Tabu, Wizard of the Jungle in "The Wind God" (Fiction House;1940)

Tabu, Wizard of the Jungle returns to the Catacombs today in an untitled tale from Jungle Comics #7 (July 1940); originally published by Fiction House and credited to writer Robert Lewis and artist Charles Sultan. Tabu must face a terrible wind, blowing over Africa and wreaking havoc on local villages. The capricious wind-god known as Boreas is responsible and although Tabu tries to prevent the carnage, superstitious villagers take the opportunity to scheme against our hero.

The Catacombs is grateful to Don "Zu-Gogo" Falkos for providing the scans for this story. Note: the copyright for this issue, its contents and artwork belong to the original publisher and/or creators and is reproduced here solely for entertainment purposes.

Enjoy!

Top 10 Defunct Comic Book Publishers: Gold Key Comics

Space Family Robinson #12 (Apr.1965); Star Trek #3 (Sept.1968)

Gold Key Comics was created in 1962, when Western stopped packaging content for branding and distribution by its business partner, Dell Comics and switched to in-house publishing. Although Gold Key retained the majority of the licenses properties that Dell had previously offered, the new imprint hoping to make their comics more like traditional children's books, initially eliminated panel line-borders and had word and thought balloons that were rectangular rather than oval, giving the titles a cleaner, more modern look. This effort lasted about a year before they reverted to using standard inked panel borders and oval balloons. They also experimented with new formats, including black-and-white hardcover’s containing reprints and tabloid-sized books containing new material; evidently aimed at the book and department stores, in the manner of their popular Little Golden Books. Beginning in 1967, Gold Key packaged selected issues of their comics under the banner title Top Comics which were sold in plastic bags of five at gas stations and other locations, although the comics were often removed from the bags by the sellers and sold individually with price stickers attached to the covers. A striking difference between Gold Key and other publishers (aping yet another former Dell practice) was to publish most of their mystery, jungle, science-fiction, adventure and similar series with full-color painted covers rather than the standard line artwork.

Gold Key’s licensed properties and original series maintained decent sales numbers throughout the 1960s, thanks largely to its titles based upon popular TV series of the day, as well as numerous titles based upon both Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros. animated characters. It was also the first company to publish comic books based upon Star Trek. The streak didn’t last forever, and they lost several properties, including the King Features characters Popeye, Flash Gordon, The Phantom, and the Hanna-Barbera characters to Charlton, and the Star Trek license was awarded to Marvel Comics in 1979. Trivia: Three of Gold Key's original characters: Magnus, Robot Fighter; Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom and Turok, Son of Stone, helped launch Valiant Comics in the 1990's.

As the comics industry experienced a downswing in the 1970s, Gold Key was among the hardest hit. Its editorial policies had not kept pace with changing times and an erosion of its base among children, with more households now owning television sets for watching cartoons and other types of programming didn’t help. In this period their licensed titles featured mostly reprinted material. Although Gold Key books maintained a presence on spinner racks at drug stores & supermarkets; many of the same comics were being simultaneously distributed under the Whitman logo, and they were also taking large numbers of DC titles for redistribution. Declining sales finally forced Western to cease newsstand distribution in 1981 and the "Gold Key" logo was discontinued. All efforts to reinvent themselves ultimately proved unsuccessful and by 1984 Western was out of the comic book business.

The stable of writers and artists built up by Western Publishing during the Dell Comics era mostly continued into the Gold Key era. Among the few new creators introduced at Gold Key were writers Don Glut, Len Wein, Diana Gabaldon, Bob Ogle, Leo Dorfman, Bob Gregory and Mark Evanier; and artists Cliff Voorhees, Joe Messerli and Mike Royer. Trivia: Acclaimed artist/writer Frank Miller had his first published comic book artwork in The Twilight Zone for Gold Key in 1978.

