TED STARK

Real Name: Ted Stark

Identity/Class: Human (World War II Era to Post-World War II Era)

Occupation: Newspaper journalist

Group Membership: Daily Globe

Affiliations: Blake, Raymond Travers

Enemies: None

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: New York City, New York, USA (1950s)

First Appearance: Justice I#44 (March, 1954)

Powers/Abilities: Ted Stark had the keen intellect of a reporter who analyzed criminals and the men who pursued them. His memory for times, places and faces seemed to be exceptional.

Height: 5'10" (by approximation)
Weight: 160 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blond

History: (Justice I#44/4) - In April, 1936, Ted's managing editor Blake assigned him to write a story about Monk Decker, a criminal who broke out of prison in a stolen mail truck. Monk tried to lie low from the police but then killed a man while robbing a pawn shop. The police quickly responded and closed in on him, finally shooting him to death in a construction site.

(Justice I#44) - Ted Stark recounted the story of how customs agent Paul Lane pursued mugger Blackie Neal in 1950.

(Justice I#44/2) - Ted Stark recounted the story of how detective Martin Colby went undercover in a prison in order to catch the Farrell Gang.

(Justice I#44/3) - When Raymond Travers became chief of police in New York City, Ted sat down to ask him about his career as a police officer. This inspired Raymond to tell Ted the story of how, when he was a rookie cop, he broke up Bull Atkins' protection racket. Ted was impressed by the story.

(Justice I#45) - Ted introduced the story of Lew Chandler, a thief who in 1947 stole a gun but when confronted by the police, found it was unloaded and so was easily arrested.

(Justice I#45/2) - Ted introduced the story of Shaggy Grozack's 1936 prison break and how he was caught when a man he tried to intimidate slipped a distress message to the police.

(Justice I#45/3) - Ted introduced the story of Mac Dennis, a racketeer who tried to trick a man into thinking he killed a homeless man in a hit and run.

(Justice I#45/4) - Ted introduced a story of the 1900 Boxer Rebellion in which Captain Larson's ship was raided by Chinese pirates.

(Justice I#46) - Ted introduced the story of Fletcher Jenson, a criminal who escaped from prison and went to his friend Mac for shelter but Mac was now a policeman who arrested him.

(Justice I#46/2) - Ted introduced the story of Nicky Fallon, a 1920s liquor baron who hired Eddie Procheck as an enforcer but turned on Eddie when Eddie took an interest in Nicky's girlfriend Flo.

(Justice I#46/3) - Ted introduced the story of Pepe Yarna, a mugger in 1927 Paris, who was caught by Inspector Racine.

(Justice I#46/4) - Ted introduced the story of Rollo Lecky, a prisoner who tried to break out of prison in 1934 and was shot to death, not realizing his parole had come through.

(Justice I#47) - Ted introduced the story of Matt Corkel, a convict who tried to both break out of prison and kill his rival Richard Fleming in 1923.

(Justice I#47/2) - Mobster Frankie Turner became a major gangster by fighting everyone he met but he made so many enemies that they eventually turned on him and killed him. Ted viewed the scene of Frankie's death and afterward wrote a story in the Daily Globe about him.

(Justice I#47/3) - Ted introduced the story of Maria and Kurt, two killers who mugged people from Monte Carlo casinos in 1937 until an undercover detective caught them.

(Justice I#47/4) - Ted introduced the story of Bruno Morgan, a man who robbed a grocery store in 1948.

(Justice I#48) - Ted introduced the story of Mousey Marlow, a pickpocket who fell in with bank robber Rocky Crawford.

(Justice I#48/2) - Ted introduced the story of Bull Bartek, a convict who made several attempts to escape prison between 1946-1947 until he finally died in his last attempt.

(Justice I#48/3) - Ted introduced the story of Gavrilo Princip, the Bosnian assassin who killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914, causing World War I.

(Justice I#48/4) - Ted introduced the story of Pete Barone, a gang lord in southern California in 1932-1933 just as Prohibition ended.

(Justice I#49) - Ted told the story of Dan Brennan, a policeman who lived a life of self-sacrifice for the sake of his son Paul. Paul became a policeman in 1951.

(Justice I#49/2) - Ted introduced the story of Ace Cartow, who ran a floating casino in 1925 but was brought down by police Lt. Donovan.

(Justice I#49/3) - Ted introduced the story of Francois Vidocq, the famous French detective who helped found the study of criminology.

(Justice I#49/4) - Ted introduced the story of Big Ben Yaeger, a mobster who died in a police raid on Long Island in 1923.

