Issuu

The Best of

Editor

The Best Of

P.C. Hamerlinck

Consulting Editor John Morrow

Design and Layout Christopher Day Walter J. Grogan P.C. Hamerlinck

Front Cover Art Jerry Ordway

Cover Concept/FCA Logo P.C. Hamerlinck

Back Cover Art C.C. Beck P.C. Hamerlinck Alex Ross Marc Swayze

Copyright Acknowledgements Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr., Mary Marvel, Bulletman, Bulletgirl, Spy Smasher, Ibis the Invincible, Taia, Minute-Man, Mr. Scarlet, Pinky, Billy Batson, Superman, Batman, Golden Arrow, Lance O’Casey, Mr. Tawny, Mr. Mind, Dr. Sivana, Ibac, Captain Nazi, Mr. Atom. Oggar, Phantom Eagle, Commando Yank, Radar, Hoppy The Marvel Bunny, Dr. Voodoo, Mr. Macabre, Steamboat, Mary Broomfield, Beautia, Shazam ©2001 DC Comics. Cisco Kid ©2001 King Features. Captain Midnight ©2001 Ovaltine. Fatman ©2001 Milson. Nyoka The Jungle Girl ©2001 AC Comics. Flyin’ Jenny ©2001 Bell Syndicate. Little Ug-Li ©2001 Marc Swayze. The Spirit ©2001 Will Eisner. Captain Tootsie ©2001 Tootsie Rolls. Our Space Age ©2001 Bell-McClure. Willie the Worm ©2001 Chad Grothkopf. Isis ©2001 Hallmark. Kitz ’N’ Katz ©2001 Bob Laughlin. Tom Mix ©2001 Ralston. Torchy, Gabby Hayes, Ozzie & Babs, Don Winslow, Hopalong Cassidy, Captain Video, Vic Torry, Monte Hale, Mike Hammer ©their respective companies / copyright holders. FCA logo ©2001 P.C. Hamerlinck.

Published by TwoMorrows Publishing 1812 Park Drive Raleigh, North Carolina 27605

Contents (including original publication dates) Foreword By Marcus D. Swayze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Introduction By P.C. Hamerlinck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Captain Billy’s Whiz Bang (1996). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 “The Fawcetts Could Do It As Well, Or Better, Than Anybody” (1997) . . . .10 The World’s Mightiest Waste of Time and Money (1981) . . . . . . . . . .14 Comics Is A Funny Business (1946) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 “What’s Behind That Comic Cover?” (1940s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 How The Comics Are Made (1942) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Fawcett Writing Rules (1942) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 The Human Quality Of The Captain Marvel Characters (1983) . . . . . .28 Mary Marvel (1983) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Those Darned Armbands and Cape Loops (1983) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 “One of the Most Real Characters Ever To Appear” (1998) . . . . . . . . .31 Master Man (1978) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 My Favorite Little Monster (1981) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Captain Marvel & The Atomic War (1996) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 The Marvel Family Feud (1980) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Captain Marvel’s Well Known Comics (1975) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Captain Marvel Thrill Book (1977) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Fawcett’s Dime Action Books (1976) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 The Captain Marvel Daily Newspaper Strip (1980) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 The Smithsonian Book Of Comic-Book Comics (1982) . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Fawcett Comics’ Greatest Hits (1982) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Rod Reed—“I Was Proud” (1974) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 “I Chose To Be A Genius” (1980) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Otto Binder—“We Were More Or Less Inspired” (1974) . . . . . . . . . . .59 Virginia A. (“Ginny”) Provisiero—Fond Memories (1998) . . . . . . . . . . .65 Kurt Schaffenberger—“I Admire Craftsmanship” (1980) . . . . . . . . . . .68 Marcus D. Swayze—Southern Gentleman (1978) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 He’s My Man By Mrs. Marc Swayze (1997) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 “I Survived”—Fawcett Artist Ed Robbins (1977) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 “A Lushness of Line”—Bob Powell And Fawcett (1991) . . . . . . . . . . . .79 FAWCETT COMPANION

King of the Roost—Fawcett writer Joe Millard (1975) . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 Remembering Fawcett by George Evans (1996) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Easy Money—Fawcett Writer Manly Wade Wellman (1976) . . . . . . . .85 Captain Lieberson (1952) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 “Visual Expression”—Will Lieberson (1975) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Legends Meet—C.C. Beck chats with Will Eisner (1983) . . . . . . . . . . .98 Al Allard—‘The Business Has Changed’ (1982) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 “I Never Read Them”—Fawcett Artist Pete Costanza (1980) . . . . . . .101 C.C. Beck Interviews Pete Costanza (1982) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 “I Wanted To Draw Comics”—Fawcett Artist Robert Laughlin (1984) . . .104 Ralph Daigh—“Comics Opened The Doors” (1981) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 The “Ashcan” Whiz (1981) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 Carl Pfeufer—An Original (1987) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 The Legacy of Mac Raboy (1981) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 Chad Grothkopf—“I Believed In What I Did” (1991) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112 Bill Parker (1980) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115 John Jordan (1980) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115 Dave Berg (1980) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116 John Putnam (1980) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116 “It Helped Pay The Mortgage”—Artist Edd Ashe (1986) . . . . . . . . . .117 Wendell Crowley (1980) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118 Chic Stone (1997) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118 Bill Ward (1996) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119 Jack Binder (1986) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120 Eric Jon Messmann (1986) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 “I Felt I Would Be Impinging”—Shazam! Artist Bob Oksner (1996) . . .122 They Still Call Him Junior—Frank Coghlan, Jr. (1996) . . . . . . . . . . . .123 Captain Marvel’s Leading Lady—Louise Currie (1996) . . . . . . . . . . .125 “A Hero To Look Up To”—Actor Jackson Bostwick (1996) . . . . . . . . .127 C.C. Meets The Captain (1980) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129 “My Dad’s The New Captain Marvel”—John Davey (1998) . . . . . . . .130 Elders Fleet, Strong And Wise—Michael Gray (1996) . . . . . . . . . . . .133 C.C. Beck 1910-89 (1989) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135 The World’s Mightiest Opinions (1996) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136 I’ll Never Forget C.C. Beck (1979) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137 We Just Called Him “Beck” (1990) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141 Ask C.C. (1986) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143 Comic Books Are For Kids (1974) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146 “We Were Considered A Bunch Of Idiots” (1974) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147 Were Fawcett Comics Art? (1981) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147 What Really Killed The Golden Age (1983) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148 FCA Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149 Fawcett Comics Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157 CONTENTS

