Our friends and readers have asked for a few things – more classic Marvel Conan reviews, more comic book fantasy interviews and content, and more podcasts! Today, I’m proud to announce that the Classic Countdown will begin again tonight, and we’re kicking things off with a brand new “Conan the Barbarian” podcast graciously sponsored and hosted by our friends @ WeirdedWonder.com!
Wonder co-host Keith Beard graciously had Bob Freeman, Joeseph Simon and myself on his latest show, where we talk about the new Conan comics, Conan in the movies, today’s comic book market, and even the bad fantasy movies from the 1980s that followed Dino DeLaurentis’ iconic Conan film.
Thank you all for your support, and we’ll see you here each week at Paint Monk’s Library. Stop back tonight for a review of Conan the Barbarian #75 as the Classic Conan Countdown resumes!
Review: Conan the Barbarian #64 – “Fiends of the Feathered Serpent!”
Conan the Barbarian #64 “Fiends of the Feathered Serpent” ….or is it?
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to Countdown to Conan, a series ringing in the return of Robert E. Howard’s popular Cimmerian to Marvel Comics. Weekly installments will be published until Marvel releases their first issue of the new Conan series. This review is written by Wally Monk.)
Today, we look at “Fiends of the Feathered Serpent…” Wait a minute.What’s this? The House of Ideas has done it again, reprinting an old story instead of the intended Conan tale.
This is rather disappointing, as the splash page was reminiscent of the old Marvel horror comics. A boatman, ala Charon, is featured prominently on the splash page, proclaiming “Someone savage this way comes! Let him then beware – lest he learn to his sorrow – the secret of Skull River!”
Below this enticing introduction, we’ve got a disclaimer from Marvel editorial:
“Due to personal considerations, inker Steve Gan was unable at the last possible moment to deliver our cover-featured story on time for this issue. Thus, making our usual virtue of necessity, we’re taking the opportunity to re-present a tale never before printed in color, and which originally appeared in Savage Tales #5. (P.S. – For you chronology buffs, this mini-epic occurs between the events recorded in Conan the Barbarian #44-45.)
Drat – the Marvel editors got us again! Stay tuned for Monday’s review of the REAL “Fiends of the Feathered Serpent” when Dean Plakas reviews Conan the Barbarian #65. In the meantime, please enjoy this silly dog meme. It’s all we’ve got today since Marvel cheated us on this one.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Special thanks to Don Chin for providing unseen artwork and sharing story concepts and never-before-heard “hamster news” withPaint Monk’s Library. If you enjoyed this interview, Don told me he always welcomes care packages of sunflower seeds and carrot-shaped chew sticks, with an occasional piece of lettuce thrown in for good measure.)
By WALLY MONK – Paint Monk’s Library Editor
WALLY MONK
So how long did it take the writer in you to realize that hamsters could be just as tough as turtles?
DON CHIN
“I had a few hamsters as pets growing up, and while most people think they’re all furry and cuddly, they can also be quite vicious and bite you if they’re not in a good mood. You actually need to separate them, as they are solitary animals. Otherwise, they will fight and be quite nasty to one another. So, if a pet hamster had to go against a pet turtle, I’d put my money on the ticked off hamster!” (laughs)
WALLY MONK
Had you been writing comics beforehand, or was ARBBH your first title?
DON CHIN
“Prior to ARBBH being published, I had done some self-publishing in the early 1980s in high school and after I graduated in a local Eureka, CA-based anthology called Overload, the Fantasy-Humor Magazine. My parents kindly gave us the start-up funds to launch it. We did five issues total, and Parsonavich, whom I met in a high school cartooning class, was also into that. It was kind of a mash-up of Heavy Metal magazine and Mad magazine. I also did some underground/new wave mini comix with Bay Area publisher Clay Geerdes, which I also illustrated in the 1980s. My first professional work was in a few issues of Cracked Magazine, starting with about issue #200 in 1983.”
Don’s first professional work was published in a 1983 issue of CRACKED magazine.
WALLY MONK
Please tell me a little bit about the creative process and what made you think hamsters would be a hit. They aren’t slimy like turtles, after all. Did you dream of ninja-hamsters when you were a young kid reading comic books?
DON CHIN
“The creative process for me and comics came pretty easily. I think I was blessed with an overly active creative mind and remember drawing comics as a youth on binder paper as well as making amateur sci-fi and comedy movies with my friends using a Super 8mm camera. I grew up watching a lot of now vintage Saturday Night Live TV shows, Mel Brooks comedies like Young Frankenstein and Silent Movie, and silly movies like “Airplane!” which you can see the the influence of that movie in the first issue of ARBBH when the hamsters wind up on a commercial jetline and all sorts of hijinks occur.
I owned a comic book store when I was in college and had seen that this small press book by Eastman and Laird called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was taking off like wildfire. I had a chance to check it out and really liked it, as it was basically a funny animal spoof of Marvel Comics’ Daredevil and Ronin by Frank Miller. I was doodling in a college class and thought to myself, “I wonder what it would be like to do a parody of a parody?” As far as I know, it wasn’t done before. So I just took each adjective of TMNT and tweaked it, and because of my love-hate relationship with hamsters, it seemed like the best animal to use.”
DON CHIN
ARBBH was a “parody of a parody.”
WALLY MONK
Clint, Jackie, Chuck and Bruce. I’m guessing they were all named after their martial arts alter-egos. Can you share a little bit about how the characters were created – or what inspired each of them individually (beyond the obvious references?)
DON CHIN
“Yes, good guess on the names. I was a big martial arts movie fan growing up in the 70s and Bruce Lee was a cinematic hero. The first three hamsters, Bruce (inspired by Bruce Lee), Chuck (Chuck Norris) and Jackie (Jackie Chan) were of course named after those kung-fu mega stars and their hamster personalities were shaped in the same ways to their human counterparts.
“Go ahead. Make me into a hamster parody.”
Bruce is super smart and intellectual, Chuck is kind of a quiet, cool spiritually-centered guy and the voice of reason most of the time, and Jackie was downright silly and youthful like Jackie Chan was in most of his movies.
Because there were four turtles, I couldn’t have just three hamsters, and I was struggling to think of another martial arts star. Then I remembered Clint Eastwood’s “Dirty Harry” cop movies, and thought throwing out a wildcard of sorts would be fun. Clint doesn’t do that much kung-fu…he’s kind of lazy, likes to party, and would rather shoot someone than fight.
