Bug-A-Boo-Doug Wildey-1953

Here's JONNY QUEST creator Doug Wildey, himself a bit of a legendary comics artist, channeling EC-era Wally Wood at full throttle right down to Wood's trademark tree in the first panel in a wordy tale that looks like an EC even though it isn't and doesn't really come across like one. 

The First Man to Reach the Moon-Art Saaf-1952

The anniversary of the Apollo 11 flight was in the news again this past week. Here's a look from nearly two decades earlier at what might have happened on the first moon landing. The illustrations here on this Standard story come from Art Saaf who was still drawing comics at DC during the actual Apollo years!

Lois Lane-Don Cameron/Ed Dobrotka/George Roussos-1944

This early LOIS LANE backup series was signed "Jerry and Joe" but was actually done by others. Unlike its later counterpart, Superman himself rarely if at all appears, leaving the reader to see just what a good reporter she could be when she wasn't attempting to discover the Man of Steel's real identity or imagining being married to him.

Dana Andrews-Bill Everett-1950

I grew up knowing actor Dana Andrews for his anti-drinking PSAs long before I discovered his wonderful performances in films such as LAURA and NIGHT (CURSE) OF THE DEMON. For the latter, his name was immortalized in the theme form THE ROCKY HORROR (PICTURE) SHOW, This bio-story, from MOVIE LOVE, is drawn by an artist with his own well-publicized alcohol problem, the great Bill Everett, creator of The Sub-Mariner!

Funnyman-Jerry Siegel/John Sikela-1948

Still reading Brad Ricca's great new book on Siegel and Shuster, SUPER BOYS, and I'm up to the part about FUNNYMAN so I thought we'd go there. It's often reported that the thing about Funnyman's adventures is that they weren't funny. I beg to disagree. They were funny in the way that Simon and Kirby's FIGHTING AMERICAN was funny. Shuster's eyes were bad by this point and he relied much on assistants, here being John Sikela who had been doing SUPERMAN and SUPERBOY under the Shuster byline already. 

Superman: Cinderella-Jerry Siegel/John Sikela/Ed Dobrotka-1943

I'm reading Brad Ricca's new biography of Superman's creators. As such, I'm also revisiting some favorite Jerry Siegel stories including this one from a 1943 ACTION. Much fun and some really cute art by Shuster's talented ghosts.