Droopy #1

From 1995, Dark Horse Comics gave tribute to the legendary cartoon creator Tex Avery! To do that Dark Horse presented a 3-issue miniseries starring the sad sack pooch, Droopy.

The main story is a parody of Universal's Frankenstein, Dr. Droopy has created a mighty monster as a companion for his creation known as 'The Beauty'. Unfortunately, the behemoth doesn't work because it doesn't have a brain. But where can a mad scientist find a brain in the dead of night? Thankfully, a weary traveler has just knocked on the door looking for dry clothes and a phone!

The backup story stars a character called Screwball Squirrel. In his yarn, he's decided to befriend a fellow passenger on a train. Sadly for the traveler, Screwball Squirrel is the world's worst best friend!

I wasn't familiar with Screwball Squirrel. But I love Droopy. He always manages to make me laugh with his wah-wah voice and funny little waddle. And no matter what, he just always comes out on top. But in the numerous shorts I've seen Droopy in, he was always the hero. Technically, as a mad scientist, Droopy is the villain.

Though not taking place during Halloween, I counted this as part of my holiday reads because of the other 2 books in the series. Issue #2 is a Thanksgiving set adventure and #3 is Christmas. I happened to get all 3 issues earlier this year just to read them for the 2024 holidays. So expect to see Droopy and friends again real soon.

With an essay on his short stint working with Tex Avery, Scott Shaw! gives readers a glimpse at a forgotten part of the animation legends time at Hanna-Barbera during the twilight years of Avery's life and career. It's an interesting read that proves Shaw! is a gifted storyteller. I'd love to read an autobiography of his 50 plus years in television and comics.

Lots of fun! Though I would have liked 2 Droopy stories instead of the very hyper Screwball Squirrel story that frankly tired me out a little bit.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Shelly Frankenstein!, Book One: Cowpiggy (Family Comic Friday)

Shelley Frankenstein wants to be a mad scientist just like her great-great grandfather, the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein! Along with her brother Iggy, Shelley conducts experiments on her stuffed animals in hopes of creating the most terrifying toy ever. Only each one of her creations is more adorable and cuter than the next. Finally, when Shelley crafts her latest, greatest creation, the Cowpiggy, the fanfare is just too much and the budding scientist takes her frustrations out on the little monster. 

Saddened and feeling rejected, Cowpiggy runs away. Luckily, Shelley realizes that she's been too harsh on her new creature and goes off looking for the toy. Only there's a massive blizzard on the horizon and neither Shelley Frankenstein nor Cowpiggy are properly equipped to survive the coming frigid conditions. 

This book was so charming. It's got so many tributes and nods to the Mary Shelley classic in which this graphic novel is not just based upon, but set firmly in the Frankenstein family universe. There's Frank and his bride. Even a wolfman! Even villagers. But they're all so gosh darn cute! 

I really felt like this book has the makings of a great new series for readers aged 8-12. While there isn't any indication in this graphic novel that Cowpiggy is the opening edition for a series, Amazon and other book sellers list this as Book One! That's just awesome as this was such a fun read. I'm just racking my brain to see where this book can go from here. Not only does this series have Mary Shelley's creation to draw inspiration from; perhaps the Universal Monsters could be involved somehow. We already have the wolfman. Maybe introducing the Invisible Man or Gill Man. Could we see the Mummy?

The artwork, along with the story itself has touches of Tim Burton in terms of the gothic theme. But the characters are just so cute. This was a fantastic work by children lit veteran Colleen Madden. There are monsters and creepy elements, but nothing scary... nothing evil. Parents and guardians will delight at this family friendly reading to kick off the Halloween reading season! Only beware! By the time the young reader in your life is finished with this book, they're going to want a Cowpiggy stuffed animal of their own! I know I want one!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

The 25 Baubles of Pop Culture! Advent 2022 Day 8

No. You haven't gone back in time! The calendar is right. It's December 8th.  I know that this might sound oxy-moronic but there actually are Christmas ornaments based on the classic monsters of Universal Horror. Let's take a quick look at a few...

