Comic Book Encyclopedia (2004) PDF

THE. 70 CHARACTERS, _ GRAPHIC NOVELS; WRITERS & ART/S7S W THE COMIC BOOK LINVERSE/  LEVER Fn TE EDITON 1 LOVE COMIC...

THE. 70 CHARACTERS, _ GRAPHIC NOVELS; WRITERS & ART/S7S W THE COMIC BOOK LINVERSE/  LEVER Fn TE EDITON 1 LOVE COMIC BOOKS MY Asakid, they taught ACKNOWLEDGMENTS me how to read, Not only were the dialogue boxes easy to absorb, Many thanks to all those who came out of the woodwork to help but comic companies would bold the big words for some reason, make this the best comic book encyclopedia ever: Will Eisner, Which E would then look up and learn. So although people stared at Terry Moore, Denis Kitchen, Robert Crumb, Walter Calmette me funny, readingon the train, comics were essential to my youth, (and Felix the Cat), Carol Platt (and Marvel Comics), Ellie Frazetta 5, and still are today—because they've continued to grow, and evolve. (and her legendary husband, Frank Frazetta), Frank Cho, Mike : e Comics get a bum rap because people think they're just for kids. They are not. Mignola, Michel Bareau (and Tintin), Maggie Thompson (editor of Comic Buyer’s; Guide), Valerie Ingram (and Archie comics), They aredisthe artistic expression 5 ofour most aprevalent thoughts, ad feelings, Here and ideas, and in much the same way that our favorite novels use words to depict mood, style, anc and Stuart Wells for his countless slides and scans. | depth, comics rely on both words and art. At their best, they can create a visual fp world on par with even our most beloved books (pick up acopy of Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud if you're interested in the fundamentals). COMIC BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA, Copyright © 2004 by Ron Goulart But there are millions of individual comics and ghts reserved. Printed in Allrights reserved. Printed in China,China ; thousandsofgraphic novels lying around, and if you're No part of this book may be usedorreproduced in any manner whatsoever interested in the subject—like how things got started, who the Without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address players are, and what to read-how would you possibly know HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022. where to begin? Comic Book Encyclopedia makes that easier, with a quick-reference time line, fun, encyclopedic entries on everything HarperCollins books may be purchased for educational, business, or sales -s Raee oD from Archie to Zorro, and an index to boot, so that anything you want to promotional use, For information please write: Special Markets Department, kanarcanbereuna: HarperCollins Publishers Inc, 10 East 53rd Street, New York,NY 10022 ‘ Best of all, this book offers a bunch of graphic novels to read, from tried-and-true superhero favorites FIRST EDITION (Daredevil: Born Again, Superman for All Seasons, Batman: Designed by Joel Avirom and Jason Snyder Dark Knight, The Incredible Hulk; Volume 1) to more Design assistant: Meghan Day Healey intellectual fare (The Watchman, Astro City, Sandman) poignant oddities (Maus, Creature Tech, Jimmy Printed on acid-free paper Corrigan), reality-based escapes (Strangers in Paradise, Blankets, Sin City), and crime (Goldfish, Colere Noire). Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publieation Data All in all, the book gives you everything you'd ever Goulart, Ron, 1933 want to know about comics, and for me, the best part was Comic book encyclopedia :the ultimate guide tocharacters, graphic that I got to work with comic-book legend Ron Goulart, who novels, writers, and artists inthe comic book universe /Ron Goulart,Ist ed has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he's the best p.em comic historian alive and that this book is the greatest ISBN 0-06-053816-3 (hardcover) 1. Comic books, strips, ete—Eneyelopedias. 1. Title. thing out there—bar none. PN6707.G68 2004 Enjoy 741.5'03—-de22 2004042541 All best, 04.05 06:07 08 TP/# O98 7654321 Josh Behar Senior Editor HarperCollinsPublishers  ae This was an umbrella under which Vincent Sullivan's Magazine Enterprises tried out a variety of characters and titles, Bsegun in 1944, the early numbersof At consisted of issues reprinting such newspaper stripsasKerry Drake, Texas Slim, and Teena, Among the original A-L titles that succeeded and went out on their own were Tim Holt and The Ghost Rider, Sullivan also devoted issues to Thurda, Cave Girl, and Strongman, Vitles | that didn’t thrive included Dick Powell Adventurer! Fibber McGee and Molly, and Jimmy Durante Comics. The final issue of A-l, published in 1955, was devoted to Bob Powell's Strongman. DE GOES \n extremely influential magazine, DC's Action Comics first appeared on the stands in the spring of 1938, [introduced Superman, the most important comic book character of the twentieth century, The first of his kind, he inspired the superhero boom of the late thirties and early forties that changed the small-time funny-book business into a major industry. Before another year was out, the salesof Action had grown impressively. And other publishers began to realize that costumed heroes sold comics Phe last title contemplated by founding publisher Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson before he left the company, Action was edited by Vincent Sullivan. He gave the starring position to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s Superman, The new book introduced quite a few other characters. Most notable, as well as most durable, of the bunch was master magician Zatara, drawn by Fred Guardineer and written, from the second issue on, by Gardner Box, In addition to fighting crime and mischief with white magic, Zatara found time to sire Zatanna, Also found in early issues were Tex Thomson by Bernard Baily, Pep Morgan, alsoby Guardineer, and Scoop Scanlon by Bill Ely A-1 COMICS  Over the next few years additional characters came to Superman, Congo Bill, the Vigilante, and Tommy and went. Bert Christman’s Three Aces joined up in the Tomorrow fall of 1939, later drawn by Chad Grothkopf. The urban Later Action residents included the Legion of Super cowboy known as the Vigilante by Mort Meskin arrived Heroes, Supergirl, the Human Target, Green Arrow, the in the springof 1941. Tex Thomson became Mr. America Secret Six, Blackhawk, and Phantom Lady. These latter and later Americommando, Congo Bill started trekking three put in time during 1988, when the magazine through the pages of Action in 1941, as well. Fred Ray was became Action Comics Weekly, Before a year was out, the artist. Tommy Tomorrow was added in 1947, an early Action was again a monthly. And thus, as it passed the effort by Curt Swan. In 1950 the lineup narrowed down eight-hundred-issue mark, it has remained. Commencing in 1937, writer Gardner F, Fox went ona Unfortunately for spree of creating comic-book characters that were both his courtshipof Alanna, popular and enduring. They included the Sandman, the the Zeta Beam would Flash, Hawkman, the Justice Society, and Dr, Fate. Still wear off and he'd go at it in the late 1950s, Fox invented Adam Strange. This zipping back home to pulp-style sci-fi hero was introduced in DC's Showcase #17 Earth. Eventually he late in 1958 and appeared in the next two 1959 bimonthly figured out when the issues, in a series titled Adventures on Other Worlds, With beam would make #53 of Mystery in Space (August 1959), he was installed its next pickup and asa regular and became the magazine's cover boy. He managed to be there remained in the book until #102 (October 1965). The so that he'd be first artist was the Toth-influenced Mike Sekowsky, but transported once Carmine Infantino took over for most of the Mystery run. more to Rann. Inspired by Edgar Rice Burroughs’s John Carter of His romance with Mars, who'd journeyed to Mars by mystical means and Alanna was frequently interrupted, but it progressed fallen in love with a lovely princess with the unlovely and there were always plenty of battles and intrigues name of Dejah Thoris, Fox had archeologist Adam to occupy his spare time while a tourist. Strange whisk up to the far-off planet Rann (pronounced Adam Strange’s last space adventure occurred in Ron) by way of something called the Zeta Beam. On 1990 in a three-part DC miniseries tided Adam Strange: Rann, decked out in a bright-red spaceman outfit Man of Two Worlds. Written by Richard Brunning and acquired in transit, Adam fell in love with a lovely local drawn by Andy Kubert, this version returned him to girl with the lovely name of Alanna. He also became Rann and Alanna. He became a father, but since this was entangled, exactly like John Carter, in a series of violent the nineties, a bleak period for many comic characters, political intrigues. Alanna was eventually killed.  (1963- ) A self-taught artist who taught himself well, Adams Horse's Godzilla, In 1993 he penciled an ambitious forty becamea fan favorite and frequent poll winner soon after eight-page graphic novel version of Universal's Creature he made his Marvel debut in 1985. His style, which has from the Black Lagoon, Then came his magnum opus. matured over the years, is complex and meticulous while Monkeyman & O'Brien. According to a recent interview in also being lively and compelling. And he knows how Comic Book Artist, “Erik Larsen to tell a story. {of Image] called and asked if His first job with I'd considered makingup Marvel was the six: anythingofmy own... So I issue limited series talked to him and said, ‘Oh, | Longshot. Since there don't know what the hell Pd wasn'ta fixed deadline, want to do.” After considering Adams has said, “I think the matter, Adams decided it took eight months he'd like to try a variation for the first issue.” on King Kong—*So | had the He'd been given the giant scientist ape, and this assignment in 1984 and smart woman, realizing, Longshot didn't begin oh, my God, I just made up appearing until the Angel and the Ape.” summerof 1985, The Admittedly slow, Adams magazine sold fairly has never settled intoa well and also generated iar schedule for considerable reader Monkeyman & O'Brien. X response for Adams's smatteringofhandsomely work, He next was given drawn issues appeared in established Marvel 1996 and others have characters to draw, appeared at irregular including X-Men and Spider intervals since, The Man, He soon became one of characters also appeared the most popular young briefly in comic-strip artists in the business. In the form in Dark Horse Extra, early 1990s, he drew a trio of In the new century Fantastic Four issues. Arthur Adams has been As the nineties progressed, doing some of his most Adams branched out, working appealing drawing for Tom Strong’s as well for Dark Horse and Terrific Tales. His Jonni Future, written by Steve Moore, is Image. A longtime fan of movie monsters, he was happy a fantasy about a very attractive young woman and her to draw covers and do scripts and breakdowns for Dark adventures in time and dimension. ADAMS, ARTHUR  (1941- ) An influential and innovative artist, Adams did the His Deadman, while causing fan enthusiasm and majority of his comic-book work after he'd drawn the colleague admiration, did not prove to be a viable hero successful newspaper strip Ben Casey in the early 1960s. initially. The social awareness issuesof GL/GA, dealing By the late 1960s, he was working for DC. Adams drew with such problems as drug abuse and racism and Deadman in Strange broadening the range of what comic books could do. Adventures, upgraded gained considerable attention in the media Batman and rescued him 5 OWT oywee The magazine from his TV-induced itself, (hough, was camp phase and, canceled early in working with writer 1972. Adams drew Denny O'Neil on Green his modernized Lantern/Green Arrow, and somewhat epitomized the sophisticated relevancy phase that version of Batman comics went throu about this same the early 1970s. He also time, also managing drew X-Men and The to work on The Avengers for Marvel Avengers over at Neal Adams Marvel. His take on had worked for the Dark Knight the Johnstone and influenced several Cushing art service artists who followed. while still in his In the middle teens. They : 1970s Adams was also produced cartoon aie Sone ofthose who and comic-strip ads, campaigned for and and one of their succeeded in getti star performers royalties for Jerry was Stan Drake. Siegel and Joe Shuster The young Adams was much for having created influenced by Drake's sketchy, illustrative style. Later Superman, Adams started he assisted Drakeon The HeartofJuliet Jones newspaper producing his own comics in the 1980s, including Echo of strip. The work he did for comic books went beyond the Future Past. He has been far less active in comic books for house styles of DC and Marvel, bringing in a slick the past two decades, and his Continuity Associates has advertising look as well as a touch of gritty realism, concentrated on advertising and animatics,  jiu In business for nearly a half a century, DC's Adventure Adventure Comics and {rom the thirty-second (November showcased a wide variety of characters over the years. 1938) the tile became simply Adventure Comics, By this These included Superboy, Starman, Hour-Man, Supergirl, time Major Nicholson was no longer in charge and the Legion of Super Heroes, Manhunter, and two versions Detective Comies, Inc. ran the show of Sandman. The secondof Major Malcolm Wheeler In the early days the magazine was a collection of Nicholson’s pioneering original material comic books, it mostly one- and two-page features, both humor and was tided New Comics when it began late in 1935. With the adventure, the majority of them laid out in Sunday page twelfth issue (January 1937) the title was modified to New format. On the adventurous side were Castaway Island, Slim and Tex, Captain Quick, and Dale Daring. Work by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster began appearingin the second issue with their G-man serial Federal Men. Included in the funny stuff were Dickie Duck, Sagebrush N’ Cactus, J. Worthington Blimp, and The Suange Adventures of Mr. Weed. ‘hese last two were by a talented teenage Brooklyn cartoonist named Sheldon Mayer The roster of artists in the early years also included Tom Hickey, an art school recruit, Creig Flessel, a pulp: magazine illustrator, H.C. Kiefer, a European-trained illustrator, and Russell Cole, Munson Paddock, and Leo O'Mealia, all veteran newspaper cartoonists. Whit Ellsworth and Vin Sullivan, who took turns drawing the early humorous covers, also acted as associate editors. With the twelfth issue the magazine began to transform itself, Humor all but vanished from the covers, replaced by action and violence and now drawn by Flessel. The interior was overhauled as well. While almost all the adventure strips were still to be continued, they now took up four to eight pages, After Major Nicholson departed in the spring of 1938, several new serious features were added. Anchors Aweigh, Captain Desmo, Tod Hunter, and Rusty and His Pals by a pre-Batman Bob Kane. And after the final name change, even more adventurers showed up, There was Cotton Carver, a world explorer who ended up venturing into a Burroughs, was the writer. The artists included Ogden several centuries. Thawed, he became a sort of Whitney and Jack Lehti, The original Sandman, the Connecticut Yankee in reverse. In issue #69 (December crimebuster with the gas mask and the green business 1941), the Sandman got an updated look—yellow tunic suit, made his debut in #40 (July 1939). Bert Christman and tights, purple cowl, cape, and boots—and a boy was the first artist; Fox helped with the scripts. Some companion named Sandy. Chad Grothkopf was the artist months later in #48, Hour-Man usurped Sandman’s star who handled the transition