Bucky O’Hare The Master Of Croaking Toads

Posted on December 14, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. The Holiday Season is in full swing as the air has that chill and Jack Frost is really nipping at our noses, so I say we grab a hot chocolate and put another log on the fire as we need to talk about another iconic hero character from my youth that was a star in comics, cartoons, toys and even video games. This hero is the one and only Bucky O’Hare who was very popular for a very short time in the 1990’s. I am sure many of you readers grew up being a fan of Bucky O’Hare, and this update I am sure will flood you with memories of reading the comics, watching the cartoon, playing with the action figures as well as playing the video game and that is a good thing as the holiday season should make you feel like a kid again! So with that, let’s travel to space and see what Bucky O’Hare and his crew have in store for us this winter’s day.

Bucky O’Hare is a character that was created by the team of Larry Hama and Michael Golden and who made his debut in 1984 in the Continuity Comic series called “Echo Of Futurepast” and would appear in that series throughout its run even gracing the cover a few times. And Bucky’s adventures in that series were a hit for readers who enjoyed his space themed adventures as the popularity of Star Wars and Star Trek was still very high around this time. And when Echo Of Futurepast came to an end after 9 issues in 1986, the character would finally get his own comic series in 1991 in order to help promote the character who was now getting his own cartoon, toys and merchandise, and it was clear that around this time toymakers were looking to cash in on the big success of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as they had taken the world of comics, toys and cartoons by storm and was making many companies big money. Bucky O’Hare was already a comic star way before the TMNT were around, and he was a wise choice to try capture some of that talking fighting animal money. But while Bucky O’Hare was able to very briefly capture a big following, he quickly faded away and his comic series, cartoon and figures all came to an end and his popularity started to fade. But in some positive news, Bucky O’Hare stayed popular in England longer, and the comic series released alongside the cartoon ran for 20 issues! But while Bucky O’Hare never was able to climb to the popularity of the TMNT nor was he ever able to make that impact in culture like they did, he still to this day has a very loyal following for those who grew up with him and his crew and this to me makes Bucky a true icon of the mid 80’s and early 90’s in both cartoon and toys.

Bucky O’Hare And The Toad Wars! started in 1991 and would be released by Claster Television for First Run Syndication and would run for one season and a total of thirteen 30 minute episodes. For this series Jason Michas voiced Bucky O’Hare, and Jay Brazeau would voice Toad Air Marshall, the main villain of the series behind KOMPLEX, the computer program that would be voiced by Long John Baldry. And I should also note that Marvel Productions was a part of this cartoon series production as well, and it’s odd that Marvel Comics never did a comic series for the cartoon as it would have made a great series for Star Comics if they would have kept that branch running. The cartoon would followed Bucky O’Hare and his crew as they would be at battle with the Toads, and crazy during this battle among the stars Earth kid Willy DuWitt who travels via portals to help in these battles. The cartoon when put out on home media would only be released on VHS here in America, and sadly not all the episodes would get an official release making fans have to get the series on the Grey Market…but overseas the complete series would get a DVD release. And when the episodes aired, I watched every episode during its run as I was a fan of this fun and silly cartoon, and a cool fun fact the first episode aired on my 12^th Birthday! This cartoon was also a big hit at school as almost all my friends watched it, just like most of us also had the action figures. While the cartoon was very short lived, it made an impact on the kids of the 90’s as it was very popular at least in Waynesville, Ohio in the early 90’s.

In 1992 and after the cartoon series would come to an end, Bucky O’Hare made the leap into the world of video games, and more importantly into the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), as a very fun side scrolling action game. The game would be released by Konami and would have you play as Bucky O’Hare as well as many members of his crew on a quest to bring down the Toads and the game offers a pretty good challenge for players and when released was pretty popular among my group of friends as many of them watched the cartoon and collected the action figures. The game is one that I own and have played over the years and even beat when I was a teenager. Now the game is considered rare and sells for around $120-$200 loose and depending on shape. Also I should say that Bucky O’Hare has gotten the Konami Handheld game treatment and also had a arcade cabinet version that could have had up to 4 players going at once. So say what you will about Bucky O’Hare now, but in the early 90’s he was super popular.

Back in 1991 when the cartoon was going strong, Bucky O’Hare and his crew would of course be made into action figures and they were done by Hasbro who at the time was a very iconic toy company as over the years they have done such series as Transformers, Pound Puppies, Cabbage Patch Kids, Battle Beasts, M.A.S.K., G.I. Joe, Inhumanoids, WWF Superstars, Rom The Space Knight and so many more. The figures would be in scale with the Playmates TMNT figures and would feature Bucky O’Hare and his crew members Dead-Eye Duck, Willy DuWitt, Commander Dogstar, Bruiser and AF.C. Blinky and the baddies in the series included Toad Air Marshall, Al Negator, Storm Toad Trooper and Toadborg. The series would also have two vehicles released, the Toad Croaker and the Toad Double Bubble. The series would only last one wave and I can remember them being on the shelves at Hills and Hearts as a kid. I had Bucky and a Toad Trooper as a kid and I can remember my friend Jeremy having way more of them. I always wanted Bruiser but could never find him, as I can remember I even asked for him for Christmas one year. And as I have grown up, I have gotten more of these figures as I really do like the Hasbro Bucky O’Hare figures as I think they did a great job on these figures and capture the look of the characters really well. So how many of you readers grew up with these figures? Check out the middle picture below as it shows what figures were supposed to be in Wave 2 and that included for the Good Guys, a new version of Bucky, Jenny, Pit Stop Pete, Rumble Bee and Kamikaze Kamo! And for the Baddies it would have added Total Terror Toad and Sly Lee-Zard.