Wild Boy in "Star of the Jungle" (Ziff-Davis;1951)

This short adventure called "Star of the Jungle" is from Wild Boy #11 [2] (Apr-May 1951); originally published by Ziff-Davis and with art by Paul Hodge. Watch Wild Boy elude the jaws of death (heck, it says so right on the front cover) as he aids a Hollywood film crew who've been captured by the villainous Zarkow, a renegade white trader, and his hostile pygmies. Wild Boy, his friend Keeto; his panther (Timba) and his falcon (Kaw) are all put to great task rescuing Fred Cartier and Lola Martin before the whole kit & caboodle can be sacrificed to the God known as Zemo.

The Catacombs is grateful to Don "Zu-Gogo" Falkos for providing the scans for this story. Note: the copyright for this issue, its contents and artwork belong to the original publisher and/or creators and is reproduced here solely for entertainment purposes.

Enjoy!

Only the Dead Survive!

I meant to get this posted yesterday, but I suffered from laziness. After playing through Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age: Origins, Mass Effect, Dragon Age 2 and Dragon Age: Origins-Awakening (in that order), I was looking around for another thrilling gaming experience. 

Dead Space is a survival-horror, third-person shooter video game from 2008, a sequel was released this year. The player takes on the role of an engineer named Isaac Clarke, who battles a virus-like infestation which turns humans into grotesque monsters called "necromorphs", on board an interstellar mining ship named the USG Ishimura. Trivia: The lead character is named after science fiction writers Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke.

The intensity of this game is really over the top and unnerving throughout. You constantly hear scurrying sounds and peculiar noises as you make your way through the bowels of the Ishimura, and believe me, you will jump out of your skin often as the necromorph attacks occur. The high levels of gore and violence in the game all play out in stunning high definition, in particular the tactic of "strategic dismemberment" is noteworthy. The player must cut off limbs or sections of the necromorphs in order to defeat them. For example, shooting a certain type of necromorph in the head will have little effect, and it will continue attacking the player until all of its limbs are removed. Depending on how they are wounded, certain necromorphs can adopt new stances and tactics, even sprouting new limbs or giving birth to new enemies in the process.

In keeping with Isaac's profession as an engineer rather than a soldier, the weapons of Dead Space are mostly improvised from mining tools like a plasma cutter, a rotary saw, a hydrazine torch used as a flamethrower, a high powered energy beam called the contact beam, and a force cannon emitting powerful shock waves. For traditionalists, a military-grade automatic rifle is also available. All of the weapons feature a secondary-fire mode; the plasma cutter can be rotated 90 degrees for an optimal angle for more effective dismemberment of vertical limbs (such as legs on a bipedal humanoid). The player must scavenge for ammunition and other items, which are found throughout the ship or dropped by necromorphs when killed. Automated stores found throughout the ship can be accessed to buy and sell items, or store them for later use. Also the player can use work benches and spend "power nodes" to upgrade Isaac's suit and weapons.

Dead Space also features vacuum and zero gravity environments on board the Ishimura, and Isaac must navigate through them using his pressurized suit and magnetic boots. He will eventually suffocate in a vacuum or a toxic environment as his suit can only contain a limited amount of air, so the player is forced to proceed quickly in these situations. Isaac can also jump from platform to platform while in weightless environments. Some levels even lead out onto the surface of the ship's hull, where the player must watch out for floating debris that could cause Isaac to lose his footing.

You will discover that on Aegis VII, the planet that the USG Ishimura is orbiting, a deep space mining crew pulled an ancient artifact called "The Marker" from the surface, which began to affect everyone in the colony. That isn't the only danger either. Government conspiracy and cult-like mindsets also contributed to the horrors found by Isaac Clarke, as he searches for his missing girlfriend.

I have to admit that I'm working my way through this one - slowly - and during broad daylight. Laughable, sure, but trust me on this. Dead Space will scare the living shit out of you, and you'll enjoy the heck out of the experience.

