Bloke's Terrible Tomb of Terror

Horror lives!

Think you can't find old style EC Comics like Wally Wood use to make?

Still looking for Warren Magazines like those that came out in the 1970s?

Well, look no further!

That old style is still alive, thanks to the internet!

The Bloke

Thanks to the Bloke (the host of the magazine, who also happens to be Jason Crawley, who writes many of the stories as well, and lives out his hosting duties at comic conventions in a Victorian Undertaker's outfit)...

...that old style of magazine horror lives with the Bloke's Terrible Tomb of Terror!

Ten issues of great, horrific fun, with covers by Mike Hoffman, all available via the internets (or is that the world wide web that this spider has you caught in?).

Great, spooky fun, just in time for Halloween!  If you like what you see, go get 'em and tell the Bloke, Dave sent ya!

Arrgh!

For the life of me, I couldn’t think of anything to write. And it made me go…Arrgh!



And, Arrgh! was a 5 issue horror spoof comic from the Marvel Comics Group, and it ran from December 1974 to September 1975.

A Horror Spoof

Marie Severin drew the first couple of covers…Alfredo Alcala the third, Tom Sutton the fourth, and Ross Andru and Mike Esposito the fifth (who also did the interiors of #5…

...interior artists for some of the other issues included the early Justice League of America artist Mike Sekowsky and Sub-Marinerr creator, Bill Everett, as well as Tom Sutton, Howard Post, Joe Maneely and Jerry Grandenetti; some stories reprinted from the humor magazine of the 1950s, Crazy).

It was some light-hearted fun at the Universal Monsters' expense...

…and some goofy humor you could use to pass a slow afternoon…or fill a column when you have writer’s block, the scariest monster of them all!

So there, writer’s block....a little fun, and Halloween related as well!

Mighty Marvel Monster Mash

It's a Halloween tradition for monsters to gather and mash up...

...and that was true at Marvel Comics as well, as four of its greatest monster heroes, all of whom had their own series at the time, gathered in Marvel Premiere #28 (February, 1976) by Bill Mantlo and Frank Robbins to deal with the fact that "There's A Mountain on Sunset Boulevard!" and the menace of the Starseed!

This story showed perhaps who the real monsters were...but who are these four Marvelous monsters that gathered together?

Man-Thing

"Whatever knows fear burns at the Man-Thing's touch!".  That was the tagline for the series featuring the muck monster of the swamps of the Florida Everglades  that was the guardian of the Nexus of All Realities within...

...bio-chemist Dr. Ted Sallis was working to recreate the "Super-Soldier serum" which created Captain America, but A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics) tries to get the formula, but he escapes with it, injects himself with it and crashes in the Florida Everglades where the formula (and mystical energies of the area) transform him into the mindless monster...the Man-Thing. 

Created by Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway and Gray Morrow, Man-Thing first appeared in Savage Tales #1 (May, 1971), went on to guest star in Ka-Zar's Astonishing Tales series for 2 issues (#12 and 13, which would have introduced Barbara "Bobbi" Morse, but due to publishing delays, she was introduced earlier, and later became Mockingbird), before receiving his own feature in Adventure Into Fear (#10-19), as well as a few of his own series (and many guest appearances, meeting with Marvel regulars, like the Hulk, the Thing, Spider-Man, Shang-Chi, Doctor Strange, the Defenders and oh so many more, as well as having the series which introduced Howard the Duck thanks to writer Steve Gerber!).

Morbius

"The Living Vampire".  Dr. Michael Morbius was trying to cure himself of a rare blood disease, and the formula he took (along with electro-shock treatments) turned him pale, gave him strength and speed and the ability to fly...
...as well as vampire like traits including the need for blood and a more nocturnal lifestyle. 