I think most people like Clint the best because he’s so unorthodox and obnoxious, but at the same time you’d want him on your side. And just to make it more bizarre, I thought he should look like a punk rocker that resembled a Sex Pistols reject.”
WALLY MONK
Parsonavich was an odd choice for an artist on the comic, but his artwork was endearing in its simplicity when it came to the hammies. What appealed to you about Patrick Parsons’ artistic style that made him a good fit for ARBBH?
DON CHIN
“I probably chose Parsonavich to illustrate ARBBH because he was cheap and local (laughs). Patrick Parsons, his real name (not Chris, as some internet sites have reported it is) was my frequent collaborator on a lot of projects prior to ARBBH and he brought a weird and funky underground vibe to the characters.
Parsonavich, AKA Patrick David Parsons in his younger hamster days.
We had both grown up admiring non-mainstream comic creators like Moebius, underground legend Robert Crumb, John Pound (who lived in our hometown of Eureka) and Gilbert Shelton, who did the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and Fat Freddy’s Cat. I think it’s kind of funny that they don’t really look like traditional furry cute hamsters, but kind of sickly and abnormal. Cosmic Radioactive Jello will do that to you!
Par and I are polar opposites in our social circles and upbringing…he’s kind of this Boehemian agnostic hippy dude and I’m more of a conservative, church-going type of guy but we both had a great love for comics in common. I have always been in awe of his talent, his intricate line-work in the Hamsters was pretty cool and organic, and he was asked to cram a lot of story into our first issue and subsequent books, #2, #4 and #5.
Anyways, in my opinion he was the best person for the job because I knew he drew humor cartoons well and could best emulate the undergound feel that TMNT had brought into their books.”
WALLY MONK
When Parsonavich left ARBBH, what did you look for in a replacement?
DON CHIN
“I was sad to see Parsonavich leave the book, but our publisher – Eclipse Comics – really wanted it to be a regular, ongoing title and it was too much work for Par to do all of the pencils, inks, lettering and covers.
Mike Dringenberg and Sam Kieth would go on to DC Comics, working with Neil Gaiman on Sandman.
Neither of us had been asked to work on a regular title before, so it was quite an undertaking. After he left, a couple guys I had met through self-publishing and from going to comic cons came to mind as possible replacements. Mike Dringenberg had inked a fill-in issue (#3) and did the cover for ARBBH #5 and also worked on inking Clint: The Hamster Triumphant mini-series drawn by Ken Meyer, Jr.
He is a tremendous artist and was just breaking into the business. Mike and I eventually did a fantasy series for Eclipse called “Enchanter” in 1987 while ARBBH was still being published.
I had also been a fan of Matt Wagner’s Mage series that Comico did and had met Mage inker Sam Kieth, whose own work was kind of toony and fun. Sam got the job starting as the illustrator of issue #6-on until the first series ended.
Cool story – shortly after ARBBH and Enchanter ended with Eclipse, Sam and Mike both got to create the cult sensation Sandman with Neil Gaiman for DC’s Vertigo comics.”
WALLY MONK
What were the initial sales of ARBBH like at the time? Were you surprised? Disappointed?
DON CHIN
“I think Eclipse and I were both surprised when the orders for ARBBH #1 came in. I actually published and printed the first issue at a local printer with a loan from my parents, as Eclipse just wanted to act as a distributing vehicle for the book.
The first printing of ARBBH #1 sold over 50K copies.
The first issue sold well over 50,000 copies and a second printing was probably close to 25,000 copies. That was a lot of orders for a black and white book, so when we saw the positive sales and positive reaction to the book, we decided that we should keep it going. After issue #2, Eclipse was onboard as the publisher of the book.
I was pretty excited at the time, as two dreams of mine were being met. I was writing a popular title and i was getting paid well to do comics. I was able to put a down payment on a house from the proceeds from ARBBH, so that was nice.”
WALLY MONK
And what was your goal, or vision, for the series and the characters?
DON CHIN
“I was hoping it could be a long-running title like TNMT and perhaps get an animated TV show or movie deal and merchandising like the Turtles, but that wasn’t in the cards.
Rankin-Bass, producers of the animated Hobbit movie, took out options on ARBBH.
We were optioned by Rankin-Bass Animation (the people who did “The Hobbit”) early on, but they went out of business. I also got to speak with other people in the animation business like Lou Scheimer, who produced Fat Albert and He-Man. He had a pretty cool house!
Anyways, I wanted to take the characters on a more serious path, so the later Sam Kieth drawn issues are probably a lot more commercial than the Parsonavich books, incorporating more action and tragically, the death of Bruce.
Bruce did get reintroduced again later in a color one-shot book called Target: Airboy #1 as his consciousness was transferred into a behemoth Toe-Jam Sucking Monster from Atlantis.”
WALLY MONK
Eclipse was one of the leading publishers of indie comics in the 1980s. What was their initial reaction to the hamsters? Did they perceive it as a competitor for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or just a cute spin-off?
DON CHIN
“I had met Eclipse Comics publishers Dean Mullaney and Cat Yronwode at some Bay area conventions in California trying to get OVERLOAD off the ground.
I was surprised when I found out their publishing base was not that far away from where I lived, about 3-4 hours north off Highway 101.
Eclipse only distributed the first two issues of ARBBH; they picked up the title after the second issue.
I think I had sent them photocopies of the first issue we had been working on and I am so grateful they were willing to give Parsonavich and I a shot.
They seemed like a very good fit, as they were really creator-friendly, were laid back, and were publishing a lot of great edgy independent titles when I pitched the Hamsters to them.
All of us were really blown away with the amount of popularity ARBBH took on in such a short time.
I think Eclipse felt ARBBH could be a viable title in its own right, and they really promoted the book to fans and comic store all over the world, so I am very grateful to this day to Dean and Cat, and Dean’s brother Jan, who was also one of the owners of the company.”
* * * *
MONDAY – Hamster weekend concludes with Part 2 of Don Chin’s interview! Dynamite Entertainment licenses the ARBBH…The team-ups that never happened…a FEMALE radioactive hamster, and more! Thank you, Don, for taking the time to share your story with our readers.
