Archie's Girls BETTY and VERONICA #95 - Odd Jobs!

I bought this beat up copy for $1

One month after I was born (25 days actually), this hit the newsstands and buying it for $1 in this condition is perfect to me. Not the greatest Bob White cover ever done, but it brings a smile to my face when I read the corny joke.

(Archie's Girls BETTY and VERONICA #95 - cover dated November 1963, on newsstands September 1st, 1963 with cover art by Bob White)

By 1963 Betty and Veronica was Dan DeCarlo's book and for US, that's a great thing. Years and years of issues to pick up that are filled with DeCarlo art! I love this splash page - it tells us everything we need to know without a single word necessary! Veronica is mowing the lawn and is annoyed with Betty being bored and Archie enjoying himself in the pool. All three facial expressions are classic!

(Archie's Girls BETTY and VERONICA #95 - cover-dated November 1963, on newsstands September 1st, 1963 with art by Dan DeCarlo)

Of course, Veronica is having none of it...

(Archie's Girls BETTY and VERONICA #95 - cover-dated November 1963, on newsstands September 1st, 1963 with art by Dan DeCarlo)

I know Jamie Hernandez has always stated his Archie influence, and in particular, pointed out his great love of Harry Lucey's work - but every once in awhile I'll see some DEFINATE Dan DeCarlo influence in his work )especially the inking). This could be a Love and Rockets panel...

(Archie's Girls BETTY and VERONICA #95 - cover-dated November 1963, on newsstands September 1st, 1963 with art by Dan DeCarlo)

Speaking of Harry Lucey, he was still the primary Archie artist and his artwork was a part of most of the ads...

(Archie's Girls BETTY and VERONICA #95 - cover-dated November 1963, on newsstands September 1st, 1963 with art by Harry Lucey)

This issue features an early 'variant' appearance of Big Ethel - in this one she actually is BIG - rather than tall and gangly. It's well-known enough it's even referenced in her (Ethel Muggs) Wikipedia entry!

(Archie's Girls BETTY and VERONICA #95 - cover-dated November 1963, on newsstands September 1st, 1963 with art by Dan DeCarlo)

And naturally, Betty and Veronica make her over into a fabulous looking woman! That clothing she was wearing earlier must've been EXTRA baggy I guess...

(Archie's Girls BETTY and VERONICA #95 - cover-dated November 1963, on newsstands September 1st, 1963 with art by Dan DeCarlo)

But as in all things Archie, one little sneeze undoes the whole thing! Gotta love Jughead's reaction...

(Archie's Girls BETTY and VERONICA #95 - cover-dated November 1963, on newsstands September 1st, 1963 with art by Dan DeCarlo)

The last story is a clever and interesting take on Veronica thinking everyone is wallowing in their 'poverty', because SHE is wealthy! If this were released TODAY, it might be seen as a sly commentary on how the wealthy look down on the have-nots.

(Archie's Girls BETTY and VERONICA #95 - cover-dated November 1963, on newsstands September 1st, 1963 with art by Dan DeCarlo)

A great issue! 

TALES TO ASTONISH #93 - Can't create? Imitate!

I bought this beat up copy for $8

This is one of those issues that are sort of well-loved... I mean, the idea of it and that cover are certainly well-loved. It IS a great Marie Severin cover (inks by Frank Giacoia), the kind of thing where someone (probably Stan) said, "What if the Hulk ran into the Silver Surfer?"

(TALES TO ASTONISH #93 - cover dated July 1967, on newsstands April 11th, 1967 with cover art by Marie Severin)


We start off with the Sub-Mariner's story though, who had been sharing the Tales to Astonish title with the Hulk since #70 (May 1965) and would through #101 when the book was canceled so he and the Hulk could start their own series.

(TALES TO ASTONISH #93 - cover dated July 1967, on newsstands April 11th, 1967 with art by Dan Adkins)


This was Roy Thomas' first issue writing Subby and he starts it off by... imitating the scene from Amazing Spider-man #33 where Spidey is trapped under the building wreckage and it's too heavy for him and he somehow finds the strength to lift it and save himself.

Except here... instead of the hero, it's the android who does it. It's kind of weird...

(TALES TO ASTONISH #93 - cover dated July 1967, on newsstands April 11th, 1967 with art by Dan Adkins)


It even has the payoff panel as a splash... it's a direct homage!

I'm actually a fan of Dan Adkins - he's a bit stiff compared to Kirby, but he's still better than Swan or some of those DC artists. And his inks on this are nice as well.

(TALES TO ASTONISH #93 - cover dated July 1967, on newsstands April 11th, 1967 with art by Dan Adkins)


I wasn't old enough to see this stuff when it first came out, but man, I would have loved to have ordered these shirts and sweatshirts and posters and buttons! I would've ordered all of it!

(TALES TO ASTONISH #93 - cover dated July 1967, on newsstands April 11th, 1967 with art by various - mainly Kirby and Ditko)


Speaking of stiff, I love Marie Severin's work as well, but she too lacks the flair of a Kirby or Ditko in her action scenes. She also has a bit of a problem trying to come up with a story here, as Stan's plot synopsis was most likely (again), "What if the Hulk ran into the Silver Surfer?"

