Angel and the Ape #1 confuses me more each time I look. I would have said Post, perhaps, but the ape-speak is now gibberish.
Henry Boltinoff's writing in #7 is easy to spot when he uses the caption "And..." such as he's used in his page-or-two cartoon features like "Jerry the Jitterbug," where brevity counts. He's the best bet for that issue's other one-pagers that I couldn't be positive enough about to enter here.
I can't tell who plotted a story. In the case of Angel and the Ape #2, which I've left off this list too since it's credited, Sergio Aragonés is in those credits as co-scripter with Bob Oksner, presumably plotter as he's listed first. Showcase #77? Supposedly Nelson Bridwell, supposedly Robert Kanigher, supposedly even Al Jaffee. I'd go with Bridwell from the contemporary On the Drawing Board #67 (June 1968) listing.
Writers:
Angel and the Ape in SHOWCASE
| Sep/68 | #77 | Angel and the Ape | Howard Post |
ANGEL AND THE APE
| Mar-Apr/69 | #3 | The Curse of the Avarice Clan | E. Nelson Bridwell |
| May-June/ | #4 | Remember the Chow Mein | Bridwell |
| The Case of Trouble on the Talk Show | Bridwell | ||
| Cheapskater's Waltz | Bridwell | ||
| July-Aug/ | #5 | Pigeon Mob | John Albano |
| Hippie, Hippie, Hooray | Albano | ||
| Sep-Oct/ | #6 | The Ape of 1,000 Disguises (Would You Believe Four?) |
Bridwell |
MEET ANGEL
| Nov-Dec/69 | #7 | A Busy Little Aunt | Albano |
| Suits Me Fine | Henry Boltinoff | ||
| The Case of the "Inside Job" | Boltinoff | ||
| The Case of the Millionaire Cat | Boltinoff |
Nelson was so underrated as a writer. Thinking back to how many of his stories I enjoyed, I'd buy a "Best of Bridwell" collection in a heartbeat.
ReplyDeleteI know I found his Super Friends better written than the actual Justice League of the time, as just one example, but I always looked forward to reading any story of his.
ReplyDeleteI just talked to Sergio about ANGEL AND THE APE and he says he plotted only one issue. He told me he also plotted one issue of JERRY LEWIS but he had an argument with Murray Boltinoff about the pay on it and never did another or anything else for Boltinoff.
ReplyDeleteIt would not surprise me if Nelson did a lot of uncredited work on that comic, including plotting on the issues that Sergio didn't plot.
And if the previous comment (or this one) is credited to Anonymous, that's me, Mark Evanier.
DeleteI used to think that Nelson's going from fully writing to just plotting on features he'd created (Inferior Five and Secret Six) had something to do with the preferences of the editors who took over the titles. But considering Angel and the Ape had only the one editor (Joe Orlando), maybe it was just Nelson's ongoing assistant editor job with Mort Weisinger cutting into time he'd thought he could set aside for freelancing in the other DC editorial domains.
ReplyDeleteI do not think the DC editors at the time really appreciated Nelson or what he had to offer. He was probably the smartest guy in the office but he didn't act like it. He acted like a menial and was treated accordingly...which was a shame.
ReplyDeleteThis is brilliant work. What a treasure trove for comic lovers. I was especially interested in the comments throughout where DC was insistent on creating a common overall look for their artwork, something I especially hated as a ten-year-old fan. I loved the uniqueness and quirkiness of artists like Kirby, Ayers and Ditko that was instantly recognizable. I would have bought a lot more DC titles (and others) if the art was more interesting. Keep up the great work.
ReplyDelete