Action/Adventure | Magazines and Monsters!

The Defenders #27, 1975 “Three Worlds to Conquer!”

Posted on May 20, 2015 by billyd75

My love for the Defenders is legendary, so it stands to reason, that I must love the creators as well. Most of the stories borderline on the absurd and unusual, kind of like a Twilight Zone or Outer Limits episode. Truthfully, you have to be kind of weird to like this book, but that suites me just fine. The Guardians of the Galaxy (from the future), get tangled up in a battle with the Brotherhood of the Badoon, and it’s up to the Defenders to help them defeat these nasty aliens!

The creative team supreme, of Steve “Baby” Gerber (writer) and “Our Pal” Sal Buscema (pencils), gave us this great book, and by no means do I exaggerate! Throw in the controversial “Valiant” Vince Colletta on inks, Joe Rosen on letters, Al Wenzel colorist, and “Lively” Len Wein, editing! Being that this book is a GotG tie-in, the price can be utterly insane, so, watch out, the thieves of the internet are on the prowl!

Cinema Sunday: The Abominable Snowman (of the Himalayas) (1957)

Posted on May 17, 2015 by billyd75

Title: The Abominable Snowman (of the Himalayas – U.S.)

Distributor: Hammer/ Warner Bros.

Writer: Nigel Kneale

Director: Val Guest

Producer: Aubrey Baring

Starring: Forrest Tucker, Peter Cushing, Maureen Connell, Richard Wattis, Robert Brown

Released: August 1957

MPAA: Approved

Welcome friends, to another week of Hammer Studios greatness! This week’s film is one that I honestly thought I’d already reviewed! After a quick search, I realized I hadn’t. So, I must present this little gem that was lost in the archives mainly because of the success of Curse of Frankenstein, that was released the same year. With some familiar faces, solid acting, and a setting that is very creepy, this one definitely needs to be revisited, so let’s get down to business!

As the film begins, we see Dr. John Rollason (Peter Cushing), talking to the Lama (Arnold Marlé). The Lama questions why Rollason has agreed to meet with an adventurer type guy that is coming to explore the area that the monastery is located. Rollason tries to calm the Lama’s fears, but he cannot. A few moments later, the Lama tells Rollason that his wife, Helen (Maureen Connell) is approaching, and seconds later, she walks in the room along with his assistant, Peter Fox (Richard Wattis). Both enter and are upset with Rollason because he’s agreed to go on the expedition with this other man, rather than continuing his research.

In the next scene, we meet the explorer, and the burly Dr. Tom Friend (Forrest Tucker), is leading his men through the town to meet Rollason. Friend has also brought along a trapper named Ed Shelley (Robert Brown), a photographer, Andrew McNee (Michael Brill), and a local guide named Kusang (Wolf Morris). They all meet and make arrangements to have dinner together later, and meet the Lama. At the dinner party, the Lama again questions the motives of the expedition, and eventually, the truth comes out. Friend and his group are there to find the mysterious Yeti of that region, and we also find out (eventually) that he wants to capture one alive!

The next day, the expedition sets off and begins their long journey up the mountain. They keep the group small, because Friend believes that marching an army up there would scare off the Yeti. Friend has already been to great heights on this mountain, and hid equipment in caves along the way. After a day’s journey, they stop at one of the resting points. They make camp, and have a fire going, but one of the men seems uneasy. As they’re settling in for the night, one of the team believes he heard something nearby. Everyone heads out to investigate, but no evidence can be found.

The following day brings an avalanche, and then one of the men, McNee, gets his leg caught in a trap and gets injured. They take him to the tent and he relaxes there for a while. Rollason stays with him as the other push ahead. When they catch up, Ed tells them that he’s captured a Yeti. They rush to see it, and are astonished at the creatures size. That night, more of the Yeti come to take back the body and to terrorize the camp. Ed shoots and kills one of them, and the group realizes that now the Yeti might get hostile towards them. McNee is almost crazy from the pain of his injury, but he also seems to be sensitive to the presence of these creatures. Friend thinks he can use this to his advantage though, and begins to scheme about another trap.

