Sunday, May 1, 2011

The Kiss of Death!

Celebrating Karswell's birthday today (and all week too) with posts dedicated to his all time favorite comicbook illustrator-- Bill Everett! And those of you who loved the sassy Scarlet O'Neil stories from last month better hold onto your britches, because we kick things off with a terrific Venus tale from the final issue of this amazingly eerie, and incredibly difficult to collect Golden Age series (thanks again to Brian Hirsch for these scans!) From the April 1952 issue of Venus #19.








23 comments:

Runs.with.Ferals said...

One of the greatest Bill Everett horror covers ever !

Unknown said...

Awww, skeleton love! Ain't it grand?
That was a really good one!

Pappy said...

One of my fave Everett stories! Thanks for posting.

And birthy hapday, too.

Turok1952 said...

A very happy birthday geburts tag to you! Here's to many more!

I adore Venus! But gadzooks, what a bizarro story... how could Igor not know? But oh well, who cares as long as Venus is around? :)

More Venus!! Please, more Venus!!

aldi said...

Amazing story! This site (and Pappy's) have really taught me what a brilliant artist Bill Everett was, I can't get enough of his stuff now!

Happy Birthday, Karswell! Have a demon of a night!

Liz D-M said...

Have an amazing birthday!

Mr. Cavin said...

Fabulous! This is probably my favorite mode for Everett, who had to have been one of the best, if not the best, crosshatchers in the biz. I like this sort of thing better than the cartoonier stuff, but only just.

I also dig the sinister as hell recreation of the story's twist on the cover. I'm sorry they gave the ending away (though it isn't like it woulda been all that surprising anyway), but it's totally worth it for the less romantic and far scarier alternate take of the frame. Eye sockets are just spooky.

Happy birthday man.

Anonymous said...

Great! But watch the mushy stuff; we don't want to get a good reputation! This is a *horror comics blog; after all, not a Harlequin Romance one*! :)

DBurch7670

Tamfos said...

A week of Everett?!! Feels more like MY birthday, Kars -- but you have a happy one!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Karswell. And they finally got Bin Laden today too!

SpaceLord said...

"Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag" from your german reader. Streng verboten not to have fun!

Anonymous said...

Hey; if they ever brought this kind of horror comics back; (but updated, of course!) a "Bin Ladin"/"taliban"/"Al Quada" story would not be out of line in my opinion!

I even have an idea: Bin Ladin dies and goes into the afterlife. Good news (for him); he gets his 70 virgins. Bad news (again for him; they are not only all *Israelis; but they are that country's version of either "Klan chicks", "Nazi chicks", or at least from some town, city, kibbutz,ect. infamous for the "RAGHEAD, DON'T LET THE SUN SET ON YOU HERE" (American English translation) sign at the edge of the community*! :)

DBurch7670

Tamfos said...

What the....?

Mr. Karswell said...

There's definitely more Everett AND Venus coming up, so hang tight... thanks for the comments and birthday wishes too.

And who cares about Osama, R.I.P. Yvette Vickers (who would've played a great VENUS if they had ever made the movie!) Read the awful news here:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/05/early-playboy-playmate-and-b-movie-acress-yvette-vickers-found-dead-in-benedict-canyon.html

Gumba said...

Happy birthday, Karswell! Maybe you, this blog, and Sons of Black Mass keep on rocking!

Mr. Karswell said...

thanks Gumba!

Prof. Grewbeard said...

oops, missed this one, another winner!

THE APOCOLYTE said...

I agree - this is an awesome cover (and story too) by Everett.

All the best to you, Karswell!

Luxembourg said...

This have a quality page,I enjoy what you guys tend to be up too. This sort of clever work and coverage! Keep up the great works guys I've you guys to my own blogroll.

Drazen said...

Glorious!

and what a cover!

Mr. Freibert said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

wow, love that ending, cant wait for more Everett!

Jacque Nodell said...

It is still technically your birthday week -- so happy birthday!

You have probably already seen this, but in case not, over at the Timely-Atlas-Comics blog is a huge post devoted to Bill Everett Atlas romances!

Jacque Nodell said...

Oops, here is the link

http://timely-atlas-comics.blogspot.com/2011/04/bill-everett-atlas-romance-stories.html