The Comic Reader #100

History

Paul Levitz — who would later become President and Publisher of DC Comics — took over TCR with issue #78 in late 1971, reviving the fanzine after a near-two-year dormancy left by departing editor Mark Hanerfeld, and merged it with his own co-publication Etcetera (which he had produced with Paul Kupperberg). Under Levitz, TCR went monthly, grew to a standard illustrated-cover format of roughly 16 pages, and attracted professional talent to its covers including Rich Buckler, Walt Simonson, and Howard Chaykin. For the milestone hundredth issue, Levitz secured a full wraparound color cover from Jack Kirby — only the second color cover in the fanzine's history, following issue #99 — with coloring by Carl Gafford and the logo credited by one contemporary observer to Gaspar Saladino; Levitz then departed, and with issue #101 the Wisconsin firm Street Enterprises assumed ownership and Mike Tiefenbacher took the editorial chair.

Trivia · 10 facts

• Published August–September 1973 by TCR Publications; edited and published by Paul Levitz — his final issue as editor/publisher.
• Wraparound full-color cover drawn by Jack Kirby depicting Superman, Captain Marvel (Shazam), Captain America, and Batman — noted by comics historian Nick Caputo as probably Kirby's first-ever depiction of Batman.
• Coloring on the Kirby cover was handled by Carl Gafford, with the logo design attributed (by contemporary observers) to letterer Gaspar Saladino.
• Issue #100 was only the second color cover in TCR's entire history; issue #99 (July 1973) had been the first.
• The issue was double-sized compared to standard issues and included an internal feature called 'True Confessions,' a behind-the-scenes look at TCR's own staff and operations.
• A 'History of Fandom' feature written by John McGeehan debuted in this issue, making #100 a primary historical record of organized comics fandom's first decade.
• The issue reported on news of Jack Kirby's DC titles The Demon and Mister Miracle facing cancellation, and previewed OMAC as Kirby's next solo DC project.
• Paul Levitz's editorship of TCR (issues #78–#100) directly led to his entry into DC Comics as a professional — DC editor Joe Orlando gave him his first freelance assignment in December 1972, while Levitz was still running the fanzine.
• The Grand Comics Database records a small (0.25-page) black-and-white cover reproduction of Thor (Marvel, 1966 series) #220 appearing within the interior pages of this issue.
• Immediately after this issue, Street Enterprises of Wisconsin took over publication with #101, redesigned the format to digest size, and installed Mike Tiefenbacher as editor — beginning TCR's transformation from fanzine into something closer to a professional trade periodical.

Full credits

Key issues in The Comic Reader