CHANEY'S BIG BAD WOLF

This mini-feature in CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY (January 28, 1942) has a little fun with Universal's THE WOLF MAN. Added to the snipped announcing the film is a cartoon identified as "Kroll", most likely referring to Julius Kroll, a Jewish caricaturist and graphic artist who worked in the United States after fleeing Nazi Germany in 1933.

SPUNKY THE SMILING SPOOK

Scripted and drawn by unknown writer(s) and artist(s), another Casper clone, SPUNKY was created by the obscure comic book packager, Jason Art Studios, owned by Leon Jason, who employed about three dozen writers and artists from the 1940s into the 1950s.

Spunky #1.

This is the last of four issues published by Ajax/Farrell with a cover date of May 1958. It's really only the third issue as Spunky appeared on the cover of the first issue, but the interior Spunk story featured a baby kangaroo, not a ghost (commence head-scratching here).

Here are the two Spunky stories from the issue:

Hey, Spunky: Watch those hands!

STEPHEN FABIAN OBSCURITY

"In every sense of the words, Stephen Fabian is a self-made artist, fashioning himself into a specialist of most pleasing quality with wide appeal to the appreciative of the aesthetic in the art of illustration."

- Writer and historian Sam Moskowitz

For many years, one wouldn't have to look very hard to find an illustration by Stephen Fabian in any fantasy, horror or science fiction book or magazine. During his career, Fabian created an immense body of work that included paintings, prints, portfolios and other media. A self-taught artist, he didn't begin his career until he was age 44. His first semi-professional sale was to Gerald Page's WITCHCRAFT AND SORCERY. His first professional sale was a cover for the November 1974 issue of the science-fiction digest GALAXY.

I found this 5-page illustrated prose poem tucked away in FANTASTIC SCIENCE FICTION July 1979. It was co-created by Chip Fabian (his brother? son?) and apparently there was a series of these. To my knowledge, I haven't seen it published anywhere else and it is not listed in The Speculative Fiction Database.

After Fabian's passing on May 6, 2025 at the age of 95, an estate sale was held at his home on 4 Sussex Road, Wayne NJ. Here is an excerpt from the lot listings:

I’d like to invite you to the home of famous, published sci-fi artist and illustrator : Stephen Fabian. Amongst the last few of his original paintings being for sale Stephen has plenty of drawing/painting tools that a professional artist would have. At Mr. Fabian's request we will be auctioning off about 3 original signed paintings, original signed transfer tracings, Stephen's signed desk, signed chair, and lamp, limited signed prints, signed book covers of his published work, and counting...  But that’s just the BEGINNING! 

So much to choose from you are bound to find something that you love. This is not the type of sale where there are thousand dollar pieces staring you in the face. It’s the type of sale where countless hours was spent sorting through the rubble to uncover some beautiful gems. 

• 600-900 books and comics in excellent condition 
• Lots of vintage /antique bric-a-Brac
• Unique vintage furniture pieces 
• Tools 
• Records 
• Books!
• Vintage electronics 
• Some cameras and stereo equipment Electronics
• Pool table 
• Vintage ride on lawnmower (yellow!)
• TONS of sewing and knitting supplies and equipment 
• Glass ware 
• Crystal ware
• DVDs
• VHS
• Tape

Stephen’s wife was a professional seamstress so there is thousands of dollars worth of: yarns, threads, how to books, sewing machine, vintage loom patterns Buttons Material and more.

Stephen Fabian's final five paintings: