Volume 23, Number 8

Vol. 23, No. 8
August 2012
whole number 272
2012 pages 057-064

A nicely obscure and typically well rendered piece by John Severin up top this time, sadly to mark his passing earlier that year. 

Robin Snyder shares some personal memories and Don Mangus has a long piece on his career highlights, plus there's a little seen 1986 page from a Marvel SAVAGE TALES story by Severin and Robert Kanigher. 

Also noted are the passings of Ray Bradbury, Tony Dezuniga, Norman Fruman, Maurice Sendak, Jim Unger and Robert L. Washington III. 

DeZuniga gets the backcover, an unused TUROK cover from 1982.

Ron Goulart has part two of his biography of Artie Saaf, looking at his time with the Iger shop, Fiction House and Quality in the early 1940s.

Also letters from Stan Goldberg, Nick Caputo, Steve Ditko, Bill Harris and Batton Lash.

Volume 23, Number 4

Vol. 23, No. 4
April 2012
whole number 268
2012 pages 025-032 (8 pages)

Sheldon Mayer up front and on the back this time, with the front and back cover to an unpublished Ronald McDonald comic book, possibly from a pitch for DC to do some merchandise for the company.  There are at least two full stories Mayer did for that project.

Jim Ivey provides a quick cartoon.

Gary Poole provides a few pages of plot and script for some Witch Hazel / Little Scarecrow / Little Itch stories, which I think primarily ran in the back of Little Lulu comics, plus in the letter column puts Snyder in touch with Bill Harris, who we'll hear more from later. 

There's also a mystery portrait with the artist and subject revealed in a few months.

Additional letters from D. Fenton, Joe Frank and Don Mangus, plus notes on the passing of Ruth Brank-Croal, Vic Herman, John Keel, Bill Rechin and Philip Sturm.

Volume 21, Number 8

Vol. 21, No. 8
August 2010
whole number 248

2010 pages 057-064

Don Mangus discusses the original art for a 1947 Simon&Kirby cover that had recently been for sale, inscribed to Dave Wigransky, an early comics fan who wrote a piece for The Saturday Review of Literature in 1948 defending comics against attacks of contributing to juvenile delinquency. 

The S&K original art appears on the back.

There's also a look at the editorial staff of Western through the years.

Part 32 of "Just Imagine", the on-going Paul S. Newman bibliography, just has a short section, with one Dell book from 1962.

Notes on the passing of Valerie Barclay, Alice Cobb, Shel Dorf, Eric Freiwald, Irving Tripp, Geroge Tuska and Nevio Zeccara.

A long Under the Gun letter column including Mark McMurray, Joe Frank, Nick Caputo, Zetta De Voe, Ray Bottoroff, Rob Imes and Dave Sim.

Volume 14, Number 2

Vol. 14, No. 2
February 2003
whole number 158
2003 pages 009-016

Steve Ditko with two pages this issue, with a chapter of his "A Mini-History" series on Spider-Man:

8. "Others, Outsiders (OOs): Complainers and Complaints Against Betty Brant".

He discusses the negative fan-mail reaction to the character of Betty Brant, especially when prospects of a romance between her and Peter Parker were hinted at in the comics, and refers to an extreme story idea he had for her which his editor, he concedes correctly, rejected.  He expands this to a general discussion of the tone of the comic and some other comics, like Iron Man's alcoholism storyline and Captain America's continuing to mourn over Bucky.

Jack Keller's passing is noted, with a short letter, an autobiographical page and a sample of his 1960s Charlton work on TEENAGE HOTRODDERS.

Part 14 of the Carl Wessler bibliography looks at some 1952 work at Timely.  Under The Gun features letters from Don Mangus, Nick Caputo, Jerry DeFuccio, Richard Prosch and Mark McMurray.

Volume 11, Number 12

Vol. 11, No. 12
December 2000
whole number 132

2000 pages 093-098

One of the regular traditions of the newsletter is the December issue, closing out each volume, contains some work by Sheldon Mayer. That's been the case with every December issue I have access to since Volume 5, it might have started before that. 

It probably helps that two of the unpublished Mayer projects that Snyder has access to are a Rudolph the Reindeer story and the layouts to a second bible adaptation about the life of Jesus (to be finished by Nestor Redondo, like the published first Old Testament volume was). And Sugar & Spike had a lot of holiday themed stories as well.

 

This time the focus is on the unrealized THE SUGAR AND SPIKE POCKET TREASURY Mayer was working on in 1971, with a table of contents, a sample page (modified from the original publication, so a 4-page story would be a 9-page story in the reprint) and a proposed cover. There are also a few 1971 letters from Mayer to production chief Jack Adler and publisher Carmine Infantino about the project (the type of colouring he wants and the cover layout) and a short then-recent note from Infantino about shelving the book. A shame, Mayer was very much ahead of his time in terms of packaging reprints of comics.