You can depend on Christopher Radko to have an official line of blown glass ornaments based on the Universal Monsters. This set of 6 includes Frankenstein and his Bride, Dracula, The Wolfman, Gill Man and the Mummy. Being blown glass, I am sure it is down right impossible to get the likenesses just right. Yet, I think the Mummy looks just like Boris Karloff did in the 1932 film.

For some really quality looking likenesses, look no further than at Oriental Trading Company. They've got several officially licensed mini-busts ornaments that appear that straight from the movie! My favorites are of Claude Rains' Invisible Man and Lon Chaney's Phantom of the opera.

It seems that I can't do an Advent post about holiday ornaments without making a small trip through Hallmark village. In 2014, the greeting card company released a bauble in honor of 1931's Frankenstein that was designed for your tree. It's a beautiful rendering of Boris Karloff, if such a thing can be classified as such.

On the Etsy route, I just couldn't believe my eyes with this handmade ornament crafted by the seller LTCPinball. I first thought it was actually made by Bally. Second, I could not believe that this was not officially licensed stuff. It's museum quality!

While the pinball ornament is fantastic, it's also a bit pricey. On the more affordable route, seller HomemadeHorrorStore has a set of handcrafted ceramic ornaments based on the Universal monsters. The seller also has modern monsters. But it's the old school characters that capture my eye like the Bride of Frankenstein.

Lastly, I want to pay tribute to the late night horror hosts. Though these guys (and occasion gal) weren't officially licensed by Universal Studios, if not for them reminding the next generation of movie buffs of these creatures of the night, characters such as the Mummy and the Creature from the Black Lagoon might be lost to time. In honor of these hosts being the keepers of the flame, I want to honor my favorite of the bunch, MeTV's Svengoolie. Here's a handmade trinket in which its shape could also pay tribute to Hanukkah. 

Decades: Marvel in the 70s- Legion of Monsters

Many collections of classic Marvel materials are omnibuses that capture a complete run of stories starring a certain character or a specific genre. That's not the case with Marvel's Decades books. They are instead snapshots of the time period. In this case, the coming of Marvel horror. 

Sometimes the stories featured are well-known legends, like that of Johnny Blaze and his deal with the devil that curses him to become the Ghost Rider. 

Other episodes are rarities, like the coming of an alien creature called the Manphibian, a gill-man arch-type who is on the hunt for the killer of his lover. 

Then there's those established characters who see new life in the pages of horror anthologies. Frankenstein's Monster and Count Dracula continue to roam the night looking for victims, sometimes running afoul of Marvel superstars such as Morbius, the living Vampire and the hybrid vampire hunter, Blade.

Several of Marvel's rarest horror mags are reprinted in this collection along with some great issues of Marvel's one-shot series Marvel Spot-Light and Marvel Premiere. As a fan of several comic book and horror fan groups on Facebook, I am aware of the Legion of Monsters popularity with horror comic fans. What I was not aware of was how much poor faith the House of Ideas had in the title. It only lasted 1 issue with 2 classic but ill-fated attempts to revive the idea. Legion of Monsters may not have been on store shelves for long, but with collectors such as me, they last forever in our hearts. 

A collection such as this is such a mixed-bag. There's some classics and there are some stinkers. But what I love so much about this series is how it's both a grab bag and time capsule. Maybe a little bit more commentary would have been appreciated. But I quite enjoyed it warts and all.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Frankenstein Mobster #0

   Yesterday, I reviewed a more traditional approach to the Frankenstein Monster created by Mary Shelley. Well, for today's review, I went with a more radical approach to the character...
  
    The Frankenstein Mobster!

   In an unnamed town, there's a neighborhood made up of immigrants from Asian, Europe, and the Middle East. But these aren't your usual 'tired, poor, huddled masses.' No, these residents of Dead End are comprised of vampires, werewolves, witches, and ghouls. 
    On a dark and stormy night, a young woman stumbles upon a taxi cab being carjacked. But in a twist, the woman is actually a cop and the daughter of the toughest cop to patrol the city. Enter Terri Todd, a legacy in high heels and just hours before her first day as a the city's newest detective, the crime fighter is on the case of a missing mummy girl. With the help of medusa prostitutes, fortune tellers, and the undead, Terri Todd brings hope to a forgotten section of the city that has become a target of corrupt politicians, cops, and underworld thugs (both figuratively and literally.)
    
