Making a Splash: Chillin' with Marvel Chillers

Ya know, Groove-ophiles, when you think about it, Marvel Chillers was quite a wonder. In it's seven short issues, (July 1975-July1976), the title sported two lead features, three editors, four writers, seven pencilers, and ten inkers--and that's not counting cover artists (or that Atlas-era reprint in ish #1)! And while Ol' Groove never really warmed up to Modred the Mystic, I always dug Tigra, so naturally I hadda get my hands on every ish. Another thing Marvel Chillers provided was a mini-vanload of spectacular splashes...and heeeeeere they are!

Black and White Wednesday Groovy Guest-Post: "Snowbird in Hell" by Claremont and Montano

Welcome back, Groove-ophiles! Today's Groovy Guest-Post is by Mighty Mike Mikulovsky! Mike has already graced Groove City with several popular posts, and this'un is especially near and dear to the Mighty One's heart. Enjoy!

Like the Groovester and most of my fellow comic junkies of the 70's, we were monster fanatics, too. I collected every comic/monster mag, book, and model I could, especially the Marvel/Curtis b & w mags with all their top talent pumping out  great mags/characters month after month. I remember it being an especially cold, harsh winter in December of 1974 when I walked to one of my usual comic magazine stores. It was the only one near me that carried all the Marvel monster  b & w mags. I was already a huge Wendigo fan from his appearances in the Hulk's color mag (Incredible Hulk #162,  #180, and #181), and I actually liked the Wendigo back then much more than that little guy in the yellow, blue, and black costume with those goofy claws. When I went to pick up the latest Marvel b & w mags, I was stunned to see another beautiful cover by Earl Norem--this one with the Wendigo--fronting Monsters Unleashed #9! To me it's one of the very best covers of that whole line of monster mags. Check out that cover and, just for fun, the cover prelims, too!

The events of this story take place after Incredible Hulk #181. "Snowbird in Hell" was written by the hot All-New, All-Different X-Men's Chris Claremont and drawn by Yong Montano! 

I can still remember walking home late at night in a blizzard, hearing that howling wind in my 13 year old over-imaginative mind. You could hear the words WWWEENNNDDDIIGGOOOOO!!! WWWeeenndddiiigggooo!!! WWWWeeennndddiigggoooo!!!  

Groove's Faves: War of the Worlds by Claremont, Montano, and Castrillo

Happy Halloween, Groove-ophiles! Before you head to the parties, or start handing out candy, or settle down with your horror flick of choice, c'mon in to Groove City where we're gonna do a bit o'time-traveling--and we don't even need a TARDIS. Ready? Let's boogie!

Some call it history some call it myth, but Orson Welles' adaptation of H.G. Wells' WAR OF THE WORLDS scared the holy hoo-hah out of hundreds (at least) of folks back on October 30, 1938. Orson Welles, martians, alien invasions, and Wells' War of the Worlds itself became both comicbook staples...and Halloween legend. So today we're tying it all together with a Groovy Age bow. Or should that be "boo"?

In 1976, Marvel's Classics Comics series got around to publishing their own adaptation of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds with Marvel Classics Comics #14. The novel-length (48 page) adaptation is top-notch, written by Chris Claremont (by then a cult fave with the All-New, All-Different--but not yet sales champ--X-Men) with art by Yong Montano and Dino Castrillo. Keeping the X-Men connection going, the martians and their tripods were designed by Chris' X-Men co-conspirator Dave Cockrum--who also inked the fab-a-mundo Gil Kane penciled cover.

It's all treat with no tricks, baby! Here's Marvel's War of the Worlds!

For more War of the Worlds wonderment in all its forms, you must visit the far-out War of the Worlds site--and tell 'em Ol' Groove sent ya!