All In Black And White For A Couple Of Bucks

Saturday Leftover Day.

In July 1958, Murphy Anderson took over the daily and Sunday Buck Rogers strip from Rick Yager, who had left after a contract dispute with the syndicate. On researching it, I saw that Hermes has published both a collection of all of Anderson's daily strips (including his late forties/early fifties run) and a collection of his Sundays. Having been burned a couple of times, I have decided not to buy anymore books from Hermes. I do not like their design, their production quality or their choice of material. Still, people learn and maybe these books represent a growth in their capabillities. Is there anyone out there who can tell me if these books are okay, because I really would like to see these strips (having clipped bits and pieces of them everywhere). Also, I am curious to see if they have included the first two weeks of unsigned strips after Yager left. They do not seem to be by Yager and nor by Anderson. Apparently someone else filled out Yager's storyline. Anderson starts signing on July 7. There is a weird copying of 7-11 going on at 7-19, though.

Fairly Tame

Saturday Leftover Day.

I have shown Buck Rogers by George Tuska and some of the dailies by Murphy Anderson from 1949/50, but here are two Mruphy Anderson Sundays from just before George Tuska took over. This was just before he joined DC in their Silver Age rivival.

Murphy's Flaw

Thursday Story Strip Day.

There are two periods when Murphy Anderson drew Buck Rogers. One short period in the late fifties (before George Tuska took over) and one earlier one in the late forties. Clearly not yet the illustrative giant he would become, but even in this condition they are great to see.

My Tusk Runneth

Friday Comic Book Day.

Geirge Tuska started out (or at least found fame) as one of the artists on Gleason's crime books in the mid forties. In the fifties he returned to the still running outfit with new stories for Crime Must Pay and Crime and Punishment. His style had matured by then, most notably after a stint at Standar, in the company of artist such as Alex Toth, Ross Andru, Mike Sekowsky and inker Mike Peppe. What remained was his impeccable sense of design, like Toth he always knew what to put where. Which is probably what allowed him to draw so quickle and enabled him to first become the new artist of Scorchy Smith (daily and Sunday) and then take over Buck Rogers. Later on, he was one of a few fifties artists who adapte very well to superheroes, so he kept on working all through the sixties, seventies and eighties. But I like his non superhero work best, when he stil was doing a sort of Milt Caniff light.