Best Ohio Minor League Baseball Mascots Countdown

Posted on August 4, 2023 by bloodlinematt

Ohio has always been a big city for sports from high school to college to the minors all the way to the majors…the Buckeye State loves its sports teams and cannot get enough of the games that each team has. And one sport we love here in Ohio is Baseball as it really is America’s favorite pastime. We have so many school, collegiate, minor, softball and two very important major league teams, the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Guardians! And as you long time readers know, in 2021 I did my best MLB Mascots Countdown that you can read here and in 2022 I did my best Retired MLB Mascot Countdown that you can read here…and now in 2023 I think it’s time that I deliver a countdown of Ohio’s collegiate, softball and Minor League team mascots as we have so many fantastic teams and mascots, and I think it really is their time to shine here at Rotten Ink. So grab yourself some popcorn, nachos and a hotdog and don’t forget you pop, beer or water as the Rotten Ink Stadium is open and it’s time to play ball!

Now let me take a moment to say what rules I gave myself when ranking these Mascots as it was both very easy and very hard all at the same time as I think each and every one of these Mascots are great in their own ways. I took my time and watched videos of each mascot doing their thing from on-field antics all the way to videos on their social media! I looked at how well loved they are by the fans, critics as well as the team they represent. I looked at how well their costumes look as well as their personality. I looked at if they had any limitations in their antics as well as slightly how well they fit the team they mascot for. I as well ruled out teams that try to use real animals, humans as well as fans as their mascots, because those are not true mascots, as we all know and love them. I ruled out my love for the team as just cause I love the team don’t mean they have a great mascot. And most important and taken into consideration is of course my personal like for the mascot again not the team but the mascot themselves. And again remember this is all for fun and I must stress I feel all of them mean something to their fans just like Horror Hosts so they are all important in their own ways. So with that let’s find our seats at Rotten Ink Stadium and order a drink and some junk food and let’s talk Ohio Minor League Mascots as I give you my personal countdown from least favorite to my top pick.

# 24

Captain Clipper
Team: Lake County Captains Debut: 2005 Affiliated: Cleveland Guardians

First things first I want to stress I hate inflatable mascots at any and all baseball games as they are cheap looking, limit the mascots antics and just are so blah in over all nature that for me they bring no fun, no laughs and should not be used at all. So with that said The Lake County Captains are guilty of releasing the worst mascot in minor league Ohio ball history with Captain Clipper an over 9ft tall inflatable Captain that stands around awkwardly on the dugout and tries to pull off some very limited antics, and man is this guy lame. While I am sure he has his fans and he is great with the crowd at the stadium he just is really bad in my opinion and I am moving on as inflatable mascots should be left in Used Car Lots to bring in buyers. Also the better Captain Clipper of Ohio baseball will be coming up on this list.

# 23

Homer
Team: Akron RubberDucks Debut: 1997 Affiliated: Cleveland Guardians

I have to start of by saying that I am sure Homer has his fans and that I am sure he adds some entertainment to those who are attending Akron RubberDucks games, but that does not stop from me placing him in second to last place in this countdown as he is one of the cheesiest and limited mascots in any of baseball! Homer is a purple penguin with white polka-dots who does what he can to hype up the crowd and is pretty much just really lame as he is mostly used for photo ops as well as a few laughs. Hands down one of the worst Mascot on this countdown list and one that we should just move past.

# 22

Wink
Team: Dayton Dragons Debut: 2003 Affiliated: Cincinnati Reds

Wink is a Cyclops secondary mascot for the Dayton, Dragons and walks around the field and the stands trying his best to entertain the fans…the downside to him is just like Homer (Akron RubberDucks) the blown up costume makes him awkward and limits what he can do in his antics. To be honest I have never even seen Wink at a game and have not seen him out at public appearances so I am going to guess they limit how often he is used and do not send him to events, cause well he is pretty lame and I hate the trend of blow up mascot costumes as they don’t look good and they limit what they can do on and off the field. To sum it up Wink is the Dragon’s weak link and from what I can tell has been faded more and more out of the teams home games.

# 21

Fastpaw
Team: Champion City Kings Debut: 2014 Affiliated: None

What can be said about Fastpaw, the lion mascot for the Champion City Kings a collegiate summer baseball team based out of Springfield, Ohio besides I feel that they didn’t even try with his look, and just dressing him in cloths that dads wear when shopping at Wal-Mart does not help capture ones eye. But while his look is a little sloppy and cheesy I have to say when it comes to his antics and interactions with the fans he does a great job as he not only does work at the ball stadium, but also at local events. While Fastpaw ranked in near last place, he still does a great job of getting those in attendance hyped for some Champion City Kings baseball.

# 20

Harry The Ice Hauler
Team: Sandusky Bay Ice Haulers Debut: 2020 Affiliated: None

The Sandusky Bay Ice Haulers are a Collegiate League Team that started in 2020 and has quickly became a popular team and some of this is thanks to their mascot Harry The Ice Hauler who is a Yeti who loves cheering on his team as well as meeting and entertaining the teams fans! This super furry guy might be very limited in his antics but he makes up for it with his bond with the fans. Not much to say about Harry as he is really new to the world of Baseball Mascots but I think in a few more years he will find his true bits and antics and will be one of the best on the Collegiate Baseball level.

