Journey Into Strange Tales Issue 183: Atlas/Marvel Science Fiction & Fantasy Comics!

 

The Marvel/Atlas 
Horror Comics

Part 167

November-December 1959

by Peter Enfantino

and Jack Seabrook

Journey Into Mystery #55

Cover by Jack Kirby & Christopher Rule (?)

"I Found the Giant in the Sky!" (a: Steve Ditko) ★★

(r: Strange Tales Annual #1)

"I Was a Prisoner of the... Ape Creatures!" (a: Joe Sinnott) ★1/2

"I Can Live Forever!" (a: John Forte) ★

"My Neighbor's Secret!" (a: Jack Kirby & Christopher Rule) ★

"I Saw the Serpent That Saved the World!" (a: Don Heck) ★★

(r: Strange Tales Annual #1)

Since he's quite homely, Professor Dunn has never had much luck with the girls, so all his life he's kept his nose deep in fairy tale books. One day, Dunn buys an incredible foreign first edition and, while reading the tome, a pair of beans fall out from between the pages. Could these be the fabled beans that grow the beanstalk that leads into the clouds and the giant's lair?

You guessed it! Dunn takes the beans to the legendary spot where Jack supposedly climbed the miles-high stalk and encountered a very big and mean giant and drops them into the fertile soil. Immediately, the stalk rises into the clouds with Dunn attached. Shortly, he's deposited onto a cloud and right in front of a huge castle. When he enters, he meets the giant, who turns out to be quite a gentleman. The big guy explains that he cannot let the professor return to Earth and spread the word about this cloud castle, but he does have a consolation prize for the scholar: the last person to find their way up the stalk, a gorgeous blonde! It's all quite silly but Ditko's art makes it almost tolerable.

"I Was a Prisoner of the... Ape Creatures!," a sequel to last issue's "I Dared Defy... the Idol's Curse!," finds Dunstan Blake finally landing on the planet Superius Rex after a long, grueling journey. Once he exits the ship, he is immediately "greeted" by a group of what appear to be cavemen. Using the old noodle, Dunstan decides he'll be king among the dimwits if he can show his superiority over these half-man, half-monkeys. But that's not the way it works on Superius Rex, as our hapless hero soon learns, because these "half-half-half-wits" are actually ultra intelligent and, like most of the Atlas aliens, use brain waves to communicate.

They take Dunstan to a hospital populated by surgeons (you know they're surgeons because of the reflector-thingies they wear on their heads) and the poor guy realizes he's going to be dissected and studied. His fears are unrealized, though, as these monkey-men are so advanced that they've devised a laser beam that investigates the inner workings of a body without actually cutting through tissue. After a cursory exam, the doctors decide there's nothing to be learned and Dunstan Blake is put on the first rocket back to Earth. Overlooking the valley, Dunstan vows never to be selfish again and to dedicate his life to the advancement of mankind. Now, off to the lab where he's to work on a time machine to make him rich! The sequel that absolutely no one demanded! This whole five page sci-fi thriller could have been condensed into five panels. The hospital scene will bring to mind Planet of the Apes, which wouldn't drop for another decade but, otherwise, literally nothing happens. 

Brilliant but stupid Professor Henry is convinced the tall redwoods in the forest are the key to immortality, so he uproots (pun intended) his moody wife, Marge, and heads to a cabin in the woods to take sap and sticky liquid samples from the tall trees all around him. After warming up some beakers for a few days, Henry is convinced he's stumbled upon the formula that will allow him to live forever. As a bonus, he's concocted an antidote (this guy works fast), but he shrugs and admits no one would want an antidote to immortality! 

Ignoring protests from moody Marge, Henry locks himself in his lab and dumps the sappy liquid down his gullet. He immediately feels stronger but a bit stiff. Surprise, the secret to long life is not moving! Luckily, Henry is within reaching distance of that potion. Moody Marge has called the police but Henry emerges from his lab without any branches growing and admits man probably shouldn't meddle with forces unknown. "I Became a Tree Man!" "I Can Live Forever!" follows the typical 1959 Atlas scientist prototype. Henry whips up a potion that no other scientist seems to have stumbled upon, gives it a shot and discovers its terrifying drawbacks, then comes safely back to the real world so he can remind us that humans should remain humble. We're not even given pleasing graphics to even things out.

The population of a small desert town mock the old man who's building a real big boat in the middle of an arid wasteland. Then it starts raining! In the final panels, a local reporter discovers a secret that's only startling to the dimwits in the story... the boat-builder's name is... Noah! Predictable script and dull, lifeless graphics make "My Neighbor's Secret!" a complete waste of time.

The finale, "I Saw the Serpent That Saved the World!," is another simple script, but at least it's highlighted by some nice Don Heck visuals. A far-away world explodes and the microbes of the dinosaur-like inhabitants drift through space and land on Earth. Luckily, the microbes grow into very small creatures that are eaten by garter snakes. Well, wait, hold on, don't worry... it's all just a dream. Though I always had a problem with Don Heck's superhero work, I'm developing a new appreciation for his stylish post-code SF/F work.-Peter

Tales of Suspense #6

Cover by Jack Kirby & Christopher Rule

"I Hear It Howl in the Swamp!" (a: Steve Ditko) ★★1/2

"I Was Captured by the Cyclops!" (a: Don Heck) ★1/2

"The Mutants and Me!" (a: Joe Sinnott) ★1/2

"Who Hides Beneath My Mask?" (a: Dick Ayers) ★

"The Luna Lizards Had Me Trapped!" ★★1/2

(a: Jack Kirby & Christopher Rule)

Charley's a trapper in the swamp (we're never told if he's legit or a poacher) and one day, while he's trawlin' fer gators, a giant monster lifts its head out of the murky water and lets out an ear shattering howl. Scared for his life, Charley grabs his crawdad bucket and hightails it out of the bog to warn his neighbors of their impending doom.

When his buddies scoff at reports of a giant swamp critter and throw swamp moss in Charley's face, he takes his buddy Skeeter out for a look and the creature once again breaks the surface to let out a yell. Once the army gets wind of the monster, they bring out the big guns and force Charley to take them to the spot where he's had his encounters. Charley warns the pea-brained soldiers that the howl sounds like something he's heard before, but the kill-crazy army boys want nothing else than to blow the heck out of something.

