My History in Comics, Part 2 – TBG Covers and Mr. Mystery Artist

 

 

The Buyer's Guide for Comic Fandom (also known as the TBG) was a weekly newspaper printed on newsprint. It was primarily advertising—retailers selling old comic books, ads for comic book conventions, things of that nature. It was published by Alan Light under the business name of Dynapubs Enterprises out of East Moline, Illinois. It measured about 11 x 17, and issues were typically around 80 pages in several sections.

Alan Light built his subscription base by advertising in mainstream comic books with small display ads. I started subscribing to the publication in the mid-1970s. The TBG was probably one of the things that influenced me towards trying for a career in comics.

I did three covers for the TBG: TBG #303 (Sept 1979), TBG #350 (Aug 1980), and TBG #373 (Jan 1981). I did all three of them under the “Mr. Mystery Artist” pseudonym. Why the pseudonym? Partly for the fun of it, but also partly as a crutch to take the pressure off of doing things under my own name. It permitted me to be less inhibited, and less likely to freeze up and get creative block.

All three were done in pencil, on cheap student-grade drawing paper. I sent all three to Alan Light at the same time, in the same package, and he spread out using them, printing one a year. When Alan asked for return postage to return the art, I told him to keep the art, so I do not have the originals. The following scans I found on the internet. I do have file copies of these issues of the Buyer’s Guide somewhere, in disorganized stacks.

 

While in college one of my original goals in comics was to get in at DC Comics and draw superheroes. Green Arrow was one of the characters I intended to do samples of.

The Doctor Solar cover that appeared on TBG #350 may looked inked, but I achieved that look by using a soft-lead pencil (a cheap no. 1 pencil from an office supply company). Then I used spray fixative to keep it from smudging. I think I used spray fixative on all three. The paper was a cheap student-grade paper sold in the campus bookstore, produced by a special arrangement with a paper pad manufacturer or distributor in Springfield Missouri.

I think you can see the heavy Neal Adams influence in both the Green Arrow cover and the Dr. Solar cover.

With the Warlord cover for TBG #373 You probably notice the heavy influence of Barry Smith’s Conan. You might also notice some influence of German Renaissance artist Albrecht Durer. Like Barry Smith, I drew every blade of grass. And I did the same thing in multiple panels of the first Jack Bunny story “Rocket Rabbit” in the Charlton Bullseye #2, drawing every blade of grass. 

When I first decided to try for a career in comics my original goal was to do superheroes of the typical sort. These three covers hint at what sort of work I might have ended up doing had I stayed on that path. However, my path was shifted towards funny animals, in part by a comic shop owner named Dennis Budd.

My first funny animal story, “Super Santa!”, was published by Dennis in his Surf City Comics & Stories, and included my Mr. Mystery Artist pseudonym:

 

I’ll tell you more about Dennis, Surf City Comics & Stories, and “Super Santa!” in the next installment of My History in Comics.