Countdown to Halloween 2010! A Wrightson/Kaluta Tuesday Two-fer

Welcome back to the Groovy Graveyard! Today we're going to curdle--er--cuddle up by the fire with DC's House of Mystery #195 (July 1971) to enjoy a double dose of demoniacal dynamite by two of Ol' Groove's fave fear-festers, Bernie Wrightson and Mike Kaluta. Wrightson's "Things Old...Things Forgotten" shows the master of the macabre slowly slithering toward Swamp-Thing territory with his "Moss Men". Kaluta's short-short is one of those twist-endings you see coming a mile away, but would be disappointed with anything different. And just for ghoulish giggles, I'm even tossing in Wrightson's creepy cover! Dig, dig, dig it, baby!

Countdown to Halloween 2010! Conan's Creature Features Part 1

Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian is rightly heralded as the inspiration for most of what is great about the sword and sorcery genre. What we must remember, especially as we Countdown to Halloween, is that the "sorcery" part of that equation is made up of a never-ending array of nightmarish nemeses. To drive that all-important point (for this post, at least) home, here is a heaping helping of Ol' Groove's fave freaks from the Roy Thomas/Barry (Windsor-) Smith era of Marvel's Conan the Barbarian. Look ye upon yon demonic denizens and despair, Groove-ophiles!

Countown to Halloween 2010! Sunday Funnies: "Darn Shadows" by Thomas and Severin

In June, 1970, Marvel Comics unleashed it's homage to EC's original, comicbook Mad with SPOOF. Evidently, they didn't have much faith in it, 'cause the second issue didn't appear until August, 1972--just over two years later. Funny, huh? You ain't heard the half of it, brother! Though it came out in June, SPOOF #1 was cover-dated October, so the ish kicked off with Roy Thomas and Marie Severin's send-up of the wildly popular soap opera (Ol' Groove kids you not!) Dark Shadows. Now THAT's funny! I can't tell you how much that show creeped Li'l Groove out--the music alone sent me running out of the house.



Yeah, my mom dug the show. More funny! Funniest of all, though, is this dank and dusty ditty. Enjoy!

Countdown to Halloween 2010! Random Reads: Pat Boyette's "The Visitor"

Pat Boyette is another one of those artists (like Frank Robbins, f'rinstance) that you kinda had to "grow up" to "get". He was a mainstay at Charlton throughout most of the Silver and Groovy Ages drawing everything from horror to war to superheroes to westerns, polarizing fandom with a love-hate relationship few could match. Thing is, Boyette was a true original. A visionary storyteller with a truly unique style. On occasion, he would write and draw comics for other publishers, like this one he drew for (believe it or not) Archie Comics' Red Circle Sorcery #11 (December 1974). G'head, give "The Visitor" a shot. What do you think of Pat Boyette's handiwork, Groove-ophiles?

Countdown to Halloween 2010! (P)Raising Kane: "The Blood of the Dragon!"

What's sh-sh-shakin', Groove-ophiles? Here's the one-and-only Roy Thomas/Gil Kane "Tales of the Hyborian Age" back-up for Marvel's Conan the Barbarian (ish 12, September 1971), Groove-ophiles! How could Ol' Groove deprive ya of the magnificence of this fun and frightening experiment? I can't! Oh, and I love the fact that Roy and Gil actually narrate the tale--almost as much as I love the Kane/Palmer/Wrightson inking combo. You're gonna dig..."The Blood of the Dragon!"

Countdown to Halloween! Mining for Gold(en): "Private Eye Man-Bat"

Greetings my ghoulish Groove-ophiles! While it can't be said that The Batman's sometimes enemy/sometimes ally Man-Bat ever set the comicbook world on fire, DC was able to produce some fun comics featuring Kirk Langstrom's furry-fanged alter-ego. The best of 'em were drawn, natch, by our man of the hour, Michael Golden. This moody masterpiece written by Bob Rozakis with inks by Joe Rubenstein is from Batman Family #20 (July 1978). Are you ready for "Private Eye Man-Bat"?

Countdown to Halloween 2010! Black and White Wednesday: "The Lost Tomb of Nefertiri"

Welcome to my nightmare, Groove-ophiles! Here's a lost tale from Atlas/Seaboard's ultra-rare Devilina #1 (late 1974) that really makes you want your mummy! It's Gabe Levy and Pablo Marcos' "The Lost Tomb of Nefertiri"!