Random Books My Son Picks - Part 4
I (jokingly) say that today should be "Random Books My Daughter Picks..." as she technically was the one to pick todday's book (by going, "Hey look at that one!" and my son following with "Yes, that one." They picked on the few Gold Key books I own, the June 1972 issue of Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery #41.
Like most anthology books back then, this book has several stories in it (There are four.) Also, as was the style at th time, the stories are uncredited. (I have done my best here to try and give credit where credit is due.)
Story 1 - (most sources credit only Hy Elsman as artist and only with a question mark) called A Study in Terror:
Author Ron Ramon has invited some guests to stay in his secluded home, on an island in the middle of the lake. After a storm whips up keeping his guests from returning to the mainland, the group spots a strange beast staring at them. At the house, Ron's wife Ilda goes to fetch him, and while she's gone the monster breaks into the house. One of the guests gets a shotgun and shoots the beast, wounding it. Ron then enters the room and admits there is a native legend that could explain the beast.
After his guests go to bed, we see Ron dictating into (a very old) tape recording device in how he is actually the monster in a costume (is this where they get Scooby-Doo ideas?) His wife asks about the wound and he is nonchalant about it, saying it's worth it to get realistic reactions as research for his new novel. Putting on the costume once more, he returns upstairs and terrorizes his guests. As a result, one of them dies from a heart attack. As Ron looks over the body of his friend realizing what he's done, Ilda watches as Ron becomes the beast he was (a twist reminiscent of the old EC horror books.)
Story 2 - (Artist credit - Oscar Novelle) Carnival!
The splash panel introduces us to the attraction of the carnival of the story, an illusionist named Madamoiselle La Mort (Their French est terrible...) who's finale is shooting through the body of a living man.
Cut to a vagabond on the street about to be run over by a car. He faints, but the car stops in time and a man gets out, sees that he is alive and puts him in the car. When the hobo wakes up, he discovers that he is the presence of Madamoiselle La Mort, who introduces herself and tells him he will be the partner in her act. Later that night, she performs and brings our protagonist to the stage. She shoots, and all he feels is searing hot pain....then wakes up, on the road in front of a car, the cycle repeating.
Story 3 - (Artist Jack Sparling) The Marble Forune
Two white men are driving a truck in the jungles of New Guinea looking for what the natives have described as something that could make them a fortune, a large marble statue. They have found nothing so far over a long period of time and are about to give up the search. Then (of course), they suddenly come upon the object of their desire. Hauling the large statue into their truck, the two men prepare to go to port to ship their prize when, with a large creak, the statue comes to life. Seeing that firing bullets at the creature does nothing, the two men run toward a native village. They try to warn the inhabitants to no avail (as they don't speak their tongue), the behemoth does a bit of damage to the village and then goes along the road towards the closest city. It is at this point that the two men realize that the city can only be reached by a drawbridge, which they use to their advantage and spill the statue into the moat (and hopefully out to sea.) Boris shows up to give a cryptic comment at the end. (I suppose I should point out that the image of Boris Karloff is used as a framing device for each story intro and conclusion, much like EC's Old Witch, Crypt-Keeper and Vault-Keeper used to do.)
And finally...
Story 4 - (art by Luis Dominguez) The Peril at 50 Fathoms.
The tale begins with a boat full of native Africans that are fishing for pearls. They see a large one, thus one of their number jumps in the water to catch it. The boy starts to scream, as he becomes stuck to the pearl and is then suddenly pulled underwater. Realizing they can't save their friend, the rest of the crew go back and report what happened to their American friend. The friend (who is named Josh) decides to take a look, and spots the large pearl just as it has found another victim. Josh jumps in to try and save the other swimmer, but he is pulled down to an unsafe depth fast, and Josh is forced to return to the surface.
Josh returns wearing diver's equipment and, as quickly as he dives into the water, his foot gets snagged by the pearl. It is then that Josh realizes that the pearl is being used by a giant oyster to go after prey. He is swallowed by the pearl, but escapes after killing the oyster from inside. After his friend comes to rescue him, they get away with the pearl. (And cue Karloff with a sardonic remark.)
I liked this book (the only one I have ever read of this title, but after acquisitions from OCC, that will change). Not the greatest book ever written, but as this came out around the time comic writers were beginning to test the Code's limits (Marvel with Dracula and Blade, DC with the House of Secrets and House of Mystery) as they were loosening in the early 1970s. Especially for a company like Gold Key that never submitted to the CCA in the first place, this seems to be a small departure from their regular children's fare. I will not do my usual breakdown here, as this would require more detail than is necessary. The writing, standard fare but enjoyable nonetheless. The art - each artist has his own style, but overall, they look similar giving the book a feel that they all belong together.
Overall, this book rates a 3.5 out of 5, and has inspired me to make DC's House of Mystery title the subject of my next essay.
Ottawa News and Notes - A little bit of a personal letdown after Comiccon (that my wife felt the need to point out. But Brockville is coming up this weekend. And I have heard that the midnight madness sales at both Comic Book Shoppes and Myths, Legends and Heroes were successful. People must have had a lot to spend this weekend. (Maybe that will help Ottawa shed some of it's "frugal" image.)
