From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: The House Of The Devil (1896)

Posted on July 14, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. As you can see, there is a chill in the air and that must mean that we find ourselves at another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update. This one will be about what is considered by many to be not only the first horror movie of all time but also the first vampire film, and I am of course talking about the 1896 short film The House Of The Devil that was directed by the amazing Georges Méliès, considered to be the godfather of cinema special effects and who brought his magic skills and creative mind to early cinema. In 2023 Blood Scream Comics released a comic book about House Of The Devil as part of their Silent Universe, and both the short film and the comic are the topic of this update. Like always, because of my connection to Blood Scream Comics, I will not be giving this comic a star rating, but I truly think House Of The Devil needs to get the Rotten Ink treatment. So if you are ready, let’s head to the House of the Devil and see if a demon or a vampire is who dwells within!

Let’s first take a look at the films villain, a vampire devil that is called Mephistopheles who has many ways to deal fright and death to humans. Mephistopheles dresses all in black and has what looks like a beard and goatee combo with a kind of a sinister appearance that makes those who see him feel very unsettled. He lives in a very big and gloomy castle that adds to his spooky appearance and his evil persona. His strange look and rundown castle strike fear in the hearts that set their eyes on them, and this can cause people to panic as well as die of fright. Mephistopheles is a vampire and a trickster who is a blood drinker and can use his fangs to drain the life out of his prey and also can use his dark magic tricks to deal fright as he can summon ghost, creatures, witches and skeletons to do his bidding. He can also cause madness in people that will cause them to even commit suicide, and he seems to truly enjoy toying with his victims. Mephistopheles also can change into a bat and can fly around his prey and attack if he chooses. Mephistopheles is also handy with a sword and can also use it in his magic when he summons his minions. While Mephistopheles is a very sneaky and tricky vampire, he does have weaknesses that can allow his human victims to fight back and escape. His first weakness is that he has clearly a sinister ego as he seems to take joy in messing with the minds of his targets and this ego makes him very cocky and can open him up for attacks and failure at his goal. His biggest weakness is seeing a crucifix as he is a vampire and this religious symbol sends him running in fear and allowing those who are armed with one to escape his grasp. While he does have some weaknesses, it is truly unknown if there is a way to kill Mephistopheles and this is what makes this devil vampire so deadly to mankind.

Now that we have taken a look at Mephistopheles and his evil ways, let’s now take a look at the classic silent horror film that he is from and that of course is House Of The Devil! Like always, I will be taking the film’s plot from our friends at IMDB and after I will be writing about the film’s production and then my thoughts about the film. So if you are ready, let’s take a look at the 1896 film that helped shape the world of horror films forever.

The House Of The Devil (1896)

“A bat flies into an ancient castle and transforms itself into Mephistopheles himself. Producing a cauldron, Mephistopheles conjures up a young girl and various supernatural creatures, one of which brandishes a crucifix in an effort to force the devil-vampire to vanish.”

Cinema was in its very early stages in 1896 and most “films” at the time were very short in run time and would feature basic stories or even just scenes of everyday things like workers leaving a factory or even silly comedy acts doing falls. But one French born director Georges Méliès wanted to make something very different as he would bring his magic and illusionist act to the screen and would wow moviegoers worldwide. During his early days in cinema, he made the three minute short film called “Le Manoir du Diable” or The House Of The Devil, a film that features a vampire devil like character called Mephistopheles who uses his dark magic to frighten two cavaliers and even creates witches, skeletons and an imp to do his bidding…and in the end of course it’s the power of the cross that saves the day. The film was shot at Méliès’ house outside near his garden with a painted backdrop used as the inside of the castle. When casting the film actress Jehanne d’Alcy is said to have played the beautiful woman that is created by Mephistopheles, and as for that character, two names are thought to have played that role with Jules-Eugene Legris being the one most think played the part while others saying that it was Méliès himself. Sadly no other actors have been credited to the film so who plays the remaining cast is unknown, and that is a shame as they deserve credit for being in an early, if not the first, horror film in cinema history. The film when released dazzled viewers and early critics, but sadly, like most silent cinema, it went missing for decades and was considered a lost film until 1988 when a copy was found in the New Zealand Film Archive, with many saying the last known print before this was sold at a junk shop in the 1940’s as well in New Zealand. While by today’s standards of what we see as horror, this film is not that scary but in 1896 I am sure while some were amused by the illusions they saw on the screen, some viewers were terrified, and I for one am glad a copy was found as this is a piece of horror history that everyone should see at least once.

As you readers know, I am a very big fan of silent horror cinema as there is something very spooky and amazing about these films as they bring the scares to the viewers with expressions and atmosphere and this gives them a very unsettling feel when watching them. One has to give the film The House Of The Devil and its director Georges Méliès lots of credit as from all accounts the horror genre of films started here with them and even vampire cinema is said to have started here making this film one of the most important films in this genre. The film has been reviewed and debated about for decades as the film plays very heavy on the magic and illusion aspects of the main baddie Mephistopheles who seems more content tricking and messing with the two cavaliers that make the mistake of entering his castle then killing them. And because Mephistopheles turns into a bat twice and is afraid of the cross in this short film, people think that it is the earliest vampire film, and I feel that this is very much the case as I think Mephistopheles is a trickster vampire who also has the powers of black magic at his twisted finger tips. The one part of the debut that really annoys me is when people try to downplay the horror of the film as they claim it was played more for laughs and such, and to that I say what do modern “critics” really know about 1896 moviegoers as I am sure there were people in the audience that were scared of the supernatural creatures and elements of the film. I mean look at the creepy little Imp guy and the spooky specters. Georges Méliès really was a pioneer of early horror, fantasy and sci-fi cinema and was one of the masters of early special effects and film tricks. This film can be found on YouTube. To sum it up ,I have lots of respect for this film and cannot stress enough just how important silent horror cinema is to the genre.

As you can see, The House Of The Devil is a very important film and its main villain Mephistopheles is truly important to the vampire culture in cinema as he is the one who started it all. And now that we have taken a look at both, I think it is now time that we move onto the review part of this update. Like I have stated, I will not be giving this comic a star rating as I work for Blood Scream Comics and even wrote the story adaptation and some of the dialogue for this comic book, so yeah it would be silly for me to grade my own work. I would first like to thank Blood Scream Comics as well as artist Jeff Potter for making this update possible and help creating this comic version of the classic film. I would also like to thank everyone who has read this comic as it was such a fun one to work on and to bring all these character to life once more in a modern age with a Blood Scream Comics Silent Universe twist! So if you are ready, I am ready to enter The House Of The Devil!

The House Of The Devil 1896 # 1
Released in 2023 Cover Price $1.99 Blood Scream # 1 of 1

Leon and Victor are two cavaliers that are caught out in a nasty thunderstorm and head to a crumbling castle that the townspeople claim is haunted, but inside the owner Mephistopheles is bored and decides to use his dark magic and a cauldron to create a woman to become one of his brides. He also has the help of a very mean hairy Imp. As Leon and Victor enter the castle to escape the storm, things start to go wrong for the two heroes as the Imp attacks and jabs Leon in the back with his pitchfork and causes him to run away deeper in the castle in fear, as Victor goes after the Imp only for the evil character to disappear. As Victor sits down for a moment to process what has just taken place, a Skeleton armed with a sword appears and attacks. Victor is able to take the head of the skeleton with his own sword as a giant bat now appears and turns into Mephistopheles who uses his four ghostly ghastly female witches to scratch the face of the cavalier before introducing him to his new lovely bride showing that his castle is filled with pain and pleasure…and lies as he forces Victor to dance with his bride who goes from beautiful to ugly on his words. Meanwhile Leon is lost in the castle and is hurt and scared, and when he is not looking, the Imp with a knife appears and removes both of the scared man’s eyes, who then stumbles around in darkness and falls over the balcony and breaks his neck as Victor watches on unable to help! Mephistopheles then shows Victor that he is a vampire and goes for the attack, but thanks to Victor’s cross necklace he is able to burn the vampires forehead that causes the blood drinker to run away and allows Victor to as well flee back into the stormy night away from the castle. Later Mephistopheles is surrounded by his servants and is filled with anger because of the pain, and soon finds that the vampire Count Orlok is in the castle and finds him to be a disappointment, and this puts the two vampires at odds.

The House Of The Devil 1896 was a very fun comic to write and it was lots of fun to bring gore and blood to this world that Georges Méliès created. It was a great experience to bring out the sinister side of the demonic vampire Mephistopheles in the pages of this comic alongside Potter, and that is the thing with Mephistopheles is he really just a trickster vampire? Or his he a demonic vampire with black magic powers? The plot is very classic horror as two cavaliers are stuck out in a nasty thunderstorm and find shelter in a haunted castle only to be attacked by the owner and the evil spirits that dwell inside its stone walls. Victor is the cavalier who stands up to these horrors and does not fall victim as he is able to escape the castle as well as hurt the evil inside the walls with his crucifix, while poor Leon is struck with fear and has his eyes removed before falling out a window and having his neck snapped! Besides Mephistopheles the vampire who likes to mess with the minds of his human prey before he kills them, there are many other evil spirits in this castle that include the Imp who with his pitchfork and knife has a thirst to spill blood, the Bride whose beauty draws you in and puts you under a spell, the skeleton warrior who is skilled with a sword, the four witches whose ghastly appearance alone can stop a mans’ heart and The Knight who sadly does not get to show off his means of death and fright in this issue. As for the horror of the comic, we tried to bring it with atmosphere from the spooky castle to the storm outside; we wanted to truly have the brooding dark feel. And of course we also had all the creepy castle dwellers and the blood kills to bring the chills as well. The interior art by Jeff Potter is amazing and his style is so good. I am shocked that he over the years never got hired by the likes of Marvel and DC as I think he truly is that good. The cover is super eye catching with the art being done by Potter and the coloring by Jason Gilmore just making it pop with almost an eerie glow. I also want to say on a side note for Free Comic Book Day 2023 a limited amount of copies were given away at the heavy metal record store Catacomb in Kettering, Ohio, and this comic and that shop go so well together! Over all I hope that we did the film justice and added enough horror elements to the story to bring a fright and a spooktacular read to all the readers who are brave enough to give it a go. Oh and just wait, I do not think that the bad blood between Mephistopheles and Count Orlok is over! Checkout the artwork below to see the style that Potter used in this House Of The Devil comic.

This was a true honor to bring into the world of comics as House Of The Devil is considered the first horror film, and on top of that director Georges Méliès was a true visionary who understood the true meaning of entertainment. I am sure many purists are a little taken aback by the more bloody elements of the comic, but we just wanted to add our own little touch to this wickedly delightful story. And like always I do want to thank Jeff Potter and Jason Gilmore for helping bring this comic to life and of course I want to thank everyone who read the comic and or read this blog update. But I think that it is time that we leave Blood Scream Comics Silent Universe behind and head to the world of indie horror as we take a look at another vampire, this time a female one by the name of Jezebeth! So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a silent horror film or two and as always support your local horror host. See you next time for another bloody good time!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Wolf Blood (1925)

Posted on May 2, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update. This time around we will be taking a look at a silent horror film that is also very much a romantic drama that was made in 1925 and is the oldest surviving werewolf film known as of this update’s posting. I am talking about Wolf Blood, a film that is often overlooked when people speak of early silent horror cinema. Now this update is going to be a little different as Blood Scream Comics the company I own and am the editor-in-chief of is the one who released this comic series, so I will not be giving the issues any kind of star ratings as I feel that would be very cheesy of me to do so. So instead I am just going to talk about the plot of the issue and “review” what is going on after as well as some of the twists that we added to spice it all up. So with that, let’s hike ourselves into these woods and let’s talk about a werewolves and people who get blood from wolves!

