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$9.95 In the USA No.158 May SPOTLIGHT ON GOLDEN AGE GREAT 2019

& PRESENT:

BIG-BANG BONUS! 40-YEAR STAR WARS TM COMICS hero TM & © DC Comics REUNION PANEL! With CHARLES LIPPINCOTT & ROY THOMAS!

1 82658 00360 9 Vol. 3, No. 158 / May 2019 Editor Roy Thomas Associate Editors Jim Amash Design & Layout Christopher Day Consulting Editor John Morrow FCA Editor P.C. Hamerlinck J.T. Go (Assoc. Editor) Comic Crypt Editor Michael T. Gilbert Editorial Honor Roll Jerry G. Bails (founder) Ronn Foss, Biljo White Contents Writer/Editorial: ...... 2 Proofreaders William Woolfolk Remembered ...... 3 Rob Smentek Donna Woolfolk Cross talks to Richard Arndt about her celebrated writer father. William J. Dowlding Cover Artist For The [Golden Age] Record ...... 24 C.C. Beck A brief & illustrated look at Woolfolk’s script-records journals. Cover Colorist The 2002 San Diego Comic-Con Golden Age Panel . . . . 29 Glenn Whitmore moderates the reminiscences of Bill Woolfolk, , , With Special Thanks to: , , & . Heidi Amash George Hagenauer Richard J. Arndt Rich Harvey A Century Of ...... 45. Bob Bailey Jim Kealy Audrey Parente & Rich Harvey celebrate 100 years of the first costumed hero ever. Alberto Becattini Paul King John Benson Dominique Leonard “Squinkers” ...... 53 Ricky Terry Mark Lewis Part IX of scripter ’s 1998 memoir My Life in Little Pieces. Brisacque Charles Lippincott Bernie Bubnis Art Lortie Mr . ’s Comic Crypt! The PAM Papers, Part 4 . . . . 57 Mike Burkey Jim Ludwig Michael T. Gilbert showcases Pete Morisi’s origins of Peter Cannon... Thunderbolt. Nick Caputo Doug Martin Howard Chaykin Mike Mikulovsky Comic Fandom Archive: John Cimino MinuteMan/ Shaun Clancy DarthScanner Jim Warren’s Code-Free Comicbooks ...... 63 Plus (website) Bill Schelly tells how he came to write a book about the birth of a black-&-white empire. (website) Patrick Moreau Pierre Comtois Russ Morisi Tributes to , , & . . .70 James Colville Val Morisi Chet Cox re: [correspondence, comments, & corrections] ...... 75 Donna Woolfolk Mark Muller Cross Joe Musich The Reunion Panel ...... 79 Leonardo de Sà Ken Nadle 40 (or is it 41?) years on, Howard Chaykin, Charles Lippincott, & Roy Thomas reunite to Craig Delich Martin O’Hearn discuss their roles in one of the most important comicbooks ever. Diversions of the Leo Pond Groovy Kind Audrey Parente On Our Cover: In late 1939, printed a very limited “ashcan edition” of what it (website) Barry Pearl called Comics #1 (see p.13 for scan), intended not for general circulation but merely to secure Sean Dulaney Paul Power Duane Eddy Gene Reed copyright and trademark. The cover art by Charles Clarence Beck spotlighted its new super-hero Mark Evanier Scott Rowland Captain Thunder, who wasn’t named thereon. When it turned out DC had beat Fawcett to Justin Fairfax Randy Sargent Comics moniker, there was a second “ashcan,” identical except for being titled Thrill Comics. When Jean-Michel David Saunders they lost that race to Pine/Nedor’s Thrilling Comics, Fawcett launched its now-named Ferragatti Sai Shankar with a “#2,” and with the hero rechristened Captain Marvel. They never utilized the ashcan’s cover Melodie Figueroa David Siegel art in a regular comic; so this may well be the first time it’s ever seen print as the cover of a magazine Shane Foley Four-Color Snyder actually on sale in stores. [Shazam hero TM & © DC Comics.] Shadows Bryan Stroud Above: As publisher and writer (and probably editor) of O.W.’s Mad Hatter #2 (Oct.-Nov. 1946), (website) Marc Svensson Dan Friedman Dann Thomas William Woolfolk scribed a creepy story in which his oddly named super-hero battled The Gargoyle, Martin Gately Steven Tice who a couple of panels from now will turn out to actually be a gorilla with the transplanted brain of a Jeff Gelb human murderer. Art by John Giunta. Thanks to the Comic Book Plus website. [TM & © the respective Janet Gilbert John Wells trademark & copyright holders.] Michael Grabois Ryder Windham Grand Comics Alter EgoTM is published 6 times a year by TwoMorrows, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614, USA. Phone: (919) 449-0344. Database Roy Thomas, Editor. John Morrow, Publisher. Alter Ego Editorial Offices: 32 Bluebird Trail, St. Matthews, SC 29135, USA. Fax: (803) 826-6501; e-mail: [email protected]. Send subscription funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial offices. Six-issue subscriptions: $67 US, $101 Elsewhere, $30 Digital Only. All characters are © their respective companies. All material © This issue is dedicated to the memory of their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © Roy William Woolfolk, Russ Heath, Thomas. Alter Ego is a TM of Roy & Dann Thomas. FCA is a TM Marie Severin, & Gary Friedrich of P.C. Hamerlinck. Printed in China. ISSN: 1932-6890. FIRST PRINTING. A WOOLFOLK AT THE DOOR: part one 4 WILLIAM WOOLFOLK Remembered A Conversation with DONNA WOOLFOLK CROSS Conducted by Richard J. Arndt Edited by P.C. Hamerlinck

NTERVIEWER’S INTRODUCTION: Donna Woolfolk Cross A Couple Of Marvels is the daughter of William (Bill) Woolfolk and Dorothy Roubicek I (Above left:) William Woolfolk with daughter Donna, circa mid-1960s, Woolfolk. Like her parents, she is a writer and has written a number during her college years. Photo courtesy of Donna Woolfolk Cross. of nonfiction books as well as one international best-seller titledPope (Below:) Woolfolk was sometimes called by his Golden Age peers “The Joan. We talked with her to gain further insights on her father, who began Shakespeare of Comics.” Among many other major stories, he wrote his comics-writing career working at MLJ (on “Archie,” “The ,” “Captain Marvel Meets Mr. ,” the tale that introduced that nuclear “ Sterling,” “,” “The ,” “The ”) before super-villain, for Fawcett’s Captain #78 (Nov. 1947). a prolific period freelancing for Fawcett (“Captain Marvel,” “Captain Art by CM co-creator C.C. Beck. [Shazam hero & Mr. Atom Marvel Jr.” “,” “,” “,” TM & © DC Comics.] “Ibis the Invincible,” “”). At the same time, the highly in-demand writer also scribed stories for Timely (“,” “,” “Sub-Mariner,” “Young Allies,” “Blonde ”), (“Blackhawk,” “,” “,” “Doll Man”), Orbit (Wanted), Hillman (“The ”), and others. During World War II he wrote The Spirit scripts while creator was in the Army and, after the war, tried his hand as a comicbook publisher with the short-lived O.W. Comics (Mad Hatter). In the early 1950s he wrote “” stories for National (DC) at the same time he was writing “Captain Marvel” tales for Fawcett. When Fawcett closed down its comics division, he wrote primarily for DC (“Superman,” “,” “,” ) until late 1954, when he left comics altogether and moved on to magazine publishing (Inside Story, Space World), became an Emmy-nominated television writer (The ), and a successful novelist (My Name Is Morgan, The Beautiful Couple). The comments by William Woolfolk referred to in the following interview with his daughter (conducted in September 2017) were drawn from the essay “Looking Backward… from My Upside-Down Point of View” by William Woolfolk (Alter Ego, Vol. 3, #6) and “William Woolfolk: The Human Side of the Golden Age”—an interview by P.C. Hamerlinck (A/E, Vol. 3, #24).