As always, I am – Wally (AKA Paint Monk)
September 10th, 2018 UncategorizedComments Off on REVIEW: A Ring, Conan Vs. Conan & A Murderous Shadow
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to Countdown to Conan, a series ringing in the return of Robert E. Howard’s popular Cimmerian to Marvel Comics. We’ll be reviewing issues of Marvel’s original Conan the Barbarian series weekly until Marvel releases their first new Conan comic books in 2019. This review is written by Wally Monk.)
This issue continues the storyline involving Conan, Captain Murilo and Tara. It’s a much better story than the previous adaption of “Kothar and the Conjuror’s Curse,” and I’ll be sad to see it end.
Conan’s companions in this story line are campy cariacatures of sidekicks. Tara, the youthful and brass yet bumbling jester and Captain Murilo (who originally appeared in Conan the Barbarian #11) are welcome distractions. Typically, Conan’s “sidekicks” are women with ulterior motives or fellow warriors (or thieves) with the same.
In many ways, this (and the previous two issues) remind me of the Conan the Adventurer live-action series. Nothing is too serious, and the plots are too cheesy to be taken as seriously as some of the earlier issues. It’s also a good, fun build-up to the introduction of Belit in two issues, as the “Pirates of the Black Coast” tales begin a darker and less light-hearted era in the Conan the Barbarian comic book series.
Review: Conan the Barbarian #54
In the last issue, Conan, Captain Murilo and Tara kidnapped the crotchety Princess Yvonna, who was en route to be married to the prince of Carnolla. Carnolla and a fellow city-state, Pergona, would be united with the marriage. The kidnapping was prompted by Belzamo, king of Ronnoco (a rival city-state) who believes that by having his own son Vanni marry the princess, it would elevate him and his kingdom, leaving him in a politically stronger position. Belzamo also commissioned the men to find the Ring of The Black Shadow, which would also help enforce his power.
But Yvonna isn’t having it. She says she’s not going to marry Vanni – and as she talks to Conan and Murilo, a horse comes galloping into town with a weary rider. The rider is Yusef, the sole survivor of the expedition to find the Ring of The Black Shadow, and he wants to see Murilo right away!
Meanwhile, Murilo and Conan are meeting with Belzamo in the throne room, showing off the captured princess. Once again, Yvonna confirms that she will not marry Vanni with a well placed heel in the prince’s foot! Tara barges into the throne room with Yusef to tell them the tale of the giant shadow creature which decimated their mercenary band and took the ring for itself.
Conan suggests that with the news of the giant shadow beast, the king needs an oracle and not an army. The oracle can tell him where the ring is and what the future brings. Sounds like a good mission for Conan and his band – so the king’s son, Prince Vanni, suggests Conan should go. Murilo tells Conan to take Tara and Yusef with him (adding that he’s tired of Tara’s juvenile antics!)
Approaching the the cave where the oracle lives, Conan and his group are trailed by a misshapen dwarf, who remains hidden out of sight. A massive guardian is stationed at the entrance, and he exacts a toll from anyone who wishes to speak with the oracle – the visitor’s sword arm!
Being too much of a price to pay for Conan, the barbarian engages the giant in battle. Defeating him, he takes the giant’s ornate, magical sword and begins to crawl through the narrow cave entrance in search of the oracle.
Conan finds himself in the presence of a cowled skeleton who speaks in riddles, and soon Conan has had enough. He prepares to take his leave, bringing the riddle back to Belzamo.
Returning to the cave entrance, Conan notices that a new guardian has taken the giant’s place – it’s a replica of the Cimmerian himself! Confused, the barbarian raises his newly found blade to fight against his own doppelganger.
What was the riddle of the oracle? What could it mean? And which Conan will win this battle?
CAPSULE REVIEW: When John Buscema focuses on detail, the result is inspiring. The splash panel of this issue is a fantastic rendering by Buscema, primarily because he tries to flesh out the background of the City of Ronnoco. It’s amazing how the page looks more like a piece of art than a stereotypical “comic book” splash panel.
I also enjoy the inks and coloring of Tom Palmer and Phil Rachelson. Both bring out the best in Buscema’s line work and draw the reader into the artwork as much as Roy Thomas’ fun scripting draws one into the story.
On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this issue a 7.4. Copies were available on eBay for less than $5.
As always, I am – Wally (AKA Paint Monk)
September 9th, 2018 UncategorizedComments Off on Roy Thomas Tackles A Classic HP Lovecraft Yarn
Saturday Night Shivers Review – Tower of Shadows #9 (Marvel, 1971)
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to Saturday Night Shivers, a weekend feature at Paint Monk’s Library. In the spirit of Elvira, the Ghoul, and other horror movie hosts, we’ll be featuring a review of one classic horror comic each week. All horror stories we review are from books approved by the Comics Code Authority. This installment is written by Wally Monk.)
Sadly, our friend “Digger” doesn’t show up in this issue. The gaunt, pasty-faced mortician who served as narrator of Tower of Shadows and its successor Chamber of Chills doesn’t appear in this issue. For those of you unfamiliar with “Digger,” he appeared to be Marvel’s equivalent of the Crypt Keeper, who served as narrator in many of the EC Comics horror titles in the 1950s.
This issue, instead, opens to the narration of writer Roy Thomas and artist Tom Palmer. They’re illustrated on the opening splash page, ready to introduce the reader in first-person to their adaptation of a famous HP Lovecraft short story called “Pickman’s Model.”
Three other stories round out this issue. The second story, called “I Dared to Enter the Haunted Room!” was a reprint from a story in Tales to Astonish #17, written and illustrated by Don Heck. A third story – “The World That Was Lost!” – was drawn by Jack Kirby with inks by Christopher Rule, reprinting a story from Strange Tales #69.
Finishing up the book was another reprint from Strange Tales #69 called “The Threat From The Fifth Dimension,” scripted and drawn by Steve Ditko.
For the purposes of this edition of Saturday Night Shivers, I won’t be reviewing the reprinted stories, only the original material by Roy Thomas and Tom Palmer.
