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T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents ™&©2005 John Carbonaro ™ TABLE OF CONTENTS T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS: CONTEXT & CHARACTERS 1984-86: THE DELUXE COMICS YEARS , , , T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Road!: , George Pérez, David M. Singer, Those Timeless, Titanic Agents of T.H.U.N.D.E.R...... 7 and John Workman...... 125 Distant Thunder: James Bond 007 & on T-Agents Ownership...... 147 Setting the Stage for T-Agents ...... 8 1987: THE SOLSON INTERLUDE Those Halcyon Days of the 1960s’ High Camp Heroes ...... 12 John Carbonaro, James E. Lyle T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents 101: and Michael Sawyer ...... 148 In-Depth History of the Heroes of Tower...... 14 1987: BLUNDERS OVER T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Death of a Hero: Demise of the Man Called Menthor...... 24 Boris the Bear & Thunder Bunny...... 156 Days of Blunder: Mocking the Men from T.H.U.N.D.E.R...... 26 1995: PENTHOUSE COMIX “T&A”GENTS , , THE T.H.U.N.D.E.R. FILES John Carbonaro and Jordan Raskin ...... 158 The Curious Background of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents ...... 30 1995: T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS ANIMATED? The Ultimate T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents Checklist ...... 31 Dan DiDio and ...... 162 T.H.U.N.D.E.R. ARTISTS SECTION 2003: THE “ALMOST” NEW T-AGENTS: Marc Andreyko & J.G. Jones ...... 164 T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents by ...... 41 DC’s T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Hype...... 165 1965-69: THE TOWER COMICS YEARS Death of the DC New T-Agents’ Deal ...... 167 A Man Called Wood: 2005: JOHN CARBONARO’S T-AGENTS ...... 168 The Masterful Artist Behind T.H.U.N.D.E.R...... 42 Elvira and The W.I.N.D.Y. Agents...... 171 and Mr. Wallace Allan Wood ...... 45 John A. Carbonaro . David M. Singer , , , A Look at Their Thunderous Legal Battle ...... 174 , , , The Curse of T.H.U.N.D.E.R.? , , John Giunta, The Helter Skelter Ride of Wood’s Heroes ...... 176 Larry Ivie, , , , Bill Pearson, Paul Reinman, ADVENTURES IN THE THUNDERVERSE Samm Schwartz, ,, Iron Maiden by Garry Leach ...... 178 Lou Silverstone, , Manny Stallman, Chic Stone, Sal Trapani, , T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents by ...... 179 Ogden Whitney and ...... 46 Post-Modern T-Agents Art by Jay Stephens, John Backderf, James Kochalka, and ...... 180 The Secret Origin of Tower Comics...... 85 “Dreams Past” Art by Garry Leach ...... 182 1981-84: THE JC COMICS YEARS Will Blyberg, Charlie Boatner, Paul Bonanno, “Cold Warriors Never Die!” Art by Paul Gulacy & Terry Austin John Carbonaro, Lou Manna, John Workman ..109 Script by George Caragonne & Tom Thornton ...... 189 1983: A NOBLE EXPERIMENT “Prologue to Zero” Art by Paul Gulacy & Terry Austin Justice Machine Annual #1 and T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Script by George Caragonne & Tom Thornton ...... 216 John Carbonaro and ...... 124 Gratitude: For the Love of T.H.U.N.D.E.R.! ...... 224

6 the Marvel Age of Comics: the Agents of T.H.U.N.D.E.R.

Revival of the 1960s was singularly a result of the Batmania craze of ’66, though the William Dozier-produced, twice-a-week TV sensation was a huge factor in the onslaughting barrage of “high-camp heroes” that flooded the marketplace. More properly, credit—or blame, if you prefer—needs to be given to , , Steve Ditko, and all the Marvel Bullpenners who perhaps brought entertainment to a new level of self-awareness and pure joie de vive. As beautifully delineated as DC’s super-hero and war books were, they were humdrum compared to the sheer exuberance of the Marvel Age of Comics. And the kids responded by paying their 12¢ to Martin Goodman’s House of Ideas. But—funny thing this—Marvel’s revolutionary approach to super-heroes, as envied and copied as it would become by the mid-’60s, was itself the result of a Goodman directive to duplicate their main competitor’s hot new title. Oft-told legend has it that during a golf game with DC Comics publisher Harry Donenfeld, Goodman took note of his rival’s boasting. Seems DC’s latest book, one teaming up , , , and other DC super-characters, is getting some action on the newsstand… how ’bout that, eh? Well, Goodman, whose own company had a considerable cast of once formidable, now dormant costumed-characters, went back to the office, hung up his golf cap, and gave cousin-in-law and editor-in-chief Stan Lee instructions to put together a Marvel Comics super-hero team to compete with Harry’s of America. But, instead of raiding the house inventory and forming a super-squad with , the Sub-Mariner, and Marvel Boy, Stan—with the essential input of his frequent

Cover detail from Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2. Art by Steve Ditko. ©2005 Marvel Characters, Inc.. collaborator, the genius artist also known as “The King,” Jack Kirby—decided on a quartet of new characters… sorta. Throwing in a twist that this crime-fighting group was actually

Far right: an extended family, Lee and Kirby ushered in The , the first title of the publisher’s great second act, the Marvel Age of Comics. Still, as cool as Stan and Jack’s team of Mr. Fantastic, the Thing, Invisible Girl, and the were, the new Marvel hero that most effectively captivated comic book readers was Stan and artist/co-creator Steve Ditko’s friendly neighborhood -slinger, the Amazing Spider-Man. It was Peter Parker, the angst- ridden teen riddled with self-doubt, burdened with too much power and too much responsibility for such a tender age, who resonated with fans. In comparison, Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne were, well, corny with a capital “K” compared to the emerging relevance of Marvel’s anti-heroes. But we all know how DC cashed in on corny, right? The all-encompassing success of the Batman TV show, as over-the-top and hokey as all get-out, proved that there was plenty of money to be made in camp, and so with the Dynamic Duo and Spidey showing the way, a flood of costumed tights parad- cover. Art by . ©2005 DC#28 cover. Comics. ed across the stands, much of it pure drek (remember the short-lived Captain (“Let’s Split!”) Marvel?), but some titles held more than a hint of inspiration. (Interestingly, 1965’s most important innovator, publisher James Warren, of Famous Monsters of Filmland and Creepy fame, resisted the temptation to exploit the trend—at least in sequential form, if not in The Brave and the Bold merchandising!) It was an ex-Bullpenner (albeit a member of Stan’s team for

Right: mere months) who gave Marvel real competition in the creativity department.

9 T Regardless of the legendary artist’s gun-toting playboy spies suddenly op left: professed disdain for costumed characters, invaded nearly every aspect of culture. Panel detail from Daredevil Wallace Wood, fresh from a brief but exception- Celluloid knock-offs included a pair of Our ally memorable stint as artist and re-designer on Man Flint flicks, a Matt Helm movie trilogy, Marvel’s Daredevil, accepted Tower Comics two Dr. Goldfoot comedies (melding espionage publisher Harry Shorten’s directive to create a with the beach party genre), and even the totally-new super hero comics line with vigor and animated feature, The Man Called Flintstone. Art by Wallace#7. Art Wood. Characters, Inc. ©2005 Marvel obvious enthusiasm. Melding the then-au currant But it was on television where the fad had the biggest James Bond 007 spy craze with the Marvel . Shows sporting the Bond influence included I Method, Tower’s art director—and, importantly, Spy, Secret Agent, Mission: Impossible, The Saint, Wild the line’s de facto editor—gathered the best avail- Wild West, Get Smart, and Saturday morning fare, such able artists (Reed Crandall, Gil Kane, George Tuska, as Jonny Quest, Secret Squirrel, and Lancelot Link: Secret Mike Sekowsky, neophyte Dan Adkins, Chic Stone, Chimp. And the most significant TV spy show of all was The later Steve Ditko and Al Williamson, among others) Man from U.N.C.L.E. (a series that spawned The Girl from… to create the unforgettable T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents. spin-off), which popularized the novelty of adding clever Woody’s comics could be grim (featuring the first-ever acronyms to the fad. Sure, Bond fought agents of death of a leading super-hero!), funny (the antics of SPECTRE (the SPecial Executive for Counter-intelligence headliner Dynamo’s alter-ego, Len (ahem) Brown, still Terrorism Revenge and Extortion), but it was the evoke a chuckle today), sexy (sometimes decidedly heroes of the United Network Command of Law and on this side of S&M, judging by the femme fatale to Enforcement, in their battle against the villains of beat them all, the Iron Maiden), angst-ridden (every T.H.R.U.S.H. (the Technological Hierarchy for the time Lightning ran at super-speed, he shaved minutes Removal of Undesirables and Subjugation of off his life), wonky (as we shouldn’t neglect Manny Humanity) which inspired a plethora of letter Stallman’s gloriously strange “” strips), and just combinations, including Derek Flint’s agency, plain fun! All in all, they were a superb part of ZOWIE (Zonal Organization for World Intelligence American comics in the ’60s and, for those willing to and Espionage). And, of course, comics jumped gamble an entire 25¢ for each bi-monthly issue (a hefty on the same aspect when cashing in. Marvel price, one usually reserved for the annuals of Marvel and updated its howling sergeant of WWII with Nick Middle & bottom left: DC!), Woody’s heroes would leave invaluable and lasting Fury fighting baddies as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. memories in many an American kid. (the Headquarters International Espionage Let’s delve for a moment on the other significant Law-Enforcement Division). cultural influence, one outside of comics, that resulted And so the joining of such trappings in the development of the colorful team of super- of the spy sensation—nifty acronyms, Cover blurb and splash page caption, respectively spies in , the spy craze if the 1960s: gadgets galore, sexy bad girls, and If the youth culture of the mid-1960s was ruthless and shadowy worldwide about anything, it was about manic obsession. conspiracies to combat—with the Whether Bridget Bardo, The Beatles, boss newly-invigorated costume crime- rides, or bitchin’ waves, kids consumed fads fighter genre was a natural in a big way. And few trends were as big as approach for the funny books to Bond… James Bond. Ian Fleming’s series of adopt, and the best of the lot

British spy novels depicting the violent were those adventures of the , fr om Daredevil exploits of espionage agent 007 (licensed to agents of The Higher United Nations kill, natch), would lead to a killer cinematic and Defense Enforcement Reserves.

merchandising phenomenon that has been rarely Now, let’s discuss the brilliant comic Characters, Inc. #5. ©2005 Marvel matched in retail history. Spurred on by the incredible book creator responsible for Dynamo and Co., success of the third Bond film, Goldfinger, dozens of suave, the head artist behind the artifacts, Mr. Wallace Wood:

10 Those Halcyon Days of the This page: Covers from various ’60s comics (plus a paperback book cover). All are ©2005 their respective copyright holders.

camp (kãmp) n. 1. An affectation or appreciation of manners and tastes And while Stan Lee and his Bullpen were achieving no small degree of commonly thought to be outlandish, vulgar, or banal. 2. Banality or arti- success with the college crowd through Marvel’s unique take on capes, ficiality, when appreciated for its humor. — adj. Having the qualities or cowls ‘n’ secret identities, the camp-saturated approach of ABC’s twice- style of camp. To act in an outlandishly or effeminate manner. [Origin weekly, corny-as-all-get-out series starring the Dynamic Duo proved the obscure.] — camp’y adj. —American Heritage Dictionary. one more usually imitated. Thus silly super-heroes prevailed on the airwaves and in the The Great Super-Hero Revival of mid-1960s American comic funny books between 1966 and ’67, albeit with some notable comic- books was an era when the exploits of costumed adventurers flooded book exceptions (though the—thankfully!—shortlived sit-coms U.S. magazine shelves, a period rivaled only by the “Golden-Age” Captain Nice and Mr. Terrific prove that broadcasters were apparently years following the 1938 debut of the character who single-handedly invulnerable to even the most moderately intelligent presentation). created the genre, Superman. Publishers, some old, some brand-new, There were some well-intended and handsome titles: Former were suddenly eager to catch the wave of renewed interest in masked chroniclers of Captain Marvel—the “!” version—including crimefighters that swept the nation, a fad generated (perhaps ironical- legendary artist C.C. Beck, produced two issues of the charming and ly) by an instantaneous—and idiotic—smash-hit TV show, Batman. quaint Fatman, The Human Flying Saucer; his salad days as top

12 In-Depth History of the Heroes of Tower

by Lou Mougin [This fine overview of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents and the Tower comics line appeared in slightly different form in The Comic Reader #197 back in 1982. Please note it contains some personal opinions some may not agree with—Ye Ed takes exception to Lou’s characterization of Manny Stallman’s delightfully bizarre artwork—but it is a clear and thoughtful retrospective of the high points (and low) of ’s glorious super-hero comic books.—JBC] Let us turn back the to that Wonderful Year, 1965. A new comics company was about to be born.

