Charlton Notebook: Just Married #81

Here's a good example of the kind of entertaining romance book Charlton was able to produce in the early 70s. The cover is simply a collection of interior images, but it does a good job selling the reader on the contents. If you're like me, you think "I Married a Monster" is likely a story about an abusive husband. Nope, nothing that dramatic. It's a simple tale of a wife who is embarrassed by the fact that her husband's big acting gig is as a creature on a kids' TV show. "You Don't Own Me" had me scratching my head. It's the tale of a possessive husband who only acts in that way because he knows that the new man on the scene is 'bad news' as far as women, including his wife, are concerned. I'm still not clear on why he pushed his wife into the swimming pool at a party, though. The final story is a bit dull as it's nothing more than a couple eloping in Mexico. I did like the fact that the woman's name is Beatrice as that's my daughter's name. The artwork is serviceable but unspectacular. Don Perlin's work on the lead story is the strongest. If you see this one in a bargain bin, it's worth grabbing!

Charlton Notebook: Ghostly Tales #94

This is a pretty typical Charlton horror book from the early 70s - nothing groundbreaking but pretty solid. We start off with an actual Ditko cover. I say this as the was not simply a paste job from internal art, but an original piece. The story itself it drawn by Pete Morisi (P.A.M.). That story is about Russian werewolves and Morisi gives it a chilly atmosphere. The lead story is pretty silly, as a gang of hippies (or are they bikers?) squat in a haunted house. The ornery ghost forces them to get to work tidying up. Was this an anti-littering message? Who knows? My favourite story here is the middle chapter, involving a swamp creature chasing a cowardly soldier during the Vietnam war. It is drawn with gusto by Joe Staton. That makes this a 'must-have' for Muck Monster completists. The was reprint nearly a decade later with the cover image flipped, perhaps to make people think that it was brand new. I love that Charlton ingenuity!

Charlton Notebook: The Phantom #36

I have written about this era of The Phantom on here before and have declared myself to be a fan. I re-read this particular issue and found myself transformed back to the dangerous jungles where ivory smugglers and diamond thieves lurk around every corner. This particular issue features two strong Phantom stories. I would have initially assumed these were scripted by Steve Skeates, who often collaborated with Jim Aparo, but the GCD states that Skeates has informed them that he was not involved with this one. I really love Aparo's artwork on this series, in particular the way he manages to give Devil such a strong personality. I wish he'd had the chance to work on Dell's
Lassie series. As an added bonus, there's a 4-page non-Phantom Ditko story in here. Not amazing Ditko, but Ditko all the same.

Charlton Notebook: Ghostly Haunts #42

Here's a rather strong entry in the field of mid-70s Charlton horror books. The lead story is rather unique, as it features a crossover between Winnie the Witch and the Coffins from Midnight Tales. While Professor Coffin and his niece Arachne have never been favourites of mine (their stories are a bit too silly), it is not every day you sees member of the Charlton Universe interact. The middle story is very strong, with a terrific Twilight Zone ending demonstrating that crime does not pay. It was drawn by Sururi Gumen, an artist better known for his work for Cracked magazine. The finale is a Nicola Cuti/Don Newton collaboration.This one is solid, but nothing spectacular. Newton's artwork is wonderfully moody, but the story is a bit dull. Overall, an above average offering from the fine folks in Derby.

Charlton Notebook: Attack #32

The history of Charlton's Attack is, like many things that came out of Derby, quite complicated. By my count, being various hiatuses and relaunches, there were five different versions of this series. This particular issue is from Attack's final incarnation. It was relaunched in 1979, a rather odd time for a new war book as the genre had started falling out of favour. This issue contains reprints from two separate issues of War Heroes from 1967. They are solid stories with some pretty nice artwork. I can't place the artist on the first story "Forced Landing" - it is really quite impressive with some lovely shadow work and some great underwater panels. The other two are also well paced and entertaining. For a dollar bin find, I was quite pleasantly surprised. I may be turning into a bit of a Charlton war fan.

