From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: King Kong (1933)

Posted on July 14, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update. For this one we will be heading to the uncharted island of Skull Island as well as to New York City as we will be talking about one of cinema’s most iconic, if not the most iconic giant monsters of all time, the one and only King Kong! And for this one we will be talking about the 1933 version as this one has yet to get this update theme treatment and that’s crazy to think as he is truly one of the biggest and most legendary monsters of horror cinema and one of my favorite horror monsters of all time. We will be taking a look not only at the film but the adaptation series that was released by Monster Comics in the early 90’s as this was the series I had as a kid and are the ones I want to cover here in order to give Kong the respect he deserves. So if you are ready, let’s climb aboard The S.S Venture as this ship is heading for Skull Island and that means that it’s the homeland of The 8^th Wonder Of The World, King Kong and it’s our chance to chat about Kong and his legacy in horror cinema as well as in my life.

Let’s start off by taking a look at King Kong and his ways of dealing death to mankind and those who enter his land or try and mess with his love Ann Darrow. King Kong is a massive 33 feet tall gorilla who lives on Skull Island where he rules over the other creatures that live there and is worshipped by the tribal people who offer him sacrifices of beautiful women to please him. King Kong has black fur and his size and appearance scare those who see him almost to death, as he is very massive and intimidating looking. King Kong has massive power and strength and can lift heavy items as well as crush both people and other massive creatures with his bare hands. King Kong is also a skilled fighter and can not only use his hands but also things around him like trees in his combat against other creatures that he will ram down throats if need be to win the fight. Kong is also pretty smart and understands the basic ways of survival as well as protecting himself as well as those in his protection. King Kong has a fearsome roar that also can scare a person half to death as it’s loud and lets everything know that he is in charge as he pounds his chest. Kong also has the killer instinct, as he will kill any person or creature that challenges him and will dispatch them in very violent ways from squashing to breaking jaws in two. Due to his massive size King Kong has also been known to step on people to end their lives, and with sharp teeth he also has eaten people making them die a very painful death. Due to his size and power as well King Kong can take a beating and while it hurts, he still fights on, as his pride and ego will not let him stay down and out of a fight. But while King Kong is a massive beast, he still is a living thing and this means he can be hurt and killed as one way for sure that he can be killed is by massive gunfire from multiple machine guns that cause massive wounds and bleeding. He can also be killed by a big fall from something high up. Kong is also very easily distracted by human women with blonde hair that he has claimed as his own and this causes him to rage and leave himself open for mistakes and attacks. While King Kong from 1933 might not be the biggest giant monster (Kaiju) we have ever covered, he still is very dangerous and a truly iconic monster of cinema.

Now that we have talked about King Kong and his ways of dealing death to those foolish enough to challenge his rule, I think we should now take a look at the 1933 film that he starred in and is the one that started it all for the Kong franchise. Like always I will be taking the film’s write up from our good friends at IMDB and then I will write about the film’s production and then my thoughts on the film. So if you’re ready, lets’ travel deeper into Skull Island and see what King Kong is unleashing on those who live there under his rule.

King Kong (1933)

“A film crew goes to a tropical island for a location shoot, where they capture a colossal ape who takes a shine to their blonde starlet, and bring him back to New York City.”

In the 1930’s films about primates and most notably gorillas were doing well at the box office so that is when producer Ernest B. Schoedsack and RKO Radio Pictures decided to work together on a picture about a beautiful woman and a massive ape. The film’s story came from Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace with Ruth Rose and James Creelman, and when it comes down to it Merian C. Cooper was the main creator of King Kong alongside stop motion effects master Willis O’Brien who did the film’s effects as well as created the look and characteristics of Kong. I also want to say that Buzz Gibson was O’Brien’s assistant on the effects, and he as well did a fantastic job helping bring Kong and all the other creatures that lived on Skull Island to life. The film had a budget of over $672 thousand and when casting such names as Fay Wray, Bruce Cabot, Robert Armstrong, Frank Reicher, Sam Hardy and Victor Wong made up the main cast. Fay Wray’s beauty made her the perfect actress to play Ann Darrow, the beauty that ends up helping kill the beast, and Wray to me is truly cinema’s first scream queen as she would also appear in such other horror films as Doctor X (1932), The Most Dangerous Game (1932), The Vampire Bat (1933), Mystery Of The Wax Museum (1933) and Black Moon (1934). The film would be a production that was very innovative as new camera techniques were used to showcases visual effects as well as special effects, and it pushed all the actors to put on topnotch performances. Once the film was completed Max Steiner would do the soundtrack score, and it would be released to theaters on April 7, 1933 and was a massive hit with moviegoers as well as critics and would go on to make $5.3 million at the box office making it a major hit for the studio. The film also made New York City’s The Empire State Building an attraction for movie buffs as to this day fans of King Kong visit the site of his death…spoiler, Kong dies when he is gunned down while on top of the building and falls to his death. The film would spawn a sequel the same year in “Son Of Kong” and over the years has been remade several times, colorized and Kong as even fought fellow Kaiju icon Godzilla a couple of times. King Kong has also graced comic books, video games, novels, cartoons and toys as the films legacy is still very strong to this day. The film in 1933 was released alongside such other horror films as Son Of Kong, The Invisible Man, The Ghoul, Murders In The Zoo, The Monkey’s Paw, The Vampire Bat, La Llorona, The Mystery Of The Wax Museum and Terror Aboard to name a few. This was just a crash course of the making of King Kong, and I suggest that you track down one of the many books written about the film as they dive deeper into the film’s production and are worth a read. I also really do want to say 1933 was the year of Fay Wray for fans of horror and sci-fi films.

King Kong is one of the greatest films of all time and is hands down my favorite giant monster or kaiju film of all time as it really is a thrill ride that is filled with scares, thrills, chills and adventure. Something about King Kong has always drawn me in. Even as a young kid I was glued to watching this film as I saw it around the age of 7-8 via a VHS rental from the local library. I can remember my mom telling me stories of how the film scared her as a young child, it scared her so badly that she hid behind the couch while it was on. And that is the power of a great horror film, it was able to capture her imagination as well as scare her silly! I can remember the first time I saw it, King Kong himself was what interested me as watching him fight dinosaurs as well as rampage around was just magical. The film’s effects were amazing for 1933 and this to me is a film that should be shown in film school as it’s a perfect film to learn by as the story is classic and the pacing is top notch, and I know that James Rolfe aka The Angry Video Game Nerd agrees with this statement as he has said very similar stuff. King Kong has always been a big part of my childhood as growing up I had the Imperial King Kong figure, I had the classic paperback novel written by Delos W. Lovelace, I owned the Crestwood Monster Book of Kong and even as a youngster had the film’s score on CD. I can also remember drawing King Kong in school for art class, and he was always a topic when my friends and I would talk about classic monster movies as the debut of who would win or who is better between he and Godzilla was always a hot topic on the playground…and for those wondering I have always been team Kong…but don’t get me wrong I love Godzilla as well. Plus Fay Wray was one of horror cinema’s first true beauties as she is such a stunningly beautiful woman and a great actress. I am also going to admit it, as a kid when King Kong was shot and died I cried both in the 1933 version as well as the 1976 one…but give me some slack, I was a kid when I saw them and had a true bond with Kong as he truly was a sad case of a creature out of its element and being murdered by those who took him away from his home to make money on him as well as just make an attraction out of him. One thing that I have always regretted not doing as it’s too late now was going to Universal Studios in Florida to ride Kongfrontation where you got to interact with a giant animatronic King Kong who had banana smelling breath! Sadly the ride is no longer around as it was removed from the park. I truly can’t say just how important this film is to me and just how much I love the character of King Kong and next to a small handful of other classic monsters, this is one icon that I feel that everyone in the world should watch at least once and should enjoy all the sequels, remakes and reboots that have been made keeping his legacy alive.