# 19

Muddonna
Team: Toledo Mud Hens Debut: 1996 Affiliated: Detroit Tigers

Muddonna is one of three mascots for the Toledo Mud Hens and she is the female counterpart for the teams main mascot Muddy (who we will see later on this list) and she does a great job at creating a fun experience for fans at the ball park. She is great with fans of all ages and she has some great antics that get laughs, and she as well plays well off Muddy in skits! But while she is a pretty great mascot and does a good job of being an extra bonus for fans at games I have to rate her this low as she is really just a carbon copy of Muddy just in a dress and with a long pony tail, and she lacks her own look as they really only gave here some very minor changes and its clear that her costume was just a modified Muddy costume and that’s why I sadly have to rate Muddonna this low on my countdown as she just lacks her own style. But I will say I love her name and how it plays off Pop Singer Madonna.

# 18

Rubberta
Team: Akron RubberDucks Debut: 1997 Affiliated: Cleveland Guardians

The Akron RubberDucks have a total of four mascots for the team and the main one is Webster and of course he had to have a female counterpart so enter Rubberta who has her own style and personality and for the most part is a really good mascot who has funny antics, plays well off her fellow mascots, does great with fans young and old and promotes her home team well. She is sent out not only during games but has also done many public appearances all he while entertaining those who she was around. And placing her at the # 17 spot was really hard as I find that she is great and think she could and possibly should be higher on the list as she is really good, I think why she is this low is that while she is a top notch mascot she does not capture my attention like many of the others on this list still to come. But with that said Rubberta rocks!

# 17

Wheelie
Team: Akron Racers Debut: ???? Affiliated: None

The Akron Racers are an amazing Ohio female Soft Ball team that are apart of the National Pro Fastpitch League and play their games at the Firestone Stadium and was a team founded in 1999. And their mascot that helps cheer on the Racers as well as get the crowd laughing and cheering is named Wheelie and he is a pretty dang good mascot who does a fine job of entertaining. Wheelie is a cheetah like cat and has a very friendly look to him and is great with younger fans and is well loved by not only the fans but also the team he represents. Wheelie is a real cool cat who loves himself some softball and is a true staple of sports mascots in Akron. If you like in the state of Ohio and are in Akron during a season make sure to see the Racers play a game as well as give Wheelie a big old thumbs up.

# 16

Thunder
Team: Ohio Bison Debut: 2006 Affiliated: None

So I am not 100% sure if Thunder really debuted in 2006 as I am not even sure if the Ohio Bison were even called that in 2006, but at least I think what has when the team that is now called the Ohio Bison started with a stress on the word THINK. And of course this collegiate summer baseball team has a mascot that is a Bison named Thunder! This Bison does what he can to rile up the fans as well as get his team pumped to play some baseball, and form what I hear he does a pretty good job at doing so! There is nothing bad to say about Thunder as he is a friendly looking Mascot who takes time to entertain the fans and is great with the youngsters in the stands. And while Thunder is pretty dang cool, I must say that he is lacking just something that I cant put my finger on that would rank him higher on this countdown. Maybe it’s that he is a little to kid friendly and I would like to see him be a little fiercer and more fitting of a true Bison. And for some reason Thunder looks like the kind of guy you would run into at a bar during a Great White concert.

# 15

Larry
Team: Lima Locos Debut: 1987 Affiliated: None

The Lima Locos are another collegiate summer baseball team that is based out of Lima, Ohio and play at the Simmons Field and their mascot is Larry a train conductor with a massive hat and a crazy bright yellow mustache who is fun, silly and a master of dancing around and bringing attention to the Lima Locos on and off the field and he is a true champion for the team. For all I have read the fans all love Larry and he is truly really good at his antics to get the crowd fired up for the home team, plus he is great with fans and is always up for a picture with them. So as you can see Larry is a great mascot and the only thing holding him down on my list is that he is not as eye catching as others on this list as he really just looks like your crazy uncle who had one to many at the 4^th of July cookout and he is ready to party…even if everyone else is not….Rock on you crazy diamond you Larry and never change.

# 14

Stomper
Team: Lake Erie Crushers Debut: 2009 Affiliated: None

The Lake Erie Crushers play out of Avon, Ohio and are apart of the Frontier League and are not affiliated with any MLB team and this gives them the freedom to play in smaller stadiums as well as sign their own players and their # 1 fan and mascot is a grey furred bear named Stomper! So fans who attend Sprenger Stadium are treated to the antics of Stomper who does a great job or getting them pumped and taking time to make the game special for the younger fans, and that’s truly were Stomper shines as the teams mascot as he is great with the fans and loves to do public appearances and spread the word of Crushers baseball. Like with Krash (Columbus Clippers) he is great at what he does and is a good mascot, its just the competition is really tough with this countdown and his look and style did not set him above those to follow. Oh and I also would like to say that the Lake Erie Crushers were the league champions in 2009.

# 13

Gem
Team: Dayton Dragons Debut: 2003 Affiliated: Cincinnati Reds

Gem is the female Dragon and is the second main mascot of the Dayton, Dragons and is all around a pretty cool mascot who does some cool antics and plays pretty well off Heater the team’s main mascot. Gem does a great job at games interacting with the fans and making young fans feel welcomed and gives them someone to look forward to seeing. The Dayton, Dragons also send Gem out for many public appearances as she is well loved by fans and does a fantastic job promoting Dragons baseball. And her design is different from Heater and this gives her way more character then say Muddonna (Mud Hens) who was just the same costume as the male counterpart just with a few changes. It’s crazy to think that Gem is this low on this list and it shows you that we have so much more amazing mascots to come!

# 12

Krash
Team: Columbus Clippers Debut: 2004 Affiliated: Cleveland Guardians

What can be said about good old Krash who is a green-feathered parrot who spends his time entertaining the fans at Clippers games! He is the newest Mascot member to the Clippers and has a great following among their younger fans as Krash always makes sure to put smiles on faces. The thing is Krash is very good at his job and gets the crowd to cheer for the Clipper the whole time from their introduction on field all the way to the last pitch. The reason for Krash taking this spot on this list is cause his competition is tough and while he is a great mascot his look is a little standard and he could not stand on his own without Lou Seal his partner in crime. So I have to stress while in this place Krash is a great AAA team mascot and when at a Clippers game make sure to give him a high five!

# 11

Chief Krazy Horse
Team: Chillicothe Paints Debut: 1993 Affiliated: None

The Chillicothe Paints are another unaffiliated teams that was once apart of the Frontier League that is now just as collegiate summer baseball team that plats at the V.A. Memorial Stadium and their mascot is the one and only Chief Krazy Horse who is a super tall horse headed creature who loves to entertain the fans and cheer on his team the Paints. Every time I see Chief Crazy Horse I think that he just might be the cousin of Rangers Captain the mascot for the Texas Rangers, and Chief Krazy Horse is that cousin who at family gathers runs around the house like a kid hyped on sugar to get the attention of everyone in the house…but that’s a good thing as he also brings that energy to the field and makes the games more entertaining for Paints fans! I like Chief Krazy Horse and think that he is one hell of a good mascot and has a fun look to him and brings the antics that the fans love. Now that I am thinking about it Chief Krazy Horse should party with Larry of the Lima Locos as I am sure those two would show the state of Ohio how mascots do it.

# 10

Orbit
Team: Akron RubberDucks Debut: 1997 Affiliated: Cleveland Guardians

Orbit The Space Cat is a red furred cat from well outer space who has went from being the main mascot for the Akron Aeroes and then became the secondary for the Akron RubberDucks when the team switched names and owners. Orbit is well loved and has a long history in Akron minor league baseball and does a great job with his on field and in stand antics, does really well with fans at the stadium and in appearances, works well with his fellow mascots, is apart of some funny skits and has a great look to him! Orbit is also really good with kids and is well loved by young and old and is really top notch in all things mascots. I like Orbit and I do feel that he is one of the better mascots here in Ohio and he really does add to the RubberDucks games.

# 9

Scrappy
Team: Mahoning Valley Scrappers Debut: 1999 Affiliated: Cleveland Guardians

The fans that fill the Eastwood Field are not only treated to the Scrappers playing some great AAA baseball but also to Scrappy their hardhat wearing, chain around the neck bulldog mascot who looks mean and ready for a fight, but really all he wants to do is entertaining the fans and get them pumped for the home team! Scrappy is a great looking mascot as he brings the toughness of the sport but also has a fun look to him that kids are drawn to. Scrappy is fitting for his team as he seems like he is ready to get into a scrap or even head to a job site and haul away all the scrap metal and still be on time to pump the crowd up for a Mahoning Valley Scrappers game. To sum Scrappy up he is a great mascot with solid antics, is great with the fans, fits his team and has a great look. The Scrappers have a good one for sure with him. Oh and if you live near the Mahoning Valley Scrappers make sure to go and see games as in 2020 they almost got shutdown by the Minor League team commission!

# 8

Homer
Team: Southern Ohio Copperheads Debut: 2002 Affiliated: None

The Southern Ohio Copperheads plays out of Athens, Ohio and their home games are played at Bob Wren Stadium and are another collegiate summer baseball team, but this team also has a very cool Mascot named Homer who looks like he is ready for not only baseball but also adventure! Homer is an orange furred bear with a big grin and is dressed like a mix of Indiana Jones, Crocodile Dundee and Yogi Bear and is pretty well liked by Copperheads fans that are entertained by his silly antics that includes running around and interacting with fans and leads cheers and chants. Homer is also really good with the younger fans that like to hang around him during the games and laugh at is over all silliness. But while Homer has a great look and his good with the fans, his costume does also limit his antics slightly and holds him back from really becoming a true Ohio Baseball Mascot Icon. But while limited I also must stress that I really do like Homer as he is a very cool mascot who brings joy and entertainment to Southern Ohio Copperheads games.