story, and Paul Norris drew position and Bernard Baily’s time-limited superman was the next two, Then the formidable team of Joe Simon also featured on most of the Adventure covers. But then and Jack Kirby took over, and Sandman became the Starman arrived. He was auspiciously launched in #61, uncontested champ for the next several years, getting the cover and the leadoff position, Starman, In 1946, Superboy, who originated the year before whose abilities derived from the radiated starlight he in More Fun Comics, moved over to Adventure to assume collected by way of his gravity rod, was the joint effort the featured spot, In the late 1950s, the Legion of Super of Fox and former sports cartoonist Jack Burnley. Heroes, with such members as Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, he Shining Knight came on stage in #66, nicely and Lightning Lad, was first seen. Supergirl entered in drawn by Flessel. Wearing yolden armor and mounted the 1960s, Adventure continued, digest-size in its final ona winged horse, the knight had been frozen for PPR EDETE RTTEE days, until the early 1980s. Introduced in the fall of 1948, the American Comics other regular artists were Al Williamson, Paul Reinman, Group's Adventures into the Unknown was the first Charles Sultan, and the exceptional and virtually unsung regularly issued horror comic book. Despite the setbacks Emil Gershwin. and collapses most of the later rivals suffered in the early By the time Unknown was well into its second 1950s, it thrived until the summer of 1967. This was chiefly decade, superheroes were back in favor and selling due to that fact that the magazine served up a relatively again. Somewhat reluctantly, Richard Hughes added a restrained and polite type of supernatural material superhero to the lineup. Nemesis, written by Hug Unknown was especially fond of witches, werewolves, under his pen name of Shane O'Shea and drawn by Pete sorcerers, and all sorts and conditions of ghosts. Costanza, was introduced in #154 (August 1967), Rather While the editor Richard Hughes was a prolific a silly-looking fellow, he wore black-and-blue striped writer, many of the early yarns were written by an shorts, a red tunic with an hourglass insignia, a blue assistant editor named Norman Fruman, “Richard hood, and several other piecesofnonmatching rarely wrote the supernaturals,” Fruman says in Michael haberdashery. His origin, pretty much borrowed from Vance’s history of ACG. “They, by all odds, were the that of DC’s Spectre, explained that he was a dead law most difficult ones to write, | wrote the supernaturals officer who came back to Earth to fight crime. The sand and the science fictions.” Ogden Whitney drew a great ran out of Nemesis’s hourglass sixteen issues later. Four many of the horror tales and provided numerous covers issues after that Adventures into the Unknown followed throughout the magazine's lifetime. Among the many him into the unknown.  After its first issue appeared late in 1941, Air Fighters were also several was grounded for a full year. Then Hillman Periodicals, patchesof large with some help from artist/writer Charles Biro, tried again colored copy on the and this time had better luck. The magazine, its title cover proclaiming changed to Airboy Comics in 1945, stayed aloft until 1953. such things as It was Airboy, a blond youth who flew a very unusual “NEW!” “GREATEST COMIC BOOK plane, who kept the magazine popular, with some help YET!": "NOTHING LIKE IT!"; and “Who Is AIRBOY from a walking vegetable patch called the Heap and a Inside, Airboy’s origin was laid out, He was an new lineof characters that Biro and others had come up orphan who, dressed in red-and-blue flying togs, used an with. These included the Iron Ace, Sky Wolf, the Bald experimental wing-flapping plane called Birdie tocombat Eagle, and the Black Angel, an aviatrix who wore an the Nazis and the Japanese. The plane was the giftof exceedingly tight costume. ‘The unsuccessful first issue, the kindly monks who'd raised the lad and, instead of packaged by the usually dependable Funnies, Ine., had producing liqueurs, built eccentric aireralt. Airboy’s most attempted to succeed with such bland characters as the formidable opponent was a striking, dark-haired girl pilot Black Commander, Flying Cadet Jack Dale, and Mack called Valkyrie, Although she was said to have a heart Duff Junior Mechanic, In addition to a livelier batch of “as black as the Devil's,” she eventually became fond of characters, the second issue boasted a typical Biro cover, Airboy, reformed, and teamed with him to fight against fullofaction, blood, and lettering, In the foreground was a the Nazis. Biro never drew anything inside the magazine, Japanese pilot sitting in his cockpit and bleeding from the and Pred Kida was the best of the Airboy artists, his mouth, Behind him in the distance readers saw Airboy in specialty being Valkyrie and her Airmaidens. Later this bird-winged airplane sending machine-gun bullets at artists included Dan Barry and Ernie Schroeder, who yet another Japanese Zero as it burst into flames. There spent several years with the boy aviator. i M. C. Gaines did not have faith in superheroes. Even its sixty-four pages were devoted to newspaper strip though he had been in on the discovery of Superman, the reprints. Since Gaines’s earlier experience had been with publisher didn’t believe that comic-book buyers would be Famous Funnies and then Popular Comics and The Funnies, interested in more of the same. Late in 1938, he'd made reprint titles all, he defined a comic book as something an agreement to producea seriesofcomic books that that included funny paper reruns, Although Sheldon would carry the DC colophon. The first two titles were Mayer, the young editor, believed otherwise, it took him Movie Comies, which soon failed, and All-American Comics, quite a while to convince his boss. And they never did get which was to have a long and successful life. When, rid of the Mutt& Jeff reprints. however, All-American #1 (April 1939) appeared, there was lhe early issues included reprints of strips that had nota single superhero tobefound within. In fact, half of already appeared in Famous and Popular, including AIR FIGHTERS COMICS Skippy, Reg'lar Fellers, and Gaines’s apparent favorite Grundy. In its one Mutt & Jeff. Among the features created expressly for hundredth issue All-American were Red, White and Blue, about a saboteur (August 1948) anew bashing trio consisting of a soldier, a sailor, and a marine, cowboy hero, using the Jon L. Blummer’s Hop Harrigan, dealing with a young name Johnny Thunder aviator, and Adventures into the Unknown, adapted from and drawn by Alex Toth, the juvenile fantasy novels of Carl H. Claudy. Mayer pushedGL out of the brought his Scribbly the boy cartoonist over from The spotlight. In #103 it was Funnies. in the eighth issue began Gary Concord, the Ultra rechristened All-American Man, a science-fiction epic about Concord, the High Western, and all the other Moderator of the United Statesof North America in the earlier characters, year 2239 a.b., who was struggling to bring peace to a including Mutt & Jeff, war-torn world. The fact that the credit was to Don were gone, As trends in Shelby has led to speculation that, since it was an comics continued to anagram of By Sheldon, Mayer wrote it. He strongly change, the magazine next denied this in later years, assuring questioners that became All-American Men of Jon Blummer both wrote and drew the feature. War in 1952 and as such Finally, in the sixteenth issue (July 1940), a superhero remained on view until the called the Green Lantern was introduced, Mart Nodell summer of 1966. was the artist and Bill Finger, the uncredited cocreator of In 1999, DC used the title Batman, the writer, By the following year Irwin Hasen All-American Comics for a was ghosting many of the Green Lantern stories