Exit WeirdWorld, Enter Vlad the Impaler

When we first decided to re-present WeirdWorld as our Countdown to Halloween 2014 feature...

Art by John Buscema, Rudy Nebres and Peter Ledger

...it had been untouched since its' intitial publication over three decades ago, and a generation of fans knew nothing about it.

So we felt comfortable running an all-but lost chapter of fantasy comics history for historical purposes.

However, we learned this week that Marvel will be doing a hardcover compiliation of all the prevously-published WeirdWorld stories in April 2015 (check out Amazon.com for details), so we will not be continuing our re-presentation.

This left us with a big gap in our schedule.

Luckily, we have something equally-kool on hand...

Art by Estaban Maroto

With Dracula Untold opening this week, we decided to re-present another "lost" series from the past, Topps' 1992 mini-series Vlad the Impaler, which like the new movie, is about how the "historical Dracula" became the "vampiric Dracula".

(Ironically, the Vlad mini-series was done to capitalize on the revived interest in Dracula created by the movie Bram Stoker's Dracula, which Topps did the comic adaptation and trading cards for!)

So, go see the movie this weekend, then compare how it handles the juxtposition between "historical" and "vampiric" Draculas with the comic by Roy Thomas and Estaban Maroto!

Vlad begins tomorrow!

Don't miss it!

Reading Room WEIRDWORLD "Warriors of the Shadow Realm" Part the First: City of Seven Dark Delights III

We Have Already Seen..

...two elves, Tyndall and Velanna, and a somewhat-irritating dwarf named Mud-Butt, head for the City of Seven Dark Delights.
But, it's a journey fraught with danger!

 ...and with that, we enter into what was rightfully-called a "mind-boggling 3-page color foldout"!

Be Here Tomorrow to Find Out!
Here's a hint...

 

Reading Room WEIRDWORLD "Warriors of the Shadow Realm" Part the First: City of Seven Dark Delights II

We Have Already Seen...

 ...ya gotta love the way this series provides its' own recaps, eh?

And, now, one with the story...

Enter the City of Seven Dark Delights...if you dare...tomorrow!

Reading Room WEIRDWORLD "Warriors of the Shadow Realm" Part the First: City of Seven Dark Delights I

And so this chapter of the saga begins, innocently enough...

...with three beings we would consider "fantastic" telling stories about creatures they consider "fantastic"!

You'll find out whose trail tomorrow, elf, and you'll wish you hadn't...

BTW, here's the credits from the never-reprinted Marvel Super Special #11 (1979)...

Kool, eh?

Reading Room WEIRDWORLD "Washed Ashore on WeirdWorld"

Now listen well as the writer/co-creator spins a tale...

 ...of how WeirdWorld came to be in this never-reprinted text story from Marvel Super Special #11 (1979)!

Be here tomorrow when "Warriors of the Shadow Realm" begins...

Reading Room WEIRDWORLD "John Buscema Scrapbook" & "How This Book Came To Be"

Before you begin the actual tale on Monday, here are some of the never-reprinted "extras"...

 ...unseen for 35 years, from Marvel Super Special #11 (1979)!

Tomorrow:

Writer/co-creator Doug Moench narrates the secret history of WeirdWorld!

Reading Room WEIRDWORLD "Lord of Tyndall's Quest" Conclusion

When Last We Left Our Elves...

(actually, it's easier if you read the first two tales HERE and HERE, then continue...)

Despite the book selling very well, Marvel didn't use WeirdWorld to leap into the mystical fantasy market for another year.

But. when they did, it was with a new art team and a new approach, both in terms of plot and illustration.

Before we continue with the story on Monday, you might want to familiarize yourself with the geography of WeirdWorld, courtesy of co-creator Doug Moench and new art team of John Buscema, Rudy Nebres, and Peter Ledger...

See you on Monday!