# 7

Horatio
Team: Lake County Captains Debut: 2023 Affiliated: Cleveland Guardians

Horatio is the new mascot on the block and this super tall and sassy sea bird has already worked his way into the hearts of the fans! And while he is new and is trying to figure out his style of mascoting he is a master of practical jokes and he loves pulling them on his fellow Captain’s mascot Skipper! So far Horatio has had a few public appearances and has been entertaining the fans this 2023 season! Only time will truly tell if Horatio becomes a true icon of Minor League Baseball Mascots here in Ohio or if he will only have a short run before ending up in the Mascot Retirement Home, but I for one am a fan and think he will be around for decades to come. Really watch his video on social media and you will see just how great of a Mascot he is!

# 6

Captain Clipper
Team: Columbus Clippers Debut: 1990 Affiliated: Cleveland Guardians

The first ever sports team mascot I ever seen in person was Captain Clipper at a Columbus Clippers game back when I was a kid and it was awesome! The good old Captain was very limited in his antics as his oversized head kept him from being like other mascots and he mostly just lead the fans in cheers, songs and chants and while he was limited he was great at what he did! I wish that I had a camera at the time cause it would have been great to have gotten my picture with him. The thing about Captain Clipper is while he was well loved by fans he also at times scared the youngsters with his appearance and that’s why the team retired him in 1996. While he has been gone for many decades now and only lasted six years in the mascot spot he still is very much remembered by the older fans of the team who would like to see him return for a few appearances, that I sadly think will never happen as The Clippers really have sent Captain Clipper out to sea for a peaceful retirement. And yes I think that I placed Captain Clipper this high on the countdown due to nostalgia, but I really do think he is great and added so much to the Columbus Clippers.

# 5

Muddy
Team: Toledo Mud Hens Debut: 1896 Affiliated: Detroit Tigers

The Toledo Mud Hens are a very iconic Minor League Baseball Team here in Ohio and have been around for a very long time and their mascot is the one and only Muddy who is a bright yellow bird who looks like he is from Sesame Street and is fantastic with his antics that brings so much joy to the fans in the stands as he not only makes them laugh but he also gets them to cheer for the Mud Hens as that’s his favorite team and thinks it should be yours as well. He is great with young and old fans and always takes the time to meet and great with them and is always up for a photo, and Muddy really is an attraction all his own for fans that go to the games. Muddy really is the total package of Minor League Baseball Mascots and should be in the Mascot Hall Of Fame, and just think we have four more mascots to go! And is it just me or does Muddy also remind you of a mix of Big Bird and the San Diego Chicken?

# 4

Webster
Team: Akron RubberDucks Debut: 1997 Affiliated: Cleveland Guardians

Webster is the main mascot for the Akron RubberDucks and is a truly loved mascot for Minor League Baseball and is a staple for fans who attend games as they look forward to seeing him just as much as they look forward to see the team in action. Webster is an orange duck who is a true master of the art of mascoting as he delivers the laughs on and off the field and the younger fans flock to him in order to get pictures as well as to watch him act silly. And Webster is also joined in the ballpark by Orbit and Rubberta and they help add to his antics and he does a great job of entertaining the fans with his antics. Webster is a true icon of Minor League Baseball mascots and should be a future candidate for the Mascot Hall Of Fame! If you find yourself in the Akron area and love baseball make sure to get to a RubberDucks game and watch Webster in action and you will see why I say he is such a great mascot.

# 3

Skipper
Team: Lake County Captains Debut: 2003 Affiliated: Cleveland Guardians

Skipper is the green furred mascot for the Lake County Captains a Minor League team that plays out of Eastlake, Ohio and he is a big hit with the fans as he does great antics and could easily be placed in any major leagues stadium and get the crowd pumped. You see Skipper is truly a well loved mascot who at times gets more attention from the fans then the players do as he is just that well loved and that entertaining. Skipper is a master of working the fans in the stadium and his goofy mascot style and Muppet look makes him standout from the pact and allows him to build a bond with the fans that get joy at laughing at his antics and cheer alongside him for the Captains. Skipper also makes public appearances around the Eastlake area and fans young and old come out to see him. Skipper almost made the # 2 spot but while he is a master of the Mascot Arts, he just could not capture that spot. But with that if you love classic style mascoting make sure to checkout Skipper as he is a great one who will surly make you laugh.

