Art Design: Charlton Spotlight is a fanzine magazine edited by Michael Ambrose. It has a full color glossy cover. The stories are extensively illustrated with both published and unpublished black & white art by the many great artists that worked for Charlton Comics from the 1950s - 1980s. The cover to issue #4 features unpublished Peter Cannon-Thunderbolt art by PAM.
Content: This issue of Charlton Spotlight #4 is a tribute to artist and occasional writer Peter Anthony Morisi, the creator of Peter Cannon-Thunderbolt and Johnny Dynamite. PAM also worked for various other comic book companies, primarily in the 1950s. From the 1950s until Charlton went out of business the first time in 1976, PAM was the mystery artist at Charlton Comics. PAM maintained a secret life like Peter Parker or Clark Kent; and even when he attended Comic Cons, he would never divulge his true identity. Various Charlton alumni and fans provide insights into the life, work, and personality of PAM. Whether it was due to his own personal values or just ego, PAM refused to do cartoon art for National Lampoon Magazine in the 1970s and he also clashed with Stan Lee and others in the comic book industry. PAM even turned down an invite to join the National Cartoonists Society. PAM was a complicated man with lots of edges.
Art: Many examples of PAM's original art from his career is reproduced here, along with many pages of art that were never published by Charlton, DC Comics, and others.
PAM Extras: Charlton Spotlight #4 features an interview with PAM's son Steve Morisi, an exhaustive checklist of Morisi's Charlton work with biographical resources, and a gallery of his Charlton covers!
Charlton trivia: Marvel/DC artist Tom Christopher tell the story (along with unpublished art) regarding his efforts to work at Charlton on three different occasions, and what happened each time. Denis Tiani's personal memories of collecting "Charlatan Comics" monster magazines and his observations regarding the incredible buying power that kids had back in the 1960s when comics were less expensive.
Charlton extras: New Weirdlings cartoons by Nick Cuti, the co-creator of E-Man. Charlton checklists and cover galleries, news, reviews, readers letters and editorials.
Overall: There is so much incredible behind the scenes information and great art that it is easy to enjoy this wonderful tribute to an artist who valued his integrity more than anything else. These fond recollections are warm and sincere. This is a good tribute to read.
Price/Availability: The cover price is $7.95 and it should be available from your local comic book store, Bud Plant, or order directly from the publisher, Argo Press .
Grade: A