With 2026 being the year of “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” updates, I had to cover King Kong as what would a celebration of horror be without him! I have been wanting to cover the Monster Comics adaptation of the film that were released in the 1990’s for a while now as these comics are ones I grew up reading as I found the issues at Mavericks Cards and Comics when I was a kid and remember really enjoying them as it brought Kong to the pages of comics. I have not read them in a few decades, so I cannot wait to see if they hold up still. I would like to thank Bell Book And Comic, Game Swap Kettering and Lone Star Comics for having these issues in stock and making this update possible. I would also like to remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s take a look at Monster Comics’ six-issue adaptation of the classic 1933 film King Kong and see what horrors and thrills await us.

King Kong # 1 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.50 Monster Comics # 1 of 6

Captain Englehorn and his first mate Jack Driscoll are waiting on ship for film director Carl Denham who has hired them to take him out to sea and to an uncharted island as he wants to make his next big jungle picture, but he has also gotten the ship in trouble with the amount of explosions on board. While walking around the streets of New York looking for an actress to appear in his film, Denham ends up meeting Ann Darrow who is down on her luck and was caught stealing fruit from a stand, but after paying for what she stole, he hires her over a quick lunch as he is taken by her beauty. The next morning they all set sail for the island and over the next few days Ann and Jack seem to be getting closer and all the crew start watching out for her, but Denham tries to warn Jack to not fall in love with Ann as he is picking up the tension between the two. After shooting some test footage of Ann on the deck Denham heads to Englehorn’s quarters, and he tells him and Jack about the island they are heading to called Skull Island that is surrounded by a giant man made wall and in the jungle lives a primitive tribe of people. He then tells them of Kong, something massive that lives on the island and he wants to be the first person to ever film it. And as time passes, the ship goes through a thick fog and they find themselves at Skull Island where they hear tribal drums being played. Once on the island they stumble on the tribe who is sacrificing a woman to Kong, but spot that they are being watched and want Ann as the sacrifice instead…and thanks to the fast thinking of Englehorn, they are able to get Ann off the island and everyone back safe on the ship. That night the native sneak aboard the ship and kidnap Ann and end up taking her beyond the great wall to be taken by Kong a giant gorilla that takes her into his massive hand, just as Jack and the crew arrive and are powerless to help her.

The classic 1933 film comes alive on these pages and this first issue is a set up for our cast of characters. The plot has a ship filled to the brim with crew on a big job to get a film director and his assistant and actress to a uncharted island that is filled with lots of mysteries things like a skull shaped mountain, a giant wall, a tribe that worships something called Kong…that turns out to be a massive gorilla! Ann Darrow is a beautiful woman who is hired to star in a new jungle film, as she is down on her luck and was having to try and steal food just to eat. But once on the ship bound for the jungle, she finds love in first mate Jack Driscoll and as well becomes the obsession of the island’s tribe due to her blonde hair and them wanting to give her to their “God” Kong! Jack Driscoll is tough as nails but quickly falls head over heels for Ann, who he does not like is being put in danger all over filming a movie…he is also the first one to rush back to the island when he finds that she has been kidnapped by the tribe. Captain Englehorn is a very wise man who is allowing money to be his driving factor, but is also the one who can speak to the tribe. The rest of the crew including Lumpy and his pet monkey Iggy (who are was made up for the comic taking the place of Charlie) are all willing to help protect as well as get Ann back from the danger she is in. Carl Denham is a film director who is driven by making a great jungle picture and seems to not be bothered about putting peoples lives in danger as long as he can get the shots he needs to make the greatest jungle film ever made, and this is who he is and while the crew are his friends you can tell they are truly getting annoyed by him with Jack being the one who is the most angered by his actions. And as for Kong we only get a glimpse of him as he comes through the jungle in order to grab Ann who has been given to him by the island tribe that worship him. There are changes from the film to this comic as one of the biggest being that Charlie, the ship’s chef is missing, and we instead are given a weird looking crew member named Lumpy who has a pet monkey named Iggy, another big one is that the island tribe is more flushed out in their ceremonies, Carl Denham is more cold and we start off by meeting Jack and The Captain first…and that is just some of the changes. The comic is bloodless and the horror comes from the unknown of the island as well as the appearance of Kong who is massive in size and seems very annoyed when he appears. The cover for this issue is great and is iconic to me as I can remember the first time I saw it was when I bought the issue from Mavericks Cards and Comics when I was a kid. It shows Kong holding Ann and if you’re a fan of the film, this is very eye catching. The comics interior art as well as the adaptation story is done by Donald Simpson and is lots of fun as he has a cartoonish style to his art, and while the character’s look nothing like the actors who play them I really dig the way he draws them as well as Kong. Over all this first issue is a great read but is a little slow as it truly is the build to getting to know the characters as well as get them all to Skull Island in order to come across King Kong! So with that, let’s see what issue two has in store for us!

King Kong # 2 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $1.95 Monster Comics # 2 of 6

Jack Driscoll leads a group into the jungle to try and save Ann from Kong and with him is Carl Denham, who has also brought his gas bombs just in case. The other half of the crew stay near the gate with Captain Englehorn to make sure the tribe does not close the gate and leave them stuck inside. While following the trail of Kong, the heroes discover that the jungle is filled with dinosaurs, and they use some of the gas bombs to bring down as Stegosaurus before shooting it in the head to kill it. And as they get deeper into the jungle, Jack and the crew have to make a raft to get across a river only to be once more attacked this time by a Brontosaurus that kills some of the crew and as well makes them lose their guns and gas bombs they brought with them, but Jack makes them push forward as they need to save Ann. Meanwhile Kong himself is fighting off dinosaurs that are attacking him in order to protect Ann as the giant beast has fallen in love with her. He drives off the dinosaurs who end up stampeding and killing more of the ship’s crew who must flee across a nature made bridge that goes across a massive drop. But unknown to Jack and the others, they are rushing towards Kong who decides to shake the bridge and causes all the crew to fall into the abyss with some even falling into giant spider webs to become the lunch for the giant insects. Jack is the only one to make it off the bridge as he jumps onto a vine and holds on for dear life. And we are not sure what has happed to Denham just yet.