This book is dedicated to Jenny, my loving, supportive wife and best friend. I love you. I would like to thank and acknowledge, in no particular order, all of those who were a part of FCA's history—and those who continue to be a part of it—and who, without them, would have made this book impossible: Bernie McCarty, C.C. Beck, Bill and Teresa Harper, Marc Swayze, June Swayze, John G. Pierce, Jerry Ordway, Jackson Bostwick, Ken Haag, Glenn Musial, Dean S. Potter, Roscoe K. Fawcett, Eileen Fawcett, Dave Manak, Roy Thomas, Bill Black and AC Comics, Dan Fabrizio, Jay Disbrow, Eric NolenWeathington, Rod Reed, Klaus D. Haisch, Matt Lage, Otto Binder, Jack Binder, Pete Costanza, Bill Ward, Ginny Provisiero, Eric Jon Messmann, Bob Oksner, Frank Coghlan Jr., Louise Currie, John Davey, Michael Gray, Joanna Cameron, Will Lieberson, Kurt and Dorothy Schaffenberger, Ed Robbins, Dave Hunt, Bob Powell, Ed Lane, Joe Millard, George Evans, G.B. Love, Bob Rogers, Richard D. Taylor, Bill Woolfolk, Mike Mikulovsky, Manly Wade Wellman, Will Eisner, Al Allard, Bob Laughlin, Ralph Daigh, Henry Yeo, Carl Pfeufer, Helen Pfeufer Sheehan, Chris Day, Don Newton, Jerry Bails, Hames Ware, Mac Raboy, Chad Grothkopf, Bill Parker, John Jordan, Dave Berg, John Putnam, Jim Scancarelli, Nat Champlin, Edd Ashe, Ralph Muccie, Wendell Crowley, Jerry DeFuccio, Chic Stone, Carl Hopkins, A.J. Hanley, Ken Bald, Harry Fiske, Sam George, Alex Toth, Trina Robbins, Tony Santangelo, Peter Krause, Alex Ross, Walter J. Grogan, Shelly Moldoff, Mike Manley, Nostalgia Zone, Steve Rude, John and Pam Morrow, Willis and Ruth Beck, Ian, Trinity Chapel, Jesus Christ.

“The Fawcetts Could Do It As Well, Or Better, Than Anybody” The Roscoe K. Fawcett Interview By P.C. Hamerlinck Captain Wilford (“Billy”) H. Fawcett had a love for off-color jokes and stories. He collected many of them while in the military during World War I. When he returned from overseas, he worked the night shift as a reporter for the Minneapolis Tribune. In the Fall of 1919, he self-produced a mimeographed collection of his favorite jokes and stories known as the fabled Captain Billy’s Whiz Bang. It was the beginning of the Fawcett publishing empire. Whiz Bang was a big hit. Captain Billy’s youngest of four sons, Roscoe K. Fawcett (born 1913), along with his brothers, would deliver copies of Whiz Bang to newsstands and cigar stores throughout Minneapolis in his red wagon. By the mid-’20s, Whiz Bang’s circulation was around 500,000. The first Fawcett offices were started in Robbinsdale, Minnesota (where a “Whiz Bang Days” festival is still held every summer) and later in downtown Minneapolis. Captain Billy built Breezy The Fawcett Brothers. From L-to-R: Roger, Buzz, Gordon, and Roscoe. Point Resort in northern Minnesota’s Brainerd 500,000 per issue its first year; by 1945 the figure had Lakes area where he enterrisen to 775,000 and raking in over $500,000 a year. tained many of Only one other Fawcett comic book title sold better: Hollywood’s top movie Captain Marvel Adventures, by the mid-’40s, was stars. A string of successful selling over 1,300,000 per issue, the largest circulation magazines followed for of any comic magazine, and was published every two Fawcett: Screen Play, weeks. Roscoe Fawcett is still very proud of those Motion Picture, Mechanix figures to this day, as I learned during a rare interview Illustrated, Real Life Story, with him in early October 1997. Roscoe was responTrue Confessions and many sible for Fawcett’s entry into the comic book field. others. The company moved According to Roscoe, he was one of the individuals, east in 1935 to Greenwich, along with art director Al Allard and editorial Connecticut and to New director Ralph Daigh, who helped plant the seed for York City in Manhattan’s Captain Marvel/Thunder along with the general Paramount Building. concept of having a young boy gain the ability to turn into a larger-than-life hero, before being placed Roscoe Fawcett became in the able hands of the creative team of writer Bill the circulation manager of Parker and artist C.C. Beck. Fawcett Publications, Inc. In late 1939, Roscoe sent out a “Captain Billy” Fawcett, died on Roscoe’s promotional flyer to magazine birthday, February 7, 1940. He lived long enough to distributors across the United see the first issue of Whiz Comics hit the States announcing the soon-tonewsstands, but not long enough to see Captain be released Whiz Comics Marvel’s phenomenal success. Roscoe and his three featuring Captain Marvel, brothers ran Fawcett Publications until it was sold “another character sensation in to CBS in the Seventies. the comic field!” Roscoe was right: Whiz Comics sold Comics] [©2001 DC

ROSCOE K. FAWCETT INTERVIEW (1997)

