Reading Room MARVEL TALES "Return of the Monster"

One attempt at updating the Monster in the 1950s involved terrorists...

Art by Syd Shores

...who wanted Frankenstein's secrets to create an invincible army!

Illustrated by Gene Colan and Vince Alascia (with a splash panel taken from the cover by Syd Shores), this tale from Atlas' Marvel Tales #96 (1950), this tale was one of several produced by Atlas Comics.

Note, the author is unknown.

Art by Larry Lieber and VInce Colletta

When the story was reprinted in 1974, the Monster's look was modified on the new cover art to look more like Marvel's new version who had his own series!

I, Frankenstein Opens Today

Based on an unpublished graphic novel written by Kevin Grevioux...

...the movie starring Aaron Eckhart as the Monster opens today!

BTW, there is a FREE prequel comic available on Comixology HERE!

And you can read a "motion comic" version of the prequel comic HERE!

Reading Room MENACE "Your Name is Frankenstein"

Besides the new movie I, Frankenstein, there have been numerous updatings of the tale...

...in fact, even the co-creator of the Marvel Universe, Stan Lee, took a shot at the character!

With a script by Lee and moody art by Joe Maneely, this tale from Atlas' Menace #7 (1953) isn't as graphically-grotesque as most of the horror comics of the era, but it was not reprinted until 2005, when the Comics Code Authority was in its' death throes.

Reading Room FRANKENSTEIN "Meets Boris Karload: Master of Horror"

For decades, he was the actor you thought of when you heard "Frankenstein"...

...so it seems obvious that this was a team-up waiting to happen!

Of course, they had to use a variation of his name, but we know who he is...

Now, on with the show...

Believe it or not, the writer/artist of this version of Frankie (call him "Mark 2") is the same guy who did the later, horrific, version ("Mark 3") you saw HERE yesterday!

This tale, from Prize's Frankenstein #11 (1948), shows not only the now-friendly Monster, but members of his supporting cast.

Makes you wonder if the creators of The Munsters didn't read this book when they were kids...

Tomorrow...MORE Frankenstein Fun!

Reading Room FRANKENSTEIN "Return of the Monster"

The new movie, I, Frankenstein, is not the first updating of the Monster's story...

...in fact, this is the second reboot of an updated Frankenstein series by the same publisher!

Written and illustrated by Dick Briefer, who did all three versions of the Monster of Frankenstein for publisher Prize Comics, this story in Frankenstein #18 (1952) was the lead tale in the series' revival since the book's cancellation three years earlier!
As you might have guessed by the date, the book was revived to capitalize on the popularity (or notoriety) of horror comics during this period, resulting in the darkest, scariest, version of the Monster up to that point!
It sold well, but the national panic produced by psychiatrist Fredric Wertham (who claimed comics caused juvenile delinquency) forced comics publishers to drop the horror genre entirely!
Note: Issues 1-17 were based on the first rebooted version carried over from the publisher's flagship anthology Prize Comics.
That version was a humorous take on the character, similar to The Munsters, complete with a supporting cast of various monsters and ghosts.
Be here tomorrow for the best-known story from that run, involving the monster meeting Boris...you-know-who!
Then, on Thursday, we'll show you a tale from the very first version, which was an action/sci-fi strip set during World War II!