DC had, for the past nine years, shown that super-heroes were once again a viable market. Marvel Comics had This page: sparked a revolution that made their books prime college-age reading fodder. Archie had retooled its Adventures of the Fly title to feature an -like team of revived heroes. Best of all, news had leaked about a new TV show to debut in early ’66 featuring Batman. Nobody knew if it’d be a hit yet, but the fact of its existence proved that Detail from Dynamo pin-up, T attention, favorable attention, was finally being paid to comic books. Considering the fact that the industry had almost gone belly-up ten years earlier and were only saved by the advent of the Comics Code, that wasn’t bad news at all. So, in this era of The Beatles, ’s James .H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents Bond, Lyndon Johnson, and early renewed commitment to the Vietnam War, a paperback publisher named Tower Books decided to hit the racks with a new comic series. Its publisher was Harry Shorten and its editor was Samm Schwartz, both by Wallace#3. Art W veterans of the group. For a chief artist, they hired away a mainstay of the EC/Mad bullpen from Marvel, where he was winding up a short but acclaimed run of Daredevil. ood & Dan Adkins. Given the freedom to write and design characters, Wallace Wood came over, and brought others with him. And the product of their labors soon became available on spinner racks across the country, in a hope of challenging Marvel, DC, and the competitors who were shortly to flood

Agents 101 .E.R. Agents the market with new super-hero books as soon as the debut of the Batman television show. Its title was T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents. T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents # 1, dated November 1965, hit the ground running. With a 25¢, 64-page package of six superbly-drawn tightly-plotted stories, the book packed in three new super-heroes, a horde of secret agents,

.N. D mystery men, super-villains, monsters and action, action, action! One look at the book and the reader could tell that here, indeed, was the king of the backseat comics; it was the only mid-’60s title to successfully compete with Marvel and DC super-hero fare. It set the pace for two years of giant-sized comics that most fans of .H .U that period recall as fondly as anything from the two major publishers. T 14 Basically, Tower Comics, which published T.H.U.N.D.E.R. and Page one opened with a battlefield scene as we glimpsed a the several spin-offs, boiled down to one person: Wallace Wood. As squad of landing UN paratroopers through shattered glass. A caption creator of the series, major artist and writer and self-admitted freelance informed us: “A team of special U.N. agents lands at a remote editor, Wood produced his best commercial comics work of the ’60s mountain lab…” In the space of two pages we learned that the unit while at Tower. The nearly two-dozen books he worked on during the was on a rescue mission, intent on saving the life of Dr. Emil Jennings, 1966-68 period some of the finest super-hero art of the the greatest scientist of the world. As fate would have it, the “Second Heroic Age,” particularly his numerous Dynamo stories. bad guys escaped unharmed in a helicopter, and Jennings was cold As a result, Tower became the only third-force publisher to equal, meat on his laboratory floor. and at times, surpass Marvel and DC in art quality. Others who wielded “This has to be the work of the Warlord!” muttered a the pencil and brush at Tower were equally renowned. Gil Kane, squad leader. Reed Crandall, Steve Ditko, Dan Adkins, John Giunta, Al Williamson. “Just who is this Warlord, sir?” asked a soldier, thus allowing us Few super-hero books would ever boast such a distinguished crew. to be introduced to the villain of the piece. The Warlord proves to be the “I was not only Tower’s top artist, I created the characters, and mysterious leader of a SPECTRE or T.H.R.U.S.H.-like organization, with wrote most of the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents stories,” admitted Wood. every available criminal and spy at his beck and call. His objective: “As to why Harry Shorten (head of Tower Books) decided to publish The theft of every scientific development on Earth. Masked by a purple comics, I don’t know. But he came to me and asked me to work up hood, the weird spy-chief held congress only with his top lieutenants, a super-hero book. I then functioned as a freelance editor and did and not even they had seen his true features. “Now he’s gotten to this as much of the art as I could.” experimental station and our most advanced research, and since The concept of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. was a skillful blending the professor never kept notes, all these devices will be his sole of two separate genres that had each, in 1965, been proven property… we can never duplicate them!” finishes the officer. sure- successes. Secret agents had ridden a wave of “They didn’t have time to get everything, sir,” says popularity since the first James Bond films of the early another crewman. “Look at these!” ’60s, and the Bond/Flint/Solo cult was never The scene immediately shifts to a high-level bigger. (The popularity of The Man from conference room in . A wall is U.N.C.L.E. in particular seemed to have decorated with a figure of the Western the greatest impact on this book.) Hemisphere and the words, “The And super-heroes were the rage Higher United Nations Defense in comic books; that went Enforcement Reserves.” without saying. Well, then, T.H.U.N.D.E.R.’s why not a cloak-&-dagger Inner Council stands type who wore a costume assembled, considering beneath the cloak? the three recovered devices That line of thinking resulted from Jennings’ laboratory… in T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1. The cover, drawn a metallic belt, a blue-black cloak, and a rigid by Wood, introduced a triad of new arrivals to helmet in the form of a headmask. “The first is the super-hero biz: a blue-clad Superman-type an electron molecular intensifier belt which lifted an armored villain overhead, surrounded by will make the wearer’s body structure change a complex of machinery. He was flanked by a to the consistency of steel!” says a speaker,

#1. Art by Mike Sekowsky & Frank Giacoia. cloaked, transparent man on his left, and on the holding up the belt. Next, he gestures to right was a late-comer who apparently had the cape, and explains its ability of ripped off the ’s uniform. The cover, becoming absolutely black, reflecting colored only in various of red, blue, no light and rendering the wearer and yellow, and devoid of any blurbs, was invisible. “And this one we’re not perhaps less flashy than it should have sure of,” he says, fondling the been. Compared to Marvel’s slam-bang strange helmet. “It seems to broadsides of the period, it looked posi- be a cybernetic helmet… tively static. But it served to showcase it could be dangerous, but it Dynamo, NoMan, and Menthor for their could amplify a man’s brain Panel detail, “A Day in the Life of Dynamo,” Dynamo first public appearance. And the power many times over…” greatest back-seat heroes of the Quickly, the heads of

This page: mid-’60s were born! the free world’s greatest

15 semi-secret defensive organization come to an agreement. A full-scale Unsuspectingly, Len Brown follows his guide through several assault must be led against the Warlord, spearheaded by three checkpoints to Level Seven, the meeting place of T.H.U.N.D.E.R.’s Inner agents who will employ the inventions of Dr. Jennings against the Council. Confronted by a semi-circle of the West’s top spy-chiefs, he is man who ordered his murder. “…And so the search begins,” reads offered a chance at becoming an agent, and, in the best comic book the final caption. hero tradition, accepts. The four-page introductory sequence fairly breathed clichés, One panel later, Brown is stripped down to blue trunks and boots from the doomed scientist who creates super-heroes to the opposed and offered Jennings’ blue metal belt with the strange dial in the buckle agencies locked in global Cold War conflict. But the plot was solid, the position. “Because of your physical stamina, you’ve been selected to concepts didn’t stretch reality to the breaking point, and, of course, use the Thunderbelt,” says one attendant. “It will change your body’s Wood’s art pulled the entire thing together. It set several concepts that atomic structure,” explains another. “Put it on!” (Tower was never T.H.U.N.D.E.R. would follow to their final issue: Tight, pulp-like plotting, noted for excess dialogue, as you can tell.) an economy of dialogue (word balloons were kept to two per panel After allowing the belt time to adopt itself to his metabolism, most of the time) and believability. The T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, Brown turns the dial. Abruptly, a surge of electrical discharges bathe rather than gaining power from radioactive spiders or gamma bomb him in blue fire as the energy released rends the air with a spectacular explosions, were human beings whose abilities were augmented by CR-RACK! Shades of Captain Marvel! It was obviously derivative of the mechanical devices. It was a welcome touch of conservatism in a Big Red Cheese, and just as fun in 1965 as in 1940. With a weight of comics universe already top-heavy with sorcerers, omnipotent entities, over 1,000 pounds, and a density approximating that of titanium steel, parallel dimensions and heroes with every super-power conceivable. Len Brown was setup to become T.H.U.N.D.E.R.’s first super-agent. T.H.U.N.D.E.R.’s biggest blockbuster was introduced two pages The attendants instruct Brown to take a poke at a wall target later with a one-page Wood splash panel. The blue-&-white-clad figure with an impact gauge attached. “Okay… here goes. I’ll probably wind from the front cover grimly towered over a pile of rubble, hands on up breaking my hand… WHA…!?” hips. Behind him was a hole he had made in a brick wall at KRUMF! least two feet thick. Dynamo was unleashed! One panel later, Brown steps into the adjoining Tower’s steely superman was originally dubbed office through the hole he has just made in the wall. “Thunderbolt,” but a last-minute change substituted the name Instant super-hero! “Dynamo” instead and his new name was lettered over the In the final steps of the super-hero ritual, Brown old one. [Cf. the reprint of is informed of the necessary Achilles Heel: That page 10, panel 2 in the prolonged use of the belt can so drain his Dynamo paperback, where physical energy as to be fatal. (In later the caption reads, “Even stories, the belt would be outfitted Thunderbolt’s iron frame is shaken with a timer to turn itself off after a by the concussion…”] half-hour had passed.) The brown- Undoubtedly Charlton, whose haired Brown is provided with a Thunderbolt debuted a short time blue-and-white costume of metallic later, was grateful for the change. fabric and dubbed “Dynamo,” for The 12-page origin story was scripted by obvious reasons. And none too Len Brown and drawn by Wood and opened soon… for, at the bottom of the with a waist-shot of our hero as a desk-bound page, the Warlord strikes again! administration official in T.H.U.N.D.E.R. H.Q. A pair of armored trucks pro-

An obvious secret identity type you could ceeds to blanket under a Left: recognize at 20 paces. “This paperwork isn’t dense fog composed of iron particles (?). NoMan illustration, Gosh W for me!” he muses. “I’m afraid I made a Under cover of the , teams of armor-clad mistake when I accepted this job!” raiders stage snatch-and-grab raids of radioactive Suddenly, his superior enters the room. materials. At this point, the reader first glimpses “Leonard Brown, will you come with me, please?” Dynamo’s longest-lived ally and adversary… the Iron

(How’s about them apples? The above is the Maiden, Tower’s version of the Dragon Lady. by Reed Crandall. ow! #2. Art only case I can find in comics history in which a scripter A beautiful redhead who wore a suit of named a major super-hero himself! But, after all, gleaming metal that hugged her curves like a body-suit, Leonard Brown is at least as believable a moniker the Iron Maiden played to Dynamo’s Batman. as Clark Kent or Peter Parker, so it was allowed In over nine separate clashes with T.H.U.N.D.E.R.’s big to stand.) blue blockbuster, she represented the ultimate and

16 Demise of The Man Called Menthor Far left: o! o! It simply was not done… at least not in the “Silver Age” of

American comic books. Sure, Marvel had Captain America’s Cover detail, Adventur e Comics World War Two-era boy sidekick, Barnes, fall to his (ahem) untimely—and off-panel—death in a -back when the star-span- gled hero was resurrected in The Avengers #4 (Mar. Art by & . ©2005 DC Comics. by Curt #353. Art ’64), but ’60s funny-book editors just didn’t instruct freelancers to kill off their super-hero players. And though it seemed every other issue of Superman depicted the Man o’ Steel as suffering from some fatal Kryptonian malady or in some particular stage of super-rigor mortis (surrounded by the obligatory crowd of mourning pals and girlfriends), it always turned out to be a cheat of some kind (phew!), whether in the form of an “imaginary story” or a ruse to outwit some murderous scoundrel. Even supporting cast members readers could only dream of seeing iced ( anyone?) who lived on, never aging, never changing, always annoying.

Understand that the Grim Reaper was hardly a stranger in “non-imaginary” costumed hero T op & bottom left: exploits—these were the hyperbolic comic books of the overwrought ’60s, after all—as Marvel founding fathers Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, for instance, crafted a melodramatic gem in Avengers #9 (Oct. ’64), a tale that introduced one Simon , a novice good guy known by the sobriquet Wonder Man. The Lee & Kirby spin? The newly-born super-hero dies in the very same ish. For good. Panels from “A Matter of Life and Death,” T (At least until second generation writers at the House of Ideas got their hooks into the cadaver, bringing the character back from the dead nearly a dozen years later.) But standard practice assured that regular stock characters were assured eternal life (at least until cancellation). But in the late Spring of 1966, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #7 changed all that. Shocking captivated fans to no end, Wallace Wood and company did the unthinkable when the Master of Mental Force, Menthor (“Is he hero? Is he turncoat?”), bites the Big One in the cave lair of the villainous Warlord. In that issue’s final story, “A Matter of Life and Death”(written, layed-out and inked by Wood and Adkins,

with tight pencils by Steve Ditko), the wielder of T.H.U.N.D.E.R.’s cybernetic helmet struggles to .H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents Art by Wallace#7. Art W of a Her ath of ath of a Her ath of ood, Dan Adkins & Steve Ditko. De De

24 T op left:

Mocking The Men Cover from T.H.U.N.D.E.R.! , Brand Echh

Certainly the heroes of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. had an impact on the other comic Characters, Inc. by . ©2005 Marvel #2. Art book publishers of the mid-1960s. The Tower Comics’ line sported a con- sistent level of quality that not only attracted the fickle attention of increasing sophisticated readers, but undoubtedly the concerns of the Big Two, as well. Wallace Wood’s titles—T-Agents, Dynamo, and NoMan— were among the best-looking comics on the stands, the covers art- directed to perfection, often exquisitely colored, rarely marred by any hyperbolic blurbs of the Stan Lee sort. And the interior work… well, we all know how extraordinary the level of art in those inside pages. Yet Tower’s marketshare—or lack thereof—limited due to newness, lousy distribution, and their gamble to price all titles at 25¢ apiece (even if they were all-new giants, but still twice the price of DC and Marvel’s 12¢ books) must have given some comfort to the more established publishers weary of the upstart. But any solace didn’t stop them from poking fun at the competition. The first issue of The [Mar.-Apr. ’67] mocks Woody’s heroes (and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) with “Five Characters in Search of a Plot!” (written by E. Nelson Bridwell with Mike Sekowsky pencils and Mike Esposito inks), as DC’s goofy super-powered team does battle with a crime organization called H.U.R.R.I.C.A.N.E., an acronym for Heinous, Unscrupulous Rats and Rogues Initiating Criminal Anarchy and Nefarious Middle left: Evil. (See if you can guess the source of the parodied agents’ names: Middle left: Powerhouse, Missing Fink, Mr. Mental, Yellow Streak, Blackbird,

f Blunder! “Tabby” Katz, “Nitro” Gleason, and “Crabgrass” Wilde.) Cover Later that year, in September, Marvel’s Brand Echh #2 gives Cover , The Inferior Five us writer and artist Marie Severin’s take on Dynamo and company with a , The Inferior Five rn ici.©05D Comics. & Frank Giacoia. ©2005 DC , Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. caricature—Knock Furious, Agent of S.H.E.E.S.H.—(aided by his howling “cold- Comics. & Frank Giacoia. ©2005 DC bricks”) duking it out with an abbreviated crew of Art by Mike Sekowsky #2. Art B.L.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, Dynaschmoe, and NoBody (with by Mike Sekowsky #2. Art mention of agent “Pussycat”). The seven-pager is particularly effective in satirizing Tower Comics, especially the Wallace Wood clichés, mocking Woody’s rendering of handsome heroes always effortlessly smashing through brick walls, as well as his perpetual use of lighting effects. The difference between company writing styles is also tweaked, with Dynaschmoe exclaiming, “Over at B.L.U.N.D.E.R. we just fight… and let the competition talk themselves silly!”

ays o (Oh, and the House of Idea’s take on the agents’ organization name? Bedraggled League Uv Nations Defenseless Encroachment

D Reserves. Nuff said?)

