Sheldon Mayer GLX SPTZL GLAAH!
Sheldon Mayer was a genius of comics! How much I enjoyed reading his Scribbly when I was a teenager and what immense satisfaction coursed through my veins when I completed my Sugar and Spike collection in the 1980s.
Many collectors feel just as strongly about Mr. Mayer, and Jay Zilber and Ken Gale in 1977 boldly published GLX SPTZL GLAAH #1 as a love letter to a fabulous artist and writer. I am selling my copy of this fanzine over on ebay this week so I want to document the great publication before it leaves my fingertips forever.
An article about Sugar and Spike is written by Mark Evanier and, more surprisingly, the cover featuring that lovable duo is drawn by Mr. Evanier! Curious, I investigated and found out that Mr. E has a hefty handful of drawing credits to his name. I had been guessing that the cover lettering was by Milt Snappin but Mark E has just written and told me that the cover was his own handiwork from top to bottom. (And at the time of the article he was eighteen issues short of a complete Sugar and Spike collection, but Mark's email indicates that he now has the full run of all 98 issues.)
An article about Scribbly is written by Ron Goulart and one on Black Orchid is written by Rich Morrissey, plus some spot illustrations are drawn by then-letterhack and now-author-of-comics-and-novels Bob Rodi.
Probably it's on the tip of your tongue to ask if I ever drew any Sugar and Spike images. (Don't be shy; we're all friends here in the hayfamzone.) The answer is yes! Twice, both times for my "column" in Alan Light's Buyer's Guide for Comic Fandom. My first take (from 1982) shows both tykes (especially Spike) drawn way off-model, but below you can see my 1984 return engagement with Spike.
I will write far more in the future about Mr. Sheldon Mayer, but today was Glx Sptzl Glaah's day in the spotlight.
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