I Love Lucy Comics #34 (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

During the last season of I Love Lucy, the Ricardos and the Mertz family moved to the suburbs of Connecticut. This helps to explain the setting of this issue's last story. A sudden snow storm makes it impossible for Ricky to get out of his driveway. Things get chaotic when the Ricardos' inventor neighbor turns their lawnmower into an ersatz snowplow.

One of the main plot points for I Love Lucy is Lucy's constant attempts at fame, often to disastrous effect. In the opener, Fred gets Ricky hired to perform at a dude ranch. In return for Lucy and Ethel tagging along, the girls have to work a few shifts at the check-in desk. When Lucy learns that a famous TV producer is visiting in hopes of researching a new Western series starring a woman cow hand, Lucy tries to show the exec that she's the only woman for the show! Spoiler- she really is not.

The middle story features the forgotten member of the Ricardo clan: Little Ricky! When Ricky and Lucy go on a ski trip, they take their son along. Being his first time skiing, Little Ricky is given a beginners level course on the bunny slopes. However when it's determined that the tyke is a natural skier, he runs laps around mom and dad!

I Love Lucy stopped producing new episodes in 1957, 4 years before this issue debuted on newsstands. A smattering of one-hour specials kept Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez on people's minds, but the reason I Love Lucy continued as a comic book published by Dell until 1962, 2 years AFTER Lucy and Desi divorced, was because I Love Lucy never left airwaves! 

Desi Arnez was a Hollywood executive genius. Being a Cuban entertainer, he had been screwed over by agents and movie execs before. So when he brokered the deal for I Love Lucy, Arnez made secure the rights to the series. This, along with the use of revolutionary high-quality 33-mm film helped ensure that I Love Lucy lived on in syndicated rerun history literally till the end of time. 

I Love Lucy Comics was not Lucy and Desi's first time in sequential art form. The show was tested out in 2 Dell Four Color issues (#535 and #559). Those two issues were retroactively numbered as the first two issues of the series. Before that, I Love Lucy was run as a daily newspaper comic strip from 1952-55 through King Features Syndicate. 

This would be the penultimate issue of the series. #35 (April, 1962) would be the final issue of I Love Lucy Comics. However, it would not be the end of Lucille Ball, nor the other cast members in comics. From 1963-64, Gold Key released 5 issues based on Ball's first post-divorce comedy, The Lucy Show, which costarred Vivian Vance who played Ethel on I Love Lucy. In 1990, Eternity Comics produced several Collector's Edition issues that reprinted stories from both the comic strip and Dell Comics catalog. 

Paul S. Newman is colloquially attributed as the series writer and artist. As it wasn't a common practice at that time for Dell Comics to give their creators any sort of by-line credit, it is possible that this issue was written and illustrated by someone else. 

Cover photo was provided by either CBS Studios or Desilu Productions.

Completing this review completes Task #21 (Live Action Comic Adaptation from the 1960s) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Dell Giants #39 'Walt Disney's Merry Christmas'

I found this 1960 Dell Giants over the summer at a used book store. The cover was hanging by a thread and prayer. But otherwise, it was in really good condition. None of the holiday activities were scribbled in and all of the pages were intact. That alone was a Christmas miracle considering how many crafts and games juvenile readers were encouraged to partake in.

This special opens with Donald and his nephews pondering what to get Uncle Scrooge for Christmas. They instead get tricked by their rich relative to board a rocket ship bound for the moon. Only Scrooge forgot to set the ship's coordinates and they wind up stuck on the North Pole!

Then Mickey Mouse plans an ice skating event to raise money for Christmas presents for the local orphanage. The star athlete has refused to go on, leaving Mickey scrambling for a replacement. It comes in the form of Goofy, who turns out to be a real pro; as long as he skates in his sleep. Now too afraid to go back to sleep, Mickey hires a hypnotist to break Goofy's subconscious hang ups.

Brer Rabbit goes around the countryside asking for items to decorate his Christmas tree and winds up becoming an ornament himself in a trap set by Brer Fox. Gyro Gearloose teams with the Three Little Pigs when the Big Bad Wolf creates some gadgets, based on Gyro's blueprints, to kidnap the piggies for a Christmas dinner to remember. Dale becomes a private investigator in hopes of raising money to buy a Christmas present from Chip. He ends up becoming his own client when his deer slayer hat goes missing.

My favorite story was a Disney crossover. True, a couple of the other stories I mentioned had some unlikely pairings that I consider unexpected. But it wasn't as massive as my personal fav. It's got Dumbo and Daisy Duck's nieces helping Gephetto and Pinocchio solve the mystery of the missing dolls. Every time Gephetto completes a toy, it immediately disappears. With time running out before Christmas, the girls become bait to get to the bottom of all this and discovered that the person swiping all the presents is the Witch from Snow White! 4 different franchises all coming together in 1 tale. I loved it!

A couple of the stories in this book could have been set at different times of year. Christmas might have just been added as a place holder for the action. But the final story was absolutely not set anywhere near the holidays. Minnie Mouse and Clarabelle the Cow are reporters for the local paper, sent overseas to cover the birthday party of a princess. Only when the girls get to the palace, they learn that the princess has gone missing! It's a charming mystery. I just don't understand what it's doing inside a Disney Christmas special.

Lots of fun. Festive... mostly. All of the stories were entertaining. But half of them could've been more at place in a winter special which was something Dell did put out from time to time. Very Disney and it's something that I very much welcome into my holiday comics collection.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Frankenstein #1

This 1963 comic is a grail that I have been searching for for a very long time. It's something that I've wanted so much that apparently the price I paid surprised the heck out of my wife. I only paid $20 for it. Sure, the cover has been tattooed by some kid named 'Fred'. But it was in decent shape with vibrant colors and beautiful artwork by Tony Tallarico. Inked by Bill Fracchio. Still, being a notorious bargain hunter, giving up a portrait of Andrew Jackson was a surprise to my wife.

This issue is officially licensed by Universal Studios and it offers a quasi-faithful retelling of the 1931 classic starring Colin Clive and Boris Karloff. The first half of the book follows Dr. Frankenstein attempting to recreate life in his castle laboratory. He succeeds but the experiment is flawed because the scientist's assistant accidentally destroyed the normal brain that was to go inside the monster's cranium and instead replaced it with a criminal mind. 

Frankenstein attempts to control the beast. But when townsfolk end up dead, those who survive storm the castle. Armed with pitchforks and torches, the citizenry destroy the castle, seemingly condemning the scientist, his assistant and his creation to their dooms within the fiery confines of Castle Frankenstein. 