That is all for no, my friends. Until next time...when it will get mysterious...
Like most anthology books back then, this book has several stories in it (There are four.) Also, as was the style at th time, the stories are uncredited. (I have done my best here to try and give credit where credit is due.)
Story 1 - (most sources credit only Hy Elsman as artist and only with a question mark) called A Study in Terror:
Author Ron Ramon has invited some guests to stay in his secluded home, on an island in the middle of the lake. After a storm whips up keeping his guests from returning to the mainland, the group spots a strange beast staring at them. At the house, Ron's wife Ilda goes to fetch him, and while she's gone the monster breaks into the house. One of the guests gets a shotgun and shoots the beast, wounding it. Ron then enters the room and admits there is a native legend that could explain the beast.
After his guests go to bed, we see Ron dictating into (a very old) tape recording device in how he is actually the monster in a costume (is this where they get Scooby-Doo ideas?) His wife asks about the wound and he is nonchalant about it, saying it's worth it to get realistic reactions as research for his new novel. Putting on the costume once more, he returns upstairs and terrorizes his guests. As a result, one of them dies from a heart attack. As Ron looks over the body of his friend realizing what he's done, Ilda watches as Ron becomes the beast he was (a twist reminiscent of the old EC horror books.)
Story 2 - (Artist credit - Oscar Novelle) Carnival!
The splash panel introduces us to the attraction of the carnival of the story, an illusionist named Madamoiselle La Mort (Their French est terrible...) who's finale is shooting through the body of a living man.
Cut to a vagabond on the street about to be run over by a car. He faints, but the car stops in time and a man gets out, sees that he is alive and puts him in the car. When the hobo wakes up, he discovers that he is the presence of Madamoiselle La Mort, who introduces herself and tells him he will be the partner in her act. Later that night, she performs and brings our protagonist to the stage. She shoots, and all he feels is searing hot pain....then wakes up, on the road in front of a car, the cycle repeating.
Story 3 - (Artist Jack Sparling) The Marble Forune
Two white men are driving a truck in the jungles of New Guinea looking for what the natives have described as something that could make them a fortune, a large marble statue. They have found nothing so far over a long period of time and are about to give up the search. Then (of course), they suddenly come upon the object of their desire. Hauling the large statue into their truck, the two men prepare to go to port to ship their prize when, with a large creak, the statue comes to life. Seeing that firing bullets at the creature does nothing, the two men run toward a native village. They try to warn the inhabitants to no avail (as they don't speak their tongue), the behemoth does a bit of damage to the village and then goes along the road towards the closest city. It is at this point that the two men realize that the city can only be reached by a drawbridge, which they use to their advantage and spill the statue into the moat (and hopefully out to sea.) Boris shows up to give a cryptic comment at the end. (I suppose I should point out that the image of Boris Karloff is used as a framing device for each story intro and conclusion, much like EC's Old Witch, Crypt-Keeper and Vault-Keeper used to do.)
And finally...
Story 4 - (art by Luis Dominguez) The Peril at 50 Fathoms.
The tale begins with a boat full of native Africans that are fishing for pearls. They see a large one, thus one of their number jumps in the water to catch it. The boy starts to scream, as he becomes stuck to the pearl and is then suddenly pulled underwater. Realizing they can't save their friend, the rest of the crew go back and report what happened to their American friend. The friend (who is named Josh) decides to take a look, and spots the large pearl just as it has found another victim. Josh jumps in to try and save the other swimmer, but he is pulled down to an unsafe depth fast, and Josh is forced to return to the surface.
Josh returns wearing diver's equipment and, as quickly as he dives into the water, his foot gets snagged by the pearl. It is then that Josh realizes that the pearl is being used by a giant oyster to go after prey. He is swallowed by the pearl, but escapes after killing the oyster from inside. After his friend comes to rescue him, they get away with the pearl. (And cue Karloff with a sardonic remark.)
I liked this book (the only one I have ever read of this title, but after acquisitions from OCC, that will change). Not the greatest book ever written, but as this came out around the time comic writers were beginning to test the Code's limits (Marvel with Dracula and Blade, DC with the House of Secrets and House of Mystery) as they were loosening in the early 1970s. Especially for a company like Gold Key that never submitted to the CCA in the first place, this seems to be a small departure from their regular children's fare. I will not do my usual breakdown here, as this would require more detail than is necessary. The writing, standard fare but enjoyable nonetheless. The art - each artist has his own style, but overall, they look similar giving the book a feel that they all belong together.
Overall, this book rates a 3.5 out of 5, and has inspired me to make DC's House of Mystery title the subject of my next essay.
Ottawa News and Notes - A little bit of a personal letdown after Comiccon (that my wife felt the need to point out. But Brockville is coming up this weekend. And I have heard that the midnight madness sales at both Comic Book Shoppes and Myths, Legends and Heroes were successful. People must have had a lot to spend this weekend. (Maybe that will help Ottawa shed some of it's "frugal" image.)
That is all for no, my friends. Until next time...when it will get mysterious...
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