Electricmastro

Along with Margaret Brundage and Matt Fox, more great Weird Tales artists: Albert Tilburne: Curtis Senf: John Giunta: Virgil Finlay: James St. John: Lee Coye: Hugh Rankin: Harold DeLay: Kelly Freas: Hannes Bok: Source: https://www.pulpartists.com/

Thanks!

Manhunt #4 (January, 1948). Art by Ogden Whitney, Fred Guardineer, Paul Parker, and L. B. Cole: Source: CB+

I later came to conclusion that was also drawn by Lou Ferstadt, based on how a visually similar Rick Evans story from 1944’s Everybody’s Comics had an “F” signature. He was known as a painter who made murals with that surreal quality. His comic work wasn’t always like that, aside from perhaps the occasional burst of inspiration in which he felt like taking the time to draw a panel, such as an underwater or castle scene, in the style of those murals. I also understand Ferstadt ran his own studio, doing work for publishers like Fox and Ace. I suspect panels like these were either done by Ferstadt himself or in the style of him. Four Favorites #12 (November, 1943): Four Favorites #13 (February, 1944): The Bouncer #13 (November, 1944): Book of All-Comics (1945):

Magazine Enterprises: Charles Quinlan (The American Air Forces #1, 1944): Fred Guardineer (Manhunt #5, February 1948): Paul Parker (Trail Colt #2, December 1949): Frank Bolle (Tim Holt #22, February 1951): Fred Meagher (Straight Arrow #13, May 1951): Joe Certa (Charles Starrett as the Durango Kid #13, October 1951): Al Williamson (Jet Powers #4, 1951): DickAyers (Tim Holt #31, August 1952): Frank Frazetta (Thun'da, King of the Congo #1, 1952): Bob Powell (Straight Arrow #36, May 1954):

Marvin Stein (Badmen of the West #1, 1953):

I like to think that Archie was into horror comics in the early 40s when most other publishers weren’t focusing on those sorts of comics yet, particularly with Sam Cooper’s art.

Recently found out that these two Ace covers were apparently done by Bruce Currie, a painter born in 1911, which GCD even agreed with. It’s apparent when looking at the interior to Lightning Comics #v3#1, which shows a signature signed as “B. Currie“. His art that I’ve seen doesn’t seem to have similarities with the B. Currie comic book art, but his signatures appear to be similar, particularly with the capital “B“ and capital “C“. Makes me wonder if he drew any more Ace art unsigned. Source: https://www.auctionzip.com/auction-lot/Bruce-Currie-1911-2011_75049CC8E0/

Ace Comics: Art Saaf (Our Flag Comics #1, August 1941): Bruce Currie (Our Flag Comics #2, October 1941): Lou Ferstadt (Four Favorites #12, November 1943): Warren Kremer (Super-Mystery Comics #v5#3, December 1945): Rudy Palais (Four Favorites #21, January 1946): King Ward (Western Adventures #2, December 1948): Ken Rice (World War III #1, March 1952): Jim McLaughlin (The Beyond #22, September 1953): Lou Cameron (Web of Mystery #24, May 1954): Sy Grudko (Web of Mystery #27, November 1954):

Browsed through Ace’s horror comics and along with Lou Cameron, there were other artists that stood out to me: Jim McLaughlin: The Hand of Fate #8 (December, 1951): The Hand of Fate #19 (August, 1953): The Beyond #22 (September, 1953): The Beyond #25 (March, 1954): Lou Cameron: Web of Mystery #18 (May, 1953) The Hand of Fate #20 (October, 1953): Baffling Mysteries #18 (November, 1953): Web of Mystery #24 (May, 1954): Sy Grudko: The Hand of Fate #18 (June, 1953): Web of Mystery #27 (November, 1954): Ken Rice: Baffling Mysteries #20 (April, 1954): The Hand of Fate #24 (August, 1954): The Beyond #29 (November, 1954):

Love at First Sight #16 (July, 1952). Art by Alice Kirkpatrick, Valerie Barclay, and Ann Brewster.

Rudy Palais: Super-Mystery Comics #v5#1 (July, 1945): Super-Mystery Comics #v5#3 (December, 1945): Four Favorites #21 (January, 1946):

Super-Mystery Comics #v3#5 (July, 1943):

Fox covers I think were all drawn by E. C. Stoner: Source: CB+

Fox Comics: DickBriefer (Mystery Men Comics #5, December 1939): Grieg Chapian (Fantastic Comics #1, December 1939): Jack Kirby (Science Comics #4, May 1940): Henry Kiefer (Fantastic Comics #8, July 1940): Rolland Livingstone (Science Comics #6, July 1940): Larry Antonette (The Flame #6, August 1941): Roland Patenaude (Big 3 #7, January 1942): Arnold Hicks (Rocket Kelly, 1944): Lou Ferstadt (Everybody's Comics, 1944): Ellis Chambers (Ribtickler #1, 1945): Elmer Stoner (Blue Beetle #41, March 1946): Ken Battefield (A Feature Presentation #5, April 1950):

Disbrow was probably the only artist to truly live up to Cole’s cover art with the interior art.

