Richard Bache Ayers[1] (April 28, 1924 – May 4, 2014) was 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.He is the signature penciler of Marvel's World War II comic Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos, drawing it for a 10-year run, and he co-created Magazine Enterprises' 1950s Western-horror character the Ghost Rider, a version of which he would draw for Marvel in the 1960s.
Ayers was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2007.
Early life
Richard Bache Ayers[2] was born April 28, 1924, in Ossining, New York,[3]
, and was stationed in Florida, where after failing radar training he was sent for a month's art training at McTomb University and began working as an artist in the Air Corps' Operations division.
Ayers entered the comics industry with unpublished work done for Western Publishing's Dell Comics imprint. "I approached them," Ayers said in a 1996 interview. "I had a story written and drawn. They wanted to wrap a book around it.... I got into it, but Dell decided to scrap the project. ... It was an adventure thing, boy and girl; the boy wanted to be a trumpet player. The girl kept feeding the jukebox and he'd played along to Harry James or whatever sort of thing. ... It didn't make it, but it got me started where I wanted to be in the business."[8]
Magazine Enterprises
Following this, in 1947, Ayers studied under Burne Hogarth in the first class of Hogarth's new institution, New York City's Cartoonists and Illustrators School (renamed the School of Visual Arts in 1956).Joe Shuster, co-creator of Superman, would visit the class, and Ayers eventually ventured to his nearby studio."Next thing I knew," Ayers said in the same interview, "I was penciling a bit here and there."[8] In a 2005 interview, Ayers elaborated that, "Joe had me pencil some of his Funnyman stories after seeing my drawings at Hogarth's evening class" and "sent me to [editor] Vin Sullivan of Magazine Enterprises."[9] There, Sullivan "let me try the Jimmy Durante [humor] strip. I submitted my work and got the job."[8]
Ayers went on to pencil and ink Western stories in the late 1940s for Magazine Enterprises' A-1 Comics and Trail Colt, and for Prize Comics' Prize Comics Western.[10] With writer Ray Krank, Ayers created the horror-themed Western character Ghost Rider in Tim Holt #11 (1949).The character appeared in stories through the run of Tim Holt, Red Mask, A-1 Comics, Bobby Benson's B-Bar-B Riders, and the 14-issue solo series The Ghost Rider (1950–1954),[11] up through the introduction of the Comics Code Authority.The character's genesis came, Ayers recalled in 2003, when Sullivan "describe[d] what he wanted in the Ghost Rider" and told Ayers to see the 1949 Disney animated feature The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, one segment of which adapted Washington Irving's story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", featuring the Headless Horseman."[A]nd then he told me to play the Vaughn Monroe record "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky". And then he started talking about what he wanted the guy wearing."[12]
After the trademark to the character's name and motif lapsed, Marvel Comics debuted its own near-identical, non-horror version of the character in Ghost Rider #1 (Feb. 1967), by writers Roy Thomas and Gary Friedrich and original Ghost Rider artist Ayers.[10]
Ayers' hands appear onscreen as those of a cartoonist played by actor Don Briggs in "The Comic Strip Murders", a 1949 episode of the CBStelevision series Suspense.[13]
Atlas Comics
In 1952, while continuing to freelance for Magazine Enterprises, Ayers began a long freelance run at Atlas Comics, the 1950s forerunner of Marvel Comics.He drew horror stories in such titles as Adventures into Terror, Astonishing, Journey into Mystery, Journey into Unknown Worlds, Menace, Mystery Tales, Mystic, Strange Tales, and Uncanny Tales.[10] As well, he drew the brief revival of the 1940s Golden Age of Comicssuperhero the Human Torch, from Marvel's 1940s predecessor Timely Comics, in Young Men # 21–24 (June 1953 – Feb. 1954).An additional, unpublished Human Torch story drawn by Ayers belatedly appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes
Marvel Comics
Ayers first teamed with the highly influential and historically important [14] artist Jack Kirby at Atlas shortly before Atlas transitioned to become Marvel Comics.As Kirby's second regular Marvel inker, following Christopher Rule, Ayers would ink countless covers and stories, including on such landmark comics as most early issues of The Fantastic Four, in addition to a slew of Western and "pre-superhero Marvel" monster stories in Amazing Adventures, Journey into Mystery, Strange Tales, Tales of Suspense, and Tales to Astonish.[10] Because creator credits were not routinely given at the time, two standard databases disagree over the duo's first published collaboration.