and also one-shot that was part of drawing a series of striking covers for All-American their The Justice Society Once GL arrived in the magazine, other costumed Returns! sevies. heroes started moving in. The Atom arrived in #19 (October 1940), followed by Dr. Mid-nite in #25 (May 1941) and Sargon the Sorcerer in #26, This magician strip was drawn by Howard Purcell and written by John Wentworth, who was also writing Red, White and Blue. Sargon was John Sargent, who inherited the ancient Ruby of Life and discovered that it granted him magic powers. When in his Sargon mode, he wore the ruby in his yellow turban, All-American had by this time dropped all its reprints save Mutt& Jeff. Gaines also started a separate Mutt & Jeff comic book in 1939, and Mayer drew the covers for several years. During the years of World War H, with many artists in the service, Mayer hired new cartoonists. The exceptional Joe Gallagher drew The Atom and Red, White and Blue Paul Reinman became the regular Green Lantern artist and was the first to draw the popular villain Solomon  EO YT NES DC's earliest title devoted exclusively to humor, it dealt with funny people and not funny animals, All Funny began as a wartime quarterly late in 1943, offering a mix of established features that included Genius Jones and Penniless Palmer and new ones such as Two-Gun Percy, Hamilton & Pgbert, and Buzzy, Written and drawn by George Storm, B y centered around a teenage lad who attempted to play the trumpet. Taking advantage of the growing interest in teen titles, DC promoted Buzzy to a book of his own the next year Among the other contributors were Stan Kaye, Howard Sherman, Henry Boltinoff, and newspaper veterans Paul Fu Jimmy Thompson, and 'Tom MeNamara. The magazine, by then a bimonthly, ended with its wenty-third issue in the spring of 1948, The idea of issuing a comic book with new adventures the Atom, Johnny Thunder, accompanied by his of popular heroes from all the existing DC titles had thunderbolt, crashed the meetings until he was finally already been tried in New York World's Fair Comics. The initiated in #6 (August-September 1941). He provided innovation that All Star introduced was having them comic relief, something Mayer was partial to. team up to work together, This happened inthe third \ bonus story in the bimonthly eighth issue introduced issue (Winter 1940), when the resident heroes joined Wonder Woman, who was then set up in Sensation Comics, together to form a crime-fighting group called the Justice DC's newest monthly. The boys in the band admitted her Society of America. In the fourth issue, the JSA all back into All Star in the eleventh issue, but beinga sexist worked on the same case. This first hero team in comic bunch, had her work as recording secretary and nota full books was the joint invention of editor Sheldon Mayer fledged JSA member, The Flash and the Green Lantern, and writer Gardner F, Fox. when they achieved their own magazines, dropped from Mayer, who edited All Star from the outset, also active membership, Newcomers and replacements created its star-spangled logo and laid out the first two included Starman, Dr. Mid-Nite, and Wildcat. Black Canary, covers. Although Fox wrote all the chapters, each hero who replaced Johnny Thunder in Flash Comics, also was drawn, in the early days, by his regular artist. The replaced him in the Justice Society in 1948. opening and closing chapters wherein all the members When the JSA got together, they defended America gathered at headquarters were drawn initially by regular against spies, traveled to the other planets, fed the starving Flash artist E.EB. Hibbard. The original members of the of Europe, and defeated—sometimes only temporarily Justice Society were the Green Lantern, the Spectre, such master criminalsas the Brain Wave, the Psycho Hawkman, Hour-Man, Sandman, Dr, Fate, the Flash, and Pirate, Degaton, Solomon Grundy, and Vandal Savage. ALL FUNNY COMICS Later, some of the villains, mimicking their betters, took to drawing entire issues. The original run ended appeared as the Injustice Society, with #57 early in 1951. As an indication of how comics Other artists who drew covers and the opening and were changing, the magazine was converted to All Star closing chapters were Jack Burnley, Joe Gallagher, and Western and continued for another ten years. Martin Naydel. Alex Toth, Joe Kubert, and Irwin Hasen All Star Comics, with various rosters of JSA members, were later contributors. While the scripts continued to was briefly revived in 1974 and 1999, The Justice Society be by Fox, the team of Arthur Peddy and Bernard Sachs has continued to pop up elsewhere over the years. mn Bane See JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA Sa: Another lovely bunch of mutants, Marvel introduced them in the summer of 1983, =}He7 The 1g gathered together in Alpha Flight were all Canadians, created by John Byrne, who'd grown up in Canada. The saga as it unfolded over the years, with a changing crew of artists and writers, made the intricate complexities of the X-Men continuities seem simple and crystal-clear by comparison. The early cast included Vindicator, Shaman, Snowbird, Aurora, the Guardian, and nonmutant Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau. In addition to Walter Langkowski, who turned into the Canadian version of Bigfoot known as Sasquatch, the real Sasquatch also showed up later on. One of the mutants was able to turn into both an owl and a polar bear, and another, Northstar, admitted he was gay during the heat of battle. This garnered him considerable publicity at the time. Another of the male mutants became a lady named Wanda for a while. The Guardian became the Vindicator and vice-versa, and in addition, the Guardian and the Vindicator were married. Another mutant died and came back as a dwarf The stories, dealing with the group’s battles with such modest villains as the Master of the World, moved back and forth in time and were rich with flashbacks and footnotes. A typical note would say something like “This takes place before last month's issue.” The original flight lasted for 130 issues before ending in 1994, A new series ran from 1997 to 1999. CS ee After changing its name twice, Amazing Fantasy suspended operations, That fifteenth and final issue (August 1962) guaranteed the magazine a place in comics history, howeve' since it was the birthplace of Spider-Man, Starting up in the springof 1961 under the title Amazing Adventures, it had dealt in the usual Marvel brand of fantasy and sci-li, Among the monsters prowling the initial half dozen issues were Manoo, Sserpo, and Monsteroso, this latter billed as “the MOST FEARFUL creatureof all time!” Scripts were chiefly the workof Stan Lee, the main artists were Jack Kirby, in charge of the Monster-oF-the-Month, and Steve Ditko. With the seventh issue, the title was switched to Amazing Adult Fantasy and the book promised “spine-tingling, supernatural thrillersforthe more mature reader!” One of the creatures provided for the mature reader was a huge chap called Tim Boo Ba For the fifteenth issue the tide was shortened to just plain Amazing Fantasy. On the cover, as drawn by Kirby, Spider-Man was seen for the first time. In the eleven: page story inside, written by Lee and illustrated by Ditko, readers met Peter Parker, Aunt May (quite a bit plumper back then), and, of course, Spidey. ACthe yarn’s end, Lee said, “And soa legend is born and a new name is added to the roster of those who make the world of fantasy the most exciting realm of all!” Barly the next year, the first issue of The Amazing Spider-Man was released MAL Ni WA Rl an orphanof superb physical structure, and each did his The leading character in the magazine was Aman the Amazing-Man, written and drawn by Bill Everett. Aman part to develop in the child all the qualities of one who was indeed an amazing fellow. On