tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post5615062477757672877..comments2024-03-18T04:20:25.934-07:00Comments on <i>bare</i>•bones e-zine: The Warren Report Issue 47: November-December 1973John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082147756474762000noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-28492316110508746212020-11-23T17:33:00.751-08:002020-11-23T17:33:00.751-08:00People are always praising or criticizing some sto...People are always praising or criticizing some story's addition to the werewolf mythology, but the description of "Change Into Something Comfortable" is the first time I've heard of a werewolf "tiring of easy game."Granthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09603892208775996594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-83519778170783612452020-11-23T13:05:36.946-08:002020-11-23T13:05:36.946-08:00"The Beheaded" would have been much more..."The Beheaded" would have been much more understandable with better art. I mean, it is pretty ridiculous with its twists and double twists, but I like the complicated concept for trying something different with its seemingly harmless ghost which jumps at her chance. <br /><br />I understood the end this way: Dean's ancestor is the guy who killed Bianca und hid the head. When Dean doesn't want to re-unite the ghost with her head, she beheads Maggie. Then she forces Dean to put the skull on Maggies dead body. Skull-Maggie awakes as a zombie and strangles Dean, while Bianca puts on Maggies head. After Dean is dead, Ghost-Bianca takes over the rest of Maggies body. Now she lives again – and all was only possible because she is Maggie's ancestor.<br /><br />Did I say complicated? Okay, it is indeed ridiculous. It's magic, so you don't have to explain it. :-) Maybe it would work better as a prose story.<br /><br />As one-note and episodic The Mummy is, the art is well done. And I like the mindless violence here. It makes sense in the context. The story is nonsense of course. But wacky nonsense.<br /><br />The Werewolf becomes boring. Maybe I am projecting here, but did Milgrom managed to do the concept of Whedon's Angel here first? A gypsy curses the monster to remember its atrocities? Weird.<br /><br />I am in the minority here, but I can't stand Hunter. The concept doesn't work for me, the mix of post-doomsday, sf and fantasy is awkward, derivative and doesn't come together. And I find Neary's art often hard to follow. <br /><br />But I love the cover. Again the best thing of this issue.andydeckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01312309519462680892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-54983317172899264782020-11-23T12:58:33.666-08:002020-11-23T12:58:33.666-08:00I do get a chuckle out of some of those coming att...I do get a chuckle out of some of those coming attractions, not just what they put on the back cover but on the inside features pages as well. Beyond just Coffin, they also promote series like Papa Voodoo or The Freaks which are delayed even longer than Coffin was. It is pretty clear that they had all these grand ideas, but nowhere enough space to include everything.<br /><br />On the other hand, that great new series that premiered this issue, Hunter? I don't think they previewed that at all. Another great new series coming up soon, Dr. Archeus? Same thing, it just appears with no fanfare. I think Schreck shows up starting next issue too out of nowhere. Quiddity99https://www.blogger.com/profile/17809157926893454731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-76930085542232713222020-11-23T11:02:57.733-08:002020-11-23T11:02:57.733-08:00I thought the Dax series finale was pretty clever....I thought the Dax series finale was pretty clever. Grim as hell, but clever.<br /><br />Good opening installment for the Hunter series. Like Quiddity, I too read it for the first time in EERIE #69. For months, fans had been raving about the series in the letter pages, and I wasn’t disappointed when I finally got to read the entire thing. Definitely one of the better EERIE series. <br /><br />I kinda liked Aldoma’s art on “The Beheaded” but wow, talk about your incoherent stories. This is like Horror-Mood Level stuff.<br /><br />DELAYED GRATIFICATION DEPT: I love the Coming Attractions ad on the back cover, especially the “FIVE EERIE SUPERSTARS COMING YOUR WAY!” centerpiece. Besides The Werewolf and The Mummy, we get our first glimpses of The Spook (looking very “70s” with his full Afro) and Coffin (whose first story won’t show up for another whole year). Marvin the Dead-Thing is apparently set to return as well, but don’t hold your breath, Fear Fans — far as I can tell, it’s going to be NINE WHOLE YEARS before the next chapter in his gooey saga!<br /><br />Have to admit I didn’t much like Fernando Fernandez’ art when I was a teen but I sure do now. (I disliked Toth back then too — I wanna slap 13-year-old Me upside the head sometimes). And yes, that 2001 photo swipe really stands out, don’t it — did anyone else catch the Ernest Borgnine / WILLARD swipe in “Blind Man’s Guide” from VAMPI 28? Fernandez did a fully painted color adaptation of Stoker’s DRACULA in one of the European horror mags in the 80s that is simply gorgeous, and sexy psychedelic space opera strip called Zora in HEAVY METAL. <br /><br />b.t.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-36479689617790967192020-11-23T09:59:44.533-08:002020-11-23T09:59:44.533-08:00Quiddity-