Kusang sees one of the yeti reaching into the tent, and the fright of the ordeal is too much for him, so he flees. Friend and Rollason stop him and ask what he saw, but he only responds with…”I see, what man should not see!” McNee ends up wandering off the next day, and falls off of a cliff. He’s completely delusional at this point, and the fall kills him instantly. That leaves Friend, Rollason, and Ed. Speaking of Ed, he seems to be in the beginning stages of schizophrenia, and is a liability at this point. Rollason buries McNee, but Friend and Ed will have nothing of it, and continue to lay their trap. Meanwhile, Helen and Fox are leading another expedition to find the others, but they’re way behind.

Will Helen and Fox reach the others in time? Will the Lama’s prophecy come true that no man will see the creature and live? Watch to find out!

OK, here are my thoughts:

Alright, well, as I said initially, this film is fantastic, but was definitely overshadowed by Curse of Frankenstein, that followed soon after this film. It’s really a shame though, because this film has a lot to offer. The script, locations, music, and acting were all very good. The only thing I think that could’ve been better were the creatures themselves. We never get to see any Yeti action (attacking/killing)! That for me is the only glaring missed opportunity in this entire film. No one is to blame, especially not the special effects people, who coincidentally did a fine job. I understand the notion of not showing the Yeti’s and letting your imagination run wild with different scenarios, but even just one or two scenes would’ve sufficed.

As far as the cast goes, Cushing and Tucker really made this one great. The Lama was pretty good too, and really gave a creepy performance. The others were at least average, and none of the players weighed down the film. I will say that Kusang was played brilliantly as well, and he and the Lama were very convincing. Do yourself a favor, and get a copy of this film either online streaming or grab a copy somewhere. You wont regret it!

Click here for the trailer!

Daredevil #143, 1976 “”Hyde and Go Seek”, Sayeth the Cobra!

Posted on May 17, 2015 by billyd75

Unlike most comic book readers, I’m not a huge fan of the gritty era that eventually engulfed the 1980’s. Yeah, I like Watchmen, Swamp Thing, and V for Vendetta (especially this last one), but that’s about it. I like my comics to have more of a lighthearted tone or just not as hardcore as say the works of Frank Miller. The importance and place in history of his work aren’t lost to me, but those stories just don’t get me excited to read comics. Miller is a guy that I like the early work of on titles like The Punisher, and his Spider-Man work. One character that everyone raves about though, as far as Miller is concerned, is Daredevil. Now that is the one character that I can really get into when it’s Miller for some odd reason. I just feel he’s a character that Miller was born to write/draw. Honestly though, I love the material that came out in the years earlier to his legendary run even more.

One issue in particular that I absolutely love is #143. It’s part two of a story that features DD up against his old enemies, Mr. Hyde and the Cobra! These two villains have plagued DD on several occasions, and always give him a run for his money! We get to see a lot of action in this one but also some intrigue as well with Heather Glenn’s father and his “business” ventures. Some jungle action, a man-eating lion, and the usual DD butt-kicking fight scenes are all packed in this comic book!

Marv Wolfman (writer), had a decent run on this title as writer and editor (about 2 years). We all know his ability to write a good story, whether it be a one and done, or a lengthy story over a few issues, he can get it done! Artists Bob Brown (pencils) and Keith Pollard (inks) are two guys that don’t get a lot of airplay, but when you look at their bodies of work, you’ll be impressed nonetheless. The cover art was done by none other than Dave Cockrum, and his exploits on the X-Men, and Legion of Superheroes is well documented, as it should be! John Costanza provided the letters, and Janice Cohen the colors, to round out this solid creative team!

Savage Tales #10, 1975

Posted on May 9, 2015 by billyd75

In the early 1970’s, Marvel dove head-first into the black and white magazine market. Of course, that medium was already publishing fantastic stories thanks to the creators at Warren Publishing. Some of those creators would leave and join Marvel Comics, and help them ascend and to produce some of the best mags of the decade. One of the best being Savage Tales! Issue one was released in 1971, but it didn’t exactly fly off the stands. The next issue wasn’t released for two years, but when it hit, the market was in a different place, and it sold well. The floodgates were opened, and Marvel reaped the benefits.

