Month: September 2019

Eerie 50, 1973 “And the Mummy Walks”

Posted on by billyd75

As we close out September, what better way to do this than with a mummy. Starting out a comic with a mummy murdering someone, actually! As we know, Mummies can be fickle, as can werewolves, demons, mad clergymen, aliens and so on. In this special issue of Eerie, you’ll get all of those, plus more, and all started off with an incredible cover by Sanjulian (nice Christopher Lee/Dracula/Hammer homage)!

The first story “The Mind Within” (The Mummy Walks), is a continuing story from previous issues. Mind transference, a funeral, and a mummy wreaking complete havoc! Written by Steve Skeates, art by Jaime Brocal. The story and art are both good, and the mummy especially looks great!

“This Evil Must Die” is the next installment (Curse of the Werewolf) in this mag, and hearkens back to the Universal film with Lon Chaney Jr. More so in just the action, but also a bit like the The Wolfman (2010,Benicio del Toro ). A wild chase of the werewolf in the forest leads to a man getting beaten, and nearly killed (they think he’s a sorcerer). Story by Al Milgrom, art by Martin Salvador. Another cool story with artwork to match.

This next one is very interesting. Not only because of the story, but because the name of the story is “Genesis of Depravity” starring Satanna, Daughter of Satan! This book was on the stands less than a month before Marvel comics debuted Satana, the Devil’s Daughter, in Vampire Tales 2. Fascinating bit of information. A woman needs medical help, but the regular methods can’t help. She calls upon the devil himself for help! A story that sounds vaguely familiar, not to unlike Marvel Spotlight 5, with the first appearance of the Ghost Rider! Written by Doug Moench, with art by Ramon Torrents.

A young archaeology student gets more than he bargained for in “Monarch’s Return.” He finds some relics and something alive as well! Story by John Jacobson, and art by Aldoma. A theme that’s been used many times in books, films, and comics, but a good one nonetheless.

Another tale called “Lord’s Wrath” is in this mag, and it involves an awful Baron of a German village, circa 1650. The Baron is cruel and punishes all those that get in his way. But, there is a priest in the village that opposes him, and he’ll go to any length to stop him. Written by John Jacobson and art by Paul Neary. Some good, thought-provoking material in this one.

To keep the action going, we get “The Disciple.” There is some kind of unseen force, and it’s taking over the mind’s of the inhabitants of a city. One man finds out exactly what this thing looks like, and he’s shaken to the bone! Written by Steve Skeates and art by Munes. Interesting story by Skeates, and well worth the read.

Finally, another chapter in the saga of Dax the Warrior called “The Secret of Pursiahz.” Dax is shown something unbelievable by an old wizard. A golden colored man, with the wings of an angel. Story and art by Esteban Maroto! Maroto is quickly becoming one of my favorite horror artists of all time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Creepy 52, 1973 “A Most Private Terror!”

Posted on by billyd75

Another week, and we’re getting closer to October! I started the party last week, a little early I know, but from now until the end of October, you’ll see nothing but love for the Warren magazines of the 1970s! In this issue of Creepy, we get six big stories, chocked full of black and white madness!And of course, we get an unbelievable cover by none other than Sanjulian!

The first story (and the best), has perennial Bronze Age storyteller Doug Moench (writer), and horror powerhouse Esteban Maroto (art) bringing the awesome. “A Most Private Terror,” shows a warrior in the Canadian wilderness, as freezing temperatures and his thoughts are making him believe that something is out there, wanting to kill. A bear or maybe a werewolf? Or perhaps something even worse called the “Cold Thing?” Will he die from one of these creatures, the frigid temperatures, or madness?

The second tale involves a futuristic society, but not one that has moved beyond violence. “The Last Hero” doesn’t star Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sly Stallone, but it does show a war between factions, that is more a morality play than a horror story. Still, it’s not bad, and has some value to it. Written by Steve Skeates, and art by Ramon Torrents.

Next up is “Halve Your Cake and Eat it Two.” This one is all about nuclear fallout, and the repercussions. And when I say repercussions, I mean zombies! Story by Doug Moench and art by Adolfo Abellan.

“Them Thar Flyin’ Things” is the following story that revolves around two hillbilly cops and alien invaders! Not a lot of action, but an interesting tale nonetheless. Written by Greg Potter, with art by Jose Bea.

In the fifth story, “The Man with the Brain of Gold,” and we see a boy, born with a giant cranium made of gold! In this warped tale we see a sad demise and a tale as old as time. Written by George Henderson and art by Reed Crandall!

Lastly, a story of jealousy and murder abounds, but who committed the murder? Was it the husband who murdered his wife? He can’t remember but it sure looks like he had a motive! Written by Steve Skeates, with art by Felix Mas.