Review: Tower of Shadows #9
WARNING! SPOILERS FOLLOW
Story #1 – “Pickman’s Model”
Story by Roy Thomas – Art by Tom Palmer
Eliot meets his distraught friend Thurber on a street corner in Boston. Thurber is terrified and upset. He makes it clear that he’ll be very happy if he never sees a subway or a cellar ever again. Eliot expresses concern for his friend, offering to take him to a bar where he can get some food and calm himself down. The last time Eliot saw Thurber was leaving a New England art club with famous artist Richard Upton Pickman.
At the mention of Pickman’s name, Thurber bristles and tells Eliot never to mention the artist again.
In the original Lovecraft work, Thurber is working on a monograph of sorts detailing unusual artists; in this story he appears as an art critic or admirer, who has taken an interest in Pickman’s work.
Once at a local watering hole, Thurber begins his tale. He doesn’t want to talk, but if he doesn’t share what he saw, he’ll lose his mind! Cautiously and nervously, Thurber begins to describe events from earlier that night. .
Arriving at the art gallery, Richard Pickman decided to share his newest work with Thurber – a creepy drawing of a robed, eldritch monstrosity in a cemetery. Quickly, Thurber learned why the gallery was deserted – Pickman’s new work was just too frightening.
Thurber tells Pickman that he’s got to be careful, as his extremely grotesque and terrifying drawings will get him removed from the art society. But Pickman scoffs at the suggestion, haughtily explaining that the other artists cannot appreciate real inspiration or his artwork.
He tells Thurber that there is more to show him, and ushering him out of the art gallery and into the back streets of Boston, Pickman plans to show Thurber his personal gallery and the source of his inspirations.
The duo winds through the back streets of Boston en route to Pickman’s studio; Thurber remarks that the old buildings in this old quarter of the city probably stood before the time of the puritan Cotton Mather. Pickman scoffs, indicating that there are things beneath the city that existed long before Mather’s time.
Entering an old, dilapidated manor home, they climb some crumbling stairs and soon arrive at Pickman’s studio. Much of his recent artwork is even more grotesque than the photo he had just premiered at the art club.
Thurber says that these pictures are offensive, yet show a realistic quality – he says, “You’re quite right, Pickman. For there’s such detail…such stark realism in these anguished faces – as I’ve never seen surpassed!“
Pickman explains that he uses many photographs for his artwork and then offers to take Thurber to see the studio where he completes his paintings. Before they head to the studio, Thurber notices a realistic drawing of a terrifying creature – and on the painting is a crumpled up photograph, which he examines and inadvertently puts into his pocket.
As they descend the stairs, down to the cellar beneath the home and the artist’s studio, Pickman warns Thurber to be quiet. There are rats in the cellar, and they do not like to be disturbed. Pickman repeats this multiple times, but soon he says that Thurber has drawn their attention. Suddenly, as if in panic mode, Pickman tells Thurber to wait while he walks alone down a dark corridor with his gun in hand. He fires a few shots, then returns to Thurber.
The gun has scared off the vermin, he says, but they must now leave and return another day.
At the bar, Thurber reveals the real reason he is upset. The crumpled up “inspirational” picture he took from Pickman’s painting shows a real, living demon as the inspiration for Pickman’s painting. The “vermin” in Pickman’s cellar were not rats, but rather the stuff of nightmares!
CAPSULE REVIEW: The saddest part of this review is that “Pickman’s Model” is an excellent story by a talented team crammed into a comic book full of reprints. The other stories, while good, have already been told and were typical classic fare. You can’t be too harsh with the fantastic teams involved with them, but by the same token, they’re tales already told and effectively “filler material” for what would be Tower of Shadows last outing. It becomes Creatures on the Loose with the next issue, and it’s a shame Marvel didn’t close out Tower with a bang instead of a whimper.
Roy Thomas, in typical style, weaves a fantastic adaptation out of one of HP Lovecraft’s more popular short stories. The build-up to the end of the tale is fantastic, as Thomas’ narrative and Tom Palmer’s artwork take us through the old quarter of Boston and eventually into the dark basement that leads to supernatural horror. The drawings of the Lovecraftian horrors are dated, having that 50s horror comic book vibe, but are still things I wouldn’t want to see late at night as a kid reading comic books!
Pickman is drawn here as an evil version of Doctor Strange – a compelling character that Thomas’ could easily have built into stories of his own. Imagine what Roy Thomas could do with Richard Pickman as a recurring villain in a series of horror stories!
On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this issue an 6.5 – if the other stories were original or as good as “Pickman’s Model” this issue would be a contender for an 8 or higher.. On eBay, copies in ungraded condition could be purchased for $9-20 in most low to mid grades with higher grade copies carrying an average buy-it-now of $25.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to Countdown to Conan, a series ringing in the return of Robert E. Howard’s popular Cimmerian to Marvel Comics. We’ll be reviewing issues of Marvel’s original Conan the Barbarian series weekly until Marvel releases their first new Conan comic books in 2019. This review is written by John Jack and Wally Monk.)
This the third part of Roy Thomas’ adaptation of “Kothar and the Conjuror’s Curse” by Gardner Fox. Of all the issues in this adaptation, this one is perhaps the best in the story line and that’s not saying much – it’s the closest that any one of these issues comes to a complete, self-contained story.
It’s also the first issue in adaptation that is more than a dozen pages of Conan.
Back in Conan the Barbarian #11, the Cimmerian fought Thak the Ape in an epic battle that lasted a whopping five pages. Sadly, it takes Conan four pages in this comic to defeat some rats while tied down with mere ropes and wooden stakes. It’s not a good day for Conan, and a mediocre issue for fans to read.
(An interesting note about this particular review is that some parts were written by two different bloggers and that opposing thoughts about this issue will be very apparent in the capsule review! Diversity in readership is a great thing – and opinions always vary widely.)
Review: Conan the Barbarian #49
Conan is in a bind – figuratively and literally. He’s been tied down by Torkal Moh and his brigands and left as food for rats. The thieves took his sword, his horse and Stefanya – as well as the body of Zoqquandor which was being pulled behind Conan’s horse.
The barbarian struggles weakly against his bonds as the starving rats begin to move in, emboldened by his feeble attempts to defend himself, which intensify once the rats begin to bite in earnest. Suddenly, one rat inadvertently knocks over a nearby water pitcher. Conan reaches it and shatters the receptacle, using the shards to cut himself free. Untied, Conan is reinvigorated by his success and knocks the rats away. Heading in the direction of Castle Ravengard, he angrily plans his revenge on Torkal Moh. As he walks away, Conan ponders what has happened, and here Roy Thomas is able to provide a brief recap for people who have just entered the ongoing story line.
