakis shows us a world in which things happened—a wee bit differently.

Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt! Twice-Told Spirit! . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Michael T. Gilbert showcases the Spirit stories that did double duty for Will Eisner.

Comic Fandom Archive: Our Digger Mate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 At last! John Wright has his say about 1960s-70s Australian fan & historian John Ryan.

A Tribute to Steve Gerber (1947-2008) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 re: [comments, correspondence, & corrections] . . . . . . . . . 74 FCA (Fawcett Collectors Of America) #136 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 P.C. Hamerlinck ushers in Marc Swayze and more awesome art by Basil Wolverton. On Our Cover: The meteoric career of Michael Golden may lie a bit outside the ordinary scope of Alter Ego’s chronological franchise, but the subject matter of this gorgeous recent illustration—the world’s flagship super-hero battling tanks, in the spirit of the WWII-era cover depicted on p. 27— made it the perfect cover for this issue spotlighting Superman. Our thanks to Michael and to Renée Witterstaetter. [Superman TM & ©2008 DC Comics; other art ©2008 Michael Golden.] Above: In last month’s ad for this edition of A/E, we promised you Jerry Ordway art—and what better way to keep our word than with the cover of DC Challenge #12 (Oct. 1986), the final issue of that roisterous “round robin” series. It depicts Siegel & Shuster’s creation leading the super-hero pack— a fitting launch to this issue. Thanks to Jerry for the photocopy of the original art. [©2008 DC Comics.] Alter EgoTM is published 8 times a year by TwoMorrows, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614, USA. Phone: (919) 449-0344. Roy Thomas, Editor. John Morrow, Publisher. Alter Ego Editorial Offices: 32 Bluebird Trail, St. Matthews, SC 29135, USA. Fax: (803) 826-6501; e-mail: roydann@ntinet.com. Send subscription funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial offices. Single issues: $9 US ($11.00 Canada, $16 elsewhere). Twelve-issue subscriptions: $78 US, $132 Canada, $180 elsewhere. All characters are © their respective companies. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © Roy Thomas. Alter Ego is a TM of Roy & Dann Thomas. FCA is a TM of P.C. Hamerlinck. Printed in Canada. ISSN: 1932-6890 FIRST PRINTING.

writer/editorial

A Superman For All Seasons

very so often, I feel the need to devote most of an issue of Alter Ego to Superman. Oddly, I never feel that same urge with regard to Batman—or Spider-Man—or even Conan the Barbarian (not that I don’t think each of those heroes also deserves being spotlighted in an issue now and then, mind!). Although not a rabid Superman fan since I left childhood, I feel this urge because the Man of Steel was the first, and to me remains the ultimate, comic book super-hero. The one who, whatever his literary or artistic forebears, launched a genre—and, in an equally true sense, an entire industry. (And besides, this time, it’s been exactly 70 years ago that Supes flung his first flivver, on the cover of Action Comics #1! Happy birthday, Kal!)

Chris Knowles couldn’t be squeezed in at the last moment, and must appear in some future issue—hopefully not having to wait for the next Superman showcase in A/E. My abject apologies to all three. One personal indulgence: because of both the Superman focus, and the parallel-world pyrotechnics of Bob Rozakis’ fantasy chapter that begins on p. 55, here’s a photo of Yers Truly with the ever-lovely, ever-gracious Noel Neill, the movies’ first and foremost Lois Lane… taken by Jody McGhee at a 2005 mini-convention (in Rock Hill, South Carolina, if memory serves). There’ve gotta be some perks to spending all this time every few weeks putting together a magazine about comic books!

