Thursday, November 24, 2022

Andru & Esposito? (I've Burned Myself on IDing Them Earlier)


I let myself see Ross Andru and Mike Esposito on Dell's Monkees #1 but at least after "Lee" and Mark Evanier correctly suggested Mo Marcus, that led me to more Marcus IDs elsewhere. If anyone has a better idea on this funny animal art than Andru and Esposito, I'd be gratified to hear it.

"Outboxed the Boxer," the first story in Tom Cat #4, April/56--the first issue; yes, Charlton, why do you ask?--is drawn in a style not used in the other stories in that issue or the rest of the 5-issue run. The later issues are by Al Fago, who signs a cover and a story, and perhaps other artists in his style.

With the wildly different, comparatively "realistic" style of this first story, I'd think that it was another one of those examples of Charlton's buying up the inventory of a defunct company, but the writer, whoever it may be--"Ngaaa!" and Kurrash--continues on the feature throughout the run.

I'm guessing Andru and Esposito more by the inks than the pencils. Although this is a comical comic book, the figures aren't in the industry-wide "make it look like Mad but not anything actually like the Mad artists" style that Andru used on Get Lost.

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Robert Bernstein Continues on Crime Does Not Pay

Here's Robert Bernstein's next couple of years writing for Crime Does Not Pay for Lev Gleason. I hadn't convinced myself of his writing the Who Dunnit? story in #70 when I did the first list.

CDNP closes out 1950 with #94, but I don't see Bernstein work in those last issues of the year.

As I was looking for Bernstein stories I found a couple by Carl Wessler that didn't get to the CGD from his records. In this tier from "Jack Rosca," note the exclamation that I haven't seen Robert Bernstein ever use.

'Aghhrr!'

Crime Does Not Pay Anthology Stories
1949-50
Written by Robert Bernstein


Dec/48 70  Who Dunnit?
Jan/49 71  Hank Charters
Feb/     72  Craig Denby, the Movie-Struck Egomaniac
    Andy Yole
Mar/     73  Dennis Mayhew and Everett Johns
May/     75  Who Dunnit?
June/     76  Clarence Reese, the Hero-Worshipper
Who Dunnit?
July/     77  Sheriff Ted Benton
Aug/     78  Who Dunnit?
Sep/     79  Spike Spitz
    Who Dunnit?
    Frankie Darrell vs. Lieutenant Jim Scott
Oct/      80  Vince Grey

  The Black Panther Murder Case [WHO DUNNIT?]
Dec/      82  Death in the Hobo Jungle
    Who Dunnit?
Jan/50  83  The Long Manhunt for Les Voyles
Feb/      84  Who Dunnit?
Mar/      85  Police Teamwork and 3 Blind Rats
    Confessions of a Racketeer's Widow
Aug/     90  Over My Dead Body!
    Unexpected Guest
Sep/     91  Murder Plays Hide-and-Seek

Written by Carl Wessler


Sep/49 79  Jack Roscar
Feb/50 84  Death House Blues