the cover of the initial would dominate the world of men by his great, strength, issue, (September 1939), he was seen chained hand knowledge and cour His friend Nika, the young and foot, lying in a Houdini position while chomping at chemist, endowed him with the power to make himself the neck of a large, nasty-looking cobra. This definitely disappear in a cloudof green vapor, and extracted from was not standard superhero behavior at the time. In him the promise to always be good and kind and addition to Aman, the new Centaur publication included snerous.” Amanhad to pass a sort ofobstacle course such characters as the lron Skull, the Shark, Mighty Man, of tests before being considered ready to journey to the and Minimidget United States to combat criminals and evildoers, These Amazing-Man’s origin began “25 years ago, in the included not only the tussle with the cobra but a tug-of mountainsof Tibet, [when] the Council of Seven selected war with a bull elephant, His costume consisted of blue AMAZING FANTASY shorts and boots and a small shield embossed with the letter “A” strapped to his bare chest. This apparently stood for Amazing and not adulterer. Carl Burgos, stillafew months off from creating the Human Torch, contributed the tron Skull. A nose-less android in a business suit, the Skull fought crime in the future, the distant 1970s. The Shark was aSub-Mariner type, drawn by Lew Glanzman. Minimidget was a doll-sized gangbuster who was teamed up with an equally small lady named Ritty, Mighty Man could shrink, grow, and change shape, a couple of years before Plastic Man came up with the idea, From #12 through #21, Prank Thomas produced Dr. Hypno (originally Dr. Psycho), Hypno had the ability to project his mind into that of any animal, catching criminals while inhabiting the body of everything from a monkey to an elephant. For the final two issues Basil Wolverton did one of his serious space operas, Meteor Martin. In #23 (August 1941) Amazing-Man at last took ona boy sidekick Instead of being called Amazing Boy, he was known simply as fommy, The magazine ended three issues later MALIN Published by the recently formed 1930s publisher began in the seventh (February 1939), and Gustavson's Centaur Publications, Inc., the magazine represented an Fantom of the Fair, concerning a costumed crimetighter earlier gatheringofmany of those who would later put who fought crime at the New York World's Fair, began in together Marvel Mystery Comics. Lloyd Jacquet, the editor, the eleventh (July 1939), Among the other features were would eventually found the Punnies, Inc. shop. The Daredevil Barry Finnby Tarpe Mills, Space PatrolbyBasil artists who worked for Amazing Mystery during its two: Wolverton, and Speed Centaur by Malcolm Kildale. This year run included Bill Everett, Carl Burgos, and Paul latter offered one of the more unusual heroes in comics, Gustavson, who went on to draw Sub-Mariner, the since Speed was half man and half horse. In one adventure Human Torch, and the Angel he donned a disguise and appeared as a complete horse. Everett's sciti epic Skyrocket Steele began in the second Though Amazing Mystery Funnies ended in the summer issue (September 1938), Burgos’s sci-fi epic Air-Sub DX of 1940, many of its alumni went on to better things MiG LA See CHAYKIN, HOWARD.  PRD eS ee A fantasy showing the influence of both The Wizardof In the everyday America of the eighties, blonde Amy Ozand Tolkein, Amethyst was introduced by DC early in Winston had just become a teenager. But when she 1983. It was created by writers Dan Mishkin and Gary crossed over into the parallel universe of Gemworld, she Cohn (who also invented Blue Devil) in collaboration was the full-grown Princess with artist Ernie Colon, The first series ran for twelve Amethyst. A fairy-tale issues, ending early the next year locale full of places and people named after gems, Gemworld had such locations as Sardonyx, Ruby, and, of course, an Emerald City. There were also Lady Turquoise, Lord White Opal, and Lady Amber, plus all sorts of gemstones and jewels underfoot. Amethyst found herself being courted by Prince Topaz and battling the evil Dark Opal to aven murder of her royal parents = this kept her busy throughout the initial maxi-series. The princess returned for a sixteen-issue run at the end of 1984. For this go-round, Keith Giffen and Robert Loren Fleming provided the scripts, with Colon again the artist, This time she got tangled up in the Crisis on Infinite Earths brouhaha that was stirring up all the DC universes. Amethyst teamed up with the venerable Dr, Fate, went blind, and ended up being turned intoastatue. Late in 1987, she was revived, met Prince Topaz all over again, battled evil as personified by a possessed chap named Mordru, and got turned into a statue once more all in four issues, Amethyst looked her best during this brief return, since the estimable Spanish artist Esteban Maroto took care of the artwork. Mindy Newell who had a slight problem keeping her Uee’s and thou's straight, was responsible for the convoluted scripts. WWiciowid) ial Ml... ) One of his specialties has always been science fiction: attractive, visually appealing, and easily recognizable. His earliest professional work was drawing Star Pirate and He was also an excellent inker and worked with Carmine Life on Other Planets tov Vietion House's Planet Comies in Infantino on Adam Strange and with Gil Kane on both 144. A fan of Buck Rogers since childhood, Anderson was The Green Lantern and The Atom. given the opportunity to draw the daily stripin 1947. He Murphy Anderson took over the production of the stayed with it for two years, then quit, but was persuaded Army's PS Magazine after Will Eisner left it, Having to draw Buck's twenty-lifth-century adventures again fora formed Murphy Anderson Visual Concepts, he withdrew year in 1958. For Ziff Davis's brief fling with comic books, pretty much from comic books to concentrate on he workedon Amazing Adventures and Larsof Mars. commercial art and producing color separations. His Signing up with DC in the early 1950s, Anderson. cartooning work in recent years has consisted mostly went on to draw such sci-fi features as Captain Comet, The of re-creations of old comic-book covers (his own and \romic Knights, and Jolin Carter of Mars. Anderson’s style others’), which can be seen on such magazinesas Alter hanged some over the years, but always remained Ego and the 2003 edition of the Comic Book Price Guide +) (1927-1993) \ leading exponent of the DC house style of the sixties In addition to Wonder Woman ts exemplified by Mike Sekowsky, ete.), Andru penciled and Metal Men, the team also ‘onder Woman from 1958 to 1967 and Metal Men from drew Sea Devils, Rip Hunter, 162 to 1968. In the seventies he worked for Marvel on and Suicide Squad. such heroesas Spider-Man, His partner at DC was Mike Andru, without Esposito, sito, Who inked all his work for that publisher moved over to Marvel in 1972 Andru had studied at the Cartoonists and Hlustrators: While his main assignment was School in Manhattan, which was cofounded by Burne penciling Spider-Man, he also fogarth. His first professional cartooning job was turned out pages for Dr, Strange, enciling, without credit, Hogarth’s Sunday Tarzan page The Fantastic Four, and X-Men. Comics historian Michael He teamed up with Mike Esposito in the early fifties to Vance has said of Andru that “[his| pencils were clean, umm out Mr. Universe, a nicely done adventure comic bold and technically beyond criticism.” Will Jacobs and ok about a world-traveling wrestler, It lasted only Gerald Jones, in Comic Book Heroes, said, “Andru five issues. The two also produced an unsuccessful generally produced forceful and dramatic work. Vspaper soap-opera strip tilled Martha Hart. By the Andru returned to DC in the eighties. Early in the fifties they were employed by DC. Andru and