HEROES FOR HIRE - CHARLTON COMIC'S VENGEANCE SQUAD !!!

Charlton Comic's Vengeance Squad ran a moderately successful six issues with the last two issues of the series reprinted under the Modern Comics imprint. The Squad consisted of Eric Redd, Candy Orr & Tulsa Coyle. Most of the stories were written by prolific scribe Joe Gill with great artwork by Pete (Thunderbolt) Morisi.

I always liked the Vengeance Squad, a nice mix of mystery and martial arts. This was a welcome addition since the Fightin' 5 disappeared.

The Vengeance Squad was a private investigation/security agency run by Eric Redd, an ex-Treasury agent, who served six years in a federal prison on a bum rap after he gathered evidence against "a labor biggie." He "graduated from the slammer with a magna cum laude in crime...and an enduring hatred for most criminals!" Aiding and abetting Redd in his cases were Candy Orr,  "a policewoman who learned that justice doesn't always triumph", and Tulsa Coyle, a "burly Vietnam veteran" who loves violence most, next to Candy.

The Vengeance Squad seems to take on criminals without resorting to firearms, although there seems to be a lot of karate kicks and judo chops flying around, not to mention a lot of high-tech (for the time) equipment. The Squad must be doing well, though, because they work out of a mansion in the Palisides area and Eric has a collection of antique automobiles. 

 

Vengeance Squad  #1
"Tycoon for the Taking"
Written by Joe Gill with cover and story Frank Bolle artwork.
"The Inheritance"
All Mike Mauser stories written by Nicola Cuti with art by Joe Staton.
Mike Mauser back-up feature.

 

Vengeance Squad  #2
"The Informer"
Written by Joe Gill with cover & story artwork by Pete Morisi (PAM.) 
"The Hit"
Mike Mauser back-up feature.

Vengeance Squad  #3
"The Octopus"
Leo Mench, The Octopus and his mob try to take over Candy Orr's hometown.
Written by Joe Gill with cover & story artwork by Pete Morisi (PAM.)
"The Understudy"
Michael Mauser is hired to determine who is trying to kill actress Hilda Collier.
 

 Vengeance Squad  #4
"Satana's Paradise" 
Written by Joe Gill with cover & story artwork by Pete Morisi (PAM.)
"Cement Galoshes"
Mike Mauser text story.  
"To Be Frank"
Mike Mauser back-up feature.  
 

 Vengeance Squad  #5
"Death is Driving"
The Vengeance Squad takes on Mr. Poleau and his Heroin smuggling ring.
"The Frame" 
Mauser is hired to retrieve a painting.
"Rule of Fear"
Text story with illustrations reprinted from Vengeance Squad #3 and #4 stories.

Vengeance Squad  #6  Candy Orr has been taken prisoner! Could the Vengeance Squad save her from certain death?
"The Diamond Queen"
The Vengeance Squad is hired as security by Stefanie Otokopoulos.
Written by Joe Gill with cover & story artwork by Pete Morisi (PAM.)  
"The Big Pigeon"
Vengeance Squad text story.
"Gangwar"
Mauser must find the vigilante who is starting a Gangwar.
 

This Modern Comics series reprinted the same Vengeance Squad comics from Charlton. According to some reports, all issues were published at the same time. According to other reports, these were produced to be sold specifically in comic 3-packs.

The Mike Mauser stories were reprinted in First Comic's The Original E-Man and Mike Mauser #2, #3, #5 & #7 comic books.  

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MURDER TO A JAZZ BEAT -- PETER GUNN !!!

A favorite of mine, among suave private eyes is Peter Gunn. It was first a television show and a few years later, a movie. The Dell Comic's Four Color #1087 comic book stories were written by the prolific Paul S. Newman with Mike (Justice League of America) Sekowsky & Frank (Sherlock Holmes) Giacoia artwork.

Peter Gunn, played by Craig Stevens, is a well-dressed private investigator whose hair is always in place and who loves cool jazz. Where other gumshoes might be coarse, Gunn is a sophisticate with expensive tastes. He operates in a nameless, fictional riverfront city and can usually be found at Mother's, a smoky wharfside jazz club that he uses as his "office", often meeting clients there. Petef's standard fee is $1,000. He has a reputation of being one of the best investigators and trustworthy. He sometimes works cases out of the state and on at least one occasion out of country, with one case occurring in Mexico and another involving a tour of Western Europe.