RICHARD ARNDT: We’re welcoming Donna Cross, the daughter of comics writer William Woolfolk and comics editor/writer Dorothy Woolfolk. Welcome, Donna! DONNA WOOLFOLK CROSS: Thanks, Richard! I don’t know how much I can help you. My brother Donald was twelve years older than I. So he could have told you more about Dad’s comic book writing. Alas, he died in 2015. I myself was only eight years old when Dad left comics. RA: Knowing that, we’ll do what we can. One of the challenges of interviewing children of comicbook creators is that they often don’t know the minutia of their parent’s work, or the co-workers they associated with, William Woolfolk Remembered 5 unless those people were also friends of the family. CROSS: Professionally, I may not know what you need, but personally I, of course, knew my father pretty well. RA: Well, shall we try a few names and see if they stir any memories? One of the names your father mentioned quite a lot in the interviews I’ve read was , who co-created “Casper the Friendly ” with . Defenders All! CROSS: That was my Uncle Sy! I (Left:) When this photo was first printed in Alter Ego, Vol. 3, #6 (2000), in conjunction with an article written adored him! Dad and Sy were very by Woolfolk, he said of it: “This is a recent photo of the senescent Four Musketeers. The combined years of close friends. Actually, they were our friendship total over 200 years. Reading left to right: Reginald Rose, screenwriter of Twelve Angry Men and many others, also the producer and creator of the once-famous Defenders TV show on which I served two-thirds of a triumvirate of close as story editor and chief writer; myself; Miles Cahn, owner of Coach Leather, which he sold for $20 million; friends, with the third person being and Seymour Reitt, who created Casper the Friendly Ghost and wrote two bestselling novels.” Unfortunately, Reggie [Reginald] Rose. Uncle Reggie Rose’s name accidentally got rendered as “Ross” back in 2000, but we’ve corrected it here. wrote [the drama] Twelve Angry Men (Right:) E.G. Marshall and Robert Reed starred in the 1961-64 TV series The Defenders as father-and-son for Playhouse 90 back in the 1950s. defense lawyers who specialized in socially significant cases. It is still considered by many to be one of the Those three were the closest of friends. best TV dramas ever. Woolfolk was a writer and story editor on the series from 1961 to 1964. RA: Seymour Reit was a writer/, who also wrote quite a few children’s books. He worked for the Eisner-Iger Defenders during that time. Reggie, of course, created and produced Studio in the 1930s … the show and probably did all kinds of other things, but my father was story editor for at least, I think, a year and wrote a number of CROSS: Sy was a cartoonist, most noted for “Casper,” but he also the scripts for the show. One of those shows won an Emmy. The wrote for adults—one was a well-received book called The Day They Defenders was known for taking on controversial topics of the day, Stole the . In addition, he wrote animated cartoons and like birth control—which was a tough topic in the early 1960s—and for . He was an accomplished writer as well as a book-burning. I think both of those issues ended up in scripts cartoonist. written by my father. RA: Reginald Rose, of course, was one of the leading lights of early RA: Other names—do you remember ? television. Besides his dramas for Playhouse 90 and other anthology-type television shows, he was also the creator of The Defenders (1961-1965), CROSS: Yes, Otto Binder was definitely a friend. A good friend. still one of the best lawyer dramas to appear on television. I remember him being talked about a lot. I’m sure he was at our house a lot and was included in my parents’ small circle of friends. CROSS: Absolutely! My father was chief story editor on The RA: From what I understand, your father and Otto kind of split the writing on the “Captain Marvel” cast of characters. They also wrote “Superman” stories at roughly the same time. CROSS: That’s interesting. I have a journal in which my father, who was careful in that way, wrote down every single story he wrote for Fawcett, DC, Quality, or anyone else. He wrote down his title, the date he wrote it, the amount he got for it, the number of pages of the story, and then, in the back of that book, he has a few pages of his thoughts on how to tell a good comicbook story… how to craft a good plot. [NOTE: See the following article for more about Woolfolk’s journal.] Bill & Dorothy Roubicek Woolfolk RA: What memories, if any at all, do in two photos from the 1950s. The one at left is courtesy of Donna Woolfolks Cross. The one at right was provided you have about your father’s work at circa 2000 by their late son Donald Woolfolk for the first volume of Roy Thomas’ & TwoMorrows’All-Star Companion Fawcett? book series, since (from 1942-44, before their marriage) Woolfolk’s second wife Dorothy had been story editor on DC/All-American’s All- and related titles; she would return to DC from 1971-72 as editor of romance CROSS: I was so young when comics and . In addition, during 1945-46 she was an editor at , then briefly in 1948 he left Fawcett that I really don’t for EC Comics, working for Bill Gaines, the son of her old AA boss M.C. Gaines. have any direct memories. He was 6 FCA [Fawcett Collectors Of America]

quite sought-after by various other companies at the time, from what I heard. Mom was editing, although that seems odd to me, since not many women were editors in those days. The story I was told of their meeting was that Dad would keep going by her desk, offering her tickets to Oklahoma or Carousel. He was married at the time, actually, Otto Binder but the marriage hard at work at left—next to a splash page he scripted for Fawcett’s Mary Marvel #16 (Sept. 1947), as drawn by his brother Jack. was on the rocks. Photo courtesy of Bill Schelly. It had been a hasty At right is a splash page scribed by Bill Woolfolk for the “Mary Marvel” story in The Marvel Family #33 (March 1949); art likewise by one, arranged just Jack Binder. Thanks to Mark Muller. [Shazam hero TM & © DC Comics.] before World War II. Like so many other young men, my father thought he was going off to war and likely to die. Anyway, it was at work that Mom and Dad met. I know that the reason they got married was that she got pregnant with me. [laughs] I just don’t know much about the professional relationship except I heard over and over again that he was the writer and she was an editor or something. [NOTE: See caption on p. 5 for information re Dorothy Roubicek Woolfolk.] He was forever walking by her desk trying to ask her out. RA: Your father remarked in an interview published shortly before his death that he met your mother when she was working at Timely Comics, editing Captain America, around 1944. This might be because was in the service at the time and Dorothy had taken over some of Stan’s editorial assignments for him. CROSS: Towards , my father was already having some dementia. Dad passed away in July 2003. He was having cognitive issues. It was very hard to tell sometimes, because he was still incredibly verbal. Very articulate. Very charming, so most people couldn’t guess that he was having “War’s Over If You Want It!” problems. But he could no longer draw the of a , which is one of the key ways they test By late 1945, when Dorothy Roubicek was an editor at Timely, Captain America Comics was actually you for cognitive issues, so his memory of certain being published only eight times a year, though the indicia still said “monthly.” Issue #47 (June) was the last with a war-oriented cover. That of #50 (October) featured a bizarre mashup of The Hunchback things may be questionable. of Notre Dame and “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” (with perhaps a touch of the ever-dependable RA: How long did your father serve in the military? King Kong). The identities of the scripters within are mostly not known. Art by . Thanks to the . [TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.] William Woolfolk Remembered 11

