Fanzines & Magazines about Comic Books 2 2

[frozentundraguy]

I have searched, past and present and cannot find a thread on Fanzines. To start the ball

rolling I have Comics Journal # 55 from April of 1980. I was only slightly surprised

that they were already waxing nostalgic for the "good old days" of 1960.

 

See the discussion about Green Lantern in part of the interview. Note the difference of opinion on experiencing the old comics for the first time, or through "the haze of happy memory", of seeing them again.

 

Background on the interview. Jack Harris is an editor for DC Comics. In 1980 he was

editing Green Lantern, Legion of Superheroes, Wonder Woman, World's Finest, Secrets

of Haunted House, and Unexpected.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 20, 2012 by frozentundraguy

[frozentundraguy]

I dug this magazine from 1983 out of storage to share.

 

Action Comics #1 for $13,500. It was "flip your digits" year for Superman 1938 --- 1983

 

There is an article on the greatest comic strip ever. I will give everyone a

couple of days to ponder that, or post your guesses if you wish, before giving the answer.

 

[Whizzer]

Love seeing old mags like this. That one looks quite speculator focused for the time (pre 90's).

 

My guesses for best comic strip ever would be; Raymond Flash Gordon, Hogarth Tarzan or Eisner Spirit. I know it's cheating to take 3 guesses, but hey, I was the first to respond.

[Kevin.J]

Love seeing old mags like this. That one looks quite speculator focused for the time (pre 90's).

 

My guesses for best comic strip ever would be; Raymond Flash Gordon, Hogarth Tarzan or Eisner Spirit. I know it's cheating to take 3 guesses, but hey, I was the first to respond.

 

Its hard to argue with Whizzers choices ( 2 of my faves) but I think "Chester Gould's Di ck Tracy" would have an outside chance also.

[Ant-Man]

Peanuts.

[frozentundraguy]

Love seeing old mags like this. That one looks quite speculator focused for the time (pre 90's).

 

My guesses for best comic strip ever would be; Raymond Flash Gordon, Hogarth Tarzan or Eisner Spirit. I know it's cheating to take 3 guesses, but hey, I was the first to respond.

 

Its hard to argue with Whizzers choices ( 2 of my faves) but I think "Chester Gould's Di ck Tracy" would have an outside chance also.

 

Raymond Flash Gordon, Hogarth Tarzan or Eisner Spirit. Excellent choices, but incorrect.

 

 

Not Mr. "Spoon" Tracy either.

 

 

Peanuts.

 

It's not Mr Schultz's creation either.

 

 

Perhaps a scan of one panel would help.

 

[Shemp]

Love seeing Fanzines, mostly for the art though. Look at the Green Lantern by Gil Kane, SWEET!

 

Best comic strip ever Terry & the Pirates.

[frozentundraguy]

Love seeing Fanzines, mostly for the art though. Look at the Green Lantern by Gil Kane, SWEET!

 

Best comic strip ever Terry & the Pirates.

 

 

You are right on the money, Terry & the Pirates by Milton Caniff, was the subject of the best comic strip ever article. The article goes on to mention that Caniff was working on a strip about Bruce Lee in the mid 70's. For some reason it only made it to the sample stage and never was published.

 

When I noticed the GL on the cover of Comics Journal #55, it was an automatic pick up.

Edited April 17, 2012 by frozentundraguy

[frozentundraguy]

Thought there might be some interest in the sample Bruce Lee Strip, from the article about Milton Caniff, published in Comics Collector #1.

 

 

 

[blutobc]

Alrighty, mr. frozentundraguy, I like your suggestion of a fanzine thread. So here are my small contributions to the cause. I'll list them in descending chronological order, along with a pic, highlights, and my personal observations.

 

1st up......

RBCC or Rocket Blast Comic Collector #144 - Year 1978

 

 

Vaughn Bode interview/story - EC comics cover galley - a letter from Steven Spielberg - and a Basil Wolverton reprint.

 

I love me some RBCC. It covered everything from golden to bronze age(or modern age for it's time). Current comic reviews, market analysis, portfolios, even an underground type of superheroes comic.

 

Please let me know if the cover girl's naughty bits aren't obsure enough if I need to edit.

 

thanks go to ft88 on the boards who hooked me up with many of these zines.

Edited April 18, 2012 by blutobc

[blutobc]

RBCC #143 - Year 1978

 

 

More Basil Wolverton, Steve Ditko review, Marc Hempel artwork, Kerry Gammill artwork, a Don Rosa underground comic strip, and the superhero parody as shown on the cover(very funny stuff).

 

I don't have any older RBCCs but if the quality was as good as these 1978 mags are, then I need to go out and find them.

 

Oops, I had to edit the Black Canary.

Edited April 18, 2012 by blutobc

[blutobc]

The Comic World #16 - Year 1978

 

 

Full mag length Golden Age Sheena of the Jungle review with pics, fan art, biblio, and reviews.

 

Not to be confused with Captain George's Comic World, a very long running fanzine. This is the shorter run with the sporatic printing schedule that was done by Robert Jennings and Harry Thomas. Who? you say. Why none other than the teenage friends of Mr. Robert Overstreet. Overstreet even contributed to a few of the zines, though not this particular issue. These can be pricey issues to obtain.

 

Harry Thomas was from my hometown and a good friend. Bob Overstreet grew up just 30 minutes from me, but I never met him(just saw him at a Cleveland, Tn comic store a few times, never had the nerve to go up to him...hey, I was a kid and he was a grown man at the time).

 

I gave away a couple of these zines during past CGC secret santa years. One of the few instances where I actually miss having the mags. Lucky dogs.

[blutobc]

Forgotten Fantasies #1 - Year 1976

 

 

 

Mike Kaluta & Charles Vess, Oh, and a bunch of other fan art by other guys...good guys, but no where near the quality of Kaluta and Vess.

 

This zine has a lot of portfolios of fan and near professional artists, but the Kaluta and Vess just shine. A very nice zine.

 

Back cover.....Vess goodness(a few years before he started showing up in Marvel Comics).

 

[blutobc]

Reality #2 - Year 1971

 

 

Artwork by Berni Wrightson, Mike Kaluta, Frank Brunner. Stories by Bruce Jones(which seems very similar to his work on Pacific Comics) and Howard Chaykin.

 

A quality mag with lots of comic history to read(golden to bronze age) and plenty of eye candy. I'm kind of speechless about what to say about the cover art. Sea Creatures at war??, eh.

[blutobc]

Infinity #2 - Year 1970

 

 

A nice Frank Brunner cover, but wait til you open it and find interviews and artwork with Berni Wrightson AND Frank Frazetta. Plus a very long portfolio by Roy Krenkel.

 

If you've read the above, then you know this is a great zine.

[blutobc]

Graphic Showcase #3 - Year 1970

 

 

Gray Morrow covers - Mike Kaluta story - fan artwork

 

This zine has a ton of artwork with the text mainly being concerned with reviewing golden age comics. I was never a big fan of Morrow, but maybe if he had done more color work I would have been. Nice Spysmasher cover.

[blutobc]

Squa Tront #2 - Year 1968

 

 

EC Comics appreciation fanzine. Al Williamson portfolio - the Frazetta Collector - Profile on Bernie Wrightson - Jerry Weist article - EC Comics cover gallery.

 

Well known zine and deservely so. Tons of content and history on EC.

[batmiesta]

These are great, keep them coming.

[markseifert]

Wow! Those are some spectacular covers.

 

Forgotten Fantasies #1 - Year 1976

[DiceX]