Volume 31, Number 3

Vol. 31, No. 3
March 2020
whole number 363
2020 pages 017-024

The cover is by Mel Crawford, from a 1970 issue of THE GOLDEN MAGAZINE which featured Gary Poole and his visit to the White House.

Part 63 of the Robert Kanigher bibliography, "The Mystery Of The Human Thunderbolt" has a quote by RK about the development of Rock and Easy, and the issue includes three pages from a Kanigher/Novick story from 1955 which is the first mention of Easy Company.

Part 13 of the Gary Poole bibliography looks at some of his 1980 work at Western.

Under the Gun has letters from Gary Poole on general topics, Rob Imes on fandom, and Charles Brenner and Gavin Callaghan both on the publication of Down Memory Lane, the last of Ditko's long-running 32-Page Series.

Volume 30, Number 12

Vol. 30, No. 12
December 2019

whole number 360
2019 pages 089-096 (8 pages)

Hy Eisman provides a seasonal cover from the Popeye comic strip for which he's long done the Sunday pages for as the latest successor to creator E.C. Segar.

Sheldon Mayer is represented as usual in the year-end issue, this time with a layout page and three script pages from the unfinished "Story of Jesus" comic.

Letters in Under The Gun by Joe Frank on Christmas comics and Gary Poole on Ditko's Konga and his own 1968 King Kong adaptation.

And the year finishes up with an index to all of Volume 30 of the newsletter

Volume 28, Number 9

Vol. 28, No. 9
September 2017
whole number 333
2017 pages 065-072

Mart Nodell is up front, with a 1993 illustration of his Golden Age creation Green Lantern.  

Inside Robert Kanigher, a frequent Green Lantern writer back in the late 1940s after Nodell's time, provides a few manuscript pages of an unpublished Green Lantern story he wrote in 1982.

Over in "Under the Gun", the passings of Vic Donahue, Blanche Fago and Vernon Henkel are noted and there are letters from Robert Rowe, Mike Tuz, Nick Caputo, Joe Frank, Gary Poole, Harry Leeman, Athos Bousvaros, Daniel Tesmoingt and Donnie Pitchford.

"And my favorite 'villain' would have to be the pathetic, infuriating, and maddeningly hilarious Grey Negotiator!" -- Gary Poole (on Ditko's new comics)

Volume 27, Number 5

Vol. 27, No. 5
May 2016
whole number 317
2016 pages 033-040

Sixty years of the Flash (Barry Allen) celebrated with the classic cover designed by Robert Kanigher and drawn by Carmine Infantino and Joe Kubert.

Natalie Kirsten (aka Natalie Krigstein) has a short autobiography about her time writing comics for Timely, National, Prize and others from 1949 to 1954, with a bibliography of her known work, including stories with publications not yet identified.  A script page from such a story, "Skin Deep", is included.

Part 4 of Gary Poole's bibliography looks at 1967 and part 38 of Carl Wessler's "Upon Reflection" looks at 1956 and work for Timely.

Steve Ditko's "A Wider Context" provides an alphabetical list of characters he worked on outside of the four years from 1962-1966 that most concern "CBFs" (comic book fans).

The passings of Jeremy Dale, Greta Gattel and Jay Maeder are noted and letters from Gary Poole, Robert Rowe, Sharon Levine, Thomas W. Scott III, John Wells, Dave Sim and Chet Cox.

Volume 25, Number 4

Vol. 25, No. 4
April 2014
whole number 292
2014 pages 025-032 (8 pages)

On the cover this time is THE MODNIKS #2, the belated 1970 follow-up to the debut issue of the Gold Key series back in 1967. A page from #1 is on the backcover (artist on both unknown), and creator Gary Poole writes in with some words on his current work and past career, and provides a three page memo/outline about the series detailing the characters and concepts. 

At first I assumed this was a Monkees riff (Dell got the comics license to that show/band), but the Poole memo dates from May 1966, several months before the Monkees show/album release. Maybe it was just something in the air, post-Beatlemania. DC had their own take on the concept with the shortlived Maniaks around the same time (and the longer lasting SWING WITH SCOOTER, although the music elements didn't last long), contemporary with the Archie gang forming the band The Archies and others.

Also this issue, part 2 of a bibliography of the prolific Bill Harris, continued from the previous issue.

Also letters from Joe Frank, Darren Ford, Gary Kato and Andrezzzz xx, plus RS reviews some recent acquisitions in his library.

Call out the instigators, because there's something in the air...

Volume 24, Number 2

Vol. 24, No. 2
February 2013
whole number 278
2013 pages 009-016 (8 pages)

Martin Filchock is featured this issue, shortly after his passing in 2012 at age 100. He drew for Centaur in the 1930s, and two of his covers are featured in colour here. He's remembered by Robin Snyder and G. G. Faircloth, plus a partial bibliography of his work.

Also featured is the conclusion of Ron Goulart's biography of Artie Saaf and correspondence from Stan Goldberg, Andrez Bergen, Joe Frank, Kevin Greenlee, Gary Poole and Spider Robinson.

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.