Bill Everett – illustratör

When Harvey Kurtzman and Bill Gaines launched EC's Mad comic book as a warmly received satirical magazine, a flood of imitators soon filled newsstands, but the first and best to follow in Mad's footsteps (coinciding with the second issue of Mad magazine) was Snafu, edited and written by Kurtzman's former boss: Stan 'The Man' Lee! Snafu was packed with Marvel/Atlas' top humor creators and, following the Mad playbook, filled pages with ad and news spoofs, alongside film, television, and book parodies like 'The Blackboard Forest' by Russ Heath, 'Pete Kelsey's Booze' and 'Bleed, You Bum!' by Joe Maneely, 'Drugnet' by Howie Post, 'Emily Toast's Etiquette Page' by John Severin, and 'Snafu's Lovely Ladies' by Bill Everett, with production supervised by Marie Severin. Seen here is some of the most eye-popping work of Maneely's short life, including great Hollywood caricatures done in a wash style. In this new volume in our Atlas Library collaboration with Marvel, Fantagraphics is tickled pink to present for the first time, the complete Snafu collection along with a history of Martin Goodman's humor publications in all genres by editor Dr. Michael J. Vassallo.

This new volume in Fantagraphics' and Marvel's collaborative Atlas Library presents Girl Comics #1-12, a long unseen subversion of romance comics beautifully designed for a new generation of readers! In 1950, Timely/Atlas/Marvel took a typical romance title called Girl Comics and turned it into a sister companion to its successful men's-adventure comics: an empowering girls'-adventure comic! Mystery, adventure and suspense was promised and delivered! At the hands of a stellar artistic line-up, including John Buscema, Mike Sekowsky, Bill Everett, Joe Maneely, Russ Heath, and Bernard Krigstein, Girl Comics evolved from heart-stricken love stories to hair-raising girl-power thrill rides like 'The Death Plunge!,' 'The House of Shadows!,' 'I was a Murderer's Daughter!,' 'They Called me a Spy!,' 'The Dead Hands at the Controls,' and 'The Dark Hallway.' This volume also features the story behind the stories, with editor Dr. Michael J. Vassallo's essays on Marvel publisher Martin Goodman's enthusiastic relationship with romance comics and magazines at a time when the artform was cementing itself into American youth culture!

The 1950s boom in horror comics saw Atlas Comics' entree into the genre. Beginning in March 1952, Amazing Detective Cases began detailing cases where justice was served in supernatural fashion and beginning in May 1953, the adventures in Men's Adventures were taken over by ghosts, murderous revenge, and psychological terror. The cream of Atlas' artistic line-up - including recent EC stars and future Marvel staples - rose to the grisly challenge of the horror genre. Each issue is crammed with four condensed tales of creeping dread, ironic comeuppance, or startling twists, all from a different artist or team. Among the short, sharp shocks included in this volume are the mini masterpieces 'The Eerie Escape' by B. Krigstein, 'The Torture Master!' by Russ Heath, The Drowning Witch' by Reed Crandall and 'The 3rd Corpse' by Bill Everett. Stories by Gene Colan, John Romita, Joe Sinnott, Dick Ayers, Jim Mooney, Paul Reinman and George Tuska, all of whom remained through the shift to Marvel Comics, additionally fill out these issues, along with Atlas regulars Fred Kida, Mort Lawrence, Mike Sekowsky and Myron Fass. Notably included is the first appearance of 'Gorilla Man' by Robert Q. Sale, a character brought back in Marvel's contemporary Agents of Atlas series, and part of their ongoing continuity. Collecting Amazing Detective Cases #11-14 and Men's Adventures #21-26, Shiver As You Read! is a perfect companion to Adventures Into Terror, Venus, and the other titles of the Atlas Comics Library.

