Peerless Power of Comics!

My introduction to Don Heck’s art began in the mid-1960s, when he was associated primarily with Marvel Comics' super-heroes, including  "Iron Man," "Ant-Man" and The Avengers . Reprints in Fantasy Masterpieces  educated me on Heck's stylish monster/science-fiction short stories, that while only six or seven years old, seemed like a discovery from an ancient age. As my collecting interests grew, I became aware of his facility in an array of genres, including romance, war and westerns. Through fanzines and interviews I learned of his beginnings, both the high-points and pitfalls of toiling in the comic book field.  Heck struggled at times to maintain his identity, and in later years didn't often get the choice assignments, passed over for younger, more popular artists, but his contributions to the field deserve recognition.          Don Heck’s earliest work appeared in 1952 at Comic Media. He contributed across the line in Weird Terror , War Fury,...

The name Richard Kyle casts a long shadow over comic book fandom. His first article was published in Richard Lupoff's Xero  # 8 (April 1962), "The Education of Victor Fox", and it was a far-cry from the often-gushing pieces many teens fashioned when writing about their favorite characters or comics. Kyle's twenty two page examination of Fox comics took a hard look at the publisher's  lowest common denominator output, claiming his business practices stained the entire industry. Kyle's writing displayed a level of craft and critical thinking that raised the bar considerably for others to follow. Kyle continued to write articles, essays and reviews for fanzines, notably Bill Spicer's Fantasy Illustrated/Graphic Story Magazine , but in 1971 he crafted his own publication, one that aspired to cover the field of comics in all its permutations. Kyle's statement of purpose appeared on the cover heading to the first issue of Graphic Story World. His fanzine off...