Morbius faced the six-armed Spider-Man and the Lizard in his first appearance (that of Amazing Spider-Man #101, written by creators Roy Thomas and art by Gil Kane in October, 1971), but soon went on to menace Spider-Man, the Human Torch and the X-Men in the pages of Marvel Team-Up (#3 and 4), before displacing Man-Thing from Adventure Into Fear, starting his own run from issues #20 to 31 (during which he also faced Dracula foe, Blade, as well), as well as a run in Vampire Tales, and turning John Jameson back into the Man-Wolf!  For a time, Morbius was cured (and ended up helping the She-Hulk and the Fantastic Four), but his abilities (and problems) returned again, with his own series (and it put him at odds with heroes like Dr. Strange and the Ghost Rider, as well as Spider-Man and Blade again, even with Deathlok all with a more goth look!).

Werewolf By Night

"By the light of the full moon, it is the Werewolf By Night".  Young Jacob Russoff came to America from Transylvania  after the death of his father, and his mother Americanized his name to Jack Russell, and learned of his lycanthropy on his 18th birthday as his mother died from wounds from a car crash, Jack became a Werewolf by Night, losing his control with the moon and becoming a wild animal, with claws and a desire to kill!

Over time, Jack began to get some control over his transformations (so things weren't as bad as his first appearance in Marvel Spotlight #2 of February, 1972, by Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway and Mike Ploog), and even worked with heroes like Spider-Man and Iron Man, as well as meeting other monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster and Morbius during the course of his 43 issue series (that also had 5 Giant-Size issues, though the first was Giant-Size Creatures, and changed the Cat into Tigra, all while facing Hydra).  The series even introduced Moon Knight, as well as other demonic menaces, and killers like the Tatterdemalion and the Hangman and even Brother Voodoo.  For a time, he hung out with Spider-Woman as well, joining another band of monster themed heroes called the Night Shift under the leadership of the Shroud (and facing the West Coast Avengers, who were being led by Hawkeye at the time), and aided Dr. Strange and Captain America...as well as Ghost Rider. 

Ghost Rider

"Is He Alive Or Dead?"  Johnny Blaze lost his parents, and was raised by Crash and Mona Simpson, who were a circus stunt cycle team.  Johnny joined in, taking a more active role, and when Crash was diagnosed with cancer, tried to save him via occult methods, making a deal with the devil (Mephisto, foe of the Silver Surfer, though he didn't know it then), was bonded to the demon, Zarathos, turning into the demonic Ghost Rider, who manifested at night and had the power of hellfire!

Created by Roy Thomas, Gary Friedrich and Mike Ploog, this motorcycle riding hell-blazer took over Marvel Spotlight from the Werewolf by Night (with Marvel Spotlight #5, August, 1972, his first appearance), and stayed there until issue 11 (and he helped the new star, the Son of Satan as well), after which he got his own series which lasted 81 issues.  Along the way, Johnny helped a lot of people travelling across the American southwest, helping to found the Champions (with Angel, Iceman, Hercules and Black Widow), working with Hawkeye and the Two-Gun Kid, facing the Hulk, Daredevil, Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, Dr. Druid, the Thing, and even meeting the previous Ghost Rider (a western hero, who also went by the name of Night Rider and Phantom Rider), all while, quite literally battling his inner demon, as well as menaces like Fantastic Four foe the Trapster, the motorcycle riding Orb, and sorcerers like Moondark!

More Monsters

The Legion of Monsters was also a Marvel Magazine, that came out in September, 1975, with separate stories of Dracula and the Frankenstein Monster, as well as the introduction of the Manphibian (by Marv Wolfman, Tony Isabella and Dave Cockrum) who was like the Creature From the Black Lagoon....a real Universal Monster mashup, all under a cover by Neal Adams! 

Sadly, there was only one issue of this magazine (though all the characters in it continued on at Marvel...even meeting with some of the monsters mentioned above!).

While the Legion of Monsters isn't as well known as the Avengers, this team did make a mark all over the Marvel Universe including the Avengers!

You can even find the Marvel Premiere issue reprinted in Marvel: Legion of Monsters (2011), along with a few more recent stories (and stories from the Marvel magazine, Legion of Monsters!).

Son of Monsters are Universal

In this case, it is a son and a daughter!  But, either way, it’s more classics from the Universal Monster vault, this time being the Bride of Frankenstein and the Creature from the Black Lagoon in Mego-style!

