From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Blackbeard’s Ghost (1968)

Posted on November 27, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. One thing that I have been thinking about a lot lately is the films that I loved loved as a kid that had Horror elements to them, and while many had very small amount of “Horror” in them, they were a gateway of sorts for many to get into the world of the genre. For instance, such films as “The Ghost And Mr. Chicken (1966)”, “Frankenweeinie (1984)”, “The Blair Thumb (2001)” and “Escape To Witch Mountain (1975)” all brought humorous chills to viewers (with us already talking about Escape To Witch Mountain that you can read here if you missed it). For this update I have chosen the Disney made supernatural family comedy film “Blackbeard’s Ghost” as the topic as it was one I enjoyed as a kid, and I think that it fits the mold of what I am talking about as a gateway film into horror. So if you are ready, let’s head to Blackbeard’s Inn and see what this silly ghost has in store for us, and also Happy Thanksgiving 2025!

Let’s start off by taking a look at Blackbeard’s Ghost and his ways of scaring the hell out of the living! Back in the 18^th century Edward Teach aka Blackbeard was a pirate that tormented the waters of the West Indies before he was killed in 1718 during a battle. But in 1968, his spirit is brought back by a newly hired track coach after he accidentally says a spell out loud. The two are now bonded together in mischief and trying to right the wrongs that are going on in the town of Godolphin. Blackbeard’s Ghost is unseen by everyone besides the one who summoned him but his appearance has him in full pirate clothing, a black beard and at times he looks annoyed and mean…and this can scare those people who do set their eyes on him. Blackbeard’s Ghost who cannot be seen by normal people is able to also move items/objects around as well as cause extreme and sometime playful scares to those he has targeted. Not to mention that he carries a very sharp sword that could cut and go through the flesh of those he uses it against. This supernatural ghost is also very annoying and will use his playful ways to cause chaos and accidents as he does not care for the most part about other people’s safety as his enjoyment is more important, and really his messing with such things as guns, motorcycles and cars makes him very dangerous to the living. One other thing that Blackbeard’s Ghost has that frightens people is the legend of his cut throat ways while living as he was a truly bad person. But while Blackbeard’s Ghost is from the supernatural world, he does have some weakness, as his ego is so big that it leaves him into making terrible mistakes and even almost chase off his own “friends”. He is also a cheat and a drinker, as he smells of rum making it very easy to detect when he is around. He can easily get his feelings hurt and this as well causes him to go away and leave people alone. He also starts to build a soft spot for his newly made friends and also wants the curse of being a ghost lifted so this turns the once feared pirate into a friendly ghost who wants to help others to rejoin his crew in the afterlife. And once Blackbeard’s Ghost does a good deed and more ancient magical words are said, he is free from this mortal world and his chaos is over. While Blackbeard’s Ghost is not that deadly nor scary he does do his job of haunting the living.

So while Blackbeard’s Ghost might not be the scariest or deadliest supernatural entity, we have ever covered here… but he just might be the silliest one, so that’s something right? And now that we have chatted about him, I think that it’s time we take a look at the film he is from. And like always, I will be taking the film’s write up from our pals at IMDB and then after that I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts on the film. So with that, let’s see what this kids silly comedy, family film with a pinch of “Horror” has in store for us.

Blackbeard’s Ghost (1968)

“An unassuming track coach accidentally invokes the spirit of a notorious pirate long believed dead, and who must now team up to lay the pirate to rest, and save a local hotel from a mobster.”