Charlton Notebook: The Many Ghosts of Dr. Graves #43

Although I'm a big fan of Charlton's horror output during the 70s, I'll freely admit that most issues are hit or miss. This one follows that trend, as it has one great story, one good story and one pretty weak story.. The main attraction here is the Nicola Cuti/Joe Station mini-masterpiece "The Things in the Subway". The stylish and stylized Staton artwork is perfectly suited to this Twilight Zonesque tale, featuring a rather grim ending. Ditko fans will likely be intrigued by 'Don't Lose Your Heart' as it features some neat historical art by Ditko, as he travels through the ages. There's one particularly effective panel showing the Battle of Waterloo that jumps right off the page. It's good, not great. The lead story is the weakest. It features a great concept of a weird old man with a rather interesting doll collection. The Joe Gill script is quite poor and it is not help at all by the Murray Postell artwork, which is very stiff and awkward. Worth tracking down, for the Cuti/Staton tale alone.

Charlton Notebook: Charlie Chan #7

The mid-50s was an interesting time at Charlton. They had acquired a series of titles from various publishers and suddenly became something of a publishing empire. One of the 'new' titles at Charlton was Charlie Chan, which arrived via Prize/Crestwood, hence the Simon & Kirby house look to the book. This was the second Charlton issue of this short-lived series, and the final one to feature leftover inventory from Prize/Crestwood. I'm not entirely sure who did the artwork here, as I know that everyone from Dick Briefer to Manny Stallman worked on this series, and it has that over whelming Prize feel to it. The stories are fun, and pretty innovative. It is really too bad that the funnybook world has moved away from the mystery genre. Have a look at the Number One son, Jimmy's face on the cover (which is taken from an inside semi-splash) here. Doesn't it have a Gil Kane look to it?

Charlton Notebook: E-Man #8

All issues of E-Man are terrific, but this one is a real find for old school comic book nerds. Actually, there's something for almost every type of nerd in here. It's as if the Easter Bunny visited the Charlton offices in Derby, CT and left eggs all throughout this book. Keen eyed readers will discover references to Plastic Man, Blue Beetle, Captain Atom and even the Mighty Heroes from Archie Comics. There are also references made to Philip Marlowe, Mike Hammer and even the ill-fated Miles Archer. ERB fans will like the Pellucidar vibe in the second half of the book. Oh yeah, and The Battery returns. Great fun all around.

Charlton Notebook: Space Adventures #40

The early 60s were a truly interesting time during Charlton's publishing history. They spent a lot of time searching for an identity before finally entering the Action Hero era. Space Adventures is one of their stronger titles of this era, and this issue evidences that strength. There are two Captain Atom stories with Steve Ditko art. I really love the 'pixie dust' effect used to show him flying. The second story is a real riot, as a boy dying of gamma ray radiation is 'cured' by Captain Atom. What's the cure? Well, a flight through space seemed to do the trick, and somehow the boy survives wearing only his pyjamas. There is a so-so story featuring a Flash Gordon clone, and fun Rocco Mastroserio drawn tale with an EC style twist ending. All in all, it's nothing great, and the Captain Atom stories have been reprinted elsewhere but these are always worth grabbing if you seen an inexpensive copy.

Charlton Notebook: The Phantom #42

For the most part, this is a pretty run of the mill Pat Boyette-era issue of The Phantom. The first story involves some elephant poachers. It isn't anything special, although there are some interesting layouts by Boyette. The middle story centres around a rich man rewarding the tribe that saved his life. There's a not so subtle 'too many trinkets spoil the natives' message in this one, and it's quite humorous in its misguided earnestness. The final story is the strongest, with The Phantom temporarily stuck in a Most Dangerous Game type scenario. I like Boyette's artwork, but I can certain understand why it is not universally loved. There are two gorgeous, uncredited, one-pager about exploring the west. Does anyone know who drew those? They have a bit of an Al Williamson feel to them.