Bucky O’Hare once the cartoon and action figures was released also had a flood of merchandise released for fans to collect over the years and this includes Home Media, Shits, Coloring Books, Lunch Box, Watch, Stickers, Video Games, Colorforms, Sleepingbags, Shoes, Watches, Puzzles, Halloween Costumes among other cool items for fans to collect and add to their collections. But sadly because the cartoon did not last very long nor did the toy series the merchandise would stop being made pretty fast. But thanks to Bucky O’Hare building a cult following over the years newer merchandise has been made about him showing that classic character never truly go away. And growing up, I had the toys, coloring books as well as the NES Game.

It’s crazy to think that in 2024 that Bucky O’Hare is not as popular of a character for the days youth and to be honest he pretty much just has a following with those kids of the 80’s and 90’s who grew up reading his comics as and watched his cartoon. But to be honest I did see a young lady that came into my job buy Bucky O’Hare toys and she was super happy to get them, so maybe the modern generation will discover and become fans of him. It is now time for us to get to the review part of this update and I would like to thank both Game Swap Kettering and Lone Star Comics for having these issues in stock an making this update possible. I would also like to remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s head to space and watch as Bucky and his crew croak some Toads!

Bucky O’Hare # 1 **1/2
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.00 Continuity Comics # 1 of 5

A fleet of Toad airships are on the tail of Bucky O’Hare and his crew opening fire on them and causing Bucky to have to give the order for his crew to get to their battle stations. As Bucky and Jenny are in the cockpit Dead-Eye Duck mans the guns as Blinky and Bruce are in the engine room trying to make fast repairs. The Toads make a direct hit and this kills Bruce The Ape and leaves the ship in really bad shape and as Dead-Eye Duck and opens fire back at the Toads, Bucky rushes to the engine room to see if he can help Blinky get it fixed so they can high tail it out of the battle, but there is no time and they must make a decision fast to try it not knowing what will come of pushing the ship to warp drive. Meanwhile on Earth in the city of San Francisco were young Willy DuWitt is working on his science fair project as the youngster loves science but seems to get picked on by fellow kids for being to smart and even his own parents give him a hard time as they are hippies and want him to protest the world…and all he wants to do is work on science stuff! Back in space Bucky makes the decision to flip the switch to warp just as Willy turns on his experiment on Earth and something big happens!

This first issue is a very fun read and drops us right in the middle of the action as Bucky and his crew are under attack and must make a decision that could kill them all…but they are already pretty much dead if they don’t choose, so it’s very much a double edged sword. And at the same time super smart Earth kid Willy is working on a science fair project that seems to match up with Bucky’s warp drive issue and you know this is leading to the meeting of the minds! Bucky O’Hare is a great Captain and his crew clearly respect him and its crazy that he finds himself in a situation that could leave them all dead all because the Toads hate all things mammal! He clearly trusts his right hand gal Jenny and respects the heck out of the shooting skill of Dead-Eye Duck and even values the words of Blinky his robot friend. Poor Bruce the ape is killed dead pretty early in the issue when he takes a blast, and I will say Bucky does not seem too sad about the loss. The Toads seem to be having fun tormenting Bucky’s crew and yet also know that they are a threat and are very skilled. The issue is filled with lots of spaceship fighting action as well as drama as Bucky O’Hare must think quick on what to do to try and save his crews life, and really you can tell it’s very stressful for him. Poor Willy DuWitt is a youngster who is smart and loves science, but seems to not be able to catch a break in the world as he is mocked and picked on by his fellow youngsters and even his own parents don’t understand him as they are protesting hippies who want him to join their causes. Of course my favorite character in this issue is Bucky O’Hare cause he is a true hero, but if I had to choose another sidekick character I would say Dead-Eye Duck cause he seems to love to kill Toads and is very skilled with his gun. The cover for this issue is fun and showcases the moment Bucky and his gang meeting Willy for the first time and is eye catching. The interior artwork is done by Michael Golden and is really solid stuff and I dig the way he draws Bucky O’Hare as well as all the ships. Over all a great first issue that does it’s best to introduce the readers to the cast and starts off the story running, and with a cool cliffhanger ending makes me want to see what’s next!

Bucky O’Hare # 2 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.00 Continuity Comics # 2 of 5

In the room of Will DuWitt, things get really dark and very odd as the darkness is like a gelatin outside his windows and when he hears a noise he heads towards it as on the ship of Bucky O’Hare a gelatin like doorway that leads to the bedroom door of Willy appears and as they investigate Bucky and his crew run into Willy and everyone is shocked and slightly scarred as it’s clear a dimension has been crossed and has caused chaos in both dimensions. Willy and Blinky figure out that the the science project and their damaged engine warp is what caused this rift and is also somehow protecting Bucky’s ship from the Toads attacks. This causes the Toads to leave to get bigger ships to attack with and Willy comes aboard and says that he can build them a new warp unit that way they can get away safely as Willy heads back to his room for parts he is followed by Bucky and Dead-Eye as Jenny and Blinky stay behind to guard the ship and the portal. As Willy gathers the parts the Mother Toad Ship appears and they storm the ship and take Jenny hostage, a short time later Blinky appears and tells Bucky of the attack and capture and this causing Bucky to spring into action! Now Bucky O’Hare along with Dead-Eye Duck, Blinky and Willy DuWitt band together with one cause and that is to save Jenny from the Toads.