In the 1960’s Disney was locking itself to be the biggest studio to make family friendly entertainment and they were releasing many films to theaters as young moviegoers seemed to not be able to get enough! And when looking for their next film, they decided to adapt the 1965 novel “Blackbeard’s Ghost” by Ben Stahl into a film as many think that a big part of them choosing to do a Supernatural Ghost Pirate film was all due to the huge success of the Pirates Of The Caribbean attraction that had opened in Disneyland in 1967. The film’s screenplay was done by the team of Don DaGradi and Bill Walsh and Disney would hire Robert Stevenson to direct who had made many other popular films for Disney before hand including Old Yeller, The Absent-Minded Professor, Son Of Flubber, Mary Poppins and That Darn Cat! to name a few, showing that he was truly one director that the studio could turn to in order to have a hit film. When casting the film, they would hire Peter Ustinov to play Blackbeard and other actors in the main cast include Dean Jones, Suzanne Pleshette, Joby Baker, Richard Deacon and in very cool casting The Bride Of Frankenstein herself Elsa Lanchester would play the part of Emily Stowecroft. The film was shot at Walt Disney Studios and was your normal production for them at the time and once done the score would be done by Robert F. Brunner and it would be released in theaters on February 8, 1968 and was meet with mostly positive reviews from critics and moviegoers alike who all enjoyed the performance of Peter Ustinov as well as the supernatural comedy elements of the story. The film would be a success for Disney as it did great at the box office for them doing over $21,540,050.00 and also was being considered one of their best films in from the past years. While this is not considered a horror film, it is truly a gateway film for young viewers to ease their way into that genre as it really is a supernatural, comedy, fantasy film whose main character is the ghost of a deadly pirate…and in 1968 it was released alongside such Horror Films as Dracula Has Risen From The Grave, Night Of The Living Dead, Rosemary’s Baby, Astro-Zombies, The Green Slime, Kong Island, Mark Of The Werewolf and Spider Baby to name a few.

Growing up a kid of the 80’s and 90’s, the animated films of Disney were all the rage among kids and man we had some great ones like Lion King, Aladdin and Hercules to name a small few. But in the village I grew up in, many times during the school year we would be able to have a class that would let us watch a movie and many of the time they would be the classic 50’s and 60’s live action Disney films and that is were I first seen the film Blackbeard’s Ghost and man when the teacher first said the title and I knew nothing about it my mind jumped to a classic style Universal Monster film about a pirate ghost scaring people to death…instead the film was a comedy were the ghost helps a man out…was I disappointed it was not a fright flick yes….but did I end up liking the movie… also yes! Something about the goofy nature of the film and the delightful performance of Peter Ustinov drew me in as he is really good in the role of Blackbeard as he gives the character charm and makes him very likable even if he was a blood thirsty pirate in real life. I also geeked out seeing Elsa Lanchester as what classic monster kid doesn’t geekout when they see her in films as she is truly an icon of Universal Monsters as The Bride Of Frankenstein is truly a legendary monster character. And after seeing the film I would also end up finding the film’s novel adaptation at a local second hand book store and had to buy it, and I can remember reading the book in my room right before bed for a couple of weeks. And I know what you are all thinking ,that Blackbeard’s Ghost is not a horror film, but it really does have many elements and here are just a few of those that make this film spooky as it has a ghost, pirates tales, a witch, a curse and even a eerie atmosphere. And again I truly think that films like Blackbeard’s Ghost act as a good way for youngsters to get into the world of Horror Cinema. I also have to say actress Suzanne Pleshette who plays the main character Professor Jo-Anne Baker is absolutely stunning and many of your Horror fans will know her also from her roles in the spooky films “The Birds (1963)” and “The Power (1968)”. Over all if you have not seen this film but do like your Disney films with a dash of supernatural spookiness make sure to give this a watch as you might just find yourself enjoying it.

So as you can see, Blackbeard’s Ghost is a friendly one, but he does have a little of mean streak that makes him a pain in the butt to those he decides to annoy. And now that we have talked about him as well as the film based around him, I think we should move on and take a look at the comic adaptation that was released by Gold Key Comics back in 1968. I would first like to thank Lone Star Comics for having this comic in stock and making this update possible. I would also like to thank the teacher who showed this film to us students in Waynesville! And I would also like to dedicate this update to my Aunt Theresa who sadly is no longer with us, but who loved these classic old school live action Disney films. I would like to remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready like I am, let’s have a spooky, fun time with the one an only Blackbeards Ghost.