Thanks for being the bearer of good tidi...Quiddity-<br />Thanks for being the bearer of good tidings. A sit-down with Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella sans Moench and McGregor means I can finally be true to my AA vows.Peter Enfantinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04317575598411394944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-80467734115246031882020-11-23T09:47:33.954-08:002020-11-23T09:47:33.954-08:00"Change into Something Comfortable" I ha..."Change into Something Comfortable" I have historically enjoyed, but that's all due to the Corben art. It would be considerably weaker if someone else drew it. You'll just have to get used to really big breasts in Richard Corben stories, he sure has a type. :P "An Excuse for Violence" is a disaster with the typical over the top pretentious McGregor script and ugly artwork from Abellan. Get ready for a very similar story next issue. "Shriek Well Before Dying" goes to show that Bea should be allowed to write all his stories, we just got one of his best stories in the prior issue of Vampirella, while this is a really weak and cliche effort. Reed Crandall's art in "Soul and Shadow" is a decent improvement over his other recent stuff, although as you've said, it is his final story. A real sad end for who was such a great artist for both EC and Warren. The story reminds me a bit of an EC story he drew featuring a murderous shadow in one of the final issues of the Haunt of Fear, although that was a contemporary tale, not a sword & sorcery one. "The Waking Nightmare" continues the themes of other recent Mones drawn stories written by Moench or McGregor about current social ills and is quite a mess although I'm a lot higher on his art than you. Overall a really mediocre issue of Creepy, especially for this era when I think the Warren mags are on as a whole on an upswing.<br /><br />Color stories will come back starting with next month's issues, at least for Creepy and Vampirella. Eerie for whatever reason was a bit behind on the color stories and I don't think gets one until they start reprinting "The Spirit". <br /><br />With us wrapping up 1973, I'm sure you'll be happy to know that 1973 was the last year Doug Moench regularly contributed stories to Warren. The down side? Such a massive inventory had built up that it will still be quite a while before they run out of his stories. McGregor on the other hand we're just about finished with, he's got 2 more stories in the next issue of Creepy but then we're finally done with him for many years sans an occasional inventory story or two. We'll slowly be seeing newer writers like Gerry Boudreau, Budd Lewis and Rich Margopoulos take over a lot of the writing as we head into 1974 and beyond. 1974 - 1975 was Warren's peak as far as I'm concerned, so very much looking forward to what is coming up.<br /><br />Quiddity99https://www.blogger.com/profile/17809157926893454731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-52507123257592454562020-11-23T09:43:29.889-08:002020-11-23T09:43:29.889-08:00Pretty decent segments for both the Mummy and the ...Pretty decent segments for both the Mummy and the Werewolf this issue. I similarly liked the direction they took the story in for the Mummy, and the Werewolf, while its art is lacking and it can be kind of predictable, I do like the never ending disasters that seem to occur to Arthur due to him becoming a werewolf. His daughter's dead, his wife's sentenced to death, his new lover's dead, how will he handle things now that he knows he's responsible for all of this? "Hunter" begins; this was one of the more popular serials for Warren and I think its pretty decent, although also aimless at times until the last couple of chapters. Or at least that's my recollection of it. I look forward to rereading it. It does end on a strong note. Similar to Dax, they eventually gather all the stories in one reprint issue (although they're able to fit them all in unlike Dax which had to cut a couple) and that is how I first read the series. I was a bit higher than you on "The Beheaded", including Aldoma's art, which will be his final of two Warren stories. "Golden Kris" was a fairly strong effort as well. Dax's final story is a strong one, with quite the horrifying sequence when the woman transforms. Dax doesn't actually die (the cover lied to us!) but he suffers a fate wore than death in being paralyzed, and surely died for real of starvation or exposure shortly afterwards. Overall a very strong issue of Eerie for me, and since I was also quite high on Eerie #50, Eerie's on quite a hot streak right now for me. <br /><br />The most memorable part of Vampi's story for me this issue is the four panel sequence where Tristan turns into the monster, it makes me fondly remember an extremely similar sequence from Jose Bea's extremely bizarre "Picture of Death" story (it was a woman that time). "Evil Eye" I liked a lot, sans the predictable ending. "Stairway to Heaven" has writing that is a bit too flowery for me, at least among Fernandez' stories, but holy crap that art is beautiful. The story does have one panel that is an extremely obvious swipe from 2001: A Space Odyssey though. Fernandez is arguably even outdoing Gonzales and Maroto art-wise at this point. Lots of great stuff from him coming. The last 2 stories of the issue are a bit iffy for me; good art as usual but nothing great writing-wise. As for your question on the lack of "girly strips" that will soon change as starting next issue we have the first of what will be several female-led new series in Vampirella, with "Pantha".Quiddity99https://www.blogger.com/profile/17809157926893454731noreply@blogger.com