Vern Charles and Andy Kozak

More first impressions

Vern Charles and Andy Kozak

Bob Mizer’s ZF album/catalogue was known as “the wrestling catalogue,” but it functioned as a broom sweeping together a grab bag of older duals. Still, the earliest appearance of four AMG models was in the ZF album: Vern Charles, Howard Steele, Jim Nolan, and Jack Conant.

Howard Steele and Jim Nolan 

Howard Steele and Jack Conant

Charles vs. Budlong

Forrester Millard appears in a number of Athletic Model Guild albums/catalogues, including ZB, which could be considered a joint production with Andy Kozak. In that catalogue, he is shown restraining Kozak with another model, one often identified as Vern Charles. 

Russ Budlong

Vern Charles appears with Kozak in Album ZF, and alone in the variety album/catalogue ZJ, but the third man in the first photo is Russ Budlong, first seen in variety album X. 

Vern Charles

Russ Budlong (sometimes just Bud Long) is easy to mistake for Millard, and I think sometimes is. It is harder to substitute Charles for Budlong (or for Millard). 

Andrew Edward Kozak (1924-2023)

Andy Kozak was one of the most prolific early Athletic Model Guild models, appearing in two solo album/catalogues of his own and supporting another half-dozen models in their solo or in group efforts.

On his own

With Larry Farrell

With Ben Sorensen

With Forrester Millard and Russ Budlong

With his brother Steve

With Vern Charles

This one is a puzzler, and his partner is identified variously as his brother or (often) as Howard (or Alan) Thomas. I would suggest another candidate: Bill Holland, who makes a solo appearance in a later catalogue, but appears in the first dual variety album/catalogue AMG produced.

Bill Holland and (I’m reasonably certain) Dan Hardy

Andy Kozak and (let’s say) Bill Holland