Happy Holidays!!

Thanks to everyone who has stopped by the Catacombs either regularly, or just occasionally, over the past few years. I've managed to dance around the frequent upgrade requirements from Blogger in recent months, by deleting older content (mostly stuff that had next to nothing to do with actual comics in the first place), in order to free up additional space.

Sadly, I have pushed that envelope for long enough and to be honest, I am loathe to make a paid commitment to Blogger to get access to more web space - just to post forgotten comic book stories. I'm not tired of doing it at all, and the backlog of tales yet to be seen remains quite extensive, however for the time being I am simply going to weigh my available options. So until I flip that particular quarter and make the necessary decision, please consider these archives yours to enjoy to your hearts content, and I do hope to see you all again one day real soon.

Have a "Happy Holiday" season!!

"The Lost Princess" (Avon Periodicals; 1949)

Slave Girl Comics was originally published by Avon Periodicals in 1949. This exciting fantasy tale comes from their second and final issue (Apr.1949). “The Lost Princess”, has no available creator credits listed in the GCD. The artwork is quite good, even if the ending is entirely predictable (if you’ve read H.R. Haggard’s classic novel “She”). The Catacombs acknowledges "The Digital Comic Museum", as the source of this classic comic 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!

Kara, Jungle Princess in "The Court of Many Fires" (Better; 1946)

“The Court of Many Fires” starring Kara, Jungle Princess is taken from Exciting Comics #47 (May1946); originally published by Better/Standard/Nedor and illustrated by Al Camy. 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 creators and is reproduced here solely for entertainment purposes. Enjoy!

"Gal(s)" Friday! Twin Peaks

Click me; since that's your only option!

I missed a couple of golden age story posts this week, and since I feel bad about that I wanted to make up for that snafu (situation normal, all fowled up). Ah, the beauty of body painting! I don't recall exactly where I found this wonderful photo, but it really grabbed me. Not that I'm an expert or anything, but it appears to me that one of these nubile lasses is enhanced, and the other isn't. Take a a gander (or a look see) for yourselves, and call it as you see it. Either way, here is a pair of pairs for your entertainment pleasure. Have a nice weekend!

In Memorium: Ray Zone

Ray Zone, the "King of 3-D Comics", passed away on November 13, 2012 at the age of sixty-five in Los Angeles. Zone was a pioneer in methods of converting flat images (in particular, comic books) into a stereoscopic format; additionally he was an author and film producer. He began working in comic books in 1983 and his early collaborations with Jack C. Harris and Steve Ditko drew the attention of Archie Goodwin, who recruited him to work with John Byrne on “Batman 3-D”, a full-length 1990 graphic novel. Ray Zone produced 3-D adaptations of art for over 150 comics, for such diverse publishers as PACIFIC COMICS, AARDVARK-VANAHEIM, BLACKTHORNE PUBLISHING, RENEGADE PRESS, ECLIPSE COMICS, KITCHEN SINK PRESS, COMICO, D.C. COMICS, WALT DISNEY PUBLISHING, IDW, INNOVATION, IMAGE COMICS, RAW STUDIOS, TwoMORROWS PUBLISHING and his own self-published imprint, THE 3-D ZONE. The Catacombs extends its sincerest condolences to his family friends and fans.

Wambi the Jungle Boy in "Enter the Sultans Dungeon" (Fiction House; 1941)

Today's exciting golden age adventure is from Jungle Comics #17 (May 1941); originally published by Fiction House. Henry Kiefer is the artist on a previously untitled story that I’m calling "Enter the Sultans Dungeon" starring Wambi the Jungle Boy. Wambi had an innate talent to communicate with the lower animals, and his best friend was an Indian-variety elephant named Tawn. 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!

Salute to our Nations Veterans: Blackhawk in "The Bubbles of Doom" (Quality; 1955)

Veterans Day is an official United States holiday honoring all armed service veterans. As a salute to my fellow military vets, the Catacombs offers “The Bubbles of Doom” from Blackhawk #90 (July 1955); originally published by Quality Comics, written by Dick Wood and illustrated by Dick Dillin (future Justice League of America artist) & Chuck Cuidera. The Blackhawk Squadron, usually just called the Blackhawks, were a small team of World War II-era ace pilots of varied nationalities, each typically known under a single name (either their given name or their surname). Their long-running comic book series was created by Will Eisner, Chuck Cuidera, and Bob Powell, but the artist most associated with the feature is Reed Crandall. In other words, Blackhawk was one of the most consistently beautiful adventure comics ever produced. During its heyday, the series spawned a film serial, a radio series and a novel. A recent revisionist reboot was, to put it mildly, “fugly” (look it up). The Catacombs acknowledges "The Digital Comic Museum", as the source of this classic comic 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!

Jo-Jo, Congo King in "The Slave Traders of Death" (Fox; 1949)

This classic golden age adventure tale is from Jo-Jo, Congo King #27 (May 1949); originally published by Fox. In celebration of TwoMorrows new publication “Matt Baker: The Art of Glamour” the Catacombs is proud to present "The Slave Traders of Death" which is of course illustrated by Mr. Baker. 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 creators and is reproduced here solely for entertainment purposes. Enjoy!

"Gal" Friday! Anna Torv

Genre fans will soon lose another ongoing sci-fi series as “Fringe” is currently winding down its five season run on television. Before all of the mind control, teleportation, extra-dimensional shenanigans with a twist goes the way of the dodo, let’s take a moment to celebrate Agent Olivia Dunham as played by Australian actress, Anna Torv. Along with series regulars John Noble (Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) and Joshua Jackson (Dawson's Creek), the "Fringe Division" team under the supervision of Homeland Security used scientific and FBI investigative techniques to combat a series of unexplained, often ghastly occurrences related to a parallel universe. The series combined elements from procedural dramas as well as those found in old-style movie serials in a "mystery of the week" format. Despite a lukewarm early critical reception, Fringe developed a strong cult following among fans and survived its move to the "Friday night death slot" and low ratings to complete its overarching story-line over the final thirteen episodes. Now, if only they had allowed Anna to speak in her sexy, Aussie dialect, but I guess you can’t have everything.

Camilla, Queen of the Jungle Empire in "The Lion Cult" (Fiction House; 1942)

Camilla, Queen of the Jungle Empire, stars in a story from Jungle Comics #34 (Oct. 1942); originally published by Fiction House, and illustrated by “Nick Viscardi” a name more familiar to Silver Age DC Comics fans as Nick Cardy (Aquaman, Bat Lash, etc.). Despite the presence of killer crocodiles and a talking ape, I’m dubbing this previously untitled golden age classic “The Lion Cult.” 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!