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Another episode of Marvelous Marty Greim and his Comic Crusader,
featuring…Steranko and Ditko!

Comic Crusader 13: 1972
Editor and Publisher: Martin L. Greim

If you have read this column for awhile and have much knowledge of fandom in the 1970s, you will no doubt know the name Martin (Marty) L. Greim. His fanzine was consistently published and consistently clean in the design department as well, despite the copied typewriter made columns! Marty also contributed to many other zines as an artist as well.

As that artist, Marty was also clean and fastidious, in spite of his constant (admitted) swiping. In fact, in fanzine terms, he was the ultimate hip hop artist! Taking all kinds of poses, backgrounds and layouts from various artists (to my eye, a lot of Wally Wood, ironically, considered Wally had no problem with swiping), he managed (especially this issue) to make it pretty seamless. Below you will see a few pages from the story featuring his Defender character. Note the Steranko cover (and illustration above left, inked by Bill Black) features Marty’s character as well.

It’s funny, but the page above makes me wonder if Mike Mignola somehow saw this zine and unconsciously used the idea for Hellboy!

Be sure to download the pdf so you can see the whole nineteen (!) page story. After the opening editorial, Crusader Comments (where Marty admonishes those that obsess over his swiping) the story above follows. Later, we are treated to a Steve Ditko Mr. A story that Marty says in the editorial was intended for a school newspaper, but then offered to him when the printing fell through. Below you can see a sampling from the (literally and thematically) black and white offering from the late and somewhat reclusive Mr. Ditko.

Again, the pdf is worthwhile to see the whole eight page story by this idiosyncratic creator. Between the two strips is an article by Tom Fagan (called 05701) delving into the history of the golden age characters, Lady Luck, Black Cat, Dr. Thirteen and others. Several nice Bill Black illustrations adorn the article, as well as one by Greim. Below is the full page lead in.

Elsewhere in the issue is a piece by Ron Fortier, covering a Charlton comic called Primus (based on a tv show at the time with the same name), featuring an interview with a young Joe Staton! To see the Staton piece accompanying the interview, you guessed it, get the pdf! Ending the issue is a letters page and a typically dynamic Gil Kane piece positioned on the back cover. Look below if you don’t believe me!

And that about wraps up this month’s installment of Ink Stains. Thanks are in order for, once again, Herb Warren. He provided me with several zines for the column, and this sucker is one of them. You the man, Herb! Remember, the pdf and links to all the past columns are available on my website at kenmeyerjr.com.

Tune in again next month, history junkies, for another jaunt down the memory lane of fandom!

Ken Meyer Jr.
kenmeyerjr@yahoo.com