first. Dad was a little disdainful, because Sy had literary aspirations as well. Dad thought Sy had “sold out” because it wasn’t what they’d discussed writing when they were in college. Then Sy told him how much money he was making and Dad was, “Oh, good. How do I sell out, too?” Dad was making something like $300 a week when the average salary of a working man was $30 a week. Writing comics gave him the ability to live a good life for quite a number of years. For that kind of money, I would have sold out, too! [laughs] Dad was, for quite a while, the highest-paid and most sought after writer in comics. You know, I grew up believing, or having been told, that my father created the expression “Holy Moley!,” which was something that Captain Marvel/Billy Batson said quite a lot. Somebody else told me he hadn’t actually invented it but only popularized it. RA: Ken Reynhout, a cousin of yours, provided information about it to slang experts attempting to locate the source of the expression. They weren’t very successful

The Bad And The Beautiful—Not Necessarily In That Order Following problems marketing his novel Opinion of the Court (due to a newspaper strike), Woolfolk wrote two Batman TV tie-in novels for Signet in 1966… under the pseudonym “Winston Lyon.” Thanks to Art Lortie. [TM & c DC Comics.] then specialize in that sort of thing. Dad was a versatile writer. But that didn’t make him a name brand, where a reader could buy his book and know exactly what they’re getting. I think Dad was a little proud of his versatility, but he was also regretful that he didn’t just stick with one genre. RA: And he was a really good comicbook writer. CROSS: I know. Even today some of his stories stand up really well, while others of that period are just… quaint. I also think he was rueful, to use your word, especially towards the end of his career, when he became aware that his comicbook writing was likely to be the work that most people would remember him for. “Oh, my God, for comics!” That comes from the days when he’d been at NYU and had been a big hot-shot writer in all the writing classes. So much more prestigious than what was considered the “popular writing” of comicbooks. [chuckles] RA: The of that is that today some of the best writers, from both television and the literary world, deliberately write comics and see no problem in it whatsoever. It’s good for their careers. CROSS: But who would have thought that in 1940 or 1945 or 1955? Who would have ever thought that the comicbook would become this incredible iconic thing, studied by academics? Nobody thought that back then. It was just a job. If you were an artist, you were trying to get work in comic strips. If you were a writer, you were trying to get work in radio or TV or movies or books. Comics was just a first step—not the step. Dad looked down on comics, and his “Hawkaaaa!” work there, for a long time. The splash page of the lead story in Quality’s Blackhawk #38 (March 1951), written by Woolfolk and drawn by the deservedly legendary Reed He told me a story once—that Sy [Reit] had gotten into comics Crandall. Thanks to Bob Bailey. [Blackhawk TM & © DC Comics.] A WOOLFOLK AT THE DOOR: part two 24 For The (Golden Age) Record A Peek Inside WILLIAM WOOLFOLK’s Writing Records Journal Edited by P.C. Hamerlinck Try to discern whether your idea is a beginning, a central conflict, or an ending. Then plot forward or backward from it to include material necessary to achieve an effect. Every story represents a growth from the beginning to the end. This growth or change is the story itself, which is why with beginning and end known it is often easy to plot the intervening growth. —William Woolfolk, on story plotting; excerpted from the final pages of his comics writing journal

Marc Svensson Martin O’Hearn

hen renowned Golden Age comics writer William Woolfolk W was a special guest at the 2002 San Diego Comic-Con, he mentioned to videographer Marc Svensson that he had held on to his old ledger whereon he had kept track of his comicbook work for various publishers. It turned out that a notebook with Woolfolk’s meticulously documented sales records of his comicbook scripts did indeed still exist! Soon afterward, his daughter, author Donna Woolfolk Cross, allowed Marc to painstakingly scan each page of the journal. Since those scans were acquired, Martin O’Hearn has translated and transcribed the handwritten pages from the notebook, and added, where he could, information that Woolfolk left out on his entries: namely, where the stories were ultimately published.

Notebook Jottings (Above:) The “Jan.-Feb. 1950” page from William Woolfolk’s writing journal notebook—whose initial entry is the story “Feud with a House” from Fawcett’s Captain Marvel Jr. #89 (cover-dated Sept. 1950). Art by Joe Certa. [Journal image © Marc Svensson; Shazam character & Freddy Freeman TM & © DC Comics.] 26 FCA [Fawcett Collectors Of America]

Jerry Bails and Hames Ware’s Who’s Who of American Comic Books. Kashdan, inasmuch as the Who’s Who never mentioned the strip as For what it was worth, I noted the sound effects in his two Batman one of Woolfolk’s. novels as Winston Lyon. I was able to identify stories like “The Terrible Trio” (Superman #88, Mar. ’54) and “The Chameleon Stone” Marc suggested I use the information when I started my blog, (Captain Marvel Adventures #91, Dec. ’48) in reprint. Who Created the Comic Books, and for some time I alternated a month from the records with posts on other writers and artists. Blogging Years later, I could corroborate my list against a known story: the information meant quick feedback from other comics scholars “, Editor” (Superman #86, Jan. ’54). In his History of who could help fill in data. Comics, Volume 2, Steranko had reproduced the first page of the script for that tale, which had Woolfolk’s name on it. The notebook shows how a comicbook writer becomes a prolific one: William Woolfolk wrote an average of 120 pages a Far later in the future, Marc Svensson had scanned the month. His case differs from writers like Gaylord Du Bois and Joe pages of Woolfolk’s notebook of script sales, courtesy of Donna Gill, in that he always has a number of different publisher clients Woolfolk Cross. I figured that, even without titles listed, most per month. of the descriptions could be matched up with the published stories. Having the comics more easily available or better-indexed He starts the notebook a few years into his career, in late 1944, nowadays made the project easier than my research from decades unfortunately, as his tenure on The Spirit is ending. He sells one earlier. last Spirit script in October. Since he doesn’t start putting in story descriptions until 1945, possibly the only notations would have The records confirmed a number of my IDs but also showed been “7 pgs—Spirit” again and again, which wouldn’t have helped where, in my early days at writer-spotting, I’d attributed too many today’s researchers much. “Superman” stories, for instance, to Woolfolk. On the other hand, I’d credited the reprinted “Mysto, Magician Detective” stories from The records reflect the comic book industry shake-ups in Detective to one of the usual suspects for the magazine, George the late ’40s and early ’50s, as super-heroes begin falling by the