Right: Panel detail, “The B.L.U.N.D.E.R. Agents,” Brand Echh #2. Art by Marie Severin. ©2005 Marvel Characters, Inc. TheThe T.H.UT.H.U .N..N.DD .E.R..E.R. FilesFiles , as you’ll later see!) 29 ood and company—as well as those to follow: the artists,ood and company—as well and its associated titles. Given that the Tower work is nigh-on 40 and its associated titles. Given that the Tower T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents T.H.U.N.D.E.R. T-Agents set in the months prior. (And, as the fates would have it, the real (And, as the fates would prior. trading card set in the months editor Wood, but often with no acknowledgement. (Please also keep in mind that but often with no acknowledgement. (Please also keep in editor Wood, de facto ! this is the most complete checklist of all T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents appearances to date. this is the most complete checklist of all T.H.U.N.D.E.R. able listings, please send any corrections but rest assured to the editor in care of this publisher), years old today , there is bound to be some oversight and mistakes found (and if you find some question- years old today , there is bound to be some oversight

personnel behind every issue of

In the following checklist, as exhaustive and comprehensive as it is, there’s no absolute guarantee that every as it is, there’s In the following checklist, as exhaustive and comprehensive However much fun the creative folk were having, W However much fun the creative themselves, others experts correctly in identifying uncredited work, we have done our best to peg the creative ood ran a studio with assistants coming and going, some like Dan Adkins who was able to execute an entire story, like Dan Adkins who was able to execute an entire story, ood ran a studio with assistants coming and going, some

fTHUNDER Agents T.H.U.N.D.E.R. of A Complete Checklist Checklist Complete A writers, and editors who were responsible for the ’80s and ’90s revivalswriters, and editors who were operatives—worked of Dynamo and his fellow lines in the stories themselves heroes to life on the comic-book page. But though credit their fannies off to bring the back in today, a comic book) are commonplace in producing (detailing contributions of the various talents involved many artists Comics, where and writers aided creator/ always the case. And so it was at Tower the ’60s, that wasn’t writer/artist/art director/ W The adventures of those colorfulThe adventures Reserves—United Nations Defense Enforcement operatives of The Higher and beloved of 1965 in the waning months the decades, beginning of us in the know—traverse Agents to those the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. The beleaguered and to be sure) into the mid-1990s. with a crowded rebirth in the ’80s, and continuing (sporadically, Comics run (of whom you’ll learn producedsupremely talented crew who celebrated sagas of the initial Tower these and team Wood their job, as Wallace sections to follow) were obviously having a blast at quite a bit more about in the named the included numerous in-joke referencesWoody the series’ initial ’60s appearance. For instance, throughout Bubble Gum copywriter Len Brown with whom the alter-ego after young Dynamo’s headlining hero code-named artist had worked on the reference is authentic. With who worked on the material the indispensible assistance of many helpful people, some but also others who were assigned background work and the like.) but also others who were assigned background work and Leonard Brown also moonlighted as a scripter on Leonard Brown also moonlighted The Curious Background of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents Wallace Wood has been frequently credited as being the creator • The Raven is a generic soaring hero, à là , though of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents (abbreviated throughout this volume as one with a hidden jet-pack “T-Agents,” in deference to the typesetter, who would otherwise • T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Squad, minus Kitten, might be mistaken for a wear out the period !) and this same tome is no exception. But, red-clad version of the Blackhawks (only without one air- in truth, creative minds other than just Woody were involved in plane per member)… or the cliché characters of virtually formulating concepts and characters within the series. In addition, every single World War II movie made up to that time there have been other influences—some from outside comics— • Andor, the tragic anti-hero who sojourned through the titles, which have made their ways into the respective origins of our perhaps can be described as a knock-off (only raised heroes, a few revealed many years after the initial appearances. by malevolent Subterraneans, not affectionate apes), by way Longtime pop-culture fans can immediately recognize the of , if one plagued with Job-like tribulations archetypical basis for numerous characters in T-Agents: As for actual development of the characters, memories of some • Though sans cape and flying ability, Dynamo is reminiscent Wood associates differ. “Dynamo was a mutual creation,” Len Brown of the Man of Steel, Superman, by way of a -like told Christopher Irving in CBA V.1, #14. “I named the character story device—albeit Thunderbelt in place of a pill—granting because of the belt. I was going to call him Thunderbolt, and have super- only for a limited period him wear a ‘Thunderbelt.’… I remember maybe even suggesting • With cloak, invisibility, capability to possess other humanoid Thunder Riders, and Wally suggested T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents. My vessels, and otherworldly skin color, NoMan has The Spectre hero’s name was Thunderbolt, and Wally changed it to Dynamo… written all over him, with a nod to originally the name of the villain).” (Irving added, “Interestingly, • Menthor, a bad guy forced to be good by a cybernetic mask, Dynamo is mistakenly referred to as ‘Thunderbolt’ in one panel of is an inverse of the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde tale, with a the character’s debut story.”) As homage to his young friend, Woody mind-controlling helmet in the mold gave the civilian name of T-Agents leader Dynamo, Leonard Brown. • Who else but provided a template for super-speed- Larry Ivie, sometime Wood assistant, remembers being the one ster, Lightning, although the agent has his own disability of —simultaneously but separate from Brown—to come up with “The dying a little every time he uses his powers Thunderbolt“ (as well as compatriots “The Thunderbird” and “The Thundervision”), as well as quite a few other aspects of the series, • A modern-day Dragon Lady best describes Iron Maiden including the name of the group and being the one to define the acronym. The name Dynamo was substituted because, Ivie says, Wood was concerned with DC’s Western hero, . (Ivie’s extensive comments are in the “T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Artists” section.) While he says the name NoMan, chosen by Wood, was taken from the stories of Homer, the character’s ability to transfer conscious- ness from one body to another was Ivie’s concept. But , another Wood assistant from the ’60s, recalls, “Wood’s love for [science-fiction author] A.E. Van Vogt gave birth to NoMan; [Vogt’s novel] The World of Null-A. Woody loved ol’ A.E., [and] the Null-A books were his very favorites. The hero [of Null-A] switched bodies; the origin of NoMan.” Disagreements over who specifically originated what will doubtless go on, as new details may also emerge, but regardless, few of his associates would argue that the one, truly creative powerhouse behind T-Agents was no one less than the late, great Wallace Wood. T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS (TOWER) #2 JAN. 1966 COVER: W. Wood & D. Adkins SCRIPT: Bill Pearson #1 NOVEMBER 1965 COVER: Wallace Wood Dynamo: “Dynamo Battles Dynavac”13 PGS. Dynamo: “The Red Dragon” 10 PGS. THUNDER: “First Encounter” 4 PGS. ART: W. Wood & /W. Wood ART: W. Wood & D. Adkins/Wood & Coleman ART: Wallace Wood SCRIPT: Larry Ivie SCRIPT: Len Brown THUNDER Squad: “Invaders from Dynamo: “ of the Iron Fog” 12 PGS. NoMan: “In the Warlord’s Power” 10 PGS. the Deep” 10 PGS. ART:Wallace Wood ART: Dick Ayers/Wallace Wood & Joe Orlando ART: Sekowsky/Giacoia SCRIPT: Lou Silverstone SCRIPT: Len Brown & Larry Ivie Menthor: “Menthor” 10 PGS. Dynamo/Menthor: NoMan: “THUNDER Agent NoMan” 10 PGS. ART: Sekowsky/Giacoia SCRIPT: Lou Silverstone “Dynamo vs. Menthor” 10 PGS. ART: Reed Crandall (with Wallace Wood) Dynamo: “D-Day for Dynamo” 13 PGS. ART: W. Wood & D. Adkins/Wood & Coleman SCRIPT: Larry Ivie ART: W. Wood & D. Adkins/Wood & Coleman SCRIPT: Lou Silverstone (?) NoMan: “ to Face” (text) 2 pgs. THUNDER Squad: “On the Double” 10 PGS. Dynamo: PIN-UP 1 PG. WRITTEN BY Larry Ivie ART: Mike Sekowsky/Frank Giacoia ART: Wallace Wood & Dan Adkins/W. Wood Menthor: “The Enemy Within” 12 PGS. SCRIPT: Lou Silverstone NoMan: PIN-UP 1 PG. ART: Gil Kane, George Tuska & Mike Esposito Junior THUNDER Agents: (text) 2 PGS. ART: Wallace Wood & Dan Adkins/W. Wood SCRIPT: Lou Silverstone ART: Mike Sekowsky TEXT: Lou Silverstone The Thunderbelt: PIN-UP 1 PG. THUNDER Squad: “THUNDER Squad” 10 PGS. #3 MARCH 1966 COVER: Wallace Wood ART: Wood & Adkins (or Ayers?)/W. Wood ART: Mike Sekowsky & Frank Giacoia Dynamo: “…Battles the Subterraneans” 10 PGS. Menthor: PIN-UP 1 PG. SCRIPT: Larry Ivie ART: W. Wood & D. Adkins/Wood & Coleman ART: Wallace Wood & Dan Adkins/W. Wood T-Agents: “At the Mercy of Iron Maiden”10 PGS. NoMan: “…Faces the Threat of the THUNDER Squad: PIN-UP 1 PG. ART: Wallace Wood & Dan Adkins Amazing Vibraman” 10 PGS. ART: Wood & Adkins (or Sekowsky?)/Wood SCRIPT: Wallace Wood & Dan Adkins Art: John Giunta/W. Wood & Tony Coleman LETTERS 2 PGS.

31 Left: The Masterful Artist Prior to the character’ Behind T.H.U.N.D.E.R. s name change to Dynamo, original splash page intended for T Wallace Allan Wood was born into a creative and talented family, on June 17, 1927, in Menahga, Minnesota, and he later told interviewer , “I was born in Minnesota, but I grew up in Wisconsin and .” In these rural environs, the boy and his older brother, Glenn, reveled in the newspaper adventure comic strips of the Depression-era—, , Captain Easy, and Terry and the Pirates—and the siblings would while away the hours endlessly drawing. (Tellingly, by 1942, Wallace would study the increas- ingly innovative storytelling of in The Spirit newspaper supplements.)To quote EC’s “Artist of the Issue” feature in Weird Science #12 [Mar. 1952], “[Wood] has worked as pin-boy, bus-boy, usher, dental lab assistant, printing plant apprentice, factory worker, lumber-jack, stevedore, and truck loader!” During World War II, Woody—who despised being called “Wally”—became a widely-traveled Merchant Marine and later a paratrooper in the 11th Airborne. Returning to the states after completing his service, the

fledgling artist began making rounds of New by Wallace.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1. Art W York City’s comic book publishers, where in a lobby waiting a portfolio review, Woody had a chance—and fateful—meeting with fellow young artist, . The future EC contributors discovered mutual interests and John invited the newcomer to visit the studio he shared with and . There the trio put Woody in con- ood. tact with none other than Will Eisner, one of the young artist’s idols, which led to a short first stint on The Spirit, as and eventually background . In 1948, Wallace enrolled in New York’s & Illustrators School, a veritable factory that pumped out innumerable comic book artists, courtesy of luminary instructors , , , and Paul Reinman. Attending the art school was a seminal event not only in his artistic development, but also in meeting an astounding array of talented fellow students. At C&I (later to be renamed the , which still thrives today), the young artist’s classmates included Al Williamson, Jack Abel, Dick Ayers, Marie Severin, , Mike Esposito, and future partner (and later science-fiction author) . During the early Wood era, the artist contributed to a number of comics for various publishers (sometimes with Harrison or oft-partner Joe Orlando), among them , Comics, American Comics Group, Magazine Village, as well as perhaps his highest profile work at that time, returning to work for Eisner—this time as full-fledged artist—on three weeks worth of The Spirit (for the story-arc, one of the long-running series’ final storylines, “The Outer Space Spirit,” as referred to today). But in what would prove to be a most important event, it was during this time when young Wallace Wood began freelancing (initially with cohort Harrison) for Entertaining Comics, the struggling outfit run by publisher and editor . It was at EC Comics where the Wood legend was born. Proving versatile in virtually every genre, the artist particularly excelled at drawing the quintessential science-fiction comic book story, as well as becoming one of A Man Called Wood

42 Harvey Kurtzman’s Another frustrated ood. finest “finishers” on and brilliant , many of the best who would continue to beloved Mad be bitter about the

Art by Wallace W #6. Art by Wallace during its comic-book injustice ’til his death, beginnings. The artist’s Kurtzman did attempt EC material (subse- quasi-creator-owned quently called by snooty magazines after

.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents fans—shades of departing Mad, hoping Stardust Memories!— to repeat his earlier “Wally’s better, early success with the stuff”) gave truth to the superbly over-produced (albeit misspelled) Trump (published for a phrase, one intended as mere two issues by

Cover art originally intended for T a self-deprecating joke, Hugh Hefner, a “When better drawrings Kurtzman admirer Right: are drawrn… they’ll awash with Playboy be drawrn by Wood. riches) and the He’s real gone.” With tragically under- his exceptional work at produced Humbug Gaines’ imprint, Wallace (financed by Harvey Wood would become and his collaborative one of the most team of artists, in significant influences on every stripe of cartoonist, and inspiring comics an early effort at independence), 1950s efforts to which Woody work in so many genres, whether humor, sci-fi, war, historical, or super- contributed. But the artist must have become increasingly cynical by hero. At EC, Wood became an American icon, or as close as a comic witnessing former editor Kurtzman’s failure at achieving independence. book artist could get in the Eisenhower years. Into the ’60s, Woody would work for Topps Bubble Gum (where After the mid-’50s Wertham/Kefauver/Comics Code debacle, he first met a young Leonard Brown, another future T-Agents cohort), which forced the closing of dozens of comics publishers (including the as well as Galaxy magazine, as well as continuing as one of the “usual oppressors’ most sought-after target, horror/ publisher gang of idiots” at Mad. During that time, costumed super-heroes began EC Comics, which switched to producing Mad magazine), Woody would to grow in popularity, reemerging as a profitable genre in the comic toil in just about every available venue then open to someone of his book business long after their 1940s’ heyday. And yet with the considerable talent: newspaper comic strips, magazine illustration, masked characters’ return, it is interesting to note how little of advertising work, trading-card design, pulp mag illos, and whatever Woody’s work appears in the milieu until his scarce four-color funnybook work available during those lean years. work in the mid-’60s for Stan No doubt, Woody’s frustrations over the inequities between Lee. The artist’s masterful ood. struggling creative freelancers and comfortable “fat-cat” publishers grasp of adventure was started to emerge during the Mad magazine years. The humor breathtaking, his publication was attaining unheard of circulation numbers, even with anatomy spot-on (not the departure of its genius creator, Harvey Kurtzman, and with those to mention sensual), and phenomenal sales, scads of wealth for the suits (and endless knock- combined with his offs by rivals), who reprinted the material in every conceivable form— commanding sense of over and over and over—and sold rights to innumerable foreign storytelling, he was markets, all the while hogging growing media attention, profiting alone obviously a natural from the publicity. And what did the powers-that-be give in return to choice to delineate the those artists and writers who produced such wildly popular content, exploits of DC and Marvel’s work that was recycled into countless paperbacks, specials, hardcover books, and foreign editions? A one-time page rate, however Wallace Wood self-portrait. ©2005 the Estate of Wallace W self-portrait. ©2005 the Estate of Wallace Wood Detail, Wallace “generous” for the time, plus the indignity of not having the original art pages returned to the artist. Surely, Wallace

Far right: Wood began to realize the exploitation he and his peers suffered.

