From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: House II The Second Story (1987)

Posted on September 13, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update that is all about those awesome comics that are based on creepy horror and sci-fi films that give the fans a little more scares from their favorite films and movie baddies. I love talking about these types of comics and they are super fun to write about. This update will be a fun one as it’s about the horror comedy film House II: The Second Story and the Marvel Comics adaptation of it. Back in the day Marvel was a very cool company who made some great comics not only with their superhero series but also with their horror as well as the strange. So if you are ready, we have just been handed the keys from Marvel Comics and now it’s time for us to enter the House….House II that is.

Let’s first start off with talking about the main villain of House II and that is the undead supernatural outlaw cowboy named Slim Reeser and his ways of dealing death to those who cross his path. Slim Reeser in life was a cowboy adventurer who would help discover an Aztec Temple that house a crystal skull and after having falling out with his exploring partner and being shot and left for dead, his spirit felt wronged and could not find rest and returned to the land of the living twice as a zombie in order to get the skull back. Slim Reeser is undead and has a rotten zombie appearance and dressed in his cowboy gear. The sight of him alone is frightening and can cause panic and distress to those he crosses paths with; his voice is also very unearthly and can send a shiver down spines. Slim can also pass through time and this makes him very dangerous and unpredictable as he can come and go from current time back to his past time. Slim Reeser’s most deadly weapon are his guns as he is a good shot and is skilled with using six shooters the kill his enemies by pumping their gut full of lead. He is also fast and seems to kind of have teleporting ability. He can also take gun shot wounds and shrug them off. Even though he is a zombie, Slim Reeser does have weakness and can be stopped kind of as if takes a heck of a lot of bullets, his whole head being blown off and then having his body set on fire. Slim Reeser is pretty dangerous and can kill with skill with his guns, and while he is not like the other zombies we have covered here on Rotten Ink, he is a very evil one that we have covered on a From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update.

So as you can see, Slim Reeser is one mean outlaw cowboy who can deal out death with his trusty six-shooter and because he is supernatural he is very hard to kill. But let’s now take a look at the film he is from and that of course is House II: The Second Story. And for this part of the update I will be taking the film’s write up from our friends at IMDB and after that I will be writing about the film’s production and then after that I will be writing about my thoughts on the film. So if you are ready, let’s grab the Aztec Crystal Skull and hide as I am sure Slim is still looking for it.

House II: The Second Story (1987)

“Jesse moves to his biological parents’ house with his girlfriend Kate and soon he hosts his friend Charlie with his girlfriend. Jesse reads old documents and decides to go to the local cemetery with Charlie to unbury his grand grand grandfather to seek out an ancient powerful Aztec skull. They reanimate Gramps that soon befriends Jesse and Charlie. But demons cross gateways in the house to retrieve the magic skull and Jesse and Charlie need to go to other dimensions to retrieve the skull and keep Gramps alive.”

The 1986 Horror Comedy film House was a big hit for New World Pictures, and they as well as producer Sean S. Cunningham wanted to get a sequel out fast to cash in on its success. Ethan Wiley, who was the scriptwriter for the first film, returned to write the second film as well as would get on board the direct. House II: The Second Story was given the budget of $3 million dollars and was aiming for a PG-13 rating in order to get more younger viewers to the cinema to see it as it was going to play more for laughs as well as introduce a new mansion with silly characters. The film would not be connected to the first film and would be a sequel in name only and would showcase another haunted house this time tied into a Aztec Crystal Skull that also featured characters from the Wild West. The film would cast Arye Gross, Johnathan Stark, Royal Dano, Bill Maher, John Ratzenberger and Lar Park Lincoin in main roles and would also feature Kane Hodder, Mitzi Kapture and the voice work of Frank Welker. The film was shot fast and cheap, and Harry Manfredini was brought in to do the score work again. It was released to theaters on August 28, 1987 and was met with mostly negative reviews from critics and very mixed reviews from viewers. The film would go on to bring in over $10million dollars and would help spark two more sequels in the series and would be #94 for the year at the American box office. The film would find a bigger fan base when released on VHS and was a popular rental at the time of release. The film when released along side such other horror films in 1987 as Hellraiser, Evil Dead 2, The Lost Boys, A Nightmare On Elm Street Part 3: The Dream Warriors, Jaws The Revenge, Creepshow 2, Slaughterhouse, Monster Squad, The Video Dead, Predator, Slumber Party Massacre 2 and The Howling III to name a few. So as you can see, it kind of got lost in the shuffle of horror.

House II was one of those films I can remember seeing for the first time on HBO and watching it several times alongside my brother as I found it to be a fun film geared more towards kids and I was one of them at the time of seeing it. While even back then I would say that it was not even in the same league as the first film, it did bring something new to the growing series as it took place in a new home and featured a new group of people being tormented by the supernatural and added in the old western characters that made it stand out even more for me as I liked the look and badass nature of Slim Reeser and Gramps McLaughlin was silly and made me laugh when he had to try and get use to life in the 1980’s. Plus seeing actor John Ratzenberger, who I knew as postman Cliff Clavin on the sitcom Cheers, play the part of Bill who was a electrician was really cool as George Wendt plated Harold Gorton the neighbor in the first film and he was Norm on Cheers…so the House series has a connection to Cheers. And House II was one of those films that as I got older more and more people I knew who liked Horror would trash it and even many would rank it as one of the worst sequels in Horror film history. I think that is a little harsh as while it is not perfect I have see way worse from bigger series. The thing with House II is that it came out a big year for horror that featured many big series debuting and having sequels and I think House II was just lost in the shuffle and to be honest the PG-13 rating I think really hurt it when it came to horror fans checking it out. And when on home media I first owned the film on VHS and currently have it on DVD and have no plans to upgrade to the Blu-Ray release. House II was fallowed by House III: The Horror Show in 1989 and House IV: The Repossession in 1992 and with the fourth film the series would end it and no new plans for any future sequels are in the works as of this update. If you like 80’s horror comedies and have not seen House II, give it a watch and see if you enjoy it.

