A question on GA Timely covers. Stan Lee and Alex Schomburg 2 2

[shadroch]

I recently read where Stan Lee would personally come up with the initial cover designs for

Marvels SA books. He supposedly would knock off thirty ideas in a half hour or so.

Did he do the same with the GA books, does anyone know?

The reason I'm asking is because I am slowly putting together a decent collection of Alex Schomburg covers, and his Timely work blows away his Nedor hero work, in my opinion. Most of his Black Terror covers pale besides the Cap and Human torch covers, as far as I'm concerned. Was he working off a concept for the Timely covers or did he have carte blanc to do what he wanted.

Is the relationship between Stan and Alex discussed anywhere? If there was a relationship.

[jaybuck43]

Full text written by Stan Lee (Creator of "Spiderman" and "Hulk") about Alex Schomburg:

 

I've always felt that Alex Schomburg was to comic books what Norman Rockwell was to The Saturday Evening Post. He was totally unique, with an amazing distinctive style. You could never mistake a Schomburg cover for any other artist's. When it came to illustrating covers, there was simply no one else in Alex's league.

 

Now then, lest it sound as though I'm a long-time fan of Alex Schomburg, this is the time to set the record straight. You can bet your entire comic book collection I am!

 

And I'm not the only one. I remember 'way back in the early '40s when Martin Goodman was the publisher of Timely Comics (which was destined to become world-famous Marvel Comics some twenty years later), I remember hearing Martin tell me time and again how great a cover illustrator Alex was, and how he wished we had more like him. And take it from me, O true believer, publishers have never been known for bestowing praise lightly.

 

Alex's artwork was so unique, so stylized, that I can remember it as clearly now as when I first saw it at the dawn of the Golden Age of Comics. Here's why...

 

He was the only artist I knew able to combine strong, dramatic layouts, and exciting superhero action with a simplistic, almost cartoony style of execution. One could never be sure if Alex was an illustrator who approached his work like a cartoonist, or a cartoonist who chose to render his artwork like an illustrator. But whatever the answer, the end results were nothing short of superb.

 

One other thing must be noted. In the world of comic books, deadlines are of paramount importance. If an artist doesn't deliver his pages on time, the magazine just won't be published. Well, despite the quantity of work we gave him, despite the care and effort that went into every Schomburg cover, I cannot remember Alex ever being late with any illustration. He was as reliable as he was talented.

 

At the bullpen itself, our whole staff of artists and writers was enthusiastic Schomburg fans. We used to wonder how he managed to get so much detail in every cover. No matter how difficult the scene, no matter how many people, Alex drew them clearly, accurately and excitingly. If he had to draw a bridge, you'd see every rivet, every girder in the structure. If he drew a crowd scene, you'd see everyone in the crowd doing something specific and interesting.

 

In short, Alex Schomburg never faked it. He gave both the comic book company and the reader their money in spades, and he did it with style, with humor, with talent and grace.

http://www.alexschomburg.com/press_stan_lee.htm

 

 

 

[shadroch]

Saw that, but it doesn't really say much. What i'm wondering is did Stan say I need a cover that has Nazi's digging a tunnel under NY harbor and invading NYC, and give him a stick drawing of what he wanted or did he say "I need a cover by Tuesday. " and Schomburg did the rest.

I'd love to know what Schomburg thought of Stan. Was he offered SA work at Marvel?

[adamstrange]

Stan's first turn as editor was brief -- a matter of months. He took over after Joe Simon and Jack Kirby left but then went into the Army. During WWII Vince Fago was the editor. I don't recall reading anything about Lee's involvement with Schomburg but it's unlikely to be much.

[adamstrange]

Schomburg moved to Oregon in the late 40s and left no forwarding address. He did no further business with any of his NYC clients.

 

He was contacted by fans in the early 70s and did a Bronze Age cover for Invaders at the request of Roy Thomas.

 

In Comic Book Market Place 5 they indicate that Schomburg was given nothing more than the names of superheros to include on the cover with the rest being up to him. The article is by Steve Duin who interviewed Schomburg and was a friend for a number of years. Steve's a reporter in Oregon and would be your best bet if you want to know more.

