Issuu

$5.95

in the U.S.

by Bhob Stewart and Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr.

Wood in the late 1970s.

The Wallace Wood Checklist: Wallace Wood A2Z. Published by TwoMorrows Publishing, 1812 Park Drive, Raleigh, NC 27605. ©2003 Bhob Stewart and Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr. All rights reserved. None of the contents of this publication may be reprinted without the permission of Bhob Stewart and Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr. All prominent titles and characters are trademark ™ and copyright ©2003 by their respective holders. Printed in Canada. FIRST PRINTING.

Wallace Wood A2Z: The Definitive Checklist Compiled by Bhob Stewart and Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr.

Introduction This checklist catalogs Wallace Wood’s published work, along with mentions of unpublished items. Because Wood was so prolific, worked for many companies (sometimes doing only a single job), used numerous assistants, destroyed or gave away originals, roughs and printed copies, and kept no business records, those who have attempted to compile a complete catalog of Woodwork have found it a formidable and frustrating task. (But also fun!) Sometimes an artist’s own files can answer many questions, but Wood chose to leave stacks of photostats unlabeled and often trimmed the name of a publication off his tearsheet copy, turning what could have been a simple identification into a baffling research problem. Thus, no claims are made for completeness in Wallace Wood A2Z, although it adds to information gathered for previous listings. The earliest known Wood checklist, filling one-third of a page and listing less than 60 items, was “A Wally Wood Checklist of Comic Art and Associated Art,” compiled by Alan Wong and S. Ross Sanderson for Spa Fon 3 (June 1967). This was followed by “The Works of Wally Wood” (subtitled “The Incomplete Wallace Wood Checklist”), compiled by Lamar Blaylock for the third issue of his Comic Artist (Winter 1970). In 1979 Wood published his own Woodwork Gazette checklist, compiled by Robert Logan, Bob Barrett and Roger Hill with the help of Don Rosa, Frank Caravello and Brenda Robinson. Since Wood had little interest in any documentation of his past career, he apparently provided no more than a token input to the Gazette checklist, requesting readers to supply more information. Each new checklist lengthened and superseded earlier checklists, and additional entries turned up in Greg Theakston’s “The Wallace Wood Checklist,” filling 17 pages of his 1980 The Wallace Wood Treasury. The rise of the Internet led to hyperlinks and online databases, including the Grand Comic Book Database [www.comics.org]

and the WW checklist in Neil Riehle’s Splash Pages [www.splashpages.com]. Amid the complexity of these listings, with a single entry encyclopedically suggesting yet another overlooked entry, a minor effort has been made to note some of the many random and miscellaneous appearances of continuing Wood characters appearing in single panel drawings (such as Snorky in ads) or backgrounds (such as Toulouse la Feinstein, the bum with the odd smile, worked into several early Mad magazines). Rather than adopt a rigid format, I’ve added some notes in an informal style to clarify certain entries, and stories once attributed to Wood but now doubtful have also been included, along with several miscellaneous bibliographic items. Note that Fox Romance giants are exactly as noted below: “coverless returned comics bound under new covers.” As such, there is absolutely no guarantee that any two copies will be identical. In fact, there is every reason to expect them to be different. Therefore, any credit for a Fox Romance giant represents an individual copy only.

Box art for Sea Hunt game, 1961. ©Lowell Toys Numerous writer/artists worked with Wood over the years as assistants, associates or Wood studio contributors, including Jack Abel, Dan Adkins (1964-1966), Steve Austin, Richard Bassford, Roger Brand (who penciled for Wood in 1967 and died in 1985 at the age of 42), Tim Battersby Brent (who died at the age of 19 by choking on his own vomit), Len Brown (who scripted for T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents), Howard Chaykin (“Shattuck”), Sid

