No Comment Department (Crider style)

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BAMA Interview (1969) - Part 2

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As we continue from yesterday, I have another admission. I had no idea James Bama had painted the cover for the first Star Trek book - a cover I have long admired. Sheesh. I need to look into what else he's done.

Once again, this interview, conducted by Bob Napier & Bob Jaunillo, appeared in their 1969 zine Comickazi. Over to you, Bob, Bob, and Bama . . . . . .

Do you work at home or in a studio?
I worked in a studio for fourteen years, but I have worked at home for the last four.

Who would you say has inspired your work more than anyone else?
Norman Rockwell and Andrew Wyeth.

What do you think about the comics of your youth compared to those of today?
I really have no thoughts on comics except that when I was a kid they seemed more exciting. We had no TV then, and I loved Flash Gordon, Tarzan, Mandrake, the Phantom, Terry and the Pirates and Buck Rogers. I think they were better and more heroic than today’s strips.

A glance at any bookstand reveals quite a plethora of “Bama covers”. You must be kept real busy since you are so well known.
I am too well known. I had an unlisted number in New York and I still got business calls every week. I could have worked 200 hours a day. I get at the least, a fan letter a week. In my chosen field, I was too well known and that’s why I left New York; to live a more normal life and do what I want in art.

In that case you must command a good sum for your work. Can you tell us how much you usually get for a cover painting?
No, I have a personal contract and I can not divulge my prices.

That’s understandable. How about schooling? Did you ever attend art school?
Yes. I studied at the Art Student League in New York for three and half years with Frank J. Reilly after World War II.

How do you get your ideas for your paperback covers?
Either from a client conference, or, as in the case of the Doc Savages, by reading the book.

Do you ever do ghost work?
No.

Wat do you think of the sudden rash of artists who mimic your style?
I think it’s flattering.

The illustrator we think comes closest to your style is Peter Carras (Carras did the KKK cover at left - Ed.). Do you know him?
He’s one of my best friends.

What do you think is the best way for an artist to break into cover illustrating?
Do good realism and watch the trends; then make the rounds.




Any other advice for prospective young artists?
There’s always room for a good realistic artist.

What do you consider to be the greatest example of your work to date?
My own paintings done out here.

Care to tell us your full name?
James E. Bama.

Do you have any closing words to add?
Guess that’s it!

©1969 Jaunillo-Napier

Ed. Note: The cover below, for The Toyman Rides Again, is a non-Bama. Too bad. Had Mr. B known his old

pen-pal Bob was in need of a cavalry cover, he doubtless would have jumped at the chance. Still, Five Star did a fine job. In this one, the eagerly-awaited sequel to Love, Death and the Toyman, Tacoma toy dealer Jack Lorentz is recruited to join a troop of reenactors on their way to the Little Bighorn. Threats have been made on the troop's "Custer", and the notoriety Jack gained from his previous case makes him the best man for the job. Watch out, Jack! There may still be angry Sioux on the loose. The book is due out next month and now available for pre-order.

BAMA Interview (1969) - Part 1

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Me talking: I've been a James Bama fan since I was 14 and bought my first Doc Savage paperback. Over the years it came to my attention he'd done some western covers, and later moved into serious western painting. But until I started hunting up artwork to accompany this interview, I didn't know he'd done pulps. And I sure didn't know he'd painted the box art for all those great Aurora monster models.

Cap'n Bob Napier and his co-editor Bob Jaunillo conducted this interview by mail for their first and only issue of Comickazi, published in 1969. It's reprinted here by kind permission of Mr. Napier. Here goes . . . . . .

For openers let’s find out a little bit about yourself, like where you were born and when.
I was born on April 28, 1928 in New York City.

Do you still live there?
No, I now make my home in Cody, Wyoming.

What hobbies or interests do you have outside of art?
Sports - I still play basketball, hike, ride and lift weights.

How about your art? When did you first become interested in it?
I’ve been interested in art ever since childhood.

Do you remember where your first printed work appeared?
Yes, it was in Sporting News when I was 15 years old.

What was your first professional job as an artist?
I have always free-lanced.

Did you ever think of following a career other than art?
I had always planned to be an artist.

