The Golden Age stalwart was born 113 years ago…
By PETER BOSCH
The late Syd Shores gained a reputation as a great inker during the 1960s and 1970s at Marvel, especially on the fantastic pencil work of Jack Kirby. However, so much of his own art, especially from the previous decades, has often gone unnoticed.
In the 1940s and 1950s, he was drawing many of the mainstay heroes of Timely and Atlas, including Captain America, the Human Torch, and the Sub-Mariner. This being his birthday — he was born Sydney Schwartz in Lawrence, Massachusetts, on September 4, 1913 — it’s the perfect time to again pay tribute to that amazing period of his career.
Here are 13 COVERS — each with added zest, thanks to the seductive sirens Shores would include. Enjoy!
(Note: All covers pencilled and inked by Shores unless noted.)
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Captain America Comics #62 (May 1947)
Captain America Comics #65 (Jan. 1948)
Captain America Comics #66 (Apr. 1948)
Sub-Mariner Comics #22 (Spring 1947). Unconfirmed inker.
Sub-Mariner Comics #23 (Summer 1947). Unconfirmed inker.
The Human Torch #27 (Summer 1947). Unconfirmed inker.
The Human Torch #29 (Winter 1947). Unconfirmed inker.
Blonde Phantom Comics #16 (Winter 1947-1948). Unconfirmed inker.
All-True Crime Cases Comics #26 (Feb. 1948). Inks by Vince Alascia.
Lawbreakers Always Lose #1 (Spring 1948). Inks by Vince Alascia.
Lorna, the Jungle Girl #11 (Jan. 1955). Unconfirmed inker.
Lorna, the Jungle Queen #16 (Nov. 1955).
Annie Oakley #8 (Dec. 1955). Unconfirmed inker.
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MORE
— 13 COVERS AND SPLASH PAGES: A BLONDE PHANTOM Salute to SYD SHORES. Click here.
— THE DARLING OF COMICS: A BLACK CAT Birthday Salute to LEE ELIAS. Click here.
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13th Dimension contributor-at-large PETER BOSCH’s first book, American TV Comic Books: 1940s-1980s – From the Small Screen to the Printed Page, was published by TwoMorrows. (You can buy it here.) A sequel, American Movie Comic Books: 1930s-1970s — From the Silver Screen to the Printed Page, is out now. (Buy it here.) Peter has written articles and conducted celebrity interviews for various magazines and newspapers. He lives in Hollywood.
September 4, 2026
I didn’t care for Syd’s inks over Kirby when Cap got his own book. Little did I know at that time Stan planned to have Syd take over the Cap title which is why Syd was inking the book. For some reason, never explained publicly to the best of my knowledge that plan failed and Syd seemed to be banished to Marvel’s lesser titles such as the war and western books. That is where my appreciation for Syd’s work over Don Heck on Captain Savage made me reevaluate that opinion. Tonight as I write this a Kirby Cap page with Syd’s gorgeous inks hangs over my left shoulder. That page ( Cap 108, page 7) is one of my favorite pieces of original art.
September 4, 2026
Nice page…four panels of Cap in action by Kirby!!! (As opposed to the page just before it with a full page panel of the Trapster (aka Paste-Pot Pete!).
September 4, 2026
Love the Annie Oakely (almost has a John Severin like look to it)…and quite the line up of “dolls”
Great post sharing unfortunately not as well know art
September 4, 2026
Syd’s brushwork on Kirby was amazing.