After wanting to tackle these for months, I finally did my first Bob Powell "JET" cover restoration, from 1950!
Imagine if this guy had done SOLO art on Marvel's DAREDEVIL...
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EhX0xsH1hFo/Tt6nhl3uWxI/AAAAAAAAAZM/SpEJIQPUlZQ/s1600/JET+01_cc_HA_HK.jpg
http://professorhswaybackmachine.blogspot.com/2011/12/jet.html
Henry
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Nice blog, sir! Be sure to trumpet each new post over on our What Are You Blogging About Today? thread! I look forward to reading more of your stuff!
I've never heard of Powell, but I think you're right on the Sub-Mariner call! Is "Jet" something we can find in scanned form on the web?
Yes! I checked the Golden Age Comics site, but they don't have much M.E. comics there. The very similar Digital Comics Museum DOES have all 4 issue available as downloads. However, before I found this out, I did a Google search, and discovered the Fury Comics site, which also has a TON of Golden Age comics, only they're posted, no downloads necessary!
What strikes me as a bit funny is, all 3 of these sites are in England. Once again, US culture is more appreciated overseas. (It's the same with Ben Vaughn...)
JET #2
Time machines, dinosaurs and hot Asian chicks! What's not to like?
Superhero features Powell worked on include Strongman and The Avenger (issues ##2-4), from Magazine Enterprises. He also did some of the Torch/Thing stories in Strange Tales, and a few early Daredevil issues with Wally Wood. Other comics he worked on that spring to mind are Man in Black from Harvey (I've seen some good work from that one; the title character is the embodiment of fate) and the one-shot Vic Torry and his Flying Saucer from Fawcett, which I reviewed here.
IDW Publishing has just published a collection of his horror stories called Bob Powell's Terror. Several Powell stories were included in a recent Fantagraphics collection of non-EC horror stories, Four Color Fear. I haven't found a contents list for the former so I don't know if the two volumes' choices overlap. The GCD has a contents list for the Fantagraphics one.
According to Roy Thomas, Powell, like Wood, worked with assistants. This could be the reason why some of the Powell stories I've seen were less visually striking than others. I like his best work.
There was a second Jet Powers, who was a US "Army air ace" who fought in Korea. His feature appeared in at least three issues of The American Air Forces, according to the GCD. That fifth issue you mention at your site might be one of these, Henry.
I have a feeling you're right. I did a search by "character" at the GCD, 5 books came up. But later the same day I ran across mention on another site (it may have been Fury Comics) that the character in AAF, though he had the same name and same artist, had nothing in common. Strange!
Dick Ayers once commented that he created THE AVENGER (or it was created "for" him), but then he was kicked off after the 1st issue. Sheesh. (No connection to the pulp magazine character, right?)
"According to Roy Thomas, Powell, like Wood, worked with assistants. This could be the reason why some of the Powell stories I've seen were less visually striking than others. I like his best work."
Even in the early 50's, Dick Ayers had some of HIS work inked by someone else, and it tended to look more detailed that way. Even so, in general, his 50's work was better than his 60's work. I keep running across that sort of thing with various artists. (Of course, I've seen it happen in the 70's and up, with both pencillers and inkers. It's sad when some young hotshot inker debuts doing fabulous stuff, and within 2 years, is knocking out crap to beat those deadlines.)
Toonopedia has a run-down on the Avenger here. Ayers talked about the feature and his other work at ME in this interview with Roy Thomas. He doesn't say it was created for him, but he says he liked the feature and missed it. The interview is also where Thomas made that comment about Powell I mentioned.
JET #3 by Bob Powell!
JET #4 by Bob Powell! (The final issue)