Roy Thomas’ Standing-Room-Only Comics CELEBRATING GOLDEN AGE GREAT $8.95 FROM THE In the USA JUSTICE SOCIETY No.140 TO — June AND BACK AGAIN! 2016

Irwin Was Here! 3 2 5 0 0 0 8 5 6 2 8 1 Characters TM & © DC Comics. Vol. 3, No. 140 / June 2016 Editor Associate Editors Bill Schelly Jim Amash Design & Layout Christopher Day Consulting Editor John Morrow FCA Editor P.C. Hamerlinck J.T. Go (Assoc. Editor) Comic Crypt Editor Michael T. Gilbert Editorial Honor Roll Jerry G. Bails (founder) Ronn Foss, Biljo White Proofreaders Rob Smentek William J. Dowlding Cover Artists Shane Foley Contents (adapting the work of Irwin Hasen) Writer/Editorial: Chasin’ Hasen ...... 2 Cover Colorist Hasen—The Documentary...... 3 Tom Ziuko A transcript of Dan Makara’s unseen film about (and starring) Golden Age artist Irwin Hasen. With Special Thanks to: Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt! Steve Harford The Wallace McPherson Interview...... 27 Aaron Allen Brett J. Michael T. Gilbert presents Shaun Clancy and the fan who may have created MLJ’s Black Jack! Heidi Amash Jim Kealy Sergio Aragonés Robert Kennedy Comic Archive: Bob Bailey Michael Learn Gordon Belljohn Love Changed My Life ...... 43 Robert R. Barrett Alberto Becattini Art Lortie Part 4 of Bill Schelly’s multi-issue tribute to G.B. Love, founder of the RBCC adzine. Rick Beyer Jim Ludwig Tributes to and ...... 51 Christopher Boyko Dan Makara Alan Brennert Doug Martin re: [correspondence, comments, & corrections] ...... 57 Aaron Caplan Chellie Mayer Janice Chiang Wallace McPherson FCA [Fawcett Collectors Of America] #199 ...... 73 Shaun Clancy Michael Norwitz P.C. Hamerlinck completes his study of artist Ray Harford & the Army of WWII. Plus Charles Pelto website Steven Rowe On Our Cover: Several years ago, as an illustration for an “alternate history” in which M.C. Gaines’ Craig Delich Randy Sargent All-American Comics Group had taken over National/DC instead of vice versa, Shane Foley created Sean Dulaney Tom Sawyer what is basically a sort of “alternate inking” (which included altering four characters into four different John R. Ellis Elizabeth Sayles ones) of Irwin Hasen’s classic cover for All-Star Comics #37 (Oct.-Nov. 1947), with and William Sayles standing in for and The —and The and Luthor replacing The Michael Feldman Sheila Shapira and The Thinker. (Shane also re-positioned Dr. Mid-Nite, to help Superman and Batman be Danny Fingeroth Anthony Snyder spotlighted more clearly.) Not only was All-Star’s “Justice Society of America” one of Irwin’s major John Fishel Mark Squirek comic book assignments—and not only was one of the JSA , the hero for Shane Foley whom he was a regular artist both before and after his Army service in World War II—but Hasen even Henry G. Franke III Jim Tyne seems to have drawn the “Superman” and “Batman” chapters in All-Star #36 (Aug.-Sept. ’47). That Bill Gallo Michael Uslan made this well-executed adaptation illo ideal for the cover of this edition of Alter Ego. The photo of Janet Gilbert Irwin was taken by Mad artist Sergio Aragonés. [JSA heroes & villains TM & © DC Comics.] Grand Comics Hames Ware Above: The most noteworthy of several 1940s heroes that Irwin Hasen co-created was “Wildcat,” in Database Steven G. Willis All-American’s Sensation Comics, behind cover heroine . These dramatic panels are Jay Harford Eddy Zeno from Sensation #14 (Feb. 1943). Scripter unknown. Hasen always maintained that the initial concept of the series was his, but that was brought aboard by editor Shelly Mayer to write This issue is dedicated to the memory of the early stories. Thanks to Doug Martin. [TM & © DC Comics.] Alter EgoTM is published 8 times a year by TwoMorrows, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614, USA. Phone: (919) 449-0344. Irwin Hasen, Murphy Anderson, 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. & Leonard Starr Eight-issue subscriptions: $73 US, $116 International, $31.60 Digital Only. All characters are © their respective companies. All material © 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 FIRST PRINTING. 4 HASEN– The Documentary A Film—& Soundtrack—About Golden Age Great IRWIN HASEN by Dan Makara

I. Twin Introductions by Dan Makara

A. My Friend Irwin II have many “best” friends. My wife is my best friend. My son, my dog, even my cat… we are best friends. Irwin Hasen was my Best Friend. I’d wanted to meet him because I thought All-Star Comics was the numero uno comic book of All Time… and Irwin had drawn the best of the best All-Star stories.

