From the September 1953 issue of Marvel Tales #118
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Vintage Magic Tricks AD
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Innocent Bystander
And here’s the bonus Briefer story as promised, originally presented in the Feb ‘53 issue of Journey into Mystery #5, though scanned from the reprint version of the March ‘73 issue of Crypt of Shadows #2. It can also be found in the new Journey into Mystery hardback edition of "Marvel Masterworks Atlas Era" which reprints the first fantastic 10 issues (in stores now!) Click HERE for more info.
12 comments:
Rashu 1
Sahib 0
Briefer needs a collection, like seriously.
The end of the first one was so obvious - and still I didn´t see it coming :-)
These Briefer tales are always good.
Two very spooky tales!
WOW AWESOME DOUBLE HEADER, I LIKED THE ART ON THE MAGIC WORD STORY A BIT BETTER BUT THE SECOND TALE WAS SCARIER. BRIEFER IS AMAZING AND THOUGH HIS FRANKENSTEIN STUFF IS UNBEATABLE MAYBE ITS TIME HE BECAME MORE KNOWN FOR HIS OTHER WORK THAN JUST THAT. YOU KNOW?
Briefer will probably always be more associated with his Frankenstein stories than his other horror output (same as Bill Everett with Sub-Mariner or Jack Cole with Plastic Man.) No biggy really. And speaking of hero overshadowery, tomorrow we kick off another week with an entire issue, this time it's Black Magic #30 from Prize Group. Tons of awesomeness in this one featuring, of course, a great Jack Kirby horror tale of hideous genetic deformity, gorgeous ghost girls, extreme satanism, and a bitchy bayou babe tale you'll have to read to believe. Starts Monday!
I recall a similar story to the first tale was done (years later, obviously) in an episode of "Tales from the Darkside". In the "Darkside" episode, a carnival magician is harassed by an obnoxious heckler who gives away all his secrets. Eventually, the magician decides to preform the floating trick using the heckler as a subject. But as the heckler is ascending, the magician has a fatal heart attack, and....
The second tale was one of those stories where both the protagonists are so unlikable you really can't feel bad for their ultimate fates. Nice ghastly art on the dead woman!
I was half expecting the first story to end with a panel showing a couple of futuristic astronauts staring in amazement at a dessicated orbiting corpse.
Things that make you say "DUH!"...
Always important to remember to ask for the magic words to get back down when threating powerful magicians with their lives to know the magic behind levitation!
The Tales from the Darkside episode that is similar to the first Briefer story was called Levitation (season one / episode 19.) Most interesting is the story credited to Joseph Payne Brennan, a highly influencial, though largely (now) forgotten horror/sci-fi author of the 50's. For more on JPB check the wikipedia entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Payne_Brennan
Reminds me a lot of the fate of John Lithgow's character at the end of "Santa Claus: The Movie." After stuffing himself with the magic flight-giving candy canes to escape the police, he floats up into space. However, the last shot shows him screaming as he drifts out of the atmosphere... too bad they didn't show him frozen stiff and cracking! Too much for the kiddies I suppose.
The real-life distractions that prevented me from blogging for the last month have lessened, so I am starting back with Monster Memories and Sweet Skulls now, at least weekly. Sorry I've been away for so long! And I'm working on getting my email to function.
i read a re-do of The Magic Word in an Eerie Pubs story, only the Fakir sold a flying carpet to the creep and gave him the secret for taking off, but not the one for landing.
so the killer statue was also an "innocent bystander"? huh? either way, the bitch is DEAD so i am content with the outcome...
Post a Comment