Stan, Jack, and Steve - The 1960's (1963) Butting Heads, Unexpected Success and Not Expected Failures! 3 3

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS MAY 1963

Strange Tales #111 - Story: Stan Lee Art: Steve Ditko Lettering: Terry Szenics

Most likely this is the story that began the strain on Lee and Ditko. Lee is listed as 'story', but based upon the history of these two, both past and present, this is very much a Ditko story. Lee wasn't big on the idea of Doctor Strange in the first place, and you can already see how Ditko is thinking. The story is simple and direct, yet the pacing and understanding of sequential storytelling here, is calmly sublime. It exposes the Human Torch story as clumsy and bland. 

Marvel had two exceptional storytellers in Kirby and Ditko... it's apparent here for anyone to see. Is it any wonder that Ayers and Lieber would be pushed aside to work on Westerns, while others were brought in to try and spice up what Ditko and Kirby didn't have time for? I'm seriously not knocking with Ayers or Liebers art - both are competent - Ayers more from greater experience - Larry pretty amazingly, considering he just started doing it - but neither is the 'Marvel Age of Comics'. 

[Dr. Haydn]

On 3/17/2023 at 7:45 AM, Prince Namor said:

 

ON NEWSSTANDS MAY 1963

Strange Tales #111 - Plot: Stan Lee Story: H. Huntley Art: Dick Ayers Lettering: S. Harold

Once again we see the story quality drop - it's not BAD - it's just not the 'Marvel Age of Comics' that we see when Kirby (or Ditko) are involved. Ayers art is certainly better than Al Hartley - but again, it's not exciting in the way we'd seen...

Some early Silver Age Marvel lettering by 'Sam Harold'--a pen name for Sam Rosen.

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS MAY 1963

Tales of Suspense #44 - Plot: Stan Lee Script: R. Berns (Robert Bernstein) Art: Don Heck Lettering: Sam Rosen

I could tell this was going to be dumb just by the splash page, the cover totally fooled me. Even though the story and 'plot' are really silly, Don Heck's layout and storytelling are much better this issue. 

The World's Greatest Editor misspells Pharaoh on the cover and throughout the story. He really has a problem with that word. 

Edited March 17, 2023 by Prince Namor

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS MAY 1963

Tales of Suspense #44 - Plot: Stan Lee Script & Art: Larry Lieber Inking: P. Reinman Lettering: A. Simek

Paul Reinman reduced to inking Stan's Brother, a novice artist, probably working for half the rate. And his first name abbreviated!

Edited March 17, 2023 by Prince Namor

[Prince Namor]

 

ON NEWSSTANDS MAY 1963

Tales of Suspense #44 -  Script: Stan Lee (Even though we know there's no script) Art: Steve Ditko Lettering: Art Simek

[Prince Namor]

 

ON NEWSSTANDS MAY 1963

Tales of Suspense #44 - Larry Lieber again with the floating, talking heads...

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS MAY 1963

In some ways, Marvel hasn't changed from the pre-Hero days - Kirby is still making the books that are great and Stan is piecing together the rest with whatever talent is available. (Though Ditko's Spider-man is obviously a new and exciting change). 

Stan still doesn't understand completely what he has in Ditko, but he's well aware of what Kirby can do for him. Kirby is no longer out-EARNING Stan, as Stan now has got his hand in everything that is released. 

 

Edited March 17, 2023 by Prince Namor

[Dr. Haydn]

On 3/17/2023 at 4:58 PM, Prince Namor said:

ON NEWSSTANDS MAY 1963

Tales of Suspense #44 - Plot: Stan Lee Script: R. Berns (Robert Bernstein) Art: Don Heck Lettering: Sam Rosen

I could tell this was going to be dumb just by the splash page, the cover totally fooled me. Even though the story and 'plot' are really silly, Don Heck's layout and storytelling are much better this issue. 

The World's Greatest Editor misspells Pharaoh on the cover and throughout the story. He really has a problem with that word. 

Someone corrected Stan's spelling error for this edition: I guess this was reprinted from a Marvel Masterworks compilation?

[Dr. Haydn]

On 3/17/2023 at 5:07 PM, Prince Namor said:

ON NEWSSTANDS MAY 1963

Tales of Suspense #44 - Plot: Stan Lee Script & Art: Larry Lieber Inking: P. Reinman Lettering: A. Simek

Paul Reinman reduced to inking Stan's Brother, a novice artist, probably working for half the rate. And his first name abbreviated!

Page 5: how wise is it to smoke a pipe when there's limited oxygen in the spaceship?

[Dr. Haydn]

On 3/17/2023 at 5:12 PM, Prince Namor said:

 

 

ON NEWSSTANDS MAY 1963

Tales of Suspense #44 - Larry Lieber again with the floating, talking heads...