This second issue is lots of fun as the plot has Bucky meeting Earth kid Willy who is their only hope to fix their warp drive and to save their butts from being blown up, but also we get the drama of Jenny being kidnapped by the Toads! Bucky O’Hare finds himself now being faced with having to trust a young Earth kid with the maintenance of his ship as well as that he is not really a spy or a danger to his crew, as they kind of just bump into each other thanks to a weird dimension portal door. And like any good Captain Bucky also makes sure to get his crew to their stations and when one is kidnapped and taken he has a call to arms to rescue her. Willy DuWitt himself as well shows that he is noble as he jumps right in to help the crew by repairing the engine and as well going with them to fight the Toads to rescue Jenny. We also learn for sure that Bucky and his crew are out numbered by the Toads who are doing what they do on the orders of Toad Commander who wants all furry lives to come to an end in their galaxy. The issue also has more ship battles to add to the action and we learn that when the dimension door is open the ship can be protected by a force field of time and dimension pieces. The cover for this issue is pretty cool and has Bucky and his friends in a small ship trying to fight off the Toads…this does not happen in this issue but it’s still a great cover. The interior art is once more done by Michael Golden and is very solid work and fitting for the subject that is Bucky O’Hare. I feel that the second issue is slightly better than the first as we are now into the heart of the story while issue one was more of a introduction to our cast of good guy characters. So now lets see what issue three has in store for us, and if Bucky is able to save Jenny and croak some Toads in the next issue!

Bucky O’Hare # 3 **1/2
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.00 Continuity Comics # 3 of 5

Bucky O’Hare along with Willy, Blinky and Dead-Eye are back on their ship and are trying to track down the Toad Mother Ship so that they can come up with a plan in order to save Jenny…but they are having to luck! Willy DuWitt asks for a history lesson on the Toads and Blinky is happy to help as he projects it and Willy learns that the Toads were a peaceful race until they became greedy for goods and made the mistake of creating a super computer called Komplex that ended up mind controlling all the Toads and turned them into it’s army of foot soldiers with the goal to conquer the galaxy. And that the mammals of the galaxy is why Bucky O’Hare and his crew was created to fight back and stop them from killing as well as stealing the planets they conquered natural resources. And soon Dead-Eye Duck spots the ship that is feeding off a small planet for energy, and Bucky lands the ship on the other side of the planet and they wait for Jenny who uses her powers to beat the heck out of the Toads and makes her way to her rescue.

What a fun issue as the plot of this one is mostly about what has caused the Toads to turn into such a war hungry and evil race and it all came down to them being very greedy and trying to but all types of things and trusting a mega computer to solve all their issues…but the computer in turn just takes over their brain and makes them fighters for it’s own conquest for power. With the smaller plot being the rescue of Jenny who we learn is one badass lady as she has some very powerful powers an uses them in order to knock out a wave of Toads before calmly walking out of the ship. I also like that in this issue we see Willy DuWitt get his space costume that is really a Berserker Baboon’s outfit and that is a good thing as we also find out that Toads fear the Baboons! This issue also gives us our first look at Toad Commander who is the one threatening and questioning Jenny when she was a prisoner. While this is a good issue it really is more of a history lesson and the action is slowed way down and the rescue of Jenny happens way to fast, but while it is kind of a slow issue the fact we get more of a background on the world the comic series is building makes it a very solid read. The one thing that I have to say is that we are now three issues into a comic series that only ran for five issues and the biggest letdown this far is that we have not gotten to see Bucky O’Hare kick some Toad ass in hand to hand or even gun to gun as of yet. The cover for this issue is the best so far and has Bucky and his crew being surrounded by the Toads and is super eye-catching. And I am sure you guessed it Michael Golden once more did the interior art and like before it’s great stuff. With that lets see what issue four has in store for us, and if we finally get to see Bucky in action and bring down some Toads!

Bucky O’Hare # 4 **1/2
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.00. Continuity Comics # 4 of 5

On this unknown planet Bucky O’Hare and Blinky must find the person in charge to sign some papers giving them permission to fight against the Toads while Dead-Eye Duck and Willy get on a jet scooter to scope out the Toad Mega Ship and see if they can find Jenny. As Bucky meets the strange owner of the planet a Mouse like creature who lives in a utopia room, Dead-Eye and Willy have Toad Fighter Ships aware they are there and Jenny is trying to find her way off the massive ship without exposing to much of her powers. Dead-Eye and Willy are in deep trouble an they come up with an idea to crash land inside the Toad Mega Ship as this would make it so the Toad Fighters can not open fire on them, and in horror Jenny watches as her friends come busting in as does Bucky who can see what is going on thanks to a magic mystical ball that the mouse has.

What a cliffhanger as this issue leaves you hanging on wither or not Dead-Eye Duck and Willy DuWitt survive their crash landing inside the massive Toad Ship all the while their friends can not do a thing to help them! We also get a look at Komplex who has now made himself a robotic body and is watching Jenny as he is intrigued by her witch like powers and wants to learn all he can about her and it. Bucky O’Hare and Blinky are stuck this issue dealing with the odd ball owner of the planet who will not grant them permission to fight, but does spend his time trying to give them things and even allows them to see what their friends are doing. Commander Toad wakes up after being knocked out and is still talking about his fear of Baboons and when he sees the suit on Willy he gets scared and sends out tons of Toad Troopers to protect the ship. Dead-Eye Duck does his best to try and get he and Willy out of trouble and once more shows that he has skills as he is able to out move the Toad Ships as well as at least make it in once piece to crash land inside the big Toad ship. While I enjoyed this issue I once more have to point out that we get a chase in ships, but no action as Bucky himself is trying to get a paper signed instead of fighting alongside his crew to rescue one of his own that is in danger…just very odd as the main hero in this series this far has gotten to do very little. The cover is ok and once more just showcases a space ship chase, and the interior art by Golden is good. It is crazy to think that we only have one more issue to go an this far the creative team has kind of just putted along and have yet to showcase what Bucky O’Hare and his team can do, so lets hope the final issue gives us the action we need.