Overall the issue is good but not great. A little too up and down with the stories and artwork. Doug Moench is very solid and Esteban Maroto is such a pro, and throw in EC comics stalwart Reed Crandall, and you get some good material.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EERIE 46, 1972 “The Bloodlust of Dracula Rises Again”

Posted on by billyd75

After recently visiting a small show in New Jersey, I came home with twenty new magazines from the Bronze Age! These new mags are the very first I’ve ever read from Warren publishing! It took a long time to get some of these fantastic issues, but it was worth the wait! This first one I’m going to spotlight is a cracker, and it has some incredible artwork inside, and an unbelievable cover by Manuel Sanjulian!

Inside the front cover and back cover, you get a quick look at some of the backstory of Vlad the Impaler, A.K.A. Dracula! Cool little tale with great illustrations. Fred Ott (script) and Aureleon on art.

The first story of the actual issue is “And an Immortal Died” by writer Bill DuBay and artist Tom Sutton! We see the immortal Count Dracula, Vampirella, and more! Twelve pages of Sutton artistic brilliance, along with an interesting story! Definitely the gem of the book!

Next up, we get one of the craziest stories I’ve ever read (“The Things in the Dark“). You see, there is a local ghost story about a certain graveyard, and three boys are about to find out if there is any truth to it! After one of them does find out the hard way, there is an old man that recruits a local psychic investigator to help with the matter. But he might end up as worm food as well! Written by Fred Ott, with art by Jimmy Janes.

The third story is “Garganza,” and cerrtainly the weakest of the book. Basically a Kaiju story without any real substance that doesn’t pull you in. Bill Warren writer, and Paul Neary artwork.

“The Root of Evil” is a story that reminds me of something Amicus studios would’ve put out in the 1970s. A twisted tale about a woman who takes in an alcoholic as a renter. He soon becomes a victim of an insidious scientist. Written by Mike Jennings, with art by Martin Salvador.

The penultimate entry in this book is called “Planet of the Werewolves” and it (ahem) slightly mirrors the movie Planet of the Vampires by Mario Bava.  We look in on a spaceship with scientists that crash-landed on a distant planet that has been beleaguered by Werewolves! Story by Gerry Boudreau, and art by EC comics stalwart, Reed Crandall!

Finally, we get an entry into an ongoing story “Dax the Warrior.” A story with a Conan-esque character, Dax, as he must free his captive mate, and slay the Giant! Story and art by Esteban Maroto!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amazing Adventures 18, 1973 “War of the Worlds!”

Posted on by billyd75

You may be wondering why there are back to back days of posts on my blog this week. Well, in short, it’s an anniversary for me (and a few others), and I wanted to send out an extra awesome blog post in celebration. You see, it was ten years ago (Sept. 11, 2009), that my very first column was published (click here). It wasn’t the best, but it was from the heart, as that story is my all time favorite Thor story, and one of my favorites no matter which character or universe we’re talking about. If anyone would’ve told me I’d still be writing about comics ten years later, I’m not sure I would believe it.

Many thanks go out to ComicAttack for giving me my start on this journey. As with everything in life, there are people to thank, and here is my list (if I forget anyone, apologies!)- Andy Liegl, the guy that started ComicAttack.net! I met him and several other great people on the message boards of ComicCollectorlive.com. Gid Freeman (@InfiniteSpeech), was a heavy contributor to the site from day one, and has been one of my favorite people since I met him. Kristin Bomba was a great editor, and put up with my shenanigans for a long time. Imagine if you will, a guy that waits until the night before or even the morning of a column is due to post to submit said article to the editor for proofreading…yeah, I was that guy. She was always very kind and gracious to me, and I’ll never forget it. Another huge influence and help to me was Decapitated Dan Royer (@DecapitatedDan). He was always there for advice, making banners, and encouraging me whenever I needed it. He was also the first guy to get me on a podcast (IIRC). Kudos to those four people, and all the other peeps at CA!

My next stop on the internet was ComicRelated.com (now defunct). My stay there was short, but Chuck Moore and the gang made me feel welcome. Another nod to Decapitated Dan, as he was already writing for them and friends with Chuck. He introduced us at C2E2 in 2013. Later that year, after talking with a couple of friends, I decided to branch out and start my own blog. In all honesty it was the best decision I ever made, as the blog has given me so much freedom and fun times, meeting new people, and getting even more into social media (especially Twitter). And here we are, in 2019. I must also give a shout out to @Charlton_hero and the crew at Super Blog Team Up, as they were a blast to collaborate with this past August. Now, onto this week’s post!

It took a while, but I finally secured a copy of this incredible book! The story-line involving Killraven begins here, (and really gets rolling when Don McGregor begins writing with issue 21) and is not only one of wonder and excitement, but also one that carries many messages within its pages. A concept by Roy Thomas, this story which takes some elements from the H.G. Wells story, and of course, added some other aspects as well.

We see the attack from the aliens, similar to the one in the film (this attack is in 1901), but the aliens return after there first defeat, and they are better prepared this time. The second invasion brings the defeat of mankind, and youths are taken from their homes to be trained for fighting for entertainment purposes. One of these youths is Killraven. He trains and becomes the most lethal killer of all, but never forgets how his mother and brother were callously murdered by a henchman of the aliens, named Dr. Raker.

