Back Issue #141 by TwoMorrows Publishing

SPIES AND P.I.S ISSUE! ry 202

™

1 4 1 . o N 10.95 Februa

…PLUS A HISTORY OF

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82658 00489

HYDRA!

MARK EVANIER Crossfire column • MAX ALLAN COLLINS & TERRY BEATTY Ms. Tree interview WILL EISNER’S John Law • Checkmate • Tim Trench • Mike Mauser & more

Volume 1, Number 141 February 2023 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Eury PUBLISHER John Morrow

Comics’ Bronze Age and Beyond!

DESIGNER Rich Fowlks COVER ARTIST Dave Johnson COVER DESIGNER Michael Kronenberg PROOFREADER David Baldy SPECIAL THANKS Terry Beatty Ian Millsted Pat Broderick Joe Norton Michael Browning Luigi Novi Rick Burchett Patrick A. Reed Dewey Cassell Ben Saunders Ed Catto Hilarie Staton Gary Chaloner Joe Staton Howard Chaykin Bryan D. Stroud D. G. Chichester Roy Thomas Max Allan Collins John Trumbull Jon B. Cooke Mike Vosburg Kim DeMulder Gregory Wright ERBzine.com Steve Erwin Mark Evanier Danny Fingeroth Stephan Friedt Tom Grindberg Bob Hall Bob Harras Heritage Comics Auctions Ben Herman Tony Isabella James Heath Lantz Ed Lute Howard Mackie David Michelinie

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IN MEMORIAM: Tim Sale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 FLASHBACK: Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos in the Bronze Age . . . . . . . . . . 3 The final days of the future S.H.I.E.L.D. director’s battle comic BEYOND CAPES: Whatever Happened to Tim Trench? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 A casebook of capers starring Denny O’Neil’s DC Comics gumshoe BACKSTAGE PASS: Nick Fury, Agent at Large . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Marvel creators go behind the scenes of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Bronze Age missions UNKNOWN MARVEL: Nick Fury in Britain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent’s adventures in Marvel UK comics FLASHBACK: Mike Mauser, Private Eye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 This mousey detective graduated from an E-Man appearance to his own feature WHAT THE--?!: Encyclopedia Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Did you know that this schoolboy crime-solver had a comic strip? PRO2PRO: Max Allan Collins and Terry Beatty’s Ms. Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 The hard-case heroine’s history, in an interview with her creators OFF MY CHEST: Caught (Happily) in the Crossfire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Guest columnist Mark Evanier recalls the joys of his collaborations with Dan Spiegle BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: Hail Hydra! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 A villain history of the many-armed criminal cartel ONE-HIT WONDERS: Will Eisner’s John Law, Detective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Discover the Spirit-ed history of this little-known character FLASHBACK: The Secret World of Checkmate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 The explosive story of DC Comics’ super-espionage team BACK TALK: Reader Reactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 BACK ISSUE™ issue 141, February 2023 (ISSN 1932-6904) is published monthly (except Jan., March, May, and Nov.) by TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614, USA. Phone: (919) 449-0344. Periodicals postage paid at Raleigh, NC. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Back Issue, c/o TwoMorrows, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614. Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief. John Morrow, Publisher. Editorial Office: BACK ISSUE, c/o Michael Eury, Editorin-Chief, 112 Fairmount Way, New Bern, NC 28562. Email: euryman@gmail.com. Eight-issue subscriptions: $97 Economy US, $147 International, $39 Digital. Please send subscription orders and funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial office. Cover artwork by Dave Johnson. Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra TM & © Marvel. All Rights Reserved. All editorial matter © 2023 TwoMorrows and Michael Eury. Printed in China. FIRST PRINTING

S p i e s a n d P. I . s I s s u e • BAC K I S S U E • 1

IN MEMORIAM

TIM SALE (1956–2022)

Photo © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons.

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Wah-hoo, BACK ISSUE readers! Before he headed S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury commanded the Howling Commandos in World War II. Yet, this group didn’t have the audience that DC Comics’ Sgt. Rock and the Unknown Soldier had in their titles’ later years. Did Dum-Dum Dugan jinx his comrades-in-arms, or were there other factors that didn’t allow Nick and his pals to get their adventures to the comicloving civilians? Our salute to spies and gumshoes begins with a look at Fury and his Howling Commandos’ adventures in the Bronze Age and their comic book’s transformation into a reprint title. Just read this article before Nick lights one of his cheap cigars. The ashes will burn the pages.

HOWLING BRONZE FURY

by J a

mes Heath

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby had already revitalized the superhero genre of comics with titles like Fantastic Four when they introduced readers to Sgt. Fury and His Lantz Howling Commandos in 1963. Set in World War II, Sgt. Fury told the stories of Sgt. Nick Fury and his group of six soldiers fighting Nazi tyranny, storming into action with a roaring “Wah-hoo!” battle cry. One of the Howling Commandos’ members was African-American Private Gabriel “Gabe” Jones. Though the character was a comics milestone during the civil rights movement, he was mistakenly colored Caucasian in Sgt. Fury #1 (May 1963). Gabe and Cpl. Timothy Aloysius Cadwallader—“Dum-Dum” Dugan—would later serve with Nick Fury as agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Stan Lee stayed on Sgt. Fury until issue #28 (Mar. 1966). Inker Dick Ayers would take over full art chores with #10 after Kirby left the series. Jack, however, would draw Sgt. Fury #13, which guest-starred Captain America and Bucky. Ayers would continue to render the Howling Commandos missions for a decade or so, with his run going through #120, excluding a few fill-ins. Lee was succeeded by Roy Thomas as writer until Gary Friedrich took over with Sgt. Fury #42 (May 1967). Friedrich would co-plot #42–44 with artist Dick Ayers before taking on full story chores on #45 and onward. Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos would eventually become the signature series for the creative team gary friedrich of Friedrich, Ayers, and inker John Severin as the Bronze Age rolled around. In an interview with Matthew Price of The Oklahoman published on June 6, 2008, Friedrich talked about how he got Sgt. Fury and remained on the

Howling Bronze Fury At the dawn of the Bronze Age, one-time EC Comics artist John Severin enlivened Marvel’s Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos with his dynamic cover art and finishes to artist Dick Ayers’ interior pencils. Issue #74 (Jan. 1970) featured an unforgettable battle tale by guest writer Archie Goodwin. TM & © Marvel.

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Nowadays, monthly or bimonthly reprint titles have given way to collected editions in hardcover, paperback, or digital forms found in comic shops and bookstores. While having started as early as the late 1960s, comic specialty shops were uncommon in the time of Sgt. Fury’s run. Back-issue bins were hard to find before the direct market boom of the late 1980s and 1990s. Copies of a book like Sgt. Fury #1 would also have been too expensive for readers who could only pay cover prices for comics. Plus, if one missed an issue of their favorite title in much of the Bronze Age, books showcasing tales from the past were the easiest, most affordable means of getting one’s hands on some classic comics. So for Marvelites wanting to read Sgt. Fury classics without having to pay big bucks for back issues, the Bronze Age reprint era of the series was appreciated.

AN UNMATCHABLE CREATIVE TEAM

The Other Fury Reprint Book (above) Special Marvel Edition (SME), which launched in 1971 as a Thor reprint title, shifted to Sgt. Fury reprints from issue #5 (July 1972) through this one, #14 (Nov. 1973). SME is most famous—and collectible—for its all-new Master of Kung Fu feature, which launched in the next issue, #15. (right) The final issue of Sgt. Fury. TM & © Marvel.

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Gary Friedrich left the comics field in 1978 before returning in 1993 to work with Roy Thomas and Sgt. Fury collaborators Dick Ayers and John Severin on Topps Comics’ version of Jack Kirby’s Bombast. Ayers and Severin worked off and on throughout their lives after their much-praised Sgt. Fury run. While Friedrich loved comics, ownership of some characters he had created, most notably Ghost Rider, may have been a bone of contention for him. “I couldn’t have even said exactly when Gary did leave comics, or when they left him, since it happened in some ways gradually,” Roy Thomas surmises for BACK ISSUE. “In another sense, it happened several times. But I do suspect that, once [Marvel production manager] John Verpoorten died at the end of 1977, subsequent editors had little interest in hiring him since they felt his work had deteriorated due to his distance from New York City and his drinking. I’m not blaming [editor-in-chief] Jim Shooter for any of this, but as he took over from Archie Goodwin at the turn of that year, I can’t imagine he was going to seek Gary out for work since John was gone.” The Friedrich, Ayers, and Severin Sgt. Fury run was a hard act to follow. Like their DC counterparts the Losers and Sgt. Rock and Easy Company, the Howling Commandos had their following. Yet, perhaps because many fans held the Friedrich/ Ayers/Severin Sgt. Fury stories in such high regard, sales lagged after Friedrich left as writer and Severin’s polished inks no longer graced Ayers’ pencils. Maybe Marvel switched the book to reprints because nobody was willing to fill this creative team’s huge shoes. After all, Friedrich told war stories that could be considered on par with the likes of Robert Kanigher at DC Comics. Yet, even reprintings of Friedrich and other creators’ Sgt. Fury runs weren’t enough to save the comic from being cancelled with issue #167. Sadly, Gary Friedrich passed away in 2018. Despite his ups and downs with the comics industry, his Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos remains fondly remembered to this day. Friedrich’s thought-provoking sagas will make any fan or casual reader shout “Wah-hoo!” all the way to their local comics shop and back. Dedicated to my beautiful and incredible wife Laura, whose love makes my heart scream Wah-hoo; Jadis, Pupino, Odino, and our four-legged feline and canine Howling Commandos, feared by all Nazis; my nephew Kento, who defeated Baron Strucker; and the late Gary Friedrich and all the creators past, present, and future responsible for making the Howling Commandos’ battle cry heard. May Nick Fury always watch over you. JAMES HEATH LANTZ is a freelance writer whose stories, essays, and reviews can be found online and in print at Sequart.org, Superman Homepage, his blog, and such publications as his self-published Trilogy of Tales and PS Artbooks’ Roy Thomas Presents Sheena vol. 3. James currently lives in Italy with his wife Laura and their family of cats, dogs, and humans from Italy, Japan, and the United States.