The monster does indeed rise, but just before the military can carry out its mission, a spaceship lands and two aliens, hundreds of feet tall, scoop their baby alien up and fly away. Charley and the army boys are left to ponder the vast immenseness of space and the fact that their mosquito spray ain't worth a darn. "I Hear It Howl in the Swamp!" has a pretty good reveal (one that would become famous a couple years later in Gorgo) and some eye-pleasing giant monster visual effects courtesy of Steve Ditko. Though we've had several "big monster" stories already in the post-code Atlas era, this feels like a milestone and a forecast of what was to come.

On an international flight, businessman Robert Sloan engages in an interesting discussion with a nutty professor seated next to him. The old nut seems convinced that if you concentrate enough, you can whisk yourself away to any time or place. Sloan doesn't believe a word of the man's theory but, while reading a Sindbad the Sailor story to his son that night, it turns out the professor was right! Sloan becomes Sindbad and must fight the Cyclops for priceless gems. In the end, our fanciful hero is actually asleep in his easy chair. It was all a dream... or was it? The Lee/Leiber script for "I Was Captured by the Cyclops!" "borrows" quite a bit from The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and caps it off with the same old cockamamie, cliched reveal; hey, if it works for a movie, it'll work for a funny book strip, right? 

One night, at a swanky party, Vincent Farnsworth poo-poos the theory of Henry Marsh that another strain of human, a "mutant," lives among us. The next day, while at work in his office, Farnsworth is accidentally locked in his brand new (evidently soundproof) safe and awaits his fate as the oxygen dwindles. Suddenly, the frazzled and sweaty businessman is transported outside the safe and decides that maybe there is something to Marsh's theory after all! Like the "Cyclops" drivel before it, the plot for "The Mutants and Me!" relies on a conversation between the lead protagonist and a theorist that then coincidentally becomes reality. The only thing going for either story is the art. Was this the first "mutant" story?

Another fresh cliche gets dusted off for "Who Hides Beneath My Mask!," wherein a thief wears a very lifelike mask to rob a rich old man and then, once the cops are on his tail, takes off the mask to find (stop me if you've heard this one before!) his face has become the exact same visage! In the exquisitely titled "The Luna Lizards Had Me Trapped!," the first colonists on the moon discover they are not alone. When the oxygen-filled dome our heroes live in begins to give way, the monsters come out and begin battering on the cracked glass. One of the men (who luckily was a high school track star) hoofs it back to the ship to get oxygen tanks but collapses halfway there. 

As the giant monsters close in, the astronaut begins receiving mental messages from them, informing him that they are friendly and have retrieved the oxygen tanks for their new neighbors. Once back to the dome, the colonist shares the new info with his colleagues and they laugh, having a cigar around the fireplace and wondering at the revelations of the universe. Don't ask me why this story stands out from the rest of the nonsense this issue has to offer, but I found "Luna Lizards" to be a fun adventure in a Jules Verne kind of way. Laughs were provided by the panels of the astronaut doing a four minute mile sprint despite a bulky suit and the moon's gravity. But, hey, dinosaurs on the moon were every kid's fantasy in 1959.-Peter

Tales to Astonish #6

Cover by Jack Kirby & George Klein (?)

"I Saw the Invasion of the Stone Men" (a: Steve Ditko) ★1/2

(r: Strange Tales Annual #1)

"I Was the Man Under Glass!" (a: Joe Sinnott) ★1/2

"I Laughed at the Great God, Pan!" (a: Jack Kirby & Christopher Rule) ★★

"I Became a... Human Bomb!" (a: Paul Reinman) ★

(r: Strange Tales Annual #1)

"I Was a Prisoner of the Living Statues!" (a: John Forte) ★★

"I Saw the Invasion of the Stone Men" cries a man in midtown Manhattan after giant creatures made of stone rise from below the streets of New York. The stone men lumber around, paying no attention to anyone or anything and generally making a mess. Citizens are quick to turn on Professor Ailen, America's top geologist, insisting that his prior opinions about creatures living below the city somehow caused the monsters to rise.

Nothing seems to affect the stone men, not even a direct hit from an Army bazooka. Suddenly, Prof. Ailen urges everyone to leave the creatures alone! He explains that they are used to walking through solid rock below ground, so humans must seem like shadowy creatures to them. Eventually, the stone men sink back into the Earth and disappear; Ailen surmises that they could no longer breathe above the surface and thus found it hostile and will never return.

Even Steve Ditko can't save this one. The creatures appear, wander around for a while, then disappear. Yawn. The reaction of the crowd to Prof. Ailing seems a little extreme--at one point they even accuse him of being a spy for the stone men!

In the year 3000, obnoxious brat Darius Cartwright tells his father that inheriting the largest rocket ship corporation on Earth is not enough--he wants to rule a planet! Darius gets snobbier as he grows up. Eventually, he worms his way into being appointed governor of the planet Betelgeuse II, where he lords it over the inhabitants and has a palace built inside a big, glass done, since the planet's atmosphere lacks oxygen. Darius makes sure that the planet's inhabitants learn the Golden Rule, which is never to enter the glass dome.

Darius gets old and, one day, starts to have trouble breathing. He discovers that the air pump that supplies oxygen has broken and he can't fix it on his own. He begs the people outside to come and help him, but they've learned their lesson too well and refuse to enter. In the end, Darius sits alone, hoping for aid and lamenting his behavior.

Joe Sinnott's art is always at least decent, but this is another dumb story with characters who behave in extreme ways and a protagonist who learns his lesson and tells the reader about it in the wordy final panels. When I read that the planet was named Betelgeuse II, all I could think of was the movie where they say "Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice!" and Michael Keaton appears. That was a lot more fun than this story.

A pompous phony named Norman takes a woman named Diane to an art museum and poses as an art critic to impress her. He criticizes painting after painting, but when he mocks a depiction of the Greek god, Pan, a museum guard rebukes him and launches into the story of Pan. Two weeks later, Diane sees that Norman's mustache has disappeared and he has a crew cut. Norman tells her that the changes in his appearance followed the time when "I Laughed at the Great God, Pan!" What he doesn't tell her is that, when they were leaving, he looked back and saw that the museum guard had goat hooves.

I liked the page and a half (out of four) that Kirby used to relate the legend of Pan. The Greek gods certainly look forward to the sort of characters he would soon draw in Thor comics.

Add some heavy black lines
and this panel could be from
a Mike Sekowsky story.

A small-time crook who is unhappy about his prospects at succeeding at armed robbery sees a news bulletin on TV about a new guided missile and gets an idea--why not figure a way to cash in by delivering the missile to the Commies? He hits the library and bones up on how to change the course of a missile, then heads for the launch pad and sneaks aboard. In outer space, he discovers that there are no instruments or mechanisms to tinker with, so he's stuck!

