Joe Maneely was known for his draftsmanship, his versatility, and his
speed. He could draw horror, science fiction, war, crime, Mad-style
humor, Westerns, and funny animals with equal dexterity. His tactile,
chiaroscuro graphic approach to storytelling has made him a legend among
the comics cognoscenti, but because he never drew superheroes and his
life ended tragically at age 32, he has never been given the attention
his short but incandescent career deserves. Until now.
As Geoffrey C. Ward wrote in American Heritage, "Maneely's knowledge of
19th century artifacts was encyclopedic, his rumpled, unshaven cowboys
all wore the right hats, swung the right lariats, sat in the right
saddles, fired the right model Colts -- with every screwhead and trigger
guard and notched handle precisely rendered."
And that's only his Westerns. That tightly focused attention to detail
pervades his work in every genre.
The Atlas Artist Edition No. 1: Joe Maneely Vol. 1 presents a
cornucopia of Maneely's work for Marvel (then called Atlas) including
Westerns (Kid Colt, Black Rider, Ringo Kid, Wyatt Earp, Two-Gun Kid),
pre-code horror ("Haunted!", "The Raving Maniac", and the classic "Your
Name Is Frankenstein"), space opera (Speed Carter), war (Combat Kelly),
Mad-style parodies from the pages of Crazy and Riot, cold-war
intrigue and paranoia (Yellow Claw), and Maneely's pride and joy -- his
Arthurian champion, The Black Knight. Series editor Dr. Michael J.
Vassallo provides expert contextual and historical commentary in a
special essay for this volume.