Westerns & Wizardry Woolfolk wrote it all! Here, “Monte Hale Battles The Great Hunger” from Hero #94 (Sept. 1950), starring a Saturday-movie-matinee cowboy star, with art by Bob Laughlin, is juxtaposed with “Ibis the Invincible and Davy Jones’ Locker” from Whiz Comics #125 (same month), whose artist is unidentified. [Ibis the Invincible TM & © DC Comics; Monte Hale story © the respective copyright holders. 29 A WOOLFOLK AT THE DOOR: part three 29 The 2002 San Diego Comic-Con Golden Age Panel Starring WILLIAM WOOLFOLK, BOB OKSNER, NICK CARDY, BOB LUBBERS, LEW SAYRE SCHWARTZ, & IRV NOVICK Moderated by Mark Evanier Transcribed by Sean Delaney ~ Edited by P.C. Hamerlinck ~ Videotape © Marc Svensson

EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION: Actually, this Bob’s name. He also did a lot of other things, including some stuff that we A/E panel from nearly two decades ago really needs no will ask him to talk about. For this panel only, we’re going to focus on the introduction—except perhaps to express regret that seven years you were with Bob. And he was the guy who, at one period, all six of the 1940s comics professionals who took part in it have passed I thought was the real . Would you welcome Mr. Lew Sayre from the scene since that day. Our special thanks to Marc Svensson for Schwartz. [applause] providing a videotape of this gathering and allowing it to be painstakingly We are thrilled to have with us on this panel not one, not two, but transcribed by Sean Delaney—and to Mark Evanier for giving us his several of what we call “Good Girl Artists.” They drew real sexy women blessing to print it. As the panel begins, on an August day at the San in comics and comic strips and this gentleman is one of them. He did a lot Diego Comic-Con in 2002, one of its prospective members—artist Irv of work in newspaper strips. The strip I liked the most was a thing he did Novick—had not yet arrived, but don’t worry, he’ll make his debut before called Long Sam, which—I don’t know that I even bothered to read it. I long… just looked at the pictures. [laughter] It was very lovely. He’s had a very MARK EVANIER: I’m Mark Evanier, and it’s a joy to be able to long career in comics before and after [it]. Mr. Bob Lubbers, ladies and moderate this panel every year because we get to spend some time with gentlemen. [applause] people who built this industry and who invented a lot of things that some The gentleman who, over the years, probably inspired more artists… of us of a later generation shamelessly plagiarized … but who also inspired people of my age bracket became artists with love of the way this man drew us with their fine work over the years. We will hopefully be joined a bit and the and so many other covers. Especially a later by Irv Novick, but let me introduce these gentlemen. comic called . Mr. Nick Cardy, ladies and gentlemen. [applause] Starting on the far end … Over the years on this panel, we have had a There’s a recurring theme here of drawing sexy women in comics, vast number of people who at one time or another were “Bob Kane.” We’ve and this gentleman drew some of the sexiest over a period in DC books. had everyone who was “Bob Kane” except Bob Kane. [laughter] For a Over the years his work we know best is probably Jerry Lewis, Sgt. period of time, this man was responsible for the work that came out under

A Golden Age San Diego Six-Pack—Plus One A cornucopia-style composite of the moderator and the half-dozen “Golden Age” panelists at the August 2002 San Diego Comic-Con. (Left to right:) moderator Mark Evanier… William Woolfolk… Bob Oksner… Nick Cardy… Bob Lubbers… Lew Sayre Schwartz… Irv Novick. All panel photos © 2002 Marc Svensson. Mark Evanier is a longtime writer for comics and television. 30 FCA [Fawcett Collectors Of America]

when they worked with the other people on this panel. Bob, you worked next to Nick at . Tell us about that. BOB LUBBERS: Nick and I met in 1941. I was hired by Fiction House to be in the bullpen to be one of the . So I walked in with my business suit, white shirt and tie, and Panama hat. You all laugh, but that’s how we dressed in those days! And they put me in a chair next to Nick Cardy, and we haven’t seen each other since 1948, so this is a real reunion. I remember, my first day at Fiction House, I was scared to death… some artists had invited me out to lunch. We went up to Roth’s Deli, up on Broadway, I think, and we had a pastrami sandwich and some beer. And that made it an easier opening for me into the world of comics and cartooning. This man, Nick Cardy… one of my oldest, dearest friends and one of the funniest, most droll guys you’ll meet in your life. ME: Do you recall what you were paid back then? LUBBERS: I think about $90 a week. ME: How was $90 a week to live on back then? LUBBERS: No, wait. That was later. Probably $50 a week, maybe. After the war, it was $90. ME: Were you living well? Did you get a good place to live then?

William Woolfolk at a 1952 Christmas party (since we also wanted to show you pics of all six Golden Ager creators back in the day)—plus a gorgeous “Blackhawk” splash featuring the beautiful but sinister Madame Butterfly, from Quality’s Modern Comics #78 (Oct. 1948). Script by Woolfolk; pencils by ; inks by Chuck Cuidera, who had artistically co-created the series in 1941. Thanks to Shaun Clancy & the late Roy Ald for the photo. [Page TM & © DC Comics.]

Bilko, Dobie Gillis, … he drew , he worked on Superman, he drew Mary Marvel. Mr. Bob Oksner, ladies and gentlemen. [applause] And one of my favorite writers of comics… you know, writers have not always quite gotten the credit that they deserve over the years. And certainly not enough money. [laughter] But this gentleman was one of the writers others were emulating in the 1940s, and I was very honored for many years to write the Blackhawk comicbook, and my model for what a good “Blackhawk” story should be was all the ones that he did. How many “Blackhawk” stories did you write? WILLIAM WOOLFOLK: I never counted. ME: But he went on to become a well-established, well-respected television writer—I wish they would The Defenders, because I think that was one of the Bob Lubbers greatest TV shows of all time. Mr. William Woolfolk, ladies in his younger, “Golden Age” days—plus his cover for Fiction House’s post-World War II and gentlemen. [applause] Rangers Comics #40 (April 1948). Trust us on this—he was already good half a decade earlier I want to start by asking each person on the panel than this art! Thanks to Alberto Becattini. See A/E #109 for a short bio-article by Lubbers. [TM & © the respective trademark & copyright holders.] 36 FCA [Fawcett Collectors Of America]

Irv Novick as a young artist—flanked by Golden and Silver Age work. (Left:) The cover of MLJ’s #18 (Sept. 1941). Novick was the original artist of “The Shield,” a flag-draped hero who pre-dated Captain America by a year and probably partly inspired the Simon & Kirby character. (Right:) He also penciled “The Case of the Purr-loined Pearl” for Batman #210 (March ’69). Script by ; inks by . See A/E #62 for a brief interview with Novick. [Pep cover TM & © Publications, Inc.; Batman page TM & © DC Comics.]

