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Please Help, ID this possible Eisner reacreation cover for Wonder Man #1? Fox

Started by skypinkblu,

21 posts in this topic

skypinkblu

skypinkblu

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A friend of mine, has a coverless Wonder Comic #1, the Fox comic. He got it from an original owner collection. The original owner lived in the N.Y. metropolitan area, and was about the same age as Eisner. My friend buys comics (it was a large collection) from the friend's widow and doesn't want to reveal the collector's name... and I understand that, we can't find out.

 

When my friend got the book, it had a fake cover on it. He was trying to figure out who might have signed it and asked me if I could find out. I did a google search...because I know very little about artists, except for the fact I enjoy the cover art...and found the name Erwin Willis, was an alternate name used by Eisner. That is the signature on the piece, Erwin Willis.

 

The piece is taped to the back cover of the book, and it's not new. The original owner only collected into the early to mid 40's then he stopped.

 

I did some work with matching signatures for in my former occupation, and to me, the letters in the name Willis look very much like the Letters in other signatures of Eisner, and like the signature he used as when he signed as Willis that I saw on the web. I've actually had to testify in court as a handwriting expert, but that was a while ago and it's I don't have two pieces right in front of me here, I'm looking on the web, so it's hard to be sure, but they are awfully close and I examined about 10 samples and from what I can see, the lettering does match.

 

 

I also looked at the drawing in the original Wonder Man #1, and the lines for the chest and arms on this "recreation" and they look very similar to me ...( I have an ages ago art degree, but I am NO expert) I am beginning to think it might be an original recreation, because although the figure matches part of the character on the original cover, the rest doesn't. It would not have been valuable when the piece was done, so why fake it"? and the signature is not Eisner, but one he used casually..., so that makes ME think, it's probably real...but I don't want to have him list something and mislead anyone...it's small, a cover sized piece.

 

Anyway, I am trying to help him out, he's a very nice person...neither of us want to suggest it's possibly an original Eisner unless we get some other opinions and even then, I'd have no clue what he should ask for it if it is real?

 

I'd really appreciate some feedback. Thanks!

 

w2.jpg

 

This is an image "stolen' from the GCD Just for reference on the figure

 

130_4_1.jpg

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Moondog

Moondog

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Posted
A friend of mine, has a coverless Wonder Comic #1, the Fox comic. He got it from an original owner collection. The original owner lived in the N.Y. metropolitan area, and was about the same age as Eisner. My friend buys comics (it was a large collection) from the friend's widow and doesn't want to reveal the collector's name... and I understand that, we can't find out.

 

When my friend got the book, it had a fake cover on it. He was trying to figure out who might have signed it and asked me if I could find out. I did a google search...because I know very little about artists, except for the fact I enjoy the cover art...and found the name Erwin Willis, was an alternate name used by Eisner. That is the signature on the piece, Erwin Willis.

 

The piece is taped to the back cover of the book, and it's not new. The original owner only collected into the early to mid 40's then he stopped.

 

I did some work with matching signatures for in my former occupation, and to me, the letters in the name Willis look very much like the Letters in other signatures of Eisner, and like the signature he used as when he signed as Willis that I saw on the web. I've actually had to testify in court as a handwriting expert, but that was a while ago and it's I don't have two pieces right in front of me here, I'm looking on the web, so it's hard to be sure, but they are awfully close and I examined about 10 samples and from what I can see, the lettering does match.

 

 

I also looked at the drawing in the original Wonder Man #1, and the lines for the chest and arms on this "recreation" and they look very similar to me ...( I have an ages ago art degree, but I am NO expert) I am beginning to think it might be an original recreation, because although the figure matches part of the character on the original cover, the rest doesn't. It would not have been valuable when the piece was done, so why fake it"? and the signature is not Eisner, but one he used casually..., so that makes ME think, it's probably real...but I don't want to have him list something and mislead anyone...it's small, a cover sized piece.

 

Anyway, I am trying to help him out, he's a very nice person...neither of us want to suggest it's possibly an original Eisner unless we get some other opinions and even then, I'd have no clue what he should ask for it if it is real?

 

I'd really appreciate some feedback. Thanks!

 

w2.jpg

 

This is an image "stolen' from the GCD Just for reference on the figure

 

130_4_1.jpg

 

Sharon, could the cover have been traced from an interior splash or panel?

 

It looks pretty crude to me - hard to believe that Eisner would have drawn it...

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skypinkblu

skypinkblu

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Hi Gary :hi:

 

Two other people were kind enough to look and mentioned it was crude...that's a good idea about a panel, I'll have him look...GREAT idea, thanks for the suggestion:)

 

I think, however, that if it is real, it's pretty early...and it was done in pencil, kind of a doodle...