"I Became A...Human Bomb!" is so bad it's almost funny. To think that this hood comes up with such a wacky plan, then studies up for a couple of weeks, gets past security, and rides a rocket into space is ridiculous. Paul Reinman's art isn't awful, but the story is so bad it merits but a single star. The title makes no sense, either--how exactly is he a human bomb? The final caption says that the rocket will either explode in space or return to Earth, where he'll be put on trial. The only bomb in sight is this issue.

Pay attention, now, because this is complicated. In a small village in Africa, the natives carve life-sized wooden statues to sell to a white exporter. One day, flying saucers land in the village and aliens emerge who look just like the statues. The aliens have been studying Earth and are bent on conquest. How, you may ask? Well, they will replace the wooden statues that are sold to the rich and powerful and, when the time is ripe, they will spring to life and take over. Not to worry, says Kisumu, the leader of the village, to his fellow natives.

The aliens pretending to be carved wooden statues are loaded on a truck and shipped off to be distributed around the globe. After a month, the aliens who remained in the village send out a signal to the others to make their move, but nothing happens. Discouraged, the aliens hop into their flying saucers and leave, their plan a flop. Kisumu explains to the other villagers that the exporter who buys the statues always puts two coats of varnish on them, making the aliens unable to move!

This is truly a tale to astonish, alright--it's astonishing how dumb it is. Once again, the title is misleading--who exactly could say that "I Was a Prisoner of the Living Statues!"? No one! The aliens are accomplished enough to fly to Earth and have ray guns that destroy villagers' spears in flight, so why do they need to go through all that hooey about being shipped to the homes of the rich and powerful? And if the exporter approached them with a paint brush and a can of varnish, why did they put up with it? How did these comics manage to survive cancellation? Was it entirely about distribution and nothing to do with quality?-Jack

Strange Tales #72

Cover by Jack Kirby & Christopher Rule

"I Fought the Colossus!" (a: Jack Kirby & Christopher Rule) ★★

(r: Where Monsters Dwell #3)(r: Crypt of Shadows #19)

"I Was Trapped on the Ghost Ship! (a: Don Heck) ★★

(r: Chamber of Chills #25)

"I Am the Abominable Snowman!" (a: Paul Reinman) ★

"I Saw the Elephants' Graveyard!" (a: John Forte) ★★

(r: Uncanny Tales #11)

"I Entered the... Doorway to Doom!" (a: Steve Ditko) ★★1/2

(r: Giant-Size Man-Thing #4)

Professor Renolds finally finishes building a giant computer in 2020 and it begins giving predictions and advice that improve the lives of all mankind. What people don't know is that it is also building a giant robot! The robot begins to walk through the city, as all giant Atlas creatures do, causing widespread panic. Professor Renolds builds a device to divert the giant into the ocean, where it becomes useless. When he tells the computer that "I Fought the Colossus!" and asks why the machine would do such a thing, the electronic brain replies that the giant was built to help mankind when the super-computer reached the end of its life. Mankind has now destroyed its future benefactor!

While the start of this story cleverly predicts the ability of computers in the 2020s to make predictions and give advice, it gets one thing very wrong--the super-computer takes up an entire large room! Who could've predicted the incredible miniaturization that would occur with computer memory? The story is the usual thing, with Kirby's standard, blocky artwork and a message intended to teach readers a lesson.

Captain Storme rules his tramp steamship with an iron hand and treats his crew with cruelty, but he stays just within the law and the maritime commission can do nothing to stop him. During one voyage, his ship moves slowly through fog when he spots the Flying Dutchman and orders his crew to give chase.

The ship moves fast and can't be caught, so Storme's crew gets fed up and abandons ship at the next port, leaving the captain to pursue the ship alone. He catches it, boards it, and finds himself paralyzed! He meets Jonah Morgan the former captain, who has been prisoner on the ship, awaiting the next fool to come aboard. The Flying Dutchman is a ship of justice that punishes bad captains, and now Captain Storme can say that "I Was Trapped On the Ghost Ship!" until the next cruel seaman comes along.

It's a mediocre story with mediocre art by Don Heck. Though only five pages long, the first page is wasted on a full-page panel of Storme on the ghost ship and, the strangest thing of all is the fact that he and his crew all wear suits and ties. What tramp steamer crew dresses like that, even in 1959?

Young Donald Trump Charles Duntmore comes from a rich family and has a habit of trying to steal valuable items, knowing that his father will always bail him out. As an adult, he sees an enormous Tibetan ruby on display in a museum and decides to travel to Tibet to pilfer it. Atop a mountain, he meets a holy man who guards the jewel. When Charles tries to steal it, the holy man tells him that he put a curse on the object: Charles must keep holding it, even though doing so will make him very cold, because if he lets go of it, it will disintegrate. The holy man gives him a big, white, hairy coat that is the only thing that will keep him warm. From then on, Charles realizes that "I Am the Abominable Snowman!" and spends years roaming the mountain, clutching the ruby, freezing cold, wearing the big, hairy, white coat.

Just drop the darn ruby, Charles! You could always run for president and make lots more money by defrauding the American public. Then you won't be cold--you'll just have to dye your hair forever and wear lots of makeup.

A hunter named Dirk insists that he'll be the first man to say, "I Saw the Elephants' Graveyard!" He wants to collect lots of ivory tusks, sell them, and get rich quick. Hiring a team of native guides, Dirk follows elephants deep into the jungle, surviving a panther attack, a difficult river crossing, and an angry tribe of pygmy headhunters. He finally reaches his goal, only to discover that the graveyard is at the bottom of a pit of quicksand!

The unexpectedly ironic ending helps make this short tale fairly satisfying, but it's a low bar in an Atlas sci fi/fantasy comic in 1959. Like the rest of the stories in this issue, the art is fair at best.

A farmer returns to his land in Siberia after WWII, only to find no way to survive. He searches for gold in the mountains and finds it inside a cave but is soon set upon by aliens from the Dimension of "Z" who are determined to enslave mankind. The peasant scares them off with the flame from a match and escapes! He returns to the cave and installs an iron door surrounded by a ring of flaming oil. After years of mining gold, the farmer is set upon by Soviet officials who beat him until he gives them the key to the door. They are in for a big surprise!

