Alter Ego #113 October 2012 (magazine review).
In his editorial to this 2012 edition of ‘Alter Ego’, Roy Thomas points out that he only touches on comic book creators whose careers started off in the 1960s and continued on. Here, we have an interview by Richard J. Arndt with writer/editor Marv Wolfman, covering his fanzine days, leading into his early career at DC Comics. He says his strength was in plots and fellow writer Len Wein with scripts, so they worked together. It was only because Gary Conway urged him to improve his character writing that Wolfman got his act together and thinks if he hadn’t, wouldn’t have had his career.
I had heard the story that while at DC Comics, the Comic Code Authority didn’t believe his name because horror creatures weren’t allowed in comics and had to patch in his credit later in DC’s mystery comic books. This resulted in DC Comics finally giving credits for all their creators. This is a fascinating interview with insights into DC Comics, Warren and Marvel from an editorial to a writer’s perspective and how things were changing over the years.
The fourth part of Jim Amash’s interview with Leonard Starr continues to provide insight into the artists he knew. I appreciated his observation that they focused on socialising when they were not working on their drawings. He also provides insight into his ‘On Stage’ newspaper strip before taking over ‘Annie’.
Writer Richard J. Arndt gives an update here from Alter Ego # 105 about how some comic book stories got past the Comics Code Authority and that those who ran the CCA were retired teachers with no background in comics. I wish there was more information about the selection process for these individuals.
In the ‘Mr Monster’ section, Michael T. Gilbert introduces an article by magician Frances Ireland Marshall as she assesses Jim Steranko as a fellow magician and escapologist. From the sounds of things, he gave up on the latter because of the number of bruises it gave him. He was also doing comic book art at the same time before breaking into the industry.
The second part of the ‘Comic Book Fandom Panel’ draws some interesting comparisons to science fiction fandom and why it was deemed a junior fandom simply by the differences in ages at the time, although that wasn’t entirely true. That didn’t stop American comic book fandom from adopting some of the same elements for themselves.
Lastly, several friends of Fawcett comic book artist/designer Emilio Squeglio (1927-2012) pay their respects to an Italian-American who befriended them.
As always, it’s worth pursuing early issues of ‘Alter Ego’ simply because they build up the early history of American comic books.
GF Willmetts
June 2025
(pub: TwoMorrows Publishing. 82 page illustrated magazine. Price: $ 8.95 (US). ISSN: 1932-6890. Direct from them, you can get it for $ 8.95 (US))
check out websites: www.TwoMorrows.com and https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_55&products_id=1032
