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Tribute To Creig Flessel
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One of my favorite Golden Age artists is Creig Flessel, who drew many of the covers of DC's earliest comics. We've seen postings from John Berk, CentaurMan and others of some of the Flessel covers, but there are many that have not been posted. Hence, I am starting this thread to pay homage to this Golden Age legend, and to see how many of these great covers can be shown by the collective body of forumites. I'll start things off with one of his classics:

 

751971-Detective8%282%29.jpg

751971-Detective8(2).jpg.1383bcc563907c1acaf211888c2aaf14.jpg

Edited by RareHighGrade
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cloud9.gif Man, RareHighGrade, I cannot wait for you to populate this thread with more of your beauties. Every time you post a book, no matter what it is my eyes pop out of my head. Not only is that one of the coolest pre-hero books ever, but the condition . . . WOW. 893whatthe.gif
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Thanks FFB. This next cover is one that CentaurMan has posted before, but it is such a classic-style Detective cover that it deserves another view. Here is my copy of Detective 9:

 

752321-Detective9%282%29.jpg

 

For Golden Age trivia buffs, it should be noted that this cover was redrawn for Federal Men 2, an obscure 1945 book published by Gerard Publishing Co., that consisted of reprints of Siegel and Shuster's Federal Men stories.

752321-Detective9(2).jpg.790ae49ee1fdabb44ce786abf6ab58b3.jpg

Edited by RareHighGrade
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Another stunner! Sweet Detective #9! yay.gif Although it's possible to see these in Gerber, they just don't look the same in those postage stamp sized photos.

 

Thanks FFB. This next cover is one that CentaurMan has posted before, but it is such a classic-style Detective cover that it deserves another view. Here is my copy of Detective 9:

 

752321-Detective9%282%29.jpg

 

For Golden Age trivia buffs, it should be noted that this cover was redrawn for Federal Men 2, an obscure 1945 book published by Gerard Publishing Co., that consisted of reprints of Siegel and Shuster's Federal Men stories.

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Those nm Tecs are absolutely incredible. Your interests in the pre-hero copies seem almost parallel to, although even harder than, my own impossible quest of putting together a high grade pre-Barks WDC&S run. I actually managed to add 5 new books to my set over the past few weeks. Wish you the same luck smile.gif.

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Another stunner! Sweet Detective #9! yay.gif Although it's possible to see these in Gerber, they just don't look the same in those postage stamp sized photos.

 

Actually, I was so impressed with the early Detective covers that I placed a order for the poster size version of the 'Tec #1 - #32 covers from Ernie Gerber when he had the individual pages up for sale.

 

If I remembered correctly, they were relatively cheap and absolutely stunning in the larger print version.

 

Unfortunately, these were the only pages I had bother to ordered.

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Flessel had different styles for the different titles that he worked on. His Detective covers, not surprisingly, all had a crime/police theme. His Adventure and More Fun covers were different. Some of them had a Norman Rockwell flavor to them, oftentimes depicting the carefree nature of youth. Here, for example, is the first cover Flessel did for Adventure Comics, New Adventure 15 (Church copy):

 

754081-NewAdv.15%28MH%29%282%29.JPG

754081-NewAdv.15(MH)(2).JPG.2cbc68018c5dd2aca61664b47090d14c.JPG

Edited by RareHighGrade
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Just in case I have a heart attack and die while reading this thread (it's quite possible if you keep this up), I just want to say for the record that my comics should be auctioned off and the proceeds donated to a good children's charity. There, I took care of that. Now you can keep going, RHG. cloud9.gif

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Flessel had different styles for the different titles that he worked on. His Detective covers, not surprisingly, all had a crime/police theme. His Adventure and More Fun covers were different. Some of them had a Norman Rockwell flavor to them, oftentimes depicting the carefree nature of youth. Here, for example, is the first cover Flessel did for Adventure Comics, New Adventure 15 (Church copy):

 

754081-NewAdv.15%28MH%29%282%29.JPG

 

My favorite so far. Gentle understatement, carefully colored, and a touch of the winsomeness evident in Winslow Homer's work. I could stare at that book all day and never get tired. cloud9.gif

Edited by adamstrange
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Wow, nice books, Acme!