Irwin Was Here! Irwin Hasen (on left, above) and Dan Makara a few years ago at the Wonder Woman Museum in Bethel, Connecticut; it was founded by the family of WW co-creator William Marston. Also on this page are a Hasen re-creation of his very first “Justice Society” cover, for All-Star Comics #33 (Feb.-March 1947)—and a classic color sketch of the waif Dondi atop a duffel bag. The latter image was used as the cover of Classic Comics Press’ collection Dondi by and Irwin Hasen, Vol. 1 (2007); courtesy of Charles Pelto. That series’ two volumes are still in print; see ad on p. 3. The All-Star re-creation is courtesy of owner Mark Squirek. [JSA & Solomon Grundy TM & © DC Comics; Dondi TM & © Tribune Media Services, Inc.] Hasen—The Documentary 11 IRWIN – A STORY A Documentary Film by Dan Makara Transcribed by Sean Dulaney [Images from early Dondi comic strips.] CHILD’S V/O: The story of Dondi. A little war orphan found cold and starving by two kind-hearted G.I.s. They feed him and treat him with affection. For the first time in his life, Dondi has a home and finds real happiness. But then, suddenly, the bottom drops out of his world. Word comes that his G.I. buddies are to be sent back to America. But the resourceful lad hides aboard a troop ship. After an arduous journey, the little refugee secretly enters the United States. DONDI: [seeing the Statue of Liberty from the ship] I know you, Big Lady. You Miss America! IRWIN HASEN: I was born in Harlem. I weighed a pound and a quarter. Pound and a quarter, and the doctor at the hospital, the Women’s Hospital in New York, said, “If he survives he’ll be a genius.” They said, “Don’t count on it.” My earliest memory is when my mother and father, after I was born, after about two years, began to measure me against the wall. You never forget a thing like that. “Why are they measuring me?” And I think it stayed with me. My father came from Russia. He came from the old country where, if you have a son, you put him out in the fields… to work. And he was a little nonplussed by having a little son. My parents, whenever they moved—they moved four or five times a year, terrible—and they’d put me in a little room in the back of the apartment. And I’d sit there with the radio—the radio was my life’s blood— and I’d sit with my drawing board in a lonely room. I don’t know how the hell I did it. I don’t know. When you think about [it,] almost all did it. A lonely room. Cartoonists are like little children. Even when they’re 80. They’re not children. They’re old children. They never lost that spell of being young. Cartoonists. Even the word “” is a funny word. I collected the most beautiful bunch of friends. Not being in the business world, but by being a cartoonist. I was there at the beginning. I just walked into it. A little kid with a portfolio. That’s how the whole thing started… how the world started.

Dondi Esta… Montage of 1955 Sunday and daily panels from Dondi, by writer Gus Edson & artist Irwin Hasen, as glimpsed in screen saves from the doc. Ye Editor has always wondered if Edson got the name from the Spanish word “Donde,” meaning “Where”… since the lad was lost from his homeland, then lost for a time in the New World. As a kid, Roy—and, he’s since learned, lots of other people—thought Dondi was Korean, since the war on that Asian peninsula had ended only two years before, in an uneasy truce that still endures. [TM & © Tribune Media Services, Inc.] 12 A Film—& Soundtrack—About Golden Age Great Irwin Hasen

Because… maybe I did lead a lonely life. I don’t think so. Maybe Dondi was a part of me and I was Dondi. The kid—and I use the word “the kid”—it’s like I was gonna say “my kid.” I look at him as though he’s my kid. Like a little son of mine, you see? It was like I never had a real family. My parents, my grandparents… they fought and screamed a lot. When you’re surrounded by anger and depression all the time, to survive, you find ways to escape. I think I wanted to become an entertainer to make them laugh, or even love me. Maybe that’s why I became a cartoonist. To make them laugh.

Ellis Is Wonderland We lived all together in a little house in Bensonhurst. And we had a chauffeur and his wife. His wife was our Irwin on his way to Ellis Island, at the start of Makara’s engaging documentary. That island, of course, was where his immigrant parents, like millions more, had entered the United cook. And I could never understand the dichotomy of States in the early 20th century. [© 2016 Dan Makara.] living in a two-story white, stucco little house and having a chauffeur… a liveried chauffer. And that’s how we lived for about five years. Ten years, maybe. I wanted to be loved by everybody, unquote. Even women. I was doing everything a little guy does to prove that he’s tall. I was My grandfather was a very wealthy man. Furniture dealer. He always aware I was short, and I owned the building down on 315 Grand Street. In a six-story used to wear elevator shoes. building. And while I was typing letters to his sister in Boston… I would be learning how to type. That’s where I learned how to We had a terrible family life. type. I was five years old. And I used to hear noises from upstairs. Awful… just disgusting. [imitates the sound of squeaking bedsprings] It was my grandfather… Terrible. That’s probably why I schtupping his female customers on the sixth floor. The mattresses. may have been crippled a little He was in the furniture business and I often wondered about that bit about getting married, sound… the noise. My grandfather had great taste. [shows pinky having a family, and all that. I ring] This is his ring, [which] I took off his finger when he was was never able to get close. dead, when he died, so the undertaker shouldn’t take it. ‘Cause I And now that I’m 90 years old, [it] doesn’t matter anymore. So what! But the point is, I don’t even feel sorry. I don’t even think I missed anything. That’s what’s scary. And that’s what’s a little sad.

You Make Me Feel So Young! (Above & right:) Irwin playing Charlie Chaplin at age 6—and at, age 15, with an unidentified girl about the same age. Thanks to Dan Makara.

