True Love Comics Tales: Denny O'Neil

Thursday, February 7, 2013

MODELING WITH MILLIE "Crisis at the Hanover Agency!"

When Last We Left Our SuperModels...

Returning to New York from a trip to London, fashion models Millie Collins and Chili Storm run into British model Jill Jerold (whom they had just met in London) at the airport.

They introduce her to their boss, Howard Hanover, who immediately offers Jill work!

But the English model's first day proves eventful when a scandal rears it's ugly head...

Don't ya just love a happy ending?

So, after this auscpious debut, whatever happened to Jill Jerold?

Be here tomorrow for the answer!

BTW, this never-reprinted tale from Marvel's Modeling with Millie #48 (1966) was created by Denny O'Neil (writer) and Stan Goldberg (artist) with inking assists from Jim Mooney and Jack Abel.

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Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Jill Jerold: Marvel's FIRST Black Woman!

Before Ororo Munroe was Storm...

Before Misty Knight was a Daughter of the Dragon...

...there was Jill Jerold, Marvel's first ongoing Black woman and third ongoing Black character*!

Debuting in Millie the Model #141 (1966), the British model reflected the fact that European fashion houses were already using Black and Asian models while mainstream American fashion shows didn't, at least until the end of the 1960s.

Created by Denny O'Neil and Stan Goldberg, Jill's first appearance had to have a special notation on the original art...

...as seen on the right side of the panel below...

...to indicate her coloring.

You'll note it's not quite right. It should be a combination of magenta, cyan, and yellow, but the color separator used lighter screens, giving her a grayish/violet skin tone.

When she next appeared, in Modeling with Millie #48...

...the separators got it right (at least on the cover)!

Inside the book, it was another story...

...as we join Millie and Chili returing from London, where they first met Jill...

Wow, Jill's having one hell of a first day, eh?

Be here tomorrow to see how things develop!

*The other two ongoing Black characters were Gabe Jones (in Sgt Fury and His Howling Commandos and Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Prince T'Challa, the Black Panther (in Fantastic Four).