Obscure Artists No. 7 BILL BENULIS

Obscure Artists No. 7

BILL BENULIS

William Anthony Benulis Sr. nasce a Brooklyn, New York, il 5 novembre 1928, da Anthony Benulis (1897-1962), nato in Lituania, di professione postino, e sua moglie Ida (1899-?), nata nel Connecticut. Bill ha una sorella di nome Joan, nata nel 1931.

A partire dal 1940, la famiglia risiede a New York, al 6219 della 5th Avenue.

Benulis frequenta la Cartoonists and Illustrators School (in seguito ribattezzata School of Visual Arts), con Jerry Robinson tra i suoi insegnanti e Steve Ditko tra i suoi compagni di corso.

Inizia la sua carriera artistica alla fine degli anni Quaranta, realizzando illustrazioni per riviste amatoriali come Orb.

Per un breve periodo è assistente presso lo studio di Arthur Peddy e Bernard Sachs.

Inizia ufficialmente a disegnare per i comic books alla fine del 1951. Quattro sue storie appaiono contemporaneamente sugli albi della Atlas Adventures Into Terror, Journey into Unknown Worlds, Adventures Into Weird Worlds, Adventures Into Terror e Strange Tales, tutte con data di copertina agosto 1952. Continua a disegnare per la Atlas fino alla metà del 1956, contribuendo a titoli gialli/horror (Adventure Into Mystery, Adventures Into Terror, Adventures Into Weird Worlds, Astonishing Comics, Journey Into Mystery, Mystery Tales, Mystic, Spellbound, Strange Stories of Suspense, Strange Tales, Strange Tales of the Unusual, Uncanny Tales), polizieschi (Amazing Detective Cases, Justice Comics, Tales Of Justice), di guerra (Battle, Battle Action, Battlefield, Battlefront, Battleground, Combat, Combat Casey, Marines In Action, Navy Action, Navy Combat, War Adventures, War Comics), di azione (Men’s Adventures, Rugged Action), romantici (Girl Confessions, Secret Story Romances), di fantascienza (Journey Into Unknown Worlds, Marvel Tales, Spaceman), super-eroistici (Captain America) e Western (Outlaw Fighters, Western Outlaws).

Disegna storie anche per altri editori come Lev Gleason (1953), American Comics Group (1953), Fiction House (1953-56), Feature/Prize (1954) e Premier Magazines (1954-55).

In tutto disegna 146 storie a fumetti tra il 1952 e il 1956. Gli sceneggiatori includono Carl Wessler, Stan Lee, Frank Kelly, Hank Chapman e Burt Frohman.

Il suo stile, per certi versi affine a quello di Carmine Infantino per quanto riguarda le figure umane, è suggestivo e le sue composizioni originali ed efficaci, perfette per creare atmosfere inquietanti. Purtroppo l’inchiostrazione di Jack Abel (che rifinisce un terzo delle sue storie) rende a tratti il disegno troppo rigido.

Nel 1959 sposa Loretta Jones. Avranno tre figli: Laure Ann, William Anthony Jr. e Stephen Joseph.

Dopo aver lasciato definitivamente il campo dei fumetti e dell'illustrazione, lavora brevemente come colorista presso lo studio di animazione Terrytoons e iIllustra la copertina di uno dei primi libri di fantascienza scritti dal fondatore di Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard.

Successivamente lavora per 34 anni per il servizio postale degli Stati Uniti nel New Jersey e a New York. Segue le orme paterne lavorando come portalettere nonostante soffra ancora i postumi della poliomielite infantile.

Si ritira nel 1992 e si trasferisce con la famiglia a Fort Pierce, in Florida, provenendo dal New Jersey.

Bill Benulis scompare all’età di 82 anni, il 30 maggio 2011, presso il Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute di Fort Pierce, in Florida.

Un tributo di Shaun Clancy a Benulis appare su Alter Ego n. 110 nel giugno 2012.

William Anthony Benulis Sr. was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 5, 1928, from Lithuanian-born Anthony Benulis (1897-1962), who worked as a postman, and his wife Ida (1899-?), born in Connecticut. Bill had a sister named Joan, born in 1931.

As of 1940, the family resided at 6219 5th Avenue in New York.

Benulis attended the Cartoonists and Illustrators School (later renamed School of Visual Arts), with Jerry Robinson amongst his teachers and Steve Ditko amongst his classmates.

Benulis started his art career in the late 1940s, doing illustrations for such magazines as Orb.

