What comic books have you read today?11515

Originally Posted by michaelekrupp
Been spending some time with my February 1958 Harvey volume. Some really great issues that month! For example, Hot Stuff #3, which boasts an amazing Warren Kremer cover and also the debut of Stumbo the Giant.




There seems to be some debate among collectors about Stumbo’s first appearance. Some collectors will point to Hot Stuff #2, where a Stumbo-esque giant appeared as a foil for hot stuff. A similar Stumbo prototype also appeared as a villain in Casper previously. Obviously Harvey had been toying with the idea of a giant type character for a while, but there is zero doubt that the first appearance of Stumbo as the character we know and love was in Hot Stuff #3.

Virtually all of the Harvey enthusiasts that I know proclaim Stumbo to be among their absolute favorite characters, but he really didn’t seem to play too well among Harvey’s core audience at the time. He was eventually given his own title, but it lasted only 8 issues before being cancelled, in spite of Hot Stuff appearing in every issue. I guess the little tykes that formed Harvey’s base just couldn’t appreciate Kramer’s masterful artwork on this feature. Only a master of perspective drawing can pull off a series where characters are larger or smaller than their environment. Kremer’s work will never receive the respect that it deserves, largely because of which company he worked for. He may be the most underrated artist in comics. Kremer was Harvey’s Kirby in that his style became the “house style”, which other artists were encouraged to draw in.

And speaking of Kirby, he also freelanced for Harvey during this period, both in the romance titles and on some adventure covers including this masterpiece for Harvey Hits #6:




This issue features a great story about a criminal who is released from prison after forty years only to find that the Phantom is still out there waiting for him! I am surprised Harvey didn’t do more with the Phantom. He appeared semi-regularly in Harvey Hits, but that was it. Given their propensity to max out their other licensed properties, I wonder if they didn’t have a different deal with the license for the Phantom and were limited in how often they could publish him.

Harvey comics are so underrated! Especially that late ‘50s period where they really began to hit their stride.