Category: Comic Books

A Month for Bugs

It was bad enough when the 1960’s was 50 years ago, but 60?? In June, 1962, unknown to me as a little boy in Wisconsin, Amazing Fantasy #15 was on newsstands, featuring the first appearance of Spider-Man.

Original, unpublished cover by Steve Ditko for Amazing Fantasy #15

Also that month, 60 years ago today, in fact, was B-Day. The Beatles had their first recording session with George Martin at EMI. John, Paul, and George, with Pete Best on drums.

https://www.beatlesbible.com/1962/06/06/the-beatles-first-abbey-road-recording-session/

Recording ‘From Me to You’ March 5, 1963

https://www.producingthebeatles.com/new-episodes/2018/11/19/006-not-so-simple-from-me-to-you-and-other-early-singles

https://www.curvebenderpublishing.com/

Blog Post Extra: Someone has pegged the distribution date of Amazing Fantasy #15 as June 5, 1962, 60 years ago yesterday. Also released that day was the debut of another Marvel Comics Group bug, in the person of Ant-Man.

https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2022/06/05/60-years-of-ant-man-spider-man-thor-and-larry/

Research Search

How to use the online database at the Billy Ireland Library & Cartoon Museum at Ohio State University.

http://osucartoons.pastperfectonline.com/

Numerical data on comic book sales is available on ComicChron. Between 1964 and 1965, what was the top-selling Marvel comic? Was it Spider-Man? The Fantastic Four? Neither title even appears in the list, and I suspect this is an error of omission.

https://www.comichron.com/yearlycomicssales/postaldata/1965.html

From 1965 to 1966, Spidey and the FF suddenly loomed large, and the relative rankings of Superman and Batman made a big swap. That was THE time when comic books and fandom exploded, bringing me along with it, thanks to the Batman TV show.

https://www.comichron.com/yearlycomicssales/postaldata/1966.html

Happy Boxing Day

Having nothing at the moment for Mother’s Day, I’ll use this instead. Borrowed from J.J. Sedelmaier on Facebook, a superb unpublished Jack Davis illustration. It was intended for MAD #26, 1955, the third issue after the switch from comic book to magazine format.

What a draftsman Davis was. He had such a confident mastery over his brushwork. He layered in so much detail and shading, and yet everything is perfectly clear and distinct.