Tenth Letter of the Alphabet

Monday, November 9, 2026

Comics: Picture Stories from the Bible

A Resource List

The Christian Century

July? 1942

To Launch Biblical Picture Magazines
Bible picture books for children are to be published by All-American Comics, Inc., of New York. This company, which discovered “Superman,” will release on Aug. 1 through newsstands and chain stores the first of a new series to be called “Picture Stories from the Bible.” Old Testament tales will be presented for the first time in popular comic continuity form. The series will be similar in format and size to all other comic magazines and will sell for 10 cents.

The Churchman

July? 1942

Picture Bible
Children to Get it Like Comics—for Same Price
A revolutionary departure in picture books for children has been announced by M. C. Gaines, president of All-American Comics, Inc., at 225 Lafayette Street, New York. Mr. Gaines will release on Aug. 1, through newsstands and chainstores the first of a new series to be called Picture Stories from the Bible, in which Old Testament tales will be presented for the first time in popular colored comic continuity form. It will be similar in format and size to all other comic magazines and will sell for 10¢.

Mr. Gaines, who originated the comic magazine in its present format, and “discovered” Superman, now publishes a group of nine such publications. He has been working on the new Bible series for nearly two years in consultation with leading Protestant, Catholic and Jewish educational authorities.

“It is our deep conviction that the interests of American democracy will be advanced if our young people know the Bible better. We believe and we hope that Picture Stories from the Bible will make boys and girls want to read the Bible itself”, declared Gaines in revealing his his plans. “The Bible stories have never before been presented in really popular form like this. Hundreds of thousands of American boys and girls will through them, get their initial introduction to the Bible in a form already familiar and popular. It is a great responsibility, of which we have been keenly aware, to insure that their first impression of the Bible shall be a worthy one. To Christian and Jew alike the Bible is the Holy Book, to be treated with reverence and handled with awe. We have not sacrificed any of the reverence due to the Bible when we have portrayed its great Old Testament stories in a simple, attractive pictorial form which children can easily understand.”

At this time, when Catholic, Protestant and Jew in our nation are strongly united for the defense of our democracy, it seems highly fitting to spread a better knowledge of the great Book which is our common heritage and which through the past centuries has taught democracy, the importance of the individual, and social righteousness.

The continuity for the stories has been prepared by Montgomery Mulford from the King James (Protestant), the Douay (Catholic) and Isaac Leeser (Jewish) versions of the Old Testament. The artist is Don Cameron.

The first number of Picture Stories from the Bible contains the following titles: “Noah and His Ark”, “Joseph in Egypt” (in two parts), “Moses and His Struggle for Israel” (in two parts), “Saul, the First King of Israel”, “Ruth”, “Jonah and the Whale” and “Esther,” Queen of Persia.” The second number, in preparation will present “The Story of Joshua”, “The Story of Samson”, “The Story of David”, “The Story of Solomon” and “The Story of Daniel.” ...

Newsweek

August 3, 1942

Biblical Comic Book

New Orleans Christian Advocate

August 12, 1942

A biblical comic book

Brooklyn Eagle
August 29, 1942
Comic Type Magazine Tells Picture Stories From Bible

The Canadian Jewish Chronicle
(Montreal, Canada)
September 25, 1942
The Bible in “Comics”

Church Management

January 1943

Picture Stories from the Bible

Below: Display included original art

Author & Journalist
June 1943
Comics on the Side

International Journal of Religious Education

March 1944

Christian Herald

May 1944

Newsweek

October 16, 1944

Comic-Book Scriptures

Brooklyn Eagle
December 16, 1944
Religious Organizations Benefit by Gaines Profit

Editor & Publisher
September 6, 1947
George Matthew Adams Service
“Picture Stories from the Bible”
Illustrated by Don Cameron

Author & Journalist
October 1947
Should We Copy Bible Writers?

Author & Journalist
April 1948

Further Reading and Viewing
Stripper’s Guide, “Picture Stories from the Bible” Comic Strip

Ink-Slinger Profile: Montgomery Mulford

Ink-Slinger Profile: Don Cameron
Bowyer Bible, The Story of Creation
EC Fan-Addict Club, M. C. Gaines’ Bible picture stories copyright information

Heritage Auctions, Picture Stories from the Bible Promotional Material

Christianity and Comics: Stories We Tell about Heaven and Hell (2024), EC Comics and Picture Stories from the Bible
Tenth Letter of the Alphabet, A Few New Details About Publisher M.C. Gaines and His Wife Jessie Kathryn Postlethwaite

(Next post on Monday: The Federal Illustrator 1918, 1923–1929)

Monday, November 2, 2026

Lettering: Acey Cypres, Lettering Artist

Acey Cypres was born Sylvester Elias Cypres on October 19, 1906 in New York, New York according to his birth certificate and World War II draft card. His parents were Isaac Henry Cypres, an Englishman, and Molly Amsel, a Hungarian, who married on January 7, 1906 in Manhattan.