Before we dive too deep into this spooky update, let’s take a look at the “werewolf” named Dick Bannister! Dick is the foreman at Ford Lumber in the woods of Canada and is kind of new at his post but does have the respect of his men as he shows them respect and gives them chances even after they make mistakes. He also knows some basic medical care, and when his men are injured, he cares for them or sends for help in order to truly treat them. He is a skilled fighter with his fists and he very loyal to his co-workers as well as his boss Edith Ford who he gets a crush on, even though she is set to be married to her doctor boyfriend soon. But after a bad fight that leaves Dick almost dying, he has the blood of a wolf transfused into him to stay alive and this is when he starts having some mental issues as people fear him when word gets out. He also starts to get more angry and violent as he thinks the wolves of the woods are calling to him. But even in his state of madness, he is not dangerous and does not kill a living soul and is more of a danger to himself as he almost leaps off a cliff! Not a danger to a living person at all and not a werewolf, Dick Bannister is just a normal man who for a brief time has a mental break and can be killed like any normal person from shooting, stabbing, beating or burning making him one of the weakest killers or monsters we have covered on a From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update…but while he might not be a killer, he does throw a mean punch and that has to count for something.

So while Dick Bannister might just be a man with a mental breakdown for a short time, he still made his mark on werewolves in cinema. And now let’s take a look at the film that he is from and that’s the 1925 film Wolf Blood. Like always, we will be taking the film’s write up from our pals at IMDB and after I will write about the film’s production and my thoughts. So if you are ready, let’s wander into those woods and keep our eyes open for wolves as we chat about this underrated silent horror classic.

Wolf Blood (1925)

“In this tale of the great Canadian forest, Dick Bannister, the new manager of the Ford Logging Company receives a transfusion of wolf blood, followed by strange reactions that he begins to think he is neither beast nor man.”

Wolf Blood is a silent film from 1925 that was produced by the Ryan Brothers and was released by Lee-Bradford Corporation. It was based on the story by Cliff Hill with the screenplay by Bennett Cohen. The film is set in Canada and is about two feuding lumber companies that lead to a man being injured and to save his life he gets a blood transfusion from a wolf and this causes people to think that he will turn into a werewolf after false rumors are spread around and this drives the man mad. The film is a mix of drama, horror and romance and directing the picture was the team of Bruce Mitchell and George Chesebro, who would also play the lead role of Dick Bannister. And sadly the horror aspect is really cut down as they focus more on the romance aspect. Other actors brought into the cast include Marguerite Clayton, Raymond Hanford, Milburn Morante and Frank Clark. The main star George Chesebro was known for being a western actor and would have a very long career in Hollywood and would pass away on May 28, 1959 at the age of 70 and was pretty much active almost to his death. The film, while a werewolf film, more plays up on the mental madness of a man after getting some wolf blood to stay alive. He thinks that he is becoming a wolf even chasing after phantom wolves that act as his pack, so those who are looking for a transformation will be disappointed. The film was met with mixed reviews, and to this day it has that same reaction as many enjoy the simple story of love finding a way, while others wanted more scares with their horror. The film was released with such other horror films in 1925 as The Phantom Of The Opera, The Lost World, The Monster and The Unholy Three to name a few. While not a full fledged horror movie, thanks to home media this film as gained a cult following over the decades. And at some point I will be doing a Forgotten Reels update about this film.

I am going to start off saying that I am a big fan of Wolf Blood and can see what impact it had on early werewolf cinema as it deals with the mental strain that a person goes through when they fear the moon and what they may become once the beast side takes over. Actor George Chesebro plays the role of Dick Bannister so well that you believe his confusion and pain throughout his mental breakdown. I really think that George Chesebro is a silent actor that should get more credit as he was fantastic at his art and had that classic Hollywood leading man look. Actress Marguerite Clayton plays Edith Ford in this film, and she has that classic beauty to her. She does a great job in the film as many of the film’s key moments also fall on her performance, and she knocks it out of the park as she and Chesebro seemed to have good chemistry on the screen. And yes, I would have loved to have seen an early transformation from man to wolf in this film, but I can also step back and enjoy that the film plays more up on the mental disease of lycanthropy as well as the power of persuasion of how planting a seed in someone’s mind can grow to truly affect them and others around them as they might believe a little white lie that will grow into a full fledged nightmare. While the horror elements of the film are pushed to the back in order to play up the romance aspect of love can conquer all, there are still some truly great moments that are spooky for the time like Dick’s decent into the madness and even the phantom wolves that run around the woods can add a classic chill to viewers of the more early horrors of the world. One aspect that makes me laugh when watching this film that Edith Ford and Doctor Eugene Horton are slated to be married and quickly Edith falls for Dick Bannister and by the end of the film Edith acts as if Eugene owes Dick the apology for telling a lie that the wolf blood might effect him to her that Dick overhears…when in this film Dick steals Eugene’s lady, chokes him and without Eugene he would be dead…owed an apology indeed! The film’s finale is also very well done as Dick who is filled with madness after thinking he killed a man who was found dead in the woods runs with his phantom wolf pack to the edge of a cliff. If not for Edith, the crazed man would have fallen to his death, but it is she who holds him back and risks her own safety. This is such a fun film that is a quick watch as it only runs a little over an hour. While it’s not as iconic as many other silent horror films, I do think that it is one that is often over looked. If you have interest in seeing it you can find it on YouTub,e but I would suggest watching it on Physical Media as you can get it on DVD from Alpha Video or Grapevine Video. While not fully horror, I feel the aspects are there and because of its ties to early werewolf cinema it’s worth a watch for sure.

Now that we talked about not only the film Wolf Blood but also Dick Banister, the man who thought he was cursed to become a wolf, I think it’s time we talk a little about the comic based on the film by Blood Scream Comics that was written by me! That’s right, I wrote the story and along with artist Jeff Potter, did the dialogue. And boy did we make some changes, but I will save that for the “review” part of this update. Like I said before and just like with The Giant Gila Monster, I will not be giving these comics any kind of star rating as that just seems silly as I worked on the comic. But I wanted to cover this comic for two reasons: I am a fan of the film and wanted to chat about it and the other being that I had a blast working on this comic series and wanted to share it with you readers. I would like to thank Jeff Potter for creating this comic alongside me for Blood Scream Comics and making this update possible. I should also warn you that this will spoil some of the big surprises we have in this comic adaptation so you have been warned: read on at your own risk. So of you are ready, let’s head into the woods of Canada and see if we can find the old Ford Lumber Company so that we can talk about the tale that is known as Wolf Blood.

Wolf Blood # 1
Released in 2022 Cover Price $3.99 Blood Scream # 1 of 2

The Ford Lumber Company and Consolidated Lumber Company are at war with each other in the woods of Canada as they are very close to one another and their mangers Dick Bannister and Jules Deveroux have different ways of dealing with the job as Bannister wants his people to work safe and Deveroux is giving orders to his men to sneak into the woods and shoot to wound the lumberjacks that work for Ford. After another attack and having to give the camp’s guard, Pop Hadley who has a track record of drinking too much and passing out, another chance, Bannister sends a message to the Ford Company’s owner that they need help as well as need a doctor to take care of these bullet wounds. And meanwhile in a small town bar Deveroux and his men celebrate the attack and even attack an old man looking for work and his son at the bar just to be cruel. The call for help is answered as Ford Lumber owner Edith Ford, her doctor fiancé Eugene Horton as well as her Uncle head to the camp and start helping the wounded. This is when Bannister sees that his boss is a beautiful young woman, and he falls in love with her fast. Bannister at this time also is almost stabbed and crushed by a tree by Jacques Lebeq, who is a bootlegger and has been entering the camp and selling his liquor to his workers, and this makes the two men truly hate one another. Late at night Edith Ford also hears the howls and growls of the wolves that are all around in the woods, and this frightens her as it reminds her of a time in the city when an unknown man stalked her in the streets until she got home, and this is a story she shared with Bannister the next day after they toured the camp. As Bannister and Edith head into town with the camp’s Cook, the wolves attack and slaughter one of the Consolidated Lumber Company’s lumberjacks. In town Edith tells Bannister that she is to be married to Eugene and that their attraction needs to stop, and this breaks Bannister’s heart as once back at the camp he goes alone to investigate the Consolidated Lumber Company and learns that they are building a dame to block the Ford lumber on the river. When Deveroux sees Bannister, he orders his men to kill him, and after a big fight, Bannister is beaten badly and then tossed off a cliff where he is then bitten by wolves! When Bannister does not return, Pop and the lumberjacks set out to find him and it’s Eugene that finds Bannister who is dying from blood loss and is able to get the wounded man to a cabin that is owned by Jacques Lebeq who refuses to give his blood to save Bannister and the Doctor has to make the decision to use the blood of a wolf to save his life. The next day Eugene is able to get Bannister back to the Ford Camp where he is able to recover and tells Edith that he is in love with her! The next day Edith, Eugene and Pops all head into town when Jacques Lebeq enters the Ford Camp and spreads the rumor that Bannister is a werewolf due to the wolf blood, and this causes the Lumberjacks to riot and armed with axes they kill the Uncle and as the moon gets full Bannister turns into a werewolf and busts out of a cabin looking to kill!

This was such a fun issue to work on, and the plot is simple as we have two feuding lumber camps at war with one another and things get out of hand when attempted murder comes into play and that act causes a good man to have to get wolf blood in his veins and this turns him into a beast at the Full Moon! You also have a love story brewing as Edith Ford must choose her doctor fiancé or her new love, the rugged lumber boss that works for her company. And we leave you on a big cliffhanger as the Ford Lumberjacks are armed with axes and are worked up into a fearful rage of their boss who now is a werewolf with bloodlust in his eyes. Dick Bannister is a good man that is a great boss as well as will fight for the rights and lives of his men. He also is tough as nails and is a good fist fighter and has the heart of a champion…he also has a soft spot and that is his boss and the lumber company owner Edith Ford who seems to be all he can think about after meeting her. Bannister also proves he has the will to live as after being beaten badly, thrown from a cliff, bitten by wolves and getting a blood transfusion from a wolf, he still lives…but he is also now cursed to live his life as a werewolf! Edith Ford is a kind hearted woman who owns a big company and has a fiancé that is a doctor, but while her life sounds perfect, it is not as she is confused as she finds herself loving Bannister who is her employee. She is also living with a secret that she does not share with many and that is she fills her life with late night parties with friends out of fear as she was one night stalked by Nosferatu! Pops Hadley is a drunk that is trying to change after he failed at his job and allowed workers to be shot. Eugene Horton is a good doctor who helps the wounded and saves Bannister’s life, and Cook really loves talking about the deals he got on food from town! The comic has three real “bad guys” as first you have Jules Deveroux, a scumbag who is a bully and also a coward who gives orders to hurt and kill others that stand in his way. You have the bootlegger Jacques Lebeq who sells his liquor as well tries to kill Bannister and sets up the Ford workers to turn on their boss. And lastly you also have to say that the wolves are one of the biggest dangers in those woods as they kill anyone that they can surround and rip to shreds. The comic is very bloody and the kills are gory with my favorite kill in this issue being the death of lumberjack Henrique who is ripped apart by a pack of wolves! The cover is really cool and the art was done by Jeff Potter with the colors by Jason Gilmore and the interior art is done by Potter and is 100% what I was looking for when I wrote this adaptation story. To sum it up, this was a blast to write and is one of the Blood Scream Comics projects that I am the most proud of! Now let’s talk about the second issue in this series and see how this twisted tale of love, horror and lumber ends!

