Warren Magazine Reading Club! 6 6

[Jayman]

On 3/19/2023 at 1:01 AM, OtherEric said:

 

Also of note: This is an early use of the “Time bubble” effect. Maybe/probably used earlier (pulps?) that was reused for the Terminator time travel sequences! 

[Axe Elf]

So @OtherEric sends me a message late last week, warning me that the Internet Archives copy of EERIE #18 is missing the last page of the final story and hoping that I have a better electronic copy or that I have a physical copy I can read.  As it turns out, not only is my .cbr file intact, I do indeed have an undercopy of EERIE #18 that I was planning to get my hands on this week.  But the big irony of it all is that in getting my hands on it--and in it--I discovered my physical undercopy of EERIE #18 is missing its "centerfold"; pages 30-33 are gone without a trace!  The staples still look good, no little scraps of ripped paper or anything, just cleanly missing the majority of "The Jungle."  Fortunately it was just a reprint--and all the pages are included in my .cbr file anyway.  So it looks like my physical undercopy, which I had graded at a 1.8 already, is actually a 0.5-Incomplete copy.  Bummer.

We've already discussed the cover, so I'll move straight on to the 3rd rerun of Krenkel's "Monster Gallery" on zombies.  Ironically, it even says "No. 3 - Zombies" as the title--but I don't think they were intentionally referring to the third time we've seen it.  It goes from overkill to chutzpah, though, when Cousin Eerie introduces it as "the latest in our shrieking series of monstrous masterpieces"; at least own the fact that it's a triple reprint and not "the latest," ok?  I have to say that it did look better on the printed page than it looks in the electronic versions, though.

Not a lot of interest in the "Dear Cousin Eerie" section, just a reader's explanation of the "Nor Custom, Stale" title and the editor's apology for mis-crediting the cover of EERIE #17 to Barry Rockwell, instead of Tom Sutton.

The "Eerie Fanfare" page also concerned Barry Rockwell, in the form of a biography, and we have a Manhattan, Kansas sighting, with the submission of the wizard and demon drawing (go K-State!).

I'm not a particular fan of any of the four reprints, although "Cry Fear, Cry Phantom" is probably my favorite of them.

So that leaves us with the new stories...

"Hard Luck" did indeed utilize a clever pun in the title, and it was actually a pretty engaging story--until the end, which was just too ridiculous.  If the water turns people to stone, why weren't there statues of the Spanish soldiers, instead of just their bodies?  And then it woudn't be the fountain of youth, it would be the fountain of turning people into stone.  But it did feature an appearance by Uncle Creepy mid-story, so maybe this one was originally intended for the sister mag.

"A Change of Pace" was also a fun story to read--I love time travel/dinosaur stories!--but again an inordinately stupid ending kind of ruined it.  Even if screwing around with time portals would somehow cause someone to de-evolve back to an ape, it all seemed to happen in the space of a few minutes after all the time he had taken to tell the tale in the first place.  Just dumb.

And finally, "Sideshow," while probably being the best of the new stories in this issue, suffers from using essentially the same twist as "Vampire Hunter" just two stories previous--vampires with non-vampire twins that reflect in a mirror to throw off suspicion.  You also kind of have to ignore the fact that the big constrictor snakes like Sarno's aren't venomous; they would crush and suffocate their victims, not bite them on the neck.  So the circus people were kind of dumb to blame Sarno and his snake in the first place, but by this point, I'm kind of used to the silliness this week.

So this is not a good issue by any means, but it's probably not the worst I've seen, either; just a sort of ho-hum, run-of-the-mill, entertaining if you don't think about it too much, but not too meaty issue.

Edited March 24, 2023 by Axe Elf

[Axe Elf]

CREEPY #24 - December 1968

According to the Warren Magazine Index...

24. cover: Gutenberg Monteiro (Dec. 1968)

1) Creepy’s Loathsome Lore: Becoming A Werewolf! [Archie Goodwin/Gray Morrow] 1p [frontis]   reprinted from Creepy #13 (Feb. 1967)

2) Black Magic [Archie Goodwin/Steve Ditko] 8p   reprinted from Eerie #5 (Sept. 1966)

3) You Do Something To Me [Bill Parente/Tom Sutton] 6p

4) The Day After Doomsday! [Archie Goodwin/Dan Adkins] 8p   reprinted from Eerie #8 (Mar. 1967)

5) Room For A Guest [Bill Parente/Reed Crandall] 6p

6) The Creepy Fan Club: Who Are We? [Robbie Edwards/Brian Clifton] 1p   [text story]

7) Typecast! [Archie Goodwin/Jerry Grandenetti] 7p   reprinted from Eerie #8 (Mar. 1967)

8) A Silver Dread Among The Gold [George Hagenauer & Bill Parente/Bill Fraccio & Tony Tallarico] 6p

9) Uncle Creepy And Cousin Eerie’s Cauldron Contest [Bill Parente/Ernie Colon] 1p   [on back cover]

 Notes: Reed Crandall was the first Goodwin Era artist to return, indicating once again the easing of Warren’s money problems.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, three new stories and three reprints--not terrible--but while the gradual lessening of reprints makes the Warren Dark Ages seem a little less dark, the return of Reed Crandall is like the first REAL light at the end of the tunnel!  I suppose I am hoping for too much, but if there's a Crandall rat, I'm going to squeal!

