Golden Age Mystery: who did the cover for Blazing Western #5? 1 1

[Falcon760]

I recently bought a copy of Blazing Western #5 (1954) from a seller who claimed that LB Cole did the cover.  This is probably not true.   The cover details look like things LB Cole has done but it's important to know the players to understand if LB Cole did this cover.

Timor Publications was an imprint by Key Publications, started by Stanley Morse.    Blazing Western #5 was the final issue in the series published by Timor.  The cover for #5 doesn't look like anything published previously in the series by cover artists Bernand Baily or Mort Drucker and LB Cole never did any of the other comics around that time through Morse.  I don't think he collaborated with Morse at all but I'm not sure.

Jay Disbrow is credited as writer and interior artist for most of Blazing Western #5, published in late 1954.  Disbrow worked closely with LB Cole such as in 1952 on issues of Spook and Terrors of the Jungle.  I think Disbrow worked for Morse a lot more after 1954 when Cole's business Star Publications closed but I can't find any evidence LB Cole worked for Morse too.  Cole worked for Dell Comics as editor and published University material after that, but I don't think Cole ever drew mainstream comics with Disbrow or Morse after 1954.  Cole's art on Outlaws #14 with the rippling of the cowboy pants and clothes looks like the closest thing to the cowboys on Blazing Western #5's cover, but that could just be coincidence.  It may be that Blazing Western is another in a long line of comics cobbled together with reprints or old, unused material which is why it doesn't fit any one artist on the nose.  Or maybe Disbrow collaborated on art with LB Cole closer than we now assume.  I don't know.

Some claim Lester Zakarin did the cover for Blazing Western #5 but this is likely impossible since other artists like Romita ghosted for Zakarin and he rarely did do his own art.    The work also looks unfinished with a cowboy hanging high in the air where a horse probably should be, which led people to believe it was left over LB Cole material picked up by Disbrow or Morse or even ghosted for Zakarin and never finished.   The cover is probably most likely Jay Disbrow's art or a combination of various artists, but the details look similar to Crime Detector #5 which also could be Disbrow.  I'm sure it'd be great to extend LB Cole's career to other things beyond 1954 like Blazing Western or Dell's Dracula #1 but it seems unlikely Cole ever drew them.  

Edited June 4, 2023 by Falcon760

[Sqeggs]

On 6/4/2023 at 3:43 PM, Falcon760 said:

I recently bought a copy of Blazing Western #5 (1954) from a seller who claimed that LB Cole did the cover.  This is probably not true.   The cover details look like things LB Cole has done but it's important to know the players to understand if LB Cole did this cover.

Timor Publications was an imprint by Key Publications, started by Stanley Morse.    Blazing Western #5 was the final issue in the series published by Timor.  The cover for #5 doesn't look like anything published previously in the series by cover artists Bernand Baily or Mort Drucker and LB Cole never did any of the other comics around that time through Morse.  I don't think he collaborated with Morse at all but I'm not sure.

Jay Disbrow is credited as writer and interior artist for most of Blazing Western #5, published in late 1954.  Disbrow worked closely with LB Cole such as in 1952 on issues of Spook and Terrors of the Jungle.  I think Disbrow worked for Morse a lot more after 1954 when Cole's business Star Publications closed but I can't find any evidence LB Cole worked for Morse too.  Cole worked for Dell Comics as editor and published University material after that, but I don't think Cole ever drew mainstream comics with Disbrow or Morse after 1954.  Cole's art on Outlaws #14 with the rippling of the cowboy pants and clothes looks like the closest thing to the cowboys on Blazing Western #5's cover, but that could just be coincidence.  It may be that Blazing Western is another in a long line of comics cobbled together with reprints or old, unused material which is why it doesn't fit any one artist on the nose.  Or maybe Disbrow collaborated on art with LB Cole closer than we now assume.  I don't know.

Some claim Lester Zakarin did the cover for Blazing Western #5 but this is likely impossible since other artists like Romita ghosted for Zakarin and he rarely did do his own art.    The work also looks unfinished with a cowboy hanging high in the air where a horse probably should be, which led people to believe it was left over LB Cole material picked up by Disbrow or Morse or even ghosted for Zakarin and never finished.   The cover is probably most likely Jay Disbrow's art or a combination of various artists, but the details look similar to Crime Detector #5 which also could be Disbrow.  I'm sure it'd be great to extend LB Cole's career to other things beyond 1954 like Blazing Western or Dell's Dracula #1 but it seems unlikely Cole ever drew them.  

Was there originally a horse under the guy in mid-air? Kind of unlikely that the impact of a bullet from a six-gun would send him five feet in the air. 

[pmpknface]

In my opinion (and yes, I'm a huge LB Cole fan) it is his cover.  It looks more like some of his romance covers at that time then it does some of his other western covers.  It certainly looks colored by him.  Maybe that's just me.  

[Falcon760]

On 6/5/2023 at 10:24 AM, pmpknface said:

In my opinion (and yes, I'm a huge LB Cole fan) it is his cover.  It looks more like some of his romance covers at that time then it does some of his other western covers.  It certainly looks colored by him.  Maybe that's just me.  

It's true Blazing Western #5 looks like LB cole but then so does Crime Detector #5.  The only common thing between those two issues is that Jay Disbrow worked on them.   If it was a reprint cover or unfinished work, that could be why LB cole didn't sign it.  Or it simply isn't his art.  Of course that doesn't mean anything but I think it's far fetched that LB cole's art pops up on some random Timor issue his best pal Disbrow was working on by himself for the company.  Maybe we should give credit to Disbrow for his contributions even when he was working with LB cole.  Nobody even mentions the guy when discussing lb cole.