Wolf Blood # 2
Released in 2022 Cover Price $3.99 Blood Scream # 2 of 2

Dick Bannister is now a werewolf and is killing all the Ford Lumber Camp workers and his howling has also brought the wolves to join in the bloodshed. Giovanni is a lumberman who runs past the bodies of his friends and finds an old train freight car in the woods and uses it as shelter to get away from the werewolf and his wolf minions. While at the cabin of Jacques Lebeq the bootlegger has a visitor; he is selling Deveroux the boss of Consolidated Lumber tons of whiskey as he wants to have his workers to celebrate the downfall of Dick Bannister, but the two are quickly greeted by the werewolf who bites the head off Deveroux and then burns the face of Lebeq on the stove before throwing his body to the wolves to be ripped apart. The next morning Edith Ford, Eugene Horton and Pop Hadley arrive back at camp to find the massacre, and when Eugene finds Dick still alive and asleep in bed, he tells the others the truth about the wolf blood flowing through the veins of Dick and that maybe he did turn and cause all this death! Pop does not want to hear it and heads into the woods to hunt the wild animals he thinks did the killing while Edith tells Eugene that she is in love with Bannister and wants to be with him, and the confused lumber man hears this all and runs into the woods as he does not want to change in the coming full moon and hurt anyone else, and Edith goes after him. Meanwhile a lumberjack from Consolidated rides up and says that they are closing down for good after they found the mangled bodies of Deveroux and Lebeq and he warns Eugene and Edith that they should leave as well. As Giovanni takes supplies from the now dead Lebeq’s home in order to survive and wait for help in the rail car, while Eugene thinks of his life without Edith and decides to end it with one bullet. Meanwhile in the woods Edith runs into Pops, and they two are surrounded by wolves. As Pops tries to fight them off, he is overwhelmed and ripped to shreds as Edith runs from them and ends up meeting the werewolf and she knows that her love Bannister really is a beast now…she tries to talk to him to bring the human side back…she fails and gruesomely pays with her life. The next night Dick Bannister is back human and is about to leap off a cliff to end his life when he is stopped by Nosferatu himself, Count Orlock, who informs him that he has need of a man with his talents.

The second issue of Wolf Blood is all about the slaughter as our hero Dick Bannister truly loses control and becomes a werewolf and slaughters almost all his workers (minus one who escapes and hides away in a steel trail freight car) and after he is done making Ford Lumber a slaughterhouse who makes sure to swing by his enemies home and kill both of those who wished him death as a man with that being Deveroux and Lebeq who are both killed very brutally. And even a little later in the issue the werewolf rips apart his true love and allows his wolves to attack and kill his best friend Pops! And all of these werewolf and wolves attacks are done super gory to truly show you the savage nature of these creatures as their bloodlust is out of control and it also shows that once the moon is full the caring and hard working Dick Bannister is not longer in control and in his place is a killing machine that wants to annihilate all that’s in his path. And poor Doctor Eugene Horton is another victim of Dick Bannister and while he is not killed by razor sharp teeth and claws he is broken spiritually as his whole world is taken away by Bannister as he steals his lady love away, and she cruelly has fallen out of love with the man who has given her everything…and he thinks his only way to find a way to end his pain is by a self inflicted gunshot to the head. Deveroux and Lebeq are truly two scumbags who enjoyed trying to not only take Dick Bannister’s life but also try to ruin everything about him, but they really do get their comings when the werewolf comes howling around and they find themselves begging for their lives to the one person who is now a creature that they never showed any mercy to. Poor Pops Hadley stays loyal to his friend Bannister and does not believe the tales of him being a werewolf, and even before dying by a pack of wolves, he still tries to save the life of Edith…poor drunk old fool. You have to also feel bad for Cook as he is killed during the slaughter at the Ford Lumber Camp, and by the looks of it, he really was ripped apart! And for those wondering about the fate of Giovanni, you will find out what comes of him in a future comic as his tale is not yet finished and his fate is yet to be shared. This issue really was a blast to work on as artist Jeff Potter and myself were able to showcase the idea of Bannister becoming a fully fledged werewolf, something sadly the classic silent film did not do as they played up more on the aspects of it all being in his feverish mind. And while the first issue was bloody, we upped the gruesome level to 11 with this second issue! I am sure you also have noticed that in the Silent Film Universe by Blood Scream Comics, the one and only Count Orlock has been appearing and is almost recruiting people for some sort of sinister plan, and this will unfold in every issue of these comics based on Silent Horror Films. The cover for this issue showcases The Werewolf as well as Edith Ford and the colors by Jason Gilmore make it pop! The interior art is done by Jeff Potter who is a fantastic artist and who has brought many comic alive for Sparkle and Blood Scream Comics as his work includes such titles as Adventure Man, Curse Of The Beast, Spring Heeled Jack, Eternal Sleep, Farmer Joe and Shocking Macabre Theater, to name a small few. The way Potter draws the werewolf is fantastic and reminds me of the classic Creepy and Eerie Magazines, and the gore we draws rivals that of the indie horror comics from the late 80’s and early 90’s. While Nosferatu # 1 started the Silent Universe for Blood Scream Comics the Wolf Blood series is amping up the chills and blood spills, and this is just the start as you readers have not seen nothing yet. Check out the art work from Potter below to see his style in this series.

So as you can see, we truly put the horror first in this reimagining of Wolf Blood as we have Dick Bannister turning full force into a werewolf and he ends up killing everyone at the Ford Lumber Camp and also his true love Edith Ford, and by the end is taken away by Nosferatu himself Count Orlock as this is just one of several issue we have in store for you as Jeff Potter and I have more twisted tales in our Silent Universe to bring you! We released “Haunted House 1908” for Halloween 2023, and we screened the movie with a new score by musician Todd The Fox at Horrorama! If you have interest in ordering Wolf Blood # 1 and 2 you can do so here, while it remains in print that is. And yes, I will also do a “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update for Haunted House 1908 as I love sharing my love for silent horror cinema with you readers. Well as you can see, this update has come to an end and for our next update we will be heading to the world of cartoons as we will be talking about the 1966 Captain America series. So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a silent horror film or two and as always support your local horror host. Oh and remember when Captain America throws his mighty shield, All those who chose to oppose his shield must yield!

The Turkey Day Labors Of Hercules!

Posted on November 28, 2019 by bloodlinematt

Happy Thanksgiving friends, family and readers, and thanks for spending a part of your holiday with me here at Rotten Ink once again. As we all are sitting here waiting for the turkey, ham or whatever your main dish choice is to cook and while Football is on the TV, I want to reflect that this year will be the seventh time I have covered the one and only Greek Mythology hero Hercules. With this go round we will be covering a comic that showcases his 12 Labors! The tale of Hercules is one that I have always enjoyed, and I can remember renting many books from the library and even buying some all about Greek Mythology as it has always captured my attention as well helped fuel my creative mind, not to mention the classic Sword And Sandal films were staples of my viewing when I was a youngster. So if you’re ready to go on another Turkey Day Adventure with Hercules and myself, we should start our amazing adventure and see how Herc conquers his 12 labors and delivers another special update.

One of my favorite Hercules films of the 60’s has to be the one called “Hercules Against The Mongols” from 1963 that had Mark Forest play the role of Hercules! The film follows Hercules as he takes on the heirs of the conquerer Genghis Khan and shows why good always beats evil. But while this is a fantastic Sword and Sandal fantasy adventure film that showcases the power and noble was of Hercules, the sad fact of the matter is that this film was not originally a Herc film and was only dubbed one in the USA when distributers thought that the name meant more to movie goers than Maciste, the real hero behind this film as well as many of the Hercules, Samson and Goliath films here in America. The thing I like about this film is that Hercules takes on an army of bloodthirsty warriors who just want to conquer, take over and kill…and they don’t stand a chance against the pride of Olympus. Mark Forest makes a pretty good Hercules, and while he is now Steve Reeves, he captures the cocky hero nature of this demigod hero. This movie can be found on VHS, DVD and even plays on TV Station Comet TV from time to time, so if you love Hercules flicks, make sure to check this one out.

While we are talking about the film Hercules Against The Mongols, we should take a few moments and talk about actor Mark Forest who played the title role. Lou Degni was born on January 6, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York and began his bodybuilding career at the age of 13 as he knew that becoming a strong man was his calling. This lead to him opening his own gym in Long Island so that lifting would always be a part of his life. But during his adult life, he also tried his hand in acting and auditioned to play Tarzan in a film and did not get it but did end up taking a gig in Las Vegas playing one of Mae West’s musclemen and even helped earn his status of strongman by entering and winning weightlifting competitions including Mr. Muscle Beach in California. In 1958, the world of cinema changed when Hercules starring Steve Reeves hit cinemas around the world and the sword and sandal films became big business! And the second American actor approached to travel to Italy and make these films was Mark Forest who made his first film in 1960 with “Goliath And The Dragon” and many more would follow like “Son Of Samson” (1960), “Mole Men Against The Son Of Hercules” (1961), “The Lion Of Thebes” (1964) and “The Terror Of Rome Against The Son Of Hercules” (1964) and many more. During this time of course Lou Degni took on the stage name of Mark Forest, and this was the name he was best known for. Mark would ride the short lived popularity of the Sword and Sandal genre until the end, and afterwards got involved in opera in Italy and later became a vocal coach in California. Mark Forest is one of those classic actors that I hope someday soon Monster Bash Convention brings in so that I can meet him, while long retired from acting and weightlifting, Mark is a true legend of Cinema strongmen.

Remember in our first update about Hercules when we took a look at the DELL Comic and the Steve Reeve movies? Well we also talked about WWF Wrestler Hercules Hernandez during that update, and for this update I want to briefly talk about another Pro Wrestler who went by the ring name Hercules Ayala and was a monster of the squared circle. Hercules Ayala, whose real name is Ruben Cruz, was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico on July 14, 1950 and upon moving to the mainland of the U.S., he meet NWA wrestler Angelo Savoldi at a gym and was trained by him to become a wrestler himself and had a very brief run in the WWWF. He then would go on to wrestle in such federations as Stampede Wrestling for around 8 years and even won the Tag Titles with Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart! Also during this run, he worked for smaller Canadian federation Lutte Internationale where he became their Heavyweight Champion beating David Shultz and losing it a month later to Abdullah The Butcher. He would return to Puerto Rico and would join WWC and as well would capture their World Title beating Randy “Macho Man” Savage! He would go on to feud with Carlos Colon and would lose a loser leaves town match in 1989 and was written off from WWC. A few years later, he would show up in AWF and become a World Champion again for a short time. He would go on from there to work sport appearances in Puerto Rico even for WWC again. While he is not a huge name here in America, he does have a big name around the world and his many title wins in many federations show that he made his mark in the world of Pro Wrestling.