He briefly worked as an assistant artist at the studio of Arthur Peddy and Bernard Sachs.

He started drawing officially for comic books in late 1951. Four stories of his concurrently appeared in Atlas titles Adventures Into Terror, Journey into Unknown Worlds, Adventures Into Weird Worlds, Adventures Into Terror, and Strange Tales, all cover-dated August 1952. He continued drawing for Atlas until mid-1956, contributing to mystery/horror titles (Adventure Into Mystery, Adventures Into Terror, Adventures Into Weird Worlds, Astonishing Comics, Journey Into Mystery, Mystery Tales, Mystic, Spellbound, Strange Stories of Suspense, Strange Tales, Strange Tales of the Unusual, Uncanny Tales), crime titles (Amazing Detective Cases, Justice Comics, Tales Of Justice), war titles (Battle, Battle Action, Battlefield, Battlefront, Battleground, Combat, Combat Casey, Marines In Action, Navy Action, Navy Combat, War Adventures, War Comics), action titles (Men’s Adventures, Rugged Action), romance titles (Girl Confessions, Secret Story Romances), science-fiction titles (Journey Into Unknown Worlds, Marvel Tales, Spaceman), superhero titles (Captain America), and Western titles (Outlaw Fighters, Western Outlaws).

He also drew stories for other such publishers as Lev Gleason (1953), American Comics Group (1953), Fiction House (1953-56), Feature/Prize (1954), and Premier Magazines (1954-55).

All in all, he drew 146 comic stories between 1952 and 1956. Writers included Carl Wessler, Stan Lee, Frank Kelly, Hank Chapman and Burt Frohman.

His style, which had something in common with Carmine Infantino’s as regards human figures, was atmospheric and his compositions were original and effective. Unfortunately, Jack Abel’s inking (Abel did the finishes for one third of his stories) sometimes makes the drawing too stiff.

He married Loretta Jones in 1959. They had three children, Laure Ann, William Anthony Jr., and Stephen Joseph.

After leaving the comics field for good, he briefly worked as a colorist at the Terrytoons animation studio and iIllustrated a cover for an early science fiction book by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.

Then Benulis went to work for the U.S. Postal Service in New Jersey and New York, where he stayed for 34 years. He followed in his father’s footsteps working as a letter carrier despite living with the after-effects of childhood polio.

Bill retired in 1992 and the Benulis family moved to Fort Pierce, Florida, coming from New Jersey.

Bill Benulis passed away at age 82 on May 30, 2011 at Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute in Fort Pierce, Florida.

A tribute to Benulis by Shaun Clancy appeared in Alter Ego no. 110, June 2012.

Fumettografia / Comicography

COMIC BOOKS

Publisher: AMERICAN COMICS GROUP

Romantic Adventures (American Comics Group)

40 (12/1953) Fear for My Love 6p [inks: Jack Abel]

Publisher: ATLAS

Adventures Into Mystery

02 (07/1956) The Betrayer! 4p

Adventures Into Terror

11 (08/1952) He Who Laughs Last, Gets... the Horselaugh 4p [inks: Jack Abel]

22 (08/1953) Built Another Rat-Trap! 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

23 (09/1953) The Cannibals 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

24 (10/1953) Tennis Anyone? 3p [inks: Jack Abel]

25 (11/1953) A Very Grave Matter! 5p

26 (12/1953) The Shrunken Head 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

27 (01/1954) The Screaming Man 4p [inks: Jack Abel]

31 (05/1954) Slave Ship 5p

Adventures Into Weird Worlds

09 (08/1952) Too Much T.V. 3p

12 (11/1952) Missing... One Head 5p

16 (03/1953) Mind Over Matter 4p [inks: Jack Abel]

24 (12/1953) He Kidnaped a Rocket 4p [inks: Jack Abel]

27 (03/1954) The Invaders! 4p [inks: Jack Abel]

Amazing Detective Cases

14 (09/1952) Hands Off! 4p [inks: Jack Abel]

Astonishing

21 (01/1953) The Man Who Went Too Far! 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

29 (01/1954) Anyone Up There? 4p

41 (09/1955) The Inventors! 4p

45 (01/1956) The Hands from Nowhere 5p

48 (04/1956) It Happened at Midnight! 4p

Battle

20 (04/1953) The Crusader 6p [inks: Jack Abel]

40 (05/1953) Who Cares About Charlie? 5p [inks: Jack Abel]; The Attack That Failed! 6p

