bronze johnny

On 10/3/2023 at 5:33 AM, SuperBat5000 said:

That's interesting history too, yep these books are going way back in time now over 80 years ago..

Beck’s response in an interview on how lawsuit affected him:

On 10/2/2023 at 9:40 PM, SuperBat5000 said:

Check out this article -it appears that Captain Marvel was in the 1940's    https://screenrant.com/shazam-captain-marvel-outsold-superman/#:~:text=Captain Marvel routinely outsold Superman,rarely sell over 100%2C000 copies).

DC shut Siegel and Schuster down for many years. Did C.C. Beck experience a similar fate? Captain Marvel was Beck’s version of Bill Parker’s conceived superhero and his career as a comic book artist- arguably the most influential of the Golden Age given the popularity of Captain Marvel and his trademark cartoonish art. I know Beck went on and left comics but it’s important to know what happened. We collectors enjoy the books but it can be a superficial journey if the history around the characters and creators is forgotten. Sure, the art stands on its own but the history is also needed to give additional meaning to this art form. 
 

On 10/2/2023 at 8:54 PM, SuperBat5000 said:

Interesting questions! There are a few Youtube videos on the history of Captain Marvel that mention this.   Superman had a float in the NY Macy's Thanksgiving Parade in 1940: https://macysthanksgiving.fandom.com/wiki/Superman along with the radio show series, and 1942 cartoons, so he was widely popular. If I recall correctly the Captain Marvel and Marvel Family comics began to out sell Superman (and Action?) comics in the early 1940's, and then a Captain Marvel movie series in 1941: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033317/  So my guess is that they were tied in popularity in the 1940s! 

This is a well made video!  

 

 

Thanks! 
I’m interested in further exploring the question of who was more popular? Captain Marvel or Superman? I doubt DC would have sued Fawcett if Captain Marvel wasn’t so popular at the time.

On 10/2/2023 at 8:52 PM, MrBedrock said:

I like the character of Superman a little better than Captain Marvel but I am not anywhere near old enough to answer the second part of that question.

Didn’t think you were that old! Just wanted to get your feel for which of the two was more popular and why? May need to ask Parker since he may have bought them off the stand. 

On 10/2/2023 at 2:25 PM, MrBedrock said:

Great books! Curious what your thoughts are about Captain Marvel and Superman and which do you think made the bigger impression on the kids back in the Golden Age? 
 

On 9/19/2023 at 10:36 PM, rucnok said:

Great copy and one I never get tired of seeing. Was just thinking how younger people who are growing up now may not realize what a film strip is!

On 9/21/2023 at 11:53 AM, Straw-Man said:

picking up doom covers here and there, regardless of era!

Just admit you ❤️ Bronze Age comic books.

On 9/21/2023 at 7:41 AM, Straw-Man said:

Very nice “Bronze-Billy!”

On 9/3/2023 at 3:01 PM, Straw-Man said:

feeling just fine about my fairly reasonably-priced quintet.   and they all fit into runs i have.

  

 

 

Stunning!

On 9/3/2023 at 3:06 AM, IngelsFan said:

The was one SOTI war book: Frontline Combat 4

Missed that one. Thanks! Another reason why these books need to be included in any serious price guide/reference book on war comics.

Should be a National Holiday!

On 8/20/2023 at 12:09 PM, manetteska said:

Strike that; just checked the listing.

100% not real.

It will be up for auction again…and again…

On 8/18/2023 at 7:18 PM, KirbyJack said:

This one?

Yes and I’m sure there are a few more but can’t think of them.

On 8/15/2023 at 9:32 PM, JTLarsen said:

Or… the mags that had Dredd’s actual first appearance are…

To wit, you haven’t discovered them yet.

