Roy Thomas ’ Yul e -B e -Su rprised Comics Fanzine $ No.130 January In8.95 the USA 2015 A SPECIAL HOLIDAY EDITION OF 80 PAGES STARRING CAPTAIN MARVEL with Spy Smasher, Golden Arrow, Bullet- 1 2 man, Mr. Scarlet, Commando Yank, Ibis the Invincible, Lance O’Casey, Phantom Eagle, and many others. 1 82658 27763 5 plus— Heroes TM & © DC Comics or the respective copyright holders. DAN BARRY! Vol. 3, No. 130 / January 2015 Editor Roy Thomas Associate Editors Bill Schelly Jim Amash Design & Layout Christopher Day Consulting Editor John Morrow FCA Editor Paul C. Hamerlinck If you’re viewing a Digital Edition of this publication, J.T. Go (Assoc. Editor) PLEASE READ THIS: Comic Crypt Editor This is copyrighted material, NOT intended for downloading anywhere except our Michael T. Gilbert website or Apps. If you downloaded it from another website or torrent, go ahead and Editorial Honor Roll read it, and if you decide to keep it, DO THE RIGHT THING and buy a legal down- Jerry G. Bails (founder) load, or a printed copy. Otherwise, DELETE IT FROM YOUR DEVICE and DO NOT Ronn Foss, Biljo White SHARE IT WITH FRIENDS OR POST IT Mike Friedrich ANYWHERE. If you enjoy our publications enough to download them, please pay for Proofreaders them so we can keep producing ones like this. Our digital editions should ONLY be Rob Smentek downloaded within our Apps and at William J. Dowlding www.twomorrows.com Cover Artist C.C. Beck Contents (colorist unknown) Writer/Editorial: Keeping The “Christmas” In Christmas . 2 With Special Thanks to: The Many Facets Of Dan Barry. 3 Heidi Amash Sharon Karibian Alberto Becattini begins an in-depth study of a controversial comic book/comic strip artist. Ger Apeldoorn David Anthony Terrance Armstard Kraft Seal Of Approval: History Of The Comics Code–Chapter 6 . 29 Lois Barry André LeBlanc Amy Kiste Nyberg relates how the Code evolved, beginning in 1955! Steven Barry Paul Leiffer Sy Barry Dominique Leonard “I Want Kids To Grow Up Knowing Who Really Alberto Becattini Mark Lewis Gail Beckett Arthur Lortie Created Batman” . 37 William Biggins Jim Ludwig Marc Tyler Nobleman discusses his “children’s book” about writer Bill Finger. Bill Black Michel Maillot Gary F. Brown George Mandel Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt! Twice-Told Covers. 41 Chris Boyko Jim McCaffrey Michael T. Gilbert demonstrates that, if a cover’s worth using once, it’s worth using again! Frank Brunner Robert Menzies Rich Buckler Brian K. Morris Comic Fandom Archive: “Was I First In Remembering Aaron Caplan Will Murray Comic Books?” . 47 Nick Caputo Marc Tyler Bill Schelly showcases the late Jim Harmon’s reminiscences of his 1957 Peon column. Shaun Clancy Nobleman Ed Cox Rick Norwood A Tribute To Morris Weiss. 51 Brian Cremins Amy Kiste Nyberg Rich Donnelly Barry Pearl re: [comments & corrections]. 52 Ramona Felmang John G. Pierce Shane Foley Gene Reed FCA [Fawcett Collectors Of America] #190 . 61 Clay Fourrier Ed Rhoades Paul C. Hamerlinck presents a super-length Yuletide “Yule-ogy” for some Fawcett greats— Rod Fradkin Steve Ringgenberg Beck, Binder, and Swayze—plus a colorful cache of vintage Fawcett Christmas art! Mike Friedrich Trina Robbins Bob Fujitani Jan Sand On Our Cover: Fawcett Publications’ various giant-sized Christmas comics were an institution for a Janet Gilbert Randy Sargent number of years, as detailed in this issue’s likewise giant-sized FCA section—and one of the best Don Glut Dave Schreiner covers in the lot was Charles Clarence Beck’s for Xmas Comics #2 (1942). We kinda wonder if Chris Green Vijah Shah C.C. told his Fawcett bosses how much he detested showing Captain Marvel and Santa Claus Walt Grogan Leonard Starr together—or at least he did in 1973, as you’ll also read this issue! And here you thought it was just a George Hagenauer Brian D. Stoud simple, harmless comic book cover! [Shazam hero, Bulletman, Spy Smasher, Mr. Scarlet, Ibis the Jostein Hansen Dann Thomas Invincible TM & © DC Comics; other art © the respective copyright holders.] Barbara Harmon Gerry Turnbull Carolyn Hayes Juan Urgano Above: During his several years working for National/DC, the multi-talented Dan Barry drew a Tom Hegeman Hames Ware number of outstanding “Vigilante” stories, featuring that modern-day masked cowboy hero. One of Bob Hyde Len Wein his finest splash pages is this one from Action Comics #142 (March 1950), from a script attributed M. Thomas Inge Lindsey S. to Gardner F. Fox. Thanks to Alberto Becattini. [© DC Comics.] Sid Jacobson Wilkerson Alter EgoTM is published 8 times a year by TwoMorrows, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614, USA. Phone: (919) 449-0344. Doug (Gaff) Jones Roy Thomas, Editor. John Morrow, Publisher. Alter Ego Editorial Offices: 32 Bluebird Trail, St. Matthews, SC 29135, USA. Fax: (803) 826-6501; e-mail: [email protected]. Send subscription funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial offices. Eight-issue subscriptions: $67 US, $85 Canada, $104 elsewhere. All characters are © their respective companies. All material © This issue is dedicated to the memory of their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © Roy Thomas. Alter Ego is a TM of Roy & Dann Thomas. FCA is a TM of P.C. Hamerlinck. Printed in China. ISSN: 1932-6890 Morris Weiss & Dan Barry FIRST PRINTING. 