[Knightsofold]

Great topic, I have a great deal of Schomburg questions myself.

 

Thanks for the Steve Duin clue Adamstrange.

 

I just found this article, it looks good.

 

Steve Duin Schomburg article.

 

 

[Vision75]

Great topic, I have a great deal of Schomburg questions myself.

 

Thanks for the Steve Duin clue Adamstrange.

 

I just found this article, it looks good.

 

Steve Duin Schomburg article.

 

 

Thanks Knightfold for posting! Interesting article. Speaking of Schomburg's own re-creation covers.....CAT, you want to make a post?

[rjpb]

Given that Schomburg's covers had absolutely nothing to do with the interior stories, it's completely believable that he got no editorial direction beyond who was suppose to appear. His Timely ( and Harvey) covers from the war years tend to be a bit busier than his Nedor covers from the same era, so he may have gotten feedback from the individual publishers in terms of how much visual clutter they preferred.

[BB-Gun]

 

One of Schomburg's covers for Gernsback is in the photo with a later cover for Nedor. He published an additional cover in 1925 but I don't have a copy. The cover shown in CBM Golden Age edition is from 1926, I think.

 

Sometimes the covers of Harvey comics and Timely were associated with a text story. Perhaps the editor submitted some of these to Alex ahead of publishing time as a request.

 

[BB-Gun]

In this case, the cover appeared on issue 21 and the story was in 22. Maybe Burgos had shown him a figure but more likely it was created by Alex and Burgos copied his drawing.

[Vision75]

 

One of Schomburg's covers for Gernsback is in the photo with a later cover for Nedor. He published an additional cover in 1925 but I don't have a copy. The cover shown in CBM Golden Age edition is from 1926, I think.

 

Sometimes the covers of Harvey comics and Timely were associated with a text story. Perhaps the editor submitted some of these to Alex ahead of publishing time as a request.

 

BB, you have the best pulp covers !!

[BB-Gun]

 

One of Schomburg's covers for Gernsback is in the photo with a later cover for Nedor. He published an additional cover in 1925 but I don't have a copy. The cover shown in CBM Golden Age edition is from 1926, I think.

 

Sometimes the covers of Harvey comics and Timely were associated with a text story. Perhaps the editor submitted some of these to Alex ahead of publishing time as a request.

 

BB, you have the best pulp covers !!

 

Thanks but my collection isn't much compared to collections owned by BZ, JB Comic Box or Red Fury.

[Dr. Love]

Great article by Duin. Thanks, adamstrange and Knightsofold!

 

In addition to Everyday Astrology, a steady monthly gig for Schomburg from at least 1938 till the mid 50's, Schomburg also did an annual magazine called Your Prophecy.

 

 

 

[BB-Gun]

In some cases, Stan may have provided a text story which was used as a guideline for the artist.

For example, the text from MM 21.

 

[thehumantorch]

Great article by Duin. Thanks, adamstrange and Knightsofold!

 

In addition to Everyday Astrology, a steady monthly gig for Schomburg from at least 1938 till the mid 50's, Schomburg also did an annual magazine called Your Prophecy.

 

 

 

Those are beautiful, thanks for sharing.

[jbcomicbox]

I guess this would fit here.

 

The text following it, is my surmise that this cover was a prototype for Suspense 3

 

This is an article I did years ago for CBM....

 

PROTOTYPE OR RE-TREAD?

 

Click.

The last issue of CBM spotlighted the run of Suspense Comics, and particularly the third issue with the classic Schomburg cover. Other than the postage size reproduction in the Gerber Photo-Journal and occasionally viewing the book from afar at infrequently attended comicbook conventions, I had never had an opportunity to view the third issue with any degree of care until it was reproduced in the color gallery of CBM 30. After looking at it a bit, it seemed oddly familiar, as if I had seen it in some other form.

Click.

