Friday, May 10, 2019
Full Moon!
It's time for the 'ol hitch-hiking / victim switcheroo, as Fanged Fridays at THOIA deliver a quickie monster tale from the August - September 1953 issue of Weird Mysteries #6. I don't know about you, but some of these hairy horror theme staples never seem to lose their appeal to entertain, no matter how many times we've been clawed to death by them-- although I'm sure there are some of you that find these types of stories to instead be quite draining! Illustrated by Tony Mortellero.
Here comes my old saw ... coloring! I'm of two minds on this one, the splash and the final panel both use complete whites to pop an important element. It reads well, but I still don't like it. I know others do, so it's a bit IMHO here.
ReplyDeleteI like the vampire look better than the wolfman here, though I don't know how all that fits in a small car, two monsters, one with a huge chunk of wings!
These "hey wolfman, surprise I'm a vampire" and "hey vampire, surprise I'm a wolfman" always depend on "knowledge" that one monster being much strong than the other, so you assume the victim monster is just going to get killed. If they are closer in strength, then it's really just a monster fight (in a small car!!)
I always liked wolfmen better so I always thought they were stronger than vampires. So I think lady vampire is going to get a bit of a surprise. I think I've seen a lot more "surprise vampires, I'm a wolfman" story than the other way around.
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ReplyDeleteThis story is actually a bit of a remake of sorts to an extremely similar story from Mister Mystery #9 called "The Taxi Driver." Mister Mystery and Weird Mysteries were both published by Stanley Morse (Key Comics) and both of these tales were illustrated by Tony Mortellero-but "The Taxi Driver" came first--as the issue is from January 1953.
ReplyDeleteBoth stories involve a werewolf on the run hitching a ride from a beautiful woman--except in this version, the woman in question is actually an old fashioned (as in horse drawn carriage) taxi driver. She is identical to the more modern woman driver in "Full Moon" and the werewolf's transformation panels and the last page where the woman is revealed to be a vampire are practically identical to one another. To see just how identical--take a look for yourselves: https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=21304
I think "The Taxi Driver" works a bit better for me--less dialogue from the characters and more narration talking to the main character. Also, because the vampire is outside of the carriage, one doesn't have to question how those wings fit inside of the vehicle--although one can wonder how the horse remains so calm--maybe it's also a vampire?
Also, the werewolf looks so goofy in the car on the last page, in the third panel.
ReplyDeleteI also posted The Taxi Driver story here at THOIA way back in 2008 here:
ReplyDeletehttps://thehorrorsofitall.blogspot.com/2008/09/taxi-driver.html
Commentors, please make sure to check my archive before putting links in here to other online sources. Thank you.
I am so sorry, Mr. Karswell. I had no idea this one had already been posted.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think the proper "last panel plus one" twist ending would be the reveal that all the other local victims have been also vampire girls. Think about it. Picking up hitchhikers is, like, the perfect way to hunt for nightly blood without over-taxing the townie population. Meanwhile, what wolf-man doesn't love the taste of nubile young Draculas?
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I like the unpolished art here. Yeah, page two is pretty uninspiring, with a lot of dull, straight-on angles and mostly leaving it up to the colorist to fill-out the frame details. But the first and last pages are much better, crude but meaningful. I won't harp on the coloring, but I feel like what makes the splash good is actually that urgent and anxious draftsmanship, anyway. Look at that face; look at that clinging arm. These figures were certainly drawn with a fist instead of written with a fulcrum. That's all I ask.
Page 2, panel 1 is strangely poignant.
ReplyDeleteA super four pager. For me the b&w splash worked. I liked the claws on the shoulder. Panel three first page, I see a bit of Bogart. First look at her says "she's a vampire!". The three transformation panels were nice. In the final panel she is undead white with nice red lips. Thank you Mr.K. I always appreciate what you do.
ReplyDeleteThat's the most composed, articulate werewolf ever.
ReplyDeleteGreat l'il tale, though I reckon wolfy would make quick work of the vampire.
Loved it! Short and sweet. I enjoyed the "Wolf Man" hat-tip -- Lawrence!
ReplyDeleteAs much as anything else, it resembles one of those notorious NIGHT GALLERY comedy blackouts. It's easy to imagine the two of them getting together instead of either one becoming the other's victim.
ReplyDeleteI think the very first use of this trope was Robert Bloch's story 'The Bogeyman Will Get You', which appeared in Weird Tales. My favourite panel is the third one on page one, because of the pose our protagonist is striking. Is he leaning on an invisible fence post or is he striking a purposefully camp figure so an unsuspecting victim will pick him up thinking him a harmless friend of Dorothy, I wonder?
ReplyDeleteRiiight.... "Werewolf, that totally not mythological monster, strikes again! And drinks blood!" Because that's what werewolves do, they drink blood! And for whatever reason 'you' have to leave town by hitch hiking instead of, I don't know, taking public transport. And a hideous harpy is a beautiful young girl! This comic taught me so many things i didn't know!
ReplyDelete