More news on "The Success Story"

Well, friends, Good ol' Robby Reed (see the permanant Dial B for Blog link on the right)heard from good ol' Mark Evanier, about our little "Bob Kane parallel," Eerie #13's "The Success Story."

Since the previous post won't "maximize" page one of the story, let's try again!

Robby informs us that "Success Story" WAS written about a specific comics "creator," bot NOT about Bob "Batman" Kane.

Here's what Robby told me:

Here's what Mark Evanier said:

"First of all, not that it matters a lot but I believe this story was reprinted in EERIE from CREEPY #1. Secondly and more important: It's not about Bob Kane. The story by Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson was inspired by a cartoonist named Don Sherwood who had hired them (separately) to ghost a newspaper strip called DAN FLAGG. At various times, other friends of theirs -- including Angelo Torres, George Evans, George Woodbridge, Al McWilliams and others -- had worked on the strip and it was a recurring joke (almost) for them to discover they were working "with" each other. Goodwin based his script on that situation. Williamson, however, did not draw Sherwood. Al made the lead character of Baldo Smudge (which was the pen name for a few earlier stories where Williamson collaborated with Torres) look like himself. The writer was based on Goodwin. The inker was based on Torres. I'm not sure about the penciller but I think I heard it was Al McWilliams. There were actually other strips where a similar trick was employed of hiring ghosts like that and there are a few parallels to the situation with Bob Kane. But that's not who Archie was writing about."

So that's where it stands, kiddos! The next time we chat, I'll be a year older! I leave it up to you to guess HOW MANY years that makes!

Won't You Stick with Me?

My my, such a foo-fa-rah about my little contribution to the Bob Kane story!

Let's chill out a little bit and check out some niffty stickers, one set from 1991, and some spiffy foil ones from 1994.

See you in the funny papes, and don't forget to write!

Eerie Takes You Behind the Scenes of the Comics Industry’s Number One Fraud!

In the sockamagee blogazine Dial B for Blog (see the running link in the right-hand sidebar), a recent instalment shows how Bob “Batman” Kane was a free borrower of “stuff” originated by other creators – writers, artists, what-have-you.

This reminded me of a story I read way, way back in Eerie #13, cover-dated February 1968. Eerie magazine and its sister mag, Creepy, were magazine-sized bi-monthly publications from Warren Publishing Company.

The artists included such greats as Joe Orlando, Al Williamson, Reed Crandall, Angelo Torres, Gray Morrow, and Alex Toth.

Writers included Archie Goodwin, Don Glut, and Otto Binder.

Anyways, Mr. Random-Access-Memory (that’s ME!) remembered this little tale, entitled “Success Story,” wherein a sly “creator” gets a li’l ol’ come-uppance.

This story is written by Archie Goodwin and drawn by Joe Al Williamson. It was originally published in the February 1968 issue of Eerie magazine, and was copyrighted 1967 by Warren Publishing Company.

By the way, the title of today’s post is Eerie’s own title-page blurb of “The Success Story.” I leave it up to you to decide if -- in some way -- comics veterans Goodwin and Orlando were laying in an oblique reference to the dashing Bob Kane.

Tom Grummett's Art Could Start a Clock!

This clock dates, I think, from around the time of DC Comics' "Zero Hour" -- around 1994 or so. It was a-hangin' on the wall of OKC's Atomic Comics. Tracy (I don't know his last name) was kind enough to sell it to me during one of their big Warehouse Sales, even though it was "in use" at the time.

The colors are a little brighter in person.

Actually, this must be a POST-Zero Hour image, or Kyle Rayner wouldn't be Green Lantern! You may now say "Duh!" loudly to me.

Didn't Lay a Glove on Me!

That's because I have them hanging up on display!

As you can see, they're copyright 1984. They look kind of like a Dick Giordano Superman to me.

Ciao, and don't forget to write!

Clark Kent's SSN

Here's a little bit o' Super-Trivia for you. The August 1966 issue of Action, #340, had several interesting features. There was Swanderful cover art, the cover story introducing The Parasite (with so-so Al Plastino art), a Supergirl story ("The Supergirl Identity Hunt!", a centerfold pin-up of Superman, signed "with Best Wishesfrom your Super-Pal -- Superman" -- and that wonderful thing that comic books USED to have,

the Letter Column.

This was where fans could write in with insightful, worrisome, dumb, or "trick" questions.

Well, in this issue the editors (probably good ol' E. Nelson Bridwell, originally from Oklahoma City) laid Clark Kent WIDE OPEN to identity theft by publishing his Social Security number! (see detail)