Atop a small cliff, the Cimmerian spots a deer lapping at the waters of a small pond – and thirsty, he dives in. It’s then that he hears a the howl of wolves in the distance. It doesn’t take long before Conan is attacked by a small pack of the canines – only to have them called off by a strange woman clad in furs.
The woman introduces herself as Lupalina, and she knows that Torkal Moh took Stefanya and Zoqquanor’s body, as well as the amulet that Conan had around his neck – the one he was taking to Phalkar. She knows that Conan is heading to wreak vengeance on Torkal Moh – and she jokes with the barbarian, asking if he plans to pursue the baron nearly naked and weaponless, as he appeared in the pool.
Lupalina feeds Conan supper and the Cimmerian lies down for sleep. As he dreams, he dreams of Ursla, the woman of the north from her youth – the one who had polar bears for companions. She tells Conan in his dream to tell Lupalina upon waking that he once knew Ursla in the north. It appears the two are both wilderness shamans!
The wolf-woman opens up to Conan immediately when the Cimmerian mentions Ursla – Lupalina is glad the arctic shaman approves of her helping him. It seems that Lupalina has reasons of her own for going after Torkal Moh – two wizards, Thalkalides and Elviriom, helped overthrow the old ruler of Ravengard and she has a score to settle. She won’t let the Cimmerian in on all of her secrets, though.
Together, the duo (with Lupalina’s wolves) head towards Ravengard Keep and manage to defeat one of Torkal Moh’s smaller mercenary bands along the way. Terrified, the villagers claim that the baron will kill them all. But Lupalina says that the villagers are going to help them overthrow the keep!
So how does Torkal Moh die? Will Conan find Stefanya and his missing amulet? And what is the secret that Lupalina is not ready to reveal to our Cimmerian?
CAPSULE REVIEW (By John Jack): Wow! What a great issue! From humble open to grandiose finish, this issue feels like a big anniversary issue, despite being a regular comic in the series. From Conan’s fight with the wolves to storming Ravengard, to the mysterious finale with Pthassiass, I’m really impressed with the story telling and art contained.
The art by John Buscema and Dick Giordano is spectacular on every panel, with a garden of death at the end being especially excellent. Likewise the animals, often a low point in many issues, looks detailed and perfect. On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this issue a 9.
CAPSULE REVIEW (By Wally Monk): The interesting thing about two people reading a comic book is that sometimes they come up with strongly divergent viewpoints. For my part, this issue was mediocre at best, with typically good art by John Buscema but nothing that stands out. Once again, Roy Thomas tries to do too much in one issue, and the tale should have ended with the death of Torkal Moh – the rest could have been saved for issue #50.
The story seems strangely non-Conan, as in the past we’ve seen Conan walking off into the sunset at the end of the story. Yet here in Roy Thomas’ adaptation of “Kothar” each issue is like a roller coaster that never stops, and we’re never allowed to take a deep breath between plot devices. On a scale of 1-10, I’d give this issue a 6.4.
On eBay, copies of this issue were available in varying conditions for less than $10.
There you have it – a capsule review from two bloggers, Siskel and Ebert style!
August 26th, 2018 UncategorizedComments Off on A Were-Man, A Jail House Tale & Dragon Dreams
Saturday Night Shivers – Chamber of Chills #1 (Marvel, 1972)
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to Saturday Night Shivers, a new feature at Paint Monk’s Library. In the spirit of Elvira, the Ghoul, and other horror movie hosts, we’ll be featuring a review of one classic horror comic each week. All horror stories we review are from books approved by the Comics Code Authority. This installment is written by Wally Monk.)
Don’t get Marvel’s Chamber of Chills title confused with the earlier series from Harvey Publications – the two are completely separate comics!
Harvey’s comic with the same title was cancelled in 1954, shortly after Senate hearings about comic books and juvenile delinquency. These proceedings were spurred on by Dr. Frederic Wertham’s book, Seduction of the Innocent, which claimed comic books and inappropriate content in them were the prime causes of bad behavior in children.
In the early 1970s, Marvel editor Roy Thomas wanted to get back into the horror and science fiction comic genres, so Marvel planned four new titles which took advantage of the changes in the newly relaxed Comics Code Authority. These titles were Journey Into Mystery (Vol. 2), Chamber of Chills, Supernatural Thrillers and Worlds Unknown.
Harvey Comics title of the same name was cancelled in 1954.
Marvel had two early predecessors in this genre – Tower of Shadows and Chamber of Darkness. These two titles were mainly original stories, but these new series from Marvel would consist mainly of reprints and the re-envisioning of classic stories put together in a neat anthology-style format.
Chamber of Chills #1 contains three stories, the first being an original tale written by sci-fi novelist George Alec Effinger, called “Moon of Madness, Moon of Fear.” It was drawn by P. Craig Russell (then only Craig Russell.)
The second story was a reprint of an old 1950s Atlas story by Stan Lee called “They Wait In Their … Dungeon!” It first appeared in Menace #1 in 1953. Russ Heath drew the artwork.
Finally (and perhaps saving the best for last) is an adaptation of a Harlan Ellison short story (and the story featured on the cover of this comic) called “Delusions for a Dragon Slayer.” This story was adapted by Gerry Conway with artwork by Syd Shores.
This series would be a mish-mash of original stories and reprints until Chamber of Chills #7, when the series became entirely reprinted stories. Many well-known creators worked on this anthology, including talents like Frank Brunner, Gardner Fox, Doug Moench, Val Mayerik, Steve Gerber, P. Craig Russell, Gil Kane and John Romita, Sr.
1st Story – WARNING! MAJOR SPOILERS!
Review: “Moon of Madness, Moon of Fear!”
In gloomy Bavaria, a man runs through the countryside, beset upon by wolves. All seems lost, when suddenly the story switches gears, and we’re taken to the Bavarian village of Frachtdorf during the daytime. Some college-age tourists are getting ready to spend the night camping in the woods, but are warned of the wolves outside the town by an eerie old woman. It goes without saying that the young adults don’t really care about what she has to say.
