The Miserable Married Couple Named The Lockhorns!

Posted on February 2, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. As you can see, breakfast is on the table, and the Rotten Funnies are open. Today I think we will be taking a look at The Lockhorns, a comic strip that I can remember in the paper when I was a kid in the Dayton Daily News Funnie Pages, and while not one of my favorite strips, it was one that I found entertaining from time to time. And who doesn’t enjoy a married couple’s antics of going back and fourth at each other due to them being at odds? With that let’s grab another cup of coffee, and let’s get ready to chat about The Lockhorns and their creator Bill Hoest for this flashback to the glory days of the Sunday Funnies.

Bill Hoest was born on February 7, 1926 in Newark, New Jersey, and in his early life he would join the Navy for two years before starting his art career for Norcross Greeting Cards as he would design greeting cards for them starting in 1948 until 1951 when he would try his hand at becoming a freelancer and would get cartoons published in Playboy and The Saturday Evening Post among a few others. He would then enter the comic strip world in 1960 with his first strip being “My Son John” for the Chicago Tribune, and it would last until 1962. He would join the comic strip “Penny” created by Harry Haenigsen and would end up taking up most of the strip after a 1965 accident left Haenigsen not able to draw, but the creator would make sure to supervise each and every strip. In 1967 he would be one of many cartoonist to be features on the “Think Small” promotional book given away by Volkswagen dealers that featured cartoons showcasing the car. In 1968 while still working on Penny, he would create his biggest comic strip “The Lockhorns” that started as a single panel and would become a full strip in 1972. In 1974 he would create the car themed strip “Bumper Snickers” for National Enquirer; he would also create “Agatha Crumm” a long running strip that would run from 1977 to 1996. In 1979 he was hired by Parade to be the cartoon editor, and he created “Laugh Parade” bring together many different comic strips. In 1987 he would co-create the comic strip “What A Guy!” with John Reiner and that strip would also run until 1996. During his time as a comic strip creator, he would win the Nation Cartoonist Society a total of three times years being 1976, 1977 and 1980. And he would also become the President of the National Cartoonist Society, a position he would hold up until his death. Bill Hoest would pass away on November 7, 1988 at the age of 62 of lymphoma. While Bill Hoest is gone, his legacy of comic strips and creativity lives on.

I will take a moment to introduce the characters of The Lockhorns here as some of you readers may not know who they are in these modern times, and you should get to know them before we get into the paperback novel review. Leroy Lockhorn is the husband who is balding, drinks lots, enjoys looking at the ladies, playing golf and has a very short temper and enjoys arguing with his wife. Loretta Lockhorn is the wife, and she is a terrible cook, a bad driver, is handy around the house and is annoyed about her husband who she thinks is lazy once home. But while they argue and fight with each other, it’s clear that they both really do love each other. Other side characters in The Lockhorns universe include Dr. Pullman, who is the couples marriage counselor, Arthur is the bartender at Leroy’s favorite bar and lastly we also have Loretta’s Mother who comes around for the holidays and is a pain in Leroy’s neck. Say what you will, but Leroy and Loretta Lockhorn are true icons of comic strips and have made Sunday Mornings a little more fun for paper readers over the years.

So now that we have talked about The Lockhorns and their creator, I think that it’s time we take a drink of our coffee and get to the review part of this update. I would like to thank Game Swap Kettering for having this paperback in stock and making this update possible. I want to remind you 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, its entertainment value and its art and story. So let’s go visit The Lockhorns and see what this crazy married couple is up to.

The Lockhorns PB ***
Released In 1988 Cover Price $1.95 TOR # ? of ?

Much like all these comic strip paperback books, they feature one page jokes so it makes it very hard to cover for these reviews, so like always I will pick 10 of my favorite gags from this book and give you a taste of the style of humor used in The Lockhorns and again in no real order. # 1 Loretta is choking Leroy in the office of their marriage counselor who informs her to loosen her grip a little so at least her husband can apologize. # 2 Leroy is opening a gift from Loretta’s mom and it’s a noose, and Loretta informs him her mother sent him a necktie. # 3 The Lockhorns are walking past the local movie theater and the film showing is called “Mother In-Law” and Leroy tells his wife that he doesn’t like horror movies. # 4 Leroy returns home with a bottle of milk in one hand and his other arm around a beautiful young woman, and he informs his wife that she is the one who said to pick up the milk and anything else he liked. # 5 The Lockhorns have guests over for dinner and Leroy is in the kitchen with Loretta reminding her that she forgot to bring the steak knives out for the mash potatoes! # 6 The Lockhorns are at a movie and on the screen a man is down on one knee purposing to his lady and in the theater Leroy is standing up in anger screaming how the man is a fool! # 7 Leroy is flat on his back and looks dazed as a cup of coffee is on the table in front of him and his wife is asking if the coffee was to strong. # 8 A doctor enters a room at the hospital and Leroy is at the beside of a pretty woman, and the doctor is questioning why he is not at his wives beside. # 9 The Lockhorns are looking at a Man-Eating plant and Leroy is whispering to the salesman if it would also eat women? #10 Leroy is sick and is on the golf course telling a fellow golfer that he was to sick to go to work and to sick to be at home so this was the place for him while ill.

I really enjoyed this book, and it brought me back to my youth when I would read the Sunday Funnies and The Lockhorns was one of the comic strips that brought me entertainment while eating breakfast. The Lockhorns are a married couple who are clearly in love with one another, but almost seem to love to be at odds as well as they pick fights with each other and always seem to have a sarcastic comeback during arguments. That is the odd thing about this comic strip, it’s mostly about married life and yet it was popular with not only adults but also kids and that’s weird as how many kids did you know growing up that thought bills, day jobs and domestic fighting was funny? But while many of the topics are more geared toward married couples, it somehow just worked to bring laughs and chuckles from many readers as the couple are just good people who are dealing with real issues that a long time married couple could fac,e and this is why I think the older readers really could and do connect with these characters. This paperback does a good job of mixing up the style and punch lines of the humor up not to make it come off stale and that is why I find it to be a good solid read for fans who not only enjoy The Lockhorns but also who enjoy comic strips in general. The artwork by Bill Hoest is good stuff and really does have that classic style that one thinks of when comic strips come to mind. Over all this is a good paperback and is worth tracking down and reading if you are a fan. Also check out the artwork below to see they style and jokes used in this strip.

The Longhorns is a comic strip that is still going as of this update’s posting and remains a well loved strip that many readers look forward to every week. And like other comic strip paperback books I have covered, this was lots of fun to read and relive that classic youth feeling of reading these styles of strips every week. And what is also very cool about these comic strips like The Longhorns is they make for fun and quick updates that I have been enjoy writing and it seems you have enjoyed reading! But for now breakfast is over and its time to fold up the Rotten Funnies as it’s time for me to tell you want the next update is going to be as it will take us to Witch Mountain as we take a look at the comic adaptation of the Disney kid sci-fi semi horror film Escape To Witch Mountain! So until next time, read a comic of three, watch a film or two and as always support your local horror host! See you next update as we will watch the skies over that spooky old Witch Mountain.

Red Ryder: The Master Of The BB Gun

Posted on March 23, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. As you can see, we are now at the final update for Cowboy Month 2024, and I think that today’s western topic is very iconic and has a huge legacy behind him for many decades now as his name is all over the most purchased BB gun in history. I am sure you know by now I am talking about Red Ryder, the cowboy hero that has been the star of comic strips, films, radio and merchandise. This has been an update that I have wanted to do for many years now as Red Ryder was still kind of popular with kids my age growing up in the 1980’s and 1990’s mostly thanks to one holiday movie that we will talk about a little later on. So with that introduction, let’s grab some Frito corn chips, a bowl of chili and our trusty BB guns as it’s time to hit the planes with Red Ryder and his buddy Little Beaver.

Fred Harman was a real life cowboy and a great artist who worked not only on paintings, for Disney’s animation, but also started working as a comic strip artist, and in 1933 he created the western strip called “Bronc Peeler” that was a self syndicated project that ran until 1938. And in 1938, while Harman was trying to find newspapers to run the Bronc Peeler strip, he met Stephen Slesinger who was at the time looking for an artist to work on a strip he was writing called Red Ryder that was a western comic and the two hit it off and started working on it together. Even efore it was published in papers, they knew they had something special and lots of other great ideas were put into action to promote the strip and most importantly the character. They had movies, public appearances, radio shows and novelty items in place to help get Red Ryder as one of the most popular comic strip characters ever. The comic strip would be syndicated by Newspaper Enterprise Association and would be run in many papers and would be the most popular western comic strip of all time and proved that doing multi media for your character can grow and make them even more important in pop culture. The strip would run until 1965 and truly was a very iconic strip as the young and young at heart enjoyed reading the western adventures of Red Ryder and his friend Little Beaver as they fought for what was right around their home at the Painted Valley Ranch. And this was just a very quick crash course on the history of Red Ryder, and we will get into the character and the things he spawned a little later in this update. But I am sure most of you reading this update know the name Red Ryder one way or another.

Red Ryder is a cowboy who lives on Painted Valley Ranch along with his trusty horse Thunder as well as his aunt Duchess. Also on the ranch are Red’s sidekick the Native American youngster named Little Beaver and his horse Papoose. Red is also a very skilled rider as well as a great shooter and has a lovely girlfriend named Beth Wilder. Red Ryder is a fighter for what he finds to be right and is always brave and caring to those who cannot protect themselves or are being cheated. His main two rivals are Ace Hanlon and Buckskin Blodgett, both whom of Red has had many run in’s with over the years. Red is most skilled with his six-shooter but also talented with a rifle and is well respected by the townspeople and those he helps. In other words, Red Ryder is your typical Western Hero from this era and was just so well written and drawn that he was destined to be a pop culture icon in America.

Daisy Outdoor Products started in 1882 out of Michigan and was the leader in making airguns as well as BB Guns, and in 1940 they would team with the creative minds behind the comic strip Red Ryder to make a line of BB Guns that would carry the Red Ryder name and be marketed towards young males, as it was used to teach them how to safely handle a firearm as well as learn to shoot at a young age. The Red Ryder BB Gun was a very popular seller and would have big ad campaigns in magazines as well as comic books with the store displays featuring Red Ryder and Little Beaver and would go on to be Daisy’s top seller even to this day as they are being made even though the Red Ryder comic strip ended in 1963. And what is crazy to think is that the Red Ryder BB Gun is also very popular among adults now who grew up with them and on Daisy’s official website they sell starter kits, targets and all the Red Ryder BB gun rifles and accessories you could ever need. Growing up, we always had a Daisy BB gun in the garage but sadly it was not the Red Ryder brand, and I can remember sneaking and firing it at the ground. Now as an adult I have found myself wanting to get a Red Ryder BB Gun and might just get one sooner than later…even though I have heard that the quality of the BB Gun is not as great as they use to be.

Red Ryder was a superstar when it came to comic strips and even radio shows, but he also made an impact in the world of cinema as he had a total of 27 films as well as serials that would air at the local theaters. The first 12-chapter film serial was called “The Adventures Of Red Ryder” and was released in 1940 with the final film in the Republic Pictures coming out in 1947 and was called “Marshal Of Cripple Creek” and after that Eagle-Lion Films would take up production of Red Ryder films and would make a total of four with their final film being the 1950 film “The Cowboy And The Prizefighter”. Red Ryder would also try to make is way onto TV with three pilot attempts that just for some reason did not stick with television watchers. Over the years such actors have played the role of Red Ryder and those names are Don “Red” Barry, Jim Bannon, Wild Bill Elliot and Allan Lane. These films were very popular at the time of release as Red Ryder was a household name and the idol for many of youngsters. The films over the years can now be found on home media from VHS to DVD and some can also be viewed on YouTube. I myself own a few of these Red Ryder films on DVD and they are very enjoyable if you like classic style cheesy westerns.