There was a recent movie with a similar premise, though a different solution to the lack of oxygen problem--Stowaway of 2021.

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS MAY 1963

Patsy & Hedy #89 - Rounding out the week and the month. Cover by Al Hartley, clearly more within his realm. 

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS MAY 1963

House of Secrets #61 - Eclipso makes his first appearance, created by writer Bob Haney and artist Lee Elias. 

Elias did some memorable work in the Golden Age and it's interesting to see his style morph to fit DC's standards here...

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS MAY 1963

Superman #162 - The Amazing Story of Superman Red and Superman Blue - A way for Lois and Lana to both marry Superman! Art by Kurt Schaffenberger

[Dr. Haydn]

On 3/18/2023 at 6:16 AM, Prince Namor said:

ON NEWSSTANDS MAY 1963

House of Secrets #61 - Eclipso makes his first appearance, created by writer Bob Haney and artist Lee Elias. 

Elias did some memorable work in the Golden Age and it's interesting to see his style morph to fit DC's standards here...

Ah, Eclipso! I remember him as one of DC's more interesting Silver Age characters. The need to work a solar eclipse into each story line got a bit tiresome, though.

I don't recall this characterization from his later appearances, but in this origin story, he seems like a more literate version of the Hulk (especially with his transformation at the top of page 3: change the name Gordon to Banner, and the dialogue would definitely fit any of the first 6 Hulk issues).

[Dr. Haydn]

On 3/18/2023 at 6:20 AM, Prince Namor said:

ON NEWSSTANDS MAY 1963

Superman #162 - The Amazing Story of Superman Red and Superman Blue - A way for Lois and Lana to both marry Superman! Art by Kurt Schaffenberger

Smilin' Stan missed an opportunity here--in response to this award-winning story, the Marvel Age of Comics could have had the amazing story of the grey Hulk and the green Hulk!

[Prince Namor]

On 3/18/2023 at 9:35 AM, Dr. Haydn said:

Ah, Eclipso! I remember him as one of DC's more interesting Silver Age characters. The need to work a solar eclipse into each story line got a bit tiresome, though.

I don't recall this characterization from his later appearances, but in this origin story, he seems like a more literate version of the Hulk (especially with his transformation at the top of page 3: change the name Gordon to Banner, and the dialogue would definitely fit any of the first 6 Hulk issues).

Supposedly his name was purposely created as a combination of Bruce Wayne and Commissioner Gordon!

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS JUNE 1963

For June, Marvel would release 14 titles to the newsstand, led by the release of two annuals. That's 68 titles for 1963 so far, or 11.33 a month. 

7 superhero books - 2 Western - 5 comedy/romance

 

June 4th, 1963

Journey Into Mystery #95 

Kathy #24

Modeling with Millie #24

Patsy Walker #108

Tales to Astonish #47

Two Gun Kid #65

 

June 11th, 1963

Fantastic Four #18

Amazing Spider-man #4

Kid Colt Outlaw #112

Millie the Model Annual #2

Millie the Model #116

Strange Tales #112

Strange Tales Annual #2

Tales of Suspense #45

Edited March 30, 2023 by Prince Namor

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS JUNE 1963

Journey Into Mystery #95 - Thor got hit in the head with his own hammer last issue, so I suppose the only way to make him look sillier would be to have him fight a duplicate of himself (without the power of the Hammer). It also makes it easy to not have to think up an original nemesis either.

Story Plot: Stan Lee (Changed to 'Story Plot' just in case you've failed to realize how vital he is to these mind numbing stories) Script : R. Berns (countdown to his departure) Art: Joe Sinnott (Doing the best he can...) Lettering: S. Rosen (Plenty of room for his first name, but... nah.)

I have all kinds of questions about this issue:

Splash Page: When did Thor's hammer get a handle that's 3 feet long?

Page 2: Is Asgard above the clouds? In Space? How'd Thor make it rain then?

Page 3: The 'Medical Genius" Dr. Don Blake (when did he become a GENIUS?) created an Android???

Never mind... 

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS JUNE 1963

Journey Into Mystery #95 - I can't find the 5 page Ditko story 'The Tomb of Tut-Amm-Tut!' or the 5 page Lieber story Save Me from the Lizard Men! anywhere... these Journey Into Mystery back up stories were some of the toughest to find online...

[Mmehdy]

On 3/18/2023 at 10:09 AM, Prince Namor said:

 

ON NEWSSTANDS JUNE 1963

Journey Into Mystery #95 - I can't find the 5 page Ditko story 'The Tomb of Tut-Amm-Tut!' or the 5 page Lieber story Save Me from the Lizard Men! anywhere... these Journey Into Mystery back up stories were some of the toughest to find online...

It should be in the Ditko marvel archives book....