You have the ability to use colors more effectively than most of the other cover illustrators working today. What techniques to you employ and what materials do you use?
Well, I try to put every cover in a color mood so it will read easily. I use oil paints on illustration board prepared with Shiva underpainting white.

As an artist, do you have a goal that you want to reach?
Yes, I want to do heroic, meaningful paintings in fine art.

Who are your personal favorites in the field of art and why?
Andrew Wyeth is the artist I most admire. He is the complete painter: conception and execution. Rembrandt is my all-time hero. He put life on canvas better than anyone ever did.

What is your opinion as to the direction art is taking today?
Modern art is really entertainment, “show business”, and requires a new act all the time. Good realism always has a permanent market.

You’ve painted most of the Doc Savage covers to date. Do you ever read the contents?
I’ve read all of the Doc Savages and I also conceived the covers for them.

Generally, what kind of reading material do you favor?
The classics, and the Sunday Times in New York.

While we are at it, who are your favorite authors?
Dostoyevsky, Dickens, etc.

OK, to get back to art, how long does it take you to produce a cover painting for a paperback book?
About five days.

Would you rather continue as you are now or go on to something else, say a strip or commercial work?
I have done commercial work for twenty years and I hate it! I will never do it again. I haven’t wanted to do a strip since I was seventeen years old, when Alex Raymond was my hero. I only do book covers now and paint for myself.

©1969 Jaunillo-Napier

Part 2 (The End) tomorrow. 

COOL BAMA LINKS:

Doc Savage Covers
Western Art

Note: Killer Bait is from the collection of Mr. James Reasoner

Skullduggery: Three "Lost" stories by James Reasoner

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While excavating a few old boxes from storage the other day, I unearthed these artifacts of Reasoner history.  As soon as I’ve finished reading them, they’ll be winging their way to Texas to join the Reasoner post-fire library.

SKULLDUGGERY 5 (Winter 1981) was the first of two issues edited by Will Murray, who took over from Mike Cook. With this issue, the mag shifted from crime fiction to “fiction noir”, which explains why I bought it. The Reasoner tale, “Dreams Before Breakfast” stars a guy who suffers a recurring nightmare until he begins cheating on his wife. Believing she was the cause of his dreams, he resolves to end the marriage by any means necessary - with surprising results. Also in this issue: “Mellow Drama” by Richard Sale, a cockeyed tale from 1935, set in the office of a hero pulp publisher (it has since been reprinted in Blood ’N' Thunder 3).

SKULLDUGGERY 6 leads off with his story “Play by the Rules”. This one’s about a guy paid a visit by an old not-friend and his deadly associates. This tale is far less “lost” than it used to be, because James reprinted it last Fall on his blog. You can read the whole thing right HERE. You’ll be pleased to know the cover illo with the folks in the klannish hoods is for a different story.

SKULLDUGGERY 7 finds Karen Shapiro and Bill Desmond (publishers of issues 5 and 6) now editing as well. According to them, “The Double Edge” is Reasoner’s fifth story featuring Markham, a Chandleresque private eye. Markham doesn’t mind serving his clients, but hates being used, as his current client learns to his peril. “At he moment,” the editors tell us, James “is working on both a mystery novel and a fantasy novel. And a historical romance, The Emerald Land, which he wrote with his wife, L.J. Washburn, will be published soon by Fawcett.” (Hey James! What fantasy novel was that?) Skullduggery lasted one more issue (without a Reasoner tale, I believe), then was reborn for a four-issue run as Spiderweb, where at least one more of his stories appeared. If I have any Spiderwebs, they’re still buried in storage.

"Skyler Hobbs and the Rabbit Man" Now Available on a Computer Near You

UPDATE 2/1/2011:  Shucks, this eMagazine is no longer offered by Fictionwise, or any other epub dealer, as near as I can tell. But if you'd really like to read this story, email me at delewis1@hotmail.com.

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When my Skyler Hobbs story appeared in EQMM, I had a hard time finding a copy. We have several Borders stores and several Barnes and Nobles in the Portland area, and only about a third of them received the February issue. I heard similar stories from other climes.

So I'm pleased to report this February 2010 issue is now available for download to anyone anywhere. One place to get it is FICTIONWISE, where you can choose from over a dozen different electronic formats. A single issue goes for $3.99 (less for Fictionwise members).