So now that we have talked about House II: The Second Story the film and Slim Reeser, the main villain of the film, I think it’s time that we take a look at the Marvel Comic version based on it that was released back in the day when New World Pictures owned Marvel Comics and they were making issues based on some of their films and TV shows and House II was one of them that got this treatment. I would like to thank Mavericks Cards And Comics for having this comic in stock and making this update possible. I would also like 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, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s head to that old McLaughlin Mansion and see if Gramps and the Crystal Skull are still around and what kind of danger they are into this time.

House II # 1 ***
Released in 1987 Cover Price $2.00 Marvel # 1 of 1

At the McLaughlin Mansion, a young baby is taken away to safety as the parents are gunned down shortly after by a stranger in a long coat. Decades later that baby has grown up and is Jesse McLaughlin, and he and his record executive girlfriend Kate have inherited the mansion now and right as they move in Jesse’s best friend Charlie Coriell and his punk rock singer girlfriend Lana come to visit and help, and as Kate thinks about signing Lana to a record deal Jesse and Charlie come up with an idea to dig up his great, great grandfather as they think he might have been buried with a priceless and rare crystal skull after finding some old books about the families history. While at the graveyard Jesse tells Charlie about his great great grandfathers outlaw past and how he and his one time partner Slim Reeser became enemies. And once they open the casket they see the crystal skull and crazy enough the dead man rises as the skull has given him eternal life as long as its around and they end up taking him back to the mansion. They end up calling him Gramps and the next day he tells them about is life in the Old West as Kate and Lana go out to lunch with John Statmen the boss of the record company with the ladies unaware that Jesse’s dead relative is staying in the basement. Jesse and Charlie spend all day in the basement drinking beer and listening to Gramps tell stories, but as they hear a noise and head upstairs they find that a Halloween party is taking place an worse for Jesse his old girlfriend Rochelle is around and Gramps has made his way up stairs and is now at the party! As the party goes on a mountain of a barbarian shows up and steals the Crystal Skull and even knocks around Gramps before he makes his escape into a room that is now housing a jungle, and Jesse and Charlie go into it after sending all the party guests home in order to find the skull as with it away Gramps is getting weaker and dying. But they also make Kate and Lana angry who leave the mansion in a huff, but once in the jungle Jesse and Charlie watch as the barbarian is eaten by a dinosaur and when they get the Crystal Skull back they bring back also a baby pterodactyl and a Cater-Puppy! And before they can return the skull back to the mansion’s fireplace mantel Kate returns home and finds that Rochelle is still at the mansion and thinks Jesse is cheating and leaves the house for good this time, and after they also get Rochelle out of the house Gramps is attacked by a Aztec Warrior who takes the skull and disappears in the mansion with it. Jesse and Charlie thanks to an electrician named Bill Towner find a hidden dimension behind a wall in the mansion and they go in and defeat the Aztec Warriors and get the Crystal Skull back and even save a Aztec Woman who was going to be sacrificed. Once back at the mansion Bill leaves and Jesse has a “family” dinner with Charlie, Gramps, Aztec Woman, Cater-Puppy and the Baby Pterodactyl but the meal is interrupted by Slim Reeser who shoots Gramps and is able to not only grab the Crystal Skull but also kidnaps Charlie and the Aztec Woman and takes them to a western town! Jesse armed with a shotgun has a gunfight with Slim inside and outside the western town an the gunfire alerts the cops who arrive and surround the house! In the end Jesse is able to kill Slim for good, the cops open fire on the house when one of Slim’s bullets hits an officer and this sparks a house fire, Gramps dies from his bullet wound and Jesse returns to the western world and stays their with his new “family”.

House II made for a very fun comic and proves that Marvel Comics should have one more adaptations of New World Pictures Horror films when the film company owned them. The comic’s plot is very simple and has a young man being left a massive family mansion that has a curse around it all because of a Crystal Skill that is said to have powers including eternal life, but after his Great, Great Grandfather returns from the grave the mansion becomes a hotbed for other dimensions and many baddies want to get their hands on that skull and that includes a western outlaw that was once the friend of Gramps. The main hero of this story is Jesse McLaughlin whose parents were murdered and had to grow up in foster care, and once his Gramps returns from the grave he will do whatever it takes to keep him as well as his friends safe from the curse. Charlie Coriell is a goofy man but a loyal friend who goes along for the strange ride and adventure with his best friend and not only risks his life but also just accepts all the strange going things happening. Gramps McLaughlin has been dead for over 70 years when he returns to share his wild stories of the wild west as well as explain the powers of the Crystal Skull that has kept him alive some ways after all these years, but while he talks a big game he is the reason for all the trouble and looses the skull several times in the short amount of time its been back at the mansion, in other words besides stories Gramps is kind of a pain. The other characters like Kate, Rochelle, Lana, John Statmen, Aztec Woman, Baby Pterodactyl, Bill Towner and Cater-Puppy are all around and help the story in their own ways. Slim Reeser is the comic’s main villain and is a undead outlaw gunslinger who wants to get the Crystal Skull as he feels he should be the owner and not Gramps as they found it together, Slim is skilled with his guns and has killed many people in his time and will do what it takes to get that skull. Also around wanting that skull and adding danger are a massive Barbarian and Aztec Warriors all who will also do what it takes to claim it! This is a well done adaptation and while many elements are missing or told a little different to keep the page count down and the story moving along, it still for the most part keeps true to the film. The film is not bloody at all but does have several moments of death with my favorite kill of the issue being the death of Slim Reeser as he gets his head shot off and then his body is hit with multiple bullets and then catches on fire…a true brutal death for such an evil undead outlaw. The cover for this comic is really cool and eye catching as it show cases Slim standing in front of the mansion as the hands of Gramps are coming out of the ground, spooky stuff for the young readers. The interior art was done by Alan Kupperberg who is a talented artist, and his style fit really well in bringing House II to the world of comic books. He is also known for his work on Spider-Man titles for Marvel. Over all, this is a really fun adaptation that showcases a time when Marvel Comics was making some amazing Horror titles that tied into films, so if you have not read it make sure to do so if you enjoy the film. Checkout the artwork below to see the style of Kupperberg used in this comic.

