Horror | Magazines and Monsters!

Marvel’s Unsung Heroes! -Frank Brunner!

Posted on April 10, 2014 by billyd75

One of my personal favorites, Frank Brunner brought a huge amount of energy to his pencils, especially his fantasy and magic-based work! I’m not sure if my first glimpse of his pencils was in Dr. Strange or Giant Size Man-Thing, but either way, I was very impressed! Brunner didn’t have a huge body of work for Marvel, but what we did get, was absolutely incredible. Brunner actually did a good job inking Barry Windsor-Smith in a famous story about Dr. Strange, and that is further proof that he is the man! Nobody did Dr. Strange more justice in my opinion (I think he’s right up there with Colan & Ditko), and his webpage is an homage to everything sci-fi/horror, so check it out! Without further delay, here’s Frank Brunner! Enjoy!

Cinema Sunday: The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll

Posted on April 6, 2014 by billyd75

Title: The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll

Distributor: British Lion Films

Writer: Wolf Mankowitz (based on the story by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Director: Terence Fisher

Producers: Michael Carreras, Anthony Nelson-Keys

Starring: Paul Massie, Dawn Addams, Christopher Lee, Oliver Reed

Released: October 24, 1960

MPAA: PG-13

This film is the best adaptation I’ve ever seen of the Robert Louis Stevenson story. It’s also the only film I’ve ever seen where Christopher Lee goes out like a punk. Oh, and so does the rough and tumble Oliver Reed! Hold on, we’re getting ahead of ourselves! Let me start out by simply saying that this movie is one of the most entertaining films you’ll ever see. Certainly one of Hammer’s best, and Terence Fisher, Michael Carreras, and the rest of the crew are who we have to thank for that! Lets get down to the film, shall we?

The opening scene shows Dr. Henry Jekyll (Paul Massie), and a colleague of his, Dr. Littauer (David Kossoff), as the two men observe, and discuss a group of children playing in his garden. They see two of the children get into a fight, and Jekyll believes that there is something inside each human being, a dark side, if you will, that is merely a slight push away from coming out. Dr. Littauer thinks Jekyll is off in his assessment, and feels he’s pushing himself too hard in his laboratory, and should take a break. Jekyll then brings him into his lab, and shows him his progress. He injects a serum into the animal, and it goes wild. He explains to Dr. Littauer, that he can harness that evil side of man, and will do miraculous things with this serum.

Next, we see Paul Allen (Christopher Lee), an old friend of Jekyll’s, as he shows his “true colors” immediately, by asking Jekyll for money to pay off his gambling loans, and also by kissing his wife! Yes, Paul and Kitty (Dawn Addams), we are led to believe that they’ve had a relationship for some time. Later, Kitty tells Jekyll that she’s going out for the evening, but Jekyll tells her to go alone, as he has work to complete. She leaves, and then Jekyll injects himself with the serum. At a local club, Kitty and Paul are having a good time, dancing and drinking. As Jekyll awakens from passing out, we see that he’s changed, but not into a gruesome monster, but just the face of a different, ordinary man (he does look a bit off kilter, but not deranged or like a monster in other films).

Jekyll then goes to the club, and is approached by two prostitutes. He dances with one of them, but then notices Kitty and Paul in the corner at a table. He disengages from the prostitute, and she gets angry because he didn’t give her any money. Jekyll walks over to Paul and Kitty, and tells them that he’s an old friend of Dr. Jekyll’s, named Edward Hyde! The three talk for a while, but then Kitty gets mad at Paul and asks Hyde to dance with her. He does, and Paul gets jealous. The two finish, but then the prostitute and the club bouncer (Oliver Reed-pic below) approach Hyde about the earlier incident. Paul and Hyde bet the crap out of him, and then leave for the night. Back at the house, Jekyll is back to his old “self”, and is destroyed knowing that Kitty and Paul are having an affair. He tries to talk to her about their relationship, but she scoffs at him, and then goes to sleep.