Savage Tales was a good mix of action, adventure, sword and sorcery, and even horror. This specific issue gives us a Ka-Zar story (“Requiem for a Haunted Man”), and the creative team on that one is utterly fantastic. Gerry Conway (writer) and Russ Heath (pencils) are joined by the studio known as the Crusty Bunkers (inks), to give us the lord of the Savage Land, Zabu, and an unfamiliar face, as they fight savages, crocodiles, and more! A prose story (The Running of Ladyhound) by none other than sci-fi scribe, John Jakes (with a couple of images) and then a tale starring Shanna the She-Devil! This tale was scripted by Carla Conway (first wife of Gerry Conway), and the art team is Ross Andru and Vince Colleta! Not too bad, eh? Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, we get a cover by Boris Vallejo, as well!

Kull The Conqueror #2, 1983 “The Blood of Kings!”

Posted on May 5, 2015 by billyd75

You might be cool, but you’ll never be Kull fighting werewolves cool! Sorry to burst your bubble so early on, but it’s true! The story is great, and features Kull, trying to live the good life, and be with his woman, but of course, in typical hero fashion, evil is never far behind! When you mix fantasy and horror, you can get a great mix that spills out into something exceptional. This is definitely one of those times, and we have Robert E. Howard to thank for creating the awesomeness that is Kull the Conqueror!

The Bronze Age of comics gave us the beginnings of some incredible writers. One of those that doesn’t get as much air time as he should, is Doug Moench. If you look at just Werewolf by Night and Moon Knight, that in itself is something to admire. The wraparound cover and interior art is by John Bolton, and if you’ve never seen his work before, look up issues of Classic X-Men, where he and Chris Claremont did supplemental stories in the back pages of that series for a while. Joe Rosen on letters, Christie Scheele (along with Bolton) on colors, and Ralph Macchio editing, round out the creative team on this tale of the supernatural!

Cinema Sunday: Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960)

Posted on April 13, 2015 by billyd75

Title: Sword of Sherwood Forest

Distributor: Hammer Studios (Columbia Pictures – U.S.)

Writer: Alan Hackney

Director: Terence Fisher

Producers: Michael Carreras, Sidney Cole, Richard Greene

Starring: Richard Greene, Peter Cushing, Oliver Reed, Sarah Branch

Released: December 1960

MPAA: Approved

A-ha! I outfoxed everyone with this week’s pick, didn’t I! OK, I’ll stop tooting my horn and let Robin Hood do it instead! Of course, Errol Flynn is who everyone thinks of when they hear the name Robin Hood, and rightly so, but don’t look past this adaptation. Richard Greene had played the character for quite some time on the television show, and he does a solid job in this flick from the legendary Hammer Studios! Whether you knew it or not, Hammer did produce a few movies that weren’t of the horror genre, and believe me when I say, most were entertaining at the very least.

You should definitely recognize a few faces in this one, as perennial Hammer favorites like Oliver Reed (The Curse of the Werewolf), Richard Pasco (The Gorgon), Jack Gwillim (The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb), and Peter Cushing are all prominent characters in this one. Throw in a seasoned veteran like Nigel Green, and you have a cast worth watching! Alright, let us journey to Sherwood Forest!

As the film begins, we see a waterfall, and hear a man singing a song about the outlaw, Robin Hood. Over a hillside, a few of the sheriff’s men are detaining a man on horseback. One of them reaches into his pocket and pulls out an emblem. The man then grabs it, and takes off as if he’s stolen something. Of course, the sheriff’s men pursue him, and actually shoot him in the back with a crossbow. The man survives long enough to get to the edge of the forest, and then arrows come raining down on them, and they ride away, like the cowards they are. We then see the man ride down near the river, and fall off of his horse, near death. Two of Robin’s men, Little John (Nigel Green), and Roger (James Neylin) inspect the man, and think him dead, so they help themselves to his belongings. Robin (Richard Greene) stops them but then hears a rustling in the bushes nearby. He tells the person to come out or be shot with an arrow, and then a beautiful woman comes out. Her name is Maid Marian (Sarah Branch), and she seem to loathe Robin. She brushes him off, then leaves.