 

I'm thinking of suggesting, he just put in on Ebay under original art as a "maybe" and see what happens...

 

At least I got to read a lot about Eisner...It's weird, after seeing the pictures, I think I might have met him, I went to school in NYC, took classes at the Art Students League and he was at the School of Visual Arts, there were lots of guests but I wouldn't have had a clue at the time, I liked comics, but Batman and GL were all I really cared about.. He lived close to where I grew up...he just looks SO familar...

 

Deja Vu all over Again..;)

 

 

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Point Five

Point Five

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Thanks for the reply, Gary. Sharon and I chitchatted about this one, and I'm very curious what others think.

 

IMO, the style doesn't seem right at all for Eisner, even on his worst day (though I like the drawing!).

 

There's also the question of the Wonder logo, which was taken from the later Wonder run ('44-48)...not only does this prevent it from being an "early" Eisner, who got his start around '38/'39, but there's no obvious reason that I can see why he would have changed the logo. Swapping the logos seems like something a general comics fan rather than a creator would have done; Eisner had obvious and strong connections to the original Fox Wonder, but not to the Nedor title.

 

There must be some interesting story as to how the "Willis" signature got on there...maybe the artist knew or knew of Eisner personally, and it was copied from somewhere else and added as a "tribute" to Eisner for drawing the original cover? Odd, but not impossible.

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skypinkblu

skypinkblu

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I see what you mean about the Logo, Jon, and thank you for contributing:) ...It IS the signature that's throwing me...If someone else did it, he'd have to have seen the signature and I don't know enough to really KNOW...but were there "signatures" on early comics? I noticed any, but I am sure I miss a lot...how would the "artist" have seen it? and why Willis?

 

I love detective stories...and either way, I think it's an interesting drawing...

 

 

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Point Five

Point Five

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I love detective stories...and either way, I think it's an interesting drawing...

 

(thumbs u

 

Is there something printed on the inside front cover? It looks like there is some text peeking through the drawing towards the bottom.

 

 

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Point Five

Point Five

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Two other people were kind enough to look and mentioned it was crude...that's a good idea about a panel, I'll have him look...GREAT idea, thanks for the suggestion:)

 

Bingo for Gary! (thumbs u

 

It's this panel -

 

Well done, folks! :applause:

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Moondog

Moondog

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Maybe this will help ID it, the "recreation is on the other side of this, he just sent me this picture...I have no idea what date the ad would have come out...but its' old..

 

wonderinside.jpg

 

Well, Sharon, it seems some young comics fan in the mid '40s enjoyed coloring and drawing. I would guess he came across a coverless Wonder 1, read it over and over, liked the panel on page 10, and thought he would create his own cover using that panel as a guide. Since he didn't have a reference copy from 1939 to get the logo right, he used the current Wonder logo as a guide.

 

I also assume Eisner's pseudonym was used in the book and he copied that too.

 

This really isn't that uncommon. I've purchased collections over the years where young fans taped their own creations to coverless copies (though I admit most were Marvels from the '60s - I've never come across anything this early).

 

This particular cover took some time. I'm sure the artist was very proud of his or her work!

 

 

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skypinkblu

skypinkblu

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Thanks Gary...could very well be:)

 

I just wondered where he got a blank cover to use? but I guess those were around...this is not taped to the other side of that cover, or at least my friend says it's not, he says the drawing is directly on the other side...he didn't see the pseudoname in the book, but it's not in front of me...

 

My fantasy was...this young collector, met Eisner at a show, or in the City, and gave him $5.00 ...(which was a lot at the time) ...and Eisner, said, PICK a panel you like...and he copied that panel...using the Wonder Logo, cause the young collector had some of those with him and he FORGOT what the original logo looked like....

 

 

and since if I GOT That time machine, I'd be busy inventing pantyhose or picking up Timely's from the newstand...that's my fantasy and I'm sticking with it, lol...

 

In any case, the coverless book is on Ebay, (not my auction, so I hope this is not a faux pas) with the cover, listed at $300 or something, and the coverless book is scarce...$1350 or something in good, so maybe someone will buy it and have the sketch as a bonus....

 

Thanks for all the help guys, you are the best! :acclaim:

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skypinkblu

skypinkblu

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...he didn't see the pseudoname in the book

 

I found a scan on the Internet.

 

Note the signature.

 

wonderman1.jpg

 

and doh! I didn't look at the picture of the coverless book on Ebay...it's right there...

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250167089073&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=015

 

Well, it sure is there, lol...who knows, maybe he was a master forger...or a non master forger...I spent about 2 hours looking at signatures the other night and NEVER found that one...

Thanks Bangzoom, (worship)

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