(Sony's eBook Store is offering single issues at $3.49, but currently has only Nov & Dec 2009.  Amazon offers EQMM subscriptions for Kindle, but near as I can tell they do not sell single issues.)

Ain't this modern age grand?

Comickazi SUPERBOWL Results

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The Comickazi Cover Contest is kaput! The results have been tallied, and now it can be told: The winner of The Adventure of the Peerless Peer (because he didn't squawk and request something else) is Mr. Art Scott of Livermore CA, USA (known in select circles as the Emperor of the Universe), whose pan appears at right. Art named everybody in sight, including some that probably don't have names. He even cited the first name of A. Mutt (Augustus). Runner-Up Honors, and a fabulous No-Prize go out to Craig Clarke, proprietor of the fine blog Somebody Dies. Thanks to all who entered.

 

More or less left to right above we have The Yellow Kid, Smokey the Bear, A. Mutt, LBJ, Tricky Dick and Dagwood Bumstead. The guy in the helmet is likely no one in particular. Same with the face roughly in the neighborhood of Dagwood's crotch.

Here we have Charlie Brown, The Mighty Thor, Li'l Abner and Woody Allen. The guy getting his head crushed is probably just an extra. The debonair dude sporting the peace button will be revealed below (way below).

 

Let's work right to left on this one. That's obviously Scrooge McDuck, one of the greatest adventure heroes of all time. Just above dead center is a murky face I suspect belongs to Charlie Chaplin. Art thought the guy getting his teeth ground into the cobblestones resembled Alfred E. Newman. Could be. The mystery here is the boy/girl at far left. The dog next to him/her appears to be Buster Brown's sidekick Tige, but if that's Buster (who did indeed look like a girl) he should have a distinct curl in his bangs, with another on his cheek, and should not be wearing a fur coat. I suspect artist Bob Juanillo meant this to be someone else. The weird look Tige gives this person is mirrored in the look Officer Pupp gives Felix in the scene below.

Left to right again, there's Ignatz Mouse with his signature brick. Next to him is Officer Pupp, who was always chasing him in the Krazy Kat strip. Then Felix the Cat. Pupp is giving Felix a look that seems to say Hey, you're not Krazy, which makes me think Tige (in the previous panel) is thinking Hey, you're not Buster. Moving on, there's Swee'Pea, Mr Abernathy (he's the guy whose name neither Bob or I could remember), Jiminy Cricket, and (just above Jiminy) Henry. The kid hawking Comickazi is drawn in the style of the Miss Peach strip, but we were unable to match his hairstyle with any particular character. The guy coming out of the manhole remains a mystery. And finally, here's a real shocker...

Debonair Dude is/was Robert S./Cap'n Bob Napier, nowadays utterly without vice and tougher than a two-dollar steak. Who'd a thunk he was once not only a peacenik, but a smoker and a wearer of argyle socks? Not me!

Tune in later this week for one more reprint from the pages of Comickazi: an exclusive, 1969 interview with artist James Bama.

THE SHERLOCK SHELF 1: The Demon Device, The Giant Rat of Sumatra & Sherlock Holmes Illustrated

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Well, shucks. Looks like Sam Spade is still on vacation. In his absence, I guess I’ll start pulling books off the Sherlock shelf and see what’s what.

THE DEMON DEVICE by Robert Saffron (1979) is one of those untold (until now) adventures of Arthur Conan Doyle. This one takes place during WWI. The Germans are developing still another secret weapon, and the intrepid author is sent to destroy it.  This one is unusual in that it is introduced with a note from Conan Doyle from the spirit world. Apparently, ever since his death he had been seeking a “sympathetic receptor” to whom he might convey this tale, and at last found it in Robert Saffron. Hey, I believe in aliens, so why not this?

THE GIANT RAT OF SUMATRA by Richard L. Boyer (1976) is “An adventure in abduction, intimidation and insanity.” This one is introduced by its true author, John H. Watson, M.D., by a note penned in 1912. He is placing this manuscript in the strongbox of Barclay’s Bank, he says, until the arbitrarily chosen date of 1976 “with the assurance that by then, the people who could be injured or offended by what follows will have long since turned to dust.” As a bonus, we are treated to a postscript by someone identifying himself as “S.H.” singing the praises of “Good old Watson!”  