Later that night, Robin and his men are treating the man who was shot, but it doesn’t look like he’ll pull through. They have some food and drink and even a song or two, and then Robin notices the man hasn’t moved since they found him, and he fears the worst. The next day, Maid Marian uses a dagger to post a note to a tree by the edge of the forest. The note states that she’ll be at a nearby Inn, if he should want to meet.He laughs, and tells Little John that he’s going to meet her, but Little John is wary, and thinks it’s a trap (insert Admiral Akbar joke here). That afternoon, Robin disguises himself as a peasant, and heads into the Inn. He tosses the dagger at the table where Marian is sitting, and she jumps out of fright. She seems surprised to see him, and after they exchange pleasantries, she makes her purpose known. She tells Robin that a friend of her’s is here and wants to meet him. Out from the corridor, pops the Sheriff of Nottingham (Peter Cushing)! He offers Robin money, then a pardon is he’ll turn over that man that he rescued yesterday. Robin refuses, of course, then gets chased by the sheriff’s men, but the men of the forest stop them.

Back at the camp, Robin and Little John check in on the wounded man. He comes to his senses but only long enough to say that there is danger and he needs to get to Bawtry (the land of a nobleman that was recently killed). Robin and Little John are trying to solve this riddle, but need more clues. The sheriff doesn’t waste any time, and brings his men to the forest to try to drive out Robin and his men. He captures one of Robin’s men, and after telling him that he’ll give him a pardon, he tells the sheriff where the camp is hidden. In the meantime, Robin moves the camp to another location, thinking the sheriff might have found it anyway. The sheriff then kills him anyway, and then sets out to find the camp. Marian meets up with Robin, as they both find the young man who the sheriff killed in his death-throws. Now Marian knows what kind of jerk the sheriff is, and she then vows to help Robin.

It is then revealed that there is a plot to kill the Archbishop Hubert Walter (Jack Gwillim). The two conspirators are Lord Melton (Oliver Reed – first image below), and Edward, Earl of Newark (Richard Pasco – second image below). Initially, Robin is tricked into being on the side of these two because they seem to oppose the sheriff, but Robin soon finds out about their insidious plot, and aims to take them down! Will he be able to stop them, and the sheriff? What about the lovely Maid Marian? Check out this classic to find out!

OK, here are my thoughts:

I’m not going to tell you that this film is better than the Errol Flynn classic, because it’s not. But let’s also be honest and look at this cast. Cushing, Greene, Reed, Pasco, Green , and the beautiful Sarah Branch! Not bad, and when you consider that this was a Hammer film production, right in the midst of their horror revival, it makes this film even more cool! Cushing is absolutely believable as the sheriff, which is especially fantastic considering he’d been Van Helsing, Dr. Frankenstein, and a host of other mysterious characters over the last few years! Richard Greene makes a fine Robin Hood, and although I’ve never seen the TV show before, I’m definitely going to look it up! Nigel Green gives a wonderful performance as Little John as well.

The sets for this film were outstanding, and knowing Hammer, they were probably reused from earlier films, like Dracula or Frankenstein. The castles, outdoor scenes, etc., were all top-notch. The costumes were great as well, and we have Rachel Austin and John McCorry for that! The music was also another high point, and John Hollingsworth did a masterful job.

As you can see, this one certainly needs to be on your radar, so seek this one out the first chance you get!

Click here for the trailer!

Power Man #54, 1978 “Heroes for Hire!”

