In 1966 I was a high school student in Chicago. I was fanatical
about comics and anything related to comics. I loved the early fanzines and all
that wonderful enthusiasm that dripped from every rexographed and mimeographed page. In 1966 Spa Fon 2 appeared, published
by a group of fanatical Chicago land collectors. That issue had an interesting
essay on Frank Frazetta written by Helmet Mueller and a never before seen piece
of art by Frazetta as the cover image. I was in heaven. Helmet also owned an
original Ghost Rider cover and would also acquire the watercolor cover to the
Secret People a bit later. He was a very passionate nut. I liked him a lot. I
asked Helmet where the Spa Fon art came from and he told it was owned by a guy
named Bill Zichter who worked as a freelance commercial illustrator. I tried to
locate him but could not. Eventually I just gave up. He knew Frazetta back in
the early 50's when Frank worked for Magazine Enterprises , M.E. Comics. He
moved to Chicago a bit later. Everyone wondered what happened to that original
art. This is, I believe, the first time a finished Frazetta illustration
appeared as a fanzine cover. Many many bootlegs would follow.
Skip forward almost 50 years! The Spa Fon 2 cover shows up on an
eBay auction run by Gary Dolgoff
Comics. I inquired and
found out that the estate was selling off an art collection owned by a deceased
artist named Bill Dichtl. My God, I was given the wrong name all those years
ago. Just finding out what his name really was provided real satisfaction.
Dichtl also had two Johnny Comet Sundays, with one done by Wally Wood. He also
had several Durango Kid pages. Everything was fresh to the marketplace and
unseen for almost 50 years. Amazing that it survived. The mystery, of course,
is why the art was done in the first place and why it ended up in Bill Dichtl's
hands?
Here's the second part of the mystery. Dichtl had the original
art published in Durango Kid #3, p. 27. It was an early page with dramatic
lighting effects. It sold during
the eBay auction. However, and this is where it gets interesting, many months
earlier Mike Burkey sold an almost identical page as part of a complete White
Indian story. Owners and potential buyers got concerned. Many collectors were drawn into the discussion to voice their opinions: Roger Hill, Pat Kochanek, Duane Capizzi, Wally Harrington, Rob Pistella, among others. I have pictured both pages with this essay for reference. The
White Indian page was published in White Indian #13, dated April/June 1954.
Since Bill Dichtl owned the original page that means that someone was hired to
draw a duplicate page for the much later reprint of that story. Who did it?
Many thought it must be Angelo Torres. Angelo was contacted and he had no
memory of doing such a page. I think the page was recreated by Frazetta
himself. The argument against this is that Frazetta was assumed to be furious
with Vince Sullivan, the owner of M.E, for doing a deal behind his back with
Columbia pictures for a Thunda serial in 1952. Frank received nothing and
didn't know about the deal. The argument is that Frazetta would not do any
extra work for Vince because he was furious with him for cutting him out of the
deal. However, the page exists. Someone got paid to recreate the page so a
reprint of that full story could be published. Look at the cover art on the reprint. I enclosed an image of the cover. Could that artist have recreated the page? Not even close. No way.
Longtime collector and art historian Roger Hill was able to track
down Bill Dichtl and did a few interviews with him. Unfortunately, Bills memory
was rather fuzzy and unclear. He didn't remember specific circumstances
surrounding the Spa Fon cover art or the other Frazetta originals he owned. After prodding by Roger, he did recall some of the art he had. We
will never know how he got them. I searched out a discussion I had with
Frazetta about this artist. At the time I asked Frank if he remembered Bill
Zichter (remember I had the wrong name for years). Frank had very fuzzy
memories of people hanging around the offices and doing various jobs. When I
pressed him about the Spa Fon cover image, he mistakenly told me it was
probably a Johnny Comet drawing.
In reality, the cover image is a portrait of Thunda. Over the years confusion
arose because the inscription looks to be a classic Johnny comet signature from
the end of the strip. It's a powerful portrait with tremendous energy and
intensity. It is a minor masterpiece and I was very gratified to add it to my collection after so many years of wondering about it. A gem, as Frank would say.
As for that recreated White Indian page... it sure looks like
100% Frazetta to me. It's just too damn good. Great energy and very confident
brushwork. I just don't see Torres in that page or anyone else for that matter.
Looking at that face in the lower left panel, it just screams Frank to me. And
the bottom right panel looks like a little art challenge that Frank set for
himself. Again, it's just too good for most other artists. Also, look at the
thinned ink throughout that page. Who else utilized that technique? Also, the
fact that both bottom panels were reconceived and other smaller changes made all
over the page just reflects Franks temperament to me. Never happy, he had to
change the weak points. Frank was always searching for a better mode of
expression, a more powerful presentation. Isn't this a foreshadowing of what he
would do later with his oils and his constant tinkering? This is, in my
opinion, the earliest precursor for what would become a Frazetta trademark:
Change and the relentless search for higher and higher levels of excellence. So
we have a precious gift here...a comic page drawn in 1949 and the same page
recreated in 1953... The difference is clear. Frazetta's powers had grown
considerably during that period.
The question remains...why would Frank do it if he was mad at
Sullivan? The answer is probably...money. Frank probably needed the extra cash.
Sometimes the most obvious explanation is the correct one.
© 2014 DocDave
Winiewicz
