Genre Legends Resurrected While we wait for the digitized resurrection of long dead
celebrities that was supposed to accompany our jetpacks and Martian vacations at least, comic books have delivered what technology could not. Thanks to Gold Key Comics, Rod Serling and Boris Karloff were still introducing freaky stories long after their deaths, and Vincent Price is enjoying a similar revival in Bluewater Productions’ Vincent Price Presents. So it seems only fitting that the granddaddy of all horror icons is now enjoying a busy afterlife in Monsterverse’s Bela Lu- gosi’s Tales from the Grave. “For several years, I’ve been exploring the possibility of a
comic book that would feature my dad,” says Bela G. Lugosi, son of the late actor. “[Monsterverse] came with the most complete package, and I was convinced they could put to- gether the right people for this project and make it happen.” The new anthology series,
spearheaded by comics artists Kerry Gammill and Keith “Kez” Wilson and writer Sam Park, will cast Lugosi as “horror host” to a diverse lineup of stories. Taking its cues from vintage horror comics such as EC’s Tales from the Crypt and Warren Publishing’s Creepy and Eerie magazines, Bela Lugosi’s Tales from the Gravewill take a classic approach to modern horror. Since the project boasts Lugosi’s name and the ap- proval of his estate, there was no shortage of horror lumi- naries willing to contribute. “It’s the lure of Lugosi,” Gammill says. “There’s some-
thing about growing up loving the old classic horror movies that gives you a bond with other fans of that gen- eration. Luckily for us, that includes people like Joe Dante, John Landis, Mick Garris and Rick Baker. Sam and I have gotten to know many of these big-name mon- ster kids and they’re all great guys who never lost their love for the old horror stuff they grew up with. When we explained what we were doing, many of them agreed to create for it for the pure enjoy-
ment of being part of something cool and fun, which would honour Lugosi. It’s been the same with comics creators. Mike Mignola will be doing something for us in the future and Steve Niles is plan- ning to write a story. We feel like the luckiest guys in the world.” AS
and artist extraordinaire Jack Kirby. In the pages of Strange Tales, Tales to Astonish and Tales of Suspense, the two legends offered readers a bizarre menagerie of creatures with the most outlandish names to ever see print, including Monstro, Diablo, Sporr, Gor-Kill, Elek- tro, Goom, Googam, Klagg, Bruttu, Monstrollo, Oog, Droom, Mummex, Gorgilla, Vandoom, Moomba, Grottu, Gorgolla, Grogg, Orrgo and the ever-popular Fin Fang Foom, the first un- derwear-sporting giant dragon! PC
Mr. Monster
Originally created in the 1940s by cartoonist Fred Kelly for obscure Canadian imprint Bell Publishing, Mr. Monster was revamped in 1984 by Michael T. Gilbert as a two-fisted ass-kicker with a sexy sidekick named Kelly Friday. The muscular, square-jawed superhero – who hates monsters almost as much as he loves children (and himself) – donned his trademark cowl, goggles and spiffy red and blue costume, with its freaky monster skull emblazoned on the chest, throughout the ’80s and ’90s in everything from Dark Horse’s Wacky Squirrel Halloween Special to Image’s Mr. Monster vs. Godzilla. Candy-coloured creatures, campy hu- mour and gloriously gonzo page layouts = win- ning formula. AS
Creature Commandos Talk about a cool concept: during WWII, the US military creates a unit of monsters to fight Hitler. Premiering in Weird War Tales #93 (1980), the Creature Commandos were human leader Lieut. Matthew Shrieve, vampire Sgt. Vincent Velcro, werewolf Warren Griffith, a Frankenstein’s monster in the form of Pte. Elliot “Lucky” Taylor and Dr. Myrra Rhodes, a medusa. Despite the campy con- ceit, the plots were often dark and included a failed death camp rescue resulting in Tay- lor’s suicide attempt (rendering him mute), the purging of Nazis from small-town Amer-
The Original
ica and one mission that left dozens of children dead. (Just forget about the introduction of the silly G.I. Robot and the cheesy re-vamped Creature Commandos from 2000.) DA
Parasyte
Hitoshi Iwaaki’s manga series (1990-1995) riffs on The Thing as an alien parasite taking over the right hand of teenager Shinichi. Now, the boy and his independent appendage must fight off the other alien symbiotes intent on as- similating – and eating! – humanity. Imagina- tively gruesome flesh-bending action ensues. An English version is currently available from Del Ray Manga. DA
The Sandman #1-7
Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman is remembered these days as a fantasy epic, but the first sto- ryline in the author’s opus, which debuted in 1989, had a distinctly dark, horrific tone. The saga involves Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, battling it out with Doctor Destiny, the self-pro- claimed Lord of Nightmares. Although the story features appearances by DC horror stalwarts such as John Constantine, Cain and Abel, the Scarecrow, the Hecatea and even Hell itself (and its masters), the most disturbing imagery comes from the sixth chapter. Destiny has se-
Parasyte
RM36
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128