next decade, shortly before his death, he teamed again sposito became the first artists to draw Wonder Woman with Esposito on a Zen Intergalactic Ninja miniseries er cocreator H. G. Peter was put out to pasture in 1958, publishedby Archie Comics  See NEW FUNNIES. The undisputed star of Animal Comics was Pogo, born in the magazine at the end of 1941, He was the creation of erstwhile Disney animator Walt Kelly, The editor of Dell's kid-oriented magazine was Oskar Lebeck, who also included the venerable rabbit gentleman Uncle Wiggily in his lineup of animals, Animal Comics lasted until 1947 and its thirtieth issue. Uncle Wiggily was added in the second issue, He'd been a rabbit since 1910, when author Howard R. Garis invented him fora daily bedtime-story column for newspaper syndication. In spiteof his longevity and reputation, Wiggily didn’t manage to outshine Pogo. Even when Uncle Wiggily was featured on a cover, members of the swamp gang were almost always there, too, Kelly's possum debuted in the very first issue in a story titled “Albert Takes the Cake.” Pogo was rather seedy looking at the offset, unfortunately resembling a real possum, And as the title indicates, he was upstaged by the cunning and voracious Albert the Alligator. After a year or so, Pogo had become a more attractive character and was also able to hold his own against Albert Kelly was progressing as well, concocting audacious tales that blended burlesque, nonsense, and an occasional touch of cannibalism Among the other characters in the book were Cilly Goose, Hector the Henpecked Rooster, and asheepby the nameof Blackie. Kelly sometimes drew them as well. While other superheroes were thinking big, Henry Pym Pym’s first appearancein#27 January 1962) hedisplayed was thinking small. Up until Ant-Man’s arrival, Talesto no intention of ever becoming a mini-crimetighter, Astonish was just another showcase for fantasy and horror Possibly influenced by the special effects in the tales and such Stan Lee-Jack Kirby monsters as Moomba, 1957 movie The Incredible Shrinking Man, scientist Pym Vandoom, Trull, and the Creature from Krogarr, In fact, in invented a green fluid that could shrink anything and, ANDY PANDA to be on the safe side, another green fluid that could the young scientist had donned his costume fora tryout, cause the shrunken object to grow back to its original communist agents broke into his laboratory to steal the size. Pym considered these inventions “a boon to top-secret “gas to make people immune to radioactivity” mankind!” To test the stuff, he splashed a bit of the that Pym and his assistants were also working on. shrinking fluid on himself. In seconds he was the size of Returning to the anthill as Ant-Man, he recruiteda an ant. Finding himself in his backyard, Pym wandered large quantity of ants and defeated the spies. into an anthill and had considerable trouble with the he creative team behind Ant-Man consisted of residents until he discovered he could use judo on the Stan Lee, who thought up the character, his brother most belligerent ants. Back in his lab, he used the other Larry Lieber, who wrote the scripts, Jack Kirby, who fluid to get back to his regular size. Tossing both fluids penciled, and Dick Ayers, who inked. Kirby was soon out, he vowed, “They're far too dangerous to ever be replaced by the dependable Don Heck. In #44 Ant-Man used by any human again!” He also promised himself acquired a tiny female associate known as the Wasp. never again “to knowingly step upon an ant hill.” Then in #49, perhaps tired of risking getting stepped on However, by Tales to Astonish #35 (September 1962) or swatted, Pym used his growth serum to turn himself the demand for new superheroes had increased. Thinking into Giant Man. Later he became Goliath and then betterof his serums, Pym reinvented them, He designed a Yellow Jacket. In each of his alter egos he was accepted costume of “steel mesh consistingofunstable molecules for membership in the Avenge which stretch and contract as his body does.” He also An entirely different chap, Scott Lang, assumed the whipped up a cybernetic helmet that allowed him to Ant-Man role in the later 1970s. He still makes occasional communicate with ants. As fate would have it, just as appearances in Marvel titles. (1932- ) ® When he began drawing for Charlton Comics in Aquaman, The Spectre, Deadman, The Phantom Stranger, the late 1960s, Jim Aparo was still an art director at a and stories for both House of Secrets and House of Mystery. Connecticut advertising agency. Moonlighting for editor He worked on Batman from the early 1970s to the early Dick Giordano, he drew such second-string characters as 1990s, Aparo also illustrated numerous Batman team Nightshade, Wander, Tiffany Sinn, Thane of Bagarth, ups—pairing the Dark Knight with everybody from the and Miss Bikini Luy, He worked his way up to Charlton's Teen Titans to the Joker—in DC's The Brave and the Bold version of Lee Falk's The Phantom, his favorite and Batman and the Outsiders, a title he'd cocreated, assignment with the company. Aparo works in an appealing style that shows he’s Giordano, hired to edit at DC, invited him to work for learned from his two favorite newspaper strip artists, them as well. By now a full-time cartoonist, Aparo drew Alex Raymond and Milton Caniff. APARO, JIM 17  wii An underwater hero for over three-score years, he has yet to become waterlogged, And though Aquaman has sunk from sight now and then, he has always managed to resurface. He first swam into view in DC's More Fun Comics #73 (November 1941). Unlike Sub-Mariner, he was a fully-clothed aquatic hero, wearing a tunic of golden chain mail and sea. ven tights and gloves, Aquaman was the collaborative creation of editor Mort Weisinger and artist Paul Norris In the original story Aquaman explained to acurious sea captain that he was the son of a noted scientist who'd discovered the ruins of an ancient city, possibly Atlantis, in the ocean's depths, After moving them into a watertight undersea home, his father used the ancient books and records to teach his son how to breathe underwater, develop great strength, and swim with tremendous speed For good measure, Aquaman learned how to communicate with fish and other aquatic creatures. When in trouble, he could summon the denizensof the deep to help him, At maturity, Aquaman decided “there is much evil in the upperworld” and that he must leave the sea Wellman and Otto Binder were the chief seripters in the periodically to punish evildoers. Over the years his origin 1940s and both Louis Cazeneuve and John Daly provided has been revised several times. A later version stated that artwork, Early in 1960, when Ramona Fradon was the he was the result of a union between his lighthouse-keeper artist, Aquaman finally got a sidekick. Garth was an father and a woman from Atlantis (this sounds as though it outcast from Atlantis, which was no longer a defunct was inspired by the old sea chantey “The Eddystone Light,” location, Upon teaming up he became known as Aqualad popularized by Burl Ives, about a lighthouse-keeper who (Aqua-boy for his first appearance). slept with a mermaid one stormy night). More recent In 1962, after nearly twenty yearsat sea, Aquaman accounts maintain that Aquaman himself isa nativeof the was given his own magazine, It was in the Aquaman fabled undersea kingdom and was abandoned asa child. comic book that his hitherto placid life (ook on most of The feature continued in its modest way in More Fun its complexities. He married an undersea queen named until early in 1946. Then the sovereign of the sea moved Mera, fathered a son who was named, inevitably, into Adventure Comics for an extended stay. Manly Wade Aquababy, and was for a time the kingof Adantis. He AQUAMAN also discovered that he had an evil half-brother Orm, The Aquaman of the 1990s was, understandably, a also Known