Crimefighters # 1-Gene Colan

I read this cool crime comic titled Crimefighters # 1 from 1948 and published by Marvel Comics. The crime comics of the 1940s and 1950s are very interesting and fun comics to read. Some comic book artists did very well in the genre. People like George Tuska,Jack Kirby,Harry Anderson,Bob Powell,John Buscema,Joe Maneely,Fred Guardineer,Rudy Palais,Vernon Henkel,Alex Toth,and John Severn are just a few of the folks who did fantastic crime stories. This issue starts with "A Clint For The Hangman!" that looks like Syd Shores and Al Avison but I see on Gene Colan's website that he did this story. Gene Colan would speak highly of Syd Shores the few times I talked to him at shows. Shores was one of the top artists at Marvel at the time and makes sense that the younger artists would look up to him or work in his style. Looking at the story carefully to find hints of Gene's later style and its there.Its a bit crude but the way he composes a panel is there and it is the standout of the issue. Great hanging panel on the first page.


The next story is "One Was Guilty!" and I can't tell who did the art. It ok but nothing great. Story of two guys who look alike and the wrong guy gets caught. The last story is "Killer At Large!" and the art is better in this story but can't figure out who it is. Looks familiar in the way the figures stand and the faces are drawn. Great prison break story with a bland ending but these stories get better with the coming years until the comics code takes over. Atlas Comics and Orbit Comics are favorites of mine and hope to have some Wanted issues up on this blog.
Rocco

Falling In Love # 73 Gene Colan

The other day I got to read a copy of Falling In Love # 73 from 1965.
This has a great romance cover by Gene Colan,which is also the splash from the story.
The first story has the standard DC style from the period. I can't tell who did the work.
In some panels it looks like John Romita,in others Gil Kane and Mike Sekowsky. So its a bit of a mystery. The next story looks like Mike Sekowsky and has some nice silent/mood panels that speak volumes and moves the story.



The last story is by Gene Colan. Gene's DC work from the 1950's and 1960's is so interesting to look at. Early on DC felt the need to make everyone fit into the DC house style and Gene's early work for them got the same treatment. Someone there decided not to keep that policy with Gene's work and that was a smart move. Colan's work really needs to be inked with the right touch. So its easy to mess up his work. Also,Gene Colan is one of the best American romance comic book artist of all time. Jack Kirby,Alex Toth,Bob Powell,Lee Elias,Bill Everett,Joe Maneely, just to name a few, all did some of the best romance stories to see print. However,Gene Colan really tries to have all his stories have a fluid,fast-paced feel to them and it works in the romance stories. The panel arrangements in this story are a whirlwind of activity and emotions. If you get a chance,look for Gene Colan's romance stories in DC and Marvel comics of the period.
r.

Battlefront #4, Battle Action #13,Battle #47,48

Up for today are 4 Atlas war comics. First up is Battlefront #4. This has a knockout cover by Jerry Robinson. Just like issue #5 that I cover here,this is such a well designed cover and the vibrant colors work with Robinson's image. The title of this tale is "The Death-Trap Of General Chun!". This issue is also a full length tale broken up into chapters. Robinson does a great job on this issue and look forward to finding issues #1-3 and see how he did. I have some romance stories he did at the same time for Atlas and they are stunning.








Battle Action #13 has a nice cover by Harry Anderson. Anderson has a really solid style that I like so much. In fact,I have been trying to get more of the books he has worked on. Years ago,I was with a friend and we were looking at old comics and really liked one cover from a 1950's Atlas comic and we could not figure out who did it. Then not too long after,the Comics Journal had an article and story by Harry Anderson. There was a showcase of his covers and the one we were trying to guess on was by Harry. So since then I have been on the lookout for his work. His work to me is a cross between Bill Everett and Graham Ingels. Anderson only did the cover but there is some good art in this issue. Artists include Paul Hodge,Al Gordon,Al Eadeh and John Forte. The standout in this issue is John Forte's work. John Forte is more known for his work at DC Comics on Legion of Super-Heroes and Jimmy Olsen but I prefer the work he did at Atlas. Its more loose and not as stiff as he would later become. Forte did some great precode horror jobs for Atlas that are worth hunting down. The title is Thirst! and worth being reprinted. Bill Everett did a job for Atlas on Mussolini that should be reprinted too. Many of these war books have bland stories that when they do one one real events they stand out. Maybe the artists felt like doing a better job on them. Al Eadeh's Viking story is the best work I have seen of his so far.







Battle # 47 has a scratchy drawn cover that looks like Carl Burgos or Sol Brodsky to me but I have a hard time telling their work apart at times. The online site Atlas tales lists Carl Burgos as the artist and I will go with them. The art inside is by Gene Colan,Vic Carrabotta,Dick Ayers, Joe Orlando and Dave Berg. The Gene Colan art is the standout in this issue for me. Love anything by Gene Colan so to see some work of his I have never seen is a treat. This issue has a light humor touch to it. Colan's ability for facial expressions is already serving him well this early in his career.








Battle # 48 has a cover by the great Joe Maneely. One of the best all-time American comic book artists. The work he did on Yellow Claw and Black Knight was the first work I ever saw of his and it knocked me out. They were reprinted in various Marvel giants and always remembered the name. Joe did a super job on a Frankenstein story in Menace that holds up well today. The artists inside this issue include Bob Forgione,Jack Abel,Paul Reinman,Pete Morisi,Gene Colan and one story I can't make out who it is. The Morisi and Colan jobs are the standouts. I'm guessing its a nice tip of the hat to George Tuska's influence on Morisi's work that one of the characters last name in the story is Tuska.

Battlefront #5 and Battle Action #29

I have been reading some great old comics of late and Atlas Comics (Marvel Comics) of the 1950's have some really strong artwork. One issue is Battlefront # 5 from 1952. This entire issue has artwork from Jerry Robinson (The great Golden Age artist on Batman). The cover is by Robinson too and its so well designed. Robinson's work on Batman is well known and the great covers he did on the title still hold up today as strong covers. Robinson did great work with Mort Meskin and George Roussos on different titles and love the work he did with them. Jerry Robinson's work on Battlefront #5 is among his best and seems like his output at Atlas is overlooked. First its not often that these 50's Atlas titles have one artist doing the whole issue. Sure Joe Maneely,Robert Q. Sale,Bill Everett,Dan Decarlo,Howie Post all did full books too but what makes this different is that this issue is one complete story.Its broken up like the other titles of the time like they are different tales but its more like chapters. There are 4 chapters,one sets up the story and characters and the other 3 are all told from the viewpoint of the 3 main characters.I don't know if Jerry Robinson wrote these stories but they are better than the average war stories from Atlas at the time.It feels like Jerry Robinson put so much into these comics,he did the first 5 issues.







The other issue is Battle Action # 29 from 1957. What a fantastic lineup of talent. The cover is by John Severin. The 1st story has art by Gene Colan,followed by John Romita,Jay Scott Pike,George Tuska,and Bob Forigone. The art is strong through out the issue but the George Tuska artwork is really well done. I can see why he was so well respected for his work during this period (big fan of his work in general). I would love to see Marvel collect some of these stories by artist, since Gene Colan is still with us; it would be so nice to see some of his war,western,horror and romance stories in one collection (maybe as a benefit to help with his medical bills).



Rocco