DC Comics’ Wonder Woman title had been floundering and a decision was made to make big changes. With issue #178 (Sept.–Oct. 1968), a new creative team was put in place with Jack Miller as editor, Mike Sekowsky and Dick Giordano providing art, and Denny O’Neil scripting. This new Wonder Woman was now simply Diana Prince without her former Amazon abilities [see BI #17 for our coverage on this era of The “New” Wonder Woman—ed.]. With the following issue, new cast members were introduced, beginning with the blind and aged martial-arts master I Ching, who would become Diana’s mentor and trainer. by B r y a n

D. Stroud

IN THE TRENCHES WITH DIANA PRINCE

Also introduced in Wonder Woman #179, in an unidentified cameo appearance in the final panel, is a mysterious man in a suit and fedora, observing Diana and Ching, who thinks, “A good-looking dame and a blind Chinese… those are the people I’m after, all right!” Wonder Woman #180 (Jan.–Feb. 1969) continues right where things left off, with the unknown figure advancing on Diana and Ching. His motives are unclear, but the sharp-eared Ching alerts his companion that they are being followed. Suspecting the possibility that he is connected with Doctor Cyber, their recent nemesis, Diana and Ching prepare for the worst when a gunshot rings out. Diana strikes, using karate to take down the stranger, who protests that he wasn’t shooting at her, but trying to save her from Doctor Cyber’s minions, who burst onto the scene in a weird vehicle with guns blazing. They take cover behind some trashcans and the man brings into play his pistol, dubbed Lulu. The foes depart and Diana and the unidentified man, toting an unconscious Ching, head up into her apartment where introductions are made at last. “Name’s Tim Trench! I’m a private eye outta St, Louis!” Trench explains that he learned from a stoolie that she’s looking for Doctor Cyber. So is he, due to the fact that his friend Archy Miles had been killed by Cyber’s gang. Here we see Denny O’Neil having some fun with his new character, by basing Tim Trench in Denny’s hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, and putting in a subtle reference with Archy Miles to Miles Archer, the murdered partner of another detective, Sam Spade of Maltese Falcon fame.

Not-so-famous Shamus You’re forgiven if you don’t remember this obscure DC gumshoe—but we’ll bring you up to speed with this article. Here’s the first page of the two “Tim Trench” solo stories penned by O’Neil for the back pages of Detective Comics. From issue #460 (June 1976). In the front of the comic, Batman battled Captain Stingaree. TM & © DC Comics.

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The Long Goodbye After this short story in Detective #461 (July 1976), Trench mostly faded into obscurity. Art for both ’Tec backups by Pablo Marcos and Al Milgrom. TM & © DC Comics.

In the final panels, Tim returns to his office to witnesses a jewelry store robbery and fires a round at the perpetrators. The next day as he’s visiting his office, find Velma on hand, asking for the return of the gem. Trench responds that she’s had the real a gunman is at the top of the staircase and takes ruby all along and hatched an elaborate a shot at Trench, who returns fire with both scheme to make it appear that he’d pistols, taking the thug down. When the found it after being gunned down by police arrive, Trench doesn’t know who her boyfriend, the assailant at the top was shooting at him, other than the of the stairs. Since Trench got off the fact that he worked for Lippy Louie. kill shot, she had to adapt, killing When Tim gets to his office, he Lippy so he wouldn’t catch onto the finds Velma Grayle waiting with a job switch. Case closed. for him. She’d like him to hold a ruby The next issue had a similar for her over the weekend. Trench theme, with Trench heading up to his agrees, and soon we find him at office in the rain and finding someone Lippy Louie’s mansion to confront him in his chair, this time “Manooch,” about his boys pulling the jewelry hired help for Big Willy Cline. heist. He also wants to know if the After Tim manhandles Manooch, inventory of jewels was missing anydenny o’neil the visitor reveals that his boss thing. Before Lippy can answer, a wants to hire Trench, so they go shot is fired and Lippy is gone. Tim © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. dashes outside, but missed the getaway car. On the to his office across the street. It seems Cline has double-crossed the wrong way back to his office, he stops by a jeweler who people and must leave town. He offers Trench $500 reveals the ruby is a fake. to escort him to the airport. A deal is struck when Cline assures the detective that the money isn’t dirty. As they recross the street to Trench’s car, Manooch dives between a pair of parked cars prior to a vehicle screaming toward the pair. Tim dives for cover, while a startled Cline is gunned down. Trench returns fire with his Magnums and the car smashes into a pole. When Manooch emerges, the detective lays it out. “…we were set up by you—Manooch—‘cause you dived for cover before the shooting started. The way I figure it, you signaled the gunner from the front of Cline’s building as your boss was making his offer!” Another caper wrapped up by Tim Trench, but it would be his last in the pages of Detective Comics. In some lettercol commentary, Bob Rozakis commented that “Tim Trench was an experiment. Unfortunately, much of the reader reaction was unfavorable, so it is unlikely we’ll see Mr. Trench again.”

CLOSING THE TIM TRENCH CASEBOOK

Tim Trench made only two more appearances. One was a bizarre turn in Swamp Thing #162 (Jan. 1996), when he responded to a call to the Hero Hotline. Decked out much like the Spirit, he is shown in just a few panels where he was stuck in traffic and missed his appointment. The other instance was in DC’s 52 #18 (Nov. 2006), when Ralph Dibny and Detective Chimp find Trench wearing the helmet of Doctor Fate. When his body was touched it liquefied, leaving the reader to presume that Tim Trench is no more. So, after a circuitous route with a handful of stops over nearly four decades, Tim Trench’s detective career has come to a close. Tim, we hardly knew ye. Special thanks to John Trumbull. BRYAN STROUD is a longtime fan of DC Comics, particularly the Silver and Bronze Ages, and has been contributing to the website of his lifelong best friend, Ron Daudt, for over a decade, doing reviews of those classics. Beginning in 2007, Bryan seized an opportunity to begin interviewing the creators of the comics he’s loved and has been fortunate enough to conduct over 70 to date at www.thesilverlantern.com.

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by P a t r i c k

A. Reed

PRELUDE: FROM ‘STRANGE TALES’ TO SOLO STARDOM

In the late ’60s, Marvel Comics was in the process of going from upstart publisher to media sensation, building a devoted block of readers on college campuses, garnering a mix of mainstream and underground press attention, licensing their characters for TV and other media, and constantly rewriting the rule book of what comics could and couldn’t do. And for a brief time, the most revolutionary and groundbreaking of all Marvel’s publications was something of an outlier: a series that operated within the Marvel Universe, but starred a globetrotting secret agent, as opposed to a costumed superhero. Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. started out as the supporting feature in Strange Tales, recasting the roughneck title character of Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos as a modern-day super-spy. Secret agents were all the rage in the wake of James Bond’s meteoric rise, and it was only natural for Marvel to look for a way to capitalize on the new craze—they already had a character who could be adapted to fit the bill, all they needed was an organization for him to answer to. And so was born the Supreme Headquarters International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division—S.H.I.E.L.D., for short. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby produced the series premiere in Strange Tales #135 (Aug. 1965), which told how Fury was recruited to head up this new agency, and introduced a number of foundational elements: an array of Bond-esque gadgets; the helicarrier (S.H.I.E.L.D.’s massive airborne headquarters); and the sinister threat of the international terrorist group Hydra. But for the first year and a half of its existence, this new strip seemed relatively directionless, hamstrung by a succession of interchangeable device-driven stories, and a rotating cast of writers and artists working alongside Lee and Kirby.

Spies Like Us Note the plural “Agents” in the title of this short-lived Bronze Age reprint series. Nick Fury and His Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 (Feb. 1973). Cover by Steranko. TM & © Marvel.