So, naturally, once again, as we used to say back in Missouri, my eyes were bigger than my stomach—with the unfortunate end result that articles prepared by my honored colleagues Mike W. Barr, Alberto Becattini, and

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Superman’s 70th! Celebrating The Talent Of Seven Of The Man Of Steel’s Top Early Illustrators

A/E

by Eddy Zeno

EDITOR’S NOTE: Eddy Zeno, a longtime contributor to this magazine, is also the author of Curt Swan: A Life in Comics, published by Vanguard Press (2002). He prepared this salute to a septet of major “Superman” illustrators in honor of the super-hero’s 70th year in print. Regrettably, we didn’t have room to run all the art Eddy supplied, but we’ve done our best in the space available. (One Joe Shuster sketch he sent appears on p. 12, accompanying Brad Ricca’s interview with Joe’s sister Jean.) Now, onward… after we pass on Eddy grateful thanks to all those who’re acknowledged below. Most art images in this article are first- or second-generation copies of the original art. The photos of the creators have been added by Ye Editor.

Joe Shuster (July 10, 1914-July 30, 1992) In 1935, with partner Jerry Siegel, Joe first began working for the company that would eventually become DC Comics, back when it was still owned by Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson. He is seen above at a 1980s San Diego Comic-Con. [Photo ©2008 Charlie Roberts.] (Left:) When he was a young artist assisting Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson on “Batman” stories in the early 1940s, the late George Roussos talked various already-veteran pros into drawing sketches for him. This one by Joe Shuster is truly amazing, since it depicts not only Superman—but Batman, whom Joe virtually never drew! And Jerry Siegel signed it, as well. George's sketchbook of such drawings was recently auctioned off by Heritage Comics, but the sharp-eyed Dominic Bongo and Jerry K. Boyd each sent us a photocopy of this one for our special Superman & Shuster issue! [Superman & Batman TM & ©2008 DC Comics.]

Seven Of The Man Of Steel’s Top Early Illustrators

Wayne Boring (June 5, 1905 – Feb. 20, 1987) Answering an ad Jerry Siegel put in Writer’s Digest, Boring began working for the Shuster studio in 1938. When Siegel and Shuster sued the parent company to regain ownership of the Superman character around 1947, he was fired by them and immediately hired by DC. He became the hero's most important penciler for the next decade and more. The photo shows Wayne Boring and his wife Lois (center), their daughter on the left, and collector Charlie Roberts on the right. [Photo ©2008 Charlie Roberts.] (Above:) The right half of a Wayne Boring panel from a 1947 Superman daily was rescued from the waste bin many years ago. The strip was cut in two before being tossed out! Inker may be Stan Kaye. Thanks to Ron Fernandez. [©2008 DC Comics.] (Below:) This can be contrasted with this Boring original (no pun intended!) from 1965. [©2008 DC Comics.]

Superman’s 70th!

Jack Burnley (Jan. 11, 1911 – Dec. 19, 2006) Jack worked for DC directly from 1940-47. Unlike Boring and most other early “Superman” artists, he never worked for Siegel and Shuster. There’s a nice irony to the self-portrait of Burnley above, in which he drew a sketch to point out the fact that he no longer did sketches. From the collection of Thorstein Bruemmel. For photos of Burnley, see The Alter Ego Collection, Vol. 1, available from TwoMorrows. [©2008 Estate of Jack Burnley.] The 1990 Burnley Superman reproduction at top right stems from the cover of Action Comics #107 (April 1947), which is seen above left. [©2008 DC Comics.] Burnley left DC (and comics) to return to what he had done before— sports cartooning, this time for the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph newspaper. The drawing at right is circa 1950 and was long the property of its subject, Baseball Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner. Thanks to Sean Conlon. [©2008 the respective copyright holders.]

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A quarter of a million records, covering the careers of people who have contributed to original comic books in the US. A Kirby pencil of Superman, from an Australian comics convention booklet; thanks to John Morrow. [Superman TM & ©2008 DC Comics.]