House II is truly one of those sequels that fans either love or hate, but even those who hate it have to admit that it is pretty cool that the film got the Marvel Comics treatment. In fact, some years back, I did a write up about the House II comic book for a horror magazine released in Spain called Monster Mash by Fester Entertainment. I would also like for you readers to take a moment to think about what other horror comics based on New World Pictures you would have liked to have seen Marvel Comics do around this time as keep in mind they also did release Hellriaser and Elvira Mistress Of The Dark comics. But as you can see, we have reached the end of this From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update and I would like to say that our next update will be another From Horror Movie To Horror Comic one as our countdown to Halloween 2025 continues as it will be about the 1986 Musical Remake of Little Shop Of Horrors! So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror film or two and as always support your local horror host. See you next update for an update that will entertain you with both fear and laughter.

Wild West Round Up: The Law Rides Again (1943)

Posted on March 23, 2023 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to the Rotten Ink Ranch. I am sure you can smell that chili cooking over the campfire and you know that we will be talking about another classic western film that was released on DVD by Alpha Video around the old fire as we eat a bowl or two. This Wild West Round Up update will like always have one film that I will break down. I will talk about the plot of the film and will also use pictures to do so. I will also very quickly talk about the film’s production as well as the lead star of the film, and sometimes even the director, as they are very important to the film as well. Also for these updates I will find a chili recipe online and cook up a batch and watch the movie while eating a bowl or two…and the chili and the film will be graded on a 1-4 star scale! This should be a fun time as Rotten Ink Ranch has been kind enough to allow us to sit around a campfire and cook some chili and chat about good old western films. So if you are ready, let’s start The Law Rides Again and get this themed update started and the chili cooking.

The Law Rides Again was a cheaply shot western film that was released on October 12, 1943 and was released by Monogram Pictures. Like many films at this time, it was filmed quick and cheap to get into the cinema to cash in on the still hanging on cowboy popularity. The film over the years has held up and is one that is mostly met with positive reviews from critics as well as fans. The director of this film was Alan James, who over his career directed over 70 films with many of them being westerns as well as the Dick Tracy serials from 1937. And besides directing, James was also known for his writing skills as he wrote over 60 scripts. The film’s main star was Ken Maynard, who plays the part of U.S. Marshal Ken Maynard. He was a true star when it came to acting in Western films, and this was his second time playing the U.S. Marshal character. It also had Hoot Gibson, Jack La Rue, Chief Thundercloud, Budd Buster and Betty Miles added to the cast. The film was cheap to shoot and when finished Frank Sanucci was brought in to score it. The film did well at the theaters and that was mainly due to the duo of Ken Maynard and Hoot Gibson both who were really well loved by movie goers of the 1940’s. Over the years the film has built a following with fans who enjoy this era of Hollywood Westerns and as of this update’s posting holds a 6.1 out of 10 star rating on IMDB. The film has also been released on home media on multiple DVD labels.

For The Law Rides Again screening we decided to cook up some “Café Zupas Chicken Enchilada Chili” a slow cooking chili that should be very tasty and is by Emily Walker and sounds like it could be a very good meal as we chose to fix and eat it on a very cold January day in 2022. We both picked this chili as it sounded really interesting and would have to slow cook for around four hours. So after getting all the ingredients, we placed it all into the crockpot and followed the recipe and we will soon find out if it’s as good as its sounds.

I have a blast doing these western and chili updates and for sure the “Wild West Round Up” will be around for a while here at Rotten Ink. I will be grading both the film and the chili on a classic 1-4 star scale. I also want to say on my film ratings, I am basing it on a scale that is for this era of classic westerns. So pull up a rock and gather by the campfire as it’s time to eat some home cooked chili and watch a western flick brought to us from the folks at Alpha Video.

The Law Rides Agian
Starring: Ken Maynard and Hoot Gibson Directed: J.P. McGowan
Not Rated 1943 58min Alpha Video DVD Full Frame

A wagon train is spotted by an Indian Scout. He reports back to his tribe, and they decide to go on the attack! The people of the wagon train try to escape but they are no match and are caught and killed and many of the wagons are set on fire. The aftermath is spotted by Eagle Eye who in fear rides off heading into town.

Meanwhile in the Arizona Territory at the Commissioner’s Office Eagle Eye is inside talking to Commissioner Lee about the wagon ambush and is worked up over all that the tribe took and what they destroyed, and now the Commissioner is looking at U.S. Marshal Ken Maynard and Hoot Gibson to investigate and see why the Native Americans have gone against the peace treaty. Ken and Hoot end up with an idea to use connected fugitive Duke Dillon to help find who is creating the tension and making the tribe attack the wagons, and Duke agrees to help dig and find the info as they promise his punishment would be made lighter for the help. Meanwhile in town Indian Agent John Hampton is talking with Chief Barking Fox as they have gotten a herd of cattle for the Indians and as well John slips Thundercloud, a brave, some coins and the deal is done.

The Marshal arrives at the jail with Duke Dillon arrive at the stage coach office and Betty Conway takes over the job or driving it as they head toward the town so that Duke can find the person who is causing the drama with the tribe. Meanwhile as Eagle Eye stops to take a drink of water he is almost hit with an arrow as the tribe have spotted him and do not want him on their land, they give chase to them and it’s luck that he is able to give them the slip. Eagle Eye rushes to the station and informs Pete Conway the owner of the stage couch company that the tribe is on a path of destruction…and lucky for them Ken and Hoot arrive and are told of the situation and they go after the stage coach and after a chase they are able to leap from their horses onto the coach and get Betty to stop it. But they are all unlucky as the Native American Tribe has shown up and now Betty’s driving skills are being put to the test. And during this chase Duke is able to get the Marshalls gun away from him and kill him and then leap out of the coach just as they reach the safety of the town as the Native Americans turn around. Meanwhile Ken, Hoot and Betty are unaware of the escape of Duke and the killing of the Marshall. And just Duke’s luck where he lands he finds a house that he limps to.

