The Funniest Man Who Ever Lived? # 10-Frankie Howerd

 

DC Before the Dark and Gritty Set In

Happy Anniversary Secret Agent X-9

SECRET AGENT X-9 was a long-running (Jan. 22nd, 1932-1996) comic strip created by Dashiell Hammett who also created THE MALTESE FALCON's Sam Spade and THE THIN MAN's Nick Charles. Art chores went to the extremely influential Alex Raymond who would soon go on to create FLASH GORDON.

Hammett's actual involvement with the strip is apparently questionable but eventually Leslie Charteris, creator of THE SAINT, took it over. The strip coasted for a while after Raymond's death before being taken over in the sixties by one of his biggest disciples, EC great, Al Williamson, and renamed SECRET AGENT CORRIGAN. Legendary comics writer Archie Goodwin teamed with Williamson for many years on it. In the end, another EC vet, George Evans was the final artist.

Saturday Bronze Age Sub-Mariner Splash Pages # 48

Here we have another "eh" splash, fronting a convoluted chapter in the ongoing team-up of Subby and Doc Doom. Art is again by Colan and Esposito and we have the main image neatly framed again only this time it's framed by far too many expository word balloons!

Color-wise, it's dark--very dark. This makes the title box jump out at the reader more than it otherwise might. This distracts only briefly, however, from the fact that this is quite frankly, a dull scene to have started off the issue.

Not seen here is the nifty cover by Namor's creator Bill Everett inking Gil Kane.

Fifties DC House Ads

Cincinnati OTR Convention to End

CINCINNATI OTR CONVENTION TO END:
AN OPEN LETTER FROM BOB BURCHETT,
ADMINISTRATOR OF THE CINCINNATI OLD-TIME RADIO CONVENTION

I'm sorry to say this will be the last Cincinnati convention. It
was not an easy decision to make.

I think the future of conventions is the kind that Martin Grams
puts on. The days of the radio conventions have passed. You can
tell by the attendance over the last few years. We had good
attendance over the years when we were able to bring in guests
that everyone knew. Many of them are no longer with us. I used
to meet the guests at Newark, and then invite them to
Cincinnati. That's no longer possible with Newark holding its
last convention this year.

With the economy the way it is, many don't want to spend (or
have it to spend) the money to come to conventions, and there
aren't enough young fans to make up for the older fans we have
lost. (I might add I'm not getting any younger either.)

It's been a great run over the years. We have met a lot of
really nice people and many of the old radio stars we listened
to growing up.

Let's make this last one, one to remember.

If you have been putting off coming to Cincinnati, make your
plans now to attend. April 13,14, 2012.

Seen above are myself and my then-girlfriend Rene performing at the 5th Annual convention back in 1990. This convention has long since become a major part of our lives and its regular attendees are like family. Very sad to be present for its inevitable end.