The Red Ryder BB gun was one of the most popular style of BB guns in all of America when it was introduced to the market in 1940 and is still being made to this day by the Daisy Outdoor Products. And in 1983 the BB gun got even more of a bust and became a must have item for kids after it was the ultimate Christmas gift for Ralphie Parker in the film “A Christmas Story” and because of this film the phrase “You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out.” became a way for parents to tell kids no. In the film Ralphie really wants a Red Ryder BB gun and even has daydreams of using it to save his parents and brothers from outlaws and is looking forward to shooting targets in his backyard. And the crazy part is that the BB gun made for the film was custom and would not get made closer to it until 2020. And when you look back at it back in the day BB gun rifles were a very popular item for young boys to get for Christmas and while they have lost a little steam now they still remain a popular item for households. And you know that still to this day when kids watch A Christmas Story, they ask their parents for a Red Ryder!

Red Ryder over the decades has had all types of merchandise for his fans to collect and many of the vintage stuff is super collectible and can fetch high prices. Stuff that Red Ryder has graced over the years besides the BB gun and comics include coloring books, cups, toys, posters, standees, trading cards, pocket knives, books, home media and shirts to name a few! And over the years I have not sadly had much in the ways of merchandise of Red Ryder besides a pocket knife as well as some of the comics and films on DVD. One day soon I do plan on getting a Red Ryder BB Gun just for the fun of having it. But say what you will about Red Ryder and his creators but one thing is for sure they knew how to market him.

So as you can see, I would say next to Lone Ranger I would say Red Ryder is the second most iconic cowboy that came from the pages of comics, radio, movies and shows. And now I think its time that we take a look at one of the comic books that was released that collect some of his comic strip adventures. And I would like to thank Bell Book And Comic for having this 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 on down to the Painted Valley Ranch and see what Red Ryder is up to.

Red Ryder # 1 ***
Released in 1989 Cover Price .10 Red Ryder # 1 of 1

Red Ryder and Little Beaver come across The Devil Hole Gang who are trying to rob the stagecoach and they have already killed the driver and are about to Beth Wilder when Red scares them off and with the help of some near by miners the gang leaves empty handed. Red and Beaver escort Beth into the lawless town of Devils Hole and meet Ace Hanlon who runs the town and hires Red to be the new sheriff as all the others have been killed. Once Red is sworn in as sheriff he punches out Ace in front of the town as the corrupt man was pushing around Little Beaver, and this causes Ace to get his friend Lash to get the Devil’s Hole Gang to come after Red and they come up with a plan to take over the gold mine of Jack Adams and his father Ben and once Red gets there they plan on using gun powder to blow up the cabin…and they do just that! But unknown to them Red Ryder, Little Beaver, Jack and Ben all made it safely inside the mine and out of the range of the explosion. Red the next day gets to town and orders all of the Devil’s Hole gang to leave town for good, and this makes Ace really mad and he comes up with a plan that has the town people think that Red Ryder robbed the towns bank and killed the teller and this goes off smoothly as the town wants to hang Red who barely escapes in time. But things get bad when Ace captures Little Beaver and starts beating him up to try and get answers, Red rushes back to town and saves his friend and they both head to the hideout of the gang in order to try and clear Red’s name. But Ace gets a posse together and they track Red down who tells his side of the story and exposes Ace as the leader of the gang and the one who gave the orders to rob the bank and kill the teller…and after some back and fourth and evidence found Ace and his men are locked up and Red Ryder’s name is clear of all charges.

What a fun read and you cannot beat that classic western feel as the story is very basic as has a happy ending for our hero. The plot is this Red Ryder stops a robbery in progress and helps a pretty young lady back to her hometown that is over run with corruption and quickly becomes the towns new sheriff and tries his best to ride the town of crime and criminals and becomes the target of the towns crime shot caller…and after being framed he is able to clear his name and bring all the baddies to justice. Red Ryder is a hero who stands up for not only what he thinks is right but also for those who can’t protect themselves, he is very smart and skilled in fighting as well as shooting (sadly we don’t get to see him use his gun). He is also one who does not run away from issues and will come up with a good game plan in order to seek the finish of what he starts. The ladies also seem to really like him and the criminals all seem to want to see him dead. His friend the young Native American named Little Beaver tries to help the best he can but also at times seems to be in the way and cause issues for Red like he always seems to be getting captured or bullied by someone. But you can look past that as his young age makes him make some real rookie mistakes, but to be fair he does also help out lots like getting help when needed as well as listening to the enemy’s plans. The main villain of this issue is the rich and sleazy Ace Hanlon who plays the town like fools and is the one truly calling the shots for the Devil’s Hole Gang, as he gives orders not only to rob places but also to murder people that are in his way or just to be used as a tool in his plots. Ace also is racist against Native Americans and is just a pure scumbag character, the kind you just want to punch in the face. The plot while simple does draw you in as the reader as you go along the ride as Red cleans up the town, gets framed and hunted by the town to by the end getting the full respect of the town. I also like how Red Ryder just enters a town and becomes the sheriff and from the start is making changes and knocking out baddies. The one downside to this issue is that it is a reprint and some of the scan quality is a little rough as dialogue boxes are fuzzy and the words are small…making for a semi challenging read if you are not in a bright enough room. The cover is great and very eye catching if you are a Red Ryder or western fan and the interior art by Fred Harman and is amazing classic comic strip work and you have to love the way he draws the wild west. Over all this was a very fun read and while the scans had some issues the story made up for it. Checkout the artwork bellow to see the style used by Fred Harman for this comic strip comic reprint.

As you can see, Red Ryder really is a fantastic comic strip character and is a true icon in American Pop Culture and I for one am really happy that I was able to get this comic and make this update possible as covering Red Ryder was long overdue. And with this update Cowboy Month 2024 also comes to an end and that means our time at the Rotten Ink Ranch as well has came to an end and before he head out of the range I should let you know that next month with find us at the Rotten Ink Arena as WWE Wrestlemania Month will once more be taking place and our first wrestler will be Lucha Libre Legend La Parka! So until next time, read a comic or three, watch a western film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update as the Chairman of WCW has lots of Lucha Stuff to show us.

That Giant Angry Dog Called Marmaduke

Posted on February 22, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. As you can see, the Sunday newspaper has been delivered and that means it’s time to once more give the Rotten Funnies a read. For this update I have decided that it’s time we chat about that giant dog Marmaduke as this update is long overdue. Do you remember sitting at the table as breakfast was being made; your dad read the sports page as you kids were reading the funnies. I have good memories of that and then having breakfast of eggs, sausage and milk while talking about what Garfield or Charlie Brown were doing that morning. There’s just something very special about reading the funnies on Sunday Mornings, and I fear that this is a joy that has been lost to today’s youth as print newspapers themselves are not as common in households. But let’s not think about that, and let’s pour ourselves more milk, coffee or OJ and talk about the silly antics of the one and only Marmaduke!

Brad Anderson was the artist and writer behind the comic strip Marmaduke that started in 1954 and was a syndicated strip that was sold to National Newspaper Syndicate which allowed it to be seen all over America in newspapers. Brad Anderson was born on May 14, 1924 in Jamestown, New York and served in the Navy allowing him to attend Syracuse University as well as work on cartoons for several Navy publications. In 1951 he graduated college with a B.F.A in Fine Arts and a major in advertising. After working a few years in advertising he found his true love and that was cartooning for magazines and papers and his career in that started in 1953 and from 1954 to 1966, he worked on his first big comic strip called “Grandpa’s Boy.” In 1954 his biggest and most iconic strip also started up and that was Marmaduke, about a big Great Dane and the family he belonged to. Anderson claims that his ideas for the strips would be based on some of his favorite antics from comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. Anderson would also work alongside Phil Leeming from 1955-1962, Dorothy Leeming from 1963-1969 and his own son Paul Anderson starting in 2015 on the comic strip that became very popular with readers. Over the years Brad Anderson would win a National Cartoonists Society Reuben Award in 1978 and a Pioneer Medal from Syracuse University in 1999. Sadly Brad Anderson would pass away on August 30, 2015 at the age of 91 from congestive heart failure, and while he is gone, his work lives on as his son Paul keeps Marmaduke alive and the comic strip still is printed in newspapers across America. I should also note that Marmaduke got a feature length movie in 2010 that starred Judy Greer, Lee Pace, Emma Stone, George Lopez, Kiefer Sutherland, Fergie and Owen Wilson as the voice of Marmaduke. Plus let’s not forget he also had a cartoon series alongside Heathcliff!

Now let’s talk about the characters that make up the Marmaduke universe! First let’s talk about the Winslow Family that has the father Phil, who is a good natured hard working man who loves his family as well as his pet dog, even if the latter can drive him crazy! The mother is Debbie, who is as well very loving and caring to her family and can even send Marmaduke on missions to get or protect the kids. Speaking of the Winslow kids, you have Barbie and Billy two good kids who like all kids get into mischief and much of the time Marmaduke is along for the ride keeping them safe. Marmaduke is a very large Great Dane. While his size and sometimes his attitude can be scary, he is really very lovable and loyal to the Winslow Family. Other major characters in the comic strip are The Snyders, the next door neighbors of the Winslow’s who are annoyed by the antics of Marmaduke, and King Tut, a Siamese cat who is often annoying and bugging Marmaduke, and acts as the dog’s enemy in the strips he appears.

Marmaduke is a truly iconic comic strip that is still going to this day and is one that I grew up reading both in the paper as well as owning many of the paperback book collections. In fact growing up when reading the Sunday Funnies, Maramduke was the fifth strip that I had to read just behind Peanuts, Garfield, Far Side, Andy Capp and Blondie. And that is the thing about Marmaduke, because he was a massive dog, it made him a must read strip for kids, because just like robots, animals in comics made us 80’s and 90’s kids flock like moths to a flame. I want to thank Half Price Books and an Etsy seller for having these paperbacks in stock and making this update possible. I also want to remind you readers 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, its entertainment value and its art and story. Also keep in mind, I will only be picking 10 strips from the book to talk about, and they are my favorites in no real order. I am very much looking forward to reading this paperback again as I have not read a Marmaduke strip in decades, and I am looking forward to catching back up with this crazy dog again. Also they made several paperback books featuring Marmaduke, so I tracked down two of them to make this update a little more fuller and fun!

Marmaduke ***
Released in 1965 Cover Price NA Scholastic # ?? of ??

# 1) It’s Halloween and the neighbors are scared of Marmaduke so they are giving him steaks in his trick or treat bag. # 2) Marmaduke is running with a chunk of meat in his mouth as Phil asks Debbie to call the police and see if the meat market has reported a robbery. # 3) Barbie has a mop on the head of Marmaduke and tells him this is what he would look like if he was a member of the band The Beatles. # 4) Phil and Debbie are looking out the window and see Marmaduke and the new dog of the neighborhood having a stare down. # 5) Phil is annoyed as Marmaduke and his dog friends are blocking the TV, and he is telling Debbie that they should move to a apartment that does not allow animals. # 6) A thunderstorm is raging outside and Phil tells Debbie that nothing could get him to go out in it, that is till Marmaduke wants to go for his nightly walk. # 7) Barbie is in bed and Marmaduke is pointing to his teeth as she forgot to brush and she is annoyed he noticed. # 8) Marmaduke is running down the street and dragging poor Phil who is trying to remind his pet that it’s a walk not a run! # 9) Marmaduke is asleep and is counting poodles in his dream. # 10) The Winslow Family have Marmaduke outside with a For Sale sign around his neck.