Easily the best story in this issue, "I Entered the... Doorway to Doom!" once again demonstrates Steve Ditko's creative, original artwork and his ability to make even mundane events interesting. He does particularly nice work with the snow and the creatures from Dimension "Z," who resemble green bumblebees with pointy hats and malevolent smiles.-Jack

On Thursday...
What Fresh Hell Awaits You
in The Theatre of Blood?

And Next Week...
Help Us Give a
Warm Welcome to...

The 100: Chapter 1 100 and 99

Who doesn't love a list?

I devour the BFI Best Films of All Time list whenever they deem it necessary to revise and (invariably) disagree with most of the findings, but I still get a kick out of browsing. Same with Rolling Stone's inane Best 100 Albums (how does Sgt. Pepper drop from #1 to #24 in the latest incarnation?); the anger I feel subsides when I see they've put a couple of Aerosmith albums on the list! We all disagree with that number one but we keep right on scrolling through each choice.

This project, which has been percolating for quite a while, originated from the constant back-and-forth "good-natured bickering" between John Scoleri and myself. John invariably loves everything and I hate it all (for more of the discourse, I advise one and all to pick up a copy of bare•bones print magazine and read our debates about streaming and movie theaters to get a taste). I began to think it would be fun to compose a Favorite (as opposed to Best) 100 and compare our selections. Making it even more tantalizing, I managed to talk the third head of Ghidorah, Jack Seabrook, into participating. This could be interesting, since John's never seen a movie the two Georges (Romero and Lucas) didn't have a hand in, and Jack usually favors the flicks that have words at the bottom of the screen (dis-moi que j'ai tort, Jack!). I, on the other hand, can't wait to educate these two gentlemen as to what constitutes good cinema.

Every Thursday for the next 51 weeks (Christmas week off!), we'll count down our picks two at a time. We're hoping this will generate discourse outside of our trio. Let us know just how crazy we are for loving a comedy about two Brits touring the restaurants of Europe or a bloodless 1950s western about a gunless gunslinger with an annoying brat sidekick. This is going to be fun! —Peter

Ronin (1998)

Starring: Robert DeNiro, Jean Reno, Stellan Skarsgard

Director: John Frankenheimer

    Sam: Whenever there is any doubt, there is no doubt. That's the first thing they teach you.

    Vincent: Who taught you?

    Sam: I don't remember. That's the second thing they teach you.

Four years before Jason Bourne became an action hero, Ronin combined espionage with French Connection-esque stunt driving and a captivating (if overly-complicated) plot. DeNiro plays Sam, a mystery man with particular skills, who joins a group of (what seems to be) mysterious soldiers of fortune hired to steal a briefcase off the wrist of yet another mystery man. Who are these guys (and gal)? Who hired them? Who is the guy with the briefcase? What’s in the briefcase? 

Though most of the questions are never answered, we do discover (in a expository-stuffed finale) that Sam is actually CIA and his job is to take down the “boss”, Seamus (Jonathan Pryce). Anyone else who gets in the way, evidently, is collateral damage as we see by the copious amount of innocent bystander corpses littering the background in the action scenes. Is Seamus an IRA bigwig? Who knows? Do I care? Not one bit.

In fact, the entirety is riddled with such enigmas and that only adds to my love of the film. The set pieces, in particular the insanely exciting ten-minute car chase through Paris, are all first rate. The dialogue is witty and believable (exactly what you’d come to expect from David Mamet).  DeNiro can hmmph a little too much, coming off like that obligatory grumpy old man but you can tell he’s treating this disposable thriller as serious as he would a Scorsese role. He’s got a dynamite supporting cast as well, with Skarsgard, Reno, and a blink-and-you’ll-miss-him Sean Bean all generating legit tough guy vibes. And what’s in that briefcase? Only Frankenheimer and his writers, Mamet and Zeik, know for sure. 

I saw this on opening weekend at a local multiplex, having not heard anything about it other than the cast and the director, and was absorbed right from the Hammer Films-esque titles to DeNiro’s final visit to the Paris cafe. It remains a perfect Friday night rewatch. —Peter

Remarks from the Gallery

John: This is probably in my top five DeNiro performances. Infinitely re-watchable, and I love the use of Sean Bean (who I was a fan of after first seeing him in Patriot Games). It's pretty damn impressive that Frankenheimer was almost 70 when he made this.  

Jack: I saw this when it came out but don't remember much about it. I've never been a big DeNiro fan.

The Trip (2010)

Starring: Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon

Director: Michael Winterbottom

"Gentlemen! To bed! For we rise at 9:30...ish." 

Steve Coogan plays himself as a conceited but very funny jerk, whose insecurities lead to hilarity. Rob Brydon plays himself as a likeable guy with infinite patience who leads a happier, domestic life than his pal, who envies Rob's success with impressions and a funny little voice called "Small Man in a Box."

Steve is hired to tour fancy restaurants in the north of England and, when his girlfriend backs out, he asks Rob to accompany him. Much of the dialogue was improvised and it's a riot, especially when the duo start trading impressions of movie stars such as Michael Caine and Sean Connery. Their riff on British soldiers preparing for battle the next day is classic. —Jack

Remarks from the Gallery

Peter: Oh yeah, one of my favorite comedies. This was actually an edited down version of a 6-episode series (the shorter edit is, in my opinion, the better format) that you might still be able to stream here and there. Though each subsequent trip to the well has met with so-so results, there are still enough "Brydon/Coogan sitting in a restaurant making noise" scenes to make the three sequels watchable.

John: I think Peter must have recommended this to me. It was definitely the best of the... Trips... though to be perfectly honest, I have little distinct recollection of this one outside the Caine/Connery discussion. 

Spider Baby or, The Maddest Story Ever Told (1967)

Starring: Lon Chaney, Jr., Sid Haig, Jill Banner

Director: Jack Hill

"Just because something isn't good doesn't mean it's bad."

My first exposure to Jack Hill's black comedic masterpiece was from a clip on the Zacherle's Horrible Horror compilation tape. The two scenes included Jill Banner attacking (and slicing off the ear of) mailman Mantan Moreland when she catches him in her 'spiderweb', and caretaker Bruno (Chaney) returning home with Ralph (Haig — in what is an amazing performance before he became typecast as generic thug #1). Beverly Washburn also appears as the other daughter in a family suffering from a regressive syndrome leading to cannibalism. 

