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Did Marvel Release a Bronze Age Horror Comic?

Started by joe_collector,

62 posts in this topic

BassGMan

BassGMan

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Oh I dunno, I think you guys might be being too picky. I would certainly call TOD or WBN original horror comics. However they did not create Vampires or Werewolves. But aren't pretty much all horror stories by any company based on previously created characters like ghosts, ghouls, zombies, witches, demons, devils, giants and so on? As far as I am concerned, these books are just as original as any of the ECs or the DCs. Maybe the fact that they are ongoing series puts them in a different category than all those other 4-8 page short stories. devil.gif -----Sid

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sterlingcomics

sterlingcomics

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I personally think JC is right. The few original issues were inconsequential. I personally liked TOD until other characters in the Marvel universe unduely influenced the series and made Drac more 'super villian'. Cmon--Dr Strange, Sun, etc. kinda got funny after a while. WBN never really had the horror edge to it--confused-smiley-013.gif For Marvel, it seemed like character branding was more important than selling the premise. That never was the case for the DC books I read....

 

I btw collect all of the Marvel titles--even if they are considered substandard by the 'original' horror standard--they did have some cool covers thumbsup2.gif

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joe_collector

joe_collector

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It's not about "original material or characters" in the case of these books, but the genre in which they were used and positioned.

 

For example Young Frankenstein uses a horror character, but it IS a comedy.

 

Same with TOD and Werewolf. They are horror characters, but the comics were obvious super-hero in nature. Each month Dracula and Werewolf would be off fighting the Hangman, Blade, Moon Knight, Dr Sun, Brother Voodoo, Dr Strange, Iron Man, Silver Surfer, or each other.

 

These were obviously super-hero characters that simply used the names of popular horror icons.

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joe_collector

joe_collector

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I think what JC is referring to is a horror anthology book like DC produced rather than a central figure book like TOD or WBN....

 

No, if the genre was actually Horror, it would be totally acceptable.

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sterlingcomics

sterlingcomics

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JC, What about 'Monster of Frankenstein (later Frankenstein Monster). It kinda follows the same mold as Drac and Wolfie: first issues probably in the horror genre of popular horror icons--later do battle with other monsters aka typical superhero comic fashion.

 

Obvious pattern forming here 893frustrated.gif

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BronzeBruce13

BronzeBruce13

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Its been awhile... but wasn't the "Living Mummy" run within Supernatural Thrillers original?... or does that fall under your superhero-horror designation? 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

 

If you/ve read those issues, it's pretty obvious. In one he fought the Sphinx/Living Monolith. grin.gif

 

 

I missed most of the Mummy SNT's. I wasn't too interested in the horror books way back but did get a chance to read some Marvel and DC horror for the first time from the collections I've bought over the last 4 years. Many of those covers sure are cool.

 

Sphinx sounds like an obvious Egyptian tie-in there... but it must have been the Living Monolith I'm guessing? Recently, when you posted about "Best Galactus Battles" with Sphinx being among them, I went to the Standard Catalog of Comics to check his 1st. App. (since Overstreet didn't mention any of the Nova villains). Sphinxs' 1st. app was in Nova #6 (Feb. '77) and the SNT Mummy run ended with 15 in (Oct '75)... so he couldn't have been in there (as the Sphinx) assuming there is no error in the SCoC.

 

What was the deal / connection with the Living Monolith and the Sphinx again? I don't have the books to check?

confused-smiley-013.gif

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blowout

blowout

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Same with TOD and Werewolf. They are horror characters, but the comics were obvious super-hero in nature. Each month Dracula and Werewolf would be off fighting the Hangman, Blade, Moon Knight, Dr Sun, Brother Voodoo, Dr Strange, Iron Man, Silver Surfer, or each other.

 

These were obviously super-hero characters that simply used the names of popular horror icons.

 

I dunno, I agree wirth you with WBN, but I've always considered TOD a straight up horror book. While Marvel did tend to throw the odd 'guest star' into the mix, the stories did pretty much stick to the vampire genre rather than superhero. But obviously Marvel were aiming at an all ages market so the stories were not as horrific as they could have been.

I

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joe_collector

joe_collector

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I dunno, I agree wirth you with WBN, but I've always considered TOD a straight up horror book. While Marvel did tend to throw the odd 'guest star' into the mix, the stories did pretty much stick to the vampire genre rather than superhero.

 

I might agree early on, but right around Blade's debut, it definitely became a super-hero book. And just because the super-foes were vampire slayers, vampire hunters or various occult super-beings doesn't make the format any different.

