Volume 36, Number 3

Vol. 36, No. 3
March 2025
whole number 423
2025 pages 017-024

Artist Pierce Rice is the focus of this issue, with a 1942 cover from Harvey's SPEED COMICS up front, inked by Arturo Cazeneuve.  Two other unfinished pages by Rice inside, "Congo Jim" and "Liberators", as well as a 1994 letter to Robin Snyder about his career and a review he wrote for Classical America about some art books, also from 1994.

Under The Gun has some more memories of Rice from Robin Snyder, as well as a short note from Rice and some mentions of Rice in some letters from Jerry DeFuccio.  Additional letters from Robert Rowe, Sharon Levine and Tim Barnes.

RS also reviews a Creature Commandos book, and there's a very brief 61st segment of Just Imagine, the Paul S. Newman bibliography, with just a single Turok story from 1973.

Volume 35, Number 3

Vol. 35, No. 3
March 2024
whole number 411
2024 pages 017-024

Volume 34, Number 2

Vol. 34, No. 2
February 2023
whole number 398
2023 pages 009-016

Volume 22, Number 11

Vol. 22, No. 11
November 2011
whole number 263
2011 pages 081-088 (8 pages)

Part 38 of Just Imagine, the bibliography of the prolific Paul S. Newman, covers the rest of 1962 and first part of 1963, when Newman continued to work for both branches of the Dell/Western split, including books like Yogi Bear Visits The U.N. as part of 2030 pages of in 1962.

Also this issue, a look at the personnel of Western through the years and a long Under The Gun with a header and letter from Jim Ivey and letters from Bob Cavanaugh and Joe Frank.

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 20, Number 7

Vol. 20, No. 7
July 2009
whole number 235
2009 pages 049-056 (8 pages)

Bob Cavanaugh has the second part of his "Remembering Whitman Publishing Co.", with a focus on his time working on the photo shoots for the TV comics, mostly westerns, that they were publishing, including stories of Roy Rogers, Jock Mahoney, Dick Simmons (Sgt. Preston), Gordon Scott (Tarzan), Duncan Renaldo (Cisco Kid) and others.  A photo cover of Sgt. Preston is shown on the back cover.

Part 31 of "Just Imagine", the bibliography of Paul S. Newman, finishes up 1962 and moves on to 1963, mostly work for both sides of the Dell/Western split. 1962 comes up to 281 stories, 2030 pages.

In Under the Gun, notes on the passing of Lynn Carp and William Overgard, Steve Ditko has some brief comments on Robert Kanigher's previous dissection of a Sgt. Rock script, and notes from Richard Prosch, Gavin Callaghan, Gary Kato and  D. Fenton

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 11, Number 2

Vol. 11, No. 2
February 2000
whole number 122
2000 pages 009-016 (8 pages)

All in the Mall strips by Paul Newman and Mike Mikula (front page)

2nd Mr. A. promo by Ditko (similar to first one)

Under the Gun: letters by Alvin Schwartz, Jerry De Fuccio, Mort Leav, Gary Usher, Carol Newman and Stan Goldberg

Cage Without Bars: poem by Robert Kanigher

Mendy strip by Stan Goldberg

2nd Mocker Promo by Ditko

Tsk! Tsk! SA # 1 The Unearned by Ditko commentary and art on stolen art  (back page)

-- Indexed by: Nick Caputo

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 7, Number 11

Vol. 7, No. 11
November 1996
whole number 83
1996 pages 061-066

Part 5 of "Just Imagine", the bibliography of Paul S. Newman, looks at his work from 1950 and 1951, plus a full page list of comics with his work.

"TAX RECORDS for 1950 show earnings of $6,800 for comics work"

"TAX RECORDS for 1951 show earnings of $10,900 for comics work"

There's also a 1961 editorial cartoon by Newman with artist Roy Doty.

Under the Gun has short comments from Francis Saint Martin, Claire Doyle, Gary Usher, Robert Rowe, Tom Christopher 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 4, Number 12

Vol. 4, No. 12
December 1993
whole number 48
1993 pages 000-xxx (8 pages)

Front and back covers: Sheldon Mayer's art breakdowns for his unfinished The Story of Jesus

Under the Gun: comments on Gaylord DuBois by RS and replies by Dubois, tribute to Alberto Giolotti by RS and reminisces of him by Paul S. Newman

Korak OA page by Dubois and Russ Manning and Turok OA page by Paul S. Newman and Giolotti

Poetry by Gaylord DuBois and Robert Kanigher  

-- Indexed by: Nick Caputo

Volume 4, Number 6

Vol. 4, No. 6
June 1993
whole number 42
1993 pages 000-xxx (4 pages)

Cover: Turok OA page by Paul Newman and Jack Sparling

The Works of Paul S, Newman: 1981-1992

Under the Gun: includes a LOC from John Little

-- Indexed by: Nick Caputo

Volume 3, Number 4

Vol. 3, No. 4
April 1992
whole number 29
1992 pages 039-048 (10 pages)

Posits, Posies and Pufferies: commentary by Alex Toth 

Homage to Mort Meskin: Maestro Hand-written commentary with sentences/words edited. Originally intended for publication in John Benson's Panels, by Alex Toth. RS was uncertain if Benson or Toth did the editing but published it "as is"

Under the Gun: letters and snippets from Tim Barnes, Greg Brooks, Paul S. Newman, George Kashdan, Steve Rowe and Daryl Coats 

Mort by Robert Kanigher commentary on Mort (back page)

-- Indexed by: Nick Caputo

Volume 2, Number 8

Vol. 2, No. 8
August 1991
whole number 21
1991 pages 081-090 (10 pages)

King of the Comics Writers: RS attempts to compile who wrote the most comic book stories

The Work of Paul S. Newman 1976-83 by RS and Paul S. Newman

Under the Gun: letters from Mary Wessler, Mary Smith, Alex Toth, Dick Hall, Steve Ditko.

Commentary by Robert Kanigher (back page)

-- Indexed by: Nick Caputo