At the Movies: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Like many genre geeks of my generation, the original Planet of the Apes (and its four sequels) remains among the most fun sci-fi franchises of all time, so I was admittedly looking forward to “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” with equal parts trepidation and hope. I guess I needn't have worried, since “Rise” (fueled by an impressive motion-capture performance from Andy Serkis) just opened as the No. 1 movie in North America, earning an estimated $54 million at the box office.

It really deserves it too! Man, every review that I read seemingly sang the praises of Serkis performance as Caesar, going so far as to suggest that he should receive an Oscar nomination. I don't know if that will happen, but director Rupert Wyatt, screenwriters Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver, and the fine folks at Weta Workshop have not only added an outstanding new chapter to the "Apes" film series, but in retconning certain aspects of the original mythology, they've improved upon it. "Rise" is an origin story set in present day San Francisco, where man's own experiments with genetic engineering to cure Alzheimer's Disease, lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy.

If you are familiar with the flicks from the late 1960's and 1970's, play close attention throughout "Rise" for some extremely cool homages to that classic series. These folks did their homework, and it shows! I would also have to praise James Franco, John Lithgow and Freida Pinto for ably supporting Serkis central role as Caesar, all turned in fine performances. Brian Cox, Tom Felton and David Oyelowo serve as the heavies in the film, with only the respected Cox receiving short shrift in actual screen time. I don't know if the producers intend to spin off further Apes films or not, but if the movie proves to be a hit, I wouldn't be surprised. It isn't necessary mind you, as "Rise" found a comfortable way to insert itself into established Apes history that makes elegant sense.

At this point, I would prefer not to go into more specific discussion; I would only encourage everyone to go see this movie. If you're a fan of the classic Apes, you are going to be very happy with this movie, and damn glad to forget what Tim Burton trotted out back in 2001. This film will tug at your heartstrings and then rile you up at the conclusion, but do not doubt that the Apes have risen again. Hopefully they'll stick around for another go at bat. Recommended!

"Gal" Friday! Angela Nicotera

A former rugby cheerleader made history this week by becoming the first Australian woman accepted onto the world-famous Dallas Cowboys cheer squad.

Angela Nicotera of Sydney, survived an intense eight-week program to secure a spot in the final thirty-four cheerleaders of America's iconic NFL club. Around 540 women had tried out for the squad, which is affectionately known as America's Sweethearts (unlike the actual team itself).

The twenty-six year old Ms Nicotera, recently completed a bachelors degree in chiropractic science and she had previously been a cheerleader for the Manly Seabirds for nine seasons. Brains, beauty and a killer Aussie accent packed into the iconic, blue & white "Cowgirls" uniform; how could anyone have beaten that combo for this weeks official "gal" Friday selection?

I didn't think so either. Welcome ashore, Angela!

Rulah Jungle Goddess in "The Poison Sourswine" (Fox;1948)

They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, which rings false in regards to my ex-wife, but definitely proves true with the lovely Rulah Jungle Goddess. The jungle goddess has been away too long; my "ex", not long enough. This fun tale called "The Poison Sourswine" from Zoot Comics #16 (July.1948); was originally published by Fox Feature Syndicate, Inc. The GCD lists Matt Baker as artist, with a question mark; which brings into question whether he flew solo on this exciting tale, or did Jack Kamen lend a helping hand?

The Catacombs is grateful to Don "Zu-Gogo" Falkos for providing the scans for this story. Note: The copyright for this issue, its contents and artwork belong to the original publishers and/or the creators and is reproduced here solely for entertainment purposes.

Enjoy!

Top 10 Defunct Comic Book Publishers: Charlton Comics



Space Adventures #33 (Mar.1960)

Charlton Comics enjoyed a four decade run from 1946 to 1985, during which they published a wide variety of genres, including crime, science fiction, western, horror, war and romance comics, as well as funny animal and superhero titles. The company was well-known for its low budget practices, often using unpublished material acquired from defunct companies and also for paying comics creators the lowest rates in the industry. Charlton Comics was the last American comics company to raise their pricing from 10 cents to 12 cents in mid-1962. Charlton also had its very own distribution company (Capital Distribution) which was located at its Derby, Connecticut headquarters. This was unique among comic book companies in that it controlled all areas of publishing, from editorial to printing to distribution; rather than working with outside printers and distributors as did most other publishers.

