Wednesday, March 14, 2018

The Steel Monster

Behind another gorgeously painted cover, (this time by Allen Anderson), awaits a tale that some of you may notice bears an uncanny similarity to a particular Theodore Sturgeon yarn first published in the mid 40's. That's right-- it's KILLDOZER!!! (with a few slight differences.) And yes, this wasn't the only time that KD made a comic book appearance, as Marvel Comics later unleashed 20 pages of murderous, mechanized madness in the April 1974 issue of Worlds Unknown #6: The Thing Called... KILLDOZER! --just as ABC Studios let loose in the same year with their own TV movie adaptation starring Clint Walker and Robert Ulrich-- it seemed KILLDOZER was everywhere in '74! So enjoy today's post, and I know, it's not too terribly different from what I normally post around here-- per our current March theme-- so if you really wanna complain about it you'll have to take it up with The Dozer!! From the May 1951 issue of Amazing Adventures #2, artist unknown.

















5 comments:

Morbid said...

Great post here, Karswell. That cover is great. I always think when I see some B.E.M. lusting over an Earth woman, that it's kind of like some guy lusting after an octopus, isn't it? He must be some kind of really screwed up sex freak on his own planet.

Then it's Killdozer time. I like how the spotlight was like its eye. Was Wendy just going to marry him for his money? Because he was clearly crazy as hell. I like how it takes out its creator as it's dying at the end, classic monster style. Have not seen Killdozer since I was a kid on a midnight TV creature feature. I'll have to watch it again soon. Killdozer and Maximum Overdrive would probably make a great rainy afternoon double feature. With a whole lot of beer, of course.

Mestiere said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mr. Cavin said...

Whoa. Wicked love story. This shape is not a triangle: The man doesn't love his girl as much as he loves his bulldozer. The woman doesn't love her man as much as his hired hand. The bulldozer doesn't seem to care all that much about any of them, frankly. I think maybe, in the few moments they had together, the bulldozer may have loved the crane? It's just... it's just so tragic.

Brian Barnes said...

Who's complaining? This is a free service of stuff you would never see otherwise! I don't get people!

The pacing on this is pegged at 300 mph, the first couple panels alone a woman switches from fiance to hunky hero, giant killer bulldozer is built and starts up, mad scientist goes crazy ...

I have to say, the plan was relatively dumb -- if the mad scientist just built, say, a bomb, he could have planted it and killed both of them with no trouble. Or a gun. Or any comic device! The bulldozer just gave them multiple outs! Mad scientists: Never thinking anything through!

I love this different stuff, keep it up, ignore the haters.

Guy Callaway said...

KD is downright cute in a couple of panels.