Number 1613: Frankenstein’s terror under trance!

You already know this, don’t you? If not, the funny Frankenstein character published by Prize Comics ended its run with issue #17 in 1949. A couple of years later the character was resurrected n a more serious version, more like the Karloff monster of the movies. In the latter version the Frankenstein monster is mute, shambles along from town to town, country to country, getting involved in local doings, supernatural and otherwise.

This story, the lead for Frankenstein #19 (1952), has the monster under hypnotic control. It is drawn by the versatile Dick Briefer, whose career as a journeyman comic book artist would end when Frankenstein ceased publication in late 1954. The specter of another monster — the Comics Code Authority — finally did to Frankenstein what no mob of torch-waving villagers could do.

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Number 1602: Frankie goes to Hollywood

Dick Briefer’s funny Frankenstein goes to Hollywood, meets a scientist and travels in a time machine to the past and future.

...does he really, or is it just Hollywood magic?

From Frankenstein #3 (1946):

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Number 1598: Ted’s head!

We are slipping out of June with a couple of stories from one of the first horror comics I ever owned. I got it in a trade circa 1959, and it has been in my collection since.

I have shown the Dick Briefer-drawn “Somewhere Lurks a Thing!” before, in the early days of this blog. These are new scans. “Ted’s Head” has art credited by the GCD to Larry Woromay ? by way of the Atlas Tales site. I think Larry did a pretty good job showing headless people without the gore. But it wouldn't have satisfied the Senate committee and their hearing on comics. They didn’t buy Bill Gaines’ decapitated head cover of Crime Suspenstories #22 as “being in good taste for a horror comic.” For the record, I think “Ted’s Head” is in good taste for a horror comic.

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Number 1553: Rex Dexter redux

What to think of this? Last October I showed you the lead story from Fox’s 1940 one-shot, Rex Dexter of Mars #1. You can read it by clicking on the thumbnail at the bottom of the page. That story, showing Rex returning to Earth from his home on Mars, appears to have been created especially for the book. It is followed immediately in that publication by a reprint of the very first Rex Dexter story from Mystery Men Comics #1 (1939). It also is a story of Rex Dexter coming to Earth for the first time from his home on Mars. The two stories coincide with that, but in details vary. So I repeat my question of what to think of this, even going back nearly 75 years to kids buying the book and encountering what seem to be two origin stories in a row with differences in the details. Anyone who is big on consistency and continuity may be a bit confused.

I’m showing that reprint, plus another reprint from the issue of the Rex Dexter story from Mystery Men Comics #4 (1940). The second story has Rex and his galpal Cynde encountering a villain, grandly named Lord Marvel, on a planet, Ursis, The first story has Rex encountering a villain with the excellent moniker of Boris Thorax, who is somehow able to get planet Tarsis to hit our planet.

Stories written and drawn by Dick Briefer.

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Here is the story I posted last October. Just click on the thumbnail:

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Number 1513: Frankenstein makes his hobby pay

Dick Briefer, writer/artist of Frankenstein, shows a series of gags when our favorite funny monster presents his line of caskets in a coffin competition at the Mortician’s Convention (“We Undertake Anything!”). The comical comic story appeared in Frankenstein #6 (1947).

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Frankenstein #6 was a good issue. Here are a couple more stories. Just click on the thumbnails.

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