So I am sure many of you readers are wondering about the Hercules Comic that I was writing and my friend Jeff Potter was doing the art for that was going to be released by Sparkle Comics as part of the Sword And Sandal Comic line…well sadly the comic has been placed on the back burner for now as the first release in the series Samson was not the mega hit we had hoped for causing some shifts in the production line, and Potter and I worked on bringing back classic superhero Black Jack back to the comic world instead! But while on the backburner for now, it does not mean that this Hercules comic is 100% dead as at some point Jeff and I will return to it and unleash it onto the indie comic reading masses as I am proud of the story I wrote and I know Potter’s art will kill it! So for those of you Hercules comic fans know that we will be releasing this comic soon it was just not in the cards for 2019. Below is some very early concept art that Potter did for the series so you can see the style we were aiming for.

So I think it’s time for this update that we take a look at the graphic novel of Hercules and the 12 labors set before him, and this one is a great pick to showcase Hercules in all his heroic glory. I want to thank Amazon for having this in stock and making this update possible. And as always I want to remind you all that I grade this comic on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s head out and see just how Hercules can complete his 12 labors!

Hercules: The Twelve Labors **1/2
Released In 2007 Cover Price $8.95 Graphic Universe #1 of 1

Zeus, the King of the Gods, had an affair with a mortal woman that spawned the demigod Hercules who was hated by his stepmother Hera! When Hercules was a youngster the evil Goddess even sent venomous snakes to his crib to kill him, but they were no match for his power. As an adult Hera, masking herself as Zeus, makes Hercules pledge himself to his cousin King Eurystheus who is jealous of his powerful cousin, and with Hera whispering in his ear, they come up with labors for Hercules to do. The first labor has Hercules going to Thebes and killing the man-eating lion with the thick hide with his bare hands, and when he does so, he skins the lion and makes himself a new cloak! His second labor is to go to the swamps of Lernea to take out the Hydra! Once in the swamp Hercules and his nephew figure our how to defeat the Hydra and do so. The third labor is to bring back a golden deer, that King Eurystheus thinks Hercules will kill and bring down the wrath of the gods for killing it…but Hercules is too smart and brings it back alive! After each finished task, King Eurystheus is getting more and more angry at his cousin and Hercules with ease finishes the next that are to kill a massive Boar, clean out multiple stables in a single day, chase off killer birds who are tormenting farmers, steal a angered white bull from a King, later steal a pair of horses that are being abused by a king that are now cruel and man eaters and his ninth labor has Hercules at was with the Amazon Women as he is tasked with getting the queens golden belt! And after each task King Eurystheus grows more frustrated, and Hercules himself gets more disappointed as he does not like being a thief for his greedy cousin. The tenth labor has Hercules stealing cattle from a Monster that he ends up killing. With his eleventh labor he must get a golden apple from a tree that he needs the help of Titan Atlas to do so and must switch places with him holding up the sky for a short time! With his twelfth and final labor, King Eurystheus send Hercules to Hades to bring back the three headed dog Cerberus and with the blessing of Hades, he tames the beast brings it to King Eurystheus and ends his labors!

This graphic novel is a great kid friendly read that brings the legend of Hercules alive for readers. The plot is simple and has Hercules having to do labors that are impossible for most in order to please his greedy cousin who is a King with the hopes that Herc will die as that is what Goddess Hara, who is the one who set this up, wants. Hercules is very prideful, noble and respectful to the demands of the Gods as he does what he is asked even if he disagrees with it. Plus I feel like the Hercules has the feel of Hercules from the old Sword And Sandal films, making it a very fun adventure to read. Hara is the issue’s main villain as she gets joy out of trying her best to kill and ruin Hercules and his legacy. She pushes so much for his downfall that she herself gets outsmarted by Hades who figures out that she is the one who has set this all up. The second baddie has to be King Eurystheus who is just a cruel and jealous man who hates his cousin cause he has the power and respect that he wishes he had! The side killer animals are great as well as who don’t love the Nemean Lion or Cerberus! The pacing of this graphic novel is also very fast and teaches you the story without dwelling on the small details, making it a cool action comics mixed with a little history in folklore. It’s also very cautious of showing any violence as it’s clear this is meant for all ages and to be used as a teaching comic. The cover reminds me of something you would find at a School Book Fair and is eye catching for youngsters, but not so much for adult readers. The interior art is done by Steve Kurth and is good stuff and has a real Marvel/Star Comics appeal. Over all this is a great read and one that could help get kids into Greek Mythology as it delivers a fun time. Check out the art below to see the style of Kurth!

Thanks for spending another Thanksgiving with Hercules and myself here at Rotten Ink, and as always Sword And Sandal comics will always have a home here on this site….but I am sad to say that next year will be the last time, at least for a while, that I will cover Hercules on a Thanksgiving update as I felt I have talked about almost all I can about this iconic mythology hero. Now don’t get too sad as I will continue to do Thanksgiving Day updates as many of you readers seem to enjoy them on this holiday, so next year I will be taking a look at Hercules Unbound from DC Comics and this will wrap up this tradition of Herc on Turkey Day! I hope you enjoyed this update and that you are having (or had) a great Thanksgiving as holidays with loved ones, something you should never take for granted. Our next update will start our countdown to Christmas Eve and we will be taking a look at the GoBots, those underrated changing robot toys from the 80’s! So until next time enjoy your turkey, watch a football game or two and as always cherish your loved ones. See you next update for a robotic good time!

Hercules Once More Wants You To Marvel At Him This Thanksgiving!

Posted on November 23, 2017 by bloodlinematt

Happy Thanksgiving! It’s hard to believe that we are once again at our big Turkey Day update and that means we will also be going back to Ancient Greece or in the case space as we are going to once more check in on Hercules from the Marvel Universe and the second mini series of him having adventures in space after being kicked off Mount Olympus for partying too much by his father Zeus! We also will be chatting a little about the character again and some of my memories of the Marvel version of Hercules, and we will also have a very special announcement about an upcoming Sparkle Comic that I will be writing and editing! But if you’re like me, I can smell the ham cooking and am looking forward to eating some mashed potatoes and rolls so let’s get this update started! Well I should say also that I am thankful for my family and friends all who have made my life so much better! I am thankful for Sparkle Comics and Blood Scream Comics as it’s a great outlet to be creative with friends and entertain readers! I am thankful for my cats Leslie and Streets J who add joy to my day-to-day life! I am thankful for my job as it’s a fun place to work and my co-workers are all outstanding people! I am thankful to Baron Von Porkchop as doing a Horror Host show is a dream come true! I also want to thank all my friends who use to make shot on video films with me back in the day of Independent B Movie and Bloodline Video as those films were so much fun to make! Oh I also want to say a very big THANK YOU for spending apart of your holiday with me here on Rotten Ink. So let’s catch back up with our good pal Hercules!

Growing up, I read lots of Marvel Comics from all decades as my brother and I would collect whatever issues we could get our hands on. And I can remember reading issues with Hercules in them mostly in the pages of The Avengers, Thor and Marvel Premire and while I enjoyed his antics in the pages of those comics I was never a diehard Marvel Hercules fan and that’s shocking as I loved the legend of Hercules but I think he just got lost in the shuffle as Hulk, Captain America, Spider-Man and Thor got most of my comic reading attention when it came to Marvel. In the Marvel Universe Hercules is an egomaniac that is a party animal and rushes into battle as he fears nothing and thinks his power and strength cant be topped. He is also a womanizer who even at times looks down on the female heroes and not in a mean way but more he is just so out of touch. Oh and he drinks a lot and is drunk at times causing issues. But while he does have flaws and its more because he is a fish out or water a hero out of his own time he does have lots of positives as he is very loyal to his friends and would sacrifice his own life to be the hero of the day. Plus in the Marvel Universe Hercules is strong and powerful but is not on the level of Thor or Hulk and has lost many battles even once being put into a coma by The Masters Of Evil. I also remember a story arch that had Hercules being fearful of battle and trying to hide his fear from other heroes, this took place in Thor Comics and that helped add another layer to the character for a short time. I also remember the multiple time that Hercules took on The Incredible Hulk and while good fights old Herc was always outclassed. The character as of recent time has been more of a background player even though he took over Hulks book for a while during the aftermath of the World War Hulk arch that had the name change to “The Incredible Hercules” and ran from 2008-2010 before being cancelled and going back to The Hulk. He also played a good part in Marvel Zombies as well as the long running event that was called Secret Empire and was apart of the underground team to bring down Hydra. So while Hercules in the Marvel Universe has never made his way to the films nor has he ever really been a major player he has to be respected as he has did his best to add to the Universe and brought a classic Greek hero to the world of Marvel Comics. What I would like to see Marvel do with Hercules in 2018 would be that he is on the outs with his fellow Gods and in order to get the respect and honor back he is given new labors that test his wits and might and even turns him into almost a anti-hero as he is forced to fight even fellow heroes as well as take a side in wars fought among men. Just an idea and a way to make Hercules be front and center as Thor and others are not sure his motives and he himself having to act under the will of his angry father who wants his son to be more vengeful. But I am sure Hercules will always be what he is in Marvel and that’s a solid background and team member of a massive team.

So now is the time for the major announcement about a future Sparkle Comics comic that is in the works and will be released sometimes in 2019 that will have me doing the stories and have the super talented Jeff Potter doing the art, For those who don’t know, Mr. Potter has done the art for the Sparkle releases of Adventure Man # 1 based on the 80’s knock off generic toy of the same name as well as the comic based on the old shot on video film from Independent B Movie Farmer Joe # 0. Both are top notch amazing comic books if this Editor In Chief says so himself! So I am sure you are now really wanting to know what this title will be, and I am going to share this with you my blog readers first before it hits the Sparkle website or social media that we will being doing a ongoing comic series based on the Greek Hero Hercules that will be inspired by the classic Sword And Sandal films from the 50s and 60s. The first issue will have Herc taking on the Cannibal Cavemen! This is a project that I am very pleased to be doing as growing up I loved watching those classic films that starred Steve Reeves, Reg Park and Alan Steel as I found them to be lots of fun filled with action, adventures, drama and even dashes of science fiction. The world of comics is lacking this type of comic starting Hercules. and I am proud that Sparkle will be able to bring this series to comics shops in Ohio as well as via online. So I hope that this has made many of you readers happy, and I hope many of you will check this comic series out once it”s released in 2019 and that it takes you back to the days of watching Hercules films on Saturday Mornings and reading his adventures in the pages of Charlton Comics. Check out the raw image of the cover for our first issue and again very much looking forward to creating this comics stories and quests.

So there it was, Sparkle Comics is doing a Hercules comic series that will be starting in 2019 that will for sure please fans of this classic Greek Demigod hero. So we are now at the time of the update when I have to start the comic review, and it’s kind of sad to think that this will be the last time we will be visiting Marvel Comics’ version of Hercules on Thanksgiving as he only had two classic mini series and with this one we have covered them both. To be honest, I am not really sure why I think of Hercules and Sword And Sandal films on this day but ever since I was a kid, strangely, I have….I wonder if when I was a kid maybe my dad had something like the Steve Reeve Hercules films or Three Stooges Meet Hercules on the TV on Thanksgiving….or if it’s because most of the Hercules films are considered Golden Turkeys? Whatever the reason, I will do my best to always cover a Hercules comic series on Turkey day and or at least some sort of Greek Hero book. So before we travel back to space and catch up with our pal Hercules, I do want to remind you all that I grade these comics on a scale of 1 to 4 and you are looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story! So with that, let’s see what our old pal Hercules is up to on his second space mini series adventure!

