Bill,

I'm proud of you. You are really expanding your focus in art. Great stuff.

Jack Juka

You're a good man Steve. How are you?

I remember buying that back in the day!

jack

Beautiful piece. I went through a monster phase a few years ago. 
I remember you were pals with Basil Gorgos. You're the best.

Really nice page. You always were ahead of the curve! 
jack

Wonderful collection you have! 

Victor,

Was the one you had a color sketch? I always liked that. Someone once offered to sell it back to me. 
im not sure if I ever answered your question as to who was his model for the Spider. Same as the Shadow. William Magnar. 
 

Marcus,

Hi. Thanks for the insight! For many years I wrote everything down but this was for Jonathan Juka and he's had it hanging up for years without a thought to anything but his memories of it. 

So finally I'm going to get to the bottom of it if only for posterity.

Jonathan is a grownup now and like me, a kid at heart. I forget which others I've "donated" to him over the years. One Brothers Hildebrandt and a nice Matt Busch. Both Star Wars.

My late neighbor Stanley D'Amore (The Colonel) once said "a gift is better given from a warm heart than a cold one."

I guess it means if you're dead and inherit stuff it doesn't mean as much.

Good for Jonathan. 
Thanks again,

Jack Juka

Marcus, 

you're a good man! Thanks.

I worked as a sports photographer at a tv station at the time and probably shot 4 hours of him in his studio talking about his work and telling stories. 

Jack

I'm glad you liked it. Have you ever read any of his books? 
spider, The Night Master, Deadly excitements, there's a bunch. Each a classic . He had a sense of humor with his writing like nobody I've ever read. 
 

you can probably find Spider Cheaper on Bookfinder or used. 

He took me under his wing so to speak. When there was a Pulpcon in New Jersey he made sure I knew everyone. And never once did he mention he worked at NASA.

most of my stuff is not here except for a few letters. 
im glad you liked it. 
Jack Juka 
 

Shelton,

Thanks! Funny how collecting goes isn't it? When something has meaning it's tough to let the memory go. 
For instance, besides collecting Star Wars with my son I was on a composition toy soldier kick. 
they were made in Germany before the war. Most kids collected the fighting guys. I collected what they call "camp figures."Guys goofing off, eating, shaving and other everyday stuff. Once at a show someone sold us a nice bunker. My son Jonathan made a sticker that said "not for sale."

35 years later that sticker is still on the bunker. It's all about the memories for me. 
Jack Juka

thanks Illia. I'm going to use a response I just wrote as it is pertinent to your comment also. 

The neatest thing I'm finding out about the Spider is all the violence that took place and the Spider (Richard Wentworth) still had time for romance. 
I collected The Shadow for many years and I can't remember him giving Margo Lane as much as a hand shake. Wentworth was a true romantic. He played the violin for his gal and the villains raped and pillaged and drugged the population. Crazy stuff that Spider was involved with. 
ThenPhantom Detective was involved with some nasty characters also. I guess it depends on who wrote it.

for instance. My favorite Shadow author (forgive me Will Murray) was Theodore Tinsley. He loaded up on tragedy in his stories. I remember in ThePooltex Tangle someone shot the Shadow and threw him into a river. I can't swear they shot him but to me it was all very exciting.

Getting to see all his originals was also wonderful. I will post a comment from Bob Sampson dated July 1, 1990 with the photo to give it some extra flavor. . 

A pretty good rendition if you ask me Illia. If you had continued your pursuit I bet people would be posting your stuff also. 
 

Very well thought out piece. 

I always liked his work on the Shadow. 

It was such a wonderful experience to work with Rafael. I did a documentary on him doing the art as I was a television sports photographer at the time and had access to a good camera. 
 

I have a photo of him teaching my young son how to draw a cat at a place we had lunch at. 

It's such a great two part story also. Richard Corbin did one issue and John Severin the other. Thanks again.

Good things happen to good people Illia. 
 

Good things happen to good people Illia. 
 

I find it amazing nobody left you a comment on this. Congratulations!

What a ripoff! You always get the nicest stuff! Seriously though you have some wonderful art!  

Thanks!  Just looks like a guy that's been put through the ringer and keeps on going.

I had the poster on my door back in the day. Unfortunately I had my shoulder dislocated at least 30 times playing football necessitating a shoulder reconstruction in 1975. "It's only a stinger John the coach said. Get back in there." That really hurts too.

The two stories are very entertaining. To me it was almost as much about the stories as the art. 

Maitz does some incredible paintings of Pirates these days. Great guy. I put him right up there with my friend Doug Klauba as far as talented nice guys go.

Thanks again.

Another dandy even though I am repeating myself.

I still like this a lot Richard. After all these years too.
I hope you are doing well. 

Thanks Jason. Whether is two guys sitting in a bar and brooding or beating each other up Jae Lee makes the moment memorable. 
jack

Thanks Marcus. I was reading about Charles Addams from the New Yorker and his stuff is just so darn expensive that I couldn't rationalize it. This was well done and both gruesome and comical at the same time. My daughter showed it to her boyfriend who has a great sense of humor and she said he laughed out loud. thanks again.

Jack Juka 

Bama used himself as a model for the guy to the right of Doc. Nice piece. 

Greg,

you have good taste!

jack Juka

Amazing to see how painters work. Bob Larkin is a fine artist. 

The Magic Island was one of Larkins most realistic Docs. 

Very nice piece Peter. 

Nice piece of art. Reading how you collected the art as a kid reminded me of myself. 

Beautiful. Simply beautiful! 

It really is Mark. Thanks!

It’s actually hanging over my fireplace. 

Someone once said it looked like it should be hanging in the Chrysler Building or some big old famous building. 

Doug is a great person besides being a terrific artist.

jack