The Collector: August 1970
Editor/publisher: Bill G. Wilson
Hello again, fellow fanzine freaks! This month I chose something comparatively small, The Collector 20 (partially because I have an event coming up later this week and I am just darn busy in general). About a third into the zine’s run, but still a bit before Bill Wilson was really hitting on all cylinders. Much of the art is quick sketches done probably at the con covered in this issue, but it is still great from an historical perspective, in my opinion. We start with a somewhat early Don Newton cover of the Phantom, seen above.
After a short editorial page (which also shows an unpublished Gil Kane piece and a Dan Adkins sketch), there is the nice Frazetta-esque Steve Fritz piece seen above. Following is a con report by editor Wilson on the 1970 Comic Art Con in New York (prefaced by an ad featuring art by Gray Morrow, which Manny Maris tells me, looked great in color). It has the requisite grainy reproductions of instamatic photos, some of which you see below, with editorial notations.
Some of these photos accompany an extra article on the con by fandom favorite, Duffy Vohland, in his namesake column, Duffy’s Tavern. Since we see the wonderful Bob Kline (with then wife, Missy) above, why not check out the energetic centerfold below?
A few pin ups follow, one by Bill Wilson (of his character, Hyperman) inked by Joe Sinnott, and another by Don Rosa, using his earlier less cartoony style (the latter will have to be seen in the pdf)…look! Below!
The letters column follows, with one of several illustrations by Realm‘s Ed Romero, as well as sketches from Bill Everett and Sal Buscema (I would not be surprised if all or most of the sketches were obtained at that convention…probably for free!). There is a nice pin up by Mickey Mason, who would be featured in the following issue.
Ralph Alfonso follows with a profile of great Frank Frazetta, then a couple of ads appear, and the back cover of Thor, by the one and only John G. Fantucchio, seen below. There is an insert as well, with autographs and a Joe Kubert (verrrry quick) sketch, which you can see in the pdf, along with the articles and such. I hope this column is not toooo short for you, hopefully next month’s is more expansive. I am off to Canada!
Thanks to obi-wan, Manny Maris, for helping me out with some pagination problems (and missing pages) at the last minute, in addition to providing the zine in the first place!
Ken Meyer Jr.
kenmeyerjr@yahoo.com
I love these. I enjoyed the fanzines as much as the comics. Comic Crusader #4 in 1968 was the first I bought. Then ,Star Studded Comics…wish you could put some of those on. I have all of them but it would be great for folks who have never seen them. The Collector of course was one my favorites. I was 14 when I got CC#4 so I grew up with these. Great site!
Oh, I am going to try to get to all I can eventually! I only have one or two star studded and I think I have done one so far. If you want to see all the columns, check the ink stains on my site at kenmeyerjr.com!
I really enjoy your website Ken. My Dad worked with Steve Fritz back in the late 60s/early 70s in the advertising art dept. of the Atlanta newspaper. I never met Steve, but through my Dad he gave me about 1000 comic books, which got me started collecting. I first encountered your work in Phase 1, which I hunted down for the Steve Fritz story in it.
Awesome to hear!