Shocktober 10/9/22

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, has, over the 40-plus years she's been in front of the cameras, conquered damn near every aspect of the entertainment industry. She has, of course, been on our TV screens most of that time, hosting various versions of Elvira's Movie Macabre, in which she shows, um, "classic" horror films and comments on them in and out of the commercial breaks.

She's also starred in a couple of movies based on her show. She's even had action figures.

But did you know that she's appeared in comic books as well?

Yes, indeedy.And now? Her first comic book appearances have been collected in an omnibus. It's a pretty big, damn heavy trade paperback.

It's also a lot of fun.

Shocktober 10/8/22

And now? The Mego Frankenstein Monster from Mel Brooks' classic comedy, Young Frankenstein.

Shocktober 10/5/22

I've long been a fan of Bill Sienkiewicz, a comic book artist best known for his work on Marvel's New Mutants and Elektra: Assassin.

But when I saw this rendering of Max Shreck from the silent horror classic Nosferatu, I just had to share.

Shocktober 10/4/22

In addition to creating the Rocketeer and reviving the memory of Bettie Page, artist Dave Stevens also drew covers for various comic books. This one reprinted 1950s horror comics.

Shocktober 10/3/22

And now? For your viewing pleasure, Vampira and Bela Lugosi on the Red Skelton Show.

Shocktober 10/2/22

In the early 1970s, Marvel Comics brought back several iconic monsters to appear in their comic book line--Dracula, the Frankenstein Monster and the Wolfman (under the guise of Werewolf by Night) all had their own comics, with varying degrees of success. (Dracula ran for more than 70 issues, while the Werewolf hung around for 40-plus and poor Framkenstein just under 20).

They also brought back a wild west concept--The Ghost Rider--updated for the decade to a motorcycle-riding spirit of vengeance in the form of Johnny Blaze, who sells his soul to the devil to save the life of his adoptive father, who (SUPRISE!) dies anyway. At night, though, Blaze turned into a spirit with a blazing skull who could shoot bursts of hellfire.

Ghost Rider met various Marvel heroes, including Spider-Man, the Hulk and the superteam the Champions (whom he joined in adventures for their brief 15-issue run) and fought various supernatural villains over the course of his 81-issue run.

The trade paperback pictured above reprints his first appearences in Marvel Spotlight as well as the first dozen issues of Ghost Rider.

Shocktober 10/1/22

I can't think of a better way to kick off Shocktober 2022 than with a Mego action figure--in this case, The Reptile (from the Hammer film of the same name)!

Mom

In the past--even the recent past--I'd have written a long, detailed tribute to my mother, who passed away July 3 due to complications from COVID-19.

But right now? I'm just too damn tired.

Sometime soon, maybe. But not this minute.

My thanks to all who have expressed condolences or who have offered to help me and my brother through this difficult time. Your support means more than I can ever express.

The 4th of July 2022

This year, I'm celebrating our nation's birth with two of the most patriotic superheroes ever created: Captain America and the Shield.

Technically, the Shield was the first to be published with a cover date of January 1940, with the good Captain coming along with a cover date of March 1940.

Both have extraordinary physical powers and both are really smart. And, of course, both are living embodiments of our nation's flag.

The Shield lasted until issue 65 of Pep Comics, where he was replaced by a teenager named Archie Andrews. (Archie had been featured in stories since issue 22, but finally took over the comic completely with the 65th issue.)

Cap lasted a bit longer, until his 73rd issue in 1949. He was briefly revived as a "commie-smasher" in the 1950s (with some of the first comic book art by a very young John Romita Sr.), but his revival only lasted a few issues. He didn't really return--for good this time--until Avergers 4, when the team found Cap trapped in an iceberg. The rest, as they say, is history.

I had both of the collected editions pictured above back in the days of La Casa Del Terror. Now? Thanks to my friends at Amazon Marketplace, I have both editions again.

Have a happy and safe holiday, all.

My Feelings Toward the Current Weather Forecast

It's Friday...

And Bumpy, Mimi and Cocoa would like to know what you think you're doing.

Every Picture Tells a Story 6/9/22

Every Picture Tells a Story 6/8/22

Every Picture Tells a Story 6/7/22

Every Picture Tells a Story 6/6/22

For breakfast yesterday: Omelet with cheddar cheese and a side of bacon.

Every Picture Tells a Story 6/3/22

Somebody lost their blankey.

Every Picture Tells a Story 6/2/22

I don't think this sign works anymore, CTA. Maybe you should put some new ones down.

Every Picture Tells a Story 6/1/22

Every Picture Tells a Story 5/31/22

Cocoa and Bumpy would like to know what you think you're doing.

Memorial Day 2022

Blazing Combat was a magazine-sized black & white comic book put out by Warren Publishing, which also published Creepy, Eerie and Vampirella. All of its stories were written by Archie Goodwin (better known for his later work at Marvel and DC Comics) and drawn by a host of famous artists, including Frank Frazetta, Gene Colan, Russ Heath, Joe Orlando, John Severin, Reed Crandall and many more. The war stories within covered many different eras of conflict--from the Revolutionary War through the then-current Vietnam War--and most were told from the average soldier's perspective.

And therein lay the problem with Blazing Combat, at least for its distributors/wholesalers: Since the average soldier didn't want to be in war, many of the stories were anti-war (or, at the very least, could easily be read that way). The Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines) soon refused to carry the magazine, and it was cancelled after its fourth issue.

However, proving that you can't keep a good comic book down forever, Fantagraphics published the whole run of Blazing Combat in a hardcover edition in 2009, which was when I bought my first copy. Last year, I bought another copy via Amazon Marketplace--and enjoyed it as much as the first one.

I can't think of a better was to pay tribute to the men and women who have given their lives defending this nation than to read through Blazing Combat again--for the good, the bad and the ugly of armed conflict. It may not always be pretty or pleasant, but it's honest and reasonably even-handed. I don't think you can ask for more than that.