# 2

Lou Seal
Team: Columbus Clippers Debut: 1994 Affiliated: Cleveland Guardians

The Columbus Clippers are my favorite Minor League Baseball Team as they are the first ones I ever got to see multiple times when I was a kid and the first sports mascot I ever remember seeing in person was Captain Clipper and his replacement was the one and only Lou Seal who is well a seal that is dressed as a pirate and for awhile worked along side the Captain before fully taking over as the main mascot for the team. Lou Seal is pretty dang great and has some great antics over the years that has brought the belly laughs from fans over the decades and he even does a great job of playing off Captain Clipper in the past as well as now Krash. Lou Seal is truly awesome and while very simple in his look he is amazing when it comes to his antics, skits and interaction with players and fans and is one of my favorites in all Minor League Ohio Baseball. And think about this Lou Seal and Captain Clipper are two of my personal favorites from my home state and Clipper only came in at # 7 and Lou here is # 2 so you know that the next one to come truly has to be the best of the best. I also want to say The Clippers Lou Seal came years before the MLB teams San Francisco Giants Lou Seal and the Clippers Lou Seal is 1000% better then the Giants one. Also I am the proud owner of a Lou Seal plush doll as well as have his autograph.

# 1

Heater
Team: Dayton Dragons Debut: 2000 Affiliated: Cincinnati Reds

Ok I know what you are all thinking that Heater got the # 1 spot on this list cause of him being from Dayton’s team…well you are wrong I mean sure I have seen him do is thing at games live and being able the experience him in action as I have been to several Dragons games over the years does help get him this spot, but Heater got this win all on his own! Heater is great at his job as he not only draws the younger fans in and the older fans as well adore him as he dances, races and entertains before, during and even after the games. And when Heater makes appearances for charities among other events he is always surrounded by fans that want to meet and great with him. And Heaters dance movies will always get the fans to pop during a game as he along with his sidekick Gem dance on the dugouts. And lets also not look past just how cool Heater looks as he could be one of the best looking mascots in the Ohio baseball! And I really do mean this when I say if you find yourself in the Dayton, Ohio area and are looking for a fun baseball game to watch head to The Dragon Stadium and but yourself a good ticket and some snack food and a drink or two and keep your eye not only on the game, but also on Heater and then you will see why I gave him the # 1 spot on this countdown as he really is that good at what he does and what he does is bring even more entertainment to the world of minor league baseball.

I really love the sport of Baseball and next to Pro Wrestling and Boxing its one of my favorite sports to watch live as well as on TV and I truly do think that the mascots in baseball help make the sport even more fun and adds a level of entertainment during the slower parts of the games. And I truly want to thank Heater, Gem, Lou Seal, Krash, Skipper and all the other mascots that do fantastic jobs for their respective teams. And I love that many of these mascots as well have merchandise for their fans to collect from plush dolls to shirts you can rock your favorite Ohio mascot in your household. Well the Rotten Ink Stadium is closing up for this season and as we make our way out lets not only take a moment to remember a great moment in baseball history, but let me also tell you that our next update will take us to the world of Pro Wrestling again and another visit to the Rotten Ink Arena as we will be taking a look at the legend the square circle the one and only Bobo Brazil! So until next time read a comic or three, watch a baseball game or two and as always support your local sports mascots! See you next update for the some Coco Butts!

The 8th Wonder Of Giant Classic Comics King Kong

Posted on September 1, 2014 by bloodlinematt

My mother was 7 or 8 when she attempted to watch the 1933 film King Kong with her mom when it aired on TV. She watched as a group set out to sea to make a movie and landed on an island, and when King Kong showed up just the sight and sound of the beast scared her enough to make her hide behind her mom’s chair! She would peek around the corner and shiver in fright of the sight of the giant ape. Way before the gross out films of the 60’s made by the likes of Hershel Gordon Lewis became the norm in what’s “scary” about horror films, the likes of a giant ape with a love for blondes paved the way and terrified the young and old. While many not consider it a horror film, I have always viewed it as one as King Kong is a giant ape creature that caused panic not only on his home island but also New York, and he does kill and eat humans so yeah, it spells horror film to me. I saw the film when I was about 7 or 8, the same age she first saw it, and I can remember my Mom telling me about her first viewing and this set the bar very high as I sat down on the couch ready to watch it alongside my parents and my brother on a VHS that we rented from Waynesville’s library. From the moment the film started, I was hooked on every word and when Kong showed up I became a fan, and to me every gorilla toy became King Kong. The watch with my family was a great one and was one of many fun family night of watching a flick on the old VCR while eating popcorn and being entertained. I don’t want to give too much of the plot away of the film as that will happen as we review the Gold Key comic adaptation a little later on so I will give you the cliff notes version. The film is about a filmmaker and some sailors who take a fresh faced new actress to an island were the natives take her to appease King Kong, a giant gorilla who rules the land. They save her and also take Kong to New York as a stage attraction, and he escapes running wild in the city until he is killed in the end. It’s an amazing classic film with special effects that were way ahead of their time. If you have not seen this film, do yourself a favor and watch it!