A View With A Room (Above:) Irwin gazes out of his apartment window in New York City (where he lived for nearly 60 years) at the street below—or maybe he’s remembering himself in 1923 at age five, as in the photo just above. Two screen saves from the doc. [© 2016 Dan Makara.] 24 A Film—& Soundtrack—About Golden Age Great Irwin Hasen

you know? You ate or didn’t eat. It was a tough life. I think “Superman” and “Batman” were the only things that survived the time. But even they were hurt very badly. HASEN: [narrating] The super-hero books began to lose money. As a result, a lot of cartoonists lost their jobs. In 1950, in fact, I lost mine. [Cut to:] INFANTINO: He was told at DC Comics he should take a vacation, as they were For What It’s hiring these kids. He thought it was Wertham! wonderful. [laughter] When he got on the Dr. Fredric Wertham, author Queen Elizabeth, he found out he was of the 1954 anti-comics fired. book Seduction of the Innocent. ’Nuff said? HASEN: [narrating] I went to Israel, and that’s where I became Jewish. That’s when I knew I was Jewish. Because when I went to Jerusalem, the cab driver dropped me off at the top of the mountain. You look down into Jerusalem and you see the lights in the sky, and all of a sudden, I started crying. And I said to the driver—his name was Tzvee, all the cab drivers are named “Tzvee” in Israel—I said, “Tzvee, why am I crying?” He said, “Mr. Hasen, they all cry.”

[Continued on p. 29]

“Look Out, Axis—Here Come Green Lantern & Doiby!” (Above:) Green Lantern and Doiby did their part for the war effort in this two- page special feature from All-American Comics #44 (Nov. 1942). Scripter unknown. Thanks to Michael T. Gilbert. [TM & © DC Comics.]

in only one paper, and having made no money, we were cancelled. However, it was a terrific experience. Later that year, as I left my newspaper family, I returned to my comic book family, DC Comics. Soon, I was back to work with “The Green Lantern,” “The ,” All-Star Comics… and my new assignment. The regular cover artist for Wonder Woman. Shelly knew, I think, that I loved drawing tall, statuesque women. And even going out with a few. And on every cover, the Amazon princess battled a plethora of thugs, pirates, space aliens, and 3-D monsters. But after the war, times changed. DR. FREDERIC WERTHAM: [archival footage] The real question is this. Are comics good, or are they not good? [Cut to:] INFANTINO: They were destroying comics. They said children were being destroyed. Kids were jumping off rooftops. Killing themselves. Drugs. Women. Sex. Violence. They blamed every , every problem in the world on comic books. And the comics got slaughtered. We were the people doing these things and we’d be Irwin As Don Juan ashamed to even tell people we did them. As I said, that’s the The cover of Hasen’s 2009 /memoir Loverboy: An Irwin Hasen reason we did pseudonyms—for myself, and the other guys did, Story, from Vanguard Press. [© Estate of Irwin Hasen.] too. We didn’t know day to day if there’d be work or not work, Hasen—The Documentary 29

Caught In Charlotte’s (Top left:) Irwin at the 1996 Heroes Con in Charlotte, North Carolina, flanked by his late-1940s editor (on right) and artist Murphy Anderson. Photo courtesy of Bob Bailey. Also seen are a cover by Hasen, probably drawn for Julie after JS took over full editorial chores from —that of All-Star Comics #44 (Dec. 1948- Jan. 1949), with his Wonder Woman having a very H.G. Peter look—and, also for Julie, a splash page (inked by Bernard Sachs) of an SF story in Strange Adventures #47 (Aug. 1954); Sid Gerson, writer. [TM & © DC Comics.] [Continued from p. 24] And that’s when I became a Jew. Simple as that. you’re in advertising. So I said I was doing some advertising work. I hadn’t done any work in four years. So he said, “Would you be Back in the States and being out of work, my friends at the interested in doing something?” National Cartoonists Society got me on a USO tour to entertain the troops. Again, my two loves. The stage and cartooning. This comes to the end of my life where I became not an itinerate, but a “star.” In 1952, a bunch of us were sent overseas to Germany. And yes, Virginia, there was a Holocaust. One night I slept in a German He sends me a picture of Dondi when we get back to New York. general’s bed. I wasn’t in it [the Holocaust]. I would’ve been in an The picture is like this. [displays Edson’s original Dondi drawing; see ashtray in the morning. And then we went to Dachau. [chokes up] p. 31] That’s the picture. It was not as ornate. It was on Waldorf- Then we went to Dachau. And that’s where we got the shock. Astoria stationery. Black-&-white. And I looked at the picture and said, “Gus”… I called him up and said, “Gus, this is going to be Gus Edson [writer & artist on comic strip] and I were the best strip in America.” It’s like looking across a crowded room, the only Jews among the cartoonists. And Gus Edson and I, the seeing a woman and saying, “That’s going to be my wife.” only Jews, came back on the bus, didn’t say a word. We got back to Berlin and we all got drunk. [The song “Dondi” plays, sung by popular recording artist Patti Page.] And it was quite an experience. One moment of the trip, Gus I did this, right at the very beginning, six days a week, possibly said to me, “Are you doing anything? What are you doing?” About sometimes seven days a week. Sometimes ten hours a day. my work: when you’re broke and you’re out of work, you say 32 A Film—& Soundtrack—About Golden Age Great Irwin Hasen

Dondi—Rhymes (More Or Less) With “Sunday” The first Dondi Sunday, dated Oct. 2, 1955—reprinted in black-&-white from Classic Comics Press’ Dondi, Vol. 1. [TM & © Tribune Media Services, Inc.]