What a fun flashback to my youth as I have not read a Marmaduke comic strip in well over a decade, and this was a fun one to read again as I had this book when I was a kid. And man are there lots of jokes about Marmaduke loving steak and how Phil would love to be able to get rid of his pet as he is large, in charge and bullies the town with his massive size. We also know that Marmaduke goes trick or treating with the kids and that’s pretty great as not only is he watching over them but he is also wearing a costume and getting treats himself. While I do think that the humor is very dated, I still feel that this can pack a few chuckles even for modern readers who did not grow up with this comic strip, as let’s be honest almost everyone loves jokey animals. While Marmaduke is a menace to people, he also is protective of his family as well as looks out for the dogs in town as he runs off the dogcatchers and frees the captured dogs. The Winslow family while annoyed with their pet love him and even give into his love for top cut meats showing that he truly is part of the family. The goofy faces of Marmaduke are also very funny and adds to the entertainment of this book. The artwork by Anderson is great stuff and is classic comic strip style that seems to bring joy to the faces of readers. Over all this was a great read that might not be for everyone, but those of use who grew up on comic strips in the Sunday Papers will surely enjoy it. Check out the artwork below to see the art of Anderson as well as the jokes used in this book.

So let’s go to the second Marmaduke paperback I have and see if it lives up like the first book did.

Marmaduke Rides Again ! ***
Released in 1968 Cover Price .85 Scholastic # ?? of ??

# 1) Marmaduke and Phil Winslow are at a sports game as the hotdog man is worried about passing someone’s dog to them as Marmaduke has a crazed look in his eye. # 2) Phil calls in Debbie to watch as Marmaduke is annoyed as he thinks that his image in the newly installed door mirror is another dog. # 3) Billy is hiding between the front legs of Maramduke who is giving a mean look to another boy who has been bulling Billy who is daring him to say it now. # 4) Phil is at the butcher’s shop with Marmaduke and the butcher is thanking Phil for help putting his son through college due to all the meat he has to buy to feed Marmaduke! # 5) The Winslow family is having a picnic at a park, and Marmaduke steals another family’s basket as they packed better food. # 6) Billy is holding up a magnifying glass to the eye of Marmaduke and they are looking at a Chihuahua and Billy is telling him that he told him he was a real dog. # 7) Phil has taken Marmaduke to the park and a group of hippies are walking in circles with their signs and Marmaduke is following them, and Phil is happy as it beats him having to walk around the block for the dog to get exercise. # 8) It’s late at night and Phil is looking out the window and Mr. Snyder is feeing Marmaduke lots of peanut butter in order to stop his barking. # 9) Phil and Billy are fishing on a lake but half the boat is sunk do to Marmaduke’s size, and Phil is telling his son this is why they should have not brought him. # 10) Billy and his friend are in a tent camping in the backyard, but Marmaduke is having to act as the tent pole as he chewed up the original one. And this is just 10 out of a 100 different comics to choose from!

The second revisit is just as fun as the first and delivers another fun comic strip read. This is classic stuff and while some of the humor is a little dated it is really cool to see this style of humor pulled off in one panel and style that is really hard to do, but Brad Anderson does a great job of also adding to the humor by the looks on Marmaduke’s face in many of the comics. This book has a great mixture of humor in it as well and much of the better ones are the ones of Marmaduke being weird and making funny faces, the hotdog one comes to mind and made me laugh out loud when I first saw it. And while the humor of Marmaduke might not be for everyone and sadly I feel is a little lost in these modern times, I do find him to be a very iconic comic strip character who has delivered laughs to many young and old readers over the decades. But even with that said I feel that animal based humor will never truly go out of fashion as most people love dogs, cats, mice, hamster, birds, fish, snakes, lizards, bunnies and all other types of pets that are found in households worldwide. Check out the artwork below to see they style used in this paperback by Anderson.

Marmaduke is one comic strip character that really has kept its charm for me as this was a blast reading both these paperback books, and in fact they kind of made me feel like a kid again and truly miss those days of a family breakfast on a Sunday Morning eating eggs, toast and sausage links while drinking a glass of milk and reading the Sunday Funnies along with my brother. And with that we have taken a look at two different comic dogs with Top Dog being the first update and Marmaduke being the second, but for out next update we will be leaving Comic Canines behind and will be heading to the West…The Wild West for another Round Up so you readers know that means talking about a classic western film as well as chili with the film being Lucky Boots! So until next update, read a comic of three, watch a film or two and as always support your local horror host. See you next update at the Rotten Ink Ranch as the chili is cooking on the campfire and the western film is in the DVD player.

Comic Strip Funnies: Trudy

Posted on August 24, 2023 by bloodlinematt

Sorry to say that the Stella update is not ready for publishing so we will instead be taking a look at a classic comic strip character! It’s that time again to open up the old “Rotten Ink Daily News” and find the Rotten Funnies and see what comic strip we will be covering for this update…and I think we are going to take a look at Trudy! Oh I hear it, most of you readers are saying who the heck is Trudy and to be honest I was the same way, until I discovered this comic strip character while buying a lot of paperback books to cover for these updates. As far as I can remember the Sunday Funnies I grew up with in Dayton Daily News never had Trudy in the paper and to be honest if they did, that’s how little of an impact the strip made on me. But like in the world of Comic Books, Horror Hosts, Indie Horror Movies and 80’s Hairbands I love to discover something new and this could be a very funny comic strip or it could be one that is the pits…and only time will tell. So grab a cup of coffee or pour yourself a bowl of cereal and lets look that the Rotten Funnies and see what Trudy brings to the ha, ha funny table.

Jerry Marcus was born on June 27, 1924 in Brooklyn, New York and grew up poor, and sadly at the age of three his father past away and he watched as his mother raised him as well as his three siblings. Jerry dropped out of high school and tried to enlist in the Navy during Word War II, but was rejected for being underweight. But while he was bummed, Jerry did not give up and signed on with the Merchant Marine and shipped out fuel tankers to the North Atlantic and this was in 1943. When he was able to gain the weight Jerry was finally able to join the Navy and became a Seabees and was stationed in the Philippines. In 1946 he was discharged and attended New York’s Cartoonist And Illustrators School, and this lead him to the path of becoming a freelance artist his work shown in may major publications like Ladies’ Home Journal, The Saturday Evening Post and The New Yorker. In 1963 Jerry Marcus created the comic strip Trudy that followed a housewife and her family, and the comic strip would debuted on March 18 and was not only a Sunday Strip but also was a Daily Strip in more than 200 papers worldwide. The comic would run until August 20, 2005 and ended when Jerry Marcus himself passes away after dealing with a long time illness on July 22, 2005. While not as iconic as other comic strips like Peanuts, Garfield, Andy Capp or Dennis The Menace, Trudy has made its mark on the comic strip world and on those readers who enjoyed her antics.

Lets take a quick look at the characters that make up this comic strip universe. Trudy is a housewife who lives her day-to-day life taking care of her family as well as taking care of the home all the while dealing with nosey neighbors and two silly pets. Trudy is a kindhearted woman, but also does not take any guff from her husband nor their son. She is a good person who does what she can for her family, and will stand her ground when pushed to far. Ted her husband and hard workingman who loves his family, enjoy playing golf and cards with his friends and hates mornings…he can also be forgetful as well as un-thoughtful to his wife, but not mean spirited just in his own world at times. Their son is Crawford a young man who loves baseball and hates baths, over all he is a good kid just has a messy room, gets into little trouble and argues with his mom from time to time. The family animals are Fatkat a cat that can be a little troublemaker and the loveable dog Rodney. Trudy also has an older lady friend named Mrs. Nozie who spreads gossip and has no tact. That’s is the cast of characters that make up comic strip Trudy.

So now that you got a brief history of Trudy and her creator Jerry Marcus and as you can see they are a typical 60’s family with pets. It’s crazy that I don’t remember this comic strip as growing up both my brother and I loved looking at comic strips at out house as well as our Grandparents house in the country that at times had the better comic strips printed in them as they got Dick Tracy, Spider-Man and Prince Valiant! Before we get into this paperback book I want to thank the Etsy Seller for having this book as part of a lot and also want to remind you readers 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 lets get to the one and only Trudy!

We Love You Trudy PB *1/2
Released in 1978 Cover Price .95 Tempo Books #? of ?

Much like all these comic strip paperback books they feature on page jokes and stories so it makes it very hard to cover for these reviews, so like always I will pick 10 of my favorite gags from this book and give you a taste of the style of humor used in Trudy and again in no real order. # 1 has Trudy telling Tom a list of items that he should pick out including a very nice tie, as she is sending him to get her own presents for his Birthday. What I selected for # 2 has Ted eating what he think is a steak only to be told by Trudy that it was really hamburger she made to look like a steak…tricky, tricky Trudy. # 3 has snow coming down outside and its bedtime as Trudy is in bed Ted is asking if they have to put the cat out for the night as FatKat is wrapped around him clinging for dear life! # 4 has a dinner table with a large meal and candles as Trudy is on the phone with Ted as he informs her he was wrong and they are having dinner at their friend’s house. # 5 it’s Crawford’s birthday and Ted has a video camera out and is yelling at all there like he is a director, as Trudy and the kids all look highly annoyed with his over bearing orders. # 6 has Ted coming home with a line filled with fish he caught, as does his friend Ed and while walking in Ted is telling Ted to bring his fish in as well as he will have Trudy clean them all, she does not look happy! # 7 has Trudy and Ted in the room of Crawford and she is crying as his baseball player poster is taken off his wall and it his place is a sexy woman poster, and Ted is explaining to her that it was only a matter of time. # 8 has Trudy and Ted in bed with both cat FatKat and dog Rodney as they look all scared and Trudy worried and Ted annoyed as she tells her husband that the animals heard something weird downstairs! #9 Has FatKat at the vet and the veterinarian is telling Trudy that the cats main issue is that he is getting to much sleep. And for # 10 I went with Trudy at the meat market looking annoyed at the butcher Mr. Pipkin who is flexing his arms as she is once more asking to see what mussels they have in stock, his joke is played out with her. And these were the 10 best that I could find, and it was hard to even find 10 that were “funny”.

Trudy is very dated humor and I could never see kids getting behind this comic strip that is more about life being a housewife in the 60’s, and what young kid was laughing their head off about a joke that’s punch line is dinner being late or not feeling up to sweeping the house, none that I grew up with that’s for sure! And this “Housewife” humor is why I for one just did not get Trudy as I did not chuckle once while reading this whole paperback book, and I even read the most of it as one of my favorite quite places to read comics and that is one of our many massive local cemeteries, and even with the peace of nature and a light rain on the cars windshield it still was just a so-so read with flat humor. Now while I did find Trudy humorless, I do however have a few things positive to say as I found it to be charming as it does hold a real life household feel. Each comic as well has heart behind them and Jerry did an outstanding job of capturing things that real families go through from kids hating Thunderstorms to animals going being odd. And it does have to warm your heart a little when you find out that Trudy was inspired by his mother who worked very hard to raise him as a single parent, to that I must say that it proves Jerry had heart when making this comic strip. I feel that while reading this book that Trudy was a very likable character even if I found her humor bland and lackluster. I should also say that while I enjoyed the supporting cast of characters the standout to me was of course FatKat as many of the cat’s traits I have seen in the cats I have had in my life. The cover of this book is “Woman’s Day Magazine” welcoming and the interior art by Jerry Marcus is classic 60’s cartoonist style and is charming. Over all while I was not a major fan of Trudy I still respect the comic strip and its creator as I am sure she meant something to many readers as the longevity of the strip proves that it had an impact. Check out the art below to see the style of Marcus.