It's at this point that the book takes a huge shift away from the movie and goes to a place never explored by Frankenstein and his creation: New York! There had been several sequels made by Universal Studios that continued the story of Frankenstein. The monster would get a bride, fight the Wolfman and even meet comedians Abbott and Costello. But none of those adventures ever occurred in the Big Apple. So why the sudden change to the legend? For that answer, you have to blame the Comics Code.

Even in the early 1960s, horror comics were still a bit of a cultural taboo. Zombies, vampires and werewolves were forbidden by the CCA. Dell Comics had survived being bound by the code, even producing an impressive catalog of works without the Comic Code stamp by following a strict self-imposed code of quality and conduct. However, the Universal monster movies of the 1930s were seeing an impressive comeback on the TV airwaves as certain copyrights had expired, introducing the likes of Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr., and Karloff to a new generation of monster fans. 

Wanting to capitalize on the sudden monster mania, Dell licensed several characters from the Universal vault. This would allow for a one-shot comic book adaptation of the original films to be produced without outcry about violating the Code, as the movies were by-and-large based on works of gothic literature and European folk lore. But how could Dell continue to tell the stories of the Universal monsters as the many, many sequels were nearly 100% Hollywood fabrication? 

The answer was to turn the monsters into superheroes. In order to do this, Dell needed to set up each character to be able to start off their crime busting careers. For Frankenstein's monster, that meant having Dr. Frankenstein and his creation surviving the destruction of his lab by escaping through an underground tunnel and fleeing to America. While in the States, Dr. Frankenstein seeks to introduce his experiment to the world at a medical convention. In typical fashion, the monster goes berserk, wreaks havoc and seemingly perishes deep in the middle of Hudson Bay.

Everything seems set up for a successful new Frankenstein series. The first issue was in such high demand, a second print was issued in 1964. Only the second issue didn't see print for 3 years after the premiere! With Dell still owning the Universal license, Frankenstein and his cohorts become superheroes, with much of what happened at the end of the first issue retconned away. Instead of being set in the Big Apple, the Monster lives in the fictional burgh of Metropole City. No longer trapped under water, the monster is instead revived by a convenient thunder bolt proving that lightning does indeed strike the same place twice.

I didn't really mind the changes to the story. Artistic license has been a part of comic book adaptations of TV and movies since it's inception. I just thought it was really odd that we go from 1880s Central Europe to more modern 1930s when Dr. Frankenstein flees to America. I know that parts of Europe are known as the Old Country. But I thought only Dr. Frank N. Furter encountered time warps...

Love this book. So glad to own it. Despite the poor reception, I really want issues #2-4 of the super-powered Frank; as well as his vampire and werewolf compatriots. They're oddities. They're kitschy. And they're still on my wish list! But so are the other more traditional Universal Studios publications, including the Mummy, who for some reason never received the heroic treatment.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Classic Doctor Who Comics #9 (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

In 1964, British horror studio, Amicus Productions decided to dip their toe into the science fiction genre. Hoping for an immediate hit, they contacted BBC Studios to license a series of films based on the smash television hit Doctor Who. 

They went with the Doctor's most famous foes, the Daleks. After penning a 3 movie deal with the creator of the Daleks, Terry Nation, Amicus went about adapting their origin story, aptly titled 'The Daleks.' Amicus then hired esteemed actor Peter Cushing as the title role. 

Not wanting viewers confused about there being another Doctor, the BBC demanded some changes be made. Instead of being an alien known only as the Doctor, Cushing's Dr. Who would be an eccentric elderly human who creates a time machine called TARDIS, which can also transverse the universe. Thus the Doctor can change the location of where his time machine emerges from a journey forward or backwards in time. He would also have 2 grandchildren, older teenager Barbara and precious 11-year old Susan. Along for the journey would be Barbara's klutzy boyfriend Ian. 

Adjustments would also be made to the Daleks. Their frames were bulked up and height was added to make the cybernetic aliens look more intimidating. As the film would mark the Daleks' first appearance in color, two new models were produced with a fiery red and black shell. Some of the suction cups were replaced with pincer claws. Other Daleks were to be armed with flame throwers. The BBC put the kibosh on that upgrade, fearing that it would frighten young viewers.

Dr. Who and the Daleks 1965 debut in the United Kingdom was a massive hit. While the TV series had universal appeal with audiences of all ages, the film was clearly aimed at children. Across the pond in the United States, the film bombed. 1966 audiences had yet to become familiar with the Doctor as it was still several years away from Doctor Who debuting on public broadcasting airwaves. 

Since the British sci-fi series was an unknown entity to American audiences, a comic book adaptation was produced. Dell Comics accepted the challenge for garnering interest in the movie. Joe Gill adapted the Milton Subotsky and Terry Nation screenplay. Gill must have been given an early version of the script because those forbidden flame-throwing Daleks menace Dr. Who and his family on more than one occasion in this book. Dick Giordano and Sal Trapani penciled and inked with photos of the cast adorning the interior and exterior covers.

The story of Dr. Who and the Daleks is an origin story. While showing his granddaughters and Ian his newly invented time machine, Ian accidentally activates TARDIS sending the quartet to a desolate planet. A thermonuclear war has caused survivors to mutate into two warring factions: the humanoid Thals, who developed a cure for the effects of radiation sickness and the underground dwelling Daleks, who look like giant brains with tentacles. The Daleks also happen to control the planet's limited food supply. 

The Thals make frequent raids on the Daleks stronghold for food while the Daleks seek the radiation cure. Finding killing abhorrent, the Thals would be willing to make a peace with their foes, trading food for medicine. The Daleks seek to annihilate their foes once the cure is in their grasp. As Dr. Who attempts to escape from his Daleks captors, a planet killing bomb is activated. Now the Thals must disarm the weapon in hopes of their survival, even if it means wiping out the Daleks forever.

The Dell adaptation of Dr. Who and the Daleks was never officially released in the UK. It was an American only release. One of the few times that the States possessed a classic Doctor Who licensed product and Britain didn't. A few copies are said to have appeared on American bases throughout the UK at the PX, eventually making it's way into the populace. 

