dick ayers – Page 3 – Coke ⊕ Comics

Sgt. Fury #27

Fury Fights Alone!

Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
Release: December 9, 1965
Cover: February 1966
12 cents
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Dick Ayers
Delineation: John Tartaglione
Lettering: S. Rosen
20 pages

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Amazing Spider-Man #34	Reading order	X-Men #17
Sgt. Fury #26	Sgt. Fury	Sgt. Fury #28

The guys who give me orders have what it takes! They’re my kinda Joes! I’m proud to salute ’em… to fight with ’em… an’ to die with ’em if I haveta!

This issue promises the origins of Fury’s eypatch. The idea is that he has an eyepatch in his modern 1960s adventures as Colonel Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD, but not in these 1940s adventures as Sgt. Fury of the Howling Commandos. We have seen him fighting in Korea in the 1950s, and he didn’t have an eyepatch then. And we have seen him team up with the Fantastic Four in the 1960s, before the founding of SHIELD. And he didn’t have an eyepatch then either. So presumably this issue will tell us he got it some time in the 1960s. It would seem silly to tell us it happened in the 1940s, so I imagine that’s not what they’re about to do.

Sgt. Fury #26

Dum Dum Does It the Hard Way!

Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
Release: November 11, 1965
Cover: January 1966
12 cents
Written with block-buster force by Stan Lee!
Drawn with machine-gun power by Dick Ayers!
Inked with dive-bomber impact by Carl Hubbell!
Lettered with bloodshot eyes by Artie Simek!
20 pages

Previous	#457	Next
Tales of Suspense #76	Reading order	Daredevil #12
Sgt. Fury #25	Sgt. Fury	Sgt. Fury #27

Sweet dreams, Master Race!!

We last saw Dum Dum two issues back. He was wounded in America and sent to the hospital. The Howlers couldn’t wait for him because they were urgently recalled to base to battle (maybe) the Red Skull. Dum Dum was in for a worse fate, because his wife and mother-in-law were going to visit him in the hospital.

This will be Dum Dum’s chance to shine in a largely solo feature.

We see the rest of the team in the beginning for a mission brief that fills us in on what Dum Dum has been up to since his recovery.

Avengers #25

Enter… Dr. Doom!

Featuring: Avengers
Release: December 9, 1965
Cover: February 1966
12 cents
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Don Heck
Inker: Dick Ayers
Letterer: Sam Rosen
20 pages

Previous	#442	Next
Sgt. Fury #25	Reading order	Fantastic Four #44
Avengers #24	Avengers	Avengers #26

The blind fools! They do not realize that Doom cares nothing for them! He merely plays a role for purposes of his own! Truly, he is evil incarnate! If only the simple peasants could see it!

The Avengers fight Dr. Doom!

For maybe the first time, unless you count Avengers #1½–published in 1999 but set before Avengers #2–as canon: the untold first meeting of the Avengers and Dr. Doom.

Either way, it’s the first time any of these Avengers have met Dr. Doom.

Dr. Doom decides to trap the Avengers. Basically just because. His motivation shifts slightly over the course of the issue. At first, it’s because humiliating the Avengers will inspire fear in the Fantastic Four. Then it’s to take them prisoner and use them as bait for the Fantastic Four.

Sgt. Fury #25

Every Man My Enemy!

Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
Release: October 12, 1965
Cover: December 1965
12 cents
Written in rage by: Stan Lee
Pencilled in panic by: Dick Ayers
Delineated in despair by: John Tartaglione
Lettered in the office by: Sam Rosen
20 pages

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Avengers #24	Reading order	Avengers #25
Sgt. Fury #24	Sgt. Fury	Sgt. Fury #26

They seek a simple Nazi spy… an impersonator… nothing more! Little do they dream that they have the Fuehrer’s most dangerous agent in their midst! How they would tremble if they knew their foe is actually– the Red Skull!

Evocative cover not in Kirby’s usual mold for Sgt. Fury covers. Brings to mind the war comics covers of Joe Kubert, which this title owes many a debt to.

This is the first time we’ve seen John Tartaglione. He’s worked for Marvel on and off since the 1950s, with most of his work being in the romance genre. He’s going to become Ayers’ regular inker on this title for the next couple years.

Here’s an early example of his inking, over Pierce Rice from Marvel’s Amazing Detective Cases #6 (1951), and a contemporaneous example from Patsy Walker #124 (1965), over Al Hartley’s pencils.

Here are two examples of his pencil art, from Young Men #11 (1951) and True Secrets #13 (1952), both from Marvel.

Recall last issue, the Howlers were on furlough in America when they got urgent orders to return to Europe, with sealed instructions to be opened on the plane. Dum Dum was wounded and so remained in America. And Hans has gone to live with the Ralstons until the war ends.

Avengers #24

From the Ashes of Defeat!

Featuring: Avengers
Release: November 11, 1965
Cover: January 1966
12 cents
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Don Heck
Inker: Dick Ayers
Letterer: Artie Simek
20 pages

Previous	#440	Next
Avengers #23	Reading order	Sgt. Fury #25
Avengers #23	Avengers	Avengers #25

Let us each meet our fate with valor– and heaven bless you all!

When we left off, Ravonna had rejected Kang’s offer of marriage, so he’s now sending his armies to invade her kingdom.

This treatment of Kang makes more sense to me than his previous appearances, and it better conveys his title of “…the Conqueror”. That he commands a legion of troops ready to invade kingdoms. His last attempt to conquer the 20th century involved sending a robot Spider-Man against the Avengers. Invading with an army just makes more sense to me.

