Spyman
Encyclopedia
Spyman was a short-lived comic book
superhero published by Harvey Comics
's Harvey Thriller
line in the late 1960s. Three issues were published, from September, 1966 to February, 1967.
Spyman is notable for being one of the first professional comic book works by Jim Steranko
. Steranko created the concept and plotted the first story, however, did not supply any artwork, except the first page splash which includes a diagram of his robot hand. This was one of three concepts Steranko created for Harvey that saw print.
Spyman was really secret agent Johnny Chance, who lost his left hand defusing a nuclear bomb. Johnny was an agent of the American spy group LIBERTY, headquartered under the Statue of Liberty
. After losing his hand, he would be outfited with an 'Electro Robot Hand', each finger a different tool/weapon. He would soon be outfited with a belt with extra fingers with additional uses.
Johnny, and LIBERTY, fought against MIRAGE (Empire of Guerilla Assassination, Revenge, and International Menace), led by the Whisperer. Whisperer was killed in the first issue, and Johnny would go on to fight Cyclops and the Evil Eye Society in the second issue and the Id Machine in the third.
Its unknown who wrote the stories (it may have been Joe Simon). Artwork was by George Tuska
and Dick Ayers
, with some inks by Reed Crandall
, in the first issue, then Dick Ayers on the second, then Bill Draut on the third.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
superhero published by Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics was an American comic book publisher, founded in New York City by Alfred Harvey in 1941, after buying out the small publisher Brookwood Publications. His brothers Robert B...
's Harvey Thriller
Harvey Thriller
Harvey Thriller was a comic book imprint used by Harvey Comics for their brief foray into publishing super heroes and other non-'kiddie' comics in the mid 1960s....
line in the late 1960s. Three issues were published, from September, 1966 to February, 1967.
Spyman is notable for being one of the first professional comic book works by Jim Steranko
Jim Steranko
James F. Steranko is an American graphic artist, comic book writer-artist-historian, magician, publisher and film production illustrator....
. Steranko created the concept and plotted the first story, however, did not supply any artwork, except the first page splash which includes a diagram of his robot hand. This was one of three concepts Steranko created for Harvey that saw print.
Spyman was really secret agent Johnny Chance, who lost his left hand defusing a nuclear bomb. Johnny was an agent of the American spy group LIBERTY, headquartered under the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
. After losing his hand, he would be outfited with an 'Electro Robot Hand', each finger a different tool/weapon. He would soon be outfited with a belt with extra fingers with additional uses.
Johnny, and LIBERTY, fought against MIRAGE (Empire of Guerilla Assassination, Revenge, and International Menace), led by the Whisperer. Whisperer was killed in the first issue, and Johnny would go on to fight Cyclops and the Evil Eye Society in the second issue and the Id Machine in the third.
Its unknown who wrote the stories (it may have been Joe Simon). Artwork was by George Tuska
George Tuska
George Tuska , who early in his career used a variety of pen names including Carl Larson, was an American comic book and newspaper comic strip artist best known for his 1940s work on various Captain Marvel titles and the crime fiction series Crime Does Not Pay, for and his 1960s work illustrating...
and Dick Ayers
Dick Ayers
Richard "Dick" Ayers is an American comic book artist and cartoonist best known for his work as one of Jack Kirby's inkers during the late-1950s and 1960s period known as the Silver Age of Comics, including on some of the earliest issues of Marvel Comics' The Fantastic Four, and as the signature...
, with some inks by Reed Crandall
Reed Crandall
Reed Crandall was an American illustrator and penciller of comic books and magazines. He was best known for the Quality Comics character Blackhawk and for stories in the critically acclaimed EC Comics of the 1950s.Crandall was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2009.-Early...
, in the first issue, then Dick Ayers on the second, then Bill Draut on the third.
External links
- Archive of Spyman at SimonComics.com (Joe SimonJoe SimonJoseph Henry "Joe" Simon is an American comic book writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Simon created or co-created many important characters in the 1930s-1940s Golden Age of Comic Books and served as the first editor of Timely Comics, the company that would evolve into Marvel Comics.With his...
site). Original page. - Spyman at Don Markstein's ToonopediaDon Markstein's ToonopediaDon Markstein's Toonopedia was a web encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation. Don D...
- Spyman at International Superheroes
- Dial B for Blog on Spyman (included Steranko's original concept sketch)