Taking 2nd Place!: Tales of the Zombie...

[SW3D]

"The Blood-Hued Sun sets slowly this eve, painting the Louisiana Bayous in tones of ominous crimson. On the shore, men and women already prepare for the midnight ritual to come. Wood is gathered, a bonfire ignited! Now, the moon rises... and it begins!

 

Drums pound out strange sensual rhythms, recalling the pulsation of hearts that once beat in primordial Africa. Clothes are discarded... and naked bodies jerk and writhe, spasmodically, held fast in the throes of ancient passions.

 

Then, she appears... the Voodoo Queen, her supple, subtly muscular form bending and swaying in serpentine splendor! Held above her head, its silver shape gleaming in the moonlight... the ceremonial blade!

 

Eyes lifted to the heavens, the voodoo woman takes seven slow, measured steps to the stone slab where you lie! And... you are afraid! For you... You!... Are the central figure in this baleful rite! You... Simon Garth... the Human Sacrifice!! You, whose panic-stricken stare lances upward at that woman... that flesh-rending blade, poised maddening above... The Altar of the Damned!"

 

And with those beautifully crafted words by the legendary Steve Gerber (co-creator of Howard the Duck), we are reintroduced to the world of Simon Garth... the coffee king of Louisiana... the man who had it all and lost it all... the man who would lose his soul and take us on a journey to reclaim his soul... the man who would become a Zombie!

 

In my humble opinion, Tales of the Zombie #1 is a forgotten key issue. Not only is it the second published appearance of Simon Garth (who first appeared in a one-shot story written by Stan Lee), but it is an Origin Issue. Steve Gerber craftily weaves a complete landscape for Simon Garth, revealing how he fell into the supernatural predicament which became his curse.

 

The original Golden Age one-shot written by Stan Lee and handsomely illustrated by Bill Everett (which first appeared in Atlas Comics Menace #5 and has been reprinted in the pages of Tales of the Zombie #1 and in Tales of the Zombie Annual #1), introduced the three main players: Simon Garth, Gyps the Gardener, and Simon Garth's daughter, Donna, but gave readers no indication how Simon Garth became a zombie nor how he fell under the machinations of Gyps (the slimy bearer of the amulet which controls the Zombie). Lee's macabre story offers only vague and murky hints as to such... but it's up to the reader to fill in the blanks. Nonetheless, Stan Lee's mini is a well-crafted and effective horror piece, albeit a quickie. And it may be presumptuous for me to say this, but I sense this 7-page story may have served as a muse for Len Wein, who told a similar tale in nearly equal length, with Alec Olsen's plight (as seen in DC's House of Secrets Volume 1, No. 92: the first appearance of the Swamp Thing).

 

When Tales of the Zombie #1 first hit the stands in the Spring/Summer of 1973, it was part of cultural torrent which flooded movies and television: Exploitation Cinema (sometime known as Grindhouse Flicks, Cult Films, and another cloth coined by Michael Weldon: Psychotronic Movies). Exploitation is a label derogatorily cast on many low-budget films, both Domestic and International. I see Exploitation as having a vague philosophy akin to an Anti-Dogma, for most exploitation films have broad themes deeply embedded in existentialism, anti-heroes and vigilantism, anti-religion, rebellion, alienation, anti-slavery, civil rights, crime, violence, sex, drugs and the downfall of an oppressive government and/or civilization, where anarchy and chaos is the order of the day even within the confines of society. I see it as a legitimate movement, a sub-culture, perhaps counter-culture, which pulp magazines and comic books inevitably belong to. Just to clarify, I don't subscribe to such a philosophy, for I am a civilized man and prefer the safety and comforts of a lawful society, but from time-to-time, when the banality and the mundane of everyday life sets in, I find myself exploring such bizarre themes which can be readily found in cinema and literature, and that is as far as it goes for me. Horror is exploitation by design... for it is created to exploit our most base emotion: fear, and amplifies it to draw an intended reaction. In the broader scope of things, we are nothing more than Guinea Pigs in the Hands of Our Creators...the World Weavers... and that's true exploitation.