John Hampton and his men have gotten word that Duke Dillon is working alongside the law in order to help point the finger at the people who are working up the Native Americans and causing these attacks, and of course its them that are doing so and they have an idea to kill Duke as he exits the coach…but of course he has already escaped. Meanwhile Sheriff Jeff is called when the body of the Marshall is found and Ken and Hoot are taken in for questioning, as Betty does not know them and they are the ones who originally stopped her coach before the Indian attack. Hampton stops by and tries to get information from Betty and Jeff as well as acts as if he is not sure why the Indians are attacking and even more he wants to know who was the criminal passenger who was on the coach that escaped. And when he doesn’t get what he seeks he acts like he will help Jeff in finding out why the tribe is attacking.

Ken and Hoot are locked up in a jail cell for over three hours now and they are getting antsy as they want to be on their way to track down Duke And with a whistle they get their horses to show up at the jail window and Hoot uses a lasso to get Ken’s gun off the desk and they then use the rope to also tie to the horse who pulls the window out and they are now free. Sheriff Ken arrives at the jail just in time to see them ride off as he had been spending the morning talking to Betty and letting his prisoners think about the crime he thinks they did in jail. Meanwhile John Hampton is relieved that Ken and Hoot escaped as they think now the investigation into the Tribe attacks will be over.

Ken and Hoot return to the trail and find the tracks of Duke as well as the old house he is taking shelter in. Before the head to the house Hoot tells Ken that even though Duke double crossed them he still might be useful into the matter of finding out who is behind the Tribe attacking. When they get to the house they leave the horses by the door and walk away to the back of the house, as Duke limps out of the home thinking about stealing a horse to get away Hoot and Ken bust him as it was a trap and the crook fell for it. When caught the three head into the home to talk about the original plan as Duke claims he did not kill the Marshall that it was a bullet from the attacking tribe that killed him. Meanwhile back in town Thundercloud visits with Hampton who just wrapped up a meeting with Sheriff Jeff and warns him that trouble could be on the way as a white man has scheduled a meeting with Chief Barking Fox at sundown and this worries Hampton as he thinks that the gig could be exposed. And worse for Hampton is Ken, Hoot and Duke have just arrived in town and Duke heads toward Hampton’s building as Ken and Hoot watch on.

Ken and Hoot are shocked that Duke headed straight for Hampton’s post and they think that they should go and get the Sheriff and Hoot breaks off to go do so as Ken keeps his eye on the building. Inside Duke and Hampton have a talk and Duke alerts him that he has no intention in helping the law and turning in Hampton for his work on angering the Indians, and all he wants is for him to help him escape. Duke even says that if Hampton refuses and has one of his men shoot him that the law will be at their door in no time as he tells him that Ken and Hoot are outside. Meanwhile back at the jail Hoot is having to explain to Sheriff Jeff, Betty as well as two other men why they had such strange behavior and why they escaped jail, and Ken is tricked into coming into the Indian Agent building and even punches and knocks out one of Hampton’s men in the lobby.

Ken starts looking around seeing if he can find Hampton and Duke and once upstairs he has a fist fight with two more of Hampton’s men and the odds being against him Ken is hit with a chair and goes down, the attackers all flee the scene when Hoot along with Betty, The Sheriff and the two other men arrive. Ken wakes up and joins the search party and when they arrive at the room of Hampton he plays dumb and acts as Duke is gone and he acts as if he has never heard of him before. When they all leave Duke comes out from behind a trick bookcase and tells Hampton that he thinks that the only way out of this is if they kill Ken, Hoot and Betty as they have all seen him. Meanwhile back at the jail Eagle Eye is telling Ken and Hoot that the meeting with Chief Barking Fox is a go at sunset. Hoot heads off to the meeting with the Chief as Betty heads to the fort to bring her fiancé who is a Calvary soldier, while Ken and Eagle Eye stay with the Sheriff and his deputies in case of trouble in town. While at the office of Hampton he is being convinced by Duke and Thundercloud that during the meeting they should attack and kill those who are close to exposing this crime ring they have. And when they find out Hoot and Betty have rode off Hampton sends men to go and get them.

As Hoot and Betty are riding he catches on that they are now being followed and tries to come up with an idea to loss their soon to be attackers, he even had Betty split off so that it would be harder for the bad guys to track them. And Betty outsmarts her followers and heads toward the fort, while Hoot as well makes his trackers look silly as he gets the jump on them and even steals their horses, leaving them walking back to town. Hampton and Duke’s attempt to stop Betty and Hoot was a failure. While back in town Ken gets on top of the roofs and makes his way to Hampton’s Indian Agent Post as the front door was heavily guarded. Once inside the office of Hampton he locks the door and starts snooping around and taking evidence, but is caught when Hampton comes from behind the bookcase and a fight breaks out alerting his men who arrive to late as Ken escapes and Hampton is knocked out.

Ken goes to the Sheriff with the evidence he has found about Hampton and his men stealing cattle from the tribe during delivery, and Hoot finds that the Chief has not been happy as they are promised lots and always delivered little by the white man. And when Hoot returns to town they all agree that Hampton is the man behind cheating the tribe and that he as well has been hiding and working alongside Duke Dillon and they now have one day to make things right with the tribe before a war breaks out. And the whole time they talk Thundercloud is at the window listening to the plan and figures out that he as well has been lied to by Hampton, and once back at his office he is knocked out and taken away by Hampton’s men. Meanwhile Ken, Hoot, Sheriff Ken, Eagle Eye and the two deputies are going to try and bluff until the Calvary arrives that Betty has went to fetch.

Hampton gets all his men ready for a gunfight as Duke now just wants his money so that he can skip town and be away from all this madness, but Hampton refuses and now he is stuck at the post. And now Eagle Eye and Sheriff Ken have also went to go get Chief Barking Fox to bring him to town as well to not only even the odds but to expose the scam that Hampton has been pulling on them. As Hampton empties his safe Duke takes out his gun and shoots Hampton and steals the money and tries to make his escape. And as Duke rides away he is spotted by Ken and Hoot who give chase and in turn Hampton’s men as well start to chase the other men. Duke gets off his horse and hides in the rocks as Ken and Hoot follow and try to get him to give up, but then things get worse as many of Hampton’s men show up guns ready and a shootout starts with Ken and Hoot being badly out numbered and out gunned, but just on time arrives the Calvary and during this gun fight even Duke is hit by a bullet and wounded badly. And when the Sheriff, Eagle Eye and The Chief join the fight its over as Hampton’s henchmen surrender, and when Ken and Hoot make it to Duke he dies. In the end the tribe and the town have peace and after chatting at the jail with Sheriff Ken, Betty and Eagle Eye our heroes Ken and Hoot then set out for more adventures.

