The Familiar Art of Diving - Dan DeCarlo

I mentioned Dan DeCarlo in my last blog and realised it's far too long since I featured some of his work. Here's a 1973 cover that was then redrawn in 1983. This recycling of gags was common practice at Archie Comics. (Click on Everything's Archie for a larger image).

The Archie of Diving

Here's another selection from various Archie comics. I don't know who the drew the first example but the rest are by Dan DeCarlo. (Click for larger images).

1967.

1961.

1972.

The Archie of Diving - Joke Book Magazine

Archie's Joke Book Magazine was one of several Archie titles that featured short gags - usually a single or half page - rather than the normal stories. Here a three examples based around diving. The first one is drawn by Dan DeCarlo but I'm not sure who drew the others (possibly Bob Bolling).

Issue 92, 1965.

Issue 102, 1966.

Issue 130, 1968.

The 100th Art of Diving

Two years ago today I launched the revamped Art of Diving here on Blogger and, by a happy coincidence, here we are with the 100th post!

There's no special theme today, just a random selection.

I couldn't let the occasion go without some Dan DeCarlo Archie artwork. This pin-up appeared in a 1963 Betty and Veronica Summer Fun.

I usually feature Mike Western's Valiant covers but here's some earlier work -  a lovely colour Biggles page from a 1961 TV Express.

This wonderful Viz cover is by regular artist Simon Thorp.

Don't look now mate but I think that Hammerhead wants your fish! By C.E. Monroe.

I'm afraid I don't know who painted this piece from the 1962 Lion Annual but it's very nice!

I look forward to the day when we can ditch our conventional scuba gear in favour of this wonderful Jack Kirby Mini-Cruiser!

And finally, here's Russ Heath's cover to Showcase 27 (1960) that saw the first appearance of the Sea Devils.

The Archie of Diving - Underwater Find

Like the previous entry on The Vivero Letter, this post also features treasure-hunting. This time it's our old friends the Archie gang who are doing the hunting, in a story from Betty and Veronica #344 (1986).

After Archie reads an article about underwater treasure, local soda shop owner Pop Tate mentions that there used to be an old settlement where Lake Riverdale is now, and that there were rumours of a European count and his treasure. Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica decide to explore the lake.

(click for larger images)

It's nice to see the gang remembering their training by having Jughead remain in the boat as surface cover.

Taking the "treasure" to Veronica's father, his archaeologist friend quickly realises it's identical to a table lamp owned by Mr Lodge. The disappointed gang head to Pop Tate's who decides it would look good in his office and exchanges it for super-sundaes all round!

The story was written by Jim Ruth with art by Dan DeCarlo (pencils) and his son Jim (inks).
 

The Archie of Diving - Mad House

Archie's Mad House was first published in 1959 and initially featured the regular Archie characters in stories that were a bit wackier than normal. From issue 19 the regulars were dropped and monsters, space stories and parodies of popular culture came to the fore.

Issue 22 from 1962 is significant because it introduced the character of  Sabrina, the Teen-age Witch. Created by writer George Gladir and Art of Diving favourite Dan DeCarlo, Sabrina's debut features one panel that caught my eye...

In the same issue, Gladir and DeCarlo also presented The Romances of Marcia the Mermaid. (Click on the images for larger scans).

After rejecting the advances of a shark called Mark and having her heart broken by Max the Life Guard, Marcia has sworn off boys forever when...

Don't you love a happy ending?!

As a bonus, here's the cover to Mad House Annual number two from 1964. Despite the hair colour, I don't think that's supposed to be Archie on the cover. I'm not sure who the artist is but I'm going to guess at Bob White. Updated 18/9/23: The Grand Comics Database suggests Samm Schwartz as a possible penciller.

The Romantic Art of Diving

Here's a selection of images specially chosen for Valentine's Day.

"Gladys couldn't help wondering if brandishing his spear-gun was George's way of compensating for his tiny...

...cylinders."  This Sylvia Sark novel was published by the Valentime Romance Club in 1957.


No information on these rather sickly Valentine's cards I'm afraid.

