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Anthony R Cardno

@talekyn

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The October 11th Random #ComicBook #BackIssue Reread: Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery 65 (1975). Cover: George Wilson Writers: unknown Pencillers: John Celardo, Eddie Robbins, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez Inkers: same, except 1 Celardo story inked by Wendy Ippolito Colorists & Letterers: unknown (except Celardo lettered the 2 stories he drew). Editor: Paul Kuhn.

Another fun issue of this classic horror anthology series. All four stories have classic twists. In the first story the dismissive male lead scientist is rescued by his female assistant, which feels kinda progressive for 1975, especially considering the second story has a mother and son both wishing on a shooting star for a man to take care of the other one (new husband/father) which if course comes true by the story's end even if they do save themselves. The second story is also a classic "misunderstanding with an alien species" tale. The third story I feel like I've read before somewhere (kid's mail-order sea monster becomes a real threat). Ditto with the final story (writing down a word in an almost lost Native Mexican language summons the Devil).

None of these stories feel particularly groundbreaking but the art on all four is excellent (particularly of course the JL Garcia-Lopez story), and they feel more fun and better developed than the stories in the Marvel Chillers issue I reread a few days ago. by @talekyn

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11 hours ago

Slightly belated #SquadronSaturday for October 10th's Random #ComicBook #BackIssue Reread: All-Star Squadron 55 - 57 (1985) Cover Artists: Arvell Jones & Tony deZuniga, Mike Clark & deZuniga; Clark & Jerry Acerno Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas Co-Writers: Dann Thomas (55), Gardner Fox (original Writer of the JSA solo segments in All-Star Comics 11) Pencillers: Jones, Tim Burgard, Clark, Mike Harris, Rick Hoberg, Rich Howell. Inkers: Vince Colletta, Burgard, deZuniga, Hoberg, Alfredo Alcala, Howell Letterer: David Cody Weiss Colorist: Carl Gafford

I've always had an interest in DC's historical action characters, so 55 is a standout for me because it includes The Black Pirate & son, The Viking Prince, and The Silent Knight, all of whom I was very familiar with at this point thanks to various 1970s reprints, as well as strengthening my interest in Miss America.

I liked 56 well enough at the time, but this reread makes me wish even more that Roy had written an original Seven Soldiers tale sometime dueing the Squadron run instead of doing another retelling. (Also, why does Shining Knight look drunk in that 1 panel?)

57's framing device works well enough to show us everyone's return from Crisis (and the time travel amnesia that ensued), around 3 of the JSA "lost in hyperspace" chapters that got bumped from previous issues.

Even with Roy's letters page announcement in 57 that this iteration of Squadron would be coming to an end within a year, I'm not sure I really understood at the time what it really meant. by @talekyn

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a day ago

Thanks to all of the cast at @kmhauntedmansion in Wappinger Falls for a ridiculously fun evening. No photos allowed once you're in the entirely outdoors event space, so this is all from the outside. Special thanks to the viking/skeleton/wildman who scared the bejeesus out of my Aunt Nancy. And to the family we trauma-bonded with before we even entered (mom, teen son who wants to be an actor, and Uncle Jimmy), if you see this: let's do this again next year!

I don't want to spoil anything, but the 45 minute walk takes you through almost every classic horror movie scenario. The scare actors and the effects are terrific. My nervous laughter was real. And one of the actors complimented me when I started to laugh like Dwight Frye in Dracula.

Highly recommended if you can get there! It runs through Nov. 1! by @talekyn

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2 days ago

Today on my website I interview actress and writer @callieschuttera . We talk about her new movie The Exit State (debuting at @screamfestla this week!), her acting and writing processes, and her favorite book. Direct Link in the first comment. Insta-folks, link to the website in my bio as always! Check it out. by @talekyn

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2 days ago

The October 9th Random #ComicBook #BackIssue Read: Weird Suspense 3 (1975) Cover: Dick Giordano Writer: Michael Fleisher Penciller/Inker/Letterer: Pat Boyette Colorist: unknown Editor: Jeff Rovin

Yep, I broke down and ordered the only Weird Suspense issue I've never resd or owned. I have to say, now that I've read them all, issue 2, the first one I read (back when I came out), is the best of the lot in terms of pacing and actual scares. This issue's hunting of the escaped criminals who invade Lycosa's house is reasonably suspenseful, but could have been longer. The same criminals' jailbreak took up way too many pages. And then half of the issue is the flashback to how the Lycosa line came to be cursed, followed by the final page back in the present with Lycosa's decision to move to the city (which will lead to manservant Joseph's death).