“I Was Just The Kid Sister Peeking Around The Corner” JEAN SHUSTER PEAVY Talks About Her Big Brother JOE— Co-creator Of Superman

Interview by Brad Ricca

hen we think of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, we think of them, irrevocably, as a duo. But for many of their adventures in Cleveland, Ohio, they had another accomplice: Joe’s little sister Jean. Now 85 and living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Jean Shuster Peavy is our last, best link to her brother Joe. When I first wrote Jean last spring, I wasn’t sure if I was even writing to the right person. When she did respond, in a chunky blue cursive on flowered stationery, I was very excited. Because, like any little sister, she has lots to say. In this partial transcript of our talk, Jean dispels some of the standard, seldom-questioned myths about her brother as a geeky teen afraid of girls and gives us a fuller picture of the artist who, before (and better than) anyone else, visually defined the super-hero with that jaw, that hair, and that squint. Like a few other people closely tied to the Superman mythos, Jean was taken aback by some of the material in

Gerard Jones’ Eisner Award-winning book Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book (2004). Much of this is due to the unfortunate lack—and imbalance—of factual material we have on “The Boys.” For, while Siegel and Shuster are still thought of (rightly, wonderfully so) as true collaborators, we have always known more about Jerry than we do about Joe. Is it because of their differing personalities? Or because (as Jones also states) myth has become so entwined with fact when it comes to Superman? Either way, there is more we can learn, especially from Jean in this interview, conducted on June 24, 2005, over a very long phone call stretched from New Mexico to Cleveland. Plus, she sings. —Brad Ricca. BRAD RICCA: Let’s start with Gerard Jones’ book Men of Tomorrow. What did you think of it? JEAN SHUSTER PEAVY: He [Gerard Jones] never interviewed me, so he can’t get into Joe’s personal life like he did. As I read it, it sounds to me like—well, I know Joe and Jerry were nerds in high school, but they got out of that. [laughs] I mean, Jerry got married, but my brother Joe didn’t remain a nerd. As a matter of fact, when he first got out of high school, he met a girl. They were going together and were pretty serious. BR: So he wasn’t a nerd? PEAVY: No. He always drew pictures of Superman for anybody, you know, if they met him and he was asked. He was always willing to do that. Gerard Jones was only guessing. There might have been some girl… maybe he took her out for a soda. If you

Superman, Joe, And The Ladies (Above:) Jean Shuster Peavy in the 1980s, flanked by Christopher (Superman) Reeve and her brother Joe, co-creator of the Man of Steel. Thanks to Jean & Brad Ricca. (Left:) A 1980s rendering by Joe Shuster (in color, yet!) of Superman and cousin Supergirl—the latter a character he may never have drawn on any other occasion! A real collector’s item— and David Siegel (no relation to Jerry!), who for years has specialized in locating Golden Age artists on behalf of comics conventions, is the collector for whom Joe did it! Thanks for sharing it, Dave. [Superman & Superman TM & ©2008 DC Comics.]

“K” Is For “Krypton” Continuing The Saga Of The Fabled Lost “K-Metal” Story—One Of Superman’s Greatest Adventures! by Roy Thomas ecognize the splash page below, from an early “Superman” story? No, I didn’t think so. Because, to the best of our knowledge, it has never been printed anywhere before this issue of Alter Ego.

Neither have the three pages from the same “Superman” adventure which appear on pp. 22-24. Yet they are from a story which, had it been published soon after it was written and drawn—in 1940—would have changed the way that you, and I, and everyone remember the Man of Steel over all the years since.

“K” Is For “Krypton”

Every comic book aficionado has his or her own “Holy Grail”—that elusive item he/she would most like to find and make the crowning jewel of his/her collection. For some, it’s a particular issue of a comic—for others it’s a page of original artwork from a favorite story, or even just a tantalizing tidbit of knowledge. For me, the Grail has always been to learn something new about the 1940-1951 All-Star Comics. (You didn’t know that? You’re new around here, aren’t you?) And, as a corollary to the above, I’ve kept an eye open for years for any additional art from or information concerning that mostly-lost mid-1940s “Justice Society of America” tale “The Will of William Wilson!”

