Fox Comics - who really drew the covers?

[buttock]

Overstreet is notoriously bad at noting who drew the covers for most of the early Fox books, often just assigning Lou Fine to the entire run. I thought it would be good to get the expert opinions on at least the "big 5" of Fantastic, Mystery Men, Science, Weird, and Wonderworld. There have even been disagreements on these boards, but I would guess that we can do a better job than Overstreet.

 

Early on, this was likely due to the "shop" work of the Eisner group - i.e. several artists may have contributed.

 

I'll list them alphabetically with my best guess, feel free to chime in.

 

Fantastic

 

OS says Fine cover 1-5, Simon 6 & 7

 

1 - Tuska?

2 - Fine?

3 - Fine

4 - Looks like an amalgam to me, Samson looks like Fine, but the alien does not. Could be Tuska.

5 - Fine

6 - Simon

7 - Simon

8 - Simon (Samson is almost identical to #6)

9 - Whoever it is, they should be ashamed

10 - Edd Ashe?

11 - Edd Ashe?

12 - Edd Ashe?

13 - Edd Ashe?

14 - Edd Ashe?

15 - Edd Ashe?

16 - Edd Ashe?

17 - Edd Ashe?

18 - Edd Ashe?

19 - Edd Ashe?

20 - Edd Ashe?

21-23 - GCD says Alex Blum, I have no idea. Looks like a little Ashe, maybe Pateneude, but probably not.

 

 

[Bronty]

#9 well put

 

#1 looks like fine to me

 

interesting topic! I never really thought about this until now but you are definitely right!

[buttock]

Mystery Men

 

Overstreet says: Fine 1-5, 8, 9; Tuska 6; Simon 10-12

 

1 - I could make a case for Fine, Eisner, or Tuska, maybe elements of all 3, but I'd favor Eisner > Tuska/Fine

2 - Looks like Eisner & Fine

3 - Fine (the guy's butt is classic Lou Fine - tons of innuendo available there, but it's true)

4 - Not sure, again, Eisner, Fine, Tuska? I favor Eisner.

5 - Fine

6 - Tuska

7 - Tuska? Not up to his general quality, but I don't know who else this could be.

8 - OS says Fine, I'm not buying it. Maybe Eisner?

9 - Fine

10 - Simon

11 - Simon

12 - Simon

13 - 25 - here again, you're getting into the Edd Ashe territory. GCD has Cuidera & Charles Nicholas from 21-26. I can't make an argument for or against that. 26 may be Pateneude.

 

27-31 - my best guess is Pateneude, I think 27 is initialed. Bondage was a rule for the covers she drew, so that would work well for 26 on.

 

[buttock]

Science Comics

 

Overstreet says Fine 1-3

 

1 - Fine

2 - Fine

3 - Tuska

4 - Simon

5 - Simon?

6 - Simon

7 - Really bad Simon?

8 - Ashe

 

[buttock]

Weird Comics

 

Overstreet says: 1 = Tuska, 2 = Fine, 3 & 4 = Simon

 

1 - Tuska

2 - Fine

3 - Simon

4 - Simon

5 - This one is a bit of a mystery. The guy on the cover is Dr Mortal, IIRC (don't have a copy of this issue), who was typically drawn by Bert Whitman, and the art is not unlike that in the interiors. That would lead me to say this is Whitman, but he didn't draw any other covers to my knowledge.

6 - 16 look like Ashe

17 - Ashe? Pateneude?

18-20 look like Pateneude?

[buttock]

Wonderworld Comics

 

Overstreet says: Eisner/Fine on 3, then 4-13 = Fine

 

3 - Maybe Eisner/Fine, I'd guess Tuska

4 - Fine

5 - Fine

6 - Tuska (the girl's face in the background is pure Tuska)

7 - Eisner/Fine

8 - 11 - Fine

12 - Tuska?

13 - GCD says Simon (Signed), I can't argue that.

14 & 15 - Simon

16 - ? 4 year old off the street?

17 - 27 - Ashe/Kotzky/whoever this really is - likely Ashe

28 - Ashe? Pateneude?

29-33 - Pateneude?