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POSTSCRIPT: NICK FURY AND S.H.I.E.L.D. IN THE 2000s

In the 21st Century, S.H.I.E.L.D. has continued to serve as a cornerstone of Marvel’s continuity, though the familiar acronym now canonically stands for “Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.” The events of the “Secret Invasion” crossover event revealed that the agency had been compromised by Skrulls, which caused the US government to disband S.H.I.E.L.D. once more, then resurrect it as soon as highlevel spying turned out to be needed. A version of S.H.I.E.L.D. played a major role in Marvel’s Ultimate Comics initiative, though the Fury of that universe was a tall, shaven-headed African American who bore an uncanny resemblance to a certain actor of Pulp Fiction fame. A similarly visaged character followed in the mainstream Marvel Universe, though this one was explained away as being the original Nick’s previously unknown illegitimate son, Nick, Jr. (Not to be confused with Mikel, Nick’s previously mentioned illegitimate son, who operates as Scorpio.) In 2000, Marvel and Berkeley Books released Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.: EMPYRE, a standalone novel by Will Murray (with interior illustrations by Jim Steranko) that told of Fury and company doing battle with a mysterious monarch bent on world destruction. Then, strangest of all, the 2014 “Original Sin” event brought Nick Fury into uncharacteristically cosmic terrain, as he led a universe-wide investigation into the killing of Uatu, the Watcher—and eventually adopted the role of Watcher himself, absorbing Uatu’s remaining powers and taking his place on the moon. And more recently, in Fantastic Four #25 (Dec. 2020), a mysteriously reborn Uatu restored Fury to human form, and returned him to active duty with the proclamation, “This moment calls for soldiers, not watchers.” This century has also seen some notable retconning of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s history: Brian Michael Bendis and Johnathan Hickman’s Secret Warriors series revealed that the agency had been manipulated by Hydra from the first, and that Fury and his compatriots were inadvertently working for the bad guys all along, through all their adventures, demobilizations, and revivals. Hickman and Dustin Weaver’s S.H.I.E.L.D. (published between 2010 and 2018) then superseded the above revelation by establishing that S.H.I.E.L.D. was, in fact, only the most recent incarnation of “The Brotherhood of the S.H.I.E.L.D.”—a secret society originally founded in 200 B.C., dedicated to protecting and preserving humanity, whose membership has included such luminaries as Leonardo Da Vinci, Galileo, Isaac Newton, and Howard Stark. But while the S.H.I.E.L.D.’s history, roster of agents, and acronymous specifics may be subject to change, it remains the glue of the Marvel Universe, lurking in the background, weaving through story after story, underpinning all manner of major events. And Nick Fury—WWII veteran, swinging ’60s-style secret agent, troop commander, survivor of countless downed helicarriers, father to top-level field operatives, intergalactic observer, and peerless tactician—can always be counted on to appear when the chips are down, and whenever one of Marvel’s superheroic sagas demands a dose of good old-fashioned intrigue. Special thanks to Danny Fingeroth, Howard Mackie, Michael Browning, Howard Chaykin, Kim DeMulder, Will Murray, D.G. Chichester, Greg Wright, Bob Hall, Bob Harras, and Ben Saunders for their assistance in unearthing the secret documents and classified dossiers that made this article possible.

Don’t Knock Nick (above) Original Bill Sienkiewicz painted cover art for Fury #1 (Nov. 2001), a miniseries published under Marvel’s MAX imprint. Courtesy of Heritage. (inset) The Fury novel, written by Will Murray. TM & © Marvel.

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PATRICK A. REED is a New York City–based popculture historian and journalist. He is the co-curator of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Beyond Amazing—The Exhibition; associate curator of the Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes exhibition; chief curator of the Eight Decades of Archie exhibition; founder of the Hip-Hop and Comics: Cultures Combining panel series; and is currently developing a number of other museum and publishing projects. He can be found on social media as @djpatrickareed.

by I a n

Secret agents were big in Britain in the late 1970s. The arrival in cinemas, every second year, of a new James Bond movie was guaranteed to draw a ticket-buying crowd, while the ones from a few years back hit high ratings when shown on television. Also, on television could be found spy series such as The New Avengers (1976–1977) and, for the more cerebral types, The Sandbaggers (1978–1980) and an excellent adaptation of John LeCarre’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979). The Sandbaggers was an acknowledged influence on the later comics series Queen and Country. The UK comic industry was not immune to the popularity of heroes of a covert persuasion. Each of the new breed of boys’ comics that arrived from the mid-1970s had a secret-agent character. Battle Picture Weekly included the adventures of wartime spy Mike Nelson. The controversial Action had the violent contemporary secret-agent series Dredger. Even the science-fiction anthology 2000AD included cyborg agent M.A.C.H. 1, which was basically a ripoff of The Six Million Dollar Man (who also starred in a UK-originated comic series in Look-In each week). So why not Nick Fury?

‘THAT’S WHY I’VE ASKED YOU HERE.’

In fact, the British wing of Marvel Comics had been reprinting the Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. stories from Strange Tales, starting with the Lee/Kirby run, since 1975. Initially in a weekly comic called The Titans, by 1976 the series had transferred into the new Captain Britain weekly as a backup, behind the

all-new adventures of the eponymous hero. Unlike The Titans, Captain Britain was a mostly color comic, just in time to give the Jim Steranko run a decent showing. It wasn’t too long before Fury also showed up in the main feature, and therefore in stories not previously seen in US comics. In Captain Britain #16 (Jan. 19, 1977), Nick Fury appears in four panels, in which he gives Steve Rogers/ Captain America a mission to travel to England to investigate a possibly malevolent super-computer as well as the new hero, Captain Britain. This leads into a multi-part Captain Britain/Captain America/Red Skull serial in which Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. play an active supporting part. Although published exclusively until reprints years later in the US, the pages were prepared by the New York offices of Marvel Comics. The writer was Gary Friedrich, with art by the team of Herb Trimpe and Fred Kida, with Larry Lieber editing. Nick Fury next appears in #17 (Feb. 2, 1977), where he interacts with the fictional British spy agency S.T.R.I.K.E., as well as the prime minister of the day, James Callaghan. The latter is an interesting cameo; unlike US comics (especially those written by Jack Kirby or Roy Thomas), where guest appearances by real-life presidents and leading politicians were quite common, British comics usually shied away from such practices. Some years ago, I contacted Lord McNally, who had worked with James Callaghan at the time, and he thought “Sunny Jim” Callaghan was unaware that he had appeared in quite heroic form in Captain Britain.

Millsted

Nick Goes Global A Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. poster by Howard Bender and Dan Adkins, from Super Spider-Man and the Titans #205 (Jan. 12, 1977). All scans accompanying this article are courtesy of Ian Millsted. TM & © Marvel.

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New book by MICHAEL EURY, editor of New book by MICHAEL EURY, editor of

HERO-A-GO-GO! HERO-A-GO-GO!

Welcome to the CAMP AGE, when spies liked their wars cold and their women warm, good guys beat bad guys with a punWelcome and a punch, Batman meanliked cape.their HERO-A-GO-GO celebrates thewarm, camp good craze guys of thebeat Swinging Sixties, to theand CAMP AGE,shook whena spies wars cold and their women bad guys with a when justa about teens aofmean Riverdale, ant and a squirrel, even thethePresident of the States—was pun and punch,everyone—the and Batman shook cape. an HERO-A-GO-GO celebrates camp craze of United the Swinging Sixties,a editor MICHAELofEURY takes you through that super-hero or a secret agent. BACK ISSUE magazineanand Comics when just about everyone—the teens of Riverdale, antformer and a DC squirrel, even the President the United States—was a coolest cultural with this all-new collection nostalgic essays, editor histories, and theme song lyrics classic 1960s MICHAEL EURY takes youofthrough that super-hero or a phenomenon secret agent. BACK ISSUE magazine and of former DC Comics characters like CAPTAIN ACTION, HERBIE THEcollection FAT FURY,ofCAPTAIN ANT, SCOOTER, ACG’s coolest cultural phenomenon with this all-new nostalgic NICE, essays,ATOM histories, and theme song lyricsNEMESIS, of classicDELL’S 1960s SUPER-FRANKENSTEIN DRACULA, theTHE “Split!” CAPTAIN MARVEL, and others! Featuring interviews BILL MUMY characters like CAPTAIN and ACTION, HERBIE FAT FURY, CAPTAIN NICE, ATOM ANT, SCOOTER, ACG’swith NEMESIS, DELL’S (It’s a Bird It’s a Plane … It’sMARVEL, Superman), (The Mighty Heroes, Spider(Lost in Space), BOB HOLIDAY SUPER-FRANKENSTEIN and DRACULA, the…“Split!” CAPTAIN andRALPH others!BAKSHI Featuring interviews with BILL MUMY Man),inDEAN TORRENCE (Jan and Batman), FRADONRALPH (Metamorpho), DICK DeBARTOLO (Captain (It’sDean a BirdMeet … It’s a PlaneRAMONA … It’s Superman), BAKSHI (The Mighty Heroes, Spider(Lost Space), BOB HOLIDAY Klutz), TONYTORRENCE TALLARICO(Jan (Theand Great Society Book), VINCE GARGIULO (Palisades ParkDICK historian), JOE SINNOTT Man), DEAN Dean MeetComic Batman), RAMONA FRADON (Metamorpho), DeBARTOLO (Captain(The Beatles comic TALLARICO book), JOSE (The DELBO (TheSociety Monkees comic book), andGARGIULO many more!(Palisades Park historian), JOE SINNOTT (The Klutz), TONY Great Comic Book), VINCE Beatles comic book), JOSE DELBO (The Monkees comic book), and many more!

