The Sea Devils!

This is one of those collections I've been waiting for ever since it was evident that DC wanted to get their vintage material into cheap collections good for reading. The Challengers of the Unknown, the Doom Patrol, and now The Sea Devils have seen significant reprint collections and it's a cornucopia of reading for fans who were like myself too young the time, and now too cheap to afford the back issues or the color collections. Those outstanding covers have been calling to me for decades. It's good to at last answer than call.

From a distance the stories appear to a mash up of Sea Hunt, the old TV show starring Lloyd Bridges and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Lots of giant monsters against mere men. The covers are justifiably famous for their craft and for their sheer dynamic power. These are stories which demand to be read.

And it doesn't hurt that Russ Heath, the primary artist on this series has work that looks outstanding in black and white. The wacky scripts are by Robert Kanigher and France Herron. The later issues feature great try-outs by other DC artists, a nifty way to showcase (living up to its name) these fantastic talents. Irv Novick, Gene Colan, Ross Andru, Joe Kubert, Jack Abel, and others all show up in this highly recommended collection.

Here are the issues included in this volume.




















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Space Adventures!

My attention was first taken by this handsome Dick Giordano cover for Space Adventures #7 from 1953. This is an attractive bit of artwork featuring an intriguing couple clearly trying to keep their composure after a rocket crash in deep space. The way the smoke in this one filters up and seemingly through or behind the somewhat transparent lettering is very neat. This is the only time I can find where the letter to this classic logo was used in quite this way.


Here's a clearer version of the artwork from a later British reprint of the cover. As for what the "Transformation" is to which this story refers, check out this single page from the story.


Life in the wilds of outer space can be exceedingly interesting at times it seems.

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Inner Sanctum Mysteries!

One might call this 1943-1945 series from Universal "The Saga of Lon Chaney's Mustache". The second-generation creature feature actor sports his pencil thin mustache in all six of these thrillers, starring in all of them but surrounded by outstanding Universal studio players like Evelyn Ankers, J.Carrol Naish, Milburn Stone, and many more. Here's a neat link with a sturdy and reliable description of each movie. No need for me to repeat this good work. Let me simply say which of these I liked best and why with few if any spoilers. This is a solid thriller, but gets a bit tedious before it's done. I felt all of its very brief running time. J.Carrol Naish as the cop is the highlight for me, he's nicely sarcastic and the movie brightens considerably when he's on screen. Good adaptation of the Fritz Leiber story, but hurt by the glossy studio presentation of the rituals. Needed a rougher treatment in places. The girl that played the witch-wife was too whitebread to sell the exotic nature of the tale; the poster makes her seem way scarier than anything in the movie itself. There is some really fine acting in this one, especially by Elizabeth Russell in a part that could have been far less in other hands. Evelyn Ankers is dandy too and her ultimate scene is pretty dang good. Strange tale of jealousy and greed and oddball surgery, with Acquanetta proving why she had such short career. Good basic thriller, but little else with an especially unlikeable protagonist. Lon Chaney's characters in these can be quite hard to cotton to, but this guy a self-important and whiny artist is the worst. Weird story that shifts around quite a bit. The first three movies were clearly set in the real world, this one seems more a classic "horror" flick with the introduction of a vintage locale - a wax museum. There's actual action in this one with some heady knife-wielding by scene-chewing villain Martin Kosleck. This one turned out to be my favorite, a nice story told in flashback about a noble chemist tormented by a despicable boss. There's real charm in this one, and for the first time Lon Chaney is allowed to play an antagonist you feel full sympathy for. Most of the others are snarky know-it-alls who bring about their own problems to some extent. This guy too, but he's nicer about it. Brenda Joyce is great as the wife in this one. This is the only one which has a sputter of humor in it, and sadly that gets snuffed out in the movie sooner than I liked. This one turns into a murder thriller and haunted house muncher, but ends up with a better ending than I expected. Lots of wacky characters in this Scooby-Doo-ish offering. It's a horrible title though, this flick deserved better. Overall I give these a recommendation if you can find them cheaply which is readily possible now. These are professionally crafted and feature some very good acting, some great direction at times, and some good scripting here and there. They can lumber especially those directed by LeBorg, but they are all solid entertainments with a good atmosphere, especially those directed by LeBorg. Lon Chaney wasn't the greatest actor ever, and these movies show his limits, but they also give him chance to do more than growl. He does okay from time to time too. Rip Off

School's Out For Summer!

After a very mild winter with no snow days, I find that the summer looms earlier than ever this year. One of the great perks of teaching is the summer vacation and as I have done for several summers now, I'm staying at home and tending to chores.

It's been a rather dandy year as after twenty years in one place I moved to a new school, a school where teaching is still regarded as a noble profession. It's been hectic and nerve-wracking, but overall I hit my marks and next year should be just as satisfying.

It's been many years since I felt good about my profession personally, it's refreshing.

This is the summer of Tarzan though, the centennial year of the greatest creation of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Below is a cover gallery of some very early comics featuring the Ape Man as he interacts with some of his fellow comic strip denizens.

Look for a few Tarzan related projects here this summer. Enjoy!








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Famous Monsters Of Santo!

Here's a fascinating cover for a Colombian comic book featuring Santo, the famous Mexcican wrestler and movie star. The artist here signed "Jose G. Cruz", has some very specific influences for the monster elements of this cover.


Clearly this Christopher Lee image of Lee as Dracula is the source for the foreground figure.


And assorted heads from this Famous Monsters of Filmland cover by Ken Kelly are used at the top of the image. If you note the green-faced character, it means the great Chris Lee is on this cover twice, and that's without seeing the mug of the mysterious "El Enmascarado de Plata" himself.

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Buy War Bonds!

As America's longest war seems at once both to be winding down and settling in for the longest of hauls, I sometimes yearn for a time when the country was united in its overseas efforts. As our troops return, the promises made to them are being often ignored as the cocktail patriots blather on about deficits and priorities. Money for defense doesn't equate to money for veterans alas.

Whatever the case, in decades past the country was united as evidenced by the shout out on the covers below for folks to pony up their own cash to support the effort. Imagine that, asking the citizenry to spend money to support national efforts for the greater good. Must be a socialist plot. Sheesh!

Here are some war bond comic book covers.






And if not bonds, then stamps.







And if not stamps on the covers, at least a call to arms by two of the biggest stars.



"Make War No More." is the ideal, the dream. But since that is unlikely, at the least we can as a nation support the war and the warriors we send out to wage it.

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