 

Question: how is the art inside the books? Flessel only did the covers, correct? Isn't one of the criticisms of a lot of GA, particularly the smaller publishers, that they engaged in bait and switch by commissioning gorgeous covers by truly talented artists and then filling the insides with horrible cut-rate art?

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Flessel had different styles for the different titles that he worked on. His Detective covers, not surprisingly, all had a crime/police theme. His Adventure and More Fun covers were different. Some of them had a Norman Rockwell flavor to them, oftentimes depicting the carefree nature of youth. Here, for example, is the first cover Flessel did for Adventure Comics, New Adventure 15 (Church copy):

 

754081-NewAdv.15%28MH%29%282%29.JPG

 

My favorite so far. Gentle understatement, carefully colored, and a touch of the winsomeness evident in Winslow Homer's work. I could stare at that book all day and never get tired. cloud9.gif

 

When I spoke to Flessel about these boy adventure covers...he said he was trying to emulate the Norman Rockwell feel....

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Wow, nice books, Acme!

 

Question: how is the art inside the books? Flessel only did the covers, correct? Isn't one of the criticisms of a lot of GA, particularly the smaller publishers, that they engaged in bait and switch by commissioning gorgeous covers by truly talented artists and then filling the insides with horrible cut-rate art?

 

Some of the art inside is among the best the Golden Age had to offer. For example, Leo O'Mealia's work on the Barry O'Neill stories found in the pre-hero Adventure Comics is unmatched by any work done before or after. I wish that I had a beater copy so that I could post an example of that interior art. Other examples include interior artwork done by Siegel & Shuster, Bob Kane and Fred Guardineer. Of course, these pre-hero books also included humor strips that were not notable for the quality of the artwork.

 

Here is another great Flessel cover from More Fun 35, which shows the careful detail that went into his work, from the expression on the rabbit to the frog spilling the can of bait into the stream. No other artist was drawing covers like this in 1938:

 

 

754859-MoreFun35%282%29.JPG

754859-MoreFun35(2).JPG.e2c3d3a6fd36335450ec7c4e81cb30fc.JPG

Edited by RareHighGrade
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Today's post is a cover that has been the subject of much discussion over the years. Early Golden Age collectors have long argued over whether the cover of Adventure 37 was drawn by Creig Flessel, Leo O'Mealia, Fred Guardineer or some other artist. Because the style is somewhat different from that of Flessel, O'Mealia and Guardineer, and because there is no signature identifying the artist (these artists routinely signed their work), the answer has remained a mystery. Recently, however, CGC has taken the position that the cover is by Flessel. It would be great if Timely or some other CGC insider could tell us what this recent decision was based on. In any event, in light of the CGC designation, here is a scan of Adventure 37:

 

756233-Adv.37%282%29.JPG

756233-Adv.37(2).JPG.dcc05cf8336e40896a80916364b2cc8f.JPG

Edited by RareHighGrade
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Adventure Comics #37.

 

Cover Credits:

Creig Flessel (Pencils) Creig Flessel (Inks)

 

Cover Feature: Hunter shooting hippo in the mouth

 

Editor: Vincent Sullivan

 

This series has been indexed by

 

* Bob Cherry

* Gene Reed

* Lou Mougin

* Martin O'Hearn

* Michael Grabois

* Mike Tiefenbacher

* Pat Lang

* Mark Waid

* Sidne Gail Ward

* Jon Ingersoll

* Dan Kocher

* Bob Hughes .