Hercules: Prince Of Power # 1 **1/2
Released in 1984 Cover Price $0.60 Marvel # 1 of 4

Hercules has taken sides in a battle in space over a planet that is used for mining and two sides are fighting over the riches that are present one side is rebels the other is the government and Herc and Recorder are on the side of the government and after bringing down the leader of the rebels who turned out to be a Skrull this battle also leads to the death of one of Hercules closest friends in space as he has been hanging out with for over 40 years and this is a sign for Hercules to move on deeper into space to find a new adventure. Once arriving to the new planet Hercules and Recorder meet Officer Tyne Pryntess who is an officer and who allows our hero to stay on the planet but she must interview Recorder to get information. While checking into his hotel room Hercules spots a beautiful woman who ignores his charms and this makes him want to have her even more! Meanwhile on Mount Olympus Ares The God Of War is mad and braiding his fellow Gods about growing old and fat and even condemns Zeus for allowing humans to have free will, this angers Zeus who turns Ares into ash and storms off. Hercules soon finds his dream girl who’s named Sasha who is a model and as she is on stage he corners her only to find out she is a he and is a Skrull who is in hiding as he was to be killed on his home planet! While Hercules forgives the Skrull but the crowd does not and Herc is forced to flee with the Skrull and Recorder as he does not want to hurt anyone. So after escaping they escape the planet with the help of Tyne Pryntess. We cut to the throne room of Zeus on Mount Olympus and the father of all gods tells his brother Pluto that all the Greek gods must die!

This 2^nd series starts off with a bang as our plot takes Hercules and his robot friend Recorder deeper into space as Hercules losses a friend to a war that was caused by a Skrull, meets a woman he wants to get with that’s a Skrull and ends up befriending the shape shifting alien and is able to escape the planet. But while the plot of Hercules adventure is space is fun the real interesting story that is brewing is the fact Zeus is aware he is loosing his footing with mankind and is now on a warpath of killing his own godly children and starts by killing Ares as he speaks the truth of the God’s loosing their followers on Earth. Hercules in this issue is still very brave and is on the side of what’s right as he opens the issue helping the Government stop a group of Rebels who are hellbent on killing. He also shows very much he values friendship and that he has a big heart as the death of his friend truly bothers him. But as always while he is a hero he also spends most the issue trying to swoon women and push them into kissing or falling in love with him!! Recorder is around and once more filled with facts and advice and is still a great character but I will say he seems to be not as fun loving as he was in the first series. Skyppi is a Skrull who is a fugitive on his home planet and hides himself as a super model in order to earn money to survive, so far he seems like an older Skrull who fears death on his home planet will be cool to see if he joins Hercules and Recorder for this whole mini series. Officer Tyne Pryntess seems like a really good person and she can tell when people are lying as well and calm even the most wild of beasts, makes you wonder if she will come into play more in this series. Over all this first issue is a great way to kick off the 2^nd space adventure for the Prince Of Power and I really cant wait to see how the Zeus storyline plays out as his path of killing rage is very interesting. So as I am smelling the ham cooking lets move onto the second issue and see what its has in store for us before dinner. Oh and I want to say that I really dig the cover of this issue as it showcases our three traveling heroes.

Hercules: Prince Of Power # 2 ***
Released in 1984 Cover Price $0.60 Marvel # 2 of 4

Hercules along with Recorder and Skyppi are trying to escape the planet in the chariot and are being chased by the police who are willing to shoot them down! Hercules jumps from the chariot and stops the police from chasing them but while doing this the chariot crashes and leaves Recorder hurt and in need of repair and they rush to get him repaired. Meanwhile a crazed Skrull hater named Red Wolf is on a rampage and is killing Skrulls on a space station including a politician! Red Wolf is shot down and turns into a normal human named Rojohn Smythe and is taken to jail. Meanwhile Hercules and Skyppi get Recorder to a repair shop only for themselves to be under attack by the stations police force when they get a call that Herc is now a wanted man! As Hercules gets arrested Skyppi turns into a bug and escapes as Recorder is still left in the repair shop. Back on Mount Olympus things are going bad as Zeus is on a killing spree and is taking the lives of his fellow Gods with only Apollo able to escape as he rockets himself into space. Hercules wakes up in jail from a nightmare and due to Zeus actions he has also aged, and worse he is sharing the cell with Rojohn who explains that he cannot control Red Wolf as it’s a spirit that lives inside him that hates Skrulls! As they chat Skyppi shows up to break them out and this triggers Red Wolf who goes into kill mode and attacks the old Skrull! Hercules stands up for his friend and fights Red Wolf around the jail and this leads them to the airlock and when it opens Hercules saves the life of Red Wolf who in turn respects Herc and runs distraction to the guards so Hercules, Skyppi and Recorder can get to the chariot and head to Mount Olympus to see what is going on with his father as the nightmare he had shook the Prince Of Power to his core.

Wow this second issue is really good and if you dig Hercules in the Marvel Universe this is one that is worth a read! The plot of this issue has Herc and his pals escaping one planet that leaves Recorder damaged and in need of repair all because Hercules was careless and only wanted to fight and not get his friends to safety, and when getting them off the planet finally they end up at a space station that has a Skrull hating possessed killer who has his eye on Skyppi! Hercules in this issue learns a lesson that his careless love for battle does have downsides as it leads to a friend being hurt, he also learns that using a combination of fighting and brains is the best way to win a fight! One thing as well that happens to the ever cocky Hercules in this issue is that he is growing older as his father Zeus kills more of his fellow Gods and this worries the Prince Of Power as he don’t know what’s going on at Mount Olympus but knows something is wrong for sure! Recorder and Skyppi are great sidekick characters and while they are under the protection of the Lion of Olympus they also are looking out for him as they try their best to be his voice of reason. Red Wolf is a spirit who for some reason 100% hates Skrulls and wants to kill as many of them as he can! While Red Wolf is a bad spirit he does knows respect when his life is saved and in turn does what he can to help Hercules escape the space station. I really liked the look of Red Wolf as it was a weird mix of Native American, Sabertooth and demon! Zeus has lost his mind and is really on a killing spree on Mount Olympus and is truly the main villain of this comic series! The only God this far to escape is Apollo who has fled for his life and by the looks might be on his way to find Hercules to try and get help. What I like the most about this series this far is the fact Hercules is traveling around causing a mess were ever he is going and while he is having a space adventure his home on Mount Olympus is crumbling! Cool cover and great interior art work by Bob Layton and another fun issue in this mini series….man I can smell that ham cooking even stronger so lets move on to issue three!

Hercules: Prince Of Power # 3 **1/2
Released in 1984 Cover Price $0.60 Marvel # 3 of 4

We start on a moon planet and a group of tomb raiders are being slaughtered by someone who is setting traps by using jewels and leaves the only survivor Shreck left to enter and retrieve the pure power that awaits him inside! Meanwhile Hercules along with his friends are traveling back to Mount Olympus when he gets a call from Mentor that he needs to rush to Titan as something bad has taken place. As Hercules arrives he soon finds out that Apollo is there and as well has aged and is near death, before the God of Light dies he tells Herc that all that awaits him back on Olympus is death. Mentor takes Hercules to the side and takes him to the great space computer ISSAC to see what is going on at Mount Olympus and soon finds that all of his fellow Gods are dead besides Zeus! Meanwhile Shreck finds what he is looking for and that’s the tomb of the late Captain Marvel and he steals the dead heroes power bands and heads to Titan and attacks just as Hercules is set to leave for his home. While Hercules, Skyppi and Mentor all try and hold off the now powerful Shreck who is doing his evil deeds all in the name of Thanos, Recorder and ISSAC are trying to find a weakness in the power that was once the mighty Captain Marvels. As Shreck knocks out our heroes in a brutal battle and starts his destruction of Titan, Recorder gets the information he needs to give to the awakening Hercules and the prince of power sets the plan in motion and tricks Shreck into a power core that overloads him and ends his path of terror once and for all. As Mentor and says farewell to Hercules, the might Zeus sits on his throne on Mount Olympus and awaits the arrival of his last son.

This was an entertaining issue that adds one last side quest to Hercules before he can make his way home to find out the answers he is seeking. This one has Hercules and his pals defending Titan from a power crazed madman who is a follower of Thanos and who has robbed the grave of Captain Marvel to do so! Hercules in this issue is still very much fun loving and looking for fighting action but he also really seems to be worried about his home and all his fellow Gods that live there. Plus as always he sticks his own neck out in order to save his friends and the innocent people who could be injured unjustly. Recorder is super helpful in this issue as he is quick minded and along with the worlds Super Space Computer come up with a plan to stop the threat in its destructive tracks. Skyppi as well tries what he can to help by shape shifting and trying to keep Shreck at bay, while he is a downbeat old Skrull he still shows he very much is a loyal friend to Hercules. Mentor, his son StarFox and computer ISSAC all live on Titan and try to warn Herc on what’s awaiting him on Mount Olympus and also offered shelter to the dying Apollo. Shreck is a soulless scumbag who follows the words and evil teachings of Thanos and robs a grave of a beloved superhero in order to still his power bracelets to bring death to all those who ever wronged his idol. Shreck is a true scumbag and a terrible person and even sent in his own friends to get what he needed and knew that they would keep dying…Shreck is a terrible person so once he is brought down you find yourself very happy. The sad part of this issue is seeing Apollo very old and dying with Hercules by his side telling him that their home is no more and that Zeus as turned against them all. I think the best thing about this issue for me was the last page that had Zeus sitting on his throne holding a bloody axe and awaiting the arrival of his last son alive. Cover of this issue is so-so and the interior art by Bob Layton is good and I should also say that he also did the story for this mini series. So with that this issue is good and a nice set up for the final issue and with that lets move onto the fourth and final issue.

Hercules: Prince Of Power # 4 ***
Released in 1984 Cover Price $0.60 Marvel # 4 of 4

Hercules arrives at Mount Olympus and finds it in ruins and all his fellow Gods dead and gone. His father with anger and hate in his eyes sits waiting for him to enter and challenges him to a fight that will leave one of them dead! Hercules refuses to fight his father and this angers Zeus who also creates a marble Horse Monster to go after and run off Recorder and Skyppi and attacks his son! Zeus beats Hercules up and damages his arm and blinds him in one eye, he also alerts his son that his fate is with a pearl that he had placed in a vat of fire and just as the father of all Gods is about to kill his son, Hercules smashes the walls around them and buries Zeus under the rubble. Meanwhile Recorder and Skyppi trick the Marble Horse and push it down a hole and return to find Hercules weak and possibly dying from his wounds, as they try and get him to Apollo’s Chariot the Mighty Zeus breaks free and is hungry for blood! As Recorder takes Hercules away Skyppi stays behind and takes the form of Herc to try and trick Zeus but it does not as Zeus grabs Skyppi by the neck and “snaps” it just as Hercules comes back for him and this trigger the Prince Of Power to fight his father and he gives the king of Gods a butt whopping! Just as Hercules is about to smash his father with an axe he drops it and Zeus informs him that he has passed the test and that he would like for Hercules to be the new role model of mankind as he and the Gods time has long been over, and that he never really killed the other gods they are all just in another dimension were they will all live and Hercules as well can decide if he wants to stay or join his fellow Gods in this new dimension by getting the pearl from the fire. As Zeus leaves Hercules is filled with joy knowing his father has only testing him and not truly mad and decides to stay and go on more adventures with Recorder and Skyppi!