Again I do want to stress that just because Trudy is not for me does not mean that its total garbage and you are wrong for laughing at its humor, as that’s the beauty of humor we all have our own taste in what we find funny. And for me looking back and even discovering some of these old Sunday Funnies for Rotten Ink has been lots of fun, and I will continued to cover them as your friends and readers as well seem to be enjoying them. But with us being done with Trudy for our next update we are walking away from the world of Comic Strips and will be heading into the world of cartoons as I will be breaking down the 1966 Incredible Hulk series episode by episode in a new update theme that I will be calling “Tube Tunes” and don’t worry Juliet’s look at Horror Hostess Stella will be posted at a later date. So until next time read a comic of three, watch a movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update as we watch Hulk smash 60’s cartoon style!

Rotten Ink That’s Where You’ll Find Diver Dan!

Posted on November 9, 2022 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink! Are you as shocked as I am that we are already in November 2022? This year has flown by and crazy to think Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away! The 10 Year Anniversary for this blog has been in full effect and we have looked at many classic things that I am sure brought back memories for many of you readers as well as maybe even acted as you first introduction to some of the update topics, and todays update is one that many of you might have grown up watching while others of you reading have no idea about and that is Diver Dan a very cool and yet also cheesy kids show from the 1960’s and when chosen topics for this year I just knew he had to be one of them. As I did not grow up watching Diver Dan but once I was introduced to the show I quickly became a fan and knew we had to go on a deep-sea dive adventure with him! So lets get our deep dive suits on and check our oxygen tanks as its time to enter the water and see what we can find.

Diver Dan was created by cartoonist J. Anthony Ferlaine in 1960 as a spin off of his comic strip “Fish Tales” and was the show was made by Brian Cartoons, and distributed by ITC Entertainment and was aired mostly on NBC stations during its original run. And each episode ran around seven minutes long and it would normally be paired with other cartoons like Felix The Cat and be apart of children shows that were hosted. The show would have 104 episodes and would last until 1970 given it a good ten year run. The under water scenes were shot through an aquarium with the fish on the showing being a mix of real ones as well as puppets that was mostly voiced by Allen Swift who also played the voices of the Narrator and the off screen character Captain Murphy. The lovely Suzanne Turner played the mermaid Miss Minerva. Diver Dan was very well loved by young viewers and would even have many years life after it ended thanks to reruns. And while Diver Dan was not for everyone as lots of kids wanted animated shows and not live action ones, it’s legacy of being a beloved 1960’s kids show is still strong and was one of the favorites shows of my Ex-Girlfriends dad who is the one that introduced me to the show. The show can be found originally on grey market VHS tapes and now can be found on DVD via Alpha Video as well as other budget labels and can also be watched on YouTube. I also have to point out that the shows theme is very cool and catchy, look it up and give it a listen and see what you think.

Diver Dan is a deep-sea diver who is studying fish and is a good guy and a hero to the aquatic life that makes up the waters he is in. A true good guy character who is likeable and noble and is truly that classic kid show standard of who you should grow up to be like. Diver Dan was played by actor Frank D Freda who was known for being a writer for the animated show “The Smokey Bear Show” as well was Ronald McDonald in some early McDonalds commercials. He was also a Broadway actor and was a sales person for HBO and Cellphones and is the first person to cell a car cell phone in New York. But back to Diver Dan who 100% is a true iconic character in the world of kid shows and has inspired many people over the decades to be a good person, to want to study bodies of water and fish and even helped fuel creative minds. On a side note I would love to see Diver Dan return to TV and do it as the next generation and the show could follow his Grandson who has followed in his grandfathers footsteps and is going on adventures in the same sea. Also if he was in public domain I would totally write a comic mini series based on Diver Dan for Sparkle Comics!

Ok lets take a moment to chat about Miss Minerva the blonde mermaid who was friends to the fishes and would keep her distant from Dan who she just would call The Diver. She as I said was played by actress Suzanne Turner who was a very good stage actress as she was featured in the play “Auntie Mame” and as for other TV or Movie roles she had no other as Diver Dan was he only work in that field. Miss Minerva had long blonde hair and would wear a crown and speak to the fish who would warn her of the dangers coming or tell what they have seen. She was a kind mermaid who would watch after her friends as well was the target sometimes of the fish of the ocean that are not so kind. After he work on Diver Dan not much else is known about Suzanne Turner as she seemed to drop off from acting, and during her time on the show she was the crush of many young viewers. And when trying to look up information on her it looks like she might have passed away, but sadly not much is out there about her after the show ended.

The shows two main baddies was the fishes Baron Barracuda and Trigger Fish who acted as stooges and help set up the dastardly plots the plans they had cooked up in their cave hideout by Teetering Rock. You see even in the deep ocean we have gangsters that want to cause harm to the people or should I say ocean dwellers. They are your typical kid show baddies as they have silly plans to just ruin peoples fun and to cause just annoyance to all around them. And to be honest the show really needed Baron Barracuda and Trigger Fish to add that villain element to the show and they both are the spice needed to make the show more enjoyable.

Diver Dan like all good kids shows of the time had lots of amazing merchandise for fans to collect and own! Besides the comic books they made a board game, vinyl record, coloring book, fanzines and later episodes was released on DVD and before that on VHS with many of those being from the grey market. I think the odd thing about all this is that Diver Dan never got an action figure and I for one think he should have. And thinking about it Super7 should do a Diver Dan ReAction figure and Funko should do a Pop! of Diver Dan as well as Clutch Cargo. But if you are a fan of Diver Dan there is some cool stuff for you to collect and I myself besides the comics own the DVD sets from Alpha Video.

So now that we have chatted about Diver Dan and the characters that made up his show as well as the merchandise he spawned I think we should now move onto his comic adventures and see what Dell Comics has in store for him. I also want to remind you 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 like I am lets go on a deep dive adventure with the one and only Diver Dan!

Diver Dan # 1 **1/2
Released in 1962 Cover Price .15 Dell Comics # 1254 of 1354

Diver Dan is helping Miss Minerva and the fish to set up and have a Masquerade Ball, and as they all go to get ready Baron and Trigger as well as Rocky who is the nephew of Trigger go to the party and break everything down and destroy things as they have a plan to finally take down Diver Dan. When Minerva, Diver Dan and the fish return to find the party ruined they are sad as the ball seems like it will not be taking place, but our dastardly fish baddies show back up dressed up pretending to be party goers and acted shocked that the party has been attacked, and suggests a new location that they have a trap set at via a octopus. When Diver Dan and the party guests get there they set back up as Baron and Trigger even try to get Dan in trouble with his Captain when they snap a picture of Diver Dan and Minerva with the party lights behind them and deliver it above to the Captain who is mad as Dan is supposed to be looking for hidden treasure. But when Baron and Trigger’s plan goes wrong and the octopus gets trapped they decided to try and kidnap a young female fish and get ransom for her safe return, but that backfires when Rocky returns her to her friends and the baddies are chased off by Rocky’s angry mother. And the Ball happens and all are happy as Diver Dan wonders off to find the treasure.

This first issue of Diver Dan is really a kid friendly fun read that has Diver Dan in trouble with his boss as well as trying to help his fish friends to get a Masquerade Ball to happen after it was sabotaged. Diver Dan is a good spirited human who does what he can to bring joy to all his friends that live in the waters and is helping set up a party when he is being paid to find a treasure, and this fact also gets him in trouble with his boss and Dan still just continues to help his fish friends and even gets his boss on the boat to send down a camera! The one flaw of Diver Dan in this issue is that he is way to trusting as he does not see that Baron and Trigger are right in front of him luring them all to a trap and dismisses the concerns of fellow fish who alert him that they think the two are at the Ball! Baron and Trigger are such fishy little jerks as they get joy of breaking and ripping down the Ball decorations all because they want to lure everyone into a trap, and for what reason…cause they dislike Diver Dan and want to ruin his day. Sadly mermaid Miss Minerva really does not do much in this issue and that stinks, but the one thing they do show is that almost all the fish respect and love her. The story is as basic as can be and is very much kid friendly and the message is being mean, a trickster and bad never pays out and that good will always find a way and that friendship and community is important. And with a few odd elements like Dan and Minerva being around each other when in the show that was not the case for the most part, I do feel that it captures the mood and feeling of the show. The cover is great and features Diver Dan, Baron and Trigger and is eye catching for fans of the show, and the interior art is done by an Unknown Artist and is really good and has that classic Dell look but I think this is even slightly better art then the average Dell Comic. Over all I would say this is a super fun and silly Kid Comic read that does Diver Dan justice, and I am very much looking forward to reading the next issue.

Diver Dan # 2 ***
Released in 1962 Cover Price .15 Dell Comics # 2 of 1

Carolos is leading a band of gypsy fish to find a new queen as his daughter the current one has been kidnapped and Baron and Trigger send them the way of Minerva and the gypsies have chosen her to be the new Queen, and without telling her this news they set up a show for the area to enjoy first, and with tea they knock out Minerva by acting as if they are reading her fortune and flee fast from the area. But not before Carlos also hypnotizes Baron into being a nicer fish to others after he and Trigger tried to rob his wagon. The fish go and get Diver Dan in order to save Minerva and he along the way runs into Baron who goes along to help. But before Minerva can be made Queen the old one shows up as she has escaped and her captor a fellow bands Prince who is after her as he wants to marry her! The gypsies would rather have Minerva as the Queen but after some arguments she is able to kind of get away and to Diver Dan. In the end Baron gets punched by accident when Carlos and the Prince get into a fight and this snaps him out of his trance, and as Diver Dan and Minerva get away the Queen and Prince ride off and Trigger is almost forced into marriage before Baron saves him.

This second issue of Diver Dan is one great read as it has a fun kid friendly story, the artwork is fantastic and I feel that it did a great job of capturing the feel of the show its based on. This one has a band of gypsy fish kidnapping Minerva to make her their Queen, only for Diver Dan and the unlikely ally of Baron coming to her rescue. This issue also is mostly about the mermaid Minerva as she is the target of the gypsy and is the one who has to try and tell them she does not want to be anyone’s Queen and that her home is were she is at in the ocean, I also like that even with her kidnappers she tries to be kind and not hurt their feelings as while they did something bad they are more misguided then evil. Baron and Trigger as well have bigger parts as the Baron is under the trance he turns into a good guy and forces his goofy henchman to go along with him. The Gypsies are cool characters who have Queens and Kings and will do sneaky things in order to honor their culture, but as I have stated I do not feel its to be mean. Diver Dan kind of takes a backseat in this issue as he does not come around until the end of the comic and even then he does very little and I like that as this gave other characters from the show a little time to shine and be the focus of a story that was really entertaining. I also have to say that the cover for this issue is great and features both Diver Dan and Minerva and is super eye catching for fans of the show. The interior art is done by Sal Trapani and is 100% fantastic and he captures the characters likeness so well. Over all a great series Diver Dan was and it’s a shame that the comic series only lasted two issues as it should have lasted way longer on the comic racks as well as on TV. Check out the artwork bellow as I think it showcases the work that went into this series.

Diver Dan is one of those classic 1960’s kids shows that I feel just never gets the respect in these modern times like it should as it was a simple concept that made oceans, fish and a deep sea diver cool! And sadly in 2022 I am sure many of you younger readers have never heard of Diver Dan and his show and I hope this update has at least sparked your interest in getting the Alpha Video or Digiview releases or even look them up on YouTube. That is one thing that I hope that Rotten Ink is able to do and that’s help keep vintage and old school stuff like this alive and not only bring joy to fans who remember but also I hope bring new fans into the topic. And with that said I would like to let you know that Rotten Ink’s 10 Year Celebration continues as we head back to the Rotten Ink Theater to chat about Silent Cinema and it will be 1921’s one time lost German classic “The Island Of Lost”! So until next time read a indie comic or three, watch a Diver Dan episode or two and as always support your local Horror Host! See you soon and make sure to be ready to travel to an island filled with mystery and horror!