Clearly, these pages were part of a ground-breaking epic… even though Steranko’s book contains no other mention of it, or anything whatever about its plotline or potential importance to “Superman” continuity, in its tabloid-sized pages. We won’t be printing any of that foursome in this issue of A/E, because Jim hasn’t given us permission to do so, and we intend to respect his wishes, even though any copyright on them clearly belongs to DC Comics. If you want to see those pages, seek out a copy of the landmark Steranko History of Comics, Vol. 1. Bring your magnifying glass. (Incidentally, the four pages reproduced in that tome are pp. 8, 15, 21, and 23 of the story.)

But there’s another comic book story— one that, I freely admit, is far more important historically than that “Will”-o-the-wisp “JSA” exploit—which is and deserves to be the Grail of a number of serious fans, collectors, and comics historians. It’s an early “Superman” adventure— starring the first and greatest comic book super-hero. Nowadays, it’s usually referred to as “The K-Metal Story.” The first thing most of us knew about that epoch-making tale didn’t involve its subject matter at all, but was simply the fact that the first volume of Jim Steranko’s The Steranko History of Comics (Supergraphics, 1970) printed four pages from it, terming it “an unpublished Superman story, circa 1939.” They were all reproduced rather small (3¼” by a little over 5½”), and unfortunately quite a few lines of both text and art either reproduced poorly or dropped out entirely. Still, the pages were intriguing for their very existence—and, even more so, for what they contained! The first depicts the Man of Tomorrow flying down to a landing—only to find that his legs buckle under him at the impact. At the bottom of the page, he’s struck by a car— and, to his great surprise, he’s bowled over! The second illustrates Clark Kent’s first exposure to what is obviously kryptonite, which causes him to collapse. The scientist who shows it to him experiences, at the same time, “a sensation of amazing well being” [sic]. The third has Clark changing to Superman in full view of Lois Lane and other “prisoners of a sealed mine,” sacrificing his secret identity in order to save their lives. (Oddly, too, given the 13-page length of the standard “Superman” outing up through the early 1940s, this page seemed to be numbered “21”!) The fourth is a more standard page than the other three. Still, as Superman flies with Lois in his arms, she says, “This is the first time I’ve seen you doubt your own ability!”

This Page Took A Slow Boat To China—60 Years And Counting! Here’s the final page by the Joe Shuster art shop from the “Superman” story “The Secret of the Chinese Dragon,” from Action Comics #54 (Sept.-Oct. 1954). With thanks to the Heritage Comics Archives, as retrieved by Dominic Bongo. [©2008 DC Comics.]

The Saga of the Fabled Lost “K-Metal” Story

Below is another important page, only two away from story’s end. Superman and Lois have their first (and, as it would turn, out, their last for some years) truly honest conversation, as he admits to having feelings for her, something he’d never done before. And when she suggests that she become not just a “confederate,” but a “partner,” he’s game.

Of course, a secret-identity hero with a female confidant goes back at least as far as another lass named Lane—Margo, by name—in Street &

Smith’s The Shadow pulp magazine. Even at DC Comics, by 1940 writer Gardner Fox had introduced Dian Belmont in “The Sandman” and Shiera Sanders in “Hawkman,” a pair of capable women who’d been let in on their menfolk’s greatest secret. What Jerry was proposing to do—indeed, had done, by writing the episode—was less than radical in terms of superhero-and-girlfriend relationships. But it would have been a monumental change in the saga of Superman!

Would Lois have perhaps soon gained super-powers herself? Will Murray pointed out in his 2004 article that in a published 1940 story, in Superman #6, Lois’ life is saved by a transfusion of Clark’s blood—but that fact would never again be mentioned in a printed comic. Will wondered whether there was perhaps some potential connection between that transfusion and the trademark-establishing ashcan edition of a comic called Superwoman, the cover of which we depicted in A/E #37. Whether or not Lois was to have become Kal-L’s super-partner or not, certainly publication of the “K-Metal” story in 1940, or in fact at any time over the next few decades, would’ve stood the Superman mythos on its head. Whether the end result would’ve been good or ill, it’s impossible to say. Roads not taken must ever remain as unknown as they are untraveled.

