Today in Comics History, August 3: Happy birthday, Jim Fitzsimmons!

Born on this day in 1917: Jim Fitzsimmons, production manager during the 1930s and '40s for Funnies Inc., the Golden Age comic book packager. Funnies Inc. supplied artwork and editorial material to publishers for comics, including Martin Goodman's Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1 and Marvel Comics #1, the first Marvel Comics! But can you spot him in the panel below?


from "Hot Stamp Mob!" in All-Winners Comics #6 (Marvel/Timely, Fall 1942), script by Mickey Spillane (yes, that one!), pencils by Harry Fisk (?), inks by Edd Ashe (?)
Nope, that's not him in the center of the frame...that's Jim Hammond and Tom Raymond, aka The Golden Age Human Torch and Toro! Look immediately above HT&T and you'll spot "Upholstering by Fitzsimmons," which is a reference to Jim. The other shop names in the panel are too! Check out this essay:


from Golden Age All-Winners v.2 (Marvel, December 2006)
Happy birthday, Jim Fitzsimmons!