RKF: That just proves again that Al Allard was the greatest person in the world to have working for you. I’d say, “Al, can you do this?”... and he’d follow through. FCA: What are your memories of the magazine that launched the start of Fawcett Publications, Captain Billy’s Whiz Bang? Was the use of risqué and off-color humor a source of any problems for the company? RKF: In 1937 a magazine dealer was arrested in Augusta, Maine for selling Whiz Bang, Smokehouse Monthly and other magazines that we published. I went up there (I was living in Greenwich, Connecticut at the time) and the policeman who made the arrest had to get up in front of the judge and read the passages and jokes from Whiz Bang that he based the arrest on. My father made a fortune on Whiz Bang. It cost only 4 cents each to produce... the cover price was 25 cents. The circulation was around 500,000. 20 years or so later I figured there were plenty of people alive who remembered Captain Billy’s Whiz Bang so I thought it would be profitable to release a compilation book, The Best of Captain Billy’s Whiz Bang. We put it out and it flopped terribly! I had told them to remove most of the risqué jokes. The final product was far too tame and the public ignored it. FCA: You mentioned another early Fawcett humor magazine, Smokehouse Monthly... RKF: It was a spin-off of Whiz Bang. Fawcett was always going into competition Roscoe’s 1943 estimated circulation report. with ourselves. We FCA: What can you tell me about Fawcett’s decision to begin had, at one time, publishing comic books and the creation of Captain Marvel? eight different movie magazines RKF: I was responsible, I feel, for Captain Marvel. I got us into on the market; we the comic book business. The surveys showed the greatest became the leaders comic book readership was among 10 to 12 year old boys. I in that field. said, “Give me a Superman, only have his other identity be a Actually, Fawcett 10- to 12-year-old boy rather than a grown man.” I put our art published the very director Al Allard in charge of coordinating the project with first movie some assistance from editorial director Ralph Daigh. Allard magazine in 1911. had been with us since we opened up our very first office in We also made a lot Robbinsdale, Minnesota. He had long hair and he looked the of money off a onepart of an artist, but he wasn’t that way. He was very downshot Al Capone to-earth; a great guy and a great asset to our company. My magazine in 1931. father, Wilford “Captain Billy” Fawcett, might had been We became the surprised by Captain Marvel’s success... he lived long enough leading sellers in the to only see the first issue of Whiz Comics. I don’t think it romance field, meant much to him. As a matter of fact, he wasn’t too thrilled especially with True about us going into the comic book market... but he wasn’t Confessions opposed either. I know it has been said that Captain Marvel magazine and I was was modeled after actor Fred MacMurray. I had lunch one very proud of the fact time with Cary Grant. I was talking to him about featuring that it was the top him in one of our magazines. He said, “Roscoe, you’re selling romance ©2001 DC Comics, Inc. already doing that! People have told me I look like Captain magazine year after Marvel!” When you think about it, he did look a little like year. My father was him. uncertain at the time when it came out if it should be a detective magazine or love stories... so it was a little bit of both in issue #1. While FCA: What was your primary responsibility at Fawcett Publications? very popular, our sales fell short in the mechanical and detective fields. RKF: I was in charge of the publishing and circulation of the comics and FCA: Fawcett published True magazine, featuring the classic pin-up paperback books. artwork of George Petty. What can you tell me about him? FCA: Fawcett comics seemed to be the great innovator in comic book RKF: Playboy had Varga, we had Petty. Actually, Petty was with packaging; unique cover effects and experimenting with different formats Esquire before us... but he had a big argument with them so he came to and sizes.

“THE FAWCETTS COULD DO IT AS WELL, OR BETTER, THAN ANYBODY”

Comics Is A Funny Business By Fawcett Comics Executive Editor Will Lieberson (Originally from Writer’s Digest, Vol. XXVI, #2, 1946)

FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND dollars. Doesn’t sound bad, huh? Well, that’s my estimate of what the comic magazine market will shell out to its script writers in the coming year and there’s no reason why part of it couldn’t be yours. But before we give you the moneymaking lowdown, let’s come up-to-date on the nature and history of the field itself. The name “comics”, of course, you know, is a misnomer. It is really a popular term used to describe the technique of telling stories in picture form rather than a description of the type of material found in the magazines. Comics include every type of story, ranging from straight adventure to human interest, right through slapstick, treated in both realistic and fantastic styles. The comic technique is also used politically. During the last New York mayoralty campaign, two of the candidates, William O’Dwyer and Jonah Goldstein, had biographical sketches drawn up as comics which they distributed to the voters. The medium, though, is still comparatively young and its possibilities will enlarge. The first comic magazine, in its present form, to appear on the newsstand was Famous Funnies, in 1933. Its contents were reprints of the Sunday newspaper supplements. Not until 1935 did comic magazines containing original story and art work make an appearance. Fun was the first one of these published. Use of original material nevertheless did not catch on strongly until the advent, shortly before the war, of the costumed alter-ego character such as Captain Marvel, Bulletman, Doc Savage, Superman, Batman, and a host of others. These captured the fancy of an unbelievably large audience, and the field skyrocketed into a bonanza which was curtailed only by the paper shortage. Comics grew up during the war. Their stories were transformed from the old thrill-a-minute, sock, slam-bang, action for action sake type with horrible villains and gory monsters into better-plotted, solidly characterized yarns dealing with heroes that had evolved into definite personalities who lived and breathed convincingly for their readers. Now that the restrictions on paper are at the end, comics are entering into a period of expansion and development. There are a great many writers in the field now, but you can count the good ones on your typewriter fingers. (We are referring to the touch system, not the hunt and peck.) Considering that there are over 150 magazines appearing on the stands every month now, and that there will soon be more, you can easily see that there is plenty of room for new talent to handle the tremendous volume of work. This is where you can come in for a slice of that $500,000.00. There is one thought you must get into your head: You cannot write “down.” We doubt if there is a more alert or discriminating audience in America today than the readers of comics. The slightest author or artist error is sure to bring an avalanche of letters from discerning readers.

C Comic

Recently, in a Captain Marvel story, a technical error in labeling isotopes brought an immediate correction from a college chemistry society in the Midwest. The winner in a Captain Marvel contest was 32 years old, and his runner-up was 70. The wide appeal was early recognized by the Writer’s War Board, which helped create one of the leading characters in Master Comics, Radar, the International Policeman. In addition to its primary function of being entertaining, this strip tries to show the importance of the eradication of fascism and the need to promote an organization for maintaining the peace. The Writer’s War Board considers the comics medium so important that they had Clifton Fadiman, Rex Stout, and Paul Gallico personally go over every Radar script before it was printed. The contents of the comics are also closely watched by leading educators, sociologists and psychologists. Sidonie Gruenberg, Director of The Child Study Association of America, Inc. says, “The comics have taken their place alongside newspapers, motion pictures,

COMICS IS A FUNNY BUSINESS (1946)

and the radio. And, like these others, have become an integral part of the progressive democratization of our culture. Consequently, a tremendous responsibility rests with the publishers of these magazines.” This responsibility actually has to be shouldered by the writer because it is his product that finally makes up the magazine. The writer, therefore, who recognizes comics for what they are and strives to understand them and their audience, will achieve success in the field. Up to now, the editors have rarely accepted an unsolicited comic script. The methods of submitting and buying manuscripts familiar to the pulps and slicks are nonexistent in the comics. There is a good reason for this. To begin with, comics is a volume of business. Production is what counts. For example, Captain Marvel Adventures, the largest selling comic book of them all, appears on the newsstand every other Friday. To write, draw, engrave, and print a 64-page issue of this comic every other week is a tremendous job. Dealing only with writers through the mail would be an impossible task because of the time lapse caused by delivery.