Please do tell…

On 8/14/2023 at 9:15 AM, DanCooper said:

It's going to be interesting to see where that 5.0 Tales of Terror Annual #1 ("Bobby Blue") on ComicConnect ends up at (currently @ $17,000 with 11+ days to go)

 

Trying to figure out what criteria Overstreet used to come up with this top 10 given Tomb of Terror 15, Black Cat Mystery 50, Weird Mysteries 5 and Adventures into the Unknown 1 were left off. Take a look at the Overstreet Guide prices for these books in the 53rd Edition. This is one of those instances where I find it difficult to defend Overstreet’s credibility. Their editorial decisions sometimes make no sense. How difficult is it for the editor to have their fact/price checkers go through the book before approving a final top 10 list?

I see that Overstreet is putting out a guide on war books and very happy about it with one exception.

Joe Kubert’s Sgt. Rock should be on the cover of the new guide not Russ Heath if the advertisement in this year’s Guide has the final version of the cover in it. I love Heath’s work but Kubert and Kanigher created Sgt. Rock not Heath. The artist who created Sgt. Rock should get their art of their creation placed on the first Overstreet Price Guide for War Books. Kubert’s Sgt. Rock is the definitive Rock. Period.

Also, let me suggest that while I’m a DC War guy, attention should be paid to the Parade of Pleasure war books given there was one SOTI war book (thanks to Ingelsfan for pointing this out). It’s time to place a focus on these classics. There’s so much more to war books that requires attention. We also need to distinguish the Korean War era books from those published during World War 2 and prior to 1950. It’s not enough to place focus only on Atlas titles. Yes, they have their place but must be placed under the Atomic Age “Korean War” era, especially when there was debate between Truman and MacCarthur over using atomic weapons that led to the the General’s dismissal. 

This all being said, I always commend the guys for the work they do on the War Report each year!

On 8/12/2023 at 11:25 PM, JTLarsen said:

Sorry, I realized too late people might think I was claiming preview images don’t “count.” I meant there’s actually earlier…

Interestingly, Dredd’s appearance in Prog 1 is unique because preview or not, it’s in the same magazine. We don’t see this with the Turtles first appearance in Gobbledygook 1. Even further from the “connection” are the ads for a character that appear in another book or preview publication like Marvel Age, FOOM (New X-Men Team), or Previews (Spawn). Dredd’s appearance in Prog 1 is special because it’s 2000 A.D. and he’s the essence of that comic magazine. Dredd was already created when Prog 1 exclusively for 2000 A.D. Tharg made sure readers and the world knew that in Prog 1. 

Prog 1 is the biggest “undiscovered” Bronze Age book because of this.

Wondering if Bats 240 (photo from GCD) is the only “exposed brain” cover ever drawn by Neal? Cool if it is!

On 8/11/2023 at 4:59 PM, kagemusha7s said:

War Genre meets Lost World Genre!

Doesn’t get any better. This one really hits home for me because I remember playing with my plastic army soldiers and dinosaurs for hours. We had our imaginations and there was no limit to what we could do. 

On 8/11/2023 at 6:04 PM, JTLarsen said:

Actually, no… ssshhh!…

Please disregard. Not first appearance. Pass on it if you come across a copy.

On 8/10/2023 at 6:05 PM, Sarg said:

Of course, Bill's qualifications have a couple of shortcomings ... he didn't get to do that many covers. And his style is only semi-realistic. 

I think the only other contender to meet all those criteria is Jack Kirby, but I think Everett was a better artist of the two during the GA. I don't like Jack's GA art at all, it's too crude. Of course, he surpassed Bill and everybody else during the Silver Age. 

Jack holds a greater place in comic book history:

“Greatest Comic Book Artist of the 20th Century”

Jack Is just too big for one age because his achievements transcend the Ages…

On 8/10/2023 at 4:21 PM, Cat-Man_America said:

It's Schomburg ...or Xela, reversing Alex in his airbrushed alias. Alas, comparisons are inevitable, but they merely had different styles; in this instance, I don't consider one artist better than the other (like Froggy, they're just different -- extra points if you can figure out that reference).

"Deadlines" was the name of the game for comic publishers.  What Schomburg could do that Mac apparently had difficulty with was meeting tight schedules under pressure, consistently. But in addition to meeting tough deadlines ...even branching out to different publishers..., Schomburg was able to slow down and produce more deliberate, contemplative painted work of different style and complexity for magazines and book cover dustjackets which paid a premium for finished paintings.  