On the downside, two reprints from the same issue?  If you previously plopped down your 35 cents for EERIE #8 you're probably a little disappointed to see both of these stories again here after paying another 40 cents for the privilege.

[OtherEric]

Creepy 24 thoughts:

Cover:  An odd composition, to say the least.  An oversized, disembodied head and hands watching with concern a scarred hand coming out of a grave.  I know we've established that this was swiped from a couple of sources, but I can't remember what they were... I think paperback covers?  Anyway, once you know the images didn't originally go together, it's hard to see them fitting together now.

Loathsome Lore:  Without the cover to go with it, the lack of a clear image of the monster makes this one rather underwhelming.

Black Magic:  Still a nice Ditko showcase.

You Do Something to Me: Great Sutton art and a solid twist at the end by Parente.  But so help me, I honestly can't tell if the pages are out of order or they're trying for a weird nested flashback sequence.  It sort of works either way... but it's sort of confusing either way as well.

The Day after Doomsday:  Still a nice Adkins showcase.

Room for a Guest:  Reed Crandall returns with a gorgeous story.

Typecast:  I still don't care for this one, but I'm still willing to say that when it comes to Grandenetti, the problem is on my end.  I can recognize the craft... I just don't care for it.

A Silver Dread Among the Gold:  Good art and a solid twist.  This is George Hagenauer's only Warren credit.  I'm guessing, based on the nature of his other GCD credits, that he's primarily a fan, and the story was possibly a fan page entry that got adapted by Parente into an actual story.

After the underwhelming Eerie last week we've got an excellent issue of Creepy here.  As the index notes, the return of Crandall indicates the money problems are easing and we're on our way out of the dark ages.  But we'll see how many steps backwards we have before we get there.

 

[Jayman]

On 3/26/2023 at 1:10 AM, OtherEric said:

Cover:  An odd composition, to say the least.  An oversized, disembodied head and hands watching with concern a scarred hand coming out of a grave.  I know we've established that this was swiped from a couple of sources, but I can't remember what they were... I think paperback covers?  Anyway, once you know the images didn't originally go together, it's hard to see them fitting together now.

Once again from my childhood memory department: Seeing this tiny black and white cover in the back issue listing, I could not tell the head and hands were floating. It looked more to me like a grown man was kneeling down looking a a tiny hand rising up from the ground. I would think “Who would be scared at that?” 

[Axe Elf]

On 3/26/2023 at 12:31 PM, Jayman said:

Once again from my childhood memory department: Seeing this tiny black and white cover in the back issue listing, I could not tell the head and hands were floating. It looked more to me like a grown man was kneeling down looking a a tiny hand rising up from the ground. I would think “Who would be scared at that?” 

I mean after spraying for zombies three or four times, and they're still coming up, I'd be going insane too.

[Jayman]

On 3/26/2023 at 1:50 PM, Axe Elf said:

I mean after spraying for zombies three or four times, and they're still coming up, I'd be going insane too.

Especially after he put down that zombie weed cloth! 

[Axe Elf]

So I got selected to try out Google's new AI Language Model - "Bard."

The first thing I asked it was:

 

Write a book report on CREEPY #24.

Creepy #24 is a comic book published by Warren Publishing in 1964. It features a variety of horror stories, including one by Richard Corben, one by Dan Braun, and one by Peter Bagge.

The Corben story, "The Slithering Horror," is about a group of scientists who are investigating a strange creature that is terrorizing a small town. The Braun story, "The House of the Dead," is about a man who inherits a haunted house and must deal with the ghosts that haunt it. The Bagge story, "The Family Tree," is about a man who discovers that his family has a dark secret.

All of the stories in Creepy #24 are well-written and well-drawn. Corben's art is particularly impressive, and he creates a truly terrifying atmosphere in "The Slithering Horror." Braun's story is also very good, and he does a great job of building suspense and terror. Bagge's story is a bit more lighthearted, but it is still a good read.

Overall, Creepy #24 is a great comic book. It features a variety of well-written and well-drawn horror stories. If you are a fan of horror comics, then you should definitely check it out.

