The Critical Guide to
the Warren Illustrated Magazines
1964-1983
by Uncle Jack
& Cousin Peter
Frazetta |
"Family Reunion!" ★
Story by Archie Goodwin
Art by Joe Orlando
"Untimely Tomb!" ★★1/2
Story by Archie Goodwin
Art by Angelo Torres
"Sand Doom" ★★1/2
Story by Archie Goodwin
Art by Al Williamson
"The Judge's House!" ★★
Story by Bram Stoker
Adapted by Archie Goodwin
Art by Reed Crandall
"Grave Undertaking" ★★★
Story by Archie Goodwin
Art by Alex Toth
"Revenge of the Beast!" ★★
Story by Archie Goodwin
Art by Gray Morrow
"Family Reunion!" |
"Untimely Tomb!" |
Though Archie may have dipped a little too much into the Poe bag for "Untimely Tomb!," it does have its share of creeps (the final panel is a keeper). It also has its share of head-scratchers. When Beamish and Stanford enter the tomb, the Doctor remarks that he certified the girl was dead so breaking the lock on the casket will do them no good. Stanford then points at the casket and remarks, "Look at the lock, doctor! It's already broken!" How the heck did little Sis manage to pick a lock that was on the outside of her coffin? Good trick, that! Angelo Torres's art is atmospheric and typifies how good the old EC artists can look, even in black and white, a decade later.
"Sand Doom" |
Peach and Thwackum, two very English undertakers, are experiencing a bit of a lull in business. People have stopped dying. Enter Dr. Ryder, a surgeon who needs fresh corpses to dissect and study, with a rich proposition for the two morticians: ten pounds for each body delivered, the fresher the better. With no one coming in the door, Thwackum and Peach must visit the local graveyard for stiffs and, when a grave-digger interrupts their work, they find that murder can fill a coach just as well.
"Grave Undertaking" |
If "Grave Undertaking" reminds one of EC, then the silly Native-American-revenge/monster-thriller, "Revenge of the Beast!," brings to mind the softer, code-approved pablum found in the Charlton horror titles. I appreciated the wild west setting but Gray Morrow's work almost seems lost in too much whites (though his final panel of battling werewolves is a stunner). On the letters page, a 17-year-old Bernie Wrightson begs for more full-length Frazetta just a few years before he'd start down a path that would see him become just as respected and imitated as Frazetta himself. And, for the first time, readers could join the Uncle Creepy Fan Club for the princely sum of a buck. That pittance would grant you a lifetime membership and you would receive a pin, membership card, and a portrait of Uncle Creepy, painted by Frank Frazetta. Sign me up! -Peter
Jack: I'm a bit worried that Creepy is already this bad after only five issues. "The Judge's House!" is the only story that was even close to interesting, and it was an adaptation from Stoker. Poor Archie Goodwin was overworked and underpaid and the repetitive tales bear that out. One question: with all this great art, why put the Joe Orlando story first in the issue? It's easily the worst drawn. I'm with Peter on loving the pages by Toth, but the surrounding stories feature some pretty fine art as well. If only the writing held up.
Frazetta |
"Viet-Cong!"★★1/2
Story by Archie Goodwin
Art by Joe Orlando
"Aftermath!"★★★1/2
Story by Archie Goodwin
Art by Angelo Torres
"Flying Tigers!"★★1/2
Story by Archie Goodwin
Art by George Evans
"Long View!"★★★
Story by Archie Goodwin
Art by Gray Morrow
"Cantigny!"★★★1/2
Story by Archie Goodwin
Art by Reed Crandall
"Mad Anthony!"★★
Story by Archie Goodwin
Art by Tex Blaisdell, Russ Jones, & Maurice Whitman
"Enemy!"★★★★
Story by Archie Goodwin
Art by John Severin
"Viet Cong!" |
In October 1965, the U.S. was getting bogged down in Vietnam but it was still early days, and the population as a whole had not yet started to engage in mass resistance and protests. DC War Comics were focused on WWII and, while the comics that month were very good (see our review here), they were not taking the same anti-war perspective that this first story in Blazing Combat asserts. Goodwin is no Harvey Kurtzman, and Joe Orlando is still not my first choice for anything, but the story is ahead of its time.