But our heartfelt thanks to all those who have contributed to the partial reconstruction of this tale of tales over the years—including Jack Bender. Fourteen of that adventure’s 26 pages have now been accounted for—and if there are more rattling around out there (and there probably are), we won’t rest until we’ve seen them! For this is the story that nearly changed “Superman” forever! NOTE: Jack Bender will return before this year is out with a short history of Alley Oop, the classic comic strip which in 2008 is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Oh, and to pick up a copy of any of the earlier editions of A/E mentioned in this article, please see TwoMorrows’ ad bloc on pp. 87 ff. of this issue.

The Reich Strikes Back A Close LOOK At The Nazis Vs. Superman in 1940 by Dwight R. Decker

The Persistence Of A Legend

t’s no secret that Superman fought against the Nazis in World War II. But—did the Nazis fight against him?

A persistent rumor about Superman is that the character was denounced during the Second World War by no less a personage than Dr. Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda minister, during a fiery speech to the Reichstag, the German parliament. The reason for the tirade, the story goes, was a comic book sequence or cover in which Superman was shown demolishing a line of German forts on the Atlantic coast. One version of

the story, as given in Time magazine (April 9, 1965) quoting an Italian Communist newspaper, even has Dr. Goebbels exclaiming that “This ‘Superman’ is a Jew!”—presumably in reference to the ethnic origin of Superman’s creators. However, the actual story isn’t quite so neatly packaged. Anton Hermus, a Dutch comics expert, was sufficiently intrigued by the rumor of Goebbels’ denunciation of Superman that in 1987 he decided to research it further, hoping to find out exactly what Goebbels said, in what context, and when. But, after reading through collections of Reichstag speeches and corresponding with various historical associations, Hermus

Superman Vs. The Master Race Over-eager writers have occasionally made much of the fact that, on the cover of the Nov.-Dec. 1941 issue of Superman, the Man of Steel is shown attacking a warboat bearing insignia that resembles a German cross—or that the Dec. 1941 issue of Action Comics featured a paratrooper emblazoned with an actual swastika. In truth, of course, these covers—repro’d here from editions of the Superman Archives and Superman: Action Comics Archives—were prepared at least in the middle of the year, and would’ve been on sale at least two or three months before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, with Nazi Germany declaring war on the United States a few days later. Nor did any stories inside these issues have any relation whatever to the Second World War. But, oddly, there actually was a Superman/Nazi skirmish in print as early as 1940! [©2008 DC Comics.]

A Box Of Markers And Tummy Tattoos

Icons On Parade Michael & Renée may not have discussed Superman in this necessarily truncated interview—but they did sent us a couple of additional examples of Golden’s Kryptonian art. Here’s his cover for Superman: The Man Of Steel #127 (Aug. 2002), which co-featured Wonder Woman, repro’d from a scan of the original art. Thanks, guys! [©2008 DC Comics.]