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by B

en Herman

also My name is Mauser. That’s In my the name of my pistol. the only profession, my pistol’s I take reliable friend I have. care of care of it, and it takes and this me. I’m a private eye, is my story... Writer Nicola “Nick” Cuti and artist Joe Staton, working for Derby, Connecticut–based publisher Charlton Comics, introduced a fun, dynamic take on superheroes in the pages of E-Man #1 (Oct. 1973). The entity that would become E-Man began life thousands of years ago when a packet of sentient energy erupted from the star Arcturus. For millennia, this energy wandered the universe, searching for other intelligent life. Eventually arriving on Earth, the energy got caught up in electrical power lines, which led it to the dressing room of burlesque performer Nova Kane. Taking on human form, the energy-being adopted the identity of E-Man, and Nova gave him the civilian alias Alec Tronn. With Nova as his guide, E-Man protected Earth from a variety of bizarre foes. Although Alec was the ostensible lead of his own book, right from the start E-Man was an ensemble series, with Nova an equal co-star. And with issue #3 (June 1974), another character joined the book’s cast: disheveled, abrasive private detective Mike Mauser. Its story “The Energy Crisis” is set in New York City during the oil crisis of late 1973. Nova and fellow exotic dancer Rosie Rhedd are walking home from work when Rosie is suddenly pulled through a solid brick wall by an unseen assailant! The shocked Nova goes to E-Man for aid, but he is busy helping with the numerous emergencies caused by the power shortages. Spying a flyer that advertises private detective Mike Mauser’s services, Nova reluctantly heads to his office. Although startled by Mauser’s slovenly appearance, she tells him about Rosie’s strange vanishing. Mauser agrees it’s a fantastic story, but adds, “So long as you’re paying me, I’ll believe anything.” Mauser and Nova return to the scene of the crime and discover that the wall into which Rosie was pulled belongs to an old warehouse. Mauser spots fresh tire tracks, as well as a crate labeled “Boarsville,” the home billionaire energy magnate Samuel Boar. They drive to Boarsville in Mauser’s VW Bug, but are ambushed on the outskirts of town. Both are captured, but not before Nova makes a phone call alerting E-Man. Alec zips to Boarsville and learns that Samuel Boar is using an unorthodox source of energy to power his empire: living people! Rosie, Nova, and Mauser are just three of the hundreds of innocents kidnapped and plugged into Boar’s generators. Fortunately, E-Man defeats Boar, and the authorities release all of Boar’s victims. Later, back at Mauser’s office, the P.I. offers E-Man a job, to which Nova responds, “Not a chance! He’s a big lovable guy and I want him to stay that way… not become corrupted by a cynical creep like you!” As she storms out, Mauser tells Alec, “That’s a tough little broad you’ve got there.” Mike Mauser created by Nick Cuti and Joe Staton. Art © Joe Staton.

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joe staton © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons.

The Big Steep That’s a lot of stairs to climb, Nova! Mike Mauser’s first appearance, from E-Man #3 (June 1974). Original art courtesy of Ben Herman. E-Man created by Nick Cuti and Joe Staton. Art © Joe Staton.

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CHARACTER INSPIRATIONS

be arrested for trying to corrupt a minor!” Despite Nova’s dislike for Mauser, in issue #9 (July Interviewed by Jon B. Cooke for Comic Book Creator #9 (Summer 2015), Joe Staton detailed how Mauser 1975) Alec is officially working with the private eye to investigate the mysterious criminal Genius One. Alec, came about: “Nick had the idea for a detective based on [actor] being made of energy, has the advantage of being able Arnold Stang. He was a little guy with a really nasal to change his shape, but the all-too-human Mauser’s voice, little glasses… And since Nick was hanging out “disguise” is hiding inside a garbage can, which he with Wally Wood and they had guns all over the place, blends into very easily! the idea of Mauser… Nick had a Mauser. Very cool gun. CALLING FOR BACKUP! The ultimate gun, visually, and it came together.” When Mauser was created in the early ’70s, Staton That same month, Mauser found a second home, as was challenged by a lack of artistic reference. “The a backup feature in the Charlton adventure series visual I wound up with Mauser—this was obviously Vengeance Squad. Stories featuring Mauser appeared in before the Internet, and it was hard to find a lot of all six issues of Vengeance Squad, cover-dated July 1975 things, so I didn’t really have any reference for Arnold to May 1976. As Cuti explained in BACK ISSUE #13, “I Stang. I knew who he was, just generally, but that eventually started loving the character so much that I was when the Dustin Hoffman/Steve McQueen movie felt he was wrong for superhero comics because he was a private eye, and I don’t really like to mix genres. So was out, Papillon. And there were all these pictures of when [writer] Joe Gill came up with Vengeance Dustin Hoffman in these really thick glasses in Squad, I asked [editor] George [Wildman] if Papillon, so I just thought, ‘Well, he’s not I could do Mike Mauser as a backup and Arnold Stang, but he’s close enough.’” do these little private-eye stories without Nick Cuti sadly passed away in any superhero attached to it at all.” In February 2020; however, he and some of these backup tales, Mauser is Staton were interviewed about E-Man hip-deep in the action, mixing it up by Michael Ambrose in BACK ISSUE with all sorts of dangerous criminals; #13 (Dec. 2005), and he shared his in others, he is an observer, delivering thoughts on Mauser’s origins: commentary on the activities of various “Mike Mauser just was supposed unsavory characters. to be a one-time character, he was just E-Man was cancelled with issue going to be in this particular story #10 (Sept. 1975). Mauser would [E-Man #3—ed.]. I’ve always liked subsequently appear in the E-Man private-eye stories, and this gave me nick cuti story by Cuti and Staton that ran an opportunity to create a private-eye in issue #4 (Mar.–Apr. 1976) of the character. I decided to insert him in here, and I was just going to use him for this one story semi-professional fanzine Charlton Bullseye. “…And Why the Sea Is Boiling Hot” has Alec and Nova working and then I was never going to use him again.” Mauser, however, did return less than a year later, with Mauser, investigating the disappearances of in the pages of E-Man #7 (Mar. 1975). The mysterious several ships and aircraft. This turns out to be the work “TV Man” has been using alien technology to cause of space pirates. Receiving a signal from Alec and Nova, E-Man to lose control of his powers. Seeking a final showdown, TV Man ambushes Mauser in his office, instructing him at gunpoint to deliver an ultimatum to E-Man. The unperturbed Mauser, staring down the barrel of TV Man’s gun, deadpans, “You know how to make a point. Do you still need me… or is a truck about to come through that tunnel?” Passing along TV Man’s message, the next day Mauser brings E-Man over to Rockefeller Plaza for a “high noon” showdown with the villain. Having served as messenger, the P.I. announces, “It’s getting close to noon so I’m going to take off. There’s no hero in my blood.” Despite his protestations, it would later become apparent that Mauser possesses more than his share of bravery and heroism. He was akin to Rick Blaine from Casablanca, who always insisted “I stick my neck out for nobody,” but who, when push came to shove, was hardpressed to turn his back on someone in need of help. Staton shares his thoughts about Mauser’s relatively quick return. “My impression is that Nick always had plans for Mauser, following his debut. He showed up as such a solid character on his own, right off the bat, that it was clear that Nick had been thinking about him for some time.” It would seem that after Mauser’s original “one-time” appearance in E-Man #3, the character made an impression upon Cuti. The following issue, E-Man #8 (May 1975), established Mauser as a regular presence in the series. Nova catches E-Man playing cards with the private eye. Concerned about the impact Mauser might have on the impressionable energy being, Nova snaps at the detective, “He doesn’t know any better, but you should

Alec Tronn, Private Eye? (top) Nova nixes Mauser’s offer in E-Man #3. Original art courtesy of Ben Herman. (bottom) Visual and personality inspirations for Mauser: Arnold Stang (from The Man with the Golden Arm), Dustin Hoffman (from Papillon), and Humphrey Bogart (from Casablanca). Excerpted from movie lobby card and posters, courtesy of Heritage. Art © Joe Staton. The Man with the Golden Arm © United Artists. Papillon © Allied Artists. Casablanca © Warner Bros.

S p i e s a n d P. I . s I s s u e • BAC K I S S U E • 3 3

Mauser, My Sweet (left) This 1988 First Comics house ad promoted the Mauser spotlight in E-Man #24—which also featured the return of original E-Man writer and co-creator Nick Cuti. (right) Apple Comics published this 1992 one-shot, The New Crime Files of Michael Mauser, Private Eye. © Joe Staton.