The Universal Monsters Retro Cloth Action Figures Wave 3 stand 8-inches tall, with over 14 points of articulation and authentically detailed full-cloth outfits, packaged in re-sealable clamshell packaging…with the Bride in her cloth gown and the Creature all green and scaly.
Who wouldn’t love that around Halloween?

The Bride of Frankenstein

The Bride of Frankenstein came out in 1935, and was the first sequel to Frankenstein, and featured most of the same cast, adding Elsa Lanchester to the cast, as the titular character.

One of the greatest sequels of all time, and a true delight for the fans of Frankenstein.  Sadly, she made no future appearances in the classic Universal Monster films, though her look and idea has become iconic…and is a favorite among female horror fans (and the male fans who adore them!).   

Phyllis Diller even took on the role for the 1967 Mad Monster Party (and she was quite the fright!).

The Creature From The Black Lagoon

The Creature from the Black Lagoon was the Gill-man, and the movie came out in 1954, starring Richard Carlson as David Reed, Julia Adams as Kay Lawrence (the girl in the poster),  Richard Denning as Mark Williams, Antonio Moreno as Carl Maia, and Whit Bissell as Dr. Edwin Thompson, with the Creature being portrayed by Ricou Browning underwater, and by Ben Chapman on land.  Guess he couldn’t share space like Aquaman does.  The film originally came out in 3-D, and had two later sequels, Revenge of the Creature (which came out in 1955, and had Clint Eastwood in a small uncredited role as a lab technician, and was also in 3-D, and Tom Hennesy taking over as the Creature on land), and it’s sequel, The Creature Walks Among Us, which came out in 1956, and featured Don Megowan under the make-up on land (Ricou played the Creature underwater in all three movies), with none of the scientists, creature hunters or victims moving on through the movie series…

Though only in black & white, these movies took advantage of advances in movie-making, which allowed them to film underwater (and, of course, the early 3-D process, which, when you donned your special red and blue lensed glasses, made you feel the action in the movie was coming at you!).  Well, it was early in the process, but it was the beginning of the idea…and tried to draw more people into the theatres.

With wave one of Frankenstein and the Wolfman, and wave two with Dracula and the Mummy, the majority of the early Universal Monsters have been translated into Mego-like figures.  Who will be next? Can we hope to see the Invisible Man?  Dare we dream of the Phantom of the Opera?

Marvel's Menace of the 1950s

The title of the article is a bit of a misnomer, as it was technically Atlas Comics (a precursor to Marvel) that published Menace from March, 1953 to May, 1954, but it didn't quite give nice alliteration to a title!

Atlas Comics and Marvel Comics were linked....like your typical two-headed monster!

It Came From the Bullpen

The first issue of Menace had stories by Stan Lee, and art by Bill Everett, George Tuska, Werner Roth and Russ Heath, all under that cover by Bill Everett! 

The second issue continued this trend, adding artist Joe Sinnott on a story called "Rocket to the Moon" (ironic, as it was with the Fantastic Four that Joe Sinnott became famous to the comic world, working on a foursome whose adventures started with the fantastic rocket ride!).

Issue #3 added John Romita for a story on the "Men In Black", which wasn't about aliens, but instead a lesson about bigotry....and with art by Bill Everett, an oddly green werewolf, as well as a story about a man who knows "You're Gonna Live Forever" with art by Joe Maneely (and that immortality might not be a good thing).

The fourth issue offers an odd take on the Cold War...as Stalin was proven to be a creature of the night in "A Vampire Was Born" with art by Fred Kida.

Issue #5 offers the walking dead....a Zombie, businessman Simon Garth, wandering through Louisiana, under the control of Gyps, his former gardener.  But, this zombie still has a little of his humanity left, and comes back to kill his master, then lie back down in his own grave.  Ironic, that this zombie comes back, in the Marvel Magazine Tales of the Zombie, where he is a feature for its first 9 issues, and even continues beyond that....not bad for a 7 page "Zombie!" story by Lee and Everett, whose idea was fleshed out by Roy Thomas, Steve Gerber, John Buscema and Tom Palmer!

