Saturday, January 23, 2010
Derelict Fleet / Process of Elimination
Full speed ahead with our "Horrors on the High Seas" theme, and here are two more ACG classics for you today--- "The Derelict Fleet" from the September 1953 issue of Adventures into the Unknown #47, featuring some exceptionally weird 'n wild art by THOIA fave Jon Blummer ...and then "Process of Elimination" from the March 1954 issue of Out of the Night #13, a violent werewolf tale that thankfully enough doesn't have the usual ACG happy ending.
mmmmmmmm, meat tooth!
ReplyDeleteThe hag looks so classically goofy in an ACG style on the splash for "The Derelict Fleet", but I gotta give her credit for holding up her end of the bargain with the pirate. Nice hand-coming-out-of-the-water shot at the end.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure everyone could see the twist in "Process of Elimination" from a mile away, but a great werewolf/demon face in the last panel! And what happened to Paul, did she turn on her own brother and leave our clueless hero alive instead?
Thanks as always, Karswell.
really love the art in this one
ReplyDeleteWow, two surprise stories here. In the first one, I am just shocked that the ghost pirate got away with the money and the two-hundred-year soul. Awesome. And in the second, I'm thrilled that the brother bit the dust in some unexplained way. Both of these little details are complete anomalies in pre-code horror, so far as I can tell (which ain't very far).
ReplyDeletePlus, these winners also share another thing: stone calloused professionals. In the first story we are treated to a couple of rescue plane workers who are blithely ho-hum about a mise-en-scène including young lovers, a sinking boat, a bunch of giant squids, and a patch of lashed together derelict galleons spontaneously burning into the sea. What a coincidence! Hey, buddy. Don't be so dismissive--I just paid ten cents for the same story.
Then tale number two features a doctor who cannot see the sinister side of an entire barge crew vanishing at sea. What? She couldn't have killed anybody. There was no one there to kill. That's taking the old scientific skepticism thing a little too far. But perhaps we can indulge in a little experiment. One of these survivors must be the culprit, so if we lock them in a room together, we'll soon learn the identity of the murderer....
Cool stories, Mr. K!
ReplyDeleteDang, Magda was sure one homely werewolf for such a cute grrrrl.
I thought it would have been more realistic (therefore scarier) if she was still in her clothes at that last transformation, instead of having the clothing 'morph' into fur(!) when she did!
The art for both was definitely a fun trip into the past, both fascinating in their own way.
Almost forgot...
ReplyDeleteDo you think that Meat Tooth ad art is by Jack Davis?
I'd think so, but some artists try to copy that style. It's a fairly small ad, so hard to say for sure, but I t'inks, yeah!
The Sea Hag?!? Where's Popeye?
ReplyDeleteA nice duo of stories. ACG is so underrated by so many. (I'm guilty of it too, sometimes)
ReplyDeleteThe ad is definitely Jack Davis, he did an entire series of these for Slim Jim. Karswell posted one last Monday and in the comments you can see this same conversation came up. If you google 'Jack Davis Slim Jim Ads' you will get a bunch of examples.
ReplyDelete>mmmmmmmm, meat tooth!
ReplyDeleteYes, for those with something more than just a sweet toof!
>could see the twist in "Process of Elimination" from a mile away
Yeah, but sometimes the Predictableness of it All can also be a story strong point... you know it's coming, but how will it be addressed? Tension enhancer.
>share another thing: stone calloused professionals.
Excellent observation Mr C, as always!
>still in her clothes at that last transformation, instead of having the clothing 'morph' into fur
Yes, a werewoman in an ugly yellow dress is waaaaay scarier for sure.
>Do you think that Meat Tooth ad art is by Jack Davis?
I don't think it is, I know it is.
>The Sea Hag?!? Where's Popeye?
He's over at Dell's shaking down Wimpy for all that hamburger money he's owed.
>ACG is so underrated by so many.
I agree, they have tons of great stuff, and occasionally a mindblower of a gem. But I do think too many of their stories run the bad side of predictable, a guy and girl in peril, they overcome whatever it is, and then run off to get married. For most fans of pre-code it's about how it ends, but for me with ACG it's usually about what's happens along the way, and only sometimes about how it ends. They had an amazing bullpen of artists too of course.
>he did an entire series of these for Slim Jim
Indeed, google is a good place to look for more. Anyone know if Davis did any other monsters besides Dracula and Wolfman for Slim Jim?
Keep the comments coming, glad you all stopped by this weekend!
If you were out by the water with your love, wouldn't you immediately go on a cruise with a grimy, shadowy guy who appeared out of nowhere with his boat? Sure ya would!
ReplyDeleteKarswell: Chiming in late with nothing new to ad, but screw it. I'll keep it brief. Great art in this one. Great splash panel and great Sea Hag. I found her very frightening. She has not so much teeth as bones sticking out of a whole in her face.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff, great post, and alright already. It's Davis! Jeez. -- Mykal
And further more: It's Davis on a crap day, giving it about 70%, I'd say! ;-) -- Mykal
ReplyDeleteMYKAL IS RIGHT, WHEN YOU CHIME IN THIS LATE ON THOIA THERE REALLY IS NOTHING ELSE MUCH THAT CAN BE ADDED. HOW ABOUT ANOTHER AWESOME!!!
ReplyDeleteOH AND JACK DAVIS ON A CRAP DAY IS STILL BETTER THAN PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE ELSE ON A GOOD ONE.
great theme, great art, great stories - thanks !!
ReplyDelete>It's Davis on a crap day
ReplyDeleteTotally don't agree.
>JACK DAVIS ON A CRAP DAY IS STILL BETTER THAN PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE ELSE ON A GOOD ONE.
Now THAT I can agree with!
Okay, we'll be Flash Forwarding again tomorrow already, but not with the Christopher Lee Treasury of Terror like I promised earlier this month (come back next month for that), it's something else that fits into our current theme.
Thanks again, and see ya in the mourn!