43 know. I guess he still great thing. I used to Left: works for Topps! sleep in there, and I Back cover line ar Jon: He just was afraid all the filing finally retired. cabinets would fall on

Dan: [Laughs] me or something. t, Comic Book Ar Oh, so that’s what Then, I slept in the happened! He was so living room sometimes, young when I was up on the couch in there. tist V there, he was in his I was up there all by Dan Adkins. .1, #14. Art 20s. Anyway, it was the time! just me, Ralph and Jon: Did you see, Coleman up there for a there was supposedly year-and-a-half, and his a ritual that Woody wife, Tatjana. would, one day a Jon: This was Tony week, just do tear Coleman? He was out sheets, just go through of Canada? magazines and just Dan: Yeah. He went tear out pictures for back to Britain. I did reference? Do you such a good job on remember that? “The Battle of Britain” Dan: No, I don’t [Blazing Combat #3, think he did that. I Apr.’66] because of think most of that those little digests, happened beforehand. British war magazines He might’ve had that that Tony had. [laughs] ritual earlier on or I swiped just about something. But I was everything in “Battle of Britain” except the first page, which Wally laid up there seven days a week! I lived there! [laughs] out. But in between, I used most of those British comics. Jon: It was just an amazing amount of work you guys put out. Jon: Coleman was an artist over in England? Dan: We put out all the Tower stuff, three or four series for Dan: Yeah, he was a of the type like Mike Topps, stuff for Harvey, the Total War and stuff for Esposito would be, you know? Not too flashy a style. But a good Western… We even did an eight-page monster story for Western. journeyman. He worked for Wally for under six months, just to get We did that Alka-Seltzer ad that appeared on TV. We did Argosy ads, enough money to get back to England. He lost all his money in we did those six record album covers. Canada or something, and Joe Orlando sent him up from DC to work Jon: How long were you with Woody? for Wally, which means Orlando must’ve been editor down at DC Dan: 16 months. during the Tower time. Jon: [Laughs] Wow! Jon: So Joe and Woody always maintained their friendship? Dan: Yeah! I know I did 60 different assignments. It was great fun; Dan: Yeah, they were always great buddies. I had nothing but fun all the time. Jon: Did they go out and socialize together? Jon: Did you do some writing? Dan: Wally never went out. [laughter] Wally went out twice a week Dan: Yeah, I killed Menthor. to see a psychiatrist. Jon: [Laughs] So that was your idea? Jon: Did he order everything out? Dan: Yeah, yeah. Dan: Yes, we did. We ordered a lot of stuff out. Jon: What was your thinking behind that? Jon: Did you have a hot plate? Did anyone ever cook? Dan: I guess it was because my parents and everybody treated me Dan: We had a kitchen right next to us, then down the hall was the bad. [laughter] I used to have dreams of everybody coming to my bathroom, and then the room, which was filled with about 22 funeral, and they were all weeping and sorry they treated me so bad. cabinets. Wally had made his own swipe machine, it was a great, Jon: You’ll show them! [laughs] elaborate affair! [laughs] Like this great big house was coming down Dan: So, this came out in my “Death of Menthor” story. Instead of on us. Yeah, we turned a crank wheel, and a big wheel at the side writing it Wally’s way, with a happy ending, I wanted to show the there, and Wally made the lenses and everything himself. It was a people that characters can die. [laughter] It just wrote itself. I sat

50 bought them out. Esso (later Exxon) saw them as something of a involved in that. I wrote the backs of all those cards and, together threat. The brothers now had all this money to go into another with and Woody, we would plan the scenes. We would business, so they hired some market research people to find out what actually describe very dramatic battle scenes. We wanted picture cards kind of business to start. The war was just getting over and the market that looked like a cover. High drama! Woody, who was research people predicted that there would be a baby boom and chew- very instrumental in the look of the set, brought in some of the old ing gum would be a great thing to get into. Trading cards wasn’t the gum cards that he had collected over the years and this would have first thing Topps got into. It was chewing gum and then later it became been Horrors of War and some of the Gum, Inc. cards from the 1930s bubble gum. The first gum that they put out was just called Topps and which used illustration and blood ’n’ guts and all the things that it was like Chicklets (which was very popular around that time). kids liked. Jon: You got into the company in 1960? Jon: [Laughs] Kids still do! Len: I actually started in 1959. Len: A lot of gore, yeah. They were very much inspiration to the Jon: You worked on a Civil War set? Civil War set. Len: The Civil War set was a couple of years later. Let’s see, I Jon: Were they explicit cards in the 1930s? started in ’59 so this would have been about ’61, I guess. I was very Len: Oh, Horrors of War was a very explicit set that was published in the 1930s, depicting the Japanese-Chinese war of that decade… it showed incredible gore. It outdid Mars Attacks!, let me put it that way. One card depicted a scene of a bombed city, and there would just be severed hands holding the steering wheel of an automobile. Just the hands and nothing else left of it! That was one particular image which stuck in my mind. That was about as bad as it got. I remember that Woody told me that the Japanese embassy complained to the Roosevelt administration, just before they bombed Pearl Harbor. [laughs] They actually complained that this was an awful thing that this American company was doing, depicting the Japanese as these barbaric soldiers, that they were being shown as the bad guys in this war with the Chinese. Anyway, it was one of the most graphic sets and it’s highly collectible. If you look in any of the non-sports guides, a complete set is worth thousands of dollars. Jon: When did you first meet Wally Wood? Len: I was telling about EC comics because he was aware of them but he wasn’t following comics in those days. I’m sure I brought some in and mentioned Wally and Al Williamson. I remember we tried to contact Al Williamson but he was living in South America at the time and we couldn’t him. We did locate and hired him to do a funny monster set. Jon: Did you introduce Woody to the work of the EC artists? Len: Oh, yes, very much. Because of my love for EC. Woody Gelman instantly saw that these guys were very talented as soon as I

showed him these comics. We brought Wally in to do a parody of Left:

Ripley’s Believe It or Not which we called Crazy Cards, not a great Pencil roughs for Dynamo name but they were a funny set. Wally would draw the front of the card in a typical Believe It or Not-type style. On back of the card was the punch line and a Mad-style . Jon: With your generation’s sensitivity to comic books and Woody’s prior generation’s to comic strips, there was a real kind of by Wallace Art #1 cover art. W synergy at Topps? Len: I think so. As for the EC guys, we also had do something for us, Bill Elder came in and did an odd item for a little while and then Harvey Kurtzman was even hired as a consultant and

brainstormed a few ideas. So I got to meet Harvey a few times. ood. Jon: What years roughly?

60 vertical line to see if the formula would work again with the word first reaction to the pages was dismay that the title panel took up SILVER—Silver Agents. Again, the first five letters came instantly, but over half the page and that there was no dialogue balloon in it. “Title not the next. After a long pause, trying to think of an “R” word, I was panels should just use the top third. And you’ve got dinosaurs in the suddenly writing over a dozen of them, but we began laughing so story. Kids don’t like dinosaurs!” (My friends and I had always hard at some, I decided to leave that choice to Wally, who agreed to reached for issues with dinosaurs first!) I wondered what he would replace the word T.H.U.N.D.E.R. throughout to S.I.L.V.E.R.… or think of the next two title pages he would see. Wally’s first episode, something! It was obvious, whether he realized it consciously, or not, and my second one, both began with full-page scenes! Then he point- that the more in the title he could feel was his, the happier he would ed out something I hadn’t thought of—that the ceiling lamps in the be… which was okay with me, as long as I could get enough time second panel would be out of perspective if attached to the slanting to not have to rush the rest of ceiling. For the first time in my Left: my pages. experience in comics, I was Pencil layout, T Then Tower said that receiving editorial comment that instead of putting out 32-page was right! Then, he brought .H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #12 cover. by Wallace Art Wood, based on design by Lar issues for 12¢, it was going to out a page of art, for my be 64 pages for 25¢. They comment, on another title they would need twice as many were working on. “Archie!” I pages… in the same time! said, not needing to make it Before even finishing the first, a question. Tower was going I began work on the second to be the new publisher of “Sky-Boy” episode, soon Archie Andrews? He seemed realizing the quality I wanted disappointed. “It looks a little couldn’t be maintained with too much like Archie? I guess 20 instead of 10 pages an we’ll have to change the face issue. Wally suggested bringing a little!” in other artists with additional It wasn’t just the face, characters. Envisioning a cover the entire style was Archie, with so many characters none and suddenly, I began to under- r of them would seem important, stand! All of his views, of how y Ivie. I suggested adding a feature a comic book should be, were called “The S.I.L.V.E.R. Squad,” based on Archie! (As I later with a blandly-dressed unit learned Shorten had been the containing so many members first editor of Archie, and Samm none of them would compete had probably spent most of his with the three major heroes. career at that company!) Wally’s eyes lit up. “A military We were never going to be unit!” he exclaimed with interest and I think he suggested a plot idea, in tune on the production of adventure stories! but eventually the task of writing fell to me, along with the issue’s Shorten, however, seemed to like what he saw, and wanted two-page text story, and I don’t think he got beyond a few sketches Wally and me to see him again, for an interesting offer…. The offer before turning the art, also, over to someone else. Eventually, even from Tower, at a time there was a move to give comic book writers much of the work seeming to be by Wally was by others who could and artists a slight degree of creative rights, was an extra $10 a page imitate his style as well as I could, with most of it being produced in for art or a percentage of the title’s profits. Wally jumped at the his studio by under-paid students—using a projector to trace figures increase for art, already planning his assembly-line of cheap help. from past stories. His wife did lettering, and what resulted was often “What publisher,” he asked cynically, as we discussed the choices at good, but not the format I had envisioned, with three dedicated his studio, “has ever been honest? $10 in the hand is better than the creators each conceiving, writing, and drawing 10 pages an issue of few cents an issue the account books will probably end up showing. a character that would be theirs alone. An additional big drain on time The ones we would be shown!” The decision, however, would not be came with a request from Samm to see the first chapter nearing of benefit to me, as I was soon asking Shorten if I could buy back completion in pencil, before it was inked, to see how it was coming. the Sky-Boy work I had been paid for if I could provide a suitable The only one that far ahead was mine, so I took time out to take replacement material in time for the first issue. Although page count is the first 10 pages (the last page not fully drawn) to the Tower office. the primary factor to most comic book publishers, Shorten took some Samm now had a small room on the left-hand side of the hall. His time to make a decision with Samm—and Wally after they contacted

78 flawless. Schwartz knew the value of Left: page layout, and pushed the envelope Panels from opening page, T perhaps more than any other Archie artist of his time, often experimenting with unusual or open panels and never being afraid to go beyond exaggeration

for a laugh.” by Paul Reinman. .H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #19. Art Starting in 1939, Samm stayed with Archie Comics for some 50 years (!), even taking into account a leave of three years to serve as editor of the Paul drew a few features for the Tower Comics line, working on shortlived Tower Comics line (between 1965-67). The artist also “Dynamo” and “Undersea Agent,” possibly over Wallace Wood lay- worked for Ace, , and DC Comics. Samm, who died outs. (Paul had worked for Avon for a brief spell in 1948, where he of cancer in 1997, was quoted in CBM as saying, “I may not be a quite possibly first met the young artist Wood.) Paul would move back wealthy man and leave a lot of riches behind, but at least I know I to Marvel in the latter ’60s, doing uncredited production work and an made a lot of children laugh.” occasional ink job. In the ’70s, the artist would show up from time to The following interview was originally published in the fifth issue time drawing mystery stories, as well as fill-in strips for Hero for Hire of Bombshell, a 1960s , and it features a talk with Tower and Ka-Zar. He also reportedly did some stories for Gold Key. I am uncertain of exactly when Paul passed away, but his last comics work was seen in the mid- ’70s.—Nicholas Caputo T-Agents work: ART: T-Agents #13, 19; Dynamo #3; NoMan #1. Samm Schwartz Sam (Samm) Schwartz was born on Oct. 12, 1920, and grew up in , New York. He attended the Comics’ official comics editor (and resident Archie-type cartoonist) Pratt School of Design, among other art schools. Though Sam (who Samm Schwartz, conducted by Marcana and William Bracero. also worked as a staffer in the Demby shop in the early 1940s), is Originally titled “We Face Tower!” the piece included a prologue and best known as the pre-eminent artist on Archie Comics’ “Jughead” epilogue, which are included. strips, his early work for MLJ includes the super-hero strip, “Black Prologue: When we reached 185 Madison Avenue at noon on Jack.” Of his ’50s work on “Jughead” and “Reggie,” Paul Castiglia August 19th, we were almost dead on our feet. We had gotten on the writes in Comic Book Marketplace #55 (Jan. ’98), “Looking at his wrong train, took the right train to the wrong station, walked dozens work from this period, his comedic flair, graphic design and pacing are of blocks in the wrong direction, and finally gave up and took a taxi to the place! Oh, how we fans suffer for our cause! But it was worth it all! Our fatigue left us as we entered the office of Tower’s editor. True, the place was not the bridal suite, but it was our goal, and we had reached it. There was the usual conglomeration of paper, ink bottles, T-squares, drawing boards, bulletin boards, finished and unfinished strips and the smell of ink everywhere; but it all

86 head writer. It was fun doing Tower, but then they had a financial was called “Mad’s Maddest artist.” Whether or not that’s problem there so… I guess you could say this is inside information! true, I don’t know. [laughs ] We were getting $10 a page, which was horrible, but we Wally liked to smash his characters through a brick wall. He was were doing something entirely different. Then Wally called up and said such a fantastic artist, and it was pure luck that I was able to work he was taking over completely. He said he just wanted, more or less, a with him. When I went over to Cracked, John Severin was another very rough script, which he’s going to re-write and edit, and then the great artist I got to work with. writer would only get half the money, $5 a page! I said, “No way!” I wish I could tell you more about T-Agents, but I was just an Wally said, “Well, the other writers don’t object.” But I did. So I went independent worker, so it’s difficult. to [Tower Comics editor] Samm Schwartz, and he said, “Well, go Bob: In addition to T-Agents and Mad, what else have you done? write Tippy Teen,” which was their other comic book title, which Lou: I did a lot of writing in , including The Jackson 5ive. wasn’t any fun to write anyway. (I also actually wrote a “Little Michael Eisner, the head of ABC at that time, saw the group perform in Archie” one time.) Las Vegas, and he thought they would make a good TV series. Jack

Bob: So what do you Davis, who is also a Mad Left:

think of The T-Agents artist, was hired to do the Splash page, T Archives? caricatures. I also did Lou: Oh, I think it’s Candid Camera and several beautiful, only now I wish one-hour animated specials, by Mike Sekowsky & Frank Giacoia. .H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #2. Art I had used my name! one for King Features, [laughter] DC did a which starred every King beautiful job. Most of what I character there was, from wrote for Tower ended up in to Prince Valiant. I the first volume. I can say also worked with that almost every story on Li’l Abner, which was starring Menthor and T- fun. I did comedy bits Squad listed as by “writer for a stage show called unknown” is by me. “Freedom Jam” that toured Bob: Is there any other schools and colleges during information about what was the Bicentennial. I had a going on at the time? radio show. I did a lot of Lou: I only worked for men’s magazines and Wally. I used to go up to his stuff like that. place and we’d kick around When I moved over ideas. I never met any of to Cracked, readers said the other writers or artists. that “Cracked sucks and With the exception of the Mad kicks ass,” but gradu- Marvel bullpen, most writers ally we got more and more and artists worked at home. letters that said, “Cracked We never saw each other. rules!” which was fun. (That’s why the Mad trips Bob: You also have were so great: As a group, a couple of books out we spent time together, going to different places.) I’d write a script, there: Politically Mad, The Mad Tell-It-Like-It-Is Book, Mad Book of they’d hand it to an artist, and I didn’t see it until it was printed. Horror Stories, Yecchy Creatures and Other Neat Stuff, Mad Book Bob: The T-Agents have survived to this day because of the legacy of Mysteries…. of Wally Wood. Lou: Yeah, I did six of those books, which were great. That was Lou: To me, Wally was just a former Mad artist who was down on another thing at Mad: Those books were a great source of income, his luck, more or less, who created a lot of his own problems. He had because we got a big up-front fee. Now that I’m freelancing, it’s not a lot of demons in him, but when I worked with him, he wasn’t drink- the same thing. It’s hard to even get someone to look at scripts, ing anything stronger than Pepsi Cola. He’d just sit there at a drawing because they all want you to have an agent. table, sipping Pepsi. I still don’t know why he left Mad, because he I wanted to do a comic book, and sent a five- or six-page was one of the originators, but there was one story that he didn’t get detective story to Image, and they e-mailed a reply that said it would along with the editor. The version that I heard was he was jealous that make a great comic book and they kept sending me encouraging

90 Mike: Favorite characters? You drew a few “T.H.U.N.D.E.R. uska. Squad” stories, did you enjoy the strip? Was Weed based on Woody? George: Didn’t really have a favorite character, they did remind me of The X-Men though. If Weed was based on Wally Wood, you’d Pencil art by Geor ge T have to ask the writer, as I really don’t know.

