Mythology Gods: Zeus

Posted on December 24, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Merry Christmas Eve! And welcome back to Rotten Ink, and man is it just me or did 2024 just seem to fly by as it’s crazy to think that tomorrow is Christmas and that Santa Claus is on his way! So you younger readers make sure to leave out some milk and cookies and get to bed early, oh and asked a loved one to read you The Night Before Christmas to help you drift off to slumber. And now to what this holiday update will be about and it will also be one that will be a fast and entertaining read as we will be talking about the Greek God Zeus! That’s right nothing says Christmas like Zeus the God Of Thunder, who was the King of the Gods when it comes to Greek Mythology…wait, you don’t think of Zeus around this time of the year? Well I do, as Christmas time is that time I think back to the stuff that I enjoyed when growing up and mythology was something I loved to read about. So with that, let’s grab some lightning bolt shaped cookies and a tall cold glass of milk and sit around the fireplace and chat about the one and only Zeus!

Zeus is The God Of Thunder and is one of the most powerful of the Gods in Greek mythology as he led his brothers and sisters into battle to bring down the Titans who had tormented them as well as mankind. He also was the first to survive his father Cronus’ hunger for eating his own offspring so that they could never challenge him for his throne, as he was a Titan who was cruel but Zeus is able to defeat him as well as free his brothers and sisters that had been eaten alive when they were just infants. And from that moment on, Zeus became the King Of The Gods and would rule both his fellow Gods and Mankind with an iron fist as he was truly one that demanded respect. Zeus and his fellow Gods would sit atop Mount Olympus in Greece and would watch over the people and as well would look for the tributes given to them from the mortals. And during this time when thunderstorms would come to the area they would think that it was Zeus who was doing this as he was angry with them or was in battle. As time would pass Zeus would start to lose his worshipers and other religions would enter the area and become the main source for mankind to follow with Christianity and Islam being the two big ones, and Zeus and his fellow Gods would find themselves being viewed as myths and legends and would fade away from minds and would become stories told around fires, heroes in books and later movies and shows and their statues and shrines would be art in museums. Even Mount Olympus is now a tourist attraction in Greece that thousands of tourist visit every year. But while it is a smaller group, now Zeus does have cults that still follow and worship him, and that is one thing about Zeus while his reign has long came to an end he still has those who follow him and his ways of ruling.

When I think of Zeus when it comes to movies and TV, a few names come to mind with the first being Anthony Quinn who played him in the hit TV Show “Hercules The Legendary Journeys” and the made for TV films that aired before it became a full series. He was sauvé, a prankster and a ladies man and for some reason I think he is my favorite version of Zeus in media. I remember being very disappointed when Toy Biz never released a Zeus figure in their action figure line based on the show. Some of my other favorites include Laurence Olivier who played Zeus in the 1981 film “Clash Of The Titans”. Rip Torn, who lent his voice to play Zeus in the 1997 Disney animated film “Hercules”. Claudio Cassinelli who played Zeus in the Lou Ferrigno films “Hercules” and it’s sequel “The Adventures Of Hercules”. And I also have to say I enjoyed Russell Crowe who played Zeus in the 2022 Marvel movie “Thor: Love And Thunder”. I will say that it’s odd that back in the day of the sword and sandal film boom of the 1950’s -1960’s that no film that stared Zeus as the main hero was made, and in fact I cannot think of one film or show that has Zeus as the main hero…odd. So if you are an indie filmmaker and are making films about Greek gods, make one about Zeus as I am sure I am not the only one in the world who would enjoy it.

Zeus has always been interesting to me as growing up I was a big fan of Greek mythology and can remember checking out books at the local library to read as well as would watch any classic film that featured the likes of Hercules, Zeus and all the others. And it makes you wonder what it was like in the time of his rule in Greece and just how people lived in the fear of his wrath or felt safe under his watch, and it would have been amazing to see all the shrines to all the different Gods in the villages all around…it must have been something to see. But as I said, I am going to make this update a fast one so I think we should get to the review part of our Christmas Eve Holiday update. First I would like to thank Amazon for having this graphic novel comic in stock and making this update possible. I would also like to 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, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s head to the top of Mount Olympus and see what Zeus has in store for us.