    I actually liked this opening chapter created by Mark Wheatley (Doctor Cyborg.) It's kinda like the Goon but in reverse as the humans seem to be the villains to the downtrodden monsters of Dead End. The story was really good and the art was amazing (with a great variant cover by Adam Hughes.) There was only 1 thing- the Frankenstein Mobster!
    Though the character is featured prominently on both covers, only parts of his body being sewn by an undisclosed and presumably mad scientist are shown. I have a feeling that Frankenstein is being created as the answer to Dead End's prayers for relief from those who seek to exploit the borough. Somehow, Terri Todd will eventually team with the monster playing good cop to his bad.
    I found this comic in a quarter bin in Asheville, NC. It was the only issue of the series from 2004 that ran for a total of 8 issues. Though this issue had a satisfying ending, I am clamoring for the next 7 issues! This series was that good!
    Fun, funny, spooky, thrilling, and very refreshing, the Frankenstein Mobster breathes new life into a timeless legend.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
   
    

Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus

   Tonight's Halloween themed comic is a from a grab bag. (I know, but I just love grab bags.) This 1994 one-shot by Caliber Press seeks to recount the terrifying events of Mary Shelley's original novel without any of the trappings of Hollywood. I had to read Frankenstein for a college course years ago. While I do not remember that book verbatim, I would have to say that the editors and writer, Eric Johnson, of this comic did a pretty good job at that goal. One thing I feel that they failed at was the art.
    First of all, the painted cover by Vincent Locke was fantastic. There's actually an ad in the back of the comic for an autograph lithograph of the cover image and if it wasn't 22 years old, I'd actually try to send away for one. But the interior art wasn't so great.
    I try really hard to be fair with artists. They do something amazing with their hands that I could only dream of. But I have carpal tunnel and they toil away for hours/days/weeks at a project doing something that would have me in tears if I tried for more than 5 minutes. But something with this artwork was off.
    The characters looked static. It reminded me of the artwork used in textbooks for 5th graders. There's not much depth and with such thin ink lines, not much of a 3-D quality either. Plus the Monster and all of the females in this story's hair is thick and tubular like it's made of those foam noodles you take to the pool. The scenery wasn't much better- except for the opening and closing scenes set in the frigid Arctic Circle. Those are actually pretty sweet.
     Not a terrible read, (plus it's a little creepy fun) especially for something that I got as a total surprise and probably for only about 50 cents or so.

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.
   

Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown #3

Frankenstein and his Creature Commandos have survived the assault in Gotham City but it wasn’t without casualties. Now the team, along with the Bride of Frankenstein, must race to a secret lab in Romania if they have any hopes of saving their dying comrade. But the journey will not be easy as General Sam Lane has activated the J.A.K.E. 2.0, the ultimate GI Robot and it will stop at nothing to achieve its mission: TO DESTROY ALL MONSTERS!

    I loved this miniseries. It was really a fun read and it just felt right. It captures the spirit of the old Weird War Tales and War That Time Forgot adventures (from Star-Spangled War Stories) of the Golden and Silver Age of Comics really well. I enjoyed it so much that the short-lived New 52 series Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. is now on my wish list.

   There was one little problem with this story and it comes down to the smallest of nitpicks. In issue #2 of Project Superman, I mentioned that Gen. Lane disappeared. So, when does he come back? DC issued a suggested reading list and Project Superman #3 is down on the list as one of the last things I am supposed to read if I want to read the entire Flashpoint storyline in order (which I am attempting.) So, is having Sam Lane appear in this story a spoiler of things to come in PS #3 or does this story take place before Lane disappears?

   Right now, that’s a mystery that’s unclear but hopefully will be cleared up in the few remaining tie-ins I have left to read.

  Worth Consuming

  Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

  

Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown #2

     

  Frankenstein and his Creature Commandos have finally made it to their creator's secret laboratory in Gotham City. The group hope to find some answers as to a cure for some of their comrades. But the Creatures will need to act fast as Miranda Shrieve, granddaughter of the group's original CO during World War II, is on their tale and she's coming complete with an armament of garlic bombs, electric shock gimzos, and silver bullets. Find out what's Shrieve's beef with these living monsters and how will the Creatures of the Unknown survive her onslaught?