As a result of his popularity, Dondi became attractive to There was a lot of merchandising from the movie. They put out Hollywood. Gus Edson had a friend, and he said, “We have a dolls. They put out belts. They put out everything. And… “Gosh!” movie being made.” I said, “That’s nice. Who’s going to be the as Dondi would say, “Gosh, Misters, why didn’t you tell me about producer?” He said, “Kid, nothing to do with you. Don’t worry the merchandising?” about it.” And then I knew I was—[makes throat-slashing gesture] One perk I did get was a trip to Miami. I was asked to be a And I said, “What about me?” I’d like to go judge at the Miss Universe competition that year. In 1960. It was to to Hollywood. He said, “Irwin, you know you’re going to have to pay your own way. You want to spend that?” I looked at him and said, “Gus, I’m your partner.” In his mind, “You’re not my partner. You’re a schmuck cartoonist who I hired to get—” And I shut up. Anyway, I went to Hollywood. I paid my way. This is a sad story. A rotten story. It’s a terrible story. Because he did everything behind my back. And he put me in that movie, [in] which I’m a police artist. I did a drawing of Dondi when he was lost in America. Do a drawing of Dondi. Yes, Virginia, There Is A Dondi Claus! Gus drove home in a white Lincoln Hasen (on left) with Gus Edson in 1956, at a time when Dondi became, for a time, one of the most Continental car, plus whatever he got from the popular comic strips in the U.S. Screen save from doc. [Screen save © 2016 Dan Makara; movie. Dondi art TM & © Tribune Media Services, Inc.] 38 A Film—& Soundtrack—About Golden Age Great Irwin Hasen

GALLO: Who killed it? HASEN: Somebody at the News. Well, the News was our biggest client at that time. GALLO: Yeah. HASEN: And then we lost papers. It fell out of favor, you know, after 30 years. New editors come in. New advertising and all that. First of all, when it stopped, I was okay. I didn’t feel bad. GALLO: Why? HASEN: It wasn’t making a lot of money. Very little money for the work End Of An Era I had to put in. That’s the reason. (Above & below:) Hasen looking at the final Dondi Sunday strip (for June 8, 1986)—and a contrast between the DAN MAKARA: off camera ever-young Dondi and a photo of young Irwin in 1923. Both screen saves from the doc. [© 2016 Dan Makara.] [ ] Plus you got your run, didn’t you? HASEN: I had my 30 years. Jesus! GALLO: It was very popular. HASEN: Absolutely! I have no complaints. And also, I started to teach. [Cut to footage of Hasen looking over the work of his students at the School] HASEN: [narrating] I taught at the Joe Kubert’s School of Cartoon Art for nearly 30 years. I began when I was still doing Dondi and then 22 years after Dondi ended. And Joe Kubert, who runs the school—oh, what a great guy. And a great artist. He’s HASEN: The story of Dondi is about the American dream. been my friend since my comic book days back at DC Comics. Some people ask me why Dondi was an Italian orphan. But that didn’t matter. Dondi could have just as easily been German, or [Cut to Irwin, Joe Kubert, and other faculty having lunch… joined in Jewish… Arab… or anything. In America, everybody has a chance. mid-conversation, probably about the New York Comics Convention] But you’ve got to work your tail off. JOE KUBERT: That’s a wild place, also. And the convention gets GALLO: Dondi… I fell in love with Dondi right away. It was a great wilder and wilder. strip. Why it’s not running today… It—It could be. It— HASEN: I heard last year they had like 60,000. HASEN: It should’ve been. It could’ve been. KUBERT: Yeah. Yeah. GALLO: Yeah. , for crying out loud. . HASEN: I’m a little bit leery of that, really. Dondi could’ve grown up to be… [Cut to Irwin in car, going to New York Comics Convention] HASEN: He couldn’t grow up. I didn’t grow up. Why should Dondi grow up? MAKARA: [off camera] So, what do you think going to these comic book conventions, Irwin? GALLO: [laughter] But it should’ve been… HASEN: I love it! HASEN: I know. MAKARA: Yeah? GALLO: I don’t know why it was cancelled. Why was it cancelled? HASEN: Yeah. I make a couple’a bucks. Tax-free. [pauses a beat] HASEN: I think the Daily News finally didn’t like it. Keep this off the record. Jesus. GALLO: Why? [Irwin walking into the building where the convention is being held] HASEN: I don’t know why. Nobody ever told us. [Continued on p. 42] 40 A Film—& Soundtrack—About Golden Age Great Irwin Hasen

Irwin Hasen’s Four-Play Whether Irwin Hasen will be remembered more for his comic book work, or for Dondi, is a question perhaps not yet decided—but we hope his spirit won’t mind if Alter Ego honors him for both! Seen on this page are the “Wildcat” splash from Sensation Comics #8 (Aug. 1942), his covers for Green Lantern #31 (March-April 1948) and Wonder Woman #44 (Nov.-Dec. 1950)… and an early Dondi strip, for Sunday, 10-30-55, as repro’d on the back cover of one of Classic Comic Press’ Dondi volumes. Thanks to Doug Martin for the “Wildcat” art (with script by Bill Finger) and to the for the covers. [Comic book art TM & © DC Comics; Dondi art TM & © Tribune Media Services, Inc.] Hasen—The Documentary 43

IRWIN HASEN Checklist [This checklist is adapted from information found in the online edition of The Who’s Who of American Comic Books 1928-1999, established by Jerry G. Bails. Names of features that appeared both in comic books with that title and in other publications, as well, are generally not italicized. Some of this information was probably supplied by Hasen himself via questionnaires sent out in the 1970s in conjunction with the original print version of the Who’s Who. : (w) = writer; (a) = full art; (p) = pencils; (i) = inks; (d) = [Monday through Saturday]; (S) = Sunday comic strip.]

