Welcome back, true believers! It’s once again time for a new Fabulous Find, and this week I’ve pulled out of the comics vault another rare find. It is the September 1966 edition of Esquire Magazine, published by Arnold Gingrich.
And why is this magazine of interest to us? Well, thanks for asking! It’s because it has a very early article on Marvel Comics and some stellar artwork by Jack Kirby and Marie Severin, that’s why! Starting on page 109, there is an article entitled; “Are You Smart Enough to Beat the Draft, Stay in College and Read this Issue of Esquire?” On that page the magazine asks ten (10) questions, where the reader must score seven (7) or more to answer yes, I am smart enough!
But if the reader failed to pass the test, they turned the page to see … “If You Flunked the 2-S Test, Nice Going … You get to cut out these pinups and keep them in your duffel bag, soldier.” and they were rewarded with four pages of classic pin-up images, featuring Jill Haworth, Pamela Tiffin, Joey Heatherton and Elke Sommer.
And if you got a score off seven or more, then you turned to page 114 and found … “O.k., You Passed the 2-S Test – Now You’re Smart Enough for Comic Books”. And we got to see this lovely two page spread featuring the Marvel Heroes drawn by the King himself, Jack Kirby. Take a look:
Marvel Esquire Magazine September 1966
And just because I’m such a nice guy, here are the pages blown up so you can see the glorious details.
09-66 Esquire Magazine page 114
And the next page, as well:
09-66 Esquire Magazine page 115
Pages 116 and 117 are also drawn by Jack, but Esquire choose to run these pages in black and white, rather than full color, for some reason. Maybe because they only had black and white photographs of the students that were matched up with the Marvel characters. And these were actual students in college back in 1966. Take a look:
09-66 Esquire Magazine page 116
And page 117, as well …
09-66 Esquire Magazine page 117
That is all the Kirby artwork for this issue, but turning to page 118, we find “mirthful” Marie Severin doing her thing, illustrating the article; “Not All Your Supermen are in the Funnies, Meet Super-Student!”. Here is the two (2) page spread in color:
09-66 Esquire Magazine pages 118 & 119
And I just happen to have enlarged photos of these two pages, so here ya go, face-fronter:
09-66 Esquire Magazine page 118
And now page 119:
09-66 Esquire Magazine page 119
And finally, here is the two page spread that appears on pages 122 & 123, also drawn by the lovely Ms. Severin:
09-66 Esquire Magazine pages 122 & 123
As hopefully you can see from the small image above, the professors from various schools are featured here, rather than students. Note up at the top, the guy with the sword that looks like a brown-haired Roy Thomas, is a professor from the University of Michigan, Frithjof Bergmann, teaching Philosophy. I wonder if he was there in the late seventies when I attended? Out paths never crossed, but then again my degree was in Biology, not Philosophy!
Sorry, but I don’t have enlarged scans of these two pages. And in fact, Ms. Severin, did another full page illustration on page 125, that I also do not have a scan of, but it features “the Draft Reject”. So use your imagination, why don’t you!
Stan Lee manages to get quoted in the first section and that’s just about it. Not to much information, but still coverage from a major newsstand periodical was nothing to sneeze at in 1966! Marvel was definitely on the move and poised to win over college campuses even as early as 1966, as this article proves!
That’s all for this Fabulous Find, but return next week for a new RETRO REVIEW. Be seeing you …
This…is great. Greg, as you know we see one another at BTTP often, almost weekly, always enjoy our back-forth conversations, but wasn’t fully aware of the posts, your posts, and fabulous finds you put up on the site. Until now. I am a huge Kirby and Marvel fan, as you know– so say many of us, and.. am one of the “men of a certain age” that frequent the shop and your auctions; and this is…right in the wheelhouse. Just fabulous, and Kirby and Severin’s artwork especially. I had no idea of this issue, and/or its contents, from Esquire, but do now. And am now fully in the hunt via Ebay etc for a copy to keep, thanks to this. Love the descriptions, your thoroughness and the pics. And your insights–that Marvel was clearly breaking through on college campuses, as this issue attests to. Exclesior! True believers indeed. Thank you, again, great work, and ‘Nuff said!
Chris, thanks for the nice comments! And I’m glad I could direct you to my posts. I think a number of them should interest you, as we both love all those early Marvel goodies to be found, either in person or via the internet! See ya soon.
I teach a Comics class at Saginaw Valley State U., and was recently taking about this issue’s impact on (eleven-year-old) me. Will show this to the class, thanks! I remember my mom’s nervous answer when I asked about (Sexual Freedom League hocho) “Jefferson Poland, God of Free Love.”
Mike, thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment on one of my posts! It really was a great issue of Esquire and a really great ad (so to speak) for Marvel Comics back in 1966. I’m sure Stan Lee was thrilled, at the time, that a major magazine was covering his comics line.
Forgot I’d praised this two years ago, Greg! Now I’m getting ducks in a row, resources loaded n’ ready, to teach my Winter semester (online of course) Comics class. Hope my students take advantage of the link to this page to explore your site more. I sure intend to. Best Wishes and Happy 2021.
Hello again, Mike. How is your Comic class going? I once took a class called the Psychology of Sex Roles (I think that was the name) in my college days at the University of Michigan, quite a while ago, I must admit. My final paper was on sex rolls in comic books. I received an A on the paper and an A in the class, much to my surprise! You and any of your students are more than welcome to explore my posts, as well as the rest of the site. Thanks! – greg