Monday, October 31, 2016

Halloween 2016: "The Man from Transilvane!" and "Genocide Spray!" by Kirby and Colletta

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, Groove-ophiles! How much more Groovy Age All Hallow's Eve can you get than Jack Kirby orchestrating a battle between the team of Superman, Jimmy Olsen, and the Newsboy Legion vs...the King's own version of our beloved Universal Monsters, Dracula, the Wolf Man, and Frankenstein's Monster? Check those apples for razor blades, break out the candy, sit back and enjoy, baby!

"The Man from Transilvane!" from Jimmy Olsen #142 (August 1971)...
























and "Genocide Spray!" from J.O. #143 (September 1971)...




















Aside from the annoying Murphy Anderson Superman and Olsen heads...kinda nifty, huh?
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7 comments:

  1. AnonymousOctober 31, 2016 at 12:11 AM

    Thanks for showing BOTH issues. I've got the first one and now I FINALLY know how it turned out.
    I think Kirby was definitely having some fun here, and so have I!
    Happy Halloween, all!
    M.P.

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  2. DaleOctober 31, 2016 at 1:08 PM

    Does the rendering of Superman on the first Vampire cover look not like Kirby but say,Neal Adams? Perhaps a composite?

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    1. The Groovy AgentOctober 31, 2016 at 6:03 PM

      Pretty sure Adams inked the Superman and Jimmy figures, Dale. Now if they'd have let Neal ink Kirby's Superman and Jimmy heads on the interiors, that would have been pretty cool, huh?

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  3. TCOctober 31, 2016 at 11:06 PM

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  4. TCOctober 31, 2016 at 11:17 PM

    I never found Anderson's Superman and Olsen heads "annoying," but I must admit I didn't really think about the difference when I was twelve. I could tell Kirby's style from Swan and/or Anderson's, but maybe I just expected Superman and Jimmy to look the same in JO as in Superman and Action Comics.

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  5. M W GallaherNovember 1, 2016 at 9:31 AM

    This (the initial installment of the story) was the first comic book I ever bought for myself. It started me on a long, long road of comic collecting and fandom. Thanks, Jack (and Vince)!

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  6. keythd23November 17, 2016 at 2:57 PM

    Poor Jack. He tried so hard with his storytelling, but he was just no good at writing. His artwork kept it's superb hone, however. Where would we be without his square fingers and toes, knee squiggles and Kirby Krackle among all the other great techniques he used to lay out a page?

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