the same thing except for the sound, NOVICK: Well, some people did not like him. and Roy Crane gave us sound back in 1926 with “pop,” “pow,” “sock,” and ME: Did he discuss the scripts with you in advance, or did he hand you a “snag.” The only thing that was lacking, I think, was true motion, script and say, “Here, draw this one!”? but if you look at an old Roy Crane Wash Tubbs or Caniff or any of NOVICK: Well, usually, he would do that. But he always wrote the old-timers, everything moved. It was wonderful. And we were pretty darn good scripts, so I accepted what I got. I’d read them, lucky, I think, the whole bunch of us, because we learned from such re-read them, and I never had trouble with him. Some people did. great people. And we were blessed. Very lucky. ME: [to Woolfolk] Bill, did you read any other writers who wrote comics ME: Irv Novick was another man who drew a lot of “Batman” stories in or read other people’s scripts? his day. I wanted to ask you about , who passed away a few months ago. Can you tell us a bit about working with for over the years? WOOLFOLK: Oh, I read comics on numerous occasions. IRV NOVICK: He and I were very good friends for almost 50 ME: What did you think of the other writers? What did you think of the years. We got along extremely well together. I thought it was easy writing in general? working with him. Some people did not. But he and I got along very well. WOOLFOLK: Compared to what? [laughter] ME: He liked your work tremendously. You were one of his favorite artists. ME: Well, did you think the other writers were writing good stories? Did you find that he gave you a lot of input? WOOLFOLK: We’re talking about comics? NOVICK: Well, he usually let me do what I wanted, and he always ME: Yes. wrote pretty good stories. WOOLFOLK: Yes. I thought they were dangerously good. ME: What should people know about him personally? What kind of person was he? 40 FCA [Fawcett Collectors Of America]

another.” Well, what they were doing was picking out individual panels from the daily strip that could be illustrated separately as a work of art. So they stocked these things up, then they hired an artist from to come over, and this guy was paid to blow them up on the wall maybe twenty times their size and copied everything to make a painting out of it. Well, this is what this guy did. Later on, I went up to the apartment on Central Park South of the woman who designed this thing. I got off the elevator and To Capp Things right in front of me is a 3’ x 6’ oil painting—a perfect imitation of Off this one Li’l Abner panel. But I had a habit of putting my Morse Since the panelists code initials in the stuff that I inked and drew. “B” for “Bob” was went off onto a dash-dot-dot-dot, and “L” for “Lubbers” was dot-dash-dot-dot. tangent discussing the Well, here staring me in the face, this guy had copied my initials! great (if somewhat [laughter] But there’s more to the story. They wound up with a stack eccentric) cartoonist of these paintings that were also sold as lithographs. Well, there , creator of the oft-wonderful comic was a big show prepared at the Huntington Harbor Museum in strip Li’l Abner, we New York to show his work, but he hadn’t signed them yet. So they thought we should loaded the paintings on a truck and drove them up to and at least make a nod had me pencil in “Al Capp” for him to sign. They propped them in in his direction—with his lap and he signed all of them and then they took them back and the Capp drawing at auctioned them off, making about $2.5 million. left showing both of them! [TM & © Al Capp SCHWARTZ: I just want to mention that I was at that opening. Enterprises, Inc., or successors in interest.] CARDY: Did you hear the story that Al Capp once told? He was at

Go Peddle Your Papers! (Left:) One of the Spirit scripts reported to have been written by William Woolfolk for that comicbook-style newspaper is the one dated Aug. 27, 1944; pencils by , inks by Don Komisarow. [TM & © Will Eisner Studios, Inc.] (Right:) \Splash from Fawcett’s Captain Marvel Adventures #95 (April 1949); art by C.C. Beck. [Shazam heroes & Billy Batson TM & © DC Comics.] 45 A Century Of ZORRO Celebrating The First True Costumed Hero by Audrey Parente & Rich Harvey

ith the swift slash of a , a remarkably romantic turned to crafting pulp-fiction stories. He created several additional W and clever in a dark mask and cape became memorable characters in the pulps later, including The Crimson the first super-hero to splash the cover of a pulp-fiction Clown and Thubway Tham, and he wrote under several pen magazine—exactly one century ago this year. names. But Zorro was his magnum opus. Zorro, whose true identity is camouflaged by the foppish McCulley, born in Ottawa, Illinois, on February 2, 1883, behavior of caballero Don Diego Vega, made his world debut in designed Zorro from studies of an old Californian mission town, The Curse of Capistrano. That novel was serialized in five issues of about which he wrote multiple stories, some with and others All-Story Weekly, a popular pulp-fiction magazine, beginning in without Zorro. His Zorro character highlighted a caballero’s spirit the August 9, 1919, issue. More than 60 Zorro stories followed in while also portraying the difficulties of the lower classes. various pulp-fiction magazines through 1959. Prior to Zorro’s debut, the 15th Century do-gooder outlaw To the world at large, Zorro was wise and brave, cunning Robin Hood frustrated the unjust Sheriff of Nottingham. The and clever, and a dashing figure of justice. He protected the Scarlet Pimpernel, a nobleman and savvy swordsman who rescued downtrodden of Spanish California, punishing criminals and aristocrats from the guillotine, had serenading lovely ladies. To his fans, he was the provider of first appeared in a novel by Baroness thrills and laughter on the printed page, in a landslide of movies, Orczy in 1905. television series, comicbooks, and licensed merchandise. These icons of literature may Johnston McCulley was a writer working in newspapers in have influenced McCulley, but his several cities for more than a dozen years before he successfully Zorro character added flourish by

Johnston McCulley (1883-1958), creator of Zorro.

“Z” Is For “Zorro”! A two-page spread (what pulp artists and editors called a “double-truck” illustration) from Johnston McCulley’s short story “Zorro Serenades a Siren,” which appeared in the Feb.1948 issue of West magazine. Art by Joseph Farren. “Zorro,” of course, is Spanish for “.” [TM & © Zorro Productions, Inc.] 46 Celebrating The First True Costumed Hero

The Curse of Capistrano (Left:) That was the name of Johnston McCulley’s first Zorro novel, as serialized in All-Story Weekly, beginning in the edition published for August 9, 1919—one hundred years ago this annum! Cover art by P.J. Monahan; thanks to David Saunders for the ID. (Above:) Dashing silent-screen actor Douglas Fairbanks was the first to portray Zorro in movies, beginning in 1920’s , a film adaptation of The Curse of Capistrano. [TM & © Zorro Productions, Inc.]

