Gamut - Issue 2 (1976)

Cover of issue number two of Gamut from 1976, a full wrap-around cover drawn by artist Will Eisner. The art was first featured in Paul Levtiz's 1974 book "Will Eisner, Champion of the Graphic Novel." Photo from my personal copy

As mentioned in our rundown of issue one of Gamut, Will Eisner was a pioneer in the comic book industry, with his most well-known work, The Spirit, debuting in 1940. His 1978 book, A Contract With God, is credited with popularizing the term "graphic novel." The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards for creative achievement in American comic books were created in his honor in 1988 and have been held at the San Diego Comic Con every year since 1991. Eisner himself was a regular attendee until his death in 2005.

From his official biography: "In a career that spanned nearly seventy years and eight decades — from the dawn of the comic book to the advent of digital comics — he truly was the 'Orson Welles of comics' and the 'father of the Graphic Novel'. He broke new ground in the development of visual narrative and the language of comics and was the creator of The Spirit, John Law, Lady Luck, Mr. Mystic, Uncle Sam, Blackhawk, Sheena and countless others." Read more at www.WillEisner.com.

The insde front and back covers of this second issue are blank, likely because of the printing process for the wraparound cover. The content starts on the first interior page, with a full page of uncredited art and an intro to the issue, as well as the publishing information.

The intro paragraph reads: "'TOMORROW'S PROS ARE IN GAMUT TODAY!' Special thanks to Will Eisner for our beautiful and unique cover, and to Mike Cherkas, letterer extraordinary. And congratulations to Cartooning-at-Sheridan alumni Jim Craig and Vince Marchesano. Their work has appeared this year in D.C. and Seaboard magazines.
W. Hanson
EDITOR"

In our rundown of issue one of Gamut, we shared info on Craig's career: In 1975, Craig would work with comics writer James Waley on a new Canadian superhero, "The Northern Light," who would appear in Orb magazine and Power Comics.

Craig's career continued in the comics, animation and film industries, where he worked for Marvel Comics on titles like Master of Kung-Fu and Marvel Premiere; at Nelvana animation studio as a storyboard artist for cartoons including Inspector Gadget and Ewoks and as director of Mythic Warriors / Guardians of the Legend; and at various film studios on movies including The Dead Zone, Sea of Love and Johnny Mnemonic.

The publishing information reads "GAMUT © 1976. TM Registered. Entire contents produced and copyrighted by the cartooning student contributors at Sheridan College. Cover produced and copyrighted by Will Eisner."

The opening page of issue number two of Gamut from 1976. Photo from my personal copy

Page two features a full-page, science-fiction-style close-up portrait, signed "Tom B 75." This is presumably Tom Bilinksy, as the story on the page following is by a "T. Bilinsky."

Science-fiction style portrait by "Tom B." Photo from my personal copy

Page three begins a six-page science-fiction superhero story called "Protector 90." The story and art are credited to "T. Bilinsky" (again, presumably Tom Bilinksy), with a script by "P. Stephens" and Blinsky, and lettering by Michael Cherkas.

Cherkas was also a contributor to issue one of Gamut, and is now a well-known and well-regarded Ukranian-Canadian artist, cartoonist and illustrator who has worked in the industry for more than 30 years. Cherkas would go on to provide art for issues of Dave Sim's Cerebus, and he is the co-creator (with writer Larry Hancock) of The Silent Invasion, a Renegade Press comic series first released in 1986 and set in the 1950s, that combined Cold War paranoia with alien abductions.

Read the GamutMagazine.org exclusive interview with Eisner-nominated comics creator Michael Cherkas

Cherkas and Hancock would collaborate again on the titles Suburban Nightmares and Union City Comics featuring The Purple Ray, and Cherkas worked with writer John Sablijic on the alternate-world satire The New Frontier.

Cherkas' newest book, Red Harvest, is "based on the tragic events that took place in Soviet Ukraine and other parts of the Soviet Union from 1929 to 1933," and is availble for purchase at nbmpub.com.

"Protector 90" by Blinsky, Stephens and Cherkas. Photo from my personal copy

Page 10 features a full page of art by Dan Nosella of a female Viking, bloody sword in a raised hand, standing above a menacing sabre-toothed tiger.

Full-page art by Dan Nosella. Photo from my personal copy

Nosella has had a long career in the animation industry as a storyboard artist and director. He's worked on projects like The Magic Schoolbus, Rupert, Little Bear, Franklin and many more, and he was nominated for a BAFTA Children's Award for his work on Doc McStuffins.

Page 11 continues the art from Nosella, kicking off his six-page story, "The Bitter Half."

"The Bitter Half" by Dan Nosella. Photo from my personal copy

On page 17 is the only alumni-contributed work in this issue - a full page from Vince Marchesano, featuring a barbarian hacking a tentacled dinosaur creature to save a damsel in distress.

Marchesano was a pioneer in the Canadian Silver Age of comics in the late-1960s through the 1970s. Along with Art Cooper, Marchesano created the first Canadian comic fanzines in 1967-68, and then launched Spectrum Publications in 1971 with titles including Spectrum Magazine, With Pen and Brush, and Id, Ego…Aeon.

Marchesano was also a contributor to James Waley's Orb, creating the "Dark Ninja" character, and he worked with a number of other artists including Jim Steranko, Neal Adams, Gene Day, Rich Buckler. In addition, Marchesano was instrumental in helping to bring comic conventions to Canada.

Full-page art by Vince Marchesano. Photo from my personal copy

Page 18 begins the five-page, uncredited vampire story "Craving for Flesh."

"Craving for Flesh" - uncredited. Photo from my personal copy

Page 23 is the start of another five-page story, this one a science-fiction piece called "The Max Factor." The story is simply signed "Vollmar '74."

"The Max Factor" by "Vollmar." Photo from my personal copy

Page 28's superhero story "Captain Justice" is the longest one in the book, coming in at eight pages. The story features art by Bob Smith with a script by the aforementioned Dan Nosella.

"Captain Justice" by Bob Smith and Dan Nosella. Photo from my personal copy

On page 36 is the second contribution from Michael Cherkas in this issue, a six-page World War II story with a script by Bob Hess.

In his interview with GamutMagazine.org, Cherkas said, "I drew “Twin Death,” a six-page EC-type World War 2 story, written by a first-year student named Bob Hess. I think we both had similar interests in comics. I loved airplanes. Still do. It gave me a chance to draw aircraft. Bob Hess was an American student. I have a vague recollection that he may have been from a military family."

"Twin Death" by Bob Hess and Michael Cherkas. Photo from my personal copy

Page 42 starts another uncredited piece, this one a six-page science-fiction story called "Conflict."

"Conflict" - uncredited. Photo from my personal copy

Finally, page 48 repeats the same Sheridan College Cartooning ad from the back cover of issue number one of Gamut.

Sheridan College Cartooning Program ad on the last page of the second issue of "Gamut." Photo from my personal copy