Space Ace-Larry Woromay-1950

A pulp illustrator who moved into comics (even doing some work at EC), GCD correctly points out that here Woromay is clearly swiping Wayne Boring's version of SUPERMAN, then prominent in the comics as well as in the newspaper strips. 

Nightmare and Sleepy-Alan Mandel/Dan Barry-1943

Genuinely creepy looking, Nightmare was apparently a pro wrestler who became a masked hero. Fighting alongside him was his teenage manager (?). This CLUE COMICS couple was drawn by Alan Mandel and Dan Barry. Barry would later go on to draw FLASH GORDON and to more or less define DC's "house style" of the 1950's.

Travelers In Time-Journey Into Mystery-1959

Acte but inconsequential time travel tale from a pre-Thor issue of JOUNEY INTO MYSTERY by an unknown artist. Note the James Dean cowboy in Panel one and the Frankenstein lighting a pipe in Panel two. I see traces of Ditko here, Larry Lieber, Joe Sinnott and Don Heck. I doubt any of them were involved in the art, though.

The Monster In My Cellar-Reed Crandall-1960

Reed Crandall is one of those comic book artists who started out near the top of their game and somehow just continued to get better. He's not usually associated with the Hose That Goodman Built, but here he is in an early issue of TALES OF SUSPENSE. Just beautiful. 

Eggbert-Daredevil-1945

An unusual art style on this Lev Gleason story from DAREDEVIL. EGGBERT is yet another ARCHIE clone in a way but it has a different feel to it overall.  Once again the artist seems lost to time unless someone out there recognizes the style.

Krisko and Jasper-Jack A. Warren-1941

Artist Jack A. Warren drew this strip in a "bigfoot" style but he was known mainly as a comic western artist. His unique, old-fashioned style was undoubtedly influenced in some ways by the fact that he had lost an eye at age 15. Krisko and Jasper appeared in BLUE BOLT. This issue was probably on the stands when Pearl Harbor happened. 

The Iron Ace-Bill Fraccio-1943

Talk about high concept--a guy in a suit of armor flies a plane and fights Nazis! If that was on TV, I'd watch it. Kind of a dorky comic strip, though, notable mainly as, according to GCD, early art by Bill Fraccio who would later partner with Tony Tallarico. 

Mr. Mystic-Bob Powell-1941

There's a lot of colorful characters in this early installment of THE SPIRIT's back-up strip by Bob Powell. The artist would go on to a successful career in comics drawing THE SHADOW, THE MAN IN BLACK, scores of horror comics and quite a few superhero tales. He also co-designed (with Wally Wood) the notorious MARS ATTACKS reading cards and most recently was the subject of a great book by Craig Yoe!