Therefore, most work is done with authors who come to the editorial office and talk their stories over with the editor before writing them. Usually a writer brings in a short outline with him, which is the first step to writing a comic book script. This outline, or synopsis, is usually no longer than two or three paragraphs. In it the writer briefly details his plot, how the hero becomes involved in it, what his actions are, and how he ultimately defeats his opposition. If the idea is good and has not been used before, the editor orders it to a certain page length and the writer goes off to finish the script. (In the comic field, writers are paid by the page, rather than by the word. The prices range from $3 to $10, with the average writer getting about $5 per page. The usual length of a story is about ten pages, which means about $50 a story for competent writers.) Once the author has mastered the technique of comic writing, this outline system will save him both time and money, inasmuch as an okayed synopsis is a pretty good assurance that his story will ultimately be bought. Rejections after an outline has been approved are very few and far between. The percentage of sales of completed stories is far greater in comics than in any other field of writing. The script itself is written to describe each page of art work. The best way to explain this is to show you a concrete example. Reproduced herein is the first page of a Captain Marvel script and alongside of it is a reproduction of the finished art work. You will see from this that the writer, while working on a script, must keep the artist’s limitations in mind. Notice how the “Title Splash” advertises the story itself, piquing the reader’s imagination so that he will go on with the story. Captions are used to introduce the story, change the scene or time and occasionally to heighten a special action sequence or help create a specific effect. The descriptive directions to the artist should be as brief and concise as possible, telling only what characters are in the panel and what props they might have or need later. When a new character is introduced, his general appearance should be suggested briefly and throughout. Changes in expression should be noted for the artist. The dialogue should be simple, direct and carry the story forward. It is preferable not to have more than two people speak in any one panel. The stories themselves vary as vastly as do the characters in the field. Such fantasy characters as Captain Marvel thrive on whimsical humor and provocative “ideal” stories that set his readers’ imaginations spinning. Adventure stories fit in with such characters as Nyoka The Jungle Girl and Congo Bill. Batman and his type call for straight crime conceived by colorful villains with novel motivations. Actually these stories do not differ from straight fiction except that the writer has to learn the trick of telling his story in a picture sequence. It is much the same as movies. The writer must have a mind for pictures. And by pictures we mean colorful and imaginative scenes that an artist can draw effectively in his limited area. No matter how exciting a story may sound on paper, if it won’t make good pictures, it is no good for comics. The best advice that can be given to a prospective new writer is that he make his own personal survey of the comics. Go to your newsstand and buy as many as you can get hold of. (This is a good way to build up circulation anyway.) Read them, study them, and see which ones you like best. Then slant your story outlines to that market.

COMICS IS A FUNNY BUSINESS

Fawcett Writing Rules The Actual 1942 Writing Guidelines For Various Fawcett Comic Characters (From The Files of Fawcett Comics Executive Editor Will Lieberson) CAPTAIN MARVEL

means we can put a lot of stories into CMA that couldn’t stand alone in Whiz. A Whiz story needs all the elements: Idea, character, comedy, action... each time. It should carry the explanation of SHAZAM, and be complete enough so that a brand new reader will understand everything. But in CMA we can run a weird or supernatural story, a detective story, also a harmless little whimsical story where we poke a little fun at ourselves, and one straight adventure story all in one issue. Wherever possible, you will be informed how the story you are writing is going to be used so that it can be aimed accordingly.

BILLY BATSON is now about 14 years old. He was 12 when the strip started. Don’t ever state his real age—that would spoil a reader’s conception of Billy as being his own age, or younger, or older, as he may prefer to believe. However, for our benefit, Billy has the reactions and characteristics of a boy of 14. BEAUTIA is really Sivana’s daughter. This was explained in Whiz Comics #15, but need not be explained in each issue. Just let it color your treatment of her and of Sivana so that he doesn’t treat her too mean, being his daughter. At the same time, she knows all about Sivana and can’t be too easily taken in by his evil tricks. Sometimes she helps him, sometimes she doesn’t. SIVANA is a real scientist... and a mad scientist. As explained in Whiz Comics #15, his mind is warped against the world, not Captain Marvel particularly against any individual. He’s really [©2001 DC Comics] pretty human and makes plenty of mistakes. He smokes a pipe at times, wears goofy disguises, and usually ends up in the soup, but always with something to show that he’ll be back again next time.

A total of six frames (panels) per page is now not obligatory. Whenever a scene warrants, it can be enlarged to cover half or even two-thirds of the page. Most desirable of course is a good smashing action shot of MARVEL which can be spread over the page. Next in order would be large objects such as battleships, buildings, etc. Third and last are scenics or other shots which add to the appearance of the artwork but don’t really put over what we’re selling: CAPTAIN MARVEL.

STERLING MORRIS has been with Billy since the first issue of Whiz Comics and must at least suspect by this time who Captain Marvel really is. In spite of his position as President of Amalgamated Broadcasting (station WHIZ), he’s not terribly bright, so he either never puts two and two together, or if he does he doesn’t say anything about it, or talks himself out of believing Billy is Captain Marvel. This also goes for other characters who have actually seen Billy’s transformation, such as WHITEY, STEAMBOAT, and others, as they work through a strip after the first time they hear “SHAZAM—BOOM—IT’S CAPTAIN MARVEL.” We don’t have to (as Superman does) keep everything a deadly secret from everyone. Superman still has to hide somewhere, take off his clothes, carry on as Superman, and then get back into his civvies behind a screen—all in time to emerge and have his friends never suspect a thing. This must be getting pretty tiresome to the kids—which is the theory we work on in having Billy’s changes into Captain Marvel often occur right in front of everybody. In contrast to Superman, Captain Marvel is tied down to no such artificial piece of machinery. He just swings into action so fast that most people haven’t time to suspect what has happened to Billy. But of course there is one person who knows: Wily old Sivana! Whiz Comics still carries only one Captain Marvel story. Captain Marvel Adventures has four stories per issue. This

Fawcett Comics Code of Ethics. From the files of Will Lieberson.