U.S. Acres Down On The Farm!

Posted on March 23, 2022 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and for this 10 Year Anniversary update and for this update I figured why not vist the Sunday Funnies and take a look at a comic strip that I loved as a kid that also spawned a cartoon series that was must watch TV for me and better yet it was created by Jim Davis the mastermind behind Garfield and I am of course talking about U.S. Acres the fun farm set and animal led strip that was all the rage for a very short amount of time. And you guys know me I have a soft spot for the old comic strips of my youth as well as even discovering new ones so one of these updates had to be featured. So grab a glass of milk, coffee or orange juice sit at the place you eat breakfast and lets dive into the world of U.S. Acres and see what Orson Pig and his friends have in store for us!

U.S. Acres was a comic strip created by Jim Davis the man behind the Garfield strip and was set on a farm that featured talking animals and their times living on the farm as well as dealing with each others zany personalities. The Comic strip started in 1986 and would run in Newspapers all over North America and was a hit with young kids as well as adults would get a chuckle from its silly humor. Jim Davis would work on the strip with his assistant Brett Koth who was also helping on the Garfield strip at the time. The cast of characters include strip star Orson Pig a good natured Pig who was the leader of the barnyard, Booker was a small chick who was saved as an egg and hatched and cared for by Orson who Booker calls Mom, he has a little attitude but is a good kid. Sheldon is bookers brother and has the same back story of being found and saved by Orson, he however is still stuck in his shell and is super smart. Bo and Lanolin are brother and sister sheep with Bo being nice and Lanolin being a mean loudmouth. Wade Duck is a duck who is scared of water and wears a pool inner tube around the farm, is one of Orson’s friends. Cody is the farms puppy and Blue is the farms kitten. Filbert is a worm who has a family with wife Estelle and son Willy. And lastly is Roy Rooster who is a joker and is kind of the series bad guy as he lives pranks and teasing, but also is a friend to them all. The comic strip was so popular that it would spawn merchandise as well as a cartoon (but more on them a little latter) and would run until 1988. The strip would make a comeback as a WebComic in 2010 and in 2019 Viacom would buy Paws, Inc. from Jim Davis and they would now own Garfield and U.S. Acres and the comic strip would end again in 2020. Now in the hands of Nickelodeon the fate of U.S. Acres is unknown at this time, and lets all hope the strip makes a comeback.

Garfield And Friends was an animated show that aired on CBS for Saturday Morning Cartoons and started on September 17, 1988 and would run for seven seasons with 121 episodes made and the show would end in 1994. The show was 30 minute episodes (later two back to back episodes) and would feature segments of Garfield as well as U.S. Acres and would be a super popular cartoon that was must see TV and one that I can remember watching as a kid as well as talking with my friends at school about. And this is the case of all segments being good and both the Garfield and U.S. Acres being on equal ground, even if Garfield was the main star of the cartoon. Garfield And Friends was must see Saturday Morning Cartoons TV as it was super popular and was even as popular when reran after the shows run came to an end. Episodes of the show was released on VHS and later the whole series was released via DVD volumes, and these sadly are out of print and are going for high prices. But fear not the first three seasons of the show have been released again and are budget priced. If you grew up when this showed aired or discovered it on home media decades later you know how much fun this cartoon was and is one that showed be viewed still to this day.

Besides reprints of the comic strip U.S. Acres would get a good amount of other merchandise for fans that would include kids story books, key chains, stickers, posters, shirts and plush dolls. Its crazy to think that U.S. Acres is not as well knows as Garfield and that the merchandise is way harder to find then Garfield’s as I feel that both are amazing comic strips and should get more love then they do in the modern times. As a kid I had many of the paperback books as well as a keychain of Orson Pig. I would love to get some of the plush dolls now and have them in my classic toy collection. But if you are a fan of U.S. Acres there is lots of cool stuff for you to collect.

So as you can see U.S. Acres was a big part of my childhood and even still to this day I love these characters and the world that Jim Davis created for them. Plus I mean fans of Garfield should also enjoy this comic strip as they are set in the same universe. But we are now at the time for the review for this update and I first want to thank the Etsy and Amazon sellers for having this book in stock and allowing me to read these again, as book 6 is the one Paperback version that I remember owning as a kid! I want to also remind you readers 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 lets take a stroll around U.S. Acres and see what Orson and his friends have in store for us.

U.S. Acres: Take This Rooster Please! ***
Released in 1990 Cover Price $2.50 Berkley Books # 6 of 6

This book is tons of one-page stories of the U.S. Acres crew having silly and loveable adventures! So while I cannot cover each one I will select 10 of my favorite strips in no real order. First: Roy Roster is on the barn roof and is mad when the weathervane that looks like a rooster will not talk to him, making Roy thinks that the other rooster is snubbing him. Second: Orson Pig uses earplugs so that Roy Rooster cannot wake him with his early morning call, but Roy has another way of waking up Orson as he pours a bucket of water on him. Third: Orson Pig is making a garden with Booker and Sheldon, and when he calls for the seeds to planet we see a big belled Booker passed out with a empty big box that reads seeds. Fourth: Sheldon is looking at himself in a trick mirror and he gets worried when he sees that he no longer looks like an egg but a peanut. Fifth: Orson, Roy, Booker and Sheldon sneak into the Farmers home to borrow some Christmas ornaments for their barnyard tree and they find Sheldon in the refrigerator kicking out eggs saying he is setting them free. Sixth: Sheldon and Booker try and stay awake Christmas Eve so they can see Santa Claus, but when they fall asleep Santa ends up putting them to bed and tucking them in. Seventh: Sheldon is wearing an Elvis wig and big lift shoes and has Orson write a thank you letter to Santa, as well as ask for help on how to walk in the massive heeled shoes! Eighth: Cody Dog is walking around with feathers in his mouth and Orson asks him why, and he says he ate Roy but before he can finish that he at his Pillow Orson freaks out and runs around screaming that Cody ate Roy! Ninth: It’s bedtime and Orson heads to brush his teeth when he tries his toothbrush bounces all over, he is supper mad, as someone has slipped him a rubber toothbrush. Tenth: Booker and Sheldon have made a small snowman when Roy runs by and kicks it, so the brother make another bigger one and as Roy runs over to kick it he smashes into a tree as the brother built it around one to teach the rude Rooster a lesson.

This Paperback Book that reprinted some of the classic comic strips is a great read and an amazing flashback for me as it made me remember just how much I loved these characters as a kid. This book does a great job of giving every character a time to shine and have some funny moments. The only one that I feel is a little left out is Wade Duck who has less panel time then the rest. I do like that they also give a little attention to side characters like Blue The Kitten and Cody The Puppy as for most of the time they are the characters that seem to be forgotten and are not aloud to shine as brightly as the main cast, but here they are given respect and time to bring some chuckles. Orson of course gets lots of the pages dedicated to his zany life as does Booker and Sheldon and they are clearly the comic strips main stars and are some of the most loved characters. Roy Rooster who is my favorite gets some great gags in this book and his terrible jerky rude attitude is in full effect as he is mean and yet also friendly too much of the cast! The cover is great and eye catching and is the one I remember the most as a kid, with the interior art by Jim Davis being topnotch comic strip stuff. Over all if you love U.S. Acres like I do get this Paperback Book and enjoy the flashback of barnyard humor. Check out the artwork bellow to see the style used in this book as well as almost all of the characters.

I love Comic Strips and it’s a shame that they are not as big as they once were and that modern day kids will not understand the excitement of Sunday Mornings rushing to read the Funnie Pages as well as look at the Toy Ads from your favorite department store all the while eating breakfast. And its sad also that this generation of Kids who do love comic strips will not get to enjoy U.S. Acres and if they do they will have to find the strips online or track down one of these books that tend to be a little pricy, but its worth it if you like light hearted humor of comic strips and Davis. But as you can see we are at the end of this Funnie Page update and for our next one we will be heading to the world of Lucha Libre to take a look at the first in the “Indie Luchador Files” series and I promise it will be a fun one! So until next time read a comic or three, watch a film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update at the Rotten Ink Arena!

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.

The One And Only Irwin Troll

Posted on September 12, 2020 by bloodlinematt

Trolls are creatures that come from Norse Mythology and live in caves and or under rocks that are not friendly, stay to themselves and avoid interacting with humans. Trolls in modern folklore and media have taken on the personality traits of eating humans, being dim witted pranksters henchmen to evil beings, giants and keeper of bridges. In other words, Trolls are not nice creatures and are mythic monsters that have been around for centuries and that’s why our second update for our countdown to Halloween 2020 is about a troll that lives in the woods and roams around nature avoiding humans…and the troll we are talking a look at is one who is not mean and loves life and everything in it as this update is about Irwin Troll from the comic strip Broom-Hilda. So while this one is by no means scary nor a Horror Comic, it is one that needs to be done, so sit back relax and enjoy this quick and fun update.

Russell Myers was born in 1938 in Pittsburg, Kansas but was raised in Oklahoma and had a pretty normal childhood. Russell had a talent for drawing and tried to come up with comic strips to be picked up for syndication in newspapers and could not get his big break. In 1960 he started working for Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, Missouri where he drew greeting cards, and all the while he never gave up his dream of being a comic strip artist. In 1964 Russell married Marina, and they have two children that are son Stewart and daughter Rosie. While talking to writer Elliott Caplin, the brother of Lil’Abner artist and creator Al Capp, Myers got an idea for a strip called Broom-Hilda. The pair worked on the idea, and in 1970 they got the stripped and picked up for paper syndication! The first Broom-Hilda strip was printed on April 19, 1970 in the Chicago Tribune Syndicate. In 1975 Russell received the National Cartoonists Society’s Best Humor Strip Award. And while the strip is not at popular as it once was, it still does live on in some papers as well as on weekly comic strips on its official website. I myself want to thank Russell Myers for delivering comic strips and characters I grew up reading in paperback books that I would find at second hand bookstores and garage sales.

Irwin Troll is a purple skinned short troll that is covered in hair who lives in the world of Broom-Hilda. He is not very smart, is fun loving, respects nature and has a great sense of humor making him a lovable character. Irwin cares so much for animals and even has a pet rock that he cares for, has a horde of butterflies that act as his bodyguards not to mention he also watches over his jerky nephew Nerwin who is a handful. His best friends are the witch Broom-Hilda as well as talking and walking bird man named Gaylord Buzzard. One aspect about Irwin Troll that makes him so likable is the fact that he is always happy and seems to see the best in all life. Growing up reading the paperback books of Broom-Hilda, the one character I always liked was Irwin Troll so I am very much looking forward to reading this book again as it really has been decades since I have read a Broom-Hilda comic strip or book. Also did you know that Irwin Trill and his friends also appeared in some animated cartoons? Check out below to see what Irwin Troll looks like and get the vibe of this fun loving guy.

Like all classic comic strip characters, Broom-Hilda and her cohorts have also gotten their fair share of merchandise that includes not only paperback books but also stuffed dolls, Halloween costumes, drinking glasses, patches and even got a cartoon series! While Irwin was in the books, cartoon and had a plush doll, he sadly did not get a patch or a Halloween costume. Growing up I had lots of the paperback books and would have loved to have one of the drinking glasses and the stuffed dolls of Irwin.