Blackbeard’s Ghost # 1 **1/2
Released in 1968 Cover Price .12 Gold Key Comics # 1 of 1

Steve Walker has arrived in town as he has been hired to be the new track coach at the local college and meets fellow school workers as Professor Jo Anne Baker, Dean Roland Wheaton and football coach Pinetop Purvis at the hotel called Blackbeard Inn that is holding a fund raiser to raise money to pay off a bank loan that the local mobster Silky Seymour is trying to get as he wants the land the hotel sits on. That night Steve goes to his room that was the one the pirate Blackbeard use to stay in, and while getting ready to wind down for the night he gets a visit from the Ghost of Blackbeard who tells Steve he needs his help to break a curse that placed on him by one of his own ex-wives! But Steve is freaked out and wants nothing to do with the ghost and leaves the motel only for Blackbeard’s Ghost to follow and get him into trouble with the law when he takes control of the cars wheel and then messes with a cop that pulls them over, but unlucky for Steve no one else can see Blackbeard’s Ghost so he is thought to be drunk or crazy. Once out of jail, word spreads of his arrest and Jo Anne tells the Dean she will try and figure out what is going on with their new track couch, and the two even have dinner to chat at one of Silky’s restaurants and gambling places. But while there Blackbeard’s Ghost steals $900 that was raised for the old ladies who owns the inn from Jo Anne’s purse and sneaks and places a bet that the college’s track team will win the big meet, and after dinner she finds the slip and thinks Steve did this and is furious. And then at the track meet Blackbeard’s Ghost starts helping the team win and this makes Steve super mad as he don’t want to cheat to win, but it also will help the ghost do a good deed by helping the team win and get the old ladies enough money to save the inn! And the team does win with Blackbeard’s help but only after he and Steve have a verbal fight and feelings are hurt, but the good cause becomes more important. But when Jo Anne and Steve go to collect the money from Silky, he rejects the beat and gives them the $900 back and tells them to try and win it big on the roulette wheel and they do with the help of Blackbeard’s Ghost! As Jo Anne and Steve now with the money to save the end make their way to the inn where the banker and old ladies are waiting Blackbeard’s Ghost ends up beating up Silky and his men who try to stop the couple. In the end the bank is paid, the inn is safe, Steve and Jo Anne are in love and the curse is lifted from Blackbeard whose spirit heads off to sea with his old crew.

This adaptation is very strange and yet also entertaining as many changes are made from the film with one of the biggest is Blackbeard’s Ghost’s first appearance as in the film he appears after Steve by accident reads the magic words of a witch and in the comic the ghost has always just been hanging around his old room at the hotel looking for someone to help him break the curse that is forcing him to walk the world between the living and the dead. Another change is that Blackbeard is over all a nice ghost who wants to do the right thing and almost every element of the films slight horror is missing in these pages as Blackbeard’s mean side, the curse, witch and atmosphere is cut down to nothing. The plot is still pretty much the same as it has Steve Walker being new to town after taking the job with the local collage and then getting mixed up with Blackbeard’s Ghost, helping the little old ladies who own the hotel to keep it, falling in love with one of his co-workers and lastly stopping the towns no good mobsters from taking the hotel. The main star of the comic is Blackbeard’s Ghost who is looking for a good deed to do so that he can be free of his supernatural shackles, and he is able to set his site on helping the old ladies who run the inn he haunts be able to keep the place safe from the bank as well as the local mobster. And while he is a ghost he spends most of his time helping in this comic and less time annoying and scaring. Track coach Steve Walker is kind of the pawn in this comic as Blackbeard’s Ghost attaches himself to him and uses his personal life and job in order to do his good deed, but mostly he just makes him look like he is crazy as Steve is the only one who can see him and the two argue a lot. But while Steve is being driven crazy by his new ghost friend its clear that he really does want to do the right thing even if that is allowing cheating to go on. Professor Jo Anne Baker is a good person who wants to do what she can to save the old inn from falling into the hands of the local mobster and by trusting and following Steve and unknown to her Blackbeard’s Ghost and this helps her get the money needed and for the inn to be saved. And of course the comic’s main bad guy is Silky Seymour who is just a sleazy scumbag who along with his goons bully people and run all the towns gambling, and he wants the old inn for the land to build a big casino. So when he losses lots of money and Blackbeard’s Ghost punches him in the face is a good time. The comic has some silly humor and if you like the film I am sure you would enjoy this comic as its very similar but does play out a little different as much is cut out and other things and smashed together in order to fit in the comics page count. The cover for this issue is just a still of Blackbeard on his ship and the comics interior art is done by Dan Spiegle and has that classic Gold Key Comic look, so that means the characters only sort of look like the actors who played them in the film. Over all if you like the film Blackbeard’s Ghost make sure to get yourself a copy for a read, but those who are looking for a kid friendly scare this one is not for you as the spooky elements are pretty much removed. Checkout the artwork below to see the style used in this comic.

