Volume 20, Number 4

Vol. 20, No. 4
April 2009
whole number 232
2009 pages 025-032

Stephen R. Bissette leads off the issue, with the long first part of his 3-part autobiographical essay "Moving Day", originally published on his blog in 2005 and a Center For Cartoon Studies commencement speech in 2008. It's about his journey to becoming part of the first class of the Joe Kubert School in 1976, and thus dedicated to Muriel Kubert. This chapter covers Bissette's background and how his time at Johnson State College led him to take a leap of faith on this fledgling new school opening up in Dover, New Jersey:

"In 1976, the thought of anyone, much less a hick from Duxbury and Waterbury, making a career in comics was a reckless, delusional undertaking -- I mean, comics weren't a profession, they were a hobby." -- S. R. Bissette

(said fledgling school is still around, now fully accredited, and having trained many professionals since the first class Bissette attended)

The on-going task of listing "The Works Of Carl Wessler" (later titled "Upon Reflection") hits part 24, and is only up to 1952, when he was writing a lot of comics for Timely, all over their crime, romance and horror lines. Also some work for Lev Gleason, including one amusingly titled "The End of Johnny Morrow", presumably no relation to the publisher John Morrow...

Long "Under The Gun" letter column, with Joe Frank, Mark Fuller, Matt Murphy, D. Fenton, Sandeep Atwal, Gavin Callaghan and Stan Goldberg.

Volume 14, Number 8

Vol. 14, No. 8
August 2003
whole number 164
2003 pages 057-064

Steve Ditko is on the front and back covers of this issue with a late chapter of his long series "A Mini-History" on the creation of Spider-Man, 13. "Speculation".  He features a then-recent quote by Lee on national TV discussing his tired old "saw a fly on the wall" version of the creation of the character, which even Lee admits might be made up. This also leads to one of my favourite Ditko quotes on the matter:

"A leap from a fly to a spider is like from man to a cannibal." -- S. Ditko

He goes into detail on what aspects of the creation he's familiar with and some thoughts about what might have been and what "creation" and "co-creation" means.

Matt Murphy talks about working with the then-recently passed Helen Meyer, publisher of Dell back in their heydey. 

Part 12 of the Robert Kanigher bibliography "Riddle Of The Sphinx" looks at part of 1976, which includes Ragman, Tarzan and some unpublished work like Savage World and Sextet.  

Part 11 of Paul Newman's bibliography, "Just Imagine", is up to 1955 and has him working at Dell, Timely, Avon, ME and Trojan, and that's just the A to F titles.

Lots of discussion in "Under The Gun", Snyder on Al Capp, a handwritten note by Hy Eisman on his career, Mark McMurray and David Transue on Ditko's "Avenging Mind", Murray Ward on Helen Meyer, Nick Caputo on an earlier "Mini-History" chapter, Jim Amash on Les Zakarin, Gary Kato on Mr. Jigsaw, Mike Ambrose on Jerry Grandenetti

Volume 12, Number 6

Vol. 12, No. 6
June 2001
whole number 138
2001 pages 043-050 (8 pages)

Remembering Western and Others by Tom Gill (Front page)

Under the Gun: letters from Athos Bousvaros, Matt Murphy, Gary Usher, Roy Thomas, Nick Caputo, Batton Lash, Robert Kanigher, Joe Gill, Zetta De Voe, Russ Jones, Jerry De Fuccio and Jack Burnley

Two pages of Robert Kanigher's "White Devil - Yellow Devil" script

The Romance Rondo by Robert Kanigher: RK on his work as editor/writer on romance comics (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