Alter Ego # 35 April 2004 (magazine review)
Editor Roy Thomas admits in his editorial that two major articles in this edition of ‘Alter Ego’ squeezed everything out. As the main cover notes ‘1950s Marvel Super-Hero Revival!’ that gives that away. I should point out before I go on that if you’re buying early issues of many TwoMorrows publications, they upended with twin covers and you could be shown the wrong main cover on auction websites. Some have even shown the advert back covers, so don’t take it for granted you’re seeing the main one when choosing based on what you think is its chief subject matter.
So, to the main theme here. Roy Thomas writes the opening article introducing his first encounter with the revivals of Timely/Marvel’s Captain America, Human Torch and Sub-Mariner. Back in the 1950s, with no fandom or information source other than in the comicbooks, I can see how he got Bill Everett’s name wrong because his signature was either badly written or blotted by the printing standards of the day. I bet all of us have that done something like that over the years. Considering none of these characters had been in print for a number of years, I can see Thomas’ excitement in seeing them again. I saw some of the Sub-Mariner stories reprinted in ‘Marvel Super-Heroes’ back in the 1960s and hadn’t really realised their significance at the time. I mean, I hadn’t known that Namor had lost his ankle wings, just getting them back in the Rejuvenator and brought on par with a certain DC character.
Jim Amash interviews John Romita Snr. about his time at Timely in the 1950s where he worked on Captain America and his time in their bullpen and his fellow artists. It also gives some insight into Stan Lee wanting to have various artists’ work touched up or corrected to look better. Considering Romita went onto being in this post in the late 1960s onwards as well as drawing Spider-Man shows how busy he was.
Roy Thomas’ interview with comicbook artist Dick Ayers focuses on his time when he took over ‘The Human Torch’ strip. His reinterpretation of the flames covering the Torch was then corrected by his original artist Carl Burgos. Whether this was ordered by publisher Martin Goodman or editor Stan Lee is unknown.
Speaking of which, Roy Thomas interviews Stan Lee, who confesses from the start his memory is poor and the various prompts even about people who worked for him are vague. Even so, its worth reading from people who were there.
Flipping this edition over, Jim Amash interviews cartoonist Al Jaffee about his time at Timely in the late 1950s and given freedom to do what he liked when it came to funny animal stories by Stan Lee. Jaffee admits he could never draw serious characters. His time in the funny department in the bullpen and the pranks they pulled is probably a reflection on their sense of humour and those who didn’t. It wasn’t all one-sided. The move to becoming freelancers was largely because it paid better than being on staff. Jaffe’s insights, especially into Stan Lee in that time period, are illuminating in how much he wanted a good-looking product. If he knew you could do the job, then he let you get on with it.
The first part if writer Bill Schelly’s interview with South African writer John Wright about his childhood and love of American comicbooks shows parallels to the UK. Comicbooks were used as ship ballast and sold in our countries. One thing I would like to know is just what did these ships replace them with in their hold? Did they take British or South African books or whatever back to the USA?
Have I given you enough to entice you to read a copy?
GF Willmetts
May 2026
(pub: TwoMorrows Publishing. 82 page illustrated magazine. Price: $10.95 (US). ISSN: 1932-6890. Direct from them, you can get it for $ 4.99 (US))
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