"Aftermath!" |
Torres is just right for this very EC-like story of the foolishness of war. At first, it seems to be going down one path, with the soldiers getting along, but I liked how the disagreement between them sprang almost from nothing and escalated quickly to a fatal finish. So far, Goodwin's war stories are impressing me more than his horror stories.
"Flying Tigers!" |
I do like when a comic book story inspires me to go online and learn a little bit more about history, as this one did. George Evans's art is flawless, and he is the go-to guy for stories involving air battle, whether they are in the 1950s at EC, the 1960s at Warren, or the 1970s at DC. I'm happy to report that the decline in his work we are seeing in the '70s is not apparent as of 1965.
"Long View!" |
More so than "Viet-Cong!," this story reminds me of something Kurtzman might have written at EC during the Korean War. Gray Morrow's art doesn't feel exactly right for a war story, but the narrative is strong and the message is clear. The fighting is depicted more violently than it was at DC in the fall of 1965.
American soldiers like George and Kansas arrived in France in June 1917 but didn't see combat for almost a year. While digging trenches outside "Cantigny!" they are summoned to attack Germans in the village. They make their way through fog and smoke, following a French tank into Cantigny, but all they find is a town that has been destroyed by shelling. Looking for a quiet spot to write a letter home, Kansas wanders into a gutted building and comes face to face with an injured German soldier. The two trade fatal gunshots and, later, George takes Kansas's letter book in order to complete the letter his dead friend never got to write.
"Cantigny!" |
Every story Reed Crandall draws is a treat, and this is no exception. There is a wonderful sequence where Kansas is nearly buried under a pile of dirt after an explosion that foreshadows his death a few pages later. Once again, Goodwin successfully conveys the futility of war and the way it never seems to go as planned.
"Mad Anthony!" |
The art by the trio of Blaisdell, Jones, and Whitman looks out of place in this issue next to the work of Torres, Evans, Morrow, and Crandall, but somehow by the end of the story it works, perhaps because we've grown used to tales of the American Revolution being told in an old-fashioned way. The story is entertaining and the revenge carefully measured out. At five pages, it's the shortest story in the magazine ("Viet-Cong!" and "Enemy!" are seven pages and the others all run six), and the length seems just right for the content.
"Enemy!" |
That last panel really got me in the gut! John Severin is certainly among the best artists at drawing war stories--he can draw battle action and pathos equally well. I thought this gritty tale was the best of the bunch in an excellent issue and I'm looking forward to reading more Blazing Combat!-Jack
Peter: In the Jon Cooke/David Roach-edited The Warren Companion (TwoMorrows, 2001, page 40), Jim Warren declares that he was prouder of Blazing Combat than anything else he had ever published. It was ground-breaking; the first comics title to tackle the Vietnam war when it was a big no-no to do so. Warren also reveals that the short run of the title had to do with distributors cutting the title out due to its controversial view that our involvement in the war was wrong. Given that it's the pride of the publisher and under the watchful eye of super-editor Archie Goodwin, I'm surprised at how cold it left me. Archie does his best to get the "War is Hell" message across in each and every one of the seven tales but, to me, it comes off as preachy, something that Harvey avoided most of the time in Frontline and Two-Fisted. Only "Aftermath!" and, to a lesser extent, "Enemy!" come across as well-told tales that just happen to be about the horror and futility of war. It's nice to see that Archie was able to round up several of the Two-Fisted/Frontline gang, but perhaps what's needed is a bit of a helping hand in the script department. Don't get me wrong; my disappointment comes in comparing Blazing to the earlier EC titles. It's still miles above most of the pablum that was being presented by DC and the other code-approved publishers. Let's see how things shape up next issue.