Trivia: The company was originally founded by John Santangelo, Sr. and Ed Levy in 1940 as T.W.O. Charles Company, named after their two sons, both named Charles, and ultimately became Charlton Publications in 1945.

The company's most noteworthy period was during the Silver Age where its science fiction anthology title Space Adventures introduced Captain Atom, by Joe Gill and the soon-to-be-legendary co-creator Spider-Man, Steve Ditko. Charlton also introduced Son of Vulcan, in answer to Marvels Thor, in Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds #46 (May 1965). With the Vietnam War underway, Charlton offered notable titles including Fightin' Air Force, Fightin' Army, Fightin' Marines and Fightin' Navy; the "Attack" line of Army Attack and Submarine Attack; Battlefield Action; D-Day, U.S. Air Force Comics, and War Heroes. Charlton also threw itself into the resurgent horror genre during this period, with such titles as Ghostly Tales, The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves and Ghost Manor.

In 1966, having grown disenchanted with Marvel and his Spider-Man collaborator, writer-editor Stan Lee, Steve Ditko returned. Having the hugely popular Ditko back, prompted Charlton editor Dick Giordano to introduce the company's "Action Hero" line the following year, with characters including Captain Atom, The Question, The Peacemaker, Judomaster, Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt and Ditko's new "Ted Kord" version of the Blue Beetle. The company developed a reputation as a place for new talent to break into comics; examples included Jim Aparo, Dennis O'Neil and Sam Grainger. Yet by 1967, Charlton's Action Hero titles had been cancelled, and licensed properties became staples, particularly cartoon characters such as The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Top Cat and Bullwinkle and Rocky.

By the 1980s, Charlton was in decline. The comic book industry was in a sales slump, struggling to reinvent a profitable distribution and retail system. Charlton's licensed titles lapsed, its aging presses were deteriorating towards uselessness, and the company did not have the resources to replace them.

Industry greats who made their mark at Charlton either on staff or freelance, included Pete Morisi, John Byrne, Nicola Cuti, Mike Zeck, Vince Alascia, Jon D'Agostino, Sam Glanzman, Joe Staton, Rocco "Rocke" Mastroserio, Bill Molno, Charles Nicholas, Jerry Seigel, Al Fago, Tony Tallarico, Frank McLaughlin, Pat Boyette, Roger Stern, Bob Layton, Roger Slifer and Sal Trapani. The primary writer for Charlton was the remarkably prolific Joe Gill.


The Phantom #31 (Apr.1969)



Wild Boy in "The Witch Doctor" (Ziff-Davis;1951)

Tuesdays in the Catacombs belong to Wild Boy for the entire month of August. As a reminder, years earlier a young boy named David escaped from his sinister uncle, who had hired natives to kill him, and that boy later grew up to become "Wild Boy".

This story from Wild Boy, Prince of the Jungle #11 [actually #2] (Apr-May,1951); was originally published by Ziff-Davis, with artwork by Paul Hodge. "The Witch Doctor" known as Zabba schemes against Chief Kambala of the Kamba tribe, until Wild Boy and his friend Keeto, come to the aid of the tribe (and the chiefs lovely daughter Lura). They battle a maddened gorilla to defeat the evil plans of Zabba, and fortunately the jungle boys are helped out by the ferocious Aarg, leader of the gorillas.

The Catacombs is grateful to Don "Zu-Gogo" Falkos for providing the scans for this story. Note: the copyright for this issue, its contents and artwork belong to the original publisher and/or creators and is reproduced here solely for entertainment purposes.

Enjoy!

Gumby Returns!!

So you're still not finding enough family-friendly titles to share with the kiddies these days? That's about to change, as a classic character returns to comics shops in September 2011.