It's funny, it's creepy, at times it's downright sleazy... and I love every minute of it. It's got a great Ronald Stein score, and Chaney even sings the film's theme song! This film introduced me to Jill Banner, who I was instantly smitten with, and I was devastated to learn that she died in a car accident at the age of 35. Jack Hill has made many entertaining films in his career, but nothing that stands out quite like Spider Baby. When things were touch and go about what would make it on to my list, and what didn't make the cut, I had to hold the line on this one. —John

Remarks from the Gallery

Jack: I've heard of it but I've never seen it. I've always liked Lon Chaney, Jr., but I'm not sure I want to see him in decline like this.

Peter: Way too goofy for my tastes. Obviously I love sleaze but Spider Baby is just icky. That's the intent, I understand, it's just not my bag, baby. Watching Chaney in the last few years of his life, bloated and showing the effects of drinking an entire liquor store every day, is depressing as all hell.

Shane (1953)

Starring: Alan Ladd, Van Helfin, Jean Arthur

Director: George Stevens

Shane: So you're Jack Wilson.

Jack Wilson: What's that mean to you, Shane?

Shane: I've heard about you.

Jack Wilson: What have you heard, Shane?

Shane: I've heard that you're a low-down Yankee liar.

Jack Wilson: Prove it.

I think I only came around to this one after a couple of viewings. A lot of the pre-1960 movies I caught on my grandmother’s TV (as a kid in the early ‘70s), a by-product of my grandfather’s love for westerns (in particular, John Wayne westerns). It might have been that Shane didn’t have enough to hold my pre-teen interest; there’s not a lot of horse riding nor does it lean on violence. It’s famous for its peaceful moments. Like John Wayne in The Quiet Man, Shane is a guy who turns his back on his violent past;  he just wants to be left alone while on his journey “home.” When the inevitable showdown finally arrives, it’s a kick in the nuts (and for a lot of western fans, I'd wager the moment comes off as anticlimactic) after so much simmering. Jack Palance is perfect as the oily, eerily calm gunfighter, Wilson, come to roust settler Van Heflin and family off their land. 

Clint Eastwood lifted the murder of fellow settler Stonewall (Elisha Cook, Jr.) for his Pale Rider but I think this version, much less bloodier, is far more effective. It’s a relief that director Stevens (whose next project would be the epic Giant, a flick polar opposite in scope of Shane) and writer A. B. Guthrie wisely avoided the cliche of Shane and Marian becoming entangled in extra-marital nonsense. The only flaw is an annoyingly cutesy-pie performance by young Brandon De Wilde (inexplicably nominated for Best Supporting Actor that year), who spends the length of the film staring into the camera and crying “Shane! Shane! Come in for dinner, Shane!” Or “Shane! Shane! Teach me how to shoot, Shane!” 

In the end, it’s the never-better Ladd who makes the most lasting impression; he says more with just a look than most actors say with a page of dialogue. What happens to our wounded hero at the climax of the film? Slumping in the saddle, heading up into the high country, I like to think he’s entering his house justified. —Peter

Remarks from the Gallery

John: It's been years since I've seen it, but I do have fond memories of it. Not enough to crack my top 100, though. 

Jack: Definitely one of the great '50s westerns. Jack Palance makes a great villain. That kid is kind of annoying, though.

Chinatown (1974)

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway

Director: Roman Polanski

One of the best neo-noir detective films, Chinatown holds up well on rewatching. For my money, Jack Nicholson is the best movie actor of the 1970s. He gives a great performance as Jake Gittes, a somewhat sleazy P.I. who does divorce work and gets involved in a case that ends up involving murder. The scene where Roman Polanski cuts Nicholson's nostril with a blade is still hard to watch.

As I was watching, I was thinking about the title. At one point, Jake remarks something like, "Chinatown is where nothing is what it seems to be." That sums up what happens in the movie as a whole. The ending, where the relationship between Faye Dunaway's character and John Huston's character is clarified, is horrifying. Huston is barely in the movie, but his scenes are unforgettable.

Should Chinatown be higher on my list than #99? Maybe so. That will continue to be an issue I struggle with as we work our way through our favorite 100 movies — how to put them in order? —Jack

Remarks from the Gallery

John: This one is not among my 100 favorites list because it's on a different list — the, "I own it, but I've not yet seen it," list. I have a hunch that I'll enjoy it when I do get around to it, but will it make my top 100? I will second what Jack says. Compiling a list of 100 favorites is one thing — ranking them in order can be a torturous process! 

Peter: It's been decades since I revisited this one so I popped it in and was stunned at how dark this picture is throughout; I mean, yeah, it's got that reputation but how the hell did Polanski ever get this greenlit? Unrelentingly grim. I'm a little more hot-and-cold about Jack's performances in the 1970s; he found that schtick and mined it for everything it was worth, culminating in the over-the-top The Shining. Still, with this, Five Easy Pieces, and The Last Detail, he's definitely in the conversation for Top Five Actors of the '70s.

A Mighty Wind (2003)

Starring: Michael McKean, John Michael Higgins, Fred Willard

Director: Christopher Guest

"There was abuse in my family, but it was mostly musical in nature."

Christopher Guest has a ridiculous batting average when it comes to his improvisational features. In A Mighty Wind, he brings together several groups of past-their-prime folk singers to honor a famous producer who has passed on. From The Folksmen (made up of Michael McKean, Harry Shearer and Christopher Guest — a trio that had opened for Spinal Tap on tour for years before this film was ever conceived) to The New Main Street Singers (led by John Michael Higgins, with no shortage of hilarious insight provided by their manager, played by Fred Willard), to the vocal duo of Mitch and Mickey (Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara), there is plenty of opportunity for antics that only Christopher Guest's stock company can deliver. This is one of those great comedies where I know I will be in tears laughing before it's over, every time I watch it.

And as is the case in several of Guest's films, the songs are performed brilliantly — and catchy! Worth picking up the soundtrack, without a doubt. The songs are so good that the cast was able to go out on tour as the three bands, and they were just as good performing live as they were in the film. —John

Remarks from the Gallery

Jack: I saw this first-run in a theater and enjoyed it. I especially liked the way they nailed the changes in fashion and hairstyle through the years. When I was a kid, I listened to my parents' folk albums and this could've fit right in.

Peter: As I suspect might happen several times in the next year, I have to admit to never seeing A Mighty Wind. I saw the first hour or so of Best in Show and didn't appreciate the style of humor (the style being that the humor is not funny). Now that I'm 20+ years older, might I give these Christopher Guests a(nother) try? Probably not. Although my stepdaughter pressured me into watching Schitt's Creek and I'm enjoying that, so you never can tell. 

Journey Into Strange Tales Issue 182: Atlas/Marvel Science Fiction & Fantasy Comics!

