The Marvel/Atlas
Horror Comics
February 1954 Part I
by Peter Enfantino
Adventures into Terror 28
“Cry Werewolf” (a: Joe Sinnott) ★★
“The Men in the Morgue” (a: Gene Colan) ★1/2
(r: Chamber of Chills #23)
“Insane” (a: Al Eadah) ★★
“The Smasher” (a: Myron Fass) ★
“Half-Man” (a: John Forte) ★★★
Hungarian soldier Jan Scheering becomes convinced that Hadjeck, his bunk-mate, is a werewolf but the rest of his fellow servicemen laugh at Scheering’s accusations. When Jan can take it no more, he drives a stake into Hadjeck’’s heart and watches as the man turns into a wolf and back again before dying. When his act is discovered, Jan is hauled out into the courtyard and shot, dying before witnessing the entire troop transform into werewolves. “Cry Werewolf” might be a tad predictable, but at least we have Joltin’ Joe’s comfortable graphics to see us through the journey. Our uncredited scripter throws in a seldom used method (the wooden stake!) for dispatching a lycanthrope.
In “The Men in the Morgue,” a pair of thieves rob a shop and then shoot a man in front of a morgue. Later, when the cops are searching for them, the murderers decide the morgue is a great place to hide. Too late, they discover their victim was the brother of the morgue attendant.Phil Jones is accused of being the “Vampire Killer” and hauled off to jail. Once a jury finds him guilty, he’s “given precedence” and will be executed the very next morning. Strapped to the chair, Phil is suddenly set free and told it was all a mistake; the real “Vampire Killer” has just been caught. But Phil is now “Insane” and he heads out onto the streets for easy prey, convinced he’s really a vampire. Hideous Eadah art sinks what would otherwise be a very readable story; Phil’s descent from average good guy with a wife and kid into a slobbering maniac is portrayed vividly and sympathetically.
Al Eadah is Frazetta compared to Myron Fass and “The Smasher” provides visual proof of that boast. Hank Girard is a crane operator obsessed with smashing down walls with one “boink,” and no safety-minded supervisor is standing in his way. So Hank disposes of the pesky super, but then later regrets his rash decision as ghostly hands operate his crane, using Hank as a wrecking ball. Deliriously stupid, “The Smasher” contains one of the most exaggerated uses of the evil co-worker cliche and, as noted, some of the ugliest penciling to be found in the Atlas pre-codes.
The wacky Prof makes good with the police but then runs afoul of Andy when he, once again, refuses to elaborate on the robot’s “missing part.” Andy strangles his creator and then breaks into the freezer, discovering a box containing a beating red thing. Placing it in his chest, Andy realizes he was in love with the dead dame, becomes dismayed, and throws himself off the roof. “Half-Man” is a funny and clever little tale that contains some sly dialogue (“And now, Andy, put these on! They’re clothes I had tailor-made for you! Incidentally… hee-hee, that’s the tailor’s flesh you’re wearing!”) and double-entendres. Through most of the narrative, my filthy mind is imagining just what part of Andy the crazy doc left off. Of course, when I learn it’s just his heart, I’m disappointed.
Adventures into Weird Worlds 26“Good-Bye Earth” (a: Paul Reinman) ★★★
“The Robot That Hated” (a: Al Eadah) ★★★
“The Edge of Madness” (a: Tony DiPreta) ★★★
“Menace from Mars!” (a: Chuck Winter) ★★
“The Dead” (a: Dick Ayers) ★★★1/2
To his chagrin, Harry Burns discovers his perfect world of job, wife, and children is a front. He’s actually the lead scout for an invasion of Earth by the planet of Sirius. At first, Harry refuses to believe the stranger who approaches him and informs him of his Sirian past but, gradually, the truth overwhelms him. Knowing his Earthling memory will soon be wiped away and his Sirian identity restored, Harry sits and details the planned invasion on paper before it’s too late. “Good-Bye Earth” has a downright depressing scenario; Harry seems like a very decent guy who will, very soon, become the foundation of an invasion that will, doubtless, cause the death of his wife and children. And his only out is a confession that probably won’t be believed.
