Reading Room: WOLFF "World of the Witches"

Return to the post-apocalyptic future Earth of Wolff the Barbarian...

...where technology and magic are both considered "dark arts" by the majority of inhabitants of this barbaric future!

Is it just me, or does the Sorceress of the Red Mist remind you of sexy space heroine Agar-Agar, who was also published in the Dracula anthology magazine (and was also written by Wolff co-scripter Luis Gasca under the pen-name "Sadko")?

Or was that eye-makeup thing just a fashion trend in the early 1970s?

This tale from Dracula #2 (1971) was superbly-illustrated and co-written by Esteban Maroto.

Reading Room: WOLFF "Path of the Dead"

Wecome to one of the best "barbarian in a post-apocalyptic future Earth" strips...

...as we present the saga of Wolff the Barbarian.

Written by Luis Gasca (under the pen-name "Sadko") & Esteban Maroto, illustrated by Maroto.

Published in England in Dracula (1971), a 12-issue partworks magazine* by New English Library, the first 6 tales made their American debut in Warren Publishing's HTF Dracula TPB in 1972 which reprinted #1-#6 of the British Dracula's run.
The remaining tales from #7-#12 have never been published in the US.
This week, we'll be catching up with chapters 1-5.
We will be presenting the remainder of the complete Wolff strip (including the never-seen in US tales) over the summer on our brother RetroBlog Hero Histories!
Watch for it!
*Partworks magazines are a limited series issued from weekly, fortnightly, or monthly.
They usually run 12-24 issues for each volume.
When the final issue in a volume is published, the publishers offer a wraparound cover to make the complete set into a hardbound book. 
The buyer is offered the option to bind the magazines themselves or send the set to the publisher who professionally-binds the mags and sends the bound volume back to the customer.
This concept is extremely popular in Europe, but has never caught on in America, despite numerous attempts.

The Barbarian Cometh!

Here's a one-time World of Wonder for you before the New Year!

(BTW, isn't it weird how most fictional barbarians have a "hard C" or "hard K" name...Conan, Crom, ClawFang, Claw, Kull, Kothar, Kyrik, etc.)

This two-pager was published in a couple of Harvey's short-lived 1960s adventure books to promote the strip,
It was also utilized as the prologue to the strip itself in Unearthly Spectaculars #2...

We'll never know, since this was ClawFang's only published adventure!

A cool mix of sf/fantasy genres written and laid-out by Wally Wood with pencils and inks by Al Williamson, appearing in Harvey's Unearthly Spectaculars #2 (1966), part of a short-lived line of action/adventure comics produced by Harvey Comics in the mid-1960s.

Oddly, while there were numerous "jungle hero/heroine" strips and books with sci-fi/fantasy elements, Clawfang was only the second actual barbarian strip in comics history, after Crom...which was also from Harvey Comics!

Five years later, Marvel would launch Conan the Barbarian, and suddenly, an entire new genre bloomed in comics with almost every publisher launching at least one barbarian-themed comic!
Speaking of which...

The "barbarian in a post-apocalyptic future Earth" concept is an oft-used trope in sci-fi/fantasy from ClawFang to Teenage Caveman to BlackMark to Kamandi to Killraven: Warrior of the Worlds to Lost World (from Fiction House's Planet Comics) to IronJaw, to Talos of the Wilderness Sea,  to Planet of the Apes (Yes, PotA qualifies since mankind is reduced to primitives) to Thundarr the Barbarian to Yor: Hunter from the Future, scantly-clad heroes using primitive weapons against super-science and/or sorcery in a devastated world has proven to be a popular trope in various media, not just print.

Join us next Wednesday as we begin our re-presentation of one of the best (though least-known) series featuring this concept...

Wolff the Barbarian

by

Esteban Maroto, Sadko, and Laurence James

YOU can be the Fighting Yank on Flag Day (or at least wear his uniforn shirt)!

With Flag Day approaching, why not adopt the vintage look of one of the most patriotic superheroes of World War II, the Fighting Yank (now appearing in Project SuperPowers), by wearing his uniform shirt emblazoned with a 1940s period-accurate 48-star flag unfurling proudly on the chest (Remember, Hawaii and Alaska didn't become states until the late 1950s!) and a tiny official Lost Heroes logo on the back collar area (where it won't be seen under your cape!).

Available as a sweatshirt or long-sleeve t-shirt, depending on how much padding you feel you need to achieve the "heroic" look you want.
Tricorn hat and knickers not included.
But a sport jacket or denim jacket might go better with it...

And, we offer the usual assortment of other kool kollectibles like Mugs, Messenger Bags, Magnets, etc. with the unfurled Old Glory fluttering proudly...

Reading Room CLIFF HANGER "Chapter Three: Voice of Doom"

We Have Already Seen...

...ok, that covers it!

Let's continue...

Is Cliff Doomed?

What Will Become of Jill?

Does the Madman Have a Fate Worse than Death in Store For Her?

Be Here in Two Weeks as the Non-Stop Action Continues!

Written by Bruce Jones and illustrated by Al Williamson, this backup strip from Pacific Comics' Somerset Holmes #3 (1983) perfectly conveys the fun and excitement of 1930s-40s movie serials!