Sunday Afternoon Culture Corner with Basil Wolverton

Joe Kubert and the importance of sucking

The following story sucks.

There are glimpses of talent here but on the whole it's crude and ugly, like something a teenager might draw.

As a matter of fact, it was drawn by a teenager. This seems to be the first story published by Joe Kubert, who would, in a few years, produce some of the most beautiful and influential comics of the Golden and Silver Age. He was able to do that, in part, because he was in a field where a young artist could support himself while learning his craft.

The first requirement for achieving greatness is the opportunity to suck.

Sunday Afternoon Culture Corner with Basil Wolverton

Keri Krane -- another groundbreaking Golden Age series by Dick Briefer

Dick Briefer is famous among knowledgeable comic buffs (particularly here in Mippyville) as one of the best and most innovative cartoonists of the Golden Age. His fame rests almost entirely on his three interpretations of one character, Frankenstein.

But Briefer created other series as well and at least one also deserves a place in the history books. Keri Krane was (as far as I can tell) the first tough female private eye appearing in genuine noir stories. Briefer's style was light and there were humorous touches but these were not funny stories. As you can see here, Krane dealt with truly bad people and faced dangers that were decidedly non-cartoonish.