SECRET AGENT WEREWOLF!

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.

SPURS JACKSON AND HIS SPACE VIGILANTES!

Okay, we've seen enough mad doctors and scientists this week-- let's get into some new territory with this kooky mash-up of a Western/science-fiction comic. Aptly titled SPACE WESTERN COMICS, it was published by Capital Stories, Inc., aka Charlton Comics. The story seen here today (take a deep breath if you're reading this out loud), "Spurs Jackson and His Space Vigilantes Battle the Green Men of Venus" appeared in issue #41 (November-December 1952). The numbering was continued from the redundantly titled COWBOY WESTERN COMICS.

The script was written by none other than Walter Gibson-- yes, the same Walter Gibson that wrote under the name Maxwell Grant for THE SHADOW pulp magazine (and later the comic book). Other than his storied writing career, he was also an accomplished magician and ghosted a number of books for Harry Houdini. The story seen here today is well-rooted in the pulp tradition.

Artist Stan Campbell illustrated a ton of comics for Fawcett, Dell and Gilberton. Note the imaginative panel layouts in this Spurs Jackson story.

SPACE WESTERN appeared to be an experimental title and apparently didn't fare well as it resumed as COWBOY WESTERN COMICS after just seven issues.

PROFESSOR FIEND GOES TO MARS!

This zany humor strip appeared in Fox's FANTASTIC COMICS #1-13 from December 1939-December 1940. The series was created by writer/artist Fred Schwab under the pseudonym Boris Plaster.

Professor Fiend tries to patent a bladeless knife and gets kicked out of the office. His pride hurt, he contemplates committing suicide, but then decides to build a spaceship and fly to Mars! Upon landing, he finds the planet run by cigar-chomping, juvenile delinquents (one of them says to the other, "C'mon, Junior--let's burn down some more schools!"). The Professor jumps down what looks to be a Martian volcano where he finds all the grown-ups hiding from the nasty kids . . . in the middle of a beauty contest!

I don't have enough exclamation points to describe this nutty strip. The art and story has touches of Basil Wolverton and could very well be considered an early prototype for the types of weirdness that were found later in underground comics. It's Goofy, with a capital "G"!