Let's close out this weird comics week with a full-length issue of Dell's WEREWOLF #1 (December 1966). Third in the series of a re-imagining of the Universal monsters (Dracula and the Frankenstein monster were the other two), it was created and scripted by editor D.J. Arneson (another source attributes the story to Don Segall), penciled by Bill Fraccio and inked by Tony Tallarico.
While not as crazed as the other comics this week, it's still pretty bizarre, especially if you put it in the context of the classic monsters. Air Force Major Wiley Wolf (!) crash lands his experimental aircraft in the arctic, suffers amnesia and lives with a pack of wolves, himself turning wild (!). Finally making it back to civilization, he is recruited by the CIA as a secret agent/superhero (!). I'll cease with the exclamation points and let you take the story from there. Mercifully, WEREWOLF only lasted for three issues.
Dell's monster heroes are strange indeed, and if not infused with the hokeyness so common to the era might be unreadable. But I love the goofiness.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, Rip, I've read plenty of spy stories from this period which were a heck of a lot worse.
DeleteThor certainly gets around. Even as he's in the detonator shack awaiting Wiley's instructions to pull the switch, he can still be seen standing next to his master. Impressive.
ReplyDeleteRip: After giving them another shot, they are hokey, but I was compelled to read the entire series again.
ReplyDeleteSteve: One thing you can say about Thor, he was very loyal!
ReplyDeleteNo lone wolf, that's for sure.
DeleteGood thing the Russkies hadn't developed the wolfbane bomb yet.
ReplyDelete