Monday, October 29, 2012

"Werewolf Goes West"

Last year we presented "Vampire Goes West"...
...so, this time, it's a lycanthrope who gets the last pre-Halloween post...with a surprise guest-star tossed-in!
Appearing in the HTF tabloid Monster Times #24 in 1973, this tale was penned by Nicola Cuti and rendered by Frank Brunner.

Monday, October 22, 2012

BINGBANG BUSTER "and the Flying Saucer"

There were even more unusual things than ghosts in the Weird West...
This superb example of cross-genre lunacy from Lev Gleason's Black Diamond Western #21 (1950) is the work of Basil Wolverton, who never saw a concept he couldn't spoof.
Next Week:
Our final Halloween-themed post for 2012!
The Masked Man and His Indian Companion against the weirdest foe of all!

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Monday, October 15, 2012

TALES OF THE GHOST RIDER "Fastest Gunman in the Cemetary"

While the Ghost Rider himself rarely faced actual supernatural foes...
...there was no shortage of specters in this ongoing backup feature!
(BTW, the word "cemetery" is misspelled in the title, but not in the story itself!)
This supernatural story from Ghost Rider #14 (1952) was illustrated by Dick Ayers
The writer is unknown, but probably was either Ray Krank or Gardner Fox.
This was the final story in the final issue of Ghost Rider's title.
Ghost Rider returned to the back of Tim Holt's comic, which had been renamed Red Mask after the costumed identity Holt had adapted.


Monday, October 8, 2012

JIMMY WAKELY "Phantom Brander"

What if the Original Ghost Rider was evil instead of good?
Art by Gil Kane
Well, he'd probably be a lot like this hombre, who appeared in the final issue of DC's Jimmy Wakely!
The "Phantom Brander" was a near-exact clone of the Original Ghost Rider...
...down to the use of phosphorescent paint and misdirection to convey a "supernatural" effect against his opponents.
Jimmy Wakely was one of numerous "singing cowboys" (like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers) popular during the 1930-1950s in b-movies and radio.
Like many other Western stars, Jimmy had a comic book featuring himself in action against various menaces, but in a clearly present-day Western setting.
This particular story, illustrated by Gil Kane and Bob Lander, was from Wakely's final issue, #18, in 1952.
Gil Kane would later do numerous covers in the 1970s featuring Marvel's version of the Western Ghost Rider aka Night Rider aka Phantom Rider.
(Marvel kept changing the Western character's name to avoid confusion with the more-popular motorcycle-riding hero!)
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Monday, October 1, 2012

STAMP COMICS "Pony Express"

Sometimes legends are based on truth...
...sometimes they're just rip-roarin' good stories, and sometimes it's a mix of the two, as in this tale from Youthful's Stamps Comics #1 (1951)!
Considering the legacy of the service (and its' still-synonymous connection with speedy delivery), it's hard to believe the Pony Express lasted less than two years!
Stamps Comics was one of numerous attempts to do an "educational, yet entertaining" comic.
Each issue featured "the story behind the stamp" short tales.
This particular story was illustrated by the team of Ed Goldfarb and Bob Baer who did a lot of work in the early 1950s for Youthful, Avon, St John, and Atlas in a variety of genres.
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