FAWCETT WRITING RULES (1942)

CAPTAIN MARVEL JR. FREDDY FREEMAN is a crippled boy about 14 years of age. He is an orphan and lives in a shabby attic room somewhere in the city. He sells newspapers for a living, and it is usually while selling them that dastardly things come to his attention which lead to the story. Freddy’s diary usually starts and/or ends the story. In the diary, he starts with “Dear Diary,” and then gives what amounts to a title caption for the story. Just as Billy Batson yells “SHAZAM!” to become Captain Marvel, Freddy Freeman yells “CAPTAIN MARVEL!” to become Captain Marvel Jr. The same “boom” and lightning flash result from his cry as from Billy’s.

thetic character in his own right. Being crippled for life, he is sensitive to other people’s hardships and troubles. The stories should deal in general with strong human interest plots, rather than just a gang of Nazis or thugs spilling blood left and right and fighting their nemesis. That is, have a story within a story whenever possible, where Junior and Freddy together solve some person’s problem or difficulty. In general, it might be said that the tear-jerker type of story is best suited for this character. Fantasy lends itself to Junior stories, but it should be a more serious type of fantasy than the light whimsical kind found in Captain Marvel. The boy angle should be played up whenever possible. That is, the people he helps and rescues can often be children rather than adults.

The origin of Captain Marvel Jr. occurred during a Captain Marvel story. Captain Nazi Captain Marvel Jr. [©2001 DC Comics] ruthlessly killed an old man and crippled his grandson for life. Captain Marvel took the dying boy down to old SHAZAM, the wizard who gave Billy Batson his powers, and asked Shazam to save the boy’s life. Old Shazam then gave Freddy Freeman the power to become Captain Marvel Jr simply by shouting the name of the great hero, CAPTAIN MARVEL.

The weird type of story goes well with Junior too... anything eerie and mysterious.

Note: It is necessary that Captain Marvel Jr. and Freddy Freeman never speak the name CAPTAIN MARVEL JR. aloud... that is, when no change of character is wanted. They can only think the name, in such cases. This is a tricky point in that the first two words of Captain Marvel Jr.’s name are the very two magic words that cause him to switch back and forth. For instance, if someone asks Freddy Freeman who chased the villain away, Freddy can’t say, “Why, it was Captain Marvel Jr.!” because he would instantly change on the spot. So in such a case Freddy would say, “Why, it was a strange flying boy in a blue costume!”

As in the Captain Marvel stories, it isn’t necessary for Freddy to sneak carefully behind buildings or something to shout CAPTAIN MARVEL and change into Junior. Where the action requires a quick appearance of Junior, Freddy simply yells it out, and the succeeding lightning flash usually confuses things enough for any characters nearby so that they do not know where Junior has come from, or where Freddy has gone to. And vice versa when Junior changes back to Freddy.

There are two continued villains who frequently pop up in Junior stories. One is CAPTAIN NAZI, who is the WORLD’S WORST VILLAIN, and has tremendous strength and power. He can make great leaps but can’t fly. The second villain is MR. MACABRE, a criminal master mind with a green face who always somehow eludes Junior at the end of the story after Junior has broken up his latest devilish doings. In character, Captain Marvel Jr. is a rather serious boy hero. He doesn’t make wisecracks, although he can say clever things. He shouldn’t be cheapened, however, by making a lot of corny jokes when batting thugs around. In such cases, let him either say exactly what he means, or nothing at all. He frequently returns to the role of Freddy Freeman to solve his problems, as Freddy is a pretty clever boy himself. For instance, if the presence of Captain Marvel Jr. would warn the villains in advance, it is crippled Freddy who would come and wait for the propitious moment to change to Junior and finish up. Spy Smasher Freddy Freeman is a strongly sympa- [©2001 DC Comics]

FAWCETT WRITING RULES

Note: Absolutely no one knows that Freddy Freeman is Captain Marvel Jr. He has no confidant at all. This is an important point because it typifies Junior as a lone wolf, confiding in no one and figuring things out for himself in all cases.

The panels per page should run six or seven, with more sixes than sevens. Somewhere within the story can be a page with as low as 3 to 5 panels, allowing room for one big splash of some climactic scene or action. In the captions, shorten the name to CAPT. MARVEL JR. to save space. He must not be called Marvel Jr. or Junior, although of course he can be referred to a “flying blue form” or “the mighty boy in blue” and such indirect terms for variety. And once in every story, a caption should use the tag line, “... and then the WORLD’S MOST SENSATIONAL boy leaped and... ” (Marvel Jr. is the World’s Most Sensational Boy, just as Captain Marvel is the World’s Mightiest Mortal). There should be at least three spots of action in each story. They should be built up. Variety is important. Stories can sometimes deal with Nazis and thugs (international intrigue), particularly now.

SPY SMASHER Spy Smasher may operate anywhere in the world, but his home base is Washington, D.C. He combats enemy agents, spies and fifth columnists. Time is the present. Spy Smasher is the alter ego of ALAN ARMSTRONG, a wealthy, young Virginia sportsman... a socially wellconnected idler who has an apartment in Washington D.C.

My Favorite Little Monster By Bernie McCarty The most deliciously exciting moment of my youthful comic book reading occurred in the Spring of 1943 when I opened my copy of Captain Marvel Adventures #22 and saw a drawing of a movie screen at a kids matinee. After all these years I remember the wording on the screen: “A thrilling new serial, The Monster Society of Evil, starring Captain Marvel.” A double-page spread in this issue showed the heroic figure of Captain Marvel straddling the Earth while a voice from a distant planet thundered, “I am the most evil being ever to live! And you, Captain Marvel, though you are Earth’s Mightiest Mortal, I will crush you like an ant! Ha, HA, HAAAAA!!!” It wasn’t until chapter five that it was even hinted that Mr. Mind was of small stature. Then chapter six finally revealed that he was just... a WORM! A lowly, insignificant worm, but with a mentality so vast and powerful and evil that “he’s more dangerous than all of Hitler’s armies.” Otto Binder, the writer who created Mr. Mind, said later, “... Mr. Mind was a surprising contrast to all the other villains—always big, brawny, devilish hulks—so that a tiny, miserable worm, filled with more hate than all the other villains combined, simply tickled the readers’ fancies.” The Mr. Mind episodes always ended with a cliffhanger: Captain Marvel, Billy Batson, or Mr. Mind himself in dire peril of one kind or another. I was hooked... and so was every comic book reading kid of the time.