Right: Mike: Do you recall what your page rate was? How did it compare to Marvel and DC at the time? George: I think it was something like $20 a page, Marvel was less; I didn’t work for DC at that time so I don’t know what their rate was; probably higher. Mike: What did you think of the Tower material? George: Same as the Marvel stuff, super-hero stuff, you know. The Tower stuff had a James Bond kind of touch to it, though. Mike: Do you think the Tower comics were developed to capitalize on Marvel’s success? As far as you recall, was the Batman craze in full-swing when the books were coming out? George: At that time I really wasn’t fully into Marvel; that didn’t happen until the strip was over. I remember when Batman was very popular, but I was just freelancing, doing pick-up work for places like Marvel and Tower at that time. It didn’t occur to me that the TV show had any effect on all of comics. Some said it was bad for comics. Mike: You’re renowned especially for your ’40s crime stories for Mike Gartland: How did you get the Tower gig, George? Crime Does Not Pay. Did you wish genres other than super-heroes were George Tuska: I was freelancing work at that time while popular during the ’60s and ’70s? working on the syndicated Buck Rogers strip, I really don’t remember George: I liked the action in super-hero books, but preferred doing who told me about it. the Crime Does Not Pay material. The stories were more thrilling to me Mike: Did you deal with editor Samm Schwartz at all? because they seemed more based on real life. I would’ve like to have George: His name rings a bell, but I don’t believe I ever met him. seen the Crime stories make it to the ’60s and ’70s, but those Mike: Do you know anything about the Tower Publishing background Kefauver hearings put an end to them in the ’50s, shame really. and why it decided to get into comics? Do you remember the types of Mike: Did you consider Wally Wood a tragic figure? paperbacks the company produced? Did you know of Harry Shorten? George: Tragic figure? I think that he felt he had to take his own Any anecdotes? life was a tragedy; he was a very talented man. George: I guess Tower was just jumping on the super-hero band- Mike: Did you socialize with other comic book artists in the 1960s? wagon, along with the other publishing houses that devoted some of Where did you live in the ’60s and what was your family situation? their space to super-heroes at that same time. Harry Shorten I don’t George: Since I was freelancing, I didn’t really see many artists; know of, sorry. sometimes I’d run into someone at the office if I was bringing in or Mike: Did you visit Wally Wood’s studio with any frequency? taking out work. I lived on (in Hicksville) at the time with George: Believe it or not, I never knew Wally Wood nor visited my wife, two daughters, and son. I liked to golf and still do as often him. I knew Bob Wood when I worked at Lev Gleason, but I don’t as I can. I did golf with Stan Lee on several occasions. think they were related. Mike: What‘s the story behind your brief Marvel foray—drawing Mike: Who wrote the stories you drew? Did you write any stories? “Captain America,” for one—in the mid-’60s? Why didn’t you stay Were the scripts Marvel-style or fully written? longer? George: I don’t recall who wrote the stories, I may have George: The Buck Rogers strip was very time-consuming, and contributed some stuff, but without having the books to refer to, I you always had to be on top of it; it’s like that with many syndicated couldn’t tell you. I think the stories were full scripts; I only remember strips. You also had to get and pay for the letterer and inker. Also, working Marvel-method at Marvel. I liked Marvel method because it Marvel’s rates for a penciled and inked page didn’t give you enough allowed you more of a free reign to move the plot your own way. I’m incentive to stay, although I did prefer doing comic book stories to the really sorry, but without the books I couldn’t recall any anecdotes of syndicated stuff. interest; at the time it was just fill-in work, you understand. Mike: When and why did you return to Marvel?

101 Left: George: The Buck Rogers strip finally was “Let us consider just what an educated ended and Stan was always asking me to come man knows of the past. First of all he has the Splash panel, T back, so around 1967 I started doing some ink- realest of all knowledge—the knowledge of ing, then some fill-in stories, then . his own personal experiences, his memory. Art by Geor ge T .H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #15. Art Mike: When did you start working again for Uneducated people believe their memories DC Comics? Did you primarily work for [DC editor] absolutely, and most educated people believe ? them with a few reservations. Some of us George: I got into DC through Carmine take up a critical attitude even toward our Infantino; one day Sol Brodsky told me that they own memories; we know that they not only didn’t have any work for me; so I took some of sometimes drop things out, but that some- my Marvel samples to Carmine and he said “This times a sort of dreaming or a strong sug- is what we’re looking for.” So what happens? gestion will put things in. But for all that, uska. He puts me on romance stories! Ugh! [laughs] memory remains vivid and real as no other Later on I ran into Stan who asked why wasn’t I knowledge can be, and to have seen and working for him anymore. So I go up to his office heard and felt is to be nearest to absolute and explain that I was told I wasn’t needed conviction.”—Herbert George Wells, around here; and John Verpoorten, who was Discovery of the Future sitting next to me in Stan’s office said “He’s right, Stan.” [laughs] So I was back at Marvel again. This particular story is almost autobiographic, I worked with Carmine and Joe Orlando at DC, as many of the places, people, and events have although I did know Boltinoff, also. He lived a been gleaned from personal memory. Forgive me, short distance from me in Long Island and if I seem to ramble on just a bit. While attempting sometimes I would bring my work to his house to sort several decades of nostalgic memories into rather than go into the city. words, it is disquieting to realize how quickly the years have flashed Mike: Any memories of other Tower contributors? by. It seems like it was only yesterday, when, at the age of 12, I first George: I remember Sekowsky from the Eisner-Iger days, but discovered an artist named Ogden Whitney. didn’t see him anymore after that. Reed Crandall was there, too, and I To be more specific, the year was 1965. As it is with most used to watch him draw along with ; they were very good. discoveries, it came quite by accident. It was in the Spring and I was Others like Esposito, Stone, and Adkins I know from their inking bed-ridden, suffering from a bout with the flu. As an act of love (or stories I drew the others I know only from conventions, while some possibly to quiet my sniveling), my father brought me a couple new I’ve never met. T-Agents work: T-Agents #1, 7, 8, 10, 13-17, 19; Dynamo #2, 3. Bottom left: Plate detail from SQP’ Ogden

Whitney s The T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents Series Set One. Outside of the fact that, according to Who’s Who of American Comic Books, Ogden Whitney was born in 1918, little biographical information appears to be known about the legendary artist. The following essay by Ron Frantz, which first appeared in The Return of #1 [Sept. ’87] (published by Ron’s imprint, Ace Comics), is less about Ogden’s life and more on the journey of a fan looking for the by Geor ge T Art man behind the art. The article was originally titled “Searching for Ogden Whitney,” and appears here

courtesy of Ron (who also made some revisions). uska. ©2005 Ron Frantz.

102 the android agent’s name was “NorMan,” so maybe my opinion isn’t me that Archie Comics was reviving their super-hero characters. I called all that reliable.) Other memories include being touched by NoMan’s (this being before they moved upstate) and was introduced to John dilemma and soliloquy in his story in #7 and bemused by Carbonaro soon after. Things moved quickly, so I ended up working Dynamo’s bravado in being shot from a cannon (Dynamo #1?). on T-Agents instead. On the other hand, the all-powerful Menthor struck me as an Working with John was very satisfying. There were a lot of obviously bad idea. He had to start losing his helmet regularly, starting laughs and hanging out with his associates and plotting stories on with his second story, just to make for fair fights. cocktail napkins. John was full of enthusiasm and wanted his books Although there were good stories after #8, I thought the series to be fun. jumped the shark there, after the Subterraneans were beaten. Jon: On some credits, you’re listed as writer and others artist. Are you a double-threat? [Your imbecilic editor misread artist B.C. Boerner’s credit as being Charlie.—JBC] Charlie: Any art credit must be mistaken. I am a cartoonist, but have never had my art published by the mainstream. (You can see my cartooning in the Friends of Lulu anthologies, Storytime and Broad Appeal.) Jon: Can you give us an overview of Red Circle at the time? Charlie: Archie’s Red Circle line had three editorial directions in a period of something like one-and-a-half years: John C, , and Snyder, with each working their own approach. Any one of them

was legitimate, but I think the constant shifting Left: helped the line to fail. Pencils intended as JC Comics’ T JC Comics was what it sounds like, just John, with me and a few other associates giving suggestions. Bonanno and Blyberg (and Ditko and I) were all freelancers, some in town, and others through the mail. Willie Blyberg was such a skilled inker, he was

rarely hired for full art, as I think he would have liked, .H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents although Blue Ribbon Comics #12 shows his ability. Jon: Were you at all to the Carbonaro v. Singer controversy?

Charlie: No, I was out of the picture by then cover. Inked piece eventually adapted as centerspread pin-up in T but, having worked with John, I felt his claim was legitimate and was glad he was vindicated. Jon: John mentioned a T.H.U.M.P.E.R. Agents story, and also says that you are particularly good humor writer. Is that so? Charlie: Out of the blue, John suggested the idea S.P.I.D.E.R. was a less interesting batch of villains. From there, there of “Dynamo Duck.” I mulled it over and came up with a silly variation was less Wood art and the stories lost focus. on the origin story: If the Warlord had interrupted Prof. Jenning’s work Jon: What do you think of Wally Wood’s work? Did you ever earlier, the prototype devices would have still been in testing on lab meet Woody? animals. Parodying the format of Marvel’s ? stories, it was Charlie: I never met Wood. His artwork was the first I could introduced by Archie’s janitor Svenson—the Vatcher (of vindows)— -Agents recognize. Not long after my introduction in T-Agents #2, I read a back “So what if the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents had been cute, cuddly animals?” issue of The Avengers, when Wood was inking (#19 or soon The plan was to make the parodies a back-up feature in JC’s Hall of #2. Ar after). I recognized the machinery in the splash panel right away and Fame with #4. (Of course, there was no #4….) t by Murphy Anderson. it was confirmed in the credit box. He is still one my favorite three Jon: What happened with JC Comics, and did you have further super-hero artists. contact with Carbonaro? Jon: How did you hear about the T-Agents revival? Charlie: JC Comics ended when Archie Comics cancelled it. Charlie: My friend George Lamboy, from Regal Entertainment, told Perhaps it would have done better in today’s environment, when print-

112 his art but I guess saw something in my crestfallen face and gave instead, but didn’t. But I always had an affinity for the characters; I Left: them to me. Twenty+ years later I still have them. always liked them. Wood’s art was always great. When I got a little inked splash page of unpublished Dynamo stor Partially I have to admit that my marketing skills were weak at that bit older I started to buy them and was a fan from that point on. time, and I was too trustful of people I helped in the beginning. I Jon: Did you know John Carbonaro? listened to people and grew a bit as an editor back then. Learning a Lou: I started to work in this business around 1978 or ’79. I good many things that hopefully will get this book back on track as a thought of bringing samples around to DC around 1975. The usual two new series. My lumps/failings will help in the future. I met good or three years of redemption, and work on samples of this and that. people along the way as well as the bad ones. The Archie people were Then I wound up meeting Jimmy Janes, who was working on black-&- outstanding no matter how they differed with me on things. (Say, are white Warren comics. So I was able to some stuff and assist him you gonna print this? I’d a little bit in his studio. Later better shut up!) on, Rich Buckler worked in y there, as did Denys Cowan by Lou Manna (pencils) & James E. Lyle. Art (inks). and Mark Texeira. I met Pat Lou Gabriele there and, through Pat, John Carbonaro. Manna John and I hit it off, Louis Peter Manna was and John just had gotten the born on August 9, 1954, rights to the characters. He in Staten Island, New asked me if I would do the York, where he was raised first b-&-w story, which was and still resides. A self- The Raven. Mark Texeira taught artist, Lou never inked that. From there I had a lesson except for started laying out some of one night class at the the other books for him, and School of Visual Arts. then Pat did some work, and The artist spent five years then Mark did some work. submitting samples to Everybody pitched in, and Marvel and DC before then we put out that book, finally landing his first pro and it was successful. assignment, House of Jon: What was John like? Mystery #305, character- Lou: John was very ized as a “great learning possessive of the characters. experience.” Lou also He knew them inside and assisted artist Jim Janes on out, and had tentative ideas The Rook and Legion of about what he wanted to Super-Heroes, and had do. He would bend a bit. solo work appear in When we started working on Infinity, Inc., Young All- the comic book, he trusted Stars, Spider-Man, , Jaguar, The (a personal favorite), me to do a good job on a color comic, and I remember doing a lot of among others. He has also produced corporate art for Chase Bank and the plotting with him and [editor] Chris Adames. I think, at the time, Accenture. Lou is currently working for Layne Morgan Media on their we all banged around a plot. I know John had some specifics in mind. book line, and cites his 2000 independent series, Salem St. James, as I remember working on that first splash with NoMan. We seemed to a career highlight. He was interviewed by phone in June 2005. work pretty well together; we were fairly comfortable. Jon B. Cooke: When were you first exposed to T.H.U.N.D.E.R. In the beginning, we worked really well together, then he had Agents, Lou? some ideas he wanted to do, I had some ideas I wanted to do, and Lou Manna: I was a big comic book collector from when I was we would butt heads on certain things. But overall, I think we eight years old. I remember seeing those T-Agents comic books, picking respected each other and stayed friends. up a copy, seeing Wally Wood’s work, and saying, “25¢? That’s too I remember he and I sat down, and I was looking for a Wally expensive!” I couldn’t afford it at that time. When you’re a kid and Wood-type inker, and I had seen Willie Blyberg’s stuff in The Comics you have 25¢, you could buy two 12¢ comics. So I remember seeing Journal. I think he was just semi-pro at the time. I said, “Boy, this guy them, thinking the art was great, and wishing I could buy those has a nice Wally Wood inking style. He’d be good.” John listened to