Well it looks like Blackbeard’s Ghost has found his way back to his crew and they are now out on the seven seas roaming around, and I know many of you are still saying that this film is NOT a Horror Film, and again I will say I agree but I still say that it is a film that is a gateway for younger fans to discover the joys of Supernatural Horror! Plus it was a fun one to write and I hope that you all enjoyed reading it! Plus it was cool to read this comic for the first time plus it gave me a reason to watch the film again after all these years. But don’t worry, our next update will take us to the world of The Snailiens, a mostly forgotten 90’s toyline that will surly bring a smile to your face. So until next tim,e read a comic or three, eat a turkey leg or two and as always visit your loved ones. See you next update for a Snail of a good time!

Comic Strip Funnies: Ziggy

Posted on August 6, 2021 by bloodlinematt

The Sunday paper for many youngsters of my generation meant looking at the ads from stores like Toys R Us, Hills Department Stores and Children’s Palace, allowing us to see all the new action figures, board games, dolls and video games that were awaiting us on the shelves, and it would also alert us to toys that were on sale that we could alert our parents to. The other major part of the Sunday paper was the Funnies, you know those classic comic strips that brought joy to your Sunday mornings as the antics of Garfield, Peanuts, Family Circus, Dennis The Menace, Andy Capp, Far Side, Blondie, and Marmaduke brought the entertainment as you ate your breakfast of cereal or bacon & eggs. Here in Ohio where I grew up, the paper is Dayton Daily News and my must read strips consisted of Peanuts, Andy Capp, Garfield, Blondie and for some reason Ziggy…yep Ziggy was a comic strip that I loved, and it’s odd as I had always seen Ziggy more as an old person comic strip but something about the little guy who always seemed like the world was out to get him made me a fan. So let’s get a cup of coffee or maybe a glass of milk and open up the good old Rotten Ink Daily News Paper and find the Rotten Funnies and see what silly humor Ziggy has for us.

Ziggy is a short balding man who lives along with his dog Fuzz, cat Sid, his pet Rock, a fish, duck named Wack and Parrot in a small house with a garden. He is a likable guy who seems to always have things go wrong for him and people around him are super rude and treat him badly…but Ziggy, while down and depressed at times, takes it all in stride and will in the end always look at the brighter side of life. Ziggy is single and loves his animals and enjoys his days off and spending time outdoors or even reading a good book. One of his best friends is a seagull that he hangs out with at the beach and it’s clear as day he cares about his animals a lot! Ziggy is also a sucker and easily tricked by people and is often taken advantage of. Ziggy is a hard worker who is a lovable character who is truly a classic Sunday Comic Strip Character.