[pmpknface]

On 6/7/2023 at 11:11 PM, Falcon760 said:

It's true Blazing Western #5 looks like LB cole but then so does Crime Detector #5.  The only common thing between those two issues is that Jay Disbrow worked on them.   If it was a reprint cover or unfinished work, that could be why LB cole didn't sign it.  Or it simply isn't his art.  Of course that doesn't mean anything but I think it's far fetched that LB cole's art pops up on some random Timor issue his best pal Disbrow was working on by himself for the company.  Maybe we should give credit to Disbrow for his contributions even when he was working with LB cole.  Nobody even mentions the guy when discussing lb cole.

I think plenty of those that know of Cole's work knows that Disbrow did the heavy lifting on the interiors.  Disbrow's work does come up less often because the draw to these books are the covers which Cole is certainly responsible for nearly all of.  The major exception to this (as far as the Star Publications work) is Spook #30, which is a reprint of a Disbrow panel from an earlier issue of Spook (I think).  I think a Disbrow thread would be warranted, it would just be filled with more interiors than covers.  

[ArkhamCastle]

I published Quest Presents Lance Carrigan Of The Galactic Legion in the 1980's by Disbrow..  Got to know Jay pretty well as we worked on some of the cover designs together.  Everything else was purely his work.  In my opinion for what it is worth Blazing Western #5 looks like Cole worked on it as well as Disbrow.

[Falcon760]

On 6/8/2023 at 10:57 AM, ArkhamCastle said:

I published Quest Presents Lance Carrigan Of The Galactic Legion in the 1980's by Disbrow..  Got to know Jay pretty well as we worked on some of the cover designs together.  Everything else was purely his work.  In my opinion for what it is worth Blazing Western #5 looks like Cole worked on it as well as Disbrow.

That's interesting.  You think both of them worked on it?   I've heard of that actually that Disbrow and Cole worked together on the same art, not just cover and interior separate.

[ArkhamCastle]

Can't say for sure but it doesn't look like "pure" Disbrow.

[Kneseljoseph]

On 6/4/2023 at 10:43 PM, Falcon760 said:

I recently bought a copy of Blazing Western #5 (1954) from a seller who claimed that LB Cole did the cover.  This is probably not true.   The cover details look like things LB Cole has done but it's important to know the players to understand if LB Cole did this cover.

Timor Publications was an imprint by Key Publications, started by Stanley Morse.    Blazing Western #5 was the final issue in the series published by Timor.  The cover for #5 doesn't look like anything published previously in the series by cover artists Bernand Baily or Mort Drucker and LB Cole never did any of the other comics around that time through Morse.  I don't think he collaborated with Morse at all but I'm not sure.

Jay Disbrow is credited as writer and interior artist for most of Blazing Western #5, published in late 1954.  Disbrow worked closely with LB Cole such as in 1952 on issues of Spook and Terrors of the Jungle.  I think Disbrow worked for Morse a lot more after 1954 when Cole's business Star Publications closed but I can't find any evidence LB Cole worked for Morse too.  Cole worked for Dell Comics as editor and published University material after that, but I don't think Cole ever drew mainstream comics with Disbrow or Morse after 1954.  Cole's art on Outlaws #14 with the rippling of the cowboy pants and clothes looks like the closest thing to the cowboys on Blazing Western #5's cover, but that could just be coincidence.  It may be that Blazing Western is another in a long line of comics cobbled together with reprints or old, unused material which is why it doesn't fit any one artist on the nose.  Or maybe Disbrow collaborated on art with LB Cole closer than we now assume.  I don't know.

Some claim Lester Zakarin did the cover for Blazing Western #5 but this is likely impossible since other artists like Romita ghosted for Zakarin and he rarely did do his own art.    The work also looks unfinished with a cowboy hanging high in the air where a horse probably should be, which led people to believe it was left over LB Cole material picked up by Disbrow or Morse or even ghosted for Zakarin and never finished.   The cover is probably most likely Jay Disbrow's art or a combination of various artists, but the details look similar to Crime Detector #5 which also could be Disbrow.  I'm sure it'd be great to extend LB Cole's career to other things beyond 1954 like Blazing Western or Dell's Dracula #1 but it seems unlikely Cole ever drew them.  

Blazing Western was published under the Timor Publications imprint by Key Publications, founded by Stanley Morse. The cover of issue #5 does not resemble the style of the previous covers done by artists Bernard Baily or Mort Drucker, and LB Cole did not have a known collaboration with Morse during that time. LB Cole's involvement with Morse is unclear, and it appears that he focused on other projects after his business, Star Publications, closed. it is unlikely that LB Cole created the cover for Blazing Western #5. The most probable artist is Jay Disbrow or a combination of artists, possibly including Disbrow. While it would be intriguing to extend LB Cole's career to include Blazing Western or Dell's Dracula #1, the available information suggests that he did not contribute to those particular works. Besides this as you noted above about the university, I am also a student and I decided with the help of this source https://phdessay.com/essay-type/satire/ to do a satire essay regarding these commiscs, it got really well and the professors also appreciated it with the highest grade, you could try it.

Edited June 23, 2023 by Kneseljoseph

[MusterMark]

On 6/4/2023 at 6:21 PM, Sqeggs said:

Was there originally a horse under the guy in mid-air? Kind of unlikely that the impact of a bullet from a six-gun would send him five feet in the air. 

The trampoline is being obscured by the foreground guy’s thigh, but it’s there alright.