The acclaimed Harvey nominated team of Christopher P. Reilly & Jorge Santillan (Punch & Judy) debut an all new Gumby and Pokey adventure like you've never seen before!
Thanks to Stefan Blitz for forwarding this neat mini-interview with writer Chris Reilly:

Q) What was the genesis of the book?

My buddy, Bob (Burden) was no longer writing the book and I thought there should be a Gumby book out there. As a creator, it’s possibly one of the greatest opportunities because you are literally working with a ball of clay; your imagination becomes the only limit to the sorts of stories you can. I approached publisher Mel Smith at San Diego Comic-Con last year and expressed my enthusiasm for the character and asked if I could pitch him a Gumby book. To my delight he said “yes” and even more delightful, he absolutely loved the script and let me pick the artist I would work with which was my friend and long time collaborator Jorge Santillan who delivered some of the best work of his career. I am always honored when an artist of Jorge’s caliber will turn my words into pictures.

Q) Were you a Gumby fan prior to writing this?

Yes, I have been a fan of Gumby since I was a kid and never stopped enjoying the animated shorts. I watched every episode ever created in one weekend when I got this gig and was amazed that for 3 days I could tell people that my job was watching Gumby shorts. I think what revealed what a huge fan I truly am when I went comatose when I was told I would get to create Gumby’s grandparents, Gumbert and Gumbasia.

Q) Who or what are the biggest influences on your work?

My list of deserving influences is enormous. I am constantly inspired by books, comics, music and film and am always discovering new influences. I should mention Michael Weldon’s Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film for being my dog eared wormhole to 2/3 of the amazing B movies I never would have seen if Michael hadn’t written about them, including my favorite horror film, 1957’s The Monster That Challenged the World. Suffice to say that if my influences hadn’t existed, I never would have written this story. Kind of a Back to the Future scenario.

Q) You and Jorge have collaborated before. What does he bring to the project?

Jeeze, what doesn’t Jorge bring to the project? He is the perfect collaborator. I write very long scripts, but I tone that down with Jorge because my elaborate panel breakdowns make me feel like I am telling Picasso how to paint. Jorge is an amazing talent. I would love to read a Gumby comic written and illustrated by Jorge, it would probably be a humbling experience for me. Jorge makes my job easy.

Q) In ten words or less, why should people read this book?

Gumbastic-fun-Adventure, chocolate igloos, Blockheads, not a zombie in sight.

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I've seen the complete first issue (thanks again, Stefan) and it is really well-drawn, lots of fun, and just plain terrific. Highly recommended!!

"Gal" Friday! The Girls of Pizza Babe

Make no mistake, this weeks pair of Bulgarian Beauties were chosen primarily as a cautionary tale. It seems that these girls were promised restaurant jobs while visiting the United States for the summer and ended up in a real nightmare scenario.

Ralitsa Dzhambazova and Vanya Samokovareva, both of Bulgaria, were renting an apartment in Tampa, Florida. Unfortunately, after living there for three months, the girls discovered cameras hidden in their bathroom and bedrooms. The cameras had been wired to a router that was located in a locked closet, and were disguised to resemble motion detectors for a security system and smoke detectors.

Upon arrival in the states, they had sublet the apartment from Florida businessman Raj Armani. Armani claims to be in showbiz and owns a production company, an Indian restaurant (where the girls were first promised work) and a former cell phone store. However, Armani leveraged the young ladies into posing as models for his new business "Pizza Babe", featuring Ralitsa and Vanya in commercials, advertising, and an online website.

The two girls weren't the only ones living in that apartment either. There were originally six other girls living there [all of them foreign] and then one-by-one they started moving-out with no explanation. Now Ralista and Vanya believe they know why! Sheriff's deputies are currently investigating Raj Armani, who has not been charged with any crime. I say that the temporary lack of formal charges doesn't mean that he's not a sleazeball.

Ralitsa Dzhambazova

Vanya Samokovareva