    Oh, did I mention that she's accompanied by J.A.K.E., the GI Robot???

    I really love this tie-in series. I've been such a fan of DC's horror titles of the 70s and 80s. The Creature Commandos were such an integral part of Weird War Tales and I'm glad to see a version (any version) of this group get some much due kudos, respect, and a second chance.

    Jeff Lemire has really become known as the go-to DC 'dark lord' with his creepy tales starring the Hellblazer, Deadman, and others and he's not disappointed me with this series. This is eerie fun and very much Worth Consuming!

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
 
 

Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown #1

  During World War II, the Allied Forces had a secret weapon- the Creature Commandos! The Unit was comprised of a genetically altered vampire, wolf man, and a mer-creature, and was co-lead by the human Lt. Shrieve and Frankenstein's Monster! After taking out Hitler, the team thinks that they will either be cured of their various aliments, sent on missions against the mounting Soviet threat or allowed to leave in peace. But Uncle Sam has other ideas and forces the monsters of the Creature Commandos into suspended animation.
    Jump ahead 65 years. The Commandos have been all but forgot, still residing in their cryogenic tombs. But during the Army's attack on Booster Gold, something causes Frankenstein's chamber to break and he frees his comrades. Decades without medical treatment has caused the wolf man and the vampire soldiers to regress into more savage states.
   Without immediate help, they will forever be stuck in their most primal monster forms, and so Frankenstein leads the group to Gotham City in hopes of finding the secret lab of the doctor who treated them during the war for their afflictions. But their trek will not be easy as the military wants their Creature Commandos back and have hired the best monster hunter on the planet to recapture them- Miranda Shrieve, the granddaughter of the monster's unit leader: Lt. Shrieve!
    As a DC enthusiast, I've been particularly a fan of the company's vintage horror and war lines. Weird War Tales combined the best of both lines with strange stories that brought new meaning to the words 'the horrors of war.' Towards the end of WWT's run was a running series based on the Creature Commandos!
    With Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown entering the Flashpoint, I was extremely excited. But when I first learned of this title in 2010, I was an little befuddled as to why would Frankenstein be selected to the series of Flashpoint tie-ins. But I had forgotten about Frank being a member of the Creature Commandos! So, it actually makes perfect sense and I am thrilled to see where this miniseries goes next. Plus, tying in events from Booster Gold #44-45 was a stroke of genius that advances the storyline quite well.
   
    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
     

Zinc Alloy Vs. Frankenstein (Family Comic Friday, Halloween 2015 Edition)

  As a gigantic tornado threatens Zack’s hometown, the student activates his body armor and assumes the role of Zinc Alloy! The crisis seems averted, that is until the gyros in Zack's suit recalibrate from being spun in the cyclone so ferociously. This results in the robotic suit going wonky and all of Zinc Alloy’s hard work is undone.

 With the town finally in shambles, it's citizens revolt against their mechanical hero. Driven out of town, Zack seeks refuge in an abandoned mansion. Only this creepy home is anything but as Zinc Alloy comes face to face with the King of All Monsters, Frankenstein!

 

 This library edition graphic novel was cute and had a couple of moments that made me laugh out loud. But I felt that the story focused too much on the tornado scene. By the time Frankenstein appears, there's not much book left. In fact, the story ends so abruptly, that I did a double take, looking to see if a page got torn out or something. But alas, this story ends without a definite ending.

  Being a library edition, the back of the book is filled with comprehension questions, writing skills activities, and a glossary of terms. But I think that author Donald Lemke could have used it on himself. He kept having the townsfolk refer to the metal hero as a ‘ mutant.’ At one point, even Zack calls himself such. But if my memory serves me right, donning a suit of metal does not a mutant make. If that was the case, Tony Stark would have been made a member of the X-Men long ago.

  Zinc Alloy Vs. Frankenstein was a good read. There isn't anything scary in it. So, this would be an ideal Halloween read for children of all ages. Even the tornado scene wasn't so bad. I was more afraid when Zack's suit went bonkers. Not great on ending and some terms are greatly misused, but a fun read nonetheless.

  Worth Consuming

Rating; 7 out of 10 stars.