Thursday, October 17, 2013

CAPTAIN TRIUMPH "Werewolf" Part 1

Usually, when superheroes take on werewolves, vampires and such...
...the "creatures of the night" are merely impersonators.
But not this time...
You'll discover what Lance and Michael have figured out tomorrow...
Illustrated by Reed Crandall, this never-reprinted tale from Quality's Crack Comics #51 (1947) was apparently an attempt to boost sagging sales by introducing horror elements.
which features his first AND last cover appearances along with two other classic images!

Saturday, October 12, 2013

NOT WHO YOU THINK: GRIMM "Lament of the Dead"

Long before the NBC TV series that returns right before Halloween...
...there was another man who battled the supernatural (and frauds who pretended to be supernatural)!
This never-reprinted tale from Elliot's Bomber Comics #2 (1944) is the only time Grimm encounters a non-supernatural threat.
The "Don Weaver" credit is probably a pseudonym since it doesn't appear anywhere else in comics besides on this series.
While it's a fascinating coincidence, I doubt the producers of the TV series Grimm even know about this incarnation of the concept.
Interestingly, Grimm bears marked similarities both to Zero: Ghost Detective, and the first appearance of Fero: Planet Detective, both of whom preceded Grimm.
And, as of this appearance, Grimm switched from being a "Ghost Spotter" to operating as a "Ghost Doctor"!
(And, yes, he makes "haunted house calls"...
Geez, it's like I'm talking to a bunch of 12-year olds...)

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

SIR LEO "Sea of Blood"

The Victorian monster-hunter returns in a never-seen in the US adventure...
...from the British magazine Dracula #7 (1971)...which never had a story with the title character!
Written by writer/artist Jose Bea and co-writer Luis Vigil.

We're presenting the remaining never-seen in the US Sir Leo stories during October.
Don't miss them!

Recently, The Nerdist did a feature on comic book/graphic novel supernatural sleuths HERE.
Sadly, the writers don't seem to acknowledge any supernatural detectives existed before 1980, so they neglect cool characters like Sir Leo and Fero: Planet Detective!

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Reading Room: WOLFF "Night of the WereWolf"

...where sorcery rules and science is just a distant promise....
I don't remember this ever happening to Conan...
Is it just me, or does the Sorceress of the Red Mist remind you of sexy space heroine Agar-Agar, who was also published in the Dracula anthology magazine (and was also written by Wolff co-scripter Luis Gasca under the pen-name "Sadko")?
Or was that eye-makeup thing just a fashion trend in the early 1970s?
This tale from Dracula #4 (1971) was superbly-illustrated and co-written by Esteban Maroto.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Reading Room: NATURE BOY "Jiver from Jupiter"

Before Percy Jackson was...Nature Boy!
...the early Silver Age teen hero with amazing powers granted by the ancient Gods!
If this story from Charlton's Nature Boy #5 (1957) has the "feel" of some of the wackier Superman Family stories of the Silver Age, there's a very good reason!
It was written by Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel!
The dynamic art was by John Buscema, shortly before his return to Marvel Comics, where his renderings became the "house" art style for over 20 years!
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