Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandoes Release: April 12, 1966 Cover: June 1966 12 cents Written by: Roy Thomas Illustrated by: Dick Ayers Inked by: J. Tartaglione Lettered by: Sam Rosen 20 pages
I guess these big bad nazis plain scared me so much I couldn’t remember a thing!
This is an above-average Sgt. Fury story. It’s got a more intricate plot than usual with some clear stakes. Captain Sawyer gets a larger role, allowing his character to be fleshed out some. And it’s notable for introducing us finally to General Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander. I like that guy.
We saw in last issue’s text box that D-Day was approaching. We see the Howlers training underwater for that mission, dubbed Operation Overlord.
Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos Release: March 10, 1966 Cover: May 1966 12 cents Energetic editing by: Stan Lee Rambunctious writing by: Roy Thomas Actionistic art by: Dick Ayers Dynamic delineation by: John Tartaglione Lethargic lettering by: Sam Rosen 20 pages
Awright you yardbirds… keep firin’! You want the Fascisti ta forget we’re here?
The Howlers parachute into Italy. This is momentous for Dino. We knew he was Italian-American, but we learn a couple new facts, including that he was born in Italy, but moved to America as a baby. We also learn he loves spaghetti.
Unusually, Sgt. Fury orders the Commandos to surrender, and they are taken to a prison camp. The Canadian Captain in charge has been planning a great escape. But Sgt. Fury has other plans.
Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD Release: April 12, 1966 Cover: July 1966 12 cents Far-fetched script by Stan Lee Fantastic layouts by Jack Kirby Fabulous pencilling by Don Heck Fanciful inking by Mickey Demeo Freehand lettering by Sam Rosen 12 pages
We’re dealin’ with an outfit that can turn out artificial men to do any kinda job… just like Marvel can grind out comic books!
The word of late has been Them. Them financed the Fixer. Them sent a chemical android to attack Nick Fury and Captain America. Them consists of several brilliant scientists.
Spinning right out of the Captain America adventure, Nick Fury has traced that android to this swampland.
In a bit of bravado, and a wink at the other titles, Fury notes that SHIELD agents aren’t superheroes. They don’t always win.
Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD Release: March 10, 1966 Cover: June 1966 12 cents Writer: Stan Lee Designer: Jack Kirby Penciller: Don Heck Inker: Mickey Demeo Letterer: Sam Rosen Badge polisher: Irving Forbush 12 pages
A simple smoke grenade should do the job nicely in this instance… and it won’t cost the taxpayers as much as a noisy, explosive grenade! For we guardians of the public trust must ever have the average citizen’s interests close to our hearts!
Quite the opening page. Somewhat disturbing.
Curious if it inspired images in the modern horror series, Locke & Key.
Where were we? The Druid wants to destroy SHIELD for some reason. He pretends to have mystical powers, but technology underpins everything he does. Oh, and we just met the eager new recruit, Jasper Sitwell.
Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD Release: February 10, 1966 Cover: May 1966 12 cents Writer: Stan Lee Designer: Jack Kirby Penciller: H. Purcell Inker: M. Demeo Letterer: Sam Rosen 12 pages
It is given to few men to serve the forces of SHIELD… and those of us who are chosen dare not take the challenge lightly!
We are back for the new year! And Howard Purcell is back on art. He was credited with an assist last issue, but now is credited as the penciller, with Kirby as the “designer”. Which presumably means layouts by Kirby, finished pencils by Purcell, followed by inks by Esposito. Or something like that.
Strange Tales has oddly shared its pages of late between the spy stories of Nick Fury and the mystical stories of Dr. Strange. It seems like the writer has finally mixed up the two and tossed a Dr. Strange villain into Nick Fury’s story.
Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD Release: January 11, 1966 Cover: April 1966 12 cents Story: Stan Lee Art: Jack Kirby with an assist by: Howard Purcell Inking: M. Demeo Lettering: A. Simek 12 pages
Howard Purcell is a new name to us, but he’s been in the business since 1940, mostly doing work for the companies that would become DC. He’s not going to be a regular Marvel artist. It’s not even clear what he did this issue. Some form of finishing Kirby’s pencil art before handing it off to Mike Esposito to finish in ink.
Here’s a sampling of his work for DC.
Adventure Comics #53, featuring Mark Lansing of Mikishawm, 1940
World’s Finest Comics #2, feat. Lando Man of Magic, 1941
All American Comics #25, 1941
All American Comics #26, feat. Sargon the Sorcerer, 1941
Sensation Comics #1, feat. The Gay Ghost, 1942
Comic Cavalcade #15, feat. Johnny Peril’s Surprise Story, 1946
Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos Release: February 10, 1966 Cover: April 1966 12 cents Explosive editing by: Stan Lee Seething script by: Roy Thomas Pulsating pencils by: Dick Ayers Invigorating inking by: John Tartaglione Lacksadaisal lettering by Sam Rosen 20 pages
Armageddon… that the day when good and evil are supposed ta lock horns for the last time… with the good guys comin’ out on top! ‘Course, I know we went through that ‘war to end war’ jazz before! Still, a guy can’t help hopin’–! Yeah, every once in a while, I get ta thinkin’… mebbe this one will be the last war! Mebbe—
We met Roy Thomas in his first Marvel story featuring Millie the Model. He’s since done other work for Millie and for Kid Colt Outlaw. He has a couple other credits out there because he’d submitted some story ideas to other companies before landing the Marvel gig, and they’re now seeing print. We saw him a second time on a confusingly credited issue of Iron Man that seemed like they’d recruited everybody around.
This will be his first ongoing series. He’ll script the next 12 issues of Sgt. Fury. And the first time any of these Marvel titles have seen Stan Lee take a break of longer than a couple issues. Stan Lee has penned his last Sgt. Fury script. Without much fanfare.
Of course, Stan Lee still gets his name first in the credits. He is indeed the editor for this and all the titles.
It’s worth noting that right away Thomas will start referencing the continuity of earlier issues.
Thomas picks up where Lee left off with a tense face-off between Fury and his archnemesis, Baron Strucker. Strucker has a switch which will blow up the entire city; Fury a trigger to blow the building they are both in.
Except Fury is bluffing. His explosives aren’t wired yet.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.