Monday, June 25, 2012

DEATH VALLEY "Trail of Vengeance"

It's one of the oldest tales (with variations) in the Western genre...
...but the art team of Andru & Esposito tell it with real flair in only seven pages!
Don't ya just love a happy (though bittersweet) ending?
The first issue of Comic Media's Death Valley (1953) was a showpiece for Ross Andru and Mike Esposito to demonstrate their storytelling prowess in all four stories (one of which we presented HERE).
But, next issue, ongoing characters were introduced, and Don Heck became the primary illustrator for the remainder of the title's run.
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Monday, June 18, 2012

PANCHO VILLA "Tiger of the North"

Continuing the historically-suspect (but entertaining) adventures of...
Both writer and artist are unknown.
The final story (which features his death) will be re-presented here in July!
Watch for it!

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featuring the cover art from the book this story is re-presented from!
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Wednesday, June 13, 2012

DVR ALERT: VALLEY OF GWANGI !!!

We interrupt this blog to alert you!!!
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) on Saturday Morning!
June 16th, 7:30 AM (Eastern)
NOT AVAILABLE ON DVD!
Heat up the DVRs or DVD recorders!
PLUS, you can read the comic book adaptation of the movie HERE!
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Monday, June 11, 2012

JOHN WAYNE "Dungeon-Keep of the Busted Circle"

John Wayne's Western movie adventures were rip-roaring, but typical, fare...
...his Western comics, on the other hand, tended to situations ranging from gothic to outright fantasy mixed in with the Western backdrop!
In the 40s and 50s, a number of Western movie, radio, and tv stars (not characters, stars) had comics based on them, including Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Tom Mix, Charles Starrett, Tim Holt, and Lash Larue. Even co-stars and sidekicks like Dale Evans and Gabby Hayes had titles!
Stars like Buster Crabbe and John Wayne also had comics which primarily ran Western tales, but also did stories based on the other genres they appeared in.
In the case of The Duke, his title also had WWII and high adventure stories.
Interestingly, the stories featured John Wayne as John Wayne, not as a character like Rooster Cogburn or Ethan Edwards!
Enjoy this tale from John Wayne Adventures #20 (1953).

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Monday, June 4, 2012

Secrets of the Lone Ranger

Here's some background information about the Masked Rider of the Plains....
...that's been reprinted piecemeal since it's first publication in Lone Ranger Movie Story (1956), but never in one locale...until now!
One of the interesting aspects was how the Lone Ranger's licensors maintained a consistent continuity across all the versions of the character from radio to tv and movies to comics to books in the 1950s.
It's a lesson today's multi-media character owners should take to heart, but don't!

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