Volume 10, Number 6

Vol. 10, No. 6
June 1999
whole number 114
1999 pages 041-046 (6 pages)

Robert Kanigher's essay "Flare Path", looking at some of the editorial structures over the years at DC and some of the misconceptions about it that appear in fandom.  As usual there are a lot of digressions and interesting anecdotes.

The passings of Jack Schiff and John Broome are noted, with Robin Snyder telling a story about inviting Schiff to the DC Christmas party and Paul S. Newman writing a brief tribute.  Kanigher provides a haiku in honour of Broome./

Under the Gun features letters from Paul S. Newman and Nick Caputo.

Volume 5, Number 3

Vol. 5, No. 3
March 1994
whole number 51
1994 pages 021-032 (12 pages)

A copy of an old A Date With Judy page up front, to go with part 3 of writer Paul S. Newman's bibliography, covering 1947/1948. 

"Newman's comics earnings increased to $4500 in this year [1948]"

An obituary for the recently deceased Jack Kirby in here, with an anecdote about an interaction Snyder had with Jack and Roz Kirby when he was processing art returns for DC. One of those pages, the brilliant intro page to the then-unpublished In The Days Of The Mob #2, is on the backcover. DC has subsequently published the stories meant for that issue in various formats.

Long Under The Gun column this time, with a header by Fred Rhoads and correspondence from Rhoads, Jerry DeFuccio, Paul Norris, Creig Flessel, Jack Schiff, Dick Ayers, Bob Haney, Paul S. Newman (with a sample of a Smokey The Bear strip by Newman and artist Wes Wood from 1958), Chris Pedrin, Jon R. Warren, Nick Caputo, Ray Bottorff, Harry W. Miller, Michael Teitelbaum, Tim Barnes, Robert Rowe, Frances Saint Martin, Mike Benton, Joel Thingvall, Rodney Schroeter,

As a note of trivia, this appears to be the issue that the title of the newsletter took its final form, The Comics (unless you want to count punctuation).

Volume 2, Number 1

Vol. 2, No. 1
January 1991
whole number 14

1991 pages 001-006

Stan Goldberg opens up the second year of the newsletter with a self-portrait featuring his most frequent character for the previous two decades. He also provides a brief auto-biographical essay. 

There's also some auto-bio in an excerpt from Boody Rogers book Homeless Bound.

Lengthy Under The Gun column this time has a long letter from Alvin Schwartz, plus Jack Burnley, Jim Ivey, Steve Rowe, Mary Smith, Fred Rhoads, Robert Kanigher, Robert Greenberger, Jack Schiff (on Showcase and Challengers) and Dorothy Brown (on husband Bob Brown).

Volume 1, Number 11

Vol. 1, No. 11
October 1990
whole number 11
1990 pages 077-086

Reminisces of a Comic Book Editor by Jack Schiff and Gene Reed

(6 page essay originally published in the 1983-84 Overstreet Price Guide)

Under The Gun: Letters from Bob Haney, Shelly Moldoff, Dick Ayers, Henry Boltinoff, Pete Morisi, and Stan Goldberg.

Promo for upcoming Ditko Public Service Package

Note and art by Joe Simon on his book The Comic Book Makers

RS writes about the problem of who owns original art, lack of credit on the Flash TV series and lack of notification to Ditko and Alex Toth on their being inducted into the Comic Book Hall of Fame.

Alex Toth: A Bibliography Part 2: 1987-1990 by Robin Snyder

Back page character faces by Alex Toth.

-- Indexed by: Nick Caputo

Volume 1, Number 3

Vol. 1, No. 3
March 1990
whole number 3
1990 pages 017-028 (12 pages)

“No Spinach for Socrates”, Robert Kanigher responds to Steve Ditko’s opening in the first issue: “At Some Point”

Imagine That, a brief look at Maurice Sendak working on the Mutt and Jeff feature as published by All-American Comics. 

Who is the King of the Comics? The search for the most prolific writer in the comics begins in this issue. 

“Why Bother?” Why waste time looking in the past? Answer: To lay the proper foundation. To set the record straight. For justice. 

Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt. An illustrated memoir all about the creation and history of this original character by Pete Morisi. 

In the Works. A look into the future.

Under the Gun features commentary by Jack Schiff, Joe Simon and Jim Steranko. 

"Tools of the Trade",  an analysis by Steve Ditko of the writer and the artist and how he works in the comics.

“Comic? Books, a reader’s survey re the name used to describe the comics.

-- Indexer: Robin Snyder