118 novel was not in print anywhere in the world for a set period of time, plotted it but I wound up scripting. I also wound up finishing George rights returned to me. Later, I asked for it to be reprinted, they said no, Pérez, because he was only able to do a few pages and I drew the rest and I got the rights back. of the story. Jon: Aardwolf Publishing eventually reprinted the complete series? Jon: Were you trying to emulate Pérez? Dave: Right. They finally published the “lost” fourth issue, the one Dave: I don’t know if I was or not. that Lodestone didn’t publish. Jon: George told me you had little time to complete that job? Jon: Do you feel that The suffered by being bounced Dave: Yeah. between publishers and the lapse of time in between? Jon: Was it fun to do T-Agents? Dave: Probably. I don’t know how well it sold for Lodestone, Dave: Yes. These were characters that I loved. The splash page I did but I knew that they were with NoMan walking having money problems down the street was a from the get-go. swipe of an issue of Jon: Was there a Captain Marvel I did connection in your mind (Marvel’s version). that, at first, he was Jon: Was the first job offering these excessive for Singer that poster rates—as much as twice images of all the Agents? the going rate—just Dave: I think so. hemorrhaging cash, and Jon: You had your that was the cause of old employer, Murphy subsequent difficulties? Anderson, inking Dave: Probably. He your pencils. said that he had a print Dave: Well, Murphy broker backing him, that had inked be prior, on was where his money the first three “Legion” was coming from. He stories I did. (At least was having to wait for on the first one, editor the proceeds of a given Murray Boltinoff credited issue to come in before Murphy first, because he he could afford to print was afraid Murphy, being the next one. an old-timer, would be Jon: [laughs] So much offended to be listed for business acumen. underneath a newcomer. Do you have any idea But I was the penciler and why The Futurians was Murphy was the inker. um. published under the Jon: There’s a panel of Lodestone imprint and not Lightning reproduced from Deluxe Comics? pencils…. Dave: He used whichever name he was using that month… one Dave: David liked my pencils so much on that, he reproduced month he was Deluxe, the next Lodestone, and at one point, he them directly. considered using “D.C.,” but didn’t think he could get away with it. Jon: Would you like to return to the characters someday? [laughter] Dave: Sure, yeah. I talked to John Carbonaro on this possibility by Jon: Did you know Singer prior to doing business with him? e-mail a couple of times, and he indicated that he wouldn’t mind if I .H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1. Art by Dave Cockr s T Dave: No. It’s when he first approached me that I was introduced contributed. This was back when DC was planning on doing an ongoing ood’ to him. Of course, I also did a couple of T-Agents stories in between series. (I gather that whatever they were going to do wasn’t very ally W The Futurians. good.) All of that fell through. Jon: So T-Agents and The Futurians were produced simultaneous. Jon: In one story you did, there’s a character with glasses and big For that time frame, were you exclusive to Lodestone/Deluxe? hair. Is that a caricature of Dave Singer? Dave: Yes, but I really wasn’t fast enough to keep on doing all of Dave: No, that’s supposed to be Singer’s accountant…. I didn’t Splash page from W that work in the time required… but I mostly got it done. Plus, in the know what that guy really looked like; I just drew what I thought an

Right: one issue where we brought back Iron Maiden [WWTA #3], Singer accountant would look like. [laughter] The title for the “next issue”

127 blurb at the end of WWTA #3 was Steve: They asked. Left: mine, by the way: “Well, I Guess I Jon: By most accounts, Singer Panel from W Am That Kind of Boy…” [laughter] was… ummm… a flamboyant

Jon: Whatever happened to character. What were your dealings ally W

David Singer? with him and what’s your opinion of ood’

Dave: All I know is that he the man and his comics line? s T Art by Dave Cockr .H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1. Art shut down the company and Steve: Singer was obviously not disappeared. I have heard people reliable, on any level. You always mention his name in recent years, felt he had a hidden agenda... and so I guess he’s around somewhere, that turned out to be so. But he was but I have no idea. pleasant enough, as I recall. Jon: So was the overall Deluxe/ Jon: How were the rates at Deluxe Lodestone experience negative? and how’d they compare with the

Dave: Financially, it was stressful. rest of the industry? um. I didn’t get all the money I was Steve: I don’t remember. I imag- promised, and half the time I ine I got my usual rate for the time. delivered work, if he gave me a That may be one reason he decided check, it would bounce. I would have to write the second issue himself. to go back in and demand cash. It Jon: How did you come to get the finally got to the point where I would assignment for the T-Agents story come in with a finished story, but I (as opposed to Raven, Lightning, wouldn’t let him have it until he etc.)? Did you choose the team handed me cash. That part of it was segment of the book? not fun, though doing The Futurians Steve: That was what Singer and T-Agents was fun. [chuckles] offered me. I have a rep for doing Jon: Did this teach you a lesson to be wary of start-up publishers team books, so it seemed like a sensible idea. with grandiose plans thereafter? Jon: Obviously, in short order, you were no longer writing for the Dave: Yes, it made me very wary. I tend now to be reluctant to company. What happened? trust people too much unless I know them really well. Steve: Dunno. Singer just called up and said he wanted to write T-Agents work: ART: WW T-Agents #1-3. the second one himself. Jon: John Workman mentioned that Singer had a compulsion to rewrite the material. Did that happen in your case? Steve Englehart Steve: It didn’t happen on my first and only issue. Maybe that’s Stephen K. Englehart, was born on April 22, in Indianapolis, . why he wanted to write the second one himself. Raised in his native city and Louisville, Kentucky, he later earned a BA Jon: The second issue features your plotting. Did you read the in Psychology at Wesleyan University. Steve has written a zillion published version and make any impressions of Singer’s interpretation? comics, first coming to prominence in the comics field in the early Steve: I’m sure I did read it at the time, but I haven’t looked at it 1970s. Some of his most renowned work appeared in Captain since. I naturally thought I could have done a better job! America, The Avengers, , , Coyote, Jon: As far as you could see, what were the respective strengths and Scorpio Rose, and recently a reteaming with artists weaknesses of Deluxe Comics? and Terry Austin to produce a Batman mini-series. He has also worked Steve: They had good characters and they had good people in film (Batman, Nightman, Team Atlantis: Milo’s Return), video games doing them. Without all the internal problems, Deluxe should have (Tr on 2.0, Hard’s Tale, Spider-Man, etc.), children’s books (Countdown succeeded. But the problems were obviously their weakness. to Flight, The DNAgers, etc.), and has written the adult novel, The I only know what I think is common knowledge: They didn't Point Man. He currently lives and works in . Steve was really own the characters. So the whole basis for doing the book… interviewed by e-mail in June 2005. for the talent, it turned out to be bogus, but I have to believe that for Jon B. Cooke: Were you familiar with T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents in Singer, he knew it was bogus. And if he knew, he was operating the 1960s? knowing that he might be brought down at any moment. That can't Steve Englehart: Yes. I liked the original series and went out lead to stability. of my way to collect it, since it was badly distributed. Jon: Any idea of what became of David Singer? Jon: How were you approached for Deluxe Comics’ T-Agents revival? Steve: None.

128 what shook me up most of all. When I think back to the opportunities At that point I certainly went and sought out more of his work. Left: I had, the access I had to the best in the business… Wood, Toth, Wood was a solid draftsman, but he always had that cool light- Pin-up detail. W Ditko, Kubert, Kirby… and I blew it. Damn! ing effect—double-lighting and all that—and I was just amazed by T-Agents work: ART/PLOTTING: WW T-Agents #1-5. his art. ally W Jon: While I wouldn’t immediately say that you two have similar styles necessarily, there’s something about your work that reminds me ood’ s T

Jerry Ordway by Jer .H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1. Art of Wood. Was he an influence on you? Jeremiah Ordway was born on November 27, 1957, in Milwaukee, Jerry: Oh, yes. After #1, I started spotting his work Wisconsin. Jerry calls his The Power of Shazam! and everywhere, though I probably had been exposed earlier without even The Messenger, a creator-owned project done through , realizing it. among his favorite work. The artist currently lives in Easton, Regarding Wood’s influence, my style is probably a couple of Connecticut, where he is working on a five-issue mini-series featuring generations removed, and I was probably influenced by the artists who the / characters from Top Ten, with writer Paul

were influenced by him. Once I started really collecting Wood, I wound r DeFilippo. y Or dway up following a thread back to him. Then I realized a thread from Wally Jon B. Cooke: Were you exposed to the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents Wood back to and . So if there’s any real . in the ’60s, Jerry? stylistic approach now, it probably comes from that Alex Raymond/ Jerry Ordway: Yeah, back in the days of newsstands. Hal Foster school, Woody’s roots. Our major outlet, where we used to get most of our Marvels, was Jon: Did you ever meet Woody? downtown in Milwaukee. I never saw T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents there, Jerry: No, but I certainly picked up his fanzine, witzend, in the which I’m sure was why they probably didn’t survive. [laughs] But we ’70s, but the closest I ever really got to Wood was having a casual did find the comic on spinner racks in drugstores. In those days, friendship with [former Wood collaborator] Joe Orlando and others readers would have to go to multiple outlets, in search of titles that who had worked with Wood. I’d always hear Wood stories; Gil Kane were not from the top publishers (like DC and Marvel). T-Agents were had them, as did , who worked as a Wood assistant, also 25¢ each, a big bite for a time when comics were 12¢. That was maybe the last one, when he moved up to Connecticut from Florida. a lot to pony up to buy a book, but I thought the Wally Wood covers Jon: Did you draw really stood out, so they were worth the extra dough. any T-Agents in your Jon: Were the Tower Comics discernably days before turning different? I assume you were also pro and in your early buying DC and Marvel at professional career? the time. Jerry: I can’t remember Jerry: I didn’t doing anything, except that start actively occasionally, back in the early collecting until the ’80s, when I was doing convention Summer of ’67, and then I sketches, I had requests for them. I think I did a couple of was only buying Marvels. But I Dynamo shots. do remember picking up an My first professional experience with the characters was when I issue of T-Agents. The did a Lightning pin-up for the unauthorized Wally Wood’s T-Agents that cover just jumped out at David Singer published back in the mid-’80s. Then I wound up doing a me. I’m sure that was the 15-page story for WWTA #5, at the end of its run. But nothing since moment I began my Wally until I did a centerspread pin-up in Comic Book Artist [vol. 1, #14]. That was the first actual fun time I had. [Jon laughs] Jon: Was that Jon: How did David Singer contact you? Did you know him at all? your first memory of Jerry: No. Singer was calling everybody who had any kind of Wood’s work? profile in comics around that time. He really worked hard to get me Jerry: It’s really hard to pin to do a story. I’m probably stupid in this way, but I’ve never responded it down. I just remember it stood out. to people calling me up and offering to throw tons of money at me, I would say my first concrete “Wow! Wally which is what he did. I ultimately wound up doing it out of love for Wood is terrific!” moment was when I picked up the original material. That’s what it comes down to. But it was a bitter- Captain Action, because I was a big fan of that toy. When I sweet experience, because part of me held out until I felt convinced saw Wood had done the pencils and inks on the first issue, it was, that Singer did have rights to the material (which was debated in the “It’s my favorite artist drawing the adventures of my favorite toy!” fan press, at the time). I’m no lawyer, but since he had published

132 background just because that orange sky they used—I drew it Jon: Singer made an announcement about a Raven graphic novel by thinking of a night sky—was a little brighter than I had anticipated. George Pérez? [laughter] George: At that point, Dave was doing a lot of promoting, Jon: I saw on some index of your work that you’re listed as announcing stuff that wasn’t even in the germinal stage…. illustrator on a T-Agents role playing game. Do you recall that? Jon: So he had not even discussed this with you? George: If it had any of my artwork, it would have been pick-up George: He would have probably just taken all my pages and art [reproduced from work specifically done for the comics]. called it a graphic novel, but if it was supposed to be an all-original Jon: You were quoted in Comics Interview #50 [1987], in your graphic novel, he never talked to me about that. interview conducted by , saying you weren’t very happy Jon: Do you recall another announcement, Tales of T.H.U.N.D.E.R.? with the inking on your pages. In retrospect, do you still feel that way? George: I had heard about it but I just assumed he was going to George: Dave did a credible job and Dan Adkins had to follow reprint existing material, not anything new. It was during a time when my incredibly loose pencils and there was nothing that he added, so I a lot was announced before any commitments were made… and it don’t think we worked well together. He probably was told he was got to the point where people weren’t getting paid. I think there was a getting full-pencils from me, but they were just layouts, so they just lot of hope that, “Oh, let’s hope that the advance money [from the ended up looking like inked layouts. And I don’t think that Bill Wray distributors] comes in, so we actually produce these books.” As and I were a good match either. opposed to having books ready. That’s my take. The T-Agents doesn’t stand out as a high water mark in I saw my name attached to a lot of stuff that would make me my career. I did it for the money—and I can say that say, ”Hey, nobody told me!” [laughter] about a lot of work—because, as tempting as the Jon: Ahhh, hucksterism in comics! So there was nothing of yours left money can be, I can’t take a job if it’s only about that. unpublished? I need to be interested. George: No, everything I had done for Deluxe was printed. Had I read T-Agents as a kid and then Dave Jon: Y’know, it just seems odd to have George Pérez, one of the came in with his offer, I probably would have done hottest fan-favorite artists at the time, not work on the team or on a better job. The fact that I was aware of them Dynamo, or even NoMan, but on a third-stringer like The Raven. as a historical footnote, as opposed to me Do you have any idea what Singer was thinking? having read them when they came George: I honestly don’t know. There were other artists who out, probably didn’t help my were going to be involved, who were much more interested in T-Agents attempt to bring them to than I, so it could have been a case of one of them wanting Dynamo. any kind of . (I don’t know if anyone would have settled for Undersea Agent!) [laughter] Maybe it was just, “Give George ‘The Raven,’ because he doesn’t care one way or the other.” Jon: Hearing what a showman Dave was, it makes one wonder if he was holding back to build up anticipation for a big release for Wally Wood’s Dynamo #1… but, it begs the question, why not just come out with both guns blazing? George: And T-Agents probably should not have been an anthology book, given the popularity of team books at the time.

Introduce them as a team and then split them up into individual Left:

titles… put Raven in as a back-up feature. It needed more of a Pin-up, W team-book feel to it, to recapture what the cover implied. Who knows what Dave was thinking. ally W Jon: Except for your misgivings about the inking, were you impressed ood’ s T

with the books overall? There seemed a sense that they did recapture by . .H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1. Art somewhat the quality of the Tower Comics. George: I was more impressed with everybody else’s work than I was with mine. Quite honestly, I thought that they did a better job because they had their heart in it more than I did. I think I did serv- iceable work, but I know the difference between that and inspired work. I did get some flattering and favorable comments about those issues, but they don’t have the same resonance personally for me. T-Agents work: ART: WW T-Agents #1-4.

