America's Best TV Comics

Supercbbox|
title = America's Best TV Comics


caption = "America's Best TV Comics" (one-shot)
Cover art by Jack Kirby and disputed inker
schedule =
format =
1shot=y
publisher = Marvel Comics
date = 1967
issues = 1
main_char_team = Fantastic Four, Spider-Man
writers = Stan Lee
artists = Jack Kirby, Paul Reinman
Dick Ayers, John Romita Sr.
pencillers =
inkers =
colorists =
creative_team_month =
creative_team_year =
creators =
subcat=Marvel Comics
sort=PAGENAME

"America's Best TV Comics" was a one-shot American comic book published by Marvel Comics in mid-1967 in conjunction with the ABC television network to promote the network's Saturday morning cartoon lineup.

Publication history

The 68-page comic book, bearing a cover price of 25¢ and distributed via mail-order, featured the Marvel characters the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man, who were debuting in half-hour animated series that fall, as well stories based on the upcoming animated series "Journey to the Center of the Earth", "King Kong", "George of the Jungle", and "Casper the Friendly Ghost". The cartoon block, which also included the series "The Beatles", ran Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The cover was penciled by comics-industry legend Jack Kirby and inked by either George Roussos [http://www.comics.org/series.lasso?SeriesID=1806 Grand Comics Database: "America's Best TV Comics"] ] or Joe Sinnott [ [http://www.maelmill-insi.de/UHBMCC/TVADAP.HTM#S3 The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators: "America's Best TV Comics"] ] (sources differ). All were Marvel Comics regulars. The image of the Fantastic Four in the top right-hand box is a partial reproduction of the Kirby-Sinnot cover of "Fantastic Four" #49 (April 1966).

The story contents consisted of, in order, a 10-page, edited Casper reprint, "The Flying Horse"; a 10-page, edited reprint of the 22-page "Prisoners of the Pharaoh", by writer-editor Stan Lee, penciler Kirby and inker Dick Ayers, from "Fantastic Four" #19 (Oct. 1963); a 10-page, edited reprint of the 20-page "The Birth of a Super-Hero", by writer-editor Lee and penciler-inker John Romita Sr., from "The Amazing Spider-Man" #42 (Nov. 1966); the 10-page "Journey To the Center of the Earth" original story "The People of the Styx", by an unknown writer and penciler-inker Paul Reinman, a Marvel Comics regular; the 10-page "King Kong" original story "Kong Joins the Circus", by an uncredited creative team; and the 10-page "George of the Jungle" original story "Shep's Burial Ground", also by an uncredited team.

Footnotes

References

* [http://kirbymuseum.org/catalogue/view.php?pp=187 Jack Kirby Museum: "America's Best TV Comics" - cover]
* [http://www.misterkitty.org/extras/stupidcovers/stupidcomics89.html Mr. Kitty International: "Stupid Comics: Saturday Morning Cartoon Ads"]