Adventures in Comic-Boxing: Exit Opera - Enter Disco!

For today's little bit of nonsense, we present the cover of GHOSTS # 90 (DC Comics, Cover Date: July, 1980).

Remember when Phantoms only haunted Operas and Rue Morgues?  Not for THIS Phantom! 

In that now-fondly-remembered period of the late 1970s - early 1980s, even PHANTOMS had to keep up with the times! 

Our protagonist seems to have gotten himself into quite the... "Disco Stew"!  

...Hey, Stu, did somebody say, DISCO? 

But, what really makes it noteworthy to this humble Blogger is the TAGLINE!  

"In the DISCO -- no one can hear you scream!"

Loathe as I am to admit it, I had actually gone to a disco or three circa 1979, and indeed NO ONE could hear you scream... or talk... or sneeze, or make otherwise embarrassing bodily sounds, or whatever... 

But you gotta love DC's use of such a gag on the cover of what is a normally "straight" horror comic!  

...Okay, it's time to "Disco Duck" outta here!  

...Or, "In the DISCO -- no one can hear you WAK!"

Halloween 2020 Reading and Watching List!

Stop me if you've heard this bit before, but... Halloween 2020 isn't over until I say it is!  

And I promised a return to "Happy Stuff" the day after Election Day, so here we go! 

Whether or not you were satisfied with the results, or even if the results are still up in the air (Oh, I hope not... I can't take anymore! ...And *I* don't know myself, because I'm writing this BEFORE Election Day - so Good Luck, USA!), you're probably all wondering...

...What did Joe read and watch for Halloween 2020?  

...And, if you aren't wondering that, you SHOULD, because it's a darn sight more pleasant than the NEWS was on that day!  

In my opinion, I did a remarkable amount of partaking in Halloween-themed entertainment for one day - especially as much of the day was taken with domestic and outdoor chores... two loads of wash (wash, dry, put away), gathering and storing all the outdoor furniture and equipment, removal of outdoor plants which will not survive the winter, gathering the week's recycling, cleaning the backyard fence of dirty smudges... and, believe it or not, washing-down the front of my house (at least the parts I can reach without a ladder) by hand!  Whew! Puff-Pant! 

It was during those activities, particularly the house hand-washing, that I observed no kids trick-or-treating - as discussed in a previous post! 

That I found ANY time at all for Halloween-themed products of entertainment, is a tribute to the "hold" this particular holiday has on me.  

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But, yes... there were two comics, and two items on DVD, in the following order... (David Gerstein will be proud of this first one!)

DELL FOUR COLOR #46: FELIX THE CAT AND THE HAUNTED CASTLE (Dell Comics, Cover Date: June, 1944)   

In this 48-page collection of Felix the Cat daily newspaper comic strips from the great Otto Mesmer, Felix has a (typically) disjointed adventure of non-sequiturs that include:

In Fairyland, helping "Little Betty Blue" attend the Fairyland Ball, thwarting the efforts of her wicked stepmother.  If this bit sounds familiar, it seems odd that Cinderella herself, as well as Little Bo Peep, and Little Red Riding Hood, have no trouble getting dolled-up and attending the Ball!  ...No wonder Betty's so (sorry, but I gotta say it) blue! 

Meeting a group of four "Magical Midgets". 

Evading "Bruto", the wicked stepmother's executioner.   

And finally helping a poor shoe-shine boy, when the larger "Simple Simon" muscles in on his territory!  

However, somewhere between besting Bruto and snookering Simple Simon, a larger part of the story takes place in the titular "Haunted Castle" where Felix must escape from a family of ghosts who have pressed him into service as both a pet and a slave.  

A nice, long romp that never gets dull! 

HERE'S the GCD link for it! 

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Then, on to BORIS KARLOFF TALES OF MYSTERY #13 (Gold Key Comics, Cover Date. March, 1966) With all the recent Blog activity about BORIS KARLOFF TALES OF MYSTERY of late, how could I NOT read one of these for Halloween!

This issue is highlighted by it's lead story, "The Five Casks of Greed", a haunting tale of the corruption and utter consumption of a man by avarice. 

Archaeologist Andrew Lake recounts the his woeful tale of the discovery of five sealed casks below the surface of Crete. The casks are said to each hold great riches... BUT only one must be opened within a ten-year period - and, in order for a cask to magically open, one must commit a designated act of evil that is stated on the cask!    

Would you commit acts of evil, which incrementally increase in severity, in exchange for riches?  And would you be willing to wait the prescribed duration before claiming the treasures in the remaining four casks?  

Those are the questions facing Andrew Lake in this magnificent 12-page tale!  

Making it all the more special, Boris Karloff appears, not only as the "host", but is also a participant in the story as the person to whom Lake tells his tragic tale!  