138 Dwight: Yet Tower was not able to make a go of How he was going to get the artists to go with him, Left: T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents. I’ve never figured out. Regardless, he pulled out and Panel fr om “Work… Work… Work… Work… W David: Tower went under due to problems on the started causing trouble. My investors then backed out newsstand distribution scene, not because of sales. because they weren’t sure what was going on…. The characters went into limbo for many years. Then Dwight: There has been a fair amount of discussion a gentleman by the name of John Carbonaro began about the new printing processes and paper for comics, publishing them in a black-&-white magazine, two some people not being entirely pleased with this four-color issues co-published with Archie Comics, and development. What were your reasons for going this three reprint color issues of the original Tower stuff. expensive format route? John and I were friends at the time, we’re both from David: Well. I think I answered that in my

New York City, and John and I both knew that the "publishorial" in the very first issue of WWTA. For the ork,” W characters were in the public domain because Tower benefit of all of your readers who didn’t see it, let me ally W neglected to put copyright, trademark or registration say this: I like to do things with style. I went to high notices on their comics. school in a suit and tie. And I wore five different suits a ood’ s T John Carbonaro published T-Agents for a couple week. When I was doing public relations, I’d wear a by Steve Ditko (pencils) & (inks). .H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #3. Art of years. He used mostly fan artists and new artists. boutonniere to work every day. When I go to some- The books, were not particularly well-received. Sales one’s house, I always have a bottle of wine, a house were low and Archie Comics decided to pull out of the gift, or pastry. It takes an effort to remember to do partnership because they weren’t making any money these things and it costs money, but I like to have style. an the deal. Carbonaro had no funding so his venture Anything I do has to have style. I’m publishing comic went into limbo. About six months later, after his last books now. They’ll be stylish comic books. My goal is book had come out, I told him that I wanted to publish to do a comic that a 28-year-old Wall Street stockbroker T-Agents. The world at large thought that he had can take home on the 6:15 back to Connecticut and exclusive rights to the characters because he had been proudly read that instead of The Wall Street Journal and putting copyrights and trademarks by JC Productions in have no one look at him and think he’s retarded. his indicia. This he could do, but only in the sense of My covers all look like paintings. The paper is a protecting his interpretations. The characters themselves quality stock. George Pérez is doing beautiful covers. were public domain. Most of our books are colored by airbrushing! Even Dwight: What happened during that talk? most Baxter books are not airbrushed. Airbrushing is David: Initially, I offered to “license” the characters from really the upper, upper tier. Carbonaro—actually, I first asked to buy the rights from him, but he Dwight: When T-Agents first came about, the United Nations had a

didn’t want to sell. So I said, okay, even though I don’t have to, I’ll completely different political make-up than it does now. What’s going to Bottom left: license them from you—that way you’re getting something from the happen to the organization now? characters and everyone will think I’ve got exclusive rights thus David: T-Agents are going to leave the U.N. We felt that from the T protecting my investment as well and it’ll make the whole venture a beginning, we had to do that for a very basic reason. In the 1960s, ext page illustration, The Futurians lot easier for me. We had an agreement. I went to work producing Red China was not in the U.N. And T.H.U.N.D.E.R. often fought agents my comics. from Red China. Well, in 1973, President Nixon threw us a curve. And I originally was going to come out with the first issue in the Red China soon became a part of the United Nations and comic books Summer of 1984. But when John saw how successful I was, getting have never been the same. So there really is no competition for the George Pérez, Keith Giffen, Steve Ditko, Dave Cockrum, and others to U.N. now, in terms of being a spy network. Who the heck are they work for me, he suddenly decided to spying on? (also published by Singer). Art by Dave Cockr #2 (also published by Singer). Art take back the “rights” and Dwight: I have a bunch of rhetorical answers for that. [laughter] get those artists at the David: In terms of the U.N. charter, that is. We don’t want to have same time. aliens coming in and attacking the world every issue, or dinosaurs being fought or people coming up from the depths of the earth, because all of that is just not realistic. We’re trying to create a relative- ly realistic series about nine-to-five Joes who punch a clock. Our stand- ing joke at the office is that the typical T-Agent works a nine-to-fiver, or whatever his shift is, and at three minutes to 5:00 P.M., he suddenly

sees this dinosaur rumbling the street. He looks at his watch, looks um. at his timecard and says, “Joe will be on in a few minutes. Let him

140 endless litigation didn’t drain away all his funds or his love for comics. Left: Nor do I have any idea what his impact on the field may have been. John Workman Logo work by John W Perhaps the brief realization of his dream inspired some other fan to [ Editor’s note: John Workman’s bio and interview on his work for try his hand at publishing… or discouraged another. I suspect most John Carbonaro can be found in the preceding JC Comics section.] of the contributors will tell you that it was a fun and lucrative ride Jon B. Cooke: How did you start working with David Singer? while it lasted. John Workman: John Carbonaro and David had come up to orkman. Jon: Do you have any affinity for super-heroes? Were there any other the offices of Heavy Metal and we had a nice talk about T-Agents and T-Agents characters you would have liked to tackle? what he planned. Then, somehow, John fell by the wayside and it Dann: My affinity for super-heroes is not as strong as those who was Dave who came back to me and said, “Would you like to work became writers after on T-Agents?” I recall that he was very happy because he had just gotten someone to invest $250,000 in his plans. I thought, “That’s a nice little start, but it’s not an amount of money that’s gonna last forever. You’ll need more than that.” I also remember a party that Dave put together, where he rented a hotel suite, and Steve Ditko was there, as well as others (whose names I can’t remember). I stood there with Ditko, and the two of years of devoted fandom. But I do enjoy the “what if” story us were alone in our pessimistic attitude about the possibilities of this possibilities that super-powers or super-gadgetry allow with awesome whole Deluxe Comics thing. Everyone else was sure that they would exaggeration and wish fulfillment. NoMan is an interesting character, put DC and Marvel out of business and really show the world how Below bottom: though I prefer Raven. comics should be done. Now, I liked what they were doing, because Jon: Do you have anything to add about George Pérez? they were taking these fun characters and being respectful to them. Dann: George is a comic-book genius and the ultimate pro who, Of course, they were also using some great talent, including Dave W despite crushing deadlines, has never submitted a mediocre page of Cockrum, George Pérez, Keith Giffen, Jerry Ordway, Steve Englehart, ally W Dann Thomas, and Steve Ditko. Ditko and I had a nice conversation art in his life. I have no specific anecdotes to relate, but he always ood’ impresses me as a larger than life person—a dynamo. that night. s T .H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #4 cover. Note the face of Iron Maiden was r edrawn by John Workman. Ar Jon: Roy mentioned there was speculation that he co-wrote those I always got along well with Dave Singer—he even came out stories with you, though told me he only did small suggestions and to my house and stayed over a few times—but I do recall one time minor editing. How do you respond to such speculation? when I disagreed with his ideas. He was a terrific Dann: I am flattered by the suggestion because guy, but we were, politically, total opposites, which Roy is one of the best scripters in is okay, but Dave wanted to bring politics into the the field, but no, the writing in the comics that he created. These were the Reagan “Raven” series is all mine… for years, but I got the idea that if Bill Clinton had good or ill. Roy’s help was primarily been in the White House at that time, Dave with balloon placement and in giving would have been a big Clinton supporter. I background and history of T-Agents. never got the impression that he had any real Jon: How do you look back at the belief in either conservatism or liberalism; he Deluxe experience? would follow whichever way the wind was Dann: My memories of the working blowing. But I do remember us arguing on the series are nearly entirely positive. about Franklin Roosevelt. Dave had this George gave me the Bahrain splash page great dislike for FDR—”He destroyed the and I’ve framed it and hung it in our country!”—and all that. Roosevelt has entrance hall. I smile every time I look at it. always been one of my heroes. I look forward to reading the book so as to Dave did a book (not related to t by George Pér ez. learn more of the legal story. T-Agents) about an ultra-conservative T-Agents work: secret agent character. The original SCRIPT: WW T-Agents #1, 2, 4. title of the book was going to be

144 that he’d write and I would draw. We’d produced a couple of things, but nothing really caught on. We’d been fans of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents since the Archie/JC revival of the series, and so had been watching the lawsuit between John Carbonaro and Deluxe Comics pretty closely in the comics press. One night, while Michael was loopy from using Nyquil cold medicine, he picked up a copy of Preview and read a couple of the joke entries they’d included. He couldn’t quite make out that they were jokes. Willy Wonka’s T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents stuck with him as he went to sleep, and the next day he had it all figured out: That entry was a joke, but our book wouldn’t be. The problem was, we were under the impression that T-Agents had been declared public domain, and that anyone could do a book based on the original series. So we put our proposal package together and sent it off to Will Shetterly at SteelDragon Press. Will liked what he saw, but had enough sense to suggest that we should change it to something similar, not unlike the Charlton heroes becoming , or he’d have to pass on it entirely rather than risk a lawsuit. But we were pretty headstrong—I was 21 or 22 at the time—and didn’t like the idea of changing it at all. About that time Chuck Wojtkiewicz, who had been nice enough to try to get me work on several projects, went to work for Solson Publications. He suggested we run the book by Rich Buckler. I’d had a few dealings with Rich a few years earlier and thought maybe he’d remember me. So we did. Rich thought we had a winner, but also didn’t want to risk a lawsuit. Fortunately, #2. Art by Jackson Guice. he’d been editing the Red Circle line for Archie when John Carbonaro was doing .H.U.N.D.E.R. T T-Agents under their JC imprint. Rich still had John’s number, and the two of them worked out a licensing deal. Buckler got the rights for something like five years, I think. Jon: What was your experience dealing with Solson? James: I’d worked mainly for really Pr eviously unpublished cover art for small press companies up to that point.

Right: Escape to the Stars was published by Philip

149 1995: Penthouse Comix “T&A”gents Two fascinating—and frustrating—aspects of the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents are that, for one thing, they never stayed in one place very long after the first revival back in 1981, and for another, each respective appearance bares virtually no resemblance to the last. Such is certainly the case for the one-shot appearance the characters made in Omni Comix #3, published by one of the leading men’s magazines of the day, Penthouse. Blanketed in top-flight production values, the appearance was the first in an intended three-part adventure, written by Omni’s flamboyant editor, the late George Caragonne (along with Tom Thornton), with art by penciler Paul Gulacy and inker Terry Austin. Caragonne had big plans for T-Agents, intending to publish a T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #0 (with multiple artists contributing, including a young Jordan Raskin, interviewed below, and a prologue by Paul Gulacy, featured in the pages that follow), and more. Alas, the story of George Caragonne is a tragic one (the editor/writer committed suicide in 1996), a tale that will be soon told in the pages of CBA, and no other T-Agents exploits from Penthouse were published, though innumerable material was prepared, begging the question, is there a T-Agents curse?

if the deal was right, but instead he asked me not to. His plan was, John Carbonaro once they had deliberately missed making contractual payments, he Jon B. Cooke: Who was George Caragonne and Constant could now tell them to void the contract by threatening to expose their Developments? deliberate breach to the new stockholders. So the material came to John Carbonaro: At the near-end of the Apple Comics deal, George and I with payments made to Harvey Entertainment. and since they were obviously not going to meet the deadline, I asked Okay, so Harvey leaves the picture and George is busy develop- [Apple publisher] Mike Catron to let his deal lapse two months ahead ing the Penthouse Comix line, and my funds once again became limit- of time to allow a new guy in, George Caragonne, who was brought to ed (and I realized I should’ve taken the Harvey deal, but oh well). me by my agent at the time. George pretty much was Constant Penthouse did make claims after George’s suicide that because Developments. he owed them money, they were going to deface all the art (even Jon: One artist distinctly recalls receiving a check from, of all things, though, by contract, the rights to the material were mine) unless I the publisher of Richie Rich, , for a T-Agents job (though stopped my deal with and allowed them to publish the sto- he did say that George brokered the deal). Was the license granted to ries. So my choice was to sue a guy—one with reputed gangster George before Penthouse Comix came into existence? ties—who might indeed make good on his threat to destroy the art, John: George had developed a great marketing plan during what or allow him to publish a T-Agents story. Guess what I chose? Yep, I was a booming time for comic book sales. He got Harvey chose to live. I let them do their book and took the fallout from Rob, Entertainment to back him just before they went public. Unfortunately, who went and started his version without consulting me. Harvey’s lawyers insisted that George had to pay back their investment Jon: What was to be included in the unpublished “Issue Zero”? before the books were even published, so he shopped around to other John: A prologue by penciler Paul Gulacy and inker Terry Austin, publishers. Chris Henderson, novelist and Batman writer, directed him then an “Andor” story by Paris Cullins (pencils) and Will Nyberg to Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione. (inks). Also Dave Gibbons did the cover (which appeared as a pin-up in Bob told George that he was unwilling to do super-hero comics Omni Comix #3). Garry Leach drew one story, plus two pin-ups. Jordan but did want to use George’s marketing plan for a proposed line of Raskin also drew a three-pager starring Dynamo and Iron Maiden. Penthouse comics, though that unwillingness obviously softened (and Jon: I’m confused. Can you detail exactly the plans and chronology you can blame T-Agents indirectly for the Men’s Adventure stuff). of this material? Was it initially supposed to be a comic-size produc- Meanwhile, Harvey came back to tion? Was there any plans for a T-Agents-only title? How much stuff Left: George with a decent proposal was produced? detail. Art by Paul Gulacy (pencils) & T Panel detail. Art and took over payments for T- John: George Caragonne, the actual editor/publisher/writer, intend- Agents material that had ed for “Issue Zero” to precede the Omni Comix #3 story, as a regular been assigned. But when they comic. It introduced the characters and villains. The Omni story was went public, Harvey made a originally intended as a stand-alone comic (though George did mention mistake, threatening using the “Issue Zero” material in subsequent issues of Omni Comix George by withholding before he killed himself. The intended chronology was: 1) “Issue checks due to artists Zero”; 2) The three Gulacy chapters (first two inked by Austin, final unless he could get me to one by James E. Lyle); and 3) the Cullins/Nyberg fill-in completed at er

sign a multimedia deal r the time Paul was doing Batman vs. Predator. y Austin (inks). with them. I told Jon: What happened with the whole Penthouse deal? George that I was John: George seemed to think he could handle whatever he was willing to negotiate

158 T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents Animated? In a letter to CBA V.1, #15 (featuring LOCs commenting on the preceding “Tower Comics: Years of Thunder” issue), Dan DiDio, today Vice-President–Editorial of DC Comic, revealed a little known T-Agents fact: “In 1996, ABC Children’s Entertainment optioned T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents [from John Carbonaro] and commissioned Marv Wolfman and Craig Miller to develop the property as a Saturday morning children’s animated series.” Here we speak with Marv, along with a few more comments from Dan, on this fascinating, if ill-fated, project.