Contributing to Wallace Wood A2Z are Check (whose work has sometimes been Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr., Bhob Stewart, Roger mistaken for Wood’s), Tony Coleman (an Hill, Bill Pearson, Dan Adkins, Bill Spicer, assistant for about a year during the midSteve Fiorilla, Art Spiegelman, Len Brown, 1960s), Nick Cuti (early 1970s), Leo and Joe Orlando, Paul Kirchner, Dick Voll, Greg Diane Dillon (“He gave us work inking, Theakston, Stephen Smith (who spent four etc...”), Steve Ditko, Randy Elliott (Syracuse years independently working on his own period), Larry Hama, Harry Harrison, Wayne Wood checklist before adding his input to Howard, Peter Hsu (Syracuse), Larry Ivie, Wallace Wood A2Z), A.L. Sirois, Jim Sullivan, Russ Jones, Paul Kirchner, Bob Layton, Joe Russ Jones, Bob Polio, Jonathan White, Dave Orlando, Bill Pearson, Ralph Reese, Jack Bryant and Marty Krim. Near the end of the Robinson (Syracuse), Marty Rosenthal (1949 Gazette checklist, Wood commented, “I know collaborator on Fox Comics), Joe Rubinstein, it’s not complete. In fact, Bill Pearson Augie Scotto, Syd Shores, Dom Sileo (1967remarked that he thinks it’s impossible to 68), Al Sirois (1975-78), John Stevens, Bhob make a complete checklist on me. I’ve done Stewart (1967-68), Muriel Wood (late 1970s) so many different jobs. But we can try, and Mike Zeck. Tatjana Wood penciled on right?” Right, Woody... let’s take a crack at it. some of WW’s EC jobs (see Two-Fisted Tales — Bhob 41), and she inked backgrounds on comics pages for WW, did backgrounds on WW paintings and later worked as a DC colorist. Cover: This was Wood’s half-inked final Some assistants worked for a week or panel of his unfinished third volume of The less, some for months and some for years, Wizard King. Bill Pearson completed this but only some of these many contributions drawing, added iconic images in the backare documented in this checklist, giving a ground and colored it to create this cover lopsided chronicle. For instance, Dan Adkins art. In his Against the Grain article, Bill has kept accurate business records on every Pearson describes this self-portrait as a art job he has worked on since 1955, but “farewell without rancor from Wood.” others have not. Neither Ralph Reese nor Wayne Howard have much interest in compiling information on specific jobs they did long ago, and as a result, their extensive Wood studio contributions go unrecorded here. Because so many people worked with Wood through the years, a detailing of these contributions might convey a false picture of Wood’s role, but don’t be misled. Until the last years of his life, the art always carried the true signature of Wood’s style. In scanning these listings, keep in mind Paul Kirchner’s 1980 remarks (in The Wallace Wood Treasury): “A lot of assistants give the impression that they did more work than they did. This has given Wood no small amount of grief. He always has control. Some of the guys claim that they really penciled Wally’s comic pages, but Wally can make even the crudest work look good. When you see his own pencils, you can’t believe that someone could produce the kind of quality with that kind of loose penciling beneath. They look like breakdowns. When you look at the work by some of these guys you have to ask yourself, ‘Why isn’t it as good as the stuff they claim to Preliminary drawing for The Cat 1 cover, 1972. ©Marvel have done for Wally?’” 2