There's Unca Boris, as "host" in the splash panel, and as "listener" in Panel Two.  (Click to Enlarge)

In keeping with my penchant for casting "era-appropriate actors" as the characters in the Boris Karloff and Twilight Zone comic stories, and "hearing their voices" as I read, I cast Mark Richman (also known as Peter Mark Richman) as Andrew Lake.  Yeah, the "hair color" doesn't match up but, if you've seen him in anything, you'll know why he's my choice! 

I've always said the overall quality of the Gold Key Comics of 1964-1966 was unsurpassed.  Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery #13 is just one more reason why!  

HERE'S the GCD link for it!  

This is the first time I have read either of these comics and both, in their own unique storytelling were perfect Halloween reads!  

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For DVDs, on the other hand, nothing new - just familiar, tried, and true! 

At Scarecrow33's suggestion I went for the 1964 Woody Woodpecker TV special "Spook-a-Nanny", on the DVD set "The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection" 

Woody unsuccessfully tries to blow up party balloons for "his boss" Walter Lantz, then heads off to a Halloween party attended by the various Lantz characters (largely voiced by Daws Butler), and encounters a rock band of ghosts with Beatle-wigs! 

The special also features one of my favorite Woody theatrical cartoons, "Under the Counter Spy" (1954), a parody of "Dragnet" in which Woody encounters "The Bat" a (perfect for Halloween) villain who resembles The Phantom Blot! ...At least he did to me in 1964!

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Finally, does anything say Halloween like a SIMPSONS "Treehouse of Horror" show?   ...No! Nothing does, so let's just get on with it!  

"Treehouse of Horror XIV" leads off the DVD set THE SIMPSONS: THE COMPLETE FIFTEENTH SEASON, and originally aired on November 02, 2003 (literally SEVENTEEN years to the day, as I write this!)  And, yes, they DID do a joke about a Halloween Special airing in November!  

Homer becomes "Death", and actually enjoys purging the world of various folks... until his next assignment is to expire Marge!  Will Death take a holiday?  Or a donut break?  Or will Homer use (or lose?) his head to get out of his predicament?  

Professor Frink re-animates his dead father - who is very appropriately voiced by Jerry Lewis! 

And Bart and Millhouse possess the ability to stop and start time... What could possibly go wrong? 

Unlike the two comics, which I hadn't read previously, these shows are "comfortable old friends"... or as "comfortable" as you can possibly be with Homer Simpson in the role of "Death"!  

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BONG! BONG! BONG! BONG! BONG! BONG! BONG! BONG! BONG! BONG! BONG! BONG! 

...Don't bother counting, the clock doth strike-eth TWELVE, and Halloween be-eth over for another year-eth! 

But, we sure packed a lot of housework, chores, and Halloween reading and watching into this one didn't we-eth?  

Oh, wait, Halloween's still not over until I say so... but it IS winding down, so stay tuned, or blogged, or whatever it is you do-eth! 

R.I.P. Russi Taylor

We mourn the passing of Russi Taylor, who sadly left us on July 26, 2019, at the (no longer old) age of 75!

Ms. Taylor, as most people know, was the longtime voice of Minnie Mouse...

...The life's delight of "you-know-who"!

Sharing the good times...

...And the not-so-good! 

But, to me, Russi Taylor's most astounding accomplishment was heard on the original 1987 version of DuckTales...

...Where she somehow managed to imbue Huey, Dewey, and Louie with understandable speech, while still allowing them to sound like their unintelligible "Unca Donald"!

Yes, Russi Taylor could make HER Duck Nephews speak lines like this (above), and this (below)...

...And still maintain that air of "Shared-Duck-Identity"...

 ...That was such a key aspect of stories like these!  Be they animated...  

...Or in comic books where they were at their best! 

So much so that I began to "hear" Russi Taylor SPEAK as the nephews, as I read the comics - though I never heard Donald's overly-quacky original voice actor Clarence Nash, or his successor Tony Anselmo, speak DONALD'S comic-book dialogue!  

To become my "official comics-reading character voice" takes a really indelible impression... and Russi Taylor had indeed made one, when it came to Huey, Dewey, and Louie!  

And also as Minnie Mouse!

When it was my great privilege to "do translations and write dialogue scripts" for these comics, it was Russi Taylor who "aided-from-afar" when it came to my putting just the right words in the mouths (balloons?) of Minnie Mouse...

...And Huey, Dewey, and Louie!

Other notable characters voiced by Russi Taylor include Martin Prince and Purple-Twins Sherri and Terri on THE SIMPSONS...

...And the indisputably indomitable and utterly unsinkable WEBBY, also on DuckTales (1987 Series)!  

But, the most "Disney-Magic-like thing" about Russi Taylor was that in 1991 she married Wayne Allwine (who passed away in 2009), who was THE LONGTIME VOICE OF MICKEY MOUSE!  

And, while we all feel the loss, we can also feel good, knowing that Mickey and Minnie are reunited... as they should always be!  

