In the Shadow of the Atomic Age 6 6

[adamstrange]

31 minutes ago, Sqeggs said:

GCD credits Morris Gullub for the covers to 8 and 9.  I have to admit that I'm not familiar with him, but he seems to have been a far better artist than Jesse Marsh, imho.

You may be more familiar than you realize as he painted a ton of covers for Dell.  He is a more accomplished artist than Marsh, but there's more than technical ability required to tell a good story.

[Scrooge]

Tarzan # 10 - Front and back covers and assorted silliness

Definitely a very weak entry in the series wherein Tarzan has to deal with an advanced ape civilization with tech to match that can shrink Tarzan and his fellow captured friends!

This panel says a lot about the story … Fine on a DC cover some years later, woefully out of place in this series -

… though it does have its effect on Tarzan -

A rare flash of flair in the entire story -

Meanwhile, this is not a complete one-story book but rather we get introduced to a back-up non-continuing story. Boy plays with the baboons. Doesn't end well. Surprise!

Check out the right-most baboon. Poor thing was treated as dirt by whomever colored the issue, ended up yellow as the ground.

 

[Scrooge]

We're done with the flashback in the series, so fast forward to where I left off, we have # 20.

# 20 - Front and back cover and sample art -

Another strong entry in the Warrior series -

By this point, we're done with the Ape-English dictionary that ran in the early issues and other assorted features that ran in the inside covers (I've glossed over those but they are 100% added value to the package of this series) and we have this wonderful map. Imagine your 8-year old self being presented by this and the time you'd have taken to delve and get lost in it! -

The first story has probably the best opening of any stories thus far in the series -

… and the art remains strong throughout the story -

In the second story, we are reminded that it always helps to make friends of every one. Here is Tarzan helping N'Kima during a hurricane -

… and N'Kima returning the favor later on … but from the caption and the look on its face, you can judge that N'Kima might not be up to the task 

 

[Sqeggs]

2 hours ago, Scrooge said:

By this point, we're done with the Ape-English dictionary that ran in the early issues and other assorted features that ran in the inside covers (I've glossed over those but they are 100% added value to the package of this series) and we have this wonderful map. Imagine your 8-year old self being presented by this and the time you'd have taken to delve and get lost in it! -

 

Oh, yeah!  I used to love maps like this as a kid.  I used to draw some of my own (sloppily and crudely!).  Great fun.

[Robot Man]

I love maps too. Always have. Especially when they are related to comic books or radio shows. I could only imagine receiving these in the mail and following along on the radio while looking at them. These little pictures don't really do them justice.

[Scrooge]

Switching gears for a little while, I pulled out a stack of Tonto.

Tonto # 2 - Front and back covers and panel art.

This is the first issue of the series after it was spun off the Four Color series, quite rapidly since only one Four Color was published. The focus will be on Giolitti's art so the Four Color entry is not included. This is the only issue with Tonto in the indicia. The other issues in the series are The Lone Ranger's Companion Tonto.

Giolitti's work is nicely sandwiched between the front and back covers by Ernest Nordli, who provides great covers in this run.

Giolitti's work does not work like Marsh. Less design for the entire page but more effort in each individual panel.

Here's an example of an action panel, left un-bordered, maybe the only one in the story, allowing the action radiate. There is more dynamism in this one panel than in entire pages by Marsh. It's a different approach to story-telling -

There is generally always a sense of place in all these panels. Check this second panel for the second story after an establishing shot as the top row of the page. The shot is more narrowly framed but we don't lose the sense of the height of their location with a sparse line of top trees, highlighted by not only a bare rock-top but also a couple of birds flying closely. It all amounts to a great sense of place to root the story -

While this panel might have been photo-referenced (though it's still not clear in my mind if it was or not) … -

… it's the consistency and the attention to the details throughout the pages that help me enjoy Giolitti's work - the same attention for continuity was placed for non-close-up panels.

Same applies to wildlife -

 

 

 

 

 

[Scrooge]

Tonto # 3 - Front and back covers with panel art

These stories are in the general Dell Western mold, that is without continuity across issues or stories within a single issue.

Again, I really these for the simple moments in gorgeous panels like this one -

… or within the same story where they set a trap and we get a fairly realistic landscape for the story -

 … and setting for the action - even the figures in the distance are detailed enough to distinguish the two horses, the chief and Tonto, etc.

There was some potential photo-reference in the previous issue. This panel is another likely candidate, not sure why but it gave me that impression -

 

[Scrooge]

Tonto # 5 - Front cover and panel art

The second story ends on the back cover in this one. The first story sees Chief Stone Bear's power threatened by young men who chafe under the peace Chief Stone Bear has established with the Crow. It takes all of Tonto's skills to prove to the Crow that these young men are responsible. In the second story, Tonto and the Chief end up providing a posse for the marshal after a rogue takes over a town by using fake votes in the ballot. The election fraud is eventually thwarted thanks to the local judge and Tonto.

This panel comes from the back cover, resulting in deeper colors for its printing … though that still won't explain the physics of that feather!

Through these two stories, Giolitti makes more common use of page-wide tiers. All the stories are on a 2 by 3 grid so while one can suspect that collapsing two panels into a single tier is simply to save time, it's not always the case. Most of the times, it seems justified for the story element. For example, we get this nice scene when the crooks attack in the second story (no time saved here) -

… or when Tonto attacks in the first story here -

Always something exciting happening, even if it is someone being dragged. The feeling of movement is simply and well represented - Note that, without trying, I ended with 4 silent panels!

 

 

[Scrooge]

Tonto # 6 - Front cover and panel art.