DC Comics
In 1976, Ayers began working for DC Comics. He and writer Bob Haney oversaw the renaming of Star Spangled War Stories to a self-titled series for the Unknown Soldier.[23]Michael Fleisher and Ayers launched Scalphunter, a new lead feature for Weird Western Tales as of issue #39 (March–April 1977).[24] Other series which Ayers drew included Jonah Hex, Kamandi, and the "Gravedigger" feature in Men of War.[10][25][26]
Later career
In the 1980s, Ayers, inked by Chic Stone, drew four editions of the promotional, annual comic-book series initially cover-titled TRS-80 Computer Whiz Kids and, thereafter, Tandy Computer Whiz Kids, published by Archie Comics for Radio Shack: The Computer Trap (March 1984),[28] The Computers That Said No to Drugs (March 1985),[29] The Answer to a Riddle (March 1987),[30] and Fit to Win (March 1988).[31][32] He also drew approximately 30 sports-star biographies for Revolutionary Comics between 1990 and 1994.[33]
Illustrated autobiography
Starting in 2005, Ayers "published an ambitious and unusual three-volume graphic memoir," The Dick Ayers Story: an Illustrated Autobiography, through Mecca Comics.[40] Each volume of this autobiography is approximately 120 pages, with volume one covering his life from 1924–1951,[41] volume two from 1951–1986,[42] and volume three 1986–2005.[43] Ayers wrote, drew, and lettered all three volumes.[44]
Personal life
Ayers married Charlotte Lindy Walter on April 7, 1951.[1] The couple had four children: sons Richard, Fred, and Steve, and daughter, Elaine.Ayers died at his home in White Plains, New York on May 4, 2014, six days after his 90th birthday.[40][45][46]
Awards and honors
1967 Alley Award for Best War Title for Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos[47]
1968 Alley Award for Best War Title for Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos[48]
1985 National Cartoonists Society Award for Best Comic Book[49]
5.Ayers, The Dick Ayers Story: An Illustrated Autobiography, Volume 2, p. 120 (unnumbered).^
6.Ayers in Interview conducted September 29, 2012. Shaun Clancy. A Conversation with Dick Ayers The Comics Journal, Fantagraphics, May 21, 2014, retrieved December 14, 2017^
8.Ayers in Reprinted in Dick Cassara. Dick Ayers Interview Jack Kirby Collector, December 1996The Collected Jack Kirby Collector, Volume 3 TwoMorrows Publishing, 1999^
13.Barry Pearl. The Yancy Street Gang Visits Dick & Lindy Ayers Alter Ego, TwoMorrows Publishing, December 2009^
14.William B. Jones, Jr. Classics Illustrated: A Cultural History, with Illustrations McFarland & Company, 2002^
15.The Grand Comics Database cites the cover of Wyatt Earp #24 (Aug. 1959), which AtlasTales.com lists as inked by George Klein. Grand Comics Database tentatively lists Ayers as inker of the Kirby cover for that same month's Strange Tales #70, for which Atlas Tales credits Ayers without qualification.^
16."Dick Ayers Interview", p. 17. Reprinted The Collected Jack Kirby Collector Volume Three, p. 43^
17.Tom DeFalco. Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History Dorling Kindersley, 2008^
18.DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 114: "To explain why the present-day Nick Fury...wore an eye patch, Stan Lee and Dick Ayers told the story of how he had been injured during a mission in World War II."^
19.Roy Thomas. Play It Again, Stan! When Nick Fury's Howling Commandos Went to Casablanca -- And Got Detoured to Marrakesh! Alter Ego, TwoMorrows Publishing, Autumn 2000^
20.DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 129: "The comic was created by writer Gary Friedrich and artist Dick Ayers."^
22.Cavett Binion. Killdozer! The New York Times, 2015^
23.Michael McAvennie. DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle Dorling Kindersley, 2010^
24.McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 173: "With scarred gunslinger Jonah Hex riding off into his own series, writer Michael Fleisher and artist Dick Ayers produced a new outcast to headline Weird Western Tales. Scalphunter was 'a man who lived in two worlds, but was at home in neither'".^
26.Jerry Bails. Ayers, Dick Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928–1999, n.d.^
27.John Wells. 'Lost' DC: The DC Implosion Comics Buyer's Guide, October 24, 1997^
28.[Credits page] The TRS-80 Computer Whiz Kids (1984 Edition), Archie Comics via AtariMagazines.com, March 1984, retrieved April 29, 2016^
