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| Copyright MARVEL COMICS |
As you'll probably have noticed, faithful Crivvies, I've not been blogging as regularly as I used to, but I don't want any of you thinking it's because of laziness or that I'm no longer interested in keeping Crivens going. No, it's simply due to health reasons, but don't worry, I'm not going to bore you with the specifics of what actually ails me. Suffice to say my energy levels are at an all-time low and I find it increasingly difficult to muster the necessary stamina to pump out new posts every day as once was the case. Sometimes I even published more than one! Ah, those were the days. Of course, I may be misjudging my 'panting public' - maybe some of you are grateful that I'm not as productive as I used to be so that you can have a rest from my woeful weary waffle? I'm sure you'll let me know.
Anyway, in an attempt to demonstrate that I haven't deserted you, here's a cover gallery omnibus of Marvel's 18-issue Frankenstein Monster mag. Titled The Monster of Frankenstein for its first five issues, it changed to simply The Frankenstein Monster with its sixth (thus dispensing with one small word - 'of'), and as the revised title graced the cover for 13 issues out of the 18, that's what I refer to it as in this post's headline. I've shown the covers on the blog before (in four separate posts), but for this single presentation I've applied some digital technology to spruce them up a bit by removing any glaringly obvious imperfections. If you've got any favourites, feel entirely free to let me and your fellow Crivvies know which ones they are. Remember, Crivens is nothing without you.
Frankenstein??, Monster?? What sort of ailment have you had such drastic surgery for that brings these to mind??? Seriously hope you're OK. Those initial Mike Ploog covers are wonderful. I always felt this was another series with no direction, at the time.
ReplyDeleteA failed face transplant, NB, so I'm stuck with the one I've got. (Hee hee!) Ploog and Buscema were the best artists on the series, though the faces were redrawn in the first Buscema-drawn one. I'm not sure it was a good idea to bring Frankie into the modern world, as happened in later episodes. (If I recall correctly.) Thanks for the good wishes.
ReplyDeleteI get why they made the movie, but Marvel's Frankenstein Monster a lot of its mojo whey shifted to the modern day. The period setting really set it apart and made much more interesting to me as a reader. But I understand they had limited crossover opportunities, though the Dracula storyline was a winner. Ploog's work was outstanding, and John Buscema's was great too. I'm less of a Val Mayerik fan, but his is memorable.
ReplyDeleteVal Mayerik's version didn't really work for me, RJ, after Buscema's short stint, but it wasn't bad in itself. Ploog's was distinctive, but I thought Big John's art made the pages look more exciting. I've got the Collected Edition, which also includes the Monsters Unleashed tales, as well as Frankie's appearances in some other monthly colour mags. Worth having.
ReplyDeleteI know some of these were featured in Marvel UK's Dracula Lives weekly but I'm not sure if they all were.
ReplyDeleteNeither am I, CJ, though I suspect the later ones weren't. Who cares though, I got 'em all anyway.
ReplyDeleteIn all my years of being a comic fan, collector and visitor of comic shops and fairs, I've never seen or even heard of this title before, so thanks once again for introducing me to something new, Kid. I wonder why they changed the title? Maybe to give it more of a logo? My favourite cover is #3. I'm a sucker for a damsel in distress.
ReplyDeleteI imagine Marvel just decided that they wanted the Monster's name first, M, though why they didn't think of that at the beginning, I've no idea. Oh, and I do like a good damsel (distressed or otherwise).
ReplyDeleteI remember buying the Ploog issues when they first came out, but I lost interest at some point. I did buy the Essential volume, but haven't read it yet. My favorite covers were the first two. Funny that I kept Ploog's first werewolf book, but ditched the rest. Somedays I wonder what the heck was was I thinking! Hope your hours are filled with happiness, even tho you may have some poor days here and there. Take care, now.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind sentiment, LM, and may I reciprocate it - to you and all Crivvies. I've got the colour collected editions of Frankie, Dracula, and Werewolf, and some day I intend to sit down and start to work my way through them. I'm looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting these Kid - they must have passed me by back in mid seventies, although from the looks of the price stamps on your earlier copies, the early ones appear to be ND. I must check. As luck would have it, I picked up a copy of Frankenstein's Monster #10 for $5 a couple of months back on a whim (it was half price and nice and shiny). I'm half inclined to look for others, or at least issues #1 and #2 for their great Ploog illustrations.
ReplyDeleteOr you can see if the full colour collected edition of all 18 issues (and more) is still available, B. It's a nice book.
ReplyDeleteShould have said it contains the b&w issues featuring Frankie as well.
ReplyDeleteThe only time a modern-day serial about the Monster prospered was that old series from the forties, which artist Dick Briefer varied between pure horror and comedy. However, those were simpler times, and now it's hard to build a continuing narrative around a monster who's not at Hulk-levels of power and can't change his looks as Bruce Banner and Jack Russell can.
ReplyDeleteDracula, though, has been getting serials out the wazoo since TOMB OF, not all successful, but audiences can get behind him like a soap opera villain, constantly manipulating.
Late comics historian and artist Denis Gifford drew a Briefer-type Frankenstein in a UK comic, GP, which was really just a Briefer rip-off, looks-wise. Without double-checking, I seem to recall that Gifford's Frankie was more of a humour strip. Dracula, of course, is an out-and-out baddie, which comic readers seem to prefer.
ReplyDelete