Sgt. Fury #24

When the Howlers Hit the Home Front!

Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
Relase: September 9, 1965
Cover: November 1965
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee, Army Vet!
Pencilled by Dick Ayers, Air Force Vet!
Inked by Frank Ray, Air Force Vet!
Lettered by S. Rosen, Teacher’s Pet!
20 pages

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	INTERLUDE	Modeling with Millie #44
Sgt. Fury #23	Reading order	Avengers #23
Sgt. Fury #23	Sgt. Fury	Sgt. Fury #25

Stan and Dick want to take this opportunity to give a heartfelt thanks and well done to the countless wonderful guys and gals who did so much under the banner of the U.S.O., to keep up the morale of lonely Allied fighting men, both near and far from home! We’ll never forget ’em!

Happy Sam orders the Howlers on a furlough back to the States, including Percy and Hans.

Sgt. Fury #23

The Man Who Failed!

Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
Release: August 10, 1965
Cover:
12 cents
Stirring story by: Stan Lee
Powerful pencilling by: Dick Ayers
Bold brushwork by: Frank Ray
Lilting lettering by: Artie Simek
20 pages

Previous	#437	Next
Amazing Spider-Man #30	Reading order	Sgt. Fury #24
Sgt. Fury #22	Sgt. Fury	Sgt. Fury #24

Years from now, when our grandchildren tell stories of those who came before them, I rawther suspect that the exploits of Percy Pinkerton will be those that endure the longest!

I always have a general concern about Marvel’s depiction of Asian people during this era, which comes into play when the Commandos encounter the Japanese army on the Burma Road. I’m more on the fence about it than usual here.

The Commandos use racial slurs to refer to the Japanese, and the Japanese officers are depicted attempting to commit horrible atrocities. However, the language likely accurately (if tamely) reflects language soldiers of the time used. And the Japanese military really is responsible for countless atrocities during World War II, many far more horrific than the accusations here. There are certainly ethnic stereotypes in place, but it’s very similar to how the German soldiers are depicted.

The Commandos are sent to rescue Sister Theresa and a group of children who had been living at her mission. The Japanese had burned the mission and are seeking to kill the nun and children.

Sgt. Fury #22

Don’t Turn Your Back on Bull McGiveney!

Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
Release: July 8, 1965
Cover: September 1965
12 cents
Story: The greatest, by Stan Lee
Art: The first-ratest, by Dick Ayers
Inking: The ornatest, by Carl Hubbell
Lettering: The straightest, by Art Simek
20 pages

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Marvels #2	PRELUDE
Tales of Suspense #72	Reading order	Amazing Spider-Man #29
Sgt. Fury #21	Sgt. Fury	Sgt. Fury #23

“Figure it wuz worth it, Sarge?”
“That’s for the history books, soldier!”

This story sets the Howlers on a mission that ties into a famous mission from World War II, Operation: Tidal Wave. This shows us where we are in time. It’s now August 1, 1943. The real-life operation was an ambitious bombing of Nazi oil refineries near Ploiești, Romania, which this comic will spell “Ploesti”.

Sergeants Fury and McGiveney will both be assigned to take their squads to provide preliminary support by destroying Nazi flak guns. McGiveney’s Maulers will be assigned to sabotage the main emplacements, while Fury and his Howlers will be assigned to destroy a train used to deploy mobile flak guns.

Of course, these two squads don’t get along and we’ve never before seen them try to work together. In fact, the story opens with them in a typical brawl, which gets interrupted by Captain Sawyer.

A Sergeant Lee and Corporal Ayers witness the Howlers going off to their mission. Lee decides he’s going to write stories about the Howlers one day and that Ayers can draw them. Indeed, we’ve met this Lee fellow a couple times before. We know he would go on to write the Fantastic Four comics, but would not get an invite to the FF wedding.

Sure enough, the rival squads step on each others’ toes a bit come the mission. The squads run into each other in the dark and mistake each other for the enemy. The confusion created leads to the capture of Fury and McGiveney.

Avengers #19

The Coming of… The Swordsman!

Featuring: Avengers
Release: June 8, 1965
Cover: August 1965
12 cents
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Don Heck
Inker: Dick Ayers
Letterer: Artie Simek
20 pages

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Tales of Suspense #71, Story B	Reading order	Avengers #20
Avengers #18	Avengers	Avengers #20

There must be no surrender!

“Marvel Pop Art Productions”? This phrase started appearing on covers these last couple months. The letters page explains that fans object to these magazines being called comics, perhaps as that implies they are humorous and juvenile. So Stan is going to start calling them “pop art books”. I started reading these things about 25 years later and heard they were called comics, so I’m not sure this rebranding will stick.

Swordsman tries to join the Avengers but is rebuffed after a fight.

Tales of Suspense #69, Story B

Midnight in Greymoor Castle!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: June 8, 1965
Cover: September 1965
12 cents
Script by: Friendly Stan Lee
Layouts by: Frolicksome Jack Kirby
Rendering by: Frivolous Dick Ayers
Lettering by: Fearless Artie Simek
10 pages

Previous	#405	Next
Tales of Suspense #69	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #70
Tales of Suspense #69	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #70

Cedric, even if you care nothing for yourself or me– think of your country! You’re betraying us all!

Kirby does the layouts. He’s been doing a lot of that this month as he is over-stretched. Ayers is credited with the rendering. The difference from the previous issues with proper Kirby art really shows.

The plot here is that a scientist has a radiation experiment the Nazis can use to kill Captain America and Bucky. But it will only work if they are first helpless captives. At which point a gun would probably suffice.