The 1964 Alley Award Winners

Dr. Jerry Bails was truly the forefather of organized comic book fandom in the early 1960s. As a full-grown adult, his interest in comic books and comics history brought some respectability to the medium, and his status as a grown-up allowed him to interact with the creators and editors of the comics as a peer rather than a pimply-faced fan.

Bails initiated a number of innovations into organized comic book fandom, including a number of fanzines to cover different aspects of his interests. One of his more lasting ideas was the institution of an annual series of awards to acknowledge excellent work within the industry. These were teh Alley Awards (named after comic strip character Alley Oop who, because he was born in prehistoric times, was considered the earliest possible super hero). The Alley Awards were presented throughout the Silver Age and give us insight into the tastes and preferences of teh hardcore audience of comic book fans of that era.

Here, as reported in teh pages of Bails’ fanzine the Comic Reader #34, are the winners of the 1964 Alley Awards

1964 Alley Awards

Pro Categories

Best Adventure Hero Comic Book

• Amazing Spider-Man (Marvel) (39%) *
• Fantastic Four (26%)
• Hawkman (19%)

Best Regularly Published Fantasy Comic

• Forbidden Worlds (American Comics Group) *

Best Humorous Comic Book

• Herbie (American Comics Group) (42%)*
• Uncle Scrooge (34%)

Best Miscellaneous Fiction

• Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos (Marvel) (65%) *

Best Editor

• Stan Lee *
• Julie Schwartz

Best Writer

• Stan Lee *
• Gardner Fox

Best Pencil Artist

• Carmine Infantino (26%) *
• Russ Manning (23%)
• Jack Kirby (19%)
• Murphy Anderson (19%)
• Joe Kubert

Best Inking Artist

• Murphy Anderson (47%) *
• Russ Manning
• Steve Ditko
• Sid Greene
• Joe Kubert

Best Comic Book Cover

• Detective Comics #329 (DC) *
• Fantastic Four #33
• Justice League of America #29

Best Short Story

• “Doorway to the Unknown,” by John Broome & Carmine Infantino, from Flash #148 (DC) *
• “Origin of Doctor Doom,” by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, from Fantastic Four Annual #2

Best Novel

• “Captain America Joins the Avengers,” by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, from Avengers #4 (Marvel) *
• “Crisis on Earth-Three,” by Gardner Fox & Mike Sekowsky, from Justice League of America #29
• “Origin of Daredevil,” by Stan Lee &Bill Everett, from Daredevil #1
• “The Sinister Six,” by Stan Lee & Steve Ditko, from Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1
• “Havoc at Weather Control,” by Russ Manning, from Magnus, Robot Fighter #8

Best Giant Comic

• Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 (Marvel) (50%) *
• Fantastic Four Annual #2

Comic Reguarly Displaying Best Color Work

• Magnus, Robot Fighter (Gold Key) *
• Hawkman

Worst Regularly Published Comic

• Wonder Woman (DC) (46%) *
• Superman (8%)

Best Hero

• Spider-Man *
• Captain America
• Batman
• Magnus
• Daredevil

Best Supporting Character

• The Thing (Fantastic Four) (50+%) *
• J. Jonah Jameson
• Hawkgirl
• Cyclops
• Leeja Clane

Best Villain

• Doctor Doom (Fantastic Four) *

Best Group of Characters

• Fantastic Four *

Best New Strip or Book

• “Captain America,” by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, in Tales of Suspense *

Strip Most Desired for Revival

• The Spectre (29 votes) *

Fan Categories (on a scale of 1-5)

Best Article in a Fanzine

• “Lee,” by Rick Weingroff (4.21) * (tie)
• “One Man’s Family,” by Roy Thomas (4.21) * (tie)

Best Regular Fanzine Feature

• “Information Center,” by Bob Jennings (4.17) *

Best Fan Comic Strip

• “Adam Link,” by Binder/Spicer/Berry (4.61) *

Best Ditto/Mimeo Cover

• Batmania #1, by Biljo White (4.46) *

Best Cover (Other Reproduction)

• Alter-Ego #7, by Biljo White (4.61) *

Best Fan Fiction

• “Nemesis of Evil,” by Victor Baron (4.23) *

Best Fan Project

• “Who’s Who” and “Supplement,” by Jerry Bails & Larry Lattanzi (4.32) *

Best Fanzine

• Alter-Ego #7, by Roy Thomas (4.67) *