The adventure starts as Jack Driscoll leads a group into the jungle in order to save the life of Ann who has been taken by Kong, but they all soon learn that its very dangerous as the land is filled with dinosaurs, giant insects, dangerous nature and of course Kong who has taken a true liking to his gift from the tribe that worships him. And by the end of the issue most if not all of the crew is dead and Jack must find a way to save Ann from the massive grip of Kong who is willing to fight and kill to protect her. This is a very fun issue as we get to see any instances of man fighting dinosaur with the later almost always coming out on top, and because of these deaths the issue does have blood as people are eaten and impaled on a horn! Truly in this issue we find that Jack Driscoll is a man on a mission to save the woman he has just meet and fallen for as he risks not only his life but that of most of the ship’s crew in order to get her back, and if his crew show any fear or question what the heck they are doing, he quickly puts them in his place…so in other words, her life is more important than anyone else on the ship in his eyes. Carl Denham even while in the jungle is thinking about his movie as well as money as it’s clear he would capture all the dinosaurs if he could to make quick cash off them, he also seems less stressed about getting Ann back as when the tree bridge is shaken by Kong I am not even sure where this film director is! Kong is also not messing around in this issue as he holds off a group of dinosaurs as well as keeps Jack and the crew at bay as he truly has claimed Ann as his own! The horror comes from not only Kong and the jungle but all the blood thirsty dinosaurs that are roaming around on Skull Island! The adventure elements of the film are present in this issue and gives you as a reader a build as we are along for the ride as Jack and the others are hunting down Kong in order to save their friend, and we are also seeing that while Kong is big, scary and protective he is also gentle when it comes to Ann. The cover is awesome for this issue and has Kong shaking the tree bridge and the art for it is really great stuff. The interior art is again done by Donald Simpson and is really fun as his cartoonish style really starts to grow on you more and more as you flip through the pages. Another great issue and once more makes some changes but still holds true to the film it’s based on.

King Kong # 3 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $1.95 Monster Comics # 3 of 6

Jack Driscoll watches as his friends and crew fall to their deaths while others are being eaten alive by giant spiders, and he knows that he alone now must save Ann from the grip of Kong. Jack uses a knife to stab Kong in the hand and as this is going down a T-Rex called Meat-Eater notices Ann and goes after her but he screams bring Kong who starts to fight with the dinosaur, as Carl Denham comes from out of weeds as he hid during the dinosaur stampede and this is what saved his life. The fight between Kong and Man-Eater is very violent as both are fighting for survival now and it’s Kong that wins as he breaks the jaw of Man-Eater leaving him dead. Kong grabs Ann once more and heads deeper in the jungle, Jack and Denham then meet back up and they come up with a plan that will have Jack continue to follow Kong as Denham goes back for more men and gas bombs in order to fight Kong who they have both just witness kill a meat eating dinosaur with his bare hands. Jack follows Kong to the skull mountain cave and watches as a giant snake attacks him and he hopes that he puts Ann down so that they can get back to the boat and to freedom away from this cursed island.

The adventure and horror continues as Kong with Ann in hand heads deeper into the jungle and he protects her from all that he thinks is a threat and that includes a killer T-Rex as well as a massive snake! We also see that Carl Denham survived, as he was lucky enough to find safety in some weeds and brush from the dinosaur stampede and was not on the tree bridge that was destroyed by Kong! Also Jack continues is tracking of Kong while Denham returns to the gate with orders to get more gas bombs to use this time against Kong in order to stop him and get Ann back safe and sound. Jack Driscoll truly loves Ann as he keeps going forward even as death is all around him and the odds of survival is slim, while it’s clear that watching his friends and fellow crew member die bothered him its almost like it helps drive him to be a hero to make their deaths mean something. Carl Denham even after witnessing people dying and two giant creatures fighting only thinks about his movie as well as his own hide, but you do have to give him credit as he is going to journey back to the gate alone in order to get help. Poor Ann is being carried around and finds herself in danger as she is not only being dragged around by Kong but also finds herself on the menu for a very hungry T-Rex! And speaking of that T-Rex who is called Meat-Eater he is one of those true iconic characters from King Kong and I am glad to see him make it to this comic and have one epic fight with Kong as this fight is the true highlight of the issue! Watching Kong and Meat-Eater duke it out over Ann is fantastic and while Meat-Eater dies by getting his jaw broken in two he still puts up a good fight! Kong once more proves why he is the King of Skull Island as he takes on all comers and wins every fight he is in against both man and beast this far. The Horror elements of this issue are still Kong as well as Skull Island in general but also you have to say Meat-Eater is also part of the chills. The issue does have some bloodshed with most of that coming from the fight between Kong and Meat-Eater as the jaw break has the red stuff shown. The issue also ends on a big cliffhanger as Kong is being attacked by a giant snake with Ann still in his hand while Jack is in the shadows waiting for his moment to save her from this crazy island. The cover is really cool and has Kong fighting Man-Eater, and you guessed it, Donald Simpson did the interior art and it is as good and cartoonish as past issues. So with that, let’s see what the next issue has in store for us and if Jack is able to save Ann from this giant ape and get her back to the ship and safely to New York.

King Kong # 4 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $1.95 Monster Comics # 4 of 6

Jack watches on as the snake tries its best to kill Kong who sets Ann down but way out of the reach of him, and they both watch as Kong ends up bashing the skull of the snake on rocks killing it before grabbing Ann once more and continuing to his home cave, while Jack still follows. Meanwhile Carl Denham makes it back to the gate and tells Captain Englehorn of the fate of the crew and how Ann and Jack are the only ones alive, he also begs for them to get the gas bombs so that they can go back and save them from Kong as well as all the creatures that are in the jungle as he warns them its very dangerous. Kong is very curious about Ann and is studying her when Kong is distracted by Jack who makes a noise and this allows a Pterodactyl to swoop in and grab Ann, but the dinosaur does not get far as Kong grabs it and rips it into pieces! But this allows Jack to also grab Ann and they to hug before rushing off to escape. But the two don’t get very far before Kong is on their trail as he wants Ann back!

In this issue Kong makes it home but has to fight and kill a giant snake as well as a Pterodactyl all on order to keep Ann safe, but all along Jack is right behind waiting for his time to rescue and save his love and when he finally does so this makes Kong very angry and Jack is on his kill list! We also find that Carl Denham as made it back safe and is alerting the Captain and crew of the horrors beyond the gate and that they must go in and save Ann and Jack. In this issue Jack is tired and hurt but still keeps pushing forward as his only goal in life right now is to save Ann and he has almost forgotten about his own safety. Ann at this point as been carried around by Kong and has been on the dinner menu for many dinosaurs that live on Skull Island, and even at one point Kong kind of goes perverted on her as he removes her dress! Kong is a fighter and is killing all that challenge him or try and take Ann away from him. Carl Denham shows that while he is a director who is obsessed with filming his movies, he can be a hero as he makes it back to the gate alone and tries to get the others to go back in and help Jack and Ann. The scares and horror come from Kong as well as the other creatures he has to battle in this issue as what is more scary than giant monsters on a rampage! Plus the issue does have blood being spilt with Kong going brutal on both the snake and Pterodactyl and ending them both in very bloody ways. The cover for this one is also very cool and had Kong fighting the Pterodactyl, and I have to say I love the way they drew King Kong as he looks badass. Yep, Donald Simpson is on interior art again and it’s great and cartoonish, and I love the way he draws Kong and the other creatures. Another great issue that makes you look forward to reading the next.