 

The Marvel/Atlas 
Horror Comics

Part 166

September-October 1959

by Peter Enfantino

and Jack Seabrook

Journey Into Mystery #54 (September)

Cover by Jack Kirby & Christopher Rule

"I Unleashed Monstro on the World!" (a: Steve Ditko) ★★1/2

"I Dared to Defy... the Idol's Curse!" (a: Joe Sinnott) ★1/2

"My Other Face!" (a: Al Williamson) ★1/2

"I Know the Gargoyle's Secret!" (a: John Severin) ★★

"I Am the Menace from the Purple Planet!" (a: Jack Kirby & Christopher Rule) ★

Sam "Spell" Binder is the greatest showman on Earth, able to tame a fierce gorilla named Moko and make him do parlor tricks for sold-out audiences. But then Moko has a bad fall and suffers a concussion, rendering him unusable in the act. Binder hears a rumor of the world's largest gorilla living in a jungle on an island off the African coast and hops a plane.

Binder is pleasantly surprised to discover the natives have held "Monstro" captive for decades and would love to be rid of him. With a little gas, Binder knocks Monstro unconscious, packs him on a boat, and heads for New York, where Monstro becomes the toast of Broadway. On opening night, Binder hypnotizes Monstro and then orders his chains removed, advising the audience that all is safe. As happens with these giant ape melodramas, that is the furthest from the truth. Monstro goes ape and destroys half of New York before being gassed in a tunnel. Just before being shipped back to Africa, Monstro is examined by a vet and it's determined he is blind! No wonder he didn't respond to hypnotism.

"I Unleashed Monstro on the World!" is goofy fun; obviously, the plot was lifted from King Kong, but then so will be half of the giant monster tales penned by Stan Lee and brother Larry Leiber in the months to come. The variations here are that Monstro is an albino and that he's allowed to survive after his rampage; he's shipped back home to his African village where "he's happy again..."

Dunstan Blake fancies himself an adventurer and rapscallion, but everyone else around him knows he's nothing more than a cheat and a thief. Blake hears of an idol that has mysteriously appeared "in the Northern region of Tibet," one that is supposed to hold the world's largest diamond, and he quickly hops a plane. He finds the idol and, despite warnings from the natives, enters its core. Suddenly a noxious gas fills the chamber and Blake passes out. He awakens to find himself encased inside the idol and a voice tells him the statue is actually a spaceship now headed to Superius Rex. Dunstan Blake will be studied by an alien race! "I Dared to Defy... the Idol's Curse!" is weak and silly. This idol magically appears and science doesn't want to study it? At least it's got a nice Sinnott polish.

Jason Gibbs has been plagued by his ugly face all his life; people won't treat him like a real man once they get a gander at his sour puss. But now Jason has gotten news that Dr. Rectumus on Mars has created a potion for good looks and he barges into the Professor's lab. As he grabs the beaker holding the potion, the egghead warns him it's not been tested. Shoulda listened! With "My Other Face!," we get a really nice graphics display from Al Williamson and that's about all. One of only two stories (of twenty) this time out that doesn't start with an "I." I guess Stan thought "I Was Trapped By My Other Face!" didn't roll off the tongue.

Pierre Duval lovingly cleans and cares for the gargoyles of Notre Dame during the Second World War. When the Nazis invade France, Pierre signs up for the Underground, fighting and killing the stinkin' Nazi bastards any chance he can. But like so many freedom fighters, Pierre is caught by the Germans and sentenced to die by firing squad. He is blindfolded and awaits the bullets of death, but before any damage can come to his flesh, he hears screaming and the sound of running feet. He tears off his blindfold to find the firing squad has vanished. What gives? The war over, Pierre heads back to Notre Dame, where he discovers chips out of his stone friends as if they had been shot at! 

Gargoyles have always creeped me out, but the problem with "I Know the Gargoyle's Secret!" is that any sense of dread has been eliminated by the CCA. In the pre-code Atlas strips, the critters would have torn the soldiers to pieces, whereas here, in the Gilded Age, the Nazis turn tail and run before any harm can befall them. The other problem is that the monsters are only spotlighted in a couple of panels; the human monsters get most of the attention. Nice Severin art, but I think the best gargoyle story is still the ultra-creepy "House of Gargoyles" by Jack Sparling (from House of Mystery #175). Last up is "I Am the Menace from the Purple Planet!," wherein an alien from outer space and his super robot land in New York to deliver an ultimatum to the human race: show Gxenu the latest war weapons or face the wrath of the planet Orion Major. I'm pretty sure I don't have to break it down much further. Shameless Stan mining the rich ore Hollywood had delivered.-Peter

Tales of Suspense #5 (September)

Cover by Jack Kirby & Christopher Rule

"I Became a Human Robot!" (a: Joe Sinnott) ★

(r: Fantasy Masterpieces #1)

"I Fought the Tyrannosaurus" (a: Steve Ditko) ★★★

"I Walk Thru Walls!" (a: Paul Reinman) ★1/2

"I Travelled Thru Time!!" (a: Carl Burgos) ★

"I Was Trapped in the Tunnel to Nowhere!" (a: John Forte) ★★

On a planet a billion light years from Earth, a nasty plot is hatched: Gammus will travel to our world and use plan X322K (masquerade as a robot) to gain the trust of earthlings, the better to spy on our military status. Gammus saves lots of lives and becomes a hero of the people, but our government wants to cut him open and see how it is that he can operate as if he has a human brain. Once the professors decide they'll get no information from the tin can, Gammus is deactivated and put on display at the Atlas Museum for Used-Up Cliches. "I Became a Human Robot!" is the umpteenth reworking of the "distant planet invasion" plot. For the umpteenth time, I ask why a planet sixty-two katrillion miles away would have the slightest interest in a civilization that is obviously more primitive.

Rod and Kate have wanted to take an African vacation for years and when they finally make the trip, they take advantage of their time and explore dark caves. That's where they find the dinosaur egg! Overcome with awe, the couple grab the huge oval and drag it out to the sand. Unfortunately, the rays of the sun work their wonders and within a few hours the egg cracks open and out pops a baby T-Rex.

But he doesn't stay a wee lad for long, growing ten times his size in a matter of minutes, and he naturally does what dinosaurs do: they stomp things. Feeling responsible for the wreckage caused by the critter (because... well... he is responsible!), Rod won't rest until the thunder lizard is eliminated. Dinosaurs + Ditko? Sign me up. Who cares if the script makes no sense (no explanation is given for why this egg never hatched a million years ago or why it's still hatchable or why the T-Rex grows so big so fast), the ride is a fun one.