as Ocean Master, This comic book, with much grumpier fellow, as well as much hairier. He scripts by George Kashden and Steve Skeates and art by sported impressively long hair, a moustache and a beard, Nick Cardy and then Jim Aparo, sank in the early 1970s. and a frequent snarl. In the Aquaman book that started The title has been revived several times since. Ina up in 1994, written by Peter David, he lost a hand and later return a caption explained that Aquaman “has replaced it with a hook. That series ended with its never known peace, His half-brother is his greatest seventy-fifth issue (January 2001), Early in 2003 yet enemy, His only son is dead. Murdered by yet another another series commenced. Clean-shaven and short enemy. His wife tried to kill him, then abandoned him,” haired once again, Aquaman is on a roving assignment Because of his dense body structure, the undersea hero from the Lady of the Lake that involves him with is able to “withstand great pressure and change in assorted mythological creatures while workin, temperature.” Due to that helpful density, he tips the cleaning up water pollution, scales at a hefty 325 pounds. (1937- ) ® A man who has turned doodling into a fine art, and a very profitable art as well, Aragones first came to prominence in the early 1960s through the pages of Mad. Or rather in the marginsof those pages, where his tiny doodled figures were to be seen circumnavigating the page in such a lively way that they often seemed much funnier than the material they were framing. Aragones soon moved up from marginal notes and in the early 1980s created Groo. Born in Spain and raised in Mexico, he migrated to America in 1962. “When I found out how much cartoonists made in the United States,” he has explained, “that was that.” He was soon gainfully employed at Mad. By 1967 Aragones had added DC to his client list. Besides being a frequent contributor to Plop, he had a hand in the scriptingof Angel and the Ape and Bat Lash. An outgoing and amusing fellow, one who studied mime as well as architecture in school, he’s also had a show-biz career, having appeared, for example, on television in the final season of Laugh-In. In addition to the long-lasting barbarian spoof, Groo, which is scripted by his friend Mark Evanier, Aragones has in recent years turned out a variety of other projects. One such, put forth in 1999, was Fan Boy. Written by Evanier, the miniseries kidded a typical obsessive comics fan and had Aragones working in tandem with such serious artists as Gil Kane, Dick Sprang, and Mike Grell, Mad editor Nick Meglin has said of Se 0 Aragones, “He never loses sight of the fact that he is a humorist, an attitude that, perhaps more than any other single fact, is responsible for his great success.” ARAGONES, SERGIO 19  Now in his second century as a teenager, Archie first story. An editor/writer, he appeared in publisher MLI's Pep Comics #22 (May 1941). also worked for Dell and nearly The magazine was then an enclave of serious-minded two years earlier had been heroes such as the Shield and the Hangman, but the involved with a feature intrusive freckled, redheaded Archie would eventually entitled Wally Williams in change all that. He was created, with some input from Popular Comics. This was a others, by cartoonist Bob Montana. Archie, along with light adventure strip that dealt mostly with high school Jughead, Betty, Veronica, and Reggie, has been attending athletics. Interestingly enough, Wally attended Riverview Riverdale High for over sixty years. High, had a best friend named Jughead, and a blonde Teenagers were coming into their own in the early girlfriend named Betty, His mentor was his gray-haired 1940s, both as a target for manufacturers and a source of Gramps. In Bloom’s introductory script for Archie, Betty inspiration for entertainment, Henry Aldrich, the well and Jughead figured again and Riverview became meaning but bumbling teen who was the prime inspiration Riverdale. Archie, who looked only about thirteen at the for Archie, had first appeared in 1938 in Clifford Goodrich’s offset, had a full set of parents but turned for advice to Broadway play, What a Life. Henry had jumped to radio his live-in Gramps. In Pep and Jackpot, where hewas also and then into movies. MLJ decided that a comic-book appearing, Archie quickly grew into an older teenager version of Henry Aldrich and the various other wacky and acquired a jalopy. Both Gramps and Bloom were teens who were soon gone, proliferating in the media The increasingly popular Archie got a magazineof would appeal not only to his own in 1942, By that time most of the other regulars, teenage readers but to including the slinky, dark-haired Veronica Lodge, the kids who were eager but principal Mr. Weatherbee, and the all-purpose teacher had yet to reach their Miss Grundy, were all in place, Eventually Archie took teens. Archie Andrews over Pep Comics, ousting all the serious characters. In led the same sort of the springof 1946, MLJ officially became Archie Comic problem-ridden life as Publications. Over the years the Archie titles had Henry Aldrich, Andy multiplied and have included Archie's Joke Book, Archie's Hardy, and the rest anc Girls Betty and Veronica, Archie's Pal Jughead, Archie got entangled with the Comics Digest, Archie's Madhouse, Archie's Pals 'N’ Gals, same sort of pretty girls. Jughead’s Jokes, Betty & Veronica Summer Fun, and Little Usually unsung Archie. In recent years the Archie comic books have when credit for been in digest format. developing Archie is In addition to Montana, a small army of other handed out is Vic cartoonists has drawn the Archie material, including Bloom, who wrote Harry Sahle, Bill Vigoda, Al Fagaly, Tom Moore, Harry the script for the first Lucey, George Frese, and Dan DeCarlo. ARCHIE  PNY, Long a successful watercolor painter and art teacher (4917- ) Armstrong, who was fast, dependable, and good, in Southern California, in his youth Armstrong drew for also drew a string of comic strips from the forties to the the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies comic book. He eighties, In addition to Bugs Bunny, he put in time on was responsible for Mary Jane and Sniffles, Elmer Fudd, Ella Cinders, Little Lulu, Napoleon, The Flintstones, and and Porky Pig, startingin the early 1940s. He also drew Scamp. Before turning full-time to landscape painting the Bugs Bunny Sunday newspaper page in the middle and instructing, he drew such later comic books as 1940s, as well as handling many of Bugs’s comic-book Super Goof and Funky Phantom. appearances later in that decade. Here he was, the first costumed hero to show up in a suit of baggy red pajamas and a cowl that hid his face comic books after Superman and his publisher paid little completely, Over time, Gustavson’s illustrational style initial attention to him. The Arrow arrived late in improved and the Arrow’'s costume and Centaur's Funny Pages, not getting appearance improved as well. A real there until #21 (September 1938), mystery man, the archer had no civilian and he wasn’t showcased on the identity until the very end of the run. cover until a year later. He did Though never billed as having psychic somewhat better thereafter, being powers, he possessed an uncanny knack featured on seven of the next dozen. for knowing where crimes were taking Then, in the fall of 1940, Funny Pages place, He'd show up, let fly a few arrows closed up shop. In those early days, from his bow, and vanish. At times he heroes in colorful costumes, no matter also exhibited impressive strength, how clunky, were what sold comic ripping doors off their hinges, ete. One books. The Centaur folks were late in of his specialties seemed to be rescuing realizing this basic economic notion. pretty blonde young women They did, however, manage to keep the ‘Toward the end, the Arrow was Arrow alive for one more year by way