British Who fans wouldn't get an official chance to see the collective work of Gill, Giordano and Trapani until the Summer of 1993. The 9th issue of Classic Doctor Who Comics, released by Marvel Comics UK, featured a complete reprinting of the 1966 adaptation. Colin Howard crafted the cover image of Cushing as Dr. Who, facing one of those terrifying new Red Daleks. The Neutron Knights by Steve Parkhouse and Dave Gibbons is this issue's backup comic. It sees the Fourth Doctor played by Tom Baker summoned to Earth by Merlin the Magician. Photographed posters of a reject from the Planet of the Apes called an Orgon and Mary Tamm as the first incarnation of the Time Lord Romana are centerfold inserts and producer/director John Ainsworth examines the comics of the Slyvester McCoy era of Doctor Who.

In 1966, Amicus produced its follow-up to Dr. Who and The Daleks. Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. was a box office bust. Production problems and Cushing's diminished role due to a serious illness were blamed for the film's problems. As a result, the sequel never made it to the States and Amicus scraped its option for a third film. Both movies have garnered cult status, though neither are officially canon. To explain the existence of the Peter Cushing films, they have been retconned over the years, explained to have been films officially requested by the Doctor in hopes of educating the populace to the threat of the Daleks. 

Completing this review completes Task #28 (A Doctor Who Comic or Graphic Novel) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming! 

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Dell Four Color #950- Frosty The Snowman

This Dell Four Color from 1958 stars the second most popular character to star in a Christmas novelty song, Frosty the Snowman.

There's 5 or 6 short stories in this book. Though really, they read like chapters. For instance, Frosty is gifted a new scarf by a new friend he meets and throughout the remainder of the book, Frosty is drawn wearing that new accessory. The book begins with Frosty spending time with his forest friends. After gifting them a Christmas feast of carrots, lettuce and seeds, Frosty meets a little boy who cannot afford a fancy sled. So the lad made his own out of an old wooden barrel. Determined to help the little fella out, Frosty heads to the North Pole to ask Santa to make him a sled for Christmas. However, Christmas might be cancelled because Santa has run out of the magic star dust needed to make the reindeer fly. 

My last holiday read, but not review, for 2024. I really enjoyed this book. Being almost 70 years in age, the pages were fragile and I was seriously afraid that the cover would come off. But the Christmas magic inside the book never faded. 

I couldn't tell you who wrote this book. Nor who illustrated it. From a time when many comic book creators didn't provide their credentials, either purposely or by company policy, the artwork for Frosty was a tad generic. But his forest friends and Santa Claus looked so friendly and festive. The storytelling was quite creative. One of Dell's comics devoted to its youngest of readers, it was of a quality found in a Little Golden Book. And I mean that as a high compliment.

If you are a collector of holiday comics and you can find a copy of this either in the wild or at a shop/Con, it's really worth owning. Just read while wearing kid gloves - literally!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 stars.

Dell Giant: Christmas in Disneyland #1

Instead of gifts from Santa, a little boy and girl ask Santa to take them on a magical trip to Disneyland in this 1957 Dell Giant. 

Santa obliges, telling the children an assortment of stories based on the various lands and rides throughout the park. The Carl Barks classic 'The Black Pearls of Tabu Yama' starts things off with Uncle Scrooge and his nephews marooned on a deserted island at Christmas. Chip n' Dale must rescue Jiminy Cricket from the clutches of Br'er Bear, who forces the wise insect to teach him how to become Santa Claus. Mickey and Goofy attempt to deliver a payload of gold to a group of miners before Christmas Eve. The L'il Bad Wolf thinks his papa is making him a snow blowing machine to help him in his snow shoveling business. And in the surprise of all surprises, Peter Pan and Tinkerbell attempt to rescue Santa Claus who has been kidnapped by the dastardly Captain Hook!

I was extremely excited about that Peter Pan story. The 1953 Disney classic plays into the story of how my wife and I met. I had no idea about the existence of this story. It was such a great read and I loved seeing the Tick-Tock Crocodile fly after getting sprinkled with pixie dust.

There were also several arts and crafts activities and a fun and games section in the back. Considering that this issue is nearly 70 years old and only 1 of those pages was torn out, probably by some child who had zero idea how collectible old comics would one day be, I consider myself very lucky. I paid less than $10 for this issue and if that page hadn't been missing, the book would probably have been priced out of my price range. 

On my wish list of Christmas comic books, I've got issue #38 of Gold Key's Walt Disney Comics Digest. The front invites readers to enjoy 'Christmas at Disneyland'. I have a feeling that the contents of this special are reprinted in that digest edition. I'm still keeping that book on my wish list. However, as I now own this book, in 99.% entirety, obtaining the Gold Key book is on the back burner for now.

Sure, this was a big ol' commercial for Disneyland which had opened less than 2 years prior in California. But the whole thing was jammed packed Christmas fun starring many of my favorite Disney characters and it's a treasured addition to my Christmas comic book collection!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Garrison's Gorillas #2 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Spinning out of the popularity of 1967's The Dirty Dozen, Garrison's Gorillas debuted on the ABC airwaves the following year. It followed a commando unit compromised of 5 American convicts given a chance at parole and having their records wiped clean if they serve on a suicide squad in World War II Europe. Consisting of a con man, a safe cracking mechanic, a demolition expert and a cat burglar, the Gorillas were led by 1st Lieutenant Craig Garrison, referred to as 'The Warden.' The cons knew that if they refused to serve in the most dangerous of missions behind enemy lines, the Gorillas won't be sent back to prison; they'd be executed by firing squad for desertion. 

As a tie-in to the 1968 live action series, Dell released a comic book adaptation that ran for 5 issues. 4 of the books featured art by Sam Glanzman including this sophomore effort. A Navy veteran aboard the USS Stevens during the second World War, Glanzman's war comics are notable among fans for it's extreme keenness to detail. The artist's renderings of the actors might not be that close to real life, but Glanzman's illustrations of military vehicles are second to only that of the manuals servicemen used to operate them!

There's two stories of behind the lines espionage in this issue. The first story has the Gorillas posing as crashed American airmen in an attempt to locate whose providing the Nazis with the plans of the Holland resistance. Story two takes place in occupied France with the commandos tasked to destroy a gigantic Nazi super cannon that travels via railroad.

Neither story is all that different from other war comics of the day. If the plots of the TV series are indicative of this issue, it's no wonder that the show only lasted for a 26 episode season. Ironically, Garrison's Gorillas would see a tremendous resurgence in 1980s China of all places. Reruns of the war drama were so popular, it's rumored that the Chinese government would schedule their meetings around times Garrison's Gorillas was due to air. While that story is probably just American propaganda or folklore, is it true that the Chinese government did award the series a public service award for being so popular that even criminals would stay home when it was on. No word on if any of the producers or stars of the show were ever presented with a tangible certificate of merit for the government honors.