To be absolutely clear, I love Raboy's work, especially the technical perfection of it. Most of his best covers look posed and poised, like his hero is advertising some undisclosed hair product that every boy should want. You almost expect an ad inside for this elusive product the publisher has been keeping secret.

To put it another way, Schomburg's work looks like gladiatorial combat captured in motion at the moment of greatest tension or mayhem, while Raboy's work looks like a perfectly timed and posed snapshot by a publicity team traveling along with the hero, who's rarely if ever under any kind of stress or if so, doesn't let it show. In the next scene you expect the hero in a public appearance with an autograph line forming.

In their own wheelhouses each had impressive success. Raboy went on to newspaper comics (Flash Gordon) and lucretive advertising work; Schomburg continued between cover work in pulps, digests, magazine covers and hard cover dust jackets.  

After his tenure with Fawcett Raboy produced the beautifully rendered albeit short lived Green Lama series at the end of WWII, then he seemed to leave comic books behind focusing primarily on Sunday comics and advertising work. Sadly he passed too young in the early 1960's, so it's impossible to know whether he'd have had a comic book renaissance. Schomburg periodically revisited comics and SF becoming a fan favorite into the 70's and 80's.  

Sorry, must be the caffeine! 

I can’t argue with this and always enjoy your insight. That said, the Golden Age is the era when the superhero dominated the newsstands and no one drew them better than Mac. Schomberg did great covers and he will forever be known for this. Working for Timely as a cover artist has also given Schomberg a tremendous advantage never afforded to Mac. Raboy’s legacy is still being defined and will only grow as more people discover his art. Like Baker’s growing standing in the history of the medium and his connection to GGA and the Romance genre that rose along with Crime Comics (to later be joined by horror comics) to supersede the superhero genre quickly at the beginning of the postwar era, it’s only a matter of time before Raboy takes his place as the greatest artist of the World War 2 period and the coinciding time of the dominant superhero comic book that started with Action Comics 1. Raboy was a perfectionist, and it was a time consuming goal that often caused his missing deadlines. Still, it was worth it for those who see the finished product that turned out to be the closest any artwork got to Golden Age perfection. There wouldn’t be any debate about this if Mac had drawn the winner of the lawsuit’s superhero…”The Raboy Superman!”

On 8/10/2023 at 3:40 AM, Cat-Man_America said:

...and the occasional tomato or tuh-mah-toe.  (I'm, teasing, and just playing ketchup) 

We're both in agreement except in respect to nuance. I'd never describe Schomburg's work as "cartoony" and while his pen/ink work is often wildly busy, he never loses his center of interest. Other artists might turn out a busy cover that completely loses the central character(s) or focus, not Alex.

Alex's style lent itself to occasional whimsy or clever observation, adding caricatures or humorous reactions in illustrations to draw in the viewer. But he had far less of an exaggerated style than cartoon inspired artists like Jack Cole (on the high end) or Gill Fox (on the lower end).  Like you say, Raboy was indeed a very stylized illustrator, to my way of thinking in the vein of Rubimor (Ruben Moreira), Reed Crandall or Jack Binder (although Binder did utilize whimsy on occasion in his illustrations reminiscent of Windsor McCay's creative genius from my POV).

While I don't agree with every brilliant philosophical utterance of the late great Stan Lee, he did make an astute observation (excelsior!) in suggesting that Alex Schomburg was the Norman Rockwell of comics.  Not everyone considered Rockwell the greatest American painter or even the best commercial artist, but he was prolific, well loved & recognized as America's greatest portrayer of human reaction and cover composition.

There’s no comparison to Raboy, who could do everything (except make deadlines!) better than Schomberg. It’s not a knock on Schomberg.  Schomberg was great and his Richard Scarry “Busytown” covers are classic. William James was the more famous American Philosopher of American Pragmatism but he couldn’t compare to Charles Sanders Pearce - the true genius of Pragmatism. Mac was simply on a different plane.