So as you can see, Irwin Troll is not a spooky character and is more of a cute fun one. I do think he makes for a very silly Halloween countdown update topic! As I have said before, I have not read a Broom-Hilda strip or paperback in decades and remember liking them back in my youth so it will be interesting to see if they humor and characters hold up for me still in 2020. Plus will Irwin Troll still be my favorite character of the series? I want to say I only chose one of the paperbacks to cover as only one of the book series was all about Irwin Troll. I also want to thank the vendor at the Heart Of Ohio Antique Mall for having this book in stock for only $2.00! I want to remind you that I grade this comic on a 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 to travel to the woods on a troll hunt, let’s see what fun times Irwin has in store for us.

Irwin Troll # 1 ***
Released in 1976 Cover Price .95 Tempo Books # 5 of ?

This book is tons of one-page stories featuring the one and only Irwin Troll having silly and fun adventures! So while I cannot cover each one I will select 10 of my favorite strips in no real order. The first one has Irwin getting ready to take a shower and when he turns it on one massive water drop falls comes out and is hard as a rock and crushes him, and he explains he needs to get some water softener. Second has Irwin Troll and Broom-Hilda using an Ouija Board in the woods calling on a spirit and when one answers it turns into a joke about Lawrence Welk. The third is has Broom-Hilda being upset that she is not losing weight, when Irwin Troll walks by and says that she can not lose weight because even fat doesn’t want to die! The silly fourth strip I enjoyed was Irwin at a movie theater with Broom-Hilda and Gaylord Buzzard, when Irwin asks Gaylord if he is against noise pollution and when he says yes Irwin hands him a soaking wet bag of popcorn and informs him that is why he watered down his snack! The fifth strip I liked has Irwin sitting hear flowers talking to them and saying he will be there all night if need be and shows us readers that he is staying up with a sick flower seed, this one really does capture the amazing and caring nature of Irwin Troll. The sixth strip has Irwin talking with Broom-Hilda about how his father lost everything in the crash of 1929, and when Broom-Hilda asks him how did his father deal with it Irwin claims that he acted like an adult as he could build up his comic book collection again! The seventh one I enjoyed has a armed robber with panty hose on his head pulling a gun to rob Irwin Troll who walks past him unafraid and claims why should he be scared of a man who wears his socks on the wrong end, as clearly he would not know how to use a gun. The eighth strip for me has Irwin Troll standing in front of a sign that is for his zoo that will cost you .50 to see, and when Broom-Hilda pays the admittance she finds out the zoo is really just Irwin in a cage. What I selected for ninth strip has Irwin talking to Broom-Hilda about how there is a food price hike and that the government saying growing your own food is a great idea, but he is worried as his pork, beef and chicken has not grown in his planted garden. And for the tenth and final strip I picked has Irwin looking in the mirror placing oil in his hair and running a comb through it, we next see Irwin with hair like Johnny Cash who claims that this is the only way to listen to country music records as his player plays.

Revisiting the world of Broom-Hilda was lots of fun and reliving stuff like this is why I do these updates at Rotten Ink, and after revisiting as well I can say that Irwin Troll still is hands down my favorite character from this comic strip. This paperback book has each page filled with its own gag and each and everyone of them in this book features Irwin Troll in all his hairy glory, and as well does a great job of showing Broom-Hilda and Gaylord Buzzard. In the book Broom-Hilda is nice to Irwin about 40% of the time and its clear that while she is annoyed with him she still values his friendship. And that’s the thing about Broom-Hilda she is pretty mean at times and almost seems like she gets joy in hurting people that cross her on bad days. Gaylord Buzzard is wise and seems to be close to both Broom-Hilda and Irwin Troll, and I would say its clear I think he is Broom-Hilda’s best friend. Irwin’s pet rock, bodyguard butterflies and even other nature items are all his friends and help watch out for him, besides the sun who burns him when the troll wants to be his friend. Irwin Troll in this book does the right thing at all times and while he does make some silly decisions, his heart is always in the right place. The humor in the book is very silly, and while very dated, I do think people in their 40’s and older will enjoy it and get some of the very dated jokes. I do think that most of the humor would fall flat for younger kids of today. The cover for this book is great and had Irwin Troll standing in flowers while the back cover has a flower goosing his butt! The art by Russell Myers is fantastic classic Sunday Comic classic style art and is really fun and cartoony. So if you grew up enjoying Broom-Hilda comic strip or just enjoy the Sunday Funnies, give this paperback book and all the others in the series a read, as they are a true blast. Check out the art below to see the style of Russell Myers and behold its comic strip glory.

So as you can see, Irwin Troll and the world of Broom-Hilda are a kid friendly read for people of all ages and delivers fun characters and cheesy humor. For our next update we are leaving the safe forest world of Irwin Troll and will be heading to a world that combines both DC Comics and Silent Horror Movies as our topic is Batman Nosferatu! So until next time, read a comic strip or three, watch a Troll Movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host. Hope you are ready for Count Orlok vs. The Dark Knight!

Garfield vs. The Ghost Pirates On Halloween Night!

Posted on September 22, 2018 by bloodlinematt

October is almost here. The air is turning cold, and the ghouls and ghosts are gearing up to run the streets in preparation of Halloween, which is only slightly over a month away! For this third countdown to Halloween update I wanted to take a look at something that I owned as a kid. The TV special it was based on was something I watched every year, and of course I am talking about “Garfield Halloween Adventure” that was shown on local TV and was something I truly had to watch when on. Garfield is a comic strip character I grew up reading in the Sunday Funny Papers; next to Peanuts it was a must. I also grew up watching all of his TV specials as well as his regular cartoon series. While I love the toon “Garfield and Friends,” the specials all hold a special place in my heart. Not to mention I also would buy his books, and between my brother and I, we had many of his toys and stuff animals. Garfield really is an iconic character who for the most part has withstood the test of time, and it’s with great pleasure that on this update we not only get one step closer to Halloween but also take a look back at things from my childhood. So get a costume on and let’s go trick or treating with Garfield and Odie.

On October 30^th 1985 CBS premiered the 24-minute “Garfield Halloween Adventure,” which combined two of my favorite things Halloween and Garfield! My brother Bryan and I were glued to the TV and watched with pure delight as the cartoon special brought some scares and lots of entertainment. We also made sure to tape it on Beta and watched it all the time year round. The best part of this airing was that it was paired with the very classic “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and made for the perfect Halloween season viewing. I can also remember many of the kids on the playground chatting about it, and everyone flipped when the comic strip book adaptation of it was offered in the Scholastic Book Club order form, with almost every kid I knew ordering it. The cartoon also did well in the TV ratings and almost all critics loved and praised it making it a staple for the holiday up until 2015 when it was finally taken off the schedule for good. The special also won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program and was the third Garfield special to win it, showing that he was one of the 80’s most popular cartoon characters. After its airing, the special would go on to be released on VHS and DVD and still is a well loved classic Halloween TV special.

So at this point I am sure you’re ready to take a Halloween Adventure with that lasagna loving fat orange cat Garfield and his simple minded canine friend Odie. I know that I am as I have not read this comic strip book since I was a kid, and am looking forward to seeing if it holds up as I loved it when I was a kid and re-read it every Halloween up until I was a teen. This is in my opinion is a great way to gear up for October and is a perfect third update for our countdown to Halloween. Before we get our trick or treat bags ready, I need to remind you that I am grading this book 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. I want to think Amazon for having this in stock and making this update possible. So lets costume up and go out with Garfield and see how much candy or even rocks we can get!

Garfield In Disguise # 1 ***1/2
Released in 1985 Cover Price $5.95 Ballantine Books # 1 of 1

Garfield is awoken by Binky The Clown on TV who screams and demands that all of the viewers exercise with him, and right as Garfield turns off the TV, he hears the words Free Candy and quickly turns it back on to find out that it’s Halloween! Garfield goes around the house under a bed sheet and scares Jon and Odie and even has a little breakfast before tricking Odie into going trick of treating with him so he can get double the candy. Garfield and Odie go to the attic and look through old clothes and items and decide to go as pirates when finding costumes in a chest. After stealing Jon’s lasagna dinner, Garfield and Odie head out and start trick of treating! As they wander the streets getting candy and being spooked by real life ghouls and ghost, they end up getting into a rowboat and by accident they lose the paddles and float until they land on shore. The only house around is an abandoned one lit by a fire. Once inside, they warm themselves by the fire and are surprised by a very old man who warns them that the island is haunted and that the ghosts of pirates from a hundred years back will be back at midnight to claim their buried treasure! While Garfield and Odie are shaking with fear, the old man steals their boat and leaves them at the mercy of the coming ghost pirates! Garfield and Odie hide in a cabinet as the ghosts appear and bring up their hidden treasure, and when a sneeze alerts the ghosts who chase them out of the house, Garfield steals a ring from the treasure chests. He and Odie jump into the water and swim to shore. Once on shore they find their candy and the boat and head home only to be attacked by the ghost pirates who followed them home. Once Garfield returns the ring they disappear, and Garfield and Odie go home where Garfield shares the candy with Odie and Halloween comes to an end.

This comic strip book is a great mood setter for Halloween as it captures the playful nature of trick or treat and the spooky feeling of that night. Our story has Garfield and Odie going out for Halloween in order to get lots of free candy. When Garfield gets greedy, he leads them to an old abandoned haunted house, and they are witnessed and stalked by ghost pirates who have returned after 100 years! As I said the feel and atmosphere of this comic strip book is fantastic and much like “Legend Of Sleepy Hollow” really captures the feel of Halloween. Garfield lives up to his normal behavior and is self-absorbed, self centered and always looking for food to gorge on, but while he is sarcastic, he also does have a caring and grateful side. Odie is your typical dog that is loyal, goofy and smart and several times in this adventure saves Garfield’s butt from danger. Jon is just around in this one, mostly carving pumpkins and tying to enjoy meals that his cat ends up stealing. The old man who once worked for the pirates some 100 years ago is creepy and seems to get joy scaring those who stumble into his old home, plus the Ghost Pirates are very much mean and scary but really just want their treasure. This comic strip book does justice to the made for TV cartoon special and does a great job of capturing the mood and only thing missing is the musical numbers. Jim Davis, who is the creator and mastermind behind the world of Garfield, does the art and story, and both are well done and show why Garfield has remained a popular comic strip character all these years. The cover as well is amazing and eye catching and has a real kid friendly Halloween look to it. If you enjoy Garfield and love Halloween, this is a great read and one that brought back lots of great memories of my youth, and this comic strip book held up well and is a great read. So check it out as well as the art from it.

I hope that this update has put you into the Halloween spirit like it did for me writing it! Made for TV Halloween specials are something that almost seems as if they are dying off as most broadcast stations only focus on their current shows and allow them to do a Halloween episode that most of the time are not very good with only a handful of series being able to pull it off. But for me just like “It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown,” the Garfield Halloween Special is a one of my all time favorites and is one I suggest you watch every year. But now we have to leave the world of Garfield and the ghost pirates behind for our next update as we are now in full countdown to Halloween mode and our next one will have us looking at another in what I call “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” as we look at the killer Metalface and his film series Playing With Dolls! So until next time, read a comic or two, watch a cartoon or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update for a bloody good time.

The Ghost Who Walks Among Us And Can Never Die…The Phantom

Posted on January 13, 2017 by bloodlinematt

In the world of comic books, crime doesn’t pay thanks to the Superheroes who protect the innocent and punish the guilty. I mean Gothom City has Batman, The City has Dick Tracy and New York has many like Spider-Man, Daredevil and Fantastic Four, to name a few. But while the big cities have their protectors, so does the jungles of Bangalla in Africa who has the one and only The Phantom! What is really cool about The Phantom is that he is much like Batman and Dick Tracy as he has no superhuman powers and is just a man who is a vigilante and dedicates his life to defending the weak and beating evil down. If you think about it as well, The Phantom, who was created in 1936, is a character who bridged the comic strip hero and the comic book superhero and is the first hero to really walk that line. So let’s kick 2017 off right and spend some time in Bangalla and see what The Phantom is all about and how DC brought him back to comic books in 1988.

