Stan, Jack, and Steve - The 1960's (1962) Jack Kirby creates the Marvel Universe! 4 4

[Prince Namor]

He was known for signing his name to every thing in sight back in the early 50's as well...

[Prince Namor]

This need to buy stories to rework into his own continued into the 60's apparently...

Thanks to the amazing Michael J. Vassallo who posted this on Facebook:

(I've 'spoiled' the other part of the article to just show what's relevant here)

Writer's Digest 64.11

Spoiler

Confession Magazines:

My Confession, 625 Madison Ave., New York 21, N.Y. Woman’s point of view.

My Romance, 625 Madison Ave., New York 21, N.Y. Down-to-earth human interest stories; problems of young people and young married couples, told from the girl’s viewpoint.

True Secrets, My Confession (sic), 625 Madison Ave., New York 21, N.Y. Young marrieds and teenagers; warm, human short stories presenting problems well within the range of ordinary experience.

There’s a place here, a large battery of editorial offices, where thousands of unsolicited mss pour in every year, and they’re welcome, too. And a great many are bought. This is the new headquarters of the Magazine Management Co., at 625 Madison Ave., N.Y. 10017. I prowled around there for several hours the other day, talking with the editors, and probably throwing a dozen production schedules off the track.

Noah Sarlat, a veteran with the company and now editorial director of Stag, For Men Only, Action For Men, and Action Life, put aside a picture layout to discuss his current editorial interests. “We’re always eager to see good fact-adventure stories,” he said. “These can be both contemporary and antique. The best ones usually feature Americans in action against some exotic background.” You can send in fiction, or queries for articles (queries are essential) without worrying about which of Sarlat’s magazine might use it. Some special categories of interest are: Combat pieces – a war profile, say, of some heroic figure, with emphasis on the unusual; profiles – of contemporary people and also great characters of the past, Americans preferred; scoundrels – men who’ve pulled off great swindles, hoaxes, impersonations; epic disasters – with emphasis on economical, often “heart-breaking” description rather than “jazzed-up” treatment; behind-the-news pieces – with emphasis on adventure but with some inside flavor, and often taking place in some trouble spot of the world. Sarlat will also buy pieces on health, money-making ideas, careers, and wish-fulfillment. What he doesn’t want to see, ever, is Western fiction. “And the kind or article query I like to read,” he told me, “is a very short, pointed letter consisting of just one paragraph or two.” He favors a lean style, with what he calls “racehorse” movement. Best lengths: 4-7,000 words. Payment is up to $500, on acceptance. Like most editors, Sarlat emphasized that the wise writer will study his magazines closely before attempting to interest him in what he has to offer.

Bruce J. Friedmanis editorial director of Man’s World, Male, and Men. You can run over that list given to me by Sarlat and pretty well cover the needs for these magazines, too. There’s strong interest, however, here, in the expose` article. Mel Shestack, one of the editors of Male, told me how he went “behind” a current news item to develop an expose` of unethical tire dealers. “Best length for this type of piece,” he said, “is somewhere around 3,500 words.” Shestack also emphasizes the need for queries in advance. “Nobody should waste his time writing until he has an assignment,” he said.

There’s another editor at Magazine Management, Stan Lee, who puts out no less than 17 comic books, and although I didn’t meet him, I was told that he is always in the need of writers (mostly in the New York area) who can provide his highly specialized material. You can drop him an inquiry, enclosing a stamped, self-addressed envelope, and he’ll outline his requirements.

Spoiler

I did meet a charming young English-woman who serves as the book editor for most of the M.M. magazines, most of which run 18-20,000 word book condensations in each issue. She is Miss Patricia Davies. If you have a book, sold or unsold, whose theme relates to any of the various magazines’ interests, you’d do well to see that Miss Davies gets a good look at the ms, or galley proofs."

 

[Prince Namor]

There's so much research done by people on Facebook about this it's astonishing...

Here we see an article about Stan Lee on the cover of Writer's Digest (November 1947), where they show what's needed by them and how it's done. The -script example is by Al Sulman (because a) Stan didn't write scripts and b) it wasn't a paying gig).

The Svengali of Comics didn't seem to have any of his own ideas back then either... 

[Prince Namor]

WRITER'S DIGEST June 1946 - Yet another story editor. 

[Prince Namor]

Writer's Digest Dec 1956

"Timely Comics, Inc., 655 Madison Avenue, New York City 21, is second only to Dell in the comics field. It has 16 different fantasy-mystery titles at the present time, for which it needs material.

The title of each magazine indicates the kind of material wanted for it, and here's the list: Adventure Into Mystery, Astonishing, Marvel Tales, Mystic, Strange Tales, Uncanny Tales, Unknown Worlds, World of Mystery, World of Suspense, Journey Into Mystery, Mystery Tales, Mystical Tales, Spellbound, Strange Stories of Suspense, Strange Tales of the Unusual, World of Fantasy.