With the abrupt cancellation of the series, whether all 5 members of Garrison's Gorillas made it to the end of World War II unscathed and earned their pardons has never been revealed. But if Garrison's Gorillas was to end similarly to that of The Dirty Dozen, you can be sure that at least one or two of these commandos earned their freedom.

Completing this review completes Task #4 (A Dell Comic based off a Live-Action TV Show) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Beverly Hillbillies #18

Getting a comic book adaptation of The Beverly Hillbillies has been on my wish list for a while. Finally over the winter break I was able to get a decent copy for a reasonable price. Yet somehow, this comic ended up in my REVIEW pile . It wasn't until yesterday that I realized I hadn't read this yet.

There are 4 stories in this issue. 3 star the Beverly Hillbillies. Story #1 has Granny feeling like she's got to get a job despite living in a mansion with all expenses paid. She takes a job as an ice cream man, thinking the work will be a piece of cake. However in true sitcom fashion, everything goes wrong on her first day.

Tale #2 has Jed hiring a pop art house decorator on the recommendation of Mrs. Drysdale. Of course, Granny hates the artist's aesthetic and will do everything in her power to keep her house the way it is.

The last Clampett story has Jethro head over heels in love with a department store sales clerk when he mistakes her salesmanship as romance.

The fourth and final story is about a character called 'The Shutterbug'. I've never heard of him. But I've found listings for this guy in a couple other Dell books. He's apparently this cub reporter who is sent on photo assignments, only to muck them up. In this story, Shutterbug is allowed to cover his first pro baseball game to disastrous effect.

The one page prose story, required for certain postage requirements, is about a truck driver that has a mishap while transporting a shipment of live chickens. I've read this story before. I wouldn't be surprised if Dell had a standard prose yarn that would be inserted into their entire line of books for the month. 

Unlike the Car 54, Where Are You? books that had great renderings of the stars of the show - but were swiped over and over, there's no sort of repetition in this book. None of the faces look like they were taken from promotional stills. But the characters look like who they are supposed to represent. Maybe that's because all 4 of the Clampetts wore costumes that never really changed. When Granny is acting as the ice cream seller in this book, you can tell it's her, not because she looks like Irene Ryan, but because the artist has Granny still wearing her patchwork dress underneath her uniform.

Mrs. Drysdale looks like a generic person. Not Harriet MacGibbon. I don't know who's escorting her to the Clampetts big unveiling of their newly redecorated mansion. But it sure isn't investment banker Mr. Drysdale. The guy on her arm doesn't even have a mustache! 

And where's Ms. Hathaway, Drysdale s ever faithful assistant? Surely, she would have been invited to that fete! If only to occupy the yokels when they got on Drydale's nerves.

The stories were entertaining. While formulaic, they're not rocket science. I've wanted an issue of the series for a long time and this was worth the wait. A great addition for a fan of classic TV like myself. I just don't see the average fan of comics seeking books like this anymore and that might be why I got a good deal on it.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Brain Boy #6 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Matt Price is a young man with a miraculous ability. His highly advanced brain allows him tremendous mental powers including levitating, telepathy and the ability to control others minds. However, Matt's talents will face their most difficult tests when he takes a much needed vacation in the Canadian wilderness.

Code-named Brain Boy by the secret government agency that he works for, Matt's abilities were the result of an accident that happened while he was still in the womb. An electrical tower collapsed on the vehicle carrying his parents. The blast killed Matt's father while transferring energy into his mother. That massive power surge accelerated the prenatal Matt's cerebral cortex, turning him into one of the most powerful psychics ever known.

On his vacation in the Great White North, Matt arrives at a small fishing town where small town life is anything but normal. Most of the townsfolk appear to be in a daze. The two young children that Matt can get to talk to him keep inviting him to take a swim in the community swimming hole. But instead of crystal clear water, the lake has a sickly green hued to it.

When Matt arrives at the lodge he is to vacation at, he meets a man that while arrogant and brash, is the complete opposite of the zombified citizenry. That all changes when the man is persuaded to take a dip in the lake and he emerges from the waters an empty shell of himself.

Now Matt finds himself on the run as the last visitor to the community that hasn't swum in the mysterious lake. With his psychic abilities not working against the community, Matt will have to use his intelligence to find the secret of the lake's bizarre mind altering properties or he'll become the next victim of the mysterious reservoir!

Brain Boy debuted in the pages of Four Color Comics #1330 (March, 1962). Co-created by Herb Kastle, and Gil Kane, the next adventure of Matt Price was Brain Boy #2. His self-titled series concluded with this, the 6th issue. Brian Boy would make a cameo appearance in Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen universe before being revived in a brief 2013 series released by Dark Horse Comics.

'The Mindless Ones' was written by Kastle. The story which elicits fears of who can you really trust has elements of the classic sci-fi thrillers Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Village of the Damned. Adding to the chilling tone of this issue is a one-page prose story titled 'The Devil Worshiper' and a 4-page backup feature starring the white Tibetan trained mystic; the Strange Mr. Ozymandias. 'Devil's Acres' was crafted by Frank Springer, who was also the regular artist on the Brain Boy spin-off from Dell Comics.

Painted cover by Vic Prezio.

Completing this review completes Task #2 (Comic From the Silver Age (1956-1970) ) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Ghost Stories #19

I've had this 1967 comic book for several years now. I keep forgetting I have it until after Halloween. Thankfully, someone from a Dell FB group that I am a member of posted a pic of their copy recently. That photo jogged my memory and made 2023 the Halloween season I finally gave this book a read. 

This anthology contains 4 stories.

• A man on a subway car misses his stop. When he gets off in up-state Connecticut, he finds himself a man out of time, with everyone ignoring him.
• A trio of distant relatives scheme to do away with their wealthy uncle. His frequent talks with his deceased wife might be the foothold the family needs to have the man committed. Or maybe he really is communicating with his late wife...
• A treasure hunter who has just stolen a valuable idol runs afoul of the African tribesmen that he robbed.
• In the cover story, an astronaut is swept off course and faces spending the rest of his life lost in space. However, hope unexpectedly comes when another space capsule suddenly appears in the vessel's porthole. 