First, we must take a look at the life of the creator of The Phantom, the one and only Leon Harrison Gross aka Lee Falk, who was born on April 28, 1911 in St. Louis Missouri and had a decent childhood growing up Jewish. Things would take a slight turn for the bad when his father passed away when Lee was still young, but his mother remarried sometime later and this gave Lee a stepfather he loved and respected and looked up to. The older he got, he began making comic strips and made up a fake bio story for himself as he claimed to be a world traveler who experienced so much out in the world which lead him to create the characters Mandrake The Magician and later The Phantom who were both picked up by King Feature Syndicate. He created The Phantom as he grew up loving the stories of Tarzan and The Jungle Book and decided to also add in pirates and thugs from around the world as it was a topic that also interested him. Originally he wanted to call the character The Grey Ghost and wanted his costume and all to be grey but things changed when he liked the name The Phantom better and the news printer screwed up and made the costume purple, and the color stuck with readers. Weirdly enough, Falk did not have faith in his characters and thought they would only last a few weeks and was shocked that they lasted his whole lifetime, During World War II Falk worked for KMOX radio and was the chief of propaganda. Also, the older he got the more world traveling he did in order to not have to lie about his background stories. Lee Falk was married three times and had three children with two daughters and one son. Lee Folk also loved the theater and over the years wrote 12 plays, directed 100 of them and produced over 300 others! Not to mention over his lifetime he even ran five theaters! His plays would have such Hollywood actors as Basil Rathbone, Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, Shelley Winters, Chico Marx and Charlton Heston acting in them! As you can see Lee Falk was a very creative man who did lots of very cool things. Lee Falk passed away from heart failure on March 13, 1999 at the age of 87 and up to his death he was still working on his comic strips…a true man who loved his characters and creations. It’s amazing to think about just how many comic strip creators worked on their strips all the way up until their deaths showing that unlike the comic book world, the creators loved their creations and got joy of bringing them to life for the readers. This update is dedicated to you, Lee Falk, a true icon of comic strip artists and a man who lived for what he loved to do.

The Phantom is a hero who has no super powers and uses his wits, fists and guns to right the wrongs and protect his friends and tribes around his home in Africa. His costume is the following: a black eye mask, a skull ring and a purple costume that was based on an old African idol. The look is used to scare criminals and pirates, who are his main targets. The Phantom is a costume and legacy that is passed down from generation to generation within the Walker family who do this in order to give the appearance that The Phantom is not human and immortal to strike even more fear into the hearts of those who do evil. The Phantom is a trained fighter with his fists, and I would guess that he has the punch of a heavy weight boxer! He is also skilled with a gun and while not a full dead shot, he hits his target when it’s needed. The Phantom is very smart and has the same kind of mind for solving crimes as Batman, The Shadow and Dick Tracy as he is also quick to get out of a bad situation. The Phantom’s main weapon is fear as legends spread of him being a ghost and not able to be killed, using superstition of the unknown to his advantage of just passing on the title to the next in the family bloodline. The 21^st Phantom also has a pet wolf named Devil who helps him uphold justice and has his white horse Hero to get him places faster. Say what you will, The Phantom is a kick butt hero who might not be super but sure knows how to get the job done!

On June 7, 1996, thanks to Paramount Pictures, a film based on The Phantom was released to theaters and was directed by Simon Wincer and had Billy Zane as The Phantom himself. Also in the cast were Catherine Zeta-Jones, Treat Williams and Kristy Swanson with the score being done by David Newman. Before it was made The Phantom had many different directors attached to it including big names like Sergio Leone, Joe Dante and Joel Schumacher who all left the project at one point or another for reasons of their own. Paramount picked the relativity unknown Simon Wincer, who had directed a few films before it like Quigley Down Under, Free Willy, Lightning Jack and Operation Dumbo Drop to name a few and they gave him a $45 million budget. He is the one who hired Zane to play the title role as they both were fans of the character since childhood. The film’s production went smooth, and the hype was high for the film’s release as Paramount was wishing for the same kind of success as Warner Brothers had with Batman in 1989 and Touchstone had with Dick Tracy in 1990…but the box office and critics were not nice to this film as it only brought in $17,323,326.00 in the US and didn’t even get released in theaters overseas! The film came in at #93 of the year and beat out such films as The Frighteners, Trainspotting, Thinner and Mulholland Falls to name a few. While the film bombed at the theater, it developed a cult following when it was released on VHS and DVD, making the film turn in a small profit for Paramount. While I am a fan of The Phantom character, I skipped this film at the theater and waited for home video. I found it to be a fun dumb popcorn movie that, while it didn’t 100% capture the magic of the comic strip, it at least delivered some fun action and adventure. And I must say that the outfit for The Phantom that actor Billy Zane wears was pretty well done and looked like a modern version of the classic suit and brought out elements to make it stand out on the big screen.

But the 1996 film was not the first time The Phantom made the jump from comic strip to media on the big and small screen as the first was the 1943 Columbia Pictures serial simple called “The Phantom” that had a total of 15 chapters and had Tom Tyler as The Phantom. A serial sequel for The Phantom was in the works in 1955 with actor John Hart in the role of The Phantom and as production was chugging along they soon found that they no longer owned the rights to use The Phantom and quickly changed it over to calling it “The Adventures Of Captain Africa.” This was followed by the cartoon “Defenders Of The Earth” that aired on TV in 1986 and had Peter Mark Richman voicing the character for a total of 65 episodes, only lasting one season. In 1994, a cartoon called “Phantom 2040” was released as a series that lasted for 35 episodes and a total of 2 seasons with Family Ties actor Scott Valentine lending his pipes to make the character speak. And in 2009 they made a TV mini series based on the character and called it “The Phantom” that had two feature length movies to tell this new version of the character. This time around actor Ryan Carnes landed the role of the character. So as you can see, Hollywood has had many plans for this character to be the next comic character to be on every kid’s t-shirt and have toys on every chain store shelf…while they tried, it just was not meant to be as it was clear the youth was just not biting at The Phantom to replace their Batman toys and comics. I can proudly say that as a youngster I did my part, as I owned The Phantom action figure from the Defenders Of The Earth toy line.

Besides the movies and cartoons getting released on VHS and DVD, some other really cool stuff based on The Phantom has been released over the years from action figures, t-shirts, posters, statues, comic books, novels, card game, video game, Halloween costumes, replica skull rings, bobble heads, lunch box and so much more! The Phantom has had his fair share of collectibles for his fans to collect and enjoy, not to mention, besides DC, other comic book companies like Pacific Comics Club, Gold Key, Whitman, King, Pioneer, Dynomite, Marvel and Moonstone among others have printed adventures of this character. Besides some of the comics and the Defenders action figure, one thing I had in my teens was a skull ring replica that a fellow classmate gave me, and I can remember wearing it around school and feeling super cool…yeah, I know – I was young and didn’t know any better. I wonder if that ring is still someplace in my parent’s basement, also know as Independent B Movie Studios. So in closing, if you enjoy The Phantom, the world is filled with collectibles for you!

Speaking of Independent B Movie, the old shot on video company that my friends and I use to make films together under that brought you such shot on video classics as The Wolf Hunter, Farmer Joe and Who Keeps Feeding Grandpa to name a small few. For a small time we toyed with the idea of doing fan films based on some of our favorite movies and characters with lots of things being written and talked about at our annual company meetings. Characters like Superman, Lone Ranger, Leatherface, Spider-Man and Neo from The Matrix all had fan scripts written or talked about, and one of the characters I was developing a fan film for was The Phantom! The idea for my film would have had Matt Hoffman or Jason Gilmore playing The Phantom who was sent on a mission to stop Dr. Frankenstein from creating a monster for the Nazi’s who needed this super solider to turn the tide of the war. The setting was Frankenstein’s Castle in Kettering and the woods around it would have acted as the jungle with all the typical friends taking on roles like Josh Weinberg who I wanted to play Dr. Frankenstein. Garrison Kane would have played The Monster and Dave Wean, Patrick Neeley, Mike Ritchie and Jason Young would have made up the supporting cast. If memory serves me right, I think the title of it would have been called “The Phantom vs. Frankenstein,” real original right? The costume was going to be ordered offline and The Frankenstein’s Monster mask was something we would have gotten from Foy’s in Fairborn. But the film idea went nowhere and a script was never written as only scraps of paper with notes was all I had taken down for my idea for this flick, and sadly that are long gone by now. I could have only imagined if we were to have filmed this just how cheesy and terrible the action fights would have been, but I am sure much like all the films we made, it would have had a small cult following for being so bad it’s good. Below is a mock-up poster for this movie done by my friend Jason Young who I’m sure would have been cast in this could-have-been fan made film. Check it out!

Speaking of Jason Young – before we get into the reviews of DC Comics first run of The Phantom, I want to share something very cool with you: my good friend Jason has started a comic review blog called “The Bewildering” for independent comics issue # 1’s he finds in .25 and $1.00 boxes at stores as well as conventions! And with his reviews, he breaks down the issues’ plots really well and will update about once a month. It’s worth checking out if you enjoy your comics on the moldy side of the comic racks. Jason Young is a super talented dude as he is the owner of “Buyer Beware Comics” that puts out his bio comic called “Veggie Dog Saturn” among other titles. He is the co-owner of “Sparkle Comics” and its horror comic branch “Blood Scream Comics” and is working on a very cool comic called “Defenders Of The Planets” based on knock off He-Man toys from the 80’s! He also is co-host on the comic podcast called “Gutter Trash” with artist Eric Shonborn, not to mention he works at Mavericks Cards And Comics, a local shop that helps hook me up with comics for this blog! So in other words you are for sure in for a high quality good read with his blog, and I recommend that you check it out and show him some love.

So now that we have taken a look at The Phantom from comic strip to an old never made fan made film that would have been directed by me, lets get to the main attraction here at Rotten Ink and that’s the comic book reviews! When choosing The Phantom as this update I had to think long and hard about what comic company I wanted to choose as many have tackled releases for The Phantom. Most of the time I would just gone with Marvel Comics but decided to go with DC as the covers caught my attention more and looked like it could be a fun mini series. Plus I feel like sometimes poor DC gets the short end of the stick here as I cover Marvel way more often. I want to thank Game Swap Kettering and Lone Star Comics for having these issues in stock to make this update possible and want to also say thank you again to the late great Lee Falk for creating this iconic character for all us comic readers to enjoy! And as always, I need to remind you that I grade these issues on a standard 1-4 star scale rating and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So with that, let’s enter the Skull Cave and see what kind of adventure we can share with The Phantom!

The Phantom # 1 ***
Released in 1988 Cover Price $1.25 DC Comics # 1 of 4

A young boy named Kit Walker is writing in the journal in the Skull Cave as he is the next in line to be The Phantom, the ghost who cannot die. He is talking about his fears and reads back to the first Phantom who watched as his father was killed by pirates and he himself washed ashore in Bangalla, Africa near death. He was taken in by its tribe and found that if the world was going to get justice, it was by him becoming justice itself and becoming the first Phantom who wanted to protect his new home and get revenge on the pirates! Now Kit Walker is an adult and the 21st Phantom who along with his step-nephew Rex, wolf Devil and white horse Hero are called upon by the tribes people as some drug smugglers have kidnapped two of the patrol men and are waiting for the big drug transaction. As The Phantom rushes off to save his friends the patrol men, one who even is under his protection for saving his life some time back, Rex starts to read the history of The Phantom journal and learns that the 13^th Phantom was tricked onto a pirate ship by a evil men named Chessmen and captured! In modern times, The Phantom arrives too late as one of the patrolmen is shot dead, and as he frees the other, he soon finds himself looking down the barrel of a gun of a hired gun of one of the original Chessmen who has always been told to kill The Phantom and his supporters!