Great idea, but not much of a story.

(TALES TO ASTONISH #93 - cover dated July 1967, on newsstands April 11th, 1967 with art by Marie Severin)


Always thought it was funny though, towards the end of it, the Hulk punches the Surfer square in the face! Not sure who's idea it was, but I thought it was pretty humorous...

(TALES TO ASTONISH #93 - cover dated July 1967, on newsstands April 11th, 1967 with art by Marie Severin)

The SPIDER-MAN CHRONICLES: AMAZING FANTASY #15 - With Great Power - Comes Ownership Disputes!

All Pictures are taken from a reprint and not the actual first print comic.

Inarguably one of the 3 greatest, most collectible comics ever released, it starts off with a Jack Kirby cover. Amazing Fantasy #15 came out on newsstands on June 5th, 1962, the same week as Journey Into Mystery #83 - the first appearance of Thor - and Tales to Astonish #35 - the 2nd appearance of Ant-Man. (A week later Fantastic Four #6 came out).

(AMAZING FANTASY #15 - was cover dated September 1962, but on newsstands June 5th, 1962 with cover art by Jack Kirby)


Here's the cover Ditko did that Stan rejected. I actually like it better! It seems strange that they'd go to all this trouble for a comic that was getting canceled and a character they had figured was just a one-shot...

(AMAZING FANTASY #15 - UNUSED cover probably drawn around April 1962 by Steve Ditko)


Here is the original art for page one of Spidey's origin. The Liz Allen (?) character's face has been redone by Al Hartley. You can see the white out on the page. That wasn't one of Ditko's strengths. Though I guess he could've had Eric Stanton do it...

(AMAZING FANTASY #15 - was cover dated September 1962, but on newsstands June 5th, 1962 with art by Steve Ditko)


Way back in, roughly 1972/3-ish, I saw this page and this page only, recounting the 'origin' of Spider-man in some Kids Scholastic Magazine at school. I was already familiar with the character from repeats of the Spider-man 60's cartoon which I loved, but it was cool to see the original story from the comics.

(AMAZING FANTASY #15 - was cover dated September 1962, but on newsstands June 5th, 1962 with art by Steve Ditko)


I'm pretty sure I didn't read the whole origin until Marvel Tales released it in 1982 (I was 19). It had been reprinted a few times before in the US - Marvel tales Annual #1 (1964), The Origins of Marvel Comics (1974) which I wouldn't own a copy of for a few more years, The Pocketbook series from 1977, and some book called Spider-man: The Secret Story of Marvel's World-Famous Wall Crawler (1981) which I didn't know existed until about 10 years ago!

That Marvel Tales #137 started the whole series over in reprints, in order, and it started my first reading of the entire series.

Ditko's art was probably still being toned down a bit from the Comics Code scare which had only happened less than 5 years previously, but when Spidey faces off against Crusher Hogan, we get to see a little bit of his trademark style start to show through.

(AMAZING FANTASY #15 - was cover dated September 1962, but on newsstands June 5th, 1962 with art by Steve Ditko)


Before Pete's mistake, he sure was casual about the handling of his costume! And Aunt May looks a little more... bosomy there than I remember...

(AMAZING FANTASY #15 - was cover dated September 1962, but on newsstands June 5th, 1962 with art by Steve Ditko)


Speaking of ...

(AMAZING FANTASY #15 - was cover dated September 1962, but on newsstands June 5th, 1962 with art by Steve Ditko)

The first in-story appearance of the costume...

(AMAZING FANTASY #15 - was cover dated September 1962, but on newsstands June 5th, 1962 with art by Steve Ditko)

(AMAZING FANTASY #15 - was cover dated September 1962, but on newsstands June 5th, 1962 with art by Steve Ditko)

(AMAZING FANTASY #15 - was cover dated September 1962, but on newsstands June 5th, 1962 with art by Steve Ditko)

(AMAZING FANTASY #15 - was cover dated September 1962, but on newsstands June 5th, 1962.)

(AMAZING FANTASY #15 - was cover dated September 1962, but on newsstands June 5th, 1962.)



Always thought it was funny though, towards the end of it, the Hulk punches the Surfer square in the face! Not sure who's idea it was, but I thought it was pretty humorous...

(AMAZING FANTASY #15 - was cover dated September 1962, but on newsstands June 5th, 1962.)

(AMAZING FANTASY #15 - was cover dated September 1962, but on newsstands June 5th, 1962.)

(AMAZING FANTASY #15 - was cover dated September 1962, but on newsstands June 5th, 1962 with art by Steve Ditko)

(AMAZING FANTASY #15 - was cover dated September 1962, but on newsstands June 5th, 1962 with art by Steve Ditko)

(AMAZING FANTASY #15 - was cover dated September 1962, but on newsstands June 5th, 1962 with art by Steve Ditko)