The Giordano cover is great, and the Boyette interior art is the best thing about all three issues.

So my ranking (if anyone cares) of the issues is: 2, 1, 3.

I've always wondered why more Atlas creators didn't take their characters to other companies the way Rick Buckler and Howard Chaykin did (with Demon Hunter/Devil Slayer, and The Scorpion/Dominic Fortune). This Tarantula would have fit in well with the 1970s Marvel horror line. A Tarantula/Frankenstein/Werewolf By Night/Tomb of Dracula crossover would have been epic. by @talekyn

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3 days ago

October 8th's Random #ComicBook #BackIssue Reread: Night Force 2 (1982) Cover: Gene Colan Writer/Editor: Marv Wolfman Penciller: Gene Colan Inker: Bob Smith Letterer: John Costanza Colorist: Adrienne Roy

As I mentioned when I posted about issue 1 a few months back, Night Foece is my sexond favorite Wolfman-Colan horror title (after Tomb of Dracula) and I've always wished it had done better saleswise and lasted longer. It's been revived a couple of times but always short runs. I loved that it was meant to have a rotating cast (other than Baron Winters and Merlin) and that characters could die unexpectedly. (This was long before shows like LOST and books like A Song of Ice and Fire made lead character deaths a common thing). And I loved all the mystery surrounding who Baron Winters was and why he was confined to his timey-wimey, bigger on the inside mansion.

Of course, the Gene Colan art is fantastic. I temember at the time wishing Tom Palmer had joined his Tomb of Dracula teammates on this book, but Bob Smith's inks are also great. by @talekyn

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4 days ago

October 7th's Random #ComicBook #BackIssue Read: Dark Shadows 16 (1972). Cover: George Wilson Writer: unknown (GCD says possibly D.J. Arneson or Merrie Spaeth) Art: Joe Certa Colorist: unknown Letterer: John Duffy Editor: Wally Green

I usually enjoy the old Dark Shadows issues, but this one is kind of a mess. Barnabas is being controlled by a seemingly immortal Egyptian wizard (named Potiphar. Like the guy in the Joseph story in the Bible, who was not a wizard). The story attempts to do the "Barnabas is being controlled! Oh no, how did this happen??" thing where the middle half of the issue is the flashback, which I often like, but in this case it just completely robs the story of any tension and also manages to be more confusing as to what's happening when than it really needed to be.

Art-wise, Joe Certa's choice to draw Barnabas's transformation to/from bat form (as well as Potiphar's scarab transformation) as a series of shrinking figures with no other noticeable differences feels odd. I couls be wrong but I don't remember seeing this (or commenting on it if I did) in amy other issues. by @talekyn

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5 days ago

Today over on my website, Writer Wednesday welcomes @zzclaybourne to chat about the upcoming conclusion to his Mother Khumalo trilogy, his inspirations and writing process, afrofuturism, and more. Link in the first comment. Insta-folks, link to my website in my bio as always! by @talekyn

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5 days ago

And since tonight was a Man From Atlantis rewatch nights that means October 6th's Random #ComicBook #BackIssue Reread is Man From Atlantis 4 (1978). Cover: Gil Kane & Tony DeZuniga Writer: Bill Mantlo Penciller: Frank Robbins Inker: Frank Springer Letterer: Irv Watanabe Colorist: Janice Cohen Editor: Archie Goodwin

The first issue of the comic to adapt an episode of the series, specifically "Killer Spores," the third of the original TV movies. I have to say, the story is tighter and makes more sense in comic book form: Mark's mad dash into the desert is resolved much more quickly (less random wandering by all three main characters), and we get to hear the Spores thoughts which clears up some of what they were motivating Mark to do. And the whole awkward "Mark on a NASA rocket minutes before launch" scene is cut as well.