In the 1980’s Ted Turner owned Turner Classic Movies wanted to do something fresh and new to King Kong so they did the unthinkable…. they colorized it! To be honest it seemed like an odd kick Turner was on, taking old classic black and white films and turning them into color films to air on his classic movie station, and on the top of the list that sparked the most debate was what they did to King Kong. I can remember that my mom and dad were not pleased that they messed with a classic film this way, but being so young I was a little curious to see what the classic Kong would look like in color. I seen the color version after the black and white and still preferred the original to the tampered with version. King Kong was the first movie on VHS that I owned two versions of as I had to own them both, and I would say I watched the black and white more than I did the colorized one that I got dirt cheap brand new at Blockbuster Video.

Now if you look at King Kong as a horror film like I do, then you would have to look at Fay Wray as the original scream queen, and she proves she has a set of lungs as she screams her head off at the first site of Kong. She began her acting career making short films and making westerns for Universal but left once she became a WAMPAS Baby Stars meaning she was listed as an actress to watch. As a teenager Wray was signed to a contract with Paramount Pictures where she made over a dozen films like the failure 1928 silent film The Wedding March. Wray was able to make the transition from silent to talkie films and left Paramount to make other films for other companies, the most notable being RKO that hired her for her first horror films like Doctor X, The Most Dangerous Game and her most famous film King Kong. She was proud of her work in Kong and that film saved RKO from going bankrupt! During that time as well she was in a few other horror films like The Vampire Bat and Mystery In The Wax Museum. By the 1940’s, Wray retired briefly from acting but came back to make more films and take TV parts being on such shows as Perry Masson and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Wray continued to act for many years and even turned down a part in James Cameron’s 1997 smash hit film Titanic. Sadly at the age of 96 Fay Wray passed away of natural causes in 2004 while she slept. After her passing, the Empire State Building shut off all its lights for 15 minutes to honor her legacy. Wray was a true beauty, a talented actress and could possibly be the first scream queen of cinema.

Because King Kong was such a huge hit at the box office, a sequel was made in 1933, coming out only 9 months after the original. The film follows the film director from the first film who is now in hot water for King Kong running wild in New York and travels to find that the giant ape might have had an offspring. That film was called Son of Kong! In Japan in 1962, they made a film called King Kong vs. Godzilla where they pit the world’s top giant monsters against each other, and in 1967 they made another King Kong film called King Kong Escapes that has our lovable Kong fighting a robot version of himself called Mecha Kong. Paramount Pictures in 1976 decided to make a remake of King Kong and added in more modern touches to the film and even trades in the Empire State Building for the Twin Towers as well as the stop motion Kong for a stuntman in a suit done by FX God Rick Baker. In 1986 the remake got a forgettable follow up called King Kong Lives that had the giant ape getting a pacemaker put in to replace his damaged heart and finding a mate who has also been brought to the USA. In 2005 a longwinded Peter Jackson remake of King Kong was made and besides more minutes added to the runtime, it was a good but unnecessary film. With all these spin off films, sequels and remakes this just shows you how much impact this film had on classic cinema, and I agree with James Rolfe who said that film students should watch the original in film school right alongside Citizen Kane. While none of them are as good as the original film, they are all still fun watches that help add to the legacy of Kong and prove that this primate of fright, this ape of terror, is truly a legend of cinema.

In 1966 America and Japanese animation studios teamed up to make The King Kong Show, an animated adventure kid show that had King Kong befriending the Bond Family and stopping the likes of Dr. Who (and no, not the BBC version) from capturing Kong for his own evil gain. This animated cartoon was teamed with another show about a tiny special agent called Tom of T.H.U.M.B. and the show would last till 1969 with a total of 3 seasons and 25 episodes. This cartoon also helped Toho make the film King Kong Escapes and also was to be inspiration to the film that became Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster, which Kong was suppose to star in, not Zilla. The cartoon over the years did not hold up well and was mostly forgotten until it got released on DVD as volumes a few years back. I never remember seeing the show when I was a kid, and I think it would have fit perfect on early morning Saturday’s back in the 80’s and could have also found a place on the USA Cartoon Express. I saw the show when I was older and in my 20’s found it to be pretty cool but only from a retro standpoint.

So as we all know Toho studios made two films with King Kong in them in the 1960’s, but did you know that there are also two others made in Japan way before this that are now lost films? The first was a short silent film called “Wasei Kingu Kongu” made in 1933 the same year King Kong was released and was a team up from RKO and Shochiku Studios. Not much is known about the film besides RKO asked them to make it and that instead of a stop motion Kong, it was a man in a suit. It was directed by Torajiro Saito with Isamu Yamaguchi playing King Kong and all that is left of the film is one single picture that was printed. Next was a 1938 film called “King Kong Appears In Edo” that made by Zensho Cinema with permission from RKO and was directed by Soya Kumagai and had a size changing King Kong attacking Edo (Tokyo) during Medieval times! Fuminori Ohashi who some 16 years later would make the original Godzilla costume made the Kong costume in this film. Just think about that, King Kong was really Japan’s first giant movie monster and not Godzilla like we all thought! Both films are believed to have been destroyed during the bombings of World War II and neither ever showed outside of Japan making all master prints being only stored there. I learned about these missing films thanks once more to James Rolfe (Angry Video Game Nerd) when he did a top 10 list of lost Horror Films and the Japan Kong films were his # 1, and I agree with him when he said he hopes all the films he picked won’t always be lost films. Below are some pictures of Japan’s King Kongs, the first being Toho’s with the second being the 1933 version and last being the 1938 one.

