TOMORROW: More graverobbing...
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The Rivals
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Beelzebub! / The Rivals
Somehow we went the entire month of January without a single tale from Atlas, so to kick off February here’s two classics for you from a trio of underrated legends. The Atlas Tales site says Matt Fox and Larry Woromay joined awesome forces for the first story, while Al Luster kicks consistant ass on the second… both tales are from the June 1953 issue of Journey into Unknown Worlds #19.
So, the book of Satan is in IRAQ, eh? Maybe THAT'S why they...
ReplyDeleteNaaaah.
But GOOD OL' ATLAS. Boy, Al Luster DOES kick ass. Reminds me of Steve Ditko in a few panels.
The premise of The Rivals is hilarious. Couple of cheap carnival performers with a deadly rivalry. They've taken their one-note acts way too seriously.
"BALLET DANCER? WHY, YOU FILTHY..."
Great idea, having Torino in a skeleton outfit.
Thanks, Kars, and if you DO have any Ditko lyin' around...
Well, at least for me, the double today was worth the wait for more Atlas stuff. Holy wow is this the kind of thing I really tune in for, art-wise. One note each:
ReplyDeleteIn the first story, I really love the horizontal segue at the top of page two from the mummy's hand to Hagarth's; and also the vertical one from the resting mummy to the explorer rising from his cot. A very neatly done foreshadowing misdirect I thought really obscured the deceptively complex theological ending. That kind of two-way visual progression really reaps the benefit of that special lineation peculiar to the comic page.
In the second story I love that strip of yellow panels in the middle of page two (what is it with page two?). It's a little obvious, of course: here everyone is the same, each of these bastards no better than the other, each the other's "miserable yellow dog" enemy. Still, for a relatively pedestrian story with standout art, this is a showstopping page.
Thanks Karswell!
Woromay + Fox = Wolverton?. Just kidding, very good stuff, and i love the montage of 3 panels on the first page showing where he's searched. I thought the second story was so over-the-top(under the big top)it was both scary AND funny. Neat double post.
ReplyDeleteGreat update.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, have you seen this? http://home.mlode.com/~spain/vxxmasks.jpg
Nice stories, moody art, good endings.
ReplyDeleteLiked the joke panel. Seems a bit risque for a 1954 kiddies book.
Thnaks for the continous efforts, Karswell!
Alexander: Dang, neat link. The Old Witch and EC Zombie masks in particular are spot on. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteTWO VERY AWESOME STORIES! NOW LETS SEE IF THE SUPER BOWL CAN EVEN COME CLOSE. I WAS WONDERING WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ATLAS TALES LAST MONTH BUT YOU WERE POSTING SO MUCH GOOD STUFF ANYWAY I DIDN'T WANT EVEN ASK.
ReplyDeleteLOVED the art on both stories. if i ever start collecting these i'll start with Atlas!
ReplyDeleteI sometimes feel like I either run too much Atlas in a month or, like last month, I just totally space and don't run anything. But I promise I'll have more examples this month for sure.
ReplyDeleteLast month I noticed that I didn't run anything from Ace either, so tomorrow you will get an Ace tale.
See ya then... thanks for stopping by on Super Bowl Sunday.
excellent stories today karswell
ReplyDeletewould love to see more atlas and some ditko too like the walnut guy said
Karswell, I gotta thank you again for introducing me to the artwork of Al Luster. I love his stuff! Those damned, tortured faces he draws are the stuff of true HORROR!!!!
ReplyDeleteFantastic scans apart from the edges being replaced with a white border.
ReplyDelete