Bill Everett -- An AMAZING MAN

One of my favorite comic artists is Bill Everett.
But Bill Everett wasn't just an artist, he was also a writer, and a creator of comic book characters.
His biggest creation played a major role in the formation and development of comics as we know them today.

At 21 years of age, Bill Everett sold his first comic book page of artwork for $2 in 1938. 

It featured his first comic book character creation,  Skyrocket Steele, 

a "Buck Rogers"-like space adventurer. 

AMAZING MYSTERY FUNNIES #1, 1938, 

featured Skyrocket Steele on the cover, even though Bill Everett's creation didn't make his debut until issue #2. 

Cover art by Bill Everett, one of his first published comic artworks.

Everett's SKYROCKET STEELE.

"As related from the diary of Bill Everett"

Everett's next creation, DIRK THE DEMON, 

from AMAZING MYSTERY FUNNIES #3, 1938.

Everett's next creation to hit the news-stands was AMAZING-MAN, in September 1939. 

Though Centaur Comics art director Lloyd Jacquet is credited for co-creating Amazing-Man,

 it was Everett who scripted and drew his origin in the debut issue (#5), 

as well as his adventures in subsequent issues.

AMAZING-MAN COMICS #5, 1939.

Cover art by Bill Everett.

The stage is set for Everett's biggest creation.

Though created before AMAZING-MAN for for the ill-fated MOTION PICTURE FUNNIES WEEKLY #1, Everett's original 8-page story about Namor, The SUB-MARINER was repackaged and sold to Martin Goodman (with an added new 4 pages) for MARVEL COMICS #1.

In October, 1939, THE SUB-MARINER debuted and, along with compatriot Carl Burgos' creation THE HUMAN TORCH, changed the face of comics forever. With Marvel's addition of  Simon and Kirby's CAPTAIN AMERICA, which debuted two years later, THE SUB-MARINER and THE HUMAN TORCH would make up the trinity of characters that would remain at the heart of Marvel Comics for the next two decades and beyond.

From MARVEL COMICS #1, 1939.

From MARVEL COMICS #1, 1939.

Well, if comics fans liked ONE under-water hero, 

why not create another one?

Bill Everett's THE FIN debuted in Marvel's 

DARING MYSTERY COMICS #7, 1941.

Speaking of aquatic themes, we can't forget about Everett's HYRDOMAN, created in 1940, a hero who could transform himself into living water!

In the 1950's Everett was one of Stan Lee's best artists for Marvel's Atlas period, where he contributed dozens of fantastic stories and incredibly detailed and moody covers, such as these examples,

many of these comics I purchased solely based on the beautiful Bill Everett cover artwork:

Everett worked for Marvel doing comics through the 60's and into the early 70's, using his artistic abilities to draw such popular characters as the HULK, DR. STRANGE, and his own SUB-MARINER. He did many covers, pencils, and inks for a variety of comics. In 1964, along with Stan Lee, Everett used his creative powers again and helped create DAREDEVIL, drawing the 1st issue (Jack Kirby also had a hand in designing the character, giving him his billy club, and Steve Ditko and Sol Brodsky helped finish the artwork, handed in at a late hour).

My slightly beat up issue of DAREDEVIL #1. 

Cover art by Jack Kirby and Bill Everett.

A tasty pin-up of the Black Widow from DAREDEVIL #81, 1971

In 1973, Everett drew his last comic. 

His final comic work was drawing his famous creation Namor the Sub-Mariner 

that saw print in 1975's SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM-UP #1. 

This death announcement and eulogy by Steranko appeared in  1973. 

I scanned this from TALES OF THE ZOMBIE #2.

Yes, Bill Everett was an amazing man.

He was one of comics greatest creators, and an incredibly talented artist.

Today's story scans come from AMAZING-MAN COMICS #5, 1939,

and reveal the debut of the AMAZING-MAN!

Story and art by Bill Everett.

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AMAZING-MAN COMICS #5, cover art Bill Everett

COMIC BOOK PRESERVATION - RESTORING COMICS FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT!

Here at APOCOLYTE'S WORLD OF COMICS, I appreciate all of the wonderful art and artists that have created the myriad of stories and comic books that we can all enjoy! These comics are significant works of art that demand our respect. Comic bloggers like myself serve only as portals or doorways that reveal the creative work that others have made...we are like windows that open so that you, the viewer, can look in and see the beautiful gifts from the great comic book artists and writers, the classic comic book publishers and producers that we are able to highlight for your enjoyment, to point to those often tremendous works that you may otherwise never have the opportunity to experience.

I believe that these wonderful works, for a variety of differing reasons, deserve to be remembered and appreciated, to be savored and exalted. Thankfully, there are many lovers of the classic comic book that abound on the phenomenon we know as the internet, and I am grateful for everyone else who takes the time and energy to post to their own comics blogs. Personally, I take this responsibility very seriously, and while sometimes no great effort is required to present these posts, more often than not the comic book scanned is in poor condition, or the scans are less than desirable, and for whatever reason, the comic book pages I want to present are not in a state worthy of commemoration here. That is when I take the greater effort of my time and talent (however meager) to restore and repair, to the best of my ability, the comic book pages I present for you here at APOCOLYTE'S WORLD OF COMICS.

I realize that there are some comic book purists who desire to see the works in their present state of being, such as a 60 - year old comic in a state of faded and yellowed deterioration. That's fine, and there are certain websites where you can find public domain scans in such a state, and that is a wonderful thing. There is the other side of the coin, the collectors like myself who believe that the stories deserve to be presented in as close to mint condition as possible, as if the comic were printed and produced today, in order to honor the artists and creators, to present them as they deserve to be remembered. These comics of yesterday need to be preserved, to be honored. Short of acquiring the original artwork and reprinting these comics, the next best thing I can do is take the time and effort to digitally restore these wonderful stories, whenever it is necessary and/or applicable. That is how I feel, and I take this responsibility very seriously. I haven't pointed to this fact before, but it is mentioned now in the hope that you, the viewer, will appreciate this effort. I know I am not the only blogger who cares so deeply, but I do take effort to present these comics in an experience designed to maximize your viewing pleasure, often adding a bit of extra graphic presentation. The extra time spent restoring certain comics for web presentation is one of the reasons for my occasional delays in posts, though after my recent long absence I have now returned and hopefully reached a point of regularity. So, if you enjoy seeing these great comics posted in the best possible condition, if you agree that these classics ought to be preserved and honored, I hope you will continue to stop by and enjoy.  We can admire these amazing comic artists and creators together!