29.The Tandy Computer Whiz Kids (The Computers That Said No to Drugs Edition). Grand Comics Database. As both sources indicate, the story title places "No" within quote marks, while the copyrighted magazine title does not. [Credits page] The Tandy Computer Whiz Kids (The Computers That Said No to Drugs Edition), Archie Comics via AtariMagazines.com, March 1985, retrieved April 29, 2016^
30.[Credits page] The Tandy Computer Whiz Kids (The Answer to a Riddle Edition), Archie Comics via AtariMagazines.com, March 1987, retrieved April 29, 2016^
31.[Credits page] The Tandy Computer Whiz Kids (Fit to Win Edition), Archie Comics via AtariMagazines.com, March 1988, retrieved April 29, 2016^
32.Tandy Computer Whiz Kids Online Books Library, University of Pennsylvania, retrieved October 23, 2013^
"The first work I did with Jack was the cover of Wyatt Earp #25 (Oct. 1959). [Editor-in-chief] Stan Lee liked it and sent me another job, 'The Martian Who Stole My Body,' for Journey into Mystery #57 (Dec. 1959). I also began Sky Masters, the [ syndicated ] newspaper strip. There is a lot of confusion on this; people think Wally Wood inked them all, because they're signed Kirby/Wood. But that was Dave Wood, the writer [who was unrelated to artist Wally Wood]. I began Sky Masters with the 36th Sunday page; Jack's pencils, my inks, in September 1959. I ended the Sundays in January 1960. I also did the dailies for a period of [over] two years, from September of '59 to December of '61. These were complete inks; I was the only one doing it at the time. Of course, Wally Wood also worked on that strip, in the beginning, before me.[16]"
Ayers went on to ink scores of Kirby Western and monster stories, including such much-reprinted tales as "I Created the Colossus!" (Tales of Suspense #14, Feb. 1961), "Goom! The Thing from Planet X!" (Tales of Suspense #15, March 1961), and "Fin Fang Foom!" (Strange Tales #89, Oct. 1961). As Marvel introduced its superheroes in the early 1960s, Ayers inked Kirby on the first appearances of Ant-Man (Tales to Astonish #27 & 35, Jan. & Sept. 1962), Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos (issues #1-3, May-Sept. 1963), and the revamped Rawhide Kid[17] (beginning with The Rawhide Kid #17, Aug. 1960); on the second and several subsequent early appearances of Thor (Journey into Mystery #84-89, Sept. 1962 - Feb. 1963); on Fantastic Four #6-20 (Sept. 1962 - Nov. 1963), and the spin-off Human Torch solo series in Strange Tales (starting with its debut in issue #101); and The Incredible Hulk #3-5 (Sept. 1962 - Jan. 1963), among other series.[10]
Additionally, Ayers took over from Kirby as Sgt. Fury penciler with issue #8 (July 1964), beginning a 10-year run that — except for #13 (which he inked over Kirby's pencils), and five issues by other pencilers — continued virtually unbroken through #120 (with the series running Ayers reprints every-other-issue through most but not all from #79 on).[10] Sgt. Fury #27 (Feb. 1966) featured a story which explained why the titular character wore an eye patch in his present-day stories.[18] Writer Gary Friedrich's story for issue #72 (Nov. 1969) was heavily rewritten and partially redrawn due to concerns about possible copyright infringement of the film Casablanca.[19]
Ayers and Friedrich collaborated on the Captain Savage and his Leatherneck Raiders series for Marvel as well.[20]
Ayers drew a comics adaptation of Killdozer, a made for TV science-fiction horror film, in Worlds Unknown #6 (April 1974).[21] The film itself was adapted from a 1944 novella of the same name by Theodore Sturgeon.[22]
Ayers' work continued into the 2000s. He contributed a pinup page to the 2001 comic The Song of Mykal, published privately by the comics shop Atlantis Fantasyworld,[35] did inking on "Doris Danger" stories in the magazine Tabloia #572-576, and drew a pinup page in the comic Doris Danger's Greatest All-Out Army Battles![36]
He wrote and drew the eight-page "Chips Wilde" Western story in the benefit comic Actor Comics Presents #1 (Fall 2006), provided a sketch for the benefit comic The 3-Minute Sketchbook (2007),[37] and contributed to the tribute comic The Uncanny Dave Cockrum (2007).[38] In 2009, he drew a half-page biographical illustration of a 1940s character in the reference guide Marvel Mystery Handbook 70th Anniversary Special.[10] Two Kamandi stories written by Jack C. Harris and drawn by Ayers and Danny Bulanadi in 1978, which went unreleased due to the title's cancellation, were published in 2017 as part of Kamandi Challenge Special #1.[39]