The last 3 stories each involve ghosts. I'm not so sure about that first tale. Maybe the man becomes a spirit when he misses his train stop. I'm just not sure. It definitely feels like it could be something from the Twilight Zone or other similar horror anthologies from 1960s TV and I liked that story very much. I just debate that the story was a legitimate ghost tale.

As for the real ghost stories, I wasn't such a fan of the story involving the treasure hunter. Maybe it's because the main characters are unlikable and so I wasn't upset at all when they met supernatural justice. I liked the story about the 3 gold digging relatives. It had lots of great twists and I thought the demise of those despicable family members was rather gruesome for late 1960s comics. 

The space story was a reflection of the times. 1967 was smack dab in the middle of the Space Race. An astronaut becoming stranded in space and floating for eternity in a space capsule coffin was a very real possibility. (If you believe some historians, a pair of cosmonauts actually are orbiting around our solar system due to a similar miscalculation.) I thought the story was thrilling and the ending was telegraphed, but it wasn't scary at all.

A good read with a mix of stories, one of which I do believe fits the theme of the comic. And it was the best of the 4 tales! But very high quality for the time period.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Get Smart #7 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Get Smart was a comedic satire and parody of the secret agent movies and TV series that dominated the 1960s. Created by the dream team duo of Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, Get Smart aired on NBC from 1965-70. 

The title character of Maxwell Smart was played by comedian Don Adams, then known by legions of kiddos as the voice of Tennessee Tuxedo. Smart was an agent of the good guys CONTROL. Designated as Agent 86, Smart was considered the agencies top agent. Though he was an incompetent boob.

The real brains of CONTROL was Agent 99. The sultry partner of Maxwell Smart was played by Barbara Feldon and it was 99 who got Smart out of a lot of the scrapes that he often found himself in. Dumb luck is what got Agent 86 out of the rest of his predicaments.

Throughout much of the series, there was a definite will they/won't they romantic vibe between 86 and 99. This is large part to Smart being oblivious to Agent 99's advances. The pair finally became husband and wife during the show's fourth season.

The baddies of the show were the evil agents of KAOS. Smart matched wits with an assortment of villains. But Max's main arch-enemy was Siegfried. Played by future Love Boat crew member Bernie Kopell, Siegfried was a top operative whose position in KAOS was always changing; often due to losing out to Max and the agents of CONTROL.

As with many sitcoms of the 1960s, Get Smart was made into a comic book tie-in. Dell  Comics produced a total of 8 issues from 1966-67. Some legendary names worked on the early issues of the comic. Steve Ditko, Sal Trapani and Dick Giordano are attributed as having worked on some of first 4 issues. Unfortunately, for this issue, #7, I can't find any sources stating who was behind the scripts nor artwork.

There are 3 stories in this issue. The first adventure takes Max to Egypt where he is tasked in preventing KAOS from getting their hands on an ancient scroll. While it's never revealed just what is so important about this parchment, the ending gag is that Max discovers the phrase 'Made in Japan' on the artifact.

Story #2 has Agents 86 and 99 going down into the briny deep to investigate the operations of a KAOS submarine. However, the mission takes a high flying turn when an airplane removing buoys from the ocean accidentally snag the bathysphere containing the two CONTROL agents!

Lastly, 86 and 99 infiltrate KAOS headquarters as a married pair of recruits. Only 99 is wearing a mustache and Max is in drag! 

Dell's adaptation captures the zany spirit of Get Smart very well. Likenesses of Don Adams and Edward Platt, who played the Chief of CONTROL operations were very good. The oddest thing about this issue was that all 3 stories were titled as 'The _____ Caper'. This is clearly a parody of how all of the episodes for the quasi- comedic spy series The Man From UNCLE which would title all of its episodes as 'The ________ Affair.' A quick search through IMDB.com and one will note that this wasn't the style of Get Smart at all. Definitely, the brilliant satiric idea from one of the Dell Comics creative team.

1970 would not mark the end of Maxwell Smart. He would return alone in a maligned 1980 feature film called The Nude Bomb (AKA- The Return of Maxwell Smart.) Despite the film being a failure, Don Adams would frequently be cast as Agent 86 in a number of commercials including ones for K-Mart and Toyota New Zealand. Barbara Feldon, Bernie Kopell and several other regulars from the TV series would return for a 1989 made-for-TV movie titled Get Smart, Again! Its relative success sparked a minor revival in the franchise with a short-lived 1995 Get Smart revival on Fox that starred Andy Dick as Max's son. 

And of course, there's the fan theory that beloved animated character, the bumbling Inspector Gadget is in reality Maxwell Smart having been converted into a cyborg. Though Gadget is voiced by Don Adams, it's only a theory. But the parallels of ineptitude between the two characters is unquestioned. 

Worth Consuming! 

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #4 (Based Off a Live-Action TV Show) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Dell Four Color #1245- The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The world's greatest detective returns in a pair of cases in this 1961 edition of Dell Four Color. First Holmes and Watson tackle the case of 'The Derelict Ship'. Inspired by the mystery of the Mary Celeste, a desperate man employs the sleuth to uncover the whereabouts of the gentleman's missing crew and its load of contents. After a 2-page short in which Holmes schools Inspector Lestrande on a case involving a early morning break-in and trio of suspects, the private eye goes face-to-face with the Napoleon of Crime, Professor Moriarty! A single-page article in the inside back cover of the book that details the methods of deduction Holmes would have used during the Victorian Era close out this issue. 

This was the second issue in less than a year that Dell would publish of all-new mysteries involving Holmes and Watson. Unfortunately, this issue, #1245, would be the last time Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most beloved characters would grace the voluminous Dell Four Color series. The fan-favorite series stopped publication with issue #1354 in the Summer of 1962 after Dell's publishing agreement with Western Publishing came to an end.

The two main stories have been attributed to Paul S. Newman. One of Newman's most enduring claims to fame was as writer for the series Turok, Son of Stone. The writer crafted stories of the time displaced Native American warrior for an impressive 26-years. Paul S. Newman would later be credited in the Guinness Book of World Records as the 'World's most prolific comic-book writer' with over 36,000 pages of published work to his credit. 

The cover of this issue, along with Holmes' 1961 Dell debut, were painted by George Wilson; a prolific artist for both Dell, Gold Key and later Whitman. Wilson's beloved works included covers of comic book adaptations of popular 60's TV shows such as The Twilight Zone and Star Trek. 

