AE103Cover FINAL_AE49 Trial Cover.qxd 6/22/11 4:48 PM Page 1 BOOKS FROM TWOMORROWS PUBLISHING Roy Thomas’ Stainless Comics Fanzine $7.95 In the USA No.103 July 2011 STAN LEE UNIVERSE CARMINE INFANTINO SAL BUSCEMA MATT BAKER The ultimate repository of interviews with and PENCILER, PUBLISHER, PROVOCATEUR COMICS’ FAST & FURIOUS ARTIST THE ART OF GLAMOUR mementos about Marvel Comics’ fearless leader! Shines a light on the life and career of the artistic Explores the life and career of one of Marvel Comics’ Biography of the talented master of 1940s “Good (176-page trade paperback) $26.95 and publishing visionary of DC Comics! most recognizable and dependable artists! Girl” art, complete with color story reprints! 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(256-page trade paperback with COLOR) $31.95 (240-page trade paperback) $26.95 (240-page trade paperback) $29.95 (280-page trade paperback) $34.95 MARVEL COMICS AGE OF TV HEROES MODERN MASTERS HOW TO CREATE IN THE 1970s Examining the history of the live-action television A BOOK SERIES DEVOTED TO COMICS Covers how Stan Lee went from writer to publisher, adventures of everyone’s favorite comic book heroes, THE BEST OF TODAY’S ARTISTS FROM SCRIPT TO PRINT featuring the in-depth stories of the shows’ actors Jack Kirby left (and returned), Roy Thomas rose as 7 20+ volumes with in-depth interviews, plus extensive Shows step-by-step how to develop a new comic, editor, and a new wave of writers and artists came in! and behind-the-scenes players! 0 galleries of rare and unseen art from the artist’s files! from script and art, to printing and distribution! (224-page trade paperback) $27.95 (192-page full-color hardcover) $39.95 5 (128-page trade paperbacks) $14.95 each (108-page trade paperback) $15.95 THE 3 6 DAWN OF FOR A FREE COLOR CATALOG, CALL, WRITE, E-MAIL, OR LOG ONTO www.twomorrows.com 7 7 2 8 5 6 ALSO: TwoMorrows. Celebrating The Art & History Of Comics. 2 8 STEVE ENGLEHART GEORGE TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA • 919-449-0344 • FAX: 919-449-0327 E-mail: [email protected] • Visit us on the Web at www.twomorrows.com 1 MANDEL Vol. 3, No. 103 / July 2011 Editor Roy Thomas Associate Editors Bill Schelly Jim Amash Design & Layout Christopher Day Consulting Editor John Morrow FCA Editor WITH P.C. Hamerlinck NOW 16 PAGES Comic Crypt Editor OR! Michael T. Gilbert OF COL Editorial Honor Roll Jerry G. Bails (founder) Contents Ronn Foss, Biljo White Mike Friedrich Writer/Editorial: A Long Day’s Journey . 2 Proofreader “I Think [Having Been An Artist] Gave Me An Edge Rob Smentek In Writing Comics” . 3 Cover Artists Writer Steve Englehart talks to Richard Arndt about his career through the mid-’70s. Gil Kane, Sal Buscema, “I Come From A Very Primitive Background” . 29 Jim Starlin, & Frank Brunner Early comics artist (and Beat novelist) George Mandel interviewed by Jim Amash. (plus inkers) Jim Miele – A Gentle Giant . 48 Cover Colorist An artist’s life among castles, ogres, and fair princesses—by Golden Age editor Herb Rogoff. Tom Ziuko Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt! “The Mystery Of With Special Thanks to: The Missing Letterer!” – Part 3 . 53 Rob Allen Todd Klein Heidi Amash David Anthony Kraft Michael T. Gilbert presents Spirit letterer Abe Kanegson in his own words. Sal Amendola Alan Kupperberg Richard Arndt Marv Levy Comic Fandom Archive: Last Salute To A Pair Of Mark Arnold Mark Luebker David Bachman Jim Ludwig Prominent Early Fans . 59 Rodrigo Baeza Pat Mason Bill Schelly presents tributes to Joe Vucenic and Ed Lahmann. Bob Bailey Jim McLauchlin Robert R. Barrett Brian K. Morris Tributes To Louise Altson & Joanne Siegel . 63 John Benson Frank Motler Jerry K. Boyd Charles Novinskie “Everyone Deserves A Golden Age” . 65 Chris Boyko Kevin Nowlan The inspiring story of The Hero Initiative (née ACTOR). Frank Brunner Tom Orzechowski Ken Bruzenak Barry Pearl re: [correspondence, comments, & corrections] . 68 Ed Buchan George Pérez Nick Caputo Rita Perlman FCA [Fawcett Collectors Of America] #162 . 