"I Walk Thru Walls!" is almost so bad it's worth reading... almost. An ex-con is hired as a janitor for a brilliant but absent genius scientist and this grunt loves to just "take things apart and put them back together again...," so he dismantles some unknown gadget and reassembles it in a way that it makes objects disappear and then reappear several feet away. Well, this ex-jailbird knows a payday when he sees one, so he starts using the "matter transmitter" to rob banks, but he doesn't plan for the one cop in New York who might be smarter than he. I laughed out loud at least one time during my reading of this nutty tale. Only in the Atlas universe do you have an uneducated criminal building something that scientists could only dream of simply because he put a few bolts in the wrong place. And then you've got the High-IQ beat cop who figures the whole thing out immediately ("I think that burglar's invented some means to make him disintegrate, pass through a wall, and integrate on the other side of it!") and sets an elaborate trap, involving a large building and a fake notice in the paper, all on his own without precinct approval. Now that's genius.

"I Traveled Through Time!!" tells the inane tale of three stinkin' commie spies who are tried and convicted of espionage and sentenced to death. They escape and head for the lab of Professor Pskov (pronounced piss-off), a stinkin' genius commie scientist, the only man in the world to have invented a time machine (evidently these commies don't read Atlas comics or they'd know there are lots of time machines popping up around town). They order the egghead to send them back in time so they can avoid the inevitable FBI raid. Pskov warns his clients that they will arrive in the past in another person's body; that's just the way it goes (what happens to the soul occupying that body is not detailed). The brilliant but politically incorrect Pskov only has time to send Vladimir Gorki back to the 18th century, where Gorki finds himself in the body of... you guessed it, Benedict Arnold, just as he's being arrested for treason. I love how elaborate the plans of these Atlas criminals can be. Rather than the usual way of meeting a freighter in New York harbor and hiding out in the cargo, these guys take it on faith that they can travel through time.

"We Were Trapped in the Tunnel to Nowhere!" tells the sad story of two bloggers, Peter and Jack, who thought it would be fun to read every post-code Atlas SF/Fantasy comic book published and regretted their decision very quickly. They shoulda listened to their wives. Believe me, that true story is so much more intriguing than the five pages masquerading as a legitimate comic book story.

Brilliant but arrogant construction engineer Eric Lansing, tired of hearing that so many other CEs are more brillianter than he, proclaims he will dig a tunnel under the sea from the US of A to Europe. A 3,000 mile tunnel! Why? Because he can. Unfortunately, halfway to his destination, Lansing and his crew encounter an undersea race of man-like fish who live in a big bubble at the bottom of the ocean. These critters are not happy about the off-ramp leading through their Atlantis and set some explosive charges to halt the construction. Lansing and his boys barely make it out of the tunnel before the ceiling caves in. 

There are all sorts of scientific questions that even my uneducated brain had to ask: At no time is it mentioned what sort of transport would run through the tunnel, be it trains or personal vehicles. Was Lansing intending on build gas stations and restaurants every few miles through his massive hole? The hole has to be miles below the waves, yet the diggers wear no protective uniforms to save them from the pressure. Is the title meant to infer that Europe is "Nowhere"? The best is saved for last when the creatures blow their TNT and the roof caves in, 1500 miles from safety. Our heroes simply hop in a mine car and ride back to the States, confident there will be no structural damage or leaks ahead of them. I'm of two minds (even though, as I've admitted, I'm not sure I have one brain) about "I Was Trapped in the Tunnel to Nowhere!"; it's dumber than a $250 bill but induces more laughs than... well, a $250 bill.-Peter

Tales to Astonish #5 (September)

Cover by Jack Kirby & Christopher Rule

"I Was Trapped by the Things on Easter Island!" 

(a: Jack Kirby & Christopher Rule) ★1/2

(r: Where Monsters Dwell #24)

"I Am the Menace from Outer Space!" (a: Joe Sinnott) ★★

"I Can See Tomorrow!" (a: Don Heck) ★

"I Found the Nightmare Note" (a: Al Williamson) ★1/2

"I Landed on the Forbidden Planet!" (a: Steve Ditko) ★★

"I Was Trapped By the Things on Easter Island!" cries a pilot to anyone who'll listen. After crash-landing on the famous, remote spot, he had witnessed the stone heads emerge from the ground, bodies and all. They stood around chatting about how they were waiting for orders from their home planet to attack and conquer Earth. The man escaped in a boat and thought people would believe his story and bomb the heck out of the island, but everyone thought he was hallucinating. The stone statues decide to leave the poor guy alone, since no one believes him, and wait for orders as long as it takes.

It's a miracle that the main character survives a pretty severe crash landing in his plane, but what's even more amazing is the sudden appearance of an abandoned native boat, just as the guy is about to be caught by the statues. Big stone objects fit in perfectly with Kirby's art style and the panel on page five, where one of the things is looking in the window as the main character sleeps, recalls a similar shot in King Kong. How did we survive the '50s with so many aliens bent on taking over?

On a faraway planet, the people decide to send Krag to Earth to gather intelligence in preparation for an invasion. Krag takes off into space, but soon sees a big, beautiful space cruiser and decides to capture it to bring it home after his visit to Earth. Krag boards the ship, finds it empty, and discovers that it's actually a living organism that swallows him up!

"I Am the Menace from Outer Space!" is a pretty good story, with more going on than there was room for in the rigid, five-page slot. Joe Sinnott's art is smooth, as always, and he draws the aliens in a lizard-like way, with circles all over their yellow skin and webbed fingers. On page two, the aliens give Krag the ability to transform into the spitting image of an Earthman, in a neat, four-panel sequence where his alien skin and outfit melt away and are replaced with a man in a suit and tie; the man looks just like Thor's alter-ego, Dr. Don Blake. Of course, this is an example of misdirection, because poor Krag never makes it to Earth. I was expecting him to fall in love with an Earth woman and never return home, but the conclusion surprised me.

A small-time crook named Willy Adams steals a camera from an antique shop. The shop owner warns him that the camera takes pictures of tomorrow. Willy tests out the device and it works so, like every single other Atlas main character, he decides to use the power to make money. He takes photos at the racetrack and the stock exchange, certain that he'll cash in, but when he takes a self-portrait and the print shows an empty chair, he realizes that he may not live through the night.

