I have a thing for female freaks, and nobody did it better than Bob Powell back in the earliest issues of Speed Comics with his classic, Landor "Maker of Monsters" quickies. Actually, many people have done it better, (before and since), but did they do it with as much fun as this? Also yes. But maybe they weren't drawn as good? Well, sure they were... I guess what I'm trying to sell you here today is a Triple Feature of Mad Scientist Terror. So now you ask, "But did anyone else ever do it this terrifying?" Oh yeah, waaaay more people have. This stuff isn't even that scary, tbh. But did they do it with as much originality? Of course they did, and have, and will continue to do. Anyway, what I'm really trying to say is that I love stories about creepy crawlin' cat women, and evil swoopin' bat babes, and dead dames revived to do dastardly deeds, all in the name of world conquering, wack-a-doodle science! So there, that's what I've been trying to say. Now prepare yourself for Sina, Creeta, Carda, and a two foot tall killer kitten, --plus a ding dong couple who just can't seem to stay away from the world's most ineffective, but undeniably inspired super-loser villain. From Speed Comics #2, #6, and #7 (1939 - 1940.)
9 comments:
Were these scripts the ones Fletcher Hanks rejected? They have the manic, crazy, logic defying storyline found in Stardust or Fantomah, only the monsters created were easy to subdue. The heroes could just sneeze on these baddies and they would fall over in defeat.
This Landor guy is either The Professor from the 1960's Felix the Cat cartoons or The Brain from Pinky and the Brain, a would be supervillain who never succeeds no matter how hard he tries. Give it up Landor, just sell your life giving potion to some other supervillain and retire comfortably on the profits of your research.
The art is fun 40's comic work featuring bright colors, something unexpected in horror comics. The heroic duo are the plain vanilla/nothing special heroes (no super powers, except the power to stumble in on Landor's plans) but the villain is less than a match against these heroes.
Come to think of it, if these misadventures of 'Landor the Lesser Evil' had been made into B movies, they would have been featured on Count Floyd's Monster Chiller Horror Theater, without the 3D treatment.
These were fun tales of the forgotten, and forgettable, Landor the Maker of Mediocre Monsters.
The first story is just sad. Landor finally meets someone who likes him and is interested in his work and then their adopted cat child creation gets jealous.Tony has no right telling Landor that this is his just reward when the police come and he simply lets them arrest him. The second story is just silly. What sort of weird Barbie prototype did Landor try creating? The third one made me laugh a bit too hard at the ending. Landor just jumps out the window after declaring his revenge on Tony and Tony just assumes he’s dead. I mean, the last few times have proven him wrong so why would this one be any different?
I am not really sure why Landor got arrested in the first story. Playing God? Not really a human crime.
I did like the tiny cat lady just yeeting the dog in the second page.
My favorite part about this is that the only way these stories work is if Landor's giant, gothic castle is mere feet from Tony and Marie's house.
I mean, the cat doll monster kidnaps the little girl -- in sight of Tony's house -- and takes her to the castle -- also in sight of his house.
Which actually makes this thing not about somebody messing with god's domain and big heroic Tony fixing it but some weird neighbor dispute. Did Landor never return Tony's mower? Did he turn the mower into a monster? What started this dispute?
As mentioned, this is Fletcher Hanks plotting territory and it's all the better for it. Monster of the month, the rest of the comic around it doesn't matter much.
If this is early Powell, there's still a lot of art that shows how great he will become. Story 2, page 1, panel 2 is neat (and, no, not the overly defined butt, paging Dr. Wertham!) Story 3, page 2 has some great camera angles and is a real striking image.
After a reread of Landor's failed experiments, I can imagine what these tales would have been like if they were done as humor instead of horror-
Fist tale- "At last, I have perfected my perfect femme fatale, no go destroy that interfering Tony. Stop! Stop! You're supposed to be a fighter not a lover! Let me go you love crazed creation!"
Second tale- "Go and destroy my enemies, you feline femme fatale. No! stop fooling with that ball of yarn! You have enemies to destroy! Oh what a feline failure, all she does is sleep on the sofa and throw up on the rug."
Third tale- "Go forth my wicked winged woman and cause mayhem on the town. Stop! Stop! You are supposed to destroy Hawkman not fall in love with him! I'm not paying for your wedding!"
These Landor tales were fun on so many different levels, I am glad you posted these fun comics, Karswell.
Har! Glad you guys are having fun with these Landor tales... I have a few more that I may post before the year is out, so as always --stay tombed!
Some notes on the stories:
1) The caption text in the splash is delightful. I read it out loud in my room again and again. Whew, Tony and Marcia almost didn't make it into this comic. And what really happened to Dr. Zurat? She's a little banged up but totally conscious at the end of page four. Bummer for her that this one's five-pager.
2) The caption text in the splash is delightful. I try to read it out loud, but always crack up by the end. Also those skulls are wonderfully well colored. Tony is focused on divining clues to the plot from that dog! Put down the dog, Tony. Sheesh.
3) The caption text in the splash is a real let down. But get a load of that title treatment! One castle is connected to another castle by a cave? I mean, a twenty-story castle! Why is Zandor always giving these experiments of his super strength and brittle dry little tissue paper wings?
Speaking of Fletcher Hanks, Bob Powell is really channeling him on the cover of Speed Comics #7. But in these stories, not so much. Art-wise I like the Carda story best--all those angled, precipitous, and color-coded castle and grotto walls are pretty thrilling. My favorite writing is the intro text to the post. Funniest one all year!
Awww shucks, thanks! Did I work extra hard to make it extra funny just for you? Not at all. And will I do it again, just for you? Highly doubtful, but I do appreciate the kind words all the same.
Or do I?
I can't help liking the sympathy for Landor in these comments when it comes to the first story. Tony's "just desserts" lines at the end really do take the sympathy away from HIM.
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