 

George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1968), is a cult classic and considered one of the most critical and successful horror films of all time; having broke-ground as the movie to usher in the Zombie-Apocalypse genre. It is also considered an Exploitation Film. On the heels of the success of NOTLD, countless zombie movies, horror and gore-splatter movies, Apocalyptic-themed B-movies bombarded the silver screens across the globe for decades to come. Undoubtedly, Marvel, Steve Gerber and Company capitalized on this make-a-quick-buck movement. They brought back Simon Garth, wrenching him from the pages of his Menace #5 one-shot casket, and I suspect, had Gerber read-up a chock-full of Robert E. Howard horror pulps ("Black Canaan", "Out of the Deep", "Hills of the Dead", "The Black Stone", and "Pigeons from Hell"), Howard Phillips Lovecraft ("Robert West: Re-Animator"), and probably Mary Shelley's The Modern Prometheus to get into the proper mood to write an undead fable.

 

And with all that, Gerber took Lee and Everett's fantastic little tale, loaded fresh paper into the typewriter, and with a few keystrokes from the master's fingertips, Simon Garth was resurrected. And for nine glorious issues (really ten, but Simon Garth doesn't appear in the last issue save on the cover... go figure), we followed Simon Garth on his odyssey to reclaim his soul and his humanity: a violent and gory journey which culminated in the pages of Tales of the Zombie #9.

 

But it all started in Tales of the Zombie #1, where we discovered Simon Garth, elitist extraordinaire, the king of a coffee empire, laid supine and helpless, bound and gagged on rotting earth, as he watched in sheer terror as a heathen Voodoo Priestess waved a deadly dagger over his heart. And we watched with equal tremor as Simon Garth made his unlikely escape through the deadly swamps, only to meet his untimely end, as former and disgraced employee, Gyps the Gardener, now sworn enemy, plunged the twin blades of sharpened garden shears into his bloodied chest.

 

But even in death, the story didn't end there, for Gyps, ever the conniver, forced the Voodoo Priestess to perform the ritual... the taboo ritual that brings a man back from the dead, as a mindless, walking Zombie. And under the power of twin Amulets, one worn by the Zombie, and the other in the hands of the Master, the Zombie is magically compelled to do the bidding of whoever controls one of the twin amulets.

 

If we peel back the cyanotic skin to Gerber's story, it is replete with several themes commonly found in Exploitation Cinema. First, on a superficial level, the themes of Slavery, Rebellion and Uprising is addressed: Simon Garth, Wealthy Industrialist and the Master of Men, has now become a Slave to a man beneath his station. For in this story, the tables are turned: Gyps, once the disgruntled and disgraced employee, fired for misconduct (Gyps was caught being a Peeping-Tom when he watched Garth's daughter, Donna, skinny dip in the pool from behind the bushes he was shearing), is now in control of one of the twin Amulet's, and thus becomes the Master to Simon Garth, his former Employer and former Master... but now his mindless Zombie Slave.

 

But it doesn't end there. With most Zombie stories, the true exploitation lies in its defiance of the basic Principals of Life and Death, because coming back from the dead is not what is supposed to happen... that's just not normal.... it's an absurd notion (but commonly accepted in horror and fantasy literature). Zombie themes are particularly considered sacrilegious against Judeo-Christian Religious concepts, for reincarnation and "Life After Death" are concepts best held for the "chosen" that find the "glory" and "spiritual redemption" through faith, heroism and great sacrifice.

 

TOTZ Voodoo-Zombie concept also defies the basic principals of Science, since the Supernatural is the conduit by which Simon Garth is resurrected and not by means of Science (like Frankenstein, Cryonics, Organ/Body Harvesting and/or Cloning).

 

And lastly, but perhaps most importantly, Tales of the Zombie is about the exploitative dangers of power and losing your humanity as a result of it ("Absolute Power corrupts Absolutely"). When Simon Garth was alive, he lost touch with his humanity, often abusing his power and mistreating those around him... not just the slimy Gyps, but his very own daughter Donna. As a businessman, Simon Garth lacked compassion, humanity, and a warm soul. He was cold and calculating... like the touch of death... to the living beings around him. It wasn't until the icy embrace of death, when Garth's humanity began to reveal itself. And that is truly the soul of Garth's story... his lurid odyssey towards rebirth and redemption.