73 Jeff Clem John G. Pierce P.C. Hamerlinck hosts Marc Swayze and the thunder gods of Fawcett Publications. Mickey Coalwell Gene Reed Jon B. Cooke Charlie Roberts On Our Cover: Thanks to Christopher Day , our layout wizard, for assembling this montage of Chet Cox Herb Rogoff Marvel heroes who were scripted by Steve Englehart in the early ’70s so skillfully that it’s hard to Michaël Dewally Don Rosick tell they came from a half dozen or more different comics. And thanks to John Morrow for providing Steve Englehart Eric Schumacher Shane Foley Ken Selig the photo of Steve, which may be of a slightly later vintage than the art. No matter. Steve, like the Janet Gilbert Steven Smith four-color super-stars, is timeless, right? The figures were penciled, at various times and places, by Goldengraphics.net Robin Snyder Gil Kane, Sal Buscema, Jim Starlin, and Frank Brunner , and were inked by myriad hands. Grand Comics Desha Swayze [Art of Beast, Mantis, Falcon, Captain America, Shang-Chi, Valkyrie, Hulk, Silver Surfer, & Dr. Strange Database Marc Swayze ©2011 Marvel Characters, Inc.] David Hajdu Dann Thomas Jennifer Hamerlinck Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr. Above: The Woman in Red, as noted in the interview with her premier artist, George Mandel , John Haufe, Jr. Michael Vance is probably the first masked female in comic books, preceding a certain Amazon by a good year and William Henley Dr. Michael J. Vassallo a half! Of course, the Better/Nedor heroine had no super-powers, let alone a magic lasso or invisible David J. Hogan Lynn Walker Brandon Huigens Hames Ware plane, and it must’ve been hot in that robe—but being first has to count for something. Mandel Sid Jacobson Eddy Zeno says that Black Terror/Fighting Yank-creating writer Richard Hughes originated the character; Eric Jansen but the issue of Thrilling Comics from which this panel is taken is, alas, unknown. Thanks to Jim Ludwig. [©2011 the respective copyright holders.] This issue is dedicated to the memory of Alter Ego TM is published 8 times a year by TwoMorrows, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614, USA. Phone: (919) 449-0344. Roy Thomas, Editor. John Morrow, Publisher. Alter Ego Editorial Offices: 32 Bluebird Trail, St. Matthews, SC 29135, USA. Joanne Siegel, Louise Altson, Fax: (803) 826-6501; e-mail: [email protected]. Send subscription funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial offices. Eight-issue subscriptions: $60 US, $85 Canada, $107 elsewhere. All characters are © their respective companies. All material © Joe Vucenic, & Ed Lahmann 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 Canada. ISSN: 1932-6890 FIRST PRINTING. 2 write r/editorial A Long Day’s Journey e’re proud as a puffed-up peacock, this time around, to deadline. Wpresent the first part of a two-tiered interview with late- W I know that I, for one, have come to take him too much for granted… Silver Age/Bronze-and-beyond scripter Steve Englehart, conducted by Richard Arndt. (The second installment will appear in our ’cause that’s what tends to happen when somebody is so good at what he sister mag Back Issue #51, dated September.) does, makes it look so easy to come through like a champ time after time. We sang his praises briefly back in A/E #50, but he deserves more. As The Golden Age, too, is, well represented herein—by Arthur Miller wrote, “Attention must be paid.” Even if Jim Amash’s conversation with early-’40s artist George only for the inadequate space of a half-page editorial. Mandel, who after World War II became first a comic book writer, then the author of a number of well- Recently, Chris informed publisher John Morrow received novels… as well as by 1950s Ziff-Davis editor and me that, after ten years at the layout helm, he was Herb Rogoff’s piece on writer/artist/editor Jim Miele… stepping aside so he’d have more time to pursue other, Michael T. Gilbert and Mr. Monster scaring up the Spirit more personal life goals. Typically, thoughtfully, he gave of vintage letterer Abe Kanegson for a third time… and us several issues’ advance notice of his departure. And, tributes to Joanne Siegel and Louise Altson. naturally, John and I did exactly what you’d expect us to do in such a situation: namely, we tried to bribe him But what I want to talk about just this minute, right into staying by offering him a few more bucks. up here at the front of the magazine, is a guy named Chris Day. But we knew even as we did so (to no avail) that Chris was right to go, and we bear him nothing but Christopher Day (to use his full appellation, as we do good will.