Review: You can tell from the start that “The Law Rides Again” was made on a very cheap budget as very little gunfights breakout and the cast is kept pretty small as are the locations used. The pairing of Ken and Hoot is fun to watch, and while they are the heroes of the story and do lots of heroic and brave things, they also oddly have a comedy aspect to them that made me as the viewer take them not as serious as I should. It’s almost like they wanted to make a western comedy but got cold feet and just decided on a normal production. Ken Maynard is a good actor but for some reason in this movie for me he just did not pack that leading man punch that one would think of when it came to these classic western films, as just something was lacking in his performance and I think it was making his character have confidence. Hoot Gibson does a pretty good job of being the sidekick character who has good ideas and in the final gunfight shows that he might been the more skilled of the two heroes as his bullets save Ken twice from dying. I like the character of Betty Conway played by Betty Miles, a beautiful stagecoach driver who it appears could by all means take care of herself and I wish they would have allowed her to take part in the gun fight at the end of the film. And speaking of that gun fight, I wish there was a little more to it most of the take it was just characters firing the guns with close ups and once and awhile one of the actors would act as if they got hit by a bullet, and both of our films villains Duke Dillon and John Hampton meet their end with Hamptons being a good death for a cheat while I felt Duke’s was a little lacking. As far as bad guys go in these old western films, I would say that both Duke and Hampton are pretty dang good as Duke is just sneaky and Hampton is a full fledge conman. Plus the subplot of the Tribe attacking wagon trains and white men on their land should have been a bigger part as having them even attack the town in revenge for being cheated would have been a great touch. While this film does have many flaws it also has many charms as I felt the acting was good for the time, the fist fights were very cheesy and glorious and the fast pace and focus on our two heroes made for an enjoyable watch. And while not a classic by any means, fans of Ken Maynard and or Hoot Gibson will surly enjoy this one. I was really torn on what star rating to give this one as my gut was saying it was a *1/2 to ** star at best film, but the entertainment it gave me on a cold winters day in 2022 made me bump it up to the rating you will see it got below and yes I know I am being generous. Also the DVD print from Alpha Video is ok and while it does have a few audio and picture issues, they just added to the charm.

Now onto the Café Zupas Chicken Enchilada Chili first thing I have to say is that while cooking in the crockpot it had a great smell to it that filled the house and both Juliet and I thought so. Now for the test of the chili I can say it really does taste like a Chicken Enchilada that was blended up and made into a chili type soup. The tastes are bold but not like your normal chili taste, as the enchilada sauce is very powerful with each bite and it kind of over powers the dish. But the mix of chicken, corn and black beans do as well add to the taste and texture and helps take your tongue to the chili comfort food zone. While not as hearty as I like my chili, this one was an above average bowl that had some unique elements that made for a tasty meal.

Movie: **1/2
Chili: **1/2

Well that was some tasty chili and a fun and entertaining classic western movie featuring Hoot Gibson and Ken Maynard, two icons of the western genre, and again while flawed the movie really was a fun watch. As you can see, the camp fire is going out and the bright stars are filling the night sky and that means its time for us to hit the dusty old trail but before we do, I would like to let you know that our next update will be taking us back to the world of Pro Wrestling and will also kick off our WrestleMania month as we will have three updates all based on R.I.W Wrestling Legends with the first one being about Big John Studd, who is one of my all time favorite big man wrestlers and then you will have to wait and see who the second Legend is we cover! So until then, read a Western comic or three, watch a western film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update at the Rotten Ink Arena for a body slam challenge.

Marvel’s Fastest Gun In The West…Rawhide Kid

Posted on February 22, 2019 by bloodlinematt

Once upon a time western comics were all the rage for young readers, and cowboys like Lone Ranger, The Rifleman, Billy The Kid, Roy Rogers and so many others entertained and captured imaginations. In fact besides comic books, westerns also use to rule the box office as well as TV airwaves and cheap paperback novels, and it seemed like every kid wanted to be the cowboy when playing “Cowboy And Indians”. But like all super popular media, it, of course, also had a big fall and has lost its hold on the youth today who seem to prefer video game heroes to those from the old wild west. Growing up, I loved films like Once Upon A Time In the West, Magnificent Seven, Young Guns and Quick And The Dead, not to mention the classic true tales of Billy The Kid, Buffalo Bill Cody and Wild Bill Hickok! Plus no joke. The Rifleman is one of my all time favorite TV shows, and Lone Ranger was a hero of mine when I was a kid! So while westerns in media even by the time of my youth were not as popular of a genre, they still had their hooks in my entertainment. I mean let’s be honest, many of you readers growing up have played Cowboys and Indians and even looked up to the likes of Roy Rogers or John Wayne. For this update we are going to take a look at a western hero from the Marvel Universe and after looking at all the options, I decided to take a look at Rawhide Kid and his 1985 mini series. So get your spurs on, find a trusty horse and let’s head out to the wild west and see what Marvel has in store for us when it comes to Cowboy heroes. This update will be a quick one and should be a fun one for fans of classic Marvel western heroes.

