Number 1709: Kaleidoscope

When William M. Gaines had to finally admit defeat and place the Comics Code symbol on his covers, then it was time to call it quits for his comic book line. I haven’t checked (too lazy, too tired) to see if Incredible Science Fiction #33 (1956) was the last EC comic book, but if not it was the last issue of ISF, at any rate. Jack Oleck wrote the contents for all four issues of the comic, re-titled from Weird Science Fantasy because the Code forbade the word “weird.” The usual EC artists contributed, including Jack Davis, whom I have never thought of as a science fiction artist. He could draw all of the Wallace Wood-styled machinery, and rocket ships, and render a raygun blast as well as anyone, but when I think of him I just never think of him as drawing SF.

The character is named “Davis” and I think Jack Davis drew himself in the part. From here Davis went on to other freelance jobs, including Mad and later comic book jobs, humor magazines like Humbug, Cracked, Sick, and then back to Mad. EC Comics, its horror comics and Mad led Davis to a high profile career doing album jackets, movie posters, book and magazine covers. No one needs to look at “Kaleidoscope” and feel sorry for Jack Davis. The end of EC Comics was a new beginning for him. The cartoonist from Georgia did mighty fine for himself. Mighty fine.

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A day after posting “Kaleidoscope” I found a used paperback of scripter Jack Oleck’s 1959 novel, Messalina. Half-a-million copies in print. Not bad.

This is a 1963 printing, with a James Bama cover. After this Oleck did not publish another novel until the early '70s. Jack Oleck bio and bibliography.