 

[Fang Gow of China: Part 35]

(Sequence 1 - Story , 6 pages

 

Feature Story: Barry O'Neill

 

Credits:

Ed Winiarski (-script), Ed Winiarski (Pencils), Ed Winiarski (Inks),

 

Character appearances:

V: Fang Gow

 

Genre: adventure

humor filler

(Sequence 2 , 1 page

 

Feature Story: Shorty

 

Credits:

Fred Schwab (-script), Fred Schwab (Pencils), Fred Schwab (Inks),

 

Genre: gag

The White Witch

(Sequence 3 - Story , 6 pages

 

Feature Story: Cotton Carver

 

Credits:

Gardner Fox? (-script), George Newman (Pencils), George Newman (Inks),

 

Character appearances:

"GS: Volor; V: Queen Kothe, the Reed Men (I for all)"

 

Genre: adventure

[On the Wrong Side of the Law: Part 6]

(Sequence 4 , 4 pages

 

Feature Story: Federal Men

 

Credits:

Jerry Siegel (-script), Shuster Shop (Pencils), Shuster Shop (Inks),

 

Genre: detective

[The God of the Ruby Eye: Part 10]

(Sequence 5 - Story , 4 pages

 

Feature Story: Tod Hunter

 

Credits:

Jim Chambers (-script), Jim Chambers (Pencils), Jim Chambers (Inks),

 

Character appearances:

"V: Dante, Tamir"

 

Reprinted: "black, white, and red"

 

Genre: adventure

[A Playboy In King Arthur's Court: Part 1]

(Sequence 6 , 2 pages

 

Feature Story: Don Coyote

 

Credits:

Stockton (-script), Stockton (Pencils), Stockton (Inks),

 

Genre: adventure

[The Plantation Uprising: Part 6]

(Sequence 7 , 6 pages

 

Feature Story: Dale Daring

 

Credits:

Will Ely (-script), Will Ely (Pencils), Will Ely (Inks),

 

Reprinted: "black, white, and red"

 

Genre: adventure

 

Indexer notes:

last appearance

humor filler

(Sequence 8 , 1 page

 

Feature Story: Goofo the Great

 

Credits:

Russell Cole (-script), Russell Cole (Alger) (Pencils), Russell Cole (Inks),

 

Genre: gag

 

Indexer notes:

last appearance

Hidden Paradise [Part 2]

(Sequence 9 , 6 pages

 

Feature Story: Captain Desmo

 

Credits:

Ed Winiarski (-script), Ed Winiarski (Pencils), Ed Winiarski (Inks),

 

Reprinted: "black, white, and red"

 

Genre: adventure

Gunrunner

(Sequence 10 , 2 pages

 

Feature Story: text story

 

Credits:

Terry Keane (-script), typeset (Letters).

[The Missionary's Daughter]

(Sequence 11 , 6 pages

 

Feature Story: Tom Brent

 

Credits:

Jim Chambers (-script), Jim Chambers (Pencils), Jim Chambers (Inks),

 

Reprinted: black and white

[The Count and the Countess]

(Sequence 12 - Story , 6 pages

 

Feature Story: Skip Schuyler

 

Credits:

Tom Hickey (-script), Tom Hickey (Pencils), Tom Hickey (Inks),

 

Character appearances:

I: Skip Schuyler; V: Count Sarnousky, the Countess (Hedi Lasky; I for both)

 

Genre: adventure

 

Indexer notes:

continued in part from Golden Dragon story last issue

[The Pirate Ship: Part 12]

(Sequence 13 - Story , 4 pages

 

Feature Story: Rusty and His Pals

 

Credits:

Bob Kane (-script), Bob Kane (Pencils), Bob Kane (Inks),

 

Character appearances:

V: Ichabod Slade

 

Genre: adventure

[El Diablo: Part 10]

(Sequence 14 - Story , 6 pages

 

Feature Story: Anchors Aweigh!

 

Credits:

Fred Guardineer (-script), Fred Guardineer (Pencils), Fred Guardineer (Inks),

 

Character appearances:

V: El Diablo

 

Genre: adventure

 

 

 

 

West

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