SHERLOCK HOLMES ILLUSTRATED by Clive Hopwood, with illos by Paul Crompton and Glenn Rix (1981) is a mixed bag. Along with six newly illustrated Conan Doyle tales, we have articles on Holmes on the screen, the Victorian underworld, Scotland Yard, Jack the Ripper, and a 10-page comic book adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles. And more. The illos are nicely done, and the inking reminiscent of EC artist Graham Ingels.

Forgotten Books: Doc Dillahay (aka Six-Gun Doctor) by Paul S. Powers

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Looks like a western, doesn't it? Nope. It’s historical fiction. And the title is not really Six-Gun Doctor, it’s Doc Dillahay.

True, the story does take place in turn-of-the century-Arizona. There are ranchers and cattle, and guys in cowboy hats running around with six-guns, and the author had spent 15-odd years writing shoot-‘em-ups for Wild West Weekly, but still - this is historical fiction. And damn good historical fiction, to boot.

Paul S. Powers, as you may know from previous posts here or on Laurie’s Wild West, or from the memoir Pulp Writer: Twenty Years in the American Grub Street, was one of Wild West Weekly’s most popular fictioneers. I’ve read two collections of those stories, Kid Wolf of Texas and Desert Justice (featuring his character Sonny Tabor), and found them great fun. But they did nothing to prepare me for Doc Dillahay.

Those Wild West Weekly stories, you see, were aimed at 15-year-old boys, which goes a long way toward explaining why I like them so much. But Doc Dillahay is a whole ‘nother critter. This is real fiction, written for grown-ups, and Powers did a masterful job of it.

The blurb on the paperback cover is accurate: A smashing, true-to-life novel of Old Arizona! There’s more of the true-to-life, day-to-day life of the Old West here than I recall finding in any other novel. Powers had been living in Arizona a long while before he wrote it, and obviously soaked up an amazing amount of factual lore.

Our protagonist, John Dillahay has been away at school, and just returned to his folks and family in Yucca, Arizona, where he takes on the job of schoolmaster. But he soon falls in with the town doctor and discovers his true calling. He wants to be a doctor himself. The first half of the book is about him growing into that role and preparing himself for medical school. After two years of schooling (mostly offstage), he returns home to practice, and finds he has still more growing to do.

Along the way, Powers displays an amazing knowledge of frontier medicine (as practiced by Dillahay’s mentor) and new-fangled techniques Dillahay is exposed to at medical school.

Since Powers was primarily a short story writer, there are many fine short stories woven into the plot. This makes the novel somewhat episodic, but it all ties together in telling us the big story, which is how Dillahay overcomes all challenges to achieve his goals.

Oh yeah, he’s good with a gun, hence Six-Gun Doctor, but he rarely uses one, and it hardly matters. Despite the hype on the back of the paperback (which you are encouraged to click to enlarge), this book has a lot more going for it than HOT LEAD.

Powers’ memoir in Pulp Writer ends before the publication of Doc Dillahay, but Laurie Powers fills us in on the rest of the story.  After Wild West Weekly shut down in 1943, Powers was a man without a market and tried various types of magazines with sporadic success. And he started writing Doc Dillahay. The book was published in 1949 to good reviews, and he began work on a sequel, The Young Dillahays. Sadly, the publisher was not happy with the first few chapters, feeling that it “strayed too far from the accepted western pattern”, and Powers abandoned the project.

Even then, they just didn’t get it. Powers had grown as a writer. He was no longer writing shoot-’em-ups, but historical fiction. I wish he’d written more of it.

Though Powers' passed on in 1971, his career is still going. A never-before-published tale appeared recently on Beat to a Pulp, and another has been accepted for the upcoming Beat to a Pulp print anthology. 

My earlier reviews of Kid Wolf of Texas and Pulp Writer are HERE.

ADDED ATTRACTION: Laurie Powers has kindly agreed to post the dust jackets for both the U.S. and UK editions of Doc Dillahay today over at Laurie’s Wild West. Do not fail to bop over and take a look.

And for links to more Forgotten Books, visit Patti Abbott's pattinase.