Thomas Albert Wilson was born on August 1, 1931 in Grant Town, West Virginia and later his parents moved him to Uniontown, Pennsylvania and that’s were he spent his childhood. In 1950 he started doing advertising layouts for the Uniontown newspaper for a short time. Wilson then joined the U.S. Army from 1953-1955 and also went to the Art Institute Of Pittsburgh where he graduated from also in 1955. Also in 1955, he got a job at American Greetings as a designer and by 1958 he was Creative Director. He became an instructor for a year at Cooper Union and Art and Science institute from 1961-1962. In 1968 he created the character Ziggy, and by 1971 it was a syndicated comic strip thanks to Universal Press Syndicate and started out in only 15 newspapers but quickly grew to over 600 papers running the comic strip. In 1978 Wilson became Vice-President Of Creative for American Greetings, showing that the company knew they had a talented and creative mind on staff and needed to promote him to tap his ideas. During his time at American Greetings he also was responsible for being the head of teams that created the likes of Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake. In 1982 Wilson won an Emmy for the “Ziggy’s Gift” animated Christmas Special that aired on ABC, a true classic special that was later released on VHS and DVD for home media collectors. By 1987 Tom Wilson turned the Ziggy comic strip over to his son Tom Wilson Jr. who is still working on the strip to this day for both papers as well as online. Wilson got and beat lung cancer, but sadly died of pneumonia on September 16, 2011 at the age of 80 in Cincinnati Ohio. While Thomas Wilson is gone his legacy of creative projects including Ziggy will live on forever! Below is a picture of Thomas Sr., Ziggy and Thomas Jr.

Ziggy became such a lovable and popular character that in 1982 a TV Special was made called “Ziggy’s Gift” that was an animated short that played on ABC on December 1^st as one of their Christmas Specials. The cartoon as Ziggy as a street Santa collecting money and the world around him is filled with crooked people who are lying and stealing from everyone as Ziggy is the only honest person who really wants to help. The Special won an Emmy Award in 1983 for Outstanding Animated Program. The film was released on VHS and DVD but sadly is now out of print. You can find the special on YouTube from time to time. Very cool animated special that features one of the best comic strip characters in a truly heartwarming Christmas animated tale.

Ziggy was a true icon of early American Greetings as his image was used on so many other items besides greeting cards and the comic strip. Ziggy has been on T-Shirts, Drinking Glasses, Board Games, Paperback Books, Stuff Dolls, Mini Figures, Stickers, Buttons, Penny Banks, Home Media, Posters, Christmas Ornaments, Wrapping Paper and so much more! Ziggy was and still is somewhat of a true icon of Comic Strips! And over the years I know myself I have had the books, dolls and even a mini figure. And for some reason when I think of Ziggy I think of my Grandparents on my mom’s side.

Real quick I want to also share a picture of a cool mini figure of Ziggy that I got from Game Swap in Kettering that is Ziggy with an ice cream cone and the ice cream has fallen off the cone and onto his foot! These little PVC figures are really cool and I can remember by Aunt Donna having some of them when I was a kid. So if you like Ziggy make sure to get yourself one of these little figures that you can find on Ebay and Etsy most of the time pretty cheap.

So let’s crack open some of these Paperback Books that features Ziggy for this update about this classic comic strip character. I want to thank Game Swap Kettering and an Etsy seller for having these books in stock. I want to remind you all that I grade this book on a standard 1-4 star system and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, it’s entertainment value and it’s art and story. So if you are ready, let’s see what Ziggy has in store for us in these books.

Ziggys Of The World Unite! ***
Released in 1976 Cover Price $1.50 Signet # ? of ?

This book is tons of one-page stories featuring the one and only Ziggy having silly and lovable adventures! So while I cannot cover each one I will select 10 of my favorite strips in no real order. First I would pick were Ziggy is going to pop some popcorn over the stove and because nothing can go right for him the popcorn gets out of control and buries him under a mountain of the tasty snack. The second has Ziggy at a restaurant called Mom’s Place and is having to stand up for himself as Mom wants him to eat all he can eat! Lucky third has Ziggy at a palm reader who is having a hard time finding his lifeline! The fourth has Ziggy wearing sunglasses and claims that celebrities wear them so people don’t know who they are, and he wears them so people don’t know what he is not. The halfway point is this fifth choice that has Ziggy standing in front of an antique shop looking at toys that he had as a child and how depressing it is that the toys of his youth are called antiques now. Number six has Ziggy’s car missing it’s wheels after it ran out of gas and he is returning from the gas station with gas…some one robbed Ziggy! Seventh has Ziggy taking out the trash and right before be can drop the bag it busts and the trash is all over the ground. I picked for eight has Ziggy being held up at gunpoint by the teller at the teller desk at a bank! Number nine has Ziggy being bullied by an ice cream truck driver as he is forcing Ziggy to eat chocolate ice cream and like it! And the last pick aka ten has Ziggy running from the movie theater watching JAWS as he was way to scared of the shark!