Though interior art credits were not assigned in this book, a couple of websites claim to know who did the artwork. Mycomicshop.com, for instance, cites Bob Fujitani as the main artist. Fujitani must have really enjoyed working with Paul S. Newman on this project as the pair, along with editor Matt Murphy, would eventually co-create the sci-fi character Doctor Solar for Western's new comic imprint, Gold Key. 

None of these stories were adaptations of works by Sir Arthur. Though a radio series of the same name ran on the ABC radio network for over a dozen years decades prior, a quick rundown of the complete series shows that these whodunits are not from that mystery drama either. The content of this book was truly New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #22 (A Mystery) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Dell Giants #28 (Bugs Bunny's Winter Fun)

I'm not really sure when and where I picked up this frosty read. According to my records, I paid 50 cents for it. So I must have gotten it at a con or comic shop sale. Based on the cover, I had filed this 1960 comic in with my holiday books. But I may need to rethink that now.

There are about a dozen stories in this book. You'll have to forgive me for not being all that accurate. The cover was hanging on by a single staple and some prayer. I've already re-bagged this book and don't want to risk further damage by taking this 62 year old comic book back out for a looksie. 

The majority of the stories are set during winter time. Some examples include Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam taking a wrong turn at Albuquerque and winding up at an ice festival in the Alps. Porky Pig plays intermediary between Jack Frost and Old Man Winter trying to outdo each other. Daffy and Elmer Fudd conduct some Looney Tunes level shenanigans when Elmer refuses to let the duck into his warm and cozy cottage. The story between Tweety Bird and Sylvester as well as Foghorn Leghorn and plucky Henery Hawk's adventure seem awfully familiar to me. I swear that I've seen animated versions of both those stories as a kid!

There's also some characters that I am just not all that familiar with and most of those episodes are the ones that do not occur during winter. A little girl named Suzanne, who appeared only once in a 1955 Fritz Freleng short starring Sylvester the Cat, visits a sick friend. A tiny mouse named Sniffles and his human friend, Mary Jane, help a tired gopher find a safe place to hibernate. Finally, readers are taken South of the Border to meet the family of Little Pancho Vanilla. 

That story is full of stereotypes. However, it's nothing compared to how the character appeared in the sole 1938 Merrie Melodies short that bears his name. And if you thought the portrayal of Speedy Gonzales and his lazy mouse friends were bad, try reading a similar story drawn with human characters.

This Dell Giant also contains a character that I've grown-up with all my life but never encountered a story starting them until now. Porky's forgotten girlfriend Petunia Pig was on not one but two Pepsi glasses. Both were said to be my Grandmama's favorite glasses in the series as she was a fan of the character. I now own those very glasses and cherish them. Yet it's only in the Porky Pig/Jack Frost/Old Man Winter story that I've finally come across a story starring Petunia! (It's taken 45 years, folks!)

The unofficial title to this comic doesn't lie. 3/4 of this issue is full of winter fun. Since Pancho Vanilla lives closer to the equator and his story involves rain, that tale very well could occur in Mexico's winter season. I just don't know. The reason I put this book in holiday was that I hoped it might have a couple of Christmas themed stories inside. Only, I knew how fragile this book was and didn't want to damage it until I was ready to read to find out for sure.

I was originally gonna to read this for my 2022 Christmas reads. But after that first story, I realized that this wasn't as such. So I kept this out until after the holidays. It was a fun read; though a story or two is a bit racist in its caricature. As for where to file this book, I'm assuming it's now going to get categorized as a 'Kids Cartoon, Non-DC/Marvel'. I'll probably file it under letter D for Dell Giant in my long boxes. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

John Wayne Movie Comics (Gwandanaland Comics #133)

Gwandanaland Comics presents a quartet of John Wayne movie adaptations that have lingered in the public domain. From the legendary Dell 4 Color series, these books have never been reprinted nor collected before. And since Dell and in the case of 2 of the films, the production companies don't exist anymore, you probably will never see these comics reissued.

First up is 1956's The Conqueror. Here, a very American John Wayne is portraying mighty Mongol Genghis Khan. Actually, there's no Genghis Khan. The film begins with the historical figure as just your everyday tribal chief named Temujin. Bent on revenge at the death of his father, Temujin seeks assistance from fellow tribal ally Wang Khan against the Tartars. But treachery is afoot as the Khan's shaman is scheming to overthrow his great leader in hopes of arising from the ashes of total war. 

Clearly, Temujin would run afoul of this plan. But the daughter of Tartar's chief has stolen his heart. The New York Times called this film an 'Oriental Western.' I call it schmaltz. Very uneven story and it's just weird trying to imagine all of the characters as Asia when they're all played by white Hollywood actors. 

Rating- 4 out of 10 stars.

Next up was an adaptation of 1959's Horse Soldiers. I reviewed this film separately as part of my 2022 reading challenge. It has John Wayne as a Union Soldier on a mission into deep Southern territory to ransack a supply depot and to destroy the railroad. William Holden and tennis legend Althea Gibson co-starred. 

A thrilling adventure that was also a bit uneven. The opening scene is about 18 pages long. The climatic final battle clocks in at just 2. But the story is nowhere as melodramatic as The Conqueror.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Then we have the western comedy North To Alaska. Wayne plays a prospector who goes into Seattle for supplies and to pick up his partner's fiance while the lover builds a honeymoon cottage on their claim. Well, fiancee decided that 2 years was too long to wait and went and got herself hitched to some other dude. 

So Wayne's character returns with another gal, a saloon hostess in hopes that she'll fall in love with the guy staying in Alaska. But she's in love with Big John. Meanwhile, claim jumpers are causing trouble all over the town. The Union had gotten involved and commandeered everybody's property. But like they say 'Hell Hath No Fury Like a John Wayne Scorned!'

Legendary comic and late night pioneer Ernie Kovacs played one of the swindlers. I'm a big fan of his and though this book is missing his wit and wry sense of humor, I really enjoyed this gold fever farce. I think I might actually seek this out if the movie ever hits AMC or TCM.

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

1961's Comancheros is the featured adaptation on the cover. This is the book that really captured my interest. Sadly, it's the weakest of all the books. It's not Dell's fault though. 

The first half of the story has John Wayne playing a Texas Ranger who keeps getting the slip from a Louisianan card sharp on the lame for killing a man in a duel. That part is really good. But when the ranger and the rogue join forces to infiltrate gun runners to the violent Comanches, things get confusing. There's double-crosses. Wayne going undercover as one of the black marketeers just doesn't make sense because I feel that the guy who is his contact should have known who he said he was wasn't the guy. Plus, the whole dynamic of the family of gun runners that John Wayne finally meets is just off. Really, nothing made sense.