Charlton Notebook: Space Adventures #7

There's a moment in Charlton history, right in the middle of the transition from old to new, when the comics seem to coexist in two different eras. Although this book was published in 1969, it seems to come from that period in 1966. At times it is still quite staid, but it also features some hard sci-fi and some fresh art talent. This book some interesting stories with intergalactic war, artificial intelligence and one with a twist ending featuring a peaceful Earth. It is a vast improvement on the early 60s books filled with Bill Molno artwork and lettering by A Machine. These are not the modern stories by Skeates and O'Neil drawn by the likes of Aparo and Ditko, but Pat Boyette and Dick Giordano give it a more updated look, and the subject matter is more sophisticated. The presence of Nicholas and Alascia, as well as some of the lettering, makes me feel as though some of these stories came from inventory. It just doesn't feel like 100% pure Charlton circa 1969.

Charlton Notebook: Black Fury #54

A few weeks back, I won an auction for a stack of Black Fury comics from the 60s, including this issue from September, 1965. If you've read enough interviews with classic comic artists, you'll have noticed that many of them tried to steer clear of western books due to the relative difficulty of drawing horses. I imagine that drawing a series with a horse as the star would have driven some artists mad. Black Fury is one of a number of classic comic series featuring a horse as protagonist. This is a pretty standard issue, with simple and enjoyable stories of Black Fury fighting other horses to remain King of the Ramada in one story, while protecting a palomino from rustlers in another. The best story here, A Friend in Need, involves Black Fury paying back a family who had earlier rescued him from drowning. Rocco 'Rocke' Mastroserio is a great fit for this series, as he draws horses beautifully. The Nicholas/Alascia stories are a real step down in quality as far as a I am concerned. Overall, it is good fun and avalaible for relative peanuts.

Charlton Notebook: Texas Rangers in Action #65

I really like this Rocke cover. His cover designs are underappreciated in my not so humble opinion. In the opening story (Shadow of Glory) Ranger Dave Tobin is injured by a Comanche spear. He refuses to quit active duty and brings in a wanted man. Next up is an early (the first?) Man Called Loco story. I love this strip; Denny O'Neil's story are a step above normal Charlton fare, and Pete Morisi's artwork really stands out. Finally, we have another story with Nicholas/Alascia artwork. It's Riley's Ranger feature about an outlaw named Lobo Jones who rules with an iron fist (backed by a pack of wolves). The Rangers are captured, but escape and manage to defeat the wolves. Some lame humour is thrown in at the end, when it is revealed that one Ranger is more afraid of bats than wolves. It a typical Charlton book with some good stuff (the Loco story) and some other stuff that seems about 10 years behind the times.

Charlton Notebook: Monster Hunters #6

This is an above average entry for this Charlton series. I really dig the Mike Zeck cover, as he seems to be channeling Gil Kane in his monster design. You'll note the similarity to the monster on the cover of Master of Kung-Fu #75. The lead story "Beast or the Burden" is a very entertaining Ditko-drawn Mad Scientist vs. Police Inspector tale, with a clever ending. The middle tale, "Who Prowls the Night" is the weakest, with art by the Nicholas/Alascia, but it is decent. The finale is a crazy Stonehenge based tale, wherein a couple of astronomer from Wisconsin and kidnapped and carted off to England to witness a pagan ritual that does not come off as planned. Fun stuff.

Charlton Notebook: Yang #8

Yang was Charlton's response to the Kung-Fu craze of the 70s. Borrowing heavily from the David Carradine TV series, it involves the solitary Yang traversing America while locked into an ongoing battle with his nemesis Chao Ku, and his love-hate relationship with the warlord's daughter Yin. To be perfectly honest, that formula grew quite tiresome and this particular issue is a nice change of pace. Yang travels to an anonymous mining town in the 'northwest' to discover that its inhabitants are being terrorized by a figure dressed in wolf skins who has control over pack of wolves. Warren Stadtler's artwork is pretty polarizing for fans, but I quite like it. There are shades of Toth, Ditko and Kubert in these panels. The combination of super villain, whodunit and small town paranoia all work quite well here and this stands out as one of the strongest issues of this series.