recruited by a U.S. intelligence agency. of three erratically published issuesof Readers then learned that he was a The Arrow magazine. good-looking blond fellow named Paul Gustavson, until recently Ralph Payne. On his final outing, the Arrow, in a specializing in humor features, was the artist on new costume that masked only part of his face, slipped The Arrow. Since there were then no rules about hero into Germany to fight the Nazis. Bob Lubbers drew that haberdashery, the early Arrow wore what looked like last adventure,  (1908-1986) The son of a noted book and magazine illustrator, Edd Zip. vor Ley Gleason's Silver Streak Comics he drew the Ashe, Jr, was himself a painter and a muralist. For over Saint, and for the Fox line he created considerable thirty years, from the late 1930s to the early 1970s, he covers as well as interior art. When Carl Burgos left was also a prolific comic-book artist. A talented if often the Human Torch in the early years of World War H, hurried cartoonist, he drew a range of characters that Ashe took over the drawing. By this time he was included the Wizard, the Saint, the Blue Beetle, the working out of Funnies, Inc. He drew The Commando Flame, Commando Yank, Don Winslow, the Human Yank in Wow and entire issues of Don Winslow, both Torch, and Mike Shayne. chores for Fawcett. Later on, he worked on everything Working first out of the Chesler shop, Ashe from funny animals toprivate eyes for Dell. Ashe’s final contributed to such early MLJ titlesas Top-Notch and comic-book employer was Charlton, oli A formidable woman, also known as the Crocodile Queen, she first appeared in the fifth issueofDoc Savage Magazine in 1941, Written and drawn by newspaper veteran Charles M. Payne, who'd been a professional since the 1890s, Astron’s adventures offered a slightly wacky mix of fantasy, horror, World War I intrigue, romance, and a whole lot of crocodiles. Astron, aided by a large herd of crocodiles who did her bidding, dwelled in a remote valley in a remote jungle. She guarded, with considerable help from her croes, the Mystic Light that granted eternal life (o all who. bathed in its glow. What with an evil ancient sorceress who commanded an army of gorillas, covetous Nazis, and other ne’er-do-wells, the blond spear-wielding Astron led an active life, There were also two American A SUrett THERE aviators who'd crash-landed in her kingdom. The magazine ceased in late 1943. ASHE, EDD  The original Atom took up residencein All-American Comics #19 (October 1940), three months after the arrival of the Green Lantern, He was initially called the Mighty Atom, a name possibly borrowed from that of a real life, diminutive strongman of the day. Unlike the later hero with this name, he had no superpowers and owed his abilities to diet and exercise, This Atom was a redheaded college student named Al Pratt, who stood just over five feet tall. His school chums “constantly kid LeEm, wn nereerr oe him about his small size” and have nicknamed him the Atom. Vowing to do something about pound weakling status, Pratt underwent physical his ninety-seven I SPBIAE oe S El foe, fitness training with a down-on-his-luck trainer he met. He turned into a muscleman, one who “now has tremendous strength in one so small.” Pratt adopted tae €99R8 | [acay7 eax? CALVIN COL, SS MOCIN MORE ae neiseBOTA a secret costumed identity as the Atom and began a ES S dGars Koka career of crimefighting. Since nobody treated his CS METALS. We PYPAW A erTE civilian self with any respect even after he became the Atom, Pratt was one of the more anguished heroesof the 1940s. Writer Bill O'Connor and artist Ben Flinton created the character, They'd earlier been in partnership with cartoonist Leonard Sansone, who would create the popular Army panel The Wolf during World War IL. As FOS they'd produced a minor feature called The Phantom Sub for Blue Bolt. Without insone years, also drawing him as a member of the Justice their work was just passable. When Flinton and Society in All Star Comics, O'Connor followed Sansone into the service, Joe The Atom moved from All-American to Flash Comics Gallagher became the artist. He didn’t take a lyrical in 1947. He acquired a new, flashier costume in 1948 and approach to drawing adventure material, favoring a took a leave from comics the following year, Toward the gritty, cartoony look, Gallagher's Atom stories were rich end of his first run he picked up “atomic” strength to with the props and locations of the meaner edge of big become a true superhero. He has returned on various city life-ashcans and alleys, street cleaners, pushcarts, occasions ever since, for such things as JSA-JLA team junk wagons, tenements and shanties, pool halls, ups, to serve on the All Star Squadron, and to do junkyards, mom-and-pop grocery stores, lampposts, and assorted guest turns. He has even managed to appear fire hydrants, He stayed with the character for several with the other hero who bears the name.  ee A brand-new Atom, completely different from his namesake, debuted in DC's Showcase #34 (October 1961). Borrowing from Doll Man, the tiny superhero of the 1940s, editor Julius Schwartz and writer Gardner Fox created a fellow who could shrink at will. Gil Kane, an admirer of Doll Man’s original artist Lou Fine, got the job of drawing the dinky do-gooder. “Lalways felt the Atom of the 1940s was misnamed,” Schwartz once said. “He was simply called the Atom because he was a short fellow. 1 got the idea of having him a regular six-footer able to reduce himself to any size he wanted to. It just struck us as we were groping around for a theme that wasn’t being done by any superheroes.” They gave their hero the civilian name of Ray Palmer, in honor of the longtime editor of Amazing Stories. That Palmer was extremely short may also have had something to do with it. The Atom moved into his own magazine in the springof 1962. It was retitled The Atom & Hawkman in 1968 and continued under that name until it folded the following year. Among the subsequent revivals were Sword of the Atom by Gil Kane and writer Jan Strnad, involving the tiny hero in sword-and-soreery adventures in a world where everyone is six inches tall. He was also ina short lived series Power of the Atom and in one of the DC Tangent series in 1997. In the optimistic days after the droppingof the first atomic bombs in 1945, the majority of the American public was enthusiastic about nuclear energy, For a brief period superheroes with atomic powers came into being. Atoman appeared, in his own azine, early in 1946. Jerry Robinson, fresh from ghosting Batman, was the artist Barry Dane, a scientist at the Atomic Institute, discovered after tangling with spies that “I am radio active.” Working with radium and uranium had given him “atomic strength!” Stitching up a crimson-and-gold costume for himself, he went forth to “bring about a new age of peace, security and happiness for all.” Unfortunately, the Atoman magazine fizzled out after its second issue. THE ATOM: II  AS CIE By the 1960s, the public attitude toward things 3 UKE ING HiT WITH A PLE DRIVER! BUT THE RADUTION atomic had changed. The proliferationofnuclear OOESN'T PENETRATE ARMOR! 17'S ONLY THE IMPACT » THAT HURTS!GOT TO KEEP weapons and the Cold War converted optimism GOING - to fear. A common science-fiction scenario in books and movies showed a small group of survivors coping with a world devastated by nuclear war. The Atomic Knights, DC's major contribution issues. By the time it ended in #160 January 1964), the to that genre, first appeared in Strange Adventures #117 Knights had defeated the rogues who'd tried to rule the (June 1960), survivors, turned back an alien invasion, and converted Set in the then-distant 1980s, it dealt with a half their Midwest hometown into a green paradise. dozen survivors—five men and a woman—who donned Scripts were by John Broome and art by Murphy a