WW=Wallace Wood nn=no number Ace McCoy (McNaught Syndicate) The syndicated daily/Sunday strip Johnny Comet, by Peter De Paolo and Frank Frazetta, began January 28, 1952, and ran until November 30, 1952 when the title was changed to Ace McCoy. It was canceled in early 1953. WW worked on three Sunday pages: Jan 4, 1953; Jan 11, 1953; Jan 18, 1953. Aces High (EC) 1 Mar-Apr 1955 “The Outsider” (6) 2 May-Jun “Locker Nine” (6) 3 Jul-Aug “Grease Monkey” (6) 4 Sep-Oct “The Novice and the Ace” (6) 5 Nov-Dec “Ordeal” (7) Adventures of the Pussycat, The (Marvel) See Pussycat Advertising Alka-Seltzer Alka-Seltzer ad, 1967. ©WWE (“Stomachs Get Even at Night,” winner of the 1967 Art Directors Club Medal, was reprinted in B&W in Wallace Wood Portfolio) Alka-Seltzer (Storyboard for 1968 TV commercial based on above print ad) Argosy (Ad “about detectives” in wash with Adkins pencils and Wood finish) Aftate (Design of TV commercial about athlete’s foot remedy) American Airlines (“Air Travel in the Future,” line drawing reprinted in Wallace Wood Portfolio) Chemstrand Corporation (Series of creature cartoons, reprinted in Wallace Wood Portfolio) Dr Pepper (Series of three print ads) London Fog Raincoats (1968 comics ad for New York Times Sunday Magazine; WW inks and Bhob Stewart pencils from agency rough) Nectarose Wine (Storyboard for television commercial) Portage Porto-Ped Shoes (Full page headed “The Abominable Squeaks” with four wash drawings of gag cartoons showing consequences of squeaky shoes. Ran in late Sixties Playboy. Scandinavian Airlines (“Scandinavian Airlines announces Europe’s first fully-computerized thing,” reprinted in Wallace Wood Portfolio) Valiant Records (Mid-1960s ad showing Prince Valiant-type on horse with castle background.) WMCA Radio (Subway poster) Against the Grain: Mad Artist Wallace Wood (TwoMorrows Publishing) Edited by Bhob Stewart 2003 352-page hardcover, 336-page paperback. Biography of WW by Bhob Stewart. More than 20 contributors offer memoirs, interviews and a critical survey of WW’s career. Includes previously unpublished art. Al Goldstein’s Screw (Milkyway) See Screw Album of Love (Fox) 132-page “Fox Romance giant” binding together miscellaneous coverless returns of Fox romance comics 1 1949 “I Dated Disaster” 9 (reprint) Note: Since Fox Romance giants are coverless returned comics bound under new covers, there is absolutely no guarantee that any two copies will be identical. In fact, there is every reason to expect them to be different. Therefore, any credit for a Fox Romance 3

Red Circle Sorcery (Archie) 10 Dec 1974 “Demon Rider” (5) The Return of Conan (Gnome Press) by Bjorn Nyberg and L. Sprague de Camp 1957 Hardcover jacket illustration (5000 print run) Revealing Love Stories (Fox) 132-page Fox giant binding together coverless returns of Fox comics. 1950 Stories Revised Mad Checklist (Fred von Bernewitz) Lists Wood art in Mad magazines, annuals and paperbacks. (See also entry for The Complete Mad Checklist) 1 Lists contents of Mad 1-88 and annuals 2 Indexes writers, artists and stories of Mad 24-88 and lists contents of paperbacks and hardbacks up to 1963 Ridiculously Expensive Mad, The (World Publishing) 1969 Mad reprints in hardcover “Superduperman” (color) (Mad 4) “If Comic Strip Characters Were As Old As Their Strips” (Mad 72) “Bat Boy and Rubin” (color) (Mad 8) “Open Office Week” (Mad 67) “A Best Seller Hits the Commercial Trail” (Mad 49) “If Comic Strip Characters Behaved Like Ordinary People” (Mad 81) Richard Dragon, Kung-Fu Fighter (DC) Sirois assist throughout; some Wayne Howard figure work. 4 Oct-Nov 1975 “Time to Be a Whirlwind” (with Estrada) (Story features some hidden references, such as name of band Sirois was with on page 17 and license plate with name of New Haven fan club: “Fred”) (18) 5 Dec-Jan “The Arena of No Escape” (with Estrada) (18) 6 Feb-Mar 1976 “The Island of No Escape” (with Estrada) (18) 7 Apr “Command: Slay the Dragon” (with Estrada) (18) 8 May “To Slay the Dragon!” (with Estrada) (17) 11 Aug “When Strike the Samauri” (with Estrada) (17)

