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Stan, Jack, and Steve - The 1950's. (1959) The Uphill Climb
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Started by Prince Namor,

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Prince Namor

Prince Namor

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Welcome back! 

1959 would be a tough year for Marvel Comics, who were able to stay in the game thanks to a huge helping of Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. 

DC would continue to blaze a path, that is pretty under rated - they were the #2 publisher to only Dell Comics - and sell 3 times the # of comics as Marvel. 

Overall though... the Publisher's number of comics on the newsstand was down from a high of over 3100 issues published in 1952 to 1959's slightly over 1500 issues. 

Some would make better use of it than others....

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Prince Namor

Prince Namor

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ON NEWSSTANDS JANUARY 1959

For January, Stan Lee writes:

 

Patsy Walker #82 - with Al Hartley art 

Kid Colt Outlaw #84 - 3 stories with Jack Keller art

Millie the Model #90  - with Dan DeCarlo art

Two Gun Kid #47 - 3 stories with Matt Baker art

 

Marvel released 8 titles in November. The other 4 were:

Strange World's #3

Tales of Suspense #3

Tales to Astonish #3

World of Fantasy #17

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Prince Namor

Prince Namor

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ON NEWSSTANDS JANUARY 1959

For the first time in 2 years, JACK KIRBY has no work from DC released to the newsstand for the month. It's been a great run, but it is coming to a close...

For Marvel, he does the cover and 2 stories for Strange Worlds #3, writing and penciling both, with Christopher Rule inking his work.

Story ONE:

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Prince Namor

Prince Namor

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ON NEWSSTANDS JANUARY 1959

For the first time in 2 years, JACK KIRBY has no work from DC released to the newsstand for the month. It's been a great run, but it is coming to a close...

For Marvel, he does the cover and 2 stories for Strange Worlds #3, writing and penciling both, with Christopher Rule inking his work.

Story TWO:

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Prince Namor

Prince Namor

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ON NEWSSTANDS JANUARY 1959

Steve Ditko had a busy month, beginning with Strange Worlds #3, pencilling and inking the lead story. No writer is known, but of course Marvel once again retroactively are trying to say Stan Lee wrote it. Again, Stan did none of the sci-fi writing until 1961, and when he did, he signed those stories. 

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Prince Namor

Prince Namor

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ON NEWSSTANDS JANUARY 1959

Steve Ditko also had a story in World of Fantasy #17, pencilling and inking the last story. No writer is known, and again retroactively Marvel are trying to say Stan Lee wrote it. Stan did none of the sci-fi writing until 1961, and when he did, he signed those stories. 

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Prince Namor

Prince Namor

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ON NEWSSTANDS JANUARY 1959

Steve Ditko also had a story in Tales to Astonish #3, pencilling and inking the lead story. No writer is known, and again retroactively Marvel are trying to say Stan Lee wrote it. Stan did none of the sci-fi writing until 1961, and when he did, he signed those stories. 

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Prince Namor

Prince Namor

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ON NEWSSTANDS JANUARY 1959

Steve Ditko also had a story in Tales of Suspense #3, pencilling and inking the 2nd story. No writer is known, and again retroactively Marvel are trying to say Stan Lee wrote it. Stan did none of the sci-fi writing until 1961, and when he did, he signed those stories. 

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Prince Namor

Prince Namor

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ON NEWSSTANDS JANUARY 1959

Steve Ditko also had a story in Journey Into Mystery #51, pencilling and inking the last story. No writer is known, and again retroactively Marvel are trying to say Stan Lee wrote it. Stan did none of the sci-fi writing until 1961, and when he did, he signed those stories. 

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Zonker

Zonker

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On 8/27/2022 at 7:13 PM, Prince Namor said:

ON NEWSSTANDS JANUARY 1959

Kirby also does a story for Tales of Suspense #3 (John Buscema cover) with Christopher Rule inking. 

 

"The Terrible Time Machine" seems kind of copy-heavy for a Kirby-written story, doesn't it?  I'd be inclined to bet on someone like Jack Oleck.  It has a clever time travel paradox twist that would have fit in at EC Comics.  

Are there some Kirby tells that would lead one to attribute this story to him?

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Prince Namor

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On 8/29/2022 at 7:30 AM, Zonker said:

"The Terrible Time Machine" seems kind of copy-heavy for a Kirby-written story, doesn't it?  I'd be inclined to bet on someone like Jack Oleck.  It has a clever time travel paradox twist that would have fit in at EC Comics.  

Are there some Kirby tells that would lead one to attribute this story to him?

Scientist working on his own, over indulgent ego to gain fortune - ends up battling himself, over his own greed... sounds like Kirby to me. It's paced like a Kirby story, the dialogue is constantly moving forward... there isn't anything here to make me think it isn't a Kirby story. 

I mean, it's possible. It's not beyond possibility. There were certainly scripts in inventory. Don Heck needed a -script, Joe Sinnott needed a -script, Paul Reinman needed a -script, even Ditko needed a -script at the time... why waste one on a guy who didn't?

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Prince Namor

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ON NEWSSTANDS FEBRUARY 1959

For February Stan Lee wrote:

 

Patsy & Hedy #64 - with Al Hartley art 

Wyatt Earp #23 - 3 stories with MR. Ayers art

GunSmoke Western #52 - 2 stories, one with Jack Keller art and the other with MR. Ayers art.

 

Atlas released 8 titles in November. The other 5 were:

Battle #64

Love Romances #81

Journey Into Mystery #52

My Own Romance #69

Strange Tales #69

 

 

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