As the film proceeds, Jekyll begins to lose his grip on reality, and Edward Hyde is more than happy to take the reins. He concocts a plan to win Kitty over, but she tells him that no matter how unscrupulous Paul is, she’d never leave him, especially not for Hyde, because she finds him repulsive. This sets off Hyde even more, and he and Paul explore some of the more seedy parts of London. After a weeks time, Hyde tells Paul that he wants Kitty, and Paul, who actually seems to have feelings for her, is shocked at the request, and leaves Hyde on his own for good. In the meantime, Hyde has developed a bit of a relationship with an exotic dancer from the club, that does some tricks with a snake, during her show.

In the end, Hyde puts another plan in motion to kill everyone, including Jekyll! Sound crazy? It is and it is not at the same time. There’s only one way to find out what happens in this crazy psychological thriller!

OK, here are my thoughts:

As I said before, this film is absolutely entertaining. The cast is marvelous, and really carries this film to great heights. Paul Massie delivers an incredible performance, both as Jekyll and Hyde. His portrayal as Hyde really steals the show though, but Christopher Lee adds his normal brilliance to the film as well. You know you can always count on him to deliver, and this role, which is more of an opposite than what we’re used to seeing, really is one that makes him ascend above most others in the genre (or any genre for that matter).

Two more things of note. The musical score was fantastic in this one, and we have David Heneker & Monty Norman. The music was really strong and lent itself to the more critical scenes of the movie. Secondly, we must give a shout out to Mayo (Antoine Malliarakis) for the beautiful costume designs in this film. Many scenes were filmed in the “club” scenes, and the costumes were fabulous!

Get out and grab this one, as it’s in a cool four movie set called “Hammer Films: Four Creepy Classics”! A great set that has three other Hammer favorites, and doesn’t disappoint.

Click here for the trailer!

Super-Spectacular Birthday Post- Werewolf by Night!

Posted on April 1, 2014 by billyd75

It’s no secret to anyone that follows me on Twitter, or is friends with me on Facebook, that I love horror comics. Mostly old school, Bronze Age stuff, but even some of the more recent books as well. So, listen, today is my birthday, and that means I’m going to post some random images of one of my favorite horror characters, Werewolf by Night (Jack Russell)! There have been many artists who’ve lent their talents to this great character, and I’ll try to be as diverse as I can using only my collection as material (as always but yes, I own a lot of black & white reprints, and do search out color shots on the web from time to time for my blog). So here’s to you Jack, may the fleas stay away and the dog biscuits be scrumptious! Enjoy!

Cover by Neal Adams

artist- Leonardo Manco

artist- Juan Doe

cover by Patch Zircher

artist- Mico Suayan

cover by- Greg Land

artist- Don Perlin

artist- Mike Ploog

Gene Colan Tribute- Finale!

Posted on March 29, 2014 by billyd75

In this, the last installment of my Gene Colan tribute, we’ll take a look at his finest work. Yes, Gene did tremendous work on all of his projects, but none matched his excellence on The Tomb of Dracula. This collaboration with friends Tom Palmer, and Marv Wolfman, is without a doubt one of the most incredible series in all of comic books in the 1970’s. For anyone that’s read any part of this series, you know what a gift gene and this team gave us. For seventy issues, Gene poured his heart and soul into this book, and that cannot be debated.

In this finale, you’ll see Dracula’s life, his death, his resurrection, his constant battle with Quincy Harker, Blade, and the rest of the Vampire Hunters, and the birth of his son! So, here’s to you, Gene, the one artist who will always be at the top of my list! Rest in Peace, Gentleman Gene!

Gene Colan Tribute Part 4- Dr. Strange

Posted on March 26, 2014 by billyd75

As we creep closer to the end of the month, and my spotlight on Gene Colan, I would be remiss, if I didn’t get some of his fantastic work on Dr. Strange out there for the masses! The Doc is my favorite character of all time, just edging out Thor and Captain America, and Gene’s work on the Doc is a big reason! Of course, Tomb of Dracula was the ultimate influence, and that title will get its due in my last post on Saturday! Here are some of my favorite covers, title pages, and splash pages by Gene! Quick warning, there are a lot of pics! Enjoy!

Gene Colan Tribute Part 3- Captain America!

Posted on March 23, 2014 by billyd75

So far we’ve seen the master, Gene Colan, and his early suspense/horror work in some of the long-lost anthology titles of the 1950’s, and his Daredevil work from the 1960’s. Now, strap yourself in for his work on the Star-Spangled Avenger, Captain America! Gene’s time on the book was very special, and when he returned in 2009 for a grand send off (color pics at the bottom), who knew this would be his last work for Marvel (and in comics, I believe). This master of the medium will be missed, but in the meantime, check out his great work on Marvel’s WWII superstar! Enjoy!

Gene Colan Tribute- part 1!

Posted on March 17, 2014 by billyd75

To finish off the month of March, I let my favorite artist for last! Gene ‘The Dean’ Colan, has always been my favorite, and always will be. His style just jumps off of the pages to me, and speaks to me like no other. Over the years, he was an artist who could draw any genre, but he certainly excelled at the macabre! Just his Tomb of Dracula (with long time partner, Marv Wolfman) alone could be enough to push him into the hall of fame, but when you look at his entire body of work (Strange Tales, Daredevil, Captain America), you’ll be astonished! Let’s dispense with the verbiage, and get right down to the work of the master himself, Gene Colan! Here is some early work in the title, Strange Tales in 1952!

Cinema Sunday: Night Creatures (A.K.A. Captain Clegg)

Posted on March 16, 2014 by billyd75

Title: Night Creatures (Captain Clegg)

Distributor: Universal Pictures

Writer: Anthony Hinds

Director: Peter Graham Scott

Producer: John Temple-Smith

Starring: Peter Cushing, Patrick Allen, Yvonne Romain, Michael Ripper, Oliver Reed

Released: June, 1962

MPAA: Unrated

I was going to stray away from Hammer Studios for this week, but then I thought…why? Their library is so extensive, and so awesome, why not keep going with another one! This week brings us, Captain Clegg, or Night Creatures, as it was known in the U.S. when it was released in 1962. This film has really stood the test of time, and I can’t see why it won’t for a very long time. Some of the story is loosely based off of Doctor Syn and the Romney Marsh Phantoms, but that material was owned by Disney back then, so some of the material and names were changed to avoid a lawsuit. Let us now forage to the coastline of rural England, and the 18th Century!

Our story begins on a ship at sea, with a man (pic below) being punished for assaulting the Captain’s wife. They slit his ears, and cut out his tongue, and tie him to a post on a deserted island for his crimes. We next see an old man, as he’s quickly trying to make his way through the marshes. Suddenly though, he’s accosted by several spectral beings riding horses that glow in the night. He’s so upset by these demons, that he throws a heart attack, and dies on the spot!

The following day, Reverend Bliss (Peter Cushing) is holding a church service, but it’s soon interrupted by Captain Collier (Patrick Allen- pic below, far right), and the kings soldiers. They’re on the hunt for smugglers that have been reportedly been illegally transporting wine and other alcohol out of the country. Captain Collier waits outside for Reverend Bliss, and the Squire (Derek Francis), while his men search the ale house. Initially they find nothing, but then they bring in the man who was tied to the post back on that deserted island. He’s their snoop and can sniff out booze, but when they think they’ve found something, it turns out the casks are only full of white varnish. The Captain then demands to see Mr. Ketch (his informer), and Mr. Mipps (Michael Ripper-pic below, middle) takes him to his workshop. He shows him the dead body, and the Captain is furious. He’s told the man died of fright, but doesn’t believe in the marsh phantoms he’s told about by Mipps.

Captain Collier looks for accommodations, but Bliss tells him there is nowhere for him and his men, but that doesn’t stop him from trying. We then see that Bliss, Mipps, and several others are in on a smuggling ring. The owner of the Inn, Mr. Rash, is the “guardian” of a waitress, Imogene (Yvonne Romain-pic below with Oliver Reed), and is also a part of the ring. He also often harasses Imogene as well. Captain Collier is then invited to dinner with Bliss, the Squire, and his son. As they are having their meal, the Squire tells Captain Collier that his men can stay in his barn, and Bliss gets annoyed and spills his drink. Bliss then goes out to the bar to get a towel, and the man whom he left for dead on the island sees him. Now, the man had his tongue cut out, so he cannot speak, but he does attack Bliss, and the Captain’s men pull him off before he strangles him.

After dinner, a man runs into town screaming, absolutely raving about the marsh phantoms. Captain Collier then demands that the man show him where he saw them, and he gathers his troops and the head out into the marshes. After walking for miles, we see that it was all a distraction so the smugglers can get their “product” out of the town without the soldiers finding out about the operation. Eventually, Captain Collier realizes he’s been tricked, so he threatens the man and gets him to divulge where the smugglers are hiding. As they make their way to the secret hiding spot, a scarecrow appears in a nearby field, and one of the soldiers remarks that he saw it move. Collier then draws his pistol, and fires at the scarecrow, hitting it in the arm. Once they get to the spot though, only rags remain, but there is blood on the sleeve!

The secrets of the town and of the Romney Marsh Phantoms will be revealed in the exciting conclusion to this epic movie! Rest assured that you will be on the edge of you seat for this one! Will Imogene and Harry (Oliver Reed) get to be together or will they die at the hands of Captain Collier!

OK, here are my thoughts:

Alright, this is one fantastic movie! Peter Cushing as basically a swashbuckling pirate is nothing short of incredible. He delivers a great performance, and the rest of the crew does as well. Michael Ripper is rock solid as usual, and he gets a more active role than most of his other films, for sure. You really get the sense that he cares about Bliss like a brother. There is another secret that gets revealed about Imogene, and most wont see this one coming.

The musical score is quite good too. Thunderous when it needed to be, but also ominous at times of desperation. The sets are exactly what you come to expect from a Hammer film, which is to say they are superb. The locations they used for filming were very cool, and added a feeling of the times when the film was to have taken place. Kudos for that and Peter Cushing, as he delivers another genuine performance that lights up the screen!

Cinema Sunday: The Reptile (1966)

Posted on March 9, 2014 by billyd75

Title: The Reptile

Distributor: 20th Century Fox

Writer: Anthony Hinds

Director: John Gilling

Producer: Anthony Nelson Keys

Starring: Noel Willman, Jennifer Daniel, Ray Barrett, Michael Ripper

Released: April 6th, 1966

MPAA: Unrated

Hammer Studios is certainly most well-known for their interpretations of the Dracula, Frankenstein, and Werewolf franchises, but it would behoove you to also look deeper into their library for classics like this one! This film is one that I didn’t discover until a few years ago, but it quickly has become one of my favorites. Oh, it’s not the best of Hammer films, but it does have a couple of performances that really help it to rise above mediocrity. Lets get down to the plot!

The movie begins with a man, Charles Spalding, wandering around the countryside. He then retreats to his home only to find a note on the table. He then sets out to the residence across the moors. He knocks but no one answers, so he wanders inside. He walks down a hallway, and as he turns around, a man, Dr. Franklyn (Noel Willman) shouts to him, warning him to get away. All of a sudden, something leaps out of the shadows and attacks him savagely. He falls down the stairs, and begins to have a seizure of some kind. As the man who warned him looks on in horror, another man steps out of the shadows, and disposes of the body on the moors.

The next scene shows us Harry and Valerie Spalding (Ray Barrett & Jennifer Daniel), as they are talking to a lawyer about his dead brothers (the man who was attacked in the fist scene) holdings. He informs them that his brother died without much wealth, but he did have a house in a rural town. They then take a train ride, and then walk to the village. At the local pub, Tom Bailey (Michael Ripper) is tending bar, but when Harry walks in, the patrons leave immediately. Tom Tells Harry where the house is located, and then they head out to the residence. As they open the front door, they see that the house has been ransacked. Harry returns to the pub later that day, and questions the patrons about the house. Again, they all leave, and Harry talks to Tom about what’s going on in this small village. As Harry makes his way home, he’s attacked by Mad Peter (John Laurie). Harry quickly realizes that Mad Peter is more of a foolish man, than a dangerous one. After some confusion, Harry invites Peter over for dinner, and to get some answers from him about his brother’s death.

As they finish dinner, Harry asks Peter but his brother. Peter explains that he really isn’t “mad”, just that he doesn’t live by the same rules that govern most men. As they talk more, Peter explains that this village is evil, and that terrible things happen here. He tells him that someone killed his brother, and not some mysterious hear failure, as he was led to believe. Peter then hears some music nearby, freaks out,t hen leaves in a hurry. During the night, Harry is awakened by some noises downstairs. When he investigates, he finds Peter at his doorstep, on death’s door. He mentions the name Franklyn, and Harry rushes across the moors to get the good doctor. Dr. Franklyn doesn’t seem to care about Peter, but Harry urges him to come and see him. Dr. Franklyn then tells Harry he’s a doctor of theology, not medicine, but agrees to come anyway. By the time they get there, Pater is already dead though (image above), and Dr. Franklyn tells them that he’ll handle the arrangements.

Valerie is visited the next day by Anna Franklyn, who seems a bit spooky, but nice all the same. Their little conversation is interrupted though, and Dr. Franklyn is furious at Anna for leaving the house. She did manage to invite the Spalding’s to dinner though, and later, we see that dinner date. Anna is not present, and Dr. Franklyn explains that she’s being punished for her earlier transgression. She joins them after dinner, and plays some music for them. The tune is almost hypnotic, and Anna seems to be getting into it, that is until her father erupts in anger, and smashes her instrument. Harry and Valerie leave in a rush, and head home.

Tom and Harry then formulate a plan to not only discover who or what is behind these killings, but also how to stop The Reptile!

OK, here are my thoughts:

Alright, I’ll be the first to admit that the lead roles in this film aren’t the strongest in Hammer’s catalog. They’re not bad mind you, just not up to the Cushing and Lee standard. There are still two bright spots. First, Jacqueline Pearce is fantastic, and not only does she make a convincing “troubled daughter” but she’s also a beautiful woman! She really lights up a room when she appears on-screen. The other great role is played by Hammer stalwart, Michael Ripper. He really gets to shine in this one, and has a huge role compared to his usual minor parts. He has a strong presence from start to finish. John Laurie (Mad Peter) was indeed a very good addition to this movie as well. His eccentric personality was absolutely superb!

The music score was pretty good, starting off with the opening scene/credits. A thunderous clashing of cymbals, and loud roaring wind section, lead us into this creepy classic. The sets, as with the overwhelming majority of Hammer films, were absolutely amazing. The house, the bubbling pit of oozing death in the basement, and the foggy moors, all set an incredible mood for this film. Definitely check this one out, it’s more than worth your time!

Man-Thing #12, 1974

Posted on March 5, 2014 by billyd75

Although the cover is Gil Kane and John Romita Sr., we get some fabulous interiors by ‘Big’ John Buscema in this book! I know most don’t think of Man-Thing when they think Buscema, but believe me, his work on this title is second only to Ploog in my humble opinion. And that’s saying something, because Ploog is a legend in this genre, more so than Buscema.

In this story, we see a troubled writer, that seems to have a broken mind, and maybe a shattered spirit. We see over the course of a few issues, that this man, Brian Lazarus, is somehow tied to the titles shambling protagonist, Man-Thing! Are the people torturing Brian really there, or are they just figments of his imagination? Only Steve Gerber & ‘Big’ John Buscema could bring us this macabre story! Enjoy!