TP Comics

This month we take a look at some of the classic Horror Comics Hosts and Hostesses from DC Comics, Charlton Comics, and other companies.  The House of Mystery comic book had a decades-long run before its host was introduced.  Cain, the "able caretaker" made his debut in issue #175, cover dated August 1968.  The preceding issue marked a return to the horror theme of the book, after the title had focused on science fiction stories for a time. Issue #175 also introduced Cain's pet gargoyle in part of that issue's second feature, "The House of Gargoyles."  Cain also had a cat named Oskar. In addition to introducing the stories, Cain lent his name to humor pages like "Cain's Game Room" and "true" horror stories in "Cain's True Case Files." Of Cain, Peter Sanderson writes, "It has been suggested that Cain suffers from severe mood swings.  In the past he has often appeared to be a jovial, strange, but ultimately harmless ...

This month we take a look at some of the classic Horror Comics Hosts and Hostesses from DC Comics, Charlton Comics, and other companies.   DC Comics' The Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love #1 was cover dated October 1971.  It featured a "full-length [graphic] novel of love and danger complete in this issue."  The story was titled "The Secret of the Missing Bride" (per the cover) or "The Mystery of the Missing Bride" (per the splash page).  The same format continued in issues #2 and #3.  Issue #4 featured a full-length novel of "mystery and suspense," with the new cover logo emphasizing the words "Dark Mansion" over "Forbidden Love."  Another shift came with issue #5, as the cover title was changed to Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion.   Issue #6 included two tales, rather than one novel-length tale.  By issue #7, the transformation was complete.  The book had become a horror anthology, complete with a "horror hostess,...

This month we take a look at some of the classic Horror Comics Hosts and Hostesses from DC Comics, Charlton Comics, and other companies.  With similar names and somewhat similar likenesses, it's easy to get the first two of The Three Witches confused, but there is no mistaking step-sister Cynthia, a "child of the late 1960s," who likes tales of E.S.P. and psychic phenomena... and hypnotism... of strange perversions of science (...SCIENCE!!!).  Cynthia, is hip, sexy, and blonde, often depicted with cat eyes.    Other hosts like Cain and Abel (see upcoming blog posts) sometimes crossed over into The Witching Hour title.  After The Witching Hour was cancelled, the Witches were folded into The Unexpected, appearing in Issues #203 and #205 (per wikipedia).  Years later, Neil Gaiman incorporated the characters into his Sandman universe as "The Kindly Ones," tapping into the long history of three witches in other tales and traditions.  As for the title the...

This month we take a look at some of the classic Horror Comics Hosts and Hostesses from DC Comics, Charlton Comics, and other companies.  The second tale in the first issue of The Witching Hour #1 is told by hostess Modred.  Modred is taller than Mildred and looks like a more traditional witch, wearing a pointed hat.   Mordred's tales are "filled with thunder and lightning... and strange twisting shapes and creatures... stories of ghosts that walk..."   And the word she speaks below is "flicker," not the other word... lol.   

This month we take a look at some of the classic Horror Comics Hosts and Hostesses from DC Comics, Charlton Comics, and other companies.  The "Three Witches" appeared in the very first issue of their book, The Witching Hour #1, cover dated March 1969.  The first pages set up the book's format.  Each of the three witches will tell a tale beginning at 12 o' clock midnight--the Witching Hour--and allow the reader to decide witch--I mean which--tale is the best.   In the first issue, Mildred tells her tale first.  She "prefers to tell 'inhabited object'-type stories... houses with souls, ships with minds of their own..."  Mildred is depicted as a short, round witch with a warty, hairy chin.  She wears a hooded cloak.   The first issue of The Witching Hour also introduces us to Egor, a mysterious  servant creature the Witches like to boss around, and The Castle, the Witches' home.  

The National Cartoonists Society's 80th Anniversary Reuben Awards and NCS Conference was held in Columbus this past week.  After the official events concluded, cartoonists were invited to stick around for an NCS Showcase at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Museum at The Ohio State University.  The showcase was free and open to the public.  Some of the cartoonists who were present were: Jeff Keane!  Created in 1960 by Bil Keane, The Family Circus has been written and drawn by his son Jeff Keane since Bil's death in 2011.  Jeff appears in the daily single panel cartoon and Sunday comic strip as young "Jeffy."  I purchased a calendar from Mr. Keane for my brother's birthday and he not only autographed it, but also drew a picture of Jeffy.  The calendar features all of the classic Family Circus devices, including the dotted line cartoons in which characters run around the house or neighborhood, the strips where young Billy fills in for his cartoonist dad, and tho...