Peter Gunn's girlfriend, Edie Hart (Lola Albright), is a sultry singer employed at Mother's; she later opens her own place. His pet name for Edie is "Silly". Herschel Bernardi costarred as Lieutenant Jacoby, a police detective and friend of Gunn. Occasionally he refers people to Gunn as clients. Hope Emerson appeared as "Mother", who had been a singer and piano player in speakeasies during Prohibition. For the second season, "Mother" was played by Minerva Urecal. Bill Chadney played Emmett, the piano player at Mother's.

Four Color #1087  Pete tries to stop a postage stamp counterfeiter, and gets a parcel of trouble - special delivery!
"Previews"
Preview of the two Peter Gunn stories in the issue.
"The Harmless Hobby"
Peter Gunn's friend Doc Clipp has taken up a hobby in retirement, making counterfeits of old stamps for his own enjoyment. This draws the attention of both the Stamp Dealers Association, which offers him $10,000 to stop making the copies, and a counterfeiting gang, which abducts him and wants him to make fake stamps for them to peddle.
"The Purple Clue"
Peter and Edie are on their way to see a client of Peter's when they are forced off the road by a purple car. Peter and Edie are picked up by Lt. Jacoby, who is then called to a big chemical plant fire. The plant's owner Jason Colby says his former partner Porter Brandon is responsible for the fire. A plant guard says a purple car was seen going from the plant right before the fire. Gunn checks out Brandon's car, but it's green, not purple. However Gunn catches Brandon in a lie while questioning him and has to find evidence linking him to the purple car.
"William J. Burns"
Facts about the life of William J. Burns, late 19th and early 20th Century detective.
Back-up Peter Gunn Private Eye Pioneers feature.  
"Allen Pinkerton"
Facts about Allen Pinkerton, 19th Century detective. Abraham Lincoln cameo.
Back cover Peter Gunn Private Eye Pioneers feature.  

A feature film, Gunn, was released by Paramount in 1967 scripted by Blake (The Pink Panther) Edwards & William Peter (The Exorcist) Blatty, directed by Edwards with Craig Stevens reprising the title role, six years after the television series finished.

In addition to the comic book, Peter Gunn came out as an original novel by noted mystery writer Henry Kane.   
 

The music of Peter Gunn, by the great Henry Mancini was the best, top notch, as you'd expect. It's cool jazz to read by. The television score is still out there on CD, but all I've found for the movie soundtrack is on vinyl with a fantastic movie poster cover. I still love listening to as much as I do Ennio Morricone's Man with No Name soundtracks.  

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YOU CAN'T RUN AWAY FROM HAWAIIAN EYE !!!

"The soft island breeze brings you strange melodies
And they tell of exotic mysteries under the tropical spell of
Hawaiian Eye. Hawaiian Eye. Hawaiian Eye.

Where love and adventure await
This is your fate and you can not stray from
You can't run away from
Hawaiian Eye. Hawaiian Eye. Hawaiian Eye."

Gold Key published Hawaiian Eye, a private detective comic book based on the television series. It contained two stories drawn by Jesse (John Carter of Mars) Marsh with a photo cover & pin-up photo back cover.

Private investigator Tracy Steele (Anthony Eisley) and his half-Hawaiian partner, Tom Lopaka (Robert Conrad), own Hawaiian Eye, a combination detective agency and private security firm, located in Honolulu, Hawaii. Their principal client is the Hawaiian Village Hotel, which in exchange for security services, provides the agency with a luxurious private compound on the hotel grounds.

Television cast sheet!

The partners investigate mysteries and protect clients with the sometime help of photographer Cricket Blake (Connie Stevens), who also sings at the hotel's Shell Bar, and a ukulele-playing cab driver Kim Quisado (Poncie Ponce), who has "relatives" throughout the islands. Engineer turned detective Greg McKenzie (Grant Williams), joins the agency later on as a full partner, while hotel social director Philip Barton (Troy Donahue) lends a hand after Tracy Steele departs.

Hawaiian Eye #1   Phil Barton & Tom Lopaka trail a mystery girl and a man with time to kill!
"The Case of the Brunette Blonde"

Artwork by Jesse (Tarzan) Marsh.
"Glitter of Guilt"
Artwork by Jesse Marsh.
Jack (Tiger Girl) Sparling provided art for a couple of the Keys of Knowledge features. 

While there was only one issue, there was a Hawaiian Eye Dell paperback novel by Frank Castle. Frank Castle wrote pulp crime novels and Westerns. He also used the pseudonyms Val Munroe and Steve Thurman.

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