After First Comics cancelled E-Man with issue #25, Mauser and the rest of the gang went into limbo for a few years. They finally returned in an E-Man Special (Sept. 1989) and three-issue miniseries (Jan.–Mar. 1990) published by Comico. The Special had a Mauser backup story by Cuti and Staton. While investigating a kidnapping, Mauser is saddled with his young niece Kitty Katz, who he regards as an “insufferable brat.” Kitty spills his coffee and almost shoots Mauser with his own gun, but in the end she does help him solve the case. Once again demonstrating that E-Man was an ensemble title, Alec Tronn himself barely appears in the first issue of the Comico miniseries. The majority of the action is given over to Mauser, Nova, and Teddy Q, who are working to save E-Man’s sister Vamfire after her physical form is accidentally splintered into numerous twisted fragments due to a mishap in a carnival house of mirrors. Mauser returned to solo action in 1992. For the first time the character starred in his own title, the black-and-white special The New Crime Files of Michael Mauser, Private Eye, published by Apple Comics. “Snow Angels” is one of the darkest tales produced by the team of Cuti and Staton. In the midst of a cold, brutal winter in New York City, Mauser, assisted by Angela, is tracking down a serial killer known as the Spray Paint Strangler. The disturbing case causes Mauser to begin questioning his sanity. Staton’s artwork on “Snow Angels” is somber, suffused with mood. Combined with Cuti’s atmospheric script, it makes for a disquieting read. “It’s a remarkable bit of writing, very much like a novel, and proves the depth of Nick’s storytelling,” Staton comments. “Snow Angels” also demonstrates Staton’s versatility as an artist. He is well-regarded for his cartoony style, but is certainly capable of much more. Staton had always been a fan of mystery and detective fiction, and Mauser gave him the opportunity to work in that genre. Interviewed by Rocco Nigo for Comic Book Artist #12 (Mar. 2001), Staton declared, “I’d be perfectly happy to sit down and draw Mauser stories for the rest of my life.” Another solid, enjoyable Mauser story by Cuti and Staton, “The Old Farmhouse,” appeared in the anthology special The Detectives (Apr. 1993), published by Alpha Productions. The cover was illustrated by Adam Hughes and featured Mauser alongside fellow private investigators Jennifer and Gabe from The Maze Agency [see BI #2—ed.], 3 6 • BAC K I S S U E • S p i e s a n d P. I . s I s s u e

Mike Mist, Tony Bravado, and Johnny Dynamite. There were two additional Mauser tales published in the mid-1990s by Alpha Productions in the quarterly anthology title Noir. Mauser next appeared when Digital Webbing published a trio of E-Man specials between 2006 and 2008. He had supporting roles in both E-Man: Recharged and E-Man: Dolly, and co-stars in E-Man: Curse of the Idol. In that last tale, Mauser and Alec are searching for a mysterious extra-dimensional idol that is also sought by a corrupt South American general. “Fish Story” was a Mauser tale by Cuti and Staton that was intended to run in Vengeance Squad back in 1976, but it was not published after that series was cancelled. Three decades later, Staton finished its artwork and it at last saw print in Michael Ambrose’s Charlton Spotlight #6 (Fall 2008) from Argo Press. As of this writing, Mike Mauser has most recently appeared in the first chapter of “Homecoming,” the three part E-Man and Nova serial in The Charlton Arrow vol. 2 #1–3 (Sept. 2017–Jan. 2018), published by Charlton Neo. With Cuti’s death shortly thereafter, this would end up being the final E-Man story by the character’s creators. In the opening pages of “Homecoming,” we see Mike and Angela at long last get married, in a ceremony attended by all of their friends and family including Alec, Nova, and Teddy Q. Mike Mauser demonstrated Nicola Cuti and Joe Staton’s creativity in that they devised a character equally at home as a supporting player in the fantastical adventures of E-Man and Nova as he was starring in his own hardboiled crime and mystery tales. As Staton himself stated in the Comic Book Creator #9 interview, “I think Mauser is one of the all-time great characters.” Thank you to Joe and Hilarie Staton and Rick Burchett for their invaluable assistance. This article is dedicated to the memory of Nicola Cuti. BEN HERMAN lives in Queens, NYC, just a hop, skip, and a jump from Peter Parker’s hometown of Forest Hills. He shares a one-bedroom apartment with his girlfriend, two cats, a turtle, and too many comic books. He has also been published in Alter Ego.

by D e w e y

No issue on spies and P.I.s would be complete without Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective. If you attended elementary school in the mid- to late 1960s (or several decades after), you probably remember the ten-yearold who only charged 25 cents to solve a crime. What you may not know is that for almost two years, Encyclopedia also had his own newspaper comic strip. Donald J. Sobol—the J was just an initial—created the character Leroy “Encyclopedia” Brown in 1961 and wrote the first book in just two weeks, but received two dozen rejections before it was published by Bantam Skylark in 1963. That was the beginning of a mystery series about the perpetual fifth grader that lasted 50 years. Each book usually contains ten separate stories and readers are encouraged to try to solve the mysteries. Solutions are provided in the back of the book, a format inspired by a puzzle book Sobol saw at the New York Public Library. In the stories, Encyclopedia helps his father, the police chief in the fictional seaside town of Idaville, solve crimes at the dinner table. He also has his own detective agency, which he runs out of the family garage, to help kids in the neighborhood solve cases for “25 cents per day, plus expenses—no case too small.” Cases range from pranks to not-so-petty theft. He is aided by his close friend and partner, Sally Kimball, who also acts as bodyguard for Encyclopedia when he gets picked on by local bully Bugs Meany

and the Tigers gang. Sobol referred to Encyclopedia as “America’s Sherlock Holmes in sneakers.” The Encyclopedia Brown series of books proved to be very popular, aided by the fact kids could order the books at school through Scholastic catalogs. So, it is not surprising that the idea would be adapted to other formats. Beginning December 3, 1978, Encyclopedia Brown appeared as a newspaper strip, syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate, which also carried Doonesbury, Ziggy, Cathy, and For Better or For Worse. The Encyclopedia Brown strip ran both black-and-white dailies and color Sundays, following a format similar to the books. The daily strip featured ongoing mystery stories that ran for one to three weeks, typically the latter. The Sunday strip was completely separate from the daily storyline, featuring “done-in-one” mysteries with the solution printed upside down in the last panel. Both allowed for new readers to easily pick up on the series. The approach of having separate storylines was not unusual, given that newspapers might carry either the daily strip or the Sunday, but not necessarily both. The Sunday strips followed the traditional formats, appearing in half-, third-, and quarter-page formats as well as the tabloid format, with some panels omitted depending on the format. The comic strip was credited to Sobol and artist Frank Bolle, but it was actually written by Elliot Caplin, younger brother of Al Capp, creator of the long-

Cassell

Eagle-Eyed Kid Boy detective Encyclopedia Brown solves an ecological mystery in a Sunday installment of his short-lived comic strip. Scans illustrating this article are courtesy of Dewey Cassell. Encyclopedia Brown © Penguin Random House.

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Strong female leads: Honey West, Modesty Blaise, April Dancer… they’ve got nothing on Michael Tree. Ms. Tree to her fans. What if... Mike Hammer finally married his secretary, Velda, herself a tough P.I., and on their honeymoon he was murdered!? That’s how Max Allan Collins explains the thoughts behind the creation of Ms. Tree, co-created by artist Terry Beatty. Michael Tree becomes the widowed owner of her husband’s firm, Tree Investigations, Inc. Her staff of Effie, her secretary and business manager, and two operatives, Roger Fremont, a former district attorney, and beginner Dan Green, would assist her to tackle the tough cases. The Muerta Crime Family, responsible for her husband’s death, was top on her list. She also tackled cases that could have been pulled from today’s headlines—that explored themes that Max couldn’t explore in the family-friendly Dick Tracy strip—homicidal lesbians, serial killers, crooked cops, child molesters, pro-life killers, and more. And Ms. Tree pushes on… usually violently… which results in her arrest, a subsequent imprisonment, a stay in a mental hospital, and of being medicated against her will. She deals with an unwanted pregnancy, as well as her late husband’s stepson, who is in love with a Muerta Family girl, which results in the unexpected involvement of the Muerta Family in her and her family’s wellbeing. Max Allan Collins (b. March 3, 1948) is probably best known as a mystery writer. But that just scratches the surface of his impressive catalog of accomplishments. A frequent Mystery Writers of America “Edgar” nominee in both fiction and non-fiction categories, he max allan collins has earned an unprecedented 18 Private Eye Writers of America “Shamus” nominations, winning for his Nathan Heller novels, True Detective (1983) and Stolen Away (1991), receiving the PWA life achievement award, the “Eye,” in 2007. Max has been prolific producing mystery novels, screenplays, movie novelizations, graphic novels, comic books, comic strips, trading cards, short stories, historical fiction, and non-fiction historical compilations, His novels, Road to Perdition, Road to Purgatory, and Road to Paradise were the basis for his trio of graphic novels known together as On the Road to Perdition, which in turn was the basis of the 2002 film Road to Perdition, which starred Tom Hanks, Paul Newman (in his last live-action theatrical film acting role), Jude Law, and Daniel Craig. Max scripted the comic book Batman in 1986–1987 and several maxiseries. He also created a new origin for Jason (Robin) Todd. That same year, Max and Terry created the character Wild Dog for DC and not only was it a miniseries, and a feature in Action Comics Weekly [see BI #98 and 102— ed.], it went on to be a prominent character in the CW TV show Arrow, based on DC’s Green Arrow. Max took over the writing of the Dick Tracy newspaper strip in 1977. Tracy creator Chester Gould had retired that same year and his last strip was printed on December 25, 1977. Max

One Tough Broad Her intentions are quite clear here, don’t you think? Cover detail from Ms. Tree #21 (Sept. 1985) by Terry Beatty. Ms. Tree TM & © Max Allan Collins and Terry Beatty.