 

Last month, I came across this beauty, a Tales of the Zombie #1 in 9.4, with a beautiful Boris Vallejo cover (see pic). This issue is something of a holy grail for me. I would also love to get my hands on Menace #5, Simon Garth's first appearance, but that one is incredibly rare! The entire Tales of the Zombie magazine set is also very-hard-to find in high grade. Just to give you an idea, according to the CGC Census, for issue #1 alone, there's currently a total population of 42 graded copies, but only 8 exist in high grade (4 in 9.4, 3 in 9.6, and only 1 in 9.8). And this is a comic magazine published in 1973.

 

I feel fortunate to have found this one trolling on eBay. I'm delighted to add it to my Tales of the Zombie collection: "Whatever Happened to Simon Garth?". With this new addition, I moved up to the 2nd position for the Tales of the Zombie registry set, behind Crom Currie who has claimed the top spot four years in a row, and will probably do so again in 2014. Congrats CC!

 

As always... thanks for reading and Happy Collecting!

 

SW3D

[bagofleas]

Very nice! Great journal and great book!

 

I absolutely love 70's Marvel Comic magazines.

 

Tales of the Zombie

Monsters Unleashed

Dracula Lives

Howard the Duck Magazine

Deadly Hands of Kung Fu

Savage Sword of Conan

Rampaging Hulk

Marvel Preview (later to become Bizarre Adventures)

And so on and so forth...

 

That is a gorgeous copy of #1 you have there. These are indeed tough to find in the top grades. I never did actually read this particular book, so it's neat to read your very thorough summarization of the story and main character.

[Brandon Shepherd]

Congratulations on scoring such a significant book for yourself and the horror genre!

 

I enjoyed your summary and incites about the magazine's contents. I'm not sure I understand the current fascination with zombies, when comparing it to people's fascination with self destruction, I start to see why this has become so popular lately. Reading your journal also helps me to accept some the fascination that so many people I know seem to share.

 

Last October I did a Halloween Cover of the Day theme on my facebook page, Tales of the Zombie #1 was the first cover I used, I got a lot of positive feedback for my cover posts, a lot of people 'liked' TOTZ #1!

[SW3D]

Hey BOG... my favorite Drummer-Axe Man-Comic Book collector! R u practicing? Imagine if you take a drum kit and get it customized to have images of your favorite CGC Comics? I once saw this beautiful custom drum kit from System of a Down drummer John Dolmayan, and he had several comic artists provide comic art to his drum kit.

 

This is the list:

 

10" – Art Adams

 

12" – Ale Garza, Lee Bermejo, Carlos D’Anda

 

14" – Michael Kaluta, Charles Vess

 

16" – Jim Lee

 

18" Floor – Tone Rodriguez, Mark Montano, Arturo Philip

 

12" Left – Tim Bradstreet, Dan Brereton

 

18"L – Bernie Wrightson, Tim Vigil, Vatche Maulian, Justin Reyes

 

22" L kick – Bill Sienkiewicz

 

22" R kick – Simon Bisley, Kevin Eastman

 

14" Snare – Neal Adams

 

Here's a link with photos (check it out):

http://www.comicartfans.com/galleryroom.asp?gsub=37665

 

Isn't that radically cool?

 

I'm glad you liked the journal. I don't think TOTZ is everyone's cup of tea... because it's not your typical Zombie flair. But back in the 60's and 70's, most Zombies moved very slowly... like in Night of the Living Dead. That changed in the late 70's and early 80's and Zombies suddenly could keep up with the fastest humans (to a certain extent). And with TOTZ, mainly there is only one zombie and not a horde like we see in the apocalyptic movies/comics.

 

I love your mag list! Although I never read MU, DL, HTDM, DHKF, and RH, I did read Marvel Preview/Bizarre Adventures, Vampire Tales, Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction (one of my favorites), and Savage Sword of Conan.

 

Savage Sword of Conan is my all-time favorite black & white Marvel magazine.

I collected it from the newsstand racks begining with issue 78 and may have stopped at issue 126 or so. It was the R-rated version of Conan... and spoiled me... it ruined the comic book version published by Marvel since that one was so very tame compared to SSOC. I got hooked on the horror, intrigue, graphic violence, sex and adult themes that made SSOC so special. Conan was Conan in SSOC... a true barbarian wielding his sword like a flaming swath of destiny through the Hyborian Age. All hail Conan!