Hercules The Prince Of Power fighting The Father of The Gods Zeus in a bloody battle is the plot of this issue, and man, was this a fun one to read! The fact that Zeus is like a crazy axe wielding maniac filled with rage and a cocky attitude makes him a very evil foe for Hercules, but after almost beating his son to death and forcing his own son to almost beat him to death we all learn that this was just a test to see if Herc has learned a lesson and if he would like to join the Gods in a new dimension or if he would like to stay on Earth and do good for humankind. In this issue Hercules shows that he is not only loyal to his family but also his friends, and when pushed, he will do the right thing even if it’s fighting his own father to the death. He also shows that he can be hurt badly as his father blinds him in one eye and almost removes one of his arms from a powerful blow with his axe. I also really like that Hercules decides to stay on Earth and by doing so his wounds are healed and his aging goes away. Skyppi and Recorder show that they work well as a team as they outsmart and defeat a massive foe made of stone and even risk their own lives in order to try and help save Hercules. Zeus starts the issue out being a monster who it’s clear could kill Hercules and his friends with ease, but by the ends shows that he is a loving father and an ancient god that knows his time has passed. This second mini series continues the adventure of Hercules in space and ends with him back at Mount Olympus and delivers a very fun and entertaining read that is sure to please fans of this character as well as fans of the old Sword And Sandal films. The cover of this issue is pretty great and shows a evil looking Zeus standing over a defeated Hercules and is eye catching, and once more, the story and interior art done by Bob Layton is fantastic and is great classic 80’s Marvel stuff and makes this even more enjoyable. So as you can see, this was a solid 4 issue read that delivers adventure and drama and throws in just enough Greek mythology to make it fun for fans of comics and history! Check out the art below to see a sample of Layton’s style, and to sum it up, this was a great read for Thanksgiving 2017.

So ends Rotten Ink’s journey with Marvel’s version of Hercules. It was a fun ride filled with space and gods, and I would like to think that Hercules, Recorder and Skyppi are flying around on Apollo’s Chariot this very night chatting about battle and eating turkey! Speaking of eating, dinner is ready, and I am hungry and looking forward to spending sometime with my family on this holiday. So I am going to wrap this update up and hope that you and your family and friends have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Out next update will be about The Geriatric Gangrene Jujitsu Gerbils, a weird 90’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles rip off that was unleashed on the readers. So until next time, eat a turkey leg or two, watch a football game or three and make sure to watch a Horror Host on this Holiday evening! Once more Happy Thanksgiving to all of you friends, family and readers.

SAW Your Way Into This Halloween!

Posted on October 31, 2017 by bloodlinematt

A cold chill is in the air, and the ghouls and ghosts are roaming the streets looking for free candy. That must mean it’s Halloween, and with this day also comes the spooky holiday update to Rotten Ink! This year we will be playing a game with Jigsaw as we take a look at the IDW comic for SAW and do so to honor the fact Lionsgate has allowed this horror series to come back to cinemas this year and reclaim the Halloween season with Jigsaw, the 8^th film in the series that was released on October 27, 2017! So besides taking a look at the Saw franchise we will also be looking at a strange weird life happing in Ohio, a Horror Movie Marathon, a Creepypasta, 5 Questions with a Horror Host and a real life ghost hunt that I went on for this update. That’s the thing I love about this time of the year, something just seems to be in the air, and it makes me crave watching horror films, playing horror video games and reading horror comics even more than normal. So as I sit here for the first time in my new house that I am calling Blood Scream Comics Manor for Halloween, it’s time to get down and scary as we dive into the world of SAW.

Let’s start this Halloween update off with a Creepypasta I like that’s called “Candle Cove.” It’s about a kids’ TV show that warped and frightened kids who watched it… that is, if it even ever aired! The story goes that in the early 1970’s a weird kids’ show would air at 4:00pm on a local TV station that has seemed to be forgotten. In modern times on a website called NetNostalgia Forum, a group started a post to talk about it and share memories of the plots and characters. The show was said to be about a young girl named Janice who in her mind was friends with pirates. They would go on odd adventures and even had to dodge a character called Skin-Taker, a skeleton pirate who wore the skin of children! They start to creep themselves out even more as they remember episodes that just was a female screaming in pain and later they even find out that the station they watched was nothing more than static! The theories of this show ran wild as people think it was supernatural while others thought it was made by the government to mess with the youth. The show was not animated and was said to be puppets and each had their own charm and sinister side and those who claimed to watch it seem to remember the characters in great detail. The mystery of this kids show is that there are zero official sources that say that it was real and on any TV station in the 70’s plus the mystery is why adults didn’t see the show when on and only saw static on the screen! Plus why were some of the characters super scary including one who skinned kids! So is this show real…well yes and no. Recently the SYFY Channel did a TV show based on this story while all other accounts point that the old show never did air and was just a story written to try and spook people on the internet. But while this might not be a super bone chilling Creepypasta, it does make you wonder how many shows you watched as a youngster were real and what was in your mind. I am sure we all have shows we remember that we cannot place a name to and only limited amount of friends remember….was that show of your past fact or fiction?

Back in the 1920’s, a man walked to the town of Sabina, Ohio in hopes to find work and start a new life. During his journey, he passed away of natural causes on 3C highway near Borum Road. On June 6, 1929, his body was found and he had no ID and only thing that was found in his pocket was a slip of paper with the address 1118 Yale Ave. on it and this did not turn up anything as the address was a vacant lot! The person living nearest to the lot was named Eugene Johnson, and this man’s first name was also given to the body of the unknown man who was believed to be of the age of 50-80 years old. The local undertaker ended up embalming the body of Eugene and waited to bury him just in case a relative could come and claim him and they could find out his real name. For decades no one every claimed the body and so Eugene became a tourist attraction and his body was on display at the funeral home’s small back shack for those who wanted to see a body. Eugene The Mummy became a local celebrity and a fixture in this small town, with his fame also came pranks and thefts as high school kids as well as college students would steal the body and take him on joyrides and leave him in weird and wild places. Each time he was taken, his body was recovered by the local police and returned to the funeral home. But finally in 1964, after many years of being on display and loved by the community, the body of Eugene The Mummy was laid to rest in the town’s cemetery after the pranks became too disrespectful and they decided it was time to let him rest peacefully. So if your ever in Sabina, Ohio make sure to stop by the cemetery and pay your respects to Eugene, a man who found fame in death and sadly never did get his real story told. So that was another Strange Ohio Tale that showcases why my home state is a weird one.

For Horror Hosts, Halloween time is like Christmas as they fill the local airwaves with their specials as well as air on any number of online stations. And for this year I chose to interivew the iconic legendary St. Louis, Missouri Horror Host Baron Von Crypt who scared late night monster kids from 1970-1971 with his show! The good Baron Von Crypt is a vampire who built himself a very loyal and rabid fan base that even got him into the Horror Host Hall Of Fame! Baron Von Porkchop and myself were very lucky to have gotten to meet Baron Von Crypt at Horrorhound, and now it’s my honor to present to you my readers on this Halloween update, “5 Questions With” Baron Von Crypt!

Matt: So Baron Von Crypt, tell us about your classic Horror Host show…

Baron: The show aired on KDNL-TV, Channel 30, a new UHF station which began broadcasting in June of 1969 in St. Louis. In early 1970, the production manager and I created a live host to try to generate buzz around and audience for classic horror films of the 1930s, 40s and 50s, like Frankenstein, Dracula, The Invisible Man, The Mummy, The Wolfman, etc. We created a vampire character called Baron Von Crypt and also a sidekick for him called Igor (of course). We had a castle dungeon set and a casket from which the Baron arose each Saturday night at 10pm to introduce the movie. The Baron would interact with his disrespectful sidekick Igor who was always an off camera voice. We tried to do things that were new and different visually … special effects that were leading edge at the time, but nothing like the special effects of today. We just wanted to have fun. The objective was to increase the audience ratings for Channel 30 – which we did!. I wrote and performed in all the sketches as Baron Von Crypt and I also voiced the off-camera voice of Igor. During the roughly 1 ½ years the show ran, I also made a live appearance for an advertiser at the Midwest Camper and Boat Show. It was an absolute blast!

Matt: What Horror Hosts of the past influenced you as a host?

Baron: There weren’t a lot of horror hosts around in 1970 and my inspiration for the character of Von Crypt was really Bela Lugosi, the original Dracula on screen. I basically created a parody of his performance and poked fun at the whole horror genre with wacky humor, silly visuals and inane banter with my sidekick, Igor.

Matt: So being a vampire and all, do you ever get urges to drink the blood of your fans?

Baron: I never did drink the blood of my fans and since I long ago retired as The Baron, I only have vague urges. I do, however, have a strange affinity for Bloody Mary’s which I enjoy whenever I can.

Matt: You have been to a Horrorhound Convention and during this event, what celebrity were you most happy to meet? As well as what other Horror Host?

Baron: My son’s family, including my 11-year old granddaughter, who attended the event as well, are great fans of The Walking Dead and were thrilled to be able to see some of those stars up close and personal. I really enjoyed meeting the many current horror hosts such as The Bone Jangler.

Matt: You being a Vampire and all who is your favorite actor to ever play Count Dracula in film?

Baron: Clearly my favorite actor to play the part of Count Dracula is Bela Lugosi … the originator of the role and my inspiration for Baron Von Crypt.

Matt: Any final words for my readers?

Baron: Just to share one of my favorite poems written by Baron Von Crypt:

A birdie with a yellow bill Hopped upon my windowsill.

He broke the glass with his peck, peck, peck, And a large sharp piece just slashed his neck!

You gotta admit that is pretty good stiff!

Great poem indeed! That Baron Von Crypt is a class act, and I for one would love to see him return to the world of Horror Hosting with new episodes that would air on say…The Monster Channel…hint, hint guys! I am also proud to say that in the world of Sparkle Comics, you just might see Baron Von Crypt soon in some pages of one of our ongoing comic series. I want to thank Baron Von Crypt for taking time to answer our questions, and I suggest you guys check out his official Facebook page for more info on this classic iconic host. Also thanks Timexx Seabaugh for not only help setting up this interview but also helping bring Baron back to the spotlight. Check out these pictures below of the one and only Baron Von Crypt.

For my birthday Juliet and I had a Horror Movie Marathon that not only had a Pre-Show but also had an After Party! The pre-show took place on September 4, 2017 that also happened to be labor day, and lucky for me, we closed early at work so I was able to get home a little after 4:00pm. We started our Pre-Show at 5:00pm, and the first film of the evening was “Camp Blood 4” that followed a young woman and her friends camping out the night before a big concert and being stalked and killed by a clown masked killer. The second fright flick of the night was “Cannibal Claus” about a fired store Santa who decides to get revenge and kills and eats people that are mostly hot naked chicks! The third film of the night was the 1987 shot on video film “Death Nurse” that is about a brother and sister who run a private clinic and kill their patients to collect the money from their deaths and care. And the final film of the night was the creature feature “In The Devil’s Courthouse” that has a young woman and her brother with friends fight for their lives against evil primates who kill in brutal ways. For dinner we decided to have pork chops and baked potatoes, and we both enjoyed the night of spooky horror! We both agreed that the Golden Turkey of the night was Camp Blood 4 as sadly this sequel was made up mostly of flashbacks of part 3 as well as montages of weird things like girls shopping at a second hand media store and putting on makeup. Plus it ends super quickly, with a “watch part 5” ending. The pluses for the film were the soundtrack was great, the ladies were all attractive and it was cool to at least see a new Camp Blood film. My best film of the night was hard to pick as I enjoyed both Death Nurse and In The Devil’s Courthouse as I found them both to be solid shot on video films from two different eras of independent horror filmmaking, but in the end I would have to say that In The Devil’s Courthouse won out as I found that it was lots of fun with a great set of woods and hills that gave it a creepy atmosphere, the characters were likable for the most part, the gore effects worked and were pretty well done and the really had me with killer monkeys! Plus you can’t go wrong looking at actress Ashley Marie Nelson for 85 minutes. Juliet’s top pick of the night was Death Nurse as she found it to be a great example of the early roots of shot on video horror films. This first night was lots of fun and made me even more hyped to watch the films of the main attraction the next day. So with the end of the movies came winding down for the night and getting some good old sleep.