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by S

tephan Friedt

would debut the next day. He would continue to write the strip (with art by Gould’s former art assistants) until 1992, when the syndicate reorganized their comic-strip holdings and replaced Max with a staff writer at half the cost. Max was a long-time fan of mystery writer Mickey Spillane. That would develop into a friendship, and the two collaborated on a comic-book series in the 1990s called Mike Danger. When Spillane died in 2006, Max was entrusted to finish several uncompleted works by Spillane including Dead Street, The Goliath Bone, and The Big Bang. With Lee Goldberg, he co-founded the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers, an association developed to assist writers of TV and movie tie-in novelizations and expansion novels. Max has written expansion novels for the TV series Dark Angel, CSI (books and comics), and Bones. As an independent filmmaker in the Midwest, he has written and directed five features and two documentaries, including the Lifetime movie Mommy (1996) and a 1997 sequel, Mommy’s Day; and has written and performed music with his rock band, Crusin’. Terry Beatty (b. January 11, 1958) has worked as a penciler and inker in the comic industry for decades. I first saw his work in The Buyer’s Guide for Comic Fandom in the 1980s, after I was affiliated with that comic fandom staple (1975–1976). He wrote columns,

comic strips, and did dozens of covers in the 1980s. He co-created Ms. Tree in 1981 and has been with that character in all its incarnations. In the late 1980s, Terry worked on a variety of things for DC, including Wild Dog. The 1990s saw Ms. Tree at DC. In the 2000s, Terry started a decade-long run as the primary inker for DC’s animated TV tie-in comic series, including a four-year-straight run inking Batman Strikes. In the early 2000s, Terry spent time as a “Visiting Artist” at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MDAD), participating in public lectures and discussions, and providing additional educational programming for students. From 2012–2017, Terry took over as the artist for the Sunday episodes of the King Features comic strip, The Phantom. In 2013, he added the art chores for the King Features comic strip, Rex Morgan, M.D. And in 2016, Terry was handed the full reins for Rex Morgan, M.D., being responsible for the writing and art duties on the strip seven days a week, where you can still find him to this day. Terry regularly provides cover paintings for Scary Monsters magazine, as well as its spinoff Monster Memories Annual. He is also an accomplished sculptor and does fantastic jobs on plastic and resin model kits. I talked to Max and Terry about the beginnings of their love for comics and those early days of Ms. Tree… – Stephan Friedt

He’s Got Some Spillane-ing to Do (left) Max Allan Collins has kept the spirit of crime novelist—and mentor and friend— Mickey Spillane alive in several novels. (right) Original Terry Beatty art to The Buyer’s Guide for Comic Fandom #402 (July 31, 1981), featuring Doctor Strange. Courtesy of Heritage Comic Auctions (www.ha.com). Dr. Strange TM & © Marvel.

S p i e s a n d P. I . s I s s u e • BAC K I S S U E • 4 1

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1980s MARVEL LIMITED SERIES! CLAREMONT/MILLER’s Wolverine, Black Panther, Falcon, Punisher, Machine Man, Iceman, Magik, Fantastic Four vs. X-Men, Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D., Wolfpack, and more! With BOGDANOVE, COWAN, DeFALCO, DeMATTEIS, GRANT, HAMA, MILGROM, NEARY, SMITH, WINDSORSMITH, and more. Cover by JOE RUBINSTEIN. Edited by MICHAEL EURY.

STARMEN ISSUE, headlined by JAMES ROBINSON and TONY HARRIS’s Jack Knight Starman! Plus: The StarSpangled Kid, Starjammers, the 1980s Starman, and Starstruck! Featuring DAVE COCKRUM, GERRY CONWAY, ROBERT GREENBERGER, ELAINE LEE, TOM LYLE, MICHAEL Wm. KALUTA, ROGER STERN, ROY THOMAS, and more. Jack Knight Starman cover by TONY HARRIS.

BRONZE AGE RARITIES & ODDITIES, spotlighting rare ‘80s European Superman comics! Plus: CURT SWAN’s Batman, JIM APARO’s Superman, DAVID ANTHONY KRAFT’s Marvel custom comics, MICHAEL USLAN’s unseen Earth-Two stories, Leaf’s DC Secret Origins, Marvel’s Evel Knievel, cover variants, and more! With EDUARDO BARRETO, PAUL KUPPERBERG, ALEX SAVIUK, and more. Cover by JOE KUBERT.

SILVER ISSUE, starring the Silver Surfer in the Bronze Age! Plus: JACK KIRBY’s Silver Star, SCOTT HAMPTON’s Silverheels, Silver Sable, Silver Banshee, DC’s Silver Age Classics, and more! Featuring BUSIEK, BUTLER, BYRNE, ENGLEHART, STAN LEE, LIM, MARZ, MOEBIUS, POLLARD, MARSHALL ROGERS, ALEX ROSS, JIM STARLIN, and more. Cover by RON FRENZ and JOE SINNOTT.

BRONZE AGE COMICS STRIPS! SpiderMan, Friday Foster, DC’s World’s Greatest Superheroes starring Superman, Howard the Duck, Richie Rich, Star Hawks, Star Trek, MIKE GRELL’s Tarzan, and more! Plus Charlton’s comic strip tie-ins and the MENOMONEE FALLS GAZETTE. With COLAN, GOODWIN, GIL KANE, KREMER, STAN LEE, ROMITA, THOMAS, TUSKA, and more.

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BACK ISSUE #137

BACK ISSUE #138

BACK ISSUE #139

BACK ISSUE #140

1980s PRE-CRISIS DC MINISERIES! Green Arrow, Secrets of the Legion, Tales of the Green Lantern Corps, Krypton Chronicles, America vs. the Justice Society, Legend of Wonder Woman, Conqueror of the Barren Earth, and more! Featuring MIKE W. BARR, KURT BUSIEK, PAUL KUPPERBERG, RON RANDALL, TRINA ROBBINS, JOE STATON, CURT SWAN, ROY THOMAS, and others. VON EEDEN and GIORDANO cover.

CLASSIC HEROES IN THE BRONZE AGE! The Lone Ranger and Tonto, Flash Gordon, Popeye, Zorro and Lady Rawhide, Son of Tomahawk, Jungle Twins, and more! Featuring the work of DAN JURGENS, JOE R. LANSDALE, DON McGREGOR, FRANK THORNE, TIM TRUMAN, GEORGE WILDMAN, THOMAS YEATES, and other creators. With a classic 1979 fully painted Gold Key cover of Flash Gordon.

NOT-READY-FOR-PRIMETIME MARVEL HEROES! Mighty Marvel’s Bronze Age second bananas: Doc Samson, Jack of Hearts, Thundra, Nighthawk, Starfox, Modred the Mystic, Woodgod, the Shroud, Thunderbird and Warpath, Stingray, Wundaar, and others! Featuring the work of BUSIEK, DAVID, ENGLEHART, GERBER, GIFFEN, GRANT, MANTLO, MICHELINIE, STERN, THOMAS, and other A-list talent!

DINOSAUR COMICS! Interviews with Xenozoic®’s MARK SCHULTZ and dinoartist extraordinaire WILLIAM STOUT! Plus: Godzilla at Dark Horse, Sauron villain history, Dinosaurs Attack!, Dinosaurs for Hire, Dinosaur Rex, Dino Riders, Lord Dinosaur, and Jurassic Park! Featuring ARTHUR ADAMS, BISSETTE, CLAREMONT, COCKRUM, GERANI, STRADLEY, ROY THOMAS, and more. SCHULTZ cover.