The talent that went into this book is astonishing. Roy Thomas (plot), Gerry Conway (script), Neal Adams and Howard Chaykin (art), Petra Goldberg (colors), John Costanza (letters), and John Romita Sr. (cover)! As I stated earlier, this book would grow even bigger and better as it went on (McGregor, P. Craig Russell, Gene Colan, etc) with more contributors with excellent creative abilities. Do yourself a favor and grab the issues or the Marvel Masterworks of this title.

 

Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane 43, 1963 “Lois Lane – Volunteer Nurse!”

Posted on by billyd75

It’s no secret to anyone that reads this blog, that I really love crazy DC Silver Age stories. Well, this one is one of the hammiest stories I’ve read in a while. The stories are basically all imaginary that don’t count towards continuity (even before Crisis came along in the 1980s), but they’re still a lot of fun!

The first story shows a “death of Superman,” but not “the” death…oh wait, that was bogus too. So this story (“The Girl who Mourned for Superman“) isn’t any different than the blockbuster from the speculatory period in the 1990s. Back to 1963, and Lois, as she’s wandering around and sees some kids trying to recreate the Ben Franklin kite and key experiment. After a minute of peer pressure, Lois agrees to help them. Just as a lightning bolt strikes the kite, Superman swoops in to save the day, and to chastise Lois for this “hair-brained stunt.” Then Lois heads into the Daily Planet, and gets an assignment from Perry. As she attempts to leave in the helicopter, the vehicle is sucked up into a plastic sphere, directed by none other than Lex Author himself! It’s all a ruse to get his most hated enemy, Superman, to try and save Lois, and fall into a trap! Script by Leo Dorfman, art by Kurt Schaffenberger (cover by Schaffenberger as well).

The second story, and coincidentally, the one that mirrors the cover image, shows Lois as a volunteer nurse at the local hospital. Perry ends up there after tripping over a ball and chain that Jimmy was using as a prop. A general then enters Perry’s room, to ask him to keep an eye on a soldier that’s in the hospital. Immediately the soldier falls for Lois. But, there is quite a plot twist in this one, that I’ll keep a secret! Writer, Leo Dorfman, art by Kurt Schaffenberger.

Lastly, we get “The Girl Who Deserted Superman!” Yes, I know, a lot of “girls” in these books. In this one, Lana gets hurt water skiing, as she falls off her skis, and somehow falls in the water, floats to the bottom, and hits her head hard enough to get a concussion. Lois and Superman decide they knows better than the doctor, and can snap her out of her coma by whispering to her about some fantasy’s they think she has about Superman. Absolutely ridiculous and absolutely hilarious. Welcome to Silver Age DC comics. Again, Dorfman and Schaffenberger as the creative team.

Check out the last image, as it’s a fantastic advertisement from the back cover of this book! Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

Uncanny Tales 2, 1973 “Out of the Swamp…”

Posted on by billyd75

It has been too long since I last blogged about a horror comic! Last week’s awesome post aside (click here for my contribution to Super Blog Team Up), lately I’ve been all over the spectrum on my posts, as in, whatever hits me as worthy at that very moment. Some would say they’re ridiculous and not top tier like certain books that have beloved runs even 40+ years or more later. But I feel like all comics have worth, obviously some more than others, and there’s nothing wrong with liking or not liking any comic. So even when I blog about some lesser known comic, rest assured its got at least some redeeming value. Now, let the horror commence!

This week’s post is solid, and has some really good material from the Golden Age. Some pre-code even! Five stories of madness are inside this one, and solid creators are behind them. The first story (“The Graves that Moved“) starts out in a graveyard as we see caskets popping out of the ground and killing an old guy! Very eerie and sets a good tone for the rest of the book. Art by Jim Mooney (no other credits given).

The second story is called “Out of the Swamps!” This one has a scientist, gangsters, and talking Lemurs…yep. A very bizarre story indeed, but with very good art by Dick Ayers!

Next, we get “Dead End” and we see a man telling the readers that he’s killed himself and doesn’t really exist anymore. It seems like they were going for a real nutty vibe in this one as well, and they achieved that with flying colors. script by Burt Frohman, Art by Tom Gill.

The fourth tale is called “Last Seen Climbing a Ladder!” The story revolves around a scientist that thinks he can build a ladder from Earth to an asteroid. Yes, you read that correctly. He actually succeeds but has plans of his own afterward! Art by Vic Carrabotta.

Last but not least, we get “Superstition.” It shows a penal colony on Guiana, and how the prisoners have escaped. They were helped by some of the natives, but when the prisoners demand to be taken off of the island, things get dicey. You see, the natives have a superstition and don’t want to leave the island. They have a good reason, and the prisoners find out why, but it’s too late! Art by Syd Shores!

All of these stories are kicked off by a cover by none other than Golden Age artist, Carl Burgos (you may have heard of him), but with heavy alterations by John Romita.