Content area
Full Text
GENE BILBREW
FROM BLACK SUPERHERO TO SMUTTY CHEESECAKES
Eugene Bilbrew was a talented African American vocalist and illustrator bom in LA in 1923. It is possible that Gene was related to the famous jazz singer Kitty White and her mother A.C. Bilbrew. Kitty was also bom in LA in 1923. (Interestingly, Kitty's first name was Jean.) A.C. Bilbrew organized gospel groups around town. There is very limited information on Gene, so his relations are just speculation.
Going through school as the class clown with no respect for authority, he dropped out of high school and spent his time hanging around the burgeoning popular jazz scene. When he and his friend Bill Alexander, who later started Bizarre Comix, went to an Ellington show in the late '30s, Gene got hooked on the zoot suit scene and doodled fan drawings, but only for his own amusement.
He began his illustrating career collaborating with Bill Alexander on The Bronze Bomber for the Los Angles Sentinel, the oldest and largest Black-run newspaper in the western United States. He also did interesting freelance work throughout his life including modernizing the covers of Victorian era lottery books with names like Gypsy Witch Dream Book and covers for jazz and R&B records.
The Bronze Bomber was ahead of its time, incorporating white and Black characters in both hero and villain roles. Unfortunately, it only lasted a year and Gene went on to do Hercules comics for Health Magazine. But illustrating was most likely only money to him. He loved music and wanted to be on stage.
Sometime before the '50s Bilbrew joined the rhythm and blues act The Basin Street Boys. Their song 1 Sold My Heart to the Junkman was incredibly popular in 1947...