Olympians: Zeus # 1 **1/2
Released in 2010 Cover Price $12.99 First Second # 1 of 12

Mother Earth Gaia took Ouranos the sky as her lover and husband and together they birthed the Titans who would go to run the Earth and those who lived on it. Kronos, was the youngest of the Titans and is also the one to took down his own father, imprisoned his Cyclops brothers in the dark ground and truly became the King Of The Gods at his time. Kronos would take the Titan Rhea as his wife and they would have a total of six kids together with Kronos eating five of them whole and eating a stone wrapped as a baby for the sixth as his younger son Zeus was hidden away by Rhea and Gaia to live in a cave. You see Gaia was upset about Kronos for defeating his father, imprisoning his brothers and of course eating his own offspring as it is said that they would be the ones to bring Kronos’s rule to an end and he could not stand for this. Zeus grows up and has great powers including the ability to change into any animal and is given a plan by Gaia in order to free his brothers and sisters from the belly of his father by making him eat a special plant, and with the help of his lover Metis they pull this off! Now out of his stomach the Gods are Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hades and Hestia and they join Zeus in a war against the Titans in order to be the new rulers and Gods of Earth and even Gaia herself tries to still help Zeus in his war by sending him to free the Cyclops, but before he can do that, he has to kill the dragon Kampe. Zeus along with his brother, sisters and uncles the Cyclops have a final battle against the Titans where Zeus defeats them by using his new powers of Thunder and Lighting to take down Kronos for good. Once Zeus gets the power and the title King Of The Gods he marries his sister Hera, imprisons his uncles the Cyclops again and enjoys his Kingdom and the powers he now holds…but his grandmother Gaia is not happy with his actions.

So as you can see, this comic about Zeus features his birth to defeating his father in battle to claim the Earth as his own to rule over, and it’s done in a fast way that brings in elements of superhero comics as well as tries to do it’s best to make it more interesting for younger readers. Zeus from the start of the issue is showcased more as a hero who was tasked with being the offspring of Kronos that would end his cruel rule over the Earth as well as would be the one to free his bothers, sisters and uncles from the cruel imprisonment that was holding them. Zeus once grown up is a true ladies man and is learning how to use his new powers that changing into any animal, being indestructible and later learning how to use lightning bolts and thunder as weapons. We also see that Zeus is a great leader who takes control and is able to get his brother and sisters to work together, but we also see that once Zeus gets power he is no better than his father in some aspects as he continues to imprison his uncles and rules over mankind with an iron first and makes them fear him at times. It’s also clear that he was built to be The King by his Grandmother Gaia, only to disrespect her by killing off some of her children and as well treating other of her children with disrespect. The main villain of this comic is of course Kronos who was a Titan that was cruel and would not only treat his own offspring bad but also truly scared the hell of humans, and would eat them as well as offerings that were given to him in order not to be eaten! And even when the odds are against him and his fellow Titans Kronos still has a massive ego! The final fight between Zeus and Kronos really does feel like a battle in a superhero comic from DC or Marvel and that is why I have to say Greek Mythology is so cool and like the creator of this comic George O’Connor says these really are like the original superheroes. The cover for this graphic novel comic is ok and pretty eye catching as it shows Zeus raging with lightning all around him and the interior art is done by George O’Connor and is pretty cool, not the style of comic art I like but I can still respect it. While this is a very fun read I do wish that it would have dove a little deeper into the legacy of Zeus as truly this issue only covers his battle with his father and ends with he and his siblings taken control of the Earth and teaching humans how to take care of themselves. But to be fair to this comic as well it is also geared toward young readers as well, so George clearly did not want to dive to deep into the more mean side of Zeus. Check out the artwork below to see the style O’Connor used in this comic. To sum this up, if you want a read a comic based on the early life of Zeus that is for young and older readers give this a read.