Bucky O’Hare # 5 **1/2
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.00 Continuity Comics # 5 of 5

Bucky O’Hare and Blinky soon find that the Mouse has control of reality and that the lavish utopia they were just in was not real, while Dead-Eye and Willy survive the crash but the suit of Willy’s has caught fire and Dead-Eye shoots him with foam to put the flames out. The Toad Troopers show up just in time to see Willy who looks like a Baboon be foaming around his mouth and they think he is mad and the Troopers run away in fear. The Toad Commander ends up sending a Void-Droid out in order to kill Dead-Eye and Willy who are looking for Jenny as well as a way out, and the Void-Droid is very dangerous…but Willy is able to destroy it with one shot from his squirt gun! Shortly after Dead-Eye and Willy find Jenny and the three end up in a workshop an see a Toad Ship and know that this is their way to escape. Meanwhile Mouse is flying Bucky and Blinky on a rock to their friends all the while talking about the universe and it’s secrets. While inside Toad Troopers are on the heels of Dead-Eye and friends as we end on that cliffhanger.

Whelp, as you can see, this comic series just never got finished as the terrible Continuity Comics never released the rest that was just a reprints of a over priced 1986 Graphic Novel that was around 48 pages that they charged $40.00 for. And if Continuity didn’t fill every issue with a mountain of ads this series could have been fully released. And I am not sure why the comic was not finished, but if I had to guess maybe low sales or even just pure laziness from the company. The plot of this issue has Dead-Eye and Willy surviving the crash inside the Toad Ship and finding Jenny all the while Bucky is stuck with the Mouse who just babbles on about how smart they are and the secrets of the universe…like Bucky never makes it to the Toad Ship in this issue…so silly. One part of the comic that was really awesome was the Toad Troopers running in fear when they think Willy DuWitt is a rabid baboon due to the foam he was sprayed with to put out the flames as his suit was on fire. I feel that if you were a reader who was a big fan of Bucky O’Hare or even just discovered the character thanks to the toys and cartoon this unfinished mini series did the character dirty as he never gets to showcase why he is such a bad ass green fur rabbit captain from outer space. As this whole series besides the first issue they do not showcase him as the hero we the fans know he is. Plus I feel that they make Dead-Eye Duck, Jenny, Blinky and Willy DuWitt seem more like the heroes as throughout the five issues they see more action and bring down more Toads than Bucky does. While the pacing is off from issue to issue it makes sense as the comics are just taken from the old Graphic Novel and it was clear Continuity put zero time and care into these single issue reprints as they took this chance just to over kill the comics with ads and the same ads in almost every issue at that. The cover for this issue is really cool and shows Bucky, Dead-Eye and Willy all looking like they are ready for action as a portal is behind them. The whole comic series interior art was done by Michael Golden and his style is pretty cool and very fitting as I feel he draws not only Bucky O’Hare great but also space in general. I really did enjoy this series up to the unfinished end and think that Bucky O’Hare deserved better than how Continuity Comics treated him and that publisher would close up in 1994 after many years of legal issues, poor sales and readers pointing out just how poorly their comics were done. To sum it up a fun read for sure but unfairly treated by a terrible publisher who clearly had no respect for their readers nor creators. Checkout the artwork below to see the style use by Golden in this series.

Bucky O’Hare was a great character who entertained his fans through the 1980’s and early 1990’s, and some could say even to this day as new fans have found his comics, cartoon and toys and have discovered just how cool he and his crew are. I really wish that at the time of his cartoon’s release that a company like Marvel Comics or Archie Comics would have gotten the comic rights as I truly think that they would have done him justice and would have more than likely given a true final issue and not pulled the plug before the story was even finished. And for those who have never read or watched Bucky O’Hare, give it a shot this holiday season and see if you become a fan. Well with that, our Bucky update has come to an end and our next update will be our big Christmas Eve one and will be about the Greek God Zeus! So until next time, read a comic or three, watch a film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update as we spend some time on Mount Olympus with the father of such heroes as Hercules!

Star Trek VI: The Rotten DC Country

Posted on January 13, 2023 by bloodlinematt

As you can see, you have found yourself on Rotten Ink and on another trip down memory lane with the crew of the USS Enterprise as this time around we will be talking about Star Trek VI that has Captain Kirk and his crew once more at odds with Klingons when he is framed for the murder of a high ranking Klingon. And like most of the past films in the series, DC Comics was the company who took up the task of making the adaptation. This sixth film has an interesting back story of cheap budget, anniversary and even rumors of a star taking naughty photos on the set, so with those teasers lets get to the bridge and take flight through space with Captain Kirk and his crew as we try and beat a murder wrap and find that undiscovered country.

So let’s take a few moments and talk about the film Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. I will be taking the films write up from our pals at IMDB, and then I will talk about the films production as well as a little about my thoughts on the film. So let’s jump to warp speed and talk part six.

Star Trek VI: Undiscovered Country (1991)

“On the eve of retirement, Kirk and McCoy are charged with assassinating the Klingon High Chancellor and imprisoned. The Enterprise crew must help them escape to thwart a conspiracy aimed at sabotaging the last best hope for peace.”