Tiger Electronics who are best known for making handheld games in the late 80’s and 90’s also made some console games in the age of Atari 2600 under the brand name TigerVision. And would you know it that in 1982 they made a game based on King Kong that was a follow up to their handheld games made about the big ape the year before. The game was a total rip off of Donkey Kong and had you playing as a guy who was trying to get to the top were King Kong was. The graphics were bad and Kong was a stiff looking pixel mess. I have played the game several times and even own it and I must say that it really is a bad game. Though I do find it funny that Donkey Kong was a clone of King Kong who in turn had a game made about him that was just a bad clone of Donkey Kong. The game on release only sold moderately well and was by no means looked at as a classic.

Ideal made a board game in 1976 based on the remake movie that had 2-4 players trying to get to the top of the Twin Towers before King Kong so that they can capture him, or you can win the game by saving the woman from his right hand via a special mission. But Kong won’t make your trip easy as he is flipping all around trying to knock your player back to the start. I own this game and played it with the fellow members of The Dayton Board Game Society who are Stephen Alexander II, Josh Weinberg, Jeremy Hoyt and Garrison Kane on one of our past meetings ,and I can remember that while the game was not all that ground breaking we all had fun trying to knock each other off the building using Kong as our puppet and it was a blast seeing just how competitive it got. If you get a chance and like classic board games based on movies then I would say check this one out, play time to complete is about 20 minutes give or take a few. I should also share we played this game on February 6^th 2013 in Josh Weinberg’s basement and we also played the LJN A Nightmare on Elm Street video game for the NES and we ate Wing Zone.

King Kong not only has been made into many video games and board games but he has also had pinball machines based around him, many comic books, novels, magazines, t-shirts, toys, Halloween costumes, soundtracks, stickers, dolls, drinking glasses and so much more. If you’re a King Kong fan, then there is something for you out there in the world of merchandise. Some of my favorite King Kong merchandise that I owned was my Imperial King Kong action figure that I use to make fight my Godzilla figure and even Kong was wrapped up in my epic Toy Wars, also would be my Crestwood Monster Series Book based on King Kong that gave the history of the film as well as some sweet photos. I also really liked my adaptation novel by Delos W. Lovelace and can remember reading it before bedtime many nights. It’s odd looking back at my youth now being 35 years old and seeing just how much of an impact King Kong has had on my life. It’s a neat feeling knowing that a giant ape with a love for blondes truly means something to me. And for those of you who listen to Alpha Rhythms on WYSO (91.3 FM) on Sunday nights, I have played soundtrack pieces from the original score by Max Steiner as well as tracks from King Kong Lives by John Scott.

Before we move onto The Gold Key Comic Review I of course have to talk about a ride I have wanted to go on since I first heard about it; that’s the one and only KongFrontation ride at Universal Studios Orlando that opened on June 7^th 1990 and became a major attraction at the park. The ride was based on the 1976 remake as well as a ride Universal Studios had at their Hollywood park called King Kong Encounter that opened in 1986. The 5 minute ride would place you and others inside a tramcar but not before you walked down a mock New York street complete with newscasts playing on TVs to build up that King Kong is roaming the streets. Once inside the car you are treated to explosions as well as giant animatronic King Kong’s that would roar and knock your little car around given the effect that he was attacking. In the end he would attack while you’re on the bridge but your driver would get you out safe and unharmed. This ride seemed amazing to me and just the thought of being close to a life size version of Kong was enough to make me want to go, but being a kid and having parents that didn’t like to travel out of state put a damper on getting to go. The attraction closed in 2002, and two years later a lame ride based on the terrible Mummy Remake took its place, marking the sad fact that I never got to ride the one roller coaster/attraction that I always wanted to. As far as King Kong Encounter, it had guests on a tramcar as King Kong would knock a helicopter from the sky and would end with you being eye level with the great ape on the Brooklyn Bridge as he tries to break it apart. Of course you would make it off the bridge and would be safe thanks to your driver. The Kong animatronic was at the time the world’s largest and was so detailed that it’s “breath” smelled of bananas! This ride as well lasted a total of 5 minutes and was one of the main attractions to the park. Sadly it as well came to an end when in 2008 a massive fire broke out and burnt the attraction up, but in Universal Hollywood they didn’t give up on King Kong and replaced it with an attraction called King Kong 360 3-D. I really would have loved to have ridden these attractions and sadly with both of them gone for good I will never get the chance to do so. But I can watch videos of them on YouTube and hear stories from my friends who did get to experience it…sigh.

So I think our voyage through the sea of King Kong is over and we looked at the movies, video game, cartoon, missing films, merchandise as well as a theme park attraction but now it’s time for us to take a walk on Skull Island alongside Gold Key comics and see what this 1968 adaptation has to offer to the Kong legacy. I want to think Bell Book And Comic for having this comic in stock, and I would like to remind that I graded on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, it’s entertainment value and it’s art and story. So let’s man up and walk through the giant gates into King Kong’s lsland and hope he doesn’t stomp us into the mud!

King Kong # 1 ***1/2
Released in 1968 Cover Price .25 Gold Key # 1 of 1

Carl Denham is a filmmaker who can’t find a lead actress for his top secret next project. He even has rented a boat called the “Wonderer” along with all its crew and after an agent tells him that he will not supple him with an actress, the director walks down the streets of New York and finds a pretty thief woman named Ann Darrow who was stealing an apple due to hunger. Denham buys it for her and hires her to be in his new film. While on board the first mate Jack Driscoll falls in love with Ann, and the two start up a relationship. They find out that they are to port at an unknown island called Kong Island. But while at the island they find that the natives are worshiping and sacrificing women to an unknown “God” and they have set their sights on Ann who they kidnap off the boat and take to the altar where a giant gorilla named King Kong falls for her and takes her deep into his jungle home! Driscoll and Denham lead some crew members on a rescue mission and while in the jungle they find that Kong is not the only giant monster as dinosaurs and sea serpents all blocking their trail to save Ann from Kong’s grip. Kong finds that he is being followed after he beats up a pair of Triceratops and knocks all the crew members off a log killing them leaving only Driscoll and Denham left. As Driscoll follows Kong, Denham goes back to the ship for more men and gas bombs. King Kong while trying to grab Driscoll from a cave is attacked by a T-Rex and a major battle breaks out between the giant beasts! As Kong climbs to his cave home he must fight off all types of attackers and during this Driscoll saves Ann, and the two escape via the river below. As they reach the gates Kong is in hot pursuit and it’s here that Denham uses his gas bombs to knock Kong out and then takes him to New York to use the giant ape as a sideshow, but when Kong see’s Ann again he breaks his chains and escapes his cage and takes Ann to the top of the Empire State Building where he is attacked by fighter planes that lead to his death as they use machine guns on him while he is distracted by Ann being saved by Driscoll again and he falls to his death. In the end Ann and Driscoll are safe in each other’s arms, Kong is dead in the middle of the street and Denham learns that it was beauty that killed the beast.

This is another amazingly done comic film adaptation of a classic horror film much like Comic Library International’s Edison’s Frankenstein 1910 that holds just so true enough to the source material but still adds its own flare to spice it up. The plot is your simple Beauty and The Beast and follows a young actress who gains the affection of a tough sailor as well as a giant ape and when the big primate is taken away from his home and placed in the big city, his only comfort when he escapes is his blonde bombshell but even love can’t save him from being slain. Ann Darrow is a sweet woman who turns her misfortune of being poor into fame when she takes the part in a movie that leads her to charming King Kong to be put on display. Even though Ann fears Kong she also still feels some affection for him and wishes him no ill will and even tries to save the beast as the planes shoot him down. King Kong is neither good nor bad and it’s clear he is very territorial of his land and very protective of Ann who he has fallen in love with. I love the fact that he keeps not only the natives in check but also all the other giant beasts that live on the island proving he really is the King. Carl Denham, while a money grubbing rich film making geek, still really shows he cares about his friends as Ann’s safety when being taken is a big priority to him, though he does mistreat King Kong by keeping him in chained up and taking him away from his home to be looked at by New York’s rich snobs and press. Jack Driscoll is your very classic tough guy who only cares about the woman he loves and will risk it all for her. The major changes I noticed between the comic and the film is that in the comic the ship is called The Wonderer, while in the film it’s The Venture; in the comic the island is called Kong Island, while in the film it’s Skull Island. I also noticed in the film Jack is annoyed that Ann is on the ship and it takes awhile before he falls for her, in the comic it happens fast. This was the second time I have read this comic and I found that I enjoy it more and more after each read and find something very magical about the whole reading experience. The copy I have is a classic example of Rotten Ink as the smell of the decomposing ink fills your nose when you flip through the pages, while not a beat up copy, it’s still very yellowed on the pages. The artwork is done by ummm….an unknown artist as no credit is given, but I must say the art is perfect for this comic and while Kong doesn’t capture the full look of his movie appearance it still looks the part enough to draw this comic reader in. The cover as well is very eye catching and I am sure drew kids attention to it by using lots of orange and putting a giant ape crushing planes on the cover. If you like the film or like classic horror comics, than this is for sure one you should check out. I am glad I got it and I am sure a few years from now I will read it again. Below is a piece of art from the comic just so you can see the style Gold Key went for in this comic.

Really this is a great comic with great classic artwork and really is going to help us kick off our two month long horror comic countdown to Halloween 2014! So on this update we traveled to Skull Island and got to know King Kong and see what that massive beast was about, but how about next time we travel to a black lagoon and celebrate the 60th birthday of the Universal Monster Gill-Man. So until then read a comic or two, watch a horror film and support your local Horror Host.