Friday, April 29, 2016

FLASH GORDON IN DANGER - TO RESCUE DALE !!!


Flash Gordon is the hero of a space opera adventure comic strip originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by and created to compete with the already established Buck Rogers adventure strip.














Flash Gordon #15  In Danger In The Land Of Djale
"In the Land of Djale"
A bizarre vessel touches down on the fabled skycity of the Hawkmen to carry out the daring kidnapping of Dale Arden. 
Cover & interior art by Pat Boyette.
"Fighting the Ferocious Fire"
Death Defiler text story.
"Destiny's Eye"
Written by Joe Gill with art by Don Perlin.
"In the Land of Djale Part 2" 
Flash Gordon frantically searches for the captive Dale. 
Cover & interior art by Pat Boyette.





The original.
The facsimile edition!
Flash Gordon Strange Adventure Magazine was a pulp magazine which was launched in December 1936. Published by Harold Hersey, it was an attempt to cash in on the growing comics boom, and the popularity of the Flash Gordon comic strip in particular. The magazine contained a novel about Flash Gordon and three unrelated stories with eight full-page color illustrations. Cover artist unknown, but probably Fred Meagher. The quality of both the artwork and the fiction was low and the magazine lasted only one issue. It is now extremely rare. A facsimile of the magazine was released as a book in 2005.


This issue was reprinted in Flash Gordon Comic Book Archives Volume 3. The great cover of issue #18 was used for the Archives' slipcover. Also, here's the original Pat Boyette artwork for the awesome cover of Flash Gordon #15.
 Live Large My Friends!

Thank You! 
One of Boyette's finest work for me, was "Children of Doom" from Charlton Premiere #2. Written by Denny O'Neil. Love Boyette's cutting edge work with panel layouts. He also used a combination of black & white and color.

Here he is featured in Vanguard's Tales from the Edge #14. Cover painting by Boyette. It also featured an intro by Alex Toth.
A story of his from Seaboard's Weird Tales of the Macabre #2. This magazine also featured an early cover painting by Boris Vallejo!
A nice cover painting of his. 

Thursday, April 28, 2016

BEWITCHING VAMPIRELLA OF DRACULON COMES TO BEDEVIL EARTH !!!


Who didn't swoon over this cover when Vampirella #1 came out. I know I did. Then I opened the pages - and really went wild. This was terrific stuff!

Vampirella was originally presented as an inhabitant of the planet Drakulon, a world where a vampiric race lived on blood and where blood flowed in rivers.
The mast Frank Frazetta Vampirella.
Couple of nice Bruce Timm Vampirellas


The story begins with the inhabitants of Drakulon dying slowly due to the drying up of its blood. The last few lie dying when a spaceship from Earth crashes on the planet. Vampirella, sent to investigate, is attacked. Retaliating, she discovers that the astronauts have blood in their veins. In order for her race to survive, she manages to pilot the ship back to Earth where her adventures begin. She becomes a "good" vampire, and devotes her energy to ridding our world of the evil kind.





Vampirella #1
Stunning Frank Frazetta cover. By the way, did you know his original drawing started out with Vampirella naked? I didn't until just a year or two ago. 
"Vampirella of Draculon"
Written by Forrest J. (The Frankenscience Monster paperback) Ackerman with art by Tom (Monster Hunters) Sutton.
Original origin of Vampirella. Not wearing her 'usual' costume at this point.
Additional supernatural stories by fantastic writers Don (Empire Strikes Back tie-in novel) Glut & Nicola (E-Man) Cuti, along with accomplished artists Neal (Deadman) Adams, Billy (Sabre) Graham, Reed (Flash Gordon) Crandall, Mike (Magnus Robot Fighter) Royer, Ernie (911 Report) Colon & Tony (Werewolf) Tallarico.


Hyde-25 #0
"Vampirella of Draculon"
Written by Forrest J. Ackerman with art by Tom Sutton.
Colored reprint of first origin story for Vampirella. Costume worn by character differs from costume used in Frazetta cover art and later stories.

Since the 1st issue is pricey, here's a way to relive the excitement!
Vampirella Collector's Edition #1
"Vampirella of Draculon"
Written by Forrest J. Ackerman with art by Tom Sutton.
Squarebound reprint of Vampirella #1. Nice treatment!  

Best thing Dynamite ever did, reprinting this series, even with ads!
Vampirella Archives Volume One
"Vampirella of Draculon"
Written by Forrest J. Ackerman with art by Tom Sutton.
Reprints Vampirella #1 through #7, with some of the ads as well. 

Couple of foreign editions of Vampirella.


Vampirella of Draculon is a comic book vampire superheroine created by Forrest J Ackerman and comic book artist Trina Robbins. Writer-editor Archie Goodwin later developed the character from horror-story hostess, in which capacity she remained through issue #8.

Stunning Paul Gulacy cover for Vampirella #85.
More recently, a fine looking Gulacy print.
Ackerman created, or at least had a strong hand in creating, Vampirella and he clearly had a major influence in shaping the lighthearted bad-girl story style of this issue as well. Her costume and hair style were designed by Robbins.


Vampirella was ranked 35th in Comics Buyer's Guide's "100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list.

Great good girl artist, Mark Beachum illustration of Vampirella.
Had to have it when I saw this cover! Terrific!

There was a series of six Vampirella novels written by legendary writer Ron (Challengers of the Unknown novel, numerous The Avenger novels) Goulart worth checking out.
They are filled with the typical Vampirella trappings, including Van Helsing, the Great Pendragon and drinks a blood substitute serum so she won't have to kill to survive.

Live Large My Friends!

Thank You!
Sweet Adam Highes Vampirella cover.
Neal Adams' story blew me away. It was superb to see him in a new light! Black and white!