Saturday, August 19, 2017

Wanted TPB: John Byrne's Doomsday +1

Writer: Joe Gill
Artist:
John Byrne
Publisher:
Charlton Comics (1975)

Includes:
Doomsday +1 #1-6


Clipped from Wikipedia: Doomsday + 1 originally ran six issues, cover-dated July 1975 - May 1976. It was then canceled. The series was revived as an all-reprint series in 1978, with issues #7-12 (cover dated June 1978 - May 1979) reprinting the contents of the first six issues.

The series was created by writer Joe Gill and penciler-inker John Byrne for the small, Derby, Connecticut-based publisher Charlton Comics, under editor George Wildman. It is best known as the first original, color-comics series by artist John Byrne.

Stories ran 22 to 23 pages, with most issues also containing a two-page text backup — either a story featuring the main characters or a non-fiction featurette. The backup in issue #5 consisted of two comics pages, drawn by Steve Ditko, of "real world" paranormal vignettes.
One additional 22-page story was produced by Gill and Byrne, but was not published in the original series. It appeared in two parts titled "There Will Be Time, Part One: Time-Slip" and "Part Two: The Man from Elsewhen" in publisher CPL/Gang Publications' Charlton-sponsored comic-book/fanzine hybrid Charlton Bullseye #4-5 (April & Sept. 1976).
Sales of the 1978-79 reprint issues began strong, and editor Wildman assigned Tom Sutton to write and draw a 15-page story scheduled to run as issue #13. As sales of the reprint series tapered off, the project was canceled. While the script became lost, Sutton's pencil-and-ink art for the story, "The Secret City," eventually surfaced, with the cover and the first page published in the magazine Charlton Spotlight #6.

Clipped from www. diversionsofthegroovykind.blogspot.com:
Joe Gill originally intended for Joe Staton to draw the first issue, then hand the artistic reins over to the newcomer from Canada. Realizing the idea was really kinda jive, he changed his mind and let Byrne draw the debut ish, even going so far as to throw in a few Canadian references.

Byrne really earned his $50 a page (for pencils, inks, and letters) on DD+1, even going so far as to rewrite (with Gill's permission) every issue from #2 on. Charlton had a minor hit, as well as a new super-star artist, on their hands. They managed to squeeze out six sensational issues (April 1975-February, 1976) before Marvel and Iron Fist came calling, allowing Byrne's legendary career taking off to heights few have (or perhaps ever will) reach. In fact, when Byrne's career took off into the stratosphere while he was drawing the X-Men for Marvel, Charlton reprinted all six issues of DD+1 (March, 1978-February, 1979).

1 comment:

Four Color Promises said...

I really want to pick these up too. I looked around at the Emerald City comic con but didn't see any issues around. I think eBay will be the way to go.