The fifth film in the series was a disappointment at the box office for Paramount Pictures and the future of the Star Trek films was on shaky ground, but they knew that they needed to do something as the series 25^th Anniversary was coming up and they wanted to do something to celebrate it but also did not want to spend a lot of money on a new film. And then ideas and scripts started to be pitched and considered with the first one being about The Starfleet Academy and would feature younger versions of Kirk, Spock and other characters from the classic series and would have focused mostly on Doctor McCoy who would be telling the story of how they all meet to recruits at the academy. And this cool idea was viewed very negatively by most of the original cast, heads at Paramount and even Gene Roddenberry himself and this caused Harve Bennett to be fired from Star Trek projects. And during this time even Walter Koening tried to create a new script that would have Starfleet and the Romulans teaming up to go to war with the Klingons and would see almost all the cast die in the end besides Spock and McCoy…this as well was not green lighted nor was an idea for the original cast to meet the cast of Star Trek The Next Generation. And it was an idea by Leonard Nimoy and the screenplay by director Nicholas Meyer that ended up being the bases for the sixth film in the series.

After the screenplay was locked Paramount gave the film the small budget of only $27million and filming started April 16, 1991 and needed to wrap on September 27, 1991 as Paramount wanted the film in theaters in December for a Holiday release. And during filming many coast cutting measures was used to keep the film in the given budget and they even filmed some parts at the iconic Bronson Canyon in California that has been the set for many iconic TV Shows and Movies over the years including such Horror and Sci-Fi films as “White Zombie (1932)”, “The Vampire Bat (1933)”. “Robot Monster (1953)”, “Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956)”, “Return Of Dracula (1958)”, “Equinox (1970)” and “Army Of Darkness (1992)” to name a very small few. I should also note that many classic heroes films, shows and serials has been shot here as well like Superman, Batman. Dick Tracy, Flash Gordon and Captain Marvel. The film would be scored by Cliff Eidelman and it would be released in theaters of December 6, 1991 and was meet with mostly positive reviews from critics as well as fans. But one sad thing is that Gene Roddenberry would pass away on October 24, 1991 at the age of 70 from heart failure and never got to see the film released. Star Trek VI would go on to bring in $96,888,996.00 worldwide and be the # 15 top grossing films in 1991 beating out such films as JFK, What About Bob?. Boyz In The Hood, The Rocketeer, Thelma & Louise, Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, People Under The Stairs, Child’s Play 3, Ernest Scared Stupid, Drop Dead Fred and Suburban Commando to name a few. Over the years this film is also considered one of the best in the Original Cast Star Trek films and is still talked about and respected to this day. And I can see why I have always liked this film and have good memories once more of seeing the film in school and enjoying it for all the strange moments of the prison and the aliens that made it up. This film is also iconic for me as it marks the final film that features the classic crew all together and truly marks the end of a era of Science Fiction characters for me as while I like the reboots of Star Trek no once can replace these actors in those roles.

Star Trek VI is such a fun film and from the first time I seen it via renting it on VHS when released I was a fan as I felt that it was a great story that once more pitted Captain Kirk against the Klingons and really built up the bond and friendship between Kirk and McCoy. While the cast was getting older it was awesome to see the character they played as well grow as well as be promoted and yet all still remain friends and stick by each other during the ups and downs. It’s crazy to thank that this film is the last to feature all of the original cast together and while it’s not my favorite film in the series I feel that it was a fun one to go out on as it brings Captain Kirk and the Klingons back together and a healing moment happens for Kirk. I also think that casting David Warner as the Klingon High Council member Gorkon was very cool as I knew him from the films Tron, The Omen, Nightwing, Time Bandits, Waxwork and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret Of The Ooze and seeing him as a Klingon was fun. And growing up I owned this film on VHS and later DVD, I also had the paperback and comic adaptations as well as the films score on CD. I need to also point out that while they cut the films budget very low the film does not feel cheap, just a little less polished than the other films in the series. If you have not seen this film and enjoy Classic Star Trek make sure to give this one a watch.

Like all Star Trek films the merchandise machine was in full effect as they wanted to make a little extra money off it just in case if the box office numbers needed help. And besides the comic and of course home media release you also got the soundtrack, magazines, toys, novel, posters and shirts and like all other Star Trek movie merchandise that came before it fans flocked to buy it all up. And over the years I have had and have much of this as I still own the film on DVD as well as many of the toys, the novel and soundtrack. And at one point I had a few magazines featuring the film. I must say I do really like the classic Playmates Star Trek toys as they were well done for the time and covered all eras of the classic series and films. So if you are a fan of Star Trek VI, make sure to track down some of its merchandise for your collection.

Ok before we move onto the comic review part of this Star Trek themed update we need to talk about the fact that actress Kim Cattrall and her character Valeris are super attractive in this film I mean Kim was already a 80’s Actress Sex Symbol with her roles in such films as Police Academy, Big Trouble In Little China, Mannequin and Honeymoon Academy to name a few all adding to movie goers noticing her beauty. And when she took a roll in the then newest Star Trek film the world of Sci-Fi started to really take notice of her looks and her acting talent. And man did she look great as a Vulcan and in a Star Fleet Office uniform! And come on any of you fellow Trekkies out there know just how great it is to see an attractive woman in a Trek uniform. Rumor has it that Leonard Nimoy was not a fan of Kim’s on set as he thought she was driven by ego and again just a rumor is that she and her boyfriend at the time took sexy pictures of herself on the USS Enterprise set and this was the final straw for Nimoy who caught her doing so and forced them to destroy the pictures and made it that she would never work on a Star Trek project again…but again this was all just a rumor. But one thing is for sure and that’s Kim made her mark in the world of Star Trek and looked good doing it.