Adventures in Comic-Boxing: And I Would Have Gotten Away With It, If It Weren't for Those Meddling... (Um!) Flashlight Batteries!

...Flashlight batteries?*  (*Translated from the Scooby-Talk: "Rash-right Ratteries?")  

Here's an ad from the interior of THE ADVENTURES OF BOB HOPE # 5 (DC Comics, Cover Date: October-November, 1950), and it's the kind of ad you just don't see anymore!

The type of advertising that was popular in the 1940s-1960s, and was perfectly at-home in comic books!   Let's break it out for easier reading - and, of course, you can Click to Enlarge the entire ad, or any portion thereof! 

Guest-starring as the Treasury Agents, on loan from DC Comics, are PERRY WHITE...

...And an adult version of JIMMY OLSEN!  DC really showing all-in support for this ad, getting the supporting cast of SUPERMAN to do their part(s)!

...Or maybe they just used an available Superman artist like Curt Swan, Kurt Schaffenberger, or Al Plastino - and that accounts for the resemblance and "general house style" of DC Comics!

But, notice that, situated between Agent White and Agent Grown-Up-Olsen, is the REAL HERO of the piece... THE FLASHLIGHT!

Or, more specifically, the BATTERIES contained therein!  

Also, devilishly clever of that HERO FLASHLIGHT to "hide in plain sight", while everyone is distracted by the adjoining jewelry!  BRAVO!  Or BRAV-O-VAC! 

  

But, back to our story...

From Antwerp, Belgium to... LAKEWOOD, NEW JERSEY?  

Yes, that's a real place!

I guess they figured that neither Sean Connery nor Roger Moore would ever look for them in Lakewood, NJ!  ...Waitaminnit!  It's 1950!  Who are Sean Connery and Roger Moore?  

MAN!  That is one intimidating FLASHLIGHT!  

Yeah!  I shudder to think how this true story would have turned out if they had used KRUSTY BRAND BATTERIES!  

Yep!  No one "sheds light" on life's mysteries like Scooby and the Gang, Sherlock Holmes, Batman and Robin...

...And RAY-O-VAC BATTERIES!  

EXTRA BONUS AD - from the back cover of THE ADVENTURES OF BOB HOPE # 5...

Should your horse ever dump you into a pit of QUICKSAND without your flashlight full o' life-saving Ray-O-Vac Batteries...

You can always count on a cold refreshing bottle of RC (Royal Crown Cola) to come to the rescue... At least the "rescue" of your "danger-generated THIRST"!  The Quicksand?  Maybe not so much!    

Of course, it also helps if your horse DOESN'T WANT TO PURPOSELY THROW YOU INTO A PIT OF QUICKSAND!  So, remember... be kind to your horse!  

Not like THIS mischievous-looking kid, who probably pokes his horse with a stick, spikes his oats with Tabasco, and ties his horse-shoe-laces together!  Doesn't he just LOOK devilish?  

Oh, and gotta love the FISH who pops out of the water for a look!

The fish is probably wondering how his stream suddenly turned to QUICKSAND! 

...It even says "STREAM" right there in the caption box! 

Ya know, like, the other horse is even DRINKING from it!

Then again, maybe poor "Quickie" (Now, THERE's an "unfortunate nickname", if ever I heard one!), is right about the quicksand, and the horse really wants to do him in!

Quickie's horse is probably just off-panel smiling - or making with a hearty "horse-laugh"! 

It's a good thing they packed some spinach...

...Er, um... make that RC COLA in their saddle bag... oh, and an AX too! 

Never mind the likelihood of the 1950-era GLASS BOTTLES being cracked or shattered by the AX packed alongside them! 

Only "two full glasses in the BIG bottle?"  Methinks the "BIG bottle" may have been almost as inaccurately named as "Quickie" - who jus' don't seem so "quick" to me! 

Okay, I GET the AX... but exactly what are the (presumably non-shattered) bottles of RC COLA doing to help? 

They're about as much help around quicksand as DOCTOR ZACHARY SMITH!

"Wait right there, gentlemen!  I'll be back with some RC Cola!" 

YAY! (...or, should I say YI-P-P-E-E-E!)  Quickie is saved by the heroic (and conveniently nicknamed) "R.C.", while those bottles of RC COLA just stand around... um, "chillin'"! ...BRRRR!

"Well, gee whiz!  You think it's easy to contain TWO FULL GLASSES of cola inside you?  What am I supposed to do... SLOSH to the rescue?"

Ah, I see!  The RC COLA is just there for the "post-rescue celebration", while the AX was the real life-saving implement!  ...WELL, CELEBRATING IS IMPORTANT TOO! 

Finally, after all the interior advertising reproduced from THE ADVENTURES OF BOB HOPE # 5 , the very least I can do is close on it's cover!

Along with those "Seasick Pills", I hope Bob packed some life-saving RAY-O-VAC BATTERIES and RC COLA!  

...After all, I've read the story... and he's gonna NEED 'EM!