Ink Stains 197: TCP Vol 2 #3

TCP Vol 2 #3: Spring 1976
Publisher/editor: Russell Condello
​

Welcome to the last Ink Stains of 2025! I am still surprised it has lasted this long. Amid all the holiday goings on, I managed to get this column done, which covers TCP Vol 2 # 3 (I profiled an earlier issue, but, for now, the actual column website is still compromised). Publisher/editor Russell Condello has produced another solid issue, starting with a bang and the cover by Mike Gustovich and Mike Machlan (probably through InterFan), seen above. Machlan and inker Doug Herring do us a solid with the nicely designed backcover as well (and you can see a Herring illo above in the banner). Now, onto the heat of the meat, the feast of the beast, the pink of the ink...the interior! NOTE: After I finished the column, it was asked, where is the Perez interview? Indeed, where? I realized the zine I bought from someone had the center spreads containing that interview were gone! Hopefully, I will obtain another copy at some point and will update this installment.
​
Like many zines of the day, spot illustrations (small illustrations that float on the page) abound, by pro and fan alike. The parade starts with a nice little Neal Adams piece, seen at left.  The editorial is the first bit of text (where he confirms that the issue is a sort of InterFan team up, as well as bemoaning inflation causing comics to go up to 30 CENTS!!! Oh, the humanity!), which itself is made pretty by a super solid rendition of the Hulk by Mike Zeck, below (check out his site here), as well as a tiny Enchantress by Mercy Van Vlack.

---

Fandom longtimer, Rick "Doc" Livingston gives us a real eyeful with Relief, which you can see in the PDF.

Breaking into the Business by InterFan bigwig, Steve Clement, follows. Then, the first actual continuity feature greets our eyes. Granted, it's only 2 pages (by Bill Wake, artist Jim McPherson...reminding me a bit of Earl Geier...and editor Condello, well, editing), but it is a fun little read. Check it out below. 

Some classified ads come up next, followed by a couple of nice pin ups by Scott Gallery and Kerry Gammil, the latter who turns in a really solid piece.  See em both below!

Next up is a short Conan article by Robert Clements, which is made richer by a beautiful and whimsical (that's right...a whimsical Conan!) illustration by Jim Dickison. The Rac, a zine review column then appears. The letters column is last, but of course, several spot illos appear here and there. I am pretty sure I have seen Dickison's work before (mainly because of that interesting signature), and was impressed. I tracked down a bit of info, some of which you can see here. I also found a bit of a bio, which follows.

Larry Dickison Presently a graphics composer for THE BURLINGTON POST. A high school dropout before it became fashionable, has been a miner, fruit picker, dishwasher, upholsterer, logger, newspaper photographer, truck driver, railroad lineman, bull cook, rigger, pin-setter, salesman, clerk, and carny. He is also a rabid fisherman. Larry has originated several comic strips, and illustrated children’s stories, album covers, posters, t-shirts and a history book and does editorial cartooning for several weekly papers. His work has been exhibited in Canada and the U.S. as well as within and without the pages of many magazines. He is an art angel extraordinaire for many amateur publishers including, of course, Niekas Publications. Provided art for Don Grant’s edition of The Far Islands by John Buchanan. Seminal exhibitor at Necon, Roger Williams College in Rhode Island. He is a member of the Small Press Writers and Artists Organization.

Larry Dickison

​

Several other well done images are there as well, by people such as Herring, Ron Fortier, and my bud, Rick McCollum.

And that wraps up this issue of TCP (The Comic Press), thanks for the good times, Russell and crew! Get the whole zine here!

Now, the accompanying issue of TBG is very special, to me at least! Issue 8 is where it all started for me...fandom, that is. As some of you know, a librarian in my high school in Georgia (freshman year, 1971) gave me this, knowing I liked comics. As you can see from the letter below (actually, 2 letters combined), editor Alan Light was nice enough to send me a few free zines when I wrote to him...and the rest is history! Ink Stains history!

So....above you see the actual cover of that issue, in blazing red ink. Below you see the original Dennis Fujitake art for that cover, which I own (!!!!!). I was flabbergasted to know someone who was wanting some art of mine had this artwork, so we traded. You can see the whole issue here.

Technically, this is the first post of the new year, but I am posting a bit early...and it worked out well that my introduction to fandom is a feature of this installment!

​Happy Holidays and an ink filled new year to you all, see you in about 30!

Ken Meyer Jr.
[email protected]
Reply