Today in Comics History, February 11: Happy birthday, Tony Mortellaro!

Born on this day: Tony Mortellaro, comic book inker and Marvel production personnel!


from Mighty Marvel Calendar 1976 (Marvel, December 1975)
You can see a much better photo of him and John Verpoorten — and at work in the Marvel Bullpen, yet! — at The Untold Story Tumblr by Sean Howe, author of the superb Marvel Comics: The Untold Story (Amazon ad)

Tony worked on comics for the companies Trojan Magazines and Stanmor (really, shouldn't Marvel be called "Stanmor"?) through the 1950s, but later almost exclusive did work for Marvel/Atlas, on Western war, and chiller titles like Journey into Unknown Worlds, Battleground, Mystic, Astonishing, Ghoul Tales...


I used that text element from the cover of Amazing Spider-Man #97 (one of the infamous Harry Osborn Does Drugs/No Comics Code Authority Seal issues) rather than my usual typing-out of the words, because in the 1970s, Tony did inks (or background inks) on Marvel titles: Vault of Evil, Dracula Lives, Captain America, more...but especially for Marvel's flagship: The Amazing Spider-Man (and, its easy-to-read kid brother, Spidey Super Stories)! Even when Tony's not credited and did the background (not figure) inks, he sometimes gives you a clue his steady inkin' hand has been there:



from Amazing Spider-Man (1962 series) #98 (Marvel, July 1971), script by Stan Lee, pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Frank Giacoia, backgrund inks (uncredited) by Tony Mortellaro, letters by Artie Simek
Ah, Tony, you joker (copyright ©1940 DC Comics). I need to re-read my ASMs again from that period (1971-1993, roughly ASM #92-125) and see if I can detect more "signs" of Tony Mortellaro! That's not a burden, those are some darn fine comics!

And Tony Mortellaro was a darn fine inker. Happy birthday, Tony!