King Kong # 5 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.25 Monster Comics # 5 of 6

Jack and Ann make it back to the gate, and they are tired and want to make it to the ship to get away from the island and rest. As the gates are opened, the crew are happy to see them both, but Denham is also hoping to see Kong as he wants to use the gas bombs to knock him out and bring him back to New York in order to make lots of money off him and he wants to use Ann as bait, Jack is furious over this but has no time to act as Kong has arrived and is very pissed off! Kong breaks down the gate as Jack and the others rush to the beach and their ship, Kong meanwhile kills many of the tribe natives as he is in full rage mode and only has two things on his mind death and Ann. From the broken down gate also comes many other dinosaurs that attack and kill the tribe members, as Denham has truly caused the death of many people all over wanting to make a film. Once on the beach Denham and the crew use the gas bombs that end up knocking out Kong as well as the dinosaurs saving them all from being crushed and eaten. They all watch as Kong goes down and the whole time he is looking at Ann while Denham is calling orders for the crew to get supplies to capture Kong and bring him back to New York.

In this issue Jack is able to rescue Ann and get her to the gate and with the crew, but they are not safe as Kong arrives and crashes through the gate and the dinosaurs follow. The poor tribe is almost all killed in Kong’s rampage, and he is only brought down thanks to the gas bombs that Carl Denham brought on board. And after Kong is knocked out the film director’s main goal is to capture the great ape and put in on display in New York in order to make lots of money. Carl Denham takes two steps back as just when you thought he was going to be a hero he shows that money and fame is truly what drives him, and when you think about it his greed and lack of caring has coasted many people their lives. In other words Denham is a true scumbag! Jack Driscoll is the true hero as he is the one who risked it all in order to save Ann and even is the one who has called out Denham all along for his terrible behavior and lack of caring for peoples safety, now don’t get me wrong Jack has done some bad things as well that has helped lead to people dying with his main focus being to save the woman he loves. Ann is so worn down by the time she gets to the gate that Jack has to carry her, as she really has had a very stressful day and I am sure all she wants to do is get back to New York and live her life. Kong is very upset in losing Ann as once she is taken away from him his rage takes control and he goes nuts and even kills the tribe the worship him as he eats some of them and steps on others. And poor Kong even when he is passing out just wants to see Ann, and little does he know what fate awaits him once he wakes up from his slumber. One thing that I really life in this issue is that when Kong escapes the wall so does all the dinosaurs who also want to rampage through the village, it’s a nice touch. The issue has lots of death and some blood as the frightening moments come from Kong and the dinosaurs escape and rampage as they brutalize the poor natives. The cover for this one is cool like all the others in this series and features Kong fighting the giant snake as Jack looks on. And do I need to say more about who does the interior art and how cool and cartoonish it is, I think not. Well the next issue is the final issue, and with that, let’s take a look and see what awaits not just us but Kong.

King Kong # 6 ***
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.50 Monster Comics # 6 of 6

In New York City Carl Denham has a sold out show for people to see King Kong, The 8^th Wonder Of The World, and the place is packed. On hand are both Ann Darrow and Jack Driscoll as after this premiere the two plan on getting married. The press enter behind the scenes and talk with Denham and Jack and as the story is being told, and the director turned promoter brags that Kong was captured all because of Ann, she feels sad for the events that took place that caused this massive beast to be captured and treated like a sideshow freak. As the attraction opens and Denham gives his speech he shows Kong to the audience who are scared of this massive beast, who gets more angry when Ann and Jack are brought out followed by news paper photographers who’s flashing lights end up making Kong rage and break free from the chains that hold him as he thinks people are harming Ann! Kong breaks loose out of the theater and hits the streets of New York on a rampage and looking for Ann, and finds her and Jack in a hotel room hiding he crashes his massive fist through the building and once more has Ann is his hands and makes his way to the Empire State Building and starts climbing it as the near by Air Force gets the orders to fly to the building and combat the giant ape. As Kong makes it to the top of the building Jack rushes to the top as well in order to try and save his fiancé from the grip of Kong once more. Kong on top of the building feels like he is once more the King of this new land, but then the fighter planes appear and start their attack and at first Kong is standing his ground and even knocking some of them out of the sky. But after a short time and many machine gun bullets later, the mighty King Kong is bleeding and falls off the Empire State Building to his death as Ann watches on in sadness as she understands that the giant ape was truly just scared, lonely and in a place he didn’t belong. While Jack makes it to Ann and holds her as she cries, on the street below Kong is dead and Denham tells the newspapers that it was Beauty that killed the Beast.

In the final issue of this adaptation Kong finds himself in New York City as a prisoner of a con-man film director who looks at the great beast as a paycheck and not as a living creature, and when Kong breaks free to once more have Ann by his massive side he is gunned down by machine gun fire from planes that have been sent out to kill him once the beast climbed the famous Empire State Building. And I have to first say Carl Denham is a complete scumbag as he seems to once more not care that he has put peoples lives in danger and even when Kong escapes he seems to not be bothered by this destruction and is clearly just driven by money. And as Kong is dead in front of him Denham seems to still be working the press, just a terrible person. Jack and Ann just want to live their lives together and are once more tangled into the crappy world of Denham, and Ann really does seem sad for her part in the taking of Kong as well as his death. Kong is a protective creature and when he thinks that the press are doing harm to Ann he escapes from his chains and does what he can to protect her, and sadly this rampage of protecting leaves him open to being killed by gunfire. Kong really is just a beast who does not understand his new surroundings and really just wants to live his life and protect Ann who he has fallen in love with. Its truly sad when he is shot and falls to his death as Kong really is a great beast who cares about Ann who he has taken as his own. The climax of this story both in the film as well as the comic truly hits you as it’s sad to see Kong die and all cause of love and people fearing things that are unknown, while I get that he is a “monster” by all accounts he still had a life and should have been left on Skull Island and not exploited my modern people. The comic does make changes from the film, and while some are very odd and even big changes, the comic does do the film justice and really held up for me after all these years as it was a great read then and a great read now. One character I would have like to have seen was Charlie the ship’s cook as he was a big character in the film and even came into play in the sequel “Son Of Kong” and he should have been in this comic. The issue does have blood spilled as when Kong is being shot he bleeds, and of course the Horror comes from Kong and his rampage through the Big Apple. The cover for this issue has Kong fighting off the planes and is very eye catching as the border is a bright yellow. Donald Simpson’s art throughout this series was very solid work, and he has a very cartoonish style that brings a fun approach to the comics When I was younger I was a little more harsh on the art as I wanted Kong to be more scary, but looking at it now with adult eyes I find it very charming. While this series is great I still would say that the Gold Key Comic adaptation that I covered HERE is the better of the two, but believe me, I am not downplaying this series as I really do like it lots and think that if you are a King Kong fan, you should own and read these comics. Check out the artwork below to see the style of Donald Simpson used in this series.