I've grown over the years to appreciate the films my dad and grandpa used to watch together. But if this was the first Western I'd give a try to, I wouldn't have the new found fondness. I'd stick with my original opinion as a tyke- Boring and jumbled!

Rating: 2 out of 10 stars.

The collection itself was a Gawndanaland Comics triumph. The images were colorful and crisp. Great color printing. I loved it. The subject mater varied in quality. Some of it is uneven and I put that blame on Dell for focusing too much on unimportant parts of films. Some of it is clumsy. I put that blame on the movies for not being all that well made. John Wayne might be an American icon much like Joe DiMaggio. But DiMaggio only batted .325. 

Face it- some of these films were duds.

Rating of the quality of the volume: 10 of 10 stars.

Overall Rating: Worth Consuming
Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Four Color #1048- The Horse Soldiers (2022 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

John Wayne. One of the top box office draws from the 1940s-60s, Wayne starred in over 170 movies in a career that spanned roughly 50 years. Though his star started to wane in the 1970s, Wayne earned an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for 1969's True Grit.  

In 1959, during the pinnacle of his career, John Wayne starred in a Civil War picture titled The Horse Soldiers. Wayne played Col. John Marlowe, a Union solider sent deep behind enemy lines to destroy a train depot and it's supply train. With Col. Marlowe is regimental surgeon Major Henry Kendall. As Marlowe's wife died during surgery, the Colonel is resentful of doctors. But he understands that will Kendall around, many of his troops will survive this mission. 

Joining the troops on the mission is Miss Hannah Hunter. Normally a Southern Belle wouldn't be a part of a union secret mission. But since Hunter and her servant Lukey know of the Union's agenda, they're both along for the ride until it's mission accomplished.

The Horse Soldiers was directed by John Ford, a frequent Wayne collaborator. Based on same name novel by Harold Sinclair, the film was distributed by United Artists. Though number one at the box office, The Horse Soldiers has been regarded as a Hollywood failure. That's because the $4 million dollar box office was not enough to recoup the high salaries of both Wayne and costar William Holden (Stalag 17).

One surprise name attached to the film is that of Althea Gibson. A professional golfer and tennis player, Gibson was the first black woman to win a grand slam title when she won the French Championships in 1956. Wimbledon and the US Nationals were won in '57. Gibson repeated those two titles the following year. The Horse Soldiers was Gibson's only film credit. While her role as Lukey did not garner her any award nods, she was praised for her refusal to say her lines in ' the stereotypical 'negro' dialect written in the script.'

The Horse Soldiers was released as part of Dell's Four-Color Series, issue #1048. The script was written by Gaylord Du Bois (Turok, Son of Stone). Wonder Woman's Mike Sekowsky penciled. The cover artwork was taken from the theatrical poster. This was not the only movie tie-in released by Dell. They also reissued the complete Harold Sinclair novel (Dell F76) with a completely different painted cover that seems to show John Wayne's character atop a steed.

Having never seen this film, I don't know how accurate the adaptation is to the film. However, I can say that the ending seems rushed. The story plot is summarized with production stills in the front inner cover. Yet, some of that introductory material is omitted from the comic itself, primarily General Grant giving his orders to Col. Marlowe. The inner back cover is utilized to finish out the story which sees Marlowe and Kendall parting ways. The artwork seems to resemble Wayne fairly well. But I couldn't pick the other actors out of a lineup; much less really telling if Sekowsky captured the likenesses of Holden, Gibson and the rest. 

Overall, an entertaining story. Good art. But the plotting seemed uneven. The opening scene seems to take over 1/3 of book's roughly 64 pages. The climatic final battle- less than 2!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #25 (Set in the 1800s) of the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Car 54, Where Are You? (Gwandanaland Comics #648- The Complete 7-Issue Series)

I know that when I say that I'm a big fan of something it probably sounds trite because I like a lot of things. But when I say that I am a big fan of Car 54, Where Are You?, I'm not lying. 

In the very early 90s, Nick At Nite used to air the series in rerun. I used to stay up late on weekends and during the Summer with my mom watching marathons; laughing my butt off! The show which only ran for 2 seasons, from 1961-1963, starred Joe E. Ross (It's About Time) and Fred Gwynne (TV's Herman Munster) as Big Apple beat officers Toody and Muldoon. Toody is kind of a schlub, having never earned a medal or commendation in his surprisingly long career. Muldoon is a mama's boy, living with his two sisters while eternally swearing off the prospect of marriage.

My favorite episode of the series is titled 'White Elephant.' A gang of criminals have rented an abandoned greasy spoon in hopes of breaking through into the bank vault that sits on the opposite side of the wall. Toody feels bad that 'such nice people' are stuck with such a crummy eatery. So he gets his fellow police cronies to help fix up the place. As hard as they try to fail, the gangsters give up their life of crime and end up becoming successful caterers. 

As the episode ends, an elderly couple has rented the dump next door to the caterers. It's their plan to rip through their wall and break into the safe of the caterers next door. But with the arrival of Toody and Muldoon, those plans are squashed. It appears the elderly crooks are going into the stamp collecting business!

'White Elephant' is the measuring stick to which I judged the 7 issues of the Dell Comics adaptation of Car 54. I even went as far to re-watch that classic episode just to make sure it held up. And what do you know? I laughed so freaking hard. It was great! Even more so when I learned that legendary boxer Jake LaMotta, the real life inspiration for Scorsese' Raging Bull was playing one of the gangster!

The writing of the stories were top notch! One issue has Toody and Muldoon at odds with each other to the point of requesting a transfer! Another has the boys assigned to truancy beat. While on patrol, they keep running into a young lad who in reality is a baby-faced crime lord. Toody's chance to earn a police medal and the issue where the cops of the 53rd Precinct get starry-eyed and ruin a movie shoot were such perfect stories, I wouldn't be surprised if either story were actual plots written by the series writers of my favorite episode. 

Not every issue was perfect. The story where everybody confuses a chimp in a police uniform for Toody was down right goofy. I don't even think the yarn where a cowboy and his pack of Indian colleagues accidentally rob a furniture as way to repay Toody, would be allowed on airwaves today. I could see Netflix or Hulu having to pull this one after complaints of Native American stereotypes or something of the sort.