(Justice I#50) - Ted introduced the story of convict Matson's beef against fellow prisoner Fallon at Greywold Prison in 1935.

(Justice I#50/2) - Ted introduced the story of Marty Dawes' attempt to rob a Japanese frigate in 1935 but he and his gang were killed in the hold when the crew fumigated for rats.

(Justice I#50/3) - Ted introduced the story of Rene Duval, a jewel thief who tried to hide in the Casbah of Algiers in 1938.

(Justice I#50/4) - Ted introduced the story of Duke Franchon, who owned a casino in New Orleans in 1923 but ended up in conflict with his bouncer, Ox.

(Justice I#51) - Ted introduced the story of Tony Bonelli, a fruit stand owner in 1940; Tony then recounted the story of Jimmy Larkin, a neighborhood kid who became a criminal.

(Justice I#51/2) - Ted introduced the story of Jerry Maxwell, a thief who was caught and imprisoned but then reformed from crime.

(Justice I#51/4) - Ted introduced the story of Clyde Simpson, a robber who stumbled into a 1929 gala for police officers.

(Justice I#52) - Ted introduced the story of how police patrolman Casey helped prevent juvenile delinquency in his neighborhood in 1948.

(Justice I#52/2) - Ted introduced the story of Sam Pace, a blackmailer who targeted mayoral candidate Warren Smithers.

(Justice I#52/3) - Ted introduced the story of Pierre DeBleux, a French trapper who was pursued by RCMP officer Patrick J. Quinlan along the Sioux River in 1928.

(Justice I#52/4) - Ted introduced the story of convict Big Tod Morgan, who tried to force Steve Bailey to aid him in a breakout but Steve snitched on Tod and won an early release.

(Tales of Justice I#53) - Ted introduced the story of Dave Tooley, a prison guard at Blackstone Prison.

(Tales of Justice I#53/2) - Ted introduced the story of Mouse's gang, who tried to rob a jewelry store in the 1930s but didn't know that the jewelry store's alarm was set to go off automatically.

(Tales of Justice I#53/3) - Ted introduced the story of the 1936 Mexican border raider el Tigre.

(Tales of Justice I#53/4) - Ted introduced the story of the aging mobsters' Terrible Tony Peters and Mike Patti's destructive vendetta against each other in 1943.

(Tales of Justice I#54) - Ted introduced the story of Arch Lloyd, a con man who was caught by female police detective Connie.

(Tales of Justice I#54/2) - Ted introduced the story of Big Lon Brannigan, a convict who tried to force Robert T. Clark to help him break out of prison in the 1920s but Robert took the side of the prison staff, winning himself an early release.

(Tales of Justice I#54/3) - Ted introduced the story of Hop Sing, a Chinese detective who secretly fought the Communists in 1954 China.

(Tales of Justice I#54/4) - Ted introduced the story of jewel thief Harry "The Nose" Brennan who tried to ransom the jewels he stole.

(Tales of Justice I#55) - Ted Stark introduced the story of police patrolman Bill Warner, who caught mobster Murray Paris in 1952.

(Tales of Justice I#55/2) - Ted Stark introduced the story of Dr. Thomas Cornel, a prison doctor who stopped a riot.

(Tales of Justice I#55/3) - Ted Stark introduced the story of Karl Meister, a black marketeer in West Berlin.

(Tales of Justice I#55/4) - Ted Stark introduced the story of police detective George Foster, who broke up criminal mastermind Al Rogers' robbery scheme.

(Tales of Justice I#56) - Ted Stark introduced the story of bank robber Roy Coates.

(Tales of Justice I#56/2) - Ted Stark introduced the story of the capture of car thief Danny Tracy in 1946.

(Tales of Justice I#56/3) - Ted Stark introduced the story of the disguise artist thief Jerry Hawkins in 1926 England.

(Tales of Justice I#56/4) - Ted Stark introduced the story of the extortionist Pete Harrison who was stopped by the police in 1935.

Comments: Created by an unknown writer, Al Eadeh and Carl Burgos.

In most of his appearances, Ted was simply a head hovering in the text blurb above the first page of a story. He does, however, provide the only real series continuity in Justice. The 3rd and 4th stories in Justice I#44 and the 2nd story in #47 are the only ones where Ted appears as a character in the narrative. According to Atlas Tales, the two panels in Justice I#44/4 with Ted Stark were added by Carl Burgos. It's possible Burgos also drew the headshots of Ted used to "host" his appearances - there were only about 5 of them which were recycled every issue.