Frazetta |
"The Thing in the Pit!" ★1/2
Story by Larry Ivie
Art by Gray Morrow
"Thumbs Down!" ★★★
Story by Anne T. Murphy
Art by Al Williamson
"Adam Link in Business!" ★
Story by Otto Binder
Art by Joe Orlando
"The Cask of Amontillado!" ★★★
Story by Edgar Allan Poe
Adapted by Archie Goodwin
Art by Reed Crandall
"The Stalkers" ★★★
Story by Archie Goodwin
Art by Alex Toth
"Abominable Snowman!" ★★★
Story by Bill Pearson
Art by John Severin
"Gargoyle" ★1/2
Story by Archie Goodwin & Roy Krenkel
Art by Angelo Torres
"The Thing in the Pit!" |
"Thumbs Down!" |
Reed Crandall's insanely detailed splash for "Amontillado" |
The adaptations continue, but Reed Crandall's "The Cask of Amontillado!" is fine wine compared to Adam Link's Dr. Pepper. It's the classic tale of Montresor and Fortunato and the shenanigans they get up to over family pride and a fine wine. Of the handful of artists who would visualize Poe's terrors for us in the pages of Creepy and Eerie, none were as detailed and painstaking as Reed Crandall (though Bernie Wrightson may be "1B" to Reed's "1A"). Just gaze upon his splashes for evidence. The story would be dusted off and re-imagined by Martin Salvador in #70 (the second-part of a two-issue "All Edgar Allan Poe" special), but there's no comparison in quality.
Alex Colby imagines that a squad of alien beings is stalking him, showing up at the most inopportune times to ruin his social life. Alex finally decides to see a psychiatrist but it doesn't go well when the shrink transforms into one of "The Stalkers" midway through the session. Colby awakens from the madness to discover he's actually one of the aliens who's been on Earth too long and can't mentally shirk his human guise. A nice twist in the tail and some fabulous Toth art. Alex Toth was a lot like Will Eisner in that he wasn't comfortable with the typical six- to eight-panel page layout and always managed to pull off something memorable. In fact, the splash for "The Stalkers" reminds one of Eisner's classic Spirit intros, with the title almost becoming part of the scene.
John Severin joins his old company-mates at last with "Abominable Snowman!," a literally chilling adventure with a nifty twist in its finale. A group of Yeti-hunters are picked off one by one by what most perceive as "dumb apes," but the furry creatures are proving they may be more intelligent than their human stalkers. Severin still applies that strong, square chin to every character he draws, which is appropriate here since the group is made up of machismo-oozing dolts. So, what had "Jovial" John been up to in the decade since EC closed its doors? Like Joe Maneely and Russ Heath, Severin bounced back and forth between Atlas/Marvel and a heck of a lot of work for the chief MAD rip-off, Cracked (a magazine which begs a second look, if only for the quality of its contributors).
The last story this issue, "Gargoyle," is a lackluster affair, with a boring script and so-so art by Angelo Torres. Gerba, the dwarf, seems to know the power of turning stone into gold. He can also bring gargoyles to life to do his evil bidding. But the latter is not as important as the former to alchemist, Valdeux, who ingratiates himself into the dwarf's life and then betrays the little guy, only to discover the true secret of the gargoyle. A limp climax to a strong issue. On the letters page, future Warren contributor Frank Brunner weighs in on issue #5. -Peter
More Crandall... just because we can! |
Next Week... The Boys are Back in Town But can they recapture the old magic? |
And in two weeks... |
10 comments:
Was it really necessary to spice A Cask of Amontillado up with another ending of revenge from beyond? Which is not in the original Poe. Was it mandatory that the evil guys had to get their punishment? Weird. But the art is wonderful.
Adam Link is truly awful. They put a robot on the electric chair? Huh?
The sameness of the stories is noticable. At least there was no vampire or werewolf this time.
I sampled most of DC's war comics, but I never came upon an issue of Blazing Combat.
The Dark Horse reprint also features the ads. I wonder if they really send you a monkey with cage and leash for 20 bucks :-) Venus Fly Trap I believe in a second, but a live animal?