MY FAVORITE LITTLE MONSTER (1981)

In Chapter Two Billy Batson found himself in a cannibals’ stew pot.

Above: This is the famous scene in Chapter Five where Mr. Mind first appears in person and Billy fails to recognize him. Above Right: Mr. Mind, who has been riding around on Hitler’s nose, has fallen down his neck. Bottom Right: The evil Japanese scientists, Doctors Smashi, Hashi, and Peeyu, help Mr. Mind carry out another of his fiendish plans to destroy Billy.

MY FAVORITE LITTLE MONSTER

Southern Gentleman Fawcett Artist & Writer Marcus D. Swayze Interviewed by Matt Lage and Bernie McCarty Marcus D. Swayze is one of those special, multi-talented guys who make a lasting impression on everybody he meets. Artist, writer, musician, athlete... above all, Marc is charming and gracious, possessing that rare ability to make instant friends. This interview is primarily concerned with Swayze’s career as artist-writer for Fawcett Publications and will illustrate the fact that he was one of the top people connected with the Golden Age of comic books. But it would be unfair to the man if discussion here was limited only to Marc’s association with Fawcett. He was also a newspaper comic strip artist and writer. And he was, and still is, a professional jazz musician. When he learned Swayze was being interviewed for FCA, former Captain Marvel chief artist C.C. Beck commented: “Swayze is a remarkable person, a fine Southern gentleman, a great, great artist, and a beautiful guitarist, pianist and violinist. In addition, he has a beautiful wife and family, a fine Southern mansion, and a marvelous sense of humor. He’s an outrageous punster. Last time I saw him he was working as a gypsy fiddler in a tearoom and loving every minute.” Former Fawcett writer-editor Rod Reed gave Swayze just recognition for creating the pictorial concept of Mary Marvel. Reed noted: “Although Jack Binder is acclaimed for his work on Mary Marvel, Marc Swayze did the first portraits. I have before me the number one issue of her very own magazine and her garb is amazingly mod with short skirt and boots almost to the knees. Swayze, of course, wanted to do the whole Mary series himself and it was my distasteful job to convince him that he couldn’t be spared from the Captain Marvel team.” FCA: Steranko’s History of Comics credits you with working on a variety of Fawcett features. Which specific feature did you do the greatest amount of work on?

SWAYZE: It would probably be a toss-up between Captain Marvel and Phantom Eagle. I was hired in 1940 specifically to

work on Captain Marvel. Except for the time it took to do the original drawings for the Mary Marvel character and drawing the first one or two stories for that feature, plus an occasional illustration for the non-comics magazines, Captain Marvel was all I did until I left for the armed forces in 1942. In the service I wrote Captain Marvel stories on a Marc Swayze, Staff Artist, fairly consistent basis. I took over Fawcett Publications, Paramount the “Phantom Eagle” shortly after Building, New York City, 1941. my discharge in 1944, doing all the art and some of the writing until the feature was discontinued in Wow Comics in the late Forties. FCA: Of all the Captain Marvel artists, with C.C. Beck as chief artist heading the list, where do you believe you rate? Did you work on any other hero characters besides Captain Marvel and the Phantom Eagle? SWAYZE: Considering Beck the number one Captain Marvel artist, I considered myself number two, probably because they told me I was. While on the Fawcett art staff, from 1940 to 1942, nobody produced more Captain Marvel art than I did. And as I look back over the books that were published at the time, I am convinced that I contributed more Captain Marvel scripts than any other artist, and more than some of the writers. When I returned to New York after my discharge, I did not join Beck’s shop or the Fawcett staff because I was determined to continue my career from my hometown, Monroe, Louisiana. In a few months I had accomplished that, with an arrangement with Ralph Daigh, Fawcett editorial director, and executive editor Will Lieberson’s approval, to produce “Phantom Eagle,” and a contract with the Bell Syndicate to draw the Flyin’ Jenny newspaper strip Sunday page. During the several months while these negotiations were being made, I drew two stories, one featuring Ibis the Invincible and the other featuring Mr. Scarlet and Pinky. FCA: Do you recall specific art, stories, or covers that you did at Fawcett prior to taking over “Phantom Eagle”? SWAYZE: I have several books from A Swayze Phantom Eagle sketch from the Forties. that era and [©2001 DC Comics]

MARCUS D. SWAYZE (1978)

heavy physical action of the super-hero/adventure comics. The plots didn’t bother me. I considered it my responsibility and privilege as an artist-writer to alter a story line here and there, to shorten dialogue and so on, when necessary to improve the feature. FCA: Were stories submitted to you with description by description of what should be shown in each panel, or were you given a general idea and told to take it from there? SWAYZE: Fawcett stories all followed the formal format of description plus dialogue for every panel. I believe it was strict policy that stories be submitted first in outline for approval, the completed script to follow. That was my procedure for writing for them. The writers varied in style and detail in the matter of descriptions. Naturally, some stories afforded more graphic challenge than others. Remember, though, a story had to go past the editor first before it reached the artist. There were some highly qualified, dedicated people on the comics editorial staff at Fawcett. Of course, the stories that I enjoyed drawing the most were those little “masterpieces” which I wrote myself. Wendell Crowley and I had a laugh at a remark one of the writers made about how he generally left the description blank on Phantom Eagle stories because he knew I was going to present the story the way I wanted anyhow.

Swayze Fawcett romance art from Life Story #2, 1949. from them have drawn a list of work I did (see below). It’s not a complete list by any means. Beck retouched all Captain Marvel’s whether they needed it or not, which was as it should have been for consistency of character. Also, while digging out the old comics I noticed that in one of the Fawcett romance comics featuring my work, Life Story #21, 1950, all three stories were done by me, except for the lettering which was done by my sister Daisy Swayze who did just about all my lettering from 1944 on. She was one of the greatest letterers according to Roy Ald, Will Lieberson, and other Fawcett editors. There were quite a number of Fawcett romance comics containing two stories an issue where I did the art.