Three Phantoms’ tales are woven together into this issue’s plot as we take a look at what sparked the 1^st Phantom to take on the mantel of being the ghost of justice as well as follow the 13^thon a set up mission and are in present day with the 21^st who is battling relatives of enemies from the past! And while this might sound confusing, it’s really not and by all accounts is really well done and gives each of The Phantoms their own characters and own traits letting you get the feel that this is truly a mantel that is handed down from father to son over the decades. All three of the Phantoms are very strong-willed people who understand that evil in the world will prey and destroy the weak if someone does not watch out for them. Each puts his life on the line to rescue the innocent and stomp out the evil that is running loose. Rex is a young man who while is not blood to current The Phantom, he is adopted into the legacy and feels very much connected to it all and wants to learn the history and family secrets to prepare for the day he is called upon to wear the purple costume of good. The pirates and captain are the villains of the story thus far and when they are not stealing or selling drugs, they are killing and have zero remorse for ending lives too soon. One of them shoots a man in the head without a care all because he had the mark of The Phantom on him! And what’s really shocking is they show the aftermath of the gunshot with a body on the deck in a pool of blood; that’s pretty crazy for a comic based on a comic strip character. The only thing that kind of made this comic a hard read was that some of the lettering for the journal was written in cursive and at times it was hard to read as it felt piled up and a little sloppy. The cover is well done and has The Phantom doing what he does best and that’s beating up pirates! The art is great and is done by Joe Orlando who I think did a fantastic job of mixing the normal 80’s DC Comics style with a touch of Sunday Comics appeal. Over all I am very impressed with this first issue and really kick myself for waiting until 2017 to read this comic as younger me would have really enjoyed this back in 1988!

The Phantom # 2 ***
Released in 1988 Cover Price $1.25 DC Comics # 2 of 4

Rex is reading the history of The Phantom in the Skull Cave as The Phantom kicks into high gear and saves the remaining officer and takes down the captain and his men, but all he could get from the captain as who is his boss is the name Chessman because his own shipmate shoots and kills him before turning the gun on himself. The officer calls the colonel on the ship’s radio for back up and help as The Phantom slips into the jungle with anger and revenge on his mind as the name Chessman is attached to those who did his father wrong many moons back. After a few hours The Phantom contacts the colonel and finds that a man named Charles Chessman from New York is the prime suspect of being the head of the drug smugglers, so alongside Devil, The Phantom as Kit Walker boards a plane for New York to get his answers and justice…but soon finds that his American girlfriend Diana’s family are long time friends with Chessman! The Phantom heads to the office of Charles Chessman only to find himself under arrest! All the while young Rex is reading about the 13^th Phantom and his struggle to break free from the pirates who sold him into slavery.

The Phantom once more shows why he is the man who cannot die when he beats up a boat full of pirates and heads to America to settle a score with a person connected with the torture of his father. While he is dealing with his want for revenge, his adopted nephew is learning the history of The Phantom. This issue feels like a great classic hero tale and adds in just enough violence, drama and modern settings to give it an appeal to readers who enjoy Batman, Superman and classic stuff like Dick Tracy and Flash Gordon. The Phantom is as heroic as he can be in this issue and saves not only the life of an officer but also a whole plane full of passengers and crew when a man tries to take it over and with one quick punch that threat comes to an end. Rex, like any young man, is wanting to learn all he can and prove that he could be very worthy of The Phantom legacy someday. The pirates and the captain are such scum that they even turn on each other when the odds are out of their favor. The Captain has no spine and is about to squeal like a pig on who hired them before his own right hand man put a bullet to good use. Diana Palmer is a woman who clearly cares about her boyfriend The Phantom and understands his odd way of life, but her mother doesn’t like the relationship and thinks The Phantom is too creepy. Something that is working really well for this comic mini series is that like his father The Phantom is trying to get the revenge that his father was unable to dish out all those years back and this adds to not only the drama but also the action. The cover is pretty slick and holds a classic look and the interior art is done by Joe Orlando again and is fantastic. Again, the only complaint I have is that some of the cursive lettering is hard to read in spots but that’s very minor and didn’t take away any of the enjoyment of the issue. So with issue two being as good as issue one, I cannot wait to see what issue three has in store for us the readers, and I wish I would have bought this series when I was a kid as I would have enjoyed it a lot.

The Phantom # 3 ***
Released in 1988 Cover Price $1.25 DC Comics # 3 of 4

The Phantom and Devil outsmart and out-maneuver the officers and as they go on a wild goose chase to track him down he slips back into the office of Chessman and beats him up and tells him he has a short time to turn himself over to the police and tell them the truth about his drug selling and stolen good ways or that he himself will be the judge, jury and executioner. After taking his leave, Diana comes to see Chessman and is upset over the fact that he beat up one of her friends who she thinks is truly a nice guy and decides to go on a dinner date with Chessman and has a terrible argument with The Phantom leaving the couple at odds and even possibly broken up. The Phantom goes out the night of the date and gets information on all of Chessman’s thugs. Meanwhile, during dinner Chessman hires a hitman named Stryker to hunt down and kill The Phantom who is in turn now hunting down Chessman’s right hand man! All the while, we get flashbacks to the 13^th Phantom who escapes his chains and goes on a hunt and kills the first of The Chessman brothers to send a message to the others that no one crosses justice and The Phantom.

This third issue ushers in the idea that The Phantom is now onto the man who has not only killed his friend and is pushing drugs but also is a relative of the evil men who pushed his father, the 13^th Phantom near death’s door. And while trying to put a stop to the evil of this man he might lose his girlfriend as well as his life as now the hunter might just very well become the hunted. The Phantom is a man alone in New York as his own lady thinks he is on the wrong track, and this leaves him trying to fight this fight without her knowledge of the target, but at least he has Devil by his side and is kind enough to give Chessman a choice of turning himself in or become a body in the morgue. Diana is making a big mistake by thinking that her longtime family friend is a nice guy and not scum. This leaves her also at the madman’s mercy as she is now at his house for dinner and he is desperate to rid the world of The Phantom. I would not put it past him to use her as a human meat shield when the action goes down. Chessman is just so slimy and plays the role of a nice guy who really has a black selfish heart, and I can’t wait for him to get served some cold justice. Stryker is a mystery and looks like your typical mafia style hitman, and he could be a challenge for The Phantom once they meet! The story of the 13^th Phantom from the past and the 21^st Phantom’s paths are one in the same dealing with the same evil and crappy people The Chessman family is good story telling and writer Peter David is doing some amazing things to make The Phantom cool for comic readers of 1988 and beyond. The cover once more holds a classic look and captures the adventure style of the character and his legacy as again the art by Joe Orlando is top notch and amazing stuff. Once more this issue is as good as the other two so far and leaves the reader wanting more and wanting to see how the story ends in the next issue. So like The Phantom, let’s lurk into the shadows of your favorite place to read comics and see what happens next.

The Phantom # 4 ***
Released in 1988 Cover Price $1.25 DC Comics # 4 of 4

At dinner Diana overhears Chessman telling Stryker about his right hand man being busted by the cops thanks to The Phantom and that this spoiled a major drug deal for him. Before she can get away, Chessman and Stryker take Diana hostage and want to use her as bait when they find out she knows him! The Phantom spends the next nights breaking up Chessman’s illegal operations but finally finds a message that Diana is in trouble and heads to Chessman’s house and into a trap. The Phantom sets Diana free but she is soon recaptured by Chessman who throws her into his car and hits the streets to get to his private plane. While The Phantom and Devil make short work of Stryker, who, armed with a sniper rifle, hardly put up hardly before being knocked out. The Phantom watches as his enemy takes his true love away and borrows a police horse and tracks them down to bridge where traffic has come to a standstill and with a gun to her head Diana is forced to watch as Chessman and The Phantom have a showdown that leaves them both falling off the bridge. Chessman is in bad shape and rushed to the hospital but is suspected to live and will face charges for his drug empire. The Phantom is thought to be dead until he shows up with Devil to Diana’s house and they patch things up and all ends well. We also see that the 13^th Phantom also had an epic fight with the pirate Chessman brother that as well left them both falling off a mountain that they both died from, but this once more proved that the legacy of The Phantom would live forever.

This four issue mini series took us on an adventure that had us in the past and modern times as well as in the jungles of Africa and the slums of New York and pitted good vs. evil and justice against law breaker. The Phantom in this issue not only brings down many drug and gambling rings but also takes down a hitman as well as defeats a rich business man who is the ring leader of smugglers and has lived his life as a lie and gotten the support of many with his phony good guy persona. And most importantly, he also wins his girl’s heart back as well as keeps the legacy of The Phantom going and intact. The best part about The Phantom is that while he is super talented in hand to hand combat, he also uses his mind to really bring down those who are doing bad and wicked things. Devil is a loyal wolf and is a big help when it comes to fighting crime and is the best ally as he is threat with his razor sharp teeth! Rex learns lots about The Phantom legacy by going into the records, a place he is not meant to be, but a place it is known he would enter as all future Phantoms have interest in the past adventures. Diana Palmer is a woman who stands by her man…well that is until he beats up and points the figure at a rich family friend and then you turn on him and try and send him home until everything he said turns out to be true and he saves your life and then you fall back in love with him. Diana should have had faith in her superhero boyfriend as she clearly has a brain in her head. Stryker is all talk as he acts as if it would be easy to kill off The Phantom and when he gets his chance, he crumbles faster than a house of cards in a hurricane! The 13^th Phantom in this series is a hero who is beaten, sold and near death but finds his inner power to get his revenge and to prove that his family legacy is not to be taken lightly. Charles Chessman is a man who has no morals and only cares about making money and getting his own fat out of the fire and would kill an innocent woman to get away, even after being given the chance to turn himself in he decides that he would rather not and try to kill his nemesis. He is much like the Chessman Pirate Brothers as his ego is what causes his downfall and leads him to a life in jail. The one thing that shocked me about this comic series was the fact that it shows not only blood but also a suicide and shows them both very gritty and this brings a more raw and natural feeling to it. The cover on this issue also is very well done and captures the heroic nature of The Phantom and adds the touch of mobsters and gritty city life to its appeal. The art is again done by the talented Joe Orlando and his work helped make this comic series even better of a read and added to the enjoyment of the sold story written by Peter David. Over all, if you enjoy classic hero tales that are filled with drama, action and a more realistic hero, then I suggest checking out this 4 issue mini series as I am glad that I did all these years after its newsstand run. Check out below to get a taste of the artwork from Joe Orlando and see just how good it is.

Being a fan of The Phantom since a young age, it really is shocking that it took this long for me to read this mini series as to be honest I remember seeing it at comic shops in my teens and never pulled the trigger on buying the issues. I really think fans of such characters, as Batman, Dick Tracy, The Unknown Solider and Moon Knight should check out The Phantom if you have not already. With our next update, we are staying with DC and taking a look at one of the biggest events in comic history in my life time and one that some say brought the beginning of the end for the comic boom and I am of course talking about Doomsday: The Death Of Superman! So until next time, make sure to read a comic or three, read a novel or two and as always support your local Horror Host, and I will see you next update for Superman’s deadliest fight ever.