When reading “Ziggys Of The World Unite!” I found myself feeling like a kid again sitting reading the Sunday Funnies and seeing what Ziggy was up to or should I say lack of up to. Many of these jokes and situations got a chuckle out of me, but to be honest many of them also fell flat and were very dated…like the talking margarine that was based on the now outdated and modern forgotten Parkay commercials, but some things that would be looked at as dated worked and still holds an impact like Ziggy being scared out of his mind by JAWS as still to this day many people are terrified of this film. The odd thing about this paperback is that none of Ziggy’s animals are shown and most of the humor really does come at Ziggy’s expense as he is treated poorly by everyone around him, it makes you really feel bad for him as he is the worlds doormat! This is a great quick read and does a great job of showcasing who Ziggy is and what this comic strip is about. But I am not done and would like to at least cover one more Ziggy paperback for this update!

This Book Is For The Birds ***
Released in 1978 Cover Price $1.25 Signet # ? of ?

This book is tons of one-page stories featuring the one and only Ziggy having silly and lovable adventures! So while I cannot cover each one I will select 10 of my favorite strips in no real order. First: has Ziggy sitting with a bird watching book by his side starring blankly at his pet bird that alerts him that this is not what they mean by bird watching. Two: a line is at the doctor’s office for shots to protect your family from the swine flu and Ziggy has all his animals with him, as the Doctor with the needle looks shocked and disheveled. Three: Ziggy is walking his pet duck as a construction worker is shouting at him to DUCK as a wrecking ball is heading toward Ziggy who alerts him that his duck is nice. Four: Has Ziggy sitting on a beach asking the a seagull where all the people are, and the bird alerts him they have stopped coming after Jaws was released in theaters. Five: Ziggy is walking under a branch and a bird poops on his head, and he says some people are lucky and the birds sing for them! Six: Ziggy is on the phone with his duck calling a radio station and asking them to play the song Disco Duck again. Seven: Ziggy is in a towel and is standing among turkeys and says he thought the sign said Turkish Bath! Eight: It’s snowing outside and a bird is in a nest and is cold as Ziggy is bringing the bird a hot water bottle to keep it warm. Nine: Ziggy has birdseed and is feeding birds and reminds us all to be kind to all the birds. Ten: Has Ziggy playing cards with his friends and his parrot is telling them what cards he has in his hand!

This paperback features Ziggy and all his animal family and friends as he tries to make it through life with them by his side. This is very heavy on Ziggy with birds and shows his friendship with a Seagull as well as his life with a pet parrot and duck and is all pretty funny and lighthearted stuff. I will say that in this book Ziggy gets pooped on several times by birds and those are funny and yet also very sad as he gets it a lot even though he is super friendly to birds and feeds them and takes care of them. His pet duck is pretty funny and seems to be a goofball just like him and just enjoys his little life. I also like how the Seagull at the beach and Ziggy seem to share deep talks, but also have time to talks silly topics. This paperback book is really good and showcases the more warm side of Ziggy as he is a true lover of animals as they besides pooping birds at least treat him well. If you like Ziggy and more heartwarming loser humor this one is for you! Check out some artwork below to see the style of Wilson and the humor of Ziggy.