Same format: two stories within these covers (last page of second story on the back cover of the comics). In the first one, the guide of a convoy is trying to swindle the pioneers out of their claimed lot. In the second story, a landowner is trying to extort cattle ranchers a fee to pass his lands. Routine storylines for a Western.

I look at this cover and all I can see is Cary Grant as Tonto. Same facial features: nose, dimple, cheekbones, eyebrows -

The only occurrence of stacked panels thus far in these few issues. Used to perfection in the story -

In the same manner as above, Giolitti has a great eye for camera angles in his staging -

Finally, another good use of the one panel tier, followed by a perilous descent - Note: there is always a full moon in Giolitti's pages … to the point it's distracting. The moon was absolutely not necessary in the lower left panel.

[Scrooge]

Tonto 7 - Front cover and panel art

Again, two stories. Story 1: Spanish gold coins treasure & Story 2: sheep herd being rustled so that gold in river is undiscovered

In the first story, we see Tonto and a doc exploring caves where the treasure is hidden. This scene and others are foreshadowing the work Giolitti would later do on Turok -

Tonto is the one diving to retrieve the coins … until the bad guys show up … until Tonto saves the day -

While reading the second story, I had the suspicion that it wasn't all Giolitti's hands at work. The indexer on the GCD agrees. There are diverse hands in this job. The indexer presumes that Giolitti would have laid out the entire job though.

Liked this panel. Too bad the yellow and blue layers aren't matching up as it muddies the image.

This panel and the 4 pages around this panel definitely felt by someone else's hands -

I really like when part of the story is printed on the inside back cover as it gives us a glimpse of the page sans colors. Sometimes, the work shines better that way, as in this panel -

 

[Robot Man]

Here are a few "Atomic" books...

[Robot Man]

A few more Atomic Age books...

[lbcolefan]

Here’s 2 more “atomic” books.

 

[evilskip]

Lot to the party, but here is a very low grade SSC 122 that i picked up for around $25. Also a 125 that looks to me to be in the 5.0 range.

[creaturefan95]

[Arkadin]

1951 post-Eisner Spirit section.

 

And on the back, a Clifford by Eugene Bilbrew, who took over the strip after Jules Feiffer was drafted. Bilbrew is best known for his fetish art for sleazy pulps of the era. 

Here's an interesting article about Bilbrew: A long-lost artist of the 1950's sexual underground

[Sqeggs]

On 8/22/2018 at 9:11 PM, evilskip said:

Lot to the party, but here is a very low grade SSC 122 that i picked up for around $25. Also a 125 that looks to me to be in the 5.0 range.

These are some of my favorite books from the era.

[Sqeggs]

On 8/1/2018 at 8:12 PM, Scrooge said:

Switching gears for a little while, I pulled out a stack of Tonto.

Tonto # 2 - Front and back covers and panel art.

This is the first issue of the series after it was spun off the Four Color series, quite rapidly since only one Four Color was published. The focus will be on Giolitti's art so the Four Color entry is not included. This is the only issue with Tonto in the indicia. The other issues in the series are The Lone Ranger's Companion Tonto.

Giolitti's work is nicely sandwiched between the front and back covers by Ernest Nordli, who provides great covers in this run.

Giolitti's work does not work like Marsh. Less design for the entire page but more effort in each individual panel.

Here's an example of an action panel, left un-bordered, maybe the only one in the story, allowing the action radiate. There is more dynamism in this one panel than in entire pages by Marsh. It's a different approach to story-telling -

There is generally always a sense of place in all these panels. Check this second panel for the second story after an establishing shot as the top row of the page. The shot is more narrowly framed but we don't lose the sense of the height of their location with a sparse line of top trees, highlighted by not only a bare rock-top but also a couple of birds flying closely. It all amounts to a great sense of place to root the story -

While this panel might have been photo-referenced (though it's still not clear in my mind if it was or not) … -

… it's the consistency and the attention to the details throughout the pages that help me enjoy Giolitti's work - the same attention for continuity was placed for non-close-up panels.

Same applies to wildlife -

 

Never read an issue of Tonto.  Do they explain the absence of the Lone Ranger?  Are these adventures Tonto had before he met the LR? 

[Scrooge]

4 minutes ago, Sqeggs said:

Never read an issue of Tonto.  Do they explain the absence of the Lone Ranger?  Are these adventures Tonto had before he met the LR? 

They are his own adventures between those with the LR. It's common for a story to end with Tonto riding away saying: " 'til next time, I have to join back with my friend" or some such, indicating he's joining back up with the LR.

Later in the series, IIRC, the stories are sometimes told in flashback format; not in these early issues though.

[adamstrange]

On 8/7/2018 at 8:32 PM, Scrooge said:

Tonto # 6 - Front cover and panel art.

Same format: two stories within these covers (last page of second story on the back cover of the comics). In the first one, the guide of a convoy is trying to swindle the pioneers out of their claimed lot. In the second story, a landowner is trying to extort cattle ranchers a fee to pass his lands. Routine storylines for a Western.

I look at this cover and all I can see is Cary Grant as Tonto. Same facial features: nose, dimple, cheekbones, eyebrows -

The only occurrence of stacked panels thus far in these few issues. Used to perfection in the story -

In the same manner as above, Giolitti has a great eye for camera angles in his staging -

Finally, another good use of the one panel tier, followed by a perilous descent - Note: there is always a full moon in Giolitti's pages … to the point it's distracting. The moon was absolutely not necessary in the lower left panel.

Thanks for sharing these examples of Giolitti's beautiful art!