 

If and when I complete Tales of the Zombie, I may consider putting together a Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction set since it didn't last that long. I would love to put together a SSOC set, but it is just too numerous for my tastes. But I'm happy with those that I collected, and thankfully, conservatively speaking, i believe, 70% of my original set would be graded 9.2 or better. I honestly feel 90% would grade in such a way... but with the CGC and its tough rules... you never know. And if I were to consider getting them graded, I would want to see yellow labels... you and Tnerb gave me Yellow Fever!

 

Once again, thanks for your feedback!

 

All the best,

 

SW3D

[SW3D]

Hey Brandon,

 

Thanks for your feedback!

 

Wow!... You did a Tales of the Zombie #1 cover for a Halloween theme on your Facebook page? That is so very, very cool! Could you share that with us?

 

I don't know if I understand the current fascination with Zombies either, but at an early age, I was fascinated by all things Apocalyptic, Dystopian and Conspiracy Theory, and any mix of the three... in literature and cinema. Mad Max (1979) and Mad Max 2 (aka the Road Warrior) were the movies that started the craze for me. I soon found myself watching, collecting and reading (in no particular order):

 

A Boy and His Dog (Movie based on the Harlan Ellison Short Story: awesome read with great twist ending!)

 

A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick/based on Anthony Burgess novel: awesome read, awesome movie!)

 

Farhenheit 451 (I loved the Ray Bradbury novel more than the Truffaut movie)

 

The Tenth Victim (novel by Robert Sheckly and probably the inspiration for The Hunger Games; never saw its movie adaptation from the 60's)

 

THX1138 (George Lucas first film: boring but fascinating!)

 

Planet of the Apes (Chuck Heston classic!)

 

Soylent Green (Chuck Heston/based on Harry Harrison's short works: it has its moments)

 

The Terminator (one of my favorites!/David Cameron and Arnold rock! Loosely based on two TV works by Harlan Ellison appearing in The Outer Limits: "Demon with a Glass Hand" and "Soldier")

 

Damnation Alley (movie based on the Roger Zelanzy novella; underappreciated flick)

 

The Last Man on Earth (Vincent Price/based on Richard Matheson's novella I Am Legend: the novella is way better than the movie)

 

The Omega Man (another Chuck Heston flick!/based on Richard Matheson's novella I am Legend: that's two in a row!: I love the film... even though its kinda bad!)

 

Blade Runner (Ridley Scott movie based on Phillip K 's dystopian novella Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep?; sadly I never read the novella... love the film!)

 

Death Race 2000 (The Roger Corman Original; awesome Exploitation film!)

 

Logan's Run (underappreciated movie!)

 

Les Revenants (French Zombie Movie from 2004: slow but fascinating!)

 

From Hell (not an Apocalypse film, but very much a Conspiracy Movie: fascinating film! Based on Alan Moore's From Hell... classic!)

 

The Ninth Gate (not an Apocalypse film, but Damnation is involved: brilliant film! I recently bought the novel its based on... The Club Dumas... gonna read it soon)

 

28 Days Later (best Zombie Apocalypse movie ever!)

 

The X-Files Fight the Future (I love this film... it's not great cinema but I just love it).

 

Escape from New York (I don't why I love this cheesy John Carpenter film... but it reeks of cool! Gotta love Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken!)

 

And tons of others...

 

And as I reflect back as a child/teen/adult, maybe, because I couldn't face my own fears and insecurities and deal with them effectively, I somehow projected my insecurities onto these world-changing landscapes which I knew I couldn't ever control and fantazied about those grim worlds and how I could be a hero in the worst possible settings... becoming a survivor of sorts... and therefore, I would think... well if I could be a hero and survive the Apocalypse, I should be able to deal with my own real world insecurities and survive those as well. I mean, isn't that, in some ways... why we read comic books too? How do our heroes deal with it? We draw inspiration from them.

 

Zombie Apocalypse themes are similar to Sci-Fi Apocalypse, Dystopian and Conspiracy themes. Bascially, humanity is facing the end of the world or near end of the world... a great crisis it cannot hope to control. And I believe when we watch these movies or read the books, it somehow grounds us back into our own realities... like re-orientation or re-calibrating our insecurities to face things with a sense of courage and rationale. These stories give us hope in the face of a crisis. Some stories are very pessimistic and others are optimistic and offer hope... that we can rebuild our lives and society in the aftermath of destruction. Yes... lives will be lost.. but not all hope is lost... ever... and we must carry that flag and persevere.

 

And this is why I think I am drawn to them... like a moth to the flame.