Lefty Morton refuses to join the draft and fight Martians so he and two of his dopey buddies hijack a rocket ship and fly to Mars to offer up Earth’s weaknesses to the aliens (“So we’ll land on Mars an’ warn them that the Earth is preparin’ for war! They’ll reward us for that… an’ we’ll be doin’ our duty as communists…”). Once there, however, he finds an audience unwilling to listen and the three stooges are put to work digging ditches until they’re dead. A very silly sci-fi quickie (with a hilariously placed Red Scare dig that comes from out of the blue) enlivened by some choice Chuck Winter graphics.
Hal Jennings returns from a long vacation to discover “The Dead” have risen from their graves and moved into the houses of the living. That applies to the home where Hal and his family reside as well, and Hal discovers his deceased Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Frank have sequestered themselves upstairs in little Timmy’s room. What to do? The corpses are not violent but they refuse to leave; in death, Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Frank have become what they were in life: pesky relatives. Finally, Hal rounds up some of the heartier and courageous men of the village and the group confront the living corpses, telling them they are not wanted and should return to their eternal resting places. With frowns, the dead turn their heels, pass the graveyard, and head out of town. But where have they gone to? Is this just a regional event? And, as Hal’s wife exclaims, “I’m afraid! Because wherever they went… they’re waiting for us! All of us will go to them some day, and… good heavens… then what will they do to us?”
Though I’d have preferred a DiPreta sheen to what Dick Ayers comes up with, I think “The Dead” is a magnificently melancholy melodrama, built on a simple foundation but imbued with a deep sense of dread. Why did these bodies rise from their graves to march home to relatives? The ambiguity is maddening but delicious. “The Dead” is very similar to the French TV series, Les Revenants. One of the all-around best issues of AIWW.
Astonishing 30“The Eyes” (a: Pete Tumlinson) ★★★
“The Rulers of Earth” (a: Joe Sinnott) ★★1/2
“The Death of Me” (a: Al Carreno) ★★
“The Future of Oswald Flush!” (a: Ed Winiarski) ★
“Until You Are… Dead!” (a: Tony DiPreta) ★
No one seems to know what to do about the giant killer eyeballs that have risen from the sea to terrorize coastal towns. One look at the big eyes and humans are reduced to puddles of water! Jerry King, editor of the Daily Herald, is pondering his latest editorial when a man bursts in, explaining that he knows what the creatures really are. Jerry follows the man back to a cemetery and witnesses a ghoulish scene: the eyes dig their way into fresh graves and rob the corpses of the peepers. Jerry almost tosses his cookies but keeps his wits about him long enough to make it back to his girlfriend’s place.
“The Eyes” is unashamedly goofy, asking us to please not judge it on its literary merits. I can certainly do that now and then when the material is entertaining and “The Eyes” is, without a doubt, entertaining and imaginative. No origin for the monsters is given nor is one needed. These are eyeballs that rob graves to pad their numbers. What other explanation do you need? “The Eyes” is also the inspiration for the wild and gory Joe Maneely cover, which clearly demonstrates that Stan was keeping an eye on his competition.
In the 27th Century, aliens from another world invade and become “The Rulers of Earth.” The people look to their strong and wise leader for guidance but the man seems to be following the credo of “looking out for number one,” and advises his fellow man to bow to the aliens’ subjugation and willingly become their slaves. But, once the takeover is complete, the leader shows his ace card and mankind is free again. Upbeat science fiction tale with some sharp graphics by Sinnott. “The Death of Me” concerns an old man who swears he’ll outlive the relatives who gather like vultures, waiting for the big day when the will is read. Unfortunately, in the end, the man is the last one standing and finds he cannot die. There are some genuinely creepy moments in “The Death of Me” (especially that moody splash, worthy of EC Comics) but the story is just too much old news.