  I Visited... THE HALL OF JUSTICE! "One of the last great American train stations built, Union Terminal is a Cincinnati icon and one of the most widely regarded examples of the art deco style.  Since its opening in 1933, Union Terminal has had a long and storied history, from welcoming soldiers home from World War II to becoming the home of three museums. an Omnimax Theater and the Cincinnati History Library and Archives."  --Cincinnati Museum Center website. A few more facts:  Union Terminal still serves as a train station, servicing the Amtrak "Cardinal" line.  The station is open in the middle of the night for passengers departing and arriving on The Cardinal (New York to Chicago). Union Terminal was featured on a postage stamp.  A set of four Railroad Stations "Forever" Stamps were released in 2023, with a First Day of Issue ceremony held at Union Terminal on March 9 (photo above). Union Terminal was the inspiration for the "Hall of Justice,...

Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe  was the first comic book I bought regularly, which led to a lifetime of comic book collecting.  The original series was published by DC Comics from cover date March 1985 to cover date April 1987, with updates and spin-offs published in the following years. The New Golden Age #1  was a special of sorts, cover dated January 2023.  I can't even begin to explain the convoluted storyline of this book or the other books that led to its publishing or those that followed... But it did have some Who's Who entries in the back, so I purchased it when it came out.   The 12 entries cover the following 13 characters: The Golden Age Aquaman Betsy Ross & Molly Pitcher Cherry Bomb The Harlequin's Son John Henry Jr. Lady Bug Legionnaire The Golden Age Mr. Miracle Quiz Kid The Golden Age Red Lantern Salem the Witch Girl The Boom The Golden Age Aquaman entry is a special treat because ...

Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe was the first comic book I bought regularly, which led to a lifetime of comic book collecting.  The original series  was published by DC Comics from cover date March 1985 to cover date April 1987, with updates and spin-offs published in the following years. In all my years of collecting Who's Who, this is the most obscure find to date. Following a miniseries ( The Shadow War of Hawkman #1 to #4 ) and a special ( Hawkman Special #1), Hawkman was given an on-going series, with issue #1 cover dated August 1986.  It included a single Who's Who entry (minus the trademark yellow border) for Shadow-Thief, a long-time Hawkman villain who was featured in that issue.  In the letter column which follows, writer Tony Isabella (now Jenny Blake) asks "Would you like to see more Who's Who pages like the one in this issue?  Or do you prefer two full pages of letters and answers?  Inquiring editors want to know."...

The second season of Batman  premiered Sept. 7, 1966, with the conclusion airing the following night, Sept. 8, 1966.  While most of the second season episodes followed this pattern, there are a few exceptions noted below.  E pisode synopses are from Amazon Prime Video.  Season and Episode numbers, based on Amazon's wonky numbering scheme, are given first.  Sequential numbering of episodes, as listed in The Official Batman Batbook by Joel Eisner, are listed second.   Bulleted notes are my own insights.   S201A E1 & E2 |  Season Two, Episodes 35 & 36 "Shoot a Crooked Arrow"   Archer and his gang have come to Gotham City, winning the public's favor with their Robin Hood-style deeds of stealing from the rich to give to the poor. "Walk the Straight and Narrow"  Batman and Robin escape their previous peril and are back in action seeking to foil the Archer and his gang.  The Archer is a villain created for the sho...

Though there were other comics series with similar names before and after, the longest-running  Secret Origins  comic book was published by DC Comics from April 1986 to August 1990.  It included 50 regular issues, three annuals, one special edition... and one trade paperback. The Secret Origin of... THE BATMAN While we are still waiting for a hefty Secret Origins omnibus reprinting the entire classic anthology in one or more volumes, DC did publish a trade paperback of a number of stories from the series in 1989.  Officially titled  Secret Origins of The World's Greatest Super-Heroes, the trade paperback reprinted the origin of the Justice League of America from issue #32 as well as some of the JLA members, including Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) from issue #32, The Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onnz) from issue #35, and The Flash (Barry Allen) from Annual #2.  Since  Secret Origins told the stories of the Golden Age Superman (issue #1) and Batman (issue #...

Though there were other comics series with similar names before and after, the longest-running  Secret Origins  comic book was published by DC Comics from April 1986 to August 1990.  It included 50 regular issues, three annuals, and one special edition.  This series of blog posts focuses on the stories that would have, should have, or otherwise follow the spirit of that series. The Secret Origin of... NEPTUNE PERKINS Neptune Perkins, a relatively obscure character, first appeared in a Hawkman story in Flash Comics #66 (cover dated August 1945).  Perkins would return in another Hawkman story in Flash Comics #81 (cover dated March 1947).  He would not return again until All-Star Squadron #33 (cover dated May 1984).   Jean-Marc Lofficier, in All-Star Companion, Volume 3, tells how the story of the Earth Two Aquaman for the Secret Origins anthology became the secret origin of Neptune Perkins told in issues #16-#19 of The Young All-Stars: " One of...