Now we return to the man running through the countryside, and one of the guys from the group of campers spots the wolves chasing the poor runner. Determined to intervene, he jumps into the fray and manages to chase the wolves away, bringing the victim back to their campsite. Frightened, with wolves howling all around them, they put a blanket around the man and wait in fear for the sun to rise.
When the sun comes up, all will be well – right?
CAPSULE REVIEW: For a brief, six page story, this one doesn’t disappoint. The surprise ending is worth it, too, and the art by P. Craig Russell and Dan Adkins doesn’t hurt. It would have been better if this was the story at the end of the comic, as the last one titled “Delusions for a Dragon Slayer” is the best of the three.
2nd Story – WARNING! MAJOR SPOILERS!
Review: “They Wait In Their…Dungeon!”
Warden Drury is not a nice person. In the course of the first few pages, we see just how sadistic he is. He catches a prisoner smoking – and apparently smoking is only allowed on Saturdays. The deranged warden whips the prisoner, and the cigarette falls from the inmate’s hand. Another inmate looks at the cigarette butt on the ground – and the warden decides to take the cigarette and try to light the inmate’s jumpsuit on fire. Swell guy, this warden is…
On the next page, the warden observes an execution in the gas chamber. In a sequence the Comics Code Authority probably wouldn’t have approved prior to 1972, the warden is not only disappointed the inmate dies so quickly, but the warden orders that the gas be left on in the chamber.
Apparently, executions make Warden Drury hungry, so it’s time for dinner and the warden asks for some soup. The taste isn’t to his liking, so he makes the chef guzzle a bucket of dishwater as a punishment.
The inmates have finally had enough. They’ve decided they’d rather die as men then live like animals. So as they chase the warden around the jail, there’s only one room left into which the warden can escape.
Guess which room that is?
CAPSULE REVIEW: Wow. Stan Lee really went to town writing this one and portrays the warden as a truly sick man. It’s clear from the language and vivid cruelty portrayed here that this was a pre-code story. I’m surprised that it made it back in print – one page actually shows the man inside the gas chamber dying and crumpling to the floor. I don’t recommend this story at ALL for younger readers – parents beware.
3rd Story – WARNING! MAJOR SPOILERS!
Review: “Delusions for a Dragon Slayer”
What do you think would happen if your own life flashed before your very eyes? Warren Glazer Griffin experiences just that in this final story in the inaugural issue of Chamber of Chills. Taking an innocent shortcut through a construction site, he’s right in the blast area when the wrecking ball ignites an unknown gas line.
Instead of everything going dark, Warren is seemingly transported to another time – a time of heroic fantasy! He awakens with a body that is not his own in a fantastical land. Surprised, he soon learns that he’ll be experiencing heaven – or his destiny – based on the choices of his life. It’s a cerebral story that I’m not going to spoil here, and well worth reading.
Will Warren Glazer Griffin’s life choices allow him to enter heaven, or have the decisions he has made doomed him to a less-than-pleasant afterlife?
CAPSULE REVIEW: This was the best story in the entire issue. Having Harlan Ellison as the author of the source material is helpful, and Gerry Conway tackles the story in a thoughtful, emotion provoking manner. The artwork by Syd Shores is competent and not overdone.
On a scale of 1-10, I’d give the first issue of Chamber of Chills a 6.9. It’s a good issue, but I’m not so sure it would have kept me buying future issues on the newsstand back in the 1970s. It will be interesting to compare future issues to this one.
Review: Conan the Barbarian #48 – “The Rats Dance At Ravengard!”
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to Countdown to Conan, a series ringing in the return of Robert E. Howard’s popular Cimmerian to Marvel Comics. We’ll be reviewing issues of Marvel’s original Conan the Barbarian series weekly until Marvel releases their first new Conan comic books in 2019. This review is written by Wally Monk.)
Like Conan the Barbarian #47, this issue continues Roy Thomas’ adaptation of “Kothar and the Conjuror’s Curse” by Gardner Fox. And like Conan the Barbarian #47, this issue contains very few pages of Conan content. The rest of the comic is a back-up Red Sonja story. Perhaps these are the “missing pages” that would have been included in the previous issue?
Of all the Conan story lines so far, this one is perhaps the poorest one that I’ve read. It seems like each issue is a stand-alone plot line that somehow the author is weaving together into a far away climax, and this is a trend that continues through Conan the Barbarian #51.
One of our readers commented on a previous review that “Kothar and the Conjuror’s Curse” had a critical review on Goodreads. There, reviewer “Derek” states that the original novel “retreats from every interesting idea it proposes.” The reviewer continues, adding “There is something comical about Kothar and damsel-in-distress Stefanya hiking along with a comatose wizard in tow, sort of a low-rent Weekend At Bernies…”
The late Gardner Fox, a prolific comic writer and novelist.
I don’t necessarily agree that this story line “retreats” from anything – I think too much happens too quickly and too often. Gardner Fox – and Roy Thomas, in his adaptation – try to do too much. It’s almost as if Frodo has dropped the ring into Mount Doom, and yet the plot continues with an even graver threat, and then another, and another. It’s like a never-ending story which should have ended numerous times. Perhaps I am getting ahead of myself, but you’ll see more of what I’m suggesting after the review of Conan the Barbarian #51, the conclusion to Thomas’ adaptation.
I don’t blame Roy Thomas – he’s simply adapting the work of someone else. It’s the source material I believe is strongly lacking in substance – or perhaps, there’s just too much material and substance for a single story line.
Review: Conan the Barbarian #48
Conan is headed to Phalkar with Stefanya and the comatose wizard Zoqquanor in tow. As they ride, Stefanya asks about Conan’s youth. In a rare show of emotion (and verbosity), Conan spends much of the issue recounting a tale from his younger days.
Our Cimmerian is a mere fifteen years old, and he’s sent off into the icy wilderness in a coming-of-age ritual. An over-achiever even in his childhood days, he slays three wolves just to get his hands on the baby deer they’re having for supper. Even though Conan only has to survive a single night, he’s bound and determined the next morning to continue exploring the mountains that border his homeland.
As Conan makes his way into the mountains, he spies two large polar bears that appear to be interested in him. Knowing how savage these beasts are, he preps for battle – only to be surprised as a woman, clad in fur and standing between the bears, congratulates him on his bravery and invites him back to her home.