"Family Reunion" reminds me much of "Twin Bill" from EC's The Vault of Horror #36, with the 2 murdered people fusing together into a two headed corpse and coming back for revenge. Although Twin Bill had the amazing art and atmosphere of Johnny Craig, whose still yet to appear in Warren (but will be here soon!), versus the mediocre job done by Joe Orlando. I agree with the wonder of why he of all artists gets to lead the issue several times. On the subject of Crandall, I do think he had improved a bit from his EC days now that we're here in the early days of Warren, although he is the EC artist that I remember above all others that has a big decline in his work later on, which we'll see as we get to some of his stories in the 70s (I'd say around the late 40's/50's of Creepy).
Overall though I think Creepy #5 is probably the best issue yet, with excellent art jobs from everyone other than Orlando, and the first Warren appearance of Alex Toth, who did a few war stories for EC, but never a horror one. Surprisingly enough, Toth ends up being the former EC artist that lasts the absolute longest at Warren; he'll have many lengthy absenses but I think they still had stome stories of his going into issue 120+ of Creepy.
I think your credit for "Mad Anthony" is wrong, it wasn't Jeff Jones, but rather (now former) Warren editor Russ Jones who got part of the credit for that story. I think that same art team shows up in an issue or two of Creepy, with a mediocre job again. Also, this story is 6 pages, not 5. It has an intro page before the title, maybe you missed that. Anyway, overall this is a fairly good issue of Blazing Combat, and I'd agree with you on your choice for best story of the issue.
Creepy #6 I think is slightly weaker than Creepy #5, but does at least have what I'd consider the best Creepy cover yet (Roy Krenkel also helped Frazetta with this one). I enjoy "The Thing in the Pit" quite a lot, especially the artwork. Those two mutants are quite crazy! "Thumbs Down!" is a decent story with good art, but what I'll always remember most about it is the absurd amount of times that Warren will reprint this story. Perhaps reprinted more than any other story from my recollection. Quality stuff from Toth, Severin and Torres here too. As for Adam Link, we're finally over with them redoing the stories EC already did, but the quality will continue to be quite mediocre.
Quid-
You're right about the two errors. "Mad Anthony" is a six-pager and, even though the GCD lists Jeff Jones as artist (signing his work as Russ Jones for some reason), David Horne notes that Jeff Jones lists his first published work as "Angel of Doom" in Creepy #16. I'll correct that credit and thanks for bringing it to our attention!
Andy-
Never ordered any animals but I did order a whopping 18 back issues of FM for Christmas of 72 (or rather, my mom did). I've still got the mailing box! 35 cents to send four pounds from New York to California. Those were the days!
I think monkeys were no longer an option by the time I was reading comics and magazines, but if you want to find out about what folks received when they mailed away for such things, I highly recommend MAIL-ORDER MYSTERIES by Kirk Demarais.
Warren's Captain Company was wonderful. At the end of the 70s I ordered the Robert Lory's Dracula novels from Pinnacle, some issues of Comix International and the lifesize Vampirella poster from overseas. First time I tried something like that. Back then it was even 4 to 6 weeks until the money arrived at the company in the US and the charge was steep. Still they delivered. The poster has vanished in the mists of time, but I still have the novels and the comics 40 years later.
John-
Thanks for the tip! This looks good.
Andy! I feel like I may have bought super 8 movies from the back of Warren mags in the early '70s before I discovered Ken Films and Blackhawk Films catalogs. My Warren purchases were limited to The Spirit and Famous Monsters, but I dug those groovy ads!
It's just the opposite with me. I bought every Warren magazine EXCEPT The Spirit, but that wasn't from any dislike of it.
That's funny. I probably started buying The Spirit after seeing Will Eisner give a long slideshow at the '74 Seuling Con in NYC. He spent over an hour showing slides of his Spirit splash pages to a packed room.
Wow....I just bought the paperback of Blazing Combat and read issue #1 today. I decided to Google reviews for it on blogs and lo and behold my old friends from Marvel University popped up. Nice to see you guys still going strong!
Peter, I loved the first issue. If you say the stories in Frontline and Two Fisted are even better then I know what my next purchases will be. Hope everyone is doing well.
Welcome back, Tom! Good to hear from you and hope you're doing well. If you want to read our feelings about the EC war titles, you're in luck and it's absolutely free. Just scroll through the past two or three years of bare bones website. We dissected every single issue of every single title EC issued! It was a lot of fun to do so.
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