I cannot help it for some reason I really enjoy Ziggy and his life is out to get him humor, I think the thing that works for Ziggy is the fact that he really is just a likable guy who always seems to be on the wrong side of the world. Well I think its time we put away the Rotten Funnies and I tell you what the next update will be about and it’s a good one in my opinion as we will be leaving the world of comics books and head into the world of sports as I will do a countdown of the best main active mascots of MLB! That’s right a countdown that will feature the sport of baseball’s best of the best, well in my opinion! So until next time read a comic strip or three, watch a movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host! See you next update as I take you all out to the ballgame.

Who Remembers Gold Key Comics Forgotten Superhero Tiger Girl?

Posted on May 2, 2021 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. One thing I have noticed in the golden age of comic books is how so many characters were created and lasted only a small amount of appearances before going to the long box in the sky and for the most part forgotten, and to me that’s a shame as I think so many of them had so much more to deliver to readers. I have covered many of these heroes here on Rotten Ink from the likes of Rottweiler, Black Bow, Hammer Girl, Blood Bath, Drastik, Super Green Beret, Holo-Man, Red Demon and so many others! With this update we will be taking a look at another Forgotten Hero as we take a look at Gold Key Comics character Tiger Girl. So if you are ready, this update will be fast paced as sadly Tiger Girl made no impact and very little is released about her.

So let’s start by taking a look at Lily Taylor who was a woman that worked at the Dingaling And South Circus based in Ralston City as an aerialist, and oddly enough she also has a mental link with Kitten the circuses Bengal Tiger and the two have a friendship. Her fellow circus performer family knew of her superhero life outside the tent and they as well tried to watch out for her with the some even having crushes on her. She often teamed with an agent of W.A.A.V. (War Against Arch-Villainy) by the name of Ed Savage and they clashed with a baddy named Wolf Hound. Tiger Girl was a super skilled fighter and was a brave as the day is long. The character was made for Gold Key as the comic company wanted to cash in on the superhero craze of the 60’s and created a line of comics with newly created heroes as well as returning ones from the past like The Owl. For Tiger Girl they brought in Jerry Siegel to write it, as he is one of the creators of Superman and on art they had Jack Sparling who is known for working on many DC Comics! But even with these two names on this title it only lasted one issue and Gold Key’s whole superhero line was short lived and cancelled before readers could really bound with the characters, making this one of the quickest and half hearted attempts at creating a hero line of comic books. And like before the likes of Tiger Girl good old Gold Key just went on to make comics based on Cartoons, TV Shows and Movies. Could Tiger Girl have made an impact on readers if given time, no one can really tell…but I do think they should have allowed her to last more then one issue as that seems like they just didn’t truly give her a fair chance.

As you can see, there is very little about Tiger Girl and while looking up her history I was shocked to see that Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel was involved in the creation of this comic and makes me even more excited to read this comic. I want to thank an Ebay seller for having this comic up for sale and making this update possible. I want to also remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, it’s entertainment value and it’s art and story. So if you are ready, let’s go on a superhero adventure with Tiger Girl and her partner Kitten!

Tiger Girl # 1 **1/2
Released in 1968 Cover Price .15 Gold Key # 1 of 1

The Growler is a super villain who is robbing a jewelry store in Ralston City and makes quick work of government W.A.A.V. agent Ed Savage who tried to stop the crook, as The Growler is about to shoot Ed he is stopped cold in his tracks by the light tiger signal of Tiger Girl who springs into action and with the help of Kitten they are able to bring down The Growler and his henchmen! Tiger Girl returns to her normal life as Lily Taylor a performer at the Dingaling And South Circus were she is well loved and respected by her peers as well as the circus owner Mr. South, her two best friends are Titan The Great the strong man and Laughing Boy the clown who know of her double life as a superhero and from time to time will help in her crime fighting adventures. Meanwhile the bad guys of I.N.F.A.M.Y. are made over the arrest of The Growler and hire Wolf Hound and his pet wolf Wolfbane to bring down Tiger Girl! Later Wolf Hound takes over a TV stations and issues a challenge to Tiger Girl and she along with Kitten rush to the location that is in a park by a cat statue, this of course is a trap that leaves Tiger Girl falling into a pit and Wolfbane about to rip her apart that is until Kitten takes action against the giant wolf and gives Tiger Girl the chance to get out of the pit and have a quick fight with Wolf Hound who escapes once the police start to show up at the battle field. After his escape Tiger Girl, The Police and Ed Savage come up with an idea to trick Wolf Hound into their trap by acting as if Tiger Girl will be at this science lab, and this super villain takes the bait and after fighting with Tiger Girl he is taken down and arrested as his goons are taken care of by Laughing Boy, Titan and Ed Savage and Kitten fights off a pack of tigers to save his friends life when she is down. With Wolf Hound behind bars the evil doers of I.N.F.A.M.Y. are made and swear revenge.

