Everyone seemed to enjoy our previous excursion into the weird wild west, so let's do it again with a Double Creature Feature this time, and both starring lily-livered pantywaist by day, Chet Fairchild, who puts on a good nervous Nelly sissy show, but then dons a scary skull mask by night to take on the eerie evils of the Earth as --The Masked Marvel! Fun stuff for you gallopin' gourmets of ghoulishly goofy Golden Age western / horror! From the October 1951 issue of Gunsmoke #15, and the January 1952 issue of Gunsmoke #16.
Skinwalkers, that is the first thing I thought of while reading these two stories.
ReplyDeleteI doubt the writers back then knew of the Native American horror that still haunts the West.
There are quite a few Native American tales that would be the basis for modern comic/magazine horror tales, stories that would have given the likes of Eerie and Creepy a run for their money.
The first story has some great creepy art. Love the last two panels on page two--especially the one of the bloodsucker grabbing that lady. I also love that Irene is badass enough to go after that thing with silver bullets, so definitely not a damsel in distress here. The third panel in the final page of the monster impaled by a stalactite is chilling. I can't stop laughing at that second story though! The human faces on those animals are anything but scary. Especially the one on the snake! Also, the idea of a 6 foot snake robbing a bank or a mine payroll is hilarious! Also, the coyote laughing and howling was pretty funny as well. I'm pretty sure the "lion" in question is actually a mountain lion though.
ReplyDeleteChet is a real example of "protests to much." I'd instantly think that guy was the Masked Marvel, take it down a notch, Chet! Try to blend in!
ReplyDeleteFirst story is a lot better; it does the alternate vampire bit and the stalactite ending is a good idea especially as it also implies trick shooting. I love the "until civilization arrives" panel. First, that's kind of ... icky ... and second, it turns out the uncivilized indians new an awful lot more than dynamiting settlers!
The "Masked Marvel" needs a better name, though, that's way to generic for what is a super cool costume (not sure about the yellow shirt, though.)
Second story is also fun and I do like the silly faced beasts, but in this one our hero is basically handed tools to defeat the bad guy who gets taken down by a random animal attack!
You could really modernize this and make a new comic out of it!
I agree with Brian, a new name for the masked hero is needed- 'Skullcap' or 'Diablo Deaths-head' would be a more fitting name.
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly what I want in comic art. It's serviceable at the panel level, fills the frames, but doesn't subordinate the narrative sequence--or the full page--with overproduced styley frills. It tells the story with flair, expresses itself with emotional elan, and generally seems to be the product of an interested artist. I really dig the top two panels of page three in the vampire story, and everything on page six. I'm delighted that this is one comic story in which the protagonist presents himself as a coward and yet the townsfolk don't seem to care one way or another. Cowardice seems like a pretty effective strategy in the old west. I like the woman. She also expresses some fear of sticking around this terror-stricken hellhole, but nevertheless springs into action when necessary just like the Marvel. She should have a mask, too.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of that: You ever wonder what this mask is made out of? Like, is it carved wood, hammered tin, leather stiffened with ammonia like Roman armor? I like the way the villain in the second story references the fake skull. This ain't Ghost Rider--this getup isn't fooling anybody. I actually like the way native peoples are handled here. Sure, they're still sorta half-mystical, overly exotic others, but at least they mostly say normal things, seem as smart and motivated as anyone else, and get in a good zinger here and there.