FCA: To draw a feature such as the “Phantom Eagle” you had to have some knowledge of how to depict planes. Was research mandatory in your work, or was imagination the rule of thumb? SWAYZE: My approach was to rough in the planes the way I wanted them in relation to the story, then get out the file material for detail. I suppose that would be employing both imagination and research. I redesigned the Phantom Eagle’s plane after taking over the feature in 1944, endeavoring to create a small, easily identifiable jet that reflected Phantom Eagle’s character. Due to the volume of work I had taken on, which included the Flyin’ Jenny Sunday page and later the daily strip, time was of extreme importance. Therefore all the fussy detail was omitted from the plane.

FCA: Did you enjoy the romance comics work since it was such a change from superhero plots and situations?

Flyin’ Jenny by Swayze. [©Bell Syndicate]

SWAYZE: I enjoyed doing them except for their depriving me of the satisfaction of drawing my own writing. I never had any desire to write the romances. From the art standpoint they offered a number of challenges: More emphasis on and time for character development and emotional expression, more realistic art style as opposed to the

SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN

“My Dad’s The New Captain Marvel” John Davey, Television’s 2nd Captain Interviewed by P.C. Hamerlinck Actors usually have at least a few weeks to prepare for a role. Not John Davey. He was starring in the Seventies’ CBS Saturday morning series, Shazam! just two hours after his agent called him asking if he wanted the job of portraying Captain Marvel, replacing last season’s Captain, actor Jackson Bostwick. Davey was home with his eightyear-old son when the call came from his agent on July 2, 1975. He was quite wary of doing a show for children. Davey decided to consult his son if he should take the part. After seeing the look on his son’s face, he thought if he could be this hero, even for a while, it would be worth it. He got directions to the set. His arrival two hours later was greeted by applause from the Shazam! crew. Before he knew it he was jumping off a ladder to simulate a flight landing and shaking his head in disbelief. After a while, his attitude about the role changed considerably. As a dad, he liked the way Captain Marvel concerned himself with helping children solve their daily dilemmas... and today he is proud to have been a part of Shazam! Now retired from acting, I talked to John about his career and his days on the set of Shazam!

childhood and young adulthood. However, sometime during those years, for some reason, born within me was the idea that I should pursue my dream of becoming the heavyweight champion of the world. It seemed a perfectly natural idea at the time, but in retrospect, I was lucky to escape that profession with even a modicum of my original brain matter still seated, though somewhat loosely, in my skull. I had my first amateur bout when I was about 12, and weighed 108 pounds. I stopped some kid from a reform school in 32 seconds of the first round, and thought I was on my way. In my next bout a year later (things seemed to move slower back then), a tough kid from Twin Falls, Idaho trimmed my sails and taught me a new word: Humility. Undeterred, I concluded that if I were to be the next Rocky Marciano, I would have to toughen up. This I did, by spending my last summer as a civilian, bucking bales in the sweltering alfalfa fields of northern Nevada. That fall I reported to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. I think it was there I got my first clue that not everybody in the world was as nice as they were in Winnemucca.

FCA: John, where were you born and what kind of John Davey by P.C. Hamerlinck. upbringing did you have? I understand you had a boxing career prior to becoming involved in acting.

JD: I walked up the creaky steps leading into the Main Street Gym in Los Angeles. I had gone there that day, specifically, to inquire as to how one would go about entering the local Golden Gloves tournament. Well, a couple of sewer rats took a long look at this rather naive white kid (by now a full-fledged heavyweight), and, concluding there wasn’t a dime to be made in the Golden Gloves, convinced me not to waste my time with “them amachurs.” Two months later I made my professional debut at the Olympic Auditorium, scoring a 2nd round knockout over a former Golden Glover himself, Ernie Ford. Four and a half years and twenty-six fights later, wiser, though somewhat beat-up, cut-up, and fed-up, I hung my boxing gloves (symbolically) on a nail in my garage. In retrospect, it was a career I

JD: I was born (quite a while ago) in Winnemucca, a small town in northeastern Nevada. My father was a rancher/miner and his work took us shortly thereafter to northern California. When I was about four, we moved back onto a cattle ranch near the Oregon-Nevada border. I lived there until I was about ten, then back to Winnemucca where I lived until I finished high school. My upbringing was, I guess, typical small town. I had, and still have, a terrific family, (with the exception of my late father who passed away when I was seventeen), and great memories of my

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FCA: What happened after the Marines?

JOHN DAVEY (1998)

could have done well without. Still, the characters I encountered, and events I experienced, were priceless. For instance, a young up-andcoming heavyweight named Cassius Clay came out to the West Coast to fight an aging Archie Moore. One day at the Main Street Gym, he borrowed a T-shirt from me, and to this day Muhammad Ali still owes me a T-shirt. I sparred with Joe Frazier, and watched a good friend (Alejandro Lavorante from Argentina) die in the ring. In fact, I’ve recently completed a novel (yes, I, like most ex-actors, have a book to sell) in which parts of the story are loosely based on some of those experiences. FCA: How did your acting career begin and how did your offer for the Captain Marvel role come about? Were you familiar at all with the character?

role without further hesitation, though I was dead sure this was the low point of my career. Turns out it was the high point. FCA: Describe your first day on the set of Shazam! JD: Well, less than two hours after talking to my agent and accepting the role, I found myself in a dressing room with a cute wardrobe girl helping me squirm into my red tights. A few minutes after that, in my first scene as Captain Marvel, I jumped from the top of a ladder onto a pad, thus simulating a landing from one of his amazing flights in the prosecution of yet another heroic deed. I was greeted very warmly on the Shazam! set, and over time forged friendships there that have endured to this day. FCA: Were there any episodes that you can recall that were particular favorites? Did you enjoy playing the role of Captain Marvel?