Posted on March 15, 2015 by billyd75

In many ways, nothing screams the 1970’s more than Power Man and Iron Fist! A bad street dude with impenetrable skin and a millionaire playboy with an affection for martial arts, the perfect combination, no doubt. You get the martial arts craze, plus the blaxploitation angle as well. Quite an awesome mixture! In another great and timely scenario, we see a one-time villain, the Incinerator! Not to mention a quick glimpse of the awesome Thunderer, from Ku’n L’un! Any fan of the more recent Iron Fist series (Brubaker, Fraction, and Aja), knows that name and place very well.

The story, written by Ed Hannigan, is one that covers a lot of ground. By issues end though, you get a feeling that it’s complete. The penciler is an artist I’ve never even heard of, but Lee Elias does a pretty solid job. Inks by Bob Jenny and Ricardo Villamonte, letters by Jean Simek, and colors by F. Mouly, rounds out the creative team. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the totally awesome cover by Keith Pollard (pencils) and Frank Giacoia (inks)!

Marvel Feature #2 (V2), 1975 “Blood of the Hunter”

Posted on March 11, 2015 by billyd75

Taking a look at another Marvel heroine from the 1970’s (previously Spider-Woman), the Robert E. Howard creation, Red Sonja is ready to kick some butt! Of course, the title was part of the zeitgeist of the times, but Howard was a little ahead of time, to say the least. Creating a female character that could hold her own against any male warrior was something quite astonishing for the 1930’s. So, yeah, if you don’t know much about the work of the brilliant man who was Robert E. Howard, look him up!

The creative team is a bit of a mystery for me personally, as I’m not familiar with either the writer, Bruce Jones, or the artist, Frank Thorne. I can find plenty of work both gentlemen have done, but most are titles that are either not my thing (Heavy Metal) or just not something I’ve acquired yet (House of Mystery). The editor, “Rascally” Roy Thomas, on the other hand is very familiar to me, and his work especially in revitalizing the work of Howard, is very well-known to those in and around comics. Thank you, Mr. Thomas!

Jungle Action #7, 1973 “Death Regiments Beneath Wakanda”

Posted on March 5, 2015 by billyd75

The title Jungle Action, started off as a reprint book showcasing stories from the 1950’s of…well, jungle action, from the series of the same title (and others). In issue #5 however, the book became a vehicle for the Black Panther! This Jack Kirby creation was very prominent in the pages of the Fantastic Four, but after Kirby left, it seemed like the character lost his home. The character would find a home here, then transition to the Avengers, and become a regular there for a time.

The writer, ‘Dutiful’ Don McGregor, is one that had the Midas touch when it came to certain characters, and the Black Panther is definitely one of them! Teamed with penciler ‘Riotous’ Rich Buckler, the two would be a solid duo that cranked out many great books over time. Inks by ‘Santa’ Klaus Janson, letters by ‘Titanic’ Tom Orzechowski, colors by Glynis Wein, and edited by ‘Rascally’ Roy Thomas!

Kull the Conqueror #4, 1983 “Death Stalks a Councilor”

Posted on February 24, 2015 by billyd75

My love for Robert E. Howard created material is something that if most don’t already know about, you soon will. Of course, Conan is the biggest REH character, but if you look deeper into his world, you’ll see others, like Red Sonja, Solomon Kane, and Kull! Kull is basically a Conan “type” character, but more refined as a ruler. He’s a savage warrior like Conan, but most of the stories are as Kull as a ruler, not a thief, or pirate. His trusted friend, Brule, is a warrior born but also a man of great intellect when it comes to war. Kull is a man born in Atlantis, but rules the kingdom of Valusia.

This story was scripted by perennial Bronze Age writer, Alan Zelenetz. He’s done some other great work in this category (Thor/Warriors Three), and should be applauded for his efforts. Penciling, we have the legend himself, ‘Big’ John Buscema, and we all know of his accolades in the industry. An incredible artist taken to soon from the world. Dan Green and Joe Chiodo add their abilities to the artwork (inks), and throw in letters by John Morelli, and colors by Christie Scheele, and cover by Bill Sienkiewicz (inks on the second story as well) make this issue a winner!