King Kong is truly one of those films as well as characters that was made for not only being in films but also in comic books, and I am glad that he still makes his appearances in mini series from time to time over the years as it gives horror comic readers like myself something to read. And for those who want to read more about King Kong in the From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update theme, you can also check out my updates for King Kong (2005) here, Kong Skull Island (2017) here and lastly Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) here…so as you can see you can get a full course of King Kong here at Rotten Ink. And with that, it seem that our time with King Kong is coming to an end but do not worry as our next update will still keep us in the realm of horror film inspired comics as I will be taking a look at the Hammer Horror Film Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter and the Titan Comic mini series based around it. So until then, read a horror comic of three, watch a horror film or two and as always support your local horror host! See you next update as we hunt down some bloodsuckers with The Captain!

Forgotten Reels: The Lost World (1925)

Posted on September 13, 2022 by bloodlinematt

Forgotten Reels is a new update theme here at Rotten Ink and will take us to the Rotten Ink Theater to sit around and talk about Silent Cinema! As I am sure you all know by now, I am a major fan of all types of films and genres, but did you know that I am a huge fan of Silent Films? And when it comes to Silent Horror Films as well as Silent Science Fiction films, I am a major geek for them and have been trying to figure out a way to cover them here on Rotten Ink and thanks to the success of the “Wild West Round Up” updates I have found the formatting that would work to share my love for them! When covering the Silent Films, I am also going to cover a different bag of my favorite kind of snack food and I am talking about potato chips! And like before, I will be given a star rating to both the film and the chips. For these Forgotten Reels updates I will be covering releases from companies like Alpha Video, Grapevine Video, Creature Feature Video and Madacy Entertainment. And yes, I know that Kino Lorber and Criterion a lot of the times has the way better prints that have been restored and re-mastered, I just feel that the companies above have the look and quality I remember seeing these types of films for the first time as a kid. I also want to give my friend and amazing artist Jason Gilmore a big thank you for the Forgotten Reels logo that will be used for these Silent Film themed updates. Oh, I almost forgot the first film we will be covering for Forgotten Reels is a real classic in cinema as it’s the 1925 film The Lost World! So let’s find our seats and get ready to talk some Silent Cinema!

The Lost World is a 1925 film that was based on the novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and was released by First National Pictures and had a budget of $700,000. Harry O. Hoyt was brought on the production to direct as he was the man in the director chair for such films as “The Moth (1917)”, “The Rider Of The King Log (1921)” and “Sundown (1924)” to name a few, and they had screenwriter Marion Fairfax in to adapt the novel for screen as she had a long history of being behind the pen for many classic silent films. The film brought in classic actors like Wallace Beery, Bessie Love, Arthur Hoyt and Bull Montana to fill roles, and the film is considered one of the first in cinema to use stop motion special effects. Willis O’Brien, the godfather of this style, was the man behind these amazing dinosaur effects, and he is one of the all time great effects masters and would go on to work on the 1933 King Kong among many other iconic films of cinema. The dinosaurs of the film were based on the artwork of Charles R. Knight and decades after the film, it’s said that Forrest J. Ackerman had many of the O’Brien models in his private collection. Ackerman was a true lover of classic Horror and Sci-Fi cinema and saved many items like them from being lost to time. The river scenes of the film were said to be shot behind MGM studios in an open sewer area, or so the Hollywood story goes. Another great story about The Lost World is that in 1922 Conan Doyle showed a ton of magicians including Harry Houdini test footage of O’Brien’s dinosaurs and would not tell the origins of the footage while they all viewed it and they as well as the press was said to have been blown away by the effects. The film over the years is said to have made $1.3 million dollars and was the first film to be shown on a flight in 1925 via a nitrate film reels and is as well what kicked off the dinosaur movie craze that is still going to this day. Over the years some prints of the film have fallen into the Public Domain and have been shown on many Horror Host programs as well can be found on many budget VHS, DVD and on YouTube. And over the years Lost World has had some lost footage found as well as has been re-mastered.

The chips I chose to pair with this film are “Grippo’s Bar-B-Q,” a chip that I have loved since I was a young kid and a potato chip company from the great state of Ohio. Growing up as a kid, popcorn, Andy Capp’s Hot Fries and potato chips were the snacks of choice for my brother and I as we watched USA Saturday Nightmares or WWF Monday Night Raw, and one of our favorites hands down when it came to chips was always Grippo’s! You see my father has always worked in the grocery business and he would from time to time bring home different styles of snack food for not only him to eat but also for my brother and I to try, and Grippo’s was always a popular eat at our house during movie and TV watching. Grippo’s started in 1919 and is based out of Cincinnati, Ohio and was founded by Angelo Grippo. The company over the years has made all types of snack foods from Pretzels, Sugar Cones and their most popular item is Potato Chips that comes in many flavors from the overly popular BBQ as well as Cheddar, Salt & Vinegar as well as a few others. Grippo’s is still going strong to this day and so many of my friends love these chips. Below is a shot of a freshly opened bag so that you can see these BBQ Grippo’s in their natural habitat.

Forgotten Reels is a themed update that will be sticking around for a very long time here on Rotten Ink as being able to share my thought and the wonders of Silent Films is something that I really like to do! And I will be grading both the film and the chips on a classic 1-4 star scale. I also want to say on my film rating, I am basing it on a scale that is for silent films of all budgets and eras. So sit back in your theater seat, grab some chips and a soda and let’s travel to The Lost World with Alpha Video. And yes, the stills used in this review update are indeed taken from the Alpha Video print and the DVD that I own.

Lost World
Starring: Wallace Beery and Bessie Love Directed: Harry O. Hoyt
Not Rated 1925 63min Alpha Video DVD Full Frame

We open in the office of the London Record Journal, and the Editor is upset as he has just gotten word that Professor Challenger is going to sue them over the paper doubting his story of living dinosaurs, and they are also worried, as Challenger has attacked three reporters just that day! In order to get the interview with Challenger, they send eager reporter Edward Malone who stumbles into the editor’s office and has to hurry to Zoological Hall to cover a lecture that Challenger is giving and try to score the sit down interview for the paper, as well as sneak in as reporters are banned from the lecture. At the Hall many people are in line for the lecture including Sir John Roxton who is an explorer and hunter who wants to disprove Challenger’s claim of dinosaurs. And it seems like many of those attending are there to mock Challenger and his claims. Malone is able to easily get into the lecture thanks to Roxton who brings him in on his pass. As he starts the crowd mocks Challenger, who in turn wants to get a committee and a group together to head to the Amazon and to this Lost World with him! And some in the crowd who believe and disbelieve take him up on this chance to see the Dinosaurs and they are Professor Summerlee, John Roxton and Edward Malone. But when Malone alerts Challenger of his profession, the Professor goes into a rage and tries to attack the young man and chaos breaks out. And Challenger, mad that a reporter got in, returns to his home.

