POST # 26 - "SAM'S SON AND DELILAH!" by Carmine Infantino and Al Milgrom

This is the story of Bubber.

You heard me. No, It's not the story of Rubber.

Bubber is the son of Sam. No, not the mass murderer. He's Sam's son, the deaf kid with amazing strength and skill. Skill that Sam uses for his own purposes.

When I first read this story in EERIE # 79 both my friend and I would laugh at his name. We just don't see many "Bubber's" where I come from. The scenes where the fans are chanting his name were particularly amusing to my buddy.

But Bubber's story is far from funny. Nope. It is a tale with tradgedy of biblical proportions, you might say. Certainly a cautionary tale for all parents.

The story is written by Bruce Jones, Pencilled by Carmine Infantino, and Inked by Al Milgrom.

Those names should be familiar to most comic fans. I think I've already mentioned my appreciation for Bruce Jones work.  Carmine Infantino is a DC legend, and he does a typically perfect job of story-telling here.

 Al Milgrom 's inks fit over Infantino's pencils like a glove, their styles working together as one.

Are you ready to be Bubberfied?

Then strap in for the most Bubberific ride of your life,

for here comes the Bubberous tale of

SAM'S SON AND DELILAH!

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"Bubber! Bubber! Bubber!"

NEW COMICS BLOG - APOCOLYTE'S WORLD OF COMICS

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

Today is the GRAND OPENING of my 3rd, final and ULTIMATE Comics Blog -

APOCOLYTE'S WORLD OF COMICS!

It will be my new main home for Nothing But COMICS (the NON black and white kind)!

Of course I'll still be posting here at BLACK 'N' WHITE AND RED ALL OVER

(hopefully with more frequency), and comics will also still be a huge part of THE BLOG AT THE END OF TIME as well, but for pure comic book history and stories, you'll want to bookmark

APOCOLYTE'S WORLD OF COMICS!

POST # 25 - H.P. Lovecraft's "COOL AIR" by Berni Wrightson

If one were to take the odd camera angles and ghastly, shadowy gothic imagery of  EC horror maven Graham Ingels, and cross it with the delicate, fine-lined etching quality pen-work of illustrator Franklin Booth, what would you get?

Whatever it is, I'll bet it looks a helluva lot like the art of Berni Wrightson, whose work has been compared to both. Mr. Wrightson has become enthroned as the modern master of horror, and for good reason. Picking up the torch once held by Ingels, Wrightson has carried said torch farther and to more places than Ingels could have imagined. With an expert mastery of the black and white shapes he creates with his fine pen lines or his broad brushstrokes, Wrightson certainly had a hand in bringing horror comics back into fashion in the late 60's and early 70's.

Here he shows he is not only an excellent illustrator, but also a keen writer and director as he takes on the challenge of adapting H. P. Lovecrafts classic horror tale COOL AIR.

Originally published in EERIE # 62, 1975, here is Berni Wrightson's version of

H.P. Lovecraft's COOL AIR!

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EERIE #62 inside cover. Art By Berni Wrightson.

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If you want more Berni Wrightson, then you must see these two posts from Mr. DoorTree over at the incredible GOLDEN AGE COMIC BOOK STORIES! I highly recommend it!

Click here and here.

POST # 24 - "ONE FOR DE-MONEY" by Angelo Torres

Angelo Torres was one of the first artists to be featured here, and you will very likely see his name and artwork here quite often, if I can help it! The more I revisit his art for Warren Publications, the more respect I have for his bold and finished style.

Today's tale comes from EERIE # 2, 1966, and was written by E. Nelson Bridwell. If you've ever read a DC comic or a MAD magazine from the sixties, you've read Bridwell's work. This happened to be his first contribution to the Warren line (click here for another), a story about a rich uncle, a squandering nephew, and conjurings of demons. Torres creates such an aura of horror, you can practically smell the sulfur and brimstone tickling your nostrils.

A classic horror tale of greed and murder, here is...
ONE FOR DE-MONEY!

POST # 23 - "DRACULA'S GUEST" Altered Splash Page by Frank Bolle

Now, it is my guess that most of you have already seen this one, as posted by Karswell over at THE HORRORS OF IT ALL, a day ago or so.

But, if you haven't, you should.

As you know (or at least you should) THOIA is the premier home on the web for amazing pre-code HORROR comic stories, and the host of darkness Karswell serves up delicious daily doses of blood-curdling tales to twist your toes off! The absolute best bastion of HORROR on the web!

Originally published in Christopher Lee's Treasury of Terror (Pyramid Books, 1966 series), DRACULA'S GUEST appeared in EERIE # 16 two years later. Presented here is the first page only (for the rest go here), which bizarrely pastes the head of cousin Eerie over the face of Dracula! For the rest of this beautiful black and white story by E. Nelson Bridwell and Frank Bolle, click the link and head over to THOIA now!

POST # 22 - CENSORED "POPEYE" SUNDAY STRIP by Elzie Segar (original artwork)

Today's post is a bit of a diversion from the usual.

In my travels across the inter-web searching for beautiful and thought provoking black and white artwork, I came across quite a number of original pages and strips selling at auction houses and private galleries. As the last post, this entry comes from the Lewis Wayne Gallery.

Elzie Segar (1894-1938) was a platinum age cartoonist. In 1920 he created The Thimble Theater, a strip that started running in the New York Journal. The Thimble Theater featured a beanpole-thin heroine named Olive Oyl and her brother Castor. About ten years later Segar introduced a character that became a huge hit, that's right, you guessed it  --  Popeye the Sailor was born.

The strip below is notable in that while it was accepted by King Features Syndicate, it was censored by a great number of the nations newspapers, being deemed too grisly. Today's readers wouldn't bat an eyelash at the work, although it is remains a hilarious cartoon from one of comics greatest creators. From the POPEYE Sunday strip dated 10-1-33.

POST # 21 - "PROCESS OF ELIMINATION" by Russ Heath (original artwork)

Well, it's about time for another terrific tale told in beautiful black and white, wouldn't you say?

I agree completely.

Russ Heath is an amazing artist who has contributed some of the most wonderfully drawn comics since the Golden Age, and the last I heard, he is still drawing and painting. What a talented man! Whether he is depicting western action, the battlefields of war, beautiful women, or any other subject, his attention to detail and fine, realistic rendering have earned him the respect of his peers and fans around the world.

In this story he is joined by another favorite of mine, Bruce Jones, who wrote it. Originally appearing in CREEPY #83, 1976 , here is a grim little yarn that will hold your attention! Luckily, the original artwork is being auctioned on Ebay from Lewis Wayne Gallery. I present you with both -- scans of the printed version, and scans of the original artwork, where all the beauty and details come through with crystal clarity.

Here is a story about a man with something on his mind...something weighing on his concience. You'll discover what that is by...

PROCESS OF ELIMINATION!