because it just made it easier to do. I don’t understand these artists who spend their whole career tying to look like Frazetta or somebody. Why bother? That’s way too hard. Find your own look. When I went over to Marvel after the DC implosion, it was on the Micronauts books. I started off with a very hardedge style of drawing, a lot of shadows. But they “impressed upon me” at Marvel, as much as they could, that they wanted to see Jack Kirby. So I learned how to draw like Kirby, and became very good at it, if I say so myself. [laughter] There are several issues of The Micronauts where people were actually insulted that I was doing Jack Kirby! It was during the course of learning what the companies expected of me that I was able to change what I was doing, either the cartoony or the fully rendered work, into what became my own definable comic book style. My original portfolio was full of a lot of [what] artists calls “contour line drawing.” That’s the way I prefer to draw, since I do my own coloring. In the meantime, I’ve also learned how to add dynamics to my art. It’s not just a flat outline. I’ll fill in a line to give it more depth, more dynamics, more drama. I’ve also learned how to render lighting effects. All this came into play after I came into the industry, so that I had to incorporate all this new knowledge into what I was already doing, then move forward in the craft. There’s a funny story about my final Marvel Fanfare story, with the Hulk and Spider-Man. I had originally laid it all out, and then for reasons myriad and profane they just stuck it in a drawer somewhere, and it sat there for 7 or 8 years. I had completely forgotten about it, and one day they told the editor they’re going to cancel Fanfare, so he went through all his inventory to see what he was going to use in his final issues, and he found my story and called me up, and said, “It’s 32 pages. Do you want to finish it? I need it in two months.” So he sent it to me and I sat down and did it. And sure enough, the story gets around that it took me seven years to do this art! [laughs] And the reality is, no, it disappeared for seven years, and that’s the story of the Marvel Fanfare gig. RW: Let’s talk a bit about new project, Tunuki. GOLDEN: The actual name is Zoë’s Diary. It’s the story of a young girl who comes into ownership of a trio of ferrets, and comes to find out that these animals are actually reincarnated beings. Now, of course, you’ve heard this kind of story a million times from different sources. This one does, in fact, have two twists to it, that I’m not going to reveal, that make it entirely unique, and I’m not blowing my own horn; these are two twists that have never appeared anywhere else. She finds out about this slowly, over a period of time, and I’m going to be doing this sort-of like a children’s book, but it’s going to be a graphic narrative, too. It’s about personal exploration and empowerment. It’s not a funny-animal story; it’s

an honest-to-gosh straightforward adventure sort of thing. That’s it, that’s all I’m gonna give about it. You’ll see it within the next few years, is the plan. I’m finishing it up, and discussing toy lines and maquettes already. RW: Are you finishing up Spartan X, as well? GOLDEN: Of course you’d ask me that, since you’re the co-creator! I know you want to see it finished. Yes, Spartan X is on the boards, getting wrapped up. As soon as possible! It started out as six issues, then we all decided we wanted to go ongoing, so there were a lot of things interjected into the story to make it ongoing. At this point in time, we’re planning to wrap it up in a 6-issue format, but it’ll be published all as one complete, compiled graphic novel. I rewrote the ending to accommodate that, so that this story will end. But it has elements already in it, in case we want to take it to the next step in another six-issue series. RW: Thanks, Michael. GOLDEN: No worries. Now back to sketching! Renée Witterstaetter is the editor and sometimes colorist behind literally hundreds of comic books, including She-Hulk, Silver Surfer, Conan, Hercules, and Xena. Her feature film work includes Crime Story, Rush Hour II, Red Dragon, and Swimming with the Virgin. She is the author of numerous books, including Dying for Action: The Life and Films of Jackie Chan, Excess: The Art of Michael Golden, and Tex: The Art of Mark Teixeira from Vanguard. Renée is currently working in artists’ management and is involved in the Creator Chronicles DVD series with interviewer Robin Dale, featuring interviews with major industry creators, while also co-curating art exhibitions in Manhattan (www.evainkpublishing.com).

“Maybe I’m In The Wrong End Of This Business!” LOU CAMERON Tells About Drawing Comics During The Fabulous ’50s Interview Conducted by Jim Amash

ou Cameron was a comic book artist during much of the 1950s, drawing for Ace, Story, St. John, DC, Timely, Classics Illustrated (a.k.a. Gilberton), et al. As “Tabor Evans,” Lou created the popular “Longarm“ Western paperbacks, having written nearly half of the 350 novels in that series. He has also written numerous other books in the Western and crime genres. His work in and outside of comics is

Transcribed by Brian K. Morris striking and unforgettable. The same can be said for Lou himself, who has given us a frank and revealing look into the places he worked for, the people he knew, and of his place in the four-color strata of his times. Blunt, candid, and brilliant, I think Lou is one of the most interesting interview subjects Alter Ego has presented. My only regret is that we don’t have room for our off-tape discussions on politics, religion, war, American history, and society, because Lou is as thought-provoking as anyone I know. An appreciative “thank you” goes to the co-editor of the original Who’s Who in American Comic Books, Hames Ware, for his suggestions and comments—and a special thanks to Arthur Lortie, who first put me in touch with Lou Cameron. This is the first part of a twopart Interview. —Jim.