In Justice I#51/3, Ted appears above the story of police detective Pierre Monet but has no introductory text and the story has its own narrator.

Justice's face-lift into Tales of Justice occurred as crime comics were being blamed for juvenile delinquency in the USA. While Justice featured many stories of crime, Tales of Justice softened the book up quite a bit and would feature dramatic stories with no crime content, simply fitting the nebulous concept of "justice."

This profile was completed 07/27/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Prime Eternal.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Ted Stark has no know relation to:

Blake

Blake was Ted's managing editor at the Daily Globe in 1936. Blake assigned Ted to write a follow-up story on Monk Decker after he broke out of prison using a stolen mail truck. Blake told Ted to check in with the police department to obtain details on the case from them.






--Justice I#44/4

images: (without ads)
Justice I#44/4, page 1, panel 3 (Ted Stark, main)
Justice I#44/3, page 1, panel 2 (Ted Stark, headshot)
Justice I#44/4, page 1, panel 2 (Blake)

Appearances:
Justice I#44 (March, 1954) - unknown writers, Tony DiPreta (artist, 1st story), Syd Shores (artist, 2nd story), unknown artist (3rd story), Al Eadeh (artist, 4th story), Carl Burgos (artist, 4th story), Stan Lee (editor)
Justice I#45 (April, 1954) - unknown writers, Mac L. Pakula (artist, 1st story), Mannie Banks (artist, 2nd story), Chuck Winter (artist, 3rd story), Myron Fass (artist, 4th story), Stan Lee (editor)
Justice I#46 (May, 1954) - unknown writers, Gene Colan (artist, 1st story), Tony Mortellaro (artist, 2nd story), Ed Moline (artist, 3rd story), John Forte (artist, 4th story), Stan Lee (editor)
Justice I#47 (June, 1954) - unknown writers, Chuck Miller (artist, 1st story), Louis Ravielli (artist, 2nd story), Bill Savage (artist, 3rd story), Mac L. Pakula (artist, 4th story), Stan Lee (editor)
Justice I#48 (July, 1954) - unknown writers, George Tuska (artist, 1st story), Mac L. Pakula (artist, 2nd story), Chuck Winter (artist, 3rd story), Al Hartley (artist, 4th story), Stan Lee (editor)
Justice I#49 (September, 1954) - unknown writers, Jay Scott Pike (artist, 1st story), Bob Forgione (pencils, 2nd story), Jack Abel (inks, 2nd story), Sam Kweskin (artist, 3rd story), Mac L. Pakula (artist, 4th story), Stan Lee (editor)
Justice I#50 (November, 1954) - unknown writers, Dick Ayers (pencils, 1st story), Ernie Bache (inks, 1st story), Ed Moline (artist, 2nd story), Sy Moskowitz(artist, 3rd story), Al Eadeh (artist, 4th story), Stan Lee (editor)
Justice I#51 (January, 1955) - unknown writers, Vic Carrabotta (artist, 1st story), Mort Lawrence (artist, 2nd story), Chuck Winter (artist, 3rd story), Jay Scott Pike (artist, 4th story), Stan Lee (editor)
Justice I#52 (March, 1955) - unknown writers, Doug Wildey (artist, 1st story), Paul Reinman (artist, 2nd story), Robert Q. Sale (artist, 3rd story), Ross Andru (pencils, 4th story), Mike Esposito (inks, 4th story), Stan Lee (editor)
Tales of Justice I#53 (May, 1955) - unknown writers, Art Peddy (artist, 1st story), Bill Everett (artist, 2nd story), Manny Stallman (artist, 3rd story), Bill Walton (artist, 4th story), Stan Lee (editor)
Tales of Justice I#54 (July, 1955) - Bill Benulis (pencils, 1st story), Jack Abel (inks, 1st story), Bob Powell (artist, 2nd story), unknown artist (3rd story), Mac L. Pakula (artist, 4th story), Stan Lee (editor)
Tales of Justice I#55 (September, 1955) - Ross Andru (pencils, 1st story), Mike Esposito (inks, 1st story), Paul Reinman (artist, 2nd story), Norman Maurer (artist, 3rd story), George Roussos (artist, 4th story), Stan Lee (editor)
Tales of Justice #56 (October, 1955) - Carl Wessler (writer, 1st story), unknown writers (stories 2-4), Pete Tumlinson (artist, 1st story), Norman Maurer (artist, 2nd story), Ed Winiarski (artist, 3rd story), Paul Reinman (artist, 4th story), Stan Lee (editor)

First posted: 09/02/2021
Last updated: 08/29/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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