Edvard Moritz - why so little love for this great comic book artist? 2 2

[Sarg]

I've been reading the reprints of Adventures Into The Unknown, and have been consistently impressed by the artwork of Edvard Moritz. Not just his covers -- his interior artwork also. Moritz seems to me to be a solid draftsman and an above average comic book artist, i.e., he doesn't take shortcuts or use gimmicks, his splash panels are well thought-out and visually arresting, etc. 

Yet a search on eBay golden age comics under "Moritz" reveals his name used as a selling point in only eight listings. Apparently, nobody out there is "collecting" Moritz. 

Why the neglect? Was it because his work is unsigned, and he was largely unknown in the early years of comics fandom, when reputations were being established? Or was it that he did a lot of work for ACG, a publisher unappreciated by early collectors? Or something else?

I'm posting a cover here just to show an example of his work (not my copy). 

[Get Marwood & I]

Too early for me, this, to add anything meaningful from personal knowledge, but I had a look at some of his other work and found this cover which, I think, is fabulous:

I wonder if he coloured it too...

Nice thread @Sarg - thanks for starting it. It makes a nice change to see artists from the past remembered, and getting a jot of recognition. Compare that cover to much of the soulless art of today. Brilliant. 

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

55 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

Too early for me, this, to add anything meaningful from personal knowledge, but I had a look at some of his other work and found this cover which, I think, is fabulous:

I wonder if he coloured it too...

Nice thread @Sarg - thanks for starting it. It makes a nice change to see artists from the past remembered, and getting a jot of recognition. Compare that cover to much of the soulless art of today. Brilliant. 

This book has been turning up a lot lately, and it’s one of my favorites. The Crowley copy sold a few days before the Promise Collection copy, and after careful consideration, I made my choice and pulled the trigger

[Get Marwood & I]

4 minutes ago, GreatCaesarsGhost said:

This book has been turning up a lot lately, and it’s one of my favorites. The Crowley copy sold a few days before the Promise Collection copy, and after careful consideration, I made my choice and pulled the trigger

Impressive, most impressive. If I collected comics just for the love of the covers, and money was no object, this would be one I would go for. 

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

5 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

Impressive, most impressive. If I collected comics just for the love of the covers, and money was no object, this would be one I would go for. 

I actually chose the Crowley copy. The paper was lower quality, but I thought the cover image was stronger. 
 

marwood, I agree there’s a moodiness and an ominous  sense of threat to this cover that I find irresistible. 
 

anyway, I know nothing of this artist and am also glad a thread got started
 

 

Edited July 4, 2021 by GreatCaesarsGhost

[Get Marwood & I]

3 minutes ago, GreatCaesarsGhost said:

I actually chose the Crowley copy. The paper was lower quality, but I thought the cover image was stronger. 

It does, yes, good choice. I like arrival dates as a rule, but this is one occasion where I feel my eyes being drawn to it sufficiently for it to detract from the enjoyment of the cover image. 

[Dr. Love]

38 minutes ago, GreatCaesarsGhost said:

I actually chose the Crowley copy. The paper was lower quality, but I thought the cover image was stronger. 

yeh I thought the same.  It was you and me at the end on the Crowley.  Congrats! 

[Sarg]

Morvitz's covers are (now) pretty well known, but his splash panels are just as good, if not better (pics taken from PS Publishing Adventures Into The Unknown Vol. 1).

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

11 minutes ago, Dr. Love said:

yeh I thought the same.  It was you and me at the end on the Crowley.  Congrats! 

@Dr. Lovethat was you!!?? You are a steely-eyed comic man! Did you bid on the Promise copy a few days later?

[adamstrange]

57 minutes ago, GreatCaesarsGhost said:

I actually chose the Crowley copy. The paper was lower quality, but I thought the cover image was stronger. 

I thought it was the higher grade of the two...

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

3 minutes ago, Sarg said:

Morvitz's covers are (now) pretty well known, but his splash panels are just as good, if not better (pics taken from PS Publishing Adventures Into The Unknown Vol. 1).

There’s a nice lean style to his work. He’s good with human anatomy, and given the chance, he may have given a run for their money to some of the big name GGA artists

[Dr. Love]

58 minutes ago, GreatCaesarsGhost said:

@Dr. Lovethat was you!!?? You are a steely-eyed comic man! Did you bid on the Promise copy a few days later?

I did not.  I had little doubt that with the higher label grade and the panache of the ped it would go for more than the Crowley, so I was already priced out.  50% more is quite the premium for a 1/2 grade.  That can't all be accounted for by the PQ.

But I agree with you and adamstange, the Crowley impressed me as a nicer book.  

[PeterPark]

I don't have my copy in hand to share, but his work drew me to Adventures Into the Unknown 9 with the glacial monster cover. I like the darkness of it. Those early ACGs get absolutely no respect.

Edited July 4, 2021 by PeterPark

[Sarg]

Just now, PeterPark said:

I don't have my copy in hand to share, but his work drew me to Adventures Into the Unknown 9 with the glacial monster cover. I like the darkness of it. Those early ACGs get absolutely no respect.

I think they're starting to get respect now, thanks to reprints, but they were in the collecting wilderness for years. This was partially due to a highly successful misinformation campaign launched by EC Fan-Addicts in the '60s that stated Vault of Horror and Crypt of Terror were the first horror comics, and of course Bill Gaines stated in his Senate Subcommittee testimony that he single-handedly started horror comics with the New Trend. The reality is that EC switched to horror by following the trend that was actually started by ACG.

[Cat-Man_America]

1 hour ago, Sarg said:

I think they're starting to get respect now, thanks to reprints, but they were in the collecting wilderness for years. This was partially due to a highly successful misinformation campaign launched by EC Fan-Addicts in the '60s that stated Vault of Horror and Crypt of Terror were the first horror comics, and of course Bill Gaines stated in his Senate Subcommittee testimony that he single-handedly started horror comics with the New Trend. The reality is that EC switched to horror by following the trend that was actually started by ACG.

You may be focusing on the wrong reasons why Edvard Moritz remained obscure for many years.  Granted, he’s extremely worthy of broader appreciation, but from recalling many years of discussions with other collectors one of the conclusions reached by many about ACG was that they were notoriously cheap.  He probably suffered the misfortune of working for low wages and little public recognition, which is why he’s under-appreciated today.  The turnover rate for ACG artists was probably pretty high.

Being first isn’t always rewarded.  Claiming to be the best wins if you can prove it and sustain it.  There were several publishers competing for attention in horror, including Timely by mid-49.  

What Bill Gaines did that the other comic publishers didn’t do was he paid top rates for art and actually promoted the artists’ work publicly.  Yes, Bill Gaines might’ve embellished, but not by much.  Gaines was sorta like an open receiver in the NFL catching a well thrown pass and running the length of the field for a touchdown.  EC may not’ve made the first down, but they did make the game winning touchdown. 

I don’t have a lot of background on Moritz, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he left ACG for a more lucrative area of the publishing industry such as advertising.  .His work is quite good and I’m glad it’s receiving more attention now.

Edited July 5, 2021 by Cat-Man_America
The “horror” of a typo.

[Turnando]

The perspective in the art in this thread looks odd to me, especially on those covers.

That might be why Moritz doesn't have a big following but I suppose that his style may have its appeal.  Maybe the odd perspective is the charm for some?  Like outsider art? It looks flat to me but maybe other eyes appreciate it.