As Professor Challenger gets home for the night, still mad over the lecture, he soon finds that Edward Malone has entered his home via a window, as he would like to talk to the Professor and says that he really needs to go on the expedition in order to impress his fiancé who will not marry him until he faces a major challenge, and this means nothing to Challenger who attacks Malone and they two fight and struggle so much that they end up in the street! A Police Cop witnesses the fight and when Malone refuses to press charges and even takes blame for the fight, Challenger ends up listening to Malone when he finds out that he is also close friends with Sir John Roxton. Once inside the parlor, Challenger has his butler call upon Miss Paula White, and also Roxton comes to the house and they talk about the diary of Maple White and as Paula shows up the story of the Lost World that is populated with Dinosaurs is discussed. Paula explains how her father discovered a plateau in the Amazon alone as she was back at camp sick from a fever, and as she speaks Malone flips through the pages of the diary and sees the explorers drawings of Dinosaurs that he said he saw! And then Paula claims that she has seen them herself and that her father is lost on that plateau as his crew left him behind in fear of the beasts. And as they talk, Mrs. Challenger enters the parlor and is upset that her husband has kicked out everyone up to this point has come to the house to help. Edward Malone then comes up with the idea to get the paper to pay for the rescue mission as he can pass it off as a good human-interest story as they might think that the talk of Dinosaurs is fake but saving an explorer in a exclusive story they would bite on. Challenger agrees to this pitch and everyone is happy. Malone asks Roxton to go talk to the editor with him, and before they leave Roxton tells Paula that he is going on this mission for her. Paula looks both happy and taken back by this, but is happy they help is on its way for her father.

The London Record Journal funds the rescue mission and Professor Challenger, Sir John Roxton, Professor Summerlee, Paula White, Austin and Edward Malone meet up with some natives and boat down the river to the secret location deep in the Amazon. Once they reach the plateau they all make camp and Malone is writing to his editor as everyone else is enjoying the rest and wildlife around the area. But watching them is a strange apeman who is monstrous in nature and watches and Roxton talks of how Paula said her father used a fallen tree in order to get to the plateau and Challenger says in the morning they will knock down another tree and get across. The apeman then pushes a bolder off the cliff and tries to crush the rescue party, his attack fails and causes the men to look around and they see a massive Pterodactyl flying around and then landing and eating, and Challenger then declares that everything in Maple’s diary is true.

The next morning Challenger leads them to the top of the plateau and chops down another tree to make a bridge across a cliff and while doing all this dinosaurs start to pay attention to the noises being made by these human invaders. One by one they cross the fallen tree and then watch as a Brontosaurus feeds on leaves. They are scared and yet also so amazed by this sight. The massive creature then does the unthinkable and knocks their tree bridge off the cliff and causing them all to be stuck now. All the while back at the camp native Zambo with his pet monkey Jocko and Austin, the butler of Challenger watch on and are helpless to save them from being stranded.

As night falls, the group starts a fire to stay warm and try and come up with a plan, and unknown to them the apeman once more is watching them this time from the trees. Malone heads to Paula and tries to find out what is on her mind. She tells of the worry she has that something bad has happened to her father as she feels he would have made his way to the fire if he was still alive. Malone tries to comfort her as Roxton watches on and is not pleased that someone else talking to the woman he loves. But before anything else can be said, the whole group gets a scare as a T-Rex appears and attacks and kills another dinosaur before their eyes. They then watch as the T-Rex’s path of murder doesn’t stop as it goes after a Tyrannosaurus and its baby. He fails in his attempt to kill and gets a horn would to his side that makes him even more mad as he heads out into the jungle and into the camp! Challenger and Roxton armed with rifles open fire on the T-Rex and Malone throws a lit torch at it scaring it off and back into a battle with a Tyrannosaurus. As the group then finally spots the apeman and Roxton shoots him in the arm scaring him away. Meanwhile the T-Rex kills the Tyrannosaurus as well as then kills a Pterodactyl. Meanwhile at the base camp, Zambo and Jocko are drinking water when Austin has an idea that they can make a giant rope from the hammocks and have Jocko climb the mountain plateau to give it to them.

After all the excitement of the T-Rex attack, Challenger and the group find a cave to seek shelter in from the craziness of the jungle. They decided that this cave would be their home until they are saved or for the rest of their lives and then Challenger tries to design a catapult weapon out of bent down trees in order to fight off dinosaurs. While in the cave Roxton is looking around and finds a skeleton of a human that has a locket, and inside that locket is a picture of Paula…the hunter thinks he has found the remains of her father Maple White, he then also finds an open at the back of the cave that leads straight down the mountain and fires his gun and gets the attention of Austin and Zambo who yell back and fourth with Raxton that they will be turning the rope into a ladder and will send Jacko up with it in the morning, but the monkey needs to see Paula to make the climb. Meanwhile alone in a part of the cave Malone tells Paula that he loves her, and is breaking his promise to his fiancé as he wants to be with her. Roxton walks in on the two embracing and sharing loving words, Malone informs his friend that he and Paula are going to marry each other in the cave as Summerlee was once a minister before he was a professor and goes off to find him. As Roxton says he needs to tell Paula something very important.

In the jungle Challenger and Summerlee are watching a Brontosaurus feed and are following it, as back in the cave Raxton gives Paula the locket and tells her the bad news of her father’s death. The T-Rex shows up once again and this time goes after the Brontosaurus and knocks the massive creature over the cliff, the T-Rex is mad that he did not get to eat his victim and wonders off into the jungle. Meanwhile in another cave the apeman along with his chimpanzee friend sulk over the humans being around and him being wounded by a bullet. Paula and Raxon are waiting for the others to return as they have been gone for hours now and they are worried, but Raxton tells her they must wait for them in order to lead them to the cave opening so they can all escape. And also a volcano on the plateau is about to erupt adding more danger for Challenger and his crew as the lava starts to flow the dinosaurs start to stampede and it’s making it hard for Challenger, Summerlee and Malone to get back to the cave for shelter. The T-Rex is attacking his fellow fleeing dinosaurs as fire is breaking out all around in the jungle! And they are finally able to make their way to the cave as the volcano calms down and the fires stop and the dinosaurs go back to their normal lives.

Back in the cave Raxton shows Paula the opening as she calls for Jocko, the little monkey, who with the ladder makes his way up the mountain to get to her, and does so delivering their way to escape the Lost World. The Brontosaurus who fell from the cliff is shown to be alive and stuck in mud, and it’s the mud that spared its life and cushioned the landing. With the ladder now in place Paula White starts making her way down the mountain, Jocko the monkey is next, then Professor Summerlee, Professor Challenger, Edward Malone and lastly Sir John Roxton gets on the ladder. But the apeman and his chimpanzee friend and a score to settle with Roxton and they start to pull the ladder up with him still on it as his friends below try to pull it back down, but the apeman is just too strong. They fire a rifle up at the mountain and hit apeman in the chest and Roxton makes it down to land safe. As they are heading away from the mountain, Challenger spots the wounded Brontosaurus and with the help of Major Hiddard of Brazilian Geodetic they get the dinosaur out of the mud in a month’s time with a one-way ticket to London.