Ripley’s Believe It Or Not (Gold Key) 1 Jun 1965 “The Ghost Ship” (4) Rocket’s Blast Comics Collector (SFCA/New Media) (aka Rocket’s Blast Comicollector) 54 Cover “Me Tarzan. You in Trouble!” (Ape-man battles jets) 56 Cover “King of the Hill” (Daredevil throws Dynamo off a skyscraper) 152 1982 5 panels of Wood Spirit art accompany “Intelligent Life on Earth,” by Robert Strauss, comparing Eisner’s Life on Another Planet with Wood’s “Outer Space” series for The Spirit. Rocket to the Moon (Avon) 1 Dec 1951 Cover (with Orlando) Inside Front Cover “Rocket to the Moon” (25) (by Orlando with some Wood assist) Roi du Monde, Le (Les Editions Du Triton) 1978 Exact duplicate of American King of the World (color version of The Wizard King, Volume One) in French. Romantic Story (Charlton) 29 Oct 1955 Reprinted from early Fox romance titles are two WW romance stories (one with Rosenthal) which were probably sold to Charlton when Fox went bankrupt in 1950. “My Secret Story” WW and Rosenthal (10) “My Marriage of Fear” WW (10) Romantic Thrills (Fox) nn 1950 “I Was a Slave to Love” (reprinted from My Past) (10) “He Promised Me Marriage” (reprinted from My Love Memoirs 12) (10)

1 Jan 1957 Photo of Wood “Hansel and Gretel” (3) “Elvis Pretzel” (1) “Candid Camerapix” (2) Trumpet (Tom Reamy) 10 1969 Contents page illustration is B&W watercolor or ink wash drawing of nude woman hugging her knees (1) T-shirts EC T-shirts (Graphitti Designs/Cochran) 1 Nov 1985 WW cover from Weird Science 16 screen-printed in full color by Bob Chapman’s Graphitti Designs [www.graphittidesigns.com]. Marketed by Russ Cochran, this launched a series of T-shirts with images taken from EC comics. There are many other variations of EC T-shirts, including those worn by staff members at the 1972 EC convention, licensed images taken from the Mad Style Guide (edited by Bhob Stewart for Mad in 1994) and assorted parodies (such as the colorful Trails We Have Crept T-shirt worn by hikers). 1993 Soul Asylum T-shirt The rock band Soul Asylum produced a promotional T-shirt by licensed contract with the Wood Estate in 1993. Manufactured in unknown but substantial numbers in the thousands, this black T-shirt featured a design with a full-color image of the bird with its head between its legs, catching its own egg in its mouth, with the logo L’Asylum de Soul above it. The art was formatted to resemble the cover of the French magazine L’Echo des Savanes because this was where Soul Asylum members had first seen this WW drawing (many years after it was published as the cover of L’Echo des Savanes 16). The original sketch of the bird catching its own egg, titled “Mother” by WW, dates from c. 1967, and it was later turned into finished art for a panel in Flo Steinberg’s Big Apple Comix (1975). TV Guide (Triangle) 782 March 23, 1968 Illustration in full color shows funny animals fleeing from animated superheroes. Twilight Zone (Gold Key) 1 Nov 1962 “Voyage to Nowhere” (Crandall pencils) (11) Two-Fisted Annual (EC) Coverless returns (of Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat) were bound together, producing many variant copies of these EC annuals. 1 1952 2 1953 Two-Fisted Tales (EC) 18 Nov-Dec 1950 “Revolution” (6) 19 Jan-Feb 1951 “Brutal Captain Bull” (7) 20 Mar-Apr “Devils in Baggy Pants” (7) 21 May-Jun “The Murmansk Run” (6) 22 Jul-Aug “Massacre at Agincourt” (6) 23 Sep-Oct “Old Soldiers Never Die” (7) 25 Jan-Feb 1952 “Bunker Hill” (7) 24 Nov-Dec “Bug Out” (7) 26 Mar-Apr 1952 “Hungnam” (7) 27 May-Jun “Custer’s Last Stand” (7) 28 Jul-Aug “Pell’s Point” (7) 30 Nov-Dec “Knight’s” (7) 31 Jan-Feb 1953 “Blockade” (6) 32 Mar-Apr Cover “Hannibal” (6) 33 May-Jun Cover “Atom Bomb” (7) 34 Jul-Aug “Trial by Arms” (7) 35 Sep-Oct “New Orleans” (7) 41 Feb-Mar 1955 “Carl Akeley” (some pencils by Tatjana Wood) (6) Undersea Agent (Tower) 6 Mar 1967 Cover 54