Name: Irwin Hanan Hasen (1918-2015) artist, writer Award was seen in Alter Ego #132.] Pen Name: Zooie Syndication: Dondi (d & S)(a) 1955-86, -New York News Syndicate (writer of daily 1966-67) Education: National Academy of Design; Art Students League Comics in Other Media: gag cartoons, sports cartoons Influences: Willard Mullin, Henrik Kley, Gustav Dore Non-Mainstream Comic Books: Old Town Publishing – Dr. Wonder Member: National Cartoonists Society (a) 1996; Renegade Press – covers 1986, Revolver (a) 1985; Rip Off Print Media (Non-Comics): Artist contributor: Book, How to Draw Press – covers (a), Ms. Samson (a), science-fantasy (a) all 1986 – Tips from Top Cartoonists. Also was advertising artist Co-Creator: The (MLJ); Harvey (DC); The Wildcat (DC) Other Career Notes: Teacher – Joe Kubert School of Cartooning Promotional Comics: “Bazooka, the Atom Bubble Boy” (a) 1948-49 and Graphic Arts (c. 1980-92); teacher – School of Visual Arts (dates for Bazooka Bubble Gum uncertain) Comics Studio/Shop: Bert Whitman Associates (p)(i) c. 1939-40; Honors: (San Diego Comic-Con) 1999; National Harry “A” Chesler Studio (p)(i) c. 1939-40; Funnies, Inc. (p)(i) Cartoonists Society – Best Story Strip 1961, 1962; Eisner Hall of c. 1939-40 – all three freelance Fame Award 2014 [NOTE: A photo of a proud Irwin with his Eisner

Fill ’Em Up! Fillers by Hasen in rare outings for: (Left:) MLJ’s Top Notch Comics #1 (Dec. 1939), signed. (Right:) ’ Captain Marvel Jr. #89 (Dec. 1950), for which he drew—and reportedly also wrote—this humor feature. Thanks for both scans to Steven G. Willis. [© the respective copyright holders.] 47

At Ease (Left:) The inscription on the back of the photo on the left says: “AA78 Bancroft San Diego, Ca. 1940 – Wallace McPherson ‘Boy Scout’– 1936 Ford.” (Above:) An ad introducing MLJ’s Black Jack, From Top-Notch #20 (Oct. 1941). [© 1941 MLJ Publishing] 48 The Wallace McPherson Interview Introduction by Michael T. Gilbert

LL ast issue, we featured an interview between Shaun Clancy and a comic fan whose winning contest entry was published in a 1941 issue of MLJ’s Top Notch Laugh Comics. Well, detective Shaun is back at it again! This time he’s found a forgotten piece of comic history in which a young fan may actually have helped create a classic MLJ super-hero! And now, without further ado, we present… The Wallace McPherson Phone Interview (10/1/10) by Shaun Clancy

SHAUN CLANCY: I saw your name in print in a 1941 publication which had you listed at 4478 Bancroft Street, San Diego, California? WALLACE McPHERSON: You got that right. That’s me. SC: This publication is called [#22, Dec. 1941], and this issue actually features the first ever appearance of the character Andrews. McPHERSON: Oh? SC: Your name is mentioned as a fan who wrote in on the super-heroes that the comic featured before Archie was created. McPHERSON: I remember when I was a little kid… getting one Two Of A Kind! person who contacted me from that. I wrote that person one letter Steel Sterling introduces the latest MLJ superstar, Black Jack, but I never heard back. I also never saw the mention of me in the on the cover of Zip Comics #20 (Nov. 1941). Art by Irv “The Nerve” Novick! comic or what title and issue it appeared in. [© Archie Comic Publications, Inc.] SC: I thought I’d track you down and verify that the mention of your And from what I can remember, he had a big spade on his chest. At name in this comic was legit and that MLJ wasn’t just posting fictitious that time, everyone was drawing Superman and Batman because names. I have heard of some publishers doing that. we all read comic books when we were that age. In 1941, I would McPHERSON: I did send a letter and, as I recall, I even sent a have been 12 years old. [NOTE: Wallace McPherson was born in drawing of a super-hero that I did. 1929.] SC: The character that SC: Do you remember if the editors for that comic ever personally they mention in the letter responded to your letter? column would be in McPHERSON: No. I only had the one response from a fellow fan reference to the super- that had seen my name in the comic, just like you just did. The heroes The and The publisher never contacted me. In 1941, we moved out to another . Those were the area in Spring Valley, which is where I still live in right now. That super-heroes that were comic would have come out around the time of that transition and appearing in this comic at the start of World War II, so it’s possible that they may have sent book title at that time. In something to our old address, which may have never been fact, there was a Shield G- forwarded. Man Club that you could join. Do you still have SC: Did you continue to read Pep Comics after they introduced your comics? “Archie” in it? McPHERSON: No, I McPHERSON: Yes. In those days, prior to World War II, there don’t. That was so long were little book stores that moms and pops ran right on Elkahorn ago. I think that the Boulevard, and if you took in two used comic books they would let The Joker! hero that I designed you get one new one out of the stack. That’s how we kept circu- and sent in was a lating the comic books. That’s the way it worked in those days. You Archie’s in Pep Comics character that I called (issue #22, Dec. 1941). [© Archie Comic took two in to mom and pop in the little house they lived in, Publications, Inc.] “The Ace of Spades.” because they’d do it out the front room in San Diego, and we’d get 54 Comic Fandom Archive Alter Ego’s Multi-Part Tribute To G.B. Love