Also: the comic actually touches on the departure of Miller Simon, which the TV series never did. (And apparently issue 5 will bring in CW Crawford, who has been missing from the comic so far.) by @talekyn

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6 days ago

My #ManFromAtlantis rewatch skipped last Tuesday. We were back tonight with "The Naked Montague" in which Mark is caught in an undersea avalanche and somehow transported to 14th Century Verona and thrust into the events of "Romeo and Juliet." Romeo is John Shea, Juliet is Lisa Eilbacher. Ahna Capri is the Nurse (young and interested in Mark), Friar Lawrence is Lewis Arquette. The script quotes a few lines from the play but puts them almost all in the wrong scenes. And of course, there's a happy ending!

Weirdly, despite half the season featuring Mark going through portals into other dimensions no one believes he's gone through time, and no one believes he's never read or seen the play.

One of the Cetacean crew (Jomo) gets to go outside the sub underwater and do something! I really wish the show had taken the time to develop the Cetacean crew (at least the four regulars) more. Some wasted character potential. Speaking of wasted, Alan Fudge had about the easiest series regular job in 70s TV. CW is once agaon there for exposition and nothing he does affects the development of the plot. (Although next week's episode is what these days we'd call a "CW-centric episode.")

John Shea, Ahna Capri, and Lewis Arquette all looked like they had a great time chewing the scenery, alongside Norman Snow as Tybalt. by @talekyn

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6 days ago

October 5th's Random #ComicBook #BackIssue Reread: Giant-Size Chillers 2 (1975) Cover: Gil Kane & John Romita. There are 10 stories in this issue, so please forgive me for just this once not listing everyone. I'll say that the writers include Linda Fite, Don McGregor, and Stan Lee. Artists include Ron Wilson, Paul Reinman, Bill Everett, Don Heck, and Carl Burgos.

This might be the only color comic Marvel true horror anthology issue I own (as in, a horror title that is a mix of new stories and reprints with no regular lead feature), although I've featured at least one B&W magazine anthology.

The stories are a very mixed bag. They're not all truly horror, but they all fit the bill of being "chillers:" read at the right age and in the right mood, a chill will crawl up the back of your neck. I'm sure when I first read these they were scarier; now they range from interesting to eerie to eye-rollingly predictable. Still tis season and all that. None of the twist endings made me jump or gasp, but several did make me smile in appreciation. by @talekyn

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7 days ago

October this Random #ComicBook #BackIssue Reread: Weird Suspense 3 (1975) Cover: Rich Buckler Writer: Gary Friedrich Artist and Letterer: Pat Boyette Colorist: unknown Editor: Larry Lieber (GCD says Rick Buckler drew and Alan Kupperberg lettered the first page, and based on how different the art looks from the rest of the issue, I'm inclined to agree.)

Reading this issue so soon after issue 2 gave me mental whiplash. In issue 2, it's clear Count Lycosa can control his transformation into Tarantula and choose his victims, and he's clearly the same person in either form. Other than angst about the curse itself, there was little internal conflict. This issue, it appears he can only transform at night, and has a completely different personality (akin to Bruce Banner and the Hulk). Also, Lycosa now has a job (investment counselor), a secretary who is in love with him, and a new manservant (the brother of the one killed in issue 2) who looks like Nigel Bruce. The villain in the issue is an angry young man who can bring inanimate objects to life to do his bidding and wants financial revenge on his father, one of Lycosa's customers. Also, the fight with the gargoyle on the cover never happens in the issue, which was disappointing.

The Boyette art is again perfect for the style of the story. I always liked him better on the horror comics than any of the super-hero or adventure books.

I also broke down and ordered a copy of Weird Suspense 1, the only issue in the run I don't own, to see if it's more like issue 2 or issue 3 (and plus, the completionist in me was withering over not having all 3 issues). by @talekyn

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8 days ago