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Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Born This Day: Inventor of 'Kiss-Proof' Lipstick


Young Romance #80.
Art by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon
A great cover by Kirby & Simon from a title (& genre!) they created.

American Chemist and cosmetic executive, Hazel Gladys Bishop (Aug. 17, 1906 - Dec. 5, 1998) made an indelible mark on the cosmetics industry by inventing non-smear ("stays on you not on him") kissproof lipstick. During WW II, as senior organic chemist with Standard Oil, she discovered the cause of deposits affecting superchargers of aircraft engines.

In 1949, after a long series of home experiments, in a kitchen fitted out as a laboratory, she perfected a lipstick that stayed on the lips longer than any other product then available, and began its manufacture. It was introduced at $1 a tube in the summer of the following year. In 1951, a partner forced her out of the $10 million company she created. link

Monday, August 15, 2011

Space Pirates Hideout! (Planet Comics, 1946)


Click to Enlarge
Planet Comics #46. January, 1946
The GCD suggests that this may have been drawn by Ruth Atkinson.


Tuesday, August 2, 2011

How A Movie Serial Is Made - The Vigilante by Mort Meskin (1947)


Real Fact Comics #10 (Oct., 1947), DC Comics
Script: Jack Schiff; Mort Weisinger and Bernie Breslauer;
Pencils: Mort Meskin; Inks: George Roussos


Back in 1947, DC's Vigilante was popular enough to get his own 15 chapter serial starring Ralph Byrd from Columbia Pictures. Although his movie career did not take off, The Vigilante had a long run as a back up feature in Action Comics from 1941 to 1954. He was also a member of The Seven Soldiers of Victory and he still turns up periodically in the DC universe despite the seemingly annual reboots and reimaginings.


A beautiful cover by Mark Chiarello for The Vigilante's 1995-6,
4-issue mini-series.


CLICK TO ENLARGE











Here's a great story from 1950 featuring the art of the under-appreciated Dan Barry. Barry did memorable stints on the Tarzan and Flash Gordon newspaper strips.






An earlier splash page by Bob Lubbers from Action Comics #130 (March, 1949).






Action Comics #149 (Oct., 1950). Vigilante © DC Comics.
Art by Dan Berry






The Vigilante even has his own action figure!