I want to start off saying that Tiger Girl is not perfect and by all accounts is a very cheesy and standard fare for superhero comics of the 60’s, but with that said it was one heck of a fun read and showcases that even indie superhero’s have something to offer to readers. The story is simple and has superhero Tiger Girl getting on the bad side of a crime syndicate after she brings down one of their hired goons that was robbing a jewelry store and for this they hire a skilled villain to bring her down only for he himself to fail in the end. Lily Taylor aka Tiger Girl is a woman who is strong willed and a skilled fighter, and she uses her skills to entertain people on the trapeze at the circus and as a masked fighter against crime. Her best friend is a tiger she calls Kitten and some how she and the great cat have a link that is not explained…it’s as if she can talk to him and he understands. Her friends at the circus Mr. South, Laughing Boy and Titan The Great all respect her with the later two knowing that she is as well the crime fighter. Titan is clearly in love with Lily, but lacks the nerve to tell her, but does have the nerve to help fight crime when needed. Agent Ed Savage of W.A.A.V. is pretty much a cocky ass hat who at one point tells Tiger Girl she should be in the kitchen making eggs, even after he failed at stopping a criminal and was about to be killed, when she came to his rescue. In other words Ed Savage is a cocky government worker who is all bark and no real skill. I like the idea of I.N.F.A.M.Y. as comic book bad guys as they are a group of masked men who hire other masked villains to commit crimes…they remind me a little of a watered down version of Hydra from Marvel Comics and even the E.T.A. from the Sparkle Comics universe Read Adventure Man # 1-3 and Black Jack # 1 to see what I mean. The Growler and Wolf Hound are some great cheesy masked bad guys who fit right in superhero comics of the 60’s with each being overly self confident and both having sneaky plans that they hope will lead to the death of Tiger Girl. The writing of Jerry Siegel is fun and while simple really did capture that era of comics as good always win and the bad guys in the end are always cowards. The cover art is eye catching and showcases Tiger Girl and Kitten well, with Jack Sparling’s interior art being well done for the time. Over all this was an enjoyable read and one I am glad I found and covered here on this update. Check out the artwork below to see the style of Sparling.

So if Gold Key Comics was to continue with Tiger Girl, I would have liked to see her continue on with fighting against the baddies I.N.F.A.M.Y. who would bring in more animal inspired supervillains for her to beat down, I would like to have also seen Ed Savage get put in his place or even beaten up so bad he would have to retire from W.A.A.V. and allowing a better more interesting agent to take his place. I would like for Tiger Girl to date Titan who would as well become a superhero and take on a lion inspired costume and hero name. It would have also been cool to see her team with The Owl as well as other Gold Key heroes like Magnus Robot Fighter and Doctor Solar. They could have explored her past and explain her link to Kitten as well as her drive to become a hero. But sadly like so many comics before her she ended up in the long box in the sky before she could really grow as a character. For the next update I will be once more taking a look at a Horror Host to celebrate the 10 Year Anniversary of The Horror Host Hall Of Fame and will be talking about a true icon of hosting named M.T. Graves! So until next time read a comic or three, watch a superhero film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. Oh and I am not sure who did the art below of M.T. Grave but I have to say great work!