Well I think we are at the point to travel to that Undiscovered Country with the crew of the USS Enterprise and DC Comics and see how this comic adaptation compares to the film it’s based on. And this is a comic I am looking forward to re-reading as its been a very long time sense I did so, and I also would like to thank Mavericks Cards And Comics for having this comic in stock and making this update possible. I would like to also remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, it’s entertainment value and it’s art and story. So if you are ready lets head to the criminal trail of Captain Kirk and Doctor McCoy and see how and if they can beat the murder rap they are on the hook for.

Star Trek VI # 1
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.95 DC Comics # 1 of 1

Captain Sulu and his crew have just finished up a three year mission and as they are returning an explosion from a Klingon owned moon rocks the star ship and worse when they call the planet to see if they need help the Klingons refuse it, and Sulu ends up calling for the Starfleet for help. Days pass and at a big Starfleet meeting Spock gives a speech about helping The Klingons who’s ozone is damaged after the moon explosion and that in 50 Years their planet will be unlivable and that Klingon Ambassador Gorkon is willing to call for peace in order to get help, and the Starfleet are torn on if they should trust them and help and Captain Kirk is against helping them! But after talk they majority vote to help and Spock has volunteered Kirk and the Enterprise to host Gorkon through federation territory and to the meeting, Kirk is not happy as he hates them but does so with his classic crew as well a new crew member Valeris a Vulcan who graduated at the top of her class. That evening Captain Kirk and the Enterprise Crew host Gorkon and his crew for dinner and that includes General Chang who clearly does not like Kirk, and the dinner ends in arguments between the two sides. Latter the ship of Gorkon is attacked by torpedo’s being fired by the Enterprise to Kirk and the crews shock as well as two masked men beam aboard the Klingon ship and shoot and kill Gorkon! After the attack General Chang blames Kirk for the attack as well as Doctor McCoy who tired to medically help Gorkon for his murder and this forces the two to be put to trial via Klingon law and are found guilty and sent to a frozen prison planet. Meanwhile Spock, Valeris, Scotty, Uhura and Chekov are all trying to figure out what happened as the ships computers are conflicting with each other on if the torpedo’s came from the Enterprise as well as some interference is keeping them from talking with Starfleet. While on the frozen prison planet Kirk and McCoy meet female alien Martia who fills them in on the rules of this prison, while on the Enterprise Spock leads a search of the ship in order to find the assassins. Kirk and McCoy are able to escape the prison with the help of Martia who was a spy for the Klingons and is killed during the escape and are beamed back to the Enterprise where they have discovered that a new cloaked Klingon Bird Of Prey ship is the one who fired the torpedo’s and that Valeris is the one who was the traitor of the Enterprise and helped set up the assassination. Kirk gets the help of Sulu and they head to the peace talks as another assassination is going to take place and they bring down General Chang who was one of the masterminds behind this framing of Kirk and is in the Bird Of Prey that is now blown up that fired on Gorkon’s ship. Once at the peace talks Kirk and his crew stop the assassination and expose the members of both sides that wanted the peace talks to fail, and Kirk forgives the Klingons for the death of his son and as all things change for the good Kirk knows this was the final ride for the Enterprise with him in as Captain.

This comic adaptation is very well done and DC Comics once more proved that they knew how to adapt the Star Trek films into comics! The plot is best summed up this way Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy are framed for the murder of a high ranking Klingon and are sent to a prison planet were they have to try and escape the clear their names and expose the Klingon traitor who has set up the whole thing to cause more tension and possible war between Starfleet and the Klingons as he thinks his people have gone soft. This plot is very cool and is kind of deep as it shows Race Tension between several different alien races and shows that all people are the same and there is good and bad in everyone as we all have the goal of just living our lives, and it also shows that people will come together for a common goal and that can be something positive or something foul. Captain Kirk goes from being very angry and hating the Klingon race for the death of his son, and by the end learns that forgiveness and change is what is best for the galaxy. And like always Kirk is a ladies man and a hero and risks his life several time in order to escape and do the right thing and that’s solve a murder, make sure peace is meet and to clear his name of murder. Doctor McCoy who does not trust the Klingon’s does do his best to save the life of one, but does not understand the biology of them and is not able to help. Spock along with Scotty, Uhura and Chekov do what they can to solve this murder mystery and of course figure it all out and save lives and Spock is the key to help Kirk grow as a person. Valeris and General Chang are the two masterminds behind the killing of Gorkon as they both on the side that The Klingons and Starfleet should never trust each other and that being at war is what is needed. I think what is great is that General Chang is so ego driven that even before he is blown up he is bragging and thinking he is in charge of the battle, such a great and sleazy bad guy. The comic does a great job of keeping the pace of the story going and yet also keeps all the important speeches and exchanges between characters. I also have to say that while they are around Sulu, Scotty, Uhura and Chekov do kind of seem like background players in the issue as they are helpful and around they just are not major players in the issue. The cover for this issue is awesome and showcases all the major character from the film and the interior artwork done by Gordon Purcell is really good and he does a great job of capturing the likeness of the actors. Over all a great comic adaptation and is a very fun and entertaining read. Checkout the artwork below to see the style of Purcell.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is a great film and as you can see DC Comics did a great job of turning the movie into a fun comic and capturing the mood and adventure elements of the film on paper. I also want to say that I was really sad hearing about the passing of Nichelle Nichols in 2022 who played Uhura, as she was an amazing actress and will be missed. But with the review coming to an end it also makes me a little sad as we only have one more film and comic adaptation that features the some of the cast of the original series to cover and of course that is Star Trek: Generations and we will be covering that in 2024. But as our time with Captain Kirk and the crew come to an end I want to let you know that the next update will take us out of space and into the wrestling ring as we take a look at George “The Animal” Steele and kick off our year long celebration of Pro Wrestling and WWF WrestleMania! So until next time read a Star Trek comic or three, watch a Star Trek film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update and lets hope that Turnbuckles is not the only snack food offered at the Rotten Ink Arena snack bar!

