Not What It Seems

Sunday Meskin Measures.

Today's Meskin contribution is an odd one. First of all, it is in black and white since that is the only format that it is available in at the Digital Comics Museum I use for most of my comic book scans. In fact, I see that they don't have some of the later issues which I myself just sold before scanning them - I wish I had. Anyway, The Changeling is something of a mixed collaboration, probably featuring Mort Meskin. The Grand Comics Database says the inking is by Meskin and Harry Mendrick's Black Magic checklist does not mention meskin but says George Roussos did the pencilling. I see none of Roussos' typical faces and no inking by Meskin - but I do see Meskin in the underlying pencils and suspect Bill Draut was involved in the inking and finishing up.

Back In The Land Of The Living

Sunday Meskin Measures.

In 1953 Mort Meskin got his own magazine, Strange worlds of your Dreams, based on his experiences with psychiatry. Produced from the Simon and Kirby studio's under the wakeful eyes of his bosses Jack and Joe, it takes him so much time that he does not appear in Black Magic for a while. The last time we saw him was in #19, the first time after that is in #23. It does seem he has matured in the meantime. His linework is a little bit finer and it seems he took a little more time to finish it.

Gang Job

Sunday Meskin Measures.

This is fun. Black Magic is yet another issue of Black Magic I had not seen before. Having almost a complete collection of the original comics has apparently kept me from checking out the few I didn't get. Mort Meskin is present with two stories and I am sad to say they are not the best cotntributions to the issue. Both are hastilly drawn. The first is inking into oblivion by George Roussos and despite the scanner on the Digital Comic Museum website saying the second one is done by Bill Draut I mostly see George Roussos there as well - maybe with a little bit of basic inking by  Meskin himself and some weird smudgy stuff which looks like the work of Joachim Albistur.

Tropical Dreams

Sunday Meskin Measures.

Today's Mort Meskin story from Black Magic #18 looks a bit different than usually. Maybe the island location stopped him from doing his usual 'man in the city' shots. But I also see the first traces of his move to a more sophisticated style, maybe brought on by his forst efforts to find work at DC. I don't know if he did some of the inking himself. I could also be that he pencilled more detailed than normal and had George Roussos handle the inking.

The King And Mort

Sunday Meskin Measures.

There is no Mort Meskin story in Black Magic #16 (one of the few I had never seen), but in #17 we get a double helping. One, a solo story by Meskin and one where he sees to have inked Jack Kirby (or even worked on his lay-outs in some of the later pages).

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More Meskin Magic

Sunday Meskin Measures.

From Black Magic #15, Mort Meskin inked quite hastilly (possibly by himself, or maybe with help from George Roussos). This was of course around the same tim ehe was given the title of editor for the new Strange World of Your Dreams title.

Monster Madness

Sunday Meskin Measures.

In contrast to last week's uninspired Mort Meskin contribution to Black Magic #14, his one story in #14 shown him at the peak of his talents. The figires, the storytelling, the inking, everything helps.