The next day we started our marathon at 7:00am, and nice enough the house was filled with a chill as we started the first movie “Devil Bat’s Daughter” about the daughter of a famed “killer” who made huge bats and her battle to deal with his legacy. The next film was “Camp Blood 5” and has the surviving young woman and her friends going back to the woods this time to get revenge on the killer. The third film was “The Night Shift” that follows a security guard watching a mansion that has a cult of demons in it. The next flick was “Evil Bong: 666” that has Eve teaming up with the survivors of the past films and doing battle with the Devil of Sexy Hell! The Jess Franco zombie film “Oasis Of The Zombies” was our fifth film and was about Nazi Zombies killing off people who try and find their hidden treasure. “The Haunting Of Morella” was next and follows a young woman whose mother was a witch and killed and now she wants to come back to life by taking over her daughters! The 1992 shot on video film “Dark Harvest” was the next fright flick and has a group of hikers fighting for their lives against killer scarecrows. The Henrique Couto film “Amityville: No Escape” about a group of filmmakers trying to document fear was then selected to try and bring the fights. The anti drug film “Hellmaster” was next and followed a group at a college kids trying to survive an attack by drug fueled human monsters. “The Wicked One” was film # 10 and is about a brutal killer called The Wicked One who attacks and kills a group of friends on a vacation at a family farmhouse. The no budget slasher film “Dark Shade Creek” was next and has masked killer Cyrus hacking up some goofy friends who make the mistake of entering his woods. The supernatural slasher film “The Windmill Massacre” was on deck next and follows a group of strangers on a tour bus ride through Holland who become the target of a burnt up monster killer! The final film of the night was the 1991 shot on video film “Hauntedween” and has a frat house being targeted by a crazed masked killer who loves haunted houses. All through the horrors of the small screen Juliet and I had cookies, Zapps potato chips, breakfast casserole, corn on the cob and flat buffalo style chicken to munch on, and man did we eat well! The golden turkey film of the night was Camp Blood 5 as both Juliet and I picked it due to it once more being mostly flashbacks and having very little of a storyline. My top three fright flicks of the day was the following # 1.) The Windmill Massacre, a really good slasher film that had a cool and interesting brutal supernatural killer as well as felt like a reimagine of the wrap around story to the original 70’s Tales From The Crypt movie. # 2.) was The Wicked One, a great slasher film with a cool killer, solid acting, likable characters and a plot that will remind you of Halloween in ways. And my # 3.) was Hauntedween, a classic cheesy shot on video film from the early 90s that had everything a maker and fan of these style films would enjoy. I want to also say that Devil Bat’s Daughter and Hellmaster both almost made my # 3 spot! Juliet’s top three films of the night were the following # 1.) The Windmill Massacre…#2.) Hellmaster and # 3.) The Wicked One! After the last film ended we chatted about the day’s movies and later went to bed in order to start the after party the next day.

Bright and early on September 6 we started the after party at 8:50am and started off with “Camp Blood 666” this time around a satanic cult brings the killer back from the grave and he starts up his killing ways once again. The second film was the 90’s shot on video film “Jungle Trap” that follows a group traveling to the rainforest and finding themselves targets of native ghosts! “Monstrosity” was our third film and this Andy Milligan film was about a group of friends making a Golem to fight crime on the streets of California. The final film of the day was the gross out flick “Night Of Something Strange” about a STD that turns people into sex crazed zombies who want to have sex and kill! It was a great after party and the films were lots of fun and this time around Juliet and I had different Golden Turkeys as she picked Night Of Something Strange as she is bored like I am with gross humor horror films being made just for shock value. Mine I would have to say was Monstrosity as while I enjoyed it and found its dark humor to work really well and the characters likeable it just kind of felt like a mess and was a little to long. Juliet however picked Monstrosity as her top film as she found it to be silly and lots of fun. She has really become a fan of Andy Milligan’s films. I would say my favorite film of the day was Camp Blood 666 as I found it to be just like the first two camp cult classic films in the series plus it had Tina Krause in a cameo! So what a great three days to spend with my lady watching Horror Films for one of my favorite things to do and that’s a Marathon.

As most of you long time readers know, in 2016 my friend Jason Young and I opened a independent comic company alongside many of our friends who are artists, writers and creators and we have released some great all ages books like Shocking Macabre Theater # 1 that features Dayton, Ohio Horror Hosts Dr. Creep, A. Ghastlee Ghoul and Baron Von Porkchop sharing spooky tales. And we also released two comics based on knock off toys of the 80’s with Defenders Of The Planets # 1 and Adventure Man # 1! And finally a comic has been made about the Independent B Movie character The Wolf Hunter who got a first issue and brought the classic shot on video character back to life. But in 2017 something really cool happened as we also opened a branch of Sparkle called Blood Scream Comics that was a way to showcase more extreme horror, underground and adult comics! I have always loved Horror Comics, and these comics are issues I am super hyped to create with my friends to entertain the readers. Check out our cool logo below!

We released several Blood Scream Comics this year with our first 3 being based on the shot on video films of Bloodline Video and Independent B Movie and they are Farmer Joe # 0, Scars # 0 and The Sadness # 0, all being 12 page comics that allow the readers to vote on what character they would like to see get a full issue # 1 in 2019! So far the amount of votes we have gotten has been great and the race to get a first issue is very close with all the characters getting respect. We then released a comic adaptation of the cult classic film Don’t Look In The Basement that scared and shocked readers with its amazing art and creepy breakdown of the film. And just this month we unleashed on the comic reading world a really spooky comic called Screaming Skull: 1888 that is a really cool reimagining of the 1958 fright flick The Screaming Skull! And this is just the start as besides all the comics that we do that are for all ages we have so many amazing Horror Comics coming your way readers! So I want to also think my Sparkle Comic family all who believe in the company motto “Comics Made By Friends For Fans”, this update is for you Jason Young, Jeff Potter, Damien Brunk, Jason Gilmore, Theresa Lopez, Marc Gras Cots, Scott Scarborough, Juliet Fromholt, Jeremy Hoyt and Stephen Alexander all of whom have made some amazing comics this year that have entertained the comic reading world. Check out the covers below for the current release of Blood Scream Comics and make sure to check out or official website at www.bloodscreamcomics.com for ways to not only order the comics but get info on upcoming comics.

On September 9, 2017 Blood Scream Comic teamed up with Horrorama Dayton at the Danbarry Huber Heights and brought moviegoers the Indie Horror Showcase! This first time event was lots of fun to do and was a great way to not only expose horror movie fans to some of these cool independent horror films but also the comics of Blood Scream and Sparkle Comics as we sold copies of our comics at the Movie Theater. The event started at 6:00pm for the preshow that played trailers for indie horror films and we screened “The Wolf Hunter” the Independent B Movie SOV film directed by Matt Hoffman as well as the zombie short film “Outpost 31” by Dustin Austen. The main show started a little after 7 with the first film being the slasher film “Babysitter Massacre” directed by Henrique Couto, and it was followed by “The Barn” the super cool 80’s throwback monster film directed by Justin M. Seaman. The next film on the playlist was the demon film “Redsin Tower” by Fred Vogel, and we ended the night with the George Romero zombie classic “Night Of The Living Dead”! In between the films we played trailers, music scores and short films and the event seemed to really entertain those who were looking for a good time of seeing great films on the silver screen. It was really amazing seeing The Wolf Hunter playing on the big screen and hearing the crowd have a good time with this shot on video cheesy rubber face werewolf flick. I hope to do another Indie Horror Showcase next year in September as I love bringing the world Horror Comics and indie horror movies and I think they both go hand and hand. I also ran the booth upstairs and had a great time watching the films from the projection booth. Check out the pictures below to see what you missed if you did not attend. And yep we did do a normal Horrorama this year on October 14^th and it had the theme Revenge Of The 80’s and showcased some amazing films from that decade like Nightmare City and The Gate to name a few.

Sadly over the centuries the world of cinema has lost many films and by lost I mean they are no longer around and we all have a very small amount of hope of ever finding a copies of them. Many amazing films have been lost like many of the Fatty Arbuckle comedies and even a Paul Naschy werewolf film called “The Nights of The Wolf Man” that was possibly never finished that filmed in France. The holy grail of lost Horror Films hands down is the 1927 film “London After Midnight” that was directed by Todd Browning and started Lon Chaney Sr. as The Man In The Beaver Hat, but while I 100% would love for someone to find both London After Midnight and The Nights Of The Wolf Man, another film that I hope is found someday is a 1921 silent Hungarian film called “Dracula’s Death” that’s right a Dracula film that was released a year before the 1922 classic silent film “Nosferatu”! This lost vampire film was directed by Karoly Lajthay and this was his only film as director as he went on to be an actor in many Hungarian films. The film’s plot is about a woman who visits a mental asylum and meets an inmate to claims to be Count Dracula and after this meeting she is plagued with horrible visions and must figure out if this inmate is who he claims to be! The inmate or should we say Count Dracula was played by Erik Vanko who had a pretty long acting career and has the honor of being the first actor to ever play Dracula! I hope some day that this film as well as the many others is found in a vault, basement or in a private collection and becomes available for the world to see again just like Edison’s Frankenstein. Below are some stills and the poster for Dracula’s Death and you can take a look and see what you think this film would have been like.

On October 2, 2017 Juliet and I made our way back to Evans City Cemetery to celebrate the Halloween season right! On this day after getting some coffee from Mars Brew House, we headed to the cemetery and the drive was amazing as the weather outside was in the mid 70s and Juliet and I chatted about Lost Films as well as Sparkle Comics and all the cool comics we have in the works. Once arriving at the cemetery we took a drive through it and going around the second time we stopped and got out and walked around. This cemetery is a great place for creative people in the horror world to visit as it seems to help get the creative juices flowing, plus it’s a great place to sit back and think about the legacy that George A. Romero left behind. After spending around 45 minutes chatting and soaking in the beautiful weather we left the cemetery behind to return again next year for Monsterbash 2018! Below is a picture I snapped while there on this fun day.

