Comic Book Creator #35 Summer 2024 (magazine review).
TwoMorrows has been careful to move odder comicbooks, mostly due to content. Writer Bob Levin focuses more on Penthouse Comics editor/writer George Caragonne (1965-1995) than the content, pointing out that researching the man was challenging due to conflicting stories from various sources and a lack of answers from those he collaborated with. Even though he lived nearly 30 years ago, his lifestyle may have affected their careers. It demonstrates how giving too much power can lead to tragic outcomes.
The first part of an interview with comicbook writer Arnold Drake (1924–2007) was certainly an eye-opener. His family also included creatives from various fields. His brothers were popular composers with some well-known songs to their names. You might need to be of a certain age to recall ‘Mairzy Doats Abd Dozy Doats’, but you would undoubtedly be familiar with ‘I Believe’. The world is definitely getting smaller. You learn a lot about Drake’s past, including his time in World War II, how he broke into comic books, and how he ghostwrote some early Batman tales. This is just part one, and we haven’t even gotten to the Doom Patrol yet.
Joe B. Cooke conducts a fascinating interview with Jack Butterworth, a journalist and occasionally comicbook writer, where he shares his fascinating collection of original comicbook pages, which he acquired early and later sold at a significant price increase. His main claim to fame as a teenager was a statement that ultimately ended up on the back of the first “Spider-Man Collector’s Album” in 1964: “If Charlie Brown wore a skin-tight costume and fought crime, he would be Spider-Man.”
Of course, the finale provides an extensive look at writer Dennis ‘Denny’ O’Neil (1929-2020) and his long career, as portrayed by writer Bob Brodsky. He gained prominence by incorporating socially relevant issues into the lives of Green Lantern and Green Arrow. I wasn’t aware that he was still a newspaper journalist alongside writing and editing comicbooks. If there is a minor issue with displaying some newsprint, you can either enlarge it to make it easier to read, or print the text separately if you want it to be read. O’Neil’s versatility largely came about with his need to write. Give yourself a relaxing hour to read because it’s a page-turner.
‘Comic Book Creator’ typically prioritizes the artists over the writers, and this issue follows suit. There are a few shorter items in this issue, but the big ones should be more than enough for you to get this issue.
GF Willmetts
October 2024
(pub: TwoMorrows Publishing. 82 page illustrated magazine. Price: $ 9.95 (US). ISSN: 2330-2437. Direct from them, you can get it for $10.95 (US))
check out websites: www.TwoMorrows.com and https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_132&products_id=1793
