Bill Spicer (born October 1, 1937) is an editor and publisher who spearheaded the 1960s movement away from commercial comics, opening the gateway to underground, alternative, and independent comics, notably with his publication ''
Graphic Story Magazine
''Graphic Story Magazine'' was an American magazine edited and published by Bill Spicer in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Attempting to find a new direction for narrative art and a point of departure from commercial comic book stories, this journa ...
''.
Biography
Born in Los Angeles, Spicer began reading science fiction fanzines in 1951–52. He learned professional lettering techniques while working at an ad agency from 1955 to 1967, and he became a letterer with Western Publishing in 1967. Three years earlier, he had entered the publishing arena himself after placing a want ad in a fanzine seeking contributors. After responses from artist
Landon Chesney Landon is a personal name of English origin that means "long hill". It is a variant of Langdon. Landon became popular in the United States in the 1990s, and by 2010 had become the 32nd most popular name for boys.Eando Binder's 1940s pulp novella " Adam Link's Vengeance", illustrated by
D. Bruce Berry
Douglas Bruce Berry (January 24, 1924 – September 30, 1998) was an American comic book artist who is best known as the inker of several of Jack Kirby's comic book series in the 1970s.
Biography
D. Bruce Berry was born in Oakland, California ...
, which won the Best Fan Comic Strip award in the 1964
Alley Awards
The Alley Award was an American annual series of comic book fan awards, first presented in 1962 for comics published in 1961. Officially organized under the aegis of the Academy of Comic Book Arts and Sciences, the award shared close ties with the ...
. With the third issue, an adaptation of
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best-known for creating the characters Tarzan and John Carter, he ...
With the introduction of the column "Graphic Story Review" by Richard Kyle, the focus began to shift to articles, reviews, and interviews in addition to the stories, resulting in a change to a new title, ''Graphic Story Magazine'' with issue #8 (Fall 1967).Grant, Steven. ''Comic book Resources'', October 27, 1999. /ref> Issues #12 and #14 were devoted entirely to the work of Basil Wolverton. Interviews included Alex Toth (#10). Will Gould (#11), John Severin (#13), Gahan Wilson (#15) and
Howard Nostrand
Howard Nostrand (May 13, 1929Nostrand, Howard. "Nostrand by Nostrand", ''Graphic Story Magazine'' #16 (Summer 1974), p. 18–August 1, 1984)Mickey Rat'', ''L.A. Comics'', ''Mutants of the Metropolis'' and the full-color ''Weird Fantasies''.
Comic strips
Spicer continued as a Western Publishing letterer from 1967 to 1982. He also lettered for Dark Horse, Another Rainbow, Fantagraphics. From 1988 to 2005, he lettered manga for
Viz
Viz may refer to:
*''viz.'', a synonym for “namely”
* ''Viz'' (comics), a British adult comic magazine
**'' Viz: The Game'', a computer game based on the comic
*Viz Media, an American manga and anime distribution and entertainment company
*"V ...
Street Code
''Street Code'' is both the short, ten page autobiographical comic story and the 2009 mini-comic by American writer-artist Jack Kirby. Both Bill Sienkiewicz and Jeff Zapata consider it among Kirby's greatest works, and it supplanted all other wor ...
", published 1990 in ''
Argosy (magazine)
''Argosy'', later titled ''The Argosy'', ''Argosy All-Story Weekly'' and ''The New Golden Argosy'', was an American pulp magazine from 1882 through 1978, published by Frank Munsey until its sale to Popular Publications in 1942. It is the fi ...
'' issue two.
Awards
In addition to his
Alley Awards
The Alley Award was an American annual series of comic book fan awards, first presented in 1962 for comics published in 1961. Officially organized under the aegis of the Academy of Comic Book Arts and Sciences, the award shared close ties with the ...
, Spicer won a 1979 Inkpot Award. In 2000, the American Association of Comicbook Collectors Fandom Service Award went to Spicer for his significant contribution to the hobby of comic book collecting and his pioneering work with EC fanzines.