Tor in "Red Death" (St. John; 1954)

While acting as managing editor for St. John, industry legend Joe Kubert, along with writer Norman Maurer, created the enduring character Tor; a prehistoric-human who debuted in the comic 1,000,000 Years Ago #1 (Sept. 1953). Tor went on to star in 3-D Comics #2 (Oct.-Nov. 1953), followed by a brief monthly comic series produced exclusively by Joe Kubert. This exciting tale called "Red Death" is from Tor #4 (July 1954). Tor adventures have been reprinted over the years by everyone from Eclipse Comics, Marvel Comics' Epic imprint, and even DC Comics through the 1990s. 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!

Karth in "The Blue Gorilla" (Avon; 1952)

Here is a late golden age/early silver age blast from the past called “The Blue Gorilla” from White Princess of the Jungle #3 (May 1952); originally published by Avon and illustrated by Everett Raymond Kinstler. Karth, the titular blue gorilla of this neat backup strip, brings his preternatural strength to bear as he handily rescues Ann Borgman from a horrific death. This story appears courtesy of "Comic Book Plus" [formerly goldenagecomics.co.uk; please go donate to their worthy endeavor]. 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! Katy Mor

Comic-Con International 2012 "aka" Hollywood Super-Series ended a couple of weekends ago, and if you're like me you missed out on a massive [really huge] crowd of genre fans, plus endless debuts and/or reveals for scores of upcoming television series, films, games, toys and perhaps an odd snippet or two about the world of (you know) COMIC BOOKS. Sigh!

I usually troll the web after big conventions for photos that others upload for the rest of us to enjoy, and this wonderful image of a cute cosplayer decked out in the original Ms. Marvel costume from the Bronze Age of mighty Marvel Comics easily leaped out and grabbed my attention. Her sticky badge says "Katy Mor", so in the absence of any other I.D. info, lets applaud this sexy gal, and quickly induct her into the Catacombs for posterity. Now, why did Marvel see the need to discard this classic outfit in favor of the somewhat too-busy new "look" Carol Danvers has adopted for her recently revealed turn as "Captain Marvel"?

In Memorium: Mary Tamm

Lovely British actress Mary Tamm was best known in fandom for her brief role as “Romana” on the long-running BBC science fiction series “Doctor Who”, starring opposite Tom Baker during the 1978–1979 story arc “The Key to Time”. She appeared on numerous theatre productions and British television series over a forty year period. Her best known film role was in “The Odessa File” in 1973. She passed away today at the age of sixty-two, following an extended battle with cancer. The Catacombs extends its condolences to her family, friends and fans.

Judy of the Jungle in "The King of the Toys" (Better; 1949)

Ralph Mayo is credited with providing full art duties on “The King of the Toys” from Exciting Comics #69 (Sept.1949); originally published by Better/Standard/Nedor. This well-drawn tale was the final golden age adventure of Judy of the Jungle. 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 "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!