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PovertyRow

PovertyRow

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Now before everyone jumps in, it's pretty obvious that Dracula, Werewolf, Son of Satan, The Gollum, etc. were basically super-hero books, which just happened to be based on horror characters. And there were the reprint books, but those weren't original 1970's material, and obviously don't count. There were also some adult-oriented horror mags, but those existed well outside the comic book sphere.

 

I do agree. While I refer to the BA Marvels you cite as "Marvel BA Horror" it is more a convenient appelation because most folk know what that means.

 

But real original horror? Yes, there were some original stories in the Crypt/Tower type books. But also yes, GR, Drac, Frank, SOS, WWBN, Borther Power, Man-Thing - etc - they were all handled in the same way the superheroes were. And that is probably the crux of it. Classic horror - be it pre-code or DC BA, is usually an anthology type book aloing the lines of Twilight Zone/Outer Limits. The recurrence of the Marvel characters in their books, the application of the Marvel Angst with those characers, do bring them more in line with the Marvel superhero genre than the BC BA horror books like HOS and HOM.

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shiverbones

shiverbones

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well JIM vol. 2 did have original stories in the beginning as well, some robert bloch adaptions, some nice starlin art. I think that to marvel they WERE horror comics. Marvel had a different view on comics. They were all about the marvel universe and tying everything together. Anthologies just didn't fit into that mold. Marvel saw the horror selling & put out their horror books. They called them horror books themselves in the ITEM segements. They basically just plugged it into the formula & did it their way. I don't see how they can not be considered horror though, its just a different take. Suspiria is a very different movie from Nightmare on elm st. They are both horror movies, one uses a one off idea, the other recurring characters. Both are horror, just different takes. Thats how i see it anyway. I do think the marvel horror comics are my least favorite because of this though.

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Rocketeer

Rocketeer

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sign-rantpost.gifSuspiria is a very different movie from Nightmare on elm st. They are both horror movies, one uses a one off idea, the other recurring characters

 

WTF is up with Suspiria?? blush.gif...I found that movie completely unwatchable....

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Rocketeer

Rocketeer

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27_laughing.gif

Suspiria is a GREAT movie! Its a very odd movie, but give it another try!

 

Hey,...I love artsy-fartsy movies,....but that flick was hideous....almost comical....plus the soundtrack was so lousy it made it even worse.....maybe if it was more pornographic it might have worked, but I just didn't get it.....

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awe4one

awe4one

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I'm going off memory here as I can't get to my copies right now.....

 

Journey into Mystery, Chamber of Chills, and Supernatural Tales all started with original horror adaptions. Journey adapted stories similar to Lovecraft and Jack the Ripper for 5(?) issues before going to reprints. ST adapted classic stories (Invisible Man, Dr JekylI and Mr Hyde, Headless Horseman....) for 6 issues (#5 was the Living Mummy) before being canceled and restarted as a LM title a year later with #7. Chamber had original stories I believe for 5 or 6 issue before going all-reprint. Also believe that Fear tried the format w/original material for a short time before #10 (1st Man-Thing) but I could be wrong. Worlds Unknown and Creatures on the Loose also had original stories but more in the sci-fi/monster/fantasy realm.

 

You're right though....DC and Charlton were the only ones that stuck with the anthology horror format. Marvel tried it with Tower of Shadows and Chamber of Darkness but shifted towards the horror superhero format in the early 70s with TOD, WWBN, Frankenstein, Man-Thing and the Living Mummy.

 

Atlas Seaboard tried the format also with Tales of Evil and Fright but we know where that ended up.....

 

Jim

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Aman619

Aman619

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Tower of Shadows and Chanber of Darkness were Marvels horror anthologies just like HOS and HOM. And if ther were started in 1969 and predated "bronze Age" then they also pre-dated BA HOS AND HOM....and if so, they LED TO DCs BA horror books and shouldnt be disqualified because they started a few months early. Theye still were coming out in 1970 at the start of the BA too.

 

So those 2 books are your answer.

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awe4one

awe4one

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Tower of Shadows and Chanber of Darkness were Marvels horror anthologies just like HOS and HOM. And if ther were started in 1969 and predated "bronze Age" then they also pre-dated BA HOS AND HOM....and if so, they LED TO DCs BA horror books and shouldnt be disqualified because they started a few months early.

 

No, no......the DC books (HoS and HoM) both started their horror formats a year before Marvel's Tower and Darkness.

 

Jim

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