Originally presented in the June 1949 issue of Ranger Comics #47
Monday, February 25, 2008
The Strange Case of the Absent Floor
Mr. Door Tree had some really nice wash covers by Jerry Grandenetti on display over at his Golden Age Comic Book Stories blog last Monday, so to compliment those posts I have one of my favorite Grandenetti creations for you today too--- From the Secret Files of Dr. Drew! Presented here in his very first appearance, Dr. Drew became an ongoing staple in Fiction House’s Rangers Comics, starting with issue #47 in 1949, where he subsequently stalked the unknown all the way to issue #60 until 1951.
Originally presented in the June 1949 issue of Ranger Comics #47
Originally presented in the June 1949 issue of Ranger Comics #47
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I hope everyone enjoys this story because I would love to post more in the future. If anyone has any other Dr. Drew files that they would like to share / submit please let me know.
And before everyone starts piling on the Will Eisner comparisons, let it first be known that Jerry was Eisner’s chief assistant on The Spirit series and even ghosted many of the later Spirit strips.
THIS DOES LOOK ALOT LIKE WILL EISNER, VERY VERY COOL POST. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE DR DREW STORIES TOO!
Off-topic post again (though it does mention Dr. Drew).
I thouht some might be interested in the actual content of The Mammoth Book of Best Horror Comics.
Here is a listing of all the pre-code stories included, followed by a brief summary of the post-code stuff (I don't list the individual stories for these, just which titles they came from and how many stories).
---Ace
The Man Who Would Be Fate - Hand of Fate #21 (1954)
---Ajax/Farrell
Grave Rehearsal - Strange Fantasy #7 (1953)
The Fatal Scalpel - Haunted Thrills #5 (1953) - as reprinted by Eerie Publications
---Comic Media
Hitler's Head- Weird Terror #1 (1952)
Den of Horror - Weird Terror #3 (1953)
A Glimpse of the Pit - Horrific #9 (1954)
---E. Levy
Famous Tales of Terror: The Black Cat - Yellowjacket Comics #1 (1944)
---Fiction House
Stalkers of the Unknown (The Secret Files of Dr. Drew) - Rangers Comics #49 (1949)
The Thing That Walked at Night - Ghost Comics #9 (1953)
---Harvey
Marching Zombies - Black Cat Mystery #35 (1952)
He - Black Cat Mystery #38 (1952)
Dungeon of Doom - Chamber of Chills #6 (1952)
---Quality
The Corpse That Wouldn't Die - Web of Evil #2 (1952)
---Standard
Bride of Death - Adventures Into Darkness #7 (1952)
---Star
Dead Man's Revenge - Shocking Mystery Cases #50 (1952)
---Story
The Horror of the Walking Corpse - Dark Mysteries #16 (1954)
Terror of the Stolen Legs - Dark Mysteries #18 (1954)
The Living-Dead - Dark Mysteries #20 (1954)
---Superior
Partners in Blood - Journey Into Fear #6 (1952)
No Rest For the Dead - Journey Into Fear #12 (1953)
---Youthful
The Hand of Glory - Chilling Tales #13 (1952)
--60s/70s
Ghost Stories (Dell), Web of Horror (Major Magazines) [2], Ghostly Haunts (Charlton) [2], Weird (Eerie Publications), Psycho (Skywald) [2], Ghostly Tales (Charlton), Nightmare (Skywald)
--80s/90s
Death Rattle (Kitchen Sink), Twisted Tales (Pacific) [2],, Demon Dreams (Pacific), Dark Horse Presents (Dark Horse), Deadworld (Arrow). The Haunter of the Dark [Lovecraft] (Oneiros Books), Robert E. Howard's Myth Maker (Cross Plains), The Confessor Demonicus ex-Deo (Dark Matter Press)
--2000s
From the Tomb (Peter Normanton) [2], Bedlam, Immortal: A Vampire Tale (Black Boar Press), Fleshrot Tales From the Dead, Drawing Your Nightmares (Dark Horse), Nightmares & Fairy Tales (Slave Labor Graphics), Morbid (Dark Horse), Zacherly's Midnite Terrors (Chanting Monk Press)
Great '40's style illustrations.
Thanks for the Mammoth info! Sounds like there's lots of good stuff included.
This seems like an interesting series and hero,Atlas's Rex Lane and National's Dr.13 are admittedly better characterized,but theres somenthing creepy about Drew and the downbeat ending which makes it more compelling.this could be a lost classic.
Karswell,
Many thanks for posting this beautiful Dr. Drew story by Grandenetti! What the Dr. Drew stories lack in characterization is more than made up for by some of Grandenetti's most striking art!
In '94 Horror House Press put out an issue of black and white Dr. Drew reprints called Demon Dreams of Doctor Drew #1:
http://comics.org/series.lasso?SeriesID=24199
I'm not sure if they ever released any follow up issues but #1 has 3 stories total, (including the one I posted today), plus The Devil's Violin from Rangers #56 and Sabina the Sorceress from Rangers #56. This was actually my first intro to Dr Drew many years ago, but of course nothing compares to the Doc in full color!
>Atlas's Rex Lane and National's Dr.13
There's still one Rex Lane story left that I'd love to post if anyone would like to submit it from Young Men #21, it's called "R.I.P. Rest In Peace." And if anyone has any available Dr. 13 scans please drop me a line at karswell@hotmail.com too! Thanks HP!
>more than made up for by some of Grandenetti's most striking art!
I agree! Grandinetti is/was one of the most underrated talents in all of comicdom. And it's possible the Dr Drew characterization developed more in his remaining appearances in Ranger Comics. We really shouldn't be too critical of a first issue appearance without fully knowing what came after.
I first say Grandinetti's art in the Warren books of the 60's. It took me a little while to warm up to his quirky angles; but I learned to look forward to his work.
Dr Drew has that Submariner look.
Man, I love Dr. Drew. I'd love to read more of these stories.
>Man, I love Dr. Drew
Nice to see what he was doing before he met Adam Carolla and his career took a downward turn. ;)
So good. Thanks for posting this, I'd love to see more. I'm a sucker for anything from that old Eisner mold. Man, those building, those panels, that first setup page! So good.
>Thanks for posting this, I'd love to see more.
Your welcome Skeletongue... to see more Dr Drew head on over to the Golden Age Comic Book blog: http://goldenagecomicbookstories.blogspot.com/
Mr Door Tree has a post up today as well, it's in black and white but it's a great one!
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