Monday, August 14, 2017
Ghost Manor Creature Double Feature
Nequam was inquiring a while back about Charlton ghost comics, and in light of Nequam's recent birthday, what better time than a few days late (sorry!) to get this post up! No need really for an introduction for either of today's highlighted artists from the March 1979 issue of Ghost Manor #42, as Steve Ditko's work on Tonight I'll Dream of You (as well as the cover) is unmistakably Ditko all the way-- but first let's take a look at a weird Tom Sutton werewolf tale featuring some superbly atmospheric art. I particularly love the coloring and inking on this one, just wish it had a better ending... and Happy belated Birthday, Nequam!
Happy birthday, Nequam!
ReplyDeleteSo glad I noticed this post in the sidebar today -- I never got an email for it! And I see a few others that never made it to my inbox either. Of all the blogs I follow, this is one of the few that I dread missing posts from!
Thank you, Karswell!
ReplyDeleteI like the loose Ditko style on the first story, although that little >faint< un-sound effect is rather ludicrous. Why not "Gasp!" or "Ohhh..." if it felt unclear that she passed out from fright?
Happy Birthday Nequam!
ReplyDeleteOK, the Ditko story was a hard and confusing read, an editor should have taken Ditko to task on that one. I can't really say much about it.
The werewolf tale? Yeah, story was cliche and the ending was completely and utterly unannounced but damn did Sutton hit that one out of the park. I'm sad to say but in my youth, when I loved people like Romita, Trimpe, Perlin and other Marvel artist (I had a fascination with Ploog, though, which lead me to Ghastly) I would have regarded this art as amateurish. It's not, it's perfect for the story, and saves it. From our big haired sexy witch to our angry werewolf, to how Sutton slants elements in the panels to give everything an off-kilter look.
Those couple landscape panels would make great computer backgrounds.
Two of my favorite comic artists... Tom Sutton, and Dikto....
ReplyDeletewe still have the Charlton comic with the first story... good post, Sir Karswell...
The werewolf comic is fun thanks to that unexpected ending where our lovely lady is actually a kind witch come to save our werewolf friend from his grim curse.
ReplyDeleteThe second one is really weird. Apparently we have some sort of Freddy Kruger like monster who invades the dreams of others through his own dreams--and then gets them. The "Need man bad!" cries cracked me up though!
Happy Birthday, Nequam, seems like August is a big birthday month for THOIA followers.
ReplyDeleteIn the Tom Sutton story, it is a shame the red haired witch wasn't given a sequel story or turn her into an assistant for Dr. Graves, sort of a pre-X files team to drive away evil spirits, break curses, etc. Ah well, what might have been..
As for Ditko's tale, it reads sort of like a dream sequence, is it real, did it really happen? Maybe Hajim managed to slip out of the handcuffs but fell overboard and was eaten by a shark rather than be eaten by Gugar.
As Brian Barnes mentioned, an editor from another comic might have chastised Ditko for this one, but since Charlton gave lots of artistic freedom to their artists (or Charlton editors couldn't be bothered/didn't want to upset the artists and have them quit) Ditko was free to do as he saw fit. Minimum pay but maximum freedom was the Charlton way.
Charlton comics get criticized for some things, but I doubt that they've been criticized when it comes to "cheesecake" pictures. And (apart from "Winnie the Witch" herself) Miss Watkins is a great example.
ReplyDeleteI also can't help liking the happy ending, which I wasn't expecting.
I love Ditko at his weirdest.
ReplyDeleteI like that Sutton werewolf, too. My ideal last page to Night of the Wanderer would have been rather more at home in Vampirella than in this book here. But I mean, this lass is obviously one experienced werewolf hunter, and I think her goal is to bag her wolf-man in the more casual way. Little red-headed riding hood looking for action over the river and through the woods. Kenneled heat!
Happy birthday, belatedly.
ReplyDeleteOh shoot, yeah, Happy Birthday, Nequam! I got wrapped up in my comment fantasy and hit send prematurely! Hope you have a great year!
ReplyDelete