Strange Tales #94

Here's another issue of STRANGE TALES in the days before Marvel turned over to the publication of superhero comics. A wonderful cover by Jack Kirby with interiors by the team that was the glue holding Marvel together in those days.

"Save Me From The...WEED!" Yeah, I'll post details of that one tomorrow.

I've never read what the pay rate was at Marvel during this period, but it must have been relatively decent. Not as good as the rates at DC, but better than the money being paid at the other publishers who were hanging on. TV had all but killed off the pulps by this time and comics were at the end of a decline that was only then being reversed by the reemergence of the superhero genre at DC.

Even as this issue hit the stands, Goodman and Lee were already planning to load their publishing schedule with superhero stories to test the waters. They knew they had a good man at the helm to do so: Jack Kirby, who had a long history of creating superheroes both for Marvel (Capt. America) and DC (Challengers of the Unknown, Manhunter, the Newsboy Legion, etc.).

But for the next few months Marvel would continue to survive on the titles that were keeping the company (barely) afloat: monster comics, science-fiction comics, westerns, and a few romance/girl titles. Yes, there were once comic books for little girls that weren't published by Archie.