Number 1751: “The world’s finest clues are often taken from a waste basket.”

Graham Ingels drew this tale of an embezzler, a gambler and a hapless millionaire for Exposed #6 (1949). It is a crime story, but adds a detective who carries a cat.

The detective is Ephraim Gilpin, “independently wealthy, and very independent in his methods.” Well, yes, I should say bringing one’s kitty cat to a crime scene is probably not the usual detective method.

In the late forties, before settling into a regular gig with EC Comics (and cementing his reputation as one of the greatest horror artists), Ingels did like many other artists were doing, freelancing. I have shown his work before during this same era with stories from EC, Fiction House, and crime comics like Exposed. In this story the artwork is not up to the usual Ghastly standards of the horror comics, but the thing about Ingels is his style, no matter the genre, is instantly recognizable.

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 I am a sucker for Sucker Bait and Other Stories Illustrated by Graham Ingels

Fantagraphics Books keeps the history of EC alive and vibrant with their series of books highlighting a different artist in each. The stories are shown in black line, which is perfect for this book of stories by Graham Ingels. Of all of the EC artists, I believe Ingels’ stark and noirish panels benefit most from not having comic book colors covering his carefully detailed work.

There are 26 stories from the EC horror comics, Tales From the Crypt, Vault of Horror and Haunt of Fear. What I miss are Ingels’ covers, which are moody and nightmarish.

The stories about Ingels are that he was alcoholic, and had trouble with deadlines. He must have caused his bosses some consternation, but in Bill Mason’s introduction for Sucker Bait, he quotes publisher Bill Gaines as saying “. . . we just stuck Ingels into the horror books and it didn’t take us very long to realize what had happened — that Ingels was Mr. Horror himself.” Al Feldstein, editor and writer of all of the 26 stories in Sucker Bait, said: “Graham Ingels’ work stands out because of his technique, which was a product of his total makeup — his physical, psychological, emotional makeup.” You don’t see the word “alcohol” in there. Maybe Feldstein just wanted to avoid mentioning that problem of one of his former stars.

If it was part of his makeup, then at least we have what we do of what came out of pencil and brush, and that is shown very effectively in this book.

 Drenched in black ink and mood, and yet often with a playful sense of humor...the best of Ingels is represented.

Like the others in this series, beautiful printing, tightly bound, made for permanence. Retail price is $28.99. Available from Fantagraphics or your usual book store or comic store. Highly recommended.

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Not included in the book is this, “A Sucker For a Spider” is from Tales From the Crypt #29, shown in scans of the original art. Just click on the thumbnail to see it.

Number 1719: Bill Everett, Marvel Boy

Bill Everett did these two entertaining tales for Atlas Comics in the early fifties. The Marvel Boy story is from Astonishing #3 (1951). Marvel Boy has an occupation as Bob Grayson, insurance investigator. He also goes after commies. At some time in a callous and cruel youth I might have laughed at the way he escapes from the geezer who is acting as his guard. (“HAW! HAW! Look at how that old man gets his head bashed on the table! HAW!”) But the oldster is kind to him, and now I am more the old man’s age than Marvel Boy’s, so commie or not, I wish MB had handled his escape some other way. But then, as one of the bad guys tells him, “You’ve been readin' too many comic books, chum!” And as we all know, comic books will rot a young man’s mind, even a character in a comic book.

“Ghost Story” is from Amazing Detective #13 (1952), and Everett, as he did so well, pulls out all the stops on his rendition of the supernatural entity. Not content to show a more traditional ghost, Everett’s ghost is something out of a nightmare’s nightmare. Being me, I must say that showing it in the splash panel is a mistake, a spoiler.

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Bill Everett’s salad days

As a very young cartoonist in the very young days of the comic books, Bill Everett showed a knack for the medium. While his early artwork could be somewhat crude compared to his later, slicker style, what was possible was already showing. The book by Blake Bell, Amazing Mysteries, subtitled The Bill Everett Archives Vol. 1, shows how quickly the potential of Everett as a major comic art talent developed. Examples shown were published orignally from 1938 to 1942.

The 200 pages of Everett artwork reproduced in the book (top-notch reproduction from ancient comic books, too, I must say) goes from his earliest work with Skyrocket Steele to the curiosity, Dirk the Demon, to Amazing-Man. From that character it wasn’t far for Everett to progress to Sub-Mariner, arguably his createst creation, and the one that has had the longest life. (Will future volumes reprint any of his Sub-Mariner work? It would be a shame to leave it out, but Sub-Mariner, unlike the stories reprinted here, is not in public domain.)

Although there is a section devoted to Everett’s Western creation, Bulls-Eye Bill, the whole comics industry moved where Superman took it, so Everett’s earliest work mostly involved superheroes. He worked on such features as Hydro-Man, Sub-Zero Man and The Conqueror.

This is a page from The Conqueror (Victory Comics #1, 1941), which shows Everett’s slicker inking, and his command of storytelling, comic book style.

 Covers were a place where Everett was able to show his skill in creating instant eye-appeal. His early covers for Centaur’s Amazing Mystery Funnies have a poster-like quality.

Author Blake Bell includes biographical information on Everett, who came from an upper middle-class Massachusetts family, and Bell also tells us of some of the things that cut his life short. Everett had tuberculosis at an early age (he was sent to Arizona to recover in the dry climate, hence his interest in the Old West and cowboys), began drinking at age 12, and smoked three packs of cigarettes a day. It is almost an “amazing mystery” how he managed to live to just a couple of months short of his 56th birthday.

Bell also includes some pages of original art, including some concept sketches for comic book covers that never were. It is the kind of fascinating ephemera I really appreciate.

Fantagraphics Books did an excellent job with this book, and it gets my highest recommendation. The printing and binding are attractive and durable. It is available from the usual outlets, and is listed with a retail price of $39.99.

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More Bill Everett. Just click on the thumbnail.