[buttock]

And I think you have to consider that many of the early covers were probably laid out by Eisner and then finished by Fine/Tuska. There's a fluidity to a lot of Fine's stuff that he did for Quality that you don't see with the Fox stuff.

[Bronty]

that's a good point! The figures seem more "solid" and "grounded" - planted and balanced, basically, than on the quality stuff where there are wild gesticulations and figures in precarious balance, etc. Great posts buttock !

 

I wish I could help you with this but the truth is I'd just be guessing.

[buttock]

Thanks Bronty. Here's a site that suggests that Wonderworld 30-33 are by Pierce Rice and Louis Cazeneuve.

[Point Five]

Great posts buttock !

 

I wish I could help you with this but the truth is I'd just be guessing.

Ditto! (thumbs u and ditto.

[jbcomicbox]

Thanks Bronty. Here's a site that suggests that Wonderworld 30-33 are by Pierce Rice and Louis Cazeneuve.

 

 

Once you get to see the styles side-by-side, it reflects the progression of artists who worked for Fox, once Fine left with Eisner......jb

[buttock]

You're right. The confusing thing is that there's a period of a couple of issues between Ashe & Pateneude where the artist could be either, neither, or both!

 

Jon, I operate on (at best) second hand knowledge about most of the artists after Simon. Do you have any documentation about Edd Ashe? GCD is terrible and keeps suggesting Kotzky or Blum for a lot of those.

[Straw-Man]

Science Comics

 

Overstreet says Fine 1-3

 

1 - Fine

2 - Fine

3 - Tuska

4 - Simon

5 - Simon?

6 - Simon

7 - Really bad Simon?

8 - Ashe

 

#7 is august, and i think simon covers end in july. that's the last month i collect fox thru [except for weird 5, rex 1 and the two 'summer' books].

[Doohickamabob]

For that matter, who drew the later Fox covers -- like Murder Incorporated #1, or the Crimes by Women covers? Or pretty much any of the romance or jungle covers that weren't Baker/Kamen?

[jbcomicbox]

You're right. The confusing thing is that there's a period of a couple of issues between Ashe & Pateneude where the artist could be either, neither, or both!

 

Jon, I operate on (at best) second hand knowledge about most of the artists after Simon. Do you have any documentation about Edd Ashe? GCD is terrible and keeps suggesting Kotzky or Blum for a lot of those.

 

I do not. But I have a cover recreation of BB4, Big 3 #2 and Top Notch 3...by him. Check out the Golden Age cards that were put out years ago. Ron Goulart has an amazing ability to id artists. jon

[G.A.tor]

ok, I am going to break my 60+ year silence and come forth... I am the artist.... I was trying to keep this low key, but you folks dragged me out into the open~!

[telerites]

ok, I am going to break my 60+ year silence and come forth... I am the artist.... I was trying to keep this low key, but you folks dragged me out into the open~!

 

And a Cap #1 today - you are full of surprises - Congrats!!

 

Maybe we could schedule a signature day - I have some of those issues

[G.A.tor]

ok, I am going to break my 60+ year silence and come forth... I am the artist.... I was trying to keep this low key, but you folks dragged me out into the open~!

 

And a Cap #1 today - you are full of surprises - Congrats!!

 

Maybe we could schedule a signature day - I have some of those issues

$150 a sig and doodle, an you have to bring me a coke zero (thumbs u

[telerites]

ok, I am going to break my 60+ year silence and come forth... I am the artist.... I was trying to keep this low key, but you folks dragged me out into the open~!

 

And a Cap #1 today - you are full of surprises - Congrats!!

 

Maybe we could schedule a signature day - I have some of those issues

$150 a sig and doodle, an you have to bring me a coke zero (thumbs u

 

My next trip to Florida and I'll make it a 6 pack

[G.A.tor]

ok, I am going to break my 60+ year silence and come forth... I am the artist.... I was trying to keep this low key, but you folks dragged me out into the open~!

 

And a Cap #1 today - you are full of surprises - Congrats!!

 

Maybe we could schedule a signature day - I have some of those issues

$150 a sig and doodle, an you have to bring me a coke zero (thumbs u

 

My next trip to Florida and I'll make it a 6 pack