Wood's World

In the 1950s no one was hotter than Wally Wood. Acknowledged as the premiere artist in the field of Science Fiction comic books, he became one of the first celebrity personalities in the industry. Although his star shined on the Sci-fi subject matter he is still known for, his artistic talents blessed many other kinds of comics. He worked on most of the varied EC titles, and was an important member of the early Mad Magazine staff.

During his career, Wood worked for virtually every major comic book company in the country, including Avon, EC, DC, Marvel, Gold Key and Charlton, to name a few. Yet with this impressive body of work, Wood always seemed at odds with the publishers he worked for. He felt he was treated unfairly and his work was unappreciated. So, to achieve creative independence, Wally turned to self-publishing. He was one of the first to publish what became known as the pro-zine. Unfortunately, self-publishing never paid off, and time and again he would have to take jobs from the bigger companies.

A lifetime of smoking and drinking as well as a bad diet would finally take a toll on Wood's body, and in turn on his ability to work. After a mild stroke he became blind in one eye. He suffered from kidney failure and would have to undergo dialysis. This must have devastated him; his work was his life.

Woody is gone now, but he's left behind a legacy of wonderful art and stories. I've remained a fan of his work these many years, though it's only recently that I regained an active interest in the art of comics and the masters of the trade. My hope is that this web site may introduce Wood to those who do not yet know his work, and to remind those familiar with him just how much he meant to us.

A Personal Reminiscence

As an adolescent in the 1960s, I was an admirer of his work without knowing it. I enjoyed reading the paperback reprints of Mad that my older cousins always seemed to have, and was especially fond of the comic book send-ups such as Superduperman and Batboy and Rubin. At the corner grocery I discovered the gruesome silliness of Ugly stickers, I remember drawing a collection of my own monsters inspired by those far-out creatures. Then came the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents. It was so different from the other super hero comic books available. Panels weren't crammed with captions and dialog like the major titles on the shelf. The artwork was descriptive enough in itself, the stories simple yet captured my interest.

I first became aware of the name Wally Wood in December 1970. I was in sixth grade and had a crush on a certain girl in my class. At Christmas my classmates and I would put names in a bucket and draw for gifts. By some strange twist of fate, the girl of my desires drew my name. Knowing my propensity for horror and science fiction, she gave me a gift that would awaken an appreciation that would last the rest of my life. It was a copy of Vampirella #9, with a page from "The Curse" dominating the cover. It was the most beautiful art I had ever seen, and the naked woman with the discretely placed knife and hair made me aware of sexual attraction for the first time.

To this day I think the best work Wood ever put out was three stories for Warren Magazines: "The Curse," "The War of the Wizards," and "The Cosmic All." I would copy and trace the panels from these stories over and over again, wishing that someday I could be as good as Wood. After graduating High School I enrolled in the Minneapolis College of Art, a school Wood himself attended for a brief period I would learn years later. It was the late '70s, and during this time he was taking on assistants on the East Coast. Looking back today, I think my biggest regret is not going there to meet him and possibly lending a hand on some of his projects. Certainly my life would have taken a drastically different path.

I was living in Reno, Nevada when I read of Woody's death in California. I felt a great emptiness in my soul, and a deep regret that I would never be able to meet him. That was over 20 years ago. Funny how it almost feels like yesterday. I've learned more about him and collected more of his published work since he died than when he was still working. Still, the things that I cherish most are those that I first came into contact with those many years ago.