Though there were other comics series with similar names before and after, the longest-running  Secret Origins  comic book was published by DC Comics from April 1986 to August 1990.  It included 50 regular issues, three annuals, and one special edition.  This series of blog posts focuses on the stories that would have, should have, or otherwise follow the spirit of that series. The Secret Origin of... AQUAMAN This is one of the "could have" stories.  Aquaman Special #1 (1989) told "The Legend of Aquaman" according to the title on the cover.  This legend was different than the "pre-Crisis" telling of Aquaman's origin.  As John Wells writes in Back Issue magazine #98 (August 2017): "Nearly four years into the existence of the post-Crisis DC Universe, the approach to its history was changing. Exceptions like Superman, Wonder Woman, or Captain Atom notwithstanding, there was still an overall view that the Earth-One origins for most characters still...

Though there were other comics series with similar names before and after, the longest-running  Secret Origins  comic book was published by DC Comics from April 1986 to August 1990.  It included 50 regular issues, three annuals, and one special edition.  This series of blog posts focuses on the stories that would have been, should have been, or otherwise follow the spirit of that series. The Secret Origins of... Super Powers Super Powers was a Kenner toy line that consisted of three waves of DC Comics super hero action figures, each with some sort of "super power" that was usually activated by squeezing the figure's legs together.  In addition, there were a number of vehicles released, as well as a Hall of Justice playset.  A collector case for the first wave of action figures was also sold.  It appeared in toy catalogs around 1984.  The exterior of the case was designed to look like a "giant comic book" and the interior of the case featured "biog...

Though there were other comics series with similar names before and after, the longest-running  Secret Origins  comic book was published by DC Comics from April 1986 to August 1990.  It included 50 regular issues, three annuals, and one special edition.  This series of blog posts focuses on the stories that would have, should have, or otherwise follow the spirit of that series. The initial format of Secret Origins was to devote the odd-numbered issues to heroes from the Golden Age and the even-numbered issues to more recent heroes.  Beginning with  Secret Origins  #6 (cover dated September 1986), each issue featured one Golden Age origin and one "Modern" origin."  A number of the final issues of  All-Star Squadron,  which was slated to be retooled as  The Young All-Stars,  also featured origins of the   Golden Age heroes.  Among them was the origin of All-Star Squadron member Tarantula. The premise within the on-going...

Though there were other comics series with similar names before and after, the longest-running  Secret Origins  comic book was published by DC Comics from April 1986 to August 1990.  It included 50 regular issues, three annuals, and one special edition.  This series of blog posts focuses on the stories that would have, should have, or otherwise follow the spirit of that series. The initial format of Secret Origins was to devote the odd-numbered issues to heroes from the Golden Age and the even-numbered issues to more recent heroes.  Beginning with  Secret Origins  #6 (cover dated September 1986), each issue featured one Golden Age origin and one "Modern" origin."  A number of the final issues of  All-Star Squadron,  which was slated to be retooled as  The Young All-Stars,  also featured origins of the   Golden Age heroes.  Among them was the origin of All-Star Squadron member Johnny Quick. The premise within the on-go...

Though there were other comics series with similar names before and after, the longest-running  Secret Origins  comic book was published by DC Comics from April 1986 to August 1990.  It included 50 regular issues, three annuals, and one special edition.  This series of blog posts focuses on the stories that would have, should have, or otherwise follow the spirit of that series.       The initial format of Secret Origins was to devote the odd-numbered issues to heroes from the Golden Age and the even-numbered issues to more recent heroes.  Beginning with  Secret Origins  #6 (cover dated September 1986), each issue featured one Golden Age origin and one "Modern" origin."  A number of the final issues of  All-Star Squadron,  which was slated to be retooled as  The Young All-Stars,  also featured origins of the   Golden Age heroes.  Among them was the origin of All-Star Squadron member Robotman. The pr...

Though there were other comics series with similar names before and after, the longest-running  Secret Origins  comic book was published by DC Comics from April 1986 to August 1990.  It included 50 regular issues, three annuals, and one special edition.  This series of blog posts focuses on the stories that would have, should have, or otherwise follow the spirit of that series.       The initial format of Secret Origins was to devote the odd-numbered issues to heroes from the Golden Age and the even-numbered issues to more recent heroes.  Beginning with  Secret Origins  #6 (cover dated September 1986), each issue featured one Golden Age origin and one "Modern" origin."  A number of the final issues of  All-Star Squadron,  which was slated to be retooled as  The Young All-Stars,  also featured origins of the   Golden Age heroes.  Among them was the origin of All-Star Squadron and Seven Soldiers of V...