Sheena in "Chant of Devil Drums" (Fiction House;1943)

Sheena, Queen of the Jungle stars in a golden age adventure called "Chant of Devil Drums" from Sheena, Queen of the Jungle #3 (Spring 1943); originally published by Fiction House, written by W. Morgan Thomas with artwork by Robert Webb. 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 belongs to the original publishers and/or the creators and is reproduced here solely for entertainment purposes. Enjoy!

Lance Hale in "The Temple of Death" (Lev Gleason;1941)

Here is an untitled tale starring Lance Hale supposedly from Silver Streak Comics #11 (Jun.1941); originally published by Lev Gleason and featuring the pencil work of the great Fred Guardineer. Lance Hale was a soldier of fortune who moved to Africa and then "adapted" himself to life in the wild by cross-dressing in green tights, yellow booties, red trunks and an off-the-shoulder animal skin. [Yes, I realize that a few of those visual elements aren't on display in this tale.] The peculiar thing about this story is that the issue listed in the GCD doesn't mention Lance Hale being present at all, so who am I to question the archivist who provided that documentation? However, the following issue (#12) does have a five page story called "The Forbidden Valley of Ka-Zor" that could possibly be this one; who knows. I'm dubbing this short golden age adventure "The Temple of Death", and that is the end of that. 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 belongs to the original publisher and/or the creators and is reproduced here solely for entertainment purposes. Enjoy!

Taanda in "The Ant Invasion!" (Avon;1952)

Today, Taanda stars in a black & white version of "The Ant Invasion!" reprinted in Jungle Girls/Wild Side #15 (1993); published by AC Comics. However the story was first presented in White Princess of the Jungle #3 (May 1952); originally published by Avon and with art credited to Gene Fawcette. 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 belongs to the original publisher and/or the creators and is reproduced here solely for entertainment purposes. Enjoy!

"Gal" Friday! Yuliya Snigir

Russian actress and model, Yuliya Snigir has been cast as a villain for the upcoming sequel "A Good Day to Die Hard" starring Bruce Willis (reprising the role of John McClane from 1988s Die Hard). I know little about this smoking hot young lady, but I highly encourage you to seek out her Maxim photo shoot. Are they sure its a good day to die hard, or just TO BE HARD (you know what I'm saying)?

Wild Boy [Double Feature]: "The Dry Grip of Doom" & "The White Robe of Courage" (Ziff-Davis;1951)

Wild Boy stars in a pair of adventures today from Wild Boy #5 (Dec.1951); originally published by Ziff-Davis, and featuring the artwork of Frank Kramer on “The Dry Grip of Doom", which has Wild Boy and Keeto struggling to aid animals and natives who are driven to madness due to a fearsome drought and in the second tale illustrated by Gerald McCann, Wild Boy helps a chiefs son earn “The White Robe of Courage”. The Catacombs is grateful to Don "Zu-Gogo" Falkos for providing the scans for these stories. Note: The copyright for this issue, its contents and artwork belongs to the original publisher and/or the creators and is reproduced here solely for entertainment purposes. Enjoy!

Kara the Jungle Princess in "The Return of Targala" (Standard;1946)

“The Return of Targala” starring Kara, Jungle Princess is taken from Exciting Comics #45 (Mar.1946); originally published by Better/Standard/Nedor. Artist Al Camy was a regular artist for Better Publications titles on such features as 'Jill Trent', 'Crime Crushers', 'Grim Reaper', 'Phantom Detective' and 'Spectro'. Before she became a jungle princess called Kara, she was regular army nurse Jane Howell who stumbled upon a lost civilization in the jungles of Africa. There she was elevated to ruler of the Arohitans, a people possessing a charm against physical harm, where she must always stay alert for the evil machinations of the priest Targala. Thankfully, Major Kit Kendall was along to help out with the tougher problems. 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 belongs to the original publisher and/or the creators and is reproduced here solely for entertainment purposes. Enjoy!

The Avengers!

I have to admit this is a really good promotional poster of the upcoming film of "The Avengers" featuring the stars of several movies that brought to life versions of the Marvel Comics superheroes who comprise the original team. It looks like they forgot to color part of Iron Man's leg armor, but wouldn't it be nice to see Captain America with his helmet wings and Thor with his helmet? Oh, and Hawkeye with an actual mask?

The Art of Reading: "The Ape Man's Fight" (Fawcett;1947)

The Art of Reading: Golden age comics usually included short text stories, often accompanied by a panel or two of artwork, in order to qualify for cheaper magazine mailing rates. These 2-3 page filler tales served their purpose well enough, but in the absence of any eye-appealing art (as could be the case), I doubt that many kids gave them the time of day. Today’s two-page story is from Nyoka the Jungle Girl #10 (Aug.1947); originally published by Fawcett. The script for “The Ape Man's Fight” is credited to Punchy Perkins aka Rod Reed. 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 belongs to the original publisher and/or the creators and is reproduced here solely for entertainment purposes. Enjoy!

Camilla, Queen of the Lost Empire in "Caredodo" (Fiction House;1940)

Legendary golden age artist Bob Powell illustrates "Caredodo", a previously untitled thriller starring Camilla, Queen of the Lost Empire from Jungle Comics #6 (Jun.1940); originally published by Fiction House. Clearly inspired on the classic novel “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” by Victor Hugo, it is still a fun read. 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 belongs to the original publisher and/or creators and is reproduced here solely for entertainment purposes. Enjoy!