Possibly drawn by Ken Battefield (A Feature Presentation #5, April 1950):

Zoo Funnies didn’t set a particularly high bar to begin with, but I thought its art was at least decent near the beginning by issue 3. By late 1947 though, it had really degenerated into something else. Issue 3 (January, 1946): Issue 14 (December, 1947):

Nobody is saying all crime comics were directed to and read by kids, even putting crime comics specifically focusing on gore and prostitution aside. I just found it amusing you said “the target readers for whom they were written changed. Pre code, adult type fare. Post code, 10 year old fare.” as if you were implying that post-56 companies like DC and Marvel were specifically excluding 11 year olds, teens and adults, even though writers from then like Stan Lee welcomed letters being sent to him people like college students and really doesn’t make me feel he wanted to not target them in readership, and I don’t feel the corporation bosses would want to exclude them either if it means making more money from people buying their stuff as much as possible, as the code didn’t change the fact that the publishers still in business still had goals of more money being made after all, as well as how many 1960s comics could be legitimately enjoyed by kids and adults like regardless of the code too.

Been suspecting this horror interior was drawn by Ken Battefield. Still not sure about the cover though.

Implying that pre-code crime/horror comics were only read by adults and post-code comics were only read by kids.?

Ya know, I’ve seen condemnation made against people like Wertham, the Senate, and the people behind the Comics Code as the ones to blame for as to why the writing for any post-1955 mystery/anthology comics got bad, or neutered as you put it. But now that I think about it, I’ve never really seen anyone take the time to explain in-depth as to how exactly the writing got bad, in light of mystery/anthology shows like The Twilight Zone coming about a little later and winning over many people despite not really using aspects like gore, cheesecake visuals, or delving into the dramatically unpleasant territories of topics like divorce or drug abuse, at least in the way comics did.

What I came to learn about Maurice Whitman: Was born as Maurice Edward Wisotzky in 1922 in New York to a family with a Jewish, Polish, and Romanian background. Had an older sibling and two younger siblings. His dad worked in the garment manufacturing industry. As a teenager, he joined at least one art club and worked on decorations for Christmas pageants, apparently developing his artistic side through teaching himself more than being trained by someone else. Had art exhibited in Rockefeller Center in 1937. His parents divorced in 1937, with his mother receiving custody of the four children. After the divorce, his mother changed her last name to Whitman, which is when Maurice received that last name. Became a manager of a retail clothing store after graduating high school in 1941. Enlisted as a private in the Army in 1942, described as having been single, five-foot-six, and 170 pounds. Was stationed in New Jersey painting army signs and posters, though was honorably discharged a year later due to flat feet. It was in 1943 when he started working for comic book personnel such as Harry Chesler, Lloyd Jacquet, and Jerry Iger. During his time working for Chesler, he may have worked directly alongside other artists such as Paul Gattuso, Joe Kubert, and Ruben Moreira. One of his earliest signed stories was for drawing a Patches story for Rural Home in 1945, which was inked by black artist Ezra Jackson. The publisher he may have done the most work for was probably Charlton, with Fiction House coming in second. He also drew work for Dell, DC, Hillman, Warren, and Temerson. The recurring features/characters he worked on the most were probably Kaänga and Ghost Squadron for Fiction House, and Atom the Cat and Wild Bill Hickok and Jingles for Charlton. Married in 1952 to a Jewish woman, whose family had been at a Nazi concentration camp, and moved to Connecticut. After Fiction House went defunct, he worked for Charlton, which was around the time he had possibly almost died at age 33 when he had to be rescued off its roof during a flood in 1955. He went on to become the father of four children between the late 50s and early 60s. His mom died in 1972. He divorced in 1975. His dad died in 1979. Died in Connecticut as a result of diabetes and heart failure in 1983. Examples of the style of Maurice Whitman’s comic book work:

I’m actually not as familiar with EC’s horror comics, but the general writing from these horror comics caught my attention: Adventures into the Unknown (1948, American Comics Group) The Beyond (1950, Ace Comics) Baffling Mysteries (1951, Ace Comics) Dark Mysteries (1951, Master Comics) Eerie (1951, Avon) Ghost Comics (1951, Fiction House) The Hand of Fate (1951, Ace Comics) Web of Mystery (1951, Ace Comics) Weird Thrillers (1951, Ziff-Davis) Adventures into Darkness (1952, Nedor Comics) Beware! Terror Tales (1952, Fawcett Comics) Haunted Thrills (1952, Farrell) Nightmare (1952, Ziff-Davis) Out of the Night (1952, American Comics Group) Strange Suspense Stories (1952, Fawcett Comics) Tales of Horror (1952, Toby Press) The Thing (1952, Charlton Comics) Beware (1953, Trojan Magazines) Fantastic Fears (1953, Farrell) Monster (1953, Fiction House) Amazing Ghost Stories (1954, St. John) Horror from the Tomb (1954, Premier Magazines)

Yep.