Volume 11, Number 8

Vol. 11, No. 8
August 2000
whole number 128
2000 pages 071-076 (6 pages)

Dick Sprang Batman original art (front page)

Under the Gun: letters from Don Mangus, Robert Kanigher, Jerry DeFuccio, Mario DeMarco and Jim Amash

Dick Sprang 1945 account page

Smokey and Me by Carol Newman  an account on receiving the Gold Smokey Award from the National Foresters Association

The "Stolen Art Page" Problem and the Error of Non-Principled Thinking 2. The Context by Steve Ditko (back page)

-- Indexed by: Nick Caputo

Volume 11, Number 6

Vol. 11, No. 6
June 2000
whole number 126
2000 pages 043-052 (10 pages)

   

Flash and the Carrots by Robert Kanigher essay by RK on writing the Flash Gordon comic strip

Occupying Chambersburg panel by Fred Ray

Under the Gun: letters from Manuel Auad, Fred Ray, Nick Caputo, Carmine Infantino, Don Mangus, Daniel Tesmoingt, Tom Christopher, Link Yanko, Tim Barnes and Jerry De Fuccio. Includes an illustration and comment by Irwin Hasen

Tomahawk original art page by Fred Ray

A Tribute to Fred Ray by Jack Burnley

The Story of the Alamo Illustration by Fred Ray

A Fred Ray Civil War Index by Don Mangus includes Gettysburg illo

The Comics Mail Order page includes cover for the never-published The Tsk! Tsk! Forum by Ditko

Static promo (back page)

-- Indexed by: Nick Caputo

Volume 11, Number 5

Vol. 11, No. 5
May 2000
whole number 125
2000 pages 035-042 (8 pages)

The Self-Proclaimed by Steve Ditko commentary on "divine rights" (front page)

Promo for Mr. A. with calling card by Ditko 

Under the Gun: letters from Steve Ditko, Matt Murphy, Gary Usher, Ted Latner, Sam Catalino, Link Yanco, Don Mangus and Nick Caputo

Charlie by Joe Gill: an appreciation of Charles Nicholas 

Original art page by Charles Nicholas and Vince Alascia from Hot Rods and Racing Cars # 68

Static promo by Ditko (back page)

-- Indexed by: Nick Caputo

Volume 11, Number 4

Vol. 11, No. 4
April 2000
whole number 124
2000 pages 027-034 (8 pages)

Nightmaster illustration by Jerry Grandenetti (front page)

Under the Gun: letters by Don Mangus, Dave Rawlings, Sam Catalino, Michael Ambrose

Jerry Grandenetti interview by Dylan Williams includes illustrations

Tsk! Tsk! H # 1 Has the age of the Anti-Hero become the age of the Anti-Self? (back page)

-- Indexed by: Nick Caputo

Volume 11, Number 3

Vol. 11, No. 3
March 2000
whole number 123
2000 pages 017-026 (10 pages)

The entire issue is a tribute to Pat Boyette

Aaron P. Boyette 1923-2000 includes photo of Boyette (front page)

Samples of Bruce Lee comic strip by Pat Boyette and Fred Himes

Under the Gun: letters by Nick Caputo, Sam Catalino, Ted Latner, Ray Bottorff and Carol Wessler

4 Haiku for APB by Don Mangus

Dignity by Joe Gill 

Pat by Jim Amash (includes illustration)

The Best is Yet to Come by Pat Boyette Memoir by Boyette includes illustration 

Tsk! Tsk! # SA 1 Stolen Art Pages by Ditko (back cover)

-- Indexed by: Nick Caputo

Volume 10, Number 11

Vol. 10, No. 11
November 1999
whole number 119
1999 pages 077-084 (8 pages)

Cover: Flare Path by Robert Kanigher answering letters from fans including Don Mangus

Under the Gun: letter from Jerry DeFuccio includes a promo for Steve Ditko's 160 page package

original page produced by Jerry DeFuccio and Warren Sattler for RS

Mr. A original art page from the then unpublished 1991 strip

Letter from Stan Lee "To Whom it May Concern" where he states he "considered" Steve to be Spider-Man's co-creator

Steve Ditko illustrated promo for Static 

Ditko Tsk! Tsk! C # 1 "Comic fans keep blowing meaningless Sound Waves" illustrated editorial

The Comics Mail Order (back page)

-- Indexed by: Nick Caputo

Volume 10, Number 10

Vol. 10, No. 10
October 1999
whole number 118
1999 pages 071-076 (6 pages)

cover: "Horseless" a review of Kanigher's Gallery of War story by Don Mangus

Under the Gun: letters from Carl Gafford, Mike Ambrose, Warren Sattler, Ernie Colon and Robert Kanigher

Just the Miner by Robert Kanigher: RK discusses taking over Tomahawk. Includes a page of original art by Kanigher and Frank Thorne

The Comics mail order on inside back  and back cover

-- Indexed by: Nick Caputo

Volume 9, Number 8

Vol. 9, No. 8
August 1998
whole number 104
1998 pages 053-072 (20 pages)

cover: letter Al Wiseman sent to Walt Disney requesting a job.     

Under the Gun: letters from Eric Margolis, Gary Usher, Tristan Lapoussiere, Alex Toth, Roger Hill, Harry Miller, Jerry DeFuccio, Daniel Tesmoingt, Don Mangus and Hames Ware

The Al Wiseman Chronology by Bill Alger and Don Mangus     

About Ray Houlihan by Mario DeMarco includes two pages of Axis Grinder, an unpublished comic strip by Houlihan

scattered throughout this Al Wiseman tribute issue are panels and illustrations by Wiseman

Dennis the Menace page by Wiseman (back page)

-- Indexed by: Nick Caputo