Pete Stockbridge Alias the Chameleon-Al Fagaly-1943

Best known for creating Archie's SUPER DUCK and illustrating Harry Shorten's THERE OUGHTA BE A LAW, here's Al Fagaly with a  more serious strip, showing that he was, indeed, much better at LESS serious strips.

Waiting For Death-Mike Sekowsky-1952

Recently I've been putting down artist Mike Sekowsky's version of Supergirl on my DAYS OF ADVENTURE blog but there's no denying that when Sekowsky was good, he was VERY good. Here, from 1952, is Mike being very good at Fawcett of all places. 

Ezra-Harry Sahle-1944

Former Archie artist Harry Sahle continued to draw Archie stories for years at rival Quality...only they starred a redheaded girl named Candy or a red-haired kid named Ezra. Ezra may, in fact, have been names after actor Ezra Stone who played Henry Aldrich on radio, Henry being generally acknowledged as an influence on Archie himself.

The Green Lama-Jack Binder-1942

The Green Lama was one of those characters, like the Blue Beetle, who bounced between several companies in The Golden Age of Comics. With an origin similar to The Shadow's, he also appeared in a similar radio series. It was NOT similarly successful. Now in the public domain, The Green Lama has arisen in modern times once again from various publishers...just like old times.

The Fiend Who Lived Forever-Web of Evil-1954

Here's a creepy little Pre-Code shocker with some interesting if unidentified artwork. It reminds me of the photoswipe style of Sheldon Moldoff's Hawkman with a probably purposeful bit of Ghastly Graham Ingels thrown into the mix.

The Green Hornet-Pierce Rice-1942

With his yellow hair and scarf and an orange jacket, the forties comic book version of The Green Hornet hardly had any green at all! What he did have was exciting adventures including this very early one with yet another evil clown, drawn by Pierce Rice, supposedly with inks by Arturo Cazanueve.

Jasper's Jalopy-Steve Ditko-1962

Here's an odd little Twilight Zone-ish tale from Steve Ditko around the time Spider-Man was getting started. Love the splash  (the letterer's delight!) and the layouts are fine but the art itself is fairly pedestrian for Ditko who was perhaps saving his best for Spidey.