Underappreciated Artist Spotlight: Jay Scott Pike

[Lone Ranger]

I’ll bet that when Showcase #79 was released, many young fans gazed at the handsome artwork and asked ‘Who’s this new guy, Jay Scott Pike?’

Well, Pike had actually been around since the early 50s. Of course, many fans may not have noticed his work as it was typically buried within one of Martin Goodman’s gazillion anthology titles at Atlas, or in some icky DC romance book.

When the superheroes made their comeback, it appears that Jay Scott Pike was not invited to the party. That’s too bad, as if there was one thing that Pike demonstrated during his relatively short comic book career, was that he could work in almost any genre. There’s not too much info available on Pike on-line – he doesn’t even have an entry at Lambiek.

As I understand, Pike eventually left comics, as so many people do, for a successful career in advertising. He also focused on drawing pin-ups, and there is apparently a book dedicated to his pin-up work. Pin-Up Art

Although I’ve included quite a few samples of Pike’s work, there are two areas in which I am sorely lacking: Atlas Jungle books and DC Romance. Amazing Mike solves one of those problems, as his site has a ton of Pike’s romance covers : DC Covers

Now, it’s time for the usual questions:

A) What do you think of Pike’s work?
B) What do you think are his strengths/weaknesses?
C) What genre suited him best?
D) What is your favourite work by Jay Scott Pike?
E) What title or character would you have like to see him tackle?

I’ll add my answers in a little while.

Here are some samples of his art that you may not have seen before

1. Great ‘over the shoulder’ shot from Frontier Western #7
2. Moody snowy sequence from Western Kid #15
3. Deftly navigating a text heavy page from Battle #60
4. Battle #61 – Pike advances the story using a variety of techniques

[Lone Ranger]

Here are some more samples of work Pike is best known for:

1. Nice page 6 - Dating a big spender from True Secrets #2
2. A stylish dating sequence from True Secrets #31
3. Gorgeous page from Showcase #79 - a real gem from the late 60s

[matewan1990]

Jay Scott Pike is still alive and drawing. I'm not sure how to contact him, but I do know that he's doing new commissions. I've seen some of his new stuff on comicartfans.com and his work looks better than ever.
Pike was one of the great romance artists. He had a beautiful line and drew even more gorgeous babes. I thoroughly enjoyed the Dolphin story in Showcase 79. It took me years to track down a nice copy of that issue and, when I finally found one, I had to pay a lot to get it. Pike should have been drawing super-hero work, because he sure knew how to tell a story.
Mike B.

[Lone Ranger]

Pike should have been drawing super-hero work, because he sure knew how to tell a story.
Mike B.

You are right about that, Mike. Thanks for your comments

If you look at that first Romance page - you can tell what's going on without reading any words. The guy gets a bill he can't pay and ultimately gets dumped because he's no money bags.

I'll take a shot at answering my own questions:

A) What do you think of Pike’s work?

I love it - it's quite elegant but also quite solid. Some of the earlier Atlas stories that I've seen are a bit rough, but he really improved with age.

B) What do you think are his strengths/weaknesses?

As Mike mentioned - Women. He draws lovely women, and the DC romance covers are great examples of that. He also is able to create an atmosphere - something many artists fail to do. In terms of weaknesses - his work can come across as a bit stiff at times - so I'd worry about how he'd handle a bit, dynamic superhero group shot. His faces can be a bit rough if rushed (but I'm talking mainly abour the portrayal of Asia soldier in Atlas war books, so that may have been the plan).

C) What genre suited him best?
Romance, natch - but I also really liked his western stuff, moreso that his war work.

D) What is your favourite work by Jay Scott Pike?
Showcase #79 really improves with age - I bought my copy nearly 15 years ago simply because I was obsessed with picking up DC Silver Age first appearances. I glance at it probably once a year and see it as one of the nicest books produced in the latter part of the Silver Age.

E) What title or character would you have like to see him tackle?