G.B. Love. & RBCC – Part 4 (1939-2001) Photo by Robert Brown. Gordon Belljohn Love Changed My Life by John Ellis

ntroduction: The first two parts of our look at G.B. Love and his IIinfluential ad-zine, Rocket’s Blast-Comicollector, appeared in A/E #133-135, which included the first half of an interview with James Van Hise, who was Love’s assistant editor on RBCC before assuming full editorship of it in 1974. But Jim came along only in 1970. For a picture of G.B. Love that begins even before Van Hise entered the scene, we reached out to John Ellis, who graciously agreed to tell the story of how he met the Big Name Fan and participated in various SFCA (South Florida Comics Association) endeavors, including the first comic collectors club in Florida. John is a prime example of someone who benefited greatly from G.B.’s generosity and tutelage, one of the reasons he was able to go on to a multi- faceted career in the popular arts. I’m sure you’ll enjoy getting to know John as you read more about the editor and publisher of the Rocket’s Blast- Comicollector, the estimable Gordon Love, whose life and fanzine we are celebrating. Special thanks to Jim Van Hise and Aaron Caplan for help on some of the visual aspects of this piece. —Bill Schelly.]

ordon Belljohn Love published for almost 13 years. GG I knew him well for the latter half of that period, and he changed my life. To tell G.B.’s story, I need to tell mine. I was born in March of 1955 in Wilmington, Ohio. One of my earliest memories, from the late 1950s, is of my brother Larry teaching me to trace Donald Duck from his comic books. In the early 1960s my mom would bring home comics occasionally, mostly funny- animal comics. One day in May 1964 she brought me a Blackhawk and a Magnus Robot Fighter from El Blackie’s Party Store and “set the Amazing, Man! hook.” My new quest for more John Ellis in 1970, not long after meeting G.B. comics led me to discover the comics Love and helping form the South Florida Comic display in the Wilmington Drug Club—and the cover of the first issue in Ellis’ Store. Then came the historic subscription to RBCC: #61 (1969), which moment in June 1964 when I turned featured John Fantucchio’s extraordinary the corner in the store to see a spread Amazing-Man drawing. Fantucchio of for the first time. I contributed many outstanding cover still have the Marvel Tales Annual #1 illustrations to G.B. Love’s fanzine. Photo that I bought that day. courtesy of John Ellis. [Art © the respective copyright holders.] My one close “comic book pal” was my sister-in-law Carol Day, who was several years older than me. We were Gordon Belljohn Love Changed My Life 55

Hatchet Job (Above:) G.B. Love’s first step in establishing a comic book club in Florida was placing this announcement in the classified ad section of RBCC #65 (1969). (Right:) According to the caption in RBCC #77, where this photo appeared: “Ye editor welcoming local fan John Ellis to the SFCA offices. Proof-positive that fans are always welcome.” Photo by Andy Warner. John Ellis adds, “G.B. just got his C.C. Beck ‘Conan’ battle axe and wanted to try it out... on me!!! Note C.C. Beck ‘’ blaster on the wall above our heads. It was actually only half of the gun, to be able to fit flat against the wall for display.”

comic book fanatics. We copied drawings from the comics. I bought me a remember drawing Sgt. Fury and talking about becoming a comics subscription to artist. My only other comic book pal was Frank Kelley, who lived something called in Kentucky and sometimes visited his relatives (our neighbors). RBCC, the Frank knew about Golden Age comics and further opened up my Rocket’s Blast & world with tales of ancient comic book lore. Comic-Collector, and my world In the summer of 1966, when I was 11, my family moved from began to change. Ohio to South Florida for my mother’s health. In West Palm Beach My first issue in 1967 I made friends with Larry Calvert, a schoolmate who was a was #61, with the great John Fantucchio’s Amazing-Man Marvel collector and a talented artist. Larry, Carol, and Frank were cover. The ads for old comics, articles, and artwork really blew my really it for me, in my world, the lonely comic-collecting secret mind. Three more issues arrived through the summer of 1969. It universe. I had also made friends through the mail and over the was hard to wait the two months between issues, each one better phone with Howard Rogofsky from his ads in Marvel comics. than the last. Howard sold me “less than perfect” Golden Age comics cheap (on my budget). He was really nice and honest and probably didn’t In RBCC #65, I saw an ad for the “South Florida Comics make any money from me, but made me one happy kid. Council,” a club forming in Miami. I excitedly called the phone number and talked to a guy named Andy Warner. The next day, I was 13 in December 1968. As a Christmas gift, Frank Kelley Andy and artist Jon Farwell made the drive all the way up to West Palm Beach to meet me. They dropped off a Care package of EC comics, fanzines, Witzend, Graphic Story Magazine, and a whole bunch of stuff that filled me with a new sense of wonder. I was in awe, seeing those beautiful pro-printed fanzines with Wood, Frazetta, Crandall, and Bodé for the first time. Truly a “gosh-wow golly-gee-whiz” moment for me. Later that month, on a Saturday morning, I took a Greyhound bus to Miami to the first club meeting and met a whole slew of fans. It was something I never imagined: a group of people like me, openly into comic books. Attending were Jon Farwell and Andy Warner (of course), artist Mike McKenney, fan editor and publisher Gary Brown... and G.B. Love. Andy led the meeting, and we decided to put on a one day convention in December. It was very gratifying to be accepted by this group and to actually be made a board member. Andy and his family invited me to stay over, and I was surprised when G.B. asked if I wanted to come to the SFCA offices the next day (Sunday) and work in the office. I remember saying, “What does that mean?” and G.B. and Andy chuckling. Andy said, “You’ll get paid for it. I’ll be working too, I work for G.B. all the time!” G.B. laughed and said, “What, you think I’d Let’s Call This Meeting To Order! make you work for free?” It was an amazing thing: my first paying job ever, and for working on a fanzine. First meeting of the Southern Florida Comiclub, at Andy Warner’s house, September 1969. Clockwise from front left corner: unknown fan’s head, I had quite an experience at G.B.’s place the next day. We G.B. Love (adjusting his collar), unknown fan, Andy Warner (white shirt, listened to an audio recording of the Adventures of Captain Marvel leading meeting), fan artist Mike McKenney, Gary Brown. Photo courtesy movie serial, and I typed subscriber addresses on file cards and of John Ellis. helped open mail. There was always a lot of mail to open, as well

75 Fawcett Artist RAY HARFORD & The Ghost Army

Part II Ray Harford 1942, before his stint in the U.S. Army—and its Ghost From War To Wendell Crowley Army. A fuller version of this by P.C. Hamerlinck photo was printed last issue.

The Ghost Army INTRODUCTION: Last issue, we began the story of Ray IHarford (b. 1920), who attended Pratt Institute in , where he met fellow aspiring artists Bob Boyajian, Vic Dowd, and Ken Bald. These “Four Musketeers” also became friends with young . In 1941, the five of them were among several others who went to work for already-veteran artist Jack Binder at his comic book studio, a converted barn in Englewood, New Jersey. While that “comic shop” produced material for several companies, it increasingly concentrated on turning out artwork for Fawcett Publications’ burgeoning comics line. [NOTE: Interviews with Boyajian, Dowd, and Bald appeared in Alter Ego #55, still available from TwoMorrows Publishing.] By 1942, Harford and Boyajian were working in Fawcett’s own art department to help meet the demand for more tales about the company’s ultra-popular feature “Captain Marvel.” Harford proved to be so good at drawing the World’s Mightiest Moral that some of his art has been mistaken for the work of Marc Swayze, the primary artist who drew the “Captain Marvel” material not penciled by the hero’s co- creator, C.C. Beck. But World War II was raging, and there were more important things to do than draw comic books…. “We Shall Both Return!” (Above:) Ray Harford’s original artwork for the cover of #31 (June 1942) featuring General Douglas MacArthur, which he later watercolored for a presentation piece in his personal art portfolio… and (at left) a small thumbnail scan of the printed cover. [ hero TM & © DC Comics.]  &&###!! ;&&AAWWCCETT#OLLLLLEECTORRSS OF !MEERRRIIICCCAA=