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by M a r k

Evanier

Your “takeaway” from this article should be that Mark Evanier (that’s me) had a very wonderful experience working with some fine artists (that’s Will Meugniot, Dan Spiegle, and a few others) on a couple of comic books for a small publisher (that’s Eclipse) between 1983 and 1988. If I had space here, I’d talk more about the “few others” who included Rick Hoberg, Erik Larsen, Chuck Patton, Will Blyberg, Al Gordon, Steve Rude, Mike Sekowsky, Richard Howell, Jerry Ordway, Brent Anderson, Dave Stevens, Mike Royer, Mitch Schauer, and a few other “others.” And it may take the rest of those 2,000 words to adequately tell you about working with Mr. Spiegle on Crossfire, which is what I’ve been asked to write about. I don’t have an absolute favorite of all the comics I’ve worked on, but if you forced me to pick the Top Three, that would certainly be among them. Crossfire was, as you may know, a spinoff from The DNAgents, a comic I co-created with my friend Will Meugniot. Several places on the Internet, I get listed as sole creator, and that’s just plain wrong. The DNAgents comic was created by Evanier and Meugniot. Crossfire was created by Evanier, Meugniot, and Spiegle. If you come across someone saying otherwise, please help me out here and let them (or me) know. At the time Will and I came up with our little team, I was also writing Blackhawk for DC Comics, illustrated by Dan. That book might also make my Top Three, largely because of the joy of seeing what Dan did with my scripts. He had long been one of my favorite comic-book artists, dating back to when I was a reader (only) and I expected to remain one. I certainly hadn’t the slightest inkling I would ever work in the field, let alone collaborate with the guy who drew Maverick and Korak and Space Family Robinson and all those Disney comics and so many others for Western Publishing’s Dell Comics line and (later) Gold Key. Dan and I were first thrown together on Gold Key’s Scooby-Doo comic, and we just clicked—a happy pairing. I would write a story and Dan would do such a fine mark evanier job of illustrating it that I’d think, Photo by Gage Skidmore. “Wow. I’ve got to work harder to make my scripts worthy of this artwork.” We teamed here and there on many projects, including a line of Korak, Son of Tarzan comics published overseas and the Scooby-Doo comic (again) when it was briefly published by Marvel.

Everyone Falls for Crossfire Guest columnist Mark Evanier recalls the fun he had co-producing Eclipse Comics’ Crossfire series in the 1980s. Crossfire #3 (July 1984) cover by Dan Spiegle. Crossfire © Mark Evanier, Will Meugniot, and Dan Spiegle.

S p i e s a n d P. I . s I s s u e • BAC K I S S U E • 5 1

Mark and Dan Go to War (left) Meanwhile, over at DC Comics, Evanier and Spiegle’s superlative work on Blackhawk won a small but loyal audience. Cover to issue #272 (Sept. 1984) by Dan Spiegle. (right) Original art to Spiegle’s cover for Crossfire #24 (Aug. 1987). Courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions. Blackhawk TM & © DC Comics. Crossfire © Mark Evanier, Will Meugniot, and Dan Spiegle.

Alex Toth was unabashedly jealous of Dan’s work. At the time, I had an office at Hanna-Barbera, and now that Bill and Joe are gone, I can admit that, like everyone else in their building, I shamelessly used their Xerox machines for my own needs. When I went to and from H-B, I almost always had Spiegle artwork with me… and when I went to and from H-B, I passed Toth’s house and, at his invite, would often drop in. He’d scold me if I had Spiegle pages in the car and didn’t bring them in. Alex and Dan had both done a lot of work for Western Publishing on their Dell comics, and they had much in common with regard to artistic goals. For years, comic book price guides would identify uncredited Toth art as Spiegle and vice-versa. They’d since diversified… Alex moving in different directions and working mainly with markers, whereas Dan inked with a wide array of technical pens, flexible-nib pens, and brushes. (I should say he drew with them, because he was one of those artists who did very little penciling and then did most of the actual artwork in ink. That was one of the reasons he was so fast.) Alex would let me browse his portfolios while he laid Dan’s pages out on his own drawing board and studied them like a detective searching for fingerprints. Toth was, of course, a fabulous

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artist, but artists who actively look to improve are always very conscious of what others can do that they can’t. Dan looked at Alex’s work much the same way. Toth was amazed at the placement of blacks and the use of bold brush strokes—the latter a tool he had more or less abandoned with his move to markers. And like Kane and Kubert (and others), he admired Dan’s skill at placing his “camera,” and how the people in a story he drew related to each other visually. I think I came to appreciate Dan’s work even more when Toth would call me over, point to a panel, and exclaim, “Look what he did there! That’s perfect! How did he come up with that?” I rarely re-read my old stories because I find myself wanting to rewrite and then rewrite the rewrites. But I often browse through some of the original art Dan gave me, and it always looks better to me than it did back when we were producing the comic. And I thought what he did back then was perfect. If you can’t tell, this was one of the happiest times I ever had in comics. Former Jack Kirby associate and biographer MARK EVANIER is a writer of comic books, television, and television animation. He also helps Groo the Wanderer creator Sergio Aragonés produce each issue, along with other stuff.

by E

Marvel Comics arguably has the best villains in comics, from Galactus to Dr. Octopus. While Dr. Doom is primarily a Fantastic Four foe, he sporadically battles other heroes like the X-Men. The same goes for X-Men adversary Magneto, who has fought the Avengers on occasion. However, there is one villainous organization that has faced off against most of the Marvel Universe at one time or another and continues to terrorize them to this day: Hydra. The name “Hydra” sends a chill down the spines of the heroes of the Marvel Universe, from S.H.I.E.L.D. to Spider-Woman and even to Team America. This mostly faceless criminal operation may

d Lute and Joe Norton

not have many colorful villains who stand out and are recognized without their hooded attire, but that’s part of what makes them so terrifying. You don’t know who the members are underneath their green garb, or just how many people make up their ranks. Anyone could be a member. They could turn up anywhere. And they never quit. They just keep coming and coming and coming. So, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. BACK ISSUE proclaims, “Hail Hydra!” as we review the origins of the organization during the Silver Age before moving onto an examination of some of the most important terrorist acts that they committed all over the Marvel Universe during the Bronze Age.

The Hordes of Hydra It’s raining men—or is it hailing Hydra agents? Detail from page 15 of the Steranko classic, Captain America #113 (May 1969). TM & © Marvel.

S p i e s a n d P. I . s I s s u e • BAC K I S S U E • 5 5

BRITMANIA

by MARK VOGER

Remember when long-haired British rock ’n’ rollers made teenage girls swoon — and their parents go crazy? BRITMANIA plunges into the period when suddenly, America went wild for All Things British. This profusely illustrated full-color hardback, subtitled “The British Invasion of the Sixties in Pop Culture,” explores the movies (A HARD DAY’S NIGHT, HAVING A WILD WEEKEND), TV (THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW, MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR), collectibles (TOYS, GAMES, TRADING CARDS, LUNCH BOXES), comics (real-life Brits in the DC and MARVEL UNIVERSES) and, of course, the music! Written and designed by MARK VOGER (MONSTER MASH, GROOVY, HOLLY JOLLY), BRITMANIA features interviews with members of THE BEATLES, THE ROLLING STONES, THE WHO, THE KINKS, HERMAN’S HERMITS, THE YARDBIRDS, THE ANIMALS, THE HOLLIES & more. It’s a gas, gas, gas! (192-page COLOR HARDCOVER) $43.95 • (Digital Edition) $15.99 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-115-8 • NOW SHIPPING!

GROOVY also by MARK VOGER

From Woodstock, “The Banana Splits,” and “Sgt. Pepper” to “H.R. Pufnstuf,” Altamont, and “The Partridge Family,” GROOVY is a far-out trip to the era of lava lamps and love beads. This profusely illustrated hardcover book, in psychedelic color, features interviews with icons of grooviness such as PETER MAX, BRIAN WILSON, PETER FONDA, MELANIE, DAVID CASSIDY, members of the JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, CREAM, THE DOORS, THE COWSILLS and VANILLA FUDGE; and cast members of groovy TV shows like “The Monkees,” “Laugh-In” and “The Brady Bunch.” Revisit the era’s rock festivals, movies, art, comics and cartoons in this color-saturated pop-culture history! (192-page COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 • (Digital Edition) $13.99 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-080-9

CHARLTON COMPANION

TEAM-UP COMPANION OUR ARTISTS AT WAR AMERICAN TV COMICS (1940s-1980s)

THE LIFE & ART OF

DAVE COCKRUM

JON B. COOKE’s all-new history of the notorious all-in-one comics company, from the 1940s to the ’70s, with GIORDANO, DITKO, STATON, BYRNE and more!

MICHAEL EURY examines team-up comic books of the Silver and Bronze Ages of Comics in a lushly illustrated selection of informative essays, special features, and trivia-loaded issue-by-issue indexes!

Examines US War comics from EC, DC COMICS, WARREN PUBLISHING, CHARLTON, and more! Featuring KURTZMAN, SEVERIN, DAVIS, WOOD, KUBERT, GLANZMAN, KIRBY, and others!

History of over 300 TV shows and 2000+ comic book adaptations, from well-known series (STAR TREK, PARTRIDGE FAMILY, THE MUNSTERS) to lesser-known shows.

GLEN CADIGAN’s bio of the artist who redesigned the Legion of Super-Heroes and introduced X-Men characters Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, and Logan!

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REED CRANDALL

Illustrator of the Comics

MIKE GRELL

LIFE IS DRAWING WITHOUT AN ERASER

JOHN SEVERIN

HERO-A-GO-GO!

Documents the life and career of the master Golden Age artist of Captain Marvel Jr. and other classic characters! (160-page COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 (Digital Edition) $14.99 ISBN: 978-1-60549-090-8

History of Crandall’s life and career, from Golden Age Quality Comics, to Warren war and horror, Flash Gordon, and beyond!