Some of you younger readers I am sure do not remember the Rawhide Kid as Marvel Comics over the years have not really done much with him besides give him a MAX series and turn him into a raunchy character to try and be edgy in 2003, and then in 2010 he had another mini series put out this time again simply released by Marvel. But before we dive too deep and start the review of Rawhide Kid, I want to share a little of the character’s back story and history with you readers who might be unfamiliar with Rawhide Kid’s slinging ways. As a baby, Johnny Clay had most of his family killed by Indians, and he was left behind as his brothers fled and one was even captured and taken. Ben Bart, a fast Texas Ranger gunslinger, took in the infant Johnny and raised him as his own family on an old ranch, where Johnny at the age of 18 became the fastest gun in the west. One day Johnny heads to town for supplies, and while away, some gunslingers sneak onto the ranch and kill Ben and this sparks Johnny who finds the body to become on a quest of revenge. Once tracking them down and out-dueling them both in a gun fight, Johnny turns his adoptive father’s killers in and decides to change his name to Rawhide Kid and to use his fast shooting skills to help others. And after having it out with an evil ranch owner that leaves the man shot, the Rawhide Kid becomes a wanted man when a sheriff fails to see that the Kid was only saving the day. But even as a wanted man, the Rawhide Kid used his gun skills to help people and to fight crime. Over the years Rawhide Kid has teamed up with the likes of Two-Gun Kid, Kid Colt, Phantom Rider and even Iron Man! This character ran from 1955 -1979 and lasted 151 issues for his first solo run and would come back in 1985 for a four issue mini series. While Rawhide Kid is not a popular Marvel Comic character nowadays, he was one who made his mark for the company and is one that deserves respect for being one heck of an entertaining western comic character. Growing up, I read many of his adventures from comics that my Grandma Brassfield would buy for my brother from garage sales, and can remember enjoying them pretty well but still always preferring the superhero and horror comics. If you like classic western movies and TV shows and also enjoy reading comic books, give Rawhide Kid a chance as the early stuff is lots of fun and holds a real classic feel. Oh and I should also note that Rawhide Kid’s drink of choice is milk, and him asking for it at bars and saloons is a running gag in the series.

Cowboys also made a mark in the world of video games with most modern gamers agreeing that the Red Dead Redemption series is one of the over all best games going! But one of the earliest western games I remember was for the Atari 2600 and was called Outlaw and has you having to outdraw an outlaw in order to score points. And when getting this update together I figured it would be fun to take a small NES Challenge on a western themed game for the Nintendo and decided to settle on Gun.Smoke released in 1985 by Capcom. So I picked January 22, 2019 as the day to play this game and hooked up the RES (Retro-Entertainment System) and was ready to just sit back for a few minutes and just have fun and play this game and see how far I could get. My goal this time around is to not even beat the game but to just replay it after all these years, I want to thank Game Swap Kettering for having the game in stock for me to buy and make this quick play a reality. So after pouring myself a tall glass of water and eating a good meal of home made chicken and dumplings, I set out to take a shot of surviving the 8-bit wild-west! And the game was just as fun as I remember as I just ran around shooting all the baddies in town with my goal being to collect a bounty put onto the head of a criminal. The longer I played the more I enjoyed it, but also the longer I played it my hands became more and more cramped as the game forces you to always move up and you must be dodging and shooting at the same time. Capcom should make an updated version of this game and make it like an alternative to Red Dead Redemption and have the player play as a man on the side of the law whose goal is to capture some of the worst gun slingers the wild west has ever known…just an idea. If you enjoy classic NES games and also like wild west shooters, make sure to check out Gun.Smoke as I think it’s a forgotten gem for that system that is worth your play time.

I am not a big soda drinker, but from time to time I do enjoy a good soft drink, and for those wondering it really is hard to pick between Pepsi or Coke as each I think go well with different types of meals with Coke being the best with Pizza and Pepsi going well with Mexican food. But in October 2018 I must say I had one of the worst sodas I have ever tasted (minus those weird ones like Ranch and PB&J) and it was called “Moxie Original Elixir” and my gosh it had one of the worst after tastes of any soda I have drank as it tasted like cough syrup…it was so gross! So this is just a warning for you cola soda drinkers, stay clear of Moxie unless you have a bad cough cause who knows it might help ya!

While working on this update, I got thinking about the old steakhouse Ponderosa that was really inspired by the old west and flavors of the past as well as the TV show Bonanza. Growing up here in Ohio, we had a few of them around and I can remember that my Grandparents on my Dad’s side really loved eating there. I can remember eating the salad bar and loading up on small steaks and baked potatoes and chatting with my brother about toys, comics, video games and horror movies as we ate. But while they were popular places to eat here for a while, they faded away from the Dayton market and all went out of business with the longest one to hold on being on Airway Road. So I wanted to have a meal at Ponderosa in order to celebrate Rawhide Kid and Marvel Western Comics and to relive a little bit of my youth. The nearest Ponderosa is over an hour away from where I live and is in Hillsboro, and after calling up my pal Josh Weinberg, we hit the rode to have a good lunch at an old staple restaurant for our family growing up. The only downside is that I no longer eat red meat and must find some food I can eat from a place that is a steak house. We hit the road on January 15, 2019 to the good old Ponderosa, and on the drive there we chatted a little about the future of the Wolf Hunter movie series as well as a wrestling and baseball talk. It took a little over an hour to get there, but once we did, the place was pretty epic and from the outside was one of the biggest Ponderosa’s I have ever seen! The setup inside was very nice and clean, and Josh and I decided to eat the salad bar buffet. Our waitress was super cute and looked like she could have been a model or a pop star country singer. I chose water as my drink of choice and during my lunch I had chicken wings, mashed potatoes with two types of gravy, mac & cheese, green beans, ham and chicken noodles. And I must say it was all pretty good with the mac & cheese and chicken wings being the stand out and the most tasty. Over all while the inside was very Texas Ranch looking, the meal was good southern style cooking and flavors. On the ride back we talked lots more about MLB aka the Cincinnati Reds and had a hoot as we spotted in someone’s yard a statue of the Apple Pie Tree from McDonalds. It was worth the drive to eat once more at Ponderosa Steakhouse and over all was a fun cold day in Ohio. Below are pictures I took on that day.

So now that I have my belly filled with some good old Ponderosa food, I think it’s time we sit around the campfire with a cup of coffee and start our look at Marvel Comic western hero The Rawhide Kid and the 1985 mini series I have chosen to cover for this update. Now I want 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’re ready readers and friends, let’s review the Wild West adventures of The Kid! Oh and I want to thank Bell, Book And Comic for having this whole mini series in stock.