 

Or... I'm just friggin' nuts!

 

SW3D

 

 

[bagofleas]

Holy drum sets batman!!

That set is more cool than I could ever possibly express!!

And it's got double kicks as well! I HAVE to have double kicks or it's just not a real set.

My playing style requires double kicks.

But to have the whole set adorned with custom artwork from some of the great creators of all time?

Priceless!!!

[Brandon Shepherd]

Hey Brandon,

 

Thanks for your feedback!

 

Wow!... You did a Tales of the Zombie #1 cover for a Halloween theme on your Facebook page? That is so very, very cool! Could you share that with us?

 

I went back and checked my Facebook timeline, TOTZ was actually the second to last cover I used for my cover of the day theme. Tales from the Crypt #35 was actually the first cover I posted on my timeline.

 

 

[oakman29]

Yeah a very cool drum set,John does read the boards.I don't think he posts much,but....

[Tamwood]

That was a very cool post. I just stumbled across a small number of old 70s "horror" mags. They're not in great shape, but they're definitely a fun read.

 

And who doesn't like Boris' art?

[SW3D]

...but... But?

 

if you're reading JD... we're not worthy... We're not worthy!

 

SW3D

[SW3D]

Hey Tam,

 

I love the 70's horror mags. They were like EC in the 50's... breaking all the rules of the Comic Code Authority... and printing things no kid or teen should be allowed to read. But since CCA had no jurisdiction over B&W mags... Warren, Curtis/Marvel and a few others could essentially do whatever they wanted... and thank the Publishing Gods for that!

 

And yes... Boris art... but lets not forget Earl Norem, Frank Frazetta, Gray Morrow and countless other who graced the covers with amazing works of art.

 

SW3D

[SW3D]

Hey BOG,

 

Im just curious...In a fantasy hypothetical... Would you ever trade your entire New Mutants collection for that drum kit?

 

SW3D

[bagofleas]

Hey BOG,

 

Im just curious...In a fantasy hypothetical... Would you ever trade your entire New Mutants collection for that drum kit?

 

SW3D

 

Hmmmm.....

[batmiesta]

I for one cannot understand why this run and other Marvel Mags do not get more attention, great covers, great art and some pretty good stories too, nice to see them getting a bit more appreciation, great journal too.

I was lucky enough to buy my copy years ago, I won it on ebay and subbed it a few years back, I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the box.

 

 

I have had several copies of #2, the hardest issue to find in HG in my humble opinion, I finally acquired my keeper copy a few months back, toying with the idea of subbing it next time around.

 

[SW3D]

Dear Batmiesta,

 

Holy Sh*t!

 

You have the mighty 9.8!

 

I can only say... We're not worthy! We're not worthy!

 

I'm shocked and astonished... I honestly never thought to come across the one and only 9.8! I'm truly jealous, envious and so want to buy that gorgeous 9.8 from you. If you would ever consider it... please let me have the first shot!

 

And this you bought raw and then had it graded?... Simply incredible!

 

You put my 9.4 to shame (and I love my copy... well... not anymore).

 

You're a lucky man!

 

SW3D

[SW3D]

Yeah... I know... not an easy call... but just imagine playing on that beautiful kit... TFH: Total F*cking Heaven!

[batmiesta]

The thought just occurred to me, I hope it is not bad etiquette to post pictures in another mans journal.

If I ever decide to sell my #1, you will have first dibs on it SW3D. (thumbs u

[newshane]

I am a drummer and I have to say that drum kit is just beyond belief! Coolest ever!

 

WOW!

 

Thanks for sharing that!

[SW3D]

Dear Bat,

 

I honestly don't know the etiquette... But with me you have nothing to worry about.

 

I love the fact you posted the 9.8 as well as that stunning scan of TOTZ #2.

 

I encourage you to get it graded... It looks to be at least a 9.4.

 

As for the 9.8... First dibs... that's all I could ask for.

 

SW3D

[SW3D]

Dear Newshane,

 

I had no idea you played the drums.

 

I'm finding out many boardies are also talented musicians.

 

I just started to learn Classical and Acoustic Guitar, but have always wanted to play drums like Carl Palmer, Bill Bruford, and Neil Peart... some of my drum heroes.

 

If you have a moment, I encourage you to post a pic of your drum kit here or on your journal.

 

Keep rocking my brother!

 

SW3D