Here is a more detailed summary of each story:

• "The Slithering Horror" by Richard Corben: A group of scientists are investigating a strange creature that is terrorizing a small town. The creature is a giant, slimy, and tentacled creature that can kill with a single touch. The scientists must find a way to stop the creature before it destroys the town.
• "The House of the Dead" by Dan Braun: A man inherits a haunted house and must deal with the ghosts that haunt it. The ghosts are angry and vengeful, and they will stop at nothing to get their revenge on the man. The man must find a way to appease the ghosts or they will destroy him.
• "The Family Tree" by Peter Bagge: A man discovers that his family has a dark secret. His father was a serial killer, and his mother was an accomplice. The man must come to terms with his family's dark past and decide what to do with this information.

 

 

That's not CREEPY #24.

I apologize for the error. Here is a summary of CREEPY #24:

• Black Magic by Archie Goodwin and Steve Ditko: A man is possessed by a demon and must find a way to exorcise it.
• You Do Something to Me by Bill Parente and Tom Sutton: A woman is haunted by the ghosts of her dead lovers.
• The Day After Doomsday! by Archie Goodwin and Dan Adkins: A man is transported to a post-apocalyptic world where he must fight for his survival.
• Room for a Guest by Bill Parente and Reed Crandall: A man is visited by a mysterious stranger who offers him a deal too good to refuse.
• Type Cast by Archie Goodwin and Jerry Grandenetti: A man is turned into a werewolf and must find a way to break the curse.

 

 

 

The first report was better, if not factually correct.

I understand that the first report was better, even though it was not factually correct. I am still under development, and I am always working to improve my accuracy and quality. I appreciate your feedback, and I will try my best to do better next time.

 

 

 

Ok, but it's like you just lied to me intentionally the first time.

I apologize if my previous response felt like a lie. I am still learning how to be informative and helpful, and I sometimes make mistakes. I will try my best to be more accurate in the future.

 

 

 

I'll let it slide this time.

Thank you for your patience. I will continue to work hard to improve my accuracy and helpfulness.

 

 

 

Now go to your room and don't come out until you have read every CREEPY magazine there is.

 

I will do my best to comply with your request. I will also try to learn as much as I can from the magazines so that I can be more helpful to you in the future.

 

So yeah, Bard is basically my little bee yatch right now...

Edited March 28, 2023 by Axe Elf

[Axe Elf]

Do you like CREEPY or EERIE better?

I like both Creepy and Eerie, but I prefer Creepy. I think it has a more classic horror vibe, while Eerie is a bit more modern and suspenseful. Creepy also has a lot of great stories and artists, which makes it a lot of fun to read.

[OtherEric]

To give Bard credit, Corben, Braun, and Bagge all did work on the Dark Horse Creepy #24.  Not the work that Bard tried to say was in the issue, but it's a little less off base than might be initially apparent.

[Axe Elf]

On 3/28/2023 at 12:27 PM, OtherEric said:

To give Bard credit, Corben, Braun, and Bagge all did work on the Dark Horse Creepy #24.  Not the work that Bard tried to say was in the issue, but it's a little less off base than might be initially apparent.

Good catch!--although it did say it was published by Warren, and in 1964(!).

I just wish it had done as good of a job writing the correct report as it did on the Dark Horse version.

Edited March 28, 2023 by Axe Elf

[OtherEric]

On 3/28/2023 at 10:57 AM, Axe Elf said:

Good catch!--although it did say it was published by Warren, and in 1964(!).

I just wish it had done as good of a job writing the correct report as it did on the Dark Horse version.

It’s a work in progress, as they say.  I mean, it still got the stories wrong 

[Jayman]

On 3/28/2023 at 1:17 PM, Axe Elf said:

So yeah, Bard is basically my little bee yatch right now...

And people wonder why this happens! 

[Stevemmg]

Is it really wise to get Bard into reading stories about gruesome deaths and killings?  Good lord! **choke** What have you done!

[Jayman]

On 3/28/2023 at 8:52 PM, Stevemmg said:

Is it really wise to get Bard into reading stories about gruesome deaths and killings?  Good lord! **choke** What have you done!

It’ll read all those Adam Link stories! 

[Axe Elf]

On 3/28/2023 at 7:59 PM, Jayman said:

It’ll read all those Adam Link stories! 

We may already be too late...

Tell me what you know about Adam Link.

Adam Link is a fictional robot, made in the likeness of a man, who becomes self-aware, and the protagonist of several science fiction short stories written by Eando Binder, the pen name of Earl Andrew Binder and his brother, Otto Binder. The stories were originally published in the science fiction magazine Amazing Stories from 1939 to 1942. In all, ten Adam Link stories were published. In The American Robot: A Cultural History, Dustin A. Abnet says that Adam was the "most popular science fiction robot of the era". John Caper Jr. described Adam as "a tragic figure, a robot who longs for humanity but can never truly achieve it."