3 The Many Facets Of DAN BARRY Comic Books, Comic Strips—& A Controversial Genius by Alberto Becattini AUTHOR’S INTRODUCTION: Dan Barry has always been one of Felmang, Jostein Hansen, Bob Hyde, David Anthony Kraft, Paul Leiffer, my favorite comic artists. As a young boy I was fascinated by his Flash Arthur Lortie, Rick Norwood, Ed Rhoades, Steve Ringgenberg, Dave Gordon, and only later on would I discover his beautiful comic book Schreiner, Brian D. Stroud, and Juan Urgano, who have contributed stories. This essay is the result of a 20-year-long extensive researching of interviews and insights; and interviewees Sy Barry, Gail Beckett, Rich the man and the artist, and it would not exist were it not for the many Buckler, Bob Fujitani, Carolyn Hayes, Sid Jacobson, André LeBlanc, wonderful people who have aided me along the way. These include Barry’s George Mandel, Jan Sand, Larry T. Shaw, and Leonard Starr. And thanks children Steven and Lois, who helped a lot with family history and to Roy Thomas, who made it happen.... pictures; comics historians Bill Black, Shaun Clancy, Ed Cox, Ramona Dan Barry—A Flashy Artist! A 1952 photo of Dan Barry in his studio at the Hotel des Artistes, illustrating Flash Gordon—flanked by some of his primo comic book and comic strip work: The “Vigilante” splash from Action Comics #149 (Oct. 1950). [© DC Comics.] The Dec. 18, 1983, Flash Gordon Sunday page. [© King Features Syndicate, Inc.] Except where otherwise noted, all art & photos accompanying this article were provided by Alberto Becattini. 4 Comic Books, Comic Strips—& A Controversial Genius PART I: The Great Little Artist From New Jersey Beginnings aniel Louis Barry was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, on DD July 11, 1923, to Samuel (1892-1976) and Sarah Barry (1894- 1978). His father was a painting contractor, bringing home about $40 a week, and supporting a big family. Dan was the fourth-born, his elder siblings being Tillie (b. 1918), Phillip (b. 1919), and Beatrice (b. 1920). The family grew even bigger during the following years with the births of Herman (b. 1926), Seymour (b. 1928), Raymond (b. 1929), and Enid (b. 1935). Dan’s son Steven has shed more light on the family background: My grandfather Samuel was a painter. Sarah raised eight children and liked to cook. I remember Sarah used a lot of garlic when she cooked. I remember meeting Sarah’s mother at age 95 when I was young. She was of Early Days Hungarian ancestry—I believe the last name was Menschik. 14th Street, the (Above:) Dan Barry’s parents, Samuel and Sarah, in a 1949 photo. [Courtesy of Steven Barry.] My aunt Tillie was known as Chickie. Two of Raymond’s American Artists boys—Harvey and Ricky, both around my age (I believe School was a (Left:) A view of Straubenmuller Textile High Ricky is a little older and Harvey a little younger)—had progressive School, which Dan Barry attended from 1936-39. artistic talents. I believe Ricky taught art and Harvey had a 1 independent art graphics company. school among whose founders was William Gropper, the political cartoonist for the left-wing paper The Daily Worker. Barry’s The Great Depression struck, and there were times when instructors were Ralph Soyer and Osato Kuniyushi. They taught Samuel’s business was really bad. Dan and elder brother Phillip him the basics of drawing and painting. To pay for art school he had to be temporarily sent to an orphanage because Samuel could would do odd jobs like shining shoes. not support all the kids. In 1931 the Barrys moved to 2930 West 24th Street, at the tip end of Brooklyn, in Coney Island, and that is where Dan grew up. A Key Meeting In his teens, Barry would spend most of his free time in Coney Art School Island, playing roller hockey in the street. There he met, among others, Joseph Heller and Cy Coleman (who would later become Barry studied at Straubenmuller Textile High School at 343 West famous, respectively as a writer and a songwriter/jazz pianist). It 18th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues in the Chelsea was through Heller’s mentor, Daniel Rosoff, that Barry got into neighborhood of New York City, where he became the editor of the comics when he was eighteen. Rosoff recommended him to George school paper and drew his first cartoons.