Camilla, Queen of the Lost Empire in "The Trojan Horse Stratagem" (Fiction House; 1941)

Bob Hebberd illustrates a previously untitled thriller starring Camilla, Queen of the Lost Empire from Jungle Comics #19 (July 1941); originally published by Fiction House. I’m calling this golden age classic “The Trojan Horse Stratagem” (which admittedly gives away the big twist). 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!

The Top 10 Westerns of the Modern Era!

Despite my earlier promise, in the wake of the horrific shooting rampage in Colorado, I’m not going to post a review of “The Dark Knight Rises”, other than to say that while it bogs down slightly in the middle, overall it is an excellent conclusion to director Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Instead, here are my choices for the best “oaters” (look it up) of recent years.

Appaloosa (2008)

Dances With Wolves (1990)

Lonesome Dove (1989; TV mini-series)

Open Range (2003)

Seraphim Falls (2007)

The Missing (2003)

The Proposition (2005)

Tombstone (1993)

Unforgiven (1992)

[Tie] 3:10 to Yuma (2007)

[Tie] True Grit (2010)

Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. While some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of the Alamo in 1836, there are also films about Western-type characters in contemporary settings, such as "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada" (set in the 21st century). Along with contemporary tales in the western mode, I'm disallowing certain genre films like "The Mask of Zorro" which reflects more of a superhero vibe, and comedic fare like the remake of "Maverick". Westerns often portray how desolate and hard life was for frontier families and how they are often faced with changes that severely alter their way of life. This may be depicted by showing conflict between Native Americans and settlers or U.S. Cavalry or between cattle ranchers and farmers, or by showing ranchers being threatened by the onset of the Industrial Revolution. Despite being tightly associated with a specific time and place in American history, these themes have allowed Western films to be produced and enjoyed across the entire world. Straight forward storytelling, good guys vs. bad guys themes, rousing gun battles, and simple morals have captivated movie audiences since the era of silent films. The selections above (in no particular order) are my own personal picks for the Top Ten Westerns of the Modern Era (1980-Present). If you haven’t seen any of these great flicks, I highly encourage you to amend that asap!

Jan of the Jungle in "The Way of Right" (Fiction House; 1949)

In the great Indian wilderness, Jan of the Jungle (also known as "The Wolf Boy") grows weary of the instructions of his animal friends, and strikes out on his own little aware of the perils that lie in his path. In this previously untitled story that I've dubbed "The Way of Right", Jan narrowly avoids the pitfalls of his actions, even as he lends a helping hand in a golden age tale from Rangers Comics #48 (Aug.1949), originally published by Fiction House. The story is signed "Coleman Hart", but the excellent artwork is by Enrico Bagnoli. You may also notice how much this feature regularly borrows from Rudyard Kipling's classic novel, "The Jungle Book" in this tale. 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! Lindsay Lanier

I will be honest with you, I am very tired after attending the midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises" which clocks in at close to three hours (but I still went to work this morning anyway). So, before lethargy sets in, let me just say that the film is terrific [my assessment will be coming this weekend] and quickly post this weeks "gal" Friday selection. My policy is to always promote the home team whenever necessary, so it was with delight that I recently heard about a home state honey who is making waves nearby. Lindsay Lanier from the "Hooters" restaurant in North Myrtle Beach, SC was chosen as the winner of the 2012 Hooters Viewer's Choice contest. Congratulations, Lindsay! As a bonus, you're officially inducted into the Catacombs (which technically constitutes a much higher honor; at least in my humble opinion).

Joe Barton in "The Winged Gods of Walla-Habi" (Ziff-Davis; 1951)

Joe Barton stars in "The Winged Gods of Walla-Habi" from Wild Boy #5 (Dec.1951); originally published by Ziff-Davis, and illustrated by Irv Novick and Bernard Sachs. Two Indonesian brothers uncover a dangerous scheme that might yield lucrative rewards, and then enlist Joe Barton to help unravel the secrets at the summit of a mysterious volcano. This story appears courtesy of "Comic Book Plus", an excellent source for classic comics downloads [please go donate to their site]. Enjoy!

Perils of Nyoka: "Climax of Conquest" (Fawcett; 1942)

Chapter VI of Perils of Nyoka is titled "Climax of Conquest" from Jungle Girl #1 (1942), originally published by Fawcett Comics (which adapted Republic's PERILS OF NYOKA movie serial). The last chapter of this golden age serial failed to provide me with the violent death of boyfriend Larry. I mean just look at that opening splash panel! You would think this was his feature; so I blame the writer of this adventure, "Rod Reed" for exhibiting a bit of male chauvinism and Harry Anderson still drew the thing. I have tons of Nyoka stories, and while many do include her boyfriend, not all of them do. Her adventures were also largely done in this chapter format, so whether I will group them together in multiple posts ongoing is yet to be decided. 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: "The Finger of Fate" (Fawcett; 1942)

Chapter V of Perils of Nyoka is titled "The Finger of Fate" 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 last chapter of this golden age serial will be posted tomorrow. I’ve grown quite weary of boyfriend Larry nabbing so much of the action (heck, I wouldn’t mind witnessing his violent death in the epic conclusion). 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!

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!