Garystar

Good idea, I’ll have a look through MCS for the period - they list contributors even those not in printed credits.

He did indeed and I don’t think he got in the credits on those either. I sold all my Spidey Super Stories last year so can’t check. I have the Fireside edition and he doesn’t slip his credit into the backgrounds that I can see.

Cheers. I think I should next look at John Romita books of late 60s early 70s and see if Tony pops up there. Cap #138 (thanks to Marwood for correction) was the only issue from that title I could see, perhaps I should take a look at his FF issues.

Yes, although according to MyComicShop he only did the cover. Google says Tony started in early 1950s for Trojan Comics and then moved to Timely/Atlas/Marvel as an artist and later inker.

Well corrected. I only spotted that one a couple of days ago and then typo’d it. Doh!

I finally (two years) got round to compiling Backgrounds By Tony Mortellaro list. I see what you mean about the differences between original and reprinted versions. I assume Tony's credit was edited out of original but reprints were taken from earlier artwork/proofs and thus stayed in. I've done my list from essentials and shown an example, #105, where the original has been edited out. I wonder if any of Dave Hunt's "hidden" messages were similarly edited.

When I was reading Amazing Spider-man, mostly reprints, in the 1970s I became aware of a re-occurrence of certain letters in the backgrounds but could never quite work out what the pattern was. Years later I discovered the answer; By the 70s Tony Mortellaro was working with John Romita Snr on the art for Amazing-Spider-man, John was doing the breakdowns and figure-work whilst Tony was filling in the detail and backgrounds. However Marvel would not include Tony’s name in the credits so Tony began slipping in his credit within the story art, therefore the credit, or part thereof, of “BACKGROUNDS BY MORTELLARO” began appearing. Now whenever I read an early 70s Spider-man I always look out for “BACKGROUNDS BY MORTELLARO” and have started to catalogue where they appear. A work in progress, these are the occurrences I have found to date, grateful for any additions; ISSUE PAGE PANEL WHERE WHAT IT SAYS SPIDER-MAN 52 20 5 BILLBOARD UNDS LARO SPIDER-MAN 53 1 1 BILLBOARD BACK OUNDS B MORT L SPIDER-MAN 56 12 3 POSTER RDS Y ARO SPIDER-MAN 98 1 1 BILLBOARD BACK BY MOR SPIDER-MAN 99 1 1 BILLBOARD BAC MO LARO SPIDER-MAN 99 19 7 BILLBOARD BAC GROU S BY MOR E SPIDER-MAN 100 1 1 BILLBOARD BAC OUNDS M TE SPIDER-MAN 105 2 3 BILLBOARD BAC GROUN MORTELLA SPIDER-MAN 107 1 1 BUILDING SIGN LLARO SPIDER-MAN 107 15 3 SIGNS O NDS MORT SPIDER-MAN 108 1 - 3 VARIOUS CAR NUMBER PLATES TM 45 and MO SPIDER-MAN 108 7 2 BILLBOARD BAC MOR SPIDER-MAN 108 14 5 BOOK TITLE BACKG R D BY MORTELLA SPIDER-MAN 109 4 1 BUILDING BACK ROUNDS BY MOR LLARO SPIDER-MAN 110 1 1 BILLBOARD GROUNDS LARO SPIDER-MAN 111 20 1 WATERTANK BACK MORT SPIDER-MAN 112 2 3 BILLBOARD BAC M SPIDER-MAN 112 4 2 WASTE BIN NDS Y ARO SPIDER-MAN 112 5 2 BILLBOARD BAC ROU M TEL RO SPIDER-MAN 112 5 3 SHOP SIGN MO SPIDER-MAN 113 CREDIT AS ART ASSISTS SPIDER-MAN 114 9 2 SHOP SIGN M RO BA SPIDER-MAN 114 16 6 BILLBOARD BAC BY MORT SPIDER-MAN 115 CREDIT AS ART ASSIST SPIDER-MAN 115 8 3 WATER TOWER BACK MORT SPIDER-MAN 116 1 1 WATER TOWER BAC MOR SPIDER-MAN 116 1 1 BUILDING POSTER OUNDS LLARO SPIDER-MAN 116 2 3 BUILDING POSTER BACK SPIDER-MAN 116 10 4 BILLBOARD BA MO SPIDER-MAN 117 CREDIT AS ART SPIDER-MAN 118 CREDIT AS ART SPIDER-MAN 118 6 1 WATER TOWER BAC MOR SPIDER-MAN 118 6 5 SIGN BY OR LAR SPIDER-MAN 118 8 3 SHOP SIGN LARO SPIDER-MAN 119 4 4 BILLBOARD BA MO SPIDER-MAN 120 - 125 CREDIT AS INKED BY SPIDER-MAN 120 5 6 SIGN ARO SPIDER-MAN 120 8 4 SHOP SIGN BAC ORTELLARO SPIDER-MAN 120 10 4 SHOP SIGN BACK UNDS SPIDER-MAN 121 5 6 SHOP SIGN ARO SPIDER-MAN 121 7 1 3 X SIGNS BA OUNDS MO ARO O SPIDER-MAN 121 8 2 3 X SIGNS MOR ACKGR EL SPIDER-MAN 121 10 3 SHOP SIGN BACK SPIDER-MAN 121 12 6 NEWSPAPER AC MO TEL SPIDER-MAN 122 9 1 BILLBOARD BACK MORT SPIDER-MAN 122 12 1 BILLBOARD ROUNDS LARO SPIDER-MAN 122 19 6 POSTER BACK BY MOR SPIDER-MAN 123 COVER WATER TOWER/BILLBOARD MOR / NDS SPIDER-MAN 123 5 7 POSTER NDS Y ARO SPIDER-MAN 123 7 6 SIGN NDS ARO SPIDER-MAN 123 8 6 BILLBOARD MO SPIDER-MAN 123 9 2 BILLBOARD UNDS LARO SPIDER-MAN 124 1 1 BILLBOARD NDS ARO SPIDER-MAN 125 COVER SIGN MORTEL SPIDER-MAN 125 2 6 BILLBOARD B CK ROU MOR LLAR SPIDER-MAN 125 3 1 SIGN/WATER TOWER BAC U M / M SPIDER-MAN 125 17 2 SIGN BAC MOR SPIDER-MAN 126 COVER WATER TOWER MO SPIDER-MAN 130 COVER SIGN/WATER TOWER M / MOR SPIDER-MAN 132 CREDIT AS ART ASSIST SPIDER-MAN 132 16 3 SIGN KG BY TEL SPIDER-MAN 139 COVER WATER TOWER D ARO SPIDER-MAN GIANT-SIZE 2 COVER WATER TOWER MOR CAPTAIN AMERICA 138 1 1 BILLBOARD BAC BY MORTEL CAPTAIN AMERICA 150 8 4 POSTER BACK ROUNDS MORT LARO CAPTAIN AMERICA 154 14 6 POSTER BACK BY MORT CAPTAIN AMERICA 163 5 4 NEWSPAPER BACKGROUNDS BY MORTELLARO CAPTAIN AMERICA 171 COVER BUILDING/BUILDING NDS RO / RO Inspired to do this because of @Spider-Variant and @Get Marwood & I work in the Ross Andru / Dave Hunt thread over in Bronze. List compiled from Essentials - some of these references were removed from the published version (eg #105) but appear in the reprints. Original; Reprint;

