Early life and career . Art by Baily. Bernard Bailynson was the son and the oldest of four children of two immigrant parents from
Vitebsk. His father's name was Anglicized from Beilinsohn to Bailynson, which Bernard shortened to Baily. He began his comics career under
S. M. "Jerry" Iger, editor of
Wow - What a Magazine!, one of the seminal
American comic books. The title ran four issues (cover-dated July-Sept. & Nov. 1936). Like many other creators during the late-1930s and 1940s period fans and historians call the
Golden Age of Comic Books, Baily transitioned to the newly formed studio
Eisner & Iger, a prominent
comic book packager that produced comics on demand for publishers entering the new
medium. There through the late 1930s, Baily worked on such fillers as the one-page movie-star biographies "Star Snapshots" for publisher
Quality Comics'
Smash Comics, as well as on a
syndicated comic strip,
Phyllis. In
More Fun Comics #52 (Feb. 1940), Baily and writer
Jerry Siegel, Superman's co-creator, introduced DC's violent spirit of
vengeance, the
Spectre. The afterlife
alter ego of murdered police detective Jim Corrigan, the character would become one of the longest-enduring comic-book creations, revived during the mid-1950s to 1960s
Silver Age of Comic Books and continuing into the 21st century. One compilation of the top hundred American comics artists writes that, "Baily crafted a mood of menace and suspense, using bravura layouts featuring the Spectre's otherworldly powers and size. He was also a fabulous cover artist who contributed reams of great images." Baily co-created the frequently revived DC superhero
Hourman (dubbed Hour-Man in his earliest appearances), with writer
Ken Fitch, in
Adventure Comics #48 (April 1940). and, with artist
Mac Raboy, the
comics packager Bernard Baily Studio. The latter concern, which lasted through 1946, was the outsource producer of such comics as Cambridge House Publishers' single-issue
Star Studded Comics and
Gold Medal Comics (both 1945). Other publishers for whom his studio created comics included the Rural Home Publishing imprint Croyden; Jay Burtis; Narrative; Lindsay Baird;
Feature Comics; Neal Publications; the
Spotlight Comics imprint Novack '45; R.B. Leffingwell; and
Holyoke Publications. Among the fledgling artists gaining a foothold in the industry at Baily's studio were
Gil Kane,
Carmine Infantino, Other personnel included
Dan Barry,
Dick Briefer,
Manny Stallman, and
Nina Albright, one of a handful of Golden Age
women comic-book artists. Baily himself drew for a number of companies in the 1950s, including
DC Comics (
House of Mystery,
House of Secrets,
Tales of the Unexpected, and the
TV-series adaptations
Mr. District Attorney and
Gang Busters);
Fawcett Comics (
This Magazine is Haunted,
Beware! Terror Tales);
Key Publications (
Mister Mystery,
Weird Mystieres,
Weird Chills,
Weird Tales of the Future);
St. John Publications (
Strange Terrors); and
Marvel Comics precursor
Atlas Comics (
Astonishing,
Journey into Mystery,
Strange Tales,
Tales of Justice,
Uncanny Tales,
World of Fantasy, and others). ==References==