The 1910 United States Census counted Cypres (line 54) and his parents in Manhattan at 498 West 158th Street. His father was a clerk in a fur business.

The New York Sun, July 5, 1918, reported the results of the Independence Day athletic meets across the city. At Isham Park, Cypres won the 60 yard dash for 10 and 12 year-old boys.

In the 1920 census, the household (lines 35 to 40) included Cypres, his parents, sister, paternal grandfather and an aunt. Their Manhattan address was 103 Vermilyea Avenue. Cypress’ father was a furrier.

The 1930 census recorded Cypres, his parents and sister in Manhattan at 2 Seaman Avenue. Cypres (line 25) was unemployed and his sister was a letterer in the art trade. I believe the enumerator mixed-up their occupations.

On August 9, 1931, Cypres, an artist, married Jane Simon in Manhattan.

Cypres was a member of the Artists Guild of New York.

Evidently, Cypres was counted, in the 1940 census (line 57), at a business address, 45 Prospect Place. His partner was Arthur Lemon, a freelance artist.

Cypres signed his draft card on October 16, 1940. His address was 87 Brookline Avenue in Atlantic Beach, New York. He was described as five feet three inches, 145 pounds, with blue eyes and brown hair.

The Stamford Advocate (Connecticut), August 1, 1945, reported the sale of John Braggs’ seven-room Colonial home, on Wire Mill Road, to Cypres of Port Chester.

The 1948 Stamford, Connecticut city directory listed Cypres and his wife at Wire Mill Road near Long Ridge Road. He was a commercial artist in New York. His Stamford address, in the 1950 census, was 169 Wire Mill Road. Cypres (line 25) was a self-employed commercial artist.

Cypres was an amateur golfer. The Stamford Advocate, September 10, 1953, listed the pairings and starting times for the fifth annual WSTC City Amateur Golf Championship. “Acey” Cypres and two others were scheduled for 9:20 am on Saturday.

In his 1981 book, Life with Letters as They Turned Photogenic, Edward Rondthaler, in the part covering 1954 to 1955, named Cypres as one of the newcomers to Photo-Lettering Inc. It featured Cypres’ Spencerian alphabet in Art Director & Studio News, July 1954.

In Art Director & Studio News, October 1955, Cypres was named one of the contributors to Photo-Lettering Inc.’s A Manual of 2750 Alphabet Styles.

Cypres Penscript was advertised in Art Direction, May 1958.

For the Merrill Company Publishers, Cypres lettered the cover and title pages of three coloring books: Bunnykin’s Coloring Fun; Chipper Says, ‘Let’s Color’; and Jackie the Rabbit, His Coloring Book.

Cypres was listed in the Alphabet Thesaurus Nine Thousand (1960). His typefaces appeared on pages 105, 183, 198, 121 and 496.

Cypres had a listing in Who’s Who in Commercial Art and Photography (1964).

Cypres, Sylvester YU 6-1983
45 Tudor City Pl., New York, N.Y.

Alphabet Thesaurus Volume 2, Photo-Lettering Inc., 1970

Alphabet Thesaurus Volume 3, Photo-Lettering Inc., 1971

Samples of Cypres’ alphabets appeared in Photo-Lettering’s One Line Manual of Styles (1971).

Page 20: Cypress Blythe

Page 32: Cypress Carillon

Page 33: Cypress Script, Cypress Carillon Script

Page 34: Cypress Carillon Script

Page 42: Cypres Sylvan

Page 43: Cypress Spencerian

Page 243: Cypres Cypress Wide

Page 250: Cypres Roman

Page 282: Cypres Ceezee

Page 314: Caslon Antique Documentary

At some point Cypres designed alphabets for Headliners International.

Cypres passed away on December 17, 1988 in Norwalk, Connecticut. His death certificate (transcribed at Ancestry.com) said he was divorced and a graphic artist at Headliners International. Photographs of Cyrpres are at Instagram.

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