alike. The Clown appeared frequently between 1926 and 1931 (with a final story in 1944). Thubway Tham appeared in nearly 150 stories between 1918 and 1960. Although Zorro had starred in two motion pictures and would star in several more, McCulley’s authorial focus adopting a mask to conceal his true identity. Previous do-gooders never remained on his Spanish hero for very long. had no secret identity or, as with The Scarlet Pimpernel, the persona was relegated to a calling card and disguises. McCulley’s indifference to his success probably arose from his own ground-breaking story. He never imagined Zorro as more than With his flamboyance, stealthy personality, and mask, a one-off character. By the conclusion of The Curse of Capistrano, the McCulley’s protagonist took center stage—and benefited from masked caballero reveals himself before California’s governor, and humorous interplay as the dandyish Diego with unsuspecting the pueblo’s residents, as the young nobleman, Don Diego Vega. soldiers. In this respect, the swashbuckling Zorro predates modern-day super-heroes, who routinely wear masks to conceal McCulley, confronted with a masked man who was no longer their identities from adversaries. mysterious, simply ignored what had gone before. In subsequent stories, soldiers and citizens alike conveniently forget Diego is In 1920, The Curse of Capistrano—retitled The Mark of Zorro— Zorro, even when he unmasks yet again! With years between was adapted to film by director Fred Niblo. The legendary Douglas novels, the author may have assumed readers forgot previous Fairbanks portrayed the dual role of Don Diego de la Vega and the adventures, if they had read them, or banked on the difficulty in masked Zorro, performing many of his own stunts. obtaining back-date magazines. Continued popularity of the character coaxed McCulley into Finally, Zorro became the star of a continuing series in West, a writing The Further Adventures of Zorro, serialized in six parts in popular Western-fiction pulp, beginning in 1944. With new Zorro All-Story Weekly beginning with issue cover-dated May 6, 1922. This adventures almost monthly, McCulley abandoned the previous in turn prompted another film, Don Q, , also starring inconsistencies and settled upon a conventional format. Don Douglas Fairbanks. Diego entrusted his secret to the mute manservant Bernardo, the McCulley would not revisit Zorro again until 1931, with the mission priest Fray Felipe, and (eventually) his fire-eating father appropriately titled (Argosy magazine, Oct. 3, 10, Don Alejandro, a wealthy, respected ranch owner in Reina de los 17, & 24). Thereafter, an average of one Zorro adventure (usually Angeles. a short story) appeared in the pulps each year. All the while, “Zorro Draws His Blade” (July 1944), the first West installment, McCulley churned out thousands of words for popular magazines. introduced Sergeant Manuel Garcia, a rotund but loveable soldier Notable among his stories were two continuing characters— who dreams of capturing Zorro—to collect the Governor’s reward. Thubway Tham, a lisping pickpocket, and The Crimson Clown, From this point, Garcia became Zorro’s recurring antagonist (the a contemporary masked thief who mocked criminals and police term “frenemy” had yet to be coined). 53 “Squinkers” Part IX Of Comics Writer JOHN BROOME’s 1998 Memoir

A/E EDITOR’S NOTE: Although I’m pleased and proud to have been permitted, by his daughter Ricky Terry Brisacque, to serialize his “offbeat autobio” My Life in Little Pieces in the pages of Alter Ego (utilizing a Word document retyped by Brian K. Morris), I must admit that I wish John Broome had written more therein concerning his work in comicbooks and pulp magazines. Still, I find it fascinating to read all these pithy anecdotes about life in the U.S., France, and Japan from one of the most talented and important of DC’s Silver Age scripters—even more so because, between 1947 and 1951, he had also been one of the two major scribes of “Justice Society of America” stories. The flow of his book is a bit like what I’d have expected to hear if he and I and his editor/friend had gone out to dinner together during the 1998 San Diego Comic-Con that all three of us attended. And, in fact, in this installment, at least, John Broome finally tells what might be considered a couple of tales out of school about a trio of his former DC co-workers: writers David Vern [David V. Reed], France “Ed” Herron, and the aforementioned editor Schwartz. PART THE SECOND ome dubious encomiums that people have laid on me in the Scourse of the years (but which I have chosen to regard as purely complimentary): Squinks, Squinkers, & Scripts “You seem to believe that anything worth doing is worth (Top left:) John Broome and his young daughter Ricky, on June 9, 1951, overdoing.” with his family’s boat that, according to the handwritten notation on it, At Woodlands, an adult summer camp in the Catskills, long had been christened The Squink. For the probable source of that name, see his mention of the term “squinker” in this installment of his reminiscences. ago: the opinion of another, presently nameless male camper. Thanks to Ricky Terry Brisacque. But did I really deserve this quasi-bouquet? I can’t see how. I (Above:) One of John’s most famous comicbook stories, which introduced was no drinker: weak stomach. And as for women, I didn’t begin his co-creation The , appeared in The Flash #112 (April-May to rank with someone like friend Dave Vern who in his forties 1960). Pencils by ; inks by Joe Giella, under editor/friend already claimed to have accounted for 500 of the lasses, by actual Julius Schwartz. Thanks to Doug Martin. [TM & © DC Comics.] body count. (… Saul has slain his thousands but David his ten thousands.) So in what way was I overdoing it? Sorry to say, it beats “You’re cold. There’s no warmth in your writing. I’m a much me now to offer an explanation, especially since the next remark better writer than you.” seems to cancel out the first. France E. (Eddie) Herron, whose thigh was as big as my “You don’t seem to exert yourself the way other men do.” waist. We were both writing comics in the Fifties for Julie Schwartz This was Vern himself in one of his rare non-belittling personal (Herron after a stint as top comics editor for Fawcett). I had such sallies made to me about me. The only comment I can make at this a good in with DC editor Schwartz—who by the way, had started ages-later date is that I certainly didn’t exert myself the way Vern agenting science-fiction stories in the Forties to be soon baptized did, although with equal certainty, I should have dearly liked to. by writers like as the World’s First Interplanetary And now some critical items, probably much better deserved, Agent—that I could travel abroad and send my stuff in and receive plus several memorable expressions of ill will: return checks by mail. This must have been a matter of some envy on the part of other “squinker” writers who had to stick close to the N.Y. market in order to sell. (“Squinker” was a term of the Fifties for 57

(Above:) Thunderbolt and friends from the 1974 Charlton (Above:) Louise and Pete Morisi in 1962. From Portfolio (aka CPL #9-10). And say, is that Pete at the bottom, Charlton Spotlight #8. Photo thanks to Val and snoozing after a long deadline? [©2018 the Morisi Estate] Russ Morisi. [©2018 the Morisi Estate] 58 Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt!