Issue #6 sees Gene Colan come on board for a story, issue #7 adds Syd Shores as an artist on "Fresh Out of Flesh!", issue # has all the usual suspects, and a giant lizard monster, issue #9 has more zombie fun with a cover by Gene Colan, and new artists Paul Reinman, Ed Winiarski and John Forte (who drew "The Walking Dead" story), and issue #10...relates to future Marvel tales as it has the first story relating to Hydra (the foes of the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), with art by Robert Q. Sale, as well as stories with art by Tony DiPreta, Al Eadeh, and Shelly Moldolf.

Issue #11 has the premiere of M-11, the Human Robot of the Agents of Atlas in a story drawn by John Romita, as well as stories with art by Seymour Moskowitz and Bob Powell. 

Even better, all 11 issues of Menace are reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Menace, so these old tales of sci-fi horror are available to all!   Seems Atlas and Marvel are a two-headed monster indeed, and great stories, like zombies, will always rise again!

Not Really The Walking Dead

Before Rick awoke from his coma in October, 2003 in Image's Walking Dead (and well before the AMC TV series), there was another Walking Dead comic book.


From September to December, 1989, Aircel Comics (a division of Malibu) published the original 4 issues of The Walking Dead by writer, penciler and cover artist, Jim Somerville (though cover #3 was done by Dale Keown).

Issue #1 was entitled "Genesis Of", #2 was "Presidential Address", #3 was "Corpse Under Glass" and the fourth and final regular issue was "Fin".

This was even followed up by the Walking Dead Zombie Special in 1990, because you can't keep a good zombie down!




But, Malibu was absorbed by Marvel Comics, and Image came out with its own, separate series by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore....and the rest, they say is history!

Star Trek Mirror Mirror

Taking you on a mission, where...well, a few people have gone before.  A final frontier, that got a little final for those involved.   On October 6th, 1967, Star Trek introduced the concept of the "Mirror, Mirror" universe to their fans in an episode penned by Jerome Bixby and directed by Marc Daniels.

In that episode, Kirk, McCoy, Uhura and Scotty transferred over to the evil universe and fought the counterparts of Chekov, Sulu and Spock.  Battling the treachery of the ISS Enterprise crew and its Terran Empire, and with the help of the Mirror Universe companion of Kirk, Marlena Moreau, Kirk was able to convince the Mirror Spock to allow him to take his crew back to their own universe.
 

Toying With the Mirror

This episode, with its doppelgangers of the original crew....is being adapted to EMCE Toys cloth figure line.  Mirror Kirk and Mirror Spock will get the retro-cloth figure treatment to join the crew of figures produced in its Star Trek line.   This is a fascinating development, and one approved by the Terran Empire.  Spock, of course, looks regal with his moustache and goatee, and we can only hope that this will continue with the rest of the original cast, as, other than Sulu with his scar, the other cast member figures could be redone in uniform, making this an easy way to expand the Trek figure line.
 

Back To The Past Evil

With luck, this may expand, and include Star Trek: Enterprise cast members from their foray into their Mirror versions, in the two-part "In A Mirror, Darkly" saga, with its scarred and evil versions of Archer, T'Pol, Sato, Phlox, Reed, Mayweather and Trip in the Terran Empire, looting their way across the galaxy.

These episodes were written by Michael Sussman and Manny Coto and directed by James L. Conway and Marvin V. Rush, and added more original series continuity into the Enterprise series.
 

A Station Full of Evil

The many visits the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine cast made over episodes "Crossover", "Through The Looking Glass", "Shattered Mirror", "Resurrection" and "The Emperor's New Cloak", where Kira was the area Regent for the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance (who destroyed the Terran Empire and enslaved the humans) and all but Jake Sisko (who had never been born) were adapted to serve. 
 

The Deep Space Nine episodes even gave us a look at the Mirror Next Generation Worf and Mirror Voyager Tuvok along the way...but, maybe we need not speak of how the Terran Empire was defeated.

Yes,  this is a glorious time for the Terran Empire!