Tag: The Time Machine

Twilight Zone #64, July 1975

Stay with me here:

I’ve always wanted to own an original cover painting by the amazing George Wilson, whose covers graced Magnus Robot Fighter, Turok, Doctor Solar and so many others, primarily for Gold Key and Classics Illustrated. In fact, the original art of my favorite painted cover — The Classics version of H.G. Wells Time Machine — appeared at auction just a few years ago. And rapidly escalated out of my price range.

Soon after, waves of other covers attributed to Wilson were also offered at auction. Many of these were selling at much more affordable prices. Vague provenance. Lesser titles. Later issues. Etc. 

I glanced at many of the covers for sale, appreciated them, but pretty much overlooked them.

Then this one caught my eye — a cover for Twilight Zone.  A subway scene creatively composed and nicely lit. Made me nostalgic for my New York City days. The “killer graffiti” concept seemed a bit out there, even by Twilight Zone standards, but, so what? Even if not actually “deadly,” graffiti was a giant problem during that period in New York… I remember it all too well.

I examined the painting closer. The train’s design is clearly based on an actual NYC subway car of that era, not a “generic” one. It’s the Number 7 train. Runs cross town Manhattan to Queens — a subway I had taken many times as a kid to comic book conventions at the landmark Commodore Hotel at Grand Central Station. The Commodore was the home of many historic fan conventions. Funny coincidence.

Date of the published comic book:  July 1975. 

July 1975? That was the final appearance of Phil Seuling’s New York Comic Art Convention at the financially struggling Commodore. It’s a convention I remember fondly. The Industry was still buzzing about Jack Kirby’s return to Marvel Comics, announced just a few months earlier, at Marvel’s own convention, also at the Commodore.

Ok, owning this painting was meant to be, whether Wilson actually painted it or not. The actual story in the issue mattered not at all, but this specific cover image, at this specific time and place, certainly did. Sold.

What ultimately became of the struggling Commodore Hotel you ask? Well… The young son of a very successful New York real-estate developer, looking for his first project he could call his own, persuaded NYC to give him a 40-year tax abatement if he renovated and re-opened the landmark hotel. Abatement in hand, he took the deal to the Hyatt corp., and convinced them to partner with him to make the deal a reality. 

His name? Donald Trump. 

And this is a story that could only happen…in the Twilight Zone.

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