Horror Host Icon: Baron Daemon

Posted on May 12, 2022 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink for a “Horror Host Icon” update that has been high on my list to do for many years now as I find this Frightful Host to not only be an Icon but also a true legend of New York! The host I am talking about is Baron Daemon who entertained the Syracuse area not only hosting films but also cartoons and even two popular songs…but I am getting way ahead of myself! And before we get into this update have you guys ever thought about how many amazing Horror Hosts have been based out of the state of New York? I mean Gilbert Gottfried hosted Up All Night and later Rhonda Shear, Zacherley hosted Shock Theater, Adam Keefe hosted Fright Night Theatre, Dr. E. Nick Witty hosted Monster Movie Matinee and even The Six-Fingered Hand lead viewers through Chiller Theatre and this is just a small list of all the amazing hosts from the state. So with that thought and memories in your head it’s with great honor that I bring to you Horror Host Icon: Baron Daemon!

Baron Daemon is a bushy eyebrowed vampire who wore a cape, a bowtie, white shirt and black pants and would host spooky movies at night and cartoons during the day! He was very silly and yet at times had a touch of sinister to him when hosting the films late in the evening and he was well loved by both adults and kids as he drew them into his antics as well as allowed them into his weird world that also consisted of his two best friends Boris and Very Harry (more on them later). He was the most popular local celebrity opening grocery stores and even making appearances at a local asylum and fans flocked to meet him as he looked at all his fans as his “Bloody Buddies” and they looked at him as their favorite TV Horror Host. When Baron talked he sounded like Bela Lugosi’s version of Dracula mixed with a cartoonish overtone and his laugh was iconic. Baron would also appear at sock hops and would “drink” the blood of young ladies and kids would speak about him at school and wear shirts with his image on it and would mimic his speech and phrases. And still to this day the people of Rochester, New York and beyond have great memories of Baron Daemon and his legacy lives on even after all these years of him being off TV.

Baron Daemon was so big that at one point during the peak of his popularity Channel 9 came up with having him team up with a rock band The Vampire (really Sam And The Twisters) and recorded two songs “Ghost Guitars” and the big hit “Transylvania Twist” in order to send to radio stations and to promote his shows as they felt it would bring in more viewers! And they sent the record out to radio stations within 50 miles of the viewing area and it worked as Transylvania Twist became a mega hit and the vinyl single was the top selling local record for many years and became a requested song by listeners and even to this day around Halloween the song in New York is played by radio stations who get requests to hear it. Baron Daemon wished that the Channel had sent the record out further as he felt that the song could have been a bigger hit than it was and became a regular song on rotation at stations all over America. The vinyl record at this time is a major collectors item and sells for hundreds of dollars on second hand sale sites. But for those who want to hear both songs you can find them on YouTube so give them a listen and enjoy!

Mike Price is the man behind the Baron Daemon character and is a well loved TV Personality form the New York area as he would be a staple on the News for Channel 9 before and even after his Horror Host persona was off the air. He would become a reporter and had his own segment on the evening news called “Good News” that would feature people from around the area that are doing great things, and he would also talk to kids who were doing really good in school. Mike Price would work for the station for over 46 years and would retire in 2008. And after retiring the station would name the studio after him as well as hang a plaque for all future News Anchors to see. And for those who do not know Mike Price worked for Channel 9 before it first went on air and was hands down the stations first mega star and made them must see TV because of his work as both a News Reporter and as a Horror Host. And that is pretty true for most big Horror Hosts they go beyond being just a celebrity of local TV and the men or women behind the character becomes loved by their community. And even as of 2020 Mike Price is being interviewed in the New York area about his time on TV and his career as Baron Daemon showing that even after many years of retirement Mike means something very big to the people who grew up watching him and beyond.

Baron Daemon originally started as the host of a late night horror movie show called “The Hollywood Special” starting in 1962 on WNYS-TV Channel 9 out of Syracuse, New York and he would host all types of classic Horror and Sci-Fi films. The show was an instant hit and old and young viewers could not get enough of Baron Daemon as he just captured their attentions and became must see TV for all of Syracuse. But parents ended up a little angry as kids wanted to stay up past their bedtimes to watch his antics as well as the spooky movie that did not start until 11:35pm, so to please parents Baron Daemon also became a daily kid show host “Baron And His Buddies” and on this he would host cartoons and Flash Gordon film serials. His shows were the most watched in that area of New York and his viewers were both young and old. Baron Daemon would also guest on other shows on Channel 9 mostly the dancing shows and would bring his brand of vampire humor with him and added enjoyable silly laughs for those watching. For years Baron Daemon’s shows were highly rated and was some of the most popular local made shows at the time, and after his song “Transylvania Twist” was released it seemed like he and his shows were untouchable. That was until 1967 when the Channel 9 station suffered a big fire and sadly the set, props and all costumes for Baron Daemon burned up and the stations new powers to be who already were not a fan of his shows decided that with all things of the show gone this would mark the end of Baron Daemon! So with a puff of smoke do to a fire The Hollywood Special and Baron And His Buddies was over and fans would not get to see Baron Daemon on a weekly basis and this was terrible news for his fans. But over the years Baron Daemon would return doing live appearances and even host some events allowing fans to still see him and enjoy his brand of humor. It’s sad that his shows had to end due to bad management who did not think replacing the lost items to bring the shows back was worth their time, very silly decision as I think Baron Daemon could have lasted on air all the way through the 90’s and I think he would have been just as popular through every decade and still to this day Channel 9 should have Baron Daemon return to TV with Halloween specials! But that is just my wishes that sadly never happened and will never happen do to the age of Baron Daemon as of this update.