The Rawhide Kid # 1 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 Marvel # 1 of 4

The Rawhide Kid is an old man now and is making his way atop Nightwind to town when railroad workers spot him, and the oldest member of the team shares the story of Rawhide Kid being the fastest gun in the west and how he avenged the murder of his adoptive father. After hearing the story, a young city boy on the rail team decides to quit his job to follow Rawhide Kid into town and asks him to train him in gun slinging. Rawhide Kid finds a saloon to relax in as the youngster also enters the bar and hears some of the men talking about the greatest gunslingers of the west and he chimes in Rawhide Kid and points him out to everyone as being the best! The saloon owner refuses to serve Rawhide Kid a good breakfast now as he thinks he is an outlaw and worse as he is about to leave some of the railroad workers have shown up for lunch and bait Rawhide into a massive fist fight that he is winning and is broke up by Sam the town Sheriff and friend of his who takes his old friend to the jail in order to give him a place to rest. That night the City Boy breaks down the wall of the jail to “free” Rawhide Kid who was not even locked up, and this makes the town go crazy as they all start firing at him and his new young goofy friend! But Rawhide Kids still keeps them safe and the Sheriff is able to calm the towns people down, as the City Boy comes to learn that the Rawhide Kid is really in town to put a flower on a grave of a young kid he gunned down in the city many years back.

This Marvel Western Comic is lots of fun and this first issue was a fantastic read to kick off a mini series as it blends his old adventures and his current story really well and brings new readers up-to-date on who the character is and was. The plot of this issue has the Rawhide Kid now an old man who returns to a town that he killed a young gun slinger in and soon finds that the town dislikes him and look at him as an outlaw, that his friend is now the town Sheriff and he also has a young city boy who idolizes him and wants to learn to become a gun slinger like him. Rawhide Kid is an aged fast draw gun slinger who is a man that is haunted by his past as he has taken so many lives with his guns. Plus I like that even though he is an old man he don’t take guff from people who want to try and test him and his legend. I also like that he just wants to avoid trouble and that all he really wanted to do in town is have some ham, eggs, bread and of course a glass of milk before visiting the grave. The City Boy is a young man who gets wrapped up in the stories of how great Rawhide Kid is and decides that by being trained by him will lead him closer to fame and fortune instead of working hard for his money. While he is a good kid, he also is a screw up and causes Rawhide Kid lots of issues with the locals in this issue. The townspeople are all mostly judgmental who hate Rawhide Kid due to old wanted posters that use to hang, forgetting that he was the one who gunned down a madman who killed many of the townsfolk many years back. Sheriff Sam is the only one who seems to know that Rawhide is a good man and he has to be the voice of reason when it comes to them getting trigger happy. And Nightwind is still the same old fast horse long time readers love. It’s great to see that Rawhide’s trusty horse is still alive and helping his owner to get out of tough spots. The comic does a great job of building up a good story that shows our hero is an aging man who still is as skilled as he was in his youth as the world around him is changing and his good deeds are out shined by damning words from the past. The cover is great and has a real classic look and the interior art is done by the iconic Herb Trimpe who is one of my favorite classic Marvel artists. I am surprised on how much I enjoyed this issue, and I am very much looking forward to reading what’s to come in issue two. So with that let’s see what Rawhide Kid gets up to in his next adventure.

The Rawhide Kid # 2 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 Marvel # 2 of 4

Rawhide Kid and City Boy board a train to get out of town and to check one of Rawhide’s bank accounts in a nearby town as he is owned money from a writer who has been writing dime store books about Rawhide Kid’s past adventures as well as tall tales about him and who has not paid! While on the train City Boy gets real nervous when two men approach and even tries to shoot them with a gun he has hidden in his boot causing panic on the train and for Rawhide Kid to also be the target of the two men who turn out to be the law as City Boy is a wanted man! Rawhide Kid and City Boy escape the train and the law as City Boy shares his story of how he accidentally murdered his old boss in Chicago defending the honor of his sister. The pair find an old abandoned shack and spend the night there only to wake up and find that they are in the practice area of Buffalo Bill Cody and his Wild West Show! And after some talk Rawhide Kid joins the cast of his traveling road show as does City Boy. While working for the show he runs into the writer who he makes pay him all the money owed and also runs into Annie Oakley who was an old fling of his. But the lawmen also show up and he and City Boy must race off as Oakley and the rest of the crew run distraction.

This second issue has Rawhide Kid once more being on the wrong side of the law thanks to his new student City Boy. We find out his real name is Jeff Packard and he is wanted for murder back in Chicago of a slaughterhouse owner who employed him and his sister. Our plot of the issue has two main storylines with one being City Boy and his running ways from the two officers out to get him and the other is Rawhide Kid who has been ripped off by a writer who owes him lots of back pay money for books he wrote about the living legend. Rawhide Kid is very noble and not only wants what’s owed to him but also wants to teach and protect him from the law who wants to take them both in. Jeff Packard aka City Boy is a young man who still has the idea of being a gunslinger will bring him money and tells a tale of why he is wanted in Chicago that involves a man using and abusing his sister, and when thinking about it, I am not sure I believe him and I think he killed the man in a botch theft as City Boy is very much into money and is saying this in order to get the help of Rawhide Kid to escape the law. What really is cool about this issue is the fact they add in real Wild West people like Wild Bill Cody and Annie Oakley and have them at the Wild West Show! Makes me hope that more real cowboys show up in this mini series! The over all feel of this issue is the great chase as our heroes spend the issue on the run from the law who are outclassed by the fast and adventures style of Rawhide Kid who always is one step ahead of them. The cover for this issue is great and holds a classic western comic look and once more Herb did the interior and is fantastic. Over all this second issue is, as good as the original and I cannot wait to see what issue 3 has in store.

The Rawhide Kid # 3 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 Marvel # 3 of 4

Rawhide Kid and City Boy have made camp outside of a town were Rawhide is teaching him how to be fast with a pair of six shooters. Meanwhile the law has hired a former slave now turned bounty hunter to bring in the pair of “fugitives”. While at the camp, Rawhide Kid goes for a quick swim as City Boy goes to make breakfast and is attacked by the law and Bounty Hunter who informs him that his sister is fine and is now to be married off, but thanks to Rawhide Kid and Nightwind, they are able to free City Boy and they ride off to find shelter and a place to hide and regroup in the near by town. Once in town they find that it is made up of former slaves and all the males have been killed and the women and children are hiding in the church and tell Rawhide kid that a hate group killed all the males and are returning for them all because they want the town cause oil has been discovered under it. The Bounty Hunter leaves the law behind and tracks his bounties down to the same town. Once the Bounty Hunter finds them in the church a showdown is about to happen until the hate group shows up and they have to join forces in order to save the locals as well as themselves. In the end the good guys win and kill and chase off the hate mongers and the Bounty Hunter drops out of turning them in and decides to stay in the town and help them rebuild and protect them from others trying to steal the oil. Rawhide Kid and City Boy ride off still on the run but also as heroes.