ÌÊÌ i “œ“i˜Ì >ÜViÌÌʈà Li ˆ˜`ʈ˜ >ÀÌܜÀŽÊˆ˜ ÃiÛiÀ> V >À>VÌiÀð IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PREVIEW, ÕÀÌÊ ˆ“Ãiv CLICK THE LINK TO ORDER THIS ˆÃÊܜÀŽˆ˜} ISSUE IN PRINT OR DIGITAL FORMAT! œÛiÀ̈“i ÌÀވ˜}ÊÊ̜ Žii« Wendell Crowley Õ«Ê̜ A 1947 photo. ÃV i`Տi° *iÀ >«Ã >ÀÀ>˜}i“i˜ÌÃÊÊVœÕ` Li “>`iÊÊÊÊÜ iÀiLÞ ÞœÕ VœÕ` vˆ ˆ˜Êʜ˜ ܓi Êʜv Ì ˆÃ ÊܜÀŽ° Ê ÕÌ Ü iÌ iÀÊʜÀ ˜œÌ ÊÌ i ÊܜÀŽ ܜՏ`ÊÊLi ÃÌi>`Þ] ÊÊ VœÕ`˜½Ì Ã>Þ°ÊÊÊÊ/ ˆÃ ˆÃ > LÕȘiÃà ʈ˜ Ü ˆV ÊÊ œ˜} Ê>}œ ʏi>À˜i` ʘœÌ ̜ÊÊʓ>Ži >˜Þ «Àœ“ˆÃið ÊÊÊ뜎i ̜ >Ài˜Vi Q iVŽRÊÊÊÊÊ>LœÕÌ ÞœÕ >˜` >Ì Ì ˆÃ ALTER EGO #140 Golden Age great IRWIN HASEN spotlight, adapted from DAN ̈“iÊÊ i VœÕ` Ê«ÕÌ ÊÞœÕ ÊÀˆ} Ì MAKARA ’s film documentary on Hasen, the 1940s artist of the L>VŽÊÊ̜ ܜÀŽ ʜ˜ ÊQ >«Ì>ˆ˜R Justice Society, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Wildcat, Holyoke’s Cat-Man, and numerous other classic heroes—and, >ÀÛi°ÊÊÊi½Ã Ü>Þ Li ˆ˜` Ê ˆÃ for 30 years, the artist of the famous DONDI newspaper strip! `i>`ˆ˜iÃÊÊʘœÜ° i½Ã }œÌ Bonus art by his buddies JOE KUBERT, , , and SHELLY MAYER! *iÌiÊÊÊ œÃÌ>˜â> >˜` > (84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 L>VŽ}ÀœÕ˜`Êʓ>˜ ˜>“i` Êià (Digital Edition) $3.95 ˆ«ˆ˜ÊÊvÀœ“ >˜>`> ÊܜÀŽˆ˜} http://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_55&products_id=1234 vœÀÊÊÊ ˆ“ >˜` Ì >̽à Ê>LœÕÌ Ê> œÕÌÈ`iÊÊʜv > iÌÌiÀˆ˜} ʓ>˜° / iÞÊÊ> ܜÀŽ ÊÊ>Ì œ“i] ÊLÕÌ iVŽÊÊÊÊÊVœÕ` Ì>Ži ÞœÕ ˆ˜Ìœ ˆÃ œÜ˜ÊÊÊÊÊÊÃÌÕ`ˆœ vœÀ > Ü ˆi] ˆv ÞœÕ ÃœÊÊÊÊ`iÈÀi`° œÜ œ˜} Ì ˆÃ ÀÕà Êʜv ܜÀŽ Ê܈ ʏ>ÃÌ Ê˜œ ʜ˜i Ž˜œÜÃÊiˆÌ iÀ° "vÊÊÊVœÕÀÃi] ˆ˜ Ì i Vœ“ˆVÃÊÊÊLÕȘiÃÃ] «iœ«i >Ài >Ü>ÞÃÊÊÊÊÀÕà ˆ˜} ̜ }iÌ V>Õ} Ì Õ«°ÊÊ/ iÞ Ãi`œ“ ÊÀi>V ÊÌ ˆÃ }œ>]ÊÊLÕÌ Ü i˜ ÊÌ iÞ ÊÊ`œ] ˆÌ½Ã `ˆÃ>ÃÌÀœÕ𠜜`“>˜½ÃÊÀiVi˜ÌÞ V>Õ} ÌÊÊÕ«° Ûi˜ ÊÊÌ i v>ۜÀi` viÜÊʜv -Ì>˜ Êii½Ã ÊÃiiVÌ VœÌiÀˆi]ÊÊÊÊÃÕV >à i˜ >` Words To The Wise From Wendell >˜`ÊÊ6ˆV œÜ`] ÊÊÊ}œÌ Ì i }>Ìi Fawcett editor Wendell Crowley gave sound advice, and a referral, in this 10/15/48 letter to Ray Harford, who had ˆ˜ÊÊ> Ü œiÃ>i ÊvˆÀˆ˜} ʜv sought to re-enter the comic book field in the post-war years. Seen above is its first page. >À̈ÃÌ𠈏“>˜½ÃÊVÕÀÀi˜ÌÞ 99œœÕÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊʘiÛiÀ Ž˜œÜ Ü >Ì Üˆ >««i˜ ˆ˜ Ì ˆÃ VÀ>âÞ À>VŽiÌ Liޜ˜`ÊÊÌ iˆÀ Ài}Տ>À ʈ˜Ûi˜ÌœÀÞ ÊÊÊÊ>˜` >à µÕˆÌ }ˆÛˆ˜} ÊʜÕÌ ÜœÀŽ ÜÊʽ` `ivˆ˜ˆÌiÞ Ê iÈÌ>Ìi ÊÊÊ̜ Ìi ÞœÕ Êœ˜i ÊÜ>Þ ÊʜÀ >˜œÌ iÀ° ̜Ê>À̈ÃÌ𠽏ÊÊLi }>` ÊÊ̜ i« ÊÞœÕ ÊÊÊÊ>  V>˜] œÜiÛiÀ° / iÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÀiÃÌ œv Ì i vˆi` ˆÃ ˆ˜ ˆÌà ÕÃÕ> Õ«ÃiÌ ÊVœ˜`ˆÌˆœ˜° ÕÃÌÊÊ̜ VœÃi ʜ˜ Ê>˜ Êi˜VœÕÀ>}ˆ˜} ʘœÌi] ʏiÌ Ê“i ÊÌi ÊÞœÕ vÊÊÊÊÊÊޜսÀi }œœ`] ÕVŽÞ >˜` >Ûi ܓiÌ ˆ˜} ÊÊʜv >˜ ˆ˜] Ì iÊÊÊÊV>Ãi œv œL ÕÌÌð ÊÊi ÀiVi˜ÌÞ ÊV>“i ÊÊÊL>VŽ ̜ Ì i ޜÕÊÊÊÊV>˜ Ã̈ }iÌ ÜœÀŽ° ÊÊ"v VœÕÀÃi] ÊÊÊÊÊÞœÕ >Ài >Ì >˜ >`Û>˜Ì>}i LÕȘiÃÃÊÊÊÊÊ>vvÌÌiÀ > œ˜} ̈“i >Ü>Þ° ÊÊÊÊÊÊi Ü>à ˜œÌ iÀi > ÜiiŽ ÜˆÌ ÊÊޜÕÀ iÝ«iÀˆi˜Vi ÊÊ>Ì >ÜViÌÌà ÊÊÊ>˜` ޜÕÀ >VµÕ>ˆ˜Ì>˜Vi LivœÀiÊÊ i >` ÊÊ> Ì i ÊܜÀŽ ÊÊ i Ü>˜Ìi` Ê>˜` Êʈà Ã̈ ÊܜÀŽˆ˜} ÜˆÌ ÊÊQR >À` ÊQÀÌ Ê ˆÀiV̜ÀR° >ÃÊÊÊÊv>ÃÌ >à i V>˜° vÊÊÞœÕ Ài>Þ ÊÜ>˜Ì ÊÊ̜ Vœ“i ÊL>VŽ Ê iÀi] ÊÌ œÕ} ] ʽ` ÃÊÊ Ã>ˆ` ÊLivœÀi] ÊÌ iÀi½Ã Ê>Ü>Þà ÊÀœœ“ ÊvœÀ Ê> Ê}œœ` ÃÕ}}iÃÌÊÊÊÊÊÌ >Ì ÞœÕ Ì>Ži ˜œ œ˜i½Ã Ê>`ۈVi° Ê >Ži ÊÊÊ> ÌÀˆ« `œÜ˜ “>˜° >˜`ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊʈ˜ÛiÃ̈}>Ìi vœÀ ޜÕÀÃiv° v Ì ˆ˜}à œœŽ «Àœ“ˆÃˆ˜} ÞœÕ 99œœÕÀÃ] V>˜ÊÊ}œ > i>` ÊvÀœ“ ÊÌ iÀi° 7i˜`i