Conan follows her and learns that she is Ursla, a priestess of the wild, and is told there are others like her. As Ursla helps the young Conan on his quest, giving him food, a comfortable knight’s sleep and more (can’t say I approve, as Conan is only fifteen, but apparently that’s how things go in the Hyborian Age…) the young Cimmerian returns to his village the next day, where none of the older warriors believe his tale of the strange woman in the snows. But they do admire the barbarian’s vigor and his ability to survive in the wilderness.
Stefanya then shares her story with Conan – she can’t remember much of her youth before her time with the wizard Zoqquanor. The two continue their journey, and are soon waylaid by bandits – something that we’ve come to expect in Conan stories.
The bandits are led by Baron Torkal Moh, and since Conan is ill-equipped, the baron and his men demand Conan’s horse, Stefanya, and the barbarian’s blade. That’s enough for Conan, who immediately springs to the attack, only to be knocked unconscious again from a blow to the head (because, of course, he is not wearing his yak helmet!)
When the Cimmerian awakens, he is tied spread-eagle to four stakes – intended to be food for the ravenous rats of Ravengard. Apparently Torkal Moh turns his enemies into rodent chow.
Will the noble barbarian be food for vermin? Can a barbarian who has defeated gargoyles, wizards, a Living Tarim and monstrous dragons be defeated by animals as low on the food chain as cockroaches?
CAPSULE REVIEW: As with the last issue, there isn’t much to see here, although this issue becomes critical for a plot twist later in the “Kothar and the Conjuror’s Curse” storyline. The tale of Ursla will be important to the resolution of this overall plot line. Once again, we see a story which could have been self-contained (like the Shokkoth story from previous issue) but instead leads to a bigger climax in the future.
This issue features a nice back-up story featuring Red Sonja!
John Buscema’s artwork is good, and I’m guessing (as said in the beginning of this review) these eleven pages of Conan were the “missing” pages that would have completed the previous issue.
The remaining pages in this book make up a nice Red Sonja tale called “Episode,” which is also written by Thomas, with pencils by John Buscema and Dick Giordano. It’s a good yet short tale that involves Sonja being caught in a giant spider’s web and nearly sacrificed by a deranged wizard. I won’t cover that story in any depth in this review, but to be frank, it’s better than the Conan story.
On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this issue a 6.5. Not much here, but you’ll need to read it to keep up with the “Kothar and the Conjuror’s Curse” story line, as the plot elements will be important later. On eBay, this issue was readily available for less than $10.
Review: Conan the Barbarian #46 – “The Curse of the Conjuror!”
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to Countdown to Conan, a series ringing in the return of Robert E. Howard’s popular Cimmerian to Marvel Comics. We’ll be reviewing issues of Marvel’s original Conan the Barbarian series weekly until Marvel releases their first new Conan comic books in 2019. This review is written by Wally Monk.)
With this issue of Conan, we begin a four-issue story arc based on a story by Gardner Fox called “Kothar and the Conjuror’s Curse.” While “freely adapted” from Fox’s story (which means Roy Thomas borrowed plot elements and adapted them to Conan’s world) the series of issues is dedicated to Fox, which is mentioned on the splash page of this comic. .
Strangely, Fox was the author of five total Kothar novels, and this story comprises volume four of the Kothar series. It’s sort of a no-brainer that Thomas would adapt a Kothar story for Conan – the characters are as similar as grains of rice with a few notable differences.
Conan is from Cimmeria – Kothar is from Cumberia, in the north. Both have an affinity for women, and both are perpetually broke. Conan is penniless because he’s seemingly always robbed, cheated or narrowly escaping with his life. Kothar is broke because his magical sword, Frostfire, has a strange quirk – it can be the only item of value Kothar owns if it is to retain its magical powers.
It’s no surprise that Fox would take a shot at a Conan-esque character. He was heavily involved in Golden Age comics, and left a lasting legacy at DC Comics. Fox is credited as the co-creator of DC’s Hawkman, Flash and Doctor Fate. He’s also the first writer to pair DC superheroes together as the Justice League of America.
Fox, who died in 1986, was a tremendously prolific writer – some comic book historians speculate that he wrote thousands of comic book stories during his career, with more than a thousand stories written at DC alone.
Review: Conan the Barbarian #46
Conan is riding his horse through the Border Kingdoms, and he’s got the feeling something is following him. He is indeed being followed by the Yemli, small demonic creatures that feast on lonely travellers. The Cimmerian observes bones of those who have passed through who were not as lucky as he hopes to be.
As Conan rides onward, he’s startled by a Yemli grabbing at his foot – as he strikes with his blade, he looks up again to see that the Yemli have disappeared and a corpulent wizard (named Merdoramon) now sits in front of him. He’s got a task for Conan – in exchange for food and maintenance of his horse, Conan is to deliver an amber amulet to the regent of Phalkar. The Yemli, we learn, were “herding” Conan towards the wizard.
Conan agrees, and sets off for Phalkar the next morning. Stopping in a small, unimportant town along the way, he spies a woman who is beset upon by angry townsfolk. Conan, remembering the last time he helped a woman in the same situation (Zhadorr in Conan the Barbarian #41) decides to wait and see what problems she has caused before running to her rescue. It appears the villagers blame a wizard she served – Zoqquanor – for most of their troubles.
With valor being the better part of discretion (at least in Conan’s mind) he eventually rescues the woman, whom we learn is Stefanya. The wizard has placed a curse on her – if he dies, so does she. This was his way to keep her in his servitude. The townsfolk burned down the wizard’s home, but since she still lives, Zoqquanor must be alive as well!
Stefanya asks Conan to help her find the wizard, and they head off to her former home. Entering the burned-out ruins, Stefanya says she is going upstairs to see if Zoqquanor is there. Conan hears a blood-curdling scream – the woman hasn’t found the wizard, but has stumbled into one of his guardians!
Will Conan defeat the golem made of many-colored stones? Will Stefanya become his new love interest? And is Zoqquanor still living, or is the golem guarding a dead wizard?