In London Professor Challenger is giving another lecture to a roomful of people and he tells them that they are brining a living Brontosaurus to London and that reporter Edward Malone is on the ship that is bringing the creature to them in mere moments. Challenger then gets a phone call from Malone who informs the professor that during unloading at the dock the straps on the cage broke and now the Brontosaurus is loose in the streets and causing panic and chaos. In the streets people are running and driving away in fear as the dinosaur is on a rampage. Challenger tells the crowd at the lecture to stay inside as his dinosaur is free in the streets, and the crowd starts to think that this is a scam and begin to boo and turn on Challenger who they think is a liar. All the while the Brontosaurus is stomping around the city causing destruction and ends up on the London Bridge and it ends up breaking under its weight and it falls into the water and swims away. After the dinosaur is gone Paula and Malone come together and Roxton pushes his feelings for her aside and is happy for the couple. And Professor Challenger sits on the bridge and watches as his dinosaur fades away into the horizon.

Review: The Lost World is a truly amazing early cinema film that allowed the team of Harry O. Hoyt and Marion Fairfax to truly bring the novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to life on the big screen and offered thrills, chills to movie goers who left the theater wondering if they had just seen footage of real dinosaurs! The film really focuses on reporter Edward Malone and his quest to cover the big story of the lost world as well as him falling in love with Paula White who his own friend famed hunter Sir John Roxton also is crushing on. And all three of these characters are great and their story is interesting and helps add more drama to the story and also adds a good amount on tension to a group that is already stuck in a land of dinosaurs who want to eat them for dinner. But I think like most people who have read the book as well would agree that the real star of the film is the eccentric Professor Challenger whose anger, passion and personality sets him apart from the rest of the cast of characters and Wallace Beery was the perfect actor to cast in that role. The Dinosaur effects were done by the true legend and godfather of early day special effects Willis O’Brien and this film was a great warm up for him as in 1933 he would bring us the masterpiece of cinema King Kong. And the T-Rex in this movie is such a jerk and gets his jollies in just killing other dinosaurs as well as trying to kill our heroes. And let’s not forget to point out the awesome Brontosaurus rampage in London, a scene that influenced many Kaiju and Giant Monster movies over the decades. One thing I have to point out is that actor Bull Montana played the Apeman on the Lost Planet and he is one of cinema’s early creature actors as he would wear that suit or one just like it in the 1920 Horror Comedy Film “Go And Get It” and had the movements of creatures down, but that I am sure this is due to his years of being a Pro Wrestler. This film is also very much the inspiration for the Jurassic Park book and film series, and The Lost World is one of the world’s best Silent Films from that era as it brings so many emotions with it and best of all its super entertaining from start to finish. If you have not seen this film, do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy from Alpha Video or another home media copy and give it a watch.

Now let’s briefly talk about the Grippo’s Bar-B-Q Potato Chips, a snack food that has always been a favorite in my family’s household growing up. When eating this bag I can see why I loved them as a kid. The BBQ seasoning on these chips is very flavorful and have a nice spice taste that makes it so easy to eat a full bag in one sitting. They have a taste like no other BBQ chip and that is why those who have tried Grippo’s always put them at the top of their shopping list for snack food. And they are not afraid to coat the chip in the seasoning and hands down these are some amazingly good potato chips!

Movie: ****
Chips: ****

The Lost World really is a fantastic Silent Film. The effects that they pulled off in 1925 are amazing and set the guidelines for special effects to come in Hollywood, and really the film is a mix of Adventure, Sci-Fi and Horror and really was one of the early versions of a Giant Monster movie as the end of the film has a Dinosaur running wild in a big city that would go on to be a staple of the kind of films. And as you can see, this first Forgotten Reels update starts off with a perfect Silent Film as well as a perfect bag of chips. But the house lights have been turned on and that is our cue to head out, but before we do, I would like to let you all know that our next update will take us to New York and the time that Dracula visited it as the topic is the 1979 film Love At First Bite and the photo comic book based on it! So until next time, read a comic or three, watch a Silent Film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you soon as we continue our countdown to Halloween 2022 and spend some time with Count Dracula.

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: The Valley Of Gwangi (1969)

Posted on March 2, 2020 by bloodlinematt

Well it’s that time again when the giant Titans awaken and take over Rotten Ink and bring forth not only the second Kajiu Month but also add many more updates in my From Horror Movie To Horror showcases. And this time Kaiju Month is being done in honor of “Godzilla vs. Kong” that was going to be released in theaters on March 13, 2020 and now got moved to November 13, 2020 but remains for me is one of the year’s most anticipated films! To start off, I chose to cover “The Valley Of Gwangi,” an amazing film that pits cowboys against dinosaurs! For many fans of Kaiju films, this one walks the line as some do not consider it part of that subgenre. I am on the side that does belong as I feel that Dinosaurs are the O.G Kaiju monsters. So if you are ready to travel to the old west and fight for our lives against dinosaurs, let’s start this amazing update of From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: The Valley Of Gwangi. I hope this month of updates helps make the film’s move a little less hurtful.

So before we dive to deep into The Valley Of Gwangi, let’s take a look at the film’s most vicious dinosaur the Tyrannosaurus Rex or T-Rex for short that is simply called Gwangi in the film! The Gwangi is a Kaiju that stands around 20 feet tall and is very aggressive in nature to any man, animal and dinosaur that crosses his path. The Gwangi uses his massive size to stomp on prey that is smaller than him and uses his razor sharp teeth to shred their flesh! He is also very fast moving for his size and can quickly catch prey that is on foot. The Gwangi’s massive and wicked appearance that includes purplish black hide also can shock human, animal and fellow dinosaurs alike into a state of total fear leaving them open for attack and sadly the kill. But while the Gwangi is a creature of rage, he has weaknesses that include the fact he is not all that smart and thinks more with his stomach than his tiny brain. He can also be kind of clumsy and easily outstepped and escaped from. The Gwangi can also be hurt or killed by other Kaiju’s as well as can take damage by fires and guns. While the Gwangi might be one of the weakest Kaiju’s we have covered on a From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update, but while he might not be the strongest, he still is one deadly and mean beast that is a killing machine.

So as you can see, the T-Rex called the Gwangi is a man killing, meat eating, scary as hell dino who really does define the term Kaiju. So now let’s take a look at The Valley Of Gwangi, the film that this Gwangi is from and as always our friends from IMDB will supply the film’s write up and I will write a little about the film’s production, release and my thoughts. So if you are ready like I am, let’s get to our look at The Valley Of Gwangi.

The Valley Of Gwangi (1969)

“A cowboy named Tuck Kirby seeks fame and fortune by capturing an Allosaurus living in the Forbidden Valley and putting it in a Mexican circus. His victim, called the Gwangi, turns out to have an aversion to being shown in public.”