Shortly after launching his men's adventure line of comic books in 1949 (and just before he published his first war title), Atlas publisher Martin Goodman found, in the middle ground between crime and men's adventure, the sneakier, conspiratorial sub-genre of spy comics. The first title was Spy Cases (soon followed by Spy Fighters and Kent Blake of the Secret Service) and the contents were Cold War noir stories, as Doug Grant, Secret Agent, protected America's interests, fighting commies from behind the Iron Curtain. Led by superlative action/adventure artwork by Al Hartley (later Bill Savage) and supported by Atlas titans including Gene Colan, Bill Everett, Russ Heath, Jerry Robinson and Joe Maneely, America ferrets out sinister threats in thrillers like: 'The Traitor!,' 'Discs of Death,' 'Frame-Up in Red,' and 'The Case of the Missing B-29!' All spy comics had healthy runs and by 1952, the Korean War made its? presence felt in every adventure title. Patriotic, but also subtler, darker and more sinister than the familiar costumed hero titles, the spy genre is a little-seen aspect of Marvel's deep history.

The book that kicked off the Marvel Universe back in 1939, presented better than ever in glorious hardcover - together with an extensive array of special features! Marvel Comics 1 promised action, mystery and adventure, and it delivered! The issue's cover star, the original android Human Torch, blazed his way into readers' hearts - and Namor the Sub-Mariner made a big splash! As well as the dazzling debuts of these two Golden Age heroes, pulp star Ka-Zar swung into comics, and costumed detective the Angel made his debut! Plus Western adventures with the Masked Raider - and terror in the jungle! And from this one issue, published 80 years ago, grew the entire Marvel Universe! Now, Marvel Comics 1 is collected along with bonus artwork, insightful essays, a gallery of homages to its iconic cover, and much more!

Marvel proudly presents TIMELY'S GREATEST, a series of once-in-lifetime volumes collecting the greatest stories of the Golden Age - when Marvel was known as Timely Comics! Timely's first super hero, the burning-hot hit called the Human Torch, seared his way into readers' minds in 1939, setting the path for all Marvel icons to come! Carl Burgos' fiery hero wasn't a typical do-gooder - he was a creation of cutting-edge science in a world that was terrified by his burning visage. In this first-ever collection of every Human Torch tale from the character's debut through Carl Burgos' April 1942 induction into the war effort, you'll experience the birth of Marvel Comics! Also featuring Burgos' rare postwar and 1950s Torch stories and covers! Collecting material from MARVEL COMICS #1, MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS #2-34 and #83, HUMAN TORCH COMICS #2-7 and #28, ALL-WINNERS COMICS (1941) #1-4, YOUNG MEN #24-28, CAPTAIN AMERICA (1954) #76 and DARING MYSTERY COMICS #7.

When a time-travel device throws the Hulk into the distant future, he does what Hulks always do: smash! Past, present or future, the Hulk will fight. But when the green goliath returns to the present, he discovers that Rick Jones - thinking he was dead - has revealed to the world that Bruce Banner is the Hulk! As if that wasn't trouble enough, Hercules hits the scene (and the Hulk), while the Secret Empire weaves nefarious plans of domination. The horror of the Humanoid comes next, but it's all just a prelude to the debut of the Abomination! Dr. Emil Blonsky is transformed into a gamma-powered monster equal to the Hulk's might, and their iconic battles will shake the Marvel Universe forevermore! Collecting material from TALES TO ASTONISH (1959) #75-91.

Matt Murdock's luck always ran a step behind his good intentions. When a daring act to save a man's life blinds young Murdock, he finds that the same accident has enhanced his remaining senses to superhuman levels! He becomes Daredevil, a gritty hero born from murder but tempered with the desire to protect the downtrodden. Writer Stan Lee and artists Bill Everett, Joe Orlando, Wallace Wood, John Romita Sr. and Gene Colan lay the foundation of Marvel's Man Without Fear - including the first appearances of core characters Foggy Nelson and Karen Page, and classic villains like the Owl, the Purple Man, Stilt-Man and the Gladiator! Collecting DAREDEVIL (1964) #1-21.