added some “Comic Crypt” The PAM Papers - Part 4 commentary following each letter to further explain some points. (We’ve left quotation marks, underlining, etc., pretty much as Morisi indicated them Birth Of in his missives.) Let’s start with Pete’s self-critical overview of his career… and the first mention of A Hero! a future Charlton hero! by Michael T. Gilbert The Letters (Undated, 1965) n the gossip-starved early ’60s, Golden and Silver Age fans I rarely got to peek behind the scenes as a new comicbook hero Dear Glen— was born. But, in 1964, Glen Johnson got a lucky break. While You missed your calling. searching for juicy comicbook scoops for (an early You should have been a lawyer. newszine he was editing), Glen struck up a correspondence with Let me try to answer your Charlton mainstay Pete Morisi (PAM)—a correspondence that would questions in the order you span forty years! They became friends, and in the course of their threw them at me. letter-exchange, Pete began dropping hints of a new action hero he #1 I work for an outfit was working up—a hero eventually revealed to be Peter Cannon… ‘outside’ of the comic field Thunderbolt. For those who came in late, Tibetan monks raised Peter Pete A. Morisi and they don’t want my name Cannon after his parents died, and taught him to control mind and connected with those ‘cheap in the U.S. Army, 1946. [© 2018 body to a superhuman degree. funny books’ in any way. (That’s the Morisi Estate.] Glen’s letters to PAM are presumed lost, but luckily the young their words—not mine.) fan saved Pete’s voluminous correspondence. With Glen’s permission, #2 does quite a bit of writing for Charlton (I think the we’re sharing some of those letters for the first time, edited for space quantity of work he does prevents him from turning out better and clarity (while making sure not to alter the content). We’ve also stuff). E.H. Hart, a former ‘Timely’ (now Marvel) man, who is some sort of ‘wheel’ in Charlton’s other stuff, does some good writing now and then. There are others, but the names escape me. #3 Sorry, sorry, Nightmare was published by Ziff-Davis. The stories I mean were ‘Blood Ship’ and ‘The Corpse That Wouldn’t Stay Dead’ in the summer issue published in 1952. #4 Tuska and I shared a studio in NY, while he was working on the above stories, and others. We are friends, tho’ it’s been years since I’ve seen him. You probably know that he did ‘Scorchy Smith’ for awhile, then switched to ‘’ and is still doing it. #5 All the strips you mentioned were ‘Tuska-done,’ a few Crimebusters, the Headline and Prize group, Pvt. Strong (I think with Mike Peppe inking), etc. In Tandem With Tuska At Timely #6 I did quite a few PAM illustrated stories for Timely/Marvel’s Arizona Kid, such as “The Raiders of Balancing Rock” from issue #6 (Jan. 1952). strips for quite a few That issue also featured “The Avenger,” a tale drawn by PAM’s idol, . It was one of the few times they shared a book. [TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc]. outfits. I hesitate to mention Comic Fandom Archive 63 JIM WARREN’s Code-Free Comicbooks How I Became A Fan Of & Wrote A Biography Of Its Fascinating Founder by Bill Schelly James Warren in earlier days, at left—and, at right, a (more or less) didn’t discover EC comics until I joined comic fandom in contemporary shot, courtesy of Jamie Colville. I mid-1964. I was never fortunate enough to run across any of them in the stacks of comics at friends’ houses, and certainly not at our church bazaars. It was in the pages of G.B. Love’s adzine Rocket’s Blast-Comicollector that I encountered strange comicbook titles like Tales from the Crypt, Vault of Horror, and Weird Science. “What are these?” I wondered. Gradually I came to understand there had been a wild and woolly line of comics published before the Comics Code came along in the mid-1950s. Then my comic-collecting buddy Richard Shields, who always had plenty of spending money (he had a paper route), ordered a bunch of ECs from a mail order dealer, and I got to read some of them. I instantly loved them, both the stories and the art, and bemoaned my fate, being born too late to buy ECs off the stands, and not having enough spending money to collect them in 1964. Imagine my surprise when, in January 1965 (a month before I published my first fanzine), I noticed a copy of something called Creepy (#2) on the magazine rack at a local drug store in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The painted cover was highly dramatic, although unusually dark for that Jeepers, Creepy! era. Browsing through it, I Bill Schelly reports that the first issue he saw of Warren’s Creepy quickly realized was #2, which featured the excellent “Wardrobe of ” by Otto Binder and , behind a cover. that many of Pretty much the entire runs of the Warren black-&-white comics the artists had Creepy and have been reprinted by New Comic Company, LLC. drawn those [TM & © New Comic Company, LLC.] 64 Comic Fandom Archive

every Saturday night, I’d been following Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine in 1963 and 1964, but Creepy was something entirely different from that title, even if it was from the same publisher. The art was nothing short of spectacular. In certain ways, the work of such top talents as , , , and Reed Crandall looked even better than it did in the EC comics. The pages were larger than a standard comicbook, and the monochromatic art wasn’t in any way obscured by the relatively crude coloring of mainstream comics. In addition, it sported a cover by Frank Frazetta, possibly the first piece of art by the great artist that my young eyes had beheld. “What a great magazine!” I thought. Except for the price. Not that it didn’t seem worth 35 cents. It was just that I received a rather small allowance, and I didn’t have 35 cents in my Name Us Famous pocket. Therefore, I had to leave the magazine on the shelf (carefully tucked behind some other Famous Monsters of Filmland #9 and 12, with cover paintings by . magazines) and figure out a way to get my hands [TM & © the respective trademark & copyright holders.] on some money that night. Suffice it to say that I great EC comics of the past. (Somehow, I had missed Creepy #1 the prior November, and hadn’t yet seen the Tales from the Crypt paperback book that had come out in late December.) “What this,” I thought. “A new EC?” Not quite. In fact, the stories in Creepy were different from those of EC. They were more geared toward classical Universal monsters, and with somewhat less emphasis on surprise endings. A young writer named wrote most of the stories. They were basic, highly effective horror tales that managed to sidestep the Comics Code because they appeared in a black-&-white magazine. Because I loved watching the old Universal horror films like Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, and The Wolf Man on our local Chiller Theater TV show

On The Eerie Canal With Eerie #2 (March 1966)—the first issue having been an “ashcan” edition published solely to secure title trademark—Warren introduced a companion to Creepy. In Eerie #3, made his debut in its pages with “Room with a View,” a fine story written by Archie Goodwin. Covers by Frazetta. [TM & © New Comic Company, LLC.] 79 The STAR WARS Comics

Reunion Panel Star Wars—41 Years After San Diego ’76! (Above:) The cosmic cast of the “Star Wars Comics Reunion Panel” held on 41 Years After San Diego ’76, Aug. 19, 2017, at the TerrifiCon, at the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. (Left to right:) Charley Lippincott, Roy Thomas, Howard CHAYKIN, LIPPINCOTT, Chaykin, and moderator Ryder Windham. Thanks to John Cimino. (Below:) The cover of Marvel UK’s Star Wars Weekly #1 (dated Feb. 8, 1978) utilized that of Star Wars #1 (July 1977, but on sale that March) by penciler & THOMAS Reunited At Howard Chaykin and Tom Palmer, and was prepared in Marvel’s NYC offices. In this issue, we’ve made every effort to avoid reprinting art or TerrifiCon 2017 photos seen in Alter Ego #145; hence the Marvel UK cover this time around. [TM & © Lucasfilm, Ltd.] Moderated by Ryder Windham Connecticut... a Transcribed by Sean Dulaney reunion I had long considered unlikely, EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION: In Alter since I knew Howard A/E Ego #145, I wrote a lengthy article about my was no great admirer connection with the very earliest days of the Star of the film or the Wars phenomenon, namely the publication of Marvel’s ongoing Star universe it had Wars comicbook—from my initial dinner with in early spawned. I was even 1975 through my departing the series in late 1977 after scripting and more juiced when I editing its first ten issues. In that piece, I also felt compelled to deal with heard there was a a few less than pleasant aspects of that relationship, including certain possibility Charley latter-day statements made online about myself (and to some extent about Lippincott might Marvel, Stan Lee, and original series artist Howard Chaykin) by Charles also be there, since, Lippincott, Lucas’ 1970s media projects director, a person with whom I had despite those few previously enjoyed an amiable fellowship. less than pleasant exchanges we’d Thus, I was delighted when I learned that con host Mitch Hallock had online a couple and my buddy and manager John Cimino had plans afoot to get Howard of years before, and me together for a Star Wars 40th-reunion panel at the August 2017 I knew that, TerrifiCon, to be held at the Mohegan Sun resort/casino in Uncasville, around that time, Charley had stated publicly online that he was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease—and now I was happily given to understand (by Charley himself) that what he has is NHP (Normal Hydrocephalus Pressure), still a serious problem but not as grim as he had originally been led to believe.