“The Slug!” (a: Russ Heath) ★★
“Where the Vampire Flies” (a: Robert Q. Sale) ★★
“The Man Who Owned a World” (a: Vic Carrabotta & Jack Abel) ★1/2
“The Right Bait” (a: Vic Carrabotta) ★1/2
“The Star Men!” (a: Dick Ayers) ★★★
Night after night, Frank has horrific nightmares of a huge slug. The images and lack of sleep are driving the man to the brink of insanity. And that’s just what Frank’s greedy brother, Moss, wants to accelerate in order to inherit all of Frank’s wealth. Turns out Moss is a master of hypnotism and he’s creating the nightmares in Frank’s head but, in the end, the nightmare becomes reality. Russ Heath perfectly captures the oncoming madness in Frank’s darkened eyes and gaunt features. If only the script was something a little more original.
Abusive step-father George hijacks a large parcel addressed to his step-son and, upon opening, discovers it’s a toy from the future. The game allows its owner to create a world within a fish bowl. George decides to use the tool to gain revenge upon all those who have kept him down in his life but, of course, the toy backfires and traps George in the make-believe world. With an unfocused and confusing script and awful art, “The Man Who Owned a World” is a story best skipped. In “The Right Bait,” a bloodthirsty big game hunter (is there any other kind?) discovers a cave full of treasure but the booty comes with a high price. Back-to-back Carrabotta is not a formula for success.
“Earth” (a: Joe Sinnott) ★★★★
“The Mummy Lives!” (a: Tony DiPreta) ★★
“Getaway!” (a: Dick Ayers) ★★★
“The Specimen” (a: Chuck Winter) ★★
“The Voice From Venus” (a: Robert Q. Sale) ★★1/2
After a ten-year mission to Mars, the two surviving members of a space expedition can’t wait to get back to “Earth” and her lush green forests and non-synthetic air. Alas, once they arrive, the men are quarantined aboard the ship due to the Martian disease they’ve carried back with them. The doctors can give no time frame for freedom and, realizing they could be experiencing Earth through a porthole for the rest of their lives, the two men commit suicide.
Perhaps Stan realized we’d need a breather after such a downer so he slotted “The Mummy Lives!” in the follow-up spot. A giant mummy named Ma-Tuk is discovered in an Egyptian tomb and expedition member Roger Kilgorn unearths the secret that makes him the mummy’s master. A lot of mummy-murders ensue and Kilgorn becomes a worldwide celebrity but, it turns out, Ma-Tuk is a woman and she’s looking for the perfect mate. Roger qualifies. It’s all pretty silly (evident from the first panel is Ma-Tuk’s sizable breasts!) but Tony DiPreta, while doubtless having a laugh at his drawing table, gives “The Mummy Lives!” a comical angle that’s most appreciated.
In “The Specimen,” a professor treks deep into a swamp known for its dense population of arachnids, seeking the mythical “Emperor Spider,” but the creature finds him first. A good deal of tension caused by the creepily-illustrated spiders is evaporated by the silly final panel of a giant spider placing the professor in a big glass jar. Chuck Winter could always be counted on for sleazy and unnerving graphics. In the finale, “The Voice From Venus,” two space travelers hear a siren calling from one of Venus’s moons and become obsessed with what they believe to be a creature of Marilyn Monroe qualities. When the spaceship crashes on the moon, the surviving astronaut, Harry, meets up with the love of his life, which tuns out to be a giant crab. Driven mad, Harry runs off into the darkness to think things over. After several days, Harry decides that the company of a talking female crab is better than being alone. Like Chuck Winter, Robert Q. Sale’s rough and ready artwork predicts the same kind of scratchy and sometimes downright ugly qualities inherent in the underground comix of the 1960s and 70s.
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