No romantically-themed entry would be complete without the eternal triangle of Archie, Betty and Veronica. Art by Dan DeCarlo, whose grasp of scuba equipment seems to have improved by 1988. (Click for larger image).

 

Two of a Kind - Punchlines

A slightly tenuous link between these two pieces but I'm sure you'll indulge me! Both feature a final panel of scuba-diving that comes out of nowhere.

The first example comes from a 1974 issue of the IPC comic Whoopee! I believe the art is by Alf Saporito.

The second piece is from the first issue of Tower's Tippy Teen from 1965. Tippy has tried to show an interest in her boyfriend's car, leading to a series of disasters that culminate with the car at the bottom of the local lake. Artwork by Archie Comics' Dan DeCarlo, here doing a little bit of extra-curricular work helping out Samm Schwartz who had recently left Archie to help start Tower Comics. (Click for a larger image).

 

 

The Archie of Diving

The second of today's entries features a selection of Archie Comics covers and pin-ups, most of which are new to this version of The Art of Diving.

We start with a quartet of images by Dan DeCarlo.

1961

1970

Both of the above feature the hose coming directly from the cylinder, a Dan DeCarlo trait which I've mentioned before.

1969

1971 (Take a look at Betty's socks-cum-fins!)

Update - 4/2/15

 Subby over on the Aquafans forum has posted a selection of pictures from a 1970 issue of Time. The following picture looks like it must have been the inspiration for Betty's outfit above.

Born in 1919 in New York, Dan DeCarlo was drafted in 1941 and was stationed in the UK. He worked as a draughtsman and also painted mascots on military planes. While in Belgium he met his future wife, Josie Dumont, a French citizen.

In 1947, back in the USA and labouring for his father, he answered an ad and began working for editor Stan Lee at Timely Comics (later Atlas and Marvel). Initially working on the teen humour title Jeannie, he made his mark with a ten year run on Millie the Model. DeCarlo and Lee also produced over forty issues of My Friend Irma, based on a popular radio and TV comedy. He also drew cartoons for Timely/Atlas publisher Martin Goodman's line of Humorama pin-up magazines.

In the late fifties he started freelancing for Archie Comics and eventually set a new, more modern house style for the characters. A prolific cover and pin-up artist, he's probably most associated with his work on Betty and Veronica but also created Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Josie, named after his wife. First published in 1963, Josie (originally She's Josie) was renamed Josie and the Pussycats in late '69 to tie in with Hanna-Barbera's Saturday morning cartoon series.

DeCarlo's twin sons, Dan Jr and James, both worked as artists for Archie but both sadly predeceased their father in 1990 and 1991. In 2001 he lost a lawsuit over ownership of Josie during production of the Josie and the Pussycats live-action movie and this ended his 43-year relationship with Archie Comics. Some of his final work was for Bongo Comics' Bart Simpson. He died of pneumonia in December 2001 aged 82.


The cover of Jughead #99 is from 1963 and you can see an interior page, also by artist Samm Schwartz, in my earlier entry The Artt of Diving.

I'm afraid I don't know the artist on these final two covers although the Joke Book one is possibly Bob White.

1963

1973

The Inaccurate Art of Diving

This blog features the work of many talented artists but sometimes they don't get things quite right when it comes to diving.

I'm a huge fan of Archie artist Dan DeCarlo but he had a habit of drawing hoses coming directly out of cylinders as shown on this 1964 cover.

This 1965 example risked incurring the wrath of instructors everywhere by referring to flippers instead of fins!

Steve Dillon must have used some old reference material when drawing The Punisher back in 2003 - no BCD, no octopus, no gauges - but the reason these panels are featured here is that mask. Ouch! Mask squeeze!

I know she's not wearing scuba gear but that's no excuse for Marc Silvestri drawing Lara Croft with her snorkel on the right. What do you mean, you didn't even notice the snorkel?!



Now I don't want to upset any Americans reading this but can I just point out that it's aluminium!

Finally, everyone knows that large, green monsters have five digits on each "hand", not the four shown here! (Okay, this was just an excuse to show this gorgeous Wally Wood cover from 1967).