Author Archives: Bill Black

Bill Black talks of his service in the Army and how that led to the creation of Paragon Publications. It was in this part of his life that he began to realize that he had “Strange Luck” that facilitated his becoming a career comic book publisher. After Army discharge, Black worked for Warren on CREEPY and EERIE, various film production companies, a brief stint at Marvel Comics, and launched the Paragon universe into comic book fandom. Eventually, that strange luck resulted in forming AC Comics in 1982.

Continuing Bill Black’s introspective look at starting Paragon/AC Comics and why he became an artist in the first place, Part Two discusses how DC’s SHOWCASE No. 4 in 1956 inspired him to continue making homemade comics. “Eat Pie, Pig!” a Wonder Wart Hog war cry, heralds Black’s joining the staff of THE CHARLATAN, a renegade, anti-establishment college humor magazine. This was a learning experience that directly led to the creation of Paragon Publications. 1956 thru 1966 is covered in this episode.

Readers have shown interest in learning the History of AC Comics and feel that it should include a discussion of Paragon Publications. Bill Black started Paragon in 1969 and, after more than a decade of publishing, that entity morphed into AC Comics. In this entry, Black takes an introspective look at why he became an artist in the first place. He started collecting comics at the early age of six in 1949 but his life was upended when his family relocated to Florida in 1951. Suddenly cut off from access to comic books, television, and movies, he started drawing in an effort to recapture memories of what he had lost. BEGINNING Part 1 examines the very early years including the illustration of home-grown comics that would lead someday to the creation of Paragon Publications.