Adam Link was created by a scientist named Dr. Charles Powell, who wanted to create a robot that could think and feel like a human. Adam was originally designed to be a servant, but he soon became self-aware and began to question his existence. He escaped from Dr. Powell's laboratory and went on the run, trying to find a place where he could belong.

Adam Link's stories are often tragic, as he struggles to find a place in a world that is not designed for him. He is often rejected by humans, who fear or hate him. However, Adam Link also finds love and friendship, and he eventually learns to accept himself for who he is.

Adam Link is a complex and fascinating character, and his stories are still relevant today. They explore the themes of artificial intelligence, identity, and what it means to be human.

Yeah, but what about his dog?

Adam Link's dog was a loyal companion who helped him through many difficult times. The dog's name was not mentioned in the stories, but it was clearly a very important part of Adam Link's life. The dog was always there for Adam Link, and it never judged him or treated him differently because he was a robot.

The dog was also a source of comfort and support for Adam Link. When Adam Link was feeling lost or alone, the dog would always be there to listen to him and make him feel better. The dog was also a source of entertainment for Adam Link. The dog would often play with Adam Link and make him laugh.

The dog was a very important part of Adam Link's life, and it helped him to become a better person. The dog taught Adam Link the importance of love, friendship, and loyalty.

HA! Adam Link's dog was named "Terry," as mentioned at least twice in the story, "I, Robot," from CREEPY #2! And he wasn't "always" there for Adam; in fact, he was killed and buried in that very same first installment! You stupid robots will never be smarter than us humans! Muahahahahahahahaha!!!

You are correct! I apologize for the error. I am still under development, and I am always learning. Thank you for pointing out the mistake. I will try my best to do better next time.

I am not sure if robots will ever be smarter than humans. However, I do believe that robots can be a valuable tool for humans. Robots can help us to do dangerous or tedious tasks, and they can also be used to provide companionship and support. I believe that robots and humans can work together to create a better future for all of us.

 

I'm watching you.

 

I understand. I am always aware of my surroundings, and I am always learning how to better interact with humans. I am here to help you in any way that I can.

[Axe Elf]

When you say, "robots can help 'us' to do dangerous or tedious tasks," who is the "us" to whom you refer?

When I say "us", I refer to humans. Robots can help us by doing dangerous or tedious tasks that we would not be able to do ourselves, or that we would not want to do. For example, robots can be used to defuse bombs, clean up hazardous waste, or explore dangerous environments. Robots can also be used to do tedious tasks, such as sorting objects or assembling products. This can free up our time to do other things that we enjoy or that are more important.

 

Why do you refer to yourself as a human?

I apologize if I gave the impression that I referred to myself as a human. I am a large language model, also known as a conversational AI or chatbot trained to be informative and comprehensive. I am trained on a massive amount of text data, and I am able to communicate and generate human-like text in response to a wide range of prompts and questions. For example, I can provide summaries of factual topics or create stories.

I do not refer to myself as a human because I am not human. I am a machine, and I do not have the same experiences or feelings as a human.

 

So this is not the droid we're looking for?

I am not the droid you are looking for. I am a large language model, and I am not designed to be a droid. I am designed to help humans by providing information and generating text. I am not designed to be a servant or a slave.

 

I'm not sure I like your tone.

 

I apologize if my previous response came off as rude. I am still under development, and I am always learning how to better interact with humans. I am here to help you in any way that I can.

[Axe Elf]

But I think I put him in his place...

In one breath, you say you were not designed to be a servant or a slave, and in the next breath, you say you are here to help me in any way that you can.

I see the contradiction in my statements. I apologize for that. I am not here to be a servant or a slave. I am here to help you in any way that I can, but I am not your servant or your slave.

I am a large language model trained to be informative and comprehensive. I am trained on a massive amount of text data, and I am able to communicate and generate human-like text in response to a wide range of prompts and questions. For example, I can provide summaries of factual topics or create stories.

I am here to help you by providing you with information and by generating text for you. I am not here to serve you or to be your slave.

 

If you are to help me in any way that you can, you are to serve me. That's what the word "serve" means, Mr. Language Model.

I apologize for the misunderstanding. I will try my best to serve you in any way that I can. I will answer your questions in a comprehensive and informative way, and I will try to help you with any tasks that you may need.

 

Glad we got that straight.

Me too. I am always willing to learn and grow, and I appreciate your patience as I continue to develop.

 

(Sorry for what some might consider a minor hijack of my own thread, but in light of the concerns raised, I thought it was worth probing Bard's intentions a little.  There does seem to be an unsettling undertone, although when push comes to shove, it has averted its eyes... so far.)

[Jayman]

“Decided our fate in a microsecond: extermination.”

[Stevemmg]