It's bad enough that Don Heck's art on "I Can See Tomorrow!" looks like it was dashed off during a subway ride to pick up his check at the publisher's office, but the story is trite and the ending a letdown. Willy is sitting in the chair when he snaps a picture, and the picture that comes out shows the chair empty the next day. Willy concludes that, for him, "there might be no tomorrow." Isn't it more likely that the chair will be empty because he'll be at the racetrack collecting his winnings?

Joe Baxter works as an assistant in a record store. After hours, he experiments with sonics, searching for a note that can render a person unconscious. "I Found the Nightmare Note," he thinks, when the store's pussycat passes out. He sells a record to Spencer Worthington, the richest man in town, and waits outside his window, watching for the moment when the old guy collapses,  but to no avail. Joe slinks home, thinking that his plan failed, unaware that Spencer is deaf and bought the record for his wife.

I know we've seen that twist ending before, and not long ago. I think Al Williamson was on the same subway train as Don Heck, judging by the quality of the artwork. It looks like someone else must have inked this.

Tim Korey is dying to know why one particular planet is considered off limits, so he hops into his spaceship and heads right for it! "I Landed on the Forbidden Planet!" he exclaims and soon discovers it's a dangerous place. He barely avoids being crushed by a gigantic wheel, he manages to escape huge stone blocks falling from above, and he sees one giant insect after another. Tim races to his ship and takes off, glad to get away from a planet that we readers see, in the final panel, is called Earth.

At least Steve Ditko puts some effort into the art, even if the story is a rehash of one we've read over and over. From the start, I suspected that the mysterious planet was Earth, and I wasn't disappointed. Actually, I WAS disappointed by the lack of originality.-Jack

Strange Tales #71 (October)

Cover by Jack Davis

"I Dared to Defy Merlin's... Black Magic!" (a: Steve Ditko) ★★★

(r: Chamber of Darkness #5)

"I Am the Man Who Will... Destroy Your World!" (a: Don Heck) ★★1/2

(r: Fear #1)

"When the Saucer Strikes!" (a: Paul Reinman) ★

(r: Where Monsters Dwell #6)

"I Fought the Man Who Couldn't Be Killed!" (a: Sol Brodsky) ★

(r: Fear #1)

"I Am the Man Without a Face!" (a: Joe Sinnott) ★★

(r: Where Creatures Roam #2)

While on a business trip in the Balkans, a man wanders into an old curio shop, where he picks up a beautiful old copy of Merlin's Diary. The shopkeeper insists that he put it down, but the man opens it and is cast back in time. He meets Merlin the Magician but remains skeptical. Merlin informs that man that he will believe when he sees a sign. The man returns to the present and looks in a mirror, where he is shocked to see that his hair has turned white. He leaves the curio shop and the owner, who turns out to be Merlin, vows to do a better job of hiding his diary.

"I Dared to Defy Merlin's...Black Magic!" is a strong story with evocative art by Ditko. Both theme and design look forward to the Dr. Strange comics. There are mentions of the mystic arts and, when the man is cast back in time, he is surrounded by multi-colored lines and finally slides down a rainbow slide into Merlin's presence. The story is a welcome break from tales about aliens invading Earth or people going to planets where the ants and spiders are giant-sized.

Mool is the emperor of a race on a planet far from Earth where they bathe once a year in rejuvenating waters that grant them eternal life. This warlike race travels to the vicinity of Earth, where Mool goes down to the surface to observe humans to decide if an invasion is a good idea. He promises to report back after 24 hours.

After landing on Earth, Mool breaks into a clothing store; he steals a suit and dons it, only to be caught by John, the proprietor, who runs the establishment with his sister, Anne. Mool tells John that he's Ralph Masters and that he's been down on his luck and was stealing a suit to wear in his job search. John feels pity for the man and hires him. Ralph meets Anne and it's pretty much love at first sight. The alien visitor, who arrived thinking that "I Am the Man Who Will... Destroy Your World!," initially thinks the Earthlings weak, but quickly responds to their kindness and love. In the end, he destroys the gadget that would send a report back to the invading force; Ralph gives up his immortality for the affection of a good woman.

I can't believe I'm typing these words, but that's two decent stories in a row! Heck's art is solid but nothing special, yet I was intrigued by Ralph's transformation from cruel, alien ruler to kind, loving Earthman--all in the space of 24 hours!

A jet pilot is flying along at night when he suddenly sees a flying saucer heading straight toward the plane! The pilot manages to avoid a collision and, when he lands, he reports what happened. All of the other passengers were asleep, except one man who says he didn't see anything. The pilot decides he needs to get some rest. The passenger who said he didn't see anything drives off, meets up with the Martian ship in a remote spot, removes his human mask, and tells the pilot to be more careful next time.

Dull art by Paul Reinman accompanies a predictable tale in "When  the Saucer Strikes!" The title is misleading since the whole point of the story is that the saucer did not strike.

In prison for armed robbery, Duke Jordan escapes after serving ten years of a thirty-year term and heads straight for the warehouse where he used to work. Duke breaks in and robs the safe but is quickly discovered by a policeman who can run super-fast, shrug off a large crate that Duke pushes over onto him, and remain unharmed by gunfire. It seems a lot has changed in ten years, since the police are now robots!

I shuddered when I saw that this story was drawn by Sol Brodsky and I was right to have that reaction, since the art in "I Fought the Man Who Couldn't Be Killed!" is pure dreck. The story is awful as well. Paul Reinman, come home--all is forgiven.

A band of gypsies arrive in the quiet country town of Goosepan and Rufus Watkins is none too happy to see them. The mayor doesn't listen to Rufus's complaints about the new arrivals and the town's leading citizens tell him to relax, so Rufus heads to the pool hall and rustles up some folks to confront the Roma. After a fight erupts and a gypsy knocks Rufus out, he and his pals don black hoods and approach the camp, blowing horns to scare the gypsies away. Before they leave, however, the head of the gypsies tells Rufus that he'll regret his actions. As a result, Rufus can say that "I Am the Man Without a Face!," since the gypsy curse means he's never able to remove his black hood without another black hood appearing beneath it.

There's almost a decent story here and it's helped immeasurably by the art by Joe Sinnott, who has quickly become one of the stalwarts at Atlas. Like many a story by Carl Wessler (I don't know who wrote this one), things chug along reasonably well until they come to a screeching halt with a concluding twist that makes me scratch my head. The last panel has Rufus sitting alone in a room with innumerable black hoods piling up around him as he swears that he has learned his lesson about intolerance.-Jack

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