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Post by Gene on Aug 12, 2016 10:16:19 GMT -5
I positively cannot enjoy Charlton Comics. I didn't think lettering mattered to me until I tried to read Silver Age Blue Beetle. That rigid and inexpressive typed font kills me. You're crazy. Those books were absolutely hand lettered. The guy's name was right there in the credits: A. Machine. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Aug 12, 2016 10:17:08 GMT -5
I don't consider Magnus or Mighty Samson superheroes--more straight adventure. They're as much superheroes as Thor or Silver Surfer. Marvel blurred the lines of what a "Superhero" was with their mixing of fantasy, sci-fi, and mythological elements. Magnus, Sampson, and Solar absolutely meshed with that more relaxed definition. But they do preceed the Marvel Universe and certainly weren't intended to be superheroes. |
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Post by MWGallaher on Aug 12, 2016 10:31:00 GMT -5
I positively cannot enjoy Charlton Comics. I didn't think lettering mattered to me until I tried to read Silver Age Blue Beetle. That rigid and inexpressive typed font kills me. Yeah, the lettering of "A. Machine" can be really aggravating. It wasn't used line-wide, though. Jim Aparo always lettered his own Charlton work (such as The Phantom and Wander). Gold Key (Western) and Charlton both printed their own work. Western certainly had the mechanically superior printing equipment, but the self-printing gave each company a look that was distinct from all of the Sparta, Illinois printings from most of the other publishers. Charlton's colors were frequently off-register, pages sometimes had serrated edges, the color could be muted on the poorer paper stock. But still, there was something about Western's printing that always rubbed me the wrong way. The colors seemed different (from the more familiar Marvel & DC output), as if they were using ink that was slightly different in color. And there was always so much magenta in their comics, so pure, so gaudy and, somehow, immature and childish looking to my eyes. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2016 13:33:44 GMT -5
I never read Charlton or Gold Key from the 1960s, so I must await the EVEN BIGGER QUESTION... Quality or Fawcett? Keep it going! Start another thread with this title...
And for the record I vote Fawcett. Their best selling character - Capt Marvel was/is more important to comics history than Quality's best seller Plastic Man (who was an awesome character). And Cap outsold Superman for awhile in the 40's!
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Post by MDG on Aug 12, 2016 15:45:15 GMT -5
I never read Charlton or Gold Key from the 1960s, so I must await the EVEN BIGGER QUESTION... Quality or Fawcett? Keep it going! Start another thread with this title...
And for the record I vote Fawcett. Their best selling character - Capt Marvel was/is more important to comics history than Quality's best seller Plastic Man (who was an awesome character). And Cap outsold Superman for awhile in the 40's!
On the other hand, Quality probably had the best art most consistently of any GA publisher, and standout art by Eisner, Fine, Cole, Crandall, Nordling, Ward, etc. Also, Blackhawk was (admittedly, with Captain Marvel) one of the few comic book properties to get a serial. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2016 21:20:28 GMT -5
Keep it going! Start another thread with this title...
And for the record I vote Fawcett. Their best selling character - Capt Marvel was/is more important to comics history than Quality's best seller Plastic Man (who was an awesome character). And Cap outsold Superman for awhile in the 40's!
On the other hand, Quality probably had the best art most consistently of any GA publisher, and standout art by Eisner, Fine, Cole, Crandall, Nordling, Ward, etc. Also, Blackhawk was (admittedly, with Captain Marvel) one of the few comic book properties to get a serial. I agree. My favorite publishers during the Golden Age in order are: 1. DC. 2. Quality. 3. Marvel/Timely. 4. Fawcett. 5. Lev Gleason.
I just think Fawcett's Capt Marvel is more important to comics history than any of Quality's characters.
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Post by mikelmidnight on Aug 13, 2016 11:55:16 GMT -5
Reading this thread, I feel like there's some alternate universe somewhere in which Gold Key plays the DC role (classic and sci-fi based characters presented in a staid, traditional style) and Charlton plays the Marvel role (tossing lots of random stuff out there to see what sticks, and a lot of Ditko art).
I can appreciate them both but Charlton is my favorite.
Looking back at the 40s, I would rate Timely all that highly at all, aside from the early Kirby material and Everett's Sub-Mariner. I'd add to the DC/Quality/Fawcett triumverate:
Lev Gleason. My personal favorite due to some fine early work by Jack Cole, but mainly the influence of Charles Biro, who gave Daredevil and Crimebuster (despite the latter's atrocious costume) a sense of gritty realism that surpassed pretty much anything else coming out at the time, and also published the superlative Crime Does Not Pay.
Hillman publications. Not so many big stars, but Airboy is a character with sustaining power (also created by Charles Biro as it happens), and their publications had a solid level of storytelling throughout.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2016 14:31:05 GMT -5
Correction:
I did not have any Gold Key's Heroes Comic Books in my area as a kid and that's why I voted for Charlton's instead. Sorry that I misled you all earlier today and only read a handful of books by Charlton.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2016 18:02:21 GMT -5
Reading this thread, I feel like there's some alternate universe somewhere in which Gold Key plays the DC role (classic and sci-fi based characters presented in a staid, traditional style) and Charlton plays the Marvel role (tossing lots of random stuff out there to see what sticks, and a lot of Ditko art). Lev Gleason. My personal favorite due to some fine early work by Jack Cole, but mainly the influence of Charles Biro, who gave Daredevil and Crimebuster (despite the latter's atrocious costume) a sense of gritty realism that surpassed pretty much anything else coming out at the time, and also published the superlative Crime Does Not Pay. Great assessment of Gold Key/Charlton being similar to DC/Marvel.
I also agree with your point about Lev Gleason's importance to the Golden Age of Comics...Biro was great. I love GA Daredevil. Was disappointed with Project Superpowers (Dynamite) treatment of GADD.
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Post by mikelmidnight on Aug 16, 2016 11:32:55 GMT -5
Thanks md. Daredevil is a public domain character who has been revived several times but they have yet to get him right. Eric Larsen at least has done justice to the Little Wise Guys, except he portrays them as a Kirby Kid Gang which they definitely were not.
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Post by dupersuper on Aug 16, 2016 23:23:54 GMT -5
Objectively speaking, Magnus was probably better than anything Charlton was producing. Maybe Solar, too. No one ever remembers Might Samson. Waaaay better than Solar; nearly as good as Magnus.
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Post by dupersuper on Aug 16, 2016 23:25:13 GMT -5
Dell, they had these guys...  Ah, Saturday mornings... |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Aug 16, 2016 23:34:40 GMT -5
No one ever remembers Might Samson. Waaaay better than Solar; nearly as good as Magnus.
Is this from Gold Key Alliance? I haven't read it yet. |
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Post by dupersuper on Aug 16, 2016 23:39:58 GMT -5
It's from Project Superpowers a few years back...I think by Dynamite...?
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Post by dbutler69 on Aug 17, 2016 11:12:44 GMT -5
Off the top of my head, I'd have to go with Charleton. Gold Key had some great licensed properties, but I can't think of a whole lot they did in the way of superheroes.
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