41 (06/1953) Mortar Fire! 6p

Battle Action

23 (06/1953) The Cost of Freedom! 6p

Battlefield

10 (04/1953) The Crusader 6p

Battlefront

30 (04/1955) Mud! 6p [inks: Jack Abel]

34 (08/1955) The Man Who Volunteered! 5p

37 (11/1955) Position Hopeless! 6p

Battleground

12 (07/1956) The Tiger of North Korea: The Fight For Freedom 4p

14 (11/1956) Attack at Dawn 4p

Captain America Comics

76 (05/1954) Captain America: The Betrayers! 6p [inks: Jack Abel]; Captain America: Come to the Commies! [inks: Jack Abel]

Combat

10 (03/1953) Hannibal 6p [inks: Jack Abel]

11 (04/1953) The Face of Harry Brown 6p [inks: Jack Abel]

Combat Casey

10 (06/1953) Penny: Penny’s Parade  5p [inks: Jack Abel]

11 (08/1953) Penny: So That We May Live 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

12 (10/1953) Penny: Pvt. Penny’s Secret Weapon 4p [inks: Jack Abel]

13 (12/1953) Combat Casey 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

14 (02/1954) Penny: Penny’s Peek-a-Boom Patrol 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

Combat Kelly

37 (06/1956) The Heroes [text story] 1 3/4p

Girl Confessions

31 (02/1954) I’ll Never Forget You! 6p [inks: Jack Abel]

Journey into Mystery

03 (10/1952) Hands Off! 5p

10 (07/1953) Vacation for Vincent 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

21 (01/1955) The Missing Men 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

24 (05/1955) The Locked Drawer! 4p

31 (02/1956) The Man Who Had No Fear 5p

33 (04/1956) The Meddler! 4p

38 (09/1956) The Secret of the Sargasso Sea! 3p

Journey into Unknown Worlds

12 (08/1952) Tick Tock 4p [inks: Jack Abel]

33 (02/1955) The Man in the Box! 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

34 (04/1955) The Lady Who Believed 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

Marvel Tales

110 (12/1952) Peter and the Puppet! 4p [inks: Jack Abel]

111 (02/1953) The Martian in the Kitchen! 6p [inks: Jack Abel]

139 (10/1955) The Sleeper! 4p

141 (12/1955) The Iron Brain! 5p

Marines in Action

08 (09/1956) Make One False Move 5p

Men’s Adventures

19 (03/1953) Vikings! 6p [inks: Jack Abel]

Mystery Tales

08 (02/1953) The Wooden Man 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

11 (05/1953) Blackmail! 4p [inks: Jack Abel]

15 (05/1954) The Little Monster! 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

19 (05/1954) The Room with No Door! 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

28 (04/1955) Stop 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

34 (10/1955) No Turning Back! 5p

35 (11/1955) The Wrong Face! 4p

38 (02/1956) The Ice Man! 4p

Mystic

15 (12/1952) House of Horror 4p

30 (05/1954) The Monster Men 4p [inks: Jack Abel]

42 (12/1955) The Man in the… Mummy Case 5p

45 (03/1956) The Angry Pharaoh! 5p

47 (05/1956) The Eager Stranger 4p

48 (06/1956) Across the Threshold 4p

Navy Action

01 (08/1954) The Checkerboard Squadron! 5p

02 (10/1954) Hit an’ Run! 5p

03 (12/1954) Come an’ Get Us! 5p

05 (04/1955) Target Area 6p

08 (08/1956) Evacuation! 5p

Outlaw Fighters

03 (12/1954) Duel in the Desert 5p

Rugged Action

40 (02/1955) Human Bait! 6p

Spaceman

02 (11/1953) Famous Explorers of Space #2: Mercury – The Red-Hot Planet! 3p [inks: Jack Abel]

06 (07/1954) Famous Explorers of Space #6: How Saturn Got Its Fourth Ring! 5p

Spellbound

10 (12/1952) Don’t Turn Your Back 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

11 (01/1953) The Hypnotist 4p

15 (06/1953) Get Out of My Graveyard! 4p

23 (06/1954) The Day of the Vampire 5p

24 (10/1955) Eye Over the City 5p

26 (02/1956) Beware: The House! 5p

Strange Stories of Suspense

06 (12/1955) The Illusion! 5p

Strange Tales

09 (08/1952) The Voice of Doom! 5p

10 (09/1952) The Frightful Feet! 4p

22 (09/1953) What Happened on the Moon? 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