JD: Well, being even a journeyman white heavyweight in L.A. did have its advanJD: Not really. All the tages. Hollywood, episodes had their ever on the look out pluses and minuses, for fresh meat, and in but mostly I had a love with all types of blast doing them. My athletes, opened its elitist embarrassment doors just a crack. at accepting such a (The doors would “lowly” role soon have swung opened evolved into a rather with a bang if I had defensive pride when actually become the I saw how much joy champ, as was my and clean enteroriginal plan). I rather tainment it brought to half-heartedly kids. embarked on an acting career. I was torn FCA: Did you enjoy between actually working with the wanting to succeed at Shazam! cast: Les it, and feeling in my Tremayne (Mentor) heart that it was a and Michael Gray “sissy” pursuit and (Billy Batson)? not worth serious JD: Les Tremayne is effort. I’m not sure, all one of the finest these years later, if my human beings I’ve dilemma wasn’t ever had the pleasure justified. Anyway, I of meeting, much less had good and bad having the good years doing mostly fortune of working insignificant parts in with. Les has a great insignificant episodic sense of humor, he’s a TV shows and wonderful storyteller, commercials. My first “...A lovely and intelligent woman.” Joanna Cameron as Isis. Illustration by P.C. Hamerlinck. and a loyal and marriage went south, [©2001 Hallmark] generous friend. I and, while hanging out didn’t get to know in my apartment one Mike Gray quite as well as I did Les, but he was also terrific to work day with my eight-year-old son, Tom, the phone rang. It was my agent, with. He definitely had a “devil’s streak” that surfaced at the oddest Ivan Green. He informed me that Meryl O’Laughlin, casting director for moments, and no one on the set was safe when Mike’s fiendish mind was Filmation Studios had called and wanted me immediately on the set of at work. I don’t keep in as close touch with him as I do Les, but we still Shazam!, on location in Topanga Park. “Excuse me?” I said. Ivan went speak occasionally. on to tell me that they wanted me for the part of Captain Marvel, replacing Jackson Bostwick. “Excuse me?” I repeated. Though, as a kid, I had read my share of Captain Marvel comic books, I assumed the format for the show would be along the lines of Captain Kangaroo, or Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. I held my hand over the mouthpiece of the phone while I conferred with my son to see if I should accept the part. His reaction (jumping around the room) spurred me to accept the

“MY DAD’S THE NEW CAPTAIN MARVEL”

FCA: You did a few crossover episodes with Isis, portrayed by Joanna Cameron. What do you remember about working with her? JD: Joanna Cameron, while a little aloof at first, turned out to be quite a lovely and intelligent woman. I think she was a little guarded, actually, because, frankly, everyone was trying to “get in her pants.” (Bill Clinton

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What Really Killed The Golden Age By C.C. Beck Two features that made comic books a big hit as soon as they appeared were that they seemed to move and that they seemed to talk. The illusion that the pictures moved was obtained by presenting a series of panels, all the same size and shape, with slight changes from panel to panel. The illusion that characters in the panels were talking was obtained by putting copy right in the panels, not off to one side or below. Keeping copy separate from drawings destroys half the magic of comics; instead of moving, talking pictures we have what seems to be a slide show with an offstage narrator explaining each slide as it appears. The earliest comic books were reprints of newspaper comic strips which told stories of considerable length. When the supply of old newspaper strips was used up, comic book publishers commissioned writers and artists to produce new material in the same vein. Unfortunately, some of the new writers and artists felt that producing “comics” was beneath their dignity. Many creative people have very high opinions of themselves and their work and working in comics was to some as degrading as being a piano player in a whorehouse instead of appearing at Carnegie Hall. Therefore they decided to change comics to something else. Many editors and publishers were also ashamed of being in comics and welcomed whatever changes their writers and artists could make to bring more dignity and artistic value to their magazines. The first thing these people did was to get rid of the old panel-bypanel sequences of the daily strips. They made each panel a different size and shape, assembling them on the page in tricky, eye-catching layouts. Each panel was a new composition, like a painting in an art gallery. It did not need to have any connection with preceding or following panels at all; it was simply supposed to make the reader gasp in awe at its marvelous composition and beauty.

It has been known for thousands of years that to appeal to the imagination of an audience a writer or an artist must present imaginative stories or pictures to it. A writer cannot simply tell about little, ordinary, everyday people doing humdrum things, nor can an artist hold his viewers’ attention with over-detailed pictures which look like photographs. Unimportant facts must be left out, while things that don’t exist in the real world must be suggested. This is what cartoonists do, and have been doing, since prehistoric times. Cartoonists simplify their drawings, they don’t show eyelashes and full sets of teeth on everybody. Sometimes they leave off fingers, they very seldom show wrinkles in either faces or clothing, and they don’t hesitate to suggest action by the use of speed streaks, puffs of dust, stars, splats, and such symbols. This kind of art was horrifying to those who wanted to clean up comic books. “It’s crude and insulting!” they said. “It pokes fun at people and is ugly. Art should be beautiful, lovely, inspiring, not offensive!” So they proceeded to draw everything in art school style with everything beautiful... even the villains and monsters. They didn’t want a reader to shudder at a horrible villain’s appearance or to laugh at a hero’s occasional ineptitude, but just to murmur to himself over and over, “My, how beautifully everything is drawn!” When they had succeeded in taking the illusion of action and the imaginative appeal out of comics the new editors and writers and artists turned their attention to the second feature which had made comics successful: The use of speech balloons and sound effects. “A good picture needs no explanation,” they declared. “Adding speech balloons and sound effects is silly. And adding speed streaks and stars and such things is childish. We’ll show everything by our masterful use of pantomime, mood, settings, costumes, and such legitimate devices.”

Very few people are aware that no picture of any kind can move any more than can a statue. All the action in a movie takes place between the frames, when the screen is dark. Action exists only in the imagination of the viewer. When the new writers and artists took away the series of panels, each with a slight change in it, and substituted “action-packed” single panels they took away half the appeal of comics. Everything became as lifeless as so many tableaux in a wax museum.

Along with their removal of all “cartoony” effects these reformers deleted anything that could possibly be taken as a racial slur or in the slightest degree offensive to anyone anywhere. Everyone had to be tall, handsome, athletic, and super-humanly perfect. This change in comic books started very early in the Golden Age. Fawcett comics, like all the others, slowly followed this formula as well, and by the ’50s Fawcett comics were losing their readers by the thousands. When Fawcett stopped publishing their comic characters in 1953, they had already been dead for some time.

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WHAT REALLY KILLED THE GOLDEN AGE (1983)

Fawcett Collectors of America (FCA) #7. Art by Mac Raboy.

Fawcett Collectors of America (FCA) #8. Art by C.C. Beck.

Fawcett Collectors of America (FCA) #9.

Fawcett Collectors of America (FCA) #4. Art by C.C. Beck.

FCA GALLERY

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The Fawcett Companion