Sunday, August 8, 2010

"Eye of the Beholder", "The Immortality Thieves!" and "The Royal Right"

I hope my long absence didn't frighten anyone too much. Trying to balance five blogs can sometimes be hair raising but not nearly as hair raising as the tales I have for you this evening.

Tonight the Crypt will be bring you three tales from DC Comic's October 1972 issue of Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion.

With script by Robert Kanigher and art by Howard Chayking, first up, we have Eye of the Beholder a romantic tale of love at first sight.

Don't believe in it you say? Don't worry, you will.



















I've always have a soft spot for tales of true love.

Next up, artist Win Mortimer helps teaches us that looks can't bring you lasting joy, but revenge can.















Lastly, with art by Bill Draut, plot by Joe Orlando and script by Robert Kanigher, we have The Royal Right. A story that helps remind us that it never pay to be an asshole.















Wow, that got ugly real quick!

8 comments:

  1. First off, that cover (Kaluta?) is awesome.

    Second, did I just read a DC comic story that ends with a guy having a romance with a giant spider? Did DC slip this story by while the Comics Code offices were closed for Lincoln's birthday, or something?

    Third, no offense to Win Mortimer, but he just can't do horror, or even mild suspense. Everything he draws looks like a Sears catalog.

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  2. I kind of like Win Mortimer's Sears catalogue look, but that's a great description. Excellent stuff, cool to read some Kanigher horror, he's a master surrealist in every genre. Also interesting to see the early-ish Chaykin. Thanks!

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  3. Rob!: Yes! It is a Mike Kaluta. I should go back and add that.

    I don't know, but I think Win Mortimer's style works for this particular story and the newly young beautiful people. How he might handle a giant spider romance, I couldn't say.

    Aaron: I like his stuff too. With his Sears catalogue look, I think it worked well for his romance and this story.

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  4. That is a cool issue! Wish I had picked up some of those originally, but I'm probably doubly glad to read them now.

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  5. Chuck: Yes, this issue was a lot of fun! I especially love The Immortality Thieves.

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  6. Really nice art on these stories... this is one issue from this series I don't have and very much appreciate you posting it!

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  7. "Forbidden Tales of the Dark Mansion" was originally entitled "Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love" (issues #1-5), and was probably aimed at teenage girls and young women. That is, the same presumed audience that read the Gothic romance/mystery/suspense ("women running from houses") paperback books. My guess is that DC realized that girls weren't buying it, so they changed the title to emphasize horror and suspense instead of romance. By then, though, it had probably gained a reputation as a girls' romance comic, so boys didn't buy it, either. IIRC, it was cancelled after fifteen issues.

    I can easily imagine DC trying to revive it now, to appeal to "Twilight" fans. But it would probably fail again, for the same reason as before: most comic book fans want super-heroes, and most Gothic romance fans don't read comics.

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