I pulled out a copy of All-New Comics 8. There it was. Another Schomburg cover. As viewed, there was a bound blond threatened by an upturned sword. Both issues have the woman surrounded by monstrous Nazis, some hooded in Klu Klux Klan fashion. Both impending executions are set in a tropical locale surrounded by raised walls or land with desperate rescues in sight. In one, a Nazi shoots a revolver from the lower right to the upper left while in the other the shot starts from the lower left and goes to the upper right. Instead of the spear set to be flung from up above in Suspense 3, there is a machine gun firing down into the scene of impending mayhem. Of course, the All-New cover prominently features the “Red Blazer” and the “Boy Heroes”, the title’s resident heroes. However, the overall composition and feel of each cover are obviously similar. Mere coincidence?

Click.

Suspense 3 has an April 1944 cover date while All-New 8 has a cover date of May 1944- only one month apart! Logic would dictate that Schomburg had to have created these covers in close temporal proximity to one another. Commencing with issue 6, All-New’s prior sporadic output went on an every other month schedule. One could hypothesize that the owner of the title would want to insure a regular schedule by having several issues already prepared. The first Schomburg cover was with the seventh issue. Could Schomburg have created the cover for issue 8 well in advance of its scheduled release? Is it possible that the cover to number 8 was the prototype/inspiration for one of the classic comicbook covers of all time? Is it possible that the cover to issue 8 was created before Suspense 3?

Click.

All-New Comics contained a text feature that was entitled “The Story Behind the Cover”. The text would then relate a short story. The cover to a particular issue illustrated a dramatic moment from that story. Obviously the text piece and cover in issue 8 involved the comic characters of that title. Succinctly, the story in All-New 8 involved the abduction and planned execution by Nazis of the daughter of the French commander in North Africa. However, these plot elements apply with equal force to the cover of Suspense 3 as demonstrated by the following abbreviated excerpt from All-New 8:

 

Marianna Le Clair was of that startling beauty which

made all stop to stare...Yes, she was a famous general’s

daughter. The General was...[the French] commander of Camel Corps..[in] North Africa. [As she strolled through a bazaar] ...on

a hot sultry day...a dirty rough hand..went across her mouth...

a sharp blow struck her temple....and she lost all

consciousness....

 

A shrill woman’s cry stabbed the sultry air ...

[T]russed by heavy rope, lying limp and helpless was pretty

Marianna....Over her hovered devilishly fantastic creatures,

garbed in weird costumes. To a side, a fiendish-face Nazi..

squatted. In the center of the piazza a ...man stood

raising a wicked short sword....

 

The cover to Suspense 3 had no relationship to the content of that comicbook. It may be stated that while this cover represents the ultimate “refinement” of the cover/concept of All-New 8, it is, nonetheless, a refinement. Clearly, the text piece of All-New 8 easily reflects the scene depicted on Suspense 3. Is the cover to All-New 8 the prototype for the cover to Suspense 3? Is the text piece of All-New 8 the inspiration for the cover of Suspense 3? You be the judge.

Click.

JSB 1996

 

 

 

[Cat-Man_America]

Great topic, I have a great deal of Schomburg questions myself.

 

Thanks for the Steve Duin clue Adamstrange.

 

I just found this article, it looks good.

 

Steve Duin Schomburg article.

 

 

Thanks Knightfold for posting! Interesting article. Speaking of Schomburg's own re-creation covers.....CAT, you want to make a post?

 

 

...

 

 

[markseifert]

...And then there's the 4 foot x 8 foot Schomburg original painting that was recently discovered in an Oregon "fish-viewing station". Super fun story:

 

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/steve_duin/index.ssf/2014/01/steve_duin_an_alex_schomburg_o.html

[rjpb]

Sometimes the covers of Harvey comics and Timely were associated with a text story. Perhaps the editor submitted some of these to Alex ahead of publishing time as a request.

 

Or it was the other way around, as they were considered total filler, and the writers didn't want to spend more than a few minutes thinking up the idea for them. Basing a story on the cover would have been the quickest inspiration.

[BB-Gun]

...And then there's the 4 foot x 8 foot Schomburg original painting that was recently discovered in an Oregon "fish-viewing station". Super fun story:

 

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/steve_duin/index.ssf/2014/01/steve_duin_an_alex_schomburg_o.html

 

That is a wonderful story. Glad to hear that some of Schomburg's art survived.

He was equally comfortable under the sea as he was on one of the moons of Jupiter.