Joe Barton in "The Ape-Men of Mjumba" (Ziff-Davis;1951)

Welcome to Monday! Joe Barton stars in "The Ape-Men of Mjumba" from Wild Boy #4 (Oct.1951); originally published by Ziff-Davis, and illustrated by Irv Novick and Bernard Sachs. In this exciting adventure, Prof. Arnold Masters disappeared into the jungle over six months ago, and now his daughter Joan has hired Joe as safari guide to find him. This story appears courtesy of "Comic Book Plus" [formerly goldenagecomics.co.uk; please go donate to their worthy endeavor]. Enjoy!

Ghanga the Elephant Boy in "The Sacred Monkey" (Buster Brown;1951)

This story starring Ghanga the Elephant Boy is from Buster Brown Comic Book #24 (Summer 1951); originally published the Buster Brown Shoe Co. “The Sacred Monkey” is written by Hobart Donavan and illustrated by Sy Barry. 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!

"Gal" Friday! Dannielle van der Walt

I first discovered twenty-two year old Dannielle van der Walt, a model from Columbus, Ohio on Facebook where she regularly posts new photos of herself. There is an unending supply of young ladies who network via social services like the one mentioned to help bolster their burgeoning careers, but not all of them – despite their looks – are truly cut out for this type of work (in my opinion, of course). The proof is revealed in how similar their poses are to literally “everything” that you might have seen before. I find it quite amusing how simply posting an appreciative comment, liking, or subscribing to each lovely “gals” feed nets you dozens of similar images. Which is really sort of disturbing to me in a way; consider how many young women present themselves in bikinis, lingerie (or often in discreetly less attire than that) with pursed lips, thrust out bottoms & suggestive poses for the eyes of all comers [um, pun intended]. No matter where you may stand on this issue (and let’s face it), I’m not a prude, all old dogs still like to ogle young fillies. Thankfully, Dannielle is certainly easy on the eyes and well put together. She definitely stands out from the pack. I’ve accumulated a backlog of potential “gal” Fridays, but the rump shot (see image; below) that she posted recently bumped everyone else out of this weeks space. Click on it to embiggen, and try not to hurt yourselves in the process.

Perils of Nyoka: "Treasure of Terror" (Fawcett;1942)

Chapter IV of Perils of Nyoka is titled "Treasure of Terror" from Jungle Girl #1 (1942), originally published by Fawcett Comics (which adapted Republic's PERILS OF NYOKA movie serial). As a reminder, in true cliffhanger fashion I'm presenting this story in its entirety over the course of several posts. As a heads up, the final two parts of this golden age serial will be presented next week. The writer of this adventure is credited as "Rod Reed" and the artwork is by Harry Anderson. 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!

Perils of Nyoka: "Vultura's Vengeance" (Fawcett;1942)

Today we continue the golden age adventures of Nyoka with "Vultura’s Vengeance" or Chapter III from Jungle Girl #1 (1942), originally published by Fawcett Comics (which adapted Republic's PERILS OF NYOKA movie serial). As a reminder, in true cliffhanger fashion I'm presenting this story in its entirety over the course of several posts. The writer of this adventure is credited as "Rod Reed" and the artwork is by Harry Anderson. 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!

Jo-Jo, Congo King in "The Doctor of Doom" (Fox;1948)

Nyoka takes a break today, but the next chapters of her saga will continue tomorrow (and Thursday). Today's classic tale starring Jo-Jo, Congo King is from All Top Comics #14 (July 1948); originally published by Fox and illustrated by Jack Kamen. "The Doctor of Doom" is a riff on “Frankenstein” with the evil Dr. Barba (a female) turning the locals into mindless beasts. She pays the price for tackling the Congo King, who has some beastly friends of his own to save the day. 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!

Perils of Nyoka: "Valley of Sacrifice" (Fawcett;1942)

Today we continue the golden age adventures of Nyoka with "Valley of Sacrifice" or Chapter II from Jungle Girl #1 (1942), originally published by Fawcett Comics (which adapted Republic's PERILS OF NYOKA movie serial). As a reminder, in true cliffhanger fashion I'm presenting this story in its entirety over the course of several posts. The writer of this adventure is credited as "Rod Reed" and the artwork is by Harry Anderson. 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!

In Memorium: Ernest Borgnine

Me and "Ernie"; Atlanta 2011

Iconic actor and Navy veteran, Ernest Borgnine passed away yesterday at the age of ninety-five from kidney failure. His unconventional career spanned more than six decades running the gamut between winning an Oscar in 1955 for his dramatic turn as "Marty" to his prominent television roles in the 1962–1966 comedy series McHale's Navy, and the mid-1980s action series Airwolf; plus Borgnine was also known for his voiceover role as “Mermaid Man” for the animated series “SpongeBob SquarePants”. He played plenty of “heavies” or bad guys in cinema (usually with gusto), but he was beloved by his costars, friends, and fans for being a down to Earth and easily approachable guy who rarely took his onscreen image too seriously. They really don’t make them like Ernest Borgnine anymore, and he will be missed. I’m very glad that I got a chance to meet him in person (see photo; above) and consider many of his films personal favorites. The Catacombs extends its sincerest condolences to his family, friends and worldwide fans.