Willis O’Brien is the mastermind and godfather of stop motion creature films came up with the idea of The Valley Of Gwangi that he was calling Valley Of The Mists as he wanted to make something of his own that was much like the story “The Lost World” written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle! This was a dream project for him that would have had a T-Rex captured and forced to be in a Wild West show that would end with it breaking free, fighting lions and dying when it was knocked off a cliff by a truck. Sadly before the film could go into production, Willis O’Brien passed away and the equally talented Ray Harryhausen stepped in to do the film’s special effects. The film’s script was written by Willis O’Brien but also William Bast and Julian More with Jim O’Connolly coming on board to direct, and lastly they brought on Jerome Moross to do the score. Cast as the leads for the film were James Franciscus as Tuck and Gila Golan as T.J. with supporting actors like Richard Carlson, Freda Jackson and Curtis Arden. The film was shot in Spain and was released by Warner Brothers. The film was a hit at the box office and the year it was released it was joined by other Horror Classics like Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, Nightmare In Wax, Night Of The Bloody Apes, The Castle Of Fu Manchu, Dracula The Dirty Old Man and The Oblong Box to name a few. Over the years the film has really built up a cult following and has been released on home media like VHS, DVD and Blu-Ray bringing this fun and cheesy film to a new generation of fans.

I can first remember seeing this film on broadcast TV when it aired on TNT Monstervision hosted by Joe Bob Briggs as well as on the TBS show Super Scary Saturday hosted by Grampa Munster…proving once more why Horror Hosts are so important when it comes to introducing monster kids to films. I can remember on both viewings loving just how cheesy and silly the film was, but loving the classic style effects. Over the years I kind of forgot about the film and it faded from memory, that was until about 10 years ago when I saw a clip of it of on a show and realized I needed to own it on DVD for my collection and quickly ordered it off Amazon, and after it arrived and I was able to watch it again I found myself turning back into that kid that watched Horror Hosts host it and loving every cheesy moment of it. I should also note when I was a kid, like most kids I was really into dinosaurs and watching a T-Rex chase around cowboys was amazing. When Rotten Ink started I knew I wanted to cover comics made by Star of course but also knew that I had to somehow cover the movie adaptation comics by DELL and besides the Universal Monster ones The Valley Of Gwangi was at the top of the list and with Kaiju Month and the From Horror Movie To Horror Comic theme this was the perfect time to unleash it on you readers. If you have not seen Valley Of Gwangi and enjoy films that have classic style stop animation and features a pissed off T-Rex wanting to make lunch out of cowboys, make sure to give this one a watch.

So as you can see, Valley Of Gwangi is one of those movies that walks the lines of many different genres as it not only is a Western and Horror but also has elements of Science Fiction as well as Fantasy. Again lets be honest the T-Rex really is the worlds original Kaiju and this species of Dinosaurs has been the main villain of many of films and fiction stories in novels and even comics. Now that we have talked about the man-eater T-Rex and the film he slaughters in lets get to the DELL Comic adaptation and see how the comic compares to the film. I want to remind you that I grade this comic on a scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, it’s entertainment value and it’s art and story. So if you are ready, let’s head to the valley and see if we can dodge that pesky meat eating Gwangi.

The Valley Of Gwangi # 1 ***
Released in 1969 Cover Price .15 Dell # 912 of ??

Tuck Kirby is a cowboy who visits his old lover and rodeo show runner T.J. Breckenridge with an offer to buy her prize horse on the orders of Buffalo Bill! She is still very mad at Tuck for breaking off their marriage and sends him away. While in town Tuck meets a young boy named Lope who helps him get a horse and introduces him to Professor Bromley who is a master of dinosaur bones. Carlos who works for T.J. has an idea how to use creatures found from the forbidden valley as a way for the rodeo to make extra money, but also Carlos is feeling a little rivalry with Tuck as he clearly has a crush on his boss T.J. But when Carlos shows off his discovery of a tiny horse, local gypsies show up and end up stealing the horse back to return it to the valley…but also the Professor now follows the gypsies in order to find the valley. And worse Carlos thinks he seen Tuck with the gypsy thieves stealing the tiny horse, and this breaks T.J.’s heart. The Gypsies set the tiny horse free and they think that by doing so they gave stopped a curse, but in reality they lead Tuck, Lope, Professor Bromley, T.J. and Carlos to the valley and after clearing up the mix up they all enter the valley after the tiny horse. While in the valley they are attacked by dinosaurs and almost all killed by a T-Rex they call Gwangi that has set his sights on them, as they try and escape the valley Carlos is killed and ate with Tuck and the crew using boulders to knock out Gwangi and they take the beast captive and put it on display at the rodeo. As Tuck and T.J get into a lovers fight over their future the gypsies strike again and set the creature free that goes on a rampage as hundreds of people try and run for their lives. And in the end Gwangi knocks over some candles and catches the area on fire and burns to death as Tuck and T.J find that they truly love each other.

This Dell Comics is a fantastic read and really makes me wish that they made more comics based on Horror and Sci-Fi films during this time. While this adaptation is really good I also need to stress that like all Dell movie inspired comics this one cuts out large parts of the film and characters to make it fit in a single issue. The plot of this is very simple and follows a down on their luck rodeo that hopes that a tiny horse that a worker found will bring money to them, but when the horse is stolen and a hidden valley is found they get more then they wish for when they unleash a T-Rex. Also throw in a love story between the female rodeo owner and a one time trick rider and you have the story of this comic. T.J Breckenridge is a young woman who loves her rodeo, but money has been tight and worse for her she has fallen in love with a trick rider who has showed back up in her life. By the end of the comic she must make a very hard decision of her career or true love. Tuck Kirby is a man’s man who has made his living entertaining the masses as well as being a risk taker. He also is a very honest and prideful man who does what he can to try and protect his friends, well besides the one time he left the Professor behind. I also want to say Lope, Professor Bromley and Carlos all are great characters who add to the over all story arch. The Gwangi is a killing machine who kills both dinosaurs and humans and seems that he greats joy of taking lives. To be honest the Gypsies are the comic’s main villains as they many times put human lives in danger and even in the end set the Gwangi free that leads to terror and even the death of the creature. The comic does not have any blood but does have death and does have terror filled moments. The cover is great and is taken from the movies release poster. The interior artwork is done by Jack Sparling and has that classic Dell Comics look, and that means its topnotch stuff for this company. Over all this is a great read and if you like the movie make sure to check this comic out. Also check out below for a look at the artwork of Jack Sparling.

Valley Of The Gwangi to me was a great way to start of this year’s Kaiju Month, and I really do hope that this month long updates help make the fact Warner Brothers moved “Godzilla vs. Kong” to November. And while Gwangi might not be the biggest of the Kaiju, he still is one of the icons of Giant Monster Cinema. The next Kaiju we will be covering is the one and only Gamera! So until next time, read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Kaiju Film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update for a giant turtle good time.