Career-spanning tribute to the Legion of Super-Heroes & Warlord comics art legend!

Biography of the EC, MARVEL and MAD mainstay, co-creator of American Eagle, and 40+ year CRACKED magazine contributor.

Looks at comics' 1960s CAMP AGE, when spies liked their wars cold and their women warm, and TV's Batman shook a mean cape!

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(160-page COLOR SOFTCOVER) $27.95 (Digital Edition) $12.99 ISBN: 978-1-60549-088-5

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AMERICAN COMIC BOOK CHRONICLES

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by E d

Catto

Right away, I knew this comic was special. That tiny font of indicia, at the bottom of the inside front cover, normally commonplace and usually boring boilerplate, used wording that had never appeared before and probably will never appear again. It read: “JOHN LAW, DETECTIVE, Vol. 1 No. 1, April 1983. Published after 34 years in hibernation...” Hibernation? 34 years? How could this be? In the early ’80s, Eclipse Comics was publishing myriad fascinating and groundbreaking comics. Kitchen Sink was also publishing great comics, many with a focus on classic creators like Milton Caniff (Steve Canyon) and Will Eisner (The Spirit). So, it was a little surprising that Eclipse would publish a lost classic of Will Eisner’s featuring police detective John Law. This 1983 comic, Will Eisner’s John Law, Detective #1, started off with a bang. The cover had Will Eisner’s inks over an unfinished penciled cover from decades before. The moody waterfront scene showed the hero interrupting a trio of seedy thugs, while a leggy femme fatale is about to surprise him—with a .45! With its gaudy colors by Klaus Janson, this comic certainly stood out on retailer shelves. will eisner The text piece within the comic pulled back the curtain on the proceedings. Editor catherine Patty Mooney / Wikimedia Commons. yronwode explained that while researching Will Eisner’s files, she came across the stat pages for a comic called John Law, Detective. When she questioned Eisner about it, she explained in the text piece, he first replied, “Never heard of it.” But slowly he remembered the entrepreneurial efforts behind the creation of it. Then yronwode continued relating her conversation with Eisner. Finally, he had an epiphany and recalled, “Oh, now I know! It was supposed to be the third of my self-published ventures, right after Baseball Comics and Kewpies. But they were a bomb, so I just put it away for a while.”

CROWDED PUBLISHING ENVIRONMENT

But these titles were not bombs, as Eisner put it, due to “poor quality.” Denis Kitchen is a cartoonist, publisher, entrepreneur, and an agent for the Eisner estate, and he explains to BACK ISSUE how, back in the late ’40s, “newsstands were clogged with comics from other publishers. Even if Lev Gleason’s Crime Does Not Pay did not really publish at the levels they said, there were still a lot of comics out there. 1949 was cluttered: Crime Does Not Pay, Superman, Captain Marvel [Adventures]—too many titles. “Will couldn’t have picked a worse time to launch a new comic series.” In retrospect, Denis makes an interesting point. He wonders if it was a misstep (on Will Eisner’s part) to lead the 1949 effort with Kewpies and Baseball Comics and not John Law, Detective and the fourth title that Eisner had planned, Pirates. “He went for the young market (instead of crime and pirate comics), and that may have been a mistake. I’m not sure why he rolled the dice with those two,” ponders Kitchen.

CLASSIC NOIR

The cover of Will Eisner’s John Law, Detective #1 shows criminals pawing through an overstuffed treasure chest. This might have been a metaphor for the actual comic. In addition to yronwode’s text piece, this comic presents three short stories. One of which, many would claim, is one of the greatest Spirit stories from one of the greatest comic creators. S p i e s a n d P. I . s I s s u e • BAC K I S S U E • 6 7

Not content with exposing the secret British missions of S.H.I.E.L.D. in this issue, the shadowy figure that is Ian Millsted investigates the agency known as Checkmate. It’s all very hush-hush, give or take the odd explosion. The series, Checkmate!, (the exclamation mark was part of the name of the comic series but I’ll dispense with it when talking about the agency) had its roots in two other titles released shortly before Checkmate! #1 (Apr. 1988) hit the stores. Firstly, several of the characters had been supporting cast members in the series Vigilante, which ended with its 50th issue (Feb. 1988), as well as the structure of a government agency using those with “special skills” to take direct action against terrorist, and similar threats. The main character in Vigilante was Adrian Chase, who had first appeared in The New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez. The 50 issues of the series were full of tough action and themes, acquiring a “mature readers” label during its run [see BI #102—ed.]. Chase sometimes worked for Harry Stein, a government agency chief, and his deputy, former Gotham City detective, Harvey Bullock. The former Charlton Comics character the Peacemaker (now familiar to modern film audiences of The Suicide Squad and subsequent Peacemaker television series on HBO Max) also worked for Stein. Chase’s story ended in tragedy and controversy, but the background world in which the stories had been played out would continue in Checkmate! However, not before an appearance in Action Comics. At this time Action Comics had become a Superman team-up title and #598 (Mar. 1988) featured the first named appearance of Checkmate. Paul Kupperberg and John Byrne co-plotted, with Kupperberg scripting and Byrne drawing, alongside Superman fighting against villainous terrorists, the Jackal and the Angels of Allah. As well as Stein and Bullock we have our first sighting of the uniformed Checkmate agents, in this case Knight Two. As the name suggests, the agents are based on chess pieces, and also fully masked with their real identities only shown as and when it suits the needs of the story. The first issue of the regular series followed a month later. Checkmate! #1 opens like a big-budget action movie of the era (think Die Hard or similar). The first three pages, depicting a real-world Chicago downtown, are finely detailed and show three separate acts of bravery and a big explosion—the first of many. The scene shifts to New York, where Harvey Bullock and two unnamed agents capture former Vigilante ally Black Thorn. Next it’s off to Virginia, where Amanda Waller (from Suicide Squad) is in talks with Harry Stein. This scene serves as dramatic exposition to explain some of the structure of the Checkmate organization. Harry Stein is the King, running Checkmate, while Waller is Queen, operating above Stein as governance, but not involved, at this stage, in the day-to-day operations.

Hop on Here! Kerry Gammill and Karl Kesel’s highoctane cover to DC Comics’ super-spy series, Checkmate! #1 (Apr. 1988), featuring Knight Gary Washington. TM & © DC Comics.

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by I a n

Millsted

THE FIRST ‘CHECKMATE’ COMIC BOOK Here’s some BACK ISSUE trivia you didn’t know you need to know! Western Publishing, under its Gold Key Comics imprint, published two issues of Checkmate in 1962. The comic was an adaptation of a stylish television drama about a San Francisco– based private-investigation agency named Checkmate, Inc. Anthony George, Doug McClure, and Sebastian Cabot starred. Checkmate ran on CBS for two seasons © Jamco Productions. (1960–1962). Both issues of Gold Key’s Checkmate featured photo covers and interior artwork by Jack Sparling. – Michael Eury

An Explosive Premiere (top) Checkmate’s logo lacked its exclamation point on this John Byrne cover to the group’s series-launching team-up with Superman in Action Comics #598 (Mar. 1988). (This issue is also known for its cover’s unfortunate typo of “Metropolis.”) (bottom) Checkmate! house ad, with a subscription form. TM & © DC Comics.

Bishops, including Harvey Bullock, are the chiefs, operating under the King. Knights are field agents. Rooks are field directors. Pawns are support personnel. Finally, we see an extended, and well executed, action sequence in which a Knight rescues a hostage from the white supremacist group responsible for the explosion on page three. Two other events of interest are another explosion, bookending the issue, and the reveal of the skin color of the Knight tackling the white supremacists. Paul Kupperberg, John Byrne, and Steve Erwin are given a collective creator credit. Along with Kupperberg (writer) and Erwin (pencils), Al Vey does fine work on the interior inks, and the cover is by the team of Kerry Gammill and Karl Kesel. Also worth noting is that, while the title does not carry a “mature readers” tag as Vigilante had done, it does not have the Comics Code seal and therefore operates, as several DC titles did at the time, in the gray area between. Artist Steve Erwin shares with BACK ISSUE how his involvement in the series came about. “That’s a chain of events. It started with my being hired by DC [group] editor Mike Gold to steve erwin be the new pencil artist on Vigilante, one of his stable of titles. I was not aware at the time that Facebook. I would be drawing the final three issues of that title, as it was slated for cancellation. Mike and Paul (who was writing Vigilante) met me at Chicago Comic-Con, and we had a (I swear this is true) clandestine meeting where I was sworn to secrecy. We discussed a) Vigilante’s cancellation, b) Adrian Chase’s demise in the final issue, and c) Checkmate! being the replacement title on the publishing schedule. I couldn’t tell anybody about how Vigilante was going to end—it was the ultimate secret at the time. I was asked to not even divulge anything about it to my wife. (It was okay to mention Vig was being cancelled and that I would be drawing the replacement title, but beyond that… nope.) “Paul had done all the heavy lifting on Checkmate! by this point: the general concept, the main cast members, that sort of thing. My job was to bring the book to visual life, so I got S p i e s a n d P. I . s I s s u e • BAC K I S S U E • 7 1