Therefore, it was with a mixture of enthusiasm and trepidation that I turned up in the big and packed panel room at the Mohegan Sun. I came wearing the very same Star Wars T-shirt Charley had given me in July of 1976 at the San Diego Comic-Con, just before he, Howard, and I had spoken to an eager audience about a film that wouldn’t debut in theatres for another ten months; I was pleased that I could still fit into it, even The Usual Suspects if it was a wee bit tighter than it had been 41 years earlier, virtually the last time I’d worn it. Howard, Charley (who decided at the last minute to All smiles, before the panel. (L. to r.:) Roy Thomas, Howard Chaykin, join the panel), and I conversed and were photographed standing around Charles Lippincott. Roy and Charley are wearing Star Wars T-shirts, but only Roy’s was the very same one worn at their San Diego Comic-Con following the end of the previous panel held in that room, and then we were conclave in July of 1976. To see photos of that event, order a copy of A/E herded to the long, microphone-strewn table on the stage—where Charley #145 from TwoMorrows Publishing! Thanks to John Cimino. parked himself at one end, a bit apart from moderator Ryder Windham 82 Chaykin, Lippincott, & Thomas Reunite—41 Years Later

Cover Versions (Left:) Okay, okay, you talked us into it! Here’s the Chaykin/Palmer cover of Marvel’s Star Wars #1—or rather, a reproduction of the original art for same— which is currently owned by David Mandel, who also purchased the poster Chaykin drew for exhibition and sale at the 1976 San Diego Comic-Con, as featured in A/E #145. Thanks, Dave! You’re a true patron of the arts! (Right:) Chaykin also apparently allowed his arm to be twisted into doing this slight reworking of that cover art as a commission drawing, with a somewhat altered inking style. [Star Wars material TM & © Lucasfilm, Ltd.]

THOMAS: [shaking his head ruefully] Awful stuff, awful stuff. my skill-set, and the script... I did the breakdown on the script, as I recall. One of the reasons guys like Roy liked to work with me as an CHAYKIN: But my understanding was, George owned a piece of artist, even back in those days, was that I had a pretty good story- Ed’s store... sense, and that I understood how to make natural breaks and how WINDHAM: Ed Summer, who had Supersnipe Comics... to turn material into a viable form of 22-24-28-page long chunks. Which is not a common trait among my generation of talent. Lately, CHAYKIN: The comicbook emporium in the 80s on the East Side, it’s even less common. [laughter] which was a really good comicbook shop back in those days. I mean, I bought from Ed all the time. So I knew Ed pretty well. And No, it’s true. Most comicbook artists these days are knuckle- I think there’s a certain... there’s an element of a lot of the “Cody dragging morons who can’t... [more laughter] They don’t read... Starbuck” stuff that informs a lot of what ultimately evolved into THOMAS: [to Chaykin] No names. Han Solo. CHAYKIN: No names. They don’t read, so they can’t really deliver And... one of the things you have to understand is that, for narrative. It’s a problem. those of us on this side of the table—at least in those days—it was a calling, but it was also a job. So the opportunity to have LIPPINCOTT: They like the pictures. something that would keep me busy for six issues—it turned out to be ten—was something I couldn’t turn down. Because, you guys CHAYKIN: That’s exactly right. They’re into sensation as opposed think, “Why did he do that job?” Because it was offered to me, and to narrative. frequently, you take the work you get. It seemed appropriate for WINDHAM: Well, you just said something and I want to pounce on it, The Star Wars Comics Reunion Panel IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PREVIEW, 83 CLICK THE LINK TO ORDER THIS ISSUE IN PRINT OR DIGITAL FORMAT! CHAYKIN: [taking the sheet handed to him by Windham] I’m being charged with a crime from forty years back. [audience laughter] Apparently, “I’m not going to break the script for him because that’s his job. I can fight with him after he’s made the decision, after I’ve made mine. It’s going to be a lot of fun to do. There’s a lot of material to work with.” That’s not how it worked out. WINDHAM: I know, but it was something that fascinates me... THOMAS: [to Chaykin] What? You thought we were going to fight about it? CHAYKIN: No. I assumed you’d end up... Who knows?! Who gives a s**t? [laughter]

THOMAS: [indicates audience] ALTERThey do. EGO They’re #158 here. FCA SPECIAL! Golden Age writer WILLIAM WOOLFOLK inter- CHAYKIN: [to audience]view, and You his scripting have records! too much Art by BECK, spare SCHAFFENBERGER, time, don’t you? [laughter] BORING, BOB KANE, CRANDALL, KRIGSTEIN, ANDRU, JACK COLE, FINE, PETER, HEATH, PLASTINO, MOLDOFF, GRAN- DENETTI, and more! Plus JOHN BROOME, MR. MONSTER, WINDHAM: My experienceBILL SCHELLY, as and a thecomicbook 2017 STAR WARSeditor, PANEL just with based CHAY on- what you said, it was like, “Yeah,KIN, LIPPINCOTT, somebody and THOMAS! might write a script and someone (100-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $5.95

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And He’s Not Even A Barista! Chaykin’s cover featuring his hero “Cody Starbuck,” done for the “newszine” The Comic Reader #123 (Oct. 1975). Thanks to Mike Mikulovsky. [TM & © Howard Chaykin.] and it’s about the breakdowns. Because I’ve read some interviews—and I don’t mean to do this—this is my own curiosity. [reads off and on from a page of notes] In Alter Ego magazine, 2016, Richard J. Arndt asked Howard, “Did you do your page breakdowns off the original screenplay?” and Howard responded, “I broke the screenplay down into six issues and then Roy wrote dialogue to accompany that material.” [moving on down the page] Okay, from a transcript of an interview by Charles Lippincott, where he was talking with Howard and with Roy... they’re waiting for Roy to show up for a meeting... THOMAS: Oh, that was the one at George’s office right after the San Diego con. WINDHAM: Okay. Howard said, “I’d like to get Roy Thomas and have him read that script,” meaning the most up-to-date script. “Then re-read it and break it down for me, because I want to get started on the job on the Another Disney Princess first issue. I have no intention of doing breakdown myself.” Charlie said, Princess Leia is captured near the start of the 1977 film, as per Star “But he’ll need a new script.” Meaning Roy needs a new script. “That’s Wars #1. Script by Roy Thomas; art by Howard Chaykin. Thanks to the another reason for coming over here today. He mislaid the script I sent MinuteMen/DarthScanner online site. The entire opus of Marvel’s Star Wars him.” Howard responds... [to Chaykin] You want to..? [Chaykin takes comics series has been reprinted by Marvel over the past few years in hardcover omnibus editions, now that Disney has purchased Lucasfilm as sheet of paper from which Windham is reading] well as Marvel. [TM & © Lucasfilm, Ltd.]