One thing that I look forward to doing every Halloween season is the Alpha Rhythms Halloween Special for WYSO that is nothing but 3 hours of horror movie score music! My gal Juliet does the talking, and I do the board and select the spooky sounds that will haunt your evening. This show always is something special for me to do and with Baron Von Porkchop taking a long vacation, this is the one Halloween Special that I can count on to create every year. I choose from many different artist like Goblin, Richard Band, Danny Elfman and Fabio Frizzi and pic icon scores from such films as Bride Of Frankenstein, Halloween, Psycho and Phantasm and try my best to pick the songs that will not only chill your bones but will also make you remember the first time you watched these horror films at the theater, on VHS or even via streaming. The Alpha Rhythms Halloween Special every year is the Sunday before Halloween and starts at 8pm and runs until 11pm and can be heard locally on 91.3 FM or anywhere via their website stream at www.wyso.org! Below is a sneak peek at behind the scenes of me programing this year’s Halloween Special that aired on October 29^th and if you tuned in, I want to say thank and I hope I made your night a little scary.

What is a Halloween update without a little ghost hunting adventure alongside my good pal Josh Weinberg! The big issue this year of picking a location was that over the years we have done so many of them and have debunked or even scared spooked ourselves with strange people and noises while at them. So after some time of chatting and trying to figure it out we decided on a rematch against Hyde Road’s Bridge in Yellow Springs as last time around we got ran off by the weirdo in his SUV who for some reason was hiding out in the woods and thought it would be a good idea to chase us and try and trap us on the bridge. We decided to go on October 25^th and once more we had to kill some time so we had a little dinner and hung out at WYSO in Yellow Springs. For those who don’t remember the legend of the bridge and its ghost, here is the rundown again. The legend goes that a mother killed her baby and herself on the bridge at midnight, and if you park your car footprints can be found on your hood from the ghost mother trying to get in! So Josh and I drove around the bridge once and this time around no weird SUV was parked near the woods so we were able to get onto the bridge at 11:59pm and at Midnight we turned off the headlights and killed the cars engine and waited and the bridge was super quiet…and at 12:01am we turned back on the headlights and the engine and got out of the car and to no surprise we did not see no foot prints, hand prints, ghosts or ghouls and we can finally say that the bridge of Hyde Road just is not haunted by a ghost but might be patrolled by a wacko in his car! Below is a picture that I took after we turned the lights back on and shows that we were center in the bridge…shame that this one was a dud as it would have been cool to have a cool ghost hang out in Yellow Springs.

So we have chatted about lots of great spooky stuff up to this point and even had a rematch against Hyde Road and its cursed bridge. But now it’s time for us to play a game and take a look at Saw, the original movie that not only sparked a ton of sequels but also the IDW comic we are covering for this Halloween update. So lets make the right choice and play by Jigsaws rules! I also want to say that I am taking the write up from IMDB and I will also chat a little about the first film’s production and my first thoughts of seeing it as well as its legacy.

SAW (2004)

“Waking up in a undisclosed location in a unknown room two men, Adam and Gordon are trapped into a single room with a dead body. Given random tools with riddles hidden around the room. Wondering who could have done this there are clues to who might of done it; the jigsaw killer. The question is not just who but why would a serial killer leave two men in a room. Both Adam and Gordon hiding secrets they must trust and work together to get out or die…can they survive jigsaws game or die trying?”

Australians James Wan and Leigh Whannell wanted to team up and make a film on a modest budget after being inspired by The Blair Witch Project, and they came up with an idea that involved two men stuck in a elevator and being filmed on security cameras, and it later morphed into an idea of two men chained in a bathroom with a dead body between them. After the talk the name SAW was written down and became the title of the film they began to work on writing and building. During the development Leigh Whannell was having some medical issues and came up with the idea of the killer of their film known as Jigsaw being ill and having a short time to live and setting people up to feel what he does and to not take life for granted. Funding came next and to start they only had about $30,000.00 for a budget, so they made a short film to showcase the bear trap scene and was lucky enough to find Twisted Pictures who enjoyed the what they saw and invested more money into the film. Next came casting and now with a bigger budget they brought in names like Danny Glover, Cary Elwes, Shawnee Smith and Tobin Bell was hired the play John “Jigsaw” Kramer! The film started filming and once finished the film’s score music was composed by Charlie Clouser. Lionsgate stepped in to distribute the film worldwide, and the film became a surprise hit! Saw was the # 57 of the year and beat out such other horror and cult films as “The Phantom Of The Opera”, “Resident Evil: Apocalypse”, “Secret Window”, “Exorcist: The Beginning”, “Open Water”, “Anacondas: The Hunt For The Blood Orchid”, “Darkness”, “Shaun Of The Dead” and “Seed Of Chucky”! The film did great for Lions Gate as the film had a budget of only $1.2 Million and brought in a total of $55,185,045.00 at the box office here in America. While it has been dubbed “Torture Porn” the SAW series of films are really Horror/Thrillers that once you get past the mass amounts of blood and gore has a message.

I first saw SAW on home video when it came out on DVD and watched it with my then girlfriend Jennifer, and I can remember we both were glued to it, as I really enjoyed the twist and turns of the story! The funny thing about it was during this time I remember that my friends all who were into horror films really enjoying this flick and Jigsaw was the new “it” killer in horror films as Pigmasks and robes for a few years was staples at Halloween parties. But some were along the way mainstream media and none horror fans started a campaign that films like SAW were nothing more that torture porn set to turn on sickos…yeah this worked as well as many people turned on the series and the box office dollars became less and less for Lionsgate and with that came the end of the series for awhile in 2010 and not until this year (2017) has another been made. Say what you will about SAW, but it’s a solid film that spawned some good sequels that grossed out and freaked out movie goers for many years and was for the longest time the series that kept Horror in the theaters for Halloween! So if you have not see this film, do yourself a favor and check it out! Oh I also want to say that actor Cary Elwes in the films he is in for this series is laughably bad most the time.

John Kramer is the man who goes by Jigsaw, and we are going to be taking a quick look at this man who is the backbone of this long running film series. Jigsaw is the mastermind killer who never himself kills his victims, as they are responsible for their own deaths as well as those who are connected to them. You see Jigsaw along with his helpers select a person they think is taking advantage of being alive and sets them up to play a twisted game of life and death by using traps and puzzles that lead to murder, self mutilation and sometimes salvation. John Kramer started his quest to teach his twisted life lessons after he himself was diagnosed with cancer and after treatments failed to work and his insurance company refused to pay for other forums of treatment he set his goal in life to teach those he feels abuse their lives a message in pain and sorrow all the while showing them what it means to have life. John in his torturous/teaching ways is always joined by apprentices as well as a creepy tricycle-riding puppet named Billy all who help set up and captures the players for what he calls a “game”. I will not say who is helpers are as they would be spoilers for those of you who have not watched the series yet or are not caught up. Jigsaw uses traps that result in death or mutilation as his way to get to his victims, also have to say that sometimes his apprentices are more brutal and kill in cold blood or even set up traps that can not be beat! Jigsaw is also very smart and uses words and puzzles in order to also strike fear into the hearts of those who have became his target. This next part does have spoilers, so you have been warned! But the weakness of Jigsaw is the fact he is a normal human who is dying from cancer and became weaker and weaker through out the series up until his death, but while he has been gone for some time his message and traps live on. While not a supernatural unstoppable killer John “Jigsaw” Kramer is still a very scary person who feels he is right in what he is doing, and that’s why I would say Jigsaw is a very dangerous man with dangerous followers who all have a twisted yet strong message of life.

I guess I should take a few moments and talk about the fact SAW was so popular that it sparked lots of merchandise over the years like all good Horror Film franchises before it and after it. Besides the IDW comic we are covering in this update, Jigsaw and his apprentice have graced the likes of t-shirts, posters, magazines, fan art and action figures & dolls. The film series scores have been released on CD and yep I have played music from it on Alpha Rhythms during the Halloween season. Two video games were made based on SAW that were released on PS3 and Xbox 360 and released by Konami. So as you can see, this film series has left its mark on the world of Horror and delivered lots of great items for fans to collect.

So we took a look at the original film as well as Jigsaw, the killer from the film series, and now its time to dive deep into the world of Horror Comics and take a look at the IDW Comic book of SAW! This comic was a one shot release and proves that IDW is a great company who from time to time does some fantastic work in Horror and release comics based on cult and popular films. I want to thank an Amazon seller for having this comic is stock and making this update possible and wait what’s this a tape recorder, let’s see what’s on it! “Matt Let’s Play A Game…You Have Spent Your Life Watching Horror Films And Reading Comic Books. Now It’s Halloween 2017 And You Once More Have Found A Horror Comic To Review….And I Wanted To Remind Your Readers That You Grade These On A Star Scale of 1 to 4 And You Are Looking For How Well The Comic Stays To The Source Material, Its Entertainment Value And Its Art And Story…Good Luck.” So looks like with that we are read to take a look at SAW: Rebirth from IDW Comics on this extra spooky update!

SAW: Rebirth # 1 **1/2
Released in 2005 Cover Price $3.99 IDW # 1 of 1

John Kramer is a man who is working a dead end job, he is just going through the motions and not putting any effort into advancement in the company. His boss Paul is a guy who has good pay, a family to go home to while John and his girlfriend Jill have just called it over as he would not marry her and start their own family and worse while others around him seem to have it all he is now coming home from work and getting sick every night. John decides to go to the hospital and has some tests done and soon finds that he has cancer and it cannot be cured and his life is sadly coming to an end! While in the hospital he meets Zep an orderly who spends time chatting with him filling him in on the Doctors dirty secrets as well as patients who have came in like Amanda a pretty young woman who overdosed on heroin as well as is boss Paul who tried to kill himself. John leaves the hospital and changes what’s left of his life around and shaves his head and starts to work on his mission and traps to carry it out.

This is a very slow paced and character background driven Horror Comic that does not deliver on any scares nor does it even have any gore or violence with the only blood being shown is on a bandage via an attempted suicide, but while this might sound like a dull comic I ashore you fans of SAW will enjoy it! The plot is simple John Kramer is a man on borrowed time as he has cancer and while waiting for death he comes up with an idea to teach those he feels is wasting their life to be thankful for it. The main character is John Kramer who is a man who just is living his life with no goals and when his life is on a time limit a switch goes off in his brain that makes him turn a little dark and twisted in the mind and he becomes Jigsaw a man who will torture and kill to get across a message or to teach a lesson. The rest of the characters are background players and one cool cameo is from Amanda who overdosed in this issue and who becomes a major player in the series of films that followed this comic. Besides this comic lacking in blood and scares the major flaw of the comic is off from the sequels as this comic act as if John is not married when we in the series find out he indeed is and was happily married. But I think that this part is wrong as this was released after the original film and before the second film even hit theaters. The cover is pretty eye catching as it’s just the poster with some minor changes to it, the interior art is good and while not my favorite style of art for a horror comic, artist Renato Guedes does a good job and John Kramer looks like actor Tobin Bell. Over all this is a good Horror Comic that plays more on the downbeat life of our villain and is a great read for fans of the SAW movie series, but I think normal Horror Comic readers will not be that impressed or entertained by this comic so I think they should skip it! Check out the cool artwork below to see what the art looks like in this comic, and oh yeah IDW should have made a few more issues in this series and should do more comics based on Horror Films soon!

So I hope you had a great Halloween and hope you enjoyed our look at SAW in the world of comics as well as all the other spooky stuff I chatted about. And want to thank you all again for spending a little of your Trick Or Treating time with me. For our next update, we are starting our countdown to Thanksgiving, and we will be taking a look at a Superhero named Drastik who sadly has long been forgotten by the comic book reading masses! So enjoy what’s left of Halloween 2017 and make sure to visit your local theater and see Jigsaw the 8^th film in the SAW series and until next time read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host! Remember to be back here next update so we can all learn about Drastik!