“The Artwork Came First” JIM AMASH: When and where were you born? LOU CAMERON: June 20, 1924, San Francisco. JA: Since you were a writer and an artist, it’s almost like what came first, the chicken or the egg? CAMERON: The artwork came first. Well, first of all, I started writing to have stuff to illustrate. I was illustrating stuff for the men’s adventure books, and I thought, “Good God, I could write this”: “There I was, hanging by my fingernails on the side of Mount Everest while the Abominable Snowman spit on me.” I said to myself, “How did I ever get in this situation? Who is the guy who’s getting paid for this?” [mutual laughter] So I started writing them, and I found it was just as easy. After I had discovered that writers seemed to be getting their checks better and faster, the absolute decision came as I was working on a paperback book for Ace. Bernie Baily was packaging it, and I was illustrating. He handed me a short story and said, “We can get the rights from the estate of Theodore Sturgeon,” and he gave it to me to illustrate. I said, “I read this when I was in high school.” It was a classic science-fiction short story, so I asked, “He gets paid again?” I would do a cover and that was it. That was the end of the story behind the books. And when it’s

What A Tangled Web We Weave… (Above:) Lou Cameron, in a photo taken in April 2008—and at left one of his archetypal horror splash panels, from Ace Periodicals’ Web of Mystery #27 (Nov. 1954). A month or two more, and the Comics Code would’ve stepped in and plunged its own stake in the heart of that luscious vampire! Thanks to Lou for the photo, sent via Jim Amash & Teresa R. Davidson. [©2008 the respective copyright holders.]

“Maybe I’m In The Wrong End Of This Business!”

Black Widow—Or Black Bachelorette—Take Your Pick! The first and last pages of a truly creepy story that appropriately appeared in Ace Periodicals’ Web of Mystery #25 (July 1954). The beautiful protagonist turns into a huge man-eating spider—a situation eerily handled, except perhaps for the all-too-anthropomorphic smile. But, without a human-style mouth, maybe she couldn’t have talked to her victims just before she devoured them! Thanks to Michael T. Gilbert. [©2008 the respective copyright holders.]

know her better. She would come down to Bob MacLeod’s office, and hang out and chat with us. She was an old pro, I guess she was older than I was, so if she’s still alive, she’s a very old lady. But she also knew the field very well, and I got some good advice from her because she’d kicked around a bit. Did I tell you about this guy C--- at Dell? Annie explained that to me. I couldn’t understand it. There was an art editor at Dell, and art directors would only see you on Wednesdays. You sat with your portfolio and waited with all the other peasants, and then they would go in and chat with him for half an hour or so, and then it would be your turn. And you’d go in and you‘d chat with him and he’d tell you, “Your stuff is really great, you’re almost as good at Matt Baker, so come back next week.” He wouldn’t give you an assignment. “I don’t have anything for you this week, but come back next week.” So after I had come back three or four times, I ran into Ann on the street. We ducked into a little bar for a drink. She drank daiquiris, which is one of the reasons she had a weight problem. I told her what was going on and she says, “Are you talking about C--- at Dell?” I said, “Yeah.” She said, “Don’t you know his problem?” I said, “No, [chuckles] but I know he has a problem.” She said Dell’s offices went on and on. They occupied about three floors. People in one end of Dell didn’t know what the other people were doing. It was presided over by an ogress named Mrs. [Helen] Meyer, and she was an infamous person. She practically ran Dell into the ground, and she was an arbitrary old bitch. A lot of