before they could get to script, Disney (the new owners of ABC) Dan DiDio passed on the property in favor of projects they were developing in Dan DiDio is a native of Brooklyn and graduate of Brooklyn College. their own studio. After an extensive career in television (where he worked for CBS and It was one of my favorite projects and was developed to com- notably as ABC’s executive director for children’s programming, as well pete with like X-Men that were ruling the ratings at the time. a senior vice-president of Mainframe Entertainment), in 2002, with But instead of a television series, we have just one more footnote in no formal experience in the comics industry, Dan joined DC Comics as the troubled history of such a promising project. editorial vice-president, where he remains. Though an essential player in two “almost” T-Agents projects—a ’90s ABC cartoon show and DC’s aborted comic-book revival in ‘03—Dan declined to be Marv Wolfman interviewed for this tome (though he kindly Marvin Arthur Wolfman was born on May shared the Tom Grummett artwork 13, 1946, in Brooklyn, New York, gracing these pages). and raised on Long Island. He However, in 2001, prior to attended the High School of Art & joining DC, Dan did write an Design, College. From informative letter of early on, Marv was involved in comment to CBA comics fandom, producing regarding the Tower and frequenting the issue, excerpted here. offices of DC and Marvel in the Dan DiDio: In ’60s. With best friend Len 1996, ABC Children’s Wein, he broke into the Entertainment optioned field as a writer for DC’s T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents anthology books. While and commissioned Marv Marv did serve as Marvel’s Wolfman and Craig Miller editor-in-chief for a spell in to develop the property the ’70s, he is predomi- as a Saturday morning nately known as a children’s series. prolific, multiple award-

The basic winning scripter for Left premise remained the innumerable companies, Dynamo character presentation for animated show pitch. Ar same with one major best regarded as creator change being that the of and writer of team leader, NoMan, was Tomb of Dracula, Crisis on controlled by the 13-year- Infinite Earths, and the old grandson of Dr. Dunn, ’80s revitalization of the Wally Crandall. The team, of . He has also course, was unaware that the had a fruitful parallel career young boy had assumed the in animation, and today lives in role of his respected grandfather. Tarzana, California, with his wife, Noel. This Remember, this was for Saturday morning. Other changes included an interview conducted by e-mail in June 2005. African-American woman assuming the helmet of Menthor and a Native Jon B. Cooke: I assume you read T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents as a t by Tom Grummett. American woman as Raven. In this version, the winged Raven was the kid, Marv. What was your impression of the Tower books? only member with natural powers. A full bible, pilot outline and some Marv Wolfman: I loved T-Agents, my favorite being NoMan. I fine designs, by Tom Grummett, were prepared for the series. But bought every one of the Tower books (except for Tippy Teen), and I

162 even the books published by Dark Horse. [Editor’s note: John’s that fell through. Well, Liefeld felt he had to do a different version comments on Dark Horse’s unauthorized use of T-Agents in a 1987 since he couldn’t use the Gulacy stuff. Unfortunately, once again, a issue of Boris the Bear is discussed in the section entitled “Some new publisher felt he had carté blanche to vandalize Wood’s T-Agents. Blunders Over T.H.U.N.D.E.R.” in this book.] (Come on! Wallace Wood was a sharp guy, one who is a cornerstone Jon: Comico? of the comics industry! Sure, start a new riff, but why throw away John: Well, I knew those guys, but never made any deal with his initial concepts, the essence of the characters’ appeal? Ain’t that them, but I did give some advice to one of their top creators: When I a no-brainer?) met in the early ’80s—he was doing at the Rob put out that ad without checking with me. He said he time—he mentioned wanting to do a book about the legend of King received plots from , and implied that I should just accept Arthur, but DC had just released Camelot 3000, so he was depressed. it (so I was told by Matt Hawkins at the time). Another problem was But I explained that Camelot that he had just made a 3000 was DC’s copyrighted deal to do the Marvel version of a folk story, a “Heroes Reborn” stuff. I centuries-old myth that was requested that T-Agents be clearly in public domain. If released prior to the Fall his concept was substantially debut of his Avengers and different, I said, then Matt Captain America, as I figured could do his own copyrighted I would be small potatoes version. Years later, Matt compared to that re-launch. came up at a convention and Extreme said fine, but later thanked me. He explained I was told that T-Agents that Mage was his version of were going to be part of an King Arthur. While I was anthology book due at the grateful for his thanking me, end of December. Since Left: to do Mage, Matt had Rob was tight with Marvel, Splash page of unpublished Dynamo stor stopped writing and drawing he tried to have them sub- Grendel, which I enjoyed! license T-Agents from him, (My only consolation was but never told me nor did he that I was able to purchase reach an agreement with the first page of original art Marvel. I realized that this from the first “Grendel” situation wasn’t going to y

story. But when Grendel work. Rob didn’t seem to by Jeff Zor . Art became popular, I did a want to work with anyone smart thing and returned but to do whatever he that page to Matt, figuring wanted with other now (who dedicated the work to Joe Orlando, one of his School V that he wasn’t a struggling people’s characters. artist anymore and would like to have his very first page back… As you mentioned, Rob’s version made radical changes to the Hey, Matt, when are you going to do that “Dynamo” story you said group. Later I learned that in the advertisement, that wasn’t a seven- you wanted to do? Sheesh!) foot tall Dynamo, but rather his son standing on a step—wait a sec- Jon: Apple Comics? ond! His son gets the belt?—and the buxom woman in the Lightning John: Well, Apple Comics tried to package T-Agents with a writer costume was the daughter of the original. Plus a female Menthor was who wanted to change everything, thinking he had carté blanche going to be added… but didn’t I have a female Menthor in my and could do better than Wallace Wood. So that was a problem and books, the child of Undersea Agent? It was just a mess. there ended up being not enough time for them to fulfill their end of Jon: Obviously, T-Agents have a convoluted history, among them contract, and we parted ways amicably. Then George Caragonne having a number of false starts. Do you think there’s a curse that started on what would later be known as the Omni Comix version. comes with the characters? I think the dolls I bought in New Orleans should take Jon: I've seen a Rob Liefeld-drawn T-Agents promo ad, featuring a John: isual Ar top-heavy female Lightning. What was that all about? care of that! Seriously, it’s said that if you build a better mousetrap, John: I think that ad appeared during “Babe Month” (Babewatch?) people will beat a path to your door to buy it. I think, in my case, ts instr or something. We were in discussion about Extreme finally printing the some people have instead tried to steal my “mousetrap.” To see the uctors. unpublished Gulacy material that Penthouse was holding on to, but characters properly portrayed, I just have to find the right people.

170 The Helter Skelter

s? Ride of Wood’s Heroes

As Robert J. Sodaro so aptly wrote in his article, “The Resplendent Sound of T.H.U.N.D.E.R.,” appearing in the 1999 Comics Value Annual, Wallace Wood’s team of costumed heroes has somehow endured, yet seems plagued by a bittersweet history. “In some respects, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents have lived a most charmed life, as they have risen Phoenix-like from the grave of cancellation more times and appeared under more corporate banners… than any group of super-heroes has any right to expect. However, on the other side of the coin, there seems to be some sort of black cloud constantly hovering over their collective head as they have never been able to make it past issue #20 in any of their many incarnations over the years.” Is some sinister curse haunting the characters? Surely even the appearance of this very book must, at least in some way, attest to the sheer fortitude of the T-Agents, if not their sustaining popularity. But evidence of their bad luck may lie, in part, in simple statistics. In considering the past four decades of the super-hero team’s existence, if you add up all the months in which at least one of their titles was released, just how many aggregate years have T-Agents comics been on the stands? (Give me a minute now; I’m hardly any good at math!) Well, by this writer’s estimation, taking into account the once-a-year frequency of the original run’s final two issues, as well as the twice-a-year appearance of Deluxe Comics’ six editions (plus generously throwing in 1987’s unauthorized sightings in Boris the Bear #11 and Thunder Bunny #11), it rounds out to a total of 44 months—less than fours years-worth of monthly comics! Even if the calculation is off a year or two, the notion that, for a cumulative 35 of the last 40 years, readers have not encountered a freshly printed T-Agents comic book is a depressing one. (Ironically, one of T-Agents’ longest runs since their debut series has been multi-volume reprint collections of those very same Tower titles, presented again in the guise of hardcover editions and published by DC Comics.) Taking another perspective, during the same month T-Agents #1 debuts—November 1965—Detective Comics #345 is released. On the 40th anniversary of those appearances—November 2005—Detective will be numbered around #809. That’s 464 issues published in those four ensuing decades. (Also keep in mind that Left:

Detective was, for a stint between ’73-75, published bi-monthly.) A liberal tallying of T-Agents comics puts the Splash page detail, “A Slight Case of Combat Fatigue,” T count at around 50 separate issues in the same timeframe, which (compared to Detective) accounts for a difference of 414 comics. While numbers don’t tell the whole story of their varied misfortune, in the last 10 years alone, we haven’t seen even one new T-Agents adventure published… though in 2003, DC Comics did have ramped up a monthly series with two issues ready to go to press. But, alas, The New T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents was never apparently meant to be. (Still, yours truly is happy to boast that some previously unpublished (albeit short) stories, as well as a few pin-ups—all first intended for Penthouse Comix titles—are

included, courtesy of Mr. Carbonaro, at the tail-end of this very tome!) .H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents Shifting now to review the actual content of said comics, we might venture the opinion that while their costumes and character potential are both top-flight, perhaps one major shortcoming of T-Agents is a lack of any respective Art by Dan Adkins & Wallace#16. Art W

of the T-Agent se of story development, even across the varied incarnations. The original series do contain notable—and exploitable—story elements, including Menthor’s conflict to chose heroism or villainy, ending with his shocking death; the romantic relationship between Dynamo and his nemesis, Iron Maiden; Lightning’s literal racing towards his own premature death; the inherent ambivalence of NoMan’s self-image… “Am I android or human?”… never mind a bizarre ability to self-destruct and ood. yet live over and again; as well as the possibilities raised by that Cur 176 176 fascinating human-raised-by- the characters have Subterraneans anti-hero, expressed frustration in Andor. These are archetypes what they see as an uncom- obviously rife with fertile promising position about story potential. suggestions to update With some glaring T-Agents, while others admire lapses, the artistry displayed his steadfast refusal to allow in the infrequent incarnations modern-day brutality or of T-Agents has been any amoral tone mar his exceptional, their exploits “Thunderverse.” And there illustrated by some of the have been industry pros

by Wallace Wood. Daredevil ©2005 Marvel Characters, Inc. Wood. Art by Wallace industry’s finest pen-&-ink upset at John’s role as that . men. But much of the rare licensor of a coveted material on the scripting end property who retains a vest- has been lackluster, some- ed emotional interest in his times downright bland. And T-Agents, wishing instead characterizations? Often flat the man would just shut-up, Blast/Comicollector t, Rocket’s and boring, denying the keep his nose out of creative

Cover ar heroes’ aforementioned matters, and sign the damn potential. While the original contract already. Right: series’ trademark infusion of humor now and again were often a But might it not be better for those who share John’s passion for welcome relief, Marvel’s Not Brand Echh #2’s T-Agents parody was spot- the characters to wait even years ’til one day an appropriate series on in contrasting Stan Lee’s easy-going, assured writing against Tower’s arrives, rather than settle now for some inappropriate, post-modern over-reliance on fight scenes in place of clever dialogue. And with rare take? Isn’t a new T-Agents series, one fashioned by creators who exception (such as Keith Giffen and Tom & Mary Bierbaum’s lively understand the underlying appeal of the characters, and who develop “Lightning” serial in the Deluxe version; and Michael Sawyer’s delight- an approach that not only makes the grade for the license-holder, but fully innovative one-shot, T.H.U.N.D.E.R.), subsequent writing hasn’t actually does to the original concepts… isn’t that all worth improved much, and here’s hoping the next series will infuse the tales waiting for? Why isn’t that preferable rather than suffer new but of Woody’s super-heroes with much-needed vitality and imagination. probably bad versions every year or so, interpretations that might (Though just sad coincidence, there’s also the tragic, self-inflict- betray Woody’s standard of quality? ed—and unrelated—deaths of Wallace Wood and Penthouse Comix Time can only tell if T-Agents will return to former glory. editor George Caragonne, one the creator of T-Agents and the other a Carbonaro has licensed the characters yet again to a new, ambitious fervent promoter of same, who separately committed suicide, both in publisher, and plans for another version will undoubtedly be released dramatic fashion: Woody by shooting himself in the head in 1981; soon. But the original characters have prove durable and resilient Caragonne by jumping off of a New York City office building in ’95.) through periodic revivals, some good, some bad, and maybe it’s better, And then, kind reader, consider all the enthusiastic plans and if only in recognition of the superb work that has come before, to view grandiose schemes of those ambitious fan publishers (as well as a their endurance and perennial appeal as less a couple of established houses), so eager to see their beloved Dynamo curse, and more a blessing, courtesy of ood. and crew back in print, and willing to mortgage their grandmothers to the imagination of Mr. do so. Think about it: How many one-shots and aborted revivals can Wallace Allan Wood. you recall? (And not only comic books, people! There have also been ill-fated attempts to translate the characters into a role-playing game and an animated TV show, plus now there’s talk of —gulp—a major motion picture…!) Some critics throw blame for problems in the direction of T-Agents owner John Carbonaro. In his online column, writes that there are two conflicting opinions about the guy. “[He is] described as both ‘dedicated and principled’ or ‘obsessed and overly-moral,’ Self-portrait from cover of The Marvel W Comics Art of Wally depending on who you talk to.” Certain people

Right: who have negotiated with John about licensing

177 Post-Modern T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents T-Agents &IronMaiden by DeanHaspiel.

Thunderbelt by James Kochalka. T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Villains by Jay Stephens. by Jay Stephens. Dynamo & Jet Cat

NoMan by Derf.

181 182 IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PREVIEW, CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO ORDER THIS BOOK! T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents ™ Companion The heroes who never die! Though the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents had a relatively short life during their initial run in American comics during the 1960s, you just can’t keep a good team down as evidenced by their periodic re- vivals over the years, and this is the authorized - and definitive - book on the history of such memorable characters as Dynamo, No-Man, Lightning, Andor, the Iron Maiden, and all the other super-heroes and super-villains created by the late, great Wallace Wood and com- pany! To celebrate the team’s 40th anniver- T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents ™&©2005 John T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Carbonaro sary, included are interviews with Woody’s creative team, as well as those superb writers and artists involved in the various T-Agents resurrections over the decades, and a de- tailed examination of the origins and exploits of the characters themselves, including the shocking truth behind the first super-hero to ever be “killed,” Menthor, the master of mental force! This exclusive book, the perfect compendium to sit alongside of the recently-published T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents archive volumes, also features reams of art- work, much of it rarely-seen or previous unpublished, including a rare 28-page T- Agents story drawn by Paul Gulacy, unpublished stories by Gulacy, Paris Cullins, and others, all behind a Jerry Ordway cover. (224-page trade paperback with color) $24.95 (Digital Edition) $9.95 http://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=310

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