Wow this is a great issue and shows that Rawhide Kid is a good man who does what’s right and is also teaching City Boy the same morals. This issue has Rawhide and City Boy being hunted down by a skillful Bounty Hunter who ends up joining with his bounties in order to protect a town that is being slaughtered by a group of hate and greed filled men. Rawhide Kid is still a man trying to avoid his legend as he knows that much of it was made up by writers and storytellers, and while some think he is an outlaw, he is really a man who does the right thing and even risks his own life to save others. He also has zero tolerance for those who hate due to skin color and has no issues standing up for what he thinks is right and putting haters in their place or even six feet under. So I have to say I was wrong about City Boy as it looks like he was telling the truth about killing the man over his sister, and he in this issue is learning not only to be fast with a gun but also how to be a better person and to help others. The lawmen are desperate in this issue and go looking for help to capture their “outlaws” by hiring a bounty hunter and once more when they go for the arrest they fail. The Bounty Hunter is a former slave who also fought in the civil war and is now super skilled with a gun and always gets his man and seems very happy to be hired to take down a legend like Rawhide Kid, and in the end he learns that he needs to also look at valuing innocent human life and not just look at all people as dollar signs. This issue really does take a look at racism and does it in your normal Marvel Comics way and shows that they tackled all types of issues in their comics. One of my favorite moments in this issue is when the Bounty Hunter tricks members of the hate group into a barn and traps them inside and burns them alive…very brutal! The cover for this issue is great and showcases true comic western action and interiors is once more done by Herb and is fantastic! With the next issue being the final in the series, I am wondering how this will all wrap up and if City Boy will be reunited with his sister and if Rawhide Kid will find the retirement he so badly wants. Well let’s not delay and see what issue four has in store for our cowboy hero.

The Rawhide Kid # 4 ***
Released in 1985 Cover Price .75 Marvel # 4 of 4

Rawhide Kid has a terrible nightmare about having to save a faceless woman from a pack of skull faced baddies who all represent death while the town around them burns! City Boy is startled but warns him that it sounds like one of the tall tales from one of the dime novels written about him and they go back to bed after Rawhide burns the book in the campfire. The next day they ride into town and Rawhide Kid finds it’s the same town from his dreams and after City Boy goes to feed the horses a woman runs to Rawhide asking for help and out comes a pack of men who are the law looking for City Boy! Rawhide Kid tells the lady to warn City Boy to leave town and out smarts and moves the lawmen who warn him they will never give up till they get him! Rawhide Kid finds City Boy who is sick of running and is going to stand his ground against the lawmen and even sucker punches and knocks out Rawhide Kid who tried to talk him out of fighting. When Rawhide Kid comes to he finds that City Boy has been shot dead by the Lawmen and in a dazed state he refights the ghosts of his past leaving them once more dead. When he comes to he finds that he has killed all the lawmen who killed his new friend and this also allows him to bury his past and embrace his legend and to move on in what’s left of his life into the sunset.

This fourth and final issue in the mini series brings together all the stories that ran through it and gives a closing to Rawhide Kid who just wanted to retire and get away from his legend. The plot of this issue has Rawhide’s nightmare of a burning town with people trying to kill him coming to life and while he is able to face his inner demons and let go of his past, he also loses his new friend City Boy in the process. Rawhide Kid is an old man who has a bad rep with some people and others view him as a hero…and all he really wants is to be left alone and enjoy the time he has left on this world without having to fear that some upcoming gunslinger wants to put a bullet through him. The thing about Rawhide is that he is very loyal to his friends as well as to his morals of what he finds right, and because of this as reader I found myself feeling bad for him as trouble always seems to find him. In other words Rawhide Kid is a western hero who has baggage and guilt for those he has had to gun down in the past and would love to just disappear and never shot another person again. Poor City Boy I really did judge him all wrong, and he is no liar or coward in fact he is a young man who has warped views on how to be a good guy and what it means to be a true gunslinger, but means well. It’s crazy that in this issue he is gunned down and his body is just left on the back of his own horse for the town to see…no wonder Rawhide Kid has to go all quick shot on some lawmen ass! The major downside to City Boy dying is that he does not get to see his sister before he died. The lawman in this issue are very cold blooded and seem to get joy in trying to gun down the “outlaws” and are proud the shot and killed a young man who only killed to protect his sister. But while they are cocky at first, they all end up dead when they piss off Rawhide Kid who out classed them and leaves them all dead in the dusty streets. The end gun fight between the lawmen and Rawhide Kid is well down as he is still dazed from being knocked out by a sucker punch and envisions old baddies he has killed as well as loved ones he has lost, and with each re-kill or re-lose he is letting go of his past that haunts him. This mini series is great and really shows that Marvel has always made the best western themed comics with some of the most interesting original characters. The cover for this issue holds a little horror element to it and is very eye catching and as I have said before Herb Trimpe’s interior art is amazing! If you like westerns, cowboys and classic Marvel Comics check out this mini series!

So while Marvel Comics has left the Wild West far behind and have not had an ongoing series for decades their ones from the past live on for readers to discover at their local comic shops as well as conventions. I would recommend tracking down such titles as Kid Colt Outlaw, Two-Gun Kid and of course Rawhide Kid if you enjoy old western films and comics as they are really entertaining reads. For our next update we are going to stay in the world of Marvel and take a look at one of their most popular Superheroes The Amazing Spider-Man…but there is a twist as we will be looking at his Power Records Book and Record release that features an original story! So until next time cowboys and cowgirls, read a comic or three, watch a classic western film or two and as always support your Local Horror Host! See next update for a web slinging good time!