Charlton Notebook: Haunted #18

This is a great, great comic that serves as an example of what Charlton could be when it was firing on all cylinders. We start off with a cool sci-fi monster cover by Joe Staton. This segues nicely to The Survivor, a space-based morality play by Steve Ditko. This is one of the best space stories I've read, from any company. So good, in fact, that I would not be surprised if it was swiped from EC. This middle story is another cautionary tale, this one with lovely Wayne Howard artwork. It involved a man seeking eternal life by constantly upgrading his body with artificial parts. Apparently, that's not a great idea. Finally, we sign off with Film Freak, a strange a superb story by the Staton/Cuti team. Imagine a mirror image of Purple Rose of Cairo, replace Jeff Daniels with a space monster and you've got a sense of what this one's all about. All in all, this issue featured entertaining tales and fantastic artwork, and it should please just about anyone.

Charlton Notebook: Beyond the Grave #11

This title was part of the Charlton mini-explosion of the mid-70s, but went on hiatus for nearly 7 years before returning as a reprint title in 1983. I once figure out who drew this new cover, but the name escapes me right now. Overall, this is a pretty good package with 3 stories - the first 'Not for Sale' (originally from a 1975 issue of Ghostly Tales) is pencilled by Charles Nicholas. His work is made to look much more lush by Wayne Howard's inks. The middle tale ("The Cure") is an old Dr. Graves story drawn by Steve Ditko. The reproduction here is quite good, as the paper is of decent quality and the colors and inks are sharp. Finally, we've got a terrific werewolf-centric story from Haunted Love #5 with charming Joe Staton artwork, who includes a pretty racy bathtub scene. This is definitely an above average reprint book, so keeps your eyes peeled for a cheap copy.

Charlton Notebok: War #8

I don't own many Charlton war comic books, but I found this on in a dollar bin and could not pass up the opportunity to give it a test drive, as I was intrigued by the Pat Boyette cover. This series was launched in 1975, as part of a strange little mini-explosion at Charlton. I don't know that the marketplace was screaming for a new middle of the road war title, but this one did last until '84. The lead story is actually very impressive, focusing on a ambulance driver who became a pilot with a group of American volunteers during the early days of WW1. The GCD suggests that the art might be from someone name Colmeiro. If they mean Antonio Colmeiro, that would make sense as it has a very classic look and he worked with agencies sending stuff to Derby. The second story recounts how a young and inexperienced officer gained the respect of his troops during the march from Ohio to Manassas (Bull Run). Finally, we get a rather interesting tale about the start of the Mexican war. I'm not sure who drew this one, but I imagine it's also one of the many Spanish artists sending work to Charlton at the time. Overall, it was a very enjoyable read and a pleasant surprise. Low expectations will do that to you, though.

Charlton Notebook: Ghostly Tales #116

I'm a big fan of the Charlton Comics Group, but if someone were to based their opinion of the publisher on this book alone; I could understand if they were to simply shrug their shoulders and say 'meh'. Personally, I like picking these up because they are cheap and usually have at least one good story in them. The first story is a pretty bad effort by Joe Gill and Sanko Kim (also the cover artist). It involves the fallout from budgetary shortcuts at a nuclear facility. The premise isn't bad and the story might have worked if Kim’s monster didn’t look so stupid. Kim’s artwork really doesn’t do it for me, as he really seems to struggle with anatomy. I often roll my eyes when I open a Charlton book and find Kim artwork. The next story is much better. It's a clever Joe Gill/Charles Nicholas ‘what did you bring back from space?’ tale. It has a nice a silver age look to it, so much so that I was convinced it was a reprint but haven't been able to find the source material. The final story is the old ‘Stranger comes to town – could it be Satan?’ story – it features some pretty energetic Steve Ditko artwork. This one isn't bad, but I wouldn't go out of my way to track it down.

Charlton Notebook: Racket Squad in Action #22

I absolutely love this old Charlton series from the 50s. I have maybe a half-dozen issues and always have my eyes peeled for inexpensive copies. Each issue is a collection of short stories involving one old school scam or another, with the bad guys eventually getting their just desserts. This issue's 'rackets' include one about the pitfall of trying to get your hands on 'free' money, a shady mechanic and a supposedly blind street corner bookie. The lead story is incredible fun. It's about a great pickpocketing scam involving a decoy and and an artificial arm. The artwork is nothing to write home about (mostly Charles Nicholas and Bill Molno as far as I can tell), but the stories are nicely told. This series was a genre unto itself, and this issue is a good and inexpensive (I good a VG- copy for $3) place to start.