My biggest complaint has got to be the artwork. The images of Toody and Muldoon are great renderings of Ross and Gwynne. But those are the only two characters who look like their real life counterparts. Al Lewis, who would go on to immortality as Grandpa Munster, played Officer Leo Schnauser. In real life, Lewis had a sharp nose, round face and widow's peak. Yet in these comics, Schnauser looks more like a portly Don Knotts!

Going back to the illustrations of Toody and Muldoon. They get repetitive. I think that the artists were tasked to draw about 25 images of the actor's faces in different poses. Then those sketches were superimposed over and over and over in every issue. I first thought 'Wow! Whomever drew these did an amazing job making great renderings.' But I quickly realized that these was the same drawings as the positioning of the character's heads didn't quite match with the bodies.

If I had only read 1 or 2 issues, I probably wouldn't have noticed. But having read them all in just a couple of days, I noticed. I felt a little gypped. I also understand that publishers like Dell had to fight ways to cut costs in order to compete with DC and up-and-coming Marvel. 

Nits aside, I loved all 7 issues. It was fun getting to see old friends. It's even inspired me to watch all of the episodes of Car 54 again. Feel good reads for sure- if you can find them!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #49 of the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge. 'That Makes You Smile.'

Hogan's Heroes #3 (2022 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Challenge)

In the waning days of World War II, the P-47 Thunderbolt flown by my wife's grandfather was shot down. He parachuted behind enemy lines and wound up in a Nazi POW camp. Russian ground forces were breaking though Germany from the East. As the Russians treated captured Nazis a lot more harshly than other Allied forces, a guard used hand gestures and scribbles in the dirt to orchestrate a prison break with granddad. 

While behind enemy lines, the German solider held a Luger on my wife's grandparent. Any time they met other Axis troops, the guard make show of having caught an American. Once they got into Allied territory, the guard handed over the Luger and became the prisoner of an American pilot. Eventually they both made it to a base to which as the two parted ways, the German solider saluted before surrendering his credentials and gun to his co-conspirator. The two were never to meet again.

I tell this story because I often joke to my wife that her grandfather was the inspiration for the World War II sitcom Hogan's Heroes. Though to be honest, there's a episode of M*A*S*H* that follows my in-law's plight a lot more closer. But if you ever saw pictures of my wife's grandfather in his uniform, he looked a heck of a lot like Col. Hogan.

Hogan's Heroes aired on CBS for six seasons from 1965-71. It starred Robert Crane as Col. Robert Hogan. The pilot along with the rest of the POWs of Stalag 13 very well could leave the prison camp at any time as the guards and it's commandant, Col. Klink, are incompetent boobs. But in secret, the soldiers have been ordered to remain behind bars, secretly working to sabotage the Axis forces with a hidden radio, vast system of tunnels and contacts with the German and French resistance. 

Klink knows that Hogan and his men are behind the string of catastrophes that besiege the Nazis. But with his perfect record of no recorded official escapes, Klink survives being transferred to the dreaded Russian front. Klink's main prison guard, the portly Sgt. Schultz also keeps a blind eye as long as whatever Hogan does won't get him into trouble. 

The argument that secretly Klink and Schultz were working for the Allies in order to save their own necks seems to be confirmed in this issue. For one, Klink acknowledges on several occasions that he knows Hogan has a secret radio and other spy devices. Yet he does very little to uncover it. Klink also doesn't seem very upset that Hogan's men have brought in several goats onto the compound. The same goes for Schultz, who permits the farm animals as long as he gets a share of fresh milk every day.

The goats are just a goofy prop for the rest of this issue's plot. A noted German spy has decided to use Stalag 13 as her headquarters while she plans a secret mission. Hogan is tasked with learning the names of her spy ring. The list is in her head and things get tricky when one of the goats causes the intelligence coordinator to get injured. Now with amnesia, Hogan must play the part of a German doctor to help the enemy regain her memories and save the Allies from a forthcoming Nazi invasion. All the while, Klink's uniform is falling to pieces thanks to those hungry goats.

Hogan's Heroes managed to do something that really nobody has been able to do before or after- make Nazis funny and fan-favorite. I've heard many fans of the show express their love for Schultz in particular. Schultz was played by Austrian born American actor John Banner. Banner, also a Jew, lost a lot of his family to the Nazis. The actor would often claim that Sgt. Schutz was not a Nazi but instead a good German who got forced into fighting a war that he was not in support of. So maybe Schultz really was secretly on the side of the Allies.

It has long been a goal of mine to own a copy of Hogan's Heroes. My dad had a coverless copy that I would pour over whenever he would bring out his comic book collection. If I'm not mistaken, this was the issue he had! 

Part of Dell Comics' fabled line of comics based on licensed properties, Hogan's Heroes ran sporadically for 9 issues from 1966-69. The likenesses of many of the actors is pretty decent. Sadly, the images of Cpl. Newkirk, played by future game show legend Richard Dawson looks nothing like him. But I really thought French resistance member LeBeau and Schultz were literally going to jump off the page; they're so lifelike. 

Before I go, why don't I bring you up to date on my 'real life' inspirations for Hogan's Heroes. Ernest Useted, Sr. returned home to Connecticut and married high-school sweetheart Helen. They had several children before relocating to St. Louis. Ernie passed away in the late 90s before I had a chance to meet his eldest grandchild, Jan.

As for the German solider, I know a little about him. After Helen passed away, I had a chance to inspect the Luger and credentials first hand. With a degree in history, I was able to utilize a few websites. I learned that after the war, the guard was interned in Oklahoma and then Nebraska. A number of low-level German POWS were kept in the US up to around 1947 as investigations were made into each prisoners war crimes backgrounds. 

In 1946, the former Nazi known as Schmiddt, was granted work release parole and worked in a Nebraskan grocery store with several other prisoners. One resident recalls that the Germans were' very quiet and polite. A couple went on to marry local girls.' 

By the fall of '46, Schmiddt was released and quietly disappeared. He probably stayed in the US as former records of the POWs would have recorded if the parolees returned back to Germany. A number of former Nazi soldiers changed names without going through official channels after their release to further distance from their Axis past selves and it's possible Schmiddt did too. It's just another one of history's mysteries I guess.

Hogan's Heroes will forever be tied into the war from which it came. Though Ernie and Schmiddt's backstory probably had nothing to do with the show, their story of their escape in World War II will forever be linked to the show in my eyes. And the comic book of course is yet another link to it. That's the beauty of personal histories. They have unusual pathways!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #12 of the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge. 'More than 20 years old.'