Brown & Gantz PURPLE CLAW #3 (May/54)

This is a twice-up story splash to a great Purple Claw story in PURPLE CLAW #3 (May/54), illustrated by the art team of Brown & Gantz, (Ben Brown and David Gantz) and published by Toby Press. Toby was owned by Eliot Caplin, who ws Al Capp's brother.

This story (and the entire issue) was later reprinted in Toby's TALES OF HORROR #11(June/54) and the large splash panel of the girl held captive by the man-eating plants was statted and used as the cover art to that issue.

David Gantz was a former Timely staffer who had done adventure and funny-animal stories in the early and mid 1940's, and teen in the late 1940's. His working relationship with later partner Ben Brown (also a pseudonym) was like this: Gantz would lay out the story art and Ben Brown would pencil. Then Gantz would come back in and ink. I've known David Gantz for years and my pal Jim Amash did a definitive interview with him in an issue of ALTER EGO that should be required reading for any golden-age Timely fan.

The team of Brown & Gantz was also responsible for the short-lived title BEANBAGS which was unique in that it was an early creator-owned title.

The PURPLE CLAW lasted 3 issues and all 3 were reprinted in their entirety in TALES OF HORROR #9-11.

This is the only Brown and Gantz art I've ever come across and I thank Mike Burkey for hooking me up. It's obscure finds like this one, which have no meaning to anyone but me, that makes this hobby great.