The figure in my mind of 350,000 may have come from Fantasy Domain #1 which prior to MWOM being published quoted a figure of 325,000.

Although there are eBay sellers asking £100+, only one of the last four sold listings made it to £10 mark. (Shame I was about to dig mine out and list it for sale).

No idea what the print run of Alan’s was although I suspect a lot less than MWOM (which I understood to be about 350,000) and would have been much harder (impossible) to collect. I never knew anywhere that sold any titles regularly, just saw ad hoc issues all over the place. I never knew anyone who collected them, not even me although I would buy Marvel ones, read them and then bin them. I think the prices some now fetch is only incredulous to us old timers who remember when you could pick them up for pennies and that wasn’t too long ago.

I don’t think it’ll get £600 in this condition either but not a stupid starting point. The last one sold in February for best offer on £599 asking price, not much better looking than this. Alan Class creepy FF#1 reprint sold in April for £556. I don’t understand either why these Alan’s fetch so much when, as you say, Power Comics and MWOM and Spider-Man Weekly reprinting the same comics get a small percentage.

Thanks for the heads up, I have that one though. I think £5 is probably about right. Alan Class key reprints seem to have gone mad, but run issues still affordable.

Looks like a record sleeve doesn’t it? Gary Ramone releases new track Contributor ……. 1, 2, 3, 4

I think Marvel’s first magazines, started as Monsters to Laugh With in 1964 before being retitled with #4. Its Stan Lee doing “funny” captions over movie stills.

The stamp is nothing special but I don’t think I’ve seen many/any Marvel mags with a T&P.

C’mon, you were expecting it weren’t you, we’re all OCD here. Not a UKPV or T&P to be seen, although I do have one cents double cover (cue Keneth Williams)

2 minutes in for glimpse of rare UKPV https://youtu.be/REwskcXDAqQ

As you pointed out I’m a fan of this issue so had to get mine early ….. 16 Sept;

Well Duncan McAlpine when in print would disagree;

Only 18 months late in responding - the 2001 collection had this 4 page panel as two fold outs so you could at last view in its entirety;

Way to ruin a classic cover, why use one stamp when there’s room for three;

I can’t remember the name of the shop (top ten doesn’t ring any bells) but I did buy a Daredevil #1 from them - mail order.

Off topic but antiques roadshow bbc1 8pm 29 December is advertised as having a piece on Jonathan Ross’s toy and comic collection.

instant collection for sale; Warehouse Comic book Clearance! Approx 74 Allan Class British Comics BOX46