people just wouldn’t work for Dell after a while. Anyhow, what had happened is the line of magazines that C--- had been working on had been pulled. I think it was their comics, but they weren’t doing some of them anymore. He liked his job, he’d found a home, [laughs] and so he just came in. When they told him, “We’re not going to do the comics anymore,” nobody gave him a pink slip, so he just reported to work as per usual. He didn’t want to just be sitting there bending paper clips if somebody from the front office walked by, so he went through the routine. He was interviewing artists, and he was on the phone—I guess he was talking to his wives and girlfriends—and he was just a busy, busy, busy, guy, but he wasn’t doing, literally, a thing. I stopped going in, of course; other people stopped going in. He lasted for a full six months after what he was editing had been pulled. [mutual chuckling] Nobody knew what he was doing. JA: Do you know if Ann Brewster ever married? CAMERON: I don’t think so. The last I heard of her, it was in the ’70s, she was illustrating children’s books. One was reviewed in the Times Book Review, and I was happy for her. I said, “Oh, my God. Ann is drawing bunny rabbits!“ Jim Amash’s interview with Lou Cameron will be concluded next issue.

hat if… instead of selling his half of All-American Publications to National/DC co-publishers Harry Donenfeld and Jack Liebowitz in 1945, Max Charles Gaines had instead purchased DC from them? That’s the premise of this inventive fantasy series previously seen in Alter Ego #76 & 78, and in our TwoMorrows sister mag Back Issue #28 and future issues—and set on an “Earth-22” where events in the comics field happened a bit differently from the way they unfolded in the world we know. Author Bob Rozakis was a longtime writer, editor, and production director for DC…

and, unless noted, all comics images on the next 6 pages are copyright ©2008 DC Comics. Just imagine… a comic book industry in which, due to the domino effect of actions related earlier, Superman and Batman had been relegated to the sidelines early, and it was instead The Flash, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman who became the company’s big stars. Not a dream, not a hoax…but an imaginary story of an alternate universe and…

The Secret History of All-American Comics, Inc. Book One - Chapter 3: The 1940s-50s Media Blitz by Bob Rozakis

nthony (“Tony”) Allan is a noted author, whose books record the multi-media adventures of the AllAmerican Comics characters. He has written liner notes for collections of radio recordings, as well as DVD collections of the TV series. He is currently working on I Saw It on the Radio, a timeline history detailing which elements of the comic books actually came A recent photo of from the radio programs and other media, to pop-culture author Tony Allan. be published later this year by TwoMorrows. In this installment, Tony answers Bob Rozakis’ questions about the radio, comic strip, movie, and television adventures of Green Lantern, The Flash, and the rest of the AA Universe in the 1940s and ’50s.

BOB ROZAKIS: A lot of people think The Adventures of Green Lantern TV show in the ’50s was the first time an AA character appeared outside the comic books. I know that was my first impression. TONY ALLAN: Oh, there was a lot more, as you have since learned. BR: [laughs] Yes, much of it I now own, thanks to DVDs and audio CDs. So it was the Fleischer cartoons that came first? ALLAN: The first Green Lantern appearances, yes. What a lot of people don’t know is that Max and Dave Fleischer’s original

Holding Pattern Fleischer Studios’ proposed animated Superman series never made it past the stage of this test reel, prepared in 1940. It was first printed in Les Daniels’ 1995 coffee table book All-American Comics: Sixty Years of the World’s Favorite Comic Book Heroes.

intention was to do Superman cartoons. They had worked out the deal with Harry Donenfeld and Jack Liebowitz, and there was even some preliminary animation done. Because of potential legal issues, very little was done beyond the opening sequence. It is believed that the early scripts for these cartoons were rewritten to star Green Lantern and Wonder Woman. According to people I’ve interviewed, Jerry Siegel got wind of the cartoon deal and went to Donenfeld to ask what his and Joe Shuster’s cut was going to be. Whatever amount Donenfeld told him, Siegel decided it wasn’t enough and started talking about suing. BR: So that could have been the first time the idea of a lawsuit over who owned Superman might have come up? ALLAN: Probably. As the story was told to me, Siegel called Fleischer directly, but there is no one alive who can confirm that. In any case, Max Fleischer shows up at the offices and says he’s canceling the deal because DC couldn’t guarantee there wouldn’t be any trouble over who owned the rights.

Alter Ego #79