30 (07/1954) Science Fiction 5p

31 (08/1954) The Bum! 5p

36 (06/1955) The Bell That Wouldn’t Stop 4p

40 (11/1955) This Dark Cave 5p

50 (09/1956) The World Outside! 4p

Strange Tales of the Unusual

03 (04/1956) The Magic City 4p

04 (06/1956) Flames of Fury! 4p

Tales of Justice

54 (07/1955) The Ladies’ Man 6p [inks: Jack Abel]

Uncanny Tales

11 (08/1953) The Man Who Changed 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

21 (06/1954) When Walks the Zombie 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

22 (07/1954) The Unctuous Undertaker 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

25 (10/1954) The Man Who Couldn’t Sing! 5p

26 (11/1954) How? 5p

28 (01/1955) The Martians! 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

30 (04/1955) Collector’s Item! 4p

33 (07/1955) The Man Who Couldn’t Stand It! 5p

38 (12/1955) Morgan’s Magic Picture! 5p

41 (03/1956) The Richest Man on Earth! 4p

42 (04/1956) Which Road to Take! 4p

45 (07/1956) An Hour to Live!

War Adventures

13 (02/1953) Battle Plan 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

War Comics

21 (09/1953) The Bandit 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

33 (03/1955) Outpost! 6p [inks: Jack Abel]

37 (09/1955) Patrol Mission! 6p

40 (03/1956) Surrender or Die! 5p

Western Outlaws

02 (04/1954) Guns of the Baron 6p [inks: Jack Abel]

Wild Western

32 (02/1954) Black Rider 6p [inks: Jack Abel]

Publisher: FEATURE/PRIZE

Black Magic

V04/04 [28] (01-02/1954) Screaming Doll 5p

Justice Traps the Guilty

V08/02 [68] (11/1954) A Cop Gone Wrong 6p

Young Brides

V02/05 [11] (01/1954) The Bachelor and the Baby Sitter 6p

Young Love

V05/11 [53] (01/1954) You’ll Be Sorry 6p

Publisher: FICTION HOUSE

Fight Comics

86 (01/1954) Cover [inks: Jack Abel]

Ghost Comics

04 (Fall 1952) Death Is a Dream 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

05 (Winter 1952) Satan Owned His Soul 8p [inks: Jack Abel]

06 (Spring 1953) Two Must Die 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

07 (Summer 1953) Bride of Horror 7p

08 (Fall 1953) The Face in the Shroud 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

09 (Winter 1953) The Thing That Walked at Night 6p [inks: Jack Abel]

10 (Spring 1954) The Ghost of Doctor Renick 6p

11 (Summer 1954) Grab-Bag 6p [inks: Jack Abel]

Jumbo Comics

163 (09/1952) Eye 4p

Jungle Comics

163 (Spring 1954) The Firebirds 4p

Knockout Adventures

01 (Winter 1953/1954) Cover [inks: Jack Abel]

Monster

02 (06/1953) Where the Undead Roam 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

Planet Comics

71 (Summer 1953) Hijack on Planet Alpha 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

72 (Fall 1953) The Last Expedition 8p

73 (Winter 1953/1954) Cerebex 8p; Among the Missing 4p [inks: Jack Abel]

Rangers Comics

67 (10/1952) G.I. Jane 5p

68 (Fall 1952) G.I. Jane 5p

69 (Winter 1953) G.I. Jane 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

Wings Comics

124 (1954) Wild Cargo 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

Publisher: LEV GLEASON

Crime Does Not Pay

123 (06/1953) Who Killed Boss Faber? 6p

Publisher: PREMIER MAGAZINES

Masked Ranger

07 (04/1955) Masked Ranger Is a Coward 6p [inks: Jack Abel]

Police Against Crime

02 (08/1954) Cover; Assistant District Attorney 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

03 (08/1954) Cover [inks: Jack Abel]

04 (10/1954) Cover [inks: Jack Abel]

05 (12/1954) Duncan Stuart, M.D. 5p [inks: Jack Abel]

06 (02/1955) Duncan Stuart, M.D.: The Case of the Atomic Bloodhound 6p [inks: Jack Abel]

BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS

Fear [Galaxy Science Fiction Novel 29] (1957) Cover

MAGAZINE ILLUSTRATIONS

Orb

V01/05 (06-07/1950) Cover