This was such a fun update to do and if you want to learn more about Zeus as well as the other Greek Gods make sure to head to your local library and check out some books on the subject, or you could also look up their legends and tales here on the net. And I think that in the future I might do a few more of these Olympians graphic novels for updates, as this was a fun one to do. I also hope that you enjoyed this faster paced update as I think when I cover more of the Greek Gods in the future they will be done in this format. And I have to say a big Thank You for spending a small part of your Christmas Eve here at Rotten Ink with me and I hope that you have a great and safe Holiday Season and an amazing Christmas day. I also would like to let you know that our next update will be my Countdown for Films I have seen in the Cinema in 2024 and will be the first update in 2025! So until next time read a comic or three, watch a Christmas film or two and as always spend some time with your loved ones. See you soon as we need to talk Cinema and I am looking forward to sharing my Horror Movie Countdown! Oh and I have to say Merry Christmas!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1956)

Posted on June 16, 2019 by bloodlinematt

The Hunchback Of Notre Dame is one of the oldest movie monsters in the world of cinema, only behind the likes of Frankenstein’s Monster, Vampires and Witches to name a few. Over the years, many amazing films have been made about his deeds to save a young gypsy from the crooked arms of the law and church with the most popular being the 1923 version starring Lon Chaney Sr. as Quasimodo aka the Hunchback. But one of the most respected versions of the film came in 1956 and was a French and Italian production that brought together actors Anthony Quinn and Gina Lollobrigida as the main leads. And with this version came a very cool comic book adaptation done by Dell Comics in order to promote the movie and make a few coins while selling copies. And with this we will be having a “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update all about this amazing film! I should also remind, and I am sure most of you never forget, that all the films based on the Hunchback of Notre Dame are based on the 1831 novel of the same name written by Victor Hugo. So if you’re ready let’s take a look at one of the world’s most classic movie monsters who in fact is no monster at all, it’s the cruel people around him that are the true monsters!

Before we take a look at the 1956 production we should come to understand the misunderstood “monster” of the film Quasimodo and the ways he deals with those who are evil and cruel. Quasimodo in this version is simple minded with his speech being bad. He has some strength and is easily told what to do by those he trusts. His means of dealing with people who stand in his friends’ or his way is the following: his appearance is deformed and it seems to shock those who look at him causing hysterics, he uses large stones, wood beams and even hot boiling metal that he drops from high above his Church home! He also will use his bare hands to throw humans off the roofs as well. Quasimodo also can use this knowledge of the Church itself to his advantage when it comes to fighting off his enemies. He also has a very high tolerance for pain making him very hard for people to hurt. But Quasimodo does have weaknesses as he is a normal man who can easily have his feelings hurt and can be killed with any manner of weapons like a sword or arrow. He is also very easy to confuse, and if you are a beautiful woman, he can be controlled and tricked. While Quasimodo might not be the most powerful nor even the most deadly we have covered on a From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update, he is one that is a force to be tangled with when he thinks those he cares about are in danger.

So as you can see, Quasimodo in this version is not super bloodthirsty unless you mess with the love of his life and then he would attack like a savage. But now that he have looked at the Hunchback Of Notre Dame himself we should now dive into the film he is from and chat about it. As always I will be taking the film’s write up from our pals at IMDB and it will be followed by some production chat and then some brief memories and thoughts I have on the film. So I hear some bells ringing in the distance so I think that’s our cue to take a look at the 1956 version of Hunchback Of Notre Dame!

The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1956)

“Paris, 1482. Today is the festival of the fools, taking place like each year in the square outside Cathedral Notre Dame. Among jugglers and other entertainers, Esmeralda, a sensuous gypsy, performs a bewitching dance in front of delighted spectators. From up in a tower of the cathedral, Frollo, an alchemist, gazes at her lustfully. Later in the night, Frollo orders Quasimodo, the deformed bell ringer and his faithful servant, to kidnap Esmeralda. But when the ugly freak comes close to her is touched by the young woman’s beauty.”

Producers Raymond Hakim and Robert Hakim teamed up with director Jean Delannoy to bring the Victor Hugo story Hunchback Of Notre Dame to cinemas for the first time in color! The film was an Italian and French production, and it followed a very sword and sandal style of filming as those films were very popular at the time. The film’s two leads Anthony Quinn and Gina Lollobrigida were the only two who spoke English and the rest of the cast all spoke French and were dubbed over to play western theaters. The film’s production was for the most part pretty smooth, and the budget of the film was $1 million dollars. The film brought in $2.25 million in the US making it a success for distributer Allied Artist Pictures. The film was also the first to more closely follow the novel and has the character Esmeralda die in the tragic ending. Anthony Quinn who played Quasimodo is also known for being in such classic films as Lawrence Of Arabia, Last Action Hero and Avenging Angelo to name a very few and was on TV shows like Hercules And The Legendary Journeys and the Cosby Show. While the lovely Gina Lollobrigida is known for her roles in films like Beat The Devil and Death Laid An Egg. The film is well respected by film critics as well as film lovers and is truly a well made film.

I first saw this film when I was a youngster and it was on regular TV and can remember enjoying it as I have always been a fan of the tale of the Hunchback as he is truly a misunderstood man who people think a fool and a monster. I can still see in my mind the bright colors of this film and can remember thinking even as a kid that Gina Lollobrigida looked beautiful. And while I enjoyed this film, I never did own it until 2018 when I ordered it on DVD from Ebay…and that’s shocking as I have collected Horror Movies on VHS and DVD/Blu-Ray for many years and am a true sucker for classic monsters. And to be honest, I know why I didn’t own this film and just recently re-watched it after all these years and that’s because I forgot all about it as the film oddly fell out of the light and was not shown on cable nor was the home media release easy to get. The one thing that always stuck out to me about this film was the fact that the horror aspects are very much downplayed and the drama is turned up on high, not to mention even the look of Quasimodo is downplayed with less deformities and even his back is not as humped like in other film adaptations and is more just curved. But while the film is by no means scary, it is a great watch and is another great film released about the world’s favorite bell ringer. There’s not much more to say about this film besides if you have an extra 2 hours and enjoy the Hunchback, I recommend checking this one out.

We are now at the point of this From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update where we will talk about the comic adaptation of the film. This one was done by Dell Comics as part of their Four Color comic series that featured fun comics based on not only movies but also TV shows and cartoons. I want to thank an Ebay seller for having this comic in stock and making this update possible as well as my gal Juliet who ordered this comic for me. And before the bells start ringing, I want to remind you that I will be grading this comic on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the issue stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So let’s join Quasimodo and see if this comic captures the magic of the film.

The Hunchback Of Notre Dame # 1 **1/2
Released in 1957 Cover Price .10 Dell Comics # 854 of 1354

It’s the Feast Of Fools in Paris, and the town’s people of Notre Dame are drunk and rowdy and are even ruining the play done by Pierre Gringoire. When it comes to picking the King Of Fools, they disturb Church Archdeacon Claude Frollo with their noisy ways and he sends hunchbacked, deaf and deformed Quasimodo to ruin the throne. During the celebration, gypsy Esmeralda and her pet goat Djali are singing and dancing in the town square and has captured the attention of all the males in the crowd as she is beautiful. And then comes the time to choose the King Of Fools, an honor given to the ugliest man in Paris, and thanks to Esmeralda the crown goes to Quasimodo who soaks up all the attention. But as always, the stick in the mud Claude Frollo orders Quasimodo to follow him and wants him to kidnap Esmeralda and bring her to the church! But as Quasimodo does what he is ordered, he is stopped and captured by the King’s guards lead by Captain Phoebus who leads Esmeralda away where the two hit it off before Esmeralda runs off into the night. Meanwhile poor poet and play writer Pierre Gringoire is mugged and set to be hung by the gypsies but is saved by Esmeralda who agrees to take him as a husband for four years. The next day Claude is visited by the King who wants the Archdeacon to use alchemy to make gold as Paris needed more riches, after they talk they watch as Quasimodo is whipped and is shown mercy by Esmeralda who gives him water. And later that night the soon to be married Captain Phoebus meets Esmeralda at an inn, little do they know they are being watched by Archdeacon Claude who has as well fallen in love with the gypsy girl and he uses her own dagger to sneak and stab Phoebus in the back leaving her under arrest and the Captain shamed for cheating on his fiancé. The next day Esmeralda is tortured to confess she is a witch and is set to be hung, but Quasimodo saves her and brings her into the church where she is safe from the laws of man. While in the church, Quasimodo and Esmeralda become friends and she learns that Archdeacon Claude is a cruel man who wants her dead for she does not return his feelings of love and has convinced the King to go into the church and remove Esmeralda to pay for her crimes. When news spreads, the Gypsy rush the church to save her and are attacked by Quasimodo who believes they are there to hurt her. In the end the Kings men show up and kill Esmeralda with an arrow! Quasimodo in a rage throws Archdeacon Claude from the top church window ending this sad tale.

This Dell Comic Four Colors issue does its best to try and cram an almost two hour movie into pages of a comic book. The main story is intact with Quasimodo falling in love with Esmeralda and wanting to protect her because she also showed him compassion when he was in need of help and a friend. But many moments from the film are missing like the build up of Captain Phoebus healing from his stabbing and turning his back fully on Esmeralda when she asks for him to meet her at the church. It also changes the ending and does not have Quasimodo going to the crypt where Esmeralda’s body is and dying next to her of sadness. It also has Archdeacon Claude begging not to be thrown from the church, but in the movie, he embraces his death and does not say a word as he wanted to die. One other change this comic makes is that Quasimodo uses his fists and punches lots of people in the face and uses brute strength. So while it has most of the core of the film, it does change lots making it feel a little off as far as a full adaptation, but it is a great read for fans of the story and the 1956 feature. Quasimodo in this comic is a man with a big heart who allows love to guide him to do what’s right. The sad part is he knows he is “ugly” and the people of town treat him really badly and tease and mock him. Esmeralda is a gypsy who everyone loves as she as well has a big heart and is stunning to look at and wants to always do the right thing. Her only flaw is how good looking she is as she gets the attention of a Hunchback, a Captain, a Poet and an Archdeacon, and this becomes her downfall. Archdeacon Claude Frollo is a man of not only the church but also science who is not a good person as he would rather a woman he has a crush on die than to not return his feelings and be his. This comic has a few moments of violence but is bloodless and really feels like a Drama/History/Horror story with the latter being the most down played. The cover for this comic is a photo from the movie and is pretty cool and eye catching for fans of the film. The interior art is done by an unknown artist and is pretty good classic 60’s style art and very loosely looks like the actors from the film. Over all this is a cool comic based around one of cinemas classic movie monsters. Check out the art below to see how this comic looks.

So while Hunchback Of Notre Dame from 1956 might be more drama than horror, it’s still a very cool film based on a classic monster movie character that spawned a comic book from those crazy folks at Dell. And while Quasimodo aka The Hunchback Of The Notre Dame might not be as brutal as Uber Jason from Jason X, as silent and deadly as Michael Myers from Halloween or even as menacing as Tall Man from Phantasm, he still has the skills to kill, and while he is not a bad guy, he is a killer. For our next update, we are leaving the world of Horror and Notre Dame far behind and heading toward the world of DC Comics to take a look at another hero they barely use as a main character, and that’s The Atom! So until next time, read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next time for a micro hero good time.