Alan Sulman is the -script Editor here. He requests that you do not send in completed scripts, or even synopses. Please write to him, setting forth your qualifications and ideas, and he will suggest how you should proceed. If you're in the New York area, it might be a good idea to telephone him at Templeton 8-7900.

Payment is in line with rates paid by other companies in the comics magazine field, and is made on acceptance."

 

[Prince Namor]

But even when done in plain sight, people just seem to not understand that he couldn't come up with ideas on his own...

[Prince Namor]

And I can't wait for Tom Scioli's Illustrated Biography of Stan Lee... his Jack Kirby Illustrated Biography is great!

The great Harvey Kurtzman worked for Stan shortly before going to EC Comics...He was was writing and drawing Hey Look for Timely when this incident in Scioli's cartoon happened. Not long after, Stan pulled Kurtzman off Hey Look and started "collaborating" with Kurtzman on a feature called Rusty. Kurtzman described the time as, "The worst year of my life."

[Prince Namor]

The actual story from Bill Schelly's Kurtzman bio, 'Harvey Kurtzman: The Man Who Created Mad and Revolutionized Humor in America', p 115. 

[Prince Namor]

All of that is just a reminder of who we're dealing with here... we're about to go through the most important couple of months in the history of Marvel...

 

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS JANUARY 1962

And finally.... Teen-Age Romance #86 - How'd Stan get Jack to do so much of these romance books? Well for the last issue of Teen-Age Romance, most likely Marvel's least selling book, he may've said, "Just do one more issue and I'll work with you on this new idea you have. I'll even give it it's own book!" In the meantime, we get three more Kirby romance stories. Stan may've given a germ of idea from a previous story and Kirby just knocked these out like batting practice. All inked by Colletta, including the cover. 

Story ONE:

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS JANUARY 1962

Teen-Age Romance #86 - Signed Stan Lee & J. Kirby

Story TWO:

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS JANUARY 1962

Teen-Age Romance #86 - Signed Stan Lee & J. Kirby and dedicated to Joanie L. (Lee's wife)

Strange... I don't remember ever seeing Stan's wife wearing corrective lenses... though Stan does...

Story THREE:

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS JANUARY 1962

Konga #5 - Only one book outside of Marvel for our trio and that was Ditko (I guess) fulfilling whatever agreement he'd made with Charlton to do these full length Giant Monster books.

per Nick Caputo: Cover image of Konga is taken from page 17; panel 5 of Konga # 1. Planes and background art added by MR. Giordano

Part ONE:

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS JANUARY 1962

Konga #5 - Only one book outside of Marvel for our trio and that was Ditko (I guess) fulfilling whatever agreement he'd made with Charlton to do these full length Giant Monster books.

Part TWO:

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS JANUARY 1962

Konga #5 - Only one book outside of Marvel for our trio and that was Ditko (I guess) fulfilling whatever agreement he'd made with Charlton to do these full length Giant Monster books.

Part THREE:

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS JANUARY 1962

DC still managed to create some heroes in 1962: Showcase #37 would feature the first appearance of the Metal Men. Written by Robert Kanigher with art by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito. The Statement of Ownership shows Showcase at 240,000 average copies for 1961. 

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS FEBRUARY 1962

For January, Marvel would release 12 titles to the newsstand. Stan Lee would have at least one story in all 12. 

For 12 out of 14 months now they've put out more than the rumored 8 titles a month they are supposedly limited to.

For 1962 - 22 titles in 2 months (11 per month avg)

 

Amazing Adult Fantasy #12 - 5 stories with Steve Ditko

Fantastic Four #4 - with Jack Kirby

Journey Into Mystery #79 - 1 story with Steve Ditko

Kathy #16 - with Stan Goldberg art

Kid Colt Outlaw #104 - 3 stories with Jack Keller and 1 with Don heck

Life with Millie #16 - with Stan Goldberg art

Linda Carter, Student Nurse #5 - with Al Hartley art 

Millie the Model Comics #108 - with Stan Goldberg art

Patsy Walker #100  -  with Al Hartley art 

Strange Tales #96 - 1 story with Steve Ditko

Tales of Suspense #29 - 1 story with Steve Ditko

Tales to Astonish #31 - 1 story with Steve Ditko

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS JANUARY 1962

For Amazing Adult Fantasy #11 - Stan Lee and Steve Ditko had 5 stories again in this issue, signed Stan Lee & S. Ditko on all 5 splash pages. Ditko pencils and inks the cover. The contents page shows the names of the 5 stories and that is split this time and specified as 'Stories by... Stan Lee' and 'Art By... S. Ditko'.

Story ONE:

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS JANUARY 1962

Amazing Adult Fantasy #11 - Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

Story TWO:

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS JANUARY 1962

Amazing Adult Fantasy #11 - Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

According to GCD: Voted best story in this issue by more than 300 votes, according to Amazing Fantasy (Marvel, 1962 series) #15 (August 1962). Uhh... wouldn't surprise me...

Story THREE: