Monday, October 13, 2014

WereWolf the SuperHero "Trial by Nature"

After revamping Dracula and Frankenstein into superheroes...
...the team of writer DJ Arneson and artists Bill Fraccio & Tony Tallarico turned to the next monster in the classic Universal Studios line-up.
However, whether it was because Universal objected to the radical change in format or because the project was actually unauthorized by the studio, the next book couldn't use the trademarked name "The WolfMan".
Both Frankenstein and Dracula were based on public domain books, so they could be used without legal repercussions.
But The WolfMan movie series, though based on European legends, was conceived by Universal's in-house writers (though based on European legends), so Dell had to go back to the generic term for lycanthropic transformers..."Werewolf"!

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Dracula the SuperHero "Dracula's Pledge"

After inadvertantly ingesting a serum derived from bats that gave him extraordinary abilities, scientist Dracula (first name unknown) uses those talents to defeat a nuclear terrorist using his family's castle as a base of operations.
Writer Don Segall and artists Bill Fraccio and Tony Tallarico took a somewhat more serious approach to this origin from Dell's Dracula #2 (1966) as opposed to their work on the Frankenstein SuperHero, which was "campy" from the beginning.
Keep in mind I said "somewhat", and that the tone began to radically-shift to camp as of the next issue!
Dracula will return shortly, but next up is the super-spy based on The WolfMan...also by the same creative team of Segall, Fraccio and Tallarico!

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Dracula the SuperHero "Peace Conference"

...terrorist Boris Eval has taken control of Transylvania, and is using Castle Dracula as his headquarters, unware that its' owner, Count Dracula, has discovered a serum derived from bats that gives him enhanced abilities...
But there are many other threats against our world.
Can even a man with the powers and abilities of a bat fight the dangers that threaten mankind?
Find out...tomorrow!
Same Bat-Time!
Same Bat-Blog!

Monday, October 6, 2014

Dracula the SuperHero "Origin"

In the 1960s, everybody in comics, at some point, became a spy or superhero...
...even a descendent of Vlad the Impaler!
But how???
What can even a man with the powers and abilities of a bat do against missiles?
Find out...tomorrow!
Same Bat-Time!
Same Bat-Blog!

Friday, October 3, 2014

Frankenstein the Superhero "Reward"

The Silver Age was an odd period of comics history...
 ...when anyone from spies (T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents) to soldiers (Blackhawk) to monsters could be remade into superheroes...with decidedly-mixed results!
You can read the origin of this funky, far-out revamp of Frankenstein HERE, the second part HERE, then continue with the cataclysmic conclusion to his premiere appearance...
How many elements from Silver Age Superman and Batman stories can you find in this tale?
(I found at least five, some for both Superman and Batman, some just from Batman.)
The art was by Tony Tallarico, who was working steadily for both Dell and Charlton, producing literally reams of pages per month in every genre from romance to Westerns to superheroes!
(And most of the time he was inking himself, as well!)
Monday join us for the even weirder origin of the original "Bat-Man": Dracula the SuperHero!