Showing posts with label Carl Wessler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carl Wessler. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Halloween HeartBreak ASTONISHING "Unknown Ones!"

The story's title has a double meaning to graphic literature aficionados...
...since it also covers the fact this story hasn't been seen in color since 1957!
It was reprinted (in b/w) in Dark Horse's Al Williamson: Hidden Lands TPB (2004), but that now-OOP tome had a very limited print run.
Written by Carl Wessler, this Williamson-penciled and Roy Krenkel-inked tale from Atlas' Astonishing #57 (1957) was done after the horror comics purge of the mid-1950s reduced EC Comics to just MAD Magazine, and the majority of their now-unemployed artists were scrambling around for work.
Besides Atlas, Williamson freelanced for ACG and Harvey, doing full pencils and inks, inking others like Jack Kirby and Matt Baker, or, as in this case, penciling for others (usually fellow Fleagle Gang members*) to ink.

*The "Fleagles" were a group of artists including Williamson, Roy Krenkel, Frank Frazetta, Wally Wood, Angelo Torres, and George Woodbridge who would help each other on tight deadlines by doing a "jam" with individuals penciling and inking different pages...even different panels on a single page...producing some absolutely amazing visuals...and always meeting the deadline!
Next week:
Another Tale of True Love...with a Halloween Twist!
You'll Cry Your Eyes Out if You Miss It!
(Oh, you've heard that, eh?)
And now a word from out sponsor...
Please Support True Love Comics Tales
Visit Amazon and Order...

Friday, October 29, 2021

Halloween HeartBreak / Tell a Tale of Terror Thrice WEIRD MYSTERIES "Easy Dies It!"

You've seen two earlier versions HERE and HERE!
Now read the final...AFAIK...variation on a theme...
Writer Carl Wessler really knew how to milk a plot to death (pun intended)!
This never-reprinted Carl Burgos-illustrated, tale from Pastime Publications' Weird Mysteries #1 (1959) didn't have to stick to strict Comics Code standards since the periodical was a b/w magazine, and the Code only applied to four-color comic books!
We hope you've enjoyed our annual Halloween fantasy/sci-fi/horror romance blogathon.
Please bookmark us to enjoy the only weekly dose of romance in graphic form on the 'Net...and you wouldn't want to miss a single post because...
You'll Cry Your Eyes Out If You Miss It!
And now a word from out sponsor...
Please Support True Love Comics Tales
Visit Amazon and Order...

Thursday, October 28, 2021

Halloween HeartBreak / Tell a Tale of Terror Thrice WORLD OF FANTASY "If...!"

Ever think men and women are from totally-different worlds?
This reworking of yesterday's story (Seen HERE) proves you right!
Writer Carl Wessler had already used the basic plot for this story twice before:
  1. "If!" in Atlas' Suspense #27 (1953), with the girl and her family being werewolves and vampires (talk about a blended family) as you saw yesterday!
  2. "Out Cold" in EC's Haunt of Fear #25 (1954), with the girl and family shown to be ghouls!
But, by the time this never-reprinted story in Atlas' World of Fantasy #2 (1956) was published, the Comics Code had been implemented, banning "creatures of the night", except in humor titles.
So Wessler went with aliens.
Sci-fi was experiencing a resurgence, so it was the logical way to go.
The illustrator was Jay Scott Pike who ended up specializing in romance comics.
You can see some of his work on this very blog by clicking HERE.
Look for the final version of this terrifying tale in baleful black-and-white from Pastime Publishing's Weird Mysteries #1 (1959)...
TOMORROW!
(You didn't think we'd make you wait a week...did you!)
You'd Cry Your Eyes Out if We Did That!
And now a word from out sponsor...
Please Support True Love Comics Tales
Visit Amazon and Order...

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Halloween HeartBreak / Tell a Tale of Terror Thrice SUSPENSE "If!"

Here's a real Halloween treat...no trick...a little tale about a guy and a gal from different worlds...
...and we mean that literally!
Written by Carl Wessler, illustrated by Fred Kida, this never-reprinted tale from Atlas' Suspense #27 (1953) shows off panache and style close to the legendary EC Comics horror titles of the era.
In fact, Wessler reused the plot (with the variation of the girl and her family being ghouls, not vampires) the next year in EC's Haunt of Fear #25 as "Out Cold!".
(Since that's been reprinted numerous times, and is still under copyright, we aren't going to run it here.)
Even after the Comics Code forbade werewolves, vampires and ghouls, Wessler managed to get another version of the story into print, this time making the girl and her family aliens in Atlas' World of Fantasy #2 (1956)!
You can see that story here, tomorrow!
But, wait!
We promised you "Tell a Tale of Terror Thrice", right?
Well, Carl reused the concept one last time, returning to horror in a b/w magazine, which wasn't restrained by the Comics Code Authority!
So look for the final version of this terrifying tale in baleful black-and-white from Pastime Publishing's Weird Mysteries #1 (1959) on Friday!
Look for the story from Atlas' World of Fantasy #2 (1956)...
(You didn't think we'd make you wait a week...did you!)
You'd Cry Your Eyes Out if We Did That!
And now a word from out sponsor...
Please Support True Love Comics Tales
Visit Amazon and Order...