However, several high-quality reprint houses (like Fantagraphics or Taschen) have included Bill Ward’s A.U.N.T. strips in their retrospective collections. If you search for "Bill Ward Sizzle" or "The Art of Bill Ward," you will find these gems.
The comic strip—often running 4 to 8 pages—featured a stunning, impossibly curvaceous redhead (or brunette, depending on the printing) who was an operative for the "A.U.N.T." organization. Sizzle the Girl from A U N T comic by Bill Ward
While Ward is often celebrated for his work in Playboy , Humpty Dumpty Magazine (yes, really), and his legendary Toro comics, there is a specific, fantastic corner of his career that deserves a fresh look: The Girl from A.U.N.T. Before we talk about the art, we need to talk about the venue. In the early 1960s, publisher Robert Harrison—the king of the "girlie" magazine—launched A.U.N.T. (often said to stand for "All U Need is..."). It was a men’s adventure/humor magazine designed to compete with Playboy and Esquire , but with a much looser, goofier, and more cartoonish sensibility. The comic strip—often running 4 to 8 pages—featured
Sizzle and Smile: Celebrating "The Girl from A.U.N.T." by the Legendary Bill Ward In the early 1960s, publisher Robert Harrison—the king
Because these strips feature mid-century cheesecake art, original pages are expensive. But the magazines are still affordable. You can often find a copy of A.U.N.T. Vol. 2, No. 4 on eBay for the price of a pizza. Final Verdict Sizzle (as I like to call the unnamed heroine) is more than just a pair of high heels and a tight pencil skirt. She is a time capsule.
Ward had a specific genius for "wardrobe malfunctions" before they were a scandal. A gust of wind, a clumsy oaf, or a speeding taxi would always result in a torn dress or a flying hat—always tasteful, always hilarious, and always perfectly timed. For the modern collector, finding original A.U.N.T. magazines in decent condition is a treasure hunt. They were printed on cheap pulp paper meant to be thrown away after a week on the newsstand.