Volume 11, Number 9

Vol. 11, No. 9
September 2000
whole number 129

2000 pages 077-084 (8 pages)

Warren Sattler is up front this issue, with a new illustration of the character he did with Joe Gill in the 1970s for Charlton, YANG. He singles that out as the work he was most satisfied with in a long career, as it harkened back to the adventure strips of his youth that made him fall in love with cartooning. 

There's also a sample of the long running Grubby comic strip Sattler did and a cute bit of super-hero art, a few samples of Barnaby from 1961 (one of the strips Sattler ghosted) and an appreciation by Jerry DeFuccio. 

Joe Simon has a short note about Red Raven and swiping.

We also get a few pages of Charlton's SUNSET CARSON comic from the 1950s, with Mario DeMarco writing about his work on the feature and other aspects of his career. 

Joe Gill also writes about the pace of writing for Charlton.

Steve Ditko closes the issue with the "The Rationalizers", the third and final part of his series on "The 'Stolen Art Page' Problem", later reprinted in Avenging World [2002].. 

"It is actually a negative claiming to be a superior positive, but endless zeroes still add up to nothing." -- Steve Ditko

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 4, Number 10

Vol. 4, No. 10
October 1993
whole number 46
1993 pages 000-xxx (4 pages) 

The Works of Carl Wessler Part 5: 1957 Timely

Under the Gun: LOC from Sid Jacobson and Joe Simon

RK: MIA: column by Kanigher answering a letter from Alvin Schwartz (back page)

-- Indexed by: Nick Caputo

Volume 3, Number 6

Vol. 3, No. 6
June 1992
whole number 31
1992 pages 059-064 (6 pages)

The Shooting Gallery: commentary by Robert Kanigher

Under the Gun: letters by Robert Rowe, Russ Martin, T.K. Chrisotopher, Bob Hughes, Mike Benton, Daryl Coats, Joe Simon, Bob Haney, Gary Kato, Jim Amash, Mark Voger, John Hazard, John Wells and Nick Caputo

Carl Wessler 1978 DC stories compiled by Mary Wessler from his personal account records

Alex Toth letter to Robin with 2 illos (back cover) 

-- Indexed by: Nick Caputo

Volume 1, Number 13

Vol. 1, No. 13
December 1990
whole number 13
1990 pages 095-102 (8 pages)

The first year of the newsletter ended up with 13 issues, before settling down to consistently monthly (with one issue missed in Vol. 3).

Steve Ditko's "Identity, Identification" opens the issue, continuing his thoughts on comics and the definition of art. This is reprinted in AVENGING WORLD [2002].

A discussion on the creation of the Flash (the Barry Allen version), including comments from Joe Kubert and Carmine Infantino, with an Infantino sketch.

Ernie Colon has a long memorial post about Jim Miele, a long-time contributor to Harvey Comics and creator of Wendy the Good Little Witch.

A lot of letters in Under the Gun, including Mark Heike, Joe Simon, Tim Truman, Frank Doyle, Bob Haney, Nick Caputo, Bob Palin, Jerry Nagel, Pete Morisi, Rich Morrissey, Murray Boltinoff and John L. Goldwater (including corrections he sent in to an article about Archie Comics in the New York Times).

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 5

Vol. 1, No. 5
May 1990
whole number 5
1990 pages 033-040

"An Insider’s Part of Comics History: Jack Kirby’s Spider-Man", by Steve Ditko analyzes the claim that Kirby created Spider-Man, with details about his recollections of the events around the creation of the character. He includes a pictorial guide to the costumes of three heroes: Simon and Kirby’s Captain America, Kirby’s Spider-Man (from memory) and his own Spider-Man.  This was later reprinted in AVENGING WORLD [2002].

Under the Gun contains comments by Robert Kanigher and Joe Simon, who adds his remarks to the Spider-Man creation matter and includes a two-panel sequence by C.C. Beck from Simon’s Comic Book Makers.

I Remember Romance part 2: The DC Bibliography, Robin Snyder's  early attempt to produce a bibliography of the DC love comics, with a list of the many titles and editors.

A cartoon by Creig Flessel featuring the Sandman and a self-portrait.

King of the Comics Writers, first update, by Robin Snyder, with some quick numbers for some of the most prolific writers of American comics.

Toth/FF, A look back into the 1940s by and with Alex Toth on his early years in comics, specifically Famous Funnies / Eastern Comics from 1943 to 1947, leading up to his stint at DC from 1947 to 1952.  

Alex Toth—A Bibliography by Robin Snyder looks at his work from  1945-47

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