Trump Letter-1957

Not much Wood here but an interesting letter from the January, 1957 issue of PLAYBOY, published the same month that issue 1 of TRUMP came out. Apparently TIME had stated flat out that MAD was gone!

Trump

I purchased TIME and read the article they ran about you and also the statement which inferred (sic) that MAD was defunct (“a short-lived satire pulp magazine”) and that you had hired the entire staff. I was shocked, to say the least, by the unethical, underhanded method you used to try and give the impression to the public that Mad was defunct. My friends and I feel the same way about the matter. I was so annoyed that I have decided to take the following action:

1. I will no longer buy TIME as I have come to the conclusion they print articles which have not been cleared and verified.

2. I will no longer buy PLAYBOY, though till now I would never have thought of missing an issue.

3. With the money I save from TIME and PLAYBOY, I intend to extend my subscription to MAD because I do not believe it will come defunct.

In all fairness to Al Feldstein, the new editor of MAD, I would like to say that I read his last two issues and enjoyed them very much—just as much as the earlier issues not edited by him.

Jerry H.

Brooklyn

The error was TIME’s, not ours: they mistakenly assumed that because PLAYBOY hired the magazine’s editorial staff, MAD was defunct. We’ve long been fans of MAD, too—that’s why we wanted its editors (Harvey Kurtzman, Harry Chester) and artists (Bill Elder, Jack Davis, Wally Wood) to help create our new humor mag, TRUMP.

Green Lantern by Kane/Wood

Gil Kane was THE artist on the Silver Age GREEN LANTERN and though his early work was awesome it tended to be a tad old-fashioned in keeping with National Comics' "house style." Here, from one of his final issues before the much lauded O'Neil and Adams issues, is a much more unrestrained and creative Kane as inked by one of his best inkers, Wallace Wood.

http://apocolytesworldofcomics.blogspot.com/2010/03/gil-kane-and-wallace-wood-superior-art.html

Nudine

Here's a page of early sketches for Nudine from the WITZEND feature, THE PIPSQUEAK PAPERS. Note that he's subtitled it, "An adult comic for comic adults."

Ralph Reese Query

Here's a piece of signed Ralph Reese art sent to me by Larry S who's attempting to identify it. It definitely looks like an EC homage. Or maybe that's Flash Gordon? Was it for anything in particular and was a version of it ever used? I know some of you will have some idea.

BTW--Speaking of Mr. Reese, I just watched the 1970 TV documentary THIS IS AL CAPP and Reese is featured as an "underground cartoonist" along with Spain, Trina and Kim Deitch, none of whom Mr. Capp was a fan.

UPDATE--Almost as soon as I posted it I remembered why it looked familiar. It was--as drawn by Al Williamson with a different background, the cover to the Williamson fan mag, THIRD RAIL.

EC Con Book-1972

Bruce Hershenson (now the operator of EMOVIEPOSTER.COM at http://www.emovieposter.com/) who would later go on to co-produce the near-facsimile EC reprints from East Coast Comix came out with this book to commemorate the one and only EC Fan-Addict Convention/Reunion from 1972. Here's a fanzine ad for the book which became my own personal first exposure to EC stories and Wood's earlier sci-fi style.

Three Doors To War-1959

From OUR FIGHTING FORCES # 10, 1959, comes this nondescript war story credited to writer Bill Finger. GCD says Wood did pencils AND inks and cites editor Julie Schwartz's personal records to that effect. Of course, that doesn't mean there wasn't an extra hand or two filling in blacks or bordering. The inklines look much thinner to me than Woody's own. More like Williamson or Torres or even reminds me of John Rosenberger (who, as far as I know, never worked with Wood).

Power Girl

I'm not sure who actually designed Power Girl but, due to her rather obvious, err...assets as well as the fact that he inked her earliest appearances, Woody is often given the credit. Were he alive today, he would undoubtedly have taken a zillion commissions for pieces like this naked Power Girl. In fact, one can find literally hundreds of images similar to this (or MUCH more explicit!) online in a matter of minutes. This, however, is the only one I've seen attributed to Wally Wood. I'm fairly certain that I have seen a Wood pencil version of this but this colorized version looks to have been completely (and not very well in spots) traced on computer by whomever added the color.

Creeps!

Here's a link to an online version of Archie Goodwin's 1976 CREEPY story, CREEPS which brought together the diverse styles of EC alumni Wally Wood and John Severin. Since both of these artists's tended to overpower the work of anyone they collaborated with, it's a fascinating combination! Throw in the fact that I'm pretty sure I detect some Ralph Reese work in there and Reese is an artist with the rare ability to overpower even Woody's work and you have a truly bizarre comics art treat.

http://blacknwhiteandredallover.blogspot.com/2010/03/post-34-creeps.html

Woody's Classic Covers # 36

To be fair, I don't think this actually IS Woodwork but this French SALLY FORTH reprint's cover is certainly based on his characters and done in his style.

Larry Hama's First

Larry Hama posted this page over at his Facebook place today, saying that it was from his very first "straight" piece for Marvel but that Marvel had never published it due to the original art being stolen. Apparently, however, it WAS published in France. Inking is by the legendary ad hoc team known as "the Crusty Bunkers," at that time consisting, according to Mr Hama, of fellow Wood-alumnus Ralph Reese, Neal Adams, Terry Austin and possibly Bob Wiacek.

Teddy and the Pirates

Here's yet another great link from Joe Bloke--MAD's TEDDY & THE PIRATES by the Kurtzman/Wood team.

http://grantbridgestreet.blogspot.com/2010/03/teddy-and-pirates.html

Unrealized Covers

Published many years later in an issue of SQUA TRONT, here are a handful of Wood covers from unrealized 1950's projects.

http://mydelineatedlife.blogspot.com/2010/03/covers-that-never-were.html

Adult Cartoon

Not certain what this is from but I'm thinking possibly from his SCREW period. Nicely drawn and mildly amusing.

Wally Wood Sings!

Hardcore Wood fans (as opposed to fans of Wood's hardcore) know that Woody considered himself a fairly decent folksinger and actually recorded and released some songs in the late seventies.

Hardcore booksteve fans (are there any?) know that I do a more or less daily column of links over at Craig Yoe's ITCHblog, recently relaunched with lots of new contributors to great acclaim if you haven't been there lately.

What I had forgotten, however, is that way back in 2007 fellow ITCHer, Craig and DJ David B ran a selection of Wally Wood's music on the blog! I even commented on it, making perhaps what was my very first contribution to ITCH. Anyway, here's David's personalized FOO sketch of Snorky. Follow the link and hear for yourself why Woody was not exactly burning up the charts with JUG BAND MUSIC.

http://superitch.com/?p=618

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

THE HORRORS OF IT ALL is running the 1955 reprint of Woody's 1950 retelling of DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE and promising more Wally Wood posts to come! Stay tuned!

http://thehorrorsofitall.blogspot.com/2010/03/dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde-part-one.html

http://thehorrorsofitall.blogspot.com/2010/03/dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde-part-two.html

George Washington Carver-Original Art

An original page from one of Woody's books in the Childhood of Famous Americans series.

Wally Wood Shirts

I am not in any way affiliated with these but I ran across them this morning and wanted to let everyone know. I don't know any details but it looks like the proceeds go to the scholarship fund established in Wood's name after his death. If anyone can clarify in the comments with more details, it would be much appreciated.

http://www.cafepress.com/wallywoodshirt