CAPSULE REVIEW: This issue isn’t anything to “write home about,” but it’s not a complete downer. It’s the beginning of a new story line, so it’s only natural that we’d have lots of exposition and the introduction of new characters. Stefanya is promising, in that she’s as assertive as Conan’s old love interest Jenna and an intriguing character. In one panel, she slaps Conan’s hand away from her, telling him to “keep his hands to himself” until he’s completed his mission. I can’t say I approve of what the lady is bartering (!) in exchange for Conan’s heroics, but this is the Hyborian Age and it’s very clearly a brutal world, well outside of modern Judeo-Christian ethics.
The art work by John Buscema is good, although the Shokkoth is one of the sillier monsters we’ll see in this comic book series. All in all, I’d give this issue a 6.5 on a scale of 1-10 (please click here for our review and rating guidelines.)
On eBay, copies are available for less than $10 depending on condition.
As always, I am – Wally (AKA Paint Monk)
August 11th, 2018 UncategorizedComments Off on An Eldritch Union, Dark Valley & A Son Returns
Review: Conan the Barbarian #45 – “The Last Ballad of Laza-Lanti”
In this issue, Roy Thomas weaves a Lovecraftian tale around one of Robert E. Howard’s short poems.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to Countdown to Conan, a series ringing in the return of Robert E. Howard’s popular Cimmerian to Marvel Comics. We’ll be reviewing issues of Marvel’s original Conan the Barbarian series weekly until Marvel releases their first new Conan comic books in 2019. This review is written by Wally Monk.)
In this unusual one-shot story, Roy Thomas tackles one of Robert E. Howard’s horror-themed poems and weaves a Lovecraftian story around it. It’s an odd, quirky tale and even after reading, I’m not sure if it’s one of my new favorites or something I can’t quite wrap my head around.
“The Last Ballad of Laza-Lanti” is a story by Thomas inspired by the words of Robert E. Howard’s poem “The Dweller in Dark Valley.” The poem first appeared in Magazine of Horror #11 in November 1965. This is not the first time one of Howard’s poems has been adapted into a story and it won’t be the last. At some point in the future, we’ll get to one of my favorite Conan tales in Conan the Barbarian #98 (which is adapted from Robert E. Howard’s poem “Sea-Woman.”)
At the end of this particular issue, several things struck me. First and foremost was the thought that Robert E. Howard was a tremendously prolific writer; he covered many different genres and was always full of creativity. I can only imagine what his literary library would have looked like had it not been for his tragic death at the age of only thirty.
Secondly, I am amazed at how Roy Thomas can take even a short poem like “The Dweller in Dark Valley” and weave it into a comic book tale. Robert E. Howard has easily earned the title (sadly, posthumously) of iconic fantasy writer; and I think Thomas has earned the title of master storyteller simply based on his handling and adaptations of Howard’s work.
WARNING! SPOILER ALERT!
Review: Conan the Barbarian #45
Unsurprisingly, our tale begins with Conan in a bar in the city of Shadizar. Our Cimmerian bemoans the fact that it’s been four years and he’s no further along then when he first embarked on his life of adventure. As the barbarian thinks to himself, he hears a minstrel singing and one drunk patron begins to heckle the poor entertainer.
Ever the savior of the underdog, Conan tells the drunken patron to leave the minstrel alone. Naturally, an all out brawl ensues, and Conan and the bard (whom we learn is named Laza-Lanti) decide to hightail it out of the inn before the city guard arrives. They’re too late.
Sitting together in their jail cell, Conan comments that Laza-Lanti seems cheerful, but there is something melancholy in his music and his lyrics. Noting that Conan is correct, he recalls and sings a tune from his childhood (which also happens to be Robert E. Howard’s poem.)
Laza-Lanti tells Conan that somehow, he believes the Lord of Dark Valley, as mentioned in the poem, is his father. And he feels compelled to rid the valley of the menace. Ironically, Laza-Lanti produces a large dagger from inside his lute after finishing his song.
The jailer, none-too-bright, is surprised – and when Laza-Lanti threatens to throw the dagger at him, the guard unlocks their cell as the two escape into the night. They leave the jailer tied up but unharmed.
Laza-Lanti makes it clear that he is bound for Dark Valley – and as repayment for getting him out of jail, Conan agrees to follow. A brief journey ensues, and soon the pair arrive near the valley just in time to see some people leading a pair of cows towards an open cave. Laza-Lanti approaches one of the men that he knows, indicating he is back and glad to see him. But instead of welcoming the minstrel, he threatens to beat him, swearing that Laza-Lanti’s return will awaken the Lord of the Valley who has left them unharmed for years.
Once again, Conan defends his young friend, grabbing the villager by the scruff of the neck. As the villager explains to Conan how the sacrifices have kept the demon in the hills at bay, the barbarian simply says that they can gang up on and kill the creature.
The villager remains defiant, adding that the creature is not human. Better a cow – or a whole herd of them – be sacrificed than the beast roam free among men, he says.
As the men banter, Lazi-Lanti notices a lovely, scantily clad woman continuing to lead the cattle towards the open cave mouth. Following her from a distance, they are terrified to see a misshapen, eldritch monstrosity consuming the last cow and the woman dancing, mesmerized, in front of the beast.
Will Laza-Lanti slay the monstrosity and end the menace of the monster in Dark Valley? What is the mysterious woman’s connection to the eldritch horror? And is there more here than meets the eye?
CAPSULE REVIEW: This story was strange. Haunting and eerie, it’s one of those tales that you’d read as a kid and then have nightmares about later. Roy Thomas has managed once more to take a small sampling of Howard’s work and weave an intriguing narrative around it.
This tale channels the same Lovecraftian feeling that Roy Thomas mustered for his adaptation of the “Tower of the Elephant” story in Conan the Barbarian #4. The ending here is just as shocking as that issue.
I’m not as impresssed with the coloring on this story, although given the ethereal character of the story, the colors get a pass. I’m not sure that Glynis Wein knew quite what to make of this yarn either, and I’m guessing that played some part in the choice of colors. John Buscema’s pencils seem to take on a different appearance here, too, as if he’s drawing for a narrative storybook instead of a regular comic. It all puts the comic into a category of its own.
On a scale of 1-10, I’d give it an 8.0. On eBay, copies are readily available in ungraded condition for less than $10. If you’re like me and prefer collected trade paperback editions, this story is included in The Chronicles of Conan Vol. 7 – The Dweller in the Pool and Other Stories by Dark Horse.
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March 17th, 2019 
