From the spring 1952 issue of Adventures into Weird Worlds #4
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
The Man Who Lost His Head!
Another weirdie from Ogden Whitney… and judging from his bio (which includes of course the ever popular Herbie “The Fat Fury” character for DC) there really was no genre that Ogden couldn’t tackle and master with ease; as you'll soon discover with today’s seamless creature feature hybrid mixture of sci-fi and horror.
From the spring 1952 issue of Adventures into Weird Worlds #4
From the spring 1952 issue of Adventures into Weird Worlds #4
I didn't want to leave a spoiler in the intro, so feel free to unleash the Predator comparisons here at any time...
ReplyDeleteYou can't go wrong with Atlas Monsters ; even when there's no Kirby or Ditko involved they never fail !
ReplyDeleteWheels on the landing legs... You don't often see wheels on alien machines. I suppose they just seem too mundane and earthly. Or maybe it's part of Wells' influence - his Martians seem to have missed out on wheels entirely.
ReplyDelete"THERE'S ITS TRACKS... LIKE A HUGE OCTOPUS."
ReplyDeleteOctopus tracks! I love it. This dude really is an accomplished hunter. Interesting that, no matter how many clues were given, Whitney still never managed to quite clearly understand that this thing was supposed to have tentacles. To our benefit, I think: those queasy taloned half fingers the alien has on its hands and feet are much more spine-tingling.
THIS DOES FEEL LIKE A LATER ERA KIRBY MONSTERAMA, A BIG GOOFY CREATURE ON THE LOOSE IN A SIMPLE BUT WELL WRITTEN PREMISE. I WOULD HAVE NEVER FIGURED THIS TO BE WHITNEY AFTER YESTERDAY'S STORY, HIS STYLES ARE SO VARIED. THE LAST COUPLE PANELS ARE REALLY CHILLING.
ReplyDeleteAND TOTALLY LIKE PREDATOR TOO WITH THE ALIEN COLLECTING HEADS / SKULLS....... GREAT!
ReplyDeleteDid anyone else here notice that this could have inspired the Predator character? Or is it too much of a reach? :)
ReplyDeleteBut seriously, it shows there really are very few original ideas.
>Did anyone else here notice that this could have inspired the Predator character?
ReplyDeleteYou've already been beat to the reach Fred... read some of the previous comments, mine included!
And speaking of PRedator, did everyone hear that Stan Winston died Sunday night?
Let's see...recognizes octopus tracks...no, already done...you keep using that word 'tentacle,' I don't think it means what you think it m...no, someone already pointed that out...
ReplyDeleteMan, I'm getting slow in my advanced years...I had my comments all figured out, only to find that I had been beaten to them by some of the young whippersnappers here! What a drag it is getting old...
I guess the aliens have been coming there for a long time if the Indians know to avoid the valley. It's probably some kind of interstellar resort.
I love Harding's reaction when he sees the Werebear from Another World: "It's the most fascinating creature I ever saw! A brand new species never encountered by science! I MUST KILL IT!"
Cool story, Karswell. But I'm going to have to start getting up earlier...
Karswell,
ReplyDeleteThe re-stating was an admittedly lame attempt at humor... obviously, since it failed. But yeah, Mr. States D. Obvious was posting on a couple of your entries today, blindly missing everyone else's stating of the obvious.
Keep up the good work!
Oh, and Karswell, eventually you'll learn what a weird sense of humor I have... my response to your post the other day about girlsandcorpses.com was just such an expression of it.
ReplyDeleteIt's also fun to post comments that so obviously miss the point of earlier posts that they're amusing to read. I better start trying to be more serious! :)
>eventually you'll learn what a weird sense of humor I have
ReplyDeletePretty sure I've already figured that one out Fred... me too!
Fred, I think this is a perfectly appropriate time to be stating the obvious. I mean really, the title of the story is "The Man Who Lost His Head!" which basically makes obviousness intrinsic to the whole four-page ordeal.
ReplyDeleteVicar, sheesh, don't start getting up earlier: it's been all I can do to get here before you all along. Oh, and I live in Vietnam, so I'm already between eleven and fourteen hours ahead of you. Keeping that in mind, you should maybe pity me for only having ever beat you to the punch this one time.
"...did everyone hear that Stan Winston died Sunday night?
If you are interested, here's my thing (it is a bit less biographical than B-Sol's and a little less, well, good than Arbogast's. But hey)
Joining in with the blog posts about Stan, I have posted mine today, at www.SweetSkulls,com, and have added to it in the last hour or so with a personal recollection of the first time I saw Stan's work.
ReplyDeleteNow that has got to be one of the oddest looking creatures that I have seen thus far.
ReplyDelete