I would have really liked to have seen him given the opportunity to work on a Superhero book. Perhaps not a big group books like JLA or the Avengers, but maybe something with more of a human element like Daredevil or the Diana Prince Wonder Woman. I would have also loved to see him tackle something a little out of his normal comfort zone - perhaps something like Adam Strange in Mystery in Space. Judged solely by his Dolphin story, he would obviously have been a wonderful replacement for Russ Heath on Sea Devils.

[Mike Kuypers]

Showcase #79 is one of my all-time favorite covers. As you may recall, I identified it on the first clue (a white bubble against a green background) when you used it in the Classic Cover game.

Another favorite Pike cover is this one.

[Cherokee Jack]

Here is some really nice examples of Mr. Pike's work:


http://www.americanartarchives.com/pike,s.htm

[MWGallaher]

My exposure to Pike's work is limited to viewing scans of his romance covers, some war reprints, and of course the Dolphin debut in SHOWCASE. Alter Ego needs to line this guy up for an in-depth interview pronto! (And if they do, I hope the interviewer would probe for confirmation on my theory that "Dolphin" was intended as a serial with fantasy elements for one of the romance comics, and was used up in SHOWCASE after those plans were scrapped).
Those samples are interesting; I'd never seen his early work, seeming so heavily inspired by the greats of the era (Wood, Caniff, EC). His later romance covers looked far more textured to me than the bold, sturdy-lined styles favored in the superhero books, so I don't know if he'd have been as popular among fans of that genre. He might have been considered on a par with the likes of Sparling and Colletta, whose more tactile styles seem to have been what the romance readers liked, with carefully rendered and sensual fashions and hair serving as distractions in action panels. Or, he may have adapted quite well to the different artistic expectations--he was obviously capable of a wide range of artistic styles.

[JKCarrier]

http://www.americanartarchives.com/pike,s.htm

Wow, those magazine illustrations are something else! Yowsa!

[T GUy]

Showcase #79 is one of my all-time favorite covers. As you may recall, I identified it on the first clue (a white bubble against a green background) when you used it in the Classic Cover game.

Another favorite Pike cover is this one.

I have a copy of that book and on getting it reckoned that the cover is Nick Cardy. On a bad day.

I've never seen any Pike work later than 1970 on a DC romance book, or, for that matter, anything else.

Is Love Stories 150 known to be Pike and I'm simply wrong?

[Cherokee Jack]

Alter Ego needs to line this guy up for an in-depth interview pronto! (And if they do, I hope the interviewer would probe for confirmation on my theory that "Dolphin" was intended as a serial with fantasy elements for one of the romance comics, and was used up in SHOWCASE after those plans were scrapped).
.

Is this strictly your theory? It seems to me I've heard this somewhere. Unless it was from you, on this board.

[Cherokee Jack]

I have a copy of that book and on getting it reckoned that the cover is Nick Cardy. On a bad day.

I've never seen any Pike work later than 1970 on a DC romance book, or, for that matter, anything else.

Is Love Stories 150 known to be Pike and I'm simply wrong?

Mike's Amazing World has Pike doing covers thru 1973, and one in 1976,

http://www.dcindexes.com/database/cr...ver&order=date,

but I don't see LOVE STORIES # 150 listed.

However, it does look like his signature on the cover.

[Cherokee Jack]

A couple more examples of JSP art, and some Dolphin pages appear about half way down this page:


http://www.rottentomatoes.com:80/vin...&page=3&pp=100

[MWGallaher]

Is this strictly your theory? It seems to me I've heard this somewhere. Unless it was from you, on this board.

I came up with it independently, and I have posted it here. It wouldn't surprise me if others have theorized the same thing, but I've never seen it suggested by anyone else.

[JKCarrier]

http://www.rottentomatoes.com:80/vin...&page=3&pp=100

Nice! But it should be noted that that link is very much Not Safe For Work.

[Lone Ranger]

I'm not sure how this thread go revived, but I'm glad it happened. It go so little attention 3 years ago. Of the 5 posts, 3 were by me, one by someone who was banned and another by Mike K, who has drifted elsewhere (and is dearly missed).

Love it.