I have said this before and I have to say it again all good Horror Hosts had their fair share of amazing sidekicks that helped make his shows something very special for viewers and Baron Daemon was no different! First up is Boris The World’s Shortest Monster who looked like Frankenstein’s famous creation that would grunt his way around the set and was a very close friend of Baron Daemon. Boris was well liked by fans and he would even make public appearances alongside Baron. But while Boris was well loved the most popular of the sidekicks was Very Harry a mute caveman type guy who wore a hat and a trench coat and seemed to always just be hanging around with Baron and Boris. He was always just kind of in different to everything and was a favorite of kids as well as adults. Boris was played by Bill Eadie and Very Harry was played by Dennis Calkins and really these two are some amazing sidekicks and I would almost be so bold to say are the best Horror Host sidekicks in all of New York’s history! I should also note that while Very Harry would make appearances on the kid show “Baron And His Buddies”, Boris was not as lucky and would not be on the kid show as often.

Baron Daemon was on the ballot for the 2021 Class to make it into the Horror Host Hall Of Fame and sadly he ended up not making it that year, even though I 100% think he should have and in fact been in way sooner than that. And my goal is to try and get Baron Daemon into a future class of the Hall Of Fame as his contributions to the Art Of Horror Hosting is amazing as he had a six year run hosting both a movie and kids show as well as made many public appearances and had a hit music single! He was an early pioneer in New York Hosting and has many of fans still to this day. So when Baron Daemon gets in I will update this Horror Host Icon update and share with you who inducted him and what class he ended up being in!

Baron Daemon is a horror host that I can remember seeing pictures of and reading about in the early days of the internet as one thing that I loved to do in my teenage years was learn about new hosts from all over the world. I think the thing about Baron Daemon is that while the world of Horror Hosting has tons of Vampires his big eyebrows set him apart from all the others and made him stand out from the pact just like I feel Sivad (read his Icon update here) did as well with his unique look of the classic folklore monster. And Baron Daemon’s overly silly nature and the way he delivered his lines made him come off as a fun loving goofball ghoul and made him feel like a friend who drew you into his world and shared his love for Horror Movies and Cartoons with you, not to even mention his phrases and mannerisms would bring a smile to your face as well as make you say out loud “Blood Buddies” while acting like him…come on many of you original watchers of his show and Horror Host Mega Fans know that you just did your best impersonation of him while reading this sentence. Another reason why Baron Daemon has always been on my Hosting radar and was always on the list of must cover for Horror Host Icon updates is not only because he was a fantastic host with amazing sidekicks, but because he is also apart of the big legacy of Horror Hosts that have came out of the state of New York the land that Chiller Theater built and he could be one of the best as well from that State! And I really do hope at some point that more footage of his show is found in the vaults of Channel 9 and that the fans get to see Baron in his prime doing what he did best and that was to entertain the viewing masses.

So as you can see Baron Daemon is a true iconic legend in the world of Horror Hosting and is one of New York’s best Hosts of all time! And we are now at the point of this update that we will talk about the episodes I have of Baron Daemon and sadly like I said earlier in this update as of this update no known episodes and footage minus bloopers of the show are around, so I had to do a TV Special that Channel 9 did in 2006 for Halloween based on him. So with that lets travel down memory lane and take a look at Baron Daemon and his Blood Buddies as they treat us to their Halloween Fright Fest.

Hollywood Special: Halloween Fright Fest
Starring – Dr. E. Nick Witty & Very Harry Not Rated 2006

Host/Movie: This is a news broadcast special that aired on TV in 2006 that celebrated the life and career of Baron Daemon who made viewers both scared and tickled with laughter for five years on TV as well as tons of public & media appearances. They tell the shows history as well as the characters and even talk about and to Mike Price about his career. They also chat with other show cast members, fans and even new and vintage skits show of Baron Daemon.

It’s such a shame that so many iconic Horror Hosts like Baron Daemon’s show are lost to time due to many factors like recorded live, thrown away or reused tapes and of course no Beta or VCR’s for fans to tape their favorite hosts. And even more shameful is that Channel 9 over the years after his show ended never brought back Baron and his pals Very Harry plus Boris back to TV airwaves for horror movie hosted specials every Halloween and New Years…but what do you expect from clueless on air stations who think late night viewers want to watch infomercials on none stick pans and sharp kitchen knives…no wait they put those on cause they could careless about local programing and being creative and took the quick buck of just selling out that air time to soulless products. But enough of that let me put my soap box away and just say that Baron Daemon is an amazing Host that you should read up on and watch the blooper clips and listen to his two hit songs. But for my next update we will